In the 70s and 80s, it was Countdown. In the 90s and early 00s, it was Recovery. Now, the ABC is adding The Set to its roster of music-focused TV shows. Like its predecessor, the new television series will feature live music performances in front of a live studio audience — with triple j's Linda Marigliano and Dylan Alcott as the program's hosts. Kicking off on both ABC and iview at 9.30pm on Wednesday, October 31, The Set will feature a different main band each week, who'll then invite two guest acts to perform live as well. To end each show, the week's artists will all team up in a one-off musical collaboration. And with the whole thing taking place on a purpose-built share house set, which also includes a backyard, 250 folks will be there, in person, enjoying the gig. Headliners include Angus and Julia Stone, Vera Blue, Ball Park Music and The Presets, while the likes of Illy, Odette, Baker Boy, Wafia, Mallrat, Angie McMahon, Tia Gostelow, LANKS and Kult Kyss have been named among The Set's guests. The series will actually air twice each week — with a 30-minute episode running each Wednesday evening, and then an extended hour-long version screening on Saturdays at 10pm from November 3.
We can only hope that one day, likely in a far distant future, documentaries will stop doubling as horror films. That time hasn't arrived yet — and as Collective demonstrates, cinema's factual genre can chill viewers to the bone more effectively than most jump- and bump-based fare. Nominated for Best Documentary Feature and Best International Feature at the 2021 Academy Awards (only the second time that's ever happened, after last year's Honeyland), this gripping and gut-wrenching Romanian doco starts with a terrible tragedy. On October 30, 2015, a fire broke out at a metal gig in Bucharest, at a club called Colectiv. Twenty-seven people died in the blaze, and 180 people were injured as they tried to escape via the site's lone exit; however, that's just the beginning of the movie's tale. In the four months afterwards, as burn victims were treated in the country's public hospitals, 37 more passed away. When journalist Cătălin Tolontan and his team at The Sports Gazette started investigating the fire's aftermath and the mounting casualty list, they uncovered not only widespread failures throughout Romania's health system, but also engrained corruption as well. This truly is nightmare fuel; if people can't trust hospitals to act in their patients' best interest after such a sizeable disaster, one of the fundamental tenets of modern society completely collapses. Early in Collective, director, writer, cinematographer and editor Alexander Nanau (Toto and His Sisters) shows the flames, as seen from inside the club. When the blaze sparks from the show's pyrotechnics, hardcore band Goodbye to Gravity has just finished singing about corruption. "Fuck all your wicked corruption! It's been there since our inception but we couldn't see," the group's singer growls — and no, you can't make this up. It's a difficult moment to watch, but this is a film filled with unflinching sights, and with a viscerally unsettling story that demands attention. Nanau occasionally spends time with the bereaved and angry parents of victims of the fire, even bookending the documentary with one man's distress over the "communication error" that contributed to his son's death. The filmmaker charts a photo shoot with Tedy Ursuleanu, a survivor visibly scarred by her ordeal, too. And yet, taking an observational approach free from narration and interviews, and with only the scantest use of text on-screen, Collective's filmmaker lets much of what's said rustle up the majority of the movie's ghastliest inclusions. There's plenty for Nanau to cover, and to galvanise viewers in the way that Romanians have been since the Colective blaze. The club's lack of safety measures and the fact that it was permitted to run without fire exits were met by protests, which saw the nation's Prime Minister resign. Tolontan and his team enquired into a different matter, though. Their focus: the deaths after the tragedy, the hygiene standards in hospitals treating victims and exactly how the Romanian health system operates. First, they hear about diluted disinfectants — sold that way by a shady manufacturer, then watered down again onsite — that led to otherwise avoidable bacterial infections and then fatalities in burns patients while they were supposed to be receiving care. On that subject, the Gazette journalists discover bribes, profiteering, the government's awareness and its willingness to let the whole scheme proceed. Then, after a scandal erupts, Collective is given astonishing access to newly appointed Health Minister Vlad Voiculescu as he tackles the situation. A former patients' rights advocate and activist, he's rightly alarmed again and again as he learns how Romania's hospitals work from the inside, and vows to clean up the broken system. But the more he tries, the more corruption he uncovers, and the more resistance he's met with by folks within the bureaucracy who don't want anything to change. Collective is a dense, painstaking and information-heavy movie, and also a procedural one. Nanau follows the committed Tolontan and his often shocked colleagues as they chase leads, attend press conferences and receive information from whistleblowers. He captures their stakeouts, too, and their thorough conversations about the course and purpose of their investigations. And, when the film broadens its scope in its second half to shadow Voiculescu, it gives him the same treatment. Internal government discussions start to fill the screen, as do the Health Minister's speeches and meetings; when he admits to one group of survivors that "the way a state functions can crush people sometimes," it's an almost perturbingly candid moment. If almost any aspect of this tale was unfurled in a fictional feature, instead of in this tightly framed fly-on-the-wall style documentary, the audience would think that it's too much. A dramatisation is bound to happen, likely as a Spotlight-style Hollywood movie starring a well-known name, but it'll never be able to match the power of seeing and hearing these appalling real-life horrors. One particular shot — not of the fire, but of a patient in the months afterwards — is so potent that it's searing, in fact. Surprisingly given the strength of the Romanian New Wave, which has given rise to a spate of stellar fictional features — including The Death of Mr Lazarescu and 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days on the subject of health care, too — Collective is the country's first to garner any Oscar nods, let alone a couple. Shiny trophies don't make a great movie, of course, but this equally rousing and harrowing documentary is worthy of breaking that ground. A chronicle of cascading scandals, it's also an ode to the type of journalism that truly speaks truth to power and doggedly works to expose the cracks in society's foundations. More than that, it's a testament to the need for public scrutiny over all forms of authority, as well as a portrait of what can happen when the few are left to oversee the many unchecked and with only their own best interests at heart. Every second, and every revelation that comes with it, only adds to Collective's traumatising status. There's hope in this film too, however, because thankfully this confronting documentary and its compelling record of those toiling against entrenched corruption exists. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5kkZAKjkiw
Recently opening the Sydney Film Festival to great buzz, 20,000 Days on Earth is a documentary that's fiction. It imagines the 20,000th day on earth of singer and raconteur Nick Cave, and it's a day that includes him talking to his shrink, recording an album, helping archivists make sense of his historical record, lunching with his pals, driving Kylie Minogue around Brighton, and playing at the Sydney Opera House. A pretty great day, by any standards. Instead of clarity and chronology, what you get is a fragmented sense of biography that you have to put together yourself, or let wash over you as a series of impressions, sensations and enraptured moments. Artists-turned-directors Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard have basically conjured a new format here, made sweeter by the flair and flamboyance Cave brings. 20,000 Days on Earth is in cinemas on August 21, and thanks to Madman Entertainment, we have ten double in-season passes to give away in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=a8vy-DO-I5E
Aussie festival lovers, get your best Queen voice on. It looks like another one’s biting the dust (for a year at least). The Hunter Valley's Gum Ball organisers Matt Johnston and his fiancée Jess have just announced that there’s every chance the event won’t be happening next year. We shouldn’t be too hard on the live music-loving couple, though. After ten years of providing stages for the likes of Jinja Safari, Ed Kuepper and Turin Brakes, they’re going to take some time out to tie the knot. “What I do want to tell you is that excitedly Jess and I are getting married early next year,” Johnston said. The statement begs the obvious question: why not kill two birds with one stone and get hitched at Gum Ball, in front of thousands of loyal festival fans? Not the plan, apparently. All might not be lost quite yet, however. Johnston did suggest the possibility of outsourcing the organisational frenzy to another party. “No exact plans have been made... as yet,” he explained. “Though, there is a bit of a desire to go on an extended holiday at a time that would otherwise be peak Gum Ball preparation time. “Perhaps we can source someone to help us make it all happen... The thing is you can’t do this event in halves and, as has been the case for the last ten years, you can’t really expect to have much downtime when you take it on.” If this, combined with Sound Summit’s recent hiatus announcement, has you crying all the rivers, don’t despair entirely. After all, Matt and Jess aren’t leaving us totally high and dry – PigSty in July is coming up on July 5. And, given Gum Ball’s popularity, it’s highly likely to be back on the festival calendar come 2016. Via TheMusic.com.au.
For so many of us, France is the dream. The cheese is so good it's practically an out of body experience, it's acceptable to drink wine at any time of the day, local employers only want you to work 35 hours a week (with no sneaky emails thereafter), and now they're paying people to ride their bikes to work. For realsies. This isn't like when people say an internship is paid, but its actual currency of choice is good vibes and stale lamingtons from the break room. This plan is fuelled by real cash money. This governmental effort to boost bike usage comes as an incentive to improve people's health, reduce air pollution and cut fossil fuel consumption. Though currently in a six-month trial period, the initiative is backed by similar efforts in neighbouring European countries too. The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Britain also have bike-to-work schemes, but this will be the first of its kind to actually offer direct payment to riders. The system as it stands offers 25 euro cents for every kilometre ridden to work. Live 4km away? You just earned half your morning coffee. Twenty companies employing a total of 10,000 people had reportedly signed up to the program as of Monday, and the government believe the initiative will raise the cyclist population by 50 percent. At the moment just 2.4 percent of French people ride to work, as compared to 8 percent in Belgium and a whopping 25 percent in the Netherlands. Our figures in Australia sit just below France, around 1.5 percent. You can't help but imagine what a world of good such policies would do for us too. Despite traffic being at its worst, and the increasing presence of new bike lanes or bike-share programs, the desire to stay plonked sedentary in your car is stronger than ever. We're not saying we need the government to pay us money to get off our butts, but at this point, it sure couldn't hurt. Via Reuters. Photo credits: Simona K and infomatique via photopin cc.
His video collection is filled with 80s and 90s educational films. When we chat, he's staring at a Teddy Ruxpin doll. If anyone was destined to make Brigsby Bear, a delightful, insightful comedy about a fictional television show and its number one fan, it's Saturday Night Live star Kyle Mooney. With Mooney in the lead, his childhood pal Kevin Costello with him on co-screenwriting duties, and another of their friends, Dave McCary, in the directors chair, Brigsby Bear feels like it has been ripped not just from Mooney's mind, but from his heart. It's the most earnest and genuine film you could imagine about an adult discovering that his favourite show isn't quite what he thinks — one that isn't afraid to give nostalgia a hearty embrace while wading through dark terrain. It's also a perfect addition to a career that started with web sketches with his friends in comedy troupe Good Neighbour and segued into the most famous late night comedy show there is. Along the way, he's also racked up parts on Parks and Recreation, the US version of Wilfred and Hello Ladies. With Brigbsy Bear currently screening in Australian cinemas, we spoke with Mooney about turning his VHS obsession into a movie, getting the confidence to make the leap to film, and doing so with his best friends. ON FINDING INSPIRATION IN GREEK CINEMA AND 80s VHS TAPES "I don't know how it came to me — if I was just hanging around the house or in some sort of dream state or what, but I became really obsessed with this idea of a guy who watches a TV show that's being produced just for him," explains Mooney. "And I kept on thinking about that concept until eventually the story became not just that, but more about the world he explores after that, and outside of that." "There was a movie that came out a few years ago called Dogtooth. It has some similar qualities, with a family being raised in seclusion, so maybe that played a part. But generally I couldn't tell you where it came from, except from me being that obsessive myself, and watching these shows — I have a big VHS collection of kids shows, and I watch them over and over again." "It's mostly stuff that's made for kids, and mostly stuff from the 80s and 90s. I especially really like stuff that was released straight-to-video, and was produced regionally. And where there's maybe only 200 copies made. Educational films, religious videos, stuff like that. What I really like is when it has a low budget, and low production values, but you can tell that whoever's in charge of this thing is trying to do their best impression of Jim Henson or Walt Disney — and it's totally not working." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sgs81IOU0m4 ON MAKING THE LEAP FROM SHORTS, TO SNL, TO HIS FIRST FEATURE FILM "I started working on videos with Dave, our director, in my early 20s — right out of college. And with every video you learn something. And then, after a few of them you start trying new things, and you add people to the crew, or maybe start to put a little more money into the production. So it was kind of a gradual build where the stakes rise a little more each time." "By the time we got SNL — I went there with Dave and with Beck Bennett, who's a cast member who is also in our movie — again, there is a little more pressure at it, but you get used to it. And now you're working with a huge celebrity host each week! And you do that for a few years, and it has been building so that, by the time we were on set last summer shooting the movie, I felt pretty prepared." ON MAKING A MOVIE WITH HIS CHILDHOOD BEST FRIENDS "We had all of these shared experiences. With Dave and I, like, there was this very specific kid who went to middle school with us. And I can just be like, 'Jim said this in science class in 1998', or whatever it is, and we can get a laugh out of it. And there's just a level of trust that's there, I think, when Dave is directing me. He knows what I'm capable of. We have the same sensibilities, pretty much." "So it's easy for me, and I think it relieves a lot of the pressure of working on something and not knowing how it is going to turn out. We're also all in it together — and we fail together and we succeed together. But yeah, certainly like having so much history and sharing a sensibility helped." "And I had enough fun on that set that I felt like, 'if this is all we get out of it, I feel pretty good'. Even if the movie didn't turn out well, I would've just considered it a rad summer where we got to work on something together. When we weren't shooting, we would hang out in our hotel rooms or get beers or sing karaoke. It was truly a wonderful crew and cast, and it's nice that what comes through on screen is true to what the experience was like." ON THE FILM'S EARNESTNESS AND OPTIMISM "We have so much genuine love for the things we were trying to recreate. The Brigsby show that's in the movie — I love children's entertainment, and we never wanted to poke fun. I think we always really wanted to pay tribute to it." "And also, the film's underlying theme of creativity, or storytelling, or finding something that you love — we never felt like we wanted to make fun of that. We just wanted to embrace it. We just really liked the idea of playing everything earnest and honest, and hoped the laughs would come along naturally along the way." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MdrGM27yQ8 Read our Brigbsy Bear review.
If, when it comes to karaoke, you consider yourself a bit of a pro, you'll be damn pleased to hear that Melbourne is getting it's very own festival dedicated to your favourite pastime. Run by the same people who brought us last year's hugely successful Melbourne Dumpling Festival, the Melbourne Karaoke Festival is guaranteed to be a whole lot of fun — for singers and spectators alike. The festivities will kick off at 5pm on Friday, April 28, and will involve a series of sing-offs between karaoke hopefuls across three categories: solos, duets and bands. A panel of judges will award a handsome $1000 cash prize to the best competitor from each category, so start warming up your vocal chords to be in with a shot. For those who'd prefer to keep your singing skills confined to the safety of your shower (we hear ya), you can still have a chance at winning a sweet karaoke package worth over $1500. You just need to name your ultimate karaoke song and back it up in 25 words or less. Of course, liquid courage will be readily available, with Collingwood's Sample Brew at your service all night. If you're one of the first 400 to visit their pop-up, you'll even score a free beer. And what's karaoke and beer without dumplings? To complete the trifecta, take your pick from some of Melbourne's best CBD Chinese restaurants, including Tim Ho Wan, China Red, China Chilli and Dragon Boat. Follow it all up with limited edition disco doughnuts by St. Gerry's. If you don't feel like paying, don't — just hit the high notes and your dessert is on the house. The event is being held at 206 Bourke Street, which is the retail precinct Tim Ho Wan is located in and connects Bourke Street with Chinatown.
Local Newtown legends Young Henrys are taking their brewhouse to the next level — and it's all in the name of sustainability. The beer brand has added a glowing bioreactor among its tanks, which they hope will drastically reduce the brewery's carbon emissions. While the green tank may look like a radioactive science project, it's actually just a big ol' vat of microalgae. The single-celled organism is basically the super computer of photosynthesis and produces more than 50 percent of the world's oxygen. It does so by consuming CO2 (carbon dioxide) — one of the main byproducts of the brewing process — and produces O2 (oxygen) in its place. To give you a sense of the impact, it takes a tree 48 hours to absorb the CO2 emissions created from brewing just a single six-pack. Young Henrys' 400-litre bioreactor has the potential to produce as much oxygen as one hectare of Australian forest and to consume a lot of the brewery's CO2 byproduct in the process. If you're wondering why producing lots of CO2 is a bad thing, let us detour into some chemistry 101 for a hot minute. Carbon dioxide is a key greenhouse gas, which collectively trap heat from the sun and keep it close to the earth's surface. Initially that was great, it meant the earth was habitable for humans and animals — but, thanks primarily to the burning of fossil fuels, the earth's atmospheric levels of CO2 are the highest they've been in the past 400,000 years, which has lead to global warming and the increase in extreme weather events, ie. climate change. This project is partly funded an Innovation and Connections government grant and is in partnership with the scientists from the Climate Change Cluster (C3) at UTS. The group is working to find and develop uses for algae that can help combat climate change, and this project aims to pave a path for the wider brewing industry to become a carbon neutral process. Young Henrys' microalgae bioreactor is just the first phase of the partnership with C3. The second phase will involve a large biomass of algae that will provide even more carbon capture and help the brewery to eventually become carbon neutral — more details on this will be released later in the year, so keep an eye on this space. Find Young Henrys at 76 Wilford Street, Newtown.
In season one of Netflix's Ugly Delicious, Momofuku founder David Chang and his cohort of famous chefs, comedians and street artists ate pizza in Naples, streetside tacos in LA, hot chicken in Nashville and deer tendons in Beijing. In season two of the non-fiction food show, which hits the streaming platform on March 6, Chang and co are heading Down Under. The four-episode second season will see Chang travel around Istanbul, Tokyo, Mumbai and Sydney with actors Nick Kroll and Danny McBride, comedian Aziz Ansari, Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi, food writers Helen Rosner and Chris Ying, and street artist Dave Choe, among others. While the just-dropped trailer doesn't give too much away in terms of Sydney locations, it does feature a Crocodile Dundee 'that's not a knife' gag at an Outback Steakhouse. It's possible Chang visited one of the 700-plus Australian-themed, American chain stores located in the US, but it's also possible he tracked down one of the eight scattered around the countryside in Australia — for the sake of, perhaps, authenticity. You also see a flash of Paul Carmichael, head chef at Sydney's Momofuku Seiobo, and taking into account how often Chang waxes lyrical about Golden Century's pipis in XO on Instagram, you can assume the chef will head to both of those spots, too. It also looks like the show will dive into Chang's personal life a little, with the trailer teasing discussions about his and wife Grace's nearly one-year-old baby Hugo. Chang will do a bit of a Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, too, and cook a meal for schoolchildren. While you wait for the second season to hit Netflix next month, you can wait the trailer below. https://youtu.be/1eyFq3addMs Ugly Delicious 2 hits Netflix on March 6.
American choreographer Meg Stuart will bring her show An Evening of Solo Works to Melbourne's Dancehouse for two performances only this March 23 and 24. As founder of Brussels dance company Damaged Goods, Stuart has created over 30 works in her career that cover a number of mediums — this has seen her collaborate with visual artists and musicians and dabbling in theatre as well as dance. She received the Gold Lion for Lifetime Achievement from La Biennale di Venezia this year. This work showcases the oeuvre of the choreographer, and will headline the public program for this year's Keir Choreographic Award in Sydney, where it will have its Australian premiere. Stuart says her work "navigates the tension between dance and theatre, thought and action, remembering and forgetting". Through the evening, she will explore everyday movements and emotional states through one of her main tools: improvisation. An Evening of Solo Works will incorporate both performance from her own body of work as well as excerpts from full-length pieces Stuart has performed in the past. It will demonstrate just how the choreographer has developed her own language and creation methods through her work.
Well before Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel The Handmaid's Tale was turned into a TV series, it was transformed into an opera. And this October, the show will make its Australian premiere as part of the inaugural Yarra Valley Opera Festival. Among the historical buildings and landscaped gardens of Olinda Yarra farm, you'll experience Offred's story taken to new dramatic heights, thanks to Melbourne-based opera company Gertrude Opera. The work was originally created by Danish composer Poul Ruders and librettist Paul Bentley and, since premiering in Denmark in 2000, The Handmaid's Tale opera has appeared in the UK, the US and Canada. We can safely say there will be no Talking Heads in this version. If you don't yet know the story by way of your high school reading list or SBS On Demand, here's the gist: a handmaid, Offred is sent to a barren household, where, once a month, she is forcibly inseminated in the expectation that she'll bear a child for The Commander, Fred Waterford. The Yarra Valley Opera Festival will take place over ten days, from October 12–21. Other highlights include the Gala Opening Concert, Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte sung in English and an evening combining opera trivia and dinner.
In 1961, Hannah Arendt (Barbara Sukowa) was one of the world's leading academic writers and thinkers, a rock star figure at the university she taught and a fiery leading light amongst the Manhattan intelligentsia. Having escaped from her native Germany as the persecution of Jewish people began though, the spectre of the Holocaust was never far from her thoughts. An opportunity to return to her homeland arises when the New Yorker commissions her to travel to Germany and cover the trial of Adolf Eichmann. Known as the 'architect of the Holocaust', Eichmann was a high-ranking Nazi lieutenant responsible for transporting Jewish people to concentration camps. After the fall of Berlin, he had escaped to South America before being rounded up by Mossad agents and returned to Europe for the 'trial of the century'. Instead of being struck by his coldness or inhumanity at the trial, however, Arendt instead finds Eichmann an "unimpressive" and "unremarkable" figure, who presents himself as a bureaucrat who merely followed orders. Her reaction was not the one she expected, nor one many people wanted to hear, but her bafflement at Eichmann's approach to the trial went on to inform a work which helped readers understand how an almost unfathomably dark chapter in human history had unfolded. The process of writing has long been a difficult one to capture on screen and Hannah Arendt is not immune to this problem, settling for ho-hum shots of Sukowa sitting at a typewriter, endlessly smoking cigarettes, or looking deep in thought as her magazine editors pound the phones, eager for the elusive first draft. The film's main focus, however, is not the process of thinking through the trial and writing the controversial article (it was later expanded into a book) but the fallout after it was published. Many thought it a betrayal of her own Jewish heritage or a slanderous, self-serving provocation. The university where she once received gooey-eyed affection from her adoring students asks her to justify her continued employment there and social schisms spring up as former friends and allies turn against her. Directed in solid, determinedly no-frills style by Margarethe Von Trotta, Hannah Arendt is a reminder that a work which is now almost universally accepted as a key insight into the horrors of the Holocaust and the operation of a genocidal machine was considered incendiary and worse at the time of publication. Still, it's not until a late scene where Arendt faces a hostile crowd at a public speaking engagement that this seems to really get to the heart of what made her such a vital figure. For a film centred on a fearless, headstrong character who many saw as arrogant, there's something just too polite about Von Trotta's biopic, a film likely to inspire but not really satisfy, further curiosity in Arendt's work. https://youtube.com/watch?v=WTQNWgZVctM
Two Succession brothers facing off in the same category. A musical crime melodrama making history, earning more nominations than any film not in the English language ever has. Brazil's second contender for Best Actress ever — the daughter of its first, in fact. A female filmmaker in the running for Best Director for only the tenth time in 97 years. They're some of the big stories among the 2025 Oscar nominations, involving A Real Pain, The Apprentice, Emilia Pérez, I'm Still Here and The Substance. There's more where they came from — but which of those movies, and the talents involved, will earn shiny statuettes on Monday, March 3, Down Under time? And will Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, Nickel Boys and Wicked have any luck, too? Just like in 2022, 2023 and 2024, we've watched everything — many of which you can as well in Australia right now — and singled out who and what will likely be credited as an "Oscar-winner" moving forward. Surveying 11 categories, we've also named which nominees deserve to, and what else might be in with a chance. Best Motion Picture The nominees: Anora The Brutalist A Complete Unknown Conclave Dune: Part Two Emilia Pérez I'm Still Here Nickel Boys The Substance Wicked Should win: The Brutalist Could win: Conclave Will win: Anora What a field. Worthy films will always miss the cut among the ten Best Picture nominees each and every year (Love Lies Bleeding, A Different Man, The Apprentice, I Saw the TV Glow, A Real Pain, Challengers, Babygirl, Hard Truths, All We Imagine as Light, Kneecap, La Chimera and Kinds of Kindness are just some absences in 2025), but the current batch nominees still showcase a staggering variety of movies. Sandy sci-fi blockbusters, hit musical adaptations, body-horror, papal thrillers, multiple features that show how stunning that filmmaking ambition and an unflinching vision can prove: they're all there. Brady Corbet's The Brutalist is a towering achievement. It could repeat its Golden Globes glory at the Oscars. It should. But Anora won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, then top gongs from America's Directors Guild and Writers Guild, and is also a tremendous winner. Conclave emerging victorious wouldn't be a miracle, though, after its BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild wins. Best Director The nominees: Anora, Sean Baker The Brutalist, Brady Corbet A Complete Unknown, James Mangold Emilia Pérez, Jacques Audiard The Substance, Coralie Fargeat Should win: Coralie Fargeat, The Substance Could win: Sean Baker, Anora Will win: Brady Corbet, The Brutalist Some films feel like a force of nature — and like a vision ripped from a filmmaker's mind wholesale to dance and strut across the screen, too — and Coralie Fargeat's The Substance is one such movie. Jane Campion is the only woman to have been nominated for Best Director twice so far (for The Piano and The Power of the Dog), but this shouldn't prove the only nod in Fargeat's career. Likely down to Brady Corbet and Sean Baker, where the field actually goes might depend on which of the pair's features win Best Picture — and if the Academy is in the mood to share the love or consolidate it. Awarding Corbet's achievement for a three-and-a-half-hour film that's had audiences glued to the screen, was made using a format in VistaVision that was favoured by Alfred Hitchcock on masterpieces such as North by Northwest and Vertigo, and brings back intermissions seems the most probable — and well-deserved — bet. Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role The nominees: Cynthia Erivo, Wicked Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez Mikey Madison, Anora Demi Moore, The Substance Fernanda Torres, I'm Still Here Should win: Demi Moore, The Substance Could win: Mikey Madison, Anora Will win: Demi Moore, The Substance She's been giving stunning speeches around Hollywood, and Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild-winner Demi Moore best have another prepared. Rewarding her for a deeply committed performance more than four decades into her acting career, and after a significant time lacking substantial roles, also rewards The Substance's hefty and blatant fight against women being deemed past their prime when they hit a certain age. If Mikey Madison repeats her BAFTA feat, the Anora star will join the top-ten youngest-ever Best Actress-winner's ranking, knocking Gone with the Wind's Vivien Leigh off the list. The film's final scene alone, in all of its emotional glory after Ani's rollercoaster ride, could nab her the accolade alone. Had Marianne Jean-Baptiste been nominated for Hard Truths, however, it'd be hard to see how anyone else could grasp the accolade. Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role The nominees: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown Colman Domingo, Sing Sing Ralph Fiennes, Conclave Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice Should win: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist Could win: Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown Will win: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist Will the youngest-ever winner of the Best Actor Oscar make history again 22 years later, joining the incredibly small list of two-time victors (only ten other performers have one this accolade twice or more)? Or will someone else not only grasp this year's prize, but also that spot as the gong's freshest-faced recipient? The Brutalist's Adrien Brody is the former. A Complete Unknown's Timothée Chalamet is the latter. Neither of their movies would be the films that they are without either actor leading the charge. Intensity simmers in their respective performances alike. Either could take it — but Brody's portrayal wouldn't just be a once-in-a-lifetime piece of work for another actor; it'd be impossible. As for the rest of the field, in other years Colman Domingo for Sing Sing, Ralph Fiennes for Conclave and Sebastian Stan for The Apprentice (or for A Different Man, which he won the Golden Globe for) would be certain winners. Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role The nominees: Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown Ariana Grande, Wicked Felicity Jones, The Brutalist Isabella Rossellini, Conclave Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez Should win: Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez Could win: Isabella Rossellini, Conclave Will win: Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez Emilia Pérez will always be the first non-English-language film to receive 13 Oscar nominations, but its chances of scoring a big bag of trophies have dwindled courtesy of lead actress Karla Sofía Gascón's awful past tweets. As a result, the excellent Zoe Saldaña, portraying the eponymous character's conflicted lawyer, might end up being the movie's only winner — and hers is a powerhouse performance. Or, Emilia Pérez mightn't even be a lock here, despite Saldaña winning the Golden Globe, BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Award in the lead up. Isabella Rossellini is exceptional in Conclave as Sister Agnes, the nun that's also the Head Caterer for the bickering cardinals — and it'd recognise her for her entire career, and redress the fact that she wasn't nominated for David Lynch's Blue Velvet. Ingrid Bergman, her mother, won three, including in this category in 1974 for Murder on the Orient Express. Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role The nominees: Yura Borisov, Anora Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown Guy Pearce, The Brutalist Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice Should win: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain Could win: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain Will win: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain There's no bad picks in the Best Supporting Actor field. There's the vulnerable yet irreverent portrayal that's clearly going to win — the recipient of accolades at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Screen Actors Guild Awards and Film Independent Spirit Awards as well — and there's also the spur-of-the-moment speech that everyone will get to enjoy when Kieran Culkin does, but each one of the five nominated performances is outstanding, including from first-time Australian nominee Guy Pearce for The Brutalist. Jeremy Strong is on another level even for him in The Apprentice. The lifelong Oscar fan will win one of the coveted awards before his career out. He knows what it's like to lose out to Culkin, though, and not just on-screen in Succession — the only time that they were both nominated for the Best Actor in a Drama Emmy in the same year, Culkin won (beating Roy family patriarch Brian Cox, too). Best Original Screenplay The nominees: Anora, Sean Baker The Brutalist, Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold A Real Pain, Jesse Eisenberg September 5, Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum and Alex David The Substance, Coralie Fargeat Should win: A Real Pain, Jesse Eisenberg Could win: The Brutalist, Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold Will win: A Real Pain, Jesse Eisenberg Sean Baker took out this category for Anora at the Writers Guild Awards, where Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold weren't nominated for The Brutalist. But at the Oscars, A Real Pain should go home a winner in every field — two in total — that it's up for. The Academy does have a history of pairing the winner of Best Original Screenplay with Best Supporting Actor, including with Django Unchained and Green Book. As a performer, Jesse Eisenberg has only been in the running for an Oscar once, in 2011 for Best Actor for The Social Network — and in a different year, he could've been nominated for starring in A Real Pain as well. His script for the film makes the personal universal, and understands existential angst and anxiety, and how it manifests in different manners, with both intensity and humour. That said, this could also be where Coralie Fargeat gets some love for The Substance. Best Adapted Screenplay The nominees: A Complete Unknown, James Mangold and Jay Cocks Conclave, Peter Straughan Emilia Pérez, Jacques Audiard in collaboration with Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius and Nicolas Livecchi Nickel Boys, RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes Sing Sing, Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin and John 'Divine G' Whitfield Should win: Sing Sing, Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin and John 'Divine G' Whitfield Could win: Nickel Boys, RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes Will win: Conclave, Peter Straughan The possibility that either or both of Nickel Boys or Sing Sing could go home empty-handed from this year's Oscars is a travesty. Each 2025 releases in Australia, where the former sadly didn't get the big-screen date that it deserves, they're already among the year's best for viewers Down Under. Both possess screenplays of deep feeling — one adapting a Pulitzer Prize-winner, the other drawing from a helluva slice of real life. Nickel Boys emerged victorious at the Writers Guild Awards, but over A Complete Unknown, plus three films not in the running here: Dune: Part Two, Hit Man and Wicked. Here, this looks like Conclave's guaranteed time to shine, and the Vatican City-set script based on Robert Harris' novel about electing a new pope after the sudden death of the last one — and what the manoeuvring around it says about faith — is indeed a gem. Best International Feature The nominees: I'm Still Here The Girl with the Needle Emilia Pérez The Seed of the Sacred Fig Flow Should win: The Seed of the Sacred Fig Could win: The Seed of the Sacred Fig Will win: I'm Still Here Once a near lock for Emilia Pérez, Best International Feature now has fellow multiple-nominee — and fellow Best Picture and Best Actress contender — I'm Still Here in its sights. Brazilian filmmaker Walter Salles has notched up two nods in this category over his career, and winning for his Fernanda Torres-led account of love, loss and holding onto life under the shadow of a dictatorship would be an extra-nice feat given he was last in contention for Central Station starring Torres' mother Fernanda Montenegro. Dialogue-free animated marvel Flow deserves to win every award that it's nominated for, so this and Best Animated Feature, but The Seed of the Sacred Fig is as powerful as filmmaking gets — with Mohammad Rasoulof (There Is No Evil) fighting on- and off-screen against the regime that's long tried to silence his voice. Best Animated Feature The nominees: Flow Inside Out 2 Memoir of a Snail Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl The Wild Robot Should win: Flow Could win: The Wild Robot Will win: Flow Flow's title couldn't be more perfect. To watch Latvia's first-ever film to be nominated for an Oscar is to swirl, surge and sweep along with the gorgeous dialogue-free feature, and with the animals — a cat, some dogs, birds, a capybara, a lemur and more — that are trying to survive, and learn how to heal together, when a flood gushes in. It's astonishing. The Wild Robot doesn't scrap chatter, but it too is heartfelt and wondrous as it watches animals carve out an existence — here, with the sudden arrival of a robot (voiced wonderfully by Lupita Nyong'o) disrupting the usual status quo, and also redefining what makes a family. Australian claymation Memoir of a Snail would easily win in many previous years, deservedly so. For big-name animation studios Pixar and Aardman, it doesn't look likely that Inside Out 2 and Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl will back up Inside Out and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit's past Oscars. Best Documentary Feature The nominees: Black Box Diaries No Other Land Porcelain War Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat Sugarcane Should win: Black Box Diaries Could win: Porcelain War Will win: No Other Land Fury or hope? What takes home 2025's Best Documentary Feature prize might come down to how voters want to feel. There's no escaping anger while watching No Other Land or Black Box Diaries, both deeply personal docos featuring their filmmakers and telling their stories — one about the Israeli campaign of displacement in the West Bank region of Masafer Yatta, the other about a Japanese sexual-assault survivor taking on the system that won't punish her attacker. In Sugarcane, too, digging into the abuse experienced at a Catholic Church-run mission school isn't just a job for Julian Brave NoiseCat, nor an outrage-free watch for audiences. Porcelain War heads to Ukraine, as 2024's victor 20 Days in Mariupol did — but there's more optimism in its heroing the power of art, even in small acts, amid the fight. It's also among Australia's Oscar hopes for 2025, as an Aussie co-production. The winners of the 2025 Oscars will be announced on Monday, March 3, Australian time. For further details, head to the awards' website. Wondering where to watch this year's Oscar contenders? We've put together a rundown for Australia.
There’s no nice way to put it: Aloha is a mess. It's not a hot mess, despite its disorganised array of attractive actors and its scenic setting. It's not a fun mess, because it rarely entertains. Instead, it's the worst kind of cinematic clutter: an indulgent mess. Aloha is a movie that hasn't met a cliche it doesn't love — and given that its writer/director, Cameron Crowe, has met many in his past efforts (such as Jerry Maguire, Elizabethtown and We Bought a Zoo), that's saying something. It's also a feature with so little to show or say outside of its rehash of the filmmaker's usual plotline — down-and-out man is refreshed by the attention and affection of a younger woman — that it spends a fair chunk of time referencing its title in dialogue, songs and even on fridge magnets. The film's main tale focuses on former NASA worker turned defence contractor Brian Gilcrest (Bradley Cooper), who returns to the Hawaii base where he once spent the best years of his career. He's tasked with negotiating permission from the locals to move US military operations to another site, which links in with the shady work he's doing for an eccentric billionaire (Bill Murray). While there, he also confronts old issues with his ex-flame (Rachel McAdams), who's struggling with marital problems with her strong, silent-type husband (John Krasinski). Brian's every move is shadowed by an eager fighter pilot, Allison Ng (Emma Stone), assigned as his handler — and of course, soon they're flirting with becoming more than colleagues. As overly sincere as it is sprawling, Aloha exists to trade in Crowe's usual brand of rom-com optimism and self-belief, love conquering all mid-life crises and all that. Sometimes, the filmmaker doing what he does best results in flashes of corny charm, as glimpsed in the banter between Cooper and Stone, and a dance shared by the latter with Murray. Too often, however, he's content with trifles such as featuring a rotating handheld shot around Cooper, Stone and McAdams, or making a joke out of Cooper and Krasinski communicating without words, or shoehorning in a space hacking threat as the movie's climax. This seesawing between too-cute, too-contrived and too-clumsy might have been excusable if the characters immersed in such shoddy plots and shots remotely resembled people, other than physically, that is. Alas, the figures on screen never transcend their status as the idealised imaginings of a dreamer, nor do the corresponding performances. Saying that Stone steals the show is a reflection of her natural pep and flair, not of her ability to repeat the reasoning for her playing someone with partial Hawaiian heritage. Of her co-stars, Cooper is in stock-standard mode and Murray is barely glimpsed, alongside the rest of the high-profile cast, Alec Baldwin and Danny McBride included. Even the one element that typically, reliably stands out in Crowe's films — his use of music, as seen in Say Anything and Almost Famous, for example — doesn't hit the mark. When a movie has to resort to Murray announcing "everybody wants to rule the world" moments before the track is heard, it's hard to get swept away in the emotion of the scene. It's hard to get swept away in Aloha altogether; in fact, you might just want to sweep its mess from your memory.
Doughnut chain Krispy Kreme has had sweet-toothed Aussies in its grip for years now, and it's showing no signs of relenting on our tastebuds. The chain doesn't just pump out its original glazed doughnuts, but also serves up various themed versions that've been getting everyone salivating. Who can forget trying to catch all of the Pokemon-themed doughnuts last year, or coveting those Caramilk doughnuts, too? Now, the doughnut chain has teamed up with fellow iconic US brand Hershey's, whipping up three brand-new American-inspired sweet treats that you might be tempted to travel to New York for. Don't worry — you actually only need to travel to your nearest Krispy Kreme or 7-Eleven stores. The first on the lineup of Hershey's Krispy Kreme deliciousness is the Choc Strawberry doughnut, which comes filled with a special Hershey's choc crème and dipped in strawberry truffle, before being topped with chocolate chips and icing. Or if you're a die-hard chocoholic, you'll probably go for the Ultimate Choc: again filled with the choc crème, this doughnut is then dipped in milk chocolate ganache, before it's finished off with chocolate chips and ganache drizzle. And, only at 7-Eleven stores, you can get S'Mores doughnuts. They take Krispy Kreme's usual ring of deliciousness, swirl it with whipped marshmallow filling, then cover it in chocolate dip — and adds Hershey's semi-sweet choc chips and biscuit crumb on top. Yeah, we'll take one of each, thanks. But, be quick: launching on Tuesday, February 22, these special edition doughnuts are only available for a limited time, so you'll want to hustle. And you won't want to tell your personal trainer. Krispy Kreme's Hershey's doughnuts launch in-store, online and at 7-Elevens on Tuesday, February 22 — and will be available for a limited time.
Across Australia, tactics to stop the spread of the coronavirus are implemented at a state-by-state level, which means that different parts of the country have been navigating the situation in different ways. That's where the nation's varying, seemingly ever-changing domestic border restrictions come in — and why hopping across the country has been a rather complex task for much of the past 12 months. In Western Australia, the state initially implemented a hard border and strict quarantine requirements with the rest of the nation. WA's border system then changed late in 2020, moving to a controlled interstate border that classifies other states according to their COVID-19 risk and puts restrictions in place accordingly. But if you live in or visited a state that's deemed medium risk or higher, it has still meant that you can't go to WA unless you receive an exemption. Victoria has been in that category since January 1; however, come 12.01am on Monday, January 18, it'll revert back to the low risk category. So, as announced on Friday, January 15, Victorians and those who've been in the state in the past 14 days can now head west — although there is still a quarantine requirement. https://twitter.com/MarkMcGowanMP/status/1349997552918175746 Low-risk states have had fewer than five community cases per day across the past 14 days — but travellers from the area are still required to self-quarantine for 14 days. You'll also need to get a health screening at Perth Airport if arriving via air, and take a COVID-19 test on the 11th day of your quarantine no matter how you've arrived in WA. If you don't have somewhere to self-quarantine, you'll have to do so at a government-approved site at your own expense. And, you'll still need to apply for a G2G Pass, which is mandatory for everyone entering the state. To move down to the very low risk category, WA requires Victoria to have no community cases for at least 28 days. Currently, as at Saturday, January 16, Victoria has hit ten days. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Western Australia, and the state's corresponding restrictions, visit its online COVID-19 hub.
From Monday, February 21, Australia will say goodbye to its remaining international border ban on double-vaccinated travellers and hello to plenty of overseas tourists. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced that the country will allow all visa holders to head our way — including folks simply coming out for holidays, and business travellers — as long as they've had two COVID-19 vaccine jabs. When the border fully reopens to all double-vaxxed visitors in two weeks, it'll do so just a month shy of the two-year anniversary of Australia's indefinite international border closure back in March 2020. Plenty has changed since then, and the nation — and the world — has seen various lockdowns and other restrictions come and go, and faced multiple new variants. Since November 2021, Australia has been slowly reopening its borders, too, but this new change will allow back anyone that's double-vaccinated, including tourists and business travellers, from all countries. Announcing the news, the Prime Minister said that "the condition is: you must be double-vaccinated to come to Australia. That's the rule. Everyone is expected to abide by it. And it's very important that people understand that requirement if they're seeking to come to Australia." He continued: "but if you're double vaccinated, we look forward to welcoming you back to Australia — and I know the tourism industry will be looking forward to that. And over the next two weeks they'll get the opportunity both for visitors to be coming and for them to be gearing up to welcome international visitors back to Australia." Exactly how many tourists and business travellers will be able to fly into Australia will still depend upon state-based caps — and on state-specific rules as well. Western Australia's border is still set to remain closed to not just international travellers but the rest of the country and, after delaying its last plan to reopen this past weekend, it hasn't yet set its new reopening date. Unjabbed travellers — which includes anyone who has only had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination — will still need to apply for permission to enter Australia, unless they can "provide proof that there is a medical reason that they cannot be vaccinated", said Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews. They'll also need to go into hotel quarantine if they are permitted to enter. If you have pals or colleagues eager to make the trip Down Under, this'll be fantastic news. Whether airlines will increase their flights to Australia as a result hasn't yet been revealed, but it wouldn't come as a surprise. Australia will reopen its international borders to all double-vaccinated travellers from Monday, February 21. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
It just might be Australia's most famous man-made structure, and it'll soon be home to the Australian Aboriginal flag on a permanent basis. That'd be the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which only flies the Aboriginal flag for 19 days each year at present — for Australia Day, Sorry Day, Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week — but will do so every day "as soon as possible", as New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet has just announced. The Sydney Harbour Bridge currently has two flag poles, with one flying the Australian flag and, when the Aboriginal flag isn't on display on its allocated days, the other flying the NSW state flag. To display the Aboriginal flag permanently, the bridge will gain a third flag pole — with the Premier advising that the government has "been working through this for some time." Speaking at NSW's daily COVID-19 press conference on Saturday, February 5, Perrottet said that "the first advice I received is that it would take two years. Two years. I mean, in the 1920s, it took nine years to build the Harbour Bridge, but apparently today it takes two years to put a flag pole on top of the Harbour Bridge. I'll climb up there myself to put it up if I need to". He continued: "I can't see why it would take that long. The new advice that I've received is that it can be expedited — I think it went down to two years, and then to six months — so as soon as possible". A 5 year struggle worth while. WE BLOODY DID IT 🎉 Thank you to everyone who participated. The @ChangeAus petition & @gofundme won't stop until the flag is flying proud. Let's see it to the end.@AIA_SydneyCBD @MayorDarcy @david4wyong @GaryNunn1https://t.co/Xbqhunc8m7 — Cheree Toka (@Chereetoka) February 4, 2022 The announcement follows a five-year-long campaign by Kamilaroi woman Cheree Toka, who also launched a Change.org campaign in 2020 to continue to call on the NSW government to make this exact move. "The Aboriginal flag is a reminder that the country has a history before European arrival," Toka said two years ago. "I think it's really important to have a symbolic gesture on the bridge that identifies the true history of Australia, which is a starting point for conversation around greater issues affecting the Indigenous population." After the first three years of Toka's campaign, she had amassed more than 157,000 digital signatures and the required 10,000 paper-based signatures to bring the issue to NSW parliament. However, when it was debated in the final NSW parliamentary session of 2019, the result then was that it would cost too much to construct a third flagpole to see the Aboriginal flag flying daily — which was what sparked her crowdfunding campaign to raise the $300,000 quoted by the government to 'fund the flag'. [caption id="attachment_841962" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vakrieger via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Announcing the change of policy on the weekend, the NSW Premier said that "we can't truly be proud of our country unless we are working together to achieve true reconciliation. That's a combination of both symbolic reconciliation and practical reconciliation." The move to permanently display the Aboriginal flag on the Sydney Harbour Bridge comes just weeks after 2022's other big flag news, with the Australian Government unveiling a copyright deal at the end of January with Luritja artist Harold Thomas, who designed the symbol, to make it freely available for public use, Exactly when the Aboriginal flag will start flying permanently on the Sydney Harbour Bridge hasn't yet been revealed — we'll update you when further details are announced. Top image: Mary and Andrew via Flickr.
The Year of the Rabbit is launching with an auspicious bang right in the heart of the CBD at QV Melbourne. From Friday, January 20–Thursday, January 26, the precinct is going all out for its Lunar New Year festivities, complete with a giant luminous bunny installation. Dancing Bunnies will descend on QV Square from 10am–10pm daily, featuring eight rabbits towering at 4.5 metres tall, backed by soundscapes and decked out with glowing lights each night. You can snap a photo with the giant bunnies any time for free, while the first 50 QV customers to spend $20 onsite each day and visit the installation will be in with a shot at winning prizes via a lucky red envelope. Meanwhile, the Chinese Masonic Society will be treating audiences to traditional lion dances at 7pm on January 21, 22 and 26, handing out more lucky envelopes along the way. And as far as Lunar New Year feasting goes, you'll find a swag of options — including Old Beijing's exclusive LNY banquet menu, Korean street eats from Chunky Town, Taiwanese desserts courtesy of Meet Fresh, lively fare by Thai Town, Sura's Korean barbecue and more. You can even continue the festivities with a jam session at the multilingual Booths Karaoke. [caption id="attachment_884484" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sura Korean BBQ[/caption] Top Images: Old Beijing
UPDATE: JANUARY 30, 2020 — Sadly, for all of you who have your life jackets ready to go, this Saturday's Inflatable Regatta on the Yarra River has been cancelled. A fairly large storm — with rain, thunder and lightning — is predicted to hit Melbourne in the morning, leaving organisers with "no choice but to cancel the Yarra event" after assessing the risk it would cause to participants. If you already have a ticket, it'll now be valid for the Regatta's second event on the Maribyrnong on February 29. If you can't make that date, unfortunately your ticket won't be refunded — instead, you'll have to sell it to a friend or via Tixel. Now here's a good way to make an entrance to a party: float on in with a crew of 2000 boats. That's exactly what the Inflatable Regatta is all about. The blow-up boats will float for two kilometres down the Maribyrnong on Saturday, February 29. Solo or with a mate, you'll paddle down the river for about two hours before reaching the destination party. Should you make it to the end, beers, food trucks and live music will be waiting for you (after all, what's a regatta without a cold bev afterwards?). You can't load your boat with beer, though — you may actually sink your vessel — and you can't BYO vessel, either. Tickets cost $67 and include a life jacket and a waterproof bag for your stuff. Boats launch from 10am at Footscray Rowing Club (Feb 29) — you can choose your launch time when you book. While the Inflatable Regatta has floated into Melbourne before — three times in fact — this is the first time it'll be going west. Tickets are now on sale. Images: Eugene Hyland.
Attention BLACKPINK fans around Australia — and get ready for love — because 2023 just got a whole lot better. As initially announced back in 2022 and now officially locked in, the world's most successful female K-Pop group are heading Down Under this winter, hitting Australia mere months after a rather huge gig: headlining Coachella 2023. Last year, the dates for the [Born Pink] World Tour were unveiled in a post on Instagram, revealing that the tour was kicking off in Seoul before moving through the US and Europe. As revealed then, come June 2023, BLACKPINK will spend the final leg of the tour performing over two nights in Melbourne (Saturday, June 10–Sunday, June 11) and two nights in Sydney (Friday, June 16–Saturday, June 17). A one-night stint in Auckland, however, has been ditched. "Due to unforeseen logistical challenges, the originally announced Auckland show will no longer be feasible," according to the tour announcement. [caption id="attachment_887179" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jiya & Arcam[/caption] BLACKPINK's two Melbourne shows will take over Rod Laver Arena, while their Sydney gigs will unleash their pink venom at Qudos Bank Arena. Fans around the rest of Australia, we bet you wanna show your BLACKPINK love, too — so you have trips to the New South Wales or Victorian capitals in your future. The tour supports BLACKPINK's latest album BORN PINK, which released in September 2022. It also comes after 'Pink Venom' made history by becoming the biggest release by a female group or solo artist this decade. First, then tune debuted at number one on Spotify's global top songs chart. Then, it racked up over 7.9-million streams within the first 24 hours. And on YouTube, the official music video reached 100-million views quicker than any video by a female group ever, including 90.4-million views notched up in the first 24 hours. Also the most-subscribed music act on YouTube thanks to their 84 million-plus followers, and the most- followed girl group on Spotify, BLACKPINK will head through Asia first before hitting Australia. And if you can't make it or don't manage to nab tickets, there's always the Coachella livestream in April. BLACKPINK [BORN PINK] WORLD TOUR AUSTRALIAN DATES: Saturday, June 10–Sunday, June 11 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Friday, June 16–Saturday, June 17 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney BLACKPINK's [Born Pink] world tour heads to Australia in June 2023. The Frontier members' pre-sale runs for 24 hours — or until the allocation is all snapped up — from 11am AEDT for Sydney and 1pm AEDT f0r Melbourne on Wednesday, February 8, with general sales from 12pm AEDT for Sydney and 2pm AEDT for Melbourne on Thursday, February 9.
Fashion zombies of the '90s, your favourite mood readers have had a big ol' 2014 update. Mood rings have become the latest focus of a new startup out of Finland, who've taken your shitty piece of faux emotion-reading tin and turned it into a piece of wearable tech that can actually tell you how you're feeling. Finnish techheads Moodmetric unveiled a brand new smart ring at the Slush startup conference in Helsinki, Finland last week, one that can apparently actually use a biometric sensor to report on those pesky feelings of yours — rather than waiting for your $2 Reject Shop toy to turn blue. Always blue. Proposed to launch commercially in 2015 after an upcoming crowdfunding campaign, Moodmetric's ring is the smallest wearable technology in the world for measuring emotions. Apparently the device works using a biometric sensor to measure the small changes in your skin generated by your nervous system, which can measure your "emotional voltage". Then, your little wearable buddy sends the data to your smartphone app and diarises your moods for the day. International Business Times compared the Moodmetric ring to current developments like the Smarty Ring, Ringly or MOTA, but noted this new ring isn't just a notification extension of your smartphone inbox — it reads you. "It's possible for people to analyse their emotional levels throughout the day and learn when they're the most stressed, what makes them calm down and what times of the day are significant in terms if emotional intensity," Moodmetric COO Niina Venho told the IBT. "By naming those feelings Moodmetric allows people to get to know themselves better." One step further than the ol' teenage jewellery box edition, the Moodmetric ring has teamed up with your 'Dear Diary' time to help you track your emotional ups and downs and to calm your mind at certain "emotional load peaks" of the day. A ring that helps us de-stress? Proposal accepted. Via IBT and Dazed.
Finish off your weekend with a casual cycle through Melbourne's northern suburbs, and do it without even crossing a road by following the Merri Creek Trail. 21 kilometres long, the trail extends from Dights Falls and the Capital City Trail in the south, to Western Ring Road in the north. Follow the creek and pass the Coburg Lake Reserve, the Brunswick Velodrome and CERES Community Park, as well as garden spots, horse paddocks and sports ovals. An afternoon of cycling is a surefire way to build up an appetite, and luckily there a number of charming picnic spots along the trail — why not throw down a rug at the northern end, near the lush greens of Coburg Lake? Image: Brook James
It's official, Australia is going to be reppin' the glitter cannons, human-sized hamster wheels and furious fog machines at the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest. This morning, Australia has been announced as one of the competing countries for this year's contest, and we're even allowed back next year — if we win. Too kind. Australians will even be able to vote, probably at some whack hour of the day. Making a world stage of Vienna this time around, Eurovision is taking place from May 20 to 24, with the final exploding all over Stadthalle arena on May 23. So who's going to be our shining star, our glittering messenger to an estimated global audience of 195 million? Not Jessica Mauboy, who performed in last year's event with weird astronauts and dancers in budgie smugglers. Nope. While SBS is suggesting AC/DC and Midnight Oil (and Olivia Newtown John for some ungodly reason), we've got a few pitches of our own to make. Eurovision is about simultaneously bringing new faces to the world and earning ner-ner-ner-ner bragging rights for your country. Finland dressed up as orcs and played epic metal. Moldova danced in a circle with weird cone hats on. Germany put a disco Genghis Khan on stage. Let's show 'em. DONNY BENET If you've ever seen this Sydney maestro of groove live, you'll know Europe wouldn't be able to resist his seductive synthy basslines, sax solos and crisp white tuxedo jackets. If Benet had been the brains behind France's 'Moustache' track last year, they'd have earned a few more points. KIRIN J CALLINAN Because if we're going to meet the quirk of Eurovision halfway, we need Kirin. Things would undoubtedly get freaky. Plus, he'd give Conchita Wurst's beard a run for its money. CLIENT LIAISON Monte Morgan and Harvey Miller would 'Feed the Rhythm' inside 12 easy points from Malta with their applaudable live show. Plus, Monte wears a lot of mesh and Eurovision loves mesh. SIA The Grammy nominee would get 12 points for vocal range or oversized wig alone, but she'd probably bring along her dancetastic buddy Maddie Ziegler who would seal the deal. BLUEJUICE Get the band back together, bring the skipping ropes back on stage and channel all that newfound Boyz II Men goodness. TKAY MAIDZA Look, the kid's bloody talented, super fun live and if we could win Eurovision with a teenage rapper from Adelaide, we'd run the world. BRENDAN MCLEAN Certified king of dancing like no-one's watching, primed for the Eurostage after jigworthy escapades such as this killer video. UPDATE 11/2: Well, well, well. A dark horse joins the race. There's now a huge surge in support for a petition on Change.org, calling for the reunion of landmark Australian rock band TISM specifically to represent Australia at Eurovision 2015. "Since you left us in 2004, we've had a never ending parade of gormless depressing electro-indie, depressing indie-folk, and depressing Aussie hip-hop," say the petitioners. "We the undersigned, ask that you get on stage in front of the world and remind them of just how great Australian music is." They're up to over 500 signatures already. Want to add yours? Nominated by the Concrete Playground team.
If, this January 26, you're looking for a thoughtful way to reflect on the impact of the survival of Australia's First Nations people — and celebrate its many cultures — you should join the folks from Songlines for an afternoon of music and dance. Share the Spirit Festival — or Balit Narrun, which means 'strong spirit' — has been running since 2003, making this year its 18th. The event is presented by Songlines Music Aboriginal Corporation and, given it supports Aboriginal musicians, so you can expect to catch lots of great music throughout the day. Things will kick off at midday with a Welcome to Country and a performance by Narrm's own Djirri Djirri Dancers. Music will continue all the way through until 7pm, spanning folk to hip-hop and featuring Triple J Unearthed's Allara (aka Yorta Yorta woman Briggs Pattison) and Gamilaraay/Birri Gubba man — and Eurovision finalist — Mitch Tambo. Alongside the music, the Treasury Gardens will also be filled with market stalls, Indigenous art and lots of traditional crafts. It's free to attend, too.
Whether you’re ready for it or not, there will come a day where you realise your adult body hates you. One moment you're a firm-assed, soft-skinned, occasional binge-drinking social chain smoker, and the next you’re dreading singlet top season, monitoring spider veins, nursing a caffeine addiction and kicking a nicotine dependency. Thanks to your intimate relationship with the internet, this time of realisation will likely coincide with a plethora of advertisements for clean eating detox programs and organic fruit and vegetable delivery. In trying times like these, it’s important to remember that you cannot win, and what better time than the first week of 2014 to grow up, admit defeat and buy your very first bunch of organic kale? Find below the beginnings of a guide to health food trends in Melbourne. Juices and Smoothies Aunt Maggies One health food trend to rule them all. It's infiltrated its way into the minds and bodies of regular, unassuming folks like you and I, and few managed to escape 2013 without subconsciously learning about green juices and smoothies. The Holy Grail for nourishment, Aunt Maggies is your one-stop shop for all things raw, organic, clean, or anything else you might find hashtagged on a fitspo Instagram account. This specialty grocery store is reppin’ in Malvern, St. Kilda and Fitzroy, and boasts an in-store juice bar with a range of offensively healthy beverages in a non-offensive environment, perfect for first-timers. 270-272 Carlisle Street, Balaclava; 188 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy; 72 Glenferrie Road, Malvern; www.auntmaggies.com.au Pressed Juices Popping up in areas of high yummy-mummy population like South Yarra, Brighton, Armadale and Hawthorn, the Pressed Juice stores are more at the intermediate to advanced levels on the scale of vegetable juice intensity. Apparently, their process of cold-pressing juice extracts up to five times more vitamins, minerals and enzymes than any other juicing method, and legend has it that upon consumption, the drinker instantly sheds their dead skin shell and emerges as a tanned, fit 18-year-old on the Lorne foreshore. That last part might have been a slight exaggeration, but I maintain that specifically buying, transporting and preserving a Greens 5 juice (celery, cucumber, kale, lettuce, parsley, spinach, lemon, ginger, carrot) for the last morning of Meredith was the best decision I made in 2013. 1230 High Street, Armadale; 25 Carpenter Street, Brighton; 785 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn; Shop 4, 286 Toorak Road, South Yarra; Shop 2, 15 Collins Street, Melbourne; www.pressedjuices.com.au Health Food Stores Terra Madre One of Melbourne’s biggest and bestest health food stores is Northcote’s Terra Madre, boasting a huge range and providing the community with the greatest quality of organic foods at affordable prices, comparable to that of major supermarkets. Every morning organic fruit and vegetables are purchased fresh from the markets. Take that Woolies! Attached is also a wellness clinic providing treatments including massage, reiki, kinesiology and naturopathy. Some say that each time you enter Terra Madre your life expectancy extends by a day. Difficult to prove, but anything’s worth a shot at this stage — right? 103 High Street, Northcote; terramadre.com.au The Staple Store High praise of The Staple Store can be heard echoing through the corridors of Melbourne health food temples (ie south-eastern suburb yoga studios). Run by the incredibly affable naturopath Catie Gett, The Staple Store showcases the best wholefoods Gett can get. Along with the ability to locate any of the obscure ingredients popular in healthy recipe books, the Staple Store offers wonderful advice on how and why to eat and prepare their vast array of nutritious and delicious wholefoods. Take note that The Staple Store is entirely plastic-free, so BYO Tuppaware for take-home grains. 19 Glen Eira Road, Ripponlea Eating Out Yong Green Food Despite the new life in your eyes and spring in your step from liquid spinach and chia seeds, sometimes all you want is a place where someone else will cook a meal for you. Unfortunately, thanks to your wonderful new lifestyle, health-conscious options for eating out seem limited to eating a bag of mixed lettuce at the bus stop outside Coles. But fear not! Heaven is a place on earth on Brunswick Street, where eating raw is the name of game and Yong Green Food is your big sister who always wins. The two Korean sisters who run this lovely little restaurant have a wonderful menu of raw/uncooked dishes including raw alternatives to lasagna, pad thai, burgers and sweet things. 421 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy Silo by Joost For the ultimate self-congratulatory pat on the back, Silo by Joost in Hardware Lane really is the final feather in your healthy lifestyle cap. A project established in 2013 by eco-advocate and artist Joost Bakker in collaboration with cafe veteran Danny Colls, Silo by Joost is an entirely no-waste cafe. Passionate about creating a wholesome eating experience with an emphasis on sustainable preparation and consumption, the thoughtful menu changes seasonally. There’s not even a waste bin here for crying out loud, with all food scraps and paper rubbish being turned into fertiliser in a waste dehydrator which then gets sent back to the cafe’s local suppliers. You won’t be able to wipe the smug smile off your face upon dining here. 123 Hardware Street, Melbourne; byjoost.com/silo
Sydney will play host to the best bartenders in the world next year, when the 11th annual Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year Global Final heads Down Under. If you haven't heard of it, the competition pits the best bartenders from over 60 countries against each other. Apart from the main tournament, the competition includes a week-long festival of pop-ups, collaborations and tastings. So, while nothing has been announced just yet, expect Sydney to be buzzing with exciting one-off events come next spring. Launched in 2009, the competition boasts some notable local winners, including Bulletin Place's Tim Philips-Johansson (2012) and, most recently, Lûmé's Orlando Marzo (2018). This year's World Class, held in Glasgow, featured another Aussie finalist: Alex Boon — the lauded bar manager at the Melbourne instalment of The Speakeasy Group's famed Viking-inspired restaurant Mjolner. Bannie Kang of Singapore bar Antidote took out the top gong for 2019. [caption id="attachment_721694" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bulletin Place by Cesar Echeverri[/caption] The competition comes to Sydney at an exciting time, too, with Sydney's lockout laws set to be scrapped in the CBD early next year and the City of Sydney planning to introduce 24-hour trading in the area. The CBD is also home to an exciting lineup of new bars — including Maybe Sammy, Employees Only, Prince of York, Cantina OK! and Double Deuce Lounge — which have all opened in the last twelve months, and join world-class stalwarts like Bulletin Place, The Baxter Inn, The Lobo Plantation and PS40. The 11th annual Diego World Class Bartender of the Year Global Final will take place in Sydney in 2020. For more information and to stay up to date, head to the website. Top image: World Class 2018 winners, Orlando Marzo and Alex Boon.
Nineties kids, Disney fans and everyone who's ever cried over a lion cub that just couldn't wait to be king, it's time to climb onto a rock and yell your lungs out. The circle of life has struck again, and The Lion King is back. It's in live-action form this time around, and the first teaser trailer for the new movie has just dropped. Releasing in mid-2019, the film will once again tell the tale of Simba, who's set to take over the pride from his father Mufasa, only for his malicious uncle Scar to get in the way. You know where it goes from there — and while you're watching extremely life-like lions prowl around Africa, you'll be hearing the voices of Donald Glover as Simba, none other than Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as his childhood pal Nala, and James Earl Jones as his dad. Yes, the latter is reprising his role from the original film. Other big names attached include Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, John Oliver as Zazu, and Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen as Timon and Pumbaa. Elton John is back working on the soundtrack with Tim Rice, as they both did on the first film. They'll reportedly have some help from Beyoncé, naturally, while The Jungle Book's Jon Favreau is in the director's chair for the entire production. If you're anxious about how it might turn out, it's worth taking Timon and Pumbaa's advice at this early stage — although this initial look should help get rid of your worries for the rest of your days. The Lion King hits Australian cinemas on July 18, 2019. Feel the love for the first trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJbI5f3z3Po&feature=youtu.be
Dark Mofo, as the Tasmanian winter solstice festival's name might suggest, has a penchant for that which is usually relegated to the shadows. This is now more true than ever with the announcement that Ulver, one of Norway's premier black metal bands, making the crossing to indulge our dark habits come June. Kritstoffer Rygg, lead vocalist of the self proclaimed "pack of Vikings", has called their addition on the line up "a trip extraordinaire and no doubt a once in a lifetime opportunity for Ulver". They'll take the stage at the Odeon Theatre in Hobart on June 15. Ulver are known in their native Norway, and around the world, for their experimental take on an often misunderstood genre. Since their formation in 1993, the group has pushed the boundaries in their music, blending elements of electronica, industrial, and symphonic sonics to create a unique sound. Their 2016 album, ATGCLVLSSCAP, experiments with driving rhythms and binding guitar riffs echoing on the tracks, creating an album that builds a mood rather than simply telling a story. This kind of experimentation makes them the perfect fit for a festival about the darker side of things. Last year's Dark Mofo festival featured the Hymns to the Dead event, which boasted a lineup of international death and black metal bands. The event, which took place a week before the winter solstice, a day that celebrates rebirth cycles, mythologies and mysticism in many ancient cultures, and Ulver's announcement on the 2017 program looks to similarly pull the audience into a hypnotic that promotes a deeper exploration of the more sinister side of our existence. Dark Mofo, taking place between June 8 and June 21 in Hobart, is not only a celebration of art, music, and all things aesthetically pleasing. The festival explores themes of mythology and nature, darkness and light, death and renewal, and takes its audience on a trip that delves into the deeper mysteries of our world. Including Ulver on the bill adds a certain dark, ethereal element to the program. Image: Ingrid Aas.
From clowns to furry critters to dolls, 80s and 90s pop culture drew plenty of scares from childhood staples. Decades later, Hollywood is conjuring up plenty more by bringing it all back again. With the IT remake not only working a charm back in 2017, but releasing a star-studded sequel later this year, the folks behind it are reviving another old favourite: Child's Play. While the horror franchise released its last instalment, Cult of Chucky, as recently as 2017, the new Child's Play is starting all over again. Remaking the original 1989 movie, it'll re-introduce the world to the psychopathic flame-haired plaything with a lust for murder. This time, the toy will terrorise Aubrey Plaza, who plays a young mother to a son who comes into possession of the knife-wielding doll. Whether you've seen any of the seven other Chucky flicks or are too creeped out by the idea to watch, you can probably guess where the story goes — this time, however, the murderous plastic moppet has been updated for the 21st century. And if you're excited about the character's comeback, then you'll be just as excited to know that even more is in store, with a Child's Play TV series also in the works. Check out the unsettling first trailer for the new Child's Play movie below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFy8ZgLd574 Child's Play releases in Australian cinemas on June 20, 2019.
Bibliophiles, do you use writers festivals to hear from all of the authors that you've been reading over the past year? Are you on the hunt for your next favourite scribes? Do you see the program as a to-do list of books that you need to dig into before the fest rolls around? Whichever fits, 2024's Melbourne Writers Festival has you sorted. With some of the names on its just-announced lineup, you probably will have already devoured their work — and if you haven't with others, prepare to start poring over pages now. Set to run from Monday, May 6—Sunday, May 12, this year's MWF is the last under current Artistic Director Michaela McGuire — who has help this year from festival curators Mykaela Saunders and Ziggy Ramo. You'll find both the Koori/Goori and Lebanese writer and the Wik and South Sea Islander rapper on the program themselves, including the latter chatting about his memoir and performing live. Yes, that's just the beginning of 2024's festival frenzy. A heap of international names are making their way to the Victorian capital to celebrate words, words and more words. Before the Coffee Gets Cold's Toshikazu Kawaguchi is one such talent, in what'll be his first trip to Australia — and he's exclusively appearing at MWF. Irish novelist Paul Lynch, 2023's Booker Prize-winner for Prophet Song, is also a big drawcard. So is Ann Patchett, with the Tom Lake author heading Down Under for the first time in more than a decade. And, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Michael Cunningham will pick up microphone as well, with The Hours just one of the topics that's bound to come up. Fancy pondering how to live your life, and also the ownership of the moon, with British philosopher AC Grayling? Hearing about Viet Thanh Nguyen's memoir A Man of Two Faces — and likely about Pulitzer Prize-winner The Sympathizer, too? Getting the inside info on being a food writer from Bryan Washington? Exploring Lauren Groff's Matrix and Fates and Furies? Add them to your schedule. If you're already feeling spoiled for choice, here's more options: Irish novelist Paul Murray has Booker Prize-nominee The Bee Sting to talk about; 2015 Australian of the Year Rosie Batty will share her memoir Hope; journalists Sean Kelly, David Marr and Laura Tingle will assess the past year; and a session called The Ghost in the Machines will contemplate AI's ability to make art. Let It Bring Hope is set to be a powerful part of the program, featuring three duos — each including an Aboriginal and a Palestinian poet — reading new works to each other. Tony Birch will team up with Samah Sabawi, Jeanine Leane with Micaela Sahhar, and Nayuka Gorrie with Sara Saleh. Don't miss MWF's workshops, too, whether you're keen for tips on putting your own personal insights to paper, taking risks, giving true-crime a spin or penning short fiction. Plus, The Gin Closet and The Empathy Exams' Leslie Jamison will be on hand to get everyone crafting on the Monday after the fest, with personal archives — such as emails, diaries and snaps — her focus, as well as the tales they help us tell. "After nine incredibly rewarding years programming writers festivals, I've never been more proud of a lineup than this one," said McGuire, announcing the 2024 program. "Old and new favourites come together in smart and surprising combinations to discuss the ghosts of history, past mistakes, past selves and the stories that haunt them. I count myself as an extremely fortunate literary citizen of Melbourne to be in the finest possible company this May." Melbourne Writers Festival 2024 runs from Monday, May 6—Sunday, May 12 at a variety of venues around Melbourne. For more information and to buy tickets, head to the festival's website.
Just when things are starting to get shivery cold, West Set 2019 will be here to warm you up. Starting Friday, June 14, the festival will fill the inner west with free live music for nine happy, happy days. More than 30 free gigs will take over pubs, bars, cafes, art houses and restaurants — all within walking distance of each other and Footscray Station. Start your day with a coffee and a singer-songwriter's soulful jams, then finish it with a craft brew and a rock concert. Kicking off all the action will be a launch party at Footscray's The Line, featuring singer-songwriter Alice Skye, whose singles 'Friends with Feelings' and '60%' have topped recent Aussie radio charts, soul-jazz infused vocal trio The Dusty Millers and hip-hopper Ziggy Ramo. Other acts slated to appear during the festival include Huntly, Gordon Koang, Donald's House, Culte, Ruby Jones and more. And, if you're a musician working toward a professional career, make sure you get along to the West Set workshop, which will cover the pros and cons of making music independently in Australia. West Set 2019 will take place around Footscray from June 14–23. Check out the rest of the program over here and keep across the updates via Facebook. Image: Culte.
If you didn't dedicate an autumn 2022 day to binging Heartstopper, then you probably weren't anywhere near your streaming queue or social media. As charming as romantic comedies, LGBTQIA+-championing tales, British series and coming-of-age stories can get, this webcomic-to-page-to-screen delight dropped all eight of its first-season episodes at once, became an instant Netflix hit and started many an obsession — regardless of whether you currently are or ever have been a queer teen trying to be true to yourself, navigating high school and riding the emotional rollercoaster that is falling in love. The great news: if you haven't seen it already, season one is obviously still there and waiting. The even better news: Netflix renewed the series for two more seasons last year because the first proved such a hit. And, the best news: the second season will arrive on Thursday, August 3. This winter, Heartstopper will be making tickers miss a beat again, and twice, with the graphic novel's author and illustrator Alice Oseman also back as the show's writer (and creator, obviously). It's easy to see why more Heartstopper is on its way — and not just because its narrative has continued past where season one stopped on both the web and in print. The first season hit the Netflix top-ten list in 54 countries, wowed audiences and earned the online attention to prove it, and made stars out of its delightful cast. Story-wise, Heartstopper heads to Truham Grammar School, where Charlie Spring (first-timer Joe Locke) was in year ten in season one. He found himself seated in his form class next to year 11 rugby player Nick Nelson (Kit Connor, Little Joe) at the start of a new term, with sparks flying swiftly and overwhelmingly — at least on Charlie's part — and a crush and then a life-changing love story blossoming. Season two will see the pair in the thick of their new relationship, and coping with exams, the prom and a trip to Paris. Also, Charlie's high-drama best friend Tao (fellow debutant William Gao) and recently out trans pal Elle (Yasmin Finney) will work through their bond, while her school friends Tara (Corinna Brown, Daphne) and Darcy (Kizzy Edgell) have their own challenges. There's currently four volumes, spanning five chapters, of Heartstopper on the page — and a fifth volume set to arrive in November 2023 — so fingers crossed there'll be even more seasons of the Netflix series in the future. Heartstopper season two doesn't have a trailer yet, but you can check out the date announcement video below: Heartstopper season two will stream via Netflix from Thursday, August 3. Read our review of season one. Images: Netflix.
Melbourne's getting another big serve of home inspo this November, with the return of The Design Files' hit Open House pop-up. After taking a break in 2016, the unique event is back with a bang, its next incarnation set to rock brand new digs within a Collingwood warehouse space, from November 23 to 26. If you're unfamiliar with the concept, it's basically the ultimate happy place for home styling aficionados — a four-day pop-up featuring one open-plan house, decked out from top-to-toe with a covetable collection of furniture, appliances and homewares, as curated by the experts at well-loved design blog, The Design Files. And it's all available to buy, right then and there. 12 months in the making, this year's home will feature a master bedroom, living and dining spaces, a kids' area, a Cantilever kitchen, a home bar and a custom-designed courtyard by Phillip Withers. For the first time, The Design Files Open House will also play host to a program of ticketed speaker events, inviting local makers, stylists and small business operators to share their snippets of home styling wisdom.
Even though the calendar may tell us it's so, it's all too easy to be in denial about the fact that summer, at least officially, is over for another year. If you're looking to extend those summer vibes this season, you're in luck: this March, The Glenlivet, legendary producer of single-malt whisky, will be bringing a summer-fuelled Social Club to CBD hangout Whitehart Bar every Thursday to Sunday. The Social Club is taking place to showcase The Glenlivet's new Caribbean Reserve, a non-age statement finished in former rum barrels. Inspired by the Caribbean and its legendary tradition of floating bars, the event will see rounds of five drinks served on water from bartender to guest — the serves will literally float from one end of the bar to the other — as well as a rotating lineup of live music to keep the good times rolling. You'll want to get there quickly, too — the first 100 punters to shout a round will also score a limited-edition The Glenlivet x Bianca Beers bucket hat. The Glenlivet Social Club is taking place from Thursday to Sunday, from 4:30pm, every week in March at Whitehart Bar. For more info, head to the website.
If the just-dropped 2019 Good Food Month program is anything to go by, those stretchy pants are set to come in very handy this June. Melbourne's annual month-long food fiesta is back for a jam-packed few weeks of culinary fun, featuring top Aussie chefs, food-focused parties and unique dining experiences to impress just about every palate. Heading up an impressive lineup of culinary icons is the legendary Marco Pierre White, joined by homegrown stars including Andrew McConnell, Oakridge Wines' Matt Stone, Tipo 00's Andreas Papadakis and Lulu La Delizia's Joel Valvasori-Pereza. Taking the reins from 2018's Palm Springs-inspired Fed Square pop-up, South Melbourne warehouse space Canvas House is set to host this year's Good Food Month Restaurant, coming alive for its own program of exciting feature events. [caption id="attachment_715805" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marco Pierre White.[/caption] The fun here kicks off on Wednesday, June 5, with a stunning four-course feast hosted by White, which sees the acclaimed Phil Wood (Pt Leo Estate and Laura) reworking some of the UK chef's classic dishes. Then, Andreas Papadakis, Joel Valvasori-Pereza and White will team up to host a pasta party. Elsewhere in the program, you'll catch two of Australia's food sustainability champions working their magic at The New Vanguard, a dinner by Joost Bakker protégé Matt Stone and Paul Iskov, of Fervor in Perth. And on June 9, the traditional Sunday roast gets a revamp at the hands of White and good mate Andrew McConnell (Cumulus Inc, Cutler & Co), who'll deliver a contemporary family-style feast matched with wines and James Squire brews. Good Food Month's Let's Do Lunch — a series of $45 lunches at Melbourne's hatted restaurants — will also return. More events are set to be announced soon. The 2019 Good Food Month runs from June 1-30. Tickets are on sale now at goodfoodmonth.com. Pasta image: Griffin Simms
If you watched Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi's vampire sharehouse mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows back in 2014, then instantly found yourself yearning for more, that's understandable. Smart, silly and hilarious, the undead flick is one of the past decade's best comedies — and, to the delight of viewers eager to keep spending time in the movie's supernatural world, it's the reason that New Zealand TV spinoff Wellington Paranormal and American television remake What We Do in the Shadows exist. The latter kicked off in 2019, focusing on a group of vampire flatmates living in Staten Island. If you were a bit wary it wouldn't live up to the original, those fears were quelled, fast. Featuring Toast of London's Matt Berry, Four Lions' Kayvan Novak, British stand-up comedian Natasia Demetriou, The Magicians' Harvey Guillen and The Office's Mark Proksch, it sticks to the same basic concept as the original movie, but with memorable new characters. That said, it could never be considered a mere small-screen copy. Instead, it's a lively and captivating addition to the broader What We Do in the Shadows universe. Also, it boasts two specific aces up its sleeves: the combined on-screen talents of its cast — especially Berry, Novak and Demetriou as three of the central bloodsuckers — plus the time to dive deeper into their undead world. Accordingly, it's no wonder that it was renewed for a ten-episode second season, which is now hitting Australian screens via Foxtel from Thursday, June 25. If you need a refresher, Novak's 'Nandor The Relentless' dates back to the Ottoman Empire days and is somewhat stuck in his ways, while Berry's mischievous British dandy Laszlo and Demetriou's seductive Nadja are like a blood-sucking Bonnie and Clyde, but much funnier. Guillen plays Nandor's familiar Guillermo, who'd do anything to join the undead, while Proksch's Colin is an 'energy vampire'. The new batch of episodes continue their story, charting Nandor, Laszlo, Nadja and the gang's undead antics in the New York borough. It wasn't easy being a centuries-old bloodsucker in Wellington in the movie, and it's just as tough (and amusing) on the other side of the world. The second season also delves further into Guillermo's position among the group. And, it features guest stars such as Mark Hamill, Haley Joel Osment and Craig Robinson. Can't wait to sink your fangs in? The show has also been renewed for a third season, so there's even more to come. Ahead of the season two launch in Australia, check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_ozcr43fP4 The second season of What We Do in the Shadows starts airing on Foxtel and streaming via Foxtel Now from Thursday, June 25, with new episodes added weekly.
The program for 2018's Melbourne Food And Wine Festival has officially arrived. And even though it's more than three months until it all kicks off on March 16, you're going to need most of that time to plan your attack, because this is one chock-a-block lineup. In a fun new addition, MFWF 2018 will for the first time incorporate its own mini hotel experience, as festival hub the House of Food and Wine takes over the Hotel Lindrum. Punters wanting to really dig in deep can now opt for an overnight stay right in the MFWF epicentre, enjoying contemporary breakfast, mini-bar and room service menus designed by acclaimed chefs Jo Barrett and Matt Stone. As with its predecessors, next year's hub will also feature a bar offering curated by the city's top mixologists and sommeliers, and will play host to a series of dinners and one-off events. Highlights here include a March 25 laneway lunch dedicated to dumplings and wine, and a speed dating-style wine tasting called Vino Rapido, on March 21. The Bank Of Melbourne World's Longest Lunch returns for its annual group feasting session – though this time it'll grace the banks of the Maribyrnong River – as chefs Jerry Mai (Annam), Adam D'Sylva (Coda, Tonka) and Kay-Lene Tan (Coda, Tonka) pool their talents to deliver a multi-cultural, modern Australian lunch to 1,700 diners. There'll also be food for the mind, as the MFWF Theatre of Ideas talks series explores ideas about sustainability and community. Other festival fun might find you noshing on a Brutally Early Breakfast at Collingwood's soon-to-launch Congress; enjoying a BBQ block party starring eats from both Fancy Hanks and Smith & Daughters; embarking on a boozy trip through time with a specially curated cocktail journey at Dinner By Heston; and partying hard at Bouvier Bar's dedicated sausage festival.
When it comes to cinema, there's something rather cool about being ahead of the curve, watching the latest and greatest flicks unfold on the silver screen well before anyone else. Well, at Flickerfest Short Film Festival you can do just that. Yep, break out the popcorn, the internationally acclaimed festival is back. After its official launch in Sydney earlier this year, it's headed south, and there's a swag of world premieres on the bill. This year, the folks at Flickerfest received 2700 entries from more than 100 countries around the world. And on Wednesday, February 13, you'll get to see the best of the local bunch, with Kino Palace Cinemas screening a handpicked selection of nine shorts by Victorian filmmakers. Standout shorts from the homegrown lineup include All These Creatures — a 13-minute film shot in Dandenong, which picked up Best Editing in an Australian Short Film at the Flickerfest 2019 Awards ceremony in Sydney — and stunning documentary This is Yarra, which follows a South Sudanese community in Melbourne as they prepare for a national basketball tournament. Also on the bill are An Act of Love, which explores the sometimes-fraught connection between identical twins, and The Hunt, a dystopian thriller featuring a female hunting collective. For some more lighthearted content, look out for live action/hand animated hybrid film Troll Bridge, about an old barbarian and his talking horse, and Lost & Found, which tracks the adventures of an adorable knitted dinosaur. Tickets for the evening cost $25 and include drinks and snacks following the screening. To see the full Flickerfest Best of Melbourne Shorts 2019 program and grab tickets, head to the website. Plus, we've got five double passes to give away. Enter with your details below, cinephiles. [competition]706271[/competition]
The first half of 2020 hasn't served up a whole lot of goodness, but for dessert-lovers, there's at least one sweet new addition. While much of Melbourne was in lockdown, the Cannoleria crew was busy whipping up its biggest creation yet: a dedicated cannoli factory. Yep, the much-loved dessert producer has moved into spacious new digs at Heidelberg West, setting up shop a couple of suburbs away from sibling company That's Amore Cheese. And that means a whole lot more room — 500 square metres, to be exact — for the team to pump out those signature Sicilian sweet treats, featuring crunchy pastry tubes piped full of fresh ricotta. As well as allowing Cannoleria to up production, the new factory site will allow for even more experimentation, which means there should be a stack of new cannoli flavours to come. There are also plans to open an onsite eatery later this year, which'll serve up lunches, coffee and, of course, plenty of that freshly-made cannoli. The factory expansion comes as demand for Cannoleria's cult Italian treats continues to boom two years on from its debut, with people flocking to get their mitts on the all-natural, preservative-free desserts. The group's already got four popular retail stores under its belt — at South Melbourne Market, Preston Market, Watergardens Shopping Centre and Highpoint Shopping Centre — in addition to regular pop-ups and a catering arm. And, the good news for those preparing to enter lockdown again, the Cannoleria is offering delivery to most of metropolitan Melbourne. You can order those ricotta-filled babies to your house by heading over here. Cannoleria's new digs are located at 69 Sheehan Road, Heidelberg West. The onsite eatery is slated to open in spring 2020. You can order delivery over here.
The Helium 2014 program gets a little weird (in a good way, of course). In what's been described as a "multimedia This is Spinal Tap", Applespiel Make A Band and Take On the Recording Industry is a live-action rockumentary from Sydney performance group Applespiel. The show follows a fictional eight-piece indie band who crave success, complicated riders and "truckloads of cocaine". Needless to say, things don't work out for them, but an insight into their downfall will prove to be amusing nonetheless. Now in its third year, Malthouse Theatre's Helium is a celebration of independent theatre-makers and original ideas; the realms of high and low culture coming into proper alignment. Partnering up with Next Wave and the Melbourne Fringe for certain productions, this year's initiative from the highly respected Malthouse Theatre is quickly building momentum and looks to be a major player in this year's already bustling cultural program. Applespiel Make a Band and Take On the Recording Industry runs September 3 -13, tickets available via Malthouse Theatre. To check out the rest of the 2014 Helium program, we've got the wrap up over here.
Prepare yourself, folks — this year, Australia's launching into summer with the help of a huge new music festival. The brainchild of industry big guns Onelove (Stereosonic), Live Nation (Splendour in the Grass, Falls Festival) and Hardware (Piknic Electronik, Babylon), Festival X will shoot onto the scene from Friday, November 29, touring Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. The large-scale music party is pulling no punches when it comes to its debut lineup, headlined by international heavyweights including Scottish DJ Calvin Harris, the Grammy-nominated Armin van Buuren, Steve Aoki and our own Alison Wonderland. Spanning multiple stages, it's set to deliver a world-class serve of hip hop, pop and electronica. US rapper Lil Pump will make his own Aussie debut, joined on the all-star bill by the likes of British DJ duo CamelPhat, Ohio-based rapper Trippie Redd, Denmark's Kölsch and German techno king Paul Kalkbrenner. Meanwhile, there'll be plenty flying the flag for the local scene, with sets from favourites including bass and dubstep star Godlands, Australian-raised trance DJ MaRLo, Sydney act Sunset Bros and singer-songwriter Thandi Phoenix. The inaugural Festival X tour is set to hit Brisbane Showgrounds on Friday, November 29, Sydney Showgrounds on Saturday, November 30, and Melbourne Showgrounds on Sunday, December 1. Presale tickets are up for grabs from 1pm on Wednesday, July 31, with general tickets on sale from noon on Thursday, August 1. Top image: Stereosonic
Do you remember that point in your life when you finally started to earn enough cash to have at least one meal out a week that wasn't dumplings? And then BAM! out came your university debt repayments and you were back to share-house cooking and Little Bourke Street for special occasions only. Sometimes it’s hard to recall the useful stuff you learnt during your degree/s, which makes it all the more painful to see those dollars fall away from your payslip. But what if you could take relevant, 75-minute classes for just $12? You could shove it in debt's face, that's what. Laneway Learning is all about affordable, practical classes for everyone. Whether you’re interested in becoming a ukulele king (like the 'King' himself) or perhaps finally beating your dad at chess, Laneway Learning has the tutorial for you. Sessions are usually held at either The Little Mule or The People’s Market on a weeknight with beer, food and good coffee aplenty. If you fancy yourself a bit of a know-it-all on a particular topic, you can even teach a class yourself. The student becomes the master. Image via Laneway Learning.
If you're fond of exclaiming "whoa!" to mark huge news — and you've been conditioned to do just that by a certain Keanu Reeves-starring sci-fi franchise — then the past year or so has given you more than a few opportunities to break out that word in the best possible ways. First came the confirmation that a fourth live-action film in The Matrix series was 100-percent happening. Then came trailers for that very flick, giving us all a few sneak peeks before we could watch the full thing. And, when Boxing Day rolled around in 2021, the movie itself — aka The Matrix Resurrections — finally arrived on the big screen. Here's another reason for you to channel your inner Keanu Reeves right now: just a month after reaching cinemas, and while still actually showing in cinemas, you can stream The Matrix Resurrections via video on demand at home. Fast-tracking films to digital is a trend that's been gathering steam during the pandemic — and if you've been a bit cautious about going out during Australia's current Omicron wave, you can still fall down the dystopian franchise's rabbit hole sooner rather than later. A hit for more than two decades now, this is the science-fiction epic that smartly recognises that it's Keanu's world and we're all just living in it, after all — and now, we can plug into all four live-action movies from our couches. Get ready for Neo (Reeves, Bill and Ted Face the Music) to once again grapple with the Matrix and everything it means for humanity — and also for Carrie-Anne Moss (Jessica Jones) and Jada Pinkett Smith (Girls Trip) to return, too. They're joined by Matrix newcomers Neil Patrick Harris (It's a Sin), Jessica Henwick (On the Rocks), Priyanka Chopra Jonas (The White Tiger), Christina Ricci (Yellowjackets) and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Candyman). And yes, Reeves and Moss once again take centre stage this time around, because casting them in the first place — and showing unwavering belief in the duo — is the greatest move that filmmakers Lana and Lilly Wachowski ever made. It was a bold decision two-and-a-bit decades ago, with Reeves a few years past sublime early-90s action hits Point Break and Speed, and Moss then known for TV bit parts (including, in a coincidence that feels like the product of computer simulation, a 1993 series called Matrix). But, as well as giving cinema their much-emulated gunfire-avoidance technique and all those other aforementioned highlights, the Wachowskis bet big on viewers caring about their central pair — and hooking into their chemistry — as leather-clad heroes saving humanity. Indeed, amid the life-is-a-lie horrors, the subjugation of flesh to mechanical overlords and the battle for autonomy, the first three Matrix films always weaved Neo and Trinity's love story through their sci-fi action. In fact, the duo's connection remained the saga's beating heart. Like any robust computer program executed over and over, The Matrix Resurrections repeats the feat — with plenty of love for what's come before, but even more for its enduring love story. Lana goes solo on The Matrix Resurrections — helming her first-ever project without her sister in their entire career — but she still goes all in on Reeves and Moss. The fifth Matrix movie overall counting The Animatrix, this new instalment doesn't initially give its key figures their familiar character names, however. Rather, it casts them as famous video game designer Thomas Anderson and motorcycle-loving mother-of-two Tiffany. One of those monikers is familiar, thanks to a surname drawled by Agent Smith back in 1999, and again in 2003 sequels The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. But this version of Thomas Anderson only knows the agent from his own hit gaming trilogy (called The Matrix, naturally). And he doesn't really know Tiffany at all, instead admiring her from afar at Simulatte, their local coffee shop. Check out the trailer for The Matrix Resurrections below: The Matrix Resurrections is currently screening in Australian cinemas, and is also available to stream online via video on demand — including via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review.
In 2007, Dublin-born writer-director John Carney released his low-budget indie musical Once to widespread critical acclaim. Seven years later he returns to the genre with Begin Again, a similarly plotted follow-up, just with a far bigger budget and cast. The additional gloss and star power runs somewhat contrary to the film's subject matter, about two unlikely collaborators making music on the cheap. Still, with leads this charismatic, it's difficult to go wrong. In a role that recalls his likeable loser persona from The Kids Are All Right, Mark Ruffalo plays washed-up New York record executive Dan. Once a successful music producer, he's long become disillusioned with the biz, pissing off everyone who matters and getting fired from the company he helped found. His personal life is in a similar state of disarray — when you need to borrow beer money from your teenage daughter (Hailee Steinfeld), it's a sign that things aren't exactly going great. While drowning his sorrows in a bar in the East Village, Dan hears a melancholy performance from Gretta (Keira Knightley), who we soon learn is the recently ditched girlfriend of up-and-coming British pop-star Dave Kohl (played in a fun, self-deprecating turn by Maroon 5 front-man Adam Levine). Convinced that she's got what it takes, Dan approaches Greta with a record deal. The catch is that neither of them has any money, so they'll have to record it live on the city streets. More than once, there's a sense that Carney wants to have his cake and eat it too. The film is highly critical of the music industry — embodied by Levine's sell-out Kohl — and champions the DIY approach of independent artists for whom music is about a lot more than money. It's a message that felt perfectly suited to the micro-budget Once but seems a little bit at odds with the A-list names and glossy production values found here. Begin Again is also a far perkier film than Carney's previous work, gliding over more serious plot points, such as Dan's apparent alcoholism, with relentless, fairytale positivity. Yet only a cynic would begrudge the film its optimism. Even as you're aware of the script's somewhat hypocritical construction, it's hard not to be won over by its considerable warmth and charm. Ruffalo and Knightley have wonderful chemistry, and the fruits of their partnership are a joy to hear come to life. The songs, like the rest of the film, are cutesy but ultimately enjoyable. And who knew Knightley could sing? https://youtube.com/watch?v=zqRL2dY5-us
Travelling across Japan via train is a bucket list experience: everyone wants to do it, and for good reason. There's nothing like taking in the country via locomotive, but if you haven't hit their railways yet, you might want to update your plans. You might want to start saving too. The Train Suite Shiki-shima is the type of train that would make all other vehicles quiver with jealousy if we were living in a certain popular children's cartoon series or a car-focused Pixar franchise. Forget whatever glamorous locomotive setups you've seen in old movies — they've got nothing on this. It was designed by man also responsible for luxury cars such as the Ferrari Enzo, the Porsche AG and the Maserati Quattroporte, after all. Venturing between Tokyo and Hokkaido, the ten-car train can accommodate 24 passengers in its 17 opulent suites, with some rooms decked out with baths and fireplaces. Other features include front and rear glass-walled observatory cars, a lounge with a piano, and a dining room. In the latter, the seasonal ingredients cooked up — from a menu by a Michelin-starred chef — change according to the region the train is passing through. In good news, the Shiki-shima is has been riding the rails since May 1, with one-, two- and three-night journeys available. In not-so-good news, due to demand, applications have already closed for trips up until March 2018. When bookings are accepted again, they'll set you back between 450,000 and 1,050,000 yen — or between AU$5,500 and $13,000 — but doesn't it just look and sound worth it? Via Travel and Leisure. Images: Train Suite Shiki-shima
Surrey Hills is no longer the alcoholic 'dry-zone' it was a mere decade ago. If the presence of The Hills Wine Bar — from the team behind Milton Wine Shop and The Alps — isn't enough to prove it, maybe the bar's life-size graphic of Maria von Trapp prancing through the Austrian Hills with a bottle of wine in either hand will. The modest-fronted bar on Union Road opened in 2017, and winds back farther than the passerby would expect. That means it provides plenty of perfect spots to sit and catch up over a bottle of wine — and with 220 varieties choose from, that's no easy task. There's also a trusty list of beers, a few ciders and some staple cocktails to at least keep the front of a balanced drinks menu. As for food, the bar offers up solid pizza options, including the Milk & Honey with prosciutto, pork, gorgonzola, rosemary, and honey. It's also added classic bar snacks and an attractive DIY cheese and charcuterie board selection. In keeping with its wine-centric vibe, The Hills also provides wine experiences for those eager to learn more about what they're drinking. These range from What is Natural Wine ($49) to the Burgundy Masterclass ($390) — and can take place in-house, at the office or even in your home.
If a comet was hurtling towards earth on a collision course that'd wipe out all life as we currently know it, you'd think that humanity would react — and fast. But in the trailer for Netflix's new disaster comedy Don't Look Up, only two people really care: astronomy professor Dr Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and his grad student Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence, X-Men: Dark Phoenix). To everyone else, the impending end of the world isn't really something to worry about. The President (Meryl Streep, The Prom) and her son and Chief of Staff (Jonah Hill, The Beach Bum) barely seem to mind, the media definitely doesn't, and neither does the general public. Instead, Kate goes viral for screaming about the apocalypse as she and Randall embark on a media tour to try to convince the planet that being obliterated — in less than six months, and by a Mount Everest-sized comet that's orbiting our solar system — really is kind of a big deal. Forget Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck endeavouring to save the world from an asteroid, because that's so 1998. The former "king of the world" and Katniss Everdeen teaming up to stop a comet from eradicating earth is the firmly 2021 version. And, after first being announced at the beginning of the year — as part of Netflix's lengthy list of new flicks heading its way before 2022 hits — and then dropping a teaser trailer back in September, Don't Look Up now has a full trailer so you can catch a glimpse of how that'll all play out. The film thankfully isn't a sequel to the aforementioned Armageddon. Instead, it's the latest movie from The Big Short and Vice director Adam McKay — and it's set to hit both cinemas and the streaming platform in December. As well as its two high-profile leads, Don't Look Up also stars basically every other actor you can think of, including Timothée Chalamet (Little Women), Cate Blanchett (Where'd You Go, Bernadette), Mark Rylance (The Trial of the Chicago 7), Tyler Perry (Those Who Wish Me Dead), Ron Perlman (Monster Hunter), Himesh Patel (Tenet), Melanie Lynskey (Mrs America), Kid Cudi (Bill & Ted Face the Music) and Ariana Grande. The film will hit Netflix just in time for your Christmas break, dropping on Friday, December 24. It'll also screen in some cinemas from Thursday, December 9, if you'd like to see it on the big screen. And if you're wondering how Don't Look Up will fare tonally, McKay looks like he's in The Big Short and Succession mode, rather than harking back to his Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and Step Brothers days. That said, Blanchett does play a TV host, so maybe the filmmaker will have audiences thinking about Anchorman as well. Check out the full trailer for Don't Look Up below: Don't Look Up will be release in select Australian cinemas on Thursday, December 9, and will be available to stream via Netflix on Friday, December 24. Images: Nico Tavernise/Netflix.
One minute Sydney's Johnny Took, Matt Mason and Tommy O'Dell were writing nostalgic garage pop in a Newtown bedroom. The next, they were on high rotation on triple j, applauded by Splendour in the Grass-goers and basking in Channel V praise along the lines of "terminally infectious". With comfortably breezy tunes that could rival Oasis, DMAs are Australia's answer to Brit-rock — and they have the wardrobe of Adidas to match. The trio's sweet acoustic sound first hit the ears of influential label I OH YOU (Violent Soho, DZ Deathrays) in September 2013. "A good friend (who I guess I owe a beer to now) called me up and began barking down my phone about an amazing young band from Newtown," explained I OH YOU director Johann Ponniah, who released the trio's debut EP earlier this year. Their debut single 'Delete' swept across social media and dominated radio rotation, then the lads were one of the highlights of Splendour in the Grass this year, prompting many a singalong to 'Feels like 37' and 'The Plan'. Living well up to the significant hype, DMAs played their Britpop-loving butts off, as frontman Johnny Took steered the crew with his Gallagher-like pipes and tambourine stick. After a few smaller, low-key shows to promote their debut EP, the Sydneysiders are now embarking on their first ever national tour; playing shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Fremantle. If you haven't seen DMAs live yet, get amongst it at Northcote Social Club on October 11 and 12. Adidas trackies optional. Supported by The Creases. Words by Molly Glassey and Jasmine Crittenden. https://youtube.com/watch?v=vKSWC5r1tYg
