Sometimes, life delivers the perfect script. At its 2025 edition, Sydney Film Festival has notched up that feat. Each year since 2008, the Harbour City's major annual cinema celebration has featured its own Official Competition, awarding the picture judged the most "audacious, cutting edge and courageous" the Sydney Film Prize. Fresh from winning the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival, Jafar Panahi's It Was Just an Accident now has SFF's top accolade to its name as well. At Sydney Film Festival's Together-led opening night, it was announced that acclaimed Iranian writer/director Panahi was one the event's special guests — and that he was already in the New South Wales capital. Given that he has been subjected to filmmaking bans, travel restrictions, arrests and imprisonment in his homeland across his career, this was no minor development. During the fest, not only did It Was Just an Accident screen, but featured retrospective Jafar Panahi: Cinema in Rebellion highlighted every single one of the filmmaker's movies. Now, at SFF's closing-night gala — with Splitsville 2025's final flick — Panahi has collected the event's major accolade, accepting it at the State Theatre in person. It Was Just an Accident was picked as 2025's Sydney Film Prize-winner by a jury led by Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel (Ellis Park) as president, plus his The Narrow Road to the Deep North talent Thomas Weatherall, the latter's Heartbreak High co-star Rachel House, Hong Kong-based producer and distributor Winnie Tsang and Marrakech International Film Festival Director Melita Toscan du Plantier. If you're in the Harbour City between Tuesday, June 17–Friday, June 20 when Sydney Film Festival's 2025 Back By Popular Demand bonus screenings hit Dendy Newtown, Palace Cinemas Norton Street and Ritz Cinemas Randwick, Panahi's awarded movie is among the titles receiving encore sessions. The filmmaker's latest picture follows a family on a road trip — and, at SFF, follows Parasite as the only two flicks to have taken home both the Palme d'Or at Cannes and the Sydney Film Prize. Iranian features have now won SFF's top gong, which awards a $60,000 cash prize, a record-breaking three times. Asghar Farhadi's A Separation claimed the accolade in 2011, then Mohammad Rasoulof's There Is No Evil did the same in 2021. Other previous winners span There's Still Tomorrow (2024), The Mother of All Lies (2023), Close (2022), The Heiresses (2018), On Body and Soul (2017), Aquarius (2016), Arabian Nights (2015), Two Days, One Night (2014), Only God Forgives (2013), Alps (2012), Heartbeats (2010), Bronson (2009) and Hunger (2008). "It has been an honour and a privilege to watch cinema for the past ten days. To be amongst audiences who love and guard this powerful expression, are champions for experiences which are transforming and transcendent. To Nashen [Moodley, SFF's Festival Director] and the Sydney Film Festival team, thank you for inviting us to be part of what has been an enormously successful festival," said the jury in a statement. "We want to acknowledge the powerful and assured first-time films within competition. There were many and we were astonished by their confidence, authenticity and swagger. This new wave of international filmmakers are pushing the boundaries and connecting to cinema in original ways. It is their perspective which moved us and opened our hearts to stories which felt deeply personal and true. There was a push towards testing the form, taking real risk to find new ways to challenge cinema," the jury continued. "In these times of great conflict and uncertainty, it is more important than ever that filmmakers are given the freedom to express what they see around them. The films we watched led with empathy, compassion and kindness. The directors trusted that their stories would make us feel first, connect to a personal point of view, they were political but human first." "The winner of the Sydney Film Festival for 2025 embodied all these qualities, a courageous film with a deep soul and a powerful sense of forgiveness. It has outstanding performances and an understated authority which is brimming with truth." The 2025 recipients of SFF's full suite of annual prizes was also revealed at closing night, including for documentaries and shorts. Songs Inside nabbed the Documentary Australia Award, with Aussie filmmaker Shalom Almond (Prisoners and Pups) emerging victorious — and with a $20,000 cash prize — for exploring the impact of a music program on women prisoners. Fellow homegrown doco Floodland, which shines a spotlight on Lismore, scored Jordan Giusti the $40,000 Sustainable Future Award. Canadian filmmaker Lisa Jackson (Indictment: The Crimes of Shelly Chartier) received the $35,000 First Nations Award for Wilfred Buck, about its namesake Cree educator in Northern Manitoba, while Big Bang Sound Design's Wayne Pashley and Libby Villa collected the $10,000 Sydney-UNESCO City of Film Award. In the Dendy Short Film Awards, this year's applauded titles include Faceless for Best Live Action Short Award, and also Best Practitioner for its music and sound designer Josh Peters; Yoram Gross Animation Award-winner The Fling; and Mates, which saw Rory Pearson named as Best Director and share the Rising Talent Award for Screenwriting with co-scribe Marcus Aldred-Traynor. [caption id="attachment_1009303" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Belinda Rolland © 2024[/caption] Sydney Film Festival 2025 ran from Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15 at various cinemas and venues around Sydney. The fest is screening four days of encores via Sydney Film Festival's 2025 Back By Popular Demand bonus screenings at Dendy Newtown, Palace Cinemas Norton Street and Ritz Cinemas Randwick between Tuesday, June 17–Friday, June 20. For more information and tickets, head to the festival's website. Jafar Panahi images: Tim Levy.
The iconic Healesville Hotel has been the beating heart of Healesville for over 130 years. This winter, it's finally reopening its doors following a massive renovation. The new owners are the same crew behind Armadale's Orrong Hotel: publicans Matt Vero (Marquis of Lorne, Union House, Mt Erica Hotel) and Scott Connolly (Moore St Tavern). That should give you an idea of the quality we can expect from the new venue. The pair both spent time in the Yarra Valley region throughout their childhoods and fell in love with the pub ages ago. So, when the call went out for new ownership, they jumped at the chance. "Scott and I were really excited at the opportunity to take on another historic icon and restore it to its former glory for all to enjoy. The ethos behind the interior design was to reimagine the Healesville Hotel; to honour its beautiful bones from its past, and restore a sense of nostalgia through the interiors. It is something we are very much looking forward to," says Vero. The hotel will keep its original public bar, bistro and beer garden setup – but the menu will be given a serious revamp, with interiors and exteriors getting the usual 'preserve-heritage-meets-gastro-pub' treatment. Vero and Connolly are presumably hoping this place can rival other Yarra Valley heavy hitters like Four Pillars and Innocent Bystander. And with their experience and pedigree, we wouldn't bet against it. We'll keep you updated on this one as details emerge. Accommodation is currently operating as per usual, but the pub itself should be open in mid-July, so watch this space. Images: supplied.
Give your brain a workout at Fed Square this long weekend with the return of Melbourne's number one festival of street games and constructive play. Presented by Pop Up Playground, Fresh Air 2015 is a four-day marathon of street games, puzzles and interactive performances. Headlining this year's festival is City Dash, an hour-long orienteering game by UK-based game designers Fire Hazard. Participants will race around the CBD attempting to unlock clues, while avoiding teams of patrolling guards. Other intriguing games include Bakers of Anarchy, which combines role-playing with cake decorating; Escape Van, a mobile version of Escape Room; and The Bicycle Game, in which competitors make use of those blue Melbourne Bike Share bikes to traverse hidden sites around the city. Fresh Air runs Friday March 6 through to Sunday March 9, with day games running from 11am - 4pm, and night games running from 6 - 9pm. The festival is free, although some events are ticketed. For more information, visit www.popuplayground.com.au. Image: Fire Hazard, Gwyn Morfey.
If you're partial to a big, cheesy serving of gnocchi, you'll by happy to know that Mamma's Boy Trattoria is dedicating all of July to serving bottomless bowls of the stuff. Matched with free-flowing cocktails, no less. The Brunswick restaurant is bringing back its endless gnocchi feasts across a series of two-hour Sunday sittings this month. Book in a table for 11.30am, 2pm, 5pm or 7.30pm each week, and you can tuck into unlimited helpings of the classic potato dumpling dish, plus bottomless drinks and garlic bread for a tidy $59. With the gnocchi lineup, all palates are covered. There is Mamma's rich slow-cooked lamb ragu, alongside a simple napoli number with fior di latte, and a truffle mushroom and spinach bowl. With 120 minutes up your sleeve, you should be able to sample them all, no problem. During that time, you'll also enjoy unlimited cocktails, including espresso martinis, mojitos and a variety of spritz. To get in on the bottomless gnocchi deal, you'll need to book online in advance. Everyone on your table will need to partake in the bottomless action, though we don't imagine it'll be too hard to rustle up a crew for unlimited pasta.
If hitting the waves without hopping in the ocean sounds like your idea of a great time, you'll soon have more than a few places to hang ten around southeast Queensland. The Sunshine Coast is due to welcome Kelly Slater's second surf ranch. The Urbnsurf team has its sights set on Brisbane, announcing plans to open a new man-made surf lagoon in the city. And, now the Gold Coast is joining in — with the coastal city getting an Endless Surf wave pool at The Club at Parkwood Village. Parkwood Village has revealed plans for a $200-million new development, which includes a new 200-plus bed hotel, residential apartments, and hospitality, medical and commercial facilities. But giving Gold Coast residents and visitors a place to surf without diving into to the sea is the hefty drawcard. It's hoped that locals and tourists alike will be able to do just that by 2023. Obviously, the Gold Coast is well-known for its beaches. So is Australia in general — but the country has been jumping on the man-made surf pool bandwagon in a big way. Urbnsurf opened Australia's first inland surf park near the Melbourne Airport in 2020, and revealed plans for Sydney and Perth sites, too. And New South Wales' Hawkesbury region is also getting a giant wave pool and luxury resort come 2022. Whether you're a cautious swimmer, you're afraid of sharks or you're just not a beach person, Parkwood's Endless Surf-branded pool will hail from aquatic entertainment provider Whitewater, which has been in the surf pool business since 1989. As the name suggests, the waves are designed to just keep coming. The pool's rolling sets are created by pneumatic technology, and are accessible for surfers of all ages and skill levels, including first-timers. Renders of the proposed surf pool include a sandy man-made beach leading into the waves, plenty of umbrellas providing shady places to sit, big screens showing the surfing action, and places to grab food and drink. Announcing the plan, Parkwood Village Managing Director Luke Altschwager said that "there is nothing more quintessentially Australian than surfing, and this new technology creating customised repeatable man-made waves is going to revolutionise the sport. I want to make sure Parkwood becomes the heart of the sport here on the Gold Coast. Not only is a world class surf pool a perfect fit for our active community, it anchors a whole new level of economic investment in the area". The Endless Surf pool is set to open at The Club at Parkwood Village, 76–122 Napper Road, Parkwood, by 2023. Images: renders of The Club at Parkwood Village's Endless Surf pool.
Since 2019, coffee lovers nabbing their caffeinated brews from Single O's Surry Hills cafe in Sydney have been pouring their cuppas from a self-serve tap system. Basically, it's the coffee you make when you're not actually making the coffee, and it's about to be on offer in Tokyo as well. No stranger to the Japanese capital thanks to its existing roastery and tasting bar in Ryogoku — as well as supplying local cafes, and also serving athletes in the Tokyo Olympic Village this year — Single O is launching its first international cafe. It'll open its doors in the Hamacho district in the city's east on Thursday, October 28. When overseas travel resumes and Japan lets Aussies back into the country for holidays, you'll know where to grab a taste of home. Single O's new Tokyo base will also go a step further than its Surry Hills sibling — and not just because it'll feature six self-pour taps instead of four. The Hamacho cafe will also sport the brand's first in-store coffee subscription package, letting customers purchase monthly access to drop by and pour their own cuppas. When it opens its doors, the Tokyo spot will launch with five specialty brews, Colombian microlots and an award-winning Cup Of Excellence from Peru included. As for the sixth spot, that'll rotate through international guest roasters. And if you're after an espresso, Single O's signature blend Reservoir will also be on offer. Food-wise, you'll be pairing your caffeine with Aussie staples — such as Single O's signature banana bread with espresso butter, freshly baked pies and a range of jaffles. Chef Yu Sasaki is behind the the menu, after a career spent hopping between The French Laundry in the US, Sydney's Marque and then founding Single O Surry Hills neighbour Creasion. Single O's Hamacho cafe will also boast the brand's Heads of Japan Yu and Mamiko Yamamoto leading the launch, as well as barista Ken Takakura and retail operations head Yasuko Miura — the latter fresh from Luke Mangan's Tokyo Glass Brasserie. And, the venue has the honour of being designed via Zoom during Sydney's lockdown. Australian designer Luchetti Krelle — who also worked on the Surry Hills cafe — has overseen a fitout that includes a curve-heavy front counter, tables made from recycled plastic and a sustainable fibreboard espresso bar created from upcycled clothing. Also catching the eye: a monochrome mural in texta pen by local artist Washio Tomoyuki, plus a 'Cloud' ceiling artwork by Sydney's Ren Fernando that's made from repurposed end-of-line paper and coloured with coffee and other substances. Find Single O's Hamacho Cafe at 3-16-7 Nihonbashi Hamacho Chuo Tokyo from Thursday, October 28 — open from 7.30am–7pm Monday–Friday and 8am–7pm Saturday–Sunday.
The Queen Vic's Winter Night Market has wrapped for another year and there's still months to go before its summer version kicks off. Thankfully, in the interim, the precinct is here to fill your Hump Day void with a mini nocturnal market series, when its Europa Night Market returns to brighten up Wednesdays from September 21–October 26. For six weeks, the market will play host to a vibrant Euro-style bazaar, with entertainment and wafting food aromas promising to transport you to a different European destination each week. You can feast your way through over 25 food and drink vendors, shop an array of market stalls, and catch roving entertainers and live tunes, all designed to whisk you away to some far-flung locale. Kicking things off on September 21, the market will be saying 'ciao' to the flavours and sounds of Italy, with bites like Sicilian-style fried arancini and woodfired 400 Gradi pizza, plus entertainment by Siesta Cartel and Elvira. The following week will take you on a trip to Central and Eastern Europe, by way of pierogi, stacks of handmade baklava and traditional dance performances; while October 5 is your ticket to Oktoberfest, with a German-inspired beer hall serving up scores of sausages and Oompah band entertainment to match Brick Lane Brewing's special-release Europa Lager. The Iberian Peninsula will get a look-in on October 12, with piles of paella, Casa Nata's Portuguese tarts and a spot of fiery flamenco, before the following week serves up a Mediterranean affair complete with Croatian-style cevapi wraps, Greek pastries and Turkish dancers. A celebration of all things French wraps up the series on October 26 — bid the Europa Night Market adieu with an evening of oozy raclette, decadent filled croissants and entertainment from classic beret-clad French mime artists. The Europa Night Market returns 5–10pm Wednesdays, from September 21–October 26. Find it at the Queen Victoria Market, corner of Queen and Therry Streets, Melbourne.
There's a reason conversation is referred to as an art. It's not an exact science, for starters, but when done properly it's something that can organically take on a life of its own — it can be colourful, inspiring, thought-provoking and radical. Whether you're a veritable Caravaggio of conversation or you've not quite nailed your chat game just yet, interesting — and, yes, provocative — conversation prompts can go a long way to you uncovering more about people you think you already might know so well. Inspired by our upcoming event The Slow Lounge in partnership with American Honey, we put out a call to you, our readers, to reveal your favourite conversation starters — and we're delighted to report that you did not disappoint. Sure, not all of these will be appropriate for every situation (who's your favourite Muppet? might not be a solid opener for your future mother-in-law), but here are some of your go-to catalysts for good chat. What makes you happy? Would you rather be a metre taller or a metre shorter? What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten? What's been the best part of your day so far? What is a language you love to listen to, even if you don't speak or understand it? Instead of "What's been happening?", ask "What's the most important thing happening in your life right now?" If you could go back and change one decision you've made in your life, what would it be and why? Who's your favourite Muppet? What's the most outrageous thing you've done in your life? What food best describes your personality? What song describes your life to now? Who would you least like to get stuck with in an elevator? What's your favourite cocktail? What has been the best thing about emerging out of COVID-19 hibernation? What are your three favourite vegetables? If you could be a fruit, what fruit would you be and why? What's something about you that people are surprised about when they first hear it? What is something about yourself that you love? What is your fondest live music memory? What is your favourite Arnott's biscuit? What do you want to achieve this year? What's been the best moment of your week? When was the last time you built a Lego set? What was it and what have you done with it since? If you were sent to Antarctica and could only take one person and two objects, who and what would you take? If a squirrel could talk do you think it would have a really high voice or a really low voice? Who would play you in a movie about you? For more inspo on how to create your own golden moments with mates, head to the American Honey website. Top image: Cottonbro (Pexels)
Aspiring artists and functioning alcoholics will both feel right at home in this brand new BYO art studio in Collingwood. Located on Smith Street, Cork & Chroma is a 'paint and sip' studio that embraces one of life's universal truths: everyone is more creative when they've had a little bit to drink. Open evenings Wednesdays through Saturdays as well as Sunday afternoon, the studio is run by artist Hillary Wall along with her husband B.J. A visit costs $60 for a three-hour session, during which time an artist will run you through the basics of acrylics on canvas, before you're let lose to create a masterpiece of your own. Each class is themed — Parisian strolls, the faces of Frida Kahlo, and Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night are some of the sessions already on offer — and they also host private functions and parties, if you're looking to make a mess with your friends. Cork & Chroma started out in Brisbane, then made the jump to Sydney in 2016. Melbourne attendees can look forward to "a place where you can savour a wine and play with paint," explains Hillary. "We know that creativity and fun go hand in hand. And we think that the more fun you're having, the more creative you'll allow yourself to be." Canvas, paints, brushes, easels and glassware all come provided, while they also have a selection of nibbles for purchase, including cheese, olives, chilli spiced nuts and chocolate brownies. All you need to bring is the liquid inspiration. Find Cork and Chroma at 36 Smith Street, Collingwood from late October. Bookings are now available for classes from October 25 onwards — for more information. visit www.corkandchroma.com.au. By Tom Clift and Sarah Ward.
Have you ever needed to convey an important message to someone in a big way, but sweated to find the perfect gift to do so? Maybe you needed to say, 'sorry for being a jerk', 'thanks for being a great mate', or simply, 'I love you'. Well, perhaps not surprisingly, there’s a website to fix that problem. Sorry Thanks I Love You is an online store that’s working to reignite the culture of giving. By taking a short personalised shopping quiz based on the person in mind (with questions such as ‘What were they like a kid?’ or ‘What would they do with 24 hours in NYC?’), Sorry Thanks I Love You has everything you could ever need to help you say any of those five little words (you'd hope). The site features handmade accessories, homewares, gourmet foods, fresh flowers from boutique florists and craft beverages sourced from around the world. This holiday season, you’ll be able to see and try out all these goodies for yourself at Sorry Thanks I Love You's new pop-up store in Pran Central. The store will features tonnes of products, including knives carved from Scandinavian reindeer antler, hand-woven Kashmiri scarves and traditional Japanese furoshiki wrapping cloths. Gourmet goodies include wheels of Bruny Island cheese and premium single malt whisky distilled in highland Tasmania, which you can taste test in the store. Sorry Thanks I Love You will also be featuring wares from iconic jewellery makers Dinosaur Designs and iconic Finnish design brand Marimekko. The shop will offer gift wrapping for gold coin donation, with proceeds donated to Motor Neuron Disease Australia as part of Sorry Thanks I Love You’s Random Acts of Kindness project. Quality wares, gourmet goodies, and supporting good causes? There's no way your mum can be disappointed this Mothers' Day.
Nothing makes us feel so alive as to see others die. This starkly confronting line comes from Leo Carax's new surrealistic film, Holy Motors, and is resemblant of the tone and style of the whole story. Carax's first feature film in 13 years, Holy Motors is an abstract expression of a heightened reality. It follows the life of Monsieur Oscar, a roving assassin played expertly by Denis Lavant, who meanders between varying identities and lives - whether that be a family man, a monster or a captain of industry. The film is set between dawn and dusk, yet follows no clear linear progression, instead exploring the irrational nature of the human subconscious. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian awarded the film a whopping five stars and described it as "wayward, kaleidoscopic, black comic and bizarre; there is in it a batsqueak of genius, dishevelment and derangement; it is captivating and compelling". It first appeared at this year's Cannes Film Festival and although it has received some mixed reviews, it has largely been received as a cinematic delight and created a mass of critical excitement. Other notable performances in the film include the slender blonde chauffeur, Celine, played by Edith Scob, the sultry Eva Mendez as Kay M, and Kylie Minogue, whose character is believed to represent the struggles in the protagonist's career. The most important thing to note in Holy Motors is to not look for one simple meaning - although we can safely say that it is at least in part about the significance of human role-playing as we journey through life. Concrete Playground has ten double passes to giveaway to see Holy Motors. To go in the running, subscribe to Concrete Playground (if you haven't already) then email your name and postal address to us at hello@concreteplayground.com.au
Sometimes, you're eager to spend your spare hours binging your way through serious dramas. At other times, only clever comedies will do. But, there also comes a time when you just want to feel nostalgic — including by revisiting the local TV show that absolutely every Aussie kid watched in the 90s and 00s, and more than once. For two seasons between 1990–93, then another two from 2000–01, Round the Twist adapted Paul Jennings' popular books into an offbeat fantasy series. If you were the right age, it was must-see TV. It's the source of plenty of lighthouse obsessions, given that's where the Twist family lived. And, it's also a show that knew how to balance humour, strangeness and scares. All four seasons of the show are headed to Netflix, so you'll be able to binge your way through them from Saturday, May 1. They're also currently available on Amazon Prime Video, because that's what tends to happen with older TV programs on streaming these days — one day, they're on one platform; the next, they're elsewhere. Yes, the latter two seasons of Round the Twist really aren't as great as the first two, but we're betting they're still baked into your childhood memories anyway. And, we're certain that you'll now have the show's theme tune stuck in your head for at least the rest of the day, likely until the series hits Netflix over a week away, and probably for plenty of time afterwards as well. Check out the trailer for Round the Twist's first season below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjuXTD0m9Lc All four seasons of Round the Twist will be available to stream via Netflix from Saturday, May 1. Top image: Round the Twist filming location Split Point lighthouse, Natalie Maguire via Wikimedia Commons.
Easter in Sydney doesn't just mean chocolate, hot cross buns and whatever other sweet treats the city's eateries happen to come up with at this time of year — it also means the Sydney Royal Easter Show. And, while you won't find the latter at El Camino Cantina's Tex-Mex Mex joint in Melbourne, of course, the chain is getting into the spirit of the event nationwide with its returning limited-edition margarita menu, which it has dubbed The Greatest Rita Show in 2024. For its latest batch of creative flavours, El Camino Cantina is serving up cream'n soda, sour lemonade, bubblegum, sour grape cloud, cherry bomb and chilli triple-buttered popcorn versions, too. The six showbag-inspired ritas are on offer from Monday, March 18–Sunday, April 7, in both 15-oz and 24-oz glasses — and they also come with new drunken bears, which are gummy bears infused with tequila and Grand Marnier. If you'd like to pair your sips with tacos, you'll find The Greatest Rita Show food menu on offer as well. Ever had a puffy taco? It's also a fresh limited-time addition, features a puffed-out taco shell, and comes filled with your choice of steak, marinated prawns, brisket, pulled pork and grilled chicken. To round out the bites, banana fritters are your dessert choice. In Melbourne, you'll find The Greatest Rita Show tempting your tastebuds at El Camino in Fitzroy.
With vegan options galore, locally made gluten free bases available and a solid lineup of Victorian beers and wines, Brunswick's latest pizzeria is sure to please the whole family (and friendship group too). Located on Victoria Street, across the road from Small Axe Kitchen, Green Acre was scheduled to open right when the COVID-19 lockdown hit. Instead of hitting pause, though, co-owners Rob McKenzie (Hard Pressed Coffee) and Phil Gijsbers (Burnley Brewing, East End Wine Bar, Small Print Pizza in Windsor) ran a Small Print Pizza pop-up in the space until restrictions eased on June 1. Now, the duo has unveiled the OG idea for the space: Green Acre. Designed by Sash Design and built using mostly salvaged and upcycled materials, the space has cosy leather booths, a fairy light-lit courtyard, polished timber tables and rustic golden light fittings. Wherever you choose to sit, you'll be digging into stone-fired sourdough pizzas. Vegans will find joy in The Grass is Greener (roast zucchini, spinach, chilli and smashed peas) and the Shroom (flat and enoki mushrooms, truffle oil and rocket), as well as the various pizzas topped with dairy-free cheeses and vegan salami. Meat-eaters also have plenty to choose from, including the controversial ham and pineapple, a chilli chicken number and one topped with prosciutto and pear. If you prefer your pizza topped with neither vegetables nor meat but, in fact, sweets, we suggest you go straight for the dessert pizza, which comes with Nutella, smashed Oreos and strawberries. Plus, pizzas are just $15 on Tuesdays. As well as being built relatively sustainably, the pizzeria has a commitment to low waste and locally sourced produce. Wines are almost exclusively soured from Victoria — with a few numbers from across SA and WA — while beers feature Burnley (understandably) and other Brunswick locals, such as CoConsiprators and Foreigner. While the duo encourages dining in where possible (to help minimise packaging waste), if you do takeaway, you can do so knowing your pizza box is made from recycled cardboard and can itself be recycled thanks to a piece of 'sacrificial' paper that catches the grease.
Seeing the Great Barrier Reef sits on every Australian's bucket list, especially given the thriving underwater expanse is under threat from climate change. And while most of us have been content to simply swim, snorkel or sail through it — or stay in the Whitsundays and gaze out at it from a sandy beach — visitors to Queensland's far north will soon be able to spend a night underwater. Prepare to sleep under the sea at Reefsuites, the Great Barrier Reef's very own underwater hotel. It's not the first space of its type around the world — a resort in the Maldives, submerged villas in Dubai and a room at an African hotel all boast similar experiences — but it will be the first at this Aussie natural wonder. Due to open at a yet-to-be-revealed date this summer and built into a new floating pontoon called Reefword, Reefsuites will feature two underwater rooms that can sleep four in total, with guests able to choose between king double or twin single options. A stay onsite includes all meals and beverages, a night dining experience under the stars, a guided snorkelling tour and a semi-submarine tour. Of course, that's all well and good, but it's the floor-to-ceiling views of the Great Barrier Reef and its marine life that are the real drawcard — not only in the bedrooms, but in the attached private ensuites. Enjoying all of the above will start from $749 per night per person, so it doesn't come cheap — to the surprise of no one. If you'd be happy to sleep above sea level, that's also available on the pontoon's upper deck, catering for 28 people at $595 per night. As for the $8 million Reefworld pontoon itself, it's a partnership between Cruise Whitsundays and the Queensland Government, and will have the capacity to host 300 visitors per day. Measuring 12 metres by 45 metres, it'll be located at Hardy Reef off Airlie Beach, and will feature an underwater observatory. A hub for diving and snorkelling, it'll also offer guests access semi-submersible vessels. Announcing the project, Queensland Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones noted that Reefworld and Reefsuites will add something new and unique to the popular tourist hotspot. "This will give more people the chance to see the Great Barrier Reef and will allow tourists to experience this natural wonder in new ways." The aim, of course, is to ramp up tourism, with an extra 60,000 visitors per year expected thanks to the new attraction. For more information about Reefsuites, visit the Cruise Whitsundays website. Images: Cruise Whitsundays.
Internationally renowned sculptor Ken Unsworth was born in Melbourne, but, during his 50-year career, he's not had a major exhibition in the city. Until now, that is. This spring, he'll be bringing skeletons, crying babies and a grand piano to the National Gallery of Victoria, for Ken Unsworth: Truly, Madly. The free show will feature key works spanning Unsworth's past. Among them are When the angel of the lord came down, a tribute to his late wife, Elisabeth Unsworth, who was a concert pianist, and Mind games, in which two skeletons face one another across a table. Look out, too, for brand new pieces, including When snowflakes turn to stone, an oversized skeleton encircled with stones, and Alphaville, which immerses you in five-metre high buildings and their sounds – from barking dogs to prayer rituals. Now 87, Unsworth worked as a high school art teacher before becoming a full-time artist. He exhibited at the 1976 Sydney Biennale; numerous Australian Sculptural Triennials; Biennales in Paris, Venice and Istanbul; and several other major international shows, including Magiciens de la Terre, curated by Jean-Hubert Martin at The Pompidou Centre in 1989. Images: Mind Games 2014, Ken Unsworth; When snowflakes turn to stone 2018, Ken Unsworth; In concert (1983-84), Ken Unsworth; Below the horizon 2017, Ken Unsworth. All photos by Eugene Hyland.
The Australian Open 2024 is set to serve up a lot more than world-class tennis, which is pretty ace if you ask us. Expect a food lover's dream, showcasing a smorgasbord of cuisines from across the planet and catering to every palate. One of the hottest seats will be Bar Atrium with its Yarra and city skyline views — the perfect backdrop to a three-course, Lebanese-inspired brunch curated by Melbourne's own Tom Sarafian. Then, as the sun sets, the venue transforms into an 'After Eight' experience, featuring bar snacks by Sarafian and cocktails from The Everleigh. Meanwhile, at John Cain Arena's Fusion Feast, you'll find dishes from beloved chefs like Ross Magnaye of Serai and Jessi Singh of Daughter-In-Law. But that's just the beginning. Enjoy tastes of Italia at Garden Square with Lygon Street Italian. Iconic Melbourne joints King & Godfree, D.O.C, and Brunetti Classico will serve up classic Italian dishes from pizza al taglio to delish porchetta rolls. Seafood lovers can head to the AO Courtside Bar, where Bondi's Fish Shop will be serving bar bites. Fishbowl will also make another appearance at Grand Slam Oval, serving items from its new Street Food concept menu. And for a taste of Spain, visit Abel Lusa's Cambio de Tercio for traditional and modern tapas. Not far away, the Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Bar offers a touch of fancy, perfect for sipping champagne while watching the matches. For those looking for salvation amid the Aussie summer heat, don't miss the signature Peach Melbourne soft serve at AO Ballpark. Or head to the returning Peroni Bar for ice-cold respite. Canadian Club's Cabana Bar, Terrazza Aperol and Squealing Pig Wine Terrace will also be on hand to provide tournament goers with some quality watering hole options. Rockpool Bar and Grill, Penfolds Restaurant and Stokehouse will be returning to next year's event, as will the much loved Rod Laver Arena Superboxes by Shane Delia's Maha and Nick and Nora's. So, with all that being said, our tip for next year's Australian Open? Wear loose pants. Catch the Australian Open from Sunday, January 14, 2024, to Sunday, January 28, 2024.
UPDATE: June 14, 2020: Amazing Grace is available to stream via Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play and YouTube. In January of 1972, Aretha Franklin walked into Los Angeles' New Temple Missionary Baptist Church, stood in front of Reverend James Cleveland and the Southern California Community Choir, and started singing. For two nights, she turned a place of Christian worship into somewhere heavenly for everyone — because you don't need to have faith to recognise a transcendent experience. Those lucky enough to be there, including Mick Jagger and Rolling Stones' drummer Charlie Watts on the second evening, were understandably ecstatic. As the Queen of Soul recorded her latest gospel album, the crowd sang and cheered, with many moved to tears. And, for nearly half a century, their joy was the stuff of legend. Music fans, even those who don't consider themselves aficionados of the genre or who weren't yet born, have long wished they could've been there That envy wasn't just sparked by stories, or by the success of Franklin's resulting album, which is still the biggest-selling disc across her entire recording career. In addition, it stemmed from wondering what could've been. As the two shows left attendees rapturous, filmmaker Sydney Pollack recorded the whole thing with the intention of turning it into a documentary, however technical problems and legal issues got in his way. After 47 years and a lot of wrangling, the concert doco now exists. It's a case of better late than never, obviously. An exceptional film, as well as a hefty reminder about the importance of following standard filmmaking procedures (Pollack didn't use clapperboards while he was shooting, making it immensely difficult to synchronise his audio and visuals), Amazing Grace was definitely worth the wait. Directed by Pollack but brought to completion in the years after his 2008 death by editor Alan Elliott, this is a concert doco of the highest order. For the first time, the entire world can watch one of the finest performances by one of the finest singers ever to unleash their vocal cords — and understand why Franklin, this record and the shows it sprang from are all so revered. There's nothing quite like seeing someone at their very best, which Amazing Grace firmly demonstrates. And yet, the movie's power runs much deeper. This is a snapshot of collective reverence, respect and euphoria, radiating from Franklin's passionate gaze, floating through the air with her melodious voice and infecting everyone in earshot. Solely focusing on its star and those in the room with her, it's a portrait not just of two memorable gigs, but of the way that great art transforms those making and witnessing it. The act of peering intimately at Franklin, who manages to seem both serene and determined whether she's holding a prolonged note or taking a moment's pause, is truly one of bearing witness. So too is seeing the effect that she has on her audience when she's belting out a tune (when she's not singing, she barely says a word). To appreciate all of the above requires something that every concert demands, yet is becoming all too rare, especially with today's gig-goers increasingly filming on their phones first and watching the show in front of them second. Amazing Grace is a testament to many things, including Franklin and her prodigious talent, a community not often seen on-screen, and the perseverance required to actually get this movie into theatres — but it also proves an ode to simply being in the moment. When you're so lost in what you're doing that nothing else matters: that's what Amazing Grace immortalises. The world around Franklin and her on-lookers could've completely disappeared and no one would've have noticed — not the charming Reverend Cleveland, who emcees the proceedings; not her father CL Franklin, who kicks off the second night with a few words; and not even Pollack, who is sometimes spotted flitting around the church. Capturing this is one thing; conveying it to Amazing Grace's viewers and making them feel the same way is another entirely. Both feats are achieved here, perhaps never more so than when Franklin unfurls all 11 minutes of the documentary's titular track. How sweet the sound — and sight, and experience — indeed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N7WthSspQ4
Over 40 street food vendors are set up shop each week at Hank Marvin Market, a street food market happening every Saturday at Alma Park in St Kilda East. Transforming parks into a hub of fresh produce, food trucks and street food stalls, you've got to wonder: who is Hank? More than just a man, Hank Marvin draws on British Cockney slang for 'starving' — and quite rightly so, as Melburnians always seem to be hankering for their next good bite. Founder Paul Wesolek spent years working the market food scene in London, and now he's back to highlight the best of Melbourne's street food vendors — those who are committed to responsible farming methods, seasonality and quality — as well as 20 local traders selling design and fine craft goods. The lineup changes each week, but favourites like Hammer & Tong, Happy Camper Pizza and the Little Mushroom Co. are often there, along with artisan doughnuts from Cobb Lane Bakery and traditional wood-fired bagels from Shtetl Bagels.
Located a mere 40-minute drive from Auckland CBD, Kumeu has become one of New Zealand's most versatile drinking and dining destinations. Here, you'll find lush rolling hillsides, stunning natural sights and a high concentration of family-run estates. It's also the perfect backdrop for everything from cosy winter lunches to celebratory family feeds, casual summer picnics and a slew of wine-related tastings, tours and experiences. If you're after a short break, flights to Auckland from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are super short — around three-and-a-half hours on average — and Air New Zealand offers great everyday direct fares from all three cities. Here are our picks for where you should head for a glass (or two) once you've touched down. WEST BROOK WINERY Nestled amongst the gently undulating hillside of the Ararimu Valley, West Brook Winery is undoubtedly one of the most picturesque pit-stops on this tour of the west. Framed by row after row of glorious grape vines, the cellar door is fully equipped with a serene view out over the terraces toward a lily pond. While the tranquil grounds offer warm respite from the stresses of the working week, the real treat at West Brook must be its comprehensive menu of cellar door experiences. Designed to please every level of wine lover (from the curious to the aficionado), these packages have every budget catered for with prices between $6 and $50 per person for wine tastings, wine and cheese matches and the full monty tasting tour. Consistently applauded for its flawless production of chardonnay and riesling varieties, it's the Sparkling Crackling Rosé which has proven to be most popular with punters. And with tasting notes such as raspberry, mandarin and paprika, it's not a surprise. THE HUNTING LODGE WINERY Despite a history that stretches all the way back to 1868, current owners the Sutton family have reinvented The Hunting Lodge as one of Auckland's most exciting restaurant destinations. Positioned atop 80 acres of lush green hillside, The Hunting Lodge has a lot to offer, from the rustic cellar door and lawn bar through to the slick restaurant, olive groves, manicured gardens and family zone. You'll envisage a way to celebrate every kind of occasion. Summers here are synonymous with Mediterranean-style platters and a glass or two of dry chardonnay, yet a transition to the approaching winter should also get you excited — imagine curling up in the comfort of the homestead sampling the rich, gamey flavours of chef Des Harris' seasonal creations. Backed by a slew of industry accolades, which commend everything from the ambience to its aroma, The Hunting Lodge should skyrocket straight to the top of your 'to do' list. KUMEU RIVER WINES Winning international acclaim and the hearts of visitors far and wide, the family behind Kumeu River Wines definitely deserve some of the credit for putting New Zealand's chardonnay (and damn good pinot gris) on the map. Established in 1944 by Croatian migrants, the Brajkovich family, Kumeu River Wines may just be the most serious of the wineries on this list — but no less warm and inviting. With 40 hectares of vineyards, which bottle around 250,000 wines annually, the operation has become an international benchmark for non-Burgundy produced chardonnay. Stop in and soak up some serious wine knowledge from the incredibly informed team at the cellar door, where you taste up to five different drops for $5, while overlooking Maté's Vineyard just across the road. BABICH WINES Widely regarded as one of New Zealand's premier wine estates, Babich Wines has a distinct family history that filters into every aspect of the 103-year-old business. Managed by third generation family members, visitors to the flagship cellar door, winery and vineyard in Kumeu can expect a tender family atmosphere where nostalgia and comfort envelope you just like a hug from your nan. Arriving on the shores of Aotearoa in 1910 with a dream of gum digging in the far north, penniless Babich patriarch Josip gave the family a century's worth of family lore — anecdotes they are all too willing to share over the eight-strong tasting menu. The Babich family has traded the traditional restaurant for an easy-going picnic area — a feature which ensures the focus remains on the award-winning wines. Along with a game of petanque, guests are encouraged to bring their own nosh to be enjoyed with an impressive selection of in-house drops. Or, you can nab a spot on the sunny verandah and enjoy a glass of the East Coast Vintara while overlooking the vines. SOLJANS ESTATE Like many other successful wineries across Auckland's west, Souljans Estate Winery began and continues to thrive as a family business. From humble beginnings in 1937, it has become one of the neighbourhood's most visited wineries today. Soljan is known for producing pinot gris, chardonnay and pinotage from its picture-perfect vineyard. Plus, visitors might be surprised to find that its Fusion Sparkling Muscat is, in fact, New Zealand's most awarded sparkling wine — and an ideal accompaniment to a feast of Mediterranean bites at the adjoining restaurant. The sunny grounds are completed with a casual cage and a surprisingly decent gift store. Soljans has cemented its place in the hearts and bucket lists of wine-lovers both near and far. Book your flights to Auckland with Air New Zealand and start planning your next long weekend away. Plus, Vinomofo has released a case of wine featuring six delicious wines representing the diverse and unique sub-regions of Waiheke, Kumeu and Matakana. Every case has a one in 50 chance of winning return flights to Auckland (from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane). T&Cs apply.
The world's most-famous enigmatic smile is set to beam down on Australia in not one but two locations in 2024, all thanks to the team at Grande Experiences. The Melbourne-based company is the mastermind behind the immersive walkthrough art experiences that've been sweeping the country, both touring them and opening the nation's first permanent digital-only art gallery The Lume. And next year, it's turning its attention to both the Italian Renaissance in general and Leonardo da Vinci specifically — with Mona Lisa featuring prominently in both of its new showcases. Italian Renaissance Alive has already locked in a season on the Gold Coast from March, and will include da Vinci's works. In the same month, The Lume in the Victorian capital will go all-in on the artist and inventor. The site's major 2024 exhibition is Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius, with the gallery is calling its "most ambitious, immersive and breathtaking yet". That's quite the claim for a collection that follows a van Gogh celebration, a focus on Monet and his contemporaries and the current First Nations-centric Connection. It also isn't surprising. Connection now has an end date, and is set to close at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre venue on Sunday, February 4, just over a month before Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius arrives. The Last Supper will also enjoy the spotlight in a big way, because Grande Experiences' whole setup is making iconic, important and stunning works larger than life, surrounding attendees like never before. The Mona Lisa will also link in with the segment of the exhibition that's all about French optical engineer Pascal Cotte, who invented a multispectral camera and has peeled back the artwork's layers using his research. So, get excited about Mona Lisa Revealed, which will include an exact 360-degree replica — the only one in the world — as created thanks to Cotte's 240,000,000-pixel multispectral camera. That said, Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius isn't just about its namesake's well-known works, with the 3000-square-metre multi-sensory gallery also exploring his inspirations and contemporaries. Thanks to the latter, Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius and Italian Renaissance Alive will have more than a little in common. Botticelli's The Birth of Venus, Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling and works by Caravaggio will feature at both. Melbourne will be home an experience that steps through da Vinci's journey, however, including Florence's streets, Venice's canals and Milan — as brought to life via sight, sound, scent, touch and taste. Also among Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius' highlights: 50 of da Vinci's "machine inventions", which will be on loan the Museo Leonardo da Vinci in Rome. Alongside the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper and his anatomical drawings — and more — da Vinci is well-known for his flying machine concepts, with his 15th-century vision of human flight set to score The Lume's attention. This part of the exhibition will hero recreations made in Italy from the artist and inventor's sketches, and also using the materials and techniques he would've at the time. "Leonardo da Vinci's contributions to art, science and innovation are immeasurable and continue to shape our modern world," said Bruce Peterson, Owner and CEO of The Lume Melbourne, announcing Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius. "We aim to provide a unique and immersive experience that not only celebrates the genius of Leonardo but also underscores the relevance of his ideas in the contemporary landscape. As a pioneer in bridging art and technology, The Lume Melbourne is honoured to bring Leonardo's legacy to life in a way that engages, inspires and resonates with audiences of all ages." Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius opens at The Lume, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, 5 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf, Melbourne, from Friday, March 15, 2024 — head to the venue's website for tickets and further information.
Things are about to get loud at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Busy, too. Thanks to Melbourne's six lockdowns, the city spot hasn't been hosting gigs or welcoming in music lovers for most of the past 18 months or so — but come Saturday, October 30, that'll change when Play On Victoria takes over the venue. The site's first big event in months, this one-day music fest was first announced earlier in October, although it didn't have a name back then. A couple of weeks back, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews revealed that Sidney Myer Music Bowl would host a gig for a solely double-vaccinated audience. The reason: to test the state's reopening settings in the period between hitting the 70-percent double-jabbed mark and coming out of lockdown — which is happening at 11.59pm on Thursday, October 21 — and relaxing even more restrictions at the 80-percent double-vaxxed threshold. Now, further details have been announced. If you're double-jabbed, get ready to see King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Baker Boy, Amyl and the Sniffers, Grace Cummings, and Vika and Linda Bull all take to the stage. Everyone performing and working the event will be double-vaxxed, too, in a sign of how things in Victoria are expected to operate as the state opens back up. Play On Victoria will welcome in 4000 patrons, with tickets costing $29.90 each. You can nab yours from 3pm on Friday, October 22, with tickets limited to folks in metropolitan Melbourne. Attendees will need to wear masks at the gig, and will be allocated seats. You'll also be spread across the venue for social-distancing purposes, and to test how concerts can work safely moving forward. [caption id="attachment_829284" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tim Sabo via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] In terms of proving that you're vaxxed, you can display your COVID-19 digital certificate via the Service Victoria app, the Medicare app or your smartphone's wallet — or present a printed version of your certificate or immunisation history statement, or provide evidence of a valid exemption. Back when Play on Victoria was first announced, the Premier said that the gig is "incredibly important for them and for the live music scene. We are the live music capital of our nation that has had it very tough. We have been there to support them all the way through, but they want to get out and perform and do what they do best. That's two entertain and inspire, to question all of us, to be that incredibly soulful part of our city and state. That's 30 October." Other smaller gigs are also set to be held around the state to help test the reopening settings, with further details yet to be announced. Play On Victoria will take place at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne, on Saturday, October 30. For further information or to buy tickets from 3pm on Friday, October 22, head to the Ticketek website. For more information about the status of COVID-19 and the current restrictions, head over to the Victorian Government's website. Top image: Piknic Electronik, Wade Malligan.
2023 might be mere weeks in, but it's already the year of Pedro Pascal. His new HBO series, a spectacular adaptation of hit video game The Last of Us, has just started airing — and it's already one of the best new shows of this year. And, come autumn, he'll be back bounty hunting and hanging out with Baby Yoda in The Mandalorian season three as well. Hanging out for more of Disney+'s space western? Keen on another dose of Pascal as Din Djarin? Can't wait to see the adorable Grogu again? The new season will start streaming from Wednesday, March 1, and has finally unveiled its full trailer in the interim. Pascal narrates the just-dropped sneak peek, explaining that being a Mandalorian isn't just about learning how to fight, but also about being able to navigate the galaxy. Mando, as he should definitely be nicknamed, is also off to Mandalore to be forgiven for his transgressions — although, as viewers of the show so far will know, and just of all things Star Wars in general, little in this galaxy far far away ever goes smoothly. Season three promises to also follow the New Republic's struggle to move past the galaxy's dark past, reunite Mando with old allies and also throw new enemies his way. And, of course, to have Grogu back by his side, as viewers love. There's also multiple bounty hunters, and "may the force be with you" is indeed uttered in the new trailer. The Mandalorian's latest batch of episodes will arrive more than two years after the show streamed its second season back in late 2020, and after 2022's first season of Andor just became Star Wars' best TV series yet. If you've somehow missed it before now, the Emmy-nominated show follows the titular bounty hunter (Pascal, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent); however, it's his encounter with a fuzzy little creature first known as The Child, affectionately named Baby Yoda by everyone watching, and officially called Grogu, that's always had everyone talking. So, it comes as zero surprise that one of the Star Wars universe's best-ever double acts keeps being pushed into the spotlight — including when The Mandalorian dropped its first season-three trailer a few months back, and in this new glimpse. Check out the full trailer for The Mandalorian season three below: The Mandalorian's third season will hit Disney+ on Wednesday, March 1. Images: ©2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
Some farewell tours seem to last forever — and, thanks to the pandemic, Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour is one of them. Since September 2018, the music star has been saying goodbye all around the globe, including making the trip Down Under already. But what was meant to be his final trip our way resulted in some rescheduled gigs, so he's back again, playing two last-ever Melbourne shows. It's been a big few years for the singer, not only with the huge tour — which spans more than 300 concerts across five continents — but with his life story hitting the big screen in biopic Rocketman. He had a massive first round of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour in Australasia, too, with over 705,000 tickets sold to gigs a three-month period that spanned 34 Australian and six New Zealand dates from November 2019. Missed out then? Keen to go again? In Melbourne, he'll light up AAMI Park on Friday, January 13 and Saturday, January 14. Fans can expect to feel the love through all of his hits, including 'Rocket Man', 'Tiny Dancer' 'Bennie and the Jets', 'Crocodile Rock', 'I'm Still Standing' and 'Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting'. The concerts will also feature never-before-seen images and videos show from John's 50-year career — well, never seen before the tour — which'll be displayed throughout the show. When the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour comes to an end, John will retire from touring after five decades on the road. If that all sounds rather massive, that's John's career in a nutshell. He's played more than 4000 shows across his career, sold more than 300 million records worldwide and holds the record for the biggest-selling single of all time thanks to the 1997 version of 'Candle in the Wind'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtVBCG6ThDk Image: Ben Gibson.
Dorsett Melbourne has a new addition to its dining catalogue. Its savvy Jin Bar introduces its highly caffeinated younger sibling: Little Jin. This vibrant new cafe is situated right outside the hotel and connected to its boozy other half. At Little Jin, quality is paramount. Pastries from Richmond's Penny for Pound are freshly baked and delivered each morning. From Monday to Friday, you'll get to treat yourself to a buttery croissant or another tempting delight like a glazed-and-salted pretzel from the range to complement your coffee of choice — all the alternative kinds of milk are available. Just like its sibling, the window-style cafe offers happy hour from 11am–12pm on weekdays. Swing by for your second cup of coffee during your lunch break at just half the price. If you're not in a rush, feel free to soak up the fresh air and sunlight right outside the vicinity on the wooden benches provided. Little Jin champions sustainability. Don't forget to bring your KeepCup and save 50 cents on your order. Note that this offer excludes happy hour, but it's a small step towards a greener, tastier coffee experience. Find Little Jin at the Dorsett Melbourne along Little Lonsdale Street on weekdays from 7am—12pm.
There's something very human about pulling up a chair to watch a sports final with cold drinks and hot food in hand until the last siren. Come grand final season (the best time of year), it's easy to watch the game at home, but squeezing the whole group onto one couch and keeping them happy with chips and party pies isn't what you want. Instead, why not venture out across town? These venues around Melbourne have unmissable offerings for the AFL Grand Final weekend. Head to any of the venues to watch any of the final matches or snag a booking to catch the big game on Saturday, September 28. If you can afford to be picky, pick The Terminus Hotel in Abbotsford. As always, the Terminus team is abandoning the classic grand final specials in favour of something bolder with the return of the annual AFL Grand Final Block Party. Flockhart Street will be closed for the day to play host to big-screen broadcasts, bottomless drinks, roaming canapés and live music before and after the game itself from $109pp. If you're a bit of a footy diehard, former Collingwood player Dane Swan will be visiting Imperial Hotel on Bourke Street for a breakfast meet and greet. Tickets are $95pp and include a breakfast package and guaranteed seats for the game later in the day. If the game is just part of the day for you, Garden State Hotel will offer a beverage package for $135pp that includes the game and live music until 3am (whether you're celebrating a win or recovering from a loss). Across the river, Hopscotch is offering a siren-to-siren beverage and share plates package for $109pp. The offerings continue all across town. The Espy will have the game screening in the Gerswhin Room alongside three hours of drinks and snacks for $110pp. Middle Park Hotel has a similar offer with its VIP package: a drink on entry, roaming canapés and premium reserved seating for $49pp. The Prince Alfred Hotel is making a whole long weekend out of the occasion — with live music and a DJ on Thursday the 26th from 4pm until late and an extended happy hour from 3–7pm on Thursday. Come Saturday, a DJ will follow the big game until late, and there's even live music from 2–5pm on Sunday the 29th. Finally, the Victoria Hotel in Yarraville will have the game playing on screens big and small throughout the beer garden and sports bar, perfect for enjoying the prime seating, welcome snack and complimentary beer included in the $45pp VIP package. The Local in Port Melbourne will be offering live music from 3pm on Friday, then a footy raffle entry and live music after the game on Saturday included in your $30pp ticket. If you find yourself in Melbourne's north on game day, our pick would be Brewdog Pentridge, where you can catch the game live and loud when it takes over the beer garden from 11am. For more information on any of these venues, visit the Australian Venue Co. website and download The Pass app to start exploring and claim exclusive rewards across these venues.
From humble food truck beginnings, Melbourne Greek doughnut-slinger Lukumades opened its first bricks-and-mortar spot in West Melbourne in 2017. Now, it's brought its deliciously chewy on the inside, golden and crispy on the outside dessert to Windsor. The second Melbourne outpost will be located on a buzzing section of Chapel Street, dishing up a modern spin on traditional Greek loukoumades. Cult favourites such as the Oreo Balls smothered in white chocolate and served with a scoop of cookies and cream gelato, and the White Nutella Balls — topped with salted caramel sauce and crushed biscuits — will be on the menu, as well as more traditional doughnuts dusted with icing sugar or dipped in honey and cinnamon. New flavours on rotation will include matcha and jaffa, too. Lukumades is not just expanding to Windsor, either. As well as openings in Perth and Sydney, the brand has its sights set globally — thanks to its recent franchising — with stores in the United States and Cyprus anticipated to open by the end of the year.
Mall Santa season is long gone but exquisitely cheesy photo ops should not be relegated to just one holiday. If you are in need of another seasonal profile pic captured by a talented professional, you are in luck. This Easter, both you and your four-legged friend can roll up to Moonee Ponds Central and get the deed done. From Saturday, April 2, running through to Easter Thursday on April 14, families, housemates, pals and pets are all welcome so there's no minimum age required to be the star of the shoot. Need a colourful new head shot? Here's your chance! Just don't forget to book. And remember to wear something eggcellent. To book your next family portrait, head to the website.
If you've been looking for an excuse to hit the d-floor, we've found one that's hard to beat. Digital music platform and legendary dance floor filler Boiler Room is descending on Melbourne for what's set to be its biggest Aussie event yet. On Saturday, November 26, Boiler Room: Melbourne (Naarm) will make dreams come true as it takes over a warehouse space at Port Melbourne Industrial Centre For The Arts and dishes up an all-day dance party to remember. [caption id="attachment_868300" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mall Grab, by Rob Jones[/caption] Expect huge energy from this hefty lineup of talented dance music legends, headlined by none other than UK-based DJ and producer, Mall Grab. He'll be joined on the bill by homegrown heroes like Melbourne underground sensation C.FRIM, ever-evolving Adelaide/Tarndanya-based DJ Lakota and rising star producer Pretty Girl. Bringing further international flavour, you've got Afro Pasifika queen Lady Shaka, Manchester-based DJ Salute, and breakout star and 'South-Asian underground revivalist' Yung Singh. You can nab early bird tickets online for $89.90 from 12pm, Thursday, September 8. [caption id="attachment_868301" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lady Shaka[/caption] Top Image: Sugar Mountain x Boiler Room 2018, by Mark Stanjo
"I find that it takes a while for people to return to themselves after the film." For anyone who's seen The Stranger, writer/director Thomas M Wright's observations might sound like an understatement. For those who haven't yet watched the actor-turned-filmmaker's second feature behind the lens, after 2018's Adam Cullen biopic Acute Misfortune, it may come across the same way. In Australia in particular, the fact that the Joel Edgerton- (Thirteen Lives) and Sean Harris (Spencer)-starring crime-thriller is based on the 2003 abduction and murder of Queensland schoolboy Daniel Morcombe has garnered attention. The Stranger takes its cues from that monstrous real-life case, adapting Kate Kyriacou's non-fiction book The Sting: The Undercover Operation That Caught Daniel Morcombe's Killer; however, it doesn't recreate the crime. It also doesn't depict the victim, or refer to him by name. Everyone has been fictionalised, and there's no violence in the film. Instead, it tracks the enormous police effort to capture a culprit using a criminal gang as a ruse, in what's known as the 'Mr Big' technique. Edgerton plays the incognito cop tasked with befriending the suspect, while Harris is relentlessly perturbing in the latter part. It was Edgerton, also The Stranger's producer, who optioned Kyriacou's text, saw Acute Misfortune and proposed the feature to Wright. The director was initially reluctant, but sticking to the above stipulations was the only way that he could approach the picture, and was willing to. "Those decisions about a complete unwillingness to represent any violence, to represent the victim, to represent those that cared for them — and to centre the film on a fictionalised version of a police operation like the one used in that particular case — those aren't thin acknowledgements," Wright explains. "They're deeply layered considerations that've been placed at the centre of the entire film." In every second, The Stranger feels as carefully and meticulously constructed as Wright's framework suggests — and, by design, dictates. It also feels not just tense but tough, as it should given the story it's interrogating. Debuting at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, the feature received a seven-minute standing ovation. Now, it plays Aussie cinemas from October 6 before reaching audiences globally via Netflix on October 19. "It's an undeniably different experience," Wright notes of watching The Stranger at home versus on the big screen. "It's an intensely discomforting and very powerful film to invite into your home. For the two hours that the film lasts, I think it will take people into a completely different mindset, into a different psychological realm," he continues, while chatting us through making a movie that's both unshakeably potent and personal. ON WORKING OUT THE BEST APPROACH TO A HORRIFIC REAL-LIFE CASE "Kate Kyriacou's book The Sting, which Joel had optioned, is a non-fiction work of investigative journalism about that specific case. It goes into personal details about the victim, those affected, the other suspects — and I felt that I had no right to represent the victim, that any attempt to represent them would only diminish them and all of their infinite possibilities, and that I couldn't presume to know anything about what that family and those who cared for him went through. So early on, the initial terms for me were: there'll be no representation of the victim of any sort, there'll be no representation of the people who cared for them, there'll be no violence whatsoever in this film. There's an unconscionable way of making this film. There's a morally unforgivable way of making this film. It would not be difficult to create tension in a film about the physical vulnerability of a child, and I wasn't interested to use that space, which is sacred to those real people, for the ease of making a film. So I began to think about these strangers, and that stranger of the title could refer to the perpetrator and that archetypal fear of the stranger in our society — but actually we are a society of strangers. It could also refer to the victim, to their family. Or, to that central figure and all those undercover operatives in the film whose real names we never learn. Or, to all those nameless people, the detectives and searchers at the end of the film who provide resolution for those strangers for them, that family and the victims who've they've never met. It clearly became to me this idea of connection as a society, and of empathy, as the gravity that is going to bind film together. At the time that I was writing it, I live in the inner north in Melbourne, it's where I grew up, it's where my family lives, and there were a whole series of murders of women by strangers, by people they've never met. And it shook the entire foundation of the society — and every state and territory has their own version of these cases that totally shift our perception of safety and of the social contract. They make it feel like a lie or something weak, and it had such an effect on the community down there. It was an outpouring of empathy. And these are just the cases also that have created headlines and achieved large police commitments, and where there has been public recognition. There are so many people out there, and so many crimes that take place, where there is none of that. We still have a woman a week dying of incidences of domestic violence in Australia, and many of those victims go unacknowledged. Of course, I'm not setting out to make a public service announcement in this film, but there are individuals who have to be the first person there, and who give years of their lives, and their mental and physical health, to trying to resolve those incidences of violence." ON FINDING PERSONAL REASONS TO MAKE THE FILM "When we began work on the film, I told everybody that I worked with that I wanted them to find their own reason for making this film — and I wanted them to find a personal reason to make this film. I do think it was a very personal film for all of us who worked on it. Joel said the other day that it was the quietest set he has ever worked on. It was a very tense set because of the seriousness of the material that we're dealing with, and the moral responsibility we felt, and the focus it required of us. For me, it absorbed every waking and dreaming moment of my life for three years, and I felt a tremendous moral responsibility to get it right and make something that we could all stand behind — and that didn't let any of my collaborators down. I'm not talking about the Academy Award-winning producers. I'm talking about the sound recordist and production designer and assistant editors, and everyone with whom you make a film. And also because of the presence my son in the film, because I wrote it for my son to portray Joel's son in the film. In the process of filming, Joel found out that he was going to be a father. That made it intensely personal and emotional for him also, and I watched it change him and shift his entire being. Both Joel and Sean were transformed by the process of making this film. Sean's wife actually saw the film after we'd finished and said that there was nothing of him left in that character, that he was completely absent. She didn't recognise him, and I think she found that really overwhelming and very powerful. I can attest to that as the person that was there beside them the entire time — this was a tense, difficult film to make that just took those central cast, and I include here Jada Alberts in particular, into a place where they really weren't their selves anymore." ON MAKING THE FILM PERSONAL FOR AUDIENCES "Cinema has always been a collective experience, and when films really work, we're simultaneously aware that they're a shared experience but they're also deeply personal. This film, for people who respond to it — obviously not for everybody — gets itself into a very personal place. I think it does that by making itself physical and physically felt. That's why breath was such a key part of the film to me. I wanted to begin with something that made an audience active, even in the most subtle, underlying way, because every part of the film asks that the audience be active in that physical, subjective experience of what Mark [Joel Edgerton's character] is going through. You're trying to tune people to the frequency of the film, to the psyche of the people working on this kind of case. There's a hyper-alertness. It's a film partly about trauma more generally — a film about the fact that those of us who reach adulthood, we come into the world and at some point in time we become aware of the darkness and the unknowable things within it. We have to find a way to be able to reconcile that and continue to move forward and find meaning, because the thing about violence is that it threatens to strip things of their meaning. It renders things meaningless. So you're dealing with a hyper-alert psychology. It's certainly something that we were actively trying to encourage in the audience. When you set out to make a film, you are trying to show people something they haven't seen before, to get them to feel something they haven't seen before — and, to relate to the film in a different way while understanding it's part of an impossibly deep lineage of stories, and these kinds of modalities of storytelling that are well-established now in cinema." ON AUSTRALIA'S OBSESSION WITH CRIME STORIES — AND STANDING OUT "Even though the film is part of a strong lineage of Australian crime cinema, I just think it sits outside a lot of that work in its intentions. A lot of these kind of films are more realist depictions of people, and head toward a kind of final emphatic act of violence, which often takes place off-screen. That's certainly the case in Snowtown. It's the case in Nitram. It's the case in a film like The Boys. Even though the reason for The Stranger is violence, it's not its subject… It begins in the aftermath of that violence. It's an attempt to make meaning and to reconcile the after-effects of violence on individuals and by extension on society. I think there's a reason that that this genre and these ideas are so prevalent in Australian thinking. It's certainly not limited to Australian film. When you look at our most prominent authors — Richard Flanagan, Chloe Hooper, Helen Garner, Tim Winton, Patrick White — this is a subject that has been grappled with. And in our visual art, and in our music. We return to it over and over again. I think that has to do with an unreconciled relationship to violence in this country, a landscape that has been marked by violence, and that we know that. We can intuit it, but for the main, we don't have a way to unpack that — and it remains there, unresolved." The Stranger releases in Australian cinemas on October 6, then streams via Netflix from October 19. Read our full review.
Following in the footsteps of renowned ramen joint Ippudo and Manila's popular TuanTuan Chinese Brasserie, another big-name Asian restaurant chain has landed in Melbourne. This time, it's Malaysian favourite GO Noodle House tempting local tastebuds, opening its first Australian store in the heart of Melbourne's CBD. With more than 30 outlets across Southeast Asia and the original Malaysian store that pumps out up to 2000 bowls of noodle soup over a weekend, it's safe to say the brand has its fair share of fans. It's made a name for its clear seafood bisque-style 'Superior Soup' and dry mi xian noodles, the bowls are usually finished with a splash of rice wine — a trend apparently started by Emperor Kangxi back in the Qing Dynasty of the 17th century. The Melbourne restaurant's menu will carry through those classic GO Noodle House flavours, though with local ingredients. Head in for customisable bowls of that hearty, seafood-based noodle soup, or a hot and sour variation, loaded with additions like meat balls, stuffed chillies, cooked prawns or mixed mushrooms. Other dishes include the likes of homemade fish dumplings, Hakka-style pan mee noodles, slow-cooked slices of pork belly and a street snack dubbed Nine Dragon Balls. If you're feeling game (and extra hungry), there's the GNH Challenge dish — a $49 mega bowl of noodles, soup, pork and beef that's free if you can polish it all off in 30 minutes.
The producers of Serial and This American Life are teaming up on a brand new true crime podcast hitting the digital airwaves next month. Better yet, they're taking a page out of Netflix's book and dropping every single episode at the exact same time. According to a report by Rolling Stone, the non-fiction S-Town is set in rural Alabama and will investigate "the son of a wealthy man who allegedly boasted about getting away with murder." "This story takes so many unexpected turns," said This American Life presenter Ira Glass in a statement. "Every episode is a new surprise. And the story has this feeling and mood that's different from anything else we've done. I don't think people have heard a show like this." S-Town is one of three new podcasts being launched under the 'Serial Productions' banner. It will be hosted by long-time This American Life producer Brian Reed, and is due to be released sometime in March. Image: Peabody Awards, CC.
For some intergenerational love, check out Grandmothers, a cross-cultural collaborative project by Multicultural Museums Victoria. Across five compelling exhibitions and a series of accompanying events, this project gives a special nod to all the yiayias, bubbes and nonnas out there. Discover the stories of grandmothers from across Melbourne, exploring just what the role means within different cultural communities. It's happening at The Chinese Museum, Co.As.It Museo Italiano, the Islamic Museum of Australia, the Hellenic Museum and the Jewish Museum of Australia. Details below. GRANDMOTHERS Wàipó — Chinese Museum, May 6 – August 16 Nonne: Images Through Generations — Co.As.It Italian Historical Society and Museo Italiano, May 6 – August 24 Yiayia — Hellenic Museum, May 6 – August 5 Our Grandmothers — Islamic Museum of Australia, May 6 – August 18 Love & Legacy — Jewish Museum of Australia, May 6 – October 28
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations — giving you a little inspiration for your next trip. In this instalment, we take you to the Manly Pacific on Sydney's Northern Beaches. We partnered with this lush hotel to give CP readers a special deal — a luxurious one-night stay — that can only be found on Concrete Playground Trips. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? This boutique hotel serves up top luxury features alongside uninterrupted beach views, creating a relaxing city escape just 20 minutes from Sydney's CBD. THE ROOMS There are stacks of room and suite options at Manly Pacific. Some look out over the town and are minimal on inclusions — but still have that luxe calm feel thanks to the soft and neutral colour pallette used throughout. Then you have the ocean view rooms and suites that scream 'treat yourself'. The Sun Lounger rooms (where you'll stay when booking our luxury one-night stay) comes with a huge 100-square-metre sun terrace looking over the beach. The Coastal Suites come with a large living area, two bedrooms, two bathrooms and sliding doors that lead out onto a private balcony. And then there's The Infinity Residence. The 177-square-metre suite has one bedroom, large bathroom, living area, kitchen and a 100-square-metre terrace. Renowned Sydney design firm Coco Republic also gave this suite some extra love, featuring opulent marble surfaces throughout — elegantly complementing the striking black and white beach palette. FOOD AND DRINK Manly Pacific has three main drinking and dining spots. First, there's Bistro Manly. The French-inspired menu focuses on local seafood, bistro classics and seasonal produce — of course, paired with Australian and French wines. Tokyo Joe is Manly's latest Japanese restaurant helmed by ex-Nobu Sydney Chef, Marcelino Elamparo Papio Jr. It focuses on sushi, delicately cut sashimi, steamed buns and more traditional mains. You've also got to grab some cocktails from 55 North during your stay. Bartenders serve up all the classics as well as some of their own creations throughout the day and night. [caption id="attachment_892193" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fabio Santo (Unsplash)[/caption] THE LOCAL AREA There are heaps of things to see and do in Sydney's beachside burb of Manly. You can either follow our extensive guide or just hit up some of the top spots. Walking along the Manly Scenic Walkway should be at the top of your agenda, heading in the direction of North Head to sneak in a swim at Shelly Beach. We also recommend grabbing some brekkie from Belgrave Cartel, downing afternoon drinks at Manly Wharf Hotel, having a spa and sauna sesh at Rimba Sweat and treating yourself to a few cocktails at The Steyne's hidden whisky bar. THE EXTRAS When you book The Infinity Residence, you'll get one totally unnecessary — but brilliantly extravagant — addition. A personal Beach Butler will be all yours for the entire duration of your stay. They'll do all the heavy lifting to and from the beach, even setting up umbrellas and towels before packing them up when you're done. Feeling hungry? The butler will set up the outdoor dining table on your massive balcony for a glam dinner or organise a luxurious picnic on one of the nearby beaches. It's over the top. But we are all for it. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world.
Montreal-based artist, Shelley Miller, has turned graffiti into a tasty artform. Her sugary designs have covered city walls in ornate scrolls and decorative motifs. She takes the conventional approach to graffiti, and turns it completely upside-down. Her designs are beautiful, intricate and look straight out the Victorian era. Miller's latest installation titled Throw-Up was part of the Nuit Blanche ("white night") project in September at the Metro Hall in Toronto, Canada. You could call her a sugar graffiti veteran. Having worked with cake icing for several years, Miller has exhibited works around the world including Canada, India and Brazil. And, she is even cooler than you think. Not only does she make amazing art, but it often represents more serious and important global issues. Her work has represented consumer culture and the historical links between sugar and slavery. Miller's pieces have been acquired by The City of Montreal, The Museum of Modern Art of Bahia, Reliance Industries and the Just for Laughs Museum (Montreal). Check out some of her unique street-art below and her website, here.
Preston has been on the up for several years now, and as a sign of the times, the recently opened Northside Grocer has the provisions locals need. From fancy jams and pickled goods to epicurean cheeses, this High Street hub has effortlessly slotted into the community in more ways than one. Led by chef Greg Snelders (France-Soir) and his partner Emma Thomson, there's a host of locally produced and imported goods ready to level up your next get-together or at-home feast. Decked out with goods gathered from far and wide, visitors can expect jams from Jam Haus, pickles from Acide, cheeses from Milawa and chilli oil from Six-Eyed Scorpion. Plus, other products go beyond the pantry, from fresh flowers and greeting cards to crunchy sourdough bread ready to be sliced and spread. However, perhaps the main focus of Northside Grocer is its ready-made meals, prepared in-house on the daily by Snelders. While it'd be nice to have the time to toil over each and every meal, life often gets in the way. Instead, Northside Grocer offers a range of gastronomic creations, from Freddy's Lasagne – featuring slow-braised beef bolognese and house-made tomato sugo – to massaman beef curry, chargrilled harissa free-range chicken, and Thai chicken satay skewers. Available in single or family-sized servings, there's no excuse not to eat well. "The community have been so welcoming and so ready for an offering like ours, the feedback has been wonderful and we're so chuffed to now call lots of customers 'regulars' and even friends," says Thomson. Yet these ready-made meals aren't just aimed at Prestonians or even those in the inner north. Northside Grocer delivers to over 450 suburbs across Victoria, with a recently expanded menu supporting Home Care Package (HCP) recipients. That means older people with complex needs can access delicious, carefully produced meals for a fraction of the total cost. With Mother's Day around the corner, Snelders and Thomson are also gearing up with a limited-run hamper filled with gourmet wares. Expect a curated selection of the Grocer's goods presented thoughtfully with a card designed by Melbourne-based artist and gifting aficionado, The Nonsense Maker. You'll also find vibrant blooms from micro flower farm, The Posy Yard, alongside cakes and chocolates from Monsieur Truffe. Northside Grocer is open Tuesday–Friday from 8am–6pm and Saturday from 8am–3pm at 106 High Street, Preston. Head to the website for more information. Images: Caitlin May.
One name, many faces. That's what you can expect when Italian-leaning newcomer Stella opens her doors next month, showing off four distinct offerings across four stylish levels in the heart of South Yarra. The heritage-listed corner building will soon be home to a contemporary Aussie take on the classic Italian trattoria, with a chic fitout led by Sum Design Studio and Projects of Imagination. It's named after the daughter of owner Ali Mousavi. Stella's basement level will feature an impressively stocked wine cellar and private dining room for ten, leading up to the ground floor restaurant, where a circular pizza bar takes centre stage and a Marana Forni oven is the hero of the kitchen. [caption id="attachment_863590" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Venue Manager Paul Mitchell, owner Ali Mousavi and Executive Chef John Park[/caption] Executive Chef John Park (Vue de Monde, 400 Gradi) is heading up the food offering, with a menu starring pizzas crafted on a signature dough recipe passed down through generations. Plenty more Italian influence shines through the lineup of share plates and classic regionally-inspired mains. Meanwhile, the level above the restaurant is set to play host to a relaxed drinking destination complete with fireplace and velvet seating, where you can cosy up with bevs and bar snacks. And you'd best believe there's a rooftop crowning the whole thing, boasting its own vertical garden and offering a primo spot to kick back with some of the bar's reimagined classic cocktails. Stella is set to open at 427 Chapel Street, South Yarra, in September. We'll share more details as they drop.
It might just be Australia's brightest festival, and it's returning to light up Alice Springs once again. That'd be Parrtjima - A Festival In Light, which will deliver its fifth annual program between Friday, April 3–Sunday, April 12 — and it has just started announcing its latest lineup. The nation's first indigenous festival of its kind, Parrtjima's 2020 event will mark the festival's second in its new autumn timeslot. That move proved a big hit last year, with a record crowd of 25,000 attending the 2019 event. As always, the fest will continue its free ten-day public celebration of Indigenous arts, culture, music and storytelling — and its focus on dazzling light installations — in the CBD's Alice Springs Todd Mall, as well as at tourism and conservation facility Alice Springs Desert Park Precinct just out of town. On the bill: new luminous displays, including a glowing sphere that'll be suspended three metres above the ground and a four-metre-tall flower, plus an opening night performance by Dan Sultan. They all fall under the theme 'lifting our spirits', with the 2020 fest particularly enthusiastic about "lifting the spirits from the work of artists, old and new, to the spirit of this year's audience". If the thought of towering art already has you excited, the two aforementioned pieces — Grass Seed and Alatye (Bush Yam) — actually form part of a larger new artwork called Werte. Taking inspiration from the circular and lined meeting place symbols painted by local Arrernte artist Kumalie Kngwarraye Riley, it's designed to take visitors on a journey through the Alice Springs Desert Park Precinct, and also features an eight-metre-high piece about emus dubbed Emu Laying Eggs at Night. [caption id="attachment_715722" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Lighting the Ranges, Parrtjima festival, Alice Springs, Australia.5/4/2019. Images courtesy Parrtjima / NTMEC[/caption] The 2020 lineup will also include Sultan's roots and blues tunes, with the musician hitting the stage alongside Australian earth sound band OKA — plus a heap of other Aussie acts that haven't yet been revealed. Then there's Deep Listening, a new series of talks in the Desert Park Cinema that'll pair contemporary topics of interest with a selection of films by Aboriginal filmmakers. And, over in the Todd Mall, Fire Stories will showcase local storytellers, alongside cabaret and music performances, and a roster of workshops. As always, the Alice Springs Desert Park will come alive with the festival's main attraction. Once again, a huge artwork will transform a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the majestic, 300-million-year-old MacDonnell Ranges, showering it with light each night of the festival. Just what it'll feature this year hasn't been unveiled, but it's always spectacular — and it always highlights stories, symbols and knowledge of Aboriginal culture. Another returning favourite is Ahelhe Itethe – Living Sands (Grounded), where installations are projected onto the earth accompanied by a striking soundscape. [caption id="attachment_715710" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Parrtjima festival, Alice Springs, Australia. 6/4/2019. Images courtesy Parrtjima / NTMEC[/caption] Of course, Parrtjima is just one of Northern Territory's two glowing attractions in 2020, with Australia's Red Centre lighting up in multiple ways. The festival is a nice supplement to Bruce Munro's Field of Light installation, which — after multiple extensions — is now on display indefinitely. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light runs from April 3–12, 2020 around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information, visit the festival website. Images: James Horan.
Pandemic times can be a bit of a struggle, with all those necessary lifestyle changes we've had to embrace. But, if you're as mindful as ever of our planet, there are still plenty of ways you can stick to your former eco-friendly habits, even while reality and routine have been chucked out the window. One of them is subscription-style grocery delivery service My Milkman, which is independent, sustainability focused and uses zero plastic packaging. This crew is currently doing plastic-free home drop-offs right across the inner north, delivering locally produced staples to your doorstep without the usual side of eco-guilt. Milk from Barambah Organics arrives in old-school reusable glass bottles, Marrook Farm's yoghurt comes by the jar and your Padre coffee is contained in a nifty refillable tin. Other suppliers currently include the likes of Josh's Rainbow Eggs, Dench Bakers, St David's Dairy and Jam Lady Jam, with more goodies added to the roster by the month. Once you've polished off your products, simply wash the reusable containers and leave them out in your designated drop-off zone for My Milkman's drivers to collect when they swing past with your next delivery. Drop-offs currently run Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays (you can arrange for one, two or three weekly deliveries), with groceries conveniently deposited at your door before 7.30am to avoid any dreaded breakfast delays. Depending on your appetite, you can choose from the Basics Box ($35 a week) or the Deluxe Box ($60 a week), with a suite of add-ons available, priced by item. Delivery clocks in at a $4.99 flat-rate fee. My Milkman currently services a range of inner north suburbs, running three days a week. For more info and to subscribe, head to the website.
Get ready to play that funky music, Melburnians, because a 70s-themed karaoke bar has rolled into town. Yep, Funlab — the group responsible for Holey Moley and adults-only arcade bars Archie Brothers and B. Lucky & Sons — has opened yet another kidult wonderland, with Juke's Karaoke Bar its latest themed venue. Located inside the Crown Complex, this one trades pinball machines and golf clubs for a psychedelic colour scheme, plenty of mirrors and mirrorballs, and decor that'll make you want to bust out your flares and big hair. Oh, and plenty of 70s bangers as well. It's time to warm up those vocal chords and prepare to belt out the likes of 'My Sharona', 'Stayin' Alive' and 'Hotel California', plus oh-so-much ABBA. In total, ten private karaoke rooms are available, accommodating between two to 25 people. While each suite boasts a different style and varying hues, they all come with velvet ottomans and couches, a stage and a stand-up mic. There's also a prop box, complete with items like tambourines, maracas and feather boas. Juke's also has a bar — for plenty of liquid courage, naturally — and serves snacks. As is only fitting, all food and booze is appropriately 70s-inspired. Drinks-wise, you can choose from orange crush-flavoured punch bowls served in disco balls, grasshoppers (the minty drink) and fruity cocktails adorned with lolly bracelets. Or, opt for a liquid or jelly shot, including the mini espresso martini and toasted marshmallow kind, as well as others in syringes. To eat, you'll find prawn cocktails, onion ring towers and Chiko Rolls, plus giant pretzels, mini hot dogs, sliders, potato gems, Swedish meatballs, and a platter of chocolate, lamingtons and marshmallows. Also on offer: cabanossi and pineapple porcupines, and this frighteningly fluoro cheese fondue.
With its hot-ticket pairing of bubbles and crustacean-stuffed rolls, Pinchy's has spawned a few popular pop-ups over the of years. But, thankfully, its latest venue is sticking around for a bit longer than usual. Pinchy's has opened a (very permanent) snappy first-floor eatery and sun-drenched terrace perched above Bourke Street. The newly hatched Pinchy's Champagne and Lobster Bar comes decked out in a rainbow of candy pinks and loud neon, with 75 seats inside and room for another 60 out on the balcony. It's fun and playful, with pops of greenery and splashes of terrazzo, and a very suitable set-up for those balmy evenings to come. The kitchen is whipping up a menu where seafood reigns supreme, but it's not just about the signature lobster rolls, loaded with buttery lobster sourced from over in Maine. You'll also find a tapas-style lineup with the likes of fat scallops served in the shell with cauliflower puree ($10), Alaskan crab tacos ($7) and snapper croquettes ($9). Meanwhile, a newly launched menu of vegan fare is also causing a splash, featuring crafty plant-based bites like spiced tofu tacos with avocado mousse ($8); vegan 'oysters' made with rice crisps, sea lettuce cream and black garlic ($4); and dainty carrot cornettes filled with a jalapeno salsa and wasabi mayo ($8). If you're craving red meat, best venture elsewhere. [caption id="attachment_809985" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pinchy's new vegan menu[/caption] Here, seafood's perfect match is a bubbly one — so you'll find plenty of fizz on the drinks list. A hefty Champagne selection sits alongside brews from Colonial Brewing Co, Bodriggy's speccy juice and a spread of classic and champagne-based cocktails; such as the grapefruit & elderflower blush with yuzu and white grapefruit ($20). Images: Jana Longhurst and Jake Roden
It’s a hot Thursday night when we swing by Fitzroy's new late night venue for dinner, so when the bartender suggests margaritas, we don't need to be asked twice. Slinking into one of Glamorama's dark back corner booths gives us an excellent view of the entire space; the bar, saturated in red light, complements red booths and is matched with large black industrial lights hanging from the high ceilings. Even though it's only 8pm, this venue is suggestive of late night debauchery, and we dig it. We briefly consider the Botox pies — if not just for the novelty factor of squeezing sauce out of a syringe — but decide to go straight for the big guns. Going The Whole Hock ($22) consists of fried ham hock, crackling, and coleslaw on a bed of parsnip puree. The meat falls apart beautifully, and the crackling provides the delightful crunch you're presumably looking for. The parsnip puree is a great move away from traditional potato mash, keeping the dish light and accompanying the zesty coleslaw perfectly. The steak ($22) is an experimental choice; the kitchen doesn't close until 11pm, and we want to know how Glamorama stacks up in the late night steak game. Turns out, pretty good. The steak is spot on medium rare, served with chips and a side of green beans, vegan aioli and crispy shallots. The menu here is designed for sharing, and both dishes come pre-segmented to easily pass around the table. This is handy to know if you're planning on coming with a — because, let's be honest, no one wants to be in charge of splitting a steak. Feeling full but definitely not defeated, the dessert menu offers two intriguing, Australian-influenced options. While the Tim Tam trifle certainly is intriguing, it's the lamington fried ice cream ($14) with coconut-coated ice-cream, strawberry jam and chocolate toffee we go for. The strawberry jam is subtle throughout, but definitely gives the dessert that lamington-like quality we were hoping for. Like the other dishes, we certainly recommend splitting this one. The venue is well decked out for party times with their Funktion-One surround sound system, and a closing time of 3am on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and 5am on Friday and Saturdays. If you're looking for a quiet spot for dinner, this may not be the ideal venue, as electronic music consistently cascades in the background. That's not to say Glamorama can’t be intimate; the booths are comfortable, the atmosphere is inviting, and the service is exceptional for a busy bar. We're keen to visit once their courtyard is completed — we'll be back to split a Paloma-Rama mezcal cocktail jug the next warm night we get.
Three words: blue cheese hummus. That's what you'll come out of Naughty Boy repeating — over and over, like a prayer or incantation — if you make the right move in ordering the cauliflower and hazelnut fritters with poached eggs and a fennel salad. The addition of hummus and blue cheese together (at last!) is such a perfect marriage, you'll wonder why you hadn't thought of it yourself. It's not a brunch dish likely to be superseded in a hurry — except perhaps by something else on the very same menu. Because while blue cheese hummus is undoubtedly incredible and it's a great introduction to Naughty Boy, there is much more to love at Princes Hill's new (and we're pretty sure only) cafe. Having been open for almost three months now, the cafe has found its rhythm, and come the weekend, the 100-seater space is pretty much full. The menu — which spans breakfast and lunch — is one of those that caters to each one of your gastronomic sensibilities. Choosing is the hard part. Sweet is covered by a coconut and lime rice pudding with rhubarb and candied almonds ($12.90), and — when we visited — a pancake special. The Bircher with muddled spiced berries and pistachio ($10.50) takes a more virtuous path; oats are subbed for quinoa and chia seeds, making it grainy and wholesome. It's also one of the many gluten free options. Savoury is where the focus lies though, with the aforementioned fritters taking centre stage, along with twice-cooked pork belly and a breakfast Scotch fillet and fried eggs. The Naughty Boy is a platter set to please, with bacon, tomato, falafel, mushroom and eggs ($20.90) — just be sure to add a side of bacon and gruyere croquettes. Coffee is from Allpress, but you might also find a guest blend, like Dukes, on offer. The cafe is licensed too, which means lunch can be accompanied by a beer, cider or one of the few wines kept in-house. Naughty Boy is perhaps a bit ambitious — the space is big and risks looking empty out of peak weekend hours — but it fills a void in the surprisingly cafe-barren stretch of Lygon Street that has long been monopolised by North Carlton Canteen. Above all else, this is Melbourne breakfast at its most pleasing, and it is a menu that can be revisited again and again.
Anyone with a curious impulse in their heart and a phone in their hand can eat well on holiday. But to eat great? For that, you'll need to do a bit of prep and make some bookings at these pilgrimage-worthy restaurants on NZ's South Island. They've made their name on farm-to-table feasting, seafood that's travelled basically a negative number of food miles and foraging in fields home to hobbits and elves. People want in. The South Island is full of mountains to climb, artsy small cities to explore, glassy lakes to gawp at — all perfect ways to work up and appetite for these culinary experiences and then the perfect diversions while you digest the meal of the year. [caption id="attachment_687223" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rodney F.[/caption] FLEUR'S PLACE Fleur's Place is a beautiful fishing shed turned cosy restaurant tucked away in the seaside village of Moeraki, right on the waterfront at the old jetty. This little gem is not to be missed if you're a fan of the freshest catches out of the sea. Fleur's showcases the best of New Zealand produce with signature dishes such as green-lipped mussel pots, hearty seafood soup, fish (literally caught and delivered straight off the boat to the back kitchen of Fleur's) and, if you're lucky, some rare finds such as abalone. Fleur's gets incredibly busy, so it's best to book a table before you go. Really there's nothing that beats eating fresh seafood while watching the waves hitting the shores of Moeraki. It's also around a ten-minute drive from the world-famous Moeraki Boulders, so why not kill two fish with one stone. 169 Haven Street, Moeraki. RIVERSTONE KITCHEN While Oamaru might be known for its blue penguins and steampunk, it also serves amazing food that attracts connoisseurs from all around the world via Riverstone Kitchen. After rising through the ranks of illustrious London kitchens and serving as head chef at Brisbane's E'cco Bistro, Bevan Smith came here and opened up shop on his family's farm with wife Monique in a remote patch of NZ countryside. Now, it's a pilgrimage site, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. As is right, given the set-up, the ingredients that start in these fields end up in the restaurant's dishes (which in turn end up in the kitchen's renowned recipe books). Meat comes courtesy of the neighbours. Try the dreamy cheese soufflé ($22) paired with apple and hazelnut salad or a venison massaman curry with roast cauliflower, peanuts and crispy shallots ($36). 1431 State Highway 1, Oamaru. GATHERINGS After working on an organic vegetable farm in North Canterbury, chef Alex Davies launched the Gatherings pop-up concept where the food he cooked represented a taste of the region, the time and place. The concept has since evolved into a permanent restaurant and living wine bar focusing on sustainable, local and seasonal cuisine. The overarching theme is to highlight the connection of what we eat and the planet that we live on. From its original plant-based tasting menu, Gatherings has pivoted towards family-style eating — and introduced sustainably-caught fish in the process. The takeaway 'Fish Supper' was introduced post-COVID-19 lockdown as a way to keep the wheels in motion. The concept has now become the restaurant's main offering, as a more affordable option for the community in trying times and to allow diners to feast as a family or friend unit. Southland's Gravity Fishing supplies the catch to order (and nothing more), which means that repeat diners will likely have an entirely different experience every visit. Diners have the option to order a whole fish for the table and buy smaller Canterbury-centric dishes around it. 5/2 Papanui Road, Merivale, Christchurch. AMISFIELD Located in Central Otago, Amisfield is a specialist producer of pinot noir and aromatic white wines, with a two-hatted bistro on-site. Basically, it's your one-stop portal to a world of amazing wine and food. Your meal unfurls by way of a 'trust the chef' degustation menu of three to seven courses ($140, $60 for matching wines), stopping off at the likes of titi (muttonbird) with seaweed and konini berries and hidden truffles in edible soil. The hyper-seasonal menu is the work of executive chef Vaughan Mabee, who earned his stripes working at Danish restaurant Noma. Another factor giving Amisfield its edge? Mabee works with a dedicated forager, who helps keep his stores packed with little-known local ingredients that invigorate the cooking each night. Amisfield provides the ultimate gastronomic experience against probably one of the most beautiful backdrops in New Zealand. Bookings are essential. 10 Arrowtown-Lake Hayes Road, Frankton, Queenstown. ARBOUR The philosophy of Arbour is "eat, sip, gather". It's a modern and elegant restaurant that champions local produce in its carefully crafted three-, four- or seven-course offering ($79–99). Diners can get an authentic taste of the region through fresh and simple ingredients that are married together in creative ways. So you'll see beef sirloin cooked with parsnip and smoked potato dumpling; john dory smoked and paired with leek, black truffle and 63-degree egg; and corn 'porridge' with various alliums, hazelnut and bacon. Here in the colder months? Head indoors, where Arbour has a 'prep bench' experience ($139 per person) that offers you the seven-course tasting menu, along with the dinner theatre of watching the kitchen in full flight. You'll want to catch owner-operators Bradley Hornby and Liz Buttimore in action — the latter is 2017 Cuisine Good Food Awards Restaurant Personality of the Year, after all. 36 Godfrey Road, Fairhall, Blenheim. Start planning your trip to New Zealand's south with our guide to the South Island journeys to take here.
Wearable technology has been around for a few years now, but hasn't really taken off. Google Glass tried to get everyone to stick a computer on their face, while the Apple Watch attempted to move smartphones onto everyone's wrists; however, as cool and suitably futuristic as both are, they're hardly must-have gadgets. Enter Snapchat, their first foray into the hardware realm, and the pair of sunnies everyone's going to want. We'll let you ponder that concept for a few moments, because sunglasses that record 10-second bursts of video sound both amazing and familiar, and not just because there's been a rumour that Snapchat has been working on something like this floating around for a while now. Called Spectacles and revealed by The Wall Street Journal in an interview with Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel, they're basically a cheaper version of Google's eyewear with one specific function; but hey, letting everyone do something they already could in a slightly different way has worked out pretty well for them so far, hasn't it? As well as turning the act of taking photos into a mostly hands-free task (unless you can press buttons with your mind, you're still going to have to lift a finger to the frames to start each clip, sadly), Spectacles boast two major drawcards. Firstly, they look like regular glasses, rather than Robocop-like attire, complete with black, teal and coral styles. And even better, they're going to be affordable, at US$130 a pair. Other features include a 115-degree lens designed to mimic the human field of vision, as well as the ability to capture circular images to approximate our natural perspective. And yes, everything you record with your new toy will then upload to your Snapchat account, after connecting to your phone via wifi. No word as yet regarding an Aussie release date, but a limited number are due out in the US sometime over the next couple of months. Via The Wall Street Journal. Image: Business Insider.
The Rochester Hotel's food offering received a southern Indian makeover earlier this year, with the arrival of chef Mischa Tropp. Now, Tropp is celebrating Kerala's annual state festival Onam with a series of vegetarian and vegan feasts later this month. Coinciding with the ancient festival, which celebrates Hindu mythology with a rice harvest in the Malayam month of Chingam, the Rochey's $45 meat-free banquets will be on offer from August 20 to 23. And if you've already had a chance to sample Tropp's vibrant, gutsy dishes, you'll know to expect a seriously flavourful affair, even when vegetables are the heroes. The Rochey's regular vegetarian-friendly menu includes hits like sweet confit parsnips topped with a Kashmiri-style chilli crumb, the fiery 'kadala' featuring chickpeas in coconut and roasted spices, and the utterly addictive boiled egg 'bonda' coated in a crispy fried sourdough shell.
Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland) directs How I Live Now, a film adapted from Meg Rosoff's 2004 novel of the same name by a team of writers including talented British playwright Penelope Skinner. Startlingly mature Irish actress Saoirse Ronan (Atonement, The Way Back) stars as Daisy, a strong-willed New York teenager sent to stay with English relatives one summer. Just as she's settling in and falling in love with her cousin Edmond (George MacKay), a nuclear bomb is detonated in London by an anarchist group and all hell breaks loose. The boys are conscripted into the army; the girls are taken to an evacuation camp, which is soon attacked by "the enemy". Forced to flee, Daisy faces an arduous journey to survive, get home and be reunited with Edmond. Featuring a largely young cast of up-and-comers, How I Live Now sounds a little bit like John Marsden's Tomorrow, When the War Began series, albeit set in England and with a much bigger budget. If you like your films on the adventurous side with a splash of romance and an impressively resilient heroine, then this could be right up your alley. How I Live Now is in cinemas on November 28, and thanks to Madman Films, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — at present, spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in 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. LITTLE JOE Pipes blow gently. The camera swirls. Rows of plants fill the screen. Some are leafy and flowery as they reach for the sky; others are mere stems topped with closed buds. Both types of vegetation are lined up in boxes in an austere-looking laboratory greenhouse — and soon another shoot of green appears among them. Plant breeder Alice (Cruella's Emily Beecham, who won the Cannes Film Festival's Best Actress award for her work here) is cloaked in a lab coat far paler than any plant, but the symbolism is immediately evident. Audiences don't know it yet, but her shock of cropped red hair resembles the crimson flowers that'll blossom in her genetically engineered new type of flora, too. "The aim has been to create a plant with a scent that makes its owner happy," she tells a small audience. She explains that most research in her field, and in this lab, has revolved around cultivating greenery that requires less human interaction; however, her new breed does the opposite. This species needs more watering and more protection from the elements, and responds to touch and talk. In return, it emits a scent that kickstarts the human hormone oxytocin when inhaled. Linked to parenting and bonding, that response will make everyone "love this plant like your own child," beams Alice like a proud parent. So starts Little Joe, which shares its name with the vegetation in question — a "mood-lifting, anti-depressant, happy plant," Alice's boss (David Wilmot, Calm with Horses) boasts. She's borrowed her own teenage son's (Kit Connor, Rocketman) moniker for her new baby, although she gives it more attention than her flesh-and-blood offspring, especially with the push to get it to market speeding up. The clinical gaze favoured by Austrian filmmaker Jessica Hausner (Amour fou) is telling, though. The eerie tone to the feature's Japanese-style, flute- and percussion-heavy score sets an uneasy mood as well. And, there's something not quite right in the overt eagerness of Alice's lab colleague Chris (Ben Whishaw, Fargo), and in the way that Planthouse Biotechnologies' other employees all instantly dismiss the concerns of the one naysayer, Bella (Kerry Fox, Top End Wedding), who has just returned to work after a mental health-induced sabbatical. Making her first English-language feature, Hausner helms a disquieting and anxious sci-fi/horror masterwork. Like many movies in the genre, this is a film about possibilities and consequences, creation and its costs, and happiness and its sacrifices — and about both daring to challenge and dutifully abiding by conformity — and yet it's always its own beast. There are aspects of Frankenstein at play, and The Day of the Triffids, and even Side Effects also. But as anyone familiar with Mary Shelley's iconic work knows, combining familiar elements can result in an intriguing new entity that's much more than just the sum of its parts. Read our full review. HERSELF Survivalist films typically pit humans against the elements, nature or space, testing a character's endurance when they're cast adrift in the ocean (as in Kon-Tiki and All Is Lost), enduring unwelcoming expanses (Into the Wild, Arctic), faced with animal predators (The Grey, Crawl) or navigating the heavens (Gravity, The Martian). Herself doesn't tick any of those boxes, but it still fits the genre — because what else is a movie about a woman trying to escape an abusive marriage, care for her two young daughters alone and build a safe future if not a story of survival? In Dublin, Sandra (Spider-Man: Far From Home's Claire Dunne, who also co-wrote the feature's screenplay) is unhappily married to Gary (Ian Lloyd Anderson, Vikings), and has the bruises to prove it. When he finds money hidden in her car, a badly fractured hand becomes the latest marker of their domestic horror. She leaves, children Molly (Molly McCann, Vivarium) and Emma (debutant Ruby Rose O'Hara) in tow, but forging a path forward proves complicated at every turn. Social services can only put the trio up in a hotel far away from the girls' school, juggling two jobs to barely scrape by becomes even trickier and, by court order, Gary still gets weekend visits with the kids. Then, thanks to a spark of unexpected inspiration, Sandra decides to try to build her own house — a €35,000 self-build that'll require an overwhelmingly thoughtful gift from one of her bosses (Harriet Walter, Killing Eve), the kindness of a construction industry veteran (Conleth Hill, Game of Thrones) and all the help she can muster. As a writer (with What Richard Did's Malcolm Campbell), Dunne doesn't make easy choices. Her narrative doesn't follow a straightforward path, either. Herself's script highlights the devastating complexities that surround Sandra at every turn, but avoids plotting the obvious course — because more hopeful and more grim moments are always in everyone's futures, even when it seems that worse surely can't come. Stress, resilience, tender gestures and uncaring powers-that-be are all a part of this story. So is interrogating a system that's quick to push back at victims in the name of family, and the impact upon children who grow up in a household blighted by domestic violence. Herself fleshes out this reality, but always hurtles forward, because that's all that Sandra can do. Worlds away from the two other features on her resume — Mamma Mia! and The Iron Lady — director Phyllida Lloyd helms an intense , compassionate but still clear-eyed drama. It's as bleak as French standout Custody, which also plunges into an abusive marriage. It's also as brutal in its unflinching depiction of navigating bureaucracy as fellow Irish film Rosie, which also tells of a mother trying to find housing for her kids. And yet, without any cloying sentiment, there's hope and tenacity here as well, including in Dunne's phenomenally rich and vulnerable performance. Read our full review. WEREWOLVES WITHIN The last time that filmmaker Josh Ruben trekked to a snowy mountainous locale and tracked the characters stranded in its midst, Scare Me was the end result, with the entertaining horror-comedy combining cabin fever chaos with creepy tales. Accordingly, it's easy to see how he's jumped from that Sundance hit to Werewolves Within, which shares the same kind of setting and setup — but with lycanthropes and a whodunnit twist. Forest ranger Finn (Sam Richardson, Promising Young Woman) has just arrived in the remote town of Beaverfield as the weather turns and the strange attacks start. He's barely been given a tour by fellow outsider Cecily (Milana Vayntrub, This Is Us), the local mail carrier, when the village's generators are found destroyed and the bodies start piling up. Finn has already established that he's surrounded by eccentric characters, including an oilman (Wayne Duvall, The Trial of the Chicago 7) trying to build a pipeline through the foliage, a store owner (Michaela Watkins, Search Party) obsessed with her dog, a constantly arguing couple (No Activity's George Basil and Barry's Sarah Burns) with a fondness for skirting the law, and a pair of ex-city slickers (What We Do in the Shadows' Harvey Guillén and Saved by the Bell's Cheyenne Jackson); however, he's soon forced into close quarters with his new neighbours as they all try to work out who's transforming into a ravenous creature and indulging their hunger. If it all sounds a bit like Cluedo but with werewolves, there's a reason for that; the 2016 virtual reality game that Werewolves Within is based on also matches that description. Adapted into a movie, the narrative aims for Knives Out with claws — but, while overflowing with one-liners, sight gags and a healthy sense of humour to a not just jam-packed but overstuffed degree, the end result is never as funny as it should be. It's never quite as fun, either, even though the concept is a winner on paper. Comedian-turned-screenwriter Mishna Wolff spends far too much time trading in the glaringly apparent, not to mention the predictable. Hell is other people here, and the fact that a seemingly quaint and friendly small town can be filled with deceit, duplicity and disaster is hardly a new observation (and neither is the musing that the sniping within the community just might be worse than the supernatural threat they're now facing). That almost every character remains purely one-note doesn't help, and nor do the over-amped performances given by all of the film's supporting players. Richardson is a delight, though, as he has been in everything from Detroiters to Veep. Indeed, he makes the case not just for more work, but for more leading roles. Vayntrub sinks her teeth into her part, too, and her rapport with Richardson is one of the movie's highlights. Also engaging: the off-kilter tone that Ruben adopts throughout, again aping his previous — and better — feature. PERFUMES Add Perfumes to the lengthy list of odd-couple comedies that bring folks with opposing personalities together, and suddenly, all so that they can learn life lessons, face much-needed realisations and ultimately live better futures. This French feature also hinges upon an only-in-the-movies setup, after a professional "nose" — someone with enhanced olfactory receptors who plies their talents in the fragrance trade — strikes up an unlikely connection with the struggling father that starts working as her chauffeur so that he can eventually win shared custody of his tween daughter. The key here: sincerity. There's sweetness in writer/director Grégory Magne's (L'air de rien) film, and whimsy, too, but this tale about two lost souls unexpectedly finding commonalities in each other never plays up its quirks. Instead, as penned with heart, helmed with patience, and performed with soul by stars Grégory Montel (Call My Agent!) and Emmanuelle Devos (Violette) as well, Perfumes is like smelling a familiar yet still enticing, comforting and surprising scent. Just as fragrance designer Anne Walberg (Devos) builds aromas out of recognisable ingredients while striving to create something that stands out, this charming movie blends its array of easy-to-spot elements into a pleasingly distinctive cinematic treat. In the latest French-made or -adjacent feature to include a custody battle of late (see also: Custody and My Zoe), all that Guillaume Favre (Montel) wants is to convince a judge that he can spend every other week with his daughter Léa (Zélie Rixhon, The Ideal Palace). To do so, he needs to radiate stability, something that he starts seeking through his driving job. When he's assigned to ferry Anne between assignments, he's far from impressed by her aloof demeanour or unusual demands. Helping her change the sheets at her hotel isn't in his job description, he notes. But he's also intrigued by her work, which currently involves recreating the specific odour of a cave, masking an unpleasant smell that's infected a leather brand's handbags, and trying to counteract the stench being pumped out by a rural factory — new gigs she's pushed into by her money-motivated agent (Pauline Moulène, Boomerang) after starting out concocting designer perfumes. Magne's film isn't about narrative surprises, but about emotions. It's also about spending time with two nicely fleshed-out characters who find friendship blossoming despite their initial misapprehensions, and bring out the best in each other as a result. Perfumes wouldn't work if it didn't unfurl with gentle but genuine warmth, if it didn't value attention to detail so highly, and if it didn't have both Devos and Montel as its anchors; however, thankfully they're all a part of this elegant Gallic effort. ESCAPE ROOM: TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS More than once in Escape Room: Tournament of Champions, a supporting performance stands out — and not for the right reasons. Overdone and obvious, these portrayals leave audiences with no doubt that the corresponding characters are part of the game that this franchise has been playing for two movies now. The overall premise of this series sees ordinary folks receive invites that lead them into a maze of escape rooms. These are literal life-and-death spaces, and the body count grows room by room. This time around, Zoey (Taylor Russell, Words on Bathroom Walls) and Ben (Logan Miller, Love, Simon), the sole survivors of 2019's series starter, are trying to track down the villains responsible for the death traps. Of course, they're soon stuck in another one, alongside four fellow winners (In Like Flynn's Thomas Cocquerel, Follow Me's Holland Roden, Queen & Slim's Indya Moore and Step Up: High Water's Carlito Olivero) from other games. There's supposed to be a sense of anxiousness about where the escape rooms begin and the outside world ends, and vice versa, but that's completely stripped out of this second effort. Throughly unsubtle bit-part performances, even for a movie this blatant at every turn, will do that. Escape Room: Tournament of Champions is still tense when Zoe, Ben and their fellow pawns are trying to sleuth their way to safety, thankfully, but that's largely a result of giving them twisty puzzles to solve at an urgent pace. Watching people trying to problem-solve quickly comes with innate tension. Will they succeed? Won't they? The seesawing between those two extremes is inherently suspenseful. That, and the rooms themselves, are two of Escape Room: Tournament of Champions' three highlights. The third: Russell, who is capable of so much more — as seen in Waves, for example — and gives her part here more depth than is written on the page. But, as much as returning director Adam Robitel (Insidious: The Last Key) tries to spin something memorable out of the nervous tone, elaborate spaces and Russell's presence, the repetition and overtness gets tiring fast. While individual scenes may be tense, the overall film never is. It's always apparent where the narrative is headed, even when the six credited writers (Mortal Kombat's Oren Uziel, Hand of God's Daniel Tuch, Counterpart's Maria Melnik, The Hive's Will Honley, Invincible's Christine Lavaf and Wildling's Fritz Böhm) think they're serving up surprises; thought has clearly gone into the minutiae of each escape room, and yet little seems to have been afforded the bigger picture. Visually, and in its soundtrack, every stylistic touch paints by the numbers, too. Also much too predictable: that the film is a setup for yet more to follow. The Final Destination franchise has ratcheted up five instalments so far, so the Escape Room series, the closest thing it has to a successor, can obviously keep milking its setup for several more formulaic movies to come. 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 January 1, January 7, January 14, January 21 and January 28; February 4, February 11, February 18 and February 25; March 4, March 11, March 18 and March 25; and April 1, April 8, April 15, April 22 and April 29; May 6, May 13, May 20 and May 27; and June 3, June 10, June 17 and June 24. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Chaos Walking, Raya and the Last Dragon, Max Richter's Sleep, Judas and the Black Messiah, Girls Can't Surf, French Exit, Saint Maud, Godzilla vs Kong, The Painter and the Thief, Nobody, The Father, Willy's Wonderland, Collective, Voyagers, Gunda, Supernova, The Dissident, The United States vs Billie Holiday, First Cow, Wrath of Man, Locked Down, The Perfect Candidate, Those Who Wish Me Dead, Spiral: From the Book of Saw, Ema, A Quiet Place Part II, Cruella, My Name Is Gulpilil, Lapsis, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, Fast and Furious 9, Valerie Taylor: Playing with Sharks and In the Heights.
