Instragram has launched their first official account dedicated to music and musicians. The new, internally-run @music account will post on a variety of music-related content, and feature profiles of emerging and established musicians from all around the world. The move marks an interesting new direction for the photo-sharing service, which for the first time appears to be actively cultivating a community based on the specific interests of its users. Operated by Instagram music editor Alex Suskind, the newly-minted account will post six times a week, with content divided between a series of designated hashtags. #LocallySourced will shine the spotlight on unsigned acts, #DoubleTrack will cover musician’s interests outside of music, and #15SecondLessons will feature video tutorials on "everything from riffs to drumbeats". Posts so far include brief interviews with social media-fiend DJ Questlove and up-and-coming Japanese rock band Tricot. The account will also feature the work of music photographers, album illustrators, instrument makers and fans. An official music account does seem like a good fit for the service, with many of its most popular accounts belonging to famous musicians. According to a statement by Instagram founder and CEO Kevin Systrom, "For the past four years, we have become the home for artists big and small — a place where people across the musical spectrum come to share stories, reveal their creativity and connect directly with fans." Assuming the account is successful — and 27,000 followers in less than a day suggests that it might be — it could potentially open the door for a whole range of official channels covering things like food, movies, fashion and of course, cat photos. It also seems like a smart way for the service to attract targeted advertising — although according to coverage at TechCrunch, there are currently no plans to include ads in the @music account.
Christmas is on its way to South Melbourne Market, an integral part of Melbourne's food scene for over 150 years. Usually a go-to spot to pick up fresh produce and top-notch seafood, they're stepping up this festive season with a huge array of produce, meats, decorations and gifts for everyone on your list. Once you've grabbed a takeaway coffee, visited the greengrocers and eaten some gozleme, you'll have all the energy you need for this year's Christmas shopping. Free live entertainment, competitions and giveaways are all on the agenda through the month of December, to bring festive cheer to the hustle and bustle. There will be lots on for the kiddos as well, including face painting and visits from Santa. Take the whole family if you can face it, otherwise, just write your list for the big day and tackle it solo.
UPDATE Friday, December 23: Due to the delayed start to Victoria's balmy summer weather, the Cherry Picking Festival has been extended, now running until mid-January at the Wandin East location and until December 31 in Coldstream. The following has been updated to reflect the change. It's that glorious time of year again, when cherries are ripe for the pickin'. The Victorian cherry season is coming in hot, which means your next few months can be spent cruising through picturesque orchards and indulging in a diet of cherry-based everything. It's also the time when CherryHill Orchards hosts its annual cherry-picking festival, running from Saturday, November 26 until mid-January at its OG Wandin East orchard, and from Monday, November 14–Saturday, December 31 at its Coldstream location. Book in for a cherry-picking timeslot, and you'll have two hours to pick and eat your fill of delicious fruit straight from the tree, with any extra take-home haul charged by the kilogram. You can pack your own picnic to enjoy onsite, or let The Posh Palais take care of you with one of its all-inclusive 'Luxe Lounge in the Orchard' picnic set-ups. Also hitting the orchard through the festival will be a rotation of food trucks and a program of live tunes, which you can enjoy alongside scoops of CherryHill's famed cherry ice cream. Foodies can shop a range of packaged preserves (think, cherry vinaigrette, sweet cherry syrup and cherry barbecue sauce), and the bar will be stocked with an array of goodies to sip onsite or take home — from cider and shiraz, to cherry spritzers and cherry gin. And don't forget to try the cherry rosella bubble tea, made in collaboration with Top Tea. Looking to amp up your experience? CherryHill has teamed up with nearby Rochford Wines to offer a wine-tasting, cherry-picking and lunch package; while high-flyers can elevate their visit with a hot air balloon ride and champagne breakfast, thanks to a package offered in conjunction with Global Ballooning. Adult tickets clock in at $19.50 on weekdays, and $22.50 on weekends and public holidays, with packages and extras available to add on at the time of booking. [caption id="attachment_832415" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Posh Palais' Posh Picnics[/caption]
As a dancer, he joined the New York Ballet while still a teenager. As a choreographer working in film, he's given Denis Villeneuve's versions of Dune their sandwalk. Making a dance film in the desert seems like the logical next step for Benjamin Millepied, then. The French talent's resume isn't short on other highlights — including the LA Dance Project, which he initiated; Black Swan, which he both choreographed and starred in; and the Paris Opera Ballet, where he was Director of Dance from 2014–16 — but a reimagining of Carmen not only shot in Australia, but backdropped by the outback town of Broken Hill, is quite the unique way to make his feature directorial debut. This is Carmen in name and spirit first and foremost, though. This is Carmen broken down and built back up again, too. Despite the contents of its frames, this is Carmen set not Down Under, but across the US-Mexico border amid fleeing to Los Angeles. This is Carmen following strangers who become lovers on the run, its namesake escaping cartel brutality and then racist prejudices when she migrates north, and the ex-marine that she crosses paths with post-smuggling dashing away from his own dalliances with violence. This is also Carmen led by Melissa Barrera and Paul Mescal, the former more in In the Heights mode than Scream, and the latter as entrancing as he's proven in Normal People and his Oscar-nominated performance in Aftersun. It was the pandemic that took filming in Mexico out of the equation, and brought Millepied to Australia. His visit, like Mescal's when he was cast, didn't slink under the radar — that Millepied is married to Black Swan Oscar-winner Natalie Portman, who shot Thor: Love and Thunder in Sydney, meant ample media attention. Carmen was made when much of Hollywood seemed to relocate this way; however, as spectacular as its dance sequences are, and as impressive as it leads prove as well (plus iconic Spanish actor and Pedro Almodóvar favourite Rossy de Palma, Parallel Mothers), it's as intimate as an opera-inspired drama that dances against sweeping plains of ochre Aussie soil can be. "I personally enjoyed it so much out there," Millepied tells Concrete Playground. "I love the desert. I love the light in the desert. I really loved being out there. I'm going back to Australia in a few weeks, and I'm tempted to go back out there." With Carmen now in Aussie cinemas and also screening at the New Zealand International Film Festival, the acclaimed dancer-turned-filmmaker chatted about swapping North America for Broken Hill, giving Prosper Mérimée's novella and Georges Bizet's opera his own spin, his leads, being driven by Succession composer Nicholas Britell's new score, and what he learned in making the leap from performing — or didn't. ON REIMAGINING CARMEN "I wanted to lean on a classical tragedy. I was instinctively attracted to it culturally, for its relationship to the Roma culture — and this idea of someone expressing her freedom through dance. Those were those were the key components. And really thinking that this would be a musical that was a drama with music and dance — that fantasy, that the dancing, would come through dreams, and that it was a drama. I think people forget that there's actually very few musicals that have a more realistic [approach] — here, of course, we're not fully in in realism, but I think that it's still a dark film. That's quite unusual for musicals, because you can make very light musicals, fluffy musicals, where people sing and dance. I probably will make something lighter like that. Hopefully, maybe someday, I get the opportunity. But that's not Carmen — Carmen took a different sort of sense." ON MAKING A DRAMA WITH DANCE, RATHER THAN A CLASSICAL MUSICAL, TO SUIT THE STORY "I don't think you can tackle a political subject like that and just have migrants dancing, for example. I think the subject matter implied that we had to bring a certain depth to the approach of how dance and music existed in the film. When I started to look at the history of the Roma culture in South America, and I started to think about the border — I don't know how it came up — I found out there's an important Roma community that migrated to Mexico in the early 20th century. And that story was quite fascinating, and the way they live, and the way that Mexican culture influenced their own, as they did in everywhere they went, and took on traditions and cultures. So it just made a lot of sense, this idea of the Roma culture being free and moving through the world, and with deep traditions. It made sense to set it on the Mexico-US border." ON AUSTRALIA STANDING IN FOR NORTH AMERICA "When I when I realised that I couldn't shoot in Mexico because of COVID and everything, and I had scouted and I'd done all this work, I looked at Australia because we were supposed to go there. It just made sense. I felt like I could pull it off, and I actually thought that the heightened reality that I was thinking of could really work there — I would just push that element, make it real. So that's how I thought of it, and it worked great. It was really incredible to shoot in in Australia. Just creatively, the team that I had was was really amazing. I loved it out there. We were really so lucky, and it actually looked a lot like the desert in the north of Mexico where I say it is early in the film. It was just this proximity in landscape that was really, really incredible." ON CASTING MELISSA BARRERA AND PAUL MESCAL, AND CAPITALISING UPON THEIR CHEMISTRY It's not easy to find someone who could really be a triple threat — dance and sing and act, and have that kind of magnetism, and [is] Mexican. She was really right. She was really perfect. I needed someone who was believable as a marine. I needed someone who was a real man — someone who was physical, who wasn't a dancer. He was perfect. I mean, how amazing is he in the film! She prepared a lot in terms of movement, in terms of flamenco. She prepared quite a bit, and so did he. You just hope that [the chemistry] is something that happens. You don't know. I mean, you get them together, but you just hope for the best, honestly." ON THE IMPORTANCE OF NICHOLAS BRITELL'S SCORE "The score implied so much of the film. We started with the music — so essentially the whole visual language came from the music, I would say. That was really wonderful. I even had score written that I could play on set. I think what I'm so proud of for this score is just it's so unique — so unique a sound for film, and it's filled with different influences, which is what we were going for. It's been a really beautiful journey with the music. When you hear the last hip hop track, it has West African rhythm influences. When you hear the choir, it's Eastern Europe voices — and then you have the French in the lyrics. And yet you have synths and strings, and so it's really rich in terms of its influences. That's what makes the score so unique. People wouldn't necessarily know it, but it is that way very specifically unique, I think. And I'm really proud of that for Nick, and for the film, that it doesn't sound like any other score that you've heard." ON MAKING HIS FEATURE DIRECTORIAL DEBUT WITH CARMEN "[It springs] from years of wanting to, of playing with film and the camera, and having a desire to actually make a film. It didn't come from one single thing. I think it's my love for photography, for film, for being interested in it — curious to, essentially, explore my own expression in something that has a bit more of an intellectual approach, in a way, and less instinctive like dance. Dance, I can just walk in the studio and just create something out of my dream — but a movie, you're interested in a theme, then you understand why, then you have to dig into it. I learned a lot through the process — of what to do, what not to do. And particularly the screenwriting stuff for me. I'm excited to to do it again, frankly." ON LEARNING FROM DANCING, CHOREOGRAPHY, BLACK SWAN AND DUNE FOR HIS FIRST FEATURE — OR NOT "I think nothing prepares you for really directing a film. I mean, there's little elements, but the magnitude of directing a film is so big that, no, it doesn't prepare you. But that's okay. I think there's a lot you can prepare yourself for, and yet there's so much to learn once you do it — and I love that. I love being thrown in the fire and and having to figure out everything on the go. I will make hopefully at some point a second film with so much more understanding of how do it." Carmen opened in Australian cinemas on July 13, and plays the 2023 New Zealand International Film Festival. Read our review. Images: Lisa Tomasetti / Goalpost Pictures.
If bliss to you means peering at infinite reflections in lit-up mirror rooms, wading through brightly coloured ball pits and having pillow fights — plus hanging out in digital forests, watching tales told via shadows and hopping over musical tiles, too — then prepare to beam with joy when Dopamine Land arrives Down Under. The latest multi-sensory experience that's hitting Australia, it's being pitched as an interactive museum. Inside, you'll find themed spaces that you can mosey through, engage with their contents and, ideally, bask in nothing but pure happiness. With a name like Dopamine Land, it's immediately clear that contentment, glee, merriment and exuberance is the aim of the game here. So is evoking those feel-good sensations through nostalgia, because this is another kidulting activity — it's all-ages-friendly as well — and it's making its Aussie debut in Brisbane from Tuesday, May 28, 2024. Brisbanites, and anyone keen for a Sunshine State trip to revel in more than the sun's glow, can look forward to wandering around Dopamine Land at Uptown in the River City's Queen Street Mall. Locals know that the site was previously the Myer Centre — and, decades back, was home to a dragon-themed rollercoaster. So, it's a fitting venue to get everyone channeling their inner child, unleashing their imagination and, yes, hitting each other with cushions. Heading this way direct from London, the experience combines optical illusions, engaging soundscapes and more across its ten themed rooms. The ball pit is self-explanatory, but also takes its cues from Miami in the 80s, complete with a pina colada scent, an electro soundtrack and LED lights that pulse to mirror waves. The pillow-fight space also doesn't need much explaining; however, the decor is inspired by marshmallows and boxes of lollies, Mexican wrestling is also an influence and you can win the pillow-fighting championship. Fancy seeing stories play out via shadows? There's a room for that featuring a big top-style roof. If you try your hand at the musical tiles — well, your feet, to be more accurate — you'll create a melody as you jump around, with the lights changing as you go as well. And if getting as serene as possible is your aim, head to the Keep Calm Forest, which artificially recreates a woodland via LED trees, mirrors and sounds to match. There's even a room dedicated to the autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR, which goes big on projections and animations by Australian digital artist Cassie Troughton. As is always the case with these kinds of pop-ups — Fever, the company bringing Dopamine Land to Australia, has also been behind The Art of Banksy: Without Limits, The NBA Exhibition, Dinos Alive: An Immersive Experience and Unko Museum: The Kawaii Poop Experience — there'll be ample opportunities to take photos. Accordingly, you know what you'll be seeing on your social-media feeds. There's no word yet whether Dopamine Land will head to other Australian cities beyond Brisbane, but expect it to be popular either way. Find Dopamine Land at Uptown, Queen Street Mall, Brisbane from Tuesday, May 28, 2024, with tickets on sale from 7pm on Thursday, April 11. For more information, or to join the ticket waitlist, head to the experience website.
Spender understands the adaptability of a chair, Jeremy Neale and Go Violets team up and Bonobo are ready to help you relax on a Sunday. Here are five tracks to soundtrack your weekend. https://youtube.com/watch?v=HgU3rROkeIE 1. 'Bed & Chair' - Spender Spender dropped this pop tune densely wrapped in deep synth only yesterday, meaning you could be one of the first to own it, and then when your friends catch up and start talking about him in a month, you can be that person who says "I knew him before he was big". Be quick though; this window will only be open a short time, with Spender set to soar into stardom off the back of this dance-inducing smash. Also, we don't recommend trying his chair positions at home. https://youtube.com/watch?v=JyqemIbjcfg 2. 'Recover' - CHVRCHES CHVRCHES announced this week their plans to tour Australia in early August (with Splendour in the Grass rumours swiftly following), and their tickets will be in hot demand. Their debut EP Recover was released only two months ago and has since gained worldwide acclaim, and the title-track here is a fine example of just why everyone wants a piece of the Scottish trio. https://youtube.com/watch?v=bpm8VV8O93E 3. 'Antenna' - Bonobo Bonobo are the masters of making music that suits every occasion, and their newly released album, The North Borders, showcases this to perfection. Play this track at that house party on Friday night, whilst nursing that hangover on Saturday morning or whilst having the in-laws over for supper on Sunday, and nobody will be disappointed, especially not you. 4. 'In Stranger Times' - Jeremy Neale & Go Violets Jeremy Neale is the garage guru of Brisbane. Not only does he front the voracious Velociraptor, but he also creates his own catchy tracks in his spare time. Now he has teamed up with the guru-esses Go Violets to create a delectable harmony that transports you back to the '60s. So open all the windows and doors and blare 'In Stranger Times' to all of your neighbours — they deserve to hear it. https://youtube.com/watch?v=tBsRvthVhdw 5. 'Entertainment' - Phoenix Phoenix's new album Bankrupt is finally released in only 11 short days. The French rockers have been teasing us ever since the release of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix with hints about when they would release new music and what it would sound like. Well, ladies and gentlemen, it sounds incredible. 'Entertainment', the first track off the soon-to-be-released album, is a ballistic blend of pop, orient-inspired synth and bass guitar that will populate every party playlist you hear this weekend.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations — giving you a little inspiration for your next trip. In this instalment, we take you inside the Trixie Motel. Here, the world-famous drag queen, Trixie Mattel, has transformed an old Palm Springs motel into a queer paradise full of colour and character. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? This newly renovated Californian motel is the brainchild of a world famous US drag queen, and is just as bright and fun as you can imagine. THE ROOMS You will overdose on sensory inputs, no matter what room you stay in. 'Calming', is not a word used to describe the design of these rooms. Every Trixie Motel room is bursting with candy colours and loud patterns (more is most definitely more). What else would you expect from a drag queen motel in sunny Palm Springs? Like Trixie Mattel, the owner and famous Drag Race queen, the entire facility is 60s and 70s flower power themed. You'll feel like Malibu Barbie, as you spend the days roaming from your room to the outdoor pool. This place is extra extra — and why should it be anything else? FOOD AND DRINK The Trixie Motel has a little on-site cafe and bar which serves up creative snacks and small bites alongside plenty of speciality cocktails and beverages. It's mostly stuff you can enjoy while sitting around the pink and white tiled pool area – but they do provide private dinners too. They just need to be pre-booked and can be served in most places on the property. Alternatively, head to the fabulous selection of local restaurants throughout Palm Springs. THE LOCAL AREA Palm Springs is a classic Californian destination, located about 100 miles east of Los Angeles in the Coachella Valley (yes, Coachella is hosted nearby). This desert city is known for its hot springs, golf courses, palm tree-lined streets and perpetually good weather — It's also been a favourite destination for Hollywood stars since the 1930s. Most come here to experience the resort spa lifestyle. But this area has also developed into a real culture hub. Check out the Palm Springs Art Museum, McCallum Theatre and Palm Springs Design Centre in between taking hikes around the local national parks and shopping at the countless boutique stores. Or do none of this, just spending the whole day sitting by the pool, sipping on cocktails. The choice is all yours. [caption id="attachment_869215" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Ian M Jones (Unsplash)[/caption] THE EXTRAS While staying here, you can even go online and watch the reality tv show, Trixie Motel, which takes you through the property's renovation process. See how the famous drag queen, Trixie Mattel, and partner, David Silver, created the Trixie Motel – you'll appreciate your stay here even more. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
All year, you might have been bookmarking, dog-earing, Evernoting, Goodreads-saving a towering pile of books to read with all that spare time you never seem to properly find on a weekend. It's often a lofty idea, spending a few hours, hours, doing nothing but perusing a solid narrative on your sand-flecked beach towel, shaded by your nifty new beach tent. But folks, summer's officially in full swing and unless you work in radio broadcasting or public transport you're probably about to land yourself with a good few days of holiday lazing. Grab one of our favourite new releases and make yourself comfortable — we've been churning through Man Booker Prize winners, hilarious biographies and homegrown coming-of-age tales aplenty. THE SELLOUT — PAUL BEATTY For a book recommendation you can trust (sorry lusty Aunt Beryl) you won't be disappointed by this year's Man Booker Prize winner The Sellout by Paul Beatty. The plot follows an African American's plight to reinstitute segregation and slavery into his hometown of Dickens (yes, you heard that correctly.) Naturally, it's a satire and Beatty uses his well-developed wit to broach the thornier issues of racial identity, injustice and legacy. Hilarious, sometimes uncomfortably so. Get it before it does actually sell out. — Erina Starkey DO NOT SAY WE HAVE NOTHING BY MADELEINE THIEN If you don't know much about China's Cultural Revolution, you're not alone. It's been half a century since the movement was launched by then-chairman of the Communist Party Mao Zedong, and accounts of what actually happened are hazy; many of them have been suppressed or altered. Madeleine Thien's new novel delves into one part of this tragic time in history, namely the persecution of musicians at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. The book switches between the narration of Li-ling, who is growing up in Vancouver in the '80s and '90s, and the complicated narrative of her father's life in China during the revolution she is piecing together after his death. For such tragic subject matter, Thien is incredibly eloquent and at times even surreal in her writing. It results in a book that is one hell of a compelling read as well as an important incidental history lesson. — Lauren Vadnjal THANKS FOR THE MONEY: HOW TO USE MY LIFE STORY TO BECOME THE BEST JOEL MCHALE YOU CAN BE BY JOEL MCHALE Have you been holding back, not fully realising your potential as the best Joel McHale you can possibly be? Well, put your own unique personality aside for a high-achieving second and brush up on life skills from the Hollywood gadabout behind Community's Jeff Winger. This tell-all memoir's so ambitious and life affirming, it has a trailer. Watch it, or perish in your Joel-McHale-machete-slicing-a-watermelon-midair-less existence. Chapters delve into boyhood head injuries, almost killing Chevy Chase and parental sex lives — you've been warned. — Shannon Connellan THE SECRET HISTORY OF TWIN PEAKS BY MARK FROST It's happening again. That show you love really is coming back in style. Twin Peaks fans have waited 25 years to dive back into David Lynch and Mark Frost's television show, and while the third season won't reach screens until 2017, the latter has gifted us the perfect stopgap. Every one of The Secret History of Twin Peaks' 362 pages is filled with a dossier of details, secrets, and other tidbits that make the town, its mysteries and its eccentric inhabitants even more intriguing (and, just like the owls, little here is what it seems). As a bonus, why not pick up a copy of unauthorised Twin Peaks cookbook Damn Fine Cherry Pie too, and get some Twin Peaks-themed kitchen inspiration. Cherry doughnuts, fish percolator supper or fire walk hot tea smoked salmon, anyone? — Sarah Ward SWING TIME BY ZADIE SMITH Swing Time, Zadie Smith's latest novel, sees the award-winning author trying a few new things. It's her first book with a first-person narrator and it's set partly in West Africa — a departure from her other novels that are primarily set in the US and UK. Like all Smith's books, Swing Time offers a poignant reflection on the messy nature of human relationships and asks a lot of thought-provoking questions. Lyrical, witty, and enthralling, this is a holiday read you won't be able to put down. — Yelena Bide SEINFELDIA BY JENNIFER ARMSTRONG Seinfeldia is a tribute to those who erect a festivus pole every December. It's for people who can't look at a marbled rye loaf without feeling awkward. It's for those of us who make subtle references to the Bubble Boy, the Soup Nazi and the anti-dentite as if its the most natural thing in the world. Written by Jennifer Armstrong, Seinfeldia documents the evolution of one of the most popular sitcoms to grace our TV screens. Armstrong examines its progression from banter in a Korean supermarket, to an unknown struggling sitcom at the risk of cancellation, to the show that has permeated its way into popular culture, decades after it was conceived. The book examines the real-life inspirations for the quartet, and the evolution of the characters (ahem) quirks, as well as the one-off characters who built their careers around their Seinfeld roles. — Natalie Freeland ROLLING BLACKOUTS BY SARAH GLIDDEN Rolling Blackouts is comics-journalism nonfiction by author and artist Sarah Glidden, who follows her news-gathering friends from the Seattle Globalist across 2010-era Turkey, Iraq and Syria. Glidden's reporting flips the camera, showing the harsh dilemmas involved in covering people in danger, working low-budget news and pushing distant editors to publish unsexy, important stories. But this meta-journalism approach is strongest when it takes you behind the scenes of actually getting interviews: the interviewees' aspirations and desperation in talking to reporters, their misgivings and rational anger. Parts road trip, reportage and quick-read comic. — Zacha Rosen THE RED WAKE BY KURT JOHNSON Russia and the USSR is an area that has always felt complex, gritty and interesting to me, and with some old Cold War sentiment creeping back into the news I was super glad to find myself working on a book that took me right to its red heart. The Red Wake draws you in with personal anecdotes and beautiful description and sends you on your way knowing a hell of a lot more about the complicated social and political history of the area, in the style of Anna Funder's Stasiland. More than anything, this book made me want to travel around Russia and the 'Stans, through bleak grey towns still riddled with the bullets of uprisings, to the ruins of Pripyat near Chernobyl, to try to catch a glimpse of a rocket launch in the Kazakh desert, and to a town where abandoned fishing trawlers sit on the now dry bed of the Aral Sea, a gulag or two in the distance. — Lex Hirst (Disclaimer: Lex Hirst works for Penguin Random House, the publisher of this book.) OUR MAGIC HOUR — JENNIFER DOWN Our Magic Hour, the debut novel from Melbourne writer Jennifer Down, is an affecting story of the harsh realisations occasioned by our mid-twenties. Audrey, a cool girl in the truest sense, loses her best friend to suicide, and travels from Melbourne to Sydney and back again, in a journey that mimics her attempts to grasp and process this life-altering event. Down writes equally of significant moments and unremarkable days with sparing beauty. Particularly adept at depiction of place, Down made me wonder if I hadn't sat across from Audrey on the train to Redfern, bumped elbows with her at a bar in Bondi. Down is the kind of writer that you'll be lucky to get on at the ground floor with, she is only going up. — Maggie Thompson. HOT MILK — DEBORAH LEVY Set in the small coastal town of Almería in Southern Spain, amidst the hot desert sand and jellyfish-filled ocean, Hot Milk follows Sophie and her mother Rose as they visit the famed Dr Gomez and his assistant Nurse Sunshine in the hope of uncovering the mystery of Rose's ailing health. This hard-to-put-down novel has a hilarious undertone of sly humour, an enigmatic cast of characters, and a vividly painted landscape that will ensure that even if you can't make it to the beach this summer, Hot Milk will take you there. It's a cracker. — Katie Mayor. HONOURABLE MENTION: FAT BRAD: THE COOKBOOK BY LONG PRAWN Have you ever noticed how much Brad Pitt eats in his movies? He's like some sort of human garbage disposal, slamming down burgers, cookies, chips, Twinkies and whatever else he can find into his (perfect) cakehole. He eats without restraint, without delicacy, as we all should sometimes, and for that reason he's the central figure in a new cookbook called (appropriately but incorrectly) Fat Brad. The team from Long Prawn have collaborated on the project with photographer Ben Clement, PractiseStudioPractise, Tristan Ceddia, Ali Currey-Voumard and Mietta Coventry. The cookbook is a tongue-in-cheek collection of recipes based on Brad's most iconic food moments on film. You'll find instructions for a knuckle sandwich (Fight Club), game bird with taters and Guinness gravy (Snatch), Bellagio Shrimp Cocktail (Ocean's 11), roast turkey drumstick and Grecian salad (Troy) and bloodied roast (Mr and Mrs Smith) amongst others. As well as being straight-up hilarious, the Fat Brad cookbook is also just a really good looking (like its namesake) addition to your cookbook shelf. It's the first in a series of pop culture cookbooks by the Long Prawn crew, so keep an eye out and grab your Fat Brad: The Cookbook here. — Imogen Baker
He's a hip-hop and fashion trailblazer. His latest album Chromakopia dropped in 2024. He's also heading to Australia again in 2025. That'd be Tyler, The Creator — and he's coming with friends, with the genre-bending rapper boasting Lil Yachty and Paris Texas in support. Tyler, The Creator last headed this way on a headline tour in 2022, and played Splendour in the Grass as well. On his latest trip, he has a four-night date with Melbourne, playing Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday, August 20, then each night across Friday, August 22–Sunday, August 24. Luis 'Panch' PerezThe Chromakopia tour follows his 2024 Coachella headlining set, on a bill that also included Lana Del Rey, Doja Cat, No Doubt and plenty more. Before 2022 — which marked Tyler's first set of headline shows down under in over eight years — the last time that the star graced Australian shores was for a series of festival appearances over New Years 2020–21, hitting up the likes of Beyond the Valley and Field Day. [caption id="attachment_823369" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Demxx via Flickr[/caption] Top images: Raph_PH via Flickr.
When Cillian Murphy first came to widespread fame two decades ago, it was for acclaimed British director Danny Boyle while pondering the end of life as we know it, with zombie masterpiece 28 Days Later the spectacular end result. Since then, he's become a regular for fellow UK filmmaker Christopher Nolan and, in their latest collaboration after The Dark Knight, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises and Dunkirk, Murphy again faces an apocalyptic scenario in Oppenheimer. Set to be 2023's most explosive movie, Nolan's first flick since Tenet explores a little thing called the atomic bomb. Focusing on J Robert Oppenheimer as the name makes plain, this biopic keeps promising a tense time at the movies — in its first teaser, initial full trailer and just-dropped new sneak peek — as befitting a situation where the world risked total annihilation in order to be saved. Yes, Nolan is going back to the Second World War again, focusing on the eponymous American physicist, aka the man who helped develop the first nuclear weapons as part of the Manhattan Project. Charting Oppenheimer's life, his part in birthing the atomic bomb and how it changed the world — and the fallout — should make for gripping viewing, as viewers will see from July 20, 2023. Oppenheimer's story also includes heading up Los Alamos Laboratory, plus observing the Trinity Test, the first successful atomic bomb detonation in New Mexico on July 16, 1945. Nolan is always in serious mode, but this is a solemn affair even by the Memento, Interstellar and Dark Knight trilogy filmmaker's standards. And, it looks like quite the sight, in no small part thanks to being shot in IMAX 65mm and 65mm large-format film photography, including sections in IMAX black and white analogue photography for the first time ever. Based on Kai Bird and Martin J Sherwin's Pulitzer Prize-winning book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the film boasts an all-star cast, including Emily Blunt as the physicist's wife, biologist and botanist Kitty (reteaming Blunt with Murphy after A Quiet Place Part II) — plus Matt Damon (The Last Duel) as General Leslie Groves Jr, director of the Manhattan Project; Robert Downey Jr (Dolittle) as Lewis Strauss, a founding commissioner of the US Atomic Energy Commission; and Florence Pugh (The Wonder) as psychiatrist Jean Tatlock. Also set to pop up: Josh Hartnett (Wrath of Man), Michael Angarano (Minx), Benny Safdie (Stars at Noon), Jack Quaid (The Boys), Rami Malek (No Time to Die) and Kenneth Branagh (Death on the Nile). Oh, and there's Dane DeHaan (The Staircase), Jason Clarke (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty), Olivia Thirlby (Y: The Last Man), Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story) and Matthew Modine (Stranger Things) as well. Check out the latest trailer for Oppenheimer below: Oppenheimer will release in cinemas Down Under on July 20, 2023. Images: © 2022 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Get ready for a musical blockbuster like no other. Currently taking over Her Majesty's Theatre for a strictly limited season, Miss Saigon is a breathtaking production that stands as a true testament to the enduring power and influence of theatrical storytelling. Since its electrifying debut in 1989, Miss Saigon has captivated audiences globally, sweeping across stages with its relentless charm, consistently earning accolades and awards. Drawing inspiration from the timeless Madama Butterfly, Miss Saigon unfolds an epic love story, weaving a tapestry of deep passion, gripping heartbreak and unyielding love. These productions, while both telling deeply moving tales of love and loss, offer distinct experiences. While Madama Butterfly is set against the serene backdrop of Japan, Miss Saigon plunges its audience into the heart of the turbulent and emotionally charged landscape of Saigon during the final, intense moments of the Vietnam War and its haunting aftermath. Prepare to be spellbound by a show that not only entertains but also resonates deeply with its powerful storytelling. Cameron Mackintosh's acclaimed new production of Miss Saigon brings this grand love story vividly to life, showcasing his renowned ability to captivate audiences, as seen in his previous world-famous musicals, including Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, and Mary Poppins. It's not just a performance; it's an experience, an opportunity to witness Boublil and Schönberg's soaring musical score being masterfully executed by a knockout ensemble of triple threats. Having had its Melbourne debut at Her Majesty's Theatre on Sunday, October 29, Miss Saigon will run until Saturday, December 16 — the Australasian cast includes the debut of Abigail Adriano as Kim alongside Nigel Huckle (Les Misérables, West Side Story) as Chris, Sean Miley Moore (The Voice) as The Engineer, Kerrie Anne Greenland (Les Misérables) as Ellen, Nick Afoa (The Lion King) as John and the Australian debut of Laurence Mossman as Thuy. Miss Saigon runs until Saturday, December 16, at Her Majesty's Theatre. For more information and to book tickets, visit the website.
This year, the Cannes Film Festival hosted a complete television series screening for the first time in its 70 year history. The occasion was the world premiere of Top of the Lake: China Girl, a mystery series written and directed by Academy Award winner Jane Campion. Now, the series is finally set to premiere in Australia, first at the Sydney Opera House on August 1 and then at the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 5 — where they'll show all six glorious episodes back-to-back. The series, which has scored Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, stars Elisabeth Moss (Madmen, Truth), Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones, Star Wars: The Force Awakens) and Nicole Kidman (Big Little Lies, The Hours, Moulin Rouge!). It follows the story of Detective Robin Griffin (Moss), who recently returned to Sydney and is searching for the killer of a body that washed up on Bondi Beach. The special screening will show season two in its entirety for the first time since Cannes, running in three two-hour sessions — popcorn breaks excluded. The event will be followed by a Q and A with Campion, her co-writer Gerard Lee and director Ariel Kleiman (Partisan) at the Comedy Theatre on August 6. Pre-sale tickets are currently available for members, with general public tickets on sale this Friday, July 14. For more information, visit the MIFF website.
Ben & Jerry's aren't afraid to put their ice cream where their mouth is, and not just by devouring their own creamy frozen desserts. In their latest show of support for marriage equality in Australia, the sweet treat makers are giving away free ice cream cones to celebrate this week's historic passage of legislation. Between 5.30pm and 9.30pm on December 11, visitors to Ben & Jerry's Aussie stores can pick up a frosty scoop without spending a cent. The offer applies at the chain's seven New South Wales, five Victorian, four Western Australian, one South Australian, two Australian Capital Territory and five of its six Queensland stores. If you're wondering why one misses out, that's because their Movie World digs aren't open once the park closes at 5pm. It's not the first time the brand has demonstrated their values with ice cream, as anyone who asked for a double dose of New York Super Fudge Chunk this year would know. When the fight for marriage equality was still under way, they instituted a same-flavour ban across their stores, refusing to put two scoops of the same ice cream variety on a single cone until the country's LGBTQI+ citizens were given the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts. Now that the plebiscite has been and gone, 61.6 percent of respondees voted yes and lawmakers followed through, the ban has been lifted. Ben & Jerry's history of supporting marriage equality also includes their 2013 launch of the I Dough, I Dough ice cream flavour and campaign. Grab a free ice cream cone from Ben & Jerry's stores across Australia from 5.30pm to 9.30pm on December 11. For further information, visit the event Facebook page.
Melbourne's iconic LGBTQI+ festival Midsumma is serving up an additional treat this year, as it hosts the first-ever Melbourne Pride Street Party. On Sunday, February 13, the inaugural event will descend on the inner-north hubs of Gertrude and Smith Streets, delivering a jam-packed day of tunes, performances and installations in celebration of the LGBTQI+ community. Specifically, it'll honour the 40th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Victoria. From 11am, two live music stages will play host to a diverse cast of talent; among them, neo-soul pop duo Electric Fields, drag DJs Jawbreakers, award-winning cabaret crew Yummy, Alice Ivy, Kira Puru and All the Queen's Men. You'll even catch a special opera performance by Yorta Yorta woman and legendary soprano Deborah Cheetham AO in collaboration with new classical star Evan Lawson. You can flex your own creative muscle at a Paint Your Fabulous art session led by acclaimed drag queen Art Simone, and wine and dine your way around the precinct with food pop-ups and specials from some of its best-loved eateries. There'll be some striking window installations, too, including a commissioned work by local artist Richard Harding at the Australian Print Workshop. Can't make it in person? The evening's dazzling festivities will be live-streamed online (Facebook and YouTube) from 5pm. [caption id="attachment_842430" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Electric Fields[/caption] Top Image: Midsumma by Coal Photography
Ceramiques has studios all over Melbourne, with locations in Elsternwick, Kew and Geelong — offering up wheel-based ceramics classes in its tranquil, relaxing and creativity-inspiring studios. In Elsternwick, its classes include a one-off experience where curious-minded students can experience a two-hour introduction to pottery. They'll use the wheel for the first time, and by the end of the session, they'll have created two to four pieces of which their favourite will be glazed and fired — ready for collection not long after. There is also a four-week term with one two-hour class per week. Here, you'll learn all the steps involved in wheel throwing, from the design phase to the glazing. There is also a hand-building class on Thursday evenings for those who want to experiment with the endless possibilities of hand-crafted clay. The Kew and Geelong studios offer the same courses, while the Geelong spot incorporates the Ceramiques LAB where the teachers test, experiment and create. There are events and specialty classes here too. If you already have a knack for pottery Ceramiques allows studio accessories and kiln hire for a fee, so you can swing by any time you like and perfect your craft.
Obsession-worthy desserts and Gelato Messina go hand in hand, whether you can't get enough of the brand's revolving ice cream lineup or you're especially fond of its one-off treats. Here's one of the latter to tempt your tastebuds, and take you all the way back to your tuckshop days: a new cookie pie, this time in a honey joy version. No need to eat cereal for breakfast — instead, you can get your fix in this indulgent dessert, which'll also clearly serve up plenty of nostalgia. It features a choc chip cookie base, vanilla custard and crunchy honey joys. The word you're looking for? Yum. It's been a couple of years since the gelato chain first introduced its cookie pies to the world in 2020, and it sure does love bringing the OTT dessert back over and over. No, we're not complaining. We all need an extra dose of sweetness every now and then, clearly, including during a particularly frosty winter. Hang on, a cookie pie? It is indeed a pie, but it's made of cookie dough. And it serves four-to-six people — or just you. You bake it yourself, too, whacking it in the oven for 20–25 minutes at 160–180 degrees , so you get to enjoy that enticing smell of freshly baked cookies wafting through your kitchen. This time around, the Frankenstein's monster-style honey joy cookie pie really is exactly what it sounds like — and you can buy it by itself for $28, or in kits with some of the cult ice creamery's famed gelato to go along with it. You can opt for a 500-millilitre tub for an extra $12, a one-litre tub for an additional $21 or a 1.5-litre tub for an extra $23. If you're keen to get yourself a piece of the pie, they're available to preorder online on Monday, August 1. And, because Messina's specials always prove popular, the brand staggers its on-sale times. Accordingly, folks in Queensland and the ACT are able to purchase at 9am, Victorians at 9.15am, and New South Wales customers split across three times depending on the store (with pies from Surry Hills, Bondi, Randwick and Miranda on sale at 9.30am; Brighton Le Sands, Tramsheds, Parramatta and Darlinghurst at 9.45am; and Darling Square, Newtown, Norwest, Rosebery and Penrith at 10am). The catch? You will need to peel yourself off the couch and head to their local Messina store to collect your order. The pies will be available to pick up between Friday, August 5–Sunday, August 7. You can preorder a Messina honey joy cookie pie from Monday, August 1, to pick up from all NSW, Victoria and Queensland Gelato Messina stores.
From family classics like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to hard-hitting documentaries in the league of Camp 14 – Total Control Zone to black comedies such as Invasion, this year's Audi Festival of German Film promises the bravest, brashest and most bizarre in German film. All in all, the event will include 45 movies (presented via 234 screenings) and 54 events. There'll be panel discussions, Q&As, special cultural programs and parties. The selection for opening night, Georg Maas' Two Lives, makes it clear the festival is seeking the cutting edge, new generation of German filmmaking. It's a 2012 post-Berlin wall spy thriller about the exercise of state control over individual identities. With over 20,000 people expected to attend, representing a 37 percent growth in popularity over the past six years, this year's festival is set to be the biggest on record. Here are our picks of the top five films to see at te festival. 1. Camp 14 - Total Control Zone Described as "one of the most confronting documentaries you'll ever see", Camp 14 - Total Control Zone focuses on Shin Dong-Hyuk, who was born in a North Korean concentration camp. Until escaping at the age of 23, he knew nothing else of life apart from unimaginable deprivation and cruelty. This is his story, recorded on camera for the first time by Marc Wiese. 2. This Ain't California Winner of Best Documentary at Cannes 2012, This Ain't California explores the development of skateboard culture in East Germany during the 1970s and 1980s. 3. Invasion In this thriller, director Dito Tsintsadze brilliantly blends character-driven drama and black comedy with bouts of paranoia. It's definitely one for film connoisseurs who like to be kept on the edge of their seats. When widower Josef Mendel receives a surprise visit from his wife's cousin (who he never knew existed) and her rather peculiar relations, his life takes a bizarre series of twists and turns. 4. Forgotten This psychological horror flick, director Alex Schmidt's debut feature, is one of the only genre films on the festival program. Upon reuniting after 25 years, childhood friends Hanna and Clarissa decide to visit a holiday house where they spent time as children, unleashing a host of forgotten memories and terrifying spectres. Not recommended for the faint-hearted. 5. Two Lives A contemplative spy thriller set in the dying days of the Berlin Wall. What's not to dig?
We all have to stick close to home during Stage 3 lockdown. But what if your all-time favourite purveyors of baked goods are located all the way across town? Well, if you've got a thing for Bread Club and happen to reside around Cremorne, you're in luck. For the next few Saturdays, the North Melbourne bakery is popping up at lush plant store Glasshaus Inside, the two venues joining forces to create a greenery- and bread-filled shopping spot. There'll be plants, there'll be pastries and there'll be (masked) smiles all round, from 9am until 2pm (or sold out) each week. Bread Club will be slinging its classic loaves, alongside cult favourite sweet treats including almond croissants, seasonal danishes, and salted toffee and chocolate cookies. And lunchtime is sorted with a rotation of flaky sausage rolls, pies and pizza bread. Meanwhile, Glasshaus has greenery galore, with its full nursery selection available to browse and buy. It'll also have $45 potted Monstera plants up for grabs, as well as freshly cut tulips ($20 a bunch or $35 for two bunches) to brighten your day. At the pop-up, masks are a must, payment will be cashless and social distancing measures will be in place.
Want to keep your building cool in summer but are self-conscious of the impact it may have on the environment? Well, those worries could soon be a thing of the past, thanks to the environmentally friendly wooden skin erected by French architect Stephane Malka on student housing in Paris. The wooden skin is constructed on the exterior of buildings and consists of a host of pallets of varying dimensions that can be mechanically expanded or contracted, via horizontal hinges, to let in more or less ventilation and daylight as required. Stephane constructed The AME-LOT project, named after the rue Amelot the housing resides on, in response to ecological strategies that "often generate an over-production of materials". By building on top of pre-existing structures, Malka hopes to showcase a sustainable and ecological alternative that does not require new construction by 'energyvores'. As well as its environmental benefits, it would certainly look incredible on the body of a skyscraper. [Via PSFK]
"The mormons are coming", posters popping up in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane promised in the 2010s. If you spot something similar now, they might feature the words "the mormons are back" instead. After breaking records on its first Australian run, The Book of Mormon is returning Down Under, with the smash-hit musical's suitcases packed for Sydney. Written by South Park and Team America's notoriously puerile creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, together with Robert Lopez of genius grown-up muppet show Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon is probably one of the most-lauded comedies ever to have centred on the Church of Latter Day Saints and African missions — and to approach both with Parker and Stone's usual humour. If it wasn't so smart and so funny, few would forgive it. But since it is, The Book of Morman has picked up nine Tonys, four Olivier Awards and a Grammy since it debuted in the US in 2011, when it was called "one of the most joyously acidic bundles Broadway has unwrapped in years". Australia's OG date with The Book of Mormon also earned accolades, including Best Musical and Best Direction of a Musical at the 2017 Helpmann Awards. When the show premiered in the Victorian capital in 2015, it enjoyed the highest-selling on-sale period for a show at Melbourne's Princess Theatre. When it first went to Sydney, it also set a record for the highest-grossing musical in the city's history. A decade ago, Parker and Stone's hilariously irreverent hit production spent a year in Melbourne, then did the same in Sydney, then made two trips to Brisbane — because one wasn't enough. This time, The Book of Mormon is hitting Sydney's Capitol Theatre, starting on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. If missed it then or you're keen to see it again, you'll be plenty excited that you're getting a new chance to go learn all the idiosyncratic details of Mormonism, meet war criminal General Butt-Fucking Naked and know the true meaning of the hakuna matata-like saying 'Hasa Diga Eebowai'. Images: Paul Coltas, London Company. Updated: Tuesday, July 15, 2025.
In Australia, January means warmth, more warmth and heading to the movies to watch Oscar contenders to escape it. In Park City, Utah, it means snow, a celebration of cinema started by none other than Robert Redford, and the first big international film festival of the year. Yes, the Sundance Film Festival has just played its slate of 2017 flicks — or, as we like to look at it, the titles that will hopefully be heating up Aussie big screens in the near future. Last year, number one on our Sundance wish list was Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Thankfully, that turned out to be pretty majestical. Plenty of our other 2016 picks have shown up at local festivals around the place too, such as Werner Herzog talking about the internet in Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World; singing Polish mermaids in The Lure; and Kristen Stewart, Laura Dern and Michelle Williams at their best in Certain Women. And, speaking of Williams, her Oscar-nominated performance in Manchester by the Sea from last year's choices is about to open in Australian cinemas. Enough looking backwards, though — 2017's lineup delivers a massive new list of movies to get in front of your eyeballs. First, the good news: from Sundance's latest batch, plenty are already coming our way. To name a few, they include US Dramatic competition winner I Don't Feel At Home in This World Anymore, which will drop on Netflix worldwide in February; Berlin Syndrome, the third feature from Australian Somersault and Lore director Cate Shortland, which is already slated for an April cinema release; and all-female horror anthology XX, which Monster Fest is championing. Plus, Netflix strikes again with documentary Casting JonBenet from Aussie filmmaker Kitty Green, environmental doco and audience award favourite Chasing Coral, and anorexia drama To the Bone by former Buffy writer turned UnREAL showrunner Marti Noxon. As for the rest? Here's the ten we're crossing our fingers and toes to see in our local cinemas (and a few others as well). CALL ME BY YOUR NAME Most actors wouldn't want to walk in the footsteps of the inimitable Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes, but that's just what Armie Hammer does in the film that became the talk of the fest, Call Me By Your Name. Set in 1983, the queer coming-of-age drama is the latest effort from Italian I Am Love and A Bigger Splash director Luca Guadagnino, which virtually guarantees how good its summery images will look. Bound to be more powerful than that, though, is the underlying tale of desire, as well as the accompanying performances. Also watch out for: Mudbound, which delves into the stories of two families in America's south post-World War II with an all-star cast of Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Mary J. Blige, Garrett Hedlund, Jonathan Banks and Jason Mitchell. THE BIG SICK If you've watched Silicon Valley or Portlandia (or caught 2016 flicks Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates or Central Intelligence), you'll recognise Kumail Nanjiani — though his list of credits runs much longer than that. In fact, with his wife Emily V. Gordon, he has added feature film screenwriter to his resume with The Big Sick, and turned their own culture-clash dating story into an amusing and insightful film in the process. Michael Showalter of Wet Hot American Summer fame directs, with the pair re-teaming after Nanjiani featured in his last ace movie, My Name is Doris. Also watch out for: Aubrey Plaza in everything, always — or, specifically, in Ingrid Goes West. Here, her titular character befriends an Instagram lifestyle guru played by Elizabeth Olsen, because that's a thing. Next-generation actors O'Shea Jackson Jr. (who played his dad, Ice Cube, in Straight Outta Compton) and Wyatt Russell (son of Kurt) also star. LANDLINE There have been plenty of comedies about pregnancy, but when Obvious Child took on the topic back in 2014, it showed the world what a frank, funny, empathetic and earnest look at unexpectedly discovering you're expecting could turn out — and helped show just how great a talent Jenny Slate is in the process. Three years later, the actress reunites with writer/director Gillian Robespierre for a trip to the '90s. Yes, it's set at a time when people chatted on the phones that you couldn't take with you, and it makes for a darkly amusing effort that's certain to bring the same honesty and hilarity to exploring family troubles. Also watch out for: Jenny Slate again, this time in The Polka King opposite Jack Black. They play husband and wife, with the former scamming his way to a polka music empire. Jason Schwartzman and Australia's own Jacki Weaver are among the cast. BEACH RATS Pay attention to the name Eliza Hittman. She received the US Dramatic comp's best director prize, and if her sophomore feature is anything like her moody, evocative debut It Felt Like Love, she's a certain talent to watch. In Beach Rats, the filmmaker charts the efforts of Brooklyn teen Frankie to brighten up a thoroughly unhappy summer — and explore his own wants and needs — when he simultaneously starts hooking up with guys at a beachside cruising spot and dating a young woman. Also watch out for: After featuring in 2015 flick People Places Things, The Daily Show's Jessica Williams once again joins forces with writer/director Jim Strouse in The Incredible Jessica James, this time taking the lead as an aspiring playwright who forges a new bond to cope with a breakup. I DREAM IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE Talk may be the focus of the Mexican-set I Dream in Another Language — getting the two last native speakers of a dying language to speak after a 50-year feud, to be exact — however this thoughtful love story says just as much with images as it does with words. Think deeply-felt cinematic poetry that leans towards the lyrical, patient style of filmmaker favoured by Apichatpong Weerasethakul (the director behind Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives and Cemetery of Splendour). Also watch out for: Carpinteros (Woodpeckers), an engrossing romance that introduces viewers to a world they've probably never thought of and a form of communication they likely haven't heard of — neighbouring prisons in the Dominican Republic and the form of sign language their inmates use to communicate. A GHOST STORY Don't you just love secret films? We're talking about the type that just spring up out of nowhere, made without anyone knowing. A Ghost Story fell into that camp when it first made headlines in November, and the talent involved with the movie makes it all the more exciting. After working together on 2013's Ain't Them Bodies Saints, director Dave Lowery (Pete's Dragon) re-teams with Rooney Mara and likely future best actor Oscar winner Casey Affleck (for Manchester by the Sea) to examine death and grief — and, yes, the spiritual presence you're expecting based on the title. Also watch out for: With Jon Hamm and Tim Robbins among the cast, Marjorie Prime similarly broods over mortality, focusing on the last days of an 86-year-old — spent with a computerised version of her dearly departed hubby. STEP They don't just give any old film a Special Jury Award for inspirational filmmaking, the gong Step took out in Sundance's US Documentary field. Treading the same turf that 2016 festival hit The Fits made its own with such style and skill, the doco follows three high-schoolers trying to chase their step dance team dreams. Expect more than just the usual formula as first-time director Amanda Lipitz peers inside the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women, the ladies striving for a better future and the crowd-pleasing journey that results. Also watch out for: Tokyo Idols, which joins the growing ranks of factual efforts trying to understand just what makes Japanese girl bands, pop music, its stars and their fans tick. PATTI CAKE$ Does the road to rhyme-slinging rap success start in New Jersey? And is the rags-to-riches path paved with assistance from a goth-metal muso named Basterd? For the wannabe hip hop artist who calls herself both Killer P and Patti Cake$, it just might be. For Aussie actress Danielle McDonald, the energetic underdog effort that shares Patti's name could also be her stepping stone to broader acclaim — and, for music video director turned first-time feature helmer Geremy Jasper, his as well. Also watch out for: Roxanne Roxanne, a biopic about a big hip hop beef known as the Roxanne wars — aka a series of songs answering the last, with 14-year-old emcee Roxanne Shanté in the middle. Playing Shanté, newcomer Chanté Adams won a Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance. AXOLOTL OVERKILL And the prize for best title goes to…actually, German drama Axolotl Overkill won a jury award for cinematography in the World Dramatic comp, but it'd have a fair shot if the other contest was a real thing. The feature debut of writer/director Helene Hegemann is based on her own semi-autobiographical novel, which she wrote when she was 17. Not only does it take the coming-of-age genre into partying and nightlife territory — which, yes, you've seen before — but the stylistic exploration of teen excess promises to traverse contemplative and surreal terrain as well. Also watch out for: A fellow contender in the great name stakes, Don't Swallow My Heart, Alligator Girl! brings professional and non-professional actors together to tell a fairytale-like story of teenage love, colonial oppression and gang struggles in three languages. 78/52 Every film festival has one: a movie that cinephiles just won't be able to contain their excitement about. 78/52 takes the honours at this year's Sundance, with its moniker referring to the number of setups and edits it took to film the most iconic shower scene in cinema history. Alfred Hitchcock and Psycho fans will be in their element as the doco breaks down this famous sequence, and explores just how it changed filmmaking as we know it. And, the likes of Guillermo del Toro, Bret Easton Ellis, Karyn Kusama Eli Roth and Peter Bogdanovich are all on hand to help. Also watch out for: The Nile Hilton Incident, a Cairo-set corrupt cop flick charting an investigation into a murdered singer — and the film that took out the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema Dramatic competition.
Big pop-culture titles, big stunts: from a Stranger Things rift and Squid Game's creepy Red Light, Green Light doll to an Everything Everywhere All At Once-style multidimensional laundromat and a massive Timothée Chalamet mural for Dune, new TV shows and movies sure do love launching with a pop-up in Australia. The latest doing just that: Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the sequel to 2018's Aquaman. For four days, the film is making its presence known in Sydney with a huge seven-metre gold trident. To see the towering, gleaming object, you'll need to head to Watermans Cove in Barangaroo from Thursday, December 14–Sunday, December 17. On display: the Trident of Neptune that gives Aquaman's namesake the power to rule the sea. It's being used to break ground of the boardwalk, and will be paired with a giant wall of water measuring nine metres high and 12 metres wide on the Friday night only. Seeing the trident is free, and you can just head along whenever suits you across the four days. If you want to catch a glimpse of the wall of water as well — which will have footage from the film projected onto it — you'll need to drop by from 7.45–10pm on Friday, December 15. As for the movie itself, it features Jason Momoa swapping the Fast and Furious franchise's roads for the ocean in that other big-budget saga he's been known to glisten through: DC's flicks. It's been five years since the first solo cinema swim for Arthur Curry arrived, with Aquaman marking just the sixth entry in the DC Extended Universe. Now the series hits 15 instalments with sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, bringing back DC's wettest superhero — plus Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Ambulance) as Black Manta as well. Hitting cinemas on Boxing Day as the fourth DC feature of 2023 after Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash and Blue Beetle, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom also hails from Australian director James Wan (Malignant), as the first film did — and sees Patrick Wilson (Insidious: The Red Door), Amber Heard (The Stand), Nicole Kidman (Special Ops: Lioness) and Temuera Morrison (The Book of Boba Fett) return alongside Momoa and Abdul-Mateen II. Dolph Lundgren (Minions: The Rise of Gru) and Randall Park (Strays) are back as well, all in another movie that dives into the sea, heads down to Atlantis and paddles about trying to save the world. The story this time: Black Manta is still after vengeance, but now has the Black Trident and its powers to help. So, as well as being a father and the new King of Atlantis, Aquaman has to seek his own assistance. That's how Wilson's Orm, Curry's half brother, ends up fighting by his side instead of being his imprisoned enemy. Check out the trailer for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom below: The Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom trident will be on display at Watermans Cove, Barangaroo, Sydney from Thursday, December 14–Sunday, December 17. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom opens in Australian cinemas on Tuesday, December 26.
It's hard to get a true snapshot of a place you're holidaying in when you don't know a resident who can show you around. It can take years to truly get to know a place, and while tourist spots are the obvious starting point, they can also leave you wanting to dig deeper. We've teamed up with Pullman Hotels and Resorts to bring you a guide to Melbourne's less obvious but obviously fabulous experiences. It's not exactly a local's guide, because visitors are not exactly locals and we all want to treat ourselves while on vacay. But it is a round-up of the best of the best art, food and fun found in Melbourne. And as Melbourne has a lot to offer in the way of premium coffee, tasty treats and good times, this was no easy feat. Putting our heads together with Pullman Melbourne Albert Park's chief concierge, Rhett Constantine (a man who's been giving out recommendations for two decades), we've curated a list of must-dos that will leave you wanting more of Melbourne. Whether you're into cuisine, culture or cocktails, you'll find your perfect day out right here. Check out the rest of our Explore More content series to hone your itinerary for some of Australia's best holiday destinations. FOOD & DRINK MARKET LANE COFFEE AND QUEEN VICTORIA MARKETS Melbourne is a city that runs on coffee. It is a pillar of the economy as both a primary export and a productivity booster, and as a result, we've perfected it. And among some of the world's best coffee establishments is the king: Market Lane. The cute and efficient little operation has a few cafes in the city and inner-northern suburbs, but we recommend heading to their stall at the Queen Vic market. Pair your impeccable brew with something from their endless supply of varied baked goods. Don't miss: On Saturdays, have your coffee with a handful of doughnuts from the American Doughnut van. Some clichés make sense and coffee and doughnuts is one of 'em. CLAYPOTS SEAFOOD Melbourne's beaches may be a little frosty, but the seafood on the shores is exceptional. Claypots in St Kilda is one of the most well-known seafood eateries, so book in advance or you may miss out entirely. The menu is almost entirely seafood and changes depending on the haul of the day. You have to try their signature claypots ($20), with flavour profiles like the Orpheus (red wine, sweet pepper and capsicum) and the Singapore (chilli, coriander, and ginger sauce). We also recommend trying the king prawns and fresh fish dishes (prices vary) if you want to indulge. Usually, the atmosphere is romantic, warm and boisterous, thanks to live music and close quarters, making it the perfect destination for a special dinner. Don't miss: It's all in the name — at least one claypot is a must. MADAME BRUSSELS ROOFTOP BAR There's something hopelessly romantic about rooftop bars, and Madame Brussels is the queen of them all. Situated conveniently on Bourke Street, the iconic establishment is styled to look like a really fancy, if a little kitschy, garden party, with white lattice, fake flowers and wrought-iron chairs you might remember from your grannie's garden. The open-air deck is cosy, designed for reclining instead of standing. We recommend trying the (hilariously named) boards: the Rather Fancy and Slightly Smelly Old Cheese Plate ($28) or the Butch charcuterie board ($30). Don't miss: A jug of Pimms in the sun — it will have you feeling as fancy as the royal family. SUPERNORMAL FOR DINNER You're going to have make some hard choices when it comes to dining in Melbourne. There's just so many world-class venues and never enough evenings to explore them all. But, trust us, you don't want to miss Supernormal. Don't let the name deceive you; it's anything but normal. We recommend sharing a few smaller dishes so you can sample broadly from the menu. Try the tuna with perilla and kombu ($19) and the pot-sticker dumplings ($15), and make sure you don't overeat, because you're going to want stomach space to fit in their famous dessert. Don't miss: The peanut butter parfait ($15). It is known far and wide as Melbourne's most indulgent dessert. Seriously, this dish could run for mayor and win, it's so beloved. And it's no wonder: creamy PB parfait mixed with salted caramel and served with soft chocolate is a winning combo. ART & DESIGN VIVIEN ANDERSON GALLERY One of St Kilda's less obvious but most important art spaces, the Vivien Anderson Gallery showcases the work of prominent Indigenous artists. Over the last 20 years, the gallery has moved locations several times to accommodate for its growth, but all the while it's been dedicated to displaying and encouraging Indigenous art. It's a small and intimate gallery that lends itself well to introspection and quiet contemplation. They curate thoughtful, small-scale displays of individual works and artefacts or thematic group exhibitions, and the staff are all knowledge and passionate about Indigenous art. A must-do when visiting St Kilda. Don't miss: Picking the brains of the staff to get more insight into what's on the walls. NGV AND ACCA No trip to Melbourne is complete without a visit to the National Gallery of Victoria, the crowning jewel of Melbourne's art scene. All the big exhibitions that grace our shores can be found there, but the permanent collections are worth your time too. The international collection contains works from big names like Picasso, Monet, Renoir, Degas, Rubens, Manet and a host of Australian artists, so even if you turn up between key exhibits, there's always something pretty to stare at. And just over the way is the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, which is a work of art in itself. You'll be able to pick it a mile away for the stark, rusty steel facade and awkward angles. Don't miss: Stop at the Malthouse Theatre's cafe, which shares a courtyard with ACCA, and drink it all in. LANEWAYS TOUR (STOPPING OFF AT A FEW KEY COFFEE HOUSES) Melbourne is known for its street art scene, and nowhere is it more prominent and competitive than in the crowded laneways of the CBD. Start on Bourke Street Mall with Union Lane, a smelly but graf-heavy place. It's usually packed with tourist taking pics, so try to get in early. While you're skulking around the laneways, stop in at Dukes Coffee Roaster on Flinders Lane, one of the city's smallest but best coffee vendors. The City of Melbourne have a recommended route to hit all the best laneways and arcades, which is a good place to start. If you want to venture further afield, head to Fitzroy, where you'll the find the George Costanza mural near George's Bar and the work of renowned artist Ghostpatrol along Napier Street. Don't miss: Sniders Lane, home of the famous Kim K and Kendall mural. WELLBEING & LEISURE SOUTH MELBOURNE MARKET There are some incredible permanent markets in Melbourne that create a lot of competition for one another. On the southside, South Melbourne Market is the best of the bunch. It's a huge undertaking, so give yourself a whole morning to wander through the many stalls. Grab a coffee and almond croissant from Padre (Stall 33) to start you off right, then make your way over to Azalea, the florist and nursery in stall 49. It's always bursting with Aussie native blooms, gorgeous smells and reasonably priced plant-babies. Lunch at Proper and Son is always fresh (and realllllly well priced). We recommend the prosciutto, bocconcini and peach salad ($10.50) or field mushroom and haloumi with romesco sauce in a roll ($11.50). Don't miss: SO:ME Space, the permanent and semi-permanent installation for fashion and design. They rotate between pop-ups regularly, and you'll always find handcrafted, one-off pieces from Melbourne designers. STUDLEY PARK BOATHOUSE On a fine day, take an Uber to Yarra Bend Park. Follow the rolling hills and winding turns in the Yarra until you come to Studley Park. Over a bridge and alongside the river you'll find the Studley Park Boathouse, an idyllic little wonderland that backs onto the Yarra. At this point you can choose to rent a rowboat and cruise the river trying to look cool in a safety vest, or recline on the bank with a scone and beer and survey the rowboat carnage. Rowboat rental for two people is $40 an hour and you'll need some form of ID. And, word of warning, make sure you play nice with the duck families that cruise the waterway. Don't miss: You came all this way, so rent a rowboat and enjoy the Notebook-level romance. ACLAND STREET TO LUNA PARK WALK IN ST KILDA Even though it's only a 25-minute tram ride out of the city, St Kilda is like another world. There's a fine layer of sand on everything, people walk around with no shoes on, and everything is totally cowabunga. But the most cowabunga thing (are we using that right?) about St Kilda's main drag, Acland Street, is the bakery shop windows filled with treats. We recommend a cake crawl, stopping in at Le Bon Continental Cake Shop, Europa Cake Shop and Monarch Cakes, if you have the stamina. Don't miss: A visit to Luna Park and its rickety wooden rollercoaster — preferably before you eat all the cake. Explore more with Pullman. Book your next hotel stay with Pullman and enjoy a great breakfast for just $1.
It's winter. The nights are getting longer, the cold is getting colder, and there you are with two perfectly good ears and nothing to do. But we've got you covered with some Scottish hip hop and four excellent Aussie acts: Big Scary, back with their second album; Ash Grunwald, who has teamed up with two-thirds of The Living End for some huge, riff-heavy blues-rock; OXBLVD, who kinda sound like if Boy & Bear had shot a man in Reno; and some dark, angular, multiple-guitar-having rock from Sydney's Service Bells. So snuggle in with that special someone – you're in for a wild ride. 1. OXBLVD - Gotta Get Away First off, it's pronounced 'ox blood'. Second, I almost didn't include this when I couldn't find a Soundcloud or YouTube clip to embed, but I figure you're all smart enough to find your way over to the band's Unearthed page. And besides, this is way too cool to ignore. There's a serious spaghetti Western vibe to the new single, and you can almost see the band as outlaws, riding across the deserts of the Wild West. There's a real swagger to the guitars, and singer Ed Worland sounds like a man possessed as he wails 'run away' over and over on the coda. These boys can play, and I have no doubt they will be playing stadiums before too long. And when they do, you'll be kicking yourself if you don't catch their residency at Sydney's Oxford Art Factory this Friday, June 14, as well as June 28. 2. Young Fathers - 'Rumbling' When you think of Edinburgh, hip hop groups aren't usually the first things that spring to mind. But Young Fathers are going to change all that. With three distinct, unique MCs, Young Fathers take the influences from their African homelands (Nigeria and Liberia), the grime of the housing projects of their adopted Scotland and all manner of hip hop and electronica influences to end up with something quite striking. 'Rumbling' comes from their first mixtape — imaginatively titled Tape One — but they've also just dropped Tape Two for free on Soundcloud. If there were any justice in the world, these guys would be huge. As it is, it's probably a question of when, not if. 3. Ash Grunwald – The Last Stand Ash Grunwald is one of those 'best-kept secret' kinda guys. He's been around for a decade, playing thousands of shows all over the country and leaving audiences totally enraptured wherever he goes. But he's done all this on independent labels and off his own bat, and he's never reached been able to reach as big an audience as he should. He's an extraordinary guitar player, with (at least) a four-octave voice, and to hear him in full flight is a real treat. On his new album he has joined forces with two more of Australia's greatest musicians — Scott Owen and Andy Strachan, better known as The Living End's rhythm section. And they just cut loose, with huge, crunching riffs and incredible musicianship. https://youtube.com/watch?v=K_EjSuYWzxA 4. Big Scary - Luck Now Big Scary are one of the great success stories of Australian music in the last couple of years, proving once again that even a two-piece can make it big with great songs and a little bit of luck. Their piano ballad 'Falling Away' was a huge smash, and the heavy piano chords that open 'Luck Now' remind you immediately of their earlier hit. But this one has a halting, skipping backbeat and noises swirling all around it, and the production on singer Tom Iansek's voice sounds almost exactly like Bon Iver. It's a really interesting direction for the band to take, and proves that Iansek and drummer Jo Syme are just as versatile, creative and talented as bands with five times the members. Their new album, Not Art, is out at the end of June (pre-order here), and I can't wait to hear what the rest of it sounds like. 5. Service Bells – Prospector's Waltz Queens of the Stone Age have just released an excellent new album, but where do you go after that if you want some pure, unfiltered rock and roll swagger? Sydney's Service Bells, that's where. Rising from the ashes of the criminally under-appreciated Cameras (RIP), Service Bells are all about thick riffs, good times and dark clothing, like all the best parts of QOTSA and Interpol combined, but with David Bowie singing. Yeah, I thought that would get you to hit 'play'.
If you firmly believe that you can never have too much Idris Elba, then you have most of the planet for company. Right now, the Hijack-watching world and streaming service Apple TV+ are also firmly in that camp. After the British actor's high-octane thriller series hit the small screen in 2023 and swiftly hooked viewers, the platform has announced that it will return for a second season. And yes, Elba will be back — although what'll be testing his negotiation skills this time is yet to be revealed. In its first season, Hijack featured the Beast, Three Thousand Years of Longing and Luther talent as Sam Nelson, a veteran negotiator who was on his way home to the UK from Dubai when terrorists took over the flight. Accordingly, it was up to the actor that everyone would like to see as 007 tries to try to get everyone to their destination safely, all in a series that took place in real time. Nelson's onboard tasks switched from relaxing in the air to trying to talk his captors down, let authorities on the ground know what was happening and minimising casualties. If you're not only thinking about Bond but also 24, that's the right wheelhouse. And yes, non-stop tension does go down smoother when Elba is looking calm and collected under pressure, a fact that helped make the series one of Apple TV+ most-popular dramas last year. Created by Criminal's George Kay and Jim Field Smith — with Kay also behind Lupin — Hijack's first season also boasted Elba as an executive producer, a role that he'll retain again when it returns for its second season. Field Smith will again be the show's lead director as well. "I was floored by the overwhelming audience response after season one. It's top secret what new situation unfolds for Sam Nelson but I can assure you we will bring the high-octane back!" said Elba, announcing the show's renewal. Alongside the show's storyline for its second season, when Hijack will return hasn't yet been announced, and neither have any co-stars that'll feature opposite the series' The Harder They Fall, Fast and Furious: Hobbs & Shaw, The Suicide Squad and Thor: Ragnarok alum leading man. Fingers crossed that whatever the scenario, and whoever else features on-screen, another quickly addictive nail-biter results, even if you'd expect that it won't focus on Idris Elba on a plane again. Check out the trailer for Hijack season one below: Hijack streams via Apple TV+ — and season two doesn't yet have a release date. Read our full review of season one.
Following yesterday's indefinite, effective ban on all international travel, in a bid to slow the spread of COVID-19 across Australia, Qantas and Jetstar have announced they will suspend all scheduled international flights from late March until the end of May 2020. As a result, the airlines will temporarily step down two-thirds of their 30,000-person staff until at least the end of May. In a statement, the Qantas Group says the decision was made "in order to preserve as many jobs as possible longer term". Employees will be able to draw on "annual and long service leave" and additional support will be introduced, including leave at half pay and early access to long service leave. Qantas says it is also talking to Woolworths about temporary jobs for its stood-down staff. The decision comes after Qantas and Jetstar earlier this week announced they'd be cutting back international flights by 90 percent and domestic flights by 60 percent. For now, domestic flights will continue running at a 40 percent capacity, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison saying "domestic air travel is low risk". We could see domestic flights cut further in the near future, however, with Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein this morning announcing that from midnight this Friday, March 20 only essential travellers will be allowed into Tasmania without quarantine. Non-essential travellers, including Tasmanian residents returning to the island from mainland Australia, will be required to self-isolate for 14 days. Essential travellers include health care workers, emergency workers, defence personnel and air and ship crew. These measures are similar to those currently in place for international travellers arriving into Australia, which mandates compulsory 14-day isolation periods for everyone arriving from overseas. Virgin Australia will also suspend all international flights from March 30, and will cut domestic flights by 50 percent, too. For further details about Qantas and Jetstar's plans, visit the company's website. For more information about Virgin Australia's reductions, visit its website. 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.
As a filmmaker, he co-created the Saw and Insidious franchises, and has since been tackling iconic horror tales with The Invisible Man and 2025 release Wolf Man. As an actor, he popped up in The Matrix Reloaded. Before all of that, he was a film critic on beloved late-90s Saturday-morning music TV show Recovery. That's a helluva career so far — and next, Leigh Whannell is heading to AACTA Festival to chat about it. In 2024, the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Awards launched a festival to sit alongside its accolades, and to celebrate the latter's move to the Gold Coast. That event is returning in 2025 in a bigger guise, running for five days between Wednesday, February 5–Sunday, February 9, and hosting more than 100 sessions. AACTA Festival will also welcome Australian The Greatest Showman filmmaker Michael Gracey, who has been earning some love from the academy of late. Better Man, his unconventional Robbie Williams biopic, topped the 2025 AACTA nominations — and attendees will hear all about the film at his festival session. Equally huge news is enlisting Paul Kelly to perform at the live How to Make Gravy concert, which also features Meg Washington, Brendan Maclean and Beddy Rays — and yes, it's easy to predict what the Australian icon will be singing. Plus, Late Night with the Devil is in the spotlight via filmmakers Colin and Cameron Cairnes getting talking, while Netflix's upcoming Apple Cider Vinegar series will score a behind-the-scenes look. Another massive drawcard: the Working Dog team, aka Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Jane Kennedy, Michael Hirsh and Rob Sitch, coming together for an in-conversation session that's bound to touch upon everything from The Castle, Frontline, Thank God You're Here and Utopia to The Dish, The Hollowmen and Have You Been Paying Attention?. The Dish is also the screening program, and the Working Dog team will receive the prestigious AACTA Longford Lyell Award. Australian cinematographer Greig Fraser, who won an Oscar for Dune and is highly tipped for another one for Dune: Part Two, is another big-name inclusion, chatting about his Hollywood work. Also in the same category: John Seale, who took home an Academy Award for The English Patient, and was nominated for Witness, Rain Man, Cold Mountain and Mad Max: Fury Road. Everyone can also look forward to authors Trent Dalton and Holly Ringland returning from 2024's lineup, chatting about Boy Swallows Universe and The Lost Flowers of Alice on the small screen, respectively; a dive into the Heartbreak High soundtrack; a panel on queer storytelling with RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under season two winner Spankie Jackzon and Deadloch's Nina Oyama; and a session with First Nations filmmakers. And if you're keen to watch movies, Gettin' Square followup Spit will enjoy its Queensland premiere, complete with star David Wenham (Fake) chatting about the feature's journey; Looney Tunes: The Day The Earth Blew Up will make its Australian debut, at Movie World, of course; and upcoming action film Homeward with Nathan Phillips (Kid Snow) and Jake Ryan (Territory) will take viewers behind the scenes.
They brighten up our days, and our gardens and houses. They make any home, table or shelf feel cheerier. They're a treat to pick, and the fact that they don't last forever offers a colourful reminder that life is both gorgeous and fleeting. But, floral fans, you can be forgiven for adoring flowers and wanting to fill surround yourself with blooms that'll stand the test of time. One solution: fake blossoms. Another: Lego's eye-catching floral kits. At the beginning of 2021, Lego unleashed its new Botanical Collection — part of its growing range for adults, because we're all well past pretending that Lego is just for kids. Back then, it boasted a flower bouquet and a bonsai, letting you add both to your home without worry about care, water, wilting or the expiry date that always comes with cut florals. Or, they made great presents to your nearest and dearest for all of the same reasons. Since then, the toy brand has kept adding to its floral range. In 2022, it came out with succulents and orchids as well, and has also released roses, tulips, sunflowers and a bird of paradise. To start 2023, the company is expanding the collection again, and going big — with another bouquet, this time of wildflowers, and also a centrepiece. If you've got a shiny vase that needs filling — and some spare time to pack with Lego-building — the 939-piece wildflower kit includes eight species, all with adjustable stems. These blooms are inspired by cornflowers, lavender, Welsh poppies, cow parsley, leatherleaf ferns, gerbera daisies, larkspurs and lupins. You make them, then arrange however you like. And, you can combine them with the previous bouquet as well for one large bunch of petals. The 812-piece centrepiece set is designed for tables, obviously, and opts for a dried flower look. So, the colours here are calmer, and you'll see — and construct — a gebera and a rose as its focal point. Lego also suggests that it can be hung on a wall, or paired with two other identical kits on your surface of choice. Terrible at keeping greenery alive? Don't know the first thing about maintaining dried flowers? These are ideal for you, then. As well as looking adorable and adding some splashes of green to your decor, Lego's newest products are designed to help you destress and get mindful — something that the brand has been promoting for adults for a few years now. Both kits cost $99.99 each in Australia, and $99.99 for the bouquet and $109.99 for the centrepiece each in New Zealand — and go on sale on Wednesday, February 1. And yes, they'd make a cute Valentine's Day present, or a gift (including to yourself) just because. For more information about Lego's Botanical Collection, including the wildflower bouquet and flower centrepiece, head to the company's website.
Each year, the advertising world's mad men and women descend on Cannes for a week-long jaunt on the Riviera. Aside from likely providing the world with more instances of cocaine use by aged executive creative directors than any other event in the world, the Cannes Lions Advertising Festival showcases the world's best commercial creativity across a variety of mediums, including TV, print, outdoor, PR and online. The proliferation of new media channels and the growth of social media has made an already cluttered marketing world a dangerous place to be for cowardly chief marketing officers and the brands they steward. Last year, Old Spice made headlines for their ability to engage consumers in a campaign that repositioned a tired brand in one fell swoop via innovative use of social media. But what lay at the heart of the campaign was its ability to make an emotional connection with audiences through humour. Ads, after all, are a like people: the ones you love and hate are the same ones you remember. This year's best 15 ads were decided over the weekend, with the Grand Prix being awarded to the 'Write The Future' campaign launched by Nike during last year's FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Here they are, ordered according to how they impressed us here at Concrete Playground HQ. https://youtube.com/watch?v=R55e-uHQna0 1. 'Force' by Volkswagen Agency: Deutsch Los Angeles https://youtube.com/watch?v=dBZtHAVvslQ 2. Cannes Grand Prix 2011: 'Write The Future' by Nike Agency: Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam https://youtube.com/watch?v=xdOoJjvr0GM 3. 'Braids' by H2OH! Drink Agency: BBDO Argentina https://youtube.com/watch?v=CoxCF1xZ7Pk 4. 'After Hours Athlete' by Puma Agency: Droga5 New York https://youtube.com/watch?v=2qD_PiZAz6k 5. 'Premature Perspiration' by Axe Agency: Ponce Buenos Aires https://youtube.com/watch?v=TLgetLmlggA 6. 'The Entrance' by Heineken Agency: Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam https://youtube.com/watch?v=VFFnfHQhg-s 7. 'Shoelace' by Otrivin Nasal Spray Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi Geneva https://youtube.com/watch?v=DtCU43MteYY 8. 'Slo Mo' by Carlton Draught Agency: Clemenger BBDO Melbourne https://youtube.com/watch?v=8I550mx8QlI 9. 'See The Person' by Scope Agency: Leo Burnett Melbourne https://youtube.com/watch?v=T3guZ7dMAkc 10. 'Born Of Fire' by Chrysler Agency: Wieden + Kennedy Portland https://youtube.com/watch?v=BKnhyhm3GdQ 11. 'Office' by Mexican Insurance Institution Association Agency: Ogilvy Mexico https://youtube.com/watch?v=nCgQDjiotG0 12. 'Chrome Speed Tests' by Google Agency: Google Creative Lab New York https://youtube.com/watch?v=Oech5Rpom2g 13. 'Cage Cop' by Skittles Agency: BBDO Canada https://youtube.com/watch?v=lZqrG1bdGtg 14. 'Dead Island Trailer' by Deep Silver Agency: Deep Silver https://youtube.com/watch?v=k0fm3JS4p8U 15. 'Demo Slam: Chubby Bunny' by Google Agency: Google Creative Lab New York [Via Mumbrella]
When Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi invited the world to experience the vampire sharehouse mockumentary genre, one of the best comedies of the decade wasn't the only result. Every film seems to spawn sequels, remakes, spinoffs and the like these days, but no one's complaining about spending more time in the What We Do in the Shadows universe. A follow-up, We're Wolves, is in the works, focusing on the undead bloodsuckers' Rhys Darby-led lycanthrope enemies. And six-episode television spinoff Wellington Paranormal, following the movie's cops (Mike Minogue and Karen O'Leary) as they keep investigating the supernatural, is now streaming on SBS On Demand. Add a US TV remake of the original flick to the pile as well, but withhold any "do we really need a remake?" judgement. First revealed by Waititi last year, given a pilot order earlier in 2018 and now officially moving ahead with a ten-episode first season, the American version will be written by Clement and directed by Waititi, The Hollywood Reporter notes — and will see a documentary crew follow three vampire flatmates living in New York City, according to Variety. The series will star Toast of London's Matt Berry, Four Lions' Kayvan Novak, British stand-up comedian Natasia Demetriou and The Magicians' Harvey Guillen. It's unknown whether Clement and Waititi will reprise their on-screen roles in a guest capacity, but you can watch the first two (very brief) teasers here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLdeHQ_0nts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0idSAp9HRk With What We Do in the Shadows actually starting its life as a short back in 2005, the concept of flatting members of the undead arguing about bloody dishes has taken quite the journey since those early beginnings. If any idea was going to come back in multiple guises, it's this one. Of course, so have Clement and Waititi. Clement has a new Flight of the Conchords TV special airing on HBO this month, while Waititi two post-Thor: Ragnarok flicks in the works — a stop-motion animated effort called Bubbles, about Michael Jackson's chimp, and another by the name of Jojo Rabbit, set during World War II and starring Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell. The US remake isn't set to air in America until early-to-mid 2019. Via The Hollywood Reporter / Variety. Image: Kane Skennar.
Human beings are relentless in the search for extraterrestrial life, even though we've been conditioned to fear alien invasion since H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds. Nevertheless the search continues, and advances in technology could make it possible to explore every nook and cranny of the universe. NASA's exploration of Mars has lead to incredible discoveries, most important of which has been of the traces of methane in the atmosphere that suggest either geological or biological activity going on beneath the seemingly dead surface. Of particular interest are the Seven Sisters, seven large gaping holes in the surface which could be havens for past or present life forms. Unfortunately, the rovers sent to the surface couldn't enter them. Aron Kisdi, an engineer at the University of Southampton in the U.K., has thought of a solution to that problem. Kisdi has proposed the use of miniature swarming robots programmed to maneuver like honeybees, which could explore the Seven Sisters, recording temperatures and co-ordinates of sites where life might be lurking. Insect-inspired robots have already been tested closer to home: Swarming Micro Air Vehicle Network (SMAVNET), is a swarm of flying robots developed in Switzerland to aid rescuers in disaster areas, whose behaviour is modelled on army ants. It will be a while before human-built insect-robots are crawling all over Mars though, according to Kisdi the availability of enough energy to power them on long missions is a major challenge.
Four days, one coastal hotspot, and oh-so-much to see, eat, drink and do: that's your latest excuse to treat yourself to a trip to Byron Bay. Back in July, it was announced that the seaside New South Wales town was getting a brand-new festival that's all about food and culture — and now that event, Caper Byron Bay Our Food and Culture Festival, has announced its program. Firstly, yes, the fest has undergone a name change. Rather than just lapping up all that the region has to offer under its old title Revel, the new moniker now encourages attendees to go a-frolicking. But other than that one switch, the idea is still the same, spanning eating, drinking, checking out art, listening to tunes and being merry in gorgeous surroundings. Taking place between Thursday, November 10–Sunday, November 13, Caper boasts a hefty culinary component as curated by Chef David Moyle, who has been Chief of Food at Harvest Newrybar since 2020. Highlights include bottomless oysters and bellinis at Balcony Bar & Oyster Co, natural wine-fuelled degustations at Supernatural, distillery tours at Brookie's Gin and a sourdough workshop with Bread Social. Soon-to-open newcomer Bar Heather is doing a five-course dinner with Palisa Anderson, while 100 Mile Table at Stone & Wood is hosting a backyard barbecue — and Treehouse on Belongil is opting for a mix of beats, bubbles and brunch. A farm-to-table feast with The Farm and Three Blue Ducks and The Hut's Spanish fiesta are also on the bill, alongside pop-up yum cha — with the Brunswick Picture House being taken over by Melbourne Chinatown diner ShanDong MaMa on the Saturday and Sunday. Also making the journey, but from Brisbane: Louis Tikaram from Stanley, who'll be part of a cabaret takeover at the same space. Another standout: celebrating embrace Bundjalung Nation's Indigenous culture via a walk on Country tour led by Explore Byron Bay owner and Arakwal woman Delta Kay, then a five-course lunch curated by Karkalla chef and owner Mindy Woods. An 'anti-bad vibes circle' with OneWave Fluro Friday; free exhibitions at Yeah, Nice Gallery, art salon Gallery 7, Gallery 3 and ThomGallery; and horse-riding followed by brunch or lunch at Zephyr Shack are also on the wide-ranging agenda, with more than 30 events filling out the program If you're keen to see where the day takes you in-between the official activities, head to the Caper Village, aka a massive food, beverage, music and art precinct that's set to sprawl across the whole North Byron Hotel in the Byron Arts and Industrial Estate. It'll host live music, DJs and art installations, as well as workshops, panels and talks. Caper Byron Bay Our Food and Culture Festival runs from Thursday, November 10–Sunday, November 13 at various locations around Byron Bay and the Northern Rivers region. For more information, head to the festival's website. Images: Jess Kearney.
As a staple of New Zealand's food scene for more than a decade, Botswana Butchery now has two Aussie outposts, bringing its luxe meat-focused offering first to Sydney, and more recently to Flinders Lane. With room for 300 punters across three levels, Botswana Butchery Melbourne is giving locals a taste of the brand's signature swanky styling and expansive menu celebrating premium meat and seafood. Inside, handsome Charlotte Spary-designed interiors feature marble-topped counters, sunken dining areas and sumptuous booth seating, as well as two terraces overlooking Flinders Lane. The kitchen is using a woodfired grill to celebrate a generous array of quality Aussie meat, while premium seafood and artisan charcuterie are heroed via a dedicated raw and cured bar. Ocean-fresh bites might include the likes of torched hiramasa kingfish with eggplant relish and burnt orange dressing ($28); snapper ceviche finished with tiger's milk ($29); and Alaskan crab leg sharing a milk bun with remoulade and iceberg lettuce ($39). There's a caviar service, too, or you can get your charcuterie kicks with options like wagyu bresaola ($22) and the house chicken paté ($19). Meat-lovers will find 14 steak — and lamb — cuts sourced from across Victoria and beyond, topping out with the 1.6-kilogram Rangers Valley Tomahawk for $320. Elsewhere, venison tartare is elevated with Tasmanian wasabi ($32); roasted blue eye is matched with a mussel saffron butter ($46); and a Berkshire pork chop stars grilled figs and fennel pollen ($52). More tough decisions await you over on the 1000-strong wine list, which champions Australian and New Zealand drops, and in the upstairs bar, with its expansive offering of cocktails, top-shelf tipples and rare spirits. Images: Garth Oriander
Melty jaffles, oozy raclette, crispy saganaki and an array of other cheesy dishes are all on the menu at Cheese Night. Happening every Wednesday from 5pm, this turophile's dream is a collaboration between Longsong — the bar above Thai restaurant Longrain on Little Bourke Street — and cheesemonger Anthony Femia of Maker and Monger. For every session, Femia handpicks a selection of outstanding Australian cheese, which the Longsong chefs then transform into a delectable morsel. Most selections come from small producers, such as South West Victoria's L'Artisan, where third-generation cheesemaker Matthieu Megard uses only local, organic milk and traditional techniques. Once a month, Femia attends in person, to host a cheese tasting. You might've seen him dishing up raclette from his antique French food cart at Prahran Market or heard that he came fourth at the 2013 Cheesemonger World Championships held in Loire Valley, France. Meanwhile, behind the Longsong kitchen is head chef David Moyle, whose CV includes Circa and The Pacific Dining Room. Bookings can be made online or by getting in touch with the eatery via email or phone, and it's an a la carte, pay-for-what-you-eat affair. Image: Griffin Simm.
Huge music tours are back on Australia's agenda — and they aren't just confined to chart-topping stars, iconic names and huge festivals. In the classical world, the London Symphony Orchestra is also coming our way to play a series of shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. And, the 2023 tour will mark only its fourth-ever trip Down Under. Famous for everything from being the official orchestra of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games ceremonies through to recording the Star Wars, Superman, Indiana Jones, Thor and The Shape of Water film soundtracks, the LSO held its first-ever gig in 1904. That means it's been picking up its instruments for almost 120 years — and in that time, it has only visited Australia on three occasions before now. The April and May shows at QPAC in the Sunshine State, the Sydney Opera House in the Harbour City and Arts Centre Melbourne in Victoria will also see the orchestra make the journey Down Under for the first time since 2014. If it's drama you're after, get ready to watch music director Sir Simon Rattle's baton fly as he conducts the orchestra during his final season with the organisation. The LSO is bringing 114 musicians our way for the tour, including two Australians: Naoko Keatley and Belinda McFarlane, both on violin. And, it's the largest orchestra it has ever toured to our shores. The orchestra will play three different programs — two each in Brisbane and Melbourne, and a third in Sydney as well. All cities will be treated to a night featuring John Adams' 'Harmonielehre', Claude Debussy's 'La Mer' and Maurice Ravel' 'Daphnis and Chloé Suite No.2', plus an entire evening dedicated to Gustav Mahler's 'Symphony No.7'. As for that extra Sydney gig, it'll feature Daniel Kidane's 'Sun Poem' and Anton Bruckner's 'Symphony No.7'. Before its 2014 tour, the LSO first came to Australia in 1966 and then again in 1983. LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2023 AUSTRALIAN TOUR Friday, April 28–Saturday, April 29 —Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane Monday, May 1–Wednesday, May 3 — Sydney Opera House Friday, May 5–Saturday, May 6 — Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne The London Symphony Orchestra will tour Australia in April and May 2023. For further information and to buy tickets — with on-sale dates varying per city — head to the Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and websites. Images: Mark Allen.
Australia has Lune fever. That's been the case for a few years now, as the world-renowned Melbourne bakery keeps serving up delicious pastries, and also spreading its wares around the country. At present, it boasts stores in Fitzroy, the CBD and Armadale in Melbourne, plus South Brisbane and Burnett Lane in Brisbane — and it has two Sydney shops on the way, one in Darlinghurst and another in Martin Place. Also slinging Lune's wares, just for three days: select Koko Black shops. Why? Lune Croissanterie has teamed up with Koko Black to unveil a limited-edition new croissant collaboration named The Belgian Truffle. Why again? To celebrate World Chocolate Day on Friday, July 7. This year's decadent creation takes Lune's signature pastry and adds a gooey Koko Black cocoa frangipane and Guanaja fondant centre. It's also topped with tempered chocolate shards, salted cookie crumb, mascarpone chantilly and Koko Black Belgian truffles. This delectable treat will be available at Lune's Melbourne and Brisbane outposts, plus selected Koko Black stores in Melbourne and Sydney, plus a special one-off Lune Sydney pop-up over the weekend. If you want to get your hands on a croissant, Friday, July 7–Sunday, July 9 are the dates to mark down in your diary. Melburnians can head to Lune's trio of outposts, plus Koko Black's shops at The Glen, Como Centre, Highpoint, Doncaster, Royal Arcade, Flinders Lane, Melbourne Central and Chadstone. Brisbanites, you're going to Lune and Lune only. "This pastry is a classic for a reason. Our traditional croissant, elevated to celebrate Koko Black's Belgian truffle. It's the ultimate, decadent chocolate treat," said Lune founder Kate Reid. These pastries are set to be in high demand, so it's best to head down early to avoid disappointment. Lune's own venues will be trading as normal, while Koko Black will be open from 9am on Friday and Saturday, and from 10am on Sunday. Lune Croissanterie and Koko Black's 2023 World Chocolate Day special The Belgian Truffle is available at all Lune stores in Melbourne and Brisbane, and select Koko Black stores in Melbourne, from Friday, July 7 – Sunday, July 9.
In a case of common sense prevailing — and, a cinema realising that charging more during peak times wasn't going to lure movie-goers in — Village Cinemas has cancelled their surge pricing trial on movie tickets. The theatre chain issued news.com.au with a statement, advising "we were running pricing variation trials over the summer period which we appreciate may have caused angst and concern to our customers." The company continues, "we can now confirm that all pricing variation trials have been stopped effective immediately... Our goal is to ensure movie going remains as an affordable entertainment choice for our guests." As first reported on Reddit, Village had been increasing ticket costs after 5pm on Fridays and Saturdays, to the tune of between 50 cents and $1 more per movie — and ramping up candy bar prices by between 30 cents and $1 per item as well. Yes, it's the same concept that Uber users hate during busy periods, on trial at multiplexes including Crown, Fountain Gate, Doncaster, Jam Factory, Southland and Werribee during the summer school holidays. While the idea of variable movie ticket prices isn't new — student discounts, cheap Tuesdays and the like — charging more during peak cinema-going slots was never going to be well-received given that Aussie ticket costs rose 31 percent in the decade to 2016. And though Village Cinemas was ramping up the cost in popular periods, it wasn't decreasing them for slow sessions and times. Via news.com.au
Step aside negronis and espresso martinis, the whisky highball is fast becoming the go-to drink for anyone who wants their cocktail crisp, refreshing and full of character. And we've got Japan (and Suntory) to thank for it. With over 125 years of drinks innovation, Suntory has shaped Japan's drinking culture in a way few others have. From founding the country's first whisky distillery to refining the art of balance and precision in every pour, the brand has always been about setting the benchmark. One of its greatest hits? Toki Whisky. A modern 100% authentic Japanese blend that's easily mixed (especially in a whisky highball). The Origins of the Highball While the whisky highball first bubbled up in the UK as a way to lighten strong spirits, Japan made it a staple. Back in 1923, Shinjiro Torii founded the Yamazaki Distillery with a dream to create a truly Japanese whisky. It was a bold move that kicked off a whisky revolution and eventually led to the rise of the Japanese-style highball. Suntory's Kakubin whisky (meaning 'square bottle') debuted in 1937 and quickly became a staple in izakayas across the country, thanks in large part to its starring role in the highball. In the 1950s, Suntory opened a chain of bars in major cities called 'Torys Bars', which specialised in highballs. Workers would clock off, crowd in and knock back highballs with grilled skewers and salty snacks. Light, dry and approachable, the highball offered a clean canvas that brought out the subtle complexity of Japanese whisky. Toki Whisky, Suntory's smooth, well-balanced and incredibly drinkable take on a traditional blend, is tailor-made for highballs. Meaning 'time' in Japanese, Toki is a mix of malt and grain whiskies from Yamazaki, Hakushu and Chita distilleries by Fifth Generation Chief Blender, Shinji Fukuyo. With notes of green apple, basil and honey, it's light enough for daytime sipping and complex enough to hold its own with food. So, What Exactly is a Highball? A classic highball keeps things clean and simple. Japanese whisky, cold soda water, ice and a peel of citrus to garnish. But don't be fooled by the short ingredient list, the highball is all about precision. With one part whisky to three parts soda, it's meant to highlight the whisky, not drown it. The bubbles should be fine, the citrus subtle, and the ice big enough not to melt too fast. It's basically the minimalist's dream drink. The Signature Toki Highball 45ml Suntory Toki Blended Japanese Whisky 3 parts premium soda water Grapefruit slice or lemon peel Method: To make a classic Toki Highball, start by chilling a glass with ice. Pour in one part chilled whisky, give it a quick stir, then top with chilled soda water. Stir once (gently, from the bottom up) to keep the bubbles intact and garnish with a twist of grapefruit or lemon peel. Or, you can skip the ice altogether and let the whisky's flavour come through. A Drink That Plays Well With Others The real beauty of the highball? It's customisable. You can swap lemon for yuzu or grapefruit, add a touch of ginger, or even infuse your soda with herbs. Take it a step further by pairing it with food. The highball's crisp profile makes it a natural match for salty, fried or umami-rich dishes, like karaage chicken, grilled yakitori or even a cheeky bowl of hot chips. Where To Try a Suntory Toki Whisky Highball In April and May, venues across Sydney and Melbourne are rolling out limited-edition menus where you can sip a perfectly poured Suntory Toki Whisky Highball with an expertly paired snack. Sydney locations: Bancho, Ito, Tokyo Bird, Ora, Moku, Ennui, Genzo, Tanuki, Prefecture 48: Ibushi and Whisky Thief. Melbourne locations: Waxflower, Lucy Liu, Yakimono, Bar Bellamy, Izakaya by Tamura, Kura, Tokyo Tina, Gogyo or Bincho Boss. Every venue is giving the highball their own spin, so you can taste a few versions and pick your favourite. Visit your local venue this April and May to experience a Suntory Toki Whisky Highball and snack pairing. More details at the Suntory Time hub, Sydney here and Melbourne here.
For the much of the second half of 2020, the Sunshine State has been off limits to Victorians. Over that period, the status of Queensland's borders has changed multiple times — as it has throughout much of 2020 — including shutting out all of NSW, then reopening to all of NSW except Greater Sydney, then recently closing to Adelaide residents. But, finally, Victorians will be able to make the journey north from Tuesday, December 1. Today, Wednesday, November 25, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced on ABC News Breakfast that Queensland will reopen its border to all of Victoria from the first of next month — which is less than a week away. The move was flagged in yesterday's similar announcement about reopening to all of New South Wales on the same date, but was contingent on the southern state not recording a new case in the past 24 hours. Victoria has now had 26 consecutive days with zero new cases and yesterday hit the milestone of zero active COVID-19 cases for the first time since February. The Queensland Premier called the announcement "very, very good news" — and said the lack of community transmission of COVID-19, plus testing rates and sewerage testing results, all played a part in the decision. She also noted that the Sunshine State now expects an influx of visitors over the summer holidays. Of course, this is also good news if you're a Queenslander now keen on a Victorian getaway, as you'll be able to head to Melbourne and not have to worry about quarantining on return. The Sunshine State will continue to keep its borders closed to 20 South Australian LGAs for the foreseeable future. Whichever way you're heading, though, you will still need a border pass. It isn't required to leave the state, but you'll need one to enter, regardless of whether you're a tourist or returning resident. To obtain a pass, you'll need to apply online, with each one valid for seven days. For more information about Queensland's border policies, head to the Queensland Government website.
Life keeps finding a way to bring new movies in the Jurassic franchise to cinemas — and its characters keep finding a way to come face to face with prehistoric creatures. Three years after Jurassic World Dominion, the saga's latest instalment will stomp into picture palaces come winter Down Under. Welcome to ... Jurassic World Rebirth. Also, welcome to a cast featuring Scarlett Johansson (Fly Me to the Moon), Jonathan Bailey (Wicked) and Mahershala Ali (Leave the World Behind) embarking upon a clandestine mission to a secret island that was home to the research facility for Jurassic Park's original dino sanctuary. The date for your diary to discover how that turns out (which, for the human characters involved, will be badly): Thursday, July 3, 2025. The idea at the heart of the series' seventh entry, as the just-dropped first trailer for the flick shows: on the landmass at the centre of the new movie, different species of dinosaurs to those that the films have featured before roam — species that were considered too dangerous for the park. Johannson plays covert operations expert Zora Bennett, who heads there with Bailey's palaeontologist Dr Henry Loomis and Ali as her righthand man Duncan Kincaid — and company — to obtain genetic material that could help develop drugs to save human lives. Accordingly, Rebirth turns a Jurassic World movie into a heist film — with pesky rampaging ancient beasts. As well Johansson, Bailey, and Moonlight and Green Book Oscar-winner Ali, the movie's lineup of on-screen talent also spans Rupert Friend (Companion) as a pharmaceutical executive; Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer) as a civilian who gets dragged into the mission after becoming shipwrecked; Luna Blaise (Manifest), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty) and Audrina Miranda (Lopez vs Lopez) as the latter's family members; and Philippine Velge (The Serpent Queen), Bechir Sylvain (Black Mafia Family) and Ed Skrein (Rebel Moon) among Zora and Krebs' crew. In the feature's storyline, five years have passed since the events of Jurassic World Dominion — which, for audiences, followed 2015's Jurassic World and 2018's Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom in the Jurassic World saga, plus 1993's Jurassic Park, 1997's The Lost World: Jurassic Park and 2001's Jurassic Park III in the OG Jurassic Park trilogy. Jurassic World Rebirth director Gareth Evans (The Creator) is new to the franchise, but knows a thing or two about flicks about fighting giant creatures courtesy of 2010's Monsters and 2014's Godzilla. Rebirth does have a key link back to the debut Jurassic Park movie, however, with screenwriter David Koepp returning after co-penning the initial film and scripting the second solo. (Koepp also returns to grappling with dinosaurs after a three-movie run writing screenplays for Steven Soderbergh with Kimi, Presence and Black Bag.) Check out the first trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth below: Jurassic World Rebirth releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, July 3, 2025.
O captain, my captain. There are few actors that can make your heart break and your sides hurt in one feel-fuelled moment. Perpetually twinkly-eyed, Oscar-winning actor Robin Williams had done just that for many of us, becoming a sort of surrogate dad for many of our childhoods with his high-pitched Doubtfires, high-fiveable genies and Sesame Street how-tos. "Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan, and everything in between. But he was one of a kind. He arrived in our lives as an alien – but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit. He made us laugh. He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most – from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our own streets," remarked President Barack Obama this morning. With the tragic news of the 63-year-old comic genius's passing this morning, we took time to delve into the impact Williams has made on audiences young and old, opening minds through unrivalled slapstick comedy, Academy Award-worthy drama and that loud, lively, unforgettable voice. While an entire, kickass career can't be summed up in a list of ten (special mention to his unbreakable role as Aladdin's genie, the heartbreaking Patch Adams, everyone's favourite Jumanji and the terrifying One Hour Photo), here's a modest snippet of ten ways Robin Williams opened minds, hearts and lamps with his extraordinary talent. https://youtube.com/watch?v=vdXhWS7lLvs Dead Poet's Society The quintessential lesson in seizing the day, 1989's Dead Poets Society saw Williams take on unforgettable English teacher John Keating (and nab an Oscar nomination for it). Kicking his students into gear with a love of poetry and a fierce ability to tackle life head on, Williams' Keating is one of those captivating, To Sir With Love-like teacher characters who kicks your own butt into gear along with the characters. And then there's that table-topped scene. We're all standing tall with an "O Captain, My Captain," today. Williams Gold: "We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?" Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse." https://youtube.com/watch?v=mXkApy0gkjM The Birdcage Making plain the ridiculousness of right-wing conservative homophobia, The Birdcage saw Williams delve into the world of gay cabaret to expose widely shared prejudice and bullshit. Playing South Beach drag club owner Armand Goldman in this remake of the hugely popular French musical farce La Cage aux Folles, Williams and his drag queen partner (Nathan Lane) have to put up a 'straight front' in front of a his son's fiance's narrow-minded parents. Damn good comedic timing from Williams and Lane makes a mockery of disdain and small-minded attitudes, with the subtlety of Williams balanced by the high pitched screams of Lane. Williams Gold: "Yes, I wear foundation. Yes, I live with a man. Yes, I'm a middle-aged 'fag'. But I know who I am, Val. It took me twenty years to get here and I'm not gonna let some idiot senator destroy that. Fuck the senator, I don't give a damn what he thinks." https://youtube.com/watch?v=qM-gZintWDc Good Will Hunting The role that earned Williams his Oscar (and rightly so). Teaming up with Matt Damon for a genuinely kickass onscreen partnership, Williams channelled all previous dramatic experience into his role as Sean Maguire, counselling Damon's troubled mathematical genius. Nailing a particularly rousing, almost one-take monologue in the park, Williams' performance cuts to the core of knowledge versus experience, knowing about something as opposed to feeling it. Then there's his delving into "superphilosophy" and Dead Poet's Society-like Take Control speeches. Williams Gold: "You think I know the first thing about how hard your life has been, how you feel, who you are, because I read Oliver Twist? Does that encapsulate you? Personally, I don't give a shit about all that, because you know what, I can't learn anything from you, I can't read in some fuckin' book. Unless you want to talk about you, who you are. Then I'm fascinated." https://youtube.com/watch?v=MAp8j4c2LGs Mrs Doubtfire Tackling divorce in an accessible way for your inevitably young viewers is a masterful skill for any film team — and Chris Columbus's Mrs Doubtfire nailed it. Dragging up in order to secretly spend time with his kids, Williams' wild and wonderful lead role as Daniel Hillard was deliberately appealing to a broad audience, dissolving the stigma attached to divorce at the time by making the simple facts plain (not to mention the Tootsie-like gender role adventure). Groundbreaking for the time, Sally Field (Miranda Hillard) and Williams didn't get back together in the end. So while audiences were chortling over Williams' fiery breasts or whipped cream face mask, the comedic master was giving a lesson in attitude change. High-freakin-five. Williams Gold: "Sink the sub. Hide the weasel. Park the porpoise. A bit of the old Humpty Dumpty, Little Jack Horny, the Horizontal Mambo, hmm? The Bone Dancer, Rumpleforeskin, Baloney Bop, a bit of the old Cunning Linguistics?" https://youtube.com/watch?v=W4fmVJ3nPs0 FernGully: The Last Rainforest Soaring through the rainforest canopy and throwing down a mean rap, Williams' Batty Koda taught us one important environmental lesson: humans truly suck. Teaching us to respect the natural environment, stop being tossers and Damn the Loggers, FernGully saw the fairy community and the recently-freed-from-animal-testing Batty take on a freakin' terrifying Tim Curry-voiced, human-released menace called Hexxus. Rapping out his terrifying past and constantly 'changing channels' through his human-installed aerial, Batty was one of Williams' most underrated performances — voiced the very same year as his kickass Aladdin genie (every inch worth a spot in our ten, we ran out of room for Williams chockers resume). Williams Gold: (Best rapped out loud) "I've been brain-fried, electrified, infected, and injectified, vivisectified and fed pesticides. My face is all cut up 'cause my radar's all shut up. Nurse, I need a check-up from the neck up. I'm Batt-ay." https://youtube.com/watch?v=Gl3e-OUnavQ Sesame Street A constant friend to the imaginary, education-addicted New York City street, Williams opened our minds to many a truth nugget as youngsters. While it's actually quite sad to watch his tutorial on how to tell whether something is alive, his clip unpacking conflict (above) is just adorable. Then there was that time he gave Elmo a stick. For years, Williams trained our silly young'un minds about things that matter, now Sesame Street mourns their lost, loveable friend. Williams Gold: "You can be playing baseball in the World Series, hit it over the fence and realise "I'M THE ONE." Or maybe you can be playing hockey... or you can be at the Olympics, throwing the javelin... Or you can be doing incredible things like riding a horse through the pass, leading all the wagons through. Or you can have a cane and you're dancing around with Tommy Tune, or it can be a conductor's baton... You can be at the head of the parade, or you can be AN ENGLISH OFFICER MARCHING FOR NO REASON, AROUND, BACK AND FORTH, or you can be playing pool..." (Williams on the uses of a stick.) https://youtube.com/watch?v=JsJxIoFu2wo Hook Growing up is overrrated. We all knew this was the main Peter Pan soapbox, until Williams took us through imaginary food fights, insult-slinging and Dustin Hoffman showdowns while keeping his grown-up life (read: family) together. The film that pretty much embodied Williams' anti-growing up lifelong persona, Hook saw Williams lend a new street cred to Pan, one absent in Jeremy Sumpter's poor 2003 effort. Williams opened our minds to the art of insults at the dinner table, a true artform. So if growing up comes with being a fusty, fun-hating adult and losing your ability to silence a regular Rufio, sign us up for a ticket to Williams' Neverland. Williams Gold: "Rufio, if I'm a maggot burger why don't you eat me! You two-toned zebra-headed, slime-coated, pimple-farmin' paramecium brain, munchin' on your own mucus, suffering from Peter Pan envy! I'll tell you what a paramecium is. That's the paramecium. It's a one-celled critter with no brain, that can't fly. Don't mess with me man, I'm a lawyer!" https://youtube.com/watch?v=wuk8AOjGURE Good Morning Vietnam Shaking things up on breakfast radio is one thing, doing it on a US Armed Services Radio station during the Vietnam War is another. Playing the highly unorthodox DJ , Williams nabbed another Oscar nomination for giving a finger to the system as Adrian Cronauer in Good Morning Vietnam. Diverting from his dull, monotonous radio predecessors, Cronauer's dynamite, wacky morning broadcasts turn real when he experiences first-hand the horrors of war — a broadcast truth that sees him replaced and facing another battle to get back on the air. Williams balances wacky outlandishness with dramatic poignancy, channelling all the Damn the Man finesse with high-fiveable conviction. And if we could wake up every day to Williams respect for microphone technique instead of certain bullshit shock jocks, we'd be outstandingly happy campers. Williams Gold: "GOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING VIETNAAAAAAAAAAAAM." https://youtube.com/watch?v=PXeSgVk5aH4 Stand-Up Outspoken on everything from porn to the Vatican (and often blending the two), Williams made no compromises for his stand-up gold. Exposing hypocrisy in the Bible, taking digs at the Pope and slamming homophobia, Williams countless stand-up tours opened minds to prejudice, stupidity and the questionable nature of religious doctrine — made immortal through the biggest catalogue of vocal impressions you've ever seen in one sitting. Williams Gold: "In the beginning, Genesis, 'let there be light.' Could that be a metaphor for the Big Bang? 'No. God just went click.'" https://youtube.com/watch?v=v9g1yRXF8I8 Mork and Mindy "Nanu-Nanu." Less WTF than Bowie's The Man Who Fell to Earth and significantly less heartbreaking than ET, Mork and Mindy made a rambunctious ride out of alien-human relations. One of Williams' first real lead roles, Mork was a spin-off show from his bit character on Happy Days — Williams had impressed producer Gerry Marshall who cast him on the spot, later quipping that Williams was the only alien who auditioned for M&M. A bonafide archive of Williams' comic voices, slapstick and twinkly humour, Mork made us question the weird, wonderful and (most often) trivia parts of human life and the things we take for granted. Williams Gold: "If my knees knock any louder, I'm gonna look inside my pants and see who's there." Vale, Robin Williams. You freakin' ruled. Anyone across Australia experiencing a personal crisis or thinking about suicide can contact Lifeline. Regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation their trained volunteers are ready to listen, provide support and referrals. Lifeline answer around 1800 calls every day from Australians needing crisis support and suicide prevention services. Lifeline provide all Australians experiencing a personal crisis with access to online, phone and face-to-face crisis support and suicide prevention services. Call 13 11 14 for 24hr telephone crisis support or visit their website here.
If you're a Queenslander with a trip to Melbourne in your future — or vice versa — the pandemic has just interrupted your plans. Yes, again. With the Victorian capital now in a five-day lockdown in an attempt to contain its latest COVID-19 cases, the Sunshine State has just declared the southern state a coronavirus hotspot. And, as a result, Queensland will close its borders to all of Victoria once more. The change was announced today, Friday, July 16, by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, and will come into effect at 1am tomorrow, Saturday, July 17. It applies to the entire state, and doesn't have an end date at present. With the Victorian closure, folks who've been in that state will no longer be permitted to enter Queensland unless they receive an exemption and then go into government quarantine for 14 days. This affects anyone coming into Queensland who has been to Victoria in the past 14 days. And, if you arrive in the Sunshine State from Victoria during the remainder of today, you'll be required to go into a five-day lockdown at home, just as if you were still down south. https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1415818067334946816 Queensland's online travel declarations are also in effect, after the state brought them in permanently back in June. So anyone travelling to the Sunshine State from another Aussie state or territory — or from NZ — always now needs to fill out the form. Announcing the border closure today, the Premier said that "the clear message to Queenslanders is definitely do not go to New South Wales and do not go to Victoria during this period of time." And, yes, it's interesting to note that the borders will close to all of Victoria based on its current cases; however, with New South Wales, the borders are currently only closed to the Greater Sydney area. For more information about Queensland's COVID-19 border restrictions, or about the status of COVID-19 in the state, visit the Qld COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website. For more information about COVID-19 in Victoria and the state's current restrictions, head over to the Department of Health website.
There are some things that remain universal truths in the realm of television: Early episodes of The Simpsons are much better than the later, 'The Contest' and 'The Soup Nazi' are hands down the greatest things to happen on Seinfeld, and Breaking Bad is the best thing that's been on TV in recent years. Though these claims usually land you in nerdy arguments over a pint of beer, they can now be statistically proven due to the help of one glorious person with too much time on their hands. Graph TV is an easy-to-use website made by Kevin Wu, data analyst extraordinaire, that charts the rating of every episode of every TV series rated on IMDb. Let's just take a second to compute that information. You can type in the name of any show and find out which is the best and worst episode, how the series tracked as it went on, and when it officially should have called it quits. The future is here, and it's incredibly nerdy. Wu claims he thought of the concept while watching the final episodes of Breaking Bad. "I thought the last half of season five was just amazing, and wondered if people thought the same,” he said. After a quick look at the chart, it's easy to tell the majority of people agreed with him. Yeah, science! Obviously, the ratings system is still incredibly subjective. It's just a collection of opinions after all. But if democracy has taught us anything it's that there's strength in numbers, and when nearly 2000 people vote to say that racist episode of How I've Met Your Mother was the worst thing to happen in the entire show, I'm inclined to believe them. The numbers get more convincing when you move to bigger shows like The Simpsons. Showing a gradual but steady decline in viewer ratings over the show's long run, your argument at the pub can finally be put to rest. The highest rating episodes are all old classics from seasons 4-8. The lowest rating, however, is not the horrible compilation shows they tacked together for the offseason, but the cameo of Lady Gaga in season 23. Ouch, that's gotta hurt. Via Wired.
Winter is coming, as Game of Thrones has been telling us for years — but the show's final season is coming first. Before the weather turns cold again in the southern hemisphere, fans of the epic HBO series will be able to discover how the popular series wraps up, with the eighth and final season hitting the small screen at 11am on Monday, April 15. That's next week, friends. Prepare the snacks. And with the final season, will come the death of many more cherished characters. As George RR Martin has shown us, over and over and over again, no one is safe from his murderous pen (or keyboard) — any character's death is fair game. The list of deaths in the first seven seasons is long — longer than even Arya Stark's list — and the fallen are being commemorated in an eerie new Game of Thrones cemetery, which has popped up in Sydney. Yes, right here in Australia. Two mausoleums and many, intricately designed, gravestones have been spread across 2000 square metres of Sydney's sprawling Centennial Park by Foxtel, ahead of next week's series premiere. And each is inscribed with the names of who lays inside. There are the fallen Starks: Eddard, Benjen and Rickon; the Baratheons (or should we say Lannisters): King Tommen, Joffrey and Robert; and the Stark direwolves: Shaggy Dog, slain by Smalljon Umber in S06E09, and Summer, mauled by wights in S06E05. [caption id="attachment_716483" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hodor's grave.[/caption] We'll never forget who else died in that latter episode — 'The Door' — either: Hodor. He has his own gravestone, as do other series favourites: Khal Drogo, the Sand Snakes and Oberyn Martell. Some of the more disliked characters are also remembered here, including Tywin Lannister, Walder Frey and Ramsay Bolton — whose grave is, fittingly, surrounded by barbed wire. Visitors to the cemetery, dubbed the Grave of Thrones, can download a map of the graves and listen to an eerie audio tour of the cemetery. [caption id="attachment_716488" align="alignnone" width="1920"] King Joffrey Baratheon's grave.[/caption] With the final season promising a huge final battle between the living and the White Walkers, we think this cemetery, which features hands and animals emerging from the graves, may also be ominously hinting to something else: we're going to see the return of many favourite fallen characters — as wights. In the offical trailer, dropped last month, you see Arya running through the halls of Winterfell — could she be running from something, newly reanimated, in the crypts? Then, there's this Crypts of Winterfell teaser. We'll let you continue speculating for yourselves, but expect one helluvan emotional Walking Dead-style murdering-of-fallen-friends battle to go down this season. Prepare many boxes of tissues. In the meantime, we suggest you jump on one of those electric Lime E Bikes and head on down to the cemetery in Centennial Park — you'll find it on Grand Drive near the kids' bike path. Maybe you'll find other hints scattered throughout, too. If you're not in Sydney, we suggest you carefully look through the images above, and the rest of the cemetery online here. Find Foxtel's Grave of Thrones at Fearnley Grounds, Centennial Park, NSW. It's open from 7am–6pm from Friday, April 12 till Sunday, April 14. Game of Thrones Season 8 premieres at 11am on Monday, April 15 on Foxtel.
Its usual mission is to help optimise your lounging time, by hooking you up with comfy, affordable beds and sofas. But from this week, Aussie online furniture brand Koala wants to see you launching yourself off the couch instead, and into a heart-pumping living room sweat sesh. Yes — that same living room you've been seeing a lot of during lockdown. Koala has teamed up with Retrosweat — masters of the vintage-inspired workout — to bring you an at-home aerobics program doused in plenty of 80s Australiana, fittingly dubbed The Great Australian Workout. Best break out the leotards and leg warmers because this is the time-tripping exercise class your dance floor-deprived iso self has been waiting for. Across 12 fun, high-energy episodes, Retrosweat founder Shannon Dooley guides punters through a series of nostalgic workouts they can smash out in the comfort of their own home. With or without a healthy dose of spandex, of course. Expect plenty of old-school ocker lingo, a heap of 80s Aussie references and a fair dinkum retro workout wardrobe that promises to send you straight back to the days of Scott and Charlene's wedding, and Olivia Newton John's Physical. Clocking in at around three minutes each, the free live workout videos have just dropped over at the Koala website, so you can attack one each day or sweat your way through the whole bunch in one go. Plus, those following along on Tik Tok will have the chance to score some sweet prizes. Share a glimpse of some of your own 80s moves and blast-from-the-past workout threads, and you could win some Ken Done artwork or a Koala sofa for your efforts. Clear out that coffee table and get ready to throw down some moves. You can farewell lockdown boredom and catch The Great Australian Workout here. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
The team behind St Kilda East's perennially popular Hank Marvin Market is adding to the family, opening a second permanent market site at Dendy Park next month. Running weekly from October 14, Hank Marvin 2.0 is destined to become one of the Bayside's new go-to Sunday sessions, dishing up a smorgasbord of eats, drinks, shopping and entertainment for all the family. Here, punters young, old and canine can expect the same sort of winning weekend formula that's earned the original Saturday market such a cult following. Living up to its name — Hank Marvin is a play on British Cockney slang for 'starving' — there'll be a globe-trotting lineup of culinary delights, both from familiar food truck favourites like Toasta, Connie's Pizza and Sparrow's Philly Cheesesteaks, and from exciting newcomers like Bao x Waffle and The Gozleme Station. Artisanal food stalls, slinging everything from sourdough to sorbet, will sit alongside those selling homewares and gifts. There'll be coffee from the likes of Hallelujah Coffee to fuel your day, plus fresh-pressed juices and a pop-up bar stocked with craft beers and ciders. And while the littlies get stuck into some face-painting, grown-ups can kick back with a burger, a brew and some tunes served up by the day's selection of local DJs. Hank Marvin Market Dendy Park kicks off on Sunday, October 14, at 306 Dendy Street, Brighton East. Catch it from 9am-3pm each Sunday, or the original at Alma Park East, St Kilda East, from 9am–3pm each Saturday. Images: Shara Henderson
Paperlinks, a savvy Los Angeles-based QR code company, are allowing customers to explore what's on offer at a restaurant via their smartphone. The operation was launched earlier this month and has been put to trial in several restaurants. Once the code has been scanned, customers can browse the menu of the restaurant and order food on their phone. When they check out, Paperlinks then contacts the restaurant via e-mail to relay the order to the kitchen. This smooth operation not only adds convenience for customers, but also gives businesses a little novelty and an exciting new means of interacting with customers. Furthermore, Paperlinks allow you to create QR codes with customised colours and designs. If you happen to own a vegetarian restaurant, you might want to present a lush green QR code at the front of your business. Paperlinks have already worked with high-profile clients including Nestle and GNC. With a plethora of food-based iPhone apps now available for purchase, and with companies like Beat The Q popping up locally, it will be interesting to see the impact that this will have on businesses in Australia and New Zealand. [via PSFK]
For one morning, on what might be the only occasion that Sydneysiders can use this phrase and mean it literally, the Vengabus is coming. Getting everybody jumping is the Uber Pride Ride, a party bus that's hitting the Harbour City for Sydney WorldPride, and running across three weekends — but only one special trip will feature Vengaboys. The Dutch pop group are in Australia for the latest So Pop tour, which plays Sydney on Thursday, February 16. That morning, the band will take a tour of the city with a lucky busload of folks, in a VIP experience that you'll have to keep an eye on Uber's Instagram account to win tickets to. If you want to call the Uber Pride Ride the Vengabus for the rest of its run — from Friday, February 17–Sunday, February 19, Friday, February 24–Sunday, February 26 and Friday, March 3–Sunday, March 5, operating from 6.30–10pm daily — then that's up to you. But, whether you're a Sydney local or a visitor hitting the city just for WorldPride's first-ever stint Down Under, you'll have company in the form of a heap of drag queen stars. Each night's trips will feature different talents busting out onboard activities — so you might be in for a ride filled with drag bingo, karaoke or an inner-city disco on wheels with Jojo Zaho, Carla From Bankstown, Coco Jumbo, Cassandra Queen, Karen From Finance, Annie Mation and more. The Uber Pride Ride is also hosting educational talks from First Nations LGBQTIA+SB advocacy organisation Black Rainbow. Like to party on the way to the party? This is the hop-on-hop-off — and free — bus for you. It'll take an hour-long City Circle loop, departing at 6.30pm, 7.45pm and 9pm each evening, starting at Australian Museum on William Street. From there, it'll head to St James Station, Powerhouse Museum, Central Station, Albion Street in Surry Hills, Flinders Street in Darlinghurst, Oxford Street in Paddington, then via Craigend and William streets back to the beginning. Like free Uber Pool trips as well? On one weekend, from 12–10pm Friday, February 24–Sunday, February 26, the rideshare company is also doing $100 off trips. The Uber Pride Ride will take to the Sydney CBD's streets from Friday, February 17–Sunday, February 19, Friday, February 24–Sunday, February 26 and Friday, March 3–Sunday, March 5, running from 6.30–10pm daily, with a special one-off Vengaboys-hosted ride on the morning of Thursday, February 16. The Uber Pool Pride Offer runs from 12–10pm Friday, February 24–Sunday, February 26, offering $100 off trip. For more information, head to the Uber website.
