The Palace Hotel, a historic Camberwell pub, has reopened its doors following a major $7.5 million reno. Both the ground floor and upstairs of the Palace Hotel, which has been a cornerstone of the neighbourhood for over 130 years, have been transformed with a fresh design and a new culinary direction. Neil O'Connor, Venue Manager, says, "The Palace Hotel has always held a special place in Camberwell, and this renovation ensures it will continue to be a cherished gathering spot for generations to come. We've created a unique offering that caters to every mood and occasion, from a casual weeknight to a sophisticated evening out, all built around a serious dedication to quality [food and beverage]." Executive Chef Tony Moss has designed a new menu for downstairs, focusing on classic pub meals like chicken parma and fish and chips. There is also steak frites with béarnaise sauce, a wagyu steak sando with caramelised onion, mozzarella and onion rings, and a barramundi pie with lemon butter sauce and creamed parsnip. "Downstairs, it's your classic local, but elevated… It's the perfect spot for walk-ins looking for that classic Melbourne pub experience," says O'Connor. The small plates menu, with a noticeable focus on native ingredients, is perfect for leisurely group gatherings, post-work drinks, or a few pints while watching the footy or enjoying live music. Go for crispy haloumi with pepperberry honey, fried calamari with lemon myrtle and citrus mayo, or the lamb ribs with a coffee and wattleseed glaze. Upstairs has been restored into Josephine's Lounge, where Moss says, "you can't go past the smoked barramundi brioche" and the Roman-style pizzas. O'Connor adds, "Upstairs at Josephine's Lounge is where the night feels like it could go anywhere, whether it's a spontaneous date night, a pre-planned celebration, or that quick catch-up that turns into a long lunch." The massive investment by ALH Hotels, part of the Endevour Group, "is a tangible representation of [their] deep commitment to revitalising and celebrating the heart of Australian communities — our pubs," says Paul Carew, Managing Director of ALH. "We believe in honouring the rich history of these iconic venues while innovating, to deliver truly outstanding food and beverage experiences." Images: Supplied.
Take a nod to one of Melbourne's first public houses, add hospitality legend Andrew McConnell and the team behind Gimlet, shake well over ice and serve — that's the recipe behind Apollo Inn, the CBD's newest cocktail bar. Apollo Inn occupies the ground floor of McDonald House at 165 Flinders Lane: a neo-Renaissance-style building that dates all the way back to 1924. Just the sort of heritage you want for a classic, moody European cocktail lounge. The name 'Apollo' is a nod to one of Melbourne's first public houses, located on the corner of Flinders Lane and Russell Street, where Gimlet now sits. This place is technically Gimlet's little sister, and you can see the team's fingerprints all over it. For example, ACME, the Sydney-based design firm that handled Gimlet's dining room, were called back to help with Apollo Inn. Still, the two venues aren't quite the same. Gimlet often feels light and airy, like a brasserie. Apollo Inn is going more for that underground, triple-distilled, wood-panelled, High Society vibe. The bar seats just 28 patrons, which keeps everything feeling intimate, and Gimlet's bar manager, Cameron Parish, is moving across the oversee the transition. As you'd expect from the latest venue in McConnell's Trader House portfolio, the attention to detail is bang-on, from the leather-studded front doors to the paper-topped table lamps. "We're excited to dedicate such a beautiful, intimate space to the refinement of great spirits," says McConnell. "It's a singular focus at Apollo Inn; to ensure that what's in the glass and on the plate are delicious and benchmark." Drinks-wise, you can expect wines by the glass and bottle, curated by Trader House beverage director Leanne Altmann, plus signature cocktails like the Lucien Gaudin, which combines gin, Campari, dry vermouth and Grand Marnier. Martinis come in four speeds: dry, dirty, Gibson (with the obligatory pickled onion), and café. Apollo Inn is more about booze than food, but there will be a stripped-back menu featuring snacks and small plates, designed to match whatever's in your glass. Expect prawn and spanner crab club sandwiches, raw tuna with cured sobrasada, or old-school classics like beef carpaccio. The menu is designed for snacking rather than feasting. Everything bite-sized, spiked with big flavours like anchovy and truffle. The perfect nightcap before calling an Uber. Following the success of other old-world Melbourne venues like Trinket and Bar Margaux, Apollo Inn looks like it's been time-warped straight out of 1956. And that's just fine by us. Lock it in for your next date night. Apollo Inn is now open at 165 Flinders Lane, every day from 5pm to 1am. Bookings can be made via the Apollo Inn website but walk-ins are encouraged. Images: Earl Carter
If you thought The StandardX couldn't get much better, think again. The design-forward Fitzroy hotel's rooftop bar and lounge, On Top, has finally opened to the public right in time for the summer months. On Top accommodates just 60 guests, but now that it's no longer exclusive to hotel guests, it's sure to fill up quickly with locals, in-the-know visitors, and those looking for a laidback yet luxe hang-out. Designed by Woods Bagot and Hecker Guthrie, the warm colour palette, soft lounge seating, and cosy fireplace lend themselves to lazy afternoons with friends, or romantic date nights, all with the glimmering Melbourne city skyline as a backdrop. Snacky bites will be served all day, and include the likes of smoked ocean trout with creme fraiche, chives and flatbread, and oyster mushroom skewers with shio koji and chilli crumbs. If you need to fill the tum, go for a brioche prawn roll, a wagyu slider with BistroX sauce or fried chicken with hot sauce and guindilla chillies. In this setting, it would be rude not to have a drink or two. There's Aperol Spritz, yuzu margs and lager on tap, and a sippable selection of signature cocktails. Try the Nude and Rude with mezcal, amaro, lemon, agave and bitter, a Cloud Clover with apricot brandy, Aperol, Lillet Blanc, and ginger or The Last Dance with vodka, lemon, passionfruit and Aperol. There's also a carefully curated wine list, created by The StandardX and wine importer Lo-Fi, showcasing local suppliers and producers of low-intervention and sustainable wines. For a bit of gimmicky fun, grab a pre-batched cocktail from the Japanese-style vending machine when you hop out of the lift. Rotating DJs will bring sweet sounds through curated sets that will transport patrons to the bars of downtown LA, the beaches of Lagos, and the streets of nineties Brooklyn. Images: Supplied.
After a sold-out Sydney season, the Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical The Book of Mormon is heading back to Melbourne and Brisbane in 2026. The hit production will return to Melbourne's Princess Theatre next February — the same venue where it made its Australian debut in 2015 and set a new record for the highest-selling on-sale period in the theatre's 159-year history — before opening at Brisbane's QPAC in July. The Australian cast features Sean Johnston (Hairspray) as Elder Price, Nick Cox (Beauty and the Beast) as Elder Cunningham, and Paris Leveque, who made her professional debut in the Sydney season, as Nabulungi. They're joined by Tom Struik (Sister Act the Musical), Simbarashe Matshe (Filthy Business), Augie Tchantcho, reprising his role as The General, and Matthew Hamilton (Tina – The Tina Turner Musical). Winner of nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and a Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album, The Book of Mormon has earned global acclaim since its Broadway debut in 2011. Created by South Park's Trey Parker and Matt Stone, alongside songwriter Robert Lopez (Frozen, Avenue Q), the production combines biting humour with sharp satire and unforgettable music. You can join the waitlist for priority access to tickets via The Book of Mormon website. Images: Supplied
A quick search through magazines and online will bring up hundreds of bucket lists suggesting the bright lights of Manhattan or the ancient ruins of Rome. However, for many people a city is a city, and to truly live and experience beauty one has to look further — much further. Here's just a few of the world's hidden wonders. 1. Mount Roraima in Venezuela/Brazil/Guyana Mount Roraima, the highest of the Pacaraima Mountains, is a massive tabletop plateau that spreads into three countries. Boasting a variety of plant life — such as pitcher plants, bellflowers and heather, some of which are unique — Roraima creates some of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world and has steep sides that reach over 400 metres in height. Popular with backpackers and hikers, who usually hire a guide from the village of Paraitepui below, the plateau has only one route up, a perilous ascent of near constant cloud cover and uncanny rock formations. 2. The Door to Hell in Turkmenistan It's not strictly one of Mother Nature's greatest creations as mankind lent a hand in making it, but the locally dubbed Door to Hell in Turkmenistan is unlike anything else in the world. A giant hole in the ground with a never-ending supply of burning gas, the crater is around 60 metres across and easily just as deep. Supposedly formed in the '70s when geologists, drilling for natural gas, went too deep and caused a massive cave-in and explosion, the Door to Hell has been ablaze ever since, and may never go out. 3. Chocolate Hills in the Philippines Formed, according to legend, by the tears of a giant that had lost his love, the Chocolate Hills appear on the provincial flag of Bohol and all stand between 30 and 50 metres high. A more reliable explanation for this unusual landscape could be that the hills were the result of the self-destruction of an active volcano. Mostly uniform in shape and size, the hills are covered in rich, green grass that turns brown during the dry season (hence the name). It's thought that there are as many as 1770 of these mysterious hills spread out over an area of 50 square kilometres. 4. Stone Forest in Madagascar Home to many unique species, including the white lemur, which can be found in the passageways below as well as above, Madagascar's Stone Forest is filled with pillars of extensively eroded limestone that rise up to 70 metres above the ground. From the air, the area appears harsh and barren, but beneath the jagged peaks lies a world of forest canyons and humid caves, all teeming with plants and animals. The Stone Forest is known locally as 'Tsingy' (where one cannot walk barefoot). It's quite clear why. 5. Mount Sanqingshan National Park in China Shrouded in mist for 200 days of the year, Sanqingshan National Park, which is considered a sacred place, is used by many for meditation and is believed to grant immortality. Home to about 2500 species of plant, the area's granite formations and strangely shaped pine trees resemble silhouettes of people and animals. 6. Socotra in Yemen Considered to be the most biodiverse place in the Arabian Sea, world heritage site Socotra has some of the most unusual looking plant life in the world, including the distinct Dragon Blood Tree, mainly because of its harsh climate. Located within the Republic of Yemen, the group of islands are also home to a huge number of spiders, birds, and spectacular coral reefs. Socotra's main island has three different terrains: narrow coastal plains, a limestone plateau dotted with deep caves, and the Haghier Mountains, the tallest of which is 1503 metres high. 7. Devils Tower in the USA According to Sioux Indian legend, a group of young girls were out picking flowers when they were suddenly chased by bears. Seeing and taking sympathy on their plight, the Great Spirit moved the ground beneath them and raised them to safety. The bears, who couldn't climb the rock's steep sides, fell, leaving scratches in their wake. The mysterious rock is sacred to a number of tribes, and during the month of June, when they conduct ceremonies around it, climbing is prohibited. The truth behind the formation of Devils Tower, located in Wyoming, has experts baffled. While many believe it is the neck of an extinct volcano, as evidenced by the surrounding landscape, others are sceptical. We may never really know. 8. The Eye of the Sahara in Mauritania Used by shuttle crews as a landmark since the earliest days of space travel, the Eye of the Sahara, which has a diameter of 50 metres, resembles a giant bull's-eye in the desert or, to be more descriptive, the fossil of a giant ammonite. A true geological wonder, it was once thought the Richat Structure, as it is also known, was formed when a meteorite struck the earth. Nowadays experts believe it was formed by the constant lifting and erosion of the earth. 9. Dune of Pyla in France Completely out of place in France, the Great Dune of Pyla, Europe's largest sand dune, is a popular hot spot for paragliders and holidaymakers. With a height of around 100 metres, the dune comes in from the coast and runs along 3 kilometres of coastline, with its steepest side facing a green forest beyond. A strange sight indeed. 10. Cano Cristales in Colombia For most of the year, Cano Cristales, a river so remote it can only be reached by horse or on foot, is different to no other, littered with waterfalls, rapids, wells, and hollows, but for a brief period it transforms and earns its nickname, 'The River of Five Colours'. During the gap between the wet and dry seasons, a unique species of plant that lines the river floor suddenly appears to turn a brilliant red, which, along with yellow and green sand and blue water, turns the whole area into a vision of paradise.
Bali is a no-brainer for Aussie travellers. It's close, beautiful, and it's packed with the kind of beaches, spas and resorts that make you want to quit your job and move there permanently (kidding…sort of). If you're going to do Bali, you have to do it right – which means finding the best accommodation. Luckily, you've got some incredible options. And now, thanks to Visa, you can book your dream stay with 10% off through our dedicated platform, Concrete Playground Trips. Whether you're chasing waves and smoothie bowls in Canggu, planning a honeymoon getaway in Uluwatu or heading to Ubud for something a little more off-radar, these eight hotels will have you booking that flight ASAP. Simply book using your Visa card to score the discount, then start packing.
The Great Ocean Road is celebrating 100 years this month with a bunch of pop-up cinemas appearing along the coast. The cinemas are actually shipping containers that have been cleverly converted into 1920s art deco-style lounges complete with vintage furnishings, velvet couches, wallpaper and curtains. The mini movie theatres have been dropped at various locations along the coast, from Torquay all the way down to Apollo Bay. From now until Sunday, October 6, they'll be screening a series of five short films. The series, The Story of the Road, delves into the life of the road, including its Indigenous history, construction and the community that lives around it. The ten-minute screenings are running throughout the day from 9am–5pm, and until 7pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. While the screenings are free, capacity is super limited to 5–10 people, so it might be smart to pre-register to avoid a wait. But you can just rock up, too. Screenings run every ten minutes, and the films don't have to be viewed in any particular order. And if ten minutes just isn't enough, tickets for the special documentary screenings and other events are available from $30, featuring a half-hour deep dive into the Great Ocean Road from the very beginning. POP-UP CINEMA LOCATIONS Torquay Foreshore — The Esplanade, Torquay Anglesea Village Green — Lions Park, Anglesea Lorne Foreshore — Mountjoy Parade, Lorne Wye Beach — corner Morely Avenue and Wongarra Drive, Wye River Apollo Bay Foreshore — Great Ocean Road, Apollo Bay
UPDATE, August 23, 2022: Elton John has added extra shows in Sydney, Newcastle and Melbourne due to demand. This news story has been updated accordingly. Some farewell tours seem to last forever — and, thanks to the pandemic, Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour is one of them. Since September 2018, the music star has been saying goodbye all around the globe, including making the trip Down Under already. But what was meant to be his final trip our way resulted in some rescheduled gigs, so he's coming back again. And, because he'll be here anyway, John has added a few extra shows to his schedule. It's been a big few years for the singer, not only with the huge tour — which spans more than 300 concerts across five continents — but with his life story hitting the big screen in biopic Rocketman. He had a massive first round of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour in Australasia, too, with over 705,000 tickets sold to gigs a three-month period that spanned 34 Australian and six New Zealand dates from November 2019. Missed out then? Keen to go again? Mark January 2023 in your diary. In New Zealand, John will play his two rescheduled gigs at Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium, as well as a newly announced show at Orangetheory Stadium in Christchurch. In Australia, he's adding encore gigs in Newcastle, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. 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 Saturday shows in Brisbane and Auckland. The concerts will also feature never-before-seen images and videos show from John's 50-year career — well, never seen before the tour — which'll be displayed throughout the show. When the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour comes to an end, John will 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, 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'. In Australia, he'll wrap up his time onstage in Brisbane, playing his 36th-ever Queensland gig — and 233rd in Australia, which comes third to only the UK and US in hosting the most-ever John concerts. In NZ, he's bowing out in Auckland — with remaining tickets to the city's shows on-sale now, and tickets to the encore gigs in Christchurch, as well as in Australia, up for grabs on Monday, August 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtVBCG6ThDk ELTON JOHN 'FAREWELL YELLOW BRICK ROAD' 2023 TOUR DATES: Sunday, January 8 and Tuesday, January 10 — McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle Friday, January 13 and Saturday, January 14 — AAMI Park, Melbourne Tuesday, January 17 and Wednesday, January 18 — Allianz Stadium, Sydney Saturday, January 21 — Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Tuesday, January 24 — Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch Friday, January 27 andSaturday, January 28 — Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour returns to Australia and New Zealand in January 2023. Remaining tickets for the Auckland shows are on-sale now, with tickets to the encore gigs in Newcastle, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane up for grabs on Monday, August 1. There are also pre-sales from Tuesday, July 26. Fore more information, head to the tour website. Images: Ben Gibson.
Saturday Night is a film of nerves. It's a movie filled with laughs, of course, as any big-screen step behind the scenes of iconic TV sketch series Saturday Night Live should be — but it's equally as tense as it is amusing as it charts the 90 minutes leading into the 90 minutes that forever changed television history. Fresh off also revisiting the comedic past with latest Ghostbusters instalments Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, writer/director Jason Reitman and his co-scribe Gil Kenan chart the chaos before SNL's first-ever episode beamed into homes. Everything that could be dysfunctional is dysfunctional, all as an unproven cast and crew attempted to add something unique to American entertainment. Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Jane Curtain, Gilda Radner, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Chevy Chase, Andy Kaufman, Jim Henson, George Carlin: they're all featured in Saturday Night, with Dylan O'Brien (Caddo Lake), Matt Wood (Instinct), Kim Matula (NCIS), Ella Hunt (Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1), Lamorne Morris (Fargo), Emily Fairn (The Responder), Cory Michael Smith (May December), Nicholas Braun (Dream Scenario) and Matthew Rhys (IF) bringing them to the screen. (Succession alum Braun does double duty as both Kaufman and Henson). Also among the wide-ranging ensemble: Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things), Rachel Sennott (Bottoms), Kaia Gerber (Palm Royale), JK Simmons (The Union), Cooper Hoffman (Licorice Pizza) and Willem Dafoe (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice). At the centre of it all is Lorne Michaels, the writer and producer that's been at the heart of Saturday Night Live since that debut airing on Saturday, October 11, 1975, as well as the driving force behind the show coming to fruition to begin with at all — and remains at the helm now that SNL is in its 50th season. Gabriel LaBelle steps into his shoes, scoring a role that naturally inspires some nerves. "I wanted to get it right for the people who did know him. And I felt he's influenced so many brilliant people who've inspired me that I wanted to make it right for them," he tells Concrete Playground. But he's also returning to familiar territory, in a fashion: in his first two major movie parts, the Canadian actor has played two major names. When Steven Spielberg (West Side Story) decided to turn his adolescence and first years as a filmmaker into a movie, the semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans was the end result. His on-screen alter ego: the fictional Sammy Fabelman, portrayed as a teenager onwards by LaBelle. The cast's Oscar nominations might've went to Michelle Williams (Showing Up) as matriarch Mitzi Fabelman and Judd Hirsch (The Goldbergs) as Sammy's granduncle Boris; however, LaBelle was no less impressive, picking up the National Board of Review's Breakthrough Performance award for his efforts. He was a huge Spielberg fan going in. He was also a massive SNL devotee before picking up his next dream role. LaBelle's first acting credit arrived in 2013 via an episode of TV series Motive, with fellow small-screen fare iZombie, Brand New Cherry Flavor and American Gigolo also on his resume, plus movies Max 2: White House Hero, Dead Shack, The Predator and Snack Shack. He initially caught the bug away from the cameras, though, at summer camp. Asked about if he could've ever imagined back then, when he was appearing in musical productions of Footloose, Shrek and Aladdin, how things have turned out for him so far, he comments about how strange it is to have that information out in the world. "It's so weird to meet you just now and for you to already know that," LaBelle laughs. [caption id="attachment_978078" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eric Charbonneau/Sony Pictures via Getty Images[/caption] If LaBelle was ever to earn a film about him somewhere down the track, those early summer-camp stints are the kind of details that someone playing him would undoubtedly revel in during their preparation phase. For the actor when he was approaching taking on Michaels, he tackled the mountain of books available about SNL or that just mention the IRL figure, he advises — someone that he only became aware of during the pandemic, he also tells us, because growing up as a Saturday Night Live lover as a kid means obsessing over on-screen talent and their sketches rather than the off-screen folks making the show happen. We chatted with LaBelle about that lifelong affection for SNL, whether it's easier to play someone who is best-known to many as a name rather than a personality, his research process, the sense of responsibility that comes with taking on such well-known figures on-screen, and balancing the film's laughs and tension, too — plus Paul Rudd (Only Murders in the Building) crashing his first day on set. On Growing Up Watching SNL — and, If He Ever Gets the Chance to Host, If LaBelle Would Join the List of Stars Saying That It Was a Dream Come True in Their Opening Monologue "I would say the same thing. I was obsessed. I grew up on the best of Will Ferrell and Chris Farley, and the best of the commercials, on VHS tapes. I rehearsed and performed the Spartan cheerleaders at recess in elementary school. I grew up on the National Lampoon films, and Bill Murray and Aykroyd and Belushi. And I watched SNL every Saturday. So it was really important to me, and so many of my favourite films and actors and comedians come from there. I've always been very aware of it, and it is really surreal to be a part of something like this. So if I'm ever granted the gift of hosting, I would say the exact same thing." On First Becoming Aware of Lorne Michaels Before Saturday Night Came LaBelle's Way "I became aware of Lorne, I think, sometime in the pandemic. It must have been when I just had all this time on my hands and I watched interviews and listened to podcasts about my favourite actors and comedians. And I kept hearing 'Lorne, Lorne, Lorne, Lorne' from all the SNL people. I didn't do any actual research into him until this film. I knew of him, but not a lot." On Whether It's Easier to Portray Someone Who Is Perhaps Best-Known to Most as a Name Rather Than a Personality "No, because I wanted to get it right for the people who did know him. And I felt he's influenced so many brilliant people who've inspired me that I wanted to make it right for them. So my initial fear was 'oh man, I have to get it even more right, and there's less out there'. But Jason [Reitman] was really great at getting everybody to not be so focused on being them, and as long as I just felt like him or sprinkled things in here and there, and didn't become too rigid in my mimicry of him — not even mimicry, but certain mannerisms that you wanted to get down. I felt an even bigger pressure, to answer your question." On the Research That Goes Into Playing Someone with 50 Seasons of an Iconic TV Show to His Name — and So Much That's Sprung From There "There are a lot of great books about how SNL started. Like a lot of them, actually. And there's one that was just so brilliant where — I don't even know the names of the books, I just looked up 'books on Saturday Night Live' and then ordered them on Amazon and they'd show up, so forgive me whoever wrote it — but I'm pretty sure it's just called The Oral History of Saturday Night Live. It is essentially just transcripts of people talking about how it came to be in the first year, the first five years, and then proceeding into the generations later, but I only focused on the first couple of chapters on how it got started. There's so much, whether it's Dick Ebersol's book, where he talks about Lorne Michaels, or Alan Zweibel's book, where he might even say a few things. There was a lot out there — and about his personality and his decisions, and how he started, how he met everybody, what the relationships were like between him and the cast and the writers. And that was super helpful to just give context on how to communicate and how to play each scene, because Lorne is interacting with so many people, so it really gives you a backbone to the story. And there was also an old interview with Lorne on The Tomorrow Show where he's introducing the cast to NBC — it's right before the first episode, and he introduces everybody and it was so brilliant. I got a lot from that. I played that thousands of times leading up to production just to get his voice down, his accent, certain vocal stuff. Then, what was so good about working with Jason is he was so brilliant of breaking that all down and allowing you to play, and allowing you to forget a lot of it and not be so rigid with it." On Taking on IRL Entertainment Icons in Two of LaBelle's First Major Film Roles "It's weird, because I was so influenced by Spielberg films. I was so influenced by SNL. And so it weirdly feels like I'm welcomed inside of those things, like I'm weirdly a part of it. Which is weird. I don't quite know how to articulate it, but it's a true honour is what it is, because of how important they've been to my life, and then also recognising the cultural significance that they've had in the world. It's fulfilling, I'll tell you that." On Whether a Sense of Responsibility Comes with Stepping Into Michaels and Spielberg's Shoes "Oh my god, yes. You don't want to mess it up because they're not just important to me, they're important to a billion people on the planet. A lot of people really care, and you don't want to let people down. You don't want to let the filmmakers down, the audience down and the people you're portraying down — the people around them, you don't want the people who knew them thinking like 'aaaah, he fucked up'." On Balancing Saturday Night's Tension and Stress with Its Humour — and What It Was Like First Stepping Onto the Set "The first day on set is always crippling, regardless. And it doesn't help that our first two days were night shoots in New York at 30 Rock. I remember the first day on set — actually, Paul Rudd was there, because Janine [Thompson, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire] our head of hair, is his personal hairstylist on films. And so he was just there to get a haircut, and then he hung out and watched. We were shooting with Finn [Wolfhard] that day, too, and they know each other, they made Ghostbusters. He's just hanging out with Finn watching. And first of all, he's probably the most-handsome person I've ever seen in real life, where you see him and you're like 'fuck, oh my god'. And he's super charming, super funny. Obviously I want to talk and hang out with Paul Rudd, but this is my first day and I have to get it right. So it just added an extra layer of 'don't get distracted', which is hilarious. Definitely, you want to do a good job. Jason, throughout the filming, just harvested such a beautiful environment that everyone's calm and everyone's getting along, and the whole cast and crew is grateful to be there, and there's no contention and everyone just really was all in it together. So it made filming this beautiful, relaxed, safe, funny — oh my god, everyone's so funny! — environment, so that the chaos you see on-screen was choreographed and set, but then everything else, everyone was just having a ball." Saturday Night opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, October 31, 2024 and releases in New Zealand cinemas on Thursday, November 7, 2025.
Lunar New Year is fast approaching, meaning it's time to plan family gatherings and get those luxury gifts sorted. We are entering the Year of the Rabbit — the zodiac animal that is said to bring good fortune — so why not go all out with celebrations? From Monday, January 9 until Sunday, January 29, Chadstone – The Fashion Capital will be transformed into a vibrant hub for all things Lunar New Year with an opening-day lion dance, serene floral installation, auspicious dishes at some of its top restaurants and a special gift with purchase — anyone who spends $2,888 at participating luxury brands in Chadstone from Thursdays to Sundays will receive a $50 Chadstone gift card (T&Cs apply). So, if you've had your eye on something high-end, now's the time to go for it. It's going to be big and celebratory, so read on for all the festive details before planning your visit. THE GARDEN OF TRANQUILITY Chadstone has created a spectacular seasonal installation centred around a large willow tree, located on the ground floor outside Tiffany & Co. Visitors to The Garden of Tranquility can rest on cushioned benches beneath a tree that has been coated in a glossy deep-red film, with orb lights emulating a full moon hovering overhead. The Garden of Tranquility will also host live piano performances each day of the week throughout the three-week event. Bathed in relaxing music and soft lighting, Chadstone's making Lunar New Year even more magical. YEAR OF THE RABBIT DINING Many retailers are creating their own bespoke experiences this year — and the dining destinations are no exception. When you visit, expect to try curated menus and dishes that celebrate the Year of the Rabbit, while catching the odd lion and dragon dance too. And with its stable of top-shelf venues — like contemporary Japanese diner Calia, the buzzy New Shanghai (pictured above) and cult-favourite dessert spot Black Star Pastry — there are any number of ways to get your fix. The Chadstone team has even even developed a Lunar New Year recipe in collaboration with Jessica Nguyen for those looking for ways to amp up the celebrations at home. DIGITAL GIFT GUIDE Chadstone is referred to as The Fashion Capital, so it's no surprise that crowds flock to purchase spectacular gifts for their loved ones. But, with more than 500 stores — including over 35 luxury boutiques — deciding which pick is best can be daunting. Helpfully, Chadstone has created its own digital gift guide, highlighting some of the stand-out items on shelves from brands including acmé de la vie, Piaget, Bang & Olufsen, Ralph Lauren and more. If you're stuck for ideas (or you just want to make sure you're assessing all the best high-end options), flip through the experts' edit to ensure you find the very best present this year. Looking to score something to treat yourself? Chadstone will be hosting a social media competition during the week of January 16, which will see one lucky follower score a huge Lunar New Year prize. The prize includes items such as a stay at Hotel Chadstone, a bag from Furla, dinner for two at New Shanghai and much more. You can find all the details on Chadstone's Instagram account from January 16. Chadstone's Lunar New Year celebrations take over the fashion destination from Monday, January 9 until Sunday, January 29, 2023. For all the information, head to the website.
There's an international day for everything these days, but regardless of this saturation of the market, we're still pretty damn happy there's an International Hummus Day. And seeing as it's today, we thought there was no better time to dig into a mass bowl of the stuff. But before you go to Woolies to buy a tub of hummus and a packet of corn chips, just hang on for a seccy. We've convinced the guys from Thievery to slip us their burnt butter paprika hummus recipe. If you've had this at their Glebe restaurant, you'll know it's about as out of this world as hummus could possibly be. So before your mates come over for a few glasses of plonk tonight, whip this baby up — you'll just need a blender, a packet of chickpeas and a few other basic ingredients. While you're at it, you might want to make their baba ghanoush too. Thievery's Burnt Butter Paprika Hummus 1kg dry chickpeas 1500ml water 16g fine sea salt 80ml fresh lemon juice 80ml extra virgin olive oil 4g crushed garlic 120g tahini For the paprika burnt butter 100g butter 10g paprika Method Soak the chickpeas in water overnight and cook until soft and tender. This will take about two to three hours. In the morning, strain the chickpeas and then blend until the consistency is relatively smooth. Reserve some of the liquid to add back into the mixture (about one cup will be enough). Blend the chickpea puree with the oil, salt, lemon juice and garlic. If the mixture is too stiff, add a little of the liquid to ensure the hummus comes out with a smooth and silky consistency. In a bowl, whisk together the tahini and any extra salt to taste. For the burnt butter, melt the butter over a low heat until the milk solids separate. Leave it until the butter turns a golden brown (this usually happens at about 150 degrees celsius). Whisk in the paprika. Pour the burnt butter paprika mixture over the hummus. Then get stuck in. Image: Nikki To.
First, Good Things confirmed that it would be back in 2025, and also announced its dates. Now comes the next key detail: where the festival is heading this year. Music lovers already knew that the event is returning to its three annual stops — Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane — but now organisers have locked in the specific venues in each city. There's no change in the Victorian capital, with Flemington Racecourse again playing host to Good Things. In the Sunshine State, Brisbane Showgrounds is doing the honours again, too. But Sydneysiders will be hitting up Sydney Showground instead of Centennial Park, in a move made to increase capacity, shelter, transport options and accessibility. As it has in past years, the fest will play all three cities across one huge weekend. So, you can mark Friday, December 5 in your diaries for the Melbourne, then Saturday, December 6 in the Harbour City and Sunday, December 7 in Brisbane. As for who'll be on the bill, that still hasn't been revealed as yet, but it's safe to expect it soon. While 2022's lineup dropped in June, 2023's and 2024's each arrived in August. Last year, Korn, Violent Femmes and Billy Corgan were on headlining duty, with Electric Callboy, Mastodon, The Gaslight Anthem, L7, Kerry King, Jet, The Living End, The Butterfly Effect and Killing Heidi among their company. 2023's fest featured Devo, Limp Bizkit, Corey Taylor, Pennywise, Bullet for My Valentine, Taking Back Sunday, I Prevail, Enter Shikari, Pvris, Behemoth, Sepultura, Spiderbait, Frenzal Rhomb, Jebediah and Eskimo Joe, among other acts. In 2022, the reunited TISM, Bring Me the Horizon, The Amity Affliction, NOFX and Millencolin led the roster. Good Things 2025 Dates and Venues Friday, December 5 — Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne Saturday, December 6 — Sydney Showground, Sydney Sunday, December 7 — Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane Good Things will hit the Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in December 2025. We'll update you when the lineup is announced and tickets go on sale — head to the festival website for more information and to sign up for the event's mailing list in the interim. Images: Kane Hibberd.
Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art boasts plenty of highlights, including its location right next to the Brisbane River. Art lovers can walk through the venue's halls, enjoy a snack at its waterside cafe and even relax on the grass while taking in the view — but they can't usually walk along a massive indoor riverbed. 'Usually' is the key word, with GOMA due to serve up just that during its huge 2019–20 summer program, Water. As part of an expansive exploration of the titular liquid substance in all of its forms between December 7, 2019 and April 26, 2020, the site will become home to Olafur Eliasson's Riverbed installation. Created by the Berlin-based, Danish-Icelandic artist, the huge piece will use more than 100 tonnes of rock to recreate an Icelandic stream inside the South Brisbane venue. The artwork has been described as both pre-historic or post-apocalyptic — and, to answer the question that immediately popped into your head, you can indeed walk on it. When Riverbed arrives in Brisbane, it'll be on display to the public for only the second time ever, following its debut at Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark. Obviously, that means it'll be visiting the southern hemisphere for the first time as well. [caption id="attachment_725225" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Cai Guo-Qiang. China, b. 1957. Heritage (installation view) 2013, Animals: polystyrene, gauze, resin and hide. Installed with artificial watering hole: water, sand, drip mechanism. Purchased 2013 with funds from the Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Diversity Foundation through and with the assistance of the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art Foundation / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © The artist. Photograph: Mark Sherwood, QAGOMA.[/caption] With more than 40 works by international and Australian artists included in the exhibition, Riverbed will have some serious company. Cai Guo-Qiang's installation Heritage will make its return to GOMA, with the piece inspired by Stradbroke Island, featuring more than 40 life-size animals drinking around a waterhole, and appearing at Water in a new arrangement. Queensland artist Judy Watson will also create a major new work with a local theme, not only drawing upon on the cultural memory of water, but reflecting upon the obvious nearby body — the adjacent Maiwar, or Brisbane river. And if you're fond of art that you can interact with and learning about the biggest threat facing humanity — and climbing — then keep an eye out for William Forsythe's The Fact of Matter, which is comprised of suspended gymnastic rings. As visitors make their way through the space, they're asked to contemplate the weight and strength of their body, the impact it has on the earth, and the power we can exert if we all come together to combat climate change. Expect topical pieces all round, with pondering the importance of water one of the exhibition's main aims. Overall, "the artworks featured in Water will make connections with many of the major environmental and social challenges faced by the world today," explains Queensland Minister for Environment and the Great Barrier Reef, Minister for Science and Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch. Water exhibits at the Gallery of Modern Art, Stanley Place, South Brisbane from December 7, 2019 to April 26, 2020. Images: Olafur Eliasson. Denmark, b.1967. Riverbed 2014 (detail). Site specific installation. Pictured: The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk, Denmark. Photograph: Iwan Baan. William Forsythe. America, b.1949. The Fact of Matter 2009. Site-specific installation comprising gym rings, fabric straps, gym mat and truss system. Dimensions variable. Pictured: Installation view, William Forsythe: Choreographic Objects, The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, 2018-19. Image courtesy the artist. Photograph: Liza Voll. © William Forsythe.
We all have movies that change us, open up the world to us and/or make us feel seen. Most folks, whether they're filmmakers or not, don't then bring new versions of those pictures to cinemas — no matter how much they might want to. Andrew Ahn's feature filmography started with his 2016 debut Spa Night, then delivered 2019's Driveways and 2022's Fire Island, and now adds a fresh take on a Berlin-winning, Oscar-nominated 90s box-office hit that marked just the second film from Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi Best Director Academy Award-winner Ang Lee. 1993's The Wedding Banquet was also the first gay movie, first gay Asian movie and first gay Asian American movie that Ahn ever saw. The man behind the camera on 2025's The Wedding Banquet was eight when he watched the original picture courtesy of a video-store rental. When he started on the path to becoming a filmmaker himself, and even once he had a movie or two under his belt — long before this project came his way, then — crafting his own version didn't ever occur to him. "Oh, it never crossed my mind — like, not a direct remake," Ahn tells Concrete Playground about the fourth feature on his resume, which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. "I think I thought about similar themes and ideas, but to make something that would be called The Wedding Banquet, I could never have imagined. It really took the producers approaching me. Our producers had been chatting before I was in the picture, and I think their scheming led to this." Three decades back, The Wedding Banquet focused on Manhattan-based gay Taiwanese man Gao Wai-Tung (Winston Chao, Daughter's Daughter), whose parents (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's Sihung Lung and Qing yu nian's Ah-Lei Gua) had no idea that he wasn't straight, let alone any awareness of his long-term American partner Simon (Mitchell Lichtenstein, Modern Houses), and so had matchmaking their son with a future bride and stressing their yearning for grandchildren firmly on their minds. As co-written by Lee with James Schamus (The King's Daughter) and Neil Peng (The Candidate), the film makes Wai-Tung's mother and father's dreams come true via Wei-Wei (May Chin, now a Taiwanese politician), a Chinese artist who'll be deported if she doesn't get a green card. Of course the eponymous event takes place, with Mr and Mrs Gao in attendance and in the dark that it's all a sham. Lee's movie is a comedy, romantic and screwball alike, and equally a deeply considered and thoughtful relationship drama, plus a compassionate family drama. A reimagining rather than a remake, 2025's The Wedding Banquet falls into all of the above categories still, so it's a rom-com, it's screwball, and it's both a relationship and family drama as well; however, Ahn and Schamus — who returned to co-write another The Wedding Banquet, after initially collaborating with Ahn by producing Driveways — have their eyes firmly on the queer experience right now. As a result, while there's winks and nods to the original, and clear affection for it evident across its frames, this take on the film is guided by how the initial flick's setup would truly play out two decades into the 21st century as it explores queer identity, cultural heritage and community. Accordingly, audiences meet two Seattle-based queer couples: Angela (Kelly Marie Tran, Control Freak) and Lee (Lily Gladstone, Fancy Dance), plus Min (Han Gi-Chan, Dare to Love Me) and Chris (Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live). Among their families, Angela's mother (Joan Chen, Dìdi) wins awards for her allyship, while Min's grandmother (Youn Yuh-Jung, Pachinko) is the head of a Korea-originated multinational company that he has always been expected to take over. Having children is Angela and Lee's priority, but after two unsuccessful rounds of IVF they're now out of money for a third. While cash isn't a problem for Min, the fact that his student visa will soon expire is — and so is Chris' commitment-phobic reluctance to marry him. The plan, then, is for Angela and Min to wed, helping the latter stay in the US in exchange for financial assistance for Lee's next IVF treatment. [caption id="attachment_1003561" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Janice Chung[/caption] One of the key points that's pushed further to the fore this time around is parenthood — and what it means to have a family as a queer couple. Ahn's fondness for the families that we choose, as seen across his filmography so far, remains a pivotal element of The Wedding Banquet, but so does the specific intention and effort needed to pass on your genes when getting pregnant can't just happen accidentally as it can for some in heterosexual relationships. That thread, and even a specific line of dialogue about it, comes from Ahn's own life. As such, he's not just lending his loving eyes to a new iteration of a movie that's personally important to him — alongside his Korean American background, he's lending parts of his existence. Ahn's on-screen ensemble is clearly phenomenal, including Gladstone in a more-comedic role than audiences are accustomed to seeing the Killers of the Flower Moon Oscar-nominee and Golden Globe-winner in, the director giving his Fire Island star Yang a more-dramatic arc, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker's Tran in a film with a smart and funny Star Wars line, Han getting his feature film and English-language debut, Chen after she was almost cast in the original and Youn's first American film since winning her Oscar for Minari. Also exceptional: how lived-in that they make their characters' connections feel. We spoke to Ahn about that, drawing from his own reality to highlight queer parenthood, how his past work — episodes of Bridgerton among them — led him here, fleshing out the narrative for 2025, tonal balance, found families and more. On Ahn's Past Work, Including Spa Night, Driveways, Fire Island and Directing Episodes of Bridgerton, Leading Him to a New Version of The Wedding Banquet "I think everything that I do feels informed by what I worked on in the past. Even Bridgerton I feel like snuck its way into The Wedding Banquet a little bit — the romanticism of it. I think The Wedding Banquet definitely required me to pull from so many different parts of my life, as a person and as a filmmaker, to make this film the best that I could." On Working Out Where to Take a New Iteration of The Wedding Banquet, Including a Broader Range of Characters, Exploring the Korean American Experience, and Examining Allyship, Found Families and Having Children "It was kind of step by step. When I rewatched the film in preparation for my conversation with the producers, there were first instincts that were just inspired by how beautiful the original film is. I wondered 'what if the bride in the original film, Wei-Wei, what if she also were queer and had a lesbian partner?'. And then, thinking about how gay people can get married now, I wondered 'now that we can, should we?'. Like 'do we really want to?' And then in the original film, there's an accidental pregnancy — 'but what if we see a couple trying to get pregnant, and planning to have a baby?'. And so these were very helpful foundation-building elements to the story, and I worked with James Schamus to really breathe life into these characters, and engineer the many different themes and questions that we were wrestling with. It was a very difficult process. We worked very hard, and we were writing the film for more than five years, and so it was a real labour of love. I'm so thankful for James, and just the years of experience that he had — not just as a screenwriter, but also as a producer and a director. You could not ask for a more-experienced collaborator." On First Watching Ang Lee's Film at the Age of Eight, Then Reimagining It Three Decades Later "I think it definitely helped that I had a really special relationship with the original film, but that wouldn't be enough. I think what helped me understand 'this is my film that I can make' was the phase of adulthood that I found myself in when I was working on this — and really thinking about getting married and having children. I had a lot of conversations with my boyfriend about marriage and kids, and I realised that I felt very strongly about how important and how beautiful queer family-building is — and that really was my guiding light through this whole process in making this movie." On Drawing One of the Film's Key Exchanges About the Intention Needed for Queer Couples to Start a Family From Ahn's Own Life "I wanted to talk about how that's a reality of queer people's existences — and one of the challenges of building family that's not even defined by homophobia. It's not like there's a straight person keeping us away from building family. It's our own hesitations. There's definitely, of course, a lot of financial and legal reasons that complicate queer family-building, but we kind of have to get out of our own way first, and just believe that this is something that we can do and that we want. And so I really wanted to talk about this particular nuance that I don't think has been explored in an in-depth way on the big screen. So it was an insight that I had only come to in having a conversation with my boyfriend, and I took that line of 'if it happens, it happens' straight out of my boyfriend's mouth onto the page." On Helping Ensure That Years and Even Decades of Intimacy Shone Through Among the FIlm's Characters Thanks to Its Stacked Cast "It's such an incredible ensemble, and I had so much fun working with them. They were all so game. They wanted to be vulnerable, and they showed so much generosity with each other and with me. I think of directing as creating an environment where these actors can feel safe and inspired, and so there was a lot of conversation that I had with each of the actors before they came to set — and then as much as we could find rehearsal time, we built in rehearsal time in our schedule so that we could fast-track an intimacy. I think these actors are all incredible, incredible actors, and so it's not hard to get a great performance out of them — and so for me, it's just about creating an energy and a space for them to really be present and work with each other well. And for me, I think a lot of that had to do with just putting together a cast and crew that really valued the story and what we were doing, and understood the meaningfulness of our work." On Casting Gladstone in a More-Comic Role Than Audiences Are Used to Seeing Her in, and Also Giving Yang a More-Dramatic Arc "I love being able to work with actors in a mode that they might not be used to or have been cast in before. I think it's fun to broaden the horizon for an audience of who these actors are and can be. Bowen, I loved working with him on Fire Island, and I just see so much charisma and vulnerability that I think is undeniable. And then when Lily, she's so serious in some of her work, but I saw her in some interviews and she's such a goofball. And I love that. And so I had a lot of belief that she could have fun in this role. And the way both of those actors — the way that all of our actors — traverse the balance of comedy and drama, it was very inspiring to watch." On Making a Romantic Comedy and a Screwball Comedy That's Also a Family Drama, and Is Deeply Considered and Thoughtful About Queer Identity, Cultural Heritage and Community "I think tone is one of the hardest things about filmmaking, and it's because it takes the entire process to figure out. You are writing it, you are directing it, you are editing it, and it's not until the very end, even with score and sound design and colour correction, where you've figured out the tone of your movie. And so it's really about trusting the artistic process and giving yourself options. In the script, we had alt lines for other jokes, for different zingers. On set, we would do certain takes more dramatically, do certain takes more comedically. In the edit, we're constantly adjusting. And so we had to just trust in the process — and in some ways trust in my own intuition and just energy. My editor Geraud Brisson [Lessons in Chemistry] mentioned that the film, it kind of feels like hanging out with me. And I used that as a creative north star in helping find that really complicated but fun balance of comedy and drama." [caption id="attachment_1003558" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fire Island, photo by Jeong Park. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved[/caption] On Why the Idea of Found Family Interests Ahn and Keeps Popping Up Through His Work "I think found family, it is something worth celebrating, and I think we can take it for granted sometimes. Our friends, our relationships — there's so much there, there's so much that needs to happen, there's so much work you need to put in in creating your chosen family. And so when you can create your own chosen family, it's really worth celebrating. And so it's something that I feel like whether you're queer or not, it's a very meaningful reminder" The Wedding Banquet opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, May 8, 2025. The Wedding Banquet images: Luka Cyprian, Bleecker Street.
Whether or not making movies has ever been your goal, everyone knows that some film achievements that are just the dream. Getting into SXSW is one of them. If you're from Australia, and from Sydney at that, having your first feature play at Sydney Film Festival ranks as highly. Amy Wang has now notched up both thanks to Slanted, which premiered at Austin's OG version of SXSW in March, then made its Aussie debut at SFF. Was this the dream for Wang? "100 percent. Yes. Yes. Growing up — and I went to film school here in in Sydney as well — there are those film festivals like the Cannes, the Sundances and SXSWs, where you're just like 'wow, even to just play'," she tells Concrete Playground. "I think they choose ten films or eight films to play in competition at South By. I remember that day. I had a friend who had a film that played at South By the previous year, and they had said they got their acceptance email around the beginning of December. So I just had this inkling. I was like 'if I don't get this email today' — it was a Friday — 'then it's probably a no go'. And I got it. It was so surreal for sure. Just so happy." That's how Wang discovered that she'd be unveiling her body-horror satire about a Chinese American teen's desire to be like her peers at her US high school — plus the lengths the character goes to to achieve that aim — in America. For her troubles, she took home 2025's SXSW Narrative Jury Award. Playing Sydney Film Festival is another treasured milestone. "In many ways, I am even more excited to show it in Sydney," she notes. "Growing up in Sydney, I would go to Sydney Film Festival every year since I was a teenager. So I've been to the State Theatre so many times, lined up outside. It's such a prestigious venue." Slanted's first Aussie session did indeed play at the grand venue at the heart of SFF. It's a US-set and -made film, but screening in Australia is a homecoming because its Chinese Australian writer/director has taken inspiration from her childhood experiences right here. The story of Joan Huang (Shirley Chen, Dìdi) isn't far from Wang's own growing up, when she was teased and attacked due to her race, she advises. Well, that setup has its parallels, at least. With Slanted, the filmmaker takes that trauma and transfers it into a world of prom queens and blonde obsessions, crafting a biting exploration of such a nightmare — one where Joan is convinced that the radical step that is "racial transformation surgery" is her only choice. When Joan walks her school's halls, she strolls past photos of past tiara-wearing teens, all blue-eyed and fair-haired. Her bedroom walls are filled with pictures of blonde celebrities. On her phone, she changes her own image with filters. Lightening her tresses IRL follows. Upon arriving in America with her family (Starring Jerry as Himself's Fang Du and The Afterparty's Vivian Wu) as a kid (Kristen Cui, Knock at the Cabin), she was mocked quickly, cementing the idea in her impressionable young mind that assimilating with her classmates was the ideal option. Also as a child, courtesy of her dad's job as a high-school janitor, she discovered prom queens and the adoration that the title brings. So, when a company called Ethnos slides into adolescent Joan's DMs with a proposal, securing all of her fantasies — and befriending the most-popular girl in school (Amelie Zilber, Grown-ish), too — appears closer to becoming a reality. If this sounds like a "be careful what you wish for"-esque setup, that's because it is as Slanted also works Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire star Mckenna Grace into its cast as Jo — and as Wang digs into the desire to belong, its costs, caucasian-centric beauty standards, white privilege and class clashes. Wang knows that this is well-populated territory in general, but "nobody had really done what I've done", she reflects. "Even around White Chicks, for example, it's still the same actors. And obviously Freaky Friday is another example of a body-swap kind of film, but with this, still it's the same person. And it's to do with race, and that's something I think that hasn't really been touched. Obviously a lot of people have been comparing the film to The Substance, which is a little similar as well in terms of themes, but still different. I think it was just the race aspect of it — the fact that it's so personal to myself — that's how I made it different and my own." Was the process of penning and helming Slanted cathartic for its guiding force? "100 percent. 100 percent. I use film and I use writing and directing to work through my own trauma, I think, and it's been deeply cathartic," Wang shares. As much of a focus is ensuring that everyone else that has ever felt like Joan does can see that others have been there. "I made this film so that people didn't feel alone," Wang continues. "And I could express a story about somebody who maybe the majority of Australians or the majority of Americans don't really think about — and to do it an entertaining way so that they are entertained, but also are made to think and reflect on themselves." Wang's path to Slanted spans studying at the American Film Institute, winning accolades for her short film work before her feature's SXSW triumph — 2017's Unnatural picked up a gong at the Cannes Lions — and diving into a sequel to a Hollywood hit. When Crazy Rich Asians 2 makes its way to cinemas, it'll do so with Wang as its writer. Netflix's From Scratch and The Brothers Sun are also on her resume so far. We chatted with Wang about her Slanted journey to date, the movie's response, having an Australian perspective on US teendom and more, including the picture's balancing act, its crucial casting, the visual approach and more. [caption id="attachment_1008985" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Amy E. Price/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty Images[/caption] On How the 12 Months Since Making Slanted Have Panned Out for Wang "Oh my gosh, it's been nuts. It is kind of crazy to think — like even today on my phone, you know how your iPhone sometimes gives you memories of the last couple of months? I hadn't even started shooting this time last year. So we shot June–July. I think I flew back to LA — because we shot in Atlanta — I flew back to LA in August to start post. And it's been pretty fast, when I think about it. And it was — I mean, it's still crazy. We delivered the film like three days before we premiered. I'm sure SXSW hated us with that. So it was kind of non-stop until the premiere. The night before, I couldn't sleep because I was so nervous. And then we had such a great reaction after that first screening. I thought the festival will tip you off if you win anything, but they don't. I wasn't even going to even go to the awards night. And I just rocked up in a t-shirt and jeans. Other people were dressed up in dresses and suits and everything, and me and my husband were just sat in the back. It was the most-crazy experience, and so I'm still pinching myself." On Whether Wang Expected the Type of Response That Slanted Has Been Receiving "I think I wanted for this response, and I'm really happy that that I've received it. There was definitely a part of me that was a little bit afraid. I like to push buttons with all of my films, the scripts that I write — and in a way, I do like a bit of controversy within the stuff that I do. So I think I was more afraid of that of — like would people take it the wrong way? Would people get offended? But surprisingly it's been — you always get the random Letterboxd reviews or even film critics critiquing the film, but the majority have been so amazing and supportive. I remember after my premiere at South By, when I was walking to the afterparty, there were multiple people who came up to me with tears in their eyes and just telling me about how much they related to the story. And these were Americans. I'm even more excited to see the reaction in Sydney, because, again, the film came from my own experience growing up in Sydney. And Australia, Sydney in particular, has such a huge Asian population. So I'm so interested to see how people relate to the film." [caption id="attachment_938017" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tim Levy[/caption] On How Slanted Evolved From Wang's Childhood in Australia — and Why It Embraces the US as a Setting "The reason why I set it in America was because I moved to America in 2015 to go to film school at AFI. And I ended up staying and working in LA. And it felt, at the time when I came up with the concept, like all of my connections, my career, was really in the US. So I knew I needed to adapt the story that I had in my head to a US audience — because all the money, all of the filming crew, cast, everybody, would have been US-based. So that was really the main reason. If I had written a story that was in Australia, I wouldn't have the slightest clue how to get it made in the Australian bubble. The story is very closely based on my own life. Growing up in Sydney, I, unfortunately for a really long time — and even now to a degree, I think we're all still working towards fully embracing and accepting who we are — but as a teenager, I definitely was very, very aware that I looked very different. And I received a lot of, I wouldn't say very violent attacks, but definitely had people throw things at me, follow me around, say very, very horrible racist, just blatantly racist things to me. And it really just made me feel ashamed of my culture, what I look like, and made me want to look like the blonde surfie girls who I went to high school with, who were the always the most popular. And I remembered wanting to — I didn't grow up very wealthy, I would nag my mum to get me Billabong boardies and those types of bags to fit in a little bit more. And I'd get so ashamed over the lunches my dad would make me, because the kids would tease me about how badly they smelled and how weird they looked. I'm happy that I went through it, because it's made me who I am. And I'm just really happy that I was able to make a film that I think connects to a lot of people who have experienced very similar things — even if you're not Asian Australian. I think everybody feels in some way as an outsider." [caption id="attachment_1008986" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gilbert Flores/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty Images[/caption] On Whether Having an Outsider Perspective in the US Assisted When Satirising the Prom and American High Schools "Yes, absolutely. You definitely hit the nail on the head. I feel like I was able to really satirise America because I'm not American. And growing up in Australia, growing up on American films and American TV, I think I had that separation and I was able to make fun of it. And also, I think what is cool is because I've been living here so long, to also firsthand experience the ins and outs and the intricacies of American society. I didn't, when I was in Australia, I never knew that American kids did the Pledge of Allegiance. And it was so shocking to me. I remember when I was doing research and visiting high schools in California, and they would all do the Pledge of Allegiance — and I was like 'what? What is this?'. And it just felt so bizarre. But to an American, it's what they grew up with, so they wouldn't question it." View this post on Instagram A post shared by SXSW (@sxsw) On Finding the Right Tone When You're Making a Satire with a Clear Sense of Humour, But That Comes From a Personal Place — and Is a Body-Horror Film, Coming-of-Age Movie and Family Drama as Well "I feel like it's interesting because I didn't really think too hard about — I definitely thought about the tone a lot, but in terms of weaving all of these things together, I didn't think 'ooh, I have to have some body horror in there, I have to have some satire in there'. I think the satire came organically because the initial concept was just 'oh, what if a Chinese girl turned herself into a white girl?' — and so that concept itself was so absurd and surreal that it just automatically steps into that satirical tone and zone. And then, the reason why I'm a filmmaker is because of films like Fight Club and Seven — David Fincher in particular. My favourite filmmaker is Michael Haneke. And I grew up watching a lot of Cronenberg. So I love dark material. And it just makes sense — I wanted to make a film about learning to accept who you are but in a nightmarish storyline, so it just makes sense to see the repercussions of what happens when you decide to transition into something so drastic." On the Importance of Also Digging Into Class Clashes "That's just another theme that I'm very passionate about, because I don't come from a lot of money. And both of my parents are very working class, don't have any association with the film business. And especially coming out to LA, not really having anything, going AFI — which is a great school, but really being surrounded by a lot of people who do come from a lot of money, or has a famous dad or whatever. Especially in the film industry, in Hollywood, I think, I'm constantly surrounded by people who are just wealthier. And I think that's just something that I'm very aware of. Again, I'm really happy with everything I've been through because it always informs my work, but classism and race, those are definitely things that I just am very aware of — of my own differences and of society in general, the wealth disparity, especially in America." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shirley Chen (@shirleylchen) On the Importance of Finding the Right Joan in Shirley Chen and the Right Jo in Mckenna Grace "I found Shirley first. I watched a lot of auditions. And I'd always known of Shirley, cause I've seen her in Dìdi, I'd seen her in this great short called Krista, I think that also played the South By. And then she did Beast Beast, which is a great film as well. She just had such a naturalistic, kind of edgy vibe about her that I just loved. And I remember watching her initial audition just being like 'fantastic, I've found my person'. And then we had lunch and got to know her a little bit. So I knew I had to find Joan first. And then from Shirley, getting to know Shirley a little bit more, I figured out 'okay, this is her general vibe, this is her energy', and I needed to find someone who could match that. And I met with Mckenna — and same with Shirley, I'd seen Mckenna in obviously Ghostbusters, but I saw her in A Friend of the Family, The Handmaid's Tale. She's just an incredible young actress. We also had lunch, and she just told me how much she related to the script — and really blew me away with her interpretation. And after that meeting, I was like 'yeah, she's the one'. After I cast the two of them, we did a lot of rehearsals and body-language imitating exercises and things like that, to really make sure they feel like the same person." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mckenna Grace (@mckennagraceful) On How Chen and Grace Worked Together to Play the Same Character — and Take That Figure on a Shared Emotional Journey "They did so much homework. I know they had shared playlists and really used music to tie themselves, the both of them, together. But I did a lot of exercises. I had Mckenna follow Shirley around, copy how Shirley ate, how she walked, how she danced — all sorts of little fun exercises I came up with. And we also figured out one thing in the movie, that both of them will squeeze their nose, and that was something that really tied it together. And that's something I used to do and my dad used to do. So I think that was a really easy tic that they both really caught onto. And sometimes even on set, I would forget and then they would add it into the scene, and I'd be like 'oh, this is amazing'. So they just they did the work. And Shirley would be on set when Mckenna would be on set, and vice versa, because we'd obviously shoot their scenes intersectionally, so that really helped as well." On Mixing Naturalism and Surrealism in the Film's Stylistic Approach "So my DP and I — my wonderful DP Ed Wu [Mother of the Bride] — we had this almost like a map that's one to ten. One was the most grounded, realistic types of films, like Fish Tank, Andrea Arnold types of films. And then on the other end of the spectrum were the Sorry to Bother You kind of way-more out-there-visually satire. And so with each scene, we'd be like 'okay, this scene, it's sitting more in the one to two', which is more the Andrea Arnold kind camp. But then some scenes, like when we're in Ethnos, definitely ventured more into that hyper-real, Being John Malkovich kind of world. So we had that communication during set, in pre-production as well. And sometimes it was hard, because there would be some scenes where it would go back and forth a little bit. The first half might be more of a one, but then the second half is a ten. So those were a little bit more difficult to really nail. But I think the music was also really big thing. Shirley Song [XO Kitty], she's a fantastic composer." On How Short Films, From Scratch, The Brothers Sun and Writing on Crazy Rich Asians 2 Helped Lead Wang to Her Feature Debut "I was never much of a writer when I got into AFI, to be totally honest. I had always wanted to direct and I went to the American Film Institute for directing. And it was my second year when I really started getting into writing, because a graduate came back and was like 'if you don't want work at Starbucks after you graduate, you're just not going to get paid to direct anything for a very long time, so you need to learn how to write'. So that advice really stuck with me. And that's kind of what I did. So I think that on the writing side, just writing for a lot of studio films — I sold scripts to Paramount and Netflix and all sorts of places. It definitely helped me craft the screenplay in the best way. And then for directing, I think it was just I really enjoyed my experience at AFI. It taught me a lot about directing. And you're just really drawing from personal experiences, and you take apart films. And I made a lot of short films back in Sydney. And all of that experience I think really contributed to making this feature." Slanted is screening at Sydney Film Festival until Sunday, June 15, 2025. Head to the fest's website for more details.
There's no wrong way to do a European holiday. But if you ask us, it's the experiences that really make a trip special. A boat cruise along Sorrento's coastline, a dip in Budapest's outdoor baths, or a bike ride through the French countryside to Monet's garden – these are the moments that you'll remember long after you return home. With our dedicated travel platform, Concrete Playground Trips, it's never been easier to plan your dream Euro adventure. So we've rounded up eight of the best bookable activities across some of Europe's most underrated destinations, all made even better thanks to an exclusive 10% discount for Visa cardholders. Just lock in your pick, pay with your Visa and watch the savings roll in. From food and wellness to culture and history, here are the top experiences to add to your itinerary.
If Bluesfest is a regular part of your Easter plans, then the Byron Bay event's team has wrapped up 2025's festivities with some excellent news for you in 2026: the long-weekend fest will still be on the calendar next year. In fact, dates are locked in and early-bird tickets are on sale. If you haven't already, put Thursday, April 2–Sunday, April 5, 2026 in your calendar. The announcement comes after a massive year for the long-running fest, which notched up its 36th in 2025. Organisers have advised that this year's festival saw more than 109,000 attendees, "making Bluesfest 2025 the biggest we've seen in years, and the third-largest event in our history". [caption id="attachment_867505" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lachlan Douglas[/caption] This year's lineup drawcards included ten-time Grammy-winner Chaka Khan, rains-blessing rock group Toto, 'Sailing' and 'Ride Like the Wind' singer Christopher Cross, plus Crowded House, Ocean Alley and Vance Joy — and also Hilltop Hoods, Budjerah, Kasey Chambers and The Cat Empire, as well as Xavier Rudd, John Butler, Tones and I, Missy Higgins, George Thorogood & The Destroyers and many more. It wasn't just the roster of acts that saw Bluefest earn such a strong showing, however. Back in 2024, before the festival began revealing who was on its next bill, it advised that it would bid farewell with its 2025 event — marking the end of an era. That news came after Groovin the Moo and Splendour in the Grass had cancelled for 2024, neither of which returned this year. Within months of Bluefest saying that it was calling time, however, reports that discussions were underway about the festival's future — and also that artists are already being booked for 2026 — started circulating following widespread community support. Accordingly, Bluesfest making a 2026 comeback shouldn't come as a huge surprise. The festival is one of five New South Wales events newly named as recipients of backing from the first round of the state's Contemporary Music Festival Viability Fund, alongside Lost Paradise, Your and Owls, Listen Out and Field Day. [caption id="attachment_969990" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joseph Mayers[/caption] [caption id="attachment_969989" align="alignnone" width="1920"] LD Somefx[/caption] [caption id="attachment_969987" align="alignnone" width="1920"] LD Somefx[/caption] [caption id="attachment_867504" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kurt Petersen[/caption] Bluesfest 2026 will run from Thursday, April 2–Sunday, April 5 at Byron Events Farm, Tyagarah. Early-bird tickets are on sale now — for further information, head to the Bluesfest website. Top image: Roger Cotgreave.
For such a tiny island, Jamaica has had a disproportionate impact on global culture. Naturally, Bob Marley's ubiquitous portrait and defiant, uplifting anthems are the first exports to come to mind. But then there's the rest. It's thanks to Jamaica's 10,911 square kilometres of sundrenched Caribbean goodness that we can gawk at physics-defying athletes, fantasise about encountering Sean Connery or Ursula Andress under a waterfall, and luxuriate in the world's finest coffee and rum. THE FASTEST MAN IN THE WORLD One of his legs is a half-inch shorter than the other. During warm ups, when his competitors are stressed to the max, he's usually found dancing. His height measures in at 6 feet, 5 inches — too tall for sprinting, according to convention. And he describes himself as 'lazy'. Against quite a few odds, Usain Bolt, who grew up in a country town in Trelawny, Jamaica, is the fastest man on the planet. At the 2009 World Championships, held in Berlin, he set the current world record for both the 100 metre sprint, at 9.59 seconds, and the 200 metre sprint, at 19.19 seconds. EVERY JAMES BOND NOVEL YOU’VE EVER READ In 1946, Ian Fleming bought fifteen acres on a cliff-face on Jamaica’s north coast, built a house and named it Goldeneye. He then wrangled an agreement with his employer, The Sunday Times, which allowed him to take January and February off work. When each new year rolled around, he'd hole himself up in his Caribbean hideaway and write a new James Bond saga. By his death in 1964, twelve novels and two books of short stories were completed. These days, Goldeneye is a fancypants hotel and resort where people like Richard Branson and Harrison Ford hang out. BLUE MOUNTAIN COFFEE In Jamaica's Blue Mountains grow some of the most expensive coffee beans you'll find anywhere. Online, they'll set you back $180 a kilogram. They're cultivated in small acreages, between 600 and 1500 metres above sea level, where the moist, cool environment increases the ripening period to as long as ten months. Consequently, the natural sugars within the beans have oodles of time to develop, giving them their famous smooth flavour. JERK Finding a local eatery is never difficult to do in Jamaica. That's because the chief national dish, jerk, gives its whereabouts away, as a result of its mouthwatering aroma. Jerk cooking involves rubbing or marinating meat (usually chicken or pork) with a fiery blend of ingredients known as Jamaican jerk spice. Pimento and Scotch bonnet peppers are crucial, but you can also add cinnamon, nutmeg, thyme, cloves, garlic, salt and shallots. PREMIUM AGED RUM FROM APPLETON ESTATE When Christopher Columbus visited Jamaica in the 15th century, he brought with him sugarcane and rum. Thanks to the island’s lush climate, some of the finest spirits to ever pass the lips of humankind were soon in production. One such place is Appleton Estate — Jamaica’s oldest sugar estate and distillery — which is located in the heart of Jamaica on an incredible 4,614 hectares in the picturesque Nassau Valley. Appleton Estate has continued their craft in the traditional way, using copper pot and column stills for the distillation process, American oak barrels for ageing and naturally limestone-percolated water from the hills of cockpit country. A master blender then blends the spirit by hand, creating the distinctive flavour profiles and handcrafted feel for which Appleton is renowned. Fun fact: Appleton is one of the few rums in the world that can claim terroir: the unique flavour that only comes from being wholly produced in a single location. DUNN'S RIVER FALLS Dunn's River Falls is one of the few waterfalls in the world that you can climb without being in constant fear that you're going to tumble to some horrendous watery death. Even though they're 55 metres high, they're 180 metres long, because they're conveniently shaped like stairs, officially referred to as 'travertine terraces'. In Dr. No (1962), Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress) emerges from the sea at the base of the falls, where she runs into James Bond (Sean Connery). REGGAE, SKA, DUB, ROCKSTEADY Bob Marley might be the most legendary of Jamaican musicians, but he's just the start of the record catalogue. Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, and Toots and the Maytals were all raised on the island too. Reggae took hold in the late 1960s, but before that, there was rocksteady, which The Wailers cut their teeth on, and earlier still, ska. With the '70s emerged dub, spearheaded by producers like Lee 'Scratch' Perry and King Tubby. A WAY OF LIFE THAT ISN'T AN –ISM Some people have fallen into the habit of describing Rastafari as Rastafarianism, but it's a term that followers don't use — and don't like to hear. That's because they're generally extremely critical of 'isms'. The Rastafari movement kicked off in Jamaica in the 1930s. Rastas worship Haile Selassie I, who was the Ethiopian emperor between 1930 and 1974. They refer to 'conventional society' as Babylon, rejecting what they see as its oppression, consumerism and way too much focus on quashing sensual pleasures. COOL RUNNINGS Cool Runnings might have been created by Disney, but its story was inspired by Jamaica and parts of it were shot there. The film hit cinemas in 1993, debuting at box office #3, and was the last movie featuring John Candy released before he passed away. It is (very) loosely based on the real-life experiences of Jamaica's national bobsled team, which made its debut at the Winter Olympics in 1998 at Calgary, Canada. CIVIL RIGHTS One of Jamaica's national heroes is civil rights activist Marcus Garvey. He founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in Jamaica in 1914 before moving to Harlem in 1916. Like Martin Luther King, he was a rousing orator, and spent years travelling across America, attracting thousands and thousands of loyal followers. His major contribution was boosting African Americans' pride in their culture and encouraging their return to their homelands in Africa.
There's something about a speakeasy bar with a hidden entrance that gets people excited. Enter via a trick bookcase at Loch and Key. Find a secret key that unlocks the door to another bar at Trinket. Or step through a 19th-century floor-length mirror to find a themed bar with cocktails and light bites. The latter is CBD speakeasy, Mill Place Merchants. Just off Flinders Lane, guests will have to seek out a monogrammed red door that leads them into an old dressing room filled with mannequins, rolls of fabric and a vintage sewing machine. Yes, it is a little creepy. It's also a nod to the garment workers who once called this part of the city home. Within this room lies a 19th-century dressing room mirror. Check yourself out, and then push past to find the hidden bar lined with original bluestone walls that's been decorated with vintage rugs, chaise lounges, antiques and leather Chesterfields couches. It's all very old-world opulence, but still with plenty of grit. Thankfully, it's not too polished. But the drinks certainly are. Award-winning Italian bartender Giancarlo Mancino has designed a cocktail menu that oozes with old-school charm, paying homage to legendary cocktail masters of the past. Try their version of a Millionaire, made with bourbon, dry curacao, absinthe, lemon and aquafaba, or opt for the Opera that comes with gin, dubonnet, mandarin liqueur and orange bitters. These cocktails are made for slow sipping in basements hidden away from the rest of the world. You won't find spritzes, spicy margs or super fruity numbers. It's all moody and hush-hush. Those not wanting a cocktail can always get some Victorian wines or craft beers. But you really go to Mill Place Merchants for the signature cocktails. Drinks are the highlight here, but Chef Deepak Mishra has designed a set of light bites that pair with the vintage theme. He's got devilled eggs, steak and ale pies, jamon croquettes, and charcuterie and cheese boards. Snack through these before heading up to some of the best restaurants in Melbourne's CBD for more substantial eats. If you're feeling mysterious, dark and moody this winter, Mill Place Merchants might be the perfect place to brood. That's if you can find it. Images: Bonnie Savage
Death and destruction are no strangers to our screens at the moment. When Avengers: Endgame isn't pondering the decimation of half of humanity, then Game of Thrones is getting kill-happy with dragons — and then there's John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum's astonishingly staged action and ample body count, plus Godzilla: King of the Monsters' world-destroying mayhem as well. But when it comes to sheer horror of the bone-chilling kind, not to mention the kind of soul-crushing dismay that can only stem from the bleakest of tales, they all pale in comparison to HBO's hit new mini-series Chernobyl. Currently streaming on Foxtel Now in Australia and Soho in New Zealand, the five-part show explores the aftermath of the 1986 nuclear disaster, which saw the reactor inside the Ukrainian facility explode. The fallout, unsurprisingly, was catastrophic, with the incident considered the worst nuclear power plant accident in history as well one of the worst man-made events ever. Releasing approximately 400 times more radioactive material than the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki will do that, as will the disaster's significant environmental and human toll. While the dramatisation begins with the fiery explosion, it's what happens next that earns the show's focus — the initial salvage attempts by workers condemned to suffer and die just for doing their jobs; the arrogant cover-ups, including by stubborn plant supervisors who refuse to believe what's happened; the clean-up and rescue missions, sacrificing more lives to the incident; and the inevitable investigation. Every aspect of the series is detailed, thorough, and even more relentless and unnerving than you'd expect given the real-life situation, with creator and writer Craig Mazin drawing upon meticulous research, interviews with nuclear scientists, chats with former Soviet residents and first-person accounts from those who were there. Expect a grim tone, grey imagery, the galvanising feeling that comes from watching such an enormous disaster unfold, and a slew of great performances as well. Mad Men's Jared Harris leads the cast as the Soviet nuclear physicist who first grasps the full scope of the accident, Stellan Skarsgård pops up as the Soviet Deputy Prime Minister assigned by the Kremlin to lead the government commission into the incident, and Emily Watson plays another physicist determined to work out what caused the disaster. Other familiar faces among the hefty cast include Beast's Jessie Buckley, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' Adrian Rawlins and American Animals' Barry Keoghan. A word of warning: Chernobyl isn't easy viewing. If you're not fond of constantly feeling tense, terrified and panicked, don't fare well with body horror, and have no time for cruel and clueless political machinations from inept folks cowering in the face of catastrophe, this isn't for you. But the US-UK series, a co-production between HBO and British broadcaster Sky, is as masterful as it is haunting and shocking — which is exactly what a show about such a dark chapter of recent history should be. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9APLXM9Ei8 Chernobyl's first four episodes are currently available to stream via Foxtel Now and Soho, with the fifth and final episode arriving on Monday, June 3. It'll also air weekly on Foxtel Showcase from Wednesday, June 12. Images: Liam Daniel/HBO.
You could spend a weekend in Broken Hill doing nothing but gazing at the sky. In autumn, huge cloud formations battle against the sun all day long, and, come evening, you've never seen so many stars. Perhaps it's this, along with the striking red earth of the surrounding desert, that attracts so many artists to this 18,000-person outback town, about 1200 kilometres west of Sydney and 850 kilometres north of Melbourne. Between gallery visits you can wander among grand 19th century architecture, have a yarn in proper country pubs (you'll be getting burgers, not sliders, 'round 'ere) and head underground to experience some legendary history, from mining to illicit two-up. Plus, there's a museum dedicated to Mad Max 2. Hit the road. [caption id="attachment_580402" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Simon Yeo via Flickr[/caption] SEE AND DO Let's start with the art. 90 minutes before sundown, drive to the 180-hectare Living Desert Reserve. On a hilltop affording 360-degree views, there's a dozen sculptures created by artists from all over the world, and strategically positioned to catch the sun's dying rays. The nearby 1.5-kilometre cultural trail features epic Sturt's Desert Pea displays and Indigenous story poles. Back in town, immerse yourself in the world's biggest acrylic painting on canvas by a single artist (Ando's 100-metre x 12-metre landscape), swing by Pro Hart Gallery and ramble around the many spaces of the high-ceilinged Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery. To get the lowdown on the area's history, join a Silver City Sights and Heritage Tour. In a comfy, air-conditioned bus, you'll cover 50 kilometres and over 100 years — from BHP's first mining of silver and lead in 1885 (BHP, by the way, stands for Broken Hill Proprietary) to the 2001 building of the Line of Lode Miners Memorial, which commemorates more than 800 miners killed on the job. [caption id="attachment_575825" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Jasmine Crittenden[/caption] Mining is still a dangerous business, but it was way more terrifying in the 1880s. Get acquainted with its historical extremes at the Day Dream Mine, 33 kilometres northwest of Broken Hill. Back then, workers did it so tough for so little, their bosses handed out opium to ease the pain — presumably cheaper than paying sick leave — and when the drugs wore off, horehound beer was the next refuge, often sending drinkers blind for a day or two (hence the phrase 'blind drunk'). You'll hear these and other tales while squeezing through tunnels 30 metres underground. Recover with scones and tea in the homestead. [caption id="attachment_582402" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Amanda Slater via Flickr[/caption] Another 15 or so kilometres west, the outback proper begins at Silverton. Home to just over 600 people, this tiny town peaked in the 1890s when silver was found nearby, and is now an arty enclave, where donkeys roam wild and days end best with a beer at the famous Silverton Hotel. Among its crowded walls — which are hung with guitars, trumpets, Akubras and empty stubbies — you'll find souvenirs from the many film crews to have passed through, from Wake In Fright (1970) to Mad Max 2 (1981) to Razorback (1984). Delve deeper into movie history at the Mad Max 2 Museum. Opened by obsessive collector Adrian Bennett in 2010, this shed is crammed with behind-the-scenes photos, costumes and vehicles, including the original gyrocopter and interceptor. When you're max-ed out, meander around Silverton, visiting The Horizon Gallery, the John Dynan Art Gallery and the Silverton Gaol Museum, before driving four kilometres north to Mundi Mundi Plains to watch the sun set over what looks like the edge of the world. EAT AND DRINK In most of Broken Hill's pubs and restaurants, you can count on hearty, meat-heavy cooking — mammoth-sized feeds that reward a long day of hard yakka. At The Palace Hotel — where Mitzi, Felicia and Bernadette stopped over during The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of The Desert — dig into crispy-skinned, grilled Atlantic salmon with dill, creamy garlic sauce, mash, veg and a splash of Chardonnay. If you're dining on a Friday, hang around afterwards for a game of two-up — The Palace is the only place in Australia where it's legal all year-long. Before 1984, you would've dropped into Broken Hill's illicit two-up school, held behind a green door on Crystal Lane. Two blocks away is the majestic, heritage-listed Astra. This swish hotel, built in the 1890s, has eight suites and a big, shady verandah. Downstairs, relax over a cocktail in the Red Lush Lounge or slide into a cosy, high-backed chair in Trinders restaurant for a modern Australian feast, like their signature surf 'n' turf: fillet steak topped with king prawns, grilled banana, hollandaise and seasonal veggies. There are a few cafes bringing more contemporary fare to the outback. Get your single origin coffee fix at health-minded, family-owned The Silly Goat on the main drag. Among the sunflowers, burnt orange feature walls and timber tables, you'll also find their "turmeric elixir", cold-pressed juices, house-baked treats and inner-city-style mains, like the haloumi burger with mushies, beetroot relish and aioli. A few blocks to the northwest, outside the GP Super Clinic, is The Caff, opened by local couple Summa and Nathan Rayner in February 2014. The fun fit-out was a 100 percent DIY job, from the blue tartan seats ripped straight out of a school bus to the recycled wooden tables. Every dish on the menu is made from scratch. Try just-baked waffles packed with zucchini and corn and stacked with chilli con carne and guacamole, a gourmet pie or some bread and butter pudding-style French toast. And just south of the town centre, there's Bells Milk Bar. This isn't one of those trendy, ironic, retro-themed places — it's the real thing. It's been open since the 1930s and the decor dates to the 1950s. The syrups, cordials and ice cream are all made in-house in small batches, according to secret recipes. Choose from over 40 milkshake flavours or 16 spiders, slip into a booth in the back room and crank some Bill Haley and The Comets on the juke box. STAY For oodles of space and light, a king-size bed, a spa and a separate lounge area — including your own mini-kitchen — check into the Red Earth Motel. The spick-and-span interiors are inspired by the desert. Think luxe white linen dotted with earthy-patterned pillows and lounge chairs in reds and ochres. If you're travelling in a group, book into a two- or three-bedroom apartment. The shaded swimming pool lets you cool off after a busy day of sun and adventures. Meanwhile, you can sleep under an original artwork at Ibis Styles. Owned by locals Michael and Dana Farcich for 27 years, these lodgings were known as the Mine Host Motel before being acquired by Accor in the mid-2000s. 42 two-toned rooms stretch across two storeys, encircling a central pool. There's also an on-site restaurant, the glass-walled, green-and-purple-lit S-Que, where country dishes are given fancy touches. The steak, for example, is a 450-gram, chargrilled Tomahawk behemoth, with kipfler potato chips, rosemary salt, house coleslaw and portobello mushroom sauce. You probably won't need to eat again until you're at the other end of the drive home. Jasmine Crittenden travelled as a guest of Destination NSW. Top image: Simon Yeo via Flickr.
Update Wednesday, July 12: Bookings are now open for the W Hotel's huge Darling Harbour development. You can lock in a stay for dates from Wednesday, November 1. Five years in the making, W Hotel's luxury Darling Harbour development will finally bring the global hotel chain back to Sydney in October this year. Originally scheduled to open in 2020, the unmistakable harbourfront hotel has faced several delays and setbacks, but has now revealed key details in the lead-up to its official opening in seven months' time. Located within The Ribbon, the sleek multimillion-dollar development is designed by HASSEL architects and sits on the former IMAX theatre site — which is scheduled to also reopen this year. W Sydney is promising not just a hotel, but a luxury hideaway with this inner-city accommodation. As with every W Hotel, you can expect impeccably-designed futuristic spaces, eateries overseen by expert chefs, cocktails created by top-notch bartenders and collaborations with local artists, musicians and designers. Partnering with HASSEL is Bowler James Brindley who is handling the interior design of the luxury building. "The freedom to create an entirely new cultural space for Sydney was incredibly exciting, and we were inspired by the idea of 'the larrikin' the non-conformist spirit of the city that makes it irresistible," a Bowler James Brindley spokesperson said. "We love to design spaces that embrace the individuality and even eccentricity of their locations, and to create interiors that engage their buildings and neighbourhoods in conversations, rather than treating spaces as blank canvases." One of W Sydney's drawcards — apart from its 585 next-level rooms and suites — is the exuberant shared spaces throughout the hotel including a heated rooftop infinity pool overlooking the water, a two-storey rooftop bar, an all-day dining restaurant, a luxury spa and a gym. The meticulously designed restaurant on level three can be seen from the adjacent highway, acting as a living, breathing billboard for the hotel. Inside, the diner boasts urban design hallmarks that celebrate its place in the heart of the city, as well as concrete columns and unique ceiling lighting that combine to create a one-of-a-kind dining experience. Other notable touches include jellyfish mosaic artwork that you can discover at the bottom of the impressive 30-metre pool, silicone petals resembling those of the waratah decorating the entrance sign, a future noir-themed lobby inspired by Fritz Lang's Metropolis and graphic designs from renowned multidisciplinary artist Bradley Eastman (aka Beastman) throughout the hotel's spa. W Sydney will open its doors in October 2023 at 31 Wheat Road, Darling Harbour. You can find out more about it on the Darling Harbour website.
Created by Jim Henson, first seen on TV in the 50s and boasting eight movies to their name, The Muppets are easily the most loveable felt and foam creations in pop culture history. They're also the driving force behind the best variety television series that's ever reached the small screen: The Muppet Show, which ran for five seasons between 1976–81. Forget all those other efforts hosted by humans over the years, because nothing is as absurd, surreal and delightful as this puppet-fuelled program. And, whether you grew up watching reruns over and over, have always wanted to check it out or somehow weren't aware that the series even existed, it's coming to Disney+ in full from Friday, February 19. Yes, it's time to play the music and light the lights — and to revisit this Muppets-starring favourite. You won't just be checking out the comic stylings of Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo and the Swedish Chef (and their songs and skits, too), of course. The Muppet Show is also famed for its guest appearances, so get set to spy everyone from Elton John and Mark Hamill to Martin, Liza Minnelli, Alice Cooper, Julie Andrews, Diana Ross and Gene Kelly. The streaming platform is already home to a host of other Muppets-related fare — including the most recent 2011 and 2014 movies — so The Muppet Show will easily slot into the Mouse House's streaming catalogue. And, although we're sure you now already have The Muppet Show's theme tune stuck in your head, here's a clip of its opening credits anyway: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zaQgbACc1E All five seasons of The Muppet Show will be available to stream via Disney+ from Friday, February 19. Top image: The Muppets, Scott Garfield.
One of the most famous artworks in the world is coming to your home, ready for you to peer at whenever you want. Even better: you don't need a hefty bank balance or to be a Glass Onion-style tech mogul to afford it. You will have to build the iconic piece yourself, however, and it will be fashioned out of plastic bricks — all thanks to the latest addition to Lego's art range. That masterwork: The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai, aka the woodblock print that dates back to 1831, is part of the artist's Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji series and is instantly recognisable. Depicting a stormy sea with Mount Fuji in the background, the piece might just be the best-known Japanese artwork ever, with original versions on display everywhere from the Tokyo National Museum to the British Museum in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The Great Wave is certainly one of the most reproduced in history, but making the leap to Lego is a first. How many bricks does it take to turn such a beloved nearly 200-year-old print into a Lego creation? That'd be 1810, including tiny circle blocks for intricate detail. Indeed, this layered 3D set doesn't just recreate just the design of Hokusai's original, or the overall image, but its lines and depth as well. The Lego Art Hokusai: The Great Wave kit has started hitting stores worldwide, and will be available Down Under from Wednesday, February 1. Genuinely big enough to hang on your wall, The Great Wave set is unsurprisingly aimed at adults — a group that Lego has been courting for years, including with succulents, orchids, bouquets and bonsai fashioned out of bricks, because the toy brand knows that you don't ever really grow out of its interconnecting blocks. Lego's latest artistic reimagining follows in the footsteps of the company's The Starry Night set in 2021, which gave Vincent van Gogh's masterpiece the same treatment. Also included in The Great Wave kit, which'll cost AU$169.99 / NZ $179.99 when it goes on sale: a decorative tile with Hokusai's signature. Plus, Lego has created a soundtrack to go with it, so you can listen along as you build, as part of its ongoing focus on adults using its bricks to relax. For more information about Lego's new 'The Great Wave' kit, which goes on sale on Down Under on Wednesday, February 1, head to the company's website.
Prepare to have feelings: Pixar's Inside Out is getting a sequel, it's filled with even more emotions than the first gorgeous 2015 hit, and it also looks set to again be the kind of movie about emotions that sparks plenty of them itself. Slated to hit cinemas in June, Inside Out 2 returns to the head of Riley, who was 11 years old in the initial movie but is a teenager now. Cue more than just feelings of joy, fear, sadness, anger and disgust bouncing through her mind, as both the followup's initial teaser in 2023 and new full trailer show. Joy (Amy Poehler, Moxie), Fear (Tony Hale, Quiz Lady), Sadness (Phyllis Smith, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar), Anger (Lewis Black, The Last Laugh) and Disgust (Liza Lapira, The Equalizer) are all still present and accounted for in Inside Out 2. But they have company of the oh-so-apt-for-adolescence type. Anxiety (Maya Hawke, Stranger Things) was introduced in the debut sneak peek. Now, Envy (Ayo Edebiri, Bottoms), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos, The Animal Kingdom) and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser, The Afterparty) have shown up as well. The story from there: Joy and the OG gang have some adjusting to do when Anxiety and her pals arrive, just as Riley (Kensington Tallman, Firebuds) does to high-school life and being a teenager. Of course, the battle between emotions plays out IRL as well as in Riley's brain. As viewers saw in the first flick, the emotions that Riley experiences are sensations; however, they're also characters trying to guide their human in the best way they can. Everyone who has been a teenager knows the whirlwind of feelings that can spring, and therefore why Riley's head is getting crowded. And, you'll also recognise that Anxiety, Envy, Ennui and Embarrassment aren't about to just become barely seen figures. Tallman, Hawke, Edebiri, Exarchopoulos and Hauser aren't the only new additions to the voice cast. Fans of the initial Inside Out will also spot that Hale and Lapira have also joined the fold, replacing Bill Hader (Barry) and Mindy Kaling (The Morning Show) respectively. Diane Lane (Feud) and Kyle MacLachlan (Lucky Hank) are back as Riley's parents, though. First-time feature director Kelsey Mann (who has a story credit on The Good Dinosaur) directs, while Meg LeFauve (Captain Marvel) wrote the screenplay, as she did with Inside Out. Check out the full trailer for Inside Out 2 below: Inside Out 2 releases in cinemas Down Under on June 13, 2024. Images: © 2023 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
While this city is in no way short of banging bakeries, every now and then, a new one emerges that really captures the attention of Melburnians. Bloomwood Bakery, a serene CBD space, did just that, with its irresistible pastries and specialty drinks. The owners, Brian Tang, Joe La and Darren Nguyen (Brian and Joe from Sloppy Joe's Deli, Joey's Doughies, FOC and ex-owners of Workshop Bros and Braybook STN, and Darren, ex-owner of Workshop Bros), designed Bloomwood to be a calming and grounding venue, with light wood and stone bench tops playing into the Japandi aesthetic. Certain menu items celebrate the Asian flavours and ingredients that the owners grew up eating. You may find a taro-coco flower, a matcha, mochi and strawberry danish, or a miso banoffee pastry. Signature pastries, which attract hordes of visitors each day, include a passionfruit and coconut jelly flower, a pepperoni and hot honey focaccia pizza slice, a maple cinnamon scroll, a choc chip pretzel cookie and a corn and cheese crisp croissant. To drink, there are renowned two-toned drinks, such as strawberry, banana or coconut iced matchas. Images: Supplied.
Thanks to Thor: Love and Thunder, Christian Bale is currently creeping out cinemas as Gorr the God Butcher. As the internet won't stop noticing, Margot Robbie is filming Barbie right now — fluoro-hued outfits and oh-so-much pink all included, naturally — ahead of the Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird, Little Women)-directed movie hitting cinemas in 2023. But come November, they'll both be on the silver screen together, and involved in what looks like quite the crime caper. As the first trailer for Amsterdam shows, Bale plays one of two soldiers, alongside the always-welcome John David Washington (Malcolm & Marie). Meanwhile, Australia's own Robbie plays a nurse. The trio form a pact to protect each other no matter what, and soon find themselves wrongly accused of killing someone. Given that the feature hails from writer/director David O Russell (Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, Joy) — and based on the sneak peek so far, too — expect hijinks to ensue. Expect pretty much every famous face you can think of to show up as well, actually. The Amsterdam cast also includes Alessandro Nivola (The Many Saints of Newark), Andrea Riseborough (Possessor), Anya Taylor-Joy (The Northman), Chris Rock (Spiral: From the Book of Saw), Matthias Schoenaerts (The Old Guard), Michael Shannon (Nine Perfect Strangers), Mike Myers (The Pentaverate), Taylor Swift (Cats), Zoe Saldaña (The Adam Project), Rami Malek (No Time to Die) and Robert De Niro (The War with Grandpa), after all. If you've seen Russell's American Hustle, expect that film's loose vibe to echo through, too — in the trailer, it's the first thing that springs to mind, and not just because the filmmaker's regular actors Bale and De Niro feature prominently. As for the exact story that'll be spun once Amsterdam hits cinemas on November 3, the trailer is taking a shaggy approach to the specifics — as the film looks like it will as well, which Russell does tend to love. In the sneak peek so far, it all starts with a dead body, and with Rock anxious about said corpse. From there, expect a blend of fact and fiction set early in the 20th century, and also a whodunnit angle — to go with that who's who-style cast, clearly. Check out the Amsterdam trailer below: Amsterdam releases in cinemas Down Under on November 3.
Sorry Australia and New Zealand, you can't feel it coming after all — Abel 'The Weeknd' Tesfaye and his planned 2023 tour of both countries, that is. Just over two weeks out from his first scheduled gig Down Under as part of his visit, and after having to put on more shows to meet demand before tickets even went on sale, the musician has postponed his trip. "Due to unforeseen circumstances, we must reschedule the Australia/New Zealand tour. New dates will be announced next year and current tickets will be valid for the new shows," advises a statement on the Live Nation website, which is credited as a message from The Weeknd to his fans. "Refunds will be available for those unable to attend the new dates. Deeply disappointed but can't wait to be there with you!" the statement continues. "We understand fans will be disappointed, and Live Nation is focused on working with The Weeknd to secure a new tour schedule. We will make a further announcement as soon as possible," added Live Nation Australia and New Zealand. The Canadian singer-songwriter and The Idol star was due to play two shows at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium from Monday, November 20–Tuesday, November 21 to kick off the tour, then head to Sydney for three gigs at Accor Stadium from Friday, November 24–Saturday, November 25 and on Monday, November 27. After that, he had four shows locked in for Marvel Stadium in Melbourne: on Friday, December 1–Saturday, December 2 and Monday, December 4–Tuesday, December 5. Then, it was meant to be Eden Park in Auckland's turn from Friday, December 8–Saturday, December 9. An arena spectacular, The Weeknd's global tour has been notching up soldout shows far and wide. In the UK, The Weekend saw 160,000 folks head to London Stadium across two nights, smashing the venue's attendance record. And in Milan, he became the first artist to sell out the Ippodromo La Maura for two nights. Those feats are just the beginning. In Paris, the 'Starboy', 'I Feel It Coming', 'Can't Feel My Face', 'The Hills' and 'Blinding Lights' artist scored Stade de France's biggest sales this year — and in Nice, the 70,000 tickets sold across his two shows are the most in the city's history. The reason for the whole tour, other than just because — and when it does make its rescheduled trip Down Under — is to celebrate The Weeknd's 2020 record After Hours and its 2022 followup Dawn FM. Obviously, he'll be playing tracks from 2013's Kiss Land, 2015's Beauty Behind the Madness and 2016's Starboy as well. Just like new dates, there's no word yet if Mike Dean and Chxrry22 will still be supporting The Weeknd's Australian and NZ gigs when they do happen. THE WEEKND'S 'AFTER HOURS TIL DAWN TOUR' 2023 — POSTPONED DATES: Monday, November 20–Tuesday, November 21 — Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Friday, November 24–Saturday, November 25 + Monday, November 27 — Accor Stadium, Sydney Friday, December 1–Saturday, December 2 + Monday, December 4–Tuesday, December 5 — Marvel Stadium, Melbourne Friday, December 8–Saturday, December 9 — Eden Park, Auckland The Weeknd is no longer touring Australia and New Zealand in November and December 2023. The shows will be rescheduled, with new dates yet to be announced — head to the tour website for more information.
Step right up, folks — the circus has come to town. Though it's not the kind with animals and screaming kids, but rather an extravagant circus-themed arcade bar set to boggle all the senses. Set inside a vibrant, sprawling space at The District Docklands, Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq is the latest venture from the Funlab crew (Holey Moley, Strike Bowling Bars) and sibling to the Sydney venue of the same name. And yes, it's got that same fast, fun, kid-like energy that'll have you abandoning all adult sensibilities right at the front door's red velvet drapes. Prepare for a serious sensory overload as you cruise this room, between the buttery scents from the old-school popcorn stations, the tunes emanating from the DJ booth and the hyped-up sounds of 67 different arcade games. Here, you'll find everything from dodgem cars, Mario Kart and VR experiences, to six bowling lanes and Jurassic Park shoot-out games. Try your luck nabbing a prize on one of the many claw machines, or venture behind a mysterious curtain to zap zombies and blow your mind in Thrill Ride's interactive XD motion theatre. All that gaming is sure to prove thirsty work, but Archie's bar offering holds its own, with a slew of spiked shakes and cocktails as OTT as their surrounds. Your skills on the beer pong machine can only improve after sipping one of the bubble gum-infused Circus Sours, or the Shark Tanq — a blend of gin, Red Bull, blue liqueur, coconut and orange bitters that's topped with gummy shark lollies. Meanwhile, food is American-diner-meets-theme-park, with a playful circus twist. Camp out in one of the curved booths to devour bites like the Firebreather Hotdog — loaded with beef chilli and spicy mayo — the Bullfighter Burger, rocking a beef patty, pulled pork and bacon, or the flashback-inducing potato gems, topped with cheese dust and caramelised garlic aioli. Add on a nifty condiment-filled syringe to step up the Insta-worthy factor, before heading back out to that bumper car arena. Images: Jacob Conner/Good Gravy Media and Eugene Hyland (food).
Back in 1982, Melbourne played host to one of China's most important ancient artworks: a collection of statues known as The Terracotta Army. Crafted between 221–206 BCE and first discovered in the Shaanxi province in 1974, it made its international debut at the National Gallery of Victoria — and now, 37 years later, it's returning for the NGV's 2019 Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series. Dubbed Terracotta Warriors: Guardians of Immortality, the five-month exhibition will feature eight warrior figures and two life-size horses from The Terracotta Army, alongside two half-size replica bronze chariots that are each drawn by four horses. They were created during the reign of China's first emperor Qin Shi Huang and were buried near his tomb more than 2200 years ago. The pieces coming to Melbourne only represent a fraction of the entire work, which numbers more than 8000 figures in total. If you're wondering how big of a deal the statues are, the answer is very. The Terracotta Army is considered one of the most important archaeological finds of the 20th century and has also been described as the 'Eighth' Wonder of the World. Displaying at the NGV from May 24 to October 13, 2019, the selected pieces will be accompanied by more than 150 other ancient Chinese treasures sourced from museums and Shaanxi archaeological sites. Expect to rove your eyes over priceless gold, jade and bronze artefacts that date back more than 3000 years, charting China's artistry across the country's formative period. Here's The Terracotta Army in all its glory: Looking to the present as well as the past, the NGV's winter season will also celebrate acclaimed Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang. His work is no stranger to Australia — in 2014, Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art hosted its own showcase — however, his Melbourne exhibition will feature all new pieces. With Cai known for his large-scale installations, The Transient Landscape will include 10,000 porcelain birds suspended in a spiral formation, in an artwork that links to The Terracotta Army. Specifically, it'll create a 3D version of a calligraphic drawing that depicts Mount Li, which is where Qin Shi Huang and his terracotta warriors were buried. Another of Cai's new works will feature a porcelain sculpture of peonies placed in the middle of a 360-degree gunpowder, with his entire show taking inspiration from Chinese culture and philosophy. The world-renowned talent will also help design Terracotta Warriors: Guardians of Immortality, making the two concurrent exhibitions as immersive as possible. 'Terracotta Warriors: Guardians of Immortality' and 'Cai Guo-Qiang: The Transient Landscape' will exhibit as part of the NGV International's Melbourne Winter Masterpieces presentation, running from May 24 to October 13, 2019. For further details or to buy tickets, visit the NGV website. Images: The terracotta army, Qin dynasty (221-206 BCE), Emperor Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum, Xi'an.
Bali is bursting with all kinds of romantic accommodations, be they hidden up in the jungle surrounded by rice terraces or an oceanfront spot down on one of the region's countless beaches. It offers an embarrassment of riches for those looking to honeymoon, pop the big question or just run away with their special someone. Stay in a treehouse overlooking the Indian Ocean, take part in a small wellness retreat, find your own patch of paradise in luxury bamboo homes or go all out and really spoil yourselves at the most luxurious of resorts. The options are endless — and stupid-beautiful. Camaya Bali, Sideman Romance is built into every part of Camaya Bali. They have a series of private villas dotted throughout the property, each with its own unique design (made for taking advantage of the view across open planes and rice fields). They can come with pools of varying sizes and shapes as well as those netted hammocks you see all over Instagram. Thankfully, even if this place is flooded with influencers you won't see them – each villa offers absolute seclusion for guests. You can wander the grounds as much as you'd like, or let their team organise a whole host of activities for you. There are nearby whitewater rafting tours, temples and palaces, yoga centres and small villages to explore. If you're after a Big Moment, you can take a hike up into the jungle and rice fields to find the perfect proposal vista. The Korowai, Uluwatu Each of Korowai's wood-framed rooms are carved into the limestone cliff overlooking Bali's famous Impossible Beach (known for surfing, not partying). Marvel at the ridiculous uninterrupted 180-degree views across the ocean from the privacy of your own little balcony adorned with traditional Balinese décor. It's romantic and unpretentious. The glitz and glam of other Uluwatu resorts doesn't exist here. Instead, you and your partner will feel as if you've found your own hidden oasis. But, when or if you do want to get into town, the hospitable resort staff will rent you a scooter or organise a taxi ride. Plus, there are a few walkable restaurants nearby if you somehow get tired of dining at their restaurant overlooking the beach. Hangin Gardens of Bali, Payangan The Hanging Gardens of Bali sits far away from the crowds, up in the lush rainforest surrounded by local wildlife and charming rice terraces. The luxury resort has also won so many international accommodation awards thanks to the breathtaking views, super luxurious villas and warm service. Staying here, it's obvious to see why the island is at the top of so many people's travel bucket list destinations. Take the private villas for example. This high-end resort has 44 of them, each perched high atop wooden pillars overlooking the private valley below. Wake up and enjoy this view from your extra-large canopy bed before rolling out into your own private plunge pool — it's paradise on stilts. And each villa is full of character. Couples can also lean into the romantic vibes with massages, private dining experiences in the valley and breakfast served on a floating wooden boat in your own plunge pool. Desa Eko, Munduk Sometimes, a romantic getaway doesn't mean spending the entire week alone as a couple. Desa Eko is the place to come and feel a part of something bigger than yourself. It's a wellness retreat made for nature lovers, located in what the owners describe as 'the village above the clouds'. It's set in stunningly serene surrounds. You can book huts up in the trees, tents on stilted platforms or opt for the more conventional studio accommodation. But, as oasis-like as these rooms are, you will be drawn away for yoga by the river, dinners at their bamboo-clad restaurant and group hangs and hikes throughout the rainforest. It's a bit hippie. And we are all for it. Padma Resort Legian, Kuta If you're wanting a romantic place to stay in Bali, but want to be closer to the action, then the five-star Padma Resort Legian is for you. It's located near Kuta, a notorious party town with stacks of bustling beaches and places to shop — but it's far enough away that you can easily escape it all. Like Hannah Montana, you'll get the best of both worlds. Spend the day jumping from pool to pool (there are four here) and sipping on cocktails made at one of the seven bars. It's a huge resort, meaning you can carve out your own patch of tropical calm in countless nooks. You're also right on the beach. Cross the hotel lawns and set up home on this quiet sandy shore. You can do a bit of everything from here. Amarta Pesagi Retreat, Tabanan This is your quintessential romantic remote Bali accommodation. Small multi-level bamboo villas are located amongst within the jungle, surrounded by rice fields and all manners of wildlife. You feel cut off from the rest of the world, in all the best ways. Sit out on your private balcony looking into the wilderness while your partner swims in your own plunge pool below. Slide on some sandals and make your way to the restaurant for lunch or dinner. And, if you dare leave this paradise, you actually aren't that far from the outside world. Taman Ayun Temple and local villages are just a short bike ride away — and the Amarta Pesagi Retreat team will help you get there so there's no chance of getting lost in the jungle Six Senses, Uluwatu This is the place to go if you have a large budget and want a holiday where you can live in total luxury. This impressively sustainable resort is located at the southernmost tip of Bali (where you'll find most of the more high-end resorts), looking out over the ocean. The Six Senses rooms are just about as glam as you could imagine but it's the extras that make this spot even more romantic. The staff will organise floating breakfasts in your private plunge pool, quaint cinema nights under the stars, dinner for two on the beach, couples' massages, cooking classes and private tours to anywhere on the island your heart desires. Expect a superb level of service to match the views and incredible lodgings. Segara Village Hotel, Sanur This luxury hotel is set in the quiet beach town of Sanur. Head to the pool surrounded by palm trees and overgrown gardens for some solitude (or to hit up the swim-up bar. Or walk down to the beach and nab yourself one of the hotel's lounge chairs and spend the day hanging out on the beach with your loved one. The nearby town is also full of things to do — without being overly populated by swarms of tourists. Spend your days wandering along Sanur's restaurant-lined boardwalk, stopping off for a bite to eat and a cocktail (or two) and soaking up the laid-back island atmosphere before returning to Segara Village Hotel. Now you can book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips, and discover inspiring deals on flights, stays and experiences. Top image credit: Desa Eko
The Smith in Prahran, known for its delicate share plates and thoughtful wine and cocktail list, is a gastropub that with a difference. Former director of both Taxi and Circa, the Smith's Scott Borg has created a venue to be enjoyed by every diner and drinker alike. With a bar and courtyard, striking dining space, and two function rooms, this Prahran resident has it all. Aptly titled, Mr Smith (dark leather, masculine fittings) and Mrs Smith (bright white walls and minimalist features), aesthetic photo-worthy angles are all over this joint. Chef Michael Lambie, also of Taxi and Circa, has created a contemporary and creative menu designed to be shared, with dishes such as sticky pork belly, tempura rockling fillets, and roast spiced cauliflower feasted on by guests. Images: Giulia Morlando. Appears in: The Best Bottomless Brunches in Melbourne for 2023
A film about memories, Aftersun is impossible to forget. Floating across the screen like it's sweeping in from a dream, it's too raw, too personal, too deeply felt and too tactile. Within its frames, 11-year-old Sophie (debutant Frankie Corio) enjoys a sunny late-90s getaway to Turkey with her father Calum (Paul Mescal, The Lost Daughter), cementing recollections that'll linger decades afterwards. In telling this "emotionally autobiographical" tale, as she's called it, Scottish filmmaker Charlotte Wells crafts a movie that's rich, resonant and haunting from its very first moments to its equally stunning and beautiful finale. Since the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, Aftersun certainly hasn't been forgotten by the film world. Nearing a year later, it's still the talk of the industry — deservedly so. The list of accolades and nominations to its name keeps growing almost daily. A Cannes Critics' Week Jury Prize, five Independent Spirit nods, a Gotham Award, seven British Independent Film Awards and nine more nominations, the BAFTA for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer: they're among the movie's ever-expanding list of gongs. So too is the Directors Guild of America's coveted prize for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Feature Film. And, of course, there's Mescal's Academy Award nomination for Best Lead Actor, a feat that the Normal People star achieved in just his third big-screen role. Making her feature directorial debut after shorts Tuesday, Laps and Blue Christmas, Wells didn't contemplate anything that'd follow simply making Aftersun. "With shorts, it most often ends at its premiere. You're so fortunate to have gotten to the point where you're showing the film with an audience at a festival that that is the end of the road, really," she tells Concrete Playground. "I had naively not thought about what came after making the film. I thought about the response only really in the narrative sense, about how legible the film was in its themes and its characters, and its intentions," she advises. "It's been really special. I don't think you set out to make films to get that type of award recognition, but it's been really nice to see the work recognised, and the work of my collaborators recognised." Special truly is the word for Aftersun, and for everything that it brings to the screen. It applies to the so-intimate-you-could-be-there look and feel, the heartwrenching use of a coming-of-age tale to ponder loss and depression, the meticulously specific yet also timeless use of 90s minutiae — songs like 'Macarena', 'Losing My Religion' and 'Tubthumping', plus Catatonia's 'Road Rage', All Saints' 'Never Ever' and Blur's 'Tender' as well — and Corio and Mescal's sublime performances. With the film now in cinemas Down Under, and still buzzing around the international awards circuit, too, we spoke to Wells about her journey with Aftersun — including what it's like to direct Paul Mescal to an Oscar nomination, and finding her perfect cast to begin with. ON CASTING PAUL MESCAL — AND WATCHING EVERYTHING HE WAS IN FIRST "We focused our attention first on casting Sophie, because we knew she would very likely be a discovery, somebody who'd never acted before, and that it would take time — which it did, it took about six months. And towards the end of that process, we started to consider Calum in earnest, and Paul's name came up. Obviously, I'd seen him in Normal People. It was about a year after that had premiered during the early days of the pandemic, and I watched everything that I could get my hands on. I was drawn, I think, just to his warmth and capacity for vulnerability, and his openness and playfulness and charm. You know, I was watching interviews, really anything and everything. There was like an Instagram video of him singing Sia, and reading a children's book — everything. I don't think I've said that to him. Then we had the opportunity to meet and to talk. There was a period where he wasn't available, so we had to dispel the idea, but it came back around because our dates had moved. Then we had the chance to meet, and we just had a really great conversation and connected. He was so thoughtful in the way that he spoke about the script and the character. It's always a leap of faith at every step of the process, from the second the script leaves your inbox, to bring on collaborators, particularly for a project like this. It was so long in the making, in the writing, and so personal in so many ways, and casting is a really big leap of faith — it's when things start to become concrete in a certain way. It was a leap of faith really well taken, and I feel really proud to stand beside those two when we present the film to people, when we're at awards together. It was a really good experience, and they connected in such a profound and unexpected way. I don't think anybody foresaw the relationship that they would build to be as real in some way as it was." ON HEARING THE OSCARS NEWS AFTER SUCH A COLLABORATIVE EXPERIENCE "I can tell you what it felt in the moment that it happened, because I was on the phone with a couple of my producers. Paul rang the moment that it happened, and we both just jumped up and down around our respective apartments, yelling and swearing — and then took this moment just to appreciate the absurdity of the moment, and also the experience that we had together, which really was like a creative partnership and collaboration." There was a lot of trust that we placed in each other, I think. It really worked both ways. He put a lot of trust in me that I was creating meaning out of sequences of images, and things that may not be shot the way he'd imagined they'd shot — great stretches of dialogue shot while he was 50 feet away, sitting on a float out at sea for pivotal scenes in the film. He really trusted that I knew what I was doing in crafting this and building it, and allowing the feeling to shine through. I trusted him to just bring so much empathy to that character and to find meanings in unexpected places, and warmth in unexpected places. It was just a really special collaboration, and it feels like an amazing accomplishment on everyone's part in the film. And his performance being recognised, you know, it's such a small team. There weren't a lot of us. It was a really intimate film, and it's just very exciting and really, really nice." ON FINDING FRANKIE CORIO TO PLAY SOPHIE "We worked with [casting director] Lucy Pardee, who has worked with [Fish Tank and American Honey director] Andrea Arnold and [Birth and Under the Skin filmmaker] Jonathan Glazer, and has this amazing reputation for discovering new talent. She was my guide through that process, really. We had almost 800 submissions. These kids would submit various videos, and ideally we allowed them the space to grow with the process and become more comfortable in front of their camera at home. So, when we got into the casting room in-person — we met 16 of them — it felt like a natural step, a natural point of evolution in the process, even though that was still a new experience for them and for me too, really. That's where Frankie really stood out. That's where she was able to sit in front of the camera and become somebody different, and respond to direction, I suppose. And conjure emotional states that weren't what she was feeling in the moment, and then just shake them off when the exercise was over and cartwheel out the room. She was really, really, special and funny and never let me off easy in the best possible way. She's amazing to be around. She has so much energy." ON BRINGING 90S SIGHTS, SOUNDS AND CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES TO THE SCREEN "It was all about specificity in detail. The colours were just right. The length of the sleeves were just right, and that was down to our costume designer. The size of the tiles were just right or, if they weren't, we knew and we made a choice. There was just so much attention to detail in every department, and yet Greg [Gregory Oke, Aftersun's cinematographer] and I spoke about this, because we didn't want to excessively draw attention to detail. I think music is the most significant signifier of the period in the film. I played into a little bit, and enjoyed playing into a little bit. At the same time, I didn't want to always choose mega hits, because if I did I couldn't pay attention to the scene at hand. I wanted to choose things that were pop, and that felt real to the location, and also draw from slightly older tracks, too, because it's not only songs from 1997–8 that you would be hearing in 1997–8. We wanted it to feel really present and rich, and vibrant. 'Present' was our overriding adjective for the feel of the film, even though it was set in the past. We used our own holiday photographs as the basis of the look, the turquoise blues and the magenta skins and the rich blacks, quite saturated. We literally just handed holiday photographs to my colourist. I had been on one holiday to Turkey as a kid, and the photographs for that were the basis for the look for the film, and the types of tones that we went for. The Souvenir, Joanna Hogg's film, the first one had come out when we made the film. The second came out devastatingly in post. That was definitely a cue for how to portray a period that just felt very lived in and authentic, and never drawing attention to itself where it didn't need to, but just serving the story and the feel of the film." Aftersun is now screening in Australia and New Zealand cinemas. Read our full review. Images: Sarah Makharine.
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. Maybe you're in lockdown. 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 new releases from cinemas to streaming recently — movies that might still be playing in theatres in some parts of the country, too. In preparation for your next couch session, here's nine you can watch right now at home. JUNGLE CRUISE Take two charming actors, then couple them up for a feature-length volley of fast-paced banter: that's the screwball rom-com formula. Place this pleasing pair in a scenic but challenging setting — one that'll highlight their individual strengths, see them turn seeming weaknesses into new skills, and will obviously bring them closer together — and that's exactly how plenty of action-adventure movies have unfurled. Sending the always personable and likeable Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt to the Amazon, Jungle Cruise stitches together these two well-established formulas. It traverses its cinematic rapids in the slipstream of 80s fare like Raiders of the Lost Ark and Romancing the Stone (and their respective sequels), and even rollicks along in the footsteps of The Mummy franchise of the late 90s and early 00s (a series which actually gave Johnson his first big-screen roles). But, as anyone with even a passing knowledge of Disney's theme parks knows, Jungle Cruise also falls from the attraction-to-film mould that the Mouse House clearly loves. Pirates of the Caribbean is an overt influence, right down to the way that some of this new flick's villains look, and thrusting all these blatant templates to the fore — and together — doesn't quite result in movie magic. Indeed, despite Johnson and Blunt's charismatic and capable pairing, as well as the movie's visually boisterous imagery, the film's modest pleasures all fade oh-so-quickly, as happens with every amusement ride. Directed by Unknown, Non-Stop, Run All Night and The Commuter's Jaume Collet-Serra, who makes a workmanlike but hardly memorable jump from unleashing Liam Neeson's special set of skills, Jungle Cruise wants to whisk viewers off on a spirited ride. That's the experiential aim of most theme park-based films: these flicks want audiences to feel like they've stepped inside the attraction from their cinema seat. So, before the movie's title card graces the screen, two sequences endeavour to set this tone. It's 1916, and Dr Lily Houghton (Blunt, A Quiet Place Part II) sneaks into an all-male science society to look for a treasured arrowhead from the Amazon. She's tasked her fussy brother MacGregor (Jack Whitehall, Good Omens) with deflecting the organisation's members by telling them her theories about a fabled South American tree, called the Tears of the Moon, that can cure any illness or break any curse. The men are dismissive, but she knows they will be. She's there to steal the trinket so it can lead her to the mythical plant, all while Prince Joachim of Germany (Jesse Plemons, Judas and the Black Messiah) tries to get his hands on it as well. When Lily comes out on top, the Houghtons are off to Brazil to hit the river, but they'll need a captain to guide their watery jaunt. In his introductory scene, the roguish Frank Wolff (Johnson, Jumanji: The Next Level) is spied conducting tourist trips down the Amazon, every step choreographed like an amusement park ride, and with his own pun-heavy showman patter narrating the journey. He's corny, and he has a jaguar in on the act, too. Accordingly, there are zero surprises when Lily enlists his services reluctantly and after some subterfuge on his side, or when he keeps trying to trick her into giving up her quest. Jungle Cruise is available to stream via Disney+ with Premier Access. Read our full review. TALL POPPY — A SKATER'S STORY When skateboarding makes its debut as an Olympic sport in Tokyo this winter, it'll do so with Poppy Starr Olsen flying the flag for Australia. A world champion since her teens, she first hit the Bondi Skate Park at the age of eight, and proclaimed at the time that she'd like to spend her adult life carving, ollieing, flipping and grinding — one of those childhood wishes that, in this case, has proven more than just a kid's outlandish fantasy. Audiences know about this youthful exclamation because it was caught on camera. Yes, Tall Poppy — A Skater's Story belongs in the camp of documentaries that are inescapably blessed by the constant lens through which many of our lives have been captured since video cameras became a household gadget and then a standard mobile phone feature. Accordingly, making her first feature-length doco, filmmaker Justine Moyle has ample material to draw upon as she weaves together a portrait of Olsen's life from pint-sized bowl-rider to Australia's best female skater, the fourth best woman on a board in the world and an Olympian, all by the age of 21. This isn't just a film compiled from home videos, though, although the feature. In front of Dane Howell's (Without a Tracey) lens as she has grown up, Olsen is candid, open and relaxed as she literally comes of age before the camera, and her skateboarding skills are just as riveting to watch. You can tell much about Olsen by just seeing her in the bowl or on the park, no matter her age, wherever she happens to be at the time, or if she's competing, practicing or just skating for fun. It hardly comes as a surprise that she takes to the pastime because it feels so freeing; as she rolls up and down in Bondi after first giving skateboarding a try, she may as well be flying. Tall Poppy — A Skater's Story captures the rollercoaster ride from there, as she's eager and enthusiastic at both local and international competitions, visibly nervous at her first X Games, and also a little disillusioned once she's put on an Olympic path. She's a teenager, in other words, and her emotional ups and downs mirror those on the board. This is a film about resilience, perseverance and taking on the world on your own terms, however, as Olsen works out who she wants to be and how that ripples through in her skateboarding. She's already a role model, whether or not you want to follow in her footsteps. Here, she's doubly so for her personal ebbs and flows, including through COVID-19, as much as her professional achievements. Tall Poppy — A Skater's Story is an affectionate movie, of course. Its release is also impeccably timed, it's as deservedly loving towards female skaters as the fictional Skate Kitchen and its TV spinoff Betty, and it shows the beauty in every commonplace and exceptional skateboarding trick. But Olsen's presence, passion and prowess drive this rousing documentary above all else. Tall Poppy — A Skater's Story is available to stream via ABC iView, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Prime Video. FAST AND FURIOUS 9 Fast cars, furious action stars, a love of family and oh-so-many Coronas: across ten movies over 20 years, that's the Fast and Furious franchise. It might've started out as a high-octane spin on Point Break, but this long-running series has kept motoring across nine flicks in its main storyline, and also via a 2019 spinoff. The latter, Hobbs & Shaw, actually casts a shadow over the saga's latest instalment. Because Dwayne Johnson was part of that sidestep, he doesn't show up in Fast and Furious 9. He's missed, regardless of whether you're usually a diehard fan of the wrestler-turned-actor, because he's managed to perfect the F&F tone. Over his decade-long involvement to-date, Johnson always seems amused in his Fast and Furious performances. He's always sweaty, too, but that's another matter. Entering the F&F realm in Fast Five, he instantly oozed the kind of attitude the franchise needs. He knows that by taking the outlandish stunts, eye-catching setpieces and penchant for family with the utmost seriousness, these films border on comedic — and by navigating five flicks with that mood, he's been the saga's playful and entertaining barometer. Without Johnson, Fast and Furious 9 isn't as willing to admit that it's often downright silly. It's nowhere near as fun, either. Hobbs & Shaw wasn't a franchise standout, but Fast and Furious 9 mainly revs in one gear, even in a movie that features a high-speed car chase through Central American jungles, a plane with a magnet that can scoop up fast-driving vehicles and a trip to space in a rocket car. The latest F&F is as ridiculous as ever, and it's the least-eager F&F film to acknowledge that fact. It's also mostly a soap opera. It leans heavily on its favourite theme — yes, family — by not only swapping in a different wrestler-turned-actor as Dominic Toretto's (Vin Diesel, Bloodshot) long-lost sibling, but also by fleshing out the warring brothers' backstory through flashbacks to their tragic past. Fast and Furious 9 starts with an 80s-era Universal logo, because that's the time period it heads to first — to introduce a teen Dom (Vinnie Bennett, Ghost in the Shell), his never-before-mentioned younger brother Jakob (Finn Cole, Dreamland) and their dad Jack (JD Pardo, Mayans MC). It's 1989, the elder Toretto is behind the wheel on the racetrack, and his sons are part of his pit crew. Then tragedy strikes, tearing the Toretto family apart. In the present day, Dom and Jakob (John Cena, Playing with Fire) definitely don't get along. Indeed, when Roman (Tyrese Gibson, The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two), Tej (Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges, Show Dogs) and Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel, Four Weddings and a Funeral) drive up to the rural hideout that Dom has been calling home with wife Letty (Michelle Rodriguez, Crisis) and toddler son Brian (first-timers Isaac and Immanuel Holtane) since the events of 2017's The Fate of the Furious, he doesn't even want to hear about the latest mission that demands their help. The only thing that changes his mind: realising that Jakob is involved and up to no good. Fast and Furious 9 is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Prime Video. Read our full review. GUNPOWDER MILKSHAKE Cutesy name, likeable stars, stylised brutality, a familiar revenge scenario: blend them all together, and that's Gunpowder Milkshake. There's one particular ingredient that's missing from this action-thriller's recipe, though, and its absence is surprising — because much about the film feels like it has jumped from the pages of a comic book. That's one of the movie's best traits, in fact. The world already has too many comics-to-cinema adaptations, but although Gunpowder Milkshake doesn't stem from a graphic novel, it actually looks the part. Its precise framing and camera placement, hyper-vibrant colours and love of neon could've easily been printed in inky hues on paper, then splattered across the screen like the blood and bullets the feature sprays again and again. Writer/director Navot Papushado (Big Bad Wolves) and cinematographer Michael Seresin (War for the Planet of the Apes) have made a visually appealing film, and a movie with evident aesthetic flair. All that gloss is paired with a generic assassin storyline, however, and a half-baked feminist thrust. It's Sin City meets John Wick but gender-flipped, except that the Kill Bill movies and Atomic Blonde have been there and done that. Crafting a film that's entertaining enough, but largely in a mechanical way, Papushado and co-scribe Ehud Lavski (a feature first-timer) attempt to complicate their narrative. The basics are hardly complex, though. As skilled killer Sam (Karen Gillan, Avengers: Endgame) notes in the movie's opening narration, she works for a group of men called The Firm, cleaning up its messes with her deadly prowess. It's an inherited gig, in a way. Fifteen years earlier, she was a fresh-faced teen (Freya Allan, The Witcher) with a mum, Scarlet (Lena Headey, Game of Thrones), who did the same thing. Then her mother abandoned her after a diner shootout, leaving Sam to fend herself — and, to ultimately get her jobs from Nathan (Paul Giamatti, Billions), one of The Firm's flunkies. It's on just that kind of gig that Sam kills the son of a rival crime hotshot (Ralph Ineson, Chernobyl), and he wants revenge. Soon, her employers are also on her trail, after she takes another assignment in an attempt to sort out her first problem, then ends up trying to save eight-year-old Emily (Chloe Coleman, Big Little Lies) from violent kidnappers. The cast also spans the impressive trio of Angela Bassett (Black Panther), Michelle Yeoh (Last Christmas) and Carla Gugino (a Sin City alum), albeit sparingly, with all of Gunpowder Milkshake's female figures solely tasked with navigating an inescapably clear-cut scenario. Gunpowder Milkshake is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Prime Video. Read our full review. SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY In the misfire that's always been 1996's Space Jam, basketball superstar-turned-unconvincing actor Michael Jordan is asked to hurry up. "C'mon Michael, it's game time! Get your Hanes on, lace up your Nikes, grab your Wheaties and your Gatorade, and we'll pick up a Big Mac on the way to the ballpark," he's told. Spoken by go-to 90s schemester Wayne Knight (aka Seinfeld's Newman), this line couldn't better sum up the film or the franchise it has now spawned. The Space Jam movies aren't really about the comedic chaos that springs when a famous sportsperson pals around with cartoons. That's the plot, complicated in the original flick and now 25-years-later sequel Space Jam: A New Legacy by evil forces that turn a basketball game into a battle ground; however, it's also just a means to an end. These features are truly about bringing brands together in a case of mutual leveraging, as product placement always is. Connect Looney Tunes with the NBA, and audiences will think of both when they think of either, the strategy aims. It has worked, of course — and with A New Legacy, the approach is put to even broader and more shameless use. Everyone who has ever even just heard of Space Jam in passing knows its central equation: Looney Tunes + hoop dreams. The first Space Jam's viewers mightn't also remember the aforementioned product name-drops, but Warner Bros, the studio behind this saga, hopes A New Legacy's audience will forever recall its new references. All the brands shoehorned in here are WB's own, with its other pop culture franchises and properties mentioned repeatedly. The company also has Harry Potter, The Matrix, the DC Extended Universe flicks such as Wonder Woman, and Mad Max: Fury Road in its stable. Its catalogue includes Game of Thrones, Rick and Morty, The Lord of the Rings, and Hanna-Barbera cartoons like The Flintstones and Scooby-Doo, too. And, it holds the rights to everything from The Wizard of Oz, Metropolis and Casablanca to A Clockwork Orange and IT. A New Legacy wants to forcefully and brazenly impress these titles into viewers' minds so that they'll always equate them with the studio. In other words, this is just a Warner Bros ad with LeBron James and Looney Tunes as its spokespeople. You don't need to be a cynic or have zero nostalgia for the OG Space Jam to see A New Legacy as purely a marketing exercise, though, because corporate synergy is literally what the movie's villain, an algorithm named Al G Rhythm (Don Cheadle, Avengers: Endgame) that runs the on-screen Warner Bros, aims to achieve in this shambles of a film. Space Jam: A New Legacy is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Prime Video. Read our full review. DREAM HORSE Life-changing conversations can happen in bars — as Jan Vokes well and truly knows. Played in Dream Horse by Toni Collette (I'm Thinking of Ending Things), the Welsh supermarket employee and pub barmaid overheard Howard Davies (Damian Lewis, Billions) chatting about his past success as a racehorse owner. In his beer-fuelled boasting, he doesn't discuss how it almost left him bankrupt and divorced, but Jan is still inspired to both follow his lead and enlist his help. Having bred whippets and racing pigeons before, and won prizes for doing so, she decides she'll turn her attention to horses. Husband Brian (Owen Teale, Game of Thrones) isn't initially convinced, but soon she's studying guides, finding a mare and then a stallion, and convincing her friends and neighbours to put away a tenner a week to pay for this little endeavour. The syndicate's focus: a foal they name Dream Alliance, who spends his early days being raised on the Vokes' allotment, and eventually ends up with racing hotshot Philip Hobbs (Nicholas Farrell, The Nevers) as its trainer. Dream Horse wouldn't exist if success didn't follow, and it leaves no doubt that that's the case; however, director Euros Lyn (The Library Suicides) and screenwriter Neil McKay (Mad Money) chart lows as well as highs, and always ensure their characters are their primary focus. Dream Alliance was always going to gallop into cinemas, of course — and not just via 2015 documentary Dark Horse: The Incredible True Story of Dream Alliance. His is a story too crowd-pleasing for filmmakers to ignore, especially given the UK's penchant for against-the-odds tales about motley crews of struggling salt-of-the-earth characters who band together over an unusual but swiftly shared interest that ends up revitalising their lives in more ways than one. That's the template Dream Horse plays to, even though it's based on a true tale and an actual horse. The Full Monty, Calendar Girls and similar feel-good flicks provide as much inspiration here as the actual real-life details, in fact. Accordingly, this is a movie that's easy to get caught up in. It's almost impossible not to, really. That said, it's also a film that wears its warmth, sentimentality and shameless heartstring-pulling as a badge of honour. As a result, it's also impossible to ignore the buttons the movie keeps gleefully pushing, and the parts of the tale that must've been smoothed out to elicit the desired cheer-inducing response — even around Collette's committed performance. But this happily mawkish feature and its characters are all doing it for the "hwyl", a Welsh term that means "emotional motivation and energy", and neither is willing to let that mission dwindle even for a second. Dream Horse is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Prime Video. SNAKE EYES: GI JOE ORIGINS Every film doesn't have to spawn a franchise, and most shouldn't; however, when a Hollywood studio teams up with a toy manufacturer to turn action figures into a movie, and then wants to keep using the latter to sell the former, apparently that stops being the case. That's why cinema audiences have been forced to suffer through the Transformers movies over the years, and why we also now have Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins, the latest addition that no one wanted to a dull saga that started with 2009's GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra and then continued via 2013's GI Joe: Retaliation. Channing Tatum isn't part of the story this time around, with the focus shifting to the eponymous Snakes Eyes (Henry Golding, Monsoon). Before the character becomes a member of the GI Joe team, he's a man out to avenge the murder of his father (Steven Allerick, Westworld) from back when he was a kid. That quest first leads him into the employ of yakuza kingpin Kenta (Takehiro Hira, Girl/Haji), where he helps smuggle guns in giant dead fish. From there, he gets his shot with the Arashikage clan — a family-run enclave of Japanese powerbrokers that the ambitious Tommy (Andrew Koji, Warrior) thinks he'll lead next, is unsurprisingly wary of outsiders, but eventually and after much suspicion from head of security Akiko (Haruka Abe, Cruella) lets Snake Eyes undertake its secretive testing process to become a member. It's a credit to director Robert Schwentke (Insurgent and Allegiant), and to writers Evan Spiliotopoulos (The Unholy), Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse (Rebecca), that Snake Eyes isn't obsessed with obnoxiously stressing its franchise ties. It does all lead up to uttering a well-known GI Joe adversary's name, other recognisable characters such as Scarlett (Samara Weaving, Bill & Ted Face the Music) and Baroness (Úrsula Corberó, Money Heist) pop up, and nefarious terrorist organisation Cobra plays a part, but none of these links ever feel like the movie's primary purpose. Still, that half-heartedness speaks volumes about a movie that displays that trait again and again, is fine with remaining a generic Tokyo-set ninja revenge movie — complete with gratingly obvious shots of Mount Fuji, the Shibuya scramble crossing and Tokyo Tower — and also works giant snakes rendered in visually abhorrent CGI into the mix. The best element: Golding, who has never been less than charismatic in any of his on-screen roles (see also: Last Christmas, A Simple Favour and Crazy Rich Asians). He can't lift this formulaic franchise-extending slog, though, and neither can his rapport with both Koji and Abe, Schwentke's eye for his settings or the movie's often eye-catching costuming. The film's unenthused action scenes prove an apt weathervane, because they're by-the-numbers at best, even when The Raid's Iko Uwais is involved. Snake Eyes is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and Amazon Prime Video. SIR ALEX FERGUSON: NEVER GIVE IN Even among sports agnostics who know next to nothing about football of any code, and don't want to, Sir Alex Ferguson's name still likely rings a bell. The prodigiously successful soccer manager was synonymous with equally prosperous English Premier League team Manchester United for almost three decades between 1986–2013, leading them to 38 different trophies — including 13 EPL titles. He oversaw an era that featured star players such as David Beckham, Eric Cantona, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, all famous names that are also known beyond sports fans. Accordingly, Ferguson is a highly obvious candidate for a documentary, particularly an authorised film directed by his own son Jason. But the best docos don't just preach to the already celebratory and converted. A piece of non-fiction cinema has the potential to turn any viewer into an aficionado, and to get everyone watching not only paying attention, but wholly invested. As the vastly dissimilar, not-at-all sports-related The Sparks Brothers also does, that's what Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In achieves. It steps through its eponymous subject's life story, all with the man himself narrating the details, sharing his memories and musings, and looking back on an extraordinary career. Helpfully when it comes to standing out from the crowded sports doco crowd, Never Give In has an angle: in 2018, Sir Alex was rushed to hospital and into surgery due to a brain haemorrhage. At the time, his biggest fear was losing his memories, which the younger Ferguson uses as an entry point — and as a touchstone throughout the birth-to-now recollections that fill the film otherwise. This approach helps reinforce exactly what Sir Alex has to recall, and what it all means to him. It also makes his plight relatable, a feat his footballing achievements were never going to muster (we can all understand the terror of having our lives' best moments ripped from our consciousness, but few people can claim to know what his level of professional success feels like). In his Scottish brogue, the elder Ferguson proves a lively storyteller, talking through his upbringing in Glasgow, his childhood adoration of Rangers Football Club, his ups and downs as a player — including taking to the pitch for Rangers and against them — and the path that led him to coaching first in Scotland, then for Manchester United. A wealth of archival footage assists in fleshing out the tale, as do interviews with players such as Cantona and Ryan Griggs. The result: an easy win of a film, but a nonetheless compelling and skilful one, too. Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Prime Video. SPIRIT UNTAMED The first time that a Kiger Mustang named Spirit cantered across the silver screen, it was in 2002's Oscar-nominated Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. Back then, the film marked just the sixth theatrical feature that Dreamworks Animation had brought to cinemas — following Antz, The Prince of Egypt, The Road to El Dorado, Chicken Run and Shrek — and if anything stood out, it was the movie's hand-drawn animation. Almost two decades later, Spirit Untamed returns the energetic and determined horse back to theatres. The movie he's in still looks gorgeous, even if computers have replaced pencils in bringing him to life. That said, this isn't actually the franchise's second step, with Netflix series Spirit Riding Free also telling the apple-loving animal's story across 78 episodes since 2017. In both look and feel, Spirit Untamed has more in common with its streaming counterpart than its big-screen predecessor, unsurprisingly. It's happy to primarily court the show's young audience, too. Indeed, while voice work by Jake Gyllenhaal (Spider-Man: Far From Home), Julianne Moore (Lisey's Story), Walton Goggins (Fatman), Andre Braugher (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and Eiza González (Godzilla vs Kong) is designed to appeal to adults, there's little else but scant traces of nostalgia and pastel-hued imagery to keep anyone past their teens interested. Her vocals stem from a different actor — with Isabela Merced (Dora and the Lost City of Gold) doing the honours — but Fortuna Esperanza "Lucky" Prescott still sits at the heart of Spirit Untamed. Like Spirit Riding Free, the new film tells of Lucky's arrival in the frontier town of Miradero, her connection with Spirit and her efforts to save him from wranglers (led by Goggins). Also covered: her budding friendship with fellow horse-lovers Pru (voiced here by Little's Marsai Martin) and Abigail (Mckenna Grace, Annabelle Comes Home). They're the pals she needs when Spirit and his wild companions are snatched up by the nefarious rustlers, who plan to ship the horses off and sell them. Together, the pre-teen trio then sets off across the dangerous plains, determined to save the galloping animals and do the right thing. There's an obvious but still welcome and powerful message in Lucky's story, as she ignores her worried dad's (Gyllenhaal) warnings and her doting aunt's (Moore) fussing, choosing to follow her own heart and path instead. (Her father frets because her mother, voiced by González, worked as a horse-riding stunt performer and died during a show.) Similarly pleasing, even if the movie basically just remakes the TV show's first episode: that this all-ages wild west tale heroes women, although it pales in comparison to the recent Calamity, a Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary. Spirit Untamed is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Prime Video. Looking for more at-home viewing options? Check out our lists of movies fast-tracked from cinemas to streaming back in May, June and July. You can also take a look at our monthly streaming recommendations across new straight-to-digital films and TV shows.
Let's face it: we're a fast-paced, high-stress society — and although we would like life to slow down for a second (or for Internet to go down just for a few days, at least), it's not going to let up. To manage your physical and mental health in this crazy world, UK-based startup Vinaya have created a bracelet that is wholly concerned with tracking your emotional wellbeing. The wearable device — the first of its kind — is the first to measure sleep and fitness, as well as happiness, stress and mindfulness. It even tracks fertility (kind of creepy, we know). The wearable, named Zenta, was 100 percent crowdfunded on Indiegogo in record time this week, raising a whopping $137,191 USD in just 41 hours. The product looks like a more stylish version of a Fitbit, and is available with a sports band ($119 USD) or a leather band ($149 USD). And while you can purchase one now, the bracelets won't ship until mid-2017. Here's how it supposedly works. The biometric sensors track your heart rate, movement and perspiration, as well as respiration, electrical activity and oxygen levels. These patterns will then be cross-referenced with the information (like your calendars, meeting schedules and social media use) from your smartphone — though you only share as much (or as little) as you want. The Zenta app is essentially meant to 'learn' your patterns and determine your normal emotional state, as well as decipher any variations from your norm and indicate what caused those variations. As Zenta learns, the idea is that it will require less input from you and get smarter about shifts in your emotional state. Vinaya is already talking with research institutions, mental health organisations and mindfulness experts to make sense of the Zenta data. We must admit, we're sceptical about where this data will end up — the thought it landing in the hands of advertisers, marketers or Google is a pretty frightening concept. Still, if the device helps bring some sense of calm to the stressed-out masses, we would like to see it in action. Zenta is currently available for purchase through Indiegogo. The estimated shipping date is mid-2017.
It's not often that you look at a Christmas present and you're more interested in the wrapping than what's inside. But with MECCA's Holiday 2023 artwork, this might just be the case. The Australian brand has become one of the biggest beauty retailers across Australia and New Zealand throughout its 17 year tenure, establishing itself as the place for Aussies and Kiwis to shop for high quality skin, make up, hair and fragrance products. For the past eight years, MECCA has worked with the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne to find an artist to create their holiday packaging, which adorns MECCA's carry bags and gift boxes throughout the silly season. The design also acts as a backdrop for MECCA's very own holiday gift sets, which include everything from Christmas crackers filled with sunscreen to tree ornaments made out of lip oil. Not only will MECCA's packaging get a makeover, the chosen artist will also have their designs shown in the National Gallery of Victoria, a huge platform for budding artists. The artist who was bestowed this honour for 2023 is Kaylene Whiskey from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in the northwest of South Australia. To create her design, Whiskey combined pop culture references – such as the Wonder Woman-inspired figure that appears throughout her work – with her knowledge of Anangu traditions,reflecting elements of Whiskey's life in her community. With her vibrant, colourful design, Whiskey wanted to show the culture of the Anangu community and what she learnt growing up, layered with how the current generation of children from her community are growing up. Created using former tourism flyers, Whiskey shows how these two generations can exist alongside each other, illustrating Anangu traditions like hunting amidst the Australian landscape while women sing and play instruments and a superhero figure flies above. Whiskey's artwork can be summed up by a phrase she plugged herself whilst creating the design, which hits the nail on the head when it comes to the holiday season and MECCA: "Everyone together, looking so good". MECCA Holiday 2023 is now available online and in stores throughout New Zealand and Australia. Head to the MECCA website to see the full range of Whiskey's artwork.
The Mexican craze might have taken a little longer than most to hit Aussie shores, but by guacamole are we glad it finally did. We've swapped the hard-shell tacos and questionable margaritas for a slew of top-notch eateries with menus inspired by real Mexican flavours and back bars filled with great mezcal. From cheerful street food spots where the tacos and tinnies flow freely, to more refined restaurants with banquet menus designed for lingering, our city's got a fiesta for just about every occasion. So take a trip with our pick of Melbourne's best Mexican restaurants. Recommended reads: The Best Restaurants in Melbourne The Best Italian Restaurants in Melbourne The Best Japanese Restaurants in Melbourne The Best Thai Restaurants in Melbourne
If ever there was a time to treat yourself to a vacation, it's now, and you'll still find scores of memorable holiday destinations located in New Zealand. No long-haul flight required. What's more, if you're after a true break from reality, New Zealand is brimming with unique stays that'll transport you blissfully far from your everyday. Indulge in a few nights in a leafy treehouse, a beautifully restored truck perched right on the bay, or even a mountaintop cabin with views for days. Here, we've taken care of the hard bit and pulled together 15 of the most unique stays you can book in New Zealand. Pick your favourite, pack those bags and embark on a holiday that's worth writing home about. Recommended reads: The Best Places to Go Glamping in New Zealand The Best Places to Go Glamping in Australia Ten of the Most Luxurious Waterfront Stays You Can Book in Auckland The Most Unique Stays with Breathtaking Views of New Zealand's South Island Glamcamping, Whananaki A secluded waterfront cabin and campsite set among untouched wilderness, with hiking trails, clear blue ocean and private sandy beaches right on its doorstep. From $148 a night, sleeps six. The Grove Farm Stay, Thornton With features like a hot tub and king size bed, this comfy yurt makes for an idyllic farm stay. All just metres from the beach. From $276 a night, sleeps four. Mud Hut at Welcome Rock Trails, Garston Dose up on serenity at this rustic high-country hikers' hut, kitted out with a cosy fireplace, outdoor tub and some of the best views going around. From $125 a night, sleeps four. Fairytale Treehouse, Whangarei Your own magical treehouse escape, complete with cosy interiors, leafy wraparound deck and 28 lush acres to explore at your leisure. From $290 a night, sleeps two. The Amazing House Truck, Wainui Bay This former truck has been transformed into a comfy bayside getaway, complete with a woodfire and outdoor bath. Spend your days swimming, hiking or soaking up those views. From $237 a night, sleeps four. The Mudcastle, Nelson Fancy holidaying like royalty? Try this picturesque castle retreat, complete with fairytale features, a private pool and sweeping countryside views. From $1336 a night, sleeps 16. Alpine Cube, Ben Ohau Check out of reality and into this architecturally designed nature cabin, featuring zero wi-fi, a luxe open air spa and all the tranquility you could dream of. From $498 a night, sleeps two. Blackpool House, Auckland This contemporary couples' retreat boasts a lush, leafy setting, with stunning architecture, a cosy mezzanine library nook and a sun-drenched deck that's primed for relaxing. From $390 a night, sleeps two. Warm Cosy Yurt, Motueka Valley Al fresco drinks among the treetops and stargazing through the rooftop skylight — enjoy it all at this kitted-out yurt overlooking the Motueka River. From $122 a night, sleeps three. Rocky Point Hut, Pepin Island A tranquil hideaway for two with an outdoor tub offering epic panoramas, this clifftop hut is the stuff of holiday dreams. From $219 a night, sleeps two. The Treehouse, Waiheke Island Hidden among the treetops, this contemporary cabin will charm you with its romantic loft bedroom, leafy gardens and blissful outdoor spa. From $292 a night, sleeps four. Woodpecker Bay Bach, Punakaiki Wake to the sound of crashing waves at this quaint beachfront stay. It's rocking a charmingly kitsch style and a bathtub with views to swoon over. From $226 a night, sleeps two. Away Treehouse, Auckland Blissful treehouse vibes abound at this secluded forest retreat. Unplug and recharge, while enjoying the cosy wood fire, outdoor spa and peaceful treetop setting. From $438 a night, sleeps two. Kauri Forest Chalet, Auckland In the heart of the bush, this secluded chalet makes for a tranquil couples' escape. Hiking trails abound and the beach is just a short drive away. From $180 a night, sleeps two. Te Kouma Heights Glamping, Manaia Find luxury off the grid in this tent for two with endless ocean and farmland views. Enjoy fully equipped solar power, a king bed and two claw-foot outdoor tubs facing the glittering Coromandel Harbour. From $332 a night, sleeps two. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy. Images: courtesy of Airbnb.
There's never a bad time for ice cream, the sweet treat fiend that lurks inside of us all often whispers. It's certainly one of the main thoughts running through your mind when you're heading to a gelato parlour at 9.30am on a Saturday morning. Of course, Gelato Messina isn't any old purveyor of frosty goodness — and their Gelato Appreciation Classes aren't any old excuse to eat dessert for breakfast or brunch. If you've ever stood in front of the counter at one of their 15 Australian stores — or their sole venture in Las Vegas — and wondered just which flavour you could possibly choose because they all look so delicious, then their Gelato Appreciation Class will be your idea of a damn good time and then some. In short, you can taste them all. Messina lets customers do that anyway, but no one really tries 40 or so types in one visit. After you've spent a morning finding out how the magic is made and eating the kinds of dishes they don't scoop up everyday, however, you'll feel compelled to sample every single variety on offer. When you sit down in the Messina classroom, as well as being greeted by your own Messina recipe book, you'll discover that there's more than 5000 flavours in their catalogue thanks to the ever-changing array of experimental specials that pop up each weekday. That's just one of the insider titbits Messina's chefs share over the two to two-and-a-half hour session. There's definitely more where that came from. On an autumn morning, a cosy room of 16 ice cream-loving folks sat in Brisbane's brand new Gelato Messina store in South Brisbane to watch and learn how fior di latte gelato, strawberry sorbet and the famous Dr Evil's Magic Mushroom cake are made — and try them all, and even more. Held as part of their array of events alongside hands-on gelato-making workshops and their seven-course Creative Department dinners, Messina pitch the classes as part degustation, part look behind the scenes, and it's a description that fits. At one moment, you'll be watching a Messina staffer make gelato and talk you through the process — and then you'll be scooping and devouring small bites of the fresh-churned goodness. The next, you'll be finding out that the machine in Messina's Sydney headquarters pumps out a massive one-and-a-half tonnes of gelato per hour, and your stomach will grumble on cue. Then, you'll be tucking into one of several desserts. Perhaps you'll get one that comes in a tuna-like tin, and features smoked brown butter gelato, milk chocolate namelaka (aka a Japanese ganache-like substance), compressed apple and flourless chocolate sponge, for example. Over a fun, relaxed session, you'll keep eating, listening and learning — and hearing amusing anecdotes, including one that involves their Fitzroy digs being mistaken for a nightclub thanks to its hefty line down Smith Street. Prepare for stories about Messina's new dairy farm, the ratio of air that's whipped into their gelato, and even their future plans. Indeed, if you're a big fan, that's almost as ace as all of the gelato you'll be munching on. And, as well as the recipe book and a Lister Messina tote, attendees get a takeaway pack stuffed with gelato to take home. Arrive hungry, but don't expect to leave that way. Gelato Messina hold their Gelato Appreciation Classes in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane throughout the year, with tickets available via their website. Bookings are now open for their first Brisbane sessions, which will be held on July 15, August 19 and September 23.
Over the past 47 years, in this very galaxy, how much Star Wars merchandise has been collected? Not even a Jedi could probably give a definitive number. When it makes its Australian premiere, The Fans Strike Back: Exhibition won't answer that question either, but it will give fans of the space-opera franchise a glimpse at a hefty range of Star Wars memorabilia — one of the planet's largest private collections of replicas, in fact. The force is strong here, and so is love for everything in the George Lucas-created big- and small-screen saga. Soaring into Melbourne from Saturday, November 23, 2024, and then set to tour the country afterwards — with dates for its other stops not yet announced — The Fans Strike Back: Exhibition features Star Wars starships, lightsabers, droids, creatures and even battles. An entire section is about the dark side, with Sith obviously starring heavily, while another is called The Jedi Temple. Some pieces are life-sized. Others are detailed models. Either way, Star Wars will surround attendees everywhere they look. This isn't an official showcase, however, with only private works featured. The Fans Strike Back: Exhibition finally heads Down Under after past stops in New York and Los Angeles in the US, and also London, Madrid and Paris in Europe. After Melbourne, where it'll display at The District Docklands, it's also set to show in Brisbane, Sydney and Perth. The Fans Strike Back: Exhibition is one of two Star Wars-related celebrations with an upcoming date with Australia. The other: Lego Star Wars: The Exhibition, which is a world-first showcase of Lego models based on the franchise. It'll arrive in 2025, making its global premiere. The two showcases aren't linked in any way, other than adoring Star Wars. The Fans Strike Back: Exhibition hails from the same crew that've also celebrated Banksy and NBA Down Under, and have a Wes Anderson tribute about to hit Melbourne. The Fans Strike Back: Exhibition opens at The District Docklands, Level 1, corner Star Crescent and Studio Lane, Docklands, Melbourne on Saturday, November 23, 2024, with tickets on sale from 6pm AEST on Wednesday, September 18, 2024. After that, it'll head to Brisbane, Sydney and Perth, with dates yet to be announced. Head to the exhibition's website for more details.
Melbourne's hotel scene just keeps booming, with an impressive new Marriott Hotel outpost set to launch in the heart of Docklands. And this one comes complete with a whole swag of onsite hospitality venues, including a swanky rooftop bar and heated infinity pool. Slated to open late June, the Melbourne Marriott Hotel Docklands will be the suburb's only five-star hotel, boasting 189 luxury rooms kitted out with features like 'retail-inspired wardrobes' and 55-inch LCD TVs. Then, there's the hefty collection of food and drink offerings, including one next to the hotel's crowning glory — the stunning infinity pool, complemented by sweeping views to the west overlooking Port Phillip Bay and the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel. Escape up here for a taste of the high life and you'll be swimming in a 28-metre wet-edge pool — or lounging on a day bed enjoying cocktails and high-end panoramas. You don't even need to be a hotel guest to take advantage, with day passes available for $68 (or $168 for a family of two adults and two children), which gets you four-hour entry to the rooftop pool and whirlpool, plus use of both the sauna and the hotel's high-tech gym. Adjacent rooftop bar Sunset House is set to be a buzzy sky-high destination where punters can kick back on lounges nibbling finger sandwiches — and quaff signature cocktails and a range of Everleigh's bottled spritzes. After dark, the menu will expamd to include chic shared plates like katsu sandos, duck jaffles, Moreton Bay bug rolls, and tuna sashimi teamed with a green chilli sambal and sesame tofu. Expect a program of nighttime DJ sets to match. Meanwhile, elegant all-day restaurant Archer's is being headed up by Executive Chef David Albert, and will champion local ingredients and producers through an offering of bold, technique-driven plates. You'll sit down to the likes of lamb tartare; Mount Martha mussels smoked over paper bark; and a dish of Great Ocean Road duck jamon with rhubarb compote, davidson plum and walnut mole. The fare's complemented by a considered drinks program from sommelier Hamish Small, including champagne aplenty. Explore further and you'll find casual all-day haunt Corsia, which trips from St Ali coffee and breakfast fare to Euro-leaning lunch dishes, and then onto after-work wines and Italian-style desserts. Cocktail lounge Ada's is the final piece of the puzzle, taking both its name and inspiration from the pioneering female mixologist that created the Savoy Hotel's famed Hanky Panky cocktail in the 1930s. The sophisticated space will be slinging chic bar snacks, revamped classic cocktails and an impressive range of non-alcoholic creations. The Melbourne Marriott Hotel Docklands will open at 15 Waterfront Way, Docklands, from late June. For more details, or to book a stay or pool access, check out the website. Images: Dianna Snape
UPDATE: MAY 15, 2018 — Because you can't really enjoy a cheese board without a glass of time, The Cheese Riot has this week launched a series of cheese and wine hampers. They range from $119–159, feature some top Australian wines, and can be ordered here. Australian farmers put out some seriously delicious cheese, but, if you live in the city, the best stuff isn't necessarily easy to find. Most are made on country farms, several hours' drive away, and don't often make it to major supermarkets. The good news is that a cheese lover by the name of Anna Perejma wants to change all that. She's the founder of The Cheese Riot, a brand new service brings boutique Aussie cheeses to your doorstep. The Cheese Riot is the result of Perejma travels around the country, sampling all the cheese she could get her hands on. Picking the tastiest and boldest varieties, she's now connecting directly with the cheesemakers and producers where possible, then popping their wares into boxes and sending them to subscribers all over Australia. As well as 600 - 800 grams of cheese per box, each shipment also includes a changing range of Aussie-made accompaniments, such as chutney, pastes, honey and matching teas. Two subscription options are available: the Give Me Cheese box for $89, and the Give Me Premium Cheese box for $129, which features harder-to-find cheeses or special batches. They're sent to most places in Australia, with Sydney metro residents receiving same-day delivery "It's like the Dollar Shave Club, but for cheese," explains Perejma. "Every month, you'll get a selection of cheeses delivered to your house, most made by small producers who live in the middle of nowhere. The idea is to unlock products people want but can't get." It's a venture driven by Perejma's love of Australian wares, and her eagerness to share our delicious dairy products. "Our products are just as good as anything you'll find internationally, but don't get enough recognition." And before you start wondering about Perejma's credentials, her resume includes events officer at the Australian Specialist Cheesemakers' Association — yes, the ASCA really exists — where she recently organised the & Cheese event series that included a Young Henrys beer and cheese pairing and a Four Pillars gin cocktails and cheese pairing at Moya's Juniper Lounge. We're pretty confident you can trust her palate. In addition, Perejma wants to "take the wank out of cheese" and encourage a sense of community around sharing it. "You can enjoy cheese any way you like, be that on your own with Netflix and a glass of wine or with a bunch of friends at a picnic in the park." The Cheese Riot will also be hosting artisan cheese appreciation classes in Sydney, through AirBnb Experiences. For more information about The Cheese Riot, visit their website. By Jasmine Crittenden and Sarah Ward.
As well as collecting 13 Emmy nominations, the largest haul of any Netflix series in 2025, Adolescence is also officially the platform's most-watched TV show from the first six months of the year. If it felt like everyone you knew has been talking about the excellent four-part British series since it debuted in mid-March, that's why, notching up 144,800,000 views. Netflix has just unveiled its January–June 2025 Engagement Report, which outlines exactly what everyone has been checking out on the streamer to within 99 percent of all viewing. Over that time, audiences caught more than 95-billion hours of the service's series and movies. The most-watched title overall: Cameron Diaz (Annie)- and Jamie Foxx (Tin Soldier)-starring action-comedy Back in Action with 164,700,000 views. Back to the small screen, the second and third most-watched shows will come as no surprise if you're a Squid Game obsessive who needed to know how the deadly contest continued after season one, then how it came to an end. Season two ranks second with 117,300,000 views, and season three — which only released on Friday, June 27, and broke viewership and ranking records in the process — is in third place with 71,500,000 views. Season one, from 2021, also made 2025's list so far, sitting 12th with 42,000,000 views. Political thriller Zero Day and Harlan Coben adaptation Missing You round out the top five TV-wise, followed by true-crime docuseries American Murder: Gabby Petito, then Ms. Rachel, Sirens, the second season of The Night Agent and the third run of Ginny & Georgia. American Primeval, Running Point, The Four Seasons and Cassandra also ranked in the top 15. From Netflix's film slate, STRAW, The Life List, Exterritorial and Havoc followed Back in Action in the top five, with The Secret Life of Pets 2, The Electric State, Counterattack // Contraataque, Ad Vitam and Despicable Me 4 all sitting in the top ten. From there came The Secret Life of Pets, Kinda Pregnant, Nonnas, iHostage and La Dolce Villa. And yes, family-friendly fare did particularly well — in fact, The Boss Baby, Minions, Shrek, Plankton: The Movie, Despicable Me 3, Despicable Me 2 and Shrek 2 are also in the top 25. As the fondness for older all-ages flicks illustrates, Netflix viewers aren't just checking out new releases. Across the platform's originals — which doesn't apply to the bulk of those animated movies, though — around half of the titles on the list, TV and film alike, initially debuted in 2023 or prior. Think: Orange Is the New Black, Ozark, Money Heist, Red Notice and Leo, for starters. Also, across new and older series and features, more than a third were titles in languages other than English — so if you caught South Korea's When Life Gives You Tangerines and The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call, Denmark's Secrets We Keep, Norway's Number 24 or Colombia's Medusa, for example, you had company. Check out trailers for some of Netflix's big January–June 2025 titles above and below: For more information about the most-viewed Netflix titles from January–June 2025, head to the Netflix website.
The Church Street space once home to the Great Britain Hotel has been given a new lease on life, and has been reborn as multi-faceted good times haunt, Harlow. Offering a little something for all occasions, the new-look pub now boasts a ground floor bar and dining space, a sprawling split-level beer garden and a neon-drenched basement bar that's heavy on the grunge. With room for 250, the dog-friendly courtyard comes decked out in festoon lighting and lively street art, with a separate entrance for those with four-legged mates in tow. The music offering is as diverse as the space itself, with weekend DJs rounding out a broad-ranging soundtrack through the week. More lively flavours come courtesy of the kitchen, where the focus is on cleverly rejigged pub classics. On the menu, openers might include small bites like mini crab doughnuts or duck and bacon sausage rolls, leading into supporting acts like a decadent steak sanga, loaded with barbecue sauce, swiss cheese and maple bacon. A hefty vegan burger and a smoked beer and cheese hot dog make an appearance, too, while larger groups might be lured by the barbecue option, tucking into a feast of charry treats hot off the grill. And downstairs, with its old-school music videos and low booths, the moodily lit basement bar proves an ideal setting for a cocktail offering that references the different tunes you'll hear throughout the pub each week. Sips like the California Girls — blending citrus vodka, peach liqueur, orange juice and pinot gris — bring the summery pop vibes, while the likes of Boyz-N-The-Hood, crafted with Jack Daniels, Apple Jack, Fireball and apple juice, feature in the menu's hip hop-inspired lineup.
What can Disney say except... yes, "you're welcome", Moana fans? A sequel to the 2016 animated hit is on its way to cinemas before 2024 is out, as announced earlier in the year. Now, the movie's first teaser trailer is here to make a splash, and to confirm that Auli'i Cravalho (Mean Girls) is back voicing Moana and Dwayne Johnson (Fast X) is also returning as demigod Maui. When Walt Disney Animation Studios had Johnson sing a ridiculously catchy tune that was penned by Lin-Manuel Miranda in the first Moana, it clearly gave itself the perfect response to all the love thrown the film's way. Adore the movie? You're welcome. Can't stop crooning its songs? You're also welcome. Excited about the sequel that'll hit cinemas on Thursday, November 28 Down Under? You're welcome for that as well. Story-wise, Moana 2 will see its namesake take to the seas of Oceania to answer the call from her ancestors, which is where new characters will come in. While eight years have passed for viewers, only three have elapsed within the film when Moana and Maui set off on their new — and dangerous — adventure. In the director's chair: Dave Derrick Jr, who was a storyboard artist on the original Moana. And on music duties this time are singer-songwriter Abigail Barlow, composer Emily Bear (Dog Gone), Opetaia Foa'i (returning from the first film) and Mark Mancina (also back from the initial movie). "This was originally developed as a series, but we were impressed with what we saw and we knew it deserved a theatrical release," said Disney CEO Bob Iger when he announced the sequel in the company's first-quarter earnings call for 2024. "The original Moana film from 2016 recently crossed one-billion hours streamed on Disney+ and was the most streamed movie of 2023 on any platform in the U.S." Moana 2 is one of two new Moana movies in the works, with a live-action adaptation of the first Moana also on the way — and with Johnson starring. "Along with the live-action version of the original film that's currently in development, Moana remains an incredibly popular franchise," continued Iger. Check out the first teaser trailer for Moana 2 below: Moana 2 will release in Australian and New Zealand cinemas on Thursday, November 28, 2024. Read our interview with Jemaine Clement about Moana. Images: © 2024 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Aussie summers are made for adventures — and those adventures are even better with a four-legged mate by your side. Whether they're a chill cafe companion, an excitable beach sprinter or a happy homebody, they deserve to look and feel just as good as you do when the mercury starts to climb. And that's where Petstock, the blue one, comes in. The pet megastore's new range for cats and dogs has been designed with the warmer months firmly in mind, combining comfort, practicality and style. You'll find breezy shirts in bright prints, eye-catching bandanas, jaunty bucket hats and even mini backpacks for pets who like to keep their treats or toys close at paw. Whether you're dressing them up for a visit to your favourite pet-friendly pub or heading off on their daily constitutional, these summer accessories will make an everyday outing feel more like a catwalk — or a dogwalk, as the case may be. But there's more to the range than just turning heads, with a heap of practical gear to keep pets calm and happy when the heat is on. There are cooling mats and splash-proof toys to keep them chilled when the temperature soars, scratchers and interactive toys that'll keep indoor cats entertained while you soak up the air con, and adventure-ready walking gear with sturdy clips, lightweight leads and comfy harnesses in a range of fun prints that can handle whatever the day throws at you. Put it all together and you've got everything you need to keep tails wagging and whiskers twitching all summer long — just be prepared for a few extra pats from strangers along the way. For more info on Petstock's summer range, head to the brand's website.
It's always been an excellent concept for a TV series: what happens when 456 people have a chance to make their dreams come true via a huge cash prize simply by playing childhood games? Whether or not there was a murderous edge to this contest — which, of course, there is — this situation was destined to bring out the worst in many of its players. It was also forever bound to stress a point that Squid Game's latest season three trailer utters: "no matter how you look at it, life is just unfair". Those words are directed at Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae, The Acolyte), who went through this ordeal once in the award-winning Netflix hit's debut season and made it out the other side — only to head back in season two with stopping the game forever his motivation. How he'll fare next is set to play out in Squid Game's third and final season from Friday, June 27, 2025. The mood is unsurprisingly ominous, however, in the newest sneak peek. By now, everyone knows the Squid Game concept: here, trying to win 45.6 billion won means battling 455 other players to the death. Fans will also know that when Player 456 went back into the game with new fellow competitors for company in season two, he found himself closer to the person pulling the strings than he knew. The most-recent batch of episodes dropped at the end of 2024, ended with quite the cliffhanger and seem to have only made the show's protagonist even more determined on his quest — which will again bring him into contact with the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun, The Magnificent Seven). Whatever eventuates, Squid Game's last run will feature a finale written and directed by series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk as it brings its fatal matches to a conclusion. In multiple trailers so far, audiences have been given a glimpse of pleas, big reveals and truths, mazes, jumping rope, a huge gumball machine with red and blue balls, tears, words of advice and more. In Squid Game's second season, Gong Yoo (Train to Busan) also returned as the man in the suit, aka the person who got Gi-hun into the game in the first place — and so did Wi Ha-joon (Little Women) as detective Hwang Jun-ho. That said, a series about a deadly contest comes with a hefty bodycount, so new faces were always going to be essential. That's where Yim Si-wan (Emergency Declaration), Kang Ha-neul (Insider), Park Sung-hoon (The Glory) and Yang Dong-geun (Yaksha: Ruthless Operations) all came in. If you've somehow missed all things Squid Game until now, even after it became bigger than everything from Stranger Things to Bridgerton, the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning series serves up a puzzle-like storyline and unflinching savagery, which makes quite the combination. It also steps into societal divides within South Korea, a topic that wasn't invented by Parasite, Bong Joon-ho's excellent Oscar-winning 2019 thriller, but has been given a boost after that stellar flick's success. As a result, it's easy to see thematic and narrative parallels between Parasite and Squid Game, although Netflix's highly addictive series goes with a Battle Royale and Hunger Games-style setup. Netflix turned the show's whole premise into an IRL competition series as well, which debuted in 2023 — without any murders, of course. Squid Game: The Challenge has already been picked up for a second season. Watch the latest trailer for Squid Game season three below: Squid Game season three streams via Netflix from Friday, June 27, 2025. Season one and two are available to stream now. Images: Netflix.
UPDATE: AUGUST 28, 2020 — Carlton's pizza palace has been helping Melburnians through lockdown by delivering its tasty, tasty carbs, and now it's taking things up a notch with creative cocktails to-go. On Saturday, August 29 from 3pm until sold out, Leonardo's is selling piña coladas. To order, text a 🍍 to 0475 587 708 or head online to the website. Cocktails must be ordered with food. Stepping into Leonardo's Pizza Palace, there's a lot going on. Literally. For a Sunday night at eight o'clock, it's packed. A DJ is playing laid-back tracks, and waitstaff carry pizza and pasta to various nooks and crannies, navigating around punters waving glasses of Summer Spritz ($19, Aperol, fermented orange, bubbles) or a Bicycle Thief ($20, gin, Campari, grapefruit, lemon, soda). Formerly Da Salvatore Pizza By the Metre, the restaurant now has a bit of a Williamsburg vibe, although it isn't entirely necessary given that the building itself has its own personality in spades. The team responsible for southside favourites Leonard's House of Love and the soon-to-close Ramblr, have wisely kept the bones and décor from a pizza institution dating back to 1954. While they haven't kept the metre-long pizzas, they still have a kitchen dedicated entirely to pizza — which you can see through one of the many 70s-style brick archways dotted throughout the venue. Choose your toppings for these woodfired, charred and blistered, beauties from a red-and-white menu that channels old-school Chinese takeaway brochures as much as retro Italian ones. The pizza getting a lot of airtime here is topped with Chinese bolognese — taken from Ramblr's menu — piled atop the dough alongside white sauce, fior de latte and chopped scallions ($21). It's full of umami richness. But the pepperoni also has its merits, and the slightly spicy Sicilian further down the menu successfully combines Mediterranean vegetables, a red sauce base and a scattering of bitter rocket leaves. With a side serve of ranch dressing for dipping, there is no excuse not to eat your crusts at Leonardo's. You can't go past a good spag bol and Leonardo's is rich with a good ratio of meat to red sauce ($19). The broccolini salad ($10) features steamed and cooled broccolini, sweet bursts from sugar snap peas, toasted almonds, macadamia cream and a veritable snow storm of finely grated pecorino cheese. Decadent, but still a salad. The nostalgic continues into the desserts, with a choice of either tiramisu or gelato (both $10). When asked about the tiramisu, a waitress replied, "it is what it is and it comes out sliced like a pie." And that's pretty much the case. It's a wedge of thick mascarpone mousse on coffee-soaked sponge topped with a dusting of cocoa powder. While it's more texturally satisfying than flavoursome, the creamy smoothness is still a perfectly fine way to finish the meal. There's a good range of Italian and local wines, both by the glass and the bottle, four beers on tap (choose Leonardo's Bath Tub Brew and say it quickly four times) and a small selection of bottles and cans. Images: Kate Shanasy.
