In Contagion, the most prophetic film of the 21st century so far, filmmaker Steven Soderbergh didn't just chart the outbreak of a deadly pandemic or introduce everyone to the term 'social distancing'. His eerily accurate thriller also delved into the quest to find a vaccine, too, so that life could go back to normal. And, that's the reality the world has faced since COVID-19 first emerged — with pharmaceutical companies and medical researchers around the globe working furiously to come up with a solution. Several vaccines have not only been created over the past year — much faster than the usual timeline — but have started being used in countries around the world. The latter is happening in places such as the UK and the US, where coronavirus case numbers have remained at enormous levels. In Australia, where the situation thankfully hasn't reached the same scale, the federal government has decided on a different approach. And today, Wednesday, January 6, Minister for Health Greg Hunt, revealed that doses should start being rolled out locally in early March. The Minister discussed the current plan in an interview with radio station 2GB, including revealing the change to the schedule — noting that originally the government was going to start administering the vaccine in the second quarter of 2021, then moved that up to late March 2021, and has now jumped forward to the beginning of that month. In recent weeks, as case numbers have been rising in Sydney and Melbourne, the original timeline received criticism. Vaccines need to be evaluated and approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration before they can be rolled out, with that process currently underway for multiple different vaccines — including from Pfizer-BioNTech and University of Oxford-AstraZeneca. Hunt also confirmed that the first round of vaccinations will cover frontline workers — particularly those working at hotel quarantine sites and international border checkpoints — as well as health workers and residential aged care facility residents. "That's the first round, and then we'll work through it in terms of age and other priorities — which are currently being finalised by the medical expert panel, but progressively working down in age and where there are other vulnerabilities in terms of disability or certain Indigenous age groups and others, then they'll all be identified," he said. As Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced in mid-2020, vaccines will be provided to every Aussie for free when they are rolled out. Australia currently has agreements to receive ten million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which will be manufactured overseas, and 53.8 million doses of the University of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, with production of the latter already starting locally. Both require two doses per person to be effective. Obviously, it's expected that the government will provide further details about how everyone will get vaccinated — and specific dates for the start of vaccinations — before the beginning of March. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Australia, visit the Australian Government Department of Health website.
When you think of ghosts and ghouls you most likely think of rickety houses covered in ivy, or old asylums on misty moors. The oceanic paradise of Australia is probably the last place to come to mind. But with waters full of stuff that eats you, and often inhospitable lands teeming with things just as iffy, this land with a darker history than most really does seem the perfect home for things that go bump in the night. So, here is a look at haunted Australia, a list of ten haunted prisons, houses and townships. Reader beware. OLD MELBOURNE GAOL Completed in 1844, the Old Melbourne Gaol is one of the most famous buildings in Australia. Before closing in 1929, the prison housed dangerous criminals among petty offenders, the homeless and the mentally ill. Executions were undertaken, and at least 133 prisoners, including the infamous outlaw Ned Kelly (whose remains were later sent to Pentridge and recently exhumed) and Jack The Ripper suspect Frederick Bailey Deeming, met their end on the hangman’s rope. The Gaol is an imposing building, but despite a bloody history, it isn’t known for its hauntings — though the things are reported, the building is relatively quiet. Some believe Elizabeth Scott, the first woman to be hung at the gaol, still walks the halls. MONTE CRISTO HOMESTEAD Compared to the Old Melbourne Gaol, and most other buildings in the country, the Monte Cristo Homestead is a hive of ghostly activity. Finished in 1885, the double-storey late-Victorian manor sits on a hill overlooking the town of Junee, and claims to be Australia’s most haunted house. Now a museum, it has a bloody past — a caretaker was murdered in the 1960s, a stable boy burned to death, a maid fell from a balcony, a baby was dropped from a stairwell and a man was imprisoned in the dairy. With wall and floors practically running red with blood it’s not exactly surprising that people report seeing ghosts. Supernatural occurrences range from strange voices, phantom lights and invisible forces, to ghostly figures and animal mutilations. Hardly the best place to spend a night. JENNY DIXON BEACH In 1870 a coal schooner called the Janet Dickson ran aground during a storm along the central coast. All on board survived, but others in subsequent years weren’t so lucky. Before the construction of a lighthouse, more than 20 people were killed. The area is famous for its ghosts; there have been many reports over the years, including that of a woman in a flowing dress who walks the beach at night, and the legend of a phantom hitchhiker that haunts a nearby road. STUDLEY PARK Now a country club and home to Rolls Royce enthusiasts, Studley Park was built in the last years of the 19th century, and has had many different uses. A highly recognisable building, it served as a school for nearly four decades, and it was during that time that Ray Blackstone, a fourteen-year-old student, tragically drowned while swimming. Sadly, that wasn’t the only premature death to befall a resident of Studley Park; in 1939 the son of Arthur Gregory, a former director of 20th Century Fox Australia, lost his fight with appendicitis. Visitors to the area report feeling of being watched, and mediums have claimed the presence of several entities, including a soldier who could have called the place home when it served as a command school, and a young girl who was supposedly raped and murdered in a top floor bedroom. THE GUYRA GHOST In 1921 in the town of Guyra events that would come to be mirrored by a cult movie of the same name saw twelve-year-old Minnie Bowen apparently possessed by a violent poltergeist. What began as shaking walls and thrown stones led to the cottage being constantly surrounded by people and international interest. Minnie’s parents did all they could to calm the spirit, but try as they might they could not. Soon the young girl claimed to be possessed by the ghost of a sister that had died just a few months earlier. The terrors continued even when Minnie was moved from the house, but all of a sudden they just stopped. PICTON Founded in 1822, the small town of Picton would appear to have more dead residents than living ones. The tiny St. Mark’s church and pioneer graveyard is the playground of children often seen walking hand in hand. Legend has it the children are Blanche Moon, who was crushed to death by falling sleepers in 1886, and David Shaw, who died from polio in 1946. The old maternity hospital is one of the scariest places in town. Haunted by an unpleasant matron, visitors report hearing the cries of unearthly babies, and waking with spectral hands wrapped around their necks. There are many more stories to be told in the town of Picton. THE STREET WITH NO NAME Believed by locals to be home to inexplicable evil, the area in Sydney's Annandale has served as a dumping ground for numerous mutilated corpses, and is thought to provoke strange behaviour in children and dogs. The street with no name has its share of resident ghosts to go along with the horrific happenings, including that of “Jock”, a railway worker struck while attempting to rescue an injured animal from the same fate. CHANNEL 9 Studio 9 in Willoughby was originally a church that was built in 1858. The building had been converted into a music hall and in the late 1950s it, and the surrounding area and cemetery, was purchased by the future owners of Channel 9 Studios. A new television production centre was built atop the old cemetery, where it’s rumoured the bodies still remain. Perhaps an unusual setting for a haunting, the staff at Channel 9 believe that a World War I soldier called Charlie roams the corridors, and is responsible for many ghostly goings on. Perhaps Charlie’s body still remains somewhere beneath the foundations. THE TEA TREE GULLY HOTEL Named after the trees that thickly dotted the landscape on which it was built, the Tea Tree Gully Hotel was opened in 1854 and since then its walls have played host to horror. Staff at the hotel refuse to visit parts of it alone, complaining of bad atmospheres, whilst others have heard voices, seen lights flash on and off, and heard phantom footsteps all around. Like many hotels of its age this one has seen its share of death, with accidents, suicides and murders all taking place there. Several people have reported seeing and speaking to a cheeky girl in period dress, though no records mention her. ARADALE ASYLUM An abandoned psychiatric hospital preserved as if it were still in operation, the Aradale Asylum is a labyrinth of dead ends and dark passageways, many of which could easily hide a ghost. Made up of 63 buildings, the complex looks imposing, so much so that sceptics sweep aside all notion of paranormal activity. But so many reports of footsteps, loud bands and apparitions by visitors and staff add up.
Step out of the darkness and into the light of The Gaso's courtyard and its retractable roof for a New Year's Day shindig of glitter and mayhem. Closet NYD 2020 comes off the back of last year's sell-out soiree and is sure to be another big one. The openair party promises "Fitzroy's finest homosexuals for DJs" and plenty of dancing and debauchery for the LGBTIQ+ community. Kicking off at 2pm, you can soak up all that sunshine and stay smart in the heat with fresh fruit, sprinklers to shimmy in and a spritz to sip while the sun goes down. From sunshine to starlight, party into the night — if you can handle it after the big celebration the day before — with festivities continuing until 1am. Only final release tickets are left, so grab one before 2019 ends. Image: Closet Facebook/Evan Fowler.
Miranda July is many things. She is a writer, filmmaker, actor, artist, app maker, and bona fide A-grade nutcase, and now a fashion designer. Teaming up with outlandish leather specialists Welcome Companions, this queen of quirk has created something pretty unique. 'The Miranda' is a specialty item that's been touted as a "millenial survival kit"; an all-purpose bag for the modern manic pixie dream girl. While it appears relatively normal from the exterior, this bag really comes alive on the inside. It boasts somewhat regular compartments for things like emergency cash, bobby pins and medication, but it also asks you to carry a USB drive of "ultra top secret projects", a tiny security blanket and a singular almond "in case of low blood sugar". In place of business cards, the owner of The Miranda carries around offbeat calling cards about theft and personal lubricant. Unsurprisingly, the inspiration for the bag came from July herself. After agreeing to collaborate on the project, July approached designer Laurel Conseulo Broughton with fistfuls of miscellaneous junk. "These are the things I always have with me," she said. The project grew quickly from there. Retailing for $1725, The Miranda is hardly something to be picked up on a whim. Half fashion and half wearable art, the bag is a bit of a collector's item; a definite budgetary stretch for July's usual rung of doe-eyed twentysomething admirers. Regardless, a girl can dream. This thing strikes the perfect balance between functional and neurotic. We can't help but want one. Via PSFK and New York Times.
It's Easter. Time to stuff yourself with baby animal-shaped chocolates and cross-covered baked goods while feeling absolutely zero shame. To help you make the most of it, here are all the best grown-up holiday treats you should be hunting for this Easter. FRENCH TOAST HOT CROSS BUN AT RUSTICA SOURDOUGH What better excuse than the Easter long weekend to go completely nuts at brunch? And who better to help you do it, than the much-loved pastry masters at Rustica Sourdough? To celebrate Easter, these guys have thrown together a few of your favourite things to create this supercharged sensation, available only at the Rustica Fitzroy store. Here, slices of the bakery's award-winning hot cross buns are given the french toast treatment, sandwiched around croissant-infused ice cream, and teamed with thick-cut bacon, salted pretzel, and some fresh fruit for good measure. TRIPLE CHOCOLATE HOT X BUNS AT MÖRK Normally we'd be more inclined to stick to traditional fruit hot cross buns, but we'd be absolutely bonkers to turn down one of Mörk's more adventurous versions. These triple chocolate bad boys (pictured here straight from the oven) are made on a chocolate bread base, studded with Madagascan chocolate pieces, candied orange, and sour cherries, and amped up with a soft chocolate ganache centre. We repeat: a chocolate ganache centre. Order yours here and pick up a four-pack of Mörk's chocolate eggs while you're at it. CARAMEL LAVA EGG AT PANA CHOCOLATE If there's anything more satisfying than biting into a gooey, chocolatey Caramello egg, it's biting into one that isn't even bad for you in the slightest. Pana's epic raw, vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free and dairy-free caramel lava egg is making its annual Easter appearance, and cult followers couldn't be more ecstatic. We have no idea what's actually in it, but reccommend you order online for pick-up from their Richmond store to guarantee your guilt-free fix and avoid disappointment. EGG IN THE NEST AT DANIEL'S DONUTS If you're the kind of sweet-tooth who prefers your choccy eggs attached to big, fluffy doughnuts, then this seasonal creation from Daniel's Donuts is surely your ideal Easter fling. As with the rest of the Springvale store's much-hyped treats, this one's heavy on the trimmings, featuring one of those signature Daniel's doughnuts, a gloriously thick layer of Nutella, and old-school sprinkles, all topped off with a Cadbury milk choc egg. The best part? Daniel's is open 24-hours for all your late-night snacking needs. DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE CAKE AT ADRIANO ZUMBO Adriano Zumbo's patisserie takes the cake for the most creative and varied range of Easter treats in Melbourne, with this year's collection a mix of old favourites and clever new additions. Alongside the cult classic Hot X Bun Zumbarons, the salted caramel-filled truffles, and the mesmerising multi-tiered Easter Cake, you'll find an extravagant number called Down The Rabbit Hole. Falling into the "almost too pretty to eat" category, this one's a lavish assembly of carrot cake, cream cheese mousse, ginger lemon cream, carrot lychee gel, and a hazelnut sable glaze, finished with chocolate carrots, mini Zumbarons, and even more carrot cake. EGGS IN VERJUICE AT DINNER BY HESTON Those looking to really indulge this Easter will find the ultimate dessert situation at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. This sweet stunner is known as Eggs in Verjuice and it's the same dish that had competitors sweating during last year's Masterchef finale — an intricate eggshell design that's hiding coconut panna cotta, verjuice, coffee parfait, and a citrus yolk inside. This weekend, it's being served up by Blumenthal's right-hand man, chef Ashley Palmer-Watts, as part of a five-course Easter degustation on both Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The lunch will set you back $160 per person and you can book your place here. VEGAN HOT CROSS BUNS AT SMITH & DELI Easter hasn't always been a fun time for treat-seeking vegans, but since the arrival of plant-based livesaver Smith & Deli, it's now a whole lot easier for them to experience the joy of tucking into a hot cross bun. If last year's buzz is anything to go by, these beauties are set to sell like, well, vegan hot cross buns. They'll be flying from the oven all week, but won't last long, so so keep an eye on Smith & Deli's Instagram and be ready to get down to their Fitzroy deli at a moment's notice. LUXBITE HOT CROSS BUN GELATO AT PICCOLINA GELATERIA Summer might be over, but we're of the school that it's always gelato weather. If you're more interested in licking your Easter treats than chewing them, Piccolina Gelateria's limited edition hot cross bun gelato will be right up your alley. This year, the Hawthorn gelateria has teamed up with its mates over at LuxBite bakery, creating a special cream-based gelato that's loaded with spices, citrus, and buttery pieces of hot cross bun. You can grab one in-store, or delivered to your door by Uber Eats, up until April 23. HOT CROSS DOUGHNUTS AT SHORTSTOP These drool-worthy rings of spiced, doughy goodness are the latest creations from the ever-baking doughnuteers at Shortstop Coffee and Donuts. Brandy-soaked dried fruit is mixed through a sweet and spiced yeast-raised dough, before being fried, dunked in a honey glaze, and striped with a cinnamon sugar cross. You can pick one up at their CBD store or pre-order online up until April 17. If that's not an Easter miracle, what is? EGGCEPTION AT KAKAWA The Sydney-based chocolatiers at Kakawa have drawn inspiration from a certain mind-bending DiCaprio film for their special Easter treat, a masterpiece of chocolate layers fittingly dubbed Eggception. This one's a fully edible babushka doll situation, that might just keep you going the whole Easter long weekend. It features one of Kakawa's signature tiny 'quail' eggs, nestled inside a medium choccy egg, sitting within a larger egg, with the whole exterior covered in a delicate hand-made chocolate hay. Melbourne sweet tooths can get their hands on one here.
If there's one thing the entertainment industry loves at the moment, it's turning movies into something else. Musicals and television shows, to be exact. Following in the footsteps of La La Land, Amelie and a wealth of others, The Devil Wears Prada is the latest film making the leap to another medium. Yes, the fashion-focused workplace drama is headed to the the stage in musical form. Showing just how terrifying your boss has to be to make you not just scream, but sing, the film-to-theatre adaptation will take its cues from the 2003 novel the movie was based on, as well as the 2006 flick starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway. And, it'll come with songs from a famous source, with Elton John signing on to compose the production's music. If this sounds partly familiar, that's because taking The Devil Wears Prada to the stage has been mooted since 2015, but without any specific details. John will join forces with playwright and screenwriter Paul Rudnick (Sister Act, Addams Family Values) to bring the tale of aspiring journalist Andy Sachs, her haughty, haute couture magazine editor Miranda Priestley to singing-and-dancing life. No word yet on casting, or when the musical will become the kind of hot ticket that a million girls would kill for. Via Deadline.
Long-time local favourites in Fitzroy North, Moroccan Soup Bar has been providing hungry crowds with plates of Moroccan food for years. Sans a menu — it's only given verbally — the restaurant serves up a standout chickpea bake (as well as other comforting, yet nourishing, vegetarian dishes) which has become the stuff of legends, with crowds often lining up for takeaway with their plastic containers at the ready. To deal with the influx of chickpea-cravers, Moroccan Soup Bar has opened a second joint just down the road from the original: Moroccan Soup Bar Two Go. With an emphasis on online ordering and takeaway dining, Two Go is open for dine-in lunch from 11am–3pm, and for takeaway between 11am–3pm and 5.30pm–9.30pm. You can order online here. As well as your requisite chickpea dinner to get you through the rest of the winter nights, expect Moroccan pizzas, or marrakizzas ($15), and the same lunch and dinner packs you've been snapping up from the first Moroccan Soup Bar. Like the chickpea bake, the packs will set you back a casual $12.50, and there are vegan and gluten free options, too. Also expect to be refunded $2 if you BYO Tupperware to take your food away in — it pays to come prepared. Find Moroccan Soup Bar Two Go at 316 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North — or the original Moroccan Soup Bar at 183 St Georges Road.
They're the masters of immersive thrills, such as smash-hit shipping container installations Seance, Coma and Flight, also known as the Darkfield series, but not even the folks at Realscape Productions are immune to the realities of pandemic life. They're currently locked down with the rest of Melbourne, putting their nerve-jangling real-life projects on hiatus until later in the year. Luckily, in the meantime, Realscape and Darkfield (UK creators) have teamed up for a brand-new audio experience fans can enjoy from the comfort of home. This one's called Double and, while it's delivered remotely, it's geared to be every bit as creepy and unsettling as its IRL predecessors. Launching this Friday, July 17, Double is being presented via the producers' new digital project Darkfield Radio. Like its siblings, it plunges participants deep into an immersive experience by perplexing the senses — this time, with the use of a 360-degree binaural sound, played through your own headphones. Double requires a two-person set-up, with players seated across a table from each other. The pair of you will then tune into a special 20-minute broadcast, at the exact time as hundreds of other players across the country. And there's just one rule to follow: everyone has to be who they say they are. True to form, the exact details are kept vague until you're living the immersion, but we do know Double pulls inspiration from the Capgras delusion, a condition which sees a sufferer convinced that a loved one has been replaced by an imposter (sometimes an evil-intentioned one). Prepare to have your truths shaken and the familiar warped, right there at your kitchen table. If you live in metropolitan Melbourne or Mitchell Shire, do remember that you're not allowed visitors in your home — unless it is to deliver care or essential services — but, you can visit your partner if you don't live together. For more information on the stay-at-home orders, head to the DHHS website. Tickets for Double are $10 and on sale now through the website. Early-bird tickets are available for $7 for the first week of shows, starting Friday, July 17. Images: Alex Purcell
Music is becoming just as important as art at the NGV these days. Even when the walls are covered in works from Monet, Caravaggio and a relative stampede of local talent, you can't help but itch for the latest announcement of who'll be playing Friday Nights in the Great Hall. Well itch no more, the latest group of musos have arrived and they're exciting enough to rival Jean Paul Gaultier himself. Friday Nights this season will kick off on October 24, when The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk is already in full swing. Though the lineup is characteristically packed with young local talent, the first two acts are both from the US — and more specifically, the '90s. Lead singer of MEN, one-third of Le Tigre and bona fide feminist legend JD Samson will be first up. Samson is then quickly followed by iconic world music duo Cibbo Matto. Known for their collaborations with the likes of Yoko Ono and Michael Gondry, these ladies will feel right at home inside a gallery setting. From November onwards the lineup is dominated by an exciting though familiar list of Triple J darlings. Young artists like Remi and Elizabeth Rose will be gracing the stage as well as more established Aussie acts like Touch Sensitive and The Bombay Royale. In fact, of all the 14 artists announced, Kate Miller-Heidke is probably the only one you would have heard on commercial radio. Of course, this isn't a bad thing — it shows the NGV is all up for supporting local talent and alternative terrain. To add to this exciting atmosphere, the Friday Nights series will also present fashion talks and pop-up food and drink offerings. Each performance will even be accompanied by a crew of street artists from Everfresh Studio creating new work on stage. And they better be feeling confident — the final night of the series will be tied up with a performance by the legendary Chicks on Speed. Aside from pioneering art pop before Lady Gaga was even a thing, in the past they've collaborated with the likes of Douglas Gordon, Karl Lagerfeld and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. No pressure or anything. Full lineup: October 24 — JD Samson (USA) October 31 — Cibo Matto (USA) November 7 — Saskwatch November 14 — The Bombay Royale November 21 — Cumbia Cosmonauts November 28 — Nun December 5 — Touch Sensitive December 12 — Remi December 19 — Elizabeth Rose January 9 — Kate Miller-Heike January 16 — Frikstailers (ARG) January 23 — HTRK January 30 — Rat & Co February 6 — Chicks on Speed (AUS/EUR)
Australia's longest running exhibition and art prize of its kind, the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA) was established in the early 1980s when the commercial popularity of Aboriginal art was just starting to develop. The coveted award not only offers one of the biggest prizes for First Nations artists in the country, but it also aims to highlight the diversity and evolution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and its various forms. This year, there are 65 artists who have been selected as finalists for the seven awards, which have a total prize value of $80,000. So we've partnered with Telstra to give you a rundown on seven impressive artists that we think you should get to know better — and support — as they share their artistry with the world. Make sure you visit the NATSIAA website on Friday August 7, from 6pm, to watch the Awards presented live by host Brooke Boney. VICTORIA'S MULTI-TALENTED ARTIST CASSIE LEATHAM Inspired by walking the country near her two-acre property in Central Gippsland, Taungurung woman Cassie Leatham, from the Kulin Nation, is a true slashie. She's an artist, designer, weaver, dancer and educator. Leatham is hoping her second entry in the Telstra NATSIAA — a woven artwork that tells the creation stories passed to her by her elders — connects with the Award's judging panel. 'Nugal-ik Liwik Bundjil (My Ancestors Creation Story)' features a mix of pipe clay, emu fat, wattle sap, stringy bark, mud, ochre, sand crystals and wedge-tailed eagle feathers. The artist says her goal is to maintain cultural practices, with her dream being to create a teaching centre on her property to keep her culture alive. WESTERN AUSTRALIA'S KNIFE WELDING ILLIAM NARGOODAH Emerging artist Illiam Nargoodah is gaining acclaim for continuing an ancient tradition. Based out of Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley region, the 23 year old uses his skills to create knives by hand from found objects, crafting every part of the knife from handle to blade. Upholding knowledge that runs in the family, the young artist has been learning alongside his father — a leatherworker — since he was a young boy. The artist's first Telstra NATSIAA entry consists of several special knives that were crafted out of metal objects and artefacts collected on community station properties near his home. QUEENSLAND'S VISUAL ARTIST RYAN PRESLEY Using the iconographic traditions of Christian art as his launchpad, Marri Ngarr man Ryan Presley has his second entry in the Telstra NATSIAA this year. It's a political work that depicts the "beauty, resistance and everyday heroism of Aboriginal people today", he says. 'Crown Land (till the ends of the earth)' mixes oil, synthetic polymer and 23 karat gold on canvas. Presley, who was born in Alice Springs and now lives in Brisbane, is known for creating works that reference the impacts of colonisation on First Nations people, and the devastation of country and wellbeing from industries such as mining. CANBERRA-BASED SHELL ARTIST KRYSTAL HURST Proud Worimi woman Krystal Hurst brings the strength of the women in her family, and her ancestors before her, to her art. Working with banded kelp shells, bitjagang (pipis), fishing line and seaweed, Hurst has created a layered necklace for this year's Telstra NATSIAA. This is her second time entering the Awards, and the jewellery maker's artwork references an enduring connection to the sea and the continuation of knowledge passed on through generations. Hurst grew up on the Mid-North Coast and she continues to tell the stories of her people through her jewellery, and via weaving workshops that she runs at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. SOUTH AUSTRALIA MOTHER-DAUGHTER PAINTERS BETTY AND MARINA PUMANI Winner of the Telstra NATSIAA 2016 Telstra General Painting of the Year, Betty Kuntiwa Pumani enters the awards again this year — but this time in collaboration with her daughter Marina Pumani. Based in Mimili, a remote community in the APY Lands of South Australia, the mother-daughter duo has made two paintings that celebrate matriarchal knowledge. Painting Antara, a special site for the women in their community, Marina adds her knowledge to this particular diptych, referencing Maku Tjukurpa (the witchetty grub songline), which is central to all of Betty's paintings, marked by her signature use of vibrant reds. NEW SOUTH WALES DISRUPTOR AMALA GROOM Mixed media artist Amala Groom is the only New South Wales-based artist to make the finalist list of this year's Awards. Based out of Bathurst, the Wiradjuri artist has re-appropriated a beaten up print of a famed painting by Frederick McCubbin — a prominent member of the Heidelberg School movement — found discarded in a parking lot during the bushfire crisis, earlier this year. Groom's piece 'The Fifth Element' is a "conceptual intervention into the Australian canon of art history", she says. It comments on the uncertainty of our current times and remind us of ngumbaay-dyil — that 'all are one'. ARNHEM LAND TEXTILE ARTIST DEBORAH WURRKIDJ A previous Telstra NATSIAA finalist, Maningrida-based artist Deborah Wurrkidj has this year created a woven sculpture that reflects a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Paris taken in 2019. Alongside four other artists from the Bábbarra Women's Centre, Wurrkidj was asked to exhibit her artwork at the Australian Embassy in Paris, which was then profiled in Vogue. This new work, woven from memory, is inspired by the Eiffel Tower. Wurrkidj says, "I saw that tower and I thought I'll go back to Maningrida and I'll make her. Yes, I can weave that tower in our way, our Aboriginal way, not balanda [a white/European] way. And I did it." Find out more about the upcoming Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards. Top image: Krystal Hurst
Young Henrys have teamed up with Brisbane boys Dune Rats and have given a beautiful birth to the Dunies Lager, which the band calls, "A can so cold it'll cool ya house." The brand new brew, like most great inventions, came from a pub bet. "We hung out with our mates Young Henrys one arvo and it came up that we were gunning for number one when our new album dropped," the band says. "The fellas said if you get the top spot we'll brew you your own beer." So when the Dune Rats' second album, The Kids Will Know It's Bullshit, unsurprisingly made its debut on the ARIA charts at numero uno, the lads at Young Henrys stuck to their word and knocked up a batch of crisp lager to honour the bet. Behold, the bet winners: And let's face it, the equally-as-happy-looking bet losers: The Dunies Lager is sold in tinnies, either in the six pack or by the case, with a Dune Rats-yellow design by artist Lee McConnell. On top of that, a select few venues around Sydney will be treated to a keg or two, so there'll be the chance to whet your whistle with the draft stuff. Now, you can't release the product of a beautiful union like Young Henrys and Dune Rats without throwing a big ol' party to celebrate, and the Dunies Lager won't be an exception. There's a shindig going down this Sunday, February 26 in Darlinghurst. Tickets are free, but there are only 200 available here, so best to get in quick. Mary's will be onsite with food available to purchase and and everyone through the door before 8pm will get a free drink on arrival. The combination of bands and booze isn't a new one. It's not even Young Henrys first foray, having created the Pils 'N' Thrills with DZ Deathrays last year. However, a brand new beer from a brewery and a band like Young Henrys and Dune Rats is nothing to shake a stick at, so check out the Young Henrys website for further instructions on how the blow the froth off a few cold ones.
Good Island will present a sweet little snapshot of some of the most progressive music and art talent from across Australia when it hits up Bella Union and The Curtin this February. Local labels Good Manners and Wondercore Island will collaborate with i-D and Niche Productions to run the festival, which may just feature your favourite local music, visual or multi-disciplinary artist — either existing or soon-to-be. The festival aims to showcase creativity across multi-disciplined art forms — so you won't just be hearing good things, but seeing them too. The artists taking part will showcase their work twice throughout the event on Saturday, February 4 between 3pm and 3am, performing one traditional and one collaborative or experimental take on their work. The lineup includes a whole host of local talent along the likes of Hiatus Kaiyote's Nai Palm, visual artist Angie Pai, filmmaker Freya Esders, four-piece band Jaala and photographers Wilk and Phebe Schmidt. Oscar Key Sung and Kllo will be there too on the decks. There'll be a pop-up radio station housed in The Curtin, and if you can't get out of work that weekend, don't stress: all art created at the event will be exhibited (and sold) the week after.
On Sunday, October 28, Prahran Market will host its fifth annual Say Cheese Festival. For the uninitiated (or those who haven't previously attended and devoured all the dairy they can), it's essentially an entire day of eating cheese — and buying even more to eat later. From 10am–4pm, there'll be free cheese tastings, cheesy dish demonstrations and stalls from cheese providores. Or, you can meet cheesemakers, wander along a market trail or get cosy at a fondue bar. If you're not too full from all of that, traders will also be offering food to take home or eat there, including Maker & Monger and Wilson & Market. Yes, there will be many, many cheese plates. Plus, chefs will also take over the kitchen throughout the day to demonstrate cooking techniques — and take part in Melbourne's first Grilled Cheese Invitational to determine who cooks up the best combo of grilled cheese on bread. If you'd like to expand your palate, Say Cheese is hosting guided cheese pairings as well, so you'll be downing the gouda stuff with tea, saké, beer or Prosecco in no time.
Ah, the poignancy of Grand Theft Auto V. We're not even kidding. There's no denying that the naturalistic light effects of GTA 5 are astoundingly realistic, and really quite beautiful to behold. Hazy daylight, golden sunsets and atmospheric nightscapes are equally convincing in the world of the game, which has been the talk of the town since its recent launch. GTA 5's aesthetic appeal has not escaped the notice of 20-year-old Brazilian SVA art student Fernando Pereira Gomes, an avid street photographer and gamer who recognised certain parallels between his two passions. He's been taking artistic stills using a character's in-game camera phone in GTA 5, composing shots just as though he were turning a camera lens on the real world, and the results are both sensitive and pretty dope. In-game photography is not new, as seen here. Gomes, who's one of those hardcore fans that stood in line to grab a copy of the game at midnight when it first launched, got the idea for his ongoing series Street Photography V when he began simply driving around GTA 5's various pixelated Los Santos landscapes and realised how the movement of the characters through digital vistas resembled scenes he'd try to capture IRL every day — not least because of the unpredictability of the scenes unfolding, and their fleeting nature. As he told The Independent, "It was very similar to photographing on actual streets — with me having to run across the road, pulling out my camera in time, framing the shot, and taking it at the right moment.” On his site he says: "The game is so realistic that it felt like being in the streets outside ... anticipating passersby’s movements and reactions. In a way, it was also incredibly frightening that these algorithms could look so real, or is it that we ourselves are becoming ever more algorithmic?" The pictures reveal what attracts Gomes's eye: frequently the images are wide angle shots with an isolated figure turned away from us, a shadow cutting the frame in half or a perfectly flat and symmetrical view of a figure or two against a wall. Be sure to check them out.
Fifteen years ago this week, in two Los Angeles cinemas, The Room enjoyed its world premiere. Telling the tale of a banker, his adulterous fiancée, his conflicted best friend, a local teen caught up in a drug deal, a mother with cancer, a particularly awkward party, a bunch of guys playing football in tuxedos and the worst apartment decorating scheme you've ever seen, the film wasn't met with applause, acclaim or anything in the way of excitement. And yet, all this time later, it has an avid fan base, still sells out screenings around the world, and has inspired both a behind-the-scenes book and an Oscar-nominated movie. Of course, you've seen The Room, thrown spoons at it and marvelled at how Tommy Wiseau somehow managed to make a movie that's both terrible and enjoyable — but Wiseau and his co-star Greg Sestero aren't done yet. They both played a part in last year's The Disaster Artist, as based on Sestero's book of the same name, and now they're back in something completely unrelated to their big claim to fame. In Best F(r)iends, the pair return as a mortician and a drifter. Yes, you can guess which part the lank-locked Wiseau plays. Sestero's down-on-his-luck LA resident Jon is given the chance to work for Wiseau's morgue owner Harvey Lewis, but neither is being completely honest with each other. Scripted by Sestero but (thankfully) not directed by Wiseau, the black comedy is literally a film of two parts, with Best F(r)iends: Volume One currently touring the world ahead of Best F(r)iends: Volume Two later this year. With Sestero returning to Australia for Q&A screenings of the first film, we chatted to him about not only making another movie with Wiseau, but writing a part specifically for him, among other topics. These are the ten things we learned. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTu9N40E_MI HE WANTED TO MAKE A MOVIE THAT SHOWCASED TOMMY WISEAU'S ACTING TALENTS "For so long, I didn't expect to work with Tommy again after The Room for many reasons. But once I decided to take him seriously, I realised that he really hasn't been utilised properly as an actor. And this is really a chance to really do him right and put him in a part that he could succeed in — while at the same time, I was really genuinely interested in working with again. I really believe that Tommy can be interesting as an actor, but he just hadn't been given the right part." HE NEVER CONSIDERED GETTING WISEAU TO DIRECT "I really wanted to see him focus on being an actor. I'd handle the producing, and put the right team together that would just be there to make a film, and we wouldn't make The Room 2. And I thought he really shines as an actor — and I thought giving him a chance to focus on that. And he really put in the work. We rehearsed a lot. You know, he memorised most of his lines. I wrote the part with him in mind, so the dialogue definitely catered to his strengths, but he put in the work and he showed up ready to do this best." BEST F[R]IENDS IS BASED ON THE TIME WISEAU THOUGHT SESTERO WANTED TO KILL HIM "I took a road trip with Tommy up the California coast back in 2003. I thought we were just going up to have a good time, but Tommy assumed that I was plotting this thing against him, and that I was going to try to kill him. I mean it was just really far out. So when he explained to me why he thought that, and what he was feeling, all these years later when I was sitting down to write this story, I explored that. And I thought 'what if I was, and how would it go down, and what would happen?'. And so it kind of gave me a jumpstart into writing this story." THE FILM ALSO INCORPORATES A VERY REAL BLACK MARKET "The other true event was that my brother is a dentist, and so he told me this very bizarre, underground business that is happening in dentistry, with human teeth. So we use all real teeth in the film. That's all kind of stuff that actually goes on." HE DIDN'T REFERENCE THE ROOM ON PURPOSE, BUT YOU'LL SPOT A FEW NODS "Any reference to The Room, to be honest with you, was accidental or worked its way in. When I wrote the script, there were no references. There was no basketball scene. We shot at a real morgue, so there are bodies that'd come in and out that would interrupt the shoot — and we decided to play basketball as a break, and that ended up being filmed and being turned into a scene. The spiral staircase that was in that office just happened to be there, you know. There wasn't any intention to reference The Room in any way, but the things that did, I feel like if they were organic and worked their way in, it was fine." HE CREDITS THE ROOM'S SUCCESS TO WISEAU "It's just something that is completely unique — because it was made by one man who had creative control, had the money to say 'this is the way we're going to do it', and just sees the world so differently. So people see it and they can't believe that it really exists, and it's just one of those things you want to share with people because it has no business succeeding or even existing. And there's just kind of this magic to it. Because there's nothing else that exists like it, it unites people in a way — they're craving something different — and it just delivers a flavour that you know you can't recreate it. It's just to the power of being original, I think, is what I've learned. Tommy hasn't tried to change himself for acceptance. He just is himself, and I think people like that." IT REALLY ISN'T EASY TO BREAK FREE FROM THE ROOM "I never thought anybody would see The Room — it was kind of something that I was backed into. But I love a challenge, and I think there is something fun and challenging about trying to rework what you're working on I think it started with The Disaster Artist book. When a lot of people thought I was going to write a book about the experience, I think they expected fan service and a quirky making-of, like 'lets look at all these wacky things that Tommy did'. But I really approached it in a way that I thought could tell a story that could become an Oscar-calibre film. At the time I think people thought that was a little far-fetched. It's definitely a challenge for any cult film, but especially with this one — where it's considered the worst movie, and people who see it throw spoons at the screen, and actually get involved in the performance or the film that you're making. You just need to be really aware of what you're trying to say to your audience. I believe your audience will follow you if you approach things properly." HE'D LIKE TO MAKE A BABADOOK-STYLE HORROR FILM NEXT "I want to make a horror film. I definitely have been influenced by The Babadook and these kind of new horror films — and I want to play on the psychological aspect of horror rather than the blood and guts, or to try to combine the two. But definitely horror is the genre that I'd love to go for." HE'S FINE WITH AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION — SO BRING TEETH "People have started showing up with bloody shirts and holding homeless signs, but I think throwing plastic gold teeth would be kind of cool. That could catch on — or maybe plastic lemons or serving lemonade? That could be pretty cool. The audiences that I've seen it with, there's definitely some interaction — but nothing being thrown yet. But I'm sure that people will come up with something." BEST F(R)IENDS: VOLUME TWO IS HIS FAVOURITE THING HE'S EVER DONE "It's completely different. It's insane. I like to think that if this film is Nightcrawler and Double Indemnity, then Volume Two is Psycho meets Breaking Bad. But it's totally different. I think Volume Two is my favourite, but I think it really compliments Volume One — and I can't wait for people to actually get to watch them back-to-back. I really hope they enjoy it as much as we enjoyed making it." As well as touring Australia and New Zealand in Q&A screenings, 'Best F(r)iends: Volume One' will open at Melbourne's Cinema Nova on July 5.
Recognised purveyors of a good time, the Corner Hotel and The Hills Are Alive Festival are combining their considerable "we know how to party" forces to create a banger of a time on grand final eve — and in the true spirit of Melbourne's party underbelly, it'll be in a carpark. Whether you're looking for a way to roll into the granny, or you couldn't care less about football and just want to party in a cool place with some good music, here's an event for you. Featuring Melbourne band The Bennies, Hills City will bring a dash of summer festival and a dose of sticky-floored gig to a carpark in Richmond on Friday, September 28. Running all day, other bands on the line up include Batts, Planet, Diet, Chitra, and Tones and I, with DJs and comedian Danielle Walker joining the party too. Mr Burger and Roaming Poppy Coffee will also be keeping you fed and caffeinated. Dress code is apparently op shop formal, and there'll be prizes for the best dressed — so head to the wedding dress aisle in Savers quick smart.
Short of physically volunteering your time, there aren't many ways you can help those in need over lunch. But Sydney-based social enterprise food company Two Good is trying to change that, with their buy-one, give-one lunch delivery model. After launching in Melbourne in September last year, Two Good has continued to deliver delicious salads through Deliveroo in the two cities — and for every one sold, a meal is donated to domestic violence shelters in both. They're not just any old salads either. After working with Yotam Ottolenghi and renowned Melbourne chef Andrew McConnell last season, the Two Good guys — Rob Caslick and Cathal Flaherty — have teamed up with Melbourne's Ben Shewry of the 33rd best restaurant in the world Attica to create a lunch option that far surpasses any soggy salad you were planning on making in your office's kitchenette this afternoon. The kimchi, chicken and soba noodle salad will be available to order for lunch through Deliveroo for $14 each Tuesday starting today, which is a pretty standard price for a salad in this town. And, considering for each salad you order Two Good will donate a meal to a domestic violence shelter in your city, it's an incredibly low-cost way to feed yourself and help someone who needs it. Meals are donated to shelters around NSW and Victoria. What's more, Two Good also employ women from the shelters they work with in NSW, and are looking to do the same in Victoria in the near future. If you want to buy a salad, you can place an order through Deliveroo between 11am and 2pm in Melbourne and Sydney. For more information on Two Good, go to twogood.com.au.
Winter weekends haven't looked this wonderfully packed for many a cold, cold week. There's plenty of Bastille Day treats to be eaten, films to be snuggled into and live music to warm your hands on, doonas have never looked so unappealing. Get out there, put a dumb-looking animal beanie on and lap up that wintry goodness — there's plenty of time to worry about prepping for bikini season later. Thumpers According to The Guardian, Thumpers "make spiritual feelgood music for people who don't necessarily want to go to church". In January last year, the London-based indie-electro-pop duo made the UK media institution's prestigious 'new band of the week' page. Since then, they've released their debut studio album, Galore, in both the US and the UK via independent Seattle label Sub Pop Records. That's the very same legendary platform responsible for first bringing Nirvana, Soundgarden and Mudhoney to your ears. And just in case you're wondering, the name has nothing to do with Bambi. When: Friday, 11 July - 8:30pm Where: Northcote Social Club , 301 High St Northcote VIC 3070 How much: 33 +bf All This Mayhem A thrilling sports film, heartbreaking drama and eye-opening cautionary tale all rolled in to one, All This Mayhem will transcend your expectations of its subject matter. Ostensibly a documentary about the rise and fall of two former skateboarding champions, in execution the Australian-made production bears closer resemblance to (in the words of its director) a modern-day Greek tragedy, full of hubris, temptation and a reckless disregard for long-term consequences. In what is shaping up to be a banner year for Australian cinema, this wild and powerful doco has officially stolen the lead. When: Thursday, 10 July - Wednesday, 6 August Where: Cinema Nova How much: $14 - $19 Domestique Tour de France Pop-Up Bar Is your sleep schedule still ruined from the FIFA World Cup? Are you gradually making your way to being fully nocturnal? Good news, sleepyheads: the Tour de France is about to touch down on the streets of France (and late night SBS), and we have the perfect place to huddle up and watch it. Presented by the legends from The Shadow Electric, Domestique is a pop-up bar now in its third annual form. Far from the bogans that pack our your local while the footy's on, the organisers of this slick little happening knowingly describe it as "a sports bar for those who prefer bars to sport". Domestique will feature a live feed of the mountain stages and time trial via HD projection, music, drinks, food, heating and ping pong. Friday and Saturday nights will offer food from Fancy Hank's BBQ and DJs, and every other night you can snag yourself some Polish dumplings from Peirogi Peirogi. Domestique will be open 7pm till late on select dates of the Tour de France. Head to their Facebook page for more details. When: Saturday, 5 July - Friday, 25 July Where: Domestique Pop Up Bar , 83 Kerr Street, Fitzroy How much: FREE Greg Sestero Presents The Disaster Artist Oh hi Mark! Best known for his immortal role in Tommy Wiseau's cult classic The Room, actor Greg Sestero is headed to Australia. Part of a publicity tour to promote his tell-all book, The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside the Room, Sestero's visit will hopefully shed new light on what is undoubtedly one of the worst films ever made. Sestero (or 'Sestosterone', as he is affectionately known) will be in Melbourne on Friday, July 11, and Saturday, July 12, for a special event at Cinema Nova that includes an interactive script reading, an audience Q&A session and a behind-the-scenes documentary that explores the making of this unintentional comic gem. Whatever you do though, be sure to leave your stupid comments in your pocket. When: Friday, 11 July - Saturday, 12 July Where: Cinema Nova How much: $23 - $25 The Preatures The most talked-about band Australia's seen in recent times since The Jezabels, The Preatures have unveiled their latest single 'Two-Tone Melody' and have announced their highly-anticipated upcoming debut album with accompanying national tour. Signing to Mercury Records in 2012 with a whopping five album deal, the Sydney fivesome's success snowballed in 2013 after the release of their second EP and ultra-catchy single 'Is This How You Feel?', prompting international touring and national high-fivery. The easily replayable single nabbed an ARIA nomination for Best Pop Release, number nine in the triple j Hottest 100 and just today nabbed a top five nomination for APRA|AMCOS Song of The Year. The Preatures will tour the US and Canada during June, make their way over to festivals in Europe and the UK before venturing back home for an Australian tour, stopping by Splendour In The Grass this July alongside fellow Sydneysiders RÜFÜS, The Jezabels and Sticky Fingers. When: Saturday, 12 July - 8:30pm Where: Corner Hotel , 57 Swan Street, Richmond How much: 30 +BF Bakehouse Studios Open Day Think about your favourite musician. Now, have a little ol' fantasise about where they rehearse, record and hang out with your other favourite musos. If you can't get a clear image in your head of such a heavenly place, relax. The legendary Bakehouse studios are throwing open the doors for an open day at their Richmond digs. With musicians the likes of Nick Cave, Tool, Beck, The Cat Empire, The Drones, Paul Kelly, Ladyhawke and a bucket-tonne more to have played within these walls, Bakehouse is a pretty special place. The Hoddle Street staple will be opening their glorious doors for the first time ever and to celebrate, Leaps and Bounds Festival are throwing a street party with plenty of music and frivolity. There's also going to be enough contemporary Aussie art to poke a metaphorical stick at, and Bakehouse have also let loose their artist buds to create innovative and immersive installations within the rooms of the studio. When: Saturday, 12 July - 11:00am Where: Bakehouse Studios , 27-29 Hoddle St, Richmond How much: FREE Henry V - Bell Shakespeare Battles will be had, blood will be shed, and brothers will unite on stage in this Bell Shakespeare production of Henry V, but not quite as you remember it from high school lit. Shakespeare's tale tells the story of King Henry V who, having ascended the throne following the death of his father, promptly — after a few people tell him he should probs do something else — declares war on France. In this production, director Damien Ryan is bringing the story to life with a contemporary take, inspired by a true story. During the London Blitz in 1941, a group of young men, bored and stuck in a bunker, started a club, where they would rehearse and perform plays to others in the shelter. When: Tuesday, 1 July - Saturday, 12 July Where: Arts Centre Melbourne, Fairfax Studio How much: $65 - $79 Bastille Day at Albert St Food & Wine A Francophile is many things. They are passionate about France, bang on (and on) about French food, French wine and French country houses, and seem to know exactly how to piss everyone off with their incessant French-ness. It's enough to ruin friendships — except when it comes to Bastille Day. Commemorating the storming of the Bastille, the 14th of July is a celebration of everything French that everyone can get on board with, particularly foodies. And all you have to do its travel to Brunswick, not Bordeaux. This year Albert St Food & Wine is celebrating Bastille Day on the Sunday prior with a hunter's feast, inspired by chef Jason Rodwell's own travels through regional France. When: Sunday, 13 July - 12:30pm Where: Albert St Food and Wine , 382 Sydney Road, Brunswick, 3056 How much: $75 Scandinavian Film Festival Step into your local arthouse theatre these days and you'd be hard pressed not to find a regional film festival going on. In 2014, the line-up is getting that little bit more crowded, with the inaugural edition of a brand new festival highlighting the films from Europe's frozen north. Covering Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, the first annual Scandinavian Film Festival is set to put the kvikmynd in kvikmyndahátíð. For more information about the Scandinavian Film Festival, visit their website. When: Thursday, 10 July - Sunday, 27 July Where: Palace Cinemas Melbourne , Melbourne How much: TBC Abundance Fundraising Party Strength in numbers works a treat for fundraisers and benefactors alike. St Kilda's Theatre Works are putting on a fundraising party for four of Melbourne’s leading independent theatre companies and their latest productions. They aim to raise $20,000 for Elbow Room’s The Motion of Light in the Water, Uninvited Guests’ I Heart John McEnroe, Dirty Pretty Theatre’s Thérèse Raquin and Little Ones Theatre’s The House of Yes. Set to be a night filled with quirky and playful performances, this collaboration marks the second annual Abundance Fundraising Party. Hosted by Present Tense's Bryce Ives, expect comedy, cabaret and musical performance from a lineup of very special guests, including acclaimed US actress Jane Badler and Grammy award-winner Jeff Bova alongside Virginia Gay, Roderick Cairns, Beau Heartbreaker, Nicholas Renfree-Marks, Angela Hogan, Joseph Chetty and Luisa Hastings Edge. When: Saturday, 12 July - 7:30pm Where: Theatre Works , 14 Acland Street, St Kilda How much: $40 - $50
In its very first moments, House of the Dragon's opening episode delivers exactly what its name promises: here be dragons indeed. Within ten minutes, the Iron Throne, that sprawling metal seat that all of Westeros loves fighting about, also makes its initial appearance. By the time the 20-minute mark arrives, bloody violence of the appendage-, limb- and head-lopping kind fills the show's frames as well. And, before the debut instalment of this Game of Thrones prequel about House Targaryen's history even hits its halfway mark, a brothel scene with nudity and sex is sighted, too. Between all of the above, the usual GoT family dramas, squabbles over successors and power struggles pop up. Of course they do. Kicking off on Monday, August 22 Down Under — via Foxtel and Binge in Australia and SoHo, Sky Go and Neon in New Zealand — House of the Dragon was always going to check all of the above boxes. None of this can constitute spoilers, either, because none of it can come as a surprise. Game of Thrones' fame and influence have become that pervasive, as have its hallmarks and trademarks. Everyone knows what GoT is known for, even if you've somehow never seen this page-to-screen franchise yet or read the George RR Martin-penned books that it's based on. Also, everyone knows that Game of Thrones was the most-talked about and obsessed-over show on television between 2011–19, and that it didn't exactly go out with a bang when it wrapped up its eighth and final season three years back. Accordingly, trying to recapture past glories was bound to be HBO's main aim in its first step back into this fantasy world, rather than daring to tread new territory. House of the Dragon happily sticks to the saga's basics, so much so that everything you think will happen does — and making a drinking game around it is as easy as spotting feuds, orgies, incest, gore and fraying bonds of blood in the Seven Kingdoms. After green-lighting a different prequel to pilot stage, scrapping it, then picking this one to run with instead — and also making plans to bring novella series Tales of Dunk and Egg to TV, working on an animated GoT show, exploring other potential prequels and forging ahead a Jon Snow-focused sequel series — House of the Dragon is the first Game of Thrones successor to arrive in streaming queues. Its focus: the Targaryen crew 172 years before the birth of Daenerys and her whole dragon-flying, nephew-dating, power-seeking story. Cue silky silver locks aplenty, of course, including cascading from King Viserys I's (Paddy Considine, The Third Day) head as he takes to the Iron Throne over his cousin Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best, Nurse Jackie). She had a better claim to the spiky chair, but is also female. New show, same male-dominated hierarchy and accompanying bullshit. History repeats itself several times over, with Viserys' leap to power just the starting point. House of the Dragon is concerned with the same fights about the throne, but over whether the king's dragon-riding daughter Princess Rhaenyra (Upright's Milly Alcock, then Mothering Sunday's Emma D'Arcy) becomes his heir, or the future son he's desperate to have, or his headstrong younger brother Prince Daemon (Matt Smith, Morbius). No one wants the latter, and everyone around Viserys has an angle. It isn't out of kindness that Hand of the King Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans, The King's Man) tells his own daughter Alicent (The Lost Girls' Emily Carey, then Slow Horses' Olivia Cooke) to cosy up to their ruler at his loneliest. And when Rhaenys' husband Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint, It's a Sin) suggests an option, it's all about tying his Valyrian bloodline with the Targaryens. Even if the word "succession" wasn't uttered every couple of minutes — and it is — it'd be clear that another HBO series has left an imprint on showrunners Miguel Sapochnik (an Emmy-winner for directing Game of Thrones' 'Battle of The Bastards') and Ryan Condal (Colony). If House of the Dragon's key pair had written both GoT's and Succession's main characters and narrative beats on post-its, stuck them on a wall, then rearranged the lot to create a slightly different story, this would easily be the end result. That familiarity and formula is exactly what HBO want, too. Sitting down with House of the Dragon is meant to feel like slipping back into an old favourite like no time has passed, and it does. Seeing recognisable places, spying already-explored character dynamics, revisiting how difficult it is to be a woman in Westeros, hearing names such as Lannister and Baratheon get a mention: that's all part of the comfortable design. Some prequels evoke their predecessors perfectly, while also evolving into their own spaces. One of the absolute best examples, Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul, just finished up its run. From the first six episodes in its ten-chapter debut season, House of the Dragon is content with the initial part of that equation, flapping the same wings and getting the same reaction as GoT — doing what HBO knows will work, and endeavouring to put Game of Thrones' lacklustre ending in its slipstream. Thanks to its visibly hefty budget, as seen in what makes it on-screen (dragons and all), it easily and instantly looks the part; however, House of the Dragon's biggest strength in achieving its main aim springs from its packed cast. New show, similar story, more dragons, thrilling performances: that's also the blueprint — and when it works, it works. Considine, Smith, Alcock, D'Arcy, Carey, Cooke and company navigate been-there-done-that tales, but ensure this prequel do-over never plays like a mere and rote rehash. Considine can bring depth to any part he takes on, including House of the Dragon's Ned Stark equivalent, while Smith ranks alongside Ben Mendelsohn as one of the most compelling actors at playing shady and shifty that's working today. This isn't really Viserys and Daemon's story, though. It's Rhaenyra and Alicent's, and Alcock and D'Arcy, plus Carey and Cooke, are up to that task. Here be dragons, and here be the women forced to deal with more and worse, including their own complicated relationship. Yes, as sure as winter is coming, this is a Game of Thrones spinoff. Check out the full House of the Dragon trailer below: House of the Dragon airs and streams from Monday, August 22 Down Under via Foxtel and Binge in Australia and SoHo, Sky Go and Neon in New Zealand. Images: Ollie Upton/HBO.
Melbourne's outer suburb of Werribee is set to score a brand-new 24-hour arts festival filled with music, performances, live art and film. Taking over Chirnside Park from 6pm on Saturday, May 6 to 6pm on Sunday, May 7, the inaugural edition of 24 will be an all-ages affair that's free to explore, with a jam-packed program of happenings to keep you entertained non-stop for 1440 minutes straight. The Riverside Stage will play host to a broad-ranging lineup of acts, including all-female Wurundjeri dance outfit Djirri Djirri, reggae singer-songwriter Nhatty Man, and Amadou Suso & Friends Band, showing off those legendary skills on the kora (a West African stringed instrument). Tarabeat and MzRizk will treat audiences to a fusion of classic and contemporary Arabic tunes, while Halo Vocal Ensemble delivers their signature RnB-soaked sound. [caption id="attachment_895390" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Halo Vocal Ensemble[/caption] The multi-sensory fun continues off-stage, with a slew of giant installations and live art performances. You'll spy the massive tune-spinning robotic insect UKI, plus pop-up dance performances by Janette Hoe and a colourful cast of roving entertainers weaving through the night. You can unleash your own creativity with a couple of large-scale interactive works by Slow Art Collection, wander through a luminous garden maze made from recycled plastics, and see artist and designer Callum Preston (set builder for RONE's Time) transform a beat-up car into a neon masterpiece live in front of your eyes. There's a giant interactive kaleidoscope, games of glow-in-the-dark tennis and a silent disco that'll have you bopping from 11pm until 7am. You can even put your feet up, pop on some headphones and catch a flick, thanks to the 24-Hour Outdoor Cinema, which'll be screening back-to-back classics right through the festival. [caption id="attachment_895393" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'UKI', by John Palmer[/caption] Top image: 'Chromatica' by David Beach
Three Malaysian architecture students have won the 2010 Skyscraper Competition for their revolutionary and ambitious design of a prison in the sky. Chow Khoon Toong, Ong Tien Yee and Beh Ssi Cze proposed the Vertical Prison System, a prison that would be suspended above a city with the prisoners living in a 'free' community that contributes to the host city below, with the only access via elevator pods that run from the prison down to the ground. The reasoning behind the design is that studies have shown that rates of re-offending are so high because prisoners are not given the opportunity to rehabilitate in a desirable community. As well as avoiding the need for prison bars, the design includes farms, factories and recycling plants to produce goods for the wider community and serve to rehabilitate the inmates. The Vertical Prison System would revolutionalise the penitentiary system in a sustainable and ecological friendly design. The design also makes potential escape from the prison more difficult or at the very least more exciting, there would be no scaling walls, no Shawshank Redemption tunneling, however there would be plenty of opportunities for Hollywood blockbuster escape plans involving helicopters, jetpacks or ridiculous parachute designs.
The pooches of Melbourne will be on parade at this returning festival for our furriest of friends. On Sunday, May 27, Barkly Square in Brunswick will play host to the third Barkly Barks Dog Festival, complete with a dachshund dash, doggy day spa, professional trainers and more. The festival will cater to dogs of all shapes and sizes, with tons of activities for participants on both two legs and four. You can buy your pet a treat from Canine Wellness Kitchen, Melbourne's dog-friendly food truck; get some costumed pooch snaps and give your doggo a 'pupparazzi' moment; or take part in a dog trivia competition. But the main event is the dog parade, where gongs will be given out in a whole range of categories, including most obedient, best costume, and dog and owner lookalike. Not sure we'd want to win that one, even if there are prizes up for grabs.
If you'd like to spend the rest of 2022 hopping between music festivals and doing very little else, that's definitely a possibility. Everything from Splendour in the Grass and Falls Festival to Woodford Folk Fest, Spilt Milk, Lost Paradise, Festival X, Grapevine Gathering, Beyond The Valley and Jungle Love is making a comeback before the year is out — and, as just-announced, so is The Grass Is Greener. Queenslanders should already be familiar with the music, food and art festival, which made its debut back in 2016. In 2022, it'll return to Cairns and the Gold Coast, spreading the love from one end of the Sunshine State to the other. And in excellent news for festival fans and music lovers down south, it's also branching out further for the first time ever. Your destinations: Canberra and Geelong, with The Grass Is Greener expanding nationally but keeping a focus on bringing tunes to cities beyond the usual state capitals. It'll do the regional rounds across the last two weekends in October, starting on the Goldie, hopping down to the ACT, zipping back up to its Tropical North Queensland birthplace, then wrapping up its 2022 run in Victoria. "With plans to grow The Grass Is Greener into a national festival falling through in 2020, we couldn't be more thrilled to bring regional Australia a truly unique offering they deserve," said organisers Handpicked Group. Each 2022 stop will boast multiple — and themed — stages, other eye-catching activations, and VIP packages. Exactly who'll be on the bill won't be announced till Thursday, June 16; however, given that The Grass Is Greener has played host to Amy Shark, All Day, Hayden James, Ocean Alley and Tyga before, expect a characteristically impressive lineup spanning both international and Aussie artists. [caption id="attachment_856350" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Curdin Photo[/caption] THE GRASS IS GREENER 2022 DATES: Saturday, October 22 — Gold Coast Sunday, October 23 — Canberra Saturday, October 29 — Cairns Sunday, October 30 — Geelong The Grass Is Greener will hit the Gold Coast, Canberra, Cairns and Geelong in October 2022. The full lineup will be announced on Thursday, June 16 — head back here then for further details — with pre-sale tickets going on sale from Wednesday, June 22 and general sales from Thursday, June 23. Head to the festival website for more info and to register for pre-sales. Images: Mitch Lowe and Curdin Photo.
Melbourne's picnic baskets have had quite the workout so far in 2021, but one of their biggest moments to shine is about to arrive for another year. When Moonlight Cinema sets up its outdoor screen in the Royal Botanic Gardens from early December, it's officially cheese, snack and openair movie-viewing season. The end-of-year mainstay returns from Thursday, December 2–Sunday, March 27 with an impressive batch of films gracing its outdoor setup. Get ready to catch a heap of recent blockbusters, a smattering of brand new flicks and a lineup of Christmas movies. You can't run an openair cinema at the jolliest time of the year without the latter, obviously. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings opens the bill, with the lineup including Cruella, The Suicide Squad, Free Guy, Black Widow, Jungle Cruise, A Quiet Place Part II, Eternals, Red Notice and The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard as well. Also screening: Edgar Wright's new movie Last Night in Soho, animated sequel The Boss Baby: Family Business, Disney newbie Encanto, stage-to-screen musical Dear Evan Hansen and the family-friendly Clifford the Big Red Dog. Among the retro fare, Dirty Dancing is on the program; it would't be a Moonlight Cinema season without it, either. And, for your merry outdoor movie-watching pleasure, the Christmas selection includes Love Actually, The Holiday, Elf, The Grinch, Die Hard and Home Alone. It's also worth remembering that Moonlight Cinema is BYO — and there'll be food, snacks, a bar and (if you'd like to pay for them) bean bags as well. And, in great news for movie-loving pooches, you can bring them along, too.
Since first launching its multi-day dance festival fun back in 1998, Rainbow Serpent Festival has become a January long weekend staple in regional Victoria. But, just two weeks out from its 2020 event, the Lexton festival has had to cancel because of Victoria's catastrophic bushfires. In a statement released last night, a RSF spokesperson said the decision was made after a meeting and site inspection with the CFA, Victoria Police, Forest Fire Management Victoria and Pyrenees Council staff. "Due to a number of safety concerns stemming from the fire that affected the site and the wider bushfire impacts across the country, it was agreed that holding RSF over the scheduled weekend in Lexton simply isn't the right thing to do," the statement says. This fire season in Australia has already been a catastrophic one, with more than six-million hectares and thousands of homes destroyed and an estimated one billion animals killed by bushfires so far. Lorne's Falls Festival and NSW's Lost Paradise were both cancelled in December due to bushfire threats. https://www.facebook.com/rainbowHQ/photos/a.471687783050/10157255588898051/?type=3&theater There is some good news for music lovers, though. RSF has announced not one, but two replacement festivals. The first one will take place on Sunday, January 26 — coinciding with the festival original dates of January 24–27 — in Melbourne's CBD. Dubbed the Urban Edition, it'll feature multiple stages and "the majority of special guest performers from the original lineup". Exactly who and where haven't been announced just yet, but RSF promises these details will be released in the upcoming days. The second festival will be taking place in the original location over the Easter long weekend, April 10–14. Details other than the location — Lexton, a two-hour drive west from Melbourne — are currently scarce, but festival organisers have said the regional event is important to help support local communities and businesses. "This event is important for the rebuilding of the local communities that were directly impacted by the fires and boosting their local economy," organisers said in the statement. "As well as your Rainbow favourites, we'll be hosting a number of community related events including tree planting, a community working bee and the delayed opening of the Servo@23 Arts Hub." RSF organisers have said they're also looking at how else the two new events can help "drive community fundraising" for the bushfire relief. Ticket holders unable to attend one or both of the new events will be offered full and partial refunds — and new tickets will be released for those wanting to head along. Rainbow Serpent Festival: Urban Edition is happening on Sunday, January 26 in Melbourne's CBD and Rainbow Serpent Festival: Regen Edition is happening sometime between April 10–14 in Lexton, Victoria. For more information, keep an eye on the Rainbow Serpent website. Top image: Flickr
Having a parma and a pint at your local — and just having a meal out of the house in general — will be a reality once again come Monday, June 1, with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews revealing that cafes, restaurants, pubs and clubs will be able to reopen to dine-in customers — with some restrictions. Last Monday, the first stage of eased restrictions for the state were announced, which came into place from midnight on Tuesday — and includes five visitors allowed inside a house, and gatherings of ten outside. But, until now, Victoria's move out of lockdown hasn't extended to reopening the hospitality industry. Today, Sunday, May 17, however, the Premier revealed that cafes, restaurants, pubs and clubs can reopen to dine-in customers when June hits — with 20 patrons allowed indoors at once. The move only applies to food service, which means pubs and clubs can only reopen their dining areas. So, you won't be able to walk up to the bartender and order a jug, but you will be able to sit down and have a pint or two alongside your meal. Bars and gaming facilities in general will remain closed — including standalone bars — and so will food courts. The June 1 change will be followed by the further easing of patron limits in stages. From June 22, 50 people will be allowed in each establishment. Then, come mid-July — with a specific date yet to be revealed — 100 people will be allowed inside. These second and third stages are contingent on low COVID-19 cases numbers, low community transmission and high test rates, with the current plans set to be reviewed in the lead-up to each date. "The timelines we're announcing today are reliant on Victorians continuing to get tested when they show even mild symptoms and on those tests continuing to show low numbers of positive cases around the state," the Premier advised. https://twitter.com/DanielAndrewsMP/status/1261807402162155520 Venues and patrons will still be required to abide by social distancing requirements — including spacing tables 1.5 metres apart, and maintaining a strict distance of one customer per four square metres. Cafes, restaurants, pubs and clubs will also need to take names and contact details for every customer, for contact tracing purposes. And, there'll be extra cleaning, staff health screening and temperature check measures as well. In his statement, the Premier noted that further work will be needed in the coming weeks to explore options for managing shared areas such as entrances and bathrooms. The Victorian changes are a result of the state "smashing through our goal of 50,000 tests in the last week", the Premier advised, which has given the state "the confidence we need to plan to slowly start lifting some more restrictions". For more information about Victoria's eased hospitality restrictions, read the Premier's statement. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Top image: Julia Sansone.
It might be the oldest of its kind in Melbourne, but South Melbourne Market has a new-school attitude when it comes to helping out the planet, announcing it'll go entirely plastic bag-free from next week. Joining the worldwide war against single-use plastic, market traders will be greening up the site by ditching all plastic shopping bags from Wednesday, April 11. Customers will now have the option of buying a recyclable paper bag or multi-use shopping bag onsite, borrowing a free 'Boomerang Bag', or bringing along their own from home. The move seems a bit of a no-brainer, given the results of a South Melbourne Market survey last June, which found a huge 90% of shoppers supported banning single-use plastic bags and 96% were behind a campaign to get customers to BYO. "Single-use plastic bags cause enormous damage to our environment from the point of production right through to disposal, particularly along the foreshore, in our waterways and parklands," explained South Melbourne Market General Manager Ian Sumpter. "In overwhelming support for this initiative, our shoppers have told us they're willing to help us reduce this impact by bringing their own bags, so we are supporting our traders to make the transition to a plastic bag free market." The local initiative comes as businesses across Australia make moves to phase out plastic, with the country's biggest supermarket chains promising to be plastic bag-free by the end of the year. Supermarket giant Woolworths this week announced it'll make the move earlier than anticipated, axing single-use plastic bags from its stores nationwide from June 20.
Life might be a bittersweet symphony, as The Verve told us all back in 1997, but right now is a pretty great time to be a fan of a hugely influential late-90s teen flick that helped immortalise that very track. The movie in question is Cruel Intentions, of course, and it's about to hit the stage in Melbourne. And yes, the musical's soundtrack is filled hits from the era, including 'Bittersweet Symphony', obviously. Indeed, if that song and Placebo's 'Every You Every Me' get you thinking about Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon and Selma Blair, then you're clearly a fan of the film. And if you were a 90s or 00s teen who watched and rewatched the 1999 classic over and over again — soaking in all those dangerous liaisons, the scheming that went with them, Joshua Jackson's blonde locks and Gellar in a decidedly non-Buffy role — then you'll probably be first in line to see Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical. The movie-to-theatre production has been unleashing its teen tumult and throwback soundtrack in America since 2015, and now it's finally heading to our shores. Its Melbourne leg will kick off on Wednesday, May 25 at the Athenaeum Theatre, and run through till Saturday, June 25. Because it's a jukebox musical, Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical is also filled with a heap other tunes from that late 90s, early 00s era; think: *NYSNC's 'Bye Bye Bye', Britney Spears' 'Sometimes', No Doubt's 'Just A Girl', Jewel's 'Foolish Games', Christina Aguilera's 'Genie In A Bottle' and Sixpence None the Richer's 'Kiss Me', for starters. If you've seen the movie — the original, not the direct-to-video 2001 and 2004 sequels, one of which starred a very young Amy Adams (Dear Evan Hansen) taking over Gellar's role — then you'll know the story. Based on 1782 novel Les Liaisons dangereuses, which was also been adapted in the 1988 film Dangerous Liaisons with Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer and Uma Thurman, Cruel Intentions follows step-siblings Sebastian Valmont and Kathryn Merteuil. Manipulating each other's love lives is their main hobby, a pastime that levels up a few notches when Kathryn places a bet on whether Sebastian can sleep with Annette Hargrove, the headmaster's daughter at their exclusive prep school. Updated June 6.
Recently opening the Sydney Film Festival to great buzz, 20,000 Days on Earth is a documentary that's fiction. It imagines the 20,000th day on earth of singer and raconteur Nick Cave, and it's a day that includes him talking to his shrink, recording an album, helping archivists make sense of his historical record, lunching with his pals, driving Kylie Minogue around Brighton, and playing at the Sydney Opera House. A pretty great day, by any standards. Instead of clarity and chronology, what you get is a fragmented sense of biography that you have to put together yourself, or let wash over you as a series of impressions, sensations and enraptured moments. Artists-turned-directors Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard have basically conjured a new format here, made sweeter by the flair and flamboyance Cave brings. 20,000 Days on Earth is in cinemas on August 21, and thanks to Madman Entertainment, we have ten double in-season passes to give away in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=a8vy-DO-I5E
This article is sponsored by our partners, Ben & Jerry's Openair Cinemas. Watching a movie under the stars just got that little bit swankier. In partnership with the new Volkswagen Polo, Ben & Jerry's Openair Cinema have introduced a new premium ticket that lets film-lovers relax in comfort and style. Think Gold Class in the great outdoors. For the low price of just $27 when booked online, Volkswagen Polo Class ticket holders get the best seats on the beach. The special ticket includes extra comfy bean lounger seating, a cushion and a blanket, plus a delicious Ben & Jerry's shorty tub (we recommend New York Super Fudge Chunk) and a soft drink of your choice. Best of all, $2 from every ticket sold gets donated to WWF-Australia. There's only 30 of these prime pozzies per session, so book fast. If you'd like to chance to win free Polo Class tickets, head on over to the Ben & Jerry's Openair Cinema website and let them know what gives you confidence. Ben & Jerry's Openair Cinema runs from November 30 to December 21 at South Beach Reserve, next to the St Kilda Sea Baths. For the full program see their website.
We’ve known for a while that Public Enemy are headlining the eighth Golden Plains Festival next year, so we knew it would probably kick a fair few arses. But we had no idea it would be this many. The lineup includes such a tasty smorgasbord of local and international artists that the March long weekend can’t come quick enough. The overseas contingent boasts some of the world’s finest, including the soulful, confusing and perpetually beautiful Neko Case, Japanese funk legends Osaka Monaurail and Kiwi super-dub soldiers Fat Freddy’s Drop. The home crowd is just as exciting, with rock stalwarts You Am I leading the charge, followed closely by new rave pioneers Cut Copy and the supernatural soul crew that has earned Questlove’s glowing endorsement, Hiatus Kaiyote. The lineup is an eclectic mix of dance, funk, soul, blues and good ol’ rock 'n' roll, all spaced out with care over a long weekend in the country. Hot damn, we say to Golden Plains. Hot damn to the promise of a chilled-out festival in the middle of nowhere with a lineup that’s got something for everyone, and then a little more. Words cannot express. For the full lineup, check out the Golden Plains website. The ballot is open now for tickets.
Not a whole heap of regular folk can say they love flying. The crying babies, the contortions you perform to try and get comfy, the inevitable sore neck. But, there's something that makes it all a little better: the bar cart. The flight attendant finally rolls that booze-filled trolley to your aisle and you get to pick between a tiny white wine or a tiny red wine. Ah, the life. We're all missing travel at the moment, which, apart from the obvious, we can tell by how quickly Aussies snapped up the Qantas pjs when they went on sale. And to help ease some of that yearning, Qantas is selling 1000 bar carts. Yes, its bar carts. And they come stocked full of those mini bottles of booze, too. The bar carts are from the now-retired Boeing 747 fleet, which have gone to live in the Californian desert, and come in two sizes: a full cart or half. They will set you back a pretty penny, but you do get a lot of booze. The full cart is $1474.70 — or 256,000 points, if that is something you have — and includes 80 187-millilitre bottles of white wine, 80 of red wine, two sleeves of Tim Tams, two full bottles of champagne, four amenity kits, two first-class blankets and four sets of those coveted pjs, plus some smoked almonds and savoury biscuits. The half cart is quite literally half a cart and half of the contents, but not quite half of the price ($947.70). You can also buy the mini bottles individually for $2.99 a bottle. The carts can be delivered to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth metro postcodes. Yes, you could definitely just go and buy cheap wine and pretend you're on a plane — but, would it be as fun? No. So, get your mates to chip in and plan a night of low-altitude revelry. Qantas' bar carts are on sale until Friday, October 9 or until sold out. Snag yours over here.
Summer is over for now and spring is still almost half a year away. But if you want to start thinking ahead, Surfers Paradise is set to welcome a brand new attraction that'll keep you busy when the warm weather hits. Do you like hanging out by the beach? Splashing around in several pools? Enjoying a few games of volleyball on the sand? Watching a movie under the stars? If you answered yes to all of these questions — and you also like to spend your sunny days and starry nights kicking back in a cabana, hopping between multiple restaurants and bars, dancing to DJs and gathering the gang on a rooftop with a view — then you'll want to add Cali Beach Club to your must-visit list. First announced late in 2020 and originally scheduled to open this past summer, Cali Beach Club will feature all of the aforementioned facilities and activities in the one spot. Yes, it's going to be more than a little jam-packed with things to do when it launches just in time for spring this year. Although an exact opening date hasn't yet been revealed, the new precinct will officially open on the corner of Surfers Paradise Boulevard and Elkhorn Avenue sometime in August — perched four levels about the street, sprawling across more than 5000 square metres, and boasting vantages over both the ocean and the Surfers' skyline. The Gold Coast might be known for its theme parks, but this is shaping up to be the boozy adult alternative, as run by Australian hospitality group Artesian Hospitality. Whether you're a Brisbanite heading down the highway, a Sydney or Melbourne resident enjoying the lack of border restrictions, or hail from elsewhere in the country, you'll find quite the spread awaiting once you step inside. That includes four pools to swim in, and plenty of daybeds, sun lounges and cabanas where you can while away the hours. There'll also be exercise areas and sports facilities, such as the aforementioned beach volleyball court, and a dance floor as well. In terms of food and drink, you'll have options, thanks to two restaurants and four bars. Exact details of what they'll be serving, and what'll make them different from each other, haven't yet been revealed — but one eatery will sit right by the ocean. Come evening, a moonlit cinema will screen flicks by the water — again, though, no other details have been revealed. Showing Jaws and Point Break seems like a must, however, because everyone likes catching movies about the sea while they're literally right next to it. [caption id="attachment_793063" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Map of Cali Beach Club[/caption] All the other questions you're currently pondering — such as opening hours, cost, capacity and social distancing measures — haven't been answered yet either. But, while it looks perfect for spring and summer shenanigans, Cali Beach Club plans to operate year-round. The Gold Coast does have the weather for it, after all. And, although the precinct will officially welcome in the general public in August, it'll actually be completed sometime in June. Over that two-month gap, it'll let a few exclusive corporate functions and events — and even weddings — have the run of the place. If you or someone you know are currently looking for a space for a up to 150 guest for a special occasion, take note. Cali Beach Club will open on the corner of Surfers Paradise Boulevard and Elkhorn Avenue, Surfers Paradise, sometime in August 2021 — we'll update you when an exact date is announced.
As the home of Stranger Things, Netflix has been serving up big doses of 80s-themed nostalgia for the past five years. The platform has just found another way to get viewers thinking fondly about the past, however, all thanks to its new acquisition of the Roald Dahl Story Company (RDSC) — which includes all of the British author's beloved books. If this sounds familiar, that's because the big friendly giant of the streaming world first found itself a similar golden ticket back in 2018, when it announced that it was bringing 16 of the writer's classic novels to the service in animated form. That's still happening — including via two new series from Taika Waititi based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory — but this new purchase will significantly expand the amount of Dahl-inspired content hitting the streamer's catalogue. As part of the earlier deal with the RDSC, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, Matilda and The Twits are all slated to get adapted into animated television shows, so get ready for Oompa Loompas, everlasting gobstoppers and everyone's favourite book-loving schoolgirl with telekinetic abilities. They're already set to be joined by basically every Dahl novel you read and adored as a kid — including The BFG, Esio Trot, George's Marvellous Medicine, The Enormous Crocodile, The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me, Henry Sugar, Billy and the Minpins, The Magic Finger, Dirty Beasts and Rhyme Stew. The author's autobiographical efforts Boy – Tales of Childhood and Going Solo had also already been earmarked to hit the platform, with one detailing Dahl's youth and the other delving into his journeys to Africa as well as his service in World War II. For many of these works, including the tales about the author himself, it'll be the first time that they've been adapted for the screen. 🚨 Some very exciting breaking news🚨 https://t.co/uovvO3SYye — Netflix ANZ (@NetflixANZ) September 22, 2021 In its new announcement, Netflix advised that an adaptation of Matilda the Musical is also headed its way, but remained vague about exactly what viewers can expect otherwise. "As we bring these timeless tales to more audiences in new formats, we're committed to maintaining their unique spirit and their universal themes of surprise and kindness, while also sprinkling some fresh magic into the mix," the service advised in a statement. In other words, expect the tales you know and love, as well as tales that expand upon those tales. And, expect to have plenty of them to watch in years to come. Netflix also hasn't said when all this Dahl-based content will hit the platform, so you can't mark any dates in your calendar as yet. But if you just can't wait, Wes Anderson's delightful stop-motion animation version of Dahl's Fantastic Mr Fox is currently streaming on the service, as are a number of other flicks adapted from the writers' works — including both the original and recent versions of The Witches, plus 1996's Matilda. For more information about Netflix's acquisition of the Roald Dahl Story Company, head to the Netflix website.
The current true crime craze has filled our ears with acclaimed podcasts and packed our streaming queues with must-watch TV programs. Now, it's turning a former teen idol into a serial killer. After singing his way through high school, playing frat pranks at college and saving lives on California beaches, Zac Efron is swapping teen musicals, Bad Neighbours flicks and Baywatch remakes for a stint as notorious serial killer Ted Bundy. The end result is Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, which focuses not only on the horrific string of killings that would eventually lead to Bundy's arrest and execution (he confessed to 30 homicides, but is suspected of committing more), but also on his relationship with single mother Liz Kloepfer (Lily Collins). How did the infamous figure charm his victims? How did Kloepfer fall in love with a psychopath? Both questions sit at this heart of this crime thriller. The movie's first trailer, which dropped in late January, showed us that it's quite the change of pace for Efron, who has been garnering impressive reviews for his performance. Also starring John Malkovich and Haley Joel Osment, the film screened at the Sundance Film Festival earlier in the year, debuting 30 years after Bundy's execution on January 24, 1989 — almost to the day, a case of gruesome timing that obviously isn't a coincidence. Now, a second eerie trailer has dropped for the film (below). This time round, Efron is a lot less charming and whole heap more unsettling — which, you know, is appropriate (since he's a serial killer and all). True crime fiends will be happy to know that a release date has also dropped — and you only have to wait 30 days until the thriller hits your Netflix queues. Yep, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile will be hitting the streaming service on Friday, May 3. Maybe schedule in a long weekend. In the meantime, you can watch (or rewatch) the equally chilling Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, which are also on Netflix. And watch the new unsettling new trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdMtnvMJcDA&feature=youtu.be Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile will hit Netflix on May 3, 2019.
The teenagers of Point Place are at it again: hangin' out down the street, that is, usually in the Forman family basement. This time, decades have passed on- and off-screen since the world first met a group of high schoolers happily doing the same old things they did last week in the fictional Wisconsin town. Netflix's new That '90s Show picks up just over 15 years after That '70s Show's timeline, embracing all that the mid-90s had to offer from raves and Alanis Morissette's initial fame to video stores and Donkey Kong. (Yellowjackets isn't the only series going all-in three decades back right now.) For viewers, the 1995-set series arrives 17 years after its predecessor said farewell. The years might've changed, but the basics stay the same in a wave of familiar places, faces, scenarios and themes — and the overall formula. From 1998–2006, Eric Forman (Topher Grace, Home Economics), girl-next-door Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon, Orange Is the New Black), and pals including Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher, Vengeance), Jackie Burkhart (Mila Kunis, Luckiest Girl Alive) and Fez (Wilmer Valderrama, NCIS) earned That '70s Show's attention as they chatted through their hopes and dreams, got stoned frequently, and tried to work out who they were, who they loved and what they wanted. Now, doing the same is Eric and Donna's 14-year-old daughter Leia (Callie Haverda, The Lost Husband), plus the new friends she makes while visiting her loving, supportive but sometimes embarrassing empty-nester grandparents. It's during a July 4th weekend stopover at Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp, WandaVision) and Red's (Kurtwood Smith, The Dropout), aka her dad's childhood home, that Leia finds something she doesn't have in Chicago: peers that truly understand her. Despite dashing Eric's dreams of a father-daughter space camp trip just as Red is informing him and Donna that they're now "upstairs people", Leia decides to stay in Point Place for the summer. As perky as ever, Kitty is thrilled to have the house — all levels — filled with kids once more. The perennially cantankerous Red doesn't share or even feign her enthusiasm, but he is eager to start threatening another generation with an emphatic kick in the rear — and to call them all "dumbass". Those new teens? The elder Formans' neighbours Gwen (Ashley Aufderheide, Four Kids and It) and Nate (Maxwell Acee Donovan, Gabby Duran & The Unsittables) — one a feisty riot grrrl getting Leia to rebel for the first time in her life, the other the airhead successor to Michael Kelso — and their existing friends. There is a genuine Kelso, too, in the form of hunky ladies' man Jay (Mace Coronel, Colin in Black & White), who's firmly his dad's son. Rounding out the gang: the witty Ozzie (Reyn Doi, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar), the openly gay member of the group, and Nate's super-smart girlfriend Nikki (Sam Morelos, Forgetting Nobody). Including recognisable character traits and the entire new pot-smoking, basement-dwelling crew's dynamic, as well as their hijinks — and spanning the chaos brought by Gwen and Nate's mother Sherri (Andrea Anders, Ted Lasso) as a replacement for Eric's elder sister Laurie, plus the return of the same theme tune (but given a decade-appropriate makeover), the stoner circle and each episode's interludes — That '90s Show is the blatant doppelgänger of TV sequels. Reviving teen-centric hits from decades back is one of pop culture's favourite recent trends, covering everything from Saved by the Bell and Gossip Girl to Bel-Air, but this comeback is deeply determined to give exactly what worked the first time — and for 200 episodes at that — another spin. In a series developed by That '70s Show creators Bonnie Turner and Terry Turner alongside their daughter Lindsey Turner and also That '70s Show producer Gregg Mettler, cue layer upon layer of nostalgia — for That '70s Show and for the new series' own titular decade alike. Entertainingly for fans of the original, That '90s Show's love of nods and references to its predecessor is as vast as Eric's still-buzzing love for Star Wars (see: Leia's name, and Eric's job as a professor exploring the religion of Star Wars). Obviously, the Netflix continuation couldn't be called That '90s Show if it didn't embrace its namesake as well, complete with references to Clerks, Home Alone and Free Willy, and a Beverly Hills 90210-inspired fantasy sequence. The extra dose of nostalgia? Not only getting viewers thinking about That '70s Show and the 90s, but recalling watching it in the 90s and 00s, and also wading through its affection for the 70s at the same time. Here, nostalgia and familiarity are in, making any big new moves is out — other than for Leia when she decides to stay with Kitty and Red the summer, putting herself out there to make new friends and chasing her heart. Sticking with what this franchise knows could've been unambitious and straightforward, but it couldn't suit both That '70s Show and That '90s Show better. Before it made stars out of Grace, Prepon, and the now-married Kutcher and Kunis, a considerable part of the first series' appeal was its low-key vibe; it was a show to hang out with, just as its main players did with each other while they navigated recognisable and relatable suburban teen life. This follow-up knows not to depart from that key trait, just as it knows that the mechanics of being in high school haven't shifted no matter how long has passed. Could this be a continuation of That '70s Show if the old gang didn't show up at various points, including the OG Kelso, Jackie, now-celebrity hairdresser Fez and always-high hippie Leo (Tommy Chong, Color Out of Space)? Of course not. Could this new series escape the temptation to have Leia fall for Jay and use that will-they-won't-they situation as one of its ongoing threads? Of course not again. That '90s Show is an endearing, laidback, easily bingeable throwback all the same — well-cast, too, although Doi and Morelos deserve more focus if it returns for a second season — and one that gets its levels of dripping nostalgia exactly right. Case in point: when it opens, it's with Kitty dancing in her kitchen to the apt 'Groove Is in the Heart', that 1990 Deee-Lite hit that hailed back to the 70s. Check out the trailer for That '90s Show below: That '90s Show streams via Netflix. Images: Patrick Wymore/Netflix © 2022.
Believe it or not, it's been ten years of heading along to Hoyts on the weekend, smashing a large popcorn and a choc-top, and getting super jazzed up for whatever the latest Marvel film is. There's been 20 films since things started back in 2009 with Iron Man, and though they may be critically debated, nearly everyone can agree that they are at least entertaining. They give you that giddy blockbuster feeling that sticks around even when the lights go up and you realise you've got chocolate ice-cream all down your front. The Sun Theatre in Yarraville is honouring that feeling — and the fact that it's been a decade of Marvel Studios solidly churning out bangers — by putting on a Marvel Marathon. Showing 17 of the films, the bonanza will run over four Saturdays, starting with Iron Man on August 25 and finishing up with Avengers: Infinity War on September 15. (It will skip Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Incredible Hulk and the new Ant-Man and the Wasp.) You can purchase individual session passes online for $12, a full-day pass for $40–60 or go all out and cop a day or marathon pass from the box office for $150.
While the words "winter camp" might conjure up images of shivering in the woods and setting up wonky tents, banish those thoughts immediately — Chuckle Park's version of winter camp will warm you up from the inside out, mostly due to the fact that there will be free mulled wine on offer. Running from midday until 9pm on Sunday, July 29, it might just be the perfect place to celebrate making it past the halfway point of winter. The CBD bar is teaming up with distiller Melbourne Moonshine to create innovative and warming cocktails, including an apple pie-inspired shot and Smokey The Bear, made with whisky, apricot hickory bitters and hickory smoke in a bear-shaped jar. There will be DJs playing all day and a cookout is on the agenda with sausages, of course, as well as vegan options — and, all the cookout proceeds will go to New Beginnings Animals Rescue. Dogs are very welcome and there'll even be a best-dressed camper award, so get those thermals out. Getting back to the very important bit, though, free mulled wine will be flowing from 12–3pm, and you can add to the warmth by downing some free toasted marshmallows, too, which will be available all day.
If you're heading to Byron Bay this summer, get ready to ride the world's first solar-powered train. The two-carriage chugger was built in Sydney in 1949, but, from December 16, it'll travel along a three-kilometre track between downtown Byron Bay and Northbeach Station up near Sunrise Beach and the Byron arts and industrial estate, driven solely by the sun's energy. Byron Bay Railroad Company, which is operating as a non-profit, has spent four years restoring the train, which was in disuse. There are seats for 100 passengers, as well as standing room for extras and, importantly, space for surfboards and bicycles. To begin, the train will operate on a limited timetable, but will run once per hour between 8am and 10pm — at a cost of three bucks per person — from January. More frequent runs will be considered in line with passenger demand and operating costs. Back in the day, the train ran on diesel. Its conversion took place at the Lithgow Railway Workshop, where solar panels were added to the roof and solar-charged batteries installed. While Indian Railways did launch a solar-powered train earlier this year, the sun only powers the lights, fans and displays on that vehicle. By comparison, on this train, the batteries can power every system, including lighting, air compressors, control circuits and traction. And, should the sun hide its face for a while, they'll gain energy from the grid's green arm. One diesel engine has been removed and replaced with an electric drive package. The remaining diesel engine is staying on-board for to provide emergency back up in the case of an electrical glitch. The Byron Bay Railroad Company's services operate from 8am to 10pm daily from January. For more information, visit byronbaytrain.com.au.
Barbenheimer, aka the simultaneous release of Barbie and Oppenheimer on the silver screen on the same day, is the biggest thing in cinemas worldwide right now. Thanks to the current situation in Hollywood, it might just prove the biggest thing in picture palaces for the rest of 2023. With Tinseltown's actors and writers currently striking for better conditions, film studios are reportedly rethinking their release plans, which means likely pushing back some of the year's other big blockbusters until 2024. Already Down Under, Australian crime-thriller Force of Nature: The Dry 2 has ditched its planned August release, with star Eric Bana a member of the striking SAG-AFTRA. Unsurprisingly, it seems that more movies will follow — and globally. Variety reports that Dune: Part Two, Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom and The Colour Purple are among the titles being considered for a 2024 rendezvous with cinemagoers instead. Also possibly getting a release-date rethink, Variety predicts: The Marvels, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and Napoleon. Yes, it's happening again, maybe: just like when the pandemic sparked stay-at-home orders, restrictions and closed cinemas, a heap of big-name flicks might shift back their debuts in cinemas. The list of titles that Hollywood's studios are considering pushing is undoubtedly even longer — spanning more than sandworms, underwater superheroes, Oprah Winfrey-produced musicals, Marvel teamups, volunteering as tribute and French emperors. For cinema's spiciest sci-fi saga, this is a particularly familiar situation. Dune: Part One was delayed considerably due to COVID-19, jumping from Boxing Day 2020 to early December 2021. Wondering exactly why dates could be pushed back this time if the films are already finished, or the actors and writers have already done their parts? Neither stars nor scribes are permitted to promote films during the strike. That means no Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya talking about getting sandy, Jason Momoa chatting about life underwater and the like. Splashing famous faces around via interviews is usually a big part of a movie's promotional strategy — aka something that the studios value from actors, a fact that shouldn't escape notice given the current situation. Hollywood talents are fighting against diminishing residual payments for performers, and to establish firm rules about the future use of artificial intelligence in the industry, among other improvements to working conditions. When they took action in mid-July, SAG-AFTRA's members joined their counterparts in the Writers Guild of America, who've been striking since May. We'll update you if and when any of this year's big upcoming movies change their release date. Via Variety.
From the mind of Lee Child comes Jack Reacher. Reacher is a former Military Police Officer, reduced to living the life of a drifter after years of distinguished service. After a series of killings, Reacher is called in to determine whether or not the prime suspect is indeed responsible for the killings, or if something far more insidious is afoot. Jack Reacher is the creation of author Lee Child, who has written numerous novels on the mysterious character. Jack is now being portrayed on film by action superstar, Tom Cruise. The film also has a solid supporting cast including Rosamund Pike, Werner Herzog and Robert Duvall. The film is in cinemas now and is the perfect film if you are after something with a bit of intrigue and plenty of action.
Norwegian folk-pop darlings, Highasakite, are finally making their debut on Australian shores. Despite only being active for only the last three years, in that short period of time critics have drawn comparisons to Björk — not to mention Justin Vernon liked them so much after seeing them at a music festival he tweeted about it and invited them to tour alongside his band Bon Iver afterwards. Not too shabby. Highasakite's sophomore album, Silent Treatment, was released earlier this year and is the first to be internationally recognised. Ingrid Helene Håvik's soaring vocals are the driving force of each track, and finished with the sweeping orchestral-like percussives, the album really is elevated to grandiose affair. Perhaps the star of the album is single 'Since Last Wednesday', which seems to be the perfect song for summer road trips. If Highasakite managed to blow Bon Iver away, you're certainly going to be in for a pretty special show this Saturday at Howler. Supported by Hoodlem. https://youtube.com/watch?v=1GZHB0v7y6w
The rise of the smartphone has seen the demise of the public telephone booth. Good riddance, you might say — those things were an eyesore anyway (and they didn't even have Instagram). But it's a bit of a different story in the UK; their fire engine-red phone booth are iconic cultural landmarks, and the streets of London just wouldn't look the same without 'em. So to stop them from entering extinction, New York co-working company Bar Works are looking to repurpose the booths into tiny on-street offices. It's not the first time someone has decided to give telephone boxes a new life — Berlin have turned theirs into a series of mini nightclubs — but it certainly seems like the most productive way to use them. Pod Works, which will be launching in London, Edinburgh and Leeds, will transform the phone booths into mini workstations for people who are working in the city and need a place to tap out some emails, make a call or prep for a meeting on the go. The pod 'offices' will be fully equipped with Wi-Fi and internet connections, a printer and scanner, a wireless mouse, a 25-inch screen, a hot drinks machine and a power source. Membership will cost £19.99 (roughly AUD $39) and will allow you to access the pods whenever you like through an app on your phone. "Entrepreneurs and others constantly on the move need a convenient, affordable and private place to work," said CEO Jonathan Black in a press release. "Why should they sit in Starbucks or any other coffee bar when using one of our Pods will allow them to truly focus on their job before an important meeting or presentation at less than the price of two cups of coffee a week?" If you've ever had to make an important Skype call in a loud cafe with shitty Wi-Fi (or had to endure someone else doing the same), you'll know that an insulated internet pod is exactly what this world needs. Telstra, please take note. Image: Negative Space.
It's a series about the squabbling children of a global media baron who, after their father's health takes an unexpected turn, start trying to position themselves as next in line to the empire. It's obviously set among the one percent, in lives of luxury and privilege that most folks will never know, too. But the idea that depiction doesn't equal endorsement is as rich in Succession as its always-bickering characters. Created by Peep Show's Jesse Armstrong — someone who knows more than a thing or two about black comedy — this Emmy, Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics' Choice, Writers Guild and Directors Guild Award-winner is savagely witty, darkly biting and often laugh-out-loud funny about its chosen milieu. Succession also has one of the best casts currently on TV, and its stars keep picking up accolades and nominations that demonstrate just that. Brian Cox is as formidable as ever as family patriarch Logan Roy, but he's matched at every moment by Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin and Australian actor Sarah Snook as three of the four Roy children.
Autumn might be in full swing across Australia — whatever autumn looks like in your part of the country — but an endless summer now awaits. Fancy spending a year flying around the country, and the world, to various beach spots? Win Jetstar's latest giveaway and that's on your agenda. The Aussie airline is handing out a golden ticket — and, because it isn't Willy Wonka, there's no free chocolate involved. Instead, the carrier is gifting the lucky recipient a year's worth of free flights, although there is a limit to how much you can get soaring over a 12-month period. One person will receive up to $24,000 in Jetstar flights, which'll come in the form of 12 return flights to any beach within Australia, plus six international return flights — both for two people. So, if you win, your other half / bestie / sibling is going to want to start making holiday plans, too. Before you can go in the running for the contest, which is only open to over 18s, you need to start how Jetstar wants you to continue: by hitting up a local beach. Until Thursday, March 16, the airline is asking for your snaps — but where you'll need to head, when and what you'll need to do for your picture varies. On Saturday, March 11 in Melbourne, for instance, you'll need to head to Catani Gardens Beach in St Kilda between 10am–12pm. On Sunday, March 12 in Sydney, the same applies at Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club from 10am–12pm, too. At both spots, folks will find a pair of 14-karat gold trunks. And yes, that's what you'll need to take a photo of — a selfie, in fact — then upload it to Instagram Stories while tagging @JetstarAustralia #TheGoldenTicketTogs. Those shimmering swimmers won't be heading elsewhere, but residents of Canberra will still want to hit up Lake Burley Griffin from 9am–5pm on Monday, March 13 — and Adelaide inhabitants should make their way to Adelaide Oval from 9am–5pm on Tuesday, March 14. In Perth, you're going to City Beach from 9am–5pm on Wednesday, March 15. And southeast Queenslanders, including Brisbanites, have a date with the Pelican Beach boat ramp on the Gold Coast in their future from 9am–5pm on Thursday, March 16. Visit those togs-free spots in the ACT, SA, WA and Queensland, and you'll be looking for Golden Ticket Togs posters and billboards. Again, you'll need to take a pic, then upload to Instagram Stories while tagging @JetstarAustralia #TheGoldenTicketTogs. Jetstar advises that the most creative golden snap will win, so interpret that however you like. It'll then pick one per state/territory, and open up the ultimate winner to a public vote. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jetstar Australia (@jetstaraustralia) Jetstar's Golden Ticket Togs promotion runs on different dates in different states, closing with its Queensland leg on Thursday, March 16. Head to Jetstar's Instagram for further details, and the airline's website for terms and conditions. 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.
Seduced and Abandoned opens with a quote by the late great Orson Welles: "I look back on my life and it’s 95 percent running around trying to raise money to make movies and 5 percent actually making them. It's no way to live." It doesn't matter if you're a Hollywood heartthrob or have an Oscar on the mantlepiece. When it comes to movie business, everybody answers to the accountants. Enter Alec Baldwin and writer-director James Toback (Bugsy). Both veterans of the Hollywood meatgrinder, the pair decide to join forces in order to expose what makes the industry tick. Their plan: fly to the glamorous Cannes Film Festival and pitch a screenplay to cinema's elite. The result of their collaboration is an amusing and, at times, genuinely revealing doco — albeit one with distinctively niche appeal, and cloaked in an air of unmistakable self-satisfaction. Baldwin leverages his celebrity status into some seriously impressive interviews, from A-list actors like Jessica Chastain and Ryan Gosling, to celebrated directors including Martin Scorsese, Roman Polanski and Francis Ford Coppola. The latter group proves especially interesting — or at least will to the movies buffs at whom the film is squarely aimed. To think that no one wanted to fund Apocalypse Now despite Coppala having just completed the Godfather movies' is nothing short of staggering. The conversations with filmmakers are actually a lot more satisfying than Baldwin and Toback's phoney business meetings. The 'film' they're pitching is a reimagining of Bernado Bertolluci's sexually explicit drama Last Tango in Paris, summarised by Baldwin thusly: "a government operative and a lefty journalist meet in Iraq during the war… It’s like, 'the world is ending, let’s fuck'. We'll call the movie Last Tango in Tikrit." Of course, there is no movie. The pitch is designed to fail, thus proving Baldwin and Toback's conceit that it's virtually impossible to get a 'worthy' film project off the ground. While the deception is intended as tongue-in-check, the delivery still comes across as disingenuous — and more than a little on the smug side. The same descriptors could be applied to Baldwin himself, whose charm slips into pomposity on more than one occasion. Not to mention that, at the end of the day, being unable to raise $25 million to roll around in the nude with a beautiful actress kind of seems like a first-world problem. Then again, that's the shallow world in which the film takes place. Sure, we probably didn't need Toback and Baldwin to tell us the biz is a fickle mistress. But the way they relay the message is certainly entertaining.
Over the past few years, Qantas has launched 17-hour non-stop flights from Perth to London, and trialled even lengthier trips direct from the east coast to the UK and US. The Australian airline introduced biofuel into its jaunts from Melbourne to Los Angeles, and committed to phasing out single-use plastics and paper boarding passes. And, since 2014, it has also begun each year in an impressive way: by being named the safest airline to travel on. Earning the highly sought-after accolade again in 2020, the Aussie carrier has now topped AirlineRatings.com's list for seven years in a row. Entering its 100th year of operation, the airline emerged victorious from a pool of 405 carriers from around the world, with Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand also making the site's top 20. The other 17 airlines span EVA Air, Etihad, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Alaska Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airlines, TAP Portugal, SAS, Royal Jordanian, Swiss, Finnair, Lufthansa, Aer Lingus and KLM. If you're a budget-conscious flyer, the website also outlined the ten safest low-cost airlines. While Jetstar made the list last year, it didn't repeat the feat for 2020 — with Air Arabia, Flybe, Frontier, HK Express, IndiGo, Jetblue, Volaris, Vueling, Westjet and Wizz doing the honours instead. Factors that influence a carrier's placement on the two lists include crash and incident records, safety initiatives, fleet age, profitability, and audits by aviation governing bodies, industry bodies and governments. Via AirlineRatings.com.
It’s called Dracula Untold — a curious title in light of the fact that an IMDB search shows it’s already been told over 200 times. But perhaps there’s something new here? Nope. Did you know Dracula was originally Vlad the Impaler? Yep. Did you know his dastardly turn to darkness was a result of the death of his beloved Mina? Yep. Did you know he ‘vonts to sarrrrk your blaaaard’? Of course you did. Here’s the critical thing: a guy whose nickname includes the words “the Impaler” is not a nice guy. He’s an impaler. He impales people. Yet Dracula Untold sets out with the task of humanising a monster for the purposes of... what, exactly? There isn’t an ‘evil bias’ that needs to be redressed for the sake of balance. Nobody's crying out for Pol Pot to get a heartwarming movie of the week to ensure ‘his side of the story’ is told. Some people are simply savage wretches and wretches they will remain. In short: let villains be villains. Here, the villain isn’t Dracula, but instead the Turkish sultan ‘Mehmed', determined to claim 1000 young Transylvanian boys for his army. Sultan ‘Meh’ would be far more appropriate. He, like the rest of the film, is bland and unthreatening, afforded only a smattering of flavourless lines to occasionally remind us he’s a cold and unfeeling dictator. In response, Vlad opts to become a cold and unfeeling vampire to stop him and save Transylvania’s people. He’s a 19th-century Batman in that he’s a night-time vigilante capable of literally morphing into bats when he needs to get anywhere. The special effects are good, but who cares? This is a film that — lame pun absolutely intended — sucks.
Dust off your petticoat and get your doublets out of the attic — because London's historic Globe Theatre is heading online. You can't currently visit the site itself, which was originally built by Shakespeare's playing company and housed his greatest works; however you can watch six of the Bard's plays performed on its stages thanks to Shakespeare's Globe On Screen. History buffs and Shakespeare enthusiasts alike now have the opportunity to soak in productions on the venue's YouTube channel, with a different pre-recorded performance made available every fortnight. And, checking out these acclaimed works won't cost you a cent, with the six plays streaming for free. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TuR24xhtYg Until Sunday, April 19, ponder whether to be or not to be with a 2018 production of Hamlet. Then, between Monday, April 20–Sunday, May 3, revisit the star-cross'd romance of Romeo and Juliet, as performed in 2009. The fortnight spanning Monday, May 4–Sunday, May 17 will be all about a 2013 version of A Midsummer Night's Dream, with The Two Noble Kinsmen (from 2018; streaming from Monday, May 18–Sunday May 31), The Winter's Tale (from 2018; streaming from Monday, June 1–Sunday, June 14) and The Merry Wives of Windsor (from 2019; streaming from Monday, June 15–Sunday, June 28) all following. Top images: John Wildgoose / Shakespeare's Globe.
