It's the love story that has endured for more than four centuries. It's also the romantic tragedy that earns a new adaptation with every generation. Attempting to eclipse Baz Luhrmann's stylised 1996 film as the version of current record, and Franco Zeffirelli's expressive 1968 effort before that, the latest iteration of Romeo and Juliet returns to a classic interpretation. Think authentic settings, period staging, overt acting and smatterings of original dialogue. In fair Verona where the film lays its scene, the titular duo transform from the offspring of bitterly feuding families to the epitome of furtive but star-crossed lovers after a fateful masquerade ball meeting. Their pairing is strictly forbidden, but in the flourishes of affection neither can bear to even consider living without the other. Soon, their friends and relatives are immersed in an intricate web of mistruths and misdirection designed to prolong their illicit passion. With Downton Abbey's Julian Fellowes adapting William Shakespeare's celebrated play under Carlo Carlei's direction, that the film dwells in the material's melodramatic leanings is far from surprising — nor is its resounding air of politeness. Amendments and additions emphasise the tempered heartbreak, with only the scantest concern for textual fidelity. A heavy-handed score by Abel Korzeniowski graciously signposts not just each plot development but each emotional shift as well. It all plays out in handsome fashion, aided immensely by the use of the real Italian locale in shooting, but any spark or sentiment above and beyond the most routine of renderings is sorely missing. Pretty pictures and pronounced declarations aren't enough to elicit the delicacy and devastation of the original, as immersed in popular culture as it now is, especially when saddled with varying performances. The success of each presentation of Romeo and Juliet often stems from its casting, and whilst model-turned-actor Douglas Booth conjures romantic idylls as the former, and True Grit Oscar nominee Hailee Steinfeld embodies the innocence of young love as the latter, they lack the charisma needed for such a celebrated couple. They have their moments together (the balcony scene and the tearful conclusion the most convincing examples of their union); however, each fares better apart, not together. An attention-seeking supporting cast only serves to augment the leads' disappointing turns. Some relish the theatricality to wavering success, such as Damian Lewis's overacting Lord Capulet and Ed Westwick's snarling Tybalt; others provide a well-played point of difference (Kodi Smit-McPhee's helpful Benvolio, Paul Giamatti's intervening Friar Laurence and Lesley Manville's interfering Nurse astutely among them. The surrounding players should never attract more interest than the titular lovers, but here that's the outcome. Sadly, this Romeo and Juliet values the idea of its twosome more than their actuality. https://youtube.com/watch?v=aXvufMqcWQA
The team behind Fitzroy's Bar Liberty — Michael Bascetta, Banjo Harris Plane, Manu Potoi and Casey Wall — has cracked the lid on its hotly anticipated new venture, opening the doors to Italo-Aussie haunt Capitano this week. The project's settled right into the former Carlton digs of The Beaufort, though you'll have a hard time recognising any signs of the former dive bar — it looks entirely different. The black-and-neon get-up of yesterday has been switched for something an all pastel green interior with olive banquettes and a cheery red trim. Even the windows have been freed from all that paint, giving the room its first taste of sunshine in a whole lot of years. To match the new approachable setting, the food speaks to chef and co-owner Wall's take on Australian-accented Italian, the menu centred around rotating selections of pasta and pizza. The opening lineup runs from a classic cheese pizza, customised with your choice of local ingredients, to a pie topped with sausage, fennel, pickled chilli and red onion. There's a snack-happy selection of cured meats and antipasti for the cocktail hour crowd, a spread of crafty vegetable dishes, and heartier stuff, like a bone-in veal parmigiana. Of course, the menu wouldn't be complete without tiramisu — and Capitano's is banging. As far as the drinks go, Bar Liberty's set the boys some pretty high expectations. Here, it's all about the revamped classic Italian cocktails, Amari in a raft of iterations, and a wine list that celebrates fun Italian varietals both from overseas and closer to home. It's all dished up to a new-wave disco soundtrack compiled by front-of-house manager and former music producer Sam Rogers. Capitano is now open at 421 Rathdowne Street, Carlton from 5.30pm weekdays and 12pm weekends. Images: Kate Shanasy.
Melbourne is blessed to host stacks of booze-filled festivals — either championing wine, beer, sake or gin. But the new Botanica Spirits & Food Festival is going after all the hard liquors, with over 20 Australian distilleries taking part this year. To get involved, you just need to book one of the four-hour slots at Timber Yard on Saturday, August 17 or Sunday, August 19, and then get ready to drink. You'll be sampling award-winning gins, vodkas, rums, whiskeys, liqueurs, and more during your four-hour session, perhaps also buying a few bottles to take home at the end of it. A bunch of food trucks and stalls will also be set up in the yard, helping you line your stomachs with plenty of tasty treats. Most notably, the 100% indigenous-owned, women-led and LGBTQIA+ Mabu Mabu will be on site during both days, serving a few Aussie delicacies. This includes native pepperberry-fried crocodile with crispy saltbush and pulled kangaroo nachos with desert lime guacamole. The $60 Botanica Spirits & Food Festival ticket gives you access to these food trucks, plus four hours of tastings, entry to talks and masterclasses, a tote bag and your own glass. Live music will also feature throughout the weekend, so be sure to take some time relaxing out in the yard with drinks and eats in-hand — let's just pray for good weather.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. NO TIME TO DIE James Bond might famously prefer his martinis shaken, not stirred, but No Time to Die doesn't quite take that advice. While the enterprising spy hasn't changed his drink order, the latest film he's in — the 25th official feature in the franchise across six decades, and the fifth and last that'll star Daniel Craig — gives its regular ingredients both a mix and a jiggle. The action is dazzlingly choreographed, a menacing criminal has an evil scheme and the world is in peril, naturally. Still, there's more weight in Craig's performance, more emotion all round, and a greater willingness to contemplate the stakes and repercussions that come with Bond's globe-trotting, bed-hopping, villain-dispensing existence. There's also an eagerness to shake up parts of the character and Bond template that rarely get a nudge. Together, even following a 19-month pandemic delay, it all makes for a satisfying blockbuster cocktail. For Craig, the actor who first gave Bond a 21st-century flavour back in 2006's Casino Royale (something Pierce Brosnan couldn't manage in 2002's Die Another Day), No Time to Die also provides a fulfilling swansong. That wasn't assured; as much as he's made the tuxedo, gadgets and espionage intrigue his own, the Knives Out and Logan Lucky actor's tenure has charted a seesawing trajectory. His first stint in the role was stellar and franchise-redefining, but 2008's Quantum of Solace made it look like a one-off. Then Skyfall triumphed spectacularly in 2012, before Spectre proved all too standard in 2015. Ups and downs have long been part of this franchise, depending on who's in the suit, who's behind the lens, the era and how far the tone skews towards comedy — but at its best, Craig's run has felt like it's building new levels rather than traipsing through the same old framework. In No Time to Die, Bond does need to look backwards, though — to loves lost, choices made and lingering enemies. Before Billie Eilish's theme song echoes over eye-catching opening credits, the film fills its first scenes with the past, starting with returning psychiatrist Madeleine Swan's (Léa Seydoux, Kursk) links to new mask-wearing villain Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek, The Little Things). There's patience and visual poetry to these early minutes amid Norway's snowy climes, even while littered with violence. No Time to Die is a lengthy yet never slow feature, and Bond first-timer Cary Joji Fukunaga doesn't begin with the pace he means to continue; however, the director behind True Detective's stunning first season establishes a sense of meticulousness, an eye for detail and an inclination to let moments last — and a striking look — that serves him exceptionally moving forward. Back in post-Spectre times, Bond and Swan enjoy an Italian holiday that's cut short by bomb blasts, bridge shootouts and other attempts on 007's life — and Fukunaga is quickly two for two in the action camp. No Time to Die segues commandingly from slow-building and foreboding to fast, frenetic and breathtaking in its two big opening sequences, setting itself a high bar. At this point, the narrative hasn't even properly kicked into gear yet. That happens five years later, when Bond is alone and retired in Jamaica (in a nice nod to where author Ian Fleming wrote his Bond stories). His old CIA pal Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright, Westworld) comes knocking, new politically appointed offsider Logan Ash (Billy Magnussen, The Many Saints of Newark) in tow, asking for the now ex-MI6 agent's help to foil the latest nefarious plan — involving a DNA-targeting virus fuelled by nanobots, of course — that's been hatched by terrorist organisation Spectre. Read our full review. THE POWER OF THE DOG Don't call it a comeback: Jane Campion's films have been absent from cinemas for 12 years but, due to miniseries Top of the Lake, she hasn't been biding her time in that gap. And don't call it simply returning to familiar territory, even if the New Zealand director's new movie features an ivory-tinkling woman caught between cruel and sensitive men, as her Cannes Palme d'Or-winner The Piano did three decades ago. Campion isn't rallying after a dip, just as she isn't repeating herself. She's never helmed anything less than stellar, and she's immensely capable of unearthing rich new pastures in well-ploughed terrain. With The Power of the Dog, Campion is at the height of her skills trotting into her latest mesmerising musing on strength, desire and isolation — this time via a venomous western that's as perilously bewitching as its mountainous backdrop. That setting is Montana, circa 1925. Campion's homeland stands in for America nearly a century ago, making a magnificent sight — with cinematographer Ari Wegner (Zola, True History of the Kelly Gang) perceptively spying danger in its craggy peaks and dusty plains even before the film introduces Rose and Peter Gordon (On Becoming a God in Central Florida's Kirsten Dunst and 2067's Kodi Smit-McPhee). When the widowed innkeeper and her teenage son serve rancher brothers Phil and George Burbank (The Courier's Benedict Cumberbatch and Antlers' Jesse Plemons) during a cattle-run stop, the encounter seesaws from callousness to kindness, a dynamic that continues after Rose marries George and decamps to the Burbank mansion against that stunning backdrop. Brutal to the lanky, lisping Peter from the outset, Phil responds to the nuptials with malice. He isn't fond of change, and won't accommodate anything that fails his bristling definition of masculinity and power, either. In a career-best, awards-worthy, downright phenomenal turn by Cumberbatch, Phil is all hawkish menace and bravado; he viciously calls his brother 'Fatso', his initial taunting of Peter over paper flowers and effete mannerisms is all the more ferocious for its dinner-table audience, and he's effusive in his admiration for Bronco Henry, the man's man who taught him everything he knows. Indeed, Phil's hyper-masculine air, complete with threatening and mocking banjo-plucking, soon drives Rose to drink. He'd rather still be bunking in with George, as they have for the quarter-century they've run their inherited ranch. He'd rather scare everyone away by failing to bathe, unless he's stealing off to a secret water hole — and by mixing his Yale classics degree into his sneering, too. The key to Cumberbatch's commanding performance isn't softening Phil or playing up his charisma, but conveying the battle of repression and self-resentment raging within; the cattleman has long tanned his own public persona, but he's as complex as rawhide. Adapting Thomas Savage's 1967 novel of the same name, Campion gives Phil's chomping misery ample company: in the sauced Rose, in the intimidating attitude that rolls around the ranch like a stubborn tumbleweed, and in Peter when he returns from his medical studies for the summer. The Power of the Dog lets this unhappy stew fester, adding grit to its brew with each passing scene and deepening its rich character studies in the process. The film's only misstep is pushing George aside, although the fact that his passivity — his main trait alongside tenderness — earns him less attention is an incisive touch. Rose becomes a supporting player as Phil and Peter's initially antagonistic relationship finds deeper dimensions but, in Dunst's hands, this is still an intense portrait of a woman heartbreakingly accustomed to being at others' whims. As a raw-boned young man who proves exacting and steely inside, Smit-McPhee isn't just similarly exceptional — he's revelatory. Read our full review. TICK, TICK... BOOM! "Try writing what you know." That's age-old advice, dispensed to many a scribe who hasn't earned the success or even the reaction they'd hoped, and it's given to aspiring theatre composer Jonathan Larson (Andrew Garfield, Under the Silver Lake) in Tick, Tick… Boom!. The real-life figure would go on to write Rent but here, in New York City in January 1990, he's working on his debut musical Superbia. It's a futuristic satire inspired by George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, and it's making him anxious about three things. Firstly, he hasn't yet come up with a pivotal second-act song that he keeps being told he needs. Next, he's staging a workshop for his debut production to gauge interest before the week is out — and this just has to be his big break. Finally, he's also turning 30 in days, and his idol Stephen Sondheim made his Broadway debut in his 20s. Tick, Tick… Boom! charts the path to those well-worn words of wisdom about drawing from the familiar, including Larson's path to the autobiographical one-man-show of the same name before Rent. And, it manages to achieve that feat while showing why such a sentiment isn't merely a cliche in this situation. That said, the key statement about mining your own experience also echoes throughout this affectionate movie musical in another unmissable way. Lin-Manuel Miranda didn't write Tick, Tick… Boom!'s screenplay; however, he does turn it into his filmmaking directorial debut — and what could be more fitting for that task from the acclaimed In the Heights and Hamilton talent than a loving ode (albeit an inescapably overexcited one) to the hard work put in by a game-changing theatre wunderkind? If this was a case of telling viewers that this is Miranda's movie without telling them, the concept would obviously do the trick. So would a few notable cameos in a standout song-and-dance number that's best discovered by watching. There's plenty in Tick, Tick… Boom! that was already layered with musical theatre history before it became a film, too; in the source material, Larson even wrote in a homage to Sondheim's own musical Sunday in the Park with George. That's the level of insider knowledge that's a foundation here, and the film frequently reverberates in an insular, theatre-obsessive, spot-the-references register. As great as it is if you stan the same productions and people, it also makes Tick, Tick… Boom! less accessible and resonant. It's as if Miranda can't choose between indulging his own adoration or truly sharing that love with his audience. (Tick, Tick… Boom! also became a three-person stage musical in 2001, and Miranda played its lead in a 2014 revival opposite Hamilton's Leslie Odom Jr and In the Heights' Karen Olivo.) Garfield's sing-to-the-rafters version of Larson is first seen in faux home-video footage, performing the rock monologue iteration of Tick, Tick… Boom!, his bouncy hair waving about as he croons and plays piano. Miranda and screenwriter Steven Levenson (Dear Evan Hansen) then segue between the lively presentation and the tale it also tells about Superbia, the looming workshop and the impending birthday. In the latter scenes, Larson can't come up with the missing song, earn enough as a composer to keep the power on, or juggle his pursuit of his dream with the complexities of his personal life. The alternative: opting for a safe career, which his ex-actor ex-roommate Michael (Robin de Jesus, The Boys in the Band) has done in advertising, and his dancer girlfriend Susan (Alexandra Shipp, X-Men: Dark Phoenix) is contemplating with teaching. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 1, July 8, July 15, July 22 and July 29; August 5, August 12, August 19 and August 26; September 2, September 9, September 16, September 23 and September 30; October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28; and November 4. For Sydney specifically, you can take a look at out our rundown of new films that released in Sydney cinemas when they reopened on October 11, and what opened on October 14, October 21 and October 28 as well. And for Melbourne, you can check out our top picks from when outdoor cinemas reopened on October 22 — and from when indoor cinemas did the same on October 29. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Herself, Little Joe, Black Widow, The Sparks Brothers, Nine Days, Gunpowder Milkshake, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Old, Jungle Cruise, The Suicide Squad, Free Guy, Respect, The Night House, Candyman, Annette, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Streamline, Coming Home in the Dark, Pig, Big Deal, The Killing of Two Lovers, Nitram, Riders of Justice, The Alpinist, A Fire Inside, Lamb, The Last Duel, Malignant, The Harder They Fall, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Halloween Kills, Passing, Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark and Julia.
Melbourne's own little pocket of New York City-style cool is firing up for Good Beer Week, hosting a rollicking block party with beers, art and tunes aplenty. On Saturday, May 22, Section 8 and Ferdydurke — and their famed laneway surrounds — will come alive for this free shindig co-helmed by the USA's renowned Brooklyn Brewery. Drop by from 2pm to catch a diverse lineup of live music from acts like Pookie, Man Made Mountain, Khiarra, Culture Evolves and more. There'll be roving entertainment, projection art courtesy of the talented Simbiotic Vision, and dance performances served up by the likes of Maggie Madfox, Lauren Drago and Peter Isaac Koh. While there, you'll be able to indulge in a spot of retail therapy at the Fresh Flames vintage streetwear pop-up. And of course, the Brooklyn Brewery crew will be on hand pouring a stack of fresh beers throughout the day — including a few limited-edition and special releases. [caption id="attachment_735400" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ferdydurke[/caption]
Have you ever noticed the effervescent trail of light that follows your mobile phone screen when you move it in a dark room? Or how you can create shapes by whirling a glow stick around at night? Both are rudimentary examples of a recent trend: light painting. Light painting essentially consists of capturing light moving by using high exposure photography; the result is an image of the moving lights' path through the air. According to geek.com, the trend began "with a group of artists that wanted to map urban WiFi signals. This project created a visual landscape of technology we couldn’t see before, giving perspective on something we use everyday." Since then, artists and technology nerds alike have been creating floating works of light. In order to 'paint' properly, the painter must have an understanding of both the creative and scientific elements involved. The photography must be spot-on, and the hardware and software well-managed. Introducing the LightScythe: one of the first light-painting devices designed specifically with artistic endeavors in mind. The hardware is simply a long staff covered in LED lights, controlled by arduino boards and software the Mechatronics Guy designed. Watching the process, it may seem as though someone is just walking slowly with a large stick in hand, but the photographs reveal much more. The Mechatronics Guy uses the LightScythe to create floating images and text, and he wants you to, too. Check out the directions online and get to painting for yourself.
The espionage antics. The shaken-not-stirred martinis. The suits. The theme song. Think James Bond, and all four come to mind. Indeed, they've all played a part in the long-running franchise, which first started back in 1962 — and they're all now coming to the Sydney Opera House with a live score. Following in the footsteps of the Star Wars and Harry Potter films, Bond is bringing one of its spy instalments back to the big screen with help from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. It's the first time in Australia that the franchise has been shown in this way, and it'll hit Sydney on Thursday, February 28 and Friday, March 1 in 2019. Audiences will relive Daniel Craig's 007 debut while hearing the music behind as they've never heard it before, all as part of Casino Royale in Concert. For those in need of a refresher on the 2006 flick, it takes the franchise back to the beginning of Bond's career. He's newly licensed to kill, and he's soon falling in love with Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) while trying to hunt down terrorist financier Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen). Directed by Martin Campbell, it was a huge hit — the biggest Bond film, box office-wise, ever released at the time, a mantle that was later overtaken by 2012's Skyfall. As the film hops from the Bahamas, to Montenegro to Venice's Grand Canal, the SSO will perform composer David Arnold's music. Yes, the classic theme track that's served the franchise so well for more than half a century now also features. Casino Royale in Concert plays the Sydney Opera House on Thursday, February 28 and Friday, March 1 in 2019. For more information or to buy tickets, visit the SSO website.
Storytelling is as old as time. It's how we share experiences, knowledge and memories. Non-profit organisation The Moth is dedicated to sharing personal stories and celebrating the art of telling them. The New York-based initiative hosts over 500 live open-mic events across the globe each year, with people — from notable literary and cultural personalities to your average Joe — getting up on stage to tell their stories. In 2008, The Moth brought its communal open mic events Down Under and this year, on Monday, August 5, Melbourne will hear some of the best stories of the city about animals — from ridiculous stories about road kill to warm and fuzzy anecdotes on man's best friend to thrilling tales of run-ins with scaly, furry or feathered creatures in the wild. Brandishing their weapons of word and wit, the storytellers will compete for the top gong at Howler in Brunswick . You'll hear five-minute stories on the animal kingdom that are both tightly crafted and masterfully told. Come for stories that inspire, provoke, sadden and enlighten, told by some of Melbourne's best. Or, if you consider yourself a wordsmith, you can drop your name in the bag to be selected at random, then grab the mic, hit the stage and tell your five-minute tale. The Moth StorySLAM: Animals will take place at Howler on Monday, August 5. Doors open at 7pm, with stories beginning at 7.30pm. Tickets for this event are available on Thursday, July 18 at 3pm and can be purchased here.
Leading Aussie winemaker Handpicked uses grapes sourced from across the Mornington Peninsula, Yarra Valley, Barossa Valley, Tasmania and more to create its diverse stable of drops. But, its most recent project has made a home right in the heart of the city: a glam cellar door located within the new 80 Collins precinct. It's a grand affair, too, with three floors encompassing a premium cheese, charcuterie and wine bar, as well as a retail space complete with 'tasting pods' and an experience room. Open daily for breakfast through to those after-dinner vino sessions, the cellar door has fare for any time of the day, but also works as an elegant tasting bar where you can dig into Handpicked's varied portfolio of sustainably-made wines. Inside, celebrated architectural and interior design firm Design Office has created a stately space that's heavy on the American oak and filled with locally made and designed furniture pieces. If wine is on the agenda, you can sample some of Handpicked's latest and greatest with a tailored wine tasting or wine flight, or one of the expert-led wine workshops that'll be taking over the experience room on the regular. And, with an extensive range of both regional and single-vineyard wines, there's a drop here for just about everyone, whether you're enjoying in or picking up something for home. [caption id="attachment_803633" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nastia Gladushchenko[/caption] Like the vinous delights, the food offering boasts a strong focus on regionality, headlined by a cheese selection to impress even the most avid of dairy fiends. Expect everything from Tassie's Pyengana clothbound cheddar, to a truffle-infused brillat-savarin out of Burgundy. The charcuterie situation is also one to write home about, with a global array of cured meats available sliced to order, alongside additions like cornichons, olives and quince paste. Lunchtimes and snacking sessions call for a mix-and-match spread of the gourmet deli goodies; maybe some Ortiz anchovy fillets and Espinaler canned mussels served with artisan sourdough, or olive bread slices topped with combinations like scorched heirloom tomato, buffalo yoghurt and basil. Drop by for breakfast and you'll find small-batch Merna crumpets finished with the likes of lemon curd and crème fraîche, or smoked trout with Meredith goat's cheese and Beechworth honey. And if you want to get really fancy, pre-order yourself something from the impressive caviar selection to level-up that after-work wine tasting session. The Handpicked Cellar Door joins other high-profile 80 Collins Street residents including Alejandro Saravia's Farmer's Daughters and the soon-to-open Chris Lucas, Martin Benn and Vicki Wild venture, Society. Find Handpicked Cellar Door at 80 Collins Street, corner Pink Alley and Benson Walk. It's open from 8am weekdays and from 11am on weekends. Images: Tony Mott and Nastia Gladushchenko
When it premiered at Sundance in January this year, Spaceship Earth wouldn't and couldn't have seemed as topical as it does at present. The documentary's subject: Biosphere 2. If the name isn't familiar, it refers to a biodome in the Arizona desert that played host to eight inhabitants for two years in the early 90s — all isolating themselves from the world by choice, in the name of silence, to see if a closed-off, fully self-sustaining vivarium could work. Yes, it sounds like pure sci-fi. We can guarantee that this is 100-percent reality, however. Exploring a tale that has to be seen to be believed, filmmaker Matt Wolf takes viewers through the unusual and fascinating experiment — wth the help of a treasure trove of archival material, as well as present-day interviews from many of the folks involved at the time. While it would've been very easy to play up the outlandishness of the whole project (indeed, as seen in media clips from the era, many an onlooker did), this doco approaches Biosphere 2 and the passionate people who made it happen with thoughtfulness and appreciation, in what proves a supremely interesting and engaging film. And, if you'd like to check it out, you can do so for without paying a cent as part of the new Visions, Speculations and Dystopias: A Deep Dive Into Spaceship Earth event hosted by The Capitol in Melbourne. There are multiple components, all free and all online — and streaming the movie is one of them. You'll need to RSVP to get sent the details, and then you can view it at your leisure in the lead up to three virtual events. The first, a watch party, takes place at 7.30pm AEDT on Wednesday, November 4. After that, you can catch a panel about whether humanity should leave earth, as held at 5.30pm AEDT on Thursday, November 5, and then check out a masterclass with Spaceship Earth's director Matt Wolf at 10am AEDT on Friday, November 6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGvYFB6GHRY
Few things can pull Melbourne diners quite like a kitchen manned by much-loved chef Tom Sarafian. The former Bar Saracen Head Chef has achieved cult status, lending his prowess with modern Middle Eastern flavours to countless sell-out guest chef series and kitchen residencies. And now, after a popular stint back in March, it's Cumulus Inc's turn to host once again. Sarafian returns to the Flinders Lane restaurant from Wednesday, August 3–Sunday, August 14, serving up a special dinner menu (Wednesday to Saturday), plus a barbecued Sunday lunch offering. By night, you'll enjoy a shared feast for $85 per person, starring dishes like kibbeh, Murray cod shish kebabs cooked over charcoal, barbecued lamb fatteh with tomato-braised chickpeas and tahini yoghurt, and a lemon, saffron and yoghurt cake. Add-ons might include Sarafian's famed hummus elevated with spanner crab and king prawns. Bookings are encouraged, though there'll be limited spots for walk-ins from 5pm each night. Then, on Sunday, August 7 and 14, lunch takes centre stage, with a sumptuous seafood spread clocking in at $120. Book a table to enjoy bites like anchovy tabbouleh, scallops with toum and sumac, seafood fougasse (a Provencal-style bread) and a sayadiyeh (a Lebanese fish and rice dish) done with Murray cod. The Cumulus Inc team will be heading up the matching drinks list, pouring wines from Armenia and Georgia, plus cocktails and an arak service. Images: Ben Moynihan
After holding a 24-hour strike on Tuesday this week, Melbourne bus drivers with transport outfit CDC Victoria will again strike today — Friday, July 13 — during the particularly busy hours of 2pm and 6pm, as part of their negotiations with the Transport Workers Union, leaving many routes delayed or just not running at all. The main areas to bear the brunt of the strike are the city's west, inner east and southeast. Services running in Ballarat and Geelong will also be impacted. While industrial action is only scheduled to run for four hours, CDC is advising it could impact services up to an hour before and after the scheduled strike. Commuters are advised to organise alternative transport — or defer their travel — but should expect crowing on alternative transport, such as trains and trams. Public Transport Victoria has assured that metropolitan and regional trains, trams and bus services not operated by CDC will be running as normal, with the company saying it is working to maximise the number of alternative services available for passengers. These are the metropolitan bus routes affected. For more details, impacted Ballarat and Geelong routes and updates, check the Public Transport Victoria website. 150 151 153 160 161 166 167 170 180 181 190 191 192 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 414 415 417 418 419 421 423 424 425 439 441 443 461 494 495 496 497 498 601 605 606 612 623 624 625 626 630 900 Route 400 will not be affected. To keep up-to-date with service times, visit the PTV and CDC Victoria websites. Image: CDC Victoria.
Need a creative way to celebrate NAIDOC Week? Haus of Dizzy and Haus of Ziggy Lee are hosting a fashion-meets-art workshop, where guests are invited to customise their own deadly hoodie in a fun and inclusive setting. Guided by self-proclaimed Queen of Bling and Wiradjuri designer Kristy Dickinson, this two-hour session is the ideal hands-on activity for engaging with First Nations peoples, culture and community at its most joyful. So, step into her store, bring your NAIDOC spirit and test your eye for design. Held from 11am–1pm on Saturday, July 5, tickets include the cost of the hoodie, which you'll soon give a one-of-a-kind makeover using a variety of techniques guided by Dickinson. From direct-to-film transfers to iron-on patches and heat-pressed decals, expect the final result to resonate with big colours and powerful messages. Open to kids aged six and up, this high-energy lesson is perfect for newcomers exploring Indigenous culture and their creative side. Plus, you'll head home with an expressive hoodie that you can wear day in and day out this winter and beyond.
After a post-silly season stretch session that takes full advantage of Melbourne's primo summer weather? The crew at Downtown Yoga & Pilates is dishing up the goods, with a series of free rooftop yoga mornings. The final three sessions — happening on January 19, February 2 and March 2 — will see participants getting bendy through a series of vinyasa and yin-style moves, while soaking up the sun-drenched surrounds on top of Rooftop Bar. Expert yogi Olivia Hanus will lead you through a flow class, backed by tunes from top local selectors, like Merve, Jen Loveless and Alex Kovac. And of course, some pretty special views of the city skyline. Afterwards, you can cruise into the weekend with a coffee, chai, or even a cocktail, or get stuck into a lively brunch menu of treats like 'shroom burgers, granola bowls and acai bowls.
This summer, you'll have another excuse to enjoy a G&T as a heap of gin and tonic gardens pop up across the country. Taking over outdoor spaces, they'll be setting up shop not only in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, but in Canberra, on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, and in Cairns too — so whether you're eager for a drink close to home or you'll be holidaying in a sunny spot, cocktails laden with juniper spirits await. Settling into the outside areas at pubs and bars in each locale, the gardens will feature plenty of gin and tonic (obviously), as well as DIY garnish stations. The idea is that you can learn more about different botanicals, then mix, match and experiment to find your ideal G&T combination. That sounds like a task that we'd all gladly accept; however there'll be tonic pairing menus on hand should you need some pointers. At the time of writing, Sydneysiders can scratch their G&T itch at the Woolhara Hotel and the Shelbourne Hotel in the CBD, plus Newtown's Union Hotel — while Melburnians can make a date with Ciao Cucina in Port Melbourne, as well as Richmond Social, the Notting Hill Hotel and the Lower Plenty Hotel in their respective suburbs. Brisbanites can head to Covent Garden in West End, Blind Tiger in The Gap and Sandstone Point Hotel on Bribie Island; mosey down to the Goldie to the Surfers Paradise Beer Garden, the Burleigh Heads Hotel, Baskk in Coolangatta; or venture north to Circa Rooftop Bar in Maroochydore. More locations will pop up across the country over the summer, with a handy interactive map tracking new venues. The gardens are the work of Fever-Tree, so the company's tonics will be splashing in your glass. It's the outfit's latest G&T-focused venture after putting on a gin and tonic festival in Sydney back in September. Fever-Tree's Gin and Tonic Gardens are popping up around the country between now and March. To find your closest spot, visit the brand's website.
It's no secret that Jerome Borazio is an ideas man, and a pretty good one at that. Not only is he the mind behind the 18-year-old Laneway Festival, he sold us all on the concept of camping in the CBD with his award-winning rooftop glamping set-up. The latter closed in April this year, but, come Friday, October 26, that same sky-high space above Melbourne Central will be activated again — this time as a rooftop pool, bar and leisure club dubbed The Reunion Island Pool Club. Initially launching for private bookings only ahead of its full opening, the project plays to Melbourne's love of the outdoors and will be kitted out with palm trees and design elements of a public pool. While it won't be the CBD's only rooftop pool bar (see: The Adelphi), it will be the only one to offer classes, a sauna and spa offerings. Plus, those private parties will take place ten temperature-controlled plunge pools. Set to run through to April 2019, the oasis will kick off each day at 7am as a leisure club, tempting early morning punters with a holistic offering of rooftop yoga, pilates and massages. Later in the day and evening, you'll be able to stop by for a splash, or just some poolside socialising and a well-earned after-work rooftop tipple right up until 11pm. Basically, prepare to spend many a steamy Melbourne evening up here. Price-wise, your sky-high waterside party will start from $10 for regular entry only. For entry and a splash, that'll set you back $18. Limited shower and changeroom facilities will be available, and you can rent a locker for $5. And as for classes, they'll commence from $20 per person, and will run day and night. If you're feeling cashed up, private options are available for between four and six, eight and ten, and ten and 12 people, starting at $100 for four — including a beverage — for an hour. You can extend your stay from $60 per hour, include a sauna session for $5 or nab a Turkish towel, visor or stubby holder. The food and drink selection will include a six-month pop-up poolside snack kiosk from Jimmy Hurlston, Superfluid slinging juice and tonic and a Gintonica garden — with everything from club sandwiches, pizzas and burgers, to vegetarian options, to cocktails, Kirin Ichiban brews and Pimms on tap on offer. The Reunion Island Pool Club will also feature a General Store, showcasing a heap of the venue's fashion partners. The Reunion Island Pool Club will open at Level 3/271 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne on Friday, October 26. Private bookings are now available from $100 for an hour for two-to-four people, while regular entry prices will start at $10.
If you're a dog person, being surrounded by wagging tails and beaming pooch faces is one of the happiest feelings in the world. Here's another: doing your part to assist animals in need. Each year — a pandemic hiatus aside — the RSPCA's Million Paws Walk combines the two, asking Melburnians and their puppers to go for a stroll to help raise funds for an obviously extremely worth cause. Come Sunday, May 28, this endorphin-sparking mosey returns for 2023, taking over the Pelican Lawn at Albert Park Lake. Whether you're keen to dress up for the occasion — in a matching outfit to your four-legged bestie, of course — or just pop on your sneakers and usual workout attire, you can join in from 11am (with registrations from 9am). Entry costs $35 for adults and $30 for concessions, with the money raised going towards RSPCA Victoria's work rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals. In addition to the exercise, you and Rover can browse a heap stalls and exhibits, grab a bite from food trucks and listen to live tunes. There's also dog competitions, including 'waggiest tail'. Can't make it to Albert Park Lake? Check out the full list of venues around Victoria. Images: Call of the Wild Pet Photography.
Space travel made headlines in 2021 when several billionaires battled to be the first to exit the Earth's atmosphere. But thankfully, you don't have to be mega-rich to get your intergalactic fix this year. From Friday, June 17–Sunday, August 28, you and your crew can immerse yourselves in the Melbourne premiere of Neighbourhood Earth — an award-winning exhibition taking place at Emporium. The family-friendly event will bring together science and cutting-edge technology to create an unforgettable outer space experience presented by entertainment platform Fever. Inside the exhibition, expect illuminated screens, spectacular surround sound and a giant projection-mapped dome combining to deliver a multi-sensory cinematic adventure. There'll also be museum-quality models, spacecrafts, tools and astronaut suits, showcasing facts and stories about space exploration. Plus, the touch-respondent projections and holographics are bound to leave you mesmerised. There's some big brains behind the project — it was dreamed up by the teams at the US Space & Rocket Centre and NASA's George C. Marshall Space Flight Centre in conjunction with integrated production company Toto Creative — so be ready to have your own mind expanded.
Ah, the humble pie. It's the quintessential Aussie dish that's stuck by you through footy games, birthday parties and family dinners. And now, it's got top billing at a brand new CBD venture by a top chef. Located in Collins Place, The Pie Shop is the brainchild of chef Matt Wilkinson (Pope Joan) and the second outpost of the store, which first launched in Brunswick East back in 2017. A veritable pastry wonderland, the store is open from 8am Monday to Friday — for hungry city works looking to up their lunch game — and from 10am on Saturdays. The offering covers the sweet, the savoury, the wonderful and the (slightly) weird. The six-pie lineup sounds almost as Aussie as The Castle's cast list, featuring creations like The Shazza, with its filling of cauliflower cheese and potato; a chunky beef and veg number named The Allen; The Bruce, which encases spag bol in pastry; and a breakfast number called The Uncle Pete filled with jalapeño baked beans, cheese and egg. You can even grab a family-sized version of The Shazza or The Allen to take home for later. [caption id="attachment_746486" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Uncle Pete. Photo by Annika Kafcaloudis.[/caption] There's a free-range pork sausage roll, too, which you can grab as part of a bangin' deal with a pie and a drink for 15 big ones, and two sweet pies, both available by the slice: the apple and salted caramel Rita and The Edith, which is a gooey combo of honey and buttermilk. And if just the sound of all that pastry is making you a little thirsty, you'll be happy to know that you can also pick up tea, Kirks soft drinks and 36th Parallel Coffee at the shop. Find The Pie Shop at Collins Place, 45 Collins Street. It's open from Monday–Friday 8am–6pm and Saturday 10am–3pm. Images: Annika Kafcaloudis Updated October 23, 2019.
Along with its famed building tours, the city's annual celebration of local architecture Open House also serves up a program of design-driven exhibitions. And this year, that includes a first-time dedicated survey exhibition of architectural photos appearing at Fitzroy's Centre for Contemporary Photography (CCP). Titled Site Unseen, the showcase will run from Friday, July 15–Sunday, July 31, centered on the idea of viewing architecture as a subject, rather than an object. Curated by Aussie photographer Tom Ross, the exhibition will feature works from sixteen renowned snappers, including John Gollings, Erieta Attali, Annika Kafcaloudis, Rory Gardiner, Ying Ang, Brooke Holm and Rohan Hutchinson. Setting out to capture the emotional experience of the place, Site Unseen invites you to take a pause and glimpse the city's built environment with fresh eyes. What's more, if you see something you like, all of the exhibition's editioned works will be available for purchase, and you'll also catch a retail pop-up courtesy of Perimeter Books and Bookshop by Uro. Images: Tom Ross
If you're a long-term fan of Veronica Mars, you can be forgiven for taking an 'I'll believe it when I see it' attitude to news of the show's resurrection. It eventually worked for the Veronica Mars movie, however, and it also seems to be working for the series' small-screen comeback, with a teaser dropping for the long-awaited fourth season. Veronica Mars initially lasted three seasons across 2004–2007, then set a crowdfunding record to get a film off the ground in 2014, and even spawned two novels and a web series spin-off after that. Now, as confirmed in September last year, an eight-episode revival is slated to hit television screens in 2019. The teenage private eye drama is getting a similar treatment to Twin Peaks — it's a revival featuring original cast members, rather than a new effort that remakes the same concept with different folks and starts all over again with its narrative. And yes, crucially, Ms Mars herself is back, with Kristen Bell resuming the role that brought her to fame. Bell is also the star of Veronica Mars' first fourth-season sneak peek, with her character sat at her desk and listing everything that's in store during spring break in her home town of Neptune — "drunks, derelicts, flashers, frat boys, sorority vomit, pickpockets, bottomless drinks and topless dancers" all included. Crucially, the teaser also delivers an important piece of information: a US air date of July 26. https://twitter.com/veronicamars/status/1116744093646905344 Hulu, the streaming platform that turned The Handmaid's Tale into the phenomenon that it is, is behind the new season. As reported by Variety last year, Veronica Mars creator and writer Rob Thomas (no, not that one) has also returned — and is executive producing and writing the first episode. Bell also executive produces alongside Diane Ruggiero-Wright and Dan Etheridge, who were both involved in the original seasons and film. The new season will see Neptune's favourite blonde-haired, pint-sized sleuth again solving mysteries in the seaside town. This time, she has been hired by the parents of a dead spring breaker to investigate a string of murders and is drawn into a power struggle between the town's wealthy elite and its working class. Familiar faces such as Enrico Colantoni, Percy Daggs III, Jason Dohring, Ryan Hansen, Francis Capra and Max Greenfield are all returning, along with new inclusions such as Patton Oswalt, Clifton Collins Jr and Bell's The Good Place co-star Kirby Howell-Baptiste. There's no word yet on whether any other big names have been signed on for the show — or if any of Veronica's other ex-boyfriends will re-emerge — but, given that the original show featured appearances from Amanda Seyfried, Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat and Michael Cera, Buffy's Alyson Hannigan and Charisma Carpenter, Thor: Ragnarok's Tessa Thompson and more, you can probably expect a few familiar faces to pop up. With Hulu airing the revival, we're not sure when Veronica Mars 2.0 will be hitting Aussie and NZ TV screens — or where it'll air. Here's hoping it won't take long to head down under. We'll update you as soon as we know more.
Melburnians, get set to jump up, jump up and get down, just go ahead and jump, or get jumpin' jumpin' between Saturday, December 19–Sunday, January 31. Whichever jump-themed song you now have stuck in your head, it's definitely appropriate. We are talking about a pop-up inflatable theme park, after all. Returning for another summer holidays in Dandenong South, Inflatable Fun Park is fun for kids and kidults alike, boasting quite the range of blow-up bouncy attractions. Onsite, you'll find a huge inflatable pool for a dip, inflatable water slides, an inflatable sports zone, inflatable trampolines, an inflatable water obstacle course and an inflatable climbing wall. There's also a sprawling inflatable maze — and a silent disco, mini-golf and paddle boats as well. Tickets cost $32 for as much jumping around as you can fit into a day, with the park open from 12–4pm daily. Let's face it, that's probably just about the right amount of time to bounce, leap, bound and flip out. There's also coffee and snacks available as well.
If summer is your excuse to indulge in as much seafood as humanly possible, then consider Prahran Market your happy place this February. The precinct's dishing up a series of Friday night seafood sessions, featuring ocean-fresh goodies, tunes, games and fizz to match. The Plenty of Fish in the Sea celebrations will take over the beach-themed Market Square every Friday evening throughout the month, headlined by a specialty seafood menu from an array of market vendors. Think, fish tacos and ceviche from A Dingo Ate My Taco, Claw & Tail's cult prawn and lobster rolls, and kingfish tiradito and octopus skewers courtesy of The Que Club. Matching libations include bubbly delights from The Prosecco Van and cocktails served at the Patient Wolf Gin Bar, which you can enjoy in between games of corn hole and quoits. And of course, your seafood feasting will be well-backed by a roster of summer-friendly DJ tunes. Entry is free, though you'll want to register here to secure a spot. [caption id="attachment_839465" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Carmen Zammit[/caption]
One of the grand dames of Melbourne's CBD, the Queen Victoria Market has finally received the historic recognition it deserves, being added to the National Heritage List over the weekend. Federal Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg made the announcement on Sunday, making the Queen Victoria Market Australia's 114th national heritage listed site. It joins the likes of the MCG, Bondi Beach and the Australian War Memorial. The historic building is located on top of Melbourne's first offical cemetery, which is estimated to be made up of over 6500 burial sites spread underneath the market's sheds, stores and carpark. While it's great news for the future of the famed market, it could potentially throw a spanner in the works of Melbourne City Council's planned multi-million dollar revamp of the site.The council was already forced to review its original plans earlier this year after Heritage Victoria voiced concerns over the proposed development beneath the market's 140-year-old sheds. Now, these new protections mean that any plans "likely to have a significant impact" on the site's heritage would need to be assessed by the federal environment department before getting the green light. But it seems the council isn't concerned about any negative impact on its planned revamp, with Lord Mayor Sally Capp telling The Age, "the heritage listing and renewal can exist side-by-side and both are incredibly important". She's hoping that working in conjunction with the market's new heritage status will help more locals to accept the development. The listing comes less than a week after the Queen Victoria Market was named among the 'Magnificent Seven' global alliance of food markets, alongside London's Borough Market, La Boqueria in Barcelona, Markthalle Neun in Berlin, Budapest's Central Market Hall, Sydney Fish Market, and Pike Place Market in Seattle.
If you've ever sipped lamington vodka, eaten a baklava croissant or tucked into a cookie pie, you'll know that mashing up two different types of foods and/or drinks is a gift to indecisive stomachs. Sometimes your tummy just doesn't know what it's hankering for — or it does, but it wants too many things at once to make a choice. The next culinary hybrid that's certain to help the next time you can't pick between multiple options: Latina and Old El Paso's new taco-flavoured ravioli. The two supermarket staple brands have teamed up on the limited-edition dinner offering and, yes, the result is exactly what it sounds like. You'll be tucking into Latina's beef ravioli, but made with Old El Paso's taco spice mix. And if you're not that fond of zesty dishes, you'll be pleased to know that this one is mild. The new ravioli is only available in Woolworths supermarkets for a short time, for RRP$8 a packet — and if you're wondering how to serve it, the two brands suggest pairing it with beans, corn kernels and a pasta sauce, popping it in the oven with cheese on top and turning it into a pasta bake. Obviously, just cooking it like you normally would Latina's pasta, slathering it with sauce and sticking a fork in is also an option. But you won't have to decide whether your tastebuds are screaming for Italian or Mexican — because you can have both. Latina and Old El Paso's taco-flavoured ravioli is available now at Woolworths supermarkets for RRP$8 a packet.
Imagine if Ferris Bueller's Day Off was a horror movie, with the eponymous truant skipping class, flitting around Chicago and narrowly avoiding hordes of zombies that start shuffling around on the same day. Or, maybe Dirty Dancing could get the spooky treatment. No one puts Baby in the corner unless they need to help her combat a demon conjured up by the repressive reaction to all that fancy footwork, perhaps? We should probably stop listing these ideas, because Blumhouse Productions might end up making them a reality. Already, the film company has turned Groundhog Day into a horror flick via Happy Death Day and Happy Death Day 2U. It gave 70s TV series Fantasy Island an unsettling makeover, too, to downright awful results. Now, it's Freaky Friday's turn. Body-swap movies span far beyond films starring Jodie Foster (in 1976) and Lindsay Lohan (in 2003), but given that Freaky sets the bulk of its action on a Friday, it's clearly nodding in the obvious direction. The movie begins with a prelude on Wednesday the 11th (yes, not only will most of the chaos go down on a Friday, but it'll happen on Friday the 13th). In the opening scene, four small-town high schoolers do what teens do in the first moments of slasher flicks: talk, party and make out in an empty old mansion, then get killed by a mask-wearing psychopath. Before the quartet meets that fate, its members explain who is responsible. The Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn) is known to have terrorised the area but, due to a lack of recent murders, the serial killer has mostly become an urban legend of late. Writer/director Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day and its sequel) and his co-scribe Michael Kennedy (Bordertown) know that they're sticking to a formula here, and that any viewer who has seen any number of other frightening franchises knows it as well. They're being playful, though, a trait they try to keep up for the rest of the film. Not only is the Butcher real, but he steals a cursed Aztec dagger that lets him swap bodies with his next victim. So, when Millie (Kathryn Newton, Big Little Lies) crosses his path, she wakes up in his very tall and very male guise the next morning — and vice versa. For the Butcher, who instantly kits out Millie's petite frame in an uncharacteristic red leather jacket and tight jeans, it's a dream. He's already known for offing adolescents, and now he can blend in as one of them. For Millie, it takes some explaining to get her besties (The Goldfinch's Misha Osherovich and Selah and the Spades' Celeste O'Connor) not to scream at her new manly form. And, with the entire town is on the lookout for the Butcher, she's forced to run and hide while she's trying to track down her actual body. Shy, bullied and still mourning the death of her father a year ago, Millie also notices the changes that come with her masculine appearance. She can impose her might on her tormenters (although the Butcher has them in his sights, too), and comments on feeling strong and commanding. As Millie explains this strangely empowering sensation — after gags about what's now in her pants, expectedly — Freaky adds some depth to its high-concept horror-comedy idea. It calls out society's accepted notions of male power, and makes it plain that women are never seen in the same forceful fashion. Later, Millie shares a tender exchange with her also grief-stricken, often wine-drinking mother (Katie Finneran, Why Women Kill), showing how it's often easier to unburden your problems upon strangers than loved ones. These are astute and accurate observations, as paired with savvy moments. In a far more lived-in way than fellow recent release The Craft: Legacy, the film eagerly inhabits a progressive and accepting world. But not every aspect lands as intended. Another sequence that sees Millie connect with her crush (Uriah Shelton, Girl Meets World) while also still stuck in the Butcher's body too overtly tries to evoke laughs when they kiss, for example. That patchwork outcome — sometimes things fall into place entertainingly, sometimes they don't — applies to Freaky overall. Given that it sports a big twist right there in its premise, no one should expect a surprise-laden narrative. Still, even though Landon and Kennedy wink and nod as they borrow from other body swap and slasher fare, a movie can be aware of what it's doing, deliver standout moments and elements, and flit between fun and average as well. Freaky is glossily shot, swiftly paced and boasts a memorable graphic match, segueing from a head being slammed by a toilet seat to two teens getting intimate. It's particularly engaging when it ramps up either the gore-splattered horror or the over-the-top comedy. But it also swaps a heap of competing pieces into one package, then appears mostly content to play by the numbers when it comes to relentless serial killers plucking off teens and folks ending up in each other's bodies alike. Oh, and it's mighty keen to make its franchise aspirations well and truly known, too. As a result, Freaky always feels heavily indebted to its lead casting choices, both of which are top-notch. Without either Vaughn or Newton, the film might've resembled The Hot Chick meets the worst Nightmare on Elm Street sequels rather than Freaky Friday meets Friday the 13th. Vaughn gets the showier role, and demonstrates how shrewdly he's considered what it's like to be a teenage girl, with his version of Millie occasionally proving more fleshed out than the real thing. Newton embraces her fierce and fearsome side as the Butcher and, consequently, it's easy to see why Millie herself is a little impressed by her confidence. Both actors do more than just stick to the movie's clearcut concept, crucially — but Freaky itself could've taken their lead more often, and taken note of its titular term far more as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-M4qEmF268
Belles Hot Chicken is taking to the streets, with the fried chook favourite launching its first food truck. The meals-on-wheels venture is a collaboration between Belles founder Morgan McGlone and co-owners at the 100 Burgers group — who've got no shortage of experience with mobile eats, having also brought you the likes of Mr Burger and northside food truck park Welcome Tto Thornbury. Now, in great news for chicken fans who live too far from the bricks-and-mortar originals, it's Belles' turn to get the four-wheeled treatment. The truck made her debut earlier this week as part of this week's Welcome to Thornbury lineup, rounding out a six-strong stable of Belles Hot Chicken venues across Melbourne and Sydney. It'll feature a selection of Belles smash hits, starring serves of McGlone's famed Nashville-style hot chicken alongside loaded sandwiches and drool-worthy sides. "I'm thrilled to take Belles on the road and put my stamp on the group's already amazing restaurants," sad McGlone. It's the first of four huge 2018 openings for the 100 Burgers group, with its much-hyped eatery Natural History just launching this week as well. For more information about the Belles Hot Chicken Food Truck, keep an eye on their Facebook page.
Boozy things are great and all — but it's the low- and no-alcohol sips that are in soaring high demand these days. Melbourne's already home to Australia's first permanent booze-free bar and bottle shop, and it also played host to a zero-alcohol pop-up bar by Dan Murphy's earlier this year. Heck, we've even had local rockstars launching their own signature no-alc bevs. And now, we're getting the country's first-ever, major low- and no-booze drinks festival. Coming at us courtesy of Revel — the same minds behind Pinot Palooza and cheese fest Mould — Picolo is set to make its debut on Saturday, February 11, 2023, transforming Port Melbourne's Timber Yard into a drinks showcase of not-so-boozy proportions. It's out to spotlight all the hottest new drops making a splash on Australia and New Zealand's 'no-low' drinks scene; from craft beer and vino, to spirits-style creations and alcohol-free cocktails. Across two sessions (12pm, 5pm), guests will be able to sip their way through goodies from 30 different producers, with big flavours and innovation the main order of the day. Expect pours from familiar names like Lyres, Heaps Normal, Four Pillars, NON, Sobah, Banks Botanicals, Giesen and Better Beer, with plenty more to be announced. Also on the day's drinks list: a live cocktail competition featuring bartenders from some of Melbourne's best-loved cocktail haunts, including HER, Pearl Diver and more. Competitors will each whip up their own signature cocktail using products showcased on the day, to be judged by beverage experts including 2022 Australian Bartender Nick Tesar (Bar Liberty), Swill Magazine editor Myffy Rigby and drinks writer Mike Bennie. In between sips, you can enjoy artisan bites from the Mould Cheese Collective stand, DJ tunes, a roller-skating rink (courtesy of booze-free bev company T.I.N.A.), food pop-ups, giveaways and games — including Heaps Normal's 'beersketball' challenge. Tickets to Picolo will clock in at $35, which gets you all your tastings and a Revel wine glass to keep. And of course, there's no need to rein it in since there'll be absolutely no hangover awaiting you the next morning. Catch Picolo at The Timber Yard, 351 Plummer Street, Port Melbourne, on February 11, 2023. Tickets are on sale from 9am on November 17 — find them online.
Breaking down a classic tale best known as an opera, rebuilding it as a lovers-on-the-run drama set across the US–Mexico border and making every moment burst with emotion, Benjamin Millepied's Carmen is a movie that moves. While its director is a feature debutant, his background as a dancer and choreographer — he did both on Black Swan, the latter on Vox Lux as well, then designed the latest Dune films' sandwalk — perhaps means that the former New York City Ballet principal and Paris Opera Ballet Director of Dance was fated to helm rhythmic, fluid and rousing cinema. His loose take on Georges Bizet's singing-driven show and Prosper Mérimée's novella before it, plus Alexander Pushkin's poem The Gypsies that the first is thought to be based on, is evocative and sensual. It's sumptuous and a swirl of feelings, too, as aided in no small part by its penchant for dance. And, it pirouettes with swoon-inducing strength with help from its stunningly cast leads: Scream queen and In the Heights star Melissa Barrera, plus Normal People breakout and Aftersun Oscar-nominee Paul Mescal. When Mescal earned the world's attention in streaming's initial Sally Rooney adaptation, he had viewers dreaming of fleeing somewhere — Ireland or anywhere — with him. Carmen's namesake (Barrera) absconds first, then has PTSD-afflicted Marine Aidan (Mescal) join her attempt to escape to Los Angeles. Carmen runs after her mother Zilah (flamenco dancer Marina Tamayo) greets the cartel with thunderous footwork, but can't stave off their violence. Aidan enters the story once Carmen is smuggled stateside, where he's a reluctant volunteer border guard in Texas alongside the trigger-happy Mike (Benedict Hardie, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson). As the picture's central pair soon hurtle towards California, to Zilah's lifelong friend Masilda's (Rossy de Palma, Parallel Mothers) bar, they try to fly to whatever safety and security they can find. That may be fleeting, however, and might also be in each other's arms. Mérimée's 1845 work told of blistering passion, as did Bizet's 1875 aria-filled version that's become the first Carmen that usually springs to mind. Indeed, ardour and intensity are among this tale's key traits no matter what format it's in — see also: iconic French filmmaker's 1983 effort First Name: Carmen; the Beyoncé-starring, 2001-released Carmen: A Hip Hopera; and everything prior and since. Millepied, who co-wrote the script with Alexander Dinelaris (an Oscar-winner for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)) and Loïc Barrere (President Alphonse), doesn't buck the trend. Heat and energy beat through his iteration as kinetically as Zilah's heartbeat-mimicking opening number, with the same burning that blazes in Barrera's eyes and as swelteringly as the movie's desert setting (Australia, specifically Broken Hill, standing in for the other side of the world when the film was shot in early 2021 while the pandemic was still wreaking havoc with international borders). Millepied isn't afraid to be bold with Carmen, clearly. Neither are his collaborators on- and off-screen. Barrera, Mescal and de Palma anchor the former — which also includes Elsa Pataky (Interceptor), Tara Morice (who came to fame with Baz Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom three decades back) and rapper The DOC (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty) — with such force that to witness them swish through the feature is to feel like you're in their shoes. Barrera and Mescal's chemistry simmers, pivotally. Together and apart alike, each convincingly unpacks the woes and worries paving their characters' struggles in their physicality as much as their words. Enlisting Pedro Almodóvar favourite de Palma is a spectacular coup, of course, and one that makes the La Sombra Poderosa nightclub stretches glimmer and glide with extra zest and potency. This Carmen doesn't just move — it transports, all while pulsating with emotions usually belted out with gusto in song. The movie's destination: the yearning that pushes Carmen and Aidan's flights towards different lives, the sorrow and desperation that refuses to remain buried in their hearts, the determination to fight and the lusty whirlwind that is their time together. Milliped knows how to immerse his audience in these sensations via his frames, which are so strikingly lensed by Jörg Widmer — a cinematographer with past credits that couldn't better sum up the look and tone of Carmen. Back in 2011, Widmer held the same role on Wim Wenders' big-screen Pina Bausch ode Pina. In 2019, he aided Terrence Malick's A Hidden Life in appearing as visually lyrical as the Badlands and The Tree of Life director's work gets. Carmen is that enamoured with the expressive nature of dance, and with imagery as its own haunting form of poetry. That Carmen means ode and poem in Latin is even verbally mentioned within the feature's dialogue. To peer at, Carmen is arresting, too, with its backdrop more than a minor reason. The arid expanse that's long made Broken Hill a popular filming destination has previously graced Wake in Fright, Mad Max II, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Mission: Impossible II, yet demands fresh eyes as Barrera and Mescal twirl over it with longing. In one particularly stirring scene, the duo cavort and embrace, their bodies as feverish as the golden hues evident in both the soil and sky. Carmen and Aidan come together in a desolate existence, finding — even making — what rays they can, but their romance is as jagged as the rocky, scrubby stretch around them. That Mescal's steps can't quite match Barrera's also feels all the more apt given the locale; it's visibly imperfect, so is his dancing and, of course, Carmen and Aidan's intertwined thrust for a new destiny earns that exact description. Similarly vivid touches: seeing Carmen's characters unleash such telling body language against such a still background, and the film's rich costumes gleaming against the ochre earth. The camera spies it all, yet never just lingers and passively observes. Rather, the cinematography flows — never more than in that sashaying against the dirt, plus a glowing fairground interlude that plays like a dream, in Masilda's clu,b and also a late boxing sequence that's as throbbing as anything on a makeshift or genuine dance floor. Singing is still a part of this Carmen, spiritedly and affectingly so, but this is a drama with carefully placed songs worked into the narrative rather than a traditional musical. To be more accurate, it's a drama with dance and sometimes lyrics, with the grandly ambitious and layered score by Nicholas Britell (Succession) getting intoxicatingly stormy to match the sea of movement that keeps washing through like waves.
First, we farewelled Biggie Smalls' Windsor outpost, as owner-chef Shane Delia transformed his contemporary Chapel Street kebab store into a sleek wine bar called Maha East. Now, it's time for the venue's long-running Collingwood sibling to have a shakeup of its own. Biggie Smalls' Smith Street store will be reborn as cocktail-focused meze bar, Maha Bar. It's out with the fried chicken and hip hop, and in with clever cocktails and modern Middle Eastern plates for this new northside venture slated to open its doors in February. We're told to expect a Melbourne twist on the meze bar concept, with flavours and approaches echoing those at Delia's acclaimed CBD restaurant Maha, but served with a slightly more casual edge. Studio Y is overhauling the space in a vision of moody lighting, timber panelling and soft curves, with a stretch of banquettes and a long bar ringed by front-row seats. On the walls, you'll spy pieces from Lebanese French artist Raphaelle Macaron. [caption id="attachment_568892" align="alignnone" width="1280"] The now-closed Collingwood Biggie Smalls[/caption] The honed booze focus means Maha Bar's drinks offering will be an extensive one, headlined by a series of signature cocktails paying homage to the flavours of the Middle East. A broad wine menu will favour organic and biodynamic drops from both near and far, while a range of infused araks and rakis are sure to also get a solid workout. From the kitchen, a seasonal menu stars a diverse spread of large meze plates as well as smaller snacks best enjoyed with a drink in hand. And, in the spirit of the generous Maltese hospitality Delia grew up with, Maha Bar will even be dishing up a few cheeky freebies each week. Head in between 3–5pm every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and you'll be treated to a selection of complimentary bar snacks to enjoy with your weekend libations. Once the Collingwood store's transformation is complete, Delia's food truck will be the only remaining Biggie Smalls operation. You can catch it at major events, as well as at private catering gigs. Find Maha Bar at 86 Smith Street, Collingwood from February 20. It'll open daily for dinner from 5pm, and for lunch on Friday to Sunday from 11.30am. Biggie Smalls Collingwood is now closed. Top images: Renders of Maha Bar
Whether you are on the search for a new dinner spot in the city or crave the bold, spicy flavours of authentic northern Thai cooking, Isan Soul offers a culinary and culture experience that temporarily transports you to the vibrant streets of Thailand. Named after the country's northeastern region of Isan, this buzzing venue welcomes patrons with a visual feast of knick-knacks hanging from the ceiling, walls and nestled into shelves. Woven baskets, timber, vintage posters, gumball machines and colourful tuk-tuks have all been imported from Thailand to replicate the country's buzzing street food stalls. "We went to old markets, museums and street vendors around Thailand to find and import everything you see here," said Isan Soul Manager Nas Prasertklinsakul. "Even the timber you see on the walls we recycled from an old school in Thailand." The Thai objects don't stop at the decor either — order the kai yang (grilled chicken) and it'll arrive on bamboo skewers that have also been shipped over. Also on menu, crafted entirely by Head Chef Ben Kunchairattana, are som tum (papaya salad), red duck curry, wok-fried soft shell crab served in a creamy curry sauce and a range of crispy pork dishes made with tamarind, sugar and fish sauces. Although the feel of the restaurant is distinctively Thai, the dishes draw their inspiration from across Southeast Asia. "Many Isan provinces share borders with Laos and Cambodia, making our food different to the sweet Thai cuisine you'd know from areas like Bangkok," explains Prasertklinsakul. "Our dishes are often spicy, sour and served with sticky rice — which the region is known for." These intense flavours are best paired with the restaurant's house-made Thai milk tea or butterfly pea tea, which is made from ternatea flowers and changes colour when you add a squeeze of lime. Isan Soul looks complete — and full — but there is further expansion in the pipeline. Prasertklinsakul and the team plan to open the venue's third level upstairs, too, offering a variation of Thai-style hot-pot, and to start using their fully operational tuk-tuk downstairs as a bar for quick takeaway options at lunchtime. Images: Julia Sansone.
What happens when one of Australia's best-loved chocolate brands teams up with one of the country's premier fine diners? Well, you can find out for yourself — if you manage to snap up one of the limited-edition chocolate degustation boxes from Ben Shewry's legendary restaurant Attica and the choc connoisseurs at Koko Black, that is. Yep, it's the boundary-pushing food collaboration your sweet tooth has been waiting for — a box of ten innovative new chocolate creations inspired by Attica's most iconic dishes. You're in for handcrafted bites like the umami-rich Benmite and Crackers, the Plight of the Bees with its spotted gum honey cream and dark chocolate coating, and a reimagining of Attica's Secret Baked Cheesecake. Each degustation comes housed in a bespoke box with chocolates for two people, plus a Dinosaur Designs serving plate, and a custom Marlux pepper mill filled with a black pepper and ant mix designed to garnish one of the chocolates. A super limited number of the degustation boxes are available now to pre-order online, coming in at $449. They'll be handmade to order, and delivered between November and December. [caption id="attachment_868857" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Plight of the Bees'[/caption]
"We all deserve better". "Change never comes easy." "Blessed be the squad." If the latter quote didn't already give it away, they're all lines that are uttered in the first trailer for the fourth season of The Handmaid's Tale. And, as usually proves the case with the show's dialogue, they all feel like they could be said today, in reality, in everyday life. Using a deeply dystopian scenario to reflect the modern world has always been one of the acclaimed, award-winning series' strengths. It was true of Margaret Atwood's 1985 book that started it all, too. So, with the TV adaptation of the acclaimed novel now reaching its fourth season, it's no wonder that it's continuing what it has always done best — and that the first glimpse of the new season feels even more timely at present. First, some bad news, though: due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Handmaid's Tale won't return to our screens in 2020. Instead, viewers will have to wait until a yet-to-be-revealed date in 2021 to find out what happens next in Gilead (no, not the masterplanned Sydney community with the same name), and what the future has in store for the show's protagonist, June (Elisabeth Moss) after season three's cliffhanger ending. The good news, of course, is that this tale of rebellion and revolution isn't anywhere near done yet. Toppling a totalitarian society that's taken over the former United States, tearing down its oppression of women under the guise of 'traditional values', and fighting for freedom and equality doesn't happen quickly, after all. The first sneak peek of the ten-episode fourth season doesn't reveal too much; however fans should prepare for not just an uprising, but a war — and for the return of Bradley Whitford's Commander Joseph Lawrence and Ann Dowd's Aunt Lydia, too. Check out the teaser trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WLqBUi4r6o The fourth season of The Handmaid's Tale will hit screens sometime in 2021 — we'll update you with further details when they're announced.
Melbourne-born womenswear label Sister Studios has moved into its next phase of life, rounding out a series of pop-ups with the opening of its first permanent bricks-and-mortar store, settling into a sunny corner of Fitzroy North. Founded by Alice McIntosh and Emma Cutri in 2015, Sister has become synonymous with joyful, everyday threads, best-known for its limited-edition pieces crafted from Italian linens, New Zealand wools and handpicked vintage fabrics. The Scotchmer Street store feels like its natural habitat, the cheery fitout of stone, timber and high archways inspired by the duo's own travels through California. Expect a colour palette with a touch of romance, referencing the same tones and textures brought to life by the garments. The racks here play host to a rotation of Sister's current season pieces, core classics and small-run collections made with deadstock fabrics the designers have accumulated along the way. But you'll also spy plenty of other well-designed goodies making their home within the space — namely, sculptural pieces crafted by McIntosh herself (who's also one-half of creative outfit Dust Merchants) and Cutri's expertly selected collection of scents, ceramics and prints, designed to perfectly complement the Sister vibe.
Summer's well and truly kicked into gear, and we've been busy making the most of it with catch-ups with mates, family dinners and backyard barbies with the crew. But not all summer hangs are created equal. First, the set-up needs to suit the occasion, whether that's on an airy rooftop for sundowners or comfy garden seats for your crew to chill out on while basking in sunshine. What you're drinking is also key — and you can't go run with gin in the warmer months. And, if you're hosting an at-home do, you need the quintessential Aussie tool: a barbecue. To help take the fuss out of summer events (which should always be laidback), we've teamed up with UK distillery Whitley Neill Gin to bring you everything you need for lazy days in the sun. One lucky winner in Australia will score four bottles of Whitley Neill gin — namely, two bottles of its Original London Dry and one bottle of both its raspberry and blood orange-flavoured gins. To serve up your summery sips, you'll also score a Whitley Neill Gin carafe and four balloon glasses. And because every backyard event needs a barbie, we're also throwing in a Weber Family Q barbecue. Whether you've been meaning to get one since you moved house or need to upgrade, this top-quality grill is a big drawcard. Finally, to deck out your garden, courtyard or balcony, the prize pack comes with four branded deck chairs, too. Keen to win this epic prize? Enter your details below to go in the running. [competition]837183[/competition]
Australia's touring all-inclusive music and arts festival Summer Camp is returning in December — and it's just dropped the full lineup of over 100 artists, as well as info on its new venues. Following Summer Camp's inaugural run in 2022 which combined great tunes and LGBTQIA+ pride, the blockbuster event will be hitting St Kilda Marina on Saturday, December 2 and the Wentworth Park Sports Centre in Sydney on Sunday, December 3. Leading the latest lineup announcement is viral sensation Rebecca Black who has had a major career revival since 2021, releasing a slate of acclaimed pop projects ten years after achieving global infamy for her so-bad-it's-good track 'Friday'. Heaven will be a place on earth at the Sydney edition of Summer Camp with Belinda Carlisle joining the lineup, while Ultra Naté will be exclusively hitting St Kilda with her catalogue of hits including the iconic dance cut 'Free'. [caption id="attachment_919632" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matto Lucas[/caption] Also gracing both Summer Camp lineups: Brooke Candy, Kito, Meg10, The Illustrious Blacks and Tom Aspaul alongside a stacked program of local musicians, DJs, dancers and performance artists comprising more than 100 acts. The BEAT stage will be dedicated to thumping house, disco and techno tunes. Sydney will also be treated to Club Love — a haven for cheesy singalongs and big emotions, while Melbourne's Summer Camp will host a cutting-edge Rave Cave. [caption id="attachment_919633" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matto Lucas[/caption] The huge program will be headlined by previously announced headliners Jessie Ware and Trixie Mattel. Ware teased that she was playing the festival back in May, advising that she'd be appearing on an episode of her podcast Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware before confirming her place on the lineup in July. It's been a long time between Australian visits for the UK disco-pop queen. The last time she graced our shores was for Laneway Festival all the way back in 2013. In the period since, she's released four albums, including the immensely critically acclaimed What's You Pleasure in 2020 and its equally vibrant recent follow-up That! Feels Good!. But now Ware's drought of Aussie appearances is officially coming to an end. [caption id="attachment_899478" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] The St Kilda edition will be taking place as part of the huge 17-day ALWAYS LIVE program that's hitting the state throughout November and December. The massive program also includes performances from Christina Aguilera, Jai Paul and Eric Prydz. As for the new location in Sydney, the festival has decided to head to an indoor-outdoor facility after facing issues with flooding at Centennial Park last year. SUMMER CAMP FESTIVAL 2023 LINEUP: Jessie Ware Trixie Mattel Brooke Candy Kito Meg10 Rebecca Black The Illustrious Blacks Tom Aspaul Sydney Only: Belinda Carlisle Abby & Tyrone Akala Newman Atomic Blond & Dutch Kiss Ballroom Australia Baschoe Charlie Villas Chic Coach Cleo Rapture Club Chrome Dads Mayo Dan Azzo Diva Cups Dyan Tai Feta James Fried Pork Chop Half Queen Jackie Daniels Jane Jason De Cox Jimi the Kween Karlee Misi King C*ntessa Lady Fur Matt Vaughan Never Enough DJs (Dunny Minogue x Estèe Louder) Rosie Rivette Melbourne Only: Ultra Naté Alex Morris Ballroom Australia Bathesba Crescendoll Daws Dilonce' Disco Daddies DJ Gay Dad Ecterera Ecterrea x Art Simone Fragile Future House of Buffet Jesse Boyd Kat Zowthabag Kween Kong Mz Risk Nick Spurway Saint Eve Sal Simple Sovblkpssy Stone Motherless Cold Sullivan The Huxleys Tilly Capulet Tyoow Vb Unicorns Yo Mafia Summer Camp will be hitting Sydney and Melbourne in December 2023. For further details or to nab tickets, head to the festival's website. Top image: Matto Lucas
This winter may not have been excruciating, but you can't help admitting that you're a little bit happy it's over. Sure, the nights spent in front of the fireplace and snuggled up under a cosy blanket were nice. And yes, you had a fair crack at your Netflix queue — your office small talk is all the better for it, too. But you can do that anywhere. What makes living in Melbourne so special is how the city comes alive as the seasons change. You've got a cracking few months of beach visits, backyard barbecues and outdoor adventures ahead of you — and we know just the thing to get you in the mood. We've teamed up with the award-winning BATI & RATU by RUM Co of Fiji to throw a huge summer party at a luxe Sydney beachside house on Saturday, November 30. And, to help you score a spot at this exclusive shindig, the brand has teamed up with a handful of bars across Melbourne to serve up a very special cocktail. The Fijian daiquiri is a take on the Caribbean classic, which uses the spiced Fijian rum, coconut water, falernum syrup and lime. Between September 13 and October 13, order the cocktail at any of these spots and you can enter the draw for tickets to the shindig. Hope to see you there. IMPERIAL, SOUTH YARRA You'll find this buzzing bar in the heart of Chapel Street's dining precinct. There's always plenty going on at Imperial, so no matter when you turn up for your Fijian daiquiri, you're guaranteed a good time. Head here on a Thursday to enjoy two-for-one pizzas or score a burger for $12 on Fridays. Meanwhile, on Sundays, you can kick back with your cocktail at the bar's 'recovery session' with live acoustic music between 3–6pm. THE EXCHANGE HOTEL, PORT MELBOURNE Even though we know it's technically spring now, Melbourne does have a funny habit of throwing in a couple of chilly days here and there. When one of those days comes along, make tracks to Port Melbourne's Exchange Hotel. The pub is known for its cosy vibes, so you can stay in denial about the weather outdoors with a daiquiri in hand. Head here on a Wednesday evening and pair your cocktail with a classic parma for $18 and a round of trivia. FARGO AND CO, RICHMOND This bank-themed, inner-city spot is a good go-to for many occasions, from a quick drink after work to a leisurely weekend wind-down session. If the weather is less than ideal, nab a spot indoors beside the sleek art deco-style bar. But when the sun is shining, you'll want to soak it up on the rooftop terrace. To really amplify the warm weather vibes, head here on Thursdays. From 4pm, the bar serves up freshly shucked oysters for just a buck each. THE SMITH, PRAHRAN The only time that balmy weather isn't welcome in Melbourne is when you have to stay indoors and keep working — there's precisely nothing tropical about spreadsheets and deadlines. But if you want to find yourself a little slice of paradise, head to The Smith for a cheeky lunch break. This sleek gastropub offers up a counter lunch each day, with meals starting from just $13. Or, you could celebrate finally making it to hump day with bottomless fried chicken or fried cauliflower every Wednesday night. Team up your fried snacks with a lime, chilli and coriander sauce (or the hot-hot-hot, if you're feeling brave) and wash it down with a Fijian daiquiri. THE HAWTHORN HOTEL, HAWTHORN The ol' hip pocket can take a nasty hit in the warmer months, so finding a watering hole that'll guarantee you a good feed and top-notch drinks on the cheap is vital. And for the eastern suburbs, The Hawthorn Hotel is it. Here, you can score a great deal every night of the week to enjoy with your Fijian daiquiri — think $14 parmas on Mondays and Thursdays and $10 burgers on Wednesdays. The pub has a great entertainment roster, too, including trivia, comedy nights, movie nights and live music. Feeling Adventurous? Start planning for the warmer seasons and learn more about BATI & RATU by RUM Co of Fiji here.
After the two lockdown-filled years Aussies have just lived through, we've all got a renewed appreciation for escapism. Not to mention, good old-fashioned fun. Thankfully, a unique reality-blurring dining concept kicking off this December offers both of these, promising to help you shake off the mundanity of all that time cooped up at home. The ever-imaginative minds at PlayStation have dreamed up the ultimate immersive food experience, fusing the virtual sphere with real life for PlayStation to Plate. Building on Aussies' renewed relationships with both food and gaming, they've joined forces with the chefs behind some of Sydney and Melbourne's best-known restaurants to bring to life virtual dishes from the PlayStation universe. Pixels have been swapped for plates and graphics replaced by garnishes, bringing new meaning to the idea of playing with your food. [caption id="attachment_835418" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Morgan Hipworth, of Bistro Morgan[/caption] Between hero dishes depicted on screen and the culinary-focused plots woven through various storylines, food has long been a big part of video game culture. And if you've ever wondered what those virtual food elements actually taste like, this is your chance. Blending food and gaming culture into one, and pushing the boundaries of play into new dimensions, this innovative dining concept promises to transport you beyond the screen. Running from Friday, December 3–Sunday, December 12, PlayStation to Plate sees three Aussie eateries each create a limited-edition menu item that reimagines an iconic video game dish IRL. The restaurants will be serving up their signature creations across all ten days of the pop-up, but you can also have any of the dishes dropped to your door courtesy of Deliveroo. [caption id="attachment_835428" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mary's[/caption] So who's involved in bringing this game-to-reality experience to life — and what dishes can you get your mitts on while PlayStation to Plate is in town? The burger-flipping legends at Mary's have leaned into their expertise of sandwiching tasty things between buns to deliver a real-life take on Ellie's Steak Sandwich. Players who've ventured into the post-apocalyptic world of The Last of Us Part II will recognise this hero dish from at the start of the game. Mary's founders Kenny Graham and Jake Smyth say the virtual venue that serves the sandwich spoke to them for its representation as a safe harbour in the game's storyline. Meanwhile, fellow Sydney restaurant The Italian Bowl has pulled its inspiration from critically acclaimed action-adventure title Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. The chefs here have recreated the Thief's Pasta, which main characters Nate and Elena are seen enjoying together on the couch after a long day. This one's a warm, nonna-approved nod to the way in which we all bond over the sharing of food. [caption id="attachment_835422" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Italian Bowl's Thief's Pasta[/caption] In Melbourne, young gun baker Morgan Hipworth is out to tempt your sweet tooth with his rendition of the Sirangian Honey Mousse. The colourful dessert stars in intergalactic adventure game Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, as one of Chef Tulio's signature creations. Hipworth will be slinging this layered sweet delight at his namesake bakery Bistro Morgan. Catch PlayStation to Plate from December 3–12, in Sydney and Melbourne. You'll find each dish featured on the menu at its respective venue, as well as being available for takeaway via Deliveroo. Update 2022: Valorant Mobile Release Date
In the last three and a half decades, more than five million children have been conceived via in vitro fertilisation. Yet while the use of IVF nowadays is relatively unremarkable, its early years were clouded with controversy. Now, that social uproar will be covered in detail, in an ambitious new Melbourne Theatre Company production opening May 15. The Waiting Room is the latest creation from playwright Kylie Trounson, whose own father spearheaded groundbreaking fertility research at Monash University at a time when so-called test tube babies seemed like something out of science fiction. Both Kylie and her father feature as characters in the play, which chronicles Dr. Trounson's breakthrough and the resulting (and divided) public reaction. Juxtaposed with the moral furore is the story of a woman going through IVF treatment in both the 1970s and today. The play will be performed at the Arts Centre, and is directed by Naomi Edwards, who was part of the MTC Women Directors' Program in 2014.
Prahran's Grattan Gardens and nearby performance space Chapel Off Chapel are set to score an 11-day serve of cabaret, comedy, circus and music, as arts festival So Soiree kicks off its next edition. Running from December 2–12, it'll see the park reborn as pop-up performance space The Parlour, complete with neon lights, beer gardens and a spiegeltent. That's set to play host to a diverse program of goodness — from side-splitting theatre-comedy courtesy of emerging talent Josh Glanc, to a raunchy fusion of cabaret and burlesque acrobatics descending on the stage for Blunderland. The Wine Bluffs bring more laughs with their take on an interactive wine masterclass, and you'll catch an unnerving amount of neon spandex when Werk It - Tight Fit delivers its high-energy blend of acrobatics, comedy and circus skills. Throw in some good old-fashioned stand-up from names like Zöe Coombs Marr, Dave Thornton and Claire Hooper, and you've got yourself a very colourful start to the summer arts season. [caption id="attachment_833382" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Werk It - Tight Fit[/caption] Top Image: The Parlour
Four months after it first hit Australian cinemas, Bohemian Rhapsody is still showing on the big screen — and on DVD, pay television and on planes too. Basically, it's everywhere, with the Freddie Mercury and Queen biopic proving an enormous success. It's nominated for five Oscars, and it has rocketed up the Australian all-time box office charts, currently sitting in sixth place just shy of Titanic, and only behind Avatar, Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens, Avengers: Infinity War and Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi otherwise. Clearly filmgoers love seeing the origin stories of iconic musicians played out on screen, a trend that Rocketman looks set to continue. This time around, Elton John gets the movie treatment, with Kingsman's Taron Egerton stepping into his winged shoes, oversized glasses and over-the-top outfits to relive the singer's early years. Egerton both stars and sings all of the expected tunes in the Dexter Fletcher-directed movie, which also features Jamie Bell as Elton's lyricist and writing partner Bernie Taupin, Richard Madden as his first manager John Reid, and Bryce Dallas Howard as his mother. And John himself is one of the executive producers, so expect this tale of 70s excess to be of the officially sanctioned variety. The film's timing couldn't be better, with the muso himself set to play a slate of Australian gigs late in 2019 through until early 2020, all as part of his huge worldwide farewell tour. If you think it's gonna be a long, long time until then, check out Rocketman's latest trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTm5DWgL-MU&feature=youtu.be Rocketman opens in Australian cinemas on Thursday, May 30. Image: David Appleby / © 2018 PARAMOUNT PICTURES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
If you liked choosing your way through Black Mirror: Bandersnatch — or telling Bear Grylls what to do in interactive series You vs. Wild — then Netflix has more where that came from. Come Tuesday, May 12, you'll be able to decide what happens to everyone's favourite kidnapping victim turned wide-eyed New Yorker in a one-off Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt special. While the Tina Fey co-created, 18-time Emmy-nominated comedy finished up its regular run with 2019's batch of episodes, which closed out the show's fourth season, it's coming back this year to put viewers in control. Netflix has actually been in the interactive game for a couple of years thanks to its children's shows like Puss in Boots, Buddy Thunderstruck and Stretch Armstrong; however this'll mark the streamer's first interactive comedy. Always wanted to curb Kimmy's (Ellie Kemper) ample enthusiasm? Keen to steer ex-socialite Jacqueline White (Jane Krakowski) towards a few sensible decisions? Think that landlord Lillian (Carol Kane) could be more eccentric and misanthropic? Just love everything that aspiring actor and singer Titus Andromedon (Tituss Burgess) does? Then this is for you, obviously. If you're fond of Jon Hamm's Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne, too, you're also in luck — this interactive episode is called Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend, after all. A whole heap of other famous faces co-star as well, including Daniel Radcliffe, Amy Sedaris, Fred Armisen, Chris Parnell, Jack McBrayer and Johnny Knoxville. Story-wise, few details have been announced, other than a wedding, a journey across three US states, explosions, an evil plan and potentially starting a war against robots. Announcing the special last year, Tina Fey explained that "fans will be able to make choices on behalf of our characters, taking different story paths with, of course, different jokes," in a Netflix statement. Check out a sneak peak below: https://twitter.com/KimmySchmidt/status/1250446252786847745 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend will hit Netflix on Tuesday, May 12. Image: Netflix.
Sometimes, you're eager to spend your spare hours binging your way through serious dramas. At other times, only clever comedies will do. But, there also comes a time when you just want to feel nostalgic — including by revisiting the local TV show that absolutely every Aussie kid watched in the 90s and 00s, and more than once. For two seasons between 1990–93, then another two from 2000–01, Round the Twist adapted Paul Jennings' popular books into an offbeat fantasy series. If you were the right age, it was must-see TV. It's the source of plenty of lighthouse obsessions, given that's where the Twist family lived. And, it's also a show that knew how to balance humour, strangeness and scares. All four seasons of the show are headed to Netflix, so you'll be able to binge your way through them from Saturday, May 1. They're also currently available on Amazon Prime Video, because that's what tends to happen with older TV programs on streaming these days — one day, they're on one platform; the next, they're elsewhere. Yes, the latter two seasons of Round the Twist really aren't as great as the first two, but we're betting they're still baked into your childhood memories anyway. And, we're certain that you'll now have the show's theme tune stuck in your head for at least the rest of the day, likely until the series hits Netflix over a week away, and probably for plenty of time afterwards as well. Check out the trailer for Round the Twist's first season below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjuXTD0m9Lc All four seasons of Round the Twist will be available to stream via Netflix from Saturday, May 1. Top image: Round the Twist filming location Split Point lighthouse, Natalie Maguire via Wikimedia Commons.
By now, the fact that almost every beloved TV show arises from the dead at some point is hardly new news. From Gossip Girl and Saved By the Bell to Twin Peaks and the upcoming Sex and the City small-screen sequel series, plenty of programs have been doing it. The next former hit set to make a comeback: Dexter. Yes, that means that television's mild-mannered blood-splatter expert by day, serial killer by night is returning — so if you didn't like how the original series wrapped up back in 2013, that's no longer the end of Dexter Morgan's (Michael C Hall, Shadowplay) story. Eight years have passed when Dexter: New Blood kicks off, just as they have for audiences. As the just-dropped first trailer for the revival demonstrates, Dexter is now living a quiet life in the small town of Iron Lake, New York, and trying to forgo his murderous urges. He's also going by the name Jim Lindsay, which nods to author Jeff Lindsay, who penned the series of novels the show was initially based on. But, as fans saw again and again in Dexter's original eight-season run, resisting picking up a knife isn't all that easy for the program's protagonist. In fact, the trailer features plenty of blades — and all within its namesake's vicinity. In the sneak peek — the first look we've been given of the upcoming ten-episode limited series — Dexter finds his old ways calling after his new hometown is rocked by unexpected events. US network Showtime, which'll air the series in the US, obviously wants to keep the bulk of the plot up its sleeves for now; however, Julia Jones (The Mandalorian), Alano Miller (Sylvie's Love), Johnny Sequoyah (Believe), Jack Alcott (The Good Lord Bird) and Clancy Brown (Promising Young Woman) are all joining the cast. And, Jennifer Carpenter (Dragged Across Concrete) is set to return as Dexter's sister Debra, as is John Lithgow (Perry Mason) as the Trinity Killer — presumably in flashbacks, given the characters' fates in the OG series. Australian viewers will be able to check out Dexter: New Blood via new streaming platform Paramount+, which launches locally on Wednesday, August 11. The new show itself doesn't start airing in the US until Sunday, November 7, and just when it'll hit Down Under hasn't been announced — but fingers crossed that it'll be around the same time. Check out the Dexter: New Blood trailer below: Dexter: New Blood is set to stream in Australia via new streaming platform Paramount+, which will launch on Wednesday, August 11. The new series will start airing in the US from Sunday, November 7; however, an exact stream date for Australia hasn't been announced as yet — we'll update you when it is.
With everything going on in the world right now, it's never felt more important to seek out small moments of joy. Like when you've just finished dinner and remember that you've got a delicious sweet treat waiting to be devoured. Or skipping the savoury part of the meal entirely and going straight for the sugar. We're big believers that a really good dessert can help you forget the world's problems — if only for a little while. So, if you've already licked the tub of ice cream in the freezer completely clean or sniffed out your housemate's secret stash of choccies and now have no goodies left, we're not here to judge. Instead, we're going to point you in the direction of some well-made desserts that you can pick up or get dropped to your doorstep the next time those sugar cravings hit. If you are going out to pick up takeaway, have a look at the DHHS website.
You oughta know, Alanis Morissette is heading Down Under. The famed 90s singer will perform in Sydney and Melbourne as part of her world tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of her chart-topping 95 album Jagged Little Pill. So, get ready to sing along to 'Ironic', 'You Oughta Know' and 'All I Really Want' at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena on Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena on April 11 and April 15, respectively. If you're keen and willing to make the trek to Byron Bay, you can also catch Morissette there for Bluesfest, where she'll be singing alongside the likes of Patti Smith, Dave Matthews Band, Crowded House and Lenny Kravitz. Back at her two stadium shows, the 90s icon will be supported by Australia's own Julia Stone. Stone has released two solo albums, with a third due out later this year, and four together with her brother Angus, including Down the Way, which won Album of the Year at the 2010 ARIA Awards. Morissette's own collection of music awards is hefty, and includes seven Grammys and 12 Juno Awards. While her 95 album Jagged Little Pill is the most critically acclaimed, the Canadian singer has released eight albums and is set to drop her highly anticipated ninth, Such Pretty Forks in the Road, in May. In the meantime, though, hype yourself up for the Aussie tour by belting out the following banger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jne9t8sHpUc ALANIS MORISSETTE 2020 AUSTRALIAN DATES Saturday, April 11 — Sydney, Qudos Bank Arena Wednesday, April 15 — Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena Alanis Morissette pre-sales begin at 2pm on Tuesday, February 4 with general sale kicking off at 10am on Friday, February 7 via livenation.com.
Art is becoming more participatory every day. It is becoming more about the experience not just the piece of work. Nite Art is a brilliant example of this. One night will bring together art across four precincts and twenty-one galleries. Fifty-six artists will showcase work from photography to talks, walks, sculpture, drawing, installation and mixed media. Following in the footsteps of international initiatives, Nite Art is allowing people to view and experience art in a whole new way. Exhibitions include De Pose from Fiona Abicare, a sculpture and installation presented in the Sarah Scout Gallery, and Interior Exterior, the photography exhibition from Robert Ashton showing at Edmund Pearce Gallery. Talks will challenge the concept of the artistic space and what it will look like in the future in the talk Is the Gallery Space Dead and open our eyes to new performance spaces in Hidden Spaces, Ready Stages, an exploration of the Arts Centre's undiscovered areas. Nite Art offers an evening to forget preconceived ideas on art and simply let yourself get lost in the process. Image courtesy of Nite Art.
