Maybe you think there's too many superhero movies and TV shows monopolising screens these days. Perhaps you just can't get enough. You could adore the sight of spandex everywhere, or you could feel like you're doing pop-culture homework with each new flick, franchise and series. Wherever you land on caped crusaders, there's one glaring issue with their live-action domination: they're bound by whatever flesh, blood and special effects are able to come up with. Special effects can conjure up plenty, of course, but when 2018's stunning — and Oscar-winning — Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse arrived, it showed how inventive, imaginative and creative a superhero film can be when it can do whatever it likes thanks to the wonders of animation. Five years later, it's finally getting a sequel in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse — and the movie's just-dropped new trailer, its third after a first sneak peek in 2021 and a second in 2022, does whatever a Spider-Verse trailer can. Initially set to release in 2022, but now arriving in June 2023, Across the Spider-Verse is the first of two follow-ups in the Miles Morales (Shameik Moore, Wu-Tang: An American Saga)-focused franchise. And, it isn't holding back on its spider-people. How many spider-men is the optimal amount of spider-men? All the spider-men, clearly. Sure, 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home messed with multiverse madness, complete with Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland's versions of the titular character — but Spider-Verse not only got there first, but topped that first. Now, Across the Spider-Verse is here to up the ante again. Where the initial film gave us a spider-woman, spider-robot and spider-pig, as well as Nicolas Cage as a 30s-era spider-vigilante, this one has another whole onslaught of Spideys heading Miles' way. The new trailer makes that plain in a heap of ways, including in its latest staging of the pointing Spider-Man meme — and, like everything in the previous film proved, it's glorious. This time around, the movie's Brooklyn-based friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man is slightly older, and also faced with a spider-team who are keen to protect the multiverse's existence. When there's that many Spideys, agreeing on how to handle things — including a new threat — isn't easy. That's how the clash between Miles and his fellow spider-folk comes about, as animated in the series' usual dazzling onslaught of colour and movement. Also included amid all the spider-alternatives: Miles reuniting with Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld, Hawkeye). And, there's Spider-Woman (Issa Rae, Insecure), the Spider-Verse version of The Vulture (Jorma Taccone, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story) and the return of Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac, Moon Knight). (If you're wondering about Isaac's character, he first turned up in the post-credits section of Into the Spider-Verse, and he's an alternate version of Spidey from a specific Marvel Comics imprint.) The voice cast spans Daniel Kaluuya (Nope) as Spider-Punk and Jason Schwartzman (I Love That for You) as The Spot as well, and Jake Johnson (Minx) is also back as Peter B Parker — alongside Brian Tyree Henry (Bullet Train) as Miles' dad and Luna Lauren Velez (Power Book II: Ghost). Expect to see Miles head into other Spidey realms, too, in a franchise that made every single live-action Spidey film pale in comparison to its initial instalment. Once again produced by The Afterparty's Phil Lord and Christopher Miller — and this time co-written — Across the Spider-Verse will be followed by third film Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse in 2024. There's also a female-focused spinoff in the works as well. Check out the latest Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse trailer below: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse will release in cinemas Down Under on June 1, 2023.
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to watching anything, we're here to help. We've spent plenty of couch time watching our way through this month's latest batch — and, from the latest and greatest to old favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue from March's haul of newbies. (Yes, we're assuming that you've already jumped on A Dog's World with Tony Armstrong already.) BRAND NEW STUFF YOU CAN WATCH IN FULL RIGHT NOW FRESH Finally, a film about dating in the 21st century with real bite — and that's unafraid to sink its teeth into the topic. In this hit Sundance horror-comedy, Normal People's Daisy Edgar-Jones plays Noa, and once again gets entangled in a romance that'll leave a mark; here, however, the scars aren't merely emotional. Swiping right hasn't been doing it for Fresh's protagonist, as a comically terrible date with the appropriately named Chad (Brett Dier, Jane the Virgin) demonstrates early. Then sparks fly the old-fashioned way, in-person at the supermarket, with the curiously offline doctor Steve (Sebastian Stan, Pam & Tommy). Soon, he's whisking her away to a secluded spot for the weekend — a little too swiftly for Noa's protective best friend Mollie's (Jojo T Gibbs, Twenties) liking, especially given that no one can virtually stalk his socials to scope him out — and that getaway takes a savage and nightmare-fuelling twist. If Raw met Ex Machina, then crossed paths with American Psycho and Hostel, and finally made the acquaintance of any old rom-com, Fresh still wouldn't be the end result — but its tone stems from those parts, as do some plot points and performances, and even a few scenes as well. First-time feature director Mimi Cave doesn't butcher these limbs, though, and screenwriter Lauryn Kahn (Ibiza) doesn't stitch them together like Frankenstein's monster. As anchored by the excellent Edgar-Jones and Stan, there's care, savvy, smarts and style in this splatter-filled, satirical, brutal, funny, empowered and sweet film. Its twists, and its cutting take on predatory dating, are best discovered by watching, but being turned off apps, men and meat in tandem is an instant gut reaction. Fresh is available to stream via Disney+. OUR FLAG FLAG MEANS DEATH In the on-screen sea that is the never-ending list of films and television shows constantly vying for eyeballs, Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby have frequently proven gem-dappled treasure islands. When the immensely funny New Zealand talents have collided, their resumes have spanned four of the most endearing comic hits of the big and small screens in the 21st century so far, aka Flight of the Conchords, What We Do in the Shadows, Wellington Paranormal and Hunt for the Wilderpeople — and now, with pirate parody Our Flag Means Death, they've given viewers another gleaming jewel. This show was always going to swashbuckle its way into streaming must-see lists — and into comedy-lovers' hearts — based on its concept alone, but it more than lives up to its winning idea and winsome casting. Come for the buccaneering banter and seafaring satire, stay for a thoughtful and sincere comic caper that's also a rom-com. The inimitable Darby stars as Stede Bonnet, a self-styled 'gentleman pirate' and a great approximation of Flight of the Conchords' Murray if he'd existed centuries earlier. Meanwhile, Waititi dons leather, dark hues aplenty, an air of bloodthirsty melancholy and an eye-catching head of greying hair as Edward Teach, the marauder better known to the world as Blackbeard. The two real-life figures eventually cross paths after Bonnet leaves his life of wealth, privilege and comfort to rove the oceans, captains a ship staffed by a motley crew to end all motley crews, and initially gets captured by Blackbeard — or Ed, as he calls him. As these two opposites bond, riding the waves from adversaries to co-captains to potentially something more, Our Flag Means Death truly and gloriously opens up its warm heart. The first season of Our Flag Means Death is available to stream via Binge. Read our full review. ASCENSION Ascension may not be an Oscar-winner, losing out to Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), but it'll always be one of 2022's nominees. More than that, this two-time Tribeca Film Festival winner will forever remain one of the most arresting documentaries of the past year as well. Helming her first feature-length doco, filmmaker Jessica Kingdon turns her gaze to the Chinese dream — and what she sees, while situated in a very specific cultural context by design, is a clear and easy sibling to its American counterpart. That's part of the statement her film makes, all just by watching on patiently but meticulously as people go about their lives. Starting with factory recruitment on the streets, then stepping into mass production, then climbing the social hierarchy up to the rich and privileged, Ascension explores employment and consumerism — and what they mean in an everyday sense in modern-day and modernised China. It's a portrait of the needs that make working on assembly lines a necessity, and of the dreams that inspire every step up the societal ladder. Some folks build sex dolls, their uncanny valley-esque forms adding an eerie mood. Others take lessons on etiquette for service jobs, including about not letting your face betray your emotions, and the tone is also unsettling. Observational to a mesmerising degree, Kingdon's exceptional film lets its slices of life and the behaviour, attitudes and patterns they capture do the talking, and they all speak volumes. Indeed, what a clever, telling, incisive and surreal story they unfurl. Ascension is available to stream via Paramount+. TURNING RED What'd happen if the Hulk was a teenage girl, and turned into a giant, fuzzy, super-cute red panda instead of going green and getting ultra-muscular? Or, finding a different riff on the ol' werewolf situation, if emotions rather than full moons inspired a case of not-quite-lycanthropy? These aren't queries that most folks have thought of, but writer/director Domee Shi certainly has — and they're at the core of Pixar's Turning Red, her debut feature after winning an Oscar for 2018 short Bao. As many of the animation studio's movies do, the film takes its title literally. But, it also spins the usual Pixar question. Turning Red does indeed wonder what'd happen if red pandas sported human-style emotions; however, the Disney-owned company has been musing on people becoming other kinds of critters of late, with particularly astute and endearing results here. The movie's focus: 13-year-old Chinese Canadian Meilin Lee (Rosalie Chiang, also making her film debut). The year is 2002, and she loves meeting her strict but doting mum Ming's (Sandra Oh, The Chair) expectations, hanging out with her pals and obsessing over boy band 4*Town. And while her mother doesn't approve of her friends or her taste in music, Mei has become accustomed to juggling everything that's important to her. But then, after a boy-related mishap, the red panda appears. Mei goes to bed feeling normal, albeit angsty and upset, only to wake up looking like a cuddly creature. Like werewolf tales about teenage boys tend to be, Turning Red is all about puberty and doesn't hide it — and whether it's tackling that head-on, pondering generational trauma or showing its rampant love for boy bands, it sports sweetness, soul and smarts. Turning Red is available to stream via Disney+. Read our full review. UPLOAD In its first season in 2020, Upload gave The Office and Parks and Recreation writer/co-creator Greg Daniels his own existential-leaning comedy. Think: The Good Place meets virtual reality, which is basically the premise. After a car accident at the age of 27, computer programmer Nathan (Robbie Amell, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City) is uploaded to a luxurious digital afterlife called Lakeview, which takes more than a little adjusting. Following his troubles with his still-breathing girlfriend Ingrid (Allegra Edwards, Briarpatch), as well as his growing bond with the IT employee, Nora (Andy Allo, Pitch Perfect 3), who works as his virtual handler or "angel", the series found plenty of ways to interrogate its concept. Indeed, while clearly a satire of capitalism, technology and their combination, it also inched towards unnerving Black Mirror territory. In season two, Upload dives deeper — and those Black Mirror comparisons only grow, too. Just like with that dystopian hit, it's plain to see how this reality could come true in a not-so-distant future, which no one watching this could ever want. Nathan now knows that all isn't well in Lakeview, or with the profit-hungry tech company behind it. Nora is well aware also, starting off the new batch of episodes by immersing herself with the anti-tech anarchists the Ludds. And Ingrid has spotted that Nathan isn't as enamoured with their relationship or his new virtual abode, so she decides to join him. Upload is still a comedy, but it knows that getting dark and being smart couldn't be more crucial given its concept. This season cleverly dives deeper, and only disappoints by being just seven half-hour episodes long. Consider your appetite whetted for season three, though. Season two of Upload is is available to stream via Prime Video. LUCY AND DESI Icons celebrating icons: when Amy Poehler directs a documentary about Lucille Ball, as she does here, that's the end result. It's fitting that Lucy and Desi includes a letter read mere days after Desi Arnaz's death, about his ex-wife and longterm professional partner, that included a touching line: "I Love Lucy wasn't just the name of the show". Poehler loves Lucy, too, understandably. Watching the compilation of clips curated here — spanning Ball's movie career in the 30s and 40s, as well as her TV shows such as the pioneering I Love Lucy, follow-up The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, and later sitcoms The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy — it's impossible not to see Ball's influence upon the Saturday Night Live and Parks and Recreation star, and upon the generations of female comedians that've followed Ball. Lucy and Desi loves Arnaz as well, though, and truly adores the pair's tumultuous love story — one that changed the course of comedy history. Forget Being the Ricardos, the average-at-best Aaron Sorkin film that inexplicably earned Oscar nominations — including for its one-note performances — and doesn't even dream of being funny. A deeper, meatier, far more interesting dance through Ball and Arnaz's life comes from Lucy and Desi, which benefits not just from Poehler's affection and her eagerness to ensure that her subjects' personalities shine through, but also from previously unreleased audio tapes of the pair talking about their ups and downs. Recent interviews pepper the film as well, including with daughter Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill, and both Bette Midler and Carol Burnett. Still, this doco's points of focus truly do speak best for themselves, whether chatting frankly or seen in all of those wonderful sitcom snippets. Lucy and Desi is is available to stream via Prime Video. WINDFALL Films can arrive at the perfect time, but usually they're actually products of their time. With Windfall, the former feels true, but this twisty thriller couldn't have been made at any other moment. It's an account of the haves and the have nots, and the widening gap between them — and it's told now, after years of that chasm growing visibly, the privileged largely lapping it up while hardening their disdain for anyone less fortunate, and the latter increasingly refusing to accept such inequality. The setting: a sprawling vacation home owned by a CEO worth billions and his wife. The setup: a break-in interrupted by said couple. The showdown: between two sides of the income divide (struggling versus obscenely comfortable), as brought to the screen by director Charlie McDowell (The One I Love, The Discovery). In a story credited to the filmmaker, star Jason Segel, McDowell's regular screenwriter Justin Lader and Seven scribe Andrew Kevin Walker — and also earning all the above either producer or executive producer billing, and fellow on-screen talents Lilly Collins and Jesse Plemons as well as — talk is largely the name of the game. Nobody (Segel, Dispatches From Elsewhere), as the movie's burglar is dubbed, argues with the CEO (Plemons, The Power of the Dog) and his other half (Collins, Emily in Paris) after taking them hostage at gunpoint, and their conversation is constantly revealing. He's initially bought off by the small stack of cash secreted away in the well-appointed abode but, after leaving then returning when he spies security cameras, he wants more money for his mercy. What follows is a perceptively shot and compellingly performed dissection of having it all (the CEO), grasping for some of it (Nobody) and realising that riches can't buy happiness (the wife). Windfall is available to stream via Netflix. NEW SHOWS TO CHECK OUT WEEK BY WEEK MOON KNIGHT Marvel's knack for casting is one of its superpowers, and it flexes those talents in Moon Knight. Enlisting Oscar Isaac fresh from the phenomenal 2021 trio that is Dune, Scenes From a Marriage and The Card Counter is as shrewd a casting move as the behemoth responsible for the Marvel Cinematic Universe has made, especially given that he plays two roles in one. The series starts with Isaac as Steven Grant, who works in the gift shop of a British museum, wishes he could lead tours instead, studies Egypt and sports a broad English accent. Oh, and chains himself to his bed every night, even though he has trouble sleeping. But as gaps in his days lead him to learn, Steven is also American mercenary Marc Spector — or, to be exact, vice versa. Complicating matters further, he's the on-earth conduit for the Egyptian moon god Khonshu as well. Even within franchise confines, Isaac is mesmerising in Moon Knight, playing a man grappling with dissociative identity disorder — as complex a character as the MCU has delivered so far — who's also drawn into a continent-hopping mystery-adventure. Also complicating matters: shadowy cult-like figure Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke, The Good Lord Bird), who has unfinished business with Khonshu and big plans of his own. Welcomely, the Marvel formula feels fresher here. Also pivotal: that, because it branches off with a previously unseen protagonist rather than the sprawling saga's usual heroes, this is the first MCU Disney+ series that doesn't feel like homework. Having filmmakers Mohamed Diab (Clash) and Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (Synchronic) also leaves an impression, in what's easily the most intriguing small-screen Marvel effort so far. The first episode of Moon Knight is available to stream via Disney+, with new instalments dropping weekly. Read our full review. MINX When home video, the internet and mobile phones with inbuilt cameras each arrived, six words could've been uttered: get ready to look at dicks. New HBO comedy Minx is set the early 70s, so before all three, but the same phrase also applies here. It's true of the show itself, which isn't shy about displaying the male member in various shapes and sizes. It also stands tall in the world that Minx depicts. When you're making the first porn magazine for women — and, when you're making an ambitious, entertaining and impeccably cast The Deuce meets Mrs America-style series about it, but lighter, sweeter and funnier (and all purely fictional) — penises are inescapable. Also impossible to avoid in Minx: questions like "are erections consistent with our philosophy?", as asked by Vassar graduate and country club regular Joyce Prigger (Ophelia Lovibond, Trying). Idolising the magazine industry and unhappily working for the dispiritingly traditional Teen Queen, she has long dreamed of starting her own feminist publication — even penning a bundle of articles and making her own issues — but centrefolds splashed with male genitalia don't fit her ideal pitch. No one's buying what Joyce is selling, though; The Matriarchy Awakens, her dream mag, gets rejected repeatedly by the industry's gatekeepers. Only one is interested: Bottom Dollar Publications' Doug Renetti (Jake Johnson, Ride the Eagle), but he's in the pornography business. The first four episodes of Minx are available to stream via Stan, with new instalments dropping weekly. Read our full review. THE DROPOUT Dramatising the Theranos scandal, eight-part miniseries The Dropout is the third high-profile release in the past two months to relive a wild true-crime tale — following not only the Anna Delvey-focused Inventing Anna, about the fake German heiress who conned her way through New York City's elite, but also documentary The Tinder Swindler, which steps through defrauding via dating app at the hands of Israeli imposter Simon Leviev. It also dives into the horror-inducing Dr Death-esque realm, because when a grift doesn't just mess with money and hearts, but with health and lives, it's pure nightmare fuel. And, it's the most gripping of the bunch, even though we're clearly living in peak scandal-to-screen times. Scam culture might be here to stay as Inventing Anna told us in a telling line of dialogue, but it isn't enough to just gawk its way — and The Dropout and its powerful take truly understands this. To tell the story of Theranos, The Dropout has to tell the story of Elizabeth Holmes, the Silicon Valley biotech outfit's founder and CEO from the age of 19. Played by a captivating, career-best Amanda Seyfried — on par with her Oscar-nominated work in Mank, but clearly in a vastly dissimilar role — the Steve Jobs-worshipping Holmes is seen explaining her company's name early in its first episode. It's derived from the words "therapy" and "diagnosis", she stresses, although history already dictates that it offered little of either. Spawned from Holmes' idea to make taking blood simpler and easier, using just one drop from a small finger prick, it failed to deliver, lied about it copiously and still launched to everyday consumers, putting important medical test results in jeopardy. The first six episodes of The Dropout are available to stream via Disney+, with new instalments dropping weekly. Read our full review. Need a few more streaming recommendations? Check out our picks from January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December 2021, and January and February 2022 — and our top new TV shows of 2021, best new television series from this year that you might've missed and top straight-to-streaming films and specials as well. Top image: Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.
Last week saw the 135th and final space shuttle mission end when Atlantis touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. For the past 30 years, the shuttle has been the flagship plane for NASA's sometimes controversial, always captivating space program. The decommissioning of the shuttle will undoubtedly make space travel cheaper and safer for the American government, who will continue their program in 1960s-style manned capsules made in Russia, before taking off in American-built vehicles. Every time the shuttle took off, it cost American taxpayers $1.5 billion. Choosing to either abandon the space shuttle or avoid it entirely, the Soviets and China have progressed by using rockets and capsules for manned spaceflights. For now, the space race is back on. National Geographic has compiled a photographic retrospective to mark the occasion, showcasing the most vivid photographs from the shuttle's colourful history. Here are some of our favourites. A huge crowd—many driving recreational vehicles—gathers to watch the space shuttle Columbia land on July 4, 1982, at Edwards Air Force Base in California at the end of STS-4. Sitting on a rolling platform, the space shuttle Challenger emerges from the mist at Kennedy Space Center in Florida as it heads toward the launch pad, just visible in the distance, in November 1982. Curling like bizarre sigils in the sky, plume remnants from the June 8, 2007, launch of the space shuttle Atlantis glow with the light of the setting sun. Earth seems ready for loading into the space shuttle Endeavour's open payload bay in a picture taken in December 1998 using an onboard IMAX camera. Riding piggyback on a Boeing 747, the test shuttle Enterprise glides over the New York City skyline in June 1983. Astronaut Dale Gardner enjoys a moment of levity as he completes a spacewalk to recover two broken communications satellites from orbit on November 14, 1984. Astronaut Joseph P. Allen IV is seen reflected in Gardner's helmet visor. Star Trek cast members from the science-fiction show attend the shuttle's rollout ceremony in Palmdale, California, on September 17, 1976. Atlantis is lifted high inside the Vehicle Assembly Building on May 18, 2011, so it can be attached to the "stack"—the combination of the large external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters. A cloud of debris spreads in the sky over coastal Florida as the space shuttleChallenger breaks apart on January 28, 1986. A charred astronaut helmet lying in the grass near Norwood, Texas, was among the debris found after the space shuttle Columbia broke apart during reentry on February 1, 2003. Suspended above the planet, the space shuttle Endeavour is silhouetted against the layers of Earth's atmosphere in a picture taken by an ISS crew member on February 9, 2010. [Via National Geographic]
Cinemas are glorious. There's nowhere better to see a movie. When you're watching a film in the cosy confines of a darkened room, communing devotedly with the projected picture flickering before your eyes, that viewing experience simply can't be beaten. But hitting up your streaming queue instead isn't just for filling time on the couch or catching up on flicks you might've missed on the big screen. And, features that don't get a theatrical run shouldn't be stigmatised by the 'direct-to-streaming' label. Thanks to the ever-growing array of online viewing options, movie buffs can now see more new movies than ever before. Smaller flicks that were never going to reach cinemas, international favourites that would only screen at festivals Down Under otherwise, new releases by big-name filmmakers not getting funding elsewhere: they've all been making their way to us thanks to streaming. In 2022, that online-only roster of features dropped new must-see titles every single month, and came overflowing with fantastic fare. Back in July, we picked the best 15 straight-to-streaming films of 2022's first six months. Now, with a whole year behind us, we've cast our eyes of the entire 12-month period. As a result, we've already sung the praises of some of our overall top 15 straight-to-streaming gems for 2022 — but the very best deserve all the love all the time. Catch up with them from your couch ASAP. KIMI For the second year in a row, Steven Soderbergh has made one of the year's best movies and it has completely bypassed Australian cinemas. Unlike 2021's No Sudden Move, however, Kimi was always destined for streaming. The latest in his series of paranoid thrillers that also includes Contagion, and once again female-fronted as Haywire, Side Effects and Unsane were too, this Zoë Kravitz-starring standout takes its cues from smart devices, humanity's increasing dependence upon technology, and the kinds of events that a virtual assistant like Siri, Alexa or Google Assistant might eavesdrop on. As a result, Soderbergh has crafted another movie that riffs on a growing area of real-life interest, then turns it into a tense, potent and devilishly smart feature. A bonus: focusing on a protagonist who doesn't feel safe leaving her house, Kimi couldn't better capture how the pandemic has felt without overtly needing to be a COVID-19 film. Kravitz (The Batman) plays Angela Childs, who works for Seattle-based tech corporation Amygdala from the comfort of her own sprawling loft — and from her own audiophile's dream of a computer setup — listening to snippets of conversation captured by smart speaker Kimi for quality assurance. In one clip, she hears what she believes to be a horrible crime and is compelled to follow up; however, her bosses aren't thrilled about her probing. Complicating matters: after being the victim of an assault a couple of years earlier, Angela suffers from anxiety and agoraphobia, making leaving the house to investigate a fraught task. As he did to particularly stellar effect in Unsane as well, Soderbergh styles his latest psychological thriller after its protagonist's mindset, making unease and suspense drop from every aesthetic choice — camera angles and placement, jittery frames and a voyeuristic perspective all included. Kimi streams via Binge. ATHENA When a director uses a single take for a lengthy sequence, an episode of television or an entire film — even with some editing trickery to help — it usually isn't just a gimmick. As everything from The Bear to 1917 have shown, there's urgency and immediacy in that stylistic approach. Given that Athena plunges into a powderkeg situation in a French neighbourhood that shares the movie's moniker, with the banlieue's residents understandably incensed after the brutal killing of a teenager from their midst by law enforcement, this latest stunner from writer/director Romain Gavras (after the excellent The World Is Yours) was always going to feel unrelenting, inescapably tense and utterly in-the-moment anyway. See also: 2019 French Oscar-nominee Les Misérables, similarly about the response to police violence, which was penned and helmed by Athena's co-screenwriter Ladj Ly. Still, the unbroken shot that opens Gavras' latest spectacular film is up there with 2022's best in any feature. Long takes pop up often in Athena, which starts with French soldier Abdel (Dali Benssalah, No Time to Die) confronting the fact that his 13-year-old brother Idir (first-timer Mohamed Amri) is dead — and, as seen in online footage, that the cops are responsible. He's managing to keep calm, however, until another of his siblings Karim (debutant Sami Slimane) throws a Molotov cocktail inside a crowded police station. Cinematographer Matias Boucard (Eiffel) captures it all without looking away, and keeps doing the same as they return home, with Athena soon under siege as the authorities swarm in and the home crowd explodes with anger. Even when edits come, this is an unflagging and unflinching feature, as aided by close-up and handheld camerawork, impassioned performances, its topical storyline and staggering action cinematography. Athena uses its aesthetics to make a statement, too, about race, power and inequality — and it firmly knows that this tale can only be a tragedy. Athena streams via Netflix. WE'RE ALL GOING TO THE WORLD'S FAIR "Hey guys, Casey here. Welcome to my channel. Today I'm going to be taking the World's Fair Challenge." So says We're All Going to the World's Fair's protagonist (feature newcomer Anna Cobb) twice to start this absorbing horror film, to camera, in what makes a spectacular opening sequence. Next, an eerie wave of multicoloured light flashes across her face. Watching her response brings the also-excellent She Dies Tomorrow to mind, but Casey has her own viral phenomenon to deal with. She's doing what she says she will, aka viewing a strobing video, uttering a pivotal phrase and then smearing blood across her laptop screen — and she promises to document anything that changes afterwards, because others have made those kinds of reports. Written, directed and edited by fellow feature debutant Jane Schoenbrun, the instantly eerie and intriguing We're All Going to the World's Fair is that record. Schoenbrun's film is more than that, however. It also charts the connections that spring and splinter around Casey just by joining the online trend, where her videos spark others in return — and the spirals she goes down as she watches, which then sparks a response in her own way, too. A portrait of isolation and alienation as well, while chronicling the after effects of playing a virtual horror game, We're All Going to the World's Fair is also a picture of an always-recorded world. Take your lockdown mindset, your social-media scrolling, all that Zooming that defined the beginning of the pandemic and a gamer vibe, roll them all together, and that's still not quite this arresting movie — which keeps shifting and evolving just like Cobb's enigmatic and evocative performance. The entire flick earns that description and, not that it needs an established name's tick of approval, the fact that The Green Knight and A Ghost Story director David Lowery is an executive producer speaks volumes. We're All Going to the World's Fair streams via Shudder. GREAT FREEDOM Great Freedom begins with 60s-style video footage captured in public bathrooms, showing Hans Hoffmann (Franz Rogowski, Undine) with other men, and with court proceedings that condemn him to prison purely for being gay. That was the reality in West Germany at the time due to Paragraph 175, which criminalised homosexuality — and, when he's incarcerated at the start of this equally tender and brutal Austrian film, Hans isn't surprised. He's been there before, as writer/director Sebastian Meise (Still Life) conveys almost like he's chronicling time travel. It's a canny touch, as relayed in the movie's cinematography, editing and overall mood. The minutes, days, hours, weeks and more surely move differently when you've been locked up for being who you are, and when being in jail is the better alternative to being in a concentration camp. Meise jumps between Hans' different stretches, exploring the imprint all that time behind bars leaves, the yearning for love and freedom that never dissipates, and his friendship with initially repulsed fellow inmate Viktor (Georg Friedrich, Freud). In the process, Great Freedom resounds with intimate moments and revealing performances, as anchored by another stellar turn by Rogowski. The German talent has had an outstanding few years thanks to Victoria, Happy End, Transit, In the Aisles and Undine. He's as absorbing as he's ever been here, too, in a movie that stares his way so intently — and with such a striking sense of light and shade — that it could be painting his portrait. Friedrich is just as impressive, in an outwardly thorny part. Great Freedom streams via SBS On Demand. RESURRECTION Another year, another engrossing thriller starring Rebecca Hall. Another film giving the English actor a new standout performance for her packed resume, too. After proving remarkable in 2021's The Night House, and also turning director with the marvellously moving Passing, Hall plays a woman virtually synonymous with tension in the sleek and twisty Resurrection. Even when her character, Margaret, is calm and empathetic at her job in pharmaceuticals, including while counselling her junior colleagues, unease flickers in her haunted eyes and rigid posture. When she's fussing over her almost 18-year-old daughter Abbie's (Grace Kaufman, The Sky Is Everywhere) comings and goings, such as soon leaving for college, Margaret comes off as overprotective — but with a tormented edge. Resurrection lingers in this feeling, teasing out the details behind it while also making it plain that constantly being on guard can be a reality thanks to traumas and simply life. Indeed, thanks to his ambiguous tale, writer/director Andrew Semans (Nancy, Please) ensures that that sensation remains even when Margaret's demeanour and behaviour gets an explanation. If a human tooth suddenly showed up in your daughter's wallet, an eerie man from your past (Tim Roth, Sundown) re-emerged after two decades and the worst pain you'd ever experienced was drudged up again, you'd find it impossible to remain composed and collected, too. As Resurrection thrusts Margaret through her own personal horror show, it isn't concerned with simply showing a woman unravelling — rather, it focuses on a woman pushed to her limits by tragedy, malevolence, manipulation and one helluva toxic man. Semans's knack for crafting a skin-crawlingly unsettling atmosphere is immense, and so is his willingness to take gloriously unhinged swings and his talent for casting. It's no wonder that the film can barely look away from Hall, who is stellar from start to finish but next-level astounding during a lengthy monologue and a big confrontation. And as for Roth, creepy doesn't even begin to describe his work here. Resurrection streams via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. CAUSEWAY Trauma is a screenwriter's best friend. If on-screen characters didn't have past stresses to overcome or new hardships to cope with — usually both — then dramatic scripts would barely last a few pages. Neither would horror flicks, or thrillers, or plenty of comedies; however, few films are happy to sit with trauma in the way that (and as well as) Causeway does. Starring Jennifer Lawrence (Don't Look Up) as a military veteran sent home from Afghanistan after being blown up, working her way through rehab and determined to re-enlist as soon as she has medical sign-off, this subtle, thoughtful and powerful movie grapples with several stark truths. It knows that some woes do genuinely change lives, and not for the better. It's well aware that many miseries can't be overcome, and completely alter the person experiencing them. It's keenly cognisant that that simply existing can be a series of heartbreaks, and escaping that cycle can be the most powerful motivator in the world. And, when Atlanta and Bullet Train's Brian Tyree Henry enters the picture as a New Orleans mechanic with his own history, it sees the solace that can be found between people willing to face their tough realities together. When Causeway begins, Lawrence's Lynsey is freshly out of hospital, and learning how to walk, dress, shower, drive and do all other everyday tasks again. Even then, she still wants to redeploy. Directed by feature first-timer Lila Neugebauer (The Sex Lives of College Girls), and penned by fellow debutants Ottessa Moshfegh, Luke Goebel and Elizabeth Sanders, the film spies the determination in its protagonist's eyes — and the pain she's trying to bury after she goes home to stay with her mother (Linda Emond, The Patient), gets drawn into old unhealthy dynamics, but finds a friend in Henry's kind, eager but haunted James. There's no cross-country drive with a canine, if the similarly themed Dog comes to mind, but rather a willingness to steep in Lynsey and James' complicated emotions. Neugebauer has the perfect central duo for the movie's key parts, too; neither Lawrence nor Henry's resumes are short on highlights, acclaim or award nominations, but their respective textured, naturalistic and deeply felt performances in Causeway ranks among each's best work. Causeway streams via Apple TV+. FRESH Finally, a film about dating in the 21st century with real bite — and that's unafraid to sink its teeth into the topic. In this hit Sundance horror-comedy, Normal People's Daisy Edgar-Jones plays Noa, and once again gets entangled in a romance that'll leave a mark; here, however, the scars aren't merely emotional. Swiping right hasn't been doing it for Fresh's protagonist, as a comically terrible date with the appropriately named Chad (Brett Dier, Jane the Virgin) demonstrates early. Then sparks fly the old-fashioned way, in-person at the supermarket, with the curiously offline doctor Steve (Sebastian Stan, Pam & Tommy). Soon, he's whisking her away to a secluded spot for the weekend — a little too swiftly for Noa's protective best friend Mollie's (Jojo T Gibbs, Twenties) liking, especially given that no one can virtually stalk his socials to scope him out — and that getaway takes a savage and nightmare-fuelling twist. If Raw met Ex Machina, then crossed paths with American Psycho and Hostel, and finally made the acquaintance of any old rom-com, Fresh still wouldn't be the end result — but its tone stems from those parts, as do some plot points and performances, and even a few scenes as well. First-time feature director Mimi Cave doesn't butcher these limbs, though, and screenwriter Lauryn Kahn (Ibiza) doesn't stitch them together like Frankenstein's monster. As anchored by the excellent Edgar-Jones and Stan, there's care, savvy, smarts and style in this splatter-filled, satirical, brutal, funny, empowered and sweet film. Its twists, and its cutting take on predatory dating, are best discovered by watching, but being turned off apps, men and meat in tandem is an instant gut reaction. Fresh streams via Disney+. COW As its name so clearly explains, Cow devotes its frames to one farmyard animal — and it's one of the most haunting films of the past few years. It's the third feature to take its title from a four-legged critter in the past two years, after the vastly dissimilar Pig and Lamb. It's also the second observational documentary of late to peer at the daily existence of creatures that form part of humanity's food chain, following the also-exceptional Gunda. And, it also joins 2013's The Moo Man in honing its focus specifically upon dairy farming, and in Britain at that. But the key to Cow is Andrea Arnold, the phenomenal filmmaker behind Fish Tank, Wuthering Heights, American Honey and the second season of Big Little Lies. She sees Luma, her bovine protagonist, with as much affection and understanding as she's ever seen any of the women who've led her projects. While watching, viewers do as well. Starting with the birth of Luma's latest calf — and, in the beginning, taking detours to see how it's faring as well — Cow unfurls with the rhythm of its agricultural setting. It's the rhythm of Luma's life, too, as she's milked and fed, moos for the offspring that's taken away too quickly, and is soon impregnated again. There's no doubt where the documentary is headed, either. There's simply no shying away from the fact that Luma and cattle like her only exist for milk or meat. Without ever offering any narration or on-screen explanation, Arnold stares at these facts directly, while also peering deeply into its bovine subject's eyes as often as possible. The result is hypnotic, inescapably affecting, and also features the best use of Garbage's 'Milk' ever in a movie. Cow streams via DocPlay. I'M YOUR MAN Since 2013, any film that's involved making an emotional connection with artificial intelligence has brought Her to mind. Since 2014, any movie about human-android relationships has conjured up Ex Machina as well. And, since 2007, any flick that focuses on the companionship that a lonely human soul might find in an artificial companion has walked in Lars and the Real Girl's footsteps, too. In smart, perceptive and warmly humorous German gem I'm Your Man, however, it's a woman who is opening her life to a male presence — an AI-run robot designed to be her perfect match — and she's not too happy about it. Archaeologist Dr Alma Felser (Maren Egger, I Was at Home, But) is merely and begrudgingly testing out the technology that brings Tom (Dan Stevens, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga) into her life, for three weeks at the behest of her boss at Berlin's Pergamon Museum, and solely for the good of science. I'm Your Man is a rom-com, which means exactly what viewers think it does going in: that Alma slowly starts rethinking her position on Tom. But that's about the only aspect of this thoughtful, witty and yearning exploration of what it means to be human and to truly connect that does what's expected. Fresh from winning an Emmy for directing Unorthodox — and making this before helming She Said — German filmmaker Maria Schrader helms a charming and insightful take on what's beginning to be an oft-considered topic, and is unpacked in a moving and delightful way in her hands. Her film is also extremely well cast, with Egger thoroughly deserving her 2021 Berlinale Silver Bear for Best Acting Performance as Alma, and Stevens pitch-perfect as the supposed robotic man of her dreams — who just wants love himself. I'm Your Man streams via Binge. NANNY In Nanny, Aisha (Anna Diop, Us) is haunted, both when she's asleep and awake. Her slumbers are disturbed by nightmares, but seeing rising waters and unwelcome spiders isn't just relegated to when the Senegalese woman in New York closes her eyes. A gut-wrenching sense of unease also lingers while she works, after securing a childminding job for rich Upper East Side residents Amy (Michelle Monaghan, Echoes) and Adam (Morgan Spector, The Gilded Age). Their five-year-old daughter Rose (Rose Decker, Mare of Easttown) adores Aisha — more than her parents, it often seems. And, the nannying gig helps Aisha distract herself from missing her own son, who she's desperately trying to bring over to the US. She's haunted by his absence, too, and by the stolen snippets of conversation she gets with him on the phone, constantly juggling the time difference. The supernatural disturbances plaguing Aisha and her feelings about leaving her child in Senegal to chase a better future for them both are clearly linked, although Nanny is atmospheric and insightful rather than blunt and overt. The first horror film to win Sundance Film Festival's Grand Jury Prize, this evocative effort hails from writer/director Nikyatu Jusu, who makes her feature-length debut with quite the calling card. 2022 isn't short on affectingly moody and evocative female-focused thrillers with a maternal bent — see: Resurrection above, which also debuted at Sundance — but Nanny's addition to the fold is deeply steeped in Aisha's immigrant experience. Thanks to all that otherworldly water, it feels like it's always steeping, in fact, soaking in the troubles and struggles of trying to snatch even a piece of the American dream when you're not wealthy, white and originally from the so-called land of the free. Also prominent: the dispiriting minutiae of Aisha's day, aka exactly what she has to endure to even have a chance of gaining what comes easily and obliviously to her employers. Like its central figure, Nanny is haunted several times over, too. Nanny streams via Prime Video. PREY No stranger to voicing iconic lines, Arnold Schwarzenegger uttered one of his best-known phrases yet 35 years ago, in a franchise that's still going today. "If it bleeds, we can kill it" has been quoted frequently ever since — even by champion AFL coaches — and it's no spoiler to mention that it pops up again in the latest Predator film Prey. Trotting out that piece of dialogue won't surprise anyone, but this fine-tuned action-thriller should. It's one of the saga's best entries, serving up a lean, taut and thoughtful kill-or-be-killed battle set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago. The Predator series hasn't been big on highlights over the years — Predator 2 is forgettable to put it nicely, 2010's Predators is effective, 2018's The Predator favoured its throwback vibes above all else, and the two terrible Alien vs Predator cross-over films are best left forgotten — however Prey not only breathes new life into it, but paves a welcome path for more. (Bring on a Prey sequel ASAP.) The overall premise remains the same, with the franchise's ruthless, brutal and technologically advanced alien species using earth as its hunting ground as the series has already established — and showing zero concern about leaving a body count. Trained healer Naru (Amber Midthunder, The Ice Road) is the first to notice that something is awry this time, spotting the predator's spaceship in the sky and taking it as a sign to follow her dream to become a hunter herself. Alas, that isn't the done thing. In fact, she's spent her entire life being told that she can't be like her brother Taabe (first-timer Dakota Beavers), and should focus on her assigned role instead. Now, even with an extra-terrestrial foe wreaking havoc, she's still dismissed at every turn. Midthunder plays Naru as a fierce, determined, persistent and resourceful force to be reckoned with, while writer/director Dan Trachtenberg — co-scripting with Jack Ryan's Patrick Aison — gives all things Predator the taut focus, canny shift and fresh feel he also gave the Cloverfield saga with 10 Cloverfield Lane. Prey streams via Disney+. HELLBENDER Meet the Adams family — no, not the creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky characters that've featured on pages and screens for decades (including in 2022 newcomer Wednesday, plus two terrible recent animated flicks), but the filmmaking collective comprised of couple Toby Poser and John Adams, plus their daughters Zelda and Lulu Adams. The quartet might be missing a letter from their well-known counterparts' names, but they're just as fond of all things horror. Case in point: their second feature Hellbender, a self-financed standout that's both a spellbinding tale of witchcraft and a clever coming-of-age story. It starts in a house in the woods, and also spends most of its time there. It includes the arrival of an unexpected stranger, shattering the status quo. But formulaic and by-the-numbers, this must-see isn't. In making first-rate use of its setting, and of a cast that's primarily comprised of Adams family members, it's also a masterclass in lockdown filmmaking. In the most expected aspect of Hellbender, the film's name does indeed refer to a punk-metal band, with 16-year-old Izzy (Zelda Adams, The Deeper You Dig) and her mother (Toby Poser) its sole members. No one else has ever heard them play, either, given that Izzy is both homeschooled and confined to the family's sprawling mountainside property, as she has been since she was five. Her mum tells her that she can't venture into town or around other people due to a contagious autoimmune disease; however, when a lost man (John Adams) wanders their way and mentions that his teenage niece Amber (Lulu Adams) lives nearby, Izzy gets the confidence to go exploring. As both written and directed by three out of four Adams family members — all except Lulu — Hellbender proves an impressive supernatural affair from its opening occult-heavy prologue through to its astute take on teen rebellion. Here's hoping this Adams family spirits up more DIY horror delights soon, too. Hellbender streams via Shudder. APOLLO 10 1/2: A SPACE AGE CHILDHOOD In 1969, the year that Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood is set, writer/director Richard Linklater was nine years old and living in Houston, Texas. This lovely animated film happens to follow a boy around the same age in the same city — and trust the filmmaker behind Boyhood, Dazed and Confused, and the glorious trio that is Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight to make viewers who weren't there then (who weren't even alive and have never been to America, too) to feel as nostalgic about the place and era as he clearly does. As narrated by his Bernie and The School of Rock star Jack Black, the film's entire middle section dances through memories of the time and city with infectious enthusiasm, but its biggest dose of affection radiates towards the technological promise of the 60s. The Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions were rocketing into space and it patently felt like anything was possible, a sensation so marvellously captured in each second of Apollo 10 1/2. Jumping back into the rotoscoped animation that served Linklater so well in Waking Life and A Scanner Darkly, this loving ode to years and moods gone by also sports a delightful premise. As his older guise (Black) explains, young Stan (debutant Milo Coy) was an ordinary Houston kid with a NASA-employed dad (Bill Wise, Waves), doting mum (Lee Eddy, Cruel Summer) and five older siblings when he was approached by two men (Shazam!'s Zachary Levi and Top Gun: Maverick's Glen Powell) to help them with a problem. In the lead up to Apollo 11, it seems that NASA accidentally built the lunar module a couple of sizes too small, so they need a kid — Stan — to help them by going to the moon to test things out before Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins make their famous trip in a bigger version. That fantastical idea feels ripped from Linklater's childhood dreams, and it well might be; it also makes for a warm and charming entry point into a movie that's as much about life's ups and downs, the bonds of family and the wide-eyed optimism of youth as it is about heading to space. Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood streams via Netflix. ASCENSION Ascension may not be one of this year's Oscar-winners, losing out to the also fantastic Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), but it'll always be among 2022's nominees. More than that, this two-time Tribeca Film Festival winner will forever remain one of the most arresting documentaries of the past 12 months as well. Helming her first feature-length doco, filmmaker Jessica Kingdon turns her gaze to the Chinese dream — and what she sees, while situated in a very specific cultural context by design, is a clear and easy sibling to its American counterpart. That's part of the statement her film makes, all just by watching on patiently but meticulously as people go about their lives. Starting with factory recruitment on the streets, then moving into mass production, then climbing the social hierarchy up to the rich and privileged, Ascension explores employment and consumerism — and what they mean in an everyday sense in modern-day and modernised China. It's a portrait of the needs that make working on assembly lines a necessity, and of the dreams that inspire every climb, rung by rung, up the societal ladder. Some folks build sex dolls, their uncanny valley-esque forms adding an eerie mood. Others take lessons on etiquette for service jobs, including about not letting your face betray your emotions, and the tone is also unsettling. Observational to a mesmerising degree, Kingdon's exceptional film lets its slices of life and the behaviour, attitudes and patterns they capture do the talking, and they all speak volumes. Indeed, what a clever, telling, incisive and surreal story they unfurl. Ascension streams via Paramount+. TURNING RED What'd happen if the Hulk was a teenage girl, and turned into a giant, fuzzy, super-cute red panda instead of going green and getting ultra-muscular? Or, finding a different riff on the ol' werewolf situation, if emotions rather than full moons inspired a case of not-quite-lycanthropy? These aren't queries that most folks have thought of, but writer/director Domee Shi certainly has — and they're at the core of Pixar's Turning Red, her debut feature after winning an Oscar for 2018 short Bao. As many of the animation studio's movies do, the film takes its title literally. But, it also spins the usual Pixar question. Turning Red does indeed wonder what'd happen if red pandas sported human-style emotions; however, the Disney-owned company has been musing on people becoming other kinds of critters of late, with particularly astute and endearing results here. The movie's focus: 13-year-old Chinese Canadian Meilin Lee (Rosalie Chiang, also making her film debut). The year is 2002, and she loves meeting her strict but doting mum Ming's (Sandra Oh, The Chair) expectations, hanging out with her pals and obsessing over boy band 4*Town. And while her mother doesn't approve of her friends or her taste in music, Mei has become accustomed to juggling everything that's important to her. But then, after a boy-related mishap, the red panda appears. Mei goes to bed feeling normal, albeit angsty and upset, only to wake up looking like a cuddly creature. Like werewolf tales about teenage boys tend to be, Turning Red is all about puberty and doesn't hide it — and whether it's tackling that head-on, pondering generational trauma or showing its rampant love for boy bands, it sports sweetness, soul and smarts. Turning Red streams via Disney+. Read our full review. Looking for more viewing highlights? Check out our list of film and TV streaming recommendations, which is updated monthly. We've also picked 15 exceptional films that hardly anyone saw in cinemas in 2022, the 15 best returning TV series of the year, 2022's 15 best new shows and 15 other excellent TV newcomers from the past 12 months that you might've missed.
You've watched your way through every episode of Stranger Things to date, including the just-dropped first part of the show's fourth season. Thanks to your latest binge, you've now got Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill' stuck in your brain permanently, too. You've eaten a demogorgon burger, seen an Upside Down rift open up in Bondi and played Netflix's Stranger Things mobile game as well. Yes, there's no shortage of ways to indulge your love for the 80's-set streaming hit — but only one involves both singing and laughing. Stranger Things is heading to the stage — well, Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical is, to be exact. Because every popular TV show and movie seems to tread the boards eventually, whether in a serious (Back to the Future, Moulin Rouge!, Amelie) or satirical (Friends, Shrek, The Simpsons) guise, everyone's favourite tale about kids fighting monsters in Hawkins, Indiana has also made that leap. Even better: it is now venturing Down Under for the first time. Already an award-winner in the US, where it picked up seven 2021 BroadwayWorld Off-Broadway Awards — including Best New Musical (Off-Broadway) — Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical retells the tale we all already know, but on-stage, with amusing songs and while making fun of the whole thing. So, you'll be watching Mike, Eleven, Dustin, Lucas and the rest of the Hawkins gang navigate the wild antics that've made their town the worst place to grow up in since Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Sunnydale, and both tapping your toes to tunes and giggling along. Obviously, creepy creatures are a feature — singing and dancing ones, in fact. And, so are pop-culture references aplenty, big hair, throwback fashions, a synth-heavy soundtrack and possibly justice for Barb. Penned by Jonathan Hogue — book, music, lyrics and all — Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical will make its Australian debut thanks to Melbourne's Salty Theatre, with co-founders Ashley Taylor Tickell directing and Sarahlouise Younger assisting. So far, only dates for the Victorian capital have been announced — so lock November 3–19 in your diary, and get ready to hear a song-filled account of Hawkins' weirdness at Meat Market Melbourne. Tickets aren't yet on sale, but you can sign up to be notified when they do at the production's Australian website Fingers crossed that Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical eventually brings the Upside Down to other Aussie cities, obviously. Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical will play Meat Market Melbourne from November 3–19, 2022. For more information, or to sign up to be notified about tickets, head to the production's Australian website. Images: Bruce Glikas / Danny Hildago.
Within its first 15 seconds, the trailer for Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain states the obvious: "there's no happy ending". June 2021 marks three years since the American chef, author, host and documentarian passed away, and this doco can't explore his work and legacy without also touching upon on his unexpected death. To the surprise of no one, the film's sneak peek quickly gets emotional. The latest project from Oscar-winning 20 Feet From Stardom director Morgan Neville — who also directed affecting Mister Rodgers doco Won't You Be My Neighbour? — Roadrunner steps through Bourdain's ups and downs, successes and struggles, and passion for both food and travel. It showcases his frank, no-nonsense approach and his sense off humour, too. In one clip, just before he jumps into the ocean, he pre-empts an obvious question. "Some of you might ask: how is this food related?" he notes. Then, he replies to himself: "fucked if I know." Indeed, thanks to his long stints in front of the camera in everything from A Cook's Tour and Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations to The Layover and Anthony Bourdain: Parks Unknown, Roadrunner won't lack archival footage. The just-dropped trailer certainly doesn't. Bourdain's face and voice feature in the two-and-a-half-minute clip far more often than its talking-head interviewees, in fact, not that there's any shortage of those. Neville's aim: to peer behind the scenes at the man behind the world-famous personality, and to understand his life and impact — including via using his own words. The end result is set to hit US cinemas in July, with release details Down Under yet to be confirmed. Fingers crossed that the documentary turns up locally sooner rather than later. Check out the Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain trailer below: Roadrunner will release in US cinemas on July 16. Release details Down Under are yet to be confirmed — we'll update you when more details come to hand. Top image: Focus Features.
Three Michelin stars. Two hats. One of the biggest culinary names in the world, one of Australia's best-known chefs as well, plus another Aussie wiz in the kitchen. Throw in a famed London restaurant and a top Sydney fine-diner, and you get you get one of 2023's biggest food events in Australia: Restaurant Gordon Ramsay coming to Aria. For three nights this autumn, from Monday, May 8–Wednesday, May 10, Gordon Ramsay's eponymous restaurant will hit up the Harbour City for one-of-a-kind residency — because it's never been done before. This is the first time that the London venue has popped up anywhere outside of the British capital. On the menu: a dining experience curated by Ramsay and Matt Moran, naturally. While the pair are joining forces to oversee the residency, Australian chef Matt Abé will be in the kitchen with the Aria team. Dubbed 'Restaurant Gordon Ramsay comes to Aria', the hot culinary ticket capitalises upon a hefty history between Ramsay, Moran and Abé. Ramsay and Moran have been friends for more than a quarter-century, while Abé got his first culinary job at the age of 17 at Aria — and now, 21 years later, he's chef patron at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. On offer: a seven-course menu for $495 per person, plating up signature Restaurant Gordon Ramsay dishes, but with British produce replaced with Australian ingredients. The menu hasn't been revealed; however, it's likely that shellfish raviolo and a pecan praline dessert will feature. And, Aria's wine program will be doing a premium vino pairing on top for another $295 a head. "What an absolute honour to have Restaurant Gordon Ramsay do their first residency outside London at Aria. Gordon is one of my closest mates, and Abé spent five years cooking with me in the Aria kitchen before moving to London where he has cemented his place as one of the world's finest chefs. These three nights will be a real highlight in the 23 years of Aria; I can't wait," said Moran. "Collaborating with my dear friend Matt Moran, and talented chef patron Matt Abé at Aria, with its magnificent views across Sydney harbour, and creating a menu that utilises Australia's incredible local produce whilst delivering the finesse of our three-star Michelin menu, is a dream come true," added Ramsay. "I'm so excited to be heading back to the restaurant where my love for fine dining began. It means so much to be coming home as the first and only three-star Australian chef, to showcase what I have learnt over the years of working for Gordon. It really is an honour to be stepping back into the kitchen at Aria, a place where I first met Gordon, and to show my earliest mentor and friend, Matt Moran, the chef I am today," noted Abé. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay's stint at Aria joins the growing list of high-profile Sydney culinary pop-ups in 2023, with France's Mirazur just finishing a three-week stay at The Gantry at Pier One Sydney Harbour at the end of March — and three Michelin-starred English restaurant L'Enclume, from British chef Simon Rogan, making Balmoral Beach's Bathers' Pavilion its home away from home in July and August. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay comes to Aria takes place from Monday, May 8–Wednesday, May 10, costing $495 per person with a wine pairing from $295 per person — with tickets on sale from 9am on Thursday, April 13 via the Aria website.
The last time that the Victorian Government amended the state's COVID-19 restrictions, it revealed that capacity caps on small- and medium-sized venues would ease before the end of the month. Announcing new changes today, Tuesday, May 25, the Greater Melbourne region is now going in the opposite direction. With five new coronavirus cases identified in the city's northern suburbs in the past 24 hours — four that were announced yesterday, and another that was revealed this morning — Acting Premier James Merlino has revealed that new restrictions will come into effect at 6pm this evening. The city isn't going into lockdown, or closing down schools or workplaces. For now, it's capping at-home and public gatherings. Within your house, you'll only be able to welcome five visitors per day. If you have plans to hang out with your nearest and dearest in public, you'll also need to limit that to 30 people. And, masks will become mandatory again in indoor settings for everyone over the age of 12, unless an exemption applies. The Victorian Government isn't stopping Greater Melbourne residents from leaving the area; however, it has announced that these new restrictions will travel with you if you venture further afield. "For example, if you visit someone outside metropolitan Melbourne, they must have not more than five visitors at that house in that day," advised the Acting Premier. No limits have been brought back in for weddings and funerals so far, unless they're being held at a private residence, where the five-person rule will apply. Nothing is changing for the hospitality industry, either, but the aforementioned changes for small- and medium-sized venues will be postponed. Just when they'll now come into effect hasn't yet been revealed. More changes are likely to be announced for bigger crowds, such as football matches and major events, though — with discussions regarding those types of activities currently underway. https://twitter.com/VicGovDH/status/1396956831143055360 Explaining the changes, Merlino noted that "it is harder to contact trace in those private and informal settings. That is why we've got the limit of five visitors per household in the home and 30 gathering outside." At present, caps aren't being brought in for employers or venues because "our workplaces and businesses have COVID-safe plans and QR codes, [so] it is much easier for contact tracers." As it always does during new outbreaks, Victoria's Department of Health has started announcing which venues are currently considered exposure sites. Two were identified yesterday, and that list has grown overnight — and will change again if and when more sites are identified. For those looking to get tested, you can find a list of testing sites including regularly updated waiting times also on the Department of Health website. And, has remained the case throughout the pandemic, Melburnians should be looking out for coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste, symptoms-wise. Greater Melbourne's new restrictions will come into effect at 6pm on Tuesday, May 25. For more information about the rules moving forward, head to the Victorian Department of Health website.
If it wasn't for Violet Crumbles, the world wouldn't have quite a few things. Firstly, we wouldn't have the pleasure of biting into those chocolate-honeycomb bars themselves, and tasting that delicious flavour combination. We also wouldn't have the slogan "it's the way it shatters that matters", which is up there with the catchiest advertising lines of all time. And, Bertie Beetles wouldn't exist, because the showbag favourite was initially created to use the pieces of honeycomb left over from making — you guessed it — Violet Crumbles. Thankfully, no one needs to live in a world without either Violet Crumbles or Bertie Beetles — or, thanks to your next must-try cocktail, without Violet Crumble espresso martinis, too. The latter has just hit the market thanks to the Melbourne-based Feminaè Beverage Co, and it is indeed exactly what it sounds like. Now it's the way your caffeinated boozy tipple shatters that matters, too. Sold in hefty two-litre ready-to-drink casks, the VC espresso martinis are made with cold-drip coffee, vodka and Australian cream, and then infused with Violet Crumble honeycomb, caramel and chocolate flavours. A box will set you back $79.90, and includes 24 standard drinks — for parties, or just to keep in the fridge for when the urge strikes. You'll also get a Violet Crumble bar to shatter over the cocktails — or just to eat if you'd prefer. (Let's face it, if you're keen on this kind of espresso martini, you're already a fiend for the chocolate bar itself.) Feminaè is only releasing a limited run, which means ordering sooner rather than latter is recommended — and they're already shipping the casks out. The company also has a passionfruit and pavlova cosmo in its range — now sold out, sadly — if you're already thinking about what other sweet treats deserve to be turned into cocktails. Our suggestion: Bertie Beetles, naturally. Feminaè Beverage Co's Violet Crumble espresso martini casks are available to buy online for $79.90 while stocks last.
If you've been hanging out for the arrival of Fancy Free — the hotly anticipated new cocktail bar dreamt up by three Black Pearl alumni — you'll be glad to know the wait is almost over. Announced last May, the venture is now just weeks out from opening and owners Ryan Noreiks, Rob Libecans and Matthew Stirling have dropped some tasty new details that are sure to ramp up excitement levels in the lead-up to its launch. The big news is that this one's here for a good time, but not a long time, having secured a site for only a six-month stint. But what it lacks in longevity, Fancy Free certainly makes up for in substance, with a whole swag of exciting collaborations in the works. While most of the details are being kept under wraps for now, the bar's set to play host to a rotation of five different food concepts, kicking off with a pop-up by a well-known Sydney restaurant run by the owners' good mates. [caption id="attachment_639976" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Black Pearl[/caption] Fellow Sydneysiders P&V Wine and Liquor Merchants will be heading up the fittingly quirky vino selection for this debut month, with local brewery Stomping Ground supplying a showcase of its hero beers, alongside a rotation of specialty brews. More breweries and wineries are jumping on board for the following months. And while the Fancy Free boys will be working their signature magic on the cocktail list, you can also get excited for some special guest appearances and takeovers by some of their World's 50 Best Bars cohort. Black Pearl has consistently ranked in the top 50 at the prestigious awards and has taken out Best Bar in Australasia for the past two years. Fancy Free will open on Wednesday, February 13 at 381 Little Collins Street, Melbourne. Updated February 8.
If a Finnish railway line can immerse passengers in a Murder on the Orient Express-style escape room, then a British hotel can take inspiration from the iconic novelist behind the famous mystery tale. More than that, it can do so while keeping with the transport theme — with Bertram's Hotel in Devon turning a double decker bus into an Agatha Christie-inspired home away from home. There's no puzzle to solve, other than wondering why someone didn't think of the idea earlier. Instead, visitors can relax in a place that's been decked out to feel like a 50s Christie book. Floral decor, a retro record player, a cocktail station, two sleeping spaces and shelves filled with novels all feature. Of course, the latter includes the author's work, with posters celebrating her efforts and titles found elsewhere throughout the cosy abode. Self-contained with a kitchen and bathroom, and sleeping five guests in total, Bertram's Hotel is located in a scenic field near the village of Harltand. And although its setting means that stumbling upon a real-life mystery is rather unlikely, you will spy plenty of animals, namely five grazing alpacas, plus everything from pygmy goats and donkeys to chickens and ducks. There's also two fishing lakes in close proximity. As for the concept, the unique spot takes its name and design from one of Christie's books: 1965's At Bertram's Hotel. The novel features the author's other well-known sleuth — Miss Marple — taking a holiday at the titular establishment and coming across a case, of course. While the hotel in the book isn't in a two-level red bus, the text features one on its cover. Images: Sykes Holiday Cottages.
To really get a feel for a country, you have to experience its cuisine. And that doesn't just mean eating in nice restaurants—it means learning about the history, stories, sources, recipes and love that goes into creating dishes that have endured for centuries. If you're seeking inspiration for experiences like that, we've teamed up with Intrepid Travel and picked out eight of the best culinary holidays Asia has to offer. You get the best of both worlds: sightsee like a tourist but live and eat like a local. South Korea When thinking of South Korea, do you think of fried chicken, bibimbap, Korean barbecue and, of course, kimchi? You can get the chance to explore all these tasty treats on an eight-day loop of the country. Start in Seoul with a trip to Gwangjang Market (as seen on Netflix's Street Food) before attending a kimchi-making session in Jeonju. Other highlights include a dive into the burgeoning microbrewery scene, a home-cooked meal in Busan and a celebratory barbecue experience back in Seoul. South Korea's rich and diverse food scene offers much to explore, and this tour is an ideal taster of what the country has to offer. Sri Lanka The beautiful island nation of Sri Lanka is known for both its culture and its food, and you can experience the best of both on this twelve-day tour. Be part of the action at the famous Negombo fish market, tuck into traditional curries and dosas cooked by Tamil families and enjoy a local snack of buffalo curd and treacle. While the food isn't to be missed, there's much to do besides. Lion Rock is a picturesque climb with ancient frescoes, and the journey from Kandy to Bandarawela is a breathtaking scenic train ride. For the grand finish, you'll hit Colombo, the country's capital, where you can take in the city buzz and enjoy a meal celebrating the area's Dutch heritage. Thailand You probably enjoy a pad Thai now and again, and there's a decent chance you can whip up a fairly decent Thai curry (if armed with a jar of paste and a tin of coconut milk), but have you ever experienced a khan tok dinner? A Northern Thailand speciality, this eleven-dish meal has long been a traditional welcome, and the opportunity to prepare, cook and eat this customary feast is arguably the highlight of Intrepid's eight-day excursion to Thailand. Elsewhere, there are trips to Chiang Mai temples, an overnight train ride across the country, and a visit to Tha Kha Floating Market. You'll be blown away by the vibrancy and beauty at every turn. India Far too often, we make the mistake of thinking of Indian food as one single cuisine while, in reality, it's one of the most rich and varied food cultures on the planet. That's why you need half a month for a trip stretching all the way from Delhi to Goa. The itinerary reads like a spice lover's dream. You'll hit the 'Lane of Parathas' in Delhi, a chaat crawl in Agra, Rajasthani desserts in Jaipur, thali in Udaipur, a street crawl in Mumbai, and a cooking class in Goa. That's without even mentioning the Taj Mahal, Sikh temples and the Bollywood movie experience that will punctuate your time away from everyday life. [caption id="attachment_970029" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Yana Tatevosian via iStock[/caption] Georgia Located on the edge of Asia on the banks of the Black Sea is the gateway to Europe: Georgia. Australia may be pretty good for overseas cuisine these days, but you'd struggle on these shores to find dishes like nigvziani badrijani (eggplant and walnuts), zhizhig galnash (noodles and lamb) or khinkali (traditional Georgian dumplings). All these dishes and more are available on this circuit of the country, starting in the capital, Tbilisi, and also taking in Telavi, the Pankisi Valley and Gudauri. And it's not just food. There's also the opportunity to hike up to Gergeti Trinity Church and catch a glimpse of Mt Kazbegi, a glacier that stands over 5,000m tall. Vietnam Banh mi, pho and bao are high-street staples here in Australia, but there's nothing like the real thing. You'll get to sample the genuine article on this tour of Vietnam, which also includes a cooking class in Hoi An that's preceded by a trip to the local market to find ingredients. There's also plenty of travelling and a bunch to see as part of this itinerary. There are two overnight train journeys, boat cruises, picturesque drives and even a sightseeing trip aboard a motorbike. This holiday comes to an end in Ho Chi Minh City, where you can soak up the atmosphere of the busy markets and marvel at the incredible produce on offer. Japan The Land of the Rising Sun has something for everyone, from skiing and sightseeing to cherry blossoms and huge city metropolises. But what we're talking about here is food and, more accurately, damn good food. Sushi is obviously a must, and in this Tokyo tour you'll be schooled in the art of sushi — which includes its history, how to choose the best cuts and, of course, how to prepare it. Additionally, there's a home cooking class in Kanazawa on the north coast, a visit to a green tea farm in Uji, a sake tasting in Kyoto, and more besides. Cambodia This diverse southeast Asian country has a rich heritage and vibrant food culture. This organised trip will show you the best this gem of a country has to offer. You'll see where reportedly the world's finest pepper is grown and taste pepper ice cream. You'll get to experience a traditional Khmer cookery class in Phnom Penh. You'll even get the chance to make cocktails in Siem Reap using local fruits and herbs. There's also plenty of opportunity for sightseeing, and you'll come away from your trip feeling like you've got to know Cambodia and perhaps even planning your next trip back. Get out, explore, dive into adventure and find your WOW with Intrepid Travel. Find out more on the website.
Prahran Skate Park has been a hugely important space for local skaters and young people for nearly three decades, with the likes of Tony Hawk, Cristian Hosoi, Renton Millar and Tas Pappas taking to the old vert ramp at one time or another. It's not clear whether they wanted it all cleaned up, but the City of Stonnington decided to totally overhaul the park when it was redeveloping the wider precinct on Malvern Road. International skate park designer Convic was brought on to dream up the new community space, which now boasts a mini ramp, rails, banks and several contemporary obstacles. There are also plenty of spots for spectating, as well as patches of greenery dotted all over. One of the biggest parts of the transformation included removing the old vert ramp from the entrance — where it blocked access to the rest of the space and was a little too high for some skaters — to create a more user-friendly ramp towards the rear of the lot. Convic collaborated with pro skaters to settle on the dimensions for the new ramp, which is still the only full-size, free-to-use vert ramp in metropolitan Melbourne. The new design also included reinvigorating the adjacent basketball court, giving the entire lot a new lease on life. Skaters have already taken to the new plaza, but it won't officially open until Saturday, June 29. You'll find the skate park at 276 Malvern Road, Prahran. For more information, head to the City of Stonnington website.
It's no secret Australians love Japan and its food, and with the plethora of restaurants, bars and eateries on offer across Melbourne, we're spoiled for choice when it comes to reliving all the great food consumed throughout our travels to the Land of the Rising Sun. Whether you loved the izakayas of Tokyo, okonomiyaki from Osaka or kushikatsu from Kyoto, the odds are good for finding a Melbourne alternative that'll transport you back to your foodie happy place. And to help make that discovery even easier, we've pored over our directory and enlisted some help from our friends at American Express to pick out the very best Japanese fare found around Melbourne. There are modern takes on Japanese classics, underground bars serving up nibbles inspired by Tokyo beer culture and some sophisticated options representing the best of traditional Japanese cuisine. Whether you're looking for dinner for one or for a spot where you and your mates can get rowdier than the typical Tokyo 'salaryman', we've put together a selection of Amex-accepting joints that have got your Japanese nostalgia needs covered. Can't wait to start travelling the world again? American Express has the card for you. Sign up for the Qantas American Express Ultimate Card and you'll score 55,000 bonus Qantas Points, plus $450 of Qantas Travel Credit and two passes to the American Express Lounge every year. And you'll earn 1.25 Qantas Points for every dollar spent. T&Cs, minimum spend and eligibility criteria apply.
With Mystery Road, True Colours and now High Country, Australia's screen industry has been increasing its Indigenous detective tales of late. It's a welcome shift, and one that Leah Purcell chalks up to the strength of the genre. "I think a cop show is a great drama. You've got everything in it, and we do cop shows very well in this country," she tells Concrete Playground about her stint as Andie Whitford, the character that was written for her — in the series that was also penned for her — by Wentworth duo Marcia Gardner and John Ridley. "Then when you've got a mystery-thriller, it's an opportunity to get audiences together, sitting on the lounge at home with their family — and actually, it brings about discussion," Purcell continues. "That's when you know that you've got a good show. We did a screening, and people got around and were wanting to work out who'd done it, and they saw that opportunity with only one episode," Purcell continues. Debuting its eight-episode first season in March — which is now available to watch in full via Binge — High Country gives viewers much to talk about and sleuth along with. In the Mystery Road and The Dry mould, it's about a city detective digging into a rural case and cracking the secrets of close-knit communities. It's also about the landscapes that shape not only small towns but also the people in them, and reflect their strengths and struggles in the terrain. And, High Country follows a personal journey. Andie didn't grow up in the town of Broken Ridge, only to return now, as the protagonists of Mystery Road and The Dry did with their respective settings; however, she's trying to embrace the place as home after making a tree change with her artist partner Helen Hartley (Sara Wiseman, Under the Vines) and high-schooler daughter Kirra (Pez Warner, making her TV debut). The setup: Andie and her family move to Victoria at its most mountainous (where Force of Nature: The Dry 2 also traversed earlier in 2024) just as a spate of missing-person cases pile up. Sam Dryson (Ian McElhinney, The Boys in the Boat), the retiring police chief that she's replacing, has an older disappearance that he's determined to solve — a missing boy that he's insistent that former teacher Damien Stark (Henry Nixon, The PM's Daughter) abducted — but also notes that deaths and vanishings aren't uncommon in the region. He's still a helpful mentor, though, as Andie endeavours to stop people going AWOL or worse from being a local fact of the life. But even before she begins asking questions, the rest of the town isn't always as accommodating, nor are all of her new colleagues. [caption id="attachment_953804" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Narelle Portainer[/caption] Purcell's acting career spans three decades now, and everything from 90s dramas such as GP and Police Rescue, then Lantana and The Proposition on the big screen, through to the likes of Redfern Now, Black Comedy, Wentworth, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart and Shayda recently. It wasn't just the whodunnit Aussie-noir angle that appealed to her about High Country, but also Andie's complexity, the challenge of being first on the call sheet on a major series and co-stars that also include a first-time dramatic collaboration with Aaron Pedersen (High Ground). As she did with The Drover's Wife — which she made as a play, a book and then a movie — showcasing a part of the country that she fell in love with while filming Somersault and Jindabyne in the 2000s was a big factor. That passion on Purcell's part is evident in every scene that she's in throughout High Country, as it always has been whenever she's in front of the camera — or, with The Drover's Wife, also behind it. What gets her excited about a role, the series and the part of Andie being specifically penned for her, championing more than just the stereotypical vision of Australia's landscape, digging into Andie's backstory and the response to her arrival beyond the dialogue, working with the rest of the show's cast: we chatted with Purcell about all of the above. [caption id="attachment_953802" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Martin Philbey[/caption] On Both High Country and the Part of Andie Being Written for Purcell "The project was written for me, so that was pretty awesome and humbling. Marcia Gardner and John Ridley, who were the creators behind Wentworth — when we were wrapping up that series, Marcia said 'we'd love to work with you again, Leah. And guess what? I've written something for you and a show around you'. And she said 'would you be interested in being in it?'. And I said 'mate, if you get it up, give me a call'. So six months later, she rings me and says 'I've got it up'. But what was also appealing is the beautiful high country. I'd just finished, a couple of years before, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson, my first feature — that was done in the high country, the Snowy Mountains on New South Wales side. So to come across to Victoria to film in that location was amazing. The stories were really interesting. Who doesn't love a good cop show and a mystery-thriller whodunnit? To be a part of it and being in the rural area — I'm a country girl from country Queensland in Murgon, so to go back and portray that sort of setting on our TV was important to me as well." On Championing More Than Just the Stereotypical Vision of Australia's Landscape "Normally it's the reds and the brown and the heat. I fell in love with the high country when I did Jindabyne and Somersault in that area. And I just went 'gee, we don't utilise this landscape enough'. Then when I got the idea to pursue The Drover's Wife, I said 'we've got to do it in the high country and have that beautiful big sky, and the blues and the greens that we don't see'. Even when I was selling the project overseas, people said 'what, there's snow and green in Australia?'. And I thought 'yes, there is'. [caption id="attachment_815948" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson[/caption] As I said, it was one of the drawcards to High Country for me. And also because that landscape is so alive, it is a character within this show as well. It's also important to Andie on a couple of levels. One, yes, as the detective, the sergeant trying to solve the mysteries — because is it just that these people took a wrong step on a trail in the bush? Or is there more behind it? And also for her and her journey, the land really speaks to her and makes her look at herself. You want a character with many story threads to it, so you've got depth to play in emotionally. So that was another drawcard. But the location, your eyes will be stimulated — the beauty in the landscape is just phenomenal." On Purcell's First Read on Andie — and What She Knew That She Could Bring to the Part "She's a fearless woman, but also there's a vulnerability to her, which is nice. She's a great detective — and it was something that I had done before, but the challenge was to find what I could bring to her that was new to me as a performer. It was different from the other roles that I had done, so that's where the challenge was for me. And what I liked is that she's quieter, she's an observer. And I guess that's what makes her a great cop. She observes things, takes things in — and a deep, a deep thinker. But I really wanted to show her vulnerability as well as the brilliance in her detective work — and that she's a strong, strong woman in the face of what she has to do for her job." On Conveying the Tough Journey That Andie Has Had in an Unspoken Way "We're women. We've lived it. It wasn't anything too difficult. We've all had those sort things thrown at us — and it was just great to have an opportunity to play with that on-screen. And then Andie finding the power, and showing that she's worthy of the position that she's in, and that she's good at what she does, and the respect comes. But it's a great place to start in a series, so you've got a place to go — and she works hard to do it, but she does it." [caption id="attachment_910859" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shayda[/caption] On What Gets Purcell Excited About a Role Three Decades Into Her Acting Career "Getting a lead role is something that's important to having a look, because you want the challenge. And I think that I've earned my stripes. So that was appealing, of course. And I just want to be able to connect. To be challenged, I think, is important, so that you stay engaged and you want to be there, and work hard." [caption id="attachment_953803" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Martin Philbey[/caption] On What Purcell Learns From a Part Like Andie and a Show Such as High Country "Be careful what you ask for in being number one on the call sheet. There's a lot of hard work, that's what I've learned. But I love that. Thirty-three years [in], I want to be engaged. I want to be challenged. That's what was appealing that for me in taking on the role of Andie." On Working with the Rest of High Country's Impressive Cast "Believe it or not, this is the first time that Aaron [Pedersen] and I have actually shared work together in a drama. It was awesome. Our chemistry is really, really great. And he was a pleasure to work with. Then you've got Ian McElhinney from Belfast in Ireland. Mate, what a legend — just what he brought. We all challenge one another. There's some really awesome people that are doing awesome acting, and it's a challenge in a friendly way. But it's like 'ohh, so you're going to do that — right, can I top you on this?'. So that made the project fun, and it was a joy to go to work every day. We had an awesome cast that worked so hard and tirelessly. That was pretty demanding. There were really cold days and rain, and there was snow, and there was minus-zero days where I had to stand there with no jumper on, and I had too many clothes on to put the thermals underneath. But it was just a pleasure to be on, and I'm so excited and I just want our Australian audiences to really support Australian stories — to tune in, and hopefully the ratings will be there and we'll be able to go again on a second season." High Country streams via Binge. Read our review. High Country images: Sarah Enticknap / Narelle Portanier.
Your next road trip through southern New South Wales has gained seven additional stops, all filled with eye-catching pieces of art. Spanning 100 kilometres, and created in response to 2019–20's Black Summer fires, the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail now sprawls across the region. It showcases more than 25 giant works by Australian and international artists, all thanks to the team behind Bondi's Sculpture by the Sea. One celebration of sculptures has never been enough for this crew, which also runs another Sculpture by the Sea in Cottesloe in Western Australia each year. Now, instead of heading west or making a date with Bondi's pop-up pieces of art — with both events only running for a short period each year — art lovers can explore a super-scenic part of the country whenever they like. Officially launched on Thursday, May 5, the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail is a permanent attraction — all dotted along a backroad from Sydney and Canberra to Melbourne. Your specific destinations: the towns of Adelong, Batlow and Tumbarumba; the hamlet of Tooma; and the Tumbarumba wine region cellar doors at Courabyra Wines, Johansen Wines and Obsession Wines. That's where the 25-plus sculptures now sit in seven specific locations, including a one-kilometre trail-within-the-trail at the Adelong Creek Walk, more along Pioneer Street in Batlow, three stops in Tumbarumba, one at Tooma and some between the latter two spots. You'll also find more at the northern entrances to Batlow and Tumbarumba, welcoming you into both towns. Exactly what you'll spy where is best discovered by driving along the trail yourself — but human-shaped figures, abstract shapes, chimneys, hanging teardrops and more all make appearances along the route. That lineup of pieces hails from impressive art names, too. New South Wales' own Michael Le Grand, Philip Spelman, Harrie Fasher, Stephen King and Elyssa Sykes-Smith are featured, alongside Japanese artists Haruyuki Uchida, Keizo Ushio and Takeshi Tanabe — and Keld Moseholm from Denmark, Milan Kuzica from Czech Republic, and Jennifer Cochrane, Norton Flavel and Ron Gomboc from Western Australia. The list goes on, also spanning eye-catching works by artists from New Zealand, Slovakia and South Africa. The aim, as well as giving tourists plenty to see: helping the communities featured recover after the bushfires, attracting visitors from across Australia and showcasing the region. And it's a fitting year for the Sculpture by the Sea to launch something new, too, given that 2022 marks 25 years since the event first launched at Bondi in 1997. Find the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail along the Snowy Valleys Way in southern New South Wales. For more information, head to the trail's website.
We know the last few years have been pretty grim, what with the world imploding, hell freezing over and all that. But we need to remember good things happen as well, and here are two local examples we'd like to draw your attention to. Firstly, there's a pied currawong that's been delighting visitors to Sydney's Royal Botanical Garden. She's super cute and nearly complete white but she's not actually an albino. The lil gal has leucism, a rare condition that causes white patches to cover most of her body but causes no other adverse side effects. Because it's breeding season for currawongs, she's raising two hatchlings and has been seen around the park a lot recently. Which leads us to the second, and even cuter, piece of news… The park invited its Facebook fans to name the currawong. Now, you may have just shrieked "No! Remember Dub the Dew? Remember Boaty McBoatface?" But fear not, this isn't another "Hitler Did Nothing Wrong" situation. The internet has actually come through. Fans of the Royal Botanic Garden's Facebook page put forward some of the sweetest suggestions to name the currawong mama, including Flora (because she likes hanging around flowers, obviously), Elsa, Snowy, Graculina, Oreo, "Kelvin...Kelvinator...White goods...", Falcor, Apples, Louey, Flannel, Paloma, Stormy, Cookie, Bianca, Crow White and Casper. So pure. So innocent. Someone suggested "Carol from marketing" which is also an ace suggestion. Snaps for Carol from marketing. Read the thread here if you want your heart to be filled with gladness (keep it pure, people) and, if this story has made you uncharacteristically invested in a bird, check out the RBG's blog for information about the ghostly currawong. We assume the Royal Botanic Garden will pick a name soon.
When the crew behind Sydney restaurant NOMAD revealed plans to open their next bar and restaurant within the historic Melbourne Stock Exchange digs, we were understandably excited. It's been nearly two years since NOMAD Group first welcomed Melbourne guests to their first southern spin-off in the former Ezard site on Flinders Lane, and the much-loved Mediterranean restaurant has been attracting crowds ever since. The latest culinary venture, Reine and La Rue, is set to throw open its doors on Tuesday, August 1. And this time around, they'll be treating diners to a taste of modern French cuisine. A broad culinary offering inspired by French classics has been imagined by the group's Executive Chef Jacqui Challinor, alongside venue Head Chef (and NOMAD Melbourne alum) Brendan Katich. It's a choose-your-own-adventure situation, with a menu designed to suit any appetite. "Whether it's walking in for snacks and Champagne at the bar; a cosy booth for a three- course meal; or a table full of plates to share; we would like our guests to create an experience that suits the way they want to eat," Challinor says. Entrees and snacks zeroes in on Victorian seafood, with scallops paired with rich truffle butter, Eastern Rock lobster cocktails served with endive and rouille; and a seafood platter in the form of a fruit de mer. Deeper into the menu, patrons will discover hand-picked mud crab brandade and mushroom pithivier pastry with soubise and chestnut. Also central to the kitchen is a wood-fired hearth. The appropriately dedicated grilled section of the menu sees duck paired with sugarloaf cabbage and jus gras, a selection of Victorian beef from Blackmore and O'Connor with a range of sauces and mustards or whole fish served on a bed of sea herbs and sauce verte. Rounding out the offering: a roving cheese trolley, chocolate tarts, and Jersey milk soft serve pumped from the in-house machine, topped with fresh hazelnut and extra virgin olive oil. As for the drinks, the owners are aiming to showcase the best Australian and local Victorian wines, along with a strong spread of American and French vino, of course. American-inspired drops will also rule the classic-leaning cocktail lineup. Granite columns, lofty ceilings and glass floor tiles are the backdrop for Reine's 150-seat dining room, which will also house a ten-metre-long marble bar devoted to cocktails and another slinging seafood. There'll be big banquettes in caramel-hued leather, and furniture by the likes of Grazia & Co and Volker Haug Studio. Adjacent to all that sits a 40-seat terrace, leading through to the tiny speakeasy-style cocoon of La Rue — a walk-in-only joint with its own wine vault and space for just eight punters at a time. Heritage Victoria have helped guide the rejuvenation of the historic Cathedral Room, which has laid derelict for the last couple of decades. Also behind the transformation are RBA Heritage Architects and Sydney-based design and architecture practice Akin Atelier. Both Reine and La Rue are set to showcase the same culinary offering, so you're guaranteed to eat well, no matter the occasion. [caption id="attachment_899949" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Samantha Schultz[/caption] Reine and La Rue will open at 380 Collins St, Melbourne on Tuesday, August 1. It'll be open Tuesdays–Saturdays from 12pm, including dinner from 5pm until late. Bookings are open now via the website.
Come March 2021, it will have been 12 months since the Australian Government implemented an indefinite ban on international travel due to COVID-19, only allowing Aussies to leave the country in very limited circumstances. Accordingly, just when jetting overseas will be back on the agenda has been the subject of much discussion. Last year's prediction that opening up to the rest of the world wouldn't happen in 2020 proved accurate, in fact — and now it looks like that could remain the case in 2021 as well. This isn't particularly surprising news; however, with a COVID-19 vaccine currently being rolled out around the globe — with the first jabs slated to hit Aussie arms sometime in February — there was hope that 2021 could see a slow return to normality. But Australia's ex-Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy has now forecast that the travel situation is unlikely to change soon, even with the vaccine. Appearing on ABC New Breakfast on Monday, January 18, Murphy — who is now the Secretary of the Department of Health — said "I think the answer is probably no. I think we will go most of this year with still substantial border restrictions. He continued: "even if we have a lot of the population vaccinated, we don't know whether that will prevent transmission of the virus, and it is likely that quarantine will continue for some time". "At the moment, we have this light at the end of the tunnel — the vaccine — so we're going to go as safely and as fast as we can to get our population vaccinated," he also advised. "And then we'll look at what happens." https://twitter.com/breakfastnews/status/1350911014544449538 Murphy also said that, early on in the pandemic, he told Prime Minister Scott Morrison that he didn't want to "predict more than two or three months ahead" — because, "one of the things about this virus is that the rule book is being made up as we go". Eager travellers might remember that last April, Murphy advised that international travel wouldn't be back for at least three-to-four months. With COVID-19 cases continuing to spike elsewhere in the world, that timeframe just keeps extending. At the moment, Australia has implemented a 'travel bubble' with New Zealand — reinstating international travel just between the two countries before Australia's international border reopens to all nations worldwide. It's presently only one-way, though, meaning that New Zealanders can come to Australia, but Australians aren't yet able to holiday in NZ. It's worth noting, as everyone should be well and truly aware, that Australia's domestic border situation keeps changing with frequency, too — including recent updates in response to cases in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne — so travelling anywhere beyond your own city probably isn't guaranteed to be straightforward for the foreseeable future. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
It's the seventh film in the Jurassic franchise. It takes its characters to a secret island that was home to the research facility for Jurassic Park's original prehistoric animal sanctuary. Thanks to the latter, it's filled with dinosaurs too dangerous for the original wannabe tourist attraction. The movie: Jurassic World Rebirth, which is also the next picture to get a cast member of Oscar-winning 2019 film Marriage Story facing off against creatures that went extinct millions of years ago. Yes, that's a niche bit of trivia. But life has indeed found a way to get Scarlett Johansson (Fly Me to the Moon) battling dinos after it also got Adam Driver (Megalopolis) doing the same in 65 — and, of course, after Laura Dern (Lonely Planet) starred in the OG Jurassic Park, plus Jurassic Park III and Jurassic World Dominion. In Jurassic World Rebirth, Johansson plays covert operations expert Zora Bennett, who has a date with the movie's main island to obtain genetic material that could help develop drugs to save human lives. Arriving three years after Jurassic World Dominion and set to stomp into picture palaces in July, the new Jurassic flick also takes Jonathan Bailey (Wicked) and Mahershala Ali (Leave the World Behind) on its upon a clandestine mission. After the first sneak peek at how that turns out dropped in February, a brand-new trailer has been revealed. The vibe? The words "you don't see that every day" are uttered early, and dinosaurs are a threat by land, air and sea. The idea at the heart of picture: on the landmass at its centre, different species of dinosaurs to those that the films have featured before roam — species that were couldn't go into the OG park because they would've caused too much havoc. Bennett heads there with Bailey's palaeontologist Dr Henry Loomis and Ali as her righthand man Duncan Kincaid — and company — in what seems to be shaping up, in part, as a Jurassic heist film with pesky rampaging ancient beasts. Alongside Johansson, Bailey, and Moonlight and Green Book Oscar-winner Ali, the Rebirth's lineup of on-screen talent also spans Rupert Friend (Companion) as a pharmaceutical executive; Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer) as a civilian who gets dragged into the mission after becoming shipwrecked; Luna Blaise (Manifest), David Iacono (Dope Thief) and Audrina Miranda (Lopez vs Lopez) as the latter's family members; and Philippine Velge (The Serpent Queen), Bechir Sylvain (Black Mafia Family) and Ed Skrein (Rebel Moon) among Zora and co's crew. In the storyline, five years have passed since the events of Jurassic World Dominion — which, for audiences, followed 2015's Jurassic World and 2018's Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom in the Jurassic World saga, plus 1993's Jurassic Park, 1997's The Lost World: Jurassic Park and 2001's Jurassic Park III in the OG Jurassic Park trilogy. Jurassic World Rebirth director Gareth Evans (The Creator) is new to the franchise, but knows a thing or two about flicks about fighting giant creatures courtesy of 2010's Monsters and 2014's Godzilla. Rebirth does have a key link back to the debut Jurassic Park movie, however, with screenwriter David Koepp returning after co-penning the initial film and scripting the second solo. (Koepp also returns to grappling with dinosaurs after a three-movie run writing screenplays for Steven Soderbergh with Kimi, Presence and Black Bag.) Check out the latest trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth below: Jurassic World Rebirth releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, July 3, 2025.
You may think you have a good handle on David Attenborough docos by now. He waltzes into an amazing natural landscape, dispels an extraordinary amount of knowledge on Everything in the Entire World, and promptly films something incredibly disgusting or depressingly ruthless. I think we're all still trying to forget that time he narrated hermaphroditic slug sex. Nevertheless, his latest venture is set to blow your mind all over again. Returning to Australia in November, this legendary, knighted filmmaker is filming his latest work in 3D at the Great Barrier Reef. Intended as a three-part series, Attenborough is excited about the possibilities of filming underwater in 3D. "People will think ‘for God’s sake not another program on the Barrier Reef. Haven’t we done enough?’ But underwater is a marvellous subject for 3D, I mean it really is absolutely breathtaking," he told The Herald Sun, sporting his trademark British charm. But honestly, we have no idea why Attenborough feels the need to convince us. While we've felt a little tired with the gimmick of 3D in recent years, this is the type of work the technology was made for. Attenborough won't be diving himself — give him a break, he's 88 years old — but he will be exploring the reef with the help of new underwater equipment that renders an incredibly high resolution. Though nothing has been released about the content of the series, Attenborough will more than likely be covering the political and environmental problems the reef has faced in recent times as well as its friendly fauna. It's a topic that has been in the news once again with #fightforthereef emerging on everyone's Twitter feeds earlier this year. Between global warming, the threat of coal ports in surrounding areas, and questionable preservation practices from the state and federal governments, the World Heritage listed site has faced a lot of problems in recent years. Documentary filming begins in November, but we won't know how far off the actual film is for months yet. Regardless, get ready to be transported directly to the heart of all your underwater Disney dreamlands. This is going to be well worth the IMAX money. Via The Herald Sun. Photo credits: ciamabue, stuandgravy, robdownunder, richard ling, richard ling via photopin cc.
Almost three decades ago, before he had the world saying "thank you, thank you very much" to Elvis, before he explored the birth of American hiphop in Netflix's The Get Down, and before gave The Great Gatsby a spin and made Moulin Rouge! spectacular (spectacular), too, Baz Luhrmann achieved two not-too-insignificant things with his film version of Romeo + Juliet. Not only did the Australian director's vibrant take on the classic tragedy completely change the way everyone thinks about Shakespeare adaptations — it also delivered one of the killer soundtracks of the 90s, and one that many a movie has tried and failed to top since. The track list speaks for itself, really, featuring everything Garbage's '#1 Crush' to The Cardigans' 'Lovefool' to Radiohead's 'Talk Show Host'. Everclear, Butthole Surfers, Des'ree and Quindon Tarver's 'Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)' also pop up, with Luhrmann turning the greatest love story ever told into the greatest soundtrack ever sold. If you were around and of a certain age back in 1996, you definitely owned a copy. You probably still do. Even if you weren't loving it before the turn of the century, you should now as well. It's no wonder, then, that not just the picture but the tunes keep being celebrated as Romeo + Juliet nears its 30th anniversary in 2026. In London for more than a decade, concert screenings of the movie with a live choir and band have been wowing audiences and selling out. More than half-a-million filmgoers have attended. Now, Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet: A Cinematic Experience is finally coming to Australia. Young hearts run free to The Astor Theatre in Melbourne, which is playing host to the Australian debut of this live experience from Tuesday, September 23–Sunday, September 28, 2025. New sessions have already been added due to demand, and there's no word yet if the shows will make their way to other Australian cities. "Audiences really feel like they're stepping into Verona as we don the theatre for a multisensory experience," said Dominic Davies, CEO of the UK's Backyard Cinema, which created the experience. "After sellout performances in London, we are thrilled that Sony Music Australia is bringing this production Down Under for the first time." "The Astor Theatre is such an iconic Melbourne venue and will provide a majestic backdrop for the immersive performance — it will be an experience like no other," added Sony Music Australia and New Zealand Chair and CEO Vanessa Picken. "The show has done incredibly well in London for a long time. We're really looking forward to adding a local slant with a well-known narrator to be announced soon." Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet: A Cinematic Experience runs at The Astor Theatre, 1 Chapel Street, St Kilda, from Tuesday, September 23–Sunday, September 28, 2025 — head to Ticketek for more details and tickets. Images: Andrew Ogilvy Photography.
Peninsula Hot Springs just keeps getting bigger and better. Back in 2018, it received a massive $13 million upgrade, which saw the addition of several hot and cold pools, and a hilltop bathhouse amphitheatre. In 2020, luxury glamping facilities landed on the property. And now, a couple of years after scoring a cool $3.3 million investment from the Regional Tourism Investment Fund (RTIF), the crew is ready to unveil its new Eco Lodges in early November this year. These will each feature a plush 60-square-metre suite complete with wifi, room service, a mini bar, and split-system heating and cooling. One thing that makes these accommodations so special is the dedication to giving guests a damn good night's sleep. Each room has self-guided sleep wellness content like sound and movement experiences, plus sleep masks and mineral salts. Co-founder and Creative Director of Peninsula Hot Springs Charles Davidson notes how "Wellness is a holistic and multidimensional feeling of wholeness and happiness, of which sleep is a quintessential factor. Understanding that humans spend a third of their lives asleep, it was important to us to create an environment in which guests can achieve cathartic release through our extensive wellness programs. "Our Eco Lodges have been designed with our seven pillars of wellness in mind to ensure our guests leave feeling rejuvenated and restored." Each Eco Lodge also opens out onto its own garden and private hot spring bathing pool that looks out over the surrounding wetlands. Usually, you'd need to share the property's large geothermal pools with others, so this private experience is an absolute win. Nonetheless, if you do want to jump around the other natural hot spring pools, your stay includes unlimited access to all of them. Both guests also get a complimentary wellness session and buffet breakfast each morning. This is some next-level treat-yourself stuff, so expect to pay handsomely for it. Rooms within the Eco Lodges sleep two adults, with accommodation and bathing packages starting at $880. The new Peninsula Hot Springs Eco Lodges will open in early November 2024. For more details, visit the venue's website. Top image: Alarna O'Connell.
If you've ever wanted to indulge in an immersive fine-dining feast onboard a luxe yacht, here's your chance. Acclaimed chef Nelly Robinson will be plating up a six-course sensory fare for this year's Vivid Sydney. NEL's founder and chef patron will take over the kitchen of superyacht The Jackson on Saturday, May 25, for what promises to be a colourful culinary journey backed by front-row views of the iconic Sydney Harbour. Robinson is known for his avant-garde and often kooky degustation menus, so prepare for the kind unbridled creativity that's been on display in his previous degustations, which span from Disney-inspired dishes and Christmas-themed festivities to a dedicated showcase of native Aussie ingredients and even a bold take on KFC. Upon boarding the multimillion-dollar cruiser, you'll be met with free-flowing sparkling for the first hour, as well as a selection of small bites including beetroot and tuna tarts, smoked oysters and a chicken and macadamia toastie. For the sit-down portion of the evening, you'll tuck into a lemon myrtle-infused poached salmon for entree, lamb shoulder with herb risotto for main and a banana-starring dessert. To finish the cruise on a high, head on upstairs for a boogie accompanied by a rose heart canapé. Tickets cost $325 per person, but you can add an additional $65 for a Tyrrell's Wine pairing to accompany your meal. At the end of the evening, you'll disembark at King Street Wharf where you can continue partying into the night. If you love fine food, immersive creative experiences and fabulous views, you best consider adding this to your list of must-book Vivid Sydney events. Head to The Jackson's website to purchase tickets to A Night with Nelly Robinson before they sell out.
Summer is a mere few weeks away and there's no better seasonal combo than a weekend barbecue and icy cold craft beer. We’re on mission to inspire and enhance your barbecue experience this silly season by bringing to you recipes that go beyond the simple sausage sizzle. We've searched Sydney's most talked-about restaurants from the buzzing inner west to the slick CBD, the stylish eastern suburbs and all the way to the chilled-out northern beaches for recipes that will earn you a pat on the back and cheers from your soon-to-be-impressed guests. Ten top-notch chefs from across town with a talent for wielding a set of barbecue tongs have matched one of their favourite grill-friendly recipes with a brew from James Squire's solid craft beer range. Crisp pilsners with zesty Hartsyard octopus for the sun lovers. Strong Porters to wash down Neil Perry ribeyes. Golden ales with Pinbone's barbecued duck hearts for the adventurous. Thank us later; your summer barbecues will be talked about for many moons. BARBECUED DUCK HEARTS WITH CUMQUAT AND MUSTARD — PINBONE INGREDIENTS: Duck hearts Handful of cumquats (or oranges and mandarin) Creme fraiche Hot English mustard Bitter leaves METHOD: Brine duck hearts in a 5 percent salt/water solution for 30 minutes. Remove and dry with paper towel. Grill on the barbecue for 2 minutes on each side and rest. Cut cumquats in half and grill on barbecue until nicely charred (orange and mandarin also work nicely if you can’t find cumquats). Mix equal parts creme fraiche and hot English mustard together and lay the mustard base on one half of the plate. To serve: Season generously and garnish with bitter leaves. Pair with James Squire Stow Away IPA. BBQ FREMANTLE OCTOPUS — GREGORY LLEWELLYN FROM HARTSYARD Serves 4 INGREDIENTS: 1kg Fremantle Octopus separate into individual tentacles only 4L Water 300g salt 100g paprika smoked peel of one lemon 4 cloves of crushed garlic tbsp peppercorn tbsp fennel seed tbsp coriander seed METHOD: Heat half the water with the salt until dissolved. When dissolved pour warm solution into remaining cold water. Toast all spices (minus the paprika) together over a medium/high heat until fragrant. Add to liquid mixture. Add garlic, paprika and lemon peel. When mixture is cool add octopus tentacles and brine for 12 hours. Remove from brine, rinse and dry. Place into a heavy bottomed saucepot and cover with extra virgin olive oil. Cook on stove top at about 75-80°C ensuring the oil does not boil for 2-2.5 hours. Remove the octopus from pot. It should be fork tender with a tiny bit of chew. Refrigerate until cold (this should probably be done the day before). Prepare BBQ to about 200°C. BBQ octopus until suction pads are crispy and the tentacles are evenly cooked but not black. When cooked toss into a bowl with the following dressing: DRESSING: 100ml olive oil 2 tbsp sliced garlic 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves picked 1 tbsp fresh parsley leaves picked 1 tsp crushed red chilli flakes Cook olive oil and garlic until slightly brown. Add the rest of the ingredients until crispy. Remove from heat. Let cool. Season with the juice of two lemons. Pair with James Squire Four 'Wives' Pilsener. STICKY LAMB RIBS WITH POMEGRANATE AND SOY GLAZE — DANIEL SAN INGREDIENTS: 30gm peeled eschallots 0.1gm pomegranate 60gm cos lettuce 5gm flat leaf parsley 5gm mint 2gm extra virgin olive oil 300gm Junee lamb American ribs GLAZE: 50gm peeled garlic 4gm lemons 80gm frozen wasabi tube 150gm castor sugar 15gm sea salt flakes 60gm sesame oil 400gm pomegranate molasses BRAISING STOCK: 2L water 10ml Kikkoman soy 10ml mirin 10ml sake 5gm radish daikon 20gm young ginger METHOD: Place ribs in braising stock and place in oven on 160°C for two hours. Take ribs out and leave to cool in the stock for one hour. Cook ribs on the bbq and glaze with the above. Serve on cos lettuce with pomegranate drizzled on top. Pair with James Squire's The Constable Copper Ale. SMOKED BARBECUE WINGS w/ BULLEIT BOURBON BARBECUE SAUCE — HENRIETTA SUPPER CLUB INGREDIENTS: 2.5L pork (or beef stock in a pinch) stock FOR BARBECUE SAUCE: 250ml Bulleit bourbon 2 cinnamon sticks 3 star anise 2 cloves 1 lime (juice and zest) 2 lemon (juice and zest) 100ml good sherry vinegar 1 x can of coca cola 1 x can ginger ale 25g whole black pepper corn 100ml real Canadian maple syrup 500ml of store bought barbecue sauce METHOD: Place in a large pot on a medium heat-high heat. Reduce until sticky. pass through a chinois or large sieve. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate once cooled. To prepare the wings, poach desired quality of wings in a good-quality wings chicken stock for 25min. Coat with a seasoned flour (we use 'Cajun flour' — corn flour, plain flour, Cajun spices and seasoning). Deep fry for five minutes on 180 degrees or brown on the barbecue hot plate in good quality cooking oil. Place cooked wings in a steel bowl and coat generously with the barbecue sauce. Garnish with chives and serve with chipotle mayo (real mayonnaise with a slug of chipotle hot sauce like El Yucateco or Tabasco). Pair with James Squire Nine Tales Amber Ale. SMOKED PORK RIBS — PATRICK FRIESEN AND CHRISTOPHER HOGARTH FROM PAPI CHULO INGREDIENTS: 4 USA-style cut pork ribs BBQ rub BBQ sauce Apple wood and oak chips METHOD: Try to find pork ribs with the most amount of meat you can. Clean the silver skin off the back of the ribs using a fork to pry it off and a tea towel to hold onto the silver skin when you pull it off. Season both sides lightly with BBQ rub and smoke straight away. Smoke at 120°C over oak and applewood for one hour. Wrap in foil and smoke at 120 degrees for another hour and a half. Brush with BBQ sauce and enjoy. BBQ SAUCE: 50gm Heinz ketchup 16gm Frank's RedHot sauce 20gm Yamasa soy 10gm water 30gm brown sugar 6gm black pepper 3gm smoked paprika 3gm sweet paprika 2.5gm onion powder 2.5gm garlic powder 5gm Korean chilli powder Mix all ingredients in a bowl and let sit for an hour. BBQ RUB: 100gm salt 20gm cracked black pepper 4gm onion powder 2gm garlic powder 20gm paprika 5gm smoked paprika 5gm cayenne Mix in a bowl right before you want to use. Pair with James Squire Sundown Australian Lager. RIB EYE ON THE BONE — NEIL PERRY FROM THE BURGER PROJECT INGREDIENTS: 4 x 360g rib eye on the bone Sea salt Extra virgin olive oil for grilling 4 lemon wedges METHOD: Heat the barbecue or grill — whether using wood, charcoal or gas — until extremely hot. Salt and oil each side of the steaks and allow to come to room temperature. Place steaks on the grill, cook for approximately five minutes, rotate the steak 90 degrees to get the cross pattern on the meat halfway through the cooking. Turn the steak over and cook for another four minutes. Allow the meat to rest for a few minutes off the grill. Place on a cutting board and slice each of the steaks into five or six slices, form the meat back to its original shape and serve on a plate with a sprinkle of salt, drizzle of olive oil and a wedge of lemon. Pair with James Squire Jack of Spades Porter. LAMB BURGER WITH PICKLED EGGPLANT, WATERCRESS AND HARISSA — MICHAEL RANTISSI FROM KEPOS STREET KITCHEN Serves 4 INGREDIENTS: 750gm good-quality coarse lamb mince 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, toasted and crushed 1 bunch coriander, leaves picked and finely chopped 3 - 4 tbsp olive oil 4 tbsp harissa 1 tsp chilli flakes Salt and pepper to season 4 brioche burger buns, toasted ½ cup makdous (pickled eggplant stuffed with walnuts available from Middle Eastern grocers) 1 bunch watercress Harissa aioli METHOD: Combine the lamb mince, coriander seeds, fresh coriander, olive oil, harissa and chilli in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix to combine. Once combined, divide the mixture into four and then gently shape the burger patties with your hand. Don't overwork the patties too much as it makes them tough. These burgers can be cooked in a frypan on the stove top or the grill on your barbeque. Cook to your taste, two to three minutes per side for medium rare or longer for your requirement. To assemble toast the brioche burger buns (inside of bun only). Take the base of the burger bun and add a dollop of the harissa aioli, a spoonful of the pickled eggplant with walnuts, watercress, then the patty, add another handful of watercress and another dollop of aioli and then top with the bun. Pair with James Squire One Fifty Lashes Pale Ale. BARBECUE CHICKEN WINGS — CHUR BURGER INGREDIENTS: 1kg mid cut chicken wings BARBECUE SAUCE: 1 onion, finely chopped 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped 100ml olive oil 150g brown sugar 150ml Worcestershire sauce 500g ketchup Juice of 2 lemons 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme Place chicken wings in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring water to the boil, stir chicken wings gently and then turn heat off. Let wings sit in water for 12 minutes and then pour wings into a colander. Place on trays in a single layer and refrigerate overnight to dry out. Sweat off onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft but with no colour (about 2-3 minutes). Add everything else, bring to a simmer and cook out for about 10 minutes. Cool down and store in refrigerator. Toss in the barbecue sauce mix and then place on hot grill until smokey and charred. Remove from grill and place into a clean bowl and toss with some further barbecue sauce and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Serve. CHIPOTLE MAYO: 1L plain mayonnaise 150ml Melbourne Hot Sauce Chipotle & Cayenne 10g rosemary, chopped 10g fresh oregano, chopped 10g parsley, chopped Mix all together. Pair with James Squire Hop Thief American Pale Ale.
Maybe you first heard of Peloton when US President Joe Biden assumed office, with his use of the company's technology-enabled equipment giving rise to questions about its potential White House security risks. Perhaps you've seen the mocking ad created by Ryan Reynolds' Aviation American Gin, or the recent Saturday Night Live spoof. Or, you could just really like expensive additions to your home gym setup, or getting guided through your workout routine by an instructor without having to leave the house. Whichever fits, Australians will soon be able to get their hands on the brand's indoor bikes and take part in its streamed classes, with the company announcing plans to launch Down Under. An exact date hasn't yet been announced, but Peloton will be rolling out its equipment and at-home workouts in Australia some time in the second half of 2021. Presumably, it won't be doing so by using its controversial 2019 TV commercial, which received considerable backlash and gave rise to the aforementioned parodies. Australians will be able to choose from two Peloton bikes first up, and neither comes cheap. The Peloton Bike will cost $2895, while the Bike+ will set you back $3695. If you're wondering what the difference is, the latter comes with a bigger screen that can rotate 360 degrees, and with a better sound system — because connecting to the Peloton app and streaming its workouts while you're hitting the pedals is all part of the process. You will need to pay extra to access the company's content, which'll cost $59 per month. On offer: instructor-led classes, motivational tracks and curated playlists, with the latter featuring the likes of Beyoncé and The Beatles. The sessions cover cycling, obviously, as well as running, strength training, high-intensity interval training, yoga, barre, pilates, dance cardio, bootcamp and meditation. Time-wise, they span from five to 60 minutes in length and, in terms of skill, range from beginner to advanced. The Peloton app does also include material that doesn't require the brand's equipment, if you're eager to give it a try without breaking your budget. Peloton is also setting up physical showrooms in Sydney and Melbourne, should you want to give its bikes a test run in person. The brand also makes treadmills, although when they'll be available in Australia hasn't yet been announced. When Peloton heads Down Under, it'll set up shop in its fifth country worldwide, after the US, the UK, Canada and Germany. Peloton will launch in Australia sometime in 2021, and set up showrooms in Sydney and Melbourne. For further details, keep an eye on the company's website.
Since Iron Man first soared into movie theatres in 2008, proved a huge hit and started a massive franchise, fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been getting their caped crusader fix on the big screen. But, while this immensely popular superhero realm mentions its preferred medium right there in its name, the MCU has also made the leap to television — including via Disney+'s WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier so far this year. Marvel and Disney+ aren't stopping there, either. A heap of new shows are in the works at the streaming platform, including Ms. Marvel, Hawkeye, She-Hulk, Moon Knight, Secret Invasion (about Samuel L Jackson's Nick Fury), Iron Heart, Armour Wars, I Am Groot, a Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and a series set in Wakanda. Next up, though, is Loki — and, after releasing a sneak peek last year, the Mouse House has dropped a full trailer for the soon-to-premiere show. Obviously, if you've seen a Thor or Avengers movie, then you know who Loki is about. Creative series names aren't part of the package here. So, Tom Hiddleston (Kong: Skull Island) is back as the God of Mischief — and he's enjoying stepping into the trickster's shoes again, if the glimpses so far are anything to go by. Viewers will watch Loki's antics post-Avengers: Endgame, with Owen Wilson (Wonder), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Summerland), Sophia Di Martino (Yesterday), Wunmi Mosaku (Lovecraft Country) and Richard E Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) rounding out the main cast. When the series starts airing from Friday, June 11, Loki finds himself in a bit of trouble thanks to his previous actions with the Tesseract. The TVA — that'd be the Time Variance Authority — is on his case, which is where Wilson's Mobius M Mobius comes in. Obviously, more time-travelling trickery is in Loki's future from there. We're guessing that Wilson will say "wow" once or twice, too. Check out the full trailer for Loki below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUwwdj6AlBA Loki will be available to stream via Disney+ from Friday, June 11. Top image: ©Marvel Studios 2020. All Rights Reserved.
It's pretty ironic that a YouTube clip criticising internet culture is going viral. Nonetheless this parody of The Wolf of Wall Street made by Half Day Today is pitch perfect. In a remake of the film's trailer, the hedonistic tale of American conman Jordan Belfort is transposed to the life of Buzzfeed CEO Jonah Peretti. Hilarity ensues. Everyone knows Buzzfeed is a bit of a black hole. You stumble across something in a Facebook newsfeed and suddenly you're falling into an internet-shaped abyss that no longer houses your study or work but only thousands of lists about Harry Styles, '90s cartoons and what '90s cartoons would looks like if they were recast with Harry Styles. This is your life now. And, while no one's saying it's directly Jonah Peretti's fault... it sure is nice to blame someone. "With these lists you can create a stupid GIF, write a nonsensical blob of text, and it will get retweeted millions of times without ever using an even number in your title," says the video's Peretti. Much like Jordan Belfort's dubious pathway to success using penny stocks, there seems to be something vaguely criminal about the Buzzfeed marketing strategy and it's somewhat confronting to see it played out in front of your eye. Still. We can't help ourselves. This is still 100 percent our reaction whenever we find a relatable listicle or a new viral video to share *coughcough*.
With a snap of the fingers, the Marvel Cinematic Universe underwent a huge change back in Avengers: Infinity War, and its movies and TV shows have been dealing with the fallout ever since. But another snap might be coming — not within the ever-sprawling franchise's on-screen narratives, but thanks to a possible slowed-down pace when it comes to filling cinemas and streaming queues with Marvel's heroes. All Marvel all the time: that's seemed to be Disney's approach to building the MCU, and our eyeballs have been busy as a result. In 2021 and 2022 alone, seven films and eight television shows made their debuts, spanning everything from Black Widow, Eternals, Thor: Love and Thunder and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever through to WandaVision, Loki, Moon Knight and Ms Marvel. And, 2023 has already kicked off with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to come in May. Disney is reportedly thinking about easing the flow of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, however, and also getting better at curating it. Multiple recent reports and interviews, including in The Hollywood Reporter and Entertainment Weekly, have spoken about releasing fewer movies and shows each year, as well as ensuring there's more space between them. "The pace at which we're putting out the Disney+ shows will change so they can each get a chance to shine," Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige told Entertainment Weekly. Just as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hit cinemas last week, Marvel pushed back its third big-screen release for 2023, The Marvels, from July 28 to November 9. It teams up Captain Marvel (Brie Larson, Just Mercy), Ms Marvel (Iman Vellani) and WandaVision's Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris, Candyman), but viewers will now have to wait a few more months to see the end result. That's one of a few shifts that the MCU has put in place since unveiling its huge phase five and phase six plans in mid-2022, with other dates moving back as well. Now in its multiverse saga, with a big focus on Jonathan Majors (The Harder They Fall) as new big bad Kang the Conqueror, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has delayed the return of Blade — this time starring Moonlight and Green Book Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali — to September 5, 2024. It'll come after a new Captain America movie on May 2, 2024, called Captain America: New World Order, focusing on Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) with the cape and shield, plus Thunderbolts on July 25, 2023. 2024 will also see the next Deadpool flick arrive on November 7 co-starring Hugh Jackman, with The Son actor returning to the role of Wolverine, and both Deadpool and Wolverine entering the MCU. From there, expect yet another Fantastic Four film, which'll now release on February 14, 2025 (with no cast yet announced), plus Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars following on May 1, 2025 and April 30, 2026, respectively. While slight changes have already been made to the movie slate's dates, more may come in light of Feige's comments — and Disney CEO Bob Iger's own comments that the Mouse House must improve its curating skills with its content. And, the same may prove true of the MCU's small-screen lineup, none of which has set dates so far. 2023 is meant to see five shows arrive: the Samuel L Jackson-starring, Nick Fury-focused Secret Invasion, which was initially expected in autumn Down Under; Ironheart, which features the Dominique Thorne (Judas and the Black Messiah)-played character first seen in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; season two of Loki; Hawkeye spinoff Echo; and witchy WandaVision spinoff Agatha: Coven of Chaos. But, it's now reported that only Secret Invasion and Loki are certain to hit this year. After that, a new 18-episode Daredevil series starring Charlie Cox (King of Thieves) and Vincent D'Onofrio (The Unforgivable), this time called Daredevil: Born Again, is on the schedule for 2024. These films and series are all still on their way — so, while you might not be watching quite as many new Marvel movies and TV shows over the next few years after all, they're still coming, just better spread out. Maybe this far in, more breaks from the Marvel Cinematic Universe will make the heart grow fonder, especially if you've been feeling a bit of MCU fatigue. For more information about Marvel's upcoming slate of films and TV shows, head to the company's website. Via The Hollywood Reporter and Entertainment Weekly. Top image: Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2022 Marvel. All images: courtesy of Marvel.
The island of Lombok is Bali's equally magical (but considerably less crowded) neighbour. Here, you get long white sand beaches, deep forests hiding waterfalls and small villages filled with friendly locals. Yes, Bali has all this too. But Lombok is significantly quieter and cheaper. Experienced travellers come here for all the luxury trimmings at beachside or mountaintop villas but at a fraction of the price. Read on to find our favourite places to stay in Lombok, all of which can be booked through Concrete Playground Trips. HOTEL TUGU LOMBOK This luxury Lombok hotel is full of character. One of the dining rooms sits under an enormous wooden pavilion filled with locally made furniture. The bar is located within a traditional hut decorated with a smattering of artworks and sculptures. And the uniquely designed rooms include features like private rooftops, lotus ponds, outdoor baths, plunge pools and more. Add the private beach and spa facilities and you're left with the total wellness package. Plus, it's only a short boat ride away from the famous Gili Islands — so your day trips are sorted. BOOK IT NOW. KU VILLAS This small resort has a few different accommodation types, ranging from individual rooms and suites (with or without a plunge pool) to larger villas with private gardens and larger pools. Modern simplicity is also key when it comes to design and amenities — expect large open rooms with classic wooden furniture and crisp white linens. The in-house spa and small restaurant both make spending entire days by the pool all too easy. We're so impressed with KU Villas that we've teamed up with them to bring our readers one massive island holiday deal. Guests will get a three-night stay, an hour-long massage, a personal chauffeur, a $200 food and beverage voucher for the nearby SIWA Clubhouse and daily breakfast for only $455 — an absolute bargain by anyone's standards. BOOK IT NOW. SELONG SELO RESORT AND RESIDENCES These villas and studios feel more like luxury homes than travel accommodations. Guests have their own modern kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms as well as private balconies with barbecues and private plunge pools. And the views — well, they are just serene. Whether you're sitting in your room or dining by the main pool and restaurant, you'll have uninterrupted sea views framed by wide-open plains and dramatic mountains. Plus, with the option to book a seven-bedroom villa, Selong Selo Resort and Residence is great for large groups of travellers. BOOK IT NOW. RINJANI BEACH ECO RESORT This rustic eco-resort has all the essentials required for having a super comfortable holiday on a tropical island — but it's the location and long list of adventure experiences that make it one of the best places to stay in Lombok. The resort's team will organise snorkelling and diving trips and hikes up to the Rinjani volcano where you'll see large emerald-green lakes and hidden waterfalls. What else is on the menu? Day trips to the nearby Gili Islands, massages at the spa and the opportunity to watch turtles hatch on the beach. Head here to immerse yourself in nature. BOOK IT NOW. JEEVA BELOLAM BEACH CAMP Now, this is the ultimate glamping destination. The off-the-grid recycled wood and alang alang beachfront lodges combine elements of Robinson Crusoe with East Indonesia aesthetics to create a boutique beach camp experience. When staying here, you'll feel totally removed from the outside world. Jeeva Beloam's 11 rooms lie within a 55-hectare nature forest preserve, facing the Timor Sea from a sand dune above a quiet 250-metre-long white sand beach. This Lombok paradise is made for true escapism. BOOK IT NOW. HARMONY VILLAS LOMBOK Is minimalism your vibe? If so, you've got to check out these beautifully designed villas in Kuta, Lombok. On the property, you'll find just five boutique villas (painted stark white inside and out) set around a luxurious lagoon-style swimming pool. It's gorgeous and calming — especially thanks to its adults-only policy. You won't find little kids running around this joint, disturbing your relaxing holiday. BOOK IT NOW. NOVOTEL LOMBOK RESORT AND VILLAS This is a stellar middle-of-the-budget resort on Lombok. You're not spending a heap of money, but you still get to stay right on the beach — free from crowds — getting all the top luxury resort inclusions. You've got large air-conditioned rooms by the water, free daily activities, three outdoor pools and a great restaurant and bar. Tick, tick, tick. It has it all. BOOK IT NOW. THE OBEROI BEACH RESORT This beachside resort is made for chilling out. Spend your days jumping from the pool to the beach and then to the bar — all before starting the rotation again. Sure, you can go on one of its snorkelling trips or have a private dinner on the shore, but you've got to take your time just hanging at the property too. That's especially true of you book the enormous luxury villa that has its own pool and private courtyard. BOOK IT NOW. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world. Top image: Selong Selo Resort and Residence
If you peek through the velvet curtains on Hardware Lane and adventure down the stairs, you'll find cocktail and dim sum hotspot Golden Monkey. Owners Adam Ong and Michael Chen have managed to blend Shanghai 1920s nightspot with moody opium den and make it work with Melbourne's nightlife. Successfully, evidently, as the venue's been open since 2005. It has a hint of mystery, romance and decadence — moody red lights illuminate the entrance, and folding shades provide an intimate space for booths and couches. It's open Thursday through Saturday and each night features a musical twist, from live bands performing R&B and soul, to DJs capturing the essence of Melbourne's nightlife on a weekend. You can expect cocktails from three menus – see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil – which cover everything from old-time favourites to in-house specialties. If you're feeling extra thirsty, order your group a punch bowl. The Concubine's Last Kiss, for example, features tequila, Pimms, Aperol, peach sencha and will comfortably quench four people for $58. There are snacks, too, like signature steamed soup dumplings, barbecue pork bao and custard buns, which are brought down from the kitchen upstairs at the adjoining East China Trading Company. Images: Julia Sansone.
Call it a cost-of-living-crisis miracle: Australia has a new streaming platform vying for your eyeballs, but this one won't cost you anything to watch. There's no sign-up fee, no monthly or annual subscription, and no pay-per-view purchases with Brollie. Instead, there's ads — but also 300-plus films and TV shows to enjoy for free. First announced earlier in November and now streaming as at Thursday, November 23, Brollie hails from independent Australian and New Zealand distributor Umbrella Entertainment. Accordingly, its focus is on homegrown fare. Whether you're after an early Nicole Kidman (Special Ops: Lioness)-starring movie such as BMX Bandits or Bush Christmas, the scares of The Babadook, Kylie Minogue in Cut, or documentaries such as Servant or Slave and Ablaze, you'll find them here. Other Aussie highlights include Rose Byrne (Physical) featuring opposite Heath Ledger in Two Hands, Hugh Jackman (The Son) in Erskineville Kings, and the David Gulpilil-starring like Walkabout and Storm Boy. Or, there's also a young Claudia Karvan (The Clearing) and Ben Mendelsohn (Secret Invasion) in The Big Steal — and Karvan and Jackman in Dating the Enemy. The Furnace, Girl Asleep, Head On, the Daniel Radcliffe (Miracle Workers)-led Jungle, The Last Wave, Mad Dog Morgan, Love Serenade, Puberty Blues, Sirens, Tanna, The Tracker: add them to your queue as well. An Angel at My Table, one of Oscar-winner Jane Campion's (The Power of the Dog) early films, is also available. So is fellow New Zealand effort Coming Home in the Dark. Brollie's lineup clearly isn't just about Aussie efforts, then. So, get excited about Nicolas Cage milking an alpaca in Color Out of Space, Joaquin Phoenix (Beau Is Afraid)-led masterpiece You Were Never Really Here, the live-action OG Super Mario Bros, 80s favourite Heathers, and mind-bender Vivarium with Jesse Eisenberg (Fleishman Is in Trouble) and Imogen Poots (Outer Range) among the international titles. Even 2023's Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey is there. You can say cheers to Mads Mikkelsen (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) in both Another Round and Arctic, too, or give fantasy space western After Blue (Dirty Paradise) a whirl. Takashi Miike's (First Love) Audition, the Brian Cox (Succession)-starring The Autopsy of Jane Doe, South Korean standout A Bittersweet Life, George A Romero's Night of the Living Dead and Day of the Dead, and absurdist comedy Deerskin also pop up. So do sci-fi mind-bender The Endless, LA noir Under the Silver Lake, supernatural comedy Extra Ordinary, several Re-Animator and Hellraiser flicks, and the original Suspiria. And, for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans, the three live-action 90s movies are all on offer. The list goes on, complete with The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid's Tale) in Her Smell, Japanese animation In This Corner of the World, a number of Bruce Lee titles, and Harry Dean Stanton (Twin Peaks) turning in one of his best performances in Lucky with David Lynch also acting by his side. Speaking of exceptional on-screen efforts, the David Bowie-led Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence also falls into that category. Everyone needs to have seen once-forgotten film Miami Connection once, but because it's an out-there martial arts movie that really has to be seen to be believed — and definitely not due to its acting. From the docos, You Don't Nomi pairs perfectly with Showgirls, which is also on the platform; We Were Once Kids explores the making of Kids, which again is similarly available to watch; and Zappa, The Go-Betweens: Right Here and Buena Vista Social Club all put their subjects in their names. Not Quite Hollywood's dive through Ozploitation history is obviously a perfect fit for the streamer, while the vastly dissimilar Honeyland was nominated for two Academy Awards. The television selection is currently small, with 15 titles. More Ledger in TV series Sweat, a small-screen version of Dune, the first season of Skippy and sitcom All Together Now all feature. Viewers can watch along via Apple TV, Google TV, Android TV, Chromecast with Google TV and on your browser. Whichever you pick, just don't forget that ads will appear while you're viewing — aka the tradeoff for Brollie not bothering your bank account. To help viewers sort through the Brollie collection, the service's team is highlighting its best-of picks twice monthly, and also heroing Aussie horror via an Australian Nightmares collection. At present, the latter includes The Babadook (of course), as well as Lake Mungo, The Tunnel, Razorback, Dark Age, the original Patrick and 1989 must-see Celia, among others. Brollie launched on Thursday, November 23 — head to the streaming platform's website to subscribe and for further details.
UPDATE: FRIDAY, JUNE 1 — To celebrate the release of the new batch of Bloody Shiraz Gin, Four Pillars will be giving keen drinkers a free taste of the stuff this Saturday, June 2 at bottle shops around the country. This includes the Oak Barrel, P&V Merchants and Paddington Cellars in Sydney; Mr West, Carwyn Cellars and Blackhearts & Sparrows in Melbourne; and The Cru and The Wine Emporium in Brisbane. See the full list (and tasting times) here. For the past three years, gin lovers across the country have tripped over themselves to get their spirit-loving fingers on a bottle of Four Pillars' Bloody Shiraz Gin — and that's before they've even had a sip of alcohol. The limited edition shiraz-infused concoction really is that good, so we thought you'd like to know that the next batch goes on sale this Friday, June 1. If you haven't come across the gin before, it's basically what it says on the label: gin infused with shiraz grapes. This gives the spirit a brilliant deep cerise colour and some sweet undertones (without a higher sugar content). That, along with its higher alcoholic content — 37.8 percent, compared to an average 25 percent in regular sloe gin — makes the Bloody Shiraz Gin a near-perfect specimen. Four Pillars created the game-changing gin back in 2015 when it came into a 250-kilogram load of shiraz grapes from the Yarra Valley. Experimenting, the Victorian distillers then steeped the grapes in their high-proof dry gin for eight weeks before pressing the fruit and blending it with the gin, and hoping like hell it would turn out well. It did. The last few batches have sold out really quick, so this year the distillery has acquired more shiraz to make more of the gin than ever before. Still, you'll need to move fast. The gin will go on sale for $85 this Friday, June 1 at selected bottle shops and online at fourpillarsgin.com.au. Godspeed.
Fond of Netflix? Regal intrigue? Combining the two? Then you're obviously a fan of The Crown. And, if so, you've had a busy few years — not just because the series has dropped four seasons since 2016, but because news around the show's fifth and sixth seasons has changed back and forth a few times. At the beginning of 2020, Netflix announced that it would end the royal drama after its fifth season. The, the streaming platform had a change of heart, revealing it would continue the series for a sixth season after all. Now, the service has announced when the next batch of episodes will air, so mark November 2022 in your diary. When season five premieres next year — with the exact date still yet to be revealed — it'll do so two years after season four. But, that's the gap that The Crown tends to take when it changes casts. After starting out with Claire Foy (The Girl in the Spider's Web) as Queen Elizabeth II, Matt Smith (Official Secrets) as Prince Philip and Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret (Pieces of a Woman) in its first two seasons, which aired in 2016 and 2017, the series returned in 2019 with Olivia Colman (The Father), Tobias Menzies (This Way Up) and Helena Bonham Carter (Enola Holmes) in those roles. Plus, it added Josh O'Connor (God's Own Country) as Prince Charles — and, in season four in 2020, Emma Corrin (Misbehaviour) and The X-Files icon Gillian Anderson joined the cast as Lady Diana Spencer and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, respectively. This time around, Downton Abbey, Maleficent and Paddington star Imelda Staunton will don the titular headwear, Game of Thrones and Tales from the Loop's Jonathan Pryce will step into Prince Philip's shoes, and Princess Margaret will be played by Staunton's Maleficent co-star and Phantom Thread Oscar-nominee Lesley Manville. Also, Australian Tenet, The Burnt Orange Heresy and Widows star Elizabeth Debicki will be the new Princess Diana, while The Wire and The Pursuit of Love's Dominic West will play Prince Charles. Season five and six are expected to follow the Queen in the 1990s and 2000s — so yes, that means that Diana will play a big part, and that the series will traverse some of the same territory that Kristen Stewart-starring film Spencer covers as well. Can't wait till next year? It's too early for trailers for season five, but Netflix has dropped an introductory message from Staunton, which you can check out below: The Crown's fifth season will hit Netflix sometime in November 2022 — we'll update you with an exact launch date when one is announced. Images: Keith Bernstein / Alex Bailey / Netflix
There’s nothing bad about Bad Frankie. In fact, it's a pretty damn good addition to Greeves Street in Fitzroy — just a hop, skip and a jump away from Smith. The dimly-lit bar stands as a cheeky homage to John Franklin, the infamous governor of Van Diemen's Land who outlawed small pot stills in the 19th century. And therein lies the premise behind Bad Frankie: it's filling the gap from the time lost in the industry way back when. Black and white photographs act as wallpaper and ropes dangle from the ceiling bearing lights in jars to give off a soft, yellow glow. Dark furnishings and cushioned benches make up the quiet dining space, which becomes an intimate and ideal date spot once the sun goes down. On the menu you'll only find a range of boutique Australian spirits, wine and beer — so it's lucky, as it turns out, that we do booze pretty well here. The Pepperberry Fizz ($18) is a delightful and refreshing concoction of Melbourne Gin Company gin mixed with lemon and pepperberry syrup, a dash of egg white and soda. Or if you’re taking the Aussie theme all the way, go for the martini made with 666 vodka from Tasmania and an infusion of eucalyptus — aptly named Euco Drops ($19). With such an extensive list, the flight of spirits option is a serving of five 10mL pours to broaden your liquid horizons. Line them up on a Saturday night, then nurse your hangover with a jaffle or three on Sunday. Yep, the iconic jaffle is the only form of food you'll get at Bad Frankie, but they've got sweet and savoury covered. There's no going past the classic ($5) with vintage cheddar and mozzarella on white bread with either Vegemite or tomato chutney to accompany the sandwich, golden brown on the outside and warm and gooey on the inside. And to say no to finishing off with the lamington ($7) — chocolate soaked sponge cake filled with jam and rolled in coconut with cream — would only be un-Australian. With some of the friendliest and most welcoming service we’ve seen in a long time, Bad Frankie is our new understated go-to for a pleasant, low-key evening.
Brooklyn artist Stephen Meierding has pulled bicycles apart to make his short film Bicycle Sounds. The video takes its soundtrack from noises made by bicycle wheels, spokes, chains, gears and bells. Each bike part creates a different sound, which combined create an interesting rhythm. The film's progression shows the wheels spinning faster, the sound and the visuals getting a little heavier and slightly more manic, while playing cards attached to the spokes with pegs create visual stimulation. Meidering premiered the film at the recent Bike Shorts film festival in New York, where it took out the top prize. [via Wired]
Dance, drink, pizza, repeat. Pizza and late-night partying remains one of history's most iconic duos and they're coming together in full force as 24-hour Hawthorn club Untz Untz launches its adjoining pizza joint and sports bar, Holy Moly, tonight. The new venue has taken over the ground floor of the newly refurbished Glenferrie Road space and enjoy the same 24-hour liquor license. In addition, coffee and doughnut spot Cop Shop will launch next door shortly in April. With a crack team of hospo pros behind it, Holy Moly has some intriguing features, not least of which is the $5 pizza menu, designed by Henry Chan (of Lucky Coq and Bimbo Deluxe) and available until midnight weekdays and later on weekends. Jenna Hemsworth (former Black Pearl bartender and runner-up for Bartender of the Year 2015) has taken the reins of the drinks offering, which features a mix of classics and new-school creations, as well as two cocktails on-tap and three varieties of Bloody Mary. The space comes courtesy of interior designer Michael Delaney (Honkytonks, Sorry Grandma), along with venue director Nick Foley, with the pair describing it as "a shrine to pizza and good times". Eat your pizza in the overtly holy-themed dining hall — with pews for seats, a shrine mounted on the wall and stained glass aplenty — or head over to the memorabilia-packed sports bar, which will be screening classic sporting moments on an 80-inch plasma, and Melbourne's first VOID sound system. Holy Moly is now open at 660A Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn. For more info, visit holymoly.com.au. Images: Alexandra Drewniak.
He filled our hearts with joy with his gorgeous animated films, then broke them with his well-deserved farewell; however, it seems that Studio Ghibli's Hayao Miyazaki isn't done playing with our emotions — or making movies — just yet. One of Asia's biggest news agencies has reported that the master animator has officially stepped out of retirement and is preparing to direct his next feature. The new project was discussed by Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki in a pre-Oscars interview, with the studio's co-production The Red Turtle in the running to take home the trophy for best animated feature. It's not the first we've heard about it, given that Miyazaki's eagerness to return to doing what he does best was first rumoured last year. Now, though, it's official. Best known for directing the iconic likes of Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro, Ponyo and more before he retired after 2014's The Wind Rises — aka, the retirement that actually stuck for a while, after previous plans didn't eventuate — the legendary filmmaker has reportedly been working on turning 12-minute computer-generated short Kemushi no Boro (Boro the Caterpillar) into full-length effort after becoming dissatisfied with the briefer version. Suzuki didn't elaborate as to whether that's the new feature he's talking about, but speculation is rife, of course. That film was expected to be finished in time for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, so, once again, there are plenty of assumptions that the same will be the case with whatever Miyazaki's current effort turns out to be. To be honest, it's safe to say that Ghibli fans won't mind what he's making, or when it comes out — we're all too busy jumping for joy that we'll be getting to feast our eyes and hearts on one of his inimitable cinematic creations once again. Via Kotaku.
One of Melbourne's favourite lockdown success stories is this brainchild of Federico Congiu (Di Stasio) and Manato Deleon (DOC Pizza & Mozzarella Bar, Shujinko). The pair's ramen pop-up Parco Project — and signature lobster ramen — earned cult status in 2021. Now, the concept has spawned a permanent bricks-and-mortar ramen bar in Moonee Ponds, an intimate 19-seat restaurant that nods to the tiny venues of Tokyo. Here, Congiu draws on his time spent mastering the art of ramen while working in Miyazaki, Tokyo, Sapporo and Abashiri, to deliver a lineup of full-flavoured soups, rice bowls and sides made to crowd-pleasing recipes. The ramen features a clean and natural umami kick thanks to the use of house-made koji — a traditional Japanese ferment or edible fungus made from mould-inoculated grains. Often used to create ingredients like miso, sake and soy sauce, the product lends Parco's soups an extra level of flavour and is even thought to aid digestion. On the menu, you'll catch four ramen varieties, headlined by the signature offering — a thick chicken broth with spinach, dashi-marinated egg and either charred pork or chicken cha siu ($18.50). For an extra fix of richness, try the black truffle ramen — boasting pork neck cha siu and dashi egg ($19.50) — or fire things up with the addition of Parco's house 'spicy paste' to any ramen. You can also get your mitts on a bowl of that fan-fave lobster ramen ($23). Outside of the soups, you can dig into a range of donburi bowls, plus snacks like karaage chicken ($12), gyoza ($9.80) and parmesan-doused truffle fries ($7). BYO booze for an easy $5 per person.
Striking feats of cinema by Yorgos Lanthimos aren't scarce. Sublime performances by Emma Stone are hardly infrequent. Screen takes on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein have been a constant since the birth of moving pictures. For Lanthimos, see: Dogtooth and Alps in the Greek Weird Wave filmmaker's native language, plus The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer and The Favourite in English. With Stone, examples come in her Best Actress Oscar for La La Land, supporting nominations before and after for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) and Lanthimos' aforementioned regal satire (which made him a Best Director contender, too), and twin 2024 Golden Globe nods for their latest collaboration Poor Things as well as TV's The Curse. And as for the greatest gothic story there is, not to mention one of the most-influential horror and sci-fi works ever, the evidence spans traditional adaptations, plus debts owed as widely as The Rocky Horror Show and M3GAN (Blade Runner, The Fly, Re-Animator, Weird Science, Edward Scissorhands, Ex Machina, Upgrade, Little Joe and The Creator are also on the lengthy list). Combining Lanthimos, Stone and Shelley results in a rarity, however: a jewel of a pastel-, jewel- and bodily fluid-toned feminist Frankenstein-esque fairy tale that's a stunning and dazzling creation. As zapped to life with Lanthimos' inimitable flair, a mischievous air and Stone at her most extraordinary, Poor Things isn't just unique despite building on three shining successes — it's a treasure that's as audacious as it is subversive, and as breathtakingly willing to get wild as it is downright brilliant. Emotions, ideas, empowerment, twisting Shelley and Promethean myth into a pointed skewering of the societal expectations placed upon women, a committed ensemble, entrancing touches in every frame, a score that's equally jarring and jaunty, a dreamily macabre vibe, furious fearlessness: this film is alive with them all. That a tale about reviving the dead to grapple with mortality and the yearning to thwart it keeps inspiring new riffs has always been fitting, with each new storyteller undergoing that same process in their way, but this version is a lightning bolt. With cascading black hair, an inquisitive stare, incessant frankness and jolting physical mannerisms, Poor Things' star becomes Bella Baxter in this suitably weird and wondrous adaptation of Alasdair Grey's award-winning 1992 novel, as penned by Australian screenwriter Tony McNamara (The Great, and another Academy Award-nominee for The Favourite). Among the reasons that the movie and its lead portrayal are so singular: as a character with a woman's body that's been resurrected with a baby's brain, Stone plays someone from infancy to adulthood, all with the astonishingly exact mindset and mannerisms to match. Putting her comedic skills to excellent use but ensuring that Bella is never a joke, she does so while making each move, choice and feeling as organic as birth, living and death. The entire scope of Poor Things' protagonist is the kind of wish that actors mightn't realise they have because it's so remarkable. With Bella all impulses and curiosity at first, then buzzing with sexual desire and devotedly pursuing autonomy — and with a frenetic-but-stiff doll-like gait that's a marvel to watch, plus say-anything speech patterns — Stone turns the opportunity into an exquisite masterclass. The time and place when Poor Things kicks off: a fantastical steampunk vision of Victorian-era Europe. Although the film begins in colour as a woman ends her own life, Lanthimos and cinematographer Robbie Ryan (also back from The Favourite, and also with an Oscar nod to his name thanks to that flick) swiftly switch to black and white to meet what becomes of the suicidal person's body. It's due to the London-based, scar-faced Scottish doctor Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe, Asteroid City) that Bella exists; even if she didn't call him God, he's been playing it, including with household pets and other animals. His new human creature toddles around, aiding with his unorthodox surgeries and indulging whatever takes her fancy — smashing plates, smacking visitors, and enjoying new discoveries and sensations with literal childlike glee. But regardless of her father figure's intentions or wants, freedom, horniness, the quest for independence and agency, wanting to know more than the protective world he's left her in and a lust for adventure all beckon. Accordingly, while Godwin tries to marry Bella off to kind and sincere medical student Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef, Ramy), she hatches other plans. With Poor Things joining Call Me By Your Name in its carnal use of fruit, Bella discovers "working on myself to get happiness" and "furious jumping" — that'd be masturbation and fornication, with her debut experience with the latter returning the movie's hues as well — and runs off to the continent with caddish lawyer Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law) instead. Lisbon, a cruise that stops in Alexandria and Paris await. So does a survey of all that living can hold for women, both for the feature's reawakened force and viewers. Lanthimos' fascination for tearing into humanity's social constructions and pretences to expose its realities gets electrified again, as does his concurrent obsession with battling such structures and systems by forming insular worlds, and the need to escape that then springs. Portugal brings hot air balloons, a bewitching all-timer of a dance scene, just some of the flick's acrobatic thrusting, an attempt to enforce civic niceties and Bella steadfastly refusing to be anything but herself. The boat ride introduces books, friendship and the first real female advice that she's received via Martha (Hanna Schygulla, who came to fame half a century back for her work with Rainer Werner Fassbinder). It also sees cynicism and the world's suffering enter her understanding courtesy of Martha's companion Harry (Jerrod Carmichael, On the Count of Three). In France, a lack of cash finds her in the employ of madam Swiney (Kathryn Hunter, Andor) and leaning into socialism with fellow sex worker Toinette (Suzy Bemba, Everything Is Well). And when the past makes a comeback, it's with bullying and misogynistic power dynamics (and with Sanctuary's Christopher Abbott in a key role). As in The Favourite, the hefty use of fish-eye lenses has it: this lavish, libidinous and happily lewd deadpan delight isn't interested in the same old view of liberation, sex, life's transience and conflicts, defying the accepted order and patriarchal control that everyone has seen before, let alone a regular coming-of-age jaunt or a by-the-book Frankenstein iteration. While it splices together nods to gothic horror nakedly, it isn't routine or a patchwork there, either. As Bella goes on a radical, rebellious, gorgeously rendered, gloriously funny and generously insightful odyssey, Poor Things doesn't sport a standard perspective on anything, in fact. As seen in the efforts of a tour-de-force Stone, her co-stars, Ryan, composer Jerskin Fendrix (a film first-timer), editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis (Lanthimos' go-to since 2005's Kinetta), production designers Shona Heath (another feature debutant) and James Price (The Nest), and costumer Holly Waddington (also The Great), it eschews sticking with the typical everywhere. Richness abounds, then. The only thing that's paltry: even clocking in at 141 madcap and magnificent minutes, that Poor Things doesn't run forever.
Yarra Valley winery Helen & Joey Estate leapt into the world of dining and accommodation when they established Re'em, within its vast 200-acre property, in 2024. The site takes full advantage of the estate's rolling vineyard and ornamental lake, with the dining spaces and each of the 16 boutique rooms boasting views across the winery and the surrounding region. In the 80-seat restaurant, guests can cosy up in booths by floor-to-ceiling windows or head to the shaded terrace to sample an impressive selection of contemporary Chinese dishes, each of which has been designed to pair with the estate's wines. Helen & Joey's esteemed portfolio of wines spans four brands — Wayward Child, Re'em, Unicorn and Alicorn. The menu at Re'em is the work of Consultant Executive Chef, Mark Ebbels, who has worked at fine diners such as The Fat Duck in the United Kingdom, Bacchanalia in Singapore, and TarraWarra Estate just up the road in the Yarra Valley. Together with Head Chef Abe Yang, the menu is designed to celebrate the owners' Chinese heritage. Refined and reimagined dishes include duck croquettes with Peking sauce and steamed buns with whipped pork fat and chilli. Re'em has introduced Sunday yum cha, giving locals something to look forward to on the weekends, and Melburnians another reason to take a day trip to the Yarra Valley. The carefully designed yum cha menu was developed following a visit to China, where Ebbels and the co-owner of the estate, Helen Xu, travelled through the lively spice markets of Sichuan and visited Xu's ancestral home in Yiwu. The yum cha offering includes eight sharing dishes of your choice, accompanied by a glass of sparkling Unicorn NV Blanc de Blanc upon arrival. Go for bamboo shoot dumplings with mustard greens, scallop shumai with caviar, pork xiao long bao, barbecue kangaroo kung pao and fried rice with pine mushrooms. "I'm so excited to bring a yum cha experience to the Yarra Valley. In China, yum cha is a beautiful social ritual for conversation and community, a chance to connect with loved ones over great food. Growing up, we would have yum cha every Sunday, and it was a chance to come together at the end of a long week, to share stories, unwind, or celebrate the small joys in life," says Xu. The yum cha menu is available from noon to 3pm on Sundays. If you want to make a weekend out of it, you can upgrade to the Sunday Escape Yum Cha Edition offer, which includes an overnight stay, yum cha, welcome drinks and breakfast. Images: Neisha Breen.
When Olivia Wilde first made the leap from starring in front of the camera to helming behind it with Booksmart back in 2019, she took a genre that usually spins easy celluloid dreams — high school-set coming-of-age comedies — and gave it her own twist. For her second feature as a filmmaker, the actor-turned-director is set to actively dismantle a different fantasy. She also indulges in one, at least if you've always wanted to see Harry Styles get steamy on-screen. Fresh from proving the talk of Coachella — and locking in a 2023 Down Under tour, too — the former One Direction member stars with Florence Pugh (Black Widow) in Wilde's Don't Worry Darling, which strands the pair in a 1950s nightmare. Well, for Pugh's Alice, it's anything but peachy; however, Styles' Jack, her husband, is content with the idyllic status quo. Here's the setup: seven decades back, the community of Victory appears picture-perfect. It's home to the men who work for the top-secret Victory Project — such as Jack — and their families, and it's where Don't Worry Darling's central duo are meant to be living blissful lives. They're given two rules to abide to, though: exercising the utmost discretion and committing 100-percent to Victory's vision, even if the town's wives don't actually know what their husbands get up to all day. That's all well and good — and terrific, in fact for most of Victory's residents — but it stops being the case for Alice in the film's just-dropped first full trailer. Despite the pervasive optimism of the era, as well as overt reassurances by company CEO Frank (Chris Pine, All the Old Knives) and his wife Shelley (Gemma Chan, Eternals), Alice is certain that all isn't quite what it seems — or that she can or should trust what the company is so determined to impress upon the town's inhabitants. In Don't Worry Darling's initial sneak peek, Pugh shows the rebellious streak that served her so well in Little Women, plus the utter horror that helped make Midsommar what it is — all within an immaculate-looking movie that's 100-percent a psychological thriller. As for Styles, he's trying to both toe and sell the company line as Jack, but Alice isn't having it. There's a bit of a The Truman Show vibe, too, as Alice refuses to acquiesce. Don't Worry Darling also co-stars Wilde herself, playing another Victory employee's spouse, as well as Nick Kroll (Our Flag Means Death), Sydney Chandler (The Golden Rut), Kate Berlant (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), Asif Ali (WandaVision), Douglas Smith (Big Little Lies), Timothy Simons (Station Eleven) and Ari'el Stachel (Zola). And yes, it's clearly one of the big movie must-sees for the rest of the year — and hits cinemas Down Under in early October. Check out the trailer for Don't Worry Darling below: Don't Worry Darling releases in cinemas Down Under on October 6. Top image: © 2022 Warner Bros. Enterainment Inc. All rights reserved.
If there's a speed record for greenlighting a new television series, the ABC's decision to make A Dog's World with Tony Armstrong a reality must be right up there. Saying no couldn't have even been an option, because it's just such an innately winning formula. Former AFL player turned ABC News Breakfast sports presenter Armstrong has proven an enormous hit for the national broadcaster since joining in mid-2020 — including when he's accidentally talking about bulging dicks — and everyone loves watching cute canines. Now streaming on ABC iView, as well as airing on ABC, the show that results is exactly what viewers expect — Armstrong fans and dog lovers alike. The former chats through exactly why the four-legged creatures have become humanity's best friend, and how and when, and is occasionally seen on-screen with an array of adorable puppers. Experts on all things pooch lend their commentary, research and general thoughts, too, and barking critters are rarely far from the screen. Across its three parts, the series isn't lacking in informative bite. The first episode bounds through the affinity that humans have found with dogs, and vice versa — including contemplating how dogs evolved, what separates them from wolves now, and how they react to human emotions. Then, in the second instalment, A Dog's World with Tony Armstrong focuses on how canines sense their way through the world, and what type of perspective that gives them. Finally, in part three, pooch happiness and wellbeing is in the spotlight. If you've ever wondered why your pet pupper does what it does — and how it gets you to do what it wants, too — prepare to find out. That wide-eyed look that every dog gives when it's after something, knowing that we're all defenceless against it: yes, the science behind that, including the muscles that make it happen, earn the show's attention. Providing more than just endearing canine footage was always the program's aim, as Armstrong explained when the ABC dropped the first trailer. "When I was approached about the possibility of being involved in A Dog's World, I don't even think I got to the end of the email before I was agreeing to take part," he said. "It was amazing being involved in the project, I learned a lot and I hope everyone who watches enjoys it as much as we enjoyed making it!" It's been a great couple of years for getting your dog fix via a screen, whether you're living vicariously through your viewing because you don't have a barking bestie of your own or you simply (and understandably) believe that there's no such thing as too many dogs. Netflix already gave us two seasons of the docuseries Dogs, recent big-screen release Stray spent time with puppers in Istanbul, Channing Tatum is currently in cinemas road-tripping across the US with a dog and there's even a whole streaming platform made for woofers — because as every pooch owner knows, they like to watch TV, too. Only A Dog's World enlists Armstrong to explore the world of canines, though. Check out the trailer for A Dog's World with Tony Armstrong below: A Dog's World with Tony Armstrong is now available to watch via ABC iView.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations, giving you inspiration for your next trip. In this instalment, we take you to fabulous Fiji for a special stay at Castaway Island. We love this place so much that we teamed up with the resort to offer an exclusive five-night travel deal — including a complimentary bottle of wine and a fruit platter on arrival, free use of snorkelling equipment and selected water activities and a guided sunset kayaking tour and island walk. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? It may share the same name as the fictional survival drama starring Tom Hanks but, coconuts aside, guests at Castaway Island will experience an entirely different version of island life thanks to everything on offer at this decidedly indulgent escape. Castaway Island Fiji blends the charm of traditional Fijian bure (bungalows) with contemporary comforts to deliver luxurious relaxation to those who travel there. THE ROOMS Nestled amongst either the lush tropical gardens or at the water's edge, Castaway Island's Fijian-style thatched bungalows offer spectacular blue-to-green views to start the day, regardless of which suite you stay in. Rooms range in size from simple two-sleepers ideal for a romantic rendezvous to super-sized group spaces perfect for getaways with a crew of friends or the whole family. Each stay offers airy vaulted ceilings lined with individually designed hand-painted 'Tapa' cloths, an outdoor patio, those incredible vistas, and daily house keeping. They're also air-conditioned, in case being lulled to sleep by warm island breeze isn't your thing. FOOD AND DRINK Castaway Island offers travellers an excellent introduction to South Pacific cuisine, especially those who book this Concrete Trips package. As well as a complimentary tropical fruit platter on arrival, guests can spoil themselves with the a la carte selections at Water's Edge Restaurant (including the chargrilled wild caught fish of the day), or Polynesian-inspired snacks like Crispy Ura Salad with prawns and fruity cocktails at Nuku Maru Pool Bar & Grill, or fine Fijian-Asian fusion served to you at tables on the beach under the stars at Restaurant 1808. Ready to DIY? Enrol in one of Castaway Island Fijian Village cultural programs, which includes a Fijian culinary workshop so you can finesse your own cooking skills. THE LOCAL AREA You can spend most of your days diving into bright blue waters and walking along the sandy white beaches of Castaway Island. But, should you be looking for something more, the resort's all-ages all-interests program is packed with alternatives that allow you to take advantage of the natural landscape and discover the local area. Popular activities range from sunrise yoga to sunset snorkelling, kayaking to coconut-weaving classes, beach volleyball to traditional bracelet making. THE EXTRAS One of the best ways to experience the Fijian concept of Bula (a greeting wishing the person good health and a good life) is to accept an invitation to Castaway Island's weekly management meeting. An exclusive offer included in our Live the Luxe Castaway Life deal. Okay, given that you'll actually enjoy free cocktails and staff Meke (Fijian Dance) performances, it's probably more accurate to refer to it as a party. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world.
UPDATE Tuesday, March 9: The Boatbuilders Yard's 90s RnB brunch has been extended beyond summer, now running until Saturday, April 30. Which means you've got a few extra weeks to don your velour trackies and book in a seltzer-filled Saturday session. The below dates have been adjusted to reflect the change. There are some things best left to the 90s, like pukka shell necklaces and over-plucked eyebrows. But one thing that's happily here to stay is 90s RnB; especially teamed with good food, delicious cocktails and some of the most iconic 90s looks. If you're ready to relive your youth — or you'd rather re-do it — The Boatbuilders Yard is hosting its new 90s RnB Mixtape Saturdays every week this summer. Moon Dog are in charge of the 90s-themed drinks list, which features plenty of cocktails crafted on its signature Fizzer seltzers. Think, the Piney Limey flavour paired with Midori, and a lemon and Blue Curacao combination. There's a seltzer-filled post-mix machine, plus, a Smirnoff Ice or Passion Pop is promised on arrival to really bring back that hit of nostalgia. Food-wise, you're in for the likes of potato skins, mini hot dogs and sloppy joes — so you can pretend you're eating in the cafeteria in your favourite 90s high-school rom-com, of course. DJ Joey Lightbulb will be on the decks and taking song requests, so dig out your old mixtapes for inspiration. Tickets are $65 per person and bookings are recommended, with sessions running from 12-2pm and 2.30-4.30pm each Saturday. Don your Mytiko pants, finest beige Masseurs and hypercolour t-shirts and get ready to boogie like Y2K is imminent.
If you go nuts for doughnuts, there's only one place to pop on your itinerary for Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2: Queen Victoria Market, which is throwing a weekend-long celebration dedicated to the world's favourite holey treat. Returning for a huge 2024 edition, the Donut Festival is set to showcase a multicultural array of doughnuts and other closely-related sweet treats, from old-school US-style dough balls oozing hot jam, to choc-centred morsels and sugar-coated churros. There'll be plenty of vegan and gluten-free goodies among the lineup, which comes courtesy of traders like Daniel's Donuts (glazed creations in flavours like Golden Gaytime), St Gerry's (syrupy Greek loukoumades), MochiMelb (hand-made mochi doughnuts) and Shortstop (think brown butter and maple walnut, or honey with sea salt). These are among some of the best doughnuts in Melbourne — all found in one place. Of course, QVM's iconic American Doughnut Kitchen will also be on hand, slinging its famed sugar-coated, jammy creations, along with house-made jam by the jar. And if you're looking for a decadent drinks pairing, check out the pop-up Spiced Milo Mocktail Bar where you can nab a delightfully sweet bev. Of course, you get to enjoy all of that while feasting your ears on live tunes and roving performances. [caption id="attachment_853638" align="alignnone" width="1920"] St Gerry's[/caption]
Melbourne knows how to strike the perfect work/life balance, and we've embraced the neighbourhood wine bar scene with open arms — and mouths — to prove it. Whether you're keen on the local chicken shop that serves up some of the most exciting minimal intervention wines coming out of Australia (perfect for that out-of-town client meeting), or looking for somewhere warm and inviting to take the office crush, there's no shortage of establishments to cater to any post-work need (or crisis). We've done a quite a bit of eating and drinking through this great city of ours, so, along with American Express, we've pooled our knowledge for your benefit. In fact, we've sifted through our directory to pick out the best casual drinking spots to suit whatever you have planned. Just quit your job and need to toast with a good wine? Want to get a spreadsheet done over lunch? Need an excuse to use your American Express® Card? We know just the place. Got yourself in another dining situation and need some guidance? Whatever it is, we know a place. Visit The Shortlist and we'll sort you out.
Yep: whenever Jordan Peele drops a new film, it instantly proves a must-see, as both the Oscar-winning Get Out and the equally exceptional Us have shown so far. Also yep: when it comes to making the leap from an iconic sketch comedy series to helming horror movies — and having a hand in bringing everything from BlacKkKlansman and the ace latest Candyman flick to Hunters and Lovecraft Country to our eyeballs, too — the former Key & Peele has been having a helluva past five years. And one last yep: the comedian-turned-filmmaker's next flick, his third big-screen directorial effort Nope, couldn't look more eerie, enticing and exciting (aka the classic Peele combination). That was true back in February, when the first sneak peek at Nope dropped and had Get Out star and Judas and the Black Messiah Oscar-winner Daniel Kaluuya ask "what's a bad miracle?". Now that the film has released a full trailer that sheds further light on its narrative, that still remains 100% accurate. The setup: the Haywood ranch is proudly run by the only Black-owned horse trainers in Hollywood (played by Kaluuya and Hustlers' Keke Palmer), whose connection to show business dates back to the very birth of cinema. But their remote patch of inland California soon becomes home to a disturbing discovery — and the fact that everyone spends a fair amount of time either looking up in horror or running away from something chilling in the sky in both trailers says plenty. In the new sneak peek, Kaluuya and Palmer's brother-and-sister duo OJ and Emerald are rocked by tragedy, then spooked by what's happening above. And, yes, Kaluuya utters the movie's title. Emerald decides that they need to capture what's happening on film, which is where Michael Wincott (Veni Vidi Vici) and Brandon Perea (The OA) come in — one charged with standing behind the lens, the other selling tech equipment. With Nope also lending its attention to other California residents who see this uncanny presence in the sky, Steven Yeun (Minari) also pops up as a rodeo cowboy. As with all of Peele's celluloid nightmares so far, the less you know going in when the movie hits cinemas Down Under in August, the better. That said, the two trailers so far do a fantastic job of teasing all of the unsettling imagery that the filmmaker is about to get lodged in your brain, including fields of colourful inflatable tube men waving in the breeze, the creepiest of clouds and shadows, and a big leap into X-Files territory. Check out the full trailer for Nope below: Nope will release in cinemas Down Under on August 11, 2022.
You might not know that noted film banger of the 00s Bring It On has been made into a stage musical — and, having already done the rounds on Broadway in 2012, it's going to cartwheel into Melbourne in June this year. Responsible for the phrase "cheerocracy" and your unrealistic expectations of high school, it seems the original movie still has some decent cultural capital to give. If you've been wondering, in the last 18 years, what exactly the world of competitive cheerleading might have going on with it these days, this musical is for you. If you had a Kirsten Dunst poster on the back of your childhood bedroom door, this musical is for you. To be honest, if you've watched the film even just a few times, it's probably for you too. With music and lyrics by Tony Award-winning composer Lin-Manuel Miranda (of Hamilton fame) and the stage adaptation by Jeff Whitty (Avenue Q), the musical is only loosely based on the original film of 2000, which starred your girls Kirsten and Eliza Dushku. Unlike the five sequels that followed the movie — all of which went directly to VHS — the musical looks like it has a refreshing amount of sass, cutthroat rivalry and aerial stunts. Bust out your best spirit fingers and get them tapping on your keyboard if you want tickets — Bring It On: The Musical is making its way to Melbourne's Athenaeum Theatre in June, but it's only going to be step-pivot-split jumping around town for a strictly limited run.
