We've scored various incarnations of Pope Joan over the years, after the much-loved eatery moved from its OG Brunswick East digs into a new CBD site in 2019. And now, after an extended COVID-driven hiatus last year, she's back, delivering another new feasting format to see us through the tail end of summer. Pope Joan City is joining forces with Fitzroy's modern Indian diner Ish, serving up a special six-week collaboration from Monday, January 18. The Collins Street space will be turning out Indian-inspired eats for breakfast and lunch weekdays, along with a Friday night dinner session. Head on in to start your day with the likes of Punjabi-style scrambled eggs with spiced chilli and tomato, and a Parsi omelette featuring spiced pork sausage and potato rosti. Or, treat your lunchbreak appetite to a masala-spiced fried chicken sando, homemade milk buns stuffed with fried potato dumplings (vada pav), and cured kingfish with pomegranate and Indian crisps. Pope Joan favourites will also be on offer throughout the stint, while Fixation Brewing takes care of the drinks side of things with a lineup of IPAs, both classic and modern. Plus, pop in from 4–6pm each Friday for brewer chats, special-release tastings and happy hour specials. PopeISH is open 7am–4pm Monday–Thursday and 7am–late Friday. Images: Annika Kafcaloudis
Sunday afternoons were made for cold beers, tasty barbecue eats and good company. Your mates at Stray Neighbour know what's what, so they're wrapping up the first weekend of Good Beer Week in style with a good old-fashioned Sunday session. Head along to the Preston bar and eatery from 12pm on Sunday, May 16 to join in the fun, which is being co-hosted by the crew at local brewery Kaiju. Grab a $5 ticket and you'll enjoy a beer on arrival, plus a shot at Kaiju's Koin Shuffle game, offering the chance to win yourself some sweet beer merch. There'll be tunes spun by Stray Neighbour's house DJ, more games and prizes, and of course, plenty of Kaiju brews including both core drops and some special releases. The kitchen will also be firing up the barbecue, whipping up a tidy menu of meaty delights for you to purchase as you cruise through your afternoon. Top image: Stray Neighbour, by Brook James.
To those in the know, Michael White has long been the epicentre of the London entertainment scene, spreading his producing talents across the stage and screen in everything from Oh! Calcutta! to Monty Python and the Holy Grail to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. To those outside his orbit, his name remains unfamiliar even as his impact is inescapable. Documenting the untold story of his life and legacy, The Last Impresario dwells in the space between both extremes. Australian actress and filmmaker Gracie Otto once fell into the latter category, until spotting White at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010. There he sat, surrounded by the who's who of the industry, and her curiosity was instantly piqued. They quickly made each other's acquaintance, formed a firm friendship, and the idea for the film was born. In keeping with her enigmatic introduction to the now elderly entrepreneur, it is not White that monopolises Otto's insider look at his influence, but the myth of the charming man and the many people and projects that came under its thrall. A septuagenarian with declining health, he has a limited ability to tell his own tale, but there is no shortage of famous faces — from John Waters to John Cleese, Kate Moss to Anna Wintour, and Australians Greta Scacchi, Naomi Watts, Lyndall Hobbs and Barry Humphries — able to regale viewers with amusing anecdotes. Of course, much of the fun comes in reliving his celebrity experiences with Jack Nicholson, David Bowie and the like, as meticulously photographed by avid snapper White and further catalogued in decades' worth of memorabilia. His life and the documentary that results is the ultimate act of star-spotting, filtered through a charismatic figure who should be better known than those he interacts with. Scacchi succinctly puts it best; he is "the most famous person you've never heard of". Making her first full-length effort after a series of award-winning shorts, Otto is a naturalistic documentarian afforded ample access undoubtedly aided by her own movie pedigree (in addition to forging her own career, she is the daughter of Bliss's Barry and the sister of The Lord of the Rings' Miranda), yet only occasionally does she overplay her hand. Her visuals are vibrant, her interviews probe, but it is her tone that best impresses, celebrating the feature's subject while never shying away from the underlying melancholy of his less-than-ordinary existence. Two areas skirted around — White's illness and finances — provoke unfulfilled intrigue; however, what does comprise the film paints a very interesting picture nonetheless. The feature's thesis, that they just don't make them like White anymore, is easily proven. In name and in nature, The Last Impresario colourfully charts the final remnants of dying breed. https://youtube.com/watch?v=mRbUZA161vc
Melbourne is set to get a dose of unapologetic neon-lit Tex-Mex when El Camino Cantina opens in the old Fitzroy Social space on Brunswick Street this month. The restaurant features a 400-seat dining room and bar with giant margaritas, lively Tex-Mex fare — including unlimited free chips and salsa — and rock 'n' roll jukeboxes playing 80s, 90s and early-00s bangers. The menu includes fiery buffalo wings, sizzling fajitas, burritos and more. A happy hour will run from 4–6pm every weekday, featuring $7.50 margaritas, house beer, wine and tequila. And there'll be a bunch of daily specials to take advantage of, too, including $2 tacos on Tuesdays, 10-cent chicken wings on Wednesdays (when you buy select drinks) and $19 brunch on weekends. Oh, and those giant margaritas we mentioned? El Camino's massive 15-ounce and 24-ounce margaritas are available frozen or on the rocks in classic, mango, strawberry and tropical Red Bull flavours. It has a solid collection of over 100 mezcals and tequilas, too. This buzzing funhouse is set to open on Friday, June 14 and it's celebrating with a huge party. Running right across the weekend, the venue will be slinging free tequila shots and limited-edition sombreros on arrival for those with bookings. Plus, all margaritas, house wines, house tequilas and 'chalices' of beer will be $7.50. El Camino Cantina's grand opening celebration will kick off at 6pm on Friday, June 14 and run until Sunday, June 16. You can make a booking via El Camino Cantina's website.
Paradise Music Festival is once again starting off the summer music festival season on a high note, with the first lineup out now. Just like last year, the lineup is entirely made up of up-and coming Australian talent. The boutique, Lake Mountain Resort festival, picks artists, bands and DJs who are killing it in their respective capital cities; planting them in the scenic natural surrounds of Marysville. The weirdly wonderful Kirin J Callinan is stopping by, as is Melbourne R&B darling Oscar Key Sung, with reckless rock kids Drunk Mums, electronic wizards Rat & Co and Crooked Colours. For those looking to get their dance on, Young Franco, Tranter and Otologic are our picks for a toe-tapping good time. Presale tickets already sold out before the lineup had even dropped; an exceptionally good sign for those thinking of heading down. This is only the second year for Paradise Music Festival, proving themselves to serious contenders for your hard-earned summer festival budget. PARADISE MUSIC FESTIVAL 2014 LINEUP (FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT): Kirin J. Callinan Oscar Key Sung Crooked Colours Young Franco Drunk Mums Rat & Co SILENTJAY UV boi LUCIANBLOMKAMP The Sinking Teeth Klo Banoffee Friendships JPS I'lls Kirkis Apart From This Otologic Tranter DEER Total Giovanni Planète ESC Lanks Darcy Baylis Air Max '97 CC:DISCO! RaRa Hubert Clark Jr Foreign/National Jahnne Null Urban Problems Harold Femi
BeerFest has become permanent fixture on Australia's summer events calendar, and this year it returns for its tenth year. The festival is set to descend on Moonee Valley Racecourse on Saturday, November 24 in a heady blaze of music, comedy, food and, of course, beer. BeerFest will round up over 40 artisan breweries, delivering huge lineup of 300 craft drops, alongside a stack of great ciders, cocktails and wines. You'll kick off summer with a day of tastings, food and beer matchings, and free, brewer-led masterclasses showcasing one-off creations. Some of the breweries you'll find on the day include Melbourne's Henry Street Brewhouse and Urban Alley Brewing, Sydney's Young Henrys and Sauce Brewing Co, and the ACT's BentSpoke. What's more, this little shindig is also packing a serious punch in the entertainment department, with an impressive musical lineup featuring Grinspoon's Phil Jamieson, Daft Punk tribute DJs and a couple of comedians. Entry to the festival is $38, which gets you access to the day's full swag of live entertainment. Drinks will be extra — expect to pay $1–2 for 100ml tastings or $6–8 for a 285ml pour. If you can't make it this weekend, don't despair — there's another one happening in St Kilda in March.
The PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival has descended on the city for nine days of sartorial splendour, with runway shows, industry events, workshops and pop-ups for all genres of fashionista. But if you're all about ethical threads, then you'd best clear your calendar for the Conscious Fashion Market, which takes over experimental retail space BETA by STH BNK on Saturday, March 11. Register for a free ticket and drop by from 1pm to browse pieces from a huge range of designers and brands committed to ethical, sustainable production methods. Meet the minds behind the labels as you stock up on conscious wares for your wardrobe. What's more, while you're there, you can explore BETA's adjoining Atelier and RE/Space to discover some of the innovative ways post-consumer materials are being transformed into brand-new products. The market will also have a pop-up bar slinging refreshments to enjoy as you shop, from coffee to local brews.
The Rochester Hotel's food offering received a southern Indian makeover earlier this year, with the arrival of chef Mischa Tropp. Now, Tropp is celebrating Kerala's annual state festival Onam with a series of vegetarian and vegan feasts later this month. Coinciding with the ancient festival, which celebrates Hindu mythology with a rice harvest in the Malayam month of Chingam, the Rochey's $45 meat-free banquets will be on offer from August 20 to 23. And if you've already had a chance to sample Tropp's vibrant, gutsy dishes, you'll know to expect a seriously flavourful affair, even when vegetables are the heroes. The Rochey's regular vegetarian-friendly menu includes hits like sweet confit parsnips topped with a Kashmiri-style chilli crumb, the fiery 'kadala' featuring chickpeas in coconut and roasted spices, and the utterly addictive boiled egg 'bonda' coated in a crispy fried sourdough shell.
Man against the elements: it's the familiar staple of survivalist film fare, crafted as a feat of cinematic endurance as much as entertainment. J.C. Chandor's nautical All Is Lost adheres to that description to the letter, unraveling in near wordlessness with its emotion carried in Robert Redford's world-weathered face. The combination of existentialism and action on offer, however, reaches beyond the customary depictions of fortitude and perseverance. Details — names, places, dates — are rendered irrelevant; all that matters is "our man", his boat and the endless expanse of sea that forms his surroundings. Awakening to the thud of an adrift shipping container bursting through the hull of his vessel, the film's nameless protagonist pits his resourcefulness against the water, wind and weight of other worsening difficulties conspiring against his subsistence. For 106 minutes of running time and eight days of narrative, Margin Call writer/director Chandor crafts a tension-riddled thriller despite the sparseness of his cast and setting; again, Redford and his sea-faring abilities monopolise the movie to the exclusion of all else. Even the most mundane of tasks — including shaving, eating canned food and conserving water — seethe with suspense. The singular spotlight heightens the anxiety to unrelenting levels, the knowledge that any peaceful moment could take a turn for the worse unable to be shaken. Withholding information about Redford's character similarly amplifies the feature's focus, centring on the circumstances over the individual in its treatise on existence and mortality. As the stoic veteran is battered and beaten by forces beyond his control, eventually acquiescing to his inevitable fate as the title suggests, the feature's commentary upon the broader human condition is unmistakable — but its assurance doesn't hamper its haunting heartbreak. In such context, the who and the why just don't matter. It has been a big year for well-known faces stranded in inconvenient spaces (quite literally for Sandra Bullock in Gravity); however, Redford is the unsung hero in the survivalist race, as is his film. Eschewing dialogue, the actor conveys every ounce of resilience and weariness in his physicality and performance. Though storm-fuelled special effects enliven the drama in a deft display of Chandor's direction, much of the film's power comes from understated scenes of a man at nature's mercy. The sounds, sights and overall thrust emphasise solitude, swelling to operatic proportions due to striking visuals and an immersive score, yet what echoes loudest is the film's vitality. All Is Lost may leave viewers broken in its transcendent contemplation of the beauty and brutality of life, but it also embodies those very aspects. Nothing is easy in the feature's austerity, but nothing is lost either. https://youtube.com/watch?v=no1rl9Gvx-s
If you're partial to a spot of breakfast boozing, then, boy, have we found the event for you. This Saturday, January 13, Welcome to Thornbury will be transformed into a day drinker's paradise, as it plays host to its first Bottomless Mimosa Festival. Kicking off at 11am, the festival will see fans of the classic morning cocktail spoilt for choice, as barstaff get creative whipping up six different variations on the mimosa. These juicy Prosecco-laden creations will be going for a tidy $8 a pop, though serious punters will find their true calling in the $45 four-hour bottomless Mimosa package. Those wanting to mix things up will also discover a solid selection of bloody marys, craft beers and spritzes — all great drinking buddies for any time of day. Of course, it wouldn't be a Welcome to Thornbury party without some top-notch culinary treats, so expect tasty eats from the likes of Bluebonnet Barbecue, Mr Burger, Poke Time, Greek Street Food and Curry Up Now. The Mimosa madness runs right through until 10pm, with kids welcome up until 8pm.
Never been to the opera? Well, Opera Australia is giving you the perfect chance to make your debut. Not only is their current production of Puccini's La Bohème known as one of the most accessible of the operas, but to celebrate their 100th show on Wednesday, May 25, they're giving away 100 tickets for 100 cents. We've done the maths, and that equates to just $1 per ticket. Of course, tickets this cheap don't come easy — you'll have to line up for them. The tickets will go on sale at the Arts Centre box office from 10am on the morning of the performance. It's cash only and there's a limit of two per person. The initiative is all part of Opera Australia's aims to make opera more accessible to people who might not usually be able to afford a ticket. And for just one solitary bone, it's cheaper than basically everything else you might be doing on Wednesday night.
Epic party throwers Soothsayer and I OH YOU are joining forces this November to bring the Melbourne CBD one seriously packed day party. Dubbed City Loop, the new daytime shenanigans will go down on Saturday, November 10, from 1–10pm at RMIT University's city campus. Fittingly, the ticket pries are fairly university student-friendly, too, with all releases coming in under $100 and early birds going for only $45. As to who will be playing at this sunlit affair, the party duo is bringing you some good'uns. Expect DJ sets from the likes of Cut Copy and CC:DISCO!, a performance by much-loved Melbourne duo Kllo and a Detroit house-meets-west coast rap battle by LA artist Channel Tres. Plus, Australia's own Andy Garvey (Pure Space), Ben Fester and Midlife will appear, too. Yup, it's going to be a big day out. Tickets to the City Loop party are on sale now, and we suggest nabbing yourself one sooner rather than later. CITY LOOP LINEUP Andy Garvey Ben Fester CC:DISCO! Channel Tres Cut Copy (DJ set) Dance Party Francis Inferno Orchestra Kllo Love Deluxe Mildlife Miss Blanks Asha & Nightlight Images: Bec Taylor
A garden may not be the first place you'd think to head on a hot day, but that's about to change. Across three days in December, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria's Melbourne Gardens will present an installation that'll keep you cool, while also delving into some big questions on the future of water. Designed by Castlemaine-based live arts organisation Punctum, Public Cooling House is a temporary structure that offers shade and airflow. Ancient evaporative techniques and a range of soothing cooling pools also help to keep temperatures low. Through a series of 30-minute guided sessions, an attendant will usher visitors through a special cooling experience. Some sessions will also be accompanied by musical performances featuring the likes of electro-pop trio Earworm, cellist Nikki Edgar and musicians Justin Marshall and Michiko Ogawa. There's also an engaging program of free talks that'll see experts from the Gardens offer their perspective on the environment's natural cooling systems and how heat waves, water scarcity and heat-induced blackouts might affect you in a hot future. Public Cooling House is located on the Perennial Border of the Melbourne Gardens and will run 12–4pm, from Saturday, December 1 to Monday, December 3. For more information and to see the full schedule, head to the website. Images: Morwenna Schenck and Diana Domonkos.
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 26, 2019 — With the first strike set to kick off at 10am today, Yarra Trams has recommended passengers avoid non-essential travel and expect trains and buses to be busier today. There will be a replacement bus service running that will cover some of the tram network, but not all of it. A shuttle will run between Melbourne Central and Melbourne Showgrounds for the Royal Melbourne Show. It's been a tumultuous couple of months for Melbourne's public transport system — and it's far from over. Today, it was announced that the entire tram network will shut down for four hours on Thursday, September 26 and again two weeks later on Thursday, October 10. The strikes follow a successful four-hour stoppage on Friday, August 30, and are in response to ongoing failed negotiations with Yarra Trams. While the strikes will happen in off-peak times and, thankfully, not on Fridays, they're still expected to cause some public transport havoc — so, best dust off that ol' bike and get set for some two-wheeled travel. https://www.facebook.com/RTBUVic/posts/2580073232057110?__xts__[0]=68.ARDQP4lmuO0I9HbGcPPulrf9BN_mOC6ogVDpcermBaR8-C3XLZCjekdxh1ag_WpjoVnOw62tSZIRH5P1qyhIKFVz-JM8oTFro3iAXoJnV-3vJgFsL6ERfte144EYEMf7wU1wPKTQRFtU5cz8nKRwREFglzZh6UoGGwVEI4sC5uyT4E2cLIO0V87yOThOY3QZ0nDM0EnKi-PHz6oj1GjcRcXoOFSNT_FG9uZLVa2afsNCBk1UfW3CnS2Odqs-VESzqCO0mId99ze90n1ZXzgcScIxF-QjQb63asCePTkUdMuYmJjdO3GtQEe3eUCvq4hc8MKcBEgVEjRHAAtxTMpk8P9sMg&__tn__=-R The Rail Tram and Bus Union has been negotiating a new wage deal and improved working conditions with Yarra Trams for months, with the existing agreement expiring on June 30. According to the RTBU, Yarra Trams' new agreement includes increased part-time workers and rosters that are "completely unsuitable for workers with child care and caring responsibilities". The off-peak strikes are designed to "minimise the impact on commuters", but industrial action could continue to escalate if negotiations are not unresolved. With negotiations still under way, it's possible neither strike will go ahead. We'll let you know either way. Image: Josie Withers for Visit Victoria
Fancy a Tassie wine tasting extravaganza, but can't find the time (or cash) to make the trip? How about a quick hop over to Southbank instead? If you can get there with $65 to spare on Sunday, August 12, you'll be living the Apple Isle dream. That's because one-day wine festival Vin Diemen is coming back to Melbourne for a fourth year. Your ticket will get you a take-home wine glass and access to the creations of a whole slew of Tasmanian winemakers, who are crossing the strait to show us what their island is made of. Expect to sample some of the best pinot noir in the nation, alongside top-shelf chardonnay, riesling and sparkling — cold climate varieties get a better go in Tassie than nearly anywhere else in Oz. And giving the wines the respect they deserve will be a bunch of tasty Tasmanian morsels, including cheeses from Bruny Island Cheese. To top it off, you'll also be able to sample some Tassie spirits and Willie Smith's Organic Cider. Tickets are $65 general admission and $125 for a VIP ticket, which includes an extra hour at the event and a hosted masterclass.
Founded as a way to promote happiness and health, this five-kilometre-long run involves splashes of colour to distract you from the fact that you're, you know, exercising. All participants are asked to wear white t-shirts and embrace the colour pigment that's blasted at them at various points during the race. This is sweaty exercise disguised as straight-up fun. With a party at the beginning, a party at the end, and four colour zones to dance your way through — the fun never stops, and neither do your legs. The Color Run now takes place in more than 35 countries worldwide, attracting six million runners across the globe. This year it'll run its Melbourne race on Sunday, November 25 at Flemington Racecourse, kicking off at 8.30am.
For a night of pure sweet indulgence, head along to Stokehouse St Kilda for a dessert degustation like no other. The two-night-only event is a celebration of the Van Haandel Group's latest employee —talented pastry chef Lauren Eldridge. She brings a wealth of experience to the team including stints at Osteria Francescana in Italy, Guy Savoy in France and Marque in Sydney. The epic event will be hosted at Stokehouse's stunning Palm Room on August 30 and again on September 18, and , boasting panoramic views over St Kilda Beach. Pull up a spot in front of the ocean, and enjoy a menu of incredible desserts designed by Eldridge. The dinner also includes an option to add wines selected by the Gourmet Traveller Sommelier of the Year finalist Gavin Cremming, who has looked after the epic vino offerings at Stokehouse since its reopening in 2016. Updated: August 15, 2017.
The Royal Exhibition Building is set to be overrun with pooches of every shape and size. Returning for its fifth year, the Melbourne Dog Lovers Show will welcome around 250 exhibitors and upwards of 30,000 visitors. Whether you're in the market for a new family pet or are just looking for a bit of a cuddle, you won't find a more adorable event in Melbourne. Obviously, cat people need not apply. This year's show includes a number of special guests on both two legs and four. Service dogs from the police and border protection will be on patrol, while celebrity vets such as Dr. Katrina Warren and Dr Harry will run seminars on canine health. Several of Victoria's dog shelters will be there, with no shortage of rescued animals looking for permanent homes. Oh, and in case that doesn't make your heart melt, they've also got a dedicated puppy patting zone.
With the Victorian Government introducing the state's sixth lockdown from 8pm on Thursday, August 5 — for seven days, to respond to the latest COVID-19 cases — residents will need to quickly get reacquainted with that all-too-familiar five-kilometre bubble. Under the new restrictions, Victorians are required to stick within five kilometres of home. They're also only allowed to leave that home for five reasons: shopping for what you need, when you need it; caregiving and compassionate reasons; essential work or permitted education that can't be done from home; exercise; and getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Thankfully, you're allowed to do that last activity with one other person from outside your household, as long as you both stay within your respective travel bubbles. And there's an easy way to calculate exactly where you can partake in that government-approved exercise, thanks to a nifty COVID five-kilometre overlap finder website. Already proving a saviour during past lockdowns and the ever-shifting restrictions that always follow, the website is simple but effective, promising pain-free planning of those exercise meet-ups. Simply plug in your home address and that of your mate, and it'll display each of your five-kilometre radiuses highlighted on the map. And the all-important crossover zone shows all the places where you're allowed to meet up for your two daily hours of exercise. Just don't forget to take your face mask with you — face coverings are required everywhere outside of your home for the duration of this lockdown. Fingers crossed we won't have to rely on it for too long. The current snap lockdown is currently scheduled to end at 8pm on Thursday, August 12. To work out where you and your mate can exercise together, head to the COVID five-kilometre overlap finder website. All of Victoria will go back into lockdown from 8pm on Thursday, August 5 until the same time on Thursday, August 12. For more information about the rules, head to the Victorian Department of Health website.
The NGV is always a great place to get lost for a couple of hours, but the latest acquisition to their international collection will have you actually struggling to get out. An interactive installation piece by Brazilian artist Ernesto Neto, The Island Bird invites you to explore the gallery space on your hands and knees — the closest thing you'll ever find to an artistic jungle gym. Measuring a colossal 10 metres in diameter, The Island Bird is essentially a giant nest. Made of colourful, crocheted fabrics, Neto's creation hovers above the gallery floor offering both exploratory expeditions through cushy tunnels and a bouncy netted web for lazy (and literal) afternoon hangs. Don't worry if you don't have the time to swing by right now; this immersive treat will be part of the NGV's international collection for the indefinite future. Other goodies in the rehang will include an installation from Mexican favourite Rafael Lozano-Hemmera involving x-rays and a neon classic from controversial Young British Artist Tracey Emin. Get your Instagram at the ready.
Balaclava's modern Cantonese diner Moonhouse has gifted us with a modern take on yum cha that's primed for silly season feasts and beyond. Here to amp up Saturdays and Sundays on the southside is Yum Cha 3183 — a reworking of a Chinese classic starring gently reimagined Cantonese bites and bottomless booze. From 12pm or 2.15pm each weekend, you can make a date to enjoy Moonhouse's shared dim sum spread. You'll pick eight dishes for your table, choosing from the likes of roast duck pancakes, Xinjiang-spiced calamari, steamed oysters in ginger and soy, char siu pork buns, dried chilli fried chicken, salt and pepper tofu, sticky rice and more. Extras like crayfish fried rice and crispy egg noodles with XO pipis are available to amp up your meal, while chefs will be roaming the room offering sweet treats and off-menu appetisers. And then there are the drinks. This yum cha situation comes with the option of adding on two hours of free-flowing sips, with pours like a zesty Verdita, bloody marys, vino and jugs of tea-infused martini. Your yum cha feast will set you back $60, with unlimited drinks clocking in at an extra $35.
What's more difficult a feat: to ponder everything that the universe might hold, as writer/director James Gray did in 2019's sublime Ad Astra, or to peer back at your own childhood, as he now does with Armageddon Time? Both films focus on their own worlds, just of different sizes and scales. Both feature realms that loom over everyone, but we all experience in their own ways. In the two movies, the bonds and echoes between parents and children also earn the filmmaker's attention. Soaring into the sky and reaching beyond your assigned patch is a focus in one fashion or another, too. In both cases, thoughtful, complex and affecting movies result. And, as shared with everything he's made over the past three decades — such as The Yards, The Immigrant and The Lost City of Z as well — fantastic performances glide across the screen in unwaveringly emotionally honest pictures. In Armageddon Time, Gray returns to a favourite subject: the experience of immigrants to New York. With a surname barely removed from his own, the Graff family share his own Jewish American heritage — and anchor a portrait of a pre-teen's growing awareness of his privilege, the world's prejudices, the devastating history of his ancestors, and how tentative a place people can hold due to race, religion, money, politics and more. The year is 1980, and the end of times isn't genuinely upon anyone. Even the sixth-grader at its centre knows that. Still, that doesn't stop former Californian governor-turned-US presidential candidate Ronald Reagan from talking up existential threats using inflammatory language, as the Graffs spot on TV. Armageddon Time also takes its moniker from a 1977 The Clash B-side and cover; despite the film's stately approach, the punk feeling of wanting to tear apart the status quo — Gray's own adolescent status quo — dwells in its frames. Banks Repeta (The Black Phone) plays Paul Graff, Gray's on-screen surrogate, and Armageddon Time's curious and confident protagonist. At his public school in Queens, he's happy standing out alongside his new friend Johnny (Jaylin Webb, The Wonder Years), and disrupting class however and whenever he can — much to the dismay of his mother Esther (Anne Hathaway, Locked Down), a home economics teacher and school board member. He dreams of being an artist, despite his plumber dad Irving's (Jeremy Strong, Succession) stern disapproval, because the elder Graff would prefer the boy use computing as a path to a life better than his own. In his spare time, Paul is happiest with his doting, advice-dispensing, gift-bearing grandfather Aaron (Anthony Hopkins, The Father), who's considered the only person on the pre-teen's wavelength. Gray fleshes out Paul's personality and the Graffs' dynamic with candour as well as affection, as seen at an early home dinner. There, Paul criticises Esther's cooking, orders dumplings even after expressly being forbidden and incites Irving's explosive anger — and the establishing scene also starts laying bare attitudes that keep being probed and unpacked throughout Armageddon Time. Indeed, Paul will begin to glean the place he navigates in the world. Even while hearing about the past atrocities that brought his grandfather's mother to America, and the discrimination that still lingers, he'll learn that he's fortunate to hail from a middle-class Jewish family. Even if his own comfort is tenuous, Paul will see how different his life is to his black, bused-in friend, with Johnny living with his ailing grandmother, always skirting social services and constantly having condemning fingers waggling his way. And, Paul will keep spying how Johnny is at a disadvantage in every manner possible, including from their instantly scornful teacher and via Paul's own parents' quick judgement. Filmmakers diving into their own histories is one of the prevailing flavours of recent few years, including Alfonso Cuarón's Roma, Paul Thomas Anderson's Licorice Pizza and Kenneth Branagh's Belfast — all Oscar-nominees, with Roma and Belfast also Oscar-winners. Don't call the trend navel-gazing, though. As much as these movies, and now Armageddon Time as well, are products of personal experience, all four films are also time capsules steeped in specific places and confronting corresponding realities. In Gray's addition to the fold, he doesn't like, love or appreciate everything that he surveys, with the director delving into happy and sorrowful slices of the past with wide-open eyes. There's another movie to be made that hones in on Johnny instead, but Armageddon Time knows what its audience does, and what Paul doesn't see as clearly but Gray can thanks to the passage of time: that small moments leave an imprint, small deeds left undone cause craters, and everyday aggressions and acts of oppression allowed to run rampant make the world shatter. That soul-searching hindsight explains Armageddon Time's overall neatness; when someone reflects upon what's come before and what it really meant, it's easy to spot intricacy and complexity that went unnoticed at the time, and to also simultaneously view the bigger picture. Still, while the film's conclusions might be blatant, this is a layered and subtle feature, as any coming-of-age contemplation set against a fraught social and political backdrop must be. With cinematographer Darius Khondji behind the lens as he was on Gray's The Immigrant and The Lost City of Z — and adding a different vision of New York to his resume compared to the frenetic Uncut Gems — Armageddon Time brings that texture to its visuals, which always have the look and feel of a memory. Painting in shades of brown is a straightforward, instantly evocative and significant choice; nothing in this powerful feature is ever rose-tinted. There's nothing simple about Armageddon Time's performances, either. In fact, Repeta and Webb manage something remarkable, more than holding their own against the reliably excellent Hopkins, Hathaway and Strong. The young pair's camaraderie shines, whether Paul and Johnny are getting sent to detention, bonding over space and Sugarhill Gang's 'Rapper's Delight', skiving off from a school excursion or smoking the joint that'll get Paul moved to his older brother's snobbish private school — where racism and classism is overt among the offspring of rich Republicans, and where then-Assistant United States Attorney Maryanne Trump (Jessica Chastain, The Good Nurse), Donald Trump's sister, addresses assembly. In Hathaway and Strong's work, complications and contradictions abound, with the former getting the thinner-written role and the latter the best redemptive moment, but the two combining to offer a snapshot of being seemingly progressive in a country engrained with intolerance. As for Hopkins, he's so naturalistic and effortless that even the harshest truths feel digestible in his presence. Armageddon Time is largely that sensation in filmic form, too — tenderly, poignantly and unflinchingly.
Fall in love with movies Italian style, at the latest glamorous edition of the Lavazza Italian Film Festival. Hosted once again in Palace Cinemas around the country, this year's festival features more than 30 features and docos, plus a breathtaking restoration of one of Italy's all-time classics. The 2014 festival opens with Marina, a light biopic about singer, songwriter and world-famous accordion player Rocco Granata, produced by Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne. Other exciting titles include impressionistic Cannes Jury Prize winner The Wonders and Asia Argento's semi-autobiographical new film Incompresa. But the best of the fest will be saved until last. This year's closing night film is none other Marriage Italian Style, beautifully restored in time for its 50th anniversary. Sophia Loren is dazzling as the mistress of a wealthy Italian businessman determined to lock down a marriage proposal. A quintessential comedy about the battle of the sexes, it puts most modern-day rom-coms to shame. https://youtube.com/watch?v=IeD7rBVAQQo
This summer, Melburnians can enjoy a big dose of coastal cool without leaving the city. And all while cruising through the sky, peaking at around 40-storeys or 120 metres high. It's thanks to the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel's new season makeover, which has seen some of its private cabins transformed into colourful summer beach boxes, replete with deck chairs and pool toys. The Docklands' tourist attraction boasts sweeping 360-degree views across Melbourne and its surrounds, from the Mornington Peninsula through to Geelong and Mount Macedon. And from November 26 until January 28, they're best enjoyed in a fun new light, as part of the Star's Summer Beach Box Experience. You can book in for a private 30-minute flight in one of the new temperature-controlled, beach-themed cabins, soaking up those panoramas while sipping fruity sangria and grazing through a selection of cheese and dips — all included in the ticket price. Round up the crew for a six-person session priced at $65 each, or to share the experience with just one special someone, opt for the $360 two-person flight. It's not the first time this year the Melbourne Star has embraced a new persona — last month it masqueraded as a performance space, hosting a revolving celebration of live tunes for Melbourne Music Week. The sky-high beach boxes are available to book between 1-9pm, running daily except for Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Australia Day.
If you think you don't know who Cody ChesnuTT is then you will be pleased to learn that you are wrong. He is the soulful singer of the incredibly catchy 'Look Good In Leather', one of many brilliant songs from his debut album The Headphone Masterpiece. The Roots (you will know them) also reworked ChesnuTT's song 'The Seed' for their famous album Phrenology. Since then it has been a long time between drinks — Australia last saw ChesnuTT in 2006. Thankfully though he is back with his second studio album and an Australian tour this month. Landing On A Hundred was released late last year and is well worth seeing performed live. In fact, anyone compared to music legends Curtis Mayfield, James Brown, Jimmy Hendrix and Prince is worth seeing, especially for under $50. So hand over a gold note, get your change and enjoy an evening of musical artistry at the Foxtel Festival Hub as part of the Melbourne Festival on Wednesday October 16 or Thursday October 17.
With a name like Canine Choreography, we reckon this Next Wave event pretty much sells itself. Created by Danielle Reynolds, this performance is billed as a humorous and sincere exploration of the world of freestyle dog dancing, which is apparently a thing. Reynolds will work alongside participants and their pooches — and yes, there will be costumes. The show will run for two nights only at Testing Grounds on May 11 and 12, and you'd be doggone mad to miss it. Photo credit: Kristy Macafee
If you're a creative kind of soul, chances are you had a crack at the art of ceramics at some point during those many long months of lockdown. Well, now, you can put your newfound passion for pottery to further good use, with a spin around Melbourne's new pop-up ceramics market. Taking over Fitzroy creator space Work-Shop on Sunday, December 12, Unearthed Clay will showcase a special lineup of emerging talent from within Melbourne's burgeoning ceramics scene. 20 up-and-coming ceramicists will be there slinging their latest creations — which means you'll be able to browse and buy some unique handmade goodies for that Christmas gift list. Among them, catch artists like Yen Qin Ceramics, Flo Ceramics Mama, Gillian Martin, Elso Collective, Hey Lenny and more. While you're there, you might even 'unearth' some inspiration for your own pottery practice. The pop-up comes courtesy of the minds behind Melbourne Ceramics Market, so you know it'll be an excellent curation of stallholders. It all kicks off at 10am. Images: Melbourne Ceramics Market
The 90s were great. That shouldn't be a controversial opinion. Whether you lived through them or have spent the last couple of decades wishing you did — aka binging on 90s pop culture — Stay Gold's New Year's Eve shindig will indulge both your retro and your festive urges. Drinks, tunes, fashion: expect all of the above at the No Scrubs: 90s and Early 00s party from 9pm on NYE. Of course, it's up to you to make sure the clothing side of thing is covered, and to get into the spirit of the season. If you want to use Mariah Carey as a style icon, it'd be fitting. Expect to unleash your inner Spice Girl and Backstreet Boy too. TLC, Destiny's Child, Savage Garden, Usher, Blink-182, No Doubt — we'd keep listing artists, but you all know what you're getting yourselves into. Entry costs between $18.40–23.50 in advance, with the fun running through until 3am.
Bury all your preconceived notions of Australian films being dry, cerebral art-house wankfests. Mystery Road is the real thing. Writer, director, composer, cinematographer and visionary filmmaker Ivan Sen has delivered a new classic, an outback murder mystery with a rich tide of ideas unravelling and washing around the edges. Mystery Road is a masterclass in first-rate Australian acting. Hugo Weaving plays the kind of male role typical of a Lars Von Trier film: not a villain but a seriously messed-up, creepy bastard. Ryan Kwanten is a diabolically suss and casually racist roo-shooter. But it's Aaron Pedersen who carries the film with a devastating performance as Detective Jay Swan. He's a cowboy, a superman, a protector of a marginalised and deeply suspicious community, and an outsider in an uncaring, corrupt police establishment. Investigating the murder of a young Aboriginal woman, he unearths a trail of prostitution, drug rings and deep social dysfunction in his outback, ex-mission town. With each new body that's found, we feel his heart sink with sorrow — he doesn't have the comfort of distance enjoyed by his white copper colleagues. He's between two worlds, as is Mystery Road itself — it's a small movie but a big story to rival any Hollywood Western, with the desire to speak to a mass audience. The unavoidable political themes and Indigenous cultural perspectives are tethered to the recognisable narrative of a police procedural, making this a familiar but strange viewing experience. It works because it springs from Sen's experience growing up and just hanging out in down-and-out regional towns that have fallen off Australia's map: where the forgotten and poor are fatally vulnerable and totally absent from the national conversation. You might not recognise this set of life-experiences, but you'll recognise the Australianisms — the old-school, sweet-and-sour-pork Chinese restaurant; the characters' casually cagey glances; the quietly funny, laconic turns of phrase. These are all the details of a master storyteller. Mystery Road's slow-beating pulse finally riptides to a heart-stoppingly tense shoot-out. As the film's rhythms crested and fell, I found no easy explanations, no Hollywood signposts, just a genre piece of great complexity, subtlety and sophistication, and troubling beauty. This is an important film, a stunningly entertaining one, and a great one. https://youtube.com/watch?v=n7CmxOOr32I
The street game experts at Pop-Up Playground are back with their latest citywide adventure. Presented in conjunction with UK-based game designers Fire Hazard, Citydash is a game of mental and physical agility played right here on the streets of Melbourne. The fun begins in the grassy amphitheatre in Federation Square, and runs for roughly an hour. Teams will chase moving targets and decipher clues in real time, all while avoiding capture by the patrolling guards. Basically, it's like orienteering for grown-ups, mashed up with a big game of hide and seek. The game was a highlight of Pop-Up Playground's most recent Fresh Air Festival back in March, and returns with all new challenges and locations. Pop-Up Playground will run three sessions of Citydash across Saturday May 30 and Sunday May 31. Tickets are $15 for earlybirds, with sales closing 24 hours before the event. For more information, visit www.citydash.net/melbourne.
Word of advice: if there are any major life decisions you need to make with your partner, perhaps you shouldn't bring them up while queuing at IKEA. And yet, that's exactly where M is standing when he suggests to his partner W that the two of them should think about having a baby. So begins Lungs, the critically acclaimed stage play from British playwright Duncan Macmillan, which makes its Australian debut at the Melbourne Theatre Company on February 5. Kate Atkinson and Bert LaBonté star as the indecisive couple in question, whose fears and anxieties come bubbling to the surface as they consider starting a family. With the planet in such a bad state already, what is the moral cost of bringing a new life into the world? Lungs shapes up as a funny, poignant look at one of the most importance choices two people can ever make.
Online wine store Vinomofo is set to launch its next collab wine and you're invited to the party. Betty's Game rosé bar will pop-up in the incredibly leafy Glasshaus Inside on Saturday, September 22 from 1–5pm. And there'll be free wine tasting, free wine ice cream and dinosaur-themed everything. The rosé — which was made in partnership with Adam Foster from Heathcote's Syrahmi wines — comes just in time for spring. Vinomofo's wine experts will be in the 'haus', doling out free tastings of both Betty's Game and other labels from its collaboration series. The retailer is also bringing back its Winescream in a new rosé gelato flavour — and passing it around for free. Since the label was inspired by Jurassic Park, it'll be a dino-centric event with prizes, giveaways and giant board games. There'll be bottles and wines-by-the-glass for purchase and Mexican street food by Woofys, too. And the Glasshaus Institute will be operating as usual, so you can nab a potted plant to take home with your bottle.
Mall Santa season is long gone but exquisitely cheesy photo ops should not be relegated to just one holiday. If you are in need of another seasonal profile pic captured by a talented professional, you are in luck. This Easter, both you and your four-legged friend can roll up to Moonee Ponds Central and get the deed done. From Saturday, April 2, running through to Easter Thursday on April 14, families, housemates, pals and pets are all welcome so there's no minimum age required to be the star of the shoot. Need a colourful new head shot? Here's your chance! Just don't forget to book. And remember to wear something eggcellent. To book your next family portrait, head to the website.
You did it. You survived another Melbourne winter. You made it through the dreary, grey season and we're not even going to judge you for how many nights you spent under a doona, indulging in goodies from the snack aisle and binging Fleabag. Obviously, this is Melbourne, so it's still a little nippy outside and you're probably not leaving the house without a jumper anytime soon. But one of the wonderful things about living in this part of the world is poking your head out as spring arrives and jumping on the road for an adventure before the weather gets altogether too hot. With flowers blossoming in the Yarra Valley, art exhibitions and light installations hitting regional hubs, and festival season just around the corner, there's no better time to get out there. Together with MG — in celebration of its new limited-edition MG3S hatchback — we've come up with five activities that will get you out of Melbourne and enjoying the spring sunshine in style.
Spending time with your loved ones is what Christmas is all about, but the annual occasion also encompasses many other elements. Enjoying a few festive drinks, exchanging gifts and eating your way through a feast are all on the list, as are marvelling at festive ornaments and peering up at a tree. And when it comes to both food and decorations, plenty of folks take both areas very seriously. Every time that December 25 rolls around, are you obsessed with having (and devouring) the perfect dessert? Are you the type of person who goes much further than simply decking the halls with boughs of holly (and tinsel, lights and other trimmings)? If so, then you might want to add Black Star Pastry's new cherry Christmas tree cake to your must-have list. From the folks that gave the world that famed, super-Instagrammable strawberry watermelon cake, it's a 35-centimetre dessert that resembles a snow-dusted Christmas tree, is obviously edible, and will also look rather striking sitting in the middle of your table as part of your festive spread. Available in both Sydney and Melbourne — at Black Star Pastry's Newtown, Rosebery, Moore Park and St Kilda stores — the cake is covered in white chocolate and vanilla mousse, and adorned with edible decorations. So, it definitely looks the part. Inside, you'll find many a treat, starting with a base of puffed rice, candied orange and milk chocolate crunch base. From there, it's layered with lemon and yoghurt sponge, citrus marmalade, praline crunch, cherry compote made with cherry wine, tea jelly and cherry mousse. The cake serves 10–15 people — or fewer if you're keen on giving yourself one or more hefty slices. It'll set you back $150, and there are only a limited number available, so getting in quick is recommended. To get your hands on one, you'll need to place your order online, then pick it up in the two days immediately before Christmas. [caption id="attachment_793973" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Chloe Dann[/caption] Black Star Pastry's cherry Christmas tree cake is available to order online until 4pm on Tuesday, December 22, to pick up on either Wednesday, December 23 or Thursday, December 24. Images: Chloe Dann.
It's very slowly warming up in Melbourne which heralds the coming of our favourite annual event — Melbourne Music Week. The 2016 lineup has got us collectively buzzing for summer nights, cold beers and sweaty gigs. As usual, the citywide festival has rolled out some unbelievable crispy shows to satisfy all music tastes. Running November 11-19, MMW will open with a bang with an all women lineup at Her Sound, Her Story. The event, appropriately hosted in Queen's Hall in the State Library (the already-announced MMW hub), will feature Julia Stone, Ella Hooper, Mama Kin, Montaigne, Mojo Juju, Ecca Vandal, Elizabeth Rose, Airling and Nyne. Then there's Aunty Donna and the Jungle Giants, who'll be performing on the steps of Parliament House, 1950s pin-up girl group Bobby and the Pins will be giving musical tours of Fitzroy Gardens, The Delta Riggs and Pierce Bothers will front a mini music festival at the MCG, and the Drones will play the grand organ at Melbourne Town Hall. That's not all though. We'll also be treated to performances by the likes of Elliphant (supported by Yeo and Uv Boi), The Harpoons and Tyrannamen at ACCA, Severed Heads, Harvey Sutherland and Bermuda and Young Magic in the State Library, and Zola Jesus and Penny Quartet at the Melbourne Recital Centre to name but a few. As usual, they're also putting on some killer workshops for noobs and musos alike, including how to make your on crystal radio (whatever that turns out to be), a choir singing workshop, make your own synth and speakers workshop and an introduction to Ableton Live. The whole shmozzle will be wrapped with big ol' shindig thrown by party people Good Manners. Now if this laundry list of fine tunes doesn't put you in the mood for summer, there's literally nothing that will.
"Abbe May plays a scorching guitar — she is the f***ing s**t!" -Nic Harcout, MTV USA Still riding high after the tremendous success of 2011's Design Desire, one of Australia's most criminally under-appreciated artists is back with a brand-new album. And she's launching it by way of a national tour, heading to every state to seduce you firsthand. Or maybe punch you in the face. Or maybe even seduce you by punching you in the face. Abbe May might come from a tiny coastal town in the very southwest of WA, but over the course of four records she has built herself up to the precipice of world domination. Her last album was nominated for the Australian Music Prize and was roundly praised by nearly every person with ears who heard it, its dark, gnarly guitars oozing sultriness, her voice shining in the darkness like a switchblade at midnight. But May promises surprises on her new album, abandoning the '70s-psych influence of Design Desire in favour of "synth-driven doom pop". As May herself declares, "Kiss My Apocalypse is unashamedly sexual and would almost be romantic if it weren't for the vitriol." "Pop is sexy when done well and it's incredibly difficult to do it well if you try too hard," she says. "We wanted to get away from music that took itself too seriously. I'm so tired of this whole shoe gaze, it-cost-a-lot-of-money-to get-a-haircut-that-looks-like-I-haven't-brushed-my-hair-in-months type shit. 'Artists' in denial that they are basically just entertainers. Being an entertainer is more meaningful if you ask me. It's not such a selfish pursuit." For almost any other artist, a major shift in sound away from the most successful album of your career would be a death sentence, crippling you just as you were poised to make a real splash. But Abbe May isn't just any artist. And when you consider that her first two albums drew heavily from (a) Deep South devil blues, then (b) Hawaiian-inspired rockabilly, a fourth major shift on her fourth album could be just what we were all waiting for. https://youtube.com/watch?v=bDJx-yLk3d0
You're invited to experience the Royal Botanic Gardens as never before, when it plays host to an immersive sound and video installation, titled Crawl Me Blood, later this month. Brought to life by Melbourne artist collective Aphids — as part of the Melbourne Writers Festival, from August 29 to September 1 — the roaming nighttime production debuted in the Royal Tasmanian Botanic Gardens in Hobart earlier this year. It's inspired by Caribbean author Jean Rhys' novel Wide Sargasso Sea and is named after a Caribbean phrase that means 'the secrets that you sense but are not told'. Here, audiences will dive deep into an exploration of race and identity. You'll get an FM transistor radio, a map and some Dutch courage (i.e. rum), then be led through a series of scenes unfolding across the gardens. Imagined in the form of a radio drama, the work shares the story of a young Aussie woman traveling to the Caribbean for her grandmother's funeral, and will be performed by a group of artists that all have ties to the to the Caribbean region. Expect plenty of visual delights and a soundtrack packed with dancehall, ragga and calypso tunes. Intrigued? You can watch a teaser for the installation here. Images: Bryony Jackson
It's not like you need an excuse to embark on a cosy, autumn weekend getaway, but here's one all the same: the inaugural Ballarat Beer Hop is dishing up a day of Easter fun for grown-ups, on Saturday, April 20. You'll forget all about those chocolate eggs and hot cross buns, when 12 of the state's best-loved breweries and six local winemaking legends descend on the regional town, taking over six of its star venues. Local hot-spots The Mallow, Campana's, Hop Temple, Freight Bar, Housey Housey and PWTN will each host two breweries and a winery, setting the scene for a roving tasting tour — basically, the Easter egg hunt of your big kid dreams. For their $40 ticket, guests will each score a Beer Hop tasting glass and 18 sampler tokens, to try beers and wines from the likes of Two Birds, Red Duck, Hop Nation, Cubby Haus, Dollar Bill and Federation University. To match those brews, there'll be plenty of entertainment throughout the day, as well as top-notch eats on offer at each venue.
If you like your weekend brunch feasts but you also like your morning workout sessions, Pontoon's got you sorted. The bayside venue is easing punters gently into summer with a series of waterfront yoga and brunch sessions. They're happening on Sunday, November 24, and Sunday, December 8, as part of Pontoon's current Veuve Clicquot Summer House pop-up. First, you'll find yourself getting bendy on the beach with a one-hour yoga flow class, guided by Yoke Yoga's Ashleigh Dickinson. Then, it's up to the deck for some hard-earned grub, in the form of a two-course brunch with bottomless booze. There's yoghurt, granola and seasonal fruit to kick things off, followed by either a smoked pork breakfast pizza or a vibrant veggie-topped green pizza. To match, there'll be free-flowing flutes of Veuve (naturally) served right through the hour-long brunch session. We reckon they'll taste even better than usual after that Sunday morning workout. It'll set you back $65 for both the yoga session and brunch.
A good glass of wine usually adds to a meal or time spent with friends. And while there are many reasons to talk up each bottle's tannins, terroir and microclimate, not every occasion calls for this kind of high-brow rumination. Instead, Natural Science Wine & Liquor's Everyday Wine Fair takes a more laidback approach, featuring a free, easygoing tasting that celebrates Australian wines made for everyday enjoyment. Held from 2–5pm on Saturday, August 2, the Blackburn-based wine merchant has assembled a stellar lineup of seven local producers, including Yarrawood Estate, Muto Wine, Gill Estate and Patrick of Coonawarra. Spanning 35 wines to sip, every bottle is priced between $15 and $27, ensuring each option up for grabs hits the sweet spot between quality, character and affordability. "This is literally an idea I had a couple of months ago," says Natural Science co-owner Tristan Jallais. "There are a lot of wine shows out there, but they're not really pitched to the everyday. This is something to enjoy, to drink — it's not elitist. It's about people filling their pantries." During the fair, expect forward-thinking sips that leave a big impression and approachable chats about Aussie wine styles making waves with independent producers. So, whether you love chatting about wine (without the snobby takes) or you're exploring small-batch vino for the first time, this relaxed afternoon event is the ideal way to taste and stock up. Images: Michael Pham.
On the outskirts of Paris, an epic electronic legend is working harder, better, faster and allegedly on a solo album. One half of Daft Punk, Guy-Manuel Homem-Christo, has been reported by French magazine Tsugi as working on his own solo release — and apparently Charlotte Gainsbourg's on board. Dates are in the dark at present, with the album actually yet to be announced. Tsugi have reported the presence of guests on the album, taking the liberty to confirm the appearance of fellow French legend Charlotte Gainsbourg. Yep. Formidable. The absence of Daft Punk co-captain Thomas Bangalter is a pretty Big Deal, but the pair have their own solo ventures from time to time — Guy-Man produced Kavinsky and Sébastien Tellier's albums and Waves compilations out on his own Crydamoure label. The first new material since last year's Grammy-blitzing album Random Access Memories, the album whisperings come with crossed fingers of an Australian return. We're all too aware this is absolute blue sky, but we'll keep shining up our helmets anywho. Via Tsugi and Your EDM.
Southsiders are about to score a visit from a very tasty guest, as Andrew McConnell's Supernormal kicks off a short but sweet pop-up at The Botanical Hotel. And this one's got your lockdown feasting sorted, serving up a roll-call of favourites from its Flinders Lane and St Kilda siblings. Running Thursdays to Sundays between Thursday, July 23 and Sunday, August 2, Supernormal Kiosk will be stocked with a range of both ready-to-eat dishes and finish-at-home meals, starring Supernormal classics and newcomers alike. You'll find serves of house-made kimchi, warming miso soup, szechuan pork dumplings teamed with a sweet soy and chilli sauce, and an appearance from those legendary New England lobster rolls. If you don't mind a few minutes of kitchen time, the kiosk's ready-to-heat options are also sure to impress. Get that house smelling amazing when you add the finishing touches to some twice-cooked duck leg bao, or the slow-cooked Xinjiang lamb with spring onion pancakes. And of course, fans will be quick to snap up a serve of McConnell's cult Valrhona chocolate and peanut butter mousse, as always decked out with salted caramel and peanut butter praline. Top image: Nikki To
Regional Victoria's northeast is turning it on again this May with another edition of Feast High Country Festival. The spectacular food and wine festival, which showcases the region's most admired producers, growers and makers, will be held between Friday, May 3 and Sunday, May 19. With over 40 events filling this year's program, there's an incredible selection to choose from. It's a challenging task to pick out just a few highlights — but we've done our best. On Friday, May 10, Bridge Road Brewers founders Ben and Maria Kraus will host Fermentation Degustation, a four-course dinner that explores everything preserved — from sourdough and sauerkraut to hoppy beer, wine and even gin. For those looking to get active, Pedal and Taste will feature a leisurely 35-kilometre bike ride that passes through some of the finest wine, olive and cheese makers in the region. The full-day tour, on Saturday, May 11, will take you from Beechworth to Milawa on the picturesque Murray to Mountains Rail Trail — concluding with a private tasting at Brown Brothers. Meanwhile, the cycle tour around Myrtleford and Ovens on Sunday, May 19, includes a hands-on gnocchi making masterclass. Alternatively, you can round up your most competitive mates for an 'Amazing Race' tournament, hosted by Mansfield Regional Produce Store on Saturday, May 11. Wind your way through country lanes and a traditional garden maze to the finish line-reward — a glass of wine and picnic hamper filled to the brim with local produce. Finally, we couldn't look past Black Barn Farm's Twilight Apple Pick and Pie on Wednesday, May 8 — grab all the apples you want from the orchard, then have Derailleur Cafe's Eric Bittner give you an unbeatable crash course in pie-making. For the full Feast High Country Festival 2019 program and to book tickets, visit the website. Images: Visit Victoria.
What's better than a venue full of very good boys and girls? A venue full of very good boys and girls, matched with bottomless pizza and a few cheeky cocktails, of course. If this sounds like your ultimate triple treat, you'll be happy to know that the folks at dog-friendly Port Melbourne restaurant Ciao Cucina, located next door to sibling restaurant Ciao Cielo, are dishing up the goods, teaming up with dog outfitters Sebastian Says for a special shindig on Sunday, April 14. To help launch the label's new collection, it's throwing a party for humans and puppers alike, taking place in its excellent courtyard. Four-legged guests will be able to get professional snaps by pet photographer DogFolk, while dressed to the nines in snazzy Sebastian Says threads. There'll also be stacks of great prizes, handed out for the likes of 'Best Dog Hair-Do' and 'Most Human-Like Dog'. Big appetites will be well catered for, too, with the kitchen serving up a two-hour all-you-can-eat pizza deal for just $50pp. Meanwhile, pups can enjoy their own range of dog-friendly, gluten-free slices, even teamed with a few doggy beers. The fun continues with live entertainment and a special lineup of spritzes — think, limoncello liqueur with prosecco and candied lemon, or the English Garden blend of gin, elderflower liqueur, apple and mint. To book your spot, email info@ciaocielo.com.au.
Go to the cinema in India and you're in for a real show — answering the blower at pivotal narrative moments and launching into loud, unbridled conversation, heavy jostling, impromptu singalongs minus the bouncing red ball and throwing betel nuts in particularly involving sequences are all common practice. Amidst all this lively commotion, it's easy to lose sight of the real action taking place onscreen, a crying shame considering the vividly crafted, infectiously emotive hyperrealities for which the Indian film industry has become world famous. This May, the second annual Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, which fortuitously falls on the 100-year anniversary of Indian films, brings a broad selection of more than 60 of India and the wider subcontinent's best cinema to local Hoyts and ACMI theatres. Highlights include ACMI's 100 Years of Indian Cinema program, pure sequin-encrusted escapism via Hurrah Bollywood and the counter-balancing Beyond Bollywood, a collection of experimental arthouse films that suggest a deeper side to the industry, beyond much-appreciated heaving bosoms and random explosions of song. Thanks to the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, we have two double passes, valid for any screening throughout the festival, to giveaway. To be in the running, subscribe to Concrete Playground (if you haven't already) then email us with your name and postal address at hello@concreteplayground.com.au. Image via Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2013.
It's no secret that the film industry isn't the most inclusive, accessible or safe space for women, one of the matters that the #MeToo and #TimesUp campaigns have been addressing over the past six months. It's also a subject that Frances McDormand highlighted in her rousing best actress acceptance speech at this year's Oscars, when she had the whole world scrambling to look up two words: inclusion rider. The industry's gender imbalance not only encompasses the treatment of women involved in filmmaking in front of and behind the lens, however, but also the field of film criticism. Take Rotten Tomatoes, for example. If it's your go-to review aggregator, then you've probably noticed that the bulk of critics listed are men. Indeed, according to a 2016 study by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, men outnumber women on the site by 73 percent to 27 percent. It's a topic that everyone from Jessica Chastain to Meryl Streep to Reese Witherspoon has drawn attention to in recent years, and now a new initiative is aiming to offer an alternative. That'd be CherryPicks, which will exclusively focus on female film critics. Expected to launch later this year, it'll provide "perspectives on film, tv, music, and more with reviews, ratings and high quality original content, all though a female lens," as its website explains. "This is where you can find out what women like, and what they don't," the site continues, in an aim to more accurately represent the full spectrum of critical voices. The project spearheaded by director, producer, actor and distributor Miranda Bailey and author, producer and entrepreneur Rebecca Odes. Speaking to IndieWire, Bailey noted the need for the film industry to not only change to "include more minorities and females on both sides of the camera", but to "change the perceived desires of consumers" as well. "How can we possibly change what consumers consider good and worthy content if the majority of critics who tell them what to want are predominately older white males?" she asked. CherryPicks will rate films on its own scale, ranging from a 'Bowl of Cherries' to 'The Pits', while also analysing each title's representation of women and considerations appropriate to women according to its own 'Cherry Check' system. In addition, it'll feature newsletters, podcasts, lists, articles and more, and spotlight women — critics, filmmakers, actors, writers and other creatives — working across the movie business. Via IndieWire.
Who needs international travel, anyway? This month, right here in Melbourne, food truck park The Ascot Lot is hosting a special food festival dedicated to two of your favourite Asian creations: noodles and boba. From 12pm on Saturday, April 24, the aptly named Send Noods festival will see some of the city's top noodle-slinging food trucks rolling up to showcase their finest slurpable dishes, including Pearl of the Quarter, Take Mie Out and Satay Truck. Even Funky Corner will be there, dishing up a few of its signature Italian variations on the theme. Meanwhile, the bar will be busy whipping up a special menu of boozy boba cocktails, taking the classic Taiwanese drink to a whole new level (balls and all). Slurp down those noods with the likes of The Cherry Blossom, a summery Boba-Colada or a boba-filled take on the long island iced tea. As always, doggos are welcome and there'll be DJs soundtracking the festivities. And if you upload a snap of one of the noodle dishes or boba drinks you enjoy on the day, you'll be in with a shot at winning a $50 Ascot Lot bar tab.
Australian's are, by and large, a beach-loving people — and as such, we feel a close affinity with the ocean. But while the water means relaxation and leisure for many, for others it symbolises something very different. And for asylum seekers fleeing persecution, the journey across the sea represents a chance at a better life. With that in mind, Enough Space in Prahran is turning its eyes to the water. Curated by writer and photographer Victoria Hannan, this charity exhibition will showcase 118 photographs of the ocean, donated by 21 different photographers from seven countries around the world. Each print will offer a different perspective on the salt and sand, and all will be available to purchase. All proceeds from sales will go to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, who work to protect and empower asylum seekers living in the community.
