Immerse yourself in history and flora at South Yarra's iconic Como House & Garden with the launch of a new European-style dining venue, Como Lane. Led by the Scott Picket Group (Chancery Lane, Estelle, Longrain, Longsong), this community-driven space combines top-notch cuisine and cafe culture with a program of cultural activities and workshops, serving as an extension of the surrounding estate. Situated in the heart of Como House's grounds inside the former gardeners' sheds, Como Lane is reminiscent of storied Parisian cafes. It's set amid the property's botanical communal garden — which dates back to 1847 — and is a thoroughly charming addition to the estate, offering the ideal spot for meets with friends and family when the sun beams down. Split between an inviting indoor setting and an ample al fresco space, Como Lane forges a strong connection with its surrounds. A seven-metre green tiled counter is a striking centrepiece, and pistachio green and beige rattan chairs surround white marble-topped round tables. Yet this refined space has been conceived with flexibility in mind, featuring a market-style grab-and-go concept alongside a sit-down cafe experience. The menu is a nod to both classic cafe fare as well as Pickett's journey as a chef, with a number of dishes taking their cue from some of the chef's most well-known signatures. It's easy to imagine starting the day with breakfast highlights like buttermilk pancakes with stone fruit, whipped crème fraîche and lemon myrtle or chilli scrambled eggs with Longrain's signature XO sauce. For lunch, there's a thoughtful selection of fresh and toasted sandwiches alongside larger options like market fish with herb dressing; chicken schnitzel with celeriac and apple, horseradish and spiced butter sauce; and a classic Wagyu beef burger with fries. The menu showcases quality local produce, as well as ingredients from the surrounding garden. To drink, expect beans from Merchant Coffee Roasters alongside hot chocolate, chai latte, tea, and a selection of cold-pressed juices. Plus, a charming retail space offers the chance to stock up on fresh flowers, jams, preserves and provisions made in-house and by local producers — or even just a grab-and-go pastry and coffee. Operating in tandem with Como House & Gardens, Como Lane will also act as a community space throughout the year, with flower workshops, high teas and other community gatherings already on the agenda for the space. "We look forward to becoming part of the local community's daily routine," says Pickett. "Whether you're coming in for a takeaway coffee, a catered picnic in the garden, or settling in for a long lunch followed by a tour of the grounds, Como Lane will be a flexible venue with something for everyone." Como Lane is now open Monday–Saturday from 9am–3pm and Sunday from 10am–3pm at 20 Como Avenue, South Yarra. Head to the venue's website for more information. Images: Alex Squadrito.
Anytime's a good time for oysters, but there's only one occasion where it's perfectly acceptable to gorge on them to the point of no return: the Oyster Frenzy. You must have heard of the Oyster Frenzy by now: a night where abandon is left at the door, and Melbourne's biggest oyster lovers converge to eat as many of the molluscs as they can humanly handle. It's at the same time the fanciest and the messiest buffet we can imagine. Oyster Frenzy #13 will go down at The Deck at The Prince on Thursday,August 25 from 6.30pm. As well as all-you-can-eat freshly shucked oysters — yes, all-you-can-eat — from SA, Tassie and NSW, there will also be other fancy seafood canapes such as fried barramundi sliders, clam arancini and spanner crab croquettes. This year will also feature both a mussel and a ceviche station, plus all the required beer, wine and cider to wash it down. Last year's Frenzy saw 22,032 oysters shucked and swallowed, so do what you need to prepare. And maybe try and get Friday off work.
It has won 11 Tony Awards. It's one of the Obamas' favourite musicals. A filmed version of its Broadway production was nominated for several Golden Globes. It was also the hit of Sydney since early 2021, and it's now making its way to Melbourne — and, if you're as keen to see Lin-Manuel Miranda's game-changing musical Hamilton as its namesake was about American politics in the 18th century, you just might be able to nab yourself a cheap ticket. As has happened with The Book of Mormon, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Moulin Rouge! The Musical, a ticket lottery is being held for Hamilton's Melbourne run at Her Majesty's Theatre. And, this one is cheap. Very cheap, in fact. Via Today Tix, you can sign up for your chance to score a ticket for just $10. Yes, that figure is accurate. Obviously, you won't want to throw away your shot to see the most talked-about musical of the decade for less than the price of a cocktail. To take part in the lottery, you will need to download the Today Tix app — which is available for iOS and Android — and submit your entry each Friday. The lottery will go live at 12.01am every Friday morning and close at 1pm the next Thursday, with winners drawn between 1–6pm on that Thursday. If your name is selected, you'll have an hour to claim your tickets from when you receive the good news. The first lottery will open on Friday, March 4, covering performances for dates between March 15–20. From then onwards, you'll be entering on a Friday, then hearing if you're successful on the following Thursday, all for performances that start the next week. And, if you need a reminder, you'll also be able to sign up for lottery alerts via Today Tix, too. The critically acclaimed hip hop musical, for which Miranda wrote the music, lyrics and the book, is about the life of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, as well as inclusion and politics in current-day America. In addition to its 11 Tony Awards, which include Best Musical, it has nabbed a Grammy Award and even a Pulitzer Prize. After hitting Broadway in 2015, then West End in 2017, Australians have been finally getting their turn — including Melburnians from Tuesday, March 15. Usually, tickets will set you back $70–200 a pop, so the $10 lottery really is an absolute bargain. Thinking about heading south from interstate to be in the room where it happens? A $10 ticket obviously makes that trip to Melbourne a much cheaper option. [caption id="attachment_817298" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hamilton, Daniel Boud, Destination NSW.[/caption] This isn't Miranda's first musical to hit Australia, of course, with his take on the classic 2000s film Bring It On: The Musical hitting Melbourne in 2018 and quadruple Tony Award-winning In The Heights playing a short season at the Sydney Opera House in 2019. While you wait for your lottery shot, you can watch the filmed version of Hamilton with the original Broadway cast on Disney+ — yes, it's as phenomenal as you've heard. Hamilton's Melbourne season kicks off on Tuesday, March 15 at Her Majesty's Theatre. Visit the musical's website for further details. To enter the Today Tix $10 lottery, download the company's iOS or Android app, and head to the company's website for more information — and to set up an alert. Top image: Hamilton, Daniel Boud, Destination NSW.
When stationery brand Moleskine opened its first permanent cafe in Milan back in 2016, it shot to the top of every notebook lover's must-visit spots. Given the popularity of their products, it should come as no surprise that opening additional eateries is on the company's to-do list, bringing its minimalist aesthetic to more places around the world. First, Moleskine has opened the doors on its second digs, in Beijing in the city's Taikoo Li shopping centre. Boasting neutral colours, plenty of space and ample natural light, as you'd expect given their clean design-loving ways, the open-concept 150-square metre space features both individual and communal tables — both indoors and in an al fresco area as well. Like its Milan predecessor, it's part cafe, part gallery, part library and part store; the kind of place where you can marvel at the decor while you're sipping tea and leafing through a few pages, and then pick up a notebook on your way out. Next on the agenda are cafes in Hamburg, London and New York, which are all due to open in 2018. Digital Arts Online reports that the eateries' menus will combine Italian and local cuisine across breakfast and lunch options, and showcase creativity through exhibitions dedicated to architects, designers, illustrators and film directors. A roster of events, talks and workshops will also be offered. Via Digital Arts Online. Image: Moleskine.
With winter making its chilly, soul-destroying presence well known this year, it's a relief that the Melbourne Writers Festival is nearly upon us. Giving us all a viable and damn near social opportunity to rug up with a good book, this bastion of our city's cultural calendar is about to stroll on into our jumper-clad, tea-loving lives and make things a whole lot brighter. But, because festival programs can be a bit bulky and overwhelming (how much reading do they expect us to do, right?) we've compiled a little checklist for you. From August 21-31, it's your solemn readerly duty to get along to one of each of the following. Get ready for some literature, politics and gin, people. This one's going to be a doozy. A headline act While last year's festival was near entirely eclipsed by Tavi Gevinson and her army of flower-crown faithful, the 2014 Melbourne Writers' Festival is billed with an array of seriously big names. The first few nights are filled with speeches from Helen Garner and Salman freakin' Rushdie, but our pick of the bunch is McScweeney's founding, Pulitzer Prize nominated, all-round excellent dude Dave Eggers. Not only was this man touted as the voice of his generation before Lena Dunham was even a thing, he's been killing it lately with two novels in the past two years (2013's disturbing indictment on our all-encompassing digital lives The Circle, and the recently released Your Fathers, Where Are They?). His seminal autobiographical work may have been cheekily titled A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, but anyone who's familiar with his writing will tell you that he really is a bit of a genius. Sure to sell out quick, Eggers is appearing in three sessions at this year's festival. Do yourself a favour and hear what he has to say. Meet McSweeney's, August 30, 3.30pm at The Wheeler Centre; Creativity, Childhood and Reading, August 31, 10.30am at The Wheeler Centre; Dave Eggers: Closing Night Address, August 31, 6pm at Deakin Edge. A weighty political conversation that goes slightly over your head Of course these festivals aren't just a place to worship the people pushing the pens, ultimately writers' festivals are a celebration of ideas. Thinkers of all sorts come out to play at MWF, and your festival experience isn't complete until you've jumped headfirst into a session that ever so slightly boggles your brain. Former Greens leader Bob Brown will be in attendance, "fighting for the future" with Jeff Sparrow of Overland. But the real heavyweight session comes courtesy of former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser and former Foreign Minister Bob Carr. Examining Australia's position between the world's superpowers, these political allstars will be in conversation over the future of our nation's power and allegiances. Yikes. Bring your notepads, kids. Malcolm Fraser & Bob Carr: In Conversation, August 22, 1pm at Deakin Edge. Tickets $19/$22. A bit of whimsy around the city Understandably not all literary lovers come to MWF in search of an intellectual dogfight. In fact it should come as no surprise that most people read and write to escape. Appealing to dreamers far and wide, this year's festival has heaps of events that harness the power of imagination. No longer will you spend your morning commute buried in the depths of your Instagram feed, #onboardbookclub has taken over our city's trams with a communal reading experience. No longer will you roam the CBD lost and bored, Lorelei Vashiti and Sofia Stefanovic are there to guide you through the city streets while plying you with stories, inspiration, and afternoon tea. In fact, there are a whole series of walking tours on offer this year. Our pick of the bunch is Lit Hop: a very unique pub crawl featuring trivia, debates, drinks, and literary karaoke (whatever that is) alongside Melbourne's best writers. Lit Hop, August 31, From 1pm onwards at various locations. Tickets $19/$22. A hands-on lesson from the best Perfect for those that actually want a bit of practical knowledge, MWF has brought out the big guns for 2014's Industry Insights series. Whether you're interested in travel writing, podcasts, or food, this year's festival has you covered. Teachers have come far and wide from the world's best publications to offer their advice and, though a few sessions have understandably already sold out, would-be TV critics are in a crazy amount of luck. This seminar with Emily Nussbaum of The New Yorker still has places left. She's said in the past that she doesn't want to "BS people"; she claims the job of TV critic is basically impossible to get anymore. But still, we think you should head along and double-check. Seminar: Writing about TV, August 22, 2.30pm at The Wheeler Centre. Tickets $40/$50. An unexpected outlook on the world Though you'd fully expect to see the champs from The New Yorker dishing out advice at a writers' festival, you might also find some knowledge in unexpected places. Chris Hadfield has come all the way from outer space to school you this year. Youtube's most famous astronaut and author of The Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, Hadfield is a rare find on the festival circuit. His keynote address at Melbourne Town Hall is rumoured to be somewhat interactive in nature, and that will no doubt include elements that contributed to his Youtube stardom. If he pulls out a rendition of this David Bowie epic, he's guaranteed to blow Salman Rushdie right out of the water. Chris Hadfield: An Astronaut's Guide to Life, August 21, 9.30pm at Melbourne Town Hall. Tickets $35/$40. A daily pick-me-up If you're a hardcore festival goer, you're going to need to a little sustenance to kickstart your brain each day. While literature, politics and gin sounds like the perfect combination, it can understandably drain you after a few days. Therefore, when the morning coffee just isn't enough to get your head back in the game, we suggest you head on down to Coffee & Papers. Hosted by journalists from The Age and The Courier these hour-long sessions are bound to get those brainwaves back in action. For those that like to ease their way into the day, The Morning Read offers a low-energy alternative. Sit back, relax, and let the words of the festival's authors drift over you as the caffeine kicks in. Coffee & Papers, August 23 & 29, 9am at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka, free; The Morning Read, daily, 10am at Optic Festival Club, free. A controversial conversation With all these big ideas and philosophies floating around, it seems inevitable that some tackle controversial topics. And really, your festival experience wouldn't be complete if you didn't dive head first into at least one challenging conversation. For starters, Russian-American journalist, activist and author Masha Gessen is in town talking about Pussy Riot, homophobia and her own personal struggles against oppression. These ideas are then taken to a broader level with other writers in Talking Points: Putin's Russia. If politics isn't your style, sex is also on the cards. On August 29 Alissa Nutting, author of 2013's controversial Tampa, is in conversation with upcoming novelist Jessie Cole. From its name alone, you can bet that What I Learned About Sex From Reading is bound to be one of the best sessions of the festival. Pussy Riot: A True Story, August 29, 2.30pm at Deakin Edge; Talking Points: Putin's Russia, August 30, 5.30pm at Deakin Edge; What I Learned About Sex From Reading, August 29, 1pm at ACMI's The Cube. A session that also combines your eternal love of food It's become a punchline lately, but we care about our food now more than ever. We want things to be sustainable, cheap, and above all gluten-free. Our relationship with what's on our plate is constantly changing, and our writers are getting right to the bottom of it. If you like your intellectual events served with a side of fine wine and good food, this is the event for you. Get the lowdown on the world of fine dining with writers Ronnie Scott, Andrea Frost, and Cindy Hauser; or dive in firsthand and treat yourself to a three-course meal while learning how to dine with a critic and an award-winning sommelier. Thinking and Drinking, various sessions around Melbourne, prices vary. A much-needed mood changer Salman Rushdie, Malcolm Fraser, oppression, privilege, doom, gloom, and sporadic slam poetry (it's not scheduled, but it'll almost certainly happen)... MWF can be a bit of a downer. I say it with love. I say it in the same way I complained about literature in high school. I moan about it in public to seem cooler, then secretly love it like the big nerd I am. Nevertheless, the odd lighter event can help lift the spirits. For loving jibes at family and embarrassing stories aplenty check out Benjamin and Michelle Law in discussion about their new book Sh*t Asian Mothers Say. Or if self-deprecation is more your thing, Funemployed (named after the recently released book by Justin Heazlewood) is the way to go. Clem Bastow, Tom Doig, John Safran, Ben Watt and The Bedroom Philosopher himself will all be bringing the bittersweet funnies about the difficulties of being a starving creative. Be warned: some of their insight may hit a little close to home. Sh*t Asian Mothers Say, August 30, 10am at ACMI The Cube; Funemployed, August 24, 6.30pm at Deakin Edge. A few famous faces after hours Aside from the panels and seminars and talks, a lot of the festival magic comes in the after hours action. Be bold, put on your most obnoxiously light-catching dress, and schmooze up with the famous writers. Head to the events that have a bar, hang around afterward and start a conversation. Of course, I'm not saying that Dave Eggers, Helen Garner and Salman Rushdie are all hanging out sippin' on gin and juice at the festival club every night. I'm just saying that if there's any chance of that happening, even once, even for a second, I want to be there to tactlessly butt in. The Melbourne Writers Festival runs from August 21-31. Check out the full program at the festival website.
“They are built on the idea of leisure, dreams, escape and entertainment,” says artist Anna Carey, reflecting on the connections between the three cities that occupy her exhibition Blue Angel. “The spaces were created to be reinvented — built for a good time not a long time. For some, these cities were a place of temporary escape, but many have made the escape permanent.” Anna Carey takes photographs of her home town, the Gold Coast, as well as the architecturally similar Los Angeles and Las Vegas, where she recently spent time travelling. The catch? She also builds the environments in the photographs, making finicky cardboard dioramas of buildings pulled from memory and her imagination. All three cities, having featured in countless films, hold various associations according to our collective memories and interpretations. We feel as though we know them well, and yet, how many of us can claim an intimate knowledge? Carey explains, “The art making becomes a process of overlapping multiple memories to create hybrid spaces drawn from and common to all three cities ... Even though the cities are very similar, each has a unique culture, expressed through its urban landscape. "The Gold Coast lifestyle is occupied with the outdoors because of its subtropical, natural landscape ... Los Angeles is similar because of the hills and the ocean; however, it is a much larger city and has a massive entertainment industry. Las Vegas is a place to indulge, with a variety of shows, spas, restaurants and gambling.” Influenced by an array of artists, “past and present”, Carey identifies a select few that she comes back to continually, finding “something new in the work every time”. These include Ed Ruscha, who photographs Los Angeles obsessively, using his camera as a means of documentation; Francys Alys, who “creates urban fictions”, attempting to “reflect the rhythm and narrative” of Mexico City; and Rachel Whiteread, because “her work House is genius”. Carey’s Blue Angel exhibition is on display at Sydney's Artereal (747 Darling Street, Rozelle; (02) 9818 7473) from May 7-31, 2014.
Questions flow freely in She Said, the powerful and methodical All the President's Men and Spotlight-style newspaper drama that tells the story behind the past decade's biggest entertainment story. On-screen, Zoe Kazan (Clickbait) and Carey Mulligan (The Dig) tend to be doing the asking, playing now Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. They query Harvey Weinstein's actions, including his treatment of women. They gently and respectfully press actors and Miramax employees about their traumatic dealings with the Hollywood honcho, and they politely see if some — if any — will go on the record about their experiences. And, they question Weinstein and others at his studio about accusations that'll lead to this famous headline: "Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades". As the entire world read at the time, those nine words were published on October 5, 2017, along with the distressing article that detailed some — but definitely not all — of Weinstein's behaviour. Everyone has witnessed the fallout, too, with Kantor and Twohey's story helping spark the #MeToo movement, electrifying the ongoing fight against sexual assault and gender inequality in the entertainment industry, and shining a spotlight on the gross misuses of authority that have long plagued Tinseltown. The piece also brought about Weinstein's swift downfall. As well as being sentenced to 23 years in prison in New York in 2020, he's currently standing trial for further charges in Los Angeles. Watching She Said, however, more questions spring for the audience. Here's the biggest heartbreaker: how easily could Kantor and Twohey's article never have come to fruition at all, leaving Weinstein free to continue his predatory harassment? In a female-driven movie on- and off-screen — including director Maria Schrader (I'm Your Man), screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz (Small Axe) and cinematographer Natasha Braier (Honey Boy) — She Said details all the moments where the pivotal piece of reporting could've been forced to take no for an answer, something that Weinstein wasn't known for. At the NYT, assistant managing editor Rebecca Corbett (Patricia Clarkson, Sharp Objects) and executive editor Dean Baquet (Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) are always supportive, starting when Kantor picks up the story, and continuing when she brings in Twohey fresh off an investigative article into Donald Trump's sexual misconduct. But, unsurprisingly, the women made victims by Weinstein are wary. Many also signed non-disclosure agreements. Kantor and Twohey's pitch: by speaking out and ideally going on the record, they can assist in ensuring that what they endured doesn't happen to anyone else. Knowing the end result, and the whole reason that She Said exists, doesn't dampen the film's potency or tension. Instead, it heightens the appreciation for the bravery of those who spoke out — at first and afterwards — and the care with which Kantor and Twohey handled their task. The two reporters knew that they were asking women to revisit their darkest traumas, make their worst ordeals public and take on a man who'd been untouchable for decades (with the spate of NDAs and settlements with many of his targets to prove it). Even Rose McGowan (voiced by The Plot Against America's Keilly McQuail) is hesitant; she's mentioned but not quoted in the final piece. Persevering to bring Weinstein's crimes to attention, Kantor and Twohey keep digging, and keep trying to persuade their potential interviewees — and She Said doubles as a lesson in compassionately and respectfully doing just that. Some of the women approached are household names, with Ashley Judd appearing as herself and Gwyneth Paltrow referenced but not seen. Others worked in less visible roles in Weinstein's orbit — and She Said's moments with Samantha Morton (The Serpent Queen), Jennifer Ehle (Saint Maud) and Angela Yeoh (The Batman) as ex-Miramax employees Zelda Perkins, Laura Madden and Rowena Chiu, helping the feature explore why they agreed to talk, are electrifying and heartbreaking at the same time. In a blistering scene set in a London cafe, Morton plays someone toughened by and determined because of her 90s efforts to stand up for a colleague, her anger radiating from the screen. Ehle is the face of sorrowful regret, with the pain she conveys about being accosted as a young woman — a flashback to which opens the movie — just as palpable. And Chiu is devastating as someone who hasn't even told her husband about what happened, such was is misplaced shame and lingering fear. Great procedurals, of which She Said is one, know the importance of three things: diligently putting pieces together, charting the dedicated efforts making that happen and showing the impact of a job well done. Not all such films get as satisfying an IRL ending — Zodiac is an all-timer and the serial killer it focuses on has never been caught — but conveying why the work matters is one of the genre's key aims. No one needs a movie to stress that fact here, obviously. The results of Kantor and Twohey's efforts have garnered headlines for five years now and will continue to. Still, consider She Said a testament to that hard work, and a film eager to ensure that toiling gets its due. It isn't a self-congratulatory flick, but a solidly compelling, sensitive and astute one. It never even lets Weinstein's face be sighted. And, it tells its tale with naturalistic, lived-in visuals, including in the NYT's offices and cafeteria, always emphasising that its details are real and tangible. Where 2019's chilling and exceptional The Assistant fictionalised a film production company led by a Weinstein type and the culture of sexual harassment it enabled, She Said always dwells in fact. Both movies are gripping, engaging, moving and essential, however, as well as attentively directed and outstandingly cast. For the second time in the past few years, Mulligan confronts the abhorrent treatment of women by men, and strikes back — and while this feature couldn't be more different tonally from Promising Young Woman, she's a firmly committed presence in both. Quiet strength emanates from Mulligan and Kazan alike, while their characters are doing their jobs and as they're balancing home lives. That juggling act is never the point of She Said, which seamlessly works in the pair's respective children, plus Twohey's pregnancy and post-natal depression. Nonetheless, including it helps reinforce the variety of ways that this is a women-centric story — crucially so — and what that means on an array of levels.
The United Colors of Benetton is at the centre of controversy after the company's new 'Unhate' campaign showed some of the world's leading political figures locking lips. Benetton's advertising campaign addressed some of the most vital conflicts in global politics and turned them on their head in six striking, amusing images. These include North Korea's Kim-Jong Il kissing South Korean president Lee Myung-bak in a passionate embrace, while President Obama gets cosy with Venezualan president, Hugo Chavez. A statement from the brand said that they 'seek to contribute to the creation of a new culture of tolerance, to combat hatred, building on Benetton’s underpinning values. It is another important step in the group’s social responsibility strategy: not a cosmetic exercise, but a contribution that will have a real impact on the international community.' Not surprisingly, the campaign has been widely condemned and been labelled as disrespectful. The Vatican formally requested that images of the Pope be removed, and even threatened legal action against the brand. Benetton has since complied with their requests and taken down the image of the Pope sharing the love with Sheik Ahmed el-Tayeb, an Egyptian Imam. Have Benetton overstepped the line here? Conservative homophobes across the globe seem to think so. However, if a handful of photoshopped images of world-famous leaders are enough to cause such a reaction, we really should applaud this well-executed advertising campaign and its clear message of acceptance and tolerance. [Via PSFK]
UPDATE, December 16, 2022: Top Gun: Maverick will be available to stream via Paramount+ from Thursday, December 22. As dripping with jingoism, machismo, militarism and sweat as cinema gets — and there really was oh-so-much sweat — 1986's Top Gun was a dream of a recruitment ad. The US Navy's aviation program couldn't have whipped up a stronger enlistment campaign in its wildest fantasies. Even if it had, getting Hollywood's gloss, a star who'd still be box-office catnip four decades later and Kenny Loggins' second-best movie tune (slipping in behind Footloose, of course) probably would've felt like a one-in-a-billion longshot. But all of the above, plus a lurid sheen and homoerotic gaze, didn't make Top Gun a good film. Loggins' 'Danger Zone' remains an earworm of a delight, but the feature it's synonymous with took a highway to the cheesy, cringey, puffed up, perpetually moist and aggressively toxic zone. The one exception: whenever Tony Scott's camera was focused on all that flying, rather than a smirking, reckless and arrogant Tom Cruise as a portrait of 80s bluster and vanity. Gliding into cinemas 36 years after its predecessor, Top Gun: Maverick is still at its best when its jets are soaring. The initial flick had the perfect song to describe exactly what these phenomenally well-executed and -choreographed action scenes feel like to view; yes, they'll take your breath away. Peppered throughout the movie, actually shot in real US Navy aircraft without a trace of digital effects, and as tense and spectacular as filmmaking can be in the feature's climactic sequences, they truly do make it seem as if you're watchin' in slow motion. Thankfully, this time that adrenaline kick is accompanied by a smarter and far more self-aware film, as directed by TRON: Legacy and Oblivion's Joseph Kosinski. Top Gun in the 80s was exactly what Top Gun in the 80s was always going to be — but Top Gun in the 2020s doesn't dare believe that nothing has changed, that Cruise's still-smug Maverick can't evolve, and that the world the movie releases into hasn't either. Early in the film — after Harold Faltermeyer's famous Top Gun anthem plays, text on-screen explains what the titular elite pilot training program is all about, a montage of fighter planes kicks in and then 'Danger Zone' sets an upbeat tone; that is, after the flick begins exactly as the first did — Captain Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell (Cruise, Mission: Impossible — Fallout) is given a dressing-down. Still as rebellious as his call sign makes plain, he's just wantonly disobeyed orders, flown a ridiculously expensive hypersonic test plane when he's not supposed to and caused quite the fallout. "The future is coming and you're not in it," he's told, and Top Gun: Maverick doesn't shy away from that notion. As its opening moments show, along with a touch too many other nostalgia-steeped touches elsewhere this sequel hasn't wholly flown on from the past; however, it actively reckons with it as well. Still hardly the navy's favourite despite his swagger, megawatt smile, gleaming aviators and unfailing self-confidence — well, really despite his need for speed and exceptional dogfighting skills in the air — Maverick is given one last assignment. His destination: Fightertown USA, the California-based Top Gun program he strutted his way through all those years ago. There's an enemy nation with a secret weapons base that needs destroying, and his talents are crucial. But, to his dismay, Maverick is only asked to teach. Given a squad lorded over by the brash Hangman (Glen Powell, Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood), and also including Coyote (Greg Tarzan Davis, Grey's Anatomy), Payback (Jay Ellis, Insecure), Fanboy (Danny Ramirez, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Phoenix (Monica Barbaro, Stumptown), Bob (Lewis Pullman, Outer Range) and the frosty Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw (Miles Teller, The Offer), he's tasked with training them to fly like he does, navigate a Star Wars-style impossible path that zips speedily at perilously low altitudes and, ideally, still survive the supremely dangerous mission. Yes, Bradley Bradshaw is a real name this franchise has given one of its characters. And, he's the son of Goose (Anthony Edwards, Inventing Anna), Maverick's beloved wingman in the original movie, whose death he hasn't come to terms with. Also, stressing that chip-off-the-ol'-block link via Hawaiian shirts, a moustache and a barroom 'Great Balls of Fire' singalong is among Top Gun: Maverick's clumsiest and most needlessly wistful moves — second only to its shirtless team-building beach football scene. Luckily, it's easy to excuse some such blatant nods backwards when interrogating why Maverick is like he is, what cost that's extracted from him and those in his orbit, and how he might climb beyond it is one of the film's main concerns. Plus, one of the feature's other blasts from the past, Maverick's reunion with his ex-adversary Iceman (Val Kilmer, The Snowman), couldn't be more movingly handled. Again, recognising that Maverick's heyday, and everything it instilled in him, has long been and gone proves as crucial in this sequel as those sensationally balletic jets swooping and spiralling above. Cruise's heyday as a mega movie superstar isn't yet behind him, though, and Top Gun: Maverick is also better for knowing that his hyper-committed showmanship is now rare. So, Kosinkski leans heavily on the Tom Cruise of it all — aka the spectacle that's a given when he's in action mode — while unpacking the Maverick of it all. That's how the film zooms deeper than the initial flick, especially into its protagonist, with screenwriters Ehren Kruger (Dumbo), Eric Warren Singer (American Hustle) and Christopher McQuarrie (the last two and upcoming two Mission: Impossible movies) imparting a convincing sense of human drama. Top Gun: Maverick still sports patriotism and militarism so thick it'd show up on radar. It's still sweaty, albeit not as much as the Fast and Furious franchise these days. And it still has a thin but charismatic romance, this time with Jennifer Connelly (who gets a winning music moment if you know what she was starring in back in 1986). And yet, it also faces the fact that flag-waving patriotism and testosterone-fuelled bravado are relics. Even better: while Top Gun: Maverick's exploration of loyalty, duty, camaraderie, bromance and facing your mistakes to be a better person comes second to its stunning aerial scenes, none of those themes completely fade from mind when the movie hits the sky. They're meant to up the stakes, and genuinely do. Indeed, Gun: Maverick's underlying emotions feel as authentic as the astonishing visuals that repeatedly defy gravity. With the latter, it comes as no surprise that Kosinkski's TRON: Legacy cinematographer Claudio Miranda does the honours, again delivering an astounding sight. Similarly, that such edge-of-your-seat sequences are stitched together by McQuarrie's Mission: Impossible editor Eddie Hamilton won't raise an eyebrow. Action cinema rarely gets more thrilling than this — and an action movie that's this visibly wondrous and entertaining, knows it's walking in familiar footsteps but puts in a bold effort to make this return trip mean something is electrifying and, yes, breathtaking.
If you're into the feeling you get when two of your favourite singers collaborate on a track — or when Chris Pratt, Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth are all in a movie together — we guarantee you'll be pretty happy about this news. Jewellery designer Emily Green and stylist Beckie Littler have joined their substantial forces to open a store in Preston in Melbourne's north: Pinky's. Pinky's is a pastel-coloured, light-filled, dreamily large space filled with ceramics, homewares and jewellery, with its array of wares all sandwiched together between bright floral walls. The pink-hued space features greenery and light wood, decor-wise — and it's not just a playground for adult eyes. The store also has a little cubby house especially for children to rollick about in while parents are busy shopping or just having a couple of minutes of peace. With both Emily and Beckie being mums, their knowledge and experience of both retail and motherhood have perhaps given the space just what a mum might need. Well, apart from coffee and a nap. Products range along the same cute, happy and pastel lines, including brands such as Emily's own line of jewellery, Leah Jackson ceramics, candles by Frankie Gusti, kids wares from Halcyon Nights and arty offerings from Shuturp. There's just as much garb for little ones as there is for bigger customers, meaning that your birthday present solutions will be taken care of across the board — and your "treat yourself" options for you too, of course. Emily's studio is situated behind the shop, alongside additional studios and a hireable multi-purpose space for workshops, shoots, or if you just want to stay at Pinky's forever and never leave. Given what's on offer, wanting to hang around is a completely understandable response. Find Pinky's at 28 Gilbert Road, Preston. The store is open 930am–4pm Wednesday to Saturday, and 930am–2pm on Sundays.
Somehow, entirely inexplicably, we're already into the second half of the year; soon we'll be thinking about Christmas. This year, skip the typical department stores and instead pick out unique gifts for your family and friends at The Big Design Market. Coming to Melbourne for the seventh time this December, the three-day independent designer extravaganza features over 230 stallholders selling furniture, fashion, homewares, textiles, and much more. With such a wide range of products, you're sure to find something for even the pickiest people on your list. The Big Design Market also offers a series of creative workshops (create your own works of art with The Plant Society and designers Abbey Rich, Sandra Eterovic and Cat Rabbit), a beautifully-designed outback-themed kids play area, and a smorgasbord of food options from local favourites like Gelato Messina, All Day Donuts, Harper and Blohm, Earl Canteen, Mörk Chocolate, ACE Cookies, Sensory Lab Coffee and Starward Whisky. You'll also have the chance to catch a specially-commissioned floral installation of five-metre-high flowers in giant gold vases by designer and illustrator Pete Cromer. Each year the market also puts together a showbag of goodies from some of Melbourne and Sydney's best designers, including Georgia Perry, Champ Co., Leif, Kester Black, Kleins Perfumery and Little Veggie Patch Co. A limited number will be available to purchase for $30 ($190 value). So prepare your bank account, and get ready to have your Christmas shopping done earlier than you ever have before. The market will be open from 10am till 9pm on Friday, 10am till 7pm on Saturday and 10am till 5pm on Sunday.
One of Melbourne's masters of creatively charged cafe fare is at it again. Kevin Li, the mind behind Lights in The Attic, 3Lives and The Crux & Co, has gifted the city with yet another supercharged brunch concept, with his Glen Waverley newcomer Cru+. Pronounced 'cru-plus', this open, marble-clad space has made its home within The Glen Shopping Centre, and its vibe apparently nods to both Tokyo train stations and the sort of high tea service you'd enjoy aboard the Orient Express. Designed by acclaimed studio EAT Architects, it's light, bright and contemporary, doing away with walls and showcasing a luxurious assembly of rich velvets and cool steel. The offering, too, is far from standard, headlined by the same style of intricate cakes and pastries made famous by sibling Crux & Co. There's no shortage of ingenuity here, with creations like the moody-looking charcoal and salted egg yolk croissant, a char sui pork eggs benedict featuring wasabi onion, miso hollandaise and pumpkin loaf, and a grilled miso salmon that's given the blowtorch treatment. The humble breakfast burger's been reimagined through a series of stuffed croissants, loaded with combinations like smoked salmon, dill crème fraîche and capers; buffalo mozzarella with salsa verde; and bacon, egg and barbecue sauce. Cru+ is also shaking things up with its build-a-box options, allowing diners to customise their own breakfast, lunch or high tea bento with additions like granola pots, sandwiches, croissants, salads and pastries. Vidda Flowers is lending extra life to the space, too, with an onsite pop-up florist, while that all-important coffee offering comes courtesy of a collaboration blend with Five Senses. Find Cru+ at The Glen Shopping Centre, K31, Ground Level, 235 Springvale Road, Glen Waverley. It's open Monday–Wednesday 9am–5.30pm, Thursday–Friday 9am–9pm, Saturday 9am–5pm and Sunday 10am–5pm.
The highly-anticipated line-up for the colossal Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has just emerged, and this year the Californian festival will feature one identical line-up playing twice on consecutive weekends in mid-April. On Friday April 13 & 20, indie rock duo The Black Keys will headline the shows after successfully selling out Madison Square Garden in a matter of minutes. Also performing will be staple house favourites Afrojack and Swedish House Mafia, while rap fans will be treated to a set from Kendrick Lamar, the West Coast's most prized up-and-comer. Concrete Playground was able to chat recently with Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys, who will also take the stage on the first day. On Saturday April 14 & 21, rock giants Radiohead grab the coveted headline spot, while hipster favourites Bon Iver and Feist tail closely behind. Electronic fans will be pleased with the addition of production wizards Flying Lotus and SBTRKT, two acts who are pushing the boundaries of electronic dance music with great creativity. The older demographic of festivalheads can dust off their studded leather jackets for a set from seventies punk legends the Buzzcocks. The final dates on Sunday April 15 & 22 will be headlined by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, and who better to close off this Californian festival than the duo who placed the state on the hip-hop map throughout the nineties and beyond. However, the real music shockwave this week was the reformation of At The Drive-In, who's relentless post-hardcore sound still goes unmatched. Instrumental hip-hop heads will also want to see the legendary DJ Shadow and lightning hands of AraabMUZIK, the self-proclaimed "MVP of the MPC." Gotye will fly the Australian flag as the only artist making the trip from Down Under for the 2012 instalment. You can check out the complete line-up here, but you might want to read it over at least four times, because there's an avalanche of artists to get through. This is a dream festival for most music fans, and a credit to organisers for gathering such a ecclectic range of sounds. If you have some spare coin and free time on your hands, there won't be many other options better than this. Head over to California for a weekend that will go down as one of the all-time greats.
More summertime magic is on its way: after first announcing four Australian shows for 2025, Childish Gambino has expanded his upcoming Down Under tour to add two extra gigs. Sydney and Melbourne, the musician that you also know as Donald Glover has expanded his stops in both cities — and, as Olivia Rodrigo also just did, he's popped more concerts on his itinerary before general ticket sales even start. This year started with Glover on-screen in the TV remake of Mr & Mrs Smith. Next year will begin with Childish Gambino returning to Australia on his The New World tour, on what will be his first trip to these shores since 2019. The rapper and hip hop talent won't just play tracks from his latest album Atavista — the finished version of 2020's 3.15.20 — but also from a career behind the microphone that dates back to 2011. Accordingly, expect to hear 'This Is America', 'Redbone', 'Sweatpants' and other songs from his past records Camp, Because the Internet and Awaken, My Love!. [caption id="attachment_955315" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eli Watson via Flickr.[/caption] Across February 2025, the Australian leg of the tour will kick off at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, then hop to Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena, Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena and RAC Arena in Perth. When he last headed this way — complete with a headline spot at Splendour in the Grass — it was after initially announcing a 2018 Australian tour, then cancelling it due to an ongoing injury. Before that, he performed at Falls Festival in 2016. Gambino mightn't have been on Aussie stages for a spell, but Glover had the final two seasons of Atlanta — both in 2022 — reach screens since he was last Down Under. Voice work on Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, producing TV series Swarm, the aforementioned Mr & Mrs Smith: they've all joined his resume as well. He'll also be heard as Simba again in Mufasa: The Lion King, the prequel to 2019's photorealistic version of The Lion King, before 2024 is out. On all Australian shows — and in New Zealand, too, which is also part of this tour — Gambino will be supported by Amaarae. [caption id="attachment_955317" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eli Watson via Flickr.[/caption] Childish Gambino 'The New World' Tour 2025 Australia and New Zealand Dates Tuesday, January 28 — Spark Arena, Auckland Saturday, February 1 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Tuesday, February 4–Wednesday, February 5 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Friday, February 7–Saturday, February 8 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Tuesday, February 11 — RAC Arena, Perth Childish Gambino is touring Australia and New Zealand in January and February 2025 — with ticket presales from Thursday, May 16, 2024 at staggered times, and general sales from Monday, May 20, 2024 (at 11am in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, all local times; and 1pm in Melbourne). Head to the tour website for further details.
In the space of less than a week, the last two Super Bowl half-time show headliners have both announced 2025 tours to Australia. First, Kendrick Lamar locked in a prime slot at Spilt Milk just months after taking to the field. Next, 2024's Super Bowl performer Usher has confirmed Aussie dates for his Past Present Future world tour. He's heading to Melbourne in November and Sydney in December. The appropriate reaction if you're an Usher fan: yeah! This will be the eight-time Grammy-winner's first Australian solo headline tour since 2011. Celebrating his three-decade career is the name of the game — which means going all the way back to his first single 'Call Me a Mack' from 1993, also playing tracks off of his latest 2024 album Coming Home, plus working his way through plenty in-between. "I can't wait to bring this tour to Australia, a place where I hope to retire in the future. See you soon!" said Usher, announcing his trip Down Under. Eight dates have been locked in for when Past Present Future makes its Aussie stop: four each at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne across Wednesday, November 19–Thursday, November 20 and Saturday, November 22–Sunday, November 23, plus another four at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney from Monday, December 1–Tuesday, December 2 and Thursday, December 4–Friday, December 5. And yes, that timing means that Usher and Lamar will be here at around the same time, given that Spilt Milk runs across the first two weekends of December. The first US shows on the Past Present Future tour were announced just days before Usher's Super Bowl set, which worked through hits from across his lengthy career itself. From August–December 2024, the Texas-born singer made his way across North American stages, before heading to Europe (including England, France, the Netherlands and Germany) from March 2025. Also popping up on his setlist across the tour so far: 'Yeah!', of course, plus everything from 'Can U Get Wit It', 'Nice & Slow', 'U Remind Me' and 'U Got It Bad' to 'Burn', 'OMG', 'Euphoria' and more. Usher Past Present Future World Tour Australia 2025 Dates Wednesday, November 19–Thursday, November 20 + Saturday, November 22–Sunday, November 23 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Monday, December 1–Tuesday, December 2 + Thursday, December 4–Friday, December 5 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Usher is touring Australia in November and December 2025. Presales start on Monday, May 12 at 11am for Melbourne and 12pm for Sydney, while general tickets go on sale at 12pm for Melbourne and 1pm for Sydney on Friday, May 16 — head to the tour website for more details. Images: Marcus Macdonald / Bellamy Brewster.
Rumours swirled in August and now it has been confirmed: Veronica Mars is making a small-screen comeback. The show initially lasted three seasons across 2004–2007, then set a crowdfunding record to get a movie off the ground in 2014, and even spawned two novels and a web series spin-off after that. Now, an eight-episode revival is slated to hit television screens in 2019. The teenage private eye drama will get a similar treatment to Twin Peaks — it'll be a revival featuring original cast members, rather than a new effort that remakes the same concept with different folks and starts all over again with its narrative. And yes, crucially, Ms Mars herself will return, with Kristen Bell confirmed to resume the role that brought her to fame. Bell herself announced the revival via a video on Instagram in which she says, "Veronica has always been a super hero without a Cape [sic]. And I think shes [sic] exactly what the world needs right now." Hulu, the streaming platform that turned The Handmaid's Tale into the phenomenon that it is, is behind the eight-episode new season. According to Variety, Veronica Mars creator and writer Rob Thomas (no, not that one) is also set to return — and is confirmed to be executive producing and writing the first episode. Bell will also executive produce alongside Diane Ruggiero-Wright and Dan Etheridge, who were both involved in the original seasons and film. The new season will see Neptune's favourite blonde-haired, pint-sized sleuth again solving mysteries in the seaside town. This time, however, she has been hired by the parents of a dead spring breaker to investigate a string of murders and is drawn into a power struggle between the town's wealthy elite and its working class. There's no word yet on what other big names have been signed on for the show — or which of Veronica's ex-boyfriends will re-emerge — but, given that the original show featured appearances from Amanda Seyfried, Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat and Michael Cera, Buffy's Alyson Hannigan and Charisma Carpenter, New Girl's Max Greenfield, Thor: Ragnarok's Tessa Thompson and more, you can probably expect a few familiar faces to pop up. With Hulu picking up the revival, we're not sure when Veronica Mars 2.0 will be hitting Aussie and NZ TV screens. As it's slated to debut in 2019, we're hoping it won't take long to head down under. We'll update as soon as we know more. Via Variety.
It's lucky that Chris Pine is so likeable in Wonder Woman 1984, or the scene where his character wanders around in the titular year and marvels slack-jawed at the advancements of the period would be unbearably cheesy. It's still cheesy, and inescapably so. He's wearing a bumbag, so it has to be. But, it's also engagingly performed. The look on his face: wonder. The A Wrinkle In Time star once again plays American pilot Steve Trevor, who was last seen in 1918 in Wonder Woman. He's now a man thrust far beyond his own time, and he has much to marvel at. But this sequence also acts as a stark reminder, sending a message to the audience about the film they're watching. No matter how much returning director Patty Jenkins and the powers-that-be behind the DC Extended Universe hope that Wonder Woman 1984's viewers share the same expression — and how much they believe that simply making a sequel to their 2017 blockbuster is enough to cause it — the movie doesn't earn much more than a resigned sigh. When it hit cinemas three years ago, the first movie about Princess Diana of Themyscira — also known as Diana Prince — stood out. Even though the DCEU started five years after the Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC bested its rival by focusing on a female character in its fourth film (for Marvel, it took 21 pictures, only achieving the feat with 2019's Captain Marvel). DC didn't waste its opportunity, either. Wonder Woman isn't a mere cookie-cutter superhero flick, just focusing on a character of a different gender. It champions understanding and emotional intelligence, handles its engaging origin story with sincerity and warmth, and unfurls an adventure where both strength and vulnerability exist in tandem. It also relays a fulfilling tale; a sequel was inevitable, but the initial feature didn't just whet the audience's appetite for the next, plus all the other caped crusader films certain to follow. In other words, Wonder Woman bakes the traits that make its eponymous figure something special into its story and approach, and is all the better for it. In contrast, Wonder Woman 1984 has Diana (Gal Gadot, Justice League) tell everyone again and again that being truthful is far more important than anything else — after an opening scene set among her matriarchal society of Amazons, where she learns the lesson as a girl (Lilly Aspell, Holmes & Watson) during a high-stakes competition against older women. And, with the brightly hued film arriving after a year almost starved of franchise-related comic book tales (other than the pre-pandemic opening of Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) and the long-delayed release of The New Mutants), this sequel has also decided that more is more in the easiest of fashions. Wonder Woman 1984 doesn't spin the most complicated story, but it's so repetitive and meandering across its 151-minute running time that it's needlessly bulky, muddled and weighed down. A few notable scenes aside, its glossily shot action sequences share the same dragged-out, overblown sensation. Jumping forward almost seven decades within the Wonder Woman films' timeline, Diana has taken up an anthropologist job at the Smithsonian, and turned swinging through malls on her Lasso of Truth to fight crime into her side hustle. But then insecure archaeologist Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig, Where'd You Go, Bernadette) starts working beside her, gets tasked with assessing a mysterious gem, and lets Donald Trump-esque infomercial salesman Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal, The Mandalorian) take the strange object home with him. It's no ordinary rock, however. It grants wishes, so Maxwell wants to take advantage of that power — and, unknowingly, both Diana and Barbara have already uttered their dreams aloud while holding the stone. These fantasies come at a cost, of course, even before Maxwell uses his to try to take over the world. Yes, in the script penned by Jenkins, Geoff Johns (Aquaman) and Dave Callaham (Zombieland: Double Tap), a magic rock drives the plot — and the aforementioned, overstressed idea that truth triumphs over all, too. Accordingly, it's no wonder (pun intended) that Wonder Woman 1984 feels padded out. And, with Steve's return, Maxwell's hunger for domination and Barbara's transformation into comic book character Cheetah all demanding attention, it's little surprise that Wonder Woman herself is rarely the main attraction. The film misses her, even though she's supposed to be its protagonist. Perhaps that's why the movie opts for spouting the same maxim over and over, instead of sharing her characteristics. It's harder to make a feature that reflects its chief figure when that ostensible point of focus is so often pushed aside. It's far easier to stick to a broad template, stretch it out and assume everyone will just be pleased that Wonder Woman is back in a movie that bears her name. Wonder Woman 1984 also shares Captain Marvel's struggle, because it's so generic that it doesn't ever do its central character justice — or do much more than deliver a paint-by-numbers tale set in a decades-ago era with a woman as its primary superhero. Perhaps serving up lacklustre, formulaic flicks about male and female caped crusaders alike is Hollywood's idea of equality? Viewers are always left wanting more here, because Gadot demands it. She's immensely charming and graceful as the warrior queen — radiating empathy and decency with an earthiness that should clash with Wonder Woman's shining armour and golden tiara, but doesn't — and navigates tightly choreographed stunts as deftly as big emotional moments. She's nicely paired with both Pine and Wiig, the latter first as a friend and later an adversary, but Gadot sparks her own wonder. Wonder Woman 1984 certainly knows how to trot out well-worn beats packaged as part-upbeat heroism, part-social satire, but it just doesn't realise where its true strengths reside often enough. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW2E2Fnh52w
If you're thinking about heading along to an industry event or panel discussion at Melbourne Music Week this year, this would be our pick. Face the Music industry conference is now in its eighth year, and conveniently coincides with the festival. The session we're most interested in is Music Journalism: The Critical Mass. Music journalism comes in many different shapes and forms these days, from independent music blogs to long form magazine essays, and too many interviews to count. While it's fantastic, we have so many enthusiastic voices wanting to share their passion and knowledge of the next big thing in music. So how can you make sure your voice is heard over the others? That's where the experts come in. This panel will include Fred Pessaro (VICE Music), Mathew Coyte (Rolling Stone Australia), Brodie Lancaster (Rookie, Pitchfork) and Marcus Teague (The Age, Rolling Stone, The Guardian), and will be moderated by author and journalist Jenny Valentish. Online ticket sales have now closed, but tickets will be available from the front desk on both days. A two day pass will set you back $120, while a single day pass is $80. Image credit: Alean Penaflor
A hotel quarantine worker from Melbourne's Grand Hayatt Hotel returned a positive test result for COVID-19 on Wednesday, February 3. In response, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced the state will reintroduce restrictions on gatherings and face masks. As of 11.59pm on Wednesday, February 3, the number of people allowed to gather in a household has now been reduced from 30 to 15. Members of the household and children under 12 are not included in the 15 visitors limit. Face masks are now mandatory in public indoor spaces and it's strongly recommended that you wear a face mask when visiting someone at their house or when having visitors over. In addition to the reintroduction of these restrictions, the states plan to reintroduce 75 percent of both the public and private sector to their workplaces on Monday, February 8 has been placed on hold. Instead, the current cap of 50 percent will remain. Up to 100 people can still gather in outdoor places and there has not yet been any changes to restrictions surrounding hospitality, weddings or funerals. The worker last worked at the hotel on Friday, January 29 and returned a negative result at the end of their shift before developing symptoms and being retested on Tuesday, February 2. Premier Andrews said while there was no need for people to panic, "we have to assume that this person has in fact infected others". A full list of exposure sites is available on the Victorian Health website. Anyone who attended these venues at the specified times is required to get tested immediately and self isolate for 14 days. https://twitter.com/VicGovDH/status/1356930162391015424 For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Victoria and current restrictions, head to the DHHS website.
East Malvern's humble Central Park isn't quite as grand as the one in NYC, but it'll certainly be tastier with the East Malvern Food and Wine Festival coming to its green lawns on Sunday, November 18. The weather will (surely) be warming up by then and it'll be a wise call to spend a day in the park — especially when you add 20 Victorian wineries and a handful of breweries into the mix. Go along to taste vino from Bendigo, Rutherglen and Heathcote regions, beers from Cheltenham's Bad Shepherd Brewing Co. and the Yarra Valley's Coldstream Brewery, and taste till your heart is content and you've forgotten tomorrow is Monday. Four Pillars will also be there slinging G&Ts, Mr Black will be shaking espresso martinis and there will be a bar dedicated to Aperol spritzes. Food-wise, there'll be snacks from Riserva, as well as pop-ups from Nepal Dining, Richmond Oysters and an ice cream stall where you can really go all out and treat yourself. You'll be able to stock up on artisanal produce and, if you or your mates have kids, you can send them to a magician masterclass. Meanwhile, your other (furrier) kids can score some doggie treats from the Canine Wellness Truck. The event is free to attend — you'll just need to buy your food and wine as you go.
There are many reasons first-time restauranteurs often fail. It might be that their management lets them down. Sometimes they're just not so great with the money side of it all. But occasionally their failure can be due to something much more simple. Take for instance, Brooklyn's forthcoming all-Nutella restaurant Nutelleria. They've timed their exciting culinary venture perfectly with a worldwide shortage of their primary ingredient. Good job, guys. Of course, we may be speaking prematurely. The restaurant hasn't even opened yet, and it's being met with considerable hype from local media — who wouldn't want a dedicated Nutella creperie around the corner from their house? And, a couple of weeks ago, we would have been totally on board too. On their upcoming menu, there's supposedly a sandwich made out of waffles crammed full of Nutella and bacon. You'd have to be either a dietician or a diabetic to be against such a heavenly creation. But all this was before the tragic news that hazelnuts will be in short supply for the foreseeable future. Due to devastating weather in Turkey — the product's main producers — most of the season's hazelnut crops were completely decimated. Now, hazelnuts are the most expensive they've been in the past 10 years and people all over the world are hoarding Nutella like the gooey, liquid gold it really is. Jamming an extraordinary 50 hazelnuts into every jar, Nutella in fact uses 25 per cent of the world's hazelnuts and would no doubt be hit hardest by the alleged shortage. And, although Ferrero has invested considerable money to ensure there are no halts in their hazelnut supply, Nutella fans are understandably sceptical. Even with a full global stock of the product, prices are expected to rise. While this is bad news for everyone, it's sure bank-breaking for the planned Nutelleria. Especially when that's combined with the fact its owners don't have any legal permission to launch a store around the copyrighted product. "[We're] simply Nutella® enthusiasts that decided to share our love for Nutella® with the rest of the world," their website states. All in all, we hope it works out for them. A world where everyone has access to Nutella and bacon waffle sandwiches is a world we want to live in. But if their new store and copycats like it end up being responsible for a worldwide Nutella shortage, we predict a riot. Via Grub Street. Photo credit: PG.NETO via photopin cc.
Having brightened the workday week in the CBD for some time now, Cuff is now opening on Saturdays. Head in between 8am–2:30pm for a three-course brunch with the option of bottomless drinks. For a fancy take on the humble scrambled egg, go for the spicy chilli scramble. Your eggs will come peppered with chorizo, lashed with basil pesto, given a creamy touch with togarashi aioli, and finished with parmesan – all served on a flaky croissant. Sweet tooths might be more interested in the waffle crunch. It's a liege waffle plus a croissant, smeared with lemon curd, layered with raspberry coulis, and topped with strawberry wafers, fresh berries and a Drumstick. There's also a few lunch-y offerings, including seared crispy skin salmon with watercress green goddess sauce and a colourful red quinoa salad, as well as a decadent seafood risotto. To make a real occasion of it, add the Spritz and Giggles package, which gives you unlimited drinks for just 35 bucks. As always, Zest coffee is on brew, and you'll be soundtracked by a party-starting playlist.
The celebrations have been a little scarce so far this year, but the festive season is coming in hot and the country is good and ready for some revelry. If you're a lover of craft brews, you won't find a much better accompaniment for those holiday happenings than the latest limited-edition offering from boutique booze retailer Craft Cartel: Australia's largest ever case of craft beer. Available now for pre-sale, the 100 Can Case features a monster edit of 100 tinnies from 25 of the country's best-loved indie breweries. Enough to see you through a good chunk of the summer picnics, backyard barbecues, beach sessions and Christmas Day lunches to come. Or, if you're the sharing type, enough to make you one very popular Christmas party guest. Favourites like Akasha, Bentspoke Brewing Co, Sauce Brewing and Young Henrys have goodies in the box, as do a range of the Victorian breweries hit especially hard by extra lockdowns this year, including Mornington Peninsula Brewery and Bridge Road Brewers. The style lineup is broad, too, featuring NEIPAs, brown ales and just about everything in between. They're all housed in a limited-edition custom timber box, with the whole thing clocking in at an impressive 40 kilograms. And, while it'll set you back a cool $499, the 100 Can Case also comes with ten $20 Craft Cartel vouchers, effectively sorting out all your Christmas present shopping in one neat hit. Of course, it's not the first time Craft Cartel has gone big on the beer front. Earlier this year, it stocked the slightly smaller Pabst Blue Ribbon 99 Can Carton, packed with 99 tins of the legendary USA lager. To register for pre-sale of the 100 Can Craft Beer Case, head to the website now. If there's stock left, it'll then go on sale to the general public this Thursday, November 26, for $499.
If you were planning on catching an Uber to work or uni this morning, you may need to think again. Thousands of drivers have logged off the app — during Monday's peak hour — in a bid to curb upfront pricing and penalties. At present, drivers receive an upfront amount instead of being paid for time and distance travelled and are penalised for opting out of UberPools. Drivers also want rates increased by 15 percent, which were reduced back in 2016. The strike comes amid strong competition from Ola and Taxify, both which offer cheaper fares for riders and take a smaller commission cut compared to Uber — Taxify takes a 15 percent cut compared to Uber's 20-25 percent. The drivers will strike until 9.30am today in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth. via news.com.au
Skip the airfares, hefty ticket spends and get-to-the-front crowd panic, you can stream Chicago's Lollapalooza festival right from your own snuggly warm bed. Thanks to the legends over at Red Bull TV, you'll be able to stream the entire three days worth of live shenanigans from their exclusive channel. Chicago's historic Grant Park will play host to some pretty big ol' must-streams this weekend. With the recently Splendour-victorious OutKast headlining alongside Lorde, Arctic Monkeys, Foster the People, CHVRCHES, Interpol, Childish Gambino, Calvin Harris, Kings of Leon, Glen Hansard, Chromeo, The 1975, Jenny Lewis, Courtney Barnett and a severe bucketload more (over 100 woah-inducing names) on the lineup, that's the best excuse for staying home and cleaning your house to tunes we've ever heard. With three channels of ridiculously solid programming over five stages, you'll be the worst remote pest ever (but warranted). There's over 200 hours of exclusive content as well as the sets, so you can duck backstage for some Lolla tomfoolery, artist interviews, unique POV angles and festival highlight throwbacks. It's a new era for Lolla. Since Perry Farrell started the whole thing in 1991, they've regularly rivaled Coachella for lineup steeze and have now extended to Lollapalooza Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. Now they're teaming up with Red Bull TV to take Lolla global, we're pretty stoked to feel all included in the 'palooza festivities (and we don't even have to buy a token inappropriate headdress to get involved). The livestream will kick off at 5am AEST tomorrow morning until 1pm AEST on Monday. Red Bull TV is accessible via the web at www.redbull.tv and its Android and iOS applications, as a pre-installed channel on Apple TV, and as a free, downloadable app on Samsung Smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV, Kindle Fire, Xbox 360, Chromecast, and iOS and Android devices.
It's not often you get to see bears casually drinking next to cheetahs. New York-based artist Cai Guo-Qiang's first solo exhibition in Australia is something of a cross between The Lion King and Noah's Ark that way. The exhibition, titled Falling Back to Earth, consists of three large-scale, nature-inspired installations, two of which are commissions inspired by the artist's own experiences in Australia. Heritage (2013) features 99 lifelike animals from all around the world drinking from a blue lake surrounded by white sand. The other new work is Eucalyptus (2013), a long gum tree extending the length of the gallery, and the third piece on display is the artist's famous and fabulous Head On (2006), where 99 artificial wolves are shown in various stages of colliding with a glass wall. The exhibition will be at Queensland's Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) until May 11, 2014. The exhibition also includes an interactive element for children, an illustrated book, videos and regular Chinese tea ceremonies. Images from Cai Guo-Qiang Studio Blog and QAGOMA.
After The Hayloft Project announced they’d be moving from Melbourne to Sydney, some critics suggested the move had more to do with new Artistic Director Benedict Hardie’s own career, rather than a desire to rejuvenate the independent company’s vision. But speaking to Hardie ahead of their final Melbourne premiere, it’s clear that he’s inspired by something less selfish. “I don’t think I want to be leading a thing all on my own,” he says. “I want to be finding the next generation of young theatremakers — exciting minds who not only enrich my work but who are going to create work of their own under the Hayloft banner.” Earlier in the year, Hardie co-created and performed in By Their Own Hands, the company’s offering in the MTC’s NEON. The success of this festival of independent theatre involving groups like Hayloft, THE RABBLE and Fraught Outfit showed that Melbourne’s mainstage audiences are hungry for the kind of work erupting from this scene. But at the same time, these companies are forced to balance the often challenging nature of their work with the commercial scale of opportunities like NEON. It might be this kind of situation which prompts Hardie’s belief in the potential that companies like Hayloft represent. “What I’m always wary of is — what can independent theatre do that commercial theatre doesn’t, or can’t? If independent theatre is simply doing a different version of what’s on at the mainstages, then what’s the point?” Their new show, Arden V Arden embodies that kind of self-inquiry. For a company that’s built its reputation on adaptations that have almost completely transformed the substance their original texts, like Thyestes and The Nest, the approach in their Melbourne swansong diverges sharply. The source material comes from Arden of Haversham, an Elizabethan play of disputed origin that’s most often attributed to Shakespeare. “The way the script works is in two discrete halves,” says Hardie. “The first half is an entirely modern adaptation of the play and the second half is the original text.” This distinctive approach, of establishing a world grounded in modern-day Melbourne, before a "tectonic shift” into the language of Elizabethan England, was motivated by a desire to navigate the challenges Hardie perceives with adapting plays from this period. “In those plays the language is the thing — the characters speak their experience in a very direct and very evocative way, and that’s the best thing about those plays. The plots are usually stolen, or borrowed; it’s the language which is the substance. So in a way, to do an adaptation of Shakespeare is a kind of folly. But this idea of doing a 50/50 mashup suddenly made me feel like we could have our cake and eat it too.” As for Hardie’s motivations for adapting a work, his reasoning adds a humble perspective to a debate that flared up in Australian theatre this year. “Writing an original play can be a very lonely task. That’s why I love adaptations, because it feels like a collaboration; it might be an unwilling one, because the other playwright might be dead and not know what I’m doing, but it feels like I’m not working on my own.” Image by Sarah Walker.
The 2013 Sydney Film Festival is bringing out Jeff Desom's intense, insanely complex-looking video installation Rear Window Loop. Projected on a 10m-long surface, the panoramic piece allows you to see the world as it appeared to Jimmy Stewart's paranoid, wheelchair-bound photojournalist Jeff in Hitchcock's Rear Window — possible murders and all. The effect is created by splicing scenes together in After Effects, a process more complicated than it sounds in this sentence. "I dissected all of Hitchcock's Rear Window and stitched it back together in After Effects," says Desom on his website. "I stabilised all the shots with camera movement in them. Since everything was filmed from pretty much the same angle I was able to match them into a single panoramic view of the entire backyard without any greater distortions. The order of events stays true to the movie's plot." The three-channel projection runs for 20 minutes. You can get a good idea of the process as well as the finished product in this video, also from Dessom's site. Rear Window Loop won Best Remix in the Vimeo Awards and Golden Nica at Ars Electronica and will be installed at the Sydney Film Festival Hub at Lower Town Hall, which since last year has been the festival's route to incorporating art happenings, interdisciplinary works and playtime, acknowledging the role of film outside the cinema. It's curated by Sydney's favourite cultured revellers, The Festivalists (Jurassic Lounge). The Sydney Film Festival has also announced the first 27 films of its 2013 program as a taster. Most hotly anticipated is the neo-Gothic thriller Stoker from Park Chan-Wook (Old Boy), which stars Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman and Jacki Weaver. Other highlights include Wadjda, the first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia (and by a Sydney Uni graduate no less, Haifaa Al Mansour); Miss Nikki and the Tiger Girls, a documentary about Burma's first girl band by Australian director Juliet Lamont; and Comrade Kim Goes Flying, a romantic comedy that's also the first North Korean movie to screen at the festival. The full program will be revealed on May 8. You can see Rear Window Loop at the Sydney Film Festival Hub at Lower Town Hall from June 6-14 at 5-6pm and again from 10pm-midnight. The SFF itself runs from June 5-16.
Australian fashion house and boutique store Aje is officially branching out with a new sub-brand of activewear called Aje Athletica. Launching with a line of sportswear featuring everything from sports bras to shoes, Aje Athletica promises high-performance activewear with a focus on sustainability. 70 percent of the material used in the debut sportswear line is consciously sourced, including a 100 percent recycled material puffer jacket. The commitment to sustainable practices is clear, with consciously sourced products across the line made from a mix of recycled, organic and eco-friendly materials. "With a respect of our environment, Aje Athletica embraces sustainable practices and local expertise to deliver quality product[s] with a minimal footprint. Informing the design process with 70 percent conscious fabrications from the ground up, impacting the foundations at elemental phase – has been very fulfilling," Co-founder Edwina Forest said. Edwina Forest started Aje in 2008 with her friend Adrian Norris as a women's clothing line all about effortless style. Norris brings an artistic background from his time at Liceo Artistico Venezia, and Forest brings her knowledge of fashion publishing from her time at RUSSH magazine. Head to Aje Athletica's website to browse the range of leggings, sweatpants, tees, tanks, socks and windbreakers, all designed for both your trips to the gym and your days hanging around the house. The products are designed to fit a wide range of women, with sizes available in Australian four through 18. Aje Athletica is available as of Wednesday, May 26 throughout Australia and New Zealand online and in-store. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
The just-dropped program for this year's Melbourne Writers Festival has a distinct musical edge, as it sets out to pay homage to that intersection between songwriting and literature. For its 2018 edition, with Marieke Hardy making her debut as artistic director, the festival celebrates the theme 'A Matter of Life and Death', pulling together a swag of iconic Aussie musicians to share their take on their art. In news to thrill music fiends and wordsmiths alike, Jimmy Barnes trips back in time for 'Musical Memory', getting nostalgic with a collection of seven-inch records, while rock legend Paul Kelly sets poetry to music in his event, 'Other People's Words'. You'll catch Steve Kilbey, frontman of The Church, as he performs hits from across his impressive 43-year career, US singer-songwriter Neko Case in a discussion titled 'The Book That Made Me a Feminist', and a chat with our own Sally Seltmann about women who make art. Then, there's Duets — a series of live performances and discussions curated by SLAM and Bakehouse founder Helen Marcou. Each session matches up an emerging artist with an established one, pairing the likes of Sarah Blasko with indie-folk act Ryan Downey, Jen Cloher with Brisbane rapper Miss Blanks, and Kate Ceberano with young soul artist Kaiit. Meanwhile, kicking off the fun as part of MWF18's 'You Are Here' gala, you'll find American artist Andrew W.K throwing down good vibes with a positivity coaching session, child soldier turned rap icon Fablice Manirakiza throwing down some live tunes, and legendary author Andy Griffiths turning his talents to a DJ set. A slew of authors, writers and activists who aren't musical (well, publicly) will also be talking and holding workshops, including Marwa al-Sabouni a Syrian architect and author, The New Yorker's television critic Emily Nussbaum, veteran investigative journalist David Neiwart and engineer and author Yassmin Abdel-Magied. MWF18 runs from August 24 to September 2, at various locations across the city. Head to the MWF website to catch the full program, and to buy tickets from 9am on Friday, July 20.
The 2020s are an age of many things, but an underrated symbol of this decade is the age of convenience. Not only can our phones keep us entertained but they can also keep our pantries stocked and bellies full. Apps like DoorDash put even more convenience in our hands — and not just by being able to order from the local Dominos without having to interact with another human being. Depending on your nearby providers, you can order almost any essential item straight to your door, so below we've highlighted some of the lesser-known items you might one day need delivered. With bonuses for new users, plus a daily specials series (running until Saturday, March 23) for beloved vendors — think $5 burritos and buy-one-get-one subs. There's no reason not to give DoorDash a whirl. [caption id="attachment_943284" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Sarinya Pinngam via iStock[/caption] Fresh fruit and veggies We all dread forgetting the groceries, leaving it to the last minute when it's easier to hang on the couch binging a sitcom. Gone are the days of being forced to wear outside clothes and head to the shops. Nowadays, if you live within range of a participating grocer, you can simply press a few buttons, and a dasher will drop everything you need for a fruit bowl or salad right outside. Best for: fixing a healthy feed at the last minute. DoorDash it now [caption id="attachment_943285" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Dennis Van Hoef via iStock[/caption] Meat and poultry Picture this: Friday night, you've had a long day at work rushing to hit a few end-of-week deadlines, friends are coming over for dinner, and you've got a barbecue for the ages planned. The grill's preheated and it's time to grab a steak and some chicken drumsticks out of the fridge — but they're two days past their best and smell like a bin. Fret not. The supermarket rule applies here too. Pick a replacement cut from a grocer; if it's available, a dasher can drop it at your door. Best for: replacing off meat when you've got a horde of carnivores coming over. DoorDash it now [caption id="attachment_943280" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Jacob Lund via iStock[/caption] Beer, wine and spirits If there's a house party, dinner party or grownup birthday party coming up and your bar cart's looking a little empty, sure enough, DoorDash can come to the rescue if you have participating merchants nearby. With deliveries available from BWS, Liquorland, Vintage Cellars, Porter's Liquor and a range of independent bottle shops, you needn't worry about running out for drinks. From a ritzy champagne to a cold four-pack of premixed cocktails, the dashers will get your drinks to your door. Note: you will need to show ID upon receipt of the liquid goods. Best for: a last-minute addition for a party when you realise you've inadvertently emptied the home bar. DoorDash it now [caption id="attachment_943286" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Vladans via iStock[/caption] Over-the-counter medicine If you're sick as a dog, feeling wiped out and legitimately cannot (and should not) leave the house, you can wait for your roommate or S/O to get a minute to get something for you and suffer a while longer, or open DoorDash. You'll find actual pharmacies here, and while they can't fill a prescription, they can send your choice of over-the-counter meds on their way to help beat any bug. Best for: when you're fighting a bug with no strength to leave home. DoorDash it now [caption id="attachment_943281" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Dmytro Skrypnykov via iStock[/caption] Batteries and chargers You may take your phone with you everywhere you go, but do you bring a charger? You don't want to be caught amiss if your battery runs flat. Similarly, finding out you're out of actual batteries tends to happen when you need one most. Don't panic because if you've still got even 1% left on your charge, open up DoorDash and summon a fresh pack of power on its way to you ASAP, whether it's a wall plug or a AAA, you'll find one here. Best for: replacing the charger you forgot to pack. DoorDash it now [caption id="attachment_943287" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Hung Chung Chih via iStock[/caption] Toiletries and hygiene products Running out of essential bathroom or hygiene items can be a disaster, especially in critical moments. Say you're in need of a fresh can of deodorant for a date; you're glued to the loo but didn't realise you were down to the scraps of your TP supply. Nightmare. With the participating grocers on DoorDash, everything from Lynx Africa bodywash to menstruation products are just a press of a button away. Best for: an emergency refill of the bathroom cabinet. DoorDash it now [caption id="attachment_943283" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Frantic00 via iStock[/caption] Fresh flowers Nothing can heal the wounds of a bad day like a bit of romance at home. Say you want to surprise a special someone or simply pep up your home decor if it feels a bit short on colour and life, flowers can help you out. If there's a participating florist within range, a dasher can collect a fine bouquet and ferry it to your door in a flash. Particularly useful if you've forgotten a key birthday or anniversary and need an emergency surprise. Best for: a romantic surprise that won't require a drive. DoorDash it now [caption id="attachment_943294" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Drazenzigic via iStock[/caption] Desserts and confectionary Anyone can tell you that a little sweet treat to break up the working day is essential. Feeling overwhelmed from a big day of studying? Little treat. Back-to-back deadlines at work? A little treat will help. If you're within range of a bakery, convenience store, or anywhere with a dessert menu, the power of a little treat is within your grasp on DoorDash. Best for: curing a mid-afternoon slump. DoorDash it now [caption id="attachment_943282" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Liudmila Chernetska via iStock[/caption] Hot (or iced) coffee and tea A tea or coffee can really work wonders to fix a bad day or poor mood. It's science! If you fancy a cuppa tea order some of your favourite blends from a nearby grocer, or get a fresh round of espresso coffee delivered from a nearby cafe with DoorDash. Best for: an emergency pick me up at work or home when you're too busy to self-brew. DoorDash it now Delivery gifting It's easy to order anything for yourself, follow your wants and needs, and order from local businesses accordingly. However, you might not have considered the possibility of ordering something for someone else. DoorDash offers a gifting service on the app. You just put in the recipient's address and tick the gifting option at the bottom, fill in an order, and then add a personalised message. Add the recipient's phone number to the order and send them the gift link to tell them it's coming. Easy. Best for: an easy gift for a special someone. DoorDash it now Download the DoorDash app for free on the Apple Store or Google Play to find out what's nearby. For more information, visit the website.
From web searches and browsers to email and document storage, Google has its fingers in plenty of different online pies. Many of its services have become such a part of our daily lives that we no longer give them much thought, but every now and then the company has fun with one of its platforms — bringing Pac-Man, Mario Kart and Where's Waldo? to Google Maps, for example. For the company's latest entertaining attempt to direct everyone towards one of its specific sites, it's playing with another retro title, combining Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? with Google Earth. Sparking immediate flashbacks to the best parts of primary school, the game sends users searching for the titular red-clad international thief as part of a jaunt called The Crown Jewels Caper. As usual, something valuable has been stolen and its your job to find it (and hunt down Sandiego in the process). Anyone keen to play along simply needs to head to the Google Earth app on Android or iOs, or visit the desktop version in chrome, and look for the Pegman icon. From there, it's time to start sleuthing — by hopping between countries, visiting landmarks, talking to locals and sorting through clues such as "I heard she exchanged all of her money for yen". In the process, you'll put your world trivia knowledge to the test and get a hefty dose of nostalgia. The game is the first in a planned series, so expect to spend more time in the future playing gumshoe and reliving your childhood. And as for the timing, it comes hot on the heels of Carmen Sandiego's arrival on Netflix, with a new animated series following the beloved character (as voiced by Gina Rodriguez). Check out the trailer below, and visit Google Earth to start playing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=14&v=TJRMplV9SpA Via Google Earth.
First we had beer flavoured like food, and now at long last we've got beer that is food. Yep, move over Nutella, there's a spreadable beer in town by the name of Birra Spalmabile. It hails from Italy's Cittareale, where Emanuela Laurenzi of Alta Quota Brewery and Pietro Napoleone of Napoleone Chocolatiers have combined their expertise in something of a dream team. The duo unveiled their invention at Turin’s Salone de Gusto food fair, where the spreadable beer caused quite a stir, and we're not surprised. Birra Spalmabile (literally translated to 'beer spread') reportedly goes down nicely with a slice of cheese. (And you thought you were weird for combining peanut butter and vegemite on your sandwiches.) Also useable as a filling in cake, the spread comes in two flavours — Omid dark ale and Greta blonde ale, the first being a little more intense than the latter and each made of 40 percent beer. Though not stocked in any Aussie stores, you can order a jar or ten directly from the source by emailing commericiale@birraaltaquota.it. Just expect to pay its weight in gold for delivery. Via NY Post
When it comes to kicking back and relaxing, some people swear by a nice warm bath. Others prefer tapping their toes to their favourite tunes, having a boozy beverage or just switching off from their always-vibrating phone. And, for another group, there's nothing that induces bliss better than listening to the one and only Keanu Reeves. Actually, that last category should really apply to everyone. If you're someone who finds the actor behind John Wick, Neo, Johnny Utah and Ted "Theodore" Logan particularly soothing, then you'll want to make a date with A World of Calm. Announced earlier this year, made by HBO and now heading to Australia via SBS over the Christmas break, it's giving the world exactly what we want: Keanu's voice reading a narrative that has been scientifically-engineered to induce a feeling of tranquility, as paired with music and footage that's also designed to do the same. Ideally he'll say "whoa!" more than once. In HBO's first leap into health and wellness-style content, the ten-episode series is based on the popular Calm sleep, meditation and relaxation app, with the US TV network pairing up with the folks behind the latter. The two companies have really just found a way to bring Calm's Sleep Stories to the screen — which have been called "bedtime stories for grown ups", have notched up more than 250 million listens, and are all about calming and soothing listeners. Keanu only does the honours on one of A World of Calm's half-hour episodes, which is about a master woodworker carving a canoe. That said, the rest of the series definitely doesn't slouch in the star-power stakes. Joining him is a cast that'd do any movie proud, spanning not only Idris Elba, Oscar Isaac, Nicole Kidman, Zoë Kravitz, Kate Winslet, Lucy Liu, Cillian Murphy and Priyanka Chopra, but also two-time Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali. Kidman kicks off the series via an episode about bird migration, Chopra narrates an instalment about chocolate in Central America, and Winslet takes viewers into the world of horses. Also on offer: Isaac narrating an episode about making noodles, Murphy focusing on snow, Ali waxing lyrical about water, Kravitz focusing on glassmaking, Liu exploring coral and Elba heading into space. As for what you'll be looking at while your ears soak in the dulcet tones of all of the above A-list stars — who are basically guiding you through a televised relaxation session — HBO advises that the series serves up "mesmeric imagery". Created with Nutopia, the folks behind National Geographic's One Strange Rock and Disney+'s The World According to Jeff Goldblum, that includes visuals from the company's global network of cinematographers and filmmakers. Intrigued? Need to destress after 2020's challenges? Eager for whatever new slow TV event SBS serves up, after previously delivering extended train documentaries and tours of the Cadbury chocolate factory? The Australian network is dropping new episodes of A World of Calm daily from Friday, December 25–Sunday, January 3, airing at 7.30pm — and you'll find them on SBS On Demand afterwards. Check out the trailer below: A World of Calm airs on SBS daily at 7.30pm from Friday, December 25–Sunday, January 3, with each episode hitting SBS On Demand afterwards. Images: HBO Max.
When you say the words 'dream housewife' you're probably picturing a white picket fence, a freshly baked Victoria sponge cake and a woman adjusting her man's tie before he heads out of the door to his important man-job. A Hollywood fantasy of womanhood that's somewhat lost its sheen in the modern world. Well, not for Judy. Judy is the vision of a 1950s housewife — she's got the frock, the neat apron, a perfectly set curl, peachy cheeks and pearls. She adores her role, packing lunches and pouring cocktails as her husband Johnny brings home the bacon. Thing is, it's not the fabulous 50s — and Judy's not even a Boomer. Home, I'm Darling is an Olivier Award-winning comedy that's picking apart the seams of 21st century life with witty observation about gender roles, how we cope in our ever-connected modern world and all the harmful trappings of nostalgia. It's MTC's season opener for 2020 and associate artistic director Sarah Goodes is directing a stellar cast, including Nikki Shiels as Judy, Susie Youssef as her friend Fran, Toby Truslove as Johnny and Peter Paltos as Marcus. Plus, Kath & Kim's Jane Turner plays Judy's mum and Izabella Yena (who's in the upcoming movie Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears) takes on the role of Alex. English playwright Laura Wade has garnered rave reviews from the play's London National Theatre run last year. And MTC's summer production is the show's Australian premiere. If you're under 30, you can save 50 percent off full-price tickets. Just show your ID when buying A-Reserve or B-Reserve tickets, or select 'Youth (29 & Under)' when booking online. You can also save cash on your culture kicks by booking three or more 2020 shows with a Mini Package — no matter your age. The theatre's got a solid 2020 lineup. Highlights include the five-time Tony Award-winning musical Fun Home, which is making its Australian premiere at MTC in July. And in September, there's a shiny new production of As You Like It, with music by Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall. So, if you're under 30 and keen to save 50 percent off the full price ticket amount, check out MTC's Mini Packages, here.
So far this year, Qantas has committed to phase out 100 million disposable items from 2020 onwards — and it's not done with the war on waste yet. This week, it took to the Aussie skies to notch up another milestone: the first zero-waste plane journey. On Wednesday, May 8, the carrier flew from Sydney to Adelaide. That's hardly news, but this flight removed or replaced around one thousand single-use plastic items. Sustainable alternatives were found where possible, and if an eco-friendly version couldn't be sourced, the relevant objects simply weren't included as part of the journey. Teaming up with packaging company BioPak, the airline used fully cups made from plant matter, food containers made from leftover sugar cane pulp, cutlery made from starch sourced from non-genetically modified crops and compostable napkins. It also ditched individually-packaged servings of milk and Vegemite — and collected all packaging for reuse, recycling or composting. At the airport, travellers boarding the flight also used digital boarding passes and electronic bag tags. If that wasn't possible, staff were on hand to ensure that any paper passes and tags were disposed of sustainably. To eliminate the journey's carbon footprint as well, the flight was 100 percent carbon offset. In total, 34 kilograms of waste were saved — with Qantas noting that the route usually creates around 150 tonnes of waste each year. The move comes as part of a widespread push to drastically reduce waste across the air travel industry, which has been gathering significant steam over the past year. In addition to Qantas' efforts, Portuguese charter carrier Hi Fly is aiming to become the world's first no-plastics carrier within the next 12 months, and Etihad flew the world's first long-haul flight free of the pesky products into Australia last month.
The jolliest time of the year is almost here. And, that means the most festive movie-viewing window of the year is nearly upon us, too. We all know that it wouldn't be Christmas without rewatching a heap of suitably themed flicks, whether you've loved Elf since you can remember, prefer a classic such as It's a Wonderful Life or will only watch Die Hard — but Stan is hoping that you'll add a new Australian comedy to your end-of-year rotation. Sometime around Christmas, the streaming platform's subscribers will be able to watch festive Aussie flick A Sunburnt Christmas. And yes, you are probably just now realising that Australian doesn't actually have that many Christmas films to its name. This newcomer will join the likes of Bush Christmas, both the 1947 and 1983 versions; the animated Around the World with Dot; and recent horror movies Red Christmas and Better Watch Out — and it seems to be really leaning into the fact that it's a seasonal Aussie film. Directed by Christiaan Van Vuuren (Bondi Hipsters, The Other Guy), A Sunburnt Christmas follows a group of kids who mistake a runaway criminal for the real Santa. Daryl (Snowtown and Acute Misfortune's Daniel Henshall) happens to be dressed appropriately, red suit and all. He has also just crashed a van full of toys. But as well as not being Father Christmas, he's being chased by a mobster called Dingo (Animal Kingdom and Ride Like a Girl's Sullivan Stapleton). Kids, crims, hijinks — if you're currently thinking about Home Alone or Bad Santa, that isn't surprising. But these children live on an outback farm with their a single mother (The Gloaming's Ling Cooper Tang), and neither Joe Pesci nor Billy Bob Thornton are anywhere to be seen. The all-ages-friendly flick doesn't yet have a release date, but you can obviously expect it to hit your streaming queue just as you're breaking out the eggnog. A Sunburnt Christmas will be available to stream via Stan later in 2020 — we'll update you with an exact date when one is announced.
It all sounded like an elaborate prank. Then it sounded just too good to be true. But it's actually been confirmed. Daft Punk are launching their new album, Random Access Memories, to 4000 insanely lucky ticket holders in the NSW country town of Wee Waa. While I have a sneaking suspicion that the helmeted Frenchmen only chose Wee Waa because they giggled at the ridiculousness of its name, those opportunistic Wee Waa-ians (Wee Wains, maybe?) are making the most of this incredible event by throwing the biggest afterparty in Wee Waa history. Weekend Vines is converting the idyllic Seplin Estate Winery, 1.5km outside of Wee Waa, into a two-night camping festival. After Daft Punk have left you feeling harder, better, faster and stronger, head straight out to the Wee Waa Camping Festival where a host of electro artists and Daft Punk disciples will be rockin' out into the wee (waa) small hours of the morning. The event is fully licensed, decked out with a festival sound system and only has 2500 available tickets, so keep an eye on the Weekend Vibes website to make sure you snap one up when they are released early next week. Featuring local and international stars Olibusta (France), Marvin Roland (UK), Mr Pyz (Melbourne), Crease (UK) and Pablo J and the Lobsterettes (Sydney) wee waa beyond excited for an unforgettable weekend of awesome music and late night parties. And that's the last Wee Waa pun we'll make you read.
Praise be to science, the invisible threads that make sense of our nonsensical existence. From the cosmic majesty of astronomy to the life-saving arts of medicine, we owe a great deal to science. And, while we all spend our lives surrounded by it, let's not take it for granted. Science and the experts who champion it deserve to be celebrated — and that's exactly what happens at events like the World Science Festival Brisbane. This annual event series, taking place between Friday, March 15 and Sunday, March 24, puts the top experts from every field front and centre to talk about the wonders and mysteries of science, both the fun and important kinds. With the 2024 iteration of the World Science Festival just around the corner, here are eight events we are not going to miss. 'An Afternoon of Science' with Leigh Sales, Annabel Crabb and guests — Saturday, March 23 If there are two hosts suited to lead a discussion about the all-encompassing joys and wonders of all things scientific, it's these two entertaining, intelligent women. Leigh Sales needs no introduction; anyone who has paid attention to the news in Australia in the past ten years will recognise her and that oh-so-familiar ABC anchor voice. Joining her is an equally influential name in media, commentary and creativity: Annabel Crabb. Together, the two of them host a much-loved podcast and have recently co-authored a book, but for WSFB they'll lead a conversation with some yet-to-be-announced special guests about everything exciting happening in science. Buy tickets now. 'ADA' by Karina Smigla-Bobinski — Friday, March 15 to Sunday, March 24 For something interactive, it's worth considering Curiocity Brisbane and its range of artworks running alongside WSFB 2024. Chief among them is an interactive piece titled ADA at the Cultural Forecourt in South Bank. On the surface, it's a white room containing a floating plastic orb, an orb that bears several charcoal sticks and an open encouragement for visitors to push it around as they please. The idea of the piece is more nuanced. In giving it a nudge, you contribute to the growing web of markings on the walls, ceiling and floor as the orb moves around the room. It's a lovely callback to the earliest form of human communication: drawing on the walls. It's also a tribute by German artist Karina Smigla-Bobinski to Ada Lovelace, a visionary figure in early computing. Buy tickets now. 'Cultivating the Future of Food' with Rhianna Patrick and guests — Thursday, March 22 As entertaining as a floating orb of charcoal pencils is, it's not exactly something that the future of humanity depends on. A much more significant subject in that realm of interest is the issue of food; rather, the increasing risk of food shortages in a future shaped by climate change. That's the issue on hand for this panel of experts, led by Torres Strait Islander journalist and broadcaster Rhianna Patrick. The First Nations people of Australia (and the world) have championed sustainable food practices since the dawn of civilisation so what can we take from that knowledge and apply to the future? Patrick and her guests, Suzanne Thompson and Madonna Thompson, will lead an insightful discussion to address that question. Buy tickets now. 'The Earth Above: A Deep Time View of Australia's History' — March 15 to March 24 One of the most popular destinations during WSFB is the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium, famous for its immersive dome cinema. This year, the starring show is a movie-length visual presentation on the huge dome screen, one that charts 140,000 years of Australian natural and cultural history. To explore that history, audiences will be transported to four locations across the country: Girraween Lagoon on Larrakia and Wulna Country near Darwin; Cloggs Cave on GunaiKurnai Country in Victoria's Gippsland region; Lake Mungo in NSW on the land of the Barkandji/Paakantyi, Ngiyampaa and Mutthi Mutthi people; and Jiigurru (Lizard Island) on the Great Barrier Reef, which is sacred to many, including the Dingaal people. Buy tickets now. 'Night of the Nerds' — Saturday, March 23 'Night of the Nerds' is a WSFB tradition, regularly adding a splash of hilarity to the festival program. In essence, it's a quiz show starring Aussie comedians and scientists putting their combined knowledge to the test. Hosted by whip-smart comedian Mark Humphries, two teams will enter but only one can be crowned nerds supreme. The games will star Chaser comedian Craig Reucassel, broadcaster Nate Byrne and astrophysicist Kirsten Banks, Professor Paul Young, Dr Naomi Koh Belic and more. The night will also feature a band comprised of Brisbane music luminaries like The Grates' Patience Hodgson, Velociraptor's Georgie Browning, Ball Park Music's Jen Boyce and Paul Furness, and Simi Lacroix. Buy tickets now. 'Social Science' — Friday, March 22 Another WSFB favourite, 'Social Science', is an after-dark transformation of the Queensland Museum into a space of celebration where art and science become one. Grab a science-themed cocktail from the bar and explore the museum to find one of the many free workshops and activities scattered across level two of the museum. Explore and you'll find a fashion show, live podcast recording, a drag show, live painting, an insect-pinning workshop, multiple dancefloors and after-dark entry to two of the museum's most popular exhibits: The Hatchery and Jurassic World by Brickman®. Buy tickets now. 'Life on Mars' with Graham Phillips and guests — Friday, March 22 For as long as humans have existed, we've been fascinated by the night sky. How could we not be? That beautiful mosaic has enchanted and inspired us, and as technology has taken us higher, we've started to explore it more and more. In this expert-led panel, astrophysicist and science journalist Graham Phillips will lead a conversation about the mysteries of the universe as we know them in 2024. Joining him will be Professor Tamara Davis, an accomplished astrophysicist who will share her knowledge on dark energy and the continuing expansion of the universe; Professor Kathleen Campbell, a leading expert on astrobiology who can offer insights on the ongoing search for alien life — and finally Professor Martin Van Kranendonk, an expert in early Earth research and how that can help us explore our solar system. Buy tickets now. 'Space Rocks to Moon Rocks: Paths to Life in the Solar System' — Saturday, March 23 If the solar system and the mysteries of the universe is exactly your kind of jam, then this is the unmissable event for you. Over the past few years, NASA has been set on answering fundamental questions like how our solar system came to be, how life on earth was sparked, and more. To do so, three famous missions were launched: Osiris Rex, Artemis and Perseverance Rover. What samples of the universe have these expeditions sent home? What can we learn? Discussing these questions and what this means for our many questions will be a panel made up of Professor Brian Greene, astrobiologist David Flannery and planetary researcher Phil Bland, three experts who together will do their best to chart the story of our planetary neighbourhood. Buy tickets now. World Science Festival Brisbane runs from Friday, March 15 to Sunday, March 24. For more information or to book tickets to one of the events, visit the website.
A new glamping hideaway on the shores of New Zealand's Lake Hawea will let visitors cosy up in cocoon-like sleeping pods under the stars. Cross Hill Lodge & Domes is found in the high country setting of Glen Dene Station beneath the Southern Alps. The six geodesic Pacific Domes are said to be the first permanent structures of their kind in the country. The 40-square-metre domes feature their own centralised super king-size bed and bathroom unit, while floor to ceiling windows allow visitors to soak up light pollution-free night skies and picturesque views across the park-like surroundings. Each dome comes equipped with its own small kitchenette, contemporary bathroom, climate controlled gas fire and heat pump and private deck. Interior furnishings have been inspired by the local landscape and include plush sheepskins and woollen blankets. All guests have access to the main Cross Hill Lodge situated above the domes. The lodge serves as a gathering point to sit down for a meal, unwind with a massage or enjoy some quiet time in the outdoor wood-fired hot tub. Dinner and breakfast is provided with most of the packages and guests can choose from a range of meal options — including local paddock-to-plate cuisine and three-course degustation experiences with wines from the surrounding Central Otago region. Glen Dene Station has been owned and operated by the Burdon family since 1929. Cross Hill Lodge owners Richard and Sarah Burdon say the dome experience provides high country hospitality in an alpine lake-side environment, with mountains, forest trails and rivers right on your doorstep. The pair can advise and arrange activities for visitors to the area, including anything from private helicopter crayfishing excursions to farm tours and local e-bike tours. The family also owns The Camp, a holiday park experience that's been popular with campers and tourists since 1971. Cross Hill Lodge & Domes is open for bookings from May 9, 2021. Packages start from $375 per night for two people including cooked and continental breakfast. For more information, visit crosshill.co.nz. Images: b.remarkable media.
During COVID-19, there have been reports across the globe of animals taking over cities while humans are in lockdown. Mountain goats have run amok in Wales, wild boar have strolled through the streets of Barcelona and deer have reclaimed a now quiet corner of East London. Down here in Australia, we're playing right into the stereotypes. Yep, old mate Skippy has been videoed hopping through the streets of Adelaide. In footage posted to South Australia Police's Twitter account, you can see a kangaroo casually bouncing through the CBD's quiet streets. The post is captioned with the local police saying "a suspect wearing a grey fur coat... was last seen on foot heading into the West Parklands". There's no word yet on whether the suspect was breaching any of the government's stay-at-home restrictions, however. If you've been trying to convince your American mates that you do indeed ride 'roos to work Down Under, this may finally be the proof you need. https://twitter.com/SAPoliceNews/status/1251721467189813250 While the above stories are true, if you've been hanging out on Twitter of late, you would have seen many fake images of animals returning to cities as part of the viral 'Nature is Healing' meme. There have been reports of dolphins swimming through the canals of Venice and elephants getting drunk in Chinese tea fields, but as National Geographic has pointed out, they are indeed fake. Regardless, some are quite clever and may elicit a bit of a chuckle. So, we'll leave you with a few of our favourites: https://twitter.com/TPZanetic/status/1249116743555002368 https://twitter.com/Julian_Epp/status/1243992034324746240 https://twitter.com/roobeekeane/status/1244320113958019073 https://twitter.com/willjennings80/status/1241497390735069184
Offering a much-needed coffee spot for the suburb of Cheltenham, Drip Cafe is serving up all your brunch favourites with a touch of Middle Eastern flair. The food is inspired by the Lebanese heritage of owners Ali and Hannah El-Halabi. This husband-and-wife duo is all too familiar with the Melbourne cafe scene, too, having been running Bentleigh East's Poncho Cafe for over five years. Located on what was once a quiet strip of takeaway shops, this modern and playful corner cafe has brought life to a residential bite of the southeastern suburbs. Designed by Elvin Tan, the interior has been transformed with azure blues and crisp whites to create a vibrant, brightly lit space. Having been open just shy of three weeks, the venue's most popular dish to date is the decadent Knafeh French Toast, a menu item Hannah says was a culinary risk that paid off. "Our french toast is inspired by the Lebanese dessert knafeh: a cornflake-crumbed brioche filled with semolina custard and topped with rose water syrup," says Hannah. "My husband told me I was crazy and it wouldn't work — yet here we are." Other beautifully plated, Lebanese-inspired dishes on the menu include the spiced freekeh and lamb salad, veggie patch bowl and orange blossom hotcakes, which are served with caramelised orange and cream — and inspired by the gifts the El-Halabi's relatives send from overseas. "Every Lebanese household cooks with rose water and orange blossom, " says Hannah. "Our friends and family send them from overseas as gifts, and when you visit Lebanon, you always bring some home. Our mums have always used them in our cooking, so it made sense that we did, too." With high-quality coffee a passion of both the Drip Cafe owners and staff, you can expect perfectly crafted cups of joe on Inglewood Coffee Roasters beans, as well as single origin and batch brews. Don't let the cooler weather deter you from visiting Drip Cafe, either, the sunny outside dining area will soon be transformed into a covered courtyard for winter. And this spot is dog-friendly — perfect for both two- and four-legged brunch enthusiasts. Images: Julia Sansone.
It seemed that Untitled Group (the crew behind Beyond the Valley, Pitch Music & Arts, Ability Fest) were onto another winner when they teamed up with touring agency Crown Ruler, Moon Dog Craft Brewery and PBS 106.7FM to create a brand new boutique street festival back in 2019. But while the inaugural Duke Street Block Party proved a raving hit with music-lovers, it copped the brunt of COVID — despite a whole lot of planning and multiple rescheduled dates, we never got to see Round 2. Until now. Fast forward to 2022 and the Block Party is finally ready for its comeback, descending on a normally quiet pocket of Abbotsford next month for its huge second instalment. On Saturday, March 19, the festivities will take over Bond Street as well as their usual home of Duke Street, promising three stages and a diverse lineup of acts to see you dancing through the day. On this year's bill, catch high-energy sets from British electronic star Floating Points, Detroit's legendary lady of funk DJ Holographic, Jamaican dancehall icon Sister Nancy and Melbourne's own Cassettes For Kids. The much-loved pairing of US DJs Eris Drew and Octo Octa will be taking to the stage, as will emerging UK act Sherelle, and homegrown legends including C.FRIM, Milo Eastwood, Crescendoll, Sophie McAlister, PET$ and Mirasia. The Moon Dog Warehouse is set to be transformed into a giant DJ-fuelled dance floor for the day, while the next door carpark will showcase more dance-worthy tunes selected by party crew Dutty. There'll be plenty of other goodness to explore throughout the precinct, too, including culinary treats from the likes of Brunswick's Vola Foods and Nico's Sandwich Deli, and freshly tapped brews courtesy of Moon Dog. You'll be able to nab presale tickets from Monday, February 14, with general public on sale Tuesday, February 15. Duke Street Block Party Vol 2 takes over Duke and Bond Streets in Abbotsford, on March 19. Register here for presale by 4pm February 14. Presale tickets are available from 6pm on February 14, with general public tickets on sale from 12pm on February 15.
Chicken has become one of most talked about topics in the culinary world this year. But unlike other passing fads (Nutella, we're looking at you), the discussion has been in many ways warranted. Because there's been a lot happening with chicken in Australia. There was the free-range egg scandal that saw significant changes to the way free-range chicken products are classified in Australia, and a new interest about where the chicken we eat comes from. Meanwhile, pundits have called out chicken — particularly rotisserie and charcoal chicken — as one of the biggest emerging food trends of 2016. Philippe Mouchel was perhaps the first chef to import and use a French rotisserie in Melbourne in the early '90s. Under the guidance of the three-hatted Paul Bocuse, famous for his contributions to the nouvelle cuisine movement, Mouchel moved from France to Japan and then Australia to open the Paul Bocuse restaurant. It was here that Normandy-born Mouchel first made his mark on the Melbourne fine dining scene. Having now just launched his new restaurant, Philippe, Mouchel has brought his much-loved rotisserie back to Melbourne. And along with it, the rotisserie chicken that shot to stardom at PM24, his previous short-lived collaboration with George Calombaris. So why has rotisserie chicken — traditionally relegated to suburban chicken shops (and always served with chips) — made a resurgence in Australia's fine dining scene? And why now? We have a chat to Sydney and Melbourne's top chook-cooking chefs to find out. IT'S ABOUT TRADITION Having grown up in a relatively self-sufficient family, a Sunday roast of chicken, duck, rabbit or goose — whichever it was that made it first from their garden to the table — was a way of life for Mouchel. "When I moved to Lyon, working for Mr Bocuse, we had a fireplace, and we used to cook the chicken that way as well," says Mouchel. "It is something you cannot forget, I think. And this is what I like to cook." "If you go to the market in France, everyone has their own rotisserie chickens," says Mouchel. "Everything about the process is natural, the potatoes and vegetables served with the chicken cook underneath it in its natural juices. "It is something that is very close to my heart and that I love. It is a fantastic way to eat I think because it really keeps in all the flavour." But it's also unique, Mouchel explains. Each region within France has their own special chicken from that area. "It's very easy to sell chicken," says Mouchel. "You can say, this is a chicken from Normandy, or this is a chicken from Bresse. Different chickens, different breeds, different prices and different tastes as well." For the ex-Momofuku chef who re-launched Sydney's The Paddington late last year, Ben Greeno, the French tradition took a similar hold over his imagination. "I spent a lot of time in France as a kid on holidays and stuff, and you'd always see those big rotisseries," says Greeno. It was these early memories of the French way of cooking and an opportunity to cook chicken a different way in Sydney that saw him install three gas-powered rotisseries in The Paddington's kitchen. [caption id="attachment_555619" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Ben Greeno's chicken at The Paddington, Sydney.[/caption] IT'S A NEW OLD WAY OF COOKING Rotisseries these days are much more widespread than when Mouchel first landed in Australia, but even today very few restaurants use them all the way through the cooking process. But for Greeno and his new team, this was part of the challenge. "We decided we'd do it from nothing, from the raw product all the way through." This is why The Paddington, in Sydney's inner east, is one of many venues ruffling feathers. After undergoing a major renovation by hospo monolith Merivale, Greeno took over as executive chef and made chicken the star of the menu. It's his free-range Bannockburn birds that are drawing a crowd at The Paddington. Henrietta's Chicken Shop in Melbourne have taken a more Australian approach to the chicken shop. But with a former sommelier in Stuart Brookshaw at the helm, there's more than enough restaurant experience at the table. His emphasis, like Mouchel and Greeno, is on local and sustainable ingredients. Which extends from his choice of either Bannockburn or Milawa chooks, all the way through to his use of mallee root coals and native lemon myrtle seasoning. But that's where the similarities stop; Brookshaw uses an entirely different process to the French rotisserie method. Here the chickens are injection-brined overnight, rolled in a dry rub and spit roasted over smoke and fire. By contrast, in Mouchel's kitchen, mushrooms and herbs are stuffed underneath the skin, before the chicken is seasoned only with salt and pepper. "There's no secret," says Mouchel, "People think it's very complicated, it's really very easy. But you need a good quality chicken first." [caption id="attachment_581500" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Philippe Mouchel's truffle chicken at Philippe, Melbourne.[/caption] IT'S RESPONDING TO DEMAND FOR QUALITY PRODUCE The chicken industry in Australia has nowhere near the diversity of France or England, but, as Brookshaw explains, "If you look at where chicken is, it's exactly where [the] beef [industry] was about 13-14 years ago." Which is on the verge of something much bigger. About 95 percent of all chicken eaten in Australia is one of two breeds, says Brookshaw — and around 85 percent still comes from the major suppliers. But the trend is now that people are more aware and interested in where their food is coming from, which means more space in the market for small producers to exist. There are currently only two specialty chicken producers in Australia licensed to breed the famous Bresse birds from France. Prized by top restaurants for their complexity of flavour, the Bresse is a slow growing and much taller chicken, with a larger thigh and leg region than the standard broiler bird. At around $50 a bird wholesale, they're not cheap. But as a more fastidious market continues to prove, there is demand for organic, hand-reared and specialty birds in Australia. Chefs are embracing and taking advantage of the better quality produce available to them, and that's not just limited to chicken. "Like everything else, if you want to cook a nice meal then you need to use beautiful ingredients if you can afford them," says Mouchel. And while Australia may not have reached its peak yet, it's very much on it's way to becoming a more diverse and specialty supplier. "Chicken is the last domain in a lot of ways," says Brookshaw. And it's true — we already know where products like beef come from, so presumably, it's just a matter of time until the chicken industry catches up. And Greeno would tend to agree. "Ten years ago, in England, if you wanted to get a really good chicken you were very limited." Like England, it looks like Australia will get there eventually. [caption id="attachment_572031" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Stuart Brookshaw's chicken at Henrietta's Chicken Shop, Melbourne.[/caption] SO CAN CHICKEN BE A TREND? "Everybody keeps saying, 'why do you think chicken is this new hot trend?' And I probably don't agree with that," says Greeno. "I mean, is it? There're some guys in Sydney that have opened a chicken shop; there are some guys in Melbourne that have opened a chicken shop. But I don't see everybody doing chicken. Dan Pepperell is doing a fantastic chicken down at Hubert, but it's just a chicken. I was doing roasted chickens at Momofuku, I was serving them with fucking witlof and black truffle, but I was still doing chicken." Whether it is a trend or some seriously trumped up charges, some interesting things are happening with chicken right now. Perhaps it isn't the hottest new trend of 2016, but rather a slow growing Bresse that will come into maturity over the next five, ten or even 20 years. [caption id="attachment_567954" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Rotisserie chicken at Mercado, Sydney.[/caption] OKAY, WHERE DO I GET SOME CHICKEN? Get your chicken fix from any of the following good restaurants. Chicken breast rôtissoire at Philippe The dish that started it all. The Belair Club at The Premises Breakfast or lunch with a solid take on the classic chicken and stuffing sandwich. Charcoal chicken at Henrietta's New world charcoal chicken cooked with native ingredients. Don't forget the potato salad. The GLT at Bar Liberty The soon to be cult classic (a chicken skin sandwich) from ex-Attica staff. Rotisserie chicken at The Paddington French-style rotisserie chicken and late night chicken bacon sandwiches. Chicken fricassee at Restaurant Hubert The go-to dish at this bound-to-become Sydney institution. Spit-roasted chicken at Mercado A picture-perfect chicken available in half or whole. Top image: The Paddington.
This article is part of our series on the diverse highlights of NZ's Canterbury region, from city to snow. To book your snow trip, visit the 100% Pure New Zealand website. The South Island of New Zealand is enjoying some epic snow this year, attracting a huge local and international crowd to test out the slopes. To capture this season in all of its glory, New Zealand Tourism is using ‘dronies’ — mini drones with cameras attached to them — to photograph the skiers and snowboarders so they can take a little something back with them. That means, what a mere three months ago sounded like an April Fool's Day prank is now spectacularly real. The drone begins recording with a close-up of you being king of the mountain, then it swiftly flies backwards, widening the shot to include the surrounding snowy mountains and beautiful South Island landscape. The videos last for about eight seconds, and it seems like a much wiser option for a photo-op than carrying a camera in your pocket only to crush it if/when you ungracefully stack it on the mountain. Once the video is taken they’ll send it to you so you can share it via social media using #NZdronie. If you’re heading to New Zealand while the powder is still fresh we’d happily wage a bet that your snow selfie will make more then a few friends/colleagues/family members tingle with envy. And really, isn’t that what a selfie is all about? NZ Tourism is the first country to use dronies on their slopes, and they will be flying all over the South Island between July and August. Some of the destinations they plan to pop into include Coronet Peak, Cardrona, Mount Hutt, Mount Cook, Queenstown and Lake Tekapo. For more info on the NZdronie, or to find out where they’re located, head to the 100% Pure New Zealand Facebook page.
Whether you need one to shield your eyeballs because face masks fog up your sunnies, or you're just a generally stylish and sun-safe individual, the classic bucket hat looks set to score some time in the spotlight this summer. And what better way to jump aboard the train, than with an unashamedly branded little number from your flatpack hero IKEA. Yep, the Swedish furniture retailer has shimmied right on into the accessories game, with its new Knorva bucket hat, priced at an easy $3.50 a pop. The one-size-fits-all headpiece has only just hit shelves, but already has Aussies utterly obsessed, with a hefty 2000 units snapped up in just one day. Crafted from the same durable material used for Ikea's signature blue Frakta carrier bags, the hats are extra versatile, designed to offer your noggin protection from both sun and rain. A year-round wardrobe winner, if you will. As an added bonus, the bucket hats are also low-maintenance, requiring little more than a rinse and dry to keep them clean. Perhaps don one to get you in the mood for whipping up a batch of IKEA's meatballs, or team with your Frakta bag for the ultimate park picnic kit. https://www.facebook.com/ikea.au/posts/10158730361883288 If you're keen to nab a bucket hat, but haven't seen any at your local IKEA store, don't stress — some states are now able to order the Knorva online. Plus, IKEA is hustling to get lots more stock to our shores in time for those hat wearin' days of summer. IKEA's Knorva bucket hats are available in select Australian stores. Otherwise, you might be able to snap one up online.
If you're a Melburnian looking for a new staycation destination, you'll can now add the first Victorian venue from hotel chain W Hotel to your must-stay list. And if you're from elsewhere in Australia and you're planning a trip to the city, you can pair your next visit with drinks in a laneway bar, a dip in a sky-high pool and striking views. First announced in 2020, and now up and running as of February 2021, W Melbourne has opened in Flinders Lane, with 294 guest rooms and 29 suites. Following W Brisbane's ten-gallon baths, the Melbourne digs are no less indulgent — including an 'Extreme Wow Suite', which has its own 40-square-metre balcony with views of the Yarra, a jukebox and cocktail bar. Designed by local architect and interior design firm Hachem, W Melbourne also houses a 14th-floor spa, gym and a heated indoor pool with a gold-adorned roof, as well as a poolside bar and DJ decks. And, for those needing function space, W has a heap of it — a 830-square metre space for conferences, meetings, weddings or holding lush balls. On the food and drinks front, the site will eventually boast four in-house venues to choose from — with two up and running now. Already pouring drinks is bar Curious, which you'll find down a laneway and through a secret entrance. It's designed to look like a cocoon, and comes fitted out with dark hues, moody lighting and quite a display of wooden beams overhead. On the menu: cocktails inspired by Melbourne's love of coffee, art and fashion; plus oysters, charcuterie, cheese, and cold and hot small bites. Or, you can opt for a meal at Lollo, with the all-day dining venue under the direction of chef Adam D'Sylva. For breakfast, its range spans the likes of brekky pizza and Indian-style eggs, while duck lasagne, asparagus tortellini, grilled octopus and steak tartare feature on the menu throughout the rest of the day. Come May, the 30-seat Warabi will be your go-to for Japanese fine dining, with the intimate space also featuring a private space for ten. And, Culprit will flip from a cafe during the day to a wine bar at night — complete with a floor-to-ceiling charcuterie display and a vermouth tasting tray. Design-wise, the hotel goes heavy on Victorian bluestone tiles, glass and wood, and celebrates the city it calls home. So, you can expect to see a lenticular art installation by local artist Rus Kitchin, which creates a canopy of Australian flora and fauna; in-room wall graphics featuring fairy wrens, which are native to our shores; and design details inspired by Melbourne's street-level newspaper kiosks. W Melbourne is now open at 408 Flinders Lane, Melbourne.
In the first season of Severance, which was one of the best new shows of 2022, celebrations were marked with waffle parties, egg bars and melon bars. In the upcoming second season of the Apple TV+ sci-fi mindbender, there must be more festivities on the way. The streaming platform has finally unveiled its debut glimpse at the series' return, with Adam Scott's (Loot) Mark — well, his innie — holding blue balloons in Lumon Industries' labyrinthine hallways. There's no full trailer for Severance season two as yet, but snippets of footage are included in a just-dropped compilation trailer for Apple TV+'s upcoming slate. While the segments relating to the series don't give away much about what's going on in the biotech company that has a drastic way to enforce work-life balance, they do represent a step closer to the show returning. No release date for the second season has been locked in so far, however. Science fiction has proven one of Apple TV+'s strengths, with Silo in 2023 also one of the best new shows of that year. The first new footage from the Rebecca Ferguson (Dune: Part Two)-starring dystopian series' second season is also included in the platform trailer, putting a big focus on Tim Robbins' (Castle Rock) IT head Bernard addressing a crowd inside the titular structure. As with Severance, there's no confirmed release date for Silo season two, but you can start getting excited about another plunge into an underground chamber with 10,000 inhabitants anyway. Apple TV+'s new teaser covers the second season of page-to-screen drama Pachinko as well, and of Shrinking with Jason Segel (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty) and Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny). The first will return in August, with the second still yet to reveal when it'll be back. Season four of Gary Oldman (Oppenheimer)-led British spy dramedy Slow Horses also received a sneak peek. Among the service's upcoming new shows, Bad Monkey and Lady in the Lake both feature. Vince Vaughn (Curb Your Enthusiasm) leads the former an ex-Miami cop who is now a health inspector, but thinks he's found a way back to his old job. Natalie Portman (May December) stars in the latter, which puts the disappearance of a young girl in Baltimore in 1966 at its centre. Also scoring a glimpse: movies Fly Me to the Moon with Scarlett Johansson (Asteroid City) and Channing Tatum (Magic Mike's Last Dance), Wolfs with George Clooney (Ticket to Paradise) and Brad Pitt (Babylon), and The Instigators with Matt Damon (Drive-Away Dolls) and Casey Affleck (Oppenheimer). The first two have a date with cinemas before making their way to Apple TV+, while The Instigators will be available to stream in August. Check out Apple TV+'s new trailer for its upcoming slate below: New TV shows and movies will continue to hit Apple TV+ throughout 2024 — head to the streaming platform for its current catalogue.
Nevada's epic desert-based arts festival, Burning Man, is currently postponed due to nasty, nasty desert rain. The festival organisers, who have been keeping festivalgoers updated on Twitter, have officially shut down the main entrance after severe rain. With 70,000 'burners' expected to attend this year, holding up traffic much longer could prove a problem for the BM team. Rain continuing. Please do not come to Burning Man until you hear otherwise from official channels. — Burning Man Traffic (@bmantraffic) August 25, 2014 If you're not across it, Black Rock Desert's awaited annual festival hinges around the establishment of a temporary, trade-based community in the desert, sees the building of countless, epic art installations and outdoor live sets over the course of a week — not the ideal itinerary for bucketing rain. A long way from its humble San Francisco beginnings in 1986, founder Larry Harvey's desert bacchanal now has over 50 permanent staff, an army of volunteers and a seriously million-dollar budget, so the team won't be taking any willy nilly chances on this unexpected storm. The standing water has created a muddy mess, Bureau of Land Management dispatcher Mike Wilke told the Reno Gazette-Journal, so countless vehicles are being turned around on State Highway 447. Burning Man's tweets suggest the doors won't open until Tuesday midday at this point: BRC is closed until midday Tuesday due to rain and standing water. At the request of organizers, law enforcement is turning cars back. — Burning Man Traffic (@bmantraffic) August 25, 2014 With a fair bit of backlash this year surrounding the attendance of too many cashed-up techies (read: Sillicon valley billionaires), Burning Man punters are hoping the posers get disheartened by wet feet and Actually Camping. Via San Francisco Chronicle. Image: Reuters/Jim Urquhart.
