There are several truths to the Michael Bay Universe: 1. Magic Hour (i.e. the brief period just after sunrise or before sunset) lasts for approximately 22 hours in any given day. 2. Everything is explosive. Even Water. Especially water. 3. All explosions go predominantly 'up' and emit firework-like flares. 4. A shot should never go for more than three seconds, because, what is this, a Steve McQueen film? 5. There's nothing funnier than people who aren't Cool-Arse Playaz from Da Street speaking like they're Cool-Arse Playaz from Da Street (see: grandparents and/or cars). 6. Pretty girls wear heels. Even if they're ice-skating. Even if they're mountaineering. Even if they're spelunking. Even if they're blowing stuff 'up' or being blown up. 7. The higher the heel, the shorter the skirt. 8. The shorter the skirt, the lower the cut of the top. 9. Physics is bullshit, and should apply to neither action sequences nor breasts. 10. Blow something else up. Make sure it goes 'up'. The thing about the Bay Universe, though, is that it's so much fun. Big, dumb and fun. You know what you're going to get when you buy your ticket, and you get total value for money when you do. On that front, Transformers: Age of Extinction doesn't fail to deliver. Just on length alone, you're getting almost three hours of film, which is an hour too long from a critical standpoint, but from a Bay Movie perspective, it's the promise of several hundred more explosions, car chases and outrageous racial stereotypes. As for plot (and yes, there is one…just...), Transformers: Edge of Extinction picks up the story several years down the track from where the initial Shia Labeouf trilogy left off. Our new hero is Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg), a Texan inventor whose ranch is in receivership and whose predictably hot teenage daughter (Nicola Peltz) is on the cusp of graduation. Around the world, all the Transformers — Decepticon and Autobot — are being hunted down by the CIA (led by Kelsey Grammer), and a mysterious third-party Transformer/bounty hunter named Lockdown. It's an uncomfortable alliance through which each party furthers its own sinister agenda, and which threatens to end all life on earth. As the inexplicably overweight truck that even more inexplicably smokes cigars would say, "bummer, dude" (refer to Truth No.5). There's nothing especially new here, save for the 3D, which is, admittedly, extensive and impressive, as well as the introduction of Dinobots, which fans of the comics/cartoons will doubtless appreciate. The performances are solid despite a laughably bad script, most notably from Stanley Tucci as the unscrupulous tech billionaire. The film's highlights centre almost exclusively around Lockdown, who makes for an outstanding villain, not in the least because his character actually has one. Now if you'll excuse me, it's time to blow something up. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ubGpDoyJvmI
When Massachusetts teenager Conrad Roy was found dead in his truck in 2014, in a Kmart parking lot, it was ruled a suicide. But then the police investigating his passing discovered text messages sent to Roy by his 17-year-old girlfriend Michelle Carter, and noted the onslaught of words encouraging him to take his own life. That's the case that I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth Vs Michelle Carter delves into, splitting the details across two parts — with the first charting the prosecution's side of the story, and the second focusing on the defence. It's a tragic and complicated case, and it's also one that inspires a plethora of questions, all of which filmmaker Erin Lee Carr handles with sensitivity. That shouldn't come as a surprise, as she did the same with 2017's Mommy Dead and Dearest as well, which stepped through the now well-known murder of Dee Dee Blanchard and its links to Munchausen syndrome by proxy.
There's a knowing bit of casting at the heart of Yellowjackets for viewers who've been following Melanie Lynskey throughout her career. In the hit TV series — one of the best shows of 2021 when it first debuted, and equally as excellent in its just-arrived second season — the New Zealand actor plays Shauna, a New Jersey housewife and mother. Enlisting Lynskey in anything is always welcome, as everything from But I'm a Cheerleader and Up in the Air to I Don't Feel At Home in This World Anymore and Candy has proven. It's one of Yellowjackets' many strokes of genius with its stacked on-screen talent, which also includes Juliette Lewis (Welcome to Chippendales) and Christina Ricci (Wednesday). But it's a particularly savvy move to cast Lynskey as a woman who was once a teen stranded in the Canadian wilderness for 19 months, forced to do whatever it took to remain alive after her high-school soccer team's plane crashed, and has since spent a quarter-century since grappling with what came next. Lynskey herself was once a movie-starring teenager, debuting in Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures opposite Kate Winslet. There, she was a murderous teen, too, and kicked off her penchant for playing immensely complicated women (so much so that she earned a New Zealand Film and TV Award for her efforts). The glorious symmetry with Lynskey's role in Yellowjackets doesn't end there, however. As the adult Shauna — Monsieur Lazhar and The Book Thief's Sophie Nélisse plays the younger version — she's commanding and compelling in every scene as someone who survived having her life turned upside down, as Lynskey clearly did when she was thrust to fame at a young age. Of course, there's a vast difference between becoming a film star before you're old enough to drink and endeavouring to endure in spooky woods, through freezing winters, and with food in scarce supply — and, as Yellowjackets keeps hinting at, perhaps turning to cannibalism. Still, Lynskey couldn't be a better fit for the Emmy-nominated show's present-day timeline. There's not just complexity but persistence, strength and vulnerability in her portrayal. They've long been hallmarks of her work. Shauna has trekked over life's peaks and valleys, and knows that her journey onwards will never just be simple. Yellowjackets doesn't lack in phenomenal performances — with its packed team of talent playing both its teens and its adults, how could it? — but Lynskey is downright magnetic. With Yellowjackets' eagerly-anticipated return, its NZ star is also two for two on small screens in 2023. This year's big new hit also featured Lynskey in a pivotal part, and also in a survivalist thriller. She isn't the lead of The Last of Us' first season, but she left a firm mark as resistance leader Kathleen. She also hasn't been diving into this genre repeatedly on purpose. Ahead of Yellowjackets' season two debut on Friday, March 24 via Paramount+ in Australia and Neon in New Zealand, we chatted with Lynskey about that, being hooked on Yellowjackets since reading the very first script, having an instinct for killer roles and more. ON HER CURRENT SPATE OF SURVIVALIST STORIES When you've been a working actor for almost three decades, as Lynskey has since 1994's Heavenly Creatures, you're a survivor of sorts. Actively embracing on-screen stories about trying to endure through extreme events wasn't a concerted choice, however. You could throw in her part in Don't Look Up, too — but having two strong survivalist stories in Yellowjackets and The Last of Us is just a result of great roles coming her way, Lynskey notes. "I think it's just coincidence. I mean, for the character obviously in Yellowjackets, the survivalist part has already happened — so that's an interesting thing, and I think now I'm sort of grappling with the trauma of the aftermath." "And in The Last of Us, the character is in the middle of this crazy, apocalyptic scenario, so it feels like different kind of experiences of a similar thing." "But, it's interesting. It's fun to play kind of an ordinary person who is put into an extraordinary circumstance — and wonder how does that shape and change them." ON HER FIRST REACTION TO YELLOWJACKETS Survivalist thrillers might be having a moment on Lynskey's resume, but she was drawn to Yellowjackets based purely on the strength of its script. "Well, the main thing I think is that I finished reading it and I wished I had episode two, which is a good sign," she explains — having the same reaction to the show's debut episode that viewers everywhere did. "I wanted to know what was going to happen next. And I was like 'oh that was well-written'. It was really well-written!" "And as far as my character goes, there was something about her — you know, you see her in her domestic life, and then the scene with Taissa (Tawny Cypress, Billions) in the diner, you realise she has a huge amount of power somehow. And people are quite afraid of her." "And I was like 'oh that's interesting, like how did that happen and when did that end — or did it end?'. I just had so many questions. And it was a little bit of a leap of faith, but I'm very happy that I chose to do it." ON WHAT SHE LOOKS FOR IN A ROLE Lynskey's career isn't short on highlights between Heavenly Creatures and Yellowjackets. She's just as exceptional in two-season 2015–16 HBO dramedy Togetherness, and in parts big and small in Shattered Glass, Happy Christmas, Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later, Easy and Mrs America, too — just to name a few standouts on her resume. She puts her stellar choices down to going with her gut. "It's honestly an instinct. I just have to, when I'm reading it, if I start to read it out loud and a personality comes out of me. Or if there's like a voice — if there's some shape to what I'm reading where I feel like organically it can be created from me, then I'm interested." "If I'm just reading something and reading it as a script, and I start to think about how I could make it work or how I would play that part, then I know it's not a good fit for me." "It has to be something that comes — even Two and a Half Men, the first time I read the pilot for that, I just started to read it aloud, like the person just came off the page to me. So it's just an instinct, really." ON YELLOWJACKETS' COMPLICATED AND FULLY FLESHED-OUT WOMEN Yellowjackets has been likened to Lord of the Flies since day one thanks to its 90s-era woodland savagery between school students. One big difference: seeing girls, not boys, stuck in the woods and falling prey to their worst impulses to get by. That feels revolutionary in the series. It shouldn't, but it does. And, asked if the show's strong and complex female focus was part of the appeal, Lynskey is adamant: "very much — it was very much a draw." "I think the main thing about it was, in reading the script all the women were so fully realised. Even the smaller parts, the characters who didn't have that much to do in the pilot, or the younger cast — I understood them as human beings. I understood them as complex creations. And there were no sort of stereotypes." "There was no like 'here is the pretty one, here is the bitchy one, here is the whatever', you know. Everyone was very, very complicated and I felt like I had an understanding of who all of them were after the first episode — which is kind of a feat of writing wizardry, honestly." "So I was really, really intrigued to see writers [series creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, who've previously written for Narcos, Narcos: Mexico and Dispatches From Elsewhere] who were that talented, who could give so much depth within one episode, to see where they would take all these different characters." "Because it's a lot to juggle with so many different characters — and they've done an amazing job, I think, of managing all the different storylines." Season two of Yellowjackets streams weekly from Friday, March 24 via Paramount+ in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. Read our review of season two — and our review of season one. Images: Colin Bentley, Kailey Schwerman and Lorenzo Agius/Showtime.
Monash Uni swings open its theatrical doors for this two-and-a-half week festival. With shipping containers scattered around campus, a pop-up bar and lounge and bucketloads of affordable entertainment from Melbourne's brightest up-and-coming performers, it's worth the trip to Clayton. There's cabaret, clowning, 10-minute dance parties, visual art, theatre and much more in this 35-page program. Particularly intriguing is award-winning performance troupe The Dig Collective Does Cabaret, described as "Monty Python and Rocky Horror's illegitimate child". Their mash of cabaret/physical theatre/clowning/poetry/comedy/drama is as visceral as it is funny. There's also Danception, a combination of dance, fashion, professional lip-syncing (who knew) and visual art that explores ideas of pop culture, social media and trends. How can we find our own voice in a world forcing expectations on us? At the very least, surely this is worth it for the lip-syncing. And where else but uni can you spend a few hours contemplating a question that has plagued Shakespeare students for years: Is It Okay to Tame a Shrew Today? Can The Taming of the Shrew be performed in a way that extracts the push for patriarchy? Or is it just a sexist play about women submitting to their husbands? Go on a journey to potentially find an answer.
It's been two weeks since the George Calombaris-led Made Establishment Group went into voluntary administration and announced the closure of twelve of its Melbourne restaurants and eateries. And while the future still looks uncertain for most of those venues, five have already been snapped up by new owners, including the former Kew and Brighton Hellenic Republic outposts and the short-lived, vegetable-forward Crofter Dining in Brunswick East (previously the site of the OG Hellenic Republic). In a statement last week, the group's newly appointed administrators KordaMentha confirmed they had "agreed terms for the sale of assets and the assignment of leases" of these three venues. Few details have been given for the Brighton and Kew properties, other than that the new owners had "experience in the hospitality industry" and were planning to "contact former employees of the two restaurants to discuss new job opportunities". As for chef Matt Wilkinson's former Crofter site, it's set to be the new home of The Que Club — a barbecue-focused eatery, cooking school and retail store currently located in Fitzroy North. The Que Club owners Andrew and Pam Kavanagh told Concrete Playground that the move is planned for sometime in the next three months, and that the new venue will have an expanded food focus, while also "paying homage to Matt Wilkinson and Crofter as much as we can". As well as continuing with his work at The Pie Shop and Four Pillars, Wilkinson, already a good mate of Andrew, confirmed he'll have some involvement at The Que Club. "I love what he (Andrew) does and he has a great ethos," Wilkinson said. "My role will be to help him make the front part of 434 Lygon Street into more of a barbecue bar and eatery, and adding some vegetables to the menu." What's more, it sounds like fans of Crofter can also get excited for the return of a favourite, as Wilkinson hands over the recipe to his much-hyped devilled chook dish. Wilkinson took to Instagram to thank Crofter's suppliers and supporters in the wake of its sudden closure, saying he was "angry and sad about this whole scenario". https://www.instagram.com/p/B8mlX4VhKj1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Meanwhile, according to The Age, two of Made Establishment's former Jimmy Grants souvlaki eateries have been snapped up by the owners of 24-hour Greek institution Stalactites. As well as its legendary Lonsdale Street eatery, that company also owns takeaway joint Hella Good, which it plans to replicate at its newly purchased Jimmy Grants sites in Fitzroy and Melbourne CBD. Five other Jimmy Grants, as well as Elektra Dining in the CBD and Hotel Argentina in Williamstown remain unsold. The Made Establishment closures come after wage scandals shook many of its restaurants, with the group admitting to staff underpayments of up to $7.8 million. KordaMentha also highlighted the resulting huge dip in patronage, as well as a dive in consumer spending, rising food prices and competition with food delivery services as reasons for the group's financial woes. We'll keep you updated with the opening of The Que Club, the two Hella Goods and the new Kew and Brighton venues. Top image: the OG Hellenic Republic in Brunswick East (before it was Crofter).
With costumes like these, this dance work from Dewey Dell is sure to be anything but dull. Well known for their bizarre antics on stage, this Italian company has teamed up with Japanese artists Kuro Tanino and Yuichi Yukoyama to utilise a manga aesthetic. In neon power suits and Daft Punk helmets these dancers are going to war, exploring love and hate in a surreal futuristic plane of existence. This is the closest thing you're ever going to see to Yoshimi battling the pink robots in real life. Do not pass it up. This event was chosen as one of our top ten things to see at the Melbourne Festival 2014. See the full list here.
If you've been talking about cutting out plastics and minimising your waste impact for years, but buying a keep cup and saying no to straws is about as far as you've gotten, this local health food shop will take your crusade to the next level. Led by naturopath Catie Gett, The Staple Store is overflowing with healthy, organic and locally sourced bulk foods — nuts, grains, honey, lentils, mueslis and more — plus beauty products, all-natural cleaning supplies and a sustainably conscious collection of homewares. Find brands such as Ecostore, Lavanila, Orchard St, Shokuiku and Ochre by Staple. It goes without saying that this is a plastic bag-free zone, so don't forget your tupperware, jars and cloth bags.
Squid Game is finally returning for season two, and Heartbreak High as well. A new take on Tom Ripley is also on the way. They aren't the only things that you'll be watching on Netflix in 2024. As it does to begin every year, the streaming platform has unveiled a teaser video for the TV shows — returning and new — and movies that'll be added to its catalogue over the coming 11 months, while also dropping a heap of details. Get ready for plenty of time spent glued to the small screen. The sheer number of series and films that the service releases each year is always massive (see: 2022's and 2023's lists of features). 2024 is set to be no different. Starting with episodic fare, more Bridgerton will arrive in May, season three of hilarious girl group comedy Girls5eva is due in March and That '90s Show will be back by midyear. Also among the returning shows: Mo, Heartstopper, The Diplomat, Emily in Paris, Monsters, The Night Agent, Outer Banks, Sweet Tooth, Cobra Kai, Drive to Survive, Unstable and The Umbrella Academy. [caption id="attachment_938940" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Emily V Aragones/Netflix © 2023[/caption] More than a few of Netflix's new series additions in 2024 have been announced previously, but that doesn't make them any less exciting. Sci-fi thriller 3 Body Problem brings the book of the same name to the screen; Avatar: The Last Airbender turns the beloved animated effort into live-action; and The Gentlemen takes its cues from the Guy Ritchie movie of the same name — with Theo James (The White Lotus), Kaya Scodelario (The King's Daughter), Vinnie Jones (Bullet Proof) and Giancarlo Esposito (Better Call Saul) among the cast, and Ritchie producing. That said, you mightn't have already heard about Black Doves, starring Keira Knightley (Boston Strangler) as the spy wife of a UK politician; Eric, with Benedict Cumberbatch (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar) as a father searching for his missing nine-year-old son; or No Good Deed, about two families trying to buy the same house, and with Lisa Kudrow (Space Force), Ray Romano (Bupkis), Linda Cardellini (Dead to Me), Luke Wilson (Fingernails), Teyonah Parris (The Marvels) and Abbi Jacobson (A League of Their Own) starring. The Perfect Couple is Nicole Kidman's (Expats) next small-screen stint and Terminator: The Anime Series battles Skynet in animation. The Good Place's Ted Danson and Mike Schur are also reteaming on a new comedy series that's based on the Oscar-nominated documentary The Mole Agent, Gabriel García Márquez's iconic novel One Hundred Years of Solitude is scoring an adaptation, and Senna dramatises Ayrton Senna's life. Movie fans, there's no shortage of highlights for you, too — including Spaceman, Damsel, Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story and Hit Man. The first sees filmmaker Johan Renck (Chernobyl) take Adam Sandler (Leo) to space, while the second riffs on fairy tale and fantasy stories with Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things) in the lead. As for the third, it marks Jerry Seinfeld's film directorial debut, and tells exactly the tale that its title makes plain. And the fourth is Richard Linklater's (Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood) latest, with Glen Powell (Anyone But You) co-writing and starring. From there, on a roster that goes on — as its television counterpart also does — His Three Daughters boasts spectacular casting thanks to Carrie Coon (The Gilded Age), Elizabeth Olsen (Love & Death) and Natasha Lyonne (Poker Face); Japanese animation The Imaginary hails from Studio Ponoc (Mary and the Witch's Flower); Irish Wish and Our Little Secret both feature Lindsay Lohan (Mean Girls); and the Thomasin McKenzie (Totally Completely Fine)-, James Norton (Happy Valley)- and Bill Nighy (Role Play)-starring Joy is about the world's first test-tube baby. [caption id="attachment_938943" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John P. Johnson / Netflix © 2024.[/caption] The Beverley Hills Cop franchise returns in the new Eddie Murphy (Candy Cane Lane)-starring instalment that's aptly subtitled Axel F; Atlas pits Jennifer Lopez (The Mother) against AI, and Back in Action sees Jamie Foxx (The Burial) and Cameron Diaz (in her first film since 2014's Annie) as married spies brought back into the espionage fold. A Family Affair has Joey King (Bullet Train) playing a woman who works for a movie star (Zac Efron, The Iron Claw), Laura Dern (The Son) is a novelist who has an affair with a younger man (Liam Hemsworth, Land of Bad) in Lonely Planet, and Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie joins the SpongeBob SquarePants world. Or, there's Scoop, which goes behind the scenes on Prince Andrew's Newsnight interview, and features Gillian Anderson (Sex Education), Keeley Hawes (Orphan Black: Echo), Billie Piper (I Hate Suzie) and Rufus Sewell (The Diplomat); Shirley, the Regina King (The Harder They Fall)-led flick about the first Black congresswoman; That Christmas, a family-friendly festive effort based on the books by Love Actually filmmaker Richard Curtis; and Thelma the Unicorn, by directors Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite) and Lynn Wang (Unikitty!). Anna Kendrick (Scott Pilgrim Takes Off) helms and leads Woman of the Hour, about an aspiring actor and a serial killer; French fare Family Hour werewolves battles werewolves; Spanish horror hit The Platform gets a sequel; and South Korea's Uprising is produced and co-written by Decision to Leave's Park Chan-wook. We hope your couch is comfy — because you're going to be spending quite a bit of time on it. Check out Netflix's trailer for its 2024 slate below: New movies and TV shows will hit Netflix throughout 2024 — head to the streaming platform for its current catalogue. Top image:
UPDATE, May 21, 2021: Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles is available to stream via Docplay, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Marie Antoinette didn't actually say "let them eat cake", no matter how often the statement is misattributed to the 18th-century royal before her date with the guillotine. But New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art was surely hoping she would've approved of its hedonistic June 2018 food gala, which tied into the venue's Visitors to Versailles exhibition in the same year — and, in line with the place and period under the grill, put decadence on the menu. Overseeing the spread of desserts fit for a queen: renowned Israeli English chef and restaurateur Yotam Ottolenghi. He didn't make the Feast of Versailles' lavish cakes himself; instead, he trawled Instagram to source and select five pâtissiers known for delicious, innovative and aesthetically appealing wares. He found them, too, enlisting Dominique Ansel, the NYC-based French pastry chef who invented the cronut; Sam Bompas and Harry Parr, the London food artists known for their striking jellies and unique food events; architecturally trained Ukrainian Dinara Kasko, who approaches her desserts with the same design principles; Ghaya Oliveira, an award-winner and veteran at the Michelin-starred Restaurant Daniel; and Singapore's Janice Wong, who aims to turn chocolate into edible art. The exacting theme that approaches art and history through an untraditional lens, the melding of varying creative arenas, the roll call of significant names in their field, the theatricality on display, the iconic setting — if it all sounds a bit like a culinary version of The Met Gala, that was undoubtedly the intention, too. Celebrities didn't attend, paparazzi weren't on hand to snap photos, fundraising wasn't the name of the game and no one broke the internet, but this was no ordinary serving of sugar. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that, as the venue's fashion-focused event did before it, Feast of Versailles has also earned the documentary treatment. Where The First Monday in May chronicled the preparations for 2015's Met Gala, Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles does the same with the quest to recreate the Palace of Versailles' gardens with chocolate and multi-coloured fondant, whip up a tiered mousse cake that resembles the French castle's sculptured detail, and pair them all with swan-topped pastries, wobbling palace-shaped jellies and a cocktail-filled whirlpool fountain. Viewers of cooking-focused reality television will know what's in store. That may not be the comparison one expects with a doco about a Met event, but it fits. Documentarian Laura Gabbert (City of Gold) deploys the personable Ottolenghi as her guide, and gets him to chat through the task at opportune moments. Her film also spends time first introducing Ansel, Bombas and Parr, Kasko, Oliveira and Wong, then watching them work towards the big gala evenings. Periodically, Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles has Ottolenghi chat with Met staff about logistics as well, and to historical experts. The former reveal their horror at having liquid anywhere near the gallery's exhibits, and the awareness that events with a live component are so much trickier to control than inanimate displays; the latter discusses 18th-century Versailles in general, the culinary excesses of the royal courts, the fact that chocolate was used for drinking long before it was eaten and, only briefly, the fate that befell Versailles' most famous figures in the French Revolution. Combine all of the above ingredients in a 75-minute documentary, and it's as formulaic as it sounds — even if the gala itself, the chefs behind it and their dazzling desserts could never earn that description. The First Monday in May was helmed by a different director to Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles; however, both films struggle to bring their concepts to life. As a mere record of occasions that happened, they do a fine job of showing what goes into staging these types of extravagant events. They also capture the tension and drama beforehand, and the indulgence and luxury when everything comes to fruition. But it seems that docos about Met galas are fated to take a superficial and straightforward approach, despite striving for more, and attempting to mimic the layers and textures of the venue's exhibitions and festivities. In Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles' case, the NYC institution clearly didn't hold a lavish Versailles-themed feast without intending to get everyone involved and in attendance thinking about the vast disparities between the haves and have nots — aka the whole reason that the "let them eat cake" misquote exists. Alas, Gabbert's film is mostly content to depict rather than interrogate this idea. A few very late shots, including of Trump Tower's garish gold interior, endeavour to stress modern-day parallels between Versailles and today's one-percent, but hardly delve deep. Accordingly, Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles is glossy, gleaming eye candy for those with a sweet tooth. It never feels like a full meal, though. That may be apt given that it's about dessert, but there's more substance in the tables piled high with cake and confection seen within the movie's frames than in the documentary's examination of its subject — and of the topic driving Feast of Versailles, and therefore sparking the film in the first place. While interesting tidbits pop up frequently, relating to food and history alike, they're akin to an entree. Viewers keep expecting something heartier, only to be left intellectually hungry. The audience is left physically ravenous, of course, because roving over all those spectacular dishes is a sure-fire way to whip up an appetite for a treat. This pleasant, palatable but slight movie obviously can't leave stomachs satisfied either, but it will make mouths water. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uan6MDxf3wU
Established in 1907, Barwon Heads Golf Club is consistently named as one of the finest courses in Australia. The links-style course is situated on the south coast of the Bellarine Peninsula overlooking the Bass Strait and features an undulating terrain that conforms with the natural land it's on. The 19th hole is pretty impressive, too — the stately clubhouse, opened in 1924, offers sweeping views of the course itself, as well as a dining room, event space and accommodation. You can make a night of it with the stay and play package, which includes breakfast and a round of golf for two.
Dreaming about a different life is a staple of coming-of-age films, with many a movie focusing on uncertain children or unhappy teenagers wishing for an existence far removed from their own. It's also a part of Australian documentary In My Blood It Runs; however, ten-year-old Arrernte/Garrwa boy Dujuan Hoosan and his friends aren't yearning to step into someone else's shoes. Instead, even at their tender age, they can simply see how they're being treated by Australian society at large. In one early scene, Dujuan and a group of other kids stand on a hill outside the Hidden Valley Aboriginal Town Camp, in Alice Springs. "That's where all the rich men come from," one comments, peering down at the city. "How come this mob get clean houses and not us?" asks Dujuan. "I wish I was living on that side," voices another kid. The chatter goes on, especially about the golf course in clear view. As Dujuan and his friends talk, they all note how much nicer the area looks compared to their own. A healer who's skilled in administering bush medicine, hunts proficiently and speaks three languages, Dujuan is deeply tied to his heritage and culture. "I was born a little Aboriginal kid. That means I had a memory, a memory about Aboriginals. I just felt something, a memory, history — in my blood it runs," he explains. He doesn't want to leave that behind, but rather for all Indigenous Australians to be treated fairly and equally. Whether he's sitting through school lessons about the First Fleet or speaking about his great-grandmother's upbringing as part of the stolen generation, he's acutely aware of Australia's historical attitudes towards the country's Indigenous population, as well the enduring effects on First Nations peoples today. With insight, wisdom and determination beyond his years, Dujuan is just as cognisant of what all of the above can mean for himself and other Indigenous children, too. The fact that this bright, charming, passionate, socially engaged kid is considered a poor student, and earns the attention of both welfare services and the police, speaks volumes. In late 2019, after the film initially started screening at festivals both in Australia and worldwide, Dujuan spoke to the United Nations about Australia's approach to youth incarceration, particularly in the Northern Territory — but, before he can get to that point, In My Blood It Runs chronicles his everyday struggles, including balancing western and traditional education, and meeting white society's expectations of a young Indigenous boy. At one point, he's told by his aunt that being sent to juvenile prison means "you're only going to end up in two places: a jail cell or a coffin". As shot over nearly four years — and interwoven with reflections from Dujuan, his mother Megan, grandmothers Carol and Margaret, and father James, as well as informative archival materials — the result is a compellingly candid and expressive window into Dujuan's mindset, desires and experiences, as told by a skilled filmmaker committed to doing his story justice. It has been five years since Maya Newell gave Australia one of its most engaging and diverse slices of childhood life in the form of the applauded Gayby Baby, and this follow-up continues to ponder the country's next generation, their hopes, dreams and everyday existence, as well as the way that today's attitudes and policies may impact their future. Now available to watch via ABC iView, In My Blood It Runs is also an observational documentary not only featuring Dujuan as its subject, but made in collaboration with him, his family and his community. It doesn't just feel empathetic as a result, but intimate and authentic, too. Dujuan himself shoots some of its footage, Newell made films alongside Arrernte Elders and families for a decade before starting this project, and the Arrernte and Garrwa families depicted were all consulted during every stage of production. The end product is a must-see movie dedicated not only to painting an accurate portrait of Dujuan's experiences, but to showing how it epitomises Indigenous childhood in Australia. Check out the trailer below: https://vimeo.com/358942768#at=1 In My Blood It Runs is available to stream via ABC iView until August 4. Top image: Maya Newell.
Imagine an informercial, but instead of steak knives and stain-proof trousers, this one's selling nothing less than The Great Society itself. You've got your host, Michael Moore, waddling his way from one set piece to the next and reacting with staged incredulity to every deal and reveal ("you get HOW MUCH annual leave in Italy!?") Then there are the interviews, not strictly scripted, but painstakingly selected to ensure they provide every piece of tantalising information without any of the fine print or shortcomings. And, finally, the offer: "Act NOW to adopt the Norwegian penitentiary system and we'll throw in Finnish tertiary studies ABSOLUTELY FREE!" The thing is, unlike so many of those late night absurdities, this one's genuinely enticing. The premise of Moore's latest documentary is a simple one: America hasn't won a war since WWII, so he's giving the US Armed Forces a well-earned stand down order and is instead single-handedly invading countries to steal the things America's most desperately in need of, including France's healthy school lunches, Germany's recognition of past national atrocities, and Italy's fair workplace conditions. Yes, Moore is selective in his 'spoils of war', only showing us the instances where such programs work, but as a model for better government, better business…better living, it's a forgivable choice. Unlike many of Moore's previous films such as Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11 and Capitalism: A Love Story, there's a refreshing absence of cynicism in Where To Invade Next. Even with the overarching message, which basically boils down to "look how much better than us the world does these things", the film ends by reminding us how so many of those initiatives were born in America and, with just a little legislative courage, could easily be reintroduced to sudden and sweeping effect. Greed, unsurprisingly, is identified by Moore as the chief source of America's ills, and it's no grand revelation that the privatisation of prisons, schools and healthcare invariably precipitates a clash between value and values. However, as Moore seeks to prove, a healthy and educated society where welfare is considered a strength rather than an embarrassment is, in the long run, both a cheaper and a more productive one. Moore's trademark one-liners, musical gags and, for want of a better term, 'clowning', repeatedly threaten to distract (or even detract) from his message. Thankfully he demonstrates enough reserve throughout to let the compelling facts speak largely for themselves. And they are compelling, speaking directly to many of the same shortcomings here in Australia that few would deny are in need of significant redress. Most notable of these are Norway's humane treatment of incarcerated criminals to combat recidivism, and Iceland's massively increased female representation at the executive level across both business and politics. This is a film that shows you how things can be done better, then compels you to ask why it's not already the case. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KeAZho8TKo
Dwayne Johnson (aka 'The Rock') is an absolute Hollywood powerhouse. Just physically the guy's so strong he looks like he could bench press someone while they were bench-pressing. Yet there's so much more than brute force to this wrestler-turned-box office behemoth. In recent times he's had years (such as 2013) where his films have grossed more than US $1 billion combined. With more instalments of the unstoppable Fast and Furious franchise on the horizon, he's fast becoming the most bankable man in the business. No wonder, then, he's recently been hailed as the official heir-apparent to the king of action – Arnold Schwarzenegger. Then there's Kevin Hart, fast-becoming a movie-making powerhouse in his own right. Since just 2014 he's already churned out thirteen films, prompting Chris Rock to joke at the Oscars that not even porn stars make them as quickly as he does. Hart is increasingly being likened to Eddie Murphy for his style of comedy, his likability and his growing credentials as an action-comedy star. With all that said, the only thing surprising about Central Intelligence is how long it took to actually put Hart and Johnson together. And if you're wondering, yes, the film immediately went to no.1 on the US Box Office. Plot wise, there's very little to speak of. Johnson plays Bob Stone, an unflappable CIA operative who may or may not have gone rogue from the Agency, and who twenty years prior was the enormously fat kid subjected to relentless bullying by just about everyone other than Hart in his high school. On the eve of their school reunion, Stone reaches out to Hart's character, Calvin Joyner – the former class president and guy voted 'most likely to succeed'. Joyner is now a mid-level accountant in the throws of a mid-life crisis. Together, the pair quickly find themselves pursued by the CIA as they chase down some secret classified information. It's a classic odd-couple, buddy action comedy in the vein of the Schwarzenegger/DeVito movie Twins, only with far less class and only the most threadbare of storylines. Both Hart and Johnson throw themselves completely into their roles, without which the film would be a proper stinker. They're both terrifically funny actors, and Johnson's deadpan delivery of ridiculous lines is when the movie is at its strongest. It's just frustrating to see the current kings of action and comedy let down by a movie in which the action is entirely dull and derivative, and the comedy is so absent that the only real laughs come from the outtakes playing over the final credits. It all has a feeling of 'she'll be right, mate', relying far too heavily on the celebrity and charisma of its leading men instead of giving them a clever, considered script through which to showcase all that they're capable of. The film does also boast a handful of 'surprise cameos' that briefly recapture your attention, but they're not enough to cover up the gaping holes in plot or direction. Full of potential yet thin on substance, Central Intelligence is best seen as a challenge to the next writer-director to put this pair together. Imagine how brightly these two stars could shine if only they had a decent script. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxEw3elSJ8M
It's only February but already it might be possible to name both the worst film and least funny comedy of the year. Fist Fight, starring Charlie Day and Ice Cube, is a monument to stupidity. Its characters are amongst the thinnest and most derivative ever constructed, its plot is simultaneously ludicrous and entirely dull, and its capacity for comedy exists almost solely as outtakes in the final credits. The film's first-time screenwriters rely exclusively on a three-tiered approach of dick jokes, incessant swearing, and a female teacher's desire to have sex with a minor, forever backed by Day's high-pitched stammering whine. Story wise, Fist Fight takes place on muck up day in a US public school, where the students run riot, the teachers are powerless (or apathetic, or both), and the school board is laying off staff to meet budgetary requirements. When Day and Cube's characters clash over an incident in which Cube takes to a student's desk with a fire axe, Cube challenges the diminutive Day to a fist fight in the school yard after class to settle things once and for all. That none of the faculty, campus security or police department demonstrate any interest in properly addressing either the axe-on-student incident OR the imminent crimes of: assault and battery, disturbing the peace, affray or disorderly conduct, somehow represents the least implausible part of this entire abysmal experience. Alongside Day and Cube are various actors of note in roles that are completely beneath them. Tracy Morgan plays an incompetent sports coach, Christine Hendricks plays a butterfly-knife wielding French teacher, and Jillian Bell plays a meth-addicted guidance counsellor determined to get herself some 'teenis' (teenage penis). The whole conceit is so laughably unlaughable that it's astounding the script ever caught a studio's attention. That actors willingly signed on, well...let's just hope the money was worth it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aIzXYo6VCE
In June 2024, The Boys will return for its fourth season. For a sneak peek, the chaotic caped-crusader series has already dropped not one but two trailers. But fans don't just have those eight new episodes to look forward to — you can also start getting excited about season five, too, because Prime Video has already renewed the show. "The Boys could be the best job I'll ever have. What other show allows me to write about politics, capitalism, family and exploding genitalia, though not in that order," said Eric Kripke, the series' showrunner. "My only problem is that since this year promises to be free of any conflict or misinformation, we're not sure what to write about." Since first making the jump from the page to the screen in 2019, The Boys has never been afraid to splash OTT violence — gory carnage, too — across its frames, or to parody reality within its superhero tale. The same proved true in 2020's second season and 2022's third, and also in college-set spinoff Gen V, which arrived in 2023 and has been renewed for a second season as well. Season four will start streaming Down Under from Thursday, June 13, while season five doesn't yet have a release date. But both will keep telling a tale of a version of earth where caped crusaders are real, as are superpowers, and a group called The Seven are placed above all superheroes — but, digging into the dark side of the scenario, not everyone thinks that should be the status quo. The Boys has always stood out as an antidote to narratives about powerful folks who are supposedly better than most, by both satirising and questioning that very idea. Here, superheroes work for Vought. They're still the main form of entertainment, but they're real, the most famous celebrities there are and inescapable in daily life. While The Seven are the absolute top talent, most are hardly role models when the public isn't looking. That has made quite the change from the usual cinematic universes as the Prime Video show has kept notching up the seasons, all coming to the small screen from Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's comics series of the same name. In the cast: Karl Urban (Thor: Ragnarok), Jack Quaid (Oppenheimer), Antony Starr (Guy Ritchie's The Covenant), Erin Moriarty (Captain Fantastic), Claudia Doumit (Where'd You Go, Bernadette), Chace Crawford (Gossip Girl), Jessie T Usher (Smile), Laz Alonso (Wrath of Man), Tomer Capone (One on One), Karen Fukuhara (Bullet Train), Colby Minifie (I'm Thinking of Ending Things) and Cameron Crovetti (Boy Kills World) — with Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead), Susan Heyward (Hello Tomorrow!) and Valorie Curry (The Lost Symbol) joining for season four. There's obviously no trailer for season five yet, but check out the full trailer for The Boys season four below: The fourth season of The Boys will start streaming via Prime Video from Thursday, June 13, 2024. Read our reviews of The Boys season three and Gen V. Season five doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when one is announced.
"When was the last truly fucking nasty, nasty, bad pop girl?" the latest teaser trailer for The Idol asks. Whatever the answer to that question IRL, it seems that HBO viewers — and subscribers to Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand — are about to meet someone who earns that description on-screen come June. After dropping sneak peeks since July 2022, the US cable channel's new music industry-set series finally has a release date. And, of course, another glimpse at what's to come. That celebrity is Jocelyn, as played by Voyagers' Lily-Rose Depp. She's quite the big deal, but a nervous breakdown got in the way of her last tour. Now she's back — and she wants be known as the greatest and sexiest pop star in America again. As the new trailer shows, nightclub impresario Tedros (Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd) just might be a part of that big return. There's a whole lot of parties, drugs, attractive actors and drama in The Idol's teasers so far, which hardly comes as a surprise given that Sam Levinson is one of its creators alongside The Weeknd. By now, audiences know that when something on HBO proves a huge hit, the network goes all in. One case in point: all things Game of Thrones, including House of the Dragon, plus the hefty list of other spinoffs also in the works. Another example: Euphoria, which Levinson is best known for, and appears to share its vibe with The Idol. Here, there's complicated relationships, too. Jocelyn and Tedros' time together is complicated by his sordid past, for instance, but also might gift her with a romantic awakening. Where the show goes from there will start to be revealed from Monday, June 5 Down Under, after it premieres at 2023's Cannes Film Festival. The Idol's stacked cast also includes Red Rocket's Suzanna Son, Boy Erased's Troye Sivan, Schitt's Creek's Dan Levy, singer-songwriter Moses Sumney, BLACKPINK's Jennie Kim, Only Murders in the Building's Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Hacks' Jane Adams, Bodies Bodies Bodies' Rachel Sennott and Inglourious Basterds' Eli Roth. Also set to pop up in the series: Hank Azaria (Hello Tomorrow!), Hari Nef (The Marvellous Mrs Maisel), Steve Zissis (Happy Death Day 2U), Melanie Liburd (This Is Us), Tunde Adebimpe (Marriage Story), Elizabeth Berkley Lauren (Saved By the Bell) and Nico Hiraga (Booksmart), plus Anne Heche (All Rise) in what'll be one of her last performances. When it was originally announced in November 2021, The Idol was set to span six episodes, all filmed in Los Angeles — with She Dies Tomorrow's Amy Seimetz directing every single one. But back in April 2022, it was revealed that Seimetz had left the project and reshoots were underway as a result. How that'll impact the end product is obviously yet to be seen, but the teasers so far should have you intrigued anyway. And, so should the fact that A24 are also behind it, after 2023's already-stellar Beef. Check out the latest teaser trailer for The Idol below: The Idol will premiere on Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand on Monday, June 5.. Images: Eddy Chen/HBO.
After eight seasons, a huge body count and an enormous wait for winter, Game of Thrones is coming to an end in 2019. But that doesn't mean saying goodbye to the world first created by author George R.R. Martin — not only thanks to the author's books, whenever The Winds of Winter eventually hits shelves, or even simply due to the planned prequel series. In addition, fans will soon be able to visit a heap of new GoT tourist attractions. After filming much of the show in Northern Ireland for the past decade, HBO has announced that it's teaming up with Tourism NI to open a number of sets and sites to the public for the first time. If you've ever dreamed about walking around Westeros, this will be your chance. Winterfell, Castle Black and King's Landing are among the iconic spots that'll feature in what's being called Game of Thrones Legacy. Visitors won't just see the ancestral home of House Stark, the headquarters of the Night's Watch or the capital of the seven kingdoms, but also view exhibitions complete with costumes, props, weapons and set decorations, plus art files, models and other production materials. There'll also be accompanying digital content and interactive materials, highlighting GoT's digital effects. Given that the show includes both dragons and wights, aka Martin's version of zombies, there's plenty to showcase. The project is still in an exploratory process, with full details still to be revealed, but a 2019 opening date has been slated. Seeing as though the show's final season will air next year, that timing is hardly surprising — you'll probably be able to find out whether Jon Snow really knows nothing, and then head to Northern Ireland to visit many of his haunts.
One minute we were basking in what felt like an endless summer, the next, winter whipped in, bringing icy winds, downpours and frosty mornings. But that's no excuse to hibernate. In fact, the best way to cope with the cold is by donning your mitts, embracing it and heading outside. After all, getting out and about in winter has its advantages. Instead of sunburn, sweat and crowds, you get cool days made for bushwalking, crackling fires perfect for drinking by and moody seas for whale watching. Plus, you avoid turning into a stir-crazy, caged-up creature. All you need is your favourite winter jacket and a reason more enticing than Netflix to cross the threshold into the chilly outdoors. So, we've teamed up with Hahn to come up with a few ideas for some winter enjoyment. Do them all without leaving the city limits. WARM BEER GARDENS Going outside doesn't have to involve strenuous physical activity — or any physical activity, for that matter. Got the strength to drag yourself off your couch and to your nearest pub? Job done. You might normally associate beer gardens with long summer nights, but when winter rolls around, loads of pubs turn theirs into cosy spaces. After all, it doesn't take much — toasty gas heaters or a log fire and a few fairy lights will do the trick quite nicely. Then, of course, there's the warming impact of beer. As author Dave Barry once observed, "When I heated my home with oil, I used an average of 800 gallons a year. I have found that I can keep comfortably warm for an entire winter with slightly over half that quantity of beer." Check out Sydney's best city oasis bars and beer gardens. Check out Melbourne's best city oasis bars and beer gardens. Check out Brisbane's best city oasis bars and beer gardens. BUSHWALKS If you are keen to be active — maybe before hitting the pub — then go for a bushwalk, or three. In fact, cold days are often ideal for tackling trails, especially tough, hilly ones that send your heart rate skyrocketing, and aren't so attractive on 40-degree summer days. In winter, there's no need to worry so much about sunburn, bushfires or snakes, either. What's more, walking, like beer, warm the body and spirit. Why not take advantage of the vivifying effects of both, and pack a brew to drink at a pretty spot along the way? Did someone say winter? What winter? Discover the top walks in Sydney. Discover the top walks in Melbourne. Discover the top walks in Brisbane. NIGHT MARKETS Over the past few years, Aussie cities have developed many impressive and creative takes on the classic night market, which have helped lure the not-so winterly inclined out of their homes. It also helps that these markets celebrate our multicultural make-up, meaning they play host to a slew of chefs devoted to all kinds of deliciousness — from Asian stir fries straight out of sizzling woks, to melting French fondues, to piping-hot Greek doughnuts. At most markets, live music or performance art is on the agenda, too. So, put a pause on your hibernation, call a mate or two, and go a-wassailing around the markets for an evening. Visit the Carriageworks Night Market in Sydney. Visit the Queen Victoria Night Market in Melbourne. Visit Eat Street Markets in Brisbane. WHALE WATCHING One of the best things about being on the east coast during winter is that it's whale watching season. Fun fact: nearly 60% of the planet's whale population is found in Australian waters, and our humpback numbers are increasing by 11% per year. Also, in autumn, they head north to breed and calve in warm waters and, in spring, they return south, often with babies in tow. So, rug up in your warmies, pack a picnic (don't forget the beer) and head to the easternmost headland you can find. For an even bigger adventure, jump aboard a whale watching cruise. Find the best whale watching spots on the east coast. FOOTY GAME If you're not so interested in getting physical yourself, but find it quite warming to watch someone else red-faced and working up a sweat, then grab your mates and book some tickets to a footy game. After all, winter is footy season. Invest in your team's jersey and scarf — or choose based on your favourite colours if you're undecided — and make tracks to an official match in a major arena, surrounded by thousands of fellow fans. Alternatively, you can keep things close, and cheer on your local team at the club down the road. You never know, you might work up enough enthusiasm to sign yourself up for the next training session. Post-match drinks — be they victorious or consolatory — are a must (see Warm Beer Gardens). Watch the footy at these sports bars in Sydney. Watch the footy at these sports bars in Melbourne. Watch the footy at these sports bars in Brisbane. Grab your mates, grab some Hahn and get out there this winter.
Imagine flying to a mysterious and remote spot in the middle of the ocean, and not only enjoying the incredibly scenic surroundings, but also getting to live out your wildest dreams. From the late 70s until the mid 80s, that was the premise of TV series Fantasy Island — and while the fantasies came with a price, the show definitely didn't fall into the horror genre. Thanks to prolific producer Jason Blum, now that premise comes with bumps, jumps, thrills and scares. Already remade for television in the late 90s, Fantasy Island is getting another do-over — for the big screen, and as a horror movie. The setup is the same, with folks zipping into an idyllic locale ready to live out their fantasy of choice. The cost, though, now lingers firmly in nightmarish territory. Yes, it's basically a case of turning everyone's mum's advice — "be careful what you wish for" — into a scary movie set in luxurious surroundings. And, yes, it jumps on the eerie island trend that Netflix series The I-Land also leaned into a few months back. The original series was famous for the character of Mr. Roarke (Ricardo Montalban), who was in charge of making guests's dreams come true — as well as his diminutive assistant Tattoo (Hervé Villechaize). Based on the just-released trailer for the remake, it seems that only Roarke has made the leap to the movie. Here, he's played by Michael Peña (Ant-Man and the Wasp). Cast-wise, Fantasy Island circa 2020 also features Maggie Q (Designated Survivor), Lucy Hale (Pretty Little Liars), Austin Stowell (12 Strong), Portia Doubleday (Mr Robot), Jimmy O. Yang (Crazy Rich Asians), Ryan Hansen (Veronica Mars) and Michael Rooker (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2) — and behind the camera, Jeff Wadlow (Kick-Ass 2) is in the director's chair. The filmmaker has played in high-concept horror territory before with 2018's Truth or Dare, although that didn't turn out so well. If you're a fan of unsettling flicks with a clear-cut gimmick, cross your fingers that history doesn't repeat itself. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QVk_lcMyx4&feature=youtu.be Fantasy Island releases in Australian cinemas on February 13, 2020.
Section 8, a collective in Melbourne like no other, is launching its biggest event lineup to date. Dubbed Level Up, the six-month-long series is set to take place at the hip open-air bar nestled between Lonsdale Street and Chinatown. One headline event has been allocated per month from November 2022 to April 2023. Kicking off the lineup is a record store showcase (Sunday, November 13) featuring four of the city's classic record stores: Natural Selection, Wax Museum, Northside Records and Skydiver. Each establishment will present its own collections via two 30-minute sets. [caption id="attachment_876668" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leilani Bale[/caption] Other events include a Vox/MC battle (Sunday, December 11), improv battle (Sunday, January 8, 2023), dance battle (Sunday, February 12, 2023) and beat battle (Sunday, March 12, 2023). Rounding off the series is Section 8's vinyl release launch party (Sunday, April 9, 2023), a celebration of the bar's eight-track multi-genre vinyl comprised of unreleased tracks by local artists. To sweeten the deal even further, Section 8 will also be giving away $10,000 worth of prizes, including cash prizes, an Ableton mentorship, dance classes, festival tickets and food vouchers. Finally, a new drinks menu will be available spotlighting the likes of Coopers, Jameson, Chivas Regal and Headline Acts. As usual, entry is free. You can head over to the official event page to find out more about what to expect in the next six months. [caption id="attachment_876665" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leilani Bale[/caption] Top images: Duncographic, Leilani Bale
Listening to a song, discovering a musician for the first time and feeling like they're speaking directly to you: it's a moment that everyone can relate to. It's also the premise for Blinded by the Light, a new coming-of-age movie which wowed this year's Sundance Film Festival with its enormous love of Bruce Springsteen. The Boss' tunes don't just feature on the film's soundtrack (17 of them, in fact). They actually inspired the entire flick, jukebox musical-style. It's based on the experiences of Springsteen-obsessed journalist Sarfraz Manzoor, with the Pakistan-born British broadcaster also co-writing the script, which is set in 80s-era England at the height of Thatcherism. He's no ordinary fan, either, having seen the denim-loving singer perform live more than 150 times. Narrative-wise, Blinded by the Light follows 16-year-old Javed (film newcomer Viveik Kalra), whose life changes when he's given a couple of Bruce's cassette tapes. You could say he's born to run, feels like he's on fire and is suddenly dancing in the dark — but, used to being under his strict parents' watch and being an outcast at school, he just finds hope in the music of a rocker from New Jersey. In the director's and co-writer's chair sits someone with a background in cross-culture teen-focused Brit pictures, Bend It Like Beckham filmmaker Gurinder Chadha. Plus, as well as Kalra, the film stars Hayley Atwell, Sally Phillips and Rob Bryden. If Blinded by the Light sounds a little like another feel-good, 80s-set, music-fuelled, high school-oriented British standout from a few years back, Sing Street, that's definitely not a bad thing. Tap your toes along to the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ond9SLcHX4Q Blinded by the Light screens at this year's Sydney Film Festival, then releases in cinemas around Australia on August 22.
Thirty-four-metres long, more than twice as big as a regular hot air balloon and ripped straight from Patricia Piccinini's inimitable mind, Skywhale 2013 might just be one of Australia's most recognisable recent pieces of art. And, this morning at sunrise (Monday, March 9), Skywhale took flight once again as part of the Canberra Balloon Spectacular. She'll make her second (and final) solo flight this evening at 8pm from the North Lawns — so, if you happen to be in Canberra, keep an eye on the skies. Then, as of May, Skywhale will be joined by her new companion, Skywhalepapa. The new floating sculpture is designed to form a family with Skywhale, with the second bulbous sculpture commissioned as part of the gallery's Balnaves Contemporary Series. In total, the pair will take flight six times during the nearly three-month Skywhales: Every Heart Sings exhibition — with launch locations at Parliamentary Triangle and yet-to-be-confirmed sites in Woden and Tuggeranong. [caption id="attachment_751759" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Skywhalepapa, 2019/20 (artist's sketch), Patricia Piccinini. Courtesy of the artist.[/caption] The structures' first co-flight is set to take place on Saturday, May 2 from Parliamentary Triangle. As reported by The Guardian Australia, the new balloon will be around 30 metres tall, 37 metres wide and weigh a whopping 400 kilograms. While the two were meant to take to the sky together today, Piccinini told The Guardian that it was better to have a "staggered approach" and allow Skywhale to be reintroduced to Canberra before Skywhalepapa (and the duo's attached children) take to the skies together. If you can't make it to Canberra to see the growing Skywhale clan, they will also tour the country later in the year, with locations and dates still to be confirmed. https://www.instagram.com/p/B9fIa3xHmDu/ Apart from the Skywhales: Every Heart Sings installation, the NGA is offering up a whole heap of top-notch exhibitions in 2020. It'll welcome Botticelli to Van Gogh: Masterpieces from the National Gallery, London in November, boasting over 60 works from European masters — most of which have never before travelled to Australia. Art lovers can also look forward to Know My Name: Australian Women Artists 1900 to Now, which'll shine a spotlight on the nation's female creatives; Belonging: Stories of Australian Art, a major collection of 19th-century Aussie pieces; a six-month focus on Chinese artist and activist Xu Zhen; and The Body Electric, a showcase of works by female-identifying creatives that are all about sex, pleasure and desire. Skywhales: Every Heart Sings launched today, March 9 at the National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place East, Parkes, ACT. Additional flight dates are planned for May 2 through July 25. For further information about the NGA's 2020 lineup, visit the gallery's website. Top image: Skywhale, 2013, Patricia Piccinini. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Gift of anonymous donor 2019, Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
Trying to pick the best line from Succession isn't just a difficult task; it's almost impossible. The series is one of the best-written shows on television, and best in general, in no small part thanks to how well it hurls about bickering dialogue. Before the HBO series first graced TV screens back in 2018, you mightn't have realised exactly how entertaining it is to watch people squabbling. Not just everyday characters, either, but the constantly feuding and backstabbing — and ridiculously wealthy and privileged — family of a global media baron. It's not only the arguing and power plays that make this hit compulsively watchable, however, but the witty words flung about, the scathing insults shot back and forth, and the pitch-perfect performances that deliver every verbal blow. Due to the pandemic, Succession hasn't actually been on our screens for a couple of years now. So, since 2019, we've only been able to enjoy its scheming chaos by re-binging its first two seasons. But the acclaimed drama is set to return next month — and, based on both its initial teaser back in July and the just-dropped full trailer, all those Roy family antics and the bitter words they inspire are in full swing once again. Yes, it's time to soak up your latest glimpse of a fictional family that could be Arrested Development's Bluth crew, but much, much more ruthless. And, after the big bombshell that son Kendall (Jeremy Strong, The Trial of the Chicago 7) dropped at the end of season two, the third season has plenty to dig into. Obviously, always-formidable patriarch Logan (Brian Cox, Super Troopers 2) is far from happy, and the rest of his children — Connor (Alan Ruck, Gringo), Shiv (Sarah Snook, Pieces of a Woman) and Roman (Kieran Culkin, Infinity Baby) — are caught in the middle. If you've seen the past two seasons, you'll know that this brood's tenuous and tempestuous relationship has only gotten thornier as we've all watched, and that doesn't ever look set to change. For Succession newcomers, the series follows the Roys as Logan's offspring try to position themselves as next in line to his empire. It's clearly set among the one percent, in lives that most folks will never know — but the idea that depiction doesn't equal endorsement is as rich in Succession and its brand of satire as its always-disagreeing characters. There is something different this time around, however, with Alexander Skarsgård (Godzilla vs Kong) and Adrien Brody (The Grand Budapest Hotel) joining the drama. Created by Peep Show's Jesse Armstrong — someone who knows more than a thing or two about black comedy — this Emmy, Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics' Choice, Writers Guild and Directors Guild Award-winner is savagely smart, darkly biting and often laugh-out-loud funny about its chosen milieu. And in the words of cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun, Zola) in this year's earlier sneak peek, yes, that sounds kinda dramatic. As well as dropping the full season three trailer, HBO has also announced that Succession will return mid-October — and Foxtel, which airs the series in Australia, has revealed that the third season will start airing Down Under from Monday, October 18. Check out the full Succession season three trailer below: Succession's third season will start airing on Foxtel and Foxtel On Demand from Monday, October 18. Image: HBO.
Despite the increasing levels of shopping restrictions currently in effect across Australia, limiting the amount of various products anyone can buy at one time, trying to get your hands on — and covered in — sanitiser is much harder than it should be at present. The liquid disinfectant is on everyone's must-buy list, causing empty supermarket shelves seemingly everywhere. But if you'd like to slather your digits with hand sanitiser made from gin, that'll soon be on the cards. In normal, non-COVID-19 times, north Sydney's Manly Spirits Co makes gin, vodka, whisky and liqueurs. Of course, these aren't normal times, so it's switching part of its focus to making hand sanitiser. The distillery was inspired by its own staff's troubles buying the coveted product, and decided to use some of its high-grade alcohol to whip up its own. Specifically, Manly Spirits Co is re-distilling some of its gin alcohol — so you'll not only be able to disinfect your hands, but make them smell like gin botanicals, too. That's likely to make you thirsty, so the company is making 50ml bottles available for free with every Manly Spirits Co bottle of spirits purchased. To discourage stockpiling, however, there is a limit of one free sanitiser per person. Manly Spirits Hand Sanitiser with Gin Aroma will also be supplied to local community groups, charities and organisations in larger five-litre sizes, to assist with their crucial operations. The hand sanitiser is expected to become available next week — and, for folks outside of Sydney, the distillery's online store delivers Australia-wide. A specific date hasn't been announced, so keep an eye on the company's Facebook and Instagram for updates. Manly Spirits Hand Sanitiser with Gin Aroma will be available with spirits purchases, with one 50ml bottle available for free per person. For further details, visit the distillery's website. Images: Manly Spirits Co.
In news that'll come as little surprise given Melbourne's status as Australia's coffee heartland — and its predilection for complete coffee snobbery, too — a barista from the Victorian capital has taken out top honours at the Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA) National Coffee Championships. Anthony Douglas of Axil Coffee Roasters has nabbed the title of Australia's National Barista Champion for 2022. Douglas beat out scores of other Aussie hopefuls in the annual competition, which was held at North Melbourne's Meat Market last month. His winning offering on the day consisted of an espresso, a milk-based coffee and his own coffee-based signature drink — a concoction featuring pomegranate and feijoa syrup, a juniper reduction, barhee dates and honey. Your morning latte's got nothing on that bad boy. [caption id="attachment_869967" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anthony Douglas[/caption] The newly crowned coffee king will now go on to represent Australia at the World Barista Championship, which is happening at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from September 27–30. It's been seven years since Australia last claimed glory in the international competition, when Ona Coffee's Sasa Sestic was named World Barista Champion in 2015. Douglas has been in the coffee industry for 12 years, and names two-time National Barista Champion Dave Makin as his boss and mentor. Catch the World Barista Championship at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from September 27–30. Axil has a swag of cafe locations across Melbourne — find your local by jumping to the website. Top Image: Fahmi Fakhrudin via Unsplash
This week the NGV takes a big jump back in time, reviving one of its most daring exhibitions — 50 years after its debut. In 1968, The Field was the opening exhibition when the gallery first moved into its St Kilda Road digs, as well remembered for its silver foil-covered walls and abstract sculptures, as for the widespread controversy it sparked. Now it's being revamped for a modern audience with The Field Revisited kicking off at NGV at Federation Square on April 27. The free exhibition will feature as many of the original 74 artworks as the curators have been able to get their hands on. Meanwhile, recreations of those named missing or destroyed have been commissioned by their original artists, including Garrey Foulkes, Trevor Vickers, Normana Wight, Col Jordan and Emanuel Raft. Other original works will be given their own homages, marked with specially designed silhouettes on the gallery walls. Images: Tom Ross.
Under current COVID-19 restrictions, you can't go on a holiday (locally or overseas). But, the government has hinted travel between Australia and New Zealand may be allowed in the near future, so it's time to start dreaming. Bookmark this for when you can explore once again. New Zealand's South Island has more nature than you can throw a stick at. Just over 17 percent of the island is dedicated national park, within which there are countless hikes for both multi-day trekkers and half-hour stroll-takers. While the South Island is consistently amazing and pretty much any walk you go on will exceed expectations, we've handpicked these five as our particular favourites. When you need to quiet your mind, they'll be there for you. [caption id="attachment_687371" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Miles Holden.[/caption] ROUTEBURN TRACK With waterfalls, snowy mountains and views in spades, Routeburn is an absolute show-off in the nature department. Open to the public since the 1880s, the 32-kilometre track winds along the glacial Route Burn river and up past both the Routeburn and Earland Falls. It's an easy South Island favourite and has truly earned its place as one of New Zealand's Great Walks. The Fiordland National Parks-based track takes about two to four days to finish depending on your fitness level and how long you want to spend taking in the various majestic views. The track is only open from October through to April, and it pays to reserve a spot at one of the Department of Conservation huts or campsites early, as the department has a monopoly on park accommodation and spots are guaranteed to fill up fast. HEAPHY TRACK Based in the Kahurangi National Park, the Heaphy Track spans across the Nelson-Tasman and West Coast regions, taking hikers through dense Nikau palms and forest and out towards the beautiful, choppy Tasman Sea. The track also has quite a few cute little side trips, including a small expedition through an "enchanted forest" filled with beech trees and the remains of old caves. Take a torch and go exploring inside the caves a little, especially the one that has a small waterfall pouring out of it. The Heaphy Track totals 78.4 kilometres, so should take you between four and six days. The track's open all year but use your common sense and check the Department of Conservation site for up-to-date alerts before embarking on your trip. [caption id="attachment_687373" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Will Patino.[/caption] MILFORD TRACK The Milford Track was historically used as a practical route for Maori to traverse the Fiordland area, but British immigrants quickly cottoned onto the four-day track's potential as a recreational walk when they stumbled upon it. By the early 1900s the news had even spread to London about this beauty-saturated route, the poet Blanche Baughan describing it as "the finest walk in the world" in the London Spectator in 1908. The 53.5-kilometre track is still the most famous of all New Zealand hikes due to its iconic and varied Kiwiana landscape and views. But with fame comes the necessary bureaucracy; to walk the track, hikers need to book months in advance. [caption id="attachment_687375" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Corey Parsons.[/caption] MUELLER HUT TRACK According to Reddit rumours, Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant wrote 'Stairway to Heaven' after going up to the Mueller Hut. The ten-kilometre return hike starts with a gentle incline to the Sealy Tarns, where on a sufficiently bluebird day you'll be blessed with a view of Aoraki/Mount Cook. This is about your halfway point. After that, the two-hour alpine track through the tussock to get to the hut begins. The view from the Mueller Hut itself is a combination of glaciers and New Zealand's highest peaks in all directions. A stairway to heaven indeed. [caption id="attachment_687374" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Julian Apse.[/caption] ALEX KNOB TRACK Alex Knob is a track that will give your quads a baptism of fire, with about a four-hour steady climb. The Rata Lookout over what is just an absolutely glorious view of the Franz Josef Glacier will make it worth though. The track is for experienced and well-equipped trampers only, so stay below the snow line if you don't have alpine hiking experience or crampons. Don't be that guy in the news for getting seriously injured or lost in one of our national parks. Start planning your trip to New Zealand's south with our guide to the South Island journeys to take here.
This article is sponsored by our partners, Flickerfest. Sydney seems to have all the fun when it comes to short film festivals. Huge crowds descend on Centennial Park for Tropfest (no matter how divisive the films are), and Flickerfest runs for over a week at Bondi Pavilion. Sure, we have MIFF, but there's something great about the short form, and as the nation's self-professed culture capital we deserve at least a night of it. Thankfully, Flickerfest are bringing that night to us on Wednesday, February 12. Setting up in Palace Kino Cinemas on Collins Street, this special Flickerfest event will bring us eight Melbourne-made offerings that featured in the festival's larger Sydney showing last month (plus one very special US doco). Each film, with an average run-time of 15 minutes, will be shown in succession and the screening will be followed by a catered afterparty with drinks from the likes of Little Creatures and Crystal Head Vodka — a liquor with its own legacy of strange short film thanks to owner, Dan Aykroyd. Now in its 23rd year, Flickerfest is an institution, and the films on show are the best of the best. Chosen from over 2,300 entries, featured works such as The Kingdom of Doug and The Last Time I Saw Richard have won numerous accolades in their Sydney run and are exemplary of the most innovative work being done by our local filmmakers. The short American documentary Slomo will also be featured in the night's viewing — a film that tells the tale of a retired neurologist who now spends his days rollerblading up the Pacific Beach boardwalk in slow-motion. Such films definitely serve as a reminder that great stories can be found in small (and strange) packages. Tickets can be purchased prior to the event via (03) 9650 2100 or bought at the door on the night.
The Gold Coast is roughly 12,000 kilometres from Mexico, but that won't stop holidaymakers from enjoying a tequila-soaked vacation in Coolangatta. Forget paying for an airfare to the other side of the world — head to the Glitter Strip instead for a getaway at The Herradura Hacienda, the new margarita-inspired room that's now open for bookings at The Pink Hotel. With its eye-catching exterior and beach views, The Pink Hotel is a Coolie icon anyway, but a stay there can now come with agave spirits. As the new suite's name makes plain, this margarita wonderland is a collaboration with Herradura Tequila, aka Mexico's last tequila-producing hacienda. The vibe inside: 'cosmic disco' meets 'neon jungle'. As well as colourful decor — neon signs, leafy prints, disco balls and a wall of mirrored titles do indeed feature, as well as plants, plus various pink, green and sparkling hues — a night here includes bespoke Herradura margaritas. For an extra fee, you can also get an hour with a bartender to mix your 'ritas in your room. The suite's hero marg is a watermelon and pink pepper number, but Herradura and Capi palomas and boozy pink lemonades help fill out the drinks menu. Unsurprisingly, this package is around for a good time, not a long time. Costing $389 on weeknights and $489 on weekends, it's on offer until Sunday, June 4; however, the revamped room itself isn't going anywhere afterwards. That said, if you can't make it along till then, you will need to pay extra for your margs and other Herradura Tequila trimmings, rather than getting them included in your room rate. "We are extremely proud of the unique offering our hotel brings to the Gold Coast and are thrilled for our guests to experience The Herradura Hacienda pop-up," said Freya Frenzel, General Manager at The Pink Hotel Coolangatta. "The room has all elements of The Pink Hotel that people know and love, with a fun twist!" Getting in quick is recommended, with The Herradura Hacienda available to book via The Pink Hotel, Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb, Agoda, Qantas, Trip.com, Hotels.com, Hotel Network and Yonda. And whether or not you're a tequila fiend, a trip to The Pink Hotel involves kicking back in a refurbished boutique accommodation spot that dates back to the 50s, reopened in 2018, and combines Scandinavian and mid-century design. Guests can enjoy being opposite the beach, too, and just a three-minute walk from Coolangatta's shops and bars. Or, you can hit up the rooftop, and the onsite restaurant and bar. The Herradura Hacienda is available to book The Pink Hotel, 171 Griffith Street, Coolangatta, with all the Herradura Tequila trimmings until Sunday, June 4 — and with them available at extra expense afterwards. Head to the hotel's website for further details and bookings. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips — including at The Pink Hotel — with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
There are neither aliens nor gods to be found in the latest instalment of the seemingly unstoppable Marvel movie franchise. Instead, this is an 'enemy within' offering, and it's very much the better for it. Captain America (Chris Evans) is the Avenger in question this time round, and for a movie about the perils of extra-governmental espionage and unregulated oversight, there could be no more suitable a hero than that unfailingly honest idealist Captain Rogers. In The Winter Soldier, Cap finds himself contemplating a life beyond the military, only to be drawn deep back inside the shadowy organisation S.H.I.E.L.D following an assassination attempt on his boss, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). With the story's many twists and turns, it's risky to disclose much more, but at its heart this is a film about trust, betrayal and (inevitably) good ole-fashioned right and wrong. Fitting, then, that his holiness the pope of '70s plot-based paranoia, Robert Redford, makes an appearance as S.H.I.E.L.D's chairman Alexander Pierce. It's difficult in any film not to get excited whenever Redford embarks upon one of his trademark disquisitions on the state of democracy, freedom or peace, and in The Winter Soldier you get the full-blown triple play. Joining him in the mix are S.H.I.E.L.D regulars Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Agent Hill (Cobie Smulders), as well as the instantly appealing newcomer 'Falcon' (Anthony Mackie). Inevitably, a superhero movie with a budget as big as its leading man's pecs is going to feature the periodic sensory onslaught of explosions, car chases, plane chases and carplane chases to keep the blockbuster fans satiated. The highlights in The Winter Soldier, however, are the smaller-scale, human melees, because let's be honest — Cap's superpowers aren't all that super ("Fitter than the average man, more honest than Abe Lincoln, Chris Evans is...the Truthy Runner"). As a result, his action sequences require more imagination on the part of the writers than they might for, say, Iron Man, and where the team most often delivers is in all the creative ways Cap uses his iconic shield, both in defence and on offence. Not quite as witty as Whedon's Avengers yet more engaging than Thor 2, Captain America: The Winter Soldier offers a darker and more thoughtful superhero story than most, if not all, of its Marvel predecessors. https://youtube.com/watch?v=7SlILk2WMTI
If there's one person audiences should happily follow into a haunted house, it's Guillermo del Toro. He played with spooky spaces in the Oscar-winning Pan's Labyrinth and told ghost stories in The Devil's Backbone. Actually, the Mexican filmmaker has danced with all things dark and sinister across his career, including vampires in Cronos, Blade II and TV's The Strain; giant insects in Mimic; a demon defender in the Hellboy movies; and monsters versus robots in Pacific Rim. In Crimson Peak, del Toro dives into gothic horror territory, telling the tale of a young woman (Mia Wasikowska) seduced into confronting the secrets of the titular house. Add Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain and Charlie Hunnam to the stellar cast, as well as a haunting mood and stunningly spooky imagery, and this frightening effort looks like something truly special. Plus, Crimson Peak even earned the approval of iconic horror author Stephen King, who compared it to Evil Dead. Consider us excited — and a little scared, to be honest — in anticipation. Crimson Peak (© 2015 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.) is in cinemas nationally from October 15, and thanks to Universal Pictures Australia, we have 10 double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter and then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
If you needed more evidence that teenagers are becoming even smarter at a younger age, look no further. A new trend has emerged in Midwest America, where teenagers are reportedly soaking candy in alcohol in order to get drunk. Long gone are the days when young hooligans would wait outside the bottle shop and desperately beg the first bloke with facial hair to buy them a case of Bacardi Breezers. Instead, candy is being soaked in spirits before being consumed in a seemingly harmless practice. These teenagers were even able to pick the cutest and most innocent candy as their method of intoxication: the gummy bear. Darcy Jensen from Prairie View Prevention Services works in South Dakota to stop underage drinking. She notes that whilst the problem has not yet become widespread, she has already sent out warnings to schools across the state about the dangerous new practice. "Maybe someone has offered the candy and they didn't even know. So telling the kids ahead of time this could be something to be aware of is important," she said. Darcy raises a valid point. Teenagers might think twice about accepting a drink from a stranger, but a gummy bear? Never. She notes that this new trend will provide parents with a good opportunity to talk to their children about the hazards of underage drinking, and describes the gummy bears as "a good conversation starter." Maybe confectionery giants should start selling candy in brown paper bags from now on. [via Keloland]
When the theatre powers that be wondered if Moulin Rouge! could leap to the stage from the screen, the answer was simple: yes it can can can. And when the hit Broadway version notched up 14 Tony nominations, another question arose. Could Moulin Rouge! The Musical become the first Australian-produced show to win the coveted Best Musical Tony Award? Again, yes it can can can. After being delayed due to the pandemic, the 74th Annual Tony Awards were held on Monday, September 27 Australian time, recognising the best that theatre had to offer in the 2019–20 season. And, Moulin Rouge! The Musical did indeed emerge victorious. Including Best Musical, it took out ten gongs in total. Produced by the Sydney-based Global Creatures — and marking the first Australian-produced show to originate on Broadway — Moulin Rouge! also nabbed prizes for Best Direction of a Musical (f0r Alex Timbers), Best Choreography (Sonya Tayeh), Best Orchestrations (Justin Levine with Matt Stine, Katie Kresek and Charlie Rosen), Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (Aaron Tveit) and Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Danny Burstein). And, it won Best Scenic Design in a Musical (Derek McLane), Best Costume Design in a Musical (Catherine Zuber), Best Lighting Design in a Musical (Justin Townsend) and Best Sound Design of a Musical (Peter Hylenski) as well. The Tonys sweep comes as Australians will finally get to see the stage production later this year, after its long-awaited local premiere season in Melbourne was delayed due to lockdown. It was set to open in mid-August, but is now selling tickets for shows from early November in line with Victoria's roadmap out of stay-at-home conditions. When it was announced back in 2016 that Moulin Rouge! was being turned into a stage musical, fans around the world thought the same thing in unison: the show must go on. Since then, the lavish production hit Broadway in 2019, and now has a date with Melbourne's revamped Regent Theatre. Based on Baz Luhrmann's award-winning, Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor-starring movie — which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year — the stage musical brings to life the famed Belle Époque tale of young composer Christian and his heady romance with Satine, actress and star of the legendary Moulin Rouge cabaret. Set in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris, the film is known for its soundtrack, celebrating iconic tunes from across the past five decades. The stage version carries on the legacy, backing those favourites with even more hit songs that have been released in the two decades since the movie premiered. Moulin Rouge! The Musical wasn't the only production soon headed to Australia to nab a Tony, with Jagged Little Pill the Musical also collecting two ahead of its Sydney premiere in December. Elsewhere at the high-profile awards, A Christmas Carol nabbed five gongs in the play categories, while The Inheritance picked up four. Moulin Rouge! The Musical is due to make its Australian debut at The Regent Theatre, at 191 Collins Street, Melbourne from November — depending upon Victoria's COVID-19 restrictions at the time. To buy tickets, and for further details, head to the production's website. Images: Matthew Murphy.
Pucker up, fans of 90s teen flicks — whether you were the exact right age at the time, have discovered them since or found yourself looking backwards thanks to recent films like Do Revenge. After finally bringing its song- and dance-filled take on one of the most influential movies of the era to Australian stages this year, Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical is making a comeback along Australia's east coast in 2023. It seems that we can't get enough of this bittersweet symphony. We can't stop praising it, either. This time, audiences in Sydney and Melbourne will get a second chance to get nostalgic, while the show is backing up its recent Brisbane season with a new stint on the Gold Coast. To answer the most crucial question, yes, the musical's soundtrack is filled hits from the period, including The Verve's 'Bittersweet Symphony' and Placebo's 'Every You Every Me'. In fact, Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical is a jukebox musical, so it's overflowing with a heap other tunes from that late 90s–early 00s time. Think: *NYSNC's 'Bye Bye Bye', Britney Spears' 'Sometimes', No Doubt's 'Just A Girl', Jewel's 'Foolish Games', Christina Aguilera's 'Genie In A Bottle' and Sixpence None the Richer's 'Kiss Me', for starters. The story remains the same, just without Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon and Selma Blair (and Joshua Jackson's blonde locks). If you've seen the movie — the original, not the direct-to-video 2001 and 2004 sequels, one of which starred a very young Amy Adams (Dear Evan Hansen) taking over Gellar's role — then you'll know how it goes. Based on 1782 novel Les Liaisons dangereuses, which was also been adapted in the 1988 film Dangerous Liaisons with Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer and Uma Thurman, Cruel Intentions follows step-siblings Sebastian Valmont and Kathryn Merteuil. Manipulating each other's love lives is their main hobby, a pastime that levels up a few notches when Kathryn places a bet on whether Sebastian can sleep with Annette Hargrove, the headmaster's daughter at their exclusive prep school. The movie-to-theatre production has been unleashing its teen tumult and throwback soundtrack in America since 2015, and will start its Aussie encore from January 2023. Cruel Intentions' writer/director Roger Kumble co-created the musical, so it comes with quite the screen-to-stage pedigree. Also, it's being staged in Australia via David Venn Enterprises, who also brought The Wedding Singer: The Musical Comedy and Bring It On: The Musical our way. CRUEL INTENTIONS: THE 90S MUSICAL 2023 AUSTRALIAN TOUR: Thursday, January 19–Sunday, January 29, 2023: HOTA, Home of the Arts, Gold Coast Thursday, February 2—Sunday, February 12: Riverside Theatre, Parramatta From Thursday, February 16: Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical will tour Australia's east coast again from January 2023. For more information and to join the waitlist for tickets — with Gold Coast and Melbourne shows on-sale from 10am Thursday, October 6 an Sydney from the same time on Tuesday, October 11 — head to the musical's website. Images: Nicole Cleary.
While much of the country is slowly starting to creep back to normality — and Melbourne has a roadmap to get there — there are some basic activities that'll be looking very different post-COVID. That includes the humble music gig and festival. With large crowds seen as a potential risk for virus transmission, all Australian states and territories still have density limits in place for gatherings and events, meaning that this year's festival season is set to be in stark contrast to all those before it. While it's hard to tell exactly what the future of music shows looks like locally, plans for an upcoming Western Australian event could help shed some light. Hitting the Busselton Foreshore on Saturday, October 31, the inaugural Good Day Sunshine festival is set to debut a new COVID-safe festival format, featuring a revolving stage and four separate crowd areas. The design will allow event promoters Macro Music to safely host 5000 punters. In the plans, the aptly named Turntable Stage sits at the centre of the site, rotating between four separated audience zones, each with a reduced 1250-person capacity. The lower numbers and crowd split will allow the festival to meet the state's current density restrictions of two-square-metres per person, while improving ease of contract tracing. Each of the four areas will operate as a separate event, complete with its own entry and exit point, and own amenities including bars, toilets and food outlets. A static sound system will service the entire site, while on-stage LED screens will provide all punters with concert visuals at each point of the stage's revolution. After purchasing tickets, Good Day Sunshine patrons were required to nominate one of the four quadrants, which is where they'll remain for the entirety of the festival. Each of the zones will have its own COVID safety officer, leading dedicated teams of staff that will continuously clean shared facilities and top up hand sanitiser stations. The event is set to be closely monitored and, if it proves successful, could pave the way for future Aussie festivals. "I would be flattered if this format was to be used by other events in Australia and across the world," said Macro Music CEO and festival designer Ross Macpherson. "The sooner we can get large-scale live events back up and running, the better for everyone." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeYsTUQ9D34&feature=youtu.be The Good Day Sunshine lineup has met some issues thanks to Western Australia's hard border lockdowns and difficulties securing approval for artists to enter the state. At this stage, acts including Eskimo Joe, John Butler Trio and Xavier Rudd are set to headline the October 31 debut. Good Day Sunshine will debut at Barnard Park, Busselton, on October 31. Learn more about its new format at the festival's website.
Vampires can be slain by staking them in the heart. Werewolves aren't fond of silver bullets. But Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's addition to the undead world can't and won't be killed — not that anyone would want that outcome. First, What We Do in the Shadows jumped from a short film to a hilarious feature-length comedy. Next, it not only inspired a US television remake, which has been renewed for a season season, but New Zealand television spinoff Wellington Paranormal. And in the latter's case, following an exceptionally amusing six-episode first season, it's returning to Australian screens for its 13-episode second season this month. We've said it before, and we'll say it again: trust a mockumentary about the undead to keep coming back in new guises. The Cops-style spinoff follows police officers Karen O'Leary and Mike Minogue, who WWDITS fans might remember came knocking at the vampire share house's door. With the help of Sergeant Maaka (Maaka Pohatu), the cop duo keep trying to keep the city safe from supernatural happenings — including not only bloodsuckers and lycanthropes, but ghosts, aliens and more. Wellington Paranormal's second season once again explores the spate of paranormal phenomena popping up in the city, with a whole heap of new spooky occurrences attracting O'Leary, Minogue and Maaka's attention. The season starts with sea monsters — and a very high-profile cameo from Clarke Gaylord, partner of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern — and stays in strange but funny and silly territory from there. In Australia, Wellington Paranormal's first batch of episodes screened on SBS Viceland and was available to stream on SBS On Demand, and that's the case again this year. Episodes will drop weekly on both the free-to-air channel and the online platform from Thursday, November 28. For those following What We Do in the Shadows' continued evolution, Wellington Paranormal's success shouldn't come as a surprise. When the show was first revealed, Waititi described it as "Mulder & Scully but in a country where nothing happens" on Twitter, after all. Wellington Paranormal's second season starts screening on SBS Viceland and SBS On Demand from Thursday, November 28.
Gone are the days of sidling into bottle shops and covertly trying to identify the second cheapest wine on the shelf. The brainchild of The Iconic founder and former managing director Cameron Votan, Spokewine is the brand new online wine store that may well revolutionise the way you think about your drinking — with a unique customer rating system. The online equivalent of a well-stocked cellar door, Spokewine features wine options from more than 70 different Australian wineries, many of which have never before been available to buy on the web. With a focus on boutique producers, customers can browse by wine type, region or individual winery, or simply take a look at what's trending with their fellow oenophiles — which, let's face it, is basically just a fancy word for knowledgeable alcoholic. Once you've found the wine that suits your palate, you can order by the case and have it delivered to you absolutely free. Shipping should take between 4-10 days, and you'll need someone over 18 to sign for it on arrival. Sorry kids, there's no gaming the system. What makes Spokewine unique is their democratic review process, which takes the power away from snooty wine critics and puts it back into the hands of the people. Basically, it's like IMDb, but for your liver. After logging in through Facebook, you can choose between 'love', 'like' and 'not for me', or get more in depth feedback through tasting notes and written reviews. After you've rated the vino, your score and everyone else's get aggregated into two separate rankings — the 'approval' rating counts the percentage of positive votes, while the 'passion' rating calculates the number of 'love' votes as a percentage of people who ranked it positively. The Spokewine venture may prove a new mode of doing business for the former Iconic head and his partners Nicholas Turner, Michael Larsen and Victor Garcia. Votan told BRW the move was a "real partnership" with winemakers, as opposed to the set-up with labels: arguing over rebates, charging fees for lost custom. Looks like Votan is going to do things a little differently this time. "Not just The Iconic but any retailer I’ve ever been involved with, whether through consulting or an operational role, is that merchants are by nature in an adversarial relationship [with suppliers],” Votan told BRW. "It would be impossible to do that with the set of vendors that we’re working with now. They just don’t work like that. They’re up for partnerships for life. They want you to come and look them in the eye, walk through their vineyard with them, understand their story and at the end shake hands and say let’s do business." Now if you'll excuse us, we've got some user-reviewed wine to order.
If you've managed to nab a ticket to Paul Kelly's Making Gravy tour back in 2017, 2018 and 2019, then you were one of the lucky ones. If you weren't and have been lamenting ever since, you can stop. The songwriting legend has just announced that he'll be performing the show all over again this December, this time heading to Melbourne and Brisbane — in the lead up to Gravy Day itself, December 21. Like the song, the tour — now in its fourth year — is becoming a bit of an Aussie Christmas tradition. Time to start thinking about getting the tinsel and ugly jumpers out of storage. As in past years, you can expect to hear a stack of songs from Kelly's four-decade long career. Listen out for all the hits, from 'Dumb Things', from the album Live, May 1992, to 'Love Never Runs On Time' from Wanted Man (1994). The Christmas classic 'How To Make Gravy', first released in 1996 on an eponymous EP, is on the menu, too. The tour will coincide with the release of Kelly's new Christmas Train record, his first-ever festive album — and yes, it includes a new version of 'How To Make Gravy'. Kelly won't be hitting the road alone, either — he's inviting a bunch of special guests. He'll be joined by Ball Park Music, Sycco and Emma Donovan & The Putbacks. MAKING GRAVY DATES 2021 Melbourne — Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Thursday, December 9 Brisbane — Riverstage, Saturday, December 18 Paul Kelly Making Gravy pre-sale tickets will be available from midday AEDT on Thursday, November 4 with general sales from 1pm local time on Monday, November 8.
When summer holidays seem like a depressingly distant memory, nothing recharges the soul quite like a couple of days spent exploring the very best of a city — especially when that city is considered the world's most liveable city at that. So, we've teamed up with the folks at DoubleTree by Hilton to curate your ultimate Melbourne weekend getaway. Boasting a top-notch Flinders Street location, right in the heart of all the action, the Melbourne hotel is primed for that hard-earned city escape you've been planning — plus, they'll always welcome you back with a nice, warm 'welcome cookie'. Lose yourself down laneways, feast your way through the city's many multicultural offerings and shop till you're ready to drop, knowing you've got a comfortable home away from home to land yourself at the end of the day — with a spot for a nightcap, if you should feel so inclined, at the hotel's Platform 270. Here's our guide to a cracking Melbourne weekend. START THE DAY AT HIGHER GROUND, CBD As much a feast for the eyes as for the belly, CBD cafe Higher Ground makes its home within a gorgeous, lofty space that once housed the Little Bourke Street power station. Here, award-winning designer touches and exposed brick walls create an elegant backdrop for the kitchen's forward-thinking, artfully designed fare. Pop in for breakfast and a specialty coffee to kick-start a big day of exploring, or swing by after dark to road-test the chic dinner menu on offer Thursday through Sunday. GET YOUR ART FIX AT ROSE STREET MARKETS, FITZROY Each weekend, Fitzroy's Rose Street becomes a shopping hot-spot, playing host to two vibrant weekly markets. On Saturdays and Sundays, hit the Rose Street Artists' Market to find a stellar lineup of local makers showcasing an array of art, fashion, homewares, jewellery and photography, plus an onsite cafe primed for caffeine pit-stops and brunch feeds. Just a few metres down the street there's yet more shopping goodness in store for you at Saturday's Fitzroy Mills Market. This one's got a health and wellness focus, sourcing top produce from local makers and growers — expect treats like quality fruit and veg, desserts, artisan bread, vegan eats and even fare for your four-legged friends. GO FULL MELBOURNE AT WHITEHART, CBD Tucked down a laneway, surrounded by lively street art and crafted from a couple of upcycled shipping containers, Whitehart is unmistakably Melbourne. The industrial-inspired bar slings a top-notch booze lineup of clever cocktails, boutique wines and craft brews, while food comes courtesy of a rotation of visiting food trucks. Also impressive is the soundtrack, as the decks play host to a dance-worthy mix of resident DJs and guest artists from across the world. Swing by for a sunny afternoon session, or after dark to soak up those late-night Melbourne vibes. WANDER THE NICHOLAS BUILDING, CBD A veritable treasure trove of fashion and design, art deco stunner The Nicholas Building is home to a diverse mix of studios, boutiques and galleries. Drool over beautiful heritage features like the leadlight dome above the arcade while you get some retail therapy. Highlights include a huge selection of pre-loved threads at Australia's largest vintage store Retrostar, perfume from The Powder Room, Kimono House's Japanese crafts and textiles, jewellery designs from Victoria Mason and women's fashion from the likes of Obus and Kuwaii. DIG INTO SUPERNORMAL, CBD At the sleek Asian-accented Supernormal, acclaimed Melbourne chef Andrew McConnell delivers some very memorable eats, drawing on a range of influences and serving it all with a healthy side of fun. Here, classic flavours from across Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and China are reworked into a menu of modern delights and matched with a contemporary drinks offering of sake, local wines and intriguing cocktails. Just remember, McConnell's cult classic lobster roll is a must and, when opting for the banquet menu, it pays to be within rolling distance of where you're staying. [caption id="attachment_659089" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John Gollings.[/caption] EXPLORE THE AUSTRALIAN CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, SOUTHBANK Delivering a diverse program of bold exhibitions, performances, talks and events, the Australian Centre For Contemporary Art is a hotbed of creativity and a must for any visiting art aficionado. Boasting an award-winning building set among the arty offerings of Southbank, it features thought-provoking works from big-name artists the world over, in addition to commissioned pieces designed to change the way the world sees contemporary art. Cruise the current exhibitions at your own pace, or jump on one of the free public tours, held each Sunday during exhibition periods. CATCH SOME VIEWS AT ROOFTOP BAR, CBD An astro-turfed, open-air space perched at the very top of Swanston Street's Curtin House, Melbourne's original rooftop bar is a year-round favourite, thanks to its laidback feel and those sprawling city skyline vistas. Venture up for brews with a view and eats from The Rooftop Burger Shack, while getting acquainted with one of Melbourne's most iconic drinking spots. During the warmer months, you can even catch a flick on the outdoor big screen for the legendary Rooftop Cinema. PICNIC IN THE SUN AT ABBOTSFORD CONVENT, ABBOTSFORD Set among picturesque grounds in Melbourne's inner north, multi-arts precinct the Abbotsford Convent has a little something for everyone. Once operating as a convent and one of Australia's largest Catholic complexes, the heritage-listed, 16-acre site now boasts a colourful assortment of galleries, studios and green space — not to mention a stack of architectural gems to marvel at. Lose a day happily exploring the current offerings, from exhibitions and talks to markets and performances. Social history tours are run every Sunday afternoon, and there's a plethora of great onsite eateries to choose from come lunchtime. [caption id="attachment_649405" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jamie Durrant.[/caption] EAT TAPAS AND MONTADITOS AT BAR TINI, CBD Having won hearts across the country with his stable of MoVida restaurants, Frank Camorra's latest project is another Spanish-inspired charmer — this time, a cosy laneway haunt called Bar Tini. With its warm red accents and cheery decor, this one's a nod to the bodegas of Spain, its menu a cracking lineup of imported tinned seafood, flavour-packed tapas and montaditos, and open sandwiches. Snack your way through, while sipping vermouth on tap and revamped classic cocktails. Pop in for a daytime visit and you'll even be able to check out the iconic street art of Hosier Lane outside the front door. [caption id="attachment_658995" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Stano Murin.[/caption] LAUGH IT OUT AT THE BUTTERFLY CLUB, CBD If a culture fix is on the cards, you can bank on finding a ripper program of happenings at The Butterfly Club. The laneway theatre hosts a diverse lineup of over 1100 performances each year, from cabaret acts to side-splitting stand-up shows. You'll also find a solid mix of regular events, including Tuesday night's burlesque life drawing sessions and Friday's long-running improv comedy show, The Big Hoo Haa. The Butterfly Club's two bars make for charming pit-stops in themselves, decked out with lots of kitsch touches and slinging an oft-changing lineup of themed cocktails. Spend your weekend exploring some of the very best things around Melbourne, and when you need a place to recoup, find your home away from home at DoubleTree by Hilton on Flinders Street.
UPDATE, MARCH 18: Due to concerns around COVID-19, Spiral: From the Book of Saw will no longer release on its initially scheduled date of Thursday, May 14, 2020. At present, a new release date has not been announced — we'll update you when one has been revealed. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. In 2003, James Wan and Leigh Whannell made a short film that completely changed the Australian duo's careers. These days Wan is known for directing everything from Fast and Furious 7 to Aquaman, while Whannell has jumped behind the lens on Upgrade and the upcoming The Invisible Man — but none of that might have happened if it wasn't for the Saw franchise. Running for just under ten minutes, the original Saw short was designed to help the Aussie filmmakers secure funding to make a feature — a horror flick of the same name, in fact. Not only did it achieve that aim, but it sparked a long-running big-screen series about the twisted Jigsaw Killer. And this unnerving saga just keeps spawning sequels. Spiral: From the Book of Saw is the latest Saw instalment, marking the franchise's ninth outing. Whenever a horror movie series starts approaching double digits, it can prove a case of diminishing returns; however Spiral has a few aces up its sleeves. Wan and Whannell have long since stepped back from leading the charge, instead taking on roles as executive producers — but the newest flick to spring from their gruesome short film stars Chris Rock and Samuel L Jackson. As the just-dropped first Spiral trailer shows, Rock plays Detective Ezekiel 'Zeke' Banks. With his rookie partner William Schenk (Max Minghella), he's soon investigating a spate of gory murders. For seasoned Saw fans, these killings should look more than a little familiar. Naturally, because that's how this series works, it doesn't take long for Banks to get caught up in a game with the perpetrator. The fact that Spiral is directed by Saw II, Saw III and Saw IV's Darren Lynn Bousman might temper your curiosity a little. Indeed, the last few Saw films mightn't inspire much confidence either — including 2017's Jigsaw, as directed by fellow Aussies Michael and Peter Spierig (Winchester). But seeing Rock and Jackson step into this franchise is intriguing at the very least. In case you were wondering, Jackson plays another police veteran with ties to the case, busting out his usual swaggering, swearing on-screen persona in the process. Check out the Spiral trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gaWj_c0-wM&feature=youtu.be Spiral was due to open in Australian cinemas on May 14, 2020; however it'll now release on a yet-to-be-revealed date — we'll update you when one is announced.
Missed out on tickets to the hugely popular Day of the Dead 3.1 warehouse project, announced last month? You're in luck. An immersive El Dia de los Muertos-inspired experience curated by a group of Mexican visionaries and artists, the Day of the Dead announced plans to visit Sydney on October 24, then Melbourne on October 31 before ending in Brisbane on November 7. While all three cities sold out within hours, and the organisers were inevitably inundated with hundreds of emails requesting tickets, so the Day of the Dead team twisted some arms and managed to increase the event capacity. There'll be a new and final ticket release happening on Saturday, September 26 at 12.30pm, with tickets at $95. Tickets will sell out within hours, so be ready. Get tickets here. Currently sold-out, the Day of the Dead warehouse project takes cues from some of the world's most celebrated immersive spectacles, everything from Burning Man to Sleep No More. The one-off event will immerse ticketholders in a temporary world of interactive art installations, light projections, extravagant costumes, murals created by renowned street artists and an exclusive lineup of local and international DJs and musicians. Pop-ups by a handpicked bunch of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane's go-to local Mexican eateries, like Playa Takeria, have been selected to create special Dia de los Muertos menus. Plus, there'll be Mexican cervezas and tequila/mezcal cocktails from the newly announced principal sponsor Tequila Herradura and major sponsor Tequila Jimador to provide you with enough sustenance to dance the night away. With instructions being sent to ticketholders just one week before the event, and locations revealed just one day before the party, this is secret warehouse party business at its best. Honour the dead, celebrate the living. Be ready on Saturday. The Day of the Dead 3.1's new and final ticket release is happening on Saturday, September 26 at 12.30pm. Tickets are $95 and are expected to sell out within hours. Get tickets here. By Kimberley Mai and Shannon Connellan.
The clue is in the name with this one: this High Street site is dedicated to all things knitting. The charming retail space and workshop houses all the colours, types and sizes of yarn your heart could desire, from baby-brushed alpaca and eco-cotton to fine Donegal tweed and silk mohair. You'll also find all the accessories to help get the job done too, such as lace needles, needle sets, crochet hooks, stitch holders, pom-pom makers and rulers. If you're new to the knitting game or want to improve your skills, Woolarium also offers spinning and knitting classes for all skill levels. Images: Julia Sansone
In a world of twitter-inspired books and movies, and everyone buzzing about Google+, the humble text message is often overlooked. The appropriately named British artist Tracey Moberley is doing her best to rectify that. Moberley has released an autobiography, Text-Me-Up!, drawn from the 55,000-plus texts she has ever received. She can even remember the very first one, received during lunch in Manchester in 1999. Many would cringe at the idea of revealing their text history to the public, others might wonder how many pages can be filled with "Where r u?" The book isn't Moberley's only text-message based art. In 2001 she released 2,000 helium balloons with her mobile number and a text attached, inviting responses from complete strangers. Her current project asks people who receive a text message from her to commemorate the event by sticking up a pink plaque, challenging the common view of the text as a purely utilitarian and disposable piece of communication.
For the second year in a row, Bluefest won't unleash a lineup of blues and roots tunes upon Byron Bay. After its 2021 event was originally cancelled just days out from its usual Easter slot, and then later postponed to October, the long-running fest has announced that it's now abandoning plans to go ahead this year. Instead, it'll return in 2022 — three years after its last festival, given that its 2020 event was also scrapped due to the pandemic — and will once again settle into its traditional Easter long weekend period. "It is obvious that we cannot present Bluesfest in a safe manner in October — the safety and protection of our loyal Bluesfesters, our festival staff, our performers, our volunteers, stallholders and suppliers is paramount," said festival organisers in a statement. "So, we have re-scheduled to our usual timing with dates over the Easter long weekend next year in April 2022 — by this time, we expect things to have returned much more back to normal.... There is confidence that, by the end of this year, Australia will have achieved at least a 70–80 percent vaccination rate and will have achieved at least 'stage three' in the plan to open up the whole country. Lockdowns will be consigned to history. Perhaps we may even see international artists returning — if they can come, we will be presenting them." Music lovers and festival-goers, mark Friday, April 15–Monday, April 18 in your diaries, with Bluesfest 2022 set to be a four-day event. Once again, it'll take over Byron Events Farm (formerly Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm) just outside Byron Bay. And, on-stage, it won't be lacking in company. Bluesfest Byron Bay returns Easter Long Weekend 2022 with headliners @MidnightOilBand, @PaulKelly, @JimmyBarnes... and the newly added @FatFreddysDrop1! Plus more headliners to be announced! 👉 https://t.co/r1HzgvcPM7 pic.twitter.com/jonipE8ArR — Bluesfest Byron Bay (@BluesfestByron) August 17, 2021 Bluesfest has confirmed a number of artists on its 2022 lineup, including a range of names that were meant to grace the stage this year. Midnight Oil, Paul Kelly and Jimmy Barnes will still lead the bill, with John Butler, Xavier Rudd, Pete Murray, Ian Moss, Mark Seymour & The Undertow, Kate Ceberano, Kasey Chambers, The Waifs, The Church, Briggs and Kate Miller-Heidke among the other names still locked in for the next fest. And, a selection of new acts have jumped onto the roster so far, including Fat Freddy's Drop, Josh Teskey and Ash Grunwald, John Williamson, CW Stoneking and Rockwiz Live. More are set to be announced in the months leading up to the fest. Bluesfest joins a long list of major events affected by the pandemic two years running, including Vivid Sydney, the Sydney Film Festival, the Melbourne International Film Festival, the Ekka in Brisbane and the Royal Melbourne Show. Folks with tickets for the now-cancelled October festival will still be able to use them at the 2022 event. BLUESFEST 2022 LINEUP: Midnight Oil Paul Kelly Jimmy Barnes Fat Freddy's Drop John Butler Xavier Rudd Pete Murray Ian Moss Kate Ceberano Kasey Chambers The Waifs The Church Jon Stevens The Living End Mark Seymour & The Undertow The Angels Russell Morris Kate Miller-Heidke Vika & Linda All Our Exes Live in Texas Ross Wilson and The Peaceniks John Williamson Troy Cassar-Daley Briggs Tex Perkins The Man In Black Josh Teskey and Ash Grunwald CW Stoneking Rockwiz Live Bluesfest 2021 has been cancelled, and Bluesfest 2022 will take place from Friday, April 15–Monday, April 18. Tickets are on sale now — for further information, head to the Bluesfest website. Top image: Joseph Mayers.
By now, the fact that any new season will likely be hotter than average in Australia should hardly come as a surprise. It's a recurrent trend, especially in autumn and winter, when things are supposed to cool down. And, now that summer is behind us for 2021, this year is staying true to form. According to the Bureau of Meteorology's climate outlook for the March to May period, much of the country is in for both warm weather and wet conditions over the coming months. If you live in Australia's north, Tasmania, southern Victoria or along the west coast of Western Australia, expect toastier autumn days this year, with a more than 60-percent chance that'll be the case. Nights are also expected to be warmer over the same period, hitting an 80-percent likelihood in the northern tropics, eastern Queensland, southern Victoria and Tasmania. For folks in New South Wales, you could buck the trend. BOM is currently forecasting cooler than average autumn days for parts of the state, with a 60-percent probability. But, overall, even when Australia gets down to its minimum temperatures between March and May, they're expected to be higher than average across most of the country (other that parts of southern WA and western and central South Australia). To give an idea of exactly what that all means, the average daily maximum temperature for March sits at around 23.9 degrees in Melbourne, 24.8 in Sydney and 28 in Brisbane. In May, it's around 16.7 degrees for Melbourne, with 19.5 for Sydney and 23.2 for Brisbane. BOM is forecasting that in all three cities we'll see warmer temperatures than that across the three months — and in Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Canberra and Darwin as well — although some rises might be minimal. In good news for farmers, much of the nation's east looks set for more rain, too. That's predicted to be the case in most of NSW, southern and eastern Queensland, Arnhem Land in the NT, eastern SA and eastern Tasmania — although, the higher probability of that happening (over 70 percent) is largely concentrated to small parts of southern Queensland and northeast NSW). In WA, the rest of the NT, Victoria, and the western parts of Queensland, SA and Tasmania, there's no indication that it'll be much wetter or drier than normal. Autumn's predicted wetter and warmer conditions across parts of the country follow Australia's rainiest summer for four years, BOM announced, topping figures since 2016–17 everywhere except greater southeastern Queensland (from the NSW border up to the Capricornia region). To finish off 2020, the country actually experienced its third wettest December since national records began in 1900; however, the nation's summer temperatures also look set to be our lowest since 2011–2012, only reaching above average in parts of Queensland and WA's west coast. If you're wondering why rain has been such a feature lately, BOM attributes it to La Niña, but notes that it is starting to subside. Bureau climatologist Dr Naomi Benger says that "the tropical Pacific Ocean is forecast to return to neutral conditions (neither El Niño nor La Niña) during autumn, consistent with the typical lifecycle of La Niña events. However, it is not uncommon for the effects of La Niña to still be felt as the event declines. That means an increased chance of above average rainfall, particularly for eastern regions". For more information about forecast weather conditions between March–May 2021, head to the Bureau of Meteorology's climate outlook.
Gather your spoons and prepare to start throwing them at a screen: The Disaster Artist is nearly here. A behind-the-scenes recreation of the making of Tommy Wiseau's The Room, it's shaping up to be the best movie ever made about the worst movie ever made. Oh hi, instant cult classic (and Mark, Greg, Claudette and doggy). Based on the non-fiction book of the same name by the original flick's star Greg Sestero, and directed, produced and starring James Franco as Wiseau, the film takes almost every actor you can think of (Dave Franco, Seth Rogen, Alison Brie, Zac Efron, Hannibal Buress, Sharon Stone, Melanie Griffith, Megan Mullally, Josh Hutcherson and Jackie Weaver, for starters) on a tour of Wiseau's now infamous late-night favourite — and, in quite the change from The Room, it's garnering a massive amount of buzz and critical love. After premiering as a work in progress at this year's SXSW, it just screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, and will hit Australian cinemas on November 30. A first teaser was first released back in July, absolutely perfecting the shooting of one of The Room's many, many memorable moments, with a full trailer now providing an even bigger glimpse into Franco's take on Wiseau's world. The awkward dialogue, the odd game of catch, Wiseau's greasy locks, a sex scene that defies human anatomy, "you're tearing me apart, Lisa!!!" — they're all there, in the expected so-bad-it's-hilarious fashion. Wiseau himself has given the whole thing his 99.9 percent approval, and pops up in the movie, of course. And if you need more convincing or you've never hurled a spoon in your life, we'll let Franco's version of Wiseau say everything else that needs to be said about The Room — and why you should be interested in The Disaster Artist. "So there's this guy Johnny. A true American hero — to be played by me. He has it all. Good looks, many friends. And also maybe Johnny is vampire. We'll see." Check out the new trailer below — and the original teaser too, because more The Disaster Artist is only a good thing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMKX2tE5Luk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIXYaCWc2EM
These days, most of the Melbourne restaurant, bar and cafe openings we hear about come from hospitality groups with plenty of financial backing, with few independent business owners having a crack at it themselves. That's why we were thrilled to hear about Casa Mariotti, a new family-run 110-person Italian wine bar and restaurant that brothers Guido and Guiacomo Guerrieri have just opened. Giacomo is heading up the kitchen here, creating a menu that's both inspired by his nonna's family recipes and his 20-plus years of experience working in Roman restaurants. You can kick off proceedings with supplì 'al telefono' (traditional Roman rice balls), a small deep-fried sandwich stuffed with anchovies and mozzarella, breaded buffalo mozzarella, olive pate with anchovies and garlic, and plenty of other antipasti bites — all great for sipping and snacking. There's certainly a focus on smaller dishes here, as Casa Mariotti leans more toward wine bar territory than a full-blown restaurant. Nonetheless, the handful of larger eats — including a few handmade pastas, sugos and polenta dishes — will more than satisfy hungry diners in need of a proper feed. Unsurprisingly, wines are given a great deal of attention here, with the team splitting the menu into two sections — wines made in Italy with native grapes and Australian-made wines using Italian-origin grapes. These are supported by a tight list of Italian cocktails (both done classically and with some twists), local beers, spirits and the obligatory aperitifs. To celebrate the opening (in true Italian style), the Casa Mariotti is also serving up a traditional aperitivo every day from 4-6pm, where guests can enjoy a selection of wine, beer and cocktails starting at $9 a pop alongside complimentary snacks — think bruschetta al pomodoro, lupin and seasonal frittata. Be sure to score these complimentary bites ASAP, as the deal won't be around for too long. You'll find Casa Mariotti at 258 Swan Street, Richmond, open from Wednesday–Sunday. For more information, you can visit the venue's website. Images: Jack Carlin.
Across its five seasons to date, Black Mirror has dedicated 22 episodes to imagining dystopian futures — and while it makes for compelling viewing, none of the sci-fi anthology series' predictions are particularly pretty. But, for all of its prognosticating, the Charlie Brooker-created show didn't foresee 2020's chaos. And now we've all endured this hectic year and are about to see it come to an end, the team behind Black Mirror has something to say about it. At 6pm AEST on Sunday, December 27, just before 2020 fades away forever, Netflix will drop a new comedy special called Death to 2020 — which is made by the Black Mirror crew. The show will look back on the year via a documentary-style special that uses real-life archival footage from the past 12 months, as well as narration from fictitious characters played by the high-profile likes of Samuel L Jackson, Hugh Grant, Lisa Kudrow, Kumail Nanjiani, Tracey Ullman, Samson Kayo, Leslie Jones, Diane Morgan, Cristin Milioti and Joe Keery. Immediately keen to see more? After revealing a teaser trailer for Death to 2020 earlier in December — when it first announced that the project even existed — Netflix has now dropped a full sneak peek. Jackson's character gets snappy, Grant's wants to make sure that a drink is close at hand, and Jones' advises she'd say 2020 "was a trainwreck and a shit show, but that'd be unfair to trains and shit". Brooker has a history of looking back at events that have just passed, as Newswipe with Charlie Brooker and his end-of-year Wipe specials between 2010–16 have all demonstrated — so satirising and savaging the year's developments definitely falls into his wheelhouse. Brooker and Netflix also love releasing new material over the holiday period, with interactive Black Mirror special Bandersnatch dropping between Christmas and New Year's Eve back in 2018. So, true to form, they're giving everyone an extra festive — and grimly funny — present this year. Check out the full Death to 2020 trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veUqfcyZ_Bo Death to 2020 will hit Netflix at 6pm AEST on Sunday, December 27 . Images: Saeed Adyani/Keith Bernstein.
Melbourne's picnic baskets have had quite the workout so far in 2021, but one of their biggest moments to shine is about to arrive for another year. When Moonlight Cinema sets up its outdoor screen in the Royal Botanic Gardens from early December, it's officially cheese, snack and openair movie-viewing season. The end-of-year mainstay returns from Thursday, December 2–Sunday, March 27 with an impressive batch of films gracing its outdoor setup. Get ready to catch a heap of recent blockbusters, a smattering of brand new flicks and a lineup of Christmas movies. You can't run an openair cinema at the jolliest time of the year without the latter, obviously. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings opens the bill, with the lineup including Cruella, The Suicide Squad, Free Guy, Black Widow, Jungle Cruise, A Quiet Place Part II, Eternals, Red Notice and The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard as well. Also screening: Edgar Wright's new movie Last Night in Soho, animated sequel The Boss Baby: Family Business, Disney newbie Encanto, stage-to-screen musical Dear Evan Hansen and the family-friendly Clifford the Big Red Dog. Among the retro fare, Dirty Dancing is on the program; it would't be a Moonlight Cinema season without it, either. And, for your merry outdoor movie-watching pleasure, the Christmas selection includes Love Actually, The Holiday, Elf, The Grinch, Die Hard and Home Alone. It's also worth remembering that Moonlight Cinema is BYO — and there'll be food, snacks, a bar and (if you'd like to pay for them) bean bags as well. And, in great news for movie-loving pooches, you can bring them along, too.
