With a sumptuous colour palette, interwoven plot lines, and unexpected humour, writer-director Rian Johnson (Looper) has assuredly marked Star Wars, Episode VIII: The Last Jedi as his own – a new chapter in the Skywalker saga that is at once deeply familiar and unique. Part two in the sequel trilogy picks up right where The Force Awakens left off, with the orphaned heroine Rey (Daisy Ridley) attempting to lure the only remaining Jedi, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), out of self-imposed exile. Meanwhile, the last remnants of the Resistance flee a resurgent New Order. The film opens with as dramatic a sequence as the franchise has ever seen, delivering an exhilarating and poignant battle that introduces a spectacularly menacing new class of space ship known as the Dreadnaught, pits ace pilot Poe (Oscar Isaac) against his superiors, and sets in motion a race against the clock. Unable to escape without detection and with only shallow reserves of fuel remaining until the New Order catches up with them, the depleted Rebel fleet limps through space like the Orca from Jaws – a hapless, crumbling ship pursued by a killer whose only remaining hurdle is time. But as ingenious as this setup may be, it also gives rise to the film's most pointless subplot. After waking from his coma, Finn (John Boyega) contrives a means by which he can disable the New Order's tracking device, albeit one that requires him to sneak off the fleeing vessel, travel to a Monaco-styled casino planet, track down a master codebreaker and infiltrate the enemy's warship undetected. This enormous MacGuffin sees Boyega partnered with the charming Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico, a Resistance engineer low in status but high in pluck. The problem is that their side adventure does absolutely nothing to advance the actual story. Finn's reluctant hero arc was already covered off in The Force Awakens, while Rose's belief in (and commitment to) the righteousness of the rebel cause is perfectly encapsulated in her fantastic introductory scene but goes unchallenged thereafter. Benicio Del Toro also pops up, then shortly thereafter departs, in an entirely forgettable cameo. Ultimately they all end up right where they began, having effected no material change except to deliver a heavy-handed critique of war profiteers. The great shame is that in both Boyega and Tran you have oodles of charisma, heart and talent that deserve scenes of equal calibre. Instead, they chew up time in a movie already guilty of using far too much of it. Thankfully the rest of the cast fares better. Hamill, Ridley and Adam Driver's Kylo Ren find themselves entangled in a fascinating and emotionally-driven power struggle, with each grappling with their complicated relationships to one another and their wider place in the universe. In an appropriate analogy to the franchise itself, Skywalker wrestles with his own understanding of legend and mythos, believing himself unworthy of hero status and wracked with the guilt of failing Ren in his training. Ren, in turn, remains conflicted about his place in the First Order and his murder of his father, whilst Rey feels the growing Force within her yet lacks the knowledge or training to understand it. It's in sequences featuring this core trio that The Last Jedi hits its highest notes. The exploration of Jedi lore, too, receives the kind of treatment that will delight the franchise's most ardent fans, including a moment of outstanding visual flair, involving replicated Reys, that reminds us of Johnson's unique style and character. And, of course, there's Carrie Fisher, whose few scenes remind us how affecting and groundbreaking a character Princess Leia is, and how captivating an actor Fisher was. Her departure is treated with all the deftness, restraint and respect that audiences could hope for. Perhaps the biggest departure from tradition, though, especially in the wake of the gritty spinoff Rogue One, is Johnson's use of comedy. With more gags, one-liners and quirky moments than all the other Star Wars films combined, The Last Jedi introduces a levity to the staid franchise in the vein of Roger Moore's turn as post-Connery Bond. At times it works, even to the point of guffaws, but ultimately the humour feels misplaced. In a story where loss abounds and crushing defeat looms large at every turn, the repeated cutaways to doe-eyed porgs purring like extras from a Pixar film distract more than they entertain. So, too, does Domhnall Gleeson, whose character General Hux plays more like a parody of a Star Wars villain. As a result, both the New Order and the film itself are robbed of their most enduring menace: the Empire. After all, pare back any of the previous films in this sprawling space opera and you'll find that, for all their Sith lords and rogue assassins, what truly terrified was a galactic military-industrial complex so vast and overbearing it was capable of repressing not just people but entire planets. Darth Vaders come and go, and individuals can be destroyed, but totalitarian regimes endure for generations. When an oppressed populace has only ever known a life under the iron fist, it cannot even contemplate an alternative. It's that, more than any great, dark mysticism, that provides the Star Wars universe with its most tangible threat. Overly long and consistently clunky, The Last Jedi ultimately proves a bit of a mixed bag. Its battle scenes are nothing short of spectacular, including a five-second shot involving Laura Dern and a hyperspace jump that almost singlehandedly justifies the entire film's existence. As a chronicle of Jedi mythology, too, the film delivers in a way the George Lucas prequels never managed, offering new and engaging insights into the Force and the balance between light and dark. Too often, though, the dialogue is exposition heavy and played for easy laughs. One senses Rian Johnson has in him a greater, more exploratory story to tell, one unburdened by so much expectation and history. The good news? He's set to follow Last Jedi with an entirely new Star Wars trilogy. May the force be with him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0CbN8sfihY
One of the biggest films of 2015 sees a team of valiant superheroes do battle with a malevolent android named Ultron. A hulking hunk of metal bent on human annihilation, he’s the latest in a long line of movie robots run amuck, one that stretches back all the way to Fritz Lang’s silent Metropolis and encompasses many of the all-time great science-fiction films, including 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Terminator and the criminally underrated masterpiece that is Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey. But while Ultron is busy making life difficult for Iron Man and pals, a smaller film is offering a more nuanced take on the dilemmas of artificial intelligence. The directorial debut of writer Alex Garland, Ex Machina is a (relatively) low-budget techno thriller that poses some big, frightening questions about where humankind may be headed. Carried on the shoulders of its three central performances, it’s an intriguing piece of understated science fiction that’ll leave you pondering its content long after it comes to an end. The film follows Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson), a programmer for a massive internet search engine, who wins a mysterious company-wide lottery. His prize: spend a week with the company’s eccentric founder Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac) in his remote mountainside home and research lab. There, Caleb finds himself introduced to Bateman’s most incredible invention yet: a humanoid robot named Ava (Swedish actress Alicia Vikander). The purpose of Caleb’s visit, Bateman explains, is to spend time speaking with Ava, to determine whether she has truly achieved artificial intelligence. As the week stretches on, however, Caleb begins to sense that something is terribly amiss. Although it’s his first film in the director’s chair, Garland is certainly no stranger to science fiction, having previously written the screenplays for Sunshine, 28 Days Later and Dredd. Still, Ex Machina is certainly his most cerebral work — slow moving, but never dull. As Ava and Caleb grow closer and Caleb begins to question Bateman’s ultimate goals, the film forces us to consider a number of difficult ideas, from what exactly it means to be human to what responsibilities come with playing God. A big part of what keeps the film engaging are the performances of Garland’s three leads. Gleeson’s awkward, good natured Caleb strikes a stark contrast with Isaac’s macho take on Bateman, whose heavy drinking and aggressive alpha male personality adds an uneasy tension to many of their exchanges. So too is it difficult to pin down the dynamic between Caleb and Vikander’s seemingly innocent robot, especially when she begins to show hints of romantic interest in her new companion — feelings that he soon begins to reciprocate. The film is at its best when it's exploring these kinds of emotional, social and technological grey areas. Hidden character motivations leave viewers in the same spot as Caleb, feeling increasingly uneasy, and unsure of exactly where they stand. If you just want explosions, go and see Age of Ultron. But if you’re looking for something a little more intellectually rewarding, Ex Machina is the ticket for you.
Yeah, yeah, so Meghan Trainor spent X weeks at the top of the charts with her multiplatinum mega-single and No 1. album at only 22 years old. Yeah, good. We're pretty set to continue burling 'ROBBED!' for a good few hours after Australia's Courtney Barnett just missed out on her first Grammy award for Best New Artist, with the 'All About That Bass' artist nabbing the gong. But the Melburnian/Hobartian won the live blogging for the event, taking over Tumblr's music page for the day. Apart from Kendrick Lamar rightly dominating errrrthing, Lady Gaga's Bowie tribute and Pharrell's quaint Chanel jacket, Barnett's quiet blogging stole the show for us. Takin' mad selfie GIFs before the show: http://music.tumblr.com/post/139381160531/just-me-and-then-dave-and-then-bones Rockin' the outfit we'd want to wear to the Grammys: http://music.tumblr.com/post/139388982451/me-on-the-red-carpet Waiting for Swifty and Selena to wrap up: http://music.tumblr.com/post/139390159691/taylor-and-selena-in-front-of-me-nbd Before and after-ing on the red carpet. http://music.tumblr.com/post/139390666806/pre-red-carpet-post-red-carpet-we-did-it Scoping out after-Grammy tacos: http://music.tumblr.com/post/139405254176/hanging-with-my-awesome-tour-manager-hook-waiting Go check it out here. What a boss.
Vincent Corneille and Rubin Utama are the excellent gentlemen behind Son Valise, the company that builds the adorable and awesome JukeCase. You might have seen them at various markets, walked past their Collingwood store, or eyed one off with envy at your mate's place, either way, they're everywhere at the moment and not only they look great, but also the sound quality is top-notch. Vincent and Rubin recently launched a Pozible campaign to create a smaller version of the JukeCase, appropriately named the JukeCase Mini. As of Monday they reached their $16,000 goal and the JukeCase Mini is going ahead. (If you're pretty keen on these wonderful musical contraptions you can still pledge up until December 16 and receive a JukeCase Mini for below the RRP.) To celebrate their Pozible win, and the gorgeous summer that awaits us all, we asked Vincent and Rubin to compile some kick-arse playlists that are perfect for warm weather activities. Whether you're heading to the beach, getting out of town for a few days, or throwing a house party of epic proportions, here are a few tunes the Son Valise lads can recommend. Road Trip Songs A road trip playlist needs to cover a lot of ground. For starters, you need enough sing-along songs that your carload of people can scream along to that it keeps morale high. You also need songs that compliment your surroundings. A good way to do this is play artists who come from your destination of choice to get you in the mood. Finally, road trips are excellent introversion time, so if you're travelling solo, sometimes quieter, thinking music is best. Vincent and Rubin have covered all bases here, so grab your bags and let's hit the road. VINCENT Jackson Browne - Running On Empty: In the middle of the desert when you've been on the road for eight hours straight, this song propels you to keep on moving. The Doors - LA Woman: No road trip is complete without The Doors blaring out of the stereo (or JukeCase). This song has great pace and always gets you focused on the drive. Bruce Springsteen - I'm On Fire: Really chilled out and great for those really late nights in the middle of nowhere. Gorillaz ft. Little Dragon - Empire Ants: An amazing and powerful crescendo. The Chemical Brothers - Star Guitar: Seeing the sunrise over the ocean and this playing in the background is a truly wonderful experience. RUBIN Kanye West - POWER: Always a good pump up if driving is getting a little dull. Dr Alban - Sing Hallelujah: '90s sing-along. Cake - The Distance: The title is self-explanatory I think. Time to drive! Todd Terje - Swing Star, Pt.1 & 2: Sometimes when you get in the zone it's good to listen to a bit of "in the zone" music that develops. No lyrics. Just a musical journey. Kitty, Daisy and Lewis - Don't Make a Fool Out of Me: A good sunny-day, window-down tune to sing along with. House Party Boogie Nights Whether it's a housewarming, Christmas party or NYE festivities, you can bet that there will be some banging house parties over summer. If you're planning to throw your own, make sure you pack your playlist with dancefloor-fillers from the now and yesterday. Old school hip hop and disco are excellent choices and have been favoured by Vincent and Rubin, as well as few saucy ones for a cheeky make-out sesh. You're welcome, future summer lovers. VINCENT Rick James - Give It to Me Baby: I'm a big Rick James fan and this one always sets the scene. Prince - Erotic City: Sleazy funk from the master himself. Talking Heads - Girlfriend Is Better: Unrelenting party jam Hot Chocolate - Heaven Is in the Backseat of My Cadillac: The name says it all really. The Whispers - And the Beat Goes On: Try to not dance. I dare you. RUBIN Oliver Cheatham - Get Down It's Saturday Night - Because that's what you should be doing on a Saturday night. Chic - The Chic Minimix: The best of Chic all mixed into one seven-minute ultimate minimix. Young MC - Bust a Move - Old-school hip hop song/dance-along. Michael Jackson - Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough: What's a house party without a little Michael? Thundercat - Oh Sheit It's X!: Upbeat, high energy, ridiculous bass line. Sure to get you moving in ways you never knew you could. Beach Time Chill Out Tunes It's time to kick back and let the hours pass you by with a blissed out soundtrack. Embrace the lazy, hazy days of summer either crashing amongst the waves or swinging in a hammock. Classics like The Beatles and The Beach Boys get a look in from Vincent's list, while Rubin has gone with local legends The Avalanches and the always perfect Will Smith. Surf's up, dude. VINCENT The Beatles - Side Two of Abbey Road LP: It doesn't technically count as one song, but they all intertwine without stopping so I can never bring myself to stop the music. Beach Boys - God Only Knows: Try and hunt down the a cappella, moving stuff. Cornelius - Beep It: One of my favourite artists, and it has such a beautiful melody. Daft Punk - Fresh: It starts with waves gently breaking and builds a chilled out groove. Fleetwood Mac - Albatross: Feels like you're sinking into the sand. RUBIN Will Smith - Miami: Will Smith, that's why. Air - La Femme D'Argent: Think dusk, hanging out in a hammock watching the orange sunset over the rolling sea. Washed Out - Feel It All Around - Poolside, ice cold drink. Maybe a Mojito. With a little umbrella in it. The Coasters - Down in Mexico: Drinking rum at a little bamboo beach shack. If that's not what you're doing then you should be. The Avalanches - Since I Left You: A feelgood song that makes you think of bright flowers and sunny days. Happy times.
If you had to choose one drink that captures the essence of Sydney, what would it be? How about a handcrafted gin, made using a selection of botanicals picked from our own Royal Botanic Garden? Well, that's exactly what the folks at award-winning Distillery Botanica Gin have created with their just-released limited-edition Rather Royal Gin. In developing this one-off creation, master distiller Phillip Moore teamed up with the Botanic Garden's director of horticulture, Jimmy Turner, to pick out the most gin-worthy botanical haul this verdant, 220-year-old site had to offer. Botanicals from all over the Garden have leant their unique flavour qualities to the spirit, including mandarin leaf, lemon verbena, lovage, chamomile, and even Pope John Paul roses. An age-old technique called enfleurage was used to cold-extract the various perfumes and refine the gin to its final product — effectively, a trek through the Botanic Garden, in boozy liquid form. What's more, Rather Royal Gin will have you drinking for an excellent cause, with sale proceeds earmarked for the Garden's many conservation programs; from seed collection and banking, to research, training, and awareness. Plus, the bartenders are Bulletin Place are offering up a special limited edition cocktail using the gin. Just 1000 bottles of Rather Royal Gin have been crafted, so if you're keen to snap one up, you'd best get in quick. They're priced at $129 and are available from selected stockists, Distillery Botanica Gin's website, and over the bar at The Botanic Garden Restaurant.
As you're no doubt already aware, this week the world lost one of its finest actors, after Alan Rickman succumbed to cancer at the age of 69. Although his resume boasted dozens of incredible credits, Rickman is best known for his two most iconic roles, playing Professor Snape in the Harry Potter serries and terrorist mastermind Hans Gruber in Die Hard. Yet despite his predilection for playing sinister characters, tributes in the wake of his death have universally described the actor as a kind, funny and generous human being. Emma Thompson, who appeared alongside Rickman in films including Love Actually and Sense and Sensibility, described him as "the ultimate ally," while his Harry Potter co-star Daniel Radcliffe remembered Rickman as one of the first actors to treat him "like a peer rather than a child." Perhaps the most heartbreaking tribute came in the form of this simple image from The New Yorker cartoonist Ben Schwartz. Remembering the actor Alan Rickman, in this cartoon by @BentSchwartz: https://t.co/a35CPgUxLO pic.twitter.com/moUFpyl4SM — The New Yorker (@NewYorker) January 14, 2016 In tribute to Rickman's life and career, the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace in Sydney have announced they will be hosting a special screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 on Sunday February 7. Tickets will cost $15, with $3 of every sale going to the Cancer Council NSW. The cinema is also hosting charity screenings of Labyrinth on January 29 and The Man Who Fell to Earth on January 31 in tribute to David Bowie.
When you first hear it described to you, Tangerine doesn't exactly scream 'comedy'. Set on the streets of Los Angeles one day before Christmas, the breakout feature at this year's Sundance Film Festival follows a poor transgender sex worker who has just gotten out of prison, only to discover that her pimp/boyfriend has been cheating on her. Sounds pretty grim, right? That's where you'd be wrong. Working closely with transgender actors Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor, neither of whom had any prior screen experience, writer-director Sean Baker and his co-writer Chris Bergoch have crafted one of the boldest, funniest and most memorable independent features we've seen in quite some time — one that puts transgender issues front and centre without ever becoming preachy or resorting to cliche. As if that weren't impressive enough, there's also the story of how they physically made the movie, using little more than a pair of iPhone 5s. Originally a budgetary decision, it ends up being Baker's ace in the hole, lending the film a brash, in-your-face aesthetic that could hardly be more fitting. We spoke with Baker about what it's like to make a movie on your mobile, as well as the importance of giving narratives like these the spotlight they deserve. Tell us a little bit about how this project came about? I live about a half a mile from the intersection of Santa Monica and Highland, which is sort of an unofficial red light district. It's known, especially as of late, for transgender sex workers. That intersection in particular was always known for its drama, and I would pass it and wonder why there haven't been more films that have taken place there. I was also in a situation where I was trying to get money for a much bigger film, but it never happened. The industry is really upside-down right now, and I was waiting and waiting and waiting, and I knew that if I waited any longer I wasn't ever going to make a film again. So I turned to Mark Duplass and said, "hey, a couple of years ago you offered me a micro-budget. I think I'm in the position where I'm going to have to take it." So does that mean the decision to shoot on the iPhone was primarily a budgetary one? Yes. Or at least, it started off that way, and then of course it became an aesthetic. Were there other films that influenced you, in terms of the way the movie looks? No, that was the cool part about it — that it seemed to me to be a pretty original aesthetic. We combined a bunch of tools. This anamorphic adapter that we used allowed us to shoot in true scope; true widescreen cinema. Then there was an app called FiLMic Pro that has a bunch of bells and whistles and allows you to shoot at 24 frames per second. And then we used the Smothee, which is a handheld stabiliser that stabilises the iPhone. Then in post production we ended up pumping the colours through the roof, which really enhanced the LA sun. So all of a sudden you have these four tools working together creating this look that I'm really happy with. When you're on location, what are some of the advantages and/or challenges of shooting on a phone? What it did was that it allowed us to basically work clandestinely. If you saw us shooting from across the street, you'd never know we were shooting anything professional, except for the fact that we had a boom pole. We got permits, but we didn't have to announce that we were shooting, so we were able to capture real street life. Of course, then we had to ask them for their releases after I yelled 'cut', which is a risk because you then have to chase people down and beg. But for the most part people are pretty nice. From what we've read elsewhere, it sounds like a lot of research went into the film. How important was it that you immerse yourself in this world? I think it's the only way. I think it's best to allow the world to speak to you, as opposed to you speaking to a world that you're not a part of. That's just an irresponsible way of storytelling. Chris and I, we're cisgender white males who are not from that world whatsoever. So we needed to do a lot of research. We had to find a collaborator and put the time in. And the collaborators in this case were our leads. Mya especially. She was the first person we met who gave us the enthusiasm we were looking for. On its face, the film's subject matter sounds fairly grim. Was there ever a version of the script without the comedic elements that played like a more straightforward drama? It's funny that you mention that, especially with you being from Australia, because the cinema coming out of Australia has been incredibly influential on me. Snowtown is such an amazing masterpiece, and that's what I thought the film was going to be originally. Not the murders, but that social realist style with that really desaturated look. So then what changed your mind? Getting to know the women, and hanging out with them regularly, I saw that even though they were dealing with incredible hardships, they used humour to cope. And I knew that the film would be dishonest if I didn't incorporate that humour. It was actually part of Mya's request as well. She said to me point blank, "I've seen your other films and I trust you, and I want to make this movie with you, but you've got to promise me that it will be funny. You've got to make a film that is entertaining for the people out here. We don't want a 'plight of' film that's all drama, hitting people over the head and leaving the audience feeling terrible." And I'm really glad she sent me down that road. On that point, how has the transgender community reacted to the film? It's been really positive. I thought this film was going to divide audiences, but so far there's been a really nice amount of love given to us across the board. One of our first reviews from a transperson came from Australia, at the Sydney Film Festival, and she was very, very positive about it. And having travelled with the film a little bit already, I've been able to see how members of trans communities react in different countries. I was in Columbia, in Bogotá, and members of the local trans community came to the premiere, and they said to me afterwards through a translator that while there are lots of cultural differences, they really connected and indentified with the sisterhood between the two main characters, which was a real nice thing to hear. With television shows like Transparent and Orange Is the New Black, as well as all the recent media coverage surrounding Caitlyn Jenner, it feels as though transgender stories are finally getting attention in mainstream culture. How important is this, and are you pleased to be part of the trend? Most definitely. Setting down this road two and a half years ago, we had no idea it was going to be as much a part of the zeitgeist as it is now. Any time visibility and awareness is increased it's a positive thing. The unfortunate part of all of this is that the murder rate here in the United State has almost doubled from last year, assuming it stays at this rate. It's hard to get up-to-date statistics because of the fact that a lot of these murders aren't investigated correctly. But we're already up to 15 murders of transpeople here in the United States in 2015, and we're only at the end of August. The hope is that increased awareness and visibility will eventually lead to acceptance, but we still have a long way to go. I also think we need a number of these types of narratives. I'm making a film about a microcosm — about transwomen of colour who happen to work as sex workers in a very small area of Los Angeles. So this is only representative of a tiny, tiny portion of the transgender community. This has to be one of many, many different narratives that are being told. Tangerine is in cinemas in Sydney and Melbourne now.
Two of the greatest artists in history, who happened to have one of the most volatile relationships in recent memory, will be the focus of the Art Gallery of New South Wales' brand new exhibition in 2016. Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera is coming to the gallery next year, running June 25 to October 9, 2016. BOOM. Nice one AGNSW. Kahlo and Rivera's artistic and personal rollercoaster ride will be the focus, with 40 artworks, self-portrait paintings, drawings and canvases from the pair, all from the renowned collection of Jacques and Natasha Gelman. Alongside these works will be approximately 50 photographs by the likes of Frida’s father, Guillermo Kahlo. Edward Weston and Lola Alvarez Bravo, so you can take a peek into these two artist's intimate world. Australia doesn't actually have a Frida Kahlo on public display, so this is one heck of a slam dunk for the gallery. The exhibition marks the cornerstone of the 2016 exhibition program for the Art Gallery of New South Wales, announced today. There's plenty more where that came from, including the upcoming blockbuster exhibition, The Greats, featuring Botticelli, Vermeer, Rembrandt and more masterpieces from the National Galleries of Scotland. German artist Julian Rosefeldt will bring the Cate Blanchett-starring video installation Manifesto to the Gallery from May 28 to November 13, after a huge exhibition of gold, silver, glass and ceramics from the Chinese Tang dynasty in April. Beloved Australian artist Tracey Moffatt will see a huge exhibition of her work dubbed Laudanum and other works, featuring the namesake photographic series and her famous montage videos Love and Other. It's an on-year, so the Biennale of Sydney will return to the gallery from March 18 to June 5, alongside the ever-popular ARTEXPRESS from March 16 to May 15. For the AGNSW's whole 2016 program and beyond, head to the website.
A small country pub on the NSW South Coast is ditching pokies in favour of live music. For years the Tathra Hotel has been home to a dozen poker machines, with 50 percent of the venue's total value tied up in the licences required to have them on site. Despite this, when veteran publican Cliff Wallis took over the hotel last year, he decided the machines had to go. "Poker machines have destroyed hotels in many respects," Wallis told the ABC. "Some hotels have become primarily poker machine venues, and they do best in the lowest socio-economic areas." Tathra has a population of just 2000 people, yet had 70 poker machines before Wallis took his stand. The plan is to use the money made from the sale of the gambling licences to revamp the hotel's accommodation. The venue had already begun to host regular live music gigs before renovations began last month. The old pokies room, meanwhile, will make way for a microbrewery. Although the decision to remove the poker machines has alienated some former regulars, it has also attracted other types of clientele. "We have a lot of people coming in who didn't come here before — retired people, professionals, and more women coming in on their own to have a drink and listen to the music," Wallis said. Wallis has spent decades working in the industry, and has owned the Sundeck Hotel in the Perisher Valley for 25 years. Ultimately, he says he wants the Tathra Hotel to be "a place that the community is proud of." Via Music Australia. Image: Wiki.
Step through hidden doors into a garden wreathed in flames at Melbourne's annual celebration of creativity and chaos. Taking over the city from October 3-22, this year's Melbourne International Arts Festival program looks guaranteed to astound, packed with art, music, theatre, dance and more to fill your spring nights with wonder. The festival team has outdone itself again, delivering a lineup that crosses continents and artistic mediums alike. In addition to Christian Wagstaff and Keith Courtney's 1000 Doors and Compagnie Carabosse's Fire Gardens, standout works in 2018 include an experimental audio piece by Japanese artist Asuna, an epic dance-opera sung completely in Azerbajani(and referenced as the OG Romeo and Juliet), and an immersive multimedia show at the Melbourne Planetarium directed by local writer, poet and broadcaster Alicia Sometimes.
This summer, Monte Morgan, Harvey Miller and stylist Kirsty Barros as co-designer launch the Client Liaison Designer Line pop-up in Melbourne and Sydney. While the band have always designed their own merchandise, they felt the time had come to embark on something a bit more ambitious. We brought you a peek of the range last month, which features Client Liaison's signature peach and 'reef' variations, and keeps to a unisex beach theme, manifesting itself as jumpers, beach robes, t shirts, bumbags, visors and budgie smugglers. For Harvey, it's all about slip, slop, slap. "Sun protection is a big one," he told Concrete Playground this spring. "It's something everyone should remember. We have a rash vest incorporated into the Designer Line." [caption id="attachment_595549" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Chris Middleton.[/caption] When choosing a summer outfit, the Client Liaison Designer Line is a good place to start. "It's luxury at the beach," says Monte. "You're totally relaxed but retaining a level of class". Harvey adds: "At the beach you'll need a light bag to chuck your beach towel in, somewhere to store your sunglasses at night. Bring a jumper for the icy cold evening. Dressing for the summer is all about being prepared." Read more about Client Liaison's summer wardrobe-picking abilities here. The Client Liaison Designer Line is available to purchase exclusively at pop-up stores in Melbourne and Sydney and at www.clientliaison.com from November 10. Prices range from $10-129. CLIENT LIAISON DESIGNER LINE POP-UP SHOP DATES: MELBOURNE Collarts, 209 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy Launch: Friday, November 10, 6-9pm Pop-up store: Friday, November 11 to Sunday, November 13 (10am to 5pm) SYDNEY Location TBC Launch: Friday, November 18, 6-9pm Pop-up store: Friday, November 18 to Sunday, November 20 (10am to 5pm) Diplomatic Immunity is out now. Images: Chris Middleton.
Somewhere in Los Angeles right now, there’s a pretty good chance that Johnny Depp is getting fitted for an elephant costume. Proving once again that nothing in Hollywood is sacred, Walt Disney Pictures has recently revealed that they’re working on a live action Dumbo remake, with director Tim Burton at the helm. For those of you who didn’t have a childhood, the original Dumbo tells the story of a young circus elephant whose oversized ears made him the subject of ridicule, until it was revealed that they allowed him to fly. Released in 1941 (really), the film was a major hit for the then-fledgling animation studio, and is regularly listed amongst the greatest animated movies of all time. The Burton version will be the latest in a string of Disney reboots, a trend that, fittingly enough, began when Burton’s own Alice in Wonderland grossed more than US$1 billion at the worldwide box office. Since then, the House of the Mouse has scoured its own back catalogue for properties to exploit, with recent releases like Maleficent and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice paving the way for further films including upcoming remakes of Cinderella, The Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast. While we’re pretty sceptical about the idea of a new Dumbo film, we have to admit that if the movie has to happen, the man who made Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice isn’t necessarily the worst choice. Although his recent track record has been somewhat hit-and-miss, Burton certainly knows how to put an interesting spin on otherwise child-friendly material. And let’s not forget that the original cartoon contains some pretty out there stuff, including this amazing scene when Dumbo gets hammered and hallucinates dancing pink elephants. We're also interested to see what Elfman does with Dumbo's long-recognised and controversial racial stereotyping. No news yet on a release date or casting, although we’re willing to bet money that Danny Elfman will work on the score. Burton's most recent film, Big Eyes, hits theatres on March 19. Via WSJ.
Swish Japanese joint Sake is launching a pint-size spinoff specialising in build-your-own bowls. Opening this week on Bourke Street in the CBD, Sake Jr. will offer rice, noodle, salad and bao bun-based bowls, along with breakfast options, 'grab and go' items, smoothies, coffee, kombucha and beer. Open 7am to 8pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 8pm on Saturday, Sake Jr. sells itself on a healthy menu that is "honest, sustainable, affordable and convenient — and absolutely packed with flavour." For example, workers blazing through the CBD at breakfast time grab an acai, seasonal fruit or berry and yuzu muesli bowl, and wash it down with a cold press juice or smoothie. Later in the day, you can make your own lunch. Just choose a base (like mix greens, udon noodle sticks or brown rice), decide on a protein (be it grilled chicken, popcorn shrimp, wagyu beef or tofu and shiitake), chuck in some veggies (such as wakame seaweed, steamed edamame, charred corn with garlic shots or crispy Brussels sprouts) and your choice of sauce and garnish. Voila! Further beverage options include nut milk, craft beer, house wine on tap, and sake (of course) by the glass. And if you're not sold on the idea, why not try it for free? To mark their grand opening, the first 500 people through the door after 11am today (Wednesday, September 14), will receive a complimentary bowl. You can also swing past again on Thursday from 7am when the first 100 customers get a free coffee and porridge bowl, and again on Friday after 5pm, when another 100 customers get a free bowl and beer. Find Sake Jr. at 555 Bourke Street, Melbourne. For more information visit www.sakejr.com.au.
Trying to stay healthy while eating the food you love can sometimes feel like an exercise in futility. Basically, we want to have our cake, and eat it too, but to also have that cake not ruin any chance at being healthy as blazes. Luckily, the good folk at food delivery service Youfoodz have put together a couple of recipes that offer unexpectedly healthy takes on some of our all time culinary favourites. Say goodbye to the grease-sodden offerings from your local fish and chip shop because, for dinner, they suggest a healthy, homemade alternative, that subs out those deep-fried chippies for baked roast veggie chips and a good-for-you superseed crust instead of batter. Alternatively, if you've got a hectic sweet tooth, they've got the perfect protein packed recipe for blueberry pancakes with a light honey ricotta that looks every bit as good as it sounds. Add some extra berries on top for added antioxidants and deliciousness. Healthy eating ain't so bad after all. Check 'em out and enjoy the spoils. FISH AND CHIPS Ingredients (fish) 120g cod 1tbs almond meal 1tbs slivered almonds 1tbs quinoa 5g chia seeds 5g sesame seeds Lemon wedges Salt Ingredients (chips) 60g sweet potato 60g carrot 60g potato Paprika Ingredients (tartare sauce) 2-3 tbs of your favourite prepared aioli 2 large Gherkins (chopped) 1tbs Capers (chopped) Juice of 1 lemon Zest of 1 lemon 2tbs fresh dill (chopped) 2tbs continental Parsley (chopped) Method 1) Pre heat oven to 180 degrees. 2) Cut vegetables into chip shapes and sizes and combine with some paprika. Bake in oven until roasted and delicious. 3) Combine almond meal, nuts and seeds and mix well, sprinkle heavily on top of cod and bake for 12-15 minutes or until cooked. 4) Add chopped gherkins, capers, dill, lemon juice and zest and parsley to prepared aioli and mix well. 5) Garnish with lemon wedges and a sprinkle of sea salt. BLUEBERRY BAKED PANCAKES AND HONEY RICOTTA Ingredients (pancake mix) 4 eggs 1 cup almond meal Half cup gluten free flour 100g protein powder Lemon zest of 2 lemons 1.5 cups natural yoghurt Quarter cup white sugar 1tsp bi carb soda 1 cup blueberries Ingredients (ricotta and honey mix) Ricotta cheese Honey Method 1) Lightly beat eggs with sugar till combined well. 2) Add almond meal, gluten free flour, protein powder and bi carb soda and mix well. 3) Add yoghurt, blueberries and lemon zest, combine all ingredients and cook in medium hot non stick fry pan till risen and golden. Combine ricotta and honey, spoon over cooked pancakes with additional berries and honey. Want someone else to cook these for you? Youfoodz will bring them right to your door. To view the full menu, head to youfoodz.com.
The Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) is on the verge of a massive expansion, with founder David Walsh announcing his vision for an epic five-star hotel — among other things — on the site of the iconic Hobart gallery. The Hotel at MONA — or HOMO for short — has been described as the next phase of growth for the museum, which, since opening in 2011, has become one of Tasmania's biggest draws. "It's very simple really. We like building stuff," said Walsh. "So far it has gone pretty well for us." Pretty well is a bit of an understatement, with the gallery's citywide winter festival, Dark MOFO, having just wrapped up quite possibly its most successful and most talked about instalment so far. Walsh's HOMO announcement is well-timed — and, it must be noted, these plans are by no means approved, as they haven't yet been submitted to MONA's local city council — but what exactly can visitors (and locals) expect from the proposed addition to the Berridale site? And what other changes do Walsh and co. have up their sleeves? Well, a lot. We've broken in down so you can begin to understand what is going on in Walsh's brain. [caption id="attachment_628671" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fender Katsalidis Architects.[/caption] A HUGE NEW HOTEL The hotel will be built on the museum's current site in Berridale. With rooms elevated over the Derwent River, the design has been based on San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge flipped upside down.HOMO will consist of 172 rooms, including a number of special 'experience' rooms developed by a selection of internationally renowned artists. Rooms facing the northeast will enjoy a view of Kunanyi/Mount Wellington, while rooms facing southeast will look up the river towards Claremont and Otago Bay. It looks nuts. [caption id="attachment_628672" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fender Katsalidis Architects[/caption] AN AMPHITHEATRE The hotel will also house a three-storey library to house Walsh's collection of rare books and manuscripts and an indoor theatre with seating for over 1000 people. Most notably, there will also be an outdoor stage and amphitheatre complete with playground designed by textile artist Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam. A restaurant, conference centre and spa will also be on-site. [caption id="attachment_628674" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rémi Chauvin.[/caption] A MOVE FOR MONA FOMA In related news, MONA is also planning to move the Festival of Music and Art (FOMA) from Hobart to Launceston. "The festival's original ten-year plan — to change the culture in Hobart — has come to fruition ahead of schedule," said FOMA creative director Brian Richie. "We'd like to embark upon a new creative journey - to relocate to Launceston in search of new challenges, new collaborations, fresh partnerships and novel creative models." MONA has requested funding from the State Government to do this. [caption id="attachment_628675" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fender Katsalidis Architects.[/caption] AN ART 'ANTI-CASINO' Perhaps the most intriguing element is 'Monaco', a private, high-limit, pokies-free 'anti-casino' that will double as an outlet for art and design. We're really not sure what this means, but that's probably the point. [caption id="attachment_628676" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fender Katsalidis Architects.[/caption] WHEN WILL IT ALL HAPPEN? Construction is expected to take approximately three years — although the start date could still a while away as the hotel's development plans are yet to be submitted to Glenorchy City Council. A "comprehensive consultation process" with the public will also be held. MONA hopes to start building in 2019 for an opening in early 2022. For what it's worth though, State Premier Will Hodgman seems keen on the project, telling reporters that "I think whatever comes out via Mona and David Walsh is always worth listening to." We'll keep an eye on this one. Top image: Fender Katsalidis Architects.
Anyone who has ever held a nine-to-five office job will have at some point wanted nothing more than to crawl under their desk and take a nap. We find it tends to happen at around three in the afternoon — once the rush from our lunchtime coffee has subsided, but quittin' time is still a ways away. Lucky for all of us, there's a new workspace on the market designed to accommodate our every dozy desire. Created by Greek design firm NL Studios, the '1.6 S.M. of Life' (doesn't that just roll off the tongue?) is a desk with its own in built-in sleep pod that seems perfect for a quick on-the-job power nap. Made from solid wood, metal and white leather, the prototype includes a slide-out top and removable side panels, allowing you to easily transform it from desk to bed and back again. According to an interview with A' Design Awards and Competition, designer Athanasia Leivaditou came up with the idea after seeing her graduate school classmates sleeping on chairs during late night study sessions. "The main concept was to comment [on] the fact that our lives are shrinking in order to fit into the confined space of our office," she said. Of course, just because such a product exists doesn't mean your boss will be too keen on you taking an afternoon siesta. On the other hand, studies are increasingly showing that a lack of sleep and energy can lead to major drops in productivity in the workplace — and many companies including Google and Facebook already have sleeping pods where exhausted employees can recharge. Now, if you'll excuse us... Via Refinery29.
Melbourne's Sandridge Bridge could be in for a makeover in the style of New York's High Line. A proposal backed by Lord Mayor Robert Doyle would see the 178-metre pedestrian bridge transformed into a lush aerial garden, providing a green walkway across the Yarra connecting Southbank and Flinders Street Station. However, the plan will rely on funding from the State Government — so don’t start planning your picnic just yet. "The bridge at the moment is a beautiful structure, but it's not at all pleasant to walk across," Doyle told The Age. "Imagine if we gave it a treatment like the famous High Line in New York, which would make it a green bridge and something very pleasant to link the north and the south of our city." Under current plans, the Sandridge Bridge would be widened to accommodate trees and other plants. According to The Age, Doyle is currently attempting to secure funding from both the council and the Andrews governments, although he concedes that he is unsure of the amount of money that will be needed. The bridge would have to be reinforced to support the weight of the garden – not to mention the additional foot-traffic it would presumably draw in. Originally part of the Port Melbourne rail line, the Sandridge Bridge was reopened as a footbridge back in 2006. Plans for a refurbishment were put on hold when Premier Andrews ditched the $1 billion Flinders Street Station redesign proposed by his predecessor Denis Napthine. In February, Andrews allocated $100 million to restoration work on the station, sparking new hope for the bridge project as well. Located on the west side of Manhattan, the High Line Garden saw a disused section of the raised railway line converted into a green aerial walkway. It now attracts more than 5 million visitors a year, and is credited with helping to breathe new life into the surrounding area. Via The Age. Images: Wikimedia Commons, Trav Nikov Studio.
At the end of any day of sightseeing in a foreign city, you know you're going to be hungry. So what better time to sit down to a feast you'll always remember? Kick that diet of Haribo packets and "that restaurant there, that's open, that'll do" to the curb. Here are 12 dishes to add/start off your next legendary itinerary. Just don't forget to book your table before you book your airline ticket. REINDEER MOSS & CEP MUSHROOMS AT NOMA, COPENHAGEN Named no.1 in the world's 50 best restaurants, Noma serves a reinvented version of Nordic cuisine focusing on ingredients foraged from nearby forests and shores. Image: Jose Moran Moya. CHARCOAL-GRILLED KING PRAWN AT EL CELLER DE CAN ROCA, GIRONA, SPAIN The full name of this dish is charcoal-grilled king prawn with king prawn sand, ink rocks, fried legs, head juice and king prawn essence. So, yeah. After relocating in 2007, family business El Celler de Can Roca now boasts the work of head chef Joan Roca; his brother, wine aficionado Josep; and their younger sibling Jordi, a popular local pastry chef. Together they have proved their heavenly status as a culinary holy trinity. Image: Love, August OOPS! I DROPPED THE LEMON TART AT OSTERIA FRANCESCANA, MODENA, ITALY Embracing imperfection, head chef Massimo Bottura has successfully turned a "back-of-house disaster into a front-of-house legend" (as his publishing house Phaidon puts it). Two surprises here: this dish is (a) precisely constructed and (b) surprisingly savoury, with capers, lemongrass and candied bergamot. Image: Paolo Terzi MARGHERITA PIZZA AT L'ANTICA PIZZERIA DA MICHELE, NAPLES With two options on the menu, you have the tough choice between margherita and marinara when you make it to this world-famous and always packed Naples pizzeria. Choose the margherita. One member of our team who's been says she's "still thinking about it years later". Image: Mike Valore ICE SHREDS, SCARLET SHRIMP PERFUME AT MUGARITZ, SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN In a bid to explore a fully immersive culinary experience, head chef Andoni Aduriz seeks to create masterpieces that dance with aroma, texture and flavour, while others are designed to be provocative and invoke particular emotions. Image: Foodie Date Night DUCK CARNITAS AT COSME, NEW YORK With this dish taking nearly four days to prepare (at one point it's even doused and cooked in Mexican Coke), the $59 price tag feels like a bargain, especially when split between 2-3 people. It's at Mexi-luxe Cosme, one of the most admired new openings in New York in 2014. CHEESEBURGER AND FRIES ANIMAL STYLE AT IN-N-OUT BURGER, CALIFORNIA Cult burger chain In-N-Out may pop up in Australia from time to time, but it's a well known fact the In-N-Out chain is resistant to expanding beyond the US west coast. Even franchising is a no-no. So if you're craving something 'Animal Style', your only safe bet is that plane ticket. ROASTED LAMB SHOULDER, CARAMELISED MILK, LAMB MARMITE AND BLACK WALNUTS AT RIVERSTEAD, CHILHOWIE, USA Culinary dream turned love story, head chef John Shields and lead pastry chef Karen Urie Shields opened their own restaurant in the sleepy Virginia town of Chilhowie, where the couple are delving into the world of experimental cooking and foraging. ABACAXI COM FORMIGA AMAZONICA AT D.O.M, SAO PAULO With a focus on simplicity, Chef Alex Atala's dishes still manage to burst with ingenuity and flavours. One such example is his signature dessert of just two ingredients: fresh pineapple garnished with a dried ant. Image: This guys food blog REAL PAD TAI AT THIP SAMAI, BANGKOK Thip Samai is Bangkok's most popular destination for what might be the most famous thing to come out of Thailand. Some people claim not to be so impressed at the end of this quest for the pad thai holy grail, but it remains the destination to beat for fried noodle pilgrims everywhere. Image: Delicious Conquests PORK SKIN WITH BLACK SESAME BRIOCHE, SALMON ROE AND CHERRY SAUCE AT DIVERXO, MADRID With their website looking more like an art film than a tool with which to make reservations, DiverXo pushes the limits of what food can be. Three Michelin star chef David Munoz has not only designed his dishes down the most precise speck of 'potato glass', he's designed what implement you should eat it with, from fork to chopsticks to spatula. Image: Spanish Hipster GUINEA FOWL CURRY WITH SHAMPOO GINGER AND HOLY BASIL AT NAHM, BANGKOK Australian-born chef David Thompson has created what's widely regarded as the best restaurant in all of Asia, so it feels only right to visit him at least once. This standout dish is your chance to eat 'shampoo' without gagging. Image: Rock Star Travel.\ Top image: Noma.
Bigger isn't always better, but in the case of Collingwood's all-vegan pizzeria Red Sparrow Pizza and its expansion, there haven't be many complaints at all. In a move that slashed queue times, the Smith Street haunt busted through a wall and took over the space next door, boasting an extra 40 seats on top of its original 38. The expanded dining space rocks a similar fit-out to the first, decked out with a warm mix of recycled timber, exposed brick and moody lighting. Two hefty communal tables are primed for those group pizza feasts and there's a couple of street-side options for those who prefer to people-watch. The pizza offering is built around that same commitment to top-notch plant-based ingredients that has set Red Sparrow apart since it opened back in 2016. Here, tuck into crafty, vegan riffs on the classics, including the Patatas Bravas, with potato, dairy-free parmesan, chipotle aioli and a mock chorizo, and the Mushroom, topped with king browns, caramelised onion, truffle oil and thyme. If you're looking for a pizza that'll make you feel as healthy as your morning superfood smoothie, look to the Verde. It's loaded with kale pesto and spinach. Prefer yours loaded with chilli? Choose the fiery Volcano, featuring house-pickled jalapeños, habanero, Sriracha and chilli flakes. To cool your no-doubt burning mouth, finish with the dessert pizza, decked out with "Notella", banana and vegan vanilla ice-cream. Red Sparrow Pizza is a huge win for vegans and vegetarians who love their pizza but could do without the animal products. Appears in: The Best Vegan Restaurants in Melbourne for 2023
Stub out those ciggies. The State Government today announced that Victoria will join the rest of the country in banning smoking in outdoor dining areas. The ban is set to come into effect in August 2017, and will affect cafes, restaurants, beer gardens and any other outdoor venue where food is served. "We know that smoking kills, and we know that second-hand smoke puts the health of non-smokers at risk," Victorian Health Minister Jill Hennessy told The Age. "These new bans will ensure all Victorians can enjoy a meal outside with their family and friends." She also said that the decision to hold off the ban until 2017 was to give businesses "enough time to prepare for these changes." Under the new laws, smokers who light up in outdoor dining venues could face on the spot fines of $152, with a maximum penalty of $758. Victoria is currently the only state not to enforce such a ban, after NSW introduced similar laws earlier in the year. The changes are part of a concerted crackdown on public smoking by the Andrews Government, who in April introduced bans on smoking near the entrances of many public buildings, including schools, hospitals, courthouses and police stations. Smoking is also banned at train stations and raised platform tram stops and within ten metres of playgrounds, skate parks and under 18s sporting venues, while the Melbourne City Council already enforces a smoking ban in a number of laneways in the CBD. Current figures show that approximately 4000 Victorians die from smoking related illnesses each year. Via The Age. Image: Dollar Photo Club
If jungle vibes inside an inner-north warehouse sounds like your perfect outing, head along to Rumble in the Jungle on Saturday, October 28. It's the latest indoor plant sale from The Jungle Collective, an Abbotsford nursery that stocks all kinds of weird and wonderful species. Whether you're after a hanging pot plant, some palms for the garden or a giant Bird of Paradise, chances are you'll find it here. Have a reputation for killing your cacti? Overwatering your ferns? Don't worry — there'll be horticulturalists on site on the day to give you advice and chat through any questions you might have. Be inspired by the gorgeous green warehouse and learn to incorporate plants into your home and living spaces while soaking up some tunes. There's even a special deal for those who are brave enough to dress up, with a generous 15 percent discount given to all onesie-clad shoppers. Best get in quick though — the last sale sold out. RSVP via the Facebook event and get there early.
Victoria's newest boutique hotel is set to take a weekend on the Mornington Peninsula to a new level of luxury. Opening to guests on Saturday, April 1, Jackalope Hotel is smack-bang in the middle of the Peninsula's wine region in Merricks North, just next to Red Hill. The hotel is the 'passion project' of 28-year-old entrepreneur Louis Li, who worked with architecture firm Carr Design Group and Fabio Ongarato Design studio to design the hotel, which is his first. From what we've seen, the exterior is quite impressive and maintains a modern austerity while naturally fitting into the rolling landscape. At the entrance to the hotel, guests will be greeted by a seven-metre-tall sculpture of a Jackalope, the mythical horned rabbit of North American folklore the hotel is named after, which does seem overdone — but then, that also seems to be the point of the hotel's 'extravagance to surreal proportions' mindset. The 46 rooms offer terrace or vineyard views, with their double-the-size 'lair' suites offering the best views in the house. Each room boasts floor-to-ceiling windows, private terraces and hand-crafted bespoke furnishings. If you're one for a good bath, the deep-soak, black Japanese tubs and exclusive Hunter Lab bath products will keep you utterly relaxed while you admire your fabulous self in the double vanities. It's a bathroom well deserving of a nice glass (or bottle) of local wine, that's for sure. If your private bath isn't quite enough, the landscaped gardens include a black 30-metre infinity pool with an adjacent pavilion for spa treatments. The hotel also houses an extensive art collection, commissioned and installed specifically for the space for anyone looking to soak up some culture instead of sun. Yes, it's incredibly luxe. And to be certain they are not outdone, Jackalope is also home to not one, but two restaurants, headed by chef Guy Stanaway. The fine dining option, oddly named Doot Doot Doot, centres around a menu of seasonal, local produce, while the cellar door, Rare Hare, is set amongst the hotel's winery and offers the requisite wine and food pairing. If you somehow get bored in this lap of luxury, the Peninsula is already home to over 50 cellar doors and restaurants, not to mention golf courses, natural hot springs, national parks and bay beaches. You can use our weekender's guide to the area to navigate. Of course, all this will cost you a pretty penny — rooms start at around $650 and go up to over $1000 per night. But for those looking to give themselves a little (or a lot) of pampering, Jackalope sounds like it'll be the ideal spot for it. Jackalope Hotel will open on Saturday, April 1 at 166 Balnarring Road, Merricks North. For more info or to book a room, visit jackalopehotels.com.
The best of Czech and Slovak cinema will once again make its way to Melbourne as part of the fourth annual Czech and Slovak Film Festival of Australia. From Wednesday, September 14 through to the following Friday, an eclectic mix of classic and contemporary titles will light up the screen at ACMI, showcasing the unique, sometimes strange perspective of filmmakers from Bratislava to Prague. This year's festival features nine new release films that will compete for a cash prize awarded by members of the Australian Film Critics Association. Features in competition include opening night horror film The Noonday Witch, big screen fairytale The Seven Ravens and the FIPRESCI prize-winning Eva Nova. Completing these films is an intriguing selection of films from the 1960s, '70s and '80s. Of these, some of the most intriguing include the strange, pulpy, Little Shop of Horrors-inspired comedy Adele Hasn't Had Her Dinner Yet, and the seminal adaptation of Dobroslav Chrobák's novel Dragon's Return. Below, check out our list of the five must-see films of this year's fest. THE NOONDAY WITCH This year's opening night film shapes up as an absolute cracker. Arriving in Melbourne straight from competition at the Czech Republic's prestigious Karlovy Vary Film Festival, The Noonday Witch is a unique horror film in that it takes place largely during the daytime. Jiří Sádek's feature film debut follows a mother and her young daughter as they relocate to a remote house in the countryside, only to find themselves haunted by a malevolent force from Czech folklore. The film has scored strong reviews, with many critics comparing it to the recent Australian spooker The Babadook. EVA NOVA The so-called First Lady of Slovak Theatre, veteran actor Emília Vášáryová stars in Eva Nova, the first fiction film from noted documentarian Marko Škop. Vášáryová plays Eva, a bitter, ageing, alcoholic screen star desperate to claw her way back into the limelight, while also hoping to reconcile with her estranged adult son. A grim but compassionate portrait of addiction and redemption, the film won a FIPRESCI prize at last year's Toronto International Film Festival, and stands out as a distinct dramatic highlight on this year's CaSFFA slate. SCHMITKE With a reputation brewing as the Czech Republic's answer to David Lynch's cult series Twin Peaks, the debut film of Štěpán Altrichter caught our attention right away. A deadpan comedy/mystery with a touch of the surreal, Schmitke follows a morose engineer sent to fix a noisy wind turbine near the Czech-German border. But odd things are afoot in the small town nearby, and soon our reluctant protagonist finds himself in the middle of something quite strange. One for fans of low-key humour and stories with more questions than answers. LOST IN MUNICH Chosen by Czech critics as the best film of last year, Lost in Munich is a bizarre political comedy that combines cheeky historical tinkering with a cautionary tale about the perils of movie-making itself. It begins when down-on-his luck journalist crosses paths with an elderly parrot, one who may or may not have belonged to former French President Édouard Daladier — a man despised in the Czech Republic for signing the 1938 Munich Agreement with Nazi Germany. That may sound weird enough already, but in truth it's just the tip of the iceberg. Petr Zelenka's film is a fascinating (and highly entertaining) closing night choice that needs to be seen to be fully comprehended. ADELE HASN'T HAD HER DINNER YET Crime, comedy and carnivorous plant life combine in this outlandish piece of late '70s pulp from filmmaker Oldřich Lipský. Michal Dočolomansky stars as a New York detective in Prague, who finds himself caught up in a case that gets stranger at every turn. An all-time cult classic of Czechoslovakian cinema complete with eye-popping animations from the legendary Jan Švankmajer, Adele Hasn't Had Her Dinner Yet recently underwent a digital restoration at the Czech National Film Archive, and will be presented at CaSFFA in all its newfound glory. CaSFFA will run from Wednesday, September 14 until Sunday, September 25. For the full program, visit casffa.com.au. Disclaimer: Tom will serve as an AFCA jury member at this year's CaSFFA.
Remember Mr Poopie, the giant inflatable turd emoji artwork that served up ice cream in little toilet cups at Splendour in the Grass last year? No? How could you forget. Or Nicholas Cage in a Cage? Or the giant inflatable Lionel Richie head? These are all real things, seriously. Hungry Castle, the Barcelona-based art team behind all of the above have outdone themselves this year. Announced as part of the SITG arts lineup, Hungry Castle will bring their giant inflatable Sad Kanye installation to Splendour. Didn't quite get that? Here it is again: a 10-metre-high Sad Kanye inflatable is coming to Splendour — a true headliner, in our opinion. Are LCD Soundsystem inflatable? No? Alright then. It's unclear whether you'll be able to bounce on Kanye's sad face or whether he will serve you ice cream in little Kanye vessels, but we literally don't care. It's a ten-metre-tall inflatable Sad Kanye and we're determined to turn his frown upside down. Here's the inspiration shot: More about this year's Splendour lineup over here. Image: Savannah Van Der Niet/Splendour in the Grass.
The office cubicle. Its powers have been known to reduce any nine-to-fiver to a groaning, listless puddle by the end of the day. Thankfully, its tenure as a mainstay in our working lives might soon be over, with a revolutionary office pitched by interior designers Sean Cassidy and Joe Wilson, whose entry won top gong in the Workplace of the Future 2.0 Competition. Cassidy and Wilson's vision of the future workplace is one where the employees' needs always come first. In their aptly named plan, Organic Grid+, workers can seek respite from long hours staring at computer screens in the form of a high-rise sky garden, right in the office. The space itself is designed to be flexible, with customisable walls, desks and meetings rooms to whatever suits the employees' best. The balance of sustainability and ergonomics is ultimately a move to encourage higher productivity and morale at work. And if you're feeling peckish, you can say goodbye to trips down to the local cafe; instead you'll be able to harvest and grow your own food right in the heart of the office. However, on a more freaky note, the duo have dreamed up the idea of 'health-conscious plug-ins', that is, wearable technology that will monitor your well-being and be the voice of reason when you're hankering for that afternoon pick-me-up. And there's indoor abseiling, why not. We spend on average one-third of our lives at work, so it's all the better Cassidy and Wilson are leading the charge to turn our working space into an environment that repackages the comforts of nature and the home. There's already been similar constructions incorporating greenery into the corporate world: New York's office garden terrace, and in London, a three-storey indoor public park. The only downside? After this, we'll probably never leave our offices ever again. Via Fast Company. Images: Organic Grid+.
Underground Cinema — Melburnian innovators of secret immersive film experiences — have announced their latest instalment: Money. These are the people who take cinema out of the cinema and into boatyards, beaches and after-hours schools, creating a world in sync with the evening's film through real-life actors, evocative food, intricate sets and costumes. It's all themed to set the scene and get guests guessing, because the film, of course, is a secret. So what do we know? We know that UGC Money will transport guests back to the pre-market crash 1980s for a cinema event that's more like walking onto a film set than anything else. Think fast cars, shoulder pads, yuppies and stock brokers. Dress is "'80s power", and you're required to "bring your A game". The dates confirmed for Melbourne are Thursday, July 2; Friday, July 3; Saturday, July 4; and Sunday, July 5. Whatever the film is, viewers can expect immersion bordering on camp. In the past they've taken toga-clad cinema-goers to ancient Rome (for Life of Brian) and given out white jumpsuits, student cards and medical examinations before filing people into a snow-covered Swedish academy (Let the Right One In). As distinct from World Movies Secret Cinema with its ambitious locations, the focus here is really on interactivity, immersion and theatricality, quite like the UK institution Secret Cinema. Tickets are on sale on Tuesday, May 19, at 1pm sharp. There's a cash bar and hot food on site, and all ticketholders will be sent details of the location via SMS on the day. Keep an eye on the UGC Facebook page for more details.
Cooking with beer: it's a tradition as ancient as the Egyptians. Yet for many modern beer drinkers, beer's potential ends at the bottom of the bottle. It’s no great secret that beer and food go hand-in-hand, whether paired with an arvo barbecue or late-night munchies. But beer can — nay should — be so much more than just an accompaniment to the food you eat; it adds rich flavours, tenderises meat and makes for all-round juicier dishes. And its helping hand can reach all the way down to dessert. Here are five key you'll want to try wielding your beer in the kitchen. GRILLING WITH BEER Aussies are known for their barbecues, which more often than not involve booze. To baste any grill food with beer, simply pour your favourite beer over the top and close the lid. The beer has a caramelising effect and adds to the juiciness of the meat. Possibly the most epic way to cook beer is the beer butt chicken — achieved by sitting a whole chicken on top of a can of beer. (You know when a recipe instructs you to take a swig it’s going to be a winner.) For beer grilling, VB really comes in handy, but if you’re looking to go craft, a James Squire Sundown Australian Lager will also do the trick. Image: Manners. BATTERING WITH BEER Beer-battered food is probably the most widely known form of cooking with beer. For beer battered fish, make sure the beer is cold and freshly opened so it’s still fizzy — the bubbles add body and lightness to the batter. The beer also makes the batter appear thicker while keeping it airy and also imparts aroma and flavour. Most recipes will call for a simple lager, but we like the added flavour of easy drinking ales like Riverside Brewing Company 69 summer ale. Image: Kimchi Chronicles. STEWING WITH BEER The classic beef and Guinness stew is pretty self explanatory; simply add and simmer, burning off the alcohol but not the caramel or nutty flavours. You aren’t limited by beer choice, though, and can use any stout/porter or even dark ale you like. Jamie Oliver's recipe does just that. A few easy pairings for a stew are Mornington English brown ale and Holgate Temptress chocolate porter. This recipe is perfect for those chilly nights in. Image: Redbrick. SAUCING WITH BEER Beer doesn’t have to be boiled or heated down to be useful in cooking. It is great for a variety of sauces, from vinaigrettes to barbecued sauced ribs. Beer also works really well as a marinade, since its enzymes help break down tough fibres and really tenderise meat. Beer’s role as a marinade is so versatile, the best rule here is to use a beer you enjoy drinking. If you like the taste, you’ll like it in your food too. Image: Droolworthy Daily. BAKING WITH BEER The parallel history of beer and baking goes back to the Egyptians — a topic dear to beer geek/historianJohnathan Hepner of Batch Brewing. This is true especially in the case of bread, the ingredients of which make it a close cousin to beer. A few Australian bakeries have beer and barley sourdough, but there’s nothing more satisfying than baking your own. The malted syrup used in this recipe mimics the malt in the beer, giving a well-balanced and complex flavour. Beer brownies? Absolutely. Stouts and porters add a richness and nutty sweetness to desserts. Try The Butcher Porter from The Rocks Brewing Co or James Squire Jack of Spades in your next chocolatey dessert. Image: Community Table. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
Looking for a way to keep warm and dramatically relaxed this winter? We think we've stumbled upon just the novelty thing you're looking for. A savvy American inventor has taken the concept of relaxation to unprecedented heights, with the creation of a hammock that is also a hot tub. Commence applauding. Conceived and designed by Oregonian Benjamin Frederick, The Hydro Hammock is made from a durable synthetic material, and is capable of holding the weight of more than 185 litres of water plus two adult bathers. The water, from sea, lake or garden hose, is then heated via propane gas heater and circulated via pump (battery and solar-powered hammocks are also currently in the works). The hammock can be suspended between two points like a regular hammock, but also functions as a portable hot tub liner in the sand or snow. Yep, you can build a hot tub right into the snow. Frederick is currently looking to secure additional funding via Kickstarter, and has so far raised US$35,000 of his US$50,000 goal. A pledge of US$260 will get you the basic, single-layer hammock including installation straps and carabiners, while US$390 gets you the double layer hammock with extra insulation. However, we should point out that neither of those options actually includes the heater and pump — for that you'll have to fork out US$1180 for the single layer version, or US$1310 for the double. But while that may sound like a lot of money for a hammock, it's still likely a hell of a lot cheaper than getting a regular hot tub installed. And the good news is that Frederick ships his invention worldwide. Just make sure you tie both ends to something secure and unbending, otherwise you're likely to end up bruised, wet and cold. For more information about the Hydro Hammock, visit their Kickstarter page.
Hey Dad! Steve! Over here! Two of your favourites are playing Bluesfest this year! Let's go! Bluesfest Byron Bay's 2017 lineup came from somewhere back in our long ago, with two big mum and dad-friendly superstars being added to the lineup this morning: The Doobie Brothers and Santana. One of Australia's best festivals, the five-day Easter long weekend event has played to its core audience with their latest lineup additions. First up, the legend himself, groundbreaking, Grammy-nabbing, Afro-Latin-blues-rock fusion king, nay, sultan Santana is coming to melt faces and throw down elongated solos like the melodic monarch he is. Expect 'Black Magic Woman'. Then, takin' it to the streets of Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, California's harmonising head honchos The Doobie Brothers will make their triumphant return to Bluesfest. The Doobies have some serious fans at Bluesfest — do not try and push in front of them. This big ol' announcement comes just a week after Bluesfest added superstar Mary J. Blige to already heaving lineup. THE THIRD 2017 BLUESFEST ARTIST ANNOUNCEMENT: Santana The Doobie Brothers 2017 ARTISTS ALREADY ANNOUNCED: Zac Brown Band Patti Smith and her band perform Horses Mary J. Blige The Lumineers Buddy Guy (exclusive) Bonnie Raitt Mavis Staples (exclusive) Billy Bragg Jethro Tull Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue Rickie Lee Jones Gregory Porter Snarky Puppy St. Paul and the Broken Bones Corinne Bailey Rae Michael Kiwanuka Nahko and Medicene for the People Gallant Beth Hart (exclusive) Laura Mvula Andrew Bird Booker T. presents The Stax Records Review Roy Ayers Joan Osborne Turin Brakes The Strumbellas Jake Shimabukuro Dumpstaphunk The Suffers Nikki Hill Irish Mythen Bluesfest returns to Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm just outside of Byron Bay over the Easter long weekend (April 13-17, 2017). More info on the Bluesfest website. Image: Andy Fraser.
Bring a little colour to your summer G&Ts, thanks to a new Australian made small batch gin. Produced by the family-owned Husk Distillers in Northern NSW, Ink Gin is made with organic botanicals and infused with the petals of the butterfly pea flower. The result is a spirit with touches of lemon myrtle, pepper and orange that stands out a mile away thanks to its royal blue hue. That's right, blue gin. The coloured spirit came about after three years of experimenting by Husk owner Paul Messenger. Botanicals used in its creation include citrus peel, juniper berries, elderflower and cinnamon, while its unique appearance comes from the butterfly pea, which is traditionally used in South East Asian cooking. The flower's pH sensitivity also means that the gin changes colour when mixed with tonic water, going from deep blue to pale pink. Not a bad trick to have up your sleeve the next time you invite somebody over for drinks. Speaking to The Gold Coast Bulletin, Paul's daughter Harriet said that the demand for the gin has been enormous. "We sold out of our first batch in three days," she said. "We have been keeping up the distilling to make sure we could meet demand but we really did not expect people to embrace it so quickly." So how can you get your hands on one? 700mL bottles of Ink Gin can be purchased online for $80 plus a $10 shipping fee Australia-wide. It is also available in select bars around Queensland, NSW, Victoria and WA. Just make sure you store it somewhere dark, so that it retains its natural colour. Lastly and importantly, it won't stain your teeth. Via Australian Bartender and The Gold Coast Bulletin.
Since 2014, MPavilion has been Australia's leading architecture and design commission, attracting worldwide attention and bringing some of the most exciting architects from home and abroad to this city of ours. Founded by the Naomi Milgrom Foundation — a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to initiating and supporting great examples of public design, architecture and culture — MPavilion is now open for its biggest year yet. Located in Queen Victoria Gardens from Tuesday, October 3 until Sunday, February 4, MPavilion creates a free and open space that encourages coming together inside a beautiful setting. Each annual iteration of MPavilion sees a new architect commissioned to produce a stunning pavilion, with each designer bringing his or her own unique style and ideas to the project. Behind this year's design is legendary Dutch 'starchitects' Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten of architecture firm OMA. For the uninitiated, Koolhaas has been awarded the Pritzker Prize — essentially the Nobel Prize of architecture — while being described as "the world's most controversial architect" and designing celebrated buildings the world over. Meanwhile, Gianotten is an architectural superstar in his own right, becoming a core part of OMA in recent years and overseeing the firm's expansion into Asia Pacific. And this year's design matches the duo's impressive resumes. Described by Gianotten as a "living room looking into the garden of the city", the architects have designed a pavilion that blurs the lines between inside and out, one that is reconfigurable and obscures the distinction between audience and performer. Taking its cues from natural amphitheatres, the pavilion is warm, bright and open, and provides the perfect way to take in Melbourne's skyline. There's coffee and a bar on-site, making it the ideal place to stop by and see what's going on. "This year's pavilion reflects OMA's interest in the concept of inside-outside design and conversing with the city, so it's been very exciting to have them involved," Milgrom explains. "It's an open brief, so it's all about what the architect feels is perfect for the pavilion." Here, with the help of MPavilion founder Naomi Milgrom, we've picked out five great events from the massive program that'll have you looking up into the skies and wanting more. VIRGINIA TRIOLI IN CONVERSATION WITH REM KOOLHAAS, DAVID GIANOTTEN AND NAOMI MILGROM Join prominent Australian journalist Virginia Trioli for a panel discussion with this year's architects Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten, alongside MPavilion founder Naomi Milgrom. Among the keenest design minds around today, each will provide their perspective on some of the most pressing issues facing architecture and design, where the future of architecture might lay, and give their insight into the latest MPavilion design. Wednesday, October 4, 1–2pm. PHILIP BROPHY'S STADIUM Australian artist Philip Brophy works across a lot of mediums — he's an influential filmmaker, writer, graphic designer, educator and academic. For one night only, he'll return to his experimental music roots to perform Stadium. With Milgrom considering "music to be an integral part of the pavilion", Brophy will perform solo on drums, whilst flanked by showgirl dances and a intensive lighting display, celebrating rhythm in the guise of a glam-esque stadium rock concert. Friday, October 6, 6–8.45pm MATTHEW BIRD: AN IMMERSIVE ENCOUNTER WITH THE AFTERLIFE Working across sculpture, installation, architecture and more, Melbourne-based artist and experimental architect Matthew Bird converts MPavilion into a hypnotic and transcendent audio-visual space. The work consists of a careful configuration of carillon bells — a set of tuned bells typically played with keys or pedals — which respond to the wind, audience manipulation, and the whims of composer Daniel Von Jenatsch and choreographic artist Phillip Adams. Friday, December 8 – Friday, December 22 TIN&ED INFLATABLE FUTURES New York-via-Melbourne creative practice Tin&Ed has been blurring the lines between work, play, design and art for some time now. For MPavilion, the designers have created a site-specific set of inflatable jumping castles that are perfect for the little ones. There are distant planets, wormholes and more interactive sculptures that are bound to keep the kids entertained, while you kick back and enjoy a coffee in the park. Monday, January 8 – Sunday, January 14 QUEER SOME SPACE PRESENTED BY XYX LAB AND THE LIFTED BROW A day-long symposium that combines talks, panel discussions, a twilight keynote presentation and some evening musical performances to round it all off, Monash Art Design & Architecture's XYX Lab join forces with local literary magazine The Lifted Brow to present Queer Some Space. Discussing OMA's pavilion directly, the event focuses on progressive architecture design, fostering local community art spaces and how to ensure inclusiveness and accessibility through design. Saturday, January 27, 2–10pm Top images: John Gollings.
Widely touted as Australia's most prestigious portraiture prize, the Archibald Prize is a curated collection of the year's best portrait paintings. This year, the lineup includes 58 talented finalists who were selected from a whopping 794 entries. After an obligatory stint at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the exhibition will move to Geelong Gallery. All the winning portraits and finalists will be on display from September 22 to November 18. The works depict an eclectic mix of subjects, from celebrities and politicians to artists and authors. Melbourne-born artist Yvette Coppersmith nabbed the 97th annual Archibald Prize — and $100,000 cash along with it — for her work Self-portrait, after George Lambert. No stranger to portraits or the comp, Coppersmith has been an Archibald finalist five times, finally nabbing the well-deserved win. And, being only the tenth female artist in history to have taken out the top prize, it's a win to celebrate. In addition to this piece, be sure to check out the portrait of actor Guy Pearce by Anne Middleton — it won the People's Choice 2018 and is eerily realistic. Pop-up bars and cafes, talks and weekly events will also take place throughout the exhibition. We recommend dropping in on the Little Creatures After Dark event because, beer and art, need we say more? Image: Self portrait after George Lambert, Yvette Coppersmith. Photo shot by Jenni Carter courtesy of AGNSW.
Over the past few years, Melbourne's famed floating bar has become a summer staple — because soaking in the warm weather and partying on the Yarra clearly go hand-in-hand. That wont't change in 2019, with Arbory Afloat back for spring and summer. Arbory Afloat, which made its debut in 2015, has reclaimed its prime position in front of on-shore sister venue Arbory Bar & Eatery on the Yarra. It's will hit the water earlier than last year, which already marked a significant extension to its season. That's not the only change, either. As part of its annual revamp, the temporary bar and restaurant is taking inspiration from Miami — which means palm trees, pastel blue and pink hues, art-deco touches and a 70s vibe. Chef Nick Bennett has again designed the menu, which is inspired by all things Latin American, including the Caribbean, Cuba and Mexico. A woodfired pizza oven will once more take pride of place in the open kitchen, pumping out American-style pizzas. You'll also be able to tuck into grilled meats, empanadas and lots of seafood — think oysters, ceviche and anchovies. Would it be a visit to Miami without cocktails? We think not. Luckily, there'll be plenty. Patrons will also be able to sip their way through an extended rum menu, peruse a curated gin offering or opt for one of the many spritzes on offer. [caption id="attachment_754394" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simon Shiff[/caption] To complete the picture, the floating bar also has an upper deck complete with — wait for it — an onboard swimming pool. Sticking with the bar's breezy Miami theme, the eight-metre-long pool is flanked by its own bar, sun lounges and five private cabanas, which can be booked out for your next poolside sojourn. Towels, hats and sunscreen are all available to purchase from the bar, and there'll be a lifeguard on patrol whenever the pool's open. The opening hours are set to vary depending on the weather, but you can jump over to Arbory Afloat's Instagram to keep an eye on the schedule and plot your visit. The bar will be open every day from 11am–1pm until the end of summer — and yes, that includes Christmas Day and New Year's. Updated December 11, 2019. Images: Simon Shiff
When Kevin Bacon stood up in Footloose and said, “This is our time to dance. It is our way of celebrating life,” what he didn’t say was “but only for skinny people”. And yet, that seems to be what we mean these days. 'Fat' dancers and performers aren’t often seen, and so many people seem to have so many opinions on fatness and how fat people move through our society. We look at fat people and assume things — that the person is lazy, slovenly, unhappy and definitely, definitely ungraceful and unconnected to their bodily wellbeing. Now fat activist and artist Kelli Jean Drinkwater and resigning Force Majeure artistic director Kate Champion are working together to broaden our outlook on the body and the act of dancing. After selling out shows at this year's Sydney Festival, Nothing to Lose is headed to Melbourne; a highly topical, audacious and — coming from dance-theatre masters Force Majeure (Never Did Me Any Harm, Food) — sure to be a powerful watch. Challenging as it is to our prejudices, it might even be the most important work you see at the festival. We spoke to Drinkwater and Champion about the thinking behind the provocative project. Read what they had to say over here. Preview: 11 March at 8pm. Season: 12-21 March — 12-14 March at 8pm, Mon 16 March at 6.30pm, 17-21 March at 8pm, Weds 18 March also at 1pm, Sat 14 and 21 March also at 3pm.
Controversial muso, New York Times bestseller and human energy ball Amanda Palmer is coming to Sydney for an intimate solo performance at the Sydney Opera House on January 21. Palmer's announced the intention of her down under trip is to strip things back to basics. She'll be on stage with "a suitcase, a piano, a ukulele and a baby" which sounds like a very Palmer-esque combo of bold, relatable and off-beat. It's been five years since Palmer graced the Opera House stage with Meow Meow and her partner, Neil Gaiman, so expect the unexpected. The Opera House is just one of her Aussie tour stops. She'll be setting up at the Gasometer for a residency between January 12 and March 9. She'll also be dropping by MONA in Tasmania, Woodford Folk Festival over New Year's Eve, Melt Festival at the Brisbane Powerhouse, Her Majesty's Theatre and Playhouse Theatre in Melbourne and the NGV — a prestigious venue lineup indeed. Image: Shervin Lainez.
We already know that Brian Jonestown Massacre and Robert Henke Lumière II will be heading to the sixth Melbourne Music Week, happening 13-20 November. But the rest of the epic programme remained a secret until its official announcement on Tuesday, October 6. Here’s what we’ve learned. For a start, the MMW will be taking over Melbourne’s Former Royal Women’s Hospital for one highly ambitious, music-laced labyrinth. Twelve of the hospital’s forgotten, underground rooms, including its disused basement, are set to host hidden one-off performances. Titled Swell, the event will feature sets by Gypsy & The Cat, Monolake (Germany), Banoffee, Eric Duncan aka Dr Drunks (USA), Public Opinion Six, PVT, Kenton Slash Demon (Denmark), The Harpoons, Cobblestone Jazz (Canada), DZ Deathrays and many others. Meanwhile, in the open air, the hospital grounds will be transformed into a beer garden and food truck zone. Every day, from 1-2pm, there’ll be live ‘Lunch Box Sessions’, with DJs taking care of evening shenanigans between 5pm and 8pm. Scheduled artists include Rat & Co DJs, Edd Fisher, Jim Lawrie, Ella Thompson, Woodes and others. Then, when Saturday, November 14 rolls around, it’ll be time to dust off your roller skates for the Roller Jam and Mz Rizk’s Block Party. On Sunday, November 15, CC:Disco will be dropping in for an arvo DJ set. While the hospital is rocking out, fourteen local venues will team up with local musicians for Live Music Safari, presented by Jack Daniel’s Future Legends. Over the course of the week, more than 50 Melbourne-based acts will be making appearances across the city, including Mesa Cosa, Oddisee, Quarter Street, Terrible Truths, Sleep D, Dan White, Friendships, Kylie Auldist and Wax’o Paradiso. And Self Made is making a comeback. It’s a series of independently-created events, held in unusual places and hosted by Levi’s. A city church will turn into a stage for all-female acts and an interactive art installation. Old Melbourne Gaol’s courtyard will host a two-stage dance party starring emerging artists. Mop and Glow will celebrate the footwork dance scene. Plus there’ll be The Great MMW Bike Ride, New Orleans Street Party, Brunch Gigs and A Club Called Trish. The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) is on board again, with a bunch of live performances combining music with film. Both The Orbweavers and New Zealand’s smooth-singing Liam Finn are promised. A stack of other collaborations, blending music with film, art, design and food will take place in various locations, including ACCA, MPavilion, Docklands Library, The Hellenic Museum and Rooftop Cinema. But it’s not all singing and dancing. The business side of music will be taken care of with a two-day industry conference, produced in conjunction with Face The Music, where musicians and music industry workers can advance their knowledge and careers through workshops, keynote presentations and networking opportunities. It’s happening on November 13 and 14. Melbourne Music Week runs November 13-20. Head to the MMW website for more info and tickets.
Summer's definitely just around the corner — Melbourne’s Rooftop Cinema has dropped half of its 2015-16 programme. And the first session to have sold out is A Girl Walks Homes Alone At Night — the world’s only ‘Iranian vampire western’ (so far), showing on Tuesday, December 8. Missed out on the chance to mix your bloodsucking with your Persian? Despair not. There’s no shortage of thrills to come. Opening proceedings on December 5 is Ridley Scott’s The Martian, starring Matt Damon as an astronaut stranded on Mars. The following evening, George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road will flood the screen with its post-apocalyptic desert car chase. Other adventurous flicks on the menu include Jurassic Park on December 19, followed by Jurassic World on the 20th, Everest on January 7, Aliens on January 16 and Interstellar on January 31. Meanwhile, several classics will get a good look-in. Warm up for Christmas with a December 23 showing of Home Alone and recover on the 27th in the company of Casablanca. Then there’s The Talented Mr. Ripley on January 10 and, for a fitting marking of Australia Day, Muriel’s Wedding on the 26th. Levi’s is also sponsoring a quartet of documentaries. See the film that made singer-songwriter Rodriguez world-famous on January 19 with Searching for Sugarman, learn about the frustrations with racial quality and police violence that inspired N.W.A.’s debut studio album on January 20 with Straight Outta Compton, find out what The National gets up to backstage on January 21 with Mistaken For Strangers and follow Amy Winehouse’s tragic life on the 22nd with Amy. Rooftop Cinema happens in the Melbourne CBD, on top of Curtin House, Swanston Street (between Little Bourke and Lonsdale Streets). The bar opens daily between 11am and 1am, with films starting at 9.30pm in December and January. The Feburary to April program will be announced in late January. Rooftop Cinema kicks off December 8. Check out the whole first half of the program at the Rooftop Cinema website.
Tents at the ready: when 2023 ends and 2024 begins, there are few better ways to spend it than dancing and camping at southeast Queensland's Woodford Folk Festival. This isn't just a fest. It's a pop-up Moreton Bay village filled with live music, arts and culture. And it's returning for another year with a heap of well-known Australian — and Brisbane — names. Throwing back to the late 90s and early 00s, Regurgitator, Custard and Resin Dogs will all take to the Woodford stage between Wednesday, December 27, 2023–Monday, January 1, 2024 at Woodfordia on the Sunshine Coast. Also hailing from Brissie, along with plenty of the festival's attendees each year: Kate Miller-Heidke. Woodford 2023–24's roster of talent includes Ben Lee, Gretta Ray, Isaiah Firebrace and Kasey Chambers as well, on a list that spans more than 400 acts and 1834 shows. So, across the fest's 27 performance spaces, there'll be no shortage of things for the expected 120,000 people attending to see at Woodfordia's 500-acre parklands space (which now boasts a lake) — whether they're among the 25,000 folks who can stay onsite or just hitting up the event for the day. Accordingly, whoever piques your interest, or even if you're just keen on a Woodford experience — for the first time, tenth or 36th, because that's how many fests the event has notched up now — prepare to catch a heap of bands, wander between arts performances and get a little muddy, all around 90 minutes north of Brisbane. As always, the fest's lineup also features circus, cabaret, yoga, dance, comedy, spoken word, poetry, comedy, films, workshops, bars, cafes and restaurants. Keen to have a chat while your clothes was at The Blak Laundry? Learn to weave baskets with Kris Martin? Get giggling to talents curated by Sandeep Totlani? Hit up the Queer Ball's third year? They're some of the other standouts. Tickets are already on sale, and you can check out the full list of acts and activities on the Woodford website. WOODFORD 2023–24 LINEUP HIGHLIGHTS: Regurgitator Custard Resin Dogs Ben Lee Kate Miller-Heidke Isaiah Firebrace Kasey Chambers Mo'Ju Gretta Ra Odette Yirrmal A.Girl AFRO DIZZI ACT Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham The East Pointers Haiku Hands Leah Flanagan Borroloola Cultural Songwomen featuring Dr Shellie Morris AO Bumpy FourPlay String Quartet Yirinda Charlie Needs Braces Mitch King DancingWater ALPHAMAMA Jack Davies & the Bush Chooks Charm of Finches Dougie Maclean Assynt Ryan Young Hannah Rarity Dallahan Lisa O'Neill Andy Irvine Making Movies Rizo Božo Vrečo Images: Woodford Folk Festival via Flickr.
Australians looking to travel to New Zealand must consider the current COVID-19 advice. For information on quarantine-free travel between Australia and New Zealand, head over to the NZ Government's COVID-19 hub. When the colder months roll around, it's natural to reach for anything that screams warm and comfort — even when you're on holidays. The trans-Tasman bubble is finally open, so you might be planning a midyear jaunt to New Zealand; however, don't think you have to spend your time away staying cosy inside. There's a time and place for that, of course. But NZ's winter festivals will give you a stack of reasons to get out and enjoy the crisp air. From slopeside music festivals to month-long food celebrations and kaleidoscopic light shows, here are ten festival across New Zealand that you should drop into your winter getaway itinerary. [caption id="attachment_720775" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Audiology.[/caption] MARDI GRAS, OHAKUNE/QUEENSTOWN Mardi Gras is arguably New Zealand's biggest winter party — and this year its spreading the fun over two weekends in two different locations. On Saturday, June 19, Ohakune is the spot to catch a lineup of dance floor favourites. Promoters Audiology have teased six international acts ahead of this year's first lineup announcement, including UK-based electronic producer Dimension, drum and bass DJ Culture Shock, Australian singer-songwriter Nyxen and trap producer Quix. They'll be joined by a monster lineup of local talent. The event in Queenstown on Saturday, June 26 comes with snow-capped peaks and an intimate capacity of only 3000. [caption id="attachment_624534" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Serena Stevenson.[/caption] MATARIKI FESTIVAL, AUCKLAND While we have to wait until next year for the first-ever Matariki public holiday, there are still plenty of ways to celebrate the beginning of the Māori new year in 2021. Every year Auckland Council's Matariki Festival consistently delivers a series of delightful events. The exact details are yet to be announced for 2021, but you can expect everything from street food and live performances, right through to light festivals, stargazing, Māori art workshops and film screenings. Matariki is seen as a time to reflect on Māori identity, as well as an opportunity to look to the future. The 2021 festival runs from June 19 to July 11 right across Tāmaki Makaurau. [caption id="attachment_797316" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matt Wiseman.[/caption] SNOW MACHINE, QUEENSTOWN After making its debut in Japan last year, alpine music festival Snow Machine is hitting the slopes for four snow-filled days of music and adventure. Attendees at the New Zealand edition from September 8–11, 2021 will be treated to action-packed days on the slopes, aprés ski events on both Coronet Peak and The Remarkables and a lineup of international acts against the idyllic backdrop of Queenstown. A who's who of Australian electronic acts will warm up the frosty evenings, including headliners The Avalanches, Flight Facilities, Hayden James and The Presets. Tickets to Snow Machine 2021 are all-in-one, offering a variety of accomodation options and lift passes. VISA WELLINGTON ON A PLATE, WELLINGTON After being forced out of its usual slot in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Visa Wellington On a Plate is set to return for its 13th year from August 1–31, 2021. The huge event typically sees more than 100 flavour-packed events, special dining menus, burgers and craft cocktails take over the capital city. This year's edition will keep the three-tiered format — Dine Wellington, Burger Wellington and Cocktail Wellington — celebrating the immense depth of culinary talent within the region. Sibling events Road to Beervana and (August 6–15) and Beervana (August 13–14) are there, too, giving you plenty of reasons to drop by or hang around the capital. WINTER PRIDE, QUEENSTOWN Combining winter sports with community and inclusion, Winter Pride is all about locals and visitors embracing the cool weather and their diversity. The event is typically packed with dance parties, speed dating, skiing, boarding and all-round good times. There's a number of different packages to choose from between August 27 to September 5, including passes to all events and revolving door access. Stay tuned for the full lineup announcement. SNOWBOXX, QUEENSTOWN Typically held in the heart of the French Alps, Snowboxx is a multi-discipline winter festival that shines a spotlight on electronic music and snowsports. Previously expected to arrive in 2019 — and then 2020 — the event will finally slide Down Under this September for one week of international acts, slope-side parties and off-mountain experiences in the adventure capital. Landing between Treble Cone and Cardrona from September 7–14, Snowboxx will see Shapeshifter, Lee Mvtthews and Concord Dawn hit the stage. Attendees are also invited to enjoy on and off-mountain activities like bottomless disco brunches, igloo parties, sled races, comedy nights, snowball fights and aprés ski experiences throughout the week. [caption id="attachment_636636" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simeon W.[/caption] LOEMIS FESTIVAL, WELLINGTON Lōemis Festival returns for its sixth year with a lineup of events celebrating the winter solstice from June 11–21, 2021. The winter solstice is marked by the shortest day and longest night of the year and has often been associated with regeneration, rebirth and self-reflection. Each year the festival aims to deliver an innovative program with a strong focus on the ritualistic, mystical and fantastical elements of the solstice. Previous ritualistic events have included spiritual dance theatre works, multi-course fish degustations and spooky storytelling cocktail evenings. It comes to an end with the burning of a massive art installation right on the harbour. LUMA SOUTHERN LIGHT PROJECT, QUEENSTOWN After pulling the plug in 2020, Queenstown's kaleidoscopic light festival will return for its fifth outing this Queen's Birthday weekend. Luma Southern Light Project brings together illuminated art, light sculpture, performance and community over four days from June 4–7, 2021. As the sun goes down over the long weekend, the Queenstown Gardens will be transformed into a creative outdoor stage of visual arts, performing arts, music, film and digital media. 500 local artists and contributors have contributed to this year's festival. As well as light installations dotted around Queenstown Gardens and shore of Lake Wakatipu, previous events have featured moving images projected right onto the lake, works created from recycled materials and roaming performers — from hypercolour fairies to acrobatic tree dancers. TAUPO WINTER FESTIVAL, TAUPO The sixth annual Taupō Winter Festival offers an action-packed program over two weeks in 2021. Running from July 9–25, you'll have the choice of hitting a lakeside ice rink, jumping in a giant inflatable snow globe with cold white stuff directly from neighbouring Mount Ruapehu, attending a mountain-themed film festival, catching live circus acts and downing free hot chocolates. What's more, most of the events are free to attend. [caption id="attachment_790171" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vanessa Rushton.[/caption] WELLINGTON JAZZ FESTIVAL, WELLINGTON The capital's annual celebration of jazz music is set to return this June 9–13 with more than 100 free and ticketed gigs taking place over just five days. This year's lineup is bursting with fresh new music from around the country, including the likes of Opera House headliners Whirimako Black, The Nathan Haines Octet and Michael Houstoun with the Rodger Fox Big Band. Elsewhere, there'll be big bands, tribute gigs, world premieres and album launches. There really is something for everyone — as long as you can shake your jazz hands at it. Top image: Snow Machine, Zachary Zaza.
Until recent years, festival food has been relegated to the realms of deep fried things on sticks and regrettable kebabs. But with Bluesfest attracting some punters just for the nosh, Secret Garden Festival including sit-down lunches and plenty of Australian events giving their food trucks almost as much importance as the music lineup, there's an exciting new focus on festival food. But nothing's piqued our interest as quickly as Sugar Mountain's just-announced onsite dining concept: Sensory. Described by the team as “an immersive restaurant experiment”, Sensory is a collaboration between Sugar Mountain and three Melbourne icons: Bomba, Tin & Ed and Cut Copy. Covering taste, smell, sight and sound, these three artists will create a sensory overload at the 2016 festival, strictly limited to four sittings of just 90 people each. Sensory will be staged on Saturday, January 23 at the Victorian College of the Arts, housed within a shiny new indoor space at the festival. Guests will enjoy a four-course visceral dining experience paired with a 50-minute narrative and matching sensory cues. Melbourne's beloved tapas restaurant Bomba will be going experimental, pairing their plates with unique drinks. “A restaurant like this, it’s not just about coming in to eat – we’re collectively creating a show,” says Jesse Gerner, Bomba head chef and co-owner. “The performance is part of the meal. It’s been great to work collaboratively with Cut Copy and Tin & Ed to develop a full package, we’re looking not only at the ingredients on the plate but at how sight, sound, taste and smell work together.” Melbourne electronic legends Cut Copy will be soundtracking the whole experience, composing a special soundscape for each course. Melbourne design duo Tin & Ed (Chet Faker's Built on Glass cover, Qantas, IKEA) will be creating the immersive environment guest will dine in, both in three and two dimensional form. There are limited tickets to Sensory (again, four sittings of only 90 each), and they're $55 per person. You can bundle the Sensory ticket with a Sugar Mountain 2016 ticket — they go on sale Monday, October 19 at Sugar Mountain's website. You'll be able to lock in a seating time when the festival timetable is released in January. Sugar Mountain's full 2016 lineup will be revealed next week. Image: Tin & Ed.
When your last festival screened 48 films to 168,000 people around Australia, what comes next? It's a problem many events wish they had, however, in their 28th year, the Alliance Française French Film Festival is on the case. With the massive celebration of Gallic cinema continuing to draw huge crowds, the beloved annual festival is offering up more of the same — and we're giving away tickets. Kicking off on March 7 in Sydney before touring to Melbourne, Canberra, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart, Parramatta and Casula until April 9, the 2017 program begins and ends with a bang — or, with two very different journeys. In pole position at the start of the fest sits The Odyssey, an adventure-filled biopic focused on famous oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, and co-starring Audrey Tautou as Cousteau's wife Simone. Then, after running through the bulk of its 45-film selection, the fest comes to a close with maternal comedy A Bun in the Oven, featuring The Bélier Family's Karin Viard as an unexpectedly expectant 49-year old. In between, the AFFFF delivers on two fronts: stars and a vibrant array of big screen stories. There's plenty of both. The former includes 2017 Oscar-nominees Isabelle Huppert and Natalie Portman, with Huppert showing up twice — playing a woman with a secret past in the rom-com Souvenir, and a philosophy professor in Things to Come — and Portman joining forces with Lily-Rose Depp (yes, Johnny's daughter) in Planetarium. Depp also stars with French singer-actress Soko in The Dancer, while Marion Cotillard does double duty too in romance From the Land of the Moon and the Xavier Dolan-directed family drama It's Only the End of the World. Inglourious Basterds actress Mélanie Laurent co-directs environmental doco Tomorrow, the great Gérard Depardieu takes a road trip in Saint Amour, and one of the last roles played by Amour's Emmanuelle Riva, as an elderly aunt in Lost in Paris, also features. Elsewhere, the 2017 fest tells the tale of the first popular Afro-Cuban artist of the French stage in Monsieur Chocolate starring The Intouchables' Omar Sy opposite James Thierrée (aka Charlie Chaplin's grandson), examines the real-life circumstances surrounding a pregnant nun in The Innocents, dives into coming-of-age affections with Being 17 and gets ghostly with the haunting Daguerrotype. Or, viewers can catch Juliette Binoche at her most slapstick in farcical detective effort Slack Bay, and enjoy the kind of moral dilemmas the Dardenne brothers explore so well in The Unknown Girl. Looking back as well as forwards, a two-movie retrospective steps into the court of Versailles courtesy of the Marie Antoinette-centric Farewell, My Queen and music drama Mozart's Sister. Plus, if all of the above isn't enough for the most eager film buffs, dedicated cinephiles can take A Journey Through French Cinema for 191 minutes of movie history. [competition]611799[/competition]
Already this year, Aussie movie lovers have been able to journey to France from their cinema seats. Hitting up Spain just by heading to your local picture palace has also been on the itinerary. Your next stop: Germany. Kicking off just as the weather gets colder to remind you of frosty European climes, Australia's touring German Film Festival is back for 2022 with a 26-movie program. The fest's destinations: Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Byron Bay, spanning different dates between Tuesday, May 24–Wednesday, June 22. Wherever you reside, you'll be able to see in winter with quite the lineup of new and classic German movies. There's typically a couple of clear recurring themes in this annual cinema showcase, as there tends to be in German films in general. So, the fact that this year's GFF will open with A Stasi Comedy, about life a Stasi agent's double life as both an underground poet and a spy in 80s-era East Berlin, is hardly surprising. Nor are two of the fest's other big-name titles: The Last Execution, starring Babylon Berlin's Lars Eidinger and also set in East Berlin in the 80s; and The Forger, led by Dark's Louis Hofmann, who plays a young Jewish man in Berlin in 1942. They're just some of the 21 movies that'll enjoy their Australian premieres at the event — alongside drama My Son, about a teenager's relationship with his mother; crime comedy The Black Square, starring Toni Erdmann's Sandra Hüller; the post-WWII-set The German Lesson, which leaps from the page to the screen; and political thriller The House, which takes place in the near future. GFF is also showcasing new films from just beyond German's borders in Austria and Switzerland. So, you can check out films such as downhill skiing drama Chasing the Line, an Austrian biopic about Winter Olympian Franz Klammer — and Swiss effort Caged Birds, about a lawyer in the 80s battling the prison system. The festival's final five titles hail from its impressive retrospective for 2022, which takes a look back at German cinema over the past five decades. Cannes Palm d'Or-winner The Tin Drum gets the 70s slot, while the East German-set Sunny Side represents the 80s. Doing the honours for the 90s is the exceptional Run Lola Run, aka one of the best thrillers ever made. The movie that helped push The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's Daniel Brühl to stardom, Good Bye Lenin!, has the 00s covered, and kinetic one-take gem Victoria returns to the big screen to showcase cinema from the past decade. GERMAN FILM FESTIVAL 2022 DATES: May 24–June 19: Palace Norton Street, Chauvel Cinema and Palace Central, Sydney May 25–June 19: Palace Electric, Canberra May 25–June 19: Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, The Kino, Pentridge Cinema and The Astor Theatre, Melbourne June 1–22: Palace Barracks and Palace James Street, Brisbane June 2–22:Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas and Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas, Adelaide June 2–22: Palace Raine Square Cinemas, Luna Leederville and Luna on SX, Perth June 3–19: Palace Byron Bay, Byron Bay The German Film Festival Australia tours the country from May 24–June 22. For more information, visit the festival website.
Melbourne has scored itself another bottomless brunch, this time sporting a modern Japanese twist. Kicking off on August 5, Tokosan's new Sunday series will have diners rounding out their weekends in style, with a booze-optional bento box feast. The kitchen's designed both a vegetarian and a teriyaki chicken bento, filled with treats like gyoza, rice and sushi, each clocking in at $24 per person. On top of that, there's a beverage option for every mood, starting with a simple glass of wine or beer, which you can tack on for an extra $5. For a longer, lazier lunch, enjoy your bento matched to a bottle of wine for a total of $49. Otherwise, go the bottomless booze route — $59 will get you food, plus two hours of unlimited beer, wine, mimosas, bloody marys and spritzes, between 12-2pm. Catch Tokosan's new brunch offering between 11am and 4pm every Sunday.
Sitting down for our interview with director Eva Orner, it's hard not to think about the grimly fortuitous timing. Less than 24 hours earlier, a young Somali refugee set herself ablaze on Nauru. It's the second case of self-immolation at the centre in less than a week, following the suicide of Omid Masoumali just a few days before. "I think we all need to stand up and say enough is enough," says Orner. "I just read this thing where Malcolm Turnbull said, 'Let's not get misty-eyed about offshore detention.' People are lighting themselves on fire. Children are being sexually abused. People have died." Orner is no stranger to these kinds of human rights abuses. A first generation Australian whose parents fled the Holocaust, she won an Oscar in 2008 for producing Taxi to the Dark Side, Alex Gibney's harrowing documentary about CIA torture. To say that her latest directorial effort, about Australia's hardline immigration policy, is even more confronting, speaks to just how indefensible that policy has become. Combining whistleblower interviews with shocking secret camera footage captured inside Manus Island and Nauru, Chasing Asylum reveals in no uncertain terms the consequences of offshore detention. We spoke with Orner about what motivated her to pick up the camera, and whether she believes films like this can truly make a difference. A CAMPAIGN OF PANIC AND FEAR Perhaps the hardest thing to stomach, when it comes to mandatory detention, is the fact that so many Australians seem willing to accept it — something that Orner attributes to "a campaign of panic and fear and misinformation that's been going for 15 years." "I don't think that people really know what's happening, because of this policy of secrecy that's been in operation since 2001," she says. "That's why I made the film, because I wanted to show people. Vision is so much more powerful than print. There's been some excellent journalism on this, but until you really see women and children in those conditions, it's not quite the same." "I find it particularly extraordinary today when people are self-immolating, and the government doesn't really respond with any sympathy," Orner continues. "The key to me is that we have to keep coming back to the Refugee Convention. Because it came out of the Holocaust, and it was the world's apology to the Jewish people to what happened to them... We really have to look at this policy in terms of what it says about us as a democratic country." WHAT THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T WANT YOU TO SEE The most remarkable thing about Chasing Asylum is Orner's hidden camera footage, which lays bare just how bad the conditions on Nauru and Manus Island really are. Naturally, she's unable to reveal exactly how she acquired the footage, other than to say it was "not easy to get." "If I'd known then what I know now I probably wouldn't have done it," she admits. "I think I was a bit wide-eyed going in. I always said that I was waiting for someone else to make this film, and no one did so I thought I'd better do it. But no wonder no one was making it. It's about places you can't go, people you can't speak to, and if whistleblowers do speak to you then you have to hide their identity. Then the whistleblowing legislation came out in July last year, which says that if you speak out it's a criminal act and you can go to jail." "What's important is that no cameras are allowed in, and why," says Orner. "I think the film answers that question, because it's really grim... I don't think it's a particularly emotional film, in terms of my voice. It's really just the facts and the vision of what's been happening. But what I'm seeing now as we're starting to screen it is that people cry when they see this film. It's very upsetting... I find it very hard to watch the film." CAN A MOVIE ACTUALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE? "You have to believe that good will triumph," says Orner when asked if she thinks things will ever change. "You have to believe that good will triumph, you have to believe you can change things. You have to do something, because the alternative to that is doing nothing. You just have to stand up and scream and scream and scream." "One of the things we're doing is working with an organisation to get [the film] into the school curriculum, because that's where the power is. Getting the next generation to see the film. If we get this into schools, if we get tonnes of people to see it, if it gets seen on televisions around the world, then that can make a difference." "It's really about trying to educate people. That's what I'm saying. Come see the film, see what we're doing, and then make a decision. And I'm saying the same thing to politicians, because only a handful of politicians have been to Manus or Nauru. They're spending all of our taxpayer dollars on this, they should know what it looks like. Then maybe at night when they're sitting with their families, they can reassess how they really feel." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocgNZRIEyyY Chasing Asylum is in cinemas nationally from May 26. Eva Orner's book, Chasing Asylum: A Filmmaker's Story, is available in bookstores and online. For more information visit www.chasingasylum.com.au.
Proving that causing the internet to lose its mind by delivering adorable puppies to offices around Australia is simply not enough for them, Uber has moved yet another step closer to total world domination. The ridesharing service will launch UberEATS in Melbourne today, Tuesday, April 19 at 11am. Because who needs multiple apps when you can use one for just about everything? Melbourne is the first city in Australia to be bestowed the food delivery platform, and only the third in the world. It basically allows restaurants to get their food delivered to customers between 11am and 10pm by a wide access of ever-available drivers — much like (and in direct competition to) other food delivery apps like Foodora/Suppertime, Deliveroo and Menulog. The list of Melbourne restaurants exceeds 80, including the likes of Supernormal, Gazi, Pidapipo and Jimmy Grants. Oh, and delivery will be free for the launch. So you only have to pay the cost of your Jimmy Grants feta-covered oregano chips, and not a cent more. UberEATS launched in select US cities last year, allowing users to order lunch or dinner from an ever-shifting menu that includes options from a number of different restaurants. UberX is still technically illegal in Victoria, although that hasn't stopped the service's meteoric success. Assuming UberEATS proves a hit in Melbourne, it's safe to assume it may expand to further cities in the future. You can download the UberEATS app here from 11am. For all the details, visit ubereats.com/melbourne. Updated: April 19, 2016.
Ain't no party like a MMW Opening Night Party, and anyone who went along to last year's Total Giovanni and Architecture in Helsinki affair last year can back us up on this one. In exciting musical news, Gypsy & The Cat have abandoned their hiatus for this auspicious occasion, and will be joined by sparkling alt-pop band Dorsal Fins and the joyous R'n'B and pop stylings of The Harpoons. It's also the first night the flagship venue will be open —and while the idea of partying in an old hospital basement may seem a little creepy at first, we can't deny we're aching to check it out.
It's 2017, and cinemagoers are about to see their ninth Batman movie in less than three decades — and, a few months later, their first live-action Wonder Woman film. Whether you love them, hate them, or don't mind them but are starting to get sick of a new one coming out each and every month, this year's comic book flicks highlight a disheartening point: gender equality and filmmaking really don't go hand in hand right now. Alas, the situation doesn't just apply to those fond of wearing capes and lycra. In general, watching movies about women, featuring significant roles for women, and/or made by women isn't as easy as it should be. When it comes to representing half of the world's population both in front of and behind the camera, saying that the film industry has plenty of room for improvement is both a massive understatement and a case of stating the obvious. If Hollywood isn't going to do any better, however, then the Internet Movie Database is going to do what it can to shine a light on the female-focused flicks that audiences can see. Enter the F-rating. Contrary to everything that the school grading system has made you believe, it's actually a good thing. Movies rated F boast a considerable contribution from women, be it writing, directing or acting in a sizeable part (no, playing a wife on the phone doesn't count, no matter how often great actresses are forced to do just that on screen). The rating was created back in 2014 by Bath Film Festival's Holly Tarquini in an effort to help viewers choose to watch movies that do more than give ladies a supporting role. Tick all three boxes, and a feature will receive a triple F — and a big thumbs up, representation-wise. At the time of writing, 21,890 films have been given an F-rating on IMDB, with users able to search for relevant titles just by ticking a box. Alas, searching is the only way to find the rating, which doesn't appear on IMDB's movie landing or keyword pages, but it's still a giant leap in the right direction. Or, as Tarquini sees it, it's hopefully a step on the path to better representation overall, rather than needing to actively let audiences know which female-focused films they should be seeking out. "I hope that the F rating will become redundant as the stories we see on screen reflect our culture, and that 50 percent of the stories we see [will be] told by and about women." she told The Guardian. Damn right. Via Vulture / The Guardian. Image: The Runaways.
Deck the halls and unpack the plastic tree — the festive season is well and truly upon us. And while that whole Christmas tradition stuff is nice, we're not going to deny what we're most excited about: a whole stocking-load of new films. Along with the cricket and stampeding through shopping centres, going to the movies is one of our favourite Boxing Day traditions. After all, what better place to recover from your post-Christmas food coma than in a nice, dark, air-conditioned cinema? Of course, not all of the end-of-year titles measure up. That's why we're reporting in with our annual Boxing Day Battle Royale, to ensure that you get maximum bang for your Kris Kringle gift voucher buck. Or you could just go see the new Star Wars movie for the third time. That's also a totally valid option. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rgO_TyyOoU CALL ME BY YOUR NAME We give it: 5 stars It's easy to fall in love with Call Me By Your Name on sight. Full of the kind of sumptuous visuals that director Luca Guadagnino (A Bigger Splash) is known for, the '80s-set effort proves a gorgeous piece of filmmaking from its opening frames. That said, it's the movie's sun-dappled dalliance that will really make you swoon, as Guadagnino follows the blossoming romance between 17-year-old Elio (Timothee Chalamet) and grad student Oliver (Armie Hammer) over the course of a sweltering Italian summer. A seductive and sensual queer romance, and a pitch-perfect account of yearning and desire — one that features an emotionally intricate turn from Chalamet in particular — Call Me By Your Name is the film that stories about first love will be judged against for many years to come. – Sarah Ward https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNCz4mQzfEI COCO We give it: 4 stars It's with vibrant detail that Coco bursts onto cinema screens. A tale of following your heart while honouring your family, Pixar's latest effort is both a colourful sight to behold and an exuberant journey; a film exploding with dazzling visual and emotional fireworks. Within frames heaving with intricacy, there's never a dull moment as the movie sashays from modern-day Mexico to the Land of the Dead during the country's Dîa de los Muertos celebrations. Often it's the little things that stand out, from the grain of the many flowers never far from view, to the weathered skeleton bones that literally dance through the streets, to the melancholy look on an old woman's face. – Sarah Ward https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QKg5SZ_35I JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE We give it: 3.5 stars Updating itself, quite literally, for more modern times, the new Jumanji sees the board game from the original film transform itself into a mid-90s video game cartridge. Fast-forward 20 years and, in a clear nod to The Breakfast Club, the game is discovered in a storeroom by four motley teens during high-school detention, who soon find themselves sucked in to the perilous jungle. But there's a twist: they're now in the bodies of the game character they chose. Each of the main cast members plays impressively against type: Dwyane Johnson as the allergy-afflicted nerd, Kevin Hart as the jock cut down to size, Karen Gillan as the introverted loner and – most amusingly – Jack Black as the vacuous popular girl. The laughs are frequent, coming mostly from the body-swap setup, but also from the tongue-in-cheek references to point and click video games. – Tom Glasson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN46DCFr2Y0 JUST TO BE SURE We give it: 3 stars As a comedy, Just to Be Sure doesn't always hit the mark. As an insightful look at life, love and family, however, the French film proves both thoughtful and charming. In her third feature, writer-director Carine Tardieu explores the story of widower Erwan (François Damiens) and his pregnant 23-year-old daughter Juliette (Alice de Lencquesaing) — plus the man he has always called dad (Guy Marchand), the man who might be his biological father (André Wilms) and the attractive doctor (Cécile De France) that links them both. With great performances all round, the movie is at its best when it's getting to the heart of the various characters' emotional reactions, rather than trying to find laughs. – Sarah Ward https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_YnYrLfjxA BREATHE We give it: 2.5 stars Based on the exploits of polio sufferer Robin Cavendish, Breathe comes to the screen with the best of intentions. Indeed, Cavendish's son produced the film, showing just how personal this true tale is. Sadly, celebrating his father's fortitude and crafting a rousing movie aren't one and the same, despite the fact that many of the right tools are there. As Cavendish, Andrew Garfield (sporting his natural accent) flits between frustration and determination, while Claire Foy gives a moving performance as the dependable wife by his side. The production also boasts thoroughly handsome cinematography that captures its '50s, '60s and '70s setting. And yet the directorial debut of motion-capture actor Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings, War for the Planet of the Apes) ultimately proves heavy on sentiment but light on emotional impact. – Sarah Ward https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCrBICYM0yM DOWNSIZING We give it: 2.5 stars It's a great concept: to help save the planet, humanity gets shrunk down to size. But the unmistakably odd Downsizing isn't just an eco-friendly, statement-making update of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, even if it comes with a few ace sight gags. While director Alexander Payne has long been fascinated with ordinary guys struggling with their lot in life — think Sideways, The Descendants and Nebraska — the theme doesn't quite work in this ambitious but messy sci-fi-esque comedy. The film isn't helped by Matt Damon rolling out his usual everyman routine, though other cast members fare better. Christoph Waltz is considerably more jovial than usual, and Hong Chau turns a thinly written, stereotypical character into something more memorable. – Sarah Ward https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXCTMGYUg9A THE GREATEST SHOWMAN We give it: 2 stars If Hugh Jackman's mega-watt smile and Zac Efron getting musical out of high school can't save The Greatest Showman, then nothing can. Turning the life of 19th-century American circus whiz P.T. Barnum into a family-friendly musical, the film prefers easy sentiment over anything more than the most obvious of themes and the simplest, flimsiest of narratives. The flat, uninvolving pop songs scattered throughout don't help or demonstrate any depth, and neither does their music video-like staging by first-time Australian director Michael Gracey. There might be warm intentions behind this broad, unsubtle underdog story about dreamers and outsiders, but they're lost in a movie that resorts to painting a critic as the villain — as if to pre-emptively scold anyone who isn't enamoured with its empty spectacle. – Sarah Ward
Admit it. When you hear the words 'long weekend' you immediately picture yourself jumping on a plane for a tiny slice of adventure, reclining on the beach, or sipping a cocktail. Long weekends usually involve going somewhere different. The feeling of shucking the constraints of routine are invaluable, but hear us out on this one: you should stay in Melbourne for the Grand Final long weekend. We know it sounds crazy, but there are untold adventures right on your doorstep that will make you see your city a little differently. We've teamed up with Mastercard, and we're asking you to stay home. YOU CAN ACTUALLY WATCH THE GRAND FINAL Get a ticket to the game and enjoy the atmosphere. If you can't be there, watching from a packed and buzzing pub is the next best thing. The Rose in Fitzroy is the best of the best. Book a table and surround yourself with vintage memorabilia and décor and footy themed food and drink specials. YOU CAN FLOAT THROUGH THE CITY We did promise that you would see your city in a whole new way, so here it is. Glide over Melbourne and the Yarra Valley in a Global Ballooning hot air balloon at dawn and take in a new view of the city from the air. A balloon ride at this hour will stop you from sleeping away your precious long weekend, and you'll definitely have the coolest story to share in the pub that night. IT'S PRIME HOT SPRING TEMPERATURE While everyone else is nursing (or creating) their hangovers, take a day to get out of the city and pop down to the peninsula. This is the perfect time of year (before it gets too hot and while it's not arctic) to take a dip in the famous Mornington Peninsula hot springs. While you're in that neck of the woods, take a stroll along the beach or slog out a coast walk – we recommend the Millionaire's Walk, a cliff top walk with views across Port Phillip Bay and the Bellarine Peninsula (and take a sticky beak at some truly insane mansions along the way). PERFECT AMOUNT OF TIME FOR A ROAD TRIP The Great Ocean Road is one of those experiences that we all intend to do but sometimes postpone because of, you know, general life chaos. But the Grand Final weekend is the best time to get out there and make good on your promise. Check out the famous twelve Apostles, quaint seaside villages and the rugged beauty of the Victorian coastline while everyone else is glued to their TVs. If you don't have a car, jump on a tour and feel like you're overseas for the weekend. YOU CAN MINI GOLF, THEN YOU CAN PICNIC Nestled away in the rambling Yarra Bend park is the perfect long weekend activity: a mini golf course. Take on the full 36 holes course, complete with the perfect blend of ridiculous shots, moving parts and novelty sculptures. Make a day of it. Once you've battled it out, grab a couple of beers and have yourself a picnic in the park. Visit priceless.com to see a Melbourne long weekend itinerary from @emmakateco, and more priceless experiences in your city exclusive to Mastercard cardholders.
