Platform sneakers, Union Jack-themed apparel, glittery outfits and anything that screams 90s girl power — it's all currently making its way around Britain as part of a huge new Spice Girls exhibition. Now open in London until August 20, moving to Manchester from August 24 to September 4, and planning to keep touring the country into 2019, Spice Up is exactly what it sounds like. If you wannabe indulging your nostalgia for one of the biggest acts of two decades ago, this is the event to zigazig-ah your way to — and attendees can also see the Spice Bus, aka the double-decker vehicle immortalised in Spice World. In total, more than 7000 items are on display, spanning everything from costumes worn by Melanie Brown, Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell and Victoria Beckham — hundreds of them, in fact — to as much merchandise featuring the group's name and likeness as the organisers could find. Or, if simply spicing up your life by looking at various Spice Girls-themed bits and pieces isn't enough, the exhibition has also recreated a typical fan bedroom from the group's heyday for the ultimate blast for the past. Tickets cost £10 (AU$17.57), if you happen to be in the UK in the next two months — and there's no word yet if Spice Up will take the show on the road beyond Britain. Just cross your fingers and say you'll be there if it does.
When you're in lockdown, you're only meant to go to the shops to buy essentials — and while creative cocktails may be crucial to your stay-at-home experience, gathering all the ingredients to make them doesn't really fit with the intention behind the rule. Thankfully, delivery services have been filling in the gaps. Cocktail Porter is one of them, bringing DIY kits to your door featuring everything you need to whip up inventive beverages. And yes, it's mighty handy even if your part of the country doesn't happen to be locked down at this very moment. Already, the service has delivered three different types of Gelato Messina cocktail kits — including summery concoctions, Easter cocktails served in Easter eggs and dulce de leche espresso martinis. The next packs on its list also feature a beloved ingredient, although Messina isn't involved. But hey, everyone loves Wizz Fizz, right? Yes, we know the answer to that question. Every Australian kid loves Wizz Fizz, and every Aussie that's ever been a kid, because that's something your tastebuds can never outgrow. Cocktail Porter's new DIY Tommy's margarita kits feature the little bags of sherbet alongside Tromba Blanco tequila, agave syrup and Listo Tommy's margarita mix. It also comes with chilli salt, if you'd prefer to spice up your drink. You can pick between two different-sized packs, with a small kit costing $75 and serving up six drinks — and a large pack priced at $135 and making 18 dessert cocktails. Cocktail Porter delivers Australia-wide, if that's your spring drinking plans sorted. The DIY Tommy's margarita kits will be delivered from Wednesday, September 15, and you'll need to have signed up for one by Sunday, September 12. They're actually part of Cocktail Porter's monthly subscriptions, which see a different kit sent to your door each and every month. To order Cocktail Porter's DIY Tommy's margarita kits, head to the Cocktail Porter website.
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of cinemas worldwide, two questions arose: when will they be able to reopen and, with movie release dates instantly thrown into disarray, what will they show? Picture palaces are now welcoming movie buffs back through the doors in some portions of the world, including parts of Australia and in New Zealand, so that's the first query taken care of. Just what they're able to screen, however, is still the subject of constant manoeuvring. Many of the big films that were due to release in 2020 have been shifted to 2021, such as Fast and Furious 9, In the Heights, Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Halloween Kills. Some have remained committed to reaching the silver screen this year, but have still moved their release date over and over, like Tenet. And some have decided to make the jump online — including after rescheduling in-cinema release plans a few times, as is the case with Disney's live-action Mulan remake. As announced this week, the new Mulan will head straight to streaming platform Disney+ in many areas of the world, including Australia and New Zealand. It'll hit the service on Friday, September 4, but it won't be a part of your regular subscription. Instead, you'll have to pay to view it on a video-on-demand or 'premier access' basis, at a cost that's yet to be announced for viewers Down Under. If you want a ballpark figure, though, the US price is $29.99. This isn't the first Disney project to make the move to digital this year, with Pixar's Onward doing the same after a very brief cinema run as the globe went into lockdowns in March. Terrible family-friendly fantasy Artemis Fowl bypassed theatres altogether, hitting Disney+ in early June, while the phenomenal recorded version of Hamilton debuted on the streamer in July. In Mulan's case, it'll mean that fans can not only watch the highly anticipated blockbuster at home, but also finally enjoy the latest screen iteration of the famed character. In Chinese history, the legend of Hua Mulan dates back to the sixth century. At the movies, the formidable female warrior first fought her way across the big screen in a 1927 silent film. Mulan has been no stranger to the page, stage or cinema over the past 92 years, but many folks know the tale thanks to Disney's 1998 animated musical. Now, as it has done with everything from Alice in Wonderland to The Jungle Book to Aladdin, the Mouse House has turned the story into its latest live-action remake. Once again, Mulan (played by Chinese American actor Liu Yifei) will evolve from dutiful daughter to kick-ass combatant, all to protect her family in a time of war. She's originally due to be married off to a husband chosen by a matchmaker, until the Emperor of China issues a decree stating that one man per household must serve the Imperial Army as it endeavours to fend off northern invaders. To save her ailing ex-soldier father from having to fight, Mulan disguises herself as a man, takes on the name Hua Jun and becomes an icon. Forget rousing tunes or a talking dragon voiced by Eddie Murphy. This time, the tale hits the screen without a singing and smart-talking sidekick, but with plenty of sword-swinging, arrow-flinging antics. In New Zealand director Niki Caro's (Whale Rider, The Zookeeper's Wife) hands, this version of the story goes heavy on the action and empowerment, as shown in the spectacularly choreographed scenes seen so far. As well as Liu (whose resume includes The Forbidden Kingdom and The Assassins), the new Mulan features Jet Li as the Chinese Emperor, Gong Li as a witch, Donnie Yen as the protagonist's mentor, Jason Scott Lee as a villainous army leader, and Yoson An (The Meg, Mortal Engines) as her fellow fighter and love interest. Check out the full trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK8FHdFluOQ Mulan will be able to view via Disney+ — on a 'premier access' video-on-demand basis from September 4, 2020. Image: © 2020 Disney Enterprises, Inc.
The highly anticipated FIFA Women's World Cup 2023™ is making its way to Australia and New Zealand, heralding a new era for the beloved game. This occasion signifies the first time the two countries have hosted the World Cup, reflecting the sport's growing popularity and the increasing appreciation for our remarkable female athletes. Sydney will be buzzing during this monumental event, offering numerous ways to participate. While we celebrate the trials and triumphs of our favourite teams, why not indulge in some international cuisine to commemorate the occasion? Whether you're a Sydney local or visiting for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023™️, be sure to explore our top picks for delightful bites that perfectly complement the exhilaration of football fever.
High-rises aren't the most ideal set-up for making new buds. It's not every apartment-dwelling crew that's lucky enough to undertake wacky antics in the hall, eat from each other's fridges and bond over Ugly Naked Guys across the way. You're more likely to encounter your neighbours through the wall — outlandishly vocal bedroom activity, raging Avicii-fuelled parties, World Cups. It's all pretty negative, fist-shaking stuff, usually moderated by your tired, tired landlord. But what if some friendseeking architecture firm just wanted us to all get along, even design friendships between neighbours? It all has do to with space. Dense, high-rise housing can be an isolating place to live, even though you're surrounded by hundreds of people and their better-than-yours cooking aromas. Vertically-stacked apartment living often lacks those common areas where you can bump into your (often hundreds) of neighbours and hang out — courtyards, gardens, front porches; Actual House areas — resulting in the whole nod-and-smile, awkward silent elevator ride and subsequent, perpetual avoidance of eye contact. But you might have more in common than you think with mean old Mr Macgillycuddy downstairs. Tired of these missed, loneliness-curing opportunities and taking cues from corporate setups, a presumably friendly Belgian design firm has come up with an inspired solution. C.F. Møller Architects and Brut Architecture and Urban Design have made social interaction the main goal of their new mixed-use high-rise design in Antwerp. That's right, an apartment tower designed to help you make friends. C.F. Møller's 24-story plan is all about mini-communities. Grouping together similar apartment types (family homes with other family homes, raucous students with other raucous students), the plan throws together residents with typically matching day schedules and increases the chance of bumping into each other for mad chats, recipe swaps and sugar borrowing. Cooking and eating alone's definitely another opportunity for buddying up in apartment living — nothing like a sad, tear-dressed Caesar for one. So the team have included a communal dining area in the design, perfect for post-work vents and cheap pot luck dinners, as well as a roof terrace for those beer-fuelled new friend-making chats. Nothing sparks a new friendship faster than similar interests. Cyclists can event meet other veloheads in the bike repair repair facility. Pet owners can let their four-legged friends roam free all year long in the triple-height indoor garden and students can compare notes from outdoor study sessions in the massive balcony space. While C.F. Møller haven't released a completion date yet, estimates look toward 2017 for the building's red ribbon ceremony. Until then, why not give your neighbours a chance instead of a passive aggressive note? Could be an everyday Ryan Gosling on every floor. Via Fast Company.
If Neighbours wasn't already famously taken as a title of an Australian TV series, it could've also fit Last Days of the Space Age. Set in the 70s in Perth, the eight-part Disney+ show incorporates everything from US space station Skylab and workers striking for their rights to the battle for gender equality, the nation's treatment of Indigenous Australians, grappling with trauma and the immigrant experience — plus Miss Universe and the Cold War as well. Navigating all of the above: three neighbouring families in the Western Australian capital's suburbs. Judy (Radha Mitchell, Troppo) and Tony Bissett (Jesse Spencer, Chicago Fire), Sandy (Linh-Dan Pham, Blue Bayou) and Lam Bui (Vico Thai, Total Control), and Eileen Wilberforce (Deborah Mailman, Boy Swallows Universe) are all good neighbours and good friends. The teenagers in the three households — aspiring astronaut Tilly Bissett (Mackenzie Mazur, Moja Vesna), her surf-loving sister Mia (Emily Grant, RFDS), her best friend Jono Bui (debutant Aidan Du Chiem) and new arrival Bilya Wilberforce (Thomas Weatherall, Heartbreak High) — also all go to school together. Those connections sit at the heart of the series — and, as almost everything that the Bissetts, Buis and Wilberforces know starts to change, their neighbourly ties couldn't be more pivotal. Mitchell and Spencer are more than a bit familiar with this type of situation on-screen. While their careers have taken them overseas for decades — Mitchell has Phone Booth, The Crazies, two Silent Hill films, Olympus Has Fallen and London Has Fallen on her resume; Spencer featured in 173 episodes of House before his Chicago Fire stint; both also co-starred with a 00s-era Dakota Fanning in Man on Fire and Uptown Girls, respectively — they share a past on Neighbours. Last Days of the Space Age is Spencer's big return to homegrown TV, in fact, and his first major Australian small-screen role since playing Billy Kennedy. Ramsay Street's antics aren't set in 1979, of course. Spencer can see the symmetry with the Aussie television role that brought him to fame in the 90s and his latest show, however, he tells Concrete Playground. "The writing quality is a little bit more involved, but that's up to you to decide," adds Mitchell. As Last Days of the Space Age's Judy and Tony, the pair play not just a married couple but also colleagues at the Doull Power Plant, where Tony has been leading the worker strike for six months. When Judy is promoted and tasked with negotiating an end to the union action, their family dynamic is unsurprisingly shaken up. Aided by directors Bharat Nalluri (Boy Swallows Universe), Rachel Ward (Rachel's Farm) and Kriv Stenders (Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan), creator David Chidlow (Hidden, Moving On) unfurls the Bissetts' upheaval alongside the Bui family's efforts to build a new life after arriving from Vietnam. With the Wilberforces — and with 1979 marking 150 years since Perth was founded — the series also confronts the impact of colonisation. Game of Thrones fans will spot Iain Glen (Silo) among the cast as well, as Judy's father Bob. Also included in the clearly ambitious series, which enthusiastically embraces its era and its tonal rollercoaster: Tony's journalist brother Mick (George Mason, Exposure) covering the beauty pageant, where USSR contestant Svetlana (Ines English, Dead Lucky) is a frontrunner under close watch by her KGB minder Yvgeny (Jacek Koman, Prosper). With Last Days of the Space Age available to stream via Disney+ since Wednesday, October 2, we chatted with Mitchell, Spencer and and French Vietnamese actor Pham about what excited them about the show's bold mix of elements, the fight to be treated fairly that thrums through the series, balancing its tones, Mitchell and Spencer's homecoming, Pham connecting to her roots, Neighbours and more. On What Excited Mitchell, Spencer and Pham About Starring in Last Days of the Space Age Jesse: "I was in the States, I just had my first child and this script came across my desk — and I love period dramas. It was my first chance to play a father with two daughters, so I felt like I was looking into my future a little bit. I knew nothing really about unions or the history of unions, but my character's a very passionate union leader, so I researched that — and there's a whole pretty awful history of treatment of workers back in the day, and workers' rights. But the whole project felt like a really interesting ensemble. It was quite quirky, but it was ultimately about families, and families fighting for each other — and societal change and how they coped with that. And it was really well-written. Then I got to Australia and it was a great cast, and it was a great experience to bring it off the page and bring it to life on the screen." Linh-Dan: "I think when I choose projects, there's always something personal, somehow, unconsciously. And this one was very clear: it was about reconnecting with my roots, basically. Even though my parents didn't go through what the Bui family has gone through, I managed to talk to some of my relatives about it, and it reopened the conversation — and also discovering the hidden pain, the trauma, was my way to get into Sandy. The script was actually so amazing anyway, and period pieces are so interesting. To go back: first of all, Australia, I love traveling; 70s outfits, hello disco. So it was a no-brainer for me." Radha: "There's so much in all of the storylines, and this sense of community, and all different parts of the fabric of the Australian identity being reviewed, in a way, because we have an opportunity to have a bit of distance between now and 1979. I thought that was really an interesting mirror to history, how we've constructed our sense of identity and where we're going to go with it now. Looking through the lens of that period, I thought was really interesting. And I liked all the characters. I felt it was written with a really compassionate, kind perspective. There's so much snarky nastiness in the media lately, that it was nice to just be involved in a story that was trying to put something positive into the world. So I felt very aligned to all those aspects of the script." On Mitchell and Spencer's Homecoming — and the Joy of Not Needing to Imitate US Culture Radha: "It was a little bit of a sense of coming back home, maybe, for me and Jesse — that we were able to bring some of where we've come from to where we are now. It felt like a bit of a contribution for me, being able to come home and do something that I felt aligned to." Jesse: "Every Australian actor I know — because a lot of work is international, and for a lot of actors too — but every actor I know always loves to go home and try to do a project. Because you spend a lot of time learning about throwing yourself into other cultures, and more or less trying to imitate authentically who they are, and where they are in certain points in time and stuff. So to bring it back to something that's much more familiar is just a pleasure. Things are much, much more tangible. It's accessible. There's still challenges, but it makes it very, very fun. And especially when there's good writing and good casting — I know a lot of actors who are always trying to go back to their home countries and do it. And this was an opportunity to do that. So I grabbed it." Radha: "It's interesting — an imitation. That is true when you're working in the US." Jesse: "I mean, you don't think about it. You don't want to think about that." Radha: "Yeah, but you're imitating the culture, whereas here, I feel like this is our culture, talking about things that we're part of." On Whether Making a Show About Neighbours After Acting on Neighbours Feels Like a Full-Circle Moment Radha: "I think Jesse would say so." Jesse: "Yeah, a little bit. There was a little bit of that. Although, yes and no, because the dynamics, the themes that run through the show, the dynamics between the characters, is just a little different to Neighbours, but there is a similarity there." Radha: "We are neighbours in the show." Jesse: "I mean, we're next door to each other." On the Series' Resonant and Repeated Focus on Fighting to Be Treated Fairly Jesse: "I think it's a human trope. Everyone's fighting a hard battle against themselves and in society. It's something everyone can relate to. And it's enjoyable to watch, I think, characters have obstacles — to come up against them, sometimes fail, but sometimes find a way around that and breakthrough for a transformation. That's what this show is all about. It's about transformation, courage and ultimately hope." Radha: "But it's subverted, I guess, in a great way by this crazy stuff that's going on in history, and the crazy costumes. And all this stuff, there's a sincerity to it, but there's also an irreverence about the storytelling, which I think attracted me to it." On Balancing the Mix of Warmth, Tragedy, Humour and History Radha: "That's the challenge in the discovery. I think we were on set thinking 'what is this? Is this a comedy?'." Jesse: "Right. Right." Radha: "'Look at your outfit, man. I can't even look at you without laughing' — but here we are, we're doing this very serious scene." Jesse: "But that's life as well, when it's this tragedy but it's also kind of funny — a bit of black humour or quirky sort of humour. There's always a million shades of grey, which is better than just one colour. And yeah, that was a challenge. And we were always trying to figure out what the tone is in the scene and where you were with the character." Radha: "Even Bharat [Nalluri], who was the first director for the series, was like 'wow, okay, we're really going to create this together, the tone'. And we felt comfortable that he had recognised that that was part of what we were doing — that it couldn't be just taken for granted. I think that's what makes the series unique, that it's got its own tone, its own voice — and I think that was what we created." On How Pham Approached Playing a Character Caught Between Making a New Life and Grappling with Trauma Lin-Danh: "Well, you go deep. I think somehow what your parents instil in you, your family, your surroundings, you feed yourself from all of that, and it's the mystery also of acting, sometimes. Actually, my aunt had written a story about her side of the family, a book she self-published. I did read about that. And it was ups and down all the time, her first few years in France where she lost everything and she refused to go back to Vietnam, and had to fend for herself with her three kids. They were boat people, met some pirates. So, you just talk to these people and you feed off it. It feels a bit selfish and sometimes like I'm forcing a little bit. But they were very generous and we had great conversations with my family that I had not really had kept in touch with. So that's how I got through Sandy." On Mitchell's Take on Judy Being Pulled in Every Direction Both at Work and at Home — and Finding Herself in the Chaos Radha: "I just wanted to keep her really real. And I felt maybe what was charming about her is that she didn't want to do all these things. They were just happening and she was discovering her talents in action, but she wasn't ambitious at all. It was just happening, it was her nightmare that she was going to be doing all these things, and yet she was discovering herself in them. I thought that was really interesting about her. She wasn't this empowered woman — she was somebody discovering her power. And the conflict around that at home, and the challenges of having teenage daughters that just don't want to listen to you, I think it sort of played itself out. And maybe even my own personal bias against it — just feeling that I like these emancipated female characters, so to cut my own wings in the role was really interesting for me. I think those were the challenges, and I was lucky enough to be working with great actors, and we created this wacky little family together. And then the friendships around that, I think layered it with this — I think Linh-Dan was saying it was a feminist show in a way, and I don't think it is only, but it certainly celebrates the relationships between women and the details of women's lives in a kind of intimate way. I think that's one of the beautiful parts of the storytelling." Last Days of the Space Age streams via Disney+ from Wednesday, October 2, 2024. Images: Joel Pratley, Tony Mott and Mark Rogers.
If you've been saving up for an end-of-year getaway, eyeing a ridiculously-priced beauty gadget or simply getting a head start on holiday gifts, the Velocity 1 Point Rewards Store could hook you up. Run by Virgin Australia's frequent flyer program, the pop-up is stocked with hundreds of wishlist-worthy items — and the only currency needed is a single Velocity point. Earlier this month, Brissies and Sydneysiders queued overnight to get into the Velocity 1 Point Rewards Store pop-ups in the respective cities. And on Friday, September 19, the mystery gift carousel rolls into the Melbourne CBD — setting up shop at Bourke Street Mall, just a minute away from Mecca's triple-decker flagship store. The event has always been a crowd favourite, with the 2023 iteration drawing snaking lines down Chapel Street. [caption id="attachment_1024597" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption] At 8am, sharp, the door will open to a shopaholics' carnival. There will be a life-sized carousel of mystery rewards, plus claw machines and shelves lined with coveted Myer products. Everything is priced at just one Velocity point, and downloading the app grants you a hundred. Up for grabs are Dyson Airwrap multi-stylers, Wellcare LED face masks, Prada Paradoxe and Burberry Hero fragrances, Bose QuietComfort headphones, Virgin Australia flights and lounge access. [caption id="attachment_1024601" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption] Daniel's Donuts will be fuelling hungry hopefuls with free freshly-baked doughnuts and there's a live DJ set to keep the energy up. It's limited to one reward per person, and if you have any questions, simply approach one of the Virgin Australia crew members in their signature cherry-red uniforms and lilac neck ties. [caption id="attachment_1024600" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption] Loyalty programs are an underrated way to save money or score some sweet freebies without spending a cent — the modern-day version of coupons, if you will. Amidst cost-of-living pressures, the 1 Point Rewards Store is a reminder from Velocity that everyday spending adds up, and even your grocery runs alone could unlock unexpected treats. Velocity 1 Point Rewards Store will open on Friday, September 19th. For more information or to sign up for a membership, visit the website.
It's not as if you need an excuse to tuck into fried chicken and natural wines on a Thursday night, but, just in case you do, Belles Hot Chicken has you covered. Their new weekly party, dubbed Limited Release, will kick off this Thursday, July 6 with a weekly changing line-up of food, booze and tunes at the eatery's Windsor outpost. Acting as a head start to the weekend, these Thursday night parties will see punters celebrating their Friday eve with a little help from all that Belles goodness — we're talking about a curated list of rare natural wines to sip on; tunes spun by PBS legend DJ Manchild; and a tidy range of one-off dishes from Belles owner and chef, Morgan McGlone. He's turning out specialities like oozy pimento cheese and fried baloney sandwiches, along with a decadent white chocolate and strawberry cheesecake for dessert. If you're looking to kick start the weekend, you've come to the right place.
Deciding how to spend what is potentially your first big international trip in years is a big call. If you're seeking the buzz of a big city but don't want to forgo outdoor adventures, we have an unexpected suggestion for you: New York State. Yep, The City That Never Sleeps delivers all the metropolitan hype you're craving while also being within reach of countless intrepid adventures. Extend your stay in the state and dedicate some time to experiencing all the incredible scenery and activities the blissful upstate region has to offer — it'll add another memorable dimension to your trip. Here, we've teamed up with New York State to present a selection of epic outdoor adventures that'll level up your next holiday itinerary. [caption id="attachment_851067" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mike Groll[/caption] PADDLE DOWN THE HUDSON WHILE HEARING LOCAL LEGENDS Along the Hudson River's eastern shoreline, the charming village of Sleepy Hollow is well worth a visit to check out the eclectic mix of historical buildings, multicultural food spots and recreational activities. It also happens to be one of New York's best spots for kayaking. Kayak Hudson ensures visitors of all experience levels can enjoy the scenery with an expert guide on its two-hour tour. You'll launch from a tiny beach at Horan's Landing, then paddle down the river past the 19th-century Tarrytown Lighthouse. Plus, if you're a fan of ghost stories, you'll love hearing all about The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, a spooky tale that gives the community its haunted reputation. [caption id="attachment_844987" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NYSDED, Darren McGee[/caption] TREK THROUGH DIVERSE FOREST TERRAIN The city streets offer plenty of excitement, but you don't have to travel far to find mind-blowing hiking destinations in New York. A two-hour drive from NYC, the Catskill Mountains is another hugely popular mountain range. Across a diverse network of hiking trails, populated with waterfalls, river crossings and woodland terrain, this outdoor wonderland is an undeniably rewarding area to discover. The average wayfarer won't have a problem completing the Kaaterskill Falls hike. Likewise, the Overlook Mountain summit, which you'll reach via a steady incline will reward you with sweeping views of Hudson Valley, plus old hotel ruins and a fire tower. Or, a little further afield, discover the state's highest peaks in the colossal Adirondacks — Ampersand Mountain reaches 1022 metres and you can reach the summit via a sprawling trailhead lined with wildflowers and panoramic views. [caption id="attachment_844999" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NYSDED, Darren McGee[/caption] TAKE A TOPSY-TURVY RIDE DOWN A RIVER There are many experiences that spring to mind when thinking of New York. Theatre shows. Basketball games. Eating your weight in pizza and hot dogs. But whitewater rafting? Probably not. Well, throw it on your bucket list because the state actually has a selection of places to ride the rapids. The Black River Gorge plunges visitors into a narrow ravine loaded with bumpy ledges and boulders — you'll paddle through 14 major rapids on a 3.5-hour Adirondacks River Outfitters Adventures tour. Elsewhere in the Adirondacks, Ausable Chasm is also recognised as a top-notch rafting location, with this floating tour providing a relatively calm water-going experience. Departing from Table Rock, you'll navigate through the Grand Flume canyon to soak up the striking rock formations before arriving at the Whirlpool Basin's choppy rapids. [caption id="attachment_847389" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Courtesy of Maid of the Mist[/caption] GET UP CLOSE TO NORTH AMERICA'S MOST LEGENDARY WATERFALLS Maid of the Mist has operated in the shadow of Niagara Falls since 1846, attracting nature-lovers looking to get an up-close glimpse of the three waterfalls that encompass this famous landmark. Its tours of the Falls started out in rickety rowboats 150 years ago, but you'll be glad to hear that Maid of the Mist's fleet has undergone a significant upgrade — it began tours on 90-foot zero-emission electric vessels in 2020. Prepare to be awe-struck as you make for the base of the American side of the Falls standing atop the double-decker boat in your souvenir poncho, which will (somewhat) protect you from the near 600,000 gallons of water rushing over the falls per second. You'll also be taken to check out the largest of the bunch – Horseshoe Falls – to encounter dramatic whitewater pools and towering rock formations. [caption id="attachment_845287" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NYSDED, Darren McGee[/caption] ZOOM THROUGH THE AIR AT DIZZYING HEIGHTS Step out of your comfort zone with the New York Zipline Adventure Tour. Set against the backdrop of the Catskills at Hunter Mountain, this canopy experience is the highest, fastest and longest in North America, ensuring you get a once-in-a-lifetime perspective on the surrounding mountain peaks. There are two adventures to choose from: the Skyrider Tour and the Mid-Mountain Tour. The former is the top choice, as you'll hook into five separate zip lines that stretch for over seven kilometres. As you whip along at breakneck speeds, the peak distance from the ground of 180 metres is bound to make your head spin. [caption id="attachment_844982" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Larry Tetamore[/caption] GET A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OVER AN EXPANSIVE STATE PARK You won't find many places better for hot air ballooning than Letchworth State Park, a sprawling green expanse nicknamed 'The Grand Canyon of the East'. The landscape definitely lives up to this moniker, with dense woodlands, waterfalls and gorges, ensuring your gentle float through the air comes with a spectacular view. On a tour with Balloons Over Letchworth, you'll lift off from Middle Falls to rise high above the countryside before gliding so low you can almost touch the rivers. Tours run daily from May to October, depending on the weather, but an autumn visit guarantees you'll catch colourful changes sweeping across the hinterland. [caption id="attachment_846386" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NYSDED, Darren McGee[/caption] FLEX YOUR SKIING SKILLS AT THIS MASSIVE WINTER RESORT You don't need to trek across the country to find a celebrated ski destination — this one is just 2.5 hours from NYC. The Catamount Mountain Resort provides an excellent experience for alpine enthusiasts, particularly after a major 2018 upgrade brought new lifts and snowmaking machines to support the diverse runs (the longest of which is 2.8 kilometres) and a snow tubing park. Yet winter isn't the only time to visit, with the mountain resort remaining incredibly active throughout the warmer months. Home to the longest continuous zipline in the United States at almost 1700 metres, as well as a thrilling aerial adventure park, Catamount is the perfect spot to immerse yourself in New York's midsummer beauty. [caption id="attachment_851070" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NYSDED[/caption] DIVE SEVERAL SHIPWRECKS BENEATH ST LAWRENCE RIVER Forming part of the international border between the United States and Canada, the St Lawrence River has been a major shipping corridor for hundreds of years. Unfortunately for the vessels and some of their crew, this treacherous stretch of the Thousand Islands-Seaway region has claimed many a freighter and schooner. Today, the river is one of North America's top shipwreck diving locations for beginners and experts alike, with dozens of vessels to explore. Several local dive companies organise gear and guided underwater adventures to the most popular, including the Islander and the SS Keystorm. [caption id="attachment_846387" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NYSDED, Darren McGee[/caption] BE A BIG KID FOR THE DAY AT THIS NATURE-FOCUSED INTERACTIVE PARK Over the last 25 years, The Wild Center has become one of New York's premier attractions for outdoor encounters. Situated in Tupper Lake, on the edge of the Adirondacks, this sprawling 115-acre property's nature walks, museums and kid-friendly play areas help bring people closer to the natural world. The Wild Walk is the park's most popular activity, featuring a series of elevated bridges and tree houses leading visitors through the forest canopy. Meanwhile, a viewpoint replicating a massive bald eagle's nest provides a stellar spot to take in the landscape. Alongside a vast network of hiking trails and ponds, there's also fascinating public art and wildlife encounters. To start planning your trip to New York State, head to iloveny.com. Also, be sure to check out our recommendations for the best food and drink stops, cultural experiences, places to stay and day trips from NYC. Top image: NYSDED, Darren McGee
Before Parasite and after Parasite: for audiences, for the film world in general and for composer Jung Jae-il, that then-and-now split applies. Bong Joon-ho's 2019 movie earned immensely deserved devotion and collected almost every accolade that it could — including the Palme d'Or at Cannes, the Sydney Film Prize, a Golden Globe, two BAFTAs, a Screen Actors Guild Award, an Asian Pacific Screen Award, five Grand Bell Awards and, making history, four Oscars — as it wowed everyone, viewers and awards voters alike, with its class-clash black comedy/thriller tale. It wasn't Jung's first collaboration with the Memories of Murder, The Host and Snowpiercer director or his last; however, it was an unsurprisingly pivotal, influential and impactful experience. "First of all, I just fell in love with film music," Jung tells Concrete Playground. "Because I'd been composing for so many genres, like dance, pop, all genres, for decades, but I'd never thought I would be a professional film composer," he continues. Prior to Parasite, Jung had other film scores to his name, including for the Bong co-written and produced Haemoo (also known as Sea Fog) and the Bong-directed Okja, but lending his musical talents to the Kim family's efforts to infiltrate the Park household "was very challenging and exciting," he notes. "And making music for the film, it just made me go deep inside of me. Trying to translate the director's vision and the edit, the cuts, I have to understand what the cut needs in a musical way." "I felt like I have to be a translator‚ to translate the director's vision to musical language. And it was very exciting — sometimes very despairing — but [I thought] 'oh, this could be my turning point'," Jung furthers. "And as a pop musician, pop composer, pop music is very short. Sometimes it's even two minutes. And I had a really hard time to make that short music, because I like to make drama in music — but to make drama, it's too short," he says. "So all of this is very inspiring. I can give my mind more to film music. I just love that." Jung's music career dates back to being a teenager. For the big screen, he's now also the composer behind Bong's Mickey 17, Hirokazu Kore-eda's Broker — the acclaimed Japanese filmmaker and Shoplifters Palme d'Or-winner's first South Korean feature — and 2025 Sundance-premiering American dramedy Twinless. On the small screen, one of the biggest streaming sensations of the 2020s wouldn't have proven the same without his integral contribution, with scoring Squid Game also on Jung's resume. [caption id="attachment_1009331" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Squid Game S3. No Ju-han/Netflix © 2025[/caption] Thanks to that fight-to-the-death hit Netflix dystopian thriller dropping its second season at the end of 2024, then its third and final run in mid-2025, and also due to Mickey 17 reaching cinemas and Twinless doing the film festival rounds as well, the past year has been particularly huge for Jung. Now comes a trip to Australia for something that's rarely occurred before: Parasite in Concert. At the Melbourne International Film Festival — where Twinless is also playing — the composer is both performing and conducting Parasite's score live, aided by Orchestra Victoria, across two shows on one day. "It's very special for any composer, because it's a live-to-picture show. Just performing scores live is very common, but with the screen from top to the bottom it's so very rare. It is quite challenging as well — but for me, it's a lifetime experience as well," Jung advises. The complexity springs "because I should play exactly with the screen. So we have a very complicated playing system, the metronome and clicks, and all that. That is very challenging." [caption id="attachment_1016407" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix[/caption] What goes into preparing for Parasite in Concert for Jung? "It's very simple to play just by myself, but I have to collaborate with the orchestra, so I should prepare the score and parts, and talk with the maestro or the musical director," he explains. "And I'm going to move to Melbourne just before, three days or two days before the show, and rehearse with them for about a whole day. So I should prepare the two-hour score in a day. That's very challenging for me, but very exciting as well." Attendees will witness the results on Saturday, August 23, 2025 at Melbourne's Hamer Hall, in what's set to be one of the highlights of MIFF's 73rd edition — and a stunning way to help close out the festival's Thursday, August 7–Saturday, August 24 in-person stint for the year (its online program also runs from Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 31). Jung is also set to speak about his career on the same morning in an hour-long in-conversation session. In the lead up to his trip Down Under, we chatted with him about his composing journey so far, too, as well as working with Bong Joon-ho multiple times, finding inspiration, his path to Squid Game, his first response to the show's premise and more. On Jung's Journey as a Composer Leading Up to Parasite "When I was a teenager, I worked as a session musician — guitar and piano. And for many composers and many singers. And one day, this one composer called Won Il— he is a very famous composer, especially in traditional and film composing in Korea — suggested me to arrange some parts of a score, and that was the very first start for me. And then as a main composer, I worked for a film called Marine Boy. That was my first film. Nobody knows the film in Korea, but it was a little bit not a good experience for me — too many works and too little income. So I thought 'I cannot be a film composer right now'. So I just forgot about that. And after that, Baram just came to me to work with them, and they required me to make music with only traditional Korean instruments. That was very challenging and very interesting, so that's why I said 'okay' for them. And with that film, it was very interesting, but not helpful for my life — not helpful for my financial situation. So I just forgot that. And after that came the film Sea Fog, which is the film where the executive producer was Bong Joon-ho. And with the film, 'oh, this is film scoring. Oh, this is quite exciting.' And I love the orchestra — and I could use the orchestra a lot. So that was a very satisfying project. Sea Fog, nobody knows as well, but I just started to see the precious thing in film scoring. And with Okja, Parasite, I just definitely fell in love with film scoring." On Jung's Creative Partnership with Bong Joon-ho Across Okja, Parasite and Mickey 17 "As I said before, I'm just a translator. I don't want to express my own individual musical taste or musical hope like that. I'm concentrating on what this director is thinking and what this cut is saying to me. That's why Mr Bong Joon-ho likes me, because I'm just concentrating on his vision only. But that's the basic attitude for me to work with other directors as well." On the Bong Joon-ho's Meticulousness and Precision — Including Only Shooting the Exact Shots He Needs, and How That Type of Approach Carries Over to Movie Scores "To be honest, that is very common in Korean film. Everybody does that. But Bong Joon-ho really explains precisely what he's thinking. So, I don't say that much. He just tells me what he's been thinking and how this cut is completed — I think that's it. And when you get the final locked version of cut, after that I have to take care of everything regarding music. But when he doesn't like my first version of music, he tells me what he doesn't like, what he likes, very precisely — sometimes in a very imaginative way, sometimes in a very practical way. That's why Mr Bong Joon-ho is different among other directors." On Finding Inspiration for a Score From Beyond a Director's Instructions "For Parasite, Bong Joon-ho just told me that he'd been listening to baroque music, baroque-era music, a lot while he was writing the script. But as a self-taught composer, I didn't know much about baroque music. So I had to research Vivaldi, Bach every day. Sometimes I played Bach's 'Goldberg Variations' every morning. So I practiced and I exercised to get the baroque elements into my body, into my heart. That's one way to find the inspiration." On Getting Into the Right Mindset for Parasite "As a film composer, the first opening theme is very important. Even though it's not a main theme, the opening theme is very important for a composer because it's the first step. And with that first step, the path is going through — and in the script of Parasite, the first phrase was 'very hopeful music with despair'. I didn't know what to do, so I tried several versions of opening them." On How Genre Impacts the Way That Jung Tackles a Film Score "Basically I love drama, because I love to use the orchestra or piano, rather than computer music or band music. So I prefer drama rather than sci-fi or a thriller. For Mickey 17, it's a sci-fi, but it's a film about love at the same time — love and hope and peace. So I could use piano and orchestra in a very traditional way, because even if it's sci-fi, I could make the score in a very traditional way — and I am very happy with that." On Working with Hirokazu Kore-eda on Broker "I just watched this film Nobody Knows in 2004. I was really shocked, and I just fell in love with this film. And I've been tracking all of his masterpieces for decades. And finally, I heard the news that he is going to make a film with Korean staff and Korean actors. So I just wrote a letter to him with my previous works: 'I would love to work with you in Korea'. That's how I worked with him. That was the first time I approached a director before he approached me." On How Parasite's Success Helped Jung's Career, Including Putting Him on the Path to Squid Game "It was unbelievable recognition for me. I'm just a person who works backstage, behind the curtain. I had many opportunities, many chances. And because of Parasite, I just met director Hwang Dong-hyuk of Squid Game. And Squid Game is an unbelievable success. It's a phenomenon. I got proposals from many American directors for many scripts — and even I released my own solo album with Decca Records in London, which I'd never thought about before. But for me, my life is not that changed, because I'm just working alone in my own studio. But the obvious thing is now I don't have to prove myself to other people. That's quite comfortable for me — I only need to concentrate on how to make good music. That's the most-important part, most-important change for me. And I just fell in love with series or film music — to translate the vision into musical language. That's very powerful work and very useful work at the same time, because film is not going to fade away — music is film's best friend. So they're the most-exciting changes for me." On Jung's First Response to Squid Game's Premise "It was so brutal and cruel, so I just thought 'I could do this' and 'this is very quite exciting'. And I was a fan of Mr Hwang Dong-hyuk because of his previous work called The Fortress. I've watched that film about 10–20 times. So I had very deep faith in him. So even though the script was very brutal, full of blood, I could read the humanity. The very deep studying of humanity — I could read that in the script, even in the tragedy and violence. [caption id="attachment_977953" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Squid Game S2. No Ju-han/Netflix © 2024[/caption] So 'yeah, why not?'. Because he was my hero, one of my heroes — and 'yeah, I would love to do this'. But for me, it was very challenging as well because it was a series — my first time on a series — because I was very used to two-hour films. But this is nine-hour films. So 'oh, I could do that?'. That was very challenging for me." [caption id="attachment_840359" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Squid Game S1[/caption] On the Influences for Squid Game's Score "Every time that I make a new score, I search for a unique way. Unique is better than common things. That's how I'm thinking. So I just found these musical instruments which are very familiar for Korean children in elementary school — they learn that instruments like recorder, castanets, tambourine, melodeon, that kind of thing. And 'oh, that that could be very interesting'. [caption id="attachment_1007294" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Squid Game S3. No Ju-han/Netflix © 2025[/caption] And children are not good at performing, so they make disharmonies and no rhythms, then that makes some kind of scary sounds as well. So 'let's start with these elements'. That was my first way to approach Squid Game. And I composed some cues that felt a little bit like Hollywood-style music, but Mr Hwang Dong-hyuk really hated that Hollywood-style approach. So I just thought 'alright, I could just remove this Hollywood-style, I'm going to stick to very unique and powerful, sometimes-traditional style'. That's how it started from the first part." On Evolving the Music for Squid Game Across Three Seasons "I think I just concentrated on how to make this scene powerful. I could revise or rearrange and repeat the main theme — the successful themes — time to time, but I decided to make original ones a little bit more. So one is very different from two. Two is very different from one. And three is very different from two. But for season three, I repeated this one theme called 'I Remember My Name', which is first used in season one and it represents the farewell in death. That is the most-repeated theme of Squid Game — and other than that, all are original." Parasite Live in Concert takes place on Saturday, August 23, 2025 at Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Road, Southbank — head to the venue website for tickets and further information. The 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival runs from Thursday, August 7–Sunday, August 24 at a variety of venues around Melbourne; from Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 17 and Friday, August 22–Sunday, August 24 in regional Victoria; and online nationwide from Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 31. For further details, visit the MIFF website.
Crime thrillers set against the Australian landscape. A monstrous figure terrorising a woman and her son. The return of a famed action franchise. An outback western as blistering as it is beautiful. They all rank among the best homegrown films of the past few years — but what'll join them in 2019? Perhaps it'll be one of these ten must-sees. The year ahead promises another diverse array of Aussie cinema, spanning local outlaws, dystopian sci-fi worlds and Northern Territory-set romantic comedies — and, of course, plenty in-between. Some, we've seen. Others, we can't wait to feast our eyes on. Either way, we have your Australian watch-list covered for the next twelve months. THE NIGHTINGALE Jennifer Kent's second feature is a film of darkness, visceral shocks and deep-seated pain. It's a movie that, from the moment its probing images start flickering across the screen, is impossible to forget. And yet, The Nightingale couldn't be more different from Kent's directorial debut, The Babadook. Set in 19th-century Tasmania and charting an Irish convict's (Aisling Franciosi) mission of revenge against a British soldier (an astonishing against-type Sam Claflin) — as well as the perilous trek, guided by an Aboriginal tracker (Baykali Ganambarr), to fulfil her furious task — Kent's exceptional sophomore film is a stunning statement about gender and race that hits hard, and often. Finally set to release in 2019, if the movie sounds familiar, that's because it made our 2018 list as well. Australian release date TBC. TOP END WEDDING After The Sapphires proved such an enormous success back in 2012, filmmaker Wayne Blair is once again joining forces with radiant star Miranda Tapsell — and this time, the latter's also co-writing the script. Premiering at Sundance this year before hitting local screens at a yet-to-be-revealed date, Top End Wedding follows couple Lauren (Tapsell) and Ned (Bohemian Rhapsody's Gwilym Lee), who are just ten days out from tying the knot. The hitch? They have to find Lauren's mother in the Northern Territory first, in this upbeat comedy set against a striking, sunny backdrop. In Australian cinemas May 2, 2019. I AM MOTHER Also headed to Sundance is dystopian sci-fi thriller I Am Mother, a film that seems familiar, story-wise, but definitely finds its own niche. Set to make a star out of its Danish lead Clara Rugaard, Grant Sputore's movie introduces viewers to a girl who has been raised in a high-tech underground bunker by a supremely intelligent robot she calls Mother (voiced by Rose Byrne). Then a stranger (Hilary Swank) arrives, and an already bleak and twisty effort delves further into its premise. I Am Mother screened as a work in progress at the 2018 Adelaide Film Festival to packed cinemas — and it's certain to garner more attention when it properly reaches Aussie theatres. Australian release date TBC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygfTbGmKRd0 HOTEL MUMBAI Primarily shot in Adelaide, and featuring an all-star cast of Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, Jason Isaacs, Tilda Cobham-Hervey and Homeland's Nazanin Boniadi, Hotel Mumbai recreates the terrifying reality of Mumbai's 2008 terrorist attacks. Largely focusing on the plight of those inside the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel — guests, employees and assailants alike — it's an understandably tense experience. Anthony Maras' effort should also ring a few bells and not just from real-life events, with the film another holdover from our 2018 list. After premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, it's set to play at Australian theatres in March. In Australian cinemas March 14, 2019. RIDE LIKE A GIRL For her first feature as a director, Rachel Griffiths takes on a sport that the country has very mixed feelings about: horse racing. But while movies about galloping around tracks aren't that uncommon in Aussie film industry, Ride Like a Girl's focus is all there in its name. Starring Berlin Syndrome's Teresa Palmer, the movie tells the tale of Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup. With Sam Neill and Sullivan Stapleton also among the cast, Griffiths hasn't wasted any time bringing the story to the screen, given that Payne emerged victorious in the race that stops the nation in 2015. Australian release date TBC. EMU RUNNER A small film with a big heart, Emu Runner steps into the world of nine-year-old Gem Daniels (Rhae-Kye Waites), whose quiet but happy life is torn apart by tragedy. To both her father (Wayne Blair) and the local social worker's (Georgia Blizzard) dismay, the girl starts skipping school and wandering around town — and, as often as she can, spending time in the presence of a wild emu that's forever linked to memories of her mother. Lovingly canvassing the outback landscape, writer-director Imogen Thomas crafts an affectionate film about a child trying to find her place in the world. But the film makes a sharp statement too, interrogating the clash between white and Indigenous Australian cultures, as well as the stereotypes perpetuated by the former towards the later. Australian release date TBC. [caption id="attachment_559597" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Goldstone[/caption] LOVELAND With Mystery Road and Goldstone, Ivan Sen gave Australia two fantastic outback crime thrillers. With Loveland, however, he's plunging into vastly different territory. Shooting in Hong Kong and starring Hugo Weaving and Ryan Kwanten (and, we hope, Aaron Pedersen in there somewhere), Sen's new effort is a sci-fi romance set in a futuristic Chinese mega-city. The details are sparse from there, but given the writer/director/producer/editor/cinematographer/composer's track record — including a barely seen 2009 film about UFO hunting called Dreamland — there's plenty of cause for excitement. Australian release date TBC. [caption id="attachment_702900" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] For Those in Peril[/caption] THE TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG Two out of three is a fantastic hit rate for a filmmaker who has only been making features since 2011. And while the less said about Assassin's Creed, the better, here's hoping that Justin Kurzel's The True History of the Kelly Gang lines up alongside the simply stunning duo that is Snowtown and Macbeth. Working with Peter Carey's novel of the same name, the Aussie director has certainly assembled a stellar cast to help relay this bushranger tale. English talent George MacKay (11.22.63, Pride, For Those in Peril) plays infamous outlaw Ned Kelly, while he's joined by fellow Brits Charlie Hunnam and Nicholas Hoult, Leave No Trace's Thomasin McKenzie, and local standouts Claudia Karvan, Essie Davis and Russell Crowe. Australian release date TBC. [caption id="attachment_702905" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Puzzle[/caption] DIRT MUSIC Another year, another Tim Winton adaptation. After the success of Breath, 2019 sees fellow Miles Franklin Award-winner Dirt Music make its way to cinemas. Unsurprisingly, a small town and the sea both play a part, with the narrative exploring a woman's (Kelly Macdonald) strained relationship with a fisherman (David Wenham), as well as the stranger (Garrett Hedlund) that she starts an affair with. Gregor Jordan — aka the last Aussie director to take on Ned Kelly — sits in the director's chair, while Aaron Pedersen and Julia Stone (yes, that Julia Stone) also feature among the cast. Australian release date TBC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BwO2I3-mRA&feature=youtu.be 2040 What will the world look like in just over two decades time? Let That Sugar Film's Damon Gameau inform you. He ate unhealthily for his last documentary, and now he's pondering the future in a film that's part doco, part visual letter. While the actor-turned-filmmaker hasn't picked up psychic abilities from all of that sugar, he has enlisted experts in climate, economics, technology, civil society, agriculture and sustainability to help with 2040. As with his last effort, it's a movie not only focused on telling a tale and educating the public, but also on making a difference. Australian release date TBC.
Darling Group is best known for opening and acquiring some of Melbourne's top cafes (Higher Ground, Top Paddock, The Terrace, Kettle Black), while recently branching out into the restaurant scene (Token and Stringers). Like many of the larger hospitality groups in Melbourne, the Darling Group continues to expand (even if the industry is struggling right now). Most recently, it opened Cheri — a new all-day eatery located right across from South Melbourne Market — on Wednesday, November 6. Cheri has taken over neighbouring sites Bibelot and Chez Dre, transforming them into one huge 150-seat venue that's open from 7am–5pm every day of the week. Darling Group's Executive Pastry Chef Michael Germanos is making sure Cheri is home to incredible pastries, cakes and bread, made on-site every morning to be exclusively sold here and across all of Darling Group's other venues. Expect an expansive collection of sweet and savoury croissants, classic eclairs, small and large tarts and cakes, sourdough loaves, baguettes, piadinas and focaccia sandwiches. It's giving full bakery energy throughout the morning, while also serving up an all-day dining menu that covers most of your breakfast and lunch bases. Brekkie bites include polenta porridge with confit spiced dates, mandarin, creme fraiche, cinnamon and pistachios; croissant loaf french toast with maple syrup and cultured butter; eggs benedict served on a croissant wheel; and a lamb merguez fry-up with poached eggs, za'atar yogurt, preserved lemon, mint and pita bread. This is a stacked morning menu that reads like those at Melbourne's best breakfast spots. For lunch, you've got ricotta gnocchi with pancetta, broad bean leaf verde, spring peas, stracciatella and green onion oil; chicken cotoletta with sprouting broccoli leaves, asparagus and cafe de Paris sauce; and seven different pizzas made with 72-hour fermented dough. Pair this all with some signature cocktails — you can never go wrong with a cheeky bloody mary — teas, shakes, sodas, and a decadent Cheri hot chocolate made with milk chocolate, whipped cream and crema di pistachio. You can drop by this spot for a quick takeaway pastry and coffee, or choose to sit in the main dining room or 50-person courtyard — when the sun is shining. We have high expectations for Cheri, not only because Darling Group has proven it knows how to cafe, but because this food menu sounds like an absolute banger. Cheri — located at 285-287 Coventry Street, South Melbourne — is open from 7am–5pm daily. For more information, check out the venue's website. Images: Julian Lallo.
UPDATE, October 23, 2020: On the Rocks is available to stream via Apple TV+. Not once, not twice, but three times now, Sofia Coppola has given the Bill Murray-loving world exactly what it wants. One of the great comedic talents of the past half-century, the Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day star is also a greatly charismatic talent — and, understandably, viewers want to spend more time in his inimitable company. In Lost in Translation, Coppola found a way to take this idea literally, in a fashion. With Scarlett Johansson's unhappy twenty-something doubling as the audience's on-screen surrogate, everyone watching was able to vicariously pal around with Murray's character, a high-profile actor, while taking in quite the tour of Tokyo. In 2015 Netflix special A Very Murray Christmas, the filmmaker let Murray play himself, get jovial and ooze charm. And now in On the Rocks, he steps into the shoes of a debonair playboy art dealer who is determined to help his New York-dwelling adult daughter discover if her husband is being unfaithful. On the Rocks' premise really isn't far removed from Lost in Translation. The film's female protagonist is a decade older this time, her romantic troubles are complicated by both marriage and children, and another bustling city provides the backdrop, but the basic idea remains mostly the same. With Murray as the lively Felix and Rashida Jones as his overstressed offspring Laura, the movie takes them hopping around NYC as they endeavour to ascertain if the latter's workaholic other half, Dean (Marlon Wayans), is cosying up to his attractive young colleague (Jessica Henwick) while Laura is raising their two young daughters. In the process, Felix and Laura chat about anything and everything, covering topics both important and trivial. They eat and drink, and do so in luxe spaces while Felix naturally captivates everyone in his orbit and turns everything into an adventure. Over the course of their investigative escapade, Felix helps Laura work through her struggles, too — although here, their own complicated relationship is actually one of them. There's an immense sense of joy to Murray and Jones' pairing, and not just for Parks and Recreation fans pleased to see the sitcom's Ann Perkins and Mayor Gunderson share screentime (Jones also featured in A Very Murray Christmas as well). Felix and Laura's father-daughter bond has endured years of ups and downs, and nothing between them is perfect, but the actors' rapport makes every warm exchange and awkward moment feel authentic. That's one of the key aspects of On the Rocks, a film that serves up an instant-classic Murray performance on a platter, but never forgets that its story actually belongs to its female protagonist. Viewers spend time with Felix, and therefore Murray, because the movie's main character does — and enjoying the ebbs and flows of the duo's time together, whether cracking open caviar on a stakeout in a convertible or downing cocktails where Humphrey Bogart once proposed to Lauren Bacall, is all the more engaging because it's a back-and-forth tête-à-tête rather than a one-man show. Another way to describe the central dynamic here: lived-in. As proved the case with Lost in Translation, that's as much a credit to Coppola as not only a screenwriter, but as a perceptive creative willing to strip bare her own life experiences, fictionalise them, and create something both thoughtful and moving. The daughter of The Godfather and Apocalypse Now's Francis Ford Coppola, she clearly knows a thing or two about flitting around town with a father with the world at his feet, and it shows — and she's not afraid to admit that she's been cast in her own dad's shadow. When Laura watches on as Felix is pulled over by the police, sweet-talks his way out of a ticket and even enlists their help giving his vintage Alfa Romeo a push-start, in fact, it's easy to imagine the real-life Coppola family equivalent. Of course, this isn't the first time that the younger Coppola has drawn upon what she knows. Lost in Translation took ample cues from her experiences, including time spent feeling listless in Japan, plus the strain with her then-husband Spike Jonze. And, the Los Angeles-set Somewhere's focus on a Hollywood star and his pre-teen daughter found inspiration in her own childhood. Accordingly, On the Rocks follows their lead by tapping into rich personal depths. It may initially seem to tell a slight story, but that appearance is deceptive. The filmmaker is famously fond of relaying tales about comfortable lives and their corresponding problems — see also: Marie Antoinette and The Bling Ring — but she has always been savvy to the ways that women are forced to respond to the men and the world around them. The Virgin Suicides and The Beguiled make this point more forcefully; however, even with a wavering ending, it still lingers here as well. On the Rocks is a film with layers of resonance and insight, but it is also a caper — and a sparkling, banter-filled, often screwball one at that. In other words, it's a delight that blends intimate truths with entertaining moments, and finds poignancy and comedy in daily routines, idle chats with other mothers (including with fellow Parks and Rec alum Jenny Slate), low-key spy antics and sudden getaways to Mexico alike. Murray's general Bill Murray-ness and all-round presence is crucial, obviously. So is the affectionate, glimmering lensing by Philippe Le Sourd (The Beguiled) that makes New York seem like a playground, and the upbeat but still contemplative soundtrack by Phoenix. Indeed, combine all of the above, and this is a Sofia Coppola movie through and through. It's a big call, but if she was ever going to remake the great German father-daughter film Toni Erdmann, this just might be the end result. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4p0vjj_C8s
Australia and New Zealand haven't been treated to Beyoncé's Renaissance tour, but we are getting the next best thing: RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ. The latest chance to worship the superstar on-screen was announced back in October and will hit cinemas worldwide in December. And, it will be arriving Down Under at the same time as the US: on Friday, December 1. What runs the movie world right now? Concert flicks, which are having a big-screen moment again. In the space of mere months, three huge examples of the genre are playing cinemas worldwide, much to the delight of folks who like getting their film and music fix in one go. First came Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour in October. In Australia, Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense, aka the best concert flick ever made, has returned to picture palaces since mid-November. Next, RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ will do the same — and it has dropped another trailer to celebrate. Beyoncé is no stranger to splashing her sets across a screen, after HOMECOMING: A Film By Beyoncé did exactly that on Netflix back in 2019. That movie covered the superstar singer's time on the Coachella stage, and came with a 40-track live album as well. This time, Bey is focusing on her 56-performance, 39-city world RENAISSANCE tour in support of the 2022 album of the same name. Now wrapped up after starting in Stockholm in Sweden in May and finishing in Kansas City, Missouri in the US on Sunday, October 1, the RENAISSANCE tour featured everything from 'Dangerously in Love 2', 'Cuff It', 'Formation' and 'Run the World (Girls)' to 'Crazy in Love', 'Love On Top', 'Drunk in Love' and 'America Has a Problem'. Given that audiences in Australia or New Zealand haven't experienced that setlist for themselves, with the tour skipping Down Under shows so far, RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ is the first chance for Bey fans in this part of the world to join in without heading overseas. "When I am performing, I am nothing but free," said Beyoncé in the concert film's initial trailer. "The goal for this tour was to create a place where everyone is free," the musician continued, in a sneak peek that includes behind-the-scenes glimpses, crowd shots and, of course, spectacular concert footage. In the latest trailer, Beyoncé expands upon her daily challenge. "In this world that is very male-dominated, I've had to be really tough to balance motherhood and being on the stage," shares the singer. RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ charts the tour from its first show until its last, as well as the hard work and technical mastery that went into it on- and off-stage, as 2.7-million-plus fans have seen in person. Check out the latest trailer for RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ below: RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ will release in cinemas Down Under from Friday, December 1 — head to the film's website for tickets and further details. Images: Julian Dakdouk / Mason Poole.
There's much that's wild and unlikely about Kneecap's story — the band, that is, but plenty of it fuels the movie of the same name, too. When Naoise Ó Cairealláin, aka the Irish-language trio's Móglaí Bap, was christened, the British Army thought that the ceremony was an IRA meeting, even bringing in a helicopter. When the Belfast group formed decades later, Móglaí Bap and Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, aka Mo Chara, found their third member in then-schoolteacher Jj Ó Dochartaigh, who took the moniker DJ Próvaí and dons a balaclava in the colours of the Irish flag onstage. Their first single 'C.E.A.R.T.A' was banned from the radio. They've now turned the whole ride so far into a big-screen music biopic. In said flick, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara and DJ Próvaí all play themselves. It's true of Kneecap the band and Kneecap the film alike, of course: yes, their shared title springs from a form of violence well-known in the trio's parts during The Troubles. Leaning in in the name of subversion is one of the things that this threesome does best — and via their music and now their feature as well, they're passionate about reframing the way that the world thinks about their home city. Championing their mother tongue, and the sense of Northern Irish identity that it helps forge, is equally crucial. Roll all of that into a movie, then enlist Michael Fassbender (Next Goal Wins) and take some inspiration from Trainspotting, and the result is a blast of a picture — and one of the instant greats of its genre. Naturally, all of the details mentioned above — the christening, which made the newspapers; DJ Próvaí's background, plus his school's reaction to his side gig; the disdain from the airwaves; the texture of Belfast beyond the well-documented conflicts; the fight for the Irish language — were always going to be key elements of any silver-screen take on Kneecap, even a purposefully playful one that isn't afraid of diverting from the facts if it suits (director Rich Peppiatt has claimed is about 70-percent true). As Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara tell Concrete Playground, starring in the movie themselves felt just as inevitable. They call their on-screen parts the roles they were meant to play, which is a cracking line, but the proof is in the vibe and vitality of the film. The trio also co-wrote the feature with British filmmaker Peppiatt, who made their acquaintance by being persistent about trying to have a drink with them, and helmed their 'Guilty Conscience' music video. Ensuring that Kneecap reflected Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara and DJ Próvaí, their tunes, their personalities, their experience, the causes they're committed to and their view of their hometown was obviously paramount. Ask Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara, too, if they ever thought that this was a path that Kneecap would take when they formed the band, and they joke about awards and recognition — "we knew the accolades were coming after the first song," says Mo Chara; "we're waiting on a Nobel Peace Prize next, hopefully," adds Móglaí Bap — but, when they get serious, they stress that hitting cinemas was all about making a movie for Belfast. "It's a very colloquial film with lots of slang, and lots of jokes that maybe people only from where we are from would understand. And we never dumbed that down. We never made it more digestible for anyone outside of Ireland in that way," explains Móglaí Bap. "And I think for that reason, we didn't think beyond Ireland. The movie was made for Ireland, for Belfast. And we didn't think beyond that. I think that's the reason that we created such an original, authentic movie, because we weren't looking outside of Ireland to try and make it more digestible. We're just making it for people like us." Adds Mo Chara: "I think a lot of funders would like to feel like if they give half a million towards the movie, they would like to feel like they've had half a million worth of input. And whenever you let many people have input, it waters it down. It becomes digestible for the world, but it means nobody likes it, and especially people from where you're from." Kneecap haven't had to worry about nobody liking their film. After picking up the NEXT Audience Award at Sundance, it earned the three main gongs at Galway Film Fleadh — the Audience Award, plus Best Irish Film and Best Irish-Language Film — which has never happened before in the fest's history. It's also in Oscar contention, selected as the country's submission for the Best International Feature Film at the 2025 Academy Awards. Across the whirlwind last eight months, the band released their second album Fine Art as well. In March 2025, they'll tour Australia for the first time. We also spoke with Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara about everything that this year has brought their way so far, the reaction to the movie in Belfast even before it hit cinemas, riffing on reality, taking a risk in bringing their story to the screen, dream casting, balancing everything they wanted in the film, enlisting Fassbender's involvement and more. On How 2024 Has Panned Out Since the Film Premiered at Sundance — and with a New Kneecap Album Out, Too Mo Chara: "We've been busy little boys. We've been very busy, but we're getting opportunities that not a lot of young people, especially where we're from, get. So we're enjoying it. We're loving it. We've seen a lot of the world that we would probably not have seen, Iceland and all sorts of places. So we're enjoying it. It's hard to balance the music and the movie at the same time, but we're giving it a good go." Móglaí Bap: "Ying and yang." On the Response to the Film in Belfast, Even Before It Hit Cinemas Mo Chara: "I feel like people in Belfast — well, most, the majority of people — are very proud of us, because Belfast is something that has always just been negative in world media. And it's seen as a place that's not very …" Móglaí Bap: "Progressive." Mo Chara: "… or fun or whatever it is, or that people do well or get creative in. So I feel like a lot of people, especially the older generation, they're all just very, very proud and they're very happy that there's two or three young people, or bands, coming up, or movies being made that show Belfast in not such a negative light all the time, even though there's negativity." Móglaí Bap: "There's a little bit, just like with anywhere." On Bringing Their Origin Story to the Screen, Riffing with Reality and Rich Peppiatt's 70-Percent True Claim Móglaí Bap: "He made that up, surely." Mo Chara: "70 percent — how the fuck does he judge that? But the origin story of Kneecap, though – we're not getting into the blurred lines, but 100 percent, DJ Próvaí was a teacher. And we released the song, and the school started finding out that he was the man behind the mask and sacked him, basically. That's true." Móglaí Bap: "And the police meetings and the Irish language legislation, and all these things. Most of the crazier stories in the movie are true. The christening at the very start of the movie with the British Army helicopter is based on a true story, that's based on my christening. I was christened on a mass rock. It was kind of like an altar made of stone hidden away in the forests when Catholicism was outlawed during the Penal Laws, and I got christened there in the 90s." Mo Chara: "The first christening there for 200 years." Móglaí Bap: "Yeah, the first mass there for 200 years. And the British Army thought there was some sort of IRA meeting going on." Mo Chara: "Like a training camp for the paramilitaries." Móglaí Bap: "And then they hovered above the procession for the whole time as being as being squirted with water by priest." Mo Chara: "I hope it was water." Móglaí Bap: "I think it was water, anyway. And they hovered there above the whole time. There's a newspaper article about it. It was quite an iconic moment. So like stories like that are based on truth, and we like to leave it there. But as Rich says, some of the crazier stories are based on truth." On Eventually Saying Yes to Rich Peppiatt's Persistent Efforts to Have a Drink with Kneecap — and How the Film Started From There Móglaí Bap: "We were very skeptical, of course, because Rich is obviously from England." Mo Chara: "Don't be so hard on him." Móglaí Bap: "And we're very skeptical of English people who want to profit off Irish people. So we kept him at arm's length for a while. But eventually, his arm reached across with a pint and we accepted it. It was from there that we got together very well. I think because Rich is from England is actually is his best quality. It sounds like a negative thing, but it was the best thing about him because he didn't come with any preconceived ideas of what we should represent or what culture we come from. He kind of left it to us to tell him. And because of that, there was a great line of communication in the back and forth. If we didn't feel that some scenes represented our culture or the youth culture, he would listen to us in that way. So there was a great communication between us and Rich, and he was very open director." Mo Chara: "He's done a great job portraying Belfast." Móglaí Bap: "Yeah, he did a great job of portraying Belfast — and portraying the modern era of Belfast and the youth in Belfast. So kudos to Rich." On Taking a Risk by Trusting Kneecap's Story to Any Filmmaker Mo Chara: "The biggest risk of all was the fact that our music career was on the up, and we were doing very well — well, very well for where we were at that time — and the last thing that we would have needed, for example, was a really cheesy, shit movie to come out that was hard to watch and made people cringe. Nobody's going to be able to take a music career seriously after doing a really shit film, I feel. So it was a risk we didn't need to take, but some risks are worth taking and we consider ourselves to be risk-takers. And we put a lot of trust in Rich — and I think Rich put a lot trust in us." Móglaí Bap: "It paid off for him." On the Decision to Play Themselves — and Dream Casting Ideas If That Didn't Pan Out Móglaí Bap: "I wanted to get Brad Pitt, but he was too old." Mo Chara: "He was too old, too ugly." Móglaí Bap: "And then Cillian Murphy, he was too small." Mo Chara: "As we always say, they were the roles we were born to play. So we were glad it was us and we felt like we were the only ones who could probably do it justice. It was funny, we got one of the reviews that said 'at the start I thought these actors were really good rappers. It actually just turns out that these rappers are really good actors'. So we fooled a lot of people with. I'm glad we did it." Móglaí Bap: "I think actually it still happens — during some of the film premieres, some people leave the movie still not knowing that we're an actual band and think that we're just a fake band that we created for the movie. So I think that's a good sign." On the Kind of Preparation That Goes Into Playing Yourself in Your First Acting Roles Mo Chara: "We got an unbelievable acting coach called Kieran Lagan. At the very start, it was a lot of warm-up games — and as Kieran would say, in acting, if you're in your head you're dead. You have to be present. You have to be in the room. There was a lot of staring into each other's eyes for five minutes. I don't know if you'll ever be close enough to somebody to do that. It's very awkward. And you have to describe each other's face and stuff. So there was a lot of really awkward games for us at the start. But by the end of this couple of months that we did, it became very therapeutic for us to go and do these sessions, and then we would leave and everybody would be in good form." Móglaí Bap: "We all nearly fell in love, because apparently if you stare into someone's eyes for ten minutes, you fall in love. I don't know if that's true." Mo Chara: "Speak for yourself." On Covering Kneecap's Lived Experiences, the Post-Troubles Reality in Northern Ireland, the Impact of the Police, the Campaign for the Irish Language to Be Recognised and More, All in One Film Mo Chara: "We had the term 'kill your babies'. So we would have some great ideas, but it just wasn't going to work in the film. So stuff that we really liked, we had to just cut it. And that's always tough. But I suppose that's the game. Even some scenes that were in it that have been cut that we really liked, because the the first draft was like two hours and 15 minutes. And so we went and had to cut loads of scenes. So that's always tricky. But yeah, there's a big political sphere here that we wanted to represent, but we just couldn't get everything in because it's such a complex history here. But we got what we felt was important to the story and what was important for people to understand the contacts of the of politics here. I think we got most of it across with the Irish Language Act, and the Unionist and Republican politicians." Móglaí Bap: "I think the core element of the movie, which we always came back to, is identity. Identity is so important, especially in post-colonial countries that do have Indigenous languages. Language and identity are all intertwined, and I think that's something that resonates with people. We've seen in America or places where they speak minority languages, that what resonates with them mostly is identity. And people I've met people who watch the film, they literally instantly either want to learn Irish or want to learn whatever their own Indigenous native language is. That's something that we're very proud of. That's the effect this movie is having." On Getting Michael Fassbender Onboard to Play Móglaí Bap's Father Dad Mo Chara: "It made the difference." Móglaí Bap: "He was completely starstruck when he met us." Mo Chara: "We always say that, that he was completely starstruck — but he actually was a fan of Kneecap. And I feel like he really liked the script. So it was amazing to have him. So we wrote the film. We were ready to go, basically, in a few months time, but COVID happened. So it put everything back a few years. But COVID actually in itself was a blessing, because it was after COVID or towards the end of COVID, that we got Fassbender involved. So COVID actually worked in our favour. But it made all the difference. It gave the film legitimacy, whenever you have such a big star like that involved. We already had Josie Walker [The Wonder, This Is Going to Hurt, Belfast] and Simone Kirby [The Buccaneers, Hidden Assets, His Dark Materials], who've done plenty of huge, huge roles as well. But Fassbender brought this new legitimacy to it. And also it meant anyone who was on set the day of Fassbender, everybody upped their game. Everybody wore their best clothes. The catering was better. Everyone acted better." Móglaí Bap: "We got real plates." Mo Chara: "We got real plates and cutlery." Móglaí Bap: "We got real forks and knives, instead of all the paper ones we were using." Mo Chara: "So it really just upped everyone's game, having him involved, and it it just pushed everyone just to strive to be better." Kneecap opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, August 29, 2024. Images: Madman / Sony Pictures Classics.
If your idea of bliss is a lengthy soak in warm water in a stunning location, you have a date with the outback Queensland town of Cunnamulla in your future. Before summer is out, it'll be home to a new hot springs that boasts seven geothermic pools, is perched right by Warrego River for the ultimate in scenic surroundings, and will also get you relaxing by sunrise and sunset. And, it hails from the Peninsula Hot Springs crew. Not content with getting folks steeping on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula and at Metung Hot Springs in East Gippsland — both in a state vying to become home to a 900-kilometre hot springs trail — plus at Maruia Hot Springs in New Zealand, the team is spreading its footprint. Cunnamulla Hot Springs was announced in 2023, and originally set to launch last winter; however, the fact that the Peninsula Hot Springs Group is now running it is new, and so is the Thursday, February 1, 2024 opening date. The local Paroo Shire owns the five-star venue, which cost $11.7-million to establish, with contributions from both the federal and Queensland state governments. But, now that Cunnamulla Hot Springs will soon welcome in patrons after becoming the largest-funded project that the Paroo Shire Council has ever undertaken, it has handed over day-to-day operations to one of the big Australian names in the business. The site's pools are surrounded by native trees, and feature mineral- and vitamin-rich water taken from and heated naturally by the artesian basin underneath. Learning about the latter around your soak is also part of the experience — relaxing your body and feeding your mind at the same time. Each of Cunnamulla Hot Springs's bathing spots sport different temperatures, so you can get steamy, opt for a stint in the chilled plunge pool or both. One has been specifically built to be shallow, so that folks sitting in it can gaze at the stars in the most immersive way possible. In the state-of-the-art complex, a sauna and a steam room is also part of the setup, as is an area for salt scrubs and clay masks. The aforementioned early-morning and late-afternoon dips are all about taking advantage of day's cooler temperatures. Dawn bathing starts at 6am, while a twilight soak is on offer from 5–9pm on weekdays. Patrons aren't merely surrounded by Cunnamulla's landscape as they sit; everything about Cunnamulla Hot Springs has taken its cues from its environment, with Cox Architects on design duties. Think: earthy colours, and using stone and ironbark timber among other natural materials — plus the thermal waters, of course. "Cunnamulla Hot Springs in one of the remotest destinations in one of the least populated countries in the world. We want guests to connect with the outback, the local indigenous communities and most importantly, the water — the mineral-rich artesian water that is found at Cunnamulla," said Peninsula Hot Springs' Charles Davidson. "Our hope is that Cunnamulla Hot Springs will create a sense of community by embracing the land, culture and wellbeing — as the Mornington Peninsula did when it opened, over 18 years ago." When it was announced last year, Cunnamulla Hot Springs was named as a highlight on the Outback Queensland Traveller's Guide, which is filled with things to do inland in the Sunshine State. Queensland isn't just about beaches, rainforests and the tropics, even if that's what it's best known for. So, the bathing venue joins everything from starlight river cruises in Longreach and Winton's Australia Age of Dinosaurs Museum through to the Southwest Queensland Indigenous Cultural Trail and a heap of national parks (and other outback spas and baths, including in Julia Creek, Bedourie, Quilpie, Mitchell and Yowah). If you're now planning a trip to Cunnamulla, it's around a nine-hour drive west from Brisbane, with flights via Rex, and also boasts an outback river lights festival; the Artesian Time Tunnel, which explores the Artesian Basin's history; and safari-style glamping — among other attractions. Cunnamulla Hot Springs will open at Lot 5 Ivan Street, Cunnamulla, Queensland on Thursday, February 1 — head to the venue's website for bookings and further information. 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.
Despite the scale of Australia, Aussies love to walk. There's loads of scenery, our cities are optimised for walking, and we have some beautiful tracks nationwide that are worth the lengthy trips to get there. With thick jungles, red deserts and stunning coastlines, we're spoilt for choice. One of the most spectacular is the mighty Three Capes Track. The 48km trail, found in far southeast Tasmania, takes you through the spectacular wilderness of Tassie and along the highest sea cliffs in the country. If you want to level up an already stunning experience, you can book with the Tasmanian Walking Company to sleep in a private eco-lodge and campsite along the track (rather than the public huts) to rest and recover in style between walking stretches. Now the good part: you can win two spots on the Three Capes Adventure with the Tasmanian Walking Company. This adventure includes experienced guides, lightweight packs, private accommodation, chef-curated meals, plus local beer and wine throughout the adventure. We're also throwing in a $1000 flight voucher to get you there and home, so all you need to worry about are the awesome views. To enter the giveaway, complete the form below. [competition]895873[/competition]
Just a short 25-minute drive from Wellington's CBD or a six-minute helicopter flight over mountainous terrain and along the rugged Kāpiti coast is new private clifftop retreat, Pipinui Point. If you've always wanted to unwind with your significant other or travel buddies on a scenic crag, this could be your opportunity. The two-bedroom retreat is perched on a cliff 250 metres above the Tasman Sea. Owner Tom Eastwick says the clifftop location makes you feel like you are literally on the edge of the earth. The boutique property is surrounded by 1600 acres of coastal farmland and has been designed to showcase the extreme natural environment of the Ohariu Valley. During the process of construction the owners preserved 120 hectares of native bush for regeneration. They also plan on releasing a rare rowi brown kiwi at Pipinui Point next year. At the retreat guests can cop uninterrupted west-facing views of the coastline from Kaikōura to Mount Taranaki. Watch the sun go down from the private deck, marinate in the outdoor bathtub, or take shelter from the elements beside the cosy wood-burning fire. To save you nipping out in that helicopter, pantry essentials are included and several dining options can be arranged on-site. Gourmet cheeseboards and antipasto platters are available for picnics around the property, and chef Warren Maddox is on call to whip up dinner using local and foraged produce — his latest signature creation is beef short rib with hazelnut crumb, port jus and carrot. Continental breakfast is also included in your sleepover. Those looking for further excitement can venture out to the neighbouring Boomrock estate for a variety of activities. Take aim at clay targets, head out on a coastal safari farm tour and have a go at axe throwing. More extreme excursions might see visitors smash golf balls down the 250-metre cliff face, take the wheel of a high-performance race car, or explore the region on an all-terrain four-wheel-drive adventure. You can also take control of a two-tonne excavator. The rates for Pipinui Point start at NZD$575 per night for two guests. For more information and to make a booking, visit pipinuipoint.co.nz.
UNESCO's World Heritage Committee has just wrapped up its two-week long meeting in Manama, Bahrain, during which it added a further 19 sites to the World Heritage List — the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation's list of landmarks and areas that are legally protected due to their significance. Thirteen of the new sites have been selected for their cultural importance, three are sites with noteworthy natural features, and the remaining three fall into both the natural and cultural categories. The list of the new cultural sites chosen is as follows: Aasivissuit-Nipisat. Inuit hunting ground between ice and sea in Denmark. Al-Ahsa Oasis, an evolving cultural landscape in Saudi Arabia. Ancient city of Qalhat in Oman. Archaeological border complex of Hedeby and the Danevirke in Germany. Caliphate city of Medina Azahara in Spain. Göbekli Tepe in Turkey. Hidden Christian sites in the Nagasaki region in Japan. Ivrea, industrial city of the 20th century in Italy. Naumburg Cathedral in Germany. Sansa, Buddhist Mountain monasteries in Korea in the Republic of Korea. Sassanid archaeological landscape of Fars region in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Thimlich Ohinga archaeological site in Kenya. Victorian Gothic and Art Deco ensembles of Mumbai in India. Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains in South Africa, the Chaine des Puys — Limagne fault tectonic arena in France and Fanjingshan in China have been selected as the new natural sites. Meanwhile, the new mixed sites are Chiribiquete National Park, aka 'The Maloca of the Jaguar' in Colombia' Pimachiowin Aki in Canada and Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley's originary habitat of Mesoamerica in Mexico. In addition, the committee approved the expansion of one natural site: Central Sikhote-Alin in the Bikin River Valley in Russia. The World Heritage List now includes 1092 different sites spread across 167 countries. Perusing the full list is certain to get you marvelling at the planet's many wonders — and give you some serious travel inspiration.
The game is ending. That the deadly contest at the heart of Squid Game just keeps going, continuing to pit new batches of 456 players against each other in a battle to the death to win 45.6 billion won, sits at the heart of the award-winning Netflix hit — but the show itself is wrapping up. That the series will say goodbye with its third season was announced in 2024, as was the fact that its final run will arrive in 2025. The streaming platform has now confirmed exactly when: Friday, June 27. Mark your diaries — and get ready to see what happens next in Seong Gi-hun's (Lee Jung-jae, The Acolyte) quest to bring down those responsible for the killer contest. If you've watched season two, which dropped on Boxing Day 2024, then you'll know that Player 456 went back in the game with new fellow competitors for company, and also found himself closer to the person pulling the strings than he knew. Season three will see Gi-hun keep at his pursuit to stop the game. It'll also feature more of his nemesis Front Man's (Lee Byung-hun, The Magnificent Seven) attempts to thwart his plan. However their respective efforts pan out, the show's last run is also set to feature a finale written and directed by series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk. Squid Game is now Netflix's most-popular non-English show of all time; in fact, it holds both the first and second spots on the list, for its first and second seasons respectively. Money Heist season four is third, Lupin season one is fourth, while La Palma, Who Killed Sara? and Berlin are also in the top ten. That Squid Game is a smash isn't new news, of course. It proved such a huge success in its first season that Netflix was quick to confirm that more was on the way — even if season two arrived after a three-year gap. In the show's second season, Gong Yoo (Train to Busan) returned as the man in the suit who got Gi-hun into the game in the first place, as did Wi Ha-joon (Little Women) as detective Hwang Jun-ho, but a series about a deadly contest comes with a hefty bodycount. Accordingly, new faces were always going to be essential — which is where Yim Si-wan (Emergency Declaration), Kang Ha-neul (Insider), Park Sung-hoon (The Glory) and Yang Dong-geun (Yaksha: Ruthless Operations) all came in. If you've somehow missed all things Squid Game until now, even after it became bigger than everything from Stranger Things to Bridgerton, the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning series serves up a puzzle-like storyline and unflinching savagery, which unsurprisingly makes quite the combination. It also steps into societal divides within South Korea, a topic that wasn't invented by Parasite, Bong Joon-ho's excellent Oscar-winning 2019 thriller, but has been given a boost after that stellar flick's success. As a result, it's easy to see thematic and narrative parallels between Parasite and Squid Game, although Netflix's highly addictive series goes with a Battle Royale and Hunger Games-style setup. Netflix turned the show's whole premise into an IRL competition series as well, which debuted in 2023 — without any murders, of course. Squid Game: The Challenge has already been picked up for a second season. There's no dedicated trailer for Squid Game season three yet, but you can watch a teaser Netflix's big returning 2025 shows below — and revisit the trailer from Squid Game season two: Squid Game season three streams via Netflix from Friday, June 27, 2025. Season one and two are available to stream now. Images: Netflix.
Following the massive success of its Hokusai exhibition in 2017, the NGV will once again look to the cultural influence of Japan with an exploration of the country's widespread impact on Western modern art. Running from May 25 to October 28, Japonisme: Japan and the Birth of Modern Art considers the crucial period of time following the reopening of international trade from Japan in 1854. As artworks began to flow from Japan into Europe and America, a cultural revolution of sorts was set in motion as Western artists became exposed to the artworks and visual language of Japan for the first time. Influencing artists like Vincent van Gogh and other legends of the day, this moment in history is considered one of the crucial events that lay the foundations of Western modern art. Japonisme (which will be free to attend) delves into the NGV's huge Asian arts collection, showcasing examples that demonstrate Japan's influence of much of the world's art throughout the last 150 years. Western decorative arts, paper works, paintings, fashion and textiles, photography, as well as Japanese art will be on display. Specific highlights include Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's much-loved Divan Japonais poster, examples from the 1866 Bracquemond-Rousseau dinner service, and an undulating art nouveau cabinet designed by Louis Majorelle, demonstrating the influence of Japanese styling on French furniture. Japonisme will show just how the Japanese respect for the environment influenced European artists, and you'll notice just how many examples of European art highlight the reworked organic forms, rich colours and gentle textures typically associated with Japanese aesthetics. Japonisme: Japan and the Birth of Modern Art will run from May 25 to October 28 at the NGV International. Find more info at ngv.vic.gov.au. Image: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Divan Japonais (1893).
In the coming years, the Gold Coast is set to welcome a new man-made surf wave pool, as well as a hotel and resort at Dreamworld. Later in 2021, it'll also boast a cabana-filled oceanside precinct on a rooftop. But before all of that comes to fruition, the popular southeast Queensland tourist destination is set to score another new attraction — with its new $60.5 million, six-level art gallery opening its doors on Saturday, May 8. First announced back in 2018, and given a launch date earlier this year, the new addition is part of HOTA, Home of the Arts in Surfers Paradise. Simply called the HOTA Gallery, it has been built at the top of the site's concert lawn, overlooking HOTA's outdoor stage. It's now the country's largest art gallery outside of a capital city and, obviously, it's giving art lovers both locally and Australia-wide plenty to get excited about. Designed by Melbourne-based architects ARM, the multi-floor gallery spans more than 2000 square metres of exhibition space. That includes a main area for touring exhibitions, a permanent collection space across three levels and a children's gallery. There's also an area for storing works that aren't on display, which is pivotal given that the site houses the Gold Coast's $32 million, 4400-piece City Collection. [caption id="attachment_811097" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Back wall: Nicola Moss Local Air 2021; Kirsty Bruce Wonderwall 2021; Aaron Chapman The Towers Project 2021; Back right: Michael Candy, Steal the Sunshine 2021; Front: Ali Bezer I Can Hear Water 2021; SOLID GOLD: Artists from Paradise, HOTA Gallery. Photo by Paul Harris Photography.[/caption] View-wise, there's much to look at already if you're keen on gazing at creative pieces. Running until July 4, Solid Gold: Artists from Paradise, showcases new works by Gold Coast artists, while Lyrical Landscapes: The Art of William Robinson pays tribute to one of Australia's greatest landscape painters until October 3. There's also Contemporary Masters from New York: Art from the Mugrabi Collection, which makes its world premiere until February 27 – and features 70 works from the likes of Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Richard Prince and Jeff Koons. In the children's gallery, World Upside Down runs until October 10, and is designed to be interactive for audiences of all ages. Visitors can also peer at more than just the art gracing the walls. The building's windows offer a stellar view of Surfers Paradise — and, outside, sculptural installations await. Queensland Waanyi artist Judy Watson's addition to the site heroes Indigenous native plants, and includes a pathway that forms a topographical map of Nerang prior to European settlement. It also spans Piccabeen basket and dilly bag sculptures designed with Quandamooka artists Libby Harward and Elisa Jane Carmichael, and features a two-metre-tall feather canopy and snippets of local language sandblasted onto the bleachers. And Sri-Lankan born, Sydney based artist Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran has crafted a six-metre-high, double-sided sculpture made out of bronze, concrete, neon and fibreglass that's designed to reflect the vibrancy of the new building. [caption id="attachment_811082" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Brett Boardman[/caption] Back inside the building, a rooftop bar and restaurant is also opening its doors. Called The Exhibitionist Bar, it takes over 233 square metres, and pairs panoramic views with tapas, share plates, cocktails, wine, beer and house-made sodas. Both indoor and outdoor terrace seating are a feature, and you'll get a vantage that sprawls over the Goldie's waterways, Surfers' Paradise skyline and the hinterland. Plus, in terms of decor, the venue takes its cues from rainforests — as does the immensely colourful building itself, which is inspired by William Robinson's 'The Rainforest'. HOTA Gallery and The Exhibitionist Bar will both open at HOTA, Home of the Arts, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise on Saturday, May 8. For more information, visit the HOTA website. Top images: Brett Boardman
If running a successful startup business is a feat, running 11 successful businesses is a modern-day miracle. But that's what Julien Moussi does. If you're a Melbourne food lover, you've probably eaten at one of Julien's establishments (including Temperance Society in Hughesdale, Penta in Elsternwick, Tinker in Northcote and most recently, Bentwood in Fitzroy) and enjoyed the fruits of his entrepreneurial labours without even realising it. We teamed up with MYOB to get to know the people who are doing business right and had a yarn with Julien to learn how his venues manage to thrive in a city so inundated with hospitality talent. Turns out, it's a healthy mix of hard work, trust and not sweating the small stuff. And, whether it's your first startup or your eleventh, it doesn't get easier, but you do learn a heck of a lot along the way. Julien gave us a rundown of his best tips for small business owners. RUNNING A BUSINESS IS LIKE RAISING A CHILD "You have to put all your time into it. Forget about your usual sleeping patterns, hobbies or routines," Julien says. The first few years can be tough as you learn the ropes of running a business. You'll make mistakes and more importantly, you'll have to make sacrifices (forget everything you knew about work/life balance — you're a business owner now). If you ever doubt yourself, remember it's not forever. When your little business baby ages out of the terrible toddler years, you'll both be stronger for it. "Those sacrifices have paid dividends," Julien says. "I get to travel a lot overseas and have a very flexible schedule. I can also catch up in the middle of the day with my mum, dad and friends for a coffee — things that just weren't possible in the first three years." YOUR PEOPLE ARE YOUR MOST VALUABLE ASSET If your business is a baby, then choosing who to co-parent with is the most important decision you'll make. It's scary but important — sharing the load is the only way to prevent burnout and actually have some fun with it. "Nothing can really prepare you for business. I had no social life for at least the first two or three years and did nothing but work," Julien says. "[My] mentality was 'if it is to be, it's up to me', but then finding fantastic people to work with is key. Staff are the most important part of any business. Now, I'm happy for us to make mistakes in order to give people experience and growth." BE DIFFERENT OR PERISH There's a lot of sameness and copy-cattery happening in the Melbourne cafe scene, but there's still always demand. It's crucially important, no matter what your business does, to put your own spin on things. Carve out a niche for yourself however you can and make sure that niche is incomparable. "[With Bentwood] our aim was to make a space that was very different to the typical Melbourne cafe scene," Julien explains. "We wanted an environment that was sophisticated but not over-designed, so the interior has grand but honest and raw finishes. The biggest statement is the steel boxed ceiling which was very challenging to get sign-off from structural engineers." The bottom line? Don't scrimp on standing out. DO YOUR HOMEWORK In the early years, many small business owners end up wearing a lot of hats. You become the accountant, the operations manager, the social media intern — you try to do it all, and it's a double-edged sword. Getting involved in every aspect of the business in the early days is a great way to understand what makes it tick, but it's probably not a sustainable reality. "Understand your model," Julien says. "Measuring benchmarks and reviewing your financials weekly is the reason we grew so quickly...MYOB helps us get a quick snapshot of where the business is at any given time, whether it be daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly...I knew what everything cost, how much profit we were making and what I needed to do to keep evolving and growing. I always looked ahead and wanted more." If trying to do it all sounds intimidating, Julien's final piece of advice might help: ask questions, no matter how dumb they sound; never stop questioning and learning. "That's what's helped me grow my skill set which has made our business more powerful." Planning to open your own business? Whether it's the first or eleventh, consider MYOB to help sort out all your accounting needs.
Sometimes, enjoying the music festival experience involves gumboots, picking the best outfit with the most pockets and dancing in huge crowds. At other times, it spans making shapes at home while pretending you're at the real thing. Yes, the latter has become familiar during the pandemic, but it's also been a way to live the Coachella life without heading to Indio, California for a decade now. And, with the fest returning in 2022, so is its YouTube livestream. Boasting a lineup headlined by Harry Styles, Billie Eilish and Swedish House Mafia with The Weeknd — as announced back in January, albeit with the latter pair now taking over Ye's slot — Coachella is finally back for its first fest since 2019. It'll unleash its impressive bill over the weekends of April 15–17 and April 22–24, which is Saturday, April 16–Monday, April 18 and Saturday, April 23–Monday, April 25 Down Under. So, if you haven't been fortunate enough to make the trip to America, that's your long weekend sorted for two weeks in a row. Wondering who to watch when? Coachella has just dropped its setlists if you're wondering which acts will be hitting the livestream on which days. Styles headlines the first day, Eilish does the second and Swedish House Mafia with The Weeknd are now leading the charge on the third — on both weekends. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coachella (@coachella) And, they're joined by a bonafide metric fucktonne of squealworthy acts, including Australia's own Flume, The Avalanches and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, plus Phoebe Bridgers, Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, Jamie xx, Run the Jewels, Fatboy Slim, Finneas and Joji, just to name a few. Also, when it dropped its set times overnight, Coachella just casually added Arcade Fire to the lineup. Of course, livestreaming music fests is no longer a novelty in these pandemic times but, given the calibre of Coachella's roster, it's still a mighty fine way to spend a weekend or two. And, YouTube will be adding live chats and artist interviews, aka the kinds of experiences that you wouldn't get if you were at the fest IRL. Coachella's return is a 'nature is healing' moment for the music industry, after a tough few years for festivals in general — and this one in particular. Coachella's 2020 event was postponed less than a month out, and later cancelled completely. And, plans to make a comeback in 2021 unsurprisingly didn't happen either. Coachella runs from April 15–17 and April 22–24 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. To watch the livestream, head to YouTube from 9am AEST / 11am NZST on Saturday, April 16 and Saturday, April 23. Top image: Roger Ho.
What'll start at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, then spread plenty of sports around Victoria? Every year, the AFL season does just that — but soon, the Commonwealth Games will as well. Just four years out from the event, and mere months away from 2022's games in Birmingham, England, regional Victoria has been named as the event's 2026 host. While the opening ceremony will take over the MCG — where else? — the games themselves will play out in Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat and Gippsland. Each spot will operate as regional hub, scoring their own athletes' village and sports programs, and spreading the event around the state in the process. [caption id="attachment_831273" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Robert Blackburn, Visit Victoria[/caption] And, because the 2026 Commonwealth Games really are set to take advantage of as much of Victoria as they can, Shepparton will also host sporting and cultural events, too. If you're wondering exactly what'll be hosted where, it's been proposed that all of the aquatics events happen in Geelong, as well as hockey, gymnastics, table tennis, beach volleyball and the triathlon. Gippsland could host badminton and rugby, athletics and boxing has been earmarked for Ballarat, and Bendigo looks set to welcome weightlifting, lawn bowls and squash. The cycling program will likely take place from Gippsland to Bendigo, while Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat and Gippsland would all host cricket. And, there'll be a para sport program as well, with para athletics, para swimming, para lawn bowls, para table tennis, para triathlon and para powerlifting already locked in. It's official: the 2026 Commonwealth Games will be the Regional Victoria games. — Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) April 12, 2022 Announcing the news, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said that "it's a great honour to have Victoria chosen as the host venue for the 2026 Commonwealth Games — we can't wait to welcome the world to all of our state." It's estimated the 2026 games will give the Victorian economy a$3 billion boost, creating more than 600 full-time jobs before the event, as well as 3900 jobs while they're on and another 3000 afterwards. The Commonwealth Games will also feature cultural events spread across the state, and the Queen's Baton Relay will race through Victoria's various regions in the weeks leading up to the opening ceremony. And yes, Australia only recently held the games, back in 2018 on the Gold Coast. Also, this means that Australia will host two huge sporting events in the next decade, given that Brisbane has already been locked in as the site for the 2032 Olympic Games. The 2026 Commonwealth Games will take place in regional Victoria in 2026, with exact dates to be announced. For more information, head to the Commonwealth Games website and Victorian Government website. Top image: StephenK1997 via Flickr.
In Groundhog Day, weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) finds himself reliving the celebratory occasion over and over again. Since 1993, viewers have been able to enjoy their own looping experience, simply by watching and rewatching the movie. But later this year, there'll be another way to step into the beloved comedy's world — by jumping into the feature's virtual reality sequel. After being adapted into an award-winning stage musical back in 2016, Groundhog Day is now getting a follow-up. Coming to a VR headset rather than to the big screen, Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son takes fans back to Punxsutawney, reunites with the Connors family, and lets players experience the joys — and stresses — of repeating the same events again and again. As the title suggests, however, it doesn't focus on Murray's misanthropic character. We all know that Phil Connors really spent the original flick not only waiting to see if a woodchuck sees a shadow, getting frustrated and dying repeatedly, but learning how to value life and his loved ones. This time around, his son Phil Connors Jr will follow in his footsteps, all while experiencing his own bad, endless day. If you've chosen your way through Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, you can now do the same thing with this VR game, playing as the younger Phil and trying to break the cycle. Here's hoping that Sonny and Cher's "I Got You Babe" features on the soundtrack — you know that you're going to have it stuck in your head anyway. The news comes with the best possible timing, given that Saturday, February 2 marked this year's actual Groundhog Day. At Gobbler's Knob, 'Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators' Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow, meaning that spring is on the way in the US. As for the game that this marmot-inspired superstition has given rise to, audiences will be able to see it on PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive at a yet-to-be-announced date later in 2019. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rHHzQlqXdU Via Variety.
Playwright Joanna Murray-Smith and singer Bernadette Robinson, having teamed up in 2010 on the successful cabaret Songs for Nobodies, return with this collaboration for MTC. Again written specifically for Robinson as a showcase for her remarkable vocal talents, Pennsylvania Avenue makes the White House the setting for a nostalgia-fuelled journey through the music of the late 20th century. Robinson stars as Harper Clemence, a staffer in the White House's Social Office, responsible for liaison with entertainers performing at presidential functions. Framed as a memoir of a 40-year career, from the Kennedy era to the end of Clinton' presidency, it acts essentially as a prop for Robinson to perform impressions of a wide array of celebrities, both musical and political. So we hear her whisper 'Happy Birthday' like Marilyn and boom out 'Respect' like Aretha and deliver impressive musical impressions of the likes of Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan and Eartha Kitt. The slick production is worthy of a show about presidents and pop stars — it even boasts a series of digital screens that transform from a White House portrait gallery into images from old concerts and historical events, some with the fictional Harper photoshopped into them. There is nostalgia galore, especially for Kennedy and to a lesser extent Clinton, and musically it stays mostly in the '60s and '70s. If that's your era, this show is playing squarely to your court. As a showcase for Robinson's talent, Pennsylavania Avenue is fantastic. Both as an actor and as a singer, she has tremendous range and power. Her ability to recreate the vocal stylings of such a diverse spread of singers brings a great deal of joy and wonder to the audience. However, the premise of having a fictional character interact with a who's who of American pop music and politics, kind of like a musical Forrest Gump, is hard to do without feeling contrived. This is especially the case when the script tries to incorporate Harper as an active protagonist. At times it achieves the right balance of humour and pathos, at others — such as having Harper first utter words made famous by a president for instance — it takes the theatrical conceit that step too far. Harper doesn't really have enough depth as a character in her own right to be believable, at the same time as the show demands a high level of emotional investment in her personal journey. As a nostalgia trip, Pennsylvania Avenue is inevitably highly sentimental but at times the raw emotion from Harper doesn't gel with the tone of a piece that rides mainly on the strength of celebrity impressions. While the show could have been better served by a script that was either more grounded in reality than whimsy or else more committed to simply being fun, when Robinson sings all else is forgiven. She knocks it out of the park with every song and leaves her audience in awe.
In Westeros, and in books and TV shows that head to the fictional location, some things are simply inevitable. People saying "winter is coming" is one of them. Creepy relationships, whether because of gross age differences or blood ties, is another. Flowing long blonde hair is yet another certainty. People stabbing each other in the back for the Iron Throne ranks right up there, too. Indeed, there are so many predictable eventualities, you could make a drinking game out of watching new Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon — and we did. Here's something we should've included but didn't, though: House of the Dragon proving such a hit straight away that HBO has already renewed it for a second season. If you already been enjoying the show's jump back into House Targaryen's history, to 172 years before the birth of Daenerys and her whole dragon-flying, nephew-dating, power-seeking story, then rejoice — like winter, more is coming. Again, the news is hardly surprising, especially given that House of the Dragon's debut episode, which arrived on Monday, August 22, gave the US cable network its largest American audience for any new original series in the history of HBO. Yes, House of the Dragon is basically a case of new show, same squabbles, as it was easy to foresee it would be. Yes, it's pretty much Game of Thrones with different faces bearing now well-known surnames — and more dragons. And yes, this latest adaptation of George RR Martin's popular fantasy books is bound to continue on for more than just two seasons, but that's all that's confirmed for the moment. If you haven't yet caught up with the series, it dives into the battle for the Iron Throne before the one we all watched between 2011–19. Paddy Considine (The Third Day) plays King Viserys — and it's exactly who should be his heir that sparks all the Succession-style fuss. The words "succession" and "successor" (and "heir" as well) get bandied around constantly, naturally. The king has a daughter, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (played by Upright's Milly Alcock, then Mothering Sunday's Emma D'Arcy), who is also his first-born child. But because putting a woman on the throne isn't the done thing, the King's younger brother Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith, Morbius) considers that spiky iron chair his birthright. And, this wouldn't be Westeros if plenty of other people didn't have an opinion, including Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans, The King's Man), the Hand of the King; his own daughter Alicent (The Lost Girls' Emily Carey, then Slow Horses' Olivia Cooke); and Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint, It's a Sin), who is married to Princess Rhaenys Velaryon (Eve Best, Nurse Jackie), who had a better claim to the throne when Viserys was named king instead. All that feuding over the realm's spiky metal seat will continue across House of the Dragon's ten-episode first season, of course, before returning for a second go-around. HBO hasn't announced a date for the show's second patch of episodes, but you could bet all the wine in King's Landing on it arriving around this time in 2023. House of the Dragon is the culmination of years of planning to extend the GoT franchise by HBO. Firstly, the American cable network announced that it was considering five different prequel ideas. It then green-lit one to pilot stage, scrapped it and later picked a contender to run withL House of the Dragon. It has also opted to give novella series Tales of Dunk and Egg the TV treatment, too, and to work on an animated GoT show. And, it's been reported that another three prequels are also under consideration — plus a Jon Snow-focused sequel series. Check out the full House of the Dragon trailer below: House of the Dragon streams Down Under via Foxtel and Binge in Australia and SoHo, Sky Go and Neon in New Zealand. Read our full review of season one. Images: Ollie Upton/HBO.
With two decades under its belt, London's Fabric is an international clubbing icon. Melburnians have usually had to fly across the globe to visit the famed nightclub, but now, it's finally heading our way. Fabric is teaming up with local music agency Novel for its first-ever Australian appearance, as part of its 20th anniversary celebrations. On Saturday, December 7, Fabric is sailing into The Paddock at Fed Square, with an impressive lineup of its favourite DJs and performers in tow, for a shindig dubbed Fabric XX. This rollicking day party is being headlined by renowned Chilean-born German party-starter and Fabric mainstay, Ricardo Villalobos. He's joined on the bill by a slew of Fabric regulars, including UK tech house DJ Craig Richards; London-based DJ, producer and label owner Bobby; and Canada's Matthew Johnson with a live serve of his distinctive electro sound. A crew of local artists are also coming to the party, with the full lineup set to be announced soon. If all that won't have you dancing into summer in style, we don't know what will. Fabric XX runs from 12–10pm.
Karen McCartney has long been at the forefront of architecture and interiors publishing, having founded prominent design magazine Inside Out, worked as the editor of Marie Claire Lifestyle and written several successful architecture publications. Iconic Australian Houses: An Exhibition by Karen McCartney sees this wealth of knowledge put together as the exhibition considers 31 of the most important Australian homes since the 1950s. Showing at the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery from May 12 to July 9, this exhibition goes beyond the aesthetics of the homes, delving deeper to highlight the stories behind the properties through the clients and architects. To bring these stories to life, the exhibition features striking photography and illustrations, architectural models and video interviews with residents and designers. Discussing what Australian architecture means to those who helped define it, Iconic Australian Houses features designs from Harry Seidler, Neville Gruzman, Richard Leplastrier, Glenn Murcutt, Hugh Buhrich, Peter McIntyre, Roy Grounds and many more. One of the highlights of the exhibition program is the tour of Dromana's '50s modernist McCraith House (also known as Butterfly House), which will include a morning tea hosted by artist and granddaughter of the original owners, Bin Dixon-Ward.
The obsession with Messina's creamy desserts has spread far and wide. Originally located in Sydney, Messina quickly gained a reputation among Melbourne sweet-tooths for their fresh, innovative gelato. So when the store finally moved interstate, Melburnians warmly welcomed Victoria's first Gelato Messina with steady queues out the door. More than a year later, they've barely budged. The Fitzroy store is Messina's largest to date. Clearly, Donato Toce and Simone Panetta, Melbourne's Messina champions, came prepared. Our excessive fondness for Messina is perhaps the most accurate reflection of the real, honest work that goes into preparing the gelato. From every doughnut to brownie, peanut fudge to jam, Messina uses raw ingredients to make every single element of every flavour you taste. Their revered gelato is then pasteurised and churned fresh in-store to keep it perfectly creamy whether you visit in hailing winters or sweaty summers. "Every gelato we are selling today we made yesterday," Simone said. "At Messina we have a strong focus on quality, not fast pace." And given the amount of genuine love and effort which goes into every cup and cone, we'd have to agree. Like it's Sydney sister, Melbourne's Messina offers 40 different permanent flavours. As if that's not enough to leave you floundering at the freezer, there are also limited edition releases — and they're released every week. One limited edition is revealed every weekday, and each special lasts a maximum of one week. According to Simone, Messina has a backlog of about 1000 limited edition gelatos. Some notable editions include the Robert Brownie Jnr and Hodor, which occasionally reappear for their cult fans. The stores interior fits snugly on Smith Street. Between homely exposed brick and pressed metal, you can watch staff behind a glass window diligently preparing every component for Messina's popular cakes. In the words of Simon, it's "classy, but not too fancy". "The store is just a container for the two main characters: the gelato cabinets with all its colour and the kitchen where we show off our creations everyday." If you're going to be overwhelmed by the mosh pit that is often inside Messina, their best selling salted caramel and white chocolate is a great first choice. If you're in the mood for a more fruity dessert, the pear & rhubarb is perfectly delicate and definitely worth a try. Don't forget to check the specials board (and to ask for a taste if you want to make a considered decision). Modern with an oddball charm, nowadays if you visit Fitzroy you'll find Messina's signature patterned green and orange cups wandering around the suburb, as reflection of our insatiable need for their creamy gelato.
Despite her painting career lasting just eight years, late Aboriginal artist Emily Kame Kngwarreye smashed another art record this week, as her piece Earth's Creation I again fetched the highest price at auction for an Australian female artist. The contemporary piece went under the hammer for a huge $2.1 million, breaking its own 2007 record, having sold back then for $1.05 million. This time, it's been snapped up by art dealer Tim Olsen for his recently opened New York gallery, in an online auction headed up by Sydney's Cooee Art Marketplace and Fine Art Bourse. The sale of the acclaimed work, which has previously been on show at the likes of the National Museum of Art in Osaka, the National Museum of Australia and the National Gallery of Victoria, is also a big win for Australian Indigenous art, with Fine Art Bourse auctioneer Tim Goodman telling SBS: "this sale will go a long way to breathing life back into the Aboriginal art market." Hope you managed to get a look at it while it was in the country. Kngwarreye's painting is also not that far off the auction record for an Aboriginal artist, which was set by a Clifford Possum piece that sold for $2.4 million back in 2007. By contrast, the last known painting by Leonardo di Vinci, Salvator Mundi, just sold at auction for around $AUD590 million — making it history's most expensive artwork by far. Via SBS. Image: Emily Kame Kngwarreye (c.1910–1996) painting Earth's Creation I (1994).
In cinemas everywhere in 2023, to more than a billion dollars at the global box office, Ryan Gosling is "just Ken" in Barbie. He's also fantastic. Jump back almost two decades, however, and he was getting attention for locking lips with Rachel McAdams (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) during a downpour in The Notebook — and that Nicholas Sparks-penned effort isn't done spreading its sappy brand of romance just yet. 2024 will mark exactly 20 years since The Notebook hit the big screen, as based on Sparks' 1996 debut novel. It'll also see the musical version of The Notebook make its Broadway debut. The production was first announced back in 2019, then premiered in Chicago in 2022 and now heads to the Big Apple. While Gosling can sing — see: Barbie, La La Land, his band Dead Man's Bones — he likely isn't part of the stage show's cast. Exactly who'll be crooning through the book-turned-movie-turned-musical's lovestruck drama in New York's prestigious theatre district hasn't been announced yet, though, so you can hold onto your Gosling fantasy for a bit longer. Either way, expect singing in the rain, obviously, as well as belted-out declarations of love in a rowboat. Expect a song-filled account of heiress Allie Hamilton falling in love with lumber mill worker Noah Calhoun in the 1940s, too. Should tissues be handed out with every ticket? As The Notebook jumps from tear-soaked pages to weep-inducing celluloid to a stage version, that wouldn't be the worst move. This treading-the-boards take on the A Walk to Remember, Dear John, The Last Song and The Lucky One author's best-known tome will start Broadway previews on Tuesday, February 6, if you have an NYC trip in your future. Public tickets go on sale on Tuesday, September 26. The Notebook musical's script and songs stem handled by Bekah Brunstetter and Ingrid Michaelson respectively. The former was a writer and producer on TV show This Is Us, and the latter is best known for singles 'The Way I Am' and 'Girls Chase Boys'. And on directing duties: Michael Greif (Dear Evan Hansen) and Schele Williams (Motown the Musical). Check out a glimpse of The Notebook musical's Chicago season below: The Notebook musical opens on Broadway, at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, with previews from Tuesday, February 6. Head to the show's website for more information, plus public tickets from Tuesday, September 26.
Forget about kennel stays or pet-sitting — the latest homegrown tourism campaign to hit our small screens is encouraging very good dogs to head off on their own weekend getaways (well, it's encouraging their owners to bring them along for the ride). The latest — and yes, slightly ridiculous — Visit Victoria ad campaign pushes the idea that dogs make the world's best travel buddies, showcasing pet-friendly cafes, restaurants, accomodation, breweries, wineries and activities all across regional Victoria. In an advertising first, it's also "dog-optimised", apparently, featuring a visual set-up designed specifically for dogs' eyeballs, apparently. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHbvL1dwVYk Pulling together content from some of the state's favourite four-legged social media influencers, Your Dog's Happy Space expands on the recent human-focused Your Happy Space campaign, and highlights the best out-of-town stuff you can enjoy with your dog in tow. The video ad features pet-friendly destinations like the Yarra Valley's DeBortoli Winery, Pancho Cafe in Daylesford and Toorongo Falls in Noojee, while a supporting website boasts a sprawling directory to yet more spots, organised by region. You can check out the new campaign and all its dog-friendly suggestions at visitvictoria.com/dogs. Currently, around 65 percent of Victorians own a pet, but most think that travelling with them is simply too hard. Let's see if this changes a few human (or dog) minds. Images: Courtesy @tomandcaptain
Having dominated Australian dining for decades with the likes of Bondi's Icebergs Dining Room, Da Orazio and The Dolphin Hotel, restaurateur Maurice Terzini is now taking his talents to Asia. And his first stop is Seminyak, Bali, where his new restaurant Da Maria will be opening on Saturday, November 5. As the name suggests, the venue will be bringing a splash of Italy to the tropical Indonesian island. Roman architects Lazzarini Pickering took care of the design and, walking into the courtyard, you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd landed on the Amalfi Coast. The cool whites and blues, bold shapes, fountains and feature ceiling are a contemporary take on 1960s aesthetics, including that of Giò Ponti's famous Sorrento hotel Parco dei Principi. "Da Maria is our portrait of Maurice Terzini in Bali," said Carl Pickering. "'Bali Style' wouldn't have worked for the ideas Maurice had for this restaurant." That said, there is evidence of Balinese influence in the rubber trees, cacti and passionfruit vines. Plus, you'll notice a dash of French fer forgé style in the tables and chairs. As far as the food goes, Terzini has gone for a modern take on simple, traditional Italian dishes. A cool 24 hours of fermentation goes into the pizza dough, which is made using Neapolitan techniques and cooked in lava stone ovens. You'll also find porchetta (whole pig) which has proved a big hit at Bondi's Da Orazio. Among the lighter dishes, there's asparagus with anchovy butter and parmesan, snapper crudo with tomato, chilli and marjoram, and octopus with overnight beans, red wine vinegar and parsley. If you're up for a long feast, then order 'La Panarda', which will get you a selection of sharing plates. "We are offering traditional Italian food, done correctly, in a modern environment without trying to reinvent the wheel," said chef Steven Skelly. "It's accessible, fresh and fun and we really enjoy cooking it." Meanwhile, in the Americano-influenced bar, expect Italian classics, like the Negroni and the Spritz, as well as house-made liqueurs, including vermouth, and a contemporary wine list. As at any Terzini establishment, special events will pepper the calendar, to be curated with help from Motel Mexicola's Adrian Reed. DJs will be popping in every night from 10.30pm onwards and, before then, you'll be kicking back to playlists put together by Sydney DJ Kali (Picnic). Last but not least, there's an onsite boutique, Da Maria Shop by Ten Pieces. Ten Pieces is Terzini's fashion label, launched in partnership with Lucy Hinkfuss in 2011. Find Da Maria at Jalan Pettinenget 170 Badung, Bali, Indonesia, open daily from 5pm–2am and on Sunday for brunch from 11am–3pm.
It's always summer somewhere, right? Not exactly, but that's long been the idea behind swapping Australia's winters for a midyear trip to Europe. And if that's on the cards for you at the moment — or you're thinking about it given how genuinely cold the last month has been already Down Under — then you can now hop on one of Qantas' new direct flights to Rome. To truly get the non-stop experience, you'll need to live in Perth. If you hail from another part of the country, you will have to make your way to the Western Australian capital first. But, either way, that flight from Perth to Rome won't make a layover — getting you from Down Under to continental Europe faster, and without switching planes, worrying about connecting legs and navigating other airports. The direct-to-Rome routes were first announced back in late 2021, but they've just started taking to the air since Saturday, June 25. They follow the airline's direct flights from Perth to London, and will make the trip three times a week between now and October. And yes, that timing is 100-percent aimed at letting Australians take full advantage of European summer holidays. As well as being the only flights that connect Australia to continental Europe, the new Rome trips are speedier than other routes to the Italian city — more than three hours faster than the current quickest travel time from Australia to Rome. That means fewer hours spent in transit, and more to actually soak in Italy. It also means spending a big unbroken block of time in the air, which still sounds a bit like science fiction after so long without international travel. If you're keen to head elsewhere on the continent, you can use Rome as a connection point to fly to 16 other European destinations, including Athens, Barcelona, Frankfurt, Nice, Madrid and Paris. You can also venture to 15 other spots in Italy, Milan and Venice among them. Also, if you fancy flying into Rome but coming home from London, or vice versa, Qantas will let you combine the two direct routes on the one return ticket. The airline has also added a few Italian-inspired food and drink items, including negronis, to its lounge and inflight menus — and it's screening films that link in with Italy, too, such as Rome, Open City and Life Is Beautiful. And if you're wondering about the possibility of travelling non-stop to Europe from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, which Qantas has been looking into for a few years now, the carrier has locked in direct Sydney-to-London flights (and direct Sydney-to-New York routes as well) to start in late 2025. Qantas' new Australia–Rome direct flights are flying three times a week from Perth until October. For more information, or to book tickets, head to the airline's website.
There are few film festival experiences as fun as spending four days camped out at Marrickville's Factory Theatre during the Sydney Underground Film Festival. Attending this fest in-person involves hopping in and out of its makeshift cinemas, watching all manner of out-there and indie movies you won't see elsewhere, and spending plenty of time at the bar chatting about what you've just seen — and, whether you're a diehard cinephile and festival devotee, you're just sick of watching mainstream fare or it purely sounds like a great way to spend a weekend, it's a total and utter delight. SUFF isn't playing out quite like this at the moment, however, for obvious reasons. Moving online for the second year in a row, it's hosting its 2021 edition virtually. Thankfully, while no one can enjoy the physical side of the fest between Thursday, September 9–Sunday, September 26, SUFF has brought its usual anarchic vibe to its 30-film program — all of which is now available to stream, and nationally as well. Get ready for affectionate documentaries, weird and wild features that just keep getting weirder and more wonderful, and pretty much everything in-between, all while getting cosy on your own couch. And if you've not sure where to start, we've watched, picked and reviewed seven highlights from SUFF's 15th annual program. There's your viewing sorted for the next fortnight or so. POLY STYRENE: I AM A CLICHÉ Add Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché to the list of exceptional music documentaries — and yes, that observation can end there and prove 100-percent accurate. That said, this excellent film also belongs among the ranks of standout docos about famous musicians that serve multiple purposes. For existing fans of Marianne Elliott-Said, the punk singer who fronted late-70s band X-Ray Spex, this is an unflinching love letter that dives into every facet of her life. Covered here: her rise to stardom at a pivotal time in music history, the way she was treated as a British Somali woman, her efforts to subvert every standard that applied to women and public figures, and the toll it all took. As co-written, co-directed and guided on-screen by her daughter Celeste Bell — as an act of embracing everything her mother was and stood for — the film also demonstrates again and again why its title couldn't be further from the reality. For newcomers to the woman best known under her stage name Poly Styrene (which she picked from the phone book), this loving feature acts as an entry point, too. Like fellow outstanding music doco The Sparks Brothers, it'll give some of its audience a new obsession. Via voice snippets rather than talking heads, the likes of Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna and Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore also offer their memories of and insights into all things Poly, but Bell and her co-helmer Paul Sng (Sleaford Mods: Invisible Britain) understandably push their bold, rebellious and inimitable central figure to the fore at all times — including via riveting archival footage, as well as potent and emotional snippets from her diaries and poems. WONDERFUL PARADISE No one will finish Wonderful Paradise wondering what writer/director Masashi Yamamoto (The Voice of Water) and co-screenwriter Suzuyuki Kaneko might've left out of their script. The pair throw everything they can into this absurdist Japanese comedy, and it shows — because this is the type of movie where giant coffee beans get ravenous, children segue from projectile vomiting to transforming into branches, pregnancies last around 20 minutes, and parties become funerals, then turn into big song-and-dance numbers. The premise: at a house in suburban Tokyo, Akane (Mayu Ozawa, The Happy Prisoner), her father (Seikô Itô, We Are Little Zombies) and her brother (Soran Tamoto, I Turn) are packing up their belongings. For financial reasons that involve big debts and shady figures who are keen to collect, they're moving out of the sprawling abode. But Akane decides to host one last party and, after she tweets out the details, friends, relatives and strangers alike — including her estranged mother Akiko (Kaho Minami, Oh Lucy!) — all start popping up. From there, anything that can happen does. Indeed, sharing the same kind of manic energy that also made fellow low-budget Japanese flick One Cut of the Dead a delight, this plays like a hallucinatory mind trip more than a movie. That isn't a criticism of Wonderful Paradise; this is just a film that sweeps you along for a strange and surreal ride, satirises everything it can while also making plenty of savvy statements, careens off in weird and wonderful directions, and also makes you adore every minute. LORELEI Following an ex-felon who has just been released from a 15-year prison stint, as well as his former teenage sweetheart, Lorelei isn't in a rush to unfurl its dramas and dive to its deepest depths. Marking the feature debut of Sabrina Doyle, it's the type of film that needs that space and 111-minute running time to grow and breathe, and to build up to its surprises — and to earn the emotional journey that its standout lead performances slowly but commandingly convey at every moment. Orange Is the New Black's Pablo Schreiber plays Waylan, a small-town biker who didn't snitch when he was sent up for armed robbery. Keeping quiet cost him not only a decade and a half of his life, but his romance with Dolores (Jena Malone, Antebellum). His incarceration has saw their shared dreams dissolve, too, and led Dolores to have three children with other men since. The pair reunite after Waylan is released, crossing paths purely in passing. Quickly, staring into each other's eyes brings back old feelings, and also conjures up new regrets about the existence they always thought they'd lead together. Doyle is as concerned about the precarious situation that Dolores and her children Dodger (first-timer Chancellor Perry), Periwinkle (fellow newcomer Amelia Borgerding) and Denim (debutant Parker Pascoe-Sheppard) have endured over the years as she is with Waylan's route forward, and much of Lorelei thoughtfully dwells on the stark realities facing all of its characters. Indeed, there's not just empathy but a sense of rawness here — including when the film endeavours to leap into sunnier waters. ALIEN ON STAGE It's one of the greatest science fiction movies ever made, and always will be. It spawned three sequels and two prequels over the course of four decades and, while many of those have been stellar themselves, it still remains the best film there is with xenomorphs at its centre. It made Sigourney Weaver not just a star but a legend, too — and, thanks to an amateur stage version of the iconic flick that was initially staged in Dorset, then hit London's West End, it gave a group of British bus drivers their time in the spotlight as well. The movie in question: Alien. It mightn't seem suited to the theatre, but that didn't stop Dave Mitchell and his friends. When they decided to turn the film into a stage production, they put their hearts and souls into it, and Alien On Stage tells their story. The show turns out exactly as you'd expect with a non-professional cast and crew at the helm, and with homemade props recreating the Nostromo and its unwanted stowaway. The same description applies to his loving documentary — because this is a movie made by fans, about a stage show made by fans, and the end result leans into all of those layers of affection. Back in 1979, Ridley Scott mightn't have ever imagined that his sci-fi/horror film could spawn this level of devotion, or give this much happiness to folks trying to follow in his footsteps — and to a room full of immensely entertained Leicester Square Theatre attendees, too. That's just one of the things that Alien has spawned, and everyone can hear this movie's screams of joy. SWEETIE, YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT When Arman (Azamat Marklenov) and Murat (Erlan Primbetov) pick up Dastan (Daniar Alshinov, A Dark, Dark Man) for a day of fishing in Sweetie, You Won't Believe It, they're just trying to gift him one last moment away from his responsibilities. His girlfriend Zhanna (Asel Kaliyeva, The Secret of a Leader) is about to give birth to his first child, and this film subscribes to the idea that parenthood means kissing goodbye your old self. But, the trio have never cast a line into the water before. That's the excuse they've used to head away, though, so they decide to stick with it. They're soon fashioning a boat out of blow-up sex toys, but that's far from the worst that their day trip to regional Kazakhstan has in store. As they're floating and not really fishing, they witness gun-slinging gangsters (Alamat Sakatov, Yerkubulan Daiyrov and Rustem Zhaniyamanov) attempting to squeeze information out of another man in a violent fashion — and, soon, Dastan and his pals find themselves being pursued by the ruthless criminals as well. Then, complicating matters even further, a one-eyed, jaw-ripping psychopath (Dulgya Akmolda) on a quest for vengeance starts targeting everyone in sight. Sweetie, You Won't Believe It doesn't take any of its various parts seriously, thankfully. It's one part buddy getaway comedy, one part western slapstick, one part secluded horror and one part gory gangster flick, and it loves seesawing back and forth between all four. It also has ample fun satirising prevailing ideas of masculinity amidst the blood, guts and over-the-top silliness. CANNON ARM AND THE ARCADE QUEST When The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters chronicled Steve Wiebe's attempt to earn Donkey Kong's highest score ever — and oust Billy Mitchell from retaining that title in the process — it turned a slice of the gaming world into one of the must-see documentaries of the early 2000s. Well over a decade later, Cannon Arm and the Arcade Quest mashes similar buttons, this time focusing on the eponymous Danish Gyruss devotee and his dream of clocking up 100 consecutive hours playing the 80s game. If successful, Kim aka Cannon Arm won't just claim the world record for his favourite shoot-'em-up title. Standing in an arcade for more than four days straight (with some canny plans around how to eat, nap and go to the bathroom, if you're wondering how that all works), he'd smash the existing feat by a whopping 41 hours. Sporting a greying mullet and noted for his lack of conversation, Kim himself approaches the possibility with few words; however, his friends and fellow games are eager to do anything they can to assist his quest. As this doco charts, achieving this kind of milestone isn't straightforward. Yes, Kim's health is considered in detail as first-time feature filmmaker Mads Hedegaard — who narrates as well — explains. All that gaming isn't the only focus of the documentary, though, with Cannon Arm and the Arcade Quest smartly diving into what draws Kim and his Bip Bip Bar mates to their preferred pastime, what else they're fascinated with in their lives, and how gaming both parallels their other interests and provides a respite from their daily lives. DANNY. LEGEND. GOD. If there's one thing that Bulgarian councillor Danny (Dimo Alexiev, A Hidden Life) isn't lacking, it's confidence. He isn't short on arrogance, either, or on the impulses needed to take the most corrupt, abhorrent, self-serving option at any possible juncture — and he's extremely unpleasant to be around even in small bursts. Danny is also the titular figure in mockumentary Danny. Legend. God., so he demonstrates his worst traits over and over, and for an extended period. First-time filmmaker Yavor Petkov wants viewers to feel uncomfortable, in fact, because that's the natural reaction to seeing someone who's little more than a crook throw their weight about in a position of power, care only about themselves and have zero regard for the long-term repercussions for everyone in their orbit. In other words, this is a film that proves particularly piercing given the current global political climate. It's darkly humorous, but in a savage, biting, only-two-degrees-removed-from-reality way. And if you're wondering why Danny is in the spotlight — and why Alexiev puts in quite the committed performance in the part — that's because the film revolves around a news crew visiting the character's home town to capture and ideally expose his wrongdoing. What starts out as an attempt to make a documentary about money laundering soon gets hijacked by their subject, though, as Danny demands that his freewheeling life is captured exactly how he wants it — no matter what he's doing, or snorting, or the cost of his actions. The 2021 Sydney Underground Film Festival runs from Thursday, September 9–Sunday, September 26. For further details, or to watch online, head to the festival's website.
Effortless multitasker Joss Whedon has taken time off between letting Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents clean up the scum to unveil a fan-friendly surprise: his brand new film In Your Eyes available to rent online for just $5. The Avengers director high-fived his fans worldwide by releasing the film online as it was premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. Currently filming the next instalment of the Avengers: Age of Ultron, Whedon made $1.5 billion from the first ‘gang’s all here’ Marvel superhero romp. The Buffy creator has seen shifts in the industry over the years and wanted to explore options to satisfy both fans and his bottom line. "It's exciting for us because we get to explore yet another new form of distribution — and we get $5," he said. Whedon recorded a video message to introduce the release, played before the Tribeca screening and seemingly recorded on the Avengers set. In Your Eyes will mark the second release from Bellwether Pictures, Whedon’s pet project and “micro studio” that released the playful, black and white rom-com version of Much Ado About Nothing in 2013. Whedon and his wife Kai Cole founded the LA studio as a means to bypass "the classic studio structure" that Whedon receives millions of dollars yet limited creative distribution control to work in. Starring newcomers Zoe Kazan (writer and star of Ruby Sparks) and Michael Stahl-David (Cloverfield, NBC’s The Black Donnellys), In Your Eyes is a so-called paranormal romance, following two strangers who find themselves linked by supernatural means. Whedon wrote and produced the film, looked at his laughable schedule, then handed the director hat over to buddy Brin Hill (writer and director of 2008’s Ball Don’t Lie). Whedon has been pretty busy of late being King of Marvel Errrrthang, divvying up his directorial time on the Avengers sequel Age of Ultron to serve as creative consultant on Any Marvel Film Anyone is Making Right Now. Whedon penned dialogue for Thor: The Dark World as well as directing the mid-credits scene in Captain America: The Winter Soldier — Whedon’s Marvel input cameos might soon rival the onscreen pop-ins of legendary creator Stan Lee. “This is the most prolific title we’ve had on the platform, definitely,” Vimeo spokesman Greg Clayman told Gigaom. Stealthy, unannounced releases are becoming more used by major players as a means of distributing directly to fanbases. “It's a non-traditional way, for sure. But hey, it works for Beyonce." Due to Whedon being an absolute legend, In Your Eyes is available to rent on Vimeo right now. Via BBC and Gigaom.
To sail the seas, or to peer under the sea? For those keen to explore the ocean, that has long been the question. If you're on a boat cruising along the surface, you can't really get up close and personal with the world swimming below — until now. French cruise line Ponant have announced the "Blue Eye", the world's first underwater cruise ship lounge, which will be part of its new fleet of ships. In total, four vessels will boast multi-sensory spaces that allow guests to view the wonders of the deep. The first, Le Laperouse, is due to make its maiden journey in mid-2018. In an effort that pays tribute to great French ocean obsessives such as Jules Verne and Jacques Cousteau, the unique rooms were designed by architect Jacques Rougerie, who aimed "to enable PONANT guests to perceive and feel the underwater universe that has never ceased to amaze and inspire him." The end result features furniture, fittings and windows intended to evoke the shapes of cetaceans (aka whales and dolphins) and jellyfish, integrated screens that project images filmed live outside by three underwater cameras, and a sound experience that vibrates through the onboard sofas in unison with the sea. Basically, you'll peer through whale eye-esque portals and sit in chairs that ebb and flow like the water, all while you're headed to destinations such as Iceland, the Mediterranean, the Maldives and Asia. If you're going to fork out for a cruise, that's the way to do it, although trips start from AU$3,3400 for a seven-night stint in the North Sea. Via Travel and Leisure. Image: Ponant.
When Melbourne's acclaimed 400 Gradi achieves a significant feat, it doesn't rest on its laurels. It was true when the Italian joint whipped up a 99-cheese pizza, which it then bested with a 150-cheese pizza. And it has proven true at one of the pizza industry's night of nights: the 50 Top Pizza awards in Naples. At last year's gongs, 400 Gradi claimed the title of Best Pizzeria in Oceania. This year, it's done so again. It's only the third year that the awards have been held, with the Melbourne eatery now emerging victorious two years running over all other pizza places in the region. To anoint its winners, the event secretly judges almost 1000 pizzerias in Italy and around the world. While 400 Gradi topped the list in Oceania, it had some local company in the shortlist, including Melbourne's +39 Pizzeria, Doc Pizza & Mozzarella Bar, SPQR Pizzeria and Woodstock Pizzacheria; Sydney's Gigi's Pizzeria and Rosso Antico Pizza Bar; Brisbane's Pizzeria Violetta; and The Dough Room in Perth. It has been a big year for 400 Gradi, with the pizza joint also picking up another coveted prize this year at the Olimpiadi Vera Pizza Napoletana contest. Held by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (which is also known as The True Neapolitan Pizza Association), it compiles a ranking of the best pizzerias in the world — and while 400 Gradi didn't take the top spot, it did come in second. 400 Gradi Essendon eatery was the only restaurant outside of Naples to make the top five, in fact, and was joined by 400 Gradi at Brunswick and Gradi Crown at sixth and eighth place. To check out the 50 Top Pizza awards full lineup of award-winning pizzas, visit its website. To run through the Olimpiadi Vera Pizza Napoletana contest winners, head to its website, too.
Whether you're in lockdown, working from home or just social distancing in general, your day could always do with a few more cute animals. And, if you didn't realise this before the pandemic, you definitely will have over the past few months: the internet is always happy to oblige. Earlier in the year, Melbourne's zoos started live-streaming their penguins, leopard cubs and giraffes, while Sydney's aquarium brought us playtime with Pig the dugong, the Wild Life zoo opted for cuddles with quokkas and Brisbane's Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary opted for a non-stop look at one of Australia's cutest native marsupials. The list of animal-focused streams has grown over the course of 2020, including Melbourne Aquarium's own series of meditation and relaxation videos. And now, also from Melbourne, a den of small-clawed otters are getting in on the fun. In the latest webcam setup at Melbourne Zoo, a lens has been trained on the site's four Asian small-clawed otter pups. They were born in February this year to otter parents Paula and Odie, who became the first of their species to breed at the Victorian site since back in 2011. And, whether they're sleeping or playfully fighting — a type of behaviour that helps them bond — these little critters are immensely adorable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r14IcXmQMyg&feature=emb_logo The otter webcam joins Melbourne Zoo's Animals at Home portal, where you can also peer at the aforementioned penguins, snow leopard cubs and giraffes — and lions, too. As the otter live-stream runs all day, every day, we can't promise this won't put a slight dent in your usual plans — and, on weekdays, your productivity — but we can promise that it'll help brighten up your day every so slightly. Check out Melbourne Zoo's Animals at Home portal via its website. Images: Zoos Victoria
If you've got an uncompromising desire for top-notch bread and pastries, you're probably well aware of Baker Bleu's exploits. However, getting a taste just got a little easier, with the launch of a fourth location in Cremorne, just a short stroll from Richmond Station. Whether you're an office worker in the area or simply don't mind taking a detour for a special bite, this central spot is ideal for breakfast on the go, lunch with friends or an afternoon pick-me-up. Inside, the all-day dining menu features the bakery's cult sandwiches, Roman-style pizzas and an assortment of freshly made pastries. Meanwhile, a selection of new additions brings a fresh element to the new digs. Tuck into a range of breakfast ficelles featuring salami, provolone and pickles or make a sweet start to the day with challah french toast with whipped ricotta and fresh fig. Casting an eye down the menu, a ploughman's plate with a soft-boiled egg, freshly baked bread and trimmings like pickles, ham and gruyère will hit the spot, while healthy lunch options like the green goddess chicken salad with avocado and chickpeas will help rejuvenate your day. For something shareable, you can't go wrong with a freshly baked sourdough pizza with toppings ranging from margarita to zucchini with garlic cream and stracciatella. Plus, a flat white or latte made with Market Lane Coffee tastes just as good sitting at the indoor banquettes as the sunny outdoor tables. Past visitors to Baker Bleu will have certainly recognised the bakery's appreciation for good design. The Cremorne store is no different, with Melbourne-based studio IF Architecture coming on board to shape a space with seating for 20 and a nifty central table where customers can browse merch and artisanal products from local makers. Rich in textural details, materials like American oak, aluminium and stainless steel evoke the rustic charm of traditional breadmaking. "We're excited to bring Baker Bleu to a new market and look forward to becoming a part of the daily routine of Cremorne's community," says baker and owner Mike Russell. "Come in to get your daily sourdough loaf and coffee or settle in for a lunch or catch up with friends, our Cremorne store has something for everyone." Founded in 2016 by Mike and Mia Russell, Baker Bleu has grown from a small Elsternwick operation to enjoy bustling Melbourne locations in Caulfield North and Hawksburn, alongside Double Bay in Sydney. Focused on an ancient long-fermentation process that doesn't skip any corners, don't be surprised to find Baker Bleu bread on the menu at many of the city's top cafes and fine-dining institutions. Baker Bleu Cremorne is open from Monday-Friday from 7am–4.30pm and Saturday–Sunday from 7am–3pm at 65 Dover St, Cremorne. Head to the website for more information. Images: Sarah Pannell.
Mockumentaries tend to get a bit of a bad rap in critical circles. 'Lazy filmmaking' is the most common smear, and — to be fair — they are a far gentler form of screenwriting than an out-and-out screenplay. They've also experienced massive growth in recent years, most notably in television, with the likes of Modern Family, The Office and Summer Heights High all achieving both popular and critical success. In film, This Is Spinal Tap set the benchmark way back in 1984 and has reigned supreme ever since — an 11 out of 10, if you will. The newest edition in the genre is What We Do In The Shadows, a collaboration between writer/directors Taika Waititi and Flight of the Conchords' Jemaine Clement. Billed as "a couple of interviews with a couple of vampires", it's a fly on the wall 'documentary' about four vampires sharing a flat in present-day New Zealand and is, quite simply, hilarious. The subjects of the film are: Viago (Waititi), an 18th-century dandy whose anal retentiveness makes him 'that' flatmate; Vlad (Clement), a legendary Lothario and formerly prolific hypnotist; Deacon (Jonathan Brugh), the self-proclaimed 'sexy one'; and Petyr (Ben Fransham) an ancient vampire from the early days. Key to its appeal is the way What We Do In The Shadows presents the needs, problems and activities of vampires as entirely commonplace. It makes them immediately relatable, treating something like the accidental puncturing of a victim's jugular and subsequent living room mess with no more pomp or fanfare than a spilled drink on a beige couch. The flatmates cruise the clubs of Wellington seeking victims like others seek a one night stand, they jeer each other on when a back-alley argument descends into a 'bat fight', and they projectile vomit blood when they absentmindedly eat actual food. Yes, they've their share of 'vampire' problems (sunlight, vampire hunters, etc), but also more normal ones, like having to tell your best friend you're the undead and suppressing the unceasing desire to kill him. What We Do in the Shadows also comes in at the welcome length of just 87 minutes, but its brevity doesn't come at the expense of jokes. It's packed with laughs, both visual and scripted, as well as offering a decent dose of improv (a common trait for mockumentaries). There's also more than a bit of horror and gore (so much so that with minimal tweaking this could easily have been reshaped as a solid B-grade scary film), yet there's no fear of fear thanks to the unbroken procession of gags. If this is lazy filmmaking, then bring on the trackies and couch surfing, because it suits us just fine. Check out Concrete Playground NZ's interview with Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Cv568AzZ-i8
In early September, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews unveiled how metropolitan Melbourne area will gradually ease out of its current stage four COVID-19 lockdowns. On the cards is a five-step removal of restrictions, with the second step coming into place at 11.59pm on September 27, as confirmed by Premier Andrews yesterday. More steps will follow; however just when they'll kick in is now dependent on hitting certain case numbers, and accompanying health advice, rather than specific dates. The aim: to get Melbourne to what the powers-that-be are calling a 'COVID normal' scenario — with absolutely no restrictions on gatherings, visitors, hospitality or sport. For now, under step two, metro Melbourne has met everything it needs to. Under the roadmap, Melbourne needed to reach a 14-day rolling average of daily between 30 and 50 — and as of Sunday, September 27, the average is 22.1. If you're wondering what has changed overnight, and what you now can and can't do, that's understandable — the full outline of step two is lengthy. So, we've detailed the basics. This information is correct as of Monday, September 28. Is there still a curfew? No, the curfew for metropolitan Melbourne has now been scrapped. If lifted for the last time at 5am on Monday, September 28. Originally, it was due to stay in step two, but Premier Andrews announced that change on Sunday, September 27. For what reasons am I allowed to leave the house? Remember those four reasons first announced way back in March? Yep, it's still those. You can leave home to purchase groceries and other essentials, for care and caregiving, for outdoor exercise and recreation, and for permitted work. In step two, however, more industries are allowed to return to working onsite, covering around 127,000 employees. You can find out more about what industries are allowed on-site workers over here. [caption id="attachment_776562" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Heroes mask[/caption] Do I still have to wear a mask? Yes, masks or face coverings are still compulsory whenever you leave home. In fact, the rules for masks have tightened in step two. You now have to wear a fitted face mask — with bandanas, scarves and face shields no longer acceptable. The new rule came into effect with step two, but Melburnians are being give a one-week grace period to comply. How long am I allowed to be out of the house for? You can now head outdoors for up to two hours. You can use these two hours to exercise or to see a friends or family members (and you can split these into two one-hour sessions, but no more), but we'll get to social interactions in a second. How far can I travel? You can still only travel up to five kilometres from your home. We're sure you're very, very familiar with that patch of dirt by now, but if you want to have another look at what's around, check out this website. Can I see friends and family? Yes, but there are quite a few caveats, so bear with us. You can catch up with up to five people, from a maximum of two different households, outside of your home for up to two hours. You can exercise with them or have a picnic (socially distanced, of course), but you cannot travel more than five kilometres from your home. Inside your home, the rules are a little different. The "single social bubble" from step one is still in place, which allows a single person living alone or a single parent with children under 18 to nominate one person to be in their bubble. You are allowed to have this nominated person over to your home and you can go to their home — and you can travel more than five kilometres to visit them, but you must stay within metropolitan Melbourne. You can also stay overnight. Premier Daniel Andrews has posted a little more about the bubbles, too: https://www.facebook.com/DanielAndrewsMP/photos/pcb.3398375080227004/3401290863268759/?type=3&theater Can I drive to a park to exercise? As long as it's within five kilometres of your home, yes. While it was initially banned at the start of stage four, the government changed the rules after backlash on social media. Also, if you're a worker permitted to return to onsite work, you can now also exercise within five kilometres of your workplace. Can I have a session with a personal trainer in a park? Under step two, yes. Up to two people per trainer is allowed. Can I have a picnic in a park? Yes, as long as it's with up to five people (including yourself) from a maximum of two different households — and within five kilometres of your homes. Here are some of our favourite spots. How about a dog park? If it's within five kilometres of your home, yes. Here are some of our favourites. Can I go to the beach? Yes, if there is a beach within five kilometres of your home. But you can go for a maximum of two hours, and with with up to five people (including yourself) from a maximum of two different households. [caption id="attachment_618946" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fitzroy Swimming Pool[/caption] Can I go to a pool? Indoor? No. Outdoor? Yes. But there are capacity limits and bookings at many pools, so check the website before throwing on your togs. You can check out some of our favourites over here. Can I visit a regional town? If you work in regional Victoria, you can travel there (but you'll need a permit) — otherwise no. You can travel more than five kilometres from your home to see someone in your "social bubble", but you cannot enter regional Victoria for this reason. Can I go shopping? For groceries and other essentials, yes. But not all shops are open and some have altered hours, so check before you head off. And do make sure you stay within five kilometres from your home. Under previous restrictions, only one person per household could go shopping for groceries and other essentials each day. That requirement has now been dropped, but you can still only shop for necessary goods and services. How about to a restaurant or cafe? You can pick up takeaway from a hospitality venue located within five kilometres of your home, but dine-in service is off the cards for now. Or a gym? Indoor gyms are currently closed, but outdoors playgrounds and gyms are open. When will more restrictions be eased? For metropolitan Melbourne, the next step of eased restrictions was originally set to take place on Monday, October 26 — but only if the state-wide average daily cases is less than five and there have been less than five cases with unknown sources over the previous 14 days. As part of the step two announcement, that specific date requirement has now been dropped. Instead, metropolitan Melbourne will move to step three when the above case numbers are met, regardless of the date. It's expected that will happen around October 19; however, again, that isn't set in stone. On Sunday, September 27, Premier Andrews noted that the city "cannot take that step any earlier because the impact of decisions made today won't be known for at least two-to-three weeks". If you have more questions, the Victorian Government has an extensive list of FAQs on its website. Top image: Royal Botanic Gardens via Visit Victoria
It's funny, you might think the crossover between people who love geek stuff and people who love art stuff would be small, but not so. GRAPHIC Festival at the Sydney Opera House has been proving the crude stereotypers of the world wrong for four years now with its melange of comics, animation, illustration, music, multimedia and storytelling. Not only does the festival pull audiences, it puts on some of the most new and daring events in the country, which in past years have included Gotye's live animated album preview for Making Mirrors and Elefant Traks' Dr Seuss-inspired concert. The headliners are here in abundance in 2013, and they're mainly drawn (ha) from the world of comics. The man most credited with introducing comics as a 'serious' medium and Pulitzer Prize winner for Holocaust-themed Maus, Art Spiegelman, will present a hybrid of slides, talk and music in a performance specially commissioned for the festival. The event, called WORDLESS!, will see Spiegelman share his own history while expounding on the depth comics are capable of. Same room, same day: Grant Morrison — legendary writer of such titles as Batman: Arkham Asylum, The Invisibles, New X-Men and All-Star Superman — will be in conversation with Gerard Way (former My Chemical Romance frontman, now award-winning comic artist). Morrison's not the only Arkham Asylum alumnus either; there's idiosyncratic artist Dave McKean. Best known for his collaborations with Neil Gaiman, he also designed the beasts in two of the Harry Potter films and created more than 150 album covers. And he makes music — six songs of which appear with three stories and a stack of images and film in 9 Lives, his Australian premiere performance during GRAPHIC. Also in the mix are Seth Green (Oz! Scott Evil!) and Matt Senreich of Robot Chicken; Wolverine and Swamp Thing co-creator Len Wein leading a workshop; The Incredibly Short Film Festival (it's GIFs, of course); The Cinematic Orchestra in full flight; and Radio National's Radio with Pictures team-up of homegrown artists and storytellers. They don't say it on their promo material, but what you should understand is that GRAPHIC is like arty Comic-Con, and you don't need to be an uber-fan to feel part of the party. There are few events quite like it in the world. The festival runs from October 4-7 and tickets are on sale on Friday, August 2, at 9am from the Sydney Opera House website.
J-horror devotees, rejoice: Australia's Japanese Film Festival is back for 2023, and it boasts a couple of highlights for lovers of scary cinema. If you're a fan of Japan's contribution to frightening flicks, then The Forbidden Play is your first must-see. Behind the lens is Hideo Nakata, the director of 1998's iconic Ringu, aka the movie that helped spark a global obsession (and the American spinoffs, too). This time, the filmmaker tells of a son wanting to bring his mother back to life, so much so that he keeps chanting a resurrection spell that awakens something evil. This year's JFF isn't just about unsettling titles, but it does also feature Immersion, which hails from Ju-On: The Grudge director Takashi Shimizu (who also helmed the first US remake starring Sarah Michelle Gellar). In his latest effort, he's playing with grudges again, as well as traditional Japanese superstitions, virtual reality and a secluded island — which is never a good setting for a horror film. That's the unnerving contingent for JFF 2023, which is focusing on films that explore connections between the past and the present when it tours the country across spring. Of course, it will also serve another function: letting audiences head to Japan from their cinema seats. Everyone has a favourite place in the world to visit. If you love travelling vicariously through movies when you can't do the real thing — in-between trips, or when your budget or just life in general doesn't have room for big holidays — then you likely have a favourite country-focused cinema event as well. JFF is one such event, surveying the latest and greatest in the nation's filmography. 2023 marks its 27th year, in fact, complete with a packed program. Among the delightful aspects of this film festival is its two-pronged approach in most cities, giving both recent and retrospective titles their own time to shine. One part of the event heroes latest releases, the other goes big on classics, and each has their own run of dates. You'll find that setup in Canberra, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney from September–November, with Perth the only location solely focusing on new movies. Officially opening the fest for 2023: We're Broke, My Lord!, a character-driven story about an unexpected inheritance from director Tetsu Maeda (And So the Baton Is Passed). From there, audiences can also look forward to the aforementioned to J-horror pictures; the animated Gold Kingdom and Water Kingdom; Citizen Kitano's tribute to actor, comedian and filmmaker Takeshi Kitano (Outrage Coda); and Yokaipedia, which is about three boys on a monster-filled quest. Fellow standouts include Yudo: The Way of the Bath, a comedy about bathhouse rituals; romance We Made a Beautiful Bouquet; Natchan's Little Secret, where three drag queens head to a funeral; and Single8, with director Kazuya Konaka's paying tribute to filmmaking before the digital era. And, in the special series — aka the fest's retrospective thread — post-war Japanese cinema figure Kо̄ Nakahira is in the spotlight. JFF will screen 1956's Juvenile Jungle and Milkman Frankie, 1957's Temptation, 1962's Danger's Where The Money Is!, and 1963's Mud Spattered Purity, as well as Flora on the Sand, Only on Mondays and The Hunter's Diary from 1964, plus 1965's The Black Gambler. JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL 2023 DATES: Canberra: Special series: Saturday, September 30–Monday, October 2 at NFSA Latest releases: Wednesday, October 11–Sunday, October 15 at Palace Electric Perth: Latest releases: Monday, October 16–Sunday, October 22 at Palace Raine Square Brisbane: Special series: Friday, October 6–Sunday, October 8 and Wednesday, October 11 at QAGOMA Latest releases: Wednesday, October 18–Sunday, October 22 at Palace Barracks Melbourne: Latest releases: Monday, October 23–Sunday, October 29 at The Kino and Palace Balwyn Special series: Thursday, November 2–Sunday, November 5 at ACMI Sydney: Special series: Monday, October 23–Wednesday, October 25 at The Chauvel Latest releases: Thursday, October 26–Tuesday, October 31 at Palace Central, Palace Norton Street and Palace Verona The 2023 Japanese Film Festival tours Australia from September–November. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the festival website. Top images: ©2023 The Forbidden Play Film Partners, © 2023 IMMERSION Production Committee.
It's that time of year, somehow. Christmas is almost here, summer has officially started and you're probably thinking about your 2021 shenanigans. While jetting overseas still isn't an option for Australians at the moment, you can make plans to roam around much of this country we all come home now that borders are reopening — and, if you'd like to head over to South Australia in the new year, its government wants to give you an extra incentive. As part of the returning Great State Vouchers scheme — which first ran in October this year — the SA Government is giving away $50 and $100 vouchers to use at hotels in the state between Thursday, January 7–Wednesday, March 31, 2021. The amount of the voucher varies depending on where you're planning on staying, with $50 vouchers on offer for regional and suburban accommodation, and $100 vouchers available to use for Adelaide CBD and North Adelaide stays. During the first round of vouchers, more than 50,000 where snapped up in just over an hour — but they were only available to South Australian residents. This time around, with more than $2 million worth of vouchers available, the scheme is open to interstate folks as well. And, in another expansion, they can be redeemed over a longer booking period, and can also be used at accommodation places with five or more rooms (up from ten or more last time). That means that you'll be able to choose between hundreds of places to stay — with more than 800 accommodation providers eligible to participate. To take part, you'll need to download a voucher from the scheme's website on Tuesday, January 5, then make your booking between Thursday, January 7–Sunday, January 31. There are a few caveats, unsurprisingly. The vouchers don't cover Saturday nights and, to try to nab one, you'll have to log on to the voucher website and prove your identification via your driver's license or proof of age card. Border-wise, SA currently doesn't require interstate visitors to quarantine, after opening its borders to Victoria on Tuesday, December 1. But some states do currently have restrictions in place for anyone who has travelled to South Australia, or parts of it (such as Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania) — or require permits (Victoria) to enter if you've been in SA. So, it's best to keep an eye on your state's requirements when you're trying to score a voucher and then making a hotel booking. For further details about South Australia's Great State Vouchers scheme — or to nab one on Tuesday, January 5 — head to its website.
When 2022 began, it kicked off with famous faces stranded in the Australian outback, all thanks to local streaming platform Stan. Zac Efron did the honours in the film Gold, while Jamie Dornan lost his memory amid this sunburnt country of ours in six-part TV thriller The Tourist — and if you were a fan of the incredibly easy-to-binge latter, it's coming back again for another round of twists and turns. The BBC, which also had a hand in The Tourist, has announced that season two of the hit series is on its way. The British broadcaster also revealed that the show is its highest-rating series of 2022 so far, so stumping up for more is hardly surprising. Screenwriters Harry and Jack Williams (Baptiste, The Missing, Liar) will return; however, the BBC is keeping quiet on details otherwise, including around timing, casting and storyline. Accordingly, whether Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar and Belfast's Dornan will be back, where the six new episodes will be set, what plot they'll follow and when they'll hit your streaming queue is still all under wraps. If you haven't yet watched the The Tourist's first season, it starred Dornan as a man caught up in a mystery, and unfurled its specifics in cliffhanger-heavy instalments. It also had fun with its premise — and its onslaught of twists and turns. It knew that zigzagging thrillers that work from a clearcut roadmap should make their familiar pieces feel anything but, and should take their audience along for a wild ride. And, it was well aware that that should all be the case even when largely driving down a recognisable road. Playing an Irish traveller in Australia, Dornan's character's name doesn't matter at first, when he's using the bathroom at a petrol station in the middle of nowhere. But after he's run off the road by a steamrolling long-haul truck shortly afterwards, he desperately wishes he could remember his own moniker, plus everything else about his past. Local Constable Helen Chalmers (Danielle Macdonald, French Exit) takes a shine to him anyway; however, piecing together his history is far from straightforward. His other immediate questions: why is he in the middle of Australia, why does a bomb go off in his vicinity and why is he getting calls from a man trapped in an underground barrel? A well-greased concept, a confident approach, clever plotting, a fabulous cast: they're all on offer across the first season, and they all hit their marks. Add the script's smattering of memorable, nearly Coen brothers-esque lines and, whether hurtling in a straight line or zipping quickly around unexpected corners, The Tourist was easily 2022's first must-binge show. Here's hoping the same proves true of season two — whenever it drops, and whatever it's about. Check out the trailer for first season of The Tourist below: The Tourist's first season is available to stream viaStan in Australia and TVNZ On Demand in New Zealand — and you can also read our full review. We'll update you with further details about the show's second season when they're announced.
While those big-name tennis stars spend the Australian Open battling it out on court for the world to see, you can enjoy some victories of your own with a visit to Supernormal. Andrew McConnell's modern Japanese restaurant has joined forces with the team at ACMI to host a neon-lit, pop-up arcade bar, dedicated to the game of Pong. One of the world's OG video games, the Atari release simulates a two-dimensional tennis match — only, unlike the real deal, it doesn't require slogging it out under Melbourne's hot January sun. Decked out with multiple game consoles, the Pong Grand Slam arcade is set to take over Supernormal's lower level from Monday, January 20, until Sunday, February 2, while in the upstairs restaurant, a projection of an actual 1972 Pong duel is sure to offer some pre-game inspiration. It's free to play and you won't even need to book ahead for a console. Of course, you're going to need some fuel for that Pong sesh and you'll find yourself in good hands with the bar's latest cocktail special. The aptly named Courtside boasts a blend of gin, ginger-infused elderflower syrup and dry ginger ale. The ACMI x Supernormal Pong Grand Slam arcade is open from 11am till late, daily.
Since 2016, the cinema-loving world has had a Studio Ghibli-shaped hole in its heart. That's when the acclaimed Japanese animation house released its most recent film, the gorgeous French co-production The Red Turtle. Its last solo production actually came two years earlier, courtesy of 2014's When Marnie Was There. Still, much has happened in Studio Ghibli's world over the past decade. Hayao Miyazaki announced his retirement, then changed his mind. In 2018, fellow co-founder and acclaimed director Isao Takahata sadly passed away. And, over the past few years, the company has been busying itself with its very own theme park. The latter is due to open in 2022 and become quite the tourist attraction — but that doesn't mean that fans aren't keen for more Ghibli movies. Thankfully, the studio revealed earlier this year that it's working on just that, with two new films on its slate for 2020. One of those movies will be helmed by My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle icon Miyazaki, with How Do You Live? actually first announced a few years back. As for the second film, information have been scarce to date; however the company has just provided more than a few details. Called Aya and the Witch — and also known as Earwig and the Witch in English — the movie will mark the first Studio Ghibli completely made using computer-generated animation. Director-wise, it's helmed by Hayao Miyazaki's son Goro Miyazaki, who previously directed Tales from Earthsea and From Up On Poppy Hill. It's also based on a novel written by British author Diana Wynne Jones, who penned the book that Howl's Moving Castle was adapted from, too. And, it'll head straight to Japanese television, with the film airing on local broadcaster NHK TV sometime during Japan's winter. Just when audiences elsewhere will get to see Aya and the Witch is yet to be revealed; however it was announced this week that it would've screened at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival if the event had gone ahead this year. In lieu of holding a physical fest, the prestigious event announced a lineup of 56 movies it would've shown, giving them the 'Cannes 2020 Official Selection' label — and Ghibli's latest is one of them. In terms of story, Aya and the Witch focuses on a girl at an orphanage. She enjoys living there, but her world changes when she's chosen to live with a couple — including, as the title makes plain, a witch. Fingers crossed that Aya and the Witch will head to screens Down Under sooner rather than later. In the interim, you can get your Ghibli fix by checking out the company's online tours of its museum on the outskirts of Tokyo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccgm1Pp5Whw Via Studio Ghibli. Top image: Howl's Moving Castle.
