Two Spanish couples on holiday, the tale of a real-life Barcelona bus driver and a crime thriller set in the Basque Country: if you're looking to swap Australia's winter for Euro vibes from your cinema seat, they're some of the highlights in store. When the middle of the year hits Down Under each year, the Spanish Film Festival brightens up Aussie picture palaces with a lineup of movies from its namesake country. Exploring the breadth of Spanish-language cinema, it also showcases flicks from Latin America. Thirty films are on the fest's just-announced program for 2025, which is touring across Australia in June and July. Across various dates between Wednesday, June 11–Wednesday, July 9, audiences in Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne, Ballarat, Sydney, Byron Bay and Ballina can enjoy a roster of picks that includes a Sliding Doors-style opener, this year's two Goya Best Film winners and a celebration of the 25th anniversary of Nine Queens. Among the films mentioned above, Samana Sunrise is kicking of the festival with 20-year pals on a beachside getaway to the Dominican Republic when what might've been becomes the focus. Then, both El 47 and Undercover have prime slots fresh from their shared victory at Spain's version of the Oscars. The first heads back to the 70s to tell of bus driver Eduard Fernández's peaceful act of dissidence, while the second also unfurls a true tale, this time about the only police officer in Spain's history that has worked their way into terrorist organisation ETA. If you've been watching Ricardo Darín in recent Netflix hit The Eternaut, then you'll want to head back a quarter-century to see the Argentinian star's stellar work in heist flick Nine Queens — or revisit it if you're already a fan. It's closing out this year's Spanish Film Festival, screening in 4K. Other highlights across the program include The Quiet Maid, which was completely funded by NFTs, boasts Steven Soderbergh (Presence, Black Bag) as an executive producer, and follows a Colombian maid who discovers how to enjoy her summer while working on the Costa Brava; Ocho, charting a relationship over 90 years; the page-to-screen The Goldsmith's Secret; and Spanish box-office hit Wolfgang, a comedy a nine-year-old boy being set to live with his father. Or, there's Argentinian crime-thriller A Silent Death, which heads Patagonia in the 80s; El Jockey, with Money Heist and The Day of the Jackal's Úrsula Corberó among the Buenos Aires-set film's cast; and Peru's Through Rocks and Clouds, where an eight-year-old alpaca herder gets excited about the World Cup. With Marco, The Invented Truth, another slice of reality graces the lineup, this time honing in on the man who acted as the speaker of the Spanish association of Holocaust victims. The same is the case with I Am Nevenka, Nevenka Fernández's report of harassment by her employer in the 90s. Two documentaries also demonstrate how fact is frequently more fascinating than fiction, with Mugaritz. No Bread, No Dessert all about its eponymous Michelin-starred restaurant and The Flamenco Guitar of Yerai Cortés celebrating a rising star of its titular genre. From there, audiences can also catch the Canary Islands-set Babies Don't Come with Instructions, dive into mother-daughter relationships with Little Loves, follow three three Mexican American sisters retracing their grandmother's footsteps in Las Tres Sisters, Miguel Gila tribute May I Speak with the Enemy and queer drama Baby — and plenty more. Spanish Film Festival 2025 Dates Wednesday, June 11–Wednesday, July 2 — Palace Electric Cinema, Canberra Wednesday, June 11–Wednesday, July 2 — Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas and Palace Prospect Cinemas, Adelaide Wednesday, June 11–Wednesday, July 2 — Palace James Street and Palace Barracks, Brisbane Thursday, June 12–Wednesday, July 2 — Palace Raine Square Cinemas, Luna Leederville and Luna on SX, Perth Friday, June 13–Wednesday, July 2 — The Astor Theatre, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Penny Lane, Palace Westgarth, The Kino, Palace Balwyn and Pentridge Cinema, Melbourne Friday, June 13–Wednesday, July 2 — Palace Regent Theatre, Ballarat Thursday, June 19–Wednesday, July 9 — Palace Norton Street, Palace Moore Park, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinema, Sydney Thursday, June 19–Wednesday, July 9 — Palace Byron Bay, Byron Bay Thursday, June 19–Wednesday, July 9 — Ballina Fair Cinemas, Ballina The 2025 Spanish Film Festival tours Australia in June and July. For more information or to buy tickets, visit the festival's website.
It's never too early to start dreaming of balmier days and all those al fresco sipping sessions to fill the sunny season. But this year, you can get a headstart on putting those plans into action, with Arbory Afloat revealing it'll return in its latest incarnation as early as next week. After a winter hibernation, the famed floating bar and restaurant will reclaim its prime position in front of on-shore sister venue Arbory Bar & Eatery, opening the doors for its next season on Wednesday, September 21 — just in time for the four-day weekend Melbourne's just been gifted. As always, Arbory Afloat will be rocking a whole new persona to the last time we saw it, this year pulling inspiration from the Balearic Islands, and the free-spirited energy of Ibiza, Formentera, Menorca and Mallorca. Expect holiday vibes in abundance once you step aboard — even if Melbourne's holiday weather hasn't flown into town quite just yet. A Spanish-accented food offering will span from pintxos and tapas, to bocadillos (sandwiches) and raciones (shared bites); best enjoyed while kicking back overlooking the Yarra and soaking up what the Arbory Afloat team is calling its "dreamiest design yet". Your Ibiza party dreams will be well catered to with concoctions like pina coladas, spritzes, sangria and Porn Star Sour Martinis, featured alongside a range of share-friendly cocktail jugs. Meanwhile, a wine list filled with local and international names will be heavy on Spanish varietals — think, albariño, tempranillo and mencía — and easy-drinking Mediterranean-style brews are set to rule the beer lineup. [caption id="attachment_742538" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arbory Afloat 2019, by Simon Shiff[/caption] Catch Arbory Afloat 2022/23 at Flinders Landing from 4pm on September 21. Opening hours will be 11am–1am daily, from September 22 onwards. Top Image: Arbory Afloat 2019, by Arianna Leggiero
UPDATE: MONDAY, AUGUST 12 — The RTBU announced last night, Sunday, August 11, that after "construction conversations" with Metro Trains, it would not be proceeding with its planned industrial action between August 12–19. Instead, it'll be "work as usual" from today onwards as the union continues to negotiate a new agreement. The four-hour stoppage on Tuesday, August 27, however, is still on the table — we'll let you know if that changes. If your daily commute involves catching the train, you're in for a disrupted day on Tuesday, August 27. After discussing the matter for months, the Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) will go on strike — although, while a 48-hour walk-off had been proposed, its members will only stop work for four hours. All services will be affected between 10am–2pm. The stoppage will occur between hectic peak-hour periods; however it's reasonable to expect disruptions both before and after the scheduled period as a flow-on effect. The move comes after an eventful week, with the RTBU originally stating that its members would keep ticket barriers open all day on both August 12 and 19 — effectively giving Melburnians two days of free travel. Then, on Friday, August 9, the Federal Court of Australia ruled in favour of an injunction filed by Metro Trains, causing the RBTU to cancel that part of its initial plans. At the same time, the new stoppage was announced, involving not only drivers but commuter-facing employees as well. Speaking to The Age, the RBTU Victorian Branch secretary Luba Grigorovitch said that the strike was in response to Metro's decision to dock the pay of any workers involved in the union's upcoming actions, and not a reaction to the Federal Court decision. https://www.facebook.com/RTBUVic/photos/a.905557212842062/2541434102587690/?type=3&theater Other plans for the period between August 12–19 remain in effect. RBTU staff still won't be checking Myki cards on both August 12 and 19, although the barriers will remain closed and require a swipe to pass through. Commuter-facing employees will also scrap their uniforms indefinitely from August 12, too, and workers will refuse to participate in any training for Melbourne's soon-to-launch high-capacity trains between August 12–18. Between these dates, drivers will also refuse to operate any train that doesn't have fully operational public address systems and passenger emergency intercoms. And there'll be no skipping stations, alternate services running, or announcements by drivers to alert when their trains are running late. The union, which supports over 35,000 members Australia wide, has seen months of failed negotiations with Metro Trains, while trying to secure a new enterprise agreement, cut a new wage deal and call for improved working conditions. "This industrial action is aimed at Metro's hip pocket, not the travelling public," explained Grigorovitch in a statement. With negotiations still under way, it's possible no strike will go ahead, though only if Metro and the RTBU reach a satisfiable agreement in time. Melburnians also look set to endure tram disruptions in the near future, as part of a separate set of failed negotiations with Yarra Trams. RBTU members have voted for industrial action across the tram network, including a strike of up to 48 hours. There's no word yet as to when the latter may happen, although it's expected within the next 30 days. Image: Josie Withers for Visit Victoria
Plenty of music polls have claimed to name the best songs ever made and, whatever they've chosen, they've sparked a heap of debate in the process. It's a tough, tricky and supremely subjective task, of course. But if 'Lick My Love Pump', 'Sex Farm' and 'Hell Hole' isn't on these lists, can you really trust them? If you're a This Is Spinal Tap fan, then no. Come 2024, those tunes just might have some more company — because the team behind the iconic 1984 music mockumentary is getting the band back together. Get ready to spend more time with David St Hubbins (Michael McKean, Better Call Saul), Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer, The Simpsons), and Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest, Mascots), aka the loudest, most explosive band in the world — at least according to their original movie outing. If you're new to all things Spinal Tap, the fictional English heavy metal band first debuted on American TV in 1979; however, it was This Is Spinal Tap that made them legends. With this trio, there is indeed a fine line between stupid and clever — and turning it up to 11 is a must. They've reformed IRL a number of times, too, and released albums. As reported by Variety and Deadline, filmmaker Rob Reiner (The Princess Bride, A Few Good Men) is returning to direct this four-decades-later on-screen followup, which'll release in 2024 to mark the OG flick's 40th anniversary. He'll also resume his role on-camera in Spinal Tap II as well, playing fictional filmmaker Marty DiBergi. The plot will follow the band as they reunite yet again to do one last in-film concert. They contractually owe it to their manager, who has passed away but his widow is insistent. This Is Spinal Tap isn't just an 80s comedy gem that everyone needs to see at least once, and actually several times more than that. Every music documentary since for the past four decades has followed in its footsteps, straightforward and satirical alike. Also, Spinal Tap's name has become shorthand for OTT bands who take themselves too seriously. Like all sequels made oh-so-many years later, Spinal Tap II is the kind of film that you'll believe is actually, genuinely, really happening when you're sitting in a cinema watching it, though, and coming up with your own two-word review. Still, best mark March 19, 2024 in your diaries now. And, in the interim, you can check out the trailer for the OG This Is Spinal Tap below: Spinal Tap II is set to release on March 19, 2024. We'll update you with further details when they're announced. Via Variety/Deadline.
For the "it's better down where it's wetter" crowd, Disney Cruise Line takes that The Little Mermaid sentiment to heart, albeit while remaining on top of the water. Mouse House darlings, if you like Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars-themed stints sailing the ocean, then you'll love holidaying on the huge entertainment company's ships. As announced in 2022, its 'Magic at Sea' cruises will initially launch Down Under this October — and, because Disney loves sequels, the cruises have already locked in their return visit. Not only will sailing with the Mouse House from Australia and Aotearoa become a possibility for the first time between October 2023–February 2024, but it'll also be on the cards for getaways between October 2024–February 2025 as well. And, once again departing from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland, Disney Cruise Lines's second Down Under season will feature new itineraries, taking passengers to Eden in New South Wales, Hobart in Tasmania and Noumea in New Caledonia. [caption id="attachment_868737" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Todd Anderson[/caption] On offer for round two of this whole new cruising world (for Australians and New Zealanders wanting to depart close to home, that is) on the Disney Wonder: sailings for between two and seven nights — your pick — where you'll watch live musical shows, see Disney characters everywhere you look and eat in spaces decked out like Disney movies. Those musicals include a Frozen show; another production dedicated to the company's old-school favourites like Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Cinderella and Aladdin; and a Golden Mickeys performance, which is obviously all about Mickey Mouse. Or, there's a Mickey party set to DJ beats and a pirate shindig on the vessel's deck. While not every show and party is available on all cruises — especially the two-night option — the entertainment also includes Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Moana, Tiana, Cinderella, Woody, Jessie and more wandering around the ship. And, Chewbacca, Rey, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel and Thor as well, if you like hanging out around folks in costumes. Also on the list of things to do and see onboard as you explore the Disney Wonder's 11 decks: fireworks, plus movies — Disney flicks, naturally — in the ship's own cinema. The dining setup rotates, so each day of the cruise takes you to a different location with a different theme. One day, you'll hit up the Animator's Palate, which focuses on bringing Disney characters to life — including getting patrons to draw their own characters — and on the next, you'll get munching in a restaurant inspired by The Princess and the Frog, and serving up New Orleans-inspired dishes. Or, there's also Triton's, which offers an under the sea theme given it's named after Ariel's father, and does four-course French and American suppers. For folks travelling with young Disney devotees, there's also a whole range of activities just for kids — but adults without littlies in tow are definitely catered for, complete with a dedicated pool for travellers aged 18 and over, an adults-only cafe, the Crown & Fin pub, cocktail bar Signals, Italian eatery Palo, and a day spa and salon. Dates for Disney Cruise Line's second round of trips from Australia and New Zealand vary per city of departure, as do prices, but you can expect to enter this whole new ocean-faring world from $1214 per person for two nights in a double-occupancy room from Brisbane, $1413 out of Auckland, $1477 from Melbourne and $1889 departing from Sydney. And, room-wise, there's ten different types to choose from — some with private verandahs, and some with ocean views through portholes. [caption id="attachment_868736" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matt Stroshane[/caption] [caption id="attachment_904977" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matt Stroshane[/caption] Disney Cruise Line's 'Magic at Sea' cruises will sail from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland for their first season between October 2023–February 2024, and for their just-announced second season between October 2024–February 2025. Bookings for season two open at 10pm AEST on Monday, June 26. For more information, head to the cruise line's website. Images: Disney.
Melbourne has been a real pageant queen lately, having now been crowned Miss Most Liveable City for seven years in a row. We've all seen the glossy shots of laneway cafes and Federation Square that we're known for, and it's true that Melbourne looks great under the sun. But locals know that after dark is when Melbourne truly shines. The city's nightlife is the best on offer in Australia at the moment, and with public transport running all night on weekends, you can enjoy it even more. Instead of waiting out surges, jostling for cabs or sharking innocent pedestrians in an attempt to nab a park, jump on a late-night tram, train or bus and own the night. There's so much on offer at all hours of the eve, and we've got some tips to help you get to know the darker side of Melbourne. SUNSET AT THE BEACH Start your night by jumping on the 96 tram and heading to St Kilda beach. Grab an ice cream or pastry along Acland Street (don't worry about eating dessert before dinner — there are no rules tonight) and head to the sand to sit back and watch as the sun goes down and Luna Park lights up. People-watching is the name of the game here, and dusk is the time of day when all the kookiest subjects come out to play. COCKTAILS AND JAPANESE WITH A TWIST When you've brushed all the sand out of your crevices, it's time to eat. Jump on the 5 tram to Chapel Street, get off at stop 32, and wander down Chapel Street as it comes alive for the dinner rush. Head to Mr Miyagi for dinner, a southside favourite. They don't take bookings for groups of five or less, which is excellent news for cocktail lovers. Wait for your table in their adjacent bar, Yukie's, and sample from their experimental cocktail menu — try the salted watermelon martini garnished with Midori-infused faux olives. Once you're installed at Mr Miyagi's, try their signature snack: the salmon nori taco with grilled salmon belly, sushi rice and spicy mayo, all wrapped up in a seaweed case. Excellent fuel for the long night ahead. POST-DINNER ROOFTOP FEATURE Once you're sufficiently stuffed, prepare your bod for a digestive respite. Head to Windsor Station to get the train to Flinders Street Station. From there, jump on a tram heading up Swanston Street (heck yeah, free tram zone), get off at Bourke Street Mall and head to Rooftop Cinema. For the next few months, they'll be running a cinema program on the roof of the Curtin House building. It features a good mix of cult classics, new releases, deckchairs and a killer view of the city — it's the perfect intermission for your late-night antics. POOL, CRAZY MILKSHAKES OR AFTER-HOURS BOWLS Once you've fully digested both film and food, it's time to kick it up a notch. You have a few options. Take the 86 or 96 trams out to Fitzroy and stop in at the Red Triangle Pool Hall on Argyle Street. Play a few games of pool, and to keep it interesting, make it so the loser buys the winner one of Red Triangle's disgustingly indulgent milkshakes. But if you like your balls close to the ground, stay on the tram a little longer and head up to Fitzroy Bowls Club — it stays open until 10pm and is fully licensed. We recommend booking ahead to guarantee your spot. MIDNIGHT CBD BAR HOPPING Once you're deep in the night, jump on the 86 or 96, and head back into the city. From here, you can choose your own adventure depending on how you feel. We recommend Boilermaker House on Lonsdale for excellent craft beer; Heartbreaker on Russell for pizza, dancing and more pool; Siglo on Spring Street for pure class; Gin Palace down Russell Place for quiet, sexy ambience; or New Guernica to get heavy. Or better yet, take advantage of that free tram zone and stop in at them all. LATE NIGHT KARAOKE No late night is complete without a spot of karaoke. If you need privacy to belt out your heartfelt rendition of When Doves Cry (no judgement — we respect your craft), head to KBOX on La Trobe and book yourself a booth. If you know no shame and want the world to hear your siren song, head to Jankara Karaoke. This tiny, weird karaoke bar on Russell Street is always packed full of people who have no business doing karaoke, but who do it anyway and with unbridled enthusiasm. [caption id="attachment_639262" align="alignnone" width="1620"] Anwyn Howarth.[/caption] EVENING'S END EATS When the night is wrapping up, the sun is peeping over the horizon and you're in serious need of a snack, late night food options are abundant in the city. Shujinko on Russell is 24-hours and Stalactites, everyone's favourite late-night souvas slinger, is also open 'round the clock. And if you need a pick me up, Little Bean Blue on Little Collins opens at 6am, ready to caffeinate you so you don't fall asleep on the tram home — that's definitely not a good look. Whatever you're planning for the weekend, whether it's staying out after midnight or up until dawn, the Night Network will take you wherever you need to go — and then get you home again. Lead image: Brook James.
Following the announcement of Nils Frahm's return to Australia, electronic classical music fans have plenty to salivate over this week. Minimalist, ambient electro-acoustics will bring in 'The Four Seasons' this Spring, the legendary Max Richter is set to make play his first ever Australian show. One of the most influential composers in recent times, the German born, British neoclassical mastermind is set to present the Australian premiere of his celebrated reworking of Vivaldi's masterpiece, 'The Four Seasons', with New York City's 22-piece Wordless Music Orchestra. Following a sold-out Royal Albert Hall show showcasing his seminal 2002 album Memoryhouse, the 48-year-old composer is heading to Melbourne on Monday, November 24 to present both his recomposition of Vivaldi's masterwork and his own sparse 2010 album, Infra — an expansion of his poignant, ambient score composed for a Wayne McGregor ballet once staged at the Royal Opera House. Following piano and synthesiser studies under the great Luciano Berio and ten years with the neo-classical quintet the Piano Circus, Richter has been long-celebrated for countless projects including 2004's Tilda Swinton collaboration, the spoken word full-length album The Blue Notebooks, alongside reams of cinematic scoring to films like Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island, Ridley Scott's Prometheus and Clint Eastwood's I. Edgar. "Max is someone we've wanted to have perform here for a very long time and to be able to present this vivid, fresh, mesmerising and precise composer performing his Vivaldi The Four Seasons Recomposed with the vibrant restlessness of the Wordless Orchestra from NYC is something of a dream come true for us," said Ben Marshall, Head of Contemporary Music at Sydney Opera House. The pairing is a solid catch for the Opera House (presented as part of Music at the House), with the Wordless Music Orchestra set to perform Jonny Greenwood's world premiere performance of his There Will Be Blood score in New York City in September. Originally premiered at London's Barbican Centre in 2012, Richter's Vivaldi, The Four Seasons Recomposed apparently discarded 75% of Vivaldi's original material, with Richter using the remainder to loop, phase and rework into a postmodern, minimalist triumph — one that topped the iTunes classic chart in the UK, US and Germany. It's an exciting time for local, contemporary classical fans with a love for electronic innovation. "Every now and then when programming music it becomes clear that something new and significant is emerging. There is currently a strand of rigorous, talented and acclaimed contemporary classical composers who are as comfortable with electronics as they are with formal composition," said Ben Marshall, Head of Contemporary Music at Sydney Opera House. Image credit: Yulia Mahr. https://youtube.com/watch?v=qTapNp-31rU
It's only a few years young, but Australia's most inclusive music festival just keeps getting bigger and better. Case in point: Ability Fest just announced the jam-packed lineup of artists that'll be joining in the fun for its next instalment on Saturday, March 25 — and it's a cracker. Leading the talent firing up the crowds at Melbourne's Birrarung Marr this autumn: Aussie hip hop legends Hilltop Hoods, dance duo Mashd N Kutcher and ARIA Award-winning songstress Sampa the Great, along with names like Paris, Meg Mac, DZ Deathrays, Linda Marigliano and dameeeela. Unfolding across two stages, including one devoted to dance acts, there's something on this program for all kinds of music fiends — with SHOUSE, Telenova, Juno Mamba, Mulalo and Latifa Tee just some of the other artists who'll be working their magic at Ability Fest 2023. The brainchild of 2022 Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott and Untitled Group (the crew behind Pitch Music & Arts and Beyond the Valley), Ability Fest is carefully designed to be completely accessible and as inclusive as they come. It'll feature ramps and pathways for easy access, Auslan interpreters working alongside the artists, and elevated platforms to give everyone a shot at seeing the stage. Plus: quiet zones, a dedicated sensory area, ticketing for companions and accessible toilets. And tickets start from $89. During its life, the not-for-profit fest has raised close to $500,000 for the Dylan Alcott Foundation, while continuing to dish up primo live tunes and music experiences to Aussies of all abilities. "I'm so proud to see the path Ability Fest has already paved for inclusive events across the country," says Alcott. "First and foremost, our main priority is to create a kick-ass festival that happens to be accessible. And that's something I think we've achieved since launching in 2018." Here's the full lineup: ABILITY FEST 2023: Alex Lahey Alter Boy BROODS Daine Dameeeela DJ Cooper Smith DZ Deathrays Hilltop Hoods Juno Mamba Latifa Tee Linda Marigliano Mashd N Kutcher Meg Mac Mulalo PARIS Sampa the Great SHOUSE Telenova The Journey Tiff Cornish Tyson O'Brien YO! MAFIA Ability Fest 2023 will hit Birrarung Marr in Melbourne on Saturday, March 25. Pre-sale tickets are available from 6pm AEDT on Monday, January 23 (register online), with general tickets selling online from 12pm on Tuesday, January 24.
Made in Japan using hakumai — 100 percent Japanese polished short-grain white rice — and filtered through bamboo charcoal, Haku Vodka is as refined as vodka gets. Hakumai is prized for its purity and subtle flavour, and it's what gives Haku Vodka its smooth and subtly sweet profile and clean finish. It's a spirit that rewards slow sipping and thoughtful pairing — an ideal base, in other words, for a martini. This July and August, a handpicked selection of Melbourne bars and restaurants are spotlighting the Japanese vodka with limited-time creative martini serves and paired snacks to match. From sultry laneway cocktail dens to buzzy Euro summer-channelling hot spots, here's where to experience Haku Vodka in its most elegant form.
In 1963, "muckraking" journalist Jessica Mitford (the staunchly left-wing sister-in-law to the UK's most famous pre-war fascist leader) wrote the seminal expose of the funeral industry: The American Way of Death. Mitford revealed funeral-parlour up-selling, lay-by burial rip-offs and a whole seedy underbelly that would sound pretty familiar to anyone who was scared of the undertaking competitors in Six Feet Under. For Matters of Life and Death, the Performance Space has pulled together a number of productions with a similar urge to pry into our fears of the workings of the unspeakable hereafter. Each ruminates on death and our anxieties about this looming personal apocolpyse. To get a better idea of how the undiscovered country has affected their mindset, Concrete Playground asked some of the people behind this season's productions their views on a few pertinent, eschatological questions. Unsettling Suite Is there a theory of death from life, myth or fiction that appeals most to your work? In Bone Library, which will be presented in Unsettling Suite as only a fragment of a much, much larger work. This work was inspired in its earliest stages by the historic repatriation of burial pouches, full of incinerated bone meal, to the Aboriginal people of Tasmania by the British Museum. Traditional Aboriginal burial rituals are really beautiful, I think, if it were still possible under Commonwealth law, which it isn't, of course, I'd love to meet my end in a traditional way. The body of the person is left out, above ground, inside a cave or a hollow log. The animals and insects feast on the remains, and after the bones have been picked clean, the skeleton is retrieved. The bones are regarded as objects of absolute preciousness, of course, they are the only physical remainder of your loved one. So the bones are distributed among the family, who carry the bone with them. One of the most shocking and irreconcilable things about death is the sudden and absolute absence of the person. Even if a person declines slowly, the moment of death is always sudden and always a shock to us emotionally and spiritually. I really think we have been stripped of whatever tools we once had to deal with this most basic fact of our humanity. I do wish that that I could carry the bones of the people I love, and that they could carry mine, with the knowledge that the rest of me has gone back into the land to nourish the continued cycle of life. Sarah-Jane Norman's Unsettling Suite is on February 23 to March 10. Photo by Penelope Benton. The Last Supper What is your production's view of death? It's odd that the word production is used in the same sentence as death — they don't sit well together. I'd never say that our Last Supper project is about death. It's about a lot of things: life, history, fame, executions, revolution, change, eating too much, eating too little. We serve last meal requests from prisoners who were on death row Texas. It takes the title of an event from a man who was also to be executed 2000 years ago, but we're serving food. And some of that food has meant the death of something else. If I start to get involved in this thought process, I find myself becoming stuck in a repeating cycle. You know the experience of experiencing this performance will die away, eventually. Or it will change. Or it might inspire another performance. I do hope so. Mole Wetherall answered on behalf of Reckless Sleepers. The Last Supper runs February 27 - March 9. NightTime: Live and Let Die Is there a theory of death from life, myth or fiction that appeals most to your work? Albert Brooks' 1991 Defending Your Life is my favourite movie about the afterlife. Purgatory is an LA courtroom where your life is examined to see if you're brave enough to go to heaven. Also Meryl Streep is really good in it. Our edition of Nighttimes will hopefully be a similar. People being as brave and adventurous as they can, while you sit back and judge them. With some death metal thrown in. Eddie Sharp is the guest curator for Matters of Life and Death's Nighttime: Live and Let Die on March 2. Photo by Lucy Parakhina. Mortality talking - Gas Bag What is your production's view of death? If we have an intimate relationship with the fact that our life — all life — will and does end, then this impacts on the choices we make, and the quality of our time in this fleshy envelope. This gasbag. This is why it's imperative to get the social and cultural practices around death (eg the funeral industry) and dying (as a medicalised experience) re-contextualised as the inevitable extension of our birthright. Back into our vocabulary, our thoughts, understanding and — for those who want to — our hands. How to create death literacy? That's what my practice as a death literacy educator, celebrant, artist and counselor is about and those are the ideas that Mortality Talking is playing with. Victoria Spence responded on behalf of Mortality Talking- Gas Bag. It plays on March 9. There's also a questionnaire feeding into the performance. Photo by Heidrun Lohr. Death (cha) Kucha What is your productions' view of death? At the Centre for the History of Emotions we are particularly interested in the emotional aspects of death and dying. One powerful example is suicide. Suicide is hard to talk about. It involves immense psychic pain, both on an individual level and amongst society more broadly. If we can uncover various forms of emotional response to suicide from various cultures across history, then we can begin to place our own understanding of that impulse and its consequences in perspective. This kind of historical understanding has the potential to inform current medical practices. At Death(cha) Kucha we will be discussing suicide, as well as executions, infanticide and other social taboos. Our aim is to critically engage our audience with their own attitude towards death; right before they sit down to Reckless Sleepers' The Last Supper. Gabriel Watts responded on behalf of the death-focused pecha-kucha, Death(cha) Kucha: with the Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions, on March 8. Image of the Dance of Death. Performance Anxiety What is your production's view of death? Some of the characters die, some are killed, some kill, some stare death directly in the face; and some are consumed by the overwhelming sense of loss that the death of a loved one can bring. Performance Anxiety acknowledges that death is inevitable. Alongside this acknowledgement of death, though, it also seeks to embrace life,and especially an approach to life that is not unnecessarily encumbered by fear and anxiety. Brian Lucas's Performance Anxiety is on February 27 - March 8. Photo by Fiona Cullen. Desensitising Death: A Night of Film What culture do you think deals best with death? In comparison to other cultures, the Western World shrouds death in secrecy and still refuses to integrate it into our lives. This cannot be said when it comes to popular culture and the world of entertainment. Since the birth of cinema, death has been exploited on the screen for its entertainment value. Miss Death and Jay Katz's Desensitising Death: A Night of Film plays at the Clubhouse program, March 9. Image from Psycho.
In the years since Bar Saracen sadly closed its doors, former Head Chef Tom Sarafian has become king of the food pop-up, lending his prowess with modern Middle Eastern flavours to guest chef series and popular kitchen residencies across Melbourne. And now, it's Cumulus Inc's turn. For two weeks next month, Sarafian will take over the Flinders Lane restaurant's upper dining room for a memorable feasting series guided by his signature bold, aromatic cooking. Dinners will run Wednesday to Saturday from March 2–12, clocking in at $85 per person for a sumptuous shared menu and with bookings available from 6pm. You'll sit down to dishes like heirloom tomatoes with homemade shanklish, octopus batata harra (spicy potatoes), and plenty of that beloved signature hummus. Meanwhile, two extended Sunday lunch editions are also happening, with limited spots available from 12pm on March 6 and March 13. The first is set to hero Sarafian's charcoal-grilled fish fatteh as the centrepiece ($100pp) while the second will showcase his duck fesenjoon — a Persian dish traditionally slow-cooked with walnuts and pomegranate ($120pp). The drinks list also embraces a Middle Eastern lean — expect a range of Armenian wines, Sarafian's Lebanese lemonade and an arak service. [caption id="attachment_843020" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kristoffer Paulsen[/caption]
From The Muppet Christmas Carol to The Santa Clause to The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Disney has long been fond of Christmas films. And now that the huge entertainment company is about to launch its own streaming platform, we can foresee plenty more festive Mouse House flicks in movie-lovers' futures — starting this November with Noelle. Vying to become your next seasonal favourite, Noelle stars Anna Kendrick as the titular character, who also happens to be the daughter of Kris Kringle. When her dad retires, her brother Nick (Bill Hader) is supposed to take over the reins (and reindeer). But, after he gets even colder feet than usual at the North Pole and heads south to become a yoga instructor, it's up to the perennially perky Noelle to save the day. Festive film fans can look forward to Kendrick being oh-so-bubbly, Hader in the slacker mode he plays so well and Billy Eichner as the Kringle siblings' sarcastic IT worker cousin Gabriel. Based on the trailer, this streaming flick is firmly aiming for feel-good territory — not just because it tasks one of Hollywood's most likeable actors with salvaging Christmas, but because it's directed by rom-com veteran Marc Lawrence (the filmmaker behind Two Weeks Notice and Music and Lyrics, and the writer of Miss Congeniality and its sequel). Get festive watching the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBDnQkQUTGU Noelle will be available to stream on Disney+ when it launches Down Under on November 19.
Melbourne's South Wharf has an all-day Japanese bar serving up freezing cold brews, creative cocktails, share plates and even breakfast seven days a week. Citizen's major draw here is its cocktail menu ($18-20), which offers Japanese sake, umeshu, gin and whisky concoctions. Fans of sours will be happy to find a matcha version — mixed with Nikka gin, ginger syrup and egg white — or the Jasmine Yuzu, combining yuzu gin, jasmine tea, honey and egg white. There's also the Canteen Spritz (Nikka whisky, prosecco and elderflower syrup) and the Bubble T (souchong tea, amaro, Cointreau, lime and milk) to choose from, among others. The bar has also partnered with Asahi to bring Melburnians sub-zero beers, which have been chilled to -2.2 degrees. A succinct wine menu is also on offer. As to be expected, Japanese-inspired snacks are available alongside the drinks menu. There are miso eggplant chips ($12), prawn and chicken chilli dumplings ($16) and crispy barramundi wings with seaweed mayo ($16). For more substantial eats, go for the pork tonkatsu sando ($17) or one of three brown rice bowls, including a beef short rib number with kimchi and miso barbecue sauce ($26) and the grilled koji tofu with asparagus and yuzu ($21). For dessert, there's a matcha ice cream sandwich ($11) and a miso chocolate brownie ($11). Open from 7am weekdays and 8am on weekends, diners can also nab coffees and typical Aussie brekkies here — think Dr Marty's crumpets with miso honey ($10), along with ham and cheese croissants ($9), baked eggs ($14) and BLTs ($12). But this daytime vibe quickly disappears come evening, when the neon-lit bar comes alive to transport punters to Tokyo for a night.
The last year has seen the resurgence of wines in alternative packaging. Instead of the standard 750mL glass bottle, winemakers are packing their beloved grapes into cans, casks, boxes and Tetra Paks. Wines in cans, which used to be a novelty, have been redesigned, and the quality of the wines inside have increased exponentially. They're a responsible way to drink in a myriad of locations where glass might not be permitted, such as campgrounds, festivals and beaches. Packaging quality wines in vessels like bags and casks also protects the liquids from outside air and other influences for longer, which guarantees a fresher and more consistent glass of wine. The smaller packaging has a secondary benefit, too: portion control. You can drink the wine the way it's supposed to be drunk — a glass at a time — without feeling pressured to drink the entire bottle (for fear it will go off). It's also much easier to transport on road trips. One canned beverage that we fully endorse is Sparkke's #TimesUp sparkling white wine. It's predominantly chardonnay, with equal parts pinot grigio and riesling. The chardonnay gives the wine its structure and body, the pinot grigio some texture and tropical fruit flavours and the riesling creates a nice acidity and length. Sparkke is a for-purpose alcohol company, with 10-percent of sales from each of its drinks going to a different cause. The company has previously given to charities supporting refugees, same-sex marriage rights and climate change. And its latest drink — the aforementioned sparkling white wine — is raising money for the International Women's Development Agency, which works toward achieving gender equality across the globe. To help you separate the fads from the flavoursome, we've picked the best wines (and one sake) in alternative packaging — perfect to pack in the esky for your next camping adventure. SHOPPING LIST 1. Sparkke #TimesUp sparkling white wine, Adelaide Hills & McLaren Vale, 250ml can, $35 for four 2. 2017 Elephant in the Room chardonnay, Limestone Coast, 250 mL can, $4.75 or $18 for four Bursting with peach, guava and melon flavours, interwoven with toasty oak elements, this wine has a fresh acidity on the palate that makes way for a pleasant and dry finish. Pair with your favourite pit-stop chicken sandwiches. 3. 2017 Le Chat Noir Rosé, Gers & Aude Valley France, 250 mL can, $5.70 or $22 for four This wine has everything you want from a rosé — a pale colour and a dry palate. Notes of rose petals and strawberries almost jump out of the can, too. The dryness of the wine is well balanced with fresh berry notes, and it has an almost crunchy texture in the mouth. Take a can with you when you're foraging for fresh mulberries. 4. Kunizakari Tanrei Yuzushu, 1L Tetra Pak, $48 Need a break from wine (for a short moment)? We've got you covered. Yuzu is a native Japanese citrus, and when combined with young-style sake it creates yuzushu (think of it as the Japanese version of Italian Limoncello). The drink works well on its own or paired with the above sparkling for a DIY campfire spritz. 5. 2016 Casale Sangiovese Blend, Tuscany, 3L Bag in Box, $70, available from Giorgio de Mara Fun Wines or at P&V Wine and Liquor The gold standard of wine in a box, this red blend is biodynamic wine in large format. It smells like rich soil after a fresh rain and tastes like cranberries covered in dark chocolate. Perfect for any kind of barbecue/campfire/grilled meat combo you throw at it. Its convenient three litre bag will keep you going for a long weekend, too. The Oeno Files is our new bi-weekly wine column keeping you up-to-date with the latest wine trends happening around the country. Samantha Payne is a Sydney based wine consultant, writer and sommelier who has worked in the industry for over a decade. She travels, both locally and internationally, to chat with winemakers (and occasionally lend a hand in winemaking), write wine lists and hosts wine events. Images: Lucia Braham
Cumulus Up's City Cellar Door series returns for 2019, once again featuring a revolving door of Australian wine producers all keen to show off their top-notch drops. The event is the perfect opportunity to taste delicious wine, chat directly to the makers and grab your fave bottles at cellar door prices — all without leaving the CBD. And, while Victorian producers will sit in the spotlight, the series will also showcase Tasmanian wineries. The year's series — which will run on the first Saturday of every month until October — will kick off at midday on May 4, this month paying homage to the Mornington Peninsula. Wine enthusiasts will be treated to stellar tipples from the likes of Moorooduc Estate, Allies, Quealy and Balcombe Gin. And what's wine without snacks? To make sure the event has all the trimmings, there'll be plenty to eat, including oysters, duck waffles and cured meats. Entry is by gold coin donation, with all proceeds going to OzHarvest. This is a not-to-be-missed event for anyone who loves wine. If you'd like to sit down for a more substantial meal, the upstairs wine bar will also be hosting four-course lunches with matched wines on July 20 and October 19. Alternatively, you can get out of the city and join a behind-the-scenes tour of vineyards as part of a wine-filled day trip on August 24 and November 16. You can find out more info and book tickets via the website. City Cellar Door wine tastings run from midday–4pm.
Trying not to think about Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet is about to become impossible in Australia. So will getting Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On' out of your head, where it's dwelled for most people since the Oscar-winning track was released in 1997. The reason: a Titanic exhibition has dropped anchor Down Under and docked at Melbourne Museum until Sunday, April 21. Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition has brought 200-plus items from the shipwreck to the Victorian capital in its Aussie trip after selling out its Paris season and also proving a hit in the US. The pieces on display were legitimately recovered from the vessel's wreck site, too, after the RMS Titanic's ill-fated voyage in April 1912 — aka the events that James Cameron (Avatar: The Way of Water) turned into the DiCaprio (Killers of the Flower Moon)- and Winslet (Ammonite)-starring Titanic more than a quarter-century ago. For everyone bound to exclaim, "I'm the king of the world!" while walking through Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition's Australian-exclusive stop, this is the king of all Titanic exhibitions. In fact, it's the most extensive in the world. As well as seeing the genuine objects from the ship, attendees will wander through full-scale recreations of the vessel's interiors, such as the veranda cafe, first-class parlour suite and grand staircase. In addition to the recovered items and recreations of the Titanic's spaces, the exhibition will tell tales about those onboard the ship that launched its maiden voyage on April 10, 1912, only to sink five days later on April 15, after hitting an iceberg. You'll be able to immerse yourself in the fateful events of that night with interactive exhibits like a touchable iceberg chilled to the temperature of the water the night of the sinking. This exploration of a tragic chapter in history will focus on passengers and crew alike while stepping through the vessel's class divisions and pondering the boat's legacy. Beyond the historical learnings, you can enjoy a Titanic-themed high tea designed by a Michelin-star chef to fully immerse yourself in the era in an elegantly designed lounge. Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition must close on Sunday, April 21. Evening sessions are also available. For more information or to book tickets, visit the website. Images: EMG / Alexandre Schoelcher / Eugene Hyland / Museums Victoria.
Your dream plans for 2025 can now include jetting off to Japan, Hawaii, Bali, South Korea, Thailand, Vanuatu, Singapore and New Zealand, then flying home for free — or, holidaying in Australia while scoring the same deal for getaways to Hamilton Island, Uluru, Cairns, the Gold Coast, Byron Bay and more. For Black Friday 2024, Jetstar has brought back its popular 'return for free' sale. You buy a ticket to your vacation destination, then the carrier covers the cost of you coming home. This time around, in this year's biggest 'return for free' sale, the airline is doing discounted flights across Australia and to a range of international destinations, including to Tokyo, Osaka, Honolulu, Bangkok, Phuket, Seoul, Auckland and Queenstown. Wherever you'd like to head, the key part of this sale is making your way back without paying for the return flight, which'll also make your holiday oh-so-much cheaper. Running from 12am AEDT on Friday, November 29 1–11.59pm AEDT on Sunday, December 1, or until sold out if that happens earlier — with Jetstar members getting an extra 12 hours to access the sale from 12pm AEDT on Thursday, November 28 — it really is as straightforward as it sounds. Whatever flights you opt for as part of the sale, you'll get the return fare for nothing. Prices obviously vary depending on where you're flying from and to, but some include Brisbane to Tokyo from $373, Sydney to Osaka from the same price, Melbourne to Bali from $219, Perth to Singapore from $165, Sydney to Port Vila from $209, Melbourne to Honolulu from $316 and Sydney to Seoul from $349. Domestic fares span deals such as Sydney to Ballina/Byron from $42, Sydney to Melbourne from $51, Melbourne to Hobart from $67, Sydney to Hamilton Island from $109, Melbourne to Uluru from $115 and Perth to Cairns from $189, You'll be travelling within Australia from mid-July to late October 2025, and from mid-February to mid-September 2025 if you're going global. The caveats that are always in place with Jetstar's 'return for free' deal remain this around. So, you need to book an outbound fare, then you'll get the return fare for free — and the deal only applies to Starter fares, and only on selected flights. Also, checked baggage is not included, so you'll want to travel super light or pay extra to take a suitcase. Plus, you have to use the same arrival and departure ports for your flights — which means that you can go from Brisbane to Tokyo and back, for instance, but can't return via another place or to another city. Jetstar's 2024 Black Friday 'return for free' sale runs from 12am AEDT on Friday, November 29–11.59pm AEDT Sunday, December 1 — or until sold out prior. Jetstar members get an extra 12 hours access to the sale from 12pm AEDT on Thursday, November 28. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
So, you've been tasked with planning a standout date for you and your main squeeze, but you can't decide between a romantic dinner or a stroll through a gallery. Well, why choose one when you can have both at once? Digital gallery The Lume is building on the success of its recent Valentine's dinner and launching a new weekly dining series fusing food and art. Running Friday and Saturday nights from April 14, Dining à Deux invites you to enjoy a three-course French feed set against a backdrop of immersive art from the gallery's current French impressionism exhibition. [caption id="attachment_896841" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dijana Risteska[/caption] You'll feast on dishes like duck à l'orange, beef cheeks with creamy Paris mash and chocolate soufflé, while the works of Monet and his contemporaries float around you in the form of giant moving projections. There are two dinner sittings each night, with tables set for two and tickets coming in at $145 per person. Or, step things up a level and nab a front-row table for $160 per person. Drinks are available to purchase separately.
Here's some news you won't read in Lady Whistledown's latest pamphlet — and a reason to frock up like you're in Regency-era London, too. This September, for one day and night only, Melbourne's Plaza Ballroom is playing host to party that'll whisk you back in time: the wholly unofficial but still appropriately themed Bridgerton Ball. If you're keen to be the talk of the ton, mark Saturday, September 17 in your diary — and prepare for the social soiree of the season. If you've binged your way through two seasons of the Netflix hit already and you're excited about more (and a Queen Charlotte prequel), consider this your chance to pretend you've stepped right into the series. On the agenda: dancing to tunes played by a string quartet, tucking into four hours of food and booze, playing games of chance, doing some live drawing and (probably) gossiping in corners while looking fabulous. Melburnians will have two chances to do just that, with sessions taking place from 12–4pm and 7–11pm, and tickets costing $209 per person. The ball is the latest pop culture-themed shindig from the folks behind A Wizardry High Tea, the Harry Potter-inspired excuse to eat bite-sized snacks, sip butterbeer and cocktails, and take potions classes — but unlike that event, this one is only popping up in Melbourne so far. The best way to prepare: watching Bridgerton, of course. Although, surely the Bridgerton Ball won't involve powerful families trying to marry off their children and scandal sheets getting everyone a-tutting. It will let you party like you're a duke or duchess, though. Check out the trailer for Bridgerton season two below: The Bridgerton Ball takes place at the Plaza Ballroom, 191 Collins Street, Melbourne, from 12–4pm and 7–11pm on Saturday, September 17. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the event website. To watch Bridgerton in the interim, head to Netflix. Images: Liam Daniel / Netflix.
UPDATE, September 17, 2021: A Star Is Born is available to stream via Paramount+, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. It's been a decade since Lady Gaga's star was born in a cloud of upbeat pop and outlandish costuming, but with her first major film role, it's happening all over again. Stripped of the makeup, outfits and theatricality that have shaped her stage persona since she told the world to just dance, the singer is a revelation in A Star Is Born — both because of and despite the obvious. Belting out heartfelt ballads and throwaway pop alike, she clearly has the voice for the job. That said, it's how she performs when she's not crooning the movie's catchy tunes that's truly special. Like an actor gaining weight or sporting a physical ailment, wiping the gloss off an existing megastar might seem an acting cliche, however Gaga isn't simply playing tourist with normality. The 'Poker Face' popster plays Ally, who works in hospitality by day and unleashes memorable versions of 'La Vie En Rose' in a drag bar by night. An ordinary woman dreaming big, writing her own songs but never thinking that she'll make it, it's a part that Gaga lives and breathes with earthy, unguarded authenticity — almost as though she's been through it herself. The singer is electric in A Star Is Born's early scenes, as boozy country rocker Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) catches her club act, convinces her to have a drink with him and sparks fly. When he takes her home the next morning, says goodbye and then calls back to her from his limousine window, Jackson says what everyone watching is thinking: "I just want to take one more look at you". And look he does. Thanks to Jackson, his adoring gaze, and his certainty that Ally has both a genuine voice and something genuine to say, her fantasies start coming true. When he sends a driver to take her to one of his stadium shows, brings her out on stage and they duet one of her songs, the movie's title starts ringing true too. Love blossoms also, but Ally and Jackson's tale is one of rising as well as falling. For Jackson, the combination of alcoholism, hearing loss and childhood trauma leave a wound that only cuts deeper as Ally shines and his career fades. An aspiring talent striving to see their name in lights is one of the oldest narratives in Hollywood's book. In A Star Is Born's case, it dates back to 1937 — or 1932 if you count What Price Hollywood?, whose studio almost sued the original A Star Is Born for plagiarism. Across eight decades now, this sweeping tale just keeps hitting the screen, complete with remakes starring Judy Garland in 1954 and Barbra Streisand in 1976. With Gaga leading the charge this time around, it's easy to see why A Star Is Born keeps glowing. A crash course in the highs and lows of the American dream, it's a fantasy where wishes come true, but where everything has a cost. It's also an underdog story, a star-crossed romance, an account of trying to make it in entertainment, a drama about substance abuse and a warning about fame's many ills. Most of all, A Star Is Born is an unashamed melodrama. While that's a term that's been given a bad name of late, wrenching emotion and heightened drama is exactly what this story calls for. Not only co-starring but jumping into the writer and director's chairs for the first time, Cooper doesn't skimp on sentiment, with every passionate kiss, overwhelming moment and tragic development landing with undeniable force. And yet, his film never wallows in sappiness or spoon-feeds its feelings to the audience – even when it charts blatant plot points that even newcomers to the tale will spot, or suffers from bloat in its mid-section. Seamlessly updating the narrative for the 21st century with co-scribes Eric Roth (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close) and Will Fetters (The Best of Me), Cooper understands the power of the material. A Star Is Born has been wowing audiences since the 1930s, after all. It helps that Cooper has a knack for visual storytelling, working with cinematographer Matthew Libatique (Mother!). A Star is Born's imagery sings its own affecting tune, with the actor-turned-director favouring shots that are grounded in the emotion of the narrative. Cooper also does his part as performer, both acting the sorrowful part and holding his own when it comes to his vocals. But his biggest gift to the movie is his willingness to let his collaborators glisten. While A Star Is Born is a definite showcase for a debut filmmaker who stars, croons, writes and directs, it gleams brighter thanks to the space and weight given to its cast. Sam Elliott is in astonishing form as Jackson's equally gruff and tender older brother, Dave Chappelle waxes kind and wise as an old pal telling it like it is, and Andrew Dice Clay is warm and protective as Ally's supportive dad. And, jumping from being one of the world's biggest pop stars to playing one of the world's biggest film roles, Gaga is far from the shallow now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywkF1lj5wyI
It was an incredibly sad day when iconic St Kilda venue Stokehouse burned down in 2014. Now, after a two and a half year hiatus, it's finally coming back, renovated and designated into a 'precinct' of multiple bars and restaurants, set to dominate that seaside like only Stokehouse can. On the ground beachside floor will be Pontoon, a casual bar and eatery, set to open at the end of October. This chic new 350-capacity beach-inspired establishment will be the second venue to open in the new multi-million dollar Stokehouse site, after a fancy new fish and chip kiosk, Paper Fish. The two will open head of the highly anticipated relaunch of Stokehouse St Kilda restaurant in December. The Pontoon menu will be casual and over the counter (think of the kind of food you can eat while standing with a drink in the other hand), and will put their four-metre grill to good use. You can expect a lot of seafood and shared plates, a strong wine list, 18 beer taps and of course, cocktails. In the most southside move ever, they'll also be serving up globally trending anomaly 'frosé' — that's frozen rosé — straight from the tap. Peppered with the furniture and trimmings of local Melbourne designers, the interior has been designed by George Livissianis (the design dynamo behind recent Sydney renos of The Dolphin Hotel, The Apollo and Cho Cho San). Expect a casual layout and a mixture of warm, natural materials (think wood, leather and cane) offset by concrete and brick. "Looking out onto St Kilda beach was a great starting point in considering colours and materials that would compliment the concrete and blackened timber building," said Livissianis. Stokehouse has announced they'll officially reopen on December 6, with Pontoon opening at the end of October. Find Pontoon on the ground floor of the rebuilt Stokehouse building, 30 Jacka Boulevard, St Kilda. From October 2016, Pontoon will be open 12pm till late every day, all year-round (except Christmas Day).
When Sydney's Odd Culture Group arrived in Melbourne, they chose Fitzroy's old post office as their venue: a sprawling heritage spot on the corner of Brunswick and Johnston Street. It was a smart move. Brunswick Street is just the spot for a Melbourne adaptation of Odd Culture's award-winning Newtown concept bar: part-ale saloon, part-bottle shop, part-fermentation factory, with space for 300 thirsty patrons. Odd Culture Group is the hospitality crew behind Sydney's inner-city spots including The Duke of Enmore, The Old Fitzroy Hotel and namesake King Street venue Odd Culture Newtown. General manager Gerry Nass runs the venue down in Fitzroy, having previously operated the Robbie Burns Hotel in Collingwood. And he's assembled a very knowledgeable crew. If you want to learn more about wild fermented ales, or lambic beer from Belgium's Pajottenland region, just ask a staff member. They're like walking beer encyclopedias. Speaking of beer, Odd Culture has 12 rotating taps, most of them fearless and funky. Further into the drinks menu, you'll find an easy-to-explore specialty array of wine, beer and spirits, with an emphasis on wild brews and natural vino. You'll be able to browse and buy to take away, or select a drop to enjoy onsite, either settled in on the indoor banquet seating or out in the laneway beer garden. There's a small but excellent cocktail menu (the sour negroni is probably the pick of the bunch) and next-level bar snacks like charcuterie from Meatsmith, or the likes of Cantabrian anchovies served with butter and shallots. "We want Odd Culture to be the place to go if you need good booze, full stop. I don't think there's anywhere in the country you can get as pointy-end and specialised in both beer, wine and cocktails, and you can still just sink an ice-cold lager at the bar or in the beer garden if that's all you're after," Group Beverage Manager, Jordan Blackman says. "We just want there to be no question around if Odd Culture has something for you. We love Cantillon, but we also love Melbourne Bitter." Image: supplied.
A weekend getaway is always sweeter when it's a prize. This one should particularly appeal to lovers of both bourbon and honeybees. We've teamed up with the champions over at Maker's Mark and Beechworth Honey to create an exclusive Beechworth getaway. It's all in celebration of Maker's Mark's new Gold Rush cocktail: a symphony of Australian honey, fresh citrus and the bold flavours of bourbon. At first glance, one might think that there's not much in common between an American bourbon brand and an Australian beekeeping family. Scratch under the surface and you'll find they aren't so different. Two multi-generational family-run businesses with links to gold on both sides of the planet, both work with a natural product, champion craftsmanship and have a shared commitment to sustainable practices. Lucky winners of the competition will receive a two-night stay at the historic Hive Apartment located in the heart of Beechworth — the ideal hub for discovering the town's unique dining, retail and historical streetscape. The building that houses the apartment was originally built in 1865, making it one of the oldest bank buildings in Victoria. It once operated as the 'Gold Office' and stored bars of gold for the bank. Now it is a homage to a liquid gold: honey. Not only will winners stay at the Hive, but they will also take part in a unique one-on-one honey-tasting experience at the Beechworth Honey Shop where they will learn all about honey and the importance of honeybees from the staff. Plus, they will be greeted with a bespoke Gold Rush gift basket with all the ingredients they need to make the cocktail yourself: a bottle of Maker's Mark bourbon, a jar of Beechworth Honey, and a cocktail shaker. You don't even need to worry about travel costs — the prize includes travel (either flights or car hire) up to the value of $1000). [competition]898062[/competition]
Ever woken up from a deep sleep, only to forget what you were dreaming about? Well the problem may be that your dreams just aren't memorable enough. A new iPhone app can solve this problem, as it apparently allows sleepers to control their own dreams. The app, named Yumemiru (translates to "see the dream" in English), uses a microphone to somehow detect when you are in your deepest sleep and most prone to mental influence. It then plays a soundtrack according to which dream scenario you have selected. Yumemiru currently offers eight different scenarios for users to choose from. These include a walk through the forest, a lazy day at the beach, getting rich, flying, and falling in love. Importantly, the romantic scenario has options for both men and women. Although this is a fascinating concept, I think that some of these scenarios are pretty pedestrian. If I'm going to stimulate my own dreams, I want my subconscious to come out with both guns blazing. There should be an option that allows you to become Godzilla or rob a bank. Regardless, give this app a try and see if your sleeps become any more exciting. After all, they may be so enjoyable that you'll never want to wake up. [via PSFK]
Above a modest store in a crumbling seaside suburb of Naples, a neon-lit sign bears the word 'Dogman'. In a place that's unshakeably grey in both its look and its mood, it's the shiniest thing in sight. The term refers to Marcello (Marcello Fonte), who makes a living grooming neighbourhood pooches, but it's fitting for reasons beyond those instantly apparent. Spending his days doting over dogs, the small-statured, mild-mannered Italian is the leader of the pack, although only among his faithful four-legged friends. Whenever hulking thug Simone (Edoardo Pesce) barges through his door — usually sniffing out cocaine, and never willing to leave until he's found his fix — Marcello dutifully acquiesces to the human equivalent of a growling pit bull. Returning to the lives of crime that have served much of his filmography so well — acclaimed 2008 mob movie Gomorrah, most notably — writer-director Matteo Garrone leans into the obvious in Dogman. This isn't a blatant or overstated film, however it doesn't shy away from comparing the behaviour of men with that of dogs. One kindly and subservient, the other snarling and vicious, Marcello and Simone adhere as much to the animal kingdom's laws as they do to man's. In Simone's case, the ex-boxer's primal need for instant gratification trumps everything else, be it loyalty, camaraderie, or an awareness of right or wrong. Of course, this is Marcello's story, and so it becomes a tale about aiming to please, bouncing back from mistreatment and learning when to bare one's teeth. The pint-sized underdog has clearly learnt more than a thing or two from his constant canine companions. Garrone starts charting Marcello's plight when his life couldn't be more routine. He works, sharing many a smile with many a mutt. He relishes the time he's given with his adoring daughter (Alida Baldari Calabria), dreaming of taking her far away for a fantasy getaway. And, as well as supplying Simone with drugs, he follows him through bars and on smash-and-grab jobs. While Marcello doesn't have much and he's visibly lonely, he's content to make do with the status quo — he's a good lapdog to his hefty pal, and he's proud about being well-liked by the community. Then, in unrelenting alpha mode, Simone keeps upping the ante. When Marcello isn't defending his bullying buddy from fed-up local shop-owners or saving him from revenge hits, he's sneaking back into the site of one of their burglaries to rescue a chihuahua that the callous behemoth shoves in a freezer. But as Simone keeps imposing his might, even the inexplicably devoted Marcello has his limits. It's a dog-eat-dog world in this grim, gritty drama, which takes the broad thrust of its narrative from a 31-year-old true tale. Both the film's insights and its real-life basis may seem standard on paper, and yet that's never the case on-screen, with Dogman as driven by the current state of Italian society — and of the global community — as it is by a headline-grabbing crime. Blending tense thrills with neo-realist observations, Garrone ponders not only the choices of his protagonist, but the world that's placed him in such a position. Indeed, in its own way, this is a movie about nature versus nurture. Anchored by a devastatingly powerful character study, Dogman examines how Marcello's inherent, overtly affable personality is battered and tested by his bleak, trying situation. Winning the 2018 Cannes Film Festival Best Actor prize for his efforts, Fonte is a whirlwind as the initially perky, increasingly put-upon, eventually perceptive Marcello. He sports the perfect hangdog face for the job, but it's his ability to simultaneously plumb poignant depths, express unfettered earnestness and evoke a sense of lightness that marks his performance as something truly special. Whether Marcello is bathing a huge, howling dog or facing his brutish supposed friend, he's never a one-note character. Dogman is never a one-note movie, either. It offers up a straightforward, even fable-like message, yet it never takes the expected path or lets its bark outshout its bite. Ever the detail-oriented director (and keenly scrutinising every inch of his rundown Neapolitan setting to prove it), Garrone builds a potently layered portrait around two simple truths: even the most well-meaning yap can fall on deaf ears, and a friendly pup is eager to please until it isn't. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd77T20zjHw
A Tasmanian distiller by the name of John Hyslop has created a Willy Wonka version of the mighty whisky. The newly established Deviant Distillery has just released Anthology, a drop they claim tastes like a ten-year-old spirit, yet was made in just ten weeks. Hyslop achieved this wonder by studying what happens when you place whisky in a barrel for a decade. Then he created an environment in which this process was accelerated by manipulating physical elements governing oxidation, esterification and evaporation. The only catch is that, legally, the resulting product cannot be called whisky. It's hand-distilled in a copper pot still with the usual four ingredients — barley, water, yeast and oak — and without any additives, but the lack of conventional ageing process means that only the label "single malt spirit" can apply. "Other than the ageing process, everything about our spirits is what you would expect from an ultra-premium craft whisky — we just can't call it that," Hyslop says. "I explain it like this: instead of putting a supercharged engine into a car and racing it to the finish line, we just remove all the obstacles in its way and let it become what it wants to be." Hyslop sees two major advantages in speeding up whisky making. Firstly, it enables frequent experimentation with various flavour profiles. "With the traditional distilling model, what is bottled today was barrelled 10 years ago," he says. "But now, in theory, we can conduct several centuries' worth of flavour tests and arrive at an ultra-premium drink that no single generation ever could before." Secondly, he considers it greener. On average, when whisky ages, between 30 to 50 percent of the spirit evaporates. However, Hyslop loses only four percent to the air, meaning the distillery uses much less water and ingredients. In addition to this, the distillery produces minimal waste and is working towards carbon neutrality. Right now, the whole operation takes place in Hyslop's mum's garage in Somerset, where he produces about 120 bottles per month. He's hoping to move to bigger, commercial premises in Hobart by early 2018. While Hyslop claims the spirit tastes like an aged whiskey, we're keen to give it test it out ourselves. Anthology is available online for $86 from today and in selected bottle shops in Tassie.
Funlab (Holey Moley, Hijinx Hotel and Strike Bowling) has a thing for competitive socialising, now operating over 50 game bars across Australia. And one of its most popular sites — Holey Moley on Little Bourke Street — is undergoing a huge expansion. Come Friday, October 11, the Funlab crew will unveil the new-look mini golf space, which has been decked out with new automated scoring and live leaderboards, bonus points scoring games, and a heap of other updated technologies. The main Caddyshack bar is also being expanded to accommodate guests visiting the new downstairs venue Holey Moley Funhouse. Here, putters will be invited to put down their clubs and participate in nine different challenge games — similar to those seen at the team's OTT Hijinx Hotel. These will include a ball pit, throwing challenges, an egg and spoon race full of obstacles, quick-fire memory games, and putt putt pong (we're not entirely sure what this is). Like the downstairs mini gold bar, these games can all be played with a drink in hand — or at least the drinks can be put down for a few moments while you compete with your mates at each different gaming area. Holey Moley Funhouse will also similarly embrace nostalgic 80s and 90s vibes but feel more like a carnival than a mini-golf course. "Holey Moley Funhouse combines two of our guests' favourite experiences; Hijinx Hotel challenge rooms and the competitive and nostalgic fun of Holey Moley. We think we've not only created the latest and greatest new Funlab concept, but also Melbourne's most playful new bar!", shares Funlab CEO Michael Schreiber. Holey Moley Funhouse will open on Friday, October 11, and can be found at 590 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne. For more information, you can visit the venue's website.
The Good Food & Wine Show is set to return to Melbourne at the end of May this year, promising a stacked schedule of shows with notable chefs and the chance to discover artisanal goods from over 300 producers and brands. The celeb chefs that will take the stage include Ready Steady Cook's Miguel Maestre and pastry queen Kirsten Tibballs, along with MasterChef Australia alumni Emelia Jackson, Sarah Todd and Dani Venn, TV personality Alastair McLeod, and Aussie Barbecue Heroes host Jess Pryles. Between demos and talks on the Cooking Main Stage, attendees can expand their gastronomic horizons at various other events. Explore the world of tea with tea-infused bites and cocktails at The Art of Luxury Tea with Dilmah 85 Reserve, sample elegant wines at the RIEDEL Drinks Lab and Wine Selectors Tasting Room, or visit the Singapore Airlines VIP Lounge for your choice of three meals and five wines or beers. The Good Food & Wine Show will take place from Friday, May 31–Sunday, June 2 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. General admission tickets start from $39 and are available to purchase at the website.
Master of surreal everything (movies, TV shows, music, coffee), David Lynch has released a new track titled 'Crazy Clown Time' through his Facebook page. The experimental track is as weird as you would expect (see Twin Peaks soundtrack and Lynch's 'Good Day Today') and is part of Lynch's debut album of the same name, due to be released in November. It sounds like anything he'd include in his cooky cinematic or television work - a touch of weird appearing in the non-descript auto-tune vocals provided by Lynch himself. Of the album the song is on, Lynch thinks it's full of accidents and "should be in hospital." Is there anything the man can't do? https://youtube.com/watch?v=2GXGc4EobS8 [via Stereogum]
Swing by Hamer Hall after dark, during RISING festival and NAIDOC Week, and you're going to see something very special: a huge, large-scale projection artwork from celebrated Indigenous artist and respected Wurrundjeri and Yorta-Yorta Elder Aunty Zeta Thomson. The new piece is called Spirits Of The Land and is worth a trip into the city this winter. Hamer Hall's iconic façade will be lit up with First Peoples' spirit stories, including Mookies (the Ancestor spirits of Country), Hairy Bekka (a creature that teaches children about safety) and the Min Min lights. "These are the stories and beliefs of my people," Thomson says. "This work is to pass onto our younger generation and I think it is overdue. It's a way of remembering and keeping the stories from my mum, dad and family, and the culture they taught us alive." "Mookie means spirit in Yorta Yorta," Thomson adds. "In our culture, the old people would sing and clap our sticks or boomerangs together as they walked through the bush to let them (the Spirits) know that they were coming back to visit them again. It is important to strongly represent Victorian Aboriginal culture for people to know these ancient stories." You might remember Thomson, and Mookies, from her previous work, Mookies Around the Waterhole, which wrapped several trams in 2021 as part of RISING's Arts Tram series. Spirits Of The Land promises to be on a whole other level, using the entire front of Hamer Hall as a canvas. You can also catch Thomson's work at Flinders Street Station as part of RISING's Shadow Spirits exhibition. "It is an honour to work with esteemed Elder Aunty Zeta Thomson and to animate her stories. Spirits Of The Land is a work that shares belief systems and stories that are not myths or folklore, but very real to First Peoples across the state." Curator and RISING's Artistic Associate Kimberley Moulton says. Spirits Of The Land is free and will run from sundown to midnight between June 7 and July 9. You won't be able to miss it. Top Image: Visit Victoria, Roberto Seba. Images: supplied.
When winter begins to thaw, with leaves growing back on trees and flowers coming into full bloom, we want to celebrate the warmer weather and the world's annual rebirth. And, come September — which is just around the corner — Australia's biggest festival of spring will once again roll around. Floriade has been drawing crowds for decades — and its 32nd year will be marked with the theme 'World in Bloom'. A celebration of all things floral, the festival will fill Canberra's Commonwealth Park with more than one million blooms. But this month-long flower festival is more than just smelling the tulips. From Saturday, September 14 until Sunday, October 13, Canberra will be filled with music, food, vino, locally crafted brews and spirits, entertainment, markets and cultural happenings galore. Those with green thumbs can also take part in workshops, while live music and markets will be open for art lovers and bargain hunters alike. To top it all off, festival entry is free. For one day only (Sunday, October 13), you'll also be able to take your four legged friend along for Dogs' Day Out. Expect to pat lots of pooches and some pup-themed food, too. Floriade runs from 9.30am until 5.30pm each day. Plus, after the sun goes down between October 3–6 (hello, long weekend in Canberra), you can wander through the gardens at Floriade's after-dark counterpart, NightFest. While you're in town, you may as well take the time to check out Canberra's best microbreweries, cafes and cultural hotspots, too. Start looking at accomodation ASAP. We're also giving you the chance to visit Floriade's NightFest for free. To be in the running, enter your details below. [competition]742011[/competition]
Sounds like a branding exercise, but there really is a brand new vegetable on the block; a teeny tiny new development dubbed lollipop kale, currently under development in Australia, the UK and US right now. And it's possibly the most adorable thing we've seen in many a day — even if it's almost a Brussels sprout. Lollipop kale is indeed a thing — one gaining predictable popularity in the US, UK and now, South Australia and Victoria. Developed as a hybrid by British company Tozer Seeds, lollipop kale is now known as kale sprout (boring) in Australia and kalette (better) in the US. A form of cross-breeding between kale and Brussels sprouts (so you'll actually eat 'em), lollipop kale is currently being developed by a cluey South Australian grower. Adelaide Hills grower Scott Samwell, of Eastbook Farms in Mount Barker, has been upping the ante on his lollipop kale plantings over the last two years. Samwell told the ABC the lollipop kale grows sort of like a Brussels sprout — tiny bunches growing from a central stem, growing to around a metre tall. Apparently the new veggie has been getting good reviews in South Australian and Victorian markets, where the mini-kale has been available. "Everyone we've spoken to who has tried it, especially in the local area, are very keen on it." he told ABC. "It's a different tasting product, compared to green Brussels sprouts, because it's a bit sweeter." According to Grub Street, lollipop kale was the centre of mere whisperings in the food community — and wholly doubted and denied by chefs. GS's Hugh Merwin described it as the Bigfoot of the vegetable world — appearing in fruit exchanges around America and then suddenly becoming unattainable. But now it's here, ready for 'hipster' brandings and total hater ridicule. Being so teeny tiny, lollipop kale is primed for the home roasting — more bite-sized and considerably more adorable than your regular freaky kale chips. Right now, however, growing lollipop kale at home is pretty expensive — GS noted that online vegetable message boards (an actual Thing) criticised the high cost of the seeds; $11 for 40 seeds. So expect to see higher prices on Australian menus for the bite-sized little blighters. Lollipop kale will supposedly be available on the Australian market this year. Via ABC and Grub Street. Image: Hugh Merwin, Grub Street.
Merrick Watts has some charming words for cafe workers who want to be treated like human beings. Appearing on Channel Nine's Today program, where the discussion centred around a number of Melbourne cafes who refuse service to customers who order while talking on the phone, the radio host and alleged comedian let loose on "hipster" baristas, proclaiming that they should "just make me the coffee" and that "you're not doing real work." "I'm paying for it, so how about you just give it to me, as opposed to the hipster attitude with your beard and all your weird mermaid tattoos," said Watts, to the delighted chortles of his fellow panellists. "Are you a sailor, or are you making coffee?" "Just give me the coffee, let me talk on the phone, 'cause we can't have a conversation, I don't need to engage, because I don't speak pirate!" If you can stomach the rest of the rant, you can watch the 9 News video here. Presumably it's been a while since Watts has deigned to associate with anyone who works in the hospitality industry. Thing is, we actually know quite a few baristas — many of whom work 40+ hours each week. One former Melbourne barista described a typical shift as "8-9 hours without sitting, often 10+ orders deep, trying to juggle customer expectations of friendliness with prompt service". They added: "People on phones generally slowed down the whole process and would often be the first to return a coffee if you'd misinterpreted their wild arm waving." We're not saying you have to be best mates with your barista . And yes, we've all encountered a rude one from time to time — but maybe part of the reason for that are people like Watts, who think it's totally fine to treat lesser paid hospo workers like vending machines. At the end of the day, it's not that hard to take 15 seconds and actually engage with the person on the other side of the counter. Or, if you're really not feeling it, order from a skip-the-queue app and go on your way.
Finding greatness in Bong Joon-ho's Parasite isn't difficult. The perceptive class-clash and eat-the-rich story, the array of pitch-perfect performances, the acclaimed director's stunning mastery of tone, the insightful and revealing production design: they're all examples in this Oscar- and Cannes-winning South Korean masterpiece. Another instance comes courtesy of composer Jung Jae-il's score, which soundtracks the film with tunes both disquieting and baroque. It's no wonder that accolades came Jung's way, too, including from his homeland's Grand Bell Awards. Hearing Jung's contribution echoing as Parasite screens is the best way to appreciate it, of course — and watching him perform it live in Australia with Orchestra Victoria will dial what's already a spectacular experience up a few notches. For the first time, the composer is heading Down Under, all thanks to 2025's Melbourne International Film Festival. The event's commitment to honouring the art of screen composition via screenings that pair live tunes and movies is continuing, and two Parasite in Concert sessions are set to be among this year's fest highlights. At 2pm and 8pm on Saturday, August 23 at Hamer Hall in the Victorian capital, Jung is taking to the keys. He's also conducting Orchestra Victoria as he plays. Seeing Parasite on a big screen is already a treat, no matter how many times you've watched it before; however, giving the picture the concert treatment is something extra special. Jung isn't just known for Parasite. If you've felt the tension emanating from Squid Game's score, then you've also appreciated the composer's efforts. Prior to Parasite, Jung collaborated with Bong on Okja, then did so again afterwards on this year's Mickey 17. The tunes in Hirokazu Kore-eda's Broker hail from him as well, as does the score for MIFF 2025 title Twinless.
Buckets of sunshine, adrenaline-inducing thrills in the heart of the city, plus dreamy white-sand islands and lush rainforests on its doorstep... Brisbane and its surrounds are a wonderland for outdoor adventurers. There's the iconic Brisbane River where you can captain your own eco-friendly boat or abseil down 230 million-year-old rock formations at sunset. Or, further afield you can find the epic sand islands of Bribie, Moreton and North Stradbroke/Minjerribah, hugged by crystal clear waters, covered in national park and packed with wildlife — from green sea turtles and dolphins to wallabies and koalas. Then there's the Lamington National Park that provides nature lovers and enthusiastic hikers with magnificent waterfalls or the chance to kick back in a spa overlooking ancient rainforest. Read on for seven unmissable outdoor adventures in and around Brisbane for your next adventure. [caption id="attachment_856015" align="alignnone" width="1920"] River to Bay Tour at Moreton Island. Image courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland.[/caption] TAKE A RIVER TO BAY TOUR Just east of Brisbane you can find islands galore to explore. The easiest way to experience them? Book in a day trip with River to Bay. For snorkelling among tropical fish and green sea turtles at the picturesque Tangalooma Wrecks, spotting koalas among tall trees and wandering around the haunted ruins of Queensland's first penal colony, take the Moreton Island Bay Tour. Alternatively, go for incredible swimming beaches, spectacular scenery and boutique cafes in a historical village on the Stradbroke Island Tour. Another tempting option is the Champagne and Oyster Tour, which involves sipping bubbly and sampling oysters fresh from the ocean while watching the sun set. GO ABSEILING WITH RIVERLIFE For an adrenalin rush, go abseiling with Riverlife. On the Day Abseil, you'll complete a 90-minute ascent and descent of the 20-metre high Brisbane Kangaroo Point Cliffs. They're heritage-listed formations of 230 million-year-old volcanic rock which flank the Brisbane River, just a stone's throw from the CBD. Once you make it to the top, you'll be rewarded with panoramic views of Brisbane City and its surrounding waterways. For an even more magical experience, book a Twilight Abseil Tour. And if you're a nervous abseiler, don't worry. Riverlife is all about helping you overcoming your fears. [caption id="attachment_807856" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Go Boat Brisbane. Image by Lean Timms.[/caption] JUMP ON A GO BOAT One of the newest additions to the adventure scene is Go Boat. Founded in Copenhagen in 2014, it was launched in Brisbane to make the most of the city's glorious weather and winding river. For up to three dreamy hours, you'll captain a blissfully silent electric boat made of recycled PET bottles transformed into fibreglass. Pack a cheeseboard, a bottle of bubbly and up to seven mates, and see Brisbane from a whole new perspective on the water. Pets are welcome. By the way, there's no need for a boating licence, as the Go Boat crew will show you what to do before waving you off on your adventure. [caption id="attachment_856018" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hot Air Ballooning Brisbane. Image by Sam Lindsay/Tourism and Events Queensland.[/caption] GO HOT AIR BALLOONING WITH FLOATING IMAGES Once you've seen Brisbane from the water, the next logical step is to see it from the sky. You can do just that with Floating Images. Their sunrise flight takes you up where the air is clear for 60 glorious minutes. Prepare for incredible views of the Brisbane city skyline, backdropped by the Great Diving Range, the Scenic Rim and the countryside of Somerset. Afterwards, you'll be treated to a breakfast fit for royalty at a local restaurant. Chief pilot Graeme has flown air balloons for three decades on three continents, so you can relax knowing you're in safe hands. TAKE AN ADVENTURE TOUR WITH G'DAY Another spot on the must-see list for visitors to Brisbane is Bribie Island, the fourth largest sand island in the world. It, in itself, is an outdoor adventurer's kingdom packed with national parks, wild surf beaches, idyllic coves for swimming and the Pumicestone Passage, a protected marine park home to dolphins, turtles and dugongs. To get amongst it, take a tour with G'Day Adventure Tours. Their frolics range from the three-hour 4WD beach and bunker tour to the two-day, one-night Camping Adventure, which sees you kayaking through Norfolk lagoon, swimming in Mermaid lagoon, toasting marshmallows around a campfire and meeting wallabies. [caption id="attachment_856009" align="alignnone" width="1920"] O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat. Image courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland.[/caption] RETREAT INTO THE RAINFOREST AT O'REILLY'S Another of Brisbane's drawcards is its proximity to lush ancient rainforests. One way to immerse yourself is a visit to O'Reilly's, an eco-retreat overlooking the World Heritage-listed Lamington National Park. Visitors have been escaping here for nearly 100 years. There's a bunch of activities to try, including an adventure trek to the Thunder and Lightning Falls, indulgent treatments in the Lost World Day Spa, a glow worm experience and e-bike tours. To fit them all in you'll want to stay overnight, either at the campground with your own tent or go a little more luxe with a variety of studios and villas. [caption id="attachment_856007" align="alignnone" width="1920"] North Gorge Walk at North Stradbroke Island. Image courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland.[/caption] VISIT NORTH STRADBROKE ISLAND / MINJERRIBAH If beaches are your thing, then you'll want to put North Stradbroke Island/Minjerribah on your itinerary. It's the world's second largest sand island, which means there are beaches for surfers, swimmers and sun-soakers of all kinds. For stunning views (especially at sunset) hit Flinders Beach (Point Lookout). For a long seaside walk try a stretch of sand across the 33km-long Main Beach. For amazing surfing (not for beginners) get some epic swell off Frenchmans Beach or Cylinder Beach. For solitude make your way to Toompany Beach and for laidback swimming in gentle crystal-clear waters visit Amity Beach. And, since you can't pack all that paradise into one day, you should definitely stay for a night (or three). Ready to plan a trip to Brisbane and its surrounds? Learn more at the Visit Brisbane website.
These days, it's hard to be wowed, or even mildly surprised by a shopping centre. But Melbourne's newest suburban retail precinct is a whole different story. Set to officially open its doors on Friday, December 6, Burwood Brickworks doesn't just have a strong sustainability focus — it's on track to being the most sustainable shopping centre on the planet. Sitting on Middleborough Road in Burwood East, it's been built with the aim of scoring certification under the Living Building Challenge, an international program for sustainable buildings. It requires the building to have a net zero carbon footprint, produce more electricity than it consumes and use non-toxic and recycled materials in its construction, among other things. If successful, Burwood Brickworks will be one of only 25 structures worldwide to stake this claim, and the first-ever retail building to do so. Clocking a total of 13,000 square metres, the precinct boasts a Reading Cinema complex, a new-concept Woolworths store, a large Dan Murphy's and a curation of smaller independent retailers, all within an airy, light-filled space. The crowning glory, however, is the sprawling rooftop space, sporting its own paddock-to-plate restaurant and 2000-square-metre urban farm designed and run by consulting firm Tully Heard. They're the same crew who operate Sydney's farm-to-table Acre Eatery, here joining forces with local eco-warrior Joost Bakker (Greenhouse by Joost, Brothl) in the role of the centre's Creative Consultant. Along with a rooftop greenhouse, the huge variety of fruit, herb and veggie patches will be used in the restaurant, with excess sold to the public. There's even a coop of quails laying eggs for the kitchen. Visitors will be able to wander through the gardens and attend workshops, talks and more hands-on green-thumb experiences to come. The rooftop farm's not big enough to handle all of the kitchen's food supply, though, so Head Chef Brad Simpson (Lamaros, The Smith) has been busy sourcing any remaining ingredients from a crop of top Victorian suppliers. Think Mt Zero for olive oil and grains, and Flinders & Co, Sher Wagyu and Western Plains Pork for meat. In total, 20 percent of the Burwood Brickworks site will be used for growing food, with fruiting trees even planted between each aisle of the centre's car park. But while these urban farm practices might be the obvious, big-ticket sustainability drivers – along with the rooftop solar panel system generating a hefty one megawatt of power – it's the finer details that really set this centre apart. PVC has been scrapped from the build entirely in favour of less toxic alternatives, a swag of reclaimed hardwood has been incorporated throughout the precinct, and the products used by each retailer have had to meet super strict standards. Natural light and air quality are also huge factors here, so expect an abundance of greenery, windows aplenty and in the central space, a soaring, ventilated sawtooth roof decked out with huge skylights. A far cry from most of those other shopping centres we've frequented in our time. Burwood Brickworks is set to open on Friday, December 6, at 78 Middleborough Road, Burwood East.
The zombie apocalypse has evolved. When just 28 days had passed, survivors faced a nightmare. Little had improved when 28 weeks had gone by. Now, following 28 years of chaos, Jodie Comer (The Bikeriders), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (The Fall Guy), Ralph Fiennes (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar), Jack O'Connell (Back to Black) and Alfie Williams (His Dark Materials) are dealing with the aftermath of a society ravaged by a horrific infection for decades. Yes, the trailer for the aptly named 28 Years Later is here. Although 2030 will mark 28 years since viewers were treated to one of the best zombie movies ever, aka 28 Days Later from filmmaker Danny Boyle (Yesterday), you'll be watching a new flick from Boyle in the same franchise in 2025. First confirmed at the beginning of 2024, the movie has dropped its first full sneak peek to help close out the year — complete with Teletubbies, towers of skulls and bones, a possibly familiar-looking zombie, and the grim reality after days became weeks and then years of coping with the new status quo. 28 Days Later has already spawned one follow-up thanks to 2007's 28 Weeks Later, but Boyle didn't direct it. Screenwriter Alex Garland, who also penned Sunshine for Boyle, then hopped behind the camera himself with Ex Machina, Annihilation, Men, Civil War and TV series Devs, wasn't involved with 28 Weeks Later, either. But they're both onboard for the third film in the series, which is the start of a new trilogy. The saga's fourth feature 28 Years Later Part II: The Bone Temple has already been shot, in fact, with Candyman and The Marvels' Nia DaCosta directing. The setup this time around: almost three decades after the rage virus initially seeped through humanity after escaping from a biological weapons laboratory, some survivors have etched out a life on a small island. Elsewhere, quarantine remains a key way of tackling the infection. With that starting point — and with unease dripping through the first trailer, complete with stunning imagery — expect Boyle and Garland to dig into the terrors that linger when two of the island's residents venture over to the mainland. With 28 Days Later among the movies that helped bring Oppenheimer Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy to fame, the actor is an executive producer on 28 Years Later. That mightn't be all that's in store for him, though, if you pay close attention to the trailer. In the original film, he played Jim, a bicycle courier who wakes up from a coma in a deserted hospital 28 days after an outbreak changed the world forever. Marking Boyle and Garland's first proper collaboration after Boyle adapted Garland's best-selling novel The Beach for the big screen two years prior, 28 Days Later still ranks among the best work on either's resume — and on Murphy's as well, even if it didn't win him any of Hollywood's top shiny trophies. Set in the aftermath of the accidental release of a highly contagious virus, the film's images of a desolated London instantly became iconic, but this is a top-notch movie on every level. That includes its performances, with then-unknowns Murphy and Naomie Harris (the Bond franchise's current Moneypenny) finding the balance between demonstrating their characters' fierce survival instincts and their inherent vulnerability. If you wondering why 28 Months Later wasn't made, it was talked about for years, but the time has now passed unless the new trilogy includes a flick set between 28 Weeks Later and 28 Years Later. Check out the first trailer for 28 Years Later below: 28 Years Later releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Keen to get off the mainland for an immersive cultural experience that'll be sure to ignite your senses? Then make tracks to the East Coast Harvest Odyssey (ECHO Festival) happening in Tasmania this autumn. The 18+ event will be held from Friday, April 8 till Sunday, April 10 at Redbanks Farm near Swansea. Here, you and your mates can celebrate the rich cultural and culinary offerings that this region has to offer through a range of activities including grape stomping, morning mediations, inspiring talks and more. Love food? There'll be loads of tasty treats on offer from Cake & Honey Espresso, Tasmanian Oyster Company, Zen Gelato and more. Another highlight will be the Beaker Street Science Bar, a cosy yurt that's part-lab, part-cocktail lounge where you can sip on a cocktail while chatting with local scientists about Tasmania's giant (and disappearing) kelp forests, and the work being done to restore these treasured ecosystems. There'll also be a wine trail to explore, live music from the likes of Hayley Mary (The Jezabels) and Jem Cassar-Daly, kelp basket-making workshops and the immersive Womb Room — a pastel pink sensory space designed for wakening the senses of smell, sound and touch. Ready to explore a festival like no other? ECHO Festival will run from Friday, April 8 till Sunday, April 10 and tickets start from $125. To check out the full program and to grab tickets, visit the website.
Each year, Smithsonian invites photographers from around the world, professional and otherwise, to submit images that capture great beauty and evoke wonder across five specific categories — The Natural World, People, Travel, Americana and Altered Images. Of the 37,600 submissions, the 50 final images memorialise moments that are both astounding and mundane, but consistently beautiful. A shot of policemen running through the national congress in Brasilia competes with the everyday, yet equally poignant, image of a Texan snow cone stand at dusk. For sharing the best of their photo trail, contestants get the chance to secure some substantial coin, as well as the satisfaction of knowing they've captured a truly Kodak moment. Although the winning submissions are ultimately decided by the Smithsonian’s editor, in an appeal to democratic sensibilities, a Reader's Choice Award will be announced after tallying up online votes, which are open until late March. Naturally, only Concrete Playground has the authority to decide who the real winners are, as selected largely based on their ability to momentarily transport us to a parallel universe in which it is not a Monday morning in front of a humming computer. Scroll down to visually kiss the sky. The Natural World A pair of menacing bald eagles share a meal, as captured by Don Holland of Tennessee, bringing Hitchcock-inspired nightmares to mind. The Natural World David Morrow's Milky Way, as shot in a Washington national park, is even better than the chocolate variety. People Ilain Fain's portrait of three young girls inside a Greek Orthodox church in Nazareth suggests that childhood boredom is a universal phenomenon. People A young baby sleeps protected by the gaze of his watchful mother on a Congolese night in Paolo Patruno's photograph. Americana Ron Henderson's unaltered photograph of the mascot for underwear brand Fruit of the Loom captured on location in the Californian desert proves that sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction. Americana Times Square gets patriotic in Doug Van de Zande's image of technicolour shadows. Travel Afraid of losing the moment, Raul Amaru Linares yielded his camera instinctively when he spotted these musicians arriving pre-performance at a bull ring in Ecuador. Travel Playing with finger paints takes on a new meaning for this little boy in Indranil Sengupta's depiction of India's "tiger dance" festival. Altered Image The wrath of mother nature humbles in Tim Wright's image depicting the aftermath of a tornado in Iowa. Altered Image Pramod Shakya captures a building as it comes to life in Xi'an Jiaotong University. Images and story via Smithsonian.
Melbourne sneakerheads can geek out over some of the rarest sneakers, streetwear pieces and apparel on the market when Australia's largest sneaker convention, Sneakerland, descends on the city this spring. On Saturday, November 19, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre will be filled with over 3000 sneakers from different 52 vendors. Expect lots of rare footwear in the mix, including the Jordan 1 OG Chicago (1985) and Nike SB Dunk Low Paris. But this event isn't just for cashed up collectors — there'll be stacks of more affordable sneakers available from both local and international sellers, and the sneaker museum promises to be a huge drawcard, no matter your budget. Sneakerland will also feature a heap of entertainment, setting the vibe as you peruse — and maybe purchase — all that footwear. In addition to the live sneaker auctions, and exclusive sneaker and streetwear drops, visitors will be able to get around some basketball competitions, try their luck in the day's raffles, hit up the tattoo station and listen to DJs. Guest appearances from local celebrities and sporting icons are also on the cards. While general tickets cost $40, if you nab a $100 VIP ticket you're in for some extra swag. You'll score early access to the event, food and drinks, and a private lounge to relax in. There'll also be special live auctions featuring the most sought-after items — so if you're looking to beat all others on the trading floor, this is for you.
UPDATE, February 28, 2021: Rocketman is available to stream via Netflix, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube, iTunes and Amazon Video. "It's obviously not all true, but it's the truth," says Elton John about Rocketman. Trust the British superstar to sum up his own lively, dreamlike musical biopic perfectly. Cinematic celebrations of beloved singers and bands often aim for little more than supremely skilled impersonations, toe-tapping greatest-hits soundtracks and broad rags-to-riches overviews; indeed, it's an approach that won Bohemian Rhapsody several Oscars. But there's a vibrant spark to Rocketman as it charts Reginald Dwight's transformation into Elton Hercules John. A glorious tone, too, which couldn't work better. Showing how fantastical the ups and downs of fame, fortune and rock stardom can be by sashaying through a sea of surreality, the result is a winning marriage of form and feeling. Bursting into a support group wearing wings, horns and a blazing orange devil costume in the movie's opening moments, an 80s-era John (Taron Egerton) lays bare his sins. He's an alcoholic, cocaine addict, sex addict, bulimic, shopaholic, fond of prescription drugs, dabbles with marijuana and, if that's not enough, he also has anger management issues. That's Rocketman's warts-and-all baseline — the unflinching description of its protagonist at his lowest point, in his own words. Of course, we all already know how things turn out, but the film spends its two-hour running time unpacking and explaining John's troubles. Two intersecting threads come into focus: his ascent to the top of the music world, and his simultaneous descent into depression, frustration and loneliness. From his therapy circle, John follows his younger self (Matthew Illesley) to his childhood home, with the singer stepping through his unhappy formative years as the son of bitter, bickering parents (Bryce Dallas Howard and Steven Mackintosh). When his talent for tunes starts shining brightly, the biopic traces his long quest for success, including teaming up with lyricist Bernie Taupin (a well-cast Jamie Bell), who becomes a lifelong friend. After a 1970 trip to the US shoots John into the music stratosphere, the film watches as he rockets higher and higher, chronicling the hits, glitz, raucous parties and romantic dramas — complete with his first proper romance, with his manager John Reid (Richard Madden). But what goes up must come down, with the movie charting John's personal crashes as well. Story-wise, so far, so standard. The familiar superstar origin tale and cliched sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll trajectory don't dissipate. But from the moment that John breaks into song while recounting his woes, then dances and sings his way along a visibly desaturated 50s suburban London street with the childhood Reggie by his side, Rocketman thoroughly eschews the standard approach. Biographical details guide the narrative as expected, with the film stringing together a timeline that spreads over four decades, however it's emotion that drives every scene in Lee Hall's (Victoria & Abdul) screenplay. As proved the case in Hall and John's first collaboration on Billy Elliott the Musical, blending sentiment and song couldn't be more pivotal, poignant or important. Nor could Rocketman's core creative decision, because this isn't just a music biopic. It's unashamedly a musical biopic, and those extra couple of letters make a significant difference. With structure and staging that brings Hugh Jackman's Peter Allen musical The Boy From Oz to mind — not to mention a standout central performance — Rocketman is presented with razzle-dazzle showmanship that could easily see the movie adapted into a live production. Sequins, glitter, shiny platform shoes, oversized glasses and over-the-top outfits have long been part of John's public persona, and it's that theatricality that director Dexter Fletcher draws upon. That said, he's not simply fashioning the film after John's flamboyant attire. The intention, and one that comes to life with as much deep-seated feeling as eye-catching flashiness, is to convey John's true inner state rather than slavishly sticking to the truth. How better to show how young Reggie saw music as an escape from his difficult upbringing than to make his success seem like a dream? To demonstrate just how electrifying and unreal John's breakout gig felt than to literally depict him and the heaving crowd floating in the air? From the song-and-dance highs of finally making it, to the boozy, woozy, literally sinking lows of feeling all alone when the world is at his feet, the list of vivid and expressive examples goes on. Not only set to all of the expected tracks, but using them to plot an engaging emotional journey, the final product takes more cues from Fletcher's last two official directorial credits — on the upbeat Proclaimers jukebox musical Sunshine on Leith, as well as the Egerton-starring sports biopic Eddie the Eagle — than his uncredited job taking over for the fired Bryan Singer on Bohemian Rhapsody. Without an ounce of surprise, Rocketman is all the better for it, even when it makes crowd-pleasing moves with some of its song choices, and doesn't dive as deep into its narrative and themes as it perhaps could. Still, the two biopics share a crucial element, apart from the obvious. It's unlikely that the Oscars will award two actors for portraying real-life stars two years in a row, but Egerton puts in a thrilling, multifaceted performance worthy of ample recognition. He's a candle in the wind and defiantly still standing, all while singing John's songs himself and soaring across this rousing movie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTm5DWgL-MU
UPDATE, December 17, 2022: White Noise screens in Australian cinemas from Thursday, December 8, and streams via Netflix from Friday, December 30. We're all dying. We're all shopping. We're all prattling relentlessly about our days and routines, and about big ideas and tiny specifics as well. As we cycle through this list over and over, again and again, rinsing and repeating, we're also all clinging to whatever distracts us from our ever-looming demise, our mortality hovering like a black billowing cloud. In White Noise, all of the above is a constant. For the film's second of three chapters, a dark swarm in the sky is literal, too. Adapted from Don DeLillo's 1985 novel of the same name — a book thought unfilmable for the best part of four decades — by Marriage Story writer/director Noah Baumbach, this bold, playful survey of existential malaise via middle-class suburbia and academia overflows with life, death, consumerism and the cacophony of chaos echoing through our every living moment. Oh, and there's a glorious supermarket dance number as one helluva finale, because why not? "All plots move deathward" protagonist Jack Gladney (Adam Driver, House of Gucci) contends, one of his words of wisdom in the 'Hitler studies' course he's taught for 16 years at College-on-the-Hill. Yes, that early declaration signals the feature's biggest point of fascination — knowing that eternal rest awaits us all, that is — as does White Noise's car crash-filled very first frames. In the latter, Jack's colleague Murray Siskind (Don Cheadle, No Sudden Move) holds court, addressing students about the meaning of and catharsis found in on-screen accidents, plunging into their use of violence and catastrophe as entertainment, and showing clips. In the aforementioned mid-section of the movie, when White Noise turns into a disaster flick thanks to a tanker truck colliding with a train — because its driver was distracted, fittingly — you can bet that Murray's insights and concepts bubble up again. Before there's a tangible calamity blowing in, life is still mayhem, as Baumbach stresses in White Noise's opening third. The professors natter all at once, with Jack and Murray even joining forces for a rapturous session on Hitler and Elvis Presley's commonalities — Baz Luhrmann's Elvis, this isn't — that's one of the film's tour-de-force scenes. Chatter awaits at home, too, where Jack's fourth wife Babette (Greta Gerwig, 20th Century Women) sports important corkscrew hair and mothers a blended brood spanning his kids Heinrich (Sam Nivola, With/In) and Steffie (May Nivola, The Pursuit of Love), her daughter Denise (Raffey Cassidy, Vox Lux), and their shared boy Wilder (debutants Henry and Dean Moore). Recalling Steven Spielberg's fondness for small towns and family dynamics, White Noise is both cosy and intricate in its everyday details (and oh-so-80s). The fact that everyone is always spouting and blasting something, again all at once, speaks volumes; little here, be it good, bad, sudden or expected, can be escaped. Baumbach keeps close to his source material, so much so that DeLillo's voice lingers in the dialogue; however, the director is no stranger to perceptively unpacking intimate bonds himself. Indeed, each one of his features across more than a quarter-century so far — including breakout flick The Squid and the Whale, quarter-life-crisis gem Frances Ha, the similarly arrested development-centric While We're Young, coming-of-age caper Mistress America and the adult sibling-focused The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) — has done just that. Only White Noise boasts "The Airborne Toxic Event", though, which tests its characters and relationships through apocalyptic horror, a frantic evacuation, and detouring ambitiously and hilariously into madcap National Lampoon's Vacation-esque territory. That ominous feathery plume makes the fear of death physical, as scary movies have for a century-plus. And, it makes it unavoidable, no matter how much the film's motley crew would rather divert their attention anywhere else. Also, it briefly turns it comical in a 'what else are you going to do but laugh?' manner. How does humanity, en masse and individually, trick ourselves into forgetting that our time alive is finite, fleeting, fickle and fragile — and that it could fade to black at any second? White Noise is that question in anxious filmic form with a satirical and savage bite. Accordingly, Murray waxes lyrical about grabbing groceries, and also about being someone who either kills or dies, while Jack and the teenage Denise start noticing the usually perky Babette's secret pill-popping. The Gladneys' patriarch and matriarch already proclaim how they couldn't live without each other as bedroom talk, but they're really ruminating on what it'll mean when they simply can't live. Buying and medicating your way away from that train of thought, and ignoring warnings and doctors, are all firmly in the movie's sardonically scathing sights. So is seeing how danger, terror and death inevitably bring people together — and, although set in the 80s, working with a novel penned in the 80s, the striking pandemic-era parallels sting (masks, conspiracy theories and all). In Baumbach's hands, White Noise is anything but unadaptable, but it is jam-packed. The themes, ideas, emotions, neuroses and tones flow as fast as all the talk — itself overflowing with big-thinking yet also screwball dialogue with a zippy rhythm — and then there's the always colour-saturated production design and costuming, the hypnotic choreography of bodies and vehicles, and the dream cast. Both Driver and Gerwig have already shown their sublime talents under Baumbach's guidance before, and both perfect the crucial-but-rare skill of conveying a world of character minutiae via their presence. Driver's size instantly makes him tower over the Gladneys' mania, just not as much as that black cloud, and soar over his college discussions. Gerwig, missed on-screen for six years while directing Lady Bird, Little Women and the upcoming (and Baumbach co-written) Barbie, is the face of soldiering on until you aren't or can't — equally warmly and heartbreakingly so. Impressive turns by Cassidy and Sam Nivola as the eldest two of the precocious children stand out, too, and Jodie Turner-Smith (After Yang), André 3000 (High Life) and Lars Eidinger (Irma Vep) also make an imprint in small appearances. Again, there's a lot to White Noise. Again, that's all by design, stems from the page, happily comes with built-in lurches and veers, and a hefty part of the point. (Life is a lot, death is a lot and confronting is a lot, after all.) As Danny Elfman's (Wednesday) score adapts nimbly to the many changes in mood, and cinematographer Lol Crawley (The Humans) helps make everything a spectacle, bearing life's transience keeps proving wildly careening, spiralling, amusing and entertaining. And when the closing credits roll, fancy footwork breaking out to LCD Soundsystem's 'New Body Rhumba' in an infectiously engaging display, a clear message has beamed in through the static: everything in life, like in supermarkets, has an expiration date, but knowing that fact means enjoying what you have while you have it. Top image: Wilson Webb/NETFLIX © 2022.
If you're Melbourne's NGV International and you've spent the summer filling your walls and halls with fashion by Coco Chanel, how do you follow up come winter? By dedicating your next blockbuster exhibition to Pablo Picasso and the artists, poets and intellectuals he crossed paths with. The iconic Spanish painter, sculptor and printmaker's pieces will sit alongside works by everyone from Salvador Dalí and Henri Matisse to Marie Laurencin and Gertrude Stein at The Picasso Century, which'll take over the St Kilda Road gallery from Friday, June 10. A world-premiere showcase developed exclusively for the NGV by the Centre Pompidou and the Musée national Picasso-Paris, and displaying until Sunday, October 9, The Picasso Century won't skimp on its namesake. From Picasso alone, more than 70 works will be on display. But it'll also surround his pieces with over 100 others from more than 50 of his contemporaries, with the latter sourced from French national collections and the NGV Collection. [caption id="attachment_844954" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pablo Picasso. Spanish 1881–1973. Reclining woman (Femme couchée). 19 June 1932, oil on canvas, 38.0 x 46.0 cm, 55.6 x 63.0 cm (framed). Centre Pompidou, Paris, Musée national d'art moderne - Centre de création industrielle. Donated by Louise and Michel Leiris, 1984. © Succession Picasso/Copyright Agency, 2022 Photo © Centre Pompidou, MNAM - CCI/Bertrand Prévost/Dist. RMN - GP.[/caption] That means that art lovers will be able to gaze at 170-plus works of art, and chart Picasso's career via his paintings, sculptures, drawings and ceramics in the process — and also see how it developed through his engagement with his peers. And, when it comes to other talents showcased, the hefty list also covers Guillaume Apollinaire, Georges Braque, Alberto Giacometti, Françoise Gilot, Valentine Hugo, Dora Maar, André Masson and Dorothea Tanning. By placing the artist's pieces in context with the works of others around him, The Picasso Century examines the connections that helped make him who he was, and explores how his creations rippled throughout the world. Accordingly, art by Natalia Goncharova, Julio González, Wifredo Lam, Suzanne Valadon and Maria Helena Vieira da Silva will also feature, all talents who've rarely been exhibited in Australia. And, other artists included span André Breton, Georges Bataille, Aimé Césaire and Alberto Giacometti, as well as Kay Sage, Max Ernst and Giorgio de Chirico — plus Francis Bacon and Willem de Kooning as well. [caption id="attachment_844955" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Salvador Dalí. Spanish 1904–89. Invisible sleeping woman, horse, lion (Dormeuse, cheval, lion invisibles). 1930, oil on canvas, 50.2 x 65.2 cm, 74.3 x 89.2 cm (framed). Centre Pompidou, Paris, Musée national d'art moderne – Centre de création industrielle. Gift of the Association Bourdon, 1993 © Salvador Dalí, Fundació Gala - Salvador Dali/VEGAP. Copyright Agency, 2022. Photo © Centre Pompidou, MNAM - CCI/Philippe Migeat/Dist. RMN - G.[/caption] Didier Ottinger, a scholar of 20th century painting and Deputy Director of the Musée national d'art moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris, has curated the exhibition, which obviously steps through Picasso's distinct artistic periods: his blue period, cubism and surrealism, for instance. In total, The Picasso Century will explore 15 thematic sections that chart the course of Picasso's seven-decade-plus career. If you're fond of his surrealist period, however, it'll be particularly packed with works from then. As Tony Ellwood AM, Director, NGV, explains, "this exhibition offers visitors an extraordinary insight into the development of modern art and the preeminent figure at its centre, Pablo Picasso. Through more than 170 works of art — including many that have never been seen in Australia — audiences will come to appreciate the many ways in which Picasso influenced — and was influenced by — the artistic community that surrounded him." If it sounds big, that's because it is. And, as French Impressionism was in 2021, The Picasso Century is part of the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition series. The Picasso Century will be on display from Friday, June 10–Sunday, October 9, 2022 at NGV International, St Kilda Road, Melbourne. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the NGV website. Top image: Pablo Picasso. Spanish 1881–1973. Figures by the sea (Figures au bord de la mer). 12 January 1931, oil on canvas, 130.0 x 195.0 cm. Musée national Picasso - Paris. Donated in lieu of tax, 1979. © Succession Picasso/Copyright Agency, 2022. Photo © RMN - Grand Palais (Musée national Picasso - Paris) / Mathieu Rabeau.
When Thomas Weatherall was in high school, that he'd eventually spend his days pretending to be back there wasn't his plan. Until his final year, neither was acting. Dancing was the dream, and he had no awareness of Heartbreak High, which aired its seven 90s seasons before he was born. Now, he's one of the stars of Netflix's revival of the show. For his performance as Malakai Mitchell in the 2020s take on Australia's most-beloved teen series — which itself has become a huge hit that's rocketed up the streaming platform's viewership charts with both its first and second seasons, and has a third and final season locked in — he's now an AACTA- and Logie-winner. Weatherall's acting career started with ABC miniseries Deadlock back in 2018, when he was finishing high school. So, it didn't kick off with Heartbreak High. Next came short film Shed, short-form comedy series All My Friends Are Racist, the detective-driven Troppo and RFDS, which was also follows on from a past series — The Flying Doctors — that aired in the 90s. Onstage, his playwriting debut Blue premiered in Sydney, and now heads to Brisbane, with Weatherall also starring. But Heartbreak High and Malakai have been life-changing by his own account ("it feels cliched to say," he tells Concrete Playground about how that description rings true). Next up: two very different TV series, with Exposure a thriller led by Alice Englert (Bad Behaviour) that's bowing at the 2024 Sydney Film Festival and The Narrow Road to the Deep North a page-to-screen drama with Jacob Elordi (another on-screen high schooler in Euphoria). Weatherall knew that Malakai, the sporty Bundjalung student who is new to Hartley High in season one, was a standout role from the get-go. "I just hadn't seen a character like this," Weatherall tells us. The depth of the writing in fleshing him out on the page, the fact that he was an Indigenous teen pushed to the fore and never a token inclusion, that his culture wasn't what defined him: they all left an impression. After getting cast, so did the script for season one's fourth episode — the unforgettable instalment that sees Malakai experience police brutality — which he read in one sitting in his car. He was then willing to do whatever it took for the part. Again, his performance earned him Australia's top TV accolades. That episode had a title that means something in Heartbreak High history: 'Rack Off'. Utter the phrase to anyone familiar with the 90s iteration and they'll instantly think of Hartley High's first run on-screen. Weatherall didn't go back to watch the OG show when he got the gig, but there's no escaping the legend of those two words, and that they were as strong as a free-to-air series could get in its language. "It is funny, I forget — I read the script sometimes and the things that we're allowed to say, I just imagine if we had that same network TV censorship, you're probably cutting about 80-percent of the show. So we're probably lucky in that regard," he advises. In season two, as Hartley's students keep expressing themselves in not-safe-for-90s-Aussie-television terms — and also getting caught up in an ideological battle about toxic masculinity, and terrorised by a mystery figure they dub Bird Psycho — Malakai's journey takes him from stairwell hookups with Amerie (Ayesha Madon, Love Me) to connecting with the latest newcomer in Dubbo export Rowan (Sam Rechner, The Fabelmans). A love triangle, exploring both his sexuality and his identity, and yearning to connect all follow. It's another complicated path for the character, as for each of Heartbreak High's main figures. Crucially, it also satisfies one of Weatherall's aims as an actor. "It can feel like quite a selfish career a lot of the time, because you're often on your own, and you have to put a lot of time and effort into breaking down characters, and spending time on your own and things like that — but for me, I never want to just be playing the one character. That's the beauty of Malakai, it feels like you're playing several different characters and notes in one person," he says. From how the response to the first season felt through to the way its second season ended for Malakai, we chatted with Weatherall about all things Heartbreak High — choosing not to check out the original, what excited him about stepping into Malakai's shoes in the first place, how he sees the character's story across the two seasons so far and making the leap to acting from dancing all included. On the Massive Success of Heartbreak High's First Season "Very surreal. Very unexpected. It's a funny thing, I think you never know how a show's going to come out while you're making it — and while we were making it, and once we wrapped, you knew that we had something special. It felt really good. I think that was pretty unanimous across the board. There wasn't any real stress. Sometimes, I think you can also finish a job and know if it's a dud. But for it to then get picked up the way that it did, and for people to care about it in the way they did, was pretty shocking. And it's very flattering and humbling to be in that position. I was having dinner with Bryn [Chapman Parish, Mr Inbetween], who plays Spider, and we were chatting about that. Because it's your job, it's a great job to have, but you do get used to it and it becomes a normal part of the career. You forget that it means as much as it does to some audiences — and I think that's the special thing. It's lovely that it had a big reach and that it was successful, but when you get to actually talk to an audience member who really identifies with Malakai, or one particular storyline, or the show as a whole, that's — I've been very lucky that I've got to do quite a few shows now and all I'm very proud of, but none have landed in that way and built that connection with an audience. And for it to kick off in the awards and things like that, it really, it feels cliched to say, but it is pretty life-changing once that conversation starts and you find yourself in that world professionally and artistically. It opens you to a lot more professional opportunities. It then does make the second season a bit more terrifying, because there's something to, I guess, try to live up to and match. But it's a very lucky position to be in at the same time." On Starting the Show as a Heartbreak High Newcomer Off-Screen — and Not Going Back to Watch the Original "I was at drama school at the time when I got cast, and the only reason I knew about the show was the head teacher at my drama school played one of the teachers in Heartbreak High. And so it was this whole thing always that she'd mention Heartbreak High — and all of us, it was a bit of an eye roll. We were like 'okay, we get it'. But it wasn't something that I had seen before. It was before my time, and I didn't even, with my older siblings, I didn't really have any gauge on it. When I got cast, initially I was going to go back and watch the show. That felt like the right thing to do, and it would be helpful. But once the scripts came through, it felt as if it was going to be quite different, and much more obviously rooted in today's climate and what's going on for young people now — it became too scary and intimidating to go back and watch it. Because you also don't want to try to recreate something. That show was great and did everything that it did, but it is a product of that time. I think there's still similarities between the two versions. We're speaking to a lot of the same truths. But for me, I didn't want to confuse those contexts, and try to not have any anticipation or idea of trying to replicate anything — and just stay true to what we're trying to say in this show." On What Excited Weatherall About Playing Malakai When He Was First Cast "I'm still quite early on in my career, but it was very early on back then. I'd been up for a few things and I'd done a little bit of work. I was getting good auditions, but I just hadn't seen a character like this. I had never been sent a role like this, obviously, for a show with this scale or anything like that. But to see — he was just a really well-written character, and that was it for the self-taped scenes before the audition, and that was exciting to be seen for that. It wasn't till when I got offered the role and was sent the scripts, they sent me episode four of season one, which is a very significant episode for Malakai. And I finished that episode and just called my agent straight away and went 'I'll do anything to play that'. I think back to when I was 16 and the sort of the shows that were being made. There were some for young people that I felt were doing a pretty decent job and honestly depicting what it's like to be a teenager, but it always felt like they were holding the punches a little bit. And this show was just not afraid to do that at all. And then to have that lens of this young Indigenous character not just being a side plot point but being one of the lead characters — and being one of the main lead romance arcs as well, and then having a very dramatic storyline. A lot of the scripts that I'd seen and read, or a lot of the shows that I had watched growing up and even lately, often those characters, they're one little subplot. They're one little mention. They serve one capacity or another. And suddenly you had this young Indigenous kid, one of the leads of the show and getting to do a bit of everything, and that was really refreshing. He's part of the massive ensemble, but I hadn't read anything like that. He wasn't ashamed of his culture, but it also wasn't the most-important thing in his life, and he was going through the same experience as every other kid from every other culture and every other gender and every other experience. And for me, that was a really refreshing take, rather than trying to tokenise it in any way. Then, as I said, pretty much I'm in credit to the writing team. The moment episode four landed in my emails, I read it in one sitting on my phone. I didn't even get out of my car. I just read the whole thing and went 'yep, okay, anything for that'." On Stepping Back Into Malakai's Shoes for Season Two — and What Changes, and What Gets Easier and Harder "I was shooting the second season of this other show I do called RFDS, and I had four days off between wrapping that and starting the second season of this. I flew in from Broken Hill, where we shoot the other show, and it was just four days of existential crisis because I was going 'do I still remember how to play this character? How does he sound like? What does he look like?', you know, and trying to tap into that again. I think it's a credit to the writing on this that all of the characters are fully formed. Really, the writing does all the work for you. You don't have to bring much to them and they kind of jump off the page. But I also noticed the difference, as we get to know the writing team and the producers, I think they tend to tweak little things to match you and your sensibilities as well, which is nice. The moment you shave and you go into makeup, and they do that Malaki haircut, and they put the colourful jumpers on me. Music's a big thing for this character, back to those playlists — it really was muscle memory and just kicked in, which was nice to still feel that that was there. So the actual transforming and getting back into the character was quite easy and swift, which was a relief, frankly. But that first few weeks of filming, it was that voice in the back of your head going 'you've got to make sure that you're staying to that same level as last season'. I'm very grateful for the recognition it got and the success that I received from the show, and that the show was a whole received, but it definitely did put that pressure on trying to go 'well if you don't get nominated for an AACTA again, did you do your job?' sort of thing. It was lovely that audiences responded well to Malakai, but you want to make sure that you sustain that throughout the second season. But the more days on shoot and the more I get to spend time with this cast — we have a lot of group scenes that we tend to load at the top of the show as well, and once that dynamic creates — all that concern sort of falls away and you can just get the job done." On Weatherall's Take on Malakai's Journey in Season Two "Once I read the whole show and knew the entire arc, it was really bittersweet. I don't mean it in a rude way, but I don't tend to get too attached to the characters. I sort of go 'whatever services the story, that's the job'. But I really felt for him, and I don't know if it was just a reflection of where I was in my life. I often think back to myself at 16 and there's a few similarities between us, but we are very different. But really at the heart of it, he's just searching for contentment and he's trying to find his people in a romantic sense, but in just a friendship and community sense as well. I think he's this charming and charismatic guy, but underneath all of that, there's this real search for belonging, which I can definitely relate to at 16. I mean, I can relate to it at 23. I noticed that. It was hard, because he's charming and he knows how to have fun, and there's all the romance and things like that — that was a big thing that stuck with me this entire season, that journey and never quite getting it right, or the times where he thinks he is and something changes, and the indecision of being 16 and not knowing what the right choice is but also desperately attempting to make that decision. When you're 16, everything feels like the most important thing in your life, and then you leave high school and you go 'yeah, life goes on'. I definitely I felt for him a lot this season. I think he's crammed a lot of a self-discovery journey into a term of high school. I don't know how I would have held up if I was 16 doing that." On Balancing Malakai's Charm and Outgoing Nature with His Interiority, Uncertainty and Being Caught in a Love Triangle "That's kind of the best — it's a blessing as an actor, is that you've always got that in the back of it. So it's the question of when he is being that charming, charismatic, loud, funny, whatever it is, that he's using the persona that he's putting on, how much of that is a facade to cover up either that insecurity or that questioning or discomfort? Again, Malakai and I are quite different, but I remember at 16, that's exactly how I coped with those questions or with whatever was happening in my life — that facade that you can put on. As I said, for an actor, it's wonderful that you get to play both sides of that. And in this show particularly, you have one scene where you're on the top of the world and it's this beautiful romantic moment, and it's all about love and the joys of being a 16-year-old, and being ignorant and free. And then the next scene, you're crying on an airplane, because you know you also have very little control over a lot of the things that happen to you at that age. Because you're still a minor. You're still figuring things out. And you're at the mercy of your peers in school and your parents, and all of those bigger concepts. As an actor, that's the best thing to do, rather than just having to be the funny guy or be the heart of the show or the introspective one. He fluctuates between all of them." On the Acting Dream When Weatherall First Made the Leap From Dancing "There wasn't one, to be honest. I'm still just holding on for dear life and seeing where it goes. I was certain to be a dancer. That was the be-all and end-all of my life. And I got interested in acting through writing. I was really interested in writing and filmmaking towards the end of high school, and got cast in this ABC series in year 12 and that was just it. My first day on set, I just went 'this is it. I want to do this'. I remember telling my mum after 11 years of 40-hours-plus dance training a week, I was like 'I'm going to be an actor, no more dancing' — and just quit on the spot and made that decision. And to her credit, she completely supported that. I think I've always been interested in creativity in a larger sense, with writing, and the thought of maybe directing or producing one day and creating work. And I think acting is a part of that, and it's a part that I love and I hope I can do for as long as people keep giving me jobs. I like to think of it in a bigger sense in creating a bit more work. If you had told 17-year-old Tom who's getting his first audition that he'd be on a Netflix show or doing some of the other work I've been doing recently, I wouldn't have believed a word of it. I've been very lucky, again, to be on a show like this and have the reach it has. I've been able to work with actors I really admire, and creatives that I've sort of genuinely dreamt of working with. So yeah, it's been very surreal." Heartbreak High streams via Netflix. Read our reviews of season one and season two. Images: Netflix.
Ever since 1922, every movie that's been made about vampires owes a debt to Nosferatu. On the Malthouse Theatre stage in 2023, so does Australia's latest world-premiere theatre production. The Melbourne theatre company is taking inspiration from the cinematic masterpiece in a new drama that shares its name — but, giving the tale an Aussie twist, it's setting its horror story in a Tasmanian mining town. Hailing from writer Keziah Warner, and starring Jacob Collins Levy (The White Princess), this take on Nosferatu heads to a locale that residents are keen to restore, hoping that its glory days can return. To achieve that feat, they embrace a mysterious investor. If you've seen the film, however, you'll now that its central figure always has quite the taste for blood — no matter the other narrative details around him. People disappearing, questions no one wants to ask, getting more than one bargains for: that's how Malthouse's Nosferatu goes from there, as theatre attendees can see during its debut season from Friday, February 10–Sunday, February 16. And yes, Nosferatu has always owed its own debt, too, given that the OG version has quite the similarities to Bram Stoker's Dracula. There's a long story behind that connection between the 1922 film and Stoker's iconic novel, but it all comes down to making an unauthorised adaptation of a popular book. Dracula has inspired a wealth of movies, TV shows and stage productions itself, of course — and Nosferatu has been remade, turned into an opera and more before Malthouse's new production. (Also in the works for cinemas: a new big-screen version by The Northman filmmaker Robert Eggers, reportedly starring Barbarian and IT's Bill Skarsgård.) Malthouse's date with the influential story marks its latest page-to-stage show, after adapting classic Aussie book Looking for Alibrandi in 2022. At present, anyone wanting to see the end result for Nosferatu will need to rush to the Melbourne season — but cross your stake-holding fingers that audiences elsewhere in the country will get to sink their fangs into the production in the future. Check out a trailer for Malthouse's Nosferatu below: Nosferatu's world-premiere season runs from Friday, February 10–Sunday, February 16 at the Merlyn Theatre, 113 Sturt Street, Southbank, Melbourne. Head to the Malthouse Theatre website for tickets and further details. Top image: Kristian Gehradte.
By this stage, most of us have come to terms with the fact that jetting off to USA or Europe is a seriously long slog, made worse by unavoidable (sometimes long, always painful) stopovers. But that European or American trip looks set to become a whole lot more bearable, with Qantas on track with its plans to launch direct flights between the east coast and both London and New York, by 2022. Last year, the airline announced that it was exploring non-stop routes from Sydney — routes that would eclipse the company's direct flights between Perth and London, which launched in March this year. Now CEO Alan Joyce has told Bloomberg that the plan, called Project Sunrise, looks set to become a reality. The key factor is the most obvious one: planes that can handle the trip. The extra distance involved with flights from the east coast capitals to London and New York is something that none of today's planes can manage, so the airline put out a call to Airbus and Boeing, the world's biggest aircraft manufacturers, to make an aircraft that can go the distance. Joyce now says "we're now comfortable that we think we have vehicles that could do it". In numbers, the planes will need to be able to handle a 20-hour and 20-minute stint between Sydney and London (16,983 kilometres), and an 18-hour and seven-minute journey from Sydney to New York. The airline has done its homework, analysing a decade's worth of wind and weather data to confirm the routes are actually possible — but it needs the planes to fly it. Those planes could come equipped with extra facilities — such as bunks and workout spaces — to help combat the lengthy time travellers will spend in the air in one stint. And, if and when the new routes are up and running, Qantas will look at direct connections between Australia and other places around the globe, with spots in the Americas, Europe and Africa on the company's list. Right now, the world's longest direct flight clocks in at around 18 hours and 14,529 kilometres, running between Doha and Auckland on a Boeing 777-200LR. That'll change in October, when Singapore Airlines launch its Singapore-to-New York route, which spans 15,322-kilometre and takes over 19 hours. Via Bloomberg.
Be nice to each other. It's a simple, sensible message that we're all guilty of forgetting sometimes, but every now and then a film pops up to remind us. Wonder is the latest, based on the book of the same name. The movie spends its running time with 10-year-old Auggie (Jacob Tremblay), his family and his friends. Born with a facial deformity and still sporting considerable scars after corrective surgery, the home-schooled Star Wars and Minecraft fan just wants to be an average boy. Understandably, he isn't too keen on finally attending classes with other kids — and facing their stares, questions and inevitable teasing. As The Elephant Man and Mask did before it, Wonder steps through the encounters that follow as Auggie interacts with the world. From bullying to peer pressure to hearing his only friend talk about him behind his back, it's the usual list of struggles. Auggie's mother Isabel (Julia Roberts) and father Nate (Owen Wilson) worry but offer encouragement, while his teenage sister Via (Izabela Vidovic) tries to lend a helping hand. Among Auggie's classmates, some taunt, such as popular kid Julian (Bryce Gheisar). Others are cautiously friendly, like scholarship student Jack (Noah Jupe). It's Wonder's willingness to look beyond Auggie that endeavours to set it apart — and helps it avoid becoming a run-of-the-mill disease-focused weepie (though that fate never feels particularly far away). In chapters narrated by other characters, we learn that everyone has insecurities, fears and woes, as the film drives home the idea that we all deserve love and affection. Wading through troubles at home, navigating first relationships, being forced to give up on your dreams, and coping with death are just some of the situations covered. As such, faulting the movie's intentions is impossible. As it tells Auggie's tale and others, the film shines a spotlight on society's troubling willingness to judge rather than help — a topic particularly relevant in today's political climate. A word of warning, however: if you're not too fond of having your emotions plucked like a harp, then you might say this family-friendly effort has too much obvious sentiment. The movie's thesis of kindness over cruelty is not only thoughtful and important, but as warm as its imagery. Still, at times it can feel as though the script is working through a checklist of every sappy cliche imaginable. In the film that results, there's rarely a moment that doesn't tell viewers how to feel. That's hardly surprising given that director Stephen Chbosky previously helmed The Perks of Being a Wallflower — a movie that telegraphed its emotional intent in much the same way as Wonder, albeit with teenage outcasts instead of a lonely boy. Here, with Room's Tremblay doing such an impressive job of balancing Auggie's bravery and vulnerability, the overt button-pushing is even more unnecessary. Wonder might tell its audience to trust, care and be kind to each other, but it'd help if it trusted them to embrace it's own core messages without quite so much poking and prodding. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GHGHhucqJQ
In time to come, we may well look back on the 21st century as the 'Age of the Bicycle'. We've run music festivals on pedal power, attempted to crowdfund the world's first flying bicycle, designed fashion for two-wheeling commuters, built cycle super highways and proposed the construction of sky-high bike paths. Nearly every week, it seems, someone, somewhere finds a way to extend the scope, relevance and fun factor of the humble bicycle. Now, a maverick composer by the name of Johnny Random has demonstrated its capacity as a musical instrument. Actually, not just an instrument, but an entire orchestra. He's written and recorded a song titled 'Bespoken' in which every single sound is generated via bicycle parts. As difficult as it is to believe when you hear it, no traditional instruments, synthesisers, samplers or drum machines are used. Instead, the spokes are tuned to various pitches, then plucked, picked and bowed to create melody, with other components employed percussively. "I remember my first time riding a bicycle," Johnny Random says. "It felt like freedom. I associate the sounds of a bike with this feeling. As a composer, I wanted to capture this through music, specifically by using the sounds of bikes and their components ... Through music, I want to change the way that people perceive their surroundings and I hope that this will inspire others to look at every day objects with more curiosity and wonder". Via PSFK.
Founded as a way to promote happiness and health, this five-kilometre-long run involves splashes of colour to distract you from the fact that you're, you know, exercising. All participants are asked to wear as much white as they can, and then embrace the colour pigment that's blasted at them at various points during the race. This is sweaty exercise disguised as straight-up fun. With plenty of excitement at the beginning, a party at the end, and four colour zones to dance your way through — plus a bubble zone, a foam zone and a DJ zone — the fun never stops, and neither do your legs. The Color Run now takes place in more than 35 countries worldwide, attracting six million runners across the globe. This year it'll run its Melbourne race on Sunday, November 25 at Flemington Racecourse, kicking off at 7am. If you need more motivation, there'll also be free slurpees, a giant swing and a ball pit. Plus, if you'd like to do something for others with your run, you can raise money for the Starlight Children's Foundation.
