In a converted Easey Street warehouse, Mary Minas and Freya Berwick have delivered Collingwood Sense of Self, a contemporary wellness space that welcomes all genders, promotes ancient wisdom and boasts modern design. Whether you're someone who likes to soak in communal baths, relax into a massage or simply nurture the relationship with your body, Sense of Self is the spot for you. Encouraging you to come as you are and take what you need, this wellness space provides its clients with an opportunity to feel good via an unpretentious offering that's dedicated to connection, inclusivity and restoration. Minas spent five months visiting the bathhouses of Europe, Africa and Japan, while botanist-turned-hotelier Berwick spent plenty of time sweating in Scandinavian saunas during her three years in Norway. So, expect influences pulled from all four locations here — and plenty of plants. The facilities at the bathhouse include a Finnish-style sauna at a hot 80 degrees, a large 39-degree mineral bath and a cold plunge pool. Passes give you access to all the facilities, and start at $59 for two hours. Bathing on the weekend will set you back $69 for two hours, or you can get discounted multi-packs from $169 for three. Upstairs at the massage and mindfulness studio, you'll find a menu of body treatments for relaxation, remediation and pregnancy, backed by a soothing lounge area where naps are not just welcomed, but encouraged. Find Sense of Self at 30–32 Easey Street, Collingwood. The bathhouse is open from 7am–9.30pm Tuesday–Friday and 8am–8.30pm Saturday–Sunday.
This guide to the best dog-friendly hotels in Australia is made for those fur parents out there who can't bare the thought of travelling without their pooch — and let's not to mention the pain of finding a dog-sitter. For you dog owners, the best holiday is one where both your two-legged and four-legged mates are there. There's no denying it. Luckily, there are heaps of accommodation options all over Australia where you don't need to choose between the two. Each spot catering to your pup in its own way — think special beds, treats, beaches and walks, all for your furry pal. Looking for a spot where your dog is welcomed as much as your human friends? These dog-friendly hotels and B&Bs in Australia are here for you. CRYSTALBROOK ALBION, NEW SOUTH WALES The Crystalbrook Albion (formerly, Little Albion) team believe that our little fur babies deserve to enjoy life's luxuries just as much as we do. That's why they've designed their Urban rooms (located down on the ground floor with direct access to outside) to be pet-friendly. They mostly cater to cats and dogs with their special beds and pet treats but are open to other creatures – just make sure to call them up and enquire. We're assuming it's a no to your pet snake…? How much? From $370 per night. YONDAH BEACH HOUSE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA At Yondah Beach House (a 3.5-hour drive from Adelaide), owners Michele Bain and Nick Cureton take the term 'pet-friendly' to a whole new level. They know animals are part of the family — so, they let your dog on every inch of the expansive 150-acre property, including inside the award-winning house, where a special gift will be awaiting your pooch. The beachside home is also fenced on three sides and is one-kilometre from the road, so it's safe for your pup to roam around the Yorke Peninsula coastline on your doorstep. The place isn't just for dogs, either; in the past, Yondah has also welcomed cats, birds and even a turtle. How much? From $490 per night. FOUR SEASONS HOTEL SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES The Four Seasons is the latest addition to the growing group of dog-friendly hotels in Sydney. Their Pet Paw-fection package includes putting you and your pooch up in rooms made specifically for your needs. Each fur-tunate pup gets its own plush bedding, dog toys, bath amenities, outdoor water bowls and specialty treats — Bone Appetit. The concierge is also brimming with knowledge about Sydney's best dog-friendly places and activities. They'll direct your pooch and you all around the city. You can check out the best dog-friendly parks, cafes and bars with your four-legged friend or choose to leave them behind with the dog minding team. They haven't been doing this service for long, but they're already up the top of the list for Australia's best dog-friendly hotels. How much? From $495 per night. MT COTTON RETREAT, QUEENSLAND Mt Cotton Retreat's self contained cabins are located just 30-minutes from the Brisbane CBD, yet offer a real bush retreat for you and your pup. Choose from lakeside or treetop accommodation, with select cabins specifically reserved for pets (and prior approval needed). The property spans 20 hectares and is situated within a private nature refuge — expect to see koalas aplenty, along with wallabies, possums and goannas. And Venman National Park is just a short one-kilometre walk or drive away. So you and your fur baby can't possibly run out of things to do, and will have nice warm cabins to come back to. How much? From $260 per night. ELEMENT RICHMOND MELBOURNE, VICTORIA A great city escape for fur parents is Element Richmond. It's an eco-conscious accommodation option that welcomes guests of both the human and four-legged variety. The hotel expands over 168 suites and offers a contemporary design by award-winning local architects Rothelowman. Up to two pups can share your room, which comes equipped with extra comfy dog beds. Element Richmond also boasts a dog-friendly mini-bar that has featured treats like the Quarter Hounder (pan-fried steak served with green vegetables) and The Good Dog (market fish with steamed carrot). It's safe to say your dog won't want to leave this lap of luxury. How much? From $214 per night. SHAMBHALA BYRON BAY, NEW SOUTH WALES Set along a private stretch of Belongil Beach in Byron Bay, Shambhala is a true oasis for you and your pet. The cottages are located right on the sand, and also back onto stunning rainforest. Each offers sweeping ocean views, specifically across the Coral and Tasman seas. Some of the cottages also include a separate deck that comes complete with an outdoor barbecue and an eight-person dining table, and the resort features a giant steam room and a hot rock sauna. But your doggo isn't forgotten here, either. The hotel provides food and water bowls for your pooch, as well as offers a map of the off-lead and dog exercise areas within range. So, humans and animals alike can soak up all this luxury. How much? From $395 per night. BANNISTERS PORT STEPHENS, NEW SOUTH WALES Bannisters Port Stephens is an opulent dog-friendly hotel in Australia that welcomes your pooch with open arms. It has three dog-friendly rooms, including two ocean deck rooms and the ground floor luxury suite. All three rooms open out onto the garden and are walking distance to Wanda Beach where your pup can roam free. Doggos can also enjoy the Terrace Bar deck, where humans have the added benefit of an infinity pool (not for dogs, sorry). Your four-legged friend can also accompany you for a bite in the Cheeky Dog beer garden. These rooms understandably book out quickly, so be sure to plan in advance. How much? From $320 per night. OVOLO NISHI CANBERRA, AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY Bush and beach retreats aren't the only options for your dog-filled holiday, either. Heaps of Australian cities are now extending accommodation to doggos as well, including Canberra's Ovolo Nishi. The city centre hotel is dedicated to luxury, nature, sustainability — and your four-legged friend. Opt for the VIP Pooch Package, which takes care of dogs just as much as humans. For starters, it includes a special doggy bed, food mat and bowl. Plus, both you and your fur baby will get goodie bags on arrival — your dog's will include toys and treats exclusive to the hotel. And to take it to the next level, the pet-loving staff will also act as dog-sitters, ready to provide assistance as needed. For those looking to venture elsewhere, Ovolo's other hotels in Sydney and Brisbane have the VIP pooch deal, too. How much? VIP Pooch Packages start at $376 per night. LILIANFELS BLUE MOUNTAINS RESORT & SPA, NEW SOUTH WALES Located in the foothills of the Blue Mountains in the small town of Katoomba, Lilianfels offers luxury and pampering for you and your pup. Here, you can book a special BYO dog package, which includes a deluxe view room that comes equipped with a bed, bowl and treats just for your fur baby. The dog-friendly room overlooks the gorgeous surrounds, which also include a tennis court, a spa, two pools — one of which is a heated outdoor infinity pool — and a fine-diner. Plus there are heaps of easily accessible bushwalks to enjoy with your pooch. How much? From $350 per night. THE LANGHAM, VICTORIA AND NEW SOUTH WALES The Langham in Sydney and Melbourne both offer up one of the most luxurious dog-friendly hotel experiences in all of Australia. They're not holding back in any capacity. Four-legged loves staying here get a dedicated Pet Room Service Menu as well as plush beds, signature Langham bowls, gourmet goodies and a pet gift bag on arrival. Reckon you might need a break from your utterly indulged friend? No problem. Pet sitting and walking services are on-hand. They also offer breakfast in bed for both you and your cat or dog (their private dining pet menu is damn impressive). They won't get pampered like this anywhere else, making this a clear front runner for the very best dog-friendly hotels in Australia. How much? From $570 per night. BRIAR ROSE COTTAGES, QUEENSLAND All aboard a dog-friendly wine tour of the Granite Belt! Set up a luxe base camp at Briar Rose Cottages, just 1km outside of Stanthorpe (which happens to be one our favourite day trip destinations from Brisbane). These three darling little cottages are straight out of a picture book. Think, 'aspirational country chic'. Crackling wood-fire heating, white wicker chairs on the verandah and heritage elegance with a welcoming, homey feel. They're self-contained, for 2, 4 or 6 people, but as there's no fence on the property, you'll just have to keep the doggo on a leash when you're outside. When you've settled in, head out to one of the numerous dog-friendly wineries, including Ridgemill Estate, Robert Cannon Wines, Summit Estate and the trendy Symphony Hill Wines. A tasting for you, some head-pats for the pup, then return to your cosy country abode. How much? From $220 per night. QT, VARIOUS AUSTRALIAN LOCATIONS At all QT Hotels & Resorts across Australia and New Zealand, your dog can come for a luxurious sleepover with you. The chain's Pup Yeah! fur-friendly stays include a night's accommodation for you and your doggo, an in-room menu specifically made for woofers and a pooch-friendly mini bar offering and designer canine bedding. The doggy food range is overseen by the brand's head of treats, Nic Wood, and includes steak tartare with raw beef, mushrooms and egg yolk; bone marrow risotto with bone broth and crispy pigs ears; and chicken livers and pork necks on wholemeal toast with chicken gravy. Fancy a pupper dessert? There's also a bacon ice cream sandwich, made from bacon ice cream, dried liver and oat biscuits. The team will also help guide you to all the best pet-friendly cafes and bars in the local area. And this isn't just one of the best dog-friendly hotels in Australia, it's also one the best hotels in Melbourne, period. How much? From $350 per night. HAWLEY HOUSE, TASMANIA A self-proclaimed 'animal paradise', Hawley House is set on a 150-hectare homestead on the northern coast of Tasmania. Your four-legged friends are welcome free of charge — and that goes not only for dogs but also for ferrets, rabbits, horses and cats. At this dog-friendly accommodation, you are surrounded by Tasmanian wildlife, as well as kilometres of private bushwalking trails and a dog-friendly beach that's set just below the property's garden. Dogs are specifically allowed to stay in the Stables Spa Rooms and the Aquarius rooms, as they are ground floor and have easy access to the outdoors. But if you want to get away with all of your best human and furry mates, book out The Hill House — the four bedroom, two bathroom home sleeps up to ten guests and also includes an outdoor deck with barbecue. How much? From $380 per night. PIER ONE, NEW SOUTH WALES Pooches checking into Pier One won't be quite as ridiculously spoiled as those at The Langham, but nonetheless, they'll be greeted with their very own bed, bowl and toy ... not to mention all the harbour views. What's more, the hotel's staff are mad dog lovers, so be prepared for enthusiastic showers of attention. Don't go getting jealous, now. Pet-friendly hotel rooms come with direct access to the pier, so, when walk-time craziness hits, you'll merely have to open the door. The Rocks and Circular Quay are a waddle away, and, should energy levels reach exploding point, there's always nearby Barangaroo. THALIA HAVEN, TASMANIA Located just an hour from Hobart airport, Thalia Haven is set on a private 130-acre peninsula that's surrounded by the Great Oyster Bay. Tassie's wild east coast is at your doorstep, and there are a whopping five kilometres of secluded coastline, plus a private beach for your entire group to enjoy. The ancient stone cottage contains four bedrooms, so it's the best option for you and your entire crew of dog-loving mates. The place is also solar and wind powered and includes an outdoor bathtub, shower and wood-fired sauna. It's safe to say that this would be an incredibly fancy getaway for you and your pup. How much? From $1500 per night. Top image: QT Hotels Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Buying a plant is a bit like getting a pet — except, at times, even more difficult. You see a fancy-looking fern in the plant store and think, whoa, this would look great on the kitchen bench. So you take it home and try your best, really, to take care of it, and dream that one day it might love you back (hopefully). But then disaster happens; you see a few brown leaves and it looks a little wilted. What do you do? Truth is, some plants can be pretty needy, and some just don't flourish in certain environments. It can be really hard to figure out what your plants require and where they grow best, so we spoke to Georgina Reid, founder and editor of online magazine The Planthunter. She's given her seasoned advice that'll help you keep those plant babies alive, organised by the different parts of your home. THE SUNNY, NORTH-FACING, INDOOR SPACE This is your well-sunned living room or kitchen with a nice big window. There's a lot that can grow here due to the amount of sunshine pouring in. Many succulents will work well in this space; look to hen and chicks (Echeveria spp.), jade plant (Crassula spp.) and even mistletoe cactus (Rhipsalis spp.). Aesthetically, the fiddle-leaf fig looks snazzy in a well-lit, white room (although apparently a little cliché in the plant community), and so does peperomia with its thick, slightly succulent leaves. Just be aware if this space doesn't get that direct afternoon sun — this may be good for you in the middle of summer, but not so much for any cacti or herbs. These guys need a big dose of sun so this spot may be a bit depriving. THE SUNNY, BACKDOOR COURTYARD Conveniently located at the other end of your house, the courtyard is most likely at ground level so there's a good chance you can plant directly in the soil and keep things in pots. As a result, consider this spot the all-rounder. It's an ideal location for succulents, flowers, vegetables and herbs. Oregano, rosemary and thyme are quite easy to grow, and the great thing about them is that they're perennial — they'll live for more than one year (unlike basil, coriander and parsley who live fast and die young). Many veggies need roughly four to six hours of sun each day, making a sunny courtyard an ideal space for them to thrive. And if you're not after edibles, Reid recommends checking out the spaghetti-like hanging fronds of the mistletoe cactus (Rhipsalis spp.) which provide an eye-catching, refreshingly sculptural addition to a shadier outdoor space. THE OFTEN HUMID, STEAMY BATHROOM Plants might do a great job of freshening up the bathroom, but the steam from your shower is enough to drown a large number of genera — FYI, that's the plural of genus— so Reid suggests looking for tropical climate plants. Ferns are great here as they love that moisture. The Boston fern is a great bathroom addition visually. They're also pretty tough and grow very tall. Maidenhair fern is also a popular bathroom addition, but be warned: this one may be for the greenest of thumbs. According to Reid, the Maidenhair can be quite temperamental if not provided with near-perfect growing conditions. THE LOW-LIT STUDY OR BEDROOM Our bedrooms and studies aren't reliably bright, so the desk cactus doesn't like this part of the house, regardless of how cute it looks next to that lamp. Reid recommends you swap it for a big leafy plant or fern instead. She suggests looking for rainforest plants: "They've evolved with large, glossy leaves to grab as much light as possible." Although not applicable to all plants, many of these have 'drip tips'. You can identify these by the point at the end of the leaf that water spills off. Some of Reid's favourites include the hoya, a beautifully sculpted climbing plant with incredible flowers, and Devil's Ivy — the name comes from the fact that it's near impossible to kill this guy. Also, the Fruit Salad plant (also known as monstera) doesn't really need a whole lot of sun and grows really well in dim light. THE HOT, WEST-FACING BALCONY The west-facing balcony might be the hottest part of your place, after the oven. In summer, the afternoon sun will roast this area, making it scorched and dry. So, it's best to put those plants that require a lot less moisture out here. Cacti love this setting: if at all, they require very little watering — they thrive in the desert, after all. Herbs are great too and so are veggies: they all need a good showering of sun. Succulents will grow well in the heat, too. Reid recommends plants from the aloe genus, particularly picatilis or Fan Aloe. Like other succulents, it's the perfect plant to survive a heatwave as all the moisture is stored within its leaves. So how much water do succulents need? You'll notice when they need more moisture; they'll be trying to draw water from itself and will look a little withered. "It's best to give your plants a good soaking every week or two, rather than a trickle every day," says Reid. You can tell if they need a water by sticking a finger into the soil. If there's moisture, it's probably fine. There's no need to drown the poor thing. All in all, getting your plants to thrive can be tricky and often needs more than one go. But if it doesn't work out, try again. "Plants die," says Reid, "that's just how it is." Plant Life Balance is a new initiative designed to get Australians excited and confident about styling their homes with plants while promoting the healthy benefits plants bring. The initiative also delivers an Australian-first, virtual greening app. The Plant Life Balance app, asks Aussies to rate their space, then improve their health score by choosing a look for their room or outdoor area, grabbing a plant list and hitting the nursery. Download the app here.
Seafood is a true treasure of Aotearoa — and there may be no better place to sample some of the freshest than in the South Island. The South doesn't tend to do fine dining, preferring informal eating spots that emphasise ingredients, comfort and making you feel well and truly looked after. The wines are some of the best in the country, and the views? Incredible. Here's your guide to finding the truly unmissable seafood experiences of Te Waipounamu (the South Island). Whether you're eating with a knife and fork or deep-diving to the bottom of a newspaper parcel sitting on a beach, it's all ka pai (great). SHARE A POT OF GREEN-LIPPED MUSSELS AT THE MUSSEL POT Havelock is a little blip on the road between Picton and Nelson in the northeastern Marlborough region — blink, and you'll nearly miss it. But clamber out of the car, stretch your legs and go for a walk around the sleepy little marina where you'll find The Mussel Pot on the main road. Marlborough produces 80 percent of New Zealand's mussel exports. You will not find fresher. The Mussel Pot's menu dedicates the majority of its repertoire to these little green-lipped marvels. Order a kilogram of fresh mussels in cream, white wine, garlic and herbs ($20.50), or coriander, ginger, chilli and coconut cream ($20.50). It also serves battered mussels ($21.50) or grilled on the half shell ($21.50) and whip up a mussel platter ($47.60) if you can't decide which way you like them. 73 Main Road, Havelock, Marlborough. [caption id="attachment_686918" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Boatshed Cafe.[/caption] EAT OYSTERS PERCHED OVER THE SEA AT THE BOAT SHED CAFE IN NELSON The Boat Shed Cafe is a genuinely lovely eating spot in a beautiful old boat shed on the waterfront in Nelson, in the north of the South Island. It will win you over with plates of fresh food, many of which star locally caught seafood — think beautiful Bluff oysters served naturally with just a squeeze of lemon ($5.50 each) and roasted whole sand flounder with paprika and lime ($27). You can also choose the Trust the Chef banquet ($70 per person). This is food to share with people you love, watching the sun set over the sea with a cold glass of chardonnay (Neudorf is the local choice). New Zealand eating doesn't get much better than this. 350 Wakefield Quay, Nelson. [caption id="attachment_687366" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Graeme Murray.[/caption] SHARE A CRAY BESIDE THE OCEAN (OR HAVE ONE TO YOURSELF) AT NIN'S BIN This third-generation roadside eatery has served fresh seafood from its blue and white cray caravan since 1977 and has become an icon on the drive down the east coast. Shuttered for a long time after the Kaikoura earthquake, Nin's is now back up and running. Fishing quotas mean that Nin's opening hours vary, so check its Facebook page for updates, or give 'em a call before you head in for the hot crayfish, mussels and chips in newspaper. On the days you catch it open, your heart will sing as you drive around the corner and see the steam rising from the caravan hatch and the happy patrons tucking into their feast beside the sea. State Highway 1, Half Moon Bay. EAT FISH AND CHIPS ON THE BEACH IN AKAROA A lovely day trip, Akaroa is a sleepy little French colonial town beside the sea, over the hills from Christchurch. Head out in the morning from Christchurch and wander around town, go for a swim, have a long lunch at Rona's and finish the evening eating fish and chips on the beach or on the hill overlooking the harbour. The food is simple. The experience is a classic. There's not much more to say. Every South Islander knows it, and you should partake, too. Just don't forget the rip n dip. 59 Beach Road, Akaroa. [caption id="attachment_687223" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rodney F.[/caption] SIT DOWN AT FLEUR'S PLACE IN MOERAKI Fleur's Place feels like it has sat at the edge of the jetty in Moeraki, near Dunedin since forever. The elements of the day's menu are literally purchased off the back of the fishing boats and carried a few metres to the kitchen. At the heart of the operation is Fleur Sullivan, a chef who has a firm place in Aotearoa's food heritage. She centres the menu around local, organic produce and seafood like blue cod, John Dory, moki, bluenose, gurnard, sole, flounder, groper and crayfish. Fleur's is also one of the best spots to try local titi, or muttonbird. The wines largely come from central Otago, which is world-renowned for its pinot varieties and fruity white varietals. Take a seat and watch the seals on the foreshore, the fishing boats pottering in and out and parcels of fresh fish being brought into the restaurant or smokehouse. 169 Haven Street, on the jetty at Moeraki. Start planning your trip to New Zealand's south with our guide to the South Island journeys to take here.
Plenty happens at an awards ceremony. For 2024's second round of Emmys — the first took place in January, after the 2023 event was postponed from its usual September timing during Hollywood's writers' and actors' strikes — history was made before the glitzy televised ceremony even happened. At the Creative Arts Emmys, Shōgun picked up 14 awards, making it the most-decorated show in a single season ever. The love for the series continued on Monday, September 16, 2024, and rightly so, with the historical Japanese drama also nabbing four more gongs: for outstanding drama series, directing, lead actor and lead actress. The Bear also won big again in the comedy categories — after hosts and Schitt's Creek favourites Eugene and Dan Levy joked in their opening monologue that, in the true spirit of the dramedy, they wouldn't be making any jokes in their gig. The pair's opening remarks spanned everything from calling out the number of movie stars now popping up on streaming series to noting how often Nicole Kidman (The Perfect Couple) graces the small screen these day. Baby Reindeer "sent from my iphonn" gags and recognising that it took three seasons for the Emmys to even nominate the sublime Reservation Dogs also helped get the ceremony started. A Schitt's Creek reunion, Jeremy Allen White advising that The Bear changed his life, Murphy Brown great Candice Bergen meowing, a tribute to Saturday Night Live's 50th year, a Happy Days ode with Henry Winkler punching a jukebox, John Leguizamo celebrating diversity: they all happened once the night started flowing. So did Fargo's Lamorne Morris telling The Sympathizer's Robert Downey Jr he has a poster of him in his house, Slow Horses' Will Smith riffing on the fact that he's not that other Will Smith, Brendan Hunt going all Coach Beard, Joshua Jackson's reaction to 'I Don't Want to Wait' from Dawson's Creek playing him on and familiar faces from The West Wing all together. At the first post-Succession Emmys, the list of winners is similarly hefty. While a few shows went home with multiple statuettes — including Shōgun, The Bear, Baby Reindeer and Hacks — the list of recipients also spans Slow Horses, True Detective: Night Country, Ripley and Fargo. And, thanks to The Crown, Australia was represented among the accolades with Elizabeth Debicki emerging victorious for playing Princess Diana. As always, if a nominated series didn't end up with its stars or creators on the Emmys stage, that doesn't mean it wasn't ace. Cases in point: Only Murders in the Building, Reservation Dogs, Mr & Mrs Smith, Abbott Elementary, Lessons in Chemistry, Loot, Palm Royale, Fallout and more. What did nab a trophy? Who else was in contention? We've got that covered. Here's a rundown of the awards handed out at the main ceremony, plus the nominees competing for them — and you can check out nine winning shows that you should watch ASAP, too. Emmy Nominees and Winners 2024: Outstanding Drama Series The Crown Fallout The Gilded Age The Morning Show Mr & Mrs Smith Shōgun — WINNER Slow Horses 3 Body Problem Outstanding Comedy Series Abbott Elementary The Bear Curb Your Enthusiasm Hacks — WINNER Only Murders in the Building Palm Royale Reservation Dogs What We Do in the Shadows Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series Baby Reindeer — WINNER Fargo Lessons in Chemistry Ripley True Detective: Night Country Lead Actor in a Drama Series Idris Elba, Hijack Donald Glover, Mr & Mrs Smith Walton Goggins, Fallout Gary Oldman, Slow Horses Hiroyuki Sanada, Shōgun — WINNER Dominic West, The Crown Lead Actress in a Drama Series Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age Maya Erskine, Mr & Mrs Smith Anna Sawai, Shōgun — WINNER Imelda Staunton, The Crown Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Matt Berry, What We Do in the Shadows Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building Jeremy Allen White, The Bear — WINNER D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Reservation Dogs Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary Ayo Edebiri, The Bear Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building Maya Rudolph, Loot Jean Smart, Hacks — WINNER Kristen Wiig, Palm Royale Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Matt Bomer, Fellow Travelers Jon Hamm, Fargo Tom Hollander, Feud: Capote vs The Swans Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer — WINNER Andrew Scott, Ripley Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Jodie Foster, True Detective: Night Country — WINNER Brie Larson, Lessons in Chemistry Juno Temple, Fargo Sophia Vergara, Griselda Naomi Watts, Feud: Capote vs The Swans Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Tadanobu Asano, Shōgun Jon Hamm, The Morning Show Mark Duplass, The Morning Show Billy Crudup, The Morning Show — WINNER Takehiro Hira, Shōgun Jack Lowden, Slow Horses Jonathan Pryce, The Crown Supporting Actress in a Actor in a Drama Series Christine Baranski, The Gilded Age Nicole Beharie, The Morning Show Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown — WINNER Greta Lee, The Morning Show Lesley Manville, The Crown Karen Pittman, The Morning Show Holland Taylor, The Morning Show Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Lionel Boyce, The Bear Paul W Downs, Hacks Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear — WINNER Paul Rudd, Only Murders in the Building Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live Supporting Actress in a Actor in a Comedy Series Carol Burnett, Palm Royale Liza Colón-Zayas, The Bear — WINNER Hannah Einbinder, Hacks Janelle James, Abbott Elementary Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary Meryl Streep, Only Murders in the Building Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Jonathan Bailey, Fellow Travelers Robert Downey Jr, The Sympathizer Tom Goodman-Hill, Baby Reindeer John Hawkes, True Detective: Night Country Lamorne Morris, Fargo — WINNER Lewis Pullman, Lessons in Chemistry Treat Williams, Feud: Capote vs The Swans Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Dakota Fanning, Ripley Lily Gladstone, Under the Bridge Jessica Gunning, Baby Reindeer — WINNER Aja Naomi King, Lessons in Chemistry Diane Lane, Feud: Capote vs The Swans Nava Mau, Baby Reindeer Kali Reis, True Detective: Night Country Directing for a Drama Series Stephen Daldry, The Crown Mimi Leder, The Morning Show Hiro Murai, Mr & Mrs Smith Frederick EO Toye, Shōgun — WINNER Saul Metzstein, Slow Horses Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty Directing for a Comedy Series Randall Einhorn, Abbott Elementary Christopher Storer, The Bear — WINNER Guy Ritchie, The Gentlemen Lucia Aniello, Hacks Mary Lou Belli, The Ms Pat Show Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Weronika Tofilska, Baby Reindeer Noah Hawley, Fargo Gus Van Sant, Feud: Capote vs The Swans Millicent Shelton, Lessons in Chemistry Steven Zaillian, Ripley — WINNER Issa Lopez, True Detective: Night Country Writing for a Drama Series Peter Morgan and Meriel Sheibani-Clare, The Crown Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner, Fallout Francesca Sloane and Donald Glover, Mr & Mrs Smith Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, Shōgun Rachel Kondo and Caillin Puente, Shōgun Will Smith, Slow Horses — WINNER Writing for a Comedy Series Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary Christopher Storer and Joanna Calo, The Bear Meredith Scardino and Sam Means, Girls5eva Lucia Aniello, Paul W Downs and Jen Statsky, Hacks — WINNER Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider, The Other Two Jake Bender and Zach Dunn, What We Do in the Shadows Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer — WINNER Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror Noah Hawley, Fargo Ron Nyswaner, Fellow Travelers Steven Zaillian, Ripley Issa Lopez, True Detective: Night Country Writing for a Variety Special Alex Edelman: Just for Us — WINNER Jacqueline Novak: Get on Your Knees John Early: Now More Than Ever Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool The Oscars Outstanding Reality Competition Program RuPaul's Drag Race The Amazing Race The Traitors — WINNER The Voice Top Chef Outstanding Scripted Variety Series Last Week Tonight with John Oliver — WINNER Saturday Night Live Outstanding Talk Series The Daily Show — WINNER Jimmy Kimmel Live! Late Night with Seth Meyers The Late Show with Stephen Colbert The 2024 Emmy Awards took place on Monday, September 16, Australian time. For further details, head to the Emmys' website.
Television perfection is watching Elle Fanning (The Girl From Plainville) and Nicholas Hoult (The Menu) trying to run 18th-century Russia while scheming, fighting and heatedly reuniting in ahistorical period comedy The Great. Since 2020, they've each been in career-best form — her as the series' ambitious namesake, him as the emperor who loses his throne to his wife — while turning in two of the best performances on streaming in one of the medium's most hilarious shows. Both former child actors now enjoying excellent careers as adults, they make such a marvellous pair that it's easy to imagine this series being built around them. It wasn't and, now three seasons in with its latest ten-episode run arriving on Stan and Neon from Saturday, May 13, The Great has never thrived on their casting alone. Still, shouting "huzzah!" at the duo's bickering, burning passion and bloodshed-sparking feuding flows as freely as all the vodka downed in the Emmy-winner's frames. This devilishly loose and amusing parody of Catherine the Great's reign first found life on the stage, with its Australian creator Tony McNamara initially unleashing The Great's winning havoc upon Sydney Theatre Company in 2008. His process: stepping into the past, throwing familiar figures and events together, then shaking them around to make his own satirical story. Earning him a BAFTA and an Oscar nomination for co-penning The Favourite, too, that approach clearly resounds with the playwright, screenwriter and producer. Here, it results in a savage and witty charmer that ponders which tales end up echoing through history, and why, while also tearing into royalty and wealth's sense of entitlement and privilege — eating the Russian rich and powerful, and making it an exquisitely moreish meal. In season one, the former Princess Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg of Prussia travelled to Russia to marry the gleefully frat boy-esque Emperor Peter III, a plan on his part that'd have history-making repercussions. It's meant to solve her family's financial woes and give him an heir, but her idealism plus his arrogance and immaturity prove a Molotov cocktail. Swiftly, she's plotting her way to the top job, to enlightening her adopted homeland with progressive ideas and to far-from-harmonious wedded life. In this "occasionally true story", as The Great has happily badged itself from its very first days, there was never any question that Catherine would overthrow Peter; the details, however, don't simply spill into the handsomely staged and colourfully costumed series from reality. Season two saw the show's main couple still waging war on each other, including via soldiers and within the venomous royal court. As their various hangers-on kept jostling for relevance and importance — including Peter's lifelong pals Grigor (Gwilym Lee, Top End Wedding) and Georgina (Charity Wakefield, Genius), his aunt Elizabeth (Belinda Bromilow, Doctor Doctor), Catherine's former servant Marial (Phoebe Fox, The Aeronauts) and co-conspirator Orlo (Sacha Dhawan, Doctor Who), the country's resident Archbishop (Adam Godley, Lodge 49) and military head Velementov (Douglas Hodge, I Hate Suzie Too) — it also had Catherine pregnant, her acid-tongued mother (Gillian Anderson, The Crown) make a visit and its central marriage come to stabbing blows. Now, in a new batch of instalments all either written or co-written by McNamara, Catherine and Peter begin the third season sure about their love for each other, but just as flummoxed as ever about making their nuptials work. She's attempting to reform the nation, he's the primary caregiver to their infant son Paul, her efforts are meeting resistance, he's doting but also bored playing stay-out-of-politics dad, and couples counselling is called for. There's also the matter of the royal court's most prominent members, many of whom were rounded up and arrested under Catherine's orders at the end of season two. From Sweden, exiled King Hugo (Freddie Fox, House of the Dragon) and Queen Agnes (Grace Molony, Mary, Queen of Scots) are also hanging around after being run out of their own country due to democracy's arrival. Also, Peter's lookalike Pugachev (also Hoult) is agitating for a serf-powered revolution. In lesser hands, The Great might've been a mere soapy diversion (when it comes to jumping back into the past, eagerly ignoring the facts and merrily dishing up straightforward melodrama, see: Bridgerton). But this series remains one of the sharpest programs currently airing as well, thanks in no small part to its astute insights. Each subplot, whether it's Catherine and Peter's conflict over ordaining Paul as next in line to the throne by divine mandate, or the chaos caused when Catherine legalises divorce (including for Marial and Grigor's affair), or the especially sycophantic Arkady (Bayo Gbadamosi, War of the Worlds) and Tatyana (Florence Keith-Roach, Juliet, Naked) doing whatever it takes to stay in court, unpacks today's social and political ideas as much as its setting's. When Pugachev starts riling up crowds at big rallies spent attacking Catherine, for instance, thinking of recent headlines happens instantly. The Great has always been as magnificently absurd as it is smart and biting, a blend that also doesn't stop now. Since episode one, Bromilow has carved her place alongside Fanning and Hoult by playing Elizabeth as delightfully fanciful but steely, while The Gallery's Henry Meredith steals almost every scene he's in as Marial's 11-year-old shoe-loving wannabe-assassin cousin and husband Maxim. But season three skews darker, too, which is also a terrific and intelligent turn. Indeed, in a show that's never been shy about a body count (when Catherine wants to criminalise murder in this run of episodes, neither the court nor the people respond warmly), it's positively bold about adding to its casualties, contemplating the choices that grief inspires and exploring raw emotions. It was true in season one, never in doubt in season two and an established fact with season three: The Great keenly, heartily and truly lives up to its name. In fact, the show's latest go-around is a case of something great becoming even greater — and more addictive and irresistible — in its willingness to get bleak, its joyous mix of ridiculousness and drama, and its superb main performances. Fanning relishes Catherine's complexities again and again, leaning stunningly into heartbreak and leadership's heavy toll. Flitting between suave and rough-and-tumble, Hoult couldn't be having more fun in his dual parts. When they're together, their scenes are ceaselessly electrifying. McNamara gives season three an exceptional ending, complete with a nod to Australia, after ensuring that The Great has been forever changed by this supremely bingeable return; here's hoping, though, that there's still more greatness to come. Check out the trailer for The Great season three below: The Great season three streams in Australia via Stan and in New Zealand via Neon from Saturday, May 13.
So if you're lonely, Franz Ferdinand will be here waiting for you across Australia before 2025 is out. Fresh from releasing their sixth album in January, the Scottish band have announced a visit Down Under in November and December, with five gigs on the itinerary. Their stops: Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, Thirroul and Sydney. It's been more than two decades since the Alex Kapranos-led group made a helluva splash with the catchy second single from their self-titled debuted album. Even just reading the name 'Take Me Out' is enough to get the number-one tune in Triple J's 2004 Hottest 100 stuck in your head. The song was also nominated for two Grammys, while the record that it springs from won the Mercury Prize. Franz Ferdinand's latest trip to Australia kicks off in Perth at Red Hill Auditorium on Wednesday, November 26, before heading across the country to Brisbane's Riverstage on Saturday, November 29. Next destination: Melbourne, playing Live at the Gardens at the Royal Botanic Gardens on Friday, November 28. Then comes a Tuesday, December 2 date with Anita's Theatre in Thirroul in New South Wales, before wrapping up on Wednesday, December 3 at On the Steps at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt. On every stop, Melbourne's Delivery will be in support — and everywhere except Thirroul, so will the Mornington Peninsula-born Teenage Dads. Since the huge success of 'Take Me Out' and their 2004 Franz Ferdinand album, the band have dropped records in 2005 (You Could Have It So Much Better), 2009 (Tonight: Franz Ferdinand), 2013 (Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action), 2018 (Always Ascending) and this year (The Human Fear). Touring-wise, their past Aussie trips have included sets at Big Day Out, Splendour in the Grass and Falls Festival. Franz Ferdinand's 2025 Aussie visit comes just a few months after Bloc Party, who benefited from Kapranos' approval when they were starting out, do the same in August. Franz Ferdinand Australian Tour 2025 Wednesday, November 26 — Red Hill Auditorium, Perth Saturday, November 29 — Riverstage, Brisbane Friday, November 28 — Live at the Gardens, Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne Tuesday, December 2 — Anita's Theatre, Thirroul Wednesday, December 3 — On the Steps, Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Sydney Franz Ferdinand are touring Australia in November and December 2025, with ticket presales from 10am local time on Monday, May 12 and general sales from the same time on Wednesday, May 14. Head to the tour website for more details. Select images: Raph PH via Flickr.
Being alone is wonderful. Especially if you love nothing more than a quiet solo venture with your newest paperback squeeze. Adequate lighting, quality drinks and comfy perches for single derrières have been paramount when choosing these best ofs. As well as those that are inspiring the literature community at large. Sink into someone else's couch, have an author sign your book, join a book club, cosy up with a fire, get fresh at an alfresco table, raid a liquor-licensed library, or simply smash a good vino whilst reading alone in a courtyard — these are your best Melbourne nooks for reading a book.
It spent almost 100 years of its life as a dry venue, but the beer's flowing freely now at The Victoria Hotel, as it enters its next phase as Mister Munro. The historic Little Collins Street pub has been reimagined as a dapper dining room and bar, named in a nod to former Victorian Premier and temperance advocate, James Munro. Here, you'll find a locally-focused all-day offering that leans to the classics, much like the fitout takes its cues from the building's art deco origins. Breakfast might mean baked eggs with mushrooms and asparagus in slow cooked tomato sauce ($14) or a brown rice 'morning bowl' ($14). An all-day grazing menu features bites like beetroot carpaccio teamed with orange, goats cheese and candied walnuts ($12), tempura salt and vinegar haloumi fries ($8), and a charcuterie platter loaded with a largely local lineup of cheese, cured meats and wild fig compote ($18). Come dinnertime, there's the likes of a pistachio-crusted Millawarra lamb rack served alongside rustic sweet potato fries ($38) and Victorian rainbow trout, starring garlic butter, capers and shaved fennel ($22). The bar offering is a certain hit for that after-work tipple, too. Think, craft beers, an Aussie-led wine list and sophisticated signatures like the A Touch Of Class — a blend of sloe gin, prosecco, watermelon and basil ($18).
Google autocomplete results are often unintentionally hilarious and weirdly sad at the same time. But have you ever thought of them as an art form? Google Poetics is a Tumblr blog where users are invited to submit screenshots of their own 'Google poems'. After his generic Google search resulted in the strangely poetic "am I an alcoholic / am I fit to drive/ am I allergic to dogs / tell me, Andriy, am I", Finnish comedy writer Sampsa Nuotio experimented with a few more 'poems' and posted them on Facebook, where they were spotted by Raisa Omaheimo, who convinced him to set up the original Finnish-language version of the blog. Since then, Google Poetics has been expanded into 11 different languages and been featured in the Huffington Post, the Guardian, the Telegraph, and the New Yorker, and it's also inspired a 'googlepoems' page on Reddit. Co-founder Omaheimo says that she saw the poems as a kind of surreal art form, similar to The Situationists or the Fluxus movement. "I'm constantly touched and amused by the vision of a modern human being that these poems paint us," she said in a Huffington Post interview. "Many of us have these moments where we ponder questions like 'why am I single' or 'how big is the universe'. It is in a way extremely comforting to know this to be so. And also deeply amusing." See more of their sublime examples at Google Poetics.
If you like starting your nights out with a scavenger hunt, then Milney's fits the bill: first, you need to find the nondescript door on Brunswick Street that's marked with an M. Once that pivotal task is complete, your evening can begin. Venture inside and a must-visit courtyard awaits, complete with picnic bench-style seating, leafy greenery aplenty, a smattering of garden gnomes and an eye-catching mural taking up a towering slab of bricks. It's the kind of place that makes you feel like you're in the know, whether you're sipping a beer poured from the back-wall tap while taking a perch at the wood-heavy bar, or a spritz out the back with a mixtape soundtrack is more your style. The venue has a pedigree, too, with Monty Mullooly-Hill and Paul Milne also behind Monty's in Fitzroy North, and Rochelle Hutchinson bringing her experience from Joe's Shoe Store.
Chef Tom Sarafian's debut restaurant on Smith Street is a 40-seat ode to his grandfather Zareh, whose journey from Egypt to Melbourne sparked a multigenerational love of hospitality. The venue deftly marries the generosity of Middle Eastern hosting with the sleek and moody ambience one would expect from its Collingwood postcode — it's cool, but not cold. At Zareh, the kitchen finds the centre of the room — fully open and built around a charcoal barbecue and woodfired oven by The Brick Chef. The restaurant's menu draws on a mix of Sarafian's family heritage, his stints in renowned Melbourne and London kitchens (Cumulus Inc, Rumi, Petersham Nurseries, St John, to name just a few) and travels through North Africa, the Mediterranean and the Middle East — but is ultimately defined as Armenian-Lebanese. Expect fresh Victorian produce seasoned with 'Mouneh' (pantry goods sourced directly from organic farms in Lebanon) like high-quality za'atar, sumac and pomegranate molasses, plus pine nuts, cedar oak honey and fermented pepper pastes. Zareh's wine list spotlights producers from Armenia and Lebanon, alongside thoughtful local and international labels. Bartender Matt Linklater leads the cocktail program, with a focus on arak (an anise-flavoured alcohol traditionally served in Middle Eastern countries) — including Arak Farid, discovered by Sarafian and partner Jinane Bou-Assi in Lebanon and now imported to Australia for the first time. Notable drinks include the Zareh Gilda Martini, an icy martini laced with arak and finished with Sarafian's take on the classic Gilda, plus a selection of world-class Armenian brandies. The space, designed with Min Tseng and MIC Projects, channels family nostalgia and Beirut's colour palette: soft green banquettes, pink-hued limestone walls and a flowing tahini-coloured curtain, anchored by a warm timber bar wrapped around the open kitchen. There are details nodding to Sarafian's grandparents' house, too — from bar tiles to a retro glass sliding door. Zareh also retails Sarafian signature pantry favourites alongside authentic Lebanese mouneh — distilled waters, vinegars, honey and jams, spices, za'atar and freshly ground sumac — via a partnership with Droubna, a mother-and-daughter team in South Lebanon preserving traditional farming practices and village food culture. It's an invitation to take the flavours home with you. Images: Kristoffer Paulsen
Outback adventures don't come much more unusual than a visit to Lightning Ridge. Situated close to the Queensland border in the northwestern NSW hinterland, this rural locale is renowned for its unique black opal mines that attracted fortune-seekers from far and wide in the early 20th century. As well as exploring dinosaur fossil dig sites, ancient bore baths and quirky museums, you'll come away with many stories to tell after a visit to Lightning Ridge. In partnership with Wild Turkey, we've handpicked everything you need to explore during your visit to this slightly weird and very wonderful place. [caption id="attachment_843112" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John (Flickr)[/caption] FOSSICK FOR OPALS The history of opal mining in Lightning Ridge dates back to the 1880s, when miners discovered valuable gemstones hidden beneath the earth's surface. You can get a thorough education on these mineral-like creations at The Big Opal – the first opal mine licensed to open to the public. While there are stunning handcrafted pieces to admire in the gallery, taking a tour underground provides a more immersive perspective. With this place operating as a working mine for much of the year, wandering the sandstone tunnels offers a glimpse into this century-old treasure trove. You can even try your hand at fossicking while you're there, too. [caption id="attachment_843231" align="alignnone" width="1920"] James de Mers (Pixabay)[/caption] DIG FOR DINOSAUR FOSSILS If digging for bling isn't your thing, how about searching for dinosaur fossils? At the Australian Opal Centre, visitors are welcome to register for Lightning Ridge Fossil Digs, which gives you the chance to discover opalised fossils buried for over 100 million years. With the next dig scheduled for August 2022, you can sign up for six days of adventure alongside some of Australia's leading palaeontologists and researchers. Previous excavations here have resulted in several world-first discoveries, so your trip might just make history. [caption id="attachment_843233" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ester Westerveld (Flickr)[/caption] DISCOVER THE WORLD OF CACTI Lightning Ridge's arid outback climate makes it the perfect spot for Bevan's Cactus Nursery, one of the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere. Founded in 1966, the nursery is home to approximately 2500 cacti varieties of all shapes and sizes, with the oldest plant nearly 150 years old. Head along to view the incredible species on display — just watch where you put your hands. Bevan's Cactus Nursery is also home to a supremely rare collection of opals, including speckled black, crystal and white gems that are bound to catch your attention. [caption id="attachment_844634" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dillon Seitchik-Reardon / Places We Swim[/caption] RELAX IN AN OUTDOOR BATH Lightning Ridge's surrounding landscape is undoubtedly dry, but you won't notice when you slide into the Artesian Bore Baths. Situated on the outskirts of town, these openair and naturally heated thermal pools provide the ideal spot to rest and recuperate after a long day in the sweltering sun. The Great Artesian Basin — Australia's largest freshwater resource — heats these rejuvenating watering holes from deep underground, helping them maintain a temperature of 40 to 50 degrees. Free to access and open 22 hours a day, this therapeutic experience is a far cry from your average inner-city wellness spa. VISIT AN UNDERGROUND ART GALLERY It seems like much of what makes Lightning Ridge special takes place underground. Chambers of the Black Hand is another unique landmark, a sprawling opal cave featuring tableaux hand-carved into the sandstone walls. Produced by artist and opal miner Ron Canlin, this incredible artistic endeavour was started in 1996. Today, the subterranean lair is adorned with figures carved into the mine walls with a small pick-axe and a butter knife. You can explore themed sections dedicated to native animals, dinosaurs and pop culture references like Lord of the Rings. There's also an underground shop where you can purchase opals directly from the source. COMPLETE THE CAR DOOR TOURS The outer reaches of Lightning Ridge are home to a collection of fascinating landmarks and landscapes, with the self-guided Car Door Tours ensuring you journey to the very best. Just follow the green, blue, red and yellow wreckage lining the roads that leave town in all directions. You'll reach the Opal Mine Adventure on the Blue Car Door Tour, while the Red Car Door Tour swings by Ridge Castle – an offbeat mining camp with panoramic countryside views. These trips range from 10 to 45 minutes of drive time, making them perfect for a quick cruise. Even if you don't take yourself on a tour, you'll become familiar with the car doors pretty quickly — they function as de facto street signs in Lightning Ridge. [caption id="attachment_843236" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John (Flickr)[/caption] EXPLORE LIGHTNING RIDGE'S QUIRKY MUSEUMS, GALLERIES AND MONUMENTS Lightning Ridge might be best known for its enduring opal mining history, but the community's collection of bizarre museums is definitely a close second. Bottle House Museum is one such structure, constructed from 5800 bottles and featuring a wide variety of curiosities for sale inside. A short drive away, the Astronomers Monument is another kooky landmark dedicated to scientists like Copernicus, while the colourful Beer Can House does what it says on the proverbial tinnie. If you love off-the-wall antiques and unusual souvenirs, don't miss the Kangaroo Hill Complex. Perhaps the most emblematic of the town's unusual art spaces is Amigo's Castle. This 15-metre-tall structure, based on Italian ruins, was hand-built with ironstone boulders in the 1980s, and is home to a small gallery, underground cellars, a corner turret and no roof, while the grounds surrounding the castle contain all sorts of tongue-in-cheek oddities. [caption id="attachment_843109" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John (Flickr)[/caption] If you're unable to resist the charms of Lightning Ridge and need to take a piece home with you, head to the more traditional — but no less colourful — John Murray Art Gallery, the exclusive home for works by the celebrated eponymous artist. Murray's works showcase the beauty and the character of the Australian outback with wit and whimsy. Stop into the gallery to see Murray's photorealistic works up close, and exit via the gift shop where you can pick up original paintings, prints, cards and souvenirs. Murray is also the creative mind behind Lightning Ridge's newest mascot, Stanley the Emu. Unveiled in 2013, Stanley is an 18-metre-tall steel emu made primarily from VW Beetle bonnets and doors, and is an unmissable sight that greets visitors just 10 kilometres out of town. Find out more about Wild Turkey's Discovery Series at the website. Top image: Craig Gibson (Flickr)
While social distancing and public gathering rules are still in place across the country, some companies are starting to look to the less-restricted future. Qantas yesterday said interstate travel could be back on the cards by July, Restaurant and Catering Australia wants hospitality venues reopened in June and, now, Falls Festival has announced it's powering ahead with plans for its New Year's festival — with some big changes. In a statement released this morning, Falls Co-Producers Jessica Ducro and Paul Piticco said they'd decided to push ahead with the end-of-year festival. "As Australia heads towards the recovery phase of COVID-19 we have decided to move forward with optimism, and work towards presenting our Dec 2020/Jan 2021 event in a way that will best bolster Australia's live music industry," the statement said. Details of the summer festival, which usually takes places at Tassie's Marion Bay, Lorne in Victoria, North Byron and Fremantle, are scarce for now, but the duo has announced one big change: an all-Aussie lineup. With Australia's borders currently closed and even travel between just Australia and New Zealand "still some time away", keeping the lineup local does seem the smart choice — and it has the added bonus of helping Aussie musicians, many of which have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 lockdown. According to website I Lost My Gig, Australian music industry workers have lost approximately $340 million worth of income since the crisis began. Falls Festival hopes it'll be able to help support some of those impacted with its locally focused festival. "We have some of the most exciting acts in the world and this special 'home grown' edition of Falls will ensure that money stays in our local economy, providing maximum financial benefit for the Australian music community – artists, management, crew, agents, roadies, production etc — as well as the thousands of contractors and suppliers who rely on our events for their income," Ducro and Piticco said in the statement. The festival will also help raise funds for Support Act, a charity delivery crisis relief services to those in the music industry. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_04sZGhybw/ It's positive news for those in the industry and music fans alike, but the the festival is not yet set in stone. Two-person public gathering rules are still currently in place in Victoria, NSW and Queensland, and Australia's ban on non-essential mass gatherings of over 500 people was one of the first restrictions implemented — way back on March 13, 2020 — so could, if we're to work backwards, be one of the last lifted. The Australian Government has also said some level of social distancing measures will need to remain in place until a vaccine is found, which Federal Science Minister Karen Andrews told the ABC earlier this week was still 10–15 months away. So, if the festival is to go ahead, it could look a little different — and a have a lot less punters in tow. Falls Byron usually has around 25,000 attendees, while Falls Lorne has 9000. Last year, the music festival was impacted by the bushfires, with the Lorne leg cancelled one day in because of extreme and hazardous weather. Falls Festival is hoping to go ahead in December 2020/January 2021. We'll let you know if and when more details are announced.
Gracie's Wine Room is one of Melbourne's latest hospitality success stories. In an industry full of shuttered venues, price hikes, and quiet nights, at Gracie's Wine Room in South Yarra you can find bottles being popped, a bustling golden hour courtyard, and bread always being broken with friends. For owner Kelsie Gaffey, whose TikTok videos showing her process of opening a venue from scratch amassed hundreds of thousands of views, the current climate of people spending less and staying in more was one her concerned family warned her of. [caption id="attachment_1036436" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Gracie's Wine Room[/caption] "Before opening Gracie's, our more conservative relatives warned us that people are spending less. [Gracie's] hasn't experienced this." According to Kelsie, Gracie's Wine Room's main demographic of 23–33 year old women are actually spending more on nights out with their girlfriends than anyone else. New data from Visa backs Kelsie's observation up. Melbourne is Australia's Number One Night-Time Hot Spot The Visa Australia Night-time Economy Index 2025 is a new in-depth analysis that measures data such as spending, vibrancy, and venues open in cities across the country. According to the index, Melbourne has been crowned the number one night-time hot spot. This doesn't come as a surprise to Kelsie. "Melburnians really know how to have a good time," Kelsie tells Concrete Playground. "The city has such a vibrant culture around wine, food, and spending quality time with mates, and we're genuinely spoilt for choice. There's always something happening, and that energy makes working in hospitality here incredibly dynamic and inspiring." [caption id="attachment_1028074" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Gracie's Wine Room[/caption] The Visa Vibe Economy report, also commissioned by Visa and conducted by McCrindle, found that venues like Gracie's Wine Room have hit the sweet spot when it comes to the reasons Australians love to go out. The main motivation for getting off our couches post-work is to enjoy a meal, catch up with friends and unwind from our busy schedules. Gen Z in particular are factoring night-time activities into their budgets with over half of them considering this type of social spending "essential". In fact, Kelsie has already seen an increase in patrons on weeknights as the weather has begun to warm up as well as a jump in their average spend per head. Kelsie recognised this cultural sweet spot within her demographic and created a curated menu of share plates for friends to split over a bottle of wine. Customers can enjoy freshly shucked oysters, focaccia, and a snack plate of cured meats, cheese, and lavosh. [caption id="attachment_1036434" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Gracie's Wine Room[/caption] "I wanted Gracie's to be known as a place where you connect with mates, drink some good wine and eat some good bread. I didn't want the frills and price tags that come with fine dining, and I really do believe that staying true to this is what has kept people coming back," says Kelsie. With 73 percent of Gen Z's going out once or more a week, tapping into her own peers has helped to increase revenue and patrons through the door — even on weeknights. How to Spend A Night Out in Melbourne What does a dream night out in Melbourne look like for the 25-year-old founder? Kelsie shares that it always starts with a sunny afternoon. "I'm definitely starting at Gracie's and then making my way down to Republic Economica before ending the night at HER Rooftop in the CBD." Data from the Visa Vibe Economy Report found that of all the generations, Gen Z is the most adventurous, choosing to stray away from their local haunts and try new things, and just under half plan two activities in the one night to make the most of their city after dark. Half of Gen Z also believe that nights offer more new experiences than the daytime. Kelsie agrees. "I love being able to experience something new every single time I leave the house for a night out. It's so exciting, and has unlocked some of my greatest memories with friends." Gracie's Wine Room hasn't yet operated for a full calendar year, but Kelsie is feeling optimistic about the state of hospitality and business projection. At the heart of her success lies the Gen Z community that she built through TikTok. "I never imagined it would grow into what it is today, but the community that's formed around Gracie's has been the most rewarding and unexpected part of it all." Discover the vibe near you. Lead image: Gracie's Wine Room
Pizza. It's delicious. It also has a huge spectrum of quality and authenticity. But Ladro on Fitzroy's Gertrude Street does it well. Really well. With a sleek interior, a woodfired oven or two and chefs making pasta by hand in the kitchen, pizza isn't all they do well. Start with a salumi board, deep-fried chickpea fritters and some chargrilled prawns or dive right into the pizzas. 16 different pizza options are up for grabs at Ladro, from your classic margs and capricciosa as well as more off-piste creations like the gamberi with lemon-marinated prawns and zucchini and the breakfast calazione with buffalo mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, speck and an egg. And then there's the pasta. Each day, the chefs roll out fresh pasta for the masses. It's a labour of love and the proof really is in the pudding — or the pappardelle. The spaghettini with vongole, cherry tomatoes and garlic is light and delicate, while the beef ragu is tender and rich. And be careful when eating the soft and pillowy saffron gnocchi — that bright yellow sauce will get everywhere. To round off your eatables, the tiramisu served in a little jar is a must, while the Bomboloni — Italian Doughnuts served with hazelnut ice cream and rooftop honey — are decedent and addictive. But they aren't always on the menu. If they are when you visit, they're a must-order. All in all, Ladro has a touch of Italy with a Melbourne sensibility and a commitment to quality. No complaints here. Images: Tracey Ah-kee
For one week each September, Brisbane becomes Australia's live music capital — even if a Melbourne survey generally claims otherwise. When BIGSOUND hits the city, it seems like every venue in Fortitude Valley is packed to the rafters with bands, industry folks and music-loving punters, all enjoying the latest and greatest the country's music scene has to offer. And given this year's newly announced lineup, expect that to be the case once again. Unveiling its first 76 acts for 2019, BIGSOUND will play host to a stacked pack of musos, spanning everything from pop, electronic, rock and rap to metal, hip hop and folk. Topping the bill so far is the likes of Bad//Dreems, Electric Fields, SCABZ, Outright, Milan Ring, LOSER, Tones & I and Tasman Keith, plus yergurl, EGOISM, Stevan, Laura Imbruglia and Concrete Surfers. Yes, the list goes on. A swag of other acts, reaching more than 150 in total, will be announced closer to the event. That said, the current lineup joins a host of previously revealed speakers — including keynote speaker Terry McBride, CEO and co-founder of Nettwerk Music Group, which includes Canada's largest independent record label, artist management and music publishing company; and British TV and radio presenter Abbie McCarthy, from BBC Music Introducing, Radio 1 & 4 Music, and Good Karma Club. [caption id="attachment_727168" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] I Know Leopard at BIGSOUND 2018. Image: Bianca Holderness.[/caption] Previous BIGSOUNDs have showcased everyone from Gang of Youths, Flume, Tash Sultana and Courtney Barnett to San Cisco, Violent Soho, Methyl Ethel and The Jungle Giants, so its program is usually a very reliable bellwether of current and up-and-coming talent. Even better — the festival's four-night $85 (plus booking fee) Rainbow Pass nabs you access to 270 music showcases at 18 venues. And, they're all held within three blocks of each other. Here's the full lineup of music acts so far: 100 3K Ainsley Farrell Alana Jagt Approachable Members Of Your Local Community Aquila Young Bad//Dreems Being Jane Lane Black Rock Band Bobby Alu Butter Butternut Sweetheart Chakra Efendi City Rose Concrete Surfers Deline Briscoe DREGG DRMNGNOW Dulcie EGOISM Electric Fields Fan Girl First Beige Fletcher Gull Flossy FRITZ Future Haunts Gordon Koang Hannah Blackburn Hemm Hope D Johnny Hunter Kat Edwards Kobie Dee Kymie Laura Imbruglia LOSER Louis Baker Love Deluxe Lucy Peach Mambali Marco Mariam Sawires Mermaidens Mickey Kojak micra MID CITY Miiesha Milan Ring Nerve Outright PINCH POINTS P-UniQue Raj Mahal Rebecca Hatch Reija Lee Reliqa RINI Royal And The Southern Echo Ruby Gilbert Ryan Fennis SCABZ Shady Nasty Spacey Jane Stellie Stevan Sycco Tasman Keith Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers THE DEAD LOVE The Money War Temgazi Tones And I Wolfjay yergurl ZĀN BIGSOUND 2019 runs from September 3–6 at various venues around Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. For further details or to buy tickets from 9am on Monday, June 27, visit bigsound.org.au. To discover what to do, see, eat and drink while visiting Brissie for the annual event, check out our weekender's guide to Brisbane during BIGSOUND. Image: Bianca Holderness.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. SHE SAID Questions flow freely in She Said, the powerful and methodical All the President's Men and Spotlight-style newspaper drama that tells the story behind the past decade's biggest entertainment story. On-screen, Zoe Kazan (Clickbait) and Carey Mulligan (The Dig) tend to be doing the asking, playing now Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. They query Harvey Weinstein's actions, including his treatment of women. They gently and respectfully press actors and Miramax employees about their traumatic dealings with the Hollywood honcho, and they politely see if some — if any — will go on the record about their experiences. And, they question Weinstein and others at his studio about accusations that'll lead to this famous headline: "Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades". As the entire world read at the time, those nine words were published on October 5, 2017, along with the distressing article that detailed some — but definitely not all — of Weinstein's behaviour. Everyone has witnessed the fallout, too, with Kantor and Twohey's story helping spark the #MeToo movement, electrifying the ongoing fight against sexual assault and gender inequality in the entertainment industry, and shining a spotlight on the gross misuses of authority that have long plagued Tinseltown. The piece also brought about Weinstein's swift downfall. As well as being sentenced to 23 years in prison in New York in 2020, he's currently standing trial for further charges in Los Angeles. Watching She Said, however, more questions spring for the audience. Here's the biggest heartbreaker: how easily could Kantor and Twohey's article never have come to fruition at all, leaving Weinstein free to continue his predatory harassment? In a female-driven movie on- and off-screen — including director Maria Schrader (I'm Your Man), screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz (Small Axe) and cinematographer Natasha Braier (Honey Boy) — She Said details all the moments where the pivotal piece of reporting could've been forced to take no for an answer, something that Weinstein wasn't known for. At the NYT, assistant managing editor Rebecca Corbett (Patricia Clarkson, Sharp Objects) and executive editor Dean Baquet (Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) are always supportive, starting when Kantor picks up the story, and continuing when she brings in Twohey fresh off an investigative article into Donald Trump's sexual misconduct. But, unsurprisingly, the women made victims by Weinstein are wary. Many also signed non-disclosure agreements. Kantor and Twohey's pitch: by speaking out and ideally going on the record, they can assist in ensuring that what they endured doesn't happen to anyone else. Knowing the end result, and the whole reason that She Said exists, doesn't dampen the film's potency or tension. Instead, it heightens the appreciation for the bravery of those who spoke out — at first and afterwards — and the care with which Kantor and Twohey handled their task. The two reporters knew that they were asking women to revisit their darkest traumas, make their worst ordeals public and take on a man who'd been untouchable for decades (with the spate of NDAs and settlements with many of his targets to prove it). Even Rose McGowan (voiced by The Plot Against America's Keilly McQuail) is hesitant; she's mentioned but not quoted in the final piece. Persevering to bring Weinstein's crimes to attention, Kantor and Twohey keep digging, and keep trying to persuade their potential interviewees — and She Said doubles as a lesson in compassionately and respectfully doing just that. Read our full review. BARDO, FALSE CHRONICLE OF A HANDFUL OF TRUTHS Everyone wants to be the person at the party that the dance floor revolves around, and life in general as well, or so Alejandro González Iñárritu contends in Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths. In one of the film's many spectacularly shot scenes — with the dual Best Director Oscar-winning Birdman and The Revenant helmer benefiting from astonishing lensing by Armageddon Time cinematographer Darius Khondji — the camera swirls and twirls around Silverio Gama (Daniel Giménez Cacho, Memoria), the movie's protagonist, making him the only person that matters in a heaving crowd. Isolated vocals from David Bowie's 'Let's Dance' boom, and with all the more power without music behind them, echoing as if they're only singing to Silverio. Iñárritu is right: everyone does want a moment like this. Amid the intoxicating visuals and vibe, he's also right that such instances are fleeting. And, across his sprawling and surreal 159-minute flick, he's right that such basking glory and lose-yourself-to-dance bliss can never be as fulfilling as anyone wants. That sequence comes partway through Bardo, one of several that stun through sheer beauty and atmosphere, and that Iñárritu layers with the disappointment of being himself. Everyone wants to be the filmmaker with all the fame and success, breaking records, winning prestigious awards and conquering Hollywood, he also contends. Alas, when you're this Mexican director, that isn't as joyous or uncomplicated an experience as it sounds. On-screen, his blatant alter ego is a feted documentarian rather than a helmer of prized fiction. He's a rare Latino recipient of a coveted accolade, one of Bardo's anchoring events. He's known to make ambitious works with hefty titles — False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths is both the IRL movie's subtitle and the name of Silverio's last project — and he's been largely based in the US for decades. Yes, parallels abound. While dubbing Bardo as semi-autobiographical is one of the easiest ways to describe it, simplicity isn't one of its truths, even if the film champions the small things in life as existential essentials. Another easy way to outline Bardo: Silverio faces his choices, regrets and achievements as that shiny trophy looms, and ponders where his career has taken him, who it's made him and what that all means to him. From the filmmaker who first earned attention for telling narratives in a fractured, multi-part fashion (see: his debut Amores Perros, plus 21 Grams and Babel), and lately has loved roving and roaming cinematography that unfurls in the lengthiest of takes (see: Birdman and The Revenant), this was never going to be a straightforward affair, though. And so he weaves and wanders, and has the silver-haired Silverio do the same, while weighing up what's brought them both to this point. Bardo opens by visibly recalling Birdman, with a bounding force casting a shadow upon an arid land, but it's an early glimpse at a house from above that encapsulates Iñárritu's approach best. The home initially resembles a miniature, which Silverio then flits through — and, given its lead often segues between places and times like he's stepping through a doorway, the movie functions in the same manner. Sometimes, he's in a hospital corridor as his wife Lucía (Griselda Siciliani, The People Upstairs) gives birth to a baby boy who whispers that the world is too broken for him to want to live in, and is then pushed back into the womb. Or, he's picturing how a big TV interview with a bitter ex-colleague could go wrong, or shrinking down to childhood size to chat with his deceased father. Sometimes, Silverio is in Los Angeles holding a bag of axolotls, or striding through Mexico City streets that are empty except for corpses. Read our full review. GREENHOUSE BY JOOST When Joost Bakker helped pile 3000 kilograms of clothing waste in Melbourne's Federation Square in April 2022, all to draw attention to fast fashion, he viewed the project with his usual optimism. "Even if it's just one person who walks through that structure and gets inspired and comes up with a solution — that's what's so exciting," the renowned zero-waste campaigner noted. Those exact words could've been uttered about the venture at the centre of Greenhouse by Joost, too. A three-storey home made entirely out of recyclable materials that don't generate waste, and designed to operate as a closed food system with everything catered for onsite and not a scrap spared, it predates his spotlight on the textile industry. Clearly, it boasts the same sustainability focus. In fact, Bakker could've said the same thing about past pop-ups in the same spot over more than a decade, including fellow waste-free eateries also called Greenhouse since 2008. Scratch that — it isn't merely likely that the Dutch-born floral designer and activist could've expressed the same sentiments; it's certain he must've. Eliminating waste is Bakker's passion. Not wasting any time trying to put that aim into action is just as much of an obsession. His work doesn't merely talk the talk but walks the walk, and attempts to help the world see how crucial it is to reduce humanity's impact upon the earth. The habitable Greenhouse is quite the undertaking, though, given its purpose: building an abode that two people can get shelter, food, water and energy from, all in one cosy and clever self-sustaining ecosystem. Chefs Jo Barrett and Matt Stone (ex-Oakridge Wines) agreed to do the residing, and to put Bakker's Future Food System to the test. They were named among the world's 50 best next-generation hospitality leaders in 2021 for their efforts, for what's a vital, pioneering and fascinating enterprise. It's no wonder that filmmakers Rhian Skirving (Matilda & Me) and Bruce Permezel (The Obesity Myth) — both directing, the former writing and the latter lensing — were driven to document it. Shot since the conception and building stage, then chronicling the COVID-19 setbacks, the logistical and setup woes, and the daily reality of living in the structure, it's also no wonder that the resulting Melbourne International Film Festival Audience Award-winner makes such compelling viewing. Greenhouse by Joost is both a record and an aspirational tool: it shows what can and has been done and, as Bakker always hopes, it wants to get everyone watching following in his, Barrett and Stone's footsteps. Of course, for most, money will be a very real and practical obstacle. There's no doubting that Greenhouse stems from considerable resources, both in finances and time. But that's the thing with ambitions: they have us shooting for the stars, breaking our goals down into everyday pieces and finding ways to make even small parts of them happen. Evoking that exact response when it comes to making life's basics sustainable — what we eat and drink, where we stay and sleep, and how we power it all — is Bakker's aim, too. With Bakker as the film's on-screen guide, Greenhouse by Joost does just that itself as well, stepping through the idea and the execution like it's laying out a roadmap for its audience to chart. Viewers won't walk out of the doco ready to move into their own such dwelling, but learning plenty about the ingenious design, the bits and pieces that go into it, and the work required — to get it up, ready and operating smoothly, and also to have it function as a small-scale restaurant — comes with simply watching. Although the cooking, serving, welcoming in eager diners and sharing the titular building comes later in the movie, obviously, it's a crucial piece of the project overall and of Skirving and Permezel's feature. How much more doable does just living in the Greenhouse and taking care of yourself seem compared to running it as a mini eatery? Oh-so-much. How much easier does putting some of its principles to use in your own home seem, too? The answer remains the same. Read our full review. MILLIE LIES LOW A scene-stealer in 2018's The Breaker Upperers, Ana Scotney now leads the show in Millie Lies Low. She's just as magnetic. The New Zealand actor comes to the part via Wellington Paranormal, Shortland Street, Educators and Cousins — and the film first debuted at festivals before her role in God's Favourite Idiot — but it's an exceptional calling card. It isn't easy playing someone so committed to making such utterly questionable choices, yet remaining so charmingly relatable; however, that's Scotney's remit and achievement in this canny, savvy and amusing comedy. It also isn't easy to pull off the timing needed to highlight the hilarious side of Millie's hijinks, while ensuring that her woes, hopes and everything that's led her to lie low but lie about living it up remain understandable; consider her entire portrayal a masterclass in just that. Scotney plays the film's eponymous Wellington university student, who panics aboard a plane bound for New York — where a prestigious architecture internship awaits — and has to disembark before her flight leaves. She says she isn't anxious. She also says it isn't an attack. And by the time she realises what she's done, she's alone in the airport, the aircraft has departed and her own face beams down at her from a digital billboard. Even getting that Big Apple opportunity had made her the toast of the town, and huge things were meant to await, hence the ads and publicity. Now, a new ticket costs $2000, which Millie doesn't have. Admitting that she hasn't gone at all — to her family, friends, teachers, school and the NZ capital at large — wouldn't cost her a thing, but it's a price she isn't willing to pay. First, Millie endeavours to rustle up the cash from her best friend and classmate (Jillian Nguyen, Hungry Ghosts), and then her mother (Rachel House, Heartbreak High). Next, she hits up a quick-loan business (run by Cohen Holloway, The Power of the Dog) but is still left empty-handed. Millie's only solution, other than admitting the situation and facing the fallout: faking it till she makes it. As she searches for other ways to stump up the funds, she hides out in her hometown, telling everyone that she's actually already in NYC. To support her ruse, she posts elaborate faux Instagram snaps MacGyvered out of whatever she can find (big sacks of flour standing in for snow, for instance) and scours for every possible spot, building feature and poster that can even slightly double for New York. There's a caper vibe to Millie's efforts skulking around Wellington while attempting to finance the ticket to her apparent dreams. Sometimes, she's holed up in a tent in her mum's backyard. Sometimes, she's putting on a disguise and showing up at parties in her old flat — eavesdropping on what her mates are saying in her absence, and spying on the boyfriend (Chris Alosio, Troppo) she's meant to be on a break from. While she's doing the latter, she's also reclaiming the car she sold pre-trip to use as loan collateral, because she's that determined to get to America and leave her nearest and dearest none the wiser. Making her feature debut, director and co-writer Michelle Savill has more than just a laugh and a lark in her sights, though, as entertaining as Millie Lies Low's namesake's antics are. There's a caper vibe to the picture of Millie's supposedly perfect existence that she's trying to push upon herself as much as her loved ones as well, like she's selling herself on an unwanted fantasy. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on August 4, August 11, August 18 and August 25; September 1, September 8, September 15, September 22 and September 29; October 6, October 13, October 20 and October 27; and November 3 and November 10. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Bullet Train, Nope, The Princess, 6 Festivals, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, Crimes of the Future, Bosch & Rockit, Fire of Love, Beast, Blaze, Hit the Road, Three Thousand Years of Longing, Orphan: First Kill, The Quiet Girl, Flux Gourmet, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Moonage Daydream, Ticket to Paradise, Clean, You Won't Be Alone, See How They Run, Smile, On the Count of Three, The Humans, Don't Worry Darling, Amsterdam, The Stranger, Halloween Ends, The Night of the 12th, Muru, Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon, Black Adam, Barbarian, Decision to Leave, The Good Nurse, Bros, The Woman King, Sissy, Armageddon Time, The Wonder, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and The Velvet Queen.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. ETERNALS It's the only Marvel movie by an Oscar-winning director. Focusing on a superhero squad isn't new, even if everyone here is a Marvel Cinematic Universe newcomer, but it's the lone instalment in the franchise that's about a team led by women of colour. It's home to the MCU's only caped crusader who is deaf, and its first openly gay superhero — and it doesn't just mention his sexuality, but also shows his relationship. It happens to be the first Marvel flick with a sex scene, too. Eternals is also the only film in the hefty saga with a title describing how long the series will probably continue. And, it's the sole MCU entry that features two ex-Game of Thrones stars — Kit Harington and Richard Madden, two of the show's Winterfell-dwelling brothers — and tasks them both with loving a woman called Sersi. (The name isn't spelled the same way, but it'll still recalls Westeros.) When you're 26 movies into a franchise, as the MCU now is, each new film is a case of spotting differences. All the above traits aid Eternals in standing out, especially the empathetic, naturalistic touch that Chloé Zhao brings to her first blockbuster (and first film since Nomadland and its historic Academy Award wins). There's a sense of beauty and weight rippling through almost every frame, as well as an appreciation for life's struggles. Its namesakes are immortal aliens sent to earth 7000 years ago to battle intergalactic beasts, and yet Eternals shows more affinity for everyday folks who don't don spandex or have superpowers than any Marvel flick yet. It's also largely gorgeous, due to its use of location shoots rather than constantly stacking CGI on CGI. But everything that sets the film apart from the rest of Marvel's saga remains perched atop a familiar formula. Perhaps that's fitting; thematically, Eternals spends much of its lengthy 157 minutes contemplating set roles and expectations, and whether anyone can ever truly break free of either. Spying an overt statement in these parallels — between the movie's general adherence to the MCU template and the ideas bubbling within it — might be a little generous, though. Of late, Marvel likes giving its new instalments their own packaging, while keeping many of the same gears whirring inside. That's part of the comic book company-turned-filmmaking behemoth's current pattern, in fact. Still, even after Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals finds its own niche. It both intrigues and entertains, and it's ambitious — and it's often more than the sum of all those MCU firsts and onlys it's claimed. As opening text explains, Eternals' central group were dispatched by a Celestial — a space god, really — called Arishem. With the monstrous Deviants, another alien race, wreaking havoc, the Eternals were tasked with fighting the good fight — and were forbidden to interfere otherwise, which is why they've been absent in the last 25 movies. But now, a new Deviant attacks Sersi (Gemma Chan, Raya and the Last Dragon), her human boyfriend Dane Whitman (Harington) and fellow Eternal Sprite (Lia McHugh, The Lodge). That gets the gang back together swiftly, including the flying, laser-eyed Ikaris (Madden), the maternal Ajak (Salma Hayek, The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard), Bollywood star Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani, The Lovebirds), the super-strong Gilgamesh (Don Lee, Ashfall), warrior Thena (Angelia Jolie, Those Who Wish Me Dead), the super-speedy Makkari (Lauren Ridloff, Sound of Metal), tech wiz Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry, Godzilla vs Kong) and the mind-manipulating Druig (Barry Keoghan, The Green Knight). Read our full review. THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK So much about The Many Saints of Newark is a matter of when, not if: when familiar characters will show up looking younger, when well-known New Jersey locations will be sighted and when someone will eat ziti. This all occurs because it must; it wouldn't be a prequel to The Sopranos otherwise. Servicing fans is a key reason the movie exists, and it's far more resonant if you've already spent 86 episodes with Tony Soprano and his mafia and blood families while watching one of the best TV shows ever made. This is a film with a potent air of inevitability, clearly. Thankfully, that feeling reaches beyond all the obligatory nods and winks. That some things are unavoidable — that giving people what they want doesn't always turn out as planned, and that constantly seeking more will never fix all of life's woes, too — pulsates through this origin story like a thumping bass line. And yes, on that topic, Alabama 3's 'Woke Up This Morning' obviously gets a spin. Penned by The Sopranos' creator David Chase and series alum Lawrence Konner, and helmed by veteran show director Alan Taylor, The Many Saints of Newark doesn't merely preach to existing devotees, even if they're the film's main audience. Marking the last of the big three 00s-era prestige US cable dramas to earn a movie spinoff — following El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie and Deadwood: The Movie — the feature is aware of its own genesis and of gangster genre staples in tandem. Casting Ray Liotta, who'll forever be associated with Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas, was always going to show that. Travelling back to the 70s, when The Godfather franchise electrified cinema, does also. Indeed, The Many Saints of Newark plays like a hybrid of pop culture's three most influential and essential mob stories. A bold move, it also explains what works and what falters in a film that's powerful and engaging but firmly baked in a well-used oven. The first detail that Sopranos fans should've picked up when this flick first got a title: in Italian, many saints translates as moltisanti. While The Many Saints of Newark spends time with young Tony as a pre-teen in the late 60s (played by feature first-timer William Ludwig) and a teen in the early 70s (when The Deuce's Michael Gandolfini, son of the late, great James Gandolfini, steps into the character's shoes), its protagonist is Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola, The Art of Self-Defense). He's seen as an uncle and mentor by Tony, who'll eventually hold the same roles for Dickie's son. The Sopranos mainstay Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli, One Night in Miami) turns narrator here, in fact, offering knowing voiceover that occasionally channels the show's dark humour — calling out Christopher's death at Tony's hands, for instance. Dickie was recalled with reverence in the series, yet threw a shadow over Tony's middle-aged mob-boss malaise — as seen in his duck obsession, panic attacks and reluctant chats with a psychiatrist. Here, Dickie falls into a similar pattern with his dad 'Hollywood' Dick (Liotta, No Sudden Move), who returns from Italy to subject his new, much-younger bride Giuseppina (Michela De Rossi, The Rats) to domestic violence. One of The Many Saints of Newark's finest traits is its layering, honing in on cycles that keep echoing through generations as it examines Dickie's role in turning Tony into the man viewers watched from 1999–2007. Its greatest stroke of casting plays with the same notion as well, and the younger Gandolfini is a soulful yet primal revelation. To call his performance lived-in is the epitome of an understatement, and it's never a gimmick. Read our full review. JULIA Call it the SNL effect: in two of their past three films, Julie Cohen and Betsy West have celebrated pioneering women who've been parodied on Saturday Night Live. They've referenced those famous skits in RBG and now Julia, in fact, including their subjects' reactions; Ruth Bader Ginsburg was seen howling with laughter when she first saw Kate McKinnon slip into her robes, and Julia Child reportedly played Dan Aykroyd's blood-soaked 1978 impersonation to friends at parties. Cohen and West clearly aren't basing their documentaries on their own sketch-comedy viewing, though. Instead, they've been eagerly unpacking exactly why a US Supreme Court Justice and a French cuisine-loving TV chef made such a strong impact, and not only in their own fields. Julia makes an exceptional companion piece with the Oscar-nominated RBG, unsurprisingly; call it a great doco double helping. Julia arrives nearly two decades after its namesake's passing, and 12 years since Meryl Streep earned an Oscar nomination for mimicking Julia in Julie & Julia. If you've seen the latter but still wondered why Julie Powell (played by The Woman in the Window's Amy Adams) was so determined to work her way through Julia's most famous cookbook — first published in 1961, Mastering the Art of French Cooking completely changed America's perception of printed recipe collections — let this easy-to-consume doco fill in the gaps when it comes to the culinary wiz's mastery and achievements. Let it spark two instinctual, inescapable and overwhelming reactions, too: hunger, due to all the clips of Julia cooking and other lingering shots of food; and inspiration, because wanting to whip up the same dishes afterwards is equally understandable. In their second film of 2021 — after My Name Is Pauli Murray, another portrait of a woman thoroughly deserving the spotlight — Cohen and West take a chronological approach to Julia's life. The two filmmakers like borrowing cues from their subjects, so here they go with a classic recipe that's been given slight tweaks, but always appreciates that magic can be made if you pair a tried-and-tested formula with outstanding technique. Julia's entire cooking career, including her leap to television in her 50s, stirred up the same idea. Her take on French dining was all about making delectable meals by sticking to the right steps, even while using supermarket-variety ingredients, after all. Julia boasts a delightful serving of archival footage, as well as lingering new food porn-esque sequences that double as how-tos (as deliciously lensed by cinematographer and fellow RBG alum Claudia Raschke), but it still embodies the same ethos. Born to a well-off Pasadena family in 1912, Julia's early relationship with food is painted as functional: the household's cooks prepared the meals, and wanting to step into the kitchen herself was hardly a dream. In pre-World War II America, the expectation was that she'd simply marry and become a housewife, however, but a hunger for more out of life first took her to the Office of Strategic Services — the US organisation that gave way to the CIA — and overseas postings. While stationed in the Far East, she met State Department official Paul Child. After a berth in China, he was sent to France, where the acclaimed Cordon Bleu culinary school eventually beckoned for Julia. From there, she started her own cooking classes in Paris, co-penned the book that made her famous, turned a TV interview into a pitch for her own show and became an icon. Read our full review. RED NOTICE When Interpol hunts down the world's most wanted international criminals, it issues red notices — and for anyone who isn't already aware of that fact, Red Notice starts by spelling out the details. If the film world circulated the same kinds of warnings about bland, cliched, charmless and tedious movies, this Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot-starring supposed action-comedy would earn several. That it bears far too much in common at times with two of its stars' most recent features — Johnson's likeable-enough Jungle Cruise and Reynolds' excruciatingly terrible The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard — says plenty about this by-the-numbers affair. If only they were the sole instances that it conjured up other movies; Reynolds does a Borat impression, whistles the Indiana Jones tune and verbally references Jurassic Park, and it's all as dated as it sounds. Also tired and trying: Reynolds' performance in general, which is permanently stuck on the same kind of schtick at the heart of both Deadpool and Free Guy. This time, however, he's playing the globe's second-best art thief — and his character, Nolan Booth, desperately wants the top spot. But a couple of people stand in his way, which is where Red Notice's other big names come in. Firstly, FBI profiler John Hartley (Johnson) interrupts Booth's latest heist, which involves tracking down three golden eggs that were once owned by Cleopatra (the third of which has never been found before). Secondly, the planet's number one art thief, The Bishop (Gadot, Wonder Woman 1984), is on the same hunt for the same $30 million payday. She's also constantly one step ahead of not just her professional competitor, but also the man pursuing both criminals. Red Notice plays like the result of watching 80s and 90s hits, its three leads' filmographies and the National Treasure flicks, then throwing their basic ideas into a blender and pouring the jumbled mess onto the screen. It's Netflix's most expensive movie yet, and it's also shiny-coated garbage. That its opening scene involves a decoy egg doused in Coca-Cola to reveal an empty shell inside is far more telling than it's meant to be. Also landing with a thud: a dance between Hartley and The Bishop at an Eyes Wide Shut-styled party that's supposed to herald this as the next True Lies, but just makes viewers wish they were watching that instead. That's the thing with shovelling in reference after reference instead of penning a decent and coherent script, even when around half of those winks are done with writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber's (Central Intelligence, Skyscraper) tongue firmly in his cheek: constantly calling attention to better movies but failing to live up to them is like punching yourself the face. They're three of the highest-profile names in blockbuster cinema, but Johnson, Reynolds and Gadot all sleepwalk through their parts here — not that the screenplay asks much more. Not a single gag lands, either, and neither does any tension, chemistry, timing or reason to care about its lead trio, their characters' globe-hopping quest and all the chaos they leave in their wake. Of course Nazis are involved, even though it's now 2021 and not 1981 when Raiders of the Lost Ark did the exact same thing. Of course the whole film looks like the dullest kind of CGI onslaught, with green screens standing in for Rome, Russia, London, Egypt and more. Of course it also plays like something an algorithm would spit out — and one that thinks Ed Sheeran is the height of stunt cameo casting after Game of Thrones already proved that idea oh-so wrong four years ago. Red Notice screens in select Australian cinemas from Thursday, November 4, and streams via Netflix from Friday, November 12. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on June 10, June 17 and June 24; July 1, July 8, July 15, July 22 and July 29; August 5, August 12, August 19 and August 26; September 2, September 9, September 16, September 23 and September 30; and October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28. For Sydney specifically, you can take a look at out our rundown of new films that released in Sydney cinemas when they reopened on October 11, and what opened on October 14, October 21 and October 28 as well. And for Melbourne, you can check out our top picks from when outdoor cinemas reopened on October 22 — and from when indoor cinemas did the same on October 29. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Herself, Little Joe, Black Widow, The Sparks Brothers, Nine Days, Gunpowder Milkshake, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Old, Jungle Cruise, The Suicide Squad, Free Guy, Respect, The Night House, Candyman, Annette, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Streamline, Coming Home in the Dark, Pig, Big Deal, The Killing of Two Lovers, Nitram, Riders of Justice, The Alpinist, A Fire Inside, Lamb, The Last Duel, Malignant, The Harder They Fall, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Halloween Kills and Passing. Top image: Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
WOMADelaide is returning to Adelaide's Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla from Friday, March 6 to Monday, March 9, 2026 — and the festival's first lineup announcement has landed, featuring 49 artists from around the globe. Headlining the 29th edition are Yothu Yindi, Obongjayar and Marlon Williams, with a program that will span from Bhutan to the Kimberleys, Cuba to Ukraine, and far beyond. View this post on Instagram A post shared by WOMADelaide (@womadelaide) Yothu Yindi will celebrate 35 years of Tribal Voice, while London-based Nigerian artist Obongjayar — known for his feature on Fred again..'s hit 'adore u' — will bring his blend of Afro-funk to Adelaide. Marlon Williams will perform alongside Kapa Haka group Ngā Mātai Pūrua, and Indian-American artist Ganavya will showcase her fusion of spiritual jazz and South Asian classical music. Other highlights include 82-year-old First Nations gospel singer Kankawa Nagarra, Cuban Grammy-nominee and Buena Vista Social Club alumnus Roberto Fonseca, Palestinian DJ Sama' Abdulhadi (returning after seven years), and soul sensation Jalen Ngonda, fresh from his Glastonbury debut. The festival will also feature Australian exclusives, including Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker's groundbreaking Rosas danst Rosas, Ukrainian-Canadian project Daughters of Donbas, French electronic act Orange Blossom, and Bhutan's first-ever representatives, the Bhutan Balladeers. They join previously announced acts including Yolngu rapper and dancer Baker Boy, US singer-songwriter Iron & Wine, Irish folk group Beoga and Pacific Break winner Mantis from Vanuatu. Since its debut in 1992, WOMADelaide has become one of Australia's most beloved festivals, celebrating music, arts and dance from across the world. The 2026 event will also see the return of Taste the World, WoMarkets, KidZone, Planet Talks and The Sanctuary Restaurant, alongside Around the Park performances scattered throughout the site. "Few festivals in the world are able to showcase the breadth and diversity of music, arts and dance on such a large scale while appealing to all ages and tastes," says WOMADelaide Director Ian Scobie. "It's a glorious opportunity to discover new sounds and embrace artists you love." WOMADelaide 2026 will run from Friday, March 6 to Monday, March 9 at Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla in Adelaide. Head to the WOMADelaide website for tickets and the full lineup. Images: Supplied
Lovers of bibimbap and KBBQ already know that Melbourne's CBD is home to a vibrant hub of Korean restaurants. Now, Koreatown has a permanent spot on the map. As part of the City of Melbourne's latest project to create more pocket precincts across the city, the Healeys Lane site has been adorned with a hand-carved, three-metre-high jangseung to celebrate its opening. "Officially unveiling the jangseung at Koreatown fills me with so much jabusim — pride," said Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece. "By formalising Koreatown, we aim to attract more visitors and businesses to the area — positioning it alongside Melbourne's legendary streetscapes like Degraves Street, Chinatown and Hardware Lane." The jangseung, created by Master Jong-yeon Kim, is designed to replicate the totem poles that watch over daily life at the entrances of rural villages in Korea. The four totems honour this national tradition and create a photo opportunity that can be shared worldwide. Joining Chinatown and the Greek Quarter on the city's multicultural hub roster, Koreatown now houses 25 Korean businesses — from restaurants and karaoke bars to retail stores. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nick Reece (@nickreecemelbourne) Over 25,000 Koreans now call Victoria home, making them one of the City of Melbourne's top ten diaspora communities. City Economy and Business Portfolio Head Councillor Kevin Louey explained that the formal opening of Koreatown would "not only support the growth of Korean-owned businesses, but also establish a vibrant destination that celebrates Melbourne's multicultural identity, attracts visitors and drives economic activity in the precinct." Melbourne joins Los Angeles, Toronto, New York and Sydney in having its own Koreatown. The City of Melbourne's budget for 2025–26 is expected to invest a further $150,000 in pocket precincts across the city, with Little India and a new seafood precinct in Docklands next on the list. [caption id="attachment_953449" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: supplied by Woo399[/caption] Koreatown is located in the Melbourne CBD's Healeys Lane, at the west end of Little Lonsdale Street and part of Spencer Street. For more information, head to the City of Melbourne website. Images: City of Melbourne.
As far as unnerving settings go, The Third Day's couldn't be better, with the HBO miniseries unfurling its story on Osea Island. The real-life locale boasts an intriguing history, including its purchase in 1903 by brewing company heir Frederick Nicholas Charrington, his passionate efforts to turn it into a treatment centre for addicts and alcoholics, and the fact that he was once apparently suspected of being Jack the Ripper. Osea also spans just 1.5 square kilometres, sits within an estuary along England's east coast and is connected to the mainland via a Roman-built causeway, which can only be accessed during low tide. Both within the show and in reality, that means that cars are limited to making the journey during two four-hour windows each day. At all other times, travellers can only get to and from the island by boat. So, if you venture over but don't time your return drive just right, you'll end up stuck there until the tide next subsides — whether you like it or not. That's exactly what happens to Sam (Jude Law, The Nest) and Helen (Naomie Harris, Spectre). The Third Day tells its main tale via two separate halves, with its three 'summer' episodes focusing on Sam and its trio of 'winter' segments switching to Helen. Their experiences have unmistakable parallels, but start out differently. Sam doesn't intend to visit the island, only making the trip after he rescues a teenage girl nearby. Helen books a holiday rental with her daughters Ellie (Nico Parker, Dumbo) and Talulah (debutant Charlotte Gairdner-Mihell), but those plans don't pan out. Accordingly, both Sam and Helen are forced to adjust to a sudden change in circumstance, and miss their initial windows to leave Osea in the process. The longer they stay — and the more they interact with the island's residents, such as pub proprietors Mr and Mrs Martin (The Outsider's Paddy Considine and Chernobyl's Emily Watson) — the harder it becomes to head home. Each of The Third Day's halves takes place over three days, as per the show's title. Each day proves even more chaotic than the last, too. And, each altercation that Sam and Helen has with Osea's inhabitants only plunges them both deeper into the small island's many big mysteries. Here, Osea is a place of distinctive traditions, beliefs and rituals. The locals are not only fighting among themselves to retain their way of life, but will do whatever it takes to preserve the customs they proudly claim date back to ancient times. So, when Sam notices that a bathroom floor is covered in salt, and Helen and her daughters keep spotting the same symbol graffitied on the island's buildings, that's just the start of their strange journeys. Both groups keep seeing dead animals, too — and they're hardly greeted warmly by the insular community, including those who do and don't wear masks. If you're already thinking about Midsommar, you won't stop while you're watching. As horror's creepy cabin subgenre has shown, good things rarely happen when someone finds themselves in a secluded spot on-screen. That idea proves just as true in tales of island trips gone awry — including shows that ran for too long such as Lost, terrible horror remakes of decades-old TV series like Fantasy Island and now The Third Day. The details vary (no one in Lost intended to end up on a beach, for instance), but the underlying concept is simple. Take a picturesque setting, fill it with folks eager to escape their troubles, then use those gorgeous surroundings and that bliss-seeking mentality to augment their underlying woes. When done well, however, the notion is far from straightforward. And, thanks to the exceptional work of its main screenwriter and co-creator Dennis Kelly (Utopia) and his colleague Felix Barrett (director of Britain's Punchdrunk theatre company), The Third Day takes to the idea in an instantly engaging and involving way. Plenty about the miniseries' storyline feels familiar at first, by design. An unsettling tone radiates from The Third Day's opening moments, though, working hard to push everyone out of their comfort zone. For Sam and then Helen, that happens easily as their trips to Osea just get weirder and weirder. For the show's viewers, the efforts of directors Mark Munden (The Secret Garden) and Philippa Lowthorpe (Misbehaviour) and their cinematographers Benjamin Kracun (Promising Young Woman) and David Chizallet (Mustang) couldn't be more crucial. The Third Day is a striking piece of folk-horror TV all round, but what often proves most staggering is its constant ability to immerse its audience so firmly in its characters' headspace. Roving visuals that feel cast adrift, toying with focus and perspective, placing the camera unnaturally close to Law's face, letting Harris's stare bore through the screen, colouring the island's forest with almost-otherworldly hues — they're all deployed here, and they all work a treat. Also excellent are Law and Harris, with the former turning Sam's swift unravelling into riveting viewing, and the latter as steely as she has ever been on-screen. The Third Day's entire supporting cast is terrific, too, which includes Katherine Waterston (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald) as an American visitor obsessed with the island's history and the imposing John Dagleish (Farming) as a local who doesn't take kindly to strangers. It isn't streaming in Australia along with the show's six main parts, but The Third Day also boasts a third section. 'Autumn' screened overseas as a twelve-hour live event, and is set during the big festival that Osea's residents are preparing for during Sam's half of the story. You don't need to have seen it to get the full tale, but even just knowing it exists paints a picture — because this is a series that dives headfirst into its sea of eeriness. Check out the trailer for The Third Day below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T43V6z9wYyE The Third Day is available to stream via Binge. Images: Liam Daniel/HBO.
If there's one way to get cosy, it's a sleepover in a tiny house. Over the past few years, the Tiny House movement has gone wild, bringing incy wincy dwellings to valleys, fields, forests, river banks and beaches all over the Earth — from Mudgee, NSW, to Orléans, France. While much of the craze is the work of start-ups, like Unyoked, Tiny Away and Into the Wild Escapes, locals have been getting on the bandwagon, too, offering their pint-sized stays via Airbnb and the like. The result is you have plenty of choice, whether you're looking for a one-night getaway in Castlemaine or a tiny house festival with friends in the Goldfields. Little Sprout, Gippsland Sometimes, staying at a tiny house is all about experiencing the house itself. But, at others, it's about where the tiny house is. Little Sprout by Tiny Away is a case in point. This gem lives in Gippsland, in the middle of a 60-acre olive grove, surrounded by regenerated eucalyptus forest. Just a stumble away is The Grove, where, on Sundays, you can join a long afternoon feast of smoky meats and seasonal sides. All that said about the location, the dwelling itself is lovely and eco-friendly, offering a comfy queen bed next to picture windows, a cute kitchenette with mod cons and good air con for all seasons. Tiny Home, Gruyere For an escape that isn't too far from Melbourne but still feels like a proper getaway, book the Tiny Home in Gruyere, just an hour's drive northwest of the CBD. This storybook spot is ideal for relaxing. Start with a coffee around the redwood table (made from a local sequoia tree), before sinking into a beanbag or hammock for a glass of wine. Come evening, make your own pizza and watch it bubble in a woodfired pizza oven. Up for some stargazing? While you're at it, keep warm and comfy by the campfire in an Adirondack chair. Marcel, Castlemaine Another baby home that isn't too far from Melbourne is Marcel in Castlemaine. It's a cute cabin deep in a gumtree forest, on the banks of your very own swimming hole, brought to you by Unyoked. Like all the company's tiny houses — there are many in Victoria — this one is solar-powered, and on a private property where you can neither see nor hear any human-made sights or sounds. Leave your phone in your bag (it probably won't connect anyway), and get lost in books, card games, cassette tapes and yoga mats (all provided) by the warmth of your woodfired heater. Handcrafted Shack, Halls Gap The Handcrafted Shack is a good example of what you can do with pre-loved goods. Every part of this tiny house features recycled materials — from the wood heater inside to the handcrafted red gum deck outside. Big, timber-framed windows give you beautiful views over the owner's regenerative farm, backdropped by mountains. Spend all day staring at them from bed, or brave the outdoor bath, cleverly built into the deck. If you're after a little action, head to Halls Gap for coffee, beers and bites, or into Gariwerd (The Grampians) for stunning walks. Tiny Away Escape, The Grampians Keen to get away but don't want to leave your crew behind? Tiny Away Escape in Geriward (The Grampians) is for you. It gives you not one, but ten mini holiday homes, on one property. So you can invite all your family and friends. When you're not hiding away at your place, meet them in the rec room or swimming pool, or by the fire pit. Every dwelling is built sustainably, and the houses come with kitchenettes, air-con and ensuites with gas-heated showers. In case you want to go even further off the grid, or invite even more people, there are powered and unpowered sites nearby. Skypod, Cape Otway For incredible water views, stay at a Skypod on Cape Otway. This collection of architecturally designed hideaways lives on a 200-acre private property on the coast, overlooking the Great Southern Ocean. Big glass walls let you soak up the vistas in all their glory, without leaving your queen bed. Or, if you want to feel the breeze on your face, kick back on your spacious deck. Every skypod is solar powered, and comes with an equipped kitchen, reverse cycle aircon, wifi and, for movie nights, a 100-inch projector screen. Visiting Cape Otway as part of a road trip? Get help from our 48 hours on the Great Ocean Road guide, and consider these seven lesser-known stops. Pepe, Yarra Valley Another tiny house from Unyoked is Pepe in the Yarra Valley. This one is on a delightful rural property, surrounded by green grass, pine forest and rolling hills. There's also a river right on your doorstep. When you're not snuggling up in bed or kicking back beside the wood-powered heater, head outdoors to freshen up under the shower before plunging into the hot tub. Whatever you get up to, you'll be miles away from other humans. On the way out, or in, you might want to explore the Yarra Valley, which offers wineries, breweries, pubs, eateries, art and cycling trails galore. Rainforest Getaway, Sassafras Disappear deep into the rainforest at this tiny home in Sassafras. It's in the Dandenongs, just 40 minutes' drive from Melbourne, so it's perfect for an overnighter if you're short on time. You'll have three acres of rainforest, interwoven with century-old gardens, to roam through. To cool off, follow the mossy path to babbling Sassafras Creek, where you'll find a "tranquillity platform". Or stay home the whole time, alternating between your Tylo cedar dry sauna and your spa bath, surrounded by scented candles and essential oils. Once you're fully relaxed, you'll be ready to spend a day or two exploring the Dandenongs. Jumanji, Elevated Plains For location, Jumanji is hard to beat. It's right on the edge of a cliff face, overlooking a rugged valley. Soak up the views from the comfort of your king bed, or jump into the outdoor bath — made with 20-million-year-old petrified stone and framed with fairy lights. Wherever you are, keep an eye out for kangaroos, and count on spectacular sunsets. The interior design, dotted with lanterns, sculptures and elephants, takes its cues from the African continent. The Elevated Plains are a brief drive from Daylesford. On your way home, check out these seven things you didn't realise you could do in the region — from trekking with a llama to having a spa bath in a treehouse. Harper, Macedon Ranges Another tiny home in the Daylesford region to check out is Harper, brought to you by Into the Wild Escapes. Just 90 minutes' drive from Melbourne, it's surrounded by native bush and magical rock formations. Swing by Kyneton on the way to pick up some local wine and produce, so you'll have everything you need to stay in bed for days. Or, if that sounds like too much effort, add a gourmet brekkie hamper or a charcuterie board to your booking. Keen to stretch your legs? Stroll around the property and along nearby walking trails, and maybe take a dip in a swimming hole — or head to Mount Macedon National Park for more serious hiking. Helen, Lenore & Justyn, Goldfields Another option from Into the Wild Escapes is this trio of tiny houses in the Goldfields region. Helen, Lenore and Justin are all on Mooramong Estate, a 1930s National Trust property that once belonged to silent movie star Claire Adams and her husband, millionaire heir Donald 'Scobie' Mackinnon. But they're less than two kilometres apart. There's space for four in each — so you can take up to 11 friends with you. When you're not visiting the nearby lake or enjoying the views of Mount Elephant, challenge your mates to a tennis match on the sand court. Racquets and outdoor games are provided. Images: supplied
North Melbourne kind of has it all. It's right near the Queen Victoria Market, a short walk from the CBD, yet the wide verandas of Errol Street give it the laidback feeling of the suburbs. Nobody's in a rush here, and that's a good thing — because you need plenty of time to explore the many shops and cafes on offer. Neighbouring Carlton has more energy, home to Lygon Street's famous eateries and shops. We've teamed up with American Express to bring you a list of some of the best local businesses the area has to offer. Plus, they will all accept your American Express Card, so make sure to pop it in your pocket before heading out the door to shop small.
As businesses reopen and the holiday season sneaks up on us, Melburnians are returning to the CBD. To help make your last-minute Christmas shopping at little easier (and cheaper), the City of Melbourne has announced parking in the CBD will remain free over the Christmas and New Year period. Free untimed CBD parking was introduced back in August during stage four COVID-19 restrictions and rolled back in October with parking remaining free but time limits being reinforced, and has now been extended until Sunday, January 3 in order to encourage Melburnians to visit the CBD for Christmas shopping, activities, entertainment and outdoor dining. In a statement, Lord Mayor Sally Capp said shoppers "may be hesitant using public transport in the short term" so the decision was made to "temporarily make parking free in areas with green signs". In order to enjoy the free parking, you must print off a free parking voucher from the City of Melbourne website and display it on your dash. While parking is free there will be officers enforcing other restrictions, including time limits, disabled parking restrictions, clearways, no standing zones and residential permit restrictions. If you're looking for places to shop or activities to do in the Melbourne CBD check out our guide to shopping like a local or head along to the Melbourne Aquarium's new jellyfish exhibition Ocean Invaders. Free Melbourne CBD parking will be extended from Tuesday, December 1 to Sunday, January 3. All other parking restrictions apply. Head over to the City of Melbourne website to find out more and print off your free parking voucher.
It's no secret Melbourne is home to some of the top bars in the country — and some of the best are hidden in plain sight. The city is full of under-the-radar spots slinging bespoke cocktails from basement lounges and concealed speakeasies to rooftop watering holes, especially if you fancy an adventure to the southern end of town. Next time you find yourself in St Kilda and Southside, be sure to drop into one of these standout establishments for a glorious night of unconventional cocktails and bites. Whether you're after champagne and an opulent dinner, fairytale-themed drinks above the city, or just a chill beer in a leafy courtyard with your best furry mate, we've rounded up six inventive bars for your upcoming date or group gathering in South Melbourne, in partnership with St Kilda and Southside. Alex Squadrito Castlerose Hidden beneath South Melbourne cafe Clementine is Castlerose, a luxe supper club inspired by old-world Europe that somehow manages to be moody yet exceedingly playful. Sip champagne in vintage-style coupe glasses or opt for a classic cocktail with a twist, like the Sidecarriage with Calvados brandy, St Germain elderflower liqueur and lemon, or Ode to Jörg with Plymouth Sloe gin, lemon and Thai basil. If you're hungry, the luxe-European style menu includes a bougie confit duck cigar (delightfully served in a wooden cigar box alongside an ashtray of olive dust), plus the likes of lobster roll, steak tartare and seafood pie. And be sure to keep an eye out for the roving cheese cart, stacked with a rotating selection of local and imported wedges and wheels. Castlerose is located at 67 Palmerston Crescent, South Melbourne. Voodoo Lovechild Speakeasy This dimly-lit, vibey cocktail lounge brings the lively spirit of New Orleans to St Kilda, with live tunes every Thursday to Saturday and a broad drinks menu of classic and Southern-inspired cocktails. Pair a signature sazerac with a selection of soul food, such as a muffuletta sandwich, cornbread waffles with jalapeño maple butter and cajun fries. The weekly specials are equally comforting and layered with Southern warmth, operating on a schedule of jambalaya and beer on Wednesdays, Po' Boys subs on Thursdays and fried chicken and waffles on Fridays. Voodoo Lovechild Speakeasy is located at 143 Chapel Street, St Kilda. Ghost of Alfred Felton Venture up the stairs at beloved pub The Espy, and you'll find a cocktail bar dedicated to Alfred Fenton, an entrepreneur, chemist, philanthropist, art collector and late resident of the Espy. His ghost isn't actually part of the furniture, but his influence is plain to see. The venue boasts views of St Kilda Pier and is split into three areas, each paying homage to a period of Felton's life. Some small bites are available, mainly decadent cheese and charcuterie offerings, but it's the drinks that steal the show here. Feltons work in the medicinal industry as inspired a cocktail list that celebrates the 'un-ordinary' qualities of drinks — take the Garden of Secrets, made with Tanqueray Gin, St Germain Elderflower, lime, aloe vera, cucumber and botanical soda. There's also an extensive whisky list and some vintage champagnes that cost upwards of $500 (but are worth the investment). The Ghost of Alfred Fenton is located at 11 The Esplanade, St Kilda. Rosie's Follow the sounds of vinyl on Ormond Road in Elwood to find a welcoming outdoor courtyard surrounded by greenery and lit up with fairy lights. This is the newly opened Rosie's, which serves supreme vibes alongside simple cocktails, wines and beer behind Johnny's Coffee Roasters. Only open on Fridays and Saturdays, the casual bar is all about kicking back and enjoying good tunes. Most importantly, it's also dog-friendly, so you can bring along a pooch and expect to meet some furry friends while you enjoy your drinks. Craft cocktails are the go here, cocktails like the Elwood Fix with vodka, aperitivo, grapefruit and marmalade; Lemon Slice with limoncello, Licor 43, ginger and cream; or Morning Glory Fizz with Naked Malt whisky, absinthe, lemon, sugar and soda. Rosie's Bar is located at 157 Ormond Road, Elwood (behind Johnny's Coffee Roasters). Mirror Mirror Perched above the Clarendon Hotel, this rooftop bar is a dreamy spot to sip Snow White-inspired cocktails and snack on Asian-fusion bites while looking out across the city skyline. The aforementioned bites include skewers of king oyster mushroom, lemongrass chicken or beef rendang, or simple share plates of thick-cut chips with sesame mayo, Korean veggie pancakes or tofu karage. The drinks are concise but creative, with signature cocktails like the Poison Apple with apple rum, caramel and ginger; Sweet Dreams with raspberry and thyme vodka, Chambord, cranberry and toasted marshmallow; and The Huntsman with dark rum, passionfruit, lychee and pineapple. There's also some Australian wines available but beer buffs will have to seek their bevs elsewhere. Mirror Mirror is located at 3/209 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne. Lady Peacock You'll feel like you've stepped into Bridgerton at this quaint cocktail salon, which is decorated with glittering chandeliers, plush velvet lounges and gold-framed paintings. While you might not run into a dreamy Lord or Viscount here, there are plenty of charming cocktails and champagne on offer, like the peach martini or Lady Ambrosia, alongside nibbles and cheese. Visit during happy hour (5pm to 7pm on Fridays and 3pm to 7pm on weekends), and you'll be able to grab $10 house wines and bubbles or select cocktails for $18 with a personal charcuterie board on the side. Lady Peacock is located at 19 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda. Discover more to do at the What's On St Kilda and Southside website. Images: Alex Squadrito, Alex Drewnik, What's on St Kilda and Southside.
When it comes to chill-busting winter comfort food, a classic Melbourne Sunday roast has got to be up there with the best: succulent meat, crispy potatoes, seasonal veg and lashings of rich gravy to pull it all together. But making all of this yourself can take forever. Plus, it takes years of practice to perfect each element. Thankfully, you'll find plenty of pubs, restaurants and cafes that'll happily hook you up with that homemade roast dinner fix you've been craving. Perhaps a British-style roast beef with Yorkshire pudding? Or a classic porchetta? Here are seven Melbourne Sunday roasts to add to your dining out hit list, ASAP. Recommended reads: The Best Pubs in Melbourne The Best Steak in Melbourne Melbourne's Best Pubs and Bars with Fireplaces The Best Restaurants in Melbourne
Across four seasons of Stranger Things so far, entering a rift to the Upside Down hasn't transported anyone Down Under. But jumping into the hit Netflix series' world keeps proving a reality in Australia — first via one of those portals popping up in Bondi back in 2022, and next courtesy of Stranger Things: The Experience, which has just locked in its Aussie debut at Luna Park Sydney as part of Vivid's 2025 program. Luna Park Sydney and immersive experiences based on Netflix shows keep going hand in hand of late; from the end of 2024, the Harbour City tourist attraction also hosted Squid Game: The Experience, letting small-screen fans dive into another streaming smash. Stranger Things: The Experience will run from Friday, May 23–Saturday, June 14. The must-attend event falls into the Ideas portion of Vivid's lineup. Get ready to visit 1986 — and also Hawkins, Indiana, of course — in what promises to be an interactive stint of Stranger Things-loving fun. Locations from the show are part of the setup, as is a supernatural mystery. And yes, you can expect to feel nostalgic, even if you don't have your own memories of the 80s because you hadn't been born yet. Stranger Things: The Experience isn't just about visiting recreations of settings that you've seen while watching Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown, The Electric State) and the gang. The installation features its own storyline, where playing along means trying to save Hawkins from yet another threat. And yes, you will take a trip to the Upside Down. You'll also be able to drink themed cocktails. Based on its time in other cities, Demogorgons and/or Vecna might await, too, along with Christmas lights, Scoops Ahoy and Surfer Boy Pizza. The experience initially opened in New York in 2022, and has enjoyed dates with Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Seattle, Toronto, London, Paris and São Paulo since, with a Rio de Janeiro stint also on the way. Hanging out for new Stranger Things back in your Netflix queue? That's due to happen in 2025, when the show's fifth and final series arrives — although there's no exact release date as yet.
Stunning art always endures, as A Streetcar Named Desire has for nearing eight decades now. Tennessee Williams' tale of Southern belle Blanche DuBois, her sister Stella and the latter's husband Stanley Kowalski first premiered via a Broadway production starring Jessica Tandy, Kim Hunter and Marlon Brando, and has repeatedly returned to stages since. Indeed, this southern-gothic heartbreaker has trodden the boards worldwide with everyone from Glenn Close (Black in Action), Cate Blanchett (Black Bag) and Frances McDormand (Women Talking) to John C Reilly (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty), Joel Edgerton (Dark Matter) and Paul Mescal (Paul Mescal) in its cast. Four Oscars also came the way of Elia Kazan's 1951 film, where he adapted the play that he'd directed in theatres into a screen classic with much of its originating stage cast. Spectacular theatre can make that leap to screens — but the stage productions themselves have historically only lived on via memory and reputation. No matter how immersive and exceptional, and how urgent and unforgettable as well, theatre performances are live and therefore fleeting. They're tied to a specific place and usually solely experienced in the moment. NT Live did its part to help change that over 15 years ago, when it began filming National Theatre productions in the United Kingdom — expanding to other companies, too — then beaming everything from new Shakespearean stagings and Danny Boyle's (28 Years Later) take on Frankenstein to Fleabag and The Importance of Being Earnest into cinemas globally. In 2014 when he unleashed his Gillian Anderson (The Salt Path)-, Ben Foster (Long Day's Journey Into Night)- and Vanessa Kirby (Napoleon)-starring version of A Streetcar Named Desire at The Young Vic in London, Australian playwright, stage and opera director, and filmmaker Benedict Andrews was well-aware that he was taking on a classic, a masterpiece, and a play that ranks among the 20th century's best and has burned itself into memories. He'd done so before at the Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz in Berlin. He didn't initially know, though, that he'd be joining the NT Live ranks, that audiences worldwide would be able to catch it on the big screen, and that they'd still be watching 11 years later. In Australia, Andrews' Streetcar returned to cinemas from Thursday, June 19, 2025. "The play is very dear to my heart, but the nature of theatre is usually that it's ephemeral," he tells Concrete Playground. "Theatre's usually ephemeral and that is its beauty — that it usually just exists in this brief compact with the audience and the viewer when the play comes to life nightly. So it's weird that it's released in cinemas again. It's great though — because I found during COVID, they re-released it for free online at some point, and it found a whole new generation of viewers," the Australian continues. "Not just people who didn't live in London or New York, so couldn't see it there, but I'm having conversations with people in in really far-flung and diverse places, and maybe of a different generation who are seeing it, and discovering the play for the first time through that production." "I've had people tell me that — like a young actress tell me that seeing this production when she was in high school made her want to become an actress. So it's great it's out in the world again, and on cinema screens." [caption id="attachment_1010339" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for BFI.[/caption] Complicated relationships, desire, raw emotions that can't be contained: these themes have recurred in Andrews' work. They all scorch and sear as Blanche's once well-to-do life keeps shattering, leading her to take the titular transport to Stella and Stanley's two-room New Orleans apartment, and to the toxicity — verbally, emotionally, psychologically and physically — of being in her brother-in-law's orbit. If you'd like to think of the trio's altercations, and those involving Stanley's friend and Blanche's hoped-for beau Mitch (Corey Johnson, September 5), as a traumatic merry-go-round, Andrews has taken that idea literally in this staging. Tying into Blanche's alcoholism and downward spiral, this aesthetically striking production is both in the round and revolves, the skeleton of the Kowalskis' powderkeg of a flat exposed to theatregoers as the show constantly rotates. Sculptural sets, spaces that actors are required to interact with rather than just stand upon, are equally a regular element in Andrews' stage creations. See also: his Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 2017, another dance with a Williams great for The Young Vic that was also immortalised by NT Live. Streetcar's iteration is arresting, but that label perhaps best applies to Anderson as its Blanche — a part that she'd been wanting to step into since she was 16. While she'll always be The X-Files' Agent Dana Scully, The Fall's DSU Stella Gibson and Sex Education's Jean Milburn, among the immense range of roles before and after always relying on the kindness of strangers, Anderson's portrayal here is one that you'll always remember her for as much as the above once you've seen it. 2026 will be three decades since Andrews kicked off his career as a theatre director with Wounds to the Face and Storm From Paradise in Adelaide. From the South Australian capital, he went to Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir and Malthouse Theatre — and to London's stages, New York's as well with both A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and also Munich, Berlin, Reykjavik, Copenhagen, Buenos Aires, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and more. Opera beckoned. On the big screen, he was behind 2016's stage-to-screen adaptation of Blackbird as the Rooney Mara (La Cocina)- and Ben Mendelsohn (Andor)-starring Una, then 2018's Kristen Stewart (Love Lies Bleeding)-led Seberg. Alongside digging into his Streetcar journey, including whether thinking about the cinema experience is part of directing a stage production that will be filmed and then show in cinemas, Anderson's stellar work, and ensuring that the play's themes and emotions are always bubbling, we also explored his path to here with Andrews in our in-depth discussion. On Whether the Possibility of a Stage Production Being Filmed for the Big Screen Changes Anything About Andrews' Approach "No, no, no, never. In the case of Streetcar, I didn't know. I guess NT Live branching out of the National Theatre stuff, because this was a Young Vic production, was fairly uncommon at the time. I've had two productions filmed, I think, only — which have both been Tennessee Williams. They also filmed the Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. And no, I don't and probably I wouldn't at all. Well, I've had a bunch of operas films since as well — and I never think about it. When I've worked with the team on it, I talked to them about it like they're filming a boxing match or a football game. So we discussed what their setup would be, and with them having watched the production. Obviously Streetcar is very special because of the revolving stage, and what that means to try to shoot that or capture that, but I discuss it with them more like they're going in to shoot that, to capture the live experience of it. Rather than, because I'm also a filmmaker, rather than thinking about this filmmaking, I see it as much more of almost a functional recording that they happen to do very well — like if you watch boxing at the Olympics or you watch a well-filmed AFL game, you want it to capture the highlights and the moments, and give you the enhanced sense of being there. I think I'm trying to do that. So then, when I'm in the rehearsal room, no, I'm not thinking about that at all. I often, when I'm in a rehearsal room, I give myself and the actors very fundamental challenges to work with and overcome. And those challenges, I think, are about — they're like a kind of drill to drill very deeply into the core of the play. Rather than just assuming we can access that play by selling this kind of difficulty, I think then it allows you to access the raw matter of the play in a new and immediate way. So the revolve in the Streetcar production was exactly that. I felt it was the perfect metaphor for the play. It begins when she takes this schluck of alcohol. It reflects her addiction and the sense of what it means to be in her downward spiral with her. But it also is very visceral. Every single audience member gets a different perspective on what's happening in that room, as it constantly — the in-the-theatre experience of it — moves in and out of long shot and closeup, and literally every seat is seeing a different way into this cage where this encounter is going on between Blanche and Stanley. And we had that on throughout rehearsals. It's not some big decorative thing that's put on at the end. If it's going to be this drill, we have to learn to work with it. And the effect of it was so disorientating that the actors would go home and the room would be spinning. And I remember my apartment in London spinning when I went back after being it on all day. I think they would to take motion-sickness tablets, and so on. Beyond that, it's just also: how do you use it? What does it mean to be on and off it? And all that. So when you're so busy with the play and busy with helping the actors unlock it and find its raw heart, which all of them do, but particularly the four, the quartet, of Blanche and Stella and Stanley and Mitch, there's so much to be busy with in that that I'm not thinking about that. But in a similar way, I'm not really thinking about the audience, even the theatre audience, when I'm making something — until I'm in previews. I'm sort of the first audience, and the other people in the room are the tuning rod through which the players get to charge through. And then you hope you get that to such a point of intensity and feeling that then it's ready to share with a larger body of people." On How Staging a Play on a Revolving Set Gives Every Audience Member a Different Immersive Experience "I'm constantly thinking about that. And part of this is the acceptance that you cannot control that it will not be the same for everybody. To take the football analogy again, if you're sitting behind the white sticks at one end, you're seeing a different game from somebody sitting in the centre line, except then that it's moving, so you're rotating that perspective. But you have to accept that no audience member will literally ever get the same view of the show, so that even if audience member X bought exactly the same seat two nights in a row, just because of the slight variation in the motion of that thing, they're going to — maybe on a certain line, Blanche is going to be on the side angle one night, and on the next, she's going to be momentarily obscured by the shower curtain coming past. But that was part of it — that enhanced voyeurism of that, but it's like an active voyeurism, like you're aware that you're watching this fight in this cage, but also this very, very painful to watch, at-times unraveling and madness, this coming apart, of this woman and this family, and the sexual violence when that begins. But I think it meant that the audience had to really lean in and be complicit with it. So to answer your question, I'm thinking about the overall implications of that. Like if I was making a static picture from the front, that works — actually, that changes, the static picture changes from the position, the ideal centre-perspective position where the king used to sit, it actually changes as you move further away and the perspective disintegrates. So there's sort of something radical and democratic in how people watch it. That cinematic effect of the wipes, and that you would each see different perspectives — but in the end, everybody united in the same moment. That's what I think is also really interesting. I think about it in the moment, when the Cat Power song plays at the end, when she walks out — one of the most-extraordinary moments in 20th-century theatre, this speech when she talks about, she's so broken after the rape and after knowing she's being evicted and her psyche can't cope with it anymore, but to cope with that she invents this beautiful fantasy of this man feeding her a grape on a on a boat. And she, her genius is that she invents this, and Tennessee Williams' genius at this most-broken moment, she invents and becomes the perfect actor, playing this dignified role of this woman going to meet her gentleman caller. When we know, and probably she does, that it's the doctor and nurse coming to take her to the mental asylum, which is just going to be fucking hell. A woman like that does not belong in a place like that. It's completely heartbreaking. But the apotheosis when she invents this character, and walks out with such grace and dignity — and then in our production, where Gillian does that circle, that last circle to the Cat Power song, I think for the audience, having watched just this truly extraordinary thing that she goes through, the gift and self-sacrifice, nightly self-sacrifice of Gillian's performance, at that moment, the entire audience is just completely gathered and at one. So I think there's something about having fractured that perspective, then feeling them come together at that moment of apotheosis. I think you're always thinking about that, how to activate that, whatever then the device you're using is. It's a bit of a similar thing in The Cherry Orchard that I just recently staged, where there's also an audience all the way around. But the actors don't have fixed positions. They change what they're doing nightly. So again, the show is constantly evolving and changing and organic, but at the same time, directorially it's still very tightly held. Even if I'm fracturing that viewpoint in Streetcar between all these different viewpoints, I want, ideally, every viewpoint to be perfect — the perfect frame at every moment." On Casting Gillian Anderson in a Role That She'd Wanted to Play Since She Was a Teenager — and Giving Her Another Iconic Part That She'll Always Be Remembered For "This was my second time staging it. I staged it at the Schaubühne in Berlin a couple of years before, in German, and I always wanted to have another crack at it. And weirdly enough, that production of Streetcar was seen by David Lan, the then-Artistic Director of The Young Vic, where we staged Streetcar. And from that, he invited me to come and work in London — and I did first an opera for him, and then a production of Chekhov's Three Sisters, which also had Vanessa Kirby in it as Masha. And Gillian saw that, and said to David 'I want him to direct me in Streetcar'. So when we met to talk about that, she told me how she'd always been thinking about Blanche and always knew she wanted to play Blanche, and I could sense that profound hunger in her to do that. And I already had the plan in my skin. They're wildly different productions. We had a revolve in that, actually, but they're wildly different productions. But it was interesting to have that as a framework — so the first one was like sort of a rough sketch, and then the second one was much more elaborate. So it was just a beautiful kind of confluence of me feeling very close to the play — really, really hungry to do it in English — and then finding, for me, the perfect actress for it at exactly the right time in her life to want to do it. And it was a process and then a production just full of enormous trust and risk. I think from our very first meeting, we felt that we had found each other. I knew she trusted me to take her somewhere. And I knew she wanted to be taken somewhere. I think she and we are very, very, very, very faithful to the play, but even in the UK at that period, at that time, even doing a non-period production of a classic that didn't look like all the other previous productions and all that — she also clearly had an appetite to be in a contemporary production. I guess one thing I try, if I'm approaching a classical play, is to treat it as if it might be a contemporary play. And if I'm approaching a contemporary play, I treat it as if it should be a classical play and will be a classical play. And she clearly believed that there was no attempt to turn, to drag, the play or the production a safe place. She had, as I said, an enormous appetite for risk. And you can see in the performance. So I think why it's memorable, as you say, is she puts herself on the line in every single performance. She's talked about that a lot, I gather, since — what that meant. And I think particularly when we were in New York, what that was like to get under Blanche's skin every night. She's also talked about it, so I won't. But also, she's talked about a kind of confronting or accessing her own history of addiction in the role. And to really do Blanche, I think that is important, because it is the story of someone who is addicted to alcohol and addicted to sex, and trying to deal with the legacy and the brokenness of her own family and her own history through that." On Ensuring That A Streetcar Named Desire's Senses of Guilt and Sadness Is Always Bubbling, and Its Volatility as Well, Alongside Its Exploration of Compulsiveness and Addiction "I think ultimately that's about trusting the players. As such a loaded masterpiece, it is — every single moment of the play, he found such an extraordinary collision of these, of Blanche and Stanley. And I think two sides of himself, Tennessee Williams, but also two sides of his own desire, two sides of his own profound sexual hunger. And it means that everything under the play is just so volatile. And I think often, too, these great plays — whether it's from ancient Athens or Elizabethan London or this — these great plays come at moments of huge historical change, often after major wars. And this play is a of flowering of that new America. It's the same time where the great Arthur Miller plays come as well. And in post-war America is a changing society that's becoming the kind of muscular empire we now see disintegrating. And I think that everything in the play is really loaded. So it's about trusting that, encouraging the actors to access it. In this production, I guess there are a few structural things done, in that Blanche usually leaves the stage — and she does not leave the stage. She's briefly absent in the first minute, I think, before Stella runs out and then she arrives with the suitcase. And then she's very briefly gone the at the end. But even when she and Mitch go to the fairground or whatever, they're still onstage in this production. So that was, I guess, part of also the compact with Gillian, was: what is it like to expose, to put every single moment of this woman's crisis under the microscope and not give her anywhere to hide? So, even during the scene changes, the costume changes between scenes, she's exposed and literally exposing herself while doing them, and she has to stay in that. So I think it's also structurally thinking of the play as this last downward spiral of this, that's been going on for some time — maybe even generations within her family, and the legacy of slavery and corruption in her family. And then she's the last one left. She's the last queen of this ruined nation who comes into exile, into the camp of her enemy, Stanley. And I think it's also been just about what that process in the rehearsal room is, and making sure that it's understood that every night they're going out there to chase it down. And when the play is big enough, then that process never finishes. They're going out to meet each other and the play and the audience afresh every night, and to play the game to the hilt." On the Challenges of Live Theatre, and the Extended Run of Interrogating a Story and Its Emotions Night After Night That It Affords — and Andrews Once Saying That It and Film Are the Same Thing "I'm not sure in the end they are the same thing, either. I think probably what I meant when I was saying that once is that they tap into the same place. And that that someone like [Ingmar] Bergman, who spent his artistic life moving between the theatre and the cinema and not making a binary between the two of them, but that they could be a conversation in which he's exploring ongoing questions — I think that is really, really an ideal for me. But one thing that, of course, is entirely different is that cinema is made by a frame and a camera recording the world. And the shot of the poppy shaking in the garden, cut to the hand of the trembling actor, cut to something they say on their face: that creates the meaning, that creates the story, that creates your feeling. And you collect it during the shoot, but it is then cut up and reconfigured in the edit room, and that is the art and the architecture of cinematic storytelling. So the swaying poppy is just as important as their closeup on the actor's eyes. In the theatre, whatever images there might be onstage or whatever — even if there's an emptiness onstage, even if the actor is absent, it's about the absence of that actor. The actor is everything in the theatre. And it's where I come from first. It is my home and it is my emotional gymnasium. And it's this very beautiful, privileged space, like a little island where we go to reflect on the world and reflect on being human and reflect on being alive, to deal with emergencies and crisis — both political, personal, whatever — but within the permission of this safe room. So you can go into the places emotionally that would send you to the madhouse, like they do Blanche, or put you in prison like if you were to follow through with what happens in that room. But it's a room where we then have permission to think through, play through, work through, together as a collective, without the big, beautiful apparatus — that was a Trumpian sentence — without the extraordinary apparatus that cinema has. You need, even if you're reduced, stripping it right down, it needs this village of people and technical equipment to make it. The theatre needs nothing in the end. Just a circle of viewers and the players. And I guess as I then started to make — I made my first film just after Streetcar, I made Una in the months after Streetcar the first time — and as I've started to move more between the two mediums, I think it's become even more precious, this sense of the fragile, the gift of being in a room with people and exploring these things, but also the idea of this fragility and the idea that if I'm going to do theatre, I don't want to hide behind anything. So my theatre was already pretty raw, but I think since then it's become even more about — in every show I've done since COVID and since my last movie, the audience has been lit. They are to a degree in Streetcar, but in recent plays like The Cherry Orchard, they're lit by this same forensic white light. You're very aware of them sitting there. The actors sit amongst the audience and step up and play from that. So this essential liveness and this essential experiment of theatre, that it's a nightly process, an experiment, I think has become even more important to me — or, if you like, it's always there, it's always there in theatre, but it hides behind a lot of bullshit often." On Whether Taking Either A Streetcar Named Desire or Cat on a Hot Tin Roof to the Big Screen as Films Appeals, as Andrews Did with Una "Probably not with either of those. The Streetcar, the Kazan one, I'd rather film the play like this. I think it's different if it's a new play. I think things have to undergo a transposition, right, and Una undergoes a significant transposition. It's not filmed theatre. You could even say some things that are closer to filmed theatre, like the Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? or something, still that makes a transmutation of form. And so I think more, sometimes I think about two things. To take a story — and this is something I've talked to with some actors about; I've talked about it with Cate Blanchett, who's somebody I've worked with a few times, and also with Nina Hoss [Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World] separately, who, both of those who are great theatre actresses and great film actresses — this idea that if you've played a role in theatre, you've lived it so completely and you've explored it in so many different ways compared to [film]. This isn't comparative. I think they're both significant. But compared to filming for and performing for the camera, which is like you're doing these short little sprints — you're doing these little bits that are then cut up — but when you've lived it in the theatre, I think they recognise, the wealth of having done that, what it might mean to do that in another, to take all that, take the character, rewrite it for another form. Weirdly, it happened when Cate had done Streetcar herself, right, for Liv Ullmann, and then did the Woody Allen film [Blue Jasmine]. She's sort of playing Blanche in that. And that's really interesting. To rather than say you're just copying the same thing, to say you grow a new creature from it, but using the same logic and ideas. And then the other one that I'm starting to think about for a future project — and maybe this is because of the NT Lives. Like I said, they film them themselves and that's great, and they're really excellent things to have out there, and they reflect the moment of the theatremaking. But there's one where then I as a filmmaker and a theatremaker might take the production, and not make it as a film, like the Kazan version of Streetcar, but do my own cinema version of filming the production. So like the Paul Schrader Mishima or something, right, which has that artificiality in it — but do bring the camera into the theatre space that's constructed, and make this boutique object from that. So I'm very curious about that. And I think NT Live proves that there's an audience for that as well." [caption id="attachment_1010340" align="alignnone" width="1920"] David M. Benett/Getty Images.[/caption] On Andrews' Dream When He Was Starting Out as a Director Three Decades Back — and How Even Imagining NT Live Wasn't Possible "No, I didn't. I mean partly, some of those things were impossible to even conceive of then. The world has changed so much. Also, I think my ambition has always been of a different kind. I never began thinking 'oh, I would like to work in these places. I would do this'. I was always just obsessed with making work. So those first works in the Red Shed in Adelaide, they were all-consuming. At the same time then, on the nascent internet or however, I was sort of Googling different — well, it was probably pre-Google — looking for radical theatremakers in the world. And in 1999, getting to travel and go and meet them and see their work. So for me, it's always been a hunger for the work and about the work. And all of the opportunities that have come — right from, I guess, first going and working, being invited from Adelaide to become a resident at Sydney Theatre Company, then being invited to come and work at the Schaubühne in Berlin, and then going to London and so on — they have always come from the work, from somebody seeing the work, recognising the work and inviting me to build on that. I've never looked and said 'I want to be working on these stages' or be there — other people work like that, but for me, it really comes from the work. I think back then, I loved cinema very much and was very influenced by cinema, and thought that I would like to make a movie one day but was busy with theatre for a lot longer than I thought — and absolutely consumed with theatremaking, but I guess I always hoped that I would do that. And to move between those two worlds — we mentioned Bergman — that still remains a goal. And to make a movie that can have the effect on people that Streetcar has, I don't think I've quite done that yet. That can be very, very true to itself — very true to itself — and also have audiences lined around the block to see it when we did it in London, and people still wanting to see it in the cinema. I'd love to find that sweet spot in a movie, and I feel there's still a lot of work to do there — and that theatre is a place I can keep returning to for now. That's a really beautiful, safe home to explore in. So it's always about the work for me." NT Live's A Streetcar Named Desire returned to Australian cinemas from Thursday, June 19, 2025. A Streetcar Named Desire images: Johan Persson.
They both boast stars. They each look better when there's nothing else in your field of view. Darkness provides them both with their absolute best surroundings, too. We're talking about peering at space and hitting the cinema, two pastimes that are no strangers to combining — as IMAX Melbourne is celebrating with its Spacetember Film Festival. Screening across September 2025, this film fest is all about checking out space flicks on the venue's massive seven-storey-tall screen. On the lineup: classics, recent favourites and this year's releases. Obviously, 2001: A Space Odyssey is one such movie. When you're not communing with Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece, whether for the first or 51st time, the IMAX 1570 version of Christopher Nolan's Interstellar is another of the fest's big drawcards — and it's playing with 75-plus minutes of sequences presented in full-screen IMAX. Screening dates and times vary across the fest from Monday, September 1–Tuesday, September 30; however, you can revel in footage from the moon landing with excellent documentary Apollo 11, ponder the heavens with Jordan Peele's Nope, revisit the Oscar-winning Gravity in 3D and hear screams from space courtesy of Alien: Romulus. There's also more extra-terrestrial-centric tales via Arrival, 3D kaiju battles courtesy of Pacific Rim and Bong Joon-ho's Mickey 17, the Parasite director's latest film. Or, go all in on upcoming Bond helmer Denis Villeneuve thanks to sci-fi sequel Blade Runner 2049, plus the spiciest double there is in the Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown)-starring Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two.
Australians can now send emoji-filled text and online messages featuring illustrated boomerangs, the Aboriginal flag and other visual representations of the country's Indigenous culture. As first announced earlier this year, Ingenous Studios has created a set of Indigenous images that are now available to download on both Android and iOS platforms — marking the first such collection of emoji-like symbols that celebrate the nation's first peoples. Called Indigemoji, and originally slated to feature 19 pictures but now spanning a whopping 90, the set was developed on Arrernte land in Mparntwe, aka Alice Springs, by Central Australia's young Aboriginal people. The Northern Territory residents were asked to design new emojis that were relevant to their culture and lives, with symbols that feature the Aboriginal flag on crowns, hands and hearts among them. Other images include animals, plants, landscape, vehicles, faces, gestures and symbols. Each of Indigemoji's images also feature their name the Eastern and Central Arrernte language, which is spoken around Mparntwe/Alice Springs, Amoonguna, Ltyentye Apurte/Santa Teresa and Titjikala. And while the set of symbols features the term 'emoji' in its name, they function as stickers — because getting any new emoji approved by overseeing body Unicode, let alone a set of 90, is an extensive and difficult process. If you're keen to start adding them to your messages, that means that they don't officially feature in your phone's inbuilt emoji keyboard. But, once you download the Indigemoji app from the App Store or Google Play, you can share them to text messages, WhatsApp, Messenger and social media platforms. The Indigemoji app is now available to download from the App Store and Google Play. For further details, visit the Indigemoji website or Facebook page. Image: Ingeous Studios.
Nostalgia alert: The Wiggles are coming to your streaming queue and you won't need to tune into children's programming to watch along. As announced in 2022, the famous Australian entertainers, skivvy fans, Hottest 100 winners, Big Red Car drivers, and Mardi Gras and Falls Festival performers are getting the documentary treatment. Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles arrives on Prime Video in October — and it now has a trailer. This behind-the-scenes look at the globally famous group will tell exactly the tale you think it will, following The Wiggles' career over more than three decades, including the new levels of fame and popularity that 2022 sent their way. Sure, Dorothy the Dinosaur mightn't need an origin story, but OG Wiggles Anthony Field, Murray Cook, Greg Page and Jeff Fatt are getting one, with Sally Aitken (Valerie Taylor: Playing with Sharks, David Stratton: A Cinematic Life) directing. How did four friends become one of the biggest names in Aussie music and TV? This is the tale that Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles tells. First, they met while studying early childhood teaching. Then, they turned their learnings there into a one-off album in the early 90s. After that, they made blue-, red-, yellow- and purple-wearing history, but not without getting rejections aplenty first. Also covered, including via lively to-camera chats as teased in the film's sneak peeks: the decisions and the reactions when four of the original group decided that it was time to wear clothing with looser-fitting necks and step away from being Wiggles. And, the doco covers Page's onstage cardiac arrest — with a crowd of adult fans watching — as well as The Wiggles' evolution over the decades, including now delighting both the young and the young at heart. Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles will arrive on Prime Video on Tuesday, October 24; however, that isn't the film's first stop. Before that, it'll enjoy its world premiere at the first-ever SXSW Sydney, showing as part of the event's Screen Festival. At the fest, The Wiggles in attendance for this trip down memory lane — their own, and everyone in Australia's as well — including for Q&As and performances. Check out the trailer for Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles below. Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles will stream via Prime Video from Tuesday, October 24.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZAQT0jTFuU AMMONITE Looking at an ammonite fossil is like putting your ear up to a seashell: in their ridged spirals, it feels as if a whole new world could exist. In the latter's case, each one is made from the remains of extinct molluscs from millions of years ago, and lingers now as a reminder of a different time and existence, its compact coils encasing all of its secrets. The striking specimens from the past provide the film Ammonite with its title, and with an obvious metaphor as well — but also an apt one that's brought to life with meticulous delicacy. In the second feature from God's Own Country writer/director Francis Lee, the two central characters in this patient yet always evocative 1840s-set romance are the product of centuries of convention and expectation, with society's engrained views about women both weathering away at them and solidifying their place. In a queer love story that once again arises organically in heightened circumstances, dives into a labour-intensive field with a resolute connection to the land, derives an elemental tenor from crucial locations, watches on tenderly as a new arrival upends the status quo and gifts two lonely souls a connection they wouldn't otherwise admit they yearned for, they're also as tightly wound as the historical remnants they tirelessly search for along the craggy, cliff-lined West Dorset coastline. Lee's impeccably cast, exquisitely acted, solemnly beautiful and moving film isn't just the lesbian counterpart to its predecessor, though. While the movies complement each other perfectly, Ammonite unearths its own depths and boasts its own strengths. Lee has made the concerted decision not just to focus on two women, but to fictionalise the relationship between real-life scientists who find solace in each other as they're forced to fight to be seen as anything other than housewives. Living in Lyme Regis with her ailing mother (Gemma Jones, Rocketman), Mary Anning (Kate Winslet, Wonder Wheel) is no one's wife, and doesn't want to be — but, working in the male-dominated realm of palaeontology, she's accustomed to being treated differently to her peers. As a child, she found her first ammonite fossil, which is displayed in the British Museum. Now scraping by running a shop that sells smaller specimens to rich tourists, she hasn't stopped looking for other big discoveries since. When geologist Roderick Murchison (James McArdle, Mary, Queen of Scots) visits Mary's store, however, he's after her services in a different way. In a casual reminder of just how dismissively women are regarded, she's asked to take care of his melancholic wife Charlotte (Saoirse Ronan, Little Women) while he travels abroad for work. Roderick thinks it'll be good for Charlotte to learn from Mary, to get outside daily and to have a sense of purpose, but Mary only agrees for the money. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZQz0rkNajo THE DIG When Ralph Fiennes first trundles across the screen in The Dig, then starts speaking in a thick Suffolk accent, he's in suitably surly mode, as he needs to be. But, playing forthright and hardworking excavator Basil Brown, the adaptable Official Secrets, Hail, Caesar!, Spectre and A Bigger Splash star also flirts with overstatement in his initial scenes. Thankfully, he settles into his role quickly — and this 1939-set drama about an immense real-life archaeological discovery finds its rhythm with him. Hired by Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman) to burrow into what appear to be centuries-old burial mounds on her sprawling estate, Basil doesn't unearth any old find. His kindly employer has always had a feeling about the small hills on her property, she tells him in one of their friendly, leisurely chats, and her instincts prove accurate, sparking national interest. Adapting the 2007 novel of the same name by John Preston, this graceful movie explores Basil's dig, Edith's fight to retain both recognition and the items buried deep in her soil, her increasing health woes, and the keen excitement of her primary school-aged son Robert (Archie Barnes, Patrick). It also follows the circus that kicks up when the British Museum's Charles Phillips (Ken Stott, The Mercy) insists on taking over, and the love triangle that arises between his married employees Stuart (Ben Chaplin, The Children Act) and Peggy Piggott (Lily James, Rebecca) and Edith's airforce-bound cousin Rory Lomax (Johnny Flynn, Emma). Whether you already know the details or you're discovering them for the first time, The Dig tells an astonishing story — and while a mid-20th century archaeological dig mightn't sound like rich and riveting viewing, this fascinating feature proves that notion wrong. As well as its true tale, it benefits from two important decisions: the casting of Mulligan and Fiennes, and the involvement of Australian theatre director-turned-filmmaker Simon Stone. After the anger and raw energy of Promising Young Woman, Mulligan finds power in restraint here. Once Fiennes finds his knack as Basil, he's a source of stoic potency as well. Their scenes together rank among the movie's best, although, making his first movie since 2015's The Daughter, Stone ensures that even the most routine of moments is never dull. The Dig abounds with sun-dappled imagery of Suffolk fields, their green and yellow expanse being carved into one shovel at a time, but it's a gorgeously lensed film in every frame. Stone and cinematographer Mike Eley (who also worked on The White Crow, which was directed by Fiennes) rarely shoot anything within view in the expected manner, resulting in a movie that steps back into the past, chronicles an historical discovery, appears the handsome period part, yet also looks and feels fluid and lively as it ponders the reality that time comes for all things and people. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-0w6yTt3lg MY SALINGER YEAR Cinema's recent obsession with JD Salinger continues, with My Salinger Year joining 2013 documentary Salinger, 2015 drama Coming Through the Rye and 2017 biography Rebel in the Rye. The reclusive The Catcher in the Rye author famously wouldn't permit his acclaimed novel to be adapted for the big screen, and that absence has clearly made the filmmaking world's heart grow fonder in the years since his 2010 death — although, in this case, Joanna Rakoff's 2014 memoir was always bound to get the movie treatment. In 1995, fresh from studying English literature at college and newly arrived in New York to chase her dreams, the wide-eyed aspiring scribe (Margaret Qualley, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) takes an assistant job at one of the city's oldest and most prestigious literary agencies. Landing the role requires lying about her own ambitions, telling her new boss, Margaret (Sigourney Weaver, Ghostbusters), that she isn't trying to become a writer herself. (That's one thing the seasoned agent won't abide; another: any new technology beyond typewriters and telephones.) Joanna soon finds an outlet for her talents, however, when she's asked to reply to Salinger's fan mail. She's advised to send a generic response to the author's aficionados, as has always been the agency's policy, but she's moved to both secretly read and pen personal responses to them instead. French Canadian writer/director Philippe Falardeau's Monsieur Lazhar, from 2011, was one of that year's tender, touching and thoughtful standouts. But My Salinger Year, which opened 2020's Berlinale almost a year before reaching Australian cinemas, is far more perfunctory — making an interesting true story feel far more formulaic as it should. The filmmaker retains a gentle hand, fills his script with affection for the enthusiastic Joanna, and literally gives a voice to those who've been moved by exceptional literature, and yet the end result spins an adult coming-of-age story just pleasantly and affably enough, rather than strikes much of a lasting chord. It also feels slight while proving overstretched, making obvious statements about art and commerce, the past and the future, and the eternal struggle to maintain a personal-professional balance (with Salinger, or Jerry as Margaret calls him, weaved throughout each point). At the same vastly different junctures in their careers as the characters they play, Qualley and Weaver are the feature's obvious highlights, however. They're placed in a well-worn Devil Wears Prada-style relationship, but their back-and-forth provides the film with its spark (and, for Weaver fans, even recalls her Oscar-nominated supporting role in 1988 workplace comedy Working Girl). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35jJNyFuYKQ THE WHITE TIGER Adapted from Aravind Adiga's 2008 Man Booker Prize-winning debut novel, The White Tiger shares an animal metaphor in its name; however, it's another, about roosters and coops, that truly cuts to its core. Like poultry in a cage awaiting slaughter, India's poor are kept in their place as servants, explains protagonist Balram (Adarsh Gourav, Hostel Daze) in the pacy narration that drives the film. At the mercy of cruel and ruthless masters, they're well aware that they're being treated thoughtlessly at best. They watch on as others around them are stuck in compliant lives of drudgery, in fact. But, ever-dutiful, they're unwilling to break free or even defy their employers. That's the life that Balram is supposed to lead, and does for a time — after he ingratiates his way into a driver position for Ashok and Pinky (Bollywood star Rajkummar Rao and Baywatch's Priyanka Chopra Jonas), the American-educated son and New York-raised daughter-in-law of the rich landlord (Mahesh Manjrekar, Slumdog Millionaire) who owns his village and demands a third of all earnings from its residents. The White Tiger starts with a car accident outside Delhi involving Balram, Ashok and Pinky, then unfurls in flashbacks from a slick, unapologetic Balram in the future, so it's immediately apparent that he won't always be kowtowing to those considered above him in his country's strict caste system. It's also evident that his tale, as cheekily told via a letter penned to 2003–13 Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, will take the audience on quite the wild journey. The White Tiger's framing device is a little clumsy, and its overt, blackly comic observations about the wealthy taking advantage of everyone they consider below them aren't new — but this is still a savage, compelling and entertaining film with something smart to say and an engaging way of conveying its central message. Thanks to 2005's Man Push Cart, 2007's Chop Shop and 2015's 99 Homes, Iranian American writer/director Ramin Bahrani is no stranger to street-level stories about everyday folks trying to survive and thrive under capitalism's boot, or to the twisted power dynamics that can ensue in society at large and in close quarters. Accordingly, he's a perfect fit for the material here, and brings a constantly probing eye to the narrative penned by his college classmate Adiga. Also ideal is Gourav. The actor is in excellent company, with Rao and Chopra Jonas each finding multiple layers in their characters' lives of privilege and eagerness to regard Balram as a friend while it suits. But as a bright-eyed but still calculating young man trying to work his way up in the world, and then as a cynical experienced hand who has seen much, endured more and knows how he wants the world to work, Gourav is electrifying. It's a performance that's bound to catapult him into other high-profile roles, and it's also the likeable and empathetic yet also ambitious and slippery portrayal this rollercoaster ride of a story hinges upon. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7OVB-7gjJ0 MUSIC Sia isn't the first musician to try her hand at filmmaking. Music is barely a movie, however. As co-penned with children's author Dallas Clayton, the scantest of cliche-riddled, Rain Man-esque narratives is used to stitch together ten whimsy-dripping musical numbers — packaged as brightly coloured and costumed insights into the unique way in which the film's titular character sees the world, but really just lavish music videos to new Sia-penned songs performed by the feature's cast. And, awash in rainbow hues, surrealistic outfits and jerky, stylised dance moves, these frequent video clips are actually the most subtle parts of the movie. Sia's regular dancer and muse Maddie Ziegler jumps from the singer/songwriter's 'Chandelier' and 'Elastic Heart' videos to play Music, a nonverbal teenager on the autism spectrum, with such pronounced mannerisms that her performances feels like a caricature from her first wide-eyed stare. As the girl's just-sober, on-probation, much-older half-sister Zu (and acting in her first screen role since 2017), Kate Hudson stamps around with a shaved head that's supposed to signify the character's alternative credentials — and, as her character scowls about her new responsibilities to her sibling, drops phrases such as "people pound" and flits around town dealing drugs to fund her dream of starting a yoga commune, she's just as forceful. Music starts with its headphone-wearing namesake's daily routine, which has been carefully established by her grandmother Millie (Mary Kay Place, The Prom), and is maintained with help from the kindly local community. But then tragedy strikes, Zu is called in to look after Music, and she quickly establishes that she knows far less about what she's doing and about her sister than Millie's doting neighbours, such as boxing teacher Ebo (Leslie Odom Jr, a Tony-winner for Hamilton) and building mainstay George (Hector Elizondo, one of Hudson's co-stars in 2016's also abysmal Mother's Day). The movie might bear Music's name, but it tells Zu's story. Controversy swelled around the film when its first trailer dropped in 2020, with Sia called out for the fact that the neurotypical Ziegler isn't from the autistic community — and it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the first-time feature director happily uses Music as a catalyst to spark Zu's growth, rather than as the movie's actual protagonist. Zu's journey involves learning not to resent her sibling or dump her on others (something that should be self-evident) and falling for Ebo, while Music becomes little more than her sidekick. By the time that Sia shows up, playing a version of herself and purchasing pills from Zu to send to Haiti as an act of charity, Music has already outstayed its welcome; however, her brief on-screen appearance hammers home not just the film's indulgence, but the fact that the movie is really just an advertisement for a concept album above all else. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjLnk8YriCQ SHADOW IN THE CLOUD In Shadow in the Cloud, a passenger on a plane spies a gremlin peering at them from outside the aircraft — and science fiction fans will know that in 1963 with William Shatner, in 1983 with John Lithgow and in 2019 with Adam Scott, The Twilight Zone got there first. The second of those instances, in Twilight Zone: The Movie, was produced by filmmaker John Landis. In what's hardly a coincidence, the script for Shadow in the Cloud is co-credited to Landis' controversial son Max (Chronicle, American Ultra). Plenty of details have been changed here, with the second feature from director and co-writer Roseanne Liang (My Wedding and Other Secrets) set in 1943, primarily taking place on a B-17 bomber from Auckland to Samoa and focusing on Flight Officer Maude Garrett (Chloë Grace Moretz, Greta). From the outset, the film also endeavours to draw attention to gender politics. After its airborne scenes, it gets gleefully absurd, too. Still, after some initial intrigue, Shadow in the Cloud kicks into gear with a been-there, seen-that air that can't be shaken, even as the movie tries to fly into over-the-top B-movie territory. It doesn't help that, while endeavouring to mixing feminist sentiments with gonzo genre flourishes, it spends far too much time letting men voice their utter surprise that a woman could be caught up in this narrative. Those comments echo as Maude sits in the ball turret hanging beneath the aircraft. She's hitching a ride with an all-male crew (including The Outpost's Taylor John Smith, Hawaii Five-O's Beulah Koale, Love, Simon's Nick Robinson, Operation Buffalo's Benedict Wall and Avengers: Endgame's Callan Mulvey) for a secret mission that she isn't allowed to let them in on, and they're none too happy about the situation. So, that's the only space they're willing to give her. They're content to chatter away obnoxiously about her, though, and to dismiss her worries as hysterics when she spies a critter wreaking havoc outside. This part of the picture is enough to give viewers whiplash. In the tension-dripping creature-feature tradition, and as a Twilight Zone remake, Maude's experiences during the flight are the film's best. If her anxiety-riddled time with the gremlin had been stretched out to movie-length and packaged with example after example of how society overlooks women, they could've had real bite, too. And yet, the way the movie's sexist dialogue is used to make a girl-power point proves near-excruciatingly clunky and cliched, rather than clever or meaningful. Imbalance plagues the film over and over, actually — as evidenced in the 80s-style synth score that sounds great but doesn't quite fit, its constant tonal shifts, Moretz's performance, and the overall feeling that the movie thinks it has nailed the combination of out-there and astute. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; September 3, September 10, September 17 and September 24; October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22 and October 29; and November 5, November 12, November 19 and November 26; and December 3, December 10, December 17, December 26; and January 1 and January 7. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin, Peninsula, Tenet, Les Misérables, The New Mutants, Bill & Ted Face the Music, The Translators, An American Pickle, The High Note, On the Rocks, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Antebellum, Miss Juneteenth, Savage, I Am Greta, Rebecca, Kajillionaire, Baby Done, Corpus Christi, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, The Craft: Legacy, Radioactive, Brazen Hussies, Freaky, Mank, Monsoon, Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt), American Utopia, Possessor, Misbehaviour, Happiest Season, The Prom, Sound of Metal, The Witches, The Midnight Sky, The Furnace, Wonder Woman 1984, Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles, Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman and Summerland.
Given its title, Avengers: Endgame was always going to feel like a finale. Marvel's huge superhero blockbuster wasn't just the sequel to Avengers: Infinity War, complete with the eagerly awaited response to the snap heard around the movie-loving world, but marked the penultimate film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's third phase. It also said goodbye to a few beloved characters, and left viewers uncertain about the future — because, while Spider-Man: Far From Home was always going to arrive afterwards to cap off the current portion of the now 11-year, 23-title saga, no films beyond this point had been officially announced. Until now, that is. With San Diego Comic-Con in full swing — and dropping trailers to everything from Cats and IT: Chapter Two to The Witcher and Snowpiercer quicker than fans can probably watch them — Marvel has finally unveiled just what it'll be thrusting in front of audience's eyeballs for the next few years. Almost of all of its just-revealed titles were already known in some shape or form, primarily due to casting news, the hiring of certain directors and the programming slated for Disney's new streaming platform, Disney+. Now, it's all 100-percent confirmed. On the big screen, cinema-goers will have a bit of a break from Marvel's huge franchise until May 2020, when Black Widow will drop — giving Scarlett Johansson's character a long-awaited solo movie, with the prequel helmed by Australian Cate Shortland (Berlin Syndrome), and co-starring Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Rachel Weisz and Ray Winstone. It'll be followed by The Eternals in November, which'll focus on a species of humanity that originally created sentient life. The Rider's Chloe Zhao sits in the director's chair, while Angelina Jolie, Kumail Nanjiani, Richard Madden, Salma Hayek and Brian Tyree Henry star. Come 2021, fans have three films to look forward to, starting with newcomer Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in February. Marvel's first Asian-led flick, it focuses on the Master of Kung Fu, boasting Short Term 12's Destin Daniel Cretton behind the lens, and is led by Simu Liu (Kim's Convenience) as the titular character, as well as Hong Kong great Tony Leung and Awkwafina. Next arrives two massive sequels: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which hits in May, and Thor: Love and Thunder, which'll bow in November. Benedict Cumberbatch and Benedict Wong will return to the former, alongside filmmaker Scott Derrickson, and with Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlett Witch also popping up. As for the latter, it'll once again bless viewers with the combo of Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, which is what everyone wants after Thor: Ragnarok (and even after Men In Black: International, too). Even better — Taika Waititi is back as both the film's writer and director (and, presumably, as Korg as well). Natalie Portman will also be making her return to the franchise, with her character Jane Foster becoming the female Thor. Marvel will also be making a new Blade film starring Mahershala Ali as the undead vampire hunter, plus sequels to Black Panther, Captain Marvel and Spider-Man: Far From Home, as well as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Now that Disney — which owns Marvel — also owns Fox, it'll try its hand at another take on the Fantastic Four, as well as a new strand of X-Men movies. Here's hoping the last two improve on their most recent predecessors. If that's not enough caped crusader antics, a heap of Marvel's previously announced Disney+ series now have release windows. In August 2020, you'll be able to binge on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, focusing on Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan's characters. Then, 2021 will bring WandaVision (about Olsen's Scarlett Witch and Paul Bettany's Vision), Loki (complete with Tom Hiddleston) and Hawkeye (about Jeremy Renner's arrow-slinger, and introducing comics character Kate Bishop). Via: Marvel Studios / IndieWire / The Verge. Top image: Avengers: Infinity War. Marvel Studios 2018.
Each year on January 26 triple j put a mortgage on Australia's airwaves, pumping out the best 100 tracks from the previous year as voted by their listeners in the world's largest annual music poll. The station is one of the only non-commercial national youth radio networks anywhere in the world, and places a real focus on uncovering and supporting the best Australian talent, providing a soundtrack to many a misspent youth in the process. So it was with great excitement that listeners awaited results in triple j's inaugural Hottest 100 Australian Records of All Time this past weekend. The results provided us with some interesting factoids, and after the 47,000 votes were counted, the top gong went to Powderfinger's Odyssey Number 5. At the time of its release in 2001, the album sold more than 500,000 copies and spent almost two years weeks on the ARIA Charts, winning six ARIAs in 2001, including Album of the Year and Single of the Year for 'My Happiness'. Our personal picks for the Top Ten at Concrete Playground HQ are: 1. Since I Left You – The Avalanches 2. Frogstomp – Silverchair 3. Crowded House – Crowded House 4. Back In Black – AC/DC 5. Kick – INXS 6. Unit – Regurgitator 7. 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 – Midnight Oil 8. Lovers – The Sleepy Jackson 9. In Ghost Colours – Cut Copy 10. Human Frailty – Hunters & Collectors The full Hottest 100 Australian Albums of All Time list is as follows: 1. Odyssey Number 5 – Powderfinger 2. Frogstomp – Silverchair 3. Back In Black – AC/DC 4. The Living End – The Living End 5. Kick – INXS 6. Internationalist – Powderfinger 7. Apocalypso – The Presets 8. Wolfmother – Wolfmother 9. Since I Left You – The Avalanches 10. Unit – Regurgitator 11. Like Drawing Blood – Gotye 12. Guide to Better Living – Grinspoon 13. Crowded House – Crowded House 14. Vulture Street – Powderfinger 15. Slightly Odway – Jebediah 16. The Hard Road – Hilltop Hoods 17. Eternal Nightcap – The Whitlams 18. Woodface – Crowded House 19. Innerspeaker – Tame Impala 20. Conditions – The Temper Trap 21. 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 – Midnight Oil 22. Diorama – Silverchair 23. The Calling – Hilltop Hoods 24. Sunrise Over Sea – The John Butler Trio 25. Get Born – Jet 26. Hourly, Daily – You Am I 27. Neon Ballroom – Silverchair 28. The Cat Empire – The Cat Empire 29. The Sound of White – Missy Higgins 30. Themata – Karnivool 31. Down the Way – Angus & Julia Stone 32. Universes – Birds of Tokyo 33. Diesel and Dust – Midnight Oil 34. Memories & Dust – Josh Pyke 35. Hi Fi Way – You Am I 36. In Ghost Colours – Cut Copy 37. Highly Evolved – The Vines 38. A Book Like This – Angus & Julia Stone 39. Birds of Tokyo – Birds of Tokyo 40. Echolalia – Something for Kate 41. Double Allergic – Powderfinger 42. East – Cold Chisel 43. Freak Show – Silverchair 44. Tu-Plang – Regurgitator 45. Sound Awake – Karnivool 46. Walking On A Dream – Empire Of The Sun 47. Black Fingernails, Red Wine – Eskimo Joe 48. Ivy and the Big Apples – Spiderbait 49. Whispering Jack – John Farnham 50. The New Normal – Cog 51. I Believe You Liar – Washington 52. Murder Ballads – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds 53. Three – The John Butler Trio 54. Tea & Sympathy – Bernard Fanning 55. Blue Sky Mining – Midnight Oil 56. Bliss Release – Cloud Control 57. The Honeymoon Is Over – The Cruel Sea 58. New Detention – Grinspoon 59. As Day Follows Night – Sarah Blasko 60. We Are Born – Sia 61. Hold Your Colour – Pendulum 62. Cruel Guards – The Panics 63. Grand National – The John Butler Trio 64. Polyserena – George 65. Cold Chisel – Cold Chisel 66. Running on Air – Bliss N Eso 67. Flying Colours – Bliss N Eso 68. The Experiment – Art vs. Science 69. Gossip – Paul Kelly and The Coloured Girls 70. Young Modern – Silverchair 71. Beams – The Presets 72. Beautiful Sharks – Something For Kate 73. Highway To Hell – AC/DC 74. The Overture & The Underscore – Sarah Blasko 75. Living In The 70s – Skyhooks 76. Human Frailty – Hunters & Collectors 77. Immersion – Pendulum 78. Lovers – The Sleepy Jackson 79. Gravity Won't Get You High – The Grates 80. (I'm) Stranded – The Saints 81. Feeler – Pete Murray 82. Up All Night – The Waifs 83. Wonder – Lisa Mitchell 84. 16 Lovers Lane – The Go-Betweens 85. State Of The Art – Hilltop Hoods 86. This Is The Warning – Dead Letter Circus 87. A Song Is A City – Eskimo Joe 88. Imago – The Butterfly Effect 89. Pnau – Pnau 90. The Long Now – Children Collide 91. Gilgamesh – Gypsy & The Cat 92. A Man's Not A Camel – Frenzal Rhomb 93. Moo, You Bloody Choir – Augie March 94. Everything Is True – Paul Dempsey 95. Stoneage Romeos – Hoodoo Gurus 96. Paging Mr. Strike – Machine Gun Fellatio 97. Begins Here – The Butterfly Effect 98. The Boatman's Call – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds 99. Thrills, Kills & Sunday Pills – Grinspoon 100. Two Shoes – The Cat Empire https://youtube.com/watch?v=8fBbKtq_Li8
Two years after stressing out Joaquin Phoenix in Beau Is Afraid, Ari Aster has more tension and chaos in store for the Oscar-winning actor in Eddington, the writer/director's next film. The pair reunite for a trip back to 2020, to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to the movie's eponymous New Mexico location as it attempts to cope with the abrupt change to life as its citizens know it. Phoenix (Joker: Folie à Deux) portrays the small town's sheriff — and, like almost everyone at the time, he's not adverse to whiling away his hours doomscrolling, as the feature's just-dropped first trailer illustrates. What awaits Sheriff Joe Cross as he flicks through social media? Clips of himself, of the charismatic Vernon Jefferson Peak (Austin Butler, The Bikeriders) preaching, of Joe's wife Louise (Emma Stone, Kinds of Kindness) contradicting one of his announcements, of Mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us) running for re-election and more. "If you value your life, you should think twice because the people at Eddington like guns," says Phoenix utters as Joe early in the debut trailer. "Your pain is not a coincidence. You are not a coincidence. We are not a coincidence," advises Butler as Peak in the clip that the sheriff scrolls to next. The storyline: putting Joe and the mayor on a collision course, which unsurprisingly causes ripples throughout Eddington, in a tale that's set to see townsfolk clash in a period that we all know couldn't have been more heightened and stressful. Aster is back cultivating unease, then, as he did so expertly in Hereditary in 2018, then Midsommar in 2019, then Beau Is Afraid in 2023. Alongside Phoenix, Butler, Stone and Pascal, the acclaimed filmmaker has enlisted Luke Grimes (Yellowstone), Deirdre O'Connell (The Penguin) and Micheal Ward (Empire of Light) to help among his cast. Eddington is premiering at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in May, screening in the prestigious event's official competition, before hitting US cinemas in July — but doesn't yet have a Down Under release date. Check out the trailer for Eddington below: Eddington releases in US cinemas on Friday, July 18, 2025 — we'll update you with an Australian release date when one is announced.
A trip to the cinema can brighten up the bleakest of days — and while it's a safe (and often enjoyable) choice to flock to the flicks you know have mass rave reviews, sometimes it's nice to get stuck into a film that hasn't garnered loud critical acclaim. Superheroes, franchises, sequels and remakes are all well and good, but there's a wealth of features gracing screens near you that don't always fall into those categories. They're the under-seen and often under-sung gems, and they're some of 2016's most rewarding, entertaining and engaging viewing. To help you catch up on a year's worth of great cinema, we're put together rundown of the ten 2016 best movies that box office figures tell us you probably missed. Have a few to catch up on? Don't worry — you can't spend all year purely watching films. Besides, that's what summer holidays are for. GREEN ROOM If you only see one movie featuring Patrick Stewart as a fascist heavy metal club owner, make it Jeremy Saulnier's follow-up to the criminally under-seen Blue Ruin. The actor also known as Jean-Luc Picard and Professor Xavier will send chills down your spine — but there's a just as impressive bunch of actors trying to fend him off. As the title suggests, much of Green Room takes place backstage, where Anton Yelchin, Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat and their band stumble across something they shouldn't have. Prepare to feel uneasy as you watch this violent, claustrophobic thriller. And prepare to appreciate Yelchin's many talents for one of the last times. SING STREET Lightning strikes not just twice but thrice for Irish filmmaker John Carney; with Once and Begin Again also on his resume, he's clearly on a roll. Sing Street is another music-focused outing, this time following a teenage band in the 1980s — and adolescent hopes and dreams have rarely been so charming. From the original songs you'll immediately have stuck in your head, to the loveable cast of Irish newcomers, Carney doesn't make a wrong move. We predict that, in years to come, this will join all the usual actual '80s efforts on your repeat-viewing list. TUNNEL Zombie effort Train to Busan wasn't the only ace action-oriented film South Korea gifted audiences this year. Tunnel might've received much less attention, but if you like watching tense disaster efforts, people trying to claw their way out a crumbled structure and/or bureaucratic bungling, then this is the movie for you. Sure, you probably think you've seen it all before — but thanks to A Hard Day director Kim Seong-hun, prepare yourself for one of the most well-rounded examples of the genre to grace cinema screens. Indeed, Tunnel succeeds on three fronts: making its life-or-death scenario feel urgent and immediate, fleshing out its characters and garnering a genuine emotional impact. MAGGIE'S PLAN Maggie's Plan isn't a sequel to Frances Ha by any means, but it is the next best thing. Writer/director Rebecca Miller guides Greta Gerwig through another idiosyncratic existence, this time as a single woman keen to jump into motherhood — and not at all concerned that she's not in a relationship. Gerwig once again shines in the kind of role she's made her own, with excellent support from Ethan Hawke, Julianne Moore, Maya Rudolph and Bill Hader. What makes the film truly stand out though, is its acceptance of life's ups and downs. You'll laugh, you'll smile, and you'll nod in agreement many, many times while watching. THE FITS Among its many, many merits, The Fits proves that bigger isn't always better. In fact, in her first fiction feature, writer/director Anna Rose Holmer makes the most of every one of the film's 72 minutes. Within such a brief running time, she packs in a beguiling narrative set in the world of drill dance, as 11-year-old Toni (first-timer Royalty Hightower, who puts in an astonishing performance) joins a local squad just as her teammates start mysteriously fainting. Both forms of movement are integral in the way Holmer tells her tale — in fact, The Fits is one of the best examples of blending style and story in recent years. CHASING ASYLUM Even when you're an Oscar and Emmy Award-winning producer, making a documentary about Australia's treatment of asylum seekers isn't easy. There's a sense of danger that just doesn't dissipate in Eva Orner's Chasing Asylum, whether you're getting a glimpse of the conditions experienced by refugees detained in offshore facilities, or following the efforts of staff to secretly capture the film's footage. And while Orner's viewpoint is never in doubt, it's supported by an illuminating array of interviews and context-providing background information. Still, the on-the-ground material speaks for itself, and makes Chasing Asylum must-see viewing. SHIN GODZILLA He's big, scaly and has been wreaking havoc on Japan since the 1950s — and now he's back. Yes, he's none other than Godzilla, and his latest big screen venture provides him with a welcome return to the monster movie fold. Forget the terrible 1998 effort starring Matthew Broderick, and the better but still less-than-stellar 2014 film, because this is how a modern Godzilla flick should be made. Nodding to the past and finding a new way forward, Shin Godzilla is a kaiju flick that knows how to balance size and spectacle with societal commentary and human drama. LOOKING FOR GRACE There's a fine line between ordinary and odd in Looking for Grace, but that applies to the situation its characters find themselves in, rather than the film. Indeed, in trying to explore that very idea, writer/director Sue Brooks offers up an offbeat but insightful take on dramatic family antics, as told across non-linear chapters. And, she has enlisted a fantastic cast to help relate the efforts of a runaway teenage girl, her distraught parents and the retired cop called in to assist. The Daughter's Odessa Young once again proves a star in the making, Richard Roxburgh is a delight and Radha Mitchell shows off her comic timing. HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS After watching Hello, My Name Is Doris, wanting to grow up to become Sally Field's eponymous character is completely understandable. She might only be finding her way in the world at an advanced age and after the death of her mother, but Doris has something most people can only dream of: a genuine willingness to step outside of her comfort zone and try new things. That's why, as the film that bears her name charts her new affection for a much, much younger colleague (Max Greenfield), it never feels less than sweet and sensitive. Writer/director Michael Showalter also penned and starred in Wet Hot American Summer, which should give you an idea of the movie's slightly offbeat vibe. TRUMAN Reunited friends, an encroaching separation, a cute pet pooch that needs a new home — as far as tear-jerking clichés go, Truman appears to hit the jackpot. Of course, appearances can be deceiving, as proves the case here. One of the greatest skills in filmmaking and storytelling is making seemingly well-worn tales and components explore new depths, traverse different territory and earn their emotional response. In a quiet, gentle fashion, Cesc Gay's modest but moving musing on life and love, along with Ricardo Darín and Javier Cámara's finessed performances, manages to do just that.
Over the past few years, Melbourne's famed floating bar has become a summer staple — because soaking in the warm weather and partying on the Yarra clearly go hand-in-hand. That wont't change in 2019, with Arbory Afloat set to return once more. This time, it's coming back even sooner. Arbory Afloat, which made its debut in 2015, will reclaim its prime position in front of on-shore sister venue Arbory Bar & Eatery on the Yarra from mid-September. While the exact launch date hasn't yet been revealed, it will hit the water earlier than last year, which already marked a significant extension to its season. That's not the only change in store, either. As part of its annual revamp, the temporary bar and restaurant is taking inspiration from Miami — which means palm trees, pastel blue and pink hues, art-deco touches and a 70s vibe. To complete the picture, the floating bar has extended its upper deck to feature more dining and lounging space, plus private cabanas. And, if that's not enough, there'll also be an onboard swimming pool. Chef Nick Bennett has again designed the menu, which is inspired by all things Latin American, including the Caribbean, Cuba and Mexico. A woodfired pizza oven will once more take pride of place in the open kitchen, pumping out American-style pizzas.You'll also be able to tuck into grilled meats, empanadas and lots of seafood — think oysters, ceviche and anchovies. Would it be a visit to Miami without cocktails? We think not. Luckily, there'll be plenty. Patrons will also be able to sip their way through an extended rum menu, peruse a curated gin offering or opt for one of the many spritzes on offer. Find Arbory Afloat at Flinders Landing from mid-September. We'll update you with exact dates when they come to hand. Images: Simon Shiff
Wes Anderson movies and Marvel films generally have little in common, but one fact remains true about both: they know how to stack a cast (sometimes with the same talents). The Phoenician Scheme, the latest from cinema's foremost fan of symmetry and pastels, is a case in point for the former. Benicio del Toro (Reptile) stars, joined by everyone from Mia Threapleton (The Buccaneers, and also Kate Winslet's daughter) and Michael Cera (Christmas Even in Miller's Point) to Riz Ahmed (Fingernails), Tom Hanks (Here), Bryan Cranston (The Studio), Mathieu Amalric (Why War), Richard Ayoade (Dream Productions), Jeffrey Wright (The Agency), Scarlett Johansson (Fly Me to the Moon), Benedict Cumberbatch (Eric), Rupert Friend (Companion) and Hope Davis (Succession). Many of the above actors are Anderson regulars but, as the just-dropped trailer for The Phoenician Scheme shows, the writer/director never puts his ensemble to work in the same way twice. This time, he's enlisted his all-star roster to tell another of his tales of family chaos — one officially badged "the story of a family and a family business" — revolving around del Toro as Zsa-zsa Korda, one of Europe's richest men. Korda, an "international businessman" and "maverick in the fields of armaments and aviation", has nine sons and a daughter. The latter, Liesl (Threapleton), is a nun — and, as the first look at The Phoenician Scheme outlines, also newly appointed the sole heir to his estate despite not having seen her father for six years. Korda has his reasons. He also has a land and sea infrastructure scheme that's the "most important project" of his lifetime, plus the attention of rebels determined to get in his way however possible. Anderson's new movie doesn't just have a trailer — it has a date with cinemas soon. After it likely plays at this year's Cannes Film Festival, it will release Down Under on Thursday, May 29, 2025. The Phoenician Scheme marks the filmmaker's first project since 2023's Anderson bonanza, when Asteroid City hit cinemas and Oscar-winner The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar went straight to streaming alongside fellow shorts The Swan, The Rat Catcher and Poison. While the writer/director penned the script for The Phoenician Scheme solo, he reunited with Roman Coppola, another of his frequent collaborators — see: The Darjeeling Limited, Moonrise Kingdom, Isle of Dogs, The French Dispatch and Asteroid City — on its story. Check out the first trailer for The Phoenician Scheme below: The Phoenician Scheme opens in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, May 29, 2025.
If you subscribe to the motto of 'go big, or go home' when it comes to Christmas decorations, here's your excuse to hightail it out to Geelong this festive season. The dazzling Christmas Festival of Lights is returning to Adventure Park Geelong for its 2022 instalment, blazing bright from Friday, November 18–Sunday, January 1, 2023. Pegged to be the largest Christmas lights display in the entire state — and the family-friendly fest's biggest to date — it's set to feature more than three million lights and 1000 colourful light installations. The Geelong theme park will come alive most nights (November 18–19, November 25–December 24, December 26-January 1), with its main attraction being a two-kilometre walking trail weaving right through the luminous festive light shows. There'll also be rides for young and old, Santa visits, craft stations, and a swag of live entertainment ranging from roving Christmas carolers to an interactive acrobatic show. Plus, while you wander, you can tap into more of that festive spirit with a variety of food truck eats and Christmas-themed cocktails. Ticketing for the fest is based on height — kids under 90cm will get in for free, while punters between 90–120cm will pay $32.50 and those above 120cm can enter for $39.50.
Back in simpler times, say about 30 years ago, it felt like every special occasion was topped off with a slice of Viennetta. Call it nostalgia, but this frozen treat seemed like the height of culinary indulgence, at least compared to the usual scoop of the most generic Neapolitan ice cream imaginable. However, things have changed in the world of dessert, especially since serious ice creameries like Gelato Messina hit the big time. Now that most of us have somewhat higher expectations when it comes to rounding out our meals, inspired creations like the Milo Messinetta offer a throwback bite with a lot more quality. Conceived as the ultimate Aussie summer dessert — and playing on the once-loved Viennetta — the experts at Messina have teamed up with the malt-based favourite to serve a reimagined frozen dessert featuring Milo gelato layered with Milo fudge and chunks of baked Milo cheesecake, finished with Milo crème chantilly. As malty as it sounds, the Milo Messinetta is available for pre-order online from Tuesday, October 14, or for pick up in stores from Friday, October 17–Sunday, October 19. For those seeking even more Messina-Milo goodness, the crew has also whipped up a decadent Milo Dinosaur Sundae for its Keng Eng Kee collaboration.
Future Totoros and Ponyos may not eventuate; Studio Ghibli have announced a hiatus to their animation feature film department. Surrounded by rumours of an outright closure, Studio Ghibli's general manager, Toshio Suzuki, announced the movements on Japanese television today as a "brief pause". Responsible for the likes of Spirited Away, Grave of the Fireflies, Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, Ponyo and My Neighbour Totoro among many, many other beloved tales, the animation studio is reassessing its filmic future. The news comes just under a year after legendary, Oscar-winning director Hayao Miyazaki announced his retirement in September 2013 and released his final film The Wind Rises in February this year. Differing translations of Suzuki's announcement caused minor havoc online (notably fuelled by so-called Ghibli insiders at Japanese website News Cafe and subsequently quashed by Kotaku). Although most thought the studio was closing its doors for good, newer, more accurate translations cleared things up. "On what to do with Studio Ghibli’s future, it is by no means impossible to keep producing [movies] forever," said Suzuki on the TBS program Jonetsu Tairiku. "However, we will take a brief pause to consider where to go from here." Producer and co-founder Suzuki stepped into Miyazaki's shoes and became general manager when the director retired from Ghibli last year, joining forces with other Studio half, director Isao Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies). So why is Ghibli shutting up shop? It seems to be a matter of money, a fair reason to reassess in a Michael Bay-peppered, box office landscape. According to Anime News Network, Studio Ghibli's latest film,When Marnie Was There opened at number three over the first weekend (July 19 - 20) with 378,790,697 yen (US$3,721,297) on 461 screens. That seems like a whole bunch, but the international market isn't so kind to arthouse-designated Ghibli. Marnie is set to hit US cinemas some time next year, with Australian release dates still TBC. Ghibli haven't covered up their financial struggle, most notably considering 2013's The Tale of Princess Kaguya a flop with tiny box office numbers (a huge step down from 2002's Acadamy Award-winning hit Spirited Away, which took US$274,925,095 worldwide). Suzuki said the studio is considering "housecleaning" or restructuring internally. While this doesn't entirely rule out a future shutdown, it seems the pause is centred around rebuilding the studio, managing copyrights and trademarks and possibly freelancing out projects — a good sign for Ghibli fans. But Kotaku has assured fans that Studio Ghibli is not dead yet, so we'll keep those good vibes delivered via Kiki and keep fingers crossed. Via Anime News Network, Kotaku and Hypable.
If you prefer your overnight getaways with a healthy dose of wildlife thrown into the mix, Sydney's newest eco-retreat will be right up your alley — because it's located smack-bang in the middle of Taronga Zoo. Officially opening today — Thursday, October 10 — the Wildlife Retreat at Taronga is offering the ultimate sleepover with Sydney's biggest animals. Currently you can glamp overnight at the zoo as part of the Roar and Snore experience, but this is the zoo's first permanent accommodation offering. The impressive new structure is the work of acclaimed Australian studio Cox Architecture, and sees five lodges built into the zoo's bushland. There are 62 designer suites all up, with choices of harbour, bush, animal or treetop views. Best of all, the sounds and sights of Mother Nature will be literally out your front door — the retreat is located in a sanctuary where koalas, wallabies, red kangaroos, echidnas and platypus live. So you can wander out to spot some at your own leisure, or else join a tour of a still-quiet zoo at sunrise. The retreat is, importantly, located on Cammeraigal country, and we're told that Taronga worked with Cammeraigal Traditional Custodian Professor Dennis Foley and Gurindji Woolwonga woman Susan Moylan-Coombs to ensure that guests have access to information on local Indigenous history and culture. [caption id="attachment_745450" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The view from the restaurant, Me-Gal.[/caption] Food is set to be another big drawcard here, as the retreat also boasts a new restaurant, Me-Gal (the Cammeraigal word for 'tears'). It's dishing up an Aussie-accented offering centred around local produce and native ingredients — think Fraser Island spanner crab with fried saltbush, and NSW beef with king oyster mushrooms. As you have probably gathered, rooms at the Wildlife Retreat at Taronga don't come cheap. Rates start from $790 per night for two adults, which includes the two-course dinner, breakfast, general admission to Taronga Zoo, and a some very cute encounters Australian animals. But, as well as a pretty unique experience, your cash will go towards a good cause. As the retreat is owned and operated by non-profit Taronga Conservation Society Australia, each stay at the retreat will contribute to helping the zoo caring for its animals, as well as contributing to conservation and education programs across Australia. The retreat will no doubt be a drawcard for international tourists, but would make for a great night away for a special occasion where you really want to splash out. The Wildlife Retreat at Taronga is now open at Taronga Zoo Bradleys Head Road, Mosman. You can book now here.
Tucked between soaring hotels and office buildings, Pepe's Italian & Liquor's faded red-brick facade and entangled coral tree are hard to miss on Exhibition Street. This heritage-listed spot was originally constructed as a synagogue in the mid-1800s, serving numerous purposes until 2007, when restaurateur Nick Kutcher transformed the site into Trunk. After 12 impressive years, it was time for a change, so Pepe's Italian & Liquor moved in with Italo-American cuisine. Now, the latest evolution is here, as Pepe's Parlour is ready to launch right next door. Conceived as a more casual sister venue, Pepe's Parlour is set to become a go-to lunch spot for hearty sandwiches, healthy plates and a stellar martini list. Plus, its after-dark ambience is bound to prove popular with cocktail-lovers. With the OG venue taking cues from New York's golden age — think burgundy banquettes and a 13-metre zinc-topped bar — Pepe's Parlour offers a similarly sophisticated old-world vibe that doesn't skimp on the colour or fun. "We wanted to create somewhere that feels special but never stuffy," says Kutcher. "By day, it's the perfect spot for a catch-up lunch that feels like an occasion. By night, it's all about martinis and good vibes — the kind of place where every occasion feels like a celebration." With Kutcher collaborating with local creative agency Projects of Imagination, the venue didn't miss the chance to highlight its most enchanting natural feature. Inside a glasshouse, beneath its 150-year-old coral tree, marble-topped round tables and green leopard-print garden chairs adorn a sunlit dining room. The interconnected martini bar brings a moody juxtaposition, featuring timber panelling, velvety bar seating and chic table lamps. Look up to find the domed ceiling covered in a striking tomato mural by renowned artist Jordy Van Den Nieuwendijk. Head Chef Antonio Loffredo has shaped a tight, elegant lunch menu in lockstep with the design. Ciabatta baked fresh daily in a custom brick oven forms the basis for a selection of Italian-style sandwiches, such as porchetta, eggplant parm and chicken cacciatore dip. Then, a pair of baked pastas — spicy vodka rigatoni, and baby ricotta and salami cannelloni — makes ordering simple. Meanwhile, six lunch plates balance a hero protein (or vegan-friendly option) with three sides, like cured Aperol salmon with half avocado and pistachio pesto green beans, and roasted eggplant with cashew cheese and charred broccolini. Once the day has passed, Pepe's Parlour shifts up the mood as it transforms into a martini bar. Sophisticated but approachable, lighthearted indulgence defines the drinks menu, with playful riffs on classic martini spin-offs like the pornstar, Mexican and appletini. There are signature options too, like the Jordy's Tomato, which pays tribute to the venue's mural by combining a classic martini with a subtle tomato flavour. With each drink served with complimentary nuts and olives, you're also welcome to order from Pepe's neighbouring restaurant menu. Timelessly chic, this CBD joint is a bellissimo choice for a martini-soaked afternoon or late-night meal.
Two hundred years ago, New York City expected a flood about once a century. These days, however, it’s looking more like one every three to five years. That’s largely because a significant sea level rise has reduced lower Manhattan’s seawall to a height of just 1.75 metres. So a design team by the name of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has dreamed up a possible solution. Titled Big U, it’s a 16 kilometre-long frontier of parks that would wrap around Manhattan. Not only would it provide protection from flooding, it would also create more spaces for community interaction and art. “In the history of New York with the legacy of Robert Moses, most of the infrastructure — whether that’s highways or parks — have generally been imposed without a lot of regard for existing community fabric,” Big U head honcho Jeremy Siegel told Fast Co.Exist. “If you’re going to be investing so much money into an infrastructure for resiliency — that’s going to be sitting along one of the most spectacular coastlines in the world — there’s a huge opportunity there to also improve civic infrastructure, so it can protect the city, but also become a platform for civic life.” Beginning at West 57th Street and stretching as far as East 42nd street, Big U would create a series of independent flood protection zones. So the sections could be constructed one-by-one, in response to resource availability. It also means that, were flooding to occur in one area, it could be locally managed. “It’s a little bit like the hull of a ship,” Siegel explains, “where you’ve got different segments, and breaching one area doesn’t necessarily mean that the whole system fails.” The design would involve raising the land, which would then double-up as extra park space, and building ‘flippable walls’. If water were to rush in, they would flip down, creating a barrier; on the other hand, when flipped up, they would showcase murals. There’s also a possible plan to transform a Coast Guard admin building into a combo museum and school, including an educational “reverse aquarium”, which would protrude into New York Harbor, affording views of rising water levels. Big U is a finalist in the US Department of Housing and Urban Development's Rebuild by Design Competition, created in response to structural and environmental vulnerabilities exposed by Hurricane Sandy. Via Fast Company.
There's a difference between embracing the fantastical and making fantasy. As a book since 2018, then a stage production and now a seven-part Netflix series, Boy Swallows Universe knows how to fly in the first direction without becoming the second. Author and journalist Trent Dalton spins a semi-autobiographical 80s-set story, which surveys his childhood and its challenges with clear eyes, but also brims with hope and zero judgement. That's protagonist Eli Bell's (Felix Cameron, Penguin Bloom) approach to everything, including his recovering addict mother Frankie (Phoebe Tonkin, Babylon), his heroin-dealing stepfather Lyle Orlik (Travis Fimmel, Black Snow), his alcoholic and agoraphobic dad Robert (Simon Baker, Limbo), and his elder brother Gus (Lee Tiger Halley, The Heights), who hasn't spoken since a traumatic incident in the siblings' past. It's also how he sees family friend, babysitter, father figure, and no-nonsense but supportive source of wisdom Slim Halliday, as played by Australian acting icon Bryan Brown in Boy Swallows Universe's leap to the screen. The character is one of Dalton's great inclusions and, as with much in the novel, doesn't merely stem from Dalton's imagination. The name, that he spent decades in the Queensland capital's Boggo Road Gaol for the death of a taxi driver, his multiple escapes from the notorious prison: they're all 100-percent real. So is the fact that the young Dalton knew the convicted murderer when he was a boy growing up in Brisbane's west. Casting Brown is like most talent choices in Boy Swallows Universe: a dream pick. Chatting with Concrete Playground about the part and the Brisbane-made series, he's full of praise about Cameron as 12-year-old force-of-nature Eli. "He's a fabulous young kid and he's done a fabulous job," he advises. But Brown's own inclusion, like Tonkin, Fimmel, Baker, Halley, Totally Completely Fine's Zac Burgess as the older Eli, Talk to Me's Sophie Wilde's as Caitlyn Spies and more, is just as pitch-perfect. To Eli, Slim is a man with answers, encouragement and no sugarcoating — someone who believes in him, wants the best for him, but won't skip over life's realities. Try to picture an Aussie actor who'd nail the role and Brown is alone in springing to mind. Boy Swallows Universe joins his almost five-decade-long resume, at a time when Brown jokes that "someone asking me to do a job now is quite a good thing". In the past five months, he's been on-screen almost constantly — in fellow streaming series C*A*U*G*H*T, the recut of Baz Luhrmann's Australia as miniseries Faraway Downs and in US-produced but Sydney-shot rom-com Anyone But You. His career has followed the same path since the mid-70s, and reads like a history of Aussie film and television. For both 1980's Breaker Morant and 1999's Two Hands, he has Best Supporting Actor Australian Film Institute Awards. In the latter as with Boy Swallows Universe, he was paired with up-and-comer: there, it was Heath Ledger. [caption id="attachment_935699" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jono Searle/Getty Images for Netflix[/caption] Brown's credits also span The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith, Newsfront, The Shiralee, Dirty Deeds, Beautiful Kate, Red Dog: True Blue and Sweet Country. The list goes on. Over in Hollywood in the 80s, after TV's A Town Like Alice was a hit overseas as well as at home, he earned Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for The Thorn Birds, led action-thriller F/X, famously mixed drinks with Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One) in Cocktail and starred opposite Sigourney Weaver (The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart) in Gorillas in the Mist. In 2004, he featured in the Ben Stiller (Locked Down)-led Along Came Polly as well. With Boy Swallows Universe, Brown was drawn in as everyone who has come across it in any form has been: by the story. Initially introduced via screenwriter John Collee's (Hotel Mumbai) scripts, he found it as astonishing as readers, theatre patrons and viewers keep doing. The series that results is now streaming — and we spoke with Brown about his first responses to Dalton's tale, his eagerness to play Slim, taking on someone with layers both on the page and in reality, mentoring Cameron, why everyone loves Boy Swallows Universe and more. ON BROWN'S FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH THE BOY SWALLOWS UNIVERSE STORY "The scripts. I hadn't read the book, and the producer Troy Lum (Palm Beach) sent me John Collee's — at that stage — eight one-hour scripts, and I thought they were quite wonderful, the scripts. That then led me to go get the book and read the book, and to thoroughly enjoy it and go 'this is a remarkable story this', given it was basically true. And so to be able to be a part of it, I was only too willing." ON WHAT APPEALED TO BROWN ABOUT PLAYING SLIM HALLIDAY "I think the fact that he was a crim, but we don't meet him doing anything criminal. We hear about what a crim he was, and how he'd been in jail for 30 years and how he'd escaped, but we see him as someone that really wants to help the boys not go the way that he did. So I think it's the fact that he's not as you would expect him to be. When someone says 'I've got a part for you to play, it's a crim, love you to do it' — [but] basically I'm babysitter in this." ON HOW TO PREPARE FOR A PART THAT ISN'T JUST A CHARACTER IN TRENT DALTON'S BOOK, BUT A REAL-LIFE PERSON "Basically I can only play the scripts. So if there's something missing in the scripts, then I go 'this conflicts with something else, I need to know more about it'. But the scripts were so well done, the character was so well-outlined, the relationship with the boy was so clear and it felt quite instinctive to be able to play — I didn't have to research his criminal activity. None of that came into the playing of this piece. So it was about trying to understand why he wanted to be with the boy and behave as he did, and pretty well the scenes answered that for me." ON PLAYING SLIM AS NO-NONSENSE BUT SUPPORTIVE, AND A FATHER FIGURE FOR ELI "Once again, I come back to how well something's written. If a character is written well, you're just pulling the glove on and getting on with it. It's where something comes into conflict or it doesn't make sense that you're at sixes and sevens in trying to play something. But this was so well-written on the page that I was able to play it pretty easily. It was a part that was enjoyable to play." ON HOW BROWN SEEES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SLIM AND ELI "I guess it is a bit father-son, but it's better than that. It's like he doesn't have to be the parent and exercise certain disciplines — he just has to be there as someone that appreciates and would always be there for the boy. And just that knowledge that he gives to the boy, there is someone solid here that believes in me, that's the relationship that I think that Slim brings." ON HOW THAT MENTORING RELATIONSHIP TRANSLATED WITH FELIX CAMERON OFF-SCREEN "People would probably say it did. We got on very well. We had a lot of fun together. He's a cheeky little bugger, and I really enjoyed mucking around with him. But behind all that there's a very bright young fella — and there's a fella who, obviously he's got wonderful parents. There's a boy that appreciates pretty well everything that's going on here. He appreciated doing this. It never went to his head in any way. I'm sure there were areas of confusion for him, but he never brought that to the table." ON WHY BOY SWALLOWS UNIVERSE CONTINUES TO STRIKE SUCH A CHORD "I think it is a story of hope. The boys want and hope that their life will be better, and do everything — they don't judge their parents, there's no judgement in this show about people, but there is the boys who just see that there's a life out there, and hope that they can have a life that's different to the ones that their parents are experiencing. I think that there's a joy in that. It's not a dour story. It's not a dark story. There's darkness in things that happen with the characters, but it's not a dark story. It's a story of hope and desire from the boys to have a real life, and I think you can't help but get affected by it." [caption id="attachment_935703" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chris Hyde/Getty Images for Netflix[/caption] ON WHAT BROWN LOOKS FOR A ROLE "It's pretty easy. I read it. I go 'do I like the story?'. If I don't like the story, there's no point even thinking about the part. And if I do like the story, then I look at the character and I go 'how does this character contribute to the story?' and 'can I do something of value with that character that makes that story live?'. It's pretty straightforward. I know pretty well straight away if I don't want to something. But if I'm a bit intrigued, then I have to ask myself more questions as I go through it. Once again, it's instinct. I look at it and I go: 'am I there? Can I be there?'. And if I can, the other side of it is, I like to know who else is doing it, and I like to know who the production company is and who the director will be to make me feel confident about that it can be done well." Boy Swallows Universe streams via Netflix, arriving on Thursday, January 11, 2024. Read our review. Images: courtesy of Netflix © 2023.
Opened in 2016, this tiny bar hidden one floor above Smith Street (atop Beermash) positioned itself among the city's cocktail-slinging elite right from the get-go. The brainchild of veteran bartender Hayden Scott Lambert, Above Board has scooped numerous awards and accolades in the years since its launch, including ranking 44th in the World's 50 Best Bars list for 2021. But while the bar's offering is making huge waves, the space itself is pint-sized, with just 16 seats ringing the impressive American walnut bar at its heart and little more beyond that. It's sleek and minimalist without losing any of its cosy charms, the considered backlighting drawing you in as you sip. Oh, and you'll quickly notice there's no back bar cluttered with bottles to steal your attention. Lambert is the mind behind the stellar drinks list and it's often him on the tools here, bringing those concoctions to life, using his cocktail smarts to match palates with particular pours, and setting the tone with top-notch banter. The drinks menu is an oft-changing one, but always replete with gold thanks to Lambert's creative flair and knack for balance. Opt for a beautifully executed classic, or dive right into the signature sips — either way, prepare to be impressed. Appears in: The Best Bars in Melbourne for 2023
Whether on screens big and small, when an audience watches a Steven Soderbergh project, they're watching one of America's great current directors ply his full range of filmmaking skills. Usually, he doesn't just helm. Going by Peter Andrews and Mary Ann Bernard — aliases from his parents' names — he shoots and edits as well. And he's prolific: since advising that he'd retire from making features after Side Effects, he's directed, lensed and spliced nine more, plus three TV shows. Among those titles sit movies such as Logan Lucky, Unsane, Kimi and Magic Mike's Last Dance; the exceptional two seasons of turn-of-the-20th-century medical drama The Knick; and now, streaming on Binge from Thursday, July 13 and Neon from Friday, July 14, gripping New York-set kidnapping miniseries Full Circle. Soderbergh will always be the filmmaker who won Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or at 26 for Sex, Lies and Videotape. He's the talent who earned two Best Director Oscars in the same year for Traffic and Erin Brockovich, winning for the former, too. He brought the Ocean's franchise back to cinemas in 2001, and eerily predicted the COVID-19 pandemic with 2011's Contagion — and he's in his element with his latest work. Six-part noir-influenced thriller Full Circle reunites Soderbergh with Mosaic and No Sudden Move screenwriter Ed Solomon, boasts a starry cast, involves money and secrets and deception, and proves a twisty and layered crime tale from the get-go. It also couldn't feel more relevant to now, both in its understanding of how pivotal technology is to daily life — Soderbergh shot the aforementioned Unsane, plus High Flying Bird, solely on iPhones, after all — and its unpacking of today's attitudes on class, race, power and capitalism. Full Circle starts with a murder, then a revenge plot, then a missing smartphone. As the show's name makes plain, these early inclusions all tie into an intricate narrative that will indeed demonstrate inevitability, cause and effect, the repercussions of our actions, and decisions looping back around. The pivotal death forms part of a turf war, sparking a campaign of retaliation by Queens-based Guyanese community leader and insurance scammer Savitri Mahabir (CCH Pounder, Avatar: The Way of Water). She enlists freshly arrived teens Xavier (Sheyi Cole, Atlanta) and Louis (Gerald Jones, Armageddon Time) to do the seizing under her nephew Aked's (Jharrel Jerome, I'm a Virgo) supervision; one of the newcomers is the brother of the latter's fiancée Natalia (Adia, The Midnight Club), who is also Savitri's masseuse. The target: Manhattan high-schooler Jared (Ethan Stoddard, Mysteries at the Museum), son of the wealthy and privileged Sam (Claire Danes, Fleishman Is in Trouble) and Derek Browne (Timothy Olyphant, Daisy Jones & The Six), and grandson through Sam to ponytailed celebrity chef Jeff McCusker (Dennis Quaid, Strange World). Savitri is convinced that this is the only way to stave off the curse she's certain is hanging over her business — a "broken circle", in fact — but, much to the frustration of the US Postal Inspection Service's Manny Broward (Jim Gaffigan, Peter Pan & Wendy), his go-for-broke agent Melody Harmony (Zazie Beetz, Black Mirror) is already investigating before the abduction. As a filmmaker frequently obsessed with heists — see: not just Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen, but Out of Sight, Logan Lucky and No Sudden Move — Soderbergh is well-versed in the reality that little about stealing and swindling goes smoothly. Full Circle's kidnapping is quickly botched, the Brownes' attempts to pay the $314,159 ransom become a mess and everyone from the perpetrators to law enforcement makes questionable choices. Soderbergh and Solomon also know how to toy with tropes and expectations, as illustrated so devastatingly and delightfully in their staging of the suspense-dripping snatching itself. Viewers think they're seeing clearly what's happening, only to then discover what's actually occurred, and also how cleverly Full Circle has stitched together the whole incident to comment on perception, misdirection, mistruths and people acting without gleaning the full picture. This is an intelligent and precise series in every detail, making connecting the dots both addictive and satisfying — for viewers, that is, but rarely for the show's characters. None of Full Circle's key figures are ever being completely honest, and each time that truth is revealed, more arcs appear, questions are posed and tangents sparked. There's a savvy statement echoing, too, about how everyone who thinks they're intelligent and precise, be it a detective, crime matriarch, business leaders, famous folks, rebellious teens, people chasing a dream or those endeavouring to do the right thing, so rarely are. Again, it's right there in the title that all of these complications will come full circle — and, visually and within the narrative, Soderbergh and Solomon find shrewd ways to play up the spherical motif — but less expected is the emotional weight that spins along with the labyrinthine storyline. That Full Circle is terrifically performed isn't a surprise for a second; Julia Roberts and Benicio del Toro both won Oscars in the same year for different Soderbergh films, and the director's way with actors has been a hallmark of his work since the 80s. Here, there's no weak link, even among stars who remain in comfortable territory. Danes and Olyphant's involvement is dream casting for that very reason — she just played highly successful and highly stressed in Fleishman Is in Trouble, and is equally as stunning in this; whether in Deadwood, Justified or Santa Clarita Diet, he's always excellent at weathering and navigating crumbling facades. Jerome seems worlds away from I'm a Virgo, and Pounder from The Shield, and Beetz from Atlanta, yet each brandishes some of their best traits in those projects and now: yearning and desperation, potency and determination, and wiliness and playfulness, respectively. An intriguing premise, astute scripting, admirable actors, outstanding filmmaker: combine them and an all-round superb series results. There's a circular element to the way that each of these core aspects feeds the other; without Soderbergh's virtuoso craftsmanship in everything from probing closeups to sharp editing, or the cast's commitment in examining complex characters and their motivations, or a knotty script that might just owe a debt to Akira Kurosawa's High and Low, Full Circle mightn't have swirled so rivetingly. The one query that it leaves viewers with, particularly those outside of the US: why the postal service needs cops? Of course, that's a minor concern in a taut, tenseand intoxicating major must-see. Check out the trailer for Full Circle below: Full Circle streams via Binge from Thursday, July 13 and Neon from Friday, July 14.
If you want to really get to know a part of the country, you need to spend time in it. You need to drive along its streets, walk along its paths, check out its shops, restaurants and other attractions, and gaze at its views. That's why hitting the coastal highway to venture from Melbourne to Sydney is a great vacay option. Instead of hopping on a flight to the harbour city, take the scenic route, break up your journey with swims and sightseeing, meet the locals and scope out new favourite places you wouldn't have otherwise visited. You'll also be sharing some love with New South Wales' regional areas, that've had a tough past year for a number of reasons. To help plan your ultimate driving route from Melbourne to Sydney, here are nine top-notch coastal pit stops to make along the way. Yes, you'll want to bring your bathers — and make sure your phone is charged so you can snap plenty of pictures. Please stay up to date with the latest NSW Government health advice regarding COVID-19. [caption id="attachment_795691" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Killer Whale Museum, Claudine Thornton, Destination NSW[/caption] WANDER THROUGH A KILLER WHALE MUSEUM IN EDEN Your first port of call once you've crossed the Victorian-New South Wales border: the harbourside town of Eden. It's NSW's most southerly town, and it's gorgeous. Given its location, Eden isn't short of beaches — although if you only have time to visit one, make it Long Beach. Being surrounded by the 65-million-year-old Pinnacles is impossible to pass up, after all. The town is renowned for whale watching between May and November. But if you miss them, check out the Eden Killer Whale Museum. Inside you'll find displays dedicated to the titular sea creature, obviously, as well as to the town. To experience the town on two feet, and to soak in its history, hitting up the Eden Heritage Walk is also a must. Then, when you're feeling peckish, tucking into some seafood is in order. It's hard to escape the urge to eat the ocean's finest while you're right by the water, so heading to the Seahorse Inn or the Coast Bar & Grill at Eden Fishermen's Recreation Club is highly recommended. [caption id="attachment_803391" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bar Beach, Merimbula, Destination NSW[/caption] GO ON A BEACH HOP IN MERIMBULA This itinerary will take you along NSW's coastline, which means spectacular beaches are bountiful. Case in point: Merimbula, located on the state's Sapphire Coast, has 13. It also boasts two lakes, should you feel like a stint of sailing, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. If you'd like to engage with the region without actually getting wet, Merimbula has plenty of options. Well, depending on which attractions you decide to hop on, Magic Mountain will still see you splashing around — however, you can also try your hand at the amusement park's Tree Climb Challenge, which includes rope bridges, high wires and wooden obstacles. Mosey on over to Merimbula Aquarium, and you'll be able to peer into 28 tanks filled with local and tropical marine life, and also eat at the on-site restaurant, which has 180-degree water views. For those especially keen on scoping out nature, get in contact with Tiny Zoo. You can't actually visit it, but this conservation-focused organisation does host pop-ups around the place, so you can get up close to a central bearded dragon, a spinifex hopping mouse and a tawny frogmouth. Oh, and don't leave without slurping down some gourmet oysters — the area is lauded for them. Captain Sponge's Magical Oyster Tours lets you try them freshly shucked from Pambula Lake. [caption id="attachment_795687" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dee Kramer, Destination NSW[/caption] TAKE A DIP IN BERMAGUI'S FAMOUS BLUE POOL Another gem on the Sapphire Coast, Bermagui is one of those best of both worlds-type places. Mount Gulaga rises behind it, while the ocean sprawls in front of it — so you're genuinely spoilt for choice. Both terrains feature some of the town's must-visit spots, too. At the latter, you'll find the famed Blue Pool. An ocean rock pool set beneath the cliffs, it's as striking to look at as it is to take a dip in. Or, head over to the Montreal Goldfield. Dating back to the 1880s, it's Australia's only seaside goldfield, with almost 250 kilograms of the precious metal found there in a four-year period. To scope it out and immerse yourself in a big slice of history, you'll need to book a tour. As for grabbing a bite and a beverage, the Bermagui Beach Hotel, near the iconic Horseshoe Bay, can take care of both. For everything from seafood and gelato to Italian- and Asian-style cuisines, the Bermagui Fishermen's Wharf has you covered. Local bakery Honorbread is also worth a visit, as is Eastwood's of Bermagui, which serves Ona coffee, cakes, take-home meals and also functions as a cooking school and pop-up events space. [caption id="attachment_795693" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Montague Island, Tom Park, Destination NSW[/caption] SPEND THE NIGHT IN A LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER'S COTTAGE ON MONTAGUE ISLAND Here, in Narooma, you can snorkel with seals and tour a lighthouse that dates back 140 years. You'll have to book in for a guided tour to be allowed access, though. And, if you're after somewhere different to bunker down for the night (and to feel like you're living in Round the Twist), you can stay in a lighthouse keeper's cottage. Another must-visit in Narooma is Montague Island, a nature reserve where you can see penguins, dolphins, whales and more than 90 bird species. And there's only one place on your journey that features a rock that looks like Australia. Australia Rock has a hole in the middle of it that resembles the same shape of this nation we call home — and you can peer through it to the ocean. The Narooma Lighthouse Museum also awaits, as does the 350-metre-long Mill Bay Boardwalk for a leisurely stroll. For a snack, Rolf's Patisserie delivers just the kind of small-town bakery bites your tastebuds hanker for on a road trip, while making a stop in Tilba before heading into town will let you hit up the ABC Cheese Factory. [caption id="attachment_795695" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Wray Street Oyster Shed, Jason Ierace, Destination NSW[/caption] SLURP FRESHLY SHUCKED OYSTERS IN BATEMANS BAY Batemans Bay might just be the best-known stopover on your road trip — so it's worth finding out why. Located where the Clyde River meets the ocean, it's an area lauded for its tasty oysters. Yes, you now know what you should be eating here, including from five-decade-old The Boatshed and Wray Street Oyster Shed. The Pearly Oyster Bar and JJ's at the Marina will also tempt your seafood-loving tastebuds, as will Region X's oyster tasting kayak tour. Meanwhile, Batemans Bay Ice Creamery has been scooping up the ideal waterside dessert for over 42 years. You can also treat yourself to a scenic picnic at Observation Point, which looks out over Snapper Island, or have a barbecue after seeing the critters at Birdland Animal Park. Fancy a dip? Pack your goggles and snorkel, because Batemans Bay is home to an impressive snorkelling trail. And if you'd like to turn your pit stop into a lengthier stay, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service has a beachside cabin in Murramarang National Park, just 30 minutes out of town, that you can hire out. [caption id="attachment_795694" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Dee Kramer, Destination NSW[/caption] HUNT FOR FOSSILS IN ULLADULLA By now, you know what to seek out in a coastal town. Lighthouses, seafood, beaches, spectacular views — they're all on the list. Ulladulla in the Shoalhaven local government area, around 230 kilometres south of Sydney, boasts them all, too. It's also a great spot for fossils, with a wander along the Gondwana Coast Fossil Walk proving a real treat while you're in the area. Here, you'll get a blast from the past dating back 270 million years, because that's how old some of the fossils are. To delve into the region's Indigenous history, opt for the Coomee Nulunga Cultural Trail, led by the local Aboriginal community. If looking at native plants is more your style, you can also mosey along the bush track at the Ulladulla Wildflower Reserve. All that walking is certain to make you hungry, and we suggest going either hearty or upscale. In the first category, Hayden's Pies serves up chunky pies filled with everything from butter chicken with mint yoghurt to steak in green peppercorn sauce. Or, treat yourself to a meal at Rick Stein at Bannisters in the neighbouring town of Mollymook. [caption id="attachment_802856" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dee Kramer Photography, Destination NSW[/caption] ENJOY THE STUNNING BEACHES IN JERVIS BAY There's no mistaking Jervis Bay's beaches for any others in the region. The sands are quite the shade of white, and the clear waters that lap up against them are just as striking. So, the number one thing on your agenda during this stopover: dipping your feet in both those glimmering grains and the ocean. Head to Booderee National Park, and you'll be in the ideal spot. For scuba diving, snorkelling, swimming and surfing, however, the Jervis Bay Marine Park is your go-to. History buffs should make a date with the Jervis Bay Maritime Museum and Gallery, which features a mangrove boardwalk along Currambene Creek, plus picnic and barbecue facilities. Food- and drink-wise, Gunyah at Paperbark Camp in Woollamia is a highlight (and if you're looking for somewhere to check-in for the night, there are 13 canvas safari-style tents on-site). Pilgrims Vegetarian Cafe has an eatery at Huskisson, and you'll find Jervis Bay Brewing Co in the vicinity, too. [caption id="attachment_795690" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Kiama Blowhole, Tim Clark, Destination NSW[/caption] CHECK OUT THE WORLD'S BIGGEST BLOWHOLE IN KIAMA Mention the name Kiama, and the word 'blowhole' should immediately pop into your head. The Illawarra town is famous for them and nestled underneath the 133-year-old Kiama Lighthouse is the world's largest. If that isn't impressive enough, the Kiama Blowhole can blast water up to 30 metres into the air (and yes, it makes a sound when it does so). There's also the Little Blowhole, about two kilometres out of town, should visiting one oceanside place that rockets H2O into the sky not be enough. After a different kind of fun? You'll have to head inland a little, but Jamberoo Action Park is also in the area. Rides, slides, chairlifts, mini golf: it's all on offer. Back in Kiama itself, you can scope out the historic terrace houses that've been around since 1886 while trotting along the Kiama Heritage Walk. Then, grab a bite from Diggies right next to the main blowhole, or from Penny Whistlers by the harbour. From the former, you must order the cod-filled Blowhole Burger — when in Kiama, and all that. [caption id="attachment_795671" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Bulli Rockpool, Dee Kramer, Destination NSW[/caption] RIDE SOME WAVES AT ONE OF BULLI'S PICTURESQUE BEACHES By the time you make it to Bulli, you'll know that Sydney isn't far away. It's located just 70 kilometres south of the big smoke and 11 kilometres north of Wollongong — but everyone could use one last stop on the home stretch. First up: enjoy a swim at the beach, or in the beachside ocean pool. If you have a surfboard strapped to the roof of your car, you're in a great spot to give it a whirl. Or, if you take the 850-metre walk up to Sublime Point Lookout, you'll actually peer down over 17 beaches (as well as rainforest). Because small-town pubs with history are an unparalleled delight, Bulli's Heritage Hotel is worth a visit, especially if you like burgers. Built in 1889, it's on the State Heritage Register, in fact. And if you're the kind of person who likes the sea, but also can't spend enough time surrounded by plants, you're going to want to add the Illawarra Grevillea Park to your must-visit list — just check when it's next hosting open days first. Start planning your great escape to New South Wales this season by visiting the Visit NSW website. Top image: Bulli Rockpool, Destination NSW
It wasn't so long ago that most Australians only knew Wendy's for its insanely viral social media posts. However, since 2022, the American chain has begun to establish a significant presence on our shores. First launching in Surfers Paradise (unless you're counting a series of stores closed in the 1980s), the brand aims to open over 200 locations around Australia by 2034. Well, they've ticked another off the list, with a flagship Wendy's Brisbane restaurant touching down in the heart of the CBD. Serving as a major milestone in the company's national rollout, delivered in partnership with Flynn Group, this two-level themed location provides an extra special nod to the restaurant's bold design, nicknamed Haus of Wendy. Featuring more than enough space for 130 diners, an openair ground floor leads into an expansive lower level, with both decked out in contrasting bright red and blue decor that resonates with fun-loving energy and personality. Going beyond just a splash of paint, red celebrates Wendy's sass and spice, with the in-store experience seeing hand-painted murals set against bespoke wall panelling inspired by Wendy's famed braids. Meanwhile, blue speaks to Wendy's iconic Frosty, with this level featuring a bow wall crafted by local artist Rachel Burke and made from upcycled materials. Here, you'll also encounter a Frosty-inspired lounge area, complete with a photo booth. "This flagship represents everything the Wendy's brand stands for — fresh food and bold personality," said Corina Black, Chief Marketing Officer, Wendy's ANZ. "Brisbane's vibrant energy is a natural fit for Wendy, and we're proud to contribute to the city's reputation as a destination for food, culture and creativity." With the spread of Wendy's across the country just getting underway, this brand-new location remains one of the few spots in Australia where you can dine on the brand's signature dishes. Think classic doubles, Baconmators and spicy chicken sandwiches alongside Wendy's Frosty in chocolate or vanilla. Plus, super crunchy double hand-breaded chicken tenders and sea-salted fries with loaded options hit the mark for an on-the-go snack. "Wendy's has built its reputation on doing things differently, and this flagship takes that spirit to a new level," said Lauren Leahy, Chief Transformation Officer, Flynn Group. "We've taken Wendy's much-loved global brand and reimagined it for Australia. The new store brings that to life in a way that's both unmistakably Wendy's and uniquely Australian." Wendy's Brisbane launches on Wednesday, October 29, at 245 Albert Street, Brisbane, open daily from 9am–10pm. Head to the website for more information.
