It just might be Australia's brightest festival, and it's returning to light up Alice Springs once again. That'd be Parrtjima - A Festival In Light, which will deliver its latest annual program in 2022 — between Friday, April 8–Sunday, April 17. It's been a chaotic few years for the radiant fest, after its 2020 event was postponed to September due to COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions — and after moving to an autumn time slot back in 2019, too. But, following a few years of change and adaptability, Parrtjima will finally mark two consecutive stints in its April dates, after 2021's festival lit up the Red Centre over six months ago. While it's too early to announce the event's lineup just yet, visitors can once again expect a big — and free — ten-day public celebration of Indigenous arts, culture, music and storytelling, including an eye-catching array of light installations. That'll all take over Alice Springs CBD's Alice Springs Todd Mall, as well as tourism and conservation facility Alice Springs Desert Park Precinct just out of town — and yes, the event will dazzle, like it usually does. [caption id="attachment_801811" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Greg McAdam[/caption] If you haven't yet made the trip and you're wondering what could be in store, this year's Parrtjima included various luminous pieces, such as a 20-metre-long entranceway made out of light tubes of different lengths, an animated sequence of curated artworks projected onto the sands of Alice Springs Desert Park and a train of five illuminated camels. One thing that'll definitely be on the bill in 2022: the festival's main annual attraction, aka a huge artwork that transforms a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the majestic, 300-million-year-old MacDonnell Ranges, showering it with light each night of the festival. Registrations for the 2022 fest have just opened, if you'd like to nab an early spot in line for tickets when they go on sale. Of course, Parrtjima is just one of Northern Territory's two glowing attractions in 2022, with Australia's Red Centre lighting up in multiple ways. The festival is a nice supplement to Bruce Munro's Field of Light installation, which — after multiple extensions — is now on display indefinitely. If you're keen to start making Parrtjima plans, remember to check out the Northern Territory's COVID-19 border restrictions first. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light runs from April 8–17, 2022 around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information, visit the festival website. Top image: Greg McAdam.
Aussie hospo mainstay Maurice Terzini (Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, RE and Jackson on George) has teamed up with Joe Jones to open a sleek new bar in Melbourne's CBD. Opening in early December, the duo will take over the underground space at Queens and Collins, where Reine & La Rue recently opened to huge acclaim. Here, Euro-centric cocktails and "champagne food" will be served within a lavish brutalist space where post-punk tunes will be booming late into the night. So what exactly is "champagne food"? For Terzini and Jones it's small aperitivo-style dishes and luxe late-night bites that you want to nosh on while sipping on fine wine and cocktails. This will include house-made calzones filled with either mortadella, ricotta and fermented chilli or a playful take on the Big Mac flavours. You can also get around the tomato tartare brushed with shiko koki and a tuna loin that's made specifically to be paired with a dry martini. Speaking of martinis, Jones has decided to go balls-to-the-wall decadent with his Ticket to Ride creation. It will include a half-serve of martini taken right from the freezer and a 90ml glass of champagne, paired with a cheeky bump of caviar and kochu crème fraiche. This will glide over to you on a silver tray, effortlessly oozing luxurious cool. If Purple Pit is anything like its upstairs neighbour or any of Terzini's other ventures, it'll quickly rise to be one of Melbourne CBD's top bars. Purple Pit will open in early December at 376–390 Collins Street, Melbourne. It will be open Tuesday–Saturday, from 3pm–1am. For more details, check out the venue's website. Top image: Queens and Collins building courtesy of Reine & La Rue
With SPECTRE marking the now twenty-fourth film in the iconic James Bond franchise, it’s remarkable to think that not a single scene has ever been filmed in Australia. Now’s your chance, however, to show Bond’s producers what they’re missing out on by spending an amazing day living out the exhilarating, adventurous and exclusive lifestyle of its hero right here in your own home town. Bond’s long-term partner Heineken has teamed up with the boutique experience cultivators over at MrAristotle for a brand new project, The Catch. Throughout November and December, Heineken will be hosting exclusive SPECTRE 007 events that are so mysterious participants won’t know what’s in store until they’re suddenly whisked away and thrown right into the middle of the action right as it happens — like this one, where you and three friends will go into the running for a day that will earn you eternal bragging rights, give you a taste of the ultra-high life and make after-work drinks never quite feel the same again. Firstly, you’ll be picked up by your own private luxury helicopter and taken for an aerial tour of some of the city’s most famous landmarks. Next, your pilot will shuttle you and your team north along the coastline and over some of our most magnificent beaches until you arrive in a secret destination deep within the gorgeous countryside. Once down, a car will be waiting to ferry you to one of the region’s oldest pubs where you’ll enjoy a gourmet light lunch and a sampling of the local beers (and of course, ol' expat Heineken) while taking in the stunning surroundings. Then, your personal helicopter will be right there to take you and your friends back to town via the Olympic Village and over the glistening Harbour. To be in the running, sign up via the Heineken's The Catch website and have your mates locked, loaded and ready to move at a moment’s notice, because as any spy will tell you — you’ll never know when they’re coming for you, so you just have to be ready.
You've binged your way through HBO's excellent Chernobyl mini-series. If you're a Melburnian, or you've taken a trip to the Victorian city recently, you may have wandered through a recreation of the exclusion zone around the exploded nuclear reactor as well. Soon, you also might be able to sip shots of vodka from the region — made from grain from the Ukrainian area that has been off limits for more than three decades. The tipple in question is called Atomik Vodka. Brewed by a team of scientists from the UK and Ukraine, it's part of a three-year research project investigating the transfer of radioactivity from the soil to crops grown in the closed-off spot, as well as in the Narodychi District within the Zone of Obligatory Resettlement. (People still live in the latter location, but the land isn't officially allowed to be used for agriculture.) While the grain itself showed some signs, all traces of Chernobyl-derived radioactivity was lost in the distilling process, which inherently reduces impurities — leaving the vodka with the same level of natural radiation that you'd find in any other spirit. The vodka also uses local mineral water, sourced from a deep aquifer below the town of Chernobyl, around 10 kilometres south of the nuclear power station. It's been found to possess chemistry similar to water from limestone aquifers, like the one in the Champagne region of France, and was used to dilute the distilled alcohol to 40 percent. At present, only one bottle of the vodka exists. And, if you're curious about giving it a taste, it's not for sale. But the team behind Atomik hope that will change, and, that after clearing a few legal hurdles, they'll be able to begin a small-scale experimental run of the grain spirit by the end of this year. If they're successful in their efforts, they plan to donate 75 percent of Atomik Vodka's profits back to the affected Ukrainian community. It's also hoped that the research project will assist residents around the exclusion zone by showing that the land is now safe to be used for agriculture, opening up further investment and economic benefits. For more information, visit the Atomik Vodka website. Via the University of Portsmouth.
Prepare to say "accio remote!" and get comfier than Hermione Granger in a library. In the latest news that'll keep you glued to your couch this summer — and your latest fodder for an at-home movie marathon — everyone's favourite boy wizard will soon be working his magic on Netflix. You won't need the Marauder's Map to find these enchanting flicks. Come Tuesday, January 15, all eight movies in the Harry Potter series will hit the streaming platform, bringing their Hogwarts-set adventures to both Australian and New Zealand audiences. If you've watched your DVD copies from the 2000s so many times that they're showing a little wear and tear — or your laptop no longer has a disc drive — this is butterbeer-worthy news. Yes, everything from Harry's (Daniel Radcliffe) first visit to Platform 9 and 3/4, the Yule Ball, the Triwizard Tournament, many a fluttering snitch and He Who Must Not Be Named will be at your fingertips. Prime viewing for wizards, witches and muggles alike — all 19 hours and 39 minutes of it. The Fantastic Beasts films won't be joining them, with this journey through JK Rowling's wizarding world keeping its focus on the original franchise. The news comes hot on the heels of Stan's announcement that it's now home to a hefty batch of Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and Disney movies and TV shows. If you're thinking that a time-turner might come in handy over the next few months, we completely understand. Find Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber Of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and Part 2 on Netflix from Tuesday, January 15.
Hear ye, hear ye, fantasy fans! A medieval castle full of family-friendly adventures awaits, just 90 minutes from Melbourne. Within its impressive replica medieval walls, Kryal Castle presents an historical showcase of cavalry skills, apothecary methods, falconry displays and joust tournaments. There are also courses in archery, axe throwing, pony riding and potion-making for folk who want to get their hands dirty, as well as royal feasts to be had at the ale house and tavern. Grab your fam a family day pass, which will give you access to the roster of shows and displays. There are also dedicated interactive packages, as well as accommodation in a luxe castle suite (with after-hours access to the grounds) or the budget-friendly adjoining barracks for larger families. [caption id="attachment_830247" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Visit Victoria[/caption] Kryal Castle's accommodation is open daily, with check in at 2pm. The theme park is open from 10am–4pm every weekend, public holiday and every day during Victorian school holidays. Top image: Visit Victoria
Fancy Hanks has long been one of Melbourne's premiere destinations when it comes to old school American-style barbecue. But if you think that's the only string to their bow, then prepare to be pleasantly surprised. Taking over an Abbotsford warehouse for two nights in July, Hank's Majestic Hawker pop-up will see the brisket and pulled pork substituted for an array of Singaporean dishes — including soy marinated chicken wings with chilli vinegar, sambal stingray served in banana leaf, rice noodles with Chinese sausage, fishcake and egg, and fried banana fritters with pandan coconut ice-cream. Turns out Americans aren't the only ones who know their way around a charcoal grill. Fittingly, the chef in charge of the pop-up is none other than Alicia Cheong, who previously ran Hank's kitchen when they were based at The Mercat Cross Hotel. Cheong is back in Melbourne after a year-long stint at the Michelin-starred Restaurant Par Andre in her native Singapore. But Cheong isn't Hank's only South East Asian connection — co-owner Daragh Kan's father was born in Malaysia. "My childhood holidays were mainly spent having satay eating competitions with my brothers at hawker centres," he says. Tickets to Majestic Hawker cost $30 for three dishes — a one from the BBQ, one from the wok, and one for dessert. For $50 you also get drinks included, with both beers and cocktails on offer. Majestic Hawker will be open at 274 Johnston Street, Abbotsford on the evenings of Friday, July 14 and Saturday, July 15. Tickets here.
Each year Splendour in the Grass ups the ante. Combining the best in international and local acts, the music festival caters for all music tastes making it as inclusive as it is entertaining. Set at the picturesque Woodfordia site in Queensland, carloads of people from across the east coast plough up the highway, arriving at their destination to camp for the better part of the week in isolated companionship. But if you missed out on tickets never fear, Splendour sideshows have promised the best of the festival making its way to capital cities around Australia. Sporting some of the most illustrious names in today's music, the announcement of Sydney sideshows includes heroes of 90s Britpop Pulp, LA electo-pop lords Foster The People, post-dubstep poster boy James Blake, London indie kids The Vaccines, Swedish maestros The Hives and Bloc Party's Kele. Keep an eye out for more annoucements but in the meantime tickets for these excellent show go on sale this Friday, May 27. https://youtube.com/watch?v=MVgEaDemxjc
In all art forms, creativity is the cornerstone of the craft. As we move into a modern world where everything has been created before, creative work has come from all corners of contemporary life. One could list many crevices where the beauty of the art form has spawned an unlikely trade, but never before has gelato been the source of such delicious innovation. Not like this. It is the cult of Gelato Messina, of course, which has spilled into every corner of Sydney like a sugar-laden avalanche blanketing the city. People eat it for breakfast, follow the rotating specials like movements of the sun and — I can only assume — thank the goddamn world each morning that Messina is open seven days a week, 364 days a year. It’s a sheer phenomenon and, with the opening of the first Melbourne store today, it's not one that's waning anytime soon. With 10 years already under their belt, an operation that started with just three guys and a gelataria in Darlinghurst has become one with a slew of stores, a factory and over 100 staff. While it's taken a while for Messina to drip down to Melbourne, it was just a matter of finding the right place, says part owner and founder Nick Palumbo. "We feel at home in Melbourne, even Fitzroy kind of reminds us of Darlinghurst," says Palumbo. "For us it just made sense." The Smith Street store may take their total to six (with four in Sydney and one in China), but the additional demand certainly won't affect the gelato's artisanal properties. Ask anyone in the Messina family, and they'll tell you that their gelato is unlike anyone else's in Australia. It's artisan gelato in every way; everything is distinctly made from scratch and nothing is out of the question. "What we do differently is that we don't use any pre-prepared pastes or powders that come out of Europe," says Palumbo. "Until about six years ago we had a few flavours that we could not get right, where still using pastes would achieve a better product, but, we finally cut that and now we don't use anything that comes out of Italy. We just do everything ourselves." While most gelato makers rely on flavoured pastes — akin to a box of cake mix — Messina works of the premise of creating recipes from raw, mostly local ingredients. One of their most popular permanent flavours, tiramisu, was the flavour that spearheaded the whole concept of making their own versions of desserts, says Palumbo. And so, they built a real tiramisu, complete with egg yolks, mascarpone cheese, marsala wine and coffee-soaked biscuits that could be frozen, churned and sold in-store. There's no doubt that this is doing things the hard way — "it's a very labour intensive procedure," says Palumbo — but it seems it's the only way these guys know how to do it. And the proof is in the numbers: they go through 1000 litres of milk a day, 2 tonne of sugar a week and an obscene amount of salted caramel each month. The way Messina develop and produce their gelato is not only one of skill, but one that's reliant on constant innovation. With Palumbo's love of gelato dating back to early visits to his family's native Messina in Sicily, he saw an opportunity to bring real, Italian gelato to Sydney — with a twist. "Back then, and even now, gelato places are doing the same flavours they've been doing for twenty years, and, in Australia, gelato has become this hard, icy thing — which it's not at all," says Palumbo. "We saw an opportunity to do something different and be creative and innovative with flavours." After starting to experiment with flavours such as Pavlova and coconut lychee, the team has progressively moved from tame to all-out rebellion with inventions such as Isn't That A Salad? (goats cheese, walnut, beetroot) and Nacho Libre (avocado cream, salsa, crushed corn chips). Taking inspiration from their mums, aunties, customers and progressive chefs, a lot of the flavours are variations of dishes or desserts they've eaten at restaurants. With five or six specials constantly rotating each week, the creative process is always in action. Managed by Simone Panetta, a man with a strong gelato background, Messina Melbourne is set to continue the gelato revolution. While the mix will be shipped to Fitzroy from the Rozelle factory, all the churning of the gelato will be done in store. If you're already following their Instagram account, you'll know that Sydney's weekly specials are posted as they are placed in the cabinet — and, for now, Melbourne will run on the same schedule. "We're going to start off with whatever specials are running in Sydney, will also run in Melbourne at the same time," says Palumbo. "It's going to be huge, but we’re going to give it a shot." And, giving it a go is something that's worked out pretty well for these ice cream artisans. Gelato is now an art form, with Messina at the helm of its reinvention. Gelato Messina is located at 237 Smith Street, Fitzroy. As part of Good Food Month, Gelato Messina is holding Talk & Taste Classes on Saturday 16, 23 & 30 at their Fitzroy store, $60.
Two months ago, Australia and New Zealand finally introduced the trans-Tasman bubble, which allows folks from either country to travel across the ditch without needing to go into quarantine upon arrival. During that time, the arrangement has been suspended on several occasions on a state-by-state basis — including during Victoria's recent lockdown, and in response to New South Wales' current outbreak — and now, with COVID-19 cases growing across Australia, NZ has put a pause on the bubble nationwide. Announced on Saturday, June 26 and in effect until at least 11.59pm NZ time (9.59pm AEST) on Tuesday, June 29, the suspension applies to quarantine-free travel from all Aussie states and territories. The initial timeframe will span 72 hours, which is NZ's usual first step. Whether it extends that period or not will obviously depend on coronavirus case numbers. "There are now multiple cases and outbreaks in Australia in differing stages of containment and the health risk for New Zealand in response to these cases is increasing," said NZ COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins in a statement. "As a result, the Government has taken the precautionary step of temporarily widening the current pause with New South Wales to include all of Australia." https://twitter.com/covid19nz/status/1408712957630902282 When NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the two-way bubble between Australia and New Zealand back in April, she noted that it could and would be paused if and when outbreaks occur — so none of the suspensions so far, including this one, are surprising. The NZ Government advised that this current pause will not only give it "time to get a better understanding of the developing situation," but will also enable it "to consider the potential implementation of a range of measures to make the bubble safer, such as the introduction of pre-departure testing for all flights from Australia to New Zealand." At the moment, Sydney's Bondi cluster keeps growing, with 112 locally acquired cases reported as at 8pm on Saturday, June 26. The Greater Sydney area is currently in a two-week lockdown, while positive cases — some linked, some not — have also been reported in Queensland, Victoria, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Whether you're an Australian on holiday in NZ or a New Zealander who has recently returned from across the ditch, anyone now in NZ who has been in Australia since Friday, June 21 is asked to monitor their health, and keep an eye on the exposure sites lists in various Australian states — such as NSW, Victoria, Queensland, the NT and WA. You're also requested to contact NZ's Healthline if you experience any symptoms. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. To find out more about the virus and travel restrictions in New Zealand, head over to the NZ Government's COVID-19 hub.
Last year saw a slew of announcements around new streaming platforms, including two dedicated to horror and another to the world of Disney. Now, Australia's ever-growing streaming landscape is being joined by a service spotlighting great storytelling. Landing at the beginning of March, the documentary-focused iWonder launched with more than 500 hours of on-demand content, and hopes to host over 1000 blockbuster and under-the-radar titles by the end of the month. Documentaries already available on the platform cover a huge range of topics, from fast food social experiment Super Size Me, to fly-on-the-wall spectacle Jesus Camp which follows an Evangelist summer camp, and Morgan Neville's Oscar-winning music doco 20 Feet from Stardom. Music doco series Rolling Stones: Stories From the Edge, which covers the last 50 years of music in the US, and timely political flick Alt-Right: Age of Rage are also available on the service. iWonder co-founder James Bridges says a key feature of the service is the curation of the home page, which will reflect current events through articles and relevant documentary recommendations. Subscriptions have been set at $6.99 per month or $69.90 for an annual subscription. New Aussie users will receive the first month free — you can sign up here. The service is available on iOS and Android and can be cast to the small screen via Apple TV and Chromecast. The platform previously launched with 15 million users via the iflix platform in Southeast Asia, Africa and the Middle East. iWonder debuted in Singapore and New Zealand at the same time as Australia. You can sign up for iWonder via the website. Top image: Alt-Right: Age of Rage.
Breakfast and dessert haven't looked so cosy till now. Welcome to gelato like you've never seen it before. Brought to you by iconic gelateria Piccolina and black pepper evangelists Pep, Sunny Side Up is a fun treat that blurs the line between breakfast and dessert. Fusing Piccolina's signature artisanal gelato with the deep flavour and aromatic complexity of Pep's premium Cambodian black pepper, this is a delicious, adventurous and somewhat egg-centric dessert that looks, at first glance, like a perfectly fried egg. "We've always loved pushing the boundaries of what gelato can be," says Piccolina founder Sandra Foti. "Sunny Side Up is playful, sophisticated and unique – a true testament to the magic of exceptional ingredients." For Pep, this collaboration is a delightful foray into the wonderful, wild world of desserts. "Black pepper isn't your usual sweet ingredient, but as any pastry or dessert chef will tell you, its versatility is extraordinary," says Pep co-founder Josh Gardiner. "As long-time fans of Piccolina's inventive flare, we hope everyone gets as much of a kick out of this lively little number as we do." So, here's what you'll get: black pepper mango jam gelato topped with a coconut jelly 'egg white' and frosty fruit jelly 'yolk', finished off with many hearty cranks of freshly cracked Pep, of course. It's cold, it's delicious, it's dessert at its very best, and it's a limited edition creation that you don't want to miss. Available exclusively across all Piccolina Gelateria stores for two weeks only from Wednesday, March 5.
'Tis the season for feasting — and one South Yarra spot is here to help make sure you do so in style, even after Christmas lunch is long over. You can forget about cooking at home, because Dukang Restaurant & Bar is dishing up a limited-edition Festive Bottomless Feast right through until Sunday, January 8. Clocking in at $79 per person, this Asian-fusion feed is chock full of good stuff, featuring shared entrees and a choice of main dish for each diner. You're in for plates like prawn-stuffed zucchini flowers, wok-tossed crispy wings, xiao long bao, curry kapitan, braised eggplant and pork noodles, and more. There's even a very special wagyu laksa with fresh udon available to add on if you're looking to amp things up ($18). Paired with the eats is 90 minutes of free-flowing drinks, including vino, tap beer, spritzes and mimosas. The Festive Bottomless Feast is on offer anytime during Dukang's regular opening hours — 5.30–8.30pm on Wednesday and Thursday, 12–2.30pm and 5.30–9.30pm on Friday and Saturday, and 12–2.30pm and 5.30–8.30pm on Sunday.
In 2012, Imogen Heap appeared on a Wired stage wearing what seemed to be magical gloves. Every time she moved, the music responded. One sweeping gesture would incite a dramatic crescendo; one wiggle of the index finger would provoke a shift from major to minor; one flick of the wrist would mute an entire string section. Liberated from laptops and mixing decks, Heap was transformed into a wizard/conductor/interpretive dancer who seemed to have every sound in the universe at her command. She liked it so much that she wants to pass her superpowers onto the world. She and a team of tech-experts have been hard at work creating a set of electronic gloves that anyone can use. Having come up with a prototype, they’re now looking for Kickstarter support to raise the £200,000 necessary to facilitating a first production run. The gloves, dubbed Mi.Mu, allow the user to interact with their computer through gestures. A series of sensors measure the hand’s position, direction and force of movement and this data is transported wirelessly, then transformed into musical elements. Heap has been developing the technology for four years, initially motivated by a desire to inject more expression into her live performances. "In order to free myself up on the stage from my various bits of technology and to bridge the gap between what’s going on on stage and the audience, I wanted to create something where I could manipulate my computer on the move wirelessly so that music becomes more like a dance rather than a robotic act like pressing a button or moving a fader," she told Dezeen. Early versions of the gloves were connected to a pack worn on the upper body and required elaborate set-up procedures. But the latest are much more accessible. The inclusion of an x-IMU board containing an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer and wifi has rendered the pack unnecessary. "It's really simple," Heap explains. "It just sees this exoskeleton as a device and then it comes up on your computer as a wifi device and you're ready to go. It's super simple and it's great." It’s expected that Mi.Mu’s uses will expand beyond music, to include design, sign language and, um, driving a vehicle. "I suppose as long as you can access your computer inside your car, there's no reason why you couldn't just sit in the back of your car and indicate right or left," Heap muses. "It's a remote control. It feels like an expressive musical instrument sometimes but it's essentially a remote control and anything that you could potentially do with your hands, you could do with your gloves." With Heap at the wheel, that could be one interesting ride. [via Dezeen]
The Atlantic Group is known for setting up some of the best seafood restaurants in Melbourne — most notably, The Atlantic. So, it was no surprise to see its takeaway sushi joint Sushi Baby do so damn well in Brighton immediately after opening in mid-2023. Riding this wave of success, the crew has now gone ahead and set up a new dine-in restaurant with a bright pink and green dining room and a courtyard filled with greenery and pink blossom garlands. This fit-out is starkly different from most of Melbourne's sushi joints, which tend to keep the colour scheme muted and furnishings traditional. But Sushi Baby isn't your classic sushi diner. Its colourful design reflects the kitchen's contemporary stylings and playful approach to Japanese cuisine. The nori tacos — filled with raw salmon, avocado, teriyaki sauce and furikake — are a brilliant representation of this. The classic flavours and ingredients are presented differently without being unusual just for the sake of it. The sushi purists out there shouldn't be scared off, as the Sushi Baby crew isn't messing around too much. Traditional nigiri, maki rolls and inari are up for grabs, plus there's a daily changing sashimi platter for those wanting to really treat themselves. Katsu sandos and some larger sharing plates help the diner transition from day to night. Upgrading the space hasn't meant that it has totally abandoned its takeout sushi roots. Most of the dine-in goodies can be made to take away, plus the 62- and 85-piece sushi boxes are still as stunning as always — coming in a bright pink box with the brand's signature laughing baby face printed under the lid. Sushi Baby can be found at 414 New Street, Brighton, open 11am–8.30pm from Tuesday to Thursday (and on Sundays) and 11am–9.30pm from Friday to Saturday. For more information, head to the venue's website.
Named after an award-winning collection of short stories by Eleanor Farjeon, The Little Bookroom is a dedicated children's bookstore that first opened in the CBD in 1960. Since then, the famed shop has enjoyed many iterations and addresses, but remains a much-loved fixture of Melbourne's literary scene — easily ranking as one of the best bookshops in Melbourne. These days, it sits happily in Fitzroy North Village, helmed by Leesa Lambert and her parents. A cosy oasis for budding young bookworms, the store boasts an expansive curation of kids books, graphic novels and young adult fiction, guaranteed to delight small readers with big imaginations. There's also a handy selection of informative titles aimed at their adult counterparts, covering everything from parenting to hot-ticket new fiction. Plus, you'll find a jam-packed event calendar featuring things like book chats, author talks and interactive storytime sessions. [caption id="attachment_815355" align="alignnone" width="1920"] By Meghan Lawson, Piccolo Angelo Photography[/caption] Top image: By Meghan Lawson, Piccolo Angelo Photography
Multi-arts festival Rising is set to transform a host of inner-city precincts for the next two weeks as its blockbuster program of immersive art and performance descends on Melbourne. And even the Yarra is scoring an art makeover of sorts, thanks to a monumental work by leading audio-visual artist Robin Fox. On show nightly for the festival's duration (Wednesday, June 1–Sunday, June 12), Monochord will light up the Birrarung like never before. The work takes the form of a powerful laser, beamed one kilometre down the river's length, the light sitting just above its surface. It's thought to be the highest intensity laser ever before used in Melbourne. You'll be able to see this roaring light beam from multiple points along the river as it flickers, pulses and sweeps to a synchronised soundscape. You can also tune into the Monochord audio via the website. The laser will be visible from 6.30pm each night. [caption id="attachment_856329" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Monochord', photographed by Zillah Morrow and Robin Fox[/caption]
UPDATE, October 23, 2020: Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is available to stream via Netflix, Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube, iTunes and Amazon Video. The film that inspired DC Comics fans to ridiculously call for Rotten Tomatoes' closure, 2016's Suicide Squad was many things. Filled with nefarious characters forced to band together to save the world, it was supposed to be a Joker-led villainous team-up flick — and, while it ticked that box, it was also formulaic, bloated, unsubtle and overflowing with ugly CGI. As a result, it was mostly just dull and a slog to watch. And while the anti-hero onslaught is still getting a sequel in 2021, only one element truly stood out. That'd be Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, the Arkham Asylum psychiatrist who jumped into a life of crime when she became the jester of genocide's main squeeze. From the moment that Robbie stole the show in Suicide Squad, a Quinn-focused spinoff was always inevitable. So, knowing when they're onto a good thing — and witnessing their now Academy Award-nominated Australian star keep rising in fame via I, Tonya, Mary, Queen of Scots, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Bombshell — the folks behind the DC Extended Universe have gone and done the obvious. Thankfully, the powers-that-be learned a few lessons along the way, leaning into everything that first made the anarchic character attract so much big-screen attention. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is vividly stylised, irreverently upbeat, and both frenetic and fluid. To the benefit of every fight and chase scene, it's also more concerned with eye-popping action choreography than overblown special effects. The movie's riotous mood, lurid colour scheme and kookily comic sensibilities can't smooth out all of its bumps, though, but put it this way: Suicide Squad, this definitely isn't. After breaking up with the Joker (Jared Leto's awful green-haired version of the villain is nowhere to be seen, luckily), Quinn finds herself at a crossroads. Just like anyone who's newly single, she's not quite sure what to do with herself, other than drinking, downing comfort food, cutting her hair and getting a pet. Just when she's starting to reclaim her havoc-wreaking spark, she also discovers an unexpected consequence of changing her relationship status. Now that she's no longer the clown prince of crime's other half, every lowlife in town wants to settle the score for all the times she's done them wrong. One of them is psychopathic nightclub owner Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor) — and, in trying to save her alabaster skin from her new number-one nemesis, Quinn gets caught up with a posse of other feisty Gotham gals. Enter: Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), a hard-nosed detective constantly overlooked by the brass; Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), a singer at Sionis' club with a helluva voice; and the crossbow-wielding, vengeance-seeking, leather-clad Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Light-fingered teen Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) actually brings them all together, with Sionis' goons chasing her, too. These ladies comprise a disparate bunch throughout much of the movie, but — because this flick is based on and named after a comic-book superhero team — becoming a girl gang is blatantly on the agenda. Yes, even with candy-coloured trickster Quinn leading the charge and grinning away as she's doing so, Birds of Prey brandishes a familiar caped crusader template. Besting Suicide Squad is an incredibly low and easy bar to conquer, which Birds of Prey does. Completely finding its own groove is a trickier task and, despite the best efforts of director Cathy Yan (Dead Pigs) and writer Christina Hodson (Bumblebee), it proves harder to master here. Sporting a punk-ish, perky, peppy attitude, Birds of Prey feels unique in the DC movie realm, even against other standout franchise entries like Wonder Woman and Aquaman. But its goofy, off-kilter vibe also feels just a few shades away from Marvel's Thor: Ragnarok on occasion. Quinn's cheeky, knowing, mile-a-minute narration, as well as the playful plot structure that comes with it, can also veer too close to Deadpool territory. That makes Birds of Prey fun, purposefully chaotic and mostly entertaining, but also sometimes struggling to keep it all together. That's Quinn herself in a nutshell, though — and while this isn't a case of a film perfectly aping its protagonist in every possible way, there's still some nice symmetry at play. And, there's always something enjoyable going on on-screen. Often, it's the kinetic fight scenes, with credit to second-unit director (and John Wick franchise director) Chad Stahelski. At other times, it's the dazzling, glittering production design, or a memorable dream sequence that casts Quinn as Marilyn Monroe. Usually, it's the cast, which firmly pushes a diverse array of girls to the front. An over-the-top McGregor relishes his rare cartoonish bad guy role, but Birds of Prey's motley crew of female stars soar highest. Robbie most of all, unsurprisingly — and just as Joaquin Phoenix's take on the Joker looks likely to nab him an Oscar, it's a delight to see Harley Quinn still stealing the spotlight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygzqL60kvwU
When The Duffer Brothers, the siblings who brought the world Stranger Things and gave Netflix its biggest hit yet in the process, announced that their obsessed-over and adored series was returning for a fourth season — a reveal made all the way back in 2019, just months after the third season released — they did it in the only way they know how. "We're not in Hawkins anymore", the video heralding the news advised. Even when dropping 45-second videos comprised solely of graphics and moody tunes, the Duffers' fondness for filtering their show through classic pop-culture references remained firmly intact. So it is that Stranger Things 4 ventures beyond its trusty small-town setting, and in several directions. It keeps those nods and winks to flicks and shows gone by streaming steadily as well. This fourth go-around, seven episodes of which arrive on Friday, May 27, ambitiously expands in other ways, too — not quite so many that you'd need seven Dungeons & Dragons dice to count them, but enough that it's noticeable. It's bigger and longer, with no episode clocking in at less than an hour, one in the first batch running for a feature-length 98 minutes, and the final two not set to release until Friday, July 1. Its teenage stars are bigger and taller as well, ageing further and faster than their characters. The show has matured past riffing on early-80s action-adventure movies, such as The Goonies; now, it's onto slashers and other horror films, complete with new characters called Fred and Jason. And with that, Stranger Things also gets bloodier and eerier. It's still the show that viewers have loved since 2016, when not even Netflix likely realised what it had unleashed — and no, that doesn't just include the demogorgon escaping from the Upside Down. But growing, as Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown, Godzilla vs Kong), her boyfriend Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard, Ghostbusters: Afterlife), and their pals Will Byers (Noah Schnapp, Waiting for Anya), Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo, The Angry Birds Movie 2), Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink, Fear Street) and Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin, Concrete Cowboy) all visibly have, comes with a few pains. The Duffers give fans more this time around, entertainingly so; however, the flow of the season's super-sized episodes and sprawled-out narrative threads is often askew. But that's hardly the worst problem to have — and pressing "next episode" instantly when each set of credits rolls remains as easy as ever. Eleven and company all do have worst woes to deal with. Six months after the battle of Starcourt, Eleven lives in Lenora Hills, California, with Will, his brother Jonathan (Charlie Heaton, The Souvenir Part II) and their mother Joyce (Winona Ryder, The Plot Against America). There, the weather is sunny yet little is rosy. The former government test-subject writes otherwise in letters back home, but high school is an onslaught of mean-girl bullying, which spills out violently when Mike visits over spring break. Eleven's powers have also vanished, and she's haunted by the loss of Jim Hopper (David Harbour, Black Widow) — as is Joyce, who now sells encyclopaedias from home. Life isn't any better in Indiana. More accurately, it's terrifying and insidiously grim. A pre-holiday Mike has joined the high school D&D club with Dustin, as run by metal-loving outcast Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn, Small Axe). So has Lucas, but he's also on the basketball team, trying to work his way up the social ladder. Haunted by her brother Billy's (Dacre Montgomery, The Broken Hearts Gallery) death in season three, Max refuses to fit in anywhere, but needs the gang's help when a new form of evil seeps out of the Upside Down and starts leaving a body count. Also ready to assist: Steve Harrington (Joe Keery, Free Guy) and Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke, Fear Street), who've graduated to working in the Hawkins' video store, plus the school newspaper's new star reporter Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer, Things Seen & Heard). And, in Russia — because that Hopper is alive and definitely isn't in Hawkins was revealed between seasons — frosty bleakness is status quo. But the stranded Hawkins Police chief remains as stubborn as ever, even shackled in a Soviet gulag. Obviously, he's determined to regain his freedom. Stranger Things 4 is many things: a reminder that high school is hell, and just being a teenager is torturous, too; a musing on trauma and the way it carves through hearts and souls, as slasher flicks tend to be; an escape caper; an enormous love letter to horror master Wes Craven, a wonderful stab of casting included; and another book in the show's superhero story. One of its most frustrating aspects: the way it throws around that S-word, because everything has to be a superhero tale these days (see also: the clearly Stranger Things-influenced Firestarter remake). This series has always been at its best when it's embracing two other genres, sci-fi and horror. Ramping up the latter, and using it to explore the chaos of being caught between childhood and adulthood, is season four's savviest touch. While it isn't particularly new or inventive, it cuts deep, mining the pain of making mistakes, being forever changed by life's ups and downs, and grappling with the realisation that some wounds truly are forever. As a result, for all of its efforts to roam beyond its original setting, Stranger Things' fourth season feels more like itself on familiar ground, unsurprisingly. That sensation helps give Sink one of the season's best performances so far — its weightiest and most textured, too — complete with a stunningly deployed 'Running Up That Hill' by Kate Bush as her personal soundtrack. It's also in Hawkins where the stakes are greater, the plot tighter and the diversions funnier, in no small part thanks to Matarazzo's still-stellar timing, Keery leaning as hard on Steve's comedic vibe as he has since season two, and Hawke making every Robin moment an utter delight. There's no place like home, after all, including when that town is a cross between Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Sunnydale and Twin Peaks. Although they're both 90s references, rather than hailing from the Duffers' beloved decade prior, the blood of Buffy and Twin Peaks have long pumped through Stranger Things' veins. That feels especially the case in season four, which is also the most melancholic yet — but with a clearly vast budget, as made plain by the special effects that the Duffers and fellow directors Shawn Levy (Free Guy) and Nimrod Antal (Predators) have at their disposal. And, with all that dripping 80s nostalgia, of course, because it wouldn't be Stranger Things without it. The expected but never derivative winks and callouts to the decade's screen touchstones keep coming, naturally, like they too are spilling out of the Upside Down. Also flowing faster than Dustin's one-liners, Steve's glorious locks, Eleven's steely stares, Joyce's nervous energy and the horrors of season four's new Lovecraft-esque big bad? The can't-stop-watching thrill of having Stranger Things back, slinking into its darker trip — ups, downs, occasional awkwardness and all — and binging compulsively. The first seven episodes of Stranger Things season four hit Netflix at 5pm AEST / 7pm NZST Friday, May 27, with the remaining two set to follow on Friday, July 1. Images: Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.
"Hey Garth, I really think you should read this book." Audiences have those ten words, as sent to Australian filmmaker Garth Davis in an email, to thank for Foe. When the director behind Lion and Mary Magdalene received that recommendation, it was from someone in the film industry that he didn't know — "it was just random," Davis tells Concrete Playground — and it led to his third feature. It also gave the world the outstanding pairing of Irish actors Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal, aka two of today's best talents, playing a married couple in the year 2065 when the climate crisis has made the earth nearly unliveable. The novel: Canadian author Ian Reid's text that gives Foe its name. The plot: in that time to come, Junior (Mescal, Carmen) and Hen (Ronan, See How They Run) are etching out what life they still can on his family's wilting American midwest farm when government consultant Terrance (Aaron Pierre, Old) arrives in the night to change everything. On the page and on the screen, this tale enlists Junior on a two-year space mission to help build an installation that's part of the plan to sustain humanity away from its ravaged home planet. It also reassures the couple that Hen will have familiar company: a duplicate that'll look exactly like her husband, as designed to slide seamlessly into his place. "I bought the book pretty much straight away, and then I read it in one sitting. I just couldn't put it down. Then I went back and read it again a second time," Davis explains. He also stresses the "obvious reasons" for that instant revisit, as anyone who has also devoured Reid's book will know — and viewers, too, once they've seen the movie that the filmmaker and writer teamed up to pen the script for. "When I was reading the book, I didn't have any expectations to turn it into a film. But as I was reading it, the first thing I was struck with was that kind of Hitchcockian feel in the setup. The stranger arriving in the night, this couple living on an isolated farm — it just felt I was seeing the movie in my mind," Davis continues. "But then what really interested me was it just went against all my expectations. Suddenly I became fascinated by this relationship, this marriage on-screen, and very curious why the wife was behaving in strange ways, this hot and cold quality to her behaviour. This deep meditation on their relationship started to unfold, and I found that fascinating." "Then it goes down this glorious, feverish rabbit hole, and all of these things are revealed, which I found an amazing experience. All that aside, after going through the whole journey, what I felt in my heart was Hen, and I really aligned with what she was fighting for in her marriage and in her life. She had that curiosity for life. She had that hunger to live. She understood the preciousness of time and to not take things for granted, and I found that something I could really align with," Davis notes. Largely a three-hander that's primarily shot in Victoria's Winton Wetlands — doubling for the US as Ronan and Mescal sport the appropriate accents — Foe marks a change of big-screen pace for Davis. When the Brisbane-born filmmaker made his feature debut with Lion after directing episodes of Love My Way and Top of the Lake, he jumped between India and Australia to helm a movie that'd earn six Oscar nominations and win two BAFTAs, and starred a hefty cast including Dev Patel (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar), Nicole Kidman (Special Ops: Lioness), Rooney Mara (Women Talking) and David Wenham (Elvis). Next, with biblical drama Mary Magdalene, shooting in Italy beckoned, also with ample on-screen names such as Mara again, Joaquin Phoenix (Beau Is Afraid) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (The Man Who Fell to Earth). The calibre of talents remains for Foe, clearly, but making something more intimate was firmly Davis' desire. Our wide-ranging conversation with the director about Foe, which is now in Australian cinemas, also spans that purposeful shift, the film's AI and environmental themes, humanity's approach to artificial intelligence, making a marriage drama first and foremost, the movie's stellar cast and Davis' learnings after Lion's huge success. ON FOE JOINING THE GROWING RANKS OF AI FILMS AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCI-FI "When we were looking at the book, it wasn't really in the vernacular at that point. It just wasn't happening. It wasn't in the zeitgeist. It wasn't until we started, at the end of the shooting, getting to editing where suddenly Starlink was in the sky, suddenly AI was — well, AI came quite late, but suddenly everything was coming alive. I just feel like we slipped right into the zeitgeist. I mean, I would think twice about doing it now because it is so saturated, but at the time, it just wasn't around. For me, this is not a film about that. This is a film about a relationship and that was my main interest. But what I did like about the AI and sci-fi device, it just created this super-exciting way to explore that human relationship in ways that you ordinarily couldn't. For Hen to be able to have a relationship with the version of her husband like when she first met him — I just love that proposition. I think that's really interesting. And how to navigate that in a believable way and a performance, I found even more challenging and interesting." ON FOE'S VISION OF THE FUTURE "I think this movie is very timely — and what I have witnessed is a lot of young people, maybe 16–25, in audiences really loving this movie and being alarmed by this movie for lots of reasons. They see it as their future, and they do identify with Hen because they feel they've been let down by my generation, who have basically not changed or done anything when the writing's on the wall. I guess what I love about the themes of this story is that it really explores stasis and our complacency — and when you take something for granted, you truly lose it, not just in ourselves but in the planet. I love all those aspects of the story, and it's something that I really felt we should be reminded of as we navigate into this technological future. I still think this question of what makes us feel fulfilled and how do we find a meaningful life, I think it's just going to get harder as we go along. And I guess the film is just reminding us not to keep looking outwards, to look inwards, and that we do have the power to make changes — we can stand up and say 'we don't want this' or 'I want to live my life and find my agency'. In a way, it's a kind of a wake-up call, this movie. It's a little bit of a call to arms — a call to arms to protect yourself and to fight for that, because that's what's precious and it's very vulnerable at the moment. I've got kids as well and they're all really pissed about the environment, and we've done nothing about it, and they're really annoyed. So when they when they see Saoirse Ronan, which is a human being that they all look up to as a good person, to see her playing a character that is frustrated by those very things and to want to have a justice for humanity, it's inspiring to these kids. They really love it." ON EXPLORING AI AS SOMETHING OTHER THAN AN ON-SCREEN VILLAIN "It's ironic that, in a way, the AI brought context and meaning to Hen's journey and helped her process a lot of things. So, yeah, you can definitely see the benefits of it. This is another way to look at: everyone talks about what AI's going do for them or take away from them, but have we ever thought for a moment about the ethics around creating sentient beings? Where do our ethics lie there? Because a lot of this artificial intelligence is being created to serve us — I guess it's a form of slavery in a way — and what happens when they do become sentient? What do we do then? Are they going to have rights or are they going be just used for our pleasure? So I don't know. I can see why people create it and I can see the positive aspects, but we do have responsibility, surely. We have responsibility in nature too, and we've fucked that up, so we're probably going to do the same with this." ON MAKING A MARRIAGE DRAMA FIRST AND FOREMOST "I think this couple is very relatable. I think everyone can attest to taking someone for granted over time, not even knowing so and finding you're in a very different point in the relationship. The actors bring their own understanding of that to the choices they make. Paul would have his own personal understanding of that, as would Saoirse — and that brings the richness through those choices. With this film, there's the story you think you're watching and the story that's really happening. And there's these delicious stakes, and all these wonderful riches to explore in the performance. The stakes change and build for all of the characters in different ways. We just have to drill down with all the actors in terms of preparation. We just made sure that we understood the real stakes of the characters at each of those points, so that we could bring something very believable through in the performances." ON CASTING SAOIRSE RONAN, PAUL MESCAL AND AARON PIERRE "You obviously look at a big list of people when you are working on the script — well for me anyway — and she was the person that I could feel the most in the room. I could almost feel her personality beside me and I could feel this curious human being, someone that had this inner light — I could really feel her. I took that feeling into the casting process and Saoirse was definitely right at the top of the list for that. She is an extraordinary actress, but she's just got this great personality that shines through all of her work. That's what I desperately wanted in the movie. It's what's precious. So we decided to start with her, and once she agreed to do it, then it's alchemy — it's like an emotional alchemy from there. You try to find people that you think could have a great chemistry with her and that led me to Paul Mescal. And what I loved about him, too, is that he had both alpha quality and that feminine quality. I thought he had emotional range to play the versions of himself that he needed to play, and he had such a deep love and respect for Saoirse — and their Irish heritage, of course. Then we did actually have Lakeith Stanfield cast as as Terence. We actually sold the movie with Saoirse, Paul and Lakeith Stanfield. That's what we took to the market. Then Lakeith Stanfield exited the project very, very late in the game, which was very distressing for me. But sometimes the universe intervenes in the right way — so it led me to Aaron Pierre. And I think we've been graced with this extraordinary performance from him. It it's so gorgeously nuanced and surprising and disorientating. So it was lucky — and it is so important that the film lives and dies on these actors because we've got nowhere to go. It's all about the psychology and the relationships on-screen, and I can't imagine it being anyone else really." ON AUSTRALIA STANDING IN FOR AMERICA'S MIDWEST "When I show the movie in America, they have no idea it's Australia. They actually go 'wow, that's a really haunting but scarily believable version of midwest'. So I think we did our job properly — I just had to avoid all the Australian tropes. It was really important for me that I wanted everyone to feel the earth dying and feel its distress, and its call for help. I really wanted to find landscapes that were real and I could put in camera, and Australia just delivered that feeling to me — and that was what was very exciting. The Winton Wetlands is where we built the set of the house, and it's haunting because there's a lot of death, obviously, with these dead trees, but you can really imagine what it would have been like when it was alive. It would have been the most beautiful farm. So I love all of that. I love that there's always beauty in our movie no matter how hard it gets — there's always a beauty in it and and I guess there's hope in that in a way. There's love in that. So I understand why he holds on to the farm. It would have been something that was loved and cherished, even though it may feel uninhabitable at this point. I can understand why we attach ourselves to these things. Everything was very deeply considered and chosen on a gut level to what we're trying to do on the story." ON MAKING A ONE-LOCATION FILM AFTER LION AND MARY MAGDALENE "It was actually a wish that I had. I've always done these super-ambitious, sprawling stories wrangling lots of cast, locations, traffic, chaos, extras. And I love all of that, don't get me wrong. But my absolute joy is when I when the camera's on that little boy's face and he does a performance that takes me away [in Lion], or Nicole Kidman in that scene with Dev, or Top of the Lake with Elisabeth Moss revealing this child that she has and the emotions. That's when I go 'I just want a whole movie full of that, how do that?'. So I guess I've always had this wish, like if there was the right material, I'd love to just just have a couple of actors in a room and go down that rabbit hole so. I guess this movie is partly serving that appetite for something more intimate". ON WHAT LION'S SUCCESS TAUGHT DAVIS ABOUT HIS CAREER "Lion, in a way, proved to me that you've just got to follow your instinct with what you want to make. Lion, I just fell in love with the story. I was passionate about it. I was very involved with with the script in many ways structurally, and in how we're going to tell the story. It just confirmed that I can follow my instinct and it can work out, and that was really exciting. I knew it was a story that people were going to love, and I would say that to my producers 'I think this is going be a really amazing movie' And of course [they'd reply] 'we hope so, we hope it works'. That was just a really great feeling to make something in such a pure way and for it to be accepted on such a scale. I approach all my projects like that now. I haven't changed. I have to feel it. I have to be excited about it, challenged by it. And I can be making things at any point, but I wouldn't be in alignment with my with myself. So I'm taking maybe a longer road or a different road, and just trying to just trying to make films that I care about. That's really, really what I'm doing." Foe opened in Australian cinemas on November 2. Read our review.
Whatever she's in, and whether she's the star of the show or a supporting player, Chloë Sevigny's face always tells a tale of its own. That's been true in everything from Kids and Boys Don't Cry through to Big Love and We Are Who We Are, and it remains that way in The Girl From Plainville — the new eight-part true-crime miniseries led by The Great's Elle Fanning that's based on the death of Massachusetts teenager Conrad Roy III in 2014. Here, Fanning plays Conrad's long-distance girlfriend Michelle Carter. It's due to the her actions that the situation has been known as "the texting suicide case" for almost a decade — garnering not just local but international attention, and earning a HBO documentary, I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth Vs Michelle Carter, back in 2019. Fanning is fantastic in what proves an eerie character study, but the looks that Sevigny, as Conrad's mother Lynn, shoots her way scream rather than simply speak volumes. If you've ever wondered what facial expression could sum up grief, horror, sorrow, anger, disbelief, hurt, despair and utter bewilderment all at once, the always-excellent Sevigny frequently has the answer. Inspired by Jesse Barron's Esquire article of the same name, The Girl From Plainville tells a tough tale. Streaming in Australia via Stan, with three episodes available now and the rest following weekly, it starts with Conrad's (Colton Ryan, Dear Evan Hansen) suicide in his truck in a Kmart parking lot. It was his second attempt to take his life, although he'd promised Lynn that he wouldn't do it again — and when his death was investigated, police discovered text messages sent to him by Michelle, including a plethora of words encouraging him to take his own life. In 2015, she was indicted on charges of involuntary manslaughter for "wantonly and recklessly" assisting the suicide. In 2017, her trial took place. The outcome is now a matter a history, which The Girl From Plainville builds up to while also unpacking Michelle and Conrad's relationship. Accordingly, in two intertwined narrative threads, Michelle is a bereaved girlfriend who inserts herself into the Roy family's mourning wherever she can, even though Lynn and her ex-husband Co (Norbert Leo Butz, another Bloodline alum) didn't know she existed until after their son's death — and she's also a lonely high-schooler who meets a boy from a neighbouring town while vacationing in Florida, then keeps up a romance afterwards via text. In both, she's clearly a troubled young woman with body-image issues, struggles making and keeping friends, and a yearning for attention, which The Girl From Plainville unpacks without excusing her actions. Indeed, Sevigny's piercing gaze aside, this is a show about questions rather than answers, because some things can't ever truly be resolved. It's a series about feelings, too, including the many faces we wear to weather them. Michelle sports plenty: devoted, manipulative, heartbroken, rebellious, insecure, domineering and needy being a mere few. The Girl From Plainville's first episodes are full of jaw-on-the-floor moments, all stemming from Michelle's behaviour. The way that she ingratiates herself into the Roys' lives is disturbing and infuriating in equal measure — and a scene where the Glee-obsessive mimics one of the show's big emotional numbers is nothing short of chilling. The more details that are revealed, the more perturbing her conduct proves, including the fact that she was playing the victim and claiming that Conrad had been missing for days to her friends while she was actually texting him encouragement to go through with his suicide. That's what sparks local detective Scott Gordon (Kelly AuCoin, Billions) and then assistant district attorney Katie Rayburn (Aya Cash, The Boys) to dig deeper, even though they're in unprecedented territory legally. When the show turns into a courtroom drama, it still weaves through blasts from Michelle and Conrad's relationship past. In the former, the tone is understandably stark and grim; in latter, which includes reimagining the onslaught of text messages the pair shared as face-to-face conversations, it's almost dreamy. Creators Liz Hannah and Patrick MacManus know that they're making another entry in the ever-growing scandal-to-screen canon — Hannah also executive produced The Dropout, and MacManus did the same on Dr Death — but their focus on inner turmoil is both compassionate and haunting. And, it does what a straightforward retelling might've missed, giving Conrad a space to be himself and to be a main character, rather than just a casualty in someone else's story. Ryan might be playing his second suicidal adolescent in as many projects, but he's heartbreaking here as Conrad navigates unshakeable social anxiety and the traditional expectations placed upon masculinity. There's nuance in Ryan's every scene, and layers to each aspect of his sensitive performance — traits that Sevigny and Fanning also display, all to The Girl From Plainville's benefit. In fact, it's that texture, subtlety and complexity that makes Fanning's portrayal something exceptional, especially when tasked with inhabiting such a difficult character. Whether she's playing Michelle as seemingly sweet but desperate to be liked and loved, overbearing and demanding in her determination to be the centre of Conrad's death, or solemn and shaken during her trial, she's always a whirlwind of competing — and compelling-to-watch — aims and emotions. Giving room to all these shades, and to the unanswerable queries they inspire, is what gives this ripped-from-the-headlines series weight and depth beyond its attention-grabbing premise. True-crime dramas are firmly having their moment right now — see also: Pam & Tommy, Inventing Anna, The Dropout and WeCrashed in the first quarter of 2022 alone — but The Girl From Plainville is complicated, captivating and gripping. Check out the trailer for The Girl From Plainville below: The first three episodes of The Girl From Plainville are available to stream via Stan, with new instalments dropping weekly. Images: Steve Dietl/Hulu.
Here's an excellent way to spend Halloween: watching the exceptional slasher flick that is the OG Halloween, aka one of iconic filmmaker John Carpenter's masterpieces, as well as the movie that helped make Jamie Lee Curtis a star. But when October 31 rolls around — or the month of October in general — you might want to expand your viewing. Sure, the Halloween franchise has plenty of entries, including a brand-new one in cinemas right now (and some excellent, some terrible and some average ones). It isn't the only worthy of your eyeballs while you're carving pumpkins, eating candy and dressing up in the most frightening costume you can conjure up, however. Every year, a whole heap of unsettling and unnerving flicks reach screens big and small. Every year, they spook us out all year round. But this is the time to binge them — and we've come up with a killer streaming marathon solely based on 2022 horror movies on the various platforms now. If your idea of a perfect Halloween this year involves getting reacquainted with that groove on your sofa and binging your way through the latest and greatest eerie flicks that are currently offer, here's ten that'll do the trick. You'll need to supply the treats, obviously. X In new slasher standout X, the eponymous letter doesn't simply mark a spot; it isn't by accident that the film takes its moniker from the classification given to the most violent and pornographic movies made. This is a horror flick set amid a porn shoot, after all, and it heartily embraces the fact that people like to watch from the get-go. Swaggering producer Wayne (Martin Henderson, The Gloaming), aspiring starlet Maxine Minx (Mia Goth, Emma), old-pro fellow actors Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow, Pitch Perfect 3) and Jackson Hole (Scott Mescudi, Don't Look Up), and arty director RJ (Owen Campbell, The Miseducation of Cameron Post) and his girlfriend/sound recorder Lorraine (Jenna Ortega, doing triple horror duty in 2022 so far in Scream, Studio 666 and now this) are counting on that truth to catapult themselves to fame. Hailing from Houston and aroused at the idea of repeating Debbie Does Dallas' success, they're heading out on the road to quieter climes to make the skin flick they're staking their futures on, and they desperately hope there's an audience. X is set in the 70s, as both the home-entertainment pornography market and big-screen slashers were beginning to blossom. As a result, it's similarly well aware that sex and death are cinema's traditional taboos, and that they'll always be linked. That's art imitating life, because sex begets life and life begets death, but rare is the recent horror movie that stresses the connection so explicitly yet playfully. Making those links is Ti West, the writer/director responsible for several indie horror gems over the past decade or so — see: cult favourites The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers — and thrusting a smart, savage and salacious delight towards his viewers here. Yes, he could've gone with The Texas Porn-Shoot Massacre for the feature's title, but he isn't remaking the obvious seminal piece of genre inspiration. X streams via Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. WEREWOLF BY NIGHT Running for 53 minutes, Werewolf by Night is more a standalone Marvel Cinematic Universe special than a movie. It's the first release of its type for the sprawling comic book-to-screen behemoth, and it makes the case for more like it. In fact, if you've been feeling fatigued by average big-screen MCU releases lately, it also makes the case for more variety and experimentation in the Marvel blockbuster realm in general — because when the usual mould gets tinkered with in a significant way, and not just with a goofy vibe like Thor: Love and Thunder, something special like this can result. The mood is all horror, in a glorious throwback way, complete with gorgeous black-and-white cinematography. The focus: hunting for monsters, which does, yes, involve bringing together a crew of new characters with special traits. Thankfully, that concept never feels formulaic because of how much creepy fun that Werewolf by Night is having, and how much love it splashes towards classic creature features. That monochrome look, and the shadowy lighting that comes with it, clearly nods to the ace monster flicks of the 1930s and 1940s; composer-turned-director Michael Giacchino (who provided Thor: Love and Thunder's score, in fact), must be a fan, as we all should be. His filmmaking contribution to the MCU takes its name from comic-book character Werewolf by Night, which dates back to the 70s on the page — but if you don't know that story, let the same-titled flick surprise you. The plot begins with five experienced monster hunters being summoned to Bloodstone Manor following the death of Ulysses Bloodstone, and told to get a-hunting around the grounds to work out who'll be the new leader (and also gain control of a powerful gem called the Bloodstone). That includes Jack Russell (Gael Garcia Bernal, Station Eleven), plus Ulysses' estranged daughter Elsa (Laura Donnelly, The Nevers). Everything that happens from there — and before that — instantly makes for pulpy and entertaining viewing. Werewolf by Night streams via Disney+. HELLBENDER Meet the Adams family — no, not the creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky characters that've featured on pages and screens for decades (including in two terrible recent animated flicks), but the filmmaking collective comprised of couple Toby Poser and John Adams, plus their daughters Zelda and Lulu Adams. The quartet might be missing a letter from their well-known counterparts' names, but they're just as fond of all things horror. Case in point: their second feature Hellbender, a self-financed gem that's both a spellbinding tale of witchcraft and a clever coming-of-age story. It starts in a house in the woods, and also spends most of its time there. It includes the arrival of an unexpected stranger, shattering the status quo. But formulaic and by-the-numbers, this must-see isn't. In making exceptional use of its setting, and of a cast that's primarily comprised of Adams family members, it's also a masterclass in lockdown filmmaking. In the most expected aspect of Hellbender, the film's name does indeed refer to a punk-metal band, with 16-year-old Izzy (Zelda Adams, The Deeper You Dig) and her mother (Toby Poser) its sole members. No one else has ever heard them play, either, given that Izzy is both homeschooled and confined to the family's sprawling mountainside property, as she has been since she was five. Her mum tells her that she can't venture into town or around other people due to a contagious autoimmune disease; however, when a lost man (John Adams) wanders their way and mentions that his teenage niece Amber (Lulu Adams) lives nearby, Izzy gets the confidence to go exploring. As both written and directed by three out of four Adams family members — all except Lulu — Hellbender proves an impressive supernatural affair from its opening occult-heavy prologue through to its astute take on teen rebellion. Here's hoping this Adams family spirits up more DIY horror delights soon, too. Hellbender streams via Shudder and iTunes. FRESH Finally, a film about dating in the 21st century with real bite — and that's unafraid to sink its teeth into the topic. In this hit Sundance horror-comedy, Normal People's Daisy Edgar-Jones plays Noa, and once again gets entangled in a romance that'll leave a mark; here, however, the scars aren't merely emotional. Swiping right hasn't been doing it for Fresh's protagonist, as a comically terrible date with the appropriately named Chad (Brett Dier, Jane the Virgin) demonstrates early. Then sparks fly the old-fashioned way, in-person at the supermarket, with the curiously offline doctor Steve (Sebastian Stan, Pam & Tommy). Soon, he's whisking her away to a secluded spot for the weekend — a little too swiftly for Noa's protective best friend Mollie's (Jojo T Gibbs, Twenties) liking, especially given that no one can virtually stalk his socials to scope him out — and that getaway takes a savage and nightmare-fuelling twist. If Raw met Ex Machina, then crossed paths with American Psycho and Hostel, and finally made the acquaintance of any old rom-com, Fresh still wouldn't be the end result — but its tone stems from those parts, as do some plot points and performances, and even a few scenes as well. First-time feature director Mimi Cave doesn't butcher these limbs, though, and screenwriter Lauryn Kahn (Ibiza) doesn't stitch them together like Frankenstein's monster. As anchored by the excellent Edgar-Jones and Stan, there's care, savvy, smarts and style in this splatter-filled, satirical, brutal, funny, empowered and sweet film. Its twists, and its cutting take on predatory dating, are best discovered by watching, but being turned off apps, men and meat in tandem is an instant gut reaction. Fresh streams via Disney+. PREY No stranger to voicing iconic lines, Arnold Schwarzenegger uttered one of his best-known phrases yet 35 years ago, in a franchise that's still going today. "If it bleeds, we can kill it" has been quoted frequently ever since — even by champion AFL coaches — and it's no spoiler to mention that it pops up again in the latest Predator film Prey. Trotting out that piece of dialogue won't surprise anyone, but this fine-tuned action-thriller should. It's one of the saga's best entries, serving up a lean, taut and thoughtful kill-or-be-killed battle set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago. The Predator series hasn't been big on highlights over the years — Predator 2 is forgettable to put it nicely, 2010's Predators is effective, 2018's The Predator favoured its throwback vibes above all else, and the two terrible Alien vs Predator cross-over films are best left forgotten — however Prey not only breathes new life into it, but paves a welcome path for more. (Bring on a Prey sequel ASAP.) The overall premise remains the same, with the franchise's ruthless, brutal and technologically advanced alien species using earth as its hunting ground as the series has already established — and showing zero concern about leaving a body count. Trained healer Naru (Amber Midthunder, The Ice Road) is the first to notice that something is awry this time, spotting the predator's spaceship in the sky and taking it as a sign to follow her dream to become a hunter herself. Alas, that isn't the done thing. In fact, she's spent her entire life being told that she can't be like her brother Taabe (first-timer Dakota Beavers), and should focus on her assigned role instead. Now, even with an extra-terrestrial foe wreaking havoc, she's still dismissed at every turn. Midthunder plays Naru as a fierce, determined, persistent and resourceful force to be reckoned with, while writer/director Dan Trachtenberg — co-scripting with Jack Ryan's Patrick Aison — gives all things Predator the taut focus, canny shift and fresh feel he also gave the Cloverfield saga with 10 Cloverfield Lane. Prey streams via Disney+. WE'RE ALL GOING TO THE WORLD'S FAIR "Hey guys, Casey here. Welcome to my channel. Today I'm going to be taking the World's Fair Challenge." So says We're All Going to the World's Fair's protagonist (feature newcomer Anna Cobb) twice to start this absorbing horror film, to camera, in what makes a spectacular opening sequence. Next, an eerie wave of multicoloured light flashes across her face. Watching her response brings the also-excellent She Dies Tomorrow to mind, but Casey has her own viral phenomenon to deal with. She's doing what she says she will, aka viewing a strobing video, uttering a pivotal phrase and then smearing blood across her laptop screen — and she promises to document anything that changes afterwards, because others have made those kinds of reports. Written, directed and edited by fellow feature debutant Jane Schoenbrun, the instantly eerie and intriguing We're All Going to the World's Fair is that record. Schoenbrun's film is more than that, however. It also charts the connections that spring and splinter around Casey just by joining the online trend, where her videos spark others in return — and the spirals she goes down as she watches, which then sparks a response in her own way, too. A portrait of isolation and alienation as well, while chronicling the after effects of playing a virtual horror game, We're All Going to the World's Fair is also a picture of an always-recorded world. Take your lockdown mindset, your social-media scrolling, all that Zooming that defined the beginning of the pandemic and a gamer vibe, roll them all together, and that's still not quite this arresting movie — which keeps shifting and evolving just like Cobb's enigmatic and evocative performance. The entire flick earns that description and, not that it needs an established name's tick of approval, the fact that The Green Knight and A Ghost Story director David Lowery is an executive producer speaks volumes. We're All Going to the World's Fair streams via Shudder, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. HELLRAISER Horror remakes and sequels are a bit like Halloween itself: even if you're not a fan, they always keep coming. First, a key rule about giving beloved old flicks a do-over or a years-later followup: the originals always still exist, no matter how the new movies turn out. Now, a crucial point about Hellraiser circa 2022: it's never going to be the OG picture, but it's still visually impressive, eager to get gory in bold and inventive ways, well cast and also happy to muse thoughtfully on addiction. And yes, there's a note of warning included in that above assessment of a film that arrives 35 years after Clive Barker's first stab at the series, and following nine other sequels. Directed by The Night House helmer David Bruckner, the new Hellraiser is stylish with its violent, bloody imagery, but it also still loves ripping flesh apart — and serving up a grisly nightmare. For newcomers to the Hellraiser fold, beware of puzzles. The moving box here is oh-so-enticing — that's how it gets its victims — but it's also a portal to a hellish realm. That's where demonic, frightening-looking beings called Cenobites dwell, and they're eager to haunt and terrorise the living. (Yes, that includes the ghoulish Pinhead, whose aesthetic really is all there in the name.) Accordingly, this Hellraiser movie kicks off with millionaire Roland Voight (Goran Visnjic, The Boys) obsessed with the box, and his lawyer Menaker (Hiam Abbass, Ramy) luring in new people to get torn to pieces. Then, six years later, recovering drug addict Riley (Odessa A'zion, Good Girl Jane) and her boyfriend Trevor (Drew Starkey, The Terminal List) find the cube in their possession. When it claims the former's brother Matt (Brandon Flynn, Ratched), she's determined to work out what's going on — and, while never full of narrative surprises, the brutal imagery sears itself into viewers' memories. Hellraiser streams via Binge. MASTER Taking cues from Jordan Peele's Get Out and Donald Glover's Atlanta, as well as from old-school horror classics such as Rosemary's Baby and The Shining, college-set horror-thriller Master isn't lacking in well-known influences. It also isn't afraid to let the imprint left by its obvious predecessors visibly ripple through its frames. But being overly ambitious in stitching together a story that so clearly owes a debt backwards is one of this film's few missteps — that and being so brimming with ideas that not everything gets its due. Excavating the institutionalised racism that festers in the American university system is a big task, though, and first-time feature writer/director Mariama Diallo doesn't hold back. There's a slow-burn eeriness to this intense Ivy League-steeped affair, but also a go-for-broke mentality behind its dissection of deeply engrained prejudice and weaponised identity politics. Regina Hall (Nine Perfect Strangers), Zoe Renee (Black Lightning) and Amber Gray (The Underground Railroad) play Gail Bishop, Jasmine Moore and Liv Beckman, respectively — three women of colour at a New England uni, Ancaster, with a long history. The school's past is almost exclusively tied to white administrators and students, of course, so much so that Gail is the first Black head of the college, or master. Her appointment comes as Jasmine arrives and gets allocated to a dorm once inhabited by the college's first-ever Black pupil, whose tale ended in tragedy, and as popular professor Liv tries to earn tenure. Diallo balances racial politics and the supernatural with skill; yes, the former, and the way that 'diversity' is paid lip-service to boost the university's prestige, is far more chilling than the otherworldly bumps and jumps, but both play a key part in making this a smart and haunting feature. Master streams via Prime Video. GLORIOUS During his seven seasons on HBO's slinky supernatural drama True Blood, and in his 223 episodes on Home and Away before that, Ryan Kwanten navigated any actor's fair share of wild scenarios — and soapy and melodramatic, obviously. In Glorious, he's firmly in out-there territory, but as a troubled man conversing about life, love, loss, loyalty, the universe, gods, men, women and plenty more in a dank and grimy rest-stop bathroom. So far, so straightforward. Unexpected connections and cathartic chats can happen in all manner of places with all manner of people, after all. But Wes, Kwanten's character, is conversing with a glory hole. There's a powerful deity behind it, but all that Glorious' protagonist and the audience see is glowing neon light emanating from the circle between cubicles, and a pulsating orb of flesh hanging below the stall walls. Filmmaker Rebekah McKendry (Psycho Granny), plus screenwriters David Ian McKendry (All the Creatures Were Stirring), Joshua Hull (Chopping Block) and Todd Rigney (Headless), aren't shy about their Lovecraftian nods; not thinking about the sci-fi author's brand of cosmic horror and its focus on unfathomable terrors is impossible. Indeed, this'd make a fine double with Color Out of Space — a sincere compliment given that phantasmagorical delight is adapted from the author's words, while this feels like it should've been. Aided by cinematographer David Matthews (Jakob's Wife), McKendry cements the film's clear tribute via its aesthetic and atmosphere, with vibrant pink hues contrasting with the grotty bathroom, and the claustrophobic setting doing the same with the vastness emanating from Ghat, Wes' talkative new acquaintance. That JK Simmons (Spider-Man: No Way Home) lends his distinctive tones to the movie's pivotal voice does much to set the mood, understandably, but Kwanten's layered performance, a twisty narrative and an inspiredly OTT premise executed with flair also make Glorious memorable. Glorious streams via Shudder. SCREAM Twenty-six years ago, "do you like scary movies?" stopped being just an ordinary question. Posed by a wrong-number caller who happened to be a ghostface-masked killer with a fondness for kitchen knives, it was the snappiest and savviest line in one of the 90s' biggest horror films, and it's now one of cinema's iconic pieces of dialogue. It gets another whirl in the Scream franchise's fifth movie, which is also called Scream — and you'd really best answer it now with the heartiest yes possible. Taking over from the late, great Wes Craven, who also directed 1997's Scream 2, 2000's Scream 3 and 2011's Scream 4 but died in 2015, Ready or Not's Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett task their next generation of slasher fodder with showing their devotion to horror with all the subtlety of a masked murderer who can't stop taunting their prey. That'd be a new Ghostface, who terrorises today's Woodsboro high schoolers, because the fictional spot is up there with Sunnydale and Twin Peaks on the list of places that are flat-out hellish for teens. The same happened in Scream 4, but the first new attack by the saga's killer is designed to lure home someone who's left town. Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera, In the Heights) hightailed it the moment she was old enough, fleeing a family secret, but is beckoned back when her sister Tara (Jenna Ortega, You) receives the feature's opening "do you like scary movies?" call. Soon, bodies are piling up, Ghostface gives Woodsboro that grim sense of deja vu again, and Tara's friends — including the horror film-obsessed Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown, Yellowjackets), her twin Chad (Mason Gooding, Love, Victor), his girlfriend Liv (Sonia Ammar, Jappeloup), and other pals Wes (Dylan Minnette, 13 Reasons Why) and Amber (Mikey Madison, Better Things) — are trying to both survive while basically cycling through the OG feature again, complete with a crucial location, and sleuth out the culprit using their scary movie knowledge. Everyone's a suspect, including Sam herself and her out-of-towner boyfriend Richie (Jack Quaid, The Boys), and also the begrudging resident expert on this exact situation: ex-sheriff Dewey Riley (David Arquette, Spree). The latter is the reason that morning show host Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox, Cougar Town) and initial Ghostface target Sidney Prescott (Skyscraper) make the trip back to Woodsboro again as well. Scream streams via Binge, Paramount+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. Looking for more things to watch? Check out our monthly streaming roundup, as well as our rundown of recent cinema releases that've been fast-tracked to digital home entertainment of late.
Australian author Christos Tsiolkas is back with a new novel, Barracuda, sure to get the nation talking. The follow-up to 2008's agenda-setting, TV-destined hit, The Slap, it's an exploration of failure and how to come back from it. Ahead of his sold-out talk at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas, Christos spoke with Marcus Costello about the nature of failure. You're a winner. And you don't have kids. Who are you to talk about teaching kids to fail? Fair call. To be honest I'm very wary of telling anyone how they should lead their lives. The thing is, I believe you can only ever truly talk from your own lived experience. Everyone's failures and, for that matter, everyone's experience of parenthood is unique, so to speak on behalf of anyone else under the pretence that you're all part of a select group [parents] isn't really fair either. That said, you know, maybe because I'm not a parent I can think what's in the best interest of a generation of children, not just my child, my flesh and blood. I can ask the question: Have you come here to learn how to raise your kid to be the best or how to think about what's best for your kid's generation as a whole? I mean, if we care to think about it, the wholesale derailment of the education system by the private sector has failed so many underprivileged children. And yet, my guess is, were they able to afford it, most parents would want to send their kid to a private school, and in so doing, feed the beast. But my talk isn't only about teaching children the virtues of failure. My talk is going to focus on how failure marks a certain adult relationship with Self and the world by way of moments in my life where I feel I've failed and the lacerating but ultimately rewarding experience of atoning for that failure. But if one can atone then it's not true failure; it's just part of an eventual success story, no? I see what you mean. Like, if you flick through any of those in-flight magazines there's always a profile of some celebrity that reads like an elaboration of a Nike advertisement or some dot-com entrepreneur in Forbes talking about how "failure made me stronger". My talk isn't going to be like that. The kind of professional failure I'm interested in exploring isn't so much a book that didn't sell well, but a book I've put out that betrayed my integrity or where I made lazy choices. I feel this way about my second novel, Jesus Man. On a personal level I've failed as a friend, as a son, as a lover ... On a national level, and this is a central theme of my talk, the culture of ruthless materialism and political self-regard that has emerged over the past two generations strikes me as a moral failing. That makes me think of a quote by Po Bronson I found while researching, "Failure is hard, but success is far more dangerous. If you're successful at the wrong thing, the mix of praise and money and opportunity can lock you in forever." Yes! That's so accurate. The seduction of success is something we all need to keep in check because when we step into smaller and smaller social circles it's so easy to fall out of touch with the broader community. How will you feel if your new novel Barracuda flops? Come what may, I feel I've reached a certain point in my life where I know that, for the rest of my time here, writing is what I will do. In that way you're fail-proof. I mean, if you think of yourself as destined to write, compelled by a force greater than commercial success, then you've beat the system. I guess you're right. As an artist it's folly to single out any one work as the mark of failure or success — if you're true to what you do then you see everything you produce as building towards something greater. That said, if Barracuda flops I will be upset, but for other reasons. There are so many people around me who are invested in this book and in my success — I don't want to let them down. Like The Slap your FODI talk is for an elite audience. The sad truth is that if anyone thinks anything of a child being slapped at a BBQ, that marks them as elite. To that end, how dangerous is any idea if you're only talking to those people who actually care to think about ideas? Ah, yes, this is true, and such a hard thing to deal with. I guess I can only hope that what I say will spark conversations beyond the Opera House; that someone will listen to what I have to say and take that message to someone else and the word will filter out that way. I wish I had a better answer to that but I don't. Barracuda is out now through Allen & Unwin. The Festival of Dangerous Ideas is on at the Sydney Opera House from November 2-4. Top image by John Tsiavis.
Before the pandemic, when a new-release movie started playing in cinemas, audiences couldn't watch it on streaming, video on demand, DVD or blu-ray for a few months. But with the past few years forcing film industry to make quite a few changes — widespread movie theatre closures and plenty of people staying home in iso will do that — that's no longer always the case. Maybe you've had a close-contact run-in. Perhaps you haven't had time to make it to your local cinema lately. Given the hefty amount of films now releasing each week, maybe you simply missed something. Film distributors have been fast-tracking some of their new releases from cinemas to streaming recently — movies that might still be playing in theatres in some parts of the country, too. In preparation for your next couch session, here's 15 you can watch right now at home. TITANE Eye roll-inducingly terrible bumper stickers be damned; no one honks if they're horny in Titane. Revving when aroused is more this petrol-doused body-horror film's style, spanning characters both flesh and chrome. When she's seen writhing in fishnets atop a flame-adorned vintage Cadillac, the stony-gazed Alexia (debutant Agathe Rousselle) is working. She's titillating a Fast and Furious-style car crowd with her sexed-up display, but the car model still seems to hum with every gyration. After wrapping up, murdering a grab-happy fan with the metal chopstick keeping her hair up and then showering off the gooey, gory evidence, she's soon purring rhythmically inside that gleaming vehicle. Yes, in a plot detail that spilled the instant Titane premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival, where it won the prestigious Palme d'Or, this is the French car sex flick. How does someone fornicate with an automobile? In her sophomore effort after the also-phenomenal teen cannibal film Raw, writer/director Julia Ducournau isn't too interested in those specifics. Instead, she's more concerned with shrewdly linking mechanophilia with agency and control, particularly over one's feelings and body. Her narrative starts its drive in Alexia's childhood, then speeds forward to her time as a fugitive posing as a fire chief's (Vincent Lindon, At War) long-missing son — and proves not just the French car sex film, nor merely a car sex movie about a woman partly forged from titanium (and with a penchant for piercing her way through those who block her road), but a ferocious and unflinching thriller that's also beautiful, tender and compassionate. If Ducournau had made her script out of metal, she'd be moulding it in its molten form. If her feature was a car instead, it'd be that libidinous, fire-emblazoned Cadillac, which arrives with a bang, lures Alexia in and then lets loose. Titane is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. ZOLA It wasn't just a Twitter thread — it was the Twitter thread. Whether you read Aziah 'Zola' King's viral 148-post stripper saga live as it happened back in October 2015, stumbled across the details afterwards as the internet lost its mind or only heard about it via Zola's buzzy trailer, calling this stranger-than-fiction tale a wild ride will always be an understatement. Its instantly gripping opening words, as also used in Janicza Bravo's (Lemon) savvy, sharp, candy-hued tweet-to-screen adaptation, happen to capture the whole OMG, WTF and OTT vibe perfectly: "you wanna hear a story about how me and this bitch fell out? It's kind of long, but it's full of suspense." In the film, that phrase is uttered aloud by Zola's eponymous Detroit waitress (Taylour Paige, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom). The other person that Zola refers to in her initial statement is the cornrow-wearing, blaccent-sporting Stefani (Riley Keough, The Lodge), who she serves at work, then joins on a jaunt to Florida. They immediately hit it off, which is what inspires the invite to head south — a "hoe trip" is how Zola describes it — however, what's meant to be a girls' getaway for a stint of lucrative exotic dancing in Tampa soon gets messy. The drive is long, and Stefani's boyfriend Derreck (Nicholas Braun, Succession) quickly dampens the mood with his awkward, try-hard schtick. Then there's X (Colman Domingo, Candyman), who, while introduced as Stefani's roommate, is actually her pimp. Trafficking Zola into sex work is the real plan of this working holiday, she discovers, but she's ferociously adamant that she won't be "poppin' pussy for pennies". Zola is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. THE CARD COUNTER Another Paul Schrader film, another lonely man thrust under a magnifying glass as he wrestles with the world, his place in it and his sense of morality. The acclaimed filmmaker has filled the screen with such characters and stories for more than half a century — intense tales of men who would not take it anymore — as evidenced in his screenplays for Martin Scorsese's brilliant Taxi Driver and Bringing Out the Dead, and also in his own directorial efforts such as Light Sleeper and First Reformed. You can't accuse Schrader of always making the same movie, however, as much as his work repeatedly bets on the same ideas. Instead, his films feel like cards from the same deck. Each time he deals one out, it becomes part of its own hand, as gambling drama The Card Counter demonstrates with potency, smarts and a gripping search for salvation. The film's title refers to William Tell (Oscar Isaac, Scenes From a Marriage), who didn't ever plan to spend his days in casinos and his nights in motels. But during an eight-year military prison stint, he taught himself a new skill that he's been capitalising upon modestly now that he's back out in the world. Anchored not only by Schrader's reliably blistering probing, but also by Isaac's phenomenal performance — a portrayal that's quiet, slippery and weighty all at once — The Card Counter unpacks the storm brewing behind Tell's calm facade. His status quo is punctured by fellow gambler La Linda (Like a Boss' Tiffany Haddish, in a career-best performance), and also by the college-aged Cirk (Tye Sheridan, Voyagers) and his quest for revenge; however, as the movie delves into Tell's murky history, it also lays bare America's rot and emptiness. The Card Counter is available to stream via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. THE FRENCH DISPATCH Editors fictional and real may disagree — The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun's Arthur Howitzer Jr (Bill Murray, On the Rocks) among them — but it's easy to use Wes Anderson's name as both an adjective and a verb. In a sentence that'd never get printed in his latest film's titular tome (and mightn't in The New Yorker, its inspiration, either), The French Dispatch is the most Wes Anderson movie Wes Anderson has ever Wes Andersoned. The immaculate symmetry that makes each frame a piece of art is present, naturally, as are gloriously offbeat performances. The equally dreamy and precise pastel- and jewel-hued colour palette, the who's who of a familiar cast list, the miniatures and animated interludes and split screens, the knack for physical comedy, and the mix of high artifice, heartfelt nostalgia and dripping whimsy, too. The writer/director knows what he loves, and also what he loves to splash across his films, and it's all accounted for in his tenth release. An ode to magazines, their heyday and their rockstar writers, The French Dispatch draws four of its five chapters from its eponymous publication, even badging them with page numbers. But this is also a tribute to everything Anderson holds The New Yorker to stand for, and holds dear — to everything he's obsessed over, internalised and absorbed into the signature filmmaking style that's given such an exuberant workout once again. One scene, involving two versions of murderer-turned-artist Moses Rosenthaler (Tony Revolori, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Benicio Del Toro, No Sudden Move), crystallises this so magnificently that it's among the best things Anderson has ever put on-screen. Also delightful: the picture's bookending story steps into Howitzer's offices in the fictional French town of Ennui-sur-Blasé, a dive into a student revolution and a police cuisine-turned-kidnapping story, all with a cast that also spans Tilda Swinton (Memoria), Owen Wilson (Loki), Timothée Chalamet (Dune), Adrien Brody (Succession), Frances McDormand (Nomadland), Léa Seydoux (No Time to Die), Jeffrey Wright (also No Time to Die), Elisabeth Moss (The Invisible Man), Saoirse Ronan (Ammonite), Edward Norton (Motherless Brooklyn), Willem Dafoe (Nightmare Alley) and Jason Schwartzman (Fargo). The French Dispatch is available to stream via Disney+. Read our full review. THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS Hordes of imitators have spilled ones and zeros claiming otherwise, but the greatest move The Matrix franchise ever made wasn't actually bullet time. Even 22 years after Lana and Lilly Wachowski brought the saga's instant-classic first film to cinemas, its slow-motion action still wows, and yet they made another choice that's vastly more powerful. It wasn't the great pill divide — blue versus red, as dubiously co-opted by right-wing conspiracies since — or the other binaries at its core (good versus evil, freedom versus enslavement, analogue versus digital, humanity versus machines). It wasn't end-of-the-millennia philosophising about living lives online, the green-tinged cyberpunk aesthetic, or one of the era's best soundtracks, either. They're all glorious, as is knowing kung fu and exclaiming "whoa!", but The Matrix's unwavering belief in Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss is far more spectacular. Lana goes solo on The Matrix Resurrections — helming her first-ever project without her sister in their entire career — but she still goes all in on Reeves and Moss. The fourth live-action film in the saga, and fifth overall counting The Animatrix, this new instalment doesn't initially give its key figures their familiar character names, however. Rather, it casts them as famous video game designer Thomas Anderson and motorcycle-loving mother-of-two Tiffany. One of those monikers is familiar, thanks to a surname drawled by Agent Smith back in 1999, and again in 2003 sequels The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. But this version of Thomas Anderson only knows the agent from his own hit gaming trilogy (called The Matrix, naturally). And he doesn't really know Tiffany at all, instead admiring her from afar at Simulatte, their local coffee shop. The Matrix Resurrections is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. GOLD Gold's title doubles as an exclamation that Australian filmmakers might've made when Zac Efron decamped to our shores at the beginning of the pandemic. Only this outback-set thriller has put the High School Musical, Bad Neighbours and Baywatch star to work Down Under, however, and he definitely isn't in Hollywood anymore. Instead, he's stuck in "some time, some place, not far from now…", as all-caps text advises in the movie's opening moments. He's caught in a post-Mad Max-style dystopia, where sweltering heat, a visible lack of shelter, a cut-throat attitude, water rationing, and nothing but dirt and dust as far as the eye can see greets survivors navigating a rusty wasteland. But then his character, Man One, spots a glint, and all that glisters is indeed gold — and he must guard it while Man Two (Anthony Hayes, also the film's director) seeks out an excavator. Exactly who stays and who goes is the subject of heated discussion, but Gold is an economical movie, mirroring how its on-screen figures need to be careful about every move they make in such unforgiving surroundings. As a filmmaker, helming his first feature since 2008's Ten Empty, Hayes knows his star attraction — and he's also well-aware of the survivalist genre, and its history, that he's plonking Efron into. Almost every male actor has been in one such flick or so it can seem, whether Tom Hanks is talking to a volleyball in Castaway, Liam Neeson is communing with wolves in The Grey or Mads Mikkelsen is facing frosty climes in Arctic. Although Gold purposefully never names its setting, Australia's vast expanse is no stranger to testing its visitors, too, but Hayes' version slips in nicely alongside the likes of Wake in Fright, The Rover and Cargo, rather than rips them off. Gold is available to stream via Stan. Read our full review. THE 355 They're globe-hopping, ass-kicking, world-saving spies, but women: that's it, that's The 355. When those formidable ladies are played by a dream international cast of Jessica Chastain (Scenes From a Marriage), Lupita Nyong'o (Us), Penélope Cruz (Pain and Glory), Diane Kruger (In the Fade) and Fan Bingbing (I Am Not Madame Bovary), the tickets should sell themselves — and Chastain, who suggested the concept and produces, wasn't wrong for hoping that. Giving espionage moves the female-fronted spin that Bond and Mission: Impossible never have isn't just this action-thriller's quest alone, of course, and nothing has done so better than Atomic Blonde recently, but there's always room for more. What The 355 offers is an average affair, though, rather than a game-changer, even if director/co-writer Simon Kinberg so evidently wants to do for its genre what Widows did for heist flicks. The film still starts with men, too, causing all the globe's problems — aka threatening to end life as we know it via a gadget that can let anyone hack anything online. One nefarious and bland mercenary (Jason Flemyng, Boiling Point) wants it, but the CIA's gung-ho Mason 'Mace' Browne (Chastain) and her partner Nick Fowler (Sebastian Stan, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) head to Paris to get it from Colombian intelligence officer Luis Rojas (Édgar Ramírez, Jungle Cruise), who's gone rogue and is happy to sell; however, German operative Marie Schmidt (Kruger) is also on its trail. The French connection goes wrong, the two women get in each other's ways, but it's apparent — begrudgingly to both — that they're better off together. They need ex-MI6 cyber whiz Khadijah Adiyeme (Nyong'o) to help, while Colombian psychologist Graciela Rivera (Cruz) gets drawn in after making the trip to stop Luis going off the books. The 355 is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. STRAY In gorgeous and glorious 2016 documentary Kedi, Istanbul's stray cats received their moment in the cinematic spotlight, and also expressed much about the Turkish city and its human inhabitants in the process. The result was perfect — purrfect, even — regardless of whether you're normally a feline fan. Indeed, it's the defining movie about mousers, and also about their relationship with both places and people (even trying to put the likes of Garfield, Cats, A Street Cat Named Bob and its sequel A Christmas Gift from Bob, some of cinema's other go-to kitties, in the same company is thoroughly pointless). With Stray, it's now their canine counterparts' time to shine, so animal-adoring film lovers can spread their love between cats and dogs equally. Where Kedi elicited purrs of elation, this dog-centric delight is a piece of tail-waggingly tender and thoughtful cinema, too. Istanbul isn't just an arbitrary choice of setting for this compassionate film; it has a 'no kill, no capture' law when it comes to the dogs roaming its streets, which is why there's more than 100,000 of them scampering around. That leaves documentarian Elizabeth Lo spoiled for choice, but she only spends time with a few of those woofers. They span street veterans Zeytin and Nazar, both of whom prowl the pavement as comfortably as they would someone's home, as well as puppy Kartal. As they sniff and scurry their way through their days, Lo stitches together a perceptive and textured portrait of their lives, of the city around them, and of the people who help and are helped by them — and, just like in Kedi (which she wasn't affiliated with at all), there's plenty of two-legged Istanbulites who prove forever changed by these canines' presence. Here, there's a group of young street-dwelling Syrian refugees that are especially touched by Zeytin, Nazar and Kartal as well. Stray is available to stream via Docplay. Read our full review. BLUE BAYOU Blue Bayou isn't Justin Chon's first film as an actor, writer, director or producer, but it's a fantastic showcase for his many talents nonetheless. It's also a deeply moving feature about a topical subject: America's immigration laws, which are complicated at best and draconian at worst. Worlds away from his time in all five Twilight flicks — because Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Anna Kendrick aren't the franchise's only breakout stars — Chon plays Antonio LeBlanc. While the Korean American tattoo artist has lived in Louisiana since being adopted as child, the name he was given upon his arrival in the US still sparks cognitive dissonance, as the job interview that opens the movie illustrates. It also doesn't stop both the casual and overt racism frequently directed his way, or the deportation proceedings that spring after he's accosted in a supermarket by New Orleans police officers. Helming and scripting as well as starring, Chon layers Antonio's situation with complexity from the outset. He's getting by, just, but his criminal record makes it difficult to secure more work — which he needs given his wife Kathy (Alicia Vikander, The Green Knight) is pregnant. He's a doting stepdad to her daughter Jessie (Sydney Kowalske, Doom Patrol), but her birth father Ace (Mark O'Brien, Marriage Story) is one of those aforementioned cops. Also, Ace has a bigoted partner, Denny (Emory Cohen, Flashback), who makes antagonising Antonio his daily mission. And, after that grocery store run-in, the latter discovers that his adoptive parents didn't ever complete the paperwork required to naturalise him as a US citizen. His life, his wife, his kids, that he has no ties to Korea: sadly, it all means nothing to the immigration system. Blue Bayou is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. LAST NIGHT IN SOHO Edgar Wright must own a killer record collection. Weaving the perfect playlists into his films has ranked high among the British writer/director's trademarks ever since he made such a horror-comedy splash with Shaun of the Dead, and his own love of music is frequently mirrored by his protagonists, too. This is the filmmaker who set a zombie-killing scene to Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now', and had characters wield vinyl as weapons. He made zoning out the world via iPod — and teeing up exactly the right track for the right moment — a key trait of Baby Driver's eponymous getaway driver. Earlier in 2021, Wright also turned his avid fandom for Sparks into his delightful first documentary The Sparks Brothers, because wearing his love for his favourite songs on his sleeves infiltrates everything he makes. So, the fact that his second film of this year is about a giddy devotee of 60s tunes really doesn't come as the slightest surprise. Cilla Black, Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield: these are the kind of talents that Last Night in Soho's Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie, The Power of the Dog) can't get enough of, even though she's a Gen Z aspiring fashion designer; they're also the type of stars that aforementioned blonde bombshell Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen's Gambit) wants to follow onto London's stages. Last Night in Soho starts with its wannabe fashionista, who's first seen donning her own 60s-inspired designs in her Cornwall bedroom that's plastered with posters and pictures from the period, and also dancing to 'Peter & Gordon's 1964 track 'A World Without Love'. Soon, Eloise is off to college in the big and, hopefully, working towards the fashion world. Then she meets Sandie, but only in her dreams. Actually, as she slumbers, she becomes Sandie — and navigates her chiffon-adorned quest for stardom, her breathy 'Downtown' covers and her thorny relationship with slippery bar manager Jack (Matt Smith, Official Secrets). Last Night in Soho is available to stream via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. NEW ORDER If only one word could be used to describe New Order, that word would be relentless. If just two words could be deployed to sum up the purposefully provocative film by writer/director Michel Franco (April's Daughter), savage would get thrown in as well. Sharing zero in common with the band of the same name, this 2020 Venice Film Festival Grand Jury Prize-winner dreams up a dystopian future that's barely even one step removed from current reality. And, in dissecting class clashes, and also examining the growing discontent unsurprisingly swelling worldwide at the lavish lives indulged by the wealthy while so much of the world struggles, the mood and narrative are nothing less than brutal. Screens big and small have been filled with eat-the-rich stories of late — Parasite, Us, Candyman, Ready or Not, The White Lotus, Nine Perfect Strangers and Squid Game among them — but New Order is its own ravenous meal. The place: Mexico City. The setup: a wedding that goes undeniably wrong. As the ceremony gets underway at a compound-style residence that's jam-packed with the ultra-wealthy and ultra-corrupt, the chasm between the guests and the staff is glaring. Case in point: bride-to-be Marianne (Naian González Norvind, South Mountain) couldn't be more stressed when she's asked for money to help ex-employee Rolando's (Eligio Meléndez, La Civil) ailing wife, who also worked at the house, and plenty of her family members are dismissive, arrogant and flat-out rude about their former servant's plight. Then activists start making their presence known outside, as well as further afield in the city's streets — and interrupting the nuptials by storming the mansion, too. The military respond swiftly and brutally, sparing no one in their efforts to implement the movie's telling moniker. New Order is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Read our full review. BEST SELLERS Best Sellers is the latest case of casting-by-internet, or so it seems, at least: pairing up Aubrey Plaza and Michael Caine smacks of a feverish film Twitter dream. They both turn in fine performances, too, with the former coming off career-best work in Black Bear to play independent publishing house editorial director Lucy Stanbridge, and the latter getting a meatier role than his last Christopher Nolan-directed bit-part (that'd be Tenet) as cantankerous writer Harris Shaw. Lucy needs a big bestseller to save the business, which she took over from her father. Harris has been typing out manuscripts for the five decades since his sole success, which made the elder Stanbridge, but hasn't submitted the one he's under contract for to the company. Enter Lucy's solution to her pressing problem, and one that the reclusive Harris only goes along with because he's short on cash. Knowing how Best Sellers will turn out is as easy as knowing which marks the always-likeable Plaza and Caine usually hit. Indeed, it's knowing why their team-up instantly sounds like a winner on paper, and obviously did to actor-turned-directing first-timer Lina Roessler and screenwriter Anthony Grieco — Plaza is acerbic, albeit in a slightly lighter mode than seen in her breakthrough Parks and Recreation role, while Caine relishes being a curmudgeonly, outdated drunk who yells "bullshite!" so much that it's soon a viral catchphrase. There's plenty to like about their scenes together, especially when sweetness seeps into the surrogate grandfather-granddaughter bond that develops while Lucy and Harris are on tour spruiking his new book anywhere and everywhere they can. In their solo moments, they both find rich notes of yearning and melancholy in their unlikely duo, too, cementing the film's tender but comic look at odd-couple kindred spirits. Best Sellers is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. DEAR EVAN HANSEN Dear Dear Evan Hansen: don't. If a movie could write itself a letter like the eponymous figure in this stage-to-screen musical does, that's all any missive would need to communicate. It could elaborate, of course. It could caution against emoting to the back row, given that cinema is a subtler medium than theatre. It could advise against its firmly not-a-teenager lead Ben Platt, who won one of the Broadway hit's six Tony Awards, but may as well be uttering "how do you do, fellow kids?" on the big screen. It could warn against director Stephen Chbosky, who has a history with disaffected youth thanks to The Perks of Being a Wallflower, shooting the bulk of the feature like it's still on a stage but with more close-ups. Mostly, though, any dispatch from any version of Dear Evan Hansen — treading the boards or flickering through a projector — should counsel against the coming-of-age tale's horrendously misguided milk-the-dead-guy narrative. A anxious, isolated and bullied teen who returns from summer break with a fractured arm, the titular Evan (Platt, The Politician) might be the last person to talk to Connor Murphy (Colton Ryan, one of the Broadway production's understudies). It isn't a pleasant chat, even if Connor signs Evan's cast — which no one else has or wants to. In the school library, Evan prints out a letter to himself as a therapy exercise, but Connor grabs it first, reads it, then gets furious because it mentions his sister Zoe (Kaitlyn Dever, Dopesick). Cue days spent fretting on Evan's part, wondering if he'll see the text splashed across social media. Instead, he's soon sitting with Cynthia Murphy (Amy Adams, The Woman in the Window) and her husband Larry (Danny Pino, Fatale), who inform him of Connor's suicide — and that they found Evan's 'Dear Evan Hansen' note on him, and they're sure it's their son's last words. Dear Evan Hansen is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. THE HATING GAME Misery loves company in the world of publishing industry-set toxic romance novels, which just keep coming — as do film adaptations of such books. After the Fifty Shades franchise fittingly came After movies, doubling down on idealising unhealthy relationships cast against a literary background. Now, as based on Sally Thorne's tome of the same name, The Hating Game follows the same broad concept as well as the same path from page to screen. For anyone who loves words, there's a sense of romance about the business of immortalising them in print, so perhaps that's why these tales keep plunging into the publishing realm. Or, if you're turning destructive ideas about love into fiction, maybe using the industry responsible as a backdrop just feels apt? As more keep arriving, including this dull affair from director Peter Hutchings (Then Came You) and screenwriter Christina Mengert (the filmmaker's co-scribe on The Last Keepers), it could simply be the easiest and laziest choice. Narrating The Hating Game, Lucy Hutton (Lucy Hale, Son of the South) is upfront about her disdain for Joshua Templeman (Austin Stowell, Swallow) from the outset. She hails from Gamin Publishing, home to weighty works that exemplify literature as an art form, while he comes from Bexley Books, purveyor of ghost-written sports autobiographies. Creativity meets commerce in this business marriage of convenience; however, since the two organisations joined forces, The Hating Game's chalk-and-cheese central pair have dedicated as much time to annoying each other as they have to their jobs. The dangling carrot that is a big promotion not only ups the stakes but sees Lucy and Josh ramp up their animosity, but then their bickering begets an unexpected kiss. Afterwards, she struggles with lusting after the enemy while still trying to beat him out for her dream position. The Hating Game is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. RESIDENT EVIL: WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY It's the franchise about zombies that just won't die. The series with a disdain for big corporations and the chaos they wreak that keeps pumping out more instalments, too. After six movies between 2002–16 that consistently proved a case of diminishing returns — and the original horror flick was hardly a masterpiece to begin with — welcoming viewers back to the Resident Evil realm smacks of simply trying to keep the whole saga going at any cost. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City does indeed extract a price from its audience, stretching their fondness for the video game-to-film franchise, their appetite for John Carpenter-inspired riffs and their penchant for overemphasised 90s nostalgia. Primarily set in 1998, and endeavouring to reboot the series without its previous star Milla Jovovich, it strenuously tests patience as well. After an orphanage stint filled with familiar Resident Evil figures — siblings Claire and Chris Redfield as kids, plus nefarious Umbrella Corporation scientist Dr William Birkin (Neal McDonough, Sonic the Hedgehog) — writer/director Johannes Roberts (47 Metres Down and 47 Metres Down: Uncaged) has Welcome to Raccoon City first get gory en route back to its titular town. The now-adult Claire (Kaya Scodelario, Crawl) hitches a ride with a trucker, who then hits a woman standing in the road. The victim still gets up afterwards, because unnaturally shuffling along after you've been killed comes with the territory. The walking dead are a new phenomenon in the desolate locale, however, following Umbrella's decision to shut up shop and leave the place a crumbling shell. Of course, the night that Claire arrives back to reunite with Chris (Robbie Amell, Upload), who's now a local cop, is the night that a virus zombifies Raccoon City's residents. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. Looking for more at-home viewing options? Take a look at our monthly streaming recommendations across new straight-to-digital films and TV shows.
In 2008, the famous DKNY mural disappeared. For sixteen years, its re-imagining of the New York City skyline towered over the intersection of Broadway and Houston Street, unofficially marking the entrance to SoHo. Now, the concept has undergone an international revival. In ten cities around the world, artists have come up with works inspired by the original. Retaining the DKNY logo as their framework, they have produced 21st century interpretations, involving sculpture, photography, projections and paint. So, not only New York, but also London, Paris, Milan, Dubai, Kuwait, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Seoul, have become host to their own DKNY creations. According to the DKNYARTWORKS site, 'Each original work captures an artistic expression of the New York City skyline within the frame of the DKNY logo, bringing New York to the world.' Twin brothers, How & Nosm, whose iconic black, white and red murals appear in several major cities, have brought their intricate, graffiti-influenced style to an installation for New York. 'If you look at our artwork, you see an iconic face that keeps popping up in our paintings,' they explain in their DKNY interview. 'We've multiplied that face, so that it can represent all the faces of New York City.' Other artists include Amy Gartrell (New York), Roids (London), Maurizio Galimberti (Milan), Christophe Hamaide-Pierson (Paris), Sasan Nasernia (Dubai), Calvin Ho (Hong Kong), Nod Young (Shanghai), junk house (Seoul) and Yamaguchi Soichi (Tokyo). [Via PSFK]
UPDATE, January 29, 2021: Joker is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. Lonely, isolated and struggling with a lifetime of trauma, a man exorcises his demons through violence. Plagued by troubling memories and mental health issues, but devoted to caring for his ailing mother, he finds catharsis in wreaking havoc on others. When Joaquin Phoenix played this part to perfection in Lynne Ramsay's You Were Never Really Here, he explored the burdens of a crusading hitman who rescued violated children — saving them from the pain he still suffered, and punishing the abusers who treat kids as carelessly as he once was himself. And while he steps into similar shoes in Joker, the exceptional actor is now on a completely different mission, crossing the threshold from noble vigilante to deranged villain. It's impossible to watch Joker without thinking about You Were Never Really Here; by casting Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, the man who becomes one of Batman's worst enemies, that's an intended effect. It's impossible to see director Todd Phillips' (The Hangover) take on Gotham's clown prince of crime without thinking of Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy as well. Phillips cakes his influences on thick and, if the connection wasn't already apparent in the film's 70s look and feel, he also enlists Robert De Niro as Arthur's favourite television host. It's a purposeful move, filtering one of popular culture's most infamous antagonists through such blatant touchstones — and, it ensures that viewers won't be contemplating the character's past guises, be it Cesar Romero's TV version, Jack Nicholson's unhinged late-80s spin, Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning portrayal or Jared Leto's cartoonish work in Suicide Squad. Focusing audiences firmly on the Joker at hand, this origin story asks a probing question: if the world's ills were to shove a tormented man over the edge in a volatile socio-political climate, what would that look like? In other words, how would You Were Never Really Here play out if its assassin killed to avenge a cruel, uncaring city's failings, rather than protect its victims? Or, what shape would Taxi Driver take if its cabbie was a bullied clown-for-hire? Phillips stops short of lifting the latter movie's dialogue, but it's easy to imagine Arthur uttering one of Taxi Driver's well-known lines: "here is a man who would not take it anymore". First seen grinning into a mirror as he puts on his makeup (and signalling the film's allegiance with his fraying mindset in the process), Arthur doesn't have much to smile about. He's beaten by street punks on the job, loses his mental health care due to citywide budget cuts and watches his mother (Frances Conroy) fruitlessly try to contact her ex-employer turned mayoral candidate, aka billionaire Thomas Wayne (Brett Cullen). An aspiring comedian, Arthur is also taunted and jeered whenever he steps onstage. Basically, his life is one huge kick in the face after another. But his mum has always told him that he was put on this earth to spread joy and happiness, which he takes to heart. As Gotham descends into riots and widespread violence, Arthur finds a drastic way to put this belief into action. When Joker isn't shoehorning in undoubtedly necessary but still distracting Batman references (including yet another re-do of a scene that's been done to death), it just keeps inspiring questions. Is Arthur an inevitable product of a crumbling city that's failed its citizens in general, and its most vulnerable in particular? Or, clinging to his downtrodden status, does he capitalise upon his powder-keg surroundings, using it to excuse his psychopathic behaviour and demand that he's finally paid the attention he's certain he deserves? Penning a deliberately thorny narrative, Phillips and co-writer Scott Silver (The Fighter) keep both of these perspectives in their sights. Alas, the pair sometime struggle to juggle the opposing notions, or to flesh them out beyond the obvious. Indeed, for all the controversy that Joker has sparked since it nabbed the top prize at this year's Venice Film Festival, it's mostly happy to stick to the murky middle ground. The movie paints a thoroughly nightmarish image of modern-day capitalism and its devastating imprint on the 99 percent — one that instantly rings true — but remains content to dance along its surface rather than burrow meaningfully into its dark heart. Specifically, it calls out the conditions that lead to the Joker's rise, yet never quite decides if it's condemning, celebrating or commiserating with him. Joker is unflinchingly bold and brilliant in one inescapable fashion, though, as it was bound to be when it cast its lead. All skin, bone and sinew as he cavorts, frolics and chortles, Phoenix is in stunning, mesmerising, awards-worthy form yet again. His raspy cackle isn't easily forgotten; neither is his off-kilter demeanour, whether Arthur is connecting with his neighbour (Zazie Beetz), taking a stand against the latest folks to push his buttons or leaning as far into his crazed impulses as possible. When, towards the end of the film, Lawrence Sher's (Godzilla: King of the Monsters) textured cinematography peers up at Phoenix as he struts down some stairs, its hypnotised gaze doesn't feel out of place. In fact, it feels natural. That said, that the scene is accompanied by 'Rock and Roll, Part 2' by convicted sex offender Gary Glitter says much about a movie that's often as thematically muddled as it is emotionally and visually striking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr-Lg-_KFHU
With the Australian Government restrictions on mass gatherings currently having no end date, the country's flurry of event cancellations was always going to continue. In Melbourne, that means a massive change to the city's September calendar, with the Royal Melbourne Show shuttering its 2020 plans. In a statement released today, Wednesday, April 29, the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria announced it had made the decision to cancel the 2020 show in the "best interests of public health". "The COVID-19 health crisis is unprecedented and the ongoing social distancing measures and mass gathering restrictions mean...we are unable to plan and deliver the 2020 Royal Melbourne Show." This year's event was due to take over the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds from Saturday, September 19 to Tuesday, September 29. First held in 1855, this is only the third time in the show's 165-year history that it has been cancelled — with previous cancellations in 1915 and between 1940-1945 due to World War I and II, respectively. The Royal Melbourne show, which attracts around 450,000 visitors each year, joins a growing list of cancelled and postponed events, including Sydney's Royal Easter Show and Brisbane's Ekka. The 2020 Royal Melbourne Show will no longer take place from Saturday, September 19 to Tuesday, September 29. For more information, visit the show's 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. Images: Flickr/Chris Phutully.
Search engines are so engrained in our daily lives that one particular engine has become synonymous with the very act of searching online. And, more than that, many folks also rely on their search engine of choice for other internet-based services and platforms — such as browsers, maps and email. One engine, Ecosia, isn't likely to become your new term for searching or help you out with a heap of other online services, and it's completely fine with that. Instead, the Berlin-based company is using at least 80 percent of its profits to benefit the planet, investing the revenue it receives from advertising into planting new trees. First founded back in 2009, the search engine has been gaining traction over the past decade, to the point that it has now planted more than 27 million trees around the world. The company is hoping that number will grow considerably by 2020, too, with a target of one billion trees. It claims that an average Ecosia user helps finance 41 trees per year, with a new tree funded every 1.1 seconds. And, if you're wondering if they actually follow through with their eco-conscious promise, the company publishes its monthly financial reports and tree planting receipts online — so you can see that your clicks and queries are making a difference. The cash it doesn't put towards new trees is used to pay its staff. As for the specifics, Ecosia supports projects in particular forest ecosystems that desperately needed new greenery, committing its funds to areas that rank in the 25 most threatened forests — where at least 70 percent of the original natural vegetation has been lost, for example. Peru, Indonesia, Madagascar, Tanzania and the African nation of Burkina Faso are among the locations currently supported thanks to a few simple keystrokes. Who knew just searching for "ways to help the environment" could actually help the environment?
This year, Australia's leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performing company, Bangarra Dance Theatre, is inviting audiences to experience a connection to Country in a whole new way. The company's newest stage production, Illume, will tour nationally from June to September 2025, bringing Bard-Bardi Jawi culture and storytelling to the stage. Developed by Mirning woman and Bangarra Artistic Director and Co-CEO Frances Rings, the show is an exciting kaleidoscope of images, music and movement. It explores light as a bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds, the impacts of light pollution, and puts forward the question: 'Is the deep wisdom passed down from elders enough to illuminate a path forward from the shadows of a dark future?'. [caption id="attachment_1007624" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Boud[/caption] It's also the first time a Bangarra mainstage production has been created in partnership with a First Nations visual artist – Goolarrgon Bard man, Darrell Sibosado. Sibosado is known for his pearl shell carvings and large-scale geometric installations, with works shown at the Biennale of Sydney and QAGOMA, and held in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria and Art Gallery of South Australia. In Illume, his visual language shapes the entire production, from costume and set design to lighting patterns that ripple across the stage, creating a shimmering world that draws directly from his Bard-Bardi Jawi heritage. "I think [Frances' work] and my work will work very well together, there is a similar energy," Sibosado says. "It's always about the rhythm and everything of my own Country." [caption id="attachment_1002105" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Cass Eipper[/caption] On top of Sibosado's artistic influence, what makes the production special is the way it came to life through Bangarra's Cultural Creation Lifecycle, a process that involves years of community engagement, transfers of knowledge, and on-Country visits. This unique Cultural Creation Lifecycle is the foundation of all Bangarra's work and can take anywhere from 3 to 4 years from start to finish. With each production, the process begins with people, place and story, then involves multiple stages of research, development and input from cultural leaders. [caption id="attachment_1002103" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Cass Eipper[/caption] For Illume, the Bangarra creative team made multiple trips to draw inspiration, including travelling to Lombadina on the Dampier Peninsula in Western Australia. There, they met with local cultural consultants, spent time listening and observing, and sought permission to bring elements of their stories into the work. Rings and her collaborators consider the Cultural Creation Lifecycle an essential part of the creative process. Rather than drawing from archives or second-hand sources, the company builds work through lived experience. By being on Country, surrounded by the landscape and people who shape the story, they're able to create something that's authentic and respectful. [caption id="attachment_1002106" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Daniel Boud[/caption] In Illume, that deep connection to Country is felt in every moment, from the stunning set details to the choreography led by Rings, and the score by Brendon Boney, an Wiradjuri/Gamilaroi man and longtime Bangarra collaborator. The end result is a performance that's immersive, powerful and grounded in place. It promises to bring audiences closer to the stories of Bard-Bardi Jawi Country in a way that's creative and entirely original. Bangarra will tour Illume nationally from June to September 2025, with stops in Sydney, Perth, Albany, Canberra, Brisbane, Darwin and Melbourne. Whether you've followed Bangarra's work for years or you're seeing the company for the first time, Illume is a chance to experience a unique creative collaboration that brings Country to the stage in your city. Illume tour dates: Gadigal Country Sydney Opera House – Wednesday, June 4 to Saturday, June 14 Whadjuk Noongar Boodja Heath Ledger Theatre, Perth – Tuesday, July 10 to Sunday, July 13 Kinjarling Albany Entertainment Centre – Friday, July 18 Ngunnawal Country Canberra Theatre Centre – Friday, July 25 to Saturday, July 26 Meanjin QPAC, Brisbane – Friday, August 1 to Saturday, August 9 Garramilla Darwin Entertainment Centre – Friday, August 15 to Saturday, August 16 Wurundjeri Country Arts Centre Melbourne – Thursday, September 4 to Saturday, September 13 Bangarra's 'Illume' tours nationally from June to September 2025. Head to the website for more information or to book your tickets. Images courtesy of Bangarra Dance Theatre By Jacque Kennedy
Before the pandemic, when a new-release movie started playing in cinemas, audiences couldn't watch it on streaming, video on demand, DVD or blu-ray for a few months. But with the past few years forcing film industry to make quite a few changes — widespread movie theatre closures will do that, and so will plenty of people staying home because they aren't well — that's no longer always the case. Maybe you haven't had time to make it to your local cinema lately. Perhaps you've been under the weather. Given the hefty amount of titles now releasing each week, maybe you simply missed something. Film distributors have been fast-tracking some of their new releases from cinemas to streaming recently — movies that might still be playing in theatres in some parts of the country, too. In preparation for your next couch session, here are 12 that you can watch right now at home. Anatomy of a Fall A calypso instrumental cover of 50 Cent's 'P.I.M.P.' isn't the only thing that Anatomy of a Fall's audience won't be able to dislodge from their heads after watching 2023's deserving Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or-winner. A film that's thorny, knotty and defiantly unwilling to give any easy answers, this legal, psychological and emotional thriller about a woman on trial for her husband's death is unshakeable in as many ways as someone can have doubts about another person: so, a myriad. The scenario conjured up by writer/director Justine Triet (Sibyl) is haunting, asking not only if her protagonist committed murder, as the on-screen investigation and courtroom proceedings interrogate, but digging into what it means to be forced to choose between whether someone did the worst or is innocent — or if either matters. While the Gallic legal system provides the backdrop for much of the movie, the real person doing the real picking isn't there in a professional capacity, or on a jury. Rather, it's the 11-year-old boy who loved his dad, finds him lying in the snow with a head injury outside their French Alps home on an otherwise ordinary day, then becomes the key witness in his mum's case. Also impossible to forget: the performances that are so crucial in telling this tale of marital and parental bonds, especially from one of German's current best actors and the up-and-coming French talent playing her son. With her similarly astonishing portrayal in The Zone of Interest, Toni Erdmann and I'm Your Man's Sandra Hüller is two for two in movies that initially debuted in 2023; here, she steps into the icy and complicated Sandra Voyter's shoes with the same kind of surgical precision that Triet applies to unpacking the character's home life. As Daniel, who couldn't be more conflicted about the nightmare situation he's been thrust into, Milo Machado Graner (Alex Hugo) is a revelation — frequently via his expressive face and posture alone. If Scenes From a Marriage met Kramer vs Kramer, plus 1959's Anatomy of a Murder that patently influences Anatomy of a Fall's name, this would be the gripping end result — as fittingly written by Triet with her IRL partner Arthur Harari (Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle). Anatomy of a Fall streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Poor Things Richly striking feats of cinema by Yorgos Lanthimos aren't scarce. Sublime performances by Emma Stone are hardly infrequent. Screen takes on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein couldn't be more constant. For Lanthimos, see: Dogtooth and Alps in the Greek Weird Wave filmmaker's native language, plus The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer and The Favourite since he started helming movies in English. With Stone, examples abound in her Best Actress Oscar for La La Land, supporting nominations before and after for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) and Lanthimos' aforementioned regal satire, and twin 2024 Golden Globe nods for their latest collaboration as well as TV's The Curse. And as for the best gothic-horror story there is, not to mention one of the most influential sci-fi stories ever, the evidence is everywhere from traditional adaptations to debts owed as widely as The Rocky Horror Show and M3GAN. Combining the three results in a rarity, however: a jewel of a pastel-, jewel- and bodily fluid-toned feminist Frankenstein-esque fairy tale that's a stunning creation, as zapped to life with Lanthimos' inimitable flair, a mischievous air, Stone at her most extraordinary and empowerment blazing like a lightning bolt. With cascading black hair, an inquisitive stare, incessant frankness and jolting physical mannerisms, Poor Things' star is Bella Baxter in this adaptation of Alasdair Grey's award-winning 1992 novel by Australian screenwriter Tony McNamara (The Great). Among the reasons that the movie and its lead portrayal are so singular: as a character with a woman's body revived with a baby's brain, Stone plays someone from infancy to adulthood, all with the astonishingly exact mindset and mannerisms to match, and while making every move, choice and feeling as organic as birth, living and death. In this fantastical steampunk vision of Victorian-era Europe, London-based Scottish doctor Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe, Asteroid City) is Bella's maker. Even if she didn't call him God, he's been playing it. But curiosity, the quest for agency and independence, horniness and a lust for adventure all beckon his creation on a radical, rebellious, gorgeously rendered, gloriously funny and generously insightful odyssey. So, Godwin tries to marry Bella off to medical student Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef, Ramy), only for her to discover masturbation and sex, and run off to the continent with caddish lawyer Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law). Poor Things streams via Disney+, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Priscilla Yearning to be one of the women in Sofia Coppola's films is futile, but for a single reason only: whether she's telling of teenage sisters, a wife left to her own devices in Tokyo, France's most-famous queen, the daughter of a Hollywood actor, Los Angeles high schoolers who want to rob, the staff and students at a girls school in the American Civil War, a Manhattanite worried that her husband is being unfaithful or Priscilla Presley, as the writer/director has across eight movies to-date, no one better plunges viewers into her female characters' hearts and heads. To watch the filmmaker's span of features from The Virgin Suicides to Priscilla is to feel as its figures do, and deeply. The second-generation helmer is an impressionistic great, colouring her flicks as much with emotions and mood as actual hues — not that there's any shortage of lush and dreamy shades, as intricately tied to her on-screen women's inner states, swirling through her meticulous frames. Call it the "can't help falling" effect, then: as a quarter-century of Coppola's films have graced screens, audiences can't help falling into them like they're in the middle of each themselves. That's still accurate with Priscilla, which arrives so soon after Elvis that no one could've forgotten that the lives of the king of rock 'n' roll and his bride have flickered through cinemas recently. Baz Luhrmann made his Presley movie in Australia with an American (Austin Butler, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) as Elvis and an Aussie (Olivia DeJonge, The Staircase) as Priscilla. Coppola crafted hers in North America with a Brisbanite (Jacob Elordi, Saltburn) in blue-suede shoes and a Tennessee-born talent (Cailee Spaeny, Mare of Easttown) adopting the Presley surname. The two features are mirror images in a hunk of burning ways, including their his-and-hers titles; whose viewpoint they align with; and conveying what it was like to adore Elvis among the masses, plus why he sparked that fervour, compared to expressing the experience of being the girl that he fell for, married, sincerely loved but kept in a gilded cage into she strove to fly free. Priscilla streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Cailee Spaeny. All of Us Strangers As Fleabag knew, and also Sherlock as well, Andrew Scott has the type of empathetic face that makes people want to keep talking to him. Playing the hot priest in Phoebe Waller-Bridge's (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) acclaimed comedy, he was the ultimate listener. Even as the Moriarty to Benedict Cumberbatch's (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar) Holmes, and with a game always afoot, conversation flowed. All of Us Strangers puts this innate air — this sensation that to be in Scott's company is to want to unburden yourself to his welcoming ears — at its tender and feverishly beating heart, this time with Paul Mescal (Foe) as one of his discussion partners. Dreamy and contemplative, haunting and heartfelt, and also delicate and devastating, the fifth film by Weekend and 45 Years writer/director Andrew Haigh, which is his first since 2017's Lean on Pete, is stunningly cast with Scott in seeing-is-feeling mode as its isolated screenwriter protagonist alone. That Scott is joined by Mescal, Claire Foy (Women Talking) and Jamie Bell (Shining Girls) gives All of Us Strangers one of the finest four-hander casts in recent memory. Awards bodies clearly agree, with nods going around for everyone (alongside wins for Best Film and Best Director, the British Independent Film Awards gave all four of the feature's core cast members nominations, with Mescal scoring the Best Supporting Performance trophy, for instance). Haigh isn't merely preternaturally talented at picking the exact right actors to play his on-screen figures, but it's one of his most-crucial skills, as every performance in his latest shattering picture demonstrates. It comes as no surprise that Scott, Mescal, Foy and Bell are all excellent. It's similarly hardly unexpected that Haigh has made another movie that cuts so emotionally deep that viewers will feel as if they've been within its frames. Combine these stars with this filmmaker, though, and a feature that was always likely to combine its exceptional parts into a perfect sum is somehow even more affecting and astonishing. All of Us Strangers streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Drive-Away Dolls No one might've thought of Joel and Ethan Coen as yin and yang if they hadn't started making movies separately. Since 2018's The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, their latest feature together as sibling filmmakers, the elder of the Coen brothers went with Shakespearean intensity by directing 2021's The Tragedy of Macbeth on his lonesome — while Ethan now opts for goofy, loose and hilariously sidesplitting silliness with Drive-Away Dolls. The pair aren't done collaborating, with a horror flick reportedly in the works next. But their break from being an Oscar-winning team has gifted audiences two treats in completely different fashions. For the younger brother, he's swapped in his wife Tricia Cooke, editor of The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou? and The Man Who Wasn't There, on a picture that couldn't slide more smoothly onto his resume alongside the madcap antics that the Coens combined are known for. Indeed, spying shades of the first of those two features that Cooke spliced in Drive-Away Dolls, plus Raising Arizona, Fargo and Burn After Reading as well, is both easy and delightful. As a duo, the Coen brothers haven't ever followed two women through lesbian bars, makeout parties and plenty of horniness between the sheets, though, amid wall dildos and other nods to intimate appendages, even if plenty about the Ethan-directed, Cooke-edited Drive-Away Dolls — which both Ethan and Cooke co-wrote — is classic Coens. There's the road-trip angle, conspiracy mayhem, blundering criminals in hot pursuit of Jamie (Margaret Qualley, Poor Things) and Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan, Cat Person), dumb men (those crooks again) in cars and just quirky characters all round. There's the anarchic chases, witty yet philosophical banter and highly sought-after briefcase at the centre of the plot, too. And, there's the fact that this is a comedic caper, its love of slapstick and that a wealth of well-known faces pop up as the zany antics snowball. The Joel-and-Ethan team hasn't made a film as sapphic as this, either, however, or one that's a 90s-set nod to, riff on, and parody of 60s- and 70s-era sexploitation raucousness. Drive-Away Dolls streams via Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke. May December A line about not having enough hot dogs might be one of its first, but the Julianne Moore (Sharper)-, Natalie Portman (Thor: Love and Thunder)- and Charles Melton (Riverdale)-starring May December is a movie of mirrors and butterflies. In the literal sense, director Todd Haynes wastes few chances to put either in his frames. The Velvet Goldmine, Carol and Dark Waters filmmaker doesn't shy away from symbolism, knowing two truths that stare back at his audience from his latest masterpiece: that what we see when we peer at ourselves in a looking glass isn't what the rest of the world observes, and that life's journey is always one of transformation. Inspired by the real-life Mary Kay Letourneau scandal, May December probes both of these facts as intently as anyone scrutinising their own reflection. Haynes asks viewers to do the same. Unpacking appearance and perception, and also their construction and performance, gazes from this potently thorny — and downright potent — film. That not all metamorphoses end with a beautiful flutter flickers through just as strongly. May December's basis springs from events that received ample press attention in the 90s: schoolteacher Letourneau's sexual relationship with her sixth-grade student Vili Fualaau. She was 34, he was 12. First-time screenwriter Samy Burch changes names and details in her Oscar-nominated script — for Best Original Screenplay, which is somehow the film's only nod by the Academy — but there's no doubting that it takes its cues from this case of grooming, which saw Letourneau arrested, give birth to the couple's two daughters in prison, then the pair eventually marry. 2000 TV movie All-American Girl: The Mary Kay Letourneau Story used the recreation route; however, that was never going to be a Haynes-helmed feature's approach. The comic mention of hot dogs isn't indicative of May December's overall vibe, either: this a savvily piercing film that sees the agonising impact upon the situation's victim, the story its perpetrator has spun around herself, and the relentless, ravenous way that people's lives and tragedies are consumed by the media and public. May December streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Mean Girls On years ending in four in even-numbered decades, we watch new Mean Girls films. So goes the 21st century so far, as the hit 2004 teen comedy about high-school hierarchies returns to the big screen in 2024 as a musical, after breaking out the singing and dancing onstage first. Just like donning pink every Wednesday because Regina George (Reneé Rapp, The Sex Lives of College Girls) demands it, there's a dutifulness about the repeat Mean Girls. Tina Fey, writing the script for the third time — basing her first on Rosalind Wiseman's 2002 non-fiction book Queen Bees and Wannabes — seems to fear the consequences for breaking the rules, too. Cue a Mean Girls movie musical that truly plays out as those four words lead viewers to expect: largely the same down to most lines and jokes, just with songs. Anyone looking at the longer running time in advance and chalking up the jump from 97 to 112 minutes to the tunes is 100-percent spot on. The latest Mean Girls also resembles protagonist Cady Heron (Angourie Rice, The Last Thing He Told Me): eager to fit into its new surroundings after being perfectly happy and comfortable elsewhere. That causes some awkwardness, sometimes trying to break the mould, but largely assimilating. Penning her first film script since the OG Mean Girls was her very first, 30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Mr Mayor creator Fey revises details and gags that were always going to need revising. Social media, the internet and mobile phones are all worked in, necessarily so, as is sex positivity. Mean Girls 2024 is primarily dedicated to making Mean Girls 2024 happen, though; here as well, it's exactly as those three words have audiences anticipating. Scrap the songs and choreography (other than the Winter Talent Show performances, of course), and directors Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez (Quarter Life Poetry: Poems for the Young, Broke & Hangry) would've just remade the first film two decades later. Mean Girls streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Angourie Rice. Force of Nature: The Dry 2 "Nature holds us all to account" is one of Force of Nature: The Dry 2's trailer-friendly lines. Even for those who didn't see the film's sneak peeks in the months between its arrival and the feature's release — a period stretched by Hollywood's 2023 strikes, pushing the picture's date with cinemas from August to February 2024 — it sounds primed for promo snippets when it's uttered in the movie itself. But this Australian detective franchise has earned the right to occasionally be that blunt and loaded with telling importance in its dialogue. And, it makes it work. In 2021's The Dry and here, in a flick that could've been called The Wet thanks to its drenched forest setting, the Aaron Falk saga uses its surroundings to mirror its emotional landscape. Nature holds its characters to account not just in a narrative sense, but by reflecting what they're feeling with astute specificity — so much so that the parched Victorian wheatbelt in the initial movie and the saturated greenery in Force of Nature are as much extensions of the series' on-screen figures as they are stunning backdrops. Chief among this page-to-film realm's players is Falk, the federal police officer that Eric Bana and his Blueback director Robert Connolly treat like terrain to trek through and traverse. His stare has its own cliffs and gorges. His life upholding the law and beyond has its peaks and valleys as well. In The Dry, it was evident that the yellowed, drought-stricken fields that monopolised the frame said plenty about how much Falk and everyone around him was holding back. In Force of Nature, all the damp of the fictional Giralang mountains — Victoria's Otways, Dandenong Ranges and Yarra Valley IRL — speaks volumes about what's streaming through the movie's characters inside. Cinematography is one of this franchise's strengths, and that Andrew Commis (Nude Tuesday) lenses the second picture's location just as evocatively and meticulously as Stefan Duscio (Shantaram) did the first is crucial: these features make their audience see every detail that envelops Falk and company, and therefore constantly spy the parallels between their environs and their inner turmoil. Force of Nature: The Dry 2 streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Eric Bana and Robert Connolly. Argylle For the past decade, spy films have been Matthew Vaughn's caper, thanks to Kingsman: The Secret Service, Kingsman: The Golden Circle and The King's Man until now. With Argylle, he's still being playful with a genre that he clearly loves but isn't precious about, and he's also approaching espionage antics from another angle. 80s action-adventure comedy Romancing the Stone, which isn't about secret intelligence operatives, is one of this page-to-screen effort's blatant inspirations. Something that both do have at their centres: writers caught up in scenarios that would usually only happen on paper. 2022's The Lost City took the same route — but Argylle throws in a touch of North by Northwest, and also gets meta about its own origins. And no, Taylor Swift didn't write the source material. For his eighth feature, which hits 20 years after he made his directorial debut with the Daniel Craig (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery)-starring Layer Cake, Vaughn adapts the novel that gives Argylle its name; however, the specifics aren't quite that simple. The IRL title was only published as the flick hits cinemas, starting a franchise on the shelf. That said, the film — which is similarly aiming to begin a series — jumps to a later as-yet-unreleased book. Those tomes are credited to Elly Conway, which is the name of the movie version of Argylle's protagonist. In the feature, Elly (Bryce Dallas Howard, Jurassic World Dominion) is also an author who has written a saga about spies. Back in reality, who she really is has sparked a frenzy, hence the theories that she could be one of the world's biggest pop stars amid a massive world tour and a huge concert film. Again, despite Swifties' dreams, that speculation needs to be shaken off. Argylle streams via YouTube Movies and Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Matthew Vaughn. The Color Purple For most, there isn't much in Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 novel The Color Purple that screams for the musical spin. Broadway still came calling. On the page, this tale always featured a jazz and blues singer as a key character. When it initially reached the screen in 1985 with Steven Spielberg (The Fabelmans) directing, it also worked in an anthem that earned an Oscar nomination and has been much-covered since; Quincy Jones composed the film's score and produced the movie. But if the idea of lavish song-and-dance numbers peppered throughout such a bleak account of incest, rape, domestic abuse, racism, injustice, violence and poverty feels like hitting a wrong note, claims otherwise keep springing. First arrived 2005's Tony-winning stage adaptation, then 2015's also-awarded revival. Now, joining the ranks of books that became movies, then musicals, then musical movies just like the new Mean Girls, a second feature brings Walker's story to cinemas — this time with belted-out ballads and toe-tapping tunes. With each take, The Color Purple's narrative has predominantly remained the same as when it first hit bookshelves, crushing woe, infuriating prejudice and rampant inequity included. Musicals don't have to be cheery, but how does so much brutality give rise to anything but mournful songs? The answer here: by leaning into the rural Georgia-set tale's embrace of hope, resilience and self-discovery. Ghanaian director Blitz Bazawule follows up co-helming Beyoncé's Black Is King by heroing empowerment and emancipation in his version of The Color Purple — and while the film that results can't completely avoid an awkward tonal balance, it's easy to see the meaning behind its striving for a brighter outlook. When what its characters go through as Black women in America's south in the early 20th century is so unsparing, welcoming wherever light can pierce the gloom is a human reaction, and how Celie (American Idol-winner Fantasia Barrino in her feature film debut) copes. The Color Purple streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Madame Web When a spider spins a web, the strands are designed to trap prey for the eight-legged arachnid to consume. Madame Web tries to do something similar. The fourth live-action film in Sony's Spider-Man Universe, it attempts to create a movie meal by capturing bits and pieces from anywhere and everywhere. There's Spidey nods, of course, variations on the "with great power comes great responsibility" line and more than one Spidey-like figure included. Introducing a new superhero to the screen, it's an origin story, complete with a tragic past to unfurl. Set in 2003 but with ample 90s tunes in the soundtrack, it endeavours to get retro as well. In its best touch, Madame Web winks at star Dakota Johnson's (Cha Cha Real Smooth) Hollywood family history, with a pigeon bringing The Birds, as led by her grandmother Tippi Hedren (The Ghost and the Whale), to mind. And, catching inspiration just like flies, the film also strives to be a serial-killer thriller. Look out, though. Here's hoping that spiders have more luck snaring a feast than Sony has in swinging Madame Web into its not-MCU franchise. They're not officially counted as part of the saga, and they're both exceptional unlike this, but the studio's animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse also help explain Madame Web's existence and approach. In trying to carve out a Spidey space around the Peter Parker version of the webslinger, who is now part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sony has been throwing everything it can at the screen. In the Spider-Verse flicks, that means a kaleidoscope of spider-folk, plus dazzling visuals and creative storytelling to match, demonstrating that people in suits isn't the best way to tell caped-crusader tales in cinema. In the SSU, focusing on a heap of peripheral Spidey figures is instead the tactic — and it's as piecemeal as it sounds. Madame Web streams via YouTube Movies and Prime Video. Read our full review. Next Goal Wins American Samoa's 31–0 loss to Australia in 2001 wasn't the biggest-ever defeat in football history, but it set the world record for the largest trouncing in an international match. It's also the scoreline behind an impassioned quest to achieve something that the US territory in the South Pacific Ocean had never done before in soccer: kick a goal. And, it's the starting point for a documentary and a comedy both called Next Goal Wins, with the first arriving in 2014 and the second now Taika Waititi's eighth feature. Each charts the squad's attempt to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and each tells an underdog tale. One strikes charmingly and winningly, the other keeps deserving red cards — and it's Waititi's long-delayed flick, which was initially filmed before the pandemic, underwent reshoots in 2021, then finally premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, that shouldn't be on the pitch. Since leaping from New Zealand indies Eagle vs Shark, Boy, What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Waititi might've won an Oscar for Jojo Rabbit; however, his best post-Thor: Ragnarok work has been on the small screen. Neither Jojo Rabbit nor Thor: Love and Thunder reached the filmmaker's past heights, but the hilarious US TV spinoff of What We Do in the Shadows, sublime Indigenous American dramedy Reservation Dogs and heartwarming pirate rom-com Our Flag Means Death have all proven gems. The current underwhelming cinema streak continues with the Michael Fassbender (The Killer)-led Next Goal Wins, which is as forceful as his last non-MCU picture in wanting to be a quirky, silly and sweet crowd-pleaser, and as clumsy, awkward and thinly sketched. While new takes on already-covered stories never mean that the originals are binned, sending viewers sprinting towards Mike Brett and Steve Jamison's (On the Morning You Wake (to the End of the World)) iteration of Next Goal Wins can't have been Waititi's intention. Next Goal Wins streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Looking for more viewing options? Take a look at our monthly streaming recommendations across new straight-to-digital films and TV shows — and fast-tracked highlights from January and February 2024 (and also January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December 2023, too). We keep a running list of must-stream TV from across 2024 as well, complete with full reviews. And, we've also rounded up 2023's 15 best films, 15 best straight-to-streaming movies, 15 top flicks hardly anyone saw, 30 other films to catch up with, 15 best new TV series of 2023, another 15 excellent new TV shows that you might've missed and 15 best returning shows.
Back in 2019, when The Boys first hit streaming, suffers of superhero fatigue understandably rejoiced. Yes, it focuses on a group of caped crusaders just like seemingly every second blockbuster movie (and, these days, every third TV show or so as well). But, in a world where viewers have been conditioned to lap up narratives about powerful folks who are supposedly better than most, this series both satirises and questions that very idea. Here, superheroes work for a corporation called Vought International. They're still the main form of entertainment, but they're real, the most famous celebrities there are and inescapable in daily life, too. The absolute top talent is known as The Seven; however, when the public isn't looking, most — especially leader Homelander (Antony Starr, Banshee) — are hardly role models. That made quite the change from the usual cinematic universes, both in the Prime Video show's initial season and its 2020 second effort — all of which came to the small screen after being adapted from Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's comic book series of the same name. In fact, The Boys is one of the most entertaining caped crusader tales currently being made, as long as you're fond of a gleefully darker-than-dark tone, a pervasive bleakness that refuses to be shaken, plus oh-so-much blood, gore and guts. All of the above is set to return in the series' third season, which starts hitting Prime Video on Friday, June 3 — with the first three episodes arriving at once, then the remaining five releasing week to week — and has also just dropped its full trailer. The charismatic but ridiculously sinister Homelander still isn't quite right, but the public keep showering him with love. And determined, no-nonsense Brit Billy Butcher (Karl Urban, Thor: Ragnarok) is still intent on bringing Vought, The Seven and especially Homelander down with his own ragtag team, aka The Boys of the title. More evil superheroes, more crusading vigilantes, more of the complicated bond between The Boys' newcomer Hugh (Jack Quaid, Scream) and The Seven's Starlight (Erin Moriarty, Captain Fantastic), more dirty corporate shenanigans in an attempt to control the masses by lulling them into a false sense of caped crusader-fuelled security: that's all on the bill again as well, as the first sneak peek makes plain. That, and more exploding heads and laser eyes, with the latter gracing an unexpected character. Also returning: Dominique McElligott (House of Cards), Jessie T Usher (The Banker), Laz Alonso (Wrath of Man), Chace Crawford (Gossip Girl), Tomer Capone (One on One), Karen Fukuhara (Suicide Squad), Nathan Mitchell (Ginny & Georgia), Colby Minifie (I'm Thinking of Ending Things) and Claudia Doumit (Where'd You Go, Bernadette) — spanning the good, the bad and the in-between, from conflicted and egotistical supes to average folks downright sick of the sight of spandex. And, as glimpsed in the trailer, Supernatural's Jensen Ackles joins the cast this time around. Check out the trailer for The Boys season three below: The third season of The Boys starts streaming via Prime Video from Friday, June 3.
Before the pandemic, when a new-release movie started playing in cinemas, audiences couldn't watch it on streaming, video on demand, DVD or blu-ray for a few months. But with the past few years forcing film industry to make quite a few changes — widespread movie theatre closures and plenty of people staying home in iso will do that — that's no longer always the case. Maybe you've had a close-contact run-in. Perhaps you haven't had time to make it to your local cinema lately. Given the hefty amount of films now releasing each week, maybe you simply missed something. Film distributors have been fast-tracking some of their new releases from cinemas to streaming recently — movies that might still be playing in theatres in some parts of the country, too. In preparation for your next couch session, here's 15 you can watch right now at home. NIGHTMARE ALLEY Don't mistake the blaze that starts the exceptional Nightmare Alley for warmth; in his 11th film, Guillermo del Toro gets chillier than he ever has. A lover of gothic tales told with empathy and curiosity, the Mexican The Shape of Water filmmaker has always understood that escapism and agony go hand in hand — and here, in a carnival noir that springs from William Lindsay Gresham's 1946 novel and previously reached cinemas in 1947, he runs headfirst into cold, unrelenting darkness. That burning house, once home to the skulking Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper, Licorice Pizza), is surrounded by America's stark midwestern landscape circa 1939. Still, the terrain of its now-former occupant's insides is even grimmer, as Nightmare Alley's opening image of Stan dropping a body into a hole in the abode's floor, then striking a match, shows. From there, he descends into the carny world after being given a job by barker Clem Hoatley (Willem Dafoe, Spider-Man: No Way Home) and doing whatever's asked, including helping clean up after the geek act — although, even with his ambiguities evident from the outset, stomaching a cage-dwelling man biting the heads off live chickens to entertain braying crowds isn't initially easy. While set in an already-despondent US where the Depression is only just waning, the shadows of the First World War linger and more are soon to fall via World War II, Nightmare Alley still gives Stan flickers of hope. Adapted from the novel by del Toro with feature debutant Kim Morgan, and filled to the brim with outstanding performances, the movie doesn't ever promise light or virtue, but kindness repeatedly comes its protagonist's way in its first half. In fortune-teller Zeena the Seer (Toni Collette, Dream Horse) and her oft-sauced husband and assistant Pete (David Strathairn, Nomadland), Stan gains friends and mentors. He takes to mentalism like he was born to it, and his gift for manipulating audiences — and his eagerness to keep pushing the spiritualism further — is firmly a sign. Soon, it's 1941 and he's rebadged himself as 'The Great Stanton' in city clubs, claiming to speak to the dead in the pursuit of bigger paydays, with fellow ex-carny Molly Cahill (Rooney Mara, Mary Magdalene) as his romantic and professional partner beyond the dustbowl. But then that scam attracts the attention of Dr Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett, Don't Look Up), and this drifter-turned-grifter gets caught in someone else's plan. Nightmare Alley is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. KING RICHARD In King Richard, Will Smith does more acting than expected with his back to the on-screen action. He does more acting in general — while the Ali and Concussion star can be a transformative performer, here he feels like he's overtly playing a part rather than disappearing into a role — but the way his eponymous figure handles his daughters' matches instantly stands out. Richard Williams is a tennis parent who despises the usual tennis parent histrionics. At the time the film is set, in the early 90s, he has also coached Venus (Saniyya Sidney, Fences) and Serena (Demi Singleton, Godfather of Harlem) since they were four years old, and penned a 78-page plan mapping out their futures before they were born. He's dedicated his life to their success, alongside family matriarch Oracene (Aunjanue Ellis, Lovecraft Country); however, he's so restless when they're volleying and backhanding that he can't bring himself to watch. These scenes in King Richard are among Smith's best. As directed by Joe Bell helmer Reinaldo Marcus Green — making another movie about a real-life person that makes his male eponymous figure the centre of someone else's story — he's anxious yet determined, and lives the feeling like he's breathing it. They're some of the movie's least blatantly showy and most quietly complex scenes as well. The Williams patriarch has wisdom for all occasions, forged from a tough childhood in America's south, plus the hard work and hustle of turning Venus and Serena into budding champions, so he'd likely have something to say about the insights gleaned here: that you can tell oh-so-much about a person when they're under pressure but nobody's watching. If he was actively imparting this lesson to his daughters — five of them, not just the two that now have 30 Grand Slam singles titles between them — and they didn't glean it, he'd make them watch again. When they see Cinderella in the film, that's exactly what happens. But his courtside demeanour is teachable anyway, recognising how all the preparation and effort in the world will still see you tested over and over. King Richard is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. SPENCER With two-plus decades as an actor to her name, Kristen Stewart hasn't spent her career as a candle in the wind. Her flame has both blazed and flickered since her first uncredited big-screen role in The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas but, by Elton John's definition, she's always known where to cling to. After jumping from child star to Twilight heroine and then one of the savviest talents of her generation, she's gleaned where to let her haunting gaze stare so piercingly that it lights up celluloid again and again, too. Spencer joins Stewart's resume after weighty parts in Clouds of Sils Maria, Personal Shopper, Certain Women and Seberg, and has her do something she's long done magnificently: let a world of pain and uncertainty seep quietly from her entire being. The new regal drama should do just that, of course, given its subject — but saying that director Pablo Larraín (Jackie, Ema) has cast his Diana well, pitch-perfect head tilt and all, is a royal understatement. The year is 1991, the time is Christmas and the place is the Queen's (Stella Gonet, Breeders) Sandringham Estate, where the Windsors converge for the holidays (yes, Spencer is now prime seasonal viewing). As scripted by Peaky Blinders and Locked Down's Steven Knight, the choice of period puts Diana in one of the most precarious situations of her then decade-long married life, with her nuptials to Prince Charles (Jack Farthing, The Lost Daughter) turning into an "amicable separation" within 12 months. Spencer's focus is on three days, not all that defined the People's Princess' existence before or after, but she can't stop contemplating her past and future. The Sandringham grounds include the house where Diana was born, and those happier recollections — and time spent now with her children (debutants Jack Nielen and Freddie Spry) — give her a glow. Alas, all the monarchical scrutiny simmers her joy to ashes, unsurprisingly. Spencer is available to stream via Prime Video. Read our full review. WEST SIDE STORY Tonight, tonight, there's only Steven Spielberg's lavish and dynamic version of West Side Story tonight — not to detract from or forget the 1961 movie of the same name. Six decades ago, an all-singing, all-dancing, New York City-set, gang war-focused spin on Romeo and Juliet leapt from stage to screen, becoming one of cinema's all-time classic musicals; however, remaking that hit is a task that Spielberg dazzlingly proves up to. It's his first sashay into the genre, despite making his initial amateur feature just three years after the original West Side Story debuted. It's also his first film since 2018's obnoxiously awful Ready Player One, which doubled as a how-to guide to crafting one of the worst, flimsiest and most bloated pieces of soulless pop-culture worship possible. But with this swooning, socially aware story of star-crossed lovers, Spielberg pirouettes back from his atrocious last flick by embracing something he clearly adores, and being unafraid to give it rhythmic swirls and thematic twirls. Shakespeare's own tale of tempestuous romance still looms large over West Side Story, as it always has — in fair NYC and its rubble-strewn titular neighbourhood where it lays its 1950s-era scene. The Jets and the Sharks aren't quite two households both alike in dignity, though. Led by the swaggering and dogged Riff (Mike Faist, a Tony-nominee for the Broadway production of Dear Evan Hansen), the Jets are young, scrappy, angry and full of resentment for anyone they fear is encroaching on their terrain. Meanwhile, with boxer Bernardo (David Alvarez, a Tony-winner for Billy Elliot) at the helm, the Sharks have tried to establish new lives outside of their native Puerto Rico through study, jobs and their own businesses. Both gangs refuse to coexist peacefully in the only part of New York where either feels at home — but it's a night at a dance, and the love-at-first-sight connection that blooms between Riff's best friend Tony (Ansel Elgort, The Goldfinch) and Bernardo's younger sister María (feature debutant Rachel Zegler), that sparks a showdown. West Side Story is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. HOUSE OF GUCCI For the second time in as many movies, Lady Gaga is caught in a bad romance in House of Gucci. Yes, she's already sung the song to match. The pop diva doesn't belt out ballads or croon upbeat tunes in this true-crime drama, unlike in her Oscar-nominated role in A Star Is Born, but she does shimmy into a tale about love and revenge, horror and design, and wanting someone's everything as long as it's free. Eschewing the earthy naturalism of her last film performance and tapping into her famed on-stage theatricality instead, she's perfect for the part of Patrizia Reggiani, aka Lady Gucci, aka the daughter of a trucking entrepreneur who wed into one of the world's most prestigious fashion families, helped unstitch its hold on its couture empire, then went to prison for murder. She's exceptional because she goes big and lavish, and because she knows that's the type of feature she's meant to be in: a soapy spectacle about money and power that uses its depiction of excess as an interrogation technique. Complimenting Gaga for nailing the brief — for acing it so dazzlingly that she's sauntering down her own catwalk as most of her co-stars virtually watch from the floor — gives House of Gucci a tad too much credit, though. Ridley Scott's second film in mere months following The Last Duel, and his third in a row to examine wealth and influence after 2017's All the Money in the World, this fashion-world saga skews large, lush and luxe with each choice, too, but doesn't land every sashay with quite the outsized lustre of its crown jewel. If House of Gucci's veteran director was picking an outfit instead, he would've chosen a killer gown, then wavered on the accessories. Some of his other decisions gleam, as seen in the movie's knowingly maximalist and melodramatic air, and in Adam Driver's (Annette) casting as Patrizia's ill-fated husband Maurizio Gucci. Others prove fine, like its jukebox-style soundtrack of 70s and 80s bangers. A few moves are so cartoonish — Jared Leto's ridiculousness, and the Super Mario-style accents sported by almost everyone on-screen — that they play like cheap knockoffs. House of Gucci is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. THE SCARY OF SIXTY-FIRST When Succession roves over New York's skyline — in its opening credits, as set to that bewitching theme tune, or just during its episodes — it gleams with wealth and privilege. Depiction doesn't equal endorsement, however, with the stellar HBO satire sharply cutting into its chosen world at every chance it gets. As one of the show's supporting cast members, Dasha Nekrasova slides into that realm, too, but that's not her only dalliance with the city's architecture, power brokers and all that both represent. The Scary of Sixty-First, the Red Scare podcast host's feature directorial debut, also savages the rich and seemingly consequence-free. It clasps onto a real-life story that's made that case inherently, abhorrently and monstrously. There's no gentle way to put it, but the fact that Nekrasova plays a woman investigating if a bargain Upper East Side duplex was one of Jeffrey Epstein's "orgy flophouses" says much about this purposefully provocative conspiracy thriller horror-comedy. College pals Addie (Betsey Brown, Assholes) and Noelle (the film's co-screenwriter Madeline Quinn) can't believe their luck when they find the cheap property, even if it does visibly need a clean — and have mirrored ceilings, as well as some questionable lock choices — and even if they don't appear completely comfortable with committing to live together. But from night one, the literal nightmares begin. Soon they're spying blood stains, scratched walls and eerie tarot cards, and feeling unsettled in a variety of ways. Enter Nekrasova's stranger, who comes sporting a dark-web rabbit hole's worth of paranoia and bearing the Epstein news. Addie and Noelle take the revelation in vastly different fashions, with the former seeming possessed by one of Epstein's child victims, and the latter diving deep into potential theories with her unnamed new friend. The Scary of Sixty-First is available to stream via Google Play and YouTube Movies. Read our full review. SCREAM Twenty-six years ago, "do you like scary movies?" stopped being just an ordinary question. Posed by a wrong-number caller who happened to be a ghostface-masked killer with a fondness for kitchen knives, it was the snappiest and savviest line in one of the 90s' biggest horror films, and it's now one of cinema's iconic pieces of dialogue. It gets another whirl in the Scream franchise's fifth movie, which is also called Scream — and you'd really best answer it now with the heartiest yes possible. Taking over from the late, great Wes Craven, who also directed 1997's Scream 2, 2000's Scream 3 and 2011's Scream 4 but died in 2015, Ready or Not's Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett task their next generation of slasher fodder with showing their devotion to horror with all the subtlety of a masked murderer who can't stop taunting their prey. That'd be a new Ghostface, who terrorises today's Woodsboro high schoolers, because the fictional spot is up there with Sunnydale and Twin Peaks on the list of places that are flat-out hellish for teens. The same happened in Scream 4, but the first new attack by the saga's killer is designed to lure home someone who's left town. Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera, In the Heights) hightailed it the moment she was old enough, fleeing a family secret, but is beckoned back when her sister Tara (Jenna Ortega, You) receives the feature's opening "do you like scary movies?" call. Soon, bodies are piling up, Ghostface gives Woodsboro that grim sense of deja vu again, and Tara's friends — including the horror film-obsessed Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown, Yellowjackets), her twin Chad (Mason Gooding, Love, Victor), his girlfriend Liv (Sonia Ammar, Jappeloup), and other pals Wes (Dylan Minnette, 13 Reasons Why) and Amber (Mikey Madison, Better Things) — are trying to both survive while basically cycling through the OG feature again, complete with a crucial location, and sleuth out the culprit using their scary movie knowledge. Everyone's a suspect, including Sam herself and her out-of-towner boyfriend Richie (Jack Quaid, The Boys), and also the begrudging resident expert on this exact situation: ex-sheriff Dewey Riley (David Arquette, Spree). The latter is the reason that morning show host Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox, Cougar Town) and initial Ghostface target Sidney Prescott (Skyscraper) make the trip back to Woodsboro again as well. Scream is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. NEVER GONNA SNOW AGAIN Start how you mean to go on is common-sense filmmaking advice. It's the medium's obvious first step, but it's also an elusive achievement. And, it's a feat that's usually only evident in hindsight — when a viewer can see if a stellar introduction really did signal just as sublime things to come, or vice versa. Never Gonna Snow Again perfects the concept, however. In its arresting opening moments, a man walks out of a forest and into a gated community in eastern Poland, and everything about the scene ripples with moody intrigue. The grey fog infusing the film's setting, the enigmatic look on the mysterious protagonist's face, the feeling that anything and everything could happen: filmmakers Malgorzata Szumowska (Mug) and Michal Englert (also the movie's cinematographer) deliver it all at the outset, and then back it up over their feature's 116 minutes. In Never Gonna Snow Again's initial images, that inscrutable man is Ukrainian masseur Zhenia (Alec Utgoff, Stranger Things), who walks out of a forest and into a gated community in eastern Poland. His destination is lined with lavish identical houses — the kind that the song 'Little Boxes' has satirised for almost six decades now — but he's about to be its most extraordinary visitor. His hands can help knead away physical troubles, a must for everyone with his profession. But as he works his physical magic, his touch can soothe minds as well. Trundling his massage table from well-appointed home to well-appointed home, he quickly builds up a devoted client list of well-to-do residents desperate for his help. He steps into their worlds, spying their outward gloss — the similar wreaths on each door, the doorbells chiming with snippets of classic music — and palpating away their inner pain. Never Gonna Snow Again is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET On a fictional New York street that's home to a cross-section of the city's multicultural population, young and old alike, and also to boisterous muppets, sunny days have been sweeping the clouds away since November 1969. Eager to educate preschoolers, Sesame Street has taught multiple generations of children the alphabet, to count — with help from Count von Count since 1972, of course — and about life in general, and both its longevity and the beloved turf it holds within popular culture speak to its enormous success. Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street knows that it's profiling a seminal piece of television, and that virtually everyone born in the past half-century grew up watching the adored series; however, it's also keen to tell the story behind that story. Nostalgia drips through this behind-the-scenes documentary, gleefully so, but so too does a chronicle of how Sesame Street became the icon it is — and against the odds. The show's backstory starts with TV producer Joan Ganz Cooney and psychologist Lloyd Morrisett, and with a dinner-party conversation that saw them float the idea of a television series that might help American children prepare for school — particularly kids of colour. The path to Sesame Street reaching the air wasn't smooth from there, or plain sailing once it got to screens (its focus on racial integration didn't go down well in parts of Mississippi, for instance), but education-meets-entertainment history was nonetheless made. Inspired by Michael Davis' 2008 non-fiction book Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street, documentarian Marilyn Agrelo (An Invisible Sign) fashions her film as an insider's window into a miraculous program, blending informative details about how it came to be and its early years with clips of its muppet-fuelled magic. Both elements of the movie engage, as do its recent and archival interviews. Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. SHANE Paul Kelly named a song after him. Eddie Perfect went one better and wrote an entire musical. But if Shane Warne had lived out his childhood dream, he would've played AFL for St Kilda instead of becoming a tune- and stage show-inspiring star cricketer. That tidbit isn't new news; however, Warne talks it through in new Australian documentary Shane — an early inclusion that demonstrates the film's handling of its well-known central figure. Warne's sporting career rose spectacularly from his failed attempt at Aussie Rules, which he also chats through. It dipped via several scandals, professional and personal alike, which he takes to with considerably less glee. Warne is a candid and engaging interviewee and, while joined by other cricketing and celebrity figures in recounting his life to-date, he's Shane's main source of information, but the film still spins the story that he's happy to share. There's no shortage of details for directors David Alrich (Griff's Great Australian Rail Trip), Jon Carey (Forbidden Games: The Justin Fashanu Story) and Jackie Munro to cover, all of which they unfurl in chronological order. Warne was an AFL-obsessed kid who played under-19s and one reserves game, only to be told he wouldn't make it at the top level. He then considered tennis, but found his calling — and global renown and acclaim — in spin-bowling wickets. Even to viewers unfussed by cricket, Warne's achievements are common knowledge, as are his decades in the spotlight. So too are his controversies; the bookmaker situation, the match-fixing proposition put to him by Pakistani captain Salim Malik, the year-long suspension for taking a banned diuretic and the breakdown of his marriage all get a mention, and all earn Warne's current thoughts. He's also especially eager to discuss his prowess for sledging. Shane is available to stream via Prime Video, Google Play and iTunes. Read our full review. THE KING'S MAN When something shows you its true colours, believe it. The Kingsman franchise certainly did when it debuted in 2014, as viewers have been witnessing ever since. That initial entry, Kingsman: The Secret Service, gave the espionage genre an irreverent and energetic spin, and landed partway between update and parody. But, while making Taron Egerton a star and proving engaging-enough, it didn't know when to call it quits, serving up one of the most ill-judged closing moments that spy flicks have ever seen. Since then, all things Kingsman haven't known when to end either, which is why subpar sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle arrived in 2017, and now unnecessary mostly World War I-centric prequel The King's Man — all from filmmaker Matthew Vaughn, Another year, another dull origin story. Another year, another stretched Bond knockoff, too. It's in a prologue in 1902 that Ralph Fiennes (No Time to Die) makes his first appearance as Orlando Oxford, a duke travelling to South Africa during the Boer War — and soon made a widower, because The King's Man starts with the tiresome dead wife trope. Twelve years later, Oxford is staunchly a pacifist, so much so that he forbids his now-teenage son Conrad (Harris Dickinson, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil) from enlisting when WWI breaks out. But the duke hasn't completely given away serving his country himself, overseeing an off-the-books intelligence network with the help of his servants Shola (Djimon Hounsou, A Quiet Place Part II) and Polly (Gemma Arterton, Summerland). That comes in handy when a nefarious Scottish figure known only as The Shepherd interferes in world affairs, with King George V of England, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia (all cousins, and all played by Bohemian Rhapsody's Tom Hollander) his targets. The King's Man is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE After more than a few pandemic delays, Ghostbusters: Afterlife has finally reached screens — and it floats into a world that's made worshipping previous glories one of the biggest cash-spinners show business could've ever dreamed up. The fourth feature to bear the Ghostbusters name, but a new legacy sequel to the original 1984 film, this reanimated franchise entry certainly sports a fitting subtitle; treating its source material like it's nirvana is firmly filmmaker Jason Reitman's approach. To him, it might've been. Although he established his career with indie comedies such as Thank You for Smoking and Juno, he's the son of director Ivan Reitman, who helmed the OG Ghostbusters and its 1989 follow-up Ghostbusters II. To plenty of fans, those two initial comedy-horror flicks were something special as well; however, acknowledging that fact — and trying to recreate the feeling of being a kid or teen watching the first Ghostbusters nearly four decades ago — isn't enough to fuel a new film. To be fair, the younger Reitman isn't particularly interested in making a new movie; Be Kind Rewind's "sweded" Ghostbusters clips are more original than Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Instead, he directs a homage that sprinkles in links to its predecessor so heartily that it's probably easier to name the scenes and details that don't scream "hey, this is Ghostbusters!" as loudly as possible. The focus: Phoebe (Mckenna Grace, Malignant), a new inhabitant of the cringingly titled Summerville, Oklahoma. With her mother Callie (Carrie Coon, The Nest) and brother Trevor (Finn Wolfhard, The Goldfinch), she's made the move because the granddad she never knew just passed away, leaving a dilapidated rural property to his estranged family. The townsfolk speak his nickname, "dirt farmer", with mocking and intrigue, but his actual moniker — and all that equipment he's left behind — brings big changes Phoebe's way. While being Dr Egon Spengler's granddaughter doesn't initially mean too much to her, other than giving her love for science a genetic basis, she's soon segueing from testing out ghost traps with local teacher Mr Grooberson (Paul Rudd, The Shrink Next Door) to cracking Egon's secret efforts to stop a world-shattering supernatural event. Ghostbusters: Afterlife is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. BLACKLIGHT In most movies, Liam Neeson's Blacklight character wouldn't be the protagonist. Secret FBI fixer Travis Block likely wouldn't even be given a name. Instead, he'd merely be a brief presence who popped up to help other on-screen figures — the federal agents he gets out of tricky situations, for instance — as they went about their business and connected the script's necessary plot points. Turning someone who'd usually be seen as disposable into its lead is this action-thriller's one good idea, but the flattened henchman scene in Austin Powers gave the notion more thought than the entirety of Blacklight demonstrates. There's a difference between thrusting a character to the fore and fleshing them out, especially when a film is happy to define them solely by the actor in their shoes. Here, Travis Block is another prosaic entry on Neeson's action resume first and foremost. The film he's in is directed by Neeson's Honest Thief writer/director Mark Williams, too, who doesn't stretch himself or his star in their second collaboration. When Blacklight begins, Block has spent his career doing whatever FBI Director Gabriel Robinson (Aidan Quinn, Elementary) has asked. Typically, that's assisting on-the-books operatives struggling with off-the-books missions — and Block is great at his job. But when he's tasked with aiding the suddenly erratic Dusty Crane (Taylor John Smith, Shadow in the Cloud), he begins to see more in the rogue agent's story than his old Vietnam War pal Robinson wants to share. Crane has quite the wild tale to tell, tied to the assassination of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez-style politician Sofia Flores (Mel Jarnson, Mortal Kombat) and filled with dark government secrets, and he's eager to share it with scoop-chasing reporter Mira Jones (Emmy Raver-Lampman, The Umbrella Academy). That's exactly what Block is supposed to stop, with his new crisis of conscience putting his daughter Amanda (Claire van der Bloom, Palm Beach) and granddaughter Natalie (debutant Gabriella Sengos) in peril. Blacklight is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. SING 2 Star voices, a jukebox worth of songs, anthropomorphic animated critters, cheesy sentiments: that's the formula fuelling far too many all-ages-friendly films of late. Back in 2016, Sing used it to box office-smashing success by doing little more than spinning a colourful version of American Idol but with zoo animals doing the singing. It wasn't the worst example of this kind of flick, but perhaps the most interesting thing about it was the skew of its soundtrack, which favoured songs that the adults in its audience would like more than the pint-sized viewers entranced by its bright hues, talking lions and koalas, and frenetic pacing. It should come as no surprise, then, that Sing 2 doubles down on that idea by not only mining the discography of U2, but by also casting Bono as a reclusive ex-rockstar. For the Irish frontman, the double payday must've been nice. Returning writer/director Garth Jennings begins Sing 2 with a saccharine rendition of Prince's 'Let's Go Crazy', but that song choice isn't instructional or descriptive; nothing here departs from the expected. This time around, after already gathering a gang of music-loving animals via a singing contest in the first flick, koala Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey, The Gentlemen) has a hit show filling his theatre — but he still wants to make it big in the bigger smoke. Alas, Suki (Chelsea Peretti, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), a dog and a talent scout, advises that Buster's ragtag crew don't have what it takes. He's determined to prove otherwise, taking pigs Rosita (Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show) and Gunter (Nick Kroll, Big Mouth), gorilla Johnny (Taron Egerton, Rocketman), porcupine Ash (Scarlett Johansson, Black Widow), and elephant Meena (singer Tori Kelly) to Redshore City to pitch directly to wolf and media mogul Jimmy Crystal (Bobby Canavale, Nine Perfect Strangers). Sing 2 is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2 As 2019's stop-motion The Addams Family did, The Addams Family 2 boasts a few stellar strokes of voice casting, but that can't save a film that's distressingly eager to be as bland, flat and lazy as possible. Once again, returning directors Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon (Sausage Party) — who team up with first-time co-helmers Laura Brousseau and Kevin Pavlovic — only manage to make viewers wish that Oscar Isaac (Dune) and Charlize Theron (Fast and Furious 9) could've played Gomez and Morticia in a new live-action film, instead of lending their voices to this mess. The lines they're tasked with uttering, as penned by screenwriters Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit (Pokémon: Detective Pikachu) along with Ben Queen (Cars 2) and Susanna Fogel (Booksmart), have less life (and inspire fewer laughs) than a corpse. And, as with the first animated movie, they're still caught up in a flick that has Snoop Dogg cast Cousin Itt so that it can drop in his songs (and yes, that's supposed to be funny, apparently). Story-wise, The Addams Family 2 focuses on Wednesday (Chloë Grace Moretz, Tom and Jerry), who feels she doesn't fit in with her relatives even before she's told she might've been switched at birth. But forget the dark humour that's always been the backbone of all things Addams since its first days on the page. Forget any sense of personality that isn't just "ooh, they're odd and they like grim things" — and forget anything that you wouldn't see in any other all-ages film, too. The script could've been written for any old characters, then had Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley (Javon 'Wanna' Walton, Utopia), Uncle Fester (Nick Kroll, Sing 2), Thing and company shoehorned in, although its family vacation setup does take all the wrong cues from the aforementioned Addams Family Reunion. It hardly helps that the animation style looks ghoulishly unpleasant, but at least the character designs nod to Charles Addams' original cartoons. Nothing else about this unwanted sequel even comes close, in a feature that proves the antithesis of its characters: mundane, safe, routine and only unnerving in how terrible it is. The Addams Family 2 is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. Looking for more at-home viewing options? Take a look at our monthly streaming recommendations across new straight-to-digital films and TV shows.
Choosing a birthday gift for your food-loving friends is easy. You just wine and dine them, meaning you both get to enjoy the spoils of dining out. But when it comes to the holiday season (AKA silly season), our calendars are already filled with parties, lunches, drinks and every other type of social occasion — and this year is tipped to be busier than most. So, what do you get them? After a year of being relatively housebound (or, at least, state-bound), it's time to up the ante by treating them to a full blown food-fuelled travel adventure. There's more to fancy big-city fine diners, after all. Dig a little deeper and you'll discover Australia's exceptional culinary offerings from country to coast. In partnership with Tourism Australia, we've rounded up ten gift-worthy dining (and wining) experiences to rock a food-lover's world, including everything from guided bush tucker tastings to sky-high feasts. You can bet they won't be forgetting these next-level presents in a hurry.
UPDATE, March 25, 2022: The Worst Person in the World is currently screening in Australian cinemas, and is also available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. When Frances Ha splashed a gorgeous portrait of quarter-life malaise across the screen nearly a decade back — proving neither the first nor last film to do so, of course — its titular New Yorker was frequently running. As played by Greta Gerwig, she sprinted and stumbled to David Bowie's intoxicating 'Modern Love' and just in general, while navigating the constantly-in-motion reality of being in her 20s. It takes place in a different city, another country and on the other side of the globe, but The Worst Person in the World's eponymous figure (Renate Reinsve, Phoenix) is often racing, too. (Sometimes, in the movie's most stylised touch, she's even flitting around while the whole world stops around her.) Norwegian writer/director Joachim Trier (Thelma) firmly understands the easy shorthand of watching someone rush — around Oslo here, but also through life overall — especially while they're grappling with a blatant case arrested development. Capturing the relentlessly on-the-go sensation that comes with adulthood, as well as the inertia of feeling like you're never quite getting anywhere that you're meant to be, these running scenes paint a wonderfully evocative and relatable image. Those are apt terms for The Worst Person in the World overall, actually, which meets Julie as she's pinballing through the shambles of her millennial life. She doesn't ever truly earn the film's title, or come close, but she still coins the description and spits it her own way — making the type of self-deprecating, comically self-aware comment we all do when we're trying to own our own chaos because anything else would be a lie. The Worst Person in the World's moniker feels so telling because it's uttered by Julie herself, conveying how we're all our own harshest critics. In her existence, even within the mere four years that the film focuses on, mess is a constant. Indeed, across the movie's 12 chapters, plus its prologue and epilogue, almost everything about Julie's life changes and evolves. That includes not just dreams, goals, fields of study and careers, but also loved ones, boyfriends, apartments, friends and ideas of what the future should look like — and, crucially, also Julie's perception of herself. As the ever-observant Trier and his regular co-screenwriter Eskil Vogt track their protagonist through these ups and downs, using whatever means they can to put his audience in her mindset — freezing time around her among them — The Worst Person in the World also proves a raw ode to self-acceptance, and to forgiving yourself for not having it all together. They're the broad strokes of this wonderfully perceptive film; the specifics are just as insightful and recognisable. Julie jumps from medicine to psychology to photography, and between relationships — with 44-year-old comic book artist Aksel (Anders Danielsen Lie, Bergman Island), who's soon thinking about all the serious things in life; and then with the far more carefree Eivind (Herbert Nordrum, ZombieLars), who she meets after crashing a wedding. Expressing not only how Julie changes with each shift in focus, job and partner, but how she copes with that change within herself, is another of The Worst Person in the World's sharp touches. At one point, on a getaway with friends more than a decade older than her, Julie is laden with broad and trite generalisations about being her age — which Trier humorously and knowingly counters frame by frame with lived-in minutiae. A place, a person, the chaos that is being an adult (and, with the latter, the truth rather than the stereotypes): across three thematically connected films, spanning 2006's Reprise, 2011's Oslo, August 31st and now The Worst Person in the World, that's been Trier's formula. Calling it a pattern or recipe does the trio an injustice, though, because each feature is as individual as any person. Here, Trier is clearly aware of how romantic dramedies like this typically turn out, and ensures that his movie never simply parrots the obvious — unless it's unpacking the chasm between the standard big-screen story we've all seen too many times and the tangled reality. This isn't the usual cliche-riddled affair, and that commitment to transcend tropes, and to truly contemplate what growing up, being an adult and forging a life is really like (including at both the sunniest and the most heartbreaking extremes), both feeds and enables Reinsve's astonishing work. Sometimes, a performance just flat-out shakes and startles you — and Reinsve's falls into that category. That's meant in the greatest of ways; she won the 2021 Cannes Film Festival Best Actress award for her efforts, and turns in a complex, layered and no-holds-barred portrayal that's one of the finest of the year. She could've waltzed into the film straight out of any twentysomething's circle of friends. She plays her part with exactly that air, and she's magnificent. In a movie that proves a discerning and disarming character study above all else, and a masterpiece of one, her performance soars with heart and soul when Julie is at her best, sparkles with chemistry with both Danielsen Lie and Nordrum — both of whom are terrific, too — and seethes with both pain and growth in the character's hardest moments. It shouldn't come as a surprise given how much bobbing around it does — between chapters and the parts of Julie's life they cover, between all the things earning her attention at any given moment, and within Reinsve's multifaceted performance — but The Worst Person in the World is also a tonal rollercoaster. Again, that's a positive thing. As a snapshot of an age and life stage, Trier helms a film that's canny and incisive, also perfects the sensation of constantly zipping onwards even when it seems as if you're stuck, and knows how to find both joy and darkness in tandem. That kind of duality also graces the screen visually, in a feature that can be both slick and naturalistic, which is another deft touch. There's an enormous difference between telling viewers what it's like to be Julie and showing them — and The Worst Person in the World makes sure its audience not only feels it, but feels like they're running through it with Julie as well.
There's no way that Dream Scenario could've been a horror movie, even if it does hail from A24 and boast Hereditary, Midsommar and Beau Is Afraid filmmaker Ari Aster as a producer. Constantly having one particular person pop up in your head as you slumber is indeed eerie; however, when that person is the one and only Nicolas Cage, who'd be scared? Cage doesn't play himself in Dream Scenario — so, it isn't going down The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent's path — but the characters played by actors other than the Renfield, Pig, Willy's Wonderland, Face/Off, Con Air, Wild at Heart, Vampire's Kiss and Raising Arizona star do indeed keep dreaming of his likeness. And, when it won't stop happening, it earns plenty of attention in this new sci-fi comedy from Sick of Myself writer/director Kristoffer Borgli. Paul Matthews is just an average family man and college professor when Dream Scenario kicks off, as the movie's trailer shows. And, if the Cage-inhabited figure didn't start haunting everyone's sleep, that would've remained the case. When we say everyone, we mean it, with millions of folks getting acquainted with Paul when their eyes are closed — his daughter, his students, old loves and then basically the entire globe. "It was one of the best scripts I've read, quite frankly, and I think it's my best performance and probably the best movie I've ever made," said Cage about the end result. The film premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, will release in the US in November, but doesn't yet have a big-screen date Down Under. Borgli's English-language debut, Dream Scenario also stars Julianne Nicholson (Weird: The Al Yankovic Story), Michael Cera (Barbie), Tim Meadows (I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson), Dylan Gelula (Loot) and Dylan Baker (Hunters). And, it's another glorious chapter in the best Hollywood guessing game there is as long as Cage keeps hopping in front of the camera, aka where will the inimitable actor show up next? Check out the trailer for Dream Scenario below: Dream Scenario releases in US cinemas on November 10, but doesn't yet have a release date Down Under — we'll update you when one is announced. Images: courtesy of A24.
UPDATE, March 3, 2021: Jojo Rabbit is available to stream via Disney+, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. It's an idea so sharply amusing, so devilishly designed to make a statement and so likely to enrage its target if he were still alive, it's easy to see why Taika Waititi embraced it. In Jojo Rabbit, the New Zealand writer/director/actor — the son of a Maori father, with Russian-Jewish and Irish heritage also in his family — plays an imaginary, egotistical, endlessly preening, thoroughly over-the-top version of Hitler. That's a loaded concept from the get-go. Obviously, Waititi has fun with the task. He serves up a campy caricature of the Third Reich leader, which is exactly what his chosen scenario calls for. But while his self-described "anti-hate satire" has the best of intentions, parodying hatred-driven extremism and championing kindness using Nazi Germany as a backdrop, the purposefully offbeat movie doesn't always find the right tonal balance. It makes fun broadly and proudly to make an important point, and it's firmly a black comedy, but it's not as precise as it needs to be given its subject matter. Waititi's gleefully exaggerated Führer appears to ten-year-old Jojo Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis) quite often, which the boy is rather pleased about. Not that he had much choice in the matter, but Jojo is a devoted member of the Hitler Youth who is eager to serve his country — and rid it of those he's been indoctrinated to fear and loathe — in the dying days of the Second World War. Alas, at mandatory, feverish training camps, he is just teased by bigger kids. That's where his 'rabbit' nickname springs from, after he refuses to slaughter a bunny to prove his allegiance to the Fatherland. Still, he's devout about his beliefs, despite his kindly mother Rosie's (Scarlett Johansson) gentle push towards more tolerant attitudes. Rosie practises what she preaches, empathising with those resisting the Nazis and hiding Jewish teenager Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie) in the family's attic. Based on Christine Leunens' book Caging Skies, Jojo Rabbit pinballs its eponymous character between various influences as he comes to terms with Elsa's presence. It's a standard coming-of-age scenario, opening a youth's eyes to the reality of the world as he matures, and bearing witness as he grapples with conflicting notions to forge his own identity — something that Waititi has previously tackled in both Boy and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Here, of course, Jojo is a child Nazi suddenly nudged to look past his engrained prejudices as a forbidden friendship blooms, although he still interrogates Elsa about grossly inaccurate supposed Jewish traits and tricks first. Around him, Hitler's views on the subject, and on Jojo's new housemate, are as disapproving as you'd expect. The Hitler Youth bullies show Jojo what it's like to be on the receiving end of cruelty, though, even if the group's adult leaders — Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson and Game of Thrones' Alfie Allen — aren't exactly strict, stern and seething with hostility. Splashed across the screen in a bright, breezy manner — and stylistically aping Wes Anderson, particularly Moonrise Kingdom, at times — much of Jojo Rabbit's comedy works in the moment. That's true of Waititi's performance, and also applies to the film's opening juxtaposition: in its first frames, the feature cycles through archival footage of slavish crowds cheering Hitler as The Beatles' 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' plays in German. And yet, though dripping with equal parts sincerity and silliness, Jojo Rabbit doesn't completely add up to the resounding combination of laughs, heart and barbs that Waititi clearly hopes. It boasts all of the above, but there's also a sense of not just cheekiness but clumsiness. While enthusiastically aiming for overstatement, some of the movie's scenes play like thin sketches, too. It also awkwardly and accidentally straddles the line between showing a goofy brand of empathy to everyone in a grim situation and humanising the regime behind some of the 20th century's worst atrocities. Waititi's irreverent, irrepressible sense of humour is usually a delight (see: his aforementioned films, plus What We Do in the Shadows and Thor Ragnarok), but Jojo Rabbit is at its best when it actually dials back the gags, mockery and pointed current-day parallels, and instead hones in on its central trio in less overt moments. Within such circumstances, first-timer Davis, rising star McKenzie (Leave No Trace, True History of the Kelly Gang) and a tender Johansson all impress. In varying combinations — never all together — they share a parade of thoughtful scenes that leave an imprint, especially when veering into more serious, considered, and even melancholy and dark territory. In an ambitious picture from start to finish, the three actors find the right groove, even if the movie itself doesn't always successfully do the same. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL4McUzXfFI
On the cusp of a sun-filled scorcher of a summer, it’s hard to imagine going as long as three months without seeing the sun. But it’s precisely this seasonal phenomenon that Norwegian designers Christine Istad and Lisa Pacini have responded to, creating a travelling circular sculpture whose warm-coloured LED light mimics the absent sun. Three metres in diameter, the glowing core of SUN changes in hue, moving from sunrise to sunset tones. The design is portable and adaptable, capable of being freestanding on a base or hung on a wall as an installation. The sculpture was transported by cruise ship and pick-up truck around Norway, bringing illumination to darkened cities starting from Tromsø in the country's north and ending in Bergen. The project most recently journeyed as far as London, where it made an appearance at London Design Festival as part of the 10th anniversary of the annual 100% Norway exhibition run by the Norwegian Embassy, Norwegian Design Council and Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Each year the exhibition showcases the best and brightest from Norway’s art and design world, with this year’s special focus being light. Via DesignBoom
Each year, Smithsonian invites photographers from around the world, professional and otherwise, to submit images that capture great beauty and evoke wonder across five specific categories — The Natural World, People, Travel, Americana and Altered Images. Of the 37,600 submissions, the 50 final images memorialise moments that are both astounding and mundane, but consistently beautiful. A shot of policemen running through the national congress in Brasilia competes with the everyday, yet equally poignant, image of a Texan snow cone stand at dusk. For sharing the best of their photo trail, contestants get the chance to secure some substantial coin, as well as the satisfaction of knowing they've captured a truly Kodak moment. Although the winning submissions are ultimately decided by the Smithsonian’s editor, in an appeal to democratic sensibilities, a Reader's Choice Award will be announced after tallying up online votes, which are open until late March. Naturally, only Concrete Playground has the authority to decide who the real winners are, as selected largely based on their ability to momentarily transport us to a parallel universe in which it is not a Monday morning in front of a humming computer. Scroll down to visually kiss the sky. The Natural World A pair of menacing bald eagles share a meal, as captured by Don Holland of Tennessee, bringing Hitchcock-inspired nightmares to mind. The Natural World David Morrow's Milky Way, as shot in a Washington national park, is even better than the chocolate variety. People Ilain Fain's portrait of three young girls inside a Greek Orthodox church in Nazareth suggests that childhood boredom is a universal phenomenon. People A young baby sleeps protected by the gaze of his watchful mother on a Congolese night in Paolo Patruno's photograph. Americana Ron Henderson's unaltered photograph of the mascot for underwear brand Fruit of the Loom captured on location in the Californian desert proves that sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction. Americana Times Square gets patriotic in Doug Van de Zande's image of technicolour shadows. Travel Afraid of losing the moment, Raul Amaru Linares yielded his camera instinctively when he spotted these musicians arriving pre-performance at a bull ring in Ecuador. Travel Playing with finger paints takes on a new meaning for this little boy in Indranil Sengupta's depiction of India's "tiger dance" festival. Altered Image The wrath of mother nature humbles in Tim Wright's image depicting the aftermath of a tornado in Iowa. Altered Image Pramod Shakya captures a building as it comes to life in Xi'an Jiaotong University. Images and story via Smithsonian.
In the heart of Queensland, you'll find Longeach. A historical outback town brimming with history, culture, and rugged natural beauty. Known for its rich pioneering past and vibrant community spirit, this remote destination offers an authentic taste of Australia's vast interior. Whether you're fascinated by the outback lifestyle and aviation history, or simply looking for a serene escape under endless skies, Longreach will charm you with its warm hospitality and unique experiences. How to Get There? Located about 1,200km from Brisbane, reaching Longreach can be an adventure in itself. Visitors can catch regular flights from Townsville and Brisbane. However, be mindful when packing, small planes and outback conditions call for packing light. Products like Samsonite's Restackd luggage system, with its built-in packing cubes, will make organising your belongings a breeze — ideal for outback journeys. For a more scenic journey, hop aboard the historic Spirit of the Outback train from Brisbane to Longreach. It's the only sleeper train in Queensland and the 26-hour ride covers 1300 kilometres of ever-changing scenery through the heart of the state. Step Back in Time The region is rich in Aussie history. No visit to Longreach is complete without exploring the Qantas Founders Museum — it'll be hard to miss as you'll pass it as soon as you land on the tarmac of the airport. The museum was established by locals to preserve the story of Australia's national airline. Get up close to iconic aircraft like the retired Boeing 747 and 707displayed against the red dirt background. A definite must-see for aviation and history enthusiasts alike. Across the street, the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame offers another unmissable experience, chronicling the lives of Australia's pioneering outback drovers, stockmen and women. Attend live demonstrations of horsemanship, sheep shearing and bush skills which offer a glimpse into the tough yet rewarding life on the land. If you've got extra time, head out to Drover's Cottage, the original information centre setting built by R.M. Williams. It was restored to its original character and now houses Stockman's library collection. The sandstone cottage offers an insight into the outback lifestyle and Williams' enduring influence on Australian outdoor culture. Div even deeper into Longreach's history with a visit to the Powerhouse Museum, which tells the story of how electricity came to the outback. The museum features vintage machinery, vehicles, and fascinating displays of early 20th-century technology that powered the town's development. Explore the Rugged Region Start in the centre of town on bustling Swan Street to admire its newest artwork created by renowned mural artist Jarad Danby and commissioned by Great Northern Brewing Co. to celebrate the launch of Long Run, a Queensland-exclusive lager inspired by the pioneering spirit of the outback. The mural blends classical realism with contemporary styles and tells the story of Longreach's connection to the outback and stands as a permanent fixture in the town centre, adding a vibrant touch to the local landscape. For a relaxing experience, take a Thomson River cruise at sunset, where you can admire the breathtaking outback scenery while learning about the region's history from local guides. Finish the evening with a traditional campfire dinner, complete with billy tea and damper, under a sky ablaze with stars. Get your hands dirty as you experience a working cattle station with a visit to Camden Park Station, just outside Longreach. You'll hear captivating stories of outback life, see cattle mustering in action, and witness the impressive 100-year-old homestead where royalty once dined. It's a chance to connect with the outback lifestyle and enjoy the genuine hospitality of the outback. You can even camp at the cattle station for a truly immersive adventure. Where to Eat Longreach may be a small town, but it has no shortage of hearty, delicious meals. Start your day with a pastry from Merino Bakery and a strong coffee at The Branch — a local favourite known for its wholesome breakfasts, tasty lunches, delectable dinners and creative cocktails. Another eatery for your itinerary is the award-winning Harry's Restaurant, just across the road from the historic Longreach Railway Station. The restaurant is named for local legend Harry Redford, also known as Captain Starlight. At Harry's, you can enjoy modern Australian fare made with fresh, seasonal (and local) produce. Don't miss a visit to The Woolshed Restaurant, where you can enjoy an authentic outback dining experience with a menu focused on slow-cooked meats and classic Aussie sides — you might even be dazzled by local country musicians. Where to Stay Longreach has a range of accommodation options that cater to all tastes and budgets. For a luxurious experience, try the Saltbush Retreat, which offers a myriad of accommodation options from its well-furnished rustic chic cabins to its comfortable cottages. There's a swimming pool on-site to cool off during the warm days and, it's basically across the road from the airport making travel time mere minutes. If you prefer something more central, Longreach Motor Inn is a popular choice with comfortable rooms and Harry's Restaurant on-site. There is secure on-street parking and if you're not driving you can avail of its free airport shuttle service. For those wanting to get closer to nature, Mitchell Grass Retreat offers a glamping experience that combines outback adventure with luxury. It's perfect for those who love the idea of camping but want to have a full bathroom to themselves. Each luxury tent has an ensuite bathroom, king-sized bed, bath and a private deck from where you can enjoy the views out to the Mitchell Grass Plains. Not a bad base for your outback adventure. Final Tips The best time to visit Longreach is during the cooler months, from April to September, when daytime temperatures are more pleasant, and evenings are crisp. Regardless of when you travel, pack for the heat. Even in the cooler months, daytime temperatures in Longreach can soar, so pack sunscreen, a hat and plenty of water. And finally, make time to meet the locals. The friendly and welcoming community is a highlight of the town. Keep an eye out for local celebrity Ollie, a Brahman bullock, and his owner stockman and entertainer John Hawkes. Ollie was orphaned at two days old and has been raised by Hawkes ever since. You might spy Hawkes riding Ollie through the down or chatting with other locals over a coffee accompanied by Hawkes' border collies, Henry, Arthur and Jane. From its fascinating aviation heritage to its stunning outback landscapes, Longreach is a destination that offers a true Australian adventure. Whether you're sipping a cold beer after a day of exploration or watching the sunset over the Thomson River, this town will captivate you with its charm, history and rugged beauty. Concrete Playground was invited to Longreach by Great Northern to celebrate the launch of The Long Run Lager.
If you've been dreaming of a frosty cold winter — a reprieve not only from a record-breaking summer, but a hotter-than-usual autumn, too — it's time to recalibrate your expectations. As it does every quarter, the Bureau of Meteorology has released its climate outlook for the June to August period, and the forecast favours two words that Australians are all too used to: warm and dry. Just like last season, if you call mainland Australia home, there's a very good chance that you'll experience winter temperatures that are a whole lot warmer than the median. Apart from the far north of Queensland, as well as isolated spots in Western Australia and the Northern Territory, the whole country is tipped to endure maximums at least 60 percent higher than normal. For the east and west coasts, that figure goes up to 80 percent. Nights are also likely to be toastier than average, especially for WA, the northern NT, parts of Queensland, eastern New South Wales, and most of Victoria and Tasmania. If you're wondering exactly what's in store, then it's worth keeping the usual daily temps across the period in mind — and remembering that they'll be exceeded. In Sydney, that means the mercury will soar above a 17-degree maximum in June, a 16.4 top in July and a 17.9 max in August, while Melbourne can expect temps above 15.4, 15.7 and 16.3 in the same months. In Brisbane, the standard tops range between 22–23.3, and in Perth it spans 18.4–19.4. Once again, farmers are in for not-so-great news. The three months are set to be drier than average for much of Queensland, NSW, Victoria, southeast South Australia, northern Tasmania, the NT, and northern and far southwest WA — and, for everywhere else, the chances of either being wetter or drier are roughly equal. If you're wondering what's behind this forecast, El Niño–like warmth has been having an impact in the central tropical Pacific Ocean, and a drying effect on Australia as a result. That's actually expected to reduce slightly over winter, but the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), or Indian Niño, will spark its own dryness. Combined with higher atmospheric pressures, it all makes for a lack of rain and a spike in warmth. It's becoming a familiar story. Let's not forget that in 2018, overall, Australia copped its third-warmest year ever. If this year's winter is set to favour hotter than usual temps, and less rain than usual as well, things aren't shaping up well for spring and summer.
Something delightful is happening at Melbourne's outdoor cinemas. After months spent empty, with projectors silent and the smell of popcorn fading, outside picture palaces have been given the green light to reopen — including the Coburg Drive-In, and the Lido, Classic and Cameo outdoor cinemas. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made this year, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit under the stars and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting outdoor cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer from this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gnTuWEKSXw BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC When it comes to goofy and sweet movie concepts handled with sincerity, the Bill & Ted franchise has always proven most triumphant. In 1989's Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, the big-screen comedy series introduced the world to Californian high schoolers Bill S Preston, Esq (Alex Winter) and Ted 'Theodore' Logan (Keanu Reeves), who are apparently destined to write the rock song that unites the universe — if they can first pass their history exam by travelling back in time in a phone booth to recruit famed past figures like Beethoven and Socrates to help, that is. The idea that Bill & Ted's affable, air guitar-playing slackers would become the world's salvation was a joke that the film itself was in on, and the movie struck the right balance of silliness, earnestness and affection as a result. So, the end product was joyous. And, it inspired two follow-ups: 1991's even loopier but still entertaining Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, and now Bill & Ted Face the Music's affectionate dose of warm-hearted lunacy almost three decades later. Bill (Winter) and Ted (Reeves) are back, obviously. They're older, definitely not wiser, and yet again take a few leaps through time. The fate of life as everyone knows it is still at stake. And, as always, the loveable pair's motto — "be excellent to each other" — is pivotal. Combine all of the above with marital malaise, chip-off-the-old-block daughters Theadora (Ready or Not's Samara Weaving) and Wilhelmina (Atypical's Brigette Lundy-Paine), multiple Bills and Teds, and a 77-minute deadline to write the tune the changes the future, and Face the Music saunters casually forward with a purposeful sense of familiarity. Thankfully, though, this film isn't merely trying to relive past glories. In fact, the very notion that some dreams don't come true sits at the core of this tender and loving movie. Naturally, it's a delight to see Winter and Reeves reprise their roles. They step back into Bill and Ted's shoes with ease, expertly conveying the characters' lingering immaturity, middle-aged malaise and ever-present kindness. They're also clearly having a blast as different versions of the duo, and their enthusiasm is infectious. But when Face the Music finds a plethora of ways to illustrate the merits of their characters' optimistic and warm mindset, it's at its best. Far from bogus, the heartfelt happiness it brings is 100-percent excellent. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RC2dsAGvGy0 AN AMERICAN PICKLE If an early 20th-century Jewish immigrant found himself walking around in 2019, what would he think of the world? That question comes with a flipside, of course, because it's equally valid to wonder how today's folks would react in response. With Seth Rogen starring as a ditch-digging, rat-catching new arrival from Eastern Europe to Brooklyn, these are a couple of the queries pondered by An American Pickle. It's the latest in a long line of comedies that trifle with time while doubling as time capsules, and it falls firmly from a familiar mould. Indeed, seeing, examining and giggling at the contrast between century-old ways and contemporary ideas is a considerable part of the film. Not only that, but this Simon Rich-penned adaptation of his own short story Sell Out does all of the above broadly and blatantly — pointing out that big, bushy beards have become hipster beacons, for example, and that much has progressed since the 1900s. Consequently, there's no avoiding just how slight An American Pickle is. Its protagonist might fall into a vat of brine, get sealed in, then emerge in a new millennium, but this movie isn't diving deep. Thankfully, mixed up with all the obvious jokes are two thoughtful performances, both by Rogen, that help the film interrogate the push and pull between the past and the present in a moving fashion. He plays Herschel Greenbaum, a new arrival to US with his wife Sarah (Succession's Sarah Snook), after the pair leave their home of Schlupsk to escape Russian Cossacks and chase a better life — and he also steps into the shoes of app developer Ben Greenbaum, Herschel's great-grandson and only living descendant when he awakens in his preserved (and presumably extra salty) state. The two men are the same age, and look alike, but they sport differences beyond Herschel's facial hair and Ben's technological know-how. It's the usual generational divide, as instantly recognisable to everyone watching. But when An American Pickle lets its star shine, rather than gets weighed down with over-the-top clashes in the service of clearcut gags and satirical observations, this affable but also mostly forgettable film boasts heart and sweetness. It's oh-so predictable, but it also shows an understanding of how the past always leaves an imprint, the future needn't fastidiously be chained to tradition, and that everything old and all things new have a symbiotic relationship. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxZ774gziwU THE CRAFT: LEGACY Written and directed by actor-turned-filmmaker Zoe Lister-Jones (Band Aid), The Craft: Legacy is clearly the product of someone who knows and appreciates its 1996 cult-favourite predecessor. It's also the work of someone keen to pay tribute to the original — a horror-thriller about teen witches using and abusing magic to cope with high school's troubles — and embrace what she sees as its strengths, as well as redress its wrongs, update it for a new time and a new generation of teens, and verbally and visibly champion inclusivity at every turn. But it's possible for a 24-years-later follow-up to show affection, make some smart changes, move with the times and still feel like the remnants left in a cauldron. Or, for it to recall one of The Craft's famed moments — one that The Craft: Legacy recreates, briefly — in an unintended fashion. When this feature's coven play with levitation, the words "light as a feather, stiff as a board" aren't heard; however, by the end of the movie, they best describe everything that's just happened. Starting as its inspiration did, The Craft: Legacy begins with Lily (Cailee Spaeny, Devs) and her mother Helen (Michelle Monaghan, Saint Judy) arriving in a new town, to move in with the latter's self-help author boyfriend (David Duchovny, playing a character who has penned a book called 'The Hallowed Masculine') and his three sons. Navigating school, Lily soon finds herself taunted by resident jock and bully (Nicholas Galitzine, Share) — but she's also found by witchy trio Lourdes (Zoey Luna, Pose), Frankie (Gideon Adlon, Blockers) and Tabby (Lovie Simone, Selah and the Spades), who are looking for the west to their north, south and east. Rather than seeing these young women become consumed by their blossoming power, and also punishing those who refuse to conform, it's a welcome shift that The Craft: Legacy calls out the patriarchal norms and attitudes that routinely put teenage girls in that situation. And yet the film just seems happy enough to have made that switch, instead of giving it any true weight or substantial depth. It's light thematically, visually, tonally and emotionally, and it also sports a stiffness — as though it's trying so hard to be loose, open, breezy and upbeat that it actually proves bland, strained and wooden instead. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg4zGf3_F1Q RAMS It's easy to see how Australian filmmakers watched Rams, the 2015 Icelandic movie about duelling sheep-farmer brothers, and realised that they could bring its story Down Under. In fact, it's easy because director Jeremy Sims (Last Cab to Darwin) and screenwriter Jules Duncan (a feature first-timer) make certain that that's the case — ensuring that viewers can see every choice they've taken in giving the story the Aussie treatment. It's all to be expected, of course, but it feels not only overt but also calculating. Indeed, Rams often seems like a remake that only exists because someone gleaned just how simple it'd be to make it happen (and noticed that the Cannes prize-winning initial flick had picked up quite a following, too). It swaps the original movie's frosty blizzard for drought, heat and bushfires, and its Nordic scenery for Western Australian tourism brochure-style shots. It brings in a cast of familiar faces, spanning both beloved local talents (such as Michael Caton and Asher Keddie) and actors we've virtually claimed as our own (Sam Neill). It leans into Aussie dialogue, scenes in pubs, small-town stereotypes and larrikin behaviour, localising every element possible, while also sticking steadfastly to the bulk of its predecessor's main narrative details (as anyone who has seen the latter will swiftly spot). For decades, brothers Colin (Neill) and Les (Caton) haven't spoken. They lovingly tend to their flocks on adjoining properties, send messages to each other via sheepdog when absolutely necessary and cross paths at local livestock competitions, but a lingering grudge has long since soured their familial bond. Then Les wins the latest contest, Colin notices that the applauded ram might be plagued by a contagious disease, and the duo are forced to band together or face the complete decimation of the only lives they've ever known. Instead of thoughtfully unpacking a plethora of contrasts — between the central siblings, by juxtaposing their close proximity with their strained relationship, in both prosperous and struggling times, and in trying to control nature in various ways — this version of Rams struggles with balance. That includes its efforts to juggle quirky comedy with its more serious dramatic sections, and in offering thoughtful commentary on men coping with their emotions and rural communities battling tough times. Cast-wise, Neill fares best thanks to a lived-in performance, with Caton in stock-standard cantankerous mode, and British actor Miranda Richardson (Churchill, the Harry Potter franchise) wasted in a thankless supporting part. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nf--afqelY ANTEBELLUM Watching the sprawling, roving and weaving single-take shot that opens Antebellum, it helps to know what the movie's title actually means. The term refers to a time before a war, and is typically used in relation to the American Civil War — but in the film's eye-catching introduction, it certainly seems as if that historical conflict is raging away. On a southern plantation, Confederate soldiers under the leadership of Captain Jasper (Jack Huston) terrorise the property's enslaved Black workers with brutality and cruelty. Attempted runaway Eden (Janelle Monáe) is one of them, and subject not just to beatings, brandings and forced labour, but also raped regularly by the general (Eric Lange) who has claimed her as his own. She's planning another escape; however, thoroughly unexpectedly given the surroundings, a mobile phone suddenly rings. Now Monáe's character is called Veronica Henley, she's a well-known activist and author, and everything about her life (including the conference in New Orleans she attends) is firmly set in the 21st century. Obviously, how Monáe's dual roles intertwine is best discovered by watching — as is the involvement of Jena Malone's (Too Old to Die Young) Elizabeth, the plantation's resident belle as well as a modern-day caller for Veronica — but Antebellum proves far less powerful and clever than it thinks it is. While first-time writer-directors Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz blatantly try to follow in Jordan Peele's footsteps, using horror to explore race relations in America both in the present day and in the country's history, their efforts rely so heavily on one big twist that the movie resembles M Night Shyamalan's lesser works more than Get Out, Us or TV series Lovecraft Country. In endeavouring to unpack systemic racism, there's a smart idea at the heart the feature. Visually, Antebellum's always-lurid, often-violent imagery isn't easily forgotten, and the film also boasts a masterly performance by Moonlight and Hidden Figures star Monáe. And yet, connecting all those pieces together feels more like an exercise in making a provocative genre film than actually saying something meaningful about engrained prejudice in the US — a topic that, sadly, continues to remain timely, but is treated here as stock-standard horror fodder. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYQzdhjHeIE&feature=emb_logo&mc_cid=ccf652e7a2&mc_eid=1628bbb5f5 HONEST THIEF Another Liam Neeson-starring movie, another bland action film with little else going for it beyond its main attraction. The genre must pay well, but it has sadly been years since the Irish actor's particular set of skills anchored a fist-flinging, chase-filled feature worthy of his talents. In Honest Thief, Neeson plays elusive bank robber Tom, who is also known as the 'in-and-out bandit'. A year after unexpectedly falling in love with psychology graduate student Annie (Kate Walsh) — and a year after he last indulged his pilfering urges, too — he decides to turn himself in to the FBI in exchange for a lesser sentence and the chance to make a real future. Answering his call, agents Baker (Robert Patrick) and Meyers (Jeffrey Donavan) are skeptical that he's actual the culprit. When their colleagues Nivens (Jai Courtney) and Hall (Anthony Ramos) are given the case, however, they take another approach that sees Neeson rushing around Boston and fighting for his life against corrupt, trigger-happy law enforcement officials. There's only one real surprise in store in Honest Thief, a movie that writer/director Mark Williams (A Family Man) and his co-scribe Steve Ullrich (The Timber) could've almost cobbled together using scenes from other Neeson action vehicles. No one is astonished that, despite being a bank robber, Neeson's character is the movie's hero. No one should expect anything unusual in its workman-like action choreography or by-the-numbers plot, either. But the fact that the movie also features a heap of well-known names and faces alongside Neeson — including The Umbrella Academy's Walsh, The X-Files' Patrick, Fargo's Donovan, Aussie Stateless star Courtney and Hamilton's Ramos — is a little startling. They're all wasted, because Honest Thief only tasks its other actors with giving Neeson someone to talk to, kiss, hunt down or flee. That's how generic this addition to his resume proves. Indeed, 2020 hasn't been great for Neeson fans, even with Made in Italy (see below) eschewing action for father-son bonding. His most recent great roles might've only been back in 2016 and 2018, courtesy of Silence, Widows and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, but they currently seem like a distant memory. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2RqzDC6gF4 MADE IN ITALY In Made in Italy, Liam Neeson and his real-life son Micheál Richardson (Vox Lux, Cold Pursuit) recreate their relationship on-screen. In another case of art imitating life, they also play a parent-offspring pair still struggling to cope with the loss of the former's wife and the latter's mother after a tragic accident — with Neeson's partner and Richardson's mum, aka actor Natasha Richardson, passing away following a skiing incident in 2009. But, while this romantic drama's stars might've enjoyed a leisurely trip abroad to relive a situation that's close to their hearts in an immensely scenic location, and get paid for it, Made in Italy isn't a personal or even a sensitive and moving film. If only it was. The feature directorial debut of actor-turned-filmmaker James D'Arcy (Dunkirk, The Snowman), if only it offered anything other than a bland, by-the-numbers tale about two men blighted by grief, forced to confront their issues and pain, and eventually learning how to move on. Neeson plays Robert, a famous artist who is barely a part of his curator son Jack's (Richardson) life. They're brought together out of necessity, after Jack's soon-to-be ex-wife threatens to sell the gallery he has devoted his career to, leaving him in need of cash — and fast. His solution: to fix up and sell the Italian villa that he inherited from his mum, although his dad also owns half of the property. Cue family dysfunction unfurling in gorgeous surroundings, a stock-standard romance between Jack and a local chef (Valeria Bilello), and a very forgettable appearance by the great Lindsay Duncan (The Leftovers, Sherlock, Le Week-End) as a matter-of-fact real estate agent. As nice as it is to see Neeson in something other than a routine action flicks (see above), here he's in bland and limp as well as unengagingly generic territory. The Italian countryside does look mighty spectacular, naturally, but that really shouldn't be the movie's main and most substantial drawcard. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy32-KCnexo THE SECRET GARDEN When The Secret Garden first reached the page as a serialised story in 1910, author Frances Hodgson Burnett couldn't have known how relevant her tale would feel 110 years later. Obviously she'll never know, as she passed away in 1924 — but if there was ever a time for a new big-screen version of this beloved children's favourite about escaping life's woes by banding together, making the most of things and enjoying the pockets of nature at hand, it's 2020. Indeed, while this new cinematic iteration was actually due to hit screens earlier this year, which means that it was made pre-pandemic, it firmly strikes a chord in these strange times. Whether you loved the book when you were much smaller, you can barely remember it, or you're more familiar with the narrative from the 1993 movie, a lavishly shot fantasy about a unhappy girl plagued by tragedy yet finding solace in the titular space couldn't be more fitting right now. The narrative, for those who need a refresher, focuses on the pre-teen Mary (Dixie Egerickx, The Little Stranger) — who swiftly segues from from living in India under British rule to being sent to the Yorkshire moors to stay with her reclusive uncle (Colin Firth) when her parents are killed. She's bratty, spoiled and far from content about the new arrangement, but wandering the estate's sizeable grounds soon brings her to a hidden patch of greenery. Under the direction of TV veteran Marc Munden (Black Sails, National Treasure), this version of the tale takes place after the Second World War, but that's not the only change. It relays the same overall details, but it also leans into the darkness and gothic drama of the material in a firm and noticeable way. Perhaps that's another reason why it also feels apt for viewers young and young-at-heart — because overcoming loss, misery and struggle always comes with a sense of weight and, amidst its expected leafy sights and general childhood wonder, this take on The Secret Garden never forgets that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bovE44LgBv0 AFTER WE COLLIDED The worst movie of 2019 now has a sequel, and it's on track to claim that exact same title in 2020. Originally penned as Harry Styles fan fiction, the After series takes a leaf out of Twilight and 50 Shades of Grey's books by holding up a thoroughly toxic relationship as the ultimate in epic romances — this time focusing on the on-again, off-again exploits of two college students. In After, Tessa Young (Josephine Langford, the Wolf Creek TV series) and Hardin Scott (Hero Tiffin Fiennes, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) met, opposites attracted and a hot-and-heavy affair kicked off, although the rebellious Hardin sought after the virginal Tessa with shady intentions. Accordingly, when After We Collided meets back up with the duo, they're no longer seeing each other. But the brooding Hardin is still unhealthily obsessed, and the supposedly smart and conscientious but actually overtly insecure Tessa can't help but make reigniting their bond the latest entry on her lengthy (and expanding) list of bad decisions. This time around, the plot uses Tessa's new internship as its reason for a fresh spate of terrible dialogue, as well as its source of drama. It's in publishing, in case 50 Shades didn't already spring to mind, and it's one of those fantasy jobs where the lowest person in the company's hierarchy gets their own office to sit around and read manuscripts in all day. Shameless and steamy wish fulfilment is exactly this franchise's aim, of course — but the big dream that author and After We Collided co-screenwriter Anna Todd pushes is constantly insulting, with the series repeatedly telling its audience that being loved by a moody, erratic bad boy, and taking the breakups, fights and stalking with the gifts and shower sex, is the ultimate fate. This sequel also throws a romantic rival into the mix, courtesy of Tessa's straight-laced colleague Trevor Matthews (Dylan Sprouse, twin brother of Riverdale's Cole Sprouse), and where that narrative strand goes proves as predictable as everything else in the film. Although he has Cruel Intentions on his resume, director Roger Kumble only adds superficial gloss and no signs of interest or excitement; however given that two more After books exist — After We Fell and After Ever Happy — it's highly likely two more movies will, too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoCkWJGCG5c&feature=youtu.be UNHINGED When Russell Crowe was cast in Unhinged, more than a few folks must've had a giggle — including the actor himself. The New Zealand-born Oscar-winner was famously arrested back in 2005 for throwing a mobile phone, after all, so enlisting him to veer off the deep end while clutching onto a phone was surely done with some winking and nodding in mind. Unhinged isn't a comedy, however. Given its premise, narrative and tone, it really couldn't be. A predictable and pulpy road-rage thriller, this grimly generic, thematically questionable film by director Derrick Borte (The Joneses) and writer Carl Ellsworth (Red Eye, Disturbia) tasks a puffed-up, scowling, growling Rusty with chasing terrified single mother Rachel (Caren Pistorius) around an unnamed US city purely because his entitled, just-divorced psychopath character is unhappy about her lack of driving courtesy. Her supposed crime: beeping her horn after he doesn't move his giant 4WD when the traffic light turns green on a busy weekday morning. In terms of story, that's largely all there is to this flimsy B-movie-style film. Both main characters have relationship struggles in their recent past, and Rachel has a pre-teen son (Gabriel Bateman) and other loved ones to worry about, but Unhinged is more interested in a mood of menace than any real detail — although the fact that its relentless car chase and carnage scenes are all shot and edited in the same way, and therefore mostly look the same, hardly imparts any tension. Also firmly on the movie's agenda: trying to explain away its villain's homicidal behaviour with broad generalisations about the world being an angry place right now. Oh, and even suggesting that Rachel has a hand in causing the traumatic ordeal. Yes, really. Crowe flings everything he has into his one-note part, although his forceful portrayal was never going to patch over the feature's silly plotting, its murky and infuriating message, or the reality that this is a movie about a toxic middle-aged man terrorising a woman because he's certain the world owes him respect. He's memorable, undoubtedly, but Crowe is also nowhere near as impressive as he has been in the recent True History of the Kelly Gang and The Loudest Voice, either. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvXgXQ6iro4 TROLLS WORLD TOUR Fuzzy-haired playthings turned into animated heroes, glitter fart clouds and cupcakes poop, and a lengthy list of earworm-style songs: that's what 2016's Trolls served up. It was loud, shiny and sickly sweet, but it also featured lively voicework from Anna Kendrick and standout handmade-looking visuals, which made the film's CGI look as if it had been made from felt and other crafting products. Naturally, the all-ages movie was a hit, like most flicks based on toys and simultaneously designed to sell more toys. So, it's to the surprise of absolutely no one that sequel Trolls World Tour now exists, and that it's once again using bright and bouncy visuals and a jukebox-musical style format to appeal to viewers young and old, and to spread a positive message — again, as efforts like this are known to. With Kendrick back as the perky Queen Poppy and Justin Timberlake once again voicing her best friend Branch, this follow-up returns to the first film's trolls as they learn that other creatures like them exist. They're not exactly the same, though, with different troll groups favouring varying styles of music — making Poppy's community the 'pop trolls'. Clearly, as the villainous Queen Barb (Rachel Bloom, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) of the hard rock trolls tries to make the separate tribes assimilate under her preferred style of music, there's an overt message about acceptance on offer. It isn't subtle, and it's actually undercut by the fact that the different troll crews (including techno trolls, funk trolls, classical trolls and country trolls) are all given such blatantly stereotypical traits. But, once more, the film is lifted by its cast (complete with Sam Rockwell and Ozzy Osbourne), it's textile appearance and the fact that it actually works its ongoing medley of well-known songs into the story, rather than merely uses them as an easy distraction technique as many fellow Hollywood-made animated movies do.
When you want a drink that suits any occasion, a negroni is a good all-rounder to have in your home bartending repertoire. It's easy to make, requires only three ingredients, and tastes as good in the summer months as it does curled up by a winter campfire. When you want to expand on your cocktail-making talents without venturing too far from the classic aperitif recipe, you can experiment with different spirits to make entirely different flavour combinations. Together with Campari, we've listed six drinks in the negroni family that you can play around with at home. Once you've found your preferred tipple, head to the Campari website to download two recipe books for 55 more twists on a negroni offered up by leading Australian bartenders. FOR A MIDWEEK MOVIE NIGHT, MAKE AN AMERICANO When hump day comes around, sometimes you just want to chill at home and watch a movie. There's a drink to match that moment. The Americano is a lighter introduction to a negroni that pairs well with salty snacks and a marathon viewing schedule of your favourite show. It was created in 1915 to satisfy American tourists travelling through Rome; tourists wanted a splash of soda in the popular Milano-Torino cocktail of the time and the honorary name has stuck ever since. 30ml Campari 30ml Cinzano Rosso Soda water Making this one is easy. Pour Campari and Cinzano into a rocks glass over plenty of ice. Add a splash of soda water and stir to mix. Garnish with a slice of orange or lemon. FOR A DINNER PARTY APERITIF, SERVE A BOULEVARDIER Bookmark this one for your next soiree. The Boulevardier has all the elegance of its birth era with a distinct flavour addition: oaky bourbon. Credited to an American-born writer who founded a magazine in Paris called the Boulevardier, the cocktail was first written about in 1927 and the recipe essentially substitutes bourbon for gin. The Russell's Reserve in this recipe gives it a spiced warmth, as well as adding to the overall deep red colour of the drink. 30ml Campari 45ml Russell's Reserve 10 Year Old Bourbon 30ml Cinzano Rosso Pour all three ingredients into a mixing glass. Add ice and stir to reach the desired dilution (should take a couple of seconds). Strain into a coupette or stemmed glass. Express the essential oils of an orange peel, but don't use the orange as a garnish. This one is served chilled, without the fuss of ice or fruit. FOR A WEEKEND PICNIC, TRY A NEGRONI SBAGLIATO When you're planning a catch-up in the sunshine, it's customary to reach for the bubbles. The fizz of prosecco can work well with the bitterness of Campari in this short and refreshing concoction that was created by mistake. The Italian word 'sbagliato' translates to 'mistaken' and the story goes that, in 1972, a bartender called Mirko Stocchetto accidentally poured prosecco into a negroni instead of gin. Bar Basso in Milan, where Stocchetto worked, still offers the drink today. It is traditionally served in a large wine glass, however, it tastes just as good in a regular tumbler, which is far easier to balance on a picnic blanket. 30ml Campari 30ml Cinzano Rosso 75ml prosecco Pour all three ingredients into a glass over plenty of ice. Stir to mix and garnish with an orange wedge. FOR AN IMPROMPTU DATE NIGHT, OPT FOR A ROSITA If your drinks cabinet leans more towards the agave plant than it does a juniper shrub, we have a negroni recipe that might excite your senses. Created in the 1970s, the Rosita has a complexity beyond your classic negroni by replacing gin with tequila. It's usually served in an old-fashioned glass and if you don't have an orange for a garnish, most other citrus fruits are a good substitute. It's an impressive drink, and looks like you've made more effort than you really have. 30ml Campari 30ml Espolon Blanco Tequila (or another 100-percent agave tequila) 15ml Cinzano Rosso 15ml Cinzano Extra-Dry Pour all four ingredients into a mixing glass, add ice and stir for a few seconds. Strain into a glass. Express the essential oils of an orange and use as garnish. FOR YOUR NEXT BARBECUE, OFFER A KINGSTON NEGRONI Barbecue smoke filling the air. Sun setting in the distance. You want a drink that suits the laidback mood and stands up to the stronger flavours of grilled meats or veggies at your next barbecue. Considered a perfect after-dinner drink, the Kingston Negroni is a relatively recent creation that comes out of New York, rather than Jamaica. It has swagger, moreish flavour, and the richness of a negroni — but instead of gin, reach for a full-bodied, aged rum. 30ml Campari 30ml Appleton Estate Reserve Blend 8 Year Old Rum 30ml Cinzano Rosso Pour ingredients into a rocks glass over plenty of ice. Stir to mix and garnish with an orange wedge, just as you would for a classic negroni. FOR SUNDAY SUNDOWNERS, STICK WITH THE CLASSIC NEGRONI We said it at the beginning; you can't go wrong with a classic. At 101 years old, the negroni has come a long way from its origins in Florence, when Count Camillo Negroni ordered an Americano with gin, rather than soda. It has the perfect balance of bitterness and sweetness, and the drink is only further improved by a fragrant wedge of orange. When you want to see out the week with a drink in hand, we suggest sticking with this classic. Pay close attention to the quality of your ice to ensure your drink is chilled, but not too diluted. 30ml Campari 30ml London dry gin 30ml Cinzano Rosso Vermouth Pour ingredients into a short glass over a block of ice. Stir to combine the ingredients and garnish with a wedge of orange. Download the free Negroni Cocktail Book for 60 different negroni recipes to try at home. Remember to Drinkwise.
Cities are brilliant. They facilitate things like coffee, sex and conversation. You can get a pizza at two in the morning, you can stumble into washed-up models at the pub, and you can ask your local drag queen where they got their fabulous dress while you stand in line for an ATM. But for all of that, our cities have problems, and increasingly we are realising that the spaces we live in have an unparalleled impact on human health and happiness. There are 7 billion people alive today. By the end of this century there will be 10 billion. And it's estimated that 80 percent of those people will live in cities. "We have to deal with a doubling of urban dwellers in the next forty years. How are we going to make life in these places sustainable?" This is the question asked by Danish filmmaker Andreas Dalsgaard, whose documentary The Human Scale made its Australian premiere at the Sydney Film Festival last week and will screen at Melbourne's ACMI in June and July. The Problem with Building Cities as Machines In centuries past, cities were built at human walking pace, with the street and the square the fundamental elements of urban life. Think Rome. But things changed radically in the 20th century. Under the influence of modernist architects like Le Corbusier, cities were reconceived as machines for living, with the central functions of work, home and play separated for maximum efficiency. The most important element was the car. Buildings were meant to be glimpsed momentarily as you sped past on the freeway. Think Los Angeles. This has led to perfume bottle cities like Dubai, every building built to impress. They are places that look fantastic from the perspective of a helicopter. But they look rubbish from eye-level. Moreover, they aren't good for people. The cities we are building right now are making people ill. We build out, fostering social isolation and financial hardship. And we build up, when taller buildings inhibit fresh air, exercise and meeting other people. They are, in short, bad for your health. "In the Western world, we created this way of life, and we're now learning that there are huge problems connected with it," says Dalsgaard. "A lot of Western cities look towards Copenhagen and ask 'Why is it that 37 percent of people bike, why is it that you have this wonderful public domain and public life, can we get some of that?' And at the same time we have countries like China, which are developing so fast and copying a way of life which isn't sustainable, both on a human level and environmentally. Then we have the third world, represented by Dhaka — 3 billion people worldwide knocking on the door, about to make the same mistakes." The Human Scale is asking us to consider the ways a human-centred approach to urban planning, design and architecture could address these issues. "There are so many things we struggle with in human society," says Dalsgaard. "We have obesity, we have diabetes, we have depression and anxiety, and a lot of these things are connected with how we live." How to Reclaim Cities for People The central figure of The Human Scale is Jan Gehl, a Danish architect and urban designer who has inspired something of an international movement in urban planning. In the 1960s, Gehl began mapping pedestrian behaviour in Copenhagen. What he saw was that if you make more public space, there will be more public life. The best example of Gehl's vision is Copenhagen. The streets are for people, not cars. Small bars and cafes proliferate, public life thrives, and bicycles and walkers control the pace of life. These measures are more sustainable, not only financially but also environmentally and psychologically. People are healthier, they interact with each other, and they feel a sense of ownership over their own city. "It is so cheap to be sweet to people in city planning," explains Gehl. Because one of the central points of The Human Scale is that the way we are developing now — more cars, more high rise buildings, more energy consumption — is more expensive and dangerous than we can perhaps conceive of. Gehl's approach instead recognises that we can't halt the pace of growth. We have to look at what we have and consider how we do more with less. The Human Scale shows how Gehl's ideas have been adapted successfully in New York and Melbourne. One of the loveliest moments of the documentary is a scene showing a spontaneous snowball fight which broke out in New York's Times Square after it had been pedestrianised according to Gehl's recommendations. It demonstrates a wildness and passion which can only emerge in a city if you have a critical mass of people reclaiming public space. But these changes clash with the short-term interests of industry. "It's a constant struggle," notes Dalsgaard, "and the only way you can struggle is through the public domain. Citizens need to raise their voices saying 'we want this', or 'we don't want this.' If you don't have people doing that, then the poor measure of profit that huge high-rise developments make, they will prevail. And it's not that I'm against profit, I just believe in smart profit and long-term profit. And we have to find ways to fight for that." Why does this matter in Australia? In 2007, The Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, commissioned Jan Gehl to create a plan to put life back into Sydney. It aimed to create more public spaces; to encourage small businesses, bars and cafes; to create a vibrant night-time economy; and to introduce cycleways and pedestrianise areas of the CBD, as had been done in Melbourne decades before. "Melbourne understood this thirty years ago," says Dalsgaard. "And that has meant that Melbourne today is a very attractive city, which has out-competed Sydney in many ways." Some of Gehl's proposals have worked in Sydney — it's seen an explosion in small bars due to reformed licensing laws, and events like Vivid encourage people into the streets. But peak industry groups sit at odds with public interest. We see this in the development of Central Park at Broadway, with the looming high-rises gradually blocking out the sunlight. And we see it in the proposed development of Barangaroo, where prime waterfront land which could be used as public space is likely to become Sydney's second casino. When asked about this conflict, Dalsgaard points to the success of Copenhagen's Meatpacking District, a former industrial section of the city (much like Barangaroo), which could have generated a vast amount of money for the government. But instead of selling off the district to developers, Copenhagen decided to keep the Meatpacking District as a place with low rents to encourage creative communities. This has transformed the Meatpacking Distract into the most exciting and innovative part of Copenhagen. "The thing about industry," notes Dalsgaard, "is that it's profit driven, but we have very poor measurements when it comes to long-term profit. It's a huge short-term cost for Copenhagen to decide to do that. But because there's this creative hub, people all over the world now are talking about the Meatpacking District. How do you measure that value?" What The Human Scale demonstrates is that it's dangerous to build just because you can. It shows that governments, industry bodies and architects the world over need to stop creating cities like a self-important child sat at a table with a Lego set, looking down from above. What matters is making cities good for people, making sure they are places that keep us healthy and happy, and which we want to wander, rest and linger in. The Human Scale is screening at ACMI from June 14 to July 4. The Sydney Film Festival continues until June 16.
Whoever said an encyclopaedic knowledge of a cartoon about a dysfunctional yellow family would never come in handy was a real narc. So, for its latest edition on Sunday, July 26, Isolation Trivia is pulling the Comic Book Guy out of every Simpsons fanatic. If you don't know squat about Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart and Maggie — and their escapades over the long-running animated series' first nine seasons in particular — then consider yourself warned. This virtual trivia event is definitely for fans. You should at least know the name of Lionel Hutz's law practice, and the monikers of Lisa and Bart's hockey teams coached by Apu and Chief Wiggum. It'll also help if you know who the two other Sideshows were besides Bob and Mel, and the identity of Lisa's first hook-up. These are elementary questions, and their answers should be written into your brain like it's a chalkboard. Play along from home from 6.25pm — and, if you've ever been to a Simpsons trivia night in-person, you'll understand these can get pretty intense, with some competitors near crazed with cartoon intelligence. So be prepared for the moment you stare at the leaderboard, hypnotised by self-doubt, and repeatedly, self-pityingly mutter to yourself, "I'm not so S-M-R-T". Isolation Trivia's The Simpsons trivia night takes place from 6.25pm at Sunday, July 26.
Don't hold back: one of the biggest acts in electronic music for the past three decades is returning to Australia. Superstar DJs The Chemical Brothers have a new album about to drop in September, and have just announced three Down Under dates for February and March 2024 to unleash their latest round of block rockin' beats live. And, as their massive Coachella sets demonstrated earlier in 2023, they're certain to put on one helluva show. The Chemical Brothers have locked in three Aussie shows, starting their next visit in Brisbane before hitting Sydney, and then doing their only Victorian gig of this tour at A Day on the Green in Geelong. Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons will play Riverstage with Anna Lunoe and James Holroyd in support, and Sydney Showground and Mt Duneed Estate with the pair as well as The Presets doing a DJ set. It isn't just their astonishing Coachella set that proves The Chemical Brothers are a must-see live act. Every tour — including their last stint Down Under back in 2019 — always matches a spectacle of mindbending visuals to the duo's iconic tunes. For this one, the setup will include tracks from their tenth studio album For That Beautiful Feeling, which drops on Friday, September 8. Accordingly, expect recent singles 'No Reason', 'Live Again' (featuring Halo Maud) and 'Skipping Like a Stone' (reteaming The Chemical Brothers with Beck after 2016's 'Wide Open') — and also a wealth of songs from a back catalogue that spans back to 1989. No, it wouldn't be a Chemical Brothers gig without 'Hey Boy, Hey Girl', 'Block Rockin' Beats' and 'Galvanise' getting a whirl. The pair's current setlist also includes everything from 'Go', 'Swoon' and 'Star Guitar' to 'Setting Sun', 'Chemical Beats' and 'Escape Velocity'. Holroyd joining Rowlands and Simons on the tour is always a given, as The Chemical Brothers' long-standing opening DJ. THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2024: Tuesday, February 27 — Riverstage , Brisbane with Anna Lunoe and James Holroyd Thursday, February 29 — Sydney Showground, Sydney with The Presets (DJ Set), Anna Lunoe and James Holroyd Saturday, March 2 — Mt Duneed Estate, Geelong at A Day on the Green with The Presets (DJ Set), Anna Lunoe and James Holroyd The Chemical Brothers are touring Australia in February and March 2024, with pre-sale tickets available from 2pm AEST on Wednesday, September 6 and general sales from 1pm AEST on Friday, September 8. Head to the tour website and A Day on the Green website for further details.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — at present, spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. BLACK WIDOW Closure is a beautiful thing. It's also not something that a 24-film-and-growing franchise tends to serve up often. Since 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has operated with the opposite aim — extending and expanding the series at every turn, delivering episodic instalments that keep viewers hanging for the next flick, and endeavouring to ensure that the superhero saga blasts onwards forever. But it's hard to tick those boxes when you're making a movie about a character whose fate is already known. Audiences have seen where Natasha Romanoff's (Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story) story finishes thanks to Avengers: Endgame, so Black Widow doesn't need to lay the groundwork for more films to follow. It's inexcusable that it has taken so long for the assassin-turned-Avenger to get her own solo outing. It's indefensible that this is just the second Marvel feature to solely focus on a female figure, too. But, unlike the missed opportunity that was Captain Marvel, Black Widow gives its namesake a thrilling big-screen outing, in no small part because it needn't waste time setting up a Black Widow sequel. Instead, the pandemic-delayed movie spends its 143 minutes doing what more MCU flicks should: building character, focusing on relationships, fleshing out its chosen world and making every inch of its narrative feel lived-in. The end result feels like a self-contained film, rather than just one chapter in a never-ending tale — which gives it the space to confidently blend family dramas with espionage antics, and to do justice to both parts of that equation. Sporting an impressive cast that also includes Florence Pugh (Little Women), David Harbour (Stranger Things) and Rachel Weisz (The Favourite), Black Widow begins in 1995, in small-town Ohio. Here, Harbour and Weisz play Alexei and Melina, parents to young Natasha (Ever Anderson, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter) and Yelena (Violet McGraw, Doctor Sleep), and the portrait of all-American domesticity — or that's the ruse, at least. The film doesn't revel in small-town life, neighbourhood playtimes, 'American Pie' sing-alongs and an existence that could've been ripped from The Americans for too long, however, with the quartet soon en route back to Russia via Cuba at shady puppetmaster Dreykov's (Ray Winstone, Cats) beckoning. When the action then jumps forward to 2016, and to the aftermath of that year's Captain America: Civil War, Natasha hasn't seen her faux family for decades. On the run from the authorities, she isn't palling around with the Avengers, either, with the superheroes all going their separate ways. Then the adult Yelena (Pugh) reaches out, because she too has fled her own powers-that-be: Dreykov, the fellow all-female hit squad she's been part of for the last 21 years, and the mind-control techniques that've kept her compliant and killing. There's an unmistakable air of Bourne and Bond to Black Widow from there, but this deftly satisfying flick doesn't trade the MCU's blueprints for other franchises' templates. With Australian filmmaker Cate Shortland (Somersault, Lore and Berlin Syndrome) in the director's chair, this welcome addition to the franchise spins a thoughtfully weighty story about women trapped at the mercy of others and fighting to regain their agency. Read our full review. THE SPARKS BROTHERS "All I do now is dick around" is an exquisite song lyric and, in Sparks' 2006 single 'Dick Around', it's sung with the operatic enthusiasm it demands. It's also a line that resounds with both humour and truth when uttered by Russell Mael, who, with elder brother Ron, has been crafting art-pop ditties as irreverent and melodic as this wonderful track since 1969. Sparks haven't been dicking around over that lengthy period. They currently have 25 albums to their name, and they've taken on almost every genre of music there is in their highly acerbic fashion. That said, their tunes are clearly the biggest labour of love possible, especially as the enigmatic duo has always lingered outside the mainstream. They've had some chart success, including mid-70s hit 'This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us', Giorgio Moroder collaboration and disco standout 'The Number One Song in Heaven', and the supremely 80s 'Cool Places'. They're beloved by everyone from Beck and 'Weird Al' Yankovic to Jason Schwartzman and Mike Myers, too. They're the band that all your favourite bands, actors and comedians can't get enough of, but they're hardly a household name — and yet, decade after decade, the Maels have kept playing around to make the smart, hilarious and offbeat songs they obviously personally adore. Everyone else should love Sparks' idiosyncratic earworms as well — and, even for those who've never heard of the band before, that's the outcome after watching The Sparks Brothers. Edgar Wright, one of the group's unabashed super fans, has turned his overflowing affection into an exceptional documentary. It's the Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and Baby Driver's first factual effort, and it's even more charming and delightful than the films he's best known for. That said, it'd be hard to mess up a movie about Sparks, purely given how much material there is to work with. Russell and Ron, the former sporting shaggier hair and the latter donning a pencil-thin moustache rather than the Charlie Chaplin-style top lip he's brandished for much of his career, are also heavenly interviewees. That's the thing about these now-septuagenarian siblings, every Sparks tune they've ever blasted out into the world, and this comprehensive yet always accessible film that's instantly one of 2021's best: they're all joyously, fabulously, eccentrically fun to an infectious and buoyant degree. The world has always needed more Sparks on a bigger stage; now, to the benefit of everyone that's ever loved them and anyone just discovering them, it's stopped dicking around and is finally delivering Read our full review. DATING AMBER "You look like a shit version of that guy from Blur". Before his reluctant first kiss, they're the exact words that the shy Eddie (Fionn O'Shea, Normal People) hears from the gum-chewing Tracey (Emma Willis, Vikings) — and the rest of their behind-the-building encounter, which is the result of pure peer pressure from Eddie's bullying classmates and zero actual desire on his own part, goes just as well. Afterwards, he soon finds himself face to face with another girl from his grade. This time, the similarly picked-on Amber (Lola Petticrew, A Bump Along the Way) has a far different assessment. In fact, she has a proposal, suggesting that they start dating each other to stop their peers from constantly taunting them about their sexuality. She's gay, she's picked that Eddie is as well, and this arrangement will help them stay in the closet in County Kildare circa 1995 until they finish the school year, graduate, and then both chase different futures. Plucky, no-nonsense and enterprising — she makes cash by renting out caravans in the park her widowed mother (Simone Kirby, Calm with Horses) runs to teens looking for somewhere to have sex — Amber wants to move to London to open "an anarchist bookshop with franchise potential". Quiet, determined to convince himself and the world that he's straight, and accustomed to tiptoeing around his parents' (This Way Up's Sharon Horgan and Extra Ordinary's Barry Ward) unhappy marriage, Eddie is training to join the military just like his dad, a path he clearly doesn't really want to follow. A warm and witty hormone-fuelled coming-of-age tale about seeking happiness, following your heart and breaking free of others' expectations, Dating Amber charts Eddie and Amber's faux relationship — including the camaraderie they feel as they play their parts, the comic subterfuge that comes with pretending they're the school's hottest couple, and the complications that spring the longer their charade continues. In another rom-com, this charming pair would simply be the queer best friends always by the straight protagonist's side, but thankfully that isn't the film that writer/director David Freyne brings to the screen. Instead, making his second feature after impressive zombie flick The Cured (and demonstrating his ability to hop seamlessly between genres in the process), the Irish filmmaker crafts a movie that's tender, thoughtful, perceptive and hilarious. His knack for 90s-era teen dialogue helps every exchange feel authentic, especially in the schoolyard. Even with the picture clocking in at a mere 92 minutes, the time and space he gives his central characters, as well as their hopes, dreams, fears and yearnings, is always noticeable. He helms a sunny but never visually glossy movie, too; however, alongside his insightful screenplay, he's served best by his core duo. In this amusing and astute gem, O'Shea and Petticrew put in wonderfully nuanced and layered performances that bring depth and emotion to every frame, and give them both a strong calling card for future roles. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on January 1, January 7, January 14, January 21 and January 28; February 4, February 11, February 18 and February 25; March 4, March 11, March 18 and March 25; and April 1, April 8, April 15, April 22 and April 29; May 6, May 13, May 20 and May 27; June 3, June 10, June 17 and June 24; and July 1. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Chaos Walking, Raya and the Last Dragon, Max Richter's Sleep, Judas and the Black Messiah, Girls Can't Surf, French Exit, Saint Maud, Godzilla vs Kong, The Painter and the Thief, Nobody, The Father, Willy's Wonderland, Collective, Voyagers, Gunda, Supernova, The Dissident, The United States vs Billie Holiday, First Cow, Wrath of Man, Locked Down, The Perfect Candidate, Those Who Wish Me Dead, Spiral: From the Book of Saw, Ema, A Quiet Place Part II, Cruella, My Name Is Gulpilil, Lapsis, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, Fast and Furious 9, Valerie Taylor: Playing with Sharks, In the Heights, Herself and Little Joe.
UPDATE, October 29, 2020: Paterson is available to stream via SBS On Demand, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Who knew that watching the ebb and flow of an ordinary life could be so illuminating and soothing? Jim Jarmusch, that's who. If ever there was a movie that's destined to become contemplative comfort viewing, it's the new effort from the director of Dead Man, Coffee and Cigarettes and Only Lovers Left Alive. In Paterson, the daily grind of waking, working, talking with friends and loved ones, walking the dog and hanging out in a bar offers plenty of food for thought, particularly for anyone keen to peer beyond the surface of seemingly average, expected occurrences. In one of the movie's numerous instances of mirroring and symmetry, the film's title refers to many things. It's the name of a bus driver (Adam Driver) in New Jersey, as well as the name of the town where he was born, raised and still lives. It adorns the vehicle he steers from Monday to Friday, and the weighty tome by one of his favourite poets that sits on his desk. Paterson has a way with lyrical turns of phrase, too, which he jots down as he follows his usual schedule. Sometimes he takes inspiration from snippets of chatter he overhears between bus passengers, or interactions with strangers as he walks home from work. Sometimes he reflects upon his modest but happy relationship with his enthusiastic wife, Laura (Golshifteh Farahani), who styles their house in black and white patterns, bakes cupcakes and decides to learn the guitar. Jarmusch's features have always flirted with the poetic, preferred minimalism and intimacy, and frequently found beauty in the commonplace. In that way, Paterson is the latest example of the writer-director doing what he's done best for more than three decades. However it's also an astute, insightful ode to everyday creativity and contentment. Over the course of eight days, Paterson's waking hours appear to repeat the same cycle and yet also reveal crucial slivers of difference. While many movies try to paint their protagonist as an everyman, this one goes a step further. Even when he's noticing twins all around him, trading verse with children or chatting with strangers about great writers, everything feels purposefully warm and familiar. Indeed, Paterson proves the kind of movie that overflows with recognisable details, and immediately resonates for that very reason, while also gazing deeper into existential matters. It brims with grace, affection and solace, but avoids sugarcoating the reality it depicts. Oozing gentle emotion, the work of Driver, outstanding Iranian actress Farahani, and scene-stealing Cannes Palm Dog-winning canine Nellie is pivotal in perfecting that balance. Often ranging from soulful yet commanding, energetic yet yearning, and cute yet probing in turn, the trio offer an engaging glimpse of the colour and quiet contrasts inherent in an ordinary life. Add Jarmusch's fondness for evoking the literary art form at the film's centre wherever he can — in the visual harmony evident in every image, in the rhythm of the movie's pacing, and including text on screen — and Paterson couldn't be more meditative or more moving. The film is a revealing character study, a reminder to recognise the small stuff that comprises much of our existence, and an appreciation of the ups and downs of living, all in one.
Thelma and Louise. Chocolate and peanut butter. Romeo and Juliet — all iconic pairings. Now, rosé wine and gin creators Maison Mirabeau might have introduced a new contender to the mix in the form of its signature drop: the Mirabeau Dry Rosé Gin. As you might have guessed, it's created via the power pairing of Provençal pink wine and gin. The low down? It's a fresh drop that you will want to enjoy in an appropriately refreshing environment. So, fantastically, a great introduction to the drop is on offer at the Maison Mirabeau x Four Seasons Sydney poolside pop-up this summer. From Monday, December 5 to Monday, January 23, you'll have the chance to channel a South of France sojourn by heading to Four Seasons Sydney and sipping a selection of delicious rosé- and gin-based cocktails from the comfort of your sun lounger. Whether you like a traditional dry gin (tinted pink), or are a purist and opt for a glass of Pure Rosé, you can expect subtle, stylish drops. There's Mirabeau's Riviera Gin & Tonic served with Mediterranean tonic water, fragrant rosemary and zesty lemon peel; and a chilled Rosé Negroni served with Lillet Rosé, Campari and orange peel — a particularly decadent indulgence when coupled with a stay at one of Sydney's most fabulous five-star hotels. Alternately, if you can't quite find the time to stop and smell the rosé, then Maison Mirabeau is making it easy to create a piece of Provence at home with bottles of Mirabeau Dry Rosé Gin now stocked at Dan Murphy's. For more on the Maison Mirabeau x Four Seasons Poolside Summer pop-up, head to the website.
Community sport, outdoor boot camps, and leisure activities such as bushwalking, fishing, golf and swimming might soon be back on the agenda nationwide, with the Australian Government releasing its National Principles for Sport and Recreational Activities. As referenced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday, May 1 in his press conference after the latest national cabinet meeting, the 15-point set of principles outline the pathway for resuming physical pastimes — focusing on a staged approach. Using the Australian Institute of Sport's Framework for Rebooting Sport in a COVID-19 Environment as a guide, the principles recommend that small-group, non-contact activities involving less than ten people be allowed to recommence first, with social distancing required for participants. Then, at the next stage, large group and full-contact pastimes could recommence, covering sports and activities with more than ten people involved. That means that anyone eager to go for a stroll, hit a few balls or do some laps in the pool will be able to do so in the first stage, with large team sports returning in the second stage. The government hasn't provided an exhaustive list of activities that fall into each category, or of the steps required at each stage — but for those eager to get outside and get active as soon as possible, it's still a positive sign. Guided by health concerns first and foremost, and noting that outdoor activities likely possess a lower risk for COVID-19 transmission than indoor activities, the principles also touch upon professional sport — aka football codes such as AFL and NRL. "For the foreseeable future, elite sports, if recommenced, should do so in a spectator-free environment with the minimum support staff available to support the competition," the principles state. And at the community level, "sport and recreation activities should limit those present to the minimum required to support the participants". Crucially, the principles don't include a timeline or timeframe for implementation. But with the Prime Minister announcing that the national cabinet will meet on Friday, May 8 to decide on how to relax some of Australia's social distancing and public gatherings restrictions — bringing the date forward from Monday, May 11, because "Australians have earned an early mark" — it's safe to assume that progressing with the National Principles for Sport and Recreational Activities will be on the agenda. Once actioned at a national level, it'll be up to the individual states and territories to implement in their own jurisdictions. As the nation's new daily cases of COVID-19 continue to drop — remaining below 20 per day nationwide since Wednesday, April 22 — governments at both the federal and state levels have been looking to relax limitations on daily life. Queensland and New South Wales eased some restrictions this week, while the Northern Territory outlined its roadmap to "the new normal". Learn more about the National Principles for Sport and Recreational Activities and the Australian Institute of Sport's Framework for Rebooting Sport in a COVID-19 Environment. 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.
