It's harvest time for Adelaide Hills' Vinteloper winery. So, it has packed up its grapes, barrels and presses and brought them to Collingwood's Stomping Group Brewery, where locals are invited to get in on the wine-making action. Across two nights in February, 26 and 27, you'll be able to help the newly picked grapes begin their transformation into the Urban Winery Project's 2019 vintage by joining in on the grape stomping. Jump right in to big tubs of the stuff and get your hands (and feet) dirty — the way European winemakers have been doing it for centuries. Apart from the main stomping event, the day will also include a four-course feast inside Stomping Ground paired with many wines by Vinteloper. While the price tag is a little steep at $145, we reckon the complete package — and chance to be a winemaker for a day — makes it more than worth it. The feasting and stomping sessions kick off at 7pm. To learn more about the Urban Winery Project, head to urbanwineryproject.com.
Murder. Family. Power. Betrayal. Pacino. Brando. De Niro. Duvall. ACMI is making film lovers an offer they can't refuse. Presented in partnership with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Francis Ford Coppola's quintessential crime story will screen exclusively at Fed Square off carefully restored 35mm prints. An epic tale about the rise and fall of New York's Corleone crime family, each of the three films will play twice at the venue during the last two weekends of September. The original movie screens on Saturday evening, chased down by the sequels after lunch the following day. So leave the gun, take the cannoli, and head on down to ACMI for one of the greatest movie triptychs of all time.
Among the many thoughts that Only Murders in the Building has caused viewers to ponder across 2021's season one, 2022's season two and 2023's season three, the misfortune that comes with living in its eponymous spot is right up there. Exactly why is in the show's name, too. Each season, a new murder has taken place in the Arconia, the New York apartment complex that its main sleuthing trio call home. Here's another takeaway from this hit mystery-comedy series so far: famous faces are rarely far from its halls. Only Murders in the Building stars Selena Gomez (The Dead Don't Die), Steve Martin (It's Complicated) and Martin Short (Schmigadoon!) as neighbours and podcasters Mabel Mora, Charles-Haden Savage and Oliver Putnam, and has enlisted a heap of other well-known talents. Sometimes they play themselves, as Sting (The Book of Solutions) and Amy Schumer (IF) have. Sometimes the show gets Meryl Streep (Don't Look Up), Paul Rudd (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire), Tina Fey (Mean Girls) and more into character. In season four, which starts streaming via Disney+ Down Under from Tuesday, August 27, 2024, all of the above notes still prove true. There's another murder to investigate. There's more big-name cast members as well. Some of the latter appear as versions of themselves, while some play fictional parts. Being aware that there has again been a killing in the Arconia doesn't mean knowing what's in store in the show's return, though. Indeed, something different is afoot this time around, taking Only Murders in the Building to Hollywood. But as the just-dropped full trailer for the new season demonstrates, no one is completely saying goodbye to the series' main setting. Also, Los Angeles isn't the only fresh surroundings that beckon for Mabel, Charles and Oliver. The crew's latest investigation and the cinema business both beckon in Tinseltown. A studio wants to turn their podcast — which is also called Only Murders in the Building — into a film. Cue the arrival of Molly Shannon (The Other Two), Eugene Levy (Schitt's Creek), Eva Longoria (Tell It Like a Woman) and Zach Galifianakis (The Beanie Bubble), with season four's new cast members also including Melissa McCarthy (Unfrosted), Kumail Nanjiani (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire) and Richard Kind (Girls5eva). Alongside Short, Gomez and Martin, fellow long-running Only Murders in the Building regulars Michael Cyril Creighton (American Fiction), Da'Vine Joy Randolph (a newly minted Oscar-winner for The Holdovers) and Jane Lynch (Velma) are also back. Check out the full trailer for Only Murders in the Building season four below: Only Murders in the Building streams Down Under via Star on Disney+, and will return for season four on Tuesday, August 27, 2024. Read our reviews of season one, season two and season three.
The NGV International’s latest exhibition will leave you with square eyes, as it explores a diverse range of artists work focused on television, sets and screens, visual broadcasting and the transmission of information. Transmission: Legacies of the Television Age will feature both Australian and international artists, with works dating back to the 1950s — when television was becoming popularised — and contemporary work from some of today's most prominent artists. Video works by artists Nam June Paik, Ant Farm and Dara Birnbaum feature as part of Transmission, alongside print and photography by Anish Kapoor and Susan Fereday. Contemporary works by Elvis Richardson and Simon Denny will also be on display, and the large-scale, immersive installation Available sync 2011 by Lizzie Fitch and Ryan Trecartin is sure to be a highlight. Transmission explores our move from being a passive to an active audience, looking back through history as well as offering suggestions as to what is to come in the digital age. The possibilities of which, as surely endless. Image: Lizzie Fitch and Ryan Trecartin, Available sync (2011) NGV.
Congratulations. Not only have you made it through an entire year, and an entire month of Christmas carols, but you've also reached a neat yearly milestone. Today is the longest day of the year — and not just because you're staring out the window before your office goes on holidays tomorrow. Today — that is Wednesday, December 21 — is the 2017 summer solstice. What does that mean? Well, it means that today has the most daylight hours of any other day this year. That's because the earth's axis at this point in time puts the sun is at the highest point in the southern hemisphere's sky, creating a longer period of sunlight. This happens once a year in each hemisphere. How long the day is exactly will depend on where you live — the further south you are (i.e. closer to the South Pole), the longer the day. According to ABC News, Sydney will get 14 hours, 24 minutes and 43 seconds of sunlight today, while up north Brisbane will get about half an hour less. Hobart gets the longest one of all, with the day stretching for 15 hours and 21 minutes. Interestingly, the summer solstice doesn't coincide with the earliest sunrise or latest sunset, which take place on separate summer days. It might not have the hype of the last month's supermoon, but it's still a great excuse to get do something outdoorsy after work tonight. Via ABC News.
During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, life in Melbourne has swung between two extremes. The city's residents have either been staying at home during lockdowns, or they're being encouraged to head out of the house to help support the state's tourism industry. At the moment, no one is going anywhere, with the current stay-at-home conditions in place until 11.59pm on Thursday, June 10 unless extended again. But, sometime in the future, the Victorian Government is set to entice Melburnians to enjoy a holiday thanks to another big batch of regional travel vouchers. This'll be the fourth time that the State Government has given away $200 vouchers to folks travelling regionally, after initially announcing the scheme in November 2020 as part of the $465 million Victorian Tourism Recovery Package. When the first two rounds of vouchers became available, they were snapped up quickly — so much so that another 30,000 were released after the first set to meet demand. The third round also unsurprisingly proved popular, as did a separate batch just for metropolitan Melbourne stays. This time, a whopping 80,000 vouchers will be made available, all worth $200 each and all for use in regional areas. But just when you'll be able to try to nab one hasn't yet been revealed. Instead, the government has advised that the "vouchers will encourage Victorians to support attractions and accommodation providers across the state once it is safe to do so" — and that "a release date for the vouchers and travel windows will be advised in due course." Forming part of a new $32.2 million Regional Tourism Support Package, the vouchers once again have two obvious aims: enticing Victorian residents to go venturing throughout the state, and helping support regional pubs, hotels, wineries and small businesses. Ten thousand vouchers in this batch stem from new funding, with the other 70,000 coming from vouchers that were initially allocated in previous rounds, but weren't actually claimed. [caption id="attachment_787518" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] The Great Ocean Road, Shipwreck Coast, by Visit Victoria/Robert Blackburn[/caption] Although exactly where the new vouchers will be able to be spent hasn't been confirmed, you'll be able to use them on accommodation, tourism attractions and tours in regional Victoria — which, if the the last rounds are a guide, includes the Yarra Ranges and the Mornington Peninsula. But, there's a hefty list of things you can't spend them on, including gaming, alcohol, fuel, food and drinks (unless it's part of a winery tour, for example), groceries, personal items (such as clothing) and transport (such as rental cars and public transport). So, you can't just use the voucher to road trip to a pub, for instance. That said, you can use it to book accommodation at the pub, then spend your own money on food and drinks — which will still make your trip away significantly cheaper. There are always a few additional caveats, too: the vouchers are limited to one per household (not per person) across the entire scheme; you must first provide evidence of spending $400 on accommodation, attractions or tours before getting your $200; and you must pay for a minimum of two nights accommodation in regional Victoria. Which means, at most, half of your expenses will be covered — but, that's $200 that you won't have to fork out yourself. Yes, it's a little complicated — but the Vic Government has broken past conditions down in more detail online. It has also given some more examples of what you can use the vouchers on, including holiday parks, camping sites, cottages, farm stays, private holiday rentals, houseboats (yes, houseboats), winery tours, adventure tours and entry fees to regional attractions, such as museums, water parks and adventure parks. The new $32.2 million Regional Tourism Support Package will also support accommodation, attraction and experience operators in other ways, including $4,500 grant top-ups per business. And, it'll offer funds of up to $15,000 for alpine operators so that they can offer a COVID-safe ski season. Just when the Victorian Government's new batch of 80,000 $200 travel vouchers will become available hasn't yet been announced, but you can keep an eye on the Regional Tourism Support Package website in the interim. Top image: Mark Watson via Visit Victoria.
In true Fitzroy style, The Brunswick Street Bookstore is sandwiched between an Italian cafe and Vietnamese restaurant and sits on a footpath packed with foot traffic. By the time you get through the front door, you'll be desperate for peace and silence, which is exactly what this dreamy bookstore dishes up. It began trading in 1987, pre-Fitzroy renaissance, making it an artefact of a time before Brunswick Street was a trendy, slick hotspot. Despite the changing times, its reputation prevails as a bookstore that riles against the mainstream and stocks a huge selection of non-fiction titles, concentrating on history, politics, biography, science, literature and cultural studies instead. The top floor is devoted to visual arts, and fittingly, was designed by Melbourne architect Peter Brew.
Across nine initial seasons between 1993–2002, an additional two seasons that aired in 2016 and 2018, and two big-screen movies as well, FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) investigated all manner of weird and wonderful cases. They all involved the paranormal, supernatural and conspiracies, of course, spanning everything from aliens and psychic abilities to sewer-dwelling man-worm creatures and teenagers who could channel lightning — and they made The X-Files both a sci-fi hit while it was airing and a sci-fi classic ever since. Sometime in the near future, The X-Files will serve up a range of new cases. This time, though, expect them to be silly, funny and particularly preposterous. As reported by Variety, the show is coming back again, but as an all-new animated comedy spinoff that'll focus on a team covering investigations considered too ridiculous for Mulder and Scully. As fans of The X-Files will know, there's nothing too out-there for Mulder and Scully. The former's nickname was 'Spooky', after all. And, even though the latter was often highly skeptical of her partner's theories, she was also known to suggest some creative ideas of her own. But 'too wacky for Mulder and Scully' is the premise that 20th Television and Fox Entertainment seem to be sticking with for the new show — which sounds more than a bit like The X-Files meets Scooby-Doo. While few other specifics have been revealed as yet, the series will be called The X-Files: Albuquerque, and will focus on "an office full of misfit agents... they're basically the X-Files' B-team", as Variety notes. There's no word on when it'll reach screens, but neither Anderson nor Duchovny are currently involved — so don't go getting your hopes up for an animated Mulder and Scully (well, another one, after their appearance on The Simpsons back in 1997). Behind the lens, The X-Files creator Chris Carter is an executive producer, while Movie 43's Rocky Russo and Jeremy Sosenko will be writing the series. The X-Files: Albuquerque will mark The X-Files' franchise's fourth TV series, following the original; 1996–9's Lance Henriksen-starring Millennium, which was set in the same universe; and 2001's The Lone Gunmen, about three conspiracy-obsessed characters initially seen helping Mulder and Scully. If you need a reminder of what made The X-Files so great, check out the below trailer for the 2008 movie The X-Files: I Want to Believe. You can also stream all 11 series of The X-Files in Australia on Amazon Prime Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9KV4ESQ8HU Via Variety.
To combat the multitude of incoming phone calls which remain unheard in the depths of your purse, Nokia is seeking a patent for magnetic-ink tattoos which would alert you to every phone call. The company's 'Haptic Communication' patent describes an electronic device (your smartphone) which will generate a magnetic field. This will stimulate the ferromagnetic ink that has been stamped on, taped to, or - yes - tattooed on skin. The ink will then react with stimuli that corresponds to the digital content of the original device. Similar to the 'vibrate' setting on existing phones, different vibration patterns would be received, and felt, for a voicemail, text message, etc. This technology may aid users in distinguishing which type of notification their phone is receiving from their back packet or book bag - all without audio. It all may sound a tad drastic, but who knows? Perhaps some fresh ink will finally allow us to unglue our phones from our palms. [via Wired]
The finest purveyors of poultry this bird-brained city has to offer will flock their way down to the Food Truck Park in Preston for a three-day festival of finger lickin' fowl. Following the success of their inaugural run back in November last year, the second ever Big Chicken Festival will once again deliver exactly what it promises on the label. Namely: chicken. Lots and lots and lots of chicken. While the full vendor lineup is currently being kept under wraps, last year's roster gives us a pretty good idea of who to expect. C'est Chick, Copa Food Truck and Roadrunner Fried Chicken all shape up as possible inclusions, while beverages will be taken care of by the folks at Barry's Bar. The feathers fly from 5pm until late on Friday, and again from noon on Saturday and Sunday.
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.
Has anyone had a better year so far than Taika Waititi? Likely not. 2022 hasn't even officially hit its halfway point yet and he's already been everywhere, doing everything, and has more to come. He was the subject of the Archibald's Packing Room Prize-winner, with his likeness now an award-worthy piece of art. He has that little Marvel movie called Thor: Love and Thunder in the works, set to hit cinemas in early July. Oh, and he went and co-starred in one of the best new TV shows of the year so far — and that series, Our Flag Means Death, has just been renewed for a second run. No, Taika's time playing a pirate isn't over yet, in supremely welcome news for everyone who sailed through Our Flag Means Death's glorious first season. His latest team-up with fellow New Zealand comedian Rhys Darby (after also working together on Flight of the Conchords, What We Do in the Shadows, Wellington Paranormal and Hunt for the Wilderpeople), it's a swashbuckling comedy that satirises the buccaneering times of the 18th century. As its first season unfurled, Our Flag Means Death also proved to be a sweet and warmhearted romance, as well as essential viewing. HBO clearly agrees, greenlighting the show's second season for its streaming service HBO Max. Exactly when it'll return has yet to be revealed, but fingers crossed that it'll cruise back into your queue — via Binge and in New Zealand via Neon — sometime in 2023. "We felt the show was special while we were making it, but fans' open-armed embrace of the inhabitants of the Revenge makes heading into a second season all the more sweet," said writer, showrunner and executive producer David Jenkins (People of Earth), who conjured up Our Flag Means Death. Based on its concept and cast alone, his series was always going to cement its spot on streaming must-see lists — and speed into comedy-lovers' hearts — and now it'll make a return voyage. If you haven't hopped aboard already, Our Flag Means Death stars Darby stars as Stede Bonnet, a self-styled 'gentleman pirate', a great approximation of Flight of the Conchords' Murray if he'd existed centuries earlier, and a man determined to bring a bit of kindness and elegancy to the whole swashbuckling game. He's based on an IRL figure, who abandoned his cosy life for a seafaring existence. The show is a loose adaptation of Bonnet's tale, though. As for Waititi, he dons leather, dark hues aplenty, an air of bloodthirsty melancholy and a glorious head of greying hair as Edward Teach — the marauder better known to the world as Blackbeard. Also featuring among the show's impressive lineup of supporting characters: Lucius (Nathan Foad, Bloods), Bonnet's righthand man and official scribe; Buttons (Ewen Bremner, First Cow), a seasoned seafarer and source of advice; Black Pete (Matthew Maher, Marriage Story), who constantly claims to have worked with Blackbeard; the fire-obsessed Wee John Feeny (Kristian Nairn, aka Game of Thrones' Hodor); and the initially secretive Oluwande (Samson Kayo, Truth Seekers) and Jim (Vico Ortiz, The Sex Lives of College Girls). Check out the full trailer for Our Flag Means Death below: Our Flag Means Death will return for a second season, with a release date yet to be announced. Our Flag Means Death's first season is available to in Australia via Binge and in New Zealand via Neon. Read our full review. Images: Aaron Epstein/HBO Max.
Le1f, Bec Sandridge and Alex the Astronaut will headline the lineup of artists at this year's Gaytimes music festival. Set to take place over three days and two nights at the Lake Mountain Alpine Resort an hour and a half outside of Melbourne (where Paradise is held), the LGBTIQ-friendly event will feature more than 30 local and international music acts, as well as art shows, film screenings, speed dating and more. As the organisers put it: it's the camping festival "of your big gay dreams". The 18+ festival runs from February 16 to 18. Other standout acts who'll take the stage include Chicago DJ Chrissy, Paul Mac and Johnny Seymour's Stereogamous and Triple J Unearthed's Miss Blanks. In addition to the tunes, the festival will feature an array of additional action, from performance art and life drawing workshops to yoga and a drag race. Perhaps the most exciting thing will be a pop-up wedding chapel where same-sex couples will be able to get hitched (for real — it's legal now!) on the mountain. Shoot hello@gaytimes.com.au an email for more info on that one. The site will boast a cocktail bar, a coffee cart and food trucks, and you can even shell out for glamping if you're feeling extra. In keeping with their inclusive approach, Gaytimes will, as always, enforce a no tolerance policy for anti-social, homophobic, transphobic or racist behaviour. So don't be a jerk, and you should be A-okay.
Your dream plans for 2025 can now include jetting off to Japan, Hawaii, Bali, South Korea, Thailand, Vanuatu, Singapore and New Zealand, then flying home for free — or, holidaying in Australia while scoring the same deal for getaways to Hamilton Island, Uluru, Cairns, the Gold Coast, Byron Bay and more. For Black Friday 2024, Jetstar has brought back its popular 'return for free' sale. You buy a ticket to your vacation destination, then the carrier covers the cost of you coming home. This time around, in this year's biggest 'return for free' sale, the airline is doing discounted flights across Australia and to a range of international destinations, including to Tokyo, Osaka, Honolulu, Bangkok, Phuket, Seoul, Auckland and Queenstown. Wherever you'd like to head, the key part of this sale is making your way back without paying for the return flight, which'll also make your holiday oh-so-much cheaper. Running from 12am AEDT on Friday, November 29 1–11.59pm AEDT on Sunday, December 1, or until sold out if that happens earlier — with Jetstar members getting an extra 12 hours to access the sale from 12pm AEDT on Thursday, November 28 — it really is as straightforward as it sounds. Whatever flights you opt for as part of the sale, you'll get the return fare for nothing. Prices obviously vary depending on where you're flying from and to, but some include Brisbane to Tokyo from $373, Sydney to Osaka from the same price, Melbourne to Bali from $219, Perth to Singapore from $165, Sydney to Port Vila from $209, Melbourne to Honolulu from $316 and Sydney to Seoul from $349. Domestic fares span deals such as Sydney to Ballina/Byron from $42, Sydney to Melbourne from $51, Melbourne to Hobart from $67, Sydney to Hamilton Island from $109, Melbourne to Uluru from $115 and Perth to Cairns from $189, You'll be travelling within Australia from mid-July to late October 2025, and from mid-February to mid-September 2025 if you're going global. The caveats that are always in place with Jetstar's 'return for free' deal remain this around. So, you need to book an outbound fare, then you'll get the return fare for free — and the deal only applies to Starter fares, and only on selected flights. Also, checked baggage is not included, so you'll want to travel super light or pay extra to take a suitcase. Plus, you have to use the same arrival and departure ports for your flights — which means that you can go from Brisbane to Tokyo and back, for instance, but can't return via another place or to another city. Jetstar's 2024 Black Friday 'return for free' sale runs from 12am AEDT on Friday, November 29–11.59pm AEDT Sunday, December 1 — or until sold out prior. Jetstar members get an extra 12 hours access to the sale from 12pm AEDT on Thursday, November 28. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
If his headline speaker gig at the first-ever SXSW Sydney filled Charlie Brooker with tech nightmare inspiration, viewers are about to reap the benefits: more Black Mirror is on its way. The dystopian anthology series released its sixth season in 2023, and now Netflix has renewed it for another batch of episodes. Imagining how humanity's use of technology can keep going wrong clearly hasn't met its limits yet. Variety reports that Black Mirror will start production on season seven before 2023 is out — but details from there are scarce. The number of instalments, who'll star and which storylines will feature haven't yet been revealed, but Brooker (Cunk on Earth) and fellow executive producers Annabel Jones (also Cunk on Earth) and Jessica Rhoades (Station Eleven) are expected to return. Locking in Black Mirror's next season so soon after its last is a contrast to the show's fate between season five and season six. After the former dropped its three episodes in 2019, fans were left waiting and wondering about more to come. Then, in 2022, word started circulating that the sixth season was in the works. In April 2023, the series' Twitter account posted "what have we missed?" — then the trailers started coming, ahead of season six's arrival in June. The show's most-recent instalments pondered streaming algorithms with Salma Hayek Pinault (Magic Mike's Last Dance) and Annie Murphy (Kevin Can F**k Himself), true crime with Samuel Blenkin (The Witcher: Blood Origin) and Myha'la Herrold (Bodies Bodies Bodies), and an alternative 1969 with Aaron Paul (Westworld), Josh Hartnett (Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre) and Kate Mara (Call Jane). Also on its list: a paparazzi tale with Zazie Beetz (Atlanta), Clara Rugaard (I Am Mother) and Danny Ramirez (Stars at Noon) — and the first Red Mirror episode, going full horror, with Anjana Vasan (Killing Eve), Paapa Essiedu (Men), Katherine Rose Morley (The Syndicate) and David Shields (Benediction). Season six was teased as "the most unpredictable, unclassifiable and unexpected season yet", which is saying something given everything that Black Mirror has thrown at the screen in past seasons (and in choose-your-own-adventure-style movie Black Mirror: Bandersnatch). And yes, Brooker does keep facing quite the challenge: making something that manages to be even more dispiriting than reality over the past few years. That's increasingly been one of the show's dilemmas — and noting that something IRL feels just like Black Mirror has become one of the cliches of our times — but clearly he has more ideas. There's no trailer yet for Black Mirror's seventh season, of course, but you can check out the trailer for season six below: Black Mirror season seven will stream via Netflix, but doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when one is announced. Read our review of season six, and our interview with Charlie Brooker. Via Variety. Images: Nick Wall / Netflix.
It seems unsurprising that African Americans vote en masse for Obama and it has been well-established that women vote en masse for Obama. Much more surprising however is that 30 Rock and Game of Thrones fans also vote en masse for Obama. If this infographic is anything to go by it seems that our TV habits can be a useful barometer for understanding our voting patterns. Compiled by Engage, this fascinating graphic was created through an analysis of what TV shows and political pages voters 'like' on Facebook. Apparently, this data not only demonstrates the correlation between political preference and TV habits but also which TV fans are the most politically active and aware. While the overt (and dare I say tiresome) idealism of Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom and The West Wing (often dubbed "The Left Wing") seemed likely to produce hordes of Democrat devotees, interestingly it is Star Trek fans who are next in line as the most likely to turn up to vote come the Presidential election later this month. For the Republican camp, unfortunately Romney's frequent declarations of love for Modern Family aren't likely to swing many voters as the show's pro-gay marriage stance and ethnically diverse families appear to resonate much more strongly with more left-leaning voters. If this infographic whetted your appetite for bizarre political statistics then check out the graph below to see what your internet usage says about your politics.
Travelling overseas ranks right up there on everyone's bucket list, but the actual travelling part is far from fun. No one loves spending more than a couple of hours on a plane, and no one loves taking multiple flights to get to their destination either. But if you could choose between hopping over to your destination in one leg, or getting a break from being cramped and uncomfortable in the air, which would you opt for? Thanks to advances in aircraft development, ensuring that today's planes are more fuel-efficient over hefty distances, airlines are increasingly making non-stop long-range flights a reality. After Qantas introduced its 17-hour-plus Perth-to-London route earlier this year, Singapore Airlines will be unleashing the world's longest non-stop commercial flight in October: from Singapore to New York over 18 hours and 45 minutes. First announced by the airline in 2015 and confirmed a few months back, the route will be made possible thanks to the new Ultra Long Range version of the Airbus A350 XWB aircraft, which completed its first successful test flight in April. Singapore Airlines now have the world's first Airbus A350-900ULR in its possession, and it'll take off on October 11, with seven more set to be brought into operation shortly afterwards. The planes can travel up to 16,000 kilometres (or 8,700 nautical miles) without refuelling — or, for over 20 hours non-stop — which makes the 15,322-kilometre trip between Singapore and New York possible. They also feature higher ceilings, larger windows, a wider body, as well as quieter cabins and lighting that's designed to reduce jetlag. It's not the first time that the airline has flown direct to the US, with Singapore-to-Newark, New Jersey flights in operation until 2013. The world's current longest route without stopovers runs from Doha to Auckland in around 18 hours, travelling 14,529 kilometres on a Boeing 777-200LR, followed by the Perth-to-London leg. Qantas is keen to beat both the current and the impending record-holders, though, last year announcing plans to fly direct from Australia's east coast to both London and New York by 2022 — and this year advising that their plans are on track, with the airline comfortable that plane manufacturers will create a vehicle that can handle the 20-hour and 20-minute, 16,983-kilometre stint between Sydney and London.
Whisky lovers, you're going to want to sit down for this. Beloved, accolade-winning and straight-up cocktail monarchs Eau de Vie are opening a brand new bar in Melbourne's CBD — with 700 whiskies behind the bar. Seven hundy. Dubbed Boilermaker House, Eau de Vie's second Melbourne venue will take over 209-211 Lonsdale Street in the CBD. If the name didn't already clue you in, Boilermaker House will be home to those 700 whiskies, ten tap beers and 70 bottled beers — you'll be spoiled for choice to craft your perfect Boilermaker combo. With plans to open doors by early April, Eau de Vie are adding Boilermaker House to their existing EDV venues in Sydney and Melbourne, following the opening of Sydney's Eau de Vie Apothecary last year. Via Australian Bartender.
There's escaping the city for an afternoon, and then there's driving 20 minutes down a dirt road to a secluded river and hopping into a canoe. In this canoe, it's quiet, very still. The Kangaroo Valley's bushland surrounds you, ascending on either side of the waterway, creating a landscape that's punctuated only by the occasional kingfisher flapping by or a solitary trout breaking the surface with a small splash. And I haven't even mentioned the best bit: this canoe is filled with wine. And snacks. So as you're floating down the river — minimal paddling is necessary — you'll be able to pop a bottle of local sparkling and tuck into a few canapés. Maybe you'll try a glass of top-notch sparkling Riesling from Mittagong's Artemis Wines and a yabby roll with native lime mayo supplied by The Loch in nearby Berrima. As you might have guessed, this isn't an ordinary off-you-go oar-bearing experience. This one is part of WildFEST, a new three-day celebration of the food, drink and wilderness of NSW's Southern Highlands. Led by experienced paddler Travis Frenay, the Canoes, Champagne and Canapés experience will lead you along the Kangaroo River in a custom-built double canoe, through the sunken forest and past a convict-built sandstone wall. Travis has an insane amount of knowledge on the area and will be able to answer pretty much anything you throw at him. There will be three sessions a day (9am, noon and 3pm) on October 27, 28 and 29. The whole thing sets off from Beehive Point and takes around two to three hours. Prices are on the heftier side at $195 each, but includes all food, wine and equipment. Plus, this part of the Valley isn't highly accessible for people without their own gear, so it's a great (and bloody delightful) way to explore the area on the water. Note: if weather conditions suggest your rusty old sedan won't make it there and back, the organisers may provide transport down the dirt road. But if it's dry, you're all good. It's part of the adventure. Canoes, Champagne and Canapés will run on October 27–29 from Beehive Point, Kangaroo Valley. For more info and to buy tickets, visit wildfest.com.au.
The annual celebration of independent music merchants, Record Store Day, is back this Saturday, April 22, and there are a heap of exciting activations across the country hoping to draw patrons out to their local shop and have them flicking through stacks of vinyl. One such activity is a nationwide record treasure hunt being held by the Australian Music Vault. If you want to take part in the hunt and possibly get your hands on a free record from a beloved Aussie artist, all you have to do is head to your local record store and keep an eye out for releases marked with special Australian Music Vault branding on the front. If you find one of these gems, flash it at the counter where they'll confirm it's a winner and you can take it home to spin on your turntable, free of charge. [caption id="attachment_782966" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kitti Gould[/caption] Created by the Arts Centre Melbourne, the Australian Music Vault celebrates contemporary Aussie tunes by exhibiting and archiving important pieces of music history and working with artists to facilitate the growth of the country's music scene. All of the vinyl available as part of the Record Store Day treasure hunt will be from featured Australian Music Vault artists. While the exact location of these freebies are being kept under wraps, hints will be given over on the Australian Music Vault Facebook and Instagram pages on the day. "There's a magical energy about Australia's music culture. Record stores are often a meeting place of inspiration for creatives, and we can't wait to see stores full of activity for Record Store Day," said Australian Music Vault Senior Curator Carolyn Laffan. "It's a treat to be a part of this amazing initiative and good luck to all on the lookout for hidden Australian Music Vault gems." Alongside the treasure hunt, you can also expect limited-edition releases from the likes of Bluey, Ball Park Music, Foals and Groove Armada, plus Confidence Man, Peking Duk, Orville Peck and Loyal Carner to be available on the day. And the celebrations don't stop there, with performances from Ella Thompson, Close Counters, Redhook and Tropical Strength; Peking Duk's in-store signing at Beatniks on the Gold Coast; and a stack of MTV specials and giveaways among the other activations popping up across the country. Record Store Day will be taking over record stores across the country on Saturday, April 22. Head to the Record Store Day website for the full list of special-edition releases. Top image: Destination NSW
Born from a desire to share the best booze in all its forms with punters in Footscray and beyond, Mr West Bar & Bottle Shop is now ready to celebrate its eighth birthday. And just as the venue has done since Caleb Baker and Josh Hodges founded the spot in 2017, they're getting the community involved to make the occasion. Free to attend, there's never a bad time to celebrate an inner west success story. Held across Friday, August 29–Saturday, August 30, guests in the west or further afield can expect exclusive creations, curated food pop-ups, and straight-up good vibes, with many of the venue's biggest getting involved and raising a glass. On day one of this birthday bash, Mr West will reveal two special collaborative beers shaped by some of their closest pals. Made in collaboration with Sailor's Grave Brewing, the 'CÀ Phê Muối' — a Vietnamese-style salted iced coffee sour — pays homage to the local area and its coffee-making traditions. Then, the 'Combo Deal' is a three-way collab with Sobremesa Fermentary & Blendary and Good Good Burgers, offering a French-inspired bière de garde rich in smoked malt and toasted sesame notes. There's also Sailor's Grave and Sobremesa tap showcases throughout the night. On Saturday, the party amps up some more. From 1–5pm, Good Good Burgers is hosting a boozy pop-up, slinging delicious smash burgers in Mr West's courtyard with a drinks menu to match. Taste an exclusive burger created just for the day, with a veggie option up for grabs too. As evening dawns, Oli Bangbala will get behind the decks, while the first 40 guests through the door score themselves a free jelly shot.
In good news for people who hate spending more than ten seconds on a single task, you can now get personalised contents insurance with just one swipe. A new app named Trōv has just launched in Australia, and it allows you to insure individual items quickly, painlessly and potentially without even having to ask your parents for help. It's being described by media outlets as the 'Tinder of insurance', which is honestly quite ridiculous as the only similarity between the two apps is the generic swiping motion and the fact you access it on your smartphone. But despite the fact that the app can't offer you a date for Friday night, Trōv is pretty cool. The app allows you to insure individual items against damage, loss and theft on-demand. So you add your valuables to your account (at the moment they're just insuring common electronics), choose your excess, and — much like switching Wi-Fi on and off — 'turn on' protection for that particular item. You can 'turn off' protection in the same way as well. Insuring individual items means that you don't need to take out a hella expensive blanket contents insurance plan just to cover the one or two things you own that actually have monetary worth. And, during periods when you're not using your gear or it's packed away safely, you can turn insurance off to save some moolah. Best of all, it's a good alternative to not insuring any of your stuff and simply praying that the God of small things is a merciful one. Another concession to the tech generation is the claims process, which can be started by sending a text. It's not quite at the level of ordering takeaway with an emoji but it's certainly better than being on hold with an insurance claims operator for ten hours. The San Fransisco start-up behind Trōv have obviously tried to understand the way Gen Y use technology and apply it to something we largely don't understand: insurance. According to The Age, Trōv has gained $US39 million in funding so far, which includes $US5 million from Australian insurance company Suncorp — hence the Australian launch. It will expand to the UK later this year, and the US in 2017. Trōv can currently only insure electronics and appliances, but is working to add more options to their repertoire. In the meantime, you can insure some of the most precious items we have: our laptops and phones. They're the bringers of GoT, memes and UberEATS, after all.
After two years of COVID cancellations, Australia's most interestingly named beer festival is finally back. Blobfish makes its much-anticipated return to North Melbourne's Meat Market this month, once again pulling together a lineup that celebrates the sour, the funky and the delightfully different. Founded and helmed by the team at Footscray's own Hop Nation Brewing, the tasting party will run across two sessions on Saturday, July 23, offering punters the chance to sample a whole swag of rare and unusual beers from 19 leading Aussie and New Zealand labels. You'll spend 4.5 hours sipping your way through a diverse range of sours, saisons, barrel-aged brews, fruity concoctions and rare small-batch runs, from the likes of NZ's Garage Project, Sydney's Wildflower, Van Dieman out of Tasmania and Queensland's AWOL. Locals among the lineup include Future Mountain, La Sirène, Collingwood's Molly Rose and regional favourite Bridge Road Brewers, as well as Hop Nation's own funky, barrel-aged spin-off label, Site Fermentation Project. The options don't end there, either, with a 'lager lounge' where you can cleanse the palate between tastings, a range of food vendors and an oyster bar shucking all through the day. Plus, there'll be DJ tunes to soundtrack your sipping. A ticket will cost you $85, which includes entry, a keepsake Blobfish beer glass and tastings from each brewery. Blobfish sessions run from 11.30m–4pm and 5–9.30pm.
David Attenborough may have turned 94 in 2020; however the acclaimed broadcaster and natural historian isn't slowing down anytime soon. Fresh from narrating and presenting two new TV series last year — Our Planet and Seven Worlds, One Planet — and even appearing at Glastonbury to promote the latter, he's now bringing his latest movie-length documentary to cinemas. Called David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet, the film sees Attenborough look back on his more than nine decades on earth, the sights he has seen and the changes he has witnessed. Specifically, he reflects upon humanity's enormous and damaging impact on the natural world. Produced by wildlife filmmakers Silverback Films and global environmental organisation WWF, the resulting doco us described as "a powerful message of hope for future generations". In the film's trailer, Attenborough doesn't hold back. "The living world is a unique and spectacular marvel, yet the way we humans live on earth is sending it into a decline," he comments — before further noting that "human beings have overrun the world". He calls the film his "witness statement" and his "vision for the future", exploring humankind's actions over its existence and how moves can be made to address the planet's current environmental state. Naturally, Attenborough's wise words are combined with striking footage — as you'd expect of anything that the broadcaster is involved in. Originally due to hit the silver screen for one night only, A Life On Our Planet was slated to show in cinemas Down Under in April — but, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, its release was postponed. It'll now premiere on Monday, September 28 and stick around for a longer cinema season, with the film paired with an exclusive cinema-only conversation between Attenborough and Sir Michael Palin. There's nothing quite like seeing stunning nature footage on a big screen; however if you miss out or can't make it along, the documentary will also head to Netflix before spring is out. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLVkqjHrAzw&feature=youtu.be David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet will screen in Australian and New Zealand cinemas from Monday, September 28, before hitting Netflix before spring is out. Top image: WWF; Joe Fereday, Silverback Films.
Think the city ends at Spencer Street Station? Then it's high time you took a journey west. Returning to Footscray and the surrounding suburbs for the tenth time since 1997, Big West is a massive biennial community festival committed to music, performance and visual art. This year's lineup features more than 70 events, most of which you can experience for absolutely free. Turns out the Village People may have had the right idea after all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wc-AQJ2MYo Running from November 20-28, the focus at Big West 2015 is both multicultural and multidisciplinary. The Graceful Giraffe Cannot Become a Monkey explores the experience of African Australians through a mixture of music, dance, dialogue and audio visual collage, while a song suite performed by the No Excuses! Women's Chorus will tackle real stories of domestic violence and abuse. And for punters looking to get a little more active with their art, Neighbours will take you on a walking tour of Footscray's Nicholson Street, from public spaces to people's houses, while examining the manner in which the neighbourhood continues to change. For everything happening at Big West Festival, visit their website. Image: The Graceful Giraffe Cannot Become a Monkey
How do you jump back into a superhero saga — a caped-crusader franchise within a sprawling, seemingly never-ending franchise, too — without your star? When Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives in cinemas in November, Marvel Cinematic Universe fans will find out. With Chadwick Boseman sadly passing away in 2020, the sequel to 2018's excellent Black Panther obviously isn't the film that returning writer/director Ryan Coogler (Creed) originally intended. Based on the just-dropped first teaser trailer, it's going to be unsurprisingly emotional, however. Marvel released the initial sneak peek at the eagerly awaited movie during this year's San Diego Comic-Con, and it's big on swirling, swelling feelings. "I am queen of the most powerful nation in the world, and my entire family is gone," exclaims Ramonda (Angela Bassett, Gunpowder Milkshake), T'Challa and Shuri's (Letitia Wright, Death on the Nile) mother, in a particularly climactic moment. While the teaser isn't overly concerned with Wakanda Forever's plot, it's firmly sets the mood. And yes, there's a tribute to King T'Challa among its frames. Story-wise, Ramonda, Shuri, M'Baku (Winston Duke, Nine Days), Okoye (Danai Gurira, The Walking Dead) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba, Deutschland89) are charged with protecting their nation from world powers after T'Challa's death — and they'll need help from War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o, The 355) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman, Breeders). Among the cast, joining the film are Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You) and Tenoch Huerta (Narcos: Mexico) — as well as Dominique Thorne (Judas and the Black Messiah) as Riri Williams, ahead of the character's solo Disney+ series Ironheart. Accordingly, the first glimpse at Wakanda Forever shows faces old and new, the same dazzling look and feel that was so essential to Coogler's initial film, and the Kingdom of Wakanda in a state of change. Dropping the trailer during a wide-ranging panel session that also included the latest look at Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Marvel revealed that Wakanda Forever will wrap up the MCU's phase four — because this ever-growing on-screen superhero world is broken up into different chapters. Obviously, more caped-crusader stories are still in the works, though, with the Disney-owned entertainment behemoth also plotting out its plans across phase five and phase six, taking it up to 2025. One thing that wasn't mentioned: the previously revealed Black Panther Disney+ series set in Wakanda that was announced in early 2021. Check out the first Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer below: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever releases in cinemas Down Under on November 10.
Everyone has a childhood memory about discovering chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. A staple at several ice cream chains, the flavour is as simple as it sounds. Take some ice cream, add chocolate chip cookie dough, then mix it all together — with dessert fiends then able to lick their way through a creamy but also chunky mashup of two sweet treat favourites. Ben & Jerry's is one of the brands that has been dishing up the frosty treat for years, introducing it in 1984. In 2021, however, it has just launched a range of cookie dough chunks that don't come with ice cream. Available for a limited time only, you can snack them from the packet rather than enjoy them in a cone or cup. Two types are on offer, in 180-gram and 227-gram pouches. If you're all about choc chips, you can grab a whole packet of doughy chunks filled with them. If you're keen to mix it up, you can opt for both chocolate chip cookie dough and fudge brownie pieces in the same packet — so a version of Ben & Jerry's Half Baked flavour, sans ice cream. The separate packs of cookie dough chunks are only available until sold out, with the range on offer in select Ben & Jerry's Scoop Stores now — in Manly, Bondi and Chatswood in Sydney; Flinders Lane, Burwood Brickworks and St Kilda in Melbourne; Mooloolaba, Noosa, Surfer's Paradise and Pacific Fair in Queensland; and Hillarys, Joondalup, Fremantle and Northbridge in Western Australia. Ben & Jerry's cookie dough chunks are available at select Ben & Jerry's stores in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia for a limited time — in 180-gram and 227-gram packs.
Sometimes a needle drop just works, even when it simply states the obvious. One of those instances: playing a remix of Nas' 'Got Ur Self a Gun' throughout the latest trailer for John Wick: Chapter 4. The song famously samples Alabama 3's 'Woke Up This Morning', the tune forever famous as the opening theme to iconic HBO series The Sopranos, and fits John Wick as much as the original fit Tony Soprano. Just over a month out from the latest John Wick flick hitting cinemas, the third sneak peek at what's to come has been unveiled. Unsurprisingly, plenty of action-packed confrontations are in the works, as brought to the screen with plenty of frenetic stunt choreography. Just as expectedly, Keanu Reeves is still using every weapon at his disposal in his fourth stint as cinema's favourite dog-loving assassin. If you're thinking that Wick's luck might run out at some point, the new film understands. But this stunt-filled saga still has one last way to give its namesake his non-violent life back. As past trailers have explained, he can agree to a duel against the Marquis (Bill Skarsgård, Barbarian) — but of course only one can survive. With that premise, expect the ante to be upped on the saga's latest onslaught of fights, as the latest trailer goes all-in on. Anywhere that Wick can shoot, fight and dispense with everyone trying to take him down, he will and does. This flick involves hopping around the globe, in fact, including Paris, New York and Berlin — and also getting into sword fights in Japan, riding horses through a sandy desert, using cars as weapons and boasting one mighty handy canine. Accordingly, as all John Wick movies have so far — the first in 2014, John Wick: Chapter 2 in 2017 and John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum all included — this one follows the hitman that other hitmen fear as he takes on his ever-growing list of adversaries. Whatever gets thrown his way hasn't stopped Wick yet, after he got dragged back into the assassin life when a past batch of enemies messed with his pet pooch. Reeves' former stunt double-turned-filmmaker Chad Stahelski directs again, as he has on all three prior movies. On-screen, Reeves is also joined by a roster of familiar and new John Wick faces, with fellow franchise mainstays Ian McShane (American Gods) and Lance Reddick (Godzilla vs Kong) returning, and Reeves' The Matrix co-star Laurence Fishburne — after appearing in the past two movies — as well. And, Donnie Yen (Mulan), Hiroyuki Sanada (Mortal Kombat), Shamier Anderson (Son of the South), Rina Sawayama (Turn Up Charlie) and Scott Adkins (Triple Threat) are all also set to feature. In similarly excellent news, a fifth John Wick movie is already in the works, because more ass-kicking Keanu is always a great thing. And, so are two spinoffs: The Continental and Ballerina. The first is a streaming series, clearly set around the hotel that features so prominently in the films as a safe haven for hitmen. As for the second, it's a movie that ties in with John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, and will star Ana de Armas (Blonde) — and also feature Reeves and McShane. Check out the latest trailer for John Wick: Chapter 4 below: John Wick: Chapter 4 releases Down Under on March 23.
Strength in numbers works a treat for fundraisers and benefactors alike. St Kilda's Theatre Works are putting on a fundraising party for four of Melbourne’s leading independent theatre companies and their latest productions. They aim to raise $20,000 for Elbow Room’s The Motion of Light in the Water, Uninvited Guests’ I Heart John McEnroe, Dirty Pretty Theatre’s Thérèse Raquin and Little Ones Theatre’s The House of Yes. Set to be a night filled with quirky and playful performances, this collaboration marks the second annual Abundance Fundraising Party. Hosted by Present Tense's Bryce Ives, expect comedy, cabaret and musical performance from a lineup of very special guests, including acclaimed US actress Jane Badler and Grammy award-winner Jeff Bova alongside Virginia Gay, Roderick Cairns, Beau Heartbreaker, Nicholas Renfree-Marks, Angela Hogan, Joseph Chetty and Luisa Hastings Edge. Along with some spectacular performances, guests will be treated to a glass of bubbles and canapes on arrival. Then you'll have the opportunity to bid on some pretty top notch prizes in the silent auction. You’re still welcome to make a donation if you cannot attend the event, but why miss out on all this frivolity? Get along to enjoy fantastic performances, nab prizes and — most importantly — support independent Australian theatre.
Victoria by Farmer's Daughters — one of the best restaurants in Melbourne — has teamed up with gin distillery Four Pillars on a new Christmas-themed bottomless brunch. Taking place every Sunday until Christmas Eve (with sittings from 11.30am–1.30pm and 2.30–4.30pm), the bottomless brunch features a selection of share plates from the seasonal menu, plus unlimited Four Pillars Christmas cocktails, beers and wines. Three different cocktails are available throughout the two-hour bottomless brunch, each featuring Four Pillars' Australian Christmas Gin. The Conversation Starter includes sweet vermouth, cherry syrup, soda and orange; the Jolly Spritz is a summer creation made with hazelnut liqueur, lemongrass, ginger syrup, lemon, cherry bitters and soda; and the Santa's Nightcap comes with orange marmalade liqueur and chocolate bitters. These clearly aren't your average bottomless brunch cocktails. The festive theme flows through to the food options as well. Get around a roast turkey or ham served with a Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz 'mock cranberry' sauce, fried chicken with Marie Rose aioli, and charcoal-grilled lamb or grass-fed beef with a Christmas pudding spice barbecue sauce. There'll also be a Four Pillars pop-up store at the entrance of Victoria by Farmer's Daughters while the bottomless brunch is running, featuring a selection of gin-filled gift ideas. Bottles of Four Pillars will be available alongside some merch, gift boxes, marmalades and cocktail packs. Images: Arianna Leggiero
Irish-French singer Camille O’Sullivan left a burgeoning career as an architect after embracing the cabaret on display in Berlin and Dublin. Since then she’s won international acclaim for her singular interpretations of the songs of artists like Nick Cave, Kurt Weill, Tom Waits and Jacques Brel, drawing on the German tradition of “art song”, and the narrative music of Weimar composers. In O’Sullivan’s modern incarnation, this tradition manifests itself in radical retellings of classic songs — her rendition of Nick Cave's 'The Ship Song' is well worth a listen. On tour in Australia, for her show at the intimate Fairfax Studio at the Arts Centre O’Sullivan will be playing songs from her album Changeling, including works from Radiohead, David Bowie and Arcade Fire.
The 16 pieces of the BMW Art Car Collection have been individually displayed in museums across the world, most notably in famous art venues such as New York's Guggenheim Museum and Paris' Louvre. At least one piece of the collection, however, has always remained within the familiar walls of the BMW Museum in Munich, Germany, where the collection began in 1975. The classic cars are painted by artists such as Calder, Warhol, Hockney and Lichtenstein. Each car is a canvas for uniquely vibrant interpretations of BMW's value of automotive performance and the pure joy that the company believes comes with driving. In 1979 Warhol even painted his entire BMW for the collection in only 23 minutes in order to convey a sense of speed, using quick brushstrokes and colors that appeared to blur together. Two of the cars have an Australian connection, with car seven painted by aboriginal artist Michael Jagamara Nelson, and car eight emblazoned in Ken Done's trademark bright colours. This year the Art Car Collection is celebrating 35 years of creating exquisite "rolling masterpieces" by welcoming home the entire set of painted cars to Munich. For the first time, all of the pieces are together under one roof in the BMW Museum for the special anniversary exhibition and are on display until September 30.
Over the past few years, Gelatissimo has whipped up a number of creative flavours, including frosé sorbet, gelato for dogs, and ginger beer, Weet-Bix, fairy bread, hot cross bun, cinnamon scroll, chocolate fudge and bubble tea gelato. Earlier this year, it made its own spin on Caramilk gelato, too. For its latest offering, the Australian dessert chain is still turning something that everyone loves into gelato. This time, though, it's taking inspiration from a drink. Can't choose between sipping a cold brew coffee made with oat milk or licking your way through a few scoops of ice cream? Gelatissimo has the solution. That very combination is on the menu from Tuesday, June 1, adding a new vegan special to its range — but only for a limited time. Exactly how long it'll be hanging around hasn't been revealed, so getting in quickly in recommended. Whether you opt for a cone or a cup, you'll be tucking into gelato made with oat milk that's specifically designed to go with coffee. And as for the caffeinated part of the flavour, that comes about via a concentrate made by steeping coffee beans in water for around 24 hours. You can get the cold brew with oat milk flavour in stores Australia-wide, including within your five-kilometre radius if you're in Melbourne. Or, Gelatissimo also delivers take-home packs via services such as Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Doordash. Gelatissimo's cold brew with oat milk gelato is available from all stores nationwide from Tuesday, June 1.
Remember how good it felt to run around barefoot as a kid? The team at Sole Mechanics want to give you back that feeling by helping you reinstate natural movement, starting from the soles of the feet. Offering an extensive range of natural movement shoes (which basically feels like you're wearing nothing at all), the brand aims to help customers naturally increase lower limb strength, improve posture and increase efficiency and performance. You will have heard the phrase 'move it or lose it', but the talented bunch behind Sole Mechanics knows it isn't always that easy. That's why they stock a wide range of natural motion footwear to help your body get back on track.
Blog-scanning, pub-debating Star Wars fans, put your minds and your theories to rest. Star Wars VII captain J.J. Abrams has at last lifted the lid on who’ll be appearing in the hotly anticipated episode seven. Casting announcements have dribbled out over the last few months, confirming a half-dozen irreplaceable veterans are back on board — namely Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) and Kenny Baker (R2-D2). Along with our long-time favourites, the final casting announcement revealed a plethora of unknowns. So we thought we'd get acquainted with the seven newbies. Their roles and midi-chlorian counts are yet to be revealed, so you can continue your pub arguments for a while yet. ADAM DRIVER You might know him best as Girls' Adam Sackler. But, just lately, we've seen Driver tackle the Australian desert alongside Mia Wasikowska in Tracks and cheese his way through a novelty song with Justin Timberlake in Inside Llewyn Davis. What's more, Star Wars isn't the only major announcement he's been part of during the past few months. You can also expect to catch him in upcoming films Midnight Special (Jeff Nichols) and Silence (Martin Scorsese). OSCAR ISAAC Oscar Isaac hits Star Wars hot on the heels of his wide-eyed, multi-award winning appearance as hapless singer-songwriter Llewyn Davis. He's also in the credits for five films currently in post-production: In Secret, Ex-Machina, The Two Faces of January, Mojave and A Most Violent Year. MAX VON SYDOW 85-year-old Swedish-turned-French legend Max Von Sydow has been appearing on the big screen since 1949. Most recently, he scored a bunch of nominations, including one for his second Academy Award — for his role as The Renter in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. ANDY SERKIS You might not recognise him from the above mug shot, but Andy Serkis is most likely one of your noughties heroes. Through a combo of motion picture capture acting, voice and animation, he played Gollum in Peter Jackon's Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-3) and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012). He brought similar magic to the lead role in King Kong (2005), Caesar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) and Captain Haddock in The Adventures of Tintin (2011). DOMHNALL GLEESON Hogwarts students are most likely to be familiar with this striking Irish face. Domhnall Gleeson played Bill Weasley in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Parts I and II (2010 and 2011). Right now, he's on set for upcoming romantic comedy Brooklyn, an adaptation of the Nick Hornby novel. JOHN BOYEGA In 2012, at the age of 20, Boyega shared a set with Oscar nominee Chiwete Ejiofor in Half of a Yellow Sun (Nigeria/UK 2013). Sci-fi fans knew him before that, though, for his take on Moses in Attack the Block. DAISY RIDLEY And last, but not least (though certainly least-known) is Daisy Ridley. She's appeared in a handful of TV series, including Casualty, Mr Selfridge and Silent Witness, and played the lead in BAFTA-nominated interactive film, Lifesaver. She's now trending like wildfire.
If you watched Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi's vampire sharehouse mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows back in 2014, then instantly found yourself yearning for more, that's understandable. Smart, silly and hilarious, the undead flick is one of the decade's best comedies. Thanks to two TV spinoffs, that dream has come true, letting viewers keep spending time in the movie's supernatural world — and that's not going to end any time soon. Last year, the New Zealand-made Wellington Paranormal made it to screens, following the movie's cops (Mike Minogue and Karen O'Leary) as they keep investigating the supernatural. It proved a hit, unsurprisingly, and has a second season in the works. This year, an American television version of What We Do in the Shadows also started airing, following a group of vampire flatmates living in Staten Island. Featuring Toast of London's Matt Berry, Four Lions' Kayvan Novak, British stand-up comedian Natasia Demetriou, The Magicians' Harvey Guillen, The Office's Mark Proksch and Lady Bird's Beanie Feldstein, it follows the same basic concept as the original movie, just with memorable new characters. And now it has been renewed for a second season as well. Created and co-written by Clement, and executive produced by the Flight of the Conchords star with Thor: Ragnarok's Waititi, the US take on What We Do in the Shadows was first hinted at back in 2017, and then confirmed in May 2018. While the duo don't star in the new-look series, Berry, Novak and company have been doing them proud as the next batch of ravenous — and comic — vamps. Novak plays the gang's self-appointed leader, 'Nandor The Relentless', who dates back to the Ottoman Empire days and is somewhat stuck in his ways. As for Berry's mischievous British dandy Laszlo and Demetriou's seductive Nadja, they're like a blood-sucking Bonnie and Clyde (but much funnier). Guillén plays Nandor's familiar, who'd do anything to join the undead, while Proksch's Colin is an 'energy vampire'. And Feldstein's Jenna is a college student with a new craving. If you haven't caught the series yet, here's one of the first season's trailers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWUiU3t5udM Can't wait to sink your fangs into more? The first season is still on the air at present, and the second season will continue the story — charting Nandor, Laszlo, Nadja and the group's undead antics in the New York borough. It wasn't easy being a centuries-old bloodsucker in Wellington in the movie, and it's just as tough (and amusing) on the other side of the world. What We Do in the Shadows' first season is currently airing on Foxtel's Showcase channel weekly at 8.30pm on Tuesdays. Expect the second season in 2020. Via Variety.
When the Mardi Gras Film Festival returns each, it's wonderful news for Sydney's cinephiles. For folks located outside of the Harbour City, it's been fantastic news, too, for the past few years. Catering to movie lovers Australia-wide is fast, and welcomely, becoming a pandemic-era film fest staple — and MGFF has been jumping on the trend heartily. That includes in 2023, thanks to a 21-title online lineup. Not in Sydney but still want to watch along between Wednesday, February 15–Thursday, March 2? If you're in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide or elsewhere across the country, you still have a feast of queer cinema coming your way. More flicks are available at the fest's in-person event compared to its digital lineup, but a nice selection will be screening online for those playing along at home and interstate. LGBTQIA+ movie lovers watching on from the couch can check out 21 features. Highlights span Black as U R, a doco about the lack of attention paid to the black queer community; Icelandic spoof Cop Secret; Blitzed!, about the eponymous London nightclub, with Boy George, Princess Julia and Spandau Ballet sharing their memories; and Youtopia, which explores the inadvertent formation of a hipster cult. And, there's also In Her Words, an ode to 20th-century lesbian fiction; A Place of Our Own, an Indian drama about two trans friends; and All Man: The International Male Story, exploring how a menswear catalogue became a homoerotic handbook — as well as the COVID-era set sci-fi road-trip flick Unidentified Objects, a winner at Outfest LA.
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]
This week Art/Work has a chat with Jai Pyne, frontman of local Sydney band, The Paper Scissors. I won't bother with the talk up because I am sure you already know them, and if you don't - you should! - they have already reached Mecca in guest programming Rage, so there. Come with us as Jai takes us for a wander through his day and round his 'hood. Most days you'll find me in my kitchen. I cook as much as I can, it gets me away from the computer. There are so many virtual things in life that it's nice to get real things and combine them and eat them, for real. When I am not there I am behind my computer doing work on stuff for the band. In my day job I teach people how to make coffee, I'm a Barista trainer. I work for The Golden Cobra, which sounds like a martial arts school, but is actually a coffee roaster. I spent a long time working as a barista, but starting work at 7am very much conflicts with playing music. I'm also working at a restaurant in Surry Hills a few days a week, it's called El Capo. It's all Latin American style street food. At the moment I am working on some new songs with The Paper Scissors. In Loving Memory was made over the course of 18 months, so after purging that we have started working on new music. If money wasn't an issue I'd make more music, I'd have a better kitchen and I'd buy more clothes. Being a musician in Sydney is fun. I was tempted to say it was hard, which it is, but it's also pretty amazing. I've met lots of great people in the last 6 or so years through music, some of them I now count as my best friends, I've seen some of them succeed wildly, I've seen some of them have babies, buy houses, I play basketball with some of them, I have man dates with them, I have played music with them. Plus just being fortunate enough to be a musician is a very amazing thing, I've been able to travel, play to people that are having the time of their life because of your music, I've heard my music being blasted out of speakers, on the radio… all good things. I wish that there were more people with heaps of money that would open venues in Sydney, but hey, money is an issue. My neighbourhood is great. I live of the South end of King Street in Newtown. I've been here for 4 years. I think Newtown has its crap bits, lots of shit Thai restaurants, shit cafes, but I still love this end of town. There are heaps of cool little shops and random oddities, I love the Fiji Market - spices, coconuts, any random ingredient you need, and Pete's Musicians Market is always good for a browse. It's hard to find a good coffee but Addison Road and thus Alchemy is nearby which is some of the best coffee in Sydney. I like the fact that Newtown is at the edge of the inner city, so you can go to Marrickville, or Dulwich Hill or other spots that are a bit more removed from the upwardly-mobile-elite in the inner city and you get to see real people that have lived there for ever and will sell you olives or Portuguese custard tarts, or charcoal chicken or obscure Spanish beers. My favourite spot in Sydney is by the water. I grew up in Sydney and have lived everywhere from here to Bondi to Balmain, my parents and I moved almost yearly when I was a kid. I really like the cliffs at Coogee, the south end, I just like feeling like you are at the end of the earth although you are in a massive city. https://youtube.com/watch?v=H5EqYCBq0E4
Wearable technology has been around for a few years now, but hasn't really taken off. Google Glass tried to get everyone to stick a computer on their face, while the Apple Watch attempted to move smartphones onto everyone's wrists; however, as cool and suitably futuristic as both are, they're hardly must-have gadgets. Enter Snapchat, their first foray into the hardware realm, and the pair of sunnies everyone's going to want. We'll let you ponder that concept for a few moments, because sunglasses that record 10-second bursts of video sound both amazing and familiar, and not just because there's been a rumour that Snapchat has been working on something like this floating around for a while now. Called Spectacles and revealed by The Wall Street Journal in an interview with Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel, they're basically a cheaper version of Google's eyewear with one specific function; but hey, letting everyone do something they already could in a slightly different way has worked out pretty well for them so far, hasn't it? As well as turning the act of taking photos into a mostly hands-free task (unless you can press buttons with your mind, you're still going to have to lift a finger to the frames to start each clip, sadly), Spectacles boast two major drawcards. Firstly, they look like regular glasses, rather than Robocop-like attire, complete with black, teal and coral styles. And even better, they're going to be affordable, at US$130 a pair. Other features include a 115-degree lens designed to mimic the human field of vision, as well as the ability to capture circular images to approximate our natural perspective. And yes, everything you record with your new toy will then upload to your Snapchat account, after connecting to your phone via wifi. No word as yet regarding an Aussie release date, but a limited number are due out in the US sometime over the next couple of months. Via The Wall Street Journal. Image: Business Insider.
Fancy yourself a heist film? Well, take a load of this one. Think Ocean's Eleven, but without the tuxedos and flashy casinos. Logan Lucky takes you down to the American south, the home of NASCAR in North Carolina. Steven Soderbergh, of the Ocean's movies and Magic Mike, pairs Channing Tatum and Adam Driver as two brothers eager to break a 90-year family curse in the soon-to-be-released heist-comedy. The film follows Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) and Clyde Logan (Adam Driver) as they plot to steal from NASCAR's Charlotte Motor Speedway. With help from their friends, the so-called 'Redneck Robbers', the Logan brothers set out to pinch themselves $14million from the race. The film has already garnered positive reviews from critics, especially with a stellar cast also including Riley Keough, Seth MacFarlane, Hilary Swank, Katie Holmes and Daniel Craig, taking on a very different role to his iconic James Bond as an escaped inmate. Logan Lucky releases on August 17, and we have double passes to giveaway in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eqC27nxHJ4[/embed] [competition]630960[/competition]
One of the world's top chefs is opening a new restaurant in Sydney later this year. But unlike the many (many) upscale restaurants coming and going in our city, this latest project by Massimo Bottura — the culinary powerhouse and chef behind the world's best restaurant, Osteria Francescana — is not for those with big budgets, but rather for the less affluent. The restaurant, which will be run in collaboration with Australian food rescue charity OzHarvest, was announced at an on-stage conversation Bottura held at the State Theatre last night. The event was largely a platform to promote the chef's charitable Food for Soul project which, akin to Sydney-based not-for-profit OzHarvest, seeks to promote awareness about food wastage and hunger. And it won't be the first time Bottura has worked with OzHarvest and its Founder Ronni Kahn, either. The pair partnered up for a one-off charitable dinner back in 2017, raising money for both OzHarvest and Food for Soul. Kahn says the restaurant — or refettorio, a communal kitchens for socially vulnerable groups — came as a natural progression of this. "I first met Massimo in 2016 — it was like meeting a kindred spirit that I had known all my life," said Kahn in a statement. "We share the same passion, values and vision to create a better world…I'm excited and privileged to be able to bring his refettorio to life in Australia." [caption id="attachment_715651" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Massimo Bottura, Ronni Kahn and the team behind 2017's Cooking with a Conscience dinner. Image: Nikki To[/caption] The restaurant will be Bottura's fifth refettorio with the other venues located in Milan, Rio de Janeiro, London and Paris. At all of his kitchens, Bottura uses rescued food to create the meals — and often teams up with the city's best chefs to do so — for homeless communities and those living in poverty. Currently scoping out potential locations, Kahn and Bottura are hopeful the restaurant will open sometime this year. It will be run by both chefs and volunteers — expect to see some of the faces above in the kitchen — and might expand beyond the current refettorio model of serving vulnerable people to offer meals for the whole community. So, by the end of the year, you might be eating Bottura's food right here in Sydney. The Sydney refettorio is slated to open by the end of the year. We'll update you as soon as we know more.
When Taika Waititi directed both Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder, he brought a touch of New Zealand's sense of humour to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now Marvel is bringing an exhibition showcasing its hefty history to Aotearoa. Making its public debut, the brand-new Marvel: Earth's Mightiest Exhibition will world-premiere in Wellington in December. MCU fans of NZ and Australia: if you're keen, you'll need to head to Te Whanganui-a-Tara this summer and autumn. On offer across a huge five-month stint is a big celebration of Marvel's 85-year run so far, from its days on the page only to its current big- and small-screen domination. Running from Thursday, December 14, 2023–Sunday, April 28, 2024, this is the type of showcase that's bound to be filled with costumes — on the walls and on attendees. If you live and breathe all things superhero, a visit is a must. If this sounds familiar, Australia hosted its a massive Marvel exhibition, Brisbane's Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art, back in 2017 — but Marvel: Earth's Mightiest Exhibition is its own new thing. It'll display at Tākina, Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre for its first-ever unveiling, and as an exclusive. If there'll be any future stops down the line hasn't been announced. MCU aficionados can look forward to a hefty array of original comic art, props from the films and rare artifacts. Designs, memorabilia, those costumes: they're all included as well. So are behind-the-scenes glimpses that'll span space, New York City and everywhere in-between, plus chances to get up close to Marvel's characters — although exactly what the latter means also hasn't been revealed. Whatever you're looking at while wandering through Marvel: Earth's Mightiest Exhibition, you'll be surveying more than eight decades of caped crusaders — and, because the exhibition arrives after The Marvels will hit cinemas, the MCU's 33-movies-and-counting run to-date, too. "We are very excited to welcome comic fans and film buffs to the capital," said Warrick Dent, tourism body WellingtonNZ's General Manager for Events and Experiences. "Our small but mighty city is home to a thriving film industry that's behind some of the biggest-ever movie blockbusters; the countdown is on until the world's newest Marvel exhibition opens its doors." Marvel: Earth's Mightiest Exhibition will run from Thursday, December 14, 2023–Sunday, April 28, 2024 at Tākina, Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre, 50 Cable Street, Te Aro, Wellington, New Zealand — head to the venue's website for further details and tickets.
Continuing the trend of ingenious bike accessories, the MAMA bike rack allows your two-wheeler to literally stand above the rest. A collaboration between furniture designer Matt Elton and graphic designer Matteo Baldarelli, this neat device has two smooth hooks for you to hang your bike on. The rack also has three holes where locks and cables can be looped through and secured. The powder coated finish means that this rack can be secured to walls both inside and outside. Impressively, the rack's simple and compact design also provides a small shelf above the two hooks. This leaves an ideal platform for you to place your morning flat white. The MAMA bike rack will ensure that your bicycle stands in style, and are available for purchase from designer Matt Elton.
A long time ago, in this very galaxy, brass instruments sounded, a text crawl started and the first Star Wars film burst onto the screen. Thanks to director George Lucas and composer John Williams, it's one of the most iconic movie openings in history — and, in all of its force-wielding, Death Star-destroying, orchestra-scored glory, the sci-fi classic is making a kriffing special return. With Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens getting the concert treatment in 2017, every jedi, wookiee, droid and even sith around the rest of the country has been crossing their fingers and toes for a similar blend of Star Wars movies and music. Those hopes and dreams are being answered with three screenings of Star Wars: Episode VI — A New Hope at Hamer Hall in February 2018. The film will roll, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will perform Williams' Oscar-winning compositions, and you'll burst with a Millennium Falcon's worth of happiness. Whether you're a huge Star Wars buff eager to ride a wave of excitement past Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi's December release, just have a casual interest, or have no idea what the term R2-D2 means, mark February 2 and 3 in your diary and prepare to experience history — it's the first time that a live performance has accompanied A New Hope in Melbourne. The MSO's associate conductor Benjamin Northey will once again lead the charge, as the city's finest provide the soundtrack to Luke Skywalker meeting Obi-Wan Kenobi, Princess Leia sending a message for help, Han Solo oozing his usual attitude and Darth Vader just being a power-hungry jerk.
Brisvegas is living up to its (much-loved) nickname and will play host to not one, but three music festivals in September. The annual Brisbane Festival will run alongside industry pioneer BIGSOUND and newcomer Sweet Relief! to form the Brisbane Music Trail. For those further down south who aren't blessed enough to live in perpetual sunshine, there's never been a better time to visit Queensland's capital as international music icons Groove Armada will be joined by Aussie stars The Avalanches, Paul Kelly and Cut Copy, along with up-and-comers from across the country. The first Sweet Relief! will take place on Saturday, September 16 at outdoor entertainment venue Maritime Green. Groove Armada and The Avalanches will headline, with performances from Ladyhawke, Cut Copy and DJs Nina Las Vegas, Latifa Tee and YO! MAFIA. Festival-goers can also register to participate in a dress-up contest judged by media personality Osher Günsberg and drag diva Jimi The Kween, which could see them win over $10,000 in prizes, including a four-day getaway to Far North Queensland. From Tuesday, September 5 to Friday, September 8, all eyes will be on BIGSOUND: one of the country's biggest music industry gatherings. For over 20 years, BIGSOUND has launched music careers and brought together a community of tastemakers and industry leaders. Past artists who have been discovered there include Flume, Gang of Youths, Tash Sultana, Ball Park Music and Thelma Plum. This year is no exception, with a lineup that includes rising stars 1tbsp, Izy, POOKIE, FELIVAND, KUZCO and Khi'leb, and attendees from Roc Nation, SXSW, Paramount, CAA and Interscope Records. Brisbane Festival will run from Friday, September 1 to Sunday, September 23 with a packed program of free events, family-friendly experiences, art installations, theatre shows and cultural performances. Musical acts include Paul Kelly, the Soweto Gospel Choir and Gretta Ray. Don't miss the kick-off on Saturday, September 2, as the fireworks spectacular, Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust, sets the sky alight above Brisbane River. Get your tickets and find out more at the Queensland Music Trails website.
Now in his tenth year of making music, Nicolas Jaar was previously known for his 'blue-wave' minimal techno. But at a young 24 years, Jaar has already progressed in style. Darkside moves away from anything he's created on his lonesome. Collaborator Dave Harrington, a multi-instrumentalist from Brooklyn, might have previously said he prefers making music that's sad. But speaking from his hotel room in icy Oxford, Jaar concedes that Darkside isn't dark at all; it has an electro-psyche-jazz sound all of its own. Right now, Darkside are in the UK as part of the Psychic world tour alongside their recently released debut album of the same name. Receiving rave reviews from both critics, and, well, ravers, Psychic scored two 'Best New Track' slots with Pitchfork after the 11-minute opener 'Golden Arrow' was released as a free download in August. But Jaar refuses to get carried away by critics and their reviews. Because, as he says, there'll always be those who love your music and others who hate it. For Jaar, it's about taking fans to a new place. "The only hope for musicians is that we're communicating something," says Jaar, coming over all Alice in Wonderland. "I just hope that people are able to fall into the small worlds that we try to create." Harrington originally played with Jaar as part of his touring live band. But after jamming together between gigs, the duo quickly morphed into Darkside back in 2011. Now they're back to where it all began — on tour — and Sydney and Melbourne are next on their list of places to wow. Darkside are at their best when heard live. but there's no use in predicting how their sets will pan out. Though their drawn-out electronica is likely to have us fall down the rabbit hole, each of their performances are different. "We try to improvise every night because we're doing this so much, and we're playing so many shows," says Jaar of their live performances. "We feel like, if we change it up here and there every night we'll slowly get to a better understanding of what we're trying to say. And as musicians we're getting better and better." Darkside's Psychic world tour has sold out shows across Europe. And since Jaar sold out his solo gigs at 2013's Sydney Festival, their Hi-Fi and Palace Theatre gigs are expected to go the same way. After all, in the year that's passed, the duo's evolving sounds have only garnered more fame. And don't expect that to slow down any time soon. It appears we can expect even more from Darkside over the coming year. "We're hoping to write a new record," says Jaar. Sadly, they've not as yet begun writing: "We're thinking about it." For now we'll have to settle with Psychic and their upcoming live shows. But who are we kidding; we couldn't ask for more. Darkside play Sydney's Hi-Fi on Wednesday, April 2, and Melbourne's Palace Theatre on Friday, April 4 (tickets for both via Oztix). Thanks to Modular, we have one double pass to give away in each city. 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 https://youtube.com/watch?v=d8NaWT0WvEE
If you're a fictional movie or TV character facing a towering kaiju, any amount of Godzilla is usually too much Godzilla. If you're a creature-feature fan, however, there's no such thing as too much Godzilla. And, with Japanese film Godzilla Minus One and American streaming series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters both on their way, screens big and small are embracing that idea right now. There's no such thing as too many Godzilla-related trailers at the moment, too, with the first Japanese Godzilla feature in seven years dropping its sneak peek and now Monsterverse series following in its giant footsteps. The latter ties in with 2014's Godzilla, 2019's Godzilla: King of the Monsters and 2021's Godzilla vs Kong, plus 2024's Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, a sequel to the latter. Expect Monarch: Legacy of Monsters to stampede onto Apple TV+ from Friday, November 17. Yes, everything is a pop-culture universe these days. Yes, spreading from cinemas to television is all part of the process (see: Star Wars and Marvel, and also upcoming The Conjuring and Harry Potter shows). In this case, the Monsterverse is going the episodic route via a story set across generations and 50 years, and also with Kurt Russell (Fast and Furious 9) and Wyatt Russell (Under the Banner of Heaven) playing older and younger versions of the same figure. The father-son pair take on the role of army officer Lee Shaw, who is drawn into the series by a couple of siblings attempting to keep up their dad's work after events between Godzilla and the Titans in San Francisco in the aforementioned 2014 film. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters also involves unpacking family links to clandestine outfit Monarch, events back in the 50s and how what Shaw knows threatens the organisation. So, there'll be monsters and rampages, and also secrets, lies and revelations. Giving audiences two Russells in one series is dream casting, as the just-dropped first teaser shows. Also appearing on-screen: Anna Sawai (Pachinko), Kiersey Clemons (The Flash), Ren Watabe (461 Days of Bento), Mari Yamamoto (also Pachinko), Anders Holm (Inventing Anna), Joe Tippett (The Morning Show), Elisa Lasowski (Hill of Vision) and John Goodman (The Righteous Gemstones). Behind the scenes, Chris Black (Severance) and Matt Fraction (Da Vinci's Demons) have co-developed Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, while Matt Shakman (The Consultant, Welcome to Chippendales) helms the opening pair of episodes — and all three are among the series' executive producers. Check out the first trailer for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters below: Monarch: Legacy of Monsters will start streaming via Apple TV+ from Friday, November 17, 2023.
2017 is proving to be a huge year for fans of horror master Stephen King. It has been creeping out coulrophobics and creeping its way to box office glory, The Dark Tower finally made it to the screen (even if it didn't come anywhere near close to doing the source material justice), and new TV series based on The Mist, Castle Rock and Mr. Mercedes have either premiered in the US, or are slated to later this year. There's even yet another Children of the Corn sequel — the tenth film in the series — headed straight to DVD. Add to that Netflix's new flick, 1922. It's the first movie adaptation of King's novella of the same name from his 2010 collection Full Dark, No Stars. Starring King veteran Thomas Jane, who also featured in the film version of The Mist as well as the terrible Dreamcatcher, it tells the tale of a Nebraska farmer unhappy with his wife's (Molly Parker) desire to move to the city. Things get gruesome and then also spooky, in a movie scripted and directed by Australian These Final Hours filmmaker Zak Hilditch. 1922 premiered at Fantastic Fest in the US overnight, and will pop up on Netflix on October 20. In the interim, the streaming platform has dropped a trailer for the suitably moody effort. Check it out below — and if you need something else to scratch your King-loving itch while you wait for the complete movie, they're also releasing the psychological horror effort Gerald's Game, based on the author's 1992 novel, on September 29. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E_fT0aTsjI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twbGU2CqqQU
It has finally happened, Melburnians. After two prolonged periods spent empty this year, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Melbourne picture palaces are back in business. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made over the past three months, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer from this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSfX-nrg-lI MANK In 2010's The Social Network, David Fincher surveyed the story of an outsider and upstart who would become a business magnate, wield significant influence and have an immense impact upon the world. The applauded and astute film tells the tale of Mark Zuckerberg and of Facebook's development — but it's also the perfect precursor to Fincher's latest movie, Mank. This time around, the filmmaker focuses on a man who once spun a similar narrative. A drama critic turned screenwriter, Herman J Mankiewicz scored the gig of his lifetime when he was hired to pen Orson Welles' first feature, and he drew upon someone from his own life to do so. Citizen Kane is famous for many things, but its central character of Charles Foster Kane is also famously partially based on US media mogul William Randolph Hearst, who Mankiewicz knew personally. Accordingly, Mank sees Fincher step behind the scenes of an iconic movie that his own work has already paralleled — to ponder how fact influences fiction, how stories that blaze across screens silver and small respond to the world around them, and how one man's best-known achievement speaks volumes about both in a plethora of ways. Mank is a slice-of-life biopic about Mankiewicz's (Gary Oldman) time writing Citizen Kane's screenplay, as well as his career around it. It's catnip for the iconic feature's multitudes of fans, in fact. But it also peers at a bigger picture, because that's classic Fincher. When the film introduces its eponymous scribe, it's 1940, and he's recovering from a car accident. In a cast and confined to bed due to a broken leg, he has been dispatched to a Mojave Desert ranch by Welles (Tom Burke, The Souvenir) and his colleague John Houseman (Sam Troughton, Chernobyl), all so he can work his word-slinging mastery. As Mankiewicz toils, the movie wanders back to times, places and people that inspire his prose, especially from the decade prior. Dictating his text to British secretary Rita Alexander (Lily Collins), he draws upon his friendships with Hearst (Charles Dance, Game of Thrones) and the news baron's starlet mistress Marion Davies (Amanda Seyfried) in particular. And yes, as anyone who has seen Citizen Kane will spot, Mank's nonlinear structure apes the script that Mankiewicz pens. Many of the latter film's glimmering black-and-white shots do as well, although you won't spot a sled called Rosebud here. In a script by Jack Fincher — father of David, who wrote the screenplay in the 90s before passing away in 2003 — Mank suggests other factors that made Mankiewicz the person he was, and that shaped Citizen Kane's script as well. Combine all of the above, and a dense and detailed movie results. That's Fincher's wheelhouse, after all. Mank is also visually ravishing and textured, and tonally cutting and icy — which, along with weighty performances, are all Fincher hallmarks. But there's both depth and distance to Mank. It peers in and pokes about, but it never wholly lures the audience in. Watching Oldman and Seyfried's rich scenes together, viewers will wish it did, though. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETK0fOKwJNQ MONSOON Home may mean different things to different people but, in Monsoon, Vietnam doesn't mean home to Kit (Henry Golding). He was born there, in the aftermath of the war. He spent his earliest years in the Asian nation, with his parents caught up in the aftermath of the conflict. But when he was still a child, his family left for a refugee camp in Hong Kong and then moved permanently to London. Now, as an adult who has lived the bulk of his existence far away, he returns for the first time to bring back his mother's and father's ashes. He's instantly thrown off balance upon his arrival, whether he's driving through moped-filled streets or walking around crowded markets. Little of what he remembers is the same — his old house and his neighbourhood stomping grounds, particularly — and he doesn't recall as much as his childhood best friend Lee (David Tran), who stayed behind, would clearly like. Of what he does recollect, some crucial details clash with Lee's versions, too. Consequently, as Kit roves around Saigon and then Hanoi (his place of birth and his parents' original home, respectively), he's searching for a connection. He'll make one, but not in the way he expects. Monsoon tells a noticeably slight tale, but Cambodian-born Chinese British writer/director Hong Khaou (Lilting) is keenly and overwhelmingly aware that a sense of belonging doesn't simply come with one's birth certificate. He's also a minimalistic filmmaker, in a sense. He delves into straightforward scenarios, and knows that he needn't layer them with too many external complicating factors. In other words, he's cognisant that merely examining how a person copes — even in a very commonplace situation — can deliver several lifetimes worth of complexity without a wealth of other narrative roadblocks or setbacks. As a result, both Khaou and Monsoon ask a significant amount of Golding; they demand more than his previous charisma-driven roles in Crazy Rich Asians, A Simple Favour and Last Christmas have combined, actually. Viewers of those three films already know that he can radiate charm like few other actors currently appearing on-screen, but Monsoon requires Golding's soulful best. At every moment, he's tasked with conveying the potent thoughts and jumbled emotions swelling inside Kit, and with doing so largely without dialogue. It's a quietly powerful performance, and it's one that the movie steadfastly needs. It's one that Monsoon depends upon, kin fact. Thanks in no small part to his efforts, Monsoon feels comfortable and intimate and eye-opening and new all at once — and proves immensely affecting viewing. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq1F1opr_FE&t=2s ELLIE AND ABBIE (AND ELLIE'S DEAD AUNT) As a teen rom-com about two high schoolers working through their attraction for each other as they're also trying to work out what to do with their lives and how to simply be themselves, there's a strong sense of familiarity about Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt). That isn't a sign of laziness, however, because first-time feature writer/director Monica Zanetti wants you to register how much her film resembles other entries in its genre — and to notice what it's doing differently. There's a purposeful sense of clumsiness about the Sydney-set movie, too. Again, that's by design. Studious school captain Ellie (Sophie Hawkshaw, Love Child) has a simmering crush on the far cooler, calmer and more collected Abbie (Zoe Terakes, Janet King), but is struggling to stump up the courage to ask her to the school formal. When the pair do slowly start becoming closer, Ellie doesn't know exactly what to do, or what's expected, or how to be the person she wants to be in her first relationship. Complicating matters is the distance she feels from her mother, Erica (Marta Dusseldorp, Stateless), as she navigates such new emotional terrain — oh, and the fact that, as the title gives away, Ellie's dead aunt Tara (Julia Billington) suddenly starts hovering around and dispensing advice about following her feelings. So far, so sweet. Of course, unfurling a queer romance within such well-worn confines shouldn't be such a remarkable act (and an Australian teen queer romance at that), but it still currently is. Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt) isn't just entertaining and understanding, cute and creative with its teen romance, and proudly celebratory of LGBTQIA+ perspectives, though. It's all those things, but Zanetti's decision to open the door to a deeper contemplation of Australia's historical treatment of the queer community gives considerable depth and weight to a movie that mightn't have earned those terms otherwise. The brightly shot feature has a strong sense of place, but without including all of the usual landmark shots that make many features feel like tourism campaigns. More importantly, it has a clear understanding of what LGBTQIA+ Sydneysiders have weathered in past decades. That activism is layered throughout the film in an overt subplot and, while it's hardly treated with nuance (an observation that applies to much of the picture), it's a powerful inclusion. Simply by reaching local cinema screens, Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt) makes a statement, but it also pays tribute to all the statements made in big and bold ways — and with tragic and painful outcomes, too — to get to this point in Australian queer history. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rIcXgMx7hU PINOCCHIO It has been 80 years since Disney's Pinocchio unleashed a wooden puppet and the woodcarver who made him upon animation-loving audiences, adapting Carlo Collodi's 1883 Italian children's novel The Adventures of Pinocchio in the process. And, over that period, that film has remained the version of record. Indeed, it's the reason that generations of viewers are familiar with the story. Matteo Garrone's (Gomorrah) new live-action movie of the same name earns a place alongside it, however. It's one of three new and upcoming features tackling the narrative, ahead of a stop-motion flick co-directed by The Shape of Water's Guillermo del Toro that's due to hit Netflix next year and Disney's own flesh-and-blood iteration that's slated to be helmed by The Witches' Robert Zemeckis — and it serves up a tender and sumptuous take on the fairytale. In relaying how the kindly Geppetto (Life Is Beautiful Oscar-winner Roberto Benigni) shaped a lively log into a boy-sized puppet (Federico Ielapi), who then decides to see the world and strive to become a real child, it also hews far closer to the source material than its animated predecessor. This is a movie clearly made with an abundance of affection for its inspiration, too, and that love and devotion shines through in every frame. In fact, the feature's visuals prove its strongest element, including in bringing Pinocchio to life. He's a detailed marvel who appears oh-so realistic and yet also looks uncanny as well, as intended, and the decision to use a child actor wearing prosthetics rather than relying heavily upon CGI works a charm. The world that Garrone spins around the eponymous puppet is similarly rich and fantastical — and whimsical, although the latter is overdone. Pinocchio is far more resonant when it's letting its central figure discover that being human involves weathering all the cruelties that the earth's population has in store for each other, and watching him learn that Geppetto's unconditional fondness and acceptance is sadly rare. It's much less involving when it's leaning overtly into quirkiness, although that should probably be expected with Benigni involved. Where eccentricity is concerned, this tale already has plenty baked in, as the Fox (Massimo Ceccherini), the Cat (Rocco Papaleo) and the Fairy with Turquoise Hair (Marine Vacth, If You Saw His Heart) all make plain. But even if the whole movie is a little overstated, Garrone has still made a beautiful movie — and one that feels like the natural next step after 2015's Tale of Tales and even 2018's Dogman. https://vimeo.com/469681168 LOVE OPERA Australia's performing arts scene has been shuttered for much of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But documentary Love Opera lets viewers peer behind the scenes of a production that hit the stage long before anyone had ever heard of the novel coronavirus that changed life as we know it this year — and to spend time with the talented folks who toiled to make the show in question happen, too. The opera: Carmen. The bodies responsible: the Lisa Gasteen National Opera Program (LGNOP) and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. The year: 2017. Established by internationally renowned Australian soprano Lisa Gasteen, the intensive program trains Australian and New Zealand opera singers, and has put on a semi-staged production at the end of each year since 2017. Accordingly, Love Opera follows LGNOP's first attempt to do just that, from the casting through until the final product. Gasteen features prominently, understandably, chatting not just about the show at hand and the process of bringing it to fruition, but also running through her career, its ups and downs, the reality of getting to the top of the industry and her decisions for embarking upon her current path. Also lending the film their thoughts, feelings and observations are the program's cofounder Nancy Underhill, plus conductors Alondra de la Parra and Simone Young, as well as singers such as Rachel Pines and Morgan England-Jones. There's much to cover, as filmmaker Liselle Mei recognises, with the film quickly flitting through a wealth of material — and touching upon a plethora of topics in the process. The physicality required to be an opera singer, the passion that drives it, the difficulty of being a younger talent when many roles are written for older characters, the way the art form has been changing over the years, the treatment of queer creatives: all of this earns the documentary's attention, and each could've received more screen time if there wasn't so much to cover. But Love Opera never feels slight on any area of interest. It doesn't break the behind-the-scenes doco mould, either, but it delivers a broad rather than shallow snapshot of everything required to make the LGNOP's version of Carmen happen. Brisbanites will notice all of the drone shots of the movie's setting, which can border on intrusive; however, both opera lovers and newcomers alike receive an insightful glimpse at the ins and outs of the medium, its homegrown stars both established and emerging, and the hard work behind crooning its tunes in such a resonant fashion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK3eDfkXBzg SAVAGE Tattoos covering his cheeks, nose and forehead, a scowl affixed almost as permanently, but raw sorrow lurking in his eyes, Jake Ryan cuts a striking sight in Savage. He's a walking, drinking, growling, hammer-swinging advertisement for toxic masculinity — how it looks at its most stereotypical extreme, and how it often masks pain and struggle — and the performance is the clear highlight of the Home and Away, Wolf Creek and Underbelly actor's resume to-date. Playing a character named Danny but also known as Damage, Ryan's efforts also perfectly epitomise the New Zealand gang drama he's in, which similarly wraps in-your-face packaging around a softer, richer core. Savage's protagonist and plot have had plenty of predecessors over the years in various ways, from Once Were Warriors' exploration of violence, to Mean Streets' chronicle of crime-driven youth, plus the bikie warfare of Sons of Anarchy and even Aussie film 1%, but there's a weightiness on display here that can't just be wrung from a formula. That said, although written and directed by feature debutant Sam Kelly based on true tales from NZ's real-life gangs spanning three decades, Savage does noticeably follow a predictable narrative path. Viewers first meet Danny in 1989, when he's the second-in-charge of the Savages, which is overseen by his lifelong best friend Moses (John Tui, Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw, Solo: A Star Wars Story). The film also jumps back to two prior periods in his life, in 1965 and 1972, to explain why Danny is in his current situation physically, mentally and emotionally. Aided by suitably gritty and restless camerawork that mirrors its protagonist's inner turmoil, Savage packs a punch when it lets that unease fester in quiet moments. It's also particularly astute when honing in on Danny and Moses's complicated friendship, and how pivotal it is throughout their constantly marginalised lives. There's never any doubting that Savage is a movie about family, including the traumas they can inflict, the hurt that comes with being torn away from loved ones at a young age, the kinship found in understanding pals and the concept of brotherhood in gangs, and the feature is at its most affecting when it lets these truths emanate naturally. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9Vm7cpQX80 HOPE GAP If you're going to watch a couple navigate the waning days of their decades-long marriage, and watch as their adult son tries to cope with the fallout, too, then you might as well be directing your eyeballs at Annette Bening, Bill Nighy, and God's Own Country and The Crown star Josh O'Connor. They play Grace, Edward and Jamie, respectively, with their family rocked by the revelation that mild-mannered, history-obsessed teacher Edward is leaving after 29 years because he's fallen in love with another woman. Usually the shining light and driving force in their modest house in a seaside town, Grace doesn't take the news well. Jamie, who lives in the city and doesn't generally come home as often as anyone would like, swiftly becomes his mother's main source of a support and a go-between with his father. As written and directed by second-time filmmaker William Nicholson (1997 feature Firelight) based on his 1999 play The Retreat from Moscow, little in Hope Gap's narrative offers surprises — especially if you've seen other movies about marital breakdowns, such as 2019's far meatier Marriage Story — but the British drama benefits considerably from its central trio of talent and their performances. While the plot plays out as anticipated, one aspect of Hope Gap does veer from the expected formula — and that'd be O'Connor. That he's an exceptional actor isn't new news, but he's firmly the heart of this wordy drama about the yearning and breaking hearts of his character's parents. He's also the most soulful part of the film; however, that isn't a criticism of Bening and Nighy. In spiky but still vulnerable mode, Bening may struggle with an unconvincing English accent, but she cuts to the core of Grace's bravado and pain. Nighy plays his part in a far softer, gentler, more nervous register, and helps make it plain just how Grace and Edward's marriage has gotten to this fracturing point. In a handsomely shot movie that intertwines picturesque glimpses of the coast with tense domestic scenes — and uses poetry verses to help convey emotion as well — they all demand the viewers' attention. But without the especially tender and thoughtful O'Connor, Hope Gap would've felt like just another average portrait of a longstanding relationship imploding, even with Bening and Nigh's impressive work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS9AYlUfp0A FATMAN When a film or TV show fills one of its roles in a gimmicky way that's obviously designed to garner publicity, it's called stunt casting. The term wholeheartedly applies to Fatman, a flimsy action-comedy that features Mel Gibson as Santa (and delivers his second big-screen release of 2020 after the abysmal Force of Nature). Even just reading about the premise, you can probably see the light bulbs going off in casting executives and other filmmaking powers-that-be's heads when they came up with the idea — because enlisting the American-born, Australian-raised actor as the symbol of all things wholesome and jolly sits in stark contrast to the far-from-jovial string of controversies that have popped up in his personal life, especially over the past decade. But a movie needs more than a blatant stunt to actually serve up something worth watching. And as far as shameless attempts to grab attention go, getting Gibson to play the red-suited figure just proves ill-advised and uncomfortable rather than provocative. Writer/directors Eshom Nelms and Ian Nelms (Small Town Crime) must feel otherwise, though, because there's very little else to this festive-themed movie. 'Tis the season for dull and muddled movies that aren't anywhere near as edgy as its makers think, and aren't funny or entertaining at all, it seems. Three male characters drive Fatman's narrative, starting with Chris Cringle (Gibson), who oversees a Canadian workshop that's forced to take a military contract to get by. Kids just aren't behaving themselves enough these days, so he's delivering more lumps of coal than presents — and the stipend he receives from the US government to cover the elf-made gifts has decreased as a result. One of those bratty children, 12-year-old rich kid Billy Wenan (Chance Hurstfield, Good Boys), decides he isn't happy with his haul one Christmas. His solution: enlisting an assassin to bump off Santa as payback. Said hitman, who is just called Skinny Man (Walton Goggins), has been harbouring a lifelong grudge against the titular character anyway and doesn't take much convincing. Ant-Man and the Wasp and Them That Follow star Goggins is the best thing about a movie that has very little going for it, which speaks volumes about the one-note plot points. But given the distinct lack of jokes, the clumsy attempts to satirise today's supposedly uncaring times and the routine feel that infuses even its frenzied scenes of violence, he can't turn the film into a gift for anyone. Fatman wants to be an action-packed take on a Bad Santa-esque comedy, but ends up faring even worse than that beloved movie's awful sequel Bad Santa 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tdce40rfRbk ALL MY LIFE No one with cancer would wish for their experience with the horrific disease to be turned into a schmaltzy movie about how hard their illness was for their partner. Based on the true story of digital marketer-turned-chef Solomon Chau and his psychology masters student girlfriend and later wife Jennifer Carter, that's what All My Life serves up — and while it feigns to focus on both of them, this overt attempt at tugging on viewers' heartstrings makes it clear that it's really about the latter. The title refers to Jenn (Jessica Rothe, Happy Death Day) and the 'make every moment count' wisdom she discovers watching Sol (Harry Shum Jr, Crazy Rich Asians) battle liver cancer. Over and over again, especially in tough and devastating situations, the film's visuals focus on her rather than him, too. It cuts away from him when he's explaining how difficult it all is, to follow her anger about their changed wedding plans instead. It literally foregrounds her in a shot when he's just received a big blow, and is understandably failing to cope. And it gives her time to scream in anguish in her car after yet more unpleasant news comes his way, in case viewers weren't certain who the movie thinks is the real victim. All My Life may be shot in the soft and sunny hues of a trite Nicholas Sparks-penned romance — and clearly aspire to sit in their company — but it's insidious in the way it uses one real-life person's sickness to make its preferred protagonist seem more interesting. It's a gender-flipped, illness-driven variation on the dead wife trope, as seen in the likes of Inception and Shutter Island, where the male lead is given a sob story to make his tale more dramatic. It's firmly in line with the way that cinema routinely sidelines those dealing with cancer over those standing by their sides, as seen far too often (when a movie about cancer or featuring a cancer-stricken character doesn't stick to the template, such as Babyteeth earlier this year, it stands out). The narrative details that All My Life chronicles may stem from reality, but they're ground down to a formula: girl meets boy, sparks fly, their future sprawls out before them, then cancer gets in the way and she can't have her dream nuptials. There's also never any doubt that this movie wouldn't exist if the GoFundMe campaign set up for Sol and Jenn's initially postponed wedding didn't garner significant media attention, as if some level of fame makes one cancer story more important than the rest. But it's the choice of focus that transforms this film from an expectedly cliched addition to the weepie genre and into overt slush. Director Marc Meyers' My Friend Dahmer also struggled with a similar approach, also choosing to spin a story around someone other than the obvious point of interest — and the fact that Shum puts in All My Life's best performance makes the tactic all the more galling and grating here. If you're wondering what else is currently screening around Melbourne, we've also picked the 12 best flicks that started gracing the city's silver screens when indoor cinemas were given the green light to reopen. When outdoor cinemas relaunched before that, we outlined the films showing under the stars, too. And, we've run through all the pictures that opened in the city on November 12 as well. You can also read our full reviews of The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin, Peninsula, Les Misérables, Bill & Ted Face the Music, An American Pickle, On the Rocks, Antebellum, Kajillionaire, The Craft: Legacy, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Radioactive, Brazen Hussies and Freaky, all of which are presently showing in Melbourne. And, you can check out our rundowns of the new films that released in other cities over the past few months — on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; September 3, September 10, September 17 and September 24; October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22 and October 29; and November 5 — as a number of those movies are now showing in Melbourne as well. Top image: Mank, Nikolai Loveikis/Netflix; Monsoon, Dat Vu.
