Following the success of their previous hotel takeover in Byron Bay, the grand Clicquot Hotel is now heading to Queensland's Sunshine Beach — a hop, skip and jump from Noosa — for 10 days only. The French champagne house, Veuve Clicquot, has made the most extra luxury accommodation focused around premium experiences. Expect exclusive food and Champagne experiences, spa treatments, sunrise surfing lessons and yoga overlooking the coastline. And, of course, everything is adorned with the famous Veuve Yellow. But those offerings are just the cherries on top of the hyper lavish experience. Over two nights, you'll also have private access to Sunshine Beach and Noosa National Park, complimentary Veuve Clicquot champagne whenever the whim takes you (of course), a private sommelier and 24-hour concierge service, as well as chauffeured airport and local transfers. And, for a little extra cost, you can cruise on a chic mahogany speedboat – the Clicquot Dreamboat – along the Noosa River before having a curated picnic on the riverbank, served with chilled Veuve Clicquot Brut Rosé, the champagne house's refined, full-bodied take on pink bubbles. These guys have gone all out — and then some. It's a stupid-cool pop-up hotel. Clicquot Hotel bookings are available from November 4-13 and you can book your stay here.
Even before the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic visiting an Australia supermarket to buy groceries had become a rather fraught affair. First came panic-buying of household staples. Then, limits on everyday items were put in place. Even after that, shelves normally stacked with toilet paper, paper towel, tissues, hand sanitiser, pasta and rice can still be found empty in plenty of stores around the country. To help — and to help you stay home if you're social distancing or self-isolating — Deliveroo has announced that it has added kitchen and household products to its delivery range. As well as restaurants and other takeaway eateries, you can now order from local stores and supermarkets to get basic supplies dispatched to your door via the service. The range varies depending on your area, as is always the case with Deliveroo; however, for those keen on staying home, it's a handy option. Deliveroo has also implemented a 'no-contact' drop-off service, which lets you request that your rider leaves the food on your doorstep — so that you can still place an order if you are feeling unwell, have just returned from overseas or you're being cautious about coming into contact with other people. To order via Deliveroo, visit the service's app or website. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
Aakash Nihalani takes the stationery store to town. Creating 3D images on two-dimensional surfaces, the New York-based artist uses an unlikely medium to create his street art — tape. Immediately identifiable by his signature style of bright, bold lines, look-twice illusions and meticulous repetition, Nihalani conjures movement by playing with your expectations. Hailing from Little India, Jackson Heights in Queens, the artist grew up in Jersey and returned to NYC around 2004 to dive headfirst into art school. Now, Nihalani's works are highly recognised from NYC to Vienna — he's even done a residency at the De Kooning estate in the Hamptons. Nihalani's work is created using cardboard, tape and a whole bunch of accuracy. Not one to shy away from experimenting with materials, Nihalani found his magic thread by chance. "I stumbled upon using tape by accident," he told Design Boom. "I was using a painter’s roll to attach some screen prints to the wall for a student exhibition. There was a pedestal in the space that was casting a cubic shadow on the floor that matched the shapes I was using in my prints, so I outlined the shadow with the tape. It all made sense in that moment." Dotted around NYC, the perspective-warping works range from epic installations like Platforms, Drop and Dominos, attached to concrete walls and best posed in front of; to the most recent shirt-attached Landline series (which would be unbelievably cred-prompting worn to a party as a pair). Budding artists, looks like it might be time you ditched Eckersley's for Officeworks. Via Lost at E Minor and Design Boom. Images from the artist's website, Eye Scream Sunday.
The Sporting Globe Richmond, one of the suburb's oldest pubs, has needed a little TLC for quite a few years. And it finally got what it deserved this year: a huge $3 million renovation that centred around making this one of the best sports bars in Melbourne. And the team seems to have done a pretty bang-up job. The bar reopened on Tuesday, July 23, and has immediately filled up with sports fans watching the Olympics on some of the 60-plus screens dotted about the venue — be they inside or out on the rooftop that now boasts a fully retractable awning. Once the Olympics is over, the team will play stacks of local and international matches on the small teles and the huge stadium-style screen located in the main bar. Some of the booths even have their own screens, which you can switch to whatever match you'd like to watch with your mates. Games are also played with the volume turned up, so you're sure to hear all the commentary — unless everyone is cheering for a sports match or fighting over a game of pool. But The Sporting Globe is more than just a spot for watching games on the tele. Now, you can also play digital darts at the new high-tech darts lanes found across both floors. It's set up for dart pros and casual players alike, as the screens will teach you how to play each of the seven different games available. For a midweek treat, the team is even running a special darts and draught deal every Tuesday. This sees punters get an hour of bottomless Carlton Draught (or house wine) and darts for $39 per person. Other deals include half-price wings and ribs on Mondays, half-priced steaks on Tuesdays, $18.90 parmas on Wednesdays, $16.90 burgers on Thursdays, parma and pint deals on footy Fridays, discounted cocktail towers on Saturdays and $34.90 beer towers on Sundays. With specials like these, you can expect the clientele to get a bit rowdy. But that's the vibe most of us are after when heading to a sports bar. If you prefer something a little more low-key, a smaller local Melbourne pub might be your thing. You'll find The Sporting Globe Richmond at 288 Bridge Road, Richmond, open 11.30am–late every day of the week. For more details, visit the venue's website.
There's nothing like a little dose of Wes Anderson-style whimsy to have you dreaming of sunnier days ahead. So, it's only fitting that Fed Square is kicking off spring with a free screening of the director's smash-hit flick, The Grand Budapest Hotel. On Wednesday, September 7, head to the precinct's Digital Facade to catch the cult classic shown in all its glory up on the outdoor big screen — under the stars. In case you haven't seen it a million times before, the 2014 film tells the tale of Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes), a legendary concierge at a famed hotel, and his friendship sparked with the lobby boy, Zero (Tony Revolori). Expect a lot of pastel, a little romance and, of course, Bill Murray. There might even be a beanbag or two to cosy up on during the screening.
There were some pretty happy snow bunnies across Victoria and NSW this weekend, as many of the states' ski fields scored record-breaking snow falls, just two weeks after the official start of this year's ski season. The powder bucketed down across the weekend, with Sunday morning seeing Victoria's Mt Buller reporting its fifth deepest snow at this point in the season for the past 40 years. Fellow Victorian ski resort Mt Hotham this morning reported an extra 16cm of snow, beefing up its base to 80cm — the biggest its seen for the second week of the ski season in decades. The mountain has had 95cm of snow altogether this season, with 90cm of that falling in the last seven days. Further north, NSW's Perisher scored another 10cm of fresh snow overnight, bringing the total from the weekend's snow storms there to 82cm. And Thredbo is also covered in a hefty blanket of white, with 20cm of fresh snow in the past 24 hours, pulling its season total to 85cm. https://twitter.com/BOM_Vic/status/1007411165943730177 According to the Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria's alpine areas have only seen the start of it, with a further 25cm to 50cm expected to drop over the next three days. Meanwhile, conditions in NSW are set to clear right up, as the storm there reaches its end before the middle of the week. Top image: Thredbo
It's never a good idea to blast through your paycheque when it's just landed in your account. However, there's no need to stay cooped up inside when there's plenty of affordable ways to get out and enjoy Melbourne. With the help of Great Southern Bank and its clever banking tools, you can have a fun budget while still putting aside some funds to help you hit your savings goals. Take advantage of The Boost, a feature that transfers a small amount of money (between $0.01 and $5) straight into your savings account each time you use your debit card. And, you can hide your savings from sight with The Vault, helping you resist the temptation to dip in. Whether you're on a shoestring or have a bit saved you'll want to have a few fun activities up your sleeve for your next self-care moment. So, here are a few great Melbourne experiences that meet different spending criteria, so you can do the things you love without spending all your hard-earned dollars. [caption id="attachment_803852" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria[/caption] FREE Public spaces don't come much more serene than the Royal Botanic Gardens. If you're itching for an open green space where you don't have to spend a dime to sit down, there are few better places to hang out on a sunny day than the South Yarra park. It recently added an impressive arid garden that features over 3000 cacti and succulents, too. For a first-rate day out, pack a picnic basket and roll out your rug on one of the site's many expanses of lush lawn — with the gardens spanning over 38 hectares, you won't be short of places to park yourself. [caption id="attachment_691827" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Heide Museum of Modern Art[/caption] The grounds of Heide Museum of Modern Art is another striking outdoor destination primed for a day in the sun. Although entry to the museum costs $20 for adults and is well worth a visit, the surrounding gardens and sculpture park can be roamed for free. There are over 30 sculptures situated across the 15-acre parkland, with each vantage point as impressive as the next. [caption id="attachment_734240" align="alignnone" width="1920"] GoBoat[/caption] $20 AND UNDER A day sailing down the Yarra doesn't have to involve expensive tickets and even pricier food. Instead, grab seven of your mates, head to Southbank's Sandridge Wharf and pile into a Danish-designed GoBoat for an hour on the water for as little as $16 per person. You don't have to worry about boating licenses or sailing lessons, either, as these streamlined vessels are designed to be super easy to operate. Plus, you're welcome to BYO food, drinks and even pets — because, yes, your pooch deserves a treat, too. [caption id="attachment_622465" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brook James[/caption] Or, swap the boat for a car and head to the Coburg Drive-In. As one of Australia's few remaining drive-in cinemas, this much-loved venue has stood the test of time for a reason. For one thing, it's more cost-effective than a trip to a traditional cinema — entry is priced at $35 per car with a maximum of five people, so make sure every one of your seats is loaded with a film buff and, to cut costs even more, bring your own snacks. If you do feel like spending a little extra though, there's an on-site retro American-style diner serving hamburgers, onion rings, sundaes and shakes. With screenings of both blockbusters and classic films, the Coburg Drive-In is a great low-cost way to treat yourself. [caption id="attachment_824982" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Melbourne Zoo[/caption] $50 AND UNDER At $40 for a standard adult ticket, visiting the adorable animals at Melbourne Zoo is a budget-friendly way to disconnect for a day — and get a serotonin kick. The park is home to a number of incredible enclosures and up-close experiences that offer a glimpse at wildlife from around the world. If you'd prefer to see what lies beneath the waves, tickets to Sea Life Melbourne start at $36.80. Here, you'll discover 12 enchanting zones that showcase life under the sea, ranging from the Penguin Playground to the vibrant tropical fish of Coral Atoll. [caption id="attachment_814550" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Smash Splash[/caption] If you're looking to let off steam, a visit to Oakleigh's Smash Splash might just be the ticket. As the first venue of its kind in Melbourne, it offers paint-filled balloons, cups of paint and paintbrushes to unleash your creativity on its unwitting white walls. Each 30-minute session costs $100 for you and a friend, although you can spend a little extra for a canvas to decorate and take home. [caption id="attachment_803439" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sense of Self[/caption] MAKE IT RAIN (WITHIN REASON) Payday might have only just arrived, but you don't have to feel bad about pampering yourself every once in a while. After all, self care is important. If you've squirrelled away some spare coin (that is not in your savings account) and want to treat yourself with a mind, body and soul experience, look no further than Collingwood's Sense of Self. There are rejuvenating massage treatments for virtually every sore spot, with guests also welcome to customise their own rubdowns. This converted Easey Street warehouse also features a calming communal bathhouse which boasts sleek modern fit-outs and plush furnishings. [caption id="attachment_673938" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Estelle, Gareth Sobey[/caption] Now that you're suitably revitalised, a heavenly meal is a superb way to take your day to even greater heights. While there's no shortage of renowned fine-dining establishments in Melbourne, you don't have to break the bank to partake in a world-class dining experience. Lucy Liu's innovative pan-Asian cuisine can be enjoyed via a sumptuous vegan set menu for $55 per person. Elsewhere, Northcote bistro Estelle offers one of the best midweek deals in town — a dry-aged steak, side of chips and a top-shelf glass of wine will set you back just $35 on its popular Tuesday steak night. Great Southern Bank is empowering Aussies to get clever with their banking. Whether you want to stick to your savings goals with The Boost or hide your house deposit fund from yourself with The Vault, Great Southern Bank helps you get there. For more information on savings tools and home loan options, head to the Great Southern Bank website. Top image: GoBoat, Lean Timms
What happens when xenomorphs and other terrifying extra-terrestrial creatures find their way to earth? So explores Alien: Earth, which brings the iconic horror/sci-fi saga first started by Ridley Scott's (Gladiator II) Alien to humanity's home, as well as to television. Another way to discover the answer to that question has popped up in Australia to celebrate the new series' arrival: an IRL hive quarantine zone, complete with ominous eggs and organisms, which is enjoying a two-day stint in Sydney. From 12–8pm on Thursday, August 14, 2025 and also from 8am–8pm on Friday, August 15, 2025, 348 Kent Street in the Harbour City is undergoing an otherworldly makeover. Expect ovomorph eggs, a crate containing a "class-one" hostile critter and Prodigy Corp workers donning hazmat suits trying to control the area. As for the show itself, which debuted on Disney+ on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, one of the trailers has some pertinent words: "we don't lock them down, it will be too late." This time, as other sneak peeks have also made clear, there's more than just one type of extra-terrestrial to deal with. So, while watching, you can hear humanity's screams in response, with this spinoff from the iconic Alien films featuring "five different life forms from the darkest corners of the universe" wreaking havoc. Not once, not twice, but nine times now across 46 years, cinema audiences have stepped into the world of xenomorphs, facehuggers and chestbursters — and of cats onboard spaceships, androids resembling people and shouts not heard in the universe's vast expanse. When the initial Alien dropped in 1979, it started a phenomenon. 1986's Aliens, 1992's Alien 3, 1997's Alien Resurrection, 2012's Prometheus, 2017's Alien: Covenant and 2024's Alien: Romulus have all followed, as well as the 2004 Alien vs Predator and 2007 Aliens vs Predator: Requiem crossover flicks with the Predator franchise. 2025's Alien: Earth is a first, however, given that it's the franchise's debut TV series. Executive produced by Scott, this is Noah Hawley's addition to the saga — and another of his projects, after Fargo, where he's expanding upon the realm of a beloved film on the small screen. Set in 2120, his Alien entry follows the fallout of deep-space research vessel USCSS Maginot crashing onto earth, then the discoveries made as a result by a crew of soldiers that includes human-robot hybrid Wendy (Sydney Chandler, Sugar). As it peers just under a century into the future, Alien: Earth sees its namesake planet under the control of five companies: Weyland-Yutani, of course, because this is the Alien franchise, plus Prodigy, Lynch, Dynamic and Threshold. It also witnesses a society where hybrids like Wendy — the first of her kind, with human consciousness inside a robot body — live side by side with humans, cyborgs and AI-driven synthetics. Hawley's cast not only includes Chandler, but also Fargo alums Timothy Olyphant (Havoc) and David Rysdahl (The Luckiest Man in America), plus Alex Lawther (Andor), Essie Davis (The Narrow Road to the Deep North), Adrian Edmondson (Kidnapped), Samuel Blenkin (Mickey 17), Babou Ceesay (Killer Heat), Lily Newmark (A Gentleman in Moscow) and more. Find the Alien: Earth pop-up at 348 Kent Street, Sydney, from 12–8pm on Thursday, August 14, 2025 and also from 8am–8pm on Friday, August 15, 2025. Alien: Earth streams in Australia via Disney+.
Have you heard the rumour that we're heading into one of the coldest winters ever? While we're sad to say goodbye to lazy beach days and rooftop bars, we're (very) warmly embracing the news as a good excuse for indoor activities — think intimate dinners, house parties and plenty of gigs. To help with the seasonal transition, we've launched a new gig guide in partnership with JBL Link Speakers. Here, we'll give you the low-down on all of the best performers filling our fair cities with their tunes. And since we love doing the hard work for you, we'll also include a curated Spotify playlist of our recommendations for pre-gig study and post-gig reminiscing. To celebrate this new partnership, we're giving away three sets of JBL Link 10 speakers, valued at $229 each. As well as wireless connection, these mighty music boxes have hands-free voice control so Google Assistant becomes your personal DJ — simply shout "OK, Google" and your tune of choice and music will start streaming directly via Chromecast. With up to five hours of play time and high quality sound, the JBL Link 10 speakers are the perfect home accessory for music mavens. To enter, see details below. [competition]659863[/competition]
More than 80 years after it was first sung and heard, Billie Holiday's 'Strange Fruit' still isn't easily forgotten. Drawn from a poem penned to protest lynchings, it's meant to shock and haunt. It's designed to galvanise and mobilise, too, as drawing attention to the extrajudicial killings of Black Americans should. Indeed, so vivid is the song in its language — "Black bodies swingin' in the southern breeze" describes the third line — US authorities demanded that Holiday stop performing it. She refused repeatedly, so there were repercussions. Concerned that the track would spark change, inspire Holiday's fans to fight for civil rights and justice, and perhaps motivate riots against against oppression and discrimination as well, the US Treasury Department's Federal Bureau of Narcotics went after the musician for her drug use. If it couldn't get her to cease crooning the controversial tune via other means, such as overt warnings and a prominent police presence at her shows, it'd do whatever it could to keep her from reaching the stage night after night. So tells The United States vs Billie Holiday, the latest Oscar-nominated biopic to step through its namesake's life. Back in 1972, Lady Sings the Blues loosely adapted Holiday's autobiography of the same name, enlisting Diana Ross to play the singer — but, in taking inspiration instead from Johann Hari's non-fiction book Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs, this latest big-screen vision of the music icon's story adopts its own angle. Holiday's troubled childhood and youth has its part in this tale, which is scripted for the screen by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks. Her addiction, and the personal woes that she tried to blot out, clearly don't escape filmmaker Lee Daniels' (The Butler) attention, either. But The United States vs Billie Holiday also falls in alongside Seberg, MLK/FBI and Judas and the Black Messiah in interrogating bleak truths about mid-20th century America. That includes the misplaced priorities of its government during multiple administrations, and the blatant determination shown by an array of agencies under various presidents to undermine, persecute and silence those considered a supposedly un-American threat to the status quo. Framed by a late 50s interview between Holiday (Andra Day, Marshall) and a gossip journalist (Leslie Jordan, Will & Grace), Daniels' film flits back and forth through the former's life. Her career heyday takes pride of place, but complexity seethes through every facet of her existence — whether she's ignoring commands not to sing 'Strange Fruit' in the 40s, being sentenced to prison for narcotics towards the decade's end, making a sold-out comeback at Carnegie Hall, cycling through relationships with several abusive men or peering back at memories of her unhappy upbringing. The narrative anchor: Jimmy Fletcher (Trevante Rhodes, Moonlight). Tasked by crusading Federal Bureau of Narcotics head Harry Anslinger (Garrett Hedlund, Dreamland) to infiltrate Holiday's inner circle, he becomes a pal, a lover and also one of the key figures responsible for her incarceration. He's regarded warily by Holiday's dutiful entourage, which spans her best friend Roslyn (Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Kajillionaire), stylist Miss Freddy (Miss Lawrence, Star) and saxophonist Lester Young (Tyler James Williams, Detroit). And yet, Holiday consistently warms to Fletcher, including both before and after he starts questioning his real purpose. Holiday's status as a legend will never be diminished. Despite the US Government's concerted efforts otherwise, 'Strange Fruit' has cemented its place in history, too. But even given The United States vs Billie Holiday's iconic point of focus, her vitally important song, and the crucial and committed approach taken to both, the film that results here often feels little more than standard. It adheres to the biographical drama playbook, and uses Anslinger as a cartoonish villain. Its arrival on-screen in such close proximity to the aforementioned Seberg and Judas and the Black Messiah also imparts an unshakeable air of familiarity. The United States vs Billie Holiday is often rousing and moving. It tells an essential story, and tracks the tragedies and the triumphs alike. But it remains forcefully wedded to convention, to the extent that almost every second of the narrative plays out as expected, and every filmmaking choice as well — regardless of whether viewers already know the minutiae of Holiday's life intimately or are learning it anew. That well-worn sensation applies to most areas of the movie, except one. Day took her stage name from Billie Holiday's nickname, with Young dubbing the icon Lady Day — and in her first lead role, the 'Rise Up' singer turns in an absolute powerhouse performance. A Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama has already come her way, along with a Best Actress Oscar nomination, because this is an intense, impassioned, career-defining portrayal. Even when the feature itself becomes unfocused, including through Daniels' erratic stylistic flourishes, Day is simply mesmerising. She sings Holiday's songs flawlessly, and she also conveys the lifetime of struggle that lingers behind every word. She mirrors the star's presence, too; when she's centre stage, or placed in the centre of cinematographer Andrew Dunn's (The Children Act) frame, everything else seems to fade away. Day's rendition of 'Strange Fruit' isn't easily forgotten, fittingly; however, neither is anything about her performance. The raspiness of her voice expresses Holiday's pain, even when just uttering a single word. The fixed gaze her character continually directs Fletcher's way manages to be equally withering and melting, and the complicated rapport she shares with the also-excellent Rhodes makes for many of the movie's best moments. But if Day constantly vividly and memorably honours the woman she's playing — and she does, especially when she's belting out her songs — The United States vs Billie Holiday can't always claim to do the same. No one's life story should feel like it's ticking boxes, and Holiday's certainly didn't, but Daniels seems to forget that more often than anyone should. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGLmTd8q3Ec Image: Takashi Seida.
Two of our city's most dynamic arts organisations — Carriageworks and Sydney Dance Company — are joining forces again to give up-and-coming choreographers a platform to showcase their work. Running every year since 2014, New Breed is an initiative supported by philanthropic organisation The Balnaves Foundation and is an ongoing collaborative commitment to nurturing Australia's next generation of performers and artists. Now in its sixth year, it boasts a successful track record of recipients going on to do national and global tours, picking up many awards along the way. So, this is your chance to catch the new wave of talent before the rest of the world. This year's program features a powerhouse lineup of independent choreographers: Josh Mu (Melbourne), Lauren Langlois (Melbourne), Arielle Casu (Sydney) and Davide Di Giovanni (Sydney). These four dancers, who have decades of training and dozens of accolades between them already, were selected to create original works and were also given the opportunity to work at Sydney Dance Company's studios with some of Australia's best contemporary dancers to bring these creative pieces to life. And now, you get to enjoy the fruits of their labour with an evening of stunning and wildly diverse performances. New Breed 2019 will run nightly at Carriageworks from Thursday, November 28 to Saturday, December 7. Tickets cost $35 per person and can be purchased here. Images: Pedro Greig.
Whether you think you can dance or know for a fact that you can't, we have got a hell of a midweek activity for you. Held each and every Tuesday and Wednesday at The Workers Club in Fitzroy, Groove Therapy is a relaxed, hour-long dance class for the aspiring street dancer in all of us. There's no pressure, no recitals and — most importantly — no mirrors. Indeed, the workshops are designed for beginner students who might feel intimidated by a more professional environment. Don't let that fool you though, because the instructors are legit, and will have you popping and locking in no time. It's perfect for those of us who dream of burning up the dance floor, but have never had the moves to back it up. What's even better is that partial profits from the dance classes go to a good cause — community dance classes for minority groups, such as refugee women and elderly people with dementia. Image: Daniel Lidmila
From global behemoth Netflix to the arthouse, indie and documentary-focused Kanopy, picking a streaming platform can take as much time as actually picking something to watch on a streaming platform. The latest to enter the market has quite the point of difference, however — and not just because it's free. If viewing the likes of Bronson, Drive, Only God Forgives and The Neon Demon has you on the same wavelength as filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn, then you're in luck — the Danish writer/director is launching his own streaming service. Called byNWR.com, it's currently in beta testing before opening to the public at a later date this month, with the site dubbing itself "an unadulterated expressway for the arts". A venture in conjunction with existing platform Mubi as well as the Harvard Film Archive, byNWR.com will highlight a restored cult classic each month that's picked by a guest editor, The Guardian reports. Each film will be supported by content themed around the chosen flick, such as essays, videos, photos and music. And if you're wondering just what titles will be on offer, Refn detailed the first four, as well as his reasons for highlighting them. They're not the type of movies that you're likely to have watched and rewatched endlessly, or even seen on a big or small screen recently, including 1961 thriller Night Tide starring Dennis Hopper, 1965 horror effort The Nest of the Cuckoo Birds, 1974's The Burning Hell and 1967's Hot Thrills and Warm Chills. "I hope my site will inspire people to see the world a different way," the filmmaker outlined in his piece for The Guardian, while also writing about something fans of Refn's own work will be more than familiar with — pushing people out of their comfort zones. If Refn's choices sound like the kind of thing you would like to see in a cinema, Little White Lies also reports that the streaming site will be accompanied by special screenings around the globe. Via The Guardian.
If you wanted to use Studio Ghibli's name as an adjective, it could mean many things, including beautiful, playful, moving, heartwarming, thoughtful and bittersweet. Thanks to the overwhelmingly delightful combination of these traits in the company's work to-date, everyone knows a Ghibli film when they see it, as has proven the case for almost four decades. But, seven years after When Marnie Was There, its last solo production — and five years since its French co-production The Red Turtle — the beloved Japanese animation house has released a movie that doesn't slide instantly and easily into its gorgeous and affecting catalogue. The studio's first film made solely using computer-generated 3D animation, Earwig and the Witch immediately stands out thanks to its plastic-looking visuals. And, despite the fact that it's about a determined young girl, features a witch, and even includes a talking cat and other helpful tiny critters, it never completely feels like a classic Ghibli film either. Earwig and the Witch boasts plenty of other ingredients that link it to the studio's past. It's based on a novel by English author Diana Wynne Jones, who penned the book that Howl's Moving Castle was based on. It's directed by Gorō Miyazaki, who helmed fellow Ghibli films Tales from Earthsea and From Up on Poppy Hill, and happens to be the son of the great Hayao Miyazaki. Also, the elder Miyazaki initially planned the project, even if he didn't ultimately write the script or step behind the camera. On-screen, the eponymous Earwig (Kokoro Hirasawa) follows in the footsteps of Spirited Away's Chihiro and Kiki's Delivery Service's titular figure. The witch referred to in the film's name recalls Spirited Away's Yubaba, too, and the movie's food-fetching little demons bring My Neighbour Totoro and Spirited Away's susuwatari to mind as well. Indeed, despite eschewing hand-drawn animation for CGI, almost everything about Earwig and the Witch is designed to scream Ghibli — calculatingly so — but that isn't enough to give the movie the depth or heart that has become synonymous with the company's cinematic output. Viewers first meet Earwig as a baby. After trying to shake off the dozen other witches chasing them along a highway, her mother (Sherina Munaf) leaves her on an orphanage's doorstep, promising to return after her never-explained troubles subside. Ten years later, Earwig still roams the facility's halls. She brags to her offsider Custard (Yusei Saito) that she knows how to get its staff and its residents to bend to her will — and whip up shepherd's pie on demand — and she actively doesn't want to be adopted by the couples who stop by looking to expand their families. But when Earwig is chosen by witch Bella Yaga (Shinobu Terajima) and sorcerer The Mandrake (Etsushi Toyokawa), she has no option but to relocate to their enchanted cottage. Bella Yaga doesn't want a daughter, however. Instead, she's after an assistant to cook, clean and crush rat bones for her spells. And so, seeing a chance to learn magic herself, Earwig isn't willing to acquiesce easily. A by-the-numbers Ghibli movie is still better than many other films, especially of the family-friendly variety. Earwig and the Witch is average rather than awful, too, but there's no escaping that the picture is trying to do two competing things at once. Ticking off as many of the studio's recognisable traits as possible is one of the movie's clear aims. Trying to squeeze Ghibli's sensibilities into the broader anime mould is the other. Accordingly, even with so much of Earwig and the Witch drawing upon the company's own earlier work, the picture's pace, energy and heavy use of theme song 'Don't Disturb Me' seem inspired by recent non-Ghibli hits such as Your Name, Weathering With You and Ride Your Wave. It's an odd mix, as is the feeling that the studio is both treading water and chasing its competitors, rather than blazing forward and carving its own path. Also doing Earwig and the Witch few favours is its thin narrative, which is as straightforward as it sounds, including in the simplistic message of acceptance that's geared towards its younger audience members. Indeed, this might be Ghibli's most child-oriented film yet — skewing firmly to one end of the all-ages spectrum, rather than layering in the texture and detail that has regaled the studio's works to adults as much as kids. Interesting plot points arise but go nowhere, for instance. A backstory involving a witchy rock group begs for more attention, as does Bella Yaga's business selling spells to townsfolk to stop rain and win hearts, and The Mandrake's secret but never sinister activities in his hidden den. There's no faulting Earwig and the Witch's fondness for talking cat Thomas (Gaku Hamada), who becomes Earwig's ally, but the movie frequently teases far more than it's willing to deliver in its 82-minute running time. It also comes to an end abruptly, making its storyline feel half-finished. That said, when Earwig and the Witch does shine, Ghibli's usual magic starts to peek through. Viewers just have to look harder than normal to uncover the film's modest charms, rather than be gifted with a non-stop, free-flowing array of the studio's wonders. More vivid and hyperreal than the company's regular nature-inspired palette, the movie's colour choices prove a highlight. So do the short flirtations with darkness and weirdness, which all centre around The Mandrake, a character who could've used more screen time. Its central tune is a welcome earworm, and when the picture leans into its sense of humour, it's all the better for it. Perhaps those joys are harder to notice, though, because so much of watching Earwig and the Witch involves spotting how different it looks. The smooth, glossy animation couldn't sum up movie better, however, appearing as generic as almost everything in this slight, bright, likeable but rarely memorable addition to Studio Ghibli's filmography. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZg2iEf-fTA&feature=youtu.be
When he's not befriending transforming robots or donning an epic rat's tail on the cinema screen, Shia LaBeouf has turned venturing around the world, asking questions of the masses and live-streaming the results into his preferred pastime. Fresh from tasking Sydneysiders with pondering the apocalypse — or whatever else came to mind in response to the phrase #ANDINTHEEND — the actor and activist has set up a new, four-year-long anti-Trump-focused project in New York. A camera mounted on a wall outside the Museum of Moving Image forms the basis for LaBeouf's latest performance piece — and yes, the eager masses are once again the real performers. Above the always-operational lens is a printed statement: "HE WILL NOT DIVIDE US". Participants are asked to stand in the requisite spot and repeat the phrase as many times as they like, and for as long as they desire, with the results available to view at www.hewillnotdivide.us. The project started at 9am on January 20, 2017, timed to coincide with the day of new US President Donald Trump's inauguration, and will be live-streamed continuously 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the next four years — or the duration of his time in office. It's designed to act "as a show of resistance or insistence, opposition or optimism, guided by the spirit of each individual participant and the community." As captured on LaBeouf's Twitter feed, the first participant was Jaden Smith. https://twitter.com/thecampaignbook/status/822443598771785732
Now, this is a story all about how a 90s sitcom favourite got flipped-turned upside down. And we'd like to take a minute, just sit right there, to tell you how the show that gave Will Smith his big acting break became a new gritty reboot called Bel-Air. Yes, just by reading that last paragraph, you now have the theme tune to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air stuck in your head. But let's be honest: if you've ever watched an episode of the 1990–96 series, even if it was decades back, you've had the ridiculously catchy song immersed in your brain ever since. Whether that track will pop up in Bel-Air is yet to be seen — but the show itself will drop on Monday, February 14. In Australia, Stan will be streaming the series, which turns Smith's earliest acting claim to fame into a drama, updates it to modern-day America, but otherwise sticks to the same basic premise. Once again, a West Philadelphia-born and -raised teenager by the name of Will Smith — this time played by first-timer Jabari Banks — will make the move to the titular Los Angeles neighbourhood. Lavish gated mansions and disparate worlds colliding awaits, as do the Banks family, with Adrian Holmes (Arrow) as Will's uncle Phillip, Cassandra Freeman (The Last OG) as his aunt Vivian, and Olly Sholotan (Run Hide Fight), Coco Jones (Vampires vs the Bronx) and Akira Akbar (Captain Marvel) as his cousins Carlton, Hilary and Ashley. Also featuring: Will's pal Jazz, this time played by Jordan L Jones (Rel). As that storyline and character list shows — and the just-dropped trailer for Bel-Air, too — there's plenty that's familiar about the series, which has been developed by the IRL Smith with filmmaker Morgan Cooper based on the latter's 2019 short fan film of the same name. But the tone firmly takes a swerve to the serious, so don't expect to be giggling along with the latest classic series to resurface after years (see also: Gossip Girl, Saved by the Bell, Sex and the City sequel series And Just Like That..., just to name a few). Check out the Bel-Air trailer below: Bel-Air will start streaming in Australia on Monday, February 14 via Stan.
A year after Queensland finally introduced a container refund scheme, and 16 months after scrapping disposable plastic bags, the Sunshine State is set to ramp up its war on waste once again. As part of the just-released Plastic Pollution Reduction Plan, the government is proposing a ban on single-use plastics — and while it's just an idea at this stage, legislation could be introduced as early as next year. In the crosshairs are plastic straws, cutlery, plates and stirrers, with the Qld Government also committing to investigate banning coffee cups, plastic cups and heavy-weight plastic shopping bags as well. Crucial to the plan is the existence of already-available alternatives — whether they're reusable, in the case of cutlery and plates, or 100-percent compostable, as seen with paper straws and stirrers. Before anything official is put in place, the state will undertake consultation with the community and various stakeholders, including people with disability. For the latter group, some alternative products to plastic — such as bamboo, paper and metal straws — aren't always a viable option. From 2020, the Qld Government will start by banning the products from their own events; however an exact timeline from there hasn't been revealed. Also on the state's agenda: developing facilities to process and repurpose plastic, mandating the use of recycled plastics, and expanding the Plastic Free Places program, which works with retailers, events and markets at the community level to wipe out single-use water bottles, straws, coffee cups and lids, takeaway containers, food ware (such as cutlery, plates and cups) and bags. In Noosa, more than 200 businesses have signed up to the scheme. While Qld's powers-that-be are calling their proposal an Australian first, they're not the only authority figures looking to tackle the growing waste problem. Similar laws are being drafted in South Australia, Hobart is progressing down the same track and, as a nation, Australia is working towards banning all non-recyclable packaging by 2025. That's on top of plenty of smaller-scale initiatives, not only including bag bans and container schemes, but the phasing out of single-use plastics in various guises at the company level, with McDonald's, IKEA, Coca-Cola Amatil and Qantas among those making steps in the plastic-free direction. You can read more about the Queensland Government's Plastic Reduction Plan over here.
Culinary puns, food-themed songs, and the delightful adventures of a burger-slinging family: on the small screen, that's what Bob's Burgers has been serving up since 2011. Just like the dish that's right there in the title, there's more than one way to enjoy this animated gem, however, with The Bob's Burgers Movie set to hit cinemas in May this year. The film has been a long time coming — and not just because the series it springs from has been on the air for a whopping 12 seasons now. The Bob's Burgers Movie was originally due to reach the big screen back in mid-2020, but the pandemic got in the way. Think of it as the movie version of IRL supermarket shortages. Thankfully, 2022 is here with the promise that The Bob's Burgers Movie will be a real thing that we'll all get to feast our eyeballs on — and soon. And if your appetite for a movie-length musical comedy-mystery-adventure flick about Bob Belcher (H Jon Benjamin, Archer) and his nearest and dearest isn't already ravenous, the film's just-dropped trailer is here to help. Sexy burgers, a big summer for Tina and trying to keep Bob's Burgers afloat after a ruptured water main causes a huge sinkhole right in front of the store: they're all on the movie's menu, as is a mystery that only Belcher kids Tina (Dan Mintz, Veep), Gene (Eugene Mirman, Archer) and Louise (Kristen Schaal, What We Do in the Shadows) can solve. And yes, The Bob's Burgers Movie does offer a solution to the feeling that every Bob's Burgers' fan has felt more than once: not wanting this colourful, hilarious and engaging animated meal to end when you're binging through it in 20-minute episode blocks. Check out the trailer for The Bob's Burgers Movie below: The Bob's Burgers Movie will open in cinemas Down Under on May 26, 2022. Images: Courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Not all travel has to include wild adventuring. Sometimes, we want to go an easy holiday that doesn't include hours behind the wheel of a car or pushing our bodies to their limits. Instead, we can explore a new city (or our own) at whatever speed we like — staying in a luxurious hotel, taking things at a stroll and taking in the best of local culture. This is what a city break is all about. To help you find the perfect one, our team of editors has curated these travel packages. Whether you're on the lookout for a city staycation or vacation, find your favourite option and book it through Concrete Playground Trips now. [caption id="attachment_683983" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Western Australia[/caption] STAYCATION IN PERTH AND ITS SURROUNDS Perth, glorious Perth. It's hard not to fall in love with this city when visiting. In fact, the whole state is a treasure trove of bewitching riches. Head to Western Australia's capital to find a thriving city full of great food and culture, surrounded by gorgeous natural landscapes that every Australian must see. And our Perth travel deal will take you to the best bits. We'll put you up in the Adina Apartment Hotel at Perth Barrack Plaza — in the heart of the city — and let you explore the local area at your own pace. We've also organised a day trip to Rottnest Island (friendly quokkas, pristine white sand beaches and clear blue water await) and a tour around The Pinnacles. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_890077" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Devang Sahani (Unsplash)[/caption] A LUXE BEACHSIDE BREAK IN ADELAIDE Adelaide's beachside burb of Glenelg is seriously underrated. Found just a 20-minute drive from the city centre, this area is home to long beaches lined with great restaurants and boutique stores. It's so close to the city but boasts the laid-back culture and energy of the best Aussie coastal towns. Our Adelaide city break takes you to this part of South Australia, with the Stamford Grand Adelaide hosting you for three nights. During this time, guests can explore Glenelg at their own leisure — potentially catching a tram into the CBD, too. The highlight of this trip that takes it from great getaway to something seriously special is the four-hour wild dolphin swimming tour run by a team of marine biologists. Jump in the waters — they'll have wetsuits for you — and get right up and close with these ultra-curious ocean mammals. It's an unforgettable experience. BOOK IT NOW. THE ULTIMATE HOBART FOOD, WINE AND ADVENTURE HOLIDAY There is so much to see and do when visiting Hobart, but we have somehow managed to pack a heap of its top experiences into one exclusive five-day holiday. Our trip will have you gliding over Wineglass Bay in a scenic flight that drops you off on Maria Island where you'll go on a guided wildlife tour, then feast on a gourmet lunch. On another day, you'll visit the one and only MONA. Slowly explore the museum, get a private tour (with tastings) at the onsite winery and have a lazy long lunch with even more vino included. It's a truly epic way to see the iconic museum and its grounds. You'll also get a couple days to wander around Hobart, checking out galleries, boutique stores and a heap of the city's brilliant restaurants and bars. BOOK IT NOW. A LUXURIOUS SYDNEY STAY You can easily do Sydney on a budget and have a wicked time. But sometimes you really want to treat yourself. That's when you book our opulent Sydney getaway. For two nights, two guests will stay at the five-star Crown Towers Sydney. Enjoy unbeatable views across the bay, taking in all the sites from day to night — either from your room, the rooftop pool or one of the seriously impressive on-site restaurants. With this deal, you'll also get $100 credit to spend however you like within the Crown Towers Sydney. Did someone say, 'massage time'? BOOK IT NOW. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world. Top image: Steven Groeneveld (Unsplash)
Few could deny that Matt Bax's cocktails are akin to works of art. The mind behind standard-setting bars such as Bar Americano and the now-closed Der Raum and Bar Economico is known for whipping up incredibly clever liquid treats — and, as it happens, he's also an artist. But for his next project, the celebrated barman-artist is blurring the lines even more, as he sets out to overhaul the commercial art gallery model and give Melbourne something it's never seen before. Slated to open on November 22 in Clifton Hill, Grau Projekt will be part concept bar, part gallery space. It'll offer what Bax has dubbed "artist-curated drinking", guided by a program of exhibitions. Each new art show will see Bax's team collaborate with the exhibiting artist on an exclusive cocktail, designed to perfectly complement the mood and the work. Guests will be able to sip this innovative concoction on opening night, while browsing the artworks as they wander through Grau Projekt's huge 1050-square-metre warehouse. In effect, it'll bridge that gap between cocktail bar and exhibition on opening night and offer something more considered, holistic and refined. It's clear Bax is keen to inspire a new generation of art collector, both with this venue and the purchasing model. Each show will see a select number of works held in reserve until the exhibition's opening, and offered at a heavily subsidised price. The plan is for the gallery to open to the public Thursdays through Sundays, with the curated cocktails offered as part of the ticketed events coinciding with each show's public opening. No word yet on what the inaugural exhibition will be, but we'll let you know the details once it's been announced. Grau Projekt will open at 2–12 Alexandra Parade, Clifton Hill on November 22. Images: John Laurie.
The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup is last year's news, sadly. There's still two years to wait until Australia hosts the 2026 Women's Asian Cup. But 2024 is the year of the Paris Olympics — and in preparation for vying for gold, the Matildas are hitting the field Down Under. The country's national women's soccer team are playing two friendlies against China, the first in Adelaide on Friday, May 31 and the second in Sydney on Monday, June 3. And although both are sold out — giving the Tillies a massive 14 sellout games on home soil in a row — you can still tune in from home, or the pub, if you won't be in the South Australian or New South Wales capitals or haven't scored tickets. These are the Matildas' first games in Australia since the last match of the final Olympics qualifiers back in February. Taking place in Melbourne against Uzbekistan, that game turned out mighty well for the squad, resulting in a 10–0 scoreline their way and locking in a spot in Paris. This time, there's nothing but bragging rights on the line, but a Tillies game is still a Tillies game. To watch, 10Play and Paramount+ are your destinations — plus Network 10 on regular TV. Sam Kerr is injured, but the squad is filled with high-profile names, including Steph Catley donning the captain's armband, Ellie Carpenter as vice captain, and also everyone from Mackenzie Arnold, Alanna Kennedy, Caitlin Foord, Mary Fowler and Kyra Cooney-Cross to Hayley Raso, Michelle Heyman, Cortnee Vine and Lydia Williams. Expect the latter to spend some time in goal, given that the legend of the game announced that she'll retire from international football following the Olympics. After this, the Tillies kick off their quest for a medal in Paris on Friday, July 26 at 3am Australian time, playing Germany. Their first-round draw also includes matches against Zambia and the USA. In-between, you can get another Matildas fix via documentary Trailblazers, which hits Stan on Tuesday, June 4 — and if you're in Sydney on Monday, June 10, at a Vivid 2024 talk with Mackenzie Arnold and Tony Gustavsson. The Matildas vs China PR Friendlies 2024: Friday, May 31 — 8.10pm AEST / 7.40pm ACST / 6.10pm AWST Monday, June 3 — 7.40pm AEST / 7.10pm ACST / 5.10pm AWST The Matildas' friendlies against in China PR take place on Friday, May 31 and Monday, June 3, 2024— and you can watch via 10, 10Bold, 10Play and Paramount+. Images: Tiffany Williams, Football Australia.
Art, wine and a sumptuous long lunch. It's a covetable trio — and one that's set to star at Mornington Peninsula winery Montalto plenty over the coming months, thanks to a new series of in-depth artist chats. The renowned winery has teamed up with the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery (MPRG) to deliver the Contemplating Art lunchtime events, which each host a conversation with a different celebrated artist over a relaxed long lunch. They'll take place in Montalto's award-winning restaurant, fittingly overlooking the estate's Sculpture Trail. [caption id="attachment_845381" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Montalto[/caption] The series is set to dive right into the deep end, too, with acclaimed artist Patricia Piccinini as guest of honour at the first of these lunches, on Thursday, March 24. If that name feels particularly familiar right now, it's likely because of A Miracle Constantly Repeated, Piccinini's ongoing otherworldly exhibition in the Flinders Street Station Ballroom. Or perhaps you know her as the artist behind giant hot-air balloon sculptures Skywhalepapa and Skywhale, which are set to take to the skies above Melbourne this month as part of the MPavilion program. For the debut of Contemplating Art, Piccinini will appear in conversation with MPRG Gallery Director Danny Lacy, chatting about her background, inspiration, the techniques that drive her practice, and her existing and soon-to-be-completed works. All while you enjoy a two-course shared lunch feast courtesy of the Montalto kitchen. [caption id="attachment_845383" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Piccinini's 'No Fear of Depths' (2019), from exhibition 'A Miracle Constantly Repeated'[/caption] On Thursday, May 12, the second event in the series will shine a spotlight on interdisciplinary NSW-based artist Hiromi Tango and collaborator, neuroscientist Emma Burrows. The pair are behind newly launched Science Gallery Melbourne installation Wheel (for Mental: Head Inside) — an interactive 'hamster wheel' that explores the benefits of exercise on our brains and mental health. Contemplating Art marks a desire by Montalto to offer its guests more 'moments out of the ordinary', as the winery gears up to celebrate its 20th anniversary this year. Further events in the series are set to be announced soon — stay tuned via the Montalto newsletter and website. Contemplating Art kicks off on Thursday, March 24, with guest artist Patricia Piccinini, followed by a conversation with Hiromi Tango and Emma Burrows on Thursday, May 12. Events will take place at Montalto, 33 Shoreham Road, Red Hill South, Victoria. For more info and to grab tickets, see the website. Top Images: Patricia Piccinini with one of her works, captured by H.Walker. Montalto Estate.
The Crown fans, it's time to say goodbye to the 20th century. You'll also be farewelling the show's leaps back several decades, too. When season six of Netflix's royal drama arrives later in 2023, the hit series will embrace the 21st century, including the early days of Prince William and Kate Middleton's relationship. Netflix has confirmed that The Crown will return this year for another dose of regal intrigue, although no exact release date has been announced. Based on past patterns, it's safe to expect it to arrive in November. For now, the streaming service has unveiled its first sneak peek at the next batch of episodes, however — images, not a trailer — which does indeed focus on the man currently second in line to the throne after Queen Elizabeth II's passing in 2022. Screen debutant Ed McVey takes on the role of Prince William, while newcomer Meg Bellamy will slip into Middleton's shoes. The Crown's sixth season will follow the IRL pair's first meeting at university in St Andrew's, starting the story that's played out in plenty of headlines and a ridiculous amount of worldwide media coverage since 2001. While everything that's popped up in the show draws its details from history — dramatised history, of course, but still history — this next instalment is bound to feel even more familiar. Getting closer to our current time will do that. When the series began, it kicked off with Queen Elizabeth II's life from her marriage to Prince Philip back in 1947. The first season made its way to the mid-50s, the second season leapt into the 60s, and season three spanned all the way up to the late 70s. In season four, the royal family hit the 80s, while season five covered the 90s. Just like in season five, Downton Abbey, Maleficent and Paddington star Imelda Staunton dons the titular headwear, while Game of Thrones and Tales from the Loop's Jonathan Pryce wears Prince Philip's shoes — and Princess Margaret is played by Staunton's Maleficent co-star and Phantom Thread Oscar-nominee Lesley Manville. Also, Australian Tenet, The Burnt Orange Heresy and Widows star Elizabeth Debicki returns as Princess Diana, with The Wire and The Pursuit of Love's Dominic West as Prince Charles. News around the show's fifth and sixth seasons has changed a few times over the past few years. At the beginning of 2020, Netflix announced that it would end the royal drama after its fifth season. Then, the streaming platform had a change of heart, revealing it would continue the series for a sixth season after all. There's no trailer yet for The Crown season six, but you can revisit season five's trailer below: The Crown's sixth season will hit Netflix sometime before 2023 is out — we'll update you with an exact release date when one is announced. Images: Keith Bernstein / Netflix
Back in 2020, which now seems a lifetime ago, St Jerome's Laneway Festival celebrated 15 years since Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio first decided to fill a Melbourne alleyway with tunes. The beloved fest marked that milestone with a characteristically jam-packed lineup that made its way to Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Fremantle, as well as Auckland — but since then, it's been quiet thanks to the pandemic. After two Laneway-less years, the festival has finally locked in dates for its 2023 return — plus new venues for four of its five Australian stops. The festival will kick off in Auckland, returning to Albert Park for the long weekend of Auckland Anniversary Day on Monday, January 30. From there it will arrive in Brisbane on Saturday, February 4, Sydney on Sunday, February 5, Adelaide on Friday, February 10, Melbourne on Saturday, February 11 and Perth on Sunday, February 12. Across these five Australian dates, the Brisbane venue is the only one that has remained consistent from the festival's 2020 run of shows, taking to Brisbane Showgrounds again. The Melbourne leg of the festival has been forced to move away from its previous home at Footscray Park and will now pop up at the newly opened Epsom Road venue The Park in Flemington. The Park has an on-site train station and is located just 15 minutes from the CBD. [caption id="attachment_655626" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anthony Smith[/caption] In Sydney, after 10 years at Sydney College of the Arts and Callan Park, Laneway 2020's Sydney date shifted to The Domain. Now for 2023, it's moved again and will be making its home at the Sydney Showground. Sydneysiders will associate the Showground with the Sydney Royal Easter Show, but this won't be its first time hosting a major touring music festival, as it was once the regular home for the now-defunct Big Day Out. The South Australian leg has moved from Port Adelaide's Hart's Mill to the Adelaide CBD's Bonython Park, and, in the biggest move, the Western Australia leg will be going down at the recently revamped Wellington Square. "The Laneway Festival team is constantly looking for ways to improve and enhance the patron and artist experience and each of the sites will allow us to bring in A+ production and facilities. We are absolutely pumped to host music fans and our favourite ever line-up on these new sites," Laneway Festival co-Founder Danny Rogers said. If you're hanging out to know who will be gracing the stage next year, you'll have to wait a couple more days. The lineup is set to drop at 7.40am this Wednesday, September 21. In 2020, the lineup was headed up by the likes of The 1975, Charli XCX and Earl Sweatshirt, as well as a host of local favourites like Ruel, DMA's and Ocean Alley. View this post on Instagram A post shared by St. Jerome's Laneway Festival (@lanewayfest) St Jerome's Laneway Festival will return to Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth between Monday, January 30 and Sunday, February 12. Head to the festival's social pages for all the info on its 2023 edition and for next year's lineup when it drops this Wednesday, September 21.
2022 marks 23 years since Baltimore high-school student Hae Min Lee was found dead, and 22 years since her ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed was convicted of her murder. It also marks eight years since the case became an international obsession thanks to the first season of Sarah Koenig's grimly addictive podcast Serial. Since the latter, the details have rarely been out of the spotlight — including the legal situation, as well as Syed's ongoing quest to have the extremely complex matter reassessed in the years after he was found guilty. And come Wednesday, September 21, the case will fuel a brand-new episode of Serial as well. Yes, everyone's favourite 2014 true-crime podcast obsession is returning to its original subject, with the Koenig-hosted audio series Serial set to drop a new episode about Syed. The reason? After more than two decades in prison, Syed's conviction has just been vacated by the Baltimore City Circuit Court, with Syed released today, Tuesday, September 20, Down Under time. Syed has been released into home detention while the state has 30 days to decide whether to pursue a new trial or dismiss the case. The New York Times reports that Judge Melissa Phinn overturned the conviction "in the interests of fairness and justice". Her ruling came after finding that prosecutors did not turn over evidence that may have assisted Syed during his trial, as well as new evidence might've influenced the outcome. Serial confirmed via social media that Koenig was at the courthouse when Syed was released, and that a new episode of the podcast will arrive tomorrow morning US time. Syed was convicted of first-degree murder in 2020, sentenced to life in prison, and has been fighting his case through the courts ever since. While he was granted a new trial in 2016, that ruling was subsequently appealed by the State of Maryland — only for the Court of Special Appeals to agree to vacate Syed's conviction and finally give him that retrial. Then in 2019, in Maryland's Court of Appeals, that retrial request was denied, but Syed's attorney committed to keep battling. Lee's murder and Syed's conviction were also the subject of HBO documentary series The Case Against Adnan Syed, which picked up where Serial's 12-episode first season left off — not only exploring 18-year-old Lee's death in 1999 and Syed's conviction the year afterwards, but the latter's ongoing legal questions. The doco featured everything from Lee and Syed's relationship to the original police investigation and trial, and also the developments up until when it released in 2018, gaining exclusive access to Syed, his family and his lawyers. Keen to re-binge Serial today? Aren't we all. If you don't have time, The Case Against Adnan Syed is available to stream via Fetch in Australia — and you can check out the trailer below: Serial's new episode about Adnan Syed will drop on Wednesday, September 21 Australia and New Zealand time. Keep an eye on Serial's website for further details. Image: The Case Against Adnan Syed, Syed Family / Courtesy of HBO.
Bringing authentic(ish) Indian food to Gertrude Street, Ish fuses modern and traditional elements of the cuisine. The share menu is split between 'peckish', 'moreish' and 'famished' categories. Smaller plates include free-range chicken tikka with ginger and garlic, Indian scotch eggs with curried onion and pulled confit duck marinated in Indian spices. Also try the home made pan buns with a spiced potato fritter and mint and coriander chutney, a classic on the streets of Mumbai. Bigger plates feature the slow-cooked Kerala beef curry with Malabari paratha (flatbread), Punjabi style tick creamy butter chicken with cashew nuts, an eggplant moiled curry served with turmeric, coconut curry and mustard seeds or the Bengali lamb curry, flavoured with yogurt, cashew paste and poppy seeds. From the sea enjoy the island fish curry or the prawn and eggplant moiled with coconut and turmeric. The fit-out was designed by Melbourne's Studio Round and Indian interior designer Annu Bains, with all of the bespoke furniture imported directly from India, too. Stepping through the doors, you'll feel transported to contemporary India. Spread over two floors, the restaurant features leather banquettes, timber high tables and exposed brick walls downstairs, while upstairs boasts forest green accents, round tables and brass and leather seating. Grab a seat, get comfy and prepare to feast on all manners of tasty Indian treats. Images: Rhiannon Taylor.
Set against a backdrop of Hindi pop music and projected Bollywood films, Babu Ji has been regarded as one of Melbourne's best Indian restaurants since opening in 2014. Famous for its incredible home-style flavours, Babu Ji's menu leans into authentic Indian cooking and street food, while a contemporary twist is evident both in the decor and on the plate. The food is simple yet sophisticated, and most dishes are designed to be shared amongst friends. From the pot, there are choice picks like butter chicken and lamb rogan josh, as well as vegetarian options such as blue pumpkin and chickpea curry with roasted cherry tomatoes or black lentils in ginger, garlic and garam masala. The street-food menu offers papdi chat, the motherland's version of nachos and salsa, prawn momos and soy chilli cauliflower. The sweet and sour pork marinated in honey glaze with apple chutney and tempered with fennel and onion seeds is the standout. There are a range of salads to compliment the mains including a roasted pumpkin salad with ricotta, wild pepper and pumpkin seeds and the naan menu includes a Kashmari naan stuffed with almonds and cashew nuts as well as a gluten free option. Be sure to stay for dessert and enjoy a flattened cheesecake in a sweetened creamy milk and a mango lassi. Alcoholic drinks include both the Kingfisher Indian lager and the Babuji lager, both ideal pairings for babu Ji's expertly spiced curries.
Sydney has really stepped up its art game this year. In addition to increased investment in some of our most beloved galleries, the city has secured exhibitions by some of the most influential artists of their generation from home and abroad across the next few months. From prizes celebrating Australia's best contemporary art to retrospectives from the masters, there's something for everyone whether you're a studied aficionado or a casual fan. Each of the following exhibitions is worthy of an article in itself, but let's start with a little taster. We've teamed up with Destination NSW to give you the lowdown on the seven of the most anticipated exhibitions to have on your radar.
Serving up some of Melbourne's best pan-Asian food for about a decade, Red Spice Road is an express tour of Asian cuisine by doing no more than booking a table and arriving hungry. Located in the centre of town on McKillop Street, the restaurant has a relaxed yet constantly buzzing vibe, featuring long, communal tables and a menu that is designed to be shared. In short, sharing is highly encouraged at Red Spice Road. Small plates pack a bite-sized punch, like the betel leaf with roasted snapper, jackfruit, lemongrass and dried coconut ($8) and the crispy prawns with dashi and lime ($19). Medium plates include a watermelon salad with fresh mint and red nam jim dressing ($16), kingfish with coriander, pickled garlic, chilli, shallots and crispy wonton ($32) and sambal chicken wings ($21). For large plates, expect a range of curries, stir-fries and noodle dishes. Open both at lunch and dinner, Red Spice also offers an express tasting menu ($36 per person) during the day for those in a hurry while at night choose from one of two banquets, priced at $79 or $99 per head. Plus, the restaurant is fully licensed, with beers, wines, cocktails and even sake all available.
It has been 87 years since Perry Mason first started sleuthing his way across the page, 86 since the defence attorney character initially hit the big screen, 77 since he made the leap to radio serials and 63 since he made his TV debut. In other words, this is a fictional figure with more than a little history — but 2020's version, starring Matthew Rhys, just might be the best yet. Brooding, moody, slinky, and making the most of thematically fitting, visually stunning inky black tones and lingering shadows, the HBO series heads back to 1932, when Los Angeles and the US in general are struggling with the Great Depression. Traumatised from World War I and grappling with a tough divorce, Mason is struggling as well. Then he's hired on a missing-child case as a private detective, and this star-filled series — think: John Lithgow, Robert Patrick and Tatiana Maslany, among others — kicks into quite the compelling gear.
POOF DOOF, GiRLTHING, Thursgay and CLOSET are all coming together for the ultimate Midsumma blowout at St Kilda's iconic Luna Park. From 3pm until late, Yass Pride! will see an all-star lineup of DJs, dancers and drag performers working their magic across multiple stages beneath the rickety Scenic Railway. Oh, and if that weren't enough, once 8pm rolls around, ticketholders will be given unlimited ride access. If your inner child isn't screaming with glee right now, then we just don't know what to say. First release tickets have already sold out, so snap up second release tickets while you still can.
Since opening in August of 2020, Brunswick East favourite Don Taco has been bringing 100-percent vegan Mexican eats to Melbourne. Now, the Lygon Street eatery is taking Tacos Tuesdays to another level, with bottomless vegan tacos on offer for just $20 per person. Make a booking for either 6–7.30pm or 7.45–9.15pm at Don Taco on a Tuesday and you'll be treated to 90 minutes of all-you-can-eat tacos. Some of the options you'll find here include the capsicum fajita taco with spicy avocado salsa, the sautéd oyster mushroom carnitas taco, the house-made vegan chorizo taco topped with diced potato and salsa roja, and the vegan baja fish taco made from banana blossom. While you're enjoying your endless supply of plant-based tacos, you can add jugs of sangria, spicy pineapple margaritas or a mezcal tasting plate to your meal — or turn to the mocktail menu to avoid any Wednesday morning regrets.
If you're hunting for a new staycation spot in Melbourne, here's good news: Victoria's first Hotel Indigo has just landed in Flinders Lane, following a sleek $20 million renovation. The global hotel chain originally launched in Australia last year with the opening of its design-led Brisbane outpost. Bringing the brand's signature focus on art and design to Melbourne, Hotel Indigo on Flinders will nod to its namesake location. Specifically, the hotel takes inspiration from internationally-acclaimed and controversial fashion photographer Helmut Newton across a sprawling 216-room property. The space is decked out with Newton's work and a wealth of commissioned pieces from local artists to pay tribute to fashion, art and runway photography in all its forms. "We're confident our intriguing Flinders Lane neighbourhood, the Helmut Newton inspired styling and stories of the city artfully weaved into everything we do will fascinate and inspire our guests to discover Melbourne in new ways," General Manager of Hotel Indigo Melbourne on Flinders, Joseph Simmons says. Amenities run to the likes of Biology haircare, soft bathrobes courtesy of Seed & Sprout and spacious work areas. Breakfast and coffee are served in the lounge daily, while Spanish restaurant and bar BESO offers a contemporary take on traditional Spanish tapas. "After a multi-million-dollar transformation this exceptional property brings Hotel Indigo to life in Melbourne — the brand inspires creative design and unique guest experiences which our passionate team will embody for each and every guest," CEO of Asia Pacific of Pro-invest Group Jan Smits says. Hotel Indigo on Flinders is now open for bookings at 575 Flinders Lane, Melbourne. Rates start from $225 per night.
Pharrell's putting that giant-hatted brain to good use; the multi-Grammy award-winning artist has co-designed and curated the first ever denim collection made with recycled plastic yarn. Fronting the G-Star crew as creative director of Bionic Yarn, Pharrell is spearheading G-Star's eco-friendly collections for men and women, dubbed RAW for Ocean. Sounding like something Iron Man knits mittens with, Bionic Yarn is an eco-thread of fibres made from recycled plastic bottles found littering the ocean. Having already recycled a whopping ten tonnes of plastic waste from the seas, RAW for Ocean is the first ever collection to use Bionic Yarn to create a denim collection. And when three times as much rubbish is dumped into the ocean as the weight of fish caught every year, this is a sustainable initiative we can truly get behind. At the forefront of sustainable fashion, G-Star and Pharrell have teamed up with some pretty kickass initiatives to see the collection come to fruition. The Vortex Project works to retrieve and recycle the millions of kilos of plastic floating in our global oceans, hoping to reduce it and come up with smart awareness campaigns to disrupt the vicious cycle. Parley for the Oceans is another top notch platform which brings together artists, musicians, fashion designers, scientists, engineers and other environmentally-conscious legends to talk about the ocean's massive problem in high-profile events and activations. They've also got Sea Shepherd giving them the thumbs up. So what's in store for the collection? Raw for Ocean will see jeans, t-shirts, sweaters, caps and more created from Bionic Yarn — all featuring different shades of mazarine indigo blue and black. One of the cornerstone pieces for men is a modern trench cut from the Bionic Yarn raw denim, the A-Crotch Trench, while ladies can look forward to a printed denim Fallden Bomber. The RAW for Ocean collection even has a dorky little mascot, Otto the Octopus, whose presence in the collection becomes a quirky take on the classic houndstooth print. Sea Shepherd's Paul Watson said, "Creativity is the key to saving creation from our darker side and the key to a future of ecological harmony between humanity and the diversity of wondrous species we share this planet with." Big ups to G-Star and Pharrell for getting on board. The RAW for Ocean collection drops September 10 in stores and online.
Trailblazing graffiti artist Nychos is on his way to Australia. Gracing our shores in late February and early March, the Austrian artist who recently took New York City by storm will split his time between Sydney and Melbourne, presenting exhibitions, hosting workshops and leaving his unique mark on walls around town. In Sydney, Nychos will head a graffiti art workshop at Work-Shop on February 25. He'll also present a screening of his street art documentary The Deepest Depths of the Burrow. In Melbourne, the workshop and screening will take place on March 11. He'll also launch a pair of exhibitions, showcasing his new sculpture project, Vienna Therapy, featuring the three-foot-tall Dissection of Sigmund Freud in Federation Square from March 8-12, and his solo exhibition, MONOCHROME ORGANISM, at Juddy Roller Gallery in Fitzroy from March 10-24. In between his various public engagements, Nychos plans to create original wall art in locations around Sydney and Melbourne. Here's hoping it's as eye-popping as his Oakland T-Rex. Detail of the Oakland Tyrannosaurus Rex . Full wall coming soon. #translucenttyrannosaurus #nychos #isliceforaliving #anatomy #oakland #bayarea #lordscrew A photo posted by nychos (@nychos) on Jan 14, 2017 at 8:37pm PST Images courtesy of the artist.
Sydneysiders have always liked writing obscurely profound things on the walls of the city. Sydney's the kind of city that breeds people like Arthur Stace, a reformed illiterate alcoholic who spent thirty-five years writing the word 'Eternity' in chalk all over the streets of Sydney in copperplate script, which can still be seen inside the bell of the GPO clock tower. And you still see street writing everywhere, from the scrawled messages on bus stops and railway underpasses, to the 'I have a dream' mural on King Street and heartfelt declarations like 'hands held violently onto words that meant nothing' on the back of St Stephen's Church in Camperdown Memorial Park. Now we can add to this list the moss poetry which has recently popped up in Sydney's own version of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Paddington Reservoir Gardens. The walls of the reservoir are currently covered in growing poetry, as part of a typographic installation entitled ''Modern Day Mossages. Created from locally sourced mud and moss, the words and phrases have been contributed by emerging Sydney poets paying tribute to John Thompson, founder of the resident action group The Paddington Society, after whom one of the Reservoir's gardens is named after. The moss poem is the product of a collaboration by members of Popperbox, a collective of Sydney-based artists, designers, illustrators and software engineers, who have been making experimental and accessible pieces since their formation in 2007. The installation aims to make you think about growth, nourishment, rejuvenation and the future, and was attached to the sandstone walls of the historic reservoir using a pungent mixture of heavy clay soil, beer and yoghurt. The artists are monitoring the growth of the moss daily in the hopes that it will continue to grow, although that shouldn't be a problem given the deluge which appears to be sticking around for the rest of the month. Modern Day Mossages is a short-term installation, one of three projects commissioned by the City of Sydney for the Paddington Reservoir Gardens in 2012. [Via D*Hub]
Love heading to a scenic spot to dance to live tunes? Adore sipping wine, too? Music and vino festival Grapevine Gathering understands. That pairing is this annual event's entire setup, with the fest bringing a heap of bands to vineyards each year. Yes, that includes 2022, with its October dates and venues now locked in. And if you live in Queensland or South Australia, get ready to experience Grapevine Gathering on your home turf for the very first time. The fest will return to Western Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, of course — hitting up Sandalford Wines in Swan Valley, Rochford Wines in the Yarra Valley and Roche Estate in the Hunter Valley, respectively. But this'll mark the first time that Grapevine Gathering has made its way to the Sunshine State and SA. Where it's heading: Sirromet Wines at Mount Cotton and Serafino Wines in McLaren Vale. While it's too early for the event's full lineup, it has dropped one key act: Aussie sketch comedians and Instagram celebrities The Inspired Unemployed. As they did at the last Victorian Grapevine Gathering, they're taking on hosting duties in order to keep you entertained between musos — and also hitting the decks as well. If you're wondering what the duo also known as Jack Steele and Matt Ford might have in store, shenanigans-wise, they did shoeys out of punters' footwear, performed an acoustic version of 'Drops of Jupiter' and hosted a segment of The Bachelorette the last time around. If you're also eager to find out who'll they be introducing, aren't we all — but past fests have been headlined by Two Door Cinema Club, Flight Facilities, The Wombats, Tkay Maidza and The Veronicas. Naturally, sipping wine is a huge part of the attraction. As always, attendees will have access to a heap of vino given the fest's locations, as well as an array of yet-to-be-announced food options. GRAPEVINE GATHERING 2022 DATES: Saturday, October 1 — Sandalford Wines, Swan Valley, Western Australia Sunday, October 2 — Serafino Wines, McLaren Vale, South Australia Saturday, October 8 — Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley, Victoria Saturday, October 15 — Roche Estate, Hunter Valley, New South Wales Sunday, October 16 — Sirromet Wines, Mount Cotton, Queensland Grapevine Gathering will tour Australia in October 2022. The full lineup hasn't been announced yet, but we'll update you when it is. In the interim, you can head to the festival's website to register for further details when it hits.
Digital nomad visas and remote working have never been more attainable, so if you've ever toyed with the idea of taking your skills abroad, Tourism Authority of Thailand is giving you the chance to try before you fly (away forever) with its Live Your Best Digital Nomad Life competition. Up for grabs is a Concrete Playground Trips voucher valued at $3000 (covering return flights to any major airport in Thailand and accommodation for any hotel in Thailand hosted on the CP Trips website), a $500 Klook voucher to spend on top experiences, activities and travel essentials such as transport and SIM cards, as well as $1500 worth of Visa travel vouchers which should cover you for long-tail boat rides along Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, trekking in Chiang Mai's Doi Inthanon National Park, hopping on island escapades in Phuket or Krabi and all the Tom Kha Kai you can consume in a week. That's a total prize value of $5000. And who knows — at worst you can enjoy a change of WFH scenery. Or after a week you might love the Thai hospitality, your digital nomad life (and affordable living) so much, that you'll decide never to come back. Want to find out more about remote working in this incredible part of the world? Here's what you need to know to get yourself set up for a working holiday in Thailand. [competition]885290[/competition]
Since 2016's Suicide Squad, the DC Extended Universe has tasked Viola Davis with corralling super-powered folks, including villains forced to do the state's bidding (as also seen in The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker) and regular world-saving superheroes (the just-released Black Adam). In The Woman King, however, she's more formidable, powerful and magnificent than any spandex-wearing character she's ever shared a frame with — or ever will in that comic-to-screen realm. Here, she plays the dedicated and determined General Nanisca, leader of the Agojie circa 1823. This is an "inspired by true events" tale, and the all-female warrior troupe was very much real, protecting the now-defunct west African kingdom of Dahomey during its existence in what's now modern-day Benin. Suddenly thinking about a different superhero domain and its own redoubtable women-only army, aka the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Dora Milaje in Wakanda? Yes, Black Panther took inspiration from the Agojie. If you're thinking about Wonder Woman's Amazons, too, the Agojie obviously pre-dates them as well. Links to two huge franchises in various fashions aren't anywhere near The Woman King's main attraction, of course. Davis and her fellow exceptional cast members, such as Lashana Lynch (No Time to Die), Thuso Mbedu and Sheila Atim (both co-stars in The Underground Railroad); The Old Guard filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood and her grand and kinetic direction, especially in fight scenes; stunningly detailed costumes and production design that's both vibrant and textured; a story that still boasts humour and heart: they all rank far higher among this feature's drawcards. So does the fact that this is a lavish historical epic in the Braveheart and Gladiator mould, but about ass-kicking Black women badged "the bloodiest bitches in Africa". Also, while serving up an empowering vision, The Woman King also openly grapples with many difficulties inherent in Dahomey's IRL history (albeit in a mass consumption-friendly, picking-and-choosing manner). It's under the cover of night that Nanisca and the stealthy, feline-quick Agojie first show The Woman King's audience exactly what they're capable of, as camped-out male slavers from the rival Oyo Empire are swiftly and brutally dispensed with during a mission to free abducted Dahomean women. From that vivid opening, the female-led The Woman King on- and off-screen lets viewers know what it, Davis, Prince-Bythewood and their collaborators are capable of, too. Potent, ferocious, mighty: they all fit. When it comes to the film's protagonist, she's fierceness personified, yet also always nuanced. In a role that'll likely garner her award nominations at the very least, to go along with past Oscar nods for Doubt, The Help and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom — and her win for Fences — Davis is tremendous in the part, in battle and otherwise, exuding world-weariness, raw strength, and the kind of resilience that's only forged by navigating deep horrors. After the film's initial rescue gambit, the Agojie are down in number. Abandoned to Dahomey's King Ghezo (John Boyega, Small Axe) because she won't marry men who beat her, headstrong Nawi (Mbedu) becomes a new recruit. As the teen trains to become permanently accepted among them, including by the resolute and mischievous Izogie (Lynch) and Amenza (Atim), Nanisca endeavours to bend the ruler's ear about future battles and policies. The Oyo will keep attacking, and keep trying to trade Dahomey's populace into slavery. A Portuguese-Brazilian aristocrat (Hero Fiennes Tiffin, After Ever Happy) knows that he can profit off the Dahomey-Oyo tensions, and gain slaves to hawk along the way. Also, Dahomey itself isn't above selling Africans into subservience themselves. Nanisca has other concerns, too: getting revenge over a heartbreaking chapter of her past, the pain and sacrifice she still bears as a result, and instilling the Agojie's brand of sisterhood in Nawi. The Woman King's title isn't just another way to say 'queen'. Rather, it's a label given by Dahomey's male leader to the woman he sees as his equal in their lands. His preferred wife Shante (Jayme Lawson, The Batman) wants the designation in a firmly regal sense, but the conventions of storytelling and filmmaking mean there's zero doubt that Nanisca deserves the status. Bestowing the moniker is hardly the chief concern to her, Prince-Bythewood or screenwriter Dana Stevens (Fatherhood) — who also shares a story credit with actress Maria Bello (NCIS) — though. Nanisca is still the force to be reckoned with either way, and a compelling figure worthy of the movie's appreciation. So, in a feature about striving for freedom, fairness, parity, progress and justice, as well as countering misogyny, colonialism and greed, and also surviving trauma, consider that title a reminder about the fight for equality, and how female power is perceived and treated — two centuries ago and also now. Slavishly devoted to every single fact, Prince-Bythewood, Stevens and their film aren't. First and foremost, they're committed to their aims, themes and ideas — to being a rousing action flick about the Agojie, primarily; to delving into all that represents; to celebrating strong and skilled women; and to making a movie that truly doesn't otherwise exist — so thinking of its take on the truth as akin to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's is wise. The Woman King doesn't hide this, given that it finds time for long-lost family connections that could've sprung straight from a soap opera, and for a romance between Nawi and the often-shirtless half-Dahomey slaver associate Malik (Jordan Bolger, Tom & Jerry). When everything else in the movie is so stirring, getting loose with reality and throwing in pure emotion-swelling Hollywood inclusions never drags The Woman King down. Indeed, not that they have to here, but the phenomenal quartet that is Davis, Lynch, Mbedu and Atim could lift any material. For all the mastery that ripples from Davis, she's in astonishing company, with all three of her key co-stars turning in weighty, resonant and career-cementing portrayals — Lynch with perceptiveness, Mbedu with volatility, and Atim with both wisdom and comfort. Not that they have to either, but Prince-Bythewood, cinematographer Polly Morgan (Where the Crawdads Sing) and the former's regular editor Terilyn A Shropshire (dating right back to 2000's Love & Basketball) could improve any fray-filled picture as well. When it's in full fight mode, with radiant lighting that adores its cast, plus sharp, visceral, muscular and balletic action choreography, The Woman King is not just electrifying but spectacular. That won't be a surprise to fans of The Old Guard, another riveting feature that saw Prince-Bythewood take on a familiar template, give it a female focus and reinvigorate it. That's a warrior's skill, too, and she's terrific at it.
Queer theatre company The Sisters Grimm have displayed their trashtastic aesthetic in shows with names such as Fat Camp and Cellblock Booty. Now they're marching into the heartland of Australian history, and into the heart of the Melbourne arts precinct in the MTC theatre, with The Sovereign Wife. It sounds like a classic enough tale — the story of a plucky Irishwoman who comes with her husband to the Ballarat Goldfields and under the rigours of colonial life becomes hardened, morally compromised and ultimately transformed. In the hands of the Sisters Grimm, this saga of frontier struggle become a wild romp, an exuberant parody of historical melodrama, with a bent sense of humour that underscores every element of the production. Gags fly thick and fast and contemporary pop culture intrudes at will. The design has a cobbled-together homespun feel, while the performances are outrageous. There are dances, songs and (naturally) a rave sequence. Gender, race and age are completely fluid. There are girls in fake beards and men in frocks. A Chinaman is played by a white guy, a black man by an Asian woman, a white woman by a black man. Cultural stereotypes are appropriated, then blurred and jumbled into a risible mess that mocks the very concept of stereotyping. There’s hilarity galore but underscoring it is a fiercely intelligent interrogation of the Australian identity. All the gender-switching and jumbling of racial stereotypes serves a purpose. Identity is presented as a muddled construct and the symbolic connection to the national psyche is clear. This is at its most salient in the character of the Sovereign Wife herself, who is played by a different performer in each of the three acts, the changes in casting reflecting the development of her character through time and hardship. For all the madcap trappings, for much of the show the story arc is that of classic tragedy and there is considerable narrative force keeping the circus moving. The vision of Australia that forms is unsettling, too uncomfortably close to the bone to be presented in any form other than comedy perhaps. The script, by head sisters Declan Greene and Ash Flanders (who also appears in the play, including one act as the Wife) has lavish helpings of wit and not a skerrick of shame. The diverse and energetic cast give the performance everything. If camp’s your thing, you’ll love the pants off it. If it’s not, well the Sisters might yet win you over. However, it is a very long show. By the third act, it’s starting to run out of storyline and some of the later scenes become stretched to the point of self-indulgence. It never fails to be amusing, though, and ultimately pulls together for an exuberant finale. The Sovereign Wife is also the finale to the NEON festival and it’s exactly the brash, outlandish, fabulous bang the festival deserves to end on. Hurrah, Sisters Grimm, hurrah!
When pink guards approach, little that's good happens. In the first teaser trailer for Squid Game season three, that proves true again. The just-dropped sneak peek at the Netflix hit's third and final season starts with its red-adorned figures carrying a black box — the type used as coffins for players who haven't made it in this life-or-death game. Naturally, everyone decked out in a green tracksuit is curious, as well as apprehensive. It's time to play one last time — or it will be come Friday, June 27, 2025. Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae, The Acolyte) is back in the game. A huge gumball machine is part of the next round, complete with red and blue balls. The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun, The Magnificent Seven) also makes a return. Expect to hear a baby crying as well. That the deadly contest at the heart of Squid Game just keeps going, continuing to pit new batches of 456 players against each other in a battle to the death to win 45.6 billion won, sits at the heart of the award-winning Netflix series — but will that remain the case now that the show itself is wrapping up? What happens next in Gi-hun's quest to bring down those responsible for the killer competition? If you've watched season two, which dropped on Boxing Day 2024, then these are probably some of your questions already. Fans will also know that Player 456 went back in the game with new fellow competitors for company, then found himself closer to the person pulling the strings than he knew. However his efforts pan out this time around, the show's last run will feature a finale written and directed by series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk. In Squid Game's second season, Gong Yoo (Train to Busan) also returned as the man in the suit, aka the person who got Gi-hun into the game in the first place — and so did Wi Ha-joon (Little Women) as detective Hwang Jun-ho. That said, a series about a deadly contest comes with a hefty bodycount, so new faces were always going to be essential. That's where Yim Si-wan (Emergency Declaration), Kang Ha-neul (Insider), Park Sung-hoon (The Glory) and Yang Dong-geun (Yaksha: Ruthless Operations) all came in. If you've somehow missed all things Squid Game until now, even after it became bigger than everything from Stranger Things to Bridgerton, the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning series serves up a puzzle-like storyline and unflinching savagery, which unsurprisingly makes quite the combination. It also steps into societal divides within South Korea, a topic that wasn't invented by Parasite, Bong Joon-ho's excellent Oscar-winning 2019 thriller, but has been given a boost after that stellar flick's success. As a result, it's easy to see thematic and narrative parallels between Parasite and Squid Game, although Netflix's highly addictive series goes with a Battle Royale and Hunger Games-style setup. Netflix turned the show's whole premise into an IRL competition series as well, which debuted in 2023 — without any murders, of course. Squid Game: The Challenge has already been picked up for a second season. Check out the first trailer for Squid Game season three below: Squid Game season three streams via Netflix from Friday, June 27, 2025. Season one and two are available to stream now. Images: Netflix.
Once you've self-proclaimed your next album as the "album of the life" (see tweet), the next logical step is to create an epic, worldwide premiere party for its release. Well, it is if you're Kanye West (and, really, Kanye is the only person who could pull this off). So for the release of his upcoming album Waves — which was, up until a few hours ago named Swish — he'll be debuting it with a show at Madison Square Garden in NYC on February 11. And he'll be broadcasting the performance live in cinemas around the world. Yep, Kanye is literally going cinematic — and if you're in Melbourne or Sydney, you can get in on the action. Sydney's Hoyts Broadway and Hoyts Melbourne Central have both added listings for Kanye West / Season 3 / Waves which, according Hoyts' synopsis, will feature the "world premiere of the album Waves in its entirety, live from Madison Square Garden". He's also expected to present his new fashion line, Yeezy Season 3 at the show. Both screenings will take place at 8am on Friday, February 12. On Monday, Kanye tweeted a handwritten page detailing the tracklist for the then-Swish, now-Waves album. It's set to be broken into three acts and include collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, Sia, Ty Dolla $ign, Vic Mensa and Post Malone. Amazingly, there are still a few tickets left to the screenings, so head over to the Hoyts website to snap some up. This is the greatest album of your whole life, after all.
It's been three years since Spanish-born civil engineer Santiago Seco-Pablos left his career to start a new food business dedicated to the classic bechamel croquetas of his homeland. La Croqueteria has been winning over local fans ever since — and now it's celebrating its third birthday with a one-day pop-up at South Melbourne Market's La Central Deli & Bodega. If hot cheese-filled morsels take your fancy, swing past from 11am on Saturday, April 15 to sink your teeth into some free tastings. La Croqueteria's ever-growing range currently includes varieties like jamon serrano, goat cheese and jalapeno, bacalao (salted cod), and a calamari number that's been dipped in squid ink. Once you've snacked on some samples and selected a few favourite flavours, you'll also find a selection of take-home packs (12-piece boxes and one-kilogram bags) available to buy and stock your freezer with. Deep-fry those croquetas until golden brown and you've got yourself some standout Spanish snacks. Sounds like it's time to start planning a tapas night at your place.
Cyclists, for a long time considered well behind the peloton in the fashion stakes, seem to be catching up. Leading designers are decking them out in fashionable threads, and now the helmet is even starting to look good. Perhaps fuelled by the rise in cycle chic, designers are now rethinking the humble lid and giving it a new look — after all, what’s the point of looking sharp in your $650 jacket if you cap it off with a Stackhat? Designboom have gathered together some of the more interesting takes on the humble helmet. Some simply add some quality materials to the traditional design, others take inspiration from the military, or nature. The more radical ideas start with a blank slate, and end up with something foldable that can be slipped in your handbag or back pocket. They might look great and suit your new outfit perfectly, but many of them wouldn’t meet Australian safety standards. Which is a shame, as it seems that a lot of cyclists would rather be a traffic-victim than a fashion-victim. [via Designboom]
One of modern art's most argued-about works is finally up for auction. Tracey Emin's famously debated 1999 work My Bed is going under the hammer for the very first time, complete with dirty sheets, cigarette butts and condoms. Emin gained notoriety when her work Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995 debuted at a 1997 Charles Saatchi's Sensation exhibition at London's Royal Academy. After getting drunk, going on national TV and getting all sweary, she'd release My Bed two years later to colossal debate. One of modern art's classic "Is this art? What is art? Is this bag of wrenches art?" generators, My Bed is expected to sell between £800,000 and £1.2 million (roughly $1.4 million to $2.2 million) at auction in July. The highly-scrutinised installation is a recreation of Emin's actual bed during a rough time — the artist spent days in the bed during relationship difficulties and dealt with suicidal thoughts. Scattered with paraphenalia from the artist's own bedroom (condoms, menstrual-stained underwear, slippers), My Bed caused controversy not for the collective sum of confrontingly personal items but for the stains on the sheets. Gallery-goers saw the traces of bodily secretion as a little too human. "It's a self-portrait, but not one that people would like to see," Emin said. "I took everything out of my bedroom and made it into an installation," Emin said. "And when I put it into a white space, for some people it became quite shocking. But I just thought it looked like a damsel in distress, like a woman fainting or something, needing to be helped." The new owners might be able to recreate the work of two performance artists, Yuan Chai and Jian Jun Xi, who jumped on Emin's bed in a performance creatively titled Two Naked Men Jump into Tracey's Bed. Most interestingly will be the conditions under which the new owner must actually display My Bed. Previously (when not displayed in a gallery setting) the work has been on display at the home of its owner Charles Saatchi. As The Guardian reports, the work — a flurry of seemingly random miscellany — has very meticulous installation instructions. "It's a very complicated piece to put together," Director of Cadogan Tate Fine Art Stephen Glynn says. "It comes with a dossier of photographs of every object, and a list of where exactly everything needs to go." A bit like an Ikea instruction manual, then? "A bit. You're certainly trying to make sure that everything goes in the right place." Displayed at the Tate Modern in 1999, My Bed was shortlisted for the Turner Prize that year. Christies will put the Saatchi-owned work to auction, with proceeds going straight back to the Saatchi Gallery — the team are moving to make the gallery have free admission. Via Reuters and The Guardian.
Hotel Indigo Melbourne Little Collins stitches past and present — four restored frontages on a storied corner outside, bold colour and layered storytelling within. The mood lands somewhere between gallery and hideaway: Mondrian blues nod to the city's street signs, while monkey motifs wink at E.W. Cole's legendary Book Arcade. A sculptural spiral staircase coils up through a cathedral-like atrium, where a circular bar offers front-row seats to a three-storey "cabinet of curiosities" by artist Lisa King. The palette swings from polished brass and jewel tones to exposed heritage bones, with intimate lobby nooks, a light-filled internal courtyard and a quietly social buzz that suits both staycays and work trips. Rooms and suites keep the narrative going without skimping on comfort. Expect free Wi-Fi and Chromecast-enabled TVs, mini bars stocked with Little Lon Gin and graphic maps that mark your exact laneway location. Design touches layer history with play — terrazzo tables made from recycled Skyy Vodka bottles, brass accents and gem-like stools — and a handful of balcony rooms overlook Little Collins for golden-hour people-watching. At Hotel Indigo, you're well and truly in the thick of it — theatres, galleries and shopping at the door, trams to the NGV, the Royal Botanic Gardens and the MCG within easy reach. There's a compact fitness centre for a quick sweat, a 12-seat meeting room for private dinners or brainstorms, and direct access to the refreshed Melbourne Walk precinct below, home to a mega JD Sports and pop-culture favourite Pop Mart (and adjacent MECCA flagship). The Hotel Indigo ethos is all about embodying its neighbourhood — and here on Little Collins Street, that means heritage facades, laneway attitude and a design language that reads like a love letter to the CBD. It's character over cookie-cutter, with enough creature comforts to make lingering feel inevitable.
After making his fortune at the card tables as a professional gambler, David Walsh launched MONA as something to give back to the community. Three years later it's become a national icon, boosted Tasmania's economy and given rise to one of Australia's best festivals. Now, despite labelling gambling as "mostly immoral", Walsh has plans in the works to build a mini-casino at his much-loved Tasmanian gallery. Yes, this is confusing. In its defence, Walsh's vision for the space goes far beyond the sad state of affairs you see on an average night at Star City or Crown. Designed for the more refined gambler, the space would be "a little high-roller, tourist-only, no-pokie casino". The entire operation would consist of nothing more than 12 cards tables. Basically, it'd be the perfect place for Bond villains to hang out should they ever find themselves in Australia. To add to this eye-patch wearing, cigar-puffing, international art smuggling cartel theme, Walsh has stated he would call the casino Monaco. While a cute play on the gallery name, the choice could also be a knowing wink at the ritzy Monte Carlo casino the nation is known for — a site coincidentally used in many Bond movies. Regardless, these plans have a long hard road to becoming a reality. At present, the Federal Group (owners of Wrest Point Casino) have an exclusive license on casino operations in Tasmania and Walsh's plans would require an overturning of the license by the state government. Walsh has reportedly made initial contact but is sceptical about his chances. At one point, the MONA owner was banned from Wrest Point for card counting. If the plans were to go through, the gallery would undoubtedly enjoy a large boost in funds. At the very least it would be an un unconventional solution to the impending cuts to Australia's arts industries and a welcome salvation for Walsh himself who has bankrolled the gallery since its inception. But honestly, the outlook doesn't look great. You can't blame an eccentric, art-loving millionaire for chasing the dream. Via The Guardian and The Mercury.
The last two years might have been a little lighter on travel adventures than we're used to, but if you're keen to make up for lost time, Visit Victoria has come up with a beaut excuse to escape the city and hit the road again. It's just unveiled its latest touring off-grid accommodation experience championing the regions — a tiny home stay for two by the name of Stella the Stargazer. Similarly to Visit Victoria's Wine Down Pop-Up Hotel, which launched in mid 2019, Stella won't be tying herself down to just one location. Rather, she'll move between three idyllic regional settings for eight weeks at a time, starting with a sojourn at Maffra's Blue Gables vineyard from Friday, October 14. [caption id="attachment_869901" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Blue Gables Vineyard, Maffra[/caption] After its Gippsland stint, the environmentally sensitive pop-up will relocate to a spot along the Great Ocean Road for a couple of months, before seeing out its last leg nestled against the mountainous backdrop of the Grampians in April and May, 2023. The accommodation itself is a study in simple luxury, the off-grid tiny home the work of Port Fairy-based design and manufacture crew Ample. Inviting you to switch off, unplug and recharge, without forgoing comfort, it's kitted out with a queen-sized bed, complete with threads from Weave Home Australia, Society of Wanderers and Grampians Goods Co. There's a roll-out sleeping platform that's primed for stargazing, an indulgent shower surrounded by adjustable glass louvres designed to envelop you in the natural surroundings, and a central wood fire that doubles as a hotplate for cooking. Glass sliding doors open onto the modular deck and fire pit, and you'll find plenty of local wares featured throughout; from crockery, to Dindi Naturals toiletries. Meanwhile, famed chef Alejandro Saravia (Farmer's Daughters, Victoria by Farmer's Daughters) will ensure you're dining like royalty, with guests enjoying a curated welcome hamper, a bottle of wine and breakfast provisions showcasing top local produce. A dinner experience is also available to add on to your stay. Stella the Stargazer will make her home in Maffra, Gippsland, from October 14–December 15, 2022. She'll then stop in a new location along the Great Ocean Road from February 3–April 6, 2023, before moving to the Grampians from April 17–June 18, 2023. Rates are $330 per night Monday–Thursday, and $390 per night Friday–Sunday.
We've seen plenty of iPhone camera extensions before but this one takes the cake. Don't go wild just yet – it's still only in concept stage – but with the optical zoom of a Leica lens combined with the functionality of the Apple iPhone, the Leica i9 is sure to take iPhoneography to new heights. This week Black Design Associates announced the Leica i9 concept, which lets you slip your iPhone 4 into a Leica camera casing. The result? A point and shoot camera with internal flash memory, a 12.1 megapixel sensor and 8x optical zoom. In developing the concept, BDA asked the question: "How do you combine a great smart phone with a great digital camera when your brands may speak to very different categories?" BDA approached the brief with the strategy of compliment without compromise, allowing the strengths of both Apple and Leica products to shine through in tandem. Sweet features of the Leica i9 include: Camera/iPhone Toggle: turns on your camera with an instant start-up time of 0.3 seconds, while simultaneously loading the Leica app on your iPhone 4 Flash and Light Meter: offers higher quality photos and videos in low-light conditions Camera Back Dock: harks back to traditional 35mm film, the back swinging open like a traditional film door to reveal the standard Apple 30-pin connector dock [Via Engadget]
No matter your feelings on the ideal timeline between Boxing Day shopping and Easter treats hitting the shelves, March has arrived and those babies are coming in hot like a certain glazed fruit bun. And this year, you've got a boozy new offering to add to your Easter shopping list — a Hot Cross Rum from family-run Margaret River distillery The Grove. The small-batch sip has been hand-crafted using The Grove's four-year barrel-aged dark rum, then housed in an American Oak former bourbon barrel. Raisins, oranges and a bunch of warm spices are left to steep, before the rum's given a final infusion of classic hot cross bun flavours including cinnamon, vanilla and cloves. [caption id="attachment_845050" align="alignnone" width="1920"] By Freedom Garvey-Warr[/caption] At the end, you've got a warm, rich, festive-tasting spirit, packed with notes of caramelised raisin, vanilla and cinnamon, with a lingering fruity finish. A 40-percent ABV hot cross bun in a glass, if you like. The Grove team recommends you sip their new creation neat; with a hot buttered Easter bun on the side for full effect, of course. Word is, it's also a solid match to a cheese board or dessert. Just 240 bottles of the Hot Cross Rum have been made, available now to pre-order with Australia-wide delivery happening this month, just in time for Easter. The Hot Cross Rum marks the first of The Grove's new Collector's Series of limited-edition spirits, so expect plenty more creative rum releases to follow. The Grove's Hot Cross Rum is available to pre-order via the website, at RRP $100 for a 500ml bottle.
