Victorians have spent a (large) chunk of 2020 inside their own state — and their own homes, thanks to some pretty serious COVID-19 restrictions. But, after 14 consecutive days of zero new cases, things are looking up for interstate travel. By the end of the month, Melburnians are set to be able to visit both NSW (from November 23) and Tasmania (from November 27) — and from midnight on Tuesday, December 1, they'll be able to pack their bags and head south for a wine-fuelled venture into South Australia. In a press conference held today, Friday, November 13, Premier Steven Marshall revealed that SA will allow travellers from Victoria in from the first of next month without having to quarantine for 14 days first. "This has been a border which has been in place for an extended period of time," the Premier said at the conference. "It's been a very important border to keep our state safe, but this border will be removed as of midnight on 1 December. And this will be a huge relief to people as we head into December." If that's the sort of think you enjoy, you can watch the entire press conference here. In more good news for those looking to book an interstate trip as soon as they can, Virgin Australia has today launched a huge domestic flight sale with more than 500,000 flights dropping to as low as $75. And, as a happy coincidence, cheap flights are available for journeys from December 1. SA was initially meant to reopen its border for all interstate travel back in July, before a spike of cases put this on ice. If you're now eager to start planning an SA getaway, we have suggestions — whether you're eager to hit up Adelaide, or sip and sightsee your way around the Fleurieu Peninsula, the Limestone Coast or the Clare Valley. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in South Australia, and the state's corresponding restrictions, visit its online COVID-19 hub. Top image: d'Arenberg Cube
No matter how you feel about the Super Bowl, American football's night of nights for 2023 is a dream for Vin Diesel fans. Before and during the big game each year, film studios unleash their latest sneak peeks at some of the upcoming year's huge movies. And this year, that's included a first trailer for Fast X in the days leading up to the match, plus a mid-game new look at Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. If a franchise features Diesel, does it have to go heavy on family and last rides? According to both glimpses at both films, yes, yes it does. When Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 soars into cinemas in May, it's poised as a hefty farewell for Marvel Cinematic Universe's ragtag space-hopping superhero — and the current trailer makes that plain. When this threequel arrives, it will have been six years since 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, although they popped up in Thor: Love and Thunder and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special in 2022. Here, Peter Quill aka Star-Lord (Chris Pratt, Jurassic World Dominion), Mantis (Pom Klementieff, Westworld), Drax (Dave Bautista, Knock at the Cabin), Groot (Vin Diesel, Fast & Furious 9), Nebula (Karen Gillan, Dual) and Rocket (Bradley Cooper, Nightmare Alley) have been settling into life in Knowhere, but then Rocket's past upends their fresh status quo. There's no Kevin Bacon in either the new trailer or 2022's first sneak peek, or likely in the movie, but there is the return of another familiar face — Gamora (Zoe Saldana, Avatar: The Way of Water) — because Vol. 3 is serious about getting the team back together. Off-screen, that includes usual writer/director James Gunn (The Suicide Squad), after a chaotic few years that saw him fired by Marvel, then make the switch to the DC Extended Universe, where he's now actually co-chairman and co-CEO of DC Studios. Gunn returned to the MCU, however, for the holiday special and Vol. 3. The new film picks up after the festive episode, after the rest of the MCU's mayhem over the past few years, and with Quill still coping with big events. Even with Gamora (Zoe Saldana, Avatar: The Way of Water) back, that isn't as straightforward as it sounds. Also returning is Sean Gunn (The Terminal List) as Kraglin, while Bodies Bodies Bodies and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan's Maria Bakalova voices Cosmo the Spacedog as she did in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. Plus, Will Poulter (Dopesick) joins the cast as Adam Warlock — and Chukwudi Iwuji (Peacemaker) as The High Evolutionary. Check out the latest trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 below: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 releases in cinemas Down Under on May 4, 2023. Images: Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.
Settle in for a long lunch at Taxi Kitchen, with a new Feed Me lunch menu (dubbed FML) for an easy $45 per person. Available every day of the week between 12pm and 3pm at the Federation Square favourite, guests will share three small plates and a large plate across this leisurely lunch. The small plates menu runs to the likes of sake-washed tuna paired with a yuzu yellow, or crispy tempura bug tails seasoned with nori dust and sesame aioli. We recommend the steak tartare topped with a confit egg yolk, which is balanced nicely with nashi, black garlic and wonton crisps. Larger plate choices will see guests making the difficult choices between low-cooked lamb shoulder with kohlrabi puree and Xinjiang spices, or Szechuan spiced duck laden with chilli dressing and watercress. Vegetarian choices include a crispy potato and cabbage bao with tonkatsu and pepper kewpie, or roasted eggplant with charred broccolini, miso and chickpeas. Images: Michael Pham
It's hard to know quite where to start when writing about Lin-Manuel Miranda's vastly lauded and widely appreciated creation Hamilton. The musical, which opened at Her Majesty's Theatre following a sold-out run in Sydney, is one of the most significant cultural texts of our generation. It won myriad Tonys, a Grammy, a Pulitzer Prize — one of those rare artworks that has transcended its original medium to become a bona fide phenomenon. Needless to say, it is extremely easy to find fans of this show. There are literally millions and millions of them. In fact, it's far more challenging to find people who know absolutely nothing about it. But ladies and gentlemen: we found one! Concrete Playground writer Nik Addams is a true neophyte when it comes to musical theatre and, beyond a cursory awareness of Hamilton due to its prevalence in culture at large, he knew very little about the show or the story. So, we decided to send him — a theatre-goer unencumbered by the baggage of knowledge and context — to get as fresh a take as possible on one of the most take-generating productions of all time. Fresh out of the doors of Her Majesty's, here are four observations Nik shared from his first-time Hamilton experience. THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU THINK OF MUSICALS Nik: "A common criticism of musicals is that bursting into song between spoken conversations can distract from the story, but Hamilton avoids this problem entirely as the whole thing is either sung or rapped — which came as a very pleasant surprise. In this sense, Hamilton makes a case for itself as a musical for people who don't necessarily love musicals. I had prepared myself for a kind of schmaltziness I assumed typical of musical theatre. Not so here. Even the more sentimental numbers are more understated than you'd expect given that they deal with the heavy-hitting themes of heartbreak and death." A LITTLE PRE-THEATRE READING IS RECOMMENDED Nik: "Not knowing anything of the Founding Fathers (being born and raised in a Greek household in Melbourne, I was more interested in European history), Hamilton's storyline was not always easy to follow. I got to a point somewhere towards the end of the first act where I just gave up trying to fully understand who was who and what was what. But, the production values were so high that I remained engaged even if the nuances of the relationships between characters and their significance were going over my head." "Things did become clearer in the second act, though, when the set-up was done and there was a sense of not only knowing who was who and what their motivations were, but the story itself more noticeably progressing. If you're going in fresh like me, I'd recommend a quick scan of Alexander Hamilton's Wikipedia page (or, indeed, our bluffer's guide to Hamilton) before the show so you don't need to use your brain quite as much." THE DANCING AND STAGING ARE TOP TIER Nik: "The choreography is captivating. It's almost hard to believe that such synchronised precision is taking place in front of your eyes, no camera tricks involved. The most lasting example of this is the scene depicting Alexander Hamilton's death at the hand of his political rival Aaron Burr in a duel (this isn't a spoiler by the way, it's foreshadowed in the opening number). This is a breathtaking tableau, an immersive, stop-start, movie-like depiction that makes excellent use of the stage's rotating, turntable set, creating a palpable sense of tension even though you know exactly how it ends." [caption id="attachment_817297" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Hamilton Australia', Daniel Boud[/caption] THE CAST IS STRAIGHT UP INCREDIBLE Nik: "Hamilton is a very, very good production. That I know. The show is beautifully choreographed and performed by a cast who genuinely looks like it's enjoying itself. Led by the superb Jason Arrow as the title character, the troupe delivers many of the show's 27,000 words at a breakneck pace with a clarity and diction that I can barely achieve when talking normally, let alone rapping under stage lights wearing knee-length boots and tailcoats. There is no doubt that it's hugely ambitious, but it's made to look easy, even effortless — and the result is a production that's hard to look away from." THE MUSICAL THEATRE NEWBIE'S FINAL THOUGHTS Nik: "One of the most common refrains throughout the show is "Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?" This thoroughly contemporary retelling of a significant chapter of America's history certainly does not leave that question unanswered. But the answer is such a multi-layered one that it's deserving of a second look." Hamilton is playing at Her Majesty's Theatre and is currently booking through to August. Visit the musical's website for further details. Heading to the theatre? Check out our bluffer's guide to the show, or discover some fun facts about the show with two of its stars. Images: Daniel Boud
What's better than one Gelato Messina sweet treat? Twenty-four days of them, all in chocolate form with each one hiding behind tiny numbered windows. In 2022, the cult-favourite dessert brand launched its first-ever advent calendar, much to everyone's delights — and it's bringing it back in 2023. Even if you're not the biggest fan of Christmas, this is festive news worth celebrating. So, 'tis the season to be jolly, and to also enjoy opening miniature cardboard doors and eating the goodies within. First, the sad news for ice cream lovers: Messina's advent calendar won't need to be stored in your freezer, because it isn't filled with gelato. Next, the still-tasty news: it does come stuffed with Messina's delicious chocolate bites. (And it is recommended that you keep it in a cool, dark place, or in the fridge.) So, you can now spend the first 24 days of December feasting your way through gingerbread men, fruit mince tart choccies, pastry-choc clusters, pralines and pâte de fruits — plus other Messina wares. That's all that the chain is officially giving away, because part of the whole advent calendar setup is getting a surprise daily. That said, you can also expect to find little chocolate candy canes and snowmen among the sweets. Handmade by Messina's in-house chocolatiers, every chocolate in the custom advent box is different — and, like all Messina specials, there's only a limited number available. Thankfully, there's more on offer than in 2022, when the 300 that were made were snapped up quicker than Santa eating cookies (well, as you believed when you were a kid). The gelato chain realises that plenty of people want its advent calendars, releasing a bigger number in 2023. Christmas fiends (and chocolate lovers) will need to order on Monday, October 9, for pick up from Friday, November 24–Sunday, November 26. (Yes, that does mean you'll need to exercise some self-control for a few days, to stop yourself breaking open the calendar as soon as it's in your hot little hands.) As with the brand's other limited-edition treats, this one is doing staggered on-sale times. Accordingly, folks in Queensland and the ACT are able to purchase at 9am AEDT and Victorians at 9.15am AEDT, with New South Wales customers are split across three times from 9.30–10am AEDT depending on the store. Gelato Messina's advent calendar goes on sale on Monday, October 9 from 9am AEDT, for pick up from Friday, November 24–Sunday, November 26. For more information, head to the Messina website.
Organic store Aunt Maggie's is throwing its annual Winter Solstice Chocolate Festival, melting away your troubles for the fourth year in a row at its new Lygon Street, Carlton digs. Saturday, June 23 will bring a feast of organic, raw and just generally comforting treats from the likes of Wildcrafted, Melbourne Cacao, Little Zebra Chocolates, Kennedy & Wilson Chocolates, Chow Cacao and a whole host more — so bring your sweet tooth/teeth. There will be market stalls to browse, samples to snack on and some juice bar bonanzas being pumped out as well. Plus, FYI, if you get sick of eating, there's liquid comfort to be had too courtesy of wine tastings from Paxton and RAW. With their range of biodynamic and vegan offerings on the go, it's basically just putting good stuff in your bodies all round. The event is free, so your weekend finances will be as warm and happy as your bellies.
Once known as New Buffalo, Sally Seltmann's collaborated with Feist, Beth Orton, Jim White (Dirty Three), Holly Throsby, Sarah Blasko and hubby Darren Seltmann (The Avalanches). And now the singer-songwriter can add another feat to her CV — her fourth full-length album. Out on February 28 through Caroline Label Services, Hey Daydreamer will coincide with a round of Australian tour dates. The intimate performances will see the Sydney muso return from her new home in LA to play alongside multi-instrumentalist Bree van Reyk, and opening act Wintercoats, Melbourne's orchestral pop pedlars. Check out the mesmerising animated video for 'Catch of the Day', the first single from Hey Daydreamer, below. Running all through April, Seltmann's tour will reach Kincumber, Sydney, Katoomba, Brisbane and Melbourne. Tickets available through each venue. Sally Seltmann's 2014 Tour Dates: Thursday April 3 – Lizottes, Kincumber Friday April 4 – The Vanguard, Sydney Saturday April 5 – The Clarendon Hotel, Katoomba Thursday April 10 – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane Friday April 11 – Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh, Melbourne Sunday April 13 – Kelvin Club, Melbourne https://youtube.com/watch?v=aeYWAuHsMEQ
It's not unusual for people to dress as their favourite pop culture icons on Halloween, or to a themed party. However, one couple have taken their love for Star Wars to a different level by dressing up as the movie's characters for their engagement shoot. The photos include the couple dressed in dark cloaks and face paint, carrying lightsabers, and lurking cautiously through the woods as if they are about to be attacked by a savage mob of Wookies. Photographer Michael James said that the couple initially wanted a traditional engagement shoot, but as the conversation progressed their ultimate desires began to show. "We figured out that while I’m more of a Trekkie, their love of all things Star Wars totally surpassed my love of Star Trek,” he said. “So we incorporated their ideas into the shoot. I didn’t think the bride-to-be would actually wear the make-up, but she seriously showed her true colors and went for it. The shoot was shot in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Mountain bikers and hikers passed us and everyone thought it was great,” he continued. It's fair to say that I would have been slightly intimidated if approached by a hooded figure wielding a lightsaber in the deserted woods. This photoshoot proves that the best way to celebrate your romance is through a mutual love for a film/TV show. I'm just waiting on the engagement photos with characters from the The Simpsons and Jersey Shore.
If you want to add some cuddles to your morning workout routine, make tracks to South Wharf for Pups and Pilates. BYO doggo (or cosy up to someone else's) and enjoy a 45-minute pilates class that is sure to start your day off with a big dose of endorphins. The class is hosted by PatchPets, a new social app that allows you to connect with other dog owners and lovers, and acts as a directory of all the dog services, venues and happenings around town. The sessions will run at 9am on five consecutive Saturdays at The Common Man — launching on December 7, then running again each week from December 14–January 4. The class is free with an Eventbrite booking, and there are still spots left — so take your pick and nab one while you can.
The wait is over. Ten months after it was first announced, Margaret Atwood's highly anticipated sequel to The Handmaid's Tale is being released to the world on Tuesday, September 10. Knowing how badly you want to get your hands on The Testaments (and not be the only one at the office that doesn't have a clue what everyone is talking about), Readings Carlton is opening the store bright and early at 7.30am, so you can be one of the first to delve into the story. Obviously, if you're going to be up at that time — and consuming bleak, dystopian fiction, too — you need sustenance. So Readings' neighbours Heartattack and Vine will be providing free coffee and pastries to the keen literary minds picking their books up between 7.30am and 9am, or until all the goodies run out. Can't wait? In the meantime, you can have a gander at an extract of The Testaments online. 'The Testaments' will be released on Tuesday, September 10. Readings Carlton will be open from 7.30am, with free coffee and pastries available until 9am.
The eighth season of Game of Thrones won't hit our screens until 2019 — and while waiting it out might just be the less-frosty equivalent of facing a White Walker, there's something more painful in store. As you probably already know and have tried to forget, the next run of episodes will be the show's last. That said, HBO isn't letting go of its hugely popular commodity completely While we'll all be saying goodbye to Jon Snow, the scheming Lanisters, and Daenerys and her dragons when the series wraps up, Westeros isn't going anywhere. Last year, the US network announced it was considering five different prequel ideas, and it's now doing more than that, greenlighting a pilot for a spinoff set thousands of years before the events of Game of Thrones. Co-created by A Song of Ice and Fire author George RR Martin with British screenwriter Jane Goldman (Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and the two Kingsman movies), the unnamed series will chronicle "the world's descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour", Variety reports. Although HBO have only agreed to make an initial episode to test the waters, you don't have to be the Three-Eyed Raven to see that it's highly likely the show will get the final go-ahead. If/when that eventuates, expect to start feasting on your new favourite show in 2020 at the earliest. Via Variety.
Huge music festivals have largely been on pause over the past 15 months or so, including one of the biggest there is: Coachella. The 2020 event was less than a month out from its April dates when it postponed until October due to COVID-19 — and then, a few months later, it cancelled last year's fest completely. The aim was to return in April 2021 instead; however, unsurprisingly, that didn't happen either. But now the event has announced that it's planning to make a comeback in April 2022. Mark April 15–17 and April 22–24 in your diaries and, if you'd like to cross your fingers and hope that Australians will be allowed to travel internationally by then, mark Friday, June 4 as well. The latter date is when advanced tickets will go on sale. At the moment, it's expected that the Australian border won't open until mid-2022, so if you are keen to snap up a ticket, you obviously need to factor in the reality that you mightn't be able to use it. Music lovers will be able to watch along from home, though, with Coachella once again teaming up with YouTube to live-stream the festival. That's no longer such a novelty in these pandemic times, given that streamed live music has been one of the industry's coping mechanisms of late. Splendour in the Grass is even going virtual this July, ahead of its IRL fest in November. Still, given the calibre of Coachella's usual lineup, there'll be plenty of bands tempting your eyeballs. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coachella (@coachella) No lineup details have been revealed as yet. So, if you're wondering whether 2020's planned headliners — that'd be Frank Ocean, Rage Against the Machine and Travis Scott — will feature next year, there are no answers yet. In the interim, you can still check out the free YouTube documentary Coachella: 20 Years in the Desert, which does an entertaining — albeit highly official, and therefore highly celebratory — job of exploring the fest's origins, growth and success. The doco also includes some killer performance footage, highlighting performers who've graced the Indio stage over the past two decades, such as Jane's Addiction, Bjork, Daft Punk, Madonna, Amy Winehouse, Beyonce and Prince, plus Tupac in hologram form. Coachella will take place April 15–17 and April 22–24, 2022. For further information, or to access the pre-sale from Friday, June 4, visit coachella.com.
Are you the kind of person who starts plotting your next meal before you've even finished the last? Love eating more than anything else? Well, you can get right to the guts of our global food obsession when culinary legend Nigella Lawson hits Aussie shores, joining social psychologist and author Hugh Mackay for two special conversation events this January. Hosted by The School of Life in Sydney on January 22 and Melbourne on January 24, Nigella Lawson On Why Food Matters will have audiences diving deep into the concepts surrounding food and its links to pleasure, creativity and belonging. The renowned celebrity chef will share insight into her philosophies on life and food while Mackay dishes up some of his own research finds, exploring rituals, our dependence on fast food, and the idea of food as a sort of therapy — whether that involves cooking up a storm, sharing a feed, or simply stuffing your face. Sink your teeth into some enlightening chat about social food trends and learn a little something about your own eating habits in the process. Those feeling inspired will also be able to grab a copy of Lawson's new book, At My Table. Catch Nigella Lawson On Why Food Matters at The School of Life Sydney on Monday, January 22, 118-132 Enmore Road, Newtown. It'll also take place on Wednesday, January 24, at The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Plenary 2, 1 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf. You can buy tickets at theschooloflife.com.au.
One of Australia's largest contemporary multi-arts centres has gone into voluntary administration as the industry is hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. After being forced to close in late March and standing down almost half its core staff in mid-April, Carriageworks in Sydney's inner city has this morning, Tuesday, May 5 announced the appointment of Phil Quinlan and Morgan Kelly of KPMG as its administrators. In a statement, the Eveleigh multi-arts centre said, "the sudden cancellation or postponement of six months of activities due to restrictions on public gatherings has resulted in an irreparable loss of income." Upcoming events set to take place at Carriageworks included Sydney Writers' Festival, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and Semi Permanent, all of which have been cancelled or postponed in line with the government's restrictions on mass gatherings. The ongoing Farmers Market, which saw up to 5000 Sydneysiders visit each Saturday, has also been put on hold during the pandemic. [caption id="attachment_716971" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Carriageworks Night Market by Daniel Boud.[/caption] On the closure, Carriageworks CEO Blair French said in a statement: "Since opening in 2007, Carriageworks has enjoyed the support of both the NSW and Federal Governments, and the generosity of its many partners and donors. With restrictions on social gatherings likely to remain in place for some time to come, the Board determined that it had no alternative but to place the company into Voluntary Administration." While Carriageworks relies partially on government funding, it generates 75 percent of its revenue from "on-site events and programs". Carriageworks administrator Quinlan said that "all options are on the table" for the future of the arts organisation, with stabilising its financial position and allowing it to "continue its important role for Australian arts and culture" being one of them. French echoed this sentiment, saying, "the Board remain hopeful that the Carriageworks facility will be able re-open to artists and community alike once NSW emerges from the effects of the current pandemic." Top image: Jacquie Manning
Any good Mexican will tell you that Mexican food is supposed to be hot. A taco without some piquante? Pfft. A mild burrito? Get out. Apparently the folk at SoCal know this, and they’ve come up with a Cinco de Mayo deal to weed out the wimps — Taco Roulette. For $16 you and your amigos can grab a plate of four tacos, three of which are your mild variety. But the fourth promises a ‘super hot’ kick we’re betting lies somewhere between that hot sauce you say you like but really you can only just handle and that pepper Homer Simpson ate that one time. A quick Google search tells me the idea is the loser pays; they’re usually easily identified by a shower of profanities or the way they break out in a sweat. This shindig is put together by SoCal and Corona, so there’ll also be $5 Coronas and Spanish and Mexican tunes playing all night, plus $10 margaritas (regular and chilli varieties) and $20 prawn and chorizo quesadillas for those who’d prefer not to run the risk of temporary tongue damage.
French, Spanish, German, American, Japanese: Australia has no shortage of film festivals categorised by country. But what about the stories of those with no nation at all? Lighting up screens for the second year as part of Refugee Week, the films in the Refugee Film Festival will explore the trials and tribulations of people fleeing persecution and war. The festival will be held at Carlton's Cinema Nova from June 17 to 22. Standout titles include Hope Road, which chronicles the efforts of a Sydney-based Sudanese refugee to raise funds to build a school in his village; Stop the Boats, about the slogan used to condemn those seeking asylum in Australia; and Human Flow, Ai Weiwei's immensely moving portrait of the global refugee crisis. Cinephiles outside of Sydney and Melbourne can also put their hand up to host a screening themselves. For more information on how to make that happen, as well as the full festival program, go here.
There 'aint a whole lot new about Antoine Fuqua's The Magnificent Seven. The iconic Western was previously an American TV series running from 1998-2000, which itself was based on the 1960 movie of the same name, which in turn was based on Akira Kurosawa's 1954 epic The Seven Samurai. The story, of course, is always the same: when a big bad man runs riot through a small, peace loving town of good and decent god-fearing folk, the survivors turn to a lone vigilante and offer their every last possession in the hope of driving the evil away. In Fuqua's version, that vigilante is Denzel Washington's Sam Chisolm. As seen in recent Tarantino fare Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight, the African-American lead cowboy has become a popular choice for the 'neo western', and Washington, as always, is outstanding. His silky-soft voice, penetrating stare and wily smile are so perfectly suited to the genre, it's extraordinary to think it hasn't happened sooner. Washington is joined in this adventure by a motley crew of historical and cultural juxtapositions: the exiled Comanche and the Scalper, the Confederate and the Yankee, the Mexican outlaw and the Irish gambler (whose grandpappy died at the Alamo). They should all hate each other, but they don't, and while it's a fun crew to camp with, the total absence of tension between them is as baffling as it is clearly a missed opportunity. All the same, the ensemble cast – Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio, Byung-hun Lee, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Martin Sensmeier – play nicely off each other, and support Washington as best they can. On the direction front, Fuqua is no fool when it comes to high-end action, having helmed previous heart-thumpers such as Southpaw, Shooter, Training Day and The Equalizer (the latter two both with Washington in the lead). Here in The Magnificent Seven the gunplay feels impressively fast and frantic, if also wildly generous in the range and accuracy of the old-time six-shooters. It's also surprisingly gore-free despite the extreme body count, which makes for a welcome change and contributes to the old-school western vibe. In all, while The Magnificent Seven is far from perfect, it's undeniably fun, and that has to count for something. It's a western, with good guys, bad guys, gunplay and grit, and thanks to Fuqua and Washington, you get more than enough bang for your buck. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-RBA0xoaWU
Thought meditation retreats were all about early wake-up calls and lots of serious silences? Well, not anymore. Say hello to Soundscape, a new three-day sensory experience to be held in NSW's Southern Highlands this March. A wellness getaway that breaks the mould, this one's focused on music, food and great company. It's the brainchild of the team at Surry Hills mindfulness studio The Indigo Project, a progressive practice that runs naptime and mindful pasta-making classes, and relatable courses like Get Your Shit Together. And it's being helmed by a trio that describes themselves as "an experimental chef, a rebel psychologist and an electronic music producer". Over one weekend at Highball House, they'll guide guests through an exploration of sound, designed to help recharge, connect and unravel all that stress. Forget about any 'hippy' stuff — here, you'll take meditative walks through the forest, feel inspired during guided creativity sessions and experience fun sound immersion sessions based around The Indigo Project's popular Listen Up workshops. And with Love Supreme chef Harry Bourne helping to run the show, boring food is definitely not part of the agenda. Instead, enjoy gourmet eats at every meal and have your mind blown wide open during a series of curated food and music experiences. "We felt that it was time to re-imagine your typical meditation retreat format," says The Indigo Project founder and head psychologist Mary Hoang. "People are in for a colourful, deep, creative journey into their minds." If this sounds like your bag, you'll probably be interested in Yoga Cucina, a yoga, wine and pasta-filled retreat that takes place a couple of times a year also in the Southern Highlands. Soundscape will run from March 16–18, at Highball House, Bundanoon in NSW's Southern Highlands. Places cost between $595 and $1390 for the weekend. To book or for more info, visit theindigoproject.com.au.
Fuzzy is bringing the party to the people with Listen Out, which will be coming to Melbourne's Catani Gardens on Saturday, September 23 for its fifth year before dates in Perth, Sydney and Brisbane. Some highlights on this year's lineup include US rappers Mac Miller and Future, New York-based electronic producer Jai Wolf and UK artists Duke Dumont and Little Simz. Aussie acts get a look-in via Safia, Perth avant-electronic bedroom producer KUCKA and dance duo Pnau. Kicking off at 1pm and running through till 10pm, Catani Gardens' walking paths lined with palm trees offer the perfect backdrop for the Melbourne part of the tour. Tickets are now on sale — so be sure to grab them while you still can. See the full lineup below. LISTEN OUT 2017 LINEUP Bryson Tiller Duke Dumont Future Getter Green Velvet Jai Wolf Kucka Little Simz Mac Miller Malaa Mallrat Pnau Safia Touch Sensitive Vallis Alps What So Not Alice Ivy Annie Bass (in Sydney only) Cc Disco (in Melbourne only) Muto (in Melbourne only) Ninajirachi Nyxen + more Images: Mitch Lowe.
With hundreds of shows sprinkled throughout the city over 18 days of solid programming, the Melbourne Fringe isn't really something you attend — it's something that just happens to you. From September 17 - October 5, you'll no doubt stumble upon some small portion of the Fringe Festival at a local laneway, gallery or bar. But, to make the experience a little more digestible, here's a list of shows you should definitely make an effort to see. Whether it's dancing to a symphony of forks, a night of yelling at Joe Hockey, or an intimate set with some local indie music gods, each event here is sure to lead to some interesting stories to tell the next day. A Day Like Every Other There's no need to be coy at the Fringe Festival so you may as well jump straight into the deep end with some live art. One of the exciting free works you might stumble upon at the North Melbourne festival hub, A Day Like Every Other offers a dreaded one-on-one experience with the artist (Mattie Young or Georgia Mill). Thankfully that portion of the work only lasts five minutes. After being subjected to a short interview and supplying your mobile phone number, the artists will fill your following day with an elaborate list of adventure and whimsy. Go about your daily routine with a couple of playful and surprising differences. Australia now has its own version of Miranda July. September 19 - October 4, 7.30pm at North Melbourne Town Hall (521 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne). Free. Symphony of Strange Off the back of rave reviews at Adelaide Fringe, it's clear that Symphony of Strange is a totally unique performance. A solo dance piece with a twist, this work sees Edward Willoughby take to the stage supported by a 50-piece live orchestra of "non-musical instruments". While we're not entirely sure what that entails, we can only assume it includes some crazy work on the spoons and, judging by the promo shots, forks. One of the works performed at The Substation (the west-side Fringe hub), this is definitely going to be well worth the trip across the West Gate. September 30 - October 4, 9pm at The Substation (1 Market Street, Newport). $22/25. Inanimately We're not ones to make light of someone's sexuality, but when people say they want to marry the Eiffel Tower we're happy to have a little giggle. Representing the ladies in the comedy stakes and exploring the odd life choices of objectum sexuals with a 50-minute stage show, Nicolette Minster comes out — she's officially in a relationship with her security blanket. It's a naturally funny concept and one we can't wait to see come to life on stage, but if there's a warning for mature audiences at the door we're calling quits. We don't know how you can fully prepare yourself to watch someone seduce a step ladder. September 19 - October 4, 9.15pm or 10.15pm at The Lithuanian Club (44 Errol Street, North Melbourne). $16/21. Come Heckle Hockey Don your communist red, grab a megaphone and possibly swipe some rotten fruit on your way there — this is exactly what it sounds like. Brought to Fringe by Joshua Ladgrove (AKA Dr Neal Portenza), this simple but genius work involves pinning a picture of the maligned Federal Treasurer to the front wall of the theatre, letting in a bunch of pissed off people, and watching the beautiful and inevitable unfold before your eyes. It's a concept he's tried before. At last year's Fringe, Come Heckle Christ appealed to the filthy heathens among us and made for quite the show. This one understandably has a broader appeal. As Ladgrove himself states, it's really for "anyone not earning $500,000 or more". September 28, 9pm at The Lithuanian Club (44 Errol Street, North Melbourne). $19/22. MKA: Richard II Who would have expected to see some Shakespeare in the Fringe program? What seems like an unlikely pick for the experimental and forward-thinking festival, this performance of Richard II is bound to be a far cry from Geoffery Rush's King Lear if you know what we mean — although we won't yet rule out nudity. Devised and performed by Mark Wilson, this piece about the deserved misfortunes of a corrupt God-king, will be used as an allegory for Australia's current political climate. Though he's an international fellow at Shakespeare's Globe in London, Wilson also has a bizarre playbook to be aware of. His last hugely-successful production, Unsex Me, saw him take to the stage with a self-reflexive drag act termed "a cross between Freddy Mercury and Richard Dawkins". You've been warned. September 17 - 28, 8.3opm or 9.30pm at Northcote Town Hall (189 High Street, Northcote). $21/26. All the Single Lad(ie)s You love Beyonce. You love a spot of gender critique. Then you are also most definitely the target audience for All the Single Lad(ie)s, a work that juxtaposes the music of proudly feminist Queen Bey with surreal scenes laying bare various conundrums of gender and sexuality. From experimental Perthians The Cutting Room Floor, All the Single Lad(ie)s premiered at the Perth Fringe World Festival, where it won much adoration but also prompted the West Australian to say, "We were warned that All the Single Lad(ie)swas 'grotesque', but that was probably not enough of a warning for what we witnessed." Sounds like perfect Fringe material. September 30 - October 4, 8pm at Revolt 3 (12 Elizabeth Street, Kensington). $15/20. Steen Raskopoulos - I'm Wearing Two Suits Because I Mean Business Straight back in the action after this year's Edinburgh Fringe, young comedian Steen Raskopoulos has a lot going for him. Not only did he win Best Newcomer at last year's Sydney Comedy Festival, he was nominated for the same award in Edinburgh — that's a big freakin' deal. It sold out last time he was in Melbourne, but this may be your last time to see the show that's making everyone swoon. Admittedly, this isn't a show for someone who like their humour toned down and quietly witty. This is one for those that like their characters big, their comedy physical and their suits properly double-breasted *ba dum tss*. September 28 - October 4, 5pm, 8pm or 9pm at The Lithuanian Club (44 Errol Street, North Melbourne). $22/24. The Bookbinder This is an adult and kid-friendly show, but just elbow the little tykes out of the way and you'll be privy to a magical little work that unfolds in the dimly lit little Fringe hub (specifically: The Lithuanian Club in North Melbourne). From New Zealand company Trick of the Light Theatre, The Bookbinder is an amalgamation of forms and DIY special effects — you'll find shadowplay, paper art, puppetry and musical interludes intertwined in a mystery and cautionary tale of what happened to the bookbinder's last, overly cocksure apprentice. September 19 - October 4, 6.45pm or 7.45pm at The Lithuanian Club (44 Errol Street, North Melbourne). $19/24. Uncommon Places The Fringe Festival is all about discovering new work, but it might not be where you expect it. This year, the festival has commissioned 10 artists to create site-specific work all across the city, Carlton and North Melbourne. Centred around places of transit or gathering you may stumble upon works outside the Swanston Street McDonald's or even at your local tram stop. If you'd prefer to seek out particular works, take a look at this map and curate your own journey. Hot tip: take a stroll to the City Baths or Pellegrini's at night. September 17 - October 5, all over Melbourne. Free. 8 First Dates If you needed any more proof that Fringe really is the place to be over the next couple of weeks, Thursday, October 2 will see eight of Melbourne's best indie musicians take to the stage to perform a set of exclusive new songs. These are no newbie acts either. The lineup includes: Angie Hart of Frente, Jae Laffer of The Panics, J. Walker of Machine Translations, Ainslie Wills, Charles Jenkins, Mikelangelo, Jess Cornelius of Teeth and Tongue and James O'Brien of Darling James and The Boat People. See the festival out in style: free music in the heart of it all, at the Fringe club. October 2, 10pm at North Melbourne Town Hall (521 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne). Free. Check out the full program at the Melbourne Fringe Festival website.
Sometimes it feels like the only thing to do with your 'I haven't had a holiday in three years' woes is to jump in your car and leave town in a hurry. The nine-to-five might be getting you down — especially as the warm weather is being such a tease — and you might be sitting at your desk dreaming of standing up and flipping it, quitting your job and cruising up the Princes to a new destination. But, it's probably best you don't. Perhaps, a better idea would be to get to know the parts of your city that you're not so familiar with. Joining forces with Mitsubishi to celebrate of the new Eclipse Cross, we've curated a list of experiences for every day this week to trick you into believing you're in a new town with a fresh vibe. And, you won't even need to quit your job. MONDAY, OCTOBER 15: SWIM AND CROISSANTS Do some laps then treat yourself to a tasty pastry. Start your week off energised and get your blood pumping with some laps at the Fitzroy Swimming Pool. Once you've done had your swim and a hot shower, you'll be ready to crack on with your Monday. But first, breakfast. Make a beeline straight for Lune and its renowned croissants. Grab a buttery, chocolate or almond version (or one of each, for research's sake) and scoff it down on your way to work, inspiring morning envy in those around you on the tram. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16: VEGAN TUESDAYS Gorge on vegan Indian fare guilt-free for just $25. Keep Meat-Free Monday going and hit up Babu Ji, an Indian restaurant on St Kilda's Grey Street that runs Vegan Tuesdays every week. It's an all-you-can-eat sort of affair; devour as much rice and curry as you can for just $25. While the menu varies week to week, all the offerings are completely vegan and can be made gluten free as well (hello, gluten-free naan). The night is intended to showcase the versatility of Indian food and how easily it can cater for dietary requirements like veganism. And, yes, pappadums are included. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17: A DAY OF PODCASTS Get up close and personal with the best podcasting talent at ACMI. Head along to OzPod 2018, the Australian Podcast Conference taking place at ACMI, presented by ABC. The conference will take place on Wednesday, October 17, with a number of international podcasters scheduled to appear. American Julia Lowrie Henderson from the podcast Bikram and Canadian Veronica Simmonds from podcasts Alone: A Love Story, Sleepover and Tai Asks Why will be there, as will locals Hedley Thomas from The Teacher's Pet, Myf Warhurst and Zan Rowe from Double J's Bang On, Honor Eastly from Starving Artist and Being Honest with My Ex and Yumi Stynes from ABC's Ladies We Need to Talk. The conference will combine audio storytellers, producers and innovators, with more of the program to be announced soon. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18: UNRAVELING PERFECTIONISM Head to a talk at MPavilion and learn about the inherent human need to be 'perfect'. MPavilion is about to kick into gear for another year, with the annual spring/summer installation kicking off in October. On Thursday, October 18, you can swing by Perfectionisms: an event focusing that inherent human need to be 'perfect' and how it can positively and negatively affect us. Dr David Irving, Dr Margaret Osborne, Professor Shitij Kapur and Professor Alan Duffy will all turn their considerable brain powers to answer questions about the hunt for perfection and why it drives us. Perhaps, this is the perfect mid-week reality check you need. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19: FINDERS KEEPERS MARKET Peruse the local designs and wares at this seasonal market. Finders Keepers swings back into town this October, taking place at The Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton from Friday, October 19. Head over to the design market that will, as always, feature leading local designers (and those from across the rest of the country, too). In its tenth year, Finders Keepers has grown to be one of Australia's leading markets and supports more than 1200 sellers yearly. With design, art, fashion as well as food and live music to sustain shoppers — even if you don't buy much, your mood leading into the weekend will be amped right up. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20: CITY ESCAPE Get back to the great outdoors and explore Werribee Gorge. Make full use of the sunny days that we've been copping and take the opportunity to go on an adventure this weekend. Head to Werribee Gorge to do a walk and take in some of the west-of-the-city charms. There's nothing like a bit of fresh air and a beautiful environment — only an hour or so out of Melbourne, too — to renew what you love about the city. Take a hike along the popular Werribee Gorge Circuit, an eight-kilometre hike that's perfect for beginners — or those who've been in winter hibernation and have forgotten how to spell the word 'exercise'. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21: BIG FASHION SALE Update your warm-weather wardrobe for less. Along with Finders Keepers, the Big Fashion Sale also hits Melbourne from October 18–21, so you can make your weekend a fashion and design-heavy one. It is the changing of the seasons, after all. The designer clearance sale will set up on Easey Street in Collingwood for the weekend and will be open from 10am–5pm. With EFTPOS available, you'll probably find it easy enough to nab a bargain from a top designer. More than 50 brands are represented and some will be discounted up to 80 percent —that'll get you moving on a Sunday, even if you're sore from yesterday's hike. Where to next? Make the most of every week with Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross and navigate to your next destination here.
Trying to pick the best line from Succession isn't just a difficult task; it's almost impossible. The series is one of the best-written shows on television, and best in general, in no small part thanks to how well it hurls about bickering dialogue. Before the HBO series first graced TV screens back in 2018, you mightn't have realised exactly how entertaining it is to watch people squabbling. Not just everyday characters, either, but the constantly feuding and backstabbing — and ridiculously wealthy and privileged — family of a global media baron. It's not only the arguing and power plays that make this hit compulsively watchable, however, but the witty words flung about, the scathing insults shot back and forth, and the pitch-perfect performances that deliver every verbal blow. Due to the pandemic, Succession hasn't actually been on our screens for a couple of years now. So, since 2019, we've only been able to enjoy its scheming chaos by re-binging its first two seasons. But the acclaimed drama is set to return next month — and, based on both its initial teaser back in July and the just-dropped full trailer, all those Roy family antics and the bitter words they inspire are in full swing once again. Yes, it's time to soak up your latest glimpse of a fictional family that could be Arrested Development's Bluth crew, but much, much more ruthless. And, after the big bombshell that son Kendall (Jeremy Strong, The Trial of the Chicago 7) dropped at the end of season two, the third season has plenty to dig into. Obviously, always-formidable patriarch Logan (Brian Cox, Super Troopers 2) is far from happy, and the rest of his children — Connor (Alan Ruck, Gringo), Shiv (Sarah Snook, Pieces of a Woman) and Roman (Kieran Culkin, Infinity Baby) — are caught in the middle. If you've seen the past two seasons, you'll know that this brood's tenuous and tempestuous relationship has only gotten thornier as we've all watched, and that doesn't ever look set to change. For Succession newcomers, the series follows the Roys as Logan's offspring try to position themselves as next in line to his empire. It's clearly set among the one percent, in lives that most folks will never know — but the idea that depiction doesn't equal endorsement is as rich in Succession and its brand of satire as its always-disagreeing characters. There is something different this time around, however, with Alexander Skarsgård (Godzilla vs Kong) and Adrien Brody (The Grand Budapest Hotel) joining the drama. Created by Peep Show's Jesse Armstrong — someone who knows more than a thing or two about black comedy — this Emmy, Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics' Choice, Writers Guild and Directors Guild Award-winner is savagely smart, darkly biting and often laugh-out-loud funny about its chosen milieu. And in the words of cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun, Zola) in this year's earlier sneak peek, yes, that sounds kinda dramatic. As well as dropping the full season three trailer, HBO has also announced that Succession will return mid-October — and Foxtel, which airs the series in Australia, has revealed that the third season will start airing Down Under from Monday, October 18. Check out the full Succession season three trailer below: Succession's third season will start airing on Foxtel and Foxtel On Demand from Monday, October 18. Image: HBO.
If you spent Melbourne's sixth lockdown wondering when it'd end, well, of course you did. If you filled your time dreaming about when you might be able to venture not only around the city, throughout Victoria and across Australia, but also overseas, that's also understandable. So today, Friday, October 22, brings two doses of good news. Not only have stay-at-home conditions now ended (as every Melburnian well and truly knows), but Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has just announced the end of quarantine for international travellers who've had both their COVID-19 vaccinations. That change will kick in on Monday, November 1, meaning that double-vaxxed folks entering Victoria from overseas won't need to spend 14 days in hotel quarantine from that point onwards. Plus, the cap on double-jabbed returning Aussies arriving in Victoria will also be scrapped. Anyone heading to the state from another country will need to show their vaccination status upon arrival, of course, with Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration recognising the Pfizer (Comirnaty), AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria), Moderna (Spikevax), COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen (Johnson and Johnson), Coronavac (Sinovac) and Covishield (AstraZeneca/Serum Institute of India) jabs. You'll also need to test negative to COVID-19 within 72 hours of departing, and then take another test within 24 hours of arriving in Victoria. While this'll obviously apply to Aussies who've been overseas during the pandemic and are now coming home, it'll also cover Victorians going on overseas holidays — because, as previously announced, that's permitted by the Federal Government from Monday, November 1 as well. At this early stage, the international border will open for double-jabbed Aussies heading outwards and coming back, plus permanent residents and citizens and their families, but not for international travellers and international students. Your suitcase does look mighty tempting now, we know. And, the list of places that Australians can fly to keeps growing — Qantas has just brought forward some of its planned international flights, in fact. If you do head off, then come back and test positive for COVID-19 once you're back in Victoria, you'll need to isolate at home like as any other case in the community. And, for the unvaxxed, the mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine remains in place for international travellers — and there'll be a weekly cap of 250 unvaccinated folks allowed into the state from overseas. For further information about Victoria's international travel quarantine plans, head to the Victorian Government's website.
Call this 'The One with Familiar But Still Exciting News': Friends! The Musical Parody is bringing its comedic, song-filled take on a certain 90s sitcom to Australia in 2022. Yes, this announcement has been made before, and more than once. The show has even opened its umbrellas in some parts of the country already. But we all know how the past two years have turned out — so the fact that the production is doing the rounds again should still make your day, week, month and even your year. This time around, Friends! The Musical Parody will kick off its tour in Adelaide in May, before being there for audiences in Hobart, Wollongong, Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne. So, wherever you live, get ready to spend time with the show's versions of Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Joey and Phoebe — hanging out at their beloved Central Perk, of course, and sitting on an orange couch, no doubt. The musical starts with caffeinated catch-ups, but then a runaway bride shakes up the gang's day. From there, you'll get to giggle through a loving, laugh-filled lampoon that both makes good-natured fun of and celebrates the iconic sitcom. Yes, no one told you that being obsessed with the Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer-starring show about six New Yorkers would turn out this way — with on-stage skits and gags, recreations of some of the series' best-known moments, and songs with titles such as 'How you Doin?' and 'We'll Always Be There For You'. And no, no one told us that being a Friends aficionado would continue to serve up so many chances to indulge our fandom 17 years after it finished airing, either. FRIENDS! THE MUSICAL PARODY AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2022: May 4–15: Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide May 20–21: Wrest Point Entertainment Centre, Hobart May 26–28: Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, Wollongong June 10–18: Riverside Theatres, Parramatta July 13–15: The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre, Canberra July 20–24: The Tivoli, Brisbane September 9–11: Regal Theatre, Perth November 23–December 17: Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne Friends! The Musical Parody tours the country from May–December 2022. For further details, and to buy tickets, visit the production's website.
Believe it or not, it's been ten years of heading along to Hoyts on the weekend, smashing a large popcorn and a choc-top, and getting super jazzed up for whatever the latest Marvel film is. There have been 20 films since things started back in 2009 with Iron Man, and though they may be critically debated, nearly everyone can agree that they are at least entertaining. They give you that giddy blockbuster feeling that sticks around even when the lights go up and you realise you've got chocolate ice-cream all down your front. The St Kilda's Astor Theatre is honouring that feeling, and the fact that it's been a decade of Marvel Studios solidly churning out bangers, by putting on a Marvel Marathon. Showing 18 of the films, the bonanza will run over a (slightly ridiculous) 48 hours — you'll have to be a superfan to stay awake through all of this. The marathon will kick off with Iron Man at 11am on Saturday, January 5 and finish up at 11am on Monday, January 7 with Ant-Man and the Wasp. In the middle, you'll catch hits like Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War. You can purchase one-day passes online for $40, or a full 48-hour pass for $65.
Even if you're not loved up, Valentine's Day is an ideal time to lean into some lovely times with your nearest and dearest — or to enjoy some delightful solo time. Although you don't need an excuse to do delightful things, a dedicated day pushes us to make plans and then execute them. Like birthday nights spent disco dancing, gift-giving on December 25 and candlelit meals on anniversaries — all activities that can happen any old day if you so choose. But, in the spirit of luuurve, we've compiled six activities that are optimal for that February 'holiday', whether you've got a lover or not. What's more, you've got the chance to score the funds — $500 to be exact — to bring the date of your choosing to life. Melbourne-based Grinders Coffee Roasters are asking you to share the cheesiest pet name you use for your lover or friend, and the best ones will be rewarded. Each and every day from now until February 14, one person will score the prize. And on that romance-heavy Tuesday? Ten extra people will score the dollars too. Red hot. Itching to go in the running? Get your entry in now, lover. Otherwise, read on. [caption id="attachment_794495" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Unyoked, Trent and Jessie[/caption] BOOK A NIGHT AWAY WITH YOUR LOVER OR PAL Whether you prefer an escape that's lush or bush, a vacay or staycay, shaking up your routine and spot of slumber is a surefire way to jump-start those good-time vibes. And $500 towards the trip (courtesy of Grinders Coffee Roasters) would be the cherry on top. Off-grid more your thing? Unyoked (pictured above) has tiny homes aplenty, all ready and waiting for you to lose the buzz of the city in your own patch of wilderness. A fire pit, cosy cabin and nothing but the sounds of nature — undeniably romantic. Hankering for a hotel stay? Lock down a roommate (or fly solo), pick a spot to stay (in Melbourne, Brisbane or Sydney, perhaps?), make a dinner reservation (or peruse the room service menu) and pack a book — staying between the sheets (whether reading or otherwise) is only made better by a turndown service and do-not-disturb tag hanging from the door. [caption id="attachment_825044" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nonna's Grocer[/caption] HOST A DINNER PARTY WITH FRIENDS Sharing a meal with people you love is one of life's greatest joys. Delicious bites and excited chatter stretching into the night is always a treat if the setting is your home and there's no closing time. Make it super special by carefully curating the menu and setting the table beautifully — and to achieve this, moody (read: tutti-frutti) candles are a must. If you're looking for more romance, channel the City of Love. Assemble a Parisian-inspired spread, have matches at the ready and the finest bottle of French red wine you can afford (500 big ones are certain to help you here). [caption id="attachment_885773" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Thatchypoo[/caption] GET UP EARLY AND WATCH THE SUN RISE Fact: collectively, we don't watch enough sunrises. When we do catch one, it's mesmerising. And usually followed by a promise to do it more often, before inevitably succumbing to the sweet embrace of a few extra moments in bed. Well, pledge to start this Valentine's Day soaked in golden light — set your alarm, find the dreamiest spot and make sure to arrive while it's dark so you witness those precious first beams. Afterwards, get yourself a double-shot coffee. Head to your local cafe (one that serves creamy shots of Grinders Coffee Roasters, if you know what's good for you) or plan ahead and grab a bag of beans or grounds online for when you head home — either way, make sure to savour each and every one of your well-earned bright-and-early sips. [caption id="attachment_885772" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Oleg Breslavtsev[/caption] STAY IN AND PAMPER YOURSELF Face mask, rom-com and eight hours of sleep: that's as self-loving as it gets. While time spent doing this is enjoyable regardless of whether you have a companion or not, true luxury is found in a solo pampering session. Pick a flick — be it When Harry Met Sally, Call Me by Your Name or Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet — decide upon a sheet mask or bubble bath and make your bed with fresh sheets*. A full glass of vino and page-turner works in the same way. Heartbroken? Blast Adele in your living room and scream-sing through an album. Self care, baby. *Trust us, you'll be stoked come the credits. [caption id="attachment_885771" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Manchester[/caption] EXPLORE A GALLERY AND THEN TREAT YOURSELF TO AN EXTRA SPECIAL LUNCH Appreciating others' creative expression has the high potential to ignite a flame in your soul. If you're a Sydneysider and the Art Gallery of New South Wales (pictured above) is within your reach, take a jaunt through the staggering Grand Courts, gazing up at works from ages gone by. Brisbanites, a V-Day date is a great opportunity to head to GOMA to check out Air, an exploration of the element that keeps us all breathing (and, technically, loving); and if you're in Adelaide, a visit to Yayoi Kusama's infinitely spotty room at the Art Gallery of South Australia is a must. Melbourne based? A trip to The LUME will see you literally immersed in the artistry of Monet. And if you're in Perth, the Art Gallery of Western Australia is perfectly primed for your visit, with free exhibitions aplenty on throughout February. Afterwards, take yourself to lunch. Somewhere fancy. Order a glass of something lush, carefully consider the menu and bask in your arty arvo. [caption id="attachment_828069" align="alignnone" width="1920"] KoolShooters, Pexels[/caption] PACK A PICNIC AND GET INTO NATURE Sunlight, snacks and endorphins: the recipe for a romantic Valentine's Day (even if you're sans date). Grab some pals, a selection of soft cheeses, a bottle of something sparkly, then stick an icepack on top and get out in nature. You'll feel better (it's been proven), more connected to the earth (and, more than likely, to your company) and be delighting in some lo-fi al fresco dining. True love. Feeling inspired to make February 14 red hot this year? Grinders Coffee Roasters are giving away a $500 Mastercard e-gift card each and every day until Valentine's — so get your entry in, stat. Top image: Alessandro Biascioli
After a sell-out season in last year's Melbourne Fringe Festival this collaboration between Monash University Student Theatre and La Mama returns to the confines of the iconic Carlton venue for a 'Redux' season. The piece was written by Robert Reid (perhaps best known for The Joy of Text), who created this largely devised work in an intensive process with Monash students. The Well operates with a loose, fragmentary narrative that throws the apocalypse into a headlong collision with other moments that are hilariously mundane. What stood out in the play's premiere was the skill with which the performers enveloped the audience in their world, shepherding them around the small space and making them utterly complicit in the fragmentary storytelling that splintered around them. It's unclear how different this re-imagining will be to the original 2012 work under the new direction of Kate Brennan, but Reid's skill and the success of its first outing make this an essential piece of theatre as the year winds down.
So this bloke called Bruzzy owns a farm in Tallarook and because he's a bloody legend, every year he hosts the beatnik camping festival Boogie. Basically, Boogie is a three-day buffet of music, arts, booze, food and Boxwars. This year, the organisers have increased its capacity to 1500 people, keeping the music line-up suitably stellar. There's New York City's Endless Boogie with their grizzled riff-rock, Tav Falco's Panther Burns (a bastardisation of Mississippi blues and rockabilly), the hyperactive Money for Rope, dreamy Simone Felice, Mr Phil Jamieson, Don Walker and The Suave Fucks, Lowtide, Wang, Velociraptor and many, many more. Punters will be able to swap hard cash for "Boogie bucks" which can be exchanged for chewy, chocky, drinks and the spare toothbrush you will never remember. The Boogie kitchens and bars will be serving food and alcoholic beverages and one can even have an outdoor shower (but it'll cost ya, at $5). All tickets include free return train travel from Melbourne, good sounds and grand times over the Easter break. Did I mention it's a BYO festival? Boogie begins on Friday, March 29, and ends at noon on Monday, April 1. Image Tim Rogers, Catherine Britt and Bill Chambers via Chrissie Vincent Publicity.
Bluesfest has lifted the lid on its second artist announcement for 2019, adding 19 more names to the festival's already hefty 30th anniversary lineup. Heading this latest stampede is music legend Paul Kelly. He'll be hitting the five-day Easter long weekend festival just out of Byron after touring the country for his pre-Christmas show Making Gravy (which has sold out in most cities). More second announcement names include Irish singer Hozier, chart-topping UK artist David Gray and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Mavis Staples — who, fittingly, co-wrote and sang on Hozier's last hit single 'Nina Cried Power'. They'll place alongside two huge headliners: Jack Johnson and Ben Harper, who will play with his band The Innocent Criminals. Both artists will be performing exclusively at Bluesfest, with Johnson making his third appearance at the festival after first appearing in 2001 and again in 2014. S Other acts taking to the stage at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm over the weekend include Aussies Kasey Chambers and Richard Clapton, six-piece soul band St. Paul and The Broken Bones and Grammy Award-winning jazz and funk collective Snarky Puppy. American singer and record producer George Clinton will perform one of his last live shows ever, before retiring in May, alongside his funk collective Parliament-Funkadelic. Anyway, here's the full lineup (so far). Better start making Easter plans because tickets are already selling fast. BLUESFEST 2019 LINEUP SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT Paul Kelly Hozier David Gray Julia Stone Gary Clark Jr. Mavis Staples Flogging Molly Meshell Ndegeocello Ruthie Foster Shakey Graves Anderson East Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real Samantha Fish The War and Treaty Mojo Juju Caiti Baker Deva Mahal Melody Angel Hussy Hicks FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT Jack Johnson Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals Ray Lamontagne George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic Snarky Puppy Kasey Chambers St Paul and The Broken Bones Nahko and Medicine for the People Tommy Emmanuel Colin Hay Arlo Guthrie Keb' Mo' Tex Perkins Allen Stone Richard Clapton Russell Morris Kurt Vile and The Violators Vintage Trouble The Black Sorrows The California Honeydrops Trevor Hall I'm With Her Larkin Poe Irish Mythen Elephant Sessions Greensky Blugrass Rockwiz Live + more to be announced. Bluesfest 2019 will run April 18 to April 22 at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Byron Bay. More details and ticket info here. Image: Cybele Malinowski and Joseph Mayers.
The further we move away from the wild, it seems, the more we bring the wild to us. From adding rooftop gardens to buses to cultivating bioluminescent plants that replace light bulbs to the opening of the world's first fully algae powered building, the past two years have seen a surge in the green-ifying of our urban environments. The most visually dramatic movement of all has been the spread of the vertical garden. Of course, it's not necessarily a new thing. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon (or Nineveh), after all, were at least imagined, if not built, in 600 B.C., and back in 1938, Stanley Hart White, Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Illinois, employed hydroponics to invent the first green wall. However, Patrick Blanc is the man behind the scattering of the seeds of "living architecture" all over the world. His vertical gardens have been planted in more than 25 cities, including San Francisco, Berlin, Tokyo and New York. As most Sydneysiders already know, he's just installed the tallest one on the planet right here, at One Central Park, Broadway. Twenty-one panels, filling 1,120 square metres of area, comprise its expanse. One hundred thousand seedlings, including exotic and native species, were established at nurseries all over New South Wales and Queensland. THE STORY STARTS BELOW SEA LEVEL Blanc first became passionate about plants at the age of 12, due to an obsession with his fish tank. "My first aim, forty years ago, was to filter the excess nutrients out of my aquarium by way of using plants," he explains. For such a child, a career in botany was inevitable. It was in the 1980s that he first became interested in training plants to defy gravity — the perfection of which is crucial to the success of any vertical garden. Now that he has the process worked out, he insists that it's technically straightforward. What can be trickier is attaching the plants firmly enough to the wall to protect passersby from an unexpected botanical deluge. They (the plants, not the passersby) are attached to mesh-covered felt, around which their roots cling as they grow, creating a secure stronghold. Mineralised water, rather than soil, provides a source of nutrients. ART MIRRORS NATURE When asked whether he's encountered any opposition to his projects, Blanc replies with a calm self-assuredness that his "living artwork" involves a mere mirroring of nature. "Some people have objections because they think it's a manipulation of the way nature intended plants to grow," he explains. "But this is not the case, well, not always. For a local example, at Wentworth Falls in New South Wales's Blue Mountains, rock-clinging plants are everywhere." At the Australian Garden Show, Blanc will be giving a lecture on how soilless plants survive in their natural habitats — cliffs, caves, waterfalls and tree branches. IT LOOKS GREEN, BUT DOES IT ACT GREEN? And what about the environment? Vertical gardens certainly help to lessen the burden of some of our more regrettable architectural decisions, but how do they score when it comes to cleaner air and reducing energy use? Some of the installations found in fancy hotels and the like are often dependent on energy-intensive lighting. They might promote an impression of environmental awareness, but they're actually doing damage if the carbon harnessed by the plants is less than that necessary to their growth. On this issue, Blanc states that making wise botanical choices is essential. "When planting indoors, it's a matter of choosing plants that are not full-sun," Blanc says. "So that lights are not required for many hours of the day." Stephen Collis, of Victoria-based business Wallgarden, agrees. He sells DIY vertical garden systems for household use that are light on resource consumption. "All the products needed are very low cost ... With its patented irrigation system, [the Wallgarden] uses one-seventh of the water that a plant uses in the ground and it also has massive insulation. Plants grow best on north western facing walls (because they get the most heat). They insulate in summer and also in winter, by keeping the heat in." BEATING BACK THE WINTER BLUES Both Blanc and Collis point out that vertical gardens can play a role in promoting mental and emotional health."Having a garden has a calming effect," says Collis, "especially in offices." "Indoor vertical gardens can bring a world of colour to the depths of winter," argues Blanc. "Given indoor spaces are climate-controlled. This provides an opportunity for plants from warm countries to grow in cold countries." He works with diverse flora, the origins of which often lie in some of the planet's most obscure locations. Recently, on a visit to the Philippines, he even discovered a new Begonia species, which has been named after him. Blanc has plenty of freedom to partake in international botanic and artistic escapades because his creations are really low on maintenance. As long as the watering system is functioning, pruning is required just once every few months. They can be expected to live for at least 31 years — Blanc planted one at his place in 1982 and it's still growing. Patrick Blanc will be appearing at The Australian Garden Show, to be held in Centennial Park, Sydney, between September 5 and 8. He'll be speaking as part of the "Seeds of Wisdom" Lecture Series. On Thursday, September 5, at 5.45pm, he'll deliver "Cliffs, Caves, Waterfalls, Tree Branches: the Natural Habitat for Soilless Living Plants", and on Friday, September 5, at 4.15pm, he'll discuss "The Vertical Garden: A Forty Year Innovation". Each 45 minute lecture will be followed by a 15 minute Q & A. Wall Garden will be exhibiting a vertical garden and conducting DIY demonstrations.
This 007-inspired spy flick is sending critics into a frenzy, for all the right reasons. Director Matthew Vaughn (the mastermind behind Kick-Ass and X-Men First Class) is at it again, this time reworking the beloved 2012 comic-book series The Secret Service into a fast-paced and tongue-firmly-in-cheek tale of crime, action and adventure. Kingsman: The Secret Service stars Colin Firth (as you've never seen him before), Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Caine. It follows street kid Gary Unwin (Taron Egerton) as he attempts to join the highly contested ranks of an underground spy ring. And the initial verdict? It's one to watch. With 100% approval so far on Rotten Tomatoes, Kingsman has been labelled "a thoughtful, exciting, whip-smart spy adventure that doesn't let its smart-ass post-modernism overwhelm its playfulness or its heart" (by Andrew Taylor for The Playlist). Kingsman is in cinemas on February 5. Thanks to Twentieth Century Fox, we have 20 double passes up to a January 28 VIP preview screening to give away in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter and then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
After a year spent largely cooped up at home, it's safe to say that most Melburnians are itching to get out and explore. But with the odd COVID-19 outbreak turning interstate travel into a risky holiday game, it seems that now is the absolute best time to embrace the staycation — especially thanks to a suite of new government-funded initiatives designed to entice you to step away from the airline booking page and unearth some of the goodness right here in this very city. Nine local precinct associations have scored themselves extra activation funding from the City of Melbourne, as part of its $100 million Melbourne City Recovery Fund in collaboration with the Victorian Government. And that translates to a raft of new initiatives and programs for local staycationers to take advantage of. If they're quick, of course. One of these, dubbed the Docklands Dollars program, could see you score rebates of up to $210 from the Docklands Chamber of Commerce just for kicking it local. Recipients can access a $100 cashback offer when they book two night accommodation in the Docklands area, as well as up to $110 via a rebate for purchases at the precinct's stores, restaurants, fast food spots, services and attractions. And yep, that includes things like the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel, the O'Brien Icehouse and even those self-drive GoBoat picnic boats. To access the Docklands Dollars initiative, you'll need to submit your interest and register via the program's website. After that, you've got 30 days to book your stay and activate your account for the rest of the rebates. As part of the City of Melbourne's new funding, there's also a competition offering you the chance to win a staycation for you and five mates within the Yarra River Precinct. You can enter that one online as well. More initiatives are set to be rolled out by other City of Melbourne precinct associations, too, including the Chinatown Precinct Association, Carlton Inc and the Collins Street Precinct Group. Find out more about the Docklands Dollars program over at the website. Registrations are open now. Top image: Emily Godfrey via Visit Victoria.
Stop what you're doing (particularly if what you're doing is re-watching old Seinfeld episodes for the 33rd time), because Jerry Seinfeld, the man himself, is finally coming to Australia. Announced just this morning, the comedian will be gracing our shores with a five-date national stand-up tour of our capital cities — his first visit Down Under in almost 20 years. Yowsa. The Seinfeld Live tour — which will visit Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney's soon-to-open International Conference Centre — is booked in for August of next year. So you'll have ample time to rewatch seasons one through nine at least twice. It's Seinfeld's first visit to Australia since 1998, when he toured the country just after the show wrapped. On that visit he called Melbourne the "anus" of the world — we'll see what he has to say about it this time round. SEINFELD LIVE 2017 TOUR DATES PERTH: Friday, August 4 – Perth Arena ADELAIDE: Saturday, August 5 – Adelaide Entertainment Centre MELBOURNE: Sunday, August 6 – Hisense Arena BRISBANE: Wednesday, August 9 – Brisbane Entertainment Centre SYDNEY: Friday, August 11 – ICC Sydney Theatre, Darling Harbour Seinfeld Live will tour Australia in August 2017. Tickets go on sale at 10am on Monday, November 14 via Ticketek.
While the 'Vote No' skywriting above Sydney over the weekend stirred up plenty more discord in the same-sex marriage debate, it also spurred a flurry of positive action from marriage equality supporters, with five different people taking to GoFundMe to rally support for their own sky-high counter messages. Fast-forward a few days and these five staunch strangers have met and joined forces to work together on some equally unsubtle campaigning for the Yes camp. With news that the Sydney Skywriting Company — the only one of its kind in the city — is owned by active members of the Australian Christian Lobby, a piece of 'Vote Yes' skywriting was pretty unlikely. But the team scored a win when it hooked up with outdoor experimental media company Remarkable Media, who are all for supporting marriage equality. The result of this collaboration, and a very busy week of fundraising, will be pretty hard to miss. On Sunday, October 1, an enormous, 1000-square-metre rainbow flag will be towed by a helicopter across Sydney's skies. Almost $20,000 has been raised for the project, and any leftover funds will be heading to local LGBTIQ+ charities. You can donate here, and expect to see the Team Yes rainbow flag flying over Bondi at roughly 1pm this Sunday. Image: Letícia Almeida.
It might just be Australia's brightest festival, and it's returning to light up Alice Springs once again. That'd be Parrtjima - A Festival In Light, which will deliver its sixth annual program between Friday, April 9–Sunday, April 18 — returning to the autumn time slot it established in 2019. After a chaotic 2020, which saw the event postponed to September due to COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions — and offer a virtual tour, too — the fest has big plans for 2021. Once more, it'll continue its free ten-day public celebration of Indigenous arts, culture, music and storytelling, and its focus on dazzling light installations. This time around, the event is corralling its program around the theme 'future kultcha'. That means there'll be a particular focus on "intergenerational wisdom told through light, interactive workshops, art, music, films, performance and the spoken word". [caption id="attachment_799417" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Artist's impression of 'Landing Kutcha'[/caption] When it returns to the Alice Springs CBD's Alice Springs Todd Mall, as well as tourism and conservation facility Alice Springs Desert Park Precinct just out of town, Parrtjima will unveil a new set of signature installations — and yes, they're set to dazzle. While the festival's full program hasn't yet been released, the event has revealed a few key details about its luminous displays for this year. The striking 'Landing Kultcha' will use light tubes of different lengths, span 20 metres in length and provide quite the entranceway. 'Revolving Kutcha' will feature shields, coolamons and skateboards, including one large central piece that'll range between six to eight metres high, plus eight other two-metre-tall sculptures. And, 'Grounded Kultcha' will project an animated sequence of curated artworks onto the sands of Alice Springs Desert Park. There's also 'Merging Kultcha', which features a train of five illuminated camels; 'Tailoring Kultcha', with light and textiles used to transform Todd Mall; and 'Harvesting Kultcha', an interactive game for all ages that's inspired by the constant movement in a honey-ant nest. And, as it always does, the festival's main attraction will glow far and wide. Once again, a huge artwork will transform a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the majestic, 300-million-year-old MacDonnell Ranges, showering it with light each night of the festival. The installation is being called 'Spirit Kultcha' this year, and it'll include a soundscape by Electric Fields. [caption id="attachment_799418" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Artist's impression of 'Merging Kutcha'[/caption] The full Parrtjima program is set to be announced in March, with more than 55 artists involved. You'll be able to dine under the stars at the Alice Springs Desert Park Precinct — thanks to a dinner that's a first for the fest — and also see a music lineup led by Casey Donovan. Of course, Parrtjima is just one of Northern Territory's two glowing attractions in 2021, with Australia's Red Centre lighting up in multiple ways. The festival is a nice supplement to Bruce Munro's Field of Light installation, which — after multiple extensions — is now on display indefinitely. If you're keen to start making Parrtjima plans, remember to check out the Northern Territory's COVID-19 border restrictions first. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light runs from April 9–18, 2021 around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information, visit the festival website. Top images: James Horan.
Here's a secret from every bartender who's ever served you: you look absolutely ridiculous doing a shot. But, if we're being fair, so does everyone. The only people who can pull it off are cowboys shooting whiskey in old Westerns and even then, it was probably fake booze. Now, cheeky British photographer Tim Charles is revealing the true face of your tequila-soaked stupor; he's giving people snapshots of their face after a shot. The project, aptly titled Shot Face, features over 30 strangers in this alarming and unguarded moment. Inspired by the ridiculous grimace his girlfriend made one night after slamming a shot at the bar, he recruited people from his friends group, casting sites and Gumtree. They were then offered tequila, gin or sambuca, and the rest came naturally. "You start to appreciate some of the subtleties people display," Charles told the Daily Mail. "My original favourite is the one of Elena (in the pink and white top), I love the way her arm is up in the air, almost as if she's saying 'stop' or 'give me a minute', it always makes me laugh when I see it." In a way, the photographs remind us of the posters for Lars Von Trier's Nymphomaniac. Though they're very different in context, the same sense of immediacy and intimacy is still very much present. But... now that we've said that, we've ruined the series entirely. Good luck scrolling through these and keeping your mind out of the gutter. Either way, it's some definite food for thought next time you feel like a tequila slammer on a fancy night out. Via Petapixel and Daily Mail. All photos via Tim Charles.
It's a tough time to be a little guy, with so much of the country in lockdown once again. Many of our local producers rely on farmer's markets to distribute their products, so last year, Sydney's favourite butter churners Pepe Saya Butter Co launched Aussie Artisan Week to encourage Australians to support our nations' small cheesemakers, gin distilleries and mushroom harvesters. After a successful inaugural year, Aussie Artisan Week is back and running from Monday, August 16 until Monday, August 23. Right across the week, Pepe Saya is spreading the local love and encouraging you to check out some of this country's finest artisan producers. The Aussie Artisan Week's Instagram is featuring stories from a raft of its favourite food businesses — and you'll find a growing directory of producers over on its website complete with handy links on where to buy their wares. If you're organising a next-level breakfast for Saturday morning, start with NSW's Crumpets by Merna and Bondi Yoghurt, Northern Territory's Alice Bakery, Queensland's My Berries and of course Pepe Saya Butter Co. Or, if you're planning a fancy night in, you can hit up Cupitt's Estate winery, Kangaroo Valley Olives and Great Southern Truffles. To kick things off, Pepe Saya has also just launched a collaboration with local spread Oomite to create a luxe Vegemite-esque spread that combines Pepe Saya butter, umami and Oomite marble. The Oomite butter is available online in 100-gram wheels.
Forget the idea that Port Fairy is a purely summery destination. The small town on the Princes Highway may be best known for its beach, but thanks to its annual winter festivities there's still plenty to do when it gets chilly. From art installations and photography exhibitions to markets and toy-making workshops — plus the feverishly anticipated Dachshund Dash that attracts more than 2000 spectators — Port Fairy Winter Weekends are well worth the drive down the coast. Taking place every second weekend throughout June and July, Winter Weekends will showcase a mix of food, wine, art, culture… and sausage dogs. Did we mention the sausage dogs? They'll be pumping their tiny, adorable legs on Sunday, June 9 — although not before a dog's breakfast and the grand doggo parade. Other standout events include bathing more than 15 colonial cottages and 19th-century villas in light as part of an illuminated installation, a country pub crawl, a mad hatter's tea party, gin and whisky tastings, a Labyrinth screening complete with a dress-up shindig, hot wine paired with cool jazz, and ghost tales in a cemetery. Anyone willing to brave the early morning cold can also take part in the Winter Solstice Dawn Swim first thing on Sunday, June 23. Port Fairy Winter Weekends will run on June 7–9, June 21–23, July 5–7 and July 19–21.
Okay, it seems like Airbnb spend a buttload of cash to list some wacky accommodation option every other week. And while shark tanks, van Gogh's bedroom and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' secret lair are pretty bloody cool, they're nothing compared to their latest listing in Far North Queensland on the Great Barrier Reef. Let us rephrase that: their latest listing is floating on the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef floating home is what your tropical sea dreams are made of (or nightmares, if you don't like the idea of being stranded in the middle of the ocean). But let's go with dreams because this place is insane. Like, we can hardly believe it's real. Look: The floating dreamboat comfortably fits four people, and comes fitted with luxe white sails above your bed, as well as a lounge area where you can gaze out at probably the best view in the country. Your neighbours? Oh, they'll just be 600 types of soft and hard corals, 100 species of jellyfish, 3000 varieties of molluscs, 500 species of worms, 1625 types of fish, 133 varieties of sharks and rays, and more than 30 species of whales and dolphins. Hope you're cool with that. As you might have guessed, this is no ordinary listing — it's part of a competition run by Airbnb and Disney to coincide with the release of Finding Dory. One lucky fam (the T&Cs state you have to take family members) will not only get to spend one night on the floating home on July 13, but they'll also have Neil Perry cook them an epic lunch, be taken on a dive and learn a thing or two about the impact humans are having on the reef. Doing their bit to help the Reef, Airbnb have also committed to planting new wetland plants for every guest who books a place in the region for the rest of 2016. So if you haven't entered yourself and all your family members already, you can go here to do so. Godspeed.
Although SOPA and PIPA were withdrawn from Congress last month, it seems that online freedom may still face immense danger in the savage war against piracy. Recently we saw the unravelling of a bizzare set of events in the Megaupload saga, which included the shutting down of the website and the FBI's dramatic arrest and indictment of founder, Kim Schmitz. Schmitz and fellow Megaupload employees were arrested on piracy charges, as the website is said to have accounted for a staggering $500 million of losses in unauthorised content. Furthermore, it is said that the website also generated $175 million through advertising and other means. With unprecedented accessibility to media and information online, it seems almost all of us are guilty of some form of piracy, which has become normalised and largely seen as a victimless crime. Stemming from a traditional "us vs. them" attitude against corporations and a genuine love of free things, most of us don't think twice about downloading the latest episodes of Mad Men, or hopping over to Thailand to grab a few dodgy seasons of Sex and the City for the missus. Such an attitude is summarised beautifully in a Facebook response to the anti-piracy advertisements equating downloading media to physical theft: I wouldn't steal a car, but I'd download one if I could. With so much stuff out there it's hard to know what belongs to whom, to what extent we're breaking the law and who we are actually hurting when we download media. Indeed, nothing proves this more than the case of aggressive anti-piracy group BREIN, who were accused of using Melchior Rietveldt's song without permission in an anti-piracy advertisement. Besides being a most humorous and delicious slice of irony, this is also evidence of how contractual agreements for media must now be drafted with greater intricacy and detail to keep up with technology's rapid evolution. The effects of the Megaupload shutdown have scared similar websites into re-examining their services, and FileSonic, Turbobit and FileServe have largely disabled their sharing capabilities. In retaliation to the shutdown, hacktivist group Anonymous set their omnipresent eyes on the high-traffic websites of enemies in high places, and the online presence of CBS, Universal Music and the U.S. Department of Justice was temporarily inaccessible. The group has promised further attacks, and we can't help but be a little nervous as the endless list of targets is examined. A call-to-arms video for a blackout on Facebook on January 28 appeared, but its credibility was called into question and the date passed without disturbance. Thank God we were still able to check-in at our favourite restaurants and lurk our friends' photos in comfort. A relief to say the least. Nevertheless, the mere possibility of somebody taking down Facebook and destroying my treasured memories makes me extremely anxious and a little nauseous. If anything, such attacks have proven how individuals can impact others greatly from the comfort of their own bedrooms and mysterious underground hacker-dungeons. With the music and film industries seeking desperately to guard the gates to their traditional pools of revenue, there looks to be no end to the internet war against piracy. If anything, such battles will become more frequent and dispersed, and fought with greater speed and complexity.
In true country-WA style, the Southern Forests region is a horticultural hub known for diverse and delicious produce. And the community celebrates that fact each year with the Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival, where you can taste the best and juiciest local cherries, and cherry-flavoured goodies (imagine enjoying fresh cherry ice cream on a warm summer day). The perfect excuse for a weekend getaway, the festival has a bunch of different free and ticketed events, from street parades, market stalls and live entertainment, to a long table lunch among the cherry trees of Newton Orchards. There's also a cherry tour — where you can learn about food innovation and ride a tractor through one of Manjimup's oldest orchards — and Koomal Dreaming, which will allow you to experience Wadandi and Bibbulman country through the eyes of the traditional owners. Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival takes place on Saturday, December 14. Find the full program, including ticketing information, on the festival website.
Christmas is coming to one of Melbourne's most iconic laneways, and if you're not in the festive spirit yet, you will be once you've walked to the end of it. Degraves Street is dialling up the festive cheer this Christmas, turning the popular strip of shops, eateries and cafes into a market wonderland. The window displays have been given a makeover, Christmas lights are in overhead, and it's all topped off by a big, brand new tree. If you can, get there on a Saturday between 11am and 5pm, as retailers spill out onto the street with a unique selection of locally made gifts. Some of the city's best buskers will be providing live entertainment, and a gift-wrapping service is set up to take some of the Xmas pressure off. Grab a coffee and a bite to eat as you tick off all your shopping, or just head along to soak up the atmosphere.
Under normal circumstances, when a new-release movie starts playing in cinemas, audiences can't watch it on streaming, video on demand, DVD or blu-ray for a few months. But with the pandemic forcing film industry to make quite a few changes over the past year — widespread movie theatre closures will do that — that's no longer always the case. Perhaps you haven't had time to make it to your local cinema lately. Given the hefty amount of films now releasing each week, maybe you missed something. Or, you could be under lockdown — again. Whichever applies, that doesn't mean we aren't eager to see the latest flicks. Film distributors have been fast-tracking some of their recent releases from cinemas to streaming lately — movies that might still be playing in theatres in some parts of the country, too. In preparation for your next couch session, here's ten you can watch right now at home. SAINT MAUD If humanity ever managed to cure or circumvent death — or even just stop being despairingly afraid of our own mortality — the horror genre would immediately feel the difference. Lives are frequently in peril in films that are meant to spook and frighten. Fears of dying underscore everything from serial killer thrillers and body horror flicks to stories of zombies, ghosts and vampires, too. Indeed, if a scary movie isn't pondering the fact that our days are inescapably finite, it's often contemplating our easily damaged and destroyed anatomy. Or, it's recognising that our species' darkest urges can bring about brutal and fatal repercussions, or noting that the desperation to avoid our expiration dates can even spark our demise. Accordingly, Saint Maud's obsession with death isn't a rarity in an ever-growing genre that routinely serves it up, muses on it and makes audiences do the same whether they always realise it or not. In an immensely crowded realm, this striking, instantly unsettling feature debut by British writer/director Rose Glass definitely stands out, though. Bumps, jumps, shocks and scares come in all manner of shapes and sizes, as do worries and anxieties about the end that awaits us all. In Saint Maud, they're a matter of faith. The eponymous in-home nurse (Dracula and His Dark Materials' Morfydd Clark) has it. She has enough to share, actually, which she's keen to do daily. Maud is devoted to three things: Christianity, helping those in her care physically and saving them spiritually. Alas, her latest cancer-stricken patient doesn't hold the same convictions, or appreciate them. Amanda (Jennifer Ehle, Vox Lux) isn't fond of Maud's fixation on her salvation or her strict judgements about her lifestyle. She knows her time is waning, her body is failing and that she needs Maud's help, but the celebrated ex-dancer and choreographer does not want to go gently or faithfully in that good night. Instead, she'd much prefer the solace that sex and alcohol brings over her palliative care nurse's intensely devout zeal. Saint Maud is available to watch via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH The last time that Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield appeared in the same film, Get Out was the end result. Their shared scene in Jordan Peele's Oscar-winning horror movie isn't easily forgotten (if you've seen the feature, it will have instantly popped into your head while you're reading this), and neither is Judas and the Black Messiah, their next exceptional collaboration. With Kaluuya starring as the Black Panther Party's Illinois Chairman Fred Hampton and Stanfield playing William O'Neal, the man who infiltrated his inner circle as an informant for the FBI, the pair is still tackling race relations. Here, though, the duo does so in a ferocious historical drama set in the late 60s. The fact that O'Neal betrays Hampton isn't a spoiler; it's a matter of fact, and the lens through which writer/director Shaka King (Newlyweeds) and his co-scribes Kenneth Lucas, Keith Lucas (actors on Lady Dynamite) and Will Berson (Scrubs) view the last period of Hampton's life. The magnetic Kaluuya has already won a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe for his performance, and is bound to be nominated for and likely win an Oscar as well — and if he wants to keep acting opposite Stanfield in movies this invigorating, ardent, resonant and essential, audiences won't complain. It's 1966 when O'Neal falls afoul of the law for trying to impersonate an FBI agent to steal a vehicle. With J Edgar Hoover (Martin Sheen, Grace and Frankie) directing his employees to "prevent the rise of a 'messiah' who could unify and electrify the militant black nationalist movement" — his real-life words — the car thief is offered a deal by actual FBI Special Agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons, I'm Thinking of Ending Things). If O'Neal cosies up to Hampton, then reports back on his comings, goings, political moves and general plans, he'll avoid jail. Initially apprehensive, he acquiesces to keep his freedom. With Hampton's raging speeches earning him a firm following, and his charisma and canny strategies broadening the crowds hanging on his words, O'Neal's task isn't minor. And the further he ingratiates himself into Hampton's confidence, becoming his head of security, the more he's torn about keeping tabs and doing the government's increasingly nefarious bidding. This isn't just a story about one young Black man coerced into bringing down a rising leader and revolutionary, however. It's also a tale about the figure who mobilised the masses as Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X had, until he was shot while he slept at the age of just 21. And, it's an account of the powers-that-be's abject fear of progress, equality, and the crusaders willing to put their lives on the line to fight for justice and a better world. Judas and the Black Messiah is available to watch via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. GODZILLA VS KONG Given that neither of Godzilla vs Kong's towering titans are truly terrors, and therefore neither should really emerge victorious over the other, getting them to face off seems pointless. "They're both big, so they can't get along" is the simplistic concept. This isn't a new train of thought, or new to the American-made Monsterverse that's been nudging the beasts closer together for seven years. Thankfully, in the hands of You're Next and The Guest director Adam Wingard, Godzilla vs Kong has as much in common with its superior Japanese predecessors as it does with 2019's terrible Godzilla: King of the Monsters. The follow-up to 2017's Kong: Skull Island, too, this new battle of the behemoths doesn't remake the duo's first screen showdown in 1962's King Kong vs Godzilla. And, sadly, it hasn't ditched the current Hollywood flicks' love of unexciting human characters. But it crucially recognises that watching its titular creatures go claw-to-paw should be entertaining. It should be a spectacle, in fact. The film also realises that if you're not going to make a movie about this pair with much in the way of substance, then you should go all out on the action and fantasy fronts. In other words, Godzilla vs Kong feels like the product of a filmmaker who loves the Japanese Godzilla flicks and Kong's maiden appearance, knows he can't do them justice thematically, but is determined to get what he can right. Wingard is still saddled with a flimsy script with a tin ear for dialogue by screenwriters Eric Pearson (Thor: Ragnarok) and Max Borenstein (Kong: Skull Island), but his massive monster melees are a delight. Also welcome: Godzilla vs Kong's eagerness to lean into its genre. When it surrenders to its pixels, and to a tale that involves a journey to the centre of the earth, subterranean asteroids, altercations with giant flying lizards and an underground tunnel from Florida to Hong Kong, it's equal parts loopy and fun. That trip to the planet's interior is guided by Kong. Now kept in a dome that simulates the jungle, the jumbo primate is under the watch of researcher Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall, Tales from the Loop), and bonds with Jia (newcomer Kaylee Hottle), the orphan also in the doctor's care. But, after Godzilla surfaces for the first time in three years to attack tech corporation Apex's Miami base, CEO Walter Simmons (Demián Bichir, Chaos Walking) enlists geologist Nathan Lind (Alexander Skarsgård, The Stand) on a mission. Testing the latter's hollow earth theory, they plan to track down an energy source that could be linked to both Zilly and Kong's existence — if Kong will lead them there. In a plot inclusion that'd do Scooby Doo proud, teenager Madison Russell (Millie Bobby Brown, returning from King of the Monsters) and her classmate Josh Valentine (Julian Dennison, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) are certain that Apex is up to no good and — with podcaster Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry, Superintelligence) — start meddling. Godzilla vs Kong is available to watch via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. NOMADLAND Frances McDormand is a gift of an actor. Point a camera her way, and a performance so rich that it feels not just believable but tangible floats across the screen. That's true whether she's playing overt or understated characters, or balancing those two extremes. In Fargo, the first film that earned her an Oscar, McDormand is distinctive but grounded, spouting midwestern phrases like "you betcha" but inhabiting her part with texture and sincerity. In Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, her next Academy Award-winning role, she's an impassioned mother crusading for justice and vengeance, and she ripples with deep-seated sorrow mixed with anger so fiery that it may as well be burning away her insides. Now, in Nomadland, McDormand feels stripped bare and still a commanding force to be reckoned with. She's tasked with a plucky but struggling part — defiant and determined, too; knocked around by life's ups and downs, noticeably; and, crucially, cognisant that valuing the small pleasures is the hardest but most rewarding feat. It earned her another Oscar nomination. It saw her nab a third shiny statuette just three years after her last, too. Along with the attention the movie received at the Golden Globes, both are highly deserved outcomes because hers is an exceptional performance, and this was easily 2020's best film. Here, leading a cast that also includes real people experiencing the existence that's fictionalised within the narrative, she plays the widowed, van-dwelling Fern — a woman who takes to the road, and to the nomad life, after the small middle-America spot where she spent her married years turns into a ghost town when the local mine is shuttered due to the global financial crisis. A slab of on-screen text explains her predicament, with the film then jumping into the aftermath. Following her travels over the course of more than a year, this humanist drama serves up an observational portrait of those that society happily overlooks. It's both deeply intimate and almost disarmingly empathetic in the process, as every movie made by Chloe Zhao is. This is only the writer/director's third, slotting in after 2015's Songs My Brothers Taught Me and 2017's The Rider but before 2021's Marvel flick Eternals, but it's a feature of contemplative and authentic insights into the concepts of home, identity and community. Meticulously crafted, shot and performed, it truly sees everyone in its frames, be they fictional or real. Nomandland understands their plights, and ensures its audience understands them as well. It's exquisitely layered, because its protagonist, those around her and their lives earn the same term — and Zhao never forgets that, or lets her viewers either. Nomadland is available to watch via Disney+. Read our full review. WILLY'S WONDERLAND If you've ever wondered how Nicolas Cage might've fared during cinema's silent era, Willy's Wonderland has the answer. A horror film about killer animatronic restaurant mascots, it's firmly a 2021 feature. It wasn't made a century ago, before synchronised sound forever changed the movie business, so it's definitely a talkie as well. Cage doesn't do any chattering, however. He groans and growls, and often, but doesn't utter a single word. The actor's many devotees already know that he's a talent with presence; whether he's cavorting in the streets under the delusion that he's a bloodsucker in Vampire's Kiss, grinning with his locks flowing in the wind in Con Air, dousing himself with vodka and grunting in Mandy or staring at a vibrant light in Color Out of Space, he repeatedly makes an imprint without dialogue. So, the inimitable star needn't speak to command attention — which is exactly the notion that Willy's Wonderland filmmaker Kevin Lewis (The Third Nail) put to the test. First, the great and obvious news: Cage doesn't seem to put in much effort, but he's a joy to watch. Playing a man simply known as The Janitor, he glowers like he couldn't care less that furry robots are trying to kill him. He swaggers around while cleaning the titular long-abandoned Chuck E Cheese-esque establishment, dances while hitting the pinball machine on his breaks, swigs soft drink as if it's the only beverage in the world and proves mighty handy with a mop handle when it comes to dispensing with his supernaturally demonic foes. Somehow, though, he's never as OTT as he could be. Cage plays a character who doesn't deem it necessary to convey his emotions, and that results in more restraint on his part than the film demonstrates with its undeniably silly premise. Accordingly, cue the bad news: as entertaining as Cage's wordless performance is — even without completely going for broke as only he can — Willy's Wonderland is often a ridiculous yet routine slog. Willy's Wonderland is available to watch via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. THE LAST VERMEER Dutch artists Johannes Vermeer and Han van Meegeren picked up their brushes more than two centuries apart. Mention the latter, though, and you need to mention the former. Just why that's the case makes for a fascinating tale, as The Last Vermeer tells — one filled with twists, subterfuge, investigations, a trial and post-World War II efforts to punish anyone who conspired with the Nazis. Directed by producer turned first-time helmer Dan Friedkin (All the Money in the World, The Mule), and adapted from Jonathan Lopez's 2008 book The Man Who Made Vermeers, The Last Vermeer relays the Hollywood version of the story, of course. Big speeches and massaged details consequently abound. Attention-grabbing performances jump across this cinematic canvas, too, with Guy Pearce (Bloodshot) resembling Geoffrey Rush as van Meegeren and Claes Bang (Dracula) adding his third recent art-centric feature to his resume after The Square and The Burnt Orange Heresy. There's enough here to keep viewers interested, as there should be given the real-life basis, cast and handsome staging, but this is the type of film that's nicer to look at than to dive into. Its subject: art forgery, a topic that leaves an imprint beyond the movie's narrative. The Last Vermeer doesn't steal from elsewhere, but it also sinks into a well-populated list of other dramas about art and the war (see also: The Monuments Men and Woman in Gold ) far too easily and generically than a feature about this specific tale should. Bang plays Dutch Jewish officer Captain Joseph Piller, who is tasked with hunting down artworks illegally sold to the Nazis during the war and bringing everyone responsible to justice. That leads him to Christ and the Adulteress, a piece credited to Vermeer but found after his death — and to van Meegeren, the man who is suspected of selling it to key Nazi figure Hermann Göring in the world's biggest art sale at the time. Turning on the rakish charisma even when he's being interrogated by Piller and his offsider (Roland Møller, The Commuter), van Meegeren denies the accusation. Piller isn't convinced, but then police detective Alex De Klerks (August Diehl, A Hidden Life) tries to take over the case. Soon, van Meegeren has been secreted away, is painting while in hiding and, when eventually charged and brought to court, offers an astonishing theory. Also arising in The Last Vermeer: an exploration of the costs of and sacrifices involved in surviving wartime, although Friedkin and screenwriters John Orloff (Anonymous), Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby (The Expanse) happily stick to the surface as they do elsewhere. As a mystery, the film suitably zigs and zags. As a courtroom drama, it boasts stirring moments. But, as well as wasting Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread) in a thankless part, The Last Vermeer is never more than passable. The Last Vermeer is available to watch via Google Play, YouTube Movies and Amazon Video. SONGBIRD If there are any words that absolutely no one wants to see when they're watching a COVID-19-inspired movie, it's these: produced by Michael Bay. The filmmaker who gave cinema the Bad Boys franchise and five Transformers flicks isn't behind the lens of Songbird, but writer/director Adam Mason and his frequent co-scribe Simon Boyes (Hangman) have clearly mainlined Bay's work, then decided to use its worst traits as a how-to manual. Set in 2024, when a virulent mutation of the coronavirus known as COVID-23 is on the loose, their tactless thriller is gimmicky and misguided at best. It's derivative, dull and has a plot that's so stale it really should also feature a tornado full of sharks, too. Wondering what might happen if the pandemic was even more horrendous and tragic than it is — and if America's handling of it, as based on 2020's response at least, was skewed even further towards corporate interests and the rich — the film decides to opt for quarantine concentration camps and a gestapo-like sanitation department. When it's not tastelessly taking cues from the holocaust to supposedly turn a shattering event the world is still experiencing into entertainment, it also attempts to tell a Romeo and Juliet-style love story about a couple separated by lockdown. And, if you've ever wondered what might happen if a Bay wannabe remade David Lynch's Blue Velvet, Bradley Whitford's (The Handmaid's Tale) role as an oxygen-huffing record executive preying on a young singer (Alexandra Daddario, Baywatch) answers that question as well. Bicycle courier Nico (KJ Apa, Riverdale) is resistant to COVID-23, and has an immunity bracelet to prove it; however, his girlfriend Sara (Sofia Carson, Feel the Beat) and her grandmother (Elpidia Carrillo, Euphoria) aren't so lucky. The coveted wristwear can be bought on the black market, though, which is why Nico is trying to make as much cash as he can working for delivery kingpin Lester (Craig Robinson, Dolemite Is My Name). The obvious happens, of course, sending unhinged sanitation head Emmett Harland (Peter Stormare, John Wick: Chapter 2) to Sara's building — and putting a deadline on Nico's quest, which wealthy couple William (Whitfield) and Piper Griffin (Demi Moore, Rough Night) might be able to assist with. The latter are also meant to be a picture of stay-at-home disharmony, all while trying to protect their immunocompromised daughter Emma (Lia McHugh, The Lodge) from anything outside their sprawling mansion. A PTSD-afflicted ex-veteran (Paul Walter Hauser, Richard Jewell) who flies drones to experience life beyond his walls also forms part of the story, although not a single character is given enough flesh to make viewers care about their plight. Even only clocking in at 84 minutes, this thoroughly unsubtle and exploitative film overstays its welcome — and the fact that it's shot and edited like Bay's glossiest and most bombastic action fare doesn't help. Songbird is available to watch via Google Play, YouTube Movies and Amazon Video. MORTAL KOMBAT No one enjoys watching someone else mash buttons. While it's a passable way to spend a few minutes, losing interest quickly simply comes with the territory. That's how viewing Mortal Kombat feels as well, except that watching your friends play any of the martial arts video game franchise's 22 different arcade and console titles since 1992 (or any game at all) would be far more entertaining. Shot in South Australia and marking the feature debut of filmmaker Simon McQuoid, the latest attempt to bring the popular series to the big screen — following a first try in 1995 and a sequel in 1997 — feels like watching cosplay, too. The movie's cast literally dresses up in the outfits needed to recreate the game's characters, of course, but the film shouldn't so overtly resemble fans donning costumes at a pop culture convention. And yet, Mortal Kombat evokes this situation from the moment its 17th century Japan-set prologue, which is also its best scene, comes to an end. After establishing a mythic and bloody backstory for the movie's narrative as a whole, the character that'll become an undead ninja ghost called Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada, Westworld) and his prophecised descendants, this B-grade flick is happy to, in fact. It's not just the violence that's cartoonish here; it's every glare exchanged and word uttered, with much of the script trading in cliches, dramatic pauses and catchphrases. Mortal Kombat's gaming fanbase may be eager to see their beloved characters given flesh and blood, face off against each other and spout lines that usually emanate from a much smaller screen, but that doesn't make a movie engaging. Nor can a flimsy screenplay by first-timer Greg Russo and Wonder Woman 1984's Dave Callaham, which follows the battle between Earthrealm and Outworld — one that'll be lost by the former if an MMA fighter named Cole Young (Lewis Tan, Wu Assassins), who bears a dragon birthmark, doesn't team up with the other figures with the same marking to stop humanity from losing for the tenth time. That's where the no-nonsense Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee, Black Water: Abyss) comes in, and also the grating, wisecracking Kano (Josh Lawson, Long Story Short). The villainous Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim, Warrior) might be threatening to freeze all of earth's champions so that Outworld's Shang Tsung (Chin Han, Skyscraper) can rig the tournament before it even happens, but Mortal Kombat still has time — and far too much of it — to spend pondering supernatural destinies and letting an over-acting, always grating Lawson mug for attempted laughs. The end result is intentionally ridiculous, and presumably unintentionally dull, all while setting up an unearned sequel. And although brutal enough amidst the silliness for an R rating, even the film's fight scenes merely go through the motions, especially given the heights that films like The Raid and John Wick have scaled in with their eye-popping action choreography over the past decade. Mortal Kombat is available to watch via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. CHAOS WALKING Adapted from the book series of the same name, Chaos Walking has weathered a difficult path to cinemas. The tedious and generic space western releases ten years after the rights to turn Patrick Ness' novels into films were first acquired, four years since the movie was originally shot and two years after major reshoots following unfavourable test screenings. It went through a plethora of rewrites, too, with I'm Thinking of Ending Things' Charlie Kaufman on scripting duties at one point, and Ness (A Monster Calls) and Spider-Man: Homecoming's Christopher Ford getting the final credit. Navigating such a mess rarely bodes well for a movie, so the fact that Chaos Walking proves dull and derivative shouldn't come as a surprise. Even with its cast filled with impressive talent, and with Edge of Tomorrow filmmaker Doug Liman begin the lens, it's hard to see how it might've fared better, with its premise an instant struggle. Set in 2257, the film follows colonists from earth on a planet called New World, who are plagued by a strange phenomenon. A multi-coloured haze hovers around men's heads — and only men — showing their every thought. The sensation has been dubbed 'the noise', and experiencing it while watching sure is rackety. Indeed, 'noise' is the absolute right word for the entire movie. In his pioneer village, teenager Todd (Tom Holland, The Devil All the Time) can rarely control his noise. While the Mayor (Mads Mikkelsen, Another Round) is able to filter the words and images that project from his mind — and also rock a furry red coat and wide-brimmed hat far better than anyone should — few others have the same ability. Seeing what everyone is thinking is a tricky way to live at the best of times, and it applies to the entire population, because women have been wiped out in a war attributed to the planet's original inhabitants. But Todd's troubles multiply when he discovers a spaceship, as well as Viola (Daisy Ridley, Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker), its sole surviving occupant. The mayor and his followers don't take kindly to the first female in their midst for years; however, supported by his adoptive fathers Ben (Demian Bichir, The Midnight Sky) and Cillian (Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter), Todd isn't willing to surrender the only girl he's ever seen to an angry mob. Cue a tale of toxic masculinity that dates back to 2008, when first instalment The Knife of Never Letting Go hit bookshelves, and feels timely in the current social, political and cultural climate. That said, this isn't a complex, layered or thoughtful film. Instead, it's content to stress its themes in such a broad and easy manner that getting Holland to hold up a sign saying "the patriarchy is bad" would've been more subtle. Indeed, Chaos Walking really just uses these notions as a backdrop for a predictable and formulaic dystopian story, and as a handy reason to motivate its conflicts, in a movie that plays like a hodgepodge of far better sci-fi and western fare. Chaos Walking is available to watch via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. TOM & JERRY Before Itchy and Scratchy started terrorising each other well beyond the bounds of normal cat and mouse antagonism, another feline and rodent pair got there first. Of course, The Simpsons' adversarial four-legged critters were designed to parody the characters created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera more than 80 years ago, but they've long since supplanted Tom and Jerry as popular culture's go-to fighting animal duo. Perhaps the new Tom & Jerry movie is an attempt to push its titular creatures back to prominence. Perhaps it's just the latest effort to cash in on nostalgia while hoping that a new generation of children will be interested enough to warrant more big-screen outings, and therefore more chances to make some cash. Watching this all-ages-friendly hybrid of cartoon and live-action, it doesn't seem as if anyone involved knows quite why the film exists — not director Tom Story (Ride Along and Ride Along 2), who cares more about stressing the feature's hip hop soundtrack than paying much attention to its eponymous figures; not screenwriter Kevin Costello (Brigsby Bear), who pens a dull and derivative script about celebrity wedding chaos; and definitely not a cast that spans Chloë Grace Moretz (Shadow in the Cloud), Michael Peña (Fantasy Island), Rob Delaney (Catastrophe), Ken Jeong (Boss Level), Colin Jost (Saturday Night Live) and Pallavi Sharda (Retrograde), all of whom will forever have this misfire on their resumes. The animated animal action starts with Tom's latest vendetta against his long-time rival Jerry, after the latter destroys the former's keyboard and his music stardom dreams along with it. In his quest for revenge, the cat follows the house-hunting mouse to his newest abode at Manhattan's upmarket Royal Gate hotel, where the pair soon wreak havoc. Story and Costello prefer to focus on the resourceful and human Kayla (Moretz) at almost every turn, though. After talking her way into a job onsite, she's soon given two important tasks. The first: help ensure that the nuptials of two nondescript celebs (Jost and Sharda) go smoothly, which of course doesn't happen. The second: track down Jerry, which involves hiring Tom to assist. Somehow, Tom & Jerry is both lazy and overcomplicated. It does the bare minimum with its flesh-and-blood and pixel characters alike, all while completely forgetting that viewers have always loved Tom and Jerry for its fast, smart and entertaining slapstick antics (and definitely not because one day the duo might become bit-players in yet another flick about bland wedding dramas). When the film starts with pigeons rapping A Tribe Called Quest's 'Can I Kick It?' in its entirety, it begs an obvious question: who is this for? No one that's brought this movie to fruition seems to know the answer there, either — and they certainly haven't expended any energy on trying to make the feature funny, because laughs are absent from start to finish. Tom & Jerry is available to watch via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video.
The ethics of food will be in frame as part of a brand new exhibition at the Shepparton Art Museum. Running from February until late May, Cornucopia brings together the work of more than a dozen established and emerging artists from around Australia and the world. Spanning a variety of different mediums, including painting, sculpture, photography, print, video and installation, it will force visitors to ponder the myriad questions relating to the production, distribution and consumption of food. The exhibition will examine these issues on both a local and global scale. Drawing their inspirations from the culinary traditions of rural Victoria, local artist collective the Hotham Street Ladies will create a large-scale replica of an old lady's living room made predominately from buttercream and royal icing. Other pieces will include Gabrielle de Vietri's Dumpster Dived Diner — a photographic work depicting a banquet made entirely of food fished out of rubbish bins — and Sam Taylor-Johnson's time lapse video A Little Death, which depicts the rapid decay of a dead rabbit. Image: Kawita Vatanajyankur, The Squeezers [still].
The Feminist Writers Festival was created in 2016 and will return this May, with a bumper lineup that will take over venues in both Melbourne and Geelong. A space to promote and support female-identifying writers within the Australian writing sphere, FWF will again this year unfurl a program that provides critical engagement and furthers teaching and learning for all those who consider themselves feminist writers or readers — or just feminists in general. The program (running from May 25–27 in Melbourne and May 26 in Geelong) includes, on opening night, a gala surrounding the legacy of feminist texts. There's also a forum on writing about violence against women in the public eye, workshops to aid in finding a feminist voice, and discussions with prominent female activists. Artists such as Jax Jacki Brown, Tasneem Chopra, Clementine Ford and Tara Moss will take to the stage along with many others. Check out the website for the incredible array of feminist writers, editors and activists that attendees will be lucky enough to hear from. Head along to learn, engage, ask questions or just listen — you can buy tickets to individual sessions, a full day, or the whole weekend.
There are no shortcuts to cooking the perfect Texas barbecue, so when approached to launch San Antone by Bludso's BBQ at Crown Melbourne late last year, Kevin Bludso had one condition: it had to be done right. The original Bludso's BBQ is located on Long Beach Boulevard in south central Los Angeles. It might seem like a strange place to go for authentic Texas barbecue, but Bludso's Compton dive — where ribs are served to-go in styrofoam take-out containers — is the only barbecue restaurant to be named by LA Times Pulitzer Prize-winning food journalist Jonathan Gold in his essential restaurants list each year. It's also perhaps the only restaurant to have its brisket likened to a Monet painting by the critic. So how did LA-born and bred Kevin Bludso come to be one of the best Texas barbecuers in the US? As he explains it, it's all about his childhood. "Back in the day, people in LA had migrated from everywhere," Bludso says. "You had Texans plus Mexicans in south central LA; you had Texas barbecue, you had Memphis barbecue, you had Kansas City barbecue." Then, as a nine-year-old boy, Bludso found himself shipped off for the summer to spend time with his grandmother, Willie May Fields, in Corsicana, Texas. "She had this semi-legal, semi-illegal smokehouse — a juke joint, halfway house — where she used to sell barbecue," he says. "And she had a small little room right off the highway, and she used to sell there on weekends." Corsicana was where he earned his chops. And while he "hated it" — working in the smokehouse in almost 50 degree heat, prepping the meat, cleaning greens — the ritual (or the rewards) of the work must have resonated with him. Bludso still uses his late grandmother's smoker today. If barbecue is in the blood in Texas, then the brisket is its heart and soul. It's prepared simply — a dry rub of salt and pepper, then cooked over wood. "Slow and low like a '64 Impala," says Bludso. It's also regional. Memphis barbecue is particularly famous for its use of sauces, and a lot of places in Tennessee don't use wood. It all depends on what's accessible at the time and in the region. Trying, then, to recreate authentic Texas barbecue in a foreign country is no easy feat. But we asked Kevin Bludso for a few tips on doing Texas barbecue in Melbourne. Here's what he divulged. STEP ONE: SELECTING THE WOOD There's a special reverence reserved for pitmasters. Working with wood is difficult, and it's their craft to find that perfect piece that will burn slowly and flavour the meat accordingly. "We use pecan, red oak and apple in the States," says Bludso. "We use apple here, but all the woods were totally different." That's where Noah Galuten comes in. Galuten, a former food writer and Bludso apprentice, is now a pitmaster in his own right. Trying to find the right wood was a long process, Galuten says. "First we were trying out bull-oak — which was the closest oak [to what we use in LA] we could find — but it was burning too bitter. Eventually, we ended up trying ironbark, which turned out pretty well." The issue with most Australian woods is that they burn too quickly and too hot. This might be good if you're hoping to throw a shrimp on the barbie — but in a smoker it catches and gives what Galuten calls a "bitter smoke". At San Antone, the ironbark is rounded out with Australian pecan and apple wood. The result is intoxicating. STEP TWO: CHOOSING THE BRISKET Finding a good brisket has been another challenge Bludso has faced in his Melbourne venture. The brisket — a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest — is essentially made up of two muscles: the flat (the leaner, flatter portion) and the point (the thicker section on the side of the cut). It's important that the cut has the right amount of fat on it too, and Bludso has had to work with a specialist butcher to meet his exact specifications and get the cuts just right. "We don't want no healthy briskets," says Bludso. "We want all our cows with high blood pressure and cholesterol." With fat comes flavour and, according to Bludso, you want at least an inch of fat if possible — especially on the point. On the underside, a little marbling is also important. STEP THREE: KNOWING WHEN IT'S DONE The brisket goes fat-side up into the smoker for anywhere between 12 to 15 hours. But knowing when it's done isn't a science — it's art. "You just know it by feel," says Bludso. "As time goes on you just know by picking it up, how it feels in the hand, poking it. You just know when it's done." Of course, Bludso 'just knows' because he's well practiced in the art of smoking. But as long as the smoker can maintain a consistent temperature — around 115 to 120 degrees celsius — there's no real reason to fuss over it. The fat cap protects the brisket from burning and maintains the moisture in the meat. Once off the smoker, the brisket gets wrapped in butcher's paper to rest before serving. But is it authentic? "Of course, you can't get it exactly as it is [in LA] because it's different, you know?" Bludso says. "I mean, we got holes in the wall where we can get some of our stuff from [in LA] that we just can't get out here. But — like I said — I really feel we got as close to American as our products and locations [allowed us]." If you've got access to a smoker, give this Texas barbecue thing a go. And if you don't, well, you know you can get the real thing at San Antone by Bludso's BBQ. The pit is even modelled on the smoker Bludso grew up cooking with, as used by his granny Willie May Fields.
Can you feel a tingling in your toes as your feet start to defrost? That's the feeling of winter slipping away (or maybe you've been sitting cross-legged for too long) and with its demise comes the return of Australia's beloved Moonlight Cinema. Ahhh balmy nights on the grass, we have missed you. Heralding the coming of the warmer months, Moonlight Cinema is a summertime tradition that is thankfully making a comeback despite everything 2020 has thrown our way. The film program is yet to be announced, but we'll keep you updated as soon as it is. Nosh-wise, Moonlight Cinema will again let you BYO movie snacks and drinks (no alcohol in Brisbane, though), but the unorganised can also enjoy a plethora of snacks from food trucks — perfect, messy treats made for reclining on bean beds. This season includes screens in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth, running from November through to April. Only vague dates have been announced for now, but expect to hear a lot more in the coming weeks. MOONLIGHT CINEMA 2019 DATES Sydney: November (Centennial Park) Brisbane: November (Roma Street Parkland) Adelaide: December (Botanic Park) Perth: December (Kings Park and Botanic Garden) Melbourne: January (Royal Botanic Gardens) The Moonlight Cinema kicks off in November. For more information and bookings here.
The sun is shining, your out of office is set and you've already spent a good amount of time curled up streaming tv shows. Now's the chance to catch up on your reading — so, find a shady spot on a beach, next to a pool or by a waterfall and start making your way through our favourite seven books (and one awesome short story) of 2017. It's a mixed bag this year, we've been turning the pages of gripping homegrown murder mysteries, stories about presidential ghosts, cookbooks and a profanity-laden self-help book. Take your pick. THE VEGETARIAN BY HAN KANG The Vegetarian took me approximately one week to get through — it's a very welcome short read at less than 200 pages — but it left something dark and heavy in my stomach for much longer. The book by Han Kang, which has been translated from Korean, reaches haunting fever dream territory almost immediately and plays out scenes of family violence, force feeding and self-harm over three parts. Its affecting twisted surrealism will remind you of Murakami; I recommend this to his fans, not his haters. — Lauren Vadnjal THE DRY BY JANE HARPER Harper's debut novel is an eerie murder mystery set in a drought-ridden rural Australian town. It's a gripping read. I sat down to start it one Sunday afternoon and didn't put it down until I'd turned the last page, four hours later. What's even more impressive is that Harper wrote the 40,000-word draft for this novel during a 12-week online writing course. She has also — already — signed a movie deal, so expect The Dry (starring Simon Baker, perhaps) to appear in cinemas some time soon. — Samantha Teague THE SUBTLE ART OF NOT GIVING A F*CK BY MARK MANSON You've seen people reading it at airports, on buses and on benches. And, yes, it does fit into the category of self-help, but it's approachable, brutally honest and, thankfully, free of the overly positive language typical of other self-help books. It's not about not giving any f*cks. It's about giving the right number of f*cks about the right things. After all, there are only so many one has time to give. — Kitti Smallbone TWIN PEAKS: THE FINAL DOSSIER BY MARK FROST If you were left with more questions than answers after watching the latest — and final — series of Twin Peaks, you're not alone. Luckily, there's one more chapter left: The Final Dossier. Written by the show's co-creator, Mark Frost, the book explains some of what happened between the second and third season (a 25-year break) and ties up some loose ends. But, remember, it's David Lynch and it's Twin Peaks — you're not going to get all the answers. A must-read for anyone who watched the show this year, whether they loved it or hated it. — Sarah Ward LINCOLN IN THE BARDO BY GEORGE SAUNDERS A story steeped in history, this novel centres on the death of Abraham Lincoln's 11-year-old son William in 1862. But, don't expect a run-of-the-mill historical fiction — it's George Saunders, remember? The story is told by 166 different narrators, some of them dead, some of them alive. Saunders's first novel, it won this year's Man Booker Prize so it's definitely one that should be on your list. Start it. Be confused. Keep reading. And you'll be rewarded. Finish it and jump straight to Saunders's famed collection of short stories, Tenth of December, if you haven't already. THE POWER BY NAOMI ALDERMAN In 2017, The Handmaid's Tale once again rose to prominence with the release of the television adaptation. While Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel centres on a world in which women are stripped of all power, Alderman's The Power imagines a world where they have it all. Women gain an ability to send out powerful electric shocks from their fingertips around puberty and become the feared and dominant gender. The story travels across the globe, showing how the change unfolds in different countries. It's also written as a 'historical text', by a male author Neil Adam Armon who imagines how women rose to power thousands of years before. MEET ME IN THE BATHROOM BY LIZZY GOODMAN Goodman's in-depth look at New York's rock 'n' roll scene is juicy, fast and candid. It centres on the years between 2001 and 2011, and focuses on The Strokes — Goodman's interview with the band for Vulture is a good taste of what to expect from the text. Goodman interviewed over 200 people, and spent years immersed in the scene, to write the novel. The result is a 600-word book that doesn't give you too many chances to pause and take a breath. It's a rollercoaster worth taking. [caption id="attachment_651763" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Elinor Carucci[/caption] HONOURABLE MENTION: CAT PERSON BY KRISTEN ROUPENIAN It's a typical story. A bad relationship written from a female perspective. But it sent ripples through the internet. Thousands of people took to Twitter to discuss how much they related to it and one account took to documenting men's reactions. The piece — a short story, not a novel — is more than just an exploration of a bad relationship, though, it's about power dynamics, gender and the struggles of dating as a young woman. Many people have described reading it as akin to watching a horror movie unfold. Like most things that reach fame on the internet, it's had bad reactions, too. But you can be sure that when you read it, you'll definitely feel something.
Since Australia started easing out of COVID-19 lockdown, the country's internal border restrictions have earned plenty of attention. With tactics to stop the spread of the coronavirus implemented at a state-by-state level — and case numbers in each state varying — different parts of the country have navigated the situation in different ways when it comes to letting non-residents visit. In Western Australia, that meant a hard border and strict quarantine requirements for most of the year. For folks who didn't normally reside in WA, you could only visit the state if you were classified as an exempt traveller, applied for a G2G Pass and, if approved, then self-isolated for 14 days — or went into a mandatory state quarantine facility for the same period. That changed for most of the country in mid-November, however, and now it'll change for New South Wales and Victorian residents from 12.01am on Tuesday, December 8 as well. As announced today, Tuesday, December 1 by WA Premier Mark McGowan, the state will relax its border restrictions with the two eastern states as part of the system that's been dubbed a 'controlled interstate border'. WA currently allows travellers from very low-risk states and territories to enter under eased conditions — people from places that haven't had any community transmission of COVID-19 for 28 days, who can now head to WA without isolating — which'll be updated to include NSW and Victoria from next week. https://twitter.com/MarkMcGowanMP/status/1333570927590719488 That means that, along with folks from Queensland, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory, residents from NSW and Victoria will be able to venture west without quarantining. You do still have to complete a G2G Pass declaration, and you'll undergo a temperature test and health screening upon arrival — and you're advised to be prepared to take a COVID-19 test if necessary as well. That's a hefty shift from the current situation, where NSW and Victoria are considered low-risk states — which, for travellers, presently means still self-quarantining for 14 days, then taking a COVID-19 test on the 11th day. WA has always said it would likely only consider downgrading NSW and Victoria to very low-risk once they'd chalked up 28 days without community transmission, which the latter has hit and the former is due to reach on Friday, December 4. Announcing the change, Premier McGowan said "we can take this next step, safely and cautiously, thanks to the recent success of our friends over east getting the spread of the virus under control". He continued: "Victoria's success is something all Australians should be proud of. I want to thank everyone for their understanding and co-operation — it's because of their commitment we are now able to take this next step." Folks from South Australia are currently classified as hailing from a medium-risk jurisdiction, however. That means they currently need to apply for an exemption to enter WA, and then quarantine — but that'll be reviewed on Friday, December 11. 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.
