One, two, three, four: Sex Bob-Omb! are back, and everything Scott Pilgrim with them, thanks to upcoming Netflix animated series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. First announced earlier in 2023, the new take on a bass player fighting the object of his affection's seven evil exes is hitting the small screen as a streaming series, with the entire Scott Pilgrim vs the World cast returning to their roles. And if you're wondering what that all looks like, the show has just dropped its first teaser trailer. Obviously, a lot can happen in 13 years — and for the cast of 2010's page-to-screen favourite Scott Pilgrim vs the World, much has before Scott Pilgrim Takes Off reaches screens. Michael Cera kept returning to Arrested Development's George Michael, made a stunning appearance in the Twin Peaks revival and featured in Barbie. Mary Elizabeth Winstead added everything from Fargo and 10 Cloverfield Lane to Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) to her resume. Chris Evans became Captain America, Kieran Culkin killed it with insults in Succession and Anna Kendrick had the whole Pitch Perfect franchise. Brie Larson slipping into Captain Marvel's shoes, Aubrey Plaza's The White Lotus stint, Jason Schwartzman still showing up in Wes Anderson films aplenty — that's all occurred as well. Now, more Scott Pilgrim has come all of the above actors' way, too. The movie that started off as a series of graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley, and also hit video games, will live on again from Friday, November 17. And, once more, Scott (Cera) will fall for Ramona Flowers (Winstead), and face off against her past loves. When a film becomes a streaming series, that doesn't always mean that the OG stars return with it — but it does in this case. As well as Cera and Winstead, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off boasts Culkin as Wallace Wells, Kendrick as Stacey Pilgrim, Larson as Envy Adams and Plaza as Julie Powers. And, yes, Evans, Schwartzman, Satya Bhabha (Sense8), Brandon Routh (The Flash) and Mae Whitman (Good Girls) are all back as Ramona's evil exes. The list doesn't stop there. Alison Pill (Hello Tomorrow!) as Kim Pine, Johnny Simmons (Girlboss) as young Neil, Mark Webber (SMILF) as Stephen Stills, Ellen Wong (Best Sellers) as Knives Chau are reprising their roles as well. While Scott Pilgrim Takes Off still sees its namesake swoon over Ramona, then tussle with her former paramours, this is more than just a do-over. "I knew that a live action sequel was unlikely, but I would usually defer by suggesting that perhaps an anime adaptation was an interesting way to go," the original film's director Edgar Wright told Netflix back when the series was first announced. "And then, lo and behold, one day Netflix got in touch to ask about this exact idea. But even better, our brilliant creator Bryan Lee O'Malley had an idea that was way more adventurous than just a straight adaptation of the original books," Wright continued — and he's back as an executive producer. Check out the first teaser trailer for Scott Pilgrim Takes Off below: Scott Pilgrim Takes Off will be available to stream via Neflix on Friday, November 17.
We're going back ... back to see Back to the Future, this time as a musical on the Sydney Lyric's stage. First floated 20 years ago by the big-screen trilogy's screenwriter Bob Gale, then finally premiering in 2020, the song-filled take on Marty McFly and Doc Brown's exploits has proven an award-winning success in London's West End and on Broadway. In 2025, the DeLorean has finally arrived in Sydney. The power of Back to the Future isn't really a curious thing. As viewers have known since 1985, the Michael J Fox (The Good Fight)-starring sci-fi/comedy is a timeless delight. But as well as making film lovers weep with joy for almost four decades, the iconic movie has been making other folks sing — the casts of the Olivier Award-winning Back to the Future: The Musical, that is. Aussie audiences can now experience the award-winning musical at the Sydney Lyric. Exclaiming "great Scott!" is obviously the only fitting response to this development, and to the production in general — and there's clearly plenty to get excited about. Since initially racing towards clocktowers onstage in the UK since early 2020 (around a pandemic hiatus or two, of course), Back to the Future: The Musical has picked up the Olivier Award for Best New Musical, and then was nominated for two Tony Awards in 2024. And yes, the show does indeed follow the Marty McFly and Doc Brown-led story we all know and adore, but with songs, including renditions of Chuck Berry's 'Johnny B Goode' and Huey Lewis and the News' 'The Power of Love' and 'Back in Time', naturally. [caption id="attachment_1049421" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Boud[/caption] Australian fans will now want to speed at 88 miles per hour towards the Harbour City, given that it is the only Aussie city where a season of Back to the Future: The Musical has been announced so far, so bookmark a trip to the Harbour City to see it — or pop on your own white lab coat, start tinkering around with electronics and whip up your own time machine to try to make it happen. Also featuring music and lyrics by OG Back to the Future composer Alan Silvestri and acclaimed songwriter Glen Ballard (Jagged Little Pill the Musical), plus a book by Gale — who co-penned all three Back to the Future film scripts with filmmaker Robert Zemeckis (Here) — Back to the Future: The Musical was nominated for seven Olivier Awards. It only won the big one, but emerged victorious over heavy-hitters and fellow screen-to-stage shows Moulin Rouge! The Musical and Frozen. Tickets are on sale now. For more info, head to the website. [caption id="attachment_1049422" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Boud[/caption]
It's been just over two years since Barry Susanto (former sous-chef of Navi) and Erwin Chandra shook up Richmond's sandwich game with the arrival of their Indo-inspired eatery Warkop. Now, it's the CBD's turn, as the duo gears up to open their second outpost on Little Collins Street next week. Incoming Tuesday, May 2, Warkop's city iteration will celebrate the same fusion of familar flavours and inventive spirit that's made the OG such a hit. Here, however, you've got an entirely new menu of breakfast goodies, hefty sandwiches and house-made pastries to look forward to. Both Indonesian, Susanto and Chandra met working together at Duke's Coffee Roasters in Windsor, sparking initial plans to open their own establishment. Fuelled by a touch of homesickness, some lockdown experimentation and a desire to offer locals a broader, more authentic taste of their homeland, they turned that plan into a reality in 2021. And now, they're doubling down. Here, a simple yet inviting fitout by Sonelo Architects draws inspiration from the warung kopi (Indonesia's café-style street stalls) that also gave Warkop its name. A splash of colour, woven rattan finishes and lots of raw timber combine to lend a welcoming edge. Come breakfast time, you've got a range of sweet and savoury bites to choose from, with the likes of bacon and egg muffins dressed with black garlic sauce, sambal matah (a Balinese raw sambal) crullers, and sweet crullers finished with a kaya glaze. Plus, you can match your morning feed with an espresso or cold-brew made on beans by Dukes. Sandwich fiends are in for a real treat, whether they're after something fresh, toasted or even fried. Flavour combinations might include rare roast beef with pickled bean sprouts, salted egg and Thai basil in a soft potato roll, a brisket rendang number on rye, or a gado gado-inspired focaccia toastie with tofu and peanut sauce. Fried sangas include a crispy chicken and kohlrabi creation with the house Bazzinga sauce, and Warkop's answer to the Filet-o-Fish done with sambal matah, sprouts and tartare. There's also a daily-changing salad offering, plus freshly-baked sweet treats courtesy of Pastry Chef Audita Bisma; ranging from a burnt Basque cheesecake reimagined with palm sugar, to rum and vanilla-infused cream puffs. Find Warkop CBD at 13 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, from May 2. It'll open from 7am–3pm weekdays and from 8am–3pm on weekends.
Forget grey. Come October-November, the Northern Rivers of New South Wales will be covered in 50 shades of purple when the historic town of Grafton gives off big main character energy through its annual showcase of violet-hued blooms. With roots as the oldest floral festival in the country, the Grafton Jacaranda Festival really knows what it takes to celebrate one of Australia's most-loved flowers. And, for one week between Friday, 27 October and Sunday, 5 November, visitors and locals alike will line the main street of Grafton to watch the annual float parade, settle in for a round of drag queen bingo (complete with lavender eyeshadow), enjoy a lazy long lunch underneath a floral lilac canopy or watch the beautiful trees of See Park illuminated as the sun goes down. While the fest will feature a mix of ticketed and free activities, if there's one event which we recommend committing to, it's Jacaranda Thursday. On this day Grafton's main street will close down as people meander throughout the CBD, soak up the atmosphere and simply stop and smell the jacarandas. The Grafton Jacaranda Festival will run from Friday, 27 October and Sunday, 5 November 2023. For the full event program visit their website.
Vegan? Gluten free? Intolerant of basically everything? Wattle Park Green Grocer has your back. As well as all the fruit and veg you'd expect to see at your local supermarket, Wattle Park specialises in ready made meals (including gluten free and low FODMAP options), organic produce boxes and gourmet food hampers. You'll find vegan dips and pestos, fair trade coffee and chocolate from local producers, organic Australian sauces and condiments, a big selection of mueslis and a room dedicated to bulk-buy wholefoods like nuts, seeds, dry fruit, legumes and hard to find flours. BYO containers and reusable shopping and produce bags. Images: Tracey Ah-kee.
It's been a busy 12 months or so for Qantas. The Australian airline launched 17-hour non-stop flights from Perth to London, started eyeing off even lengthier trips direct from the east coast to the UK and US, and introduced biofuel into its jaunts from Melbourne to Los Angeles. Now the carrier is kicking off the new year by earning a highly sought-after accolade, being named the safest airline to travel on in 2019. It's not the first time that Qantas has achieved the feat. In fact, the Aussie carrier has topped AirlineRatings.com's list for six years in a row. Entering its 99th year of operation, the airline emerged victorious from a pool of 405 carriers from around the world, with Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand also making the site's top 20. The other 17 airlines — which aren't ranked by number — span Alaska Airlines, All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, EVA Air, Finnair, Hawaiian Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, Qatar, Scandinavian Airline System, Singapore Airlines, Swiss, United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic. If you're a budget-conscious flyer, the website also outlined the ten safest low-cost airlines. Jetstar is one of them — and it's joined by Flybe, Frontier, HK Express, Jetblue, Cook, Volaris, Vueling, Westjet and Wizz. Factors that influence a carrier's placement on the two lists include crash and incident records, safety initiatives, fleet age, profitability, and audits by aviation governing bodies, industry bodies and governments. At the other end of the scale, five airlines received the lowest rankings: Ariana Afghan Airlines, Bluewing Airlines, Kam Air and Trigana Air Service. Via AirlineRatings.com.
Lined with leafy streets, Kensington's quiet village-like atmosphere belies its proximity to Melbourne CBD. Yet this peaceful pocket makes the neighbourhood prime for top-notch cafes rich in community spirit. While there's no shortage to choose from, Local Folk has become a beloved favourite in the area. Although the constant throng of customers highlights Local Folk's credentials, the cafe recently received the VIC Toby's Estate Local Legends 2024 award. Established by the coffee roaster to give communities the chance to vote on their favourite cafes brewing Toby's Estate beans, Ashley and his wife Belinda are chuffed to claim the title after a decade in business. With Ashley plying his trade in hospo venues across Melbourne since he was a teenager, this on-the-job education helped ready him for owning his own spot. With his family having roots in Kensington for years, it was the ideal choice to build something that could become a long-standing member of the community. Serving incredible coffee alongside modern cafe cuisine, a morning flat white or espresso goes down sweet with the brekky gnocchi or a spring salad. To celebrate Local Folk's award, we've chatted with owner Ashley to get to know his cafe better and what the Kensington community means to him. Tell Us About the Inspiration Behind the Name 'Local Folk' came from the Kensington community's interest in our business from the early days of renovating the premises. We had lots of families, dog walkers, and community members keen to hear what we were up to and planning. The local community showed us kind support and encouragement from the beginning. Given this was our first business, the name seemed to suit the local people and what we hoped to achieve. How Did You Get Into the Hospitality Industry? I've worked in the hospitality industry as a chef since age 17, starting as an apprentice in a French restaurant where I developed a love of cooking and hospitality. After working in various restaurants and cafes across Melbourne, I took the plunge in opening my own business in 2014. What's Your Go-To Coffee Order? A soy latte brewed with fresh beans (Toby's Estate, of course!) and Bonsoy Milk. From Your Menu, What's the Perfect Pairing With a Morning Coffee? Our Kenso brekky roll. It's our most popular menu item for on-the-go customers. Made with egg, bacon, house-made relish, jack cheddar and spinach in a toasted pide – delish! What Made You Choose to Open in the Area You're in Today? We had family connections to Kensington, as my father grew up in the area and attended the local primary school across the street from Local Folk. My brother also lived in the area a few years ago, so I know it well. We love the village feel of Kensington with its community vibe and felt that the weatherboard charm of our former corner store was the perfect site for a local cafe. What Future Plans Do You Have in Store For Your Cafe? We would like to continue to improve the facilities for our customers. In particular, we are meeting with our local council regarding our outdoor dining area and hope to make the area more comfortable in summer. We might even open on some summer nights. Where's Your Favourite Local Spot to Grab Dinner and a Drink After Work? Being a busy family with kids in school, going out for dinner and drinks after work is rare these days. However, when we have time, we try to support other local venues like Hardimans Hotel. What are Some Other Local Small Businesses You Think People Should Support? I believe in supporting local businesses, especially the Flemington & Kensington Bowling Club. They have hosted our staff Christmas parties on many occasions and we appreciate how they sponsor local sporting teams. Why Do You Use Toby's Estate? We chose Toby's Estate because of their ethical standards when sourcing beans from around the world. It's important to support the origins of the beans for sustainability and longevity. Toby's is a great coffee partner for their passion for quality coffee and support for small business. What's Your Favourite Toby's Estate Roast? Brunswick blend is our go-to roast. We love it for its dark chocolate and toffee notes. It's a blend perfect for Melburnians and is unique to the area. Local Folk is the Toby's Estate Local Legends winner for VIC in 2024. For more information on it or other cafes that serve Toby's Estate, visit the website.
St Kilda's newest hospitality addition will quickly make you forget that we're deep into another icy Melbourne winter. Overlooking the beach from the ground floor of The Esplanade's new Saint Moritz precinct, LOTI leans into its seaside location with breezy looks and a fire-driven Mediterranean-inspired offering. The moniker is an acronym for Lady of the Ice and a nod to the neon signage of a female skater that stood atop the nearby St Moritz ice rink until 1981. But unlike its namesake, there's nothing frosty about LOTI. Statement curves are a staple of the Mitchell & Eades interiors, backed by natural materials, and soothing hues of sand, peach and soft green. It's a warm, serene space, imbued with the energy of a coastal holiday. With a resume that includes names like Lûmé , NOMA Australia, Aria and Quay, Head Chef Elijah Holland is heroing the art of cooking over flames, along with ancient techniques like curing, fermenting and preserving. Native ingredients star throughout a seafood-heavy menu that's largely inspired by the local coastline. Down the lighter end, you'll spy bites like scampi skewers — butter-poached, grilled and finished with a kelp glaze — along with house-made seafood and meat charcuterie, yellowfin tuna mousse cornettos, and an artichoke tarte tatin. Barley-fed beef tartare features Davidson plum molasses, river mint and mustard greens; wild venison is matched with juniper and mountain pepper; and the rigatoni pasta with baked clams, bower spinach and gruyere promises one heck of a side dish. Led by co-owner Cameron Northway (founder of Cocktail Porter and owner of Bondi's Rocker) and developed in conjunction with World Class Bartenders from his drinks agency Sweet&Chilli, the drinks offering is equally strong. A cocktail lineup focuses on locally-accented interpretations of the classics — think, the Dirty Martini with uni butter vodka and vermouth, and the Cooler pairing cacao and white rum that's infused with river mint. Meanwhile, the wine list showcases a wealth of biodynamic and organic Aussie producers, giving special love to those making varietals that hail from the coastlines of Europe. Find LOTI at 14 The Esplanade, St Kilda. It's open 11am–late Wednesday to Sunday. Images: Parker Blain
One of the best restaurants in Australia will be immortalised in print, thanks to a new book by chef Dan Hunter. Brae: Recipes and Stories from the Restaurant will showcase the history, philosophy and food of the iconic eatery in country Victoria, and is shaping up as one of the most salivating reads of the year. Due to hit shelves on May 1 thanks to Phaidon Press, the 256-page hardback will explore the early days of Brae, while also charting Hunter's journey from kitchen porter to celebrated chef. Personal essays will explore Hunter's ethical vision and strong preference for local ingredients. It's an approach that saw Brae rewarded with the number two spot on the list of Australia's Best Restaurants last year. Amateur cooks will also be keen to get a glimpse of Hunter's recipes, a number of which will be included in the tome. Finally, the book will feature more than 150 of artist Colin Page's photographs, detailing the food, the kitchen and breathtaking Australian landscape that surrounds the restaurant on all sides. Brae: Recipes and Stories from the Restaurant hits bookshelves and online stores from May 1 with a recommended retail price of $75.
Is the 21st century Middle-earth's golden age? For viewers, that keeps proving the case. The 00s had barely begun when The Lord of the Rings franchise started its journey to becoming one of the global box office's biggest-ever film sagas — it currently ranks 12th — by first arriving between 2001–2003 as Peter Jackson's initial trilogy based on JRR Tolkien's beloved and iconic fantasy novels. After The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King met such adoring cinema audiences and earned accolades, of course The Hobbit next made the leap to the silver screen under Jackson's direction, from 2012–2014 and again as a trio of flicks. A decade has now passed since An Unexpected Journey, The Desolation of Smaug and The Battle of the Five Armies as 2024 wraps up. The lack of Middle-earth at the movies also comes to an end via The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. Jackson has focused on documentaries since The Hobbit films, courtesy of the First World War-centric They Shall Not Grow Old, plus TV series The Beatles: Get Back and accompanying movie The Beatles: Get Back — The Rooftop Concert. Since becoming almost as synonymous with all things LoTR as the author who created it, however, he's still attached to the saga. In the live-action realm, planned Andy Serkis (Venom: The Last Dance)-directed and -starring 2026 release The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum boasts Jackson as a producer. First, though, he has executive-produced The War of the Rohirrim, the franchise's new anime instalment. One of his greatest choices from The Two Towers and The Return of the King still echoes here, too, and literally, with Miranda Otto reprising her role as Éowyn. The 21st century's original LoTR pictures were a massive deal everywhere, but the wealth of Australian actors among the cast didn't go unnoticed across the ditch from where New Zealand's green hills earned their most-famous movie use yet. While Otto, David Wenham (Fake), Cate Blanchett (Disclaimer) and Hugo Weaving (How to Make Gravy) weren't strangers to the screen by any means at the time, The Lord of the Rings remains one of the projects that they'll each forever be known for. Playing elves, Blanchett and Weaving were each able to return for The Hobbit flicks, but popping up at different times in the saga isn't as easy when you're portraying a human. In Otto's case, The War of the Rohirrim has found a way to bring her back as Éowyn. Like streaming series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, but unrelated to it, the new film is set before the events of the LoTR movies, but is told as a tale relayed by Rohan's best-known noblewoman and shieldmaiden. Imagine Éowyn "coming back and telling this story to her children"; that's what Otto did, she tells Concrete Playground. The narrative that the character unfurls from 183 years prior to her time has another Rohan heroine at its centre, explaining why she's someone that Middle-earth's kingdom of men, as well as its famed horsemen, should champion — even if her deeds don't furnish Rohan's songs and haven't been mentioned to audiences before. Héra (Gaia Wise, A Walk in the Woods) is the daughter of king Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox, Succession), whose reign and house are threatened by a marriage proposal. When Wulf's (Luke Pasqualino, Rivals) hand in matrimony is rejected, so sparks the battle that gives filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama's entry into the LoTR franchise its moniker. With episodes of Blade Runner: Black Lotus, Star Wars: Visions, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 on his resume, Kamiyama is well-versed at stepping into existing and already-adored worlds, and at giving them the anime treatment — a task that awaited with The War of the Rohirrim, and that the director handles with ease. That said, in connecting a tale that wouldn't be so resonant if viewers weren't familiar with Éowyn paving the way in the saga first with its on-screen past, Otto's voicework couldn't be a more crucial part of the movie. Returning to the role, she understands how the pair are mirrored, and also Éowyn's impact on the page and on the screen so far. "This character was really significant to a lot women growing up," she notes. Reteaming Otto with Philippa Boyens — who shared a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar with Jackson and Fran Walsh for The Return of the King, then penned the story for The War of the Rohirrim's script and also produces the new film — the latest LoTR movie adds to a busy few years for an actor who last graced cinemas in 2023 hit Talk to Me. On the small screen, she's also brought her talents to everything from Wellmania and Koala Man to The Clearing, Ladies in Black and Thou Shalt Not Steal of late, expanding a filmography that has taken her through War of the Worlds, Cashmere Mafia, Blessed, South Solitary, I, Frankenstein, The Homesman, Rake, The Daughter, Homeland, 24: Legacy, Annabelle: Creation, Downhill, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, True Colours, Fires and more in the past two decades. We also chatted with Otto about what excited her about a Lord of the Rings comeback, reprising the role solely as a voice actor and the responsibility of portraying Éowyn — as well as whether the diversity of parts that she's been enjoying was the original dream back in her pre-The Two Towers days in The Last Days of Chez Nous, The Nostradamus Kid, Love Serenade, The Well, Doing Time for Patsy Cline, What Lies Beneath and Human Nature, plus what she makes of her journey across her career so far. On What Excited Otto About Returning to the World of The Lord of the Rings, and to Playing Éowyn, But This Time in an Animated Film "I was really excited by the idea that it was anime. I thought it was so interesting to go back into this world of Lord of the Rings and Tolkien and tell the story as an anime, and all the things that that gives you licence to do. The films have always done so well over there, and I feel like there's something in Japanese mythology that really has some kinship with Tolkien's mythology in some ways. So it just sounded like a great fit. And the idea of coming back as a narrator was really lovely. It made utter sense to me the way that Philippa put it forward to me when she wrote to me about doing it. I could understand the concept, that it was Éowyn coming back and telling this story to her children. I just really liked that idea." On How Otto Approaches Not Only Reprising the Role of Éowyn, But Solely Doing So as a Voice Actor "The first time I came back to do the recording was, I think, in 2022, and I'd just had COVID and my voice was croaky — and I thought 'oh they'll like it, because I sound kind of husky and deep and mature'. And then they were disappointed because they wanted me to have the same voice. They really very much wanted to hear the Éowyn voice from 20 years ago. So when we came to do the second recording in Wellington, it was great to actually be in the studio with Philippa and with Kenji, and to actually get to see more of the film. And I worked with Roisin [Carty, The Agency] again, who had done a lot of the dialect work on the original films. So that was a great way of really fully getting back into the character. And just being back in Wellington, and being back with a lot of the same people, really took me back to that feeling of Middle-earth." On Whether Returning to Éowyn Was Something That Otto Could Imagine Two Decades Ago When She First Played the Part "It's just amazing — you think 'my gosh, that much time has passed, wow'. No, I never. I very much knew when we made the films, I remember the first time coming over and seeing some of the footage, and going to the costume fittings and seeing the footage, I remember that night I did not sleep because I was so excited to be a part of it. I felt like I knew in that moment that these films would last a really long time, and it's exciting as an actor to be a part of something that will actually last for people. But I never thought at the time about being able to come back in any way. I know when they made The Hobbit, many of the Elvish characters got to come back. But me being a mere human, I wasn't involved in that story. So I never envisaged that I would get the call, but it was very lovely." On Héra's Story Following in Éowyn's Footsteps, Even If the New Tale Is Set Before the Original Films "I think it's really lovely that there's that mirroring of those two characters. To me, it also felt like in Lord of the Rings, Éowyn holds this legacy of the women of Rohan, the shieldmaidens. And she speaks about the women of Rohan, and you get a sense that there's this this lineage of women who have come before her, the people she looked up to and formed her. So when you go into this film, you get to see the women that she admired. She is telling the story because she admires Héra and finds Héra inspirational, and so it's really lovely to get a sense of that history." On Otto's History of Playing Influential Women Beyond Éowyn "I think it's the way the interesting roles have come my way. I think I just gravitate to women like that. It's really to do with the writing of the character, and whether it speaks to me — like sometimes I can read something and think 'that's really good, but I don't have any emotional connection to it' or 'I haven't got that spark'. In a rational sense, I know it's really good, it's probably going to be a great project, but I just don't have that launch point within myself in my gut that tells me 'I want to do this'. So I think I just respond to what's on the page. I don't make tactical choices of thinking 'I need to play influential women' — it's more just that I'm drawn to those characters. They're interesting to me." On the Sense of Responsibility That Comes with Playing Éowyn "It does come with responsibility. When you're a returning to a film, I think you have the responsibility, you're carrying the mantle of the history of those trilogies into this film. And I certainly feel when I meet people who are huge fans of film, that this character was really significant to a lot women growing up. Really, really significant, Éowyn's story. And I'm just the person holding that role. The character was written by Tolkien, invented by Tolkien and brought to the screen by Peter Jackson, and I'm just the conduit of it. But it is a responsibility when I meet people to understand their stories and how significant Éowyn was to them." [caption id="attachment_983393" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Thou Shalt Not Steal[/caption] On Whether the Diversity of Otto's Roles From the Past Few Years, Including Talk to Me, The Clearing, Thou Shalt Not Steal and Ladies in Black, Was What She Hoped for When She Was Starting Out "I definitely hoped that I didn't get stuck in the girlfriend roles. I sensed, in the scripts I would read along the way, there was a lot of female roles where you were just the girlfriend and they didn't have a lot of character written on the page. I prefer playing characters that are strongly written on the page, that I can leave myself and become someone else. And it's not just relying on my personality — that I can be somebody else. So I definitely didn't want to, from the beginning, be typecast into any particular thing. I really didn't want to be boxed in. And that's probably why I do tend to choose really different things, because I just don't want to be in any kind of cage, I guess." On What Otto Makes of Her Journey as an Actor So Far, Including Returning to Lord of the Rings "I feel really lucky. I have to say, Lord of the Rings was a really significant part of my career because I think it's given me that longevity in some ways. To have been a part of something that was so beloved has definitely helped my career. I feel really lucky that that I'm working, and that I still get to work with really interesting people. I've worked with a lot of younger, like first-, second-time directors in recent years, which has been really great. I feel really blessed. It's been really nice coming back to Australia, where I've felt like I've been able to jump around and do lots of different things. I've felt like in recent years in Australia, in film and particularly in television, there's a lot of different genres happening now, a lot of different styles, which has been so great and so inspiring to see. Dylan's [River, Robbie Hood] work in Thou Shalt Not Steal is so different to Gracie's [Otto, Seriously Red] work in Ladies in Black, and they're so different to Danny and Michael's [Philippou] work in Talk to Me. So it's just been really nice to work with all those different energies, I think." The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, December 12, 2024.
Audrey Hepburn. Federico Fellini. Woody Allen. Names and faces synonymous with film history, they'll now be the subject of a series of free Sunday night screenings at the National Gallery of Victoria, presented by academics from the University of Melbourne. The six-week program includes a combination of classic and contemporary films designed to tie in with the NGV's Italian Masterpieces season, on display until the end of August. Split into two parts, the series begins with images of the region as shot by foreigners, starting with William Wyler's Roman Holiday followed by a pair of Woody Allen films in To Rome with Love and Vicki Christina Barcelona. Then in mid August, Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita will kick off a trio of critically acclaimed Italian films. Fellini will be followed by Giuseppe Tornatore's love letter to cinema in Cinema Paradiso, before the series concludes with the most recent winner of the Best Foreign Language Oscar, Paolo Sorrentino's The Great Beauty. https://youtube.com/watch?v=fJfvX6zPAuQ
If you test positive for COVID-19 or have symptoms and are awaiting test results, you must isolate. It's not a new rule. But, the Victorian Government has just introduced new penalties for those who aren't following these isolation orders. If you're caught out and about, not isolating in your home, you could now be hit with a $4659 on-the-spot fine — or, if you repeatedly break the rules, sent to the Magistrates Court and fined up to $20,000. The Victorian Government announced the new penalties, which are up from the current $1652 on-the-spot fines, after discovering that about 27 percent of Melburnians have not been following the state's isolation rules. At a press conference today, Tuesday, August 4, Premier Daniel Andrews said that the Australian Defence Force conducted more than 3000 door-knocks checking on people who were meant to be in isolation and found more than 800 people were not at home and "could not be found". "That is completely unacceptable," the Premier said. Because of this, the Government is not only increasing the penalties for breaking the rules, but banning those in isolating from exercising. Until now, you could go outside for socially distant exercise if you were in isolation, but moving forward you must remain on your property. "You will need to stay in your home or on your property. Fresh air at the front door. Fresh air in your frontyard or backyard or opening a window. That's what you're going to have to do," the Premier said. "Apart from getting emergency medical care... there is literally no reason for you to leave your home." As well as for those who've tested positive or are awaiting test results, isolation may be required if you've come in close contact with a confirmed case or have been to an 'exposure site' named by the Department of Health and Human Services. Returning international travellers must also go into mandatory hotel quarantine. The DHHS has outlined all the rules of isolation and quarantine over here (but it has not yet updated the rules surrounding exercise). "We will do everything we possibly can to support people, but you have got to be isolating when you are directed to do so, for a close contact or for a positive case and, of course, we want people who have been tested and awaiting results, we want you to isolate as well," the Premier said. "If there are any insecure work issues, if there are financial issues, then there is that $300 payment." The Federal Government also yesterday announced a $1500 payment for those who do not have sick leave and must self-isolate. If you're not isolating, but are in metro Melbourne, you are still allowed to exercise once a day, for an hour, within five kilometres of your home, under the new stage four restrictions. Regional Victoria is now under stage three restrictions. For more information about the status of COVID–19 in Victoria and the rules around isolation, head to the DHHS website.
There's never a bad time for gelato. There's never a special occasion that couldn't use it, too. That's all in Gelato Messina's wheelhouse, with the chain mighty fond of releasing limited-edition treats to make holidays even tastier. The latest example: its Easter 2023 offering, which brings back its gelato-filled chocolate eggs. Dessert heaven? This is it. Also, if you've always wanted to smash open a Messina Easter egg, that's on the menu as well. Either way, you'll be tucking into an egg handmade out of Messina's milk chocolate — and it'll be filled with frosty, creamy goodness or six rocher balls. First, the gelato-packed eggs, aka a dream for gelato and chocolate lovers alike. That's tasty news as it is but, in even better news, these goodies come in a trio. So, you'll get the Ménage Egg Trois, as Messina has dubbed it, all for $95. The gelato chain says the three eggs can feed between six and ten people, but it's obviously up to you how much you share them On the menu: a custard and shortbread gelato number, with the chocolate egg also featuring strawberry jam yolk, and then dipped in strawberry white chocolate; and an egg packed with vanilla and coconut gelato, mango sorbet, mango gel yolk and baked cheesecake, then encased in white chocolate and desiccated coconut. And, rounding out the pack is a pretzel and milk chocolate-coated egg featuring chocolate gelato with peanut fudge, chocolate brownies and peanut butter caramel. Your tastebuds might already remember that Messina did gelato-free chocolate Easter eggs in 2022, too. This year's version sprinkles its shell with chopped roasted hazelnuts, and boasts two waffle cone and white chocolate rocher balls (filled with waffle cone cream), two 65-percent dark chocolate and salted peanut rocher balls (filled with peanut cream), and two milk chocolate and hazelnut rocher balls (filled with Messinatella cream) inside. That'll set you back $70, and apparently will keep two-to-four people (or just you) very satisfied. As a bonus, Messina is also making golden versions of both Easter sets — and the difference isn't just in the appearance. If your milk chocolate gelato-filled eggs happen to be gold on the outside, you've won a year's worth of Messina. If your giant chocolate egg has a golden rocher inside, same deal. You will need to take a photo, then email hello@gelatomessina.com to claim your prize. Messina's Easter kits can only be ordered online on Monday, March 20 for collection over Easter — of course — between Thursday, April 6–Sunday, April 9. Messina now opens its orders at various times for various places, so you'll want to hop online at 9am for Queensland and Australian Capital Territory stores, 9.15am for Victorian shops, and at either 9.30am, 9.45am or 10am depending on where you are in New South Wales. Gelato Messina's Easter eggs are available to order from Monday, March 20 for pick up between Thursday, April 6–Sunday, April 9 — head to the Messina website for further details.
When SXSW arrives in Sydney for the first time ever, it'll give Australia perhaps the biggest tech, innovation, screen, music, games and culture festival that the country has ever seen. It's fitting, then, that the event has just added one of the nation's most famous acting names at home and in America: Nicole Kidman. 2023 marks 40 years since Kidman starred in BMX Bandits, but that's not why she'll be taking to the SXSW Sydney stage as part of its massive speaker lineup. Instead, she'll be chatting with her producing partner Per Saari about her production company Blossom Films. On its resume: the Nickers-starring Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers, The Undoing and Rabbit Hole, as well as this year's Elizabeth Olsen (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)-led Love & Death. [caption id="attachment_921120" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ryan Pfluger[/caption] Among SXSW Sydney's latest additions, Kidman is joined by a few fellow Aussie talents who also know more than a thing or two about working in Hollywood. Indeed, in a separate session called Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, actor Jason Clarke and filmmaker Phillip Noyce will get talking about working in America's showbiz mecca. Jason Clarke has Oppenheimer, Zero Dark Thirty, First Man, Winning Time: The Rise of The Lakers Dynasty, playing John Connor in Terminator Genisys and more on his resume. Rabbit Proof Fence helmer Noyce's US credits include Salt, The Quiet American, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, The Saint and Revenge (and no, he won't be joining forces with Kidman to dig into Dead Calm). As well as Clarke and Noyce, this session features actor Charmaine Bingwa from The Good Fight, plus Crazy Rich Asians 2 screenwriter Amy Wang. [caption id="attachment_921123" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Warrick Page/HBO[/caption] The two new SXSW Sydney sessions hail from the Los Angeles-based Australians in Film, which is about developing screen talent, and add to an already-hefty lineup of speakers. Charlie Brooker is on the bill, diving into Black Mirror of course, while Chance The Rapper will talk about 50 years of hip hop, Coachella CEO Paul Tollett clearly has his own fest to discuss, and Future Today Institute founder and CEO Amy Webb also sits among the big names. "Over the past 20 years, AiF has created a unique and supportive community of Australian screen talent in Los Angeles, from emerging actors and filmmakers through to our most revered screen icons. We are excited to have this opportunity to bring the spirit and energy of AiF and our Hollywood community to SXSW Sydney, together with our partner Screen Australia," said Australians in Film Chair Emma Cooper. "From the team at SXSW Sydney, I'd like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Australians in Film and Screen Australia for their ongoing support. We appreciate the time everyone is taking to travel and join us in our first year — our story will be about these visionaries, and about the diverse and compelling voices emerging alongside them," added SXSW Sydney Managing Director Colin Daniels. Also on the SXSW Sydney lineup: a 700-plus strong bill of talent, covering over 300 sessions. The event will feature more than 300 gigs across 25 venues, too, including an array of music highlights and must-attend parties. Its dedicated gaming strand will feature a tabletop game expo. And, the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival will open with The Royal Hotel, then host the world premiere of Hot Potato: The Story of the Wiggles among a heap of other standout flicks. The entire event — the festivals within the bigger fest, exhibitions, talks, networking opportunities and streetside activations — will happen within a walkable precinct in the Sydney CBD, Haymarket, Darling Harbour, Ultimo, Chippendale and more, with the SXSW Sydney's footprint operating as a huge hub. Venues include Powerhouse Museum, ICC Sydney, UTS, Central Park Mall, the Goods Line Walk, The Abercrombie and Lansdowne Hotel. [caption id="attachment_910713" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brittany Hallberg[/caption] SXSW Sydney runs from Sunday, October 15–Sunday, October 22 at various Sydney venues, with the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival running from Sunday, October 15–Saturday, October 21 at The ICC's Darling Theatre, Palace Cinemas Central and more venues to be announced. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for further details. Top image: The Undoing, Niko Tavernise/HBO. If you're keen to make the most of Australia's first SXSW, take advantage of our special reader offer. Purchase your SXSW Sydney 2023 Official Badge via Concrete Playground Trips and you'll score a $150 credit to use on your choice of Sydney accommodation. Book now via the website.
Salty, sour, just sweet enough and refreshing; the classic margarita ticks multiple flavour boxes and it's synonymous with fun bars, holidays and sunshine. And now is the perfect time to head to your favourite tequila watering hole to order a salty-rim marg in celebration of National Margarita Month, running throughout February. The key to a moreish margarita is to use high-quality ingredients, like 100-percent agave tequila. We've partnered with Herradura, one of the longest running tequila makers in Mexico, to dive into the detailed history of the humble drink, to bring you fun facts to impress your mates with, and to give you an easy recipe for a Horseshoe Margarita to make at home. A BRIEF HISTORY OF MARGARITAS Though simple and short on its ingredients, the margarita's origin story is not so simple or short. There are many varying stories of its conception, such as the tale that it was invented especially for a showgirl in Tijuana, who was allergic to all alcohol except tequila. She didn't like the agave-based spirit straight, so restaurant owner Carlos 'Dann' Herrera whipped her up a lime and tequila-based cocktail and the rest is history. Or perhaps not. Some say the cocktail could have evolved from a now-forgotten 1930s gin or bourbon and citrus cocktail dubbed the Daisy, which eventually morphed into the margarita as we know it (the word 'margarita' is Spanish for 'daisy' so it's convincing). There are also tales of a Texas socialite Margaret 'Margarita' Sames popularising the drink (though recipes for the cocktail were around before she was), and in the 1937 book Café Royal Cocktail Book there's a tequila, Cointreau and lime juice concoction called a Picador, which is also cited as an early margarita. Origins aside, the drink has continued to develop through the decades, from slushie versions, mango, coconut or passionfruit takes, and hundreds of other permutations. We like it traditional — no matter where that original recipe came from. [caption id="attachment_761450" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Abel S García[/caption] FUN FACTS TO IMPRESS YOUR MATES WITH Ever heard of a jimador? They're Mexican farmers who harvest agave plants and are skilled at identifying ripe agave. Agave plants (the core of which is the base for tequila) are a type of succulent. Frozen margaritas were popularised after the creation of a custom machine invented by Mariano Martinez in the 70s. The drink became so in-demand that staff (especially the blenders) couldn't keep up with demand, and so Martinez took an old soft serve machine and tinkered with the frozen recipe until it was the perfect consistency for the machine. The original machine is now part of the collection at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, in Washington. Casa Herradura (where Herradura tequila is made) is the last tequila-producing Hacienda on the planet. RECIPE: HORSESHOE MARGARITA This classic margarita recipe showcases the smooth, distinctly sweet taste of agave and the subtle oak notes of Herradura tequila. Produced in the small town of Amatitàn in the heart of Mexico's tequila region, Herradura grows millions of blue agave — and has done for 150 years. These are harvested by jimadors, and the piñas (the plant's heart) are cut out and then slowly steamed to convert the starch into sugars. This is then milled in order to extract the sweet agave nectar, before being distilled to make the final premium tequila. But leave this complex and traditional process to the professionals and get ready to enjoy the fruits of Herradura's labour of love with this simple and elegant Horseshoe Margarita recipe. INGREDIENTS 60ml Herradura 30ml fresh lime juice 15ml agave syrup Sea salt Lime slice to garnish METHOD Pour Herradura tequila, lime juice and agave syrup into ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously. Run a lime wedge around the rim of a glass, and dip the glass in sea salt (optional). Pour your mix into an ice-filled tumbler. Easy! Celebrate Margarita Month in Melbourne at Campari House, Fifty Five, Fitzroy Beer Garden, Fonda, Go Go Bar, Hecho en Mexico, Hotel Jesus, Howler, Katuk, Little Hop, Los Hermanos, Lower Plenty Hotel, Maeve Fox, Mamasita, Ponyfish Island, Royal Derby Hotel, SiBar, Spice Market, Stolberg Hotel, TGI Fridays, The Blacksmith, The Bottom End, The Emerson, The Espy, Workshop Bar.
Fitzroy salon, Heading Out, has been Melbourne's home of all things hair and beauty for over 26 years. The Heading Out team offers the latest in hair technology and expertise across styling, colour (particularly reds and blondes) and hair extension work using Showpony extensions. The salon aims to remain at the forefront of the latest hair trends while creating beautiful and accessible styles for every client — but it doesn't stop at hair. The salon also provides a range of beauty services including manicures and sugar waxing. Feel like properly pampering yourself? Check out its spa services. The salon offers massage treatments, facials, LED light therapy and more. Plus, with a resident makeup artist, you can step out of the salon with a completely new look from head to toe.
Chapel Street has welcomed another burger joint into the fold, this time it's part of the internationally renowned RocoMamas stable. The Windsor restaurant marks the South African group's Australian debut, with the space boasting an edgy combination of neon lighting, polished concrete and street art by Sabine Kahwati. Here, RocoMamas is treating locals to their first taste of its signature 'smashed burgers', where each meat patty is rolled into a ball and then squashed flat onto the grill to lock in the juices. Choose yours crafted from beef, chicken or a meat-free ensemble. House iterations include the Rock Star, with swiss cheese, barbecue relish and RocoMamas' own mayo, the Old Skool combination of tomato, onion and special sauce, and the no-holds-barred Chilli Cheez Bomb, loaded with bacon, cheddar, mozzarella, fresh chilli and a house-made cheese croquette. Otherwise, go the DIY route and customise your ultimate smash creation from a sprawling list of burger additions. Elsewhere on the menu, you'll find all the usual suspects — flame-grilled pork, beef and lamb ribs, loaded fries, onion rings, and chicken wings in varying degrees of mouth-burn. To match, there's a full bar offering — with local beers, wine and cocktails — as well as a line of decadent custard shakes. Find RocoMamas' Australian store at 156 Chapel Street, Windsor.
Opened back in 2011, Brown Bagels in Melbourne's CBD finds the sweet spot between newfangled, experimental and bare-bones tradition. Brown's lox bagels and sweet bagels — such as strawberry Nutella and banana and peanut butter — are comforting and familiar, but there are novel choices, too. Korean beef might sound daring, but the sweet and soy umami taste of the bulgogi melds perfectly with a chewy seeded or sesame bagel for a gratifying KBBQ-hybrid bagel. The mushroom-filled bagel with melted cheese is also a favourite amongst local city workers wanting a quick and tasty warm breakfast in the CBD. The options here are endless though — the team encourages you to design your own fillings. With locally sourced produce and everything as fresh as can be, there is literally no limit to what you can invent. With a laidback, cafe-style atmosphere and friendly a friendly approach to service which instantly makes you feel like a local (even though you're in the CBD), Brown Bagels is the 'just right' option for friends with hyper specific-bagel cravings, for pals who don't want to push the boundaries, and for your sensation-craving buddies who want to try something new. Brown Bagels also has your morning cup of joe looked after with beans by Coffee Supreme. Find this hidden gem tucked down Equitable Place, an alley in the city that fills with office workers searching for a good city breakfast or takeaway lunch. Appears in: Where to Find the Best Bagels in Melbourne for 2023
As far as crowd-pleasing music goes, it's hard to top a Fleetwood Mac playlist. Formed in the late 60s, the British American rock band cemented itself in musical history with now-classic tunes like 'Little Lies', 'The Chain', 'Dreams' and more. Sadly, the band members themselves have hung up their guitars, but that doesn't mean we can't continue to enjoy their hits live. Thanks is due to Concerts By Candlelight, the event series you've no doubt heard about on social media. The concert group is rolling out the 2025 event program and the first item on the agenda is The Music of Fleetwood Mac By Candlelight. With a live band and a cast of West End singers performing all the hits (and selling out shows in the UK), the tour is hitting Australia and New Zealand throughout February and March. After a series of shows across the ditch, The Music of Fleetwood Mac By Candlelight will kick off an Australia-wide tour. First up is QLD, with the concert hitting the Gold Coast and The Star Theatre on Friday, February 28. Then, on Friday, March 7, it's Sydney's turn at Darling Harbour Theatre — followed by a stop at Melbourne Town Hall on Tuesday, March 11. Later that week, it crosses the country to PCEC Perth for a show on Friday, March 14, before finishing at Her Majesty's Theatre for an Adelaide performance on Friday, March 28. The Music of Fleetwood Mac By Candlelight will tour across cities in Australia and New Zealand from Friday, February 14 to Friday, March 28. For more information or to book tickets, visit the website.
A new, family-run distillery in Byron Bay is committed to two important missions. The first is to bring you an outstanding gin, made with native rainforest botanicals under the watchful eye of master distiller Jim McEwan. The second is to regenerate the rainforest that provides these very ingredients. For you, this is a win-win situation. You get to sit back and linger over a world-class drop, while doing your bit for the environment. And, even more exciting is that the distillery's first release was made possible thanks to crowdfunding dollars raised via Pozible. Cape Byron Distillery's home is a family property in Byron Bay's hinterland. It's where co-founder Eddie Brook grew up and where his parents, Pam and Martin, have been regenerating rainforest for years. "[The land] used to be part of a giant rainforest that stretched from Lismore in the south, past Byron Bay, up to the Nightcap Ranges. Today there is less than one percent of that rainforest left," Martin says. A few years ago, Eddie, who's worked in alcohol and hospitality all his life, ran a sold-out Australian whisky tour starring Jim McEwan. The two got chatting about the Brook's passion for rainforest and came up with the idea of creating a rainforest-infused gin. "I'd idolised Jim McEwan. I learned about whisky, watching his YouTube videos," Eddie says. "It was amazing to develop a friendship with him." Fast forward to 2016. McEwan and Eddie have a built a distillery and – after numerous trials and tastings – put their first bottle on the market. It's a signature gin called Brookie's Byron Dry Gin. "We're passionate about creating products that really represent our area," Eddie says. "We used 18 native botanicals, including Davidson plum, aniseed myrtle and cinnamon myrtle. They're not just native to Australia, but to the Northern Rivers region." A percentage of profits from every sale goes to rainforest regeneration efforts, as well as to Big Scrub Landcare. Eddie describes it as a "great foundation", which is "protecting remnants of rainforest ... bringing corridors back to life". Brookie's Byron Dry Gin is currently available in and around Byron Bay. For online orders, go mybottleshop.com. UPDATE 25 JULY 2017: Cape Byron Distillery has just opened up its doors for public tours every Friday and Saturday. It includes a gin tasting of Brookie's two gins, a G&T and a tour of the surrounding rainforest. Tours cost $35 and can be booked here.
This is a blast: before its second season even arrives, Fallout has already been renewed for a third. Prime Video has announced not only that the hit video game-to-television adaptation will return in December 2025, but that more is on the way after that. That's what happens when a series becomes one of the platform's top-three most-watched shows ever, notching up more than 100-million viewers globally. It was true when Fallout was locked in for season two, and it remains the case now: bring a massively beloved video game to TV in the right way and viewers will come flocking. That worked for The Last of Us as well, which is currently streaming its second season and also has a third in the works. While Fallout will initially take viewers back to the wasteland before 2025 is out — complete with stars Ella Purnell (Yellowjackets), Walton Goggins (The White Lotus) and Aaron Moten (Emancipation) returning as Lucy, The Ghoul and Maximus, respectively — there's no exact December date for season two as yet. Understandably, there's also no release date at all locked in for season three so far. For the second season, though, viewers can look forward not only to picking up where season one's finale left off, but to venturing through the Mojave wasteland to New Vegas. When it dropped its initial eight episodes in 2024, Fallout took its cues from the games that first debuted on computers back in 1997, with three released sequels, a fourth on the way and seven spinoffs all following. The live-action television iteration follows Lucy, a lifelong vault-dweller, who leaves her cosy underground digs to navigate the irradiated wasteland that earth has remained for two centuries after the nuclear apocalypse. Crossing her path: bounty hunter The Ghoul, who has ties to life before the devastation; and Maximus, an aspiring soldier with the Brotherhood of Steel, who don giant robotic suits. In this nightmarish future, a hellscape filled with mutants, wild west vibes and plenty of violence awaits beyond the bunker that the optimistic Lucy, daughter of Hank (Kyle MacLachlan, Blink Twice), who oversees Vault 33, has always called home. Bringing the chaos to life is a behind-the-scenes team featuring Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, as well as Geneva Robertson-Dworet (Captain Marvel) and Graham Wagner (Silicon Valley) as writers and co-showrunners. And yes, Bethesda Game Studios has a hand in it as well. "The holidays came a little early this year — we are thrilled to be ending the world all over again for a third season of Fallout," advised Nolan and Joy, announcing the news. "On behalf of our brilliant cast and crew, our showrunners Geneva and Graham, and our partners at Bethesda, we're grateful to our incredible collaborators at Amazon MGM Studios and to the amazing fans as we continue our adventures in the wasteland together." There's no sneak peek for Fallout season two yet, but you can check out the trailer for season one below: Fallout streams via Prime Video. Season two will arrive in December 2025 — we'll update you with an exact release date when one is announced. Read our review of season one, and our interview with Walton Goggins, Ella Purnell and Aaron Moten. Images: courtesy of Prime Video.
It started with a twist: Severance, that is, as the Apple TV+ hit serves up one helluva take on work-life balance. In the streaming sci-fi mind-bender, employees at Lumon Industries — such as Mark S (Adam Scott, The Monkey), Helly R (Britt Lower, Darkest Miriam), Dylan G (Zach Cherry, Fallout), Irving B (John Turturro, The Room Next Door) and Burt G (Christopher Walken, Dune: Part Two) — seemingly live the clocking-off dream, although it turns out to be a nightmare. They have no choice but to leave their job at the nine-to-five grind each day, because they're physically incapable of thinking about it at home. Each has signed up for the show's titular procedure, where their personality and memory is split between their professional and personal spheres. Innies, as the series dubs them, navigate the corporate labyrinth with no awareness of what exists elsewhere. Outies, aka workers come quittin' time, have zero knowledge of what they get up to for a paycheque. The best new TV show of 2022, already proving one of the best returning television series of 2025 thanks to its stellar second season and a key reason that Apple TV+'s catalogue is among streaming's finest, Severance offers plenty more twists beyond its premise. One of them is right there in its core casting. The hair, the voice, the gaze: to see Walken on-screen — and to hear him echoing from it — is to experience all three, as remains the case here, but he's also in rare territory. It's "a different kind of part for me to play, the romantic interest, especially at my age", the acting icon and octogenarian tells Concrete Playground. "Also the fact that he's a decent, good person. I don't play a lot of those." Walken has rarely been out of the camera's gaze or away from the stage since he was a child. His first theatre credit came when he was just nine, followed by his debut TV appearance at ten. His famed way with monologues, a hallmark of his filmmography, springs from "a lot of big parts in Shakespeare", he notes. He has an Oscar for The Deer Hunter, a BAFTA for Catch Me If You Can and two Emmy nominations, one for the first season of Severance and the other three decades earlier for television movie Sarah, Plain and Tall. Busting out psychic powers in The Dead Zone, playing a Bond baddie in A View to a Kill, getting nefarious in Batman Returns, spouting Quentin Tarantino-penned dialogue in True Romance and Pulp Fiction, Saturday Night Live's viral 'More Cowbell' sketch, putting his dance training to great use for Fatboy Slim in unforgettable music video for 'Weapon of Choice', several acting parts in Turturro-directed films such as The Big Lebowski sequel spinoff The Jesus Rolls, his other excellent recent TV turn as an ex-conman in British dramedy The Outlaws: they're just a handful of his fellow standout parts. Severance's Burt G — Burt Goodman in his outie guise — is a wonderful showcase of a supporting role for Walken. Inside Lumon's fluorescent-lit walls, romance blossoms as the head of the company's Optics and Design department and Macrodata Refinement division employee Irving are drawn to each other, no matter how their employer's workplace setup attempts to place obstacles in their way. Walken's performance is tender, heartfelt and caring. Watching him light up with Turturro as their characters realise and process their feelings, and also dive into the idea that perhaps love transcends everything including having your brain severed, is one of the great joys of the series. When Irving is distraught and adrift without Burt after the latter's retirement, then driven to find his outie with his own, viewers feel that loss as well, so strong is Walken's imprint. It might be a part with a clear difference from most to his name, but he's as mesmerising as ever. History isn't irrelevant to Walken's Severance portrayal, though. His performance isn't just glorious because it allows him to step into shoes that he hasn't often been seen in, of course, but there's also no escaping that fact. Indeed, if viewers find themselves thinking about everything else that has brought Walken to this point in his career seven decades in — spying the contrasts to work lately and further back — while watching him in Severance, the man himself completely understands. He knows that an actor is never just seen as the one role that they're currently playing, and never can be, unless they've only ever played that one single role. What initially excited Walken about entering Severance's world, portraying a part that'll go down as one of his greats and making a rare return to TV, other than The Outlaws? How does the duality of the show's premise track with being an actor? What else on his filmography helped him with playing Burt? We chatted with Walken about all of the above, too, and also about his Shakespearean days, taking Burt beyond Lumon, working closely with Turturro and more. On What Initially Excited Walken About Severance — Especially with TV a Rarity, Outside of The Outlaws, on His Resume Since His Earliest Days as an Actor "Well, being with John Turturro and Ben Stiller. The script — you could see that it was a good part. Interesting, quite original, different. Also a different kind of part for me to play, the romantic interest, especially at my age. Also the fact that he's a decent, good person. I don't play a lot of those. Yeah, it was a lot to like." On Severance's Premise, the Similar Duality That Comes with Being an Actor, and the Idea in Burt and Irving's Storyline That Perhaps Love Transcends All "The premise is not something I ever thought about. And of course, being an actor, there's that dual-personality thing anyway. You are who you are, and then you're the guy who you are when you put the costume on. So that's kind of built in. I thought it was very interesting. I thought it was a little bit spooky and scary, not knowing — a little bit vampirish, almost, that you have this life at work and you have this life at home. It's sort of like you're alive at night and you're in a box somewhere during the day. Who knows? I didn't think about that part much, but I do think that that idea of love transcends all is probably true, and it certainly was useful in this case." On Meeting the Outie Version of Burt, and Stepping Into His Life, Expanding Beyond Burt's Time at Lumon "It was very interesting to have this new life, to see my house, to see the clothing that I wear, to see Fields, my husband — all of that was interesting. But I have to say that I have not seen the second season. You have, I guess. So I really, I can't really talk about it much — I don't know." On Whether Anything Else in Walken's Career Helped, Including Indirectly, with Playing Both Versions of Burt — Even Though This is Quite a Different Type of Character for Him "No, I haven't. I played, in a movie called The Dead Zone, I played a guy who has an accident and he kind of gets disconnected from his own mind because of being hurt in an accident. And it gives him certain qualities that he never had before. So I suppose that might be the closest I ever came." On Knowing That Audiences Always Bring Their Knowledge of an Actor, and the Baggage From Their Past Parts, to Any New Performance "Oh, absolutely. I think that when people talk about what it is to be an actor, to talk about, even think about what you doing when you're an actor, it doesn't get mentioned much, what you just did. But whenever you show up, you're not only showing up as the person you're playing, you're showing up as all the things that they've seen you in before. And things that they've heard about you, seeing things that maybe they've read in an interview or something that they've seen, like what we're doing right now. This interview that we're doing informs any part I might do in the future. It's all part of it. And as you use the word 'baggage', that can be good baggage and bad baggage. But it's always there. I don't think that anybody looks at an actor, particularly one who's been around a long time, and sees them as the word 'virgin'. I mean, there's no seeing things for the first time again, it's always with all that stuff." On How Working with John Turturro for Years, Including in Films That He's Written and Directed, Helped with Building Burt and Irving's Chemistry "Oh, very much. The fact that John and I know each other so well, I think shows up on the screen. You can tell — you know, you can't tell what they think of each other, but you can tell that they know each other. And that's very valuable in a case like this. Like how you see two people and you know they're married. I mean, they may not get along, but you know they're married. And in the case of John, I love John. He's my old pal." On How Walken's Way with Monologues Across His Career Stems From His Early Shakespearean Days "Early in my career, for some reason I got to play a lot of big parts in Shakespeare. And I had absolutely no background or qualification to do it. I just got these parts. I played Hamlet twice. I played Romeo twice. I played Iago. I played all these parts. I was part of a Shakespeare company and, as a result, I had to learn and perform these enormous monologues. Iago, I think, is the longest part in Shakespeare. You'd think it was something else. So I spent the early part of my career learning these big speeches. Now, I was never very good in these parts, but I did learn the lines and said them in front of a live audience to varying degrees of success. But it taught me how to do that. I think that's why I get all those big speeches." Severance streams via Apple TV+. Read our review of season one.
Flicking through channels seems sort of passé, seeing as, y'know, not as many people use an actual TV for watching TV anymore. It's more probable that we're scanning through ABC iView, SBS On Demand, 9Now, tenplay and/or 7 Live, which doesn't necessarily have the same effect (plus, what if you forget to check Channel Ten and don't realise Survivor is on?). Well, to save you from multiple tab hell, Freeview has announced that it will be launching a new mobile streaming app later this year, where you can stream all Australia's free-to-air networks from the one place. Dubbed Freeview FV, this new all-encompassing app will bring 15 or so free-to-air channels together in a beautiful harmony of many, many hours of television. As well as live streaming the networks' broadcasts, they'll also offer catch-up functionality, a guide which will show you everything that's on and reccommendations (much like Netflix) when it launches in November. They're also putting a big focus on watching TV "on the go", so the app sounds like it will be pretty sophisticated on mobile. It's the first time globally that the free-to-air industry has come together to create one unified TV experience, says Freeview CEO Liz Ross. "Freeview FV will deliver fantastic choice and convenience in one place, it is simple and-easy to-use, and it will meet the needs of audiences wherever they may be," she says. "From live streaming news and current affairs during the morning commute to catching-up on a favourite TV program on the way home, Freeview FV will completely revolutionise access to the free-to-air TV offering in Australia." This is pretty huge news for the Australian free-to-air industry, especially after Foxtel just bought out streaming subscription service Presto from Seven West Media and will proceed to kill it at the end of the year. Freeview FV is set to launch in November, with more details to be released shortly.
Melbourne often goes in waves with its international influences on dining. From Mexican taco trucks to Spanish tapas to Korean barbecue, there are no limits to our cravings for international cuisine. One craze we cannot ignore any longer has to go to the land of the free and home of the brave, with American style platefuls still popping up left right and centre. Yes, American-inspired food and drink is not new to Melbourne, but boy do we love it right now. Whether you're craving dude food like Philly steaks and curly fries, want to snuggle into an American-style diner or simply won't settle for anything short of some southern Gumbo, there's a place for you here. Fourth of July celebrations were surprisingly abundant this year, and so the masses have spoken: USA is A-OK. So when you've got the urge for something from the States without the 22-hour flight, here's where you should head. Po' Boy Quarter The permanent residence from the team behind Creole food truck Gumbo Kitchen is perfect for those looking for southern comfort food. The po' boys, popular New Orleans street food, are filled with fried shrimp, deep-fried catfish or pulled pork — and you can’t go past the gumbo. Fantastic for those looking for a big feed on a budget as well, they often have drink and food specials (just keep an eye out on their Facebook page). The bar out the back, Huey Long's, has also recently started stocking craft beer from Louisiana for authenticity. They also serve great American style cocktails; rye mint julep served with crushed ice in pewter cups will be our go-to beverage the second the weather warms up. 295 Smith Street, Fitzroy, (03) 9419 2130, gumbokitchen.com.au The Beaufort This nautical dive bar is all about the booze, boats and buns — we're assuming of the hamburger nature — and if you can have more fun at a bar while keeping your clothes on, we'll eat our hat. Ike's Rack Shack is where it's at for delicious ribs. The tasty bits of meat and bone are covered in a salt and pepper rub and smoked overnight, then glazed with a Bulliet bourbon and maple syrup concoction. If you've got room for desert they’ve also got a bourbon caramel-topped walnut and vanilla sundae — along with apple pie, of course. 421 Rathdowne Street, Carlton, (03)9347 8171, thebeaufort.com.au Meatmother The dedicated folk at Meatmother are up bright and early to get slabs of beef brisket, pork and ribs to smoke over oak for 12 hours before they reach your lips. We recommend getting the meat tray to test out their days work, and adding a side of either chipotle slaw or mac and cheese. As for drinks, they offer a great selection of both American and Australian craft beers, bourbon and cocktails. With rusty meat cleavers adorning the walls, this isn't a prime choice for vegetarians (as the name suggests). But, if you like your meat to fall apart and full of flavour, you can't go wrong here. 167 Swan Street, Richmond, (03) 9041 5393, meatmother.com.au Big Boy BBQ The motto at Big Boy BBQ is 'Slow Food… Fast', meaning that their meat is generously rubbed with spices and slow cooked for up to 16 hours, but they can still dish them out quick sticks once orders start coming in. It may be 'fast food' but the meat is actually low fat, and low carb meal options are available. Give 'The Dorothy' a go: Kansas style saucy beef brisket with pickles and coleslaw. Another great thing about Big Boy is that they have BYO for only $1 surcharge per person. You can find these guys in either Caulfield South or Hardware Lane if the desire for shredded tender meat grabs you at a moments notice. 764 Glen Huntly Road, Caulfield South, (03) 9523 7410 and 27-31 Hardware Lane, Melbourne, (03) 9670 9388, bigboybbq.com.au Le Bon Ton Brought to you by the boys who have already proven they can nail Mexican food with Chingon, Le Bon Ton is another place serving up the New Orleans-inspired goods. The chicken wings smoked over cherry wood for two hours have been described as smokier than Keith Richards (we're assured that's a good thing). Also worth a stab is the 12-hour mesquite-smoked pork shoulder — it will change your life. We're also not about to argue with Sierra Nevada on tap, and for those after a serious cocktail there is the 'French Quarter' with Martell, Bulleit rye whiskey and sweet vermouth, with lashings of bitters and Bénédictine liqueur. And then there's the homemade pies for dessert: pecan, chocolate cream, banana cream and apple. This will be a food coma well deserved. 51 Gipps Street, Collingwood, (03) 9416 4341, lebonton.com.au Fancy Hanks Bar-B-Que If you're craving a big hunk of BBQ meat to get you through this winter, you should definitely drop by Fancy Hank's. 16-hour pulled pork shoulder for $6 per 100g or beer can chicken are popular items on the Bar-b-que menu, available at The Mercat Wednesday to Sunday. Add a side of 'Rosanne Cash' potato salad or some traditional cornbread and you won't need to eat for days. They also have happy hour between 4pm-7pm on Fridays with 2 for 1 on-tap beers. Also, what the hell is a pulled pork sundae you ask? You'd better get down there and investigate. The Mercat, 456 Queen Street, Melbourne, (03) 9348 9998, fancyhanks.com.au Miss Katie’s Crab Shack Previously known as Dr Juicy Jay's Crab Shack (and originally started by the Chingon boys), Miss Katie's is all about the American-style cooked blue swimmer crab. There is no holding back when it comes to these crabs — you just gotta grab a bib and hammer, and get stuck into these delicious crustaceans. The seasonal jambalaya, a paella-like dish with rice, seasonal vegetables and a selection of meats is created depending on what looked good at the market that day — just ask the staff for details. For those not so in favour of seafood there's KFC (that’s Katie's Fried Chicken), and vegetarians have not been forgotten here, with the sweetcorn and sweet potato burger doing the trick. The Public Bar, 238 Victoria Street, North Melbourne, (03) 9329 9888, misskatiescrabshack.com Bowery to Williamsburg For those looking for a taste of the USA in daylight hours, this cafe will take care of your bagel cravings. Channeling the industrial NY Subway station, this cafe pumps out Padre coffee all day, and something a little stronger for the afternoon crowd. The breakfast pastrami bagel is a hard one to pass up, a with fried egg, jalapeños, shmeer and rocket to get your day off to a great start. More recently they have added po' boys to their menu and some incredibly irresistible cronuts — that's a croissant crossed with a doughnut for the uninitiated. 16 Oliver Lane, Melbourne, twitter.com/bowerytowilliam Trunk If we're going to include a diner on our list, we think it should be Trunk. While Trunk's restaurant section is slightly more serious business, Trunk's New York-style diner is for those looking for something a bit quicker and light hearted. Try the Breaking Bad Dog: a bacon-wrapped hot dog with mustard, ketchup, fresh tomato salsa and jalapeños. Add some Wagyu chili fries to the order and you're laughing. Plus, you can never go wrong with a dessert menu only consisting of Sundaes — the salted caramel with toffee peanuts and caramelised popcorn for us, thanks. 275 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, (03) 9663 7994, trunktown.com.au Nieuw Amsterdam Ex-Cookie owner Michael Roszbach has opened a New York-inspired eatery and late night bar, and it doesn't disappoint. Serving food for lunch and into the night, the fare is decidedly American, with Gritz Fritters and a New York clam chowder filled with leeks, bacon, potatoes, clam veloute. Of course, with all things American that can be found in Melbourne, there is a pit grill to satisfy the carnivores amongst us, with lamb ribs and pork belly chops to boot. Pumpkin doughnuts and peanut butter waffles beckon us for dessert — but then again, so does the bar. An impressive list of Negronis and a 'NY Sour' with rye whiskey, cognac, lemon juice, egg white, and an absinthe rinse could be just what the doctor ordered. 106-112 Hardware Street, Melbourne, (03) 9602 2111, nieuwamsterdam.com.au Belle's Hot Chicken We know this is number 11 of the list, but we thought Belle's Hot Chicken — which has recently opened, replacing Belle's Diner — was worth of a mention on this list. The Gertrude Street diner is set to close mid-July and reopen to exclusively serve Nashville-style fried chicken. They'll be plating up their spicy-coated chicken with sides of fermented pickles, hot sauce, slaw, and potato salad in August. Their focus is to do one thing and do it really well — and we're volunteering ourselves to be their test crowd. 150 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, (03) 9077 0788, bellesnightlunchdiner.com Po' Boy Quarter images thanks to e1cam1n0 via Instagram. View all Melbourne Restaurants.
Tis the season to hit up some top-notch festivals with your mates. The sun is shining, the drinks are on ice, and you've managed to get the whole crew together to seize the day — the local beer garden just won't cut it. There's plenty to do this summer, so with the help of Sunglass Hut, we've picked seven Melbourne festivals where you and all your mates can make the most of long, hot days and balmy nights. Sip gin on a boat, sample festival-exclusive beers at Abbotsford Convent, get down to local and international musos and say goodbye to the season at an arty warehouse party.
Each and every year, Sydney Film Festival spends its June run doing exactly what it loves, and letting the Harbour City's movie buffs enjoy the same thing. But even the Harbour City's major annual celebration of cinema only turns 70 once, which means putting together a massive 200-plus-movie program to mark the occasion — starting with these 12 just-announced flicks. SFF's full lineup will arrive in May, ready to treat film fans of Sydney — and Australia — to Festival Director Nashen Moodley's latest selections from Wednesday, June 7–Sunday, June 18. If the first round of titles is anything to go by, and it usually is, there'll be no shortage of highlights. Penélope Cruz, Haruki Murakami, a documentary about documentaries and their impact upon the folks featured in their frames: they're all covered so far. Parallel Mothers star Cruz joins the lineup courtesy of L'immensità, playing a mum again. This time, she's in 70s-era Rome and navigating struggles in her marriage, while also supporting her 12-year-old when they begin to identify as a boy — with director Emanuele Crialese drawing upon his own experiences. Murakami fans, the animated Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman adapts the Japanese author's short story collection of the same name, complete with a quest to save Tokyo. And lovers of docos The Staircase, Capturing the Friedmans, The Wolfpack, Hoop Dreams and The Square should instantly add Subject to their must-see list — it spends time with subjects from all five works, diving into what it means to be the focus of a film, plus the duty of care that documentarians owe the people in their frames. SFF will also screen the latest features by acclaimed filmmakers Jafar Panahi and Christian Petzold, with the former winning a Venice Special Jury Prize for No Bears and the latter nabbing a Berlinale Silver Bear for Afire. Iranian great Panahi directs and stars, playing a fictionalised version of himself as he's fond of doing (see also: Tehran Taxi), and blending truth and fiction to examine how artists can too easily become scapegoats. Undine and Transit's Petzold once again puts actor Paula Beer in front of his lens, with the German director this time helming a tragicomedy about a seaside holiday surrounded by forest fires. On the local front, actor and director Rachel Ward returns to SFF after 2019 opening-night pick Palm Beach, this time with Rachel's Farm, a doco about bringing sustainable farming practices to her northern NSW beef farm. And, in The Last Daughter, Wiradjuri woman Brenda Matthews charts her experience being taken from her family as a toddler, growing up with a white foster family, then being returned to her parents. Taika Waititi graces the SFF lineup as an executive producer, with New Zealand comedy Red, White & Brass telling the true tale of Tongan rugby fans who volunteered to become a marching band for the Rugby World Cup — with no relevant background — just to attend the event. And, still with impressive cinema names, documentarian Frederick Wiseman's A Couple steps into the relationship between Leo and Sophia Tolstoy, while Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz ruminates upon power in When the Waves Are Gone, which is about two policemen. Rounding of the initial dozen flicks: Bobi Wine: The People's President, about the Ugandan musician getting political and battling his homeland's dictatorship; and While We Watched, focusing on Indian journalist Ravish Kumar's quest to champion independent reporting. As for what else is in store, Moodley advises that 2023's full lineup will "continue a 70-year strong tradition of presenting exceptional cinema from across Australia and around the world to Sydney audiences". "Since 1954, Sydney Film Festival has brought more than 10,000 films to Australian audiences. Year after year, the Festival continues to be a pioneer in the world of cinema, screening bold and inspiring works that provoke thought and push boundaries." "The 2023 program will expand on this legacy, promising to ignite stimulating dialogues and present powerful ideas that will broaden audience perspectives." Sydney Film Festival 2023 runs from Wednesday, June 7–Sunday, June 18, with the full lineup announced on Wednesday, May 10 — check back here then for all the details, and hit up the festival website for further information in the interim.
Sitting pretty on that northern stretch of Lygon Street, the East Brunswick Hotel has seen a whole swag of incarnations in its 130 years, though locals of a certain age will remember it most vividly as legendary live music haunt, the East Brunswick Club. Now, after 18 months of vacancy — and six years after the famed band room hosted its last gig — the historic pub has moved into its next phase of life, with new owners and an extensive makeover. Making its official return in August, 2018, the refreshed East Brunswick Hotel unfolds over three sprawling levels. First up, there's the industrial-style front bar, on the ground floor, complete with soaring ceilings, a central bar made from reclaimed timber and a stage that pays homage to the space's history. A solid live music program will see it hosting gigs from Thursday through Sunday. An impressive tap list leans local, pouring craft drops like Brewmanity Beer Co's Social Beast pale ale, the Bunker porter from Stomping Ground and a Brick Lane lager. To match, the kitchen is dishing up modern riffs on all the pub favourites — head in for creations like ale-steamed mussels, mac 'n' cheese croquettes, falafel sliders and a hearty smoked beef rib with polenta grits. You'll need to bring a little extra appetite if you want to tackle the 'World Famous One Pound Meatball', too. Upstairs, industrial gives way to luxury, with a sophisticated cocktail bar decked out with chandeliers, marble and plush lounges. Twelve boutique hotel rooms complete the upper level, while all the way downstairs lies an underground cellar, functioning as a cosy private dining space. The owners have snapped up the site next door, too, with plans to expand the pub's already grand offering. Images: Brook James
Summer has just begun, and with it comes plenty of lazy days spent at the beach and park — and plenty of sunshine that warrants having drink in hand. With months worth of outdoor occasions to come, the usual cider, beer and chilled rosé might not cut it. That's where batched cocktails come in. The trend has only continued this year and makes classy sipping all too easy. At your next picnic, pick up one of these batched cocktails and make all of your mates jealous. [caption id="attachment_700587" align="alignnone" width="1920"] @bittersandtwists[/caption] THE BROADSIDE SALT AND PEPPERBERRY NEGRONI BY WEST WINDS If you've had enough of the classic negroni and want to bring something a little different to the picnic, grab a can of West Winds' salt and pepperberry negroni. The Margaret River distillery takes the classic Campari and sweet vermouth and combines it with West Winds 'Broadside Navy Strength' salted gin, then adds two Tasmanian pepperberries before canning. All you need is ice, and an orange for zesting if you're feeling especially fancy. Plus, the antique-looking can adds a bit of old-world class to the occasion. Available exclusively online, with each can priced at $10 a pop — and, if you order six, you get a complimentary vintage can opener to bring along to the party. How much? $10 for a 110ml can. Available online. [caption id="attachment_701670" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gareth Sobey Photography[/caption] MARTINI BY THE EVERLEIGH BOTTLING CO. The Everleigh is a Melbourne institution, and, lucky for us, the bar lets you enjoy its drinks wherever you fancy. The Everleigh Bottling Co is dedicated to batched cocktails, all of which come in sleek glass bottles. The core range includes a martini, negroni, old fashioned and Manhattan, while the Bartender's Choice collections change regularly. At the moment, we're most keen on the martini ($17 per bottle) — a 'wet' take on a martini, with a gin to vermouth ratio of at 2:1. It's best served chilled, poured it into a frozen cocktail glass and garnished with a lemon twist or an olive. Apart from over the bar at The Everleigh and sister venue Heartbreaker, the range is available in some Melbourne bottle shops, including Collingwood's Meatsmith, Harley & Rose in Footscray, and Prince Wine Store in South Melbourne. Plus, it's available online — and gift sets and mix-and-match packages are also available, so you can get plenty. How much? $17 for a 90ml bottle. Available online and at select bottle shops. (NEW) OLD FASHIONED BY STARWARD WHISKY Melbourne's Starward makes tonnes of ace whiskies, but the distiller is also slinging a classic batched cocktail with a twist. The (New) Old Fashioned is a collab between the bartenders and distilling teams and starts with Starward's signature craft whisky, which is then combined with bitters and wattleseed demerara syrup — both made in house. To top it all off, the cocktail is then matured in Australian red wine barrels before being bottled and sent off to you. It's designed as a barbecue favourite and just needs ice to complete. Get it online here, with free shipping on all orders, or in Dan Murphy's around Melbourne. It's $49 per 500ml bottle, so is ideal for sharing, too. How much? $49 for a 500ml bottle. Available online and at select Dan Murphy's. NEGRONI BY THE NEGRONI PROJECT The negroni's revived popularity shows no sign of slowing, and we think it's a must-have at pretty much every summer gathering. And you can feel even better about buying a few of them batched knowing that a some of your money will be donated to charity. The Negroni Project donates profits from each 250ml bottle sold to men's health charity Movember — and you can find it at Blackhearts & Sparrows stores around town. This year, the team has used gin from Melbourne Gin Company. BYO ice and orange wedge, and the drink is complete. How much? $40 for a 250ml bottle. Available at online and at Blackhearts & Sparrows around town. ANTICA FASHIONISTA X TEN PIECES BY MAURICE TERZINI AND BAR AMERICANO Barman and artist Matt Bax has already opened an art gallery this year, and now he's collaborated with Sydney restaurateur and fashion designer Maurice Terzini to launch a brand new cocktails. TheAntica Fashionista is an extension of Terzini's fashion label Ten Pieces, a designer's take on the old fashioned. It's available in 200ml ($35) and 500ml ($69) sizes online. Add ice and an orange twist and you're good to drink. And, if that doesn't take your fancy, you can always buy one of Bar Americano's batched negronis or amaros online. How much? $35 for a 200ml bottle. Available online. Top Image: The Everleigh Bottling Co's core range by Gareth Sobey Photography.
The first time was the charm. The second time, too. And, there's no doubt that the third will be as well. However many seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under that Stan in Australia and TVNZ OnDemand in New Zealand want to put in our streaming queues, they're all certain to be fierce, fabulous, bright, bold and sassy — including the show's just-confirmed return in 2023. Yes, your viewing plans for next year got better, even if RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under doesn't have an exact season three airdate as yet. The Australian and New Zealand version if RuPaul's Drag Race debuted in 2021, then sashayed our way again in 2022. Keep it coming, obviously. Exactly who'll be donning eye-catching outfits, navigating dramas and vying for glory next hasn't been revealed yet either, but a new lineup of drag queens will endeavour to follow in Kita Mean and Spankie Jackzon's footsteps — after Mean took RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under's first season and Jackzon did the honours in season two. Whoever gets the gig, they'll be joined by RuPaul, of course — who takes on hosting duties again — with the judging panel also featuring Michelle Visage and Rhys Nicholson in the first two seasons. "I'm so excited for season three of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under! Australasian drag is spectacularly sickening, and I can't wait for a new cast of queens to flash their charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent," RuPaul said, announcing the third season. Fans already know the format, which features fashion challenges, workroom dramas and lip sync battles aplenty. If you're a newcomer to all things Drag Race, you'll watch the next batch of Australian and NZ competitors work through a series of contests to emerge victorious, and join the likes of Mean, Jackzon and US contenders Jinkx Monsoon, Sasha Velour and Sharon Needles in being crowned the series' winner. Before it made the leap Down Under in 2021, the US version of RuPaul's Drag Race had already been on the air for more than a decade, first premiering in 2009 — and wholeheartedly embracing its mission to unearth the next drag superstars ever since. The original US series aired its 14th season in 2022, so this is a program with proven longevity. It has also spun off international iterations before, including in the UK — where it's also hosted by RuPaul — plus in Thailand, Holland, Chile and Canada. There's no trailer for season three yet, of course, but you can watch the Drag Race Down Under season two trailer below: RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under will return for a third season in 2023 on Stan and TVNZ — we'll update you with an exact date when one is announced.
Malvern East's brilliant bakery, Breadcetera, is a testament to the difference it makes when the owners of a venue truly know, love and want to provide the best for their beloved community. The baked goods are irresistible, the produce is beautifully curated, and the service is warm. Most of all, Breadcetera fills what was a noticeable gap in the suburb. Co-owners Frank Ciorciari and Anthony Silvestre are familiar faces around Malvern East. They have spent nearly a decade building friendships with the community through their restaurant, Riserva, on Wattletree Road. They noticed their suburb was missing a local hang-out where you could grab premium pantry staples, fresh bread, deli items, flowers, and grab-and-go food. So, Breadcetera was born. "Breadcetera is basically a collection of the things we use and love most. It's personal, but we've always believed the personal can be universal. We didn't want to overcomplicate it — somewhere to grab good bread, a coffee, something for dinner, or even just a great pantry item you didn't know you needed. It's not a supermarket and it's not a cafe - it's something in between. It's the sort of place we wish already existed around the corner," says Ciorciari. Breadcetera sells produce from some of Melbourne's most loved suppliers, such as pastries from Austro Bakery, coffee from Allpress and bread from Blanc Bakery. Riserva's head chefs, Gabriele Garro and Dino Mohsin, prepare fresh sandwiches and crisp paninis each day. The weekly specials include the likes of focaccia with porchetta, braised onion, artichoke cream and Comté, a three-cheese toastie with shaved truffle, and a panini with fried eggplant, basil, red pesto and mortadella. Breadcetera is more than just a bakery. It is a buzzing hub of the local community where you can pick up anything from gelato to boutique liqueurs, a thoughtful gift or a take-home meal when you don't feel like cooking. Its bright and vibrant aesthetic makes it hard for passersby not to pop in for a coffee, a chat, a crisp croissant, and some gourmet take-home goodies. Images: Michael Pham.
Taylor Swift is inviting fans around the world to step inside her new era with Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, an 89-minute cinematic event celebrating the launch of her 12th studio album The Life of a Showgirl. The feature offers a mix of firsts — including the debut of the 'The Fate of Ophelia' music video, new lyric videos, behind-the-scenes footage and personal reflections from Swift herself. The global release kicks off at 3pm US time on Friday, October 3, which translates to early morning on Saturday, October 4 in Australia. Screenings will run nationwide across the long weekend, from Saturday through Monday, October 6. Australian Swifties can catch the film at Event Cinemas, Hoyts, Dendy, Village Cinemas and Palace Cinemas, with both city and regional locations taking part. Demand has been so high that Event Cinemas has already added extra sessions. "We've got our Swifties covered with screenings of Taylor Swift: The Life of a Showgirl across our Event Cinemas in both Australia and New Zealand this coming weekend," a spokesperson said. "Tickets are flying faster than a Reputation track drop, with presale numbers already at number one for the upcoming long weekend." It follows the blockbuster success of The Eras Tour film, which became the highest-grossing concert film of all time after earning more than £260 million globally. Find your nearest screening and tickets to Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl Images: Getty Images
Of all the new TV shows that are heading to streaming in 2023, only one has a groove and a meaning. Well, only one is based on a movie with a theme song that claims that, at least. And yes, you now have that tune stuck in your head — because 'Grease', the track, is that much of a catchy and persistent earworm. The entire Grease soundtrack is, and perhaps the tunes that come with Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies will be as well. This new prequel series steps back into the 70s-made, 50s-set musical rom-com's world, giving its titular girl gang an origin story. Based on both the initial teaser and the just-dropped full trailer, Rise of the Pink Ladies is hopelessly devoted to taking that task seriously. Here, in a ten-episode series set to stream via Paramount+ in Australia from Friday, April 7 — with New Zealand airing details yet to be revealed — it's the 1954–55 school year. It's also when the eponymous young women are given words of warning about appropriate behaviour. "Ladies, you must be careful with whom you associate," Assistant Principal McGee (Jackie Hoffman, Only Murders in the Building) tells them in the first trailer. "A girl's reputation is all that she has." Welcome back to Rydell High, clearly, but before Danny (John Travolta) and Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) walked its halls. If the OG Grease and its tale about an Australian transfer student falling in love with an American high schooler in California is the one that you want — always — then you'll know that this franchise hasn't ever just been about the hit 1978 movie anyway. Before it became a silver-screen classic, it was a popular stage musical. After the first film's success, it spawned a 1982 Michelle Pfeiffer-starring sequel, too. Pink jackets, T-Birds, dance scenes (including while wearing mechanics' overalls), a new take on a familiar track advising that Grease is indeed the word: they're all included in show's two sneak peeks so far. Cast-wise, Marisa Davila (Love and Baseball), first-timer Cheyenne Isabel Wells, Ari Notartomaso (Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin) and Tricia Fukuhara (Loot) play the four teens who start the Pink Ladies, and are joined on-screen by Shanel Bailey (The Good Fight), Madison Thompson (Emergency), Johnathan Nieves (Penny Dreadful: City of Angels), Jason Schmidt (FBI: Most Wanted) and Maxwell Whittington-Cooper (The Photograph). This isn't the last time that all things Grease will pop up again, either — not including the stage musical and OG movie's enduring popularity, of course — with a Danny and Sandy-focused prequel flick Summer Lovin' also in the works. Check out the full trailer for Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies below: Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies starts streaming via Paramount+ in Australia on Friday, April 7. New Zealand release details haven't yet been revealed — we'll update you when further information comes to hand.
Ever think to yourself god I wish I had a random Italian nonna cooking me a full three-course meal in my kitchen? Well, now you can make that dream a reality, thanks to Birra Moretti's Deliver-a-Nonna service! That's right, Birra Moretti is literally delivering Italian grandmothers to your doorstep so you can indulge in an authentic Italian feast without leaving your casa. From now until Sunday, February 11, the streets of Melbourne will witness the sight of Italian nonnas, each a master in their culinary craft, zipping around in classic Fiat 500s. The mission? To bring a real three-course Italian meal experience right into the homes of lucky residents (and, presumably, crisp Italian beer). Birra Moretti's initiative aims to reignite the tradition of gathering around the table, sharing stories, and creating memories. Anna Pascuzzo from Rosa's Traditional Italian Cooking & Classes is one of the dedicated Nonnas and puts it thusly: "A shared meal at the table is at the heart of Italian culture, and I'm excited to share this with the rest of Melbourne." "In every recipe enjoyed throughout the Birra Moretti experience, you'll find not just ingredients, but a legacy of love, family tradition passed down through generations and a taste of what it's like to live authentically Italian." For those who fancy themselves master chefs in the making (or those who struggle to cut an onion), these nonnas will also provide culinary tips and share their experience and wisdom in the kitchen — and perhaps in life, if you ask nicely. So essentially, they're not just cooking for you; they're sharing generations of secrets, ensuring you can recreate the magic long after they've left your kitchen. So, how do you get a slice of this Italian dream? Simple. Grab a six-pack of Birra Moretti from your local bottle shop, and visit their website to enter. With a bit of luck, you could be breaking bread with a nonna, toasting with a birra, and living la bella vita, right here in Melbourne.
In news as certain as Han Solo's swagger, C-3P0's disapproval and Leia Organa's leadership prowess, another orchestra-scored Star Wars screening is making its way to Melbourne — this time Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi will be unleashing its full force onto a fanatic audience with the power of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. What was originally the final flick in George Lucas' space saga is headed to Melbourne's Plenary, MCEC on Thursday, November 7, Friday, November 8 and Saturday, November 9, 2019. If you've been hiding out on Tatooine and aren't quite sure what's in store, this climactic instalment features a second Death Star, a tribe of Ewoks on Endor, Han Solo imprisoned by Jabba the Hutt, plenty of family baggage, and one heck of a father-and-son battle — so, classic Star Wars thrills all round. And, it's all set to John Williams' memorable score, which the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will recreate for your eager eyes and ears. Last year saw the MSO perform Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and, back in 2017, Star Wars: A New Hope also had a run, so we've got a good feeling about this combo of movies and live music. Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi will screen at Melbourne's Hamer Hall on Thursday, November 7, Friday, November 8 and Saturday, November 9, 2019. To buy tickets, head here.
Victoria is currently under stay-at-home orders so, while you can't visit these pubs in person, you can still show your support with takeaway and online orders. You can stay up to date with the developing COVID-19 situation in Victoria, as well as current restrictions, at the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services. Cosy pub vibes are great at any time of the year. And the vibes are even cosier with live music added to the mix. With live entertainment pretty much thrown out the window over the last year, we've come to really appreciate simple, old-school pleasures. Like heading to the pub and catching a live gig. Melbourne is home to not just great pubs, but also great musos — combine the two and you're on to a winner. We've teamed up with Guinness to put together a list of local boozers that play host to live tunes — from midweek open mic nights to rollocking country sessions. Consider this our post-lockdown hit list. [caption id="attachment_817247" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] THE BROTHERS PUBLIC HOUSE Irish expats — and brothers — Pat and Eamonn McKernan bring the craic to Johnston Street. After making his mark on Melbourne's Irish music scene, Pat enlisted his accountant brother to join him in creating a place where they could do what the Irish do best: booze and music. With live tunes on Wednesday through to Sunday, perfectly poured pints of Guinness and a grand selection of Irish whiskeys, The Brothers Public House is a great spot to catch an intimate gig on a cold winter's eve. It's also a TV-free pub, so you can enjoy the tunes with minimal distraction. Find The Brothers Public House at 42 Johnston Street, Fitzroy. [caption id="attachment_818704" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Supplied[/caption] THE CORNERSTONE Named for the historic 1860s cornerstone that remains in tact to this day, the exterior of this Port Melbourne pub gives way to a smartly refurbished indoor area. Swing by on a Tuesday night for open mic night, which is a great way to check out up-and-coming local performers (or even have a go yourself). Fridays see booked artists performing from 7pm, so pop on down, grab a pint and settle in to one of the comfy booths whilst the tunes and good times flow. Find The Cornerstone at 1 Crockford Street, Port Melbourne. [caption id="attachment_817250" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] THE FIFTH PROVINCE A proper Irish-style tavern with hearty pub fare and a great beer selection, this St Kilda local is always a good shout. Four nights a week, The Fifth Province plays host to all manner of musical acts in its charming, old-world setting. As you'd expect from an Irish pub, this Fitzroy Street spot has a laidback charm that makes it a great spot for a drink and a show — and, with regular food and drink specials, there's no surprise that this is a home away from home for much of St Kilda's Irish population. Find The Fifth Province at 3/60 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda. The Fifth Province is open for takeaway on Friday (11am–9pm) and weekends (10am–9pm). [caption id="attachment_817251" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] STEAM PACKET HOTEL The heritage-listed building this Williamstown pub calls home has existed in a number of incarnations in its time, and its current identity maintains much of its old-school character, with a few modern spins. With exposed brick and a toasty open fireplace, The Packet is one of the best spots in the west to grab a pint thanks to the 16 beer taps and great pub grub. You can enjoy your cold one with live music most Friday nights and Sundays, while Tuesday night is open mic night — so, if you're game, you can level up from karaoke. Find the Steam Packet Hotel at 13 Cole Street, Williamstown. YARRA VALLEY GRAND HOTEL This historic hotel is in the heart of Yarra Glen, in terms of both physical location and its role in the local community. This public house poured its first pint in 1888 and maintains much of its Victorian charm, and remains a go-to for Yarra Valley locals. The regular music lineup ranges from moody acoustic to rollocking country, which you can enjoy with a hearty counter meal or creatively topped pizza. If you're looking for a wee road trip — complete with live tunes and a warming pub feed — then be sure to put this one on your list. You can make a night of it by taking advantage of the pub's stylish and affordable four-star accommodation. Find the Yarra Valley Grand Hotel at 19 Bell Street, Yarra Glen. Thirsty? Find your closest place for a pint over at the Guinness Pub Finder.
There are some things best left to the 90s, like those pukka shell necklaces and over-plucked eyebrows. But one thing that's here to stay is 90s RnB, especially teamed with good food, delicious cocktails and some of the most iconic 90s looks. If you're ready to relive your youth — or you'd rather re-do it — every Saturday this summer The Boatbuilders Yard at South Wharf will host new 90s RnB Mixtape Saturdays, beginning Saturday, November 13. Moon Dog Brewing are in charge of the 90s-themed drinks list and to say it's authentic is an understatement. Think a fizzy lime and Midori combination, lemon and Blue Curacao and plenty of other specialty cocktails on the agenda. There's even a seltzer-filled post-mix machine. Plus, a Smirnoff Ice or Passion Pop is promised on arrival to really bring back that hit of nostalgia. Food-wise think potato skins, tacos and sloppy joes so you can pretend you're eating in the cafeteria in your favourite 90s high-school rom-com. Apart from those aforementioned cocktails, of course. DJ Joey Lightbulb will be on the decks, and apparently, song requests will be taken, so dig out your old mixtapes for inspiration. Tickets are $65 per person and bookings are recommended to secure your spot at on one of the two, two-hour sessions held from 12-2pm and 2.30-4.30pm each Saturday afternoon. Don your Mytiko pants, finest beige Masseurs and hypercolour t-shirts and get ready to boogie like Y2K is imminent. For more information and to secure your spot at 90s RnB Mixtape Saturdays, check out the website.
Few great things spring from being sent to boarding school, but Warwick Thornton's The New Boy is one of them. Decades have passed since the Kaytetye filmmaker was taught by Spanish monks at a remote missionary-style school after getting into trouble growing up in Alice Springs, but he now reflects upon the experience in the type of film that he's made his own within Australia's cinematic landscape: a deeply felt, stunningly shot, hauntingly acted and searingly impassioned tale of First Nations survival. When Thornton's feature debut Samson & Delilah arrived in 2009, it too pondered the subject. Winning the Cannes Film Festival's coveted Caméra d'Or for Best First Feature, it cemented Thornton as one of the country's best filmmakers working today. Sweet Country similarly wowed and blistered as it tackled the nation's long history of racial prejudice — and, premiering at the Venice International Film Festival, earned more international attention. With The New Boy, Cannes came calling again, then Sydney Film Festival's opening-night slot, and now a countrywide release during NAIDOC Week. "I'm Aboriginal — every day is survival for us," Thornton tells Concrete Playground. "Successions of governments have been trying to get rid of us for a very long time, through the last 200 years… So unpacking survival, and learning, and trying to work out what the fuck just happened, it's me. It's part of my life. It's what I do. And I've got a voice. I get money off the government to tell the government they're terrible. That's bizarre — that happens, and that's what I do." [caption id="attachment_908526" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Belinda Rolland © 2023/SFF.[/caption] The New Boy isn't autobiographical, but it always feels personal. Set in the 1940s as the Second World War rages abroad, it sees the film's namesake (newcomer Aswan Reid) get scooped up by outback law enforcement and delivered to a church-run orphanage, where his Indigenous culture and spirituality comes into conflict with Christianity. It's a story about forced conformity and assimilation, and fighting back however one can. It's history in a microcosm. It also teams Thornton with another Australian cinema icon: Cate Blanchett. "Rock 'n' roll! Aren't I very lucky! Isn't this amazing? Shit, Cate Blanchett's just called me and wants to make a movie — life's too short" — that's how Thornton reacted when two-time Oscar-winner and 2023 nominee (for Tár) gave him a call. "It's good for the ego, obviously. Then you go 'god, I've got to do something. I've got to come up with some brilliant idea right now that we can go and make while I've got her on the phone'. And obviously that doesn't happen. You slow down, and you take your time, and you're thoughtful about it. You don't just pitch any shit to Cate Blanchett, because she might go 'oh no, he's an idiot, that's a terrible idea'. So you've got to think about things, and plan some kind of attack on making yourself seem like you're really cool and you have lots of great ideas." Thornton did have something up his sleeve: an 18-year-old script inspired by those boarding school days, but featuring a priest. In the project's past life, French The Big Blue and The Professional actor Jean Reno had been in talks to star. Swapping the character to a nun gave Blanchett a part — which Thorton tells us about, alongside drawing from his own life, finding the next David Gulpilil in Reid, sharing tales of Indigenous survival with the world, balancing tragedy and hope, Adam Sandler movies and the full cinema experience. ON REWORKING AN OLD SCRIPT FOR CATE BLANCHETT "I hate writing. I think it's incredibly painful, and it takes me years. So if you do want to go down that process, well, we wouldn't be here having this conversation — I'd still be writing something. It takes a long time, and it's horrible. Writing is full of pain and angst — and you would rather go to the pub than actually write any words, because there's so much fear in a blank page, so much danger in it. And, so much you happiness as well, but I'm so scared of the blank page — I write with pen and paper, I don't own a computer, I don't know how to type. So you just stare at a blank page and go 'ohh this it's going to hurt'. Then, three years later, you come out of it and you've got something. Then it takes maybe another year to redraft it and get people's opinions. So remembering that I had that script kind of saved my arse, in a strange way, because I didn't want to go down another three-year process. I've got other scripts, but they just they they wouldn't be right for Cate, that I have been writing. So it was either that script or I write something new — and we wouldn't be here talking, I'd still be writing, if I was actually going to write something." ON SPARKING THE NEW BOY FROM EXPERIENCE "You use your experience in life to to get the foundations of what you think might be a good idea for a movie. I'm 52 years of age. I've lived, I've loved, I've died, I've cried, I've divorced, I've married. So you dwell on your own shit. I don't know if I'd be very good at writing a movie about a gecko because I've never been a gecko or goanna. So you just dwell on your existence, and that's where your foundations come from. I think all writers do that — nothing special to me. The reason why it took so long for it to be made, or to get to this point, was because it was actually a really bad script. [It was] pretty clear it wasn't working. Protagonist, antagonist, the arcs are all arse up — and it took someone like Cate to come along to empower me to fix it. But is there any writer who doesn't dwell on their own existence, and how they felt when someone said 'I don't love you anymore'? All that kind of shit? I'm sure every writer does that — it's kind of part and parcel of writing." ON SWAPPING A PRIEST FOR A NUN, BUT LEAVING THE OTHER CHARACTER DETAILS "That was very clear from Cate, because I thought 'well, we will have to do some some serious drafting to rebuild it to do it with the nun'. And she was very adamant — and, really, she's so bloody smart. I didn't see it. But she's seen it straight away: 'don't change the arc of of the character and what the character actually does'. So it's a nun having to do a priest's job and, obviously in that world, nuns can't do priest jobs. They're not allowed to actually do priest jobs. That created such such a great dynamic for for the character, and she was very clear about that. 'Don't go mucking, don't go fucking it up now Warwick! — because that stuff really, really works well for Sister Eileen'. It's like 'of course it does'. It it easier for me — I didn't have to write as much." ON CASTING DEBORAH MAILMAN AND WAYNE BLAIR "Deb and Wayne are really good friends. I shot The Sapphires for Wayne [which Blair directed] back in the day. And I shot Radiance for Rachel Perkins back in the mid 90s — crikey — one of Deb's first feature roles. So we've always been good friends, and I've always wanted to do something really focused, and I thought they were the best actors to be those characters. I told them that I was writing something and they're in it. And they were like 'bring it on, no worries'. So they knew. When it was the older draft, with the monk, I'd already cast them — I wanted them to play those roles even back then. So they were cast even before Cate." ON FINDING ASWAN REID "I was beguiled and freaked out. He looked perfect. He was exactly what the image in my head was of the New Boy. But with that comes a lot of fear because, first-time actors, children on set — they can do the first week, they do the first day, and then go 'I don't like this, I don't want do this anymore', and then just walk away. And you just can't make them do it. So it created more fear because he looked perfect. But that created a lot more fear about 'is the universe going to look after us, are we going to be okay?'. Because you're not casting just a child — you're casting the family. How's his mum and dad? Are they sensible human beings? Because they're going to be on set with us a lot as well. There's so many things come into play when you cast first-time actors, especially kids from communities where making a film is not necessarily that important to them. I think there's a lot of children in LA whose mothers tell them that this is the most important thing they're ever going to do, but for a kid from Kiwirrkurra — I don't know, is going and making a movie that important? I don't know. He had a great time. And he wants to make more movies now, which is fantastic. I think it was a year that we lost Gulpilil and we found Aswan. I think it's one of the most beautiful, strange worlds we live in." ON SHARING FILMS ABOUT INDIGENOUS SURVIVAL WITH THE WORLD "There's a hunger out there for Indigenous storytelling. We still run on a three-act structure — an arc of three acts, beginning, middle and end, which is, ironically, life: you're born, you live, you die. Everything works that way. So that we could transcend these kind of conversations, but from an Indigenous point of view — I think people are getting interested, because we used to make films, especially in Australia and actually in America as well, we made a lot of movies from the suburbs looking at the the mountains. And the fear and the darkness, and wild west and badlands, in a way. It was always from the veranda, from safety, that we would look out at that — and Australia did it a lot, and so did North America. Now people are interested in a different point of view — and that other point of view is from the mountains, from the forest, looking at the people sitting on the veranda. And from our point of view, which is from the badlands or the wild, but looking at and studying these people who are too afraid to come up to the veranda and meet us. [caption id="attachment_655044" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sweet Country[/caption] That's the way Indigenous people make movies, in a way. That's our point of view. And I think people are interested in that, so that's why I think the films did quite well around the world. There's a duty of care — when we make stories, it's a very big duty of care about what we say and what we portray about who we are as Indigenous people. It's a big point, and there needs to be a lot of honesty from us about that. And I think people enjoy that and they feel that when they see our films." ON BALANCING TRAGEDY AND HOPE — AND MUSING ON FAITH Well, The New Boy does represent who we are and what happened to us being colonised — but, you know what, we're still here. So there's hope. We're still here. So, obviously, he is what happened to us. Christians came in. Colonisation came in. New laws came in, new rules, new regulations. We had to fit in. We lost a lot. But we're still here and we're gaining a lot now because our form of spirituality is evolving. It's not a bunch of commandments banged into a rock. We have to evolve, and we have to move with the times, and that's what we're doing. And so it is hope and it's survival. There's room for all, I guess is what I'm trying to say. I think the religions that actually believe that there's either their way or hell, and anybody who does not become part of conforming to what they think will burn — and there's only two two options, right or wrong — it's a very dangerous place. Actually, that kind of concept will die one day. That will actually kill itself because it won't move and ebb and flow, and it's not evolving properly." [caption id="attachment_861204" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mark Rogers[/caption] ON WHAT MAKES A WARWICK THORNTON FILM — AND THE FULL CINEMA EXPERIENCE "All my films have Adam Sandler in it, and they go 'oh, it must be a Warwick Thornton film'. I reckon that'd be really good. It'd be really funny, and tragic. I like him. If you see Adam Sandler on the poster, or a film by Happy Madison Productions, you know what you're going to get — you know when you buy that ticket, you know what you're going to get, and so don't expect anything else and just enjoy it for how stupid it is. Life, cinema, has room for pure popcorn and milkshakes. And then it has room for red wine and biscuits. There's so much scope in the arts, and everyone has a right to have the most ridiculously stupid films to the most blinkered, depressing auteur crap — like what I make. There's room for it all. It's such a beautiful medium. You can go to a cinema and have a mindless laugh. Or you can go to the cinema and have, not go into a lecture, but be entertained but actually walk out with a lot more knowledge about humanity, and existence, and points of view from countries and cultures that you'd never have access to in real life — but you do, cinema gives you that access. So it's such a beautiful, special place." [caption id="attachment_861205" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mark Rogers[/caption] ON JUMPING BETWEEN FICTION AND DOCUMENTARIES "Whatever it is, it's horses for courses — not all stories are documentaries, and not all stories are fiction and features. So you get to a point where you go 'I'm so over a crew of 200 and blowing ridiculous amounts of money, and having that minute frame-by-frame control'. And so I want to go with David Tranter, sound recordist, to just go into the bush and make a beautiful documentary about someone or something — and live around the campfire, and cook rice and curry on a campfire, and just really focus and become this nurturing little unit. Then, after I do that, I'm covered in mosquito bites and rashes, and probably about to lose a a toe because I stubbed it and then it got infected — and I go 'I want to go back to features, I want to go back to catering'. You get bored with one, and then the grass is always greener on the other side. At the moment, I'm obviously doing fiction and features — and the grass, the greener grass at the moment, is in documentary for me. And when I get there, I'll realise that the greener grass is in fiction." The New Boy opened in Australian cinemas on July 6. Read our review. The New Boy images: Ben King.
If nothing says summer to you quite like dancing in a crowd, here's another event for your calendar: the return of Melbourne's Boiler Room x Sugar Mountain Festival. Here, you won't just be making shapes while staring forward, with the event's 360-degree stage one of its huge highlights. That and the folks taking to the decks, obviously. There is one big change at Boiler Room x Sugar Mountain when it returns on Saturday, January 22 2022, however, with the event moving to Williamtown's Seaworks Maritime Precinct. What's better than spending a day at a dance music festival? Doing so right by the water, clearly. Welsh techno producer and singer/songwriter Kelly Lee Owens leads the bill, in what'll be her first-ever Australian performance — and she'll be joined by London-based Aussie DJ HAAi, Brisbane Spotify favourite jamesjamesjames, European-based Aussie Lauren Hansom, and locals Darcy Justice, C.FRIM and Bertie. If you can't make it along, the fest will also be broadcasting live from 3–10pm. And yes, it's been a big few weeks for fest announcements, with Boiler Room x Sugar Mountain following So Frenchy So Chic, For the Love, new touring fest Summer Camp and Beyond the City in letting you know who'll be soundtracking your next few months. [caption id="attachment_833149" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mark Stanjo[/caption] BOILER ROOM x SUGAR MOUNTAIN 2022 LINEUP: Kelly Lee Owens HAAi jamesjamesjames Lauren Hansom Darcy Justice C.FRIM Bertie Boiler Room x Sugar Mountain is happening at Seaworks Maritime Precinct on Saturday, January 22, 2022. Tickets go on sale at 2pm AEDT on Tuesday, November 23 — and you can pre-register now. Top image: Mushroom Creative House.
The cold weather has well and truly descended on Melbourne. Fortunately, staying warm is a little easier when you have a big plate of steaming hot lasagne to feast on. And with World Lasagne Day just around the corner on Saturday, July 26, you've got the best excuse to carb load. To celebrate the occasion, Grossi Florentino is getting in the mood with a long lunch that will keep the chill at bay and ensure you pay tribute to the iconic dish. From 12.30–3pm, the restaurant is offering generous portions of house-made lasagne, brimming with slow-cooked ragu, fresh pasta sheets and creamy bechamel sauce — served tableside, straight from the tray. Yet this lunch goes further, with antipasti and a slice of tiramisu rounding out the celebration. What's more, accordion tunes throughout the afternoon will add to the atmosphere, helping to make this Italian feast even more festive. At $75 per person, it won't be hard to convince your amici to get involved in this lasagne-led banquet.
It's always a good idea to wear sneakers when you're walking around a gallery, but they're the only kicks that'll do when Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street arrives Down Under. First staged by The Design Museum in London, this exhibition pays tribute to the footwear's origins and evolution — through sports to fashion, surveying iconic brands and names, and obviously touching upon basketballers Chuck Taylor and Michael Jordan's relationships with the shoes. In total, more than 200 sneakers will be on display during Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street's Australian-premiere and Australian-exclusive season at the Gold Coast's HOTA Gallery. The six-level spot will give over its walls and halls to shoes, shoes and more shoes over the summer of 2023–24, starting on on Saturday, November 25, and marking the site's first major design exhibition since opening in 2021. While a hefty amount of trainers will feature, the entire showcase will span 400-plus items. The other objects at Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street include photos, videos, posters, artworks and process material, all helping to explore the journey that the footwear style has taken in its design and culturally. Expect to learn more about sneakers that were initially made specifically for getting sweaty, which is where the Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars and Nike Airs come in (and, with the latter, to add to a year that's already seen the movie Air step through the story behind them). Also set to feature: the shoes that've become cultural symbols (such as the Vans Half Cab and Reebok InstaPump Fury), future advancements in making kicks (as seen with Biorealize for Puma) and big-name collaborations (Jordan, of course, plus Run-DMC and more). Attendees will also check out sneakers that've made a splash on the runway (Comme des Carçons and A-Cold-Wall*, for instance), find out more about plant-based sneakers (such as Veja and Native Shoes) and customisable kicks (as Helen Kirkum and Alexander Taylor are doing), and dive into celebrity endorsements (Travis Scott with Nike, Pharell for Adidas and the like). Laid out in chapters called 'STYLE' and 'PERFORMANCE', the exhibition's first part goes big on aesthetics and its second on the act of making the best trainers — covering Chuck Taylor's basketball clinics, sneaker culture in New York City and everything that's happened since. "Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street reveals the role young people from diverse backgrounds have played in making individual sneakers into style icons and in driving an industry now worth billions," notes Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street Curator Ligaya Salazar. "The exhibition also gives behind-the-scenes insight into new upcycling and sustainable design practices, unseen prototypes predicting the future of performance design, and streetwear and fashion collaborations that changed the face of the industry." "As an active city with a vibrant street culture and enthusiasm for fashion, summer on the Gold Coast is the perfect time and place to celebrate the iconic footwear phenomenon. We are thrilled to be presenting this internationally acclaimed exhibition exclusively in Australia," added HOTA's Interim CEO Mik Auckland. Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street is the Gold Coast venue's second huge Australian-exclusive in 2023, following Pop Masters: Art From the Mugrabi Collection, New York and its focus on Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring from February–June. Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street will open on Saturday, November 25 at HOTA Gallery, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise Gold Coast — head to the exhibition's website for further details and tickets. Images: Ed Reeve, Design Museum London.
Culture and cocktails collide this month as a new limited-edition pop-up bar arrives on Gertrude Street. Namely, The Melbourne Gin Company is joining forces with the strip's Oigåll Projects gallery space to deliver an after-hours art fix matched to signature gin-infused sips. From 4–7pm each Friday night from November 18–December 9, the duo promises to elevate your usual end-of-week knock-offs. Visitors can explore the gallery's current showcase of works from contemporary Australian artists and designers while sipping seasonal concoctions courtesy of the renowned Yarra Valley-based distillery. On the menu, you'll find the likes of a Gin & Grapefruit Soda, the spicy Gin-ger Smash and a G&T crafted on MGC's award-winning Single Shot Gin. And if you're hoping to inspire some warmer weather, there's the Negroni Float — a negroni spritz reimagined with vanilla ice cream and blood orange dust to garnish. As for what you'll be looking at, the exhibition roster changes, but Billy Vanilli, Michael Giittings, Eryca Gree and Kate Rohde are just some of the names to grace Oigåll Projects in recent weeks.
If you've wandered around South Melbourne Market, Preston Market or Queen Vic Market lately, you've likely seen long lines of folks hunting down Cannoleria's ricotta-filled pastry shells. Its Sicilian-style cannolis are no joke, made with That's Amore ricotta and delicately crunchy pastry. But wherever you've bee getting your fix so far, it's been a purely takeaway affair — you either have to rush home before the cannoli start getting soggy, get the filling sold separately so you can pipe them later, or scoff the cannoli right after ordering. That is until now, as the team is bringing its first dine-in venue to town — and it'll be opening soon on Lygon Street, no less. While we're still awaiting details about an opening date, what we do know is that come late July or early August, Cannoleria will be setting up shop on the unofficial home of Melbourne's Italian dining and cultural scene, which has hosted countless Italian restaurants and gelato joints for generations. The new site will seat 18 cannoli lovers, allowing them to take their time savouring these sweet Sicilian treats. Moka Pot St Remio coffee and other hot and cold bevs will also be available. There's no word yet on whether the site will be stocking its epic pistachio spreads, cannoli-scented candles, cannoli cakes and merch, but we're quietly hopeful. To celebrate the new opening, Cannoleria will be giving away 1000 mini cannolis on its launch day, so watch this space for more details once we have them. You'll soon find Cannoleria at 334 Lygon Street, Carlton. For more information, visit the venue's website.
The site at 20 Bourke Street has spawned its fair share of incarnations over the decades, from cinema to nightclub to gig space. But this year has seen it spin full circle, reborn as a hotel — the same kind of venue it was first built as back in the 1850s. The top-end address is now home to Le Méridien Melbourne — a 12-storey beauty from Marriott Bonvoy that's kitted out with 235 rooms and dressed in a modernised nod to mid-century glamour. Textures abound and neutral hues are celebrated throughout, balanced with refined pops of jewel-toned colour. In the rooms, you'll find the hotel brand's signature beds, Marshall speakers, bath products by Malin + Goetz, bottled cocktails from The Everleigh Bottling Co and even Le Méridien's own exclusive room scent. Art lovers will be impressed by pieces like Wendy Yu's video projection work and a sculptural installation by Marta Figueiredo. Guests can also look forward to gaining access to Le Méridien's Unlock Art program, including a self-guided walking tour and free entry to some of the city's leading cultural attractions. Venture up to the rooftop to find the openair pool and deck, dubbed Le Splash, which overlooks Parliament House. It's got a cocktail bar, a menu of hand-crafted gelati, and an adjoining gym and sauna. A pop-up outdoor cinema will also be debuting on the deck later in the year. More culinary goodness awaits you in the lobby's cafe-meets-wine-bar, Intermission, which is serving Axil coffee and open sandwiches for the daytime crowd, moving into snacks, small plates and vino after dark. Slink down the curved staircase one more level and into the elegant embrace of Dolly — a dinner destination with a 1930's-inspired look and a Euro edge to the menu. The restaurant is named after the zoom camera technique used by Hitchcock in his 1958 thriller Vertigo, while its glossy fit out pays homage to the golden age of cinema. Expect velvet, fluted glass and polished accents. Victorian produce shines through the menu, as does Executive Chef Christian Graebner's classical European training. Artful plates might include oysters finished with a champagne sorbet, smoked venison loin teamed with Davidson plum and a spiced macadamia cream, and salt-baked beetroot featuring caramelised walnut mousse and goats curd. King George whiting is done 'en papillote' with saffron-braised fennel and a mussel broth, while a reworked bombe alaska for two comes jazzed up with popcorn and salted caramel ice cream. And the prix-fixe pre-theatre menu feeds two for $120. Renowned importer Cellarhand has taken over vinous curatorial duties, showcasing lots of local options — think, Dal Zotto and Giant Steps — alongside a strong lineup of champagne. Meanwhile, cocktails are the result of a collaboration with the Everleigh Bottling Co, named after and inspired by music and theatre icons from across the ages. Find Le Méridien Melbourne at 20 Bourke Street, Melbourne. 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.
Recreating the amusement and festivities of the fairground with an important touch of luxe, Belgian artist Carsten Höller is bringing his golden mirror carrousel down under to the NGV. Höller has been exhibiting fully-functional carrousels in galleries in the US and Europe for some time now, but his attractions always have a crucial difference from what you might find at the Royal Melbourne Show. In the past, he has altered the speed or rotation of the carousel to slightly disorient or confuse visitors, but recently he's been focussed on surface material. A plain mirror carrousel was exhibited in New York a few years ago, now we get the upgraded version. I It's sure to bring a few smiles and selfies along the way, but don't expect any showbags or dagwood dogs after the ride. This event was chosen as one of our top ten things to see at the Melbourne Festival 2014. See the full list here.
Revitalised motels are having a moment in Australia. Here to join the party is River Drive Motel, an idyllic countryside escape that pays homage to the natural landscape. Designed by wife-and-husband duo Kate Hannaford and Dic Coates, the boutique, five-room motel is nestled along the Tarwin River in South Gippsland and conveniently located close to Venus Bay and Wilson's Promontory. The self-contained rooms have been sympathetically designed with modern sensibilities by the couple's Melbourne-based design and event agency, Moth Design. A relaxed palette of eucalyptus greens, earthy tones, and vintage pink highlights feature throughout the rooms. "We wanted to reinvent the concept of what holiday accommodation can be, by providing a home away from home that is both modern and nostalgic. We love the idea of being able to simply drive up, unpack and enjoy your own adventure," Hannaford says. Artwork comes in the form of a curated collection of upcoming Australian and First Nations works, which is set to rotate regularly. A locally-stocked mini bar highlights Gippsland producers, including WaWa Chocolate, Love Tea, A.R.C Wines, Loch Distillery & Brewery G&T and Gurneys Cider. For something a bit more substantial, the motel offers all-day, seasonal grazing boxes from locally-based caterer Acacia Edibles. Boxes can be pre-ordered and delivered to your door. A large communal garden area complete with BBQs, picnic tables and a nostalgic old shed filled with family-friendly games completes the warm property. River Drive Motel is located at 19 River Drive, Tarwin Lower, Victoria. You can visit the River Drive Motel website to book with a range of room sizes suited to two to five guests. Prices start at $340 a night with a minimum two-night stay. Images: Albert Comper.
Australia welcomes its next novelty dining experience, with Melbourne becoming the latest city to host the immersive dinners dubbed Le Petit Chef. These interactive meals are designed by Belgian creative studio Skullmapping, which uses 3D rendering and projection mapping technology to present a three-course feast in a whimsical fashion. Albert Park's Cardigan Place Cellars wine bar will play host to the dining experience for the foreseeable future, starting on November 21 and running every Wednesday through Sunday onward — with sittings at 6pm and 8pm each night. The interactive meal is dominated by the 'playful storytelling' of a 58mm miniature chef who walks, climbs, jumps and even skis around your table as he catches, prepares and cooks dinner. This all happens via a projection onto your tabletop, with the actual meal brought to the table after the chef's tale. As far as the actual food goes, think bouillabaisse for starters, glazed brisket with broccolini and kale for mains, and caramelised milk ice cream topped with whipped cream and berries for dessert. We expect that the food takes a bit of a back seat to the experience, though. Le Petit Chef took a world tour before landing in Melbourne — most notably in China, where 30 restaurants have already hosted Le Petit Chef events, clocking in over 100,000 guests in 2017. Other host cities include London, Berlin, Dubai, Stockholm, Toronto, Nashville, Istanbul and Cologne. Starting at $190 per person, the experience certainly doesn't come cheap. But, if you have the extra cash to splash and you're up for a bit of an oddity, head online to book tickets. Image: Skullmapping.
When the newly engaged Lauren (Miranda Tapsell, The Surfer) and Ned (Gwilym Lee, SAS Rogue Heroes) made a whirlwind visit to Darwin in 2019 film Top End Wedding, it was to get married. Six years later, the two key characters from the hit rom-com are heading back to the Northern Territory capital. Meet Top End Bub, which is extending the world of the flick by picking up again with its central couple — this time with an added child, and by unfurling the next chapter in the pair's tale via a streaming series. Tapsell not only starred in Top End Wedding but co-wrote the script. With Top End Bub, she's in both roles again — and also co-created and executive produced the series with fellow returnee Joshua Tyler (100% Wolf: Legend of the Moonstone). Their new story: sending Lauren and Ned to the NT again, away from their settled life in Adelaide, to become the guardians of their orphaned niece Taya (debutant Gladys-May Kelly). First confirmed in 2024, Top End Bub is set to span eight episodes — and you'll be watching it soon. The series hits Prime Video from Friday, September 12, 2025. Ursula Yovich (Troppo), Huw Higginson (Ladies in Black), Shari Sebbens (The Moogai), Elaine Crombie (Invisible Boys), Rob Collins (Austin) and Tracy Mann (Home and Away) are also making the leap from Top End Wedding to its new spinoff, while Brooke Satchwell (Triple Oh!), Guy Simon (The Secrets She Keeps) and Clarence Ryan (Territory) are among its fresh additions. "Words can't describe how excited I am to bring Lauren, Ned and the Top End back to your screens. We all love a happy ending, but what happens after happily ever after? We can't wait for you to find out!" said Tapsell back when Top End Bub was initially announced. "It's been fun to dive back into the world of Top End Wedding, a world that means so much to us and to our audience. A romantic setting full of funny characters who face heartbreaking challenges in heartwarming ways. I am thrilled to be collaborating with such an incredible team," added Tyler. There's no sneak peek at Top End Bub yet, but you can watch the trailer for Top End Wedding below: Top End Bub will stream via Prime Video from Friday, September 12, 2025. Images: John Platt / Prime Video.
If you've been looking to keep your wardrobe choices as ethical as possible, then shopping local just got a little easier. Long-running fashion not-for-profit Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA) has launched a new online map that pinpoints all the Aussie stores featuring ECA-accredited brands on their racks. The new digital tool currently maps out over 300 accredited ethical retail destinations, allowing shoppers to easily hunt down ethically conscious fashion with just a few clicks on their smartphone or other device. In order to nab that all-important ECA accreditation, a business must be able to show that all workers involved in its manufacturing operations are being paid properly, working in safe conditions and receiving all the necessary legal entitlements. ECA conducts these audits looking deep into the whole manufacturing process, from design to dispatch. [caption id="attachment_800970" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Clothing the Gap[/caption] Some of the ethical businesses to have earned themselves a spot on the map include 53-year-old brand Cue, popular jeans label Nobody Denim and high-end designer favourite Manning Cartel. And Victoria especially looks to be flying the flag for conscious fashion, with 120 store mapped in that state alone, including The Social Studio, Vege Threads, Remuse Designs and the newly opened Clothing the Gap store. The new map comes as more and more Aussies are choosing to hunt down ethical producers when they shop. A recent ECA survey showed that a huge 70 percent of local textile, clothing, and footwear manufacturers reported their customers were asking more questions about the labour rights of their workers than ever before. On its website, the ECA also has a comprehensive directory listing all of its ethically accredited fashion businesses. To check out the ECA Digital Shopping Map, jump over to the website. Image:
Jewellery can be hard to get right for someone else — looking at you, weaved plastic rope bracelets we all made for mum when we were younger — but there are some places which make it a little easier for you. Blackfinch is one of them: the handcrafted jewellery store was established by Raymond de Zwart and Davina Adamson in 2007. The pair produce beautiful, collaborative pieces that tell a story, to suit whoever you're gifting — this is where you can get your significant other a ring that says "thanks for not getting angry at me leaving the towels on the floor all the time" etc. Blackfinch specialises in ethically sourced Australian stones, so you'll leave its Northcote studio space with something both precious and enduring (hopefully like your relationship).
