See great movies in the great outdoors at Melbourne's most low-cost openair cinema. A free initiative of the City of Boroondara, Summertime Cinema will be popping up in parks around the eastern suburbs on Saturday evenings in the lead up to Christmas. Gather your friends, pack up a picnic basket and find yourself a spot on the grass. The season begins this Saturday, December 3 with a screening of Home Alone at Greythorn Park in North Balwyn. The following week, Riversdale Park in Camberwell will showcase the classic 1942 Fred Astaire/Bing Crosby musical Holiday Inn, before Central Gardens in Hawthorn will wrap up the program with '80s comedy A Christmas Story.
By 1976, David Bowie had achieved many things. He'd pondered whether there's life on Mars, transformed into both Ziggy Stardust and the Thin White Duke, and rocketed up both the singles and album charts. So, he tried something different: a new place, a new sound, and a creative time that would result in three distinctive records. Spanning until 1979, it's what's now known as his Berlin period. This is when the idea that we could be heroes — even just for one day — was born. And when Bowie wrote one of his most famous songs in the shadow of a wall. It's this that Bowie in Berlin pays tribute to, obviously, with a selection of works from the great artist's Low, Heroes and Lodger albums. With this January marking Bowie's 70th birthday — as well as the 40th anniversary of Low's release — when better for musical director Mick Harvey to corral vocalists Kylie Auldist, Dave Graney, Ron Peno, Kim Salmon and Max Sharam into honouring one of most fruitful creative periods? There'll be sound and vision on this fantastic voyage, plus beauties and beasts, as the boys keep swinging and no one looks back in anger.
If you've checked out Arbory's swish outdoor riverside bar and restaurant, you'll already know it's going to make for one hell of a New Year's Eve venue. With the NYE midnight fireworks happening nearby, you'll be nice and close to some of the best vantage points to see the lights. Alternatively, you could enjoy the stellar performances happening throughout the night. Entertainment, including local DJs Agent 86, Daydreams and live performances from Melbourne legend, Karen from Finance will keep the mood light. Dance and performance artists James Andrews and Benjamin Hancock are also on board to liven up your night. If their previous work with Chunky Move, MONA FOMA and Dark MOFO is anything to go by, this will be a fascinating experience. Accompanying these performances is an all-inclusive food and craft beverage package. Also when you have had your fill of celebrations, Flinders Street Station is right next door to make your escape back home on Melbourne's free 24 hour public transport all the easier.
The best festivals make you feel like you've stepped into another world as they treat your senses to a feast of sound, movement, colour and excitement. Add St Kilda's new event, The Pleasure Garden, to the top of your must-attend list then. Taking over Catani Gardens on December 10, it's an immersive explosion of creativity of the arts, performance and music variety — plus rides and a roller rink as well. At the top of the bill sits The Cat Empire, The Opiou Band and Blue King Brown, so that should give you an idea of the funk-infused vibe in store. They're joined by 15 other bands and DJs, seven performance artists and seven installation artists for over ten hours of outdoor fun. Alongside roving theatrical performers, themed stages and an all-round dress-up kind of atmosphere (including prizes, so break out your best garden fest, 'pompous and primped' or 'flora and fauna'-style threads), a range of gastronomical delights are also on offer. ChillBro Paletas and Billy van Creamy will keep things cool, while Kombi Burger, 400 Gradi, Dos Diablos Cantina, Sparrow's Philly Cheese Steaks, Vegilicious and Ironbark BBQ are on more substantial meal duty. And drinks-wise, pick from POPS' boozy Champagne icy poles, Green Coconut's straw-sipping wares, The Pineapple Brothers' fruity cocktails or brews from 4 Pines. Full lineup: The Cat Empire The Opiuo Band Blue King Brown Tash Sultana The Correspondents Dub FX Spoonbill Jakubi Mista Savona Boogs Steve Ward Kodiak Kid Dub Pistols Sound System OKA The Chicken Brothers JPS (Jerry Poon / The Operatives) Mortisville and Friends Beatrice
Choose life. Choose celebrating a movie that defined the '90s, made Ewan McGregor a star and instantly made everyone's favourite flicks of all time list. Choose spending 2017 revelling in all things Trainspotting. Film fans already have long-awaited sequel T2: Trainspotting (which is scheduled for a February release) to look forward to, and now theatre fans in Melbourne can choose something else: Trainspotting Live. Choose 75 minutes of intense, immersive page-to-stage antics, as based on Irvine Welsh's 1993 novel about Edinburgh heroin addicts, and first adapted for the theatre in the UK back in 1995. Yes, that means that Harry Gibson's award-winning original stage version was written before Danny Boyle's iconic 1996 movie — and you haven't really experienced the story of Renton, Begbie, Sick Boy and company until you've seen it acted out, live and in person, right in front of you. Transporting its all-Scottish cast and their distinctive accents to Melbourne's fortyfivedownstairs from March 22 to April 13, Trainspotting Live does more than that — it also brings the audience into the show, starting with an extended rave, and even including the infamous 'Worst Toilet in Scotland' scene. It's no wonder that the production has been selling out shows in London, and earning rave reviews for its no-holds-barred approach. The fact that it's being staged by In Your Face Theatre should give you an indication of what you're in for. Welsh — that is, the man who literally wrote the book, plus a sequel, prequel and Begbie-focused spin-off, and recently floated the idea of a TV adaptation — called Trainspotting Live the "best way to experience Trainspotting", in case you needed any more convincing. Just don't go confusing it with the BBC television program of the same name, which is actually about looking at railways.
How do you make a day of summer tunes, art and sensory dining experiences even better? Get the party started the day before, and add some cute puppies to the mix. That's what the clever canine-loving folks at Sugar Mountain have done for the festival's 2017 iteration. Introducing: the Sugar Mountain x Visions Dog Show. A collaboration with the UK's Visions Festival, who launched their own offshoot for four-legged friends earlier this year, the pooch-centric parade takes place from 6.30pm on January 20 at MPavilion. And if that sounds entertaining enough, wait until you hear the competition categories. Yes, there's old favouries such as waggiest tail, best trick, best in show — and there's also RuPaw's Drag Race (aka dogs in drag) and a fancy dress component (which is an excuse to watch cute critters dressed up as Bowie, Kylie, Prince, Warhol and the like, really). Entry is free for humans and dogs who just want to watch — and while all furry participants will be charged a $10 fee, the proceeds will go to Guide Dogs Victoria. Whether you're enjoying the festivities or entering your pet pup, that's plenty of bark for your buck. Dog Haus DJs will provide the tunes, and yet-to-be-announced guest judges will preside over the action.
Winter's your chance to connect with uniquely Australian choreography, and the best place to start is Bangarra's powerful triple bill OUR land people stories. Featuring works from Stephen Page and Bangarra's emerging choreographers Jasmin Sheppard, Beau Dean Riley Smith and Daniel Riley, this world premiere work celebrates stories from our own backyard. Dedicated to the recently passed David Page, Bangarra's inimitable music director, OUR land people stories honours this iconic and beloved Australian's legacy, his dedication to mentoring emerging choreographers and his enduring place at Bangarra. Running in Melbourne from September 1-10, the show offers a fitting celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, togetherness, storytelling and community. The Melbourne shows are the last leg of OUR land people stories following the show's Sydney premiere and seasons in Brisbane Perth and Canberra.
The Israeli film industry is in the spotlight once again at the 13th edition of the AICE Israeli Film Festival. Leaping onto the screen at Carlton's Cinema Nova, this year's festival program features films across a wide array of genres, from romantic comedies to horror flicks and a healthy contingent of docs. The festival begins with an opening night screening of Amir I. Wolf's Fire Birds, a murder mystery that was nominated for ten Israeli Academy awards. Similarly acclaimed is Ori Sivan's Harmonia, a drama set in the "inner sanctum" of a philharmonic orchestra. The film arrives in Australia direct from the Jerusalem Film Festival, where it won a pair of awards. This year's IFF also features plenty of non-fiction films, which is hardly surprising, given that festival director Richard Moore also coordinates Australia's documentary film festival, Hot Docs. One particular standout looks to be Who's Gonna Love Me Now?, which follows a gay Israeli man who decides to reunite with his estranged family after being diagnosed with HIV.
Eat, drink and dance your way from Spain to Argentina at Melbourne's first ever Latin Spring Festival. A dozen music acts will join food vendors and retailers at the Pentridge precinct in Coburg this weekend, for a two-day celebration of everything Latin culture has to offer. Featured at the festival will be some of Melbourne's best Latin musicians, playing everything from salsa and flamenco to Mexican folk, rock and pop. Naturally you'll want to bring your dancing shoes — and yes, they'll even have lessons for those with two left feet. The festival will also be home to a full-blown Latin food expo, which sounds perfect for when you've salsa'd up an appetite. Expect tacos, paella and Chilean-style hot dogs, along with cocktails and sangria to wash it all down. Image: Cel Lisboa.
Bridget bloody Jones is back and, frankly, we couldn't be happier. No, Bridget Jones's Baby is not the most cohesive narrative of the year, and no, it's not going to spur any radical political movements. Still, hardcore Bridget fans can breathe a sigh of relief, because this threequel is still pretty damn good. Fans of Helen Fielding's book series may have already deduced that Baby is not based on the third Bridget Jones novel Mad About The Boy, in which (*mega spoiler alert*) Mark Darcy dies. It's devastating, v sad and not at all Hollywood. Thankfully this is not this story. Instead, this tale is about BJ (Renée Zellweger) getting knocked up, and the antics that ensue as she tries to figure out the identity of the father. Is it quintessentially British barrister Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) or the OTT American love professor Jack Qwant (Patrick Dempsey)? It literally doesn't matter, that's not the point. The point is enjoying the face-palming situations that Bridget creates for herself as she tries to negotiate between the two maybe-baby daddies. The film guns for the same mix of stuffy British and slapstick humour that fans of the series all know and love – but this time around, Bridget is actually doing things that will make you fist pump. She's more like us than ever before: shagging randos at music festivals, looking fierce, texting with emojis, being surgically attached to her phone, kicking ass at work, telling her mother to sod off and best of all, deciding to have a baby on her own. Like a fine wine, modern day Bridget has undoubtedly gotten better with age. The writers have stayed true to the quirks of the original films without being slaves to them, for which we give great thanks. The red PJ pants are back, as are the lonely apartment dance routines and awkward speeches, but as homage rather than easy imitation. The plot doesn't just lazily redo all the bits that worked from the last films, like we're idiots who won't notice. There's no Hugh Grant, although Emma Thompson as a put-upon obstetrician more than makes up for his absence. On the other hand (unfortunately, there's always another hand waiting to slap you down), Patrick Dempsey is completely outclassed by his costars – although to be honest, it doesn't really seem fair to put a very American American in the middle of the most British comedy ever and expect it to go down smoothly. Also the actual plot, which isn't super-duper to begin with, kind of…entirely falls over at the half way mark. When the jokes stop rolling in and the sappy emotional routine starts around the third trimester, things get incredibly cringey. This may be the biggest difference between the decidedly British and smaller budget originals and this rather more shiny update. We expect a few sappy moments from Bridge, made bearable by the presence of a large pair of granny panties or a stripper's bunny outfit, but the saccharine sweetness of this film's final act does get a bit off-putting. Then again, by that point you're already well and truly invested. So it's fine. Or as BJ would say, v good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nhGGQ_PYyE
Having long impressed Melburnians with its tome-like beer list and impressive wine selection, Cookie is pulling together a few of its favourite recent booze finds for an Artisan Wine & Beer Market on Sunday, September 10. The iconic Curtin House bar has teamed up with wine gun and Rootstock Sydney co-founder Giorgio de Maria for the one-off tasting afternoon, which will shine the spotlight on newproducers from across the country, as well as a few of their international counterparts. Head along from 1pm to sample drops from the likes of South Australia's Gentle Folk, Castlemaine co-operative winery Boomtown, natural wine legend Patrick Sullivan, and de Maria's own Italian-focused distribution company, Fun Wines. Representing the local craft beer scene will be Tassie's Two Metre Tall brewery and Victoria's own La Sirene, while Cookie head chef Karen Batson works her own brand of magic to deliver a top-notch lineup of drinking snacks. $20 tickets to the event include a full wine tasting and snacks, plus the opportunity to pick the brains of some of the country's most exciting wine and beer producers.
In I Am Not Your Negro, Samuel L. Jackson lends his voice to the words of American essayist James Baldwin. He does an outstanding job at capturing the tone and passion required, but it's the text itself, rather than the star uttering it, that's truly remarkable. Stepping through the state of race relations in the U.S. by focusing on the lives and deaths of civil rights leaders Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr., every syllable spoken couldn't be more perceptive — or, even though they were written decades ago, still relevant today. It's little wonder that the film was nominated for best documentary at this year's Oscars, with director Raoul Peck matching the verbal content with an illuminating compilation of footage from the '50s and '60s. The film comes to ACMI for a limited season after screenings at MIFF, Sydney Film Festival and Queensland Film Festival.
Vegans of Melbourne, clear your calendars — you now have plans on the first Saturday of every month. From September 2 onwards, Vegan Mini Market is your new regular go-to for animal-free items, with the first event taking place at Abbotsford Convent from 8am. For its initial outing, the fresh addition to the vegan lineup has amassed quite the array of vegetable-loving businesses, so arriving with a full wallet is recommended. Munch on some plant-based Asian street food from Woking Amazing, eat your way through an array cruelty-free comfort nibbles from Yay! Food, or sign up for jam-packed lunchboxes from Good Freaking Food. Or, grab natural bath and beauty products from Polished Petals, stock up on handmade garments from Leo the Label and listen to the sounds of Futuro Vega*Pop. Sweet treats from Lady Rawsome and the organic cocoa goodness of Girl Made Chocolate are also on the menu, and the list goes on. The first market also falls on Vegan T-Shirt day, which is all about wearing appropriate attire to raise awareness about animals, so dress accordingly.
Put on your dancing shoes and head on down to Lounge, where a group of Melbourne DJs are partying for social change. Kicking off on select Sunday afternoons, Out of Wind will feature top Melbourne music talent, including Misty Nights (July 3), Jennifer Loveless and Toni Yotzi (July 17) and Awesome Wales and Yooree (August 4), who'll all be donating their time and talents to raise money for progressive NGOs. In addition to the DJ wages, Lounge will donate ten per cent of bar sales to the chosen organisation – so you can totally justify buying that extra drink. The first beneficiary will be the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, with further NGOs to be announced. Lounge will even offset their carbon emissions by planting five trees after every gig.
Expect things to get steamy at The Toff in Town, with the latest edition of the Wheeler Centre's eternally popular Erotic Fan Fiction. Slipping into something a little more comfortable while their regular space undergoes renovations, The Toff should prove the perfect place for this night of orgasmic fiction, and will feature the oral talents of some of the best comic writers in town. Heating up the cold winter night on Monday, July 4 are a ménage à trois of cunning comedic linguists, each funnier and filthier than the last. Demi Lardner has been on a roll since winning RAW Comedy back in 2013, while Nath Valvo regularly sells out Fringe and Comedy Festivals around the country, and Deidre Fidge writes regularly for The Drum, Archer, The Vocal and SBS Comedy. Between the three of them, you're sure to leave feeling satisfied.
Are you on the lookout for a leafy little friend? You'll find plenty at the fittingly named Pea Green Boat Artist Studio in Brunswick, which this Saturday will be transformed into a massive plant sales floor. From towering ferns to teeny-weeny pot plants, you're sure to find something to liven up your living room. And with prices dipping as low as two bucks per plant, even the most budget conscious among you should be able to flex your green thumb. In addition to all the flora, they'll also be selling furniture — perhaps you'd like to buy a rocking chair from which you can admire your new cactus? Oh, and coffee! We mustn't forget the coffee. Doors open 9am to 3pm. Please bring cash. They can process EFTPOS, but would really rather not.
Melburnians, if you're already wondering how you're possibly going to make it through the next two freezing bloody cold months, here's some news to warm your cockles. The Queen Victoria Market's Night Market Cinema will be making a return to this year's Winter Night Market — and it's free. Every Wednesday in July, between 5pm and 10pm, you'll be able to cosy up in a deck chair, armed with wine, cheese and sweet treats, and kick back to a bunch of short films. And while we're not 100 percent sure how this will work in the depths of Melbourne's winter, we're hoping the market has plans to keep us from freezing our butts off. Either way, blankets are definitely recommended. Kicking things off on July 6 will be VICE, who will take care of programming, presenting a combo of docos, investigative journalism and general wickedness. On July 13, the Victorian College of the Arts' Film and Television School will give you an insight into the future of Australian filmmaking, showing a handpicked selection of quality graduate works. On July 20, you'll be treated to a series of live 16mm film projections presented by Artist Film Workshop and, on July 27, RRR FM will hit the cinema, with a bunch of live-to-air performances by Aussie artists. In between screenings, you'll be able to take a wander through the market, stocking up on winter goodies and tucking into everything from Ethiopian stews to spaghetti from a parmesan wheel to those goddamn potato sticks that make an appearance every year.
This Friday, April 17, set your alarm for 5pm. Why? Gelato Messina is giving away free cookie pies — and delivering them to you. Hang on, cookie pie? Yes, it's a pie, but a pie made of choc chip cookie dough and topped with hazelnut crumble. And it serves two–six people — or just you. You bake it yourself, too, so you get to enjoy that oh-so-amazing smell of freshly baked cookies wafting through your kitchen. It's a novel concept, but one we're sure Gelato Messina will execute well — and one we're sure Dean Martin would possibly even approve, too. To score yourself one of these, you need to log on to Deliveroo from the aforementioned time — 5pm, Friday, April 17 — and spend at least $32 on Gelato Messina. And, boom, free cookie pie. You'll need to get in quick, though, as it's only on offer while stocks last. The free cookie pie deal is available at all NSW, Vic and Queensland Gelato Messina stores (except The Star, Circular Quay and Coolangatta) and Deliveroo pop-ups in Manly, Brighton-Le-Sands, Canterbury and East Brunswick.
It's been long eight months since the Queen Victoria Market's sheds last hosted one of their famed soirees, with Melbourne's lockdowns hitting pause on the usual roster of weekly night markets and food festivals. But now, the wait is over and the historic site is gearing up to deliver its first post-pandemic nighttime outing. Melbourne, get set for the multicultural delights of the Festive Food Truck Stop. Kicking off on November 25, and running across four Wednesday nights, the pop-up promises to fill your belly while sating a few of those international travel cravings. A rotation of the city's best-loved food trucks will be slinging their wares — think, goat curry and smashed samosas from Two Fat Indians; Nem N' Nem Viet signatures like noodle bowls and bao buns; and finger-lickin' wings and short ribs cooked low and slow by Bigger Than Texas BBQ. In true QVM style, the globe-trotting eats will be backed by a great lineup of libations, with The Beer Garden pouring an all-Victorian menu featuring Melbourne Gin Company cocktails, beers by Brick Lane Brewing, Coldstream ciders and a range of vino courtesy of Mitchelton Wines. Festive Food Truck Stop runs from 5–10pm.
Of all the country-specific film festivals that reach Melbourne's big screens each year, the British Film Festival might have the weakest reason to exist. Rather than showcasing flicks from a particular part of the world that viewers probably won't get the chance to see in cinemas otherwise, it screens a number of movies that are destined for a bigger release — and a heap of films with very well-known stars, too. But if you want to spend a few weeks immersed in the latest and greatest that UK cinema has to offer, all at once, it's definitely the event for you. And, in 2020 as it does every year, it features a jam-packed lineup. Hitting Palace's Balwyn, Brighton Bay, Como, Westgarth and Kino sites from Thursday, November 12–Sunday, November 29, this year's BFF boasts one of the most anticipated movies of 2020: Ammonite, the Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan-starring romance set in 1840s England, as directed by God's Own Country's Frances Lee. The tender tale only premiered overseas in September, so it's coming to Australia rather quickly — and yes, it's already garnering awards buzz. From the 22-film lineup, other highlights include Misbehaviour, in which Keira Knightley helps recreate the true story of feminist protesters at the 1970 Miss World competition in London; thriller The Nest, with Jude Law playing a British entrepreneur who moves his American family to an English country manor; and Summerland, a World War II-set romantic drama led by Gemma Arterton. There's also Blithe Spirit, based on the Noël Coward's comedy and starring Dan Stevens, Isla Fisher, Judi Dench and Leslie Mann — plus folk-horror thriller Fanny Lye Deliver'd, about a woman in 17th-century Shropshire whose unhappy marriage gets a shake up by a younger couple on the run. The British Film Festival also looks back at British greats gone by, so expect to check out 80s sci-fi flick Flash Gordon, and watch Sir Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers in The Ladykillers for its 65th anniversary. Something extra special: a 40th anniversary screening of David Lynch's The Elephant Man, which earned him the first of his three Oscar nominations for Best Director, and is a movie that everyone genuinely needs to see at least once. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp3WjuJJYB8
UPDATE: JULY 10, 2020 — The Truffle Melbourne Festival pop-up remains open at this time. For full details and opening hours, check out the festival's Instagram and website. And for more information about what you can and can't do during lockdown, head to the DHHS website. If you're walking through the aisles of seafood, cheese slabs and miscellaneous Aussie paraphernalia at the Queen Victoria Market until the end of August and happen to think, "gee, I could really do with some truffles", there's a chance you might be in luck. Once again in 2020, the market is host its annual Truffle Melbourne Festival. Like many things this year, it's going ahead with a few changes — but that means more chances for you to get your truffle fix. No longer just the terrain of your posh great aunt and people at fancy French restaurants, truffles are more accessible than ever (albeit with a price tag). The Truffle Melbourne Festival initially started out at Prahran Market, and has been the biggest event on Melbourne's truffle calendar for the last five years — returning to the Queen Vic Market for the fourth time, and taking place at he Truffle Melbourne pop-up for three months. Expect fresh truffles and other truffle-infused products at the weekday markets from 10am–2pm, and on weekends from 10am–3pm. Expect the likes of truffle aioli, truffle honey and truffle dijonnaise as well — plus more truffle-filled items from the festival's website. While Truffle Melbourne Festival has scaled back its activities — so there won't be live chef demos or mock truffle hunts — you can also book in for an actual truffle hunt. They're ticketed, being run with social-distancing requirements in mind, and will take you scouring for truffles in Gippsland (with Truffle House and Truffle Paddock), Wattle Flat (with Black Cat Truffles) and on the Mornington Peninsula (with Red Hill Truffles).
If you dote over your vinyl collection with obsessive passion — or even if you just casually collect whichever albums you happen to come across whenever you're in your local record store — then you probably have one Saturday in April permanently marked on your calendar. That'd be Record Store Day, the annual celebration of ace music, a beloved format and the shops that trade in both. Sadly, RSD has been postponed in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. Instead of its usual timeslot, the huge vinyl event will now take place in June. But that doesn't mean that your record pile has to remain static for the next couple of months, with record companies banding together for a huge vinyl sell-off: The Great Australian Warehouse Sale. Across the weekend of Saturday, April 18–Sunday, April 19 — when RSD was originally scheduled — music aficionados will be able to snap up vinyl galore, plus CDs, DVDs, cassettes and even books as well, via indie record stores. Record companies such as Universal, Sony, MGM, Warner and more will be diving into their vaults, clearing out their warehouses and making as much stock available as possible, while individual shops will also be adding their own spin to the fun. Because we now live in social-distancing times, you'll be able to pre-order your purchases — then either have them posted or delivered to you, or, if and where stores are open, drop by to pick them up. For further details — including a rundown of what'll be available, and which stores are taking part — head to The Great Australian Warehouse Sale website.
So no one told us that the 2020s were going to be this way. Nearly three decades have passed since Friends first introduced the world to its close-knit bunch of New York pals, but nostalgia for the show is still in full swing. And, after a replica of the series' couch toured Australia last year, the program's 25th anniversary sparked cinema screenings and rumours about a reunion special just keep buzzing, a bottomless boozy Friends-themed brunch and viewing party is your next excuse to worship at the altar of Monica, Chandler, Joey, Rachel, Ross and Phoebe. Called The One Where They All Went For Brunch (naturally), this Friends-loving get-together is coming to Evie's Disco Diner in Fitzroy on Sunday, April 19, with three two-hour sessions starting at 10.30am. The latest event by the folks behind 2019's roller disco brunch, it'll combine brunch and mimosas with Friends trivia, Friends-themed charades, a Friends costume competition and episodes of Friends playing on a big screen. At $60, tickets will get you a choice of main meal (we're talking a BLT with fries, chicken and waffles, pancakes topped with blueberries and cream, or maple-drenched french toast and bacon) and a mimosa on arrival. You can add bottomless bubbles and bloody marys for an extra $20. Obviously, if you've still been cutting your hair like Jennifer Aniston, have been known to bust out your best Matt LeBlanc-style "how you doin'?" or just like singing 'Smelly Cat', you'll be in your element. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIPSwnHMmNE
Fancy spending a day (virtually) partying in the Old Melbourne Gaol, popping over to Henry Head Battery for a sunset session, then ending the night with some psychedelic light shows and tunes inside a sprawling airport hangar? If so, you'd better clear your schedule for Untitled Group's upcoming Virtual Day Party. Following a blockbuster debut event, which was beamed into more than half a million homes across the world in April, the minds behind Beyond the Valley and Pitch Music & Arts Festival will host a second digital day party on Saturday, May 30 that'll have you cutting shapes in your lounge room. With sets by Hayden James, DJ Boring, Lastlings, Made in Paris, Cassettes For Kids and Adult Art Club, the virtual party will kick off at the Old Melbourne Goal (where Ned Kelly was hanged) at 1pm, then travel to Henry Head Battery for sunset and finish inside the 8400-square-metre Avalon Airport Hangar. The event will be free to stream via the Untitled Group Facebook page, but virtual partygoers are encouraged to chip in and support the stream over here. Plus, if you register over here you can go in the draw to win $1000 worth of Lee, a Jimmy Brings voucher or JBL speakers, among other prizes. While some of Melbourne's COVID-19 restrictions are easing, festivals and big parties don't look like they'll be starting again too soon, so we'll need to make do with some dancing in our lounge rooms for the time being. More time to get your sock slides perfected, we say. [caption id="attachment_771608" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hayden James by Pat Stevenson[/caption] Virtual Day Party #2 will run from 1–7.15pm. Top images: Lady Drewniak and Instant Crush.
On June 1, Melbourne's pubs, restaurants and cafes will be allowed to reopen to dine-in customers once again. Stomping Ground Brewery is helping you celebrate by giving away 5000 beers at various venues across the city. There are 50 participating venues set to take part in the giveaway, with Viking-themed restaurant Mjølner, Italian eatery Bar Romantica in Brunswick East, Prahran's Mount Erica Hotel and the birthplace of the brew itself, Stomping Ground in Collingwood, already on board. To snag your free brew, you just need to sign up over on the Stomping Ground website, then await instructions on how to redeem it on June 1. The size and style of the beer is at the venue's discretion and free beers will be poured on a first in, best dressed basis. Under Victoria's soon-to-be-implemented relaxed restrictions, alcohol is only allowed to be served alongside food, so you will need to purchase a meal to eat with your free beer. But, spending your hard-earned cash at your local, which has probably been doing it a little tough during the lockdown, isn't such a bad thing. [caption id="attachment_753717" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Old Palm Liquor by Julia Sansone[/caption] STOMPING GROUND 5K PARTICIPATING VENUES Bar Romantica, Brunswick East Captain Melville, CBD Central Club Hotel, North Melbourne Hardiman's Hotel, Kensington Limerick Arms, South Melbourne Marquis of Lorne, Fitzroy Miss Moses, Brunswick Mjølner, CBD Mt Erica Hotel, Prahran Neighbourhood Wine, Fitzroy North Old Palm Liquor, Brunswick East Stomping Ground Brewery & Beer Hall, Collingwood The Fifth Province, St Kilda The Local Taphouse, East St Kilda The Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East Union House, Richmond Up in Smoke, Footscray Whitehart Bar, CBD
Australia's Cine Latino Film Festival is back for 2018, and in a big way. Returning for its third year, the annual showcase of cinema from Central and South America boasts two of the most notable flicks not just from the region, but from the international scene in general over the past twelve months. The first, Roma, is the latest feature from Gravity director Alfonso Cuarón — and this gorgeous, moving black-and-white tale of a domestic worker in Mexico City comes to Melbourne straight from winning the top award at this year's Venice Film Festival. The second, Birds of Passage, is a sweeping Colombian drug tale; however this Indigenous story is unlike any drug war flick you've seen before. In total, 26 movies from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Paraguay are on the CLFF's 2018 lineup, with Cuarón's work bookending the fest. Not only is Roma the opening night pick, but the filmmaker's 2001 Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna-starring effort Y Tu Mamá También will close out proceedings. Other highlights include Bernal in The Accused, a drama about a 21-year-old woman on trial for murder; Westworld's Rodrigo Santoro in A Translator, playing a professor helping child victims of Chernobyl; and this year's Sydney Film Festival prize winner The Heiresses. Running from Tuesday, November 13 to Wednesday, November 28, CLFF screens at Sydney's Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth and the Astor Theatre.
This is possibly the best birthday party you'll be invited to this year. The Push is celebrating 30 years with the return of their famous all-ages event the Push Over for Melbourne Music Week. Victoria's foremost youth music organisation has really pulled out all the stops with this one, with performances by rapper Allday, singer-songwriter Ali Barter, plus Triple J-approved up-and-comers Ruby Fields and KAIT. Kicking off at 5pm at Fed Square — and, best of all, totally free — this is a great one for the kids (if you don't mind a few curse word drops from Allday).
Brimming with raw excitement, emotion and urgency, Bloc Party's debut Silent Alarm was an instant hit amongst tastemakers and critics alike upon its release in 2005. Eighteen years has cemented the album's place as a shining example of mid-aughties indie rock, while its singles 'Helicopter' and 'Banquet' continue to fill dance floors around the world. So it's no wonder that the London quartet's announcement that they would be playing Silent Alarm in its entirety at Margaret Court Arena on Tuesday, November 27 was met with much excitement. Whether you remember the music of Bloc Party due to late night raves or long evenings spent nursing feelings of desolate heartbreak, this will be an unforgettable evening for connoisseurs of jagged guitarwork, sparse electronica and truly incendiary indie-pop songs. The band be joined by local indie heroes Haiku Hands for the Australian shows
When Andrew Haigh surveys the world, he sees its small, quiet stories. Peering deeply at everyday life, the British filmmaker finds tales that couldn't be more commonplace — and, as a result, are often simply overlooked. In queer romance Weekend, he spots two men meeting for the first time, connecting and spending three unforgettable nights together. In melancholic drama 45 Years, he gazes at long-married retirees taking stock of a past gone too quickly. And in Lean on Pete, he trains his soulful stare not only at a struggling teenager, but at the horse that the boy loves unconditionally. That said, it's not just Haigh's willingness to tell these tales that makes his filmography stand out. It's how the writer-director explores these stories that's just as important, with his pictures overflowing with empathy. Haigh couldn't look more kindly, warmly and thoughtfully at the characters in his movies, especially Lean on Pete's 15-year-old protagonist Charley (Charlie Plummer). The lanky boy is someone that the world doesn't see, just like his beloved steed, whose winning days are long behind him. In patient moments that show the unspoken bond between teen and animal, in detailed wide shots that place them both within harsh surroundings, and in rare close-ups that make plain the pain in both of their eyes, Haigh notices, cares and feels for them both. Lean on Pete isn't really Charley's horse. He belongs to trainer Del Montgomery (Steve Buscemi), but when Charley stumbles upon them at the local racetrack, the boy finds a kindred spirit in the ageing sprinter. As a respite from his desolate home life — where the dad he idolises (Travis Fimmel) is more interested in his job and girlfriend (Amy Seimetz) and regularly leaves the teenager alone in their ramshackle house — Charley begins to work for Del. While the boy doesn't shy away from hard tasks, it's Pete that keeps him coming back. Jockey Bonnie (Chloë Sevigny) tells him that "horses aren't pets", but that's not what Charley sees in Pete. Rather, he sees his first real friend. With the film based on Willy Vlautin's novel of the same name, Charley and Pete aren't Haigh's original creations, however that's part of the point of Lean on Pete. Its protagonist is every person who's found more kindness on four legs than on two, every soul that's been cast adrift by society, and every child living in less-than-ideal conditions. And, when Charley's father ends up in hospital, the boy's already difficult life becomes even more so. When he takes off in Del's trailer with Pete in tow, hoping to find his estranged aunt, there's even more heartbreak in store. The second of this year's stellar films about young men, desolate plains and caring animals (after fellow festival favourite The Rider), Lean on Pete is an exquisitely tender and affecting picture. Haigh's handling of loneliness, isolation and tragedy is raw yet delicate yet devastatingly authentic, in a movie that's always sensitive yet never sentimental. Scene by scene, it builds a compassionate portrait of life in the margins in America's midwest that dares to look where others don't. Assisted by lingering and visually striking observational shots by cinematographer Magnus Nordenhof Jønck (Hold the Dark), the film crucially doesn't avert its gaze when the going gets tough. Of course, with Plummer to focus on, why would Haigh look away? Last seen being kidnapped in All the Money in the World, the young actor carries Charley's woes with few words but with a world of hurt evident in his every move — and with just as much love beaming from his face when Pete is by his side. It's another great internalised performance under Haigh's direction, and a portrayal that does what only the best can. Not only does Plummer feel like he's walked across America's heartland and straight into this film, but he makes it seem like he's not even acting. Haigh might see Charley, but his lead actor lives and breathes him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdJonibBDx4
Landmark St Kilda pub The Espy is gearing up to celebrate its much-anticipated reopening, and to show off its hefty makeover when it launches to the public later this month. But on November 22, you can score a sneak peek at the revitalised digs before anyone else, when soul-blues act The Teskey Brothers takes The Espy stage for a one-off gig — as a sort of unofficial christening of this next phase of life (and an unofficial christening of the new-look Gershwin Room). Off the back of a hugely popular Aussie tour through July and August, and a swag of international dates, the Melbourne natives return home to help launch what's set to be one of the city's hottest new live music venues. The quartet will treat audiences to its signature soulful sounds, supported by powerhouse songstress Emilee South and her own explosive live band. We'll update you as soon as we know more about The Espy's official launch date, too. Image: Lisa Businovski
An all-female instalment in the Ocean's series, set at the Met Gala and starring a killer cast of famous faces? On paper, it sounds like a dream come true. Eleven years after George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and more last fleeced a casino in Ocean's 13, and nearly six decades since Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and the '60s-era Rat Pack did the same in the first-ever Ocean's 11, Ocean's 8 thrusts women into the blockbuster heist franchise. The elaborate setups, easy banter and split-screen imagery all make the jump to this gender-swapped chapter, as does the buddy-movie vibe, which makes it feel like you're hanging out with a group of glam pals as they happen to stage an intricate robbery. But there are a few things missing in this stylish but slight attempt to extend the Ocean's brand – things like actual drama, a decent villain, and a plot that's anything other than a routine walk through familiar territory. The parallels start from the film's opening frames, with the incarcerated Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) trying to talk her way into early parole, just as her brother did back in 2001. And, like her sibling, she's not being completely honest when she promises she'll be a model citizen upon release. Spending five years, eight months and 12 days in the slammer has given her more than enough time to plan a new job, and it takes barely a few hours to convince her righthand woman Lou (Cate Blanchett) to join in. Amassing a crew that includes fence Tammy (Sarah Paulson), fashion designer Rose (Helena Bonham Carter), jeweller Amita (Mindy Kaling), fleet-fingered thief Constance (Awkwafina) and IT whiz Nine Ball (Rihanna), they're soon ready to cause a splash on the first Monday in May. Their plan: steal a $150 million diamond necklace from the neck of starlet Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway) during the star-studded party. Actually, the gang is ready to steal big but stay out of sight. As Debbie tells the crew during the obligatory motivational pre-heist speech, "a him gets noticed, a her gets ignored — and for once, we want to be ignored". It's a delightfully loaded piece of dialogue that speaks to our post-#MeToo world, but it's the movie's only step towards making any kind of statement. Instead, Ocean's 8 represents Hollywood's current gender-switching trend at its most basic, doing little more than bringing in female stars to follow the same old path. If the powers that be were worried about a Ghostbusters-style backlash, they've countered it in the most mundane fashion. If they just wanted to capitalise upon the trend as simply and literally as possible, well, that's exactly what they've achieved. Indeed, writer-director Gary Ross (The Hunger Games) and his co-scribe Olivia Milch are happy to follow the beats established by their predecessors, and to mimic the look and feel that served Ocean's 11, 12 and 13 filmmaker Steven Soderbergh so well. Still, you can only pass off a cubic zirconia as a diamond for so long — and in the words of the under-utilised Rihanna, this movie doesn't shine bright like the latter. Bullock, Blanchett and company try their best to liven up the by-the-numbers caper, and do plenty with their evident chemistry. In fact, you'll wish the film spent more time watching the group chat. But that's a feat of casting, rather than any stroke of writing or directing genius. Throw these charismatic ladies into any scenario, and they'd always demand attention. To be fair, there's ample fun to be found in Bullock's rapport with both Blanchett and Paulson, and in Bonham Carter's scene-stealing awkwardness. Having Hathaway skewer her public reputation is among the movie's best touches too, although it's nowhere near as savvy as her role in last year's Colossal. And yet, the sparkling cast can't lift a film that merely watches their characters put a plan into action with minimal roadblocks or tension. A subplot involving Debbie's duplicitous ex (Richard Armitage) is instantly forgettable, as is James Cordon's involvement as an insurance detective — and it never feels like these gals are facing any real threats, stakes or problems. Working through the nuts and bolts of any heist might be one of the thrills of the genre, but without a sense of drama as well, Ocean's 8 is a barely passable knockoff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuCqLop7N6w
Circus Oz has been stunning audiences with its brand of high-flying acrobatics and antics for the last 40 years, but this September it'll be adding a daring new musical element to its routine in a collaboration with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Named after the Italian musical term meaning 'together', Tutti sees the two groups of virtuosos join forces for two special nights at Hamer Hall. From high above on a spanning truss arch that mirrors the bridge of a violin, the Circus Oz performers will become the physical embodiment of the music performed by the musicians below. Featuring aerial work, flying trumpeters and a human metronome, this circus will be like none other. Combining the thrilling risk-taking of the acrobats that has built Circus Oz's reputation and MSO's classical music, the evening will see a clash of music and movement, set against moments of silence and beauty. Tutti will be performed on Friday, September 7, and Saturday, September 8 at Hamer Hall. To snag tickets, head to the website.
The weather might be getting chilly, but Melbourne's weekend lunch game is definitely heating up, especially with the impending return of Rice Paper Scissors' legendary winter yum cha series. The Fitzroy eatery's all-you-can-eat lunch feasts are happening one weekend a month between May and August, with each modern yum cha offering centred around a different theme and set to deliver a swag of brand new dishes. First up on May 26 and 27 is a veggie bonanza, featuring an all-vegetarian menu lineup that promises to be both meat-free and inventive — RPC is always great with vego alternatives. Lunch on June 16 and 17 will be built around hit recipes from the Rice Paper Scissors cookbook, with cheeky book discounts available on the day, while the sessions on July 14 and 15 will double as the restaurant's birthday party, complete with special celebration menu. And to wrap things up on August 11 and 12, Rice Paper Scissors is set to plate up a special chef's selection feast, showcasing the kitchen's personal favourite dishes. Your $55 ticket includes a hearty spread of food, with drinks including Rice Paper Scissors' signature cocktails available to add on.
"Part safari party. Part murder mystery. All denim." That's the tagline for Double Denim Adventure Show, a gut-busting, rapid-fire and very skill sketch comedy show from Michelle Brasier and Laura Frew. Whereas the last Double Denim had the pair embrace their inner pre-teens, the sequel sees them journey "from teenage years to avocado days". The affable and hilarious Brasier and Frew were nominated for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival's prestigious Golden Gibbo Award in 2017, and their new show — in which you will be required to dance and drink from a kings cup — is raucous, hilarious and an all-round good time. Try not to leave with a smile on your face and at least a few early 2000s bangers stuck in your head.
The Grosvenor Hotel in St Kilda is commemorating ANZAC Day with free beer, but it has a catch — the beachside pub is only giving out free pots from the first siren until the first team scores in the ANZAC Day clash. The iconic AFL event is the second biggest game of the season — after the grand final, of course — and will see Essendon and Collingwood go head-to-head for the 23rd year running. If there's one situation where you don't want you team to score, it's this. Not many (if any?) quarters finish scoreless, so luckily there's more to the deal. The pub is serving up $10 pints all day and is holding an 11am Publican's Toast, which will pay respect to the diggers. If you're there the night before, the same free pot-deal will apply (for the Melbourne vs Richmond game) and $15 pizzas will be available all night.
You can call off the easter egg hunt this year, as The Craft and Co.'s Chocolate Easter Market has got your quota well and truly sorted. The Collingwood venue will welcome the city's finest chocolate artisans on Sunday, March 25. This is the closest your Dairy Milk dreams — that is, a world made of chocolate — will come to being real. Sip hot chocolate from an easter egg cup, round up free tastings and get involved in some demonstrations. Ratio Cocoa Roasters will be there, and so will South Melbourne's Atypic Chocolate, among others. And, no, this event is not just for kids — there will also be chocolate martinis and chocolate-infused beer. Because what is Easter without feeling constantly full from the overconsumption of chocolate? Image: Ratio Cocoa Roasters.
What happens when a wayward car mows down a fire hydrant outside your pub, flooding the venue and closing the doors indefinitely? Well, if you're anything like the team at Sydney Road's beloved Brunswick Hotel, you look on the bright side and dream up a genius plan to raise some much-needed dollars to help out your out-of-work staff while those forced renovations are going down. And so Flood Aid was born — a huge, 12-hour fundraiser concert set to take over Rubix Warehouse on April 7. Fans of The Brunny's live music program will know to expect a banging mix of up-and-coming talent in the 11-act lineup. Get excited for sets from the likes of Mojo Pin, Palmerslum, The Balls and Three Quarter Beast — rocking on until the wee hours in true Brunny fashion. Tickets are $20 with proceeds going to support The Brunswick Hotel's staff.
Back in March, the people behind A Day on the Green launched a new venture — a weekend of concerts in Melbourne's picturesque Royal Botanic Gardens. After bringing music lovers nearly 400 concerts over the past 15 years, they scored another hit with A Weekend in the Gardens. So much so, in fact, that they're bringing it back for another run. To be held across November 17 to 19, the returning fest will once again serve up three days of music acts for punters of both the old and new. On Friday, you'll be able to enjoy all-round legend Paul Kelly, plus Steve Earle and Middle Kids. Come Saturday, it's all about Illy, Thundamentals, Spit Syndicate and Birdz, as hosted by Jesswar. Sunday brings Missy Higgins, Dustin Tebbutt, All Our Exes Live In Texas and Harry Jakamarra. BYO deck chairs and picnic rugs to the first and last night, but not the middle — it seems like the organisers don't expect the audience to be sitting down for that one. Nearly 12,000 Melburnians went along last time, not only for the ace tunes, but for A Weekend in the Gardens' top-notch garden picnic vibes. For round two, they're setting up The Eatery again, an adjacent area featuring food Royale Brothers, Willy's Fried Chicken & BBQ, Black's Meats Smoked BBQ Goods, Hiro Poke Bar and Señor Churro, And if you're willing to pay $76, you can also snack your way through a Vietnamese hamper from restaurant Jardin Tan. If that's not enough, there'll also be a the Native Cocktail Bar, serving up Bush Coffee (vodka, wattle seed syrup, cold brew coffee and coconut shavings), Native Spritz (gin, lemon myrtle & rosella shrub, quinquina, soda and gum leaves), Tiki Roundhouse (rum, native lime, ginger, soda with fresh pineapple, mint and absinthe) and Apple Iced Tea (whisky, tea, muntrie (native apple) syrup, rhubarb foam and crumbled biscuits) concoctions. Oh, and a dedicated Pimm's Bar on the lawn, offering up Pimm's Cups (what else?). Image: Kerry Kissell
Hosted for the 25th time in 2017, the Centre for Contemporary Photography's Salon 2017 exhibition celebrates outstanding achievements in photomedia from across Australia. CCP Salon 2017 is a win for both photographers and lovers of the medium as 28 industry leaders have got behind the event to offer up $20,000 worth of prizes across the 35 categories. And you can have a say in the one categories winner as the public selects their favourite image for the Marion Boyce Costume Design People's Choice Award. For the past 31 years, the Centre for Contemporary Photography has been one of Australia's most important spaces for boundary pushing photography. Actively exploring the art form as new technologies, trends and shifting creative landscapes influence photography, CCP Salon 2017 is one of the best ways to keep up with the latest in photographic art. CCP Salon 2017 runs opens on Thursday, November 23 and runs until Saturday, December 16.
Once a year, Alliance Française brings the best of French cinema to Melbourne — the latest and greatest, the flicks that won't make it to our shores otherwise, and a smattering of classic fare as well. If you're particularly keen on the latter, it also runs a second festival, too, which is completely devoted to stellar movies from years gone by. Returning for its fourth year, the 2018 Alliance Française Classic Film Festival will hone its focus on the inimitable Jeanne Moreau. A shining light of French cinema since the 1950s, she starred in such as Louis Malle's Elevator to the Gallows, Luis Buñuel's Diary of a Chambermaid and Joseph Losey's Eva — and the iconic Jules and Jim by Francois Truffaut. With Moreau sadly passing away in 2017 at the age of 89, the festival will showcase six of her best features across its four-day Melbourne program, with French New Wave highlight Moderato Cantabile also on the lineup, alongside The Old Lady Who Walked in the Sea from her work in the 90s. The fest hits The Astor Theatre between Thursday, November 8 and Sunday, November 11.
Richmond's Corner Hotel has just the tonic for your boring old Tuesday nights in September — and if you guessed that it's giving a game your nan probably plays a musical twist, then that's a bingo. At Bin'go Your Own Way, you don't just wait for someone to tumble a sphere of balls, pick out a number and make a bad joke. Instead, Dan Watt plays bits and pieces of songs and asks punters to match them to the ones listed on your bingo card. Running from 7.30pm on Tuesdays in September in the venue's front bar, each week has a different theme — so if you've got bingo fever and want to head along more than once, you're more than catered for. The first week will ponder one-hit wonders, while the others will run through covers, female artists and bands that have played at The Corner. Yes, we're guessing there'll be singalongs. Folks able to both face and match the music will win prizes that include jugs of beer, bottles of wine and something else special (although, lets face it, winning booze is an incredibly fitting reward). Tuesdays also now happen to be the Corner Hotel's new cheese night, so there'll be plenty of cheesiness from a number of sources.
Thought ballet was just for girls? Prepare to have this misconception flipped on its head when The Australian Ballet's new production of Spartacus heats up the stage in Melbourne this September. Bringing bold new life to the classic tale of an enslaved gladiator and his quest for freedom, the work shines the spotlight on some seriously talented male dancers, led by director, choreographer and Australian Ballet alum Lucas Jervies. Expect high-impact, captivating scenes played out before you, as Spartacus fights to escape his captors and free his beloved wife Flavia. The powerful production features sets and costumes by award-winning French designer Jérôme Kaplan, matched with a gutsy score by Aram Khachaturian. All of those usual pirouettes and arabesques will be supercharged, courtesy of the dancers' tutelage under acclaimed fight director Nigel Poulton, who has worked on some major Hollywood films, including Pirates of the Caribbean V, The Bourne Legacy and I am Legend Images: Justin Ridler
Australia might be known for sun, surf and sand, but when we bring our climate and landscape to the big screen, the results aren't always glowing. That's not a criticism of the quality of movies made by Aussie filmmakers. Rather, it's a reflection of their fondness for darker stories. For decades, the outback has been a source of menace, as seen in everything from Wake in Fright and Mad Max to Wolf Creek and The Rover. When we splash about in the water, sharks attack, as The Reef made plain. And when Australian cinema hangs out at the beach in the name of fun, the results can be raucous in an over-the-top manner, like Swinging Safari, or tinged with coming-of-age melancholy, like Puberty Blues. Ladies in Black takes place in Sydney's inner-city hustle and bustle, but it's an unmistakably summery film — and it's unmistakably hopeful. Much of its running time is spent within a fictional department store that's modelled after David Jones, however the movie captures that end-of-year feeling that is incredibly familiar to Australians. The weather heats up, Christmas and New Year's Eve beckon, and life instantly seems brighter. And while our protagonists navigate ups and downs as they go about their lives circa 1959, just before the 60s sweep in to change everything, the film's buoyant air never subsides. Fresh out of high school, budding poet Lisa (Angourie Rice) takes a job on the fifth floor of Goode's, donning a black dress and trying to do her best. It's not a career move but a stop-gap, as she attempts to convince her father (Shane Jacobson) to let her go to university. Amidst selling cocktail frocks and high-end gowns, her fellow colleagues all have their own dilemmas, all emblematic of a society that doesn't quite realise an enormous shift is around the corner. Fay Baines (Rachael Taylor) longs for a man who will treat her well, while Patty Williams (Alison McGirr) wants her existing husband to notice that she exists. As for Slovenian immigrant Magda (Julia Ormond), in-between putting up with scorn for being a refugee, taking Lisa under her wing, and helping a Hungarian friend (Ryan Corr) find a nice Aussie girl, she's working towards opening her own fashion boutique. It has taken more than two decades for writer-director Bruce Beresford (Mao's Last Dancer) and his long-term producer turned co-writer Sue Milliken to bring Ladies in Black to the screen, and their affection and determination shows. Making the leap from best-selling novel to Australian stage musical and now to the cinema, this tale of women stepping towards a new future is rendered in loving and meticulous style. Intricate production design fills every frame, bringing jam-packed trams, suburban homes and, of course, the main department store to life. Costume-wise, the dresses that feature so prominently prove a vintage fashion-lover's dream. And with the picture's sunny hues and optimistic mood as well, Sydney has rarely looked as radiant. From rising talent Rice (a veteran of The Nice Guys, The Beguiled and Spider-Man: Homecoming at the age of just 17) to the more experienced likes of Ormond, Taylor and Corr, the movie's stars are also lively and warm. Every performance in the film feels lived in, including Susie Porter as Lisa's doting stay-at-home mum and Noni Hazlehurst as a Goode's supervisor. The texture in the cast's work couldn't be more crucial — in a slightly over-padded film that keeps its narrative dramas noticeably modest, and its themes of equality and multiculturalism undeniably overt and broad, much of the minutiae comes from the characters. Indeed, the thoroughly crowd-pleasing Ladies in Black is like a gorgeous gown that way: lovely to look at from afar, but boasting extra detail when seen from a closer vantage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd7aD7F2QCg
If you're starting to feel like a new season hasn't truly started until Finders Keepers has come to town, you're not alone. The ever-expanding art and design market has been bringing us face-to-face with some of the country's most quirky and creative designers for over a decade now — and it's set to do it all over again when it returns this October. The autumn/winter event saw the festival extend its trading hours, a move which will be repeated this time round, giving you maximum opportunity to explore the extensive program of vendors, food and entertainment. The focus remains, as ever, on helping you discover and connect with the next wave of independent and emerging artisans. Expect to find debut collections from the likes of liar liar. lingerie, Caye Life's sustainable water bottles and travel mugs and spadewood, which creates handmade timber wall hangings. The Finders Keepers Artist Program, an initiative that was introduced earlier this year to support emerging artists, will highlight the spring/summer recipient Leah Bartholomew's bright, abstract designs across all market collateral for the season. Many of the market's seasoned vendors will also return — so, if you've been kicking yourself since last round that you didn't pick up a bon lux candle or one of Daisy Cooper Ceramic's vases, you're in luck. As usual, there'll be live music and other entertainment scattered across the weekend to keep the good vibes going. And you're covered when the inevitable shopping-induced hunger strikes, with everything from Taiwanese street food to burgers on offer. Tickets are $5, available at the door and valid for the entire weekend. So, if you can't stop thinking about that one thing you didn't buy, you can make a return visit. Start creating your shopping list now and head to the Finders Keepers directory to see the full scope of vendors. Finders Keepers Spring/Summer Melbourne will run from October 19–21 at 12pm–9pm on Friday, 10am–7pm on Saturday and 10am–5pm on Sunday. Images: Samee Lapham.
Whether it's a dog in a superhero costume or a cat wearing, well, whatever you can manage to get a cat to wear, animals donning outfits ranks among the cutest sights your eyes can ever see. Puppers popping on scouting regalia and posing for portraits might just raise the adorable stakes beyond previous levels, however — and it's not only on offer at Carlton Scout Hall on Sunday, August 5, but you can also take a souvenir home with you. If your pet pooch has a hankering for a merit badge (or you have a hankering to see them decked out in scouting hats and scarves filled with said merit badges — which you do, admit it), then march your troop down to North Carlton's Shakespeare Street between 10am–5pm. That's when Dog Photog will be snapping pics of your four-legged furball as part of its Scout's Honour Pop-Up. If you missed out last time, or missed their sailor-themed effort, then you'll want to be there. Bookings are essential, and getting a gorgeous portrait of your cute canine will set you back $45 — or $70 if you have two dogs in the same household. You'll receive a 10-minute session, plus a screen-resolution jpeg per dog. And if you'd like to order a print to hang on your wall, you can do so on the day. Image: Dog Photog.
Between Thursday, August 9 and Wednesday, August 15, Palace Cinemas is giving movie buffs an extra gift. It's not just the gift of great flicks — that is, their daily bread and butter — but the gift of cheap great flicks. Head to one of the chain's six Melbourne locations (excluding Kino) — Balwyn, Brighton, Brighton Bay, South Yarra, Northcote and St Kilda — across the week in question, and any film at any time will only cost you a fiver, plus an online booking fee of $1.50. Want to see Mission: Impossible — Fallout with your friends on a Saturday night? It'll cost you $6.50 in total. Keen to laugh your way through The Breaker Upperers after work one afternoon? Still $6.50 all up. We'd keep naming movies, but you get the picture. Booking in advance is highly recommended, given how much everyone loves going to the flicks for little more than the price of a cup of coffee, so you will want to nab your tickets online and pay the fee. And if you're wondering what $5 Movie Week is all about, Palace is about to launch its new rewards club. Consider this the first reward — although you don't need to be a member to benefit.
Looking to join the war on waste but aren't sure where to start? Well, you can kick off your anti-plastic lifestyle in good company, at ABC's War On Waste pop-up boutique this weekend. Making an appearance at Southbank and St Kilda this Sunday, August 5 the pop-up hopes to encourage small, everyday changes we can all make in the fight against unnecessary waste. With an estimated 10 million single-use plastic straws used by Aussies each day, there's no doubt that every little bit helps. Head along and make a pledge — whether that's making the switch to a reusable coffee cup, refusing those plastic straws from here on out, or ditching plastic bottles — and you'll score yourself a nifty reusable bag or bottle for your efforts. You'll also have the chance to meet the artists behind the funky designs, Lauren & The Lost Boys. Which will help if you plan on shopping at the newly plastic-bag free Harris Farms and Woolworths — and hopefully soon Coles. The 'War On Waste' Pop-Up in will run from 1.30–4.30pm Southbank and from 8am–11am in St Kilda.
UPDATE: AUGUST 9, 2018 — This event was originally published under the name Welcome to Hogwarts — A Magical Evening of Mischief. Event organisers have since changed the name of the event due to copyright infringement. This article has been updated to reflect that. If you've always wanted to hop aboard the Hogwarts Express — or at least pretend to — the Prince Bandroom is celebrating everything that encapsulates the wondrous world of Harry Potter with an adults-only shindig themed around that one thing every 90s kid wishes they had: magic. Apart from drinking and dressing up (press your robes in advance), there's plenty of other stuff going on. You'll be partying in spaces fit only for wizards — think the Great Hall and The Forbidden Forest. And if you need help getting around, you'll be given a map upon entry. Take a Defence Against the Dark Arts class from a magician, find out your fortune (will you get a letter soon?), get snapped in the photobooth with glasses and wizard hats, and just generally magic the night away. Tickets cost $28.60 — and we suggest you get in quick, as the Brisbane event sold out in a matter of days.
Earlier in 2018, Melbourne was named the live music capital of the world — attracting bigger audiences to live gigs than all of the big sporting events combined. Any seasoned Melburnian knows that this rings true, and not only now, but across decades gone by. Indeed, music history has made all over the city. The Melbourne Music Bus Tour takes a trip through this rich heritage, during a two-hour journey hosted by Melbourne musicologist Bruce Milne and music journalist Mary Mihelakos. Departing from the Australian Music Vault at Arts Centre Melbourne across six dates between October 2018 and March 2019 — and at 11am and 2pm on each date — this vibrant bus ride zooms through the likes of Richmond, Collingwood, St Kilda and Port Melbourne, and stops at a heap of past and previous venues, laneways and places of significance. The Dogs in Space house, the Nylex Clock sign, Mushroom Records, The Espy, Chrissy Amphlett Lane and Rowland S. Howard Lane are really just the beginning. If it inspired a song, featured in a music video or proves an important space for Indigenous music, then it's highly likely that it's on the tour. Previous seasons have sold out, so nab your $69 ticket and prepare to hop on board. Oh, and you might have some famous company, with Deborah Conway, Adalita, Cash Savage, Clare Moore, Paul Stewart, Stephen Cummings, Kim Salmon and Dave Graney among those that have been picked up along the way on past trips.
Feeling crafty, Melbourne? Do you wish you had a few more creative skills, or perhaps you're keen to deck out your home with a few one-off yarn and fibre pieces? Thanks to the folks behind Melbourne's Etsy Made Local markets, all of the above is on the agenda at the city's new crafting festival. That'd be the Melbourne Yarn & Fibre Festival, which comes to Darebin Arts Centre from 10am–3pm on Saturday, September 22. You'll browse, buy, learn and craft, with a curated craft market, a variety of workshops and a communal crafting space all part of the event. Need some extra motivation? Let this completely unrelated crafting pun-off get you in the mood. It's from a new craft-focused TV show featuring Parks and Recreation's Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman. Back to the new fest at hand: it also features classes galore so you can go home with a few items made by your very own hands. They include weaving baskets, making earrings, crocheting mittens and knitting not just with needles, but with your arms. Entry is free, but the workshops are ticketed, with prices ranging from $40–$280.
