After farewelling its Cremorne HQ with just four weeks' notice, Tarts Anon has landed on its feet — specifically, with a sleek new flagship store in Richmond. The cult-favourite brand's signature blend of fine-dining finesse and neighbourhood charm is alive and well at its airy, light-filled Church Street space, which features an open kitchen, indoor and outdoor seating that encourages lingering and a smartly pared-back fitout designed in collaboration with hospitality heavyweight Nathan Toleman. (It also makes for a nice one-two punch at the address, which is also home to Top Paddock.) Started by chef Gareth Whitton (ex-Dinner by Heston) and Catherine Way as a home-based side hustle during the 2020 Melbourne lockdown, Tarts Anon quickly became a citywide obsession thanks to its golden crusts and restaurant-quality fillings. The Richmond site showcases the brand's greatest hits — smoked pecan and butterscotch, chocolate caramel, lemon and tiramisu can all be found here — as well as four monthly rotating specials. Joining the lineup for the launch period is a limited-time pistachio Saint Honoré tart, a playful take on the classic French cake featuring crisp choux pastry, pistachio mousseline and layers of caramelised pastry. [caption id="attachment_1011260" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tim Harris[/caption] If you're sitting in — and in a space as welcoming as this, why wouldn't you — you'll find specialty teas and coffee by a rotating roster of roasters to pair with your pastry. Whitton and the team are also experimenting with a wider but complementary offer, so the minimalist display cabinet might soon include croissant-tart hybrids, or soft serve in the warmer months. Open daily, Tarts Anon Richmond joins the brand's growing network of locations across Melbourne, including Collingwood, Collins Street and a Prahran Market pop-up. It's a new chapter for a homegrown favourite — and when it comes to great things getting even better, well, the proof is in the tart. [caption id="attachment_1011261" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tim Harris[/caption] Images: Tim Harris.
Moving castles have become abandoned mansions, and adventurous kids are now asthmatic outsiders, as you may have noticed if you've been keeping up with Studio Ghibli's recent films. It seems like everyone's favourite Japanese animation house is growing up and getting serious; however, that might not be all that's behind their change in mood. With no new features slated, they might be shutting up their movie-making shop — or so it has been rumoured. Perhaps that's why the studio's output over the last year has felt a little more melancholy and contemplative, and why tissues have become a necessary viewing accessory. The great Hayao Miyazaki's swan song, The Wind Rises, and co-founder Isao Takahata's latest effort, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, already tested tear ducts, and When Marnie Was There does so again. If this is the last Ghibli movie, then the tale of 12-year-old Anna (voiced by Sara Takatsuki) offers a fitting farewell. Above all else, it tells of the importance of friendship, acceptance, understanding and looking to the past to embrace the future, recurring themes in the studio's work. A foster child usually found alone with her sketchbook in hand, Anna is isolated and unhappy. That doesn't change when she is sent to stay by the seaside with her adoptive relatives — but then she spies a house surrounded by marshland, and meets the girl who lives there, Marnie (Kasumi Arimura). When Marnie Was There is based on the 1967 British novel of the same name, and while the film isn't exactly old-fashioned, it is relaxed and reflective, even for an animation house known for making movies unlike any others. The second effort — and the second such book-to-screen adaptation — from director Hiromasa Yonebayashi after 2010's The Secret World of Arrietty, it takes its time not just to get to know Anna and her new pal, but to let the audience into their headspace. It's an approach that's crucial to the feature, with the journey Anna takes in finding her sense of self more important than anywhere she might wander — and the bond she forms with Marnie more engrossing than anything else she might encounter. It also fits in with the mystery surrounding the titular character, who only Anna can seem to see, and only under certain circumstances. As well as building character and intrigue, the slower pace leaves plenty of room for the kind of gorgeous visuals Studio Ghibli is known for, painstakingly hand-drawn and -painted. Indeed, that the film looks a treat can almost go without saying, except that Yonebayashi uses his beautiful images to thrill as much as enchant. There are a few darker turns in this tale, and the filmmaker is just as skilled at conveying pain and sadness as he is at creating magic and wonder. If it sounds like another bewitching gem, that's because it is — but if it sounds like something a little different, that's because it's that, too. When Marnie Was There is compiled from the same parts as other Ghibli fare, but it really does feel like a film studio saying goodbye. Expect sorrow from the sweet and soulful story about finding a place to belong. Expect more from the possibility that this could be the last movie from the beloved studio.
Festivals with international headliners are well and truly back, and that doesn't just apply to music. When Antidote — the Sydney Opera House's fest of ideas, art and change — returns on Sunday, September 11, it's bringing an impressive lineup of international names with it. Here's three: Brian Cox, Jenny Slate and Jarvis Cocker. Fresh from spending three seasons yelling about a business empire on one of television's biggest shows, Succession star Cox headlines the Antidote bill. The iconic actor will make the trip Down Under to chat about his career, including his ability to play characters known for their anger, malicious ways and sinister mood — which, yes, spans more than just the hit HBO series. His discussion is called The Evil in Us All, after all. [caption id="attachment_859192" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Katie McCurdy[/caption] As for Slate, don't be suspicious. The Parks and Recreation, Obvious Child, I Want You Back and Everything Everywhere All At Once star, and Marcel the Shell with Shoes On author, will hit Sydney to focus on finding joy and laughter in our weird lives. She also has essay collection Little Weirds to her name, so she'll be on topic. Pulp frontman Cocker isn't playing tunes — no 'Common People' or 'Disco 2000' for you, sorry — but he will be showing folks his attic. His livestreamed conversation is called Good Pop, Bad Pop, just like his recently released memoir, and it'll feature him talking through some of the things he's collected, the tales behind them, and what the objects we hide away say about us. [caption id="attachment_859191" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tom Jamieson[/caption] Also on the Antidote lineup: bestselling author Mohsin Hamid (Moth Smoke, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Exit West), chatting about white anxiety, privilege and prejudice — and Olivia Laing (The Trip to Echo Springs, The Lonely City, Everybody: A Book About Freedom), with the award-winner talking about oppression, resistance and bodies via livestream. Or, there's an event called Ukraine Has Changed Us, which'll include Ukrainian poet and recent Nobel Prize in Literature nominee Serhiy Zhadan live from Kharkiv. Responding to our times in a different way, The Atlantic's science writer Ed Yong, a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist, will discuss global biosecurity and potential pandemics beyond COVID-19. He's the last of the fest's four guests that are appearing via video link — and he'll speak with epidemiologist and UNSW Chair of Biosecurity Professor Raina MacIntyre. [caption id="attachment_859193" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jillian Edelstein.[/caption] Looking local, former Aussie Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will chat about disinformation online, while Australian Greens leader Adam Bandt, newly elected independent MP Allegra Spender and former politician Cathy McGowan will discuss the recent Federal Election results — specifically, the record number of Independents and Greens voted in, and what that means for the country. Elsewhere, Gunai artist and writer Kirli Saunders will lead a panel with Gumbaynggirr/Bundjalung man and CEO of the Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-operative Gary Williams about preserving and sharing Australia's Indigenous languages. The full Antidote lineup spans 17 talks, conversations and panels, plus four workshops, and an art activation as well — all of which covers chats about storytelling, balancing living with tragedy with retaining hope, Australia's future from a First Nations standpoint, ditching careers in media to become doctors, campaign reporting and China's growing power, too. And in great news for everyone who can't make it along in-person — such as folks living outside of Sydney — almost all of the lineup will be livestreamed. Yes, that includes Cox, Slate, Cocker, Hamid, Laing and Yong's sessions. [caption id="attachment_859190" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Prudence Upton[/caption] Antidote will take place at the Sydney Opera House, and online, on Sunday, September 11. Ticket pre-sales start at 9am on Tuesday, June 28 — and general sales start at the same time for livestreams, and at 9am on Monday, July 1 for in-person tickets. Top image: Succession, David M. Russell/HBO ©2020 HBO. All Rights Reserved.
This dapper new cocktail bar in Southbank from the Neil Perry-helmed Rockpool Dining Group shouldn't be judged on face value. With plenty of art deco stylings, R Bar is inspired by the 1920s and is an homage to the world's best-loved and most celebrated hotel lobby bars, such as the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel Singapore and Venice's Harry's Bar. Taking all of this into account, you'd assume great cocktails, right? Yes, you get those. But would you also think you'd be able to order hot chip butties and giant deli-like sandwiches? No? Well, it's got those, too. Sitting adjacent to Rockpool Bar & Grill in the Crown Towers, R Bar has space for 110, including an intimate 16-seat private bar. Its Great Gatsby-inspired fit-out features lots of dark timber, rich velvet and bronze mirror panelling, with a show-stealing chandelier of handblown glass and sculptural pendants hung from the soaring ceiling. Throw in a hefty wall of bottled cocktails and spirits ageing in barrels and you've got one seriously luxe hangout. As you'd expect, the booze offering heroes hotel bar classics (such as the singapore sling, manhattan sour and bellini) alongside modern cocktails with plenty of native ingredients and local spirits. The bar has a dedicated martini service, too – expect an all-Australian spirits lineup, and drinks poured and garnished at your table – as well as a serious barrel-ageing program, which is apparently one of the largest in the country. Concoctions including negroni, manhattan, old fashioned, boulevardier, sazerac and vieux carre are all being aged in house in a variety of barrels, sourced from some top Aussie wineries and American distilleries. To eat, there's an equally impressive food offering, with menus for all hours of the day. Breakfast might mean a superfood bowl, fresh pastries or house-made crumpets, or brunch-appropriate cocktails like the strawberry and rhubarb bellini. Or panini stuffed with the lots of different cheeses and cured meats. Come 11am, you can sit down to the likes of oysters and caviar, crab cakes, crostini and charcuterie — and one of eight different sandwiches. As well as the aforementioned hot chip butty (with Heinz tomato sauce, of course), you can pick from a cheesy meatball sandwich, a salad roll, a salted beef and slaw number and the God Mother: a mega-sandwich with seven cold meats, lettuce, tomato and hot sauce, which is inspired by Santa Monica's Bay Cities Italian Deli. On weekends, an afternoon tea service features either a spread of finger sandwiches, savouries and pastries teamed with coffee and tea, or a more decadent collection boasting caviar and champagne.
We're calling it: this summer is the summer of fresh and fruity cocktails in the backyard with as many mates as possible. Nothing is going to ruin the gin-filled summer we know we deserve — not even La Niña. To celebrate the warmer months, we've teamed up with Whitley Neill Gin to bring you five original cocktail recipes that go well beyond your usual G&T. For the uninitiated, Whitley Neill Gin produces handcrafted artisanal gin from the first gin distillery in London, dating back 200 years — and it's still the only gin distillery in London today. Of course, it's got a London Dry gin, but it's also known for its innovative flavoured gins which take cocktails to new heights. So dust off your cocktail shaker, make a spread of your favourite cheeses and call your mates for an afternoon sip session. [caption id="attachment_838645" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paul Liddle[/caption] MELON PATCH Serves one If you like your cocktails packed with real fruit and with a slight herby twist, the Melon Patch will be right up your alley. This take on a classic G&T features the Whitley Neill Original London Dry Gin which, with its rich juniper notes, citrus and exotic botanicals, pairs well with the fresh watermelon chunks and mint. It's bound to be a winner after a long day at the beach, when your guests roll in sandy-footed and sun-kissed. Ingredients: 30ml Whitley Neill Original London Dry Gin 3 watermelon chunks 120ml Strangelove Coastal Tonic Water Basil Ice (crushed) Method: Add watermelon pieces and gin into the bottom of a tall glass. Add tonic water and top with crushed ice. Garnish with basil. [caption id="attachment_838646" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paul Liddle[/caption] BRUNCH MARTINI Serves one Think martini, but fit for brunchtime. In this concoction, the grapefruit gin, tonic and lemon complement each other to make a perfectly sweet and zingy cocktail. And there's a dollop of marmalade, which is an interesting addition to impress your pals. Whether a hair-of-the-dog or a summery concoction to start a long lunch, this one will go down a treat. Ingredients: 30ml Whitley Neill Pink Grapefruit Gin 15ml pink grapefruit juice 15ml lemon juice 1 barspoon (or teaspoon) of marmalade 30ml Fever-Tree Aromatic Tonic Ice Method: Shake gin, both juices and marmalade together over ice. Add 30ml Fever-Tree Aromatic Tonic Water to shaker — but don't shake again. Then, simply strain into a cocktail glass. [caption id="attachment_838648" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paul Liddle[/caption] POMME SPRITZ Serves one It's a universal truth that spritzes are the go-to balmy weather drink. This one features the Whitley Neill Quince Gin, which has a distinctive flavour that's a real winner. Pair that with a dash of cloudy apple juice and a good pour of prosecco for a fun, bubbly finish. Ingredients: 45ml Whitley Neill Quince Gin 60ml Strangelove pear soda 30ml cloudy apple juice 60ml prosecco 3 thin apple slices Cucumber ribbon Ice Method: Build all ingredients over ice in a highball or balloon glass, then garnish with green apple and cucumber. [caption id="attachment_838649" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paul Liddle[/caption] CRIMSON COCO COOLER Group serve Serve a jug of this cooler on those sticky summer days when the only activity you can carry out without breaking a sweat is walking from pool to freezer. Refreshing coconut water and fizzy cranberry soda make it the perfect arvo cocktail. Plus, it's ridiculously easy to make — just chuck all the ingredients in a carafe with some ice, give it a quick stir and you're good to go. Ingredients: 120ml Whitley Neill Raspberry Gin 250ml Capi cranberry soda 360ml coconut water 30ml lime juice Raspberries (to garnish) Lemon (to garnish) Cucumber (to garnish) Mint (to garnish) Ice Method: Add gin, cranberry soda, coconut water and lime juice into a carafe and fill with ice. Stir to combine. Garnish with raspberries, lemon wheels, cucumber wheels and mint. [caption id="attachment_838650" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paul Liddle[/caption] ALL SEASONS Group serve This is a drink for those who like their cocktails fresh, fizzy and sweet. It's also perfect when for when you've got your mates over and you need to look impressive while maintaining conversation and effortlessly whipping up a jug of something. If you really want to impress, make sure you have some edible flowers on hand to garnish. Ingredients: 180ml Whitley Neill Rhubarb and Ginger Gin 200ml mango nectar 300ml Strangelove mandarin soda 90ml lime juice Dehydrated citrus (to garnish) Edible flowers (to garnish) Ice Method: Combine gin, mango nectar, soda and lime juice in a carafe and top with ice. Garnish with dehydrated citrus and flowers, and serve. For more information on the innovative Whitley Neill gin range, head to the website. Top image: Paul Liddle
It's been a crazy year all round, but there's one thing that's tracking along as nicely as ever and that's Apple's plans for its latest iPhone creations. The tech giant has just dropped all the hot little details for its next highly-anticipated iPhone 12 releases; the standard, Mini, Pro and Pro Max. True to form, Apple's new phones come fitted out with its finest suite of features yet, rendering all those before them instantly uncool. We're talking about an all-new design, complete with super speedy A14 Bionic chip, next-level pro camera, 5G and the largest edge-to-edge Super Retina XDR display to ever feature on any iPhone. Here are seven details about the new iPhone 12, served up in handy dot point form for your next debrief with mates. YOU CAN DOWNSIZE YOUR UPGRADE, WITH THE MINI VERSION The standard iPhone 12 clocks in at 6.1 inches from corner to corner, pretty much dwarfing the 5.8 inches of the old iPhone X. But if you'd prefer something that actually fits in your hand, the same features also come neatly packed into the iPhone 12 Mini, which measures at a more manageable 5.4 inches. That now lays claim to being the smallest, lightest and thinnest 5G phone on the market. THERE ARE NEW COLOURS TO CHOOSE FROM Once again, Apple is tempting buyers with a range of fun phone colours, with the iPhone 12 and mini edition available in red, blue, green, black and white aluminium finishes. The Pro and Pro Max keep things a little more subdued, with a choice of gold, graphite, silver or pacific blue. IT CHARGES WIRELESSLY...BUT DOESN'T ACTUALLY COME WITH A CHARGER Yep, Apple's caused a big stir with this one. The new iPhone 12 has been optimised for use with a MagSafe wireless charging system, featuring a special magnet in the back that's designed to work seamlessly with a newly released line of wireless charging devices and other phone accessories. But you'll find exactly none of them included with your new phone purchase. In what's apparently an environmentally friendly move, Apple's not supplying any new chargers or AirPods in its iPhone 12 boxes — instead, it wants buyers to keep using their old gear, or buy new ones separately. IT'S MUCH HARDER TO DESTROY If you're the kind of person that leaves a trail of ruined smartphones in their wake, these new models might have you breathing a little easier. Clumsy hands don't stand much of a chance against the ceramic shield cover, which is infused with nano-ceramic crystals and apparently makes the phones four times more likely to survive a drop than their predecessors. Spills aren't an issue either, with all four models boasting an industry-leading IP68 water resistance rating, protected up to six metres for up to 30 minutes. IT'S A GAMER'S DREAM The main thing you need to know about the new A14 Bionic chip is that it's 50 percent faster than any other smartphone chip out there. Which in short, means the iPhone 12 promises a console-quality gaming experience, without burning through that battery all in one hit. THE PRO CAMERA IS BETTER THAN EVER Phone snaps and Tik Tok videos are about to kick up a few gears, if the new iPhone 12 cameras have anything to do with it. Apple's incorporated night mode for both the wide and ultra-wide cameras, and a host of improvements mean low-light shots will be better than ever. The camera is also the first device in the world to enable an end-to-end Dolby Vision experience, which is a game-changer for smartphone video. IT'S NOT AS PRICEY AS YOU MIGHT HAVE EXPECTED The good news is, you can snap up one of Apple's latest for even less than you forked out for the iPhone X. The Mini starts from $1199, while the standard iPhone 12 will set you back $1349 for a 64GB, moving up to $1599 for the 250GB edition. Up the other end, the cheapest Pro clocks in at $1699 and the Pro Max starts from $1849. You'll be parting with a cool $2369 if you want the 512GB version, though. The iPhone 12 varieties will be available to pre-order from October 16. Head here for the standard and Mini, or here for the Pro editions.
Studley Park Boathouse officially reopened today, Thursday, 31 August, following a $5.8-million makeover. The historic boathouse unveiled a new cafe, restaurant, pizzeria, gelato cart and outdoor dining deck along the Yarra. Australian Venue Co. (Yarra Botanica, Fargo & Co, BrewDog Pentridge) has worked closely with Parks Victoria on the transformation to protect and enhance the heritage site. To celebrate the opening, guests to Studley Park Boathouse on weekends between 2–4pm across 2–17 September will snag a complimentary welcome drink on arrival, free slices of roaming pizza and complimentary boat hire sessions. Kids can also score free ice-cream all day on weekends. "Studley Park Boathouse is a beloved part of Melbourne's history, so it was important to us to preserve its character while revitalising it for the modern Melbourne community. We look forward to welcoming locals and visitors back to the revitalised space," Australian Venue Co. CEO Paul Waterson says. On the bill: a sun-filled dining room offering a leafy outlook overlooking the Yarra River and parkland. Boasting floor-to-ceiling windows, a sophisticated yet sensible interior is promised, with touches of rattan, white timber and natural hues to tie the space together. Small and large plates run to the likes of hiramasa kingfish tartare with apples and chives, Lilydale free-range chicken and a 'Tipsy Trifle' which combines baileys, fig leaf custard, cherries and strawberries. The wine list leans local, championing an entirely Victorian menu sourced within 100km of Studley Park Boathouse. Sip through 16 wine-by-the-glass options, or opt for a seasonal tasting paddle that will showcase drops from the Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Geelong, Heathcote and the Pyrenees in spring. Downstairs, residents familiar with the former kiosk will find it revamped as the Pavilion bar, which extends to a large, al fresco dining area and riverside dining deck. A pizzeria will serve eight different woodfired options, including a charred pumpkin and ricotta number, meatballs with blue cheese, or chorizo paired with n'duja and roasted peppers. Meanwhile, a redesigned cafe named The Perch will cater brunch on weekends. All food and bevvy options are available at any location throughout the revamped Studley Park, so you can pick your favourite spot to perch and spend the afternoon tasting through the offerings. Picnic packages complete with blanket hire and a new 'Row-sé' package bundles together boat hire, glasses of rosé, pizza and gelato. The team is also preparing to host a line-up of pop-up events and live entertainment throughout the year, including live music on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Studley Park Boathouse is now open. Head along between 2–4pm, between 2–17 September, to score a complimentary welcome drink on arrival, free slices of roaming pizza and complimentary boat hire sessions. Kids can also score free ice-cream all day on weekends. Images: Jamie Alexander.
Live tunes. Folks in the know unpacking everything from music and film to gaming and technology. Movies and TV shows to watch. Buttons to mash. Parties to hang out at. New favourite bands to be found. 2025 will mark the third year that SXSW Sydney brings all of the above together, and its lineup keeps growing. The event's music festival started dropping acts and speakers earlier in the year. It has just announced plenty more. Rashmeet Kaur, Vandelux, The Thing and August Wahh are the latest names on the bill between Monday, October 13–Sunday, October 19 in the Harbour City. So are Tenxi & Jemsii, Holly Hebe, Munan and Yasmina Sadiki. A huge 62 acts have joined the lineup in this round, with Bump2Soul, Charlotte OC, DC Maxwell, DOOR PLANT, EZUZ, 花溪 Flowerstream, Holy Void, Jasmine Thompson, MANAGONA草本藥師, No Life, Puff Punch, RESORT, Rovv, SHN, Sir Echo, Thy Howler, Tripov, Virgin Vacation and Womb among the international contingent. Also taking to the stage during 2025's SXSW Sydney: everyone from Beryl, C.O.F.F.I.N, Denzel Kennedy, Geography and Hey, Love to Last Quokka, Lyric, Mariae Cassandra, Robert Baxter, Sesame Girl and Ullah, and more. In total, this year's fest is due to feature more than 300 music performances, which means that this roster of talents is only going to grow. Already named in the past reveal: Jasmine 4.t, Freak Slug and Ristband + Pivots from the UK; Slowwves from Thailand; Japan's Suichu Spica 水中スピカ; New Zealand's Serebii and Tusekah; and Cardinals from Ireland; and Autralia's Jamaica Moana, JJ4K, RICEWINE, Sacred Hearts, Swapmeet and BADASSMUTHA. After the 2025 SXSW Sydney Music Festival speaker lineup initially advised that music supervisor Jen Malone, an alum of Euphoria, Yellowjackets, Wednesday, Atlanta, Mr & Mrs Smith, Dark Matter, The Umbrella Academy, The Penguin, Overcompensating and Sirens, would get chatting — plus Dr Marcus Collins, Beyoncé's former Digital Strategy Director — it too has boosted its list. Rachel So, Festival Manager at Goldenvoice, which is behind Coachella and Stagecoach, is among those who'll be part of the discussions. So are Warner Music Korea's Director of Domestic Marketing Stacy Nam, BandLab's Head of Communications & Creator Insights Dani Deahl, Amazon Music's of Label Relations and Marketing ANZ Chantelle Georgiou, Warp Publishing Director and Heard & Seen Founder Theo Seffusatti, and others. "The breadth of talent joining SXSW Sydney this year speaks to our growing role as the premier destination for music discovery and professional development in the Asia Pacific," said SXSW Sydney's Head of Music Claire Collins, unveiling the fest's latest additions. [caption id="attachment_1009884" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paul McMillan[/caption] "With some of the world's most-respected talent buyers and industry leaders in attendance, SXSW Sydney has become a truly global meeting point — a place where careers are launched, collabs take shape and real deals are done," Collins continued. So far, SXSW Sydney has also revealed that there'll be more free programming, and named other speakers from an array of fields. Given that the full fest will span 1600-plus sessions, including 550 conference and professional development sessions, 90-plus movie screenings and over 150 games, keep watching this space for more announcements. SXSW Sydney 2025 runs from Monday, October 13–Sunday, October 19 at various Sydney venues. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for further details. Top image: Jess Gleeson.
If you've ever cranked a Monday night Game of Thrones episode and found Cersei's drinking habits rather infectious, an Australian company is about to fill your goblet. Surry Hills-based strategic and creative agency Common Ventures have released The Wines of Westeros, a series of 12 wines named for and based around the 12 significant houses in George R. R. Martin's map. From whites like The Greyjoy and The Stark to reds The The Dothraki and The Night's Watch, bottles will retail for around $20 each. Common Ventures are set to launch the series in time for the premiere of season five, so you'll have to drown your withdrawals with a regular bin end until then. At the risk of sounding like a Dolly magazine quiz, which type of wine variety matches your favourite character? Both House Targaryen and the Night’s Watch are Shiraz wines, while the Arryn, Greyjoy, White Walker, Wilding and Stark clan bottles are Sauvignon Blancs. The Baratheon and Lannister houses are Pinot Noirs, the oaky Tyrells are a Chardonnay, the Dothraki is a Merlot and the Martells rep a Cabernet Sauvignon. "A mind needs wine as a sword needs a whetstone," according to Common Ventures. "Whether it’s a bottle from beyond the wall or a case from the cellars of the Iron Bank, keep your mind fit for the death of summer with the lion’s share of vino. Have a wench fetch a goblet, reject all wedding invitations and settle down for a long, harsh winter. "12 houses. 12 temptations. Where does your loyalty lie?" Here's the lineup: Via PSFK.
Something delightful is happening at Melbourne's outdoor cinemas. After months spent empty, with projectors silent and the smell of popcorn fading, outside picture palaces have been given the green light to reopen from Friday, October 22 — including the Coburg Drive-In, and the Lido and Cameo outdoor cinemas. 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 over the past two years, 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 under the stars and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting outdoor cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer from this week. CANDYMAN Who can take tomorrow and dip it in a dream? 'The Candy Man' can, or so the suitably sugary earworm of a song has crooned since 1971. What scratches at the past, carves open its nightmares and sends them slicing into the present? That'd be the latest Candyman film, a powerful work of clear passion and palpable anger that's crafted with tense, needling thrills and exquisite vision. Echoing Sammy Davis Jr's version of the tune that virtually shares its name across its opening frames, this new dalliance with the titular hook-handed villain both revives the slasher franchise that gave 90s and 00s teen sleepovers an extra tremor — if you didn't stare into the mirror and utter the movie's moniker five times, were you really at a slumber party? — and wrestles vehemently and determinedly with the historic horrors that've long befallen Black Americans. It'll come as zero surprise that Jordan Peele produces and co-penned the screenplay with writer/director Nia DaCosta (Little Woods) and writer/producer Win Rosenfeld (The Twilight Zone). Candyman slides so silkily into Peele's thematic oeuvre alongside Get Out and Us, plus Peele-produced TV series Hunters and Lovecraft Country, that his fingerprints are inescapable. But it's rising star DaCosta who delivers a strikingly alluring, piercingly savage and instantly memorable picture. Alongside bloody altercations and lashings of body horror, razor blade-spiked candy makes multiple appearances, and her film is equally as sharp and enticing. In a preface that expands the Candyman mythology — and savvily shows how the movie has everyday realities firmly on its mind — that contaminated confectionery is thrust to the fore. In 1977, in the Cabrini-Green housing estate where the series has always loitered, Sherman Fields (Michael Hargrove, Chicago PD) is suspected of handing out the laced lollies to neighbourhood kids. Sent to do laundry in the basement, pre-teen Billy (Rodney L Jones III, Fargo) soon comes face-to-face with the man everyone fears; however, after the boy screams and the police arrive, he witnesses something even more frightening. Jumping to the present (albeit absent any signs of the pandemic given Candyman was initially slated to release in mid-2020), Cabrini-Green is now Chicago's current poster child for gentrification. It's where artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Watchmen) and curator Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris, WandaVision) have just bought an expansive apartment, in fact. They're unaware of the area's background, until Brianna's brother Troy (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Generation) and his partner Grady (Kyle Kaminsky, DriverX) start filling them in on the legend that's long been whispered across the local streets — and, struggling to come up with ideas for a new show, Anthony quickly clasps onto all things Candyman for his next big project. Read our full review. NITRAM It's terrifying to contemplate something so gut-wrenchingly abominable as the bodies-in-barrels murders, which director Justin Kurzel and screenwriter Shaun Grant depicted in 2011's Snowtown, and to face the fact that people rather than evil were behind them. Nitram courts and provokes the same response. Exploring the events preceding the Port Arthur massacre, where 35 people were murdered and 23 others wounded in Tasmania in 1996, it focuses on something equally as ghastly, and similarly refuses to see the perpetrator as just a monster or a Hollywood horror movie-style foe. It too is difficult, distressing, disquieting and disturbing, understandably. In their third collaboration — with 2019's bold and blazing True History of the Kelly Gang in the middle — Kurzel and Grant create another tricky masterpiece, in fact. And, the fact that Nitram is about a person is one key reason for its brilliance. The film's core off-screen duo don't excuse their protagonist. They don't to justify the unjustifiable, explain it, exploit it, or provide neat answers to a near-unfathomable crime. Rather, they're exactingly careful in depicting the lone gunman responsible for Australia's worst single-shooter mass killing, right down to refusing to name him. (The movie's title comes from his moniker backwards, and it's all he's ever called on-screen.) Nitram does depict its eponymous figure's mental health issues and medication, and his status as an outcast, but not as reasons for what's to come. It shows his complicated relationships, mentions his struggles as a boy and sees how he's teased as an adult, yet never deems these motives. All such things can be part of someone's life, or not, and that person can commit heinous deeds, or not — and this tremendous feature doesn't ever even dream of seeing that as a straightforward cause-and-effect equation. In his fifth stint behind the lens — 2015's blistering Macbeth and 2016's abysmal Assassin's Creed are also on his resume — Kurzel does adopt a hazy aesthetic, though. The film isn't dreamy, instead resembling anxious memories worn and frayed from too much time looping in someone's mind. Its imagery is boxed in within a constricted frame, heightening that sensation; however, cinematographer Germain McMicking (Acute Misfortune) shoots Nitram (Caleb Landry Jones, The Outpost) as if he's roving around the space to test the boundaries. The character does just that narrative-wise. He earns his wearied mother's (Judy Davis, Mystery Road) constant exasperation, and almost everyone else's dismay. His father (Anthony LaPaglia, Below) expresses more warmth, but is just as affected. After knocking on her door attempting to start a lawn-mowing business, eccentric lottery heiress Helen (Essie Davis, Babyteeth) shows Nitram kindness and showers him with gifts, but even with her he's still pushing limits. When Helen sees him shooting at an old car with an air rifle in her sprawling backyard, she forbids it. It's her sternest moment. She also asks him not to lunge at the steering wheel as she's driving and, as turbulent as ever, Nitram keeps doing it. Jones' work here is fragile but weighty, volatile but lived-in, boisterous but anguished, and petulant but intimidating. It's all these things at once and, even with other menacing roles in his on-screen past, it's phenomenal. Every second of his performance, and of Nitram, is a challenge to the views of masculinity that've become as baked into Australia as the ochre-hued soil, too. And, every moment is meticulously crafted to unsettle, to challenge, and to confront the reality that something this abhorrent happened at the hands of one person. Read our full review. SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS Social media can get you anywhere, or so the story behind Marvel's latest movie and the actor playing its eponymous character demonstrates. Back in 2014, Simu Liu tweeted at the comic book company-turned-filmmaking powerhouse, asking "how about an Asian American hero?". In 2018, after Black Panther's success, he tweeted again — querying "are we gonna talk or what?" with the #ShangChi hashtag. Now, the Kim's Convenience star leads the Marvel Cinematic Universe's 25th feature, and the first to focus on a hero of Asian descent in its 13-year run to-date. He's the face of the franchise's latest step forward, both in terms of inclusion and representation, and in keeping the MCU's ongoing narrative forever hurtling onwards. Liu anchors a film about history and destiny, too — one that's about breaking free from the past and committing to the future — and he heartily embraces the occasion. As directed and co-written by Destin Daniel Cretton (Just Mercy, Short Term 12), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings itself flits between offering up a lively picture that strives to carve out its own space in the series, and simply serving up more of the usual Marvel template but in enticing packaging, however. Liu first graces the screen as Shaun, a San Francisco valet who's happy parking cars with his best pal Katy (Awkwafina, Breaking News in Yuba County), even though they both know they could follow other paths. While the film shows Katy's family decrying her lack of ambition, Shaun has a keener awareness of what he isn't doing — because he's really Shang-Chi, the son of centuries-old warlord Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung, The Grandmaster), who leads the shadowy Ten Rings criminal organisation and wears the mystical bracelets it's named after. Shang-Chi also has the otherworldly Jiang Li (Fala Chen, The Undoing), the former guardian of an enchanted village filled with dutiful warriors and mythical creatures, for a mother. But when she died when he was a child, his life changed. After the grief-stricken Wenwu obsessively trained him to become an assassin and see vengeance, Shang-Chi fled for the US, where he's lived since. Then, initially via a postcard from his Macau-based, underground fight club-running sister Xu Xialing (debutant Meng'er Zhang), and then thanks a violent visit from his dad's henchmen, he's forced into a family reunion that puts the fate of the universe at stake. Read our full review. MALIGNANT Nearly two decades have passed since a pair of Melbourne talents made a low-budget horror flick that became a franchise-starting smash, sparking their Hollywood careers. Thanks to Saw, James Wan and Leigh Whannell experienced every aspiring filmmaker's absolute fantasy — a dream they're still living now, albeit increasingly on separate paths. Wan's latest, Malignant, is firmly grounded in those horror roots, however. Most of the Insidious and The Conjuring director's resume has been, aside from recent action-blockbuster detours to Fast and Furious 7, Aquaman and the latter's upcoming sequel. With Malignant, though, he shows how strongly he remains on the same page as his former collaborator. Anyone who's seen Whannell's excellent Upgrade and The Invisible Man will spot the parallels, in fact, even if Malignant is the far schlockier of the three. Malignant is also an exercise in patience, because plenty about its first half takes its time — and, when that's the case, the audience feels every drawn-out second. But after Wan shifts from slow setup mode to embracing quite the outrageous and entertainingly handled twist, his film swiftly becomes a devilish delight. Heavily indebted to the 70s-era works of giallo master Dario Argento, David Cronenberg's body-horror greats and 80s scary movies in general, Malignant uses its influences as fuel for big-swinging, batshit-level outlandishness. Most flicks can't segue from a slog to a B-movie gem. Most films can't be saved by going so berserk, either. Wan's tenth stint behind the lens can and does, and leaves a limb-thrashing, blood-splattering, gleefully chaotic imprint. Perhaps it's a case of like name, like approach; tumours can grow gradually, then make their havoc felt. Regardless, it doesn't take long within Malignant for Dr Florence Weaver (Jacqueline McKenzie, Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears) to proclaim that "it's time to cut out the cancer" while treating a locked-up patient in the film's 1992-set prologue. This is a horror movie, so that whole event doesn't turn out well, naturally. Jump forward a few decades, and the feature's focus is now Seattle resident Madison Mitchell (Annabelle Wallis, Boss Level), who is hoping to carry her latest pregnancy with her abusive husband to term. But then his violent temper erupts again, she receives a head injury, and childhood memories start mixing with visions of gruesome killings linked to Dr Weaver's eerie hospital — visions that Madison sees as the murders occur. Bearing telepathic witness to horrific deaths is an intriguing concept, although hardly a new one — and, that aforementioned first scene aside, it's also the most interesting part of Malignant's opening half. Wan and screenwriter Akela Cooper (Grimm, The 100) play it all straight and obvious, including when the cops (Containment's George Young and Songbird's Michole Briana White) are skeptical about Madison's claims. That leaves only her younger sister Sydney (Maddie Hasson, Mr Mercedes) believing what's going on, and leaves the movie a plodding psychological-meets-supernatural thriller predicated upon routinely predictable but improbable character decisions. It makes the second half feel positively electrifying in contrast, when the big shift in tone comes, but also makes viewers wonder what might've been if that lurid look and kinetic feel had been present the whole way through. Read our full review. THE LAST DUEL A grim historical drama that recreates France's final instance of trial by combat, The Last Duel can't be described as fun. It hinges upon the rape of Marguerite (Jodie Comer, Free Guy), wife of knight Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon, Ford v Ferrari), by his ex-friend Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver, Annette) — aka the event that sparked the joust — so that term will obviously never apply. Instead, the movie is exquisite in its 14th-century period staging. After a slightly slow start, it's as involving and affecting as it is weighty and savage, too. When the titular battle takes place, it's ferocious and vivid. And with a #MeToo spirit, the film heartbreakingly hammers home how poorly women were regarded — the rape is considered a crime against Carrouges' property rather than against Marguerite herself — making it an expectedly sombre affair from start to finish. The Last Duel must've been fun to make from a creative standpoint, however. Damon sports a shocking mullet, and Ben Affleck (The Way Back) dons a ridiculous blonde mop while hamming up every scene he's in (and demanding that Driver drop his pants), although that isn't why. Again, the brutal events seen don't earn that term, but teasing out Marguerite, Carrouges and Le Gris' varying perspectives is fascinating. Director Ridley Scott (All the Money in the World) and his screenwriters — Good Will Hunting Oscar-winners Damon and Affleck, plus acclaimed filmmaker Nicole Holofcener (Enough Said) — have clearly seen Rashomon, the on-screen benchmark in using clashing viewpoints. In their "he said, he said, she said" tale, journeying in the iconic Japanese film's footsteps proves captivating. It must've been an enjoyable challenge for its cast, too, terrible hairstyles and all; as moments repeat, so much of the movie's potency stems from minuscule differences in tone, angle, emphasis and physicality. "The truth according to Jean de Carrouges" proclaims The Last Duel's first chapter, adapting Eric Jager's 2004 book of the same name in the process. (Le Gris and Marguerite's segments, following in that order, receive the same introduction.) Even in his own instalment, Damon plays Carrouges as a scowling and serious soldier, and as petulant and entitled. He's also a victim in his own head. That attitude only grows as Le Gris finds favour with Count Pierre d'Alençon (Affleck), cousin to teenage King Charles VI (Alex Lawther, The Translators), and starts collecting his debts — including Carrouges' own. And when the knight marries the beautiful and well-educated Marguerite, it's purely a transaction. It also deepens his acrimony towards Le Gris long before the rape, after land promised in the dowry ends up in his former pal's hands via the smarmy Pierre. Still, Carrouges is instantly willing to fight when he hears about the sexual assault. That said, it's also just another battle against Le Gris and the Count, after taking them to court and the King over their property squabble. In Le Gris' chapter, where Driver broods with an intensity that's fierce even for him, Carrouges' joylessness and pettiness is given even more flesh. Also explored here: the Count's hedonism, the ambition and greed driving the opportunistic Le Gris, and the fixation he develops with Marguerite. Scott ensures that the rape lands like the horror it is, too, leaving no doubt of its force and coercion despite Le Gris' claims otherwise. Read our full review. FREE GUY If Free Guy was a piece of home decor, it'd be a throw pillow with a cliched self-empowerment slogan printed on the front. You know the type. It might catch your eye the first time you spotted it, but it'd look almost identical to plenty of other cushions you can buy at absolutely any department store. It'd make you think of other, nicer pillows, too, but its phrasing and design wouldn't be as resonant or appealing. And, while its attractive font would tell you to believe in yourself, stand out and make each moment count, it'd still simply spout the usual well-worn sentiments that keep being served up as store-bought tonics for weary souls. Yes, Free Guy is a big-budget, star-led movie that primarily exists to answer two not-at-all pressing questions: what would The Truman Show look like if it starred Ryan Reynolds, and how would that 1998 classic would fare if it was about massive online video games instead of TV? But, as directed by Shawn Levy (the Night at the Museum franchise), scripted by Matt Lieberman (The Addams Family) and Zak Penn (a Ready Player One alum), and drawing upon everything from The Matrix, The Lego Movie, Groundhog Day and They Live! to Wreck-It Ralph, Black Mirror and Ready Player One, this is firmly Hollywood's equivalent of mass-produced soft furnishings emblazoned with self-help platitudes and designed to sit on as many couches as possible. Cast for his generically affable on-screen persona — as the Deadpool and Hitman's Bodyguard franchises also keep trying to capitalise upon — Reynolds plays Free City bank teller Guy. His daily routine involves greeting the same goldfish upon waking, putting on the same blue shirt, picking up the same coffee en route to work and having the same chat with his best friend Buddy (Lil Rel Howery, Judas and the Black Messiah) when their place of employment is held up multiple times each day. Guy is completely comfortable with his ordinary lot in life. He knows that things aren't like this for 'sunglasses people', the folks who tend to wreak havoc on his hometown, but he doesn't challenge the status quo until he decides that the shades-wearing Molotov Girl (Jodie Comer, Killing Eve) is the woman of his dreams. To have a chance with her, he's certain he needs sunglasses himself — and when he snatches a pair off the latest robber sticking up his bank, it's Guy's first step to realising that he's actually a non-playable character in a video game. Sporting an upbeat mood best captured by its frequent use of Mariah Carey's 'Fantasy', Free Guy enjoys its time in Free City, which is also the game's title. There's a story behind its NPC protagonist's story, however, with the movie splitting its focus between its Grand Theft Auto-esque virtual world and reality. In the latter, coder Millie uses the Molotov Girl avatar, which she needs to search for evidence for a lawsuit against tech-bro hotshot Antwan (Taika Waititi, The Suicide Squad). She's certain that Free City rips off her own game, but needs Guy's help to prove it, especially as he starts breaking his programming, making his own decisions and becoming sentient. Read our full review. THE SUICIDE SQUAD New decade, new director, new word in the title — and a mostly new cast, too. That's The Suicide Squad, the DC Extended Universe's new effort to keep viewers immersed in its sprawling superhero franchise, which keeps coming second in hearts, minds and box-office success to Marvel's counterpart. Revisiting a concept last seen in 2016's Suicide Squad, the new flick also tries to blast its unloved precursor's memory from everyone's brains. That three-letter addition to the title? It doesn't just ignore The Social Network's quote about the English language's most-used term, but also attempts to establish this film as the definitive vision of its ragtag supervillain crew. To help, Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker James Gunn joins the fold, his Troma-honed penchant for horror, comedy and gore is let loose, and a devil-may-care attitude is thrust to the fore. But when your main aim is to one-up the derided last feature with basically the same name, hitting your target is easy — and fulfilling that mission, even with irreverence and flair, isn't the same as making a great or especially memorable movie. Indeed, a film can be funny and lively, use its main faces well, have a few nice moments with its supporting cast and improve on its predecessor, and yet still fall into a routine, unsuccessfully wade into murky politics, never capitalise upon its premise or promise, keep rehashing the same things, and just be average, too — and right now, that film is The Suicide Squad. Mischief abounds from the outset — mood-wise, at least — including when no-nonsense black-ops agent Amanda Waller (Viola Davis, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom) teams up Suicide Squad's Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman, The Secrets We Keep), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney, Honest Thief) and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie, Dreamland) with a few new felons for a trip to the fictional Corto Maltese. Because this movie has that extra word in its title, it soon switches to another troupe reluctantly led by mercenary Bloodsport (Idris Elba, Concrete Cowboy), with fellow trained killer Peacemaker (John Cena, Fast and Furious 9) and the aforementioned Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian, Bird Box), Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior, Valor da Vida) and King Shark (Sylvester Stallone, Rambo: Last Blood) also present. Their task: to sneak into a tower on the South American island. Under the guidance of The Thinker (Peter Capaldi, The Personal History of David Copperfield), alien experiment Project Starfish has been underway there for decades (and yes, Gunn makes time for a butthole joke). In this movie about cartoonish incarcerated killers doing the US government's dirty work, Waller has charged her recruits to destroy the secret test, all to ensure it isn't used by the violent faction that's just taken over Corto Maltese via a bloody coup. The end result is silly and goofy, fittingly — and yet, even when a supersized space starfish gets stompy (think: SpongeBob SquarePants' best bud Patrick if he grew up and got power-hungry), this sequel-slash-do-over is never as gleefully absurd as it should be. Again and again, even when Gunn's gambit works in the moment, that's how The Suicide Squad keeps playing out. Read our full review. Looking for more options? Black Widow, Space Jam: A New Legacy and Jungle Cruise, both of which screened in Melbourne cinemas in July before the last lockdown, are also back on the big screen as well.
When the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras arrives each year, picking your parties becomes everyone's new pastime as the LGBTQIA+ celebrations take over the city. Is going all out both at the parade and afterwards your kind of shindig? Do you want to hit up a vogue ball? Enjoy a pool soirée? Dance on a beach? Get glittery in a laneway? They're all options — including from Friday, February 16–Sunday, March 3 in 2024. Who you'd like to listen to as you get into the Mardi Gras spirit inspires another set of questions — and the answers for this year, aka the event's full lineup, have just been announced. Adam Lambert, Ultra Naté, CeCe Peniston and Slayyyter all feature, as do Cub Sport, MAY-A, Keiynan Lonsdale, Melissa Tkautz and the cast of & Juliet. In total, more than 150 performers are on the bill across 100-plus events. [caption id="attachment_938201" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joseph Sinclair[/caption] Lambert is at the top of the list for the ten-hour, 10,000-capacity Mardi Gras Party, taking to the stage at Hordern Pavilion. That's where Ultra Naté will also bust out 1997 anthem 'Free', on a roster that also spans ONYX, Brett Austin, Patrick Mason, DJ Monki and Mark Alsop. The same event will feature Peniston giving an Australian-exclusive performance that will have everyone singing along to 'Finally', but in The Forecourt. Also on the bill: Lonsdale, Miss Katalyna, Shigeki and Bobby Blanco, as well as SGT Slick and Ebstar. Elsewhere, Mardi Gras Party lineup's includes DJ Naian, Lisa May and AK Sports among the talents at Liberty Hall, which will be going for a boiler room-style vibe; a roster featuring DADSMAYO, Charlie Villas, Mary Kiani and more at The Big Top; Diva Cups, Mama de Leche, Dyan Tai, Drag Kings and others at Watson's; and Mary's EQ and The Entertainment Quarter hosting food trucks and bars. If revelling on the sand at Sydney WorldPride's Bondi Beach Party was one of your 2023 highlights, it might earn the same status again this year. While Sydney WorldPride was a once-off, its surfside shenanigans are returning. This time, the event will welcome in 15,000 attendees to see Slayyyter in an Aussie-exclusive performance — plus Jay Jay Revlon, Lagoon Femshaymer, Corey Craig, Josh Harrison, Tyoow, Mama de Leche and Beth Yen. Mardi Gras 2024 is similarly giving Sydney WorldPride's Ultra Violet a second run, celebrating LGBTQIA+ women in an event that takes place as day turns to night at the National Art School. MAY-A will headline, with Estée Louder, DJ Sveta, Gemma, Kinky D (UK), BVT, Jacqui Cunningham, Mirasia and Kilimi on the bill as well. The free Fair Day is where Tkautz will break out 'Read My Lips'; stage talents riffing on Shakespeare will perform; and LION, Paul Capsis, Royston Noell and DJ Nate will also be take to the stage. The doggywood pageant, karaoke cave, drag king games and First Nations circle are all also on the agenda. Gender-diverse celebration Hot Trans Summer on floating venue Glass Island will feature DJs Neesha Alexander, Yvngcweed, and Victoria Anthony, plus Fetu Taku, Bluberry Bakla and Willow Ick performing. Paradiso Pool Party's lineup at the ivy Pool Bar is bringing together Beth Yen, Enn, DJ Dolly Llama, Haylee Maree, DJ Sveta, Axl Rod, Rocky Stallone and more. And at the other excuse for a splash, the Kaftana Pool Party, Texas Gold, Miss Rosie Rivette, Sideboob DJ Hamo are among the DJs. Cub Sport lead the charge at Laneway at The Beresford to wrap up the fest, with Atomic Kiss, Amanda Louise, Dan Azzo and Jesse Boyd for company. Before then, DJ Colin Gaff, GI Jode, Kevininthecity, Faustina Agolley, John Glover and Rosie Piper are among the folks who'll be helping set the mood at the parade's viewing areas. The full 2024 Mardi Gras rundown also sees Zoë Coombs Marr host Laugh Out Proud at the Enmore Theatre, where St Clair, Wandi Cao, Steven Oliver, Michelle Braiser, Eli Matthewson, Bob Downe and AJ Lamarque will pick up the microphone. At the Sissy Ball, Jack Mizrahi will be commentating, while Legendary Tamiyah 007, Joel Bueno, Steva 007 and Daniielle Juicy Gorgeous Gucci are judging. Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2024 runs from Friday, February 16–Sunday, March 3, 2024. For more information, or for tickets, head to the event's website. Select images: Jeffrey Feng Photography, Lexy Potts.
Late-night Lygon Street venue Bar Romantica is a go-to for pasta any night of the week, but you'll want to make sure you stop by on Sunday, March 31 when it hosts one of Sydney's best restaurants for a one-off dinner. The recently revamped eatery will join forces with Sydney's 10 William Street for a special four-course Italian feast. In the kitchen, Bar Romantica's chef Joseph Farrell will be joined by 10 William Streets' group chef Enrico Tomelleri and newly appointed head chef Trisha Greentree (ex-Brae). While the trio's menu has been kept under wraps, diners can expect fresh local produce and plenty of pasta as the two restaurants combine signature dishes. We hope 10 Williams's warm pretzel with whipped bottarga makes the cut. The Paddington restaurant's part-owner Giovanni Paradiso will also head down south and take charge of the wine list, while Romantica Studios' resident DJ Chico G keeps the tunes going all night long. The eats will cost you $70 per person, and drinks will be extra. Cheaper than a trip to Sydney, in any case. It's a ticketed event, so be sure to book ahead — the two-hour sittings range from 6–9pm, and many are already booked out. For those that want to kick on post-meal, the bar will be open until midnight. Image: Kate Shanasy.
If you live in Melbourne's southeast suburbs, your commute is about to undergo a slight change. As of Thursday, February 15, a brand new elevated rail line will open, sending trains travelling on the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines up into the sky, bypassing traffic below. The new line will rise above Noble Park just before it heads into Dandenong. As part of the construction, Noble Park's Yarraman Station will move up into the sky too. This is set to open on Thursday along with the new route, which was being tested this past weekend. This won't just affect train-takers, either — the elevation of the rail line means that three level crossings can be abolished. The boom gates at Corrigan Road, Heatherton Road and Chandler Road will be removed, which will hopefully speed things up a bit for cars during peak hour. It's part of the Victorian Government's ongoing removal of level crossings across the city. Another six are expected to be removed along the Caulfield–Dandenong corridor this year. Image: Chandler Road concept design.
When it comes to Windsor's newest drinking, dining and entertainment hot-spot, there's roughly zero chance that any two visits will be the same. Instead, High Street newcomer Young Hearts is embracing a state of constant reinvention, championing an ever-evolving offering of eats, drinks, music and art. Taking over the space once home to Galah, it's the brainchild of Nic Coulter, the guy behind Neptune Food & Wine a couple of doors up. He's revived the second-floor site as a multi-faceted venue that's out to offer a choose-your-own-adventure experience, "designed for easy listening", as he describes it. If you're here to be entertained, you'll find plenty to sink your teeth into. The custom DJ booth is set to play host to a stacked rotation of selectors through the week, there'll be regular live gigs to catch and you'll have monthly Sunday day parties to add to your calendar, too. Meanwhile, Young Hearts' wall space will act as a gallery of sorts, hung with works by both up-and-coming and established Aussie artists for a roster of regular exhibitions. The drinks offering is a fuss-free, easygoing affair that's focused on celebrating quality local drops. Natural sips reign supreme on the wine list, the house Run Free Rosé is pouring on tap and the beer lineup currently heroes brews from the likes of Mismatch and Bodriggy. And if it's cocktails you're after, you'll find a handful of minimalist signatures being shaken up alongside the classics. In keeping with Young Hearts' penchant for change, the kitchen will operate via six-month residencies, hosting a diverse program of chefs both from interstate and closer to home. The culinary fun is kicking off with a pop-up by Chapel Street favourite Freddy's Pizza, which has departed from its usual offering and conjured up an exclusive new menu of Italian-inspired drinking food. It's a celebration of things you can enjoy with one hand while the other's occupied with a bev. Think, cacio e pepe croquettes, chicken cotoletta sandos, seafood fritto misto and mixed salumi plates. Freddy's famed pizza fritta (yep, that's deep-fried pizza morsels) also gets a look-in, while for dessert, you can have a go at a cocktail slushy spiked with Tommy's Booze — the team's own brand of limoncello. Find Young Hearts at 216 High Street, Windsor. It's open from 5pm–1am Thursday to Sunday. Images: Pete Dillon
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia wrapped up last Friday after showcasing the best of local fashion design against the backdrop of Sydney Harbour. Noticeably absent this year were big names Lover, Josh Goot and Dion Lee, as well all as our well-shod friends from across the ditch like Kate Sylvester and Stolen Girlfriends Club, but often it's the emerging designers who put on the most impressive shows. To celebrate five days of more laser lights and short shorts than you could poke a complimentary bottle of San Pellegrino Aranciata at, here are five exciting local labels to familiarise yourself with immediately. 1. MICHAEL LO SORDO To say rising cool kid Michael Lo Sordo’s show at The Apollo was highly anticipated would be a sweeping understatement. Sydney-based Lo Sordo recently took out the Qantas Spirit of Youth Award for his prodigious grasp of construction, and lived up to the hype with a meticulously tailored collection of soft white shirting, coloured metallic tees and knockout party dresses with graphic prints and gladiator detailing. Buy his pieces at Maubourg, Roots & Wings Design or Adelaide’s Chasing Nel. 2. KAYLENE MILNER Among the six talented graduates showing at the highly anticipated TAFE show was Kaylene Milner. Milner has just been selected for an internship with Diane von Furstenberg, and it's thanks to this patchwork-luxe collection juxtaposing earthy furs with vibrant colours. The young designer also has a gutsy back story — she was flipping through a 2007 Vogue during a uni lecture when she decided to ditch musicology in favour of whipping up a portfolio to submit to the prestigious TAFE. Previous designers to have made their runway debut at the Innovators show include Dion Lee and Emma Mulholland, so expectations are justifiably high. 3. AJE Design duo Edwina Robinson and Adrian Norris staged a confident runway debut which mixed sequins, mesh, fishtail skirts and scalloped micro hemlines — sometimes all at once — without sacrificing the label’s nonchalant elegance. Among the many standout pieces was a heavily sequinned mermaid-inspired gown, fittingly anchored by beaten leather boots with the tongue hanging out. Aje is stocked in Desordre in Sydney and Strada in Noosa. 4. CHRISTOPHER ESBER Most 23-year-olds are navigating life one mistake at a time, but Christopher Esber is not most 23-year-olds. The young Sydney designer was one of the standout newcomers at Rosemount Australia Fashion Week last year, consistently proving himself worthy of the hype that has surrounded his collections since he debuted alongside Dion Lee in 2008. Esber’s clothing is characterised by minimalist design, meticulous tailoring and luxurious fabrics, and this season he's all about clinical whites offset by delicate sheer fabric. 5. AN ODE TO NO ONE Few things kick of a runway show like a holographic laser light display, but you don't want the theatrics to outshine the clothing. Luckily An Ode To No One designer Adi Setiadi is a sartorial genius. Last year he penetrated a market saturated with digital prints by rendering his own in trippy 3D, and this time he paraded an army of sci-fi bombshells in Tron-esque geometric dresses, sharply tailored pantsuits and silks that rippled like water. Setiadi cut his teeth working for iconic Aussie designers Akira and Nicola Finetti before starting An Ode To No One in 2008, but his futuristic aesthetic is all his own.
In the trailer for Midsommar, a group of people trek through a forest, all saddled up with backpacks and sleeping bags. They're outside a Swedish town, with the locals putting on a mid-summer event. "It's like a crazy nine-day festival; it only happens every 90 years," visitor Dani (Florence Pugh) is told. As anyone who has ever seen a movie should know, this situation usually goes one of two ways: raucous festivities ensue, with friendships tested and lessons learned, or unnerving antics do instead. With Hereditary writer/director Ari Aster behind Midsommar, anyone who saw the 2018 horror hit will know that this flick is destined to fall into the latter category. The details are being kept scarce, even in the movie's just-released first trailer, with the film set to hit cinemas worldwide from early August this year. But if you're expecting another visibly dark and sinister flick from Aster, think again. Instead, Midsommar looks light, bright and filled with bohemian-looking folks — even as it seems to step firmly into creepy cult territory Story-wise, Dani is accompanied by her boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynor), a whole heap of people wearing white await their arrival and things aren't quite what they seem when the duo gets to their destination. The Good Place's William Jackson Harper and Black Mirror: Bandersnatch's Will Poulter also feature among the cast, and what this first sneak peek offers in the way of idyllic natural surroundings and flower crowns, it counters with glimpses of chilling rituals. Check out the nightmarish first trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0UWIya-O0s Midsommar opens in Australian cinemas on August 8.
If Harry Potter movies were still gracing cinemas, exploring the boy who lived's adult life, we're certain he'd be a brunch fan. It's a magical meal, after all. Alas, unless The Cursed Child makes the leap to the big screen, that isn't in our future. But while you're muttering "accio new HP movie" to yourself over and over again, if you're in Sydney or Melbourne, you can enjoy the next best thing. Whether you're still not over Harry or you just wish you'd had the chance to attend Hogwarts because you know you're destined to be in Gryffindor (and to be seeker on the quidditch team, obviously), you'll want to make a date with The Wizard's Brunch. You'll dine in a Great Hall-like space, matching your meal (Pixie Puffs, please) with bottomless butterbeer, 'magic' potions (aka cocktails, we're assuming) and other wizard-themed beverages. And you can bet the menu will include every Potter pun you can think of. The particulars such as the exact date, venue and how many galleons you'll have to spend haven't been revealed as yet, though keen muggles can sign up to The Wizard's Brunch email list for more information. What we do know, however, is that there'll be Harry Potter characters mingling with attendees. Folks in costumes pretending to be Hermione, Dumbledore and others isn't really our idea of a magical HP experience, but perhaps a few firewhiskys — and a spot of quidditch, a couple of sorting ceremonies and wand lessons — will get you in the right mood. The Wizard's Brunch will take place in Sydney and Melbourne later this year. We'll let you know when you can buy tickets, and you can sign up for updates here. UPDATE: FEBRUARY 12, 2018 — The Wizard's Brunch has now sold out two sessions in Sydney. More details around Melbourne are coming soon.
According to the BucketFeet philosophy, "Art is not meant to hang in an expensive gallery, it is meant to travel and be seen." Why hang paintings on your wall when you can wear them in the street? BucketFeet, a Chicago-based company, sells artist-designed footwear. Every one of their products is a unique piece, envisioned by an artist and realised through ethical production methods. The artists involved collect royalties from every shoe sold. Launched in spring 2011, they're now selling in 12 countries, and the best news is, they've just hit Australian shelves. Co-founders Raaja Nemani (who doubles as CEO) and Aaron Firestein (chief artist) first met in Argentina, where Raaja was escaping the world of finance via extended international travel and Aaron was working as a photographer with a sideline in putting Sharpie to sneaker. "[Aaron] designed a pair of shoes for me that inspired a pair of shoes we later launched with BucketFeet called 'Cuadras', based on the city blocks of Buenos Aires," says Raaja, who went on to wear the shoes across six continents and gather the attention of footwear lovers at every stop. "I think what made the shoes special were the stand out colours he used, which you wouldn't necessarily think go together. They were so unique and original, and while I'm not the craziest dresser, I always like to wear a unique piece — usually a cool pair of shoes or a cool hat. Lately, it's been BucketFeet!" Now launching their SS14 line, they've clocked up more than 100 shoe designs by 70 artists. And those artists are a diverse bunch. "It doesn't matter where you're from or what social class you fit into," says Aaron. "For example, we have worked with artists from the favelas of Rio who work jobs as pizza delivery boys during the day and paint at night, just because they love it so much. We've also worked with people who get artwork commissioned by big companies like Disney, Dr. Pepper or Sony for their marketing campaigns. Art is the unifying factor and, if the person has talent, we want to work with them. Everyone's got a story." The artists involved earn US$250 upfront for their work and then $1 per pair of shoes as well as royalties for as long as the shoes are sold. The payment system is the same no matter how many shoes are sold, or through which channels. "On a global scale, our give-back is substantial," says Raaja. "More than the financial element, we drive awareness and exposure to our artists. We think this is more important than money. There's something to be said about applying artwork to shoes and then having a person walk around in those shoes. The art travels, it is seen by new people, and I think that is what matters most. To get into a pair of Bucketfeet, check out their website or their Australian stockists, Monster Threads.
It has finally happened, Melburnians. After two prolonged periods spent empty this year, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Melbourne picture palaces are back in business. 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 over the past three months, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer from this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_jjELPpKkk HAPPIEST SEASON Heading home for the holidays and stepping into a sea of interpersonal dramas is a familiar on-screen set-up, as a new movie every Christmas or so reminds us. By now, then, we all know the formula. Adult children make the pilgrimage to their parents' place, rivalries and animosities flare up, secrets are spilled, chaos ensues and, by the end of the film's running time, everyone has learned something. Happiest Season fits the template perfectly. With the merriest time of the year in full swing, the Caldwells converge on the Pennsylvanian family home, with their celebrations given an extra edge due to patriarch Ted's (Victor Garber, Dark Waters) mayoral campaign. His fastidious wife Tipper (Mary Steenburgen, The Book Club) insists on snapping every moment for his Instagram feed, all as stern eldest daughter Sloane (Alison Brie, GLOW) arrives with her husband (Burl Moseley, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), two children (Asiyih and Anis N'Dobe) and plenty of unspoken tension in tow; zany middle sister and aspiring fantasy writer Jane (Mary Holland, Between Two Ferns: The Movie) is largely ignored; and Pittsburgh-based political journalist Harper (Mackenzie Davis, Irresistible) returns with the girlfriend, Abby (Kristen Stewart, Charlie's Angels), that none of her relatives know about because she hasn't come out to them yet. If someone other than The Faculty, Girl, Interrupted, Veep and The Handmaid's Tale actor-turned-filmmaker Clea DuVall had made Happiest Season, the above paragraph would accurately reflect the feature's character hierarchy — because Sloane would take centre stage, and Harper and Abby would hover around the narrative's edges. But DuVall did make Happiest Season and, with co-writer Holland, she flips the movie's focus, even while still sticking with a well-worn general premise. Accordingly, this festive flick resembles a comfy sweater that often gets a wear, but seems welcomely different on this particular occasion. It shouldn't be so subversive to take an overused genre that's heavy on recognisable tropes, then strip away the engrained heteronormativity, but it is. Amid the sibling struggles, the re-emergence of old flames both male (Jake McDorman, What We Do in the Shadows) and female (Aubrey Plaza, Parks and Recreation), and the always hectic whirlwind that surrounds every seasonal family affair — and every attempt to run for political office, too — Happiest Season also explores two crucial themes in a meaningful way. First, it unpacks the performative nature of human existence, where too often we're all trying to match other people's perceptions and expectations without consistently remaining true to ourselves. And, it also interrogates how coming out isn't a simple or straightforward act, even in seemingly loving circumstances. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97nnV0fNd30&feature=youtu.be AMERICAN UTOPIA There may be no catchier lyric in music history than "same as it ever was", the five words repeated in Talking Heads' 1981 single 'Once in a Lifetime'. As uttered again and again by the band's inimitable frontman David Byrne, it's a looping phrase that burrows into your skull and never leaves. So when American Utopia opens with the musician sat at a table holding a brain and talking about what its various parts do, it feels as if Byrne is acknowledging what everyone already knows in the deepest recesses of their consciousness: that Byrne long ago got cosy in our craniums and has been nattering away to us ever since. As he stares at grey matter while wearing a grey suit — a perfectly fitting one, unlike the famed big number he wore in iconic 1984 Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense — he has something else on his mind, however. American Utopia starts with the part of our bodies where we all mentally reside, but slowly and smartly evolves from the cerebral to the communal. It segues from one man alone on a stage lost in his own thoughts to 12 people singing, dancing, playing instruments and connecting, and also pondering the state of the world and how to better it in the process. And it takes its titular concept seriously along the way, confronting America's political and social divisions in Byrne's witty, wise and impassioned between-song chats, but never satirising the idea that the US could be improved to the benefit of everyone. American Utopia is a concert film like its predecessor but, as that masterpiece proved, the whole notion means more to Byrne than merely standing in front of a camera and busting out well-known hits.From the sublimely soothing 'This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)' to the punchier 'Burning Down the House', plenty of Byrne's best-known songs do grace American Utopia. 'Once in a Lifetime' is among them, of course, as are 'Road to Nowhere' and 'Everybody's Coming to My House', with the film's playlist spanning his career with Talking Heads and solo. Across a range of styles and tempos, each track is a wonder, and not just in the way that fans already know. As should be obvious from the way in which Byrne has conceptualised this stage performance — which he toured in 2018, then adapted for Broadway in 2019, and has now turned into this standout movie directed by Spike Lee — this is a meticulously crafted work. Basking in the glory of Byrne and his band is inevitable and would happen regardless, but soaking in everything that American Utopia does is another marvel entirely. Before the film forces you to do so, you probably won't have realised how enlivening, wondrous and cathartic it is to see the act of connecting so firmly thrust to the fore. It takes an incredible amount of work to make something so tightly constructed seem so loose and natural, and that's just one of the reasons that American Utopia is yet another of the star's masterpieces. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFqCTIdF7rs&feature=youtu.be POSSESSOR In Possessor, technology permits assassins to hijack the bodies of people close to their targets, letting them assume not just their identities but their physical presence to fulfil their murderous missions. Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough, The Grudge) is one such killer, and she is so exacting and accomplished at her job that her no-nonsense boss and handler Girder (Jennifer Jason Leigh, Annihilation) keeps trying to push her further. Such work comes with consequences, though, with Tasya slowly estranging herself from her husband (Rossif Sutherland, Catastrophe) and young son (Gage Graham-Arbuthnot, Becky). During the luridly shot undertaking that opens the movie and the assignment that the often neon-hued flick spends the bulk of its time on, Tasya also begins to realise that separating herself from the folks she's temporarily inhabiting is becoming difficult. In the first job, Tasya's consciousness takes over a woman called Holly (Gabrielle Graham, On the Basis of Sex) to gun down a high-flying lawyer at a swanky hotel party. Every mission should end with extraction via suicide — the possessed person's, as forced by the possessor, who then returns to their own bag of bones, flesh and blood — but Tasya can't pull the trigger on her host body. When she's later sent into Colin (Christopher Abbott, Vox Lux), the fiancé of the daughter (Tuppence Middleton, Mank) of a ruthless business mogul (Sean Bean, Snowpiercer), she similarly struggles to retain control. As depicted in gory detail, being able to stick a probe into your head and mind-hop into someone else's may be pure science fiction, but writer/director Brandon Cronenberg intentionally apes The Matrix when he shows how the tech behind his premise operates. Our present analogues to Possessor's body-jumping concept exist in the online world, virtual reality, avatars, catfishing, trolling and even just anonymous commenting while you're tapping at your keyboard or phone, and this film makes it ferociously clear that it all has a significant cost. Cronenberg isn't just taking cues from his father David — whose 1999 film eXistenZ, also starring Jason Leigh, toyed in somewhat similar territory — or from a beloved sci-fi franchise. As many works that reflect upon humanity's true nature via dystopian futures tend to, the writer/director adds an entry to both the body horror and science fiction canons that seems like it might've appeared in a feverish dream after a life spent consuming those exact types of tales. But Possessor also always feels like a unique creation, and never a film puppeteered by its influences in the same way that Tasya pulls the strings of her marks. Cronenberg's feature boasts far too much of its own chilliness, daring and determination, as well as the filmmaker's fondness for particularly gruesome imagery, to merely be the sum of its various sources of inspiration. Possessor also has its own wellspring of nihilism pumping through its veins, not only tackling big notions in a bold and ultra-violent way, but proving deeply, gut-wrenchingly, existentially dark. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp3WjuJJYB8 MISBEHAVIOUR The fact that it took 50 years to bring Misbehaviour's true tale to the screen is nothing less than remarkable. Following the protests staged by the women's liberation movement at the 1970 Miss World Pageant in London, it harks back to a noteworthy and important chapter of history — so much so that you would've expected filmmakers to have been clamouring to give it the cinematic treatment. A plethora of compelling topics are baked into this story, after all, including calling out the gross sexism inherent in objectifying women and ascribing their worth according to their looks, questioning society's narrow view of beauty and making plain the racial prejudice that's also frequently in play. But you don't need a movie about all of the above to tell you the obvious, and also the reason that a film about this incident hasn't existed until now. Much may have changed in the past half-century, but the feminist quest for recognition, fairness and equality in every way isn't over yet. Indeed, it's galling how many of Misbehaviour's observations about the way women are treated — and how women of colour fare on top of that — continue to ring true in 2020. Director Philippa Lowthorpe (Swallows and Amazons) and screenwriters Rebecca Frayn (The Lady) and Gaby Chiappe (Their Finest) are eager to pay tribute to pioneering feminists, but they're also very keen to make a feel-good, cheer-inducing movie that fits a clear formula. So it is that a seemly mismatched group comes together, united by the shared goal of improving how women are regarded by society, and decides to target the giant, glitzy and televised spectacle that is the Miss World Pageant — which 100 million people will watch. The two main instigators, aspiring history academic Sally Alexander (Keira Knightley, Official Secrets) and graffiti-spraying anarchist Jo Robinson (Jessie Buckley, I'm Thinking of Ending Things), are initially worlds apart, but squaring off against a common enemy has a way of bringing people together. Also earning the film's attention: contestant Jennifer Hosten (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Farming), pageant founder Eric Morley (Rhys Ifans, Berlin Station) and the year's host Bob Hope (Greg Kinnear, Strange But True). The result is a rousing, overt and easy movie that ticks all the boxes it has placed on its own checklist, but doesn't do anything more — and it definitely could. Getting caught up in Misbehaviour's plot, purpose and impressively staged climax is almost a foregone conclusion. Being happy that it's hitting screens and telling this tale at all after all of these years is as well. But so is knowing that this is the most standard and clearcut rendering of this story possible. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tibarzGOUSk LET HIM GO Hell hath no fury like a grieving mother and grandmother in Let Him Go, an involving drama that shows that few actors can convey quiet anger and unflinching determination quite like Diane Lane. The Unfaithful and Under the Tuscan Sun star plays Margaret Blackledge, a Montana rancher with a way with horses, and with strong, silent ex-sheriff George (Kevin Costner, Yellowstone) for a husband. Soon after the family's rural idyll is first established, she not only loses her adult son (Ryan Bruce) to a tragic accident but, just a couple of years later, is shocked to discover that her newly remarried daughter-in-law Lorna (Kayli Carter, Bad Education) has left the local town in a hurry one night with Margaret's three-year-old grandson Jimmy (Bram and Otto Hornung). Determined not to see more of her family members ripped away, she convinces George that they should set off on their trail. Complicating their plans is he fact that Lorna has wed into the Weboys, who hold significant — and criminal — influence over their patch of America's north. As the Blackledges learn after finally tracking down their new relatives-via-nuptials, brash Weboy matriarch Blanche (Lesley Manville, Misbehaviour) isn't keen to relinquish her claim on the only link Margaret has left to her dearly departed child. Adapted by writer/director Thomas Bezucha (screenwriter of 2018's The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society) from the novel of the same name, Let Him Go follows a straightforward narrative with a smattering of hits and misses — but its two main female roles are so superbly cast, and the film's handling of tension so finely tuned, that it proves gripping for the bulk of its running time. The last time that Bezucha dabbled with complicated family antics, in 2005's The Family Stone, he was in far lighter territory; however, he's more than adept at handling the fierce confrontations, simmering and overt suspense, and pulpy revenge-fuelled setpieces that are pivotal here. And, he does so in a fittingly pared back but forceful manner; Let Him Go takes its time and doles out only the necessary details, butt does so with maximum emotional impact in mind. While Costner is also solid as a man trying to deal with his own heartache and disappointment in his own way, and Booboo Stewart (The Twilight Saga) leaves a lasting impression as a Native American teen the Blackledges cross paths with on their journey, Let Him Go is at its best when it cedes the screen to the potent Lane and the gloriously overt Manville. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU-Z90SEqGQ&t=20s CORPUS CHRISTI No one wants to live in a world where Parasite, the best movie of 2019, doesn't exist. But if it didn't for some reason, it's highly likely that Corpus Christi would've been this year's Best International Feature Film Oscar winner, rather than just a nominee. This Polish drama also focuses on people pretending to be something they're not. As directed by Warsaw 44 and The Hater's Jan Komasa, and written by the latter's screenwriter Mateusz Pacewicz, it casts a wry eye over much about life in its homeland today, too. And it isn't afraid to call out hypocrisy, societal divisions and greed, either — literally, in the latter case, with its protagonist making a speech about it at the local sawmill. There are few other similarities between Corpus Christi and the movie it lost to, but perhaps the only one that really matters is how blisteringly and rousingly it unfurls its on-screen gifts. Well that, and how striking every second of the film looks, pairing its grey, hazy aesthetics with its complicated account of an ex-juvenile delinquent who poses as a small-town priest. The imposter's name is Daniel and, as played with soulful intensity by Bartosz Bielenia, he's a complex figure. First seen serving out the final days of his reform school sentence, he has made a fan out of the facility's head priest Father Tomasz (Lukasz Simlat). In fact, if his criminal record didn't preclude it, he'd follow in the elder man's footsteps and join the seminary. Instead, he's released to work in a sawmill. Through a series of events that never feels convenient or strained, however, he's soon welcomed by the locals as their new spiritual advisor. Daniel genuinely has faith and believes in his task, so the jump from playing lookout as his fellow inmates dispense a brutal beating to endeavouring to help his congregation is easy. Loosely inspired by real-life details, Corpus Christi gifts its young protagonist an unexpected second chance — and an unlikely opportunity to follow his heart and make a difference to an insular community — but he's not the only figure within its frames with a troubled past to overcome. As a film about a masquerading cleric, tension and foreboding seethes through every second, but it's the bubbling and brooding movie's contemplation of what redemption and benevolence really means that hits the most potent notes. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THXebxAFCzY THE TRANSLATORS Like Agatha Christie and Knives Out before them, the makers of The Translators know that a good whodunnit serves up two major joys. That'd be the puzzle and the journey — because whichever intriguing narrative is being thrust their way, audiences want to sleuth along with the characters, piecing clues together in their heads; and, they want to enjoy each and every one of the story's many ins, outs, twists and turns as all the details unravel, too. In fact, this French film embraces those truths heartily. Writer/director Régis Roinsard (Populaire) and his co-scribes Romain Compingt and Daniel Presley even go a little heavy on convoluted minutiae and attempts to keep everyone guessing. Still, they mostly deliver an entertaining thriller — and, as always proves the case in this genre, if you enjoy the game and the ride enough once, it doesn't really matter if you won't be clamouring for a second helping The Translators' premise is killer — in a film that doesn't shy away from a body count, but is actually more concerned with stolen pages from the yet-to-be-released last book in the bestselling The Man Who Did Not Want to Die series. The latest novel has only been seen by its secretive author, arrogant French publisher Eric Angstrom (Lambert Wilson, The Odyssey) and the nine translators the latter has assembled to prepare the text in multiple languages for a simultaneous worldwide debut. The enlisted team of experts are working in a bunker under stringent conditions, however, so when Angstrom receives an email threatening to leak the new book unless a huge ransom is paid, he's both perplexed and angry. Also starring Olga Kurylenko (The Man Who Killed Don Quixote) as a Russian translator who purposely dresses to resemble the fated heroine in the novel the group is working on, as well as Alex Lawther (The End of the F***ing World) as a noticeably young Brit, The Translators isn't big on depth but still keeps viewers engaged. Hurtling forward like someone furiously thumbing through an airport novel, and offering a slick, swift-moving affair that ticks all the whodunnit basics (even as it gets a little too carried away with the exaggerated drip-fed clues, surprise reveals and reversals) will do that. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTxobgjD3hE CITY OF LIES It has been almost a quarter-century since Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace (aka the Notorious BIG/Biggie Smalls) were gunned down in separate incidents within six months of each other — and, over that time, fewer films about either or both have reached screens than one might expect. Known not only for their music but for being the focal points of the supposed East Coast-West Coast hip hop feud, the pair's plights have inspired exactly zero worthwhile movies, though, and that includes the long-delayed City of Lies. Based on the non-fiction book LAbyrinth by Randall Sullivan, this conspiracy thriller views the deaths of two of the 90s' biggest stars through the efforts of LAPD detective Russell Poole. There is real-life grounds for that angle, and the on-screen Poole (Johnny Depp) is constantly noting and fighting against the racial prejudice that existed in the Los Angeles police department at a time just after the Rodney King assault, trial and riots, as well as the OJ Simpson case. But there's no escaping the fact that the film approaches some of the most momentous events in rap history through a white cop. In 1997, Poole is assigned to another shooting — of a black officer by a white officer — just days after Notorious BIG's death. Soon, however, his investigation of the former leads him to the latter, and to the conclusion that the LA police were involved in killing Biggie, all as his superiors demand he ignore the evidence. Decades later, long after he has resigned from being a cop, a journalist (Forest Whitaker) wanders into Poole's apartment for a 20-year piece on the rapper's murder — and the writer might've been accused of dredging up the past if Poole's walls weren't covered in case details and materials. Where director Brad Furman turned legal thriller The Lincoln Lawyer into a slick and entertaining affair, almost everything about City of Lies is misjudged, and it drags on rather than drawing viewers into its theories or even the cases it covers. Depp plays crusading but hard done by with little discernible effort, and the decision to film the movie's 90s scenes with the same type of hues and lighting usually reserved for 70s-set features smacks of the same. And while Whitaker is the best thing about City of Lies, his determined performance isn't enough to salvage the film. If you're wondering what else is currently screening around Melbourne, we've also picked the 12 best flicks that started gracing the city's silver screens when indoor cinemas were given the green light to reopen. When outdoor cinemas relaunched before that, we outlined the films showing under the stars, too. And, we've run through all the pictures that opened in the city on November 12 and November 19 as well. You can also read our full reviews of The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin, Peninsula, Les Misérables, Bill & Ted Face the Music, An American Pickle, On the Rocks, Antebellum, Kajillionaire, The Craft: Legacy, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Radioactive, Brazen Hussies, Freaky, Mank, Monsoon and Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt) all of which are presently showing in Melbourne. And, you can check out our rundowns of the new films that released in other cities over the past few months — on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; September 3, September 10, September 17 and September 24; October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22 and October 29; and November 5 — as a number of those movies are now showing in Melbourne as well.
Lorde is back — but she won't be back doing live gigs for a bit longer. After five years away from music, the New Zealand pop sensation returned this year with a third studio album, with Solar Power releasing back August. Back in June, she also announced a massive 2022 tour of Australia and New Zealand; however, those shows have now been delayed until 2023. The tour has been postponed due to New Zealand's current COVID-19 outbreak and the uncertainty surrounding what'll be permitted next February and March, which is when Lorde's gigs were originally set to take place. "I am beyond devastated to be postponing these shows. Starting the tour in New Zealand was always really important to me, and would have been a huge high," Lorde said in a statement. "I fought this decision for a long time, but the truth is that touring internationally through a COVID outbreak has a ton of unforeseen moving parts, and I'd much rather play for you when we're all confident it will go smoothly. I want to apologise wholeheartedly to the fans. I'm so gutted to let you down, but so grateful for your understanding." [caption id="attachment_816623" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Come Up Show[/caption] When it kicks off in 2023, the tour will now run from Tuesday, February 21 through till Saturday, March 18. Australians are scoring eight dates across Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, while New Zealanders can choose from seven shows. The Australian and New Zealand tour will begin at Days Bay at Lower Hutt on Tuesday, February 21 and Wednesday, February 22. From there the 'Royals' singer will make her way around New Zealand throughout late February and early March, and arrive in Australia on Tuesday, March 7 for two shows at the Brisbane Riverstage. Australia's east coast will be treated to two more shows each at Melbourne's Sidney Myer Music Bowl and the ICC's Aware Super Theatre in Sydney, before the tour wraps up with a couple of gigs at Perth's Belvoir Amphitheatre. The last time either country was treated to Lorde's live set was her headline set at Splendour in the Grass 2018, a full circle moment for the singer as she returned to the stage of one of her first ever performances as a last-minute replacement for Frank Ocean back in 2013. A year prior, in 2017, Lorde also toured some of Australia's largest and most iconic outdoor venues including the Sydney Opera House Forecourt. Existing tickets will remain valid for the new dates, while tickets to newly announced gigs in Lower Hutt, Brisbane and Perth start pre-sales on Wednesday, November 17 ahead of general ticket sales on Friday, November 19. LORDE 'SOLAR POWER' 2023 TOUR DATES Tuesday, February 21 – Days Bay, Lower Hutt Wednesday, February 22 – Days Bay, Lower Hutt — new show Saturday, February 25 – Electric Avenue, Christchurch Monday, February 27 – Neudorf Vineyards, Upper Moutere Wednesday, March 1 – Black Barn Vineyards, Havelock North Friday, March 3 – TSB Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth Saturday, March 4 – Outer Fields Western Springs, Auckland Tuesday, March 7 – Riverstage, Brisbane — new show Wednesday, March 8 – Riverstage, Brisbane Friday, March 10 – Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne Saturday, March 11 – Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne Monday, March 13 – Aware Super Theatre, Sydney Tuesday, March 14 – Aware Super Theatre, Sydney Friday, March 17 – Belvoir Amphitheatre, Perth — new show Saturday, March 18 – Belvoir Amphitheatre, Perth Lorde's Solar Power Tour will now take place between Tuesday, February 21–Saturday, March 18, 2023. Head to the Frontier website for all info on tickets. Top image: Liliane Callegari via Wikimedia Commons.
You'll find big things in small packages at the St Kilda Film Festival this year. You'll also find some changes, too. Australia's oldest short film festival, this massive event won't physically descend on St Kilda for the 34th year in 2020 — with the lineup jumping online and screening to movie buffs nationally. Even better: it's screening for free. Showcasing some of the best up-and-coming filmmakers in the country, the festival runs from Friday, June 12–Saturday, June 20, with audiences at home getting the chance to see a selection of exciting films. It all kicks off with a virtual opening night, then features curated sessions, live online Q&As and webinars. As always, the backbone of the festival is Australia's Top 100, featuring filmmakers from every corner of the country competing for prizes. Other selections include the Australian Animation Explosion, highlighting Aussie animation; Shifting the Gaze: Focus on Women Filmmakers, presenting new films from female filmmakers; Dark Matter, showcasing on horror, thriller and dystopian tales; and Out of Range, Gods of Tiny Things and Home, which focus on being and becoming an Indigenous Australian. For the full St Kilda Film Festival program, or to watch online between Friday, June 12–Saturday, June 20, visit the festival website. Image: Jim Lee
Brisbanites, you now have plans for 2032. Australians who reside elsewhere, you're going to want to make a trip to the Sunshine State that year, too. After first being named the preferred location back in February, and then earning the International Olympic Committee Executive Board's endorsement in June, Brisbane has just received the official tick of approval — and has been announced as the host of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Today, Wednesday, July 21, the full International Olympic Committee voted to choose the 2032 host, with Brissie emerging victorious. Given how the past few months have panned out, this result was expected; however, that doesn't make it any less exciting. The 2032 games will take place between July 23–August 8, 2032 at a range of venues not just in Brisbane itself, but around southeast Queensland. Brissie's bid included clusters of venues in the city, on the Gold Coast and on the Sunshine Coast. As revealed in April, the Gabba will also undergo a huge revamp in preparation for the games, which'll basically involve tearing the stadium down and rebuilding it again. https://twitter.com/iocmedia/status/1417763724291497989 It has been a big year for Brisbane, sports-wise, with the city making history last October by becoming the only place outside of Melbourne to ever host an AFL Grand Final. It's been a big few years for southeast Queensland, actually, given that the Gold Coast hosted the Commonwealth Games back in 2018. The 2032 games will be the first held in Oceania since 2000 — when Sydney did the honours, as every Australian remembers. It'll also mark just a 32-year gap between Australia's most recent hosting slots. The Olympics were first held on our shores back in 1956, in Melbourne. https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1417764096678653952 Brisbanites can expect fireworks lighting up the sky tonight in celebration, as the Premier revealed in the lead up to the announcement. They're being set off from river barges and CBD buildings, and Brisbane's buildings, bridges and City Hall are also being lit up in green and gold hues as well. The news comes as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics — delayed from last year due to the pandemic — kick off this week, running through until Sunday, August 8. Paris is on hosting duties in 2024, while Los Angeles will take the torch in 2028. Brisbane will host the 2032 Olympics from July 23–August 8, 2032. For further information, head to the Games' website. Top image: IOC/Christophe Moratal.
Melbourne's been pretty much spoilt for choice when it comes to boozy bottomless brunches. But now, one of the city's OG burger joints is jumping on the brunch bandwagon and showing us how it's really done. Aussie favourite Huxtaburger has kicked off its new series of Bottomless Sundays, where it'll host up a weekly fried chicken party at each of its six Melbourne outposts. Running from 11am to 4pm every Sunday until September 15, these decadent brunch sessions promise to see you wrapping up your weekend on a very high note. For $35, you'll get to enjoy a 90-minute all-you-can-handle feast, featuring unlimited serves of fried chicken wings, classic Huxtaburger chips — sprinkled with chicken, dill pickle or regular salt — and gravy. The price includes 90-minutes of free-flowing booze, too, in the form of Furphy beer, shiraz and sauvignon blanc, and elegant tinnies of Sorrento Spritz and Bondi Spritz from Batch & Co. Bottomless Sundays are on offer at Huxtaburger's Collingwood, CBD, Prahran, Hawthorn, Eastland and Footscray stores.
Opened in 2021, Yugen Tea Bar was about as luxe a tea-drinking experience as you could find in Melbourne. Moody lighting, white tablecloths and a menu spanning 40 teas guided by expert sommeliers set the tone. However, after a significant update, YTB is pulling the experience back – way back – to create a more relaxed, specialty cafe experience. Yet that doesn't mean the venue's inventive, Asian-inspired cuisine or dedication to quality has gone anywhere. Situated on a busy corner of Chapel Street above the renowned Yugen Dining, visitors can now expect an elevated brunch spot, where mindfully conceived breakfast and lunch cuisine pairs with ONA coffee, matcha lattes and, of course, a serious array of in-house teas. Now catering to locals, office workers and brunch-lovers alike, this more accessible format offers both grab-and-go creations alongside laidback all-day dining. "With YTB, we wanted to create a space where every dish feels considered – fresh, vibrant, and layered with flavour – where specialty coffee, tea, and thoughtful dishes come together in a welcoming, vibrant setting," says Stephen Nairn, Culinary Director at LK Hospitality and the owner of Yugen. "It's a place designed not just for one visit, but to return to time and time again, whether for a quick morning matcha and snack or a leisurely brunch. We want YTB to feel like a part of the community – somewhere familiar yet always exciting." This easygoing direction is reflected in the new menu, with made-to-order sangies, vibrant salads and fresh-from-the-oven pastries pumped up with seasonal ingredients and creative flourishes. Take the buckwheat taiyaki – YTB's signature dish – for example. Here, a traditional Japanese fish-shaped waffle is filled with miso egg and aged cheddar togarashi, then served with pickles and a pickled ginger dressing. There's also the caramelised shokupan, where toasted Japanese milk bread is adorned with caramelised banana, bacon and maple butter. Sweet-tooths will also feel right at home, as Executive Pastry Chef Kay-Lene Tan has shaped a new nostalgia-driven selection of house-baked delights. Bruce the Cake, a decadent Valrhona dark chocolate cake wrapped in a silky ganache, is one alluring highlight. Inspired by Bruce Bogtrotter's cake from Roald Dahl's childhood classic novel Matilda, no one's judging if you sneak an extra slice. There's also the matcha white chocolate cookie – a gooey creation pairing chunky chocolate chips with earthy matcha. The drinks selection is also top-notch. Behind the coffee machine, Head Barista Alec Guerzoni (CIBI, Allpress, Path Coffee) brings expertise to every cup, whether that's coffee, house-blend teas, ceremonial matcha or hojicha. Meanwhile, there's also a refined selection of beers, wines, sakes and cocktails. Finally, the revamped Yugen Tea Bar will also feature locally crafted ceramics, fresh flowers and exclusive dog treats crafted by Tan. Yugen Tea Bar is open Monday–Friday from 7.30am–4pm and Saturday–Sunday from 8am–4pm at 605 Chapel Street, South Yarra. Head to the website for more information. Images: Tim Harris / Jana Langhorst.
Huge news for convenient, cheap grocery enthusiasts this morning; specifically those of you outside Victoria and the ACT who haven't already been enjoying the fruits of ALDI's partnership with DoorDash. As of this morning, New South Wales became the final state to welcome the grocer onto its DoorDash systems, following WA, SA and QLD, making delivery now available from most ALDI locations nationwide. Over 1800 products are now available (at the grocer brand's signature low prices) at the click of a button, even cheaper if you're the proud owner of a Prime Video subscription — link it to your DoorDash account and you'll get a year of $0 delivery fees and more, you're welcome. [caption id="attachment_1024795" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Esteban La Tessa[/caption] Some of the first ALDI orders placed when the now nationwide partnership was in its trial phase showed that it's a welcome avenue of emergency supplies when Aussies need it most. Two of the earliest orders were for nappies and wipes, then cat food and toilet paper. It's certainly a lot easier than carving out time to go to the shops yourself. Essentials are on the regular rotation of most orders, with items like milk, eggs and fresh produce being in a quarter of all orders so far, and a third of all orders are placed on the weekends — somehow the best and still the worst time to go grocery shopping. Sadly, the famed Special Buys (AKA the middle aisle) remains an in-store exclusive. Simon Rossi, Vice President of DoorDash APAC, said: "Our partnership with ALDI is all about delivering our customers greater convenience, choice and value. ALDI's much-loved exclusive and value-driven range combined with DoorDash's reliable, on-demand delivery technology means shoppers around the country don't have to go too long between ALDI shops. We are proud to help enable this new level of accessibility for Australians." Download the DoorDash app for free on the Apple Store or Google Play. Find your nearest ALDI via the store locator.
For viewers, three years have passed since Squid Game became an award-winning Netflix hit. For Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae, The Acolyte), the same amount of time has elapsed in the show's storyline. Audiences and Player 456 are alike are in for a new round of life-or-death matches when the streaming smash finally returns on Boxing Day 2024 — but only the series' protagonist will be fighting for survival again while on a quest to shut down this chaos forever in season two. No one watching should ever want Squid Game to end; however, the show itself will wrap up in 2025 with season three. First comes the long-awaited second season to end 2024, though, where Player 456 is back in the game with new fellow competitors for company. "We are not trying to harm you. We are presenting you with an opportunity," the guards tell the latest batch of contestants battling it out for 45.6 billion won in the series' just-released full season-two trailer. Another pivotal line in the latest sneak peek: "the game will not end unless the world changes". Netflix has been dropping multiple early looks at season two, including a teaser trailer to kick off November — and its finishing off the month with a new glimpse at what's to come. These games don't stop, clearly, even after three years. As the show's protagonist dons his green tracksuit once more, his new fellow competitors are wary of his motives. Also part of the recent teases: Lee Byung-hun (The Magnificent Seven) as Gi-hun's nemesis Front Man, plus Wi Ha-joon (Little Women) also back as detective Hwang Jun-ho. Squid Game was such a huge success in its first season that Netflix confirmed at the beginning of 2022 that more was on the way, and also released a teaser trailer for it the same year, before announcing its new cast members in 2023 — and then unveiled a first brief snippet of Squid Game season two in a broader trailer for Netflix's slate for 2024, as it releases every 12 months. For season two, Gong Yoo (Train to Busan) also returns as the man in the suit who got Gi-hun into the game in the first place; however, a show about a deadly competition that has folks battling for ridiculous riches comes with a hefty bodycount. Accordingly, new faces were always going to be essential — which is where Yim Si-wan (Emergency Declaration), Kang Ha-neul (Insider), Park Sung-hoon (The Glory) and Yang Dong-geun (Yaksha: Ruthless Operations) all come in. If you somehow missed all things Squid Game when it premiered, even after it became bigger than everything from Stranger Things to Bridgerton, the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning series serves up a puzzle-like storyline and unflinching savagery, which unsurprisingly makes quite the combination. It also steps into societal divides within South Korea, a topic that wasn't invented by Parasite, Bong Joon-ho's excellent Oscar-winning 2019 thriller, but has been given a boost after that stellar flick's success. As a result, it's easy to see thematic and narrative parallels between Parasite and Squid Game, although Netflix's highly addictive series goes with a Battle Royale and Hunger Games-style setup. Netflix turned the show's whole premise into an IRL competition series as well, which debuted in 2023 — without any murders, of course. Squid Game: The Challenge has already been picked up for a second season. Check out the full trailer for Squid Game season below: Squid Game season two streams via Netflix from Thursday, December 26, 2024. Season three will arrive in 2025 — we'll update you when an exact release date for it is announced. Images: No Ju-han/Netflix © 2024.
With a distinctly Chinese club culture only emerging in relatively recent times, acclaimed Chinese photographer Chen Wei's first Australian solo exhibition captures the enigmatic scene. The end of the country's Cultural Revolution saw many western influences and pastimes begin to flow into China, with the 1980s and '90s seeing the rise of nightclubs and electronic music. This brought young artists and intellectuals together in a previously unknown expressive environment — one that, at the time, was considered to be rebellious and progressive. While nightclubs are commonplace in China nowadays, Chen Wei set out to document the unique subculture and comment on societal changes that are taking place across the country. As nightclubs have become widespread, through his photo series, Wei argues that nightclubs reflect a culture that has accepted western influence and is now unsure of what the future holds. Running until May 7, The Club is presented at Fitzroy's Centre for Contemporary Photography. Image: Chen Wei In The Waves #5 (2013).
Unlike many other music festivals gearing up to make their first appearance since before the pandemic, much-loved camping fest Pitch Music & Arts is preparing to host its second post-COVID instalment. But if last year's well-timed (and sold-out) return was anything to go by, it's set to go off with just as big of a bang as any other comeback on your calendar. The long-running celebration is headed back to Moyston, in the foothills of Victoria's Grampians, from Friday, March 10–Tuesday, March 14 2023. Not only will its three stages play host to a sparkling lineup of local and international musical talent, but the tunes will be backed by a hefty program of interactive art and installations. Basically, you're in for a very big, very busy four days. [caption id="attachment_875292" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Duncographic[/caption] Guiding your sonic journey will be legends like Germany's Helena Hauff, UK electro act Four Tet (who's also hitting Golden Plains the same weekend), DJ and producer Nightmares on Wax, Berlin-born supergroup Moderat and a live set from UK-based duo OVERMONO. You'll also catch the likes of Leon Vynehall, Ben UFO, Fatima Yamaha and Âme flying the flag for the international dance scene, joined by a juicy lineup of homegrown heroes — Mildlife, Ayebatonye, C.Frim, Yarra, IN2STELLAR and Soju Gang, included. While the supporting program of artistic delights is yet to drop, last year's offering — including works by street artist Adnate and installation king Clayton Blake (Winner of Best Art at Burning Man 2018) — should leave you pretty excited for what's in store. [caption id="attachment_875293" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Duncographic[/caption] In between all the dance-floor sessions and arty things, festival-goers can make themselves at home in the Pitch Pavilion, unwinding with a yoga class, meditation or sound bath. There'll also be an ethical design market to shop, a range of food stalls to fuel your weekend and a Pride Patrol doing live drag performances. If that all sounds like your true calling, you'll have to enter the Pitch Music & Arts 2023 ballot where, for the first time, entrants will be required to make a 'Pitch Pledge' — a written commitment to positively contributing to the Pitch community, leaving no trace and behaving respectfully while onsite. [caption id="attachment_875295" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ash Caygill[/caption] PITCH MUSIC & ARTS 2023 LINEUP: ABSOLUTE. AK Sports Âme Anetha Ayebatonye Ben UFO Bertie BIG WETT Bradley Zero C.Frim X Mirasia Call Super Cassie Raptor Club Angel Daria Kolosova DAWS Dax J DJ EZ DJ Heartstring DJ Stingray 313 DJ Tennis Effy Ewan McVicar Fatima Yamaha (Live) FJAAK DJ Four Tet François X HALFQUEEN Héctor Oaks Helena Hauff I.JORDAN IN2STELLAR Interplanetary Criminal Jaguar Jennifer Cardini Juicy Romance Jyoty Kalyani KAS:ST Kelly Lee Owens (DJ Set) KETTAMA Ki/Ki Kim Ann Foxman Leon Vynehall (Live) LSDXOXO m8riarchy Major League Djz Mano Le Tough Marie Montexier Mildlife Miley Serious Moderat (Live) Nightmares On Wax NLV OVERMONO (Live) Parfait Paula Tape Peach Pretty Girl (Live) Roi Perez RONA Ryan Elliott Sam Alfred x STÜM Soju Gang Sophie McAlister SWIM Tama Sumo x Lakuti Tinlicker (Live) u.r.trax Yarra Yikes Young Marco Pitch Music & Arts will return to Moyston from March 10–March 14, 2023. Head to the festival's website for further details, or to enter the ballot before 3pm AEDT on Wednesday, November 2. General tickets will go on sale from 12pm on Thursday, November 10. Top Images: Alex Drewniak and William Hamilton Coates.
Love craft beer, but also have a soft spot for a good whisky? Does the idea of drinking them together excite or intrigue you? If so, we've found your next drinking destination. The cocktail experts behind Eau de Vie have recently opened Boliermaker House on Lonsdale Street. For the uninitiated, a boilermaker is an American beer cocktail consisting of a shot of whisky and a beer chaser. There are a few ways to down this drink, but the most prevalent is to shot your whisky and then sip the beer. At Boilermaker House they recommend going in that order, but you certainly don't have to shot your whisky in haste. In fact, you're encouraged to take your time, especially with the complimentary food bites that come with your boilermaker to eat post-whisky and pre-beer. On the surface, boilermakers may look like an exceptionally efficient way to get drunk, fast. And while this may be the purpose for some drinkers, it certainly is not the aim for the Boilermaker House. The idea is that, when the two are consumed together, new flavours are created that you wouldn't find from sipping just one. We decided to try two different boilermakers: one light and bright, the other dark and sexy. The Speyside Rambler ($23) consists of a shot of Glenlivet 15 year old French Oak followed by a Red Hill Pilsner, with a skewer of apple and salted caramel for between drinks. It's described as 'a juicy apricot on a summers day', and the flavours certainly made us pine for warmer weather. This was a very drinkable combination, and a bound to be a crowd pleaser for those new to the boilermaker game. The Black Forest ($24) was, as the name suggests, a lot darker, with a shot of Aberlour 16 year old and a dark and delicious Newstead 21'7" Porter to follow. The name certainly fits the bill with this one, and the dark chocolate and date food addition enhanced the black fruit flavours that the combination created. Having something to nosh on while downing these drinks is certainly wise, if not necessary. Boilermaker House has already made a bit of a name for itself for its excellent selection of cured meats and cheeses from all over the globe, so we selected the small ploughman's platter, which, at $53, is ideal for 2-3 people. The beautiful serrano, cacciatore salami, and bresaola cuts were paired perfectly with 1,000 day gouda, chicken pâté, sweet quince and picked vegetables. There are more substantial meals on offer for those feeling more peckish, but this little nook tends to lend itself to casual conversation and grazing. In fact, we found ourselves so comfortable in our golden-lit booth we happily whiled away a few hours and another beer. The service was helpful and unobtrusive, offering suggestions when we were a bit lost and left us to our own devices once we had settled in. Weeknights are a go if you want somewhere cosy to catch up with friends rather than dealing with the hustle and bustle. The wall of whisky that surrounds their 12 beer taps is quite a sight to behold, showing that there's clearly plenty more to try — and we will be back to do so very shortly.
February 14 means different things to different people — but if you're a fan of Yellowjackets, that date in 2025 is now all about just one thing. Two years after its second season, the survivalist thriller will return on Valentine's Day to kick off its third round, again following the survivors of a plane crash both in the immediate aftermath and a quarter of a century later. As viewers discovered when it debuted in 2021 and became one of the best new shows of that year, the instantly intriguing (and excellent) series follows a New Jersey high school's girls soccer team in the 90s after their plane plummets into the forest, and also checks in with everyone that's left 25 years later. Across two seasons so far, life and friendship have proven complex for Yellowjackets' core quartet of Shauna (The Tattooist of Auschwitz's Melanie Lynskey as an adult, and also No Return's Sophie Nélisse as a teenager), Natalie (I'm a Virgo's Juliette Lewis, plus MaXXXine's Sophie Thatcher), Taissa (Law & Order's Tawny Cypress, and also Scream VI's Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Misty (Wednesday's Christina Ricci, as well as Atlas' Samantha Hanratty). The full setup: back in 1996, en route to a big match in Seattle on a private aircraft, Shauna, Natalie, Taissa, Misty and the rest of their teammates entered Lost territory. The accident saw everyone who walked away stranded in the wilderness — and those who then made it through that ordeal stuck out there for 19 months, living their worst Alive-meets-Lord of the Flies lives. As well as announcing the show's return date, Yellowjackets dropped a first teaser trailer for season three, although it's brief at just 15 seconds in length. In quick flashes, the sneak peek does feature violent altercations, screaming and mask-wearing figures among the 90s-era group, however. So, business as usual, then. [caption id="attachment_894499" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Colin Bentley/SHOWTIME.[/caption] After swiftly getting picked up for a second season because its first was that ace, Yellowjackets was then renewed for a third season before that second group of episodes even aired. In Australia, viewers will be heading to Paramount+ come Friday, February 14, 2025. In New Zealand, the series streams via Neon. In season three, the returning cast — which includes Simone Kessell (Muru) as the older Lottie and Lauren Ambrose (Servant) as the older Van, characters played in their younger guises by Australian actors Courtney Eaton (Mad Max: Fury Road) and Liv Hewson (Party Down) — will be joined by Hilary Swank (Ordinary Angels) and Joel McHale (The Bear). Check out the first teaser trailer for Yellowjackets season three below: Season three of Yellowjackets will start streaming from Friday, February 14, 2025 via Paramount+ in Australia — and streams via Neon in New Zealand. Read our review of season one and review of season two, plus our interview with Melanie Lynskey. Via Variety.
If you're the type of movie buff who likes watching new release films on the big screen, popcorn in one hand and choc top in the other, then your viewing habits have undergone some drastic changes in recent weeks. First, upcoming blockbuster flicks started postponing their release dates due to COVID-19. Then, cinemas across Australia began closing — initially by choice, and then by government decree. As a result, no one is gathering in a darkened room to soak in some movie magic from the silver screen any time soon. In the US, a number of studios have been making the leap to online releases, as a way of still letting audiences access and watch their latest films while everyone is staying home. Australian distributors have been slower to take the same jump, but now Roadshow Films has announced that it's fast-tracking a heap of its recent flicks to digital — so you can catch Margot Robbie's chaotic antics in Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), check out the Michael B. Jordan-starring legal drama Just Mercy or get a dose of Guy Ritchie's latest British crime caper The Gentlemen all from your couch. In total, 12 recent big-screen releases have been earmarked for digital rental, although some — Joker, Hustlers and The Good Liar — were already available via home entertainment formats anyway. Other titles include entertaining Karate Kid-style Aussie go-karting flick Go!, which stars Richard Roxburgh as an ex-champ reluctantly mentoring an eager teen; Clint Eastwood-directed true crime drama Richard Jewell, about the bombing at the 1996 summer Olympics in Atlanta; and Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears, the partially crowdfunded big-screen spin-off from the beloved Australian mystery TV series. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbHkNiIyl3I Most of these movies were still in theatres when cinemas started closing in Australia. Some, such as Ben Affleck vehicle The Way Back — where he plays an alcoholic former basketball star who starts coaching his old high school's team — had actually only started screening at the beginning of March. Either way, being made available to watch at home so quickly marks a big change for the local film industry, with films usually only jumping to DVD and streaming 90 days after they first hit cinemas — although Netflix movies such as Roma, The Irishman and Marriage Story, plus Amazon titles like Brittany Runs a Marathon and The Report, have all been challenging that fixed window in recent years. For Roadshow, it'll be dropping different films online from different dates, with rentals via GooglePlay and iTunes. Check out the full list of titles and dates below: Joker: available now Hustlers: available now The Good Liar: available now Go!: available now Midway: available now Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn): available Saturday, March 28 Just Mercy: available Saturday, March 28 Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears: available Monday, March 30 The Gentlemen: available Tuesday, March 31 Richard Jewell: available Wednesday, April 1 Motherless Brooklyn: available Wednesday, April 1 The Way Back: available Wednesday, April 15 Roadshow's fast-tracked films are available to rent via GooglePlay and iTunes. To find out further details, visit the distributor's website. Top image: Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). © 2020 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
It's a familiar problem: your lounge room corner or kitchen windowsill is screaming for a bit of greenery, but finding time to shop for a fiddle leaf fig or a monstera is easier said than done. That's where plant delivery services come in, whether you're after something new each month or a one-off parcel of nature's goodness. And, in the latter camp, Australia has a new site ready to send a baby rubber plant, bird of paradise or peace lily to your door. That'd be The Plant People, a Brisbane-based nursery that takes care of the whole process, including seeding, growing, potting and delivery. At the company's base in Burpengary, green babies are nurtured by propagators and horticulturalists, then sent to eager customers — not only in Brissy or on the Gold and Sunshine coasts, but throughout Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, the ACT and South Australia. Greenery-wise, The Plant People specialises in low-maintenance plants that can be grown indoors and arrive room-ready, with its range spanning familiar names and more creative types. You can nab a birds nest fern, Swiss cheese plant or string of pearls, or perhaps a philodendron, string of dolphins, Chinese money plant or manda succulent. The collection will continue to grow, following the latest trends and adding new varieties. The Plant People also sells pots, which are made by an artisan in Vietnam, as well as handy accessories such as garden scissors and moisture meters. Prices range from $14.95–$395 — and, no matter where you're getting your plant delivered to in its custom-designed box, shipping is free. The Plant People delivers to Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, the ACT and South Australia. For further details, visit the company's website.
Flinders Lane has long been a hotbed for some of Melbourne's most creative (and most talked-about) kitchens, from Coda and Cumulus Inc. to Chin Chin and, for those of us with longer memories, the avant-garde Verge. So it makes sense that when Sri Lankan sensation Ministry of Crab was looking for a permanent Melbourne site, the crew looked to the buzzy thoroughfare. The team found a home in the century-old and recently restored Invicta House and, as well as opening the ninth branch of the celebrated crustacean-centred restaurant, it also promised a second restaurant to open in due course. That time is now, with the bold arrival of II.II.VI. Pronounced 'two two six', a riff on the restaurant's street address, the moody, fire-driven restaurant has taken over the basement of Invicta House, with the Roman numerals in the name nodding to the ancient tradition of wood- and charcoal-fuelled fire cooking. [caption id="attachment_1008095" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tim Sonmez Photography[/caption] A sculptural bull guards the dramatic tunnel that leads into a subterranean dining room that's heavy on the moodiness. Ambient lighting, plush oxblood leather banquettes, deep blue accents and custom art deco-inspired lighting provide a contrast to textures that evoke fire, meat and smoke, as well as the raw industrial bones left over from the building's past life as a silk factory. At the heart of the room, a theatrical open kitchen puts a custom parrilla grill, robata and charcoal oven at centre stage, highlighting the restaurant's 'flame-first' philosophy. Leading the charge in the kitchen are Executive Chef Kerry Lam (Koko at Crown, Calia Group) and Head Chef Haitham Richani (Gradi Group, Barmah Park Restaurant & Cellar Door, Hopetoun Tea Rooms; pictured below). Their menu draws from Japanese robatayaki, South American asado and Basque grill traditions — all delivered through a contemporary Australian lens. For the opening period, only a bar menu is available — this serves as a good hint at what's to come when the full menu launches. The tight, ingredient-focused selection features bites like blistered cast iron bread, smoky skewers and prime cuts of steak from Westholme and Mayura. The main event, however, will be the two- or three-course dining experience still to come, featuring premium ingredients like Abrolhos Island scallops and dry-aged MB9+ wagyu, as well as decadent desserts like a flamed and spiced rum baba. It's food that's both thoughtful and visceral — and a worthy new addition to Flinders Lane. [caption id="attachment_1008096" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tim Sonmez Photography[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1008094" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tim Sonmez Photography[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1008092" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tim Sonmez Photography[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1008091" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tim Sonmez Photography[/caption] II.II.VI is now open at 226 Flinders Lane, Melbourne. It's open Wednesday–Saturday, 5pm–midnight. For more information, head to the venue's website. Top image: Tim Sonmez Photography.
A steakhouse and bar dedicated to New York-style Italian American eats has opened in the heart of the city. The two venues — Pretty Boy Italian Steakhouse and Floyd's Bar — now take up level one and two of Little Lonsdale Street's joined Novotel and Ibis hotels, and they aim to pay homage to the location's past as a gangster haunt and serves up cuisine inspired by Manhattan's Little Italy. Executive chef Michael Smith — who used to run the kitchens at Tonka and Mamasita — is in charge of the food here, and he's turning out fresh pasta made in-house daily, along with premium Australian steaks. Aged onsite, cuts include the O'Connor scotch fillet and Cape Grim ribeye on the bone, which is aged for four-to-five weeks. The menu also focuses on local produce and uses traditional techniques for curing meat — think green olive mortadella and wagyu bresaola — and making sugo. Other specialties include gnocchi with black truffle, porcini and portobello ragout; spicy kingfish crudo with orange, fennel and purple basil; and zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta, goat's curd and Vino Cotto wine. The restaurant is open for dinner from 6pm and breakfast until 10.30am, but closed for lunch. St Ali coffee is available all day, too, and desserts include tiramisu, New York cheesecake and vanilla panna cotta with amaretto jelly. In Floyd's Bar on level two, there's a spritz menu that starts with the classic Aperol and extends to the Sloe Spritz (Sloe gin, brandy, peach liqueur, pineapple, passionfruit and prosecco). Multiple negronis also make the menu, including a Breakfast Negroni — made with orange marmalade, orange bitter, Four Pillars gin and Cinzano — and the Four Pillars Spiced Negroni. On the wine list, Australian drops using Italian grapes are the focus. Pretty Boy Italian Steakhouse is located on level one and Floyd's Bar is on level two of Novotel Melbourne Central, 399 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. Both are open seven days a week — the former for breakfast and dinner, and the latter from 2–11pm.
After more than a month of cycling in and out of stay-at-home conditions, the bulk of regional Victoria will come out of lockdown at 11.59pm on Thursday, September 9. While nothing will ease in Greater Melbourne until 70 percent of the state has had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, Premier Daniel Andrews floated last week that changes might be possible in regional parts of the state before that milestone is reached — and now that's exactly what's happening. At Victoria's daily COVID-19 press conference today, Wednesday, September 8, the Premier announced that "the five reasons to leave the home will be removed in regional Victoria, except for Greater Shepparton." Lockdown will remain in place in Greater Shepparton for the time being; however, the Premier said that "we would hope to have Shepparton catch up to the rest of regional Victoria some time next week, and we'll make those announcements as soon as we have tidied up the last bits of the outbreak there." Regional Victoria has been in lockdown again since mid-August, after initially joining the entire state under stay-at-home conditions at the beginning of the month, then being released from lockdown a few days later. So, it has been a seesawing month or so of changing conditions — and now folks in regional parts of the state are getting another early mark. On the advice of the Chief Health Officer, Regional Victoria's lockdown will be lifted. There remains a significant risk of cases seeding, so we all have to continue to work hard to keep regional Victoria, and all of us safe. pic.twitter.com/0vqNEhQfng — Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) September 8, 2021 Just like back in your school days, if you live anywhere in regional Victoria other than Greater Shepparton, you'll be allowed out of the house for whatever reason you like from Friday, September 10. As always happens after a lockdown, however, a number of other restrictions will be put in place. These restrictions will largely mirror the rules in effect before this lockdown — so yes, they'll sound familiar. The five-kilometre rule is being scrapped, so you can roam far and wide without worrying about the distance. Of course, the state's border rules, and those of other parts of Australia, may hamper your trip if you're planning on heading interstate. And, if you're planning to head to Melbourne, you can only do so for a permitted reason, and you'll still have to follow Melbourne's lockdown restrictions while you're there. Obviously, that travel rule doesn't work both ways. People in Melbourne still can't venture more than five kilometres from home, and therefore can't leave their house to visit regional parts of the state. Also permitted in regional Victoria when lockdown lifts: catching up with your nearest and dearest, but you'll have to gather outdoors in public, and only in groups of up to ten people. You still won't be able to have anyone come over to your house, so nothing is changing there. Masks will still remain mandatory both indoors and out, too — so the rules there aren't changing there, either. Also, food and hospitality businesses will be able to open for seated service only, with a cap of 20 people outdoors and 10 people inside. Retail stores, gyms, hairdressers and beauty salons can reopen as well, with a density quota of one person per four-square metres. Entertainment venues can welcome in up to 300 people per outdoor space, or 25-percent capacity, whichever is smaller, while indoor spaces can have 20 people. That said, businesses that are permitted to reopen in regional Victoria but must remain closed in Melbourne — so places like restaurants offering dine-in meals, beauty services and venues — will be required to check the IDs of everyone they serve. [caption id="attachment_823288" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Mattinbgn via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] The lockdown changes come as Victoria now has 1920 active COVID-19 cases, including 221 new cases identified in the 24 hours to midnight last night. All of the current stay-at-home rules remain in effect in Melbourne until that 70-percent single jab threshold has been met. So, that means that Melburnians can still only leave home for five reasons: shopping for what you need, when you need it; caregiving and compassionate reasons; essential work or permitted education that can't be done from home; exercise; and getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Lockdown in Regional Victoria, other than in Greater Shepparton, will end at 11.59pm on Thursday, September 9. For more information about the rules that'll be in place from that time, head to the Victorian Department of Health website. Top image: Robert Blackburn via Visit Victoria.
UPDATE Monday, July 19: Lift those spirits and treat yourself to an at-home Mexican fiesta, courtesy of Mejico's latest delivery meal boxes. They arrive ready to heat and serve, packed with a two-person menu of starters, sides, dessert and a main dish — like the hibiscus mole chicken. A range of food and drink add-ons are also available. For more details on Victoria's current restrictions, see the Department of Health and Human Services website. As the CBD slowly emerges from its 2020 hibernation, it's welcomed an especially lively newcomer in Mejico — a vibrant eatery that opened its doors this week, transforming Pink Alley into a permanent fiesta. Sibling to Mejico Sydney, which launched back in 2013, the restaurant's serving up a diverse menu of regional Mexican fare, alongside what's pegged to be Melbourne's largest selection of tequila and mezcal, clocking in at over 260 varieties. The two-storey space sports an edgy fit-out full of black and neon pink accents, with an all-weather glasshouse-style dining room on the ground floor, and a more intimate tequila bar and cocktail lounge upstairs. It's decked out with hand-drawn mandalas, striking murals by local artist Ash Keating, and a leafy vertical garden. Unlike most of the Mexican joints you've been frequenting, this one's an early riser, kicking off each day with a breakfast offering from 7.30am. Settle in with the likes of a reworked eggs benny with chipotle hollandaise, dulce de leche crumpets and mezcal-cured salmon, or grab a fresh croissant and coffee to-go. [caption id="attachment_793263" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arianna Leggiero[/caption] Come lunch and dinner, the menu expands to a colourful lineup of street snacks — think, grilled haloumi with burnt honey, fire-glazed salmon tacos and empanadas stuffed with Daylesford beef brisket — alongside larger plates like the pasilla-spiced roast chicken and a Yucatan-style pulled pork matched with smoked eggplant. Here, the all-important guacamole element is prepared tableside in front of your eyes, served with plantain chips and customised with your choice of garnishes. Or, you can tuck into a classic ($62) or deluxe ($79) 'feed me' menu, the latter of which includes a serve of Mejico's signature margarita cheesecake. Late-night cravings are sorted, too, with a special post-11pm snack menu, featuring bites like blue corn chips with a roasted pineapple and habanero salsa, brisket empanadas, and crispy chicharrones. Tequila and mezcal reign supreme on the drinks list, though the agave-focused cocktail lineup is also set to get a solid workout. You'll find fruity creations like a jalapeño margarita and the Guadalajaran — featuring a blend of pineapple-infused tequila and passionfruit. Rounding out the fun is a tidy crop of wines, crisp beers, and sangria by the glass or jug. Images: Arianna Leggiero
Oceans cover 70 percent of the world’s surface. With most of our population hugging the coast, Australia has a unique relationship with the water. Our beach and surf culture has evolved uniquely from the rest of the world and the sea holds an important place in most Australians hearts. Photographer Mark Tipple has set about capturing unique moments not just from the sand but from underneath the breaks. Tipple combines his documentary photography skills and his surfing background to reveal a hidden and amazing world. Always curious about what he looked like whilst duck-diving under waves, Mark tried several strategies (including helmets, cameras and weight belts) before realising the best approach would be to jump off the board. Tipple’s Underwater Project is the culmination of several years of shoots, capturing the interaction between man and the waves, and the unfolding narrative of everyday nature. There seems a natural connection between photography and surfing. Both rely on certain elements out of your control coming together at the right time in the right combination. Fortunately for us, Tipple has had plenty of luck and caught some amazing shots.
SHOP225 is on a roll after being named Australia's Best Pizzeria by the 50 Top Pizza Awards back in September. Now the hole-in-the-wall Pascoe Vale hotspot — and its Moonee Ponds sister restaurant, Il Caminetto — have received three more major accolades, cementing their reputation as must-try destinations for Italian cuisine. Guided by the belief that everyone deserves pizza, SHOP225 has long been committed to making gluten-free innovations, serving an unbeatable slice that's also celiac-friendly. Now, this boundary-pushing research has been honoured at the 24th World Spicy Pizza Championship in Scalea, Italy, positioning the pizzeria as a global trailblazer. While SHOP225 is forward-thinking in its pizza-making philosophy, the team was also recognised for its respect for tradition. Picking up another award, the Movimento Italian Pizzaioli, a global organisation committed to the art of Italian pizza, gave the pizzeria its flowers for preserving the spirit of a tried-and-true slice. In a similar vein, SHOP225's Sicilian heritage was also lauded with a third award. Respected culinary guide Sicilia da Gustare gave the pizzeria a special nod for its promotion of traditional Sicilian recipes and culture, helping to spread the delicious word about the region. With both venues renowned for their Sicilian-focused menus, Il Caminetto was awarded for its Sicilian-inspired wine list. Serving homemade pasta and woodfired pizza from its inviting corner restaurant, guests encounter regional reds and crisp coastal whites that evoke a sun-drenched Italian summer. Now with even more accolades to hang on the wall, SHOP225 was already big news after beating out more than 1000 other pizza restaurants from around the globe at the 50 Top Pizza Awards. Currently ranked 28th in the world and number one in Australia, perhaps it's time for an award-winning slice, gluten-free or otherwise. Head to SHOP225 at 225 Melville Rd, Pascoe Vale South, or find Il Caminetto at 114 Pascoe Vale Rd, Moonee Ponds. Visit the website for more information.
They started as an opening act for the Beastie Boys. They've been fighting the power for almost four decades. They're no strangers to big hats and giant clocks, or for fighting for a worthy cause. They've been in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2013. They'll forever come to mind whenever Def Jam and Long Island come up. They're Public Enemy, of course, and they're about to get Australia believing the hype when they bring the noise — and their latest tour — Down Under in October 2024. Chuck D, Flavor Flav and company are playing Melbourne's Margaret Court Arena on Saturday, October 5. Audiences, you're gonna get yours when the icons take to the stage to play through 37 years of tunes that began with 1987 singles 'Public Enemy No 1' and, yes, 'You're Gonna Get Yours', all from their debut studio album Yo! Bum Rush the Show. Expect tracks from 1988's It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and 1990's Fear of a Black Planet — two of the most-influential records of the period, and home to 'Bring the Noise', 'Don't Believe the Hype', 'Rebel Without a Pause', '911 Is a Joke' and 'Fight the Power' — as well, through to songs from 2020's What You Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down?, their most-recent album. For company, Public Enemy have AB Original in support, pairing one classic duo with another in Briggs and Trials — and matching the US group's commitment to social rights activism with an Australian act just as devoted to standing up against injustice. Public Enemy last played in Australia a decade ago, on a 2014 tour that included Golden Plains, plus gigs in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Launceston.
When you get cosy on the couch with Netflix for entertainment in 2025, you'll be getting sleuthing and tap, tap, tapping; returning to the Upside Down and Nevermore Academy; seeing Oscar Isaac bring Jacob Elordi to life; and discovering which new twisted visions of humanity's use of technology that Charlie Brooker has dreamed up now. They're just some of the movies and TV shows that are set to join your streaming queue this year, with the platform unveiling its annual overview (see also: 2022, 2023 and 2024) of what's hitting its catalogue. 2025's slate also boasts Squid Game's final season, a sequel to The Old Guard, a new Fear Street flick and more Nobody Wants This. From the above, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery marks the third film in the Benoit Blanc franchise, this time with Daniel Craig (Queer) joined by Josh O'Connor (Challengers), Glenn Close (Back in Action), Josh Brolin (Outer Range), Mila Kunis (Goodrich), Jeremy Renner (Mayor of Kingstown), Kerry Washington (The Six Triple Eight), Andrew Scott (Ripley), Cailee Spaeny (Civil War), Daryl McCormack (Bad Sisters) and Thomas Haden Church (Twisted Metal). Adam Sandler (Spaceman) is back on the green in Happy Gilmore 2, which arrives almost three decades after the franchise's first golfing comedy. And, after riffing on Frankenstein in various ways for much of his career, Guillermo del Toro (Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio) has finally officially adapted Mary Shelley's novel — with Isaac (Moon Knight) as its namesake and Elordi (Priscilla) as his creature. As well as more of Charlize Theron (Fast X) in action mode and more RL Stine-based horror, Netflix's list of upcoming movies also sports more Sandler — this time with George Clooney (Wolfs) and Laura Dern (Lonely Planet) in Noah Baumbach's (White Noise) comedy Jay Kelly. Netflix's roster also features Conclave director Edward Berger's The Ballad of a Small Player, a gambling drama with Colin Farrell (The Penguin) and Tilda Swinton (The Room Next Door); Vanessa Kirby (Napoleon)-led page-to-screen thriller Night Always Comes; and Matt Damon (The Instigators) and Ben Affleck (The Flash) sharing the screen again in the Miami-set RIP, which co-stars Steven Yeun (Beef). Or, there's Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) portraying a fraying teacher in Steve — and Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow making her first film since 2017's Detroit, with Idris Elba (Sonic the Hedgehog 3), Rebecca Ferguson (Silo), Anthony Ramos (Twisters) and Greta Lee (Past Lives) among the cast. Australian filmmaker Simon Stone (The Dig) adapts The Woman in Cabin 10 into a movie, starring Keira Knightley (Black Doves), Guy Pearce (The Brutalist) and Hannah Waddingham (The Fall Guy). Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club is hitting the screen with Helen Mirren (1923), Pierce Brosnan (Four Letters of Love) and Ben Kingsley (The Killer's Game); Roald Dahl's The Twits is getting the animated treatment; and documentaries on Eddie Murphy, the Manson murders and the Titan submersible are on the way. Even just among the movie options, the lineup goes on. So, a reboot of 1975 Japanese thriller The Bullet Train, this time called Bullet Train Explosion, sits alongside the Omar Sy (The Killer)-led French Lover, South Korean missing-person flick Revelations and Troll sequel Troll 2 — and plenty more. TV fans can get excited about the returns of Stranger Things and Wednesday, with the former saying farewell — but the Duffer brothers have advised that they're executive producing two new shows, The Boroughs and Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, that'll debut in 2026. Back on 2025, the television comebacks also span Black Mirror, A Man on the Inside, The Vince Staples Show, Alice in Borderland, The Sandman, The Witcher, Cobra Kai, You, Big Mouth, Emily in Paris, The Diplomat and MONSTER. There's much to look forward to among Netflix's new TV shows for the year as well, such as heading back to 1850s Oregon with Lena Headey (Beacon 23) and Gillian Anderson (Scoop) in The Abandons, Claire Danes (Full Circle) playing a writer facing grief in The Beast in Me, Jude Law (Skeleton Crew) and Jason Bateman (Carry-On) starring in Black Rabbit, and the Danish Department Q novels receiving an English-language adaptation led by Matthew Goode (Abigail). Tina Fey (Mean Girls), Steve Carell (Despicable Me 4), Will Forte (Bodkin) and Colman Domingo (Sing Sing) team up for The Four Seasons, playing friends going away for a weekend; The Residence sets a whodunnit in the White House; Last Samurai Standing journeys back to 19th-century Japan; and Italian historical drama The Leopard, which already jumped from a novel to cinemas in the 60s, is now headed to television. Plus, you can also make a date with Agatha Christie adaptation The Seven Dials Mystery, with Helena Bonham Carter (One Life) and Martin Freeman (The Responder) featuring — plus Sirens with Julianne Moore (May December), Meghann Fahy (The Perfect Couple), Milly Alcock (House of the Dragon), Kevin Bacon (MaXXXine), Glenn Howerton (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Josh Segarra (The Big Door Prize). Conspiracy thriller Zero Day boasts Robert De Niro (Killers of the Flower Moon), Angela Bassett (9-1-1), Lizzy Caplan (Fatal Attraction) and Jesse Plemons (Kinds of Kindness) among its stars; Victoria Beckham gets her own documentary to match her husband's; Eric Bana (Force of Nature: The Dry 2) plays a special agent for the National Parks Service in Untamed; and Hacks' Megan Stalter leads Lena Dunham's Too Much. Apple Cider Vinegar and The Survivors are among the new shows made in Australia, the first ripped from the headlines and led by Kaitlyn Dever (Good Grief), and the second adapting The Dry author Jane Harper's Tasmania-set novel. Check out Netflix's ads and teasers for its 2025 slate below: New movies and TV shows will hit Netflix throughout 2025 — head to the streaming platform for its current catalogue. Images: Netflix.
Melbourne's avocado aficionados are either in for a serious treat, or are the butt of an elaborate breakfast joke (or both), with this week's revelation that a smashed avo and music 'festival' is coming to town. The event, announced via Facebook, looks set to take over a secret location in Docklands on Saturday, May 19. Apparently, festival-goers will get to revel in a bunch of 'amazing avocado-based activities' — like avocado and spoon races, and smashed avo masterclasses — while enjoying 'avocado and activated almond cocktails', and the unique works of some 'brunch-based' performance artists. Those last two points had us thinking this was an elaborate brunch-based hoax, but organisers have confirmed the legitimacy of the event and tickets are very much on sale. If you fancy heading along to indulge your smooshy green desires, the first round of tickets can be bought for for $20. Sales for 'ripe' tickets begin on April 23. And it's not just about the green stuff, either. To help you dance it all off, there'll be a locally focused music program headed up by Melbourne DJ legend Spacey Space — a diehard avo fan himself, they say. Smashed Avo will take place at a yet-to-be-disclosed location in Docklands from 2pm on Saturday, May 19. You can buy tickets here.
It has been ten years of Young Henrys, the Sydney brewery responsible for changing Australia's relationship with craft beer. That's no overstatement. Young Henrys was the first of the small-batch and independent brewers to genuinely crossover into the mainstream and started a movement. And despite ten years of expansion, high-profile collaborations and regular new product development (including the launch of a RTD gin and tonic), the business has remained steadfastly independent. Like all great ideas, Young Henrys was first conceived in a pub after an undisclosed number of schooners. The difference is that unlike most ideas that start out as excitable pub chat, this one actually panned out. THE ORIGIN STORY Founders Richard Adamson and Oscar McMahon were running a beer club at a pub in Glebe where punters could sample and discuss craft beers from far and wide. Their enthusiasm and well-trained palate for beer naturally evolved into a plan to give brewing a whirl themselves. According to the story as McMahon tells it, one thing just kind of led to another. "One night after beer club Richard said to me: 'How cool would it be to make a beer company that was in touch with the people drinking the beer, like the feeling of beer club.' We'd obviously had quite a few," he notes. "And then the next morning we actually followed up with a phone call and said 'hey... are you kind of serious about that?' And that began the journey of getting together some like-minded people and it took us about two years to find this site in Newtown and ten years ago this week we sold our first keg." That keg contained the now-ubiquitous Young Henrys Natural Lager. Ten years later, this loose and instinctive approach to developing the brand is warmly described by Dan Hampton, Young Henrys' Head of Sales, as 'the Young Henrys way'. Hampton explains: "The YH way or Young Henrys way is our way of saying that we don't always need to reinvent the wheel — and you can spin your wheels a lot trying to reinvent the wheel. But we go: how can we take good ideas, proven concepts and do them in our own unique way, and put our unique lens on it? Or take something that already exists and completely spin it on its head." A SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION The Young Henrys way has resulted in projects, events and creative collaborations that cross cultural intersections. They did a project with You Am I to create a collaborative beer 'Brew Am I' for the band's 20th anniversary tour — a partnership the founders cite as one of their favourite ever. They have since followed that up with partnerships with bands like DZ Deathrays and Foo Fighters, multi Grand Slam-winning tennis champ Dylan Alcott and the Rabbitohs, to name a few. Collaboration has been an important part of the business from the beginning. "We assume that people who are into craft beer will seek out and find and educate themselves on craft beer and craft breweries. We always thought it was a really interesting concept to take a craft beer company and find collaborators in other creative, interesting industries and work on a project," Oscar McMahon explains. "It not only brings new audiences into Young Henrys but into craft beer. It actually spreads that conversation. Also, we're a creative company. We're always coming up with new products and designs and themes and events, so pushing yourself to collaborate with someone means you're not only pushing yourself to be creative to your own standards, but to someone else's as well. And that can create some really great internal pressure." [caption id="attachment_610876" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Young Henry's collaboration with Dune Rats in 2017[/caption] THE TEN YEAR BEER No big name collaborations or great internal pressure went into the beer brewed specially to commemorate the 10th anniversary. The limited edition creation '10 Years Strong' is a red ale that was aged in rum and port casks, balancing bitterness and body, and has a hefty ABV of 8%. The beer will be given away to customers whenever they buy any two six-packs or four-packs of any Young Henrys product as a way of saying thanks to the people who have supported them for the past decade. 10 Years Strong is a birthday gift available with any Young Henrys purchase from bottle shops nationally.
If we can glean any positive takeaways from 2020, one of them has been our renewed appreciation for a casual get-together with friends. While nothing replaces the joy of hitting up your local for a few cold ones with your mates, the benefits of staying home include having the time to play games, the freedom to listen to your own music and the chance to show off the cooking skills you perfected during lockdown. To help you make the most of barbecue season, we've partnered with Jim Beam to bring you a guide to flexing your hosting skills around the grill this summer. [caption id="attachment_786631" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Erik Mclean[/caption] SWAP SAUSAGE SIZZLE FOR GOURMET SANGAS Snags are easy, which is precisely why you're going to give them a miss this time around. When you want to level up your grilled feast, swap out the sausages for a platter of steak sandwiches topped with caramelised onions and gruyere (for when you're really flexing). Pick up a ciabatta loaf, flank steak or bavette, and a few large onions, red wine vinegar and brown sugar to make the caramelised onions. You can caramelise the onions ahead of time, and warm up the ciabatta just before serving time. For those who'd like a little helping hand, Jamie Oliver has a good steak sandwich recipe, as does Gourmet Traveller. It's your turn to play MasterChef contestant, so get creative, and if you've got fussy eaters, present each ingredient individually at a serving station so that everyone feels part of the process. [caption id="attachment_786453" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] SWAP CHIPS AND DIP FOR PIMPED-UP POTATOES Leave the corn chips on the supermarket shelf. Instead, pick up some chats, corn on the cob and prosciutto and create bowls of potato salad fancy enough to match your gourmet steak sandwiches. First, bring a pot of potatoes to the boil and cook until they're soft but still retain their shape. Leave to cool and slice into halves or quarters. Bring a pan to high heat and crisp up chunks of prosciutto until crispy. Now, make up some spiked sour cream (silken tofu, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, chilli powder and cayenne pepper) and add it to the cooled potatoes along with strips of prosciutto and a pinch of smoked paprika. To add to the feast, grill corn on the cob and leave part of the husks intact for hands-on snacking. [caption id="attachment_786622" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] SWAP FRIDGE BEERS FOR PREMIXERS OR COCKTAILS Your mates aren't going to turn up at your house empty handed, and we bet they'll bring a couple of beers along as usual. So, as you're the host, make sure you have a slab of something else to change up the booze options. We suggest picking up cans of Jim Beam and Cola, a premixed drink of Jim Beam's famed American bourbon and cola that pairs well with barbecued meat flavours. Keep the cans on ice, chilled and ready for your guests to drink from the can or to serve themselves over ice in a glass. If you like to add a little something extra, prep some wedges of lime for a citrusy addition to the premixed drinks. Or, if you have a bottle of Jim Beam in your drinks cabinet, make up a quick cocktail with 15ml of lemon cordial and 30ml of bourbon in a highball glass. Fill the glass with ice and top up with soda and a wedge of lemon. [caption id="attachment_762521" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eric Nopanen[/caption] SWAP ARVO FOR SUNSET It can be hard to pin people down for a date if your event runs all through the day and into the night. So, make things easier for everyone by hosting yours after the peak sunshine hours when everyone can relax into their evenings and enjoy dinner together. If you have epic views from your abode, make the most of golden hour and take lots of photos just before the sun sets (trust us, you'll look amazing). And, when the sun has gone down, have lots of atmospheric lighting ready to go — think vintage festoon lighting, or a lit fire pit if you have one. Need inspiration? The Party People has clear, colourful, disco ball-shaped and festive lights for sale with delivery available across Australia. [caption id="attachment_787327" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cottonbro[/caption] SWAP TABLES AND CHAIRS FOR PICNIC RUGS Use the best of what you already have to your advantage. Got a picnic rug? Camping chairs? Cushions? You can make a cosy and super casual chill out area in your backyard, no matter how much space you have. Your mates will love your creativity, and it'll create an environment where everyone feels relaxed and able to kick off their shoes without feeling trapped at a dining table. Go one better and gather all your pot plants from around the house and bring your green friends to the party, too. It'll create a mini oasis where you might otherwise have had a lifeless concrete patio. Looking to add to your indoor jungle? The Plant People delivers low-maintenance plants across Australia. Or see our lists of the best places to buy new plants in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane. Top image: Cassandra Hannagan
With its massive deserts, wild seas and expanses of ancient forest, Australia offers space a-plenty for sculpture parks. Here, we take a look at eight of the most spectacular – from Mornington Peninsula's Pt. Leo Estate, set among vineyards and wildflowers, to Western Australia's Inside Australia, where metal figures appear on the surface of a gigantic salt-crusted lake. Next time you're in the mood for an arty road trip, pay a visit to one of these wonders. [caption id="attachment_641338" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anson Smart[/caption] PT. LEO ESTATE, VICTORIA Set among vineyards, flowers and oceanic backdrops on the Mornington Peninsula, this 135-hectare park features epic works by local and international artists, all belonging to multibillionaires John and Pauline Gandel (owners of Chadstone Shopping Centre, FYI). Among the main attractions are the late Australian sculptor Anthony Pryor's Horizons (1988) — a spiral staircase that seems to disappear into the sky — and the late Israeli-American artist Boaz Vaadia's Ma'aseyahu. In between wandering, sample wines at Pt. Leo Estate's cellar door and feast at Laura, the stunning on-site restaurant, headed by ex-Rockpool Bar & Grill chef Phil Wood. Where? 3649 Frankston–Flinders Road, Merricks — about an hour south of Melbourne. [caption id="attachment_696465" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] NGA SCULPTURE GARDEN, ACT While many sculptures are made with a particular site in mind, at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA), things are topsy-turvy. The Sculpture Garden was landscaped to fit the artworks. Built in 1981, the grounds stretch between the NGA building and the sparkling waters of Lake Burley Griffin. There are 26 sculptures by Australian and international artists, including Japanese artist Fujiko Nakaya's Foggy wake in a desert: An ecosphere, a cool, mist-filled forest through which you can wander, and a collection of Pukamani burial poles from the Tiwi Islands. Where? Parkes Place, Canberra — about three hours southwest of Sydney and seven hours' northeast of Melbourne. BROKEN HILL LIVING DESERT RESERVE, NSW The best time to visit Living Desert Reserve is sunset. This is when the sculptures look their most dramatic, backdropped by endless plains, flooded with the last rays of the day. There are 12 sculptures in total, created in 1993 by artists from all over the world during a sculpture symposium led by Australian artist Lawrence Beck. Each artwork has its own story, told through an accompanying plaque. While you're there, take a stroll through the Flora and Fauna Sanctuary, where you'll find stunning displays of Sturt's Desert Peas and learn about the site's significance to the area's Aboriginal people. For more tips in and around Broken Hill, check out our weekender's guide. Where? Living Desert Reserve, Broken Hill — a hefty 13 hours west of Sydney. MCCLELLAND SCULPTURE PARK AND GALLERY, VICTORIA Also on the Mornington Peninsula is McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery. Its origins lie back in the 1920s, when artist Harry McClelland and his poet sister, Annie May, moved to Long Island, Frankston, where they surrounded themselves with arty, bohemian types. Harry built his studio on the current site of the gallery, which was designed by modern architects Munro and Sargent and opened in 1971. Dotted among open fields and pretty lakes are more than 100 sculptures by well-known Australian artists, including Inge King, Lenton Parr, Clement Meadmore, George Baldessin, Robert Owen, Norma Redpath, Rick Amor, Lisa Roet and Ken Unsworth. Where? 390 McClelland Drive, Langwarrin — about 45 minutes southeast of Melbourne. GLENORCHY ART AND SCULPTURE PARK, TASMANIA Located one kilometre from the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), this extraordinary space is a fusion of art and nature. It occupies nine hectares along the shores of Elwick Bay, accessible by a boardwalk that passes through parklands and wetlands. The artworks respond to the site – often through their watery or amphibious qualities. James Guests' Refraction Principle, for example, launched in October this year, is a piece made of marine grade aluminium that marks the spot in the River Derwent where fresh and salt water meet. Where? Brooker Highway, Elwick Bay, Glenorchy — about 15 minutes' drive north of Hobart. HEIDE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, VICTORIA Like McClelland, Heide Museum of Modern Art began its life at the centre of a bohemian community. Philanthropists John and Sunday Reed bought 15 acres 16 kilometres northeast of the Melbourne CBD and it wasn't long before artists, writers and intellectuals were dropping by, such as Sidney Nolan, Albert Tucker and Joy Hester (who is soon to have an exhibition at TarraWarra). In 1950, the duo established the Gallery of Contemporary Art on the property, which, in 1958, became the Museum of Modern Art of Australia and went public in 1981. The program focuses on temporary exhibitions of modern and contemporary works, including major surveys. Among previous shows are Modern Times: The Untold Story of Modernism in Australia (2009), Cubism & Australian Art (2009–10) and Less is More: Minimalism and Post Minimalism in Australia (2012). Where? 7 Templestowe Road, Bulleen — about 20 minutes northeast of Melbourne. GALERIA ANIELA, NSW Surrounded by the rugged Kangaroo Valley escarpment, Galeria Aniela's sculpture park gives you 7.9 acres of green, landscaped gardens to explore. In between perusing works by Australian and international artists, rest beneath cherry blossom trees and among herb gardens. If you're lucky, you might meet a wombat or wallaby. Indoors are three gallery rooms dedicated to temporary exhibitions. While you're in the area, stop by Southern Pies for a cheeseburger pie and swing by Fitzroy Falls. You'll find more Kangaroo Valley ideas over here. Where? 261A Mount Scanzi Road, Kangaroo Valley — about two hours southwest of Sydney. [caption id="attachment_696466" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] INSIDE AUSTRALIA, WA Inside Australia, created by one artist, is the biggest outdoor art gallery in Australia. Its setting is Lake Ballard, a completely flat expanse that lies 11 hours' drive northeast of Perth, in the Western Australian goldfields. The artist is Antony Gormley, a Turner Award winner, who made the sculpture series in 2003, to celebrate the Perth International Arts Festival's 50th anniversary. He has scattered 51 metal figures across the lake, which stand out vividly against its dazzling, salt-crusted surface. Where? Lake Ballard, Menzies — about 11 hours northeast of Perth.
Among the many ways to decide which wine next swirls around your glass, then across your tastebuds, Australia's Young Gun of Wine stands out. Since 2007, the awards have thrown some love at up-and-coming wine labels and winemakers across the nation, and not just because they make top-notch vino. These accolades take into account the whole story behind their tipples of choice each year — and 2024 now has its top 50. "Every year, we're seeing new ideas from the emerging talent, and they're shaping the environment that we get to enjoy. It's also not just about the products — it's the learnings that peers can take from their adventurous winemaking. It's also how they're presenting, labelling and talking about their work — how they're connecting with wine professionals and consumers," said Rory Kent, who founded YGOW, about 2024's picks. "That's why, uniquely and since day one, the wines for the Young Gun of Wine Awards are not tasted blind. These awards are as much about vision and leadership as they are about the quality of wine in the glass." 2024's top 50 spans drops from around most of Australia. Victoria is home to more spots on the list than anywhere else with 20, followed by South Australia with 17. New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory account for six wine labels and winemakers, Western Australia for four and Tasmania for three. The range also goes big on new names, which covers half of the finalists. This is the 18th year that YGOW has taken place, with the top 50 just one element. Now that Kent and his fellow 2024 judges — Jeremy Shiell from Winespeake, winemaker Meg Brodtmann, wine critic Nick Stock, Atlas Vinifera's Abby Moret and Orbis Wines' — have shared their favourites, winners of the accolades' six annual trophies will be unveiled on Tuesday, June 18. [caption id="attachment_681000" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Adam Bruzzone, South Australian Tourism Commission[/caption] The Young Gun of Wine is the overall prize, while the Winemaker's Choice is a peer-chosen gong, Best New Act goes to a first-time finalist, Danger Zone to a boundary-pushing wine product, and The Vigneron to makers who show love in tending to their land and vines. The People's Choice award is self-explanatory, and currently open for votes until Tuesday, June 18. [caption id="attachment_773167" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Visit Victoria[/caption] Young Gun of Wine 2024 Top 50: New South Wales / Australian Capital Territory: Agitate (Andrew Ling) Aristotelis Ke Anthoula (Tony Zafirakos and Maddison Park-Neilson) Intrepidus Wines (Chrissie Smith) Linear Wines (Nathan Brown) M&J Becker Wines (Meagan and James Becker) Sabi Wabi (Peta Kotz) South Australia: Agricola (Callum Powell) Alpha Box and Dice (Sam Berketa) Cape Jaffa Wines (Giulia Fiorovic and Federico Pezzino) Curator Wine Co (Daniel Zolotarev) Guthrie (Hugh Guthrie) J & S Fielke (Jemma and Steven Fielke) Jean Bouteille Wines (Jean-Baptiste Courdesses) Kenny Wine (Andrew Kenny) Mountadam (Caitlin Brown) Parley Wine (Melissa Woods and Sarah Feehan) Poppelvej (Uffe Deichmann) Saltfleet Wines (Kyle Egel and Jonny Cook) Scanlon Wines (Harry Scanlon) Turon Wines (Turon White) Wangolina (Anita Goode) Worlds Apart Wines (Louis Schofield) XO Wine Co (Greg Clack and Kate Horstmann) Tasmania: Aunt Alice (Alice Davidson) Marco Lubiana (Marco Lubiana) Utzinger Wines (Matthias Utzinger) Victoria: Alessandro Stefani (Alessandro Stefani) Alkimi Wines (Stuart Dudine) Allevare (Lucy Kendall and Alysha Moscatt) ECK Wines (Emily Kinsman) Gum Wine (George McCullough) Honky Chateau (Chris Ryan) Jones Winery & Vineyard — J6 Wines (Benjamin Jones) Juliard Wines (Jules Morey and Bernard Morey) Little Frances (Erin Frances Pooley) Mac Forbes Wines (Hannah Maltby) Meredith Wines (Ben Luker) Mise En Place Wines (Doug Lilburne) Musical Folk (James Becker) Nomads Garden (Ben Dahlenburg) Patch Wines (Matt Talbot) Port Phillip Estate (Tim Perrin) Portsea Estate (Matt Lugg and Will Ross) Scion (Rowly Milhinch) Tillie J Wines (Tillie Johnston) Werkstatt Wine (Bridget Mac) Western Australia: Fervor (Callum Garland) Chalari Wines (Alexi Christidis) Mon Tout (Nic Bowen and Richard Burch) Vallée du Venom (Rhys and Emma Parker) For more information about Young Gun of Wine, head to the awards' website. 2024's winners will be announced on Tuesday, June 18.
Do you remember making time capsules when you were younger? You'd fill a little shoebox with your most prized possessions like an Eiffel 65 CD, a daisy chain your friend made you, and a battered magazine cut-out of Titanic-era Leonardo DiCaprio, and then write a letter to your future self. Twenty years later when it came time to open it you'd either forgotten where it was entirely or found it and wished you hadn't. Well, legendary author Margaret Atwood is essentially doing that with her latest book. It may be housed in a more sophisticated version of your shoebox, but her current work-in-progress will be stowed away unread for the next 100 years. This will all take place because of a larger initiative started by Scottish artist Katie Paterson. The Future Library Project will see one author per year contribute to a collection of works to be published in 2114. This year organisers planted 1,000 trees in Norway that will be used to print the books in 100 years time. Atwood is the first author to take part, but she seems unfazed by the project and its absolutely crippling reminder of our collective mortality. "When you write any book you do not know who's going to read it, and you do not know when they're going to read it," she told The Guardian. "You don't know who they will be, you don't know their age, or gender, or nationality, or anything else about them. So books, anyway, really are like the message in the bottle." In fact, the project raises many questions about the nature of writing and reception. Will people still have books then? Will we speak exclusively in emojis and gifs? How will they convert the text into the direct brain waves they use to input information from their flying cars and jetpacks? In speaking about the project, Paterson stated the 100-year time span was very deliberate. "[It's] not vast in cosmic terms ... it is beyond many of our current lifespans, but close enough to come face to face with it, to comprehend and relativise," she said. It's a scary prospect, and an extremely daring project to take on as a writer. Where an author's job is usually to articulate and discuss life in historical and social context, this throws everything out of whack. The people who will read and review this upcoming work haven't even been born yet! Personally, we've got out fingers crossed we're going to make it. Modern science and all, right? Either that, or we'll just give our great, great grandkids the heads up. Via The Guardian.
If trams are a part of your everyday commute, the concept might have lost its shine a bit. But get ready to rekindle the romance because there's a Yarra Valley getaway where you can spend the night in your very own, very comfy, refurbished 1930s-era tram. You'll find The Oaks located on two leafy acres in Lilydale, right at the doorstep of Yarra Valley wine country. The property boasts three accommodation options, including two quaint heritage-style cottages, but there's no denying the star of the show is Doris. She's an 86-year-old W Class Melbourne tram that's been carefully restored by her new owners and transformed into a cosy suite with space to sleep up to four. The fitout is cheerfully retro, with chequered floor and vintage furniture pieces, and vinyl tram seats in place of a couch. The two double bedrooms sit at either end in their own carriage compartments, while the outdoor deck areas have been designed to look like Doris has just cruised into the tram stop. She's held firmly onto her roots, too, decked out with plenty of yellow and green trimmings, and with her handles, poles and sliding doors kept intact. The tram's even sporting a fresh exterior paint job, resplendent in glossy green and yellow. Of course, guests won't be stuck dealing with 1930s-era mod-cons — the stay features all the usual luxuries, including air-con, heating, a full bathroom with proper shower and toilet, a TV, a kitchen and even an outdoor fire pit. Find Doris at The Oaks Lilydale Accommodation, 500 Maroondah Highway, Lilydale. Prices start from $450 per night for four guests. After more unique stays? Check out our roundup of extraordinary escapes around Australia.
After creating an instant hit with inner-north food truck park Welcome to Thornbury, the 300 Burgers Group is back for round two. The team is continuing its northside foray with a new venture in collaboration with famed Sydney-based brewery 4 Pines. Together, the duo has opened a new 450-person food precinct, brewery and beer garden in Brunswick. Located behind Sydney Road's Brunswick Mess Hall, 4 Pines Welcome to Brunswick is a little smaller than its Northcote sibling indoors, but outside it boasts a much roomier, park-like outdoor zone, decked out with loads of lush greenery, paintings by local artists and a solid spread of both sunny and shaded areas. And yes, it's all as dog-friendly as it sounds. The food offering comes courtesy of a rotating food truck lineup, with up to four vendors on-site each night. Expect regular appearances from favourites like Mr Burger, Woking Amazing, Sparrow's Philly Cheesesteaks and Nem n Nem, all backed by dishes from the Mess Hall kitchen, which you can also order from. Meanwhile, the beer lineup is set to feature entirely 4 Pines brews — and, come 2020, all of them will be brewed in the on-site brewery. Signatures like the summer ale, pale ale, pacific ale and kolsch star alongside the brewery's seasonal Keller Door releases, which, at the moment, includes the Margarita gose and the El Dorado IPA. An environmentally sensitive design by Breathe Architects is heavy on the recycled and reclaimed materials, which include kegs that've been up-cycled into stools. Welcome to Brunswick's commitment to sustainability also includes composting 100 percent of its organic waste (including all of its bowls and plates) and future solar panels, with a long-term aim of producing all of its energy on-site. Find 4 Pines Welcome to Brunswick at 1 Frith Street, Brunswick. It's open from 5–10pm Wednesday, 12–10pm Thursday, 12pm–midnight Friday–Saturday, 12–10pm Sunday.
Two Fat Indians in Berwick takes its name from the two brothers who founded it, Kush and Michael, and is a cheeky homage to their insatiable appetites. Having grown up in the kitchen with their father, chef Ajit Singh, teaching them, the two brothers learnt not just how to cook, but how to love cooking. Since 2006 they've been serving up a delicious array of traditional Indian food in an environment where the diner is encouraged to sit back, relax and go with the flow. With a casual yet elegant dining room, the atmosphere is the perfect place to eat, drink and be happy. The menu offers up a traditional banquet for groups, featuring classics such as butter chicken, lamb rogan josh and butter naan, with tea, coffee or port to accompany. Then the a la carte menu gets more experimental. Get around dishes such as sour lime chicken with mango chutney, or goat curry served on the bone. For vegetarians there is a butter kofta, a mixed vegetable korma and a chickpea curry in an onion based sauce. The desserts are laid back and fun, like the venue itself, with our pick being the drunken dumpling drowned in Kahlua. The drinks menu is as extensive as the food, which shows the vibe it's trying to create. The reds range from Pepperjack shiraz by the glass, to Wolf Blass Grey Label Shiraz by the bottle. There are whites from all over Australia, with the Henschke chardonnay standing out. All up, Two Fat Indians is exactly what the name suggests — a fun, laidback, cheeky restaurant run by chefs who are deadly serious about their food. And their wine, too.
When The Afterparty arrived on Apple TV+ in 2022, riding a wave of revived murder-mystery comedy love that Knives Out and Only Murders in the Building had helped wash over screens big and small, it made one big risky move. Throwing a motley crew of characters together, then offing one? Tried, tested and a favourite for a reason. The ensemble cast attempting to sleuth its way through a shock death? Flawless. The genre-bending setup that saw each episode in the season parody a different style of filmmaking? Perfectly executed. Having the words "how great is this party?" uttered over and over again? That's what could've proven dicey if The Afterparty wasn't in fact great; thankfully, it very much was. There's a reason that phrase kept being uttered, because superfluous detail isn't this show's style: as in all great whodunnits, everything happens, is mentioned or can be spotted with cause. Creator Christopher Miller and his fellow executive producer Phil Lord, a duo with Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street, and The Lego Movie on their resumes as co-directors, know the format they're working with. Crucially, they know how carefully their audience will scrutinise every clue and element. And, in the show's first season and now the just-arrived second season — which streams from Wednesday, July 12 — they also know how to equally honour and spoof. Fittingly, The Afterparty feels like a murder-mystery comedy party as a result. Affectionate, adoring, irreverent, willing to get loose and shake things up: that's the vibe and approach. In season one, the series' title was literal thanks to a high-school reunion with fateful post-soiree hijinks. In season two, a wedding brings a disparate group together — and, following the nuptials and reception, The Afterparty's moniker comes into play again. To the horror of the returning Aniq Adjaye (Sam Richardson, I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson) and his ex-classmate, now-girlfriend Zoe Zhu (Zoe Chao, Party Down), another body then puts a dampener on the festivities; however, this second go-around doesn't get a-solving just in one night. Aniq and Zoe have recovered from their last confrontation with a killing at a celebration by diving into their romance, but it's the latter's younger sister Grace (Poppy Liu, Dead Ringers) who's getting hitched. Her groom Edgar (Zach Woods, Avenue 5) sports both family money and a cryptocurrency-aided bank-balance boost, he's an all-work-no-play socially awkward type as a result and, when he's alive, he's more fond of his pet lizard than most humans. Then he's found face down after the afterparty, plus his reptilian friend as well. Experiencing a hefty case of déjà vu — season two's episode, which focuses on him, is even called 'Aniq 2: The Sequel' — Aniq calls in the also-returning Danner (Tiffany Haddish, The Card Counter). His plan: to get his now former-cop pal to help him find the culprit before the real police arrive. This season's suspect pool spans another murderers' row of talent. Liu is distraught as Grace, but perhaps not as upset as one might expect in the circumstances. Elizabeth Perkins' (Barry) Isabel is standoffish and snobbish before her son is dead, and doesn't improve amid her gin-sipping afterwards. As Edgar's adopted sister Hannah, Anna Konkle (PEN15) plays the family eccentric — and as his business partner Sebastian, Jack Whitehall (Jungle Cruise) trots out a charm offensive. On Grace's side, Vivian Wu (Irma Vep) and Ken Jeong (Community) dote as the elder Zhus, and also worry about their baobing business. John Cho (Cowboy Bebop) plays absentee uncle Ulysses, and Paul Walter Hauser (Bupkis) a pining ex. All could have motivation to help shuffle Edgar off this mortal coil. As is The Afterparty's template, all have different perspectives on his demise, as well as the events leading up to it and then following his next-morning discovery. Miller has set himself a trickier task with season two, since The Afterparty's debut run took most of the obvious genres, worked in a murder-mystery and got lampooning. Aniq's new dedicated chapter is a rom-com follow-up, which the cast and writers alike have a ball playing with. From there, everything from Wes Anderson flicks, period romances and black-and-white gumshoe noirs to Hitchcockian suspense, Jane Austen romances and melodrama get a spin. The perceptive thinking behind the show's gimmick remains astute, demonstrating how differently each and every one of us sees not just shared events, but our overall lives. The Rashomon effect, cycling through varying takes on the same incident, also muses cleverly on cause and effect. And the execution largely remains smart and savvy; having to dive deeper with its genre homages only sometimes dulls the series' usually sharp writing. Swapping and hopping between stylistic filters has helped The Afterparty counteract the threat of formula and familiarity, too. Each batch of episodes takes place in one setting, after all, and retraces the same death again and again. Even if flitting between erotic thrillers and heists (and more) wasn't on the agenda, season two's main players would be a treat together — and most make the utmost of their stint in the spotlight. Cho scores a glorious 'Careless Whisper' dance, Hauser is a comic delight in his hard-boiled spoof, and Konkle makes certain that following in The Royal Tenenbaums' footsteps doesn't feel like a social-media meme or AI copy. Still, as the mismatched duo going all Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings, Richardson and Haddish are the show's MVPs — and hilarious. Odd-couple detectives are a sleuthing staple, but when they're done this well and with such fine-tuned performances, including in a caper comedy with Miller and Lord's penchant for mile-a-minute gags, they're the scaffolding that everything else hangs off. Richardson plays Aniq as sincere yet shrewd, fretting over impressing the potential future in-laws and doing everything he can to get in their good graces — and the Detroiters, Veep, Ted Lasso and I Think You Should Leave star is indeed the life of this party. Haddish's timing never falters, nor her pace and energy, nor her ability to ensure that Danner is never a stock-standard inspector in any way. Death at a Funeral has already been done, and twice, but a must-attend bash awaits however and wherever Miller reteams his two leads for a hopefully soon-to-be-greenlit third season. Check out the trailer for season two of The Afterparty below: Season two of The Afterparty streams via Apple TV+ from Wednesday, July 12. Read our full review of season one.
