Spooktober claims to be Melbourne's spookiest Halloween festival, so you know it has considerable things up its sleeves when it comes to giving you a fright. And this year, it's going big — not only extending the scares across eight nights (and four days) between Friday, October 25 and Sunday, November 3, but doing so at Luna Park for the first time. The new setup will feature roving zombies, two custom haunted house experiences called Extreme Phobia and Haunted Fairytales, and a Haunted Spirits Bar so you can get some liquid courage into you, stat. There'll be Luna Park's rides and carnival games, too, but given a themed twist. Also on the lineup is a ghastly glamour parlour where you can get made up to look the part, costume competitions, spooky entertainment and a trick or treat trail for the littlies. Yes, some of the festival is family-friendly, but if you're an adult and you're still scared that's okay. Spooktober @ Luna Dark is open on Friday, October 25 from 6–11pm; Saturday, October 26 from 11am–5pm and 6pm–12am; Sunday, October 27 from 11am–5pm and 6–11pm; Wednesday, October 30 from 6–11pm; Thursday, October 31 from 6pm–12am; Friday, November 1 from 6–11pm; Saturday, November 2 from 11am–5pm and 6pm–12am; and Sunday, November 3 from 11am–5pm and 6–11pm.
The country's largest celebration of short form filmmaking is back for another year. Following on from its 30th birthday celebrations in 2013, the St Kilda Film Festival will light up the esplanade once more, serving bite-sized movie morsels from all around Australia and the world. Opening night at the Palais Theatre will showcase standouts from the 10 day line-up, before the festival jumps across town to The Astor. As always, the backbone of the program consists of the Top 100 Australian Shorts, stretched strategically across 14 separate sessions. From Cannes competitors to Tropfest finalists, there's no shortage of local talent on display. Outside of the main program, a partnership with the Palms Spring Film Festival in the US ensures a selection of international shorts, while the returning Under the Radar contest highlights films by directors under 21. There's also a music video competition, a zombie shorts marathon and costume party, plus forums with filmmakers and a variety of other industry pros. For the full St Kilda Film Festival Program, visit their website. Photo credit: Jim Lee.
"Darling it's better down where it's wetter" isn't just a line that The Little Mermaid fans have had stuck in their head for the last two decades. It's also the first thing likely to pop into the minds of anyone heading to one particular Norwegian restaurant. Now open in the coastal village of Båly in the country's south, Under plunges hungry patrons into watery surroundings, offering more than just the usual scenic vistas. At this eatery, diners tuck into their dishes underwater. As first announced in 2017, patrons feast on seafood under the sea. If you're going to open a space underneath the ocean, you have to serve up the fish, which is just what head chef Nicolai Ellitsgaard is doing. There's just one food option, with a seasonal set menu serving up 18 courses and taking around four hours to get through — with optional wine or juice pairings. Here, however, the surroundings are as much of a drawcard as the cuisine. Visitors descend down three colour-coded levels to sip sparkling tipples in a champagne bar that boasts views of the shoreline, then enjoy dinner in the completely submerged dining room. The latter sits five metres below the water's surface, and is surrounded by panoramic acrylic windows for quite the aquatic view. For those wondering about pressure and safety, metre-thick concrete walls will keep everyone nice and dry, in a structure designed by architecture firm Snøhetta. Describing the space as "a sunken periscope", the building was constructed not only to wow those stepping foot inside, but to fit in with its surroundings. The grey exterior colour scheme is designed to blend in with the rocky coastline, with coarse surfacing that encourages molluscs to cling on. Indeed, over time it's hoped that Under will become an artificial mussel reef. As well as offering quite the place to eat, the project also aims to champion biodiversity, functioning as a research centre for marine life. This includes informational plaques educating visitors about the area, helping to expand not only the list of places you've tucked into a meal, but your knowledge. Bookings are open — start planning your next Scandinavian trip now. Images: Snohetta.
Real life has enough drama, as we all well and truly know at the moment. When it comes to getting cosy on your couch, you can be forgiven for wanting to forget the world's troubles — and your own, and this year's — and get caught up in a side-splitting comedy instead. Our tip: pick a top-notch TV series of the rib-tickling kind and stream (or re-stream) your way through it. Some you can knock out fairly quickly, filling your weekend with laughter. Others will take weeks and months, and will constantly brighten up your days in the process. From acerbic delights and absurd wonders to heartwarming gems and instant classics, streaming platform Binge isn't lacking in the comedy department. Because being able to lose yourself in a hilarious TV series is one of life's simple but much-needed pleasures, we've teamed up with the Australian service to highlight five shows that are guaranteed to have you giggling and guffawing — including via a 14-day free trial for new customers.
Lorde, that dynamo 17-year-old with the Grammys and the dance moves and the best friend named David Bowie, has been hit by illness after a gargantuan string of performances including Coachella, forcing her to postpone her Australian tour dates. Set to hit our shores in just a couple of days, Lorde was set to perform at eight shows across the country including Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Newcastle and Brisbane. The Pure Heroine issued a statement via press release today: "It breaks my heart to have to postpone these shows as the band and I absolutely love playing to Australian crowds, and it was not a decision we made lightly," she said. "I know I need to focus on getting better in order to perform at my best. We'll be with you as soon as we can, Aussies." After a heartbreaking cancellation earlier in the year, this will (hopefully) eventually be Lorde's first Australian stadium tour since playing smaller club venues and the Laneway circuit. And while we were sure to get the full royal treatment from her 2013 breakthrough album Pure Heroine, this 2014 tour was said to have some surprises in store. It's been announced there will be a huge light show component, but we're keeping our fingers crossed for a cameo from Ziggy Stardust. Management have yet to release further information or rescheduled tour dates as yet, or whether refunds will be issued. Stay tuned for more details, for now give your neighbours a little singalong concert. Here's where the postponed tour dates currently sit: Thu 24 Apr — Festival Hall, Melbourne (All Ages) POSTPONED Sat 26 Apr — Festival Hall, Melbourne POSTPONED Sun 27 Apr — EC Theatre, Adelaide (All Ages) POSTPONED Tue 29 Apr — Challenge Stadium, Perth (All Ages) POSTPONED Fri 2 May — Hordern Pavilion, Sydney (All Ages) POSTPONED Sat 3 May — Hordern Pavilion, Sydney (All Ages) POSTPONED Sun 4 May — Entertainment Centre, Newcastle (All Ages) POSTPONED Tue 6 May — Riverstage, Brisbane (All Ages) POSTPONED
Titles matter. A film with a good one can intrigue, inspire and entice audiences from far and wide, just as a bad one can turn you off faster than a date swearing at a waiter. The grey area is when things get literal. Everything's okay so long as it's just a case of 'does what it says on the can' — your Ghostbusters, your Ferris Bueller's Day Off, your The Pianist — but what about when it gives something away? That poor choice of words can destroy all semblance of mystery for a movie. It's why studios ultimately didn't go with: 'Bruce Willis Is a Ghost', 'Don't Trust the Gimp with the Limp' or 'It's...His...Sled'. With that in mind, the decision to title Peter Berg's new film Lone Survivor would seem a miscalculation. "Four Navy SEALs go into Afghanistan to target a Taliban leader, but how many make it out ali- oh, wait, it's one. Just one. A 'lone survivor'. Says so right there on the poster. And yet, despite having directed Battleship, Peter Berg's no idiot. Mindful that the details of this true (and widely publicised) military mission were already known to many, he realised the most compelling question was not 'how many would survive?' but rather 'how did ANY of them survive?' That disastrous mission was Operation Red Wings, and the reason for its failure was essentially the SEAL team's decision to not kill three unarmed farmers who'd stumbled across their position. For the (moral) armchair general, it's a no-brainer. Rules of engagement and all that. But in the moment, knowing that to let the civilians go was to guarantee an attack by the Taliban and fail the mission… the ethics of combat became a lot murkier. Mark Wahlberg, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster and Taylor Kitsch play those four imperilled SEALs, and from the moment they elect to abort the mission, Lone Survivor becomes a heart-in-mouth, hug-yourself-for-two-hours, ball-breaker of a film. Pursued through inhospitable mountains by several hundred Taliban and cut off from their support, the feats of those four soldiers quite simply defy belief. That's where the film's opening titles come into play: a montage of real-life footage from the SEALs' infamous 'Hell Week' training program that effectively acts as a 'proof of concept' for what you're about to see (if you're interested: youtu.be/sg2vF4UQMmQ). This is a war movie at its most confronting; it terrifyingly captures the confusion, brutality, chaos and intensity of combat in a way not seen since 1998's Saving Private Ryan. It's a suffocating sort of tension, and whilst there's no question the movie suffers from some clumsy jingoism, the experience is so tactile and overwhelming, you frequently find yourself ducking in your own seat. The author and journalist Sebastian Junger observed after his embedment in Afghanistan that "War is a lot of things and it's useless to pretend that exciting isn't one of them." From an adrenaline standpoint that might well be the case, but in every other respect, from every other possible viewpoint, it's an inescapable waking nightmare that you'd never wish upon anyone. If that doesn't ring true for you, go see Lone Survivor. https://youtube.com/watch?v=yoLFk4JK_RM
If you needed more evidence that teenagers are becoming even smarter at a younger age, look no further. A new trend has emerged in Midwest America, where teenagers are reportedly soaking candy in alcohol in order to get drunk. Long gone are the days when young hooligans would wait outside the bottle shop and desperately beg the first bloke with facial hair to buy them a case of Bacardi Breezers. Instead, candy is being soaked in spirits before being consumed in a seemingly harmless practice. These teenagers were even able to pick the cutest and most innocent candy as their method of intoxication: the gummy bear. Darcy Jensen from Prairie View Prevention Services works in South Dakota to stop underage drinking. She notes that whilst the problem has not yet become widespread, she has already sent out warnings to schools across the state about the dangerous new practice. "Maybe someone has offered the candy and they didn't even know. So telling the kids ahead of time this could be something to be aware of is important," she said. Darcy raises a valid point. Teenagers might think twice about accepting a drink from a stranger, but a gummy bear? Never. She notes that this new trend will provide parents with a good opportunity to talk to their children about the hazards of underage drinking, and describes the gummy bears as "a good conversation starter." Maybe confectionery giants should start selling candy in brown paper bags from now on. [via Keloland]
There are a few certified methods for keeping the winter blues at bay and one of them involves holing up in a cosy restaurant with some good company, some great eating and a few whisky cocktails to wash it all down. Handily enough, that's the very situation that will soon await you at Victoria by Farmer's Daughters each Saturday. Running from May 13–July 29, the Winter Saturday Sessions promise to warm your cockles with an enticing blend of booze and produce-driven fare. Choose one of two weekly sittings (11.30am–1.30pm, 2.30pm–4.30pm) and you'll sit down to a seasonal brunch feast guided by the kitchen's passion for celebrating top-notch Victorian ingredients. Expect bites like a flaky roasted root vegetable pie, barbecued pork belly skewers, farmhouse-style cheeses and chips made using Spud Sisters' famed potatoes. Meanwhile, a bar takeover by the legends at Starward will sort you out with bottomless sips to match, including reworked classics like a whisky-infused dark and stormy, and the cherry lemon old fashioned. A range of local beers and vino is also on offer. Victoria's Winter Saturday Sessions clock in at $99 per person, which'll get you a hearty spread of food teamed with two hours of free-flowing drinks. Images: Arianna Leggiero
Jeez Frozen was a terrific film. Catchy tunes, loveable sidekicks, a woodsman hero and – at its heart – two sisterly princesses thrown into turmoil after one of them discovers her power to manipulate ice and flees to establish an unforgiving frozen kingdom in the north. Jeez The Huntsman: Winter War isn't a terrific film. No tunes, stilted sidekicks, a woodsman hero with a comically bad Scottish(?) accent and – at its heart – two sisterly princesses thrown into turmoil after one of them discovers her power to manipulate ice and flees to establish an unforgiving frozen kingdom in the north. Perhaps you could forgive the makers of The Huntsman for trying to leverage some of the success of the former. After all, it is the ninth highest grossing film of all time. But 'beautiful girl doing cool shit with chilly water' isn't enough to constitute an entire story. You still need, well, 'a story', and it's on that front where The Huntsman: Winter War really falls apart. It begins with Liam Neeson's voice telling us we're about to see a prequel to 2012's Snow White & The Huntsman. And Neeson – like the proverbial mirror on the wall – does not lie. But then, about half an hour in, The Huntsman: Winter War suddenly turns into a sequel, making this about as close as a film will ever come to possessing a literal 'plot twist'. Eventually deciding it's set after Snow White has vanquished the evil Ravenna (Charlize Theron), we find our Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) moping about the South and mourning the loss of his wife (Jessica Chastain), before committing to foil the evil ice queen Freya (Emily Blunt) in her attempt to secure the famous mirror. The rest of the movie is little more than a collection of special effects, shaky fight scenes and a few funny lines from dwarf sidekicks Nick Frost and Rob Brydon. Theron, it must be said, lights up every scene she's in, reminding us that she is still absolutely the fairest and most interesting in the land. Alas, her screen time is also the most restricted, reducing her menacing smile and genuinely engaging relationship with her sister to mere bookends around an otherwise entirely dull affair. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W65ndip7MM
One device to brew them all? Blending slow cold drip coffee with cold/hot pourovers in one genius brewing device, two Queensland coffee companies are teaming up to crowdfund the Brewover. Green coffee supplier Bean Grean and roaster Manna Beans are trying to raise $65,000 toward this new controllable flow hot/cold brewer, which would prick the ears of many an Australian cafe needing to save on space (or straight-up coffee nerds in general). The Kickstarter campaign, which prices the Brewover at around $60 a pop, has currently raised $13,300 with 29 days to go. So how does it work? Coffee purists might turn their nose up, but the team truly know what's up when it comes to coffee brewing methods. The Brewover all hinges on what's called the flow control valve, allowing to switch between three different brewing methods: hot/cold pourovers and cold drip. Pourovers are easy stuff; just pop a Chemex filter in the glass cone and brew hot/cold as usual. Cold drip? Just use the same glass cone as a water reservoir and attach an Aeropress filter under the brew chamber. Pure, well-brewed genius. Via Daily Coffee News.
A dystopian favourite reaching its end, one of the best TV shows of the past few years, the greatest small-screen effort in this very galaxy, more chestbursting horror, Glen Powell: they're all coming to your streaming queue in 2025. As the new year approaches, the networks and platforms responsible for your television viewing are dropping sneak peeks at what's in store. Following HBO's teaser trailer, now arrives Disney+'s version. Add season six of The Handmaid's Tale, season four of The Bear, season two of Andor, new Alien TV series Alien: Earth and the Powell-starring Chad Powers to your must-see list, as they're all on the way. So are Daredevil: Born Again and Ironheart, both from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Andor isn't the only Star Wars series highlighted, thanks to the Jude Law (Peter Pan & Wendy)-led Skeleton Crew. Elsewhere, season two of Percy Jackson and the Olympians gets a look in as well — and there's more where it and all of the above shows came from. As is always the case with trailers that are about a channel or streaming service's entire upcoming slate rather than one specific show, nothing receives the indepth treatment in the just-dropped trailer — but The Handmaid's Tale still gets plenty of attention. Season six is the last season of the Elisabeth Moss (The Veil)-led series based on Margaret Atwood's book, but the author's The Testaments is next set to make the leap from the page to the screen. The Bear also features prominently. Disney+ and Hulu said "yes chef!" to the fourth season before season three even aired, and gives Jamie Lee Curtis (Borderlands) one of the key lines of the clip: "sometimes your work family is closer to you than your family family," she tells Ayo Edebiri's (Inside Out 2) Sydney. With Chad Powers, audiences get a glimpse at a series that enlists Powell as a quarterback who takes on a new persona — the titular character — to play for a struggling team. And in Alien: Earth, the sci-fi/horror saga started in 1979 by Ridley Scott's (Gladiator II) iconic film heads to our own pale blue dot, with Noah Hawley leading the charge behind the scenes after also doing the same on the Fargo TV series. Andor has debut new footage ahead of its return in April 2025, while release dates for everything else — release windows, even — are yet to be revealed. Also featured in the trailer: clips from season two of Goosebumps: The Vanishing, as well as the new Paradise and Good American Family. The first stars Sterling K Brown (American Fiction) and James Marsden (Unfrosted), while the second is led by Ellen Pompeo (Grey's Anatomy). Check out Disney+'s 2025 trailer below: The shows highlighted in Disney+ and Hulu's new trailer will arrive in 2025. We'll update you with more details when they're announced.
As we learn to live our lives of social distancing and self-isolation (for the near future, at least), it's easy to feel overcome with boredom. Even worse is our tendency to go looking for the latest news update, fuelling our fears in the midst of a global pandemic. But there are better ways of entertaining ourselves than being trapped in a today's news cycle. Right now, podcasts are your friends. Whether you listen to one in bed after waking up, on the balcony while you get a breath of fresh air, or in the kitchen while you cook that fun new recipe, podcasts can help you escape from today's hectic environment — without being glued to a screen all day. Whether you're a podcast veteran or a skeptic, this list has something for you. Being stuck at home can feel a little less restrictive when you can dive into brilliantly written fictional narratives, are consumed by true crime and mystery, or even learn a new language. Here are a five podcasts that will have you hooked in no time. DISGRACELAND True crime, excess and rock 'n' roll. Host Jake Brennan insists, when it comes to rock stars, we like them as bad as can be. This podcast tells stories of murder, drugs and sex, protagonised by your favourite music legends — and how they got away with it all. Disgraceland unveils the darkest side of old-school stardom, with a laidback, no nonsense narrative style. Dive into the Rolling Stones' wild lifestyles, Frank Sinatra's mobster adventures and Whitney Houston's hidden descent into drugs. If you manage to go through all 69 episodes, check out 27 Club. A new project by the same creators, this podcast takes a closer look at the unsettling truths behind rock 'n' roll, this time focusing on the members of the 27 club. The first season tells the story of iconic guitarist Jimi Hendrix, who died of an overdose at age 27. What? 69 30-minute episodes. THE WAY I HEARD IT Mike Rowe's soothing voice takes you on a guessing frenzy in every single episode, as he narrates a story about a famous historical figure, without telling you who he's talking about until the very end. He'll be talking about a prominent academic and you'll be picturing a rockstar. He'll tell you the story of a prize cow and you will be convinced he's talking about a femme fatale. With unexpected twists and so many random interesting facts, you can expect to chuckle when an episode's protagonist you've been so invested in is revealed to be someone totally unexpected. What? More than 150 20-minute episodes. ROOM 20 This LA Times investigative reporting podcast will keep you on the edge of your seat. Journalist Joanne Faryon tells the story of her search for a man's identity. A man only known as Sixty-Six Garage who has spent more than 15 years on life support in a San Diego nursing home. As a teenager, he suffered from severe brain damage after he was thrown out of a truck in a car accident. An undocumented Mexican immigrant in the United States, his identity remained unknown, and there were no paper trails to help track down his family — until Faryon launched her own investigation. What? Six 30-minute episodes. MOTHERHACKER A divorced PTA mom gets scammed out of her savings. She has no choice, but to join the team of scammers who took everything from her. Surprisingly, she's amazing at it. Told as an old-time radio drama, Motherhacker is a fictional podcast that explores the lengths someone might go to in order to stay afloat in a dire situation. Think Black Mirror meets suburban mom. Motherhacker's perfect mix of suspenseful and quirky will leave you wanting more every time you finish an episode. With only nine episodes lasting around ten minutes each, this podcast could easily become a one sit-down binge. Open a bottle of red, enjoy a few snacks and make a night of it. What? Nine ten-minute episodes. COFFEE BREAK LANGUAGES Are you a more practical listener? If so, why not take advantage of your free time to learn Italian, or fine tune that rusty Spanish you haven't worked on since uni? Coffee Break offers podcasts in seven languages, with content ranging from beginner level, where you can learn phrases and grammar, to more advanced, where you can expand your vocabulary. These podcasts use stories situated in your language's country of origin to teach you how to speak it, engaging you beyond a typical grammar-based language program. It's said that listening to native speakers hold conversations is one of the most effective methods of learning it. By doing so, you can also keep your brain busy through self-isolation and social-distancing times and gain a valuable new skill that will definitely come in handy in the future. What? Podcasts in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin and Swedish. Need more? Check out our favourite true crime podcasts.
What does a perfect Sydney summer afternoon look like to you? An icy bottle of sauv blanc at the Opera Bar? A picnic table abundant with the kale and quinoa spoils of Maloneys? Or maybe a wild sunset boat party on the harbour with three of the world's most amazing DJs pumping inimitable summer beats into the earholes of you, a special +1 and 700 fellow revellers? There are approximately 90 days each year when the nights are warmish and superfoods actually taste good, but only one evening where you can party on a boat with Rudimental, Flight Facilities and producer/tastemaker/international party icon Steve Aoki. Riding the floating festival wave scheduled to hit the northern hemisphere later this year, You+1 marks an exciting first for the local dance scene, mixing the buzz of big-name international acts with homegrown talent and a quintessentially Sydney harbour setting. The line-up is also pretty diverse sonically, with the three headliners all falling under one sweepingly broad genre. Aoki climbs aboard having just been named the highest grossing dance artist in North America, renowned for delivering a cornucopia of electro house hits via an insane live performance. Investing the festival with a dash of feelgood Hackney soul are youth workers-turned-electro quartet Rudimental, who have already made waves in their native UK with this addictive track, while our own Flight Facilities put a halcyon spin on the genre as they return to their home city. An extremely limited number of tickets will be up for grabs via Durex's Facebook page from 3 September, so mark that date in your iCal to get 'em while they're not only hot but free. Date: Sunday 14 October, 2012 Time: 5pm – 9pm (boarding from 4.45pm) Location: The Starship, Wharf 4, King Street Wharf, Darling Harbour (adjacent to Cargo Bar) Tickets: facebook.com/Durex.Australia https://youtube.com/watch?v=JI6fDb6IBmU
This article is sponsored by our partners, Rekorderlig. Foraging through the snow in search of electronic music just got significantly easier; Rekorderlig (ever keen to demonstrate that Aussies should be tackling winter with a tad more brio than a pack of grizzlies) has revealed the 'mystery location' for free upcoming music event Sounds in the Snow. On September 13, just as the flakes start to melt and smack bang in the middle of the Toyota One Hit Wonder Mountain Festival, Sounds in the Snow will take place by the Rekorderlig Hot Pools at the Thredbo Alpine Hotel. Sydney synth pop boys Panama will appear in Thredbo to deliver their so-called hopeful house music live. Fronted by Perth-born songwriter and classically-trained pianist Jarrah McCleary, the trio are currently touring Europe and the United States on the back of sophomore EP Always. Sounds in the Snow is just one of the many excuses that Rekorderlig's giving you to head to the snow this season. Afternoon sessions are happening at the Thredbo Alpine Hotel every Thursday, Friday and Saturday between 3pm and 6pm; fire pits are burning; the Rekorderlig Hot Pool is providing serious apres-ski relaxation; and their tasty cinnamon and vanilla-fused Winter Cider is at the top of the drinks menu. Sounds in the Snow is a free gig happening from 4-5pm on Saturday, September 13 by the Rekorderlig Hot Pools at the Thredbo Alpine Hotel. For the latest updates, join the Rekorderlig Facebook page. https://youtube.com/watch?v=UylPrMcurB8
It's impossible to be stressed when there's cute puppies around, which is as good a motto as any to live by. Are you the kind of person who gets tense rushing around airports, even if you've checked in early and you're heading off on your dream holiday — or you've just landed for a relaxing getaway? Here's something that'll help: for one day only at Sydney Airport, you can add spending time with tiny guide dogs to your trip. Guide Dogs NSW/ACT has dubbed its pop-up a puppy cafe, and sipping a cuppa while patting labrador puppies Aero, Pax, Kingsford, Syd and Amelia is on the agenda. You'll need to make a date with Café Veloce at airport's Domestic Terminal 2 on Thursday, January 18, however, and be around between 10–11.30am and 12.30–2pm. If anything is worth dropping your bags off well in advance of your flight or hanging around after disembarking, it's this. Tickets cost $15 for adults, and are only available at the door. Expect to have company — who wouldn't want to add some adorable Guide Dogs pups, which've been named the 'airport litter', to their airport visit? Attendees will also be surrounded by Therapy Dogs as well as the five Guide Dogs pups, and get a free coffee as part of the entry fee For Sydneysiders who aren't jetting anywhere anytime soon, you can still drop by, but you will need to go through airport security to get to the cafe. "For one day only, we are thrilled to open up our Guide Dog cafe in Sydney Airport where ticket holders can meet the gorgeous airport litter and learn about the wonderful work of Guide Dogs," said Guide Dogs NSW/ACT Puppy Development Advisor Sabrina Gabrielle "This day is all about highlighting the brilliant work that Guide Dogs does, raising awareness for our community and celebrating our wonderful Christmas appeal partnership with Sydney Airport." "It takes over two years and costs $50,000 to breed, raise and train each life-changing Guide Dog, including the pups we'll have at our cafe. Through this event we want to recognise the crucial role all of our dogs play in helping Australians living with low vision and blindness lead a life without limits." The Guide Dogs pop-up puppy cafe will be at Café Veloce in Sydney Airport's Domestic Terminal 2, Keith Smith Ave, Mascot, on Thursday, January 18 — with sessions from 10–11.30am and 12.30–2pm. You can buy tickets from $15 on the door. For more information about Guide Dogs Australia, head to the organisation's website.
Already an enormous success on Broadway, in London's West End and in Melbourne, Tony and Olivier award-winning musical Come From Away is touring its remarkable true tale around Australia's east coast. Based on real post-September 11 events, the acclaimed production will actually return to Melbourne in January 2021 for an encore season of kind-hearted charm, before heading to Brisbane in March and Sydney in June — visiting the Queensland and New South Wales capitals for the first time. If you aren't familiar with the musical's plot or the actual events that inspired it, it's quite the exceptional story. In the week after the September 11 attacks in 2001, 38 planes were unexpectedly ordered to land in the small Canadian town of Gander, in the province of Newfoundland. Part of Operation Yellow Ribbon — which diverted civilian air traffic to Canada en masse following the attacks — the move saw around 7000 air travellers grounded in the tiny spot, almost doubling its population. Usually, the town is home to just under 12,000 residents. To create Come From Away, writers and composers Irene Sankoff and David Hein spent hundreds of hours interviewing thousands of locals and passengers, using their experiences to drive the narrative — and, in many cases, using their real names in the show as well. The result is a musical not just about people coming from away (the term that Newfoundlanders use to refer to folks not born on the island), but coming together, all at a time when tensions were running high worldwide. Since being workshopped in 2012, having a run in Ontario in 2013, then officially premiering in San Diego in 2015, Come From Away has become a global smash hit. After opening on Broadway in 2017, it was still running before the theatre district closed due to COVID-19. The musical wowed crowds in the West End, too — and, when it first opened in Melbourne in July 2019, it became the Comedy Theatre's most successful musical in the venue's 91-year history. Along the way, the show has picked up a Tony Award for best direction of a musical, six other nominations, and four Olivier Awards out of nine nominations. Come From Away was actually initially due to head from Melbourne to Sydney in 2020, but that's one of the many things that didn't happen this year. COME FROM AWAY 2021 AUSTRALIAN TOUR Melbourne: January 19–March 21, Comedy Theatre Brisbane: March 26–April 18, QPAC Lyric Theatre Sydney: June 3–July 21, Capitol Theatre https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zmvy1p2FOE&feature=emb_title Come From Away will return to Melbourne's Comedy Theatre from January 19–March 21, then hit Brisbane's QPAC Lyric Theatre from March 26–April 18 and Sydney's Capitol Theatre from June 3–July 21. For further information — or to buy tickets — visit the musical's website. Images: Jeff Busby.
Come Friday night, the Coburg Night Market is undoubtedly the place to be. The market in Melbourne's north, which starts this Friday, boasts crafty gifts from local artisans, tastes from food truckers, and music of all kinds to vibe to. The market is also the perfect place to embrace your inner child (if you can't at least take one with you) and receive a lick of paint to the face, before you jump on a castle and slip down an inflatable slide. For the more tranquil reveller, wander over to the key stage where music will be floating to your ears from a multitude sounds. It would be unhealthy to miss Public Opinion Six, who are delivering funk medicine directly to your soul with their West African afro-beats — a consciousness melding messages of political justice and positivity with fiery beats and rhythm. One-man blues band Juzzie Smith will be there with his eight-strap harmonica belt as well as the honeyed-harmonies from Little Rabbit who mix bluegrass and old timey sounds with their real fancy finger-work on the strings. Also making an appearance on stage will be Perch Creek, The Everymen and Tracey McNeil & the GoodLife. After you've finishing rocking along to these sick beats, get a little sicker by rolling over to see some fierce divas dance. The Brunswick BeyDance broads will show you how to twerk, in one helluva flawless fashion. Then be prepared to swing and jive along to Anna’s GoGo Academy, who have been known to play everything from Elvis' Jailhouse Rock to ACDC's Jailbreak. There will also be food on hand from Mr Burger, Lil Nomnoms, White Guy Cooks Thai, Billy Van Creamery and Burn City Smokers. The Coburg Night Market will run every Friday for four weeks, starting November 27, 5.30 - 10pm. For more information, visit coburgnightmarket.com
Since setting up in Rotterdam in 1997, Superuse Studios have been leading the way when it comes to sustainable architecture and design - both interior and exterior. Their portfolio includes a children's playground made out of old windmills, a contemporary art space that was once a shipping yard and a residence constructed entirely of recycled materials. Superuse are currently showcasing their latest designs at London's Architecture Foundation, where they'll be hanging about until July 31st. Some of their most recent developments have arisen from collaboration with students at the Royal Academy of Art at the Hague. Founder Jan Jogert has told The Guardian, the aim is to 'identify and connect available flows in the urban ecosystem.' One success story is that of GRO Holland, a project that involves recycling the 98.8% of produce wasted in the coffee-making process. Left-over grounds are gathered from cafes and blended with spores from oyster mushrooms, then cultivated in a dark, warm place. The resulting fungi are sold back to the cafes, while the waste produced goes to local tulip farmers. Superuse are also about to embark on the construction of a visitors' centre, which will again feature mushrooms and coffee grounds, this time as insulation. 'It is only through transparency that things will change,' Jongert says. 'The idea of connecting these disparate flows will become a big part of the economy. It will have to happen – we have no other choice.' [Via PSFK]
That most wonderful of foodstuffs is getting one day to call its own when Queen Vic Market dedicates a whole ten hours to the dumplings of the world. The market is celebrating tasty things in parcels from Italy, Nepal, India, Poland and Japan when it hosts the Melbourne International Dumpling Festival. Wander through the market's stalls anytime from midday to 10pm on Monday, November 4, and you'll find xiao long bao, pierogies, momos, matzah balls, gyoza and more to gorge. If you need a short break from stuffing your face with dumplings, you'll be able to pause and enjoy roaming performers, face painting and DJs. If you want to eat even more, we suggest joining the all-important dumpling eating competition. While entry is free, you will need to register online to get in — so hop to it over here. Melbourne International Dumpling Festival runs from midday–10pm.
A month after the last set of eased COVID-19 restrictions came into effect across the state, the Victorian Government is relaxing limits on everyday activities once again. Come 6pm on Friday, March 26, you'll be able to gather with more people in more places — including at home, in public and at a long list of venues. Presently, Victoria is operating under the settings that were in place before Christmas. So, when the new changes kick in just in time for this coming weekend, the state will enjoy some of its most relaxed conditions since pandemic began. Announcing the news today, Tuesday, March 23, Acting Premier James Merlino said "we know the risk is far from over, but thanks to the incredible work of all Victorians, we're continuing to open up and see the Victoria we all love return to life again." First up, Victorians will be able to host more people in their houses, with the cap going up to 100 folks from any number of other households. That's a daily limit, like previous caps, even if they all of your visitors come at different times in different groups — and your home also includes your front and back yards. Fancy heading outdoors with your nearest and dearest elsewhere, beyond your own patch of land? In good news, public outdoor gatherings are going up to 200. So your next trip to the beach or the park with your mates can now feature an even bigger crowd. In venues that are currently under the one person per four-square-metres rule — which includes nightclubs, karaoke venues and casinos — the one person per two-square-metres rule will come into effect. Cafes, pubs and restaurants aren't changing, though, because they're already at the bigger capacity threshold. Non-seated entertainment venues will also be able to welcome more folks in, upping their limits from 50-percent to 75-percent capacity — albeit with a 1000-person cap still in effect. Keen to make shapes with more people around you? Dance floors are going up to 75-percent capacity, too, and the current 50-person cap is being scrapped. Whether you're working out indoors or outdoors, fitness classes will no longer have class limits. For those who prefer doing their own thing at the gym, they're moving to density limits of one person per four-square-metres (from the current setting of one person per eight-square-metres). Also, there'll be no caps on the number of both public and private sector workers that can head into the office — so prepare to see more of your coworkers. If you're wondering about masks, the rules are changing there as well. You'll no longer need to keep wearing them in retail settings, such as large and busy indoor indoor shops, but you do still have to pop one on while using public transport, rideshare vehicles and taxis — and in aged care facilities and hospitals as well. As has been the case as mask requirements ease, you will need to carry one with you at all times, though. Again, all of the above rules will come into effect at 6pm on Friday evening — but one of the newly announced changes will kick in earlier, timed specifically for the AFL's second round of its just-started 2021 season. That means that on Thursday, March 25, when Collingwood take on Carlton at the MCG that night, 75-percent capacity crowds will be allowed into stadiums. As always, the usual hygiene and social distancing practices remain in place, as does the request to get tested if you exhibit even minor COVID-19 symptoms. Victoria currently has zero active coronavirus cases — yes, zero — as at midnight on Tuesday, March 23. Restrictions in Victoria will change again at 6pm on Friday, March 26. For more information about the rules moving forward, head to the Victorian Department of Health website.
UPDATE, August 14, 2023: Tickets are getting snapped up fast for Flight Facilities' tour, with new shows announced. This article has been updated to include the additional dates. Flight Facilities know how to get a party started. The Australian producer duo, aka Hugo and Jimmy, have spent more than a decade inspiring folks to make shapes to the pair's own tunes. Given that they began mixing other artists, it's hardly surprising that they're also playlist and mixtape maestros. See: their Decades Mix series, which has spoiled listeners with six hour-long, decade-spanning surveys. If it's a dancefloor filler from 1962 to 2022, the odds are that it has featured in one of Flight Facilities' odes, with separate mixes for 1962–72, 1972–82, 1982–92, 1992–2002, 2002–12 and 2012–22. And, if it's a track from the 1970s to now that's made the cut, it's also likely that it'll get a spin on Flight Facilities' just-announced latest DJ tour, which is all about its Decades mixes. Fuelled by crate digging, this trip around Australia will jump through hundreds of tracks across extended club sets throughout October. First up: Brisbane's Fortitude Music Hall, before Flight Facilities head southward from Byron Bay's Beach Hotel to Melbourne Pavilion. Also on the itinerary: going west over to Rechabite Hall in Perth and Freo.Social in Fremantle, a stint at Adelaide's Harvest Rock, and both Town Hall and Liberty Hall carpark in Sydney. Start guessing which tunes will get a whirl now. The 72–82 mix spans everything from Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition' to Queen and David Bowie's 'Under Pressure', while the 82–92 list includes New Order's 'Blue Monday', Madonna's 'Lucky Star', Prince's 'Cream' and Technotronic's 'Pump Up the Jam'. Among the 92–02 roster: Arrested Development's 'Mr Wendal', Beastie Boys' 'Body Movin'', 2Pac's 'How Do U Want It?' and The Avalanches' 'Frontier Psychiatrist'. And, from 02–12, the mix starts with Chemical Brothers' 'Star Guitar' and ends with Flight Facilities' own 'Clair De Lune'. The duo only dropped the 12–22 mix in July, so heading along to these gigs means hearing Flight Facilities' absolute latest blast from the past. FLIGHT FACILITIES — THE DECADES TOUR: Friday, October 6 — Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane Saturday, October 7 — Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Thursday, October 12 — Sydney Town Hall, Sydney — NEW DATE Friday, October 19 — Melbourne Pavilion, Melbourne — NEW DATE Friday, October 20 — Melbourne Pavilion, Melbourne — SOLD OUT Saturday, October 21 — Rechabite Hall, Perth — SOLD OUT Sunday, October 22 — Freo.Social, Fremantle — NEW DATE Saturday, October 28 — Harvest Rock, Adelaide Sunday, October 29 — Liberty Hall Carpark, Sydney — SOLD OUT Flight Facilities will take The Decades Tour around Australia in October 2023. Head to the Secret Sounds website for further details, and tickets from 10am AEST on Friday, August 11.
If you're a fan of Australian music, you must have heard of BIGSOUND. Australia's answer to Austin's South by Southwest, Brisbane's annual music conference/festival is tailor made for true music fans and industry reps alike. Although the event doesn't boast huge international headline acts, BIGSOUND does something better. The three-day event helps to unearth and promote up-and-coming Australian and New Zealand acts, as well as informing the world of the current and future trends and ideas cooking within the music industry. Bigwigs from all over the world head to Brisbane's Fortitude Valley to check out what Australia has to offer, and it can be a huge boost for any band on the lineup to simply attend and connect with the right people to help them on the way to stardom. There's a significant amount of networking afoot for Aussie artists wanting to snag an overseas door-opener. Best of all, BIGSOUND attracts thousands of punters into Fortitude Valley over two nights to witness 140 bands play across 14 venues. They don’t call it BIGSOUND for nothing. There is a lot to see and do. If you're struggling to decide who to check out on Wednesday or Thursday night, we have handpicked a few artists that, in our humble opinion, are absolute must-sees. Bad//Dreems Adelaide rock foursome Bad//Dreems have been on a roll over the past two years after meeting at their local football club. The lads have earned high acclaim for their brand of straight shootin' rock and roll that embodies the dispassionate psyche of our youth under that hot Australian sun. These guys put on a great show — mark them on your timetable and make sure you're front row when they rock out. Wednesday night: JBL Live Stage, The Brightside (Outdoor) @ 9:40pm. Blank Realm Brisbane band Blank Realm are the dark horse of Australian music. After making moves in the underground, this psych rock band has been playing some big festivals overseas including Glastonbury, Spain's Benicassim and Valkhof Festival in the Netherlands. Their past two albums have also been widely critically acclaimed, so find out what's behind the hype and see this band. Wednesday night: New Globe Theatre @ 11:20pm. Client Liaison Melbourne duo Client Liaison produces pop music that oozes style. Although retro in aesthetic, Client Liaison are entirely new age. Don’t let the big hair and glittery synthesizers fool you – the debut EP from these dudes is a modern slice of cool. If you want to dance at BIGSOUND, stop by and check out Client Liaison. Thursday night: triple j Unearthed Stage, Oh Hello! @ 11:30pm. D.D Dumbo Castlemaine multi-instrumentalist, D.D Dumbo aka Oliver Hugh Perry specialises in minimalist compositions that incorporates traditional instruments with percussive loops and crooning vocals. D.D Dumbo’s 'Tropical Oceans' is one of the best songs of the year by one of the most unique artists operating today. One of Splendour's runaway goalkickers, make sure you have D.D at the top of your priorities. Wednesday night: Alhambra Lounge @ 11:20pm. Klo Klo is cousins Simon Lam and Chloe Kaul. The duo are one of the freshest on the BIGSOUND lineup, having only started making music together in 2013. Lush electronic arrangements mix with ethereal and dreamy vocals to make an alluring sound, one that will take Klo very far. Wednesday night: triple j Unearthed Stage, Oh Hello! @ 9:50pm. Oscar Key Sung As one part of Oscar + Martin, Oscar Slorach-Thorn grew accustomed to playing big stages. Under his solo guise, Oscar Key Sung, the producer has created some of the best tunes in the tightly-knit Australian electronic spectrum. OKS has toured internationally and has sold out more shows than he can count; his performance is sure to be BIGSOUND highlight. Wednesday night: inthemix Stage, Woolly Mammoth @ 11:30pm. Pikelet Evelyn Morris has been performing as Pikelet since 2007, sharing the stage with some of the best in the game over the years. If Sufjan Stevens, Goldfrapp and Devendra Banhart are names you're fond of, make sure you check out the musician they handpicked as their support act. Thursday night: The Underdog @ 8:50pm. Teeth & Tongue New Zealand-born, Melbourne-based musician Jess Cornelius is Teeth & Tongue. Her third album, GRIDS, is a great collection of emotive pop — drum machine and evocative guitar lines are her forte, songs about love, loss and life are her passion. Critically acclaimed and well travelled, Teeth & Tongue is a sure BIGSOUND thing. Wednesday night: Black Bear Lodge @ 9pm. Tkay Maidza If you've turned on the radio over the past 12 months, you've certainly heard Tkay Maidza. The 18-year-old's massive hit, 'Brontosaurus' got feet stomping nationwide. Fresh from huge appearances at Splendour in the Grass and Groovin'The Moo, the Zimbabwe-born, Australia-raised MC is on a rapid rise to international recognition. Be there for bragging rights before she takes over the world. Thursday night: JBL Live Stage, The Brightside (Outdoor) @ 9:40pm. Yeo Brisbane-raised, Melbourne-based Yeo is a worldly soul who creates evocative and emotive R&B electronica. This super talented musician writes, records and produces his own music, entirely in control of his own unique artistic vision. Anyone with such talent and drive is worth seeing, especially the sonically intriguing Yeo. Wednesday night: inthemix Stage, Woolly Mammoth @ 9pm. The go-to happening for Australian music fans and industry leaders alike, BIGSOUND is your ticket to big gigs, big rubbing shoulders ops and even bigger ideas. Check out the full BIGSOUND program of panels, events and gigs right here.
We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it seems long Sunday afternoons in the beer garden in your short-shorts might be done for the foreseeable future. But as we wave goodbye to summer, we're also ushering in chilly evenings — you know, the ones that let you snuggle up in a pub next to a fireplace, warming your outsides with pants and your insides with beer. But there are still ways you can pretend that it's not getting dark before 6pm and your fingers don't keep going numb. All you need is good friends, good food, good beer and something fun to do. To help you keep the summer dream alive, we've teamed up with Coopers' latest Session Ale — a refreshing new beer with distinct tropical fruit aromas and a crisp bitterness — to pull together five activities to keep summer kicking for you. It isn't over yet, Melbourne — keep the dream alive. SWIM SOME LAPS Just because swimming is a refreshing activity to do outdoors in summer, doesn't mean the tables don't turn in winter. There are quite a few heated pools around town, and the colder weather means you'll have less lane traffic to contend with. In Glen Iris, the Harold Holt Swim Centre's 50-metre outdoor pool is heated and will allow you to either go for a splash or do your laps in cosy comfort — plus it's open till 9pm Monday to Thursday. Or, if you're looking for somewhere close to your office, try Melbourne City Baths for some chlorinated charm in the form of the 30-metre heated indoor pool. SPEND THE EVENING AT A NIGHT MARKET Markets aren't just the territory of warm summer evenings and sitting in the sunset with a beverage. You can certainly be assured that the Queen Victoria Winter Night Market has you set and ready to go this cold season. The whole set-up is sheltered, so even if it's raining, you can weave through 30 food stalls hawking everything from pasta to paella to ice cream (if you're game). Wandering around being tempted by smells and tastes and listening to the live music will warm the cockles of your heart — even if you're holding an ice-cold Coopers. COP IT AND GO FOR ICE CREAM Come on, you'll be fine. You'll find a queue outside Pidapipo come rain or shine, hail or sleet — and probably snow too. The gelato makers here obviously know what they're doing, so don scarves and gloves (pro tip: mittens make it hard to hold a cone) and join the line snaking outside the gelaterias in Carlton or Windsor, or the just-opened CBD store. Lining up solely for the hot Nutella tap is fine, too — we've all been there. [caption id="attachment_611786" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Arbory Bar via Facebook.[/caption] PARK YOURSELF NEXT TO THE RIVER Ah, the Yarra. Icon of the city, banks of your summer….and potential atmospheric winter date spot too. Chase the summer (feelings of which are immediately exacerbated when you're looking over a body of water, even one that is mostly unswimmable) by heading to Arbory. Looking over the Yarra and down towards Southbank, it may be outdoors but there are enough heaters and warming food to forget about any chilly toes. TRY A PUB WITH A FIREPLACE What better place to drink down your Session Ales than someplace that'll give you warm, toasty vibes by way of a fireplace? The Grace Darling on Smith Street capitalises firmly on this, warming patrons right up and making them forget about any nasty weather business happening outside. Add to your cosiness with the Sunday roast or the Monday curry. Eat in the plant-filled atrium — there's enough tropical looking greenery in there to make you feel like you're not too far away from that sweltering beer garden on a summer's day. Grab a Coopers Session Ale and make the most of summer, all year round.
One of Melbourne's most unique venues will welcome some of the biggest names in standup, as part of an unusual collaboration with this year's Melbourne International Comedy Festival. On Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesday throughout the fest — which runs March 28 through to April 22 — the river-adjacent Arbory Bar & Eatery will once again host the Silent Comedy Festival. They assure us it will be a lot funnier than it sounds. Jimeoin, Dave Hughes, Bev Killick and Mandy Nolan are but a few of the comedians who are set to take part in an event inspired by silent discos. Each performer's microphone will be connected to headphones worn by audience members, who, from the perspective of anyone passing by, will be laughing at the sound of silence. Tickets to the Silent Comedy Festival cost $25 and include three stand-up sets.
For over 100 years the Abbotsford Convent held a dark secret. The now hollow Magdalen Laundry once acted as a prison/work camp for women who were deemed “lost and wayward” by concerned members of society. With such a provocative heritage, it’s exciting to think of an arts festival dedicated to strange, outlandish and unapologetically fierce performances taking place within these walls. Found Festival is doing just that. With over 80 artists involved including musicians, comedians, academics, performers and workshop hosts, the festival promises a week of engaging creativity. The Found initiative is based on the ideas of inclusivity, celebration and the immense power of positive action. It's the brain child of Kirsty Hulm, who upon learning of the location’s past believed it necessary to pay tribute to the women who suffered. Whilst the festival has a serious message, the program is by no means straight. It celebrates the funny, the raunchy, the intelligent, the provocative and the ridiculous. The event website suggests that we bring our thinking hats and dancing shoes, so if you like thinking and you like dancing (and if you like neither, what are you doing here?) then Found is right up your alley. Check the festival website for program details.
Australia's theatre scene hasn't had much to smile about in 2020; however, when 2021 rolls around, some venues around the country will kick back into gear with a little help from their friends. Well, with Friends! The Musical Parody to be specific — with the comedic, song-filled satire of everyone's favourite 90s sitcom touring the country next year. Initially, the show was due to hit local theatres in August and September this year. Then, when the pandemic struck, the musical rescheduled to November and December instead. But it seems that 2020 hasn't been anyone's year — or included anyone's favourite day, week or month, for that matter — so the production has now shifted its entire run to 2021. Scheduled to kick off on the Gold Coast before being there for audiences in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Sydney, Friends! The Musical Parody will spend time with Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Joey and Phoebe, of course. Here, they're hanging out at their beloved Central Perk — and sitting on an orange couch, no doubt — when a runaway bride shakes up their day. Call it 'The One with the Loving, Laugh-Filled Lampoon', or 'The One That Both Makes Good-Natured Fun of and Celebrates an 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'. That said, no one told us that being a Friends aficionado would continue to serve up so many chances to indulge our fandom 16 years after it finished airing, including via an upcoming reunion special that'll gather the TV series' main cast back together. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Friends! The Musical Parody (@friendsthemusicalau) FRIENDS! THE MUSICAL PARODY AUSTRALIAN TOUR: Gold Coast: Thursday, February 11–Saturday, February 13 at The Star Gold Coast Melbourne: Wednesday, June 16–Saturday, June 19 at the Comedy Theatre Brisbane: Thursday, Augustt 19–Saturday, August 21 at the Tivoli Theatre Parramatta: Thursday, September 2–Saturday, September 4 at Riverside Theatre Adelaide: Friday, September 24 at Her Majesty's Theatre Perth: Saturday, October 16 at Regal Theatre Friends! The Musical Parody tours the country from February–October 2021. For further details, and to buy tickets, visit the production's website.
You don't need to tell us twice that beer and barbecue are a match made in culinary heaven, so the ultimate partnership this Good Food Month is the one between Footscray's Hop Nation Brewing and Up In Smoke. The American-inspired BBQ gurus have joined forces with their beer-brewing neighbours, curating a special food pairing that showcases some of the west's best. Across 13 days of the festival, you can swing by Up In Smoke to enjoy four craft beer samples, matched to four smoky snacks from the kitchen for 30 bucks.
As fans across the globe gear up for the Arctic Monkeys' sixth album to drop later this week, the acclaimed English rockers have pushed the excitement levels even further, announcing a series of international pop-ups and film screenings to coincide with the launch. And even Australia's getting a look-in, with the local edition of the store — named after the forthcoming album Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino — is popping up at Sydney's Golden Age Cinema and Bar, this Friday, May 11, and Saturday, May 12. According to the Arctic Monkeys' website, the TBHC pop-ups will offer a range of "unique and limited album and merchandise items", alongside screenings of the band's favourite 70s flicks. Titles include Le Cercle Rouge, Inherent Vice, The Last Waltz and Michelangelo Antonioni's L'Eclisse. The event's running at the Surry Hills theatre from 11am until 8.30pm each day, though as you can imagine, tickets to the screenings are already selling fast. Only a handful of other lucky cities will also host these Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino pop-ups: Berlin, Tokyo, Paris, New York and the band's own hometown of Sheffield. The Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino will pop up at Sydney's Golden Age Cinema and Bar, 80 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills. Tickets to the Sydney screenings are on sale here.
One of Melbourne's biggest beer gardens is turning into a jungle this year, for an OTT party to say goodbye to 2019 and hello to the roaring 20s — and by roaring, we mean like a tiger. Get dressed up in your wildest looks (think ferns, sexy monkeys, rhinos a la Ace Ventura — just nothing culturally appropriative) and head north to Welcome to Thornbury's New Year's Eve Jungle Party. There'll be a DJ Boombox Truck, the usual food truck lineup, wild live entertainment and complimentary party favours like jungle-themed costume pieces. There are three tickets to choose from: The Jungle Boy ($99) gets you four hours of bottomless house beer, wine, sparkling and soft drink, and canapes; The Baloo ($135) secures you all that plus bottomless house spirits; or splurge for The King of the Jungle ($159) to add unlimited tiki cocktails to the mix. If you want to get down early, Welcome to Thornbury will be open from midday, but the party (and drinks packages) won't really start until 8pm.
Do you have the physical endurance of Cadel Evans and the creative genius of Picasso? Michael J. Wallace has found a neat way of combining both of these talents, all while getting the daily dose of fresh air and outdoor exercise that we so dearly need. Wallace creates bicycle routes in his hometown of Baltimore, and then rides them with the accompinament of a GPS tracker. Amazingly, all of these bicycle routes are in fact pictures. So as he pedals along innocently down the streets of B'more, he is in fact drawing his very own geographical masterpiece. Collected in the website WallyGPX, he's drawn and rode some characters and scenarios that are impressive in their complexity. These include a man surfing, a semi-trailer, and even a depiction of the landing on the moon. Given that one wrong turn could effectively ruin his canvas, you've got to appreciate this man's ambition. Do you have the energy and skill to create your own artistic bicycle or running routes? Give it a go in your hometown, and see if your friends can guess what picture you've mapped out. In effect, this could become a game of Draw Something - but way harder and infinitely more awesome.
We've all been there. You've just finished off a delicious meal and someone asks if you can be tempted by dessert or a digestif. But why not have both? We're big believers in treating ourselves guilt-free, which is why Glenmorangie's latest collaboration with Maha Bar caught our attention. The scotch label has partnered with the Collingwood bar to celebrate the launch of its new cake-inspired whisky, A Tale of Cake. Designed by Glenmorangie's Director of Whisky Creation Dr Bill Lumsden, A Tale of Cake is aged in dessert wine casks, which gives it a distinct, candy-like flavour. To prove how well this new tipple would pair with a dessert, Glenmorangie had world-famous pastry chef Dominique Ansel (creator of the legendary cronut) design a special dessert to be enjoyed with A Tale of Cake cocktails, dubbed a Caketail. Now, to launch the spirit Down Under, Glenmorangie has done the same here, by teaming up with Maha to create its very own Caketail. The cocktail, designed by bar manager George Leung, pairs the whisky with coconut rum, caramelised pineapple shrub and lemon juice, and is topped with a saffron, coconut, almond and macadamia praline for a sweet, fruity tipple that's perfect on summery days. The dessert, created by Shane Delia, explores those flavours, too. It's a riff on a Middle Eastern basbousa, in which coconut cream is integrated into the traditional orange blossom crème and it's topped with charred pineapple that has been soaked in a Tale of Cake syrup. The end result is an extremely decadent cocktail and cake pairing that's perfect for the summery season. Maha's Caketail cocktail and dessert pairing will be available to order for delivery via Providoor between November 23–December 23. It'll cost $40 for the pairing, or you can order the cocktail only for $26. Images: Parker Blain
Perhaps this is the legacy of being brought up an only child, but half the time I'm walking down the street I'm involved in elaborate daydreams soundtracked by my iPod. This is why audio guides have always held a certain attraction for me, because they have the potential to give you the daydream pre-packaged. Now the French Institute Alliance Française's annual New York-based festival piece Crossing the Line has taken the idea to a completely different level, transforming your run of the mill walking tour into an intrepid adventure merging fact and fiction, with the help of conceptual sound collective, Soundwalk. Crossing the Line leads listeners on an hour and a half's merry journey down New York's Museum Mile. Five writers devised narratives for the new and improved audio guides, inspired by landmarks, objects or the neighbourhood around 5th Avenue, combining authentic and imaginary stories which all aim to answer the question "what do we rely on to determine the truth from fiction?" The tour begins at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, winds its way through the Neue Gallerie and the Guggenheim, and finishes up in Central Park. The narratives are combined with experimental sounds to frame the stories, making the distinction between fiction and reality even more blurry. Available in both French and English, the audio guides can be downloaded individually or as a set from the Soundwalk website. The festival runs through until October 16, but for those of us who have neither the time nor the cash to go for a casual meander through the streets of Manhattan, you can download the audio guides or listen online at the Soundwalk website for a vicarious walking tour aided by the magic of Google Maps. [Via Cool Hunting]
Whatever lunch plans you have for the second week of June, cancel them immediately. To celebrate their first birthday, the legends at New Shanghai are giving out free pan-fried pork buns. And no, that’s not a typo. Free. Gratis. Without cost. As in you don’t have to pay for them. The complimentary parcels of golden brown, piping hot deliciousness will be available between 11am and 12pm on Monday, June 8 through to Thursday, June 11, with regular diners on Thursday also receiving an additional pork bun with every meal, no matter the time of day. No word on if there’s a limit per customer or what happens if they run out, so we’ll be queuing up early with an array of elaborate fake moustaches, just in case. Located on Level 3 of the Emporium Building on Lonsdale Street in the CBD, New Shanghai has done a roaring trade and garnered rave reviews since opening up this time last year — their traditional dumplings have been named some of the best in Melbourne. We even got some lessons in xiao long bao dumping-making from their veteran dim sum chef Yihua Wu back in February — and if this doesn’t make you salivate, then we don’t know what will. New Shanghai’s Melbourne restaurant compliments a number of locations in Sydney, as well as outposts in Brisbane and actual Shanghai. For more information about their pork bun giveaway, visit New Shanghai on Facebook and at their website.
This article is part of our series on the diverse highlights of NZ's Canterbury region, from city to snow. To book your Canterbury trip, visit the 100% Pure New Zealand website. There's nothing quite like a road trip. Even if you're not completely sold on the idea of long hours wedged into the backseat of your friend's Corolla, the high points of a roadie — driving along the highway, windows down, the purpose-made road trip playlist blaring, obviously — definitely outweigh the low ones. Especially when you've got incredible scenery and lots of awe-worthy stops along the way. That's why New Zealand is made for road trips. Not only is it crazy beautiful with a landscape that changes at every turn (right or wrong), it's a country that you can cross in little more than three hours. It's tiny. Unlike Australia, driving around NZ isn't a ridiculous task — everything's compact, and it never takes more than a few hours to get somewhere great. In fact, you probably won't even need to pee on the side of the road once. There are a slew of routes you can take to get right down the North and South Islands, but for an easy drive and a chance to see the most in a short amount of time, take your road trip to Canterbury. The region that includes Christchurch and its surrounds — from Kaikoura all the way down to Timaru and across to the Southern Alps — it boasts a landscape that's so incredibly diverse, it's almost unbelievable. In any one day you can be driving across the plains, through snow-topped mountains and around glaciers — without even leaving the snug confines of the region. So what exactly should you mark on your map? Start in Christchurch and make your way down to the ski region, pull up under the stars at Lake Tekapo and put your hiking boots on at Mount Cook — it's all in our guide to the ultimate Canterbury road trip. Christchurch In Canterbury, Christchurch is your best base. It's New Zealand's second biggest city so you can get a direct flight with Air New Zealand from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne for a coupla hundred bucks. It's choice. From the airport, pick up your ride and head into the city — it's a simple enough drive and, bonus, road rules are basically the same for Australians. It just gets a bit tricky (read: impossible) once you hit the city centre, as a heap of roads are either one-way or closed and lanes are defined by a small army of witches hats. Christchurch is a city rebuilding, but that doesn't mean there's not a lot happening. The locals here are making it work, and it's incredible to see how they're reinventing the city as their own. You'd be best to take a full day here — two if you can — to eat, drink, see and learn. The CBD isn't that big, so you can easily walk from breakfast at Black Betty to the Re:START shipping container mall and the Christchurch Art Gallery. Make sure you take a walk to the Botanic Gardens (they're the third biggest city gardens in the world, behind New York and Munich) and head over to New Regent Street for dinner and then a drink in the Christchurch's cosiest whiskey bar, The Last Word. The surrounding suburbs have it going on too, so, seeing as you've got wheels, head out to The Tannery shopping precinct in Woolston and picturesque port town Lyttleton. Stay: The George, 50 Park Terrace, Christchurch Central, thegeorge.com Methven Whether you have a carload of ski bunnies or not, Methven is the perfect little ski town to stop off at once you leave Christchurch. Just an hour or so out of the city, Methven sits near the base of Mt Hutt, so it's teeming with ski pros and staff that work up on the mountain. They frequent the Blue Pub and the Brown Pub — they sit opposite each other on the main street, it's all very quaint — and The Last Post of an evening, all of which house fireplaces, hearty dishes and lots of booze. And you'll need all of these things if you do or don't decide to go skiing up at Mt Hutt. You are? A shuttle picks up skiers from most hotels each morning (no need to book) and will bring you back down in the afternoon. Just be warned: the drive up is unsealed and unnerving as hell if it's your first time. Not heading up the mountain? There are plenty of walks you can do around the area, and thanks to the cooperation of local farmers, some of them pass through some very pretty private land. Just don't forget your beanie. Stay: Ski Time Lodge, 39 Racecourse Road, Methven, skitime.co.nz Lake Tekapo When you've had enough of skiing (or sitting by the fire in the pub), it's onward to Lake Tekapo. If you haven't seen photos of Tekapo, refrain from doing so before your trip — it'll make your first sighting even better. The water in this lake is the bluest of blue, so much so that I'd be inclined to say it was magic if someone didn't tell me that it comes from the reflective rock flour that gets ground into the lake by the glacier that feeds it. Whatever the reason though, this place has snow-topped mountains bordering the lake and the adorable Church of the Good Shepherd sitting on it's shores, and it's stunning. In winter it's covered in a blanket of snow, and later in the year it's blooming with lupins — you really can't lose. Spend a day or two hiking up Mt John, stargazing, bathing in the hot pools or sipping wine by the fire. Have a look at our Tekapo itinerary for deets. Stay: Peppers Bluewater Resort, State Highway 8, Lake Tekapo, peppers.co.nz/bluewater or the YHA Lake Tekapo for some great indoor views of the lake, 3 Simpson Lane, Lake Tekapo, yha.co.nz Mount Cook In a country full of really big mountains, you know that the biggest one of the lot of going to be massive. So, yes, Mount Cook (also known as Aoraki) is really, really big. If you know what you're looking at you can even see it from Tekapo, but it's worth getting up close. Take State Highway 8 and stop along the banks of Lake Pukaki — it's even bigger than Tekapo and there's a salmon shop with some incredibly fresh smoked salmon that comes straight from the salmon farms that are dotted around Canterbury's canals. (Just make sure you get at least two servings because that stuff is seriously good.) From there you head around the blue oasis of Pukaki and up towards Mount Cook. The township is tiny, but there's plenty of accommodation as plenty of people come here to hike and do heli-skiing and other adventurous things. So unless you're an experienced hiker, you won't be climbing to the summit of this big boy, but there's a whole heap of walks you can do, whether you want to be walking for an hour or a whole day. It's best to drive up to the car park of Aoraki/Mount Cook National Reserve and take it from there; you'll get some sweet views from Kea Point and the Hooker River swing bridge without even having to venture too far. Christchurch Round off your road trip by heading back to Christchurch. It's the longest stretch at about four hours, but it will be a welcome excuse to stay stationary if there's been hiking involved. If you do have an extra day or two in the city and want to get a feel of the Canterbury Plains, take a drive out to Arthur's Pass — it's one of the most scenic you can do. Or else, book yourself in for jetboating (it's something of a national pastime here) on the Waimak Gorge or four wheel driving over Mt Torlesse Station through Alpine Safaris. Both give you some killer views that you wouldn't be able to get without their help.
In the 17 years that Gelato Messina has been in business, over 4000 special flavours have made their way through its 20 gelato cabinets around the country. To celebrate some of these oldies but goodies, Messina is dedicating an entire weekend to its top 40 greatest hits. From July 27–28, lucky Melburnians will be able to treat themselves to an entire cabinet worth of limited-edition gelato flavours. The deal will only be available at the Fitzroy store, where none of the classic flavours will be available. Instead, expect specials like the Just Like a Milkshake and Have a Gay Old Time. You'll definitely get to taste the Jon Snow (white chocolate gelato with dark chocolate mud cake and almond praline), the Fairy Bread (toast and butter gelato with 100s & 1000s) and the Robert Brownie Jnr (milk chocolate gelato, chocolate brownie and chocolate fudge sauce). Also making the cut is red velvet cheesecake number and peanut butter gelato with chocolate brownie and dulce de leche. Messina took suggestions for the whole 40-flavour lineup, which means that some of your own favourites might've made the list. Here's the full rundown — happy eating: Fairy Bread Montgomery's Goldmine Caramel Cheesecake Hodor Just Like A Milkshake Dark Side Tanti Baci Oreogasm Mango Pancake Pavlova Twixed Goregeous Dave True Romance Cremino Bishop's Banana Lady Of Winterfell The Boss's Wife Drop It Like White Choc Hello Sailor Lamington Sticky First Date Alfajores Ramsay Bolton Yuzu Sorbet Cinnie Bunstein Mamma's Cheesecake Finger Bun Red Wedding Coco Loco Lychee Sorbet Robert Brownie Jr. Have A Gay Old Time Jon Snow Nyc Breakfast In Canberra A Salt On The Senses Dr. Evil Number Two Chocolate Hazelnut Tiramisu Iron Born Gelato Messina's Greatest Hits will be available from July 27–28 at Melbourne's Fitzroy (237 Smith Street) store. Only the top 40 specials will be available from 12pm until sold out — no classic flavours and no Deliveroo.
If you didn't know that Jordan Peele was involved with HBO series Lovecraft Country, it really wouldn't take you long to guess. As based on the novel of the same name, the horror-drama steps back to 50s-era America, to a time of segregation, and into the life of Atticus 'Tic' Freeman (Jonathan Majors). He has returned from the Korean War, is trying to track down his missing father (Michael K Williams), and soon finds himself surrounded by monsters of the fantastical and very real kind. Yes, as he did so impressively in Get Out and Us, Peele once again examines the historical and current treatment of Black Americans through an unflinching and unsettling genre lens. He's Lovecraft Country's executive producer, rather than taking on writing or directing duties, but this is another exceptional, thematically powerful and visually engaging addition to his resume.
Moosejaw, an online shop that sells outdoor recreational apparel, has created the X-Ray Catalog App, available at their website. Once the app is downloaded, the user holds their smartphone over photos of models sporting ski parkas and other fairly unsexy items, only to see the app 'strip' them through the use of augmented reality technology, revealing what they are wearing underneath their clothes. It's true that a lot more people (probably men) are suddenly going to be a lot more interested in this catalogue. If you wanted to look at soft porn in a public place or avoid embarrassment when your mum finds your stash under the bed - she'll just think you really love camping - this technology might just hold the answer. Or maybe it's about giving people the chance to feel as if they have superhero skills. Either way, if you see people reading the catalogue on the train with a little too much interest, you can either tsk them or give them a knowing wink, depending on whether you think this is creepy or brilliant.
How are you planning to spend gravy day in 2023? If you'll be listening to Paul Kelly sing about making gravy when it's the 21st of December, that's understandable. How are you planning to spend gravy day in 2024? Here's our suggestion: watching the movie How to Make Gravy, which is indeed adapted from Kelly's Christmas classic tune 'How to Make Gravy'. News that the flick was coming first dropped in 2022, with musician Meg Washington and writer/director Nick Waterman announcing that they'd locked in the rights to make the song into a film. Now, Australian streaming platform Binge has revealed that it's behind the movie, which will mark its first-ever original feature. Production has also started head of a planned 2024 release. Set to star: The Royal Hotel co-stars Daniel Henshall and Hugo Weaving, as well as Brenton Thwaites (Titans), Damon Herriman (now that he's no longer playing Charles Manson in both Mindhunter and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and Kate Mulvany (The Clearing) among the homegrown talents. Joining them is French actor Agathe Rousselle from Titane, who'll be making her first English-language film. Will Kelly feature? More cast members are still to be revealed, but cameos by Adam Briggs and Dallas Woods have been announced so far. Filming is currently underway on the Gold Coast. The exact story that the movie will tell hasn't been unveiled as yet; however, as anyone who knows the words to 'How to Make Gravy' by heart and is currently singing them right now while they're reading this is well aware, Kelly's tune tells a tale itself, starting with a prisoner called Joe who writes to his brother Dan. Presumably, Stella, Frank and Dolly will all also feature, and Rita, Roger, Mary and her new boyfriend. Junior Murvin will have to pop up on the soundtrack, of course. Also, the words "and give my love to Angus" better get uttered — or would it really be a How to Make Gravy movie? Although Binge hasn't advised exactly when in 2024 the film will release, either, you could probably put money on it hitting screens on or around December 21 to start a new gravy day tradition. (And, given the character of Joe also pops up in other Kelly songs such as 'To Her Door' and 'Love Never Runs On Time', cross your fingers that we're about to get a PKCU — Paul Kelly cinematic universe — too.) "It's a dream to be working with such an incredible cast and crew on our debut feature film. It's testament to Paul's songwriting that the world and characters within the song are so vivid, and we are proud to have the honour of bringing it to life," said Waterman and Washington. "It's a uniquely Australian story, made for film lovers and music fans alike. We can't wait to share our adaptation of 'How to Make Gravy' with the world." There's no trailer for the movie yet, of course, but here's the music video for the song. How to Make Gravy, the movie, doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when further details are announced. Via Variety.
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. 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 eight you can watch right now at home. NOBODY As both a comedian and a dramatic actor, Bob Odenkirk has earned a lifetime's worth of well-deserved praise. Writing for Saturday Night Live and starring in Mr Show with Bob and David each sit on his resume, as does his pivotal part in Breaking Bad and lead role in the exceptional Better Call Saul. But in Nobody, Odenkirk highlights a facet of his work that's easy to overlook. Jumping into a new genre, he makes viewers realise a truth that cuts to the heart of his talents. Every actor wants to be the person that can't be replaced, and to turn in the type of performances that no one can emulate; however, only the very best, including Odenkirk, manage exactly that. A movie so forged from the John Wick mould that it's penned by the same screenwriter — and boasts the first film's co-director David Leitch (Atomic Blonde) as a producer, too — Nobody could've featured any existing action go-to. It could've been an easy knockoff of well-known hit, joining the swathe of direct-to-video and -streaming titles that use that very template. It could've given Bruce Willis his next role to sleepwalk through, added yet another Taken-style thriller to Liam Neeson's resume or proven one of Nicolas Cage's more straightforward vehicles of late. Thankfully, though, Nobody is all about the ever-watchable Odenkirk and his peerless and compelling ability to play slippery characters. When Nobody begins, Hutch Mansell's (Odenkirk) life has become such a routine that his weeks all unfurl in the same fashion. Plodding through a sexless marriage to real estate agent Becca (Connie Nielsen, Wonder Woman 1984), and barely paid any notice by his teenage son Blake (Gage Munroe, Guest of Honour) and younger daughter Abby (debutant Paisley Cadorath), he catches public transport to his manufacturing company job every weekday, always puts the bins out too late for the garbage truck on Tuesday mornings, and usually earns little more than polite smiles from his family while he's cooking them breakfast that they fail to eat. Then, the Mansells' suburban home is randomly burgled. Hutch confronts the thieves in the act, has a chance to swing a golf club their way, yet holds back. But when Abby notices that her beloved cat bracelet is missing in the aftermath, he decides to take action — a choice that leads him to an unrelated bus filled with obnoxious guys hassling a female passenger, and eventually sees unhinged Russian mobster Yulian Kuznetsov (Aleksey Serebryakov, Leviathan) threatening everything that Hutch holds dear. Nobody is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. WRATH OF MAN With revenge thriller Wrath of Man, filmmaker Guy Ritchie (The Gentlemen) and actor Jason Statham (The Meg) reunite. The pair both came to fame with Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, repeated the feat with Snatch, then unsuccessfully tried again with Revolver, but they've spend the past 16 years heading in their own directions. During that stretch, the former subjected the world to his terrible Sherlock Holmes films, fared better with left-field additions to his resume like The Man From UNCLE and Aladdin, but didn't quite know what to do with King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. The latter has become an action go-to over the same time — with both forgettable and memorable flicks resulting, including three Fast and Furious movies and a stint scowling at Dwayne Johnson in the franchise's odd-couple spinoff Hobbs & Shaw. Thankfully, now that they're collaborating again, they're not just interested in rehashing their shared past glories. From Wrath of Man's first moments, with its tense, droning score, its high-strung mood and its filming of an armoured van robbery from inside the vehicle, a relentlessly grim tone is established. When Statham shows up shortly afterwards, he's firmly in stoic mode, too. He does spout a few quippy lines, and Ritchie once again unfurls his narrative by jumping between different people, events and time periods, but Lock, Stock Again or Snatch Harder this isn't. Instead, Wrath of Man is a remake of 2004 French film Le Convoyeur. While walking in someone else's shoes turned out horrendously for Ritchie with the Madonna-starring Swept Away, that isn't the case with this efficient, effective and engaging crime-fuelled effort, which finds its niche — and it's a new one for its central duo, at least together. Statham plays Patrick Hill, the newest employee at the Los Angeles-based cash truck company Fortico Securities. On his first day, his colleague Bullet (Holt McCallany, Mindhunter) dubs him H — "like the bomb, or Jesus H," he says — and the nickname quickly sticks. H joins the outfit a few months after the aforementioned holdup, with the memory of the two coworkers and civilian killed in the incident still fresh in everyone's minds. So, when gunmen interrupt his first post-training run with Bullet and Boy Sweat Dave (Josh Hartnett, Penny Dreadful), they're unsurprisingly jumpy; however, H deals with the situation with lethal efficiency. Cue glowing praise from Fortico's owner (Rob Delaney, Tom & Jerry), concern from his by-the-book manager (Eddie Marsan, Vice) and intrigue about his past from the rest of the team (such as Angel Has Fallen's Rocci Williams and Calm with Horses' Niamh Algar). Wrath of Man is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. SPIRAL: FROM THE BOOK OF SAW With Spiral: From the Book of Saw, what came first: the decision to call its protagonist Ezekiel, or the casting of Samuel L Jackson as said character's father? Either way, the film's creative team must've felt mighty pleased with themselves; getting the Pulp Fiction actor to utter the name that's been synonymous with his bible-quoting, Quentin Tarantino-penned monologue for more than a quarter-century doesn't happen by accident. What now four-time franchise director Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II, Saw III and Saw IV) and Jigsaw screenwriters Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger mightn't have realised, though, is just how clumsily this choice comes across. The Saw series has made almost a billion dollars at the worldwide box office, but now it's resorting to winking and nodding to one of its latest stars' past movies. Perhaps Bousman and company didn't notice because almost everything about Spiral feels that forced, awkward, clunky and badly thought-out. Jackson and Chris Rock might gift the long-running franchise a couple of high-profile new faces; however, this ostensible reboot is exactly as derivative as you'd expect of the ninth instalment in a 17-year-old shock- and gore-driven saga. Focusing on a wisecracking, gung-ho, about-to-be-divorced police detective known for exposing his dirty colleagues, Spiral tries to coil the series in a different direction, at least superficially — and pretends to have meaty matters on its mind. Ezekiel 'Zeke' Banks (Rock, The Witches) has been crusading for honesty, integrity, fairness and honour in law enforcement for years. Starting back when his now-retired dad Marcus (Jackson, Death to 2020) was the precinct's chief, he's been vilified by his peers for his efforts. When a killer appears to be targeting rotten cops, too, Zeke is desperate to lead the case. Initially, he just wants to avenge the death of the first victim, one of the only co-workers he called a friend, but he's soon trying to track down a murderer that seems to be following in franchise villain Jigsaw's footsteps. A lone wolf-type not by choice but necessity, Banks also happens to be saddled with a rookie partner (Max Minghella, The Handmaid's Tale) as he attempts to stop the bodies from piling up. Spiral: From the Book of Saw is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. THE UNITED STATES VS BILLIE HOLIDAY More than 80 years after it was first sung and heard, Billie Holiday's 'Strange Fruit' still isn't easily forgotten. Drawn from a poem penned to protest lynchings, it's meant to shock and haunt. It's designed to galvanise and mobilise, too, as drawing attention to the extrajudicial killings of Black Americans should. Indeed, so vivid is the song in its language — "Black bodies swingin' in the southern breeze" describes the third line — US authorities demanded that Holiday stop performing it. She refused repeatedly, so there were repercussions. Concerned that the track would spark change, inspire Holiday's fans to fight for civil rights and justice, and perhaps motivate riots against against oppression and discrimination as well, the US Treasury Department's Federal Bureau of Narcotics went after the musician for her drug use. If it couldn't get her to cease crooning the controversial tune via other means, such as overt warnings and a prominent police presence at her shows, it'd do whatever it could to keep her from reaching the stage night after night. With Andra Day (Marshall) turning in an intense, impassioned, career-defining portrayal as its eponymous figure (and in her first lead film role, too), so tells The United States vs Billie Holiday, the latest Oscar-nominated biopic to step through its namesake's life. Back in 1972, Lady Sings the Blues loosely adapted Holiday's autobiography of the same name, enlisting Diana Ross to play the singer — but, in taking inspiration instead from Johann Hari's non-fiction book Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs, this latest big-screen vision of the music icon's story adopts its own angle. Holiday's troubled childhood and youth has its part in this tale, which is scripted for the screen by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks. Her addiction, and the personal woes that she tried to blot out, clearly don't escape filmmaker Lee Daniels' (The Butler) attention, either. But The United States vs Billie Holiday also falls in alongside Seberg, MLK/FBI and Judas and the Black Messiah in interrogating bleak truths about mid-20th century America. In a film that manages to be both rousing and standard, that includes surveying the misplaced priorities of its government during multiple administrations, and the blatant determination shown by an array of agencies under various presidents to undermine, persecute and silence those considered a supposedly un-American threat to the status quo. The United States vs Billie Holiday is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and Amazon Video. Read our full review. THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD A smokejumper stationed to a Montana watchtower, plagued by past traumas and forced to help a teenage boy evade hired killers, Those Who Wish Me Dead's Hannah Faber actually first debuted on the page. Watching Angelina Jolie bring the whisky-swilling, no-nonsense, one of the boys-type figure to the screen, it's easy to assume otherwise. The part doesn't quite feel as if it was written specifically for the smouldering movie star, though. Rather, it seems like the kind of role that might've been penned with Liam Neeson or Denzel Washington in mind — see: this year's The Marksman for the former, and 2004's Man on Fire for the latter — then flipped, gender-wise, to gift Jolie a new star vehicle. On the one hand, let's be thankful that that's not how this character came about. Kudos to author Michael Koryta, who also co-writes the screenplay here based on his 2016 novel, for conjuring up Hannah to begin with. But on the other hand, it's never a great sign when a female protagonist plays like a grab bag of stock-standard macho hero traits, just dressed up in a shapelier guise. It has been six years since Jolie has stepped into a mere mortal's shoes — since 2015's By the Sea, which she wrote and directed — and she leaves no doubt that Hannah is flesh and blood. There's still an iciness to the firefighter, and she still has the actor's cheekbones and pout, but Maleficent, she isn't. She's bruised, internally, by a fire that got away and left a body count. After hanging out with her colleagues, parachuting out of cars and brooding in her tower, she's soon physically in harm's way as well. As Those Who Wish Me Dead's plot gets her to this juncture, it also cuts back and forth between forensic accountant Owen Casserly (Jake Weber, Midway) and his son Connor (Finn Little, Angel of Mine), plus assassins Patrick and Jack (The Great's Nicholas Hoult and Game of Thrones' Aiden Gillen). Thanks to a treasure trove of incriminating evidence against important people that no one was ever supposed to find, these two duos are on a collision course. When they do cross paths — while Owen is trying to take Connor to stay with Ethan (Jon Bernthal, The Peanut Butter Falcon), his brother-in-law, a sheriff's deputy and one of Hannah's colleagues — it also nudges the boy into the smokejumper's orbit. Those Who Wish Me Dead is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. LOCKED DOWN Sparked by the pandemic, lockdown films aren't just an exercise in adapting to stay-at-home conditions — or a way to keep actors, directors and other industry professionals busy and working at a challenging time. The genre also provides a window into how the creatives behind its flicks view everyday life and ordinary people. Arising from a global event that's placed many of the planet's inhabitants in similar circumstances, these features tell us which stories filmmakers deem worth telling, which visions of normality they choose to focus on and who they think is living an average life. With Malcolm & Marie, a hotshot young director and an ex-addict were the only options offered. In Language Lessons, which premiered at this year's virtual Berlin Film Festival, a wealthy widower and a Spanish teacher were the movie's two choices. Now Locked Down directs its attention towards a CEO and a courier, the latter of which stresses that he's only in the gig because his criminal record has robbed him of other opportunities. Yes, these films and their characters speak volumes about how Hollywood perceives its paying customers. That's not the only thing that Locked Down says. Directed by Doug Liman (Chaos Walking) and scripted by Steven Knight (Locke), this romantic comedy-meets-heist flick is verbose to a farcical degree — awkwardly rather than purposefully. The repetitive and grating misfire is primarily comprised of monologues, Zoom calls and bickering between its central couple. Well-off Londoners Linda (Anne Hathaway, The Witches) and Paxton (Chiwetel Ejiofor, The Old Guard) are weeks into 2020's first lockdown, and their ten-year relationship has become a casualty. Whether chatting to each other or virtually with others, both commit a torrent of words to the subject. Linda has decided they're done, which Paxton has trouble accepting. She's also unhappy with her high-flying job, especially after she's forced to fire an entire team online, but gets scolded by her boss (Ben Stiller, Brad's Status) for not telling her now-sacked colleagues they're still like family. Tired of driving a van, Paxton is willing to do whatever his employer (Ben Kingsley, Life) needs to climb his way up the ladder. That said, he's still tied to the road, with the ex-rebel's decision to sell his beloved motorbike — a symbol of his wilder youth, and its fun, freedom and risks — hitting hard. Locked Down is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. GREAT WHITE When a giant shark chomps its way through the cinematic ocean, audiences are meant to side with its scared human prey. But some creature features give viewers multiple reasons to do the opposite — and to find their own way to liven up a dull and formulaic movie. Perhaps the film's non-fish characters are woefully one-note or unlikeable, or both. Maybe the script is so simplistic, even in a well-worn genre, that a shark munching random keys on a typewriter probably could've written something better. Or, it could be that every plot development, performance, visual, and score choice is so overwhelmingly predictable that tension is as rare as a vegan great white. Actually, there's no maybes about any of the last three statements when it comes to horror's latest shark-centric outing, which turns Queensland's waters into a buffet for a ravenous critter. Great White marks the feature debut of director Martin Wilson, and only the second movie script for screenwriter Michael Boughen (Dying Breed); however, that its producers have 2010 Aussie shark film The Reef and its now-in-production sequel The Reef: Stalked on their resumes — plus homegrown 2007 crocodile flick Black Water and its 2020 sequel Black Water: Abyss — will surprise absolutely no one. Great White's setup will be familiar to anyone who has even heard of a shark movie before, let alone watched one. The twist: despite reassurances by marine biologist-turned-seaplane pilot Charlie (Aaron Jakubenko, Tidelands) that the time just isn't right for teeth-gnashing ocean predators to fill their empty stomachs, climate change seems to have changed the titular species' habits. So, on a lucrative charter gig that'll help keep his business financially afloat, Charlie, his girlfriend Kaz (Katrina Bowden, 30 Rock), their cook Benny (Te Kohe Tuhaka, Love and Monsters), and their paying customers Joji (Tim Kano, Neighbours) and Michelle (Kimie Tsukakoshi, The Family Law) find themselves under threat. They've headed to a remote island of personal significance to Michelle, and Joji is clashing with Benny before they even spot the resident great white's last victim. To ramp up the stakes, Kaz is telling Charlie that she's pregnant, too. Quickly, the quintet become the creature's next targets, including while cast adrift in a life raft that could use Life of Pi's Richard Parker for company. Just as speedily, Great White's audience will wish that something — anything — that hasn't previously graced Jaws, The Shallows, 47 Metres Down or even The Meg's frames would happen in this thrill-free bob into been-there, done-that waters. Great White is available to stream via iTunes. THE UNHOLY The Exorcist was not an easy movie to make, as exceptional documentary Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist made clear. But over the past four decades, the horror masterpiece has proven a very easy film to emulate again and again — or, to try to ape in anything that pairs religion and scares, at least. Copying it is nowhere near the same as matching it, of course. That's especially the case when most one-note flicks that attempt the feat simply think that crosses, creepy females and stilted, unnatural body movements are all that it takes. The Unholy is the latest example, to uninspired, unengaging, unoriginal, unconvincing and thoroughly unsurprising results. Adapted from the 1983 James Herbert novel Shrine by seasoned screenwriter turned first-time feature director Evan Spiliotopoulos (Charlie's Angels, Beauty and the Beast, The Huntsman: Winter's War), the movie's premise has promise: what if a site of a supposed vision of the Virgin Mary and subsequent claimed miracles, such as Lourdes in France and Fatima in Portugal, was targeted by a sinister spirit instead? But, despite also boasting the always-charismatic Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead) as its lead, all that eventuates here is a dull, derivative and not even remotely unsettling shocker of a horror flick. The fact that The Evil Dead and Drag Me to Hell's Sam Raimi is one of its producers delivers The Unholy's biggest scare. Looking constantly perplexed but still proving one of the best things about the film, Morgan plays disgraced journalist Gerry Fenn. After losing his fame and acclaim when he was caught fabricating stories, he now makes $150 per assignment chasing the slightest of flimsy supernatural leads. His current line of work brings him to the small Massachusetts town inhabited by Father Hagan (William Sadler, Bill & Ted Face the Music) and his niece Alice (Cricket Brown, Dukeland), the latter of whom is deaf. Thanks to a barren tree, a creepy doll, an eerie chapter of history and a strange run-in with Gerry, however, she can soon suddenly hear and speak. She says that can see the Virgin Mary, too. Swiftly, word about her story catches the church, media and public's attention. Even if Spiliotopoulos had kept the novel's title, it'd remain obvious that all isn't what it seems — the film starts nearly two centuries ago with a woman being burned alive at the aforementioned tree, so nothing here is subtle. But instead of pairing an exploration of the dangers of having faith without question with demonic bumps and jumps, The Unholy embraces cliches with the same passion that satan stereotypically has for fire. The cheap-looking visuals, Cary Elwes' (Black Christmas) wavering accent and the bored look on co-star Katie Aselton's (Synchronic) face hardly help, either. The Unholy is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and Amazon Video. Looking for more at-home viewing options? Here's our list of movies fast-tracked from cinemas to streaming back in May — and you can also check out our monthly streaming recommendations across new straight-to-digital films and TV shows.
Fancy yourself a heist film? Well, take a load of this one. Think Ocean's Eleven, but without the tuxedos and flashy casinos. Logan Lucky takes you down to the American south, the home of NASCAR in North Carolina. Steven Soderbergh, of the Ocean's movies and Magic Mike, pairs Channing Tatum and Adam Driver as two brothers eager to break a 90-year family curse in the soon-to-be-released heist-comedy. The film follows Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) and Clyde Logan (Adam Driver) as they plot to steal from NASCAR's Charlotte Motor Speedway. With help from their friends, the so-called 'Redneck Robbers', the Logan brothers set out to pinch themselves $14million from the race. The film has already garnered positive reviews from critics, especially with a stellar cast also including Riley Keough, Seth MacFarlane, Hilary Swank, Katie Holmes and Daniel Craig, taking on a very different role to his iconic James Bond as an escaped inmate. Logan Lucky releases on August 17, and we have double passes to giveaway in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eqC27nxHJ4[/embed] [competition]630960[/competition]
No trip to Tokyo is complete without a visit to Shinjuku's Godzilla head, which towers down on the popular district from Hotel Gracery Shinjuku. If you're a fan of the King of the Monsters, you'll now need to add another stop to your next Japanese itinerary once international travel resumes: amusement park Nijigen no Mori, on Awaji Island in Hyogo prefecture. First announced in 2019 and open for business since October 10, 2020, the theme park has just become home to a life-sized version of the scaly creature — even if Godzilla's actual size has changed over the course of its 65-year history. The kaiju was 50 metres tall in the 1954 Japanese classic that started the long-running monster franchise, and measured nearly 120 metres in the most recent US film. In 2017's animated Netflix flick Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters, it even spanned a whopping 300 metres. At Nijigen no Mori, good ol' Zilly measures 120 metres, and that's in length. You'll find Godzilla on its stomach, mouth open and presumably roaring, with amusement park patrons able to zipline into it. Usually folks are trying to avoid the huge creature and his fire-breathing gob, but that's obviously not the case here. https://www.instagram.com/p/CGCs7IWHRNu/ Called Godzilla Intercept Operation National Godzilla Awajishima Research Centre, the attraction is part of a 5000-square-metre zone dedicated to the famed critter, asking attendees to take on the role of island scientists. In that guise, the ziplining occurs in the name of science, because the huge beast has become trapped in the earth. Shooting games are also part of the Godzilla zone, and so is Zilly-themed food. If you haven't tucked into hot dogs, curries, burgers and cream puffs shaped like Godzilla, Mothra and their fellow kaiju, well, you clearly can't really call yourself a true Godzilla fan. Nijigen no Mori also now boasts a Godzilla museum, which is the world's first permanent exhibition dedicated to the scaly creature. Here, you'll find dioramas, props from the films and over 80 monster figures, as well as prototypes, artwork and other movie materials. And yes, there's merchandise for sale, naturally. Also, if you're wondering which Zilly this giant one resembles — Godzilla's appearance has often changed from film to film, too — it's the version of the lizard-style gargantuan from 2016 Japanese movie Shin Godzilla. If Godzilla Intercept Operation National Godzilla Awajishima Research Centre is now on your post-pandemic must-visit list, entry costs ¥3800, which equates to just over AU$50. For more information about Godzilla Intercept Operation National Godzilla Awajishima Research Centre, which is now open, visit the Nijigen no Mori website. Via Nijigen no Mori. Images: Nijigen no Mori.
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to watching anything, we're here to help. From the latest and greatest to old favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue from December (yes, we're assuming you've already watched Sound of Metal, Mank and The Flight Attendant). BRAND NEW STUFF TO WATCH https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ord7gP151vk MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM Chadwick Boseman, Oscar-winner. That combination of words is very likely to become a posthumous reality for the late, great actor, thanks to his last screen role. Boseman is just that phenomenal in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. He has earned that term before in Get on Up, Black Panther and Da 5 Bloods, but his performance in this stage-to-screen production is such a powerhouse effort that it's like watching a cascading waterfall drown out almost everything around it. He plays trumpeter Levee Green, who is part of the eponymous Ma Rainey's (Viola Davis, Widows) band. On a 1920s day, the always-nattering, big-dreaming musician joins Ma — who isn't just a fictional character, and was known as the Mother of Blues — and the rest of his colleagues for a recording session. Temperatures and tempers rise in tandem in the Chicago studio, with Levee and Ma rarely seeing eye to eye on any topic. Davis is in thundering, hot-blooded form, while Colman Domingo (If Beale Street Could Talk) and Glynn Turman (Fargo) also leave a firm impression. It's impossible take your eyes off of the slinkily magnetic Boseman though, as would prove the case even if he was still alive to see the film's release. Adapting the play of the same name by August Wilson (Fences), director George C. Wolfe (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks) lets Boseman farewell the screen with one helluva bang. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7X0O9lZ_jQ WOLFWALKERS From FernGully: the Last Rainforest to Moana — and including everything from Studio Ghibli's Pom Poko and Princess Mononoke to Pixar's Wall-E, too — many an animated movie has combined eye-catching frames with an important message about the environment. Irish film Wolfwalkers joins the pile and rockets to the top, thanks to one of the most visually and emotionally enchanting features of the year. Story-wise, it follows young wannabe hunter Robyn Goodfellowe (Honor Kneafsey, The Bookshop). In a tale set centuries ago, she moves to Ireland with her father Bill (Sean Bean, Snowpiercer) when he's hired to eradicate the last wolf pack lurking in the woods. The locals, as overseen by an English Lord Protector (Simon McBurney, The Loudest Voice), want to wipe out the wolves so that they can tear down the forest in the name of progress. But, after sneaking out to go exploring, Robyn befriends a girl called Mebh (feature first-timer Eva Whittaker) who just might be a member of a mythical tribe that's able to shapeshift into the creatures while they're dreaming. As well as a rousing eco-conscious narrative, Wolfwalkers delivers distinctive and delightful animation. Expect earthy, natural colours, with greens, browns, oranges and yellows dancing across the screen. Expect a line-heavy visual style, too, which is almost reminiscent of woodblock prints. And, expect another all-round beauty from co-director Tomm Moore, who also helmed the Oscar-nominated and equally beautiful duo The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea. Wolfwalkers is available to stream via Apple TV+. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAveuCPBYSw I'M YOUR WOMAN Normally, when a criminal's latest job takes a turn for the worst for whatever reason, the film that tells their tale follows their part in the aftermath. I'm Your Woman isn't that movie. It looks like that kind of feature. It resembles one with exacting precision. But that isn't the narrative that's on offer here, and refreshingly so. Directed and co-written by Julia Hart (Fast Colour) with such a supreme handling of style, story and genre, this is a 70s-esque crime affair, but it focuses on Jean (Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel), the wife of a thief who has gone missing after a big score goes south. The aggrieved gangsters chasing her husband are also unlikely to be kind to Jean and her baby, so she's whisked off into hiding in the middle of the night with zero notice. That's a drastic change that she's unprepared to cope with — but, with help from the her spouse's ex-acquaintance Cal (Arinzé Kene, How to Build a Girl), she also discovers that she's far more resilient than she thinks. Compelling from the moment it opens with Jean clad in a magenta robe, add I'm Your Woman to the pile of movies that serves up a big shift in a familiar genre (see also: Sylvie's Love below), and does so in a spectacular fashion. I'm Your Woman is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcqItifbNUA SMALL AXE British filmmaker Steve McQueen hasn't directed a bad movie — and, dropping five new features as part of the Small Axe anthology, that isn't changing now. The director of Hunger, Shame, 12 Years a Slave and Widows gifts viewers a quintet of films that are as exceptional as anything he's ever made, with every entry in this new series taking place in England, in the 60s, 70s and 80s, with London's West Indian community at its centre. The first, Mangrove, tells an infuriating true tale about a police campaign to target a Caribbean restaurant in Notting Hill. From there, Lovers Rock spends time at a house party as two attendees dance into each other's orbits, and Red, White and Blue follows a young forensic scientist who decides to join the force to change it from the inside. Next, Alex Wheatle explores the life of the award-winning writer of the same name, while Education unpacks unofficial moves to segregate children of colour in schools. There's no weak link here — only stunning, stirring, standout cinema that tells blistering tales about Black London residents doing everything it takes to resist their racist treatment. Every film is sumptuously shot, too, thanks to cinematographer Shabier Kirchner (Bull), and the cast spans everyone from Lost in Space's Shaun Parkes and Black Panther's Letitia Wright to Star Wars' John Boyega. All five Small Axe films are available to stream via Binge. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs--6c7Hn_A SOUL Released earlier in 2020, Onward definitely wasn't Pixar's best film — but Soul, its straight-to-streaming latest movie, instantly contends for the title. The beloved animation studio has always excelled when it takes big leaps. Especially now, 25 years into its filmmaking tenure, its features prove particularly enchanting when they're filled with surprises (viewers have become accustomed to seeing toys, fish, rats and robots have feelings, after all). On paper, Soul initially seems similar to Inside Out, but switching in souls for emotions. It swaps in voice work by Tina Fey for Amy Poehler, too, and both movies are helmed by director Peter Docter, so there's more than one reason for the comparison. But to the delight of viewers of all ages, Soul is a smart, tender and contemplative piece of stunning filmmaking all on its own terms. It's Pixar at its most existential, and with a strikingly percussive soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross to further help it stand out. At its centre sits aspiring jazz musician-turned-music teacher Joe (Jamie Foxx, Just Mercy). Just as he's about to get his big break, he falls down a manhole, his soul leaves his body, and he's desperate to get back to chase his dreams. But that's not how things work, and he's saddled with mentoring apathetic and cynical soul 22 (the always hilarious Fey) in his quest to reclaim his life. Soul is available to stream via Disney+ from Friday, December 25. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmXPgbrI2tU FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL Mindy Kaling knows a thing or two about romantic comedies. For six seasons between 2012–17, she made an entertaining and often also very amusing TV sitcom that paid tribute to them in a big way, with her on-screen character frequently navigating situations that referenced plenty of classic flicks. To do just that, Kaling has clearly watched a plethora of rom-coms in her time — and she's the perfect person to turn the Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell-starring early 90s favourite Four Weddings and a Funeral into a new and updated show. First, a word of (very obvious) warning: the ten-episode miniseries that results won't dislodge the original movie as your favourite version of the type of tale. That said, it's pleasant, extremely watchable (and bingeable), and makes enough twists to the premise to carve its own niche. It's also nicely cast, featuring Game of Thrones' Nathalie Emmanuel, plus Rebecca Rittenhouse (The Mindy Project), Brandon Mychal Smith (You're the Worst) and John Reynolds (Search Party), as some of the folks involved in four ceremonies celebrating nuptials, and one farewell. Four Weddings and a Funeral is available to stream via Stan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbjakuJZgww SYLVIE'S LOVE The year is 1957 when Sylvie (Tessa Thompson, Westworld) and Robert (Nnamdi Asomugha, Hello, My Name Is Doris) meet in Harlem. She's working in her father's record store, he asks about the 'help wanted' sign in the window, and her dad (Lance Reddick, John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum) gives him the job. The already-engaged Sylvie wants to be a TV producer, a dream everyone thinks is out of reach for a Black woman in the era, but she's determined. Robert is an impressive jazz musician; however, it isn't paying the bills and he isn't certain where his career is going to go. From there, writer/director Eugene Ashe (Homecoming) traverses their ups and downs, both professionally and personally. He does so in swoon-worthy fashion, in fact, leaping wholeheartedly into melodrama, eagerly ramping up the emotion at every moment, and adding a film to the genre that focuses on people of colour in a way that simply hasn't been done before. Love radiates from the screen, whether Sylvie and Robert are feeling it together or yearning with it while apart — and in the affection that Ashe clearly has for making a gorgeous-looking, deeply moving, quietly revolutionary movie that feels like a throwback to six-plus decades ago. Sylvie's Love is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video from Friday, December 25. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veUqfcyZ_Bo DEATH TO 2020 Across its five seasons to date, Black Mirror has dedicated 22 episodes to imagining dystopian futures. It makes for compelling, entertaining and often disturbing viewing; however, none of the sci-fi anthology series' predictions are particularly pretty. But, for all of its prognosticating, the Charlie Brooker-created show didn't foresee 2020's chaos. And now we've all endured this hectic year and are about to see it come to an end (finally, thankfully, and good riddance to it), the team behind Black Mirror has something to say about the whole mess. The end result: new comedy special called Death to 2020. Just before this garbage fire of a year fades away forever, the show will look back on the year via a documentary-style program that uses real-life archival footage from the past 12 months. It'll also deploy narration from fictitious characters played by the high-profile likes of Samuel L Jackson, Hugh Grant, Lisa Kudrow, Kumail Nanjiani, Tracey Ullman, Samson Kayo, Leslie Jones, Diane Morgan, Cristin Milioti and Joe Keery, all chatting to camera and — based on the trailer — inhabiting the types of folks that 2020 has been full of. Yes, it's the year's last must-watch show. Death to 2020 is available to stream via Netflix from 6pm AEST on Sunday, December 27. A WORLD OF CALM It's not every day that you get to sit on your couch, stare at scenic sights, lose yourself in an on-screen taste of a specific story and a distinctive patch of the world, and listen to Keanu Reeves' inimitable voice all at the same time. Actually, thanks to new documentary series A World of Calm, you could now really stream and re-stream the above daily if you want to. The series is based on the immensely popular (and self-explanatory) Calm app, so it's designed to be as soothing as possible. It's also made by HBO, in the US network's first venture into this kind of lifestyle content. Although delivered via individual episodes rather than as one big long marathon (compared to an extended train documentary or a tour of the Cadbury chocolate factory, for instance), it falls under the recent slow TV trend, too — because you'll be peacefully guided through a different topic in each chapter. Idris Elba, Oscar Isaac, Nicole Kidman, Zoë Kravitz, Kate Winslet, Lucy Liu, Cillian Murphy, Priyanka Chopra and two-time Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali also lend their voices to the show, chatting through everything from woodworking to noodles, plus coral, bird migration, space, snow, water and horses. New episodes of A World of Calm are available to stream via SBS On Demand every day from Friday, December 25–Sunday, January 4. CULT CLASSICS TO REVISIT AND REDISCOVER https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPypBiQz_OM ELEMENTARY They're called procedurals: TV shows that work their way through the investigation of different crimes, usually focusing on a new case in every episode. You're currently thinking of plenty (every take on Law & Order, for example), because they're that much of a television staple. And, they're often entertaining in an undemanding but easily addictive way. Viewers know a series' particular formula from episode one, but seeing how it plays out again and again with the same inquisitive characters is what keeps you watching. Accordingly, bringing Sherlock Holmes into this format was always going to be a great move — and, as set in modern-day Manhattan, and focusing on a just-out-of-rehab version of the ex-Scotland Yard, now-New York Police Department consultant, Elementary doesn't disappoint. The show's casting is a big part of its appeal, with Jonny Lee Miller getting sleuthing (as his co-star in Danny Boyle's stage version of Frankenstein, Benedict Cumberbatch, obviously did too in the British-made Sherlock) and the always-welcome Lucy Liu playing Dr Joan Watson. When Moriarty shows up — this is a Sherlock story, after all, so it's inevitable — the series also keeps serving up twists. All seven seasons of Elementary are available to stream via Amazon Prime Video.
The Ascot Lot really likes alliteration — and dogs. It has hosted days dedicated to gravy and greyhounds and Stomping Hounds and sours, and now it's opening its Ascot Vale food truck park to dachshunds and daiquiris. On Saturday, November 30, you'll be to pat many adorable sausage dogs while sipping on frozen strawberry daiquiris and frosé. Drinks will be going for $10 a pop, or you can make a solid investment of $45 and enjoy unlimited pours for a whole two hours. If you're doing the latter, you might want something to eat. Luckily, there'll be plenty of food — in the form of trucks from Burrito Bae, The Bearded Jaffle, The Pickle & The Patty, Taste of Cyprus and Dessert by Yiayia. And, for the short-legged (and long-legged) pooches, there'll be dog treats from Larrykin. Both Pupstyle and My Dachshund Online will be selling their wares from 12–5pm, too. Dachshunds & Daiquiris runs from 12–10pm.
UPDATE: AUGUST 1, 2019 — Because a magical wonderland filled with igloos, a skating rink and faux snow isn't quite enough already, The Winter Village is adding on another feature: a wine fountain. Yes, shiraz and rosé cascading gloriously from two taps is a thing you can now enjoy at Fed Square. But, only for a limited time. The boozy fountain — filled with wine from Victoria's St Huberts the Stag that you pour yourself for $11-12 — is taking over the Village's mega igloo for the month of August. If you prefer your wine hot, you'll be happy to know that the igloo will also be home to a mulled wine pop-up (it's $12 a glass). It's open every Thursday–Saturday night. For more info, head to the website. This winter, Melbourne's Federation Square will transform into a magical wonderland to celebrating the chilly season for all its frosty glory; meaning one of Australia's cooler cities is about to get even more so. From May until the end of September, Skyline Terrace at Federation Square (aka the top of the carpark) will host The Winter Village — a pop-up modelled on your typically picturesque European winter market. With an ice rink, an igloo village, a mega igloo dining hall (where it snows inside on the hour), city views, and plenty of faux snow, it'll be a quaint wintery escape in the very heart of Melbourne. Dust off those skates and hit the ice, hire a private igloo where you can wine and dine in cosy solace or get festive listening to local DJs, bar-hop at the pop ups or dine inside the mega igloo where you can feast on pizza, grazing boxes and "the best fried cheese sandwich in Melbourne". There'll be espresso martinis on tap, too. The frozen oasis will be open daily and free to enter, although ice skating, igloo hire and a couple of winter warming bevs will come at a cost. A full lineup of events and activities will be released later this month — we'll keep you posted. The Winter Village will be open from 12pm Monday–Thursday and 11am Friday–Sunday.
Getting really into craft beer and growing a beard has been the overwhelming trend of the past year and while beards are apparently on the out, our love of craft beer is only getting stronger. The designers at Swedish-Italian company Sempli know this and they’ve created a set of glasses that not only look like modern art but are engineered to give you the ultimate beer experience. The Monti range includes four pieces of glassware (yes, these babies are not just glasses, they’re glassware) that look like something you'd find on a gallery plinth but are designed for optimum drinking conditions. In the four-set, you'll get a glass for pilsners, IPAs, pints and 12-ounce bottles for a cool (excuse the pun) $100. The glasses are designed to maximise bubbliness and keep the liquid at the optimum drinking temperature for each different type of beer. It’s true what they say: once you go engineered glassware, you never go back to a beer helmet. Bartenders: prepare for yourself the ultimate snobbery of patrons bringing customised IPA glasses to the pub with them. It’s the craft beer snob’s equivalent of using a tin camping mug as your takeaway coffee cup, except slightly more functional. Monti glassware by Sempli will set you back $55 for a two-set or all four for $100 at Sempli.com. Via Fast Co.Design.
Laura Marling soars with her latest work of staggering genius, a couple of Sydney's best-kept secrets wow with new material, and Perth producer Sid Pattni wants to get you pregnant. Don't be one of those people who stumbles exhausted into the weekend — these five tracks will put a spring in your step and a boogie in your groove. https://youtube.com/watch?v=KCnK3FMuMAs 1. 'When Brave Bird Saved' - Laura Marling Okay, I'm cheating slightly with the five songs thing, as this video is built around the first four songs of Marling's fourth album, Once I Was an Eagle (out May 27). With this album Marling confirms her incredible talent, her songs full of dense symbolism and metaphor while at the same time being utterly human and relateable. Marling could well be the finest songwriter of her generation, and there are plenty of people who agree with me. <a href="http://oscarkeysung.bandcamp.com/album/its-coming-sure-thing" mce_href="http://oscarkeysung.bandcamp.com/album/its-coming-sure-thing">It&amp;amp;amp;#39;s Coming//Sure Thing by Oscar Key Sung</a> 2. 'It's Coming' / 'Sure Thing' - Oscar Key Sung Oscar Key Sung is the new project from Oscar Slorach-Thorn, who's half of spare, sugary R&B duo Oscar + Martin. (He's Oscar.) Both tracks up so far are killer, but it's especially worth checking out 'Sure Thing', a cover of a track by R&B's best kept secret: Miguel. 3. 'Canker' / 'If It Works' - Cull Canker is what happens when Tame Impala and Jeff Buckley and some wolves all take acid together and everything goes horribly right; 'If It Works' is a looser, heavier, longer beast. This Sydney act have been around all of about three months but their strike rate's already kinda undeniable. 4. 'Mr. Alpha' - Sid Pattni featuring Whisky Winter This week's Shut Up and Take My Money award goes to this immaculate conception of a jam from Perth producer Sid Pattni. It feels warm and elemental, all glassy shimmers and lazy claps, as the vocals (by guesting duo Whisky Winter) fade between treated and natural tones, distant and intimate at once. If this is what Flume hath wrought, bring it the fuck on. https://youtube.com/watch?v=rNNygktmQB4 5. 'Contact' - Daft Punk No matter what you think of the new Daft Punk album, there's no doubt it was a departure from the French duo's usual crunching riffs and apocalyptic beats — except for 'Contact'. The last song on the album is an absolute monster, and uniquely Daft Punk, and this video (recorded at the Wee Waa Agricultural show by our friends at Castle Awesome) shows just what impact it has on an audience. It starts with a recording of astronauts from Apollo 17 talking about what the earth looks like from space; the anticipation builds as the Phantom of the Opera organs do, and by the time the beat finally drops the whole crowd is at fever pitch, leaping up and down in rapture.
2019 is shaping up to be a mighty big year for Elton John. Biopic Rocketman launches into cinemas in May, starring Kingsman's Taron Egerton as the singer and covering his wild 70s antics. The live-action version of The Lion King hits screens come July, featuring the musician's iconic tunes from the original, as well as new songs. And to cap it all off, the star himself is headed our way at the end of the year for a huge farewell tour. Bringing his 300-stop Farewell Yellow Brick Road shows to Australia and New Zealand between November 2019 and February 2020, John has announced 18 concerts across more than two months — including gigs in capital cities, a number of regional dates, and shows at A Day on the Green. More concerts, including shows in north Queensland, will be announced later this year. He kicked off the extensive tour last September, embarking on a three-year global goodbye trip. When it comes to an end, he'll retire from touring after five decades on the road. If that all sounds rather massive, that's John's career in a nutshell. He's played more than 4000 shows across his career, has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and holds the record for the biggest-selling single of all time thanks to the 1997 version of 'Candle in the Wind'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtVBCG6ThDk Fans can expect to feel the love through all of his hits, including 'Rocket Man', 'Tiny Dancer' 'Bennie and the Jets', 'Crocodile Rock', 'I'm Still Standing' and 'Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting' — especially the latter, you'd expect, on his six Saturday shows. The concerts will also feature never-before-seen images and videos show from John's 50-year career, which'll be displayed throughout the show, as well as a new tour wardrobe designed by Gucci. ELTON JOHN 'FAREWELL YELLOW BRICK ROAD' 2019 TOUR DATES Perth — Saturday, November 30, 2019 and Sunday, December 1, 2019 at HBF Park Adelaide — Wednesday, December 4, 2019 at Botanic Park Melbourne — Tuesday, December 10, 2019 and Wednesday, December 11, 2019 at Rod Laver Arena Brisbane — Wednesday, December 18, 2019 at Brisbane Entertainment Centre Sydney — Saturday, December 21, 2019 and Monday, December 23, 2019 at ICC Sydney Theatre, plus Tuesday, January 7, 2020 at Qudos Bank Arena Hunter Valley — Saturday, January 11, 2020 at Hope Estate Mount Cotton — Saturday, January 18, 2020 at Sirromet Wines Bathurst — Wednesday, January 22, 2020 at Carrington Park Woodend — Saturday, January 25, 2020 at Hanging Rock Rutherglen — Wednesday, January 29, 2020 at All Saints Estate Yarra Valley — Friday, January 31, 2020 at Rochford Wines Dunedin — Tuesday, February 4, 2020 at Forsyth Barr Stadium Hawke's Bay — Saturday, February 8, 2020 at Mission Estate Winery Auckland — Sunday, February 9, 2020 at Mt Smart Stadium Tickets for Elton John's Australian capital city and New Zealand shows are available from 9am (local time) on Thursday, February 14, 2019, with all other concerts available from 9am (local time) on Friday, February 15, 2019. Visit oznz.eltonjohn.com for further details, as well as information about pre-sales. Image: Ben Gibson.
One of Eddie the Eagle's many training montages is set to the toe-tapping refrains of Hall & Oates' 'You Make My Dreams'. For an '80s-set film about a sporting wannabe trying to achieve Olympic glory, it's an appropriate choice in a multitude of ways. It's also rather clichéd. Still, it fits — and the feature knows that it's obvious, making it even more apt. That's Eddie the Eagle in a nutshell: a bit cheesy but completely aware of that fact, and utterly warm and enjoyable as a result. Those who aren't up to date on their British sporting history might be surprised to discover that Eddie Edwards (Taron Egerton) changed the face of the nation's ski jumping team. Actually, he was the face of the nation's ski jumping team. After struggling to become a downhill skier, the good-natured lad turned his attention to soaring not only down the snowy slopes but through the frosty air as well. England didn't have any other competitors in the field that year. In fact, they'd never had any competitors in the field in any year. But with his dad (Keith Allen) far from impressed, his coach (Hugh Jackman) a heavy-drinking, washed-up former athlete, and his own experience severely lacking, Eddie's Olympic quest wasn't exactly easy. Eddie the Eagle is a crowd-pleaser through and through — and while the term can sometimes have not-so-flattering connotations, that isn't the case here. Indeed, much of the film's success springs from director Dexter Fletcher's happy embrace of the tried-and-tested sports movie formula. While plenty of liberties have been taken with the truth to bolster the film's feel-good credentials, they all suit the story. If only sticking to the inspirational underdog playbook was always this entertaining. Fletcher seems to be following a specific train of thought: if it worked for Cool Runnings, which told of another against-the-odds story at the exact same Winter Olympics, then it can work here too. The actor-turned-filmmaker even nods to the Jamaican bobsled team, and to his own background around the same time, courtesy of a brief appearance from one of his late '80s Press Gang co-stars. Accordingly, his feature isn't just lazily throwing together the usual elements and hoping that something sticks. It's doing so knowingly with a wink, a nod and a smile, and while wearing its retro style and upbeat cheer on both sleeves. A number of other factors assist the all-round amiable effort enormously, including broad but winning performances by Egerton and Jackman in vintage earnest protégé and reluctant mentor mode, respectively. Add a canny splash of visual spectacle, a well-earned sense of genuine tension during the jumping scenes, and other time- and theme-appropriate tunes on the soundtrack, and Eddie the Eagle soars.
As if your morning CBD coffee run wasn't sweet enough already, Ngoc Le — baker extraordinaire and founder of Dessert Parlour — is set to make it that bit sweeter. Le is setting up shop in Queen Street's Workshop Brothers Specialty Coffee each Sunday for the next month to sell her sweet creations. And yes, there will be macaronuts. The pop-up will start on Sunday, July 31 and continue each week until Sunday, August 21, operating from 10am till 3pm each day. Although the offering is set to change throughout the month, you can expect to be eating (and Instagramming) their gold-dusted baked doughnuts and matcha choux pastry puffs. But what we're most looking forward to is the macaronuts. Initially a collaboration between Dessert Parlour and the Macaron Sisters, the creation is a macaron-doughnut hybrid has been a runaway success. They'll have matcha coconut, chocolate raspberry and Oreo on-hand at the pop-up. Just look at them. A photo posted by Dessert Parlour | Melbourne (@dessertparlour) on Jul 31, 2016 at 5:02pm PDT Images: Michelle Froidevaux and Ngoc Le.
Gearing up for one last hoorah, celebrated partystarters Yacht Club DJs are hitting the road for their nationwide farewell tour set to be a shindig like no other. Lining up 14 shows in the space of just three months, Ballarat-born pair Gaz Harrison and Guy Chappell will be spinning their way from coast to coast for one final escapade. The past six years have seen these two tackle some seriously epic projects. Regulars in both Sydney and Melbourne, the crew have three stellar appearances at farmland Victoria’s iconic Meredith Music Festival under their belt, after supporting the likes of Haim and Mumford and Sons abroad. From all reports, these guys know how to put on a killer show. Melburnians can nab a slice of 'The Hooroo! Tour' in November at the Corner Hotel. Faithful fans and newcomers alike, it's a mighty fine excuse to dust off those dancing and/or boat shoes.
