UPDATE, September 11, 2020: Colossal is available to stream via SBS On Demand, Google Play and YouTube Movies. It may feature a giant creature lumbering around Seoul, but Colossal isn't your typical big predictable monster movie. In fact, there are plenty of refreshing ideas scurrying around within the latest film from writer-director Nacho Vigalondo, who previously taunted Elijah Wood through a computer in Open Windows, and now saddles Anne Hathaway with a lizard the size of a building. Come for the Godzilla-scale antics; stay for an insightful exploration of the destructive tendencies that lurk within us all, as well as an unexpected celebration of female empowerment. When we first meet Hathaway's aimless, out-of-work writer Gloria, she's a partying mess. Tired of her drinking-all-night ways, her boyfriend Tim (Dan Stevens) kicks her out, sending her fleeing from New York City to her empty childhood home. Though it has been decades since she lived in the small town she grew up in, it doesn't take long for her to catch up with former school pal Oscar (Jason Sudeikis), become boozing buddies with him and his friends (Tim Blake Nelson and Austin Stowell), and take a job at his bar. Binging and benders come next, as does the news that a monster has been wreaking havoc on the other side of the world. How Colossal expands its concept from there is one of the many joys best discovered by watching, but it's hardly a spoiler to say that battling demons, both internal and external, sits at the heart of the film. Connecting a trainwreck of a character with a gargantuan reptilian critter doing more damage than a railroad disaster mightn't be the subtlest metaphor, and yet Vigalondo ensures that the link between the two does more than just hammer home an obvious point. Indeed, examining just how one influences the other inspires narrative twists and emotional revelations, giving the movie the heart and smarts to match the size of its towering central figure. Just as it does with its creature feature premise, though, Colossal takes its underlying ideas a step further. Noting that humanity – collectively and individually – can be as ruinous as a hulking kaiju is really just the beginning. It doesn't escape attention that Gloria is surrounded by a bunch of ostensibly well-meaning men who all think that they're helping; realising just how large a shadow they're casting upon her life is crucial to the story. Indeed, this movie doesn't just tear down a city. It attempts to topple gender politics as well. Monsters, male domination and manoeuvring around both provide meaty food for thought, as well as a whole heap of meaningful material for Hathaway and Sudeikis to play with. Actually, their casting is a stroke of genius. Clearly given the lead role with a knowing awareness of how polarising she can be with general audiences, Hathaway fleshes out a protagonist who initially seems a stock-standard flurry of flaws, bad decisions and grating traits. Sudeikis also gets to toy with his usual persona, dissecting a character that seems on the surface like the kind of likeable nice guy he's played many times before. Just like the creature they're dallying with, however, there's more to each of them than it first appears. It takes a particularly inventive way of thinking to weave all of the above together, and to deliver a mighty fine monster flick at the same time. Vigalondo's brain is clearly wired in just the right way. His love for all things kaiju shines through every time his creature makes an appearance, visually boasting more in common with the genre's B-movie roots than its slick Hollywood incarnations. Still, his affection for his intelligent concept and empowering message stomps harder. Talk about a colossal effort. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOMp9sscNVc
Every December, the Geminids meteor shower lights up our skies. Considered to be the most spectacular meteor shower of the year, it's caused by a stream of debris, left by an asteroid dubbed the 3200 Phaethon, burning up in Earth's atmosphere. The 2021 shower kicked off on Saturday, December 4, but it really is just getting started. While the Geminids runs through until Monday, December 20 this year, it's expected to be at its peak in Australia overnight between Tuesday, December 14–Wednesday, December 15. Christmas lights aren't the only spectacle worth peering at this month, clearly. If you fancy a stint of stargazing, you'll want to look up on Tuesday, December 14 from around 9pm in Brisbane, 10pm in Perth, 11pm in Sydney, 11.30pm in Adelaide and 12am in Melbourne. The best time to catch an eyeful will be after midnight, when the moon has set and its light will not interfere, but before sunrise. Australia is also expected to get a great vantage on the on the evening of Monday, December 13, if you'd like to double your viewing. Some years, you can catch as many as 150 meteors every 60 minutes, so this definitely isn't just any old meteor shower. [caption id="attachment_699423" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, Jeff Dai.[/caption] For your best chances, it's worth getting as far away from bright lights as possible. This could be a good excuse to head out of the city to a clear-skied camping spot — and pray for no clouds. To see the meteors, you'll need to give your eyes around 15–30 minutes to adapt to the dark (so try to avoid checking your phone) and look to the northeast. The shower's name comes from the constellation from which they appear to come, Gemini. So that's what you'll be looking for in the sky. To locate Gemini, we recommend downloading the Sky Map app — it's the easiest way to navigate the night sky (and is a lot of fun to use even on a non-meteor shower night). If you're more into specifics, Time and Date also has a table that shows the direction and altitude of the Geminids. The Geminids meteor shower runs from Saturday, December 4–Monday, December 20, and will be at its peak during the night on Tuesday, December 14–Wednesday, December 15. For further details, head to Time and Date. Top image: A composite of 163 photos taken over 90 minutes during the Geminids by Jeff Smallwood for Flickr.
Excuse me. Excuse me. You need to get down to Supersmall on Friday, August 25 for a party celebrating everybody's favourite '90s MTV show. Or don't. Whatever. Hosted by the South Yarra club in celebration of the show's 20th anniversary, this Daria-centric shindig will feature music from the show and era (that is the late '90s and early '00s) along with cocktails like the Sick Sad Slushie and the *Sigh* Spritz. Plus, get there for 10–11pm and you'll be able to get in on free pizza because, as Daria wisely says, "there is no moment in life that can't be improved with pizza". Naturally, there'll also be a costume competition – so pull on your black combat boots and tap in to your inner Morgendorffer. Tickets are $10 and doors open at 10pm.
Melbourne sneakerheads can geek out over some of the rarest sneakers, streetwear pieces and apparel on the market when Australia's largest sneaker convention, Sneakerland, descends on the city this spring. On Saturday, November 19, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre will be filled with over 3000 sneakers from different 52 vendors. Expect lots of rare footwear in the mix, including the Jordan 1 OG Chicago (1985) and Nike SB Dunk Low Paris. But this event isn't just for cashed up collectors — there'll be stacks of more affordable sneakers available from both local and international sellers, and the sneaker museum promises to be a huge drawcard, no matter your budget. Sneakerland will also feature a heap of entertainment, setting the vibe as you peruse — and maybe purchase — all that footwear. In addition to the live sneaker auctions, and exclusive sneaker and streetwear drops, visitors will be able to get around some basketball competitions, try their luck in the day's raffles, hit up the tattoo station and listen to DJs. Guest appearances from local celebrities and sporting icons are also on the cards. While general tickets cost $40, if you nab a $100 VIP ticket you're in for some extra swag. You'll score early access to the event, food and drinks, and a private lounge to relax in. There'll also be special live auctions featuring the most sought-after items — so if you're looking to beat all others on the trading floor, this is for you.
It's time to get schwifty, Rick and Morty fans. Yes, everyone's favourite interdimensional adventurers are finally back. It's been way too long since a certain eccentric scientist and his anxious grandson caused chaos across the multiverse, with the animated sitcom's third season releasing in 2017 — and if you've been feeling the duo's absence over the past two years, you're not alone. Even the recent trailer for the series' fourth season recognised the elephant in the room — or the lack of Mr Meeseeks and Mr Poopybutthole on our screens, to be specific. Those beloved characters are back, too, alongside not only Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith (both voiced by show co-creator Justin Roiland), but also Morty's mother Beth (Sarah Chalke), father Jerry (Chris Parnell) and sister Summer (Spencer Grammer), as well as all the world-hopping craziness that anyone could ever hope for. Oh, and Taika Waititi, Sam Neill, Matthew Broderick, Game of Thrones' Liam Cunningham and Elon Musk are among the guest voice cast. The new batch of episodes rejoins the smartest Rick and Morty-est Morty in the universe, and keeps doing what it does — not just aping a concept straight out of Back to the Future (aka a lab coat-wearing old man, his teenage sidekick, and their time- and space-jumping antics), but filtering that idea through the inventive minds of Roiland and Community's Dan Harmon. If you've been counting down the days since the last episode hit back in October 2017, then mark Sunday, December 22 in your calendar. While the fourth season has been airing week-to-week in the US since November, the first five episodes will hit Netflix in Australia and New Zealand in one bundle, just in time for some festive binging. After proving such a huge hit across its first three seasons, there's plenty more Rick and Morty to come, with the show renewed for a huge 70 episodes by US network Adult Swim last year (which is more than double the 31 that the comedy aired before season four started). Of course, all that animated insanity takes time to put together, hence the overall delay in bringing the latest episodes to fruition. And that's the wayyyyyy the news goes — check out the fourth season's trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw6BrzB1drs The first five episodes of Rick and Morty's fourth season will hit Netflix in Australia and New Zealand on Sunday, December 22.
In news that'll come as little surprise to any Melburnian, given Melbourne's status as Australia's coffee heartland (and the predilection for complete coffee snobbery, too) — a barista from the Victorian capital has taken out top honours at the Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA) National Coffee Championships. For the second year in a row, Axil Coffee Roasters has nabbed the title of Australia's National Barista Champion for 2023. Melbourne barista Jack Simpson beat out scores of other Aussie hopefuls in the annual competition. His winning caffinated offering consisted of an espresso, a milk-based coffee and his own coffee-based signature drink — a concoction featuring fermented raspberries, cold vacuum bergamot tea and clarified milk. [caption id="attachment_888451" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Axil coffee, James Butler[/caption] "I wanted my routine to reflect the constantly evolving nature of the coffee world and the need for baristas to always be thinking creatively in order to keep up with trends in tastes and technology," Simpson says. The newly crowned coffee king will now go on to represent Australia at the World Barista Championship, held in Athens this year between June 22–24. Last year, Melbourne's Anthony Douglas of Axil Coffee Roasters did Melbourne's notoriously coffee-obsessed city proud, taking out the title of Australia's National Barista Champion for 2022 at the Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA) National Coffee Championships. Douglas went on to nab first place at the World Barista Championship in 2022. [caption id="attachment_888453" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Axil, Melbourne Central[/caption] Axil has a swag of cafe locations across Melbourne — find your local by jumping onto the website.
Since Australia started easing out of COVID-19 lockdown, the country's internal border restrictions have earned plenty of attention. With tactics to stop the spread of the coronavirus implemented at a state-by-state level — and case numbers in each state varying — different parts of the country have navigated the situation in different ways when it comes to letting non-residents visit. In Western Australia, that has meant a hard border and strict quarantine requirements. For folks who don't normally reside in WA, you can only currently visit the state if you're classified as an exempt traveller, apply for a G2G Pass and, if approved, then self-isolate for 14 days. If you don't have somewhere appropriate to do the latter, you have to go into a mandatory state quarantine facility for 14 days, too. As announced on Friday, October 30, Premier Mark McGowan revealed that WA will start to relax its border restrictions, with changes set to come into effect from 12.01am on Saturday, November 14. Moving to a system it's calling a 'controlled interstate border', it'll allow travellers from very low-risk states and territories to enter under eased conditions — people from places that haven't had any community transmission of COVID-19 for 28 days, who'll then be able to head to WA without isolating. At present, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory fall into that category. So, come mid-November, residents from those states and territories can venture west. You do still have to complete a G2G Pass declaration, and you'll undergo a temperature test and health screening upon arrival — and you're advised to be prepared to take a COVID-19 test if necessary as well. If you live in New South Wales or Victoria, you're in a state that WA deems low risk. Stats-wise, that means there have been less than five community cases per day on a 14-day rolling average. For travellers, it means still self-quarantining for 14 days, and taking a COVID-19 test on the 11th day. https://twitter.com/MarkMcGowanMP/status/1322044199399690241 The above plan is contingent upon every state and territory in Australia continuing to record a 14-day rolling average of less than five community cases of COVID-19 — or even fewer, of course, as already seen in Queensland, Tasmania, SA, NT and ACT. Announcing the border change, Premier McGowan noted that "we will be closely monitoring the situation over east, and if we need to delay this introduction of the controlled border, then we will". He also noted that he "will also have no hesitation to reintroduce our hard border in the future if that's what's needed". To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Western Australia, and the state's corresponding restrictions, visit its online COVID-19 hub. Top image: Tourism WA
For more than a month, Melburnians have been popping on face masks like they're an everyday piece of clothing. Covering up has been mandatory since the end of May — and, even as other COVID-19 restrictions have been easing, that rule has remained in place everywhere except outdoor situations where you can social distance. But from 11.59pm on Thursday, July 8, the mask mandate will loosen again. From that point onwards, you won't have to wear them at work if you're not in a public-facing setting. The new rule kicks in at 11.59pm on Thursday, July 8 (which in practical terms, means Friday, June 9). The change only covers masks indoors in workplaces and schools, however. They still remain mandatory inside in public in general, but if you work in an office or a factory, you won't have to wear them while you're working — as long as you're in a workplace that doesn't interact with the public. Otherwise, you'll still be covering up indoors, other than when you're at work — or school, if that applies. You still don't have to wear masks outside if you can maintain a 1.5-metre distance from other people while you're getting some fresh air, though. But just like during the last fortnight, if you can't keep your space from others, you'll need to keep masking up. https://twitter.com/DanielAndrewsMP/status/1412572978538188801 So, you'll obviously still always need to have a mask with you at all times — even if you're heading out for a stroll and no one else seems to be about, or if you're going to work in an office or factory. Other changes that are coming into effect from 11.59pm on Thursday, July 8 include increasing patron numbers at venues, and allowing dance floors again. If you're wondering where to grab a fitted mask, we've put together a rundown of local companies making and selling them. For more information about the status of COVID-19 and the current restrictions, head over to the Department of Health and Human Services website.
UPDATE, Friday, January 12, 2024: Killers of the Flower Moon streams via Apple TV+ from Friday, January 12, and via Google Play, YouTube Movies and Prime Video. Death comes to Killers of the Flower Moon quickly. Death comes to Killers of the Flower Moon often. While Martin Scorsese will later briefly fill the film's frames with a fiery orange vision — with what almost appears to be a lake of flames deep in oil country, as dotted with silhouettes of men — death blazes through his 26th feature from the moment that the picture starts rolling. Adapted from journalist David Grann's 2017 non-fiction novel Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, with the filmmaker himself and Dune's Eric Roth penning the screenplay, this is a masterpiece of a movie about a heartbreakingly horrible spate of deaths sparked by pure and unapologetic greed and persecution a century back. Scorsese's two favourite actors in Leonardo DiCaprio (Don't Look Up) and Robert De Niro (Amsterdam) are its stars, alongside hopefully his next go-to in Lily Gladstone (Reservation Dogs), but murder and genocide are as much at its centre — all in a tale that's devastatingly true. As Mollie Kyle, a member of the Osage Nation in Grey Horse, Oklahoma, incomparable Certain Women standout Gladstone talks through some of the movie's homicides early. Before her character meets DiCaprio's World War I veteran Ernest Burkhart — nephew to De Niro's cattle rancher and self-proclaimed 'king of the Osage' William King Hale — she notes that several Indigenous Americans that have been killed, with Mollie mentioning a mere few to meet untimely ends. There's nothing easy about this list, nor is there meant to be. Some are found dead, others seen laid out for their eternal rest, and each one delivers a difficult image. But a gun fired at a young mother pushing a pram inspires a shock befitting a horror film. The genre fits here, in its way, as do many others: American crime saga, aka the realm that Scorsese has virtually made his own, as well as romance, relationship drama, western, true crime and crime procedural. Although this chapter of history has hardly been splashed across the screen with frequency, its new place among the iconic director's filmography helps him to continue making a statement that he's been beaming at audiences for most of his filmmaking life. The specifics differ from flick to flick, but Scorsese keeps surveying the appallingly corrupt and violent deeds done in the pursuit of power, wealth and influence. He constantly peers into humanity's souls, seeing some of its worst impulses staring back. Indeed, there's no doubting that Killers of the Flower Moon hails from the same person as Goodfellas, Casino and Gangs of New York, or The Wolf of Wall Street and The Irishman, too. It also easily belongs on a filmography with entries as varied as Raging Bull, The Age of Innocence, Kundun, The Departed and Shutter Island. Between them, DiCaprio and De Niro have starred in most of those movies. Now, they combine for the first time in a Scorsese feature to basically rekindle their This Boy's Life dynamic from three decades back, all while plumbing the depths of money-coveting men chasing land rights, aka Osage headrights, through a cruel, brutal and disarmingly patient plan. "The finest, the wealthiest and the most beautiful people on god's earth" is how Hale describes the Osage Nation to Ernest when the latter is freshly back on US soil, off the train in Fairfax and getting reacquainted with his uncle. Those riches stem from being pushed out of Kansas, resettled, then striking black gold in a stroke of good fortune that brings more misfortune. Hale wants a piece and more, and gets seemingly every other white man in Oklahoma joining his pursuit. In an extraordinary performance, De Niro gives Hale quietly formidable potency — the kind that doesn't need raised voices or a weapon to command a room, evoke unease and enforce his might. Scorsese lets the outwardly supportive, not-so-privately manipulative town anchor become the open villain almost instantly. Killers of the Flower Moon isn't a whodunnit, but rather a living-with-knowing-who's-doing-it film. It tells its atrocity-filled tale about evil in plain sight carefully, exactingly and unhurriedly — earning each and every one of its 206 minutes — with narrative inevitably breeding suspense and emotional tension. Sporting an injured gut from combat, Ernest turns to chauffeuring to make a living under Hale's wing. When he begins driving the graceful and stately Mollie, his uncle has already laid out his scheme to get Osage property and wealth gushing their family's way. Still, everything about Ernest and Mollie's romance is genuine. DiCaprio and Gladstone are exquisite, including when their characters are flirting over cab rides and storm-backdropped sips of whiskey, resting their foreheads together in a gesture that gets them saying everything without saying anything, and stealing other silently happy moments. But the bodies keep mounting, with many of Mollie's nearest and dearest — such as her sisters Minnie (Jillian Dion, Alaska Daily), Anna (Cara Jade Myers, Rutherford Falls) and Reta (Janae Collins, Reservation Dogs), plus their mother Lizzie Q (Tantoo Cardinal, Three Pines) — in Hale's way. While the gangster-film label mightn't fit Killers of the Flower Moon as neatly as Mean Streets and company, this is still a gangster film. Scorsese is in his element, not that he's ever been out of it on any feature that isn't a gangster flick — but that's never the only place that he wants to be. As cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (Barbie) lenses both the eye-catching landscape and dark interiors, editor Thelma Schoonmaker (who has done his splicing since Raging Bull) gives the movie its meticulous pacing and the now-late Robbie Robertson (who starred in Scorsese music documentary The Last Waltz as part of The Band) imparts a slinkily propulsive beat amid a pitch-perfectly anxious score, this is also a movie of blistering anger and interrogation. As the saga of Ernest, Mollie, Hale and pervasive death always thrums at its core, so does a reckoning. Killers of the Flower Moon carves into the injustices of America's past, plus their impact upon the present, to stress the blood and bones that the US was built upon. It sees how much about today ties back to its tragedy of oppression and slaughter, how distressingly familiar this situation is around the world and, in a stunner of a coda, how such realities are regularly exploited rather than addressed. Bold and brilliant, epic yet intimate, ambitious and absorbing, as meaningful as it is monumental, a quintessential Martin Scorsese movie: every single one applies to Killers of the Flower Moon. It's also rich and riveting in each touch and instant, from building its lived-in portrait of the 1920s midwest to the magnificent cast that also spans Jesse Plemons (Love & Death) as a federal investigator — even if the Birth of the FBI part of the feature's source material is scaled down — and both John Lithgow (Sharper) and Brendan Fraser (The Whale) as lawyers. Three and a half hours almost doesn't seem long enough to spend revelling in this superbly complicated film, or to confront the many difficult truths explored. It definitely isn't long enough with its three outstanding key players, who each turn in shattering portrayals whether playing it slick, nervy or soulful. Killers of the Flower Moon is steeped in so much heartwrenching death, and unforgettably so, yet it could't have been better brought to on-screen life.
Meaning 'our' in Italian, Lulie Tavern's upstairs, all-weather rooftop is welcoming Lydia Greenwood and and Chef Dane Hewson (ex-Embla, Grossi Florentino) to the family on Sunday, June 11. The rock 'n roll bar will be hosting a day of Italian dining, complete with live tunes and red-and-white checkered tablecloth. Highlights of the $59 set menu include a cacio e pepe hash brown with creme fraiche and black pepper caramel, plus the 8-hour ragu served with handmade tagliatelle. Tortellini di zucca with a brown butter sauce and slow-roasted pumpkin, a wild rocket salad and tiramisu cannoli rounds out the offering. Additional add-ons include oysters with a Bloody Mary mignonette, and a tongue-in-cheek glass of wine with biscotti wafers dubbed "take communion". The menu will be available from 12pm, and you'll find a stack of funky Italian vino options to match from Quel Vino. As always, Lulie will be dishing up a rocking soundtrack from open to close, complete with DJ Richie 1250 spinning Italian disco party vibes. Top images: Full Moon Fever, Jake Roden.
Each year we anticipate the arrival of December 25. Because of the day off, the promise of an afternoon spent dozing in a hammock — and the arrival of Messina's annual Christmas cake. And while the gelato gods last year went for a huge edible Christmas bauble-shaped creation, they've decided to make 2016's cake slightly more political. Enter The Lockout Claus. This epic ice cream cake — shaped like a round Santa Clause trying to fit down a chimney, if you didn't completely see it the first time — is Messina's delicious festive response to Sydney's lockout laws. The Sydney-founded gelato chain have been vocal supporters of the Keep Sydney Open campaign this year, and even though slight changes to the laws were announced last week, they evidently still think Santa's at risk of getting locked out on Christmas Eve. So what's in the cake? Well, cutting open Santa's jolly belly will reveal layers of salted caramel gelato with cherry sorbet, chewy caramel, chocolate mousse and chocolate sponge. Plus, it comes with a jug of vanilla brandy custard to pour over the hefty slice of cake you'll serve yourself up. The cake, which serves 12-14 (or less if you really commit), costs $90 and can be ordered for pickup between December 21 and Christmas Eve. In Sydney you can pick one up from their Rosebery, Darlinghurst, Bondi, Miranda and Parramatta stores. If you're in Melbourne you can get one from their Fitzroy or Windsor outposts — and, sweeter still, you can eat it knowing you can still go out and party all night too. The Lockout Claus is available to order at gelatomessina.com.
If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from researching Super Discount, it’s that ‘intellectual disability’ is hardly an appropriate term, because this crew seems far cleverer than I. Spawned from Geelong’s internationally acclaimed Back to Back Theatre Company (makers of the 2012 Helpmann and Green Room Award-winning play Ganesh Versus the Third Reich), Bruce Gladwin’s Super Discount will be wowing Sydney and Melbourne audiences this spring. In accordance with Back to Back’s longstanding tradition, Super Discount was written through improvisation by six actors — all but one suffering from a perceived intellectual disability — alongside Gladwin. Originally a collaboration with artist Tim Sharp, Super Discount recently underwent a name change when creative differences arose. What’s left is a production that gives voice to those who might normally be ignored and allows for diversity in their representation, “questioning how audiences read representations of disability” and stereotypical perceptions. “The general consensus in contemporary societies is that if you’re disabled it would be very inappropriate to make you [your character] evil," says Gladwin. "And really, evil is a capacity that we all have — to be evil is to be human. You know, if you can’t play evil because you’ve got a disability, you’re actually saying you’re something other than human.” If you’ve never known the disabled experience, Super Discount will clue you in. This time around the company has stripped away the scenography, leaving behind only the actors raw and exposed. "[They’re holding] what is a very detailed narrative in their hands onstage and all they have is their skill as actors," says Gladwin. "There’s nothing for them to hide behind and there’s always an element around disability that involves essentially a kind of voyeurism. In a way the actors are asking you to look at them and look only at them.” But Gladwin insists that this production is joyous, because ultimately, he says, “the piece is empowering”. Under the guise of superheroes, the performers — including Mark Deans, Simon Laherty, Sarah Mainwaring, Scott Price, Brian Tilley and David Woods — are talking some universal stuff. I mean, in spite of our perfectly staged and photoshopped Facebook pictures, even those of us fighting crime are flawed. “Iron Man has a weak heart," says Gladwin. "Thor is lame and walks on a walking stick as Doctor Donald Blake; Rogue in X-Men can’t touch anyone without killing them. Through some form of flaw or disability or mutation they [superheroes] exist as outsiders in society ... They are flawed and human despite the fact that they also have some sort of incredible superpower or access to some sort of incredible, empowering technology.” Super Discount is equal parts humorous and poignant, so expect to be “confronted, brought to tears and brought to joyous laughter” all at the same time. Maybe rewrite the dictionary's definition of 'disability' while you're at it. You can join the ensemble at the Malthouse Theatre November 13 to December 1 for something that packs more than a little ka-pow.
If sport is escapism in its simplest form — the 2020 Summer Olympics couldn't have come at a better time. For all of us following along from the pub or the couch (sorry Sydney), the ultimate demonstration of human accomplishment delivers a much-needed sense of belonging and shared experience. In between staggering feats of athleticism, competitors from every corner of the world have given us countless inspiring tales all delivered with neverending grace. So, our writers' have recapped eight of the most heartwarming, unmissable moments of the Tokyo Olympic Games so far. SUZ TUCKER: Editorial Director Moment: Oksana Chusovitina, representing Uzbekistan in gymnastics. I write this from an at-home standing desk — because I've somehow injured my back doing nothing. Meanwhile, Oksana Chusovitina is a 46 year old woman who, this week, competed in her EIGHTH consecutive Olympic Games (the first was Barcelona in '92) in a sport where the majority of participants are under the age of 20. This veritable sporting icon competed in vault before announcing her retirement from the sport. I pulled a hammy just watching her. A legend. MELANIE COLWELL: Branded Content Editor Moment: Jian Fang Lay, representing Australia in table tennis. If you've read or watched the news at all this past week, you'd be aware of the major Aussie success stories at the games so far. We're dominating in swimming and Jess Fox finally got her hands on the gold medal that had eluded her for many years. They're dubbed champions. Legends. Heroes. And rightly so — they've earned it. But there is another athlete that should be getting just as much praise and recognition: Jian Fang Lay. The 48-year-old table tennis player may not have won any medals (yet) but she is competing in her sixth consecutive Olympic Games — one of only two Australian women to do so. Talk about grit and determination. As someone whose experience with table tennis begins and ends with a few successful games of beer pong (the more you drink, the better you play and you can't convince me otherwise), Jian's speed, coordination and instinct is a marvel to witness. She is an underrated QUEEN. ELLEN SEAH: National News & Features Editor Moment: Thomas Daley, representing Great Britain in diving. Very occasionally, the democratic nature of sport fosters moments that stretch far beyond a league, a game, or a medal. Tom Daley's post-dive media interview was one such moment. Sporting a plain black mask, with adrenaline still pumping from his first Olympic gold medal win, Daley told media reporters about the struggle and pressures he's faced as an LGBTIQ+ athlete, with the grace and confidence that would put most to shame. "I came out in 2013 and when I was younger I always felt like the one that was alone and different and didn't fit in. There was something about me that was always never going to be as good as what society wanted me to be," Daley said, in response to a reporter's question about there being more openly out LGBTIQ+ athletes than any other Olympic Games before. "I hope that any young LGBTI person out there can see that no matter how alone you feel right now, you are not alone. You can achieve anything." Daley and his synchronised diving partner, Matty Lee, sat between silver medal Chinese athletes Cao Yuan and Chen Aisen and bronze medal Russian divers Alexander Bondar and Viktor Minibaev. Gay marriage is not legal in either Russia or China. LIBBY CURAN: Staff Writer Moment: Ariarne Titmus, representing Australia in 400m freestyle (and Dean Boxall's reaction). Life can start to feel a little light on excitement when you've been churning through lockdowns like it's an Olympic sport. Heck, some days, putting proper pants on seems deserving of a hearty pat on the back. So, imagine the pure motivation that would come from having a personal cheerleader that gets as wildly ecstatic about your triumphs as Ariarne Titmus' coach was following her women's 400m freestyle win. Dean Boxall's joyfully OTT reaction to his charge's gold medal moment has become an instant meme and for good reason — we're talking buckets of unbridled enthusiasm and some very passionate hip thrusts. Ok, so you might not be in the running to take home any gold medals for Australia yourself. But whatever little thing you need to muster up motivation for this week, chuck Boxhall's now-famous cheer routine a watch and I reckon you'll feel ready to take on the world. SARAH WARD: Associate Editor Moment: All the new sports. The only sport I'm obsessively passionate about will never reach the Olympics, even when Brisbane hosts them in 2032. Australia would obviously win gold if Aussie Rules did ever make the cut, though. If there was a way for us to win silver and bronze at the same time, we probably would as well. Still, there's something inherently joyous about new sports being introduced to the Olympics, even if it's not my beloved form of football. All those athletes who've just had their dreams come true merely by even being able to compete at that level, and all those kids who might now turn their childhood passions into a medal-winning profession — it's nothing short of inspiring. Surfing and skateboarding obviously fall into that category this year, and the fact that many of the winners so far have such moving stories behind them, or happen to be 13-year-old girls kick-flipping their way to glory, is flat-out excellent. Also a delight: seeing baseball join the fold in Tokyo. Having witnessed first-hand just how beloved baseball is in Japan — complete with the souvenirs to prove it — it's clear how meaningful an inclusion this is. CORDELIA WILLIAMSON: Branded Content Manager Moment: Bronte Campbell, Cate Campbell, Emma McKeon and Meg Harris, representing Australia in the 4 x 100-metre freestyle relay. Despite my current opinion of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and really feeling for Japan right now, I am (somewhat selfishly) loving watching the Olympics. I listened to journalist Kieran Pender on a recent 7am episode, 'Front row seats to the world's biggest experiment', and he describes the Tokyo Games as a paradox. On the one hand, it is "deeply problematic" that the IOC has forged ahead, and it is reasonable for us to say 'who cares' when we look at the broader context. But also, as Pender states: "Sport is powerful, sport is important…[and] these games will bring joy, particularly to those in lockdown". This pretty much sums up how I feel as a veg out on the couch watching these superhumans dive, sprint, jump and backflip on the screen. One moment where all my neg energy dissipated, however, was while watching Bronte Campbell, Cate Campbell, Emma McKeon and Meg Harris absolutely slay in the pool in the women's 4 x 100-metre freestyle relay final. Beating your own world record by three seconds is bloody great. But for me, someone who doesn't really watch sport nor have much (if any) national pride, it was seeing these incredible women celebrate the team's efforts, not just themselves, and present each other with their gold medals that got me like a punch in the guts. Heartwarming stuff right there. Seriously looking forward to catching more pool action, particularly diving and artistic swimming. And the pentathlon — it blows my mind that individuals can be skilled in so many (and some random) sports. BEN HANSEN: Staff Writer Moment: Hidilyn Diaz, representing the Philippines in weightlifting. While I've been yelling at my screen consistently over the last week as the Ollyroos upset Argentina, the Boomers continue their winning streak and we dominate in the pool. The moment that brought the biggest smile to my face was weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz winning the Philippines its first first-ever Olympic gold with an Olympic Record lift. Weightlifting is already a wildly impressive sport, but Diaz's face of relief when she lifts her first place-winning weight turning to overwhelming joy was so touching. NIK ADDAMS: Branded Content Manager Moment: Owen Wright, representing Australia in surfing. I know absolutely nothing about surfing. I don't even understand what one is supposed to do when one surfs. And while I was initially drawn in by the handsome Brazilian men (whatever gets you tuned in, right?) what I do know is that — after quickly Googling the rules to try and make some sense of what I was watching — I felt like I was riding every single wave with Owen Wright, Australia's first surfing medallist. The word 'inspirational' is thrown about quite a bit in sporting discourse, but his story is one that truly merits that term — having to relearn how to walk and surf after a horror brain injury just six years ago. The post-surf interview with his beautiful family showed just how much this one meant — and I hope his son Vali got an extra scoop of ice cream to celebrate, too. Top image: IOC, supplied.
Back in May, when Australia started to look past social distancing and public gathering rules to a less-restricted future, Falls Festival announced it was powering ahead with plans for its New Year's festival. But a couple of months is a long time in 2020 — and today, Wednesday, August 26, the event has announced that it will not longer be taking place this year. In a statement released via Facebook, festival organisers advised that "given the current status of things and border restrictions in place, it won't be possible to hold Falls Festival in our regular New Year's timeframe". It's worth noting that the post doesn't say that the next iteration of Falls is completely cancelled, however. "Consider this a raincheck, and please know we will be back with more information as it comes to hand," the statement notes. As for what that entails, Falls will "work with government stakeholders and key agencies to get Falls Festival back in the calendar". Clearly, given the way the past few months have shaped up — including with Victoria's reimplemented restrictions — there are a hefty range of factors to navigate. https://www.facebook.com/fallsfestival/photos/a.103842988679/10158800587688680/?type=3&theater If it had gone ahead in its usual December/January slot in 2020/2021, the summer festival had planned to implement some big changes. Usually taking place at Tassie's Marion Bay, Lorne in Victoria, North Byron and Fremantle, it was set to feature an all-Aussie lineup this year — which, with Australia's borders currently closed and even travel between just Australia and New Zealand "still some time away", seemed the smart choice. It also had the added bonus of helping Aussie musicians, many of which have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 lockdown. When the festival does go ahead, it's still fair to expect that it might look a little different — at least in terms of punters numbers. Falls Byron usually has around 25,000 attendees, while Falls Lorne has 9000, for example, figures that seem particularly large in today's social-distancing world. Last year, the music festival was impacted by the bushfires, with the Lorne leg cancelled one day in because of extreme and hazardous weather. Falls Festival will no longer go ahead in December 2020/January 2021. We'll let you know if and when more details are announced.
When it makes its debut this June, Sydney's huge new arts and food festival will help kickstart winter in a big way. Live music paired with stargazing, country tunes in Newtown and moonlit kayaking from Darling Harbour are just some of the highlights among the just-revealed Sydney Solstice program, with the previously announced event slotting into Vivid's usual early-winter berth between Tuesday, June 8–Sunday, June 20. Aiming to reinvigorate the city's hospitality, music, arts and culture sectors after a tough 12 months, the new event will take place across four city precincts. Spaces across the CBD, Darling Harbour, Newtown and Oxford Street will host more than 200 events — in restaurants, bars, galleries, museums, music venues and outdoor areas. In the CBD, highlights include music, dance and theatre events in the YCK Laneways precinct; dancing and late-night dim sum at Mr Wong; International Pride Month events at Metro Theatre; and art installations and dance pop-ups in Chinatown. There'll also be after-dark parties at Sea Life Aquarium, where more than just the aquatic creatures will glow; a world-premiere work by celebrated composer and producer William Barton, which will soundtrack an evening of stargazing at Sydney Observatory; and Queen's Feast, Heaps Gay's multi-sensory dining and art experience at Sydney Town Hall. The latter will feature an all-female chef lineup, including Masterchef alum Sarah Tiong, pastry maven Anna Polyviou, Southside Charmers' Georgia Woodyard and Claire Van Vuuren of Newtown fave Bloodwood. The Sydney Opera House forecourt will become a hub of live music, talks and poetry readings for each night of Sydney Solstice. Head along at sunset, and you'll see this year's Badu Gili, too — a six-minute projection on the structure's eastern Bennelong sails. Or, for two food-filled days, make a date with Opera Kitchen and its Italian- and Japanese-focused festival. Nearby, Darling Harbour will be transformed into a winter wonderland, complete with an ice-skating rink and German-themed chalets. If you'd prefer to hop onto the water, you'll be able to kayak by moonlight as well. Also making great use of the waterfront location: Harbour Garden, an installation of inflatables that's designed for attendees of all ages. Just outside of the CBD, Newtown will host the inaugural (and adorably named) Country and Inner Western Festival, which'll pop up in small bars, pubs and other venues to showcase emerging and established country, alternative country, bluegrass, folk, Americana and blues musicians. And, over at South Eveleigh, a big (and free) street festival will celebrate the growing food precinct — just as Kylie Kwong launches her new restaurant onsite. Meanwhile, fermentation will be in the spotlight on Oxford Street, with Bitter Phew celebrating brewers, winemakers, bakers and cheesemakers for the duration of Sydney Solstice. Plus, Hotel Harry's Altar Danceteria will throw a series of genre-hopping parties — so fingers crossed that dancing is back again by June. And, no, you won't be bored across the festival's 13-day run. Sydney Solstice will take place from Tuesday, June 8–Sunday, June 20. We'll update you with further details when they're announced — and you can keep an eye on the festival's website, too. Images: Destination NSW
Never in history has the topic of sustainability been a more popular or important topic of conversation. Saving the environment is on the immediate to-do list of individuals and organisations across the world, but will governments go as far as to grant legal rights to Mother Nature herself? The answer is shockingly, but quite possibly, yes. Today, the United Nations will propose Bolivia's Law of Mother Earth, based on the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth, in an attempt to lead the world into a new age of conservation of natural resources and a strict reduction of pollution. The treaty includes four articles and, if passed, would grant the environment 11 legal rights, including the right to life and to exist, the right to continue processes free from human disturbance, the right to pure water and clean air, the right to balance, the right not to be polluted, the right to not be affected by mega-infrastructure and development projects that negatively affect ecosystems and the local inhabitants and the right to not have cellular structure modified or genetically altered. Does this mean no cutting down trees? It's hard to determine whether the proposal is silly or a solution. Although it is highly unlikely that the UN will approve the treaty any time soon, the truth is that especially in the suffering environment of Bolivia, Mother Nature isn't in the best shape right now. It remains to be seen whether granting a bill of rights to flora and fauna is the best way to restore her to her former glory. [Via The Guardian]
Bangarra is a dance theatre company that uses music and movement from the contemporary urban world to explore the stories of Australia's Indigenous people. Since 1989 they have been creating extraordinarily muscular and beautifully choreographed performances; 40,000-year-old songlines and bloodlines transported to a modern context. In their latest production, Blak, the relationship between old and new — tension and possibility for change — comes under intense and uncompromising scrutiny. Composed in three movements, Blak begins as a gang of seven boys test the constantly shifting boundaries of inner-city life as they prepare for traditional rites of passage and initiation ceremonies. Wearing hooded jumpers and skinny jeans, they appear profoundly disenfranchised within a gritty city of gridlocked boundaries that plays host to their sometimes unpredictable behaviour. In the second movement it’s the women's turn to deal with the recurring conflict between city dwelling and Indigenous connection to country. The female sense of disempowerment is different in that it specifically relates to the difficulty of speaking out on fundamental issues like birth, loss, language and powerlessness. How these 'blak' women can make their voices resonate clearly for future generations is a question that lingers beyond the physical performance. In the final movement all 14 dancers take to the stage to celebrate and pay homage to their heritage to powerful, sensual and utterly compelling effect. The soundscape, composed by internationally renowned choreographer Stephen Page and electro-pop king Paul Mac, links each individual movement of the dancers into a vital whole, visibly transporting the audience. Bangarra is a Wiradjuri word meaning “to make fire” — in Blak, the burning desire for spiritual connection is rekindled. Image via Bangarra Dance Theatre
When the COVID-19 pandemic first started spreading across Australia and the country went into lockdown, New South Wales did not close its borders to domestic travellers. But when cases started rising again in Victoria, it first banned Melburnians from hot zone" suburbs, and then closed its border to the entire southern state — for the first time in more than 100 years, since 1919 during the Spanish Flu. With both Victoria in general and the metropolitan Melbourne area specifically now easing out of the most recent stay-at-home restrictions, and with case numbers low throughout the state, NSW has announced today, Wednesday November 4, that it'll be reopening its border to its southern neighbour. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian advised that "we need to keep moving forward as we live with COVID-19. I have confidence that everyone will continue to work hard to keep everyone safe". https://twitter.com/GladysB/status/1323777523293933568 The change will come into effect at 12.01am on Monday, November 23, meaning that Victorians can enter NSW and vice versa from that point onwards (and just in time for both summer holidays and Christmas, too). NSW residents were already permitted to visit Victoria, as Victoria didn't shut its border during its lockdowns; however, NSW's border rules meant that residents were then required to quarantine upon their return — unless they had a special permit, or lived in the strict border zone that also required permits. Announcing the border reopening, Premier Berejiklian said that the move was based on NSW Health advice — and noted that Victoria "may have, because of the lockdown, actually gone down a path of having eliminated it [COVID-19] at this point in time". Victoria has reported zero new coronavirus cases for the past five days, while NSW has reported 27 over the same period. Also today, Premier Berejiklian announced that all NSW hospitality venues will be required to use QR codes to track patrons from November 23. "We believe the dual strategy — of opening up our borders to all Australian citizens, all New Zealand citizens, in addition to making use of QR codes compulsory for hospitality businesses — is an important step forward," she advised. You can find out more about the status of COVID-19 at the NSW Health and Victorian Department of Health and Human Services websites. Top image: Mulwala Bridge by Yun Huang Yong via Flickr.
If you're looking for more things to do while you're stuck at home that's not online puzzles and another cooking lesson, you're in luck. The Australian Ballet is one of the latest cultural institutions around Australia and the world to launch an online platform. The company's 2020 digital season features high-quality footage of full-length performances for you to watch at home — and it's free. Each performance is available to watch for a two-week run. The program kicked off with David McAllister's The Sleeping Beauty, set to Tchaikovsky's famed score, then Cinderella, followed by Romeo & Juliet. On offer from now until Thursday, August 6, you can watch Spartacus, inspired by the 1951 novel by Howard Fast. In all, you can expect dazzling footwork and an overall vivid spectacle on your screens until August 3. To watch, head here. On the digital platform, you'll also find behind-the-curtain content, talks and panel discussions, and a video about the company's collaboration with Nursewatch: a series of ballet workshops for seniors. For those wanting to put on their dancing shoes, there are mini-dance lessons where you can learn how to plié, jump and do a graceful port de bras, plus free at-home sample sessions for beginner, intermediate and pro dancers. The At Home With Studio classes are about 30–40 minutes long and all designed to be done in your home with a makeshift ballet barre (a kitchen bench or table should do the job). Top image: Spartacus and Sleeping Beauty Updated August 3, 2020.
Victoria cleaned up at the 2021 Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA), with the state's breweries taking out an impressive 12 trophies at the annual awards ceremony. The beer competition saw a swag of southern labels emerge victorious, competing with a 400-strong line-up of brewers from across the globe. Ballarat-based Dollar Bill Brewing took out the top slot of Champion Australian Beer for its Gold Teeth peach wild ale, with the tipple also named as the AIBA's Best Fruit Beer. Meanwhile, Footscray's Hop Nation snapped up the title of Champion Medium Australian Brewery, as well as claiming awards for Champion Victorian Brewery, Best Pilsner (for its recently released Rattenhund) and Best Amber/Dark Ale. Valhalla Brewing, Two Birds Brewing Co. and Fixation were also among the Victorian breweries to win big on the night. Sydney's 4 Pines was named Champion Large Australian Brewery, with Western Australia's Cheeky Monkey taking out the small brewery division. Other Aussie favourites in the awardee mix included Foghorn, Sunday Road, Six String, the ACT's Bentspoke Brewing Co, Western Australian brewery King Road, and Queensland's Burleigh Brewing Company. Of the more than 2500 beer entries, plenty came from overseas, with South Korea's Goose Island Brewhouse, China's Nbeer Craft Brewing Co and Taiwanese label Zhang Men among the international names that scooped awards. Across the ditch, Auckland's Deep Creek Brewing Company was named Champion International Beer for its Sauvage farmhouse ale, also collecting the title of Champion Large International Brewery. Each year, the AIBA recognises excellence in brewing, beer packaging design and beer media. This year's victors were picked earlier this month by a team of 67 expert judges, including Ben Kraus (Bridge Road Brewers), Jayne Lewis (Two Birds), Justin Fox (Hawke's Brewing Co), Tina Panoutsos (Carlton & United Breweries) and Warren Pawsey (Little Creatures). For the full lineup of this year's AIBA awardees, jump over to the website.
If there was still some question over who leads the current revival of superhero movies, you can stop your pop-culture equivocating now. It's Iron Man. It's always been Iron Man. With the release of Iron Man 3, probably the best film of the trilogy, all the other Avengers can fall into line and that over-earnest heavy breather should sulk in his cave/villa in Provence. The Iron Mans have always innately had the superhero secret formula, combining the wry delivery of Robert Downey Jr, plots that aren't totally dumb, eye-popping action, a contemporary sense of cool detachment and the observance of canonical Marvel comics tradition. Then there's the fact that Tony Stark, Iron Man's alter ego, is a wealthy tech geek, not a jock (a seemingly prescient move on behalf of legendary comics creator Stan Lee back in 1963). Iron Man 3 has all this — but it is even funnier and more balls-out thrillingly action-packed than its predecessors. New writer/director Shane Black (who worked with Downey Jr in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) keeps the film tonally in the same ballpark as forerunner Jon Favreau, but perhaps his take on Tony is even more endearingly unpredictable. Iron Man 3 isn't quite the famous 'Demon in a Bottle' alcoholism storyline, but one of Tony's nemeses in this instalment is definitely himself. He's shaken after travelling through a wormhole in an apocalyptic battle (it's worth being up to speed on the Marvel franchise before this trip to the cinema), he's feeling redundant now the government has their own 'Iron Patriot' (Don Cheadle), he's anxious, he's obsessive, and he's vulnerable. Into this mess step villains who are both corporeal and terrifying: a terrorist leader with digital prowess known as the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) and a spurned scientist, Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), who commands an army of what are essentially fire monsters. In the hypothetical extended game of rock-paper-scissors, fire usually beats iron. Iron Man 3 is not without its ridiculousness. A big theme is the abilities of superheros when stripped of their suits — and here it seems those abilities are still pretty super. Tony and James 'Iron Patriot' Rhodes both display outrageous brawn (as well as their usual level of brains, of course) in just their jeans and hoodies. And while the final battle is epic and enthralling, it does have a whiff of the ol' 'why didn't they just do this from the beginning?' to it. These are quibbles — a half-star's deduction, maximum. And that half-star is won back by the brilliant path down which Iron Man 3 takes its villains. This is a slick, inspired fantasy-adventure that almost anyone can enjoy. May Marvel Studios sign Downey Jr and co for many sequels to come. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ke1Y3P9D0Bc
Be nice to each other. It's a simple, sensible message that we're all guilty of forgetting sometimes, but every now and then a film pops up to remind us. Wonder is the latest, based on the book of the same name. The movie spends its running time with 10-year-old Auggie (Jacob Tremblay), his family and his friends. Born with a facial deformity and still sporting considerable scars after corrective surgery, the home-schooled Star Wars and Minecraft fan just wants to be an average boy. Understandably, he isn't too keen on finally attending classes with other kids — and facing their stares, questions and inevitable teasing. As The Elephant Man and Mask did before it, Wonder steps through the encounters that follow as Auggie interacts with the world. From bullying to peer pressure to hearing his only friend talk about him behind his back, it's the usual list of struggles. Auggie's mother Isabel (Julia Roberts) and father Nate (Owen Wilson) worry but offer encouragement, while his teenage sister Via (Izabela Vidovic) tries to lend a helping hand. Among Auggie's classmates, some taunt, such as popular kid Julian (Bryce Gheisar). Others are cautiously friendly, like scholarship student Jack (Noah Jupe). It's Wonder's willingness to look beyond Auggie that endeavours to set it apart — and helps it avoid becoming a run-of-the-mill disease-focused weepie (though that fate never feels particularly far away). In chapters narrated by other characters, we learn that everyone has insecurities, fears and woes, as the film drives home the idea that we all deserve love and affection. Wading through troubles at home, navigating first relationships, being forced to give up on your dreams, and coping with death are just some of the situations covered. As such, faulting the movie's intentions is impossible. As it tells Auggie's tale and others, the film shines a spotlight on society's troubling willingness to judge rather than help — a topic particularly relevant in today's political climate. A word of warning, however: if you're not too fond of having your emotions plucked like a harp, then you might say this family-friendly effort has too much obvious sentiment. The movie's thesis of kindness over cruelty is not only thoughtful and important, but as warm as its imagery. Still, at times it can feel as though the script is working through a checklist of every sappy cliche imaginable. In the film that results, there's rarely a moment that doesn't tell viewers how to feel. That's hardly surprising given that director Stephen Chbosky previously helmed The Perks of Being a Wallflower — a movie that telegraphed its emotional intent in much the same way as Wonder, albeit with teenage outcasts instead of a lonely boy. Here, with Room's Tremblay doing such an impressive job of balancing Auggie's bravery and vulnerability, the overt button-pushing is even more unnecessary. Wonder might tell its audience to trust, care and be kind to each other, but it'd help if it trusted them to embrace it's own core messages without quite so much poking and prodding. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GHGHhucqJQ
It swept cities across the nation into a sugar-dusted frenzy when its pop-up 'dessert museum' travelled the country, now, the team behind the nostalgic Sugar Republic and festive Christmasland is taking its sweet-toothed fantasies to a whole new level, opening Australia's first-ever sweets-inspired accommodation. Opening its doors in Daylesford, Victoria — 90 minutes northwest of Melbourne — Sweet Retreat is a true candy-coated affair, complete with sugar-themed suites you can stay in, play in and take some rather dashing snaps in. Located in an old miner's cottage, the retreat has Milk Bar-inspired art by Callum Preston, a giant Paddle Pop in the living room, oversized Tim Tams in the bedroom, a pink ball pit, a disco ensuite and neon artworks throughout the house. Oh, and it has scratch 'n' sniff cherry wallpaper, too, plus an appliance-filled kitchen for whipping up any sweet treats of your own and some actual lollies to eat. In short, it's exactly what you'd expect from any of Sugar Republic's previous pop-ups, but you can sleep, cook and play games in it. And you can bring along your mates, too, with the retreat housing up to eight people across four themed bedrooms. You can cosy up in the Sweet Love suite filled with Mills & Boon books, the Tea & Biscuits room with teapot lights and biscuit walls, or the rainbow or peaches bedrooms. All rooms have access to the balcony, deck and pergola. There are retro boardgames and Sonos speakers to keep you entertained when you're not sniffing the wallpaper or swimming in the ball pit and, outside of the house, there's a sprawling garden with roses and fruit trees. Of course, there's plenty you can do in the surrounding area, too. You can check out some of Daylesford's more unexpected activities — including llama rides and visits to a treehouse spa — take a look over here. Sweet Retreat by Sugar Republic is now open for bookings, starting from $450 a night. 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.
There are a lot of gadgets, bits and bobs you can purchase to pretty-up your bicycle. From detachable bike speakers to personalised frames and toilet seats, there are a plethora of things you can attach to your bike to give it character. But the Feats Per Minute prototype bike, created by a team of Dutch designers, is in a league of its own. Unveiled at the Dezeen Space Platform exhibition in London, this bike's designers have reconstructed an old German Alpina Bike they bought for $80 to create a cycling/music machine that plays vinyl records as you ride at a consistent speed. According to its creators, the biggest challenge in creating the vinyl-playing bike was to "make sure that the needles would stick to the record and follow the grooves, without skipping too much." No kidding. It's still a work in progress and only at prototype stage, but as their video report of the Dezeen Space Platform exhibition suggests, once perfected, it is sure to make many people's filmic fantasies come true. https://youtube.com/watch?v=TCxyIKYJ-xo
Start hunting around for your dusty gumboots and stash your tinnies, the Meredith Music Festival ballot is officially open. The 24th annual Meredith Music Festival will be held from December 12-14 and as per usual, Aunty let slip the act she’s most excited about this year: War On Drugs. The Philadelphian foursome released their third studio album, Lost In The Dream in March this year to great critical acclaim — a whopping 8.8 from the Pitchfork crew is pretty solid by anyone's ranty standards. The Secretly Canadian-signed Pennsylvanians have snagged the prime time slot of Friday night; perfectly dreamy to suit your one-two step festival needs. The ballot is open from now until 9:47pm Monday, August 11. As always, there'll be two rounds of the ballot so if you’re even remotely interested in having a cracking weekend make sure you sign up. The physical size of the festival will remain the same as last year, but the team are making things a little roomier — with 500 less capacity than previous years. Tickets are $318.80 + $10 booking fee, which covers three days and two nights of music in the Supernatural Amphitheatre. Enter the Meredith ballot over here and keep those fingers and toes crossed.
Big changes are afoot for the Queen Victoria Market precinct, with the area getting an extensive (and expensive) spruce. In the latest news on the renewal, the green light has been given to a planning permit for a multi-million dollar mixed-used development that was lodged last year. Acting Lord Mayor Arron Wood revealed the final plans for the Munro site — which is the building that, up until last year, housed The Mercat — will feature a huge $70 million of community facilities, to keep up with the area's predicted growth of over 22,000 by 2040. "The City of Melbourne purchased this site from the Munro family for $76 million in 2014 to inoculate against inappropriate development and prevent a supermarket or large chain stores or franchises being built on the site, in direct competition to fresh food offerings of the Queen Vic," the Acting Lord Mayor said. The council has contracted PDG Corporation to develop the site under the provision that it will incorporate "vital community infrastructure" alongside commercial property. This means that the Munro site will include a 120-place childcare facility, 56 affordable housing units, a services centre, a gallery, new laneways, a community centre and kitchen and beefed-up customer parking. Perhaps most controversial part of the plan has been the addition of a new high-rise tower that will sit at the eastern end of the development towards La Trobe Street. PDG initially wanted this structure to be 60 storeys, but the council last year imposed a height limit of 125 metres, which would cut it down to around 40 storeys. This will most likely house residential apartments, a hotel and retail spaces. The development's approval comes after Melbourne City Council's original plans for the precinct were challenged by Heritage Victoria this March. As reported by The Age, that proposal suggested temporarily removing four of the market's historic sheds to make way for underground parking and trades service areas, though the heritage authority voiced concerns over whether the buildings could be returned in their original condition. The approved Munro build will instead see underground car parking incorporated elsewhere on the site, with the existing asphalt car park transformed into 1.5 hectares of public open space. It's pegged to be a world-class sustainable development, in keeping with other innovative City of Melbourne projects like the Library at the Dock and the Council House 2 developments. Development of the site is set to start this year.
If nothing says Christmas to you like catching a festive film under the stars, ideally while kicking back on bean beds and eating a picnic, then Moonlight Cinema's November and December 2022 program has you firmly in its sights. The beloved Australian outdoor movie-viewing setup is back for another summer, and it's kicking off with a heap of recent big-name flicks — plus a couple of weeks of the merriest pictures that it can find. Fresh from revealing its dates for the summer 2022–23, Moonlight Cinema has now locked in its first titles, with the openair picture palace heading to Sydney's Centennial Park, Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens, Brisbane's Roma Street Parkland, Adelaide's Botanic Park, and Perth's Kings Park and Botanic Garden in a matter of mere weeks. The lineup varies per city as usual, but most spots get the same movies eventually. And yes, everywhere is getting festive. Firstly, the non-Christmas lineup — which starts with Baz Luhrmann's Elvis in Brisbane on Thursday, November 24, 50s-coveting thriller Don't Worry Darling in Sydney on the same date, page-to-screen adaptation Where the Crawdads Sing in Perth on Friday, November 25, and Billy Eichner's gay rom-com Bros in Adelaide and Melbourne on Thursday, December 1. Also on the bill across all five locations: Top Gun: Maverick, Smile and Ticket to Paradise, while the likes of Bullet Train, Thor: Love and Thunder, Minions: The Rise of Gru and Black Adam screening in some cities. Everywhere is hosting a throwback session of Grease – because retro flicks are always a big part of this program — and then the festive fun begins. Yes, Elf, Home Alone, The Holiday and How the Grinch Stole Christmas are on the lineup. So is Die Hard twice and Love Actually a whopping three times. To wrap up December, there's also a preview session of Steven Spielberg's new release The Fabelmans, culinary thrills with The Menu and a preview of Australian drama Blueback — plus the family-friendly Lyle, Lyle Crocodile and Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody. The rest of the Moonlight lineup will drop month by month. Nosh-wise, Moonlight Cinema will again let you BYO movie snacks and drinks (no alcohol in Brisbane, though), but the unorganised can also enjoy a plethora of bites to eat from food trucks — perfect, messy treats made for reclining on bean beds. There'll be a VIP section for an extra-luxe openair movie experience, a beauty cart handing out samples, and dogs are welcome at all sites except Perth — and there's even special doggo bean beds, and a snack menu for pooches. MOONLIGHT CINEMA 2022–23 DATES Brisbane: Thursday, November 24–Sunday, February 19 in Roma Street Parkland Sydney: Thursday, November 24–Sunday, March 26 in Centennial Park Perth: Friday, November 25–Sunday, March 26 in Kings Park and Botanic Garden Adelaide: Thursday, December 1–Sunday, February 19 in Botanic Park Melbourne: Thursday, December 1–Sunday, March 26 in Royal Botanic Gardens Moonlight Cinema kicks off in November 2022, running through until March 2023. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the cinema's website — and we'll update you with further program details when they're announced.
Back in early September, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews flagged how the metropolitan Melbourne area will gradually ease out of its stage four COVID-19 lockdowns, announcing a five-step plan to bring the region to a stage called 'COVID normal'. But like most things this year, that roadmap has been forced to adjust several times since — including lifting the curfew earlier than expected, advising that other restrictions might relax earlier than planned, then noting that future steps might actually be smaller than hoped. Now, on Sunday, October 18, just what'll change over the coming weeks has been announced. In his latest daily press conference, Premier Andrews outlined two stages of new steps — one coming into effect at 11.59pm tonight, and the second kicking off at the same time on Sunday, November 1. Both feature good news for metro Melbourne residents and, if case numbers continue to remain low, it's even possible that the eased restrictions earmarked to start in a fortnight could be moved forward. In the first step, effective from this evening, the five-kilometre rule will be scrapped and replaced with a 25-kilometre rule. That means that you can exercise and shop in a much bigger area. Also, the two-hour cap on exercising will be lifted — and the same time limit on socialising, too. While you're spending all that time outside, you'll be able to head to tennis courts, golf courses and skateparks, which are now allowed to reopen. Outdoor pools can have 30 swimmers, while indoor pools can reopen for one-on-one hydrotherapy. And, if you're just eager to hang out with your nearest and dearest out of the house, groups of up to ten people from two households will permitted be able to gather in outdoor public places. That applies not only to exercise, but to picnics. https://twitter.com/DanielAndrewsMP/status/1317619488779481089 In terms of businesses, hairdressers can reopen in the first step, but retail, other personal and beauty services, and hospitality will have to wait two weeks. Relaunching shops, restaurants, cafes and pubs comes as part of the next stage, from the evening of Sunday, November 1. From that date, hospitality venues will be allowed to operate with 20 people seated inside and 50 outside, with ten-person group maximums indoors. Outdoor seated entertainment will also be able to recommence, with limits of either 50 people or 25 percent of the space's seated capacity. And drive-ins can reopen, but indoor theatres, cinemas, galleries, museums and other entertainment venues will remain closed. The second step will also completely scrap the four reasons for leaving home, and scrap the 25-kilometre rule too — so you'll be able to head out wherever you feel like for whatever you feel like. Ten people from any number of households can meet outdoors, and two people and their dependents can visit another house once a day. The latter won't form part of a bubble or need to be exclusive, so you won't be limited to just visiting the same one house day after day. Across all of the above steps, fitted face masks are still required. Also, if you can work from home, you must keep working from home. The new plan for easing restrictions comes as Victoria's COVID-19 case numbers have remained under ten since October 14, including just two cases on Friday, one yesterday and two today. Announcing the latest steps forward, Premier Andrews noted that he knows "these changes can't be absolutely everything everyone wants. But they are the steps we can safely take that will make life a little bit easier". He explained that "if we could do more today safely, of course we would. No rules, no restrictions will be on longer than they need to be". And, with the AFL Grand Final being played next weekend — in Brisbane, but with Melburnians still receiving a public holiday the day prior — he stressed the need for everyone to stick to the outlined plans. "No barbecue with friends on that day or any day is worth giving everything we have built back and making sure that it counts for nothing," he advised. For more information about the status of COVID-19 and the current restrictions, head over to the Department of Health and Human Services website. For further details about Victoria's steps for reopening, head to the roadmap itself — or to Premier Andrews' latest statement, which links through to a table of the new changes. Top image: Visit Victoria.
In this day and age where Apple reigns supreme, there are a few major companies testing the water against the Cupertino company's monopoly over hand held devices. With the release of Amazon's Kindle Fire though, there may just be another serious player in the growing tablet market. The manner in which Jeff Bezos (CEO of Amazon) introduced Kindle Fire to the world led many to draw comparisons between him and Steve Jobs. At a flashy presentation in New York, he appeared composed and ready to take on the challenges that the hand-held tablet market could throw at him. As Amazon's CEO from day one, he's been through it all, transforming Amazon from a digital retail bookstore into a multi-faceted enterprise focusing on online sales as its priority revenue stream. This isn't just a bratty little upstart crashing Apple's party. Due to Apple's domination in this arena many believe that the Kindle Fire won't even come close. But with its relatively low price (retailing from US$199) garnering attention, the Kindle Fire is looking like quite a viable alternative. It does make some sacrifices though, possessing neither a camera nor microphone, but this makes the tablet look more streamlined and all those bells and whistles feel almost childish in comparison. Running on the Android operating system, it has the added benefits of being able to access the multitude of apps available on that market, allowing for greater flexibility and choice versus the Apple app store. https://youtube.com/watch?v=jUtmOApIslE
A luxurious, all-expenses-paid staycation awaits you in the penthouse suite at the top level of one Kokoda Property's homes. Kokoda has recently opened a new development in Newstead, two-kilometres from Brisbane's CBD, so it's giving you the chance to spend five nights in the building's penthouse to really live it up around the river city. Valued at over $8000, the prize also includes return flights to and from Brisbane for you and your guest, a private chef for your meals and a whopping $5000 spending money to ensure you can splurge on pretty much anything your heart desires during your stay in Brisbane. To top the whole thing off, you'll also score a $1000 furniture gift card to deck out your home with some new pieces of furniture that will remind you of your luxe trip to Brisbane. The competition comes just in time for a post-summer getaway for anyone who had their plans ruined due to the pandemic or La Nina. If you're looking for inspiration for where to head in the city, you can check out our neighbourhood guide to Brisbane. In order to enter, head to the Kokoda Property website and follow the property group on Instagram where you can stay up to date with all of Kokoda's giveaways. The comp closes on Monday, April 4. 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.
They say sex sells, but according to Sony Pictures, death is where the real money's at. Sony has just forked out a hefty sum rumoured in the multimillions for the feature rights to the unpublished biography, Steve Jobs. The release date of the biography, penned by Time Magazine editor Walter Isaacson, has been bumped forward following Job's death, and is now set to hit stands on October 24. The biography's flirtation with Amazon's bestseller list before Isaacson had even finished writing offers an unwarranted indication of the hype that is guaranteed to surround the film adaptation. Steve Job's story is about as inspirational as it gets; the quest of one man with a dream, who transformed his garage start-up into a billion dollar company that revolutionised modern life, all the while battling his own personal demons. And as if the story wasn't sufficiently romantic, then comes Job's tragic untimely death. Sony's expenditure in acquiring the rights will easily be accounted for in the money it saves on marketing. With the hugely successful The Social Network under its belt, another business book-turned-feature by Sony Pictures, Steve Job's story is in good hands. Isaacson wrote the bestselling biographies of Albert Einstein, Henry Kissinger and Benjamin Franklin, and was given complete access to Jobs. Mark Gordon, the man behind Saving Private Ryan and Source Code, will produce the film version for Sony. Let's just hope they stick with the book's revised title; the original 'iSteve' sounds more like a cheesy comedy than an epic tale of a modern day visionary. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Hd_ptbiPoXM
If you've been looking for an excuse to hit the slopes this winter, the annual Transfer Banked Slalom is returning to Thredbo on Friday, August 12. Now in its eighth year, the event invites snowboarders of all ages and skill levels to compete in the race located at Thredbo's Playground Area below the chairlift. Entrants can compete in a range of categories from 12 years and under through to the open men's and women's races. Or, if you're not quite confident enough to compete yourself, you can head along on the day to watch from the YETI chill zone. There will be drinks and plenty of talent displayed on the day with some big names competing in the open categories including Olympians Tess Coady, Scotty James, Valentino Guseli, Jarryd Hughes and Josie Baff. As with all good days at Thredbo, there will also be an afterparty at the Merritts Mountain House Deck. All competitors are invited to celebrate after their ride down the mountain with Adelaide brewery Pirate Life adding to the festivities with beers and live music. Passes to compete in the event are $89 and must be accompanied by a lift pass which competitors can get a discount on.
This week, enter the charming little dream world of Lucy Folk and make her covetable candy-hued cocktail clutches and wearable works of art yours. And all for a fraction of the price, because the Melbourne-based jewellery designer is hosting a sample sale on Thursday, April 6 and Friday, April 7. Huzzah! Older styles, past collections and samples will be available at up to 75 percent off retail price. So does this mean we'll find those peppercorn earrings and caviar rings from the 2014 food-inspired Appeteaser collection? We sure hope so. Plus, even though it's a sample sale, there's no need to worry about being sample sized, because we're talking eyewear, clutches and jewellery. Double huzzah. As we move into cooler autumnal weather and shorter days, future you will thank Lucy Folk (and your shopping habits) for adding a burst of cheer to your every day outfits. The Lucy Folk Sample Sale will run from 8am–7pm both days.
It's been a month since Melbourne's mask rules last changed, with compulsory face coverings brought back into effect in mid-July in tandem with the city's fifth lockdown. Now, in mid-August, Melbourne is currently almost two weeks into its sixth lockdown — and mask requirements didn't change during the nine days between stay-at-home stints. But, come 11.59pm tonight, Monday, August 16, the rules around donning face coverings will tighten even further. At Victoria's daily COVID-19 press conference today, Premier Daniel Andrews announced that Melburnians will no longer be allowed to remove their face masks if they're out of the house and drinking alcoholic beverages in public. The move comes in response to reports over the weekend of people flouting lockdown restrictions with venue crawls and big outdoor gatherings. So, Melburnians obviously need to keep wearing their fitted face coverings whenever they're not at home, including both indoors and outside. In fact, the only place where you don't need to pop on a mask is inside your own house, which means that you always need to carry one with you. That said, you were previously allowed to take off your face covering to eat and drink while you're out — but if you're sipping something boozy, that exemption no longer applies. On the advice of the Chief Health Officer, we will introduce additional measures to stop the spread of coronavirus in Victoria. pic.twitter.com/iCo6gzKFEs — Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) August 16, 2021 A number of other lockdown rules are changing, too, with stay-at-home conditions extended until at least 11.59pm on Thursday, September 2, a curfew put in place between 9pm–5am and authorised worker permits being reintroduced. Yes, many of these requirements applied in Melbourne's lengthy second lockdown in 2020 as well, so they'll sound familiar. Also changing: the closure of playgrounds, basketball hoops, skate parks and outdoor exercise equipment. So, if they've been a part of your out-of-the-house workout routine, they won't be anymore. And, you can now only exercise with one other person, plus any dependents you both have, even if you live in a larger household. The two-hour exercise time limit remains the same, though. If you're still wondering where to grab a fitted mask, we've put together a rundown of local companies making and selling them. For more information about the status of COVID-19 and the current restrictions, head over to the Department of Health and Human Services website.
Flying interstate can be frustrating at the best of times — especially during peak periods — but there could be major cancellations and delays ahead as some Jetstar employees prepare for a strike. Both the Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) and the Transport Workers' Union (TWU) have voted to proceed with industrial action — with 94 percent of members of the latter in favour of the strike — in response to ongoing failed negotiations with the airline. If you've got flights booked over Christmas, you may face a delay or two. If it goes ahead, the strike could see pilots, as well as 250 Jetstar baggage handlers and ground crew, taking industrial action. There's no word yet on what exactly this action would be or when this would happen, though the TWU has said that it'd likely take place over "the coming weeks and months" — i.e., the busy festive season. It's likely to cause delays to multiple air services across Sydney, Melbourne, Avalon, Brisbane, Cairns and Adelaide airports. https://twitter.com/TWUAus/status/1202747636492582913 The TWU is at loggerheads with Jetstar after failed negotiations with the airline that sought to secure a number of demands for employees – like more rest breaks, annual wage increases of four percent and a guaranteed 30 hours of work a week. TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine said that "disappointingly, Jetstar have rejected the vast majority of the workers' demands outright". Jetstar, however, says the impact of the TWU action is likely to be "minimal" as it would involve "less than half" of its regular ground staff. In a statement released today, Jetstar's Group CEO Gareth Evans said that the company has offered a three percent annual wage increase to the union. Perhaps more disruptive will be the AFAP strike, which could leave planes without anyone to actually fly them. Evans has said that Jetstar will "do everything [it] can" to minimise disruptions to passengers — but noting that "customers may face delays and cancelled flights if the union choose to take industrial action". Of course, this news doesn't mean that the strikes will necessarily happen — if the unions are able to reach an agreement with Jetstar in the meantime, it could be called off. No dates have been set yet, be'll let you know as soon as there is.
Writer, actor and queer activist Annaliese Constable stars in a one-woman comedy show about that most touchy of topics: parenthood. It's a subject she feels fairly strongly about, having grown up with a mother who once tried to take a swig from a breathalyser. Laughter is often the best way to deal with things that make us uncomfortable, and her Next Wave 2016 show Mummy Dearest promises plenty of both. Several sessions have already sold out, so make sure you get in quick.
The True Australian Patriots are fed up with all you lefties, and are here to tell it like it is. Inspired by the unintentional comedy of real life organisations like Reclaim Australia and the United Patriots Front, Anne Edmonds, Greg Larson and Damien Power have created a spot-on send-up of bigotry in modern day Australia. If you've seen any of their videos, you'll have a rough idea of what to expect. Take part in an evening of re-education at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, where you'll learn the truth about all the important issues facing our country today. Did you know that vegemite is halal? Open your eyes sheeple!
There's never been a better time to head out on a road trip and explore everything Australia has to offer. Lockdowns are ending, borders are reopening, live music is taking over regional NSW, and country towns need visitors more than ever after a year void of tourism and the fallout from the devastating 2019/20 bushfires. If you are heading out on the road you may want to bring your pet, after all, what good is a holiday if your four-legged best friend can't come with you. It's also completely fair to have some nervousness about travelling with your pets. Nobody wants to deal with a car-sick pup, or get to their lavish coastal accommodation to find it's not pet-friendly. We talked to veterinarian and Snooza Pet Products ambassador Dr Katrina Warren to ask all the questions you may have before you're joined by your favourite furry buddy on a week away to a pet-friendly stay. To help, we've also rounded up some of our favourite dog-friendly hotels around Australia. What's the best way to find pet-friendly accommodation? "These days, most booking websites have an option to search for pet-friendly accommodation, but just because a property says it accepts pets doesn't mean that it's well set up for pets. It is important to check individual house rules, such as whether the property is fenced and if pets are allowed inside." How often do dogs get car sick and what should I do if my dog does get car sick? "It is quite common for puppies and young dogs to get car sick, but they usually grow out of this. This is because the ear structures that are used for balance are not fully developed yet. Make sure you don't feed them before you start driving and stop frequently for breaks. Like us humans, it can help to have a window open to circulate fresh air and keep the car cool. Some adult dogs can still get car sick, which is when it's best to consult your vet about an effective plan, as there are some medications that can help." How often should we stop for water and toilet breaks for my pet? "I recommend stopping every couple of hours. Always make sure you have your dog on a leash when you bring them out of the car as dogs can panic in new environments and may run. Pack a portable dog bowl and clean water so you always have easy access to cool water." Is there a way I can test if my pet is well suited to travelling before we leave? "Most people have an idea of their pet's personality. A pet that does not enjoy car travel or gets anxious when they go to a new environment would probably be happier to stay home with someone caring for them. Crate training your puppy or adult dog can be extremely helpful, ensuring they are more comfortable when confined to their crate no matter where they are." Are pets likely to be stressed about sleeping in a new environment? How can I help comfort them if they are? "It really depends on the individual pet, but some pets may be anxious when away from their home base. I recommend packing your pet's own bedding so they have something familiar to sleep on. Some beds are easier to travel with than others — I love the Snooza Futon because it's warm in winter and cool in summer. The cover is removable and easy to wash and it doesn't take up a lot of space in the car. Anxious dogs may enjoy snuggling into the Snooza Calming Cuddler Bed." Should I get any specific vaccinations or tick/flea treatments before we leave? "You should make sure your pet's vaccination, worming and flea treatments are all up to date before you travel. If you are travelling to coastal areas of Victoria, NSW or Queensland you should also use a paralysis tick preventative. If you're unsure if there are paralysis ticks in the area you are visiting, I suggest calling ahead to the local vet in the area to ask." Any tips on how to keep pets happy and calm in the car? "While it may be tempting to cuddle your dog on your lap during a car trip, dogs should be restrained when travelling in the car. Keeping them secured behind a grill, in a crate, wearing a harness or dog seat belt are great ways to keep your pets safe, all of which are easiest to teach from when they are a puppy. Using a crate for small dogs and puppies helps keep them safe and comfortable. The Snooza Road Tripper is a handy way to keep your pets secured if they're travelling in the backseat, looking after your dog and your car interior in case they get dirty during walks throughout your trip."
Ironically enough, this year's been another gnarly ride for Urbnsurf Melbourne. Australia's first surf park made its grand debut in January, 2020, but has endured a ping pong match of closures and reopenings ever since, thanks to the pandemic. Now, Urbnsurf is gearing up for what's hopefully its final return, announcing it'll fire up the waves once more starting from 7am this Saturday, October 23. While the park won't be open in all its glory just yet, it's kicking things off by taking up to 25 surfers per hour, across its two-hectare surfing lagoon. For now, a total of 50 guests are allowed onsite at any one time. Private sessions, surf lessons and spectator passes are on hold until restrictions ease further in early November, as is the anticipated reopening of the Three Blue Ducks restaurant. Facilities including the day beds, cabanas and skate pad will also come later, expected once Victoria hits its 80 percent double-dose vaccination target. Of course, there'll be a few new rules to follow from here on, in keeping with the Victorian Government's COVID-safe guidelines. Expect caps on numbers for lessons and surf sessions, mask rules as per current requirements, and proof of vaccination required for all guests over the age of 16. [caption id="attachment_756496" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Courtesy Urbnsurf and Ed Sloane[/caption] When you do hit the surf, you'll find a handful of brand-new wave settings to put you through your paces and test that post-lockdown fitness, including a point break-style set-up dubbed Cruiser Turns. There'll be lots more events and surfing options to follow, as metropolitan Melbourne's restrictions continue to ease. Find Urbnsurf from Saturday, October 23, near Melbourne Airport. It's usually open from 6am–10pm daily in spring and summer, with slightly varied hours during the first few weeks back. You can book in for surf sessions and surf lessons via the park's website. Images: Courtesy Urbnsurf, Ed Sloane and Adam Gibson.
Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland) directs How I Live Now, a film adapted from Meg Rosoff's 2004 novel of the same name by a team of writers including talented British playwright Penelope Skinner. Startlingly mature Irish actress Saoirse Ronan (Atonement, The Way Back) stars as Daisy, a strong-willed New York teenager sent to stay with English relatives one summer. Just as she's settling in and falling in love with her cousin Edmond (George MacKay), a nuclear bomb is detonated in London by an anarchist group and all hell breaks loose. The boys are conscripted into the army; the girls are taken to an evacuation camp, which is soon attacked by "the enemy". Forced to flee, Daisy faces an arduous journey to survive, get home and be reunited with Edmond. Featuring a largely young cast of up-and-comers, How I Live Now sounds a little bit like John Marsden's Tomorrow, When the War Began series, albeit set in England and with a much bigger budget. If you like your films on the adventurous side with a splash of romance and an impressively resilient heroine, then this could be right up your alley. How I Live Now is in cinemas on November 28, and thanks to Madman Films, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
Residents of 88 Melbourne suburbs are being told to hold off on drinking their tap water today (unless it's boiled), after last night's storms caused electrical damage impacting some of the city's water supply. Yarra Valley Water, which is Melbourne's largest retail water utility, sounded the alert via Twitter this morning. "Some water may have entered our drinking water supply network that had not been treated to the usual standard," the company has warned. Power has since returned and it's addressed the initial issue, though some areas are still being supplied with water that's not been properly treated. https://twitter.com/YVWater/status/1299136129200017408 Until it resolves the problem, Yarra Valley Water is advising residents of the impacted suburbs to take precautions and bring any tap water to a rolling boil before using it to drink, brush teeth, make ice, or prepare food or baby formula. The company Tweeted that the risk of illness from drinking the water is low, but that people should see their doctor if they experience any gastro-type symptoms. It's expecting things to be fixed by this afternoon and says it will send out confirmation when the suburbs' tap water supply is back to normal quality. To make matters worse, Yarra Valley Water's website has been having some issues of its own today and has been down for part of the morning. But if you want to know which suburbs have been affected, here they are: Attwood Bayswater Bayswater North Blackburn Blackburn North Blackburn South Boronia Box Hill North Broadmeadows Bulleen Bundoora Burwood Burwood East Campbellfield Chirnside Park Coburg North Coldstream Coolaroo Craigieburn Croydon Croydon Hills Croydon North Croydon South Dallas Doncaster Doncaster East Donvale Doreen Eltham Epping Fawkner Forest Hill Glen Waverley Greensborough Greensborough Greenvale Heathmont Kalorama Kangaroo Ground Kilsyth Kilsyth South Kingsbury Lalor Lilydale Lower Plenty Meadow Heights Melbourne Airport Mernda Mill Park Mitcham Monbulk Mont Albert North Montmorency Montrose Mooroolbark Mount Dandenong Mount Evelyn Mount Waverley North Warrandyte Nunawading Olinda Park Orchards Plenty Research Reservoir Ringwood Ringwood East Ringwood North Roxburgh Park Silvan Somerton South Morang Templestowe Templestowe Lower The Basin Thomastown Vermont Vermont South Viewbank Wantirna Warrandyte Warrandyte South Warranwood Westmeadows Wollert Wonga Park Yallambie Yarrambat For updates on the water supply issue, keep an eye on Yarra Valley Water's Twitter account.
Ikea have posted an interactive app on YouTube which takes all your personal information from Facebook, should you allow it to, to create a personalised 3D mock-up of your new bedroom kitted out entirely in durable and inexpensive Swedish design. Starting off like an everyday advertisement for Ikea, the video gets taken over by the app which accesses information about your life and tailors it to the smallest details, including photos from your Facebook albums hanging in the picture frames. As a nice touch they build the walls out of your wall posts, before they paint them over in solid colour and a solemn British voice accounces that the products are the definitive ones which will help you go 'happy to bed.' The app is part of Ikea's UK campaign, but it's open to anybody with a Facebook account, and is designed specifically to reflect the person's personality, lifestyle and interests. Now, having recently invested in a new bed, bedside table and bookshelf from Ikea, I was particularly intrigued to find out whether it would all match up with the predictive magic of the internet. But, sadly no. They chucked in the bed I decided against, rather than the one I bought, a narrow desk which doesn't account for the amount of junk I frequently have lying around, and they framed pictures which are nearly all of me pulling my 'I am unhappy about being photographed face.' And they forgot a bookshelf, which comprises a full wall of my room at the moment. But my complaining aside, if you always wanted confirmation that your chest of drawers were perfectly aligned to your personality, you now have an easy way to find out. https://youtube.com/watch?v=hQYe7OMoJNA [Via PSFK]
Mitch Jones, aka Captain Ruin of Caravan of Doom, brings to Melbourne his playful new show, One Night Stand. Having recently escaped incarceration in a Turkish jail, Ruin's stories of tragedy and misfortune provide a stepping stone for the audience into his world of thrill seeking and living life on the edge. Seductively combining song, strip tease, circus, and comedy, the show leads the audience on a journey through Ruins' experiences and adventures from around the world. Amongst this playful performer's textured web of humorous stories, eccentricity and satire, there is a deep and clear message of prevailing against the impossible. Filled with dry social commentary, satirical wit and a healthy dose of physical humour, this exuberant evening will be a mixture of both excitement and reflection. Described as raunchy, raw and a little bit dirty, Ruin's performance sounds like the perfect One Night Stand.
Hitting the indoor mini-golf course for a few holes of pop culture-themed fun and a few rounds of delightfully named beverages isn't just something Brisbanites should enjoy, or Sydney residents either. After launching in Queensland in late 2016, and announcing their first New South Wales venture just last week, Holey Moley Golf Club has revealed plans for its first Melbourne digs. Come April 20, prepare to tee off at 590 Little Bourke Street in the CBD, with 27 holes of club-swinging antics on offer across two levels. It'll be Holey Moley's biggest venue yet, which means that there's plenty of room for creative courses. How will they top Brissie's glow-in-the-dark room, Big Lebowski offering, putting versions of skeeball, pinball, eightball and Twister, and all-round mini-golf insanity? How indeed. Just what themes Melburnians will be tap, tap, tapping their way through is yet to be revealed, although everyone will be able to break out into song at the same time, with karaoke part of the antics. If you choose to work your way through the Happy Gilmore soundtrack, no one will stop you (at least not any of the staff). Drinks-wise, expect cocktails. Brisbane's Caddyshack Bar boasts a pun-laden drinks list that includes the Putty Professor, the Teeyonce Knowles and a Long Island Iced Tee (just what it sounds like, but with an appropriate name). Beer, cider and wine will also be available, but when you're aiming for a hole-in-one, it seems appropriate to be drinking from one (made from Pampero white rum, cinnamon whisky, half a banana, sugar syrup and a doughnut — yep, a doughnut) at the same time. Holey Moley Golf Club will open at 590 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne from April 20. For more info, check out their website and Facebook page.
Like karaoke? Fond of singing along to well-known songs, especially with a drink in your hand? Happy to belt out a tune in a crowd? If you answered yes to all of the above questions, then it's time to up your crooning game during Pub Choir's new Australian tour — aka the boozy sing-along that's all about giving your lungs a workout between sips. Since early 2017 in Brisbane, Pub Choir has been amassing brew-loving music fans in venues around the Queensland city. The regular event asks its attendees to learn a particular song in three-part harmonies, with talented professionals on hand each time to show everyone the ropes and lead the way. Every evening then culminates in a big boozy singing session, with the event making its way to bigger Brissie locations over the years, as well venturing around the country. Now, it's hitting up every Aussie capital across January and February 2022. The vibe: a far more organised version of exactly what happens whenever someone puts 'Wonderwall' or 'Weather With You' on the pub jukebox. And, now that communal singing in public is back after all the various pandemic-related restrictions that've come our way over the past two years, you can expect this tour to feel particularly celebratory, too. Pub Choir was a big hit during lockdowns, and as life started to return to normal as well; you might've taken part in Couch Choir in 2020, or watched the Australia's Biggest Singalong special on SBS earlier in 2021. Run by Astrid Jorgensen and Waveney Yasso, its IRL events are mighty popular, too — unsurprisingly — with tickets getting snapped up very quickly each time. So if you're keen to sing and drink with a theatre full of people, you'll want to book asap. PUB CHOIR CHEAP THERAPY 2022 TOUR: Tuesday, January 11 — The Kambri Precinct, Canberra Wednesday, January 12 — Enmore Theatre, Sydney Monday, January 17 — Astor Theatre, Perth Tuesday, January 18 — Freo Social, Fremantle Wednesday, January 19 — Adelaide Town Hall, Adelaide Thursday, January 20 — Darwin Entertainment Centre, Darwin Tuesday, January 25 — Odeon Theatre, Hobart Thursday, January 27 — The Palais Theatre, Melbourne Tuesday, February 1–Wednesday, February 2 — The Tivoli, Brisbane Pub Choir's Cheap Therapy tour runs from January 11–February 2, 2022. For further details or to book tickets, head to the Pub Choir website. Top image: Jacob Morrison.
Giving music lovers Splendour in the Grass, Falls Festival, Spilt Milk and Harvest Rock is a massive task and achievement, but that's not all that's on Secret Sounds' festival calendar. This summer, the team is also bringing a lineup led by Flume, Foals and The Avalanches to Melbourne for Heaps Good. To get 2023 started in style, Adelaide scored a brand-new music fest in January, with Heaps Good starting as a one-day, one-city event with Arctic Monkeys headlining. It clearly went well, because Secret Sounds announced back in August that the festival will expand its footprint, taking to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl stage on Sunday, December 31, 2023. [caption id="attachment_918622" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Zac Bayly[/caption] Having Flume and The Avalanches on the same bill is quite the homegrown feat, with Britain's Foals joining them. Also playing Melbourne: Griff, Holly Humberstone, MAY-A, Sycco and Logan. Heaps Good's Victorian stop will score a Basement Jaxx DJ set as well, and SBTRKT is also on the lineup. [caption id="attachment_912808" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dylan Minchenberg[/caption] HEAPS GOOD 2023–24 LINEUP: Flume Foals The Avalanches Griff Holly Humberstone MAY-A Sycco Logan Basement Jaxx SBTRKT Top image: Ian Laidlaw.
Lengthy is the list of Australian actors who've started their careers on home soil, then boosted their fame, acclaim and fortunes by heading abroad. Some have won Oscars. Others are global household names. One plays a pigtailed comic book villain in a big film franchise, while another dons a cape and wields a hammer in a competing blockbuster saga. David Gulpilil doesn't earn any of the above descriptions, and he isn't destined to. It wouldn't interest him, anyway. His is the face of Australian cinema, though, and has been for half a century. Since first gracing the silver screen in Nicolas Roeg's Walkabout, the Yolŋu man has gifted his infectious smile and the irrepressible glint in his eye to many of the nation's most important movies. Indeed, to peruse his filmography is to revel in Aussie cinema history. On his resume, 70s classics such as Mad Dog Morgan and The Last Wave sit alongside everything from Crocodile Dundee and Rabbit-Proof Fence to Australia, Goldstone and Cargo — as well as parts in both the first 1976 film adaptation of Storm Boy and its 2019 remake. The latest film to benefit from the Indigenous talent's presence: My Name Is Gulpilil. It might just be the last do to so, however. That sad truth has been baked into the documentary ever since its subject asked director Molly Reynolds and producer Rolf de Heer — two filmmakers that Gulpilil has collaborated with before, including on Another Country, Charlie's Country, Ten Canoes and The Tracker — to make something with him after he was diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer. That was back in 2017, when he was given just six months to live. Gulpilil has been proving that diagnosis wrong ever since. This heartfelt portrait of an Australian icon like no other also benefits from his defiance, particularly in practical terms. Initially starting out as a 30-day shoot, the doco eventually extended over twice that period, with Gulpilil, Reynolds and their movie alike all given the most precious thing there is: more time. The film that results celebrates a star who'll never be matched, and reminds viewers exactly why that's the case — but My Name Is Gulpilil isn't a mere easy, glossy tribute. Anyone could've combined snippets of Gulpilil's movies with talking heads singing his praises. In the future, someone probably will. But Reynolds is interested in truly spending time with Gulpilil, hearing his tale in his own words, and painting as complete a portrait of his life, work, dreams, regrets, spirit, culture and impact as possible. Accordingly, this touching feature steps through Gulpilil's highs and lows as relayed by the man himself. It spends much of its duration enjoying simply being with dancer, painter and actor, in fact. It surveys his daily routine in Murray Bridge in South Australia, too, where he now lives with a carer so that he can get western medicine's help. It also follows him to appointments, then watches on as he weathers his treatments. In her thoughtful, contemplative, affectionate and astute approach, Reynolds lets her audience peer deeply and listen intently. Her film favours soaking, basking and ruminating over clapping and cheering, and it was always going to be all the better for it. Marking and commemorating Gulpilil's many achievements is important, and his feats should and will rightly be remembered and saluted — but even the most vivid collection of clips and most enthusiastic rundown of his awards and other successes can only convey part of his story. There's just nothing like just passing the minutes with Gulpilil, especially when he stares directly at the camera, dives into his memories and unleashes one of his many sprawling but powerful tales. There's also nothing like facing him, taking in all that he's done for Aussie cinema and Indigenous representation, and simultaneously confronting the fact that he's unlikely to brighten up our screens again. My Name Is Gulpilil is many things, including a clear-eyed picture of a man trying to navigate terminal cancer and everything that comes with it — and it doesn't shy away from that reality at any turn. Just as moving and pivotal is its commitment to showing Gulpilil's approach to the end that awaits us all. By choosing to live in Murray Bridge to undergo treatment, he chooses to live away from Country, a decision that visibly haunts him. So, he prepares for what he describes as a one-way ticket home by planning. He spins his hair into fibre, and talks through the ceremony that will farewell both his body and spirit. For Reynolds, he poses in a coffin beneath unspooled reels of film. There's playfulness in the latter image, but such a forthright approach to death never comes as a surprise. When My Name Is Gulpilil addresses Gulpilil's time in the long grass, his run-ins with the law and his addictions, mentioning them alongside his trip to Cannes, meeting with the Queen, and interactions with everyone from Muhammad Ali to Bob Marley, the film is similarly frank and unflinching. My Name Is Gulpilil does still feature glimpses of its namesake's movies, of course. Given the wealth of material at hand — spanning plenty of the aforementioned titles, plus plenty more — no ode to Gulpilil would be complete without clips here and there. Just as Reynolds ensures that her audience genuinely takes in his inimitable presence, his culture, his health, and his ups and downs, she finds poetic ways to segue from archival and film footage to present-day scenes and back, putting them all to the most meaningful use. With editor Tania Nehme's (ShoPaapaa) considerable help, this documentary proves an act of cinematic weaving, rather than unfurling. It knows when to watch Gulpilil and an emu walk the same dusty path, when quiet reflection from the man himself is in order, and when snippets of his candour and charm from his 2004 one-man autobiographical stage show are needed instead. It's also well aware that no one will ever get the chance to make this movie again, and that only a film of astounding intimacy, honesty and insight could ever do the face of Australian cinema justice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK1DLvEkvtA&feature=emb_logo
UPDATE, January 18, 2022: MIFF's Hear My Eyes: Two Hands screenings were originally meant to take place in August 2021; however, the festival moved online due to lockdown and these sessions are now being held in January 2022. This article has been updated to reflect that change. Whenever you hear Powderfinger's 'These Days', do you instantly imagine a fresh-faced Heath Ledger and Rose Byrne? If so, congrats — you've seen one of the best Australian films of the 90s, and one of the best Aussie movies in general, too. The song played a significant part in Two Hands, but you mightn't hear it at the Melbourne International Film Festival's big-screen session of the classic flick. It's screening at the fest's regular Hear My Eyes gigs — playing out of season in January 2022 due to 2021's COVID-19 chaos — which pairs must-see features with a reimagined score that's also played live on the night. Doing the honours this time around: The Murlocs. So, you'll be watching them bust out their rhythm and blues sounds as Gregor Jordan's (Dirt Music) exceptional crime film unfurls. They're taking to the stage at The Astor Theatre for four sessions across Saturday, January 29 (at 6pm and 9pm) and Sunday, January 30 (at 3pm and 6pm) and, unsurprisingly, these sessions are set to prove mighty popular ticket-wise. Need a refresher on the movie? Haven't seen it yet, somehow? It follows Jimmy (the one and only Ledger), an ex–street kid and strip-club bouncer who is charged with delivering some cash for his boss (Bryan Brown, Hungry Ghosts). That doesn't turn out as planned, so soon he's on the run — alongside Alex (Byrne, worlds away from her recent role in Physical), the girl of his dreams.
Uber, you sly geniuses. In a bold marketing move, Uber have launched UberKITTENS, a service with actually brings kittens to your office for 15 minutes of cuddles. Launching today around Australia in six locations (Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane included), you'll be able to front up $40 and Uber will drive a rescue kitten to your home or office as part of an Australia-wide fundraiser. GET GOING. NOW. Uber posted on their blog today: "Following the huge success of UberKITTENS in the US, we were inundated with requests from riders and some amazing local shelters to bring it to our shores so we could share the kitten love and spread the word about the importance of finding much needed homes for our furry friends." How can has kitten? 1. Download the Uber app. 2. Request the 'KITTENS' option in the app TODAY between 12pm and 4pm within the Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane CBD and surrounding suburbs. 3. If kittens are available, you will get to enjoy 15 minutes of furry cuteness delivered to your office, your sweetheart, or even your favourite cat lady. 4. Pro Tip: Demand for #UberKITTENS will be off the charts so please be patient in your quest for kitten playtime. All the funds go to the participating shelter and you can even adopt the little guy. Looks like cat lovers have a lot to celebrate after yesterday's announcement for Sydney's very first cat cafe. Via Mumbrella.
If you've ever sat down to play Mario Kart on any of the various devices that the beloved game has popped up on over the years — Google Maps, mobile phones and reality also included — then you've likely learned two things. Firstly, rainbow roads are truly something else. Secondly, you can never have too much Mario in your life. The folks at Universal Studios clearly agree on the second point, as everyone should, and they gave us an IRL Nintendo-themed amusement park in 2022 to prove it. Open for the past year, the globe's first Super Nintendo World is part of Universal Studios in Osaka, and it looks glorious — thanks to life-sized recreations of both Bowser's Castle (complete with spiked fences and heavy iron doors) and Peach's Castle, plus Mario Kart rides as well. [caption id="attachment_804547" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nintendo and Universal Studios[/caption] Super Nintendo World was never going to be an Osaka exclusive, though. The Japanese theme park isn't losing its latest attraction, but more were always planned for Universal Studios in Hollywood, Orlando and Singapore. And, come 2023, you'll definitely be able to live out your IRL Mario Kart dreams in Tinseltown, because that's when and where the next Super Nintendo World is opening. Exactly what Universal Studios Hollywood's version will include hasn't yet been confirmed, and neither has an exact opening date — but if a trip to the US is on your agenda next year, it now has a new stop. In a press release announcing the 2023 launch, Universal Studios advised that the new Super Nintendo World will be "a visual spectacle of vibrant colours and architectural ingenuity located within a newly expanded area of the theme park, featuring a groundbreaking ride and interactive areas, to be enjoyed by the whole family", although that's obviously still quite vague. Unsurprisingly, themed shopping and dining will be a big part of the experience, of course. #SuperNintendoWorld is opening in 2023 at Universal Studios Hollywood! Level up with exclusive merch at the Feature Presentation store, opening soon. pic.twitter.com/4qh0bDACGN — Universal Studios Hollywood (@UniStudios) March 10, 2022 If you'd like to try to glean some clues from Osaka's Super Nintendo World, it lets you enter via a warp pipe — naturally — and there's simply no mistaking its Nintendo-themed space for anywhere else. And, Osaka's Mario Kart fix comes courtesy of Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge, where patrons race through familiar Mario Kart courses that've been brought to life. Yes, as you steer your way along the track, you're surrounded by characters such as Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach. You can also throw shells to take out your opponents, because it wouldn't be Mario Kart without them. If you're wondering how it all works, it's a blend of physical sets, augmented reality, projection mapping and screen projection, all designed to make you feel like you're really in the game. Also a highlight in Osaka: Yoshi's Adventure, which lets you climb on Yoshi's back; the world's first Mario cafe, as kitted out with a red and green colour scheme; and wearable wrist bands, called Power Up Bands, which connect to a special app and allow patrons to interact with the site using their arms, hands and bodies (and enable you to collect coins just like Mario does in the Super Mario games). Fingers crossed that they all make the leap to Hollywood, too. Super Nintendo World will open at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2023. For more information, keep an eye on the theme park's website. Top image: Nintendo and Universal Studios.
