By Their Own Hands is a startling contemporary take on Greek tragedy from The Hayloft Project. If you've seen previous shows from Hayloft (such as their excellent production of Thyestes) you'll know that startling contemporary takes on old stories are something they do very well. By Their Own Hands is another tour de force, unique in its approach and powerful in its effect. It's a two-hander, featuring Benedict Hardie and Anne-Louise Sarks, and seldom will you see two performers bring such warmth and empathy to the gruesome tales of the Old Greeks. It starts with storytelling. Audiences are invited onto the stage and Hardie and Sarks walk among you all, recounting a story about the people of an ancient city. Occasionally they will endow one of the audience with the role of a character in the story. Some are made major players — the night I go the man with the most impressive beard is given the role of king — while others are bit parts, servants or messengers or people on the street. Don't worry, there's no audience participation expected. The action is all in the performers' well-honed words, with thechosen audience members there to give face to these faceless characters of myth. It's a neat device to make characters who are obscure, because of the age of the story or their minor role in events or the outrageousness of their behaviour, seem like real and vital people. The text too is very personal, the focus on quirks of personality, secret thoughts, everyday events and personal moments. There is so much humour, pathos and romance in the story that it is easy to forget there is a tragedy brewing. Taking on a tale that normally gives people the squeams (you'll know it sooner or later, depending on how well you know your Greeks), it turns it into an unfortunate series of events happening to likeable people. It is very humanising and completely banishes Greek tragedy's usual overtones of the drear and bizarre. The impact of the tragic climax, when it happens, is far stronger for it. Later in the piece, we return to our seats and the performers depict key moments from the story again, once in full abstract shock mode and then again solely through snippets of conversation between the characters. We see events in turn at their most grotesque and then at their most gentle. We go from horror to humour to heartbreak. It is an unusual mix of elements that patch together into something very special and deeply affecting. Hardie and Sarks are both wonderful performers and their script, which they also wrote themselves, shows a keen eye for psychology and relationship dynamics. I haven't seen a show this acutely observed and powerful since... well, since the last time I went to see the Hayloft Project. This is a company with its finger on the pulse of human drama, and I'd need a dictionary of superlatives to tell you how much I love their work.
The mercury is soaring, cold and cloudy days have become a distant memory and enjoying a few hours of sunlight after knock-off time is a daily occurrence. Yes, it's summer — which means that soaking in Australia's sultry weather is the number-one pastime across the nation. Well, that and finding something refreshing to drink on those hot days and nights when you're hanging with your mates and having a fiesta. Enter spritzes. They're light, they couldn't pair better with our climate and they have long been a warm-weather favourite. Feel like you've tried every type of spritz there is, though? Don't want to simply serve the same old drinks to your friends next time you're kicking back by the barbecue or pool? That's where the tequila versions come in — and they're sure to get the party going at any at-home do. We've teamed up with top-notch tequila brand — and, fun fact, Matthew McConaughey's go-to agave juice — Jose Cuervo to bring you four incredibly easy spritz recipes to add to your must-drink list. THE CUERVO SPRITZ Serves one Sometimes, you don't need a complicated recipe — you just need a tasty beverage. This zesty spritz is big on fruit flavours, but still impossible to get wrong. Ingredients 30ml Jose Cuervo Especial Silver 20ml lychee liqueur 10ml lemon juice 15ml simple syrup 2 dashes Angostura orange bitters 120ml soda water 1 mint sprig (optional) Method Add ice to a tall glass, then fill with Jose Cuervo Especial Silver, lychee liqueur, lemon juice, simple syrup, Angostura orange bitters and soda water. To finish, garnish with a mint sprig. THE TEQUILA BUCK Serves one Every buck cocktail features two key ingredients: ginger beer and something citrusy. This version also adds tequila, plus raspberry cordial or grenadine and aromatic bitters for a rosy-hued tipple. Ingredients 45ml Jose Cuervo Especial Reposado 15ml raspberry cordial or grenadine 20ml lime juice 2 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters 120ml ginger beer 1 lime wedge or candied ginger (optional) Method Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then add Jose Cuervo Especial Reposado, raspberry cordial or grenadine, lime juice and Angostura aromatic bitters. Shake for about 30 seconds. Strain into a wine glass and top with ginger beer. Then, garnish with lime wedge or candied ginger. Or, you could just watch this quick how-to video below. https://youtu.be/lxpNiYKB514 ELDERFLOWER T'N'T Serves one Tequila pairs mighty well with tonic, as this take on an old favourite shows. You'll also enjoy the distinctive taste of elderflower here, so you won't confuse this for any other spritz. Ingredients 30ml Jose Cuervo Especial Silver 20ml elderflower liqueur 10ml lime juice 2 dashes Angostura orange bitters 120ml tonic 1 cucumber slice (optional) Method Fill a wine glass with ice, then add Jose Cuervo Especial Silver, elderflower liqueur, lime juice, Angostura orange bitters and tonic. Stir, but only briefly, then top with a cucumber slice as a garnish. SPARKLING MARGARITA Serves one A margarita, but make it sparkling? This spritz is as simple and straightforward as it sounds. It's also a perfect go-to for when you only have a few ingredients on hand. Ingredients 45ml Jose Cuervo Especial Reposado 120ml lemon soda 1 lemon wedge (optional) Method Fill a wine glass with ice, add Jose Cuervo Especial Reposado and top with lemon soda, then garnish with a lemon wedge. See? Simple. Find more Jose Cuervo cocktail recipes by visiting the brand's website.
When Greta Gerwig's Margot Robbie-starring Barbie takes audiences on an opening tour of Barbie Land, it makes one thing supremely clear: Barbie can be anything. The famous doll can be President, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, a diplomat and a Supreme Court justice. It can be a mermaid, doctor, lawyer and Pulitzer-winner, too. Off-screen, Barbie the movie can be one helluva pink-hued pioneer in smashing records as well — including by reaching $1 billion at the box office globally. It took just 17 days from release for Barbie to notch up that figure, Variety reports. In the process, it earned that massive stack of cash faster than any other movie from Warner Bros, beating Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2's 19-day feat. Raking in all those takings from all those cinemagoers basking in Barbie's joys is all well and ace, but making Lady Bird and Little Women filmmaker Gerwig the first solo female director to hit the billion-dollar mark is a stunning achievement — the kind that really deserves a giant blowout party with all the Barbies, planned choreography and a bespoke song. [caption id="attachment_907779" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Caroline McCredie[/caption] Barbie is only the second film this year to crack a billion at the worldwide box office, after The Super Mario Bros Movie. Since the pandemic hit, only Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water, Jurassic World Dominion and Spider-Man: No Way Home have also brought in that much money. Wondering where Barbie's Barbenheimer buddy sits? Christopher Nolan's vastly dissimilar atomic-bomb thriller Oppenheimer has hit half a billion at the time of writing. The Robbie- and Ryan Gosling (The Gray Man)-led film has beaten Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Fast X, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, The Little Mermaid, Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' respective 2023 takings too — all of which sit alongside it, Mario and Oppenheimer in the global top ten right now. On the list of highest-grossing films of all time, only Frozen, Frozen II and Captain Marvel place higher with a female director at the helm — but all three were co-helmed with male filmmakers. Back when Barbie reach the half-billion mark on July 28, Warner Bros Pictures President of Domestic Distribution Jeff Goldstein and President of International Distribution Andrew Cripps said that "the extraordinary Greta Gerwig and her marvellous cast and crew have delivered an event for every kind of moviegoer everywhere in the world and, as critical praise continues to mount, what is quickly proving to be one of the best-reviewed movies of the year." "We couldn't be more thrilled or proud of these phenomenal results, and congratulate the filmmakers, cast and our colleagues at Mattel on this spectacular run, which — like Barbie herself — continues to defy all expectations." In Australia, Barbie made history almost instantly. The film notched up the biggest opening at the Australian box office for 2023 so far, raking in $21.5 million including preview screenings, over its first weekend — and earned the biggest opening weekend ever for a film directed by a female filmmaker. Alongside Oppenheimer, it also saw the Aussie box office score its biggest-ever Saturday and Sunday takings. And, it's likely to soon surpass The Super Mario Bros Movie as the highest-grossing film of 2023 in Australia so far. Yes, Barbie definitely can do anything. Check out the trailer below: Barbie is showing in Australian and New Zealand cinemas now. Read our review. Via Variety.
Our team of editors have curated a Hobart getaway package for Concrete Playground Trips, taking guests on an exclusive tour of Tassie's art, wine and culture scene. This trip covers your Hobart essentials, but then we've stepped things up a notch for you. Take a scenic flight over the iconic Wineglass Bay, get the 'posh-as' MONA experience (with a long, boozy lunch included), and squeeze in a series of wine tastings across the region. Plus, all the organising has been done in advance. No need to scour the internet for the best accom (the trip includes a four-night stay at the fantastic Henry Jones Art Hotel), book cabs or create an itinerary of your own. We've done it all for you. But we also know how important it is to keep holiday plans flexible — that's why there's no formalised itinerary for this trip. Instead, you can lock in the below included experiences at a time that suits you. MONA ON A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL If you haven't heard of MONA, you've been living under a rock. This art institution is a can't-miss Hobart experience. And this package doesn't just give you a ticket to the galleries and grounds. Booking through Concrete Playground Trips gives you a ferry ride to MONA and a private guided tour and wine tasting at their Moorilla winery. Then you'll enjoy an excellent two-course lunch that comes with even more locally produced wine, plus a bottle of Moorilla's Muse to take back to your hotel. If you're going to visit MONA, do it this way. WINEGLASS AND WILDLIFE TOUR On another day, guests take to the skies over Wineglass Bay. During a 45-minute flight, you'll soar further above Freycinet National Park, home to dramatic pink granite mountains, secluded bays, crystal clear waters and pristine white beaches. Leaving the peninsula, you'll fly over the seal colony of Ile Des Phoques and continue towards Maria Island, where you'll touch down to explore the island on foot. Known for its abundance of wildlife, Hobart's Maria Island is home to rare and endangered species like the swift parrot and Cape Barren goose, wombats, kangaroos and of course, the Tassie Devil. We even manage to squeeze a decadent seafood and vino lunch into the day – bring on all the local oysters! ACCOMMODATION We have the hotel picked out for you too. The Henry Jones Art Hotel will be your home for four nights, giving you somewhere historic and calming to rest your head. The jam warehouse turned dedicated arts hotel comes with in-house restaurants and cocktail bars serving up innovative feasts and cocktails from Tasmania's best seasonal produce. [caption id="attachment_865273" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Tourism Tasmania[/caption] Luxe amenities and foodie delights aside, what's most intriguing about a stay at The Henry Jones Art Hotel is the unique opportunity it poses to stay inside a – very comfortable, very cosy – art gallery, essentially. Some 400 artworks (most by emerging Tassie artists) adorn hallways, guest rooms and public spaces here, and you might just spot an artist in residency toiling away on their masterpiece in the lobby. Need further inspiration? Read our Long Weekender's Guide to Hobart and travel further afield to get a taste of all things Tassie with our extensive guide to the best of Tassie's fantastic food, produce and culinary culture. Book tickets to this exclusive getaway through the Concrete Playground Trips website. Main image credit: Tourism Tasmania & Rob Burnett
Bright lights, performances around the city and interesting chats aren't the only things on Vivid Sydney's lineup when it pops up in the middle of each year. Since 2023, Vivid Food has also been its own festival within the broader festival, putting all things culinary in the spotlight. It's heaven for your tastebuds, and it's coming back for the second time in 2024 — and, based on the just-dropped program, you'll have plenty of must-attend events to choose from. At the top of the list: visits from acclaimed international chefs, all showing the Harbour City their gastronomical prowess. Manoella Buffara of Brazil's Manu Restaurant will get cooking in Sydney from Friday, May 24–Sunday, June 2 for Vivid's annual residency, with Ploós on the Vivid Sydney Light Walk set to showcase her focus on local produce and sustainability. This'll be the first time that 2022's Best Female Chef in Latin America hops into the kitchen Down Under, working with the Ploós team to put on two fine-dining menus: a nine-course tasting dinner which'll cost $420 and a seven-course lunch option that'll set you back $320. "I'm incredibly excited to be part of Vivid Food in Sydney, an event that highlights the importance of cuisine in our culture. As the culinary capital of Australia, Sydney becomes a hub for vibrant flavour exchanges, bringing together top chefs and local producers to create memorable food experiences," said Buffara about her impending visit. "In the heart of this bustling city, I will launch a pop-up that showcases my love for high-quality ingredients and authentic flavours. Sharing my cooking and stories with Sydney is a true honour, and I look forward to being part of this amazing food event that Vivid Food offers." Michelin-starred chefs Sally Abé, Ivan Brehm and Max Coen are on their way to Sydney as well, thanks to the Vivid Chef Series. Abé from The Pem in London is teaming up with Billy Hannigan at The Charles Brasserie & Bar, serving up three lunches and dinners that mix British cuisine with European influences. From Nour in Singapore, Ivan Brehm has a date with AALIA for two dinners that'll pair Middle Eastern cuisine with global flavours, working alongside the Sydney spot's Paul Farag. And Coen from London's Dorian is joining forces with Ben Greeno from Fred's to hero wood-fired grilling, farm-to-table ingredients and being hyper-seasonal. When the bulk of the 2024 Vivid lineup dropped in March, unveiling its theme of "humanity" and outlining most of what's occurring in Harbour City for 23 nights between Friday, May 24–Saturday, June 15, the fest detailed a few Vivid Food elements. So, the fact that Vivid Fire Kitchen will go big on barbecue in its new location at The Goods Line isn't new news; however, it is exciting, and the event has also dropped its own roster of talent. Fire sculptures and flame shooters will help set the mood, as will fire drums — and Firedoor's Lennox Hastie will be among the folks putting on demonstrations. He'll be joined by chef and author Christine Manfield, the World Food Championships' Seafood Champion John McFadden, Karkalla owner Mindy Woods, the Texas-based Jess Pryles, Niklas Ekstedt from Sweden's Ekstedt at The Yard and Shalamar Lane from My Father's Barbeque in Los Angeles, for starters. Also a Vivid Food standout: the nostalgic Messina Milk Bar, where the beloved gelato chain will be giving classic desserts and chocolates its own twist. A warm Milo fudge sundae is just one of the dishes to look forward to. As announced previously, Vivid's 2024 program also spans Kyiv Social's Plates with Purpose: A Taste of Ukraine, a ten-course degustation that will make you feel like you're sat at a Ukrainian family's table; the VividPlace Food Trail, which'll turn Sydney Place and Bulletin Place's laneways into a night food market each night of Vivid; and Our Shared Humanity at Refettorio OzHarvest, with Manfield, Darren Robertson, Mitch Orr and more whipping up three-course vegetarian menus using rescued produce And, there's also Aurorae at Bennelong Bar, Bennelong's pop-up snack and cocktail bar — and A Culinary Canvas by Danielle Alvarez celebrates women in the Australian food and wine scenes in Sydney Opera House's Yallamundi Rooms. [caption id="attachment_898138" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] [caption id="attachment_898139" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] Vivid Sydney runs from Friday, May 24–Saturday, June 15 at various locations around Sydney. Head to the festival website for further details and tickets. Top image: Destination NSW.
When the new Hilton hotel opened in Melbourne's heritage 1930s Equity Chambers last year, it needed a swanky destination eatery to seal the deal. You can't open a luxury hotel these days without a big-name chef downstairs cooking eggs. That restaurant turned out to be Luci: a contemporary Australian fine diner with an Italian-Euro twist, named after the Roman leader and famous gourmet, Lucias Lucullus. The chef is Sam Moore (Pier in Rose Bay, Becasse, No.35 at Sofitel Melbourne), who has just released a sharp new menu across three services – brekkie, lunch and dinner. [caption id="attachment_845602" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kristoffer Paulsen[/caption] "Striking a balance between classic and modern sensibilities, my produce-driven food highlights quality ingredients prepared with an elegant simplicity at the fore. From ocean-fresh seafood, or vegetables just out of the soil, I am proud to deliver this menu to our diners," says Moore. Luci isn't really trying to appeal to the W Melbourne or QT crowd. This isn't where you come for DJs and pool parties. Set inside the vaulted ceilings of the Equity Chambers, and positioned in the heart of Melbourne's legal district, it's a deliberately old-world set-up. Think, original wood panelling, restored heritage elevators, timber banisters and stonework galore. The menu is upscale too. There's a wicked crab benedict for breakfast, topped with umami-packed bonito hollandaise; Hiramasa kingfish crudo for lunch, with celery, horseradish and orchard apples; or maybe Wimmera duck breast for dinner, served with radicchio and creamy celeriac. The wine list is fully stocked, as you'd expect, with a broad mix of local Victorian drops and low-intervention stuff. Plenty of options to keep things interesting. [caption id="attachment_845598" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kristoffer Paulsen[/caption] Speaking of drinks, if you want a cocktail before dinner, check out the 1930s-style Douglas Club bar, just next door to Luci. It's in the fully-restored front bit of the Equity Building, and Hilton have even snagged bar manager Gee Shanmugam (from Windsor's Galah Bar and Mya Tiger at The Espy). Our tip: try the mini parmesan donuts from the bar menu. As part of their takeover-refurbishment of the Equity Chambers, Hilton has also installed some pretty eye-catching new suites upstairs. The entire building has had a massive glow-up. If you're looking for a romantic night away in the CBD, with killer food and a 1930s cocktail bar downstairs, the Hilton on Little Queen Street is now a serious contender. Find Luci within the Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street (entry via 472 Bourke Street, Melbourne). Images: Food and interiors by Kristoffer Paulsen; Hilton entrance by Paul Gosney
When Kendrick Lamar was announced as Spilt Milk's 2025 headliner, festivalgoers had all the right words to say courtesy of the man himself. "DAMN" and "LOVE" also apply to his other Australian gigs this summer. Not content with taking to the stage Down Under in Ballarat, Perth, Canberra and on the Gold Coast, the acclaimed hip hop artist has also locked in solo stadium shows on his next Australian trip, as part of his Grand National tour. After making its way around North America and Europe, Lamar's latest string of live dates is heading to Melbourne and Sydney. In the former, he's playing AAMI Park on Wednesday, December 3–Thursday, December 4, 2025. [caption id="attachment_1008775" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gregory Shamus/Getty Images[/caption] December clearly suits Lamar for a jaunt Down Under — that's when the Pulitzer Music Prize-winning musician also made the trip in 2022. Lamar is one of the most-critically acclaimed and successful hip hop artists of our generation. He currently has 22 Grammys to his name, plus an Academy Award nomination for one of his contributions to the Black Panther soundtrack. He won the 2017 Triple J Hottest 100 and, when he nabbed his Pulitzer in 2018, he also became the first ever artist to take out the prestigious award for contemporary music. GNX, his most-recent studio album, dropped in November 2024 — with his extensive catalogue also spanning 2011's Section.80, 2012's good kid, m.A.A.d city, 2015's To Pimp A Butterfly, 2017's DAMN and 2022's Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. Updated Wednesday, August 6, 2025.
Put those glittery gumboots away: you won't be dancing to 'Padam Padam' in North Byron Bay Parklands this winter. Splendour in the Grass has become the latest Australian music festival to scrap its plans, with organisers announcing that 2024's event has now been cancelled, continuing a heartbreaking trend for the local industry. The news comes just weeks after the winter fest unveiled its Kylie Minogue-, Future- and Arcade Fire-led lineup in mid-March, and follows on from a heap of other cancellations across the Aussie festival scene of late. In February, Groovin the Moo also ditched its 2024 events just a fortnight after revealing its lineup. Also, Falls Festival took summer 2023–24 off, Summergrounds Music Festival at Sydney Festival was cancelled and This That hasn't gone ahead for a couple of years now. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Splendour in the Grass (@splendourinthegrass) "With a heavy heart, we're announcing the cancellation of Splendour in the Grass 2024," said the Splendour team in a statement. "We know there were many fans excited for this year's lineup and all the great artists planning to join us, but due to unexpected events we'll be taking the year off. Ticketholders will be refunded automatically by Moshtix. We thank you for your understanding and will be working hard to be back in future years." "We're heartbroken to be missing a year, especially after more than two decades in operation. This festival has always been a huge community effort, and we'd like to thank everyone for their support and overall faith. We hope to be back in the future," added Jessica Ducrou and Paul Piticco, co-CEOs of Secret Sounds. Splendour was set to feature Kylie and Future doing exclusive shows, plus a lineup that also spanned Turnstile, The Presets doing a DJ set, Yeat, Hayden James, Girl in Red, Baby Gravy, Tash Sultana, DJ Seinfeld, Fontaines DC, Royel Otis, Tones and I and more. Omar Apollo, The Last Dinner Party, Lizzy McAlpine, The Kills, Thelma Plum, Partiboi69, Angie McMahon, Viagra Boys: they were all also on the bill, which was due to take to the stage from Friday, July 19–Sunday, July 21. 2024's event would've marked the festival's 22nd birthday — and its third COVID-19-era fest, following the supremely muddy 2022 iteration (which was delayed for the two years due to the pandemic's early days) and 2023's go-around. Triple J, one of Splendour's long-running partners, first broke the cancellation news. Splendour in the Grass will no longer take place from Friday, July 19–Sunday, July 21, 2024 at North Byron Bay Parklands, Byron Bay. For more information, head to the festival website. Images: Charlie Hardy, Bianca Holderness and Claudia Ciapocha.
Already in 2023, the various streaming services available in Australia have delivered must-see game-to-TV adaptations like The Last of Us, blasts from the pasts multiple times over such as That '90s Show and glorious cult-comedy revivals with Party Down. From there, the list goes on. But if you've read Trent Dalton's Boy Swallows Universe, the Netflix series based on it is likely at the top of your must-see list — and it'll hit before the year is out. The streaming platform hasn't revealed exactly when Boy Swallows Universe will arrive, but it is locked in for a 2023 release. Also, it just finished production in Brisbane. Smartly, the Brissie-set tale has been filmed in the Sunshine State capital for its jump to TV — after it also became one of 2021's stage hits in Brisbane, too. Boy Swallows Universe spins a story about a young boy, his prophetic brother and his jailbreaking best friend as they navigate the heroin-filled underworld of 80s Queensland. Netflix's adaptation was first announced in 2022, and will span eight episodes, running as a self-contained limited series. Travis Fimmel (Black Snow) stars as Lyle Orlik, while the cast also includes Simon Baker (Blaze) as Robert Bell and Phoebe Tonkin (Bloom) as Frances Bell — plus Felix Cameron (Penguin Bloom) as Eli Bell and Lee Tiger Halley (The Heights) as Gus Bell. Also set to feature: Bryan Brown (Hungry Ghosts) as Slim Halliday, Anthony LaPaglia (Nitram) as Tytus Broz, and Sophie Wilde (Eden) as Caitlyn Spies, plus Christopher James Baker (Ozark) as Ivan Kroll, HaiHa Le (Back to the Rafters) as Bich Dang and Deborah Mailman (Total Control) as Poppy Birkbeck. And, you'll see Ben O'Toole (Barons) as Teddy, Zachary Wan (Never Too Late) as Darren Dang, and Millie Donaldson and Eloise Rothfield as Shelley Huffman (aged 17 and 13, respectively). For the second time since shooting began, the streaming service has also dropped a heap of behind-the-scenes photos, if you're keen for a sneak peek before a trailer drops. Boy Swallows Universe is directed by Bharat Nalluri (The Man Who Invented Christmas), Jocelyn Moorhouse (The Dressmaker) and Kim Mordaunt (The Rocket), and scripted by screenwriter John Collee (Master and Commander, Happy Feet, Hotel Mumbai). The impressive names involved extend to the show's executive producers, too, which include Troy Lum (The Water Diviner, Saving Mr Banks, Mao's Last Dancer), Andrew Mason (The Matrix, The Water Diviner), Sophie Gardiner (Howard's End, Chimerica), Kerry Roberts (Foe, Boy Erased), and Aussie actor and filmmaker Joel Edgerton (The Stranger, The Underground Railroad). On the page, Boy Swallows Universe has snagged a slew of local awards, including Book of the Year, Literary Book of the Year and Audio Book of the Year at the 2019 Australian Book Industry Awards. The novel, which has sold a hefty amount of copies in Australia alone — 160,000 in 2019, when the play was announced — was also longlisted for Australia's most prestigious literature prize, the Miles Franklin Award. And, while bringing Boy Swallows Universe to the screen has been in the works for some time — with Harper Collins selling the television rights to the novel back in 2019, and Edgerton set to produce the show since then — if you've been waiting to actually lock your eyes on a Boy Swallows Universe series, 2023 is your year. Boy Swallows Universe will hit Netflix sometime in 2023. We'll update you with an exact release date when it's announced. Images: Netflix.
Far from being abstract paintings of dragon scales or elaborate curves and textures, Andre Armolaev has captured incredible aerial images of Iceland's twisting rivers meandering across the black, ashy volcanic sand. With over 30 active volcanic systems, Iceland is host to one of the world's most 'explosive' areas. Armolaev describes the bird's eye view over the river and volcanic systems in this country as "an inexpressible combination of colors, lines, and patterns." He is fascinated by the contrast the land and water make against each other and the organic and incomparable shapes they create. These stunning photographs capture the beauty that can be created from natural disasters and demonstrate the unparalleled power and allure of Mother Earth. Take a look at the collection of aerial photographs of Iceland's volcanoes taken from thisiscolossal.
Choosing a beer to drink should be simple. But even if you're determined to drink local and support Australian brewers, there are just so many beverages and brands to pick from. That's the dilemma everyone faces when they go to the bottle shop — so imagine how difficult it is to select the top brews at the Royal Queensland Food and Wine Show Beer Awards. The folks behind the annual accolades have managed to pick their preferred beverages for 2021, with the results announced on Wednesday, March 3. The awards span a heap of categories, with more than 480 individual beers submitted (and if you're now thinking that choosing the winners sounds like your dream job, that's understandable). Sydney Brewery earned the biggest gong of the awards, the Grand Champion Beer, for its pilsner — and that wasn't the only major field it topped. It was also named the best small/medium brewery and, in the minor categories, won for its lager. If you're a Sydneysider looking for some motivation to visit its Surry Hills site, you've just found it. Obviously, if there's a category for smaller brewers, there's one for larger outfits, which the Gold Coast's Black Hops Brewing won. And, there's also a best new brewery field, with Stomping Ground Brewing Co in Melbourne doing the honours. As for the champion brewpub, that went to Moffat Beach Brewing Co on the Sunshine Coast. [caption id="attachment_684633" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Sydney Brewery[/caption] Being held in the Sunshine State, the awards also anoint a best Queensland beer, with Aether Brewing's Hop Skip Jump IPA Draught getting the nod — and winning the strong beer field, too. Other breweries to pick up a trophy include Gypsy Fox Brewing Co from Grose Vale in New South Wales, which makes the best amber dark ale; Brisbane's All Inn Brewing Co, who do the best porter or stout; and fellow Brisbanite Felons Brewing Co, with its Dark Side Bourbon Barrel Stout claiming the hybrid beer field. For more information about the 2021 Royal Queensland Food and Wine Show Beer Awards winners, head to the show's website. Top image: Stomping Ground, David Hyde.
Calendars out, Marvel fans: if you've been looking forward to adding more superheroes to your small-screen viewing in 2023, Disney+ has just the solution. First, Secret Invasion is on its way this winter, focusing on Samuel L Jackson's Nick Fury. Then, come spring, both the second season of Loki and the debut of newcomer Echo will follow. 2023 marks two years since the Marvel Cinematic Universe's God of Mischief first hit streaming queues, doing so with a final promise: "Loki will return in season two". When it premiered, it was just the third MCU series to hit Disney+ after WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and it's been followed by Hawkeye, Moon Knight, Ms Marvel and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. But a couple of years has felt like a hefty wait for more of Tom Hiddleston (The Essex Serpent) getting his superpowered trickster on. The date to lock into your diary now: Friday, October 6, with the new batch of episodes set to pick up where season one left off. So, expect more chaos from the MCU favourite, more of Owen Wilson (Marry Me) as Mobius M Mobius, more banter (naturally) and more clone trickery. "Loki is back at the TVA, he's had a very difficult confrontation with Sylvie, and Mobius and Hunter B-15 don't know who he is," Hiddleston advised back in 2022, before season two also scored a brief sneak peek as part of Disney+'s streaming highlights trailer for 2023. [caption id="attachment_862338" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.[/caption] As for Hawkeye spinoff Echo, it's locked in for Wednesday, November 29 — and it'll enjoy a first for the MCU on streaming. Disney+ usually drops a few episodes at once for each show, then unfurls the rest weekly afterwards. But this one will arrive all at once on the same day. Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) is the Echo's focus — and, as first seen in Hawkeye, she's the gang leader who is deaf that had Clint Barton in her sights for a stint of revenge. In a series also starring Chaske Spencer (The English), Tantoo Cardinal (Three Pines), Devery Jacobs (Reservation Dogs), Cody Lightning (Run Woman Run), Graham Greene (The Last of Us) and Zahn McClarnon (Dark Winds), the character now gets an origin story. There's no trailer yet for either Loki season two or Echo, but you can check out Disney+'s 2023 trailer below: Loki season two will premiere on Disney+ on Friday, October 6, while Echo will arrive on Wednesday, November 29. Top image: ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
One of the biggest names in the world of Australian women's fashion, Melbourne's own Toni Maticevski has shown at numerous fashion shows both here and in New York. Now, the award winning designer will be the subject of a comprehensive exhibition at the Bendigo Art Gallery. Running from August 13 until November 20, Maticevski: Dark Wonderland will chart its subject's journey from RMIT graduate to one of the leading design figures of his generation. Along the way, the exhibition will showcase many of Maticevski's most memorable and innovative garments, explore his recurring motifs and inspirations, and highlight his collaborations with major Australian cultural institutions, including the Australian Ballet, the Sydney Dance Company and the National Gallery of Victoria. Image: Toni Maticevski, Doona Dresses, Fall 2007/2008. Photographer: Georges Antoni.
Bingo. Rave. Two ends of the spectrum of fine holiday fun finally came together in Australia this year. Bongo's Bingo is a games night like you've never seen before. Part club, part rave, and, of course, part bingo night, this unlikely fusion event has been wildly popular in the UK since 2015. They took the show on the road, launching in Australia this June and coming back in August. And, it went so well, they're doing it all yet again. Patrons can expect all of the debauchery of the original British version of Bongo's Bingo, including rave intervals, dancing on tables and a loose kind of bingo that you definitely never played with your nan (well, maybe you have). The victorious players can win everything from big cash prizes to a Hills Hoist, with a range of some absolutely ridiculous surprises on offer. Bongo's Bingo heads to a secret Melbourne location on October 28, with details to be revealed via the event website.
There's always something new in the works from Josh Niland. There's always another restaurant on the way, someone throwing the Sydney seafood chef some love or a reason to try his nose-to-tail approach to the ocean's finest. In the past year or so alone, he's opened his second iteration of seafood butchery and takeaway shop Fish Butchery in Waterloo, announced plans to take over The Grand National Hotel and move restaurant Saint Peter into it, and launched restaurant and bar Petermen in St Leonards. Oh, and he was the only Australian to make the top 100 best chefs in the world list for 2022, and scored the Game Changer Award from France's prestigious La Liste with his wife Julie. Next on the list: slipping back into home kitchens everywhere. As much of a delight as it would be to have Niland drop by your door and whip you up at meal, that sadly isn't on the menu — but helping you learn his tricks of the trade, and make his recipes, is. Already, Niland has released two cookbooks: The Whole Fish Cookbook in 2019 and its sequel Take One Fish. Next comes a tome with a familiar name, aka Fish Butchery. [caption id="attachment_855330" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rob Palmer[/caption] For his third foray into print, the chef will share his expert techniques, and also some of his pioneering recipes. In the process, as his cuisine always does whether you're eating at his restaurants or working through his tips at home, he'll be advocating for culinary sustainability. Readers will peruse the manual's three sections — entitled 'Catch', 'Cut' and 'Craft' — for detailed instructions on how to prepare fish, plus 40-plus dishes to make. So, get ready to learn the reverse-butterfly and double-saddle methods, then cook up fish sticks, fish pies, fish sausages and fish chorizo. [caption id="attachment_870811" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Niland at the Talisker and Saint Peter pop-up.[/caption] Debuting in hard cover and spanning 272 pages, Fish Butchery will hit bookstores on Wednesday, August 30. If you're a seafood fiend, you'll want to make space on your kitchen shelves ASAP — next to The Whole Fish Cookbook andTake One Fish, of course. The former nabbed Niland the James Beard Book of the Year Award back in 2020, becoming the first Australian do win the acclaimed prize. And the latter focused on 15 global varieties of fish, giving readers 60-plus ways to cook them up. [caption id="attachment_826359" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Niland at Charcoal Fish.[/caption] Fish Butchery: Mastering The Catch, Cut And Craft will release on Wednesday, August 30. Top image: Rob Palmer, The Whole Fish Cookbook.
Just can't let this time of year pass without sinking a few pretzels and steins of bier? Well, neither can the folks at Melbourne's German laneway haunt Hofbrauhaus, so they've been busy plotting a special virtual edition of their annual Oktoberfest celebrations. The team is beaming all the 'Loktoberfest' fun directly to living rooms across the city, this Saturday, October 10. The Zoom festivities kick off at 5.30pm with a live-streamed keg tapping of Hofbrauhaus' own Oktoberfest bier, a first-time affair made in collaboration with the folks at Burnley Brewing. Then, it's on to a special edition of the venue's weekly live 'Bier Chat' tastings. Those keen to drink along can get a tasting pack delivered to their door, complete with a stein glass, some of the collaboration bier and a classic Bavarian Oktoberfest brew. You can further transport yourself to Munich with a feast of goodies from Hofbrauhaus' takeaway and delivery menus. Get stuck into some bretzels and tap bier, along with finish-at-home dishes like pork knuckle, schnitzel and apfelstrudel. The Loktoberfest celebrations are set to continue into the night, with games, activities and general German-inspired frivolity. You can even sign up for the Zoom stein-holding competition and show off your arm strength for the chance to win a feed for six at Hofbrauhaus post-lockdown.
Victoria's arts scene had a pretty tough go in 2020, with events cancelled and galleries shut for a good chunk of the year. But the brand-new PHOTO 2021 International Festival of Photography hopes to fire things up again, delivering a jam-packed program of art and culture from Thursday, February 18–Sunday, March 7. After a missed launch last year, the festival now makes its debut, with a forward-thinking lineup of exhibitions and events to grace streets, spaces and galleries across both Melbourne and regional Victoria. You'll have the chance to catch inspiring works from a diverse lineup of international photography talent — from Eliza Hutchison's experimental political works gracing the outside of Parliament House, to a participatory portrait project that'll see Fed Square flooded with faces, which ponders questions of identity across the weekend of February 18–21. Also on the bill: a series of bold works commissioned as part of the Metro Tunnel Creative Program, from the likes of New Zealand's Ann Shelton and Japanese artist Kenta Cobayashi. And prominent spots like Prahran Square, the State Library, the Royal Botanic Gardens and AC/DC Lane will be transformed into outdoor galleries, each hosting installations for the duration of the festival. [caption id="attachment_796408" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Untitled from Photographic Universe. 2019. © Kenta Cobayashi[/caption] Top image: An Invitation to Dance, Ann Shelton / Federation Square, Charles Thomas.
“My father passed away when I was three. It was only this year that I realised that he was just thirty when he died. So, if I make it through this year alive, I’ll outlive my own father, which is crazy. And that’s why my album is called Thirty One. Apparently he was a really amazing musician, so I think that’s where I got my music from.” Brisbane singer-songwriter Jarryd James has had one heck of a year. The 31-year-old former teaching student's debut LP Thirty One drops September 11, but he's already blitzed the Australian charts and festival circuit. Since his single, ‘Do You Remember?’ hit number two on the ARIA charts in February, James has been living in a dream-like state, selling out huge national venues like Sydney's Metro Theatre and playing to one of Splendour's biggest crowds. “There was no way I was expecting that,” he said. “It’s been incredible. I don’t think I’ve really had a chance to process it properly.” ‘Do You Remember?’ has now racked up more than 2 million Youtube views, and he's just released a single co-written with Julia Stone. And that's all in one year. We caught the Brisbane singer on the day of his debut album launch, to head back to the beginning, to chat about singing up a storm in his bedroom, the tapes his mum used to play and how the heck he worked with Frank Ocean and Lorde's producers. ON TRAINING HIS VOICE USING HIS MUM’S TAPES Despite a furiously busy year of fast fame, James's deceptively simple track has years of work – and listening – behind it. James started singing when he was just a kid. “I never had any training or anything like that. I’d put tapes on and just sing along. I listened to a lot of Stevie Wonder, Harry Nilsson, The Beatles and Bob Dylan — all the staples, I guess. And the stuff my mum had in her tape and record collection. Singing is all about listening, really, more than it is about making noise. You need to listen to what’s happening and adjust your voice accordingly. I spent a lot of time listening to other singers and figuring out how they did it.” ON BEING A SHY BEDROOM SINGER Even though singing came naturally to James, performing was a different matter. “As a teenager, I never sang in front of anyone else. I was ridiculously shy and the thought of it made me feel sick.” It wasn’t until James was 19 that he worked up the courage to sing in public, which launched a decade of music-making — from touring independently to playing bass with good mate Matt Corby. And now the tables have turned — performing is now James's "favourite part". "It’s one thing to record a song and go back and change things. But when you’re performing in a room, it’s in real time. It’s happening there and then, and it has its own energy, which I find a bit addictive. There’s no other thing in the world that makes you feel like that. It’s amazing. The bigger the crowd, the easier it is … The only time I get nervous is when it’s some awkward thing, like a label showcase, where there are twenty people staring at you in a silent room.” ON WORKING WITH LORDE AND FRANK OCEAN'S PRODUCERS Jarryd recorded Thirty One in Auckland, Los Angeles, Melbourne and Sydney, with the input of three seriously Big Time producers — Joel Little (Lorde, Broods), Malay (Frank Ocean) and Pip Norman (Urthboy, Dan Sultan). As a result, listeners can expect twelve melodic, laidback tracks, including ‘Do You Remember?’, as well as the also already-released ‘Give Me Something’ and ‘Regardless’ (featuring Julia Stone). So what kind of sound does a Brisbane boy and Frank Ocean's producer come up with? “Nothing was forced. We were all on the same page musically and we decided that we should see what happens. We weren’t trying to force out any hits or any of that shit. We enjoyed each other’s company first and foremost, and we made music according to that. I don’t care at all about what anyone’s done previously or what their status is or what their name is. I care about what their agenda is with music and what they value when they’re writing and producing.” ON SIMPLICITY AND HONESTY Jarryd describes his most important musical values as “simplicity and honesty. A lot of [the music on Thirty One] is quite emotional. It is stuff that’s flowed out of me … I try to let my subconscious lead the writing process and switch my brain off as much as I can. I’ve learnt to trust that. When I over-think and second-guess, that’s when I get myself in a bit of a rut, creatively. I think the main thing I focus on is not focusing. It sounds weird but it does work for me. "I don’t even let myself think about fears that I have because I’m the kind of person, if I get down that path, it’ll kind of maybe mess me up a bit. But my hopes are that I can keep on doing this for a long as I can – that being decades and decades. I want to be able to make enough money to live off and support other musicians and help as many people as I can. I have a very blessed life now so I want to be able to pass that on." Jarryd James' debut album Thirty One is out September 11 via Universal Music. Images: Universal, Ian Laidlaw (Splendour)
If pastel wasn't already part of your gig-going wardrobe, it will be at Australia's newest music festival, with Client Liaison's Expo Liaison touring the country in August. Announced back in May, the seven-hour event will hit Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Brisbane across August 18–26, and the headlining duo will have quite the company. Alongside a roster of eight other acts, the duo's own set will also feature John Farnham. Alice Ivy, Ken Davis, Kon, Luke Million featuring KLP, No Zu, Rainbow Chan and Total Giovanni are all on the bill, plus John Howard doing a DJ set. Whether that's John Howard the former prime minister, John Howard the Aussie actor or just some other guy called John Howard, well, your guess is as good as ours — but Triple j are reporting that it's the former. As for the kind of vibe that's in store, the curated event has fest badged "a multimedia, multi-city, multiversal experience" in its promotional material, as well as a "once-in-a-lifetime event". They're the kind of descriptions that plenty of gigs and fests throw around, but Client Liaison have a track record of delivering more than just the usual shows — or fashion lines or music videos, for that matter. Tickets are currently on sale across all four cities, and if you're keen to hear the duo's own thoughts on the festival, check out the Expo Liaison trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgSsrdVHnh0&feature=youtu.be Expo Liaison heads to Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse on August 18, Sydney's Parramatta Park on August 25 and Brisbane's Victoria Park on August 26. Head to Client Liaison's website for further details and to buy tickets.
It's been four years since Ryan Gosling last graced screens, rocketing to the moon in First Man. No, Barbie set photos pored over on every internet-connected device don't count. Since he played Neil Armstrong, much has happened. There's the obvious off-screen, of course — but then there's Chris Evans farewelling Captain America, and also appearing in Knives Out with the scene-stealing Ana de Armas. After co-starring in Blade Runner 2049 with Gosling back in 2017, she leapt from that Evans-featuring whodunnit to palling around with 007 in No Time to Die. Also during that time, Bridgerton pushed Regé-Jean Page to fame, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood earmarked Julia Butters as a young talent to watch. This isn't just a history lesson on The Gray Man's cast — well, some of them, given that Billy Bob Thornton (Goliath), Jessica Henwick (The Matrix Resurrections), Dhanush (Maaran), Wagner Moura (Shining Girls) and Alfre Woodard (The Lion King) also pop up, plus Australia's own Callan Mulvey (Firebite) — for the hell of it, though. Back in 2018, before all of the above played out, it's unlikely that this exact film with this exact cast would've eventuated. But plenty of action-thrillers about attempting to snuff out hyper-competent assassins already did flicker across celluloid — both John Wick and Atomic Blonde had already been there and done that, and the Bourne and Bond movies, and countless other predecessors. Still, the combination of this collection of current actors and that familiar setup isn't without its charms in The Gray Man, which makes the leap from the pages of Mark Greaney's 2009 novel to the big and streaming screens. Reportedly Netflix's most expensive movie to date, it lets its two biggest names bounce off of each other with chalk-and-cheese aplomb, and isn't short on globe-hopping action spectacle. The off-the-book spy versus off-the-book spy killer flick is knowing amid all that box-ticking formula, too, although not enough to make its cheesy lines sound smart and savvy. Gosling plays Court Gentry, aka Sierra Six; "007 was taken," he jokes. Before he's given his codename — before he's paid to do the CIA's dirty work as well — he's in prison for murder, then recruited by Donald Fitzroy (Thornton). Fast-forward 18 years and Six is a huge hit at two things: being a ghost, because he no longer officially exists; and covertly wreaking whatever havoc the government tells him to, including knocking off whichever nefarious figure they need gone. But one stint of the latter leaves him in possession of a USB drive that his arrogant new direct superior Carmichael (Page) will ruthlessly kill to destroy. Actually, to be precise, he'll pay Lloyd Hansen (Evans) of Hansen Government Services to do just that, and to do the dirty work that's too dirty for the criminals-turned-government hitmen in the Sierra program, with Six the number-one target. If you've seen one espionage-slash-assassin flick that sends a shadowy life-or-death fight bounding around the planet — here, Hong Kong, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Azerbaijan, Germany and Austria all feature, among other spots — then you've seen The Gray Man's template. Directing duo Joe and Anthony Russo helmed the Marvel Cinematic Universe's versions with Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War, so they know the drill. That they've seen a heap of other entries in the genre is never question, either. That feeling radiates from the script, which is credited to Joe Russo with seasoned Marvel scribes Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: End Game), and clearly styles its one-liners after superhero banter. Having Gosling and Evans sling it, one playing bearded, silent and virtuous and the other moustachioed, jabbering and unhinged, makes a helluva difference, however. The silver screen has missed Gosling, and the moody, charismatic brooding he does so well. Thanks to Drive and Only God Forgives, the actor is firmly in his calm-but-deadly, complex-but-smouldering element — and, when Fitzroy's niece Claire (Butters) joins the story, Gosling is also in comfortable The Nice Guys-style territory. That isn't a complaint; he's great at both, reliably and engagingly so. But, again, almost every aspect of The Gray Man recalls something similar or its stars' past work. As he did so memorably in Knives Out, Evans revels in his latest asshole swerve away from The Star Spangled Man with a Plan, spitting out his smirking dialogue with relish. (The trash 'stash and skin-tight wardrobe are new, but suit the psychopathic vibe that Lloyd is wrapped in as snug as spandex.) That at least 50 shades of this feature have filled other films before can't be shaken, and yet that fact never blows up the movie. Explosions aren't lacking, given the storyline. Neither are setpieces of varying action-flick ridiculousness to house them in, as well as such a hefty dose of transport-related mayhem that the Fast and Furious movies might get envious. There's nothing grey in colour about the first big action extravaganza, staged in Bangkok amid a gleaming nightclub and bursting fireworks — and the Russos' best shootouts, fights and frays boast a sense of playfulness, just like the back-and-forth between Gosling and Evans. Still, some lively lurches stumble. A "Ken doll" quip is too calculated to crib that Barbie mania, and when the setpiece setting ante gets upped to include a hedge maze, it's yet another reminder of riches elsewhere on celluloid. That said, Netflix also previously made the abhorrent Red Notice, the last film badged as its most expensive ever. Next to that atrocious example of cobbling together well-worn parts and plastering them over with megastars, The Gray Man naturally looks like a masterpiece. The Gray Man isn't a masterpiece, though. If it was — rather than being entertaining despite showing the easy dots it's connecting, and its seams — the slickly shot picture would make full use of its entire cast. The film is all the better for having de Armas, Page and the like in it, but they all scream for more screentime (and for better-fleshed-out characters), which may come for some in future instalments. As his mentor Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan saga did, Greaney's books have spawned followups. On the screen, both a sequel and a prequel were reportedly greenlit by Netflix before The Gray Man even reached audiences. Knowing that this is meant to be a franchise-starter doesn't justify its love of formula, or hide it, but it also doesn't detract from Gosling or Evans, or the dazzling destruction around them. The Gray Man screens in cinemas Down Under from Thursday, July 14, and is available to stream via Netflix from Friday, July 22. Image: Paul Abell/Netflix.
For a country surrounded by stunning coastlines, Australia hasn't been pulling its weight in the beach club department. Sure, we have waterside bars, but truly relaxing on the sand with a beer in your hand isn't something you can do legally in most of the country. The Gold Coast toyed with the idea, but it didn't come to fruition. And when Fremantle's Bathers Beach House opened up, it scored the nation's first liquor license for alfresco beach dining and drinking. The Gold Coast also played around with the beach club concept — aka European-style lounging, sipping and relaxing by the shore — however Adelaide has beaten it to the punch. If you're down South Australia way from mid-January, make a beeline to the beachside hotspot of Glenelg, and specifically the new Moseley Beach Club. An extension of the existing Moseley Bar & Kitchen, the club will boast eight premium sunbeds and 48 sun lounges on the Glenelg foreshore, which will be available for eager beachgoers seven days a week. Unsurprisingly, you'll need to book ahead to nab a comfy berth — but, once you're there, you'll also find a bar and casual dining area, with the entire space catering for a total of 350 people. The Moseley will also offer live acoustic music on weeknights and DJs on weekends. If you're wondering why the SA venue was able to achieve something nowhere else in the country has, it's simple: tourism. The local council, the City of Holdfast Bay, is acting upon independent research that found visitors would come to Glenelg more often if there was a licensed pop-up bar on the beach. For now, the Moseley Beach Club will run for 75 days until April, opening from noon to 9pm from Monday to Thursday, noon until 11pm on Fridays, 10am to 11pm on Saturdays and 10am to either 9pm on 11pm (if the next day is a public holiday) on Sundays. Entry is free before 5pm and $5 afterwards, while catching some rays on a lounge will set you back $50, which is redeemable on food and beverages and includes a free beach towel hire. Premium sunbeds are $100.
If you're a fan of twisty TV shows about wealth, privilege, power, influence, the vast chasm between the rich and everyday folks, and the societal problems that fester due to such rampant inequality, then 2021 has been a fantastic year. The White Lotus fit the bill, and proved such a hit that it's coming back for a second season. Squid Game, the high-stakes Korean horror-thriller absolutely everyone binged over the last month, ticks the box as well. And, so does Succession, with the much-acclaimed HBO drama finally returning for a third season. No series slings insults as savagely as this Emmy, Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics' Choice, Writers Guild and Directors Guild Award-winner. No show channels feuding and backstabbing into such an insightful and gripping satire of the one percent, either. Succession isn't just whip-smart, darkly piercing and frequently laugh-out-loud funny about its chosen milieu; it's the best drama on TV, one of the best-written shows on television, and among the best series all-round in general as well. So, here's two pieces of good news: firstly, Succession's third season is as biting, scathing and entertaining as viewers have come to expect, and might just be its finest yet; and, secondly, HBO has just renewed the show for a fourth season. Neither of these revelations is particularly surprising, but they're still excellent. Announcing the renewal, HBO noted that in the US, the series' third-season premiere was its most-watched episode to-date. It did herald Succession's return after a two-year wait — a gap that left viewers with quite the cliffhanger, as well as a huge hankering for more of its witty words. Indeed, before the series first graced TV screens back in 2018, you mightn't have realised exactly how engaging it is to watch people squabbling. Not just everyday characters, either, but the constantly arguing — and ridiculously well-off and entitled — family of a global media baron. Those power plays and the verbal argy-bargy make Succession compulsively watchable, and so do the pitch-perfect performances that deliver every verbal blow. Of course, as created by Peep Show's Jesse Armstrong — someone who knows more than a thing or two about black comedy — the idea that depiction doesn't equal endorsement is as rich in Succession and its brand of satire as its always-disagreeing characters. [caption id="attachment_830169" align="alignnone" width="1920"] David Russell/HBO[/caption] In season three, all those Roy family antics and the bitter words they inspire are in full swing yet again. Succession has always riffed on a scenario that also sits at the heart of fellow hits Arrested Development and Game of Thrones — families clashing over their empire — but this version doesn't need dragons to be ruthless. That feeling only heightened at the end of season two, when Kendall (Jeremy Strong, The Trial of the Chicago 7), the son always seen as the natural successor to patriarch Logan (Brian Cox, Super Troopers 2), decided to publicly expose the family's dark business secrets. Now, the series is wading through the fallout, with Logan's other children — Connor (Alan Ruck, Gringo), Shiv (Sarah Snook, Pieces of a Woman) and Roman (Kieran Culkin, Infinity Baby) — caught in the middle agin. This brood's tenuous and tempestuous relationship only gets thornier the more the show goes on, and its examination of their privileged lives — and what that bubble has done to them emotionally, psychologically and ideologically — only deepens in season three. All four Roy children are still trying to position themselves as next in line at Logan's company, of course, with the future of the business in jeopardy not only due to his advancing years, or the takeover bids and government interest that've been a big part of its two seasons so far, but thanks to all the in-fighting. When they pop up in the third season, Alexander Skarsgård (Godzilla vs Kong) and Adrien Brody (The Grand Budapest Hotel) complicate the Roys' precarious situation even further. That's this show's bread and butter, and it's glorious — and it just keeps finding the ideal cast members. With season three only two episodes in at the time of writing, exactly when season four will hit screens hasn't been revealed. For now, you can check out the full Succession season three trailer below: The first two episodes of Succession's third season are available to view via Foxtel, Binge and Foxtel On Demand, with new episodes dropping weekly. Exactly when the series' fourth season will drop hasn't yet been revealed. Top image: Macall B Polay/HBO.
When the newly engaged Lauren (Miranda Tapsell, The Surfer) and Ned (Gwilym Lee, SAS Rogue Heroes) made a whirlwind visit to Darwin in 2019 film Top End Wedding, it was to get married. Six years later, the two key characters from the hit rom-com are heading back to the Northern Territory capital. Meet Top End Bub, which is extending the world of the flick by picking up again with its central couple — this time with an added child, and by unfurling the next chapter in the pair's tale via a streaming series. Tapsell not only starred in Top End Wedding but co-wrote the script. With Top End Bub, she's in both roles again — and also co-created and executive produced the series with fellow returnee Joshua Tyler (100% Wolf: Legend of the Moonstone). Their new story: sending Lauren and Ned to the NT again, away from their settled life in Adelaide, to become the guardians of their orphaned niece Taya (debutant Gladys-May Kelly). First confirmed in 2024, Top End Bub is set to span eight episodes — and you'll be watching it soon. The series hits Prime Video from Friday, September 12, 2025. Ursula Yovich (Troppo), Huw Higginson (Ladies in Black), Shari Sebbens (The Moogai), Elaine Crombie (Invisible Boys), Rob Collins (Austin) and Tracy Mann (Home and Away) are also making the leap from Top End Wedding to its new spinoff, while Brooke Satchwell (Triple Oh!), Guy Simon (The Secrets She Keeps) and Clarence Ryan (Territory) are among its fresh additions. "Words can't describe how excited I am to bring Lauren, Ned and the Top End back to your screens. We all love a happy ending, but what happens after happily ever after? We can't wait for you to find out!" said Tapsell back when Top End Bub was initially announced. "It's been fun to dive back into the world of Top End Wedding, a world that means so much to us and to our audience. A romantic setting full of funny characters who face heartbreaking challenges in heartwarming ways. I am thrilled to be collaborating with such an incredible team," added Tyler. There's no sneak peek at Top End Bub yet, but you can watch the trailer for Top End Wedding below: Top End Bub will stream via Prime Video from Friday, September 12, 2025. Images: John Platt / Prime Video.
Ice skating is one of those idyllic winter time activities that goes hand in hand with hot chocolates, sitting around a fireplace, and rugging up in coats, gloves and scarves until you're feeling like a big walking ball of wool. With all of that in mind, you can hit a ten on the winter feels scale these cold months with Winter Fest, a fiesta of coldness coming to Moonee Valley in June. First up, take a spin on the Moonee Ponds ice skating rink, which runs from June 30 to July 15. Bookings are necessary, and each session will run for 45 minutes — and when you leave the ring, you'll feel like an ice dancer ready for the 2022 Winter Olympics. There's a whole host more on offer too, like free music events and live theatre at the Clocktower Centre. The Clocktower will also hold $8 movie nights throughout the festival, and there's nothing cosier than a winter night at the movies — especially for less than a tenner.
When Australia's international borders reopen to the world in November — and when Aussies are permitted to fly overseas for holidays again from Monday, November 1 — that'll only fix one problem when it comes to travelling the globe. Obviously, being allowed to leave the country for a getaway is a big step, especially after more than 18 months of doing exactly that being banned. But being permitted to enter whichever destination you're heading to is obviously just as important. Different countries have different rules about who can visit — and, crucially, the requirements also vary regarding vaccination status. Also, once you've made it into your destination, the conditions might also vary regarding showing you're vaxxed to step inside venues and attend events. Accordingly, proving that you've been double-jabbed isn't something you'll only need to do at home — in New South Wales and Victoria under their reopening roadmaps, for example. So, the Australian Government is launching an international travel certificate that shows if you've been double-vaccinated. It'll become available for use from Tuesday, October 19. As announced on Sunday, October 17, the 'International COVID-19 proof of vaccination' certificate will be provided to Aussies and Aussie visa holders — as long as you have a valid passport, and also your COVID-19 vaccination has been recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). You will still need to request one, though, which you can do either by accessing your Medicare account through My Gov or using the Medicare Express app. If you're wondering how it'll work when you're travelling, the new certificate includes a secure QR code that border authorities around the world can access, letting them confirm your COVID-19 vax status. It'll also be marked with a visible digital seal for security purposes, and has been designed to meet the new global standard for these types of passes — as specified by the International Civil Aviation Organization and conforms with World Health Organization guidance. For more information about showing your vaccination status for international travel, visit the Services Australia website.
The fact that it took 50 years to bring Misbehaviour's true tale to the screen is nothing less than remarkable. Following the protests staged by the women's liberation movement at the 1970 Miss World Pageant in London, it harks back to a noteworthy and important chapter of history — so much so that you would've expected filmmakers to have been clamouring to give it the cinematic treatment. A plethora of compelling topics are baked into this story, after all, including calling out the gross sexism inherent in objectifying women and ascribing their worth according to their looks, questioning society's narrow view of beauty and making plain the racial prejudice that's also frequently in play. But you don't need a movie about all of the above to tell you the obvious, and also the probable reason that a film about this incident hasn't existed until now. Much may have changed in the past half-century, but the feminist quest for recognition, fairness and equality in every way isn't over yet. Indeed, it's galling how many of Misbehaviour's observations about the way women are treated — and how women of colour fare on top of that — continue to ring true in 2020. Also rather telling: that, of the two big controversies that surrounded the pageant that year, this is the one that has finally reached movie-watching audiences. Again, Misbehaviour focuses on crucial events. It's a tale that should be told, about a battle that isn't over yet, and focusing on women who helped kickstart the progress that has been made over the last five decades. Still, the uproar that arose afterwards in response to the pageant's winner also speaks volumes. The result was questioned, for reasons this review won't give away even though it's a simple matter of record, and the extent of the narrow-minded attitudes cultivated and encouraged by such exercises in objectification couldn't have been more blatant. This film comes to a conclusion before then, however, simplifying what deserves to be a complex and multifaceted examination of the entire affair. Audiences might've endured a hefty wait to see the 1970 situation get any big-screen attention, but they don't have to wonder why Misbehaviour favours the approach its does for very long. Director Philippa Lowthorpe (Swallows and Amazons) and screenwriters Rebecca Frayn (The Lady) and Gaby Chiappe (Their Finest) are eager to pay tribute to pioneering feminists, but they're also very keen to make a feel-good, cheer-inducing movie that fits a clear formula. So it is that a seemly mismatched group comes together, united by the shared goal of improving how women are regarded by society, and decides to target the giant, glitzy and televised spectacle that is the Miss World Pageant — which 100 million people will watch. The two main instigators, aspiring history academic Sally Alexander (Keira Knightley, Official Secrets) and graffiti-spraying anarchist Jo Robinson (Jessie Buckley, I'm Thinking of Ending Things), are initially worlds apart, but squaring off against a common enemy has a way of bringing people together. Making a TV appearance after the protestors make their plans publicly known, Sally stresses one huge point: they're not rallying against the Miss World contestants themselves, but at the institution they're interacting with. Misbehaviour takes that view too, splitting its time — not in equal portions, though — between Sally, Jo and their pals, and also the women vying for the sash and crown. Jennifer Hosten (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Farming), aka Miss Grenada, receives the lion's share of attention among the contenders. That said, Swedish favourite Maj Johansson (Clara Rosager, The Rain), US entrant Sandra Wolsfeld (Suki Waterhouse, The Broken Hearts Gallery) and 'Miss Africa South' Pearl Jansen (Loreece Harrison, Black Mirror) — a late addition after a journalist constantly questions why South Africa's competitor is always white — also get their moments. The film spends time with pageant founder Eric Morley (Rhys Ifans, Berlin Station) and the year's host Bob Hope (Greg Kinnear, Strange But True) as well, serving up two prime examples of the kinds of attitudes that Sally and Jo are trying to tackle. The result is exactly the type of rousing, overt and easy movie that Lowthorpe and her colleagues set out to make — a film that ticks all the boxes it has placed on its own checklist, but doesn't do anything more. That makes Misbehaviour spirited, heavy-handed and well-intended in tandem, and also immensely straightforward. Anyone familiar with the likes of Calendar Girls, The Full Monty and Swimming with Men will able able to spot the template at work, for instance, even though the narrative specifics vary significantly. Misbehaviour has the same shine and energy, too, and the same crowd-pleasing nature. Its recognisable cast all do what's asked of them as well, as seen in Knightley and Buckley's fight against the patriarchy, Mbatha-Raw's quiet determination to give women of colour more prominence, Ifans and Kinnear playing the slimy villainous roles, and Keeley Hawes (Rebecca) and Lesley Manville (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil) as the latter pair's other halves. In other words, being caught up in Misbehaviour's plot, purpose and impressively staged climax is almost a foregone conclusion. Being happy that it's hitting screens and telling this tale at all after all of these years is as well. But so is knowing that this is the most standard and clearcut rendering of this story possible — and noticing that, even as it completely avoids one big part of the pageant's aftermath, the film always keeps viewers well aware that there are other tales related to these events it could and definitely should be exploring and unpacking in more detail. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp3WjuJJYB8
Friday lunchtime is the perfect excuse to ditch that sad desk sandwich in favour of a cheeky feed and glass of wine at your local. And for the rest of Good Food Month, Poodle Bar & Bistro is offering just that. On June 18 and 25, the Fitzroy restaurant will be serving up a special Friday lunch situation, featuring an array of signature snacks, a main dish, tea and coffee, and a wine or beer for just $45. You'll kick things off with the likes of spanner crab and taramasalata vol-au-vents, and house-made coffee ground sourdough, before moving onto your pick of mains. We're talking pan-roasted garfish with clams and beurre blanc, the grilled Bundarra pork chop, or Parisian gnocchi with green goddess sauce and taleggio. Wrangled a little extra time away from the office? Add on a dessert course — like the chocolate, prune and gingerbread ice cream sandwich — and an extra glass or two of vino from Poodle's exceptional drinks list. [caption id="attachment_774766" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Poodle[/caption]
In today's cafe game, serving a stock standard latte with a slice of undercooked banana bread just isn't going to cut it. Things have to be done properly, thoroughly, and with extra, indefinable zest; a cafe should be a 'creative space', a coffee an 'experience'. And while cafe kingpins are scattered high and low around Melbourne, there's one humble jack-of-all-trades that sits comfortably off Brunswick's Sydney Road: Acustico. Snuggled on Union Street, so close to the train tracks you'll feel like the fat controller while snacking on breaky, Acustico is a cafe well worth veering off the main strip for. It's a sustainable environment in both its direction and delivery, designed by Mike Sharp and Jessica In from The Summer Office. The interior has been constructed using recycled materials, and its intimate, yet open plan setting encourages conversation as well as shared eating. This is a real bonus given the coffee here is extra mean, and the food is so good you'll want to be showing it off to those around you. Whether or not there's something on the main menu that takes your fancy, be sure to scope out the specials. Their lemon ricotta pancakes with caramel, hazelnuts and strawberries ($15) are light, fluffy, and will have you pleased and perplexed at how one simple ingredient can strangely enhance a century-old breakfast staple. Otherwise, the chorizo baked eggs ($16) are a solid go-to, and their range of toasties are addictively perfect — you can safely order one and know it's going to be hearty and absolutely crisp, cheese-laden, and cholesterol-spiking. Second to a cafe, Acustico may as well sell itself as an artistic space. Its tables are wide and sturdy, the wifi is strong, and the music and conversation of other patrons never tends to be intrusive. Almost always at Acustico, there's a cafe-goer hard at work, headphones in, typing away on a Mac — usually sharing a table with someone doing the same. The space is just as welcoming for families; the menu and wait staff are super accommodating to tots, and there's even a little playroom out back. If you can overlook all the lights and allure of Sydney Road, Acustico is a safe and satisfying detour for a coffee and a meal. Whether you're with friends, family, flying solo or just catching up on some work, let Acustico show you what fine coffee, food and eco-ethos is all about.
They may have proved a hit overseas, but here in Australia, dockless share bikes aren't about to win any popularity contests — at least not from the authorities. After making news for clogging up footpaths, sitting wedged up trees and being pulled out of waterways, the bikes are coming under some new rules in Melbourne. The City of Yarra, City of Port Phillip and City of Melbourne councils have signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding with one of the main companies, Singapore's oBike, in an attempt to address the problems these rogue bikes have brought to Melbourne. The new rules seem pretty straightforward, specifying oBikes must be parked upright, aren't allowed to block footpaths and have to be removed from any dangerous locations within two hours. Though with no more than ten oBike employees on the ground overseeing these three council areas, sticking to the rules won't necessarily be easy. Currently, the councils impound any rogue bikes for 14 days, before they're destroyed and turned into scrap metal, with oBike stuck with a $50 fee to reclaim each bike. According to Melbourne City Councillor Nicolas Frances Gilley, the share bike crackdown is about keeping Melbourne's streets safe. "At City of Melbourne, we are continually looking at ways to promote cycling and make it easier for people to use bikes," he said. "But the safety of all city users shouldn't be compromised in the process." It will be interesting to see if these new restrictions make a noticeable change to the way oBikes are managed, and if Sydney follows suit with both its bike sharing services, oBike and Reddy Go.
Ready player one, for a music festival unlike any you've ever been a part of. Taking over Fitzroy's Evelyn Hotel on March 3 and 4, Square Sounds is Australia's only event dedicated to chipmusic — that is, tunes inspired by and/or made using video game consoles. It may sound rather niche, but that's where you'd be wrong – as it happens, you can wrangle quite a bit of sound out of an old Game Boy. Whether you're into prog rock or deep house, the eclectic Square Sounds program should have something to fit your taste. Indeed, this year's festival will welcome chipmusic artists from the US, Japan, France and Sweden, as well as right here in our own backyard. Punters can even get in on the action themselves via 7bit Hero, an audiovisual experience that turns your phone into a joystick while Brisbane-based musician Hans van Vliet provides the live soundtrack.
When winter rolls around, it can be mighty tempting to just spend the entire season holed up at home in front of the telly. But we did enough of that last winter. This year, it's all about getting out and exploring everything our country has to offer in the cooler months. Roasting marshmallows in front of an open fire. Foraging for truffles, then enjoying your spoils in a decadent long lunch. And escaping the outdoor chill in one of the country's best art galleries. You'll find all this — and much more — in Canberra this season. We're here to help you carve out your ideal winter itinerary to the capital city. Please stay up to date with the latest ACT Government health advice regarding COVID-19.
If there's one thing that you can count on at MONA's arts festivals, it's that they never deliver the exact same experience twice. That's doubly true of next year's Mona Foma, which is making the huge move to Launceston — and doing so with a seriously noteworthy lineup. After hosting part of the 2018 event, the entirety of 2019's Mona Foma will take place across the Tasmanian city, shifting from its previous home of Hobart. Arriving in town from January 13–20, it'll bring everything from music legends to thumping beats to new Aussie heroes to the stage. Attendees can also expect a sensory blend of music, theatre and art, an exhibition that combines creativity with scientific specimens, and oh-so-many onesies. Of course, the list goes on. Headlining this year's bill are Swedish star Neneh Cherry and Welsh electronic music icons Underworld, so prepare to get in a buffalo stance and get born slippy. They'll be joined by Mona Foma's big Aussie premiere and exclusive: a four-part performance by producer and composer Oneohtrix Point Never and the MYRIAD ensemble. Also called Myriad, it's framed from the perspective of an alien intelligence that has absorbed earth's entire history, and mixes the seemingly unlikely combination of medieval folk, dance music, R&B, and sci-fi imagery. Music-wise, Mona Foma-goers can also catch Courtney Barnett on her return to Tassie, as well as Mulatu Astatke and the Black Jesus Experience as they blend Ethiopian music with jazz and Afro-Latin. Or, there's Finland's Satu Vänskä playing her 292-year-old violin with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Aussie stoner rockers Bansheeland doing their psychedelic grunge thing and Central Niger's all-female Les Filles de Illighadad with their inimitable brand psychedelic Saharan desert rock. On the arts side of things, Art of the Body: Health, Beauty and Desire brings together a heap of artists to respond to medical body part specimens — and the actual body parts will be on display as well. Then there's Onesie World 2.0, a new iteration of Adele Varcoe and Self-Assembly's onesie extravaganza, with the designer and label whipping up 2000 DIY all-in-ones. Other highlights include morning meditation sessions in Cataract Gorge, endurance performance artist Ben Landau's 24-hour attempt to keep humming non-stop, as well as a rather curious inclusion from British composer artist Nick Ryan: a machine that tracks the position of 27,000 pieces of space junk, then transforms them into sound as they pass overhead. And, with Mona Foma committed to inviting a new audience to experience the festival each year, they're focusing on the Amish of Lancaster County for 2019 — which means putting up a bunch of billboards around Pennsylvania and letting the local Amish into the festival for free. For everyone else, tickets go on sale from midday on Monday, October 15. Mona Foma runs from January 13–20, 2019, in Launceston, Tasmania. For more information or to grab tickets from midday on Monday, October 15, head to mofo.net.au
Last month the National Gallery of Victoria launched the first ever major survey of Australian fashion. Featuring over 120 works from more than 90 designers, 200 Years of Australian Fashion not only had us wowed with the scale, diversity and sheer beauty of the threads on display, but also contemplating the thread that runs through each product born of the Australian fashion industry. It's quite a unique industry to be in — isolated, out of season and catering to a completely different market to the global fashion players. But out of this, a new innovative and creative approach to fashion has been born. It's certainly seen successes, from Collette Dinnigan being the first Australian invited to show at Paris Fashion Week in 1995 to Dion Lee, who last year showed his fifth season at New York Fashion Week. Is it our position in the global market that defines our aesthetic? We asked local designers Perks and Mini and Pageant as well as the NGV's Curator of Fashion and Textiles Paola De Trocchio to define how they see Australian fashion. [caption id="attachment_566323" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: Tom Ross[/caption] AMANDA CUMMING AND KATE REYNOLDS, PAGEANT Do you think there is an Australian aesthetic in fashion? There is a casualness and subtle eclecticism about the way Australian's dress. It's offbeat and relaxed! Do you think Australia's distance from the rest of the world has influenced our fashion? As designers, this distance can be challenging but it also gives us the freedom to create our own rules. The fashion industry in Australia is still young and not set in tradition, which we feel creates more flexibility and creativity through design. Is there a designer or particular time period that defines Australian fashion for you? We really admire Dion Lee and feel that he has helped to shape the global image of Australian fashion. His designs always push the boundaries and his textile development is impressive! What would you like to see local designers doing? As designers we feel it's important to be aware of your surroundings and reflect on current culture. It's really important to be authentic, as originality is key to a strong vision. [caption id="attachment_566350" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: Perks and Mini[/caption] SHAUNA TOOHEY, PERKS AND MINI Do you think there is an Australian aesthetic in fashion? No. But I do think there is a uniquely Australian attitude to fashion. I think it tends to be more relaxed, it doesn't follow rules and is more forgiving. Do you think Australia's distance from the rest of the world has influenced our fashion? Yes, distance and also seasonal difference has had a big effect on Australian fashion. However, as the world be comes more global, seasons drop earlier and climate change affects weather, I think this will have less influence. Is there a designer or particular time period that defines Australian fashion for you? Growing up with rave and street culture, the stand outs for me are Galaxy Abyss and Funk Essentials both by Sara Thorn and Bruce Slorach. What would you like to see local designers doing? My favourite designers are ones where you can see their unique signature in there clothes. Too often you see garments where the neck label could be lots of different brands/designers and it would be believable. I would love to see designers finding their own unique vision and expressing that in their clothing so well that each piece is recognisably theirs. [caption id="attachment_566322" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: Wayne Taylor[/caption] PAOLA DI TROCCHIO, CURATOR, FASHION AND TEXTILES AT THE NGV Do you think there is an Australian aesthetic in fashion? What Australian designers have in common is a sense of adventure, resilience, and courage. This can translate to bold, sophisticated and innovative design with a streak of rebellion. Do you think Australia's distance from the rest of the world has influenced our fashion? I think it has caused our designers to be incredibly innovative with their business systems and structures. For example, recognising that they could not compete with and did not even desire to fit into established fashion conventions from the context of Australia, DI$COUNT UNIVER$E launched their brand online through their blog, redefining the rules of what a fashion label could be. MaterialByProduct's engagement with the concept of luxury and artisanal hand production can be seen as suited to systems of production in Australia, where the majority of the businesses are small-scale enterprises with low-production capacity. Is there a designer or particular time period that defines Australian fashion for you? Australian fashion is evolving as we are as a nation. The earliest dress in the exhibition is from c.1805. Its raised waist and slim skirt are known as the empire line. Its Indian muslin fabric acknowledges the immediate network of trade between India, Australia and Britain. It situates the origins of Australian fashion within the broad context of Britain's aspirations towards the Empire and within a network of international trade. Since then Australian designers have continued a dialogue with the wider world that has echoed politics, trends, social movements, trade and identity. I think what is fascinating about Australian fashion is how Australian designers look inwards to find within them their unique voice, whilst looking out and engaging with the wider world. What would you like to see local designers doing? Thriving. I think they are doing incredibly well and I look forward to seeing them reach greater heights. 200 Years of Australian Fashion is now showing at NGV Australia until July 31. For more information, visit ngv.vic.gov.au. Top image: Linda Jackson and Jenny Kee wearing Linda Jackson's Tutti Frutti dress, 1975. Photograph by Ann Noon.
What will open with a Melbourne-set drama that won an Audience Award at Sundance for telling a Tehran-born, Australian-raised writer/director's autobiographical tale? What'll then pay tribute to Australian record executive and promoter Michael Gudinski in its centrepiece slot? And, what will feature everyone from Hugo Weaving to Michael Cera, a satire about a smartphone, and documentaries about vinyl cover art and the Australian Open, too? That'd be the 2023 Melbourne International Film Festival, with MIFF adding 20 more movies to its 2023 lineup. Cinephiles, get excited. MIFF announced opening night's Shayda as well as the world premiere of Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story back in May, but its program was only getting started. Given that the Victorian capital's annual cinema showcase spans almost a month including both its in-person and online runs — this year playing in cinemas in Melbourne from Thursday, August 3–Sunday, August 20; at regional Victorian locations from Friday, August 11–Sunday, August 13 and Friday, August 18–Sunday, August 20; and also bringing back online platform MIFF Play from Friday, August 18–Sunday, August 27 — the number of flicks on its yearly bill runs into the hundreds. So, even the just-revealed new 20 movies on its list is still only the beginning. Weaving (Love Me) will pop up in The Rooster, a thriller about a hermit and a cop who form a bond during a crisis, starring opposite Phoenix Raei (The Night Agent). Shot in regional Victoria, it's the feature directing debut of actor-turned-writer/director Mark Leonard Winter (Elvis), and it's also one of the MIFF Premiere Fund titles on the festival's 2023 program — aka homegrown movies that the fest has financially supported. Also in that camp this year: the aforementioned Shayda; The Slam, a standout for tennis aficionados from director Ili Baré (The Leadership); cine-poem Memory Film: A Filmmaker's Diary; and This Is Going to Be Big, about Sunbury and Macedon Ranges Specialist School in Bullengarook staging a John Farnham-themed musical. After appearing in Barbie in July, Cera will grace MIFF's screens in August in The Adults. Yes, he'll be awkward — of course he will be — this time as a thirtysomething heading home. That film sits within the festival's international contingent, which is overflowing with impressive names and titles. Indeed, MIFF will also screen the latest feature by acclaimed filmmaker Jafar Panahi, who won a Venice Special Jury Prize for No Bears. The Iranian great directs and stars, playing a fictionalised version of himself as he's fond of doing (see also: Tehran Taxi), and blending truth and fiction to examine how artists can too easily become scapegoats. After wowing audiences in Park City earlier this year, there's also Celine Song's debut feature Past Lives, telling a bittersweet romance about two childhood friends (Russian Doll's Greta Lee and Decision to Leave's Teo Yoo) who briefly reunite after decades apart. And, the lineup also includes Bad Behaviour, the feature directorial debut of actor-turned-filmmaker Alice Englert (You Won't Be Alone) starring Jennifer Connelly (Top Gun: Maverick); BlackBerry, which delves into the smartphone's rise and fall — and satirises it — with Jay Baruchel (FUBAR) and Glenn Howerton (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) among the cast; Passages, from Love Is Strange's Ira Sachs; environmentalist tale How to Blow Up a Pipeline; and the competitive hairdressing-focused Medusa Deluxe. Plus, fans of settling in for the long haul can also see four-and-a-half hour disappearance mind-bender Trenque Lauquen. MIFF will screen The Kingdom Exodus, Lars von Trier's latest followup to 1994's miniseries The Kingdom and its 1997 second season, too. Béla Tarr's 2000 drama Werckmeister Harmonies, a slow-cinema great, will also play the fest thanks to a new 4K restoration. Lovers of movies about music can add Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis), which hails from Control's Anton Corbijn and hones in on the titular photo-design company and its contribution to record cover art, to their MIFF schedule. Louder Than You Think is similarly part of the same program strand, with Gary Young from Pavement at its centre. Throw in documentaries The Disappearance of Shere Hite (about the 70s sexologist), The Echo (about rural Mexican life) and A Storm Foretold (about Roger Stone, adviser to Donald Trump), and MIFF 2023 is already off to a massive start for its 71st edition. As for what else is in store — including which movies will compete in the festival's Bright Horizons Competition, which launched in 2022 — that'll be unveiled on Tuesday, July 11. For now, MIFF Artistic Director Al Cossar is teasing "essential, incredible, unexpected cinema from the whole world before us, far beyond the streamers, far beyond the multiplex – hotly anticipated works by iconic filmmakers, alongside new and breakthrough voices waiting to be discovered". [caption id="attachment_904296" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Zan Wimberley[/caption] The 2023 Melbourne International Film Festival runs from Thursday, August 3–Sunday, August 20 at a variety of venues around Melbourne; from Friday, August 11–Sunday, August 13 and Friday, August 18–Sunday, August 20 in regional Victoria; and online nationwide with MIFF Play from Friday, August 18–Sunday, August 27. For further details, including the full program from Tuesday, July 11, visit the MIFF website.
In news that everyone already knew, no one will be dancing in North Byron Parklands this winter, with Splendour in the Grass moving to November this year instead. Thanks to New South Wales' current COVID-19 outbreak, the lockdown to prevent its spread and the growing number of cases in other Australian states, no one will be making shapes in Sydney this July, either. That's when the fest was planning to host Splendour in the City, a nine-day Sydney pop-up slated for SITG's usual midwinter spot — but organisers have announced that the event has now been cancelled. In a statement on Monday, June 28, the festival's team pulled the plug on the mini fest, which was set to take place at Sydney's Overseas Passenger Terminal from Saturday, July 10–Sunday, July 18. "With Greater Sydney currently in lockdown until 9 July and COVID-19 outbreaks now evolving in other states, it has become impossible to progress with plans to move artists and staff around the country, and also to build the event in Sydney," the Splendour crew noted. "Organisers also acknowledge the health and safety of staff, volunteers and ticketholders is the foremost consideration in line with the health advice from authorities." Splendour in the City has been completely cancelled, rather than rescheduled, too — a decision made due to "uncertainty around venue and artist availability in coming months, and IRL Splendour in the Grass scheduled for November." Ticketholders will start receiving refunds automatically via Moshtix from today, Tuesday, June 29. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Splendour in the Grass (@splendourinthegrass) Splendour's virtual festival Splendour XR will still run online across the weekend of Saturday, July 24–Sunday, July 25 — and, at this stage, Splendour in the Grass itself is slated for Friday, November 19–Sunday, November 21. It's been a rough year or so for the music and events industry, for festivals in New South Wales and for Splendour. 2020's SITG was postponed from July until October, then completely scrapped. Also, plans to proceed in July 2021 as usual were pushed back, leading to the current November date. Splendour in the City was planning to host an array of beloved Australian artists such as SITG mainstays like Violent Soho, Illy, Vera Blue, Dune Rats and Tash Sultana, as well as two stacked nights of stand-up comedy and a whole heap of extras — all aiming to recreate as much of the OG Splendour experience as possible. If the full-sized Byron Bay edition of SITG goes ahead in November, it's set to do so with headliners Tyler, The Creator, The Strokes and Gorillaz; however, that's obviously all reliant upon COVID-19 restrictions allowing the event to take place. Splendour in the City will no longer run from Saturday, July 10–Sunday, July 18 at Sydney's Overseas Passenger Terminal. Ticketholders will start receiving refunds automatically via Moshtix from Tuesday, June 29.
In yet another southward-bound international fashion expansion, Uniqlo has just announced that it'll be opening in Australia for the first time come autumn 2014. Melbourne's Emporium, located on Lonsdale Street in the CBD, will be home to a four-level, 2180 square metre megastore selling the Japanese brand's quality yet affordable apparel. Heattech underwear, bold collaborations with designers and Ultra Light Down are among their signature products. "We are very excited to be opening our first store in Melbourne, Australia," Uniqlo's Australian CEO Shoichi Miyasaka commented. "The city is a great centre of style and we hope to make Uniqlo an essential stop for for fashion-conscious Melbourne shoppers looking for high quality, affordable clothes. "Our goal is to build a loyal customer base by offering every visitor the outstanding level of customer service that Uniqlo is known for within Japan, in a comfortable and welcoming shopping environment." Owned by Japan's Fast Retailing Co. (the globe's fourth biggest clothing retail giant), Uniqlo first opened in 1984 and now runs 1200 stores across 14 different countries. It's been moving steadily south for four years, having set up in Singapore in 2009, Malaysia and Thailand in 2010, the Philippines in 2012 and Indonesia earlier this year. Fast owns six other major brands: Theory, Princess tam.tam, J Brand, Helmut Lang, GU and Comptoir des Cotonniers, and sold a whopping 928 billion Japanese Yen (AU$10 billion) worth of goods during the 2011-2012 financial year. Via Daily Life
It's the huge exhibition that took the world by storm, sending David Bowie's lightning bolt-adorned face everywhere from London and Berlin to Tokyo and Melbourne. His Ziggy Stardust costumes, various handwritten lyrics, an assortment of album artwork, rare photographs and even the magic orb he fondled as Jareth in Labyrinth, too. Organised by London's Victoria and Albert Museum, David Bowie is showcased hundreds objects from the David Bowie Archive, visiting 12 cities over six years and attracting more than two million visitors — and while it finished its final run in Brooklyn earlier in 2018, it's coming back in a new format. From Tuesday, January 8 — aka what would've been the music icon's 72nd birthday — David Bowie is will exist as a digital recreation that you can access on your phone. As first announced back in July, fans can expect to tour the Bowie bonanza as an augmented reality (AR) experience, which will feature a sequence of audio-visual spaces highlighting artifacts from Bowie's life. In total, there'll be more than 500 high-resolution images of Bowie-related items, including 60 new objects that weren't included in the touring exhibition. Available on iOs and Android platforms, David Bowie is' AR version won't just involve looking at 2D representations, either, with 3D scans used to preserve and present the artist's costumes and objects in detail. And, there's more to come, with a virtual reality version still in the works. Here's hoping that Bowie obsessives will be able to virtually step into one of his out-of-sight outfits and see themselves in one — yes, this might be your chance to turn and face the strange or experience some ch-ch-changes. A collaboration between Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc, the David Bowie Archive and the V&A, "the augmented reality adaptation of David Bowie is enables you to explore the entire exhibition in the intimacy of your own environment, without glass barriers, vitrines or throngs of visitors," according to the exhibition website. How much it will cost is yet to be announced, but a portion of the profits will be donated the V&A and Brooklyn Museum. David Bowie is will become available on iOs and Android platforms on Tuesday, January 8, 2019. For further information and to sign up for updates, head to davidbowieisreal.com.
Were you planning on spending the long weekend wrapped in a blanket cocoon with a season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians and a packet of Malteser mini eggs? Well, even if you weren't, here's a good enough reason to do just that: an all-reality TV streaming service is launching in Australia on Tuesday, March 22. hayu is the latest subscription video on-demand service to launch in Australia, and it's essentially Netflix but purely for reality TV. The service is part of NBCUniversal International, and will pull from their massive back catalogue of content to offer full 'box sets' of over 3000 episodes of shows like the Kardashians, Real Housewives and Made in Chelsea. Most new episodes will be available on the same day as their US release, and the platform will allow you to share snippets (i.e. Kardashian quotes) directly to your Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. It's either your worst nightmare or a vision of heaven you never thought would be socially realised. "We're excited to be unveiling March 22 as the launch date for hayu in Australia," said NBCUniversal's Jay McNamara, EVP Strategy Development and Analysis. "Curated by reality experts for reality fans, hayu is fully integrated with news feeds and social media and, uniquely, its next-generation functionality will enable Australian fans to share some of the content they love." Binge watchers of reality TV will be ecstatic (if not just secretly) over this news. As for all the haters.. hayu will launch on Tuesday, March 22. You'll be able to get a 30-day free trial, with the subscription costing $5.99 per month thereafter. For more info, visit hayu.com.
Never a brand to do things like anyone else, Melbourne-based skincare label Aesop has just launched their first collection of room sprays as a multi-sensory experience. With fragrance said to evoke some of the strongest emotional responses (it's the sense most associated with memory), the modern-day alchemists asked composer and musician Jesse Paris Smith (daughter of Patti and Fred 'Sonic' Smith) to create three unique tracks to 'narrate the journey' of each scent. It's pretty poetic. As with Aesop's fragrances, each track has been deconstructed, with top notes (ones that are perceived immediately), heart notes (the ones that emerge just before the top notes dissipate) and base notes (the lingering finale). Smith's three compositions are ambient and perfectly calming — and available to download for free off the Aesop website. It's like being at a health spa in the comfort of your own home. Each scent is named after an ancient Greek city and is distinct without being overpowering — there's no sickeningly sweet vanilla here. Rather, Aesop has developed three characteristically sophisticated scents. Istros combines pink pepper, lavender and tobacco, while Cythera embraces geranium, patchouli and Myrrh, and Olous is a citrusy burst of botanicals, cedar and cardamom. Aesop's aromatic room sprays retail for $60 each and and can be bought here. [embed]https://vimeo.com/224417380[/embed]
Winter is great for getting cosy, wearing every piece of warm clothing you own and enjoying hearty foods. It's also an ace time to plan your next getaway for when spring and summer hit. Dreaming of a sunny vacation somewhere in Australia? Just keen to explore this continent we call home? To help with that, and any other domestic trip that's on your agenda in the near future, Virgin has dropped an Aussie flights sale with 500,000 discounted fares up for grabs. Prices are starting low, at $49, which will get you from Sydney to Byron Bay — the usual cheapest fare in any Aussie flight sale — and vice versa. From there, the sale spans everywhere from the Sunshine Coast, Hobart and Broome through to Cairns, Canberra and Proserpine. The 72hr See Australia sale runs until 11.59pm on Wednesday, July 19 — unless sold out earlier, with fares to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide also covered. That means paying $69 one-way from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast, $79 from Melbourne to Hobart, $99 for a trip from Brisbane to Cairns and $109 to get from Canberra to the Gold Coast. Or, still on local deals, the specials also cover $69 from Melbourne to Launceston, $119 from Adelaide to Sydney, $149 from Brisbane to Darwin and $209 from Melbourne to Perth. If you're wondering when you'll need to travel, the fares cover between August 16, 2023–March 26, 2024, all varying per route. Inclusions also differ depending on your ticket and, as usual when it comes to flight sales, you'll need to get in quick if you're keen to stack the rest of 2023 and the start of 2024 with holidays. Virgin's 72hr See Australia sale runs until 11.50pm AEST on Wednesday, July 19 — unless sold out earlier. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
In case we didn't have enough endangered phenomena to worry about, what with the encroaching extinction of the Black Rhino, the disappearance of the Barrier Reef, and the centralisation of indie culture, the United Nations has thoughtfully added a new category to the list. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has this week released a fresh batch of the world's endangered 'intangible cultural traditions'. French-style horse back riding, Chinese shadow puppetry, and poetic dueling in Cyprus were amongst the newly endangered traditions added to the 250-strong list compiled last year. The new additions encompass rituals and art forms passed down orally from generation to generation, lacking any formal documentation system. Recipes and food preparation methods can also be found amongst the UNESCO's list of disappearing acts, including the Japanese ritual of transplanting rice, and the ceremonial Turkish meat dish, Keskek. Those recipe books brimming with scrawled post-it notes and hand-written recipes born of the mind of your Great Great Grandmother just got even more precious. These 'intangible' traditions provide the cultural glue for some of the world's smallest communities, encouraging unity in a world of increasing globalization and cultural dilution. Hopefully awareness generated by the UNESCO list will stop these traditions from pulling a Houdini any time soon.
Back in 1976, author Anne Rice asked a simple question: if a vampire agreed to an interview about their bloodsucking life, what would they share? The answer to that query sparked a bestselling novel — the late writer's debut tome, in fact — and helped thrust her to fame. It also started a literary franchise, The Vampire Chronicles; was turned into a comic; hit the big screen in the 90s; and, soon, will play out as a streaming series as well. That book/comic/film/upcoming show: Interview with the Vampire. And yes, in its current leap from cinemas to the small screen, it follows in the footsteps of fellow undead fare Buffy the Vampire Slayer and What We Do in the Shadows. It also hops on a second trend that shows no signs of dying: reviving 90s movies as a series, as the new TV version of A League of Their Own also has recently (without the vampires, of course). Even if you haven't enjoyed Interview with the Vampire on the page or seen the 1994 flick, the concept is right there in the name — as both the initial teaser trailer back in July and the just-dropped full sneak peek make plain. "So, how long have you been dead?" probing interviewer Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian, Succession) asks Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson, aka Game of Thrones' Grey Worm), the New Orleans resident who can't resist the offer to live forever. Then, quite the tale unfurls. Naturally, if you're a vampire being interviewed, that's the kind of opening enquiry that's bound to come your way. More follow, but it's a helluva ice-breaker. Louis' story includes fellow vamp Lestat de Lioncourt (Australian actor Sam Reid, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson), who he describes as "my murderer, my mentor, my lover and my maker" — and child vamp Claudia (Bailey Bass, Psycho Sweet 16), who joins their bloodthirsty family. How this new take on Interview with the Vampire will turn out will be revealed in October — in Australia via AMC+ from Sunday, October 2, with New Zealand details still to be announced. If you remember the movie — the film that helped push Dunst to fame as a child, well before she was an Oscar-nominee for The Power of the Dog — you'll know that it steps through its key undead trio's not-quite-lives (being eternally undead might be the better way to describe it), with tension oozing after Louis decides he doesn't want to kill. Check out the full Interview with the Vampire trailer below: Interview with the Vampire will start streaming in Australia via AMC+ from Sunday, October 2. We'll update you with New Zealand details when they become available. Images: Alfonso Bresciani/AMC.
Back in 1988, a heap of Australian galleries banded together to get everyone looking at and supporting art in Melbourne. That event wasn't just a once-off. More than three decades later, Melbourne Art Fair is marking its 17th edition in 2024, this time with 60-plus galleries and Indigenous art centres taking part. At Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from Thursday, February 22–Sunday, February 25, the numbers will paint their own picture. More than 100 artists are involved. Over 50 events are on the program. The lineup includes six performances, two major new commissions and four large-scale installations as well. And, it'll all fill 7500 square metres of space — which means art everywhere you look for four summer days. Focusing on the theme "ketherba/together", 2024's Melbourne Art Fair bill has been overseen by a group of female curators that includes Tamsin Hong, Exhibitions Curator at London's Serpentine Galleries; Shelley McSpedden from Melbourne's Australian Centre for Contemporary Art; and Performance Review director Anador Walsh — and will welcome its first commissioned contemporary dance work, with Lucy Guerin Inc's one-hour performance installation NEWRETRO among the event's must-sees. Also created specifically for the event is SOMOS (Standing On My Own Shoulders), a life-sized bronze sculpture by Julie Rrap, which features a cast of the artist's own body. After its debut, it'll make the Art Gallery of Western Australia its home. Expect to spend time exploring pieces by Melbourne-born artist Howard Arkley in another of Melbourne Art Fair's big 2024 highlights. The exhibition will hone in on rare works hailing from the 70s–90s, complete with Arkley's last painting — which the public hasn't ever seen before. Other talents featured include South-African multimedia artist Buhlebezwe Siwani, plus poet and artist Jazz Money — and galleries involved span not only a wealth of Melbourne sites such as Anna Schwartz Gallery, Void_Melbourne, Station, Sutton Gallery, Neon Parc and Gertrude, but also Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart, Adelaide, Lisbon, and Singapore institutions. And if you're looking for more reasons to head along, an array of video works, honeycomb-esque paper sculptures, Melbourne performance artists pushing boundaries and a series of talks should do the trick — plus a pop-up whisky bar. Melbourne Art Fair 2024 takes place from Thursday, February 22–Sunday, February 25 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre — head to the event's website for more information. Melbourne Art Fair 2022 images: Marie-Luise Skibbe.
How do you make a huge Charli XCX-headlined festival lineup even bigger? If you're Laneway Festival 2025, you add a piece of Stranger Things to the bill. Before general tickets for next year's events go on sale, organisers have added Joe Keery to the lineup as Djo, who'll be performing live in Australia and New Zealand for the first time ever. When the roster of acts initially dropped, it sparked a question: how much green will be seen at 2025's Laneway Festival given that it's bringing Brat summer Down Under? Now, here's another: how glorious will Keery's hair be when the 'End of the Beginning' talent takes to the stage? [caption id="attachment_728611" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Netflix[/caption] Laneway has also announced another change, with the Sydney event moving locations. Instead of taking place at Sydney Showground, the fest's Harbour City stop is settling in at Centennial Park. For company when the event kicks off in Auckland on Thursday, February 6, the hits Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, Charlie XCX and Djo will be joined by Beabadoobee, Clairo, Barry Can't Swim and Remi Wolf. Also on the list: BICEP doing their CHROMA AV DJ set, Olivia Dean, Eyedress and Skegss — and STÜM, RONA, Hamdi, Joey Valence & Brae, 2hollis, Fcukers, Ninajirachi, Julie, Girl and Girl, and more. [caption id="attachment_975321" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Harley Weir[/caption] The event started by Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio in the mid-00s is playing Western Springs in Auckland, then hopping over the ditch to Brisbane Showgrounds, the aforementioned Centennial Park in Sydney, Melbourne's Flemington Park, Bonython Park in Adelaide and Wellington Square in Perth. Laneway joins the list of festivals locking in their comebacks after a tough year of cancellations across the live music scene, alongside Golden Plains, Bluesfest (for the last time), Wildlands, Good Things, Lost Paradise, Beyond The Valley and Meredith. Laneway Festival 2025 Lineup Charli XCX Beabadoobee Clairo Barry Can't Swim BICEP present CHROMA (AV DJ set) Djo Remi Wolf Olivia Dean Eyedress Skegss STÜM RONA Hamdi Joey Valence & Brae 2hollis Fcukers Ninajirachi Julie Girl and Girl + Triple J unearthed winners Laneway Festival 2025 Dates and Venues Thursday, February 6 – Western Springs, Auckland / Tāmaki Makaurau Saturday, February 8 — Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane / Turrbal Targun Sunday, February 9 — Centennial Park, Sydney / Burramattagal Land & Wangal Land Friday, February 14 — Flemington Park, Melbourne / Wurundjeri Biik Saturday, February 15 — Bonython Park, Adelaide / Kaurna Yerta Sunday, February 16 — Wellington Square, Perth / Whadjuk Boodjar St Jerome's Laneway Festival is touring Australia and New Zealand in February 2025. Head to the festival's website for further details, and to get tickets in general sales from 10am local time on Wednesday, October 16, 2024. Top Djo image: Guido Gazzilli. Laneway images: Charlie Hardy / Daniel Boud / Maclay Heriot / Cedric Tang.
Where would we be without movies during the pandemic? Even when cinemas were closed during lockdowns, we all still sought out the joy and escapism of watching a flick — and truly appreciated how cathartic it is. Still keen to queue up a big heap of movies, and a hefty dose of couch time, even though heading to the big screen is well and truly back on the agenda? Enter Movie Frenzy, the returning week-long online film rental sale. From Friday, February 10–Thursday, February 16, it's serving up a sizeable lineup of popular flicks from the past year, all from $3 per movie onwards. On the lineup: Jordan Peele's latest standout horror effort Nope, Tom Cruise indulging a new (and better) need for speed in Top Gun: Maverick, Baz Luhrmann's hip-shaking bio Elvis and star-studded rom-com Ticket to Paradise. Or, if you like scares, you'll find plenty in Smile, Bodies Bodies Bodies and Orphan: First Kill. The action-packed Bullet Train, adventure-romance The Lost City and game-to-screen sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 2 are also on the list — and while some of these flicks are more worth your attention than others, we'll let you do the choosing. You can nab the cheap movies via your digital rental platform of choice, including Apple TV, iTunes, Fetch, Google Play, the Microsoft Store, Prime Video, Fetch and YouTube Movies — although just what's available, and the price, will vary depending on the service. And you won't need a subscription, unless you decide to join in the fun via the Foxtel Store.
On most days of the year, a film festival is in full swing somewhere in Australia. In plenty of places at plenty of times, more than one is competing for cinephiles' eyeballs and spoiling movie buffs for choice. But there's nothing quite like the Melbourne International Film Festival. In terms of duration, it's the country's longest, treating film fans to 18 cinema-filled days of big-screen gems. Naturally, it boasts the biggest program as a result — a lineup that, in 2019, spanned everything from powerful documentaries about racism in Australia, to Oscar-winners fighting zombies, to huge Sundance hits. It's the kind of festival that couldn't be more immersive — whether you're camping out in one theatre, enjoying the comfortable chairs and giant screen, for as long as you can; or rushing around the inner-city between multiple venues day-in, day-out. And, it's the type of fest that's full of surprises too, with many of its highlights lurking beyond its best-known names. As always, we went, we watched and we survived. Now, we're here to report back. After many, many hours spent feasting on films, here are our picks of the bunch. If they weren't on your viewing list before MIFF, add 'em to your pile to chase down whenever and wherever they next pop up. BEST https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td0oBCWO_I4 THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE The streets aren't safe for accountant Casey Evans (Jesse Eisenberg) and, in Riley Stearns' caustically funny satire The Art of Self-Defence, toxic masculinity isn't safe either. Leaning into machismo in order to tear it apart in a devastatingly dark, effective and hilarious fashion, this offbeat gem charts the aftermath of an eventful stroll to the corner store, with its mild-mannered protagonist — who already feels out of place amongst his constantly posturing male colleagues — brutally attacked while walking home one night. So, he does what plenty of folks might, enrolling in a karate class overseen by a charismatic sensei (Alessandro Nivola) and formidable second-in-charge (Imogen Poots). Taking to his subject with zero mercy, Stearns' blows prove as sharp as they are savage, with a knowing Eisenberg oh-so-instrumental in making it all work. And, work it does. LES MISERABLES Lady Ly's crime-thriller takes its name from a very obvious source, and its Montfermeil setting and exploration of class clashes as well. In the process, it openly invites comparisons to Victor Hugo's famous, much-adapted work, all while twisting its various components into its own compelling and confronting piece of cinema. Taking to the banlieues of Paris, Les Misérables spends its time flitting between cops, kids and gangs, as tensions between all three reach boiling point — over the usual prejudices, long-held beefs, stolen lions, a wrongful shooting and some highly sought-after drone footage. Unrelentingly terse, deftly choreographed and unafraid to filter real-world unrest through every frame, it's not always subtle; however, given the complicated terrain that it traverses, Ly's film needn't be. What it occasionally lacks in nuance, it feverishly makes up for both emotional and visceral power. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoncL357qsA LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT One of cinema's most polarising inventions, 3D movies have always proven a mixed bag. When they work, they're astonishing. When they don't, they can instantly turn you off the entire gimmick. When Chinese director Bi Gan deploys the technique in Long Day's Journey Into Night, however, it's a sight not only to behold, but to luxuriate in. The poet-turned-filmmaker ends his contemplative drama with a 3D scene that's also a 55-minute single take, and it couldn't be more glorious. The rest of the movie, which traces a man's return to China's Guizhou province to search for the woman he loves, is just as entrancing in its patient narrative and striking images. Both otherworldly and dreamlike, it demonstrates that Gan's debut Kaili Blues was hardly a one-off — but watching the feature's protagonist roam around his hometown, and following the camera along with him, is truly a 3D cinema experience that isn't easily forgotten. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO5Q6MiUdPI A BROTHER'S LOVE Amusing, delightful, awkward and relatable all at once, A Brother's Love doesn't just understand the state of existential turmoil that bears down on most of us — it happily, savvily dwells in it. Sophia (Anne-Élisabeth Bossé) has hit her mid-30s, has just received a PhD that won't get her a job, and has no choice but to move in with her older brother Karim (Patrick Hivon), whose life is as orderly as hers is chaotic. When he starts dating her gynaecologist, Sophia goes into freefall. Well, she plummets further. The pair have always been close, but this new development completely unsettles her sense of self. Writing as well as directing, French-Canadian actor-turned-filmmaker Monia Chokri clearly learned a thing or two from featuring in Xavier Dolan's breakout hit Heartbeats. In her first stint behind the lens, she blends spot-on insights with an energetic style (not to mention an outstanding performance by Bossé), resulting in a film that always feels both unique and universal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Hz_I_Y1Hus BEANPOLE Picking up two prizes in the Un Certain Regard section at this year's Cannes Film Festival, Beanpole delves into the minds and lives of two women trying to find their place in post-World War II Russia. Nothing is easy in Leningrad in 1945, but for nurse Iya (Viktoria Miroshnichenko) and returning soldier Masha (Vasilisa Perelygina), everything is fraught with danger and complexity. That proves true whether the noticeably tall Iya is trying to cope with the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder, or endeavouring to raise an orphaned baby — and when they're both attempting to negotiate a city and a society that's been blown apart as well. Possessing talent, wisdom and a meticulous approach to the art of filmmaking that ranges beyond his age, 28-year-old Russian director Kantemir Balagov crafts a drama that's equally heart-wrenching and exquisite, descriptions that also apply to the movie's exacting visuals and stunning performances. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXl1vjK4040 THEM THAT FOLLOW Matters of faith sit at the heart of Them That Follow, a superbly acted exploration of expectations and opportunities in a mountainside religious community. Overseeing his Appalachian flock, pastor Lemuel Childs (Walton Goggins) devoutly adheres to his Pentecostal beliefs, which focus on worshipping and handling snakes. But, caught between the man she loves (Thomas Mann) and the one she's supposed to marry (Lewis Pullman), preacher's daughter Mara (Alice Englert) begins to question their way of life and its strict requirements, especially when it comes to her own agency, as well as matters of living and dying. In their feature debut, writer/directors Britt Poulton and Dan Madison Savage balance slow-burning thrills with an exceptional handling of mood and an intimate devotion to their characters — with assistance not only from the stellar Goggins and Englert, but from Oscar-winner Olivia Colman and Booksmart star Kaitlyn Dever, too. WEIRDEST https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9KCx60RMB8 VIOLENCE VOYAGER The result of one Japanese filmmaker's determined and distinctive vision, Violence Voyager is a movie like few others. Writer/director/cinematographer/editor Ujicha spins a story about two school kids who wander into a seemingly abandoned theme park, only to discover human-like robots wandering around doing nefarious deeds, as well an evil scientist plotting, scheming and experimenting behind the scenes. That might sound fairly familiar; however this mixture of sci-fi and body horror comes to life via seemingly innocent, innocuous-looking paper puppetry — aka intricate 2D animation — with more than a few spurts of real liquids and fumes added for good measure. It's inventive, entertaining and best watched late, in a darkened room, with an audience in the exact right mood for its weird and wonderful delights. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FsaTqbGR7A VIVARIUM Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots join forces again. In fact, they get stuck together. Playing a young couple trying to navigate the housing market and buy their first home, the pair are strong-armed into checking out a new suburban development by an immensely odd salesman (Jonathan Aris). Once they tour the place — and rightfully find its template-like design creepy, as well as its exact resemblance to every other house in the estate — they then realise that they can't leave. Where writer/director Lorcan Finnegan takes his characters from there is best discovered by watching, but it's an imaginative, madcap ride that has plenty to say about the kinds of supposedly perfect lives society pushes us towards. If you think settling down in a bland street, devoting your life to the next generation and getting caught in a repetitive routine is the stuff of nightmares, Vivarium knows the feeling. Never overplaying its hand, this impressive, economical genre piece also benefits from excellent performances from its two stars. MOST SURPRISING THE GRAND BIZARRE A vibrant collage of stop-motion imagery that's wholly focused on textiles, The Grand Bizarre trades in immersion. Each of its 16mm frames bursts with colour and texture, as first-time feature director Jodie Mack follows swathes of fabric around the world — and, while time is spent in factories where said materials are fashioned by machines but designed to look handmade, this isn't a standard documentary. Rather, the film twists its visuals into a sensory piece of art, and does the same with its assemblage of beat-fuelled tracks and everyday sounds as well. This is cinema at its most experimental and hypnotising, while also asking viewers to confront the ins and outs of the global fabric trade, and reassess and recontextualise items so instrumental in our lives but often given so little thought or attention. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSALRP1mZNQ THE BEACH BUM Matthew McConaughey plays a perennially stoned poet. Harmony Korine makes his first film since Spring Breakers. Yes, it's quite the match. Charting the Florida-set misadventures of bedraggled slacker Moondog, The Beach Bum works to the strengths of both its star and its director, following its roguish protagonist as he tries to get by — and rendering his rebellious, anarchic exploits in the vivid hues and expressive visuals that Korine used so well in his last movie. The filmmaker gets ample help from his returning director of photography, Benoît Debie, with the pair at their most indulgent here. So is McConaughey, in a role that he was clearly born to inhabit. And yet, even as The Beach Bum ebbs and flows, weaving through a narrative that's purposefully unfocused, it remains perceptive and effective in probing and satirising the hedonism and materialism it gleefully steeps itself in. If your favourite film isn't on our list, that could be because we've raved about it before. Before the fest, we saw and loved Monos, Memory — The Origins of Alien, I Was At Home, But, Extra Ordinary and Los Reyes — and Share made our streaming recommendations for last month as well. From our rundown of Australian titles to check out this year, The Nightingale and Emu Runner both screened at MIFF. And, from our Berlinale highlights, so did The Souvenir, Amazing Grace, Ghost Town Anthology, Skin and Buoyancy as well. Back at the Sydney Film Festival, we couldn't recommend In My Blood It Runs, In Fabric, Scheme Birds and Happy New Year, Colin Burstead highly enough. Once that fest was over, we also added Pain and Glory, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Judy and Punch, Ray & Liz, Bacurau, Come to Daddy, Dirty God and The Dead Don't Die to our picks.
When Jamie Campbell wore a dress to his high school dance, he couldn't have known what would come next. In 2011, his story hit the small screen thanks to TV documentary Jamie — Drag Queen at Sixteen. In 2017, it became an acclaimed West End stage musical, nabbing five Olivier Award nominations in the process. And in 2020, the show is finally heading to Australia for a huge national tour. Premiering at the Sydney Opera House in July before hitting up Western Sydney, Wyong, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth and Adelaide between September 2020–February 2021, Everybody's Talking About Jamie tells Jamie's coming-of-age tale, complete with an upbeat pop score by The Feeling's Dan Gillespie Sells. Drawn from reality but universal in its emotions and resonance, it's a story of friendship, being yourself and overcoming obstacles such as bullies and prejudice. Here, Jamie New is a 16-year-old living in a council estate in Sheffield in Northern England. He's teased about his sexuality by his classmates, but dreams of attending prom in drag. And, despite the taunting and the small-minded attitudes around him — except from his supportive mum and his loyal friends — he's determined to make that dream a reality. In the Australian production, Fan Girls' James Majoos will play Jamie and Helen Dallimore will play his mother, with the rest of the cast including Simon Burke, Elise McCann, Shubshri Kandiah, Christina O'Neill and Harry Targett. The musical's Aussie run couldn't be better timed, too, with a movie adaptation of Everybody's Talking About Jamie due to hit local cinemas in early December. EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE 2020-21 AUSTRALIAN SEASON Sydney — Saturday, July 18–Sunday, August 30, Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House Western Sydney — Friday, September 4–Sunday, September 13, Sydney Coliseum Theatre, West HQ Wyong — Monday, September 28–Sunday, October 4, The Art House Melbourne — Friday, October 9–Sunday, October 25, Arts Centre Melbourne Brisbane — Friday, November 13–Sunday, November 29, QPAC Canberra — Friday, December 11–Sunday, December 13, Canberra Theatre Centre Perth — Friday, January 22–Sunday, January 31, 2021, His Majesty's Theatre Adelaide — Friday, February 5–Sunday, February 14, 2021, Her Majesty's Theatre Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3mjSUeOg5g&feature=youtu.be Everybody's Talking About Jamie's Australian season will premiere at the Sydney Opera House's Drama Theatre between Saturday, July 18–Sunday, August 30, before touring to Western Sydney from Friday, September 4–Sunday, September 13; Wyong from Monday, September 28–Sunday, October 4; Melbourne from Friday, October 9–Sunday, October 25; Brisbane from Friday, November 13–Sunday, November 29; Canberra from Friday, December 11–Sunday, December 13; Perth from Friday, January 22–Sunday, January 31, 2021 and Adelaide from Friday, February 5–Sunday, February 14, 2021. To join the ticket waitlist, visit the production's website — with Sydney ticket pre-sales starting at 9am on Wednesday, March 11 before general public sales open at 9am on Tuesday, March 17. Top images: Alistair Muir / Johan Persson.
In July, four years after Beijing authorities confiscated his passport and banned him from leaving China, Ai Weiwei got back his right to travel. And this week he'll be using it, as he travels to Melbourne to speak at the opening of the National Gallery of Victoria's Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei exhibition. Yes, that’s right — Ai Weiwei will be appearing in the flesh. In Australia. You'll find him at the NGV on Monday, December 7 at 6.30pm, where he'll be having a mighty chat with the ABC's Virginia Trioli. Needless to say, Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei is the NGV's summer blockbuster. The gallery developed the exhibition in collaboration with the Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh and, of course, Ai Weiwei himself. The show aims to explore the concepts that inspired both artists. Gear up for more than 300 works, including never-before-seen pieces by Warhol, brand new commissions from Ai Weiwei and installations that’ll devour you. Pretty much every medium you can think of comes into play – from painting and sculpture to film and photography to music and social media. Tickets for Ai Weiwei's talk will go on sale to the public at 10am on Wednesday, December 2. And we reckon they'll sell out at Tay Swift speed — so you're going to have to be quick on the uptake. If you're a lucky, lucky member of the NGV, you can get in early in their members pre-sale, from 10am the day before. Ai Weiwei in Conversation at The National Gallery of Victoria will take place on Monday, December 7 at 6.30pm at NGV International. You can buy tickets here.
New voices, same interdimensional chaos: that's what Rick and Morty will start beaming in October. The sci-fi animated sitcom has locked in its return date for season seven, hitting on Sunday, October 15 in America. That's Monday, October 16 Down Under, where it gets schwifty in your streaming queue via Netflix. If you're wondering what kinds of chaos are in store this time around, Adult Swim — which airs the series in the US — isn't giving much away as yet. "We ride together. We die together. We're buried in the backyard together," it teased in a first poster for the new season. And if you're also wondering how the show's titular chaotic scientist and his grandson will sound the new episodes, that hasn't yet been announced. Earlier in the year, the network dropped Justin Roiland due to domestic violence charges. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rick and Morty (@rickandmorty) Anything can happen in Rick and Morty, with a change of vocal tones for Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith one of the least out-there developments within the show's narrative. Given that the show clearly gleaned inspiration from Back to the Future, there's some obvious dream casting right there just waiting to happen — but whoever gets the gigs will be lending their tones to a genius scientist going on wild adventures with a high schooler. Viewers can still expect the show's eponymous pair to keep wreaking havoc, and the series to keep zipping between as many universes as it can. And, for Rick and Morty's hijinks to still draw in Morty's mother Beth (Sarah Chalke, Firefly Lane), father Jerry (Chris Parnell, Archer) and sister Summer (Spencer Grammer, Tell Me a Story). Spanning ten episodes, season seven will hit everywhere that it can in this dimension — in more than 134 countries, and also in 38 languages. If you're keen to rejoin the smartest Rick and Morty-est Morty in the universe, start getting excited. There's no trailer for Rick and Morty's seventh season yet — we'll update you when one arrives. Rick and Morty's seventh season will premiere globally on Monday, October 16 Down Under. It streams via Netflix in Australia and New Zealand.
Living up to its splendid first date with audiences has never been a problem for Starstruck. When the Rose Matafeo (Baby Done)-starring BBC and HBO series first strode into streaming queues in 2021, its initial episode was an all-timer in the charming stakes, as was the show's entire six-instalment debut season. When Starstruck returned for a second run in 2022, its next go-around instantly proved as much of a smart, savvy and charismatic delight. Streaming via ABC iView from 9.30pm on Wednesday, September 6 and in New Zealand via TVNZ+ since 8.30pm on Saturday, September 2, season three continues the trend — and keeps demonstrating that no romantic rendezvous, no matter how idyllic, can just keep repeating itself. Plot-wise, Starstruck has always had one couple at its centre: New Zealander-in-London Jessie (Matafeo) and British actor Tom (Nikesh Patel, Four Weddings and a Funeral). Frequently, however, they're not actually together, with the show charting the ins and outs of a complicated relationship that started with a New Year's Eve meet-cute and one-night stand. The hook from the get-go: that Tom is an A-list star, which Jessie doesn't know until after they've hooked up. So, Starstruck asks what it's like to live the Notting Hill life. In season three, more accurately, it ponders what comes after that's been and gone. Season two might've finished with a scene right out of The Notebook, and with echoes of Bridget Jones' Diary as well, but its follow-up quickly establishes that Jessie and Tom didn't get their happy-ever-after ending — they're no longer together, and haven't been for some time. Starstruck season three starts with a bold move, spending a few minutes zipping through Jessie and Tom's romance since season two via a heartbreaking montage. That choice is also deeply fitting for a show that's exceptional at endings. One of the best newcomers of its debut year and best returning series of its second, Starstruck's excellence is like a perfect bouquet, with vibrancy blooming everywhere — in Matafeo's lead performance, the show's ability to unpack a genre it clearly loves, its glorious nods to rom-coms past, and its astute insights into 2020s-era dating and life, to name a mere few. How its star, creator and co-writer wrapped up both season one and two was equally as sublime, though. So, season three goes all in on something cherished and blissful approaching its conclusion. If that train of thought has you wondering if this is it for Starstruck itself, a fourth season hasn't yet been locked in. The green light for season three came four months after season two dropped, so not having a future confirmed so far isn't an ominous sign for fans. Matafeo and co-scribes Alice Snedden and Nic Sampson have always treated their series as something to treasure there and then, too; it's the epitome of revelling in the here and now, as anyone in love should. No one knows where life will take them, including Starstruck's guiding hands. So, every season could put a bow on the tale and say farewell — but unboxing more after each finale, whether it involves a The Graduate-style stint on a bus or frolicking in a pond, wouldn't destroy the storytelling, either. Thanks its rush through Jessie and Tom's attempts to make their relationship work, then its huge leap forward afterwards, as much time has passed in Starstruck's world as it has for viewers. Two weddings now loom over the narrative: Jessie's now-pregnant best friend Kate's (Emma Sidi, Black Ops) to Ian (Al Roberts, What We Do in the Shadows), and Tom's to his fellow-actor fiancée Clem (Constance Labbé, Balthazar). It's at the first set of nuptials that Jessie and Tom cross paths again, sparking a torrent of emotions that neither has worked past (some knowingly, some not). While awkwardly trying to avoid her ex and endeavouring to make it appear that she has powered on happily without him, Jessie also connects with kindly Scottish electrician Liam (Lorne MacFadyen, Operation Mincemeat). Chronicling Jessie's blossoming bond with someone other than Tom might seem like another of Starstruck's bold season-three moves, but it's a vintage choice for a series that's obsessed with tearing into rom-com tropes. The idea that there's only one big, sweeping, heart-aflutter, existence-defining affair in anyone's life is foundational in the romantic-comedy genre, and yet that's rarely a guaranteed outcome. In a six-episode batch that's as bingeable as ever, Starstruck grapples with grappling with that fact. Jessie and Tom keep tumbling back into each other's orbits, finding themselves caught between yearning for yesterday, wishing today was different and forging a fresh tomorrow — and tossing and turning over which outcome they want. Deepening their dilemma is Starstruck's focus on reaching that late-20s, early-30s stage where committing and picking a way forward is the norm. Indeed, instead of the tension between the celebrity realm and everyday existence, this season's main clash arises from the contrast between getting settled and still feeling like you'll never have it together. There Starstruck goes, interrogating rom-com conventions again, including the notion that falling in love immediately solves or smooths life's other messes. It's no wonder that the sitcom has become one of the most-relatable romantic comedies there is — and best all round. In the show's writing, performances and directing alike, Matafeo and company understand why their chosen genre spins the fantasies it does. They're well-aware why audiences swoon over such tales as well. And, they're eager to face the reality, but with warmth, humour and empathy. Starstruck's version of laying the truth bare: a sidesplittingly frank chat directed Jessie's way, where she's told that her life mightn't be living up to her wildest dreams but, given that she has a house and a job — and she's "not even that bad of a person" — it's actually not awful. There goes Starstruck's main season-three takeaway again, as given voice: "just appreciate what you have while you have it". Being grateful for this wonderful sitcom as a whole, and for Matafeo's luminous turn at its centre, isn't just easy — it's automatic. Season after season, Starstruck keeps painting a portrait of love, life, friendship and chaos that's both clear-eyed and rosily affectionate, complete with fleshed-out and lived-in performances that embrace the fact that every person and every romance has flaws and joys in tandem. This far in, Jessie, Tom, Kate, their pals and partners are as rich and resonant as any group of long-term friends and acquaintances on-screen and -off. Matafeo, Patel, Sidi and their co-stars' efforts are also that emotionally honest. Everything about Starstruck keeps evolving, too, other than how stellar it has always been. Check out the trailer for Starstruck season three below: Starstruck season three streams in Australia via ABC iView from 9.30pm on Wednesday, September 6, and in New Zealand via TVNZ+ from 8.30pm on Saturday, September 2. Starstruck's first and second seasons are also available to stream in Australia via ABC iView and in New Zealand via TVNZ+. Read our full review of Starstruck's first season — and our full review of its second season, too. Images: Mark Johnson/HBO Max.
