When anyone hits 30, they tend to look backwards — to reminisce, lament leaving their twenties behind and avoid accepting that they've just hit a big milestone birthday. Ministry of Sound marked that occasion this year, and it's also getting nostalgic. The brand that started as a London club night back in 1991 is now set to tour an orchestral show around Australia, in fact, which will be filled with three decades of dance music bangers. If you've ever wanted to hear classical renditions of Basement Jaxx, Darude, Röyksopp, Robin, Underworld, Moby and more — played by an orchestra, and with live vocals — then this is your chance. Dubbed Ministry of Sound Classical, unsurprisingly, the 2022 tour will kick off in Melbourne, before heading to the Gold Coast and Darwin. Those shows all have dates and venues locked in, but more are set to be announced for the Hunter Valley, Sydney and Brisbane. Dance music fans in Perth and Adelaide will also get to listen to orchestral takes on club-filling tunes, but it'll be the second time around for both cities after shows in 2021. The vocalist and support lineup changes in each place, so Melburnians can look forward to hearing Zoë Badwi, Ben Woolner from SAFIA, 'Dreams' vocalist Reigan and Karina Chavez under a big top at Reunion Park — plus Touch Sensitive, Dirty South, Goodwill and John Course — while folks on the Gold Coast will get Miss Connie, Danny Harley from The Kite String Tangle and Reigan, as well as Sneaky Sound System, Touch Sensitive and John Course. As for what you'll be listening to, the list of tunes getting the orchestral treatment also includes songs by Robert Miles, Cafe del Mar, Laurent Garnier, Shapeshifter, Temper Trap and Fisher. And yes, it all sounds a lot like Synthony, which does the same thing — but who doesn't love getting multiple opportunities to hear dance-floor fillers given a classical spin? View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ministry of Sound Aus Events (@ministryofsoundeventsau) MINISTRY OF SOUND CLASSICAL TOUR 2022: Saturday, April 9 — Reunion Park, Melbourne Saturday, April 30 — HOTA, Home of the Arts, Gold Coast Saturday, June 11 — Darwin Amphitheatre Dates TBC — the Hunter Valley, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide The Ministry of Sound Classical tour will kick off in Melbourne in April 2022, before heading to the Gold Coast, Darwin, the Hunter Valley, Sydney and Brisbane — and doing encore shows in Perth and Adelaide. For further details — and for pre-sale tickets to the Melbourne, Gold Coast and Darwin gigs until 12pm local time on Monday, December 6, or general sales from 12pm local time on Wednesday, December 8 — head to the tour website.
The lucky country is at the top of global travel plans for British holidaygoers, according to a recent survey by TravelBag. Specifically, Australia ranks as the third most appealing destination on Earth, beaten only by Canada and Japan. The survey details that almost half (46 percent, to be precise) of Brits are aching for their next overseas adventure — unsurprisingly, Japan takes the top spot. Plenty of Australians also want to go there or have already gone. But Australia sits well within the top three, with 30 percent of survey respondents ranking it as their most sought-after holiday destination. There's no surprise there, considering our world-famous beaches, natural scenery and busy urban atmospheres. There's a bit of everything for everyone, visitor and resident alike in Australia. For active travel planners, Australia came in second place. Gen X travellers are most drawn to Australia, but its Millennials who are actually making the plans, 9.6 percent of them specifically. Classically, most of those trips are aimed for the dreary UK winter and red-hot Australian summer period of December to February, a season that we who live here know is where everything really comes alive. Take the beaches. Bondi is likely first in mind for many of these tourists-to-be, but there's plenty more great ones to discover all over the Harbour City, and the rest of the country for that matter. When the heat becomes too much to bear, travellers are likely to head indoors, and the majority of them (26.7 percent) intend to add shopping to their itinerary. Otherwise, ancient ruins and local history draw 21.4 percent of tourists, and road trips make up 21.5 percent of itineraries, too. It's time to start planning a summer adventure, so have a tour of our guides for NSW, VIC and QLD to find the experiences that are right for you.
Next time you're slurping on some noodles or devouring a stir-fry, don't stop when your bowl is empty. If you're still hungry, set your sights on the utensils in your hand. Yes, chowing down on chopsticks has become a reality — and whatever you think they'll taste like, they won't. Unless you were really hoping they'd have the same flavour as furniture, that is. Unveiled by Japan's Marushige Confectionery, the edible chopsticks are designed to serve two purposes: provide a sustainable alternative to current chopsticks, which are usually made out of bamboo, wood, plastic or steel, and are used in the billions each year around the world; and provide a reminder about the country's agricultural traditions. It's for the latter reason that they're made out of igusa, the soft reeds usually used to make the tatami floor mats that are common around the nation. By turning igusa into chopsticks, then getting folks to munch on them, Marushige hopes people will come to appreciate the substance's cultural significance. At present, the tatami-flavoured chopsticks be made available at two restaurants in Tokyo, but whether they'll spread to become a broader trend is yet to be seen. No one can argue with the fact that it's an ingenious idea — how many pairs of disposable wooden chopsticks have you used and then thrown out recently? More than you probably realise. As for the taste, maybe it's the kind of thing that you just get accustomed to. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBOXZBgXqDs Via MUNCHIES.
Get ready to savour the flavours of omakase dining as Concrete Playground and Haku Vodka offer you the chance to win an omakase masterclass for three at luxe restaurant Yugen Tea Bar — with a $600 bar tab. For those unfamiliar with the term, omakase is a Japanese dining tradition that loosely translates to "I'll leave it up to you". It means placing your palate entirely in the hands of the highly skilled head chef, and now it's time to see if your knife skills match up. [caption id="attachment_889220" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] The prize is a 60-minute masterclass with head chef Misaki Manawa for you and two guests. You will learn knife skills, prep a few dishes and afterwards, you will enjoy the spoils of your labour as part of an expertly crafted omakase meal alongside a $600 bar tab — so you can enjoy delish Haku Vodka martinis. Chapel Street's sumptuous subterranean Japanese diner and bar has a flair for the dramatic. In a two-level space, Yugen Tea Bar sits above its sibling Yugen Dining. It's a multi-faceted drinking and dining destination with a moody aesthetic and an impressive commitment to detail. To be in with a chance to win this delectable dining experience, fill out the form below. [competition]973316[/competition] Image Credit: Julia Sansone and Jana Langhorst
"Oh no, I like hip hop, I just hate Aussie hip hop." It's an all too common refrain heard at parties all over the country — well, inner city Sydney at least — as bearded Das Racist fans explain just why the world will never see another J-Dilla again. And I get it, Aussie hip hop, in its most common (read: popular (read: commercial)) incarnation, as personified by the likes of Hilltop Hoods and Bliss n Eso, is an acquired taste to say the least. But fear not intrepid reader, for if you're sick of the overblown ocker-isms, zealous xenophobia — so prevalent that The Hoods felt compelled to write a whole song about it — and sunburnt Southern Cross tattoos that have become emblematic of Aussie hip hop, then we've got five emerging local hip-hop artists to restore your faith. 1. Remi Holy shit, this guy is b-b-b-b-b-blowing UP! Probably the most well known of our hip hop offerings, this Melbourne MC was last year's triple j Unearthed Artist of the Year. The 23-year-old rapper has embarked on a national tour of his second album Raw x Infinity, which dropped just a few weeks ago. Taking cues from the faded finesse of early West Coast hip hop and the raw 'realness' of The Roots combined with a healthy dose of braggadocio, Remi likes to rap about hitting the blunt but isn't afraid to get political either; calling out passé Aussie hip hop tropes and conservative close-mindedness. Unlike generic 'skip hop' whose biggest message seems to be: 'How good are barbeques with your mates?' Remi is an artist with something to say — and he's not afraid to say it. Catch Remi at Oxford Art Factory this Saturday, June 28. Tickets available here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=oHmuZ7wDl4E 2. Coin Banks With tracks from Ta-ku and lyrics sent from the heavens, Coin Banks is already a force to be reckoned with. Having popped into our collective musical consciousness thanks to triple j's fairly regular rotation of his groundbreaking single 'Think of You', the Perth rapper hasn't looked back. The eloquent lyricism of his debut EP Heads made waves Australia-wide in the lead up to his debut national tour, pulling shapes at Sydney's Beresford, Melbourne's Espy and Laundry and Brisbane's Alhambra Lounge over the last few weeks. https://youtube.com/watch?v=WaAWTXNaqJU 3. Citizen Kay You may not have heard of this Canberra-based MC yet but he's already supported the likes of Public Enemy, Earl Sweatshirt, Danny Brown, Run the Jewels and Wiz Khalifa, all in the last year alone. And he's earned those support slots — Citizen Kay's cheeky wordplay flows effortlessly over some of the catchiest hooks outside of the fish market. He's by far the most interesting thing to have come out of our nation's capital since… Well, look, Canberra's pretty boring. Catch Citizen Kay on his national Vision tour: Saturday 13 July at Sydney's FBi Social, Friday 19 July at Melbourne's Revolver, and Friday 2 August at Brisbane's Alhambra Lounge. https://youtube.com/watch?v=qfMLYVi0uv0 4. Tkay Maidza As if hanging out with DJ Lance Rock while supporting super-weird-but-amazing US kids show Yo Gabba Gabba! wasn't cool enough, this young Radelaidean femcee is set to explode into the Australian music consciousness when she brings her self-described 'Dinojams' — code for epic dancefloor rap — to this year's Splendour in the Grass. One of the most promising female rappers to have emerged from the sausage fest that is Aussie hip hop, Tkay Maidza may only have one official single under her belt but if it's anything to go by she's going to be massive. If you're not already stomping your feet like a Brontosaurus, get ready to make some serious noise. Catch Tkay Maidza at many an Aussie festival coming up — Splendour in the Grass on June 25, BIGSOUND on September 10 or Listen Out nationwide from September 27 - Oct 5. https://youtube.com/watch?v=vV9lX9fQubY 5. N'fa Whilst technically not a newcomer, the artist formerly known as N'fa Jones has rebranded himself as just N'fa so we're counting it. You may know him better as the frontman for 1200 Techniques, the guys behind the early 2000s surprise hit 'Karma'. (WARNING: viewing this clip and its Punch & Judy-style rendering of the band may induce severe nostalgia for waking up early on a Saturday to watch Rage before your parents got up.) N'fa has kept the soulful, genre-melding sound that typified 1200 Techniques but has added a more introspective, personal feel to his latest solo offering Black & White Noise. It's not what you expect from Aussie hip hop and in this instance, that's a very good thing. If you want to hear him on the solo tip, check out the banger below — with none other than British hip-hop legend Roots Manuva. Catch N'fa at Melbourne's Howler for Hip Hip Sundays on June 29, along with M-Phazes, Flagrant and Peril (and it's free).
It's already nicknamed the River City. It's also locked in for a stint as an Olympic city. Now, Queensland's capital will become the shimmering city, too, thanks to a new long-term after-dark light show. When Lumina Night Walk makes Brisbane its latest home, it'll get the Botanic Gardens at Mt Coot-tha aglow — and it won't just be sticking around for a few weeks or months. Brisbane City Council has announced that it approved an application on Friday, July 28 to establish a Lumina Night Walk in the inner-west spot, and for 150 evenings per year. The plan is to get the gardens looking luminous on Friday and Saturday nights, and also likely during school holidays, with attendees peering at eight light show stations across a one-kilometre path. The site's existing Gardens Explorer Trail will get the Lumina Night Walk treatment, with the light show stations being camouflaged from view. BCC advises that no plants or trees will be removed for the new attraction. Although no opening date has yet been announced, visitors will take 50–60 minutes to enjoy the experience, with between four and six sessions held every ten minutes each night that Brisbane's Lumina Night Walk runs. The River City joins seven locations in Canada, three in Japan, one in Singapore and another in France in boasting a Lumina Night Walk. Moment Factory, which keeps hosting radiant pop-ups to the Adelaide Botanic Gardens as part of the South Australian capital's winter Illuminate Adelaide festival, will design and produce the light show. The company's standard remit: getting botanical gardens, zoos, national parks and heritage sites dazzling, aka exactly what it's bringing to Brisbane. Brissie's Lumina Night Walk will be funded, installed and operated by Australian company LightDreaming, and BCC advises that the revenue that the council receives from LightDreaming will be put back into the gardens. And, it expects that taking a lit-up stroll will be popular, increasing the Mt Coot-tha location's visitors by up to 15 percent per year. Brisbane does love an excuse to bask in a glow, as Roma Street Parkland's annual end-of-year Enchanted Garden keeps proving to sellout crowds. Over at the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens, after-dark fest Botanica: Contemporary Art Outside shines a light — many, many lights — each year, too. And, during 2023's Brisbane Festival this September, Lightscape will come to town, setting up a two-kilometre trail of light and colour also at the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens on Alice Street in the CBD. Of course, shimmering sights aren't just a Brisbane favourite, as Lightscape's stints in Melbourne and Brisbane have proven, plus everything bathing both cities in radiance during their respective RISING and Vivid fests. Brisbane's Lumina Night Walk is planned as a tourist drawcard in the lead up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as one of many changes sweeping the city before, during and after the global sporting events. "Brisbane is Australia's fastest growing capital city and a world class night-time experience such as Lumina Night Walks will create more to see and do and make Brisbane an even better place to live and visit," said Deputy Mayor and Civic Cabinet Chair for Economic Development Councillor Krista Adams about the approved application. Among the other changes headed Brisbane's way: a two-level pavilion with a gin distillery and rooftop garden at The Summit atop Mt Coot-tha; a 100-metre-tall Sky Deck at the new Queen's Wharf precinct in the CBD; tearing down and rebuilding the Gabba; renewing and reinvigorating South Bank, complete with a treetop walk, a permanent handmade goods market and new riverside lawns; and making over Victoria Park. And, there's also the revamping and expanding of Northshore Hamilton, adding a new seven-hectare riverside parkland to South Brisbane, opening a fifth theatre at QPAC, and Kangaroo Point's new green bridge with an overwater bar and restaurant. Brisbane's Lumina Night Walk doesn't yet have an opening date, but will run 150 nights per year, on Friday and Saturday nights and during school holidays. Keep an eye on the Lumina website for further details. Images: Lumina.
No trip to Tokyo is complete without a visit to Shinjuku's Godzilla head, which towers down on the popular district from Hotel Gracery Shinjuku. If you're a fan of the King of the Monsters, you'll now need to add another stop to your next Japanese itinerary: amusement park Nijigen no Mori, on Awaji Island in Hyogo prefecture. From a yet-to-be-finalised date in mid-2020, the theme park will be home to a life-sized version of the scaly creature — even if Godzilla's actual size has changed over the course of its 65-year history. The kaiju was 50 metres tall in the 1954 Japanese classic that started the long-running monster franchise, and measured nearly 120 metres in the most recent US film. In 2017's animated Netflix flick Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters, it even spanned a whopping 300 metres. At Nijigen no Mori, good ol' Zilly will measure 120 metres according to Japan Times, and that's in length. Godzilla will be lying down, mouth open and presumably roaring, with amusement park patrons able to zipline into it. Usually folks are trying to avoid the huge creature and his fire-breathing gob, but that's obviously not going to be the case here. Called Godzilla Interception Operation, the attraction will dedicate a 5000-square-metre zone to the famed critter, asking attendees to take on the role of island scientists. In that guise, the ziplining occurs in the name of science, because the huge beast has become trapped in the earth. Shooting games are also part of the Godzilla zone and, naturally, so is Zilly-themed food and merchandise. Also, if you're wondering which Zilly this one will resemble — Godzilla's appearance has often changed from film to film, too — it's the version of the lizard-style gargantuan from 2016 Japanese movie Shin Godzilla. For more information about Godzilla Interception Operation, which is due to open in mid-2020, visit the Nijigen no Mori website. Via Nijigen no Mori / Japan Times. Images: Nijigen no Mori.
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. LITTLE JOE Pipes blow gently. The camera swirls. Rows of plants fill the screen. Some are leafy and flowery as they reach for the sky; others are mere stems topped with closed buds. Both types of vegetation are lined up in boxes in an austere-looking laboratory greenhouse — and soon another shoot of green appears among them. Plant breeder Alice (Cruella's Emily Beecham, who won the Cannes Film Festival's Best Actress award for her work here) is cloaked in a lab coat far paler than any plant, but the symbolism is immediately evident. Audiences don't know it yet, but her shock of cropped red hair resembles the crimson flowers that'll blossom in her genetically engineered new type of flora, too. "The aim has been to create a plant with a scent that makes its owner happy," she tells a small audience. She explains that most research in her field, and in this lab, has revolved around cultivating greenery that requires less human interaction; however, her new breed does the opposite. This species needs more watering and more protection from the elements, and responds to touch and talk. In return, it emits a scent that kickstarts the human hormone oxytocin when inhaled. Linked to parenting and bonding, that response will make everyone "love this plant like your own child," beams Alice like a proud parent. So starts Little Joe, which shares its name with the vegetation in question — a "mood-lifting, anti-depressant, happy plant," Alice's boss (David Wilmot, Calm with Horses) boasts. She's borrowed her own teenage son's (Kit Connor, Rocketman) moniker for her new baby, although she gives it more attention than her flesh-and-blood offspring, especially with the push to get it to market speeding up. The clinical gaze favoured by Austrian filmmaker Jessica Hausner (Amour fou) is telling, though. The eerie tone to the feature's Japanese-style, flute- and percussion-heavy score sets an uneasy mood as well. And, there's something not quite right in the overt eagerness of Alice's lab colleague Chris (Ben Whishaw, Fargo), and in the way that Planthouse Biotechnologies' other employees all instantly dismiss the concerns of the one naysayer, Bella (Kerry Fox, Top End Wedding), who has just returned to work after a mental health-induced sabbatical. Making her first English-language feature, Hausner helms a disquieting and anxious sci-fi/horror masterwork. Like many movies in the genre, this is a film about possibilities and consequences, creation and its costs, and happiness and its sacrifices — and about both daring to challenge and dutifully abiding by conformity — and yet it's always its own beast. There are aspects of Frankenstein at play, and The Day of the Triffids, and even Side Effects also. But as anyone familiar with Mary Shelley's iconic work knows, combining familiar elements can result in an intriguing new entity that's much more than just the sum of its parts. Read our full review. HERSELF Survivalist films typically pit humans against the elements, nature or space, testing a character's endurance when they're cast adrift in the ocean (as in Kon-Tiki and All Is Lost), enduring unwelcoming expanses (Into the Wild, Arctic), faced with animal predators (The Grey, Crawl) or navigating the heavens (Gravity, The Martian). Herself doesn't tick any of those boxes, but it still fits the genre — because what else is a movie about a woman trying to escape an abusive marriage, care for her two young daughters alone and build a safe future if not a story of survival? In Dublin, Sandra (Spider-Man: Far From Home's Claire Dunne, who also co-wrote the feature's screenplay) is unhappily married to Gary (Ian Lloyd Anderson, Vikings), and has the bruises to prove it. When he finds money hidden in her car, a badly fractured hand becomes the latest marker of their domestic horror. She leaves, children Molly (Molly McCann, Vivarium) and Emma (debutant Ruby Rose O'Hara) in tow, but forging a path forward proves complicated at every turn. Social services can only put the trio up in a hotel far away from the girls' school, juggling two jobs to barely scrape by becomes even trickier and, by court order, Gary still gets weekend visits with the kids. Then, thanks to a spark of unexpected inspiration, Sandra decides to try to build her own house — a €35,000 self-build that'll require an overwhelmingly thoughtful gift from one of her bosses (Harriet Walter, Killing Eve), the kindness of a construction industry veteran (Conleth Hill, Game of Thrones) and all the help she can muster. As a writer (with What Richard Did's Malcolm Campbell), Dunne doesn't make easy choices. Her narrative doesn't follow a straightforward path, either. Herself's script highlights the devastating complexities that surround Sandra at every turn, but avoids plotting the obvious course — because more hopeful and more grim moments are always in everyone's futures, even when it seems that worse surely can't come. Stress, resilience, tender gestures and uncaring powers-that-be are all a part of this story. So is interrogating a system that's quick to push back at victims in the name of family, and the impact upon children who grow up in a household blighted by domestic violence. Herself fleshes out this reality, but always hurtles forward, because that's all that Sandra can do. Worlds away from the two other features on her resume — Mamma Mia! and The Iron Lady — director Phyllida Lloyd helms an intense , compassionate but still clear-eyed drama. It's as bleak as French standout Custody, which also plunges into an abusive marriage. It's also as brutal in its unflinching depiction of navigating bureaucracy as fellow Irish film Rosie, which also tells of a mother trying to find housing for her kids. And yet, without any cloying sentiment, there's hope and tenacity here as well, including in Dunne's phenomenally rich and vulnerable performance. Read our full review. WEREWOLVES WITHIN The last time that filmmaker Josh Ruben trekked to a snowy mountainous locale and tracked the characters stranded in its midst, Scare Me was the end result, with the entertaining horror-comedy combining cabin fever chaos with creepy tales. Accordingly, it's easy to see how he's jumped from that Sundance hit to Werewolves Within, which shares the same kind of setting and setup — but with lycanthropes and a whodunnit twist. Forest ranger Finn (Sam Richardson, Promising Young Woman) has just arrived in the remote town of Beaverfield as the weather turns and the strange attacks start. He's barely been given a tour by fellow outsider Cecily (Milana Vayntrub, This Is Us), the local mail carrier, when the village's generators are found destroyed and the bodies start piling up. Finn has already established that he's surrounded by eccentric characters, including an oilman (Wayne Duvall, The Trial of the Chicago 7) trying to build a pipeline through the foliage, a store owner (Michaela Watkins, Search Party) obsessed with her dog, a constantly arguing couple (No Activity's George Basil and Barry's Sarah Burns) with a fondness for skirting the law, and a pair of ex-city slickers (What We Do in the Shadows' Harvey Guillén and Saved by the Bell's Cheyenne Jackson); however, he's soon forced into close quarters with his new neighbours as they all try to work out who's transforming into a ravenous creature and indulging their hunger. If it all sounds a bit like Cluedo but with werewolves, there's a reason for that; the 2016 virtual reality game that Werewolves Within is based on also matches that description. Adapted into a movie, the narrative aims for Knives Out with claws — but, while overflowing with one-liners, sight gags and a healthy sense of humour to a not just jam-packed but overstuffed degree, the end result is never as funny as it should be. It's never quite as fun, either, even though the concept is a winner on paper. Comedian-turned-screenwriter Mishna Wolff spends far too much time trading in the glaringly apparent, not to mention the predictable. Hell is other people here, and the fact that a seemingly quaint and friendly small town can be filled with deceit, duplicity and disaster is hardly a new observation (and neither is the musing that the sniping within the community just might be worse than the supernatural threat they're now facing). That almost every character remains purely one-note doesn't help, and nor do the over-amped performances given by all of the film's supporting players. Richardson is a delight, though, as he has been in everything from Detroiters to Veep. Indeed, he makes the case not just for more work, but for more leading roles. Vayntrub sinks her teeth into her part, too, and her rapport with Richardson is one of the movie's highlights. Also engaging: the off-kilter tone that Ruben adopts throughout, again aping his previous — and better — feature. PERFUMES Add Perfumes to the lengthy list of odd-couple comedies that bring folks with opposing personalities together, and suddenly, all so that they can learn life lessons, face much-needed realisations and ultimately live better futures. This French feature also hinges upon an only-in-the-movies setup, after a professional "nose" — someone with enhanced olfactory receptors who plies their talents in the fragrance trade — strikes up an unlikely connection with the struggling father that starts working as her chauffeur so that he can eventually win shared custody of his tween daughter. The key here: sincerity. There's sweetness in writer/director Grégory Magne's (L'air de rien) film, and whimsy, too, but this tale about two lost souls unexpectedly finding commonalities in each other never plays up its quirks. Instead, as penned with heart, helmed with patience, and performed with soul by stars Grégory Montel (Call My Agent!) and Emmanuelle Devos (Violette) as well, Perfumes is like smelling a familiar yet still enticing, comforting and surprising scent. Just as fragrance designer Anne Walberg (Devos) builds aromas out of recognisable ingredients while striving to create something that stands out, this charming movie blends its array of easy-to-spot elements into a pleasingly distinctive cinematic treat. In the latest French-made or -adjacent feature to include a custody battle of late (see also: Custody and My Zoe), all that Guillaume Favre (Montel) wants is to convince a judge that he can spend every other week with his daughter Léa (Zélie Rixhon, The Ideal Palace). To do so, he needs to radiate stability, something that he starts seeking through his driving job. When he's assigned to ferry Anne between assignments, he's far from impressed by her aloof demeanour or unusual demands. Helping her change the sheets at her hotel isn't in his job description, he notes. But he's also intrigued by her work, which currently involves recreating the specific odour of a cave, masking an unpleasant smell that's infected a leather brand's handbags, and trying to counteract the stench being pumped out by a rural factory — new gigs she's pushed into by her money-motivated agent (Pauline Moulène, Boomerang) after starting out concocting designer perfumes. Magne's film isn't about narrative surprises, but about emotions. It's also about spending time with two nicely fleshed-out characters who find friendship blossoming despite their initial misapprehensions, and bring out the best in each other as a result. Perfumes wouldn't work if it didn't unfurl with gentle but genuine warmth, if it didn't value attention to detail so highly, and if it didn't have both Devos and Montel as its anchors; however, thankfully they're all a part of this elegant Gallic effort. ESCAPE ROOM: TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS More than once in Escape Room: Tournament of Champions, a supporting performance stands out — and not for the right reasons. Overdone and obvious, these portrayals leave audiences with no doubt that the corresponding characters are part of the game that this franchise has been playing for two movies now. The overall premise of this series sees ordinary folks receive invites that lead them into a maze of escape rooms. These are literal life-and-death spaces, and the body count grows room by room. This time around, Zoey (Taylor Russell, Words on Bathroom Walls) and Ben (Logan Miller, Love, Simon), the sole survivors of 2019's series starter, are trying to track down the villains responsible for the death traps. Of course, they're soon stuck in another one, alongside four fellow winners (In Like Flynn's Thomas Cocquerel, Follow Me's Holland Roden, Queen & Slim's Indya Moore and Step Up: High Water's Carlito Olivero) from other games. There's supposed to be a sense of anxiousness about where the escape rooms begin and the outside world ends, and vice versa, but that's completely stripped out of this second effort. Throughly unsubtle bit-part performances, even for a movie this blatant at every turn, will do that. Escape Room: Tournament of Champions is still tense when Zoe, Ben and their fellow pawns are trying to sleuth their way to safety, thankfully, but that's largely a result of giving them twisty puzzles to solve at an urgent pace. Watching people trying to problem-solve quickly comes with innate tension. Will they succeed? Won't they? The seesawing between those two extremes is inherently suspenseful. That, and the rooms themselves, are two of Escape Room: Tournament of Champions' three highlights. The third: Russell, who is capable of so much more — as seen in Waves, for example — and gives her part here more depth than is written on the page. But, as much as returning director Adam Robitel (Insidious: The Last Key) tries to spin something memorable out of the nervous tone, elaborate spaces and Russell's presence, the repetition and overtness gets tiring fast. While individual scenes may be tense, the overall film never is. It's always apparent where the narrative is headed, even when the six credited writers (Mortal Kombat's Oren Uziel, Hand of God's Daniel Tuch, Counterpart's Maria Melnik, The Hive's Will Honley, Invincible's Christine Lavaf and Wildling's Fritz Böhm) think they're serving up surprises; thought has clearly gone into the minutiae of each escape room, and yet little seems to have been afforded the bigger picture. Visually, and in its soundtrack, every stylistic touch paints by the numbers, too. Also much too predictable: that the film is a setup for yet more to follow. The Final Destination franchise has ratcheted up five instalments so far, so the Escape Room series, the closest thing it has to a successor, can obviously keep milking its setup for several more formulaic movies to come. 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; and June 3, June 10, June 17 and June 24. 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 and In the Heights.
When Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi invited the world to experience the vampire sharehouse mockumentary genre, one of the best comedies of the decade wasn't the only result. Every film seems to spawn sequels, remakes, spinoffs and the like these days, but no one's complaining about spending more time in the What We Do in the Shadows universe. A follow-up, We're Wolves, is in the works, focusing on the undead bloodsuckers' Rhys Darby-led lycanthrope enemies. So is six-episode television spinoff Wellington Paranormal, following the movie's cops (Mike Minogue and Karen O'Leary) as they keep investigating the supernatural, and expected to air in New Zealand mid this year. Add a US TV remake of the original flick to the pile as well, but withhold any "do we really need a remake?" judgement. First revealed by Waititi last year, given a pilot order earlier in 2018 and now officially moving ahead with a 10-episode first season, the American version will be written by Clement and directed by Waititi, The Hollywood Reporter notes — and will see a documentary crew follow three vampire flatmates living in New York City, according to Variety. The series will star Toast of London's Matt Berry, Four Lions' Kayvan Novak, British stand-up comedian Natasia Demetriou and The Magicians' Harvey Guillen. It's unknown whether Clement and Waititi will reprise their on-screen roles in a guest capacity. With What We Do in the Shadows actually starting its life as a short back in 2005, the concept of flatting members of the undead arguing about bloody dishes has taken quite the journey since those early beginnings. If any idea was going to come back in multiple guises, it's this one. Of course, so have Clement and Waititi. Clement has a new Flight of the Conchords TV special airing on HBO this month, while Waititi two post-Thor: Ragnarok flicks in the works — a stop-motion animated effort called Bubbles, about Michael Jackson's chimp, and another by the name of Jojo Rabbit, set during World War II and starring Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell. As for feasting your eyes into What We Do in the Shadows' new TV version, fans will have to wait until next year. The US remake isn't set to air in America until early-to-mid 2019. Via The Hollywood Reporter / Variety. Image: Kane Skennar.
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to watching anything, we're here to help. From the latest and greatest to old favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue from May's haul of newbies. BRAND NEW STUFF YOU CAN WATCH IN FULL RIGHT NOW GIRLS5EVA First, a word of warning: the hit song that brought fictional late 90s/early 00s girl group Girls5eva to fame is such an earworm, you'll be singing it to yourself for weeks after you binge through the sitcom that bears their name. That's to be expected given that Jeff Richmond, the composer behind 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's equally catchy and comedic tunes, is one of the talents behind it. Tina Fey and Robert Carlock produce the series, too, so you what type of humour you're in for. Starring Sara Bareilles (Broadway's Waitress), Busy Philipps (I Feel Pretty), Renée Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton) and the great Paula Pell (AP Bio), Girls5eva follows four members of the eponymous band two decades after their heyday. Their initial success didn't last, and life has left the now-fortysomething women at different junctures. Then a rapper samples their hit, they're asked to reunite for a one-night backing spot on The Tonight Show, and they contemplate getting back together to give music another shot. As well as being exceptionally well-cast and immensely funny, the series is also bitingly perceptive about stardom, the entertainment industry and the way that women beyond their twenties are treated. Also, when Fey inevitably pops up, she does so as a dream version of Dolly Parton — and it's as glorious as it sounds. The first season of Girls5eva is available to stream via Stan. THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD Two words: Barry Jenkins. Where the Oscar-nominated Moonlight director goes, viewers should always follow. That proved the case with 2018's If Beale Street Could Talk, and it's definitely accurate regarding The Underground Railroad, the phenomenal new ten-part series that features Jenkins behind the camera of each and every episode. As the name makes plain, the historical drama uses the real-life Underground Railroad — the routes and houses that helped enslaved Black Americans escape to freedom — as its basis. Here, though, drawing on the past isn't as straightforward as it initially sounds. Adapting Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same moniker, the series dives deeply into the experiences of people endeavouring to flee slavery, while also adopting magic-realism when it comes to taking a literal approach to its railroad concept. That combination couldn't work better in Jenkins' hands as he follows Cora (Thuso Mbedu, Shuga), a woman forced into servitude on a plantation overseen by Terrance Randall (Benjamin Walker, Jessica Jones). As always proves the case in the filmmaker's work, every frame is a thing of beauty, every second heaves with emotion, and every glance, stare, word and exchange is loaded with a thorough examination of race relations in America. If something else this affecting reaches streaming queues in 2021, it'll be a phenomenal year for audiences. The Underground Railroad is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video. LOS ESPOOKYS It has taken almost two years for the delight that is Los Espookys to reach Australian screens — and it'll take you less than three hours to binge its six-episode first season. This HBO comedy is both worth the wait and worth devouring as quickly as possible, though. The setup: horror aficionado Renaldo (Bernardo Velasco, Museo) wants to turn his obsession into his profession, so he starts staging eerie scenarios for paying customers, enlisting his best friend Andrés (Julio Torres, Shrill), pal Úrsula (Cassandra Ciangherotti, Ready to Mingle) and the latter's sister Tati (Ana Fabrega, At Home with Amy Sedaris) to help. Torres and Fabrega co-created the show with Portlandia and Saturday Night Live's Fred Armisen, who also pops up as Renaldo's parking valet uncle. This mostly Spanish-language series only uses its biggest name sparingly, however, because its key cast members own every moment. Following the titular group's exploits as they attempt to ply their trade, and to weave it into their otherwise chaotic lives, Los Espookys always manages to be both sidesplittingly hilarious and so meticulous in its horror references that it's almost uncanny. There's nothing on-screen quite like it and, thankfully, it has already been renewed for a second season. The first season of Los Espookys is available to stream via Binge. OXYGEN When Elizabeth Hansen (Mélanie Laurent, 6 Underground) awakens in a cryogenic chamber, she doesn't know who she is, where she is or why she's there. She's strapped in via an array of invasive tubes and restrictive belts, the pod's oxygen levels are rapidly depleting and, in trying to work out what's going on and how to survive, she only has the unit's artificial intelligence program, called MILO (voiced by Sound of Metal's Mathieu Amalric), on hand. That's how Oxygen starts, taking cues from everything from Buried to Locke. But each engaging single-setting, talk-driven thriller lives or dies on the strength of its story, dialogue and cast, all of which hit their marks here. It helps having Laurent at the film's centre, as tends to happen when the French Inglourious Basterds star is pushed into the spotlight. Also pivotal: director Alexandre Aja's horror background, which includes the remake of The Hills Have Eyes and 2019's Crawl. As he demonstrated with the latter, he's particularly skilled at not merely working with familiar tropes and conventions, but at getting the most out of them. Accordingly, even as Oxygen nods to a wealth of one-location and survival flicks — and a hefty number of closed-in sci-fi movies as well — it still grippingly wrings every ounce of tension it can out of its nightmarish scenario. Oxygen is available to stream via Netflix. AMERICAN UTOPIA On paper, American Utopia's concept doesn't just sound excellent — it sounds flat-out superb, stunning and spectacular. A new David Byrne concert film, capturing his acclaimed American Utopia Broadway production, as directed by Spike Lee? Sign the world up, and now. In the most welcome news of the past year, the execution matches the idea in this instant masterpiece (and wonderful companion piece to 1984's Stop Making Sense). It'd be hard to go wrong with all of the above ingredients, but the second of Lee's two 2020 films (after Da 5 Bloods) makes viewers feel like they're in the room with Byrne and his band and dancers like all concert movies strive to but few achieve in such engaging a fashion. Every shot here is designed with this one aim in mind and it shows, because giving audiences the full American Utopia experience is something worth striving for. Byrne sings, working through both solo and Talking Heads hits. He waxes lyrical in his charming and accessible way, pondering the eponymous concept with an open and wise perspective. And he has staged, planned and choreographed the entire performance to a painstaking degree — from the inviting grey colour scheme and the open stage surrounded by glimmering chainmail curtains to the entire lack of cords and wires tethering himself and his colleagues down. American Utopia is available to stream via Binge and Amazon Prime Video. Read our full review. MADE FOR LOVE When author Alissa Nutting penned Made for Love, no one needed to think too hard about her source of inspiration. Now bringing its tale to the small screen courtesy of the series of the same name, her story ponders one of the possible next steps in our technology-saturated lives. Hazel Green-Gogol (Cristin Milioti, Palm Springs) seems to live a lavishly and happily with her tech billionaire husband Byron (Billy Magnussen, Aladdin). They haven't left his company's desert campus in the entire ten years they've been married, in fact. The site is designed to cater for their every desire and whim, so they shouldn't need to go anywhere else — or that's how Byron views things, at least. Then his next big idea looks set to become a reality, and Hazel decides that she can't keep up the charade. She certainly doesn't want to be implanted with a chip that'll allow Byron to see through her eyes, access her feelings and always know where she is, and she's willing to take drastic actions to escape his hold over her life. Bringing the plot to the screen herself, Nutting favours a darkly comedic and sharply satirical vibe as she follows Hazel's quest for freedom, with Made for Love filled with blisteringly accurate insights into the tech-dependence that's become a regular part of 21st century existence. That said, the series wouldn't be the gem it is without Milioti, as well as Ray Romano (The Irishman) in a scene-stealing supporting part as Hazel's father. Made for Love is available to stream via Stan. AND TOMORROW THE ENTIRE WORLD Submitted as Germany's entry for Best International Feature at this year's Oscars, And Tomorrow the Entire World mightn't have ultimately earned a nomination or the prized gong itself, but it's still a compelling and confronting — and timely — film. And, an impassioned one as well, with filmmaker Julia von Heinz (I'm Off Then) leaving zero doubt about her feelings on the re-emergence of right-wing extremist views in general, and specifically in a country that'll never escape the shadow of the Holocaust. University law student Luisa (Mala Emde, Shadowplay) swiftly shares her director's horror and anger. Brought up in comfortable middle-class surroundings, and in a family where taking a weekend hunting trip is commonplace, she has her eyes opened at school when she joins an anti-fascist group. They're soon doing whatever it takes to combat hate-filled ideologies, including letting their actions speak louder than words; however, the stakes are raised when they endeavour to thwart an upcoming attack. Aesthetically, von Heinz opts for edge-of-your seat immersion. Feeling like you're in Luisa's shoes as she steps into a topical conflict is part of the experience, as is feeling her struggles as she grapples with the reality of counteracting abhorrent views by violent means. Emde is exceptional in the lead role, pulsating with urgency in even the quietest of scenes — as does everything in the film. And Tomorrow the Entire World is available to stream via Netflix. RETURNING SHOWS TO CHECK OUT WEEK BY WEEK MYTHIC QUEST When its first season arrived back in 2020, it took a while for Mythic Quest to find its groove. Once it did, though, the sitcom shone — and brightly. Co-created by It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day, and starring the former as a visionary video game developer, Mythic Quest follows the daily ins and outs around the studio behind the eponymous massively multiplayer online role-playing game. McElhenney's Ian Grimm is drunk on his own ego, lead engineer Poppy Li (Charlotte Nicdao, Content) barely manages to cope, their executive producer (David Hornsby, Good Girls) is a ball of neuroses, and finance head (Danny Pudi, Community) couldn't be more ruthless in general or less interested in the people he works with. Mythic Quest doesn't break the workplace sitcom mould, or reshape it. Still, as it navigates its chosen industry, calls out its insular nature and examines its other issues, it's as smart and entertaining as the genre's recent classics such as The Office and Parks and Recreation. And, picking up where its pandemic special left off, the show's second season proves just as sharp and funny, including while exploring the struggles women in gaming face in a big way. The second season of Mythic Quest is dropping new episodes each week via Apple TV+. CLASSICS TO WATCH AND REWATCH ROUND THE TWIST Sometimes, you're eager to spend your spare hours binging your way through serious dramas. At other times, only clever comedies will do. But, there also comes a time when you just want to feel nostalgic — including by revisiting the local TV show that absolutely every Aussie kid watched in the 90s and 00s, and more than once. For two seasons between 1990–93, then another two from 2000–01, Round the Twist adapted Paul Jennings' popular books into an offbeat fantasy series. If you were the right age, it was must-see TV. It's the source of plenty of lighthouse obsessions, given that's where the Twist family lived. And, it's also a show that knew how to balance humour, strangeness and scares. Yes, the latter two seasons of Round the Twist really aren't as great as the first two, but we're betting they're still baked into your childhood memories anyway. And, we're certain that you'll now have the show's theme tune stuck in your head for at least the rest of the day, which is where it'll likely stay until after you've finished binging the series on Netflix (and probably for plenty of time afterwards as well). All four seasons of Round the Twist are available to stream via Netflix. A HEAP OF CLASSIC AUSTRALIAN FILMS When Netflix launched in Australia, it took three years for the huge streaming behemoth to produce Tidelands, its first original Aussie series. Another three years later, the nation's creatives are still calling for it and other streamers to invest heavily in local productions — including via content quotas that would legislate its obligation to plunge part of the profits it earns from Australian subscribers back into the Aussie film and TV industry. That battle is ongoing. For now, though, Netflix has added a hefty batch of local films to its catalogue. The lineup is eclectic because Australian cinema is eclectic, but you can start with Two Hands, follow it up with BMX Bandits, then check out Dating the Enemy (and watch Heath Ledger, Rose Byrne, Nicole Kidman, Claudia Karvan and Guy Pearce in the process). Or, you could plunge into Dark City's twists, hit the beach with Puberty Blues, and see Toni Collette and Rachel Griffiths co-star in Cosi, not Muriel's Wedding. Just as My Name Is Gulpilil reaches cinemas, you can also stream your way through the actor's standout roles in Walkabout (the Indigenous icon's first feature from 50 years ago) and The Tracker (which won him an AFI Award for Best Actor). Check out Netflix's Australian range via the streaming platform. Top image: The Underground Railroad.
If you've spent the past year with your nose buried in a book, that's about to pay off beyond the everyday joys and thrills of reading. Sydney Writers' Festival's 2023 lineup is here another hefty catalogue of thought-provoking events — 226 of them, with almost 300 writers and thinkers involved. From the recipients of the literary world's brightest honours to some of Australia's household names and faces, a wealth of talent is descending upon the Harbour City, and being streamed nationally thanks to SWF's online program. Every writers' festival converges around an annual theme, with Sydney's focusing on 'Stories for the Future' for its 2023 iteration from Monday, May 22–Sunday, May 28 at various venues around the city — and also beamed digitally. Thinking about what's to come has been an inescapable part of living through the pandemic era, which SWF knows, curating a bill of talks that'll contemplate moving through the chaos of the past few years and into in a different tomorrow. [caption id="attachment_893384" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eleanor Catton by Murdo MacLeod[/caption] Today's most current Booker Prize-winner, plus three from past years as well, top the lineup: Shehan Karunatilaka, who won in 2022 for The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida; The Luminaries' Eleanor Catton; The Narrow Road to The Deep North's Richard Flanagan and Girl Woman Other's Bernardine Evaristo. Still on highly applauded attendees, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist Colson Whitehead — for The Underground Railroad, which was then adapted into a TV series, and for The Nickel Boys — also leads the bill, arriving between Harlem Shuffle's 2021 publication and sequel Crook Manifesto's arrival this July. Among the international names, the above headliners have ample company. When Trinidad-born UK musician Anthony Joseph isn't talking poetry — he is 2022's TS Eliot Prize for Poetry winner — London restauranteur Asma Khan from Darjeeling Express, and also seen on Chef's Table, will chat about comfort food; Daniel Lavery from Slate, who penned the Dear Prudence column from 2016–21, will run through his best advice; and Vietnamese author Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai will introduce her new novel Dust Child. [caption id="attachment_893383" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Colson Whitehead by Chris Close[/caption] On the local front, get ready for two iconic pairings: former Prime Minister Julia Gillard being interviewed by Indira Naidoo, plus Jurassic Park favourite Sam Neill discussing work, life and writing with his Sweet Country, Dean Spanley, Dirty Deeds and Palm Beach co-star Bryan Brown. Also on the must-attend list: Grace Tame chatting about The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner: A Memoir, Heartbreak High's Chloé Hayden doing the same with Different, Not Less: A neurodivergent's guide to embracing your true self and finding your happily ever after, and Stan Grant on The Queen Is Dead. Also, on Monday, May 15 before the main festival, Tim Winton will discuss writing the ABC TV documentary Love Letter to Ningaloo. Under first-time Artistic Director Ann Mossop, opening night will feature Evaristo, Benjamin Law and Miles Franklin-winner Alexis Wright working through the impact that the past has on the present, as well as poet Madison Godfrey performing. At the other end of the fest, novelist Richard Flanagan will look forward, exploring why we need to tell our own tales to shape the future. [caption id="attachment_893385" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Grace Tame by Kishka Jensen[/caption] And, if your main relationship with the printed word is through recipe books, the 2023 festival is going all in on the topic for one day at Carriageworks Farmers Market. Stephanie Alexander and Maggie Beer will talk with Adam Liaw, while fixing the food system and family recipes will also nab chats by culinary talent. Capping off the bill will be foodie gala The Dinner That Changed My Life, with everyone from Nat's What I Reckon and Jennifer Wong to Alice Zaslavsky and Colombo Social's Shaun Christie-David involved. Among the rest of the program, other highlights include a tribute to Archie Roach and Jack Charles; comedians Wil Anderson and Laurence Mooney; the All Day YA lineup; a deep dive into crime podcasting with journalists Patrick Abboud, Kate McClymont and Hedley Thomas; and The Book Thief and The Messenger's Markus Zusak on bringing the latter to TV. Adaptations in general earn their own session, Shane Jenek aka Courtney Act is part of SWF's stint of Queerstories, Tom Ballard pops up on an OK Boomer panel, Australia's war on hip hop gets its time in the spotlight, and there's a look at AI in the age of ChatGPT. As always free events are a big part of the program as well, with more than 80 on year. And, also in the same category, the spread of venues is hefty — including Carriageworks, Town Hall, and 25 suburban venues and libraries across the Sydney. Sydney Writers' Festival runs at various venues across Sydney from Monday, May 22–Sunday, May 28. Tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday, March 17 via www.swf.org.au.
Sweet-toothed Melburnians, rejoice. Australia's dessert museum is returning for a second round of sugary fun in February 2019. After hitting up Victoria in June this year, and Brisbane this month, Sugar Republic is returning with all new rooms, installations and a retro candy store. While what exactly you'll find at the new Melbourne pop-up is still under wraps — with Sugar Republic promising, "14 brand new rooms, all new installations, plus a sweet themed cafe and candy store" — its previous Aussie iterations have included a giant gumball machine that you can climb inside, an adult-sized ballpit in bubblegum-pink hues and a dedicated fairy floss room with its own swing. It sounds like the kind of place that Willy Wonka might own. Other highlights of the previous Melbourne pop-up included a sherbet-filled rainbow bridge, a 'press for confetti' button, an interactive sprinkles wall, a neon art wall and other dessert-centric art. We're expecting the new iteration to be equally OTT. Basically, if you missed out on visiting New York's Museum of Ice Cream back in 2016, this is Australia's equivalent. Typically these kind of places are designed to be as photogenic as possible, so expect plenty of pics to clog your Instagram feed. The new Melbourne location and dates haven't been released just yet, but you can expect the dessert museum to pop-up in February 2019 at a Myer store. Tickets go on sale next month, and we'll keep you updated with any new details.
Call it Red Light, Green Light. Call it Statues. Call it Grandmother's Footsteps. Whichever name you prefer, how good are you at playing the game that gets folks a-sneaking, ideally without being caught? Now, how would you fare trying to creep forward while avoiding being spotted when Young-hee is lurking? Squid Game fans, if you visit Luna Park Sydney, you'll be able to find out. Opening timed to Squid Game season two's arrival on Netflix on Boxing Day 2025, Squid Game: The Experience will get everyone playing Red Light, Green Light with Young-hee in Luna Park's big top — and also busting out their marbles skills, then walking over the glass bridge. Get your green tracksuit ready. Front Man is there to dare you to take the Squid Game challenges IRL, which obviously doesn't involve notching up a body count like in the series — and isn't televised like reality competition show Squid Game: The Challenge. Some games are inspired by the Netflix program. Others are brand new. Players can take part individually, or in groups of up to 25. As you work through the challenges, which get harder as you go along, you'll earn points. Another difference from the series: if you get eliminated from a game, you'll still be able to take part in the challenges that follow. And yes, Young-hee has popped up Down Under before, with a 4.5-metre, three-tonne recreation of Squid Game's eerie animatronic figure with laser eyes making its presence known also in Sydney back in 2021. [caption id="attachment_975032" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Netflix[/caption] Updated Friday, May 23, 2025.
Forget taking ride shares and public transport this weekend. Instead, zip between the CBD and South Melbourne within a decked-out supercar thanks to Jack Daniels and the McLaren F1 Racing Team. From Friday, March 22–Sunday, March 24, rev heads (or anyone who just wants a free ride down south) can head to Next Hotel on Little Collins Street to nab some of the available slots. McLaren rides can be booked from 12pm, and it's a first come, first served kind of situation — so be sure to get down a little early if you want to up your chances of getting a lift. Throughout the day, two supercars will be driving together, and each passenger will get a headset so they can chat with their mate in the other car throughout the drive. It's a rare occasion to be chauffeured in a car this luxe, so make sure to soak it all in while you venture down to the Golden Gate Hotel. Once you arrive, you'll lift the car doors open and step out to get a free Jack Daniels cocktail. From there, either head to the F1, into the pub or spend the day roaming around South Melbourne at your own leisure. You don't have to be going to the Grand Prix to get this freebie. Up until 10:00pm each night, there'll also be the option to book a into the CBD – to either Good Heavens rooftop bar or The George on Collins. More JD cocktails will await you at each of these spots, helping with weekend kick-ons.
Craving some more holiday time already? Venture up to the State of Grace rooftop and you'll find yourself transported to a balmy Italian summer oasis, thanks to a blissed-out pop-up that's taken over the space for the rest of the season. Summer in Italy promises to add a touch of Euro-chic flair to your warm weather wanderings, with a classic aperitivo offering, sunny weekend feasts and spritzes aplenty. The aperitivo menu kicks off at noon daily, with Aperol, limoncello and Malfy Gin spritzes on offer by the glass ($15) or in share-friendly carafes for $40. They're backed by an array of snack deals — maybe a carafe teamed with the week's pizza special for $50, or a solo spritz paired with a tiramisu ice cream sandwich for $20. But on Saturdays, it's all about the long, bottomless spritz lunches. For $60 per person, you and your crew tuck into a shared Italian feast complete with salads and pizza, matched with two hours of free-flowing spritz cocktails. You can nab a booking between noon and 2pm each week. State of Grace's rooftop is open from noon every day except Sunday.
Reading-list inspiration, sorted: even if you've devoured plenty of books by the authors on the 2025 Sydney Writers' Festival program, there's still much more to discover and explore. Whether you're keen to start leafing through pages now or plan to finish the fest with a stacked pile of new material by your bed, get excited — more than 200 events are on the lineup, featuring 40-plus international guests and over 100 Australian talents, and showcasing 34 authors among that group that are releasing new books this year. Sydney Writers' Festival's latest roster isn't just great news for Harbour City literary fans. When it runs from Monday, May 19–Tuesday, May 27, it'll also livestream some sessions around the country, so joining in isn't only about being there in-person in Sydney. Either way, there's something on the program for all reading tastes, fans of a wealth of genres, and attendees looking to hear from beloved scribes and discover their next favourites alike. Taking over Carriageworks, Sydney Town Hall, State Library of New South Wales and other venues around the city, SWF 2025 is also budget-friendly with more than 50 events costing nothing to attend — and 30 of those free sessions are at Carriageworks alone. What opens with Torres Strait Islander writer and activist Thomas Mayo, Yuwaalaraay writer and performer Nardi Simpson, plus poet Lemn Sissay and Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit writer Jeanette Winterson, all responding to the theme 'in this together'? This festival. What closes with Anna Funder examining writing in artificial intelligence-heavy times? This fest again. What includes 2024 Booker Prize-winner Samantha Harvey, Brooklyn author Colm Tóibín and Australian Big Little Lies wordsmith Liane Moriarty as well? Yes, this program. Harvey will chat about the International Space Station-set Orbital, while Tóibín has Long Island, the sequel to Brooklyn, to dig into. Also the creative force behind Nine Perfect Strangers and Apples Never Fall on the page, Moriarty will discuss everyday life stories becoming smash hits with David Nicholls, as well as careers and having a literary family with her sisters Jaclyn and Nicola. Plus, Winterson isn't just part of opening night, but will celebrate 40 years since her debut novel and also explore the impact of AI. Similarly on the SWF 2025 bill: Torrey Peters, the first openly trans woman nominated for the Women's Prize for Fiction; Ian Rankin speaking about the 25th instalment in the Inspector Rebus series; plus everyone from The Ministry of Time's Kaliane Bradley and The Safekeep's Yael van der Wouden through to Vanishing World's Sayaka Murata and After You'd Gone and Hamnet's Maggie O'Farrell. You've likely seen actor Harriet Walter in Succession, Silo and Ted Lasso — and This Is Going to Hurt, Killing Eve and Rocketman in the past few years as well — and now you can add this fest to that list, where she'll be unpacking Shakespeare's female characters. Other highlights span Entitlement's Rumaan Alam, Discriminations' AC Grayling on cancel culture, stepping into the world of espionage stories and getting a hankering for pastries — the latter with Flour and Stone's Nadine Ingram, Beatrix Bakes' Natalie Paull and Lune's Kate Reid. The return of the Great Debate is a starry event, featuring Annabel Crabb, David Marr, Nicholson, Matilda Boseley, Justine Rogers, Jennifer Wong and Yumi Stynes. And from there, other topics on the SWF lineup also include the situations in Gaza and Ukraine, sleep, First Nations storytelling, life in exile, queer culture, dwindling workers' rights, Robodebt and Miles Franklin. [caption id="attachment_994843" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Reynaldo Rivera[/caption] Sydney Writers' Festival images: Jacquie Manning.
Last month, we brought you news that Melbourne was set to gain a vibrant new hotel, with the Hannah St Hotel slated to open this summer. Now, it has been announced that The Mullberry Group, one of Melbourne's renowned hospitality collectives, will be responsible for opening five new venues inside the hotel. The 188-room hotel, set to open in Southbank, is the latest ambitious project from Flack Studio. Hotel General Manager Peter Minatsis says, "Hannah St Hotel offers more than just a place to stay — it's an experience that will deliver the best of Melbourne's cultural identity in one exciting destination. From our locally inspired interiors by Flack Studio to the curated art, food, and design collaborations, every detail is curated to reflect the city's creative spirit." The Mulberry Group operates a number of restaurants in Melbourne, including Lilac Wine, Hazel and Dessous. Its founder, Nathan Toleman, brings a wealth of hospitality experience to this latest project, having been instrumental in defining the Melbourne cafe scene through venues such as Top Paddock, Higher Ground and The Kettle Black. With Hannah St, Toleman will realise a long-held dream of bringing hospitality, community and design together in one project. "From a young age, I've been obsessed with hotels — the excitement of checking in, exploring every corner, and discovering the magic of each space. Some of my best memories are tied to hotels: Ett Hem in Stockholm, Chiltern Firehouse in London, and Chateau Marmont in LA," says Toleman. "For me, a hotel represents an escape from the outside world — a place where every detail tells a story. With Hannah St, we wanted to capture that same sense of wonder and excitement, but with a Melbourne heartbeat. A place that feels alive, authentic, and inclusive — not just for travellers, but for locals too." The Mulberry Group will operate five venues at Hannah St, each with a distinct feel and offering. A hole-in-the-wall cafe, Hannah St Coffee, will serve Square One Coffee, baked goods and grab-and-go lunches, and Coupette Corner Bistro & Bar will be an all-day Euro-leaning restaurant for everything from early morning brekkie to late night suppers. There will be no shortage of options for a nightcap with the Terrace Lounge offering rooftop views and cocktails, Bar Hannah serving as a classic lobby bar, and The Carriage Lounge designed for an intimate and elegant pre- or post-dinner beverage. Images: Supplied. Hannah St Hotel is expected to open over the coming summer. If you need a staycation in the meantime, check out the best hotels in Melboure.
You know those bad Christmas gifts, the ones that make you slap on your very best fake smile in order to say thanks without groaning. A brick-like pud, some subpar sports socks, a sickly sweet candle — generic and uninspired clutter that you instantly want to return, regift or chuck in the trash. We don't want to sound ungrateful — sure, it's the thought that counts — but a poorly chosen present can be kind of disappointing, not to mention wasteful. Nobody wants to get — or give — a gift like that. Indeed, there's a fine art to Christmas shopping. Not all of us can be gift-giving masters, after all. So, to help you pick the perfect pressie and avoid any bigtime blunders, we've partnered with Australia Post to pull together ten stellar gift ideas, which won't warrant a return. They all cost less than a pineapple, can be ordered online and conveniently delivered to your nearby Parcel Locker so you can pick 'em up whenever it suits you. Let your fingers do the walking, forgo the crazy Christmas crowds and rest easy knowing your parcel is stored securely till you're ready to collect. Happy shopping, Santas. FRANK GREEN STAINLESS STEEL REUSABLE CUP Forget splashing cash on a mug with some trite "Keep Calm and Carry On" message inscribed on the front and get a cup that is both eco-friendly and uber trendy instead. The Frank Green stainless steel reusable cup is pretty much the Superman of drinking receptacles; crafted from commercial grade stainless steel, it's built to last forever (in a good way) which is great if you have clumsy caffeine-lovers in your midst. Drop this baby and there's no need to cry over spilt milk — it won't shatter or break. The cup is also stain and odour resistant, has a nifty spill-proof lid and a clever one-handed toggle button to drink and reseal — like we said, Superman. How much? $39.95 RELOVE PRINT BOOK SUBSCRIPTION We all know a bookworm and a surefire way to score a special place in their heart is to shout them a book subscription. Revolve Print will ship one quality preowned book to their doorstep each month, so they'll never have a shortage of great literature. What's more, they get to curate their reads and pick what kind of pageturners they receive. This gift is not only super thoughtful, but it's also eco-friendly. To take things up a notch, arrange to meet each month to discuss the books. How much? From $9 per month SMARTPHONE PROJECTOR An excellent accessory for the silly season, the portable Luckies Smartphone Projector 2.0 projects music videos, films and photographs anywhere you please. It's a great gift for the gadget-obsessed as it's both stylish and practical. With up to 8x magnification, the projector is light, compact and works with iOS and Android smartphones. Come Christmas Day, the family can stop crowding around one iPhone to look at Uncle John's travel photos and instead see them on the big screen. How much? $49.95 GROW YOUR OWN TEA Tea is a real crowd pleaser; young or old, most people enjoy a good cuppa. While you could gift a nice loose-leaf blend, why not go one step above and give that special someone a Grow Your Own Tea Kit. Each kit contains a growing pot, some soil, the tea seeds — choose between chamomile, peppermint, lemon balm or echinacea — as well as a mug and tea strainer to taste-test the brew. Not only is this pressie full of antioxidants, but it also gives the grower a sense of satisfaction and achievement, which is priceless. How much? $34.95 BACON MAKING KIT This gift is for that one friend or family member who always hangs by the Christmas ham — the bona fide pork fiend, the bigtime bacon fan. Introducing the Baconsmith Bacon Making Kit, which produces top-notch bacon in just seven days. The kit makes two-kilograms of tasty bacon — sweet or savoury, the choice is theirs. All it requires is a good slab of pork belly. The great thing about this present is that it's also like a gift to you. Give it to a housemate or your partner, and you'll reap the benefits, too, with some tasty homemade bacon to snack on next fry-up. We guarantee they (and you ) will be squealing with delight. How much? $34.95 MEMOBOTTLE A staggering one million single-use plastic bottles are purchased around the world every minute and most end up in landfill. Depressing, right? Do your bit and buy your mate a Memobottle. Remember the book Flat Stanley? This is the water bottle version of that; it's nice and slim and can slide right into compact spaces. Memobottles are great for students as they pack neatly into backpacks, between all those textbooks. The bottle has a 450-millilitre capacity and is BPA free — so the water will stay nice and pure. How much? $44.95 DIY BEESWAX WRAPS If you're friends with a passionate eco-warrior or want to inspire a less socially conscious friend, sling them this beeswax block and get them making their own environmentally friendly version of Cling Wrap. The Wanderlightly DIY Beeswax Wraps are non-toxic, biodegradable and reusable — save on cash and save the planet. Win, win. The step-by-step instructions are super simple, just add cotton fabric and you're ready to go. Since they'll be spending less money on plastic packaging for, well, the rest of their lives, it really is the gift that keeps on giving. How much? From $17.50 AESOP JET SET KIT Ah, the intoxicating aromas of Aesop. We still haven't worked out how they make it smell so darn good, but we're not complaining. Give the globetrotters in your life the gift of sweet smells and smooth skin with this Aesop Jet Set Kit. The assortment features the go-to products — like classic shampoo and conditioner, Geranium Leaf Body Cleanser and Rind Concentrate Body Balm — and can be stored in their carry-on for easy access. Aesop products are renowned for their hydrating qualities, exactly what one needs during a long-haul. How much? $41 COFFEE MUG BY INDIGENOUS ARTIST LUKE PENRITH Yes, this is the second cup we've mentioned but its eye-catching design warranted a spot on the list. Created by Aboriginal artist Luke Penrith, the mug depicts the Yilawura Camp Site in soothing green and blue tones. It's a statement piece, which would suit any kitchen or office desk. Since it's only $16, you can order two or three and gift a set. Let's face it, one can never have too many mugs. And if you're a fan of the artwork, you can pick up a range of other wares featuring the same design. How much? From $15.99 SOLAR-POWERED PORTABLE PHONE CHARGER We all have that one friend or family member who is forever searching for a phone charger. Treat them to this solar-powered portable phone charger and never hear "Hey, can I borrow a charger?" again. While the top of the line chargers can set you back around $100, hit up eBay to find a charger on the cheap. With USB connectivity, this compact little nugget will charge everything from an iPhone to a tablet to a digital camera. Just add sun and you're all set. How much? From $22.99 Christmas shopping has never been so simple — order online, ship to a Parcel Locker and avoid the hectic shops with Australia Post.
It's time to hit the galleries, as 22nd Biennale of Sydney is set to return from Saturday, March 14 through Monday, June 8. Sure, three months might sound like a lot of time, but this massive biennial showcase spans over 700 artworks and 101 artists from 65 different countries — as well as several galleries across our city, from Campbelltown to Cockatoo Island. The 2020 edition is entitled Nirin, which means 'edge' in the language of western NSW's Wiradjuri people. It is helmed by a new First Nations artistic director, famed Sydney-born, Melbourne-based interdisciplinary artist Brook Andrew. Andrew has selected an impressive lineup of artists and creatives — many of them First Nations — from around the world to exhibit at the Art Gallery of NSW, Woolloomooloo's Artspace, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Cockatoo Island, MCA and the National Art School for the exhibition's 12 weeks. The showcase brings together artists from all over the globe, with fresh perspectives on Australia that span culture, gender and place. Expect installations, performances, sculptures, videos, paintings and drawings that examine what it means to be First Nations. Here are ten highlights that you can't miss. Due to current concerns surrounding COVID-19, the Biennale has implemented precautionary measures at all its galleries, in line with advice from WHO and the NSW Department of Health. Venues are cleaned more frequently and hand sanitiser is readily available. It's also asking all visitors to practise good general hygiene and stay at home if they're feeling unwell. You can read its full statement and any updates over here. [caption id="attachment_765015" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Teresa Margolles, 'Untitled', 2020, mixed-media installation. Installation view (2020) for the 22nd Biennale of Sydney, National Art School. Courtesy the artist and Galerie Peter Kilchmann, Zurich. Photograph: Zan Wimberley[/caption] UNTITLED BY TERESA MARGOLLES, NATIONAL ART SCHOOL Teresa Margolles' mixed-media installation Untitled is one of the most powerful and heart wrenching works of the entire Biennale. The Mexican artist's work acts as a memorial to murdered women and transgender women across both Mexico and Australia. Over 70 women were murdered in Australia last year alone. Untitled compiles acts of violence and trauma from several sites in each country — with Sydney-specific sites included. Margolles collected particles from these murder scenes through sponging the area with water and collecting any particles or residue that remained. The water collected from each site is used in the actual work, incorporated as droplets (each representing one life) that fall onto an electric copper hot plate in regular intervals. As you hear the water evaporate, it signifies the loss of a life, though every drop leaves a mark. Surrounding the installation is a blood-red butcher curtain, giving the entire scene an eerie edge. Margolles' work is a very visceral and emotive piece, with the viewer acting as witness to forgotten acts of violence. [caption id="attachment_765017" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Barabara McGrady. Installation view (2020) for the 22nd Biennale of Sydney, Campbelltown Arts Centre. Courtesy the artist. Photograph: Zan Wimberley[/caption] NGIYANINGY MARAN YALIWAUNGA NGAARA-LI BY BARBARA MCGRADY WITH JOHN-JANSON MOORE, CAMPBELLTOWN ARTS CENTRE Sydney-based photographer and Gomeroi/Murri/Yinah woman Barbara McGrady brings modern First Nations issues front-and-centre with her collaborative work, Ngiyaningy Maran Yaliwaunga Ngaara-li (Our Ancestors Are Always Watching). This Biennale installation acts as a photographic archive of McGrady's extensive work, which truly represents contemporary Aboriginal history. The artist aims to 'engage audiences with images through a black lens and document the diverse Aboriginal experience' — across themes such as sports, song and dance, community, politics and protest. The blacked-out room screens multi-channel audio-visuals across several large televisions, while R&B, rap and other culturally-specific music plays through the speakers. Black couches invite viewers to hang around and truly immerse themselves in the exhibition. [caption id="attachment_765039" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Colectivo Ayllu artists, Artspace. Courtesy the artists. Photograph: Zan Wimberley[/caption] COLECTIVO AYLLU/MIGRANTES TRANSGRESORXS, ARTSPACE The massive Artspace installation by Collectivo Ayllu is a collection of 11 works, which together form a labyrinth-like exhibition of four 'stations' all up. The political action group, formed in Madrid in 2009, includes five artists from South America: Alex Aguirre Sánchez (Ecuador), Leticia/Kimy Rojas (Ecuador), Francisco Godoy Vega (Chile), Lucrecia Masson (Argentina) and Yos Piña Narváez (Venezuela). The work aims to critique western heteronormative values through the lens of the Spanish colonisation of the 15th and 16th centuries — of which all of the Collective's members identify as descendants. This powerful installation tells the repeated and ongoing story of colonial pain and adds a contemporary lens to it. The floor of the entire winding exhibition is covered in sand, making reference to the images of colonisers landing on the beaches of South America and around the world. The artists have constructed the installation as an Andean huaca – a fundamental Inca sanctuary or sacred place. [caption id="attachment_765020" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Installation view (2020) photographed in the Grand Courts at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. Photograph: Zan Wimberley[/caption] RETAULE DELS PENJATS AND MÀRTIR BY JOSEP GRAU-GARRIGA, AGNSW At AGNSW, the Biennale has been very appropriately integrated into the galleries on the ground floor, which primarily houses European art. This artistic decision forces the viewers to re-evaluate the history of art in Australia and the Euro-centric lens it often takes. Taking centre stage in the AGNSW Grand Courts is Retaule dels penjats (Altarpiece of the Hanged People) — a prominent 1970s work by Spanish artist Josep Grau-Garriga. His three-storey textile installation truly takes over the space, reaching to the ceiling, and works as a direct dialogue with the architecture of the gallery. His three-dimensional woven characters are a hanging memorial to tormented and suffering victims of war and martyrdom, which the viewer is forced to address — this massive installation literally cannot be missed. [caption id="attachment_765050" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by Emma Joyce.[/caption] WATAMI MANIKAY BY THE MULKA PROJECT, AGNSW A stunning work by the Yolŋu digital artists of The Mulka Project, Watami Manikay (Song of the Winds) will transport viewers to another time and place. The artist collective works with digital technologies and video art. This specific project weaves the kinship of Yolŋu clans through the four winds in the form of a three-walled, floor-to-ceiling video projection that moved from sunrise to sunset — depicting lapping waves and sunny beaches. The focal point of the installation is a painted larrakitj (hollow ceremonial log), which represents the gunḏa rock that grounds each clan to its identity. It changes colour and glows in time with the mesmerising film. The cyclical work aims to express the 'countless generations of evolving Yolŋu art practice'. [caption id="attachment_765024" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Museum of Contemporary Art installation view. Photograph: Zan Wimberley[/caption] WHAT LASTS! (SARCOPHAGUS) BY AHMED UMAR, MCA For artist Ahmed Umar's autobiographical work he created an earthenware tomb, one which is meant for him. The lid of the ancient-looking, ceramic sarcophagus includes a full body cast of Umar. It is part of a sculptural triptych that the artist created after opening up about his sexuality — and being considered 'dead' by close family members. The tomb is both a reminder of the pain of oppression and a celebration of his death. This piece is a protest against his upbringing in Sudan, and Umar (dressed in traditional Sudanese clothing) also physically protests alongside the artwork (he'll appear at various times throughout the festival). He holds a sign that reads 'Sudan executes gay people under its government endorsement'. His form of protest creates a timely and meaningful piece of art that needs to be seen. [caption id="attachment_765051" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by Emma Joyce.[/caption] KUINI HAATI 2 AND TOGO MO BOLATAANE BY KULIMOE'ANGA STONE MAKA, MCA For Biennale 2020, Christchurch-based and Tongan-born artist Kulimoe'anga Stone Maka has created an expansive tapestry which nearly takes up an entire gallery floor at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The two-in-one painting re-enacts the meeting between Queen Salote of Tonga and the UK's Queen Elizabeth II, when the latter visited Tonga in 1953. The tap cloth depicts Maka's actual memory as a ten-year-old boy, with yellow barricades around the piece recalling the crowds on the day. His memory also includes seeing someone with blue eyes for the first time — which you'll notice as blue dots on the tapa cloth. The artist's technique nods to the Tongan art of ngatu 'uli (black-marked bark cloth), which has a 'material connection to his homeland'. Through his work, Maka is simultaneously telling both a personal and global story of connection. THE LAST RESORT BY LATAI TAUMOEPEAU, COCKATOO ISLAND Tongan Australian artist Latai Taumoepeau's The Last Resort depicts an all-too-real dystopia where idyllic island landscapes have literally become garbage dumps. It specifically explores the vulnerability and fragility of the Pacific Island nations' saltwater ecosystems. Performer Taliu Aloua wears brick sandals and holds an 'ike (Tongan mallet), while surrounded by a wall of glass bottle-filled sacks. A sea bed of glass lays at her feet. She repeatedly (and very loudly) smashes the bottles with her feet and mallet, and adorns broken sacks in replace of a lei around her neck. This ongoing endurance performance acts as a response to the physical and emotional (as well as geo-political) labour of Pacific Island people against the agents of climate change. Their connection to the land and the true destruction happening to it is viscerally depicted here. RE(CUL)NAISSANCE BY LÉULI ESHRĀGH, COCKATOO ISLAND Sāmoan artist Léuli Eshrāgh created a peaceful and beautiful ceremonial space for the 22nd Biennale. Re(cul)naissance honours precolonial kinship systems, using natural light to shun western religious beliefs of bringing 'light' to colonised nations; instead, this work fully embraces Indigenous practices that are 'considered deviant by western missionaries'. The work specifically interacts with Sāmoan and other Indigenous concepts, namely 'mālamalama — the process of enlightenment through paying attention to symbiotic pō (the origin of the universe), lagi (multiple heavens) and other kin animals. The space and video performance openly explores multiple genders and sexualities in an engaging way that offers up a future 'free of colonial shame'. Eshrāgh collaborated with artists Tommy Misa, Sereima Adimate and Kiliati Pahulu on this project. [caption id="attachment_765031" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Laure Prouvost installing 'Into All That is Here With The Two Cockatoo Too' (2020), Cockatoo Island. Courtesy the artist; Galerie Nathalie Obadia, Paris/Brussels; carlier | gebauer, Berlin / Madrid; and Lisson Gallery, London / New York / Shanghai. Photograph: Zan Wimberley[/caption] INTO ALL THAT IS HERE WITH THE TWO COCKATOO TOO BY LAURE PROUVOST, COCKATOO ISLAND French artist Laure Prouvost's Biennale artwork is potentially the most unsettling of the bunch. Into All That Is Here With The Two Cockatoo Too is a site-specific work that uses the entirety of the island's Dog Leg Tunnel. Within the dark tunnel, Prouvost provides an immersive experience that touches many senses and mimics the 'daily flow of images and texts that assail us'. Think of it as content overload, while trying to traverse a house of horrors. You'll hear whispers throughout the tunnel, and one of those voices may just be the artist herself — who at times will be lurking in the shadows and encouraging you to sit with her. Further in, the tunnel begins to 'wind' as constructed black curtains make you weave in-and-out, which starts to feel endless. Needless to say, you better not be afraid of the dark for this one. Top image: Hannah Catherine Jones 'Ode to Diaspora'; photograph: Zan Wimberley
Whether you're after world-renowned cocktails, bevs with panoramic views or elegant twists on classic tipples, there's a bar in Singapore that caters to every whim and mood. The city's multitude of bars shine at crafting inventive drinks that highlight local flavours and showcase the creativity and diversity of its multicultural population. A night out in the city doesn't have to burn a hole in your pocket — with the help of Singapore Tourism, we've rounded up some top-notch happy hour deals at popular bars around Singapore, so you can sip and sit back without worrying about your wallet. At the time of publishing, 1 SGD is equal to about 1.14 AUD. [caption id="attachment_981032" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Elephant Room[/caption] The Elephant Room Step into the vibrant world of Little India at The Elephant Room. Ranked as one of Asia's 100 Best Bars, the cocktail bar in Chinatown showcases the flavours, aromas and culture of Singapore's Little India district. The drinks menu includes bold, spice-forward cocktails inspired by the area, as well as Indian twists on classic drinks and a selection of spirits from India. Jothi's Flower Shop is named after the iconic store that has served the community for over 50 years, while Buffalo Road recreates the gin and tonic using native ingredients flown in from India. There are even cocktails derived from Indian cuisine, like the Briyani, Chicken Curry and Spiced Crab Rasam. If you prefer your food in more solid form, pair your drink with one of the naan pizzas or small share plates. Between 5–7pm every day, you can sample any of the signature concoctions for only 20 SGD. Jigger & Pony If you're visiting Singapore, you can't leave without having a drink at Jigger & Pony. The esteemed bar has been featured in the top ten of Asia's 50 Best Bars and listed as one of The World's 50 Best Bars for the past six years. A themed cocktail list is released each year, presented in a 70-page menu-magazine (or "menuzine"). Some of the drinks for this year are the Smashing Sundae with gin, vodka, fernet, melon, green tea, shiso and vanilla ice cream; Ugly Tomatoes with gin, tomatoes, kummel and elderflower; Strawberry Fields with tequila and cold-extracted strawberry; and Champagne Ramos Fizz with gin, cream, lemon, vanilla, bread, port and champagne. Happy hour is available daily from 6–7.30pm and includes a cocktail of the month or one of three signatures for 19 SGD, wine for 14 SGD and beer for 12 SGD. Morton's The Steakhouse Next up on the cocktail tour, we're travelling stateside. Morton's The Steakhouse is a popular American chain with over 55 locations in the US and eight locations internationally. The Singapore outpost is situated at the Mandarin Oriental hotel, right by Marina Bay. Stop in for Power Hour between 5–7pm during the week for 12 SGD beers, 20 SGD wines and 19 SGD cocktails. If you order the signature MORtini, you'll also get to munch on a complimentary filet mignon sandwich before you head out for the night. [caption id="attachment_981855" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Store[/caption] The Store Now that you've had a touch of glitz and glam, it's time to go hip and homey at The Store. Hidden behind an unassuming teal door, the laidback bar feels like you're sipping in the elegant living room of your coolest friend. Drinks include accessible and elevated cocktails such as the Clamatoberry with tequila, clarified clamato, sherry, strawberry and umami bitters; Shibuya Sour with whisky, sake, elderflower, yuzu and wasabi; and Prickly Pearloma with mezcal, Ancho Reyes Verde, pear puree and grapefruit soda. Drop in between 4–6pm on Tuesday–Saturday for 11 SGD cocktails and appetisers. Southbridge For panoramic vistas across Singapore, head on up to Southbridge. The rooftop bar is perched next to the Singapore River, with views from Parliament House to Marina Bay Sands and Raffles Place. Southbridge's happy hour is perfectly timed between 5–8pm on Monday–Thursday, so you can enjoy the sunset as you sample oysters with a range of toppings for 23 SGD and sip on glasses of sparkling for 16 SGD, spirits from 12 SGD and buckets of Singapore Lager for 78 SGD. You're in for a treat if you visit on a Sunday, as the happy hour deals run all day. Hopscotch With three central locations across Singapore (Gardens by the Bay, Gillman Barracks and Capitol Arcade) Hopscotch is a convenient option for a refreshing drink after a long day of exploring. The casual venue pours inventive cocktails and shooters inspired by the city, incorporating local flavours such as pandan, kaffir lime, calamansi, mangosteen, gula melaka, milo and even savoury bak kut teh (pork and herb broth). The happy hour runs from 5–8pm every day, with wine, beer and house spirits starting at under 10 SGD, and all cocktails priced at 18 SGD. Book your Singapore holiday now with Flight Centre. Images courtesy of Singapore Tourism Board, The Store and The Elephant Room.
One of Carlton Gardens' grand old trees will be transformed into a living artist's canvas for a stunning First Nations installation, Story Tree. The work of award-winning Wathaurung/Wadawurrung artist Deanne Gilson, with song and voice work by fellow Wathaurung artists Marlene Gilson and Barry James Gilson, the 15-minute illumination trips back in time, sharing the Bundjil creation story of the Kulin Nation. Nab a patch of earth and embark on a journey of discovery, as the show of colour and light brings to life the tale of the six mystical beings that helped Bundjil the Eagle Hawk create the land, waterways, plants, animals and humans. The artwork will play at regular intervals across the three nights of White Night, head to the website for exact times.
Alasya sits in the midlands of Sydney Road, in Brunswick, and has been kicking around in Melbourne since the '70s. Owned and operated still by the same family, it does good, solid Turkish food right up until 5am nightly. The menu reduces late-night so you might be out of luck for dips or salads, but if it's a plate of meat you're dreaming of, Alasya's got you. Next time you're strolling down Sydney Road with a hankering for a kebab, pop in here – get a chicken doner ($16), a lamb sis kebab ($16), or let your hair down and try some mixed meat shenanigans ($17). While the restaurant closes up at 10pm, you can still get takeaway till 5am, seven days a week.
Before Melbourne Writers Festival kicks off its 2024 program in May, locals can get a headstart on the literary goodness with a little jaunt down the coast. The Sorrento Writers Festival is hitting the Mornington Peninsula for its second year, from Thursday, April 25–Sunday, April 28, complete with some big-name guests in tow. On the bill are more than 100 events celebrating words and ideas, taking place at venues across Sorrento and Portsea. Among them, catch talks from Miles Franklin Award winners Alex Miller, Anna Funder and Amanda Lohrey and hear from internationally-renowned bioethicist and philosopher Peter Singer as he chats with Michael Cathcart about social reform and education. Elsewhere, there'll be thought-provoking panels and discussions diving into topics like First Nations stories, climate change's impact on the regions, Aussie politics in 2024, migration, war (the festival will run on ANZAC Day) and the art of memoir writing. Also taking the stage: commentators and journalists Nick McKenzie, Hedley Thomas, Laura Tingle, John Silvester, Nick Savva, Greg Sheridan and Caroline Wilson — to name a few — as well as 2021 Australian of the Year Grace Tame, and the legend Magda Szubanski. Tickets to individual events will be going for $30 a pop, and day passes will set you back $130 per person. These passes include access to all the experiences running on the day you choose to attend, except for the seven special events running throughout the festival.
When Michael Crichton put pen to paper and conjured up a modern-day dinosaur-filled amusement park, he couldn't have known exactly what he'd done. The author easily imagined the story making its way to the big screen, because the Jurassic Park novel started out as a screenplay. He could've also perceived that a whole film franchise could follow, and that folks would be quoting the movies for decades. And yet, we're guessing that he didn't predict the latest development: a recreation of Jurassic World, the fourth movie in the series, out of Lego. Melburnians can now wander through and peer at more than 50 dinosaurs, props and scenes from the 2015 movie that have all been recreated with the popular plastic bricks. They're on display at Jurassic World by Brickman, an exhibition displaying at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre until Monday, May 31 before touring the rest of the country. More than six million Lego blocks have been used in the exhibition, to create the four-metre-tall park gates, the lab where the dinosaurs are genetically engineered, those instantly recognisable jeeps, a petting zoo, a heap of creatures and more. Lego dinosaurs are obviously the main attraction, and this event is going big. You'll see a life-sized brachiosaurus that weighs more than two tonnes, a huge tyrannosaurus rex, two life-sized velociraptors (Blue and Delta), and everything from a stegosaurus to a triceratops, too. And, you'll spy some in a baby dinosaur enclosure, encounter others on the loose, and learn how to track them over the exhibition's recreation of Isla Nublar (while using your imagination a whole heap, obviously). If it all sounds rather sizeable, Jurassic World by Brickman will be the largest Lego experience in Australia. And if getting a closer look at Jurassic World sounds a little familiar, you might remember the non-Lego exhibition that hit Melbourne back in 2016. Lego aficionados will also be able to get building while they're there, with 2.5 million bricks to play with. Obviously, this'll be a family-friendly affair, so expect to have plenty of small dinosaur fans for socially distanced company. Jurassic World by Brickman makes its world premiere in Melbourne and, after hitting up the rest of Australia, will also tour globally. And if you're wondering when you'll next see a Jurassic World flick on the big screen, Jurassic World: Dominion — the followup to 2018's Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom — is due to release in June 2022.
Glamping has been embraced by wineries, yogis and landscaped gardens all over Australia, and now making its way into national parks. In early October, two Victorian parks will host bell tent pop-ups as part of Parks Victoria's first glamping trial. You'll find the first at Lake Catani, in Mount Buffalo National Park, around four hours' drive northeast of Melbourne. Here, Under Sky – which takes glamping to festivals and various events – will be erecting ten bell tents filled with premium linen and comfy furnishings. When you're not marvelling at Lake Catani's tranquil waters and snow gum woodlands, you'll be able to get out and about exploring Mount Buffalo's 90 kilometres of walking tracks, waterfalls, wildflowers and native creatures. Meanwhile, at Devil Cove in Lake Eildon National Park, the operators of much-loved country retreat Yea Peppercorn Hotel will be delivering, not just luxury bell tents, but Glamping With Nature — a full glamping experience. When you're not kicking back in your private canvas kingdom, you'll be able to try out cooking workshops, group fitness classes, kayaking adventures and health-and-wellness sessions. At both Lake Catani and Devil Cove, food and drinks packages, filled with local goodies and concoctions, will be available, too. Parks Victoria's glamping experiment are due to start in October and run until December. Prices begin at $130 per night per couple. Online bookings are available for Lake Catani over here and at Devil Cove here.
Whether you're racing to catch a tram or understandably distracted by the bakeries and bars which surround it, it's easy to walk by this small Smith Street boutique. But to do so would be a serious mistake — Somebuddy Loves You is one of the best places in the city to get your hands on some Karen Walker. Stocking high-quality Australian and New Zealand designers for over ten years, this independent curatorial store always has some coveted Karen on the racks, not to mention fellow Kiwi legends Lonely Hearts. Hot tip: make friends with the staff and learn when the shipments come in. With such a small stock, they get snapped up pretty quickly.
Whether she's blowing up brightly coloured pumpkins to larger-than-life size, creating mirrored infinity rooms or asking art lovers to put dots on everything, Yayoi Kusama's work has always had an immersive quality. That feels especially true when you attend one of the Japanese artist's shows around the globe, or visit her dedicated Tokyo museum; however her next huge project will take the notion to another level. In a site-specific exhibition exclusive to the New York Botanical Garden, Kusama's art will feature across The Bronx site's entire 250-acre location — both inside and out. Attendees won't just walk through multiple halls filled with her work, or mosey around an entire gallery. Rather, in a multi-sensory experience, they'll wander around the whole grounds, spying her pieces not only placed on walls and floors everywhere, but mixed among the natural wonders outside. When the showcase kicks off in 2020, running from May 2 to November 1, visitors can expect a host of Kusama's beloved works, plus brand-new items created specifically for the venue. That includes her famous mirrored environments, her polka-dotted sculptures and her giant floral pieces, as well as her nature-based paintings, botanical sketches, collages and soft sculptures. A horticultural showcase is also on the agenda — it is happening at a botanical garden after all — which'll be based on one of her massive paintings. Much to the joy of long-term Kusama fans, a new site-specific pumpkin will pop up, too. [caption id="attachment_732283" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] New York Botanical Garden, Robert Benson[/caption] As well as marking the first-ever large-scale exploration of the acclaimed artist's overflowing fondness for the natural world, the New York Botanical Garden exhibition will feature Kusama's first-ever participatory greenhouse installation. In the kind of news that aims to tempt folks along more than once or twice, it'll transform over the course of the exhibition based on audience interaction. The show's length is designed with the same goal in mind, with the seasons changing from spring to summer to autumn during its duration, each adding a new tone to Kusama's work. If you've been pondering making New York travel plans for next year, you now have some new motivation. Yayoi Kusama's exhibition at the New York Botanical Garden will run from May 2, 2020 to November 1, 2020. Keep an eye on the site's website for ticketing and further details once they're announced.
Get ready to embrace the icy weather at Madame Brussels Lane, which will once again transform itself into a bustling European-style night market across four Fridays in July. Inspired by the picturesque Christmas markets of places like Germany, Austria and the UK, it's set to feature an array of local food vendors, serving wintry Euro-accented goodies to warm your insides and satisfy your sweet tooth. Kicking off from 5pm on July 8, 15, 22 and 29, the crowd-favourite event will see you indulging in the best kind of comfort food — hot raclette from Frencheese, German-style sausages and pretzels courtesy of Bavarian Bangers, Pierogi Pierogi's traditional Polish dumplings, White Wheels' crème brûlée, and both sweet and savoury crepes by Les Crepes de Marion. The cheese experts at That's Amore will even be on board serving spaghetti straight out of a 40-kilogram wheel of Grana Padano. In between decadent bites, you'll be sinking your teeth into a Euro-inspired program of live entertainment, ranging from mimes, to French accordionists, to can-can dancers. Throw in a few mugs of piping hot mulled wine, mulled cider, and gin-infused things from Little Lon Distilling, and you've found yourself a solid way to wrap up a frosty working week.
Since the beginning of time, humans have always matched food with wine. Jesus broke bread with vino, the Vikings had their salted fish and mead, the French have cheese and champagne and the Italians cicchetti and aperitivo — a pairing we've all enjoyed more than a few times this summer. If you've spent the last few months like we did, cured meats, olives, vegetables in oil, cheese and the like have become a diet staple, especially when paired with a spritz or even simpler, a crisp glass of prosecco. As we move into autumn, there's no need to lose this little evening, pre-going out ritual — even if that summer sun starts to slip away. To help you take the magic of this molto buono pairing from the bar terrace and into your home, we've partnered with the wine aficionados at Dal Zotto and crafted five cicchetti to serve with the new Dal Zotto prosecco. Before your next night out, grab a few friends, a bottle of bubbles and kick back at your own at-home aperitivo hour. Red and white gingham tablecloths are entirely optional. CURED MEAT AND CHEESE TOASTS The zesty flavour of the prosecco cuts through the rich flavours of the meats and cheese. Plus, making it DIY limits prep time so you can easily plate, serve, eat and go. — preferred cured meats (spicy salami, salumi, prosciutto, bresaola, etc.) — preferred cheeses (provolone, parmesan, mozzarella, gorgonzola, etc.) — baguette, sliced about 2 centimetres wide and toasted Plate the meats, cheeses and bread together for everyone to construct themselves to their preference. Just make sure to keep the bubbles flowing. PANCETTA WRAPPED PRAWNS This upscale version of shrimp on the barbie is crunchy and rich and contrasts beautifully with the ripe fruit flavours and crisp acidity of prosecco. — 16 raw prawns, deveined — 8 pancetta rashers — aioli (serves four) Preheat the oven to 200°C and cut the rashers in half lengthwise. Wrap each prawn in a pancetta slice and place on a baking tray and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until fully cooked. Serve with aioli and well-chilled prosecco. BRUSCHETTA This classic is an oldy but a goody — and requires minimal effort. All you'll need is a toaster, chopping board and well-sharpened knife. Oh, and a glass of prosecco for while you're constructing. — 4 large slices of ciabatta — 4 tomatoes, roughly chopped — 2 garlic cloves, crushed — 2 red onions, diced — 3 cloves garlic, minced — 1/2 cup of basil, chopped — pepper and salt, to taste — balsamic and olive oil, to drizzle (serves four) Toast the ciabatta until almost burnt, then oil the bread. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl, then divide the mixture evenly onto each piece toasted slice. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and garnish with basil leaves. Serve alongside a glass of prosecco immediately. PESTO ESCARGOT No, we're not eating snails. It's just a tasty pastry which has a cute snail-like (spiral) appearance, and the bitey parmesan and pesto counter the bubbly prosecco perfectly. — 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted — 3 tablespoons basil pesto — 1 cups parmesan cheese, grated (makes about 12 pieces) Preheat the oven to 180°C, then line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside. Roll out the dough and spread the pesto and cheese evenly over the pastry. Then, roll the sheet tightly into a long scroll and slice evenly into 12 pieces. Lay each piece on the tray leaving 2 centimetres between each roll, and bake for 10–15 minutes. Enjoy at a snail's pace over the afternoon with a bottle of bubbly, of course. ANTIPASTI SKEWERS Prosecco and antipasto are like old-timey best mates; they're always better together. The acidity of the prosecco counterbalances the saltiness of the olives and the creaminess of the mozzarella. — prosciutto — bocconcini — pitted olives — grape tomatoes — marinated artichoke hearts, drained and halved — basil leaves — skewers Add each ingredient onto a skewer, alternating colour and taste as you go. Arrange all the skewers on a serving platter, drizzle with olive oil and serve with a glass of prosecco. Keen for more fizz? Visit The Osborne, Auburn Hotel, The Cove, Captain Melville, Jimmy Watsons, La Manna or Parkhill Cellars for a glass of bubbly perfection. Plus, as part of Melbourne Food and Wine Festival 2019, Dal Zotto winery is hosting an Italian lunch feast on Saturday, March 16. For more information and to book tickets, head this way.
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.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is one of last year's very best movies. It's one of filmmaker Quentin Tarantino's best features, too, and it won Brad Pitt an Oscar earlier this year. If you loved it, have rewatched it multiple times and have even checked out the making-of documentary that hit YouTube earlier in 2020, then you'll be pleased to hear about Tarantino's next Once Upon a Time in Hollywood-related project — because he's turning the movie into a new novelisation. Publisher Harper Collins has announced a two-book deal with the Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill and Inglourious Basterds director, including a movie based on his ten-time Academy Award-nominated latest movie. But while said novel will chart the events already seen on-screen, it'll also add to the story. Readers can apparently expect "a fresh, playful and shocking departure from the film" according to the publisher's statement announcing the news, with the book following TV actor Rick Dalton (as played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt) "both forward and backward in time". Yes, Tarantino will be penning the text, which marks his first foray into printed fiction. Set to release in 2021, there'll be multiple versions available. A paperback is due to release by mid next year, along with ebook and digital audio editions. Then, come the second half of 2021, you'll be able to pick up a hardcover edition. In the aforementioned statement, Tarantino waxed lyrical about his love of novelisations — aka books that relay the narrative of big-screen releases. "In the 70s, movie novelisations were the first adult books I grew up reading," he said. "And to this day I have a tremendous amount of affection for the genre. So as a movie-novelisation aficionado, I'm proud to announce Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as my contribution to this often marginalised, yet beloved subgenre in literature. I'm also thrilled to further explore my characters and their world in a literary endeavour that can (hopefully) sit alongside its cinematic counterpart." For his second book in the Harper Collins deal, Tarantino will be going the non-fiction route — and veering away from his most recent flick. Called Cinema Speculation, it'll focus on movies from the 70s, combining "essays, reviews, personal writing and tantalising 'what if'-style pieces. In the interim, you can check out Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's trailer below. And, you can read our full review of the movie, too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELeMaP8EPAA Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood novelisation is due to hit shelves in mid-2021 — we'll update you with an exact release date when it is announced.
Sydney might already be home to the Australian Centre for Photography, but there's room in this massive country of ours for more than one institution dedicated to excellent snaps. Soon, Ballarat will welcome another — with the regional Victorian town named as the site of Australia's new National Centre for Photography. Every two years, Ballarat plays host to the Ballarat International Foto Biennale, so it already has a strong interest in the art form. Indeed, the fact that the town already has a big photography festival is one of the reasons that the National Centre for Photography will also set up shop there. As announced on Tuesday, November 17, the new facility is supported by a $6.7 million investment from the Victorian Government as part of the state's 2020–21 budget. An opening date hasn't yet been revealed, but the centre will sit on Lydiard Street, in the 1860s heritage-listed Union Bank building owned by the Foto Biennale. That'll place it alongside the Ballarat Art Gallery and the Post Office Gallery, so folks will have plenty to look at in the one area. Inside, the site will include gallery spaces that'll host major temporary exhibitions, as well as a dedicated photobook library and storage for the Foto Biennale's permanent collection of images. Community artists will also be able to show their work, and the centre will run an artist-in-residence program. It'll also feature public and education classes in its workshop spaces, too, and a professional dark room. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BIFB | Ballarat Foto (@ballaratfoto) The aim is to attract visitors to the town — and local, domestic and international artists — and to enable year-round photography exhibitions at the centre. The Victorian Government did just announce a $200 voucher scheme to encourage folks to holiday throughout the state, after all, with increasing regional tourism clearly a big post-lockdown focus. The new National Centre for Photography will be located on Lydiard Street, Ballarat, opening at a yet-to-be-revealed date — we'll keep you updated with further details as they're announced.
It seems those wind turbines you've spied from atop the ridge at Meredith Music Festival could soon have a few new buddies. Victoria's latest wind farm project is one step closer to reality, with the mammoth Golden Plains Wind Farm being granted planning approval by the Victorian Government over the weekend. The decision follows a hefty environmental impacts assessment carried out last year and advice from an expert planning panel, with the project now headed to the federal government for final approval. If given the go-ahead, the $1.5 billion wind farm would cover a huge 17,000 hectares of land, about 60 kilometres northwest of Geelong. It's expected to produce almost 3000 gigawatt hours of electricity annually, or enough to power more than 400,000 homes. To put that in perspective, the project is expected to provide between 8–10 percent of Victoria's energy, according to The Guardian, with greenhouse savings of almost 3.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. One of the farmlands expected to gain wind turbines is the one that hosts the Meredith and Golden Plains Music Festival. But festivalgoers need fret not, with a government spokesperson telling the SMH that is was unlikely the project will have any impact on the festivals. [caption id="attachment_704549" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wind turbines on the horizon at Golden Plains by Steve Benn.[/caption] The Golden Plains Wind Farm, which, if approved, is slated for completion by 2023, would join a stack of other Victorian clean energy projects already under way in places like Moorabool, Lal Lal, Bulgana, Murra Warra and Stockyard Hill. It all comes as the government increases Victoria's Renewable Energy Target to 50 percent by 2030. In 2017, wind farms supplied 5.7 percent of Australia's overall electricity, according to the Clean Energy Council. While Victoria is currently home to the nation's largest wind farm, in Macarthur, SA has the most, but Queensland and NSW are also investing in renewable technology — as of December last year, Queensland had 27 wind and solar farm projects under construction and NSW had 23. If the Golden Plains Wind Farm is approved by the federal government, it is slated for completion by 2023. For more information about the project, head to w-wind.com.au/golden-plains-wind-farm.
Harold Hackett has been sending messages all over the world, but unlike most of us he hasn't been using a phone or a computer. Instead, he's taken old-school to a whole new level by writing dated letters on coloured paper, putting them in numbered juice bottles and throwing them in the Atlantic Ocean. Harold has been doing this from Prince Edward Island in Canada since May 1996. Of the 4,800 messages he's sent, he's received 3,100 letters back from places including Africa, Europe and America. That's an amazing success rate. Maybe I should start using this method to ask girls on dates. Hackett has seemingly perfected his art, and checks wind patterns before tossing his bottles into the water. One message took 13 years to be replied to after it was found in France. Still, it might be worth the wait as Harold now receives Christmas gifts and souvenirs from the unexpected recipients of his missives. While it's certainly not time-efficient, it makes you think that some means of communication have gained more significance because of how rare they have become. Harold purposely doesn't leave his phone number on the letters so that he can only get a letter in return. He promises to keep sending letters for as long as he can. With Harold's story gaining considerable media attention, could this mark the return of older forms of communication? At least he knows that if he gets lost in the depths of the African jungle, he might have one friend he can turn to. https://youtube.com/watch?v=_WKj2zWtFRo
It might just 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 fifth annual program between Friday, April 3–Sunday, April 12 — and it has just started announcing its latest lineup. The nation's first indigenous festival of its kind, Parrtjima's 2020 event will mark the festival's second in its new autumn timeslot. That move proved a big hit last year, with a record crowd of 25,000 attending the 2019 event. As always, the fest will continue its free ten-day public celebration of Indigenous arts, culture, music and storytelling — and its focus on dazzling light installations — in the CBD's Alice Springs Todd Mall, as well as at tourism and conservation facility Alice Springs Desert Park Precinct just out of town. On the bill: new luminous displays, including a glowing sphere that'll be suspended three metres above the ground and a four-metre-tall flower, plus an opening night performance by Dan Sultan. They all fall under the theme 'lifting our spirits', with the 2020 fest particularly enthusiastic about "lifting the spirits from the work of artists, old and new, to the spirit of this year's audience". If the thought of towering art already has you excited, the two aforementioned pieces — Grass Seed and Alatye (Bush Yam) — actually form part of a larger new artwork called Werte. Taking inspiration from the circular and lined meeting place symbols painted by local Arrernte artist Kumalie Kngwarraye Riley, it's designed to take visitors on a journey through the Alice Springs Desert Park Precinct, and also features an eight-metre-high piece about emus dubbed Emu Laying Eggs at Night. [caption id="attachment_715722" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Lighting the Ranges, Parrtjima festival, Alice Springs, Australia.5/4/2019. Images courtesy Parrtjima / NTMEC[/caption] The 2020 lineup will also include Sultan's roots and blues tunes, with the musician hitting the stage alongside Australian earth sound band OKA — plus a heap of other Aussie acts that haven't yet been revealed. Then there's Deep Listening, a new series of talks in the Desert Park Cinema that'll pair contemporary topics of interest with a selection of films by Aboriginal filmmakers. And, over in the Todd Mall, Fire Stories will showcase local storytellers, alongside cabaret and music performances, and a roster of workshops. As always, the Alice Springs Desert Park will come alive with the festival's main attraction. Once again, a huge artwork will transform a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the majestic, 300-million-year-old MacDonnell Ranges, showering it with light each night of the festival. Just what it'll feature this year hasn't been unveiled, but it's always spectacular — and it always highlights stories, symbols and knowledge of Aboriginal culture. Another returning favourite is Ahelhe Itethe – Living Sands (Grounded), where installations are projected onto the earth accompanied by a striking soundscape. [caption id="attachment_715710" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Parrtjima festival, Alice Springs, Australia. 6/4/2019. Images courtesy Parrtjima / NTMEC[/caption] Of course, Parrtjima is just one of Northern Territory's two glowing attractions in 2020, 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. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light runs from April 3–12, 2020 around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information, visit the festival website. Images: James Horan.
Rooftop season has arrived and with it comes a brand-new sky-high drinking spot, complete with views across both the bay and the city. This one (sunny, openair space) sits atop the newly revamped Hobsons Bay Hotel — the latest venture from the mind behind Rustica Sourdough, Brenton Lang. Along with partners Drew Gibbs and Matt Cook, Land has transformed the former site of George Calombaris' Hellenic Hotel into a three-storey neighbourhood pub for the bayside suburb of Williamstown. Inside, a dapper fit-out by Fiona Drago gives a warm, elegant nod to the building's past, fusing custom-made tartan carpets, tan leather banquettes and splashes of green. A lofty ground-floor dining room centres around the open kitchen, while one level up, you'll find a private dining space and wraparound balcony overlooking the street. Venture further for the crowning glory: a roomy rooftop deck complete with its own bar and space for up to 100 people. With Head Chef Ben Pigott (formerly Supernormal, Cumulus Inc and Stokehouse) heading up the kitchen, you can expect big things from the venue's offering of polished Aussie pub classics. Heroing an impressive woodfire grill and rotisserie, the kitchen is plating up both a brasserie-style menu and a selection of more casual public bar eats. Hit either for elegant snacks and shares, like the crisp fried artichokes teamed with celery salt and romesco sauce, fish finger sandwiches and, of course, some Rustica sourdough served with cultured butter. [caption id="attachment_794162" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption] In the dining room, you'll find yourself sitting down to the likes of a half rotisserie chicken with salsa verde and roast chook sauce, a side of charred heirloom zucchini finished with stracciatella, or one of three premium steak options. That rotisserie is turning out more meaty delights come the weekend — porchetta on Saturdays and roast beef on Sundays — and for dessert, expects treats like the house-made doughnuts with rum custard and pineapple jam. Otherwise, keep it casual and pair a few pints with the likes of a cheeseburger, hot chook roll, or dukkah-roasted cauliflower steak with smoked hummus and fried capers. Brews from Balter and Cricketers Arms star throughout the 11-strong tap list, backed by an expansive selection of vino. Up on the roof, however, it's all about the tap wines and cocktails, including espresso martinis and margaritas to enjoy alongside the view. Find Hobsons Bay Hotel at 28 Ferguson Street, Williamstown. It's open from 12pm–late daily. Images: Kate Shanasy
Most visitors to Fitzroy's Vegie Bar would be more than familiar with the eatery's luscious sweet creations, which beckon from that cabinet beside the till every time you go to pay. Well, now those treats have become the stars of their own show, with owners Mark Price and Laki Papadopoulos launching a new dessert bar in the adjoining Brunswick Street space. Plant-based goodness is the name of the game at this sweet-tooth haven, with the menu at Girls & Boys full of vegan delights running from the virtuous to the downright decadent, and offering a hearty array of gluten- and refined sugar-free options. You'll be ready to beat the summer heat when shlepping up Brunswick Street with a range of house-spiced mylks, smoothies, thickshakes, and cold-pressed juices, alongside an impressive rotation of vegan desserts. With gems like a matcha almond tart, a maca fudge bar, and the signature Caramisu, we can't imagine you'll be missing those animal products in the slightest. They're also doing a slew of vegan gelato flavours, including blood orange and yuzu, and caramel and miso, along with a pretty epic vegan baklava soft serve. With both Vegie Bar and Transformer next door and Smith & Deli just down the road, to say vegans are well-catered for in Fitzroy is an understatement.
Chicken-devouring people of Melbourne, a Chargrill Charlie's is coming your way. As of Saturday, April 6, Camberwell will be home to Melbourne's first — and Australia's twelfth — incarnation of the 30-year-old Sydney institution. And, to celebrate, the Charlie's team is giving away free food. Get there between midday and 1pm on opening day to score a free quarter barbecue chicken with chips, then make a return between 5pm and 6pm to tuck into half a chook and a salad, also gratis. Merch fans will be happy to know that the store will also be slinging free Chargrilled Charlie's Ts on the day — until sold out. There should be plenty of room — Charlie's is transforming a huge shop in Camberwell Shopping Centre into a huge open-plan space. In keeping with the eatery's usual look, you can expect a modern industrial feel, with recycled timber and splashes of black metal. As well as burgers, chicken and chips, the menu will offer all the other goodness for which Charlie's has become legendary. That includes up to 15 types of salad on any one day, chicken schnitzel, creamed potato, rolls, DIY dinner plates and desserts, including apple pie. The Camberwell store will be only the first of many Melbourne Chargrill Charlie's, so keep an eye on this space for more updates.
Benjy's has a dog-friendly karaoke courtyard. We repeat: dog-friendly karaoke. It's yet to be seen if this means doggos are encouraged to sing along, but it's the best regardless. If you've ever found yourself loitering on the northern end of Lygon Street with your diva pup and a song in your heart, your time has come. The venue has a karaoke bar, live bands and musicians, an all-day kitchen (serving vegetarian and vegan fare) and — perhaps most importantly — a beer garden that welcomes all your four-legged friends. The interior is worth a little scream — think Barbie, disco balls and a colour scheme inspired by those candy necklaces you used to crunch in high school. Basically, it provides all the raw ingredients for a banger of a night out — especially if you dress your dog up as Mariah Carey.
When dawn and dusk sweep over Yarra Bend Park, the rustle and flutter of grey-headed flying foxes is never far away. After all, this green expanse features Victoria's largest colony, with some estimates placing its size at 30,000. To help these bats feel a little more at home, the Abbotsford Convent is hosting Bat Massive — a nocturnal arts-meets-conservation event. Running from 5pm–12am on Saturday, August 16, this immersive experience will combine art, ecology and community to foster more awareness of the colony and how we share the ecosystem with species beyond our human neighbours. Under the cover of darkness, guests will take part in a special guided tour punctuated by sound and light installations. Renowned projection artist Yandell Walton will envelop the convent in eco-conscious images, while Japanese-born sound artist Ai Yamamoto will offer ambient textures that elevate the evening atmosphere. Acclaimed theremin composer Miles Brown will conjure sonic soundscapes, while Simona Castricum fuses her signature post-punk instincts with synth-heavy intensity. Then, guests are invited to explore Julaymba, a transformative mixed reality experience created by studio PHORIA. Led by Eastern Kuku Yalanji Elder Richard Burchill, expect an imaginative encounter that unites ecology, stewardship and storytelling through the ancient rainforest canopies of the Daintree. Then, for those keen to dig a little deeper into the surrounding environment and its wildlife, outdoor adventure collective Mappa will lead an intimate canoe tour through Yarra Bend Park just as the colony wakes for the night. As the evening unfolds, there's plenty of time to check out the top-notch selection of community food and beverage provedores, while Collingwood's own Runner Up Rooftop Bar is taking care of the drinks. With special nocturnal treats planned for the event, Bat Massive brings you closer to nature from virtually every conceivable angle. Images: Abigail Trewartha / Mappa.
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.
Come September 24, Belleville is launching their inaugural Southern Fried Sundays feast. Described as a maple-drenched brunch/lunch of epic proportions, the poultry fiends have answered all of your deep-fried desires — and your morning-after-a-big-night-out needs. There'll be baskets of buttermilk-brined fried chicken that you can 'paint' sauce onto, plus waffles of both the japaleño cornbread and bacon and cheddar varieties, smothered in maple syrup. If you're really hankering for a feed, the Southern Style Spread will be right up your alley. Comprised of chicken skin butter garlic bread, leek and ham hock greens, roast potatoes, two types of waffles, and southern fried chicken with maple, buffalo and ranch dips, this whopping meal won't leave much room in the old tum tum. You'll have to forge on though, because the crew will also be putting on their favourite Southern Comfort cocktails and Pepperberry Bloody Marys to help wash down their hefty offerings. Mosey on down to Belleville between 11:30am to 5:30pm on Sunday — just so you can cradle your belly in contentment as you waddle back out.
National Reconciliation Week is here for 2022, running from Friday, May 27–Friday, June 3 — and The Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation and Australian clothing label Deus Ex Machina have just the threads for the occasion. Collaborating to raise awareness about the ALNF's efforts to transform and empower First Nations communities around the country via literacy, language and education, the two organisations have teamed up on a new range of 'Literacy Is Freedom' t-shirts. And, as well as adding to your wardrobe, they'll help you support Indigenous Aussies as well. On sale from today, Friday, May 27, the limited-edition shirts come in black and white, both featuring the same 'Literacy Is Freedom' logo on the front. Printed upon 100% cotton, that design emulates the colours and format of the Aboriginal Flag. But, it's the fact that 100% of the profits from the tees are going to the ALNF's work with First Nations communities that's even more exciting. To launch the shirts, the ALNF and Deus Ex Machina have launched a campaign featuring a heap of familiar faces — including ALNF ambassadors — all decked out in the new gear. Doing the honours: everyone from AFL legends Adam Goodes and Lance Franklin through to ex-footballer and ABC News Breakfast sports reporter Tony Armstrong, plus Baker Boy, Casey Donovan, Brooke Blurton, Isaiah Firebrace and Hugo Weaving. The list goes on, with Michala Banas, Isaiah Firebrace, Benjamin Law, and Chloe Zuel and the cast of Hamilton all involved, too. And, so are Miriam Margolyes, Tim Minchin, Asher Keddie, Vincent Fantauzzo, Virginia Gay, Jesinta Franklin, Nathan McGuire, Luke Carroll, Clare Bowditch, Eddie Perfect, Zoe Norton Lodge, Alan Brough, Narelda Jacobs and Zindzi Okenyo. If you're now keen to slip on a tee and help a fantastic cause, you'll find them on sale for $59.99 from David Jones online, in-store at select David Jones locations, and in-store at Deus Ex Machina Camperdown and Good Ways Deli Redfern. "We need collaboration, bravery and commitment if we want to pave the way for a brighter future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities," said ALNF Co-Founder and Executive Director Kim Kelly, launching the shirts — and the campaign. "We are excited to be partnering with an iconic Australian brand, standing with us and supporting our goal to give every single Australian a voice through literacy, language and education. Reconciliation is everybody's responsibility, and it's an important time for us all to reflect on what we can do to be part of the change. The simple act of buying and wearing this powerful t-shirt contributes to the creation of a fairer and more just Australia," Kelly continued. Deus Ex Machina and The Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation's 'Literacy Is Freedom' shirts cost $59.99, and can be purchased at David Jones online, in-store at select David Jones locations, and in-store at Deus Ex Machina Camperdown and Good Ways Deli Redfern. For more information about the ALNF, head to its website.
Grand Slam fever has gripped the city once again as the Australian Open kicks off a blockbuster 2022 edition, running from January 17–30. The world's tennis stars will descend on Melbourne Park over the next two weeks, along with thousands of punters there to watch the on-court action unfold live each day. While this year's tournament features some density limits and ticket caps as a result of the current COVID-19 situation, nothing can dampen spectator spirit — nor their appetite, it seems. As always, the AO's off-court happenings are causing a stir of their own, with a bumper program of food and drink pop-ups promising to keep tennis-goers well-fed, quenched and happily entertained in between matches. Here are our top menu picks to check out at this year's Australian Open: ATRIUM BAR & EATERY BY BEN SHEWRY Even the star chef behind renowned fine diner Attica is bringing some of his magic to Melbourne Park in 2022. Ben Shewry's greenhouse-inspired sit-down eatery Atrium is serving a swag of top-shelf fare; think, chicken liver parfait, pepperberry hot chips, a reimagined souva platter featuring wattleseed hummus, and Port Phillip mussels cooked in Mac Forbes riesling. Even afternoon tea is sorted, with house-made treats like buttery croissants and Portuguese tarts. And there's a menu of crafty cocktails, too, including the Match Point — a caffeinated concoction of Grainshaker vodka, coffee liqueur and wattleseed macadamia orgeat. HAWKER STALL A joint effort from favourites Gingerboy, Robata, Longrain and Lucy Liu, this pop-up's set to transport you to the hawker centres of Asia. Chow down on bites like chicken yakitori matched with a cucumber salad, Japanese sweet potato fries dusted with furikake, and a Chiang Mai hot dog finished with lashings of tamarind relish and kewpie mayo. CITY ITALIA Three of the city's go-to Italian joints have teamed up to create a nonna-worthy food hideaway at this year's AO. The City Italia pop-up is slinging dishes like house-made lasagne from Pepe's Italian & Liquor, Marameo's fusilli cacio e pepe and even some award-winning pizza from the legends at 400 Gradi. BIG ESSO BY MABU MABU The latest venture from Indigenous cafe and food business Mabu Mabu, Big Esso is making a pop-up appearance courtside. Its menu fuses native ingredients and traditional Torres Strait flavours with a twist of modern flair; so expect plates like lemon aspen fries, island-style coconut-cured kingfish served with taro crisps, and a riff on the HSP starring kangaroo tail. BEACH HOUSE Embracing the flavours and vibes of a balmy Melbourne summer, pop-up precinct the Beach House is set to be one of Melbourne's Park's breeziest culinary pit-stops. Here among the white sand and striped umbrellas, you can unwind with a variety of summery eats and drinks; from fish burgers with crushed edamame courtesy of Pipi's Kiosk, to loaded acai bowls from Oakberry. Also here, Aussie distillery Grainshaker has its own bar pouring signature spirits and cocktails, while the Piper-Heidsieck Champagne bar is your go-to for all things fizz. ROCKPOOL BAR & GRILL Rockpool Bar & Grill has your courtside fine dining fix sorted, hosting an exclusive restaurant pop-up in collaboration with David Pynt's famed Singapore eatery Burnt Ends. Whether you opt for the set three-course menu or choose an a la carte adventure, you're in for a real treat. Think, spanner crab tart finished with Yarra Valley salmon roe, beef carpaccio with horseradish and baby beetroot, Pynt's own Jamaican chicken, and a peach melba dessert. PENFOLDS BISTRO AND PENFOLDS RESTAURANT Famed winemaker Penfolds is hosting not one, but two dining experiences for this year's Grand Slam-goers. The Bistro is the more casual affair, where a two-course menu offers options like tuna tartare with salmon caviar and nori crackers; hand-rolled macaroni; and dry-aged steak with a bone marrow dressing; all paired with top-notch wine, of course. Otherwise, sit down to an even classier four-course feast in the Restaurant, complete with a choice of two Penfolds vintages to match each dish. Top Images: Penfolds Bistro, Rockpool, The Atrium Terrace, Beach House
The past couple of years have left us all feeling a little jibbed on the travel front, especially when it comes to jetting off overseas. But finally, things are looking up, bookings fill us with a little less dread and that long-forgotten pastime of international air travel is back on the menu. And if you've been particularly hankering for a trip to the USA, United Airlines just made it even easier to get your well-deserved holiday fix. The airline has kicked off new flights between Australia and the States, leaving East Coast punters totally spoiled for choice. Newly partnered with Virgin Australia in a codeshare arrangement, United is now flying Sydney to Houston and Brisbane to San Francisco. Other services that have recently launched or resumed include direct routes from Melbourne to San Francisco and to Los Angeles, and daily direct flights from Sydney to both of those US cities as well. It's a huge win for East Coast travellers keen to jet off on a far-flung adventure without the fuss of any pesky stopovers adding extra hours and effort to the trip. And of course, it means improved access to other Aussie cities, too. United is also upping the frequency of a bunch of its existing Aussie routes. In fact, by the end of 2022, the airline will be flying more than 40 direct US flights from Australia each week, across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. That means you've got more options for a speedy Stateside jaunt than ever before. Of course, thanks to the new team-up with Virgin, Velocity Frequent Flyer members can not only earn points on their United flights, but they've got access to benefits like priority check-in and boarding, and extra baggage allowance when they fly. And if you really want to up the ante for your USA getaway, there's the United Polaris business class service, where you can revel in the luxury of comfy lie-flat seats, generously sized entertainment screens and cute suitcase-inspired amenity kits filled with skincare goodies from Sunday Riley. [caption id="attachment_882756" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Polaris[/caption] United Airlines has expanded its flight offerings between Australia (Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane) and multiple US cities. For all the details and to book a flight, see the website.
A retail importer with more than 30 years experience, Peter Karas opened Mercantile Home with his wife Carolyn Hayes back in 2015. The store champions beautiful designs and quality products through a curated range from Australian designers and top European brands. You never really know what you'll find inside, from chic ceramics designed in Canberra by Brian Tunks of Bison Home, to silent, monochrome wall clocks from Huygens, and cutting-edge Bavarian crystal glassware, courtesy of longstanding German designers Nachtmann. Don't worry if those labels sound a little fancy, Mercantile Home also stocks simpler gifts and knick-knacks, like beeswax wraps, quirky shopping bags, candles, reusable takeaway coffee cups and cute greeting cards made in South Australia by Emma Kate Co. Images: Tracey Ah-kee.
After the year we've had, some relaxation time is just what we all need. And while putting on a face mask or body scrub is a great way unwind, a good skin care routine — with natural, locally sourced and cruelty-free skincare products — can often be hard to come across or too expensive. Body Blendz is an Australian owned skincare company that produces vegan skincare products that are not tested on animals — and it's offering a huge discount on its whole range this week. Its selection of face masks and body scrubs are designed to improve circulation and reduce inflammation and blemishes on your skin. The brand's best seller is its range of coffee scrubs designed for full-body exfoliation. The coffee scrubs come in four varieties: coco luxe, sugar glow, coffee buff and vanilla blush. Up until Tuesday, December 29, you can pick up 30 percent off everything on the Body Blendz store. Just head online, select what you want and then enter the discount code 'END2020' at the checkout to receive the discount. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
One of the best performances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes from the man who was first charged with getting villainous, but now leads his own spinoff series as a complex and playful hero. While Tom Hiddleston's acting talents are well-established far beyond playing the God of Mischief — see: The Deep Blue Sea, The Hollow Crown, Only Lovers Left Alive, High-Rise, Crimson Peak and The Night Manager, for instance — the MCU has been all the better for his involvement for more than a decade. A scene-stealer in 2011's Thor, his parts in film after film kept getting bigger until streaming series Loki arrived. Amid Disney's rush of greenlighting shows for Disney+, starting this one couldn't have been easier; as Thor: Ragnarok in particular demonstrated, adding more Hiddleston has always been a winning move. When it slid into queues in 2021 as just the third series in the MCU's small-screen realm, following WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki proved that more Hiddleston in a six-part TV show was also a delight. Immediately one of Marvel's standout shows, it came as no surprise when this stint of time-hopping trickery confirmed that it was returning for a second season in that run's final episode. Now back for another half-dozen instalments from Friday, October 6, Loki becomes the first of Marvel's television entries to earn a second go-around. That isn't an achievement that it takes for granted. Picking up exactly where season one left off, Loki season two sticks to some familiar beats but also makes its own leaps, and remains fun, funny, lively and smart in the process. It feels more lived in, too, a description that rarely applies to any franchise about caped crusaders and their nemeses, gods, multiverses and temporal chaos, this one among them. Audiences may know and love Loki, including in his small-screen guise as an alternate version of the movies' scamp who turns time cop to save the world, but the figure himself isn't as swiftly recognised when Loki's second season kicks off. Although nothing has changed about him visually, the first season's climactic showdown with Time Variance Authority creator He Who Remains (Jonathon Majors, Creed III) has had repercussions. Now, the Norse rogue is glitching. With multiple timelines in play thanks to fellow Loki variant Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain), the series' eponymous character is being pulled between different worlds. "It looks like you're being born, or dying, or both at the same time," observes Agent Mobius M Mobius (Owen Wilson, Haunted Mansion). He isn't wrong. Time is an inescapable concept in the MCU, especially as it keeps expanding and sprawling. 2023 marks 15 years since Iron Man started the franchise, with The Marvels set to notch up its 33rd film when it reaches cinemas in November. On streaming, five other Marvel shows have joined the fold since Loki's debut season, beginning with 2021's Hawkeye; then spanning 2022's Moon Knight, Ms Marvel and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law; and seeing Secret Invasion already drop in 2023. In the mechanics of the superhero saga, the MCU stresses the same message that Loki now is: as time keeps elongating, jumping here, there and everywhere is inevitable. Once Loki and Mobius are back in their entertaining old rhythm, they need help getting time under control. Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku, Black Mirror) takes up the battle to save timelines beyond the sacred timeline, plus the people living their lives within them, while Loki and Mobius seek help from TVA tech go-to Ouroboros aka OB (Ke Huy Quan, American Born Chinese). Bringing Everything Everywhere All At Once Oscar-winner Quan into another temporal jumble is as great on-screen as it sounds on paper, even as he's saddled with mentioning time, manuals, looms and pruning repeatedly. There's a weightier air to Loki season two as Loki, Mobius and Hunter B-15's arcs deepen, plus more meaningful emotional paths, but the boilersuit-clad OB is a gloriously energetic addition. Also fun: when Loki flits around, inserting its main duo into different places and times on various legs of their mission. The MCU's penchant for cycling through genres instalment by instalment pops up here in miniature; where the broader saga can be a thriller in one flick (Black Widow, for example), a comedy in others (the Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man vibes), dive into horror elsewhere (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) and spin coming-of-age stories as well (the Spider-Man movies), this series goes from 70s-set London spy antics to a 19th-century Chicago caper and an existential stop at McDonalds in the 80s. The bouncing around doesn't just serve the narrative or suit the tone, but also fits Hiddleston and Wilson's central pairing. Loki does the odd-couple buddy dynamic swimmingly no matter where Loki and Mobius are, and gains another of Marvel's most engaging performances from Wilson as a result. Getting Loki falling in love with himself, aka Sylvie, was as Loki a move as there ever was in season one. In the show's return, their relationship is still complicated. Also, Sylvie remains on a quest to vanquish the man who sparked the TVA, this time via his variant Victor Timely (also Majors). The season has everyone looking for Judge Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Summerland) and Miss Minutes (Tara Strong, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), too. And, it has a He Who Remains/Timely/Kang the Conqueror problem. As the big bad for the MCU's phase five and beyond — the next Avengers movie due in 2026 is called Avengers: The Kang Dynasty — the latter as pivotal in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The domestic violence allegations against Majors since that film now cast a shadow, unsurprisingly, as does knowing that recasting could happen. There's no doubting Loki's look, though; it's up there with the Hiddleston-and-Wilson banter and Quan's verve as one of the season's highlights. The colour palette, the technology, the outfits, the retro sheen: it all works a charm. Marvel is obsessed with linking its array of on-screen chapters as it constantly grows and stretches its cinematic universe, which isn't about to change from here. With its aesthetics, plus Hiddleston and Wilson's excellent work — and Quan's, Martino and Mosaku's as well — Loki keeps making the opposite argument, however. If ever there's a segment of the MCU that could happily stand alone and thrive, it's this one. Of course, that isn't the show's route, but leaving viewers wanting more isn't the given that it once was for this franchise as time has passed. Check out the trailer for Loki season two below: Loki season two streams via Disney+ from Friday, October 6. Images: © Marvel Studios 2023. All Rights Reserved.
Chunky Monkey, Clusterfluff, New York Super Fudge Chunk. These are just some of the more popular flavours of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream — a leading cause of happiness around the world since 1978. While doctors in the future will no doubt tell us otherwise, we can’t think of many things better than gorging on a giant tub of sweet, sweet ice-cream on a warm summer day, except for maybe getting some friends together and going to the movies. Well, it turns out Ben & Jerry’s can help us there as well. Starting on November 30 and running until late December, the 10th Ben & Jerry’s Openair Cinema, erected right by St Kilda Beach, will combine recent releases like Interstellar, Whiplash and The Drop with some more nostalgic picks, including Labyrinth, The Breakfast Club and a sing-along screening of Grease. We're even presenting our very own session of Fury on Sunday, December 6. Having started out on top of the St Kilda Sea Baths, Openair Cinema has now moved down to the lawns by the water, allowing plenty more space for bean loungers, picnics and general unwindulaxing. Festivities start daily at 6.30pm, with live music squeezed in before the film (plus plenty of time to suss out the bar and stock up on snacks). Best of all are the Sunday ‘Sundae’ Sessions, which kick off at 5pm with additional music, games on the lawn and unlimited free Ben & Jerry’s for all. For session times and more information, check out the event website.
The Laneway Greens family has expanded, with owners Adrian and Luke Cala bringing their sustainable, healthy fare to a second Richmond venue. Following the success of their 12-seat CBD eatery on Flinders Lane, which opened back in 2015, the boys are now taking on Swan Street as they continue their ultimate mission to reconnect diners with the food they're eating. Launching last week, the new all-day canteen boasts a grander space and a beefed-up offering, though the focus remains firmly the same, from top to toe. Built on the notion that quality, seasonal food should be accessible to everyone, the menu heroes ingredients produced transparently, sustainably and with minimal impact on the environment. Ora King, which supplies the restaurant's salmon, is certified by the Global Aquaculture Alliance and has an environmental footprint of less than 0.01 percent, while producers like Mungali Creek Dairy, Slaters Farm rain-fed rice and Keehoes cultured vegetables are part of a local biodynamic farming co-op. Even the store itself mirrors that ethos of sustainability and minimalism, built with locally made, durable materials and designed with a mind to diners coming together over food. An outdoor dining area is coming too — it should be ready to go by November 17. As with the original, the menu runs from supercharged smoothies to bowls, both sweet and savoury — think free-range pork with spring greens and barley, and a stuffed roasted sweet potato loaded with house-made tzatziki and root vegetable slaw. If you often grab your lunch to-go from the CBD store, you'll be happy to know that the Swan Street space has room for 60 diners and, unlike its sister venue, also offers a range of booze, including a tight lineup of on-tap organic wines as sourced by distributor Campbell Burton (The Builders Arms Hotel, City Wine Shop). Beer includes craft brews from Victoria's Mount Peninsula, Queensland's Balter and NZ's Garage Project, and single origin filter coffee by Fitzroy's Industry Beans. Laneway Greens is now open 7am – 10pm Monday to Friday and 8am – 10pm Saturday and Sunday at 89a Swan Street, Richmond. For more information, visit lanewaygreens.com.au.
