Sydneysiders have now been treated to two very special Secret Suppers, courtesy of Red Rock Deli. And, for its final immersive dinner experience in Sydney, the crew at Red Rock Deli has enlisted Shanghainese chef Chris Yan to create a delicious feast. Yan is the group executive chef of Lotus Dining Group — the restaurant group with eateries in Walsh Bay, The Galeries, Darlinghurst, the Chinese Garden of Friendship and Barangaroo (with a third Barangaroo spot due to open in July). And, on Thursday, August 8, Yan will be serving a unique three-course feast that combines his signature Shanghai-style cooking with the flavours found in Red Rock Deli's new Thai red chilli and creamy coconut flavour. The exact menu will remain a secret until the night, but here's what we can reveal: if you nab a ticket, you'll receive instructions to meet somewhere in Sydney's CBD for collection. Then, you'll be whisked away to a mystery location for the intimate three-course dinner. Chris will be on-site to talk you through the menu, and you'll have the opportunity to chat with him, and other food lovers, throughout the night. There are two sessions of this lavish dinner, with room for just 20 guests at each. Tickets to Chris Yan's secret supper cost $110 per person. Enter the ballot below to be given the chance to purchase tickets. The lucky winners will receive a secret link to buy tickets to the evening on Thursday, August 8. Please note, the Secret Supper menu will not cater to ANY dietary requirements or allergies. There are strictly no changes to the menu. [competition]728205[/competition] Image: Kitti Gould.
To be a character in a Luca Guadagnino film is to be ravenous. The Italian director does have a self-described Desire trilogy — I Am Love, A Bigger Splash and Call Me By Your Name — on his resume, after all. In those movies and more, he spins sensual stories about hungry hearts, minds and eyes, all while feeding his audience's very same body parts. He tells tales of protagonists bubbling with lust and yearning, craving love and acceptance, and trying to devour this fleeting thing called life while they're living it. Guadagnino hones in on the willingness to surrender to that rumbling and pining, whether pursuing a swooning, sweeping, summery romance in the first feature that put Timothée Chalamet in front of his camera, or losing oneself to twitchy, witchy dance in his Suspiria remake. Never before has he taken having an insatiable appetite to its most literal and unnerving extreme, however, but aching cannibal love story Bones and All is pure Guadagnino. Peaches filled with longing's sticky remnants are so 2017 for Guadagnino, and for now-Little Women, Don't Look Up and Dune star Chalamet. Biting into voracious romances will never get old, though. Five years after Call Me By Your Name earned them both Oscar nominations — the filmmaker for Best Picture, his lead for Best Actor — they reteam for a movie that traverses the American midwest rather than northern Italy, swaps erotic fruit for human flesh and comes loaded with an eerie undercurrent, but also dwells in similar territory. It's still the 80s, and both hope and melancholy still drift in the air. Taylor Russell (Lost in Space) drives the feature as Maren, an 18-year-old with an urge to snack on people that makes her an unpopular slumber-party guest. When she meets Chalamet's Lee, a fellow 'eater', Bones and All becomes another sublime exploration of love's all-consuming feelings — and every bit as exquisite as Guadagnino and Chalamet's last stunning collaboration. First seen newly arrived in a small Virginia town, Maren sneaks out to attend that aforementioned sleepover, which there's zero chance her strict single dad (André Holland, Passing) would've allowed her to attend. Following a swift, grisly chomp on a freshly manicured finger, it's clear why, and evident why Maren's exasperated father doesn't want to stay around in the aftermath. He moves her to Maryland first, leaving her with a cassette spouting backstory, including that her bloodthirsty tastes date back to her toddler days, and to munched-on babysitters — plus a birth certificate bearing her mother's (Chloë Sevigny, Russian Doll) name. So springs a road trip to Minnesota, searching for that estranged mum and more answers. Then, travelling through Ohio brings Maren to the creepy yet earnest Sully (a memorable Mark Rylance, The Phantom of the Open), who shares her hankerings and says he could smell her from blocks over. Next, in an Indiana supermarket, she crosses paths with Lee. Sporting confidence aplenty — "when you weigh 140 pounds wet, you gotta have a big attitude," Lee tells Maren — Chalamet makes an imprint from his first scene. Indeed, that initial moment with Russell leaves an imprint itself, too, resembling Andrea Arnold's American Honey as much of Bones and All does. Inverting the dynamic that worked so well for him in Call Me By Your Name, the internet's boyfriend isn't the thirsty newcomer. Instead, he's the seasoned hand, one half of Bones and All's dreamy but dangerous couple, and always second to Russell's astonishing work as Maren. Both actors turn in subtle, evocative and rousing performances that sting with rawness, naturalism and deeply stomached pain while soothing through their chemistry amid the gristle. As a result, whenever they're together, they're as inviting a treat as the feature serves up. Still, in yet another powerful performance, Russell repeatedly shows why her exceptional breakout turn in Waves wasn't a one-off. As Guadagnino and his now three-time screenwriter David Kajganich (A Bigger Splash, Suspiria) adapt Camille DeAngelis's award-winning 2015 novel, Russell and Chalamet also navigate a coming-of-age search for belonging — an outsider story with actual teeth, and one that isn't afraid to use them. When Maren first gets chewing, she's making a rare friend, only for her world to dissolve by being herself. After her meat-cute with Lee, then seeing his unapologetic approach needing to eat, she finally starts to feel like she fits in. Yet whether she's facing the reality of killing to feed or getting queasy over a fireside encounter with a perturbing eater (Call Me By Your Name's Michael Stuhlbarg) and someone who has willingly chosen the cannibal life (Halloween Ends director David Gordon Green), she keeps grappling with who she is. Maren yearns to connect — and does with Lee, although unsurprisingly shies away from Sully's too-keen offer of companionship — but also has to learn to deal with her appetite, the stark realities of her situation, and the line between predator and prey, none of which she can ignore. If 70s classic Badlands met teen vampire tale Let the Right One In while driving across middle America under the magic-hour sky — and with Duran Duran, Joy Division and New Order as a soundtrack — Bones and All would be on that exact road. Visually, it adores the former, as gorgeously and expressively lensed by cinematographer Arseni Khachaturan (Beginning). The atmospheric score by Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor and his film-composing partner Atticus Ross (Academy Award-winners for The Social Network and Soul) has a nervy and layered feel reminiscent of the latter, however. Combining such sumptuous imagery with the affecting score might seem like a stark contrast. Mixing the feature's aesthetics with the narrative's innate horrors, because there's no escaping the gruesome subject matter, blood and all, might appear the same, in fact. But Bones and All's pieces always swirl together in a vivid, affecting, like-you're-there fashion. That's another Guadagnino trademark, as seen most recently in his teens-in-Italy series We Are Who We Are. Bones and All's precise premise hardly matches anyone's lived experience but, even with the film rippling with a tense and disquieting air that never subsides at its headiest and most lyrical of moments — yes, a movie can be tender, a thriller and queasy at once — its underlying feelings couldn't be more relatable. Guadagnino and his committed cast consistently make their decisions with that in mind, tearing into the universal, unavoidable truth that to be human is to wrestle with primal needs and wants. Raw, Fresh, Yellowjackets and The Neon Demon have all sunk their gnashers into cannibalism on-screen in recent years, and well, but Bones and All proves the kind of picture that truly makes you understand the term haunting. Intense, impassioned, frantic and fragile all at once — because teenage love always is, and life in general — it's a flick so rich, lingering and piercing in its emotions, characters and ideas that it gnaws on you after viewing.
There's nothing small about Hollywood's superhero obsession, with its 30-movies-deep-and-counting cinematic universes, competing caped-crusader realms, ever-growing spread across screens big and small, and determination to enlist every actor ever (and some actors more than once). That decades have passed, many spandex-clad characters have cycled through a few faces now, and reuniting past and present versions of beloved crime-fighters is the current trend: none are minor matters, either. And yet, when 2018's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse took pop culture's favourite web-slinger back to its animated roots, it made those flesh-and-blood flicks and shows, as well as the expensive special effects behind them, look positively trivial and cartoonish. Five years later, the first sequel to the deservedly Academy Award-winning masterpiece plasters around the same sensation like a Spidey shooting its silk. Give this latest take on Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's iconic character 2024's Best Animated Feature Oscar immediately. All the money in the world can't make people in tights standing against green screens as visually spectacular and emotionally expressive as the Spider-Verse films. If it could, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and now Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse wouldn't be so astonishing and exhilarating, look so stunning and feel so authentic. Spider-Man's eight stints in theatres with either Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield or Tom Holland behind the mask — and all of the latter's pop-ups in other Marvel Cinematic Universe entries, too — have splattered around plenty of charm, but they'll now always swing far below their animated counterparts. Indeed, when Spider-Man: No Way Home tried to emulate the Spider-Verse by pointing its fingers into the multiverse, as Marvel's live-action world is now fixated upon, it paled in comparison. And, that isn't just because there was no Nicolas Cage-voiced 30s-era spider-vigilante Spider-Man Noir, or a spider-robot, spider-pig, spider-car or spider-saur; rather, it's because the Spider-Verse movies truly do whatever a Spider-Man movie can. In Across the Spider-Verse, which will be followed by 2024's Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse plus a Spider-Women spinoff after that, being an imaginative and agile spider-flick initially entails hanging with Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld, one such talent with multiple superheroes on her resume thanks to Hawkeye). In most Spidey stories, Gwen Stacy is a love interest for Peter Parker, but the Spider-Verse Gwen from Earth 65 was bitten by a radioactive spider instead. Alas, with a great twist to the status quo comes not-so-great consequences for the aquamarine-haired teen drummer. Accordingly, when a battle with a Renaissance-era Vulture (Jorma Taccone, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story) gets the attention of Miguel O'Hara/Spider-Man 2099 (Moon Knight and X-Men: Apocalypse alum Oscar Isaac) and his Spider-Society, she begs to join. Before the film goes jumping between universes upon universes, however, it begins with a dazzling demonstration of how intimately linked its graphics and characters are. Gwen's dimension takes its cues from watercolours and sketches, which wax and wane in their hues and movement depending on her inner state. It's a breathtaking sight and an immensely moving touch, and Across the Spider-Verse is just getting started. For newcomers and folks with foggy memories alike, Gwen also narrates backstory details, filling in what's occurred since the first feature while playfully parodying that overused approach. When the movie slides into Miles Morales' (Shameik Moore, Wu-Tang: An American Saga) life, he takes her lead, but gives it his own spin. The first Black Latin American Spider-Man is now 15, and more confident in his spider-skills and -duties. In-between being Brooklyn's friendly neighbourhood Spidey and attending a private school that'll ideally help him chase his physics dreams, he's even guest-hosted Jeopardy!. But not telling his mum Rio (Luna Lauren Velez, Power Book II: Ghost) and police-officer dad Jefferson (Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway) about his extracurricular activities is weighing upon Miles, and he's still yearning for mentorship and friendship, especially knowing that Gwen, Peter B Parker (Jake Johnson, Minx) and an infinite number of other web-slingers are all out there catching thieves just like flies. The Spider-Verse movies take each new Spidey as a challenge to make their style and world their own, but never put aesthetics over substance. When another iteration drops in, then another and another, there's nothing arbitrary, unthinking or simple about how directors Joaquim Dos Santos (The Legend of Korra), Kemp Powers (Soul) and Justin K Thompson (Into the Spider-Verse's production designer) and their team depict anything about them. That's true in Mumbattan, where the film finds Pavitr Prabhakar/Spider-Man India (Karan Soni, Miracle Workers). And when Hobie Brown/Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya, Nope) swaggers around, it's also accurate of the Sex Pistols-meets-Basquiat standout and his totalitarian-ruled universe. He isn't part arachnid, but the same applies with Across the Spider-Verse's big bad The Spot (Jason Schwartzman, I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson), whose fight scenes are a mind-bending wonder. Is coming-of-age angst still a part of these spider-tales? Yes. Do uncles and aunts still die, and other loved ones? Yes again. And are loss, heartbreak and great powers begetting great responsibilities still pivotal factors? That's another yes. And yet, returning writers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (directors of The Lego Movie, too), plus Spider-Verse newcomer Dave Callaham (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Wonder Woman 1984), engage as eagerly and astutely with those spider-basics as the imagery springing from their script manages in every remarkable frame (all of which earn the cliche that they could and should grace walls). Across the Spider-Verse is gorgeous not only in those enchanting and entrancing visuals that couldn't better reveal who its characters are, why, and what they're thinking and feeling, but in how keenly it interrogates and engages with the comic-book medium and the page's limitless possibilities. Saying that the film resembles sticking every past Spider-Man outing in every format into a blender is a compliment; every spider-element is that well-merged. Although Across the Spider-Verse embraces being everything it can with every pixel — explodes with that idea, in fact, and makes the utmost of the freewheeling artistic freedom that animation is capable of — that isn't its message for Miles or audiences. There's so much going on in this intricate picture's kaleidoscope of intricate pictures, including unpacking what it means to have endless choices, or want to. Where the first film made it plain that being a hero isn't just for the stereotypical usual suspects and never should've been, this one champions the fact that no destiny is the same for everyone. At the same time, it conveys that being true to yourself and being in the moment is more meaningful than constantly pondering what might happen. As given voice by its first-rate cast, all imbuing their characters with a lifetime of emotion, it's no surprise that Across the Spider-Verse is so potent and infectious, or that it leaves live-action caped crusaders resigned to its shadows.
Victoria's Hot Chocolate Festival is back again this August. And, like last year, it's also bringing the decadence to you. Whether you're a Melburnian who can't make it to one of the three venues outside of town, or you're located elsewhere and you really love hot chocolate, the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, the Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie in Bellbrae and the Mornington Peninsula Chocolaterie are churning out at-home kits filled with creative hot choccie flavours. Like this year's physical fest, there's a wild range of flavours — and whichever you choose, you'll receive couverture flavour-infused melts, a giant marshmallow and interactive elements to add to your choice of hot milk at home. Wondering which inventive flavours will tempt your tastebuds? The 2022 lineup is as OTT and indulgent as ever — and as tasty. Kicking things off: the Top Gun, which comes with red, white and blue marshmallow, as well as a jam-filled donut and dark choc moustache. Keeping things movie-themed, there's also a Hocus Pocus hot choc as well. Or, you can pick from salted caramel pretzel, honeycomb macadamia kronut, Iced Vovo and Milky Way hot chocolates — and vegan caramel surprise as well. The kits are available to order throughout August, and there's a flat-rate shipping fee of $15 to anywhere in Australia.
Stories from one of the most volatile regions on earth will be in the spotlight at Australia's Palestinian Film Festival. Hosted at Kino Cinemas in the city, this year's program includes seven full length features and five shorts that showcase the experiences of Palestinians, from Gaza to the West Bank and beyond. The festival begins with animated documentary The Wanted 18, a tragicomic true tale about how a herd of Palestinian cows became the centrepiece of a protest against Israeli occupation. Degrade, meanwhile, takes place almost entirely within a Gaza beauty salon, where employees attempt to maintain some semblance of normalcy while violence rages just outside their door. But the most intriguing film in the program would have to be The Idol. Directed by two-time Oscar nominee Hany Abu-Assad, the movie tells the true story of a wedding singer from a Gaza refugee camp who became the second ever winner of Arab Idol. For the full festival program, visit palestinianfilmfestival.com.au
Because you're reading this, we know you're not someone who received a pet for Christmas, only to decide it wasn't for you. We know you're one of the good folks. You're probably wishing that you did receive a loveable animal as a gift, even if you already have one — or several — that you adore. We understand your yearning, and so does Melbourne's Lost Dogs' Home. And, while it references one type of pet in its name, it's currently trying to find permanent homes for the kittens and cats in its North Melbourne and Cranbourne shelters, which are at capacity. So, to help encourage you add some more meows to your life, it's lowering its adoption fees — to $25 for adult cats, and to $235 for a pair of kittens. If you'd just like one kitten, that's $235 as well. The initiative started yesterday, Monday, January 18. Although you can't put a price on the happiness a new furry, four-legged friend will bring, it's hoped that the low adoption fee will encourage people who have been thinking about adding a pet to their fam (and have considered it thoroughly) to make the commitment. At present, the Lost Dogs' Home has more than 700 cats in its shelters, around 64 percent of which are adult cats. The adoption fees help cover some of the costs of vaccines, health checks, desexing and microchipping for the animal — and if you're keen to give a kitty (or several) a new home full of love and pats, you can currently view which cats and kittens are up for adoption via the Lost Dogs' Home's website. Then, if you see one that captures your heart, you can submit an application online. After that, you'll hear back from the organisation's team about an adoption appointment. There's more to pet adoption than overdosing on cuteness, of course, as making the commitment to care for an animal is serious business. For more information about the Lost Dogs' Home Clear the Shelter initiative — or to view cats and kittens up for adoption, and make an enquiry — visit the organisation's website.
When Boxing Day rolls around each year, it brings sales, heat, a huge food hangover from Christmas lunch and a reminder to take down your festive decorations. Increasingly, it also sparks the beginning of the annual hot cross bun debate. Should those baked morsels of bread pop up on supermarket shelves the moment that the Christmas merriment is over? Does selling hot cross buns before the new year epitomise commercialism at its worst? Or should the tasty treats simply be available all-year-round, voiding the whole argument? Now, there's a new question to be bandied about: should you opt for traditional hot cross buns in a variety of flavours, or should you enjoy your them in ice cream form? Yes, the latter exists thanks to Woolworths, with the supermarket chain giving the whole notion of slinging hot cross buns at this time of year a summery twist. Currently available in stores, the limited-edition dessert features raisins, Australian cream and a ripple of flavour that tastes like hot cross buns. That's good news for everyone who loves their Easter treats in classic mode with fruit baked in, and bad news for anyone who prefers chocolate, salted caramel or basically anything other than raisins in their rolls. The tubs of hot cross bun ice cream aren't quite as decadent as New Zealand's version — a hot cross bun impaled on a waffle cone then filled with ice cream, which became available in 2018 at Auckland's Giapo. Still, if you love a good hot cross bun regardless of the time of year, then it just might be the new dessert to get you from summer until Easter. Image: Dallas Kilponen/PPR.
This weekend, online vintage treasure trove Hawkeye Vintage will let you into its covetable closet — and everything will be up for grabs. You'll be able to get a feel of a Gucci cashmere coat, try on a Dior evening gown and fight over Fendi bags as a whopping 2500 items take pride of place in a South Yarra Warehouse from Friday, August 31 until Sunday, September 2. The pieces on offer will run from the affordable right up to the super expensive — but all will be going at a reduced price. For example, you'll be able to nab a YSL silk shirt from $20–350 (usually $750), a Fendi bag for considerably less than you might find online. If you're really looking to spend all your pennies, Valentino cashmere coats will be on the rack for a cool $1500. The sale will run from, 10am–7pm on Friday, 10am–5pm on Saturday and 10am–2pm on Sunday.
Federation Square will be transformed into a drive-in movie theatre this week... albeit with only one car. Inspired by their successful short film showcase at the Dromana Drive-In back in February, long-running live art collective Aphids are transporting the free event to the centre of the Melbourne CBD. Deckchairs will take the place of actual vehicles, making surreptitious make-out sessions harder to pull off. Then again, given the venue, that might not be such a bad thing. Aphids will be set up in Fed Square's Yarra Gallery, shooting short films with members of the public. These new works will be unveiled on the big screen on the evening of Friday, November 14. Also on the program is the questionable Aussie cult classic Young Einstein, as well as the Aphids short film Finale, made with over 200 hundred residents of the Mornington Peninsula. Read more about the project here.
The ever-decadent Gin Palace is shutting its doors throughout January 2024 to spruce up its CBD digs, but it won't be totally gone during the month. For a few select dates in January, the Gin Palace crew will take over the Terrace Bar at Victoria by Farmer's Daughters — one of the best restaurants in Melbourne. The gin-filled residency will run from 5pm–late on Thursday, January 18, Saturday, January 20, Thursday, January 25 and Friday, January 26 — and also from 7.30pm–late on Saturday, January 27. [caption id="attachment_931223" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kristoffer Paulsen[/caption] On each of these days, bartenders from Gin Palace will whip up classic cocktails and signature sips using Four Pillars gins. In true Victoria by Farmer's Daughters style, the bartenders will mostly use local ingredients throughout the bespoke cocktail menu, creating bevs that are best paired with some bar snacks — also made with locally sourced produce. Try some Bass Strait scallops while sampling a dry martini — or get around some barbecue lamb chops while nursing a Victorian Spagliato made with Four Pillars negroni gin, Marionette bitter liqueur infused with pineapple, dry sparkling wine and some fresh pineapple to garnish. And if you pop down to the Yarra-side restaurant and bar on a Friday or Saturday evening during this period, you'll also be treated to some live music tunes. Top image: Arianna Leggiero.
For a Lunar New Year celebration that's a little less conventional, head to Melbourne Museum on Friday, February 7. Nocturnal and Midsumma are joining forces for a rollicking Lunar New Year Disco, which'll see the after-dark museum party and Melbourne's legendary LGBTQIA+ cultural festival host a show-stopping queer street dance battle Here, you'll catch colourful contestants duelling it out with their best waacking and punking moves in homage to LA's 1970s gay disco era. Thailand's Pangina Heals (Drag Race Thailand) and Taiwan's Chrissy Chou play the role of guest judges for the two tournaments, which'll both be set to hard-hitting disco beats courtesy of Hope St Radio. Guests are invited to don their best disco finery for the occasion. As always, Nocturnal's rounding out the evening with dazzling performances, roving entertainment, pop-up bars and expert talks, as the museum shows off its slightly darker, after-hours side. [caption id="attachment_722270" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cesur Sanli[/caption] Image: Censur Sanli
One of Melbourne Music Week's best-loved traditions has got to be the Live Music Safari: a one-night music party spanning an assortment of venues and artists. This year's edition ignites some of the city's hottest live music joints on Thursday, November 14, including legendary shipping container and car park bar Section 8. The Chinatown haunt will be throwing down one fierce celebration of Melbourne's music scene, with a diverse night of tunes. Melbourne-based DJ and PBS presenter MzRizk is taking the lead, curating a lineup of hard-hitting live acts guaranteed to have the party firing till late. You'll catch sounds from the likes of East African-Australian producer Pookie, South Sudanese-born rap young gun Krown, acclaimed New Zealand DJ Spell and genre-bending DJ and producer Jade Zoe, amongst others. Dancing shoes are highly recommended.
It's always happy days when a your favourite things come together under one roof. Especially when those things happen to be fun baked goods, boozy drinks and a whole lot of gorgeous greenery. Cocktail-slinging Footscray bakery Bad Love Club is dishing up quite the weekend treat, when it hosts its Pimms & Plants party next Saturday, February 9. Local greenery gurus Plant Creepers will be setting up a mini market filled with plant babies for you to browse and buy, featuring easy-care classics alongside a few lesser known varieties. And, while you're shopping up a storm, you can enjoy summery signature cocktails (Pimm's included, of course), craft beers and a few nostalgic dessert creations, courtesy of Bad Love Club's unconventional menu. Some of its latest gems include a mint-choc custard pie, a boozy peaches and cream cheesecake, and a Turkish delight negroni, so we're forecasting pretty delicious times ahead. Pimm's + Plants will run from 10am–4pm.
A mixed bag of local and international musicians are heading up to Sydney Road this week for the 26th annual Brunswick Music Festival. From Mongolian folk rock to Celtic classics, whatever your niche is it can be found here. International performers for the festival include Atlan (Ireland), Hanggai (China), Peter Rowan Bluegrass Trio (USA), Sumsum (Israel), Antonio Serrano (Spain) and the Tiger Lillies (UK). Homegrown heroes to keep an eye out for include Mam Kin, David Bridie and Frank Yamma, and plenty more. Everything kicks off with an epic seven hours of Sydney Road Street Party on March 2, then stretches on with smaller events over the following 14 days. For lovers of music and cinema, Speakeasy is hosting a screening of Sing Me The Songs That Say I Love You on March 12 at Howler. Then the closing night event, Music For The People, will wrap up the two-week-long festivities with a bang, with performances by MC Ee’da Brahim, Lotek, Seven Seas Music, Acontra, Kazband, and the unstoppable Kylie Auldist & The Glenroy Allstars. Check out the full program here.
Sometimes, waiting in line at a restaurant is inevitable. Heading out to dinner and planning ahead don't always go hand-in-hand, or maybe you're travelling, or perhaps you're simply keen on a particular type of popular cuisine. Of course, no one likes standing about, biding their time and hoping for a table. It might be a part of life, but even the most patient among us can get frustrated — particularly when your stomach is grumbling. Now, thanks to Google's latest feature, you can find out just what kind of delay you're in for — even when you're grabbing a bite to eat on the fly. The technology company has added estimated wait times to Google Search, expanding upon its popular times and live status function. You won't just discover when an eatery is typically busy, or how hectic it is at the moment, but when your chances are of getting a seat. The feature will also be rolled out to Google Maps, in excellent news anyone looking for some nosh while they're in an unfamiliar city or part of town. Almost a million places currently have their wait times included, as based on anonymised historical data, with that number set to increase. And, even if you're just trying to do something simple like treat yourself to something sweet, you can work out if that decadent dessert is really worth the wait.
As purveyors of effortless Parisian-cool vibes, the minds behind annual day party So Frenchy So Chic are the masters. So who better to entrust your plans for France's national anniversary celebration, Bastille Day? On Saturday, July 9, the team is transforming North Melbourne's Meat Market into a playground of French delights for its adults-only dance party, the So Frenchy So Chic Discothèque. Francophiles and music-lovers are invited to dive into a sparkling soiree of tunes, dancing and French-inspired frivolity. Leading the night's French-accented soundtrack will be live performances by special guests Ali Barter and Nadeah, both of whom star in So Frenchy So Chic's newly released YÉ-YÉ 2.0 — a compilation of classic songs from the YÉ-YÉ pop music movement, reimagined by Aussie artists. What's more, in between feasting your ears and showing off your chicest moves on the dance floor, you'll be able to say bon appetit to a range of French gustatory goodies from the likes of l'Hotel Gitan, Milk The Cow and Frederic — think, fondue, bourguignon and waffles. You can even save time by pre-ordering these when you grab your ticket. [caption id="attachment_858212" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ali Barter[/caption]
Bryan Smith is a self-taught American adventure filmmaker. About ten years ago he took his first camera, a camcorder from Walmart, along on a kayaking trip with friends. Since then he’s worked around the world for National Geographic, made 49 Megawatts (an award-winning conservation film) and started his own film production company. Now this downhill-skiing, sea-and-white-water-kayaking, aeroplane-flying, adventure-film-making badass is hitting the stage to tell you his secrets. On Saturday, October 4, Smith will be sharing stories of his adventures, and his filmmaking, including his kayaking explorations in India, Peru and Russia. He might even tell you a little about his human flight experience. Encounters with culture, nature and danger are everyday occurrences for Smith, although he refuses to adopt the term ‘thrill-seeker’. Instead he embraces his fear, considering nerves as his greatest asset, and his protecter. Fear, he says, keeps you focussed and safety-conscious. This is your chance to live vicariously through his thrill-seeking-but-not adventures. Grab your tickets here.
If you're the kind of market-goer who beelines immediately for the ceramics stall at your local makers market — and dreams of Patrick Swayze's ghost every time your hands hit the potter's wheel — then do we have just the ticket for you. After launching in 2017, Melbourne's ceramics-only market is back, holding a two-day event in Collingwood this summer. Taking place over the weekend of Saturday, November 10 (10am-6pm) and 11 (10am-4pm), Melbourne Ceramics Market, or MCM, costs a gold coin to enter, and showcases handcrafted creations from over 45 different ceramicists. And, if you're big into the clay world, you may have already heard of the two founders, who are ceramic artists themselves. Daisy Cooper of Daisy Cooper Ceramics and Tina Thorburn of Clay by Tina are running the market to create a retail space for other artists to sell their pieces directly to the public. You'll also find coffee trucks and baked goods to help fuel your ceramics-buying rampage.
Is your green thumb in desperate need of a workout? Leave those poor over-loved houseplants alone and head to the National Hotel for a creative fix of the lush, green, foliage-based variety. On Thursday, August 18 (and again on Thursday, October 13), the Richmond pub is teaming up with Melbourne's goddess of greenery The Plant Whisperer to host another edition of its popular Tipsy Terrarium Workshop. And yes — that means you'll be sipping bevs while getting crafty with some plants. The hands-on classes won't just show you how to whip up an impressive terrarium, but will also teach you everything you need to know about plant selection, soil composition, layering techniques and caring for your new creation. Tickets to the workshops are $110, which includes all your terrarium trimmings — a glass vessel, plants, soil etc — plus a drink on arrival. Further sips will be available to purchase from the bar.
'Tis the season for dark, malty brews and Abbotsford's Bodriggy is celebrating that fact with a three-day, beer-filled fiesta. The yin to the yang that is the brewery's sour-focused Electric Kool-Aid fest, the inaugural Lunaverse will be pouring the goods from Friday, August 5–Sunday, August 7. A wintry celebration of dark beer and live music, the festival is set to showcase a delectable lineup of dark, dank drops from the likes of Hop Nation, Molly Rose, Garage Project, Sailors Grave, Mountain Culture and more. Get set for black IPAs, porters aplenty and pastry stouts in abundance. On Saturday, August 6, there'll also be a program of free beer workshops and sensory events, featuring special guests from the participating breweries. [caption id="attachment_735950" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption] Meanwhile, the tunes will be flowing just as easily, with a program of live gigs and DJ sets stacked across all three days. The 20-strong artist lineup includes names like Milo Eastwood, DJ JNETT, Mz Rizk, Parsnip, Alien Nose Job and Foggy Notion, with the shows taking over both the brewpub and upper-level bar Stingrays Upstairs. Entry to Friday's fun is free until 6pm, while entry on Saturday is free until 4pm and free all day Sunday. Tickets to the nighttime festivities are $10 online, or $12 at the door. Top Image: Kate Shanasy
Didn't spend the festive season hopping all over Greece? Us neither, but Melbournians can spend January doing the next best thing. The new year doesn't just mean saying goodbye to your summer break and steeling yourself for a return to normality — it also means diving deep into a sumptuous Greek feast at Ela Pop-Up Restaurant. If that doesn't help you ease back into your working routine, nothing will. From January 3 to 31 at the Gertrude Street Enoteca, Ella Mittas and Mon Ditbunjong will be whipping up a storm of delicious Mediterranean traditional recipes every day, drawing upon Ella's time spent living, working and eating in Greece. As such, the pop-up will be taking hungry customers on a tour of the country, with its changing menu exploring the nation's different regions — including food from the Peloponnese from January 7, Crete from January 14, the Cycladic Islands from January 21 and Northern Greece from January 28. While dropping by for an impromptu bite is encouraged, so is booking in for a leisurely late Sunday lunch, with the set menu each week taking inspiration from the aforementioned areas of focus. And, that extends to wine as well. Throw in a vibe influenced by the 1983 film Rembetiko, complete with a curate soundtrack, and you'll think you're somewhere far away from Gertrude Street.
After a mini lockdown hiatus, Melbourne's original monthly market dedicated to plant-based goodies is back. This Saturday, July 3, Vegan Market of Melbourne returns to the Queen Victoria Market for its next jam-packed edition, set to showcase a hefty lineup of vegan food, fashion, art and more. Swing by from 9am to check out the diverse array of stalls, slinging cruelty-free finds for your house, wardrobe and tastebuds. Among the mix, there'll be fresh produce from Urban Farming Collective, plenty of G. Free Donuts' gluten-free treats, Berlin-style kebabs from Oh My Döner and homemade nut butters courtesy of Dr Peanut Butter. Spliced Eco Fashion will be slinging its latest vegan-friendly threads and you can show your locks a bit of post-lockdown love with some natural, plant-based hair products from Simply Tu. And that's just a tiny taster of what's on offer. It's all happening at the rear of K Shed, with stalls operating until 4pm.
As happens each and every year, more than a few Australian films will hit screens big and small throughout 2021. More than a few have already actually, given that the year is in its home stretch. Some have proven exceptional, others have earned the exact opposite description and plenty fall somewhere in the middle. But only one happens to be the best Aussie film of the year, as well as the homegrown title that's been grabbing attention since it was first announced in 2020. That movie: Nitram. Read the movie's moniker backwards, and you'll see why it started garnering plenty of notice before anyone had even seen it. Now, Aussies are getting the chance to watch the movie themselves — with the film currently screening in Australian cinemas where they're open, and then heading to streaming service Stan from Wednesday, November 24. When it was initially announced last year, the film sparked debate about whether any feature should explore this traumatic chapter of Australia's past. Now that the end result is here, it's both intense and exceptional, as well as extremely careful about its subject matter. The latter shouldn't come as a surprise given that Nitram reunites Snowtown and True Story of the Kelly Gang filmmaker Justin Kurzel with screenwriter Shaun Grant, who penned both movies. With their two earlier collaborations, Kurzel and Grant amassed an impressive history when it comes to tackling the nation's darker and thornier moments, and that doesn't change here. Only ever referring to the gunman responsible for murdering 35 people and wounding 23 others via the movie's moniker, Nitram steps through the lead up to those events in Port Arthur 25 years ago. Caleb Landry Jones (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) plays the eponymous figure, who lives with his mother (Judy Davis, The Dressmaker) and father (Anthony LaPaglia, Below), and finds a friend in a reclusive heiress named Helen (Essie Davis, Babyteeth). The film isn't specifically about the tragedy of April 28 and 29, 1996, instead focusing on the time leading up to those dates, but every Australian knows where the story goes from there. Earlier in 2021, Nitram became the first Aussie feature to play in the Cannes Film Festival's coveted competition in a decade. It won Jones the prestigious fest's Best Actor prize, too. And you can expect to hear more about it again — and for the movie to collect more shiny prizes — as Australia's film awards season pops up at the end of the year. Check out the trailer below: Nitram is currently screening in Australian cinemas where they're open, and will be available to stream via Stan from Wednesday, November 24. Read our full review.
Deep in the woods of an Argentinian forest, Pedro (Viggo Mortensen) leads a simple life. He lives on his own in a cabin, tends to his bees with local girl Rosa (Sofia Gala) and is involved in less legitimate activities with childhood friend Adrian (Daniel Fanego) and the latter's slow-witted godson Ruben (Javier Godino). But when he begins coughing up blood, he knows he is quickly succumbing to cancer and he decides to make a rare trek into the city to see his brother. Meanwhile, in the city, his identical twin brother Agustin, a paediatrician, leads a comfortable but unhappy life and feels only numbness when his wife tells him they can adopt a baby. When the scruffy, chain-smoking Pedro visits unexpectedly and offers him a cash reward for treatment, Agustin seizes a chance to take his sibling's life and kills him, leaving his body to fake his death, enabling him to return to the cabin in Pedro's place. Agustin soon realises his brother's life was no idyllic backwater breeze, however, as he has to feign his sibling's ailments while piecing together his estranged brother's life and figuring out how to extract himself from the kidnapping scheme Pedro got himself involved with. The bees which make their way into his unfamiliar beekeeping suit turn out to be the least of his problems as he inherits a vendetta with the owners of a local general store, further isolating himself from the remote community. He also has to navigate an uneasy relationship the gun-toting, bible-quoting Adrian and convince Rosa that he hasn't been acting strange since he returned from the city. Everybody Has a Plan is a ponderously paced though richly atmospheric affair, its picturesque setting all broody swamps, hazy sunsets and fields speckled with ghostly trees. But a strong sense of place isn't matched by the story, which is thin and difficult to ever really care about. Similarly, the romance with Rosa feels underdone. The main reason to see this, a debut picture from Argentinian Ana Piterbarg, is Mortensen, who turns in not one but two intense and convincing performances, in Spanish no less. Mortensen remains a great screen presence, but he needs a better avenue for his considerable talents. https://youtube.com/watch?v=cJ8W01suq-c
This post is sponsored by our partners, lastminute.com.au. People don't know much about Western Australia. For something that's the combined size of Texas, Ireland, New Zealand, Japan and the UK, we should really know more than the fact Little Creatures is brewed there, and sometimes they have sharks. But this could be a blessing in disguise. Now you have an entire new land to discover out west, and all for the small price of a domestic flight. Here's our guide of where to go once you touch down. Perth and surrounds The first place people can think of in WA, Perth is not only the sunniest capital city in the world, but also one of the top ten most liveable. It may be pretty isolated from the rest of the country, but that creates a kind of camaraderie among its citizens that Melburnians and Sydneysiders can only dream of. Oh, you're trapped in peak-hour traffic on Parramatta Road? Perth locals are taking a weekend jaunt to Rottnest Island via ferry. What's that? You're in a packed train carriage staring at the filthy brown Yarra? People in Perth are having picnics next to the beautiful, dolphin-dotted Swan River. While visiting, we recommend Cottesloe Beach for some surf, this small bar tour for some culture, and the Swan Valley for some local vino. Also, Fringe World Festival is happening at the moment! Why aren't you there already? Where to stay: Esplanade River Suites if you're on a budget, or Crown Metropol Perth or Best Western Premier The Terrace Hotel Perth if you're splashing out. South West South of Perth lie even more treasures, including the renowned wine region, Margaret River. While just a 50-minute flight from the capital, we recommend you hire a car and drive. It will take about three hours, but as WA has 12,000km of the most beautiful coastline in the world, we're sure you won't be disappointed. Once there, it's all about leisure. Spend all day eating and drinking, then cycling off a few meals around the Margaret River. Where to stay: Kalbarri Edge Resort if you're on a budget, or Smiths Beach Resort or Injidup Spa Retreat if you're splashing out. Broome and the Kimberley To venture even further into the unknown, take a trip up north to these great, sunburnt plains. Here, you can expect camel rides along the beach, cheeky and profitable trips to Broome's pearl farms, and endless hours spent on Cable Beach (with sunscreen, because oh lord, you're much closer to the equator up there). This one is a bit more of a hike from Perth, at either a 2-hour 30-minute flight or 24-hour drive, but it's probably worth it. Taking in the entire Coral Coast could be just the first of your exciting experiences. Where to stay: Cable Beach Club Resort & Spa or The Pearle of Cable Beach. Exmouth and Coral Coast This place is like a real-life Seaworld, but you'll need a few days to see it all. A two-hour flight out of Perth, Ningaloo Marine Park and Cape Range National Park will be your first stops on this trail of aquatic wonder — world-heritage listed prime sites for snorkelling, diving with whale sharks and swimming with dolphins. In fact, every morning at Monkey Mia, wild bottlenose dolphins freely come to the shallows for no more than a pat hello. It's surely some kind of magic. Where to stay: Novotel Ningaloo Resort. Golden Outback Of course, most of this big, sprawling state is desert — the wild outback that our country is known for around the world. If you get sick of being greeted by dolphins every morning and visiting wineries in the afternoon (as unlikely as it may be), the outback could serve as the perfect getaway. First stop: wave rock. This natural anomaly is roughly 2,700 million years old and a true wonder to behold. Alternatively, if you don't like the idea of nature looming over you, you can get on top of it. Hot air ballooning is really popular over the Avon Valley, or you can get an unhindered view of the red terrain with a 14,000-foot skydive. Why not get a little dangerous in our most wild state? Where to stay: Black Wattle Retreat or The Grandhouse York. For more information on flights and accommodation in Western Australia, check out lastminute.com.au.
Some farewell tours seem to last forever — and, thanks to the pandemic, Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour is one of them. Since September 2018, the music star has been saying goodbye all around the globe, including making the trip Down Under already. But what was meant to be his final trip our way resulted in some rescheduled gigs, so he's back again, playing two last-ever Melbourne shows. It's been a big few years for the singer, not only with the huge tour — which spans more than 300 concerts across five continents — but with his life story hitting the big screen in biopic Rocketman. He had a massive first round of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour in Australasia, too, with over 705,000 tickets sold to gigs a three-month period that spanned 34 Australian and six New Zealand dates from November 2019. Missed out then? Keen to go again? In Melbourne, he'll light up AAMI Park on Friday, January 13 and Saturday, January 14. Fans can expect to feel the love through all of his hits, including 'Rocket Man', 'Tiny Dancer' 'Bennie and the Jets', 'Crocodile Rock', 'I'm Still Standing' and 'Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting'. The concerts will also feature never-before-seen images and videos show from John's 50-year career — well, never seen before the tour — which'll be displayed throughout the show. When the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour comes to an end, John will retire from touring after five decades on the road. If that all sounds rather massive, that's John's career in a nutshell. He's played more than 4000 shows across his career, sold more than 300 million records worldwide and holds the record for the biggest-selling single of all time thanks to the 1997 version of 'Candle in the Wind'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtVBCG6ThDk Image: Ben Gibson.
Australia's Greek Film Festival is rolling back into town with its latest lineup of contemporary and classic cinema from the Mediterranean nation. Presented by Delphi Bank, this year's program features a wide selection of comedies, dramas, documentaries and shorts, as well as a career retrospective of one of Greece's most iconic stars. The festival gets under way with opening night film Alex and Eve, a local production filmed in Sydney's inner west about a Greek Australian man who falls in love with a Lebanese Muslim woman — much to the chagrin of his Greek Orthodox family. Other standouts include Athenian gangster flick Wednesday 04:45, romantic drama Riverbanks and father-son road trip movie Magic Men. Audiences in Sydney and Melbourne will also be treated to a survey of the films of '60s bombshell Aliki Vougiouklaki’s, including risqué rom-com Ace of Spades and escapist musical Lady and the Tramp. For the full Delphi Bank Greek Film Festival program, visit the festival website.
70s-era porn, but make it a slasher flick: when Ti West's X marked the big-screen spot in 2022, that's one of the tricks it pulled. The playful, smart and gory horror standout also arrived with an extra spurt of good news, with West debuting it as part of a trilogy. 30s- and 40s-period technicolour, plus 50s musicals and melodramas, but splatter them with kills, genre thrills and ample blood spills: that's what the filmmaker behind cult favourites The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers now serves up with X prequel Pearl. Shot back to back with its predecessor, sharing mesmerising star Mia Goth (Emma), and co-written by her and West — penned during their two-week COVID-19 quarantine period getting into New Zealand to make the initial movie, in fact — it's a gleaming companion piece. It's also a savvy deepening and recontextualising of a must-see scary-movie franchise that's as much about desire, dreams and determination as notching up deaths. In one of her X roles, Goth was magnetic as aspiring adult-film actor Maxine Minx, a part she'll reprise in the trilogy's upcoming third instalment MaXXXine. As she proved first up and does again in Pearl, she plays nascent, yearning, shrewd and resolute with not just potency, but with a pivotal clash between fortitude and vulnerability; when one of Goth's youthful X Universe characters says that they're special or have the X factor, they do so with an astute blend of certainty, good ol' fashioned wishing and hoping, and naked self-convincing. This second effort's namesake, who Goth also brought to the screen in her elder years in X, wants to make it in the pictures, too. Looking to dance on her feet instead of horizontally, stardom is an escape (again), but Pearl's cruel mother Ruth (Tandi Wright, Creamerie), a religiously devout immigrant from Germany turned bitter from looking after her ailing husband (Mathew Sunderland, The Stranger), laughs at the idea. This franchise hones in women who know what they want, aren't afraid to attempt to get it and snap after their fantasies as hungrily as an alligator (handily, the Texan ranch that both films so far are set on sports a lake with a large ravenous reptile). That said, the X-Pearl-MaXXXine realm also focuses on women who aren't just one thing, not for a second — being adamant about what they'd like to with their lives included. That's a key reason why X and Pearl alike offer more than merely well-executed carnage, although they each deliver that in visceral spades. West's screenplays, no matter who he is or isn't scripting with, see innocence and insidiousness lurking in the same pools, and spot them with the same clear eyes. In Pearl, they see them peering out from the same peepers as well. Indeed, this saga unpacks the fine line between competing forces, impulses, emotions and outcomes whenever and however it can. One such conflict: the existence that Pearl is told she should be happy with versus the lure of being a chorus girl that she can't shake. Actually, to say that Ruth wants her to be content with her lot in life is overstating it: Pearl's mum doesn't care if her daughter finds any joy in dutiful drudgery. So, the young woman steals away to the local cinema when she can, where the projectionist (David Corenswet, We Own This City) screens the dancers that she wants to be. When they're alone — when she warms to a rare dose of attention — he also screens an early skin flick. And, at home, Pearl works through her sexual appetite with a scarecrow (The Wizard of Oz, this isn't) and her bloodlust by feeding farm animals to said gator. But it's news of auditions for a travelling dance revue, which she pledges to try out for with her sister-in-law Mitsy (Emma Jenkins-Purro, One of Us Is Lying), that truly gets her desires pumping. Like X before it, Pearl's narrative is deeply steeped in its chosen era. This time around, it's 1918 rather than six decades later — a choice of year that isn't just about the maths needed to link to X. As the COVID-19 pandemic ensured that everyone knows, influenza was wreaking havoc. In a detail that mightn't be as well known, it was first recorded just two states up from Pearl's homestead. Also, the First World War was still being waged until November. Pearl's life is touched by both, with sickness an ever-present worry in her town — face masks are sighted — and its men, her husband Howard (Alistair Sewell, The Power of the Dog) among them, off in combat. Confronted by life's grimness several times over, and by a persistent fantasy of breaking free, how's a repressed and downtrodden gal to cope? This one does so with murder and mayhem. Back in the 50s, Douglas Sirk made an art out of 'women's pictures', as they were derisively called — pictures that surveyed the emotional turmoil simmering within unfulfilled female protagonists, and understood how such complex inner chaos could be tied to the times, class and societal structures, and the expectations and restrictions placed upon the fairer sex. The legacy that films like All That Heaven Allows and Imitation of Life have left is immense, and Pearl slots right in beside everything that's followed in those footsteps. Sirk definitely didn't make slashers, though. Neither did Carol's Todd Haynes when he crafted 2002's wonderful Far From Heaven, a drama firmly in the Sirkian mould. West and Goth pay loving tribute to all that cinema has allowed in these past greats, while also getting savagely subversive; their portrait of Pearl's namesake is a horror movie and a tragedy. Pearl is glorious on both Goth and returning X cinematographer Eliot Rockett's parts, too, with a lead performance and a look that could've wowed audiences in the mid-20th century. Goth isn't just the feature's star — she's its pulse, with every electrifying change of mood, expression and pace, often within the same scene, rippling through the film like a gusty farmyard breeze. Rockett unsurprisingly adores staring her way, making Goth as sumptuous a sight as the saturated colour palette around her (not that the High Life, Suspiria and A Cure for Wellness talent needs any help). Composers Tyler Bates (the John Wick films) and Tim Williams (Brightburn) provide a sweeping orchestral score that's equally as rich, harking back to old Hollywood in its swelling notes. West, doing his own editing as he usually does, winks with his use of retro wipes and dissolves as much as the movie's title font. There's grit to this flick, of course, thanks to its devilish rampages and making-of-a-villain origin story, but this is indeed a gem.
The Astor Theatre may be closing, but it's going out in style. The cinema's second-to-last calendar is one of its very best, with all sorts of special screenings and filmmaker retrospectives, including a comprehensive tribute to Mr Quentin Tarantino. Get ready for six weeks of stylised violence, awesome music, super obscure film references and fetishistic close-ups of women's feet. The QT series starts on Thursday, October 9, with a double bill of Reservoir Dogs along with his underappreciated blaxploitation throwback Jackie Brown. Then the following week brings the film that really put the LA video store nerd on the map: the form of his badass, post-modernist crime pic Pulp Fiction. Two part vengeance epic Kill Bill makes for a no brainer of a double feature, as does Grindhouse, his B-movie double act with Robert Rodriguez. Inglourious Basterds on November 6 just might be his masterpiece, while his most recent flick, Django Unchained, brings the trip through the Tarantinoverse to a close.
This year, the AICE (Australia Israel Cultural Exchange) Israeli Film Festival, the only country-wide event to focus on Israeli film, celebrates ten years of bringing assumption-shattering documentaries and controversial features to Australian audiences. Opening night will see the national premiere of The Ballad of the Weeping Spring, nominee for nine Israeli Academy Awards and winner of four. Stylistically influenced by both spaghetti Westerns and samurai epics, it explores the often blurred lines between life and art in its portrayal of the emotional reunion of a once legendary band torn apart by tragedy. Other highlights of the fortnight-long festival include The Gatekeepers, an Oscar-nominated documentary in which six ex-leaders of the Shin Bet (Israel's internal secret service) discuss their success and failures in "overseeing Israel's war on terror"; Good Garbage, winner of Best Documentary at Shanghai's Magnolia Film Festival, which depicts the hardships of 200 Palestinian families who depend upon the Hebron Hills garbage dump for survival; and Zaytoun, a drama about the development of an unusual friendship between a Palestinian orphan and an Israeli fighter pilot. "The festival continues to highlight not only the breadth and strength of the Israeli film industry, but also presents the broad spectrum of Israeli society and everyday issues," explains co-curator Keith Lawrence. "A common thread in many of the films this year is that of the concerns of young adults — social, sexual and political — whether Jewish, Christian or Muslim."
Whether you're the kind of person who likes chasing waterfalls, heading out on a challenging bush walk or venturing to a long stretch of sand for the day, the best all-day adventures are usually enjoyed in summer. And, now our work alarms are set for the year, we're as keen as ever to make the most of summer's sunshine-filled weekends. So, to make sure you squeeze every last drop of the season, we've teamed up with Jim Beam to bring you three essential items to pack on your next adventure. Don't forget the water, your best mates and a sun hat, of course. [caption id="attachment_796762" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kendra Kamp; Unsplash[/caption] SWAP DIGITAL PICS FOR A REUSABLE FILM CAMERA If you're going to make this day trip a memorable one, then you'll need some happy snaps to capture all the best bits. And if you really want to immortalise that time you lived your best lives, why not ditch the digital in favour of a trusty (and very cute) film camera? This classic M35 number from Kodak is full of minimalist retro charm, boasting a fixed-focus lens and manual winding function. Plus, it comes in a range of playful colours that you'll be more than happy to show off while snapping photos of your out-of-town adventures. Be sure to pack a few extra rolls of 35mm film, and you'll be able to relive your day trip all over again when you get the shots developed. You can find a range of M35 cameras on Etsy from $99.35. PACK A LIGHTWEIGHT BEACH TOWEL We all love a good beach visit, but a sandy car for the drive home? Well, that's just never fun. Handily, you can avoid any extra grainy tag-alongs when you pack one of these sand-free beach towels from Aussie label Tesalate. They're made using a special high-tech fabric that repels sand, absorbs water easily and dries extra fast — all handy features when you're packing in a big day of activities. The full-size towels are also super compact, so they'll fit in your swag bag no matter how light you're travelling. And there are stacks of fresh, bold designs to choose from — including this breezy blue number inspired by dancing pool ripples ($79). [caption id="attachment_796763" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arthur Poulin; Unsplash[/caption] MAKE A BATCH OF PICNIC-READY HIGHBALLS On any good day trip, you'll find yourself stopping somewhere to soak up the sights, whether you're overlooking sparkling ocean vistas, a majestic rainforest or a lush countryside view. And that's the perfect time to kick back and cheers the occasion with a crisp, summery highball. To make yourself a simple yet celebratory drink, prepare a flask of Jim Beam and lemon. Simply pour 15ml of lemon cordial per person and 30ml of Jim Beam bourbon per person into a flask. To ensure it's cool, you can prep the base and keep it in the fridge overnight before adding to a flask. Then, on your adventure, pour a serve of the batched base into your travel cups and top up with soda. You'll be ready to sip when you chance upon the ideal spot. Top image: Jesse Lindemann via Tourism and Events Queensland
Trendy trio Kitty, Daisy and Lewis, performing this Wednesday at Billboard, make retro-inspired soulful tunes mixed with a dash of modern funk. Their already impressive repertoire of appearances at Falls, Meredith and the Big Day Out is being added to over the next few months with concerts in both Melbourne and Sydney before they head up to the beloved Byron Bay for Australia's largest and most renowned blues and roots festival, Bluesfest. Hailing from north-west London, the trio derive a lot of their inspiration from the swinging melodies of the '40s, '50s and '60s and have been described by NME as "the sound of yesteryear, but also a band for the future". To jump on the bandwagon and see what all the hype is about snap up still available tickets for Wednesday night's performance.
There's never a bad time to head to the cinema, but Sunday, January 19 might just be a better day than most. Make a trip to the movies any time on that specific date, and $2 from your ticket will be donated to charities helping bushfire-affected communities. A joint collaboration between most Australian cinemas and distributors — aka the folks who show movies, and those that make them available to screen — the day-long event will support the Salvation Army Bushfire Appeal, the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery and the RSPCA Bushfire Appeal. Most cinemas in Melbourne are participating — which includes all Palace, Village, Hoyts and Readings locations, plus the Lido and the Classic, among others. Wondering what to see? Spend a few hours with standouts such as True History of the Kelly Gang, Little Women and 1917, enjoy the all-ages hijinks of Jumanji: The Next Level or see Guy Ritchie fall back upon his British crime caper ways with The Gentlemen. You can also experience the catastrophe that is Cats for yourself, travel to a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker or watch a Californian couple try a different way of living in inspirational documentary The Biggest Little Farm.
If you're a film buff, then you're also a travel buff. Even if you don't venture further than your nearest cinema, you're often journeying to other countries when you sit down to watch a movie. Thanks to the Cine Latino Film Festival, the sights and sounds of Latin America await Australian filmgoers in November, taking them on a trip to Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay, Cuba, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. Australia's second Spanish-language film festival (after the Europe-centric Spanish Film Festival), the Cine Latino Film Festival will bring 26 titles from Central and South America to Aussie screens from November 14 to 29. The fun kicks off with You're Killing Me Susana, a marital comedy featuring Mexican star Gael García Bernal. Other highlights span a variety of genres and nations. Audiences can check out Inseparables, the Argentinian remake of French film The Intouchables, or get an authentic glimpse into prison romance in the Dominican Republic with Woodpeckers – about inmates from neighbouring jails communicating via their own form of sign language. Elsewhere, Cannes Critics' Week hit Gabriel and the Mountain combines documentary and drama to tell the true tale of a Brazilian traveller; Tales of Mexico asks eight filmmakers to spin stories about Mexican history; and Lost North tracks a man trying to find his girlfriend across the 900 miles between Santiago and the Bolivian border. Other notable titles include Peruvian musical-comedy Crazy in Love, Colombian paramilitary thriller Guilty Men, and Ecuador's submission to next year's foreign-language Oscar category Such is Life in the Tropics, about a battle between a land owner and squatters. The festival will also shine a particular spotlight on Argentinian and Mexican filmmaking in two specific program strands. The latter is a collaboration with the Hola Mexico Film Festival, while the former will thrill fans of familiar faces, with The Secret in Their Eyes star Ricardo Darín playing an Argentinian president in The Summit, and Gloria's Paulina García going soul searching in The Desert Bride. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gALX8_SHP68 The 2017 Cine Latino Film Festival will screen at Sydney's Palace Norton Street and Palace Verona from November 14 to 29, Melbourne's Palace Cinema Como and Palace Westgarth from November 16 to 29, and Brisbane's Palace Centro from November 16 to 29. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the festival website.
Ever wanted to channel Step Brothers and unleash some party vibes at a Catalina Wine Mixer? Well, thanks to the crew at Welcome To Thornbury, your time to shine is now. The northside food truck park is turning art into reality and teaming up with South Australia's Howard Vineyard to host a real-life rendition of the fictional shindig. On Saturday, September 14, you're invited to don your finest yachting get-up and launch into spring with a day of live tunes, wine quaffing and general Will Ferrell-inspired frivolity. Howard Vineyard will be offering both bottomless wine packages and wine tastings galore, as well as some fun educational stuff. You'll have the chance to chat with winemakers, load up on handy wine knowledge and even stomp some actual grapes, with an all-expenses paid-trip to the winery also up for grabs. Live tunes from funky nine-piece act Sex On Toast are sure to get you in the groove, as is the DJ soundtrack of back-to-back 'yacht rock' classics. Unfortunately, there's no guarantee of any helicopters on the day (a la Step Brothers), though there will be a stack of helicopter experiences given away as prizes. And of course, you'll find complimentary captains hats to round out your outfit. A range of ticket packages will available from 10am on Wednesday, August 14.
These colourful creations from local baking business Beurre might just be the tastiest — and cutest — form of vax encouragement yet. The aptly-named Vaxx Cakes are frosting-topped beacons of positivity, proudly emblazoned with messages like 'great jab', 'congrats on your vax!' and (our personal favourite) 'poppin buttons for Sutton'. The bakery is the brainchild of local Zahara Valibhoy, who's been serving up specialty sweet treats under her Beurre dessert label for the past few years. Some pandemic-induced pivoting in 2020 saw Valibhoy extend her talents to making tasting boxes and rainbow-sprinkled celebration cakes. Now, following a friend's custom request for a special post-vax treat for her husband, she's been inspired to create a dedicated range of cakes celebrating the important act of getting a COVID-19 vaccination. Sporting brightly-hued icing and sprinkles aplenty, the Vaxx Cakes are available in three of Beurre's most popular flavour combinations: there's a pecan number with Biscoff chantilly and pecan praline; the vanilla plum cake finished with whipped cream cheese and a cheesecake crumble; and a chocolate creation starring milk chocolate chantilly and berry gel (also available gluten-free). Each $45 cake is sized for four generous portions, or eight smaller serves. Orders are open now over on the website, with delivery available across metro Melbourne. Images: Beurre
When Melbourne Queer Film Festival returns for 2023, taking over a heap of picture palaces around Melbourne from Thursday, November 9–Monday, November 19, it wants you to make a date with two of the internet's boyfriends. And, it also hopes that you'll spend some time in a darkened room with Penélope Cruz. Helping the first dream to come true is All of Us Strangers, as led by Fleabag's Andrew Scott and Aftersun's Paul Mescal. Ticking the second box is the Parallel Mothers star's latest L'immensità. And, they're just two of the highlights on the just-announced MQFF lineup. This year's celebration of LGBTQIA+ cinema includes 50 feature films and 17 documentaries — sticking with the numbers, it spans 11 short film packages, three world premieres, 26 Australian premieres and 19 Victorian premieres, too — plus the return of the Victorian Pride Centre Rooftop's outdoor cinema. It's a hefty program, all under new Program Director Cerise Howard. The other venues that you'll be heading to: The Astor Theatre, The Capitol, The Kino, Village Cinemas Jam Factory and Cinema Nova. All of Us Strangers is the newest effort directed by Weekend and Lean on Pete's Andrew Haigh. Heading to the fest fresh from premiering at Telluride, it adapts Taichi Yamada's 1987 novel Strangers as it charts both a romance and a ghostly experience with the past. As for L'immensità, it has Cruz playing a mum again. This time, she's in 70s-era Rome and navigating struggles in her marriage, while also supporting her 12-year-old when they begin to identify as a boy — with director Emanuele Crialese drawing upon his own experiences. Other highlights include the fest's three big special-event slots, aka opening night, the centrepiece presentation and closing night. MQFF 2023 will kick off with rom-com I Love You, Beksman, which hails from The Philippines and spins a coming-out story — and Marinette, about French soccer star Marinette Pichon, is getting the mid-festival spotlight. Then, the event will farewell this year with Solo, which follows a makeup artist in the Montreal drag scene. Film lovers can also look forward to Hirokazu Kore-eda's Monster, which picked up this year's Queer Palm, and is the prolific helmer's latest on a lengthy resume that also includes Shoplifters and Broker; T-Blockers, which is made by a largely queer, non-binary and trans cast and crew; Passages from Love Is Strange's Ira Sachs; and supervillain parody The People's Joker, which gives the caped-crusader realm a queer coming-of-age spin. There's also Housekeeping for Beginners from You Won't Be Alone and Of an Age's Goran Stolevski; Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, a documentary about an Estonian log-cabin sauna; Melbourne-set Australian effort Sunflowers and Aussie documentary Isla's Way. Or, there's the Berlin-set Drifter, Indigo Girls doco It's Only Life After All, plus the AIDS in Hollywood-focused Commitment to Life. Or, heading back into sports, Equal the Contest follows regional women's Australian rules football team Mount Alexander Falcons in an exploration of the barriers still faced for women and gender-diverse people on the field. And those classics? They include the Al Pacino (Hunters)-starring Cruising from iconic The Exorcist filmmaker William Friedkin; La Cage aux Folles, which was remade in the US as The Birdcage; the Alex Dimitriades (The Tourist)-led Head On, as based on Christos Tsiolkas' debut novel Loaded; Ed Wood's Glen or Glenda; and Offside from Iranian director Jafar Panahi (No Bears). The 2023 Melbourne Queer Film Festival runs from Thursday, November 9–Monday, November 19 at venues around Melbourne. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the festival website.
Playing ice hockey isn't a regular part of growing up Down Under — even when it's frosty outside — but watching a ragtag team of underdogs try their best on the ice has been a childhood staple since the 90s. The reason: the Mighty Ducks franchise. The three Emilio Estevez and Joshua Jackson-starring films hit screens between 1992–6, and have remained nostalgic favourites ever since. The trio of movies also spanned an animated show back in 1996; however, as fans experienced earlier this year, that's not the franchise's only leap into television. Because everything old is new again — including making that observation, because it just keeps proving relevant — Disney+ brought back Mighty Ducks back courtesy of new series The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, and its first season started streaming back in March. If Karate Kid can live on via the small screen, then so can this other beloved sports-focused saga, it seems. And like Cobra Kai, Game Changers brought back a familiar face when it debuted its ten-episode first season. That'd be Estevez, who reprises his role as Coach Gordon Bombay. Sadly, Jackson isn't involved this time around, perhaps because he was busy with the vastly dissimilar Dr Death — but Gilmore Girls star Lauren Graham features as the mother of a hockey-loving boy who helps him create his own team. Aimed at all ages — so at kids just discovering Mighty Ducks for the first time, and adults with fond memories — the show firmly, eagerly and unmistakably follows the underdog formula established in the films. The series is set in Minnesota, where the Mighty Ducks are now a big deal, 12-year-old Evan Morrow (Brady Noon) gets cut from the team because they don't think he's good enough, and he and his mom (Graham) bring together their own crew in response — with the help of Bombay, of course. If that's your idea of top-notch nostalgic viewing, you'll be pleased to know that the series has just been renewed for a second season. Yes, there'll be more ice rink escapades, as The Hollywood Reporter reports. Exactly when the new episodes will hit Disney+ hasn't yet been revealed, but you can add it to your future watch list anyway. Check out the full trailer for the show's first season below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZTouNvgPCM&feature=youtu.be The second season of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers doesn't yet have a release date; however, the first season is currently streaming via Disney+. Via The Hollywood Reporter. Top image: Disney+.
After a couple of years that were pretty light on live music, we're all rushing to get back into it and experience as many gigs as humanly possible. But what's even better than a regular live gig? A free live gig, of course. And Aussie singer-songwriter legend Vance Joy is treating Melburnians to one of those this very afternoon, Thursday, June 23. From 5pm, the 'Riptide' star will be hitting Melbourne Central's Shot Tower Square to serenade fans with some free live tunes, including tracks from his newly-released third album, In Our Own Sweet Time. The indie-pop sensation will also be sticking around after the show to meet fans and sign copies of his latest release. Joy's just returned from an international tour which saw him play venues across the USA, Canada and the UK. Hey Melbourne, I'll be performing at Melbourne Central tomorrow and signing a few copies of my new album, 'In Our Own Sweet Time'. See you at 5pm. 👋 pic.twitter.com/j3vdX0OtV1 — Vance Joy (@vancejoy) June 21, 2022 Top Image: courtesy of Mushroom Group.
If your creative juices start flowing after a beverage or several, then you're probably a fan of Cork & Chroma. The BYO art studio has been hosting paint and sip sessions across Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne for years — and now it's bringing the boozy, arty fun into your home. From Wednesday, April 1, Cork & Chroma is moving its alcohol-fuelled art classes online, so you can join in without leaving the house. The general setup remains the same, with each session teaching wannabe artists how to paint a specific picture. Whip up a gorgeous midnight scene, capture your houseplants on canvas, busy your brush painting Joshua trees or go manic for mandalas. Sessions cost $20 each, and are hosted by Cork & Chroma's artists — who'll be live-streaming their step-by-step painting instructions from 6.30pm AEST on select weeknights, and at 10am and 2pm on weekends. Classes are currently scheduled until the end of May. And if you're wondering about supplies, you can either use what you've got at home or you can order one of Cork & Chroma's new At Home Studio Kits. The latter comes in three sizes, setting you pack $60 for one person, $100 for two and $160 for four — and includes a range of acrylic paints, two canvases per person, and a palette and a set of brushes each. Pick them up from C&C yourself, or contact them about delivery options. As for the wine, beer, cocktails or whatever other booze gets you in the painting mood, you'll need to provide that yourself, as always. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=50&v=_7wmobTAPWY&feature=emb_title Updated April 25.
Few Melbourne venues have been reinvented as much in one short year as 2 Duke Street, Windsor. The space, once home to Saigon Sally, was transformed into bustling Thai eatery BKK in October 2017, but after just a few months became modern Australian restaurant Alter Dining. Now, just twelve weeks later, owner The Commune Group has announced yet another shake-up, closing the doors on the casual fine diner over the weekend. The venue will now be used to host functions and events for the next year, though Commune Group director Simon Blacher hints there'll be greater things to come. "We've seen firsthand the evolution of Chapel Street over the past six years, and firmly believe in the 2 Duke Street site," says Blacher. "We've made the decision to pause on the space to focus on exciting upcoming projects which we'll unveil later this year." Alter Dining's last service was on Saturday, July 28. Image: Gareth Sobey
Leonardo DiCaprio making his first movie in four years, a swaggering Brad Pitt spitting out wry dialogue, 60s showbiz laid bare, and Australians Margot Robbie and Damon Herriman playing Sharon Tate and Charles Manson — it must be Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. One of 2019's most anticipated titles, the acclaimed filmmaker's ninth stint behind the camera travels back five decades to tell the tale of fading TV star Rick Dalton (DiCaprio), his trusty stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt), his neighbour Tate (Robbie) and an industry that's changing fast. Set in Los Angeles in 1969, it's a story that charts the end of Hollywood's golden age, the Manson Family murders and everything going on around Tinseltown at the time. Tarantino loves jumping into the past — thanks to Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight, this is his fourth consecutive period piece — but he might've found his ideal niche. For this journey back to fame, fortune and crime gone by, he's also amassed a who's who of the film's titular town. Get ready — it's a long list. Tarantino regulars Kurt Russell, Tim Roth, Bruce Dern, Zoe Bell and Michael Madsen all feature, as well as Dakota Fanning, Lena Dunham, Al Pacino, Timothy Olyphant, James Marsden and the late Luke Perry. Nodding not only to Hollywood's past and present, but to its future, up-and-comers Maya Hawke and Rumer Willis also pop up (they're the daughters of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, and Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, respectively). Basically, Tinseltown today delves into Los Angeles' darker days, a behind-the-scenes Hollywood caper meets US crime history, and Tarantino might've taken some inspiration from the Coen Brothers' Hail, Caesar! — at least if the ace and amusing initial teaser for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is any indication. The film is set to be premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, before releasing worldwide from late July. Check out the first sneak peek below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsL_spv4yEw&feature=youtu.be Once Upon a Time in Hollywood releases in Australian cinemas on August 15. Image: © 2018 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Johnny Depp: is there anything he can’t do? Increasingly, the answer is yes, there’s plenty. Or, maybe it’s more about what he shouldn’t do. For proof, see his recent filmography. From being a mainstay in Tim Burton’s movies, to playing Pirates of the Caribbean’s Jack Sparrow, to nodding nonsensically in disguise in Tusk, Depp’s career has become a parade of almost-indistinguishable quirky characters. He pulls silly faces, talks in a ridiculous voice and stumbles around as though he might fall over at any moment. The premises and predicaments change, but the former 1980s 21 Jump Street teen idol doesn’t, apart from costumes and make-up. Mortdecai provides yet another example, with Depp the eccentric art dealer of the title. He comes from wealth – complete with a stylish wife, Johanna (Gwyneth Paltrow), and a loyal manservant, Jock (Paul Bettany) — but owes the British government £8 million. To maintain his lifestyle, he agrees to help old pal, romantic rival and MI-5 agent Martland (Ewan McGregor) recover a stolen painting shrouded in mystery. A Russian assassin and Nazi treasures also feature. The farcical film kicks off with calamity, ripping off Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom as a Hong Kong casino rendezvous ends in a shootout, and doesn’t improve from there. Disaster is key to the plot, with Mortdecai an awkward mix of Mr. Bean and The Pink Panther’s Inspector Clouseau, wreaking havoc wherever he goes — including Moscow and Los Angeles. Disaster is also the only outcome possible for a movie that thinks overripe cheese and cheap port are the height of humour, labels one of its three prominent female characters as a nymphomaniac, and wrings many of its jokes out of gag-reflex reactions to moustaches. “You look like you have a vagina on your face,” Johanna tells Mortdecai in response to his hairy top lip. Yes, really. To be fair to filmmaker David Koepp, who previously worked with Depp on Secret Window, he is taking his cues from existing material. 1973 novel Don't Point that Thing at Me started a series about the oddball aristocrat, but whatever cartoonish joys it may have had are lost in this energetic but overworked update. The flimsy script by Eric Aronson, best known for co-writing rom-com On the Line starring NSYNC’s Lance Bass and Joey Fatone, doesn’t assist matters. If Mortdecai was trying for a manic, frantic combination of smugness, superficiality, and stupidity, then it succeeds — though surely that wasn’t the aim. As for Depp, he is as committed as ever, but also as tiresome. Sharing zero charisma with his co-stars makes every second he is on screen seem like an eternity; and while Paltrow, McGregor, Bettany, Jeff Goldblum and Oliva Munn easily overshadow him, they do so as stale stereotypes, and clearly bored and unhappy. Mortdecai, the man and the movie, just isn’t something anyone wants to spend time with. Chalk it up as one of the same supposedly comedic efforts Depp makes too many of, and everyone else should be running far away from.
In the words of Missy Elliot, it’s time get funky fresh dressed to impress ready to party. The Melbourne International Film Festival team have once again put together a beyond excellent program – and for the hop-hop heads out there, Fresh Dressed is undoubtedly going to be your jam. Directed by Sacha Jenkins, the documentary follows the rise of street style as hip-hop became the force it is today, and features interviews with Kanye, Pharrell and Nas. To celebrate the doco, the music and the fashion, ACCLAIM is throwing a free party with Adidas Originals (who else), with Mat Cant providing the soundtrack for the evening. It probably goes without saying that you should dress for the occasion, but as an added incentive Adidas will be awarding prizes for those with the most steez. The party starts after the 6:30pm screening on Friday, and because it is a free event with no RSVP it truly is first in, best dressed.
You might not currently be lounging on a beach in the Caribbean sipping pina coladas, but that doesn't mean you can't capture some of that big holiday energy right here at home. Rum aficionados will find themselves in cocktail heaven this month, when Whitehart hosts the next instalment of its much-loved I Hart Rum festival. Across two sessions (12pm & 4pm) on Sunday, March 19, the CBD container bar will be transporting punters to the tropics with a big day of rum and entertainment. More than 25 distilleries will be showing off their creations for you to sample, with the full lineup totalling 80-plus different varieties of rum, sourced from near and far. There'll be a swag of Caribbean-style cocktails being shaken and stirred, and tasting experiences galore to sip your way through. You'll also be able to wet your whistle at Fever Tree's dedicated highball station, load up on knowledge and skills at one of the free masterclasses, and sit in on an Australian rum distillers panel, all while listening to the afternoon's guest DJs. Fittingly, The Real Jerk food truck will be there slinging its signature Jamaican eats. And if you sip something you love, a pop-up bottle shop will be stocked with an array of rare and unique rums to take home.
Returning for a second year after a widely-publicised Parklife rebrand, national electronic dance music festival Listen Out has locked in dates for another year. Spearheaded by organisers and promoters Fuzzy (the team behind Field Day, Shore Thing and Harbourlife), Listen Out marked its debut last year to generally upward thumbs and rants about Azealia Banks' smokebomb. Stopping by Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane in spring, Listen Out's so-called 'boutique' set-up will "showcase the best dance music in a small but perfectly formed setting," according to Fuzzy. The nationally-touring festival will return to Sydney's Centennial Park, Perth's Ozone Reserve and Melbourne's Observatory Precinct, with a change in Brisbane venue from Southbank's Cultural Forecourt to the Brisbane Showgrounds. Headlined by staggeringly popular UK duo Disclosure last year with highlights including Azealia Banks (very briefly), AlunaGeorge and Classixx, the roaring pub debates will simmer until the lineup announcement to come. LISTEN OUT 2014 DATES AND VENUES: SYDNEY — Saturday 27 September, Centennial Park PERTH — Sunday 28 September, Ozone Reserve MELBOURNE — Saturday 4 October, Observatory Precinct, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne BRISBANE — Sunday 5th October, The Avenues & Expo Place, Brisbane Showgrounds Full lineup announcement and ticket details to come. Image by Dominic Loneragan.
Science fiction is a bold and beautiful canvas of storytelling captivating the imagination of millions. Be it massive multimedia franchises like Star Wars or little-known short stories, science fiction works wonders. Any sci-fi fan should make plans to visit the University of Melbourne's Science Gallery for SCI-FI: Mythologies Transformed. This exhibit is a study of the genre, involving a series of works that trace its potential origins in Asian philosophy and spirituality. As the Australian debut of the exhibition, it will also incorporate First Nations perspective and knowledge. [caption id="attachment_966810" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Namahage in Tokyo (2017) by Etsuko Ichihara (JP). (Etsuko Ichihara and ISID OPEN INNOVATION LAB, 2017)[/caption] Additionally, as sci-fi continues to reach new levels of diversity, SCI-FI: Mythologies Transformed draws on the creativity of women and alternative voices. You'll find all this and more represented in contemporary artworks, historical artefacts, books and cinema from the east and west alike. The exhibition is developed in a collaboration between ArtScience Museum and Science Gallery at the University of Melbourne. SCI-FI: Mythologies Transformed opens on Saturday, August 3. Visit the website for more information or to book tickets. Top images: Installation view of Galactica V.2 Dharma Garden (2023) by The House of Natural Fiber (ID) by Matthew Stanton, Red Silk of Fate – The Shrine (2023) by Sputniko!(JP) and Napp Studio & Architects (HK). (Courtesy of the artists.)
He's directed a mockumentary about sharehouse-dwelling vampires in Wellington, one of the most offbeat and adorable fugitive films there is, and the best big-budget blockbuster about a certain cape-wearing, hammer-wielding Norse god- turned-superhero that's reached screens so far. Now, after winning hearts and laughs with not only What We Do in the Shadows, Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Thor: Ragnarok, but New Zealand comedies Eagle vs Shark and Boy too, Taika Waititi has turned his attention to making fun of Hitler. His latest movie is called Jojo Rabbit, with the beloved filmmaker not only writing and directing, but starring as the Nazi. It's a satire, obviously, following a bullied but nationalistic young German boy called Jojo (newcomer Roman Griffin Davis) who discovers that his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie, Leave No Trace) in their attic. He doesn't quite know what to do, so he asks the obvious person for help: his imaginary friend Adolf Hitler. World War II-set films are a very common sight on the big screen, so if you feel like you've seen every possible take on that period of history, Jojo Rabbit is here to change your mind. As the just-released first teaser for the movie shows, this isn't your usual grim, serious war flick. Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, and based on the book Caging Skies by Christine Leunens, it's being badged as an "anti-hate" comedy, should you need more of an idea of the tone that Waititi is going for. As well as the writer/director himself, the film co-stars the high-profile likes of Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant and Alfie Allen. It's not the only project that Waititi has in the works — it was just announced last week that he'll be directing the next Thor film, Thor: Love and Thunder — but it is the only one where he gets Hitler to call himself a lunatic and a psycho. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTqd4yNFuSw Jojo Rabbit releases in the US on October 18 and it doesn't yet have an Australian release date — we'll update you when that changes.
When your nine-to-five plays out like a well-oiled machine, it can sometimes feel like each week is a little same-same. But Melbourne is brimming with a fine bounty of things to experience and explore each and every day. So aside from casual laziness and a little lack of inspiration, there's really nothing stopping you from squeezing some adventure and spontaneity into your schedule. We've teamed up with Mazda3 to help you celebrate the little things that bring a sense of adventure to life. Shake things up, as we give you seven different detours to take each week in Melbourne. From Monday to Sunday, enrich your everyday with one completely achievable activity that inspires you to take the scenic route as you go about your daily routine. This week, test your bouldering skills, enjoy a four-course meal at IDES for $70 and bike to Abbotsford for a day at the Convent. Plus, we've got your future detours sorted for the new few weeks here. All require no more effort than a tiny break from the norm — what's your excuse for not trying them all?
If anyone knows how to do contemporary comfort food to drag you off the couch this winter, it's acclaimed chef Donovan Cooke. And indeed, the kitchen maestro has kicked off a new series of Euro-accented Sunday lunches at his Fitzroy North restaurant Ryne, promising to warm those cockles and take some of the edge off Melbourne's chilly season. Each weekend, he's crafting a generous four-course set menu, complete with a weekly changing roast dish. For $68 per person, you'll tuck into both a hot and cold entree, a main and dessert, with thoughtfully matched sides priced at an extra $10. Recent highlights include crisp-skinned pork belly teamed with black pudding, saffron and a mustard jus, pan-fried scallops with roasted chestnut, a tender roasted beef cheek, and Cooke's take on the classic roast chicken. As for the drinks, well, consider yourself spoilt for choice. As always, Ryne offers both a BYO option and a considered wine selection, curated by head sommelier Krystelle Cooke.
