Learning the ins and outs of wine isn't for everyone — some people simply don't care to know their syrah from their shiraz. But if you're the kind of drinker willing to decode numerous bottles' terroir, vintage and tasting notes to arrive at the perfect choice, Circl's Wine Masterclass Series might be tailor-made for you. On the back of big news — the venue just won the Wine List of the Year award for 2025 — this fortnightly series takes place on Friday evenings from 4–5.30pm, with each event on the schedule exploring different grapes, regions and producers. Plus, guests can expect sharp pairings with artisanal cheeses. Guided by Xavier Vigier, two-time winner of the Judy Hirst Award, awarded to the sommelier who curated Australia's Wine List of the Year, attendees will be learning from one of the best in the business. So, before long, you'll know how to identify standout wines and maybe even impress your pals (just don't overdo it). The next session in the series kicks off on Friday, October 17, with the magical white wines of the Loire Valley. Then, on Friday, October 31, you'll discover ever-diverse chardonnays from all over the globe. Looking ahead, the series wraps with unexpected yet outstanding burgundy varieties on Friday, December 5.
Do you have a book that's gone neglected, gathering dust in a bedside drawer or on a coffee table? Bring it out of literary hibernation thanks to Reading Party Melbourne — a rare chance to mix some quality reading time with a night out on the town. The event will be hosted at Mr Mills for one night only this December. Descend the chartreuse spiral staircase to the perfect alcove to tear through a couple of chapters — a moody bar replete with warm timber, plush booths and little lamps. Order snacks like olives, almonds and even a charcuterie plate with guindillas and manchego, and you've got the perfect setup for a reading sesh. Starting at 6pm, you'll get to enjoy some silent reading time with your fellow attendees (no awkward icebreakers or aloud reading needed) before it's books down to and time to get your mingle on. It's not so much a book club, but an excuse to enjoy your page-turner of the moment somewhere other than your usual reading spots. No pre-reading, no homework, no worries. Of course, the books are right there to get the conversation started. Swap recommendations, or break down the events so far, if someone happens to be reading the same volume as you. Your ticket includes a beer or a glass from Mr Mill's wine list. Tickets come in at $23 and you can be in bed by 9. What's not to love? Find out more and get your tickets via the website. Images: Supplied
Consider this a case of better late than never: if you've been hanging out to discover if there's more Yellowjackets in your viewing future, that question has now been revealed. After the show's third season wrapped up in mid-April 2025, it has taken over a month to confirm that a fourth is in the works. The survival thriller's characters know more than a thing or two about waiting in both of its timelines — so consider this a case of standing in their shoes for a short stint, too. There's no word yet as to when Yellowjackets will be back, or even when production on season four will start. Season one debuted in 2021 and became one of the best new shows of that year, then season two arrived in 2023 and season three this February. Whether there's a two-year wait as in the past between seasons, or either less or more, getting to find out what happens after season three's cliffhanger is obviously an excellent development. The renewal comes after Yellowjackets' third season became its most-watched ever — and after season three's finale proved the most-streamed Yellowjackets episode in the show's history. As created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson (Dispatches From Elsewhere), the series serves up the answer to a compelling question: if a plane transporting a New Jersey high school's girls' soccer team across America was to crash en route, how would its surviving passengers cope both at the time while lost in the wilderness and also a quarter of a century later back in their everyday lives? Accordingly, in its 90s-set scenes, Yellowjackets' teenagers do whatever it takes to endure. Hop to the 2020s era and the women that made it home aren't done with their trauma yet. Battling the elements, cannibalism, haunting secrets, shifting power dynamics, embracing the otherworldly, romantic tangles, fighting over whether being saved is even the best outcome: they're just some of the places that Yellowjackets has gone across its three seasons to date. Bringing that journey to life so far, the show's cast has spanned Melanie Lynskey (The Tattooist of Auschwitz), Christina Ricci (Wednesday), Tawny Cypress (Law & Order), Juliette Lewis (Opus), Simone Kessell (Critical Incident), Lauren Ambrose (Caddo Lake), Hilary Swank (Ordinary Angels), Sophie Nélisse ( L'Indétectable), Sophie Thatcher (Companion), Jasmin Savoy Brown (Dreams in Nightmares), Samantha Hanratty (Brilliant Minds), Courtney Eaton (Parachute), Liv Hewson (For Worse), Ella Purnell (Sweetpea), Sarah Desjardins (Dead Boy Detectives), Warren Kole (A Wonderful Way with Dragons), Kevin Alves (No Good Deed), Steven Krueger (Roswell, New Mexico), Joel McHale (Animal Control), Elijah Wood (The Monkey) and more. After it debuted, Yellowjackets was swiftly picked up for a second season because its first was that ace, then renewed for a third season before that second group of episodes even aired. In Australia, viewers can watch via Paramount+. In New Zealand, the series streams via Neon. There's obviously no sneak peek yet at season four, but check out the trailer for Yellowjackets season three below: Yellowjackets streams via Paramount+ in Australia and Neon in New Zealand — we'll update you with a release date for season four when one is announced. Read our review of season one and review of season two, plus our interviews with Melanie Lynskey and Simone Kessell. Images: Kailey Schwerman/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME.
If Harry Potter movies were still gracing cinemas, exploring the boy who lived's adult life, we're certain he'd be a brunch fan. It's a magical meal, after all. Alas, unless The Cursed Child makes the leap to the big screen, that isn't in our future. But while you're muttering "accio new HP movie" to yourself over and over again, if you're in Sydney or Melbourne, you can enjoy the next best thing. Whether you're still not over Harry or you just wish you'd had the chance to attend Hogwarts because you know you're destined to be in Gryffindor (and to be seeker on the quidditch team, obviously), you'll want to make a date with The Wizard's Brunch. You'll dine in a Great Hall-like space, matching your meal (Pixie Puffs, please) with bottomless butterbeer, 'magic' potions (aka cocktails, we're assuming) and other wizard-themed beverages. And you can bet the menu will include every Potter pun you can think of. The particulars such as the exact date, venue and how many galleons you'll have to spend haven't been revealed as yet, though keen muggles can sign up to The Wizard's Brunch email list for more information. What we do know, however, is that there'll be Harry Potter characters mingling with attendees. Folks in costumes pretending to be Hermione, Dumbledore and others isn't really our idea of a magical HP experience, but perhaps a few firewhiskys — and a spot of quidditch, a couple of sorting ceremonies and wand lessons — will get you in the right mood. The Wizard's Brunch will take place in Sydney and Melbourne later this year. We'll let you know when you can buy tickets, and you can sign up for updates here. UPDATE: FEBRUARY 12, 2018 — The Wizard's Brunch has now sold out two sessions in Sydney. More details around Melbourne are coming soon.
On the list of things that no movie lover likely anticipated, Darren Aronofsky getting into fun crime-thriller mode is right up there. Consider the just-dropped trailer for Caught Stealing a surprise then. Here, the filmmaker behind Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler, Black Swan, Noah, Mother! and The Whale seems to be taking a leaf out of Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels- and Snatch-filled book, all with Austin Butler (The Bikeriders) at the flick's centre. For Aronofsky, the Elvis Oscar-nominee plays Hank Thompson, who can no longer play baseball after proving a star in high school — but is fine with being a New York bartender, and with his relationship with Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz, The Studio). Then his punk neighbour Russ (Matt Smith, House of the Dragon) makes a simple request. Being asked to cat-sit shouldn't then spark chaos; however that's where this sneak peek at the film goes. Given the genre, there's soon gangsters after Hank. Avoiding them, trying to work out what's going on and, of course, remaining alive then all become his mission. Among those waving a gun his way: Benito A Martínez Ocasio aka Bad Bunny, giving the music superstar another acting credit (see also: Bullet Train, Cassandro) before he tours to Australia for the first time in 2026. Regina King (Shirley), Liev Schreiber (The Perfect Couple), Vincent D'Onofrio (Daredevil: Born Again), Griffin Dunne (Only Murders in the Building) and Carol Kane (Between the Temples) round out Caught Stealing's cast — as the trailer teases not to the tune of Jane's Addiction's 'Been Caught Stealing', but to The Clash's 'Should I Stay or Should I Go'. Aronofsky, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Black Swan, is working with a screenplay by Charlie Huston (Gotham) — and the latter literally wrote the book, too, that Caught Stealing adapts. Butler's run of collaborating with top filmmakers continues here, joining Ari Aster (Beau Is Afraid) on fellow upcoming 2025 release Eddington, Baz Luhrmann on Elvis, Jeff Nichols on The Bikeriders, Denis Villeneuve on Dune: Part Two, Quentin Tarantino on Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Jim Jarmusch on The Dead Don't Die. Check out the trailer for Caught Stealing below: Caught Stealing opens in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, August 28, 2025. Images: Niko Tavernise.
It has been more than 60 years since Godzilla first rampaged through the streets of Tokyo, with the city enduring nearly 30 repeat visits in the decades since — across the giant monster's many on-screen excursions, that is. Until the end of January, he's not the only pop culture commodity striking the Japanese capital. Space Invaders, the game, is descending upon the city in the best possible way: in giant form, 52 stories above the ground, on the windows of the Tokyo City View observatory. As part of the Roppongi Hills spot's current interactive games exhibit, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the popular arcade title, visitors can participate in a ten-person sky-high game while looking out over the city. Called Space Invaders Gigamax, it really does follow through on all of those elements. The game is projected onto the observatory's seven-metre by 15-metre window surface, which means those pesky attackers look like they're raining down on the buildings below. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd5NGpXHmJc/?taken-by=tokyocityview One of the best spots in Tokyo to gaze out over its sprawling sights — and see its glistening lights — Tokyo City View is no stranger to adding pop culture fun to its scenic views, having hosted a Studio Ghibli exhibition that included an illuminated airship from Laputa: Castle in the Sky, as well as as a Gamera-focused showcase that served up burgers shaped like the famous kaiju and Godzilla competitor. Space Invaders Gigamax is accompanied by Bahamut Disco featuring Space Invaders, where participants shoot down invaders attacking to a beat, and NOBORINVADERS, which involves climbing up a wall to whack the attackers. For more information, visit the Tokyo City View website.
Pups usually get all the cafe fun, but New Yorkers have saved some coffee for the kitties. In one of the most Internet-anticipated cafe openings in NYC since Dominique Ansel's cronut shop, Purina One's pop-up Cat Cafe takes pet friendly to the next level, with cat'achinos aplenty. Populated with sixteen outrageously squeal-inducing adoptable cats from the North Shore Animal League, the Cat Cafe has everything your tabby could want in a downtown hotspot: multiplatformed towers, little mouse things on sticks, and All The Pats. You can take Duchess, Zander or Sushi to a good home after you've chilled out together over free pastries and cat'achinos with feline face latte art. Photos and bios of the adoptable fuzzies are framed proudly on the walls, or you can meet the crew over here. Sitting at 168 Bowery in lower Manhattan, the pop-up Cat Cafe is open from today for four days until April 27. Taking home a Health Department Sanitary Inspection Grade of "A", the cafe sits in its own space sectioned off from the kitty hang zone and can hold up to 65 cat-loving punters. Sure to follow the lead of Every Other NYC Opening, queues are expected down the block and to be solidly represented on Instagram. Nothing stops a New Yorker from lining up. Purina's Niky Roberts told Gothamist that the cat food company wanted to raise awareness of feline health issues and get some furry faces adopted in the meantime, simultaneously promoting their healthy cat food. With no other plans to open another cat cafe at present (or one in Australia, dayum), Purina are open to the possibility. For everyone not in NYC sipping cat'achinos and making buds with Duchess, it's going to be on Livestream a la Pandacam. Via Gothamist. Images by Tod Seelie.
Tucked between the grey high-rises of Queen Street, you'll find Keki Milkbar: a small, considered cafe that's a cosy escape from (the usual) hustle and bustle of the CBD. If you don't see Keki — although, it's hard to miss its moss green exterior — you'll certainly smell it. The space emanates a delicate sweetness not unlike the bakeries and cake shops you'd find in train stations around Japan. But it was Korea where Keki owner Hangyul 'Han' Oh first thought up the cafe. "It was in Ikseon-dong, Seoul, where I first played with the idea of opening up a cafe," Oh tells Concrete Playground. "My business partner Wookjin 'Jin' Jang and I saw a soufflé pancake cafe while travelling around this popular area in Korea, and he had a recipe up his sleeve." Together with Oh's third business partner Jacob Jeon, the well-versed hospitality trio united back in Melbourne and launched Keki. Instead of finding their own space, though — a difficult feat during a pandemic — they started serving takeaway pancakes at CBD cafe Workshop Bros after dark. To make the gravity-defying pancakes — a dish originating in Japan, but now adored all over the globe — the team whips egg whites into pancake mix to create pillowy, airy batter. They're less sweet than traditional pancakes, too, which leaves room for sugar-filled toppings. [caption id="attachment_775896" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] "The most important thing is the presentation," says Oh. "Our menu has six flavours and we have tried to make them as good looking as possible. We garnish delicately so every customer see just how jiggly and fluffy the pancake is." Oh's favourite flavours are strawberry ($14) and tiramisu ($14), but other offerings include matcha and red bean ($14), honey-macadamia (made with local honeycomb) and sticky salted caramel ($15) — a popular flavour among regulars. The drinks menu at Keki is almost as impressive as the pancakes. You can choose from orange and lemon, strawberry or mandarin sodas ($5.50), which are made with fresh fruit syrup and fermented for eight hours. They can be served hot, like a tea ($5), too. If you're looking for a milk-based drink, try a matcha, strawberry or chocolate latte ($5–5.50) —served hot or cold — made using a special Keki recipe. Images: Parker Blain
Sitting on level three of the Arbory crew's new HER building, Thai barbecue canteen BKK is celebrating punchy flavours cooked over flame and coal. Up here, a roomy, open-concept kitchen takes centre stage, with exposed brick played against warm orange neon and terracotta floors. Enjoy the kitchen theatrics as you tuck into fire-driven fare centred around BKK's custom-built five-metre Zesti charcoal grill and oven; the offering driven by Executive Chef Nick Bennett and Head Chef Sungeun Mo. From barbecued meats to authentic curries, the menu pulls inspiration from across Thailand, with a few modern reinterpretations in the mix. A strong snacking lineup features the likes of mushroom and glass noodle spring rolls, and oysters finished with coconut cream and nam prik pao (a roasted chilli sauce). There are grilled skewers aplenty, a sweet and crispy stir-fried beef dish, and multiple iterations of the classic laab — including one with barbecued pork jowl and khao khua (ground toasted rice). Meanwhile, a green curry stars jackfruit and green banana, and the tiramisu is reborn using rum, white chocolate and shaved ice. The drinks offering's designed to complement the menu's gutsy flavours and heat, via fresh, interesting wines and tropical-leaning cocktails. Continue your Bangkok adventure with sips like the tequila-infused Lychee Spritz or a charred pineapple margarita. An adaptation of the BKK menu is also available up on the HER Rooftop. [caption id="attachment_842087" align="alignnone" width="1920"] By Parker Blain[/caption] Images: Parker Blain Appears in: The Best Thai Restaurants in Melbourne for 2023
This is it, folks. December—the home run, the final stretch before we close out the year with the silliest of all the seasons. It's full speed ahead to Christmas now, with present shopping and catch-ups taking over our schedules. If you're short on Christmas Eve plans with a family that needs entertaining, look no further than the Christmas Eve Community Day at Studley Park Boathouse. The stunning riverside venue is offering an all-day mix of activities for families with little ones in tow and serving up a menu of reimagined pub favourites. Starting at 2pm, you might hear the voice of a certain Disney princess telling you to let it go. That's right, Elsa herself is roaming the grounds until 3pm. Meanwhile, at 2.45pm, 3.45pm and 4.45pm, you and your kiddos can get crafty in 30 minute sessions and decorate your own star ceramic baubles with provided deco pens, porcelain paints and glitter. From 5.30–7.30pm, a Christmas choir will bring the vibes with carols, and the one and only Santa Claus will take a breather from delivering presents to make an appearance at 6pm. If you're keen to kick on throughout the silly season, Studley Park Boathouse will also be hosting a NYE celebration for the ages. If you can't make it on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve, bring the whole fam for more family events in 2025, including a Back to School Circus in January and Dinosaur Day in February. The Christmas Eve Community Day runs on Tuesday, December 24 from 2pm to 7.30pm. For more information or to see more events hosted at Studley Park Boathouse, including on New Year's Eve, visit the website.
Shusai Mijo is a little oasis of luxury on the much-loved Johnston Street strip‚ best known for its underground arts scene, small bars, cheap eats and smattering of local designer shops. Here, it almost seems strange to find a high-end omakase restaurant where you fork out $250 for an extravagant degustation. But it is a sign of the area's gentrification, with plenty of locals now on the hunt for fine-dining haunts. And those folks are in for a real treat. Chef Jun Oya (ex-Warabi) is running the show with Sous Chef Takuro Abe (ex-Warabi) for a different kind of omakase experience than you might be used to. At Shusai Mijo, Oya is championing a Kappo-style omakase, which includes more cooked dishes than you'll find at other Melbourne omakase spots. The menu changes seasonally, mostly depending on what fish is available both from Australia and Japan, but it does tend to follow a particular pattern of courses. A somewhat complex appetiser starts off the proceedings — we had the mixed seafood dish made with pufferfish, scallops, snow crab and tiny firefly squid. There's a lot going on here, but the delicate combination of flavours is handled with a master's touch. This is reflected throughout Oya's menu, where you won't be hit in the face with big flavours, but instead invited to explore a more understated and subtle cooking style, where the top-grade seafood is the champion of each dish. Everything else is but a stellar support act. The second course is a steamed dish, followed by some sashimi, then a deep-fried dish, two separate rounds of sushi, a grilled plate, and finally a dessert. Some of these courses include one large plate of food, while others include a selection of smaller one-bite options. Each is sublime — especially the melt-in-your-mouth wagyu nigiri that's cooked with hot coals right in front of you. When it comes to drinks, Matthew Ng (also ex-Warabi) has curated a tight but truly impressive list of wines and sakes from all over, many of which won't be found anywhere else in Melbourne. Whether you're drinking wine, sake, cocktails or beers, he'll pair them up with whatever creation is being plated up next. The trio of Warabi alums struck out on their own and have created a damn good fine-diner in Fitzroy. If you're in the area and can afford such a luxurious experience, do check to see if they can fit you at the eight-seater omakase bar. You'll find Shusai Mijo at 256 Johnston Street, Fitzroy, open 6–10pm from Tuesday to Saturday. For more information, head to the restaurant's website.
Sweltering through increasingly toasty temperatures, the Earth keeps breaking and matching records — ones the planet doesn't want to continue. After notching up its hottest year in recorded history back in 2016, this spinning rock we call home equalled it in 2020. The past six years are now the hottest six on record, too, while the past decade is also the warmest ever recorded. The news comes via the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), which tracks data about the climate now and the past to contemplate the future — not just for Europe, but also for the rest of the world. Compared to the period between 1981–2010, which is commonly used as a reference, 2020 was warmer by 0.6 degrees Celsius. In comparison to pre-industrial times, from 1850–1900 specifically, it was hotter by 1.25 degrees Celsius as well. That mightn't sound like a huge amount, but it made a big difference in some parts of the globe. Europe experienced its hottest year ever recorded, even beating 2016 by 0.4 degrees Celsius. And in the Arctic and Siberia, temps reached more than six degrees higher than average. That meant that Arctic sea ice was significantly lower than average in the second half of the year — the lowest sea ice extent on record in July and October, in fact. Announcing the data for the past year, C3S Director Carlo Buontempo said that "2020 stands out for its exceptional warmth in the Arctic and a record number of tropical storms in the north Atlantic. It is no surprise that the last decade was the warmest on record, and is yet another reminder of the urgency of ambitious emissions reductions to prevent adverse climate impacts in the future." https://twitter.com/CopernicusECMWF/status/1347438880551800832 The unwanted milestone also came about as the northern hemisphere mostly experienced higher than average temperatures for the year, while parts of the southern hemisphere had below average temperatures due to cooler La Niña conditions. C3S also advised that 2020 matches the 2016 record despite the cooling effect of La Niña, while 2016 started with a warming El Niño event. With climate change continuing to show its effects, the news shouldn't come as a surprise. It's still a stark reminder of the current state of the planet, however. Locally, the Bureau of Meteorology has already advised that Australia sweltered through its fourth warmest year on record in 2020, and ended its hottest decade ever as well. For more information about the 2020 data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), head to the C3S website.
Your options for post-work knock-offs just got even better, thanks to Mini Cocktail Aperitivo Hour at Morris House in Melbourne's CBD. If you're looking for an affordable, elevated weekday experience, head to Morris House. Here you'll find something a bit better than a happy hour, where every Thursday and Friday from 4–6pm, you can enjoy five mini cocktails paired with matching snacks. There is also a refreshing non-alcoholic option if you're taking it easy. The best bit? Each pairing is just $12. With prices like these, things are only bound to get better. With a prime rooftop location in the CBD, live DJs taking the stage from 6pm and a range of cocktails and snack offerings, it's almost impossible not to stay a while. Enjoy a Espresso Pronto with a Cherry Ripe Ganache, a Negroni Nano with Stuffed Olives, or opt for a Spicy Watermelon Marg with a chilli con carne taquito, just to name a few. So, whether you're looking for a spot to wind down after work with the team or kick off the weekend early with mates, Mini Cocktail Aperitivo Hour at Morris House is the perfect way to try new flavours, one small bite and sip at a time. For more information on Mini Cocktail Aperitivo Hour at Morris House, visit the website. Terms and conditions apply. 18+ only. For more bars and restaurants around Melbourne, explore more on Concrete Playground. Images: Supplied.
The serenity is obvious as soon as you wander into the Royal Botanic Gardens. Now, a new all-day dining destination reflects this sense of harmony, as The Observatory launches on Thursday, May 1, with a meticulous design and menu that makes the most of its verdant surroundings. Led by The Darling Group — the same team behind Higher Ground, Top Paddock, The Kettle Black and more — expect this latest venture to meet a similarly high standard. Taking over the former home of Jardin Tan, The Observatory features an expanded footprint and opened layout that makes dining even more inviting. With clear glazing on three sides of the venue, these clear panes streamline the venue's connection with the surrounding landscape and the namesake Melbourne Observatory, just a few steps away. This sweeping transformation now accommodates 150 guests indoors, with space for 200 more on the front terrace and courtyard garden, making it a prime spot for after-dark events. This metamorphosis is also seen through the interior design, as the former venue's dark and moody hues are replaced with natural timbers, stones and steels. Bringing a newfound warmth and materiality to the space, subtle architectural details also speak to the Melbourne Observatory's astronomical heritage. Here, polished plaster panels are etched with the parallax method used to measure planetary distance, while terrazzo flooring is speckled with constellation charts. "This part of the Gardens has always felt special — calm, timeless, a bit hidden," says Nick Seoud, Director of Darling Group. "We wanted to create a place that feels connected to the gardens yet stands on its own as a destination," adds Chris Seoud, Creative Director of Darling Group. "The Observatory brings together incredible produce, timeless design and an atmosphere that lets guests slow down and take it all in." Led by Darling Group's Culinary Director Ashly Hicks and Group Executive Chef Chris Mitchell, The Observatory's menu remains grounded, where Mediterranean flavours are shaped with a Melbourne lens. Think generous, seasonal and shareable plates, from refined brunch staples to woodfired pizzas and handmade pasta. For breakfast, try the indulgent Brisket Eggs Benedict with smoked pastrami, rosti, mustard hollandaise and house pickles, or delve into the Barbecue Dory with ajo blanco and cucumber for lunch. Plus, artisan pastries are baked and delivered daily from South Melbourne sister venue, Chéri. To celebrate The Observatory's launch and help you get acquainted with the Royal Botanic Gardens' newest arrival, the team is presenting a series of daily giveaways. On Thursday, May 1, you're invited to pop down for a free coffee, while Friday, May 2, is your chance to sample one of Chéri's signature filled doughnuts for $1. Then, on Saturday, May 3, head along for a dine-in lunch to claim a spritz on the house. The Observatory launches on Thursday, May 1, opening daily from 7am–5pm at Royal Botanic Gardens, 100 Birdwood Avenue, Melbourne. Head to the website for more information. Images: Julian Lallo.
Fancy a haul of market-fresh produce, but aren't so keen on the hectic crowds that usually go with it? Or maybe you just don't have time to squeeze in full-blown shopping trip? Either way, the Queen Victoria Market has your back – it'll now deliver those fresh veggies, meats and seafood right to your doorstep. The historic Melbourne market is barreling into the modern age and teaming up with online shopping and delivery service YourGrocer to offer a new delivery option. Now, you can ditch the queues and shop a selection of Queen Vic's greengrocers, delicatessens, butchers and fishmongers, with just a few clicks on your phone or computer. Already a diverse spread of market traders have jumped on board — including the likes of The Epicurean, Vic Meat Supply, Gazza's Gourmet Seafood, Rare Organics, Sword Wines and The Bread Box — with an expected total of 25 to be offering their wares via the service in the coming months. And yes, that means cheese, charcuterie and even wine is available to order online and have sent straight to your house. You can register and order by jumping onto the YourGrocer X QVM website, selecting your chosen market goodies and buying them online. YourGrocer then picks up your purchase from the market and delivers it directly to your front door. Place an order before 11am on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and you'll even score same-day delivery. Just a heads-up – the service has a minimum spend of $60, so it's not ideal for small orders. You're also looking at a delivery fee of $9.99, though that's a flat cost regardless of how many traders you buy from at once. The charge is waived if you nab yourself a $16.99/month YourGrocer unlimited membership. Queen Victoria Market's online fresh produce shopping and delivery service is available here.
At the moment, every movie franchise you can think of has or is being turned into a TV show, including the Marvel Cinematic Universe, its rival DC Extended Universe, Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, IT, The Conjuring and Twilight. Another trend doing the rounds: giving 90s flicks a 2020s remake or sequel, as seen with Hocus Pocus, The Craft, Interview with the Vampire, A League of Their Own and now White Men Can't Jump. Yes, the Woody Harrelson- and Wesley Snipes-starring basketball film is heading back to screens 31 years later, this time getting Jack Harlow bouncing, dribbling, trash talking and trying to use his on-the-court skills to rustle up a big payday. The musician is turning actor to lead White Men Can't Jump circa 2023, as the initial sneak peek earlier in the year and just-dropped full trailer shows, opposite Nanny's Sinqua Walls. Harlow makes his movie debut, in fact, playing former basketball star Jeremy, who is struggling after injuries got in the way of his career. Then, he teams up with Walls as Kamal, a once-promising player who also didn't see his basketball future turning out as he planned. Bring on the streetball hustling from there, clearly. Behind the lens, Calmatic does the honours after also directing a House Party remake — yes, another 90s flick — and helming a heap of music videos, including winning a Grammy for Lil Nas X's 'Old Town Road'. Penned by Black-ish's Kenya Barris and Doug Hall, 2023's White Men Can't Jump is headed straight to streaming via Disney+ Down Under, arriving on Friday, May 19. If you're new to all things White Men Can't Jump, as well as the court action, it featured a significant Jeopardy!-related storyline. The trailers for the new movie don't show any signs of bringing that back, sadly. Check out the full trailer for White Men Can't Jump below: White Men Can't Jump will be available to stream on Friday, May 19 via Disney+.
Oh springtime, we missed you. Chase away those winter blues and bring back the sunshine. With sunshine comes warm air and warm smiles, festivities and just a great vibe blooming like a bright flower across the city. The springtime is chockablock for Brisbane, especially if you're in town for some of September's several music festivals, aka the Brisbane Music Trail. This eclectic offering combines the strengths of BIGSOUND, Brisbane Festival, Sweet Relief! and Future Art. Quite the offering, no? It's set to be a hectic few weeks for festivalgoers, and you'll need to take breaks. When it comes to accommodation, you can nab a sweet deal of general entry to Sweet Relief! plus a luxury stay for two at Crystalbrook Vincent. Otherwise, we've done the legwork to pick apart the River City for the finest bars and restaurants to rest your feet and ears in between gigs this September.
Victoria's annual competition for the best vanilla slice — the Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph — began in 1998, reportedly because the then-Victorian premier Jeff Kennett claimed the vanilla slice from Ouyen's town bakery was the best he had ever tasted. It's not surprising then, that the tradition has lived on, with Victorians rallying in staunch defence of their local bakery's version of this sweet and flakey Australian icon. The origins of the enigmatic vanilla slice are hazy. The French would argue it's derived from their beloved mille-feuille, meaning one thousand sheets — a much more sophisticated title than its Australian counterpart, where we affectionately nickname said slices "snot-blocks". Mille-feuille, snot-blocks, slices of heaven — whatever you want to call them, here's the list of the best vanilla slices Victoria has to offer, whether you're in Melbourne's inner suburbs or out in a small regional town. Recommended reads: The Best Bakeries in Melbourne The Best Cafes in Melbourne The Best Coffee in Melbourne The Best Ice Cream and Gelato in Melbourne THE FRENCH LETTUCE, CARLTON & BULLEEN The French Lettuce is a classic French-Aussie patisserie, with fresh raspberry tarts and beef and burgundy pies filling its glass cabinets. Its shop window also states it's been voted the number one vanilla slice in Melbourne — and we can think of a few reasons why. The French Lettuce's award-winning dessert (or indulgent snack) has made a name for itself through a thick slab of custard, perfectly flaky pastry and a decent dusting of icing sugar. And if that's not enough for the vanilla slice addicts out there: you can also get it in cake form. That's right, an actual cake with double-layered puff pastry and classic vanilla slice custard filling, with some strawberries and almonds on top, for good measure. The French Lettuce also has a stall at Richmond Gleadell Street Market Bakery, so be sure to check it out next time you're in the area. BRIDGEWATER BAKEHOUSE, BRIDGEWATER Number one on many-a vanilla slice lover's list, Bridgewater Bakehouse is a must-try. Using fresh vanilla beans instead of vanilla essence like many slices, these perfectly square numbers can be found in the tiny town of Bridgewater near the Loddon River in central Victoria. Bridgewater Bakehouse has an old-fashioned country charm about it, but that's not the only reason people flock there. It has won the aforementioned Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumphs in both 2018 and 2019. The wins have put the Bridgewater Bakehouse on the map, making the small town a gastronomic destination, selling over 500 pastries every day. BOURKIE'S BAKEHOUSE, WOODEND Bourkie's Bakehouse has been in business in the small, picturesque country town of Woodend for 32 years. They've reeled in numerous trophies for their vanilla slices, including a tie for first place, three second places, and six third place in the Great Australian Vanilla Slice Competition. With three permanent slices residing in its cabinets: iced vanilla, strawberry and passionfruit, Bourkie's is worth the pilgrimage. And if you catch them on a day when they're offering a special, you'll be cheering. On occasion, they have vanilla slice specials which include raspberry mousse, mocha (choc mousse with coffee icing), apple crumble and sticky date pudding. Bourkie's vanilla slices will set you back $4.5. VANILLA SLICE CAFE, SORRENTO It would be a crime against the vanilla slice community of Victoria to not mention the Vanilla Slice Cafe in Sorrento. Nestled on the main road in a quaint, homely shop with a limestone facade, on some days, you'll find lines outside The Vanilla Slice Cafe made up of both tourists and locals waiting to buy one of its famous slices. These guys will set you back $8.90, but they're well worth the price. They're on the thicker side, so while you'll be tempted to share one between two people, we urge you to get your own — trust us. MISTER NICE GUY'S BAKESHOP, ASCOT VALE Mister Nice Guy's Bakeshop is Melbourne's first 100% plant-based bakery and home to one of Melbourne's only vegan slices. But, to our non-vegan readers, don't be worried if your plant-based friend begs you to come along to get some vegan vanilla slices, donuts or scrolls — you'll probably end up leaving with a box of treats too. With custard so silky and pastry so flakey, you might be jumping on the vegan sweet train for good. MOUNT MARTHA FINE FOODS, MOUNT MARTHA If you're the kind of slice aficionado that likes their custard to be around thirty times as thick as the pastry it's sandwiched between, then Mount Martha Fine Foods is your next foodie destination. These creamy vanilla bricks are a sight for sore eyes, as is the stunning beach they are baked next to. Eating a mammoth slab of custard before a swim at one of Victoria's most beautiful beaches? Don't mind if we do. GUSTO BAKERY, FAIRFIELD & STRATHMORE Gusto Bakery is a family-run institution. With seven children between them, four of which have worked at the bakery, owners Simon and Carly's homestyle bakery is certainly a labour of love. Gusto Bakery offers two types of vanilla slices: one is a classic french-style slice with an impossibly creamy vanilla custard sandwiched between two layers of light puff pastry and a thin dusting of icing sugar. The other slice of vanilla heaven is more inventive than its traditional counterpart: this award-winning slice is smothered with apricot jam and fondant. Yes, please! Top image: The French Lettuce
Winter might be here with its bitter southern winds and stay-in-bed mornings, but that doesn't mean you have to hang up your togs until summer shows its face again. Thankfully, there are several spots in Victoria where underground springs bubble hot all year-round. And, here and there, excellent humans have harnessed their powers to create warm, toasty pools, in which you can soak away all your cares. Before the cold runs away to the north, make it your mission to kick back and bliss out in these four spots. All have day spas attached to them, too — so you can also add a sneaky massage to your adventure as well. [caption id="attachment_815346" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Peninsula Hot Springs, Visit Victoria[/caption] PENINSULA HOT SPRINGS Peninsula Hot Springs isn't just a hot pool — it's a bathing empire. Here, there are dozens of dipping spots and pampering experiences to try, each inspired by a particular culture, tradition or therapy. Steam your worries away in a Turkish hammam, plunge into relaxing darkness in a cave pool and treat your feet to a wander along the reflexology trail. Then, top it all off with a visit to the piece-de-resistance: a naturally-heated hilltop pool affording 360-degree views of the surrounding countryside. All this is situated on the Mornington Peninsula, only a 90-minute drive from Melbourne, so it makes for an easy day trip. Book online in advance if you can — this wellness oasis proves a popular choice when winter rocks around. And if you fancy an extended visit, make use of the new onsite glamping retreat. Find it at: 140 Springs Lane, Fingal. HEPBURN BATHHOUSE & SPA If you drive 90 minutes northwest of the city, you'll find the town of Hepburn Springs located smack-bang in the middle of the nation's biggest concentration of mineral springs. Since 1895, Australians have been travelling here to immerse themselves in the rich, remedial waters. Signs at the original historic Hepburn Pool advise against swimming nowadays; instead, get your bathing fix at the Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa. How you do that is up to you — there are underwater spa couches, hydrotherapy pods, a mineral hammam, an aroma steam room and several kinds of pools, including one for salt therapy and another for outdoor bathing. Basically, expect a menu chock full of indulgent therapies and experiences to choose from. Afterwards, pop by Hepburn Springs Mineral Reserve, where you can sample water from a variety of mineral springs and take a stroll through lush surrounds. Find it at: Mineral Springs Reserve Road, Hepburn Springs. DEEP BLUE GEOTHERMAL BATHS In the late 19th century, Warrnambool was considered the spa capital of Victoria. These days, the town's once-stunning marble baths exist only in outline. However, keeping the dream alive is Deep Blue Hotel and Spa, inside which you'll find a collection of 15 therapeutic geothermal pools. You can access it all as part of an overnight retreat (which is obviously pretty tempting), or pay a morning, lunchtime or twilight visit for between $33–57 on weekdays ($46–68 on weekends) to explore the precinct at your leisure. Once inside, choose your own restorative wellness adventure — there are caves and rock pools, serene gardens, aromatherapy pools, and even a giant foot spa complete with heated seating and its own water feature. The water comes from the ancient underground source known as Dilwyn Aquifer, collecting minerals, salts and heat as it travels to the hotel. Find it at: Worm Bay Road, Warrnambool. JAPANESE MOUNTAIN RETREAT, MONTROSE Escape the city hustle and bustle with a jaunt out to the Yarra Ranges, and you can be soaking in luxurious mineral hot springs in just over an hour. Located in Montrose, Japanese Mountain Retreat boasts a series of fully private outdoor mineral pools, which means you won't have to share your soak with any strangers. There's a variety of these secluded private spaces available to book (for one couple at a time), featuring backdrops like zen Japanese-style gardens and leafy rock pool grottos. What's more, they're open until 9pm, primed for a spot of romantic bathing under the stars. There's also an opulent Roman-style bathhouse for those who prefer an indoor dip, and a range of add-on dining experiences available to amp up any visit. You can even stay the night, with a variety of pamper-filled accommodation packages on offer. Find it at: 14 Mountain Crescent, Montrose.
How does Ryan Coogler do horror? With the supernatural, a blues soundtrack, and blood and gore, and also with evil honing in on twin brothers who are trying to create a new haven for their Black community to let loose in after dark, and to simply call their own, in the Mississippi Delta in the 1930s. Both portrayed by Michael B Jordan (Creed III) — because the only thing better than one version of the actor in the filmmaker's Fruitvale Station, Creed, Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is two in Sinners — Elijah and Elias, aka Smoke and Stack, are back in their hometown from Chicago with cash to splash and a dream to bring to fruition. They secure an old saw mill, then set about turning it into a juke joint as speedily as they can. The siblings' young cousin Sammie (debutant Miles Caton), a talented guitarist, is enlisted to assist. So is everyone from other musicians (Unprisoned's Delroy Lindo and The Penguin's Jayme Lawson) and friends (Omar Benson Miller, True Lies) to loves from before the brothers left for the city (Loki's Wunmi Mosaku and The Marvels' Hailee Steinfeld) and the local Chinese American shopkeepers (Based on a True Story's Li Jun Li and The Last Bout's Yao). Not just anyone can enter — but when Irishman Remmick (Jack O'Connell, Back to Black) insists on an invite through the doors after being drawn the bar's way by Sammie's powerful tunes, and is refused, he gets persistent. Remmick also gets toothy. Chatting about the picture back when its second trailer released, Coogler described Sinners as "very genre-fluid". He continued: "it switches in and out of a lot of different genres. Yes, vampires are an element of the movie. But that's not the only element. It's not the only supernatural element". Seeing how that proves accurate in the finished film, and how the man behind the movie has written and directed the hell out of it, is already one of 2025's best cinematic experiences. While marking the first time that Coogler hasn't explored a true story, taken on an existing franchise or brought an already-known character to the screen, there's never any doubting that the flick that results couldn't have sprung from anyone else — and that it builds upon one of the best filmographies in the business over the past decade. Although Sinners is Coogler's debut official and overt entry in the horror realm, in a way he's been stepping into that terrain since 2013's Fruitvale Station. When that feature charted the events leading to the death of Oscar Grant in Oakland, it examined a real-life incident far more distressing than any movie that's predicated upon bumps and jumps. Now, 12 years later, Coogler's path from his first film to his fifth is clear: in both, terrors and traumas can lurk for no more reason than being Black in America. [caption id="attachment_1000420" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marion Curtis / StarPix for Warner Bros.[/caption] Sinners also builds upon Coogler's tried, tested and terrific creative collaborations — with Jordan, yes, and also with cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw (The Last Showgirl), production designer Hannah Beachler (Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé), editor Michael P Shawver (Abigail), and two Oscar-winners in composer Ludwig Göransson (Oppenheimer) and costume designer Ruth E Carter (Coming 2 America), all back from either Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever or both. Their sense of connection, of support, of coming together to realise a vision, is evident in every frame. Sinners' cast also gush about it. Indeed, when Coogler, Jordan, Caton, O'Connell, Lindo, Li, Mosaku, Steinfeld, Miller and Lawson chat through their experience making the movie, they talk about the shorthand between the film's writer/director and its two-time lead; first-timer Caton enjoying a spectacular learning experience; the depth at every turn, including for the feature's villain; and the cultural richness and attention to detail. Also covered: the flick's impressive choreography behind its frays, cultivating a sense of place, wanting to be on set on days off and more. On the Shorthand That Coogler and Jordan Have Established Over Five Projects and More Than a Decade of Collaborating Michael: "The shorthand has done nothing but get stronger over the years, especially with this one being my first movies that I've done since I directed my first film — and just having a deeper sense of empathy of what Ryan goes through on a day-to-day basis, all the hats that he must wear, the amount of places that he has to be at the same time. Especially on this one, for me to be able to be an extra set of eyes for him and help where I can or anticipate his movements or needs allowed us to maybe get a little bit more done, especially when time is always an issue on set in general — but it's a just mutual understanding. I can't really explain the nonverbal communication that we have that's only gotten better over the years." On Whether Coogler and Jordan's Working Relationship Evolved After Jordan Directed a Film Himself Ryan: "I worked as his producer on Creed III. It was a lot of times where I would never rub it in his face like that, but he would say 'whoa, man, I see what you're dealing with' — but the reality is, man, our jobs are so different. Even what he did when he was directing Creed III, he was acting in that movie. He was having to go get punched in the face and then go look and check to see how he did, and then go back and get punched again. I'm not on-screen ever when I'm directing. I'm behind the camera. Mike is an empathetic guy. He grew up on film and television sets. What I like the most about working with him is he has an incredible work ethic, but he's also a very kind and family-oriented person. When you're number one on the call sheet — in this case, he was 1A and 1B — you have that culture. Oftentimes, it's going to come from there and it trickles down. People are watching how the lead actor communicates with the PA; with the assistant director, the AD; with the camera operator; with the sound. Do they like to let the sound person mic them, or do they want to complain? All of these things, man. He's such an incredible sport and just kindness is the default. That's just infectious on the set in terms of establishing the tone that everybody's going to work with. It's unacceptable to yell at a PA — Mike had never done that, Mike had never raised his voice." Michael: "That's right. That's right." Ryan: "In an industry where it can get very high stress, it can get very toxic, it's great to have somebody who understands the value of keeping it loving and respectful, so that's what I like about Mike the most. The other piece is, he wants to challenge himself constantly. What was great was I got that with every cast member. Everybody who went through the works and stepped on the set, they were trying to be better than they were on their last movie. I believe that they're going to be better than they were on this movie on their next one. That's the type of people that we hired and that culture starts with Mike, but I was fortunate enough that everybody came with that, and I was very happy with that." On Caton's Journey with His First Film Role Miles: "I started off when I was 16 years old, I got the opportunity to sing background for HER, and we began a tour all over the world. We opened up for Coldplay. Towards the end of that tour, I got a call one day saying, she called me and she said 'little bro, there was somebody in the crowd that heard you sing and they want you to audition for this role'. I took that and I ran with it. I sent a self-tape audition. After that, I got a callback. Then they sent a couple sides. It was a kid, a young kid just playing the guitar. I did that and I sent that off. The next thing I knew, I had went to LA to do an audition, and I got to meet Mike and I got to meet Ryan along with a couple other people. From there, I got to really talk with them about the role and just put my best foot forward. After that, I was able to really learn from them. Just being on this project, I got to grow so much. Every day was a learning experience. From the time I got on set to the end, I really did push myself every day to be better. Being around actors at this level, they all showed me so much love, man, so to be here in this moment, I feel super blessed." On O'Connell's Job Unpacking the Many Layers of Sinners' Unsetting Supernatural Force Jack: "I think villain is a fair description. There's probably an easier way of doing things, but in the film, we do it the hard way for Remmick. He's all about fellowship and love. All he wants is just to bite you on your neck, and then that's everlasting love, just a little bite. He's constantly saying 'I promise I won't hurt you'. It's the easy way, but we end up going the hard way. Listen, there's a real richness, a real depth, I think, to Ryan's writing. What we were striving towards was — it wasn't superficial. It was grounded in something that's rooted in history. That, to me, was the main thing I was loving to latch onto, was the cultural richness that our characters were representing in individual ways." On Lindo Being Tasked with Getting Physical and Fiery Delroy: "First of all, we have such a wonderful team who work on the fights. I had said earlier 'oh, Ryan has a wonderful team that he puts at all the actors' disposal'. I had talked earlier about the fact that when I was younger, I did dance class and fighting on film, and in the theatre — it's like choreography, right? It's choreographed. On some level, the more violent the fights are, the more critically important it is that it be choreographed to a tee. These fights were. I came to the project a little late, because I was working on something else, but when I arrived in New Orleans they were already in the thick of building the moves in the fight. The very first fight rehearsal that I went to, the fight captain showed me what they were working on and showed me very specifically 'okay, this is how you will slot in'. We just worked very methodically to achieve that, so by the time we got on camera to shoot those scenes, we all knew exactly what we were doing, what our responsibilities were. The other thing I would say really quickly, there was an openness which trickles down from Ryan and from Mike in terms of the generosity shown to all of the actors. If something was presented to me, there were a couple of things presented to me in the fight scenes where I said 'can I maybe try this?'. 'Absolutely.' There was always space to incorporate what felt more organic for me as an actor." On the Attention to Detail That Went Into Exploring the Chinese American Experience Li: "I was not aware of the Chinese American community in the Mississippi Delta at all. I had no idea about them. All I knew was that when I was presented with the sides during my audition process, I had no other information other than the fact that she was a Chinese American with a very thick, deep southern accent, which was what really piqued my interest — and also obviously because it was Ryan's project. When we dived into the research, it was fascinating. They were such a crucial part of the world at the time. They were the only people who were able to open up grocery stores specifically for the Black and white communities, but they also endured a lot of prejudice themselves. In a documentary made by a filmmaker named Dolly Li, there were a couple of people that she mentioned. One of the women's names was Frieda Quon, which is whom we used for our dialect inspiration. She always said that as long as we stayed in our lanes, we were fine, but trouble would start if we crossed over. I just love how fascinating it was, how deeply embedded they were in the culture and how you would never think that a person who looks like me would speak that way, and yet they did. They also made southern-style Chinese food and they built their own community. It was really a gift to learn about this." On Why a Sense of Place Was So Important, Especially to Smoke and Annie's Love Story Wunmi: "Annie's shop, her home, is in this picturesque environment with these massive shaded oaks — and what's the other tree, the one in Louisiana with the moss? It's so beautiful and romantic and really adds to the magic of their relationship, their love. It elevates it. I love how, in the scene when we see Annie and Smoke for the first time, is it dandelions you've got blowing behind Smoke?" Ryan: "Yeah, pussy willows." Wunmi: "You say willow?" Ryan: "Yeah, pussy willow." Wunmi: "It's so beautiful. The whole shop itself, I feel like I wish we could see the whole thing because Hannah Beachler, she did such an amazing job." Delroy: "She did." Wunmi: "There's smoke coming up through the floorboards and there were these little cards hanging from the ceiling. This candle's burning in the background. You can't see all of this. There were spiderwebs on these spell books. These are real spiders. It's not even set design. It just felt really magical. It felt like their home. When he comes into the store, he knows where to pick his pipe from. He knows that time has stood still for her and everything is as it was. I really loved their environment. It felt like it really added to the scene, it added to our intimacy, it added to our connection." On Navigating Mary's Journey, and the Night-Time Shoots That It Entailed Hailee: "I think the nights were crazy, and a lot of the nights took place inside the juke, too. We would go in and it would be light — and we'd come out, it'd be light again. What I loved, though, so much about the juke for Mary was that even though it was a new place to her, it was home. There were so many elements within that juke that were created, that were brought to life, that were home. The food; the people, most importantly; the music; just the way, the layout where you'd have Smoke and Stack up above, Annie in her corner, the stage and Mary just moving through and feeling this sense of familiarity having never been there before because of who was around her. I love that so much about this character and how she falls into this story, because she's in a place of not knowing whether or not she, to an outsider, not so much herself — an outsider may not believe that she belongs in that space, but she does, she knows that and she feels it. Being in that juke, being on that stage and even in our exterior location, looking at that structure that was built, it was like it became our home. It became Mary's home. It became her connection to her mother and her past that she'd been away from for so long, living a very, very different life that we didn't necessarily see, but we could only imagine how beautiful it might've been or looked, rather, or how different it might've looked. It wasn't what she wanted. This is home. I loved walking in there and hearing everyone's shoes creak on the wood and the chairs that we see a little bit in the movie of the juke coming together. It's just like you wonder where it all came from and how they got it all together. It was all these people that are in there that made it happen, that brought it together. We had just the most incredible team, some of who you mentioned, bring this to life and make this feel like a safe space that we could call home." On the Collaborative and Creative Vibe That Comes with Working on a Coogler Film Omar: "I've been doing this for a good amount of time now. I've been blessed to work for a long time. Ryan Coogler runs the most-egalitarian set I have ever been on, and I say that in the most-complimentary way. Once we got to set, once everybody came out of the trailers, everybody was equal. For somebody who's had an underdog element to his whole career, I value that so much. To me, that was something that I leave with — leaving that set and always being welcome to return to the set, and always being a part of it with looking forward to return to it, was that I know that we're all being treated equally. Ryan knows everybody's first name. It's 200-something people. Ryan's calling people out: 'Roger Stevenson, how was your weekend?'. It's stuff like that. It's very, very, very impressive." Jayme: "This is hands-down my favourite experience. I think the way Ryan really set the tone, that it felt like we could bring our stories with us as he shared his with us — it made for this collaboration where, I think I can speak for a lot of us, we found a level of freedom that oftentimes you don't get to tap into, because you're being led by somebody that has so much faith in you and trust in you with his brainchild. At no point did he ever feel so precious about it. It was a gift that he was willing to share — every day, like Omar said. I would show up when I didn't have to be at work. Now, I don't know anybody else that would want to do that, but to be able to watch Ryan work, I had to. I just wanted be in that room at all times, and I am forever grateful for that." Sinners releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, April 17, 2025. Film images: Warner Bros / Eli Ade.
If you've had a big night out in Melbourne over the last five years, there's a good chance it was at a Good Company Bar Group (GCBG) venue. Launched in 2020, the group is now behind a plethora of high-energy bars, clubs and eateries, like Electric Bar, Rossi, The Emerson, Circus Bar and Holy Grail. Now, with their fifth anniversary just around the corner, GCBG is celebrating with a few landmark announcements. Growing its portfolio to 11 venues over the next six months, perhaps the most significant development is the revival of The Lounge on Swanston Street. Closed over a decade ago after almost 30 years of late-night debauchery inside and on the balcony, GCBG will break new ground on the relaunched venue soon, with a new home and complete renovation on the agenda. Planned for a spring launch, expect non-stop fun happening seven nights a week. Looking to Richmond, the group has also partnered with local hospo gurus Andy Ryan and Dave Abela on two exciting Swan Street venues. Guided by local drinks experts Jon Minihan, Matt Ambler and Laurent Rospars, The Ugly Duckling will spread its wings with a rejuvenated cocktail and wine list alongside an Italian-inspired bar menu. Meanwhile, the venue's fit-out has received a spruce up by renowned interior design studio, Brahman Perera. Just next door, the former Untitled site welcomes a brand-new restaurant concept. Details are still forthcoming, but a new name, chef and menu are locked and loaded. "What started as a small-bar vision has grown into a collection of restaurants, nightclubs, late-night bars, and incredible function spaces. Melbourne's nightlife scene is in our DNA, and this expansion is just the beginning," says Nick Young, Co-Founder and Director of Good Company Bar Group. An announcement this big – not to mention a birthday to celebrate – requires a party like no other. On Friday, May 2, GCBG will mark its fifth anniversary with a city-wide celebration, with eight of its venues hosting exclusive activations and entertainment. To help get you in the mood, guests enjoy 50% off drinks until midnight at most venues, with each location featuring special promotions and music events bound to set the city alight. Get down to Holy Grail for a Gentlemen's Lair pop-up featuring haircuts and beard trims, as well as tarot readings and cocktail-making competitions. La La Land Windsor has flash tattoos and a Red Bull Truck DJ set, while the CBD alternative brings a free photo booth, live jazz and neo-soul tunes. At Rossi on Greville Street, feast on 50 free pizzas, then head to Circus to catch UK dancefloor duo In Parallel. With GCBG offering free tuk-tuks for transport, getting amongst the action is made easy. Good Company Bar Group's 5th anniversary celebration is happening on Friday, May 2, at various venues across Melbourne. Head to the website for more information.
Andreas Amador's life is a beach, playing in the sand...literally. Although for Amador, 'playing' in the sand proves to be a little more intense than it may sound. A working morning for Amador consists of meticulously carving enormous scaled designs into the sand - all under the time crunch of the ocean tide. Up before sunrise, Amador arrives at his local San Francisco, California beaches around low-tide, creating the biggest possible space for a beach canvas. He then executes his pre-conceived, generally abstract and organic, designs. The sand is contoured with rakes, giving it a multidimensional look that hopefully Amador can capture in a birds-eye photo before tide rushes in. He generally designates about two hours to the process, but there is always the risk of his work being washed away too quickly. Of course, all of his sand drawings are effervescent by nature, only adding to their beauty. Amador sells prints and postcards of his photographed works, and offers other art services as well. He leads team-building workshops, birthday celebrations, and personal transformation journeys; he also creates commissioned pieces, including sand-scrawled marriage proposals. Simon Beck is another artist with a similar technique; his medium, however, is snow. https://youtube.com/watch?v=mP0O4Yu0kYE [via Gizmodo]
The team behind one of Melbourne's most acclaimed Japanese restaurants, Ishizuka, has opened their second venue, Oden, on Bourke Street in Melbourne's CBD. The new restaurant offers Melburnians a refined interpretation of the traditional and treasured Japanese dish oden, a hot pot dish of various ingredients such as vegetables and fish cakes simmered gently in a light broth. Executive Chef Katsuji Yoshino explains, "Oden is deeply rooted in Japanese history and offers unparalleled comfort, especially suited to Melbourne's cool winters." Yoshino will follow the lead of traditional oden establishments in Japan and take inspiration from locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. Yoshino's menu includes individual oden pots, appetisers, and grilled skewers. The incredible list of ingredients available to add to the oden pots includes prawn balls, octopus cakes, avocado, abalone, sausage, fish cake, fried tofu patties and enoki mushrooms. There are also luxe signature add-ins on offer, such as a half-boiled egg with truffle, a caviar tomato and an eel omelette. The restaurant's elegant and refined concept is reflected in its design. The sleek fit-out is the work of award-winning architecture group Russell & George, which has taken inspiration from traditional oden cooking pots to bring the hammered copper aesthetic to life. Owner Melanie Zhang is no stranger to refined Japanese cuisine. Her fine-dining establishment, Ishizuka, showcases the Japanese craft of kaiseki, a decadent yet delicate degustation-style meal. "Oden has long been one of my favourite dishes, and being able to bring this iconic culinary tradition to Australia in such a sophisticated way is truly a proud moment", says Zhang. "We are creating a space that honours both the traditional roots of Oden while elevating it to a new level, offering our guests a luxurious yet comforting dining experience." Images: Jana Langhorst
As announced in 2017, officially given a green light in 2018 and then launching a couple of years back, the Art Gallery of New South Wales has been a two-building art museum since late 2022. The first space, the 153-year-old AGNSW's OG structure, boasts a sandstone facade dating back to the 19th century. The second came about as part of the $344-million Sydney Modern Project. But even when the venue's extension opened its doors to the public, it didn't have a name. Meet Naala Badu, then. AGNSW has finally announced a moniker for the space that's been known as Sydney Modern to art-loving visitors for more than a year. The term is the Aboriginal word for "waters" in the Sydney language, and has been paired with Naala Nura, which means "seeing Country", as the new name for the gallery's first building. [caption id="attachment_880685" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Iwan Baan[/caption] Overall, the institution itself is still called the Art Gallery of New South Wales. That hasn't changed. But each part of it now has a distinct title, each reflecting its location and architecture. Naala Badu earned its moniker thanks to its proximity to Sydney Harbour, plus the waters that've long been pivotal to NSW's communities. Naala Nura's counterpart nods to the building's sandstone, as well as Indigenous Country in general. Now displaying on both buildings, the names were chosen after AGNSW consulted with the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council among other key Aboriginal stakeholders and communities, with the gallery's board of trustees, Indigenous Advisory Group and Indigenous staff in support. "Aboriginal language has a deep and spiritual connection to Country. We hope this can be felt by everyone when the building names Naala Badu and Naala Nura are used by the community and visitors to the Art Gallery of New South Wales," said Indigenous Advisory Group chair Rachel Piercy. [caption id="attachment_749853" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jenni Carter[/caption] "We are greatly honoured that the Art Gallery's two buildings on this significant site in Sydney will bear the Aboriginal names Naala Badu and Naala Nura. They evoke a powerful sense of place — this place of extraordinary physical beauty with its complex, contested histories. We intend to carry these names with the deepest respect," added AGNSW director Michael Brand. Located on the hill beside Naala Nura, which gives it a view of Woolloomooloo's Finger Wharf, the four-level Naala Badu sprawls across 7830 square metres and is designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architects SANAA (with Australia's Architectus as the executive architect). One of its highlights is the Yiribana Gallery, which moved over from Naala Nura to showcase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander work. "As an Indigenous Australian for whom English is my second language, having not had the opportunity to learn my first language, I applaud the gift of living, breathing language for the Art Gallery's two buildings. With the spotlight on the Art Gallery's new initiatives for Aboriginal art and culture, we've created a globally renowned art destination where visitors can experience the best art and culture Australia has to offer," noted Tony Albert, an Art Gallery trustee and also the inaugural chair of AGNSW's Indigenous Advisory Group. [caption id="attachment_880684" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Iwan Baan[/caption] [caption id="attachment_909005" align="alignnone" width="1920"] AGNSW[/caption] [caption id="attachment_880682" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Iwan Baan[/caption] Find Naala Badu and Naala Nura at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery Road, The Domain, Sydney. For more information, head to the AGNSW website. Top image: © Iwan Baan.
Mornington Peninsula is home to stacks of world-class day spas and bathing spots, but the Surfcoast has long lagged behind. Fortunately, things are looking up for this side of Victoria's coast, thanks to the recent opening of About Time — a luxe day spa and bathhouse located in Torquay, right at the start of the Great Ocean Road. It comes from the folks who created Little Company (champions of slow, pared-back facials and LED lightroom therapy) and STILL Beauty (massage experts), so you're sure to get some damn good wellness treatments at About Time. The Torquay spa is also fully equipped for all your luxury bathing needs within its brutalist building. Inside, it has a magnesium pool, cold plunge pool, traditional sauna and steam room, plus private infrared saunas and ice baths that can be booked for groups of up to eight people. Step outside to the garden surrounded by towering gum trees, and you'll find hot and cold magnesium pools that are tailor-made for social bathing with mates. You're free to chat out here, but it seems like the indoor bathhouse is more of a quiet self-care space. With so little competition out this way, About Time is set to be incredibly popular with locals and day-trippers alike — be sure to book well ahead. You'll find About Time at 27 Baines Crescent, Torquay. For more information and to book a spot at the spa, check out the venue's website.
Brie Larson makes a great Captain Marvel. She's even better as Elizabeth Zott. Since winning a Best Actress Oscar for 2015's Room, Larson's resume has largely been filled by the blockbuster end of town — see: Kong: Skull Island, Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, Fast X and The Marvels — but it's been screaming for a part like Lessons in Chemistry. In her first non-franchise on-screen role since 2019's Just Mercy, she turns executive producer, too, guiding a page-to-screen adaptation of Bonnie Garmus' bestseller that needs her performance as its star ingredient. A chemistry genius and then a TV cooking show host who is forced to battle sexism as both, Elizabeth is as complicated as the holy-grail project that she works in secret as a lab technician, and as the recipes that she later perfects for television audiences. Regardless of whether you've read Lessons in Chemistry's 2022 source material or are coming anew to Apple TV+'s small-screen version, which has been streaming episodically since October and can be binged in full from Wednesday, November 22, Elizabeth is magnificent to watch because Larson steps into her shoes so completely. The character is direct, determined and conscientious. She's not just nonplussed about being likeable, but near-allergically averse to that being her primary goal. She's curious and dryly funny, too, albeit careful about who she's open with. But being serious and rightly cautious about how 50s and 60s America routinely disregards women doesn't mean that she's anything but authentic, whether she's asserting what she's always held dear, navigating life's traumas or finding space for others in her life. Early in the series, Elizabeth's quest to whip up a flawless lasagne has her up to her 78th attempt — and layers are just as crucial for Larson in playing the show's protagonist. When Lessons in Chemistry begins, it's with a brief jump forward to cameras and adoring viewers, with Elizabeth's Supper at Six series an established hit. It'll take half of the broader show to get back to TV cooking with no-nonsense science explanations, an appreciation for domestic duties and an uplifted fanbase, but the opening burns an imprint, signalling that its lead character's days of being expected to make coffee for male-only Hastings Research Institute scientists are numbered. Although Elizabeth has a master's degree in chemistry, her Southern Californian employer cares little about that, or that she's the smartest person on their books, because she lacks a Y chromosome. Instead, they scold her for after-hours experiments — the only time that she can delve into her own work — and lack of interest in the company beauty pageant, and trot out a misogynistic go-to: that she isn't smiling enough. It's at Hastings that Elizabeth meets Calvin Evans (Lewis Pullman, Outer Range), who inhabits another world when it comes to respect, yet resides on the exact same non-conformist turf. As the reason for much of the institute's funding, he's the organisation's science rockstar as long as he's bringing in grant money. Like Elizabeth, it's solely the work that he's interested in, not the hoops and hoopla around it. Thanks to her research into abiogenesis, aka the origins of life from organic compounds, they're swiftly professional partners. Coming as a surprise to both, they're soon living together in Los Angeles' Sugar Hill, alongside rescue dog Six-Thirty (named after his daily wake-up time). She likes orderly melodies, while he thinks best to jazz. Her ideal lab has everything in its place, but his is where he showers and scatters around saltine crumbs. In both developing the series from the book and penning or co-penning half of the episodes, Little America and Jury Duty creator Lee Eisenberg lingers on how Elizabeth and Calvin jostle as they fall in love, experiencing existence's unpredictability in the process. The tale from there leans on the latter, especially as the reality that so few of life's variables can be controlled becomes baked in via an array of ways. Selling Tupperware, turning her home kitchen into a lab, Supper at Six, becoming a mother to Mad (played by sincere first-timer Alice Halsey as a seven-year-old): these are all sprinkled into Elizabeth's story, too. Unlike in the novel, so is the efforts of her neighbour Harriet Sloane (Aja Naomi King, How to Get Away with Murder) to fight against the razing of their mostly Black area for a freeway. "Look how much things have evolved" is rarely the statement made by period-set TV dramas. With Lessons in Chemistry, just as with Mad Men and The Marvelous Mrs Maisel before it — and dramedies Minx and GLOW as well — spotlighting what is and isn't different between a bygone era and now, and how much the second proves the case, simmers throughout. As Elizabeth faces sexist barriers in chemistry and TV alike, as a single woman and then mum, and while pursuing her career and stressing the importance of cooking, it's plain to see the barriers and prejudices that blocked 50s and 60s women at every turn. As legal aide Harriet campaigns against her neighbourhood being demolished, and the discrimination that bulldozing a predominantly Black part of town represents, Lessons in Chemistry makes the same observations regarding race. Thinking that these issues have disappeared with the period's gorgeous decor and costuming is missing the point. This handsomely and heartfeltly made series might pepper change's inevitability across its tale from start to finish — and speak about it in multiple big moments — but it also spies what happens when nothing moves or shifts. Letting that truth percolate is as much its mission as positioning Elizabeth and Harriet as aspirational feminist and activist heroes, even if Harriet's worthy subplot feels like it's been shoehorned in (because it has) and is deserving of its own entire drama (as it is). Lessons in Chemistry is a comfortable and compelling underdog story about pluck, passion and proficiency versus the patriarchy and oppression, then, but with some bite. That said, it still opts for the massively misguided move of letting Six-Thirty turn narrator, aping the book's similar approach and enlisting the voice of BJ Novak (Vengeance). Barking up A Dog's Purpose's tree is thankfully over fast. Although never free of imperfections, as little in life, science or the culinary arts is, Lessons in Chemistry keeps bubbling — and charming. As the plot finds room for leaps back into Elizabeth and Calvin's respective painful histories, Mad to turn detective, pondering science versus faith, and women's liberation and civil rights pushes, it also benefits heavily from its key casting. Larson doesn't just lead expertly, but also shares wide-eyed affection with Pullman, who has inherited his dad Bill's (The High Note) charisma; a supportive rapport with the luminous King, who steals every scene that she's in; and a heartwarming bond with young find Halsey. Chemistry is on display in multiple ways, including in making watching Lessons in Chemistry a richer experience than reading it. Check out the trailer for Lessons in Chemistry below: Lessons in Chemistry streams via Apple TV+.
Fun fact: during the 1870s, the Southgate precinct played host to a giant wooden waterslide and amusement park. The well-dressed citizens of Melbourne would be willingly loaded, fully clothed, into wooden shoots and sent hurtling down into the Yarra. Who would have known? And now, some 150 years later, a new Southgate bar is paying homage to this interesting moment in time — but thankfully it's a much more sophisticated venue, where you can wet your whistle without actually getting wet. Waterslide is all about luxury and good times. Opulent decor, attentive and friendly table service and well-dressed clientele make this bar stand out in the already bustling Southgate precinct. A wide variety of beers are available on tap with a special keg of seasonal beer changing throughout the year. We were pleasantly surprised to find a strong focus on local craft beers, along with a top-notch wine list and a full back bar of spirits. However, it's the signature cocktail list that's the crowning jewel of the bar. Created with Melbourne's temperamental weather in mind, there are seasonal drinks perfect for the coldest nights or the brightest of days. We recommend the Name in Lights: a tasty blend of Pampero Blanco rum, passionfruit, fresh lime, pho spices and Vietnamese mint ($17). If you're a purist and looking for a classic cocktail to ease into the night, then make sure you order a Blinker with rye whisky, fresh grapefruit juice and house-made grenadine ($17). In fact, the majority of syrups used at Waterslide are made in-house — just another level of detail the bar brings to the table. A considered bar snack menu is available, offering market fish carpaccio ($18), charcuterie platters ($21) and even a decadent Cuban sandwich ($14.50) of roast pork, ham, Gruyère cheese, mustard and pickles. This, along with the stunning view over the Yarra and Melbourne's magnificent skyline, make Waterslide's outdoor balcony seating a hot commodity. It's also well-heated for those chilly winter nights. With views like this, we're not surprised that the bar is fast becoming the new after work drinks venue or fancy date bar of choice along the river. These days, there's no actual waterslide on-site, but you're bound to have just as much — if not more — fun at Waterslide Bar.
Next time a Sydney staycation or holiday is on the cards, you can forget all about the pesky task of finding a decent pet-sitter. Instead, that fur-kid of yours is allowed along for the ride — if you opt for a stay in one of The Old Clare Hotel's newly pet-friendly suites. Having scored a complete revamp back in 2015, the heritage-listed Chippendale lodgings has now broadened its clientele to include those of the four-legged variety. As of Monday, January 13, two of the hotel's suites — the Kent and Abercrombie — are completely pet-friendly. On request, they come decked out with extras like handmade pet bowls crafted by Motion Ceramics, Fuzz-Yard plush toys and a miniature retro-style lounge for your pet's sleeping and relaxing. For guests on the go, there's a pet directory listing animal-friendly bars and eateries, and handy dog-walking and dog-sitting services available through the hotel. And your furry mate can even get in on the all-important room service action, with a complimentary menu of in-room pet dining options. They'll find treats like Yummi roo bites for cats and Savourlife beef-flavoured dog biscuits, and dry and wet food, all available 24/7. Up to two pets are allowed per room and while the the offering is aimed primarily at dogs and cats, the Old Clare is also open to other critters — get in touch to see if your pet gecko, guinea pig or bunny is welcome along. Having your four-legged friend along on your getaway does come at a bit of a price, with the extra room charge clocking in at $100 per pet. That's on top of your suite's best available rate, so if you've got your doggo in tow, expect to pay starting from around $300 per night total for a stay in the Kent room and around $370 for the Abercrombie. Find The Old Clare Hotel at 1 Kensington Street, Chippendale. To book your pet-friendly stay, contact the reservations team on reservations@theoldclarehotel.com.au or call (02) 8277 8277.
Diaries out: if you want to see out 2025 and ring in 2026 at Lost Paradise, the annual end-of-year music festival in Glenworth Valley on the New South Wales Central Coast, you now have dates for your calendar. From Sunday, December 28, 2025–Thursday, January 1, 2026, the fest will return. Lost Paradise has confirmed its 2025 fest — and that's all that's been announced for now. It's worth noting, however, that the roster of acts taking to the stage in both 2023 and 2024 was revealed in August each year. Some people love last-minute New Year's Eve plans, going wherever the mood takes them. Others can't start planning early enough. If you fall into the latter category, this end-of-year staple is for you. For Lost Paradise newcomers, the multi-day event turns a slice of its setting — which is located an hour out of Sydney — into one helluva shindig, complete with live music and DJ sets spanning both international and Australian talents. This year, organisers are promising newly reimagined versions of the festival's Arcadia, Lost Disco and Paradise Club stages. Tunes are just one part of the Lost Paradise experience, though. Here, art, culture, wellness, and food and drink also get a look in — although how that'll be the case in 2025 also hasn't yet been unveiled. Lineups from recent years will give you an idea of the usual mix of musicians, with 2024's fest featuring Fisher, Tinashe, Royel Otis and Flight Facilities, as well as Marlon Hoffstadt, Sammy Virji, SG Lewis, Confidence Man, DJ Boring, Kita Alexander and more. 2023 ended with help from headliners Flume, Dom Dolla and Foals, alongside Basement Jaxx, Bicep and Carl Cox on the decks, among other acts. Since first unleashing its specific flavour of festival fun back in 2014, Lost Paradise has become a go-to way to wrap up one year and welcome in the next — including if you're keen to camp for its duration. [caption id="attachment_965687" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Byravyna[/caption] [caption id="attachment_965686" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Amar Gera[/caption] [caption id="attachment_965688" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Byravyna[/caption] [caption id="attachment_965685" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Jordan K Munns[/caption] Lost Paradise returns to Glenworth Valley, New South Wales from Sunday, December 28, 2025–Thursday, January 1, 2026. To sign up for presale tickets, head to the festival's website. We'll update you when the lineup is announced. Images: Jess Bowen, Jordan K Munns, Byravyna and Amar Gera.
This is a true story: in 2014, Hollywood decided to take on a task that was destined to either go as smoothly as sliding on ice or prove as misguided as having a woodchipper sitting around. Revisiting Fargo was a bold move even in pop culture's remake-, reboot- and reimagining-worshipping times, because why say "you betcha" to trying to make crime-comedy perfection twice? The Coen brothers' 1996 film isn't just any movie. It's a two-time Oscar-winner, BAFTA and Cannes' Best Director pick of its year, and one of the most beloved and original examples of its genre in the last three decades. But in-between credits on Bones, The Unusuals and My Generation, then creating the comic book-inspired Legion, writer, director and producer Noah Hawley started a project he's now synonymous with, and that's still going strong five seasons in. For the TV version of Fargo, the setup mirrors the film. "This is a true story," all iterations of Fargo claim. "At the request of the survivors, the names have been changed," each season of the series goes on, as the movie did before them. "Out of respect for the dead, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred," they also advise. What follows from there is always a twisty tale set in America's midwest, as filled with everyday folks in knotty binds, complicated family ties, crooks both bumbling and determined trying to cash in, and intrepid cops investigating leads that others wouldn't. Hawley's stroke of genius: driving back into Fargo terrain by making an anthology series built upon similar pieces, but always finding new tales about greed, power, murder and snowy landscapes to tell — including the latest, which starts releasing episodes via SBS On Demand in Australia and Neon in New Zealand from Wednesday, November 22. Consider Fargo a Coen brothers remix, too, nodding to its inspiration while existing in the same universe, and also winking at the sibling filmmakers' other features. It's a series where stars from Joel and Ethan's movies have key roles, such as The Man Who Wasn't There's Billy Bob Thornton, A Serious Man's Michael Stuhlbarg and The Big Lebowski's David Thewlis, to mention a few. References to The Big Lebowski's white russians, mugshots that ape Raising Arizona, O Brother Where Art Thou?-esque bluegrass and calling someone "friendo" No Country for Old Men-style also happily pop up. Lines of dialogue, monikers, shots, scenes, character types, plot specifics: from Blood Simple and Barton Fink to Burn After Reading and Hail, Caesar! — and Miller's Crossing, The Hudsucker Proxy, True Grit, Inside Llewyn Davis and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs as well — the links keep coming. Hawley's Fargo adores the Coenverse overall, enthusiastically scouring it for riches like it's the TV-making embodiment of Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter's namesake. That film hailed from Damsel's David Zellner instead, and took cues from the urban legend surrounding the purported Fargo ties to the IRL death of Japanese office worker Takako Konishi; however, wanting the contents of the Coen brothers' brains to become your reality is clearly a common thread. Of course, for most of the fictional figures who've walked through the small-screen Fargo's frames, they'd like anything but caper chaos. Scandia, Minnesota housewife Dot Lyon (Juno Temple, Ted Lasso) is one of them in season five. North Dakota sheriff, preacher and rancher Roy Tillman (Jon Hamm, Good Omens) isn't as averse to a commotion if he's the one causing it. Minnesota deputy Indira Olmstead (Richa Moorjani, Never Have I Ever) and North Dakota state trooper Witt Farr (Lamorne Morris, Woke) just want to get to the bottom of the series' new stint of sometimes-madcap and sometimes-violent mayhem. The events depicted in Fargo season five take place in 2019, after the film's 1987 timing, then season one's 2006 setting, season two's jump back to 1979, season three unfurling in 2010 and season four using 1950 as a backdrop. This is the most current of the franchise's interconnected stories in two ways, with America's recent political climate and corresponding polarisation key to its ten-episode narrative. Indeed, when Dot and her tween daughter Scotty (Sienna King, Under the Banner of Heaven) are introduced in the fifth season's opening scene, it's at a PTA meeting-turned-brawl. After Dot busts out a taser to escape the mob, her presence in the melee ends with an arrest by Olmstead, worry from her car salesman Wayne (David Rysdahl, Oppenheimer), disapproval from his debt collection company CEO mother Lorraine (Jennifer Jason Leigh, Hunters) and the latter's in-house lawyer Danish Graves (Dave Foley, The Kids in the Hall) snapping into action. Similarly a consequence: the dawning realisation by those around her that this stay-at-home mum has secrets. Fans of the movie are in for a treat as Hawley treads in its footsteps more directly than ever, but still cleverly, entertainingly, and while reinforcing the idea that basic human nature sparks tales like this over and over. A home invasion and kidnapping, dispatched criminals doing a job that goes awry, a massive face wound and the line "it's a beautiful day" — uttered here by Olmstead — all feature. As Dot joins Fargo's array of indomitable women, so do Olmstead and Lorraine, offering three stripes on an upstanding, ruthless and caught in-between flag. And the saga's savaging exploration of masculinity? The Trumpian Tillman, who sees the law as a mere guide, is all about boosting his own status, has son Gator (Joe Keery, Stranger Things) following his lead and also sports the Anton Chigurh doppelgänger Ole Munch (Sam Spruell, The Gold) on the payroll, is its primary target. Season five kicks off with a title card in addition to the playful "this is a true story" spiel (it's well-established by now that Fargo trades in anything but, at least where narrative facts are involved). Defining "Minnesota nice" as "an aggressively pleasant demeanour, often forced, in which a person is chipper and self-effacing, no matter how bad things get" gives way to the school riot. In mere minutes, Hawley hammers home the truth that even putting on niceties is a rare occurrence in today's America — and 2019's. The season unpacks this notion, setting its sights on the society, attitudes, leaders and powerbrokers perpetuating self-serving fractures so deep that smiling and pretending to get along isn't possible. Fargo sees the fightback, too, both when class and gender are involved, and especially in the resourceful Dot. She could give MacGyver a run for his money, gets compared to a tiger and, out of necessity, never stops notching up ways to outsmart her foes. Add Temple's lead performance to Fargo's long list of standout portrayals; Frances McDormand received her first of three Best Actress Oscars (before also winning for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Nomadland) for the film, after all. Add Hamm to the franchise's can't-look-away villains, swapping his Mad Men charm for the prickliest of confidence. And, add another delight of a run to the show's pile, this time delivering a striking service station siege, the memorable use of The Prodigy's 'Smack My Bitch Up' and multiple references to The Nightmare Before Christmas along the way. Here's another genuinely true story: Fargo keeps proving one of the best film-to-TV adaptations there is. Check out the trailer for Fargo season five below: Fargo season five streams via SBS On Demand in Australia and Neon in New Zealand from Wednesday, November 22. Images: Michelle Faye/FX.
Tucked away on Grey Street is Miss Jackson, a cosy hideaway serving excellent Allpress coffee and smart brunch fare. The space is homely and comfortable, perfect for spending a lazy morning in. Try the sweet corn and haloumi fritters finished with sundried tomato ketchup and popcorn butter, or the beer-smoked brisket hash with smoked corn, poached eggs and hollandaise. The menu also includes indulgent sandwiches, like a cheesy brisket bolognese and a potato chip bacon butty. If you need a hair of the dog, Miss Jackson is also licensed, so you can sip on an IPA or a bloody mary with your brunch. Images: Julia Sansone
Air guitar enthusiasts will be treated to a garment that makes it even easier to live out their rock star fantasies. Old Navy have collaborated with ThinkGeek to create a shirt that not only features an image of a guitar, but also sounds like one when a button is pressed on the guitar neck and the hand is moved in a strumming motion. Sound is projected through a small guitar amp which can clip to your belt, with adjustable volume depending on how hard you're shredding. But make sure you detach all electronic parts before you throw this bad boy in the wash. Importantly, the design of the shirt also features flames to let everybody know that you're the real deal. See how far you can get into a Jimi Hendrix song on one of these. Wear this under a button-up to work, and only unleash it when you're ready to rock. [via PSFK]
Name a fictional detective — be it Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Nancy Drew, Scooby-Doo, Inspector Gadget or Benoit Blanc — and, no matter who they are or which cases they've solved, someone has wanted to follow in their footsteps. Actually, more than a few someones have. We've all done it: watched, read or listened to a murder-mystery, then figured that we could solve a big case if the situation arose. Thanks to podcasts such as Serial, as well as the recent true-crime boom in general, that's become the default reaction to hearing about an unsolved or thorny story. It's also the premise behind returning Disney+ series Only Murders in the Building, which satirises the fact that everyone has wanted to be Sarah Koenig over the past decade. Only Murders in the Building has its own version of Koenig, called Cinda Canning (Tina Fey, Girls5eva). As viewers of the show's first season know, though, she's not the marvellous murder-mystery comedy's focus. Instead, it hones in on three New Yorkers residing in the Arconia apartment complex — where, as the program's name makes plain, there's a murder. There's several, but it only takes one to initially bring actor Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin, It's Complicated), theatre producer Oliver Putnam (Martin Short, Schmigadoon!) and the much-younger Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez, The Dead Don't Die) together. The trio then turn amateur detectives, and turn that sleuthing into their own podcast, which also shares the show's title. In season two, which starts streaming Down Under on Tuesday, June 28, the show returns to the same scene. No time has passed for Only Murders in the Building's characters — and, while plenty has changed since the series' debut episode last year, plenty remains the same. Viewers now know Charles, Oliver and Mabel better, and they all know each other better, but that only makes things more complicated. Indeed, there's a lived-in vibe to the program and its main figures this time around, rather than every episode feeling like a new discovery. Among the many things that Only Murders in the Building does exceptionally well, finding multiple ways to parallel on- and off-screen experiences ranks right up there. That applies to podcast fixations, naturally, and also to getting to know someone, learning their ins and outs, and finding your comfort zone even when life's curveballs keep coming. There wouldn't be another season without another murder, however. This time, Arconia board president Bunny Folger (Jayne Houdyshell, Little Women) has left the land of the living. The OMITB crew were all known to have their struggles with her, so they're all persons of interest. They have media profiles now, due to their first-season success. Canning herself starts a podcast about the podcasters. It's Mabel who finds Bunny, in fact, sparking too many internet theories. And, to the joy of the actual NYPD detective on the case (Michael Rapaport, Life & Beth), all the evidence keeps pointing at her, Charlies and Oliver. Even if you've only watched one murder-mystery before, you know the old cliche about returning to the scenes of crimes. Generally, that's what the guilty do, driven by a need to witness the aftermath of their handiwork, insert themselves into the investigation and enjoy a second round of thrills. But Only Murders in the Building makes a comeback for a different reason, which definitely doesn't involve zapping more enjoyment out of evil deeds. At a series level, there's none of the latter to revel in anyway. The first season was such a warm and amusing gem — and smart and astute, too, whether it was serving up odd-thruple banter, or parodying whodunnits and their obsessives — that it instantly became one of 2021's best small-screen newcomers. What makes season two tick is the same thing that made season one tick, though: the show's fondness for people above all else. They're the only thing that ever truly matters in any murder-mystery, as should always be the case when someone has lost their life at the hands of another. In its first batch of episodes, Only Murders in the Building made a point of identifying its victim's flaws and troubles — explaining why more than a few people wanted him dead, because that's the genre's whole concept — but also took great care to flesh him out as a person, too. It does the same with Bunny the second time around, unsurprisingly. Indeed, diving into the ups and downs, strengths and struggles, and wins and losses that make the Arconia's inhabitants who they are is as crucial a part of the show as figuring out who decides to wield a gun, knife or knitting needle. Only Murders in the Building has been doing exactly that with Charles, Oliver and Mabel from the outset, of course, and keeps digging into its central trio. But new residents and familiar faces alike still get the same treatment during season two, including Amy Schumer as herself and the returning Theo Dimas (James Caverly, A Bennett Song Holiday). Viewers learn more about Charles' past with his father, which may be linked to Bunny — and his connection to Lucy (Zoe Colletti, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark), the now-teenager who was almost his stepdaughter. Oliver's bond with his son Will (Ryan Broussard, Modern Love) gets pushed into the spotlight, as does his need to be the dip-eating centre of attention. And Mabel's distrust of others continues to help drive the narrative, especially after she becomes the key suspect and gets badged #BloodyMabel on social media. Around of all the above, there are blackouts and 70s-style parties, canny commentary about lives lived online and lonely hearts in equal measures, wonderful one-liners and knowing in-jokes, and an impressive balance of comedy and heart. If cracking any case is all about puzzling together the right pieces, then Only Murders in the Building has found its ideal components — more so in season two, which is weightier, deeper, funnier, more insightful and more charming. It's also an even better showcase for its three leads, who just might be the most likeable trio currently gracing any series. Martin, Short and Gomez all such delights together that they deserve their own podcast about why they're so great playing podcast-obsessed podcasters. If you're already a fan of Only Murders in the Building, you know you'd listen to it. Check out the trailer for Only Murders in the Building season two below: Only Murders in the Building's second season starts streaming Down Under via Star on Disney+ on Tuesday, June 28, starting with two episodes, then airing new instalments weekly. Read our full review of the show's first season. Images: Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu.
Melbourne is full of Italian restaurants, but not all are made equally. And few have as much character as Amiconi in West Melbourne. This institution has been serving up plates of spag bol for over 60 years now, feeding all of those who are in the know. And it's so loved because it's as authentic as Italian dining gets. Little has changed over the decades — it still has the same soccer jerseys on the wall and regional Italian flags hanging from the ceiling. The old black and white family photos have faded, but it's all part of the charm. Warehouse chic, this is not. And its Instagram will not inspire much food envy. But that's not what Amiconi is about – people come back to this Italian restaurant in Melbourne for their entire lives, because at the end of the day, it's all about the traditional southern Italian dishes done to perfection. First off, we are truly, madly, deeply obsessed with its Michelangelo Banquet. This has been a staple of its menus for many years. Get around the fried eggplant parmigiana and calamari, platters of gnocchi and all the semifreddo with amaretto your body can withstand. But you can easily go off-piste too, choosing from a huge selection of pasta dishes and regional southern Italian delicacies. It also has a BYO liquor license. Bring a few bottles of your favourite wine from home, and pair them with some of the best Italian food in Melbourne. How can you beat that? Images: Supplied via Facebook, Amiconi. Appears in: Where to Find the Best Pasta in Melbourne for 2023
A 90s-era Blockbuster Video might play a prominent role in the next big superhero movie headed to cinemas, Captain Marvel, but in Australia, the chain and its bricks-and-mortar outlets will soon be a mere nostalgic memory. The country is currently home to one last Blockbuster outlet in Western Australia, and one of only two remaining on the planet; however the store's owners have just announced that they're shutting up shop. As reported by Community News, Blockbuster Morley in Perth will close its doors at the end of March, with locals able to head in and say farewell for the rest of the month. Speaking with AAP, owner Lyn Borszeky said that the rise of streaming services had impacted the business. "We knew change was coming but were a bit surprised how quickly it affected our customer base once Netflix hit the Australian market." [caption id="attachment_710127" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Blockbuster Morley[/caption] When the Morley shop says goodbye, just one Blockbuster will remain worldwide. Located in Oregon in the US, Blockbuster Bend earned the title of America's last outlet back in July 2018, when a fellow store in Alaska closed up. It's a far cry from the brand's glory days, aka the late 90s and early 00s, when it had more than 9000 stores worldwide. In Australia, the first Blockbuster store opened in Melbourne in 1991. For Perth folks who haven't completely replaced their physical media collection with a never-ending streaming queue, the Morley shop will also be throwing a closing down sale — the bittersweet part of any video store's last moments. For everyone else, hold on to those memories of spending way too long walking up and down video store aisles, picking movies based on their cover artwork, and taking home towers of plastic cases during school holidays and sleepovers. Scrolling through Netflix isn't quite the same, and doesn't throw up anywhere near as many old gems that you wouldn't have come across otherwise. Via Community News.
Awarded Unearthed Artist of the Year at the 10th annual J Awards last night, Meg Mac — or Megan McInerney to her folks — is the Melbourne-based soul-pop artist making a serious name for herself in the indie music scene. The 23-year-old singer songwriter has come a long way from recording lyrics on her phone while still in high school. If her fast-growing fan-base, sell-out performances and distinctive, soulful sound are anything to go by, McInerney is definitely one to watch. Here are the top five things you should know about her. She's no one-hit wonder Though you may have already heard her powerful first single 'Known Better' played on triple j in the lead-up to the J Awards, don't overlook McInerney's more recent tracks. These songs showcase her bold, rich vocals – think 'Roll Up Your Sleeves' – as well as her talent for raw, personal lyrics — check out 'Every Lie'. 'Turning' also highlights the soul-meets-electronica sound she's developing, a unique style that has already captivated audiences. She takes cues from Motown, Irish folk and French chansons McInerney recently admitted to triple j Unearthed that, when she was nine, "I could not get enough of Vanessa Amorosi… please don't judge me. 'Absolutely Everybody' was my favourite." Lucky, then, that her dad introduced her to soul, primarily Motown, while her mum would sing her Irish folk ballads from an early age. It wasn't until she was 17 that she started writing her own songs and working on a personal style, inspired by her love of "big voices and a bit of that drama — [artists who] sing because they have to or they would die sort of thing, like Edith Piaf". She also counts Ray Charles and Sam Cooke among her primary influences, and more recently, James Blake and Frank Ocean. She's going from strength to strength It's an understatement to say 2014 has been a big year for the up-and-coming artist. In September she released her first EP, the self-titled MEGMAC, featuring four original tracks plus an impressive cover of a classic Bill Wither's song, 'Grandma's Hands'. The EP launch kicked off a national tour, with Melbourne and Sydney shows selling out in days, and Brisbane and Perth following soon after. Later nominated as Breakthrough Independent Artist of the Year, McInerney opened the Australian Indie Music Awards in October. #dogswearinghats A photo posted by MEGMAC (@megmacmusic) on Oct 10, 2014 at 12:11am PDT Her second favourite thing to do is dress up animals in human clothing When she isn't performing or making music, McInerney likes nothing better than to play dress ups with her dog. She told Music Feeds that she and her sister sent a photo of their pet to the Facebook page Dogs Wearing Hats, where "she got more Facebook likes than my whole music page in one hour." Following her knock-out live performances, its safe to say this is about to change. . @megmacmusic @kcrw So very welcome — Jason Kramer (KCRW) (@kcrwkramer) August 13, 2014 An international career is on the horizon While McInerney is gaining a serious fan base here, she's also making waves internationally, with 'Roll Up Your Sleeves' recently played on independent US radio station KCRW. The singer is already considering a trip to the US, where, she told Music Feeds, she'll "catch up with some label type people [who] want to meet me. It is exciting to think I can reach people away from my home." You can catch her at Falls Festival for NYE But before she jets off, McInerney will be taking on her first major festival as winner of the Falls Festival competition. Next to the likes of John Butler Trio, La Roux, Vance Joy and Empire of the Sun, she'll be performing some newly written songs with her sister as backing vocalist. Expect more bold piano sounds, big vocals and electronic elements from this promising young artist with a big future ahead of her.
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to anything, we're here to help. We've spent plenty of couch time watching our way through this month's latest batch — and, from the latest and greatest to old favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue from September's haul of newbies. BRAND NEW STUFF YOU CAN WATCH IN FULL HEARTBREAK HIGH Teen-focused dramas always reflect the generation they're made for, and returning Australian favourite Heartbreak High is no different. Today's high school-set shows often come with more than a few nods backwards as well, though. Just like Beverly Hills, 90210, Saved by the Bell and Gossip Girl before it — like Degrassi's multiple go-arounds across more than four decades now, including a new take that's set to land in 2023 — Heartbreak High 2.0 knows it has a history and doesn't dream of pretending otherwise. 90s worship is in fashion anyway, so all those Doc Martens, nose rings, baggy jeans, slip dresses and oversized band t-shirts not only could've adorned the initial show's cast. As this revival returns to what worked so well the first time around, takes a few cues from Euphoria, Sex Education and Never Have I Ever as well, and finds its own intensity, that blast-from-the-past aesthetic proves a natural fit. Sporting such decade-crossing attire is a fresh-faced — and fresh-to-the-franchise — cohort of Hartley High students. The years and teens have changed, but the location, like plenty of the outfits, remains the same. When the eight-episode new season begins, Amerie (Ayesha Madon, The Moth Effect) and Harper (Asher Yasbincek, How to Please a Woman) are life-long best friends, but their sudden rift after a drunken night at a music festival changes everything. Amerie doesn't know why Harper has suddenly shaved her head, let alone cut all ties with her. She's just as shocked when the mural they've graffitied in an unused school stairwell, chronicling who's dated, had a crush on and slept with who among the year 11s, is scandalously outed. And their classmates, including the non-binary Darren (screen first-timer James Majoos), their bestie Quinni (Chloe Hayden, Jeremy the Dud), heartthrob Dusty (Josh Heuston, Thor: Love and Thunder), his smug pal Spider (Bryn Chapman Parish, Mr Inbetween), mullet-wearing food delivery driver Ca$h (Will McDonald, Home and Away), and Bundjalung basketballer Malakai (Thomas, Troppo), all get drawn into the resulting (and immediately easy-to-binge) chaos. Heartbreak High streams via Netflix. Read our full review. WE'RE ALL GOING TO THE WORLD'S FAIR "Hey guys, Casey here. Welcome to my channel. Today I'm going to be taking the World's Fair Challenge." So says We're All Going to the World's Fair's protagonist (feature newcomer Anna Cobb) twice to start this absorbing horror film, to camera, in what makes a spectacular opening sequence. Next, an eerie wave of multicoloured light flashes across her face. Watching her response brings the also-excellent She Dies Tomorrow to mind, but Casey has her own viral phenomenon to deal with. She's doing what she says she will, aka viewing a strobing video, uttering a pivotal phrase and then smearing blood across her laptop screen — and she promises to document anything that changes afterwards, because others have made those kinds of reports. Written, directed and edited by fellow feature debutant Jane Schoenbrun, the instantly eerie and intriguing We're All Going to the World's Fair is that record. Schoenbrun's film is more than that, however. It also charts the connections that spring and splinter around Casey just by joining the online trend, where her videos spark others in return — and the spirals she goes down as she watches, which then sparks a response in her own way, too. A portrait of isolation and alienation as well, while chronicling the after effects of playing a virtual horror game, We're All Going to the World's Fair is also a picture of an always-recorded world. Take your lockdown mindset, your social-media scrolling, all that Zooming that defined the beginning of the pandemic and a gamer vibe, roll them all together, and that's still not quite this arresting movie — which keeps shifting and evolving just like Cobb's enigmatic and evocative performance. The entire flick earns that description and, not that it needs an established name's tick of approval, the fact that The Green Knight and A Ghost Story director David Lowery is an executive producer speaks volumes. We're All Going to the World's Fair streams via Shudder. RAMY In the dramedy that bears his name, Ramy Youssef (Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot) is a quintuple threat. He created Ramy, plays Ramy, executive produces, and also frequently writes and directs — and, in a show about a Queens-born first-generation American Muslim raised in New Jersey to Egyptian parents, as Youssef himself is, there's no doubting that the stories he's telling are personal. There's a difference between bringing your own exact existence to the screen and conveying the truth behind your experiences, however, with Ramy falling into the second category as it charts its eponymous figure's struggles as his faith conflicts with his lifestyle. Since its first season in 2019, the series has always been so deeply steeped in the lived reality of feeling torn between two cultures, and so specific in its details, too. And yet, it's also so universal and relatable in its emotions and insights. None of the above changes in season three, welcomely so, in what's one of Ramy's finest moments yet. In this ten-episode third run, the lives of Ramy and his loved ones are rarely blessed with fine moments — and Ramy Hassan, Youssef's on-screen alter-ego, keeps threatening his own heart, mind and soul with his choices. Season two ended with a short-lived marriage and the fallout still lingers, but Ramy has thrown himself into making his Uncle Naseem's (Laith Nakli, Ms Marvel) diamond business a success as a distraction. He has money, his own place and, soon, his own jewellery outfit, although that doesn't herald happiness. For his sister Dena (May Calamawy, Moon Knight), nor has striving hard to take the bar exam, especially when her parents Maysa (Hiam Abbass, Succession) and Farouk (Amr Waked, Wonder Woman 1984) are open about how differently they see her and her future to Ramy. As the elder Hassans also grapple with Farouk being out of work, plus decades of feeling like they're treading water, Ramy remains a stunningly perceptive and engaging exploration of the battle to remain true to oneself — and one's hopes, dreams and religion — while also proving a rich, poignant and devastatingly well-acted comedy. May more come. Ramy streams via Stan from Friday, September 30. DO REVENGE Sequels aren't the only way to get nostalgic, or to thrust a beloved old-school film — or several — into the now. A high school-set comedy about exactly what it's moniker describes, Do Revenge joins Heathers, The Craft, Jawbreaker and Jennifer's Body in charting teens chasing vengeance. Mean girls abound, too, and when 'Kids in America' starts playing, it's a Betty of a Clueless nod (and just one of many, including pastel uniforms that could've been pulled out of Cher Horowitz's computerised wardrobe). Casting Sarah Michelle Gellar as the principal and dropping 'Praise You'? The Cruel Intentions winks keep thrilling like a young Ryan Phillippe. The list goes on, to the never-grow-up delight of, well, everyone — because writer/director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Someone Great) and co-scribe Celeste Ballard (Space Jam: A New Legacy) clearly know and love the type of movie they're making as much as the rest of us. Unleashing more references than a school library doesn't always play well — in the latest Scream movie, it gets repetitive and fast; in whodunnit parody-slash-homage See How They Run, it's a touch too clever-clever — but Do Revenge radiates pure fun and affection. At its centre: queen bee Drea (Camila Mendes, Riverdale), who climbed her exclusive private school's social ladder, hid her modest background and dated the dream boy Max (Austin Abrams, Euphoria) until a sex scandal tarnishes her reputation. With newcomer Eleanor (Maya Hawke, Stranger Things), who also has her own grudge against one of their classmates, she hatches a Stranger on a Train-esque plan: they'll avenge each other's wrongs and bring down their respective tormentors. Robinson and Ballard have a ball getting savage yet sweet, as does a cast that also includes Game of Thrones' Sophie Turner, 13 Reasons Why's Alisha Boe and Ms Marvel's Rish Shah — and devilish twists come with the self-aware fandom. Do Revenge streams via Netflix. HOCUS POCUS 2 Twist the bones and bend the back, Hocus Pocus has returned for another horror-comedy attack — and there's no doubting that this 29-years-later sequel adores its predecessor. Disney loves reviving and extending its popular past hits, whether as new remakes, followups or ever-sprawling franchises. In the majority of cases, it's committed to sticking to the same already-winning formula, too. So, pushing the cackling Sanderson sisters to the fore again, Hocus Pocus 2 unsurprisingly doesn't overly mess with the tried-and-tested template. Once again starring Bette Midler (The Addams Family 2), Sarah Jessica Parker (And Just Like That...) and Kathy Najimy (Music), it's another family-friendly tale of Salem witches trying to eat children to remain alive and youthful forever. And, it doubles down on everything that the Mouse House thinks made the OG flick such a beloved 90s favourite to begin with — more songs, more OTT siblings, more teens trying to foil their plans to run amok, amok, amok and more Massachusetts-set mayhem, namely That means that Hocus Pocus 2 plays like a greatest-hits do-over as much as a second effort. New movie, same setup, a few fresh faces and an obvious yearning to keep the saga's black flame candle burning: that's director Anne Fletcher (Hot Pursuit) and screenwriter Jen D'Angelo's (Young Rock) film. After adding an origin story for Winnie (Midler), Mary (Najimy) and Sarah (Parker), as well as Billy Butcherson (Doug Jones, What We Do in the Shadows), they're all unleashed upon modern-day Salem by 16-year-old Becca (Whitney Peak, Gossip Girl), her best friend Izzy (Belissa Escobedo, Sex Appeal) and magic shop owner Gilbert (Sam Richardson, The Afterparty) — and nostalgically entertaining hijinks ensue. Hocus Pocus 2 isn't subtle or restrained, or keen to do much more than worship its predecessor, but spells do work more than once. Hocus Pocus 2 streams via Disney+ from Friday, September 30. BLONDE Usually when a film leaves you wondering how it might've turned out in other hands, that isn't a great sign — but Blonde, the years-in-the-making adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates' fictionalised Marilyn Monroe biography of the same name, demands a watch. It's a fascinating movie, including for what works astoundingly well and what definitely doesn't. In the first category: Ana de Armas (The Gray Man) as Norma Jeane Mortenson, the woman who'd become not just a star and a sensation during her life, but an icon across the six decades since. Also exceptional: the almost-uncanny recreations of oh-so-many images that captured Mortensen/Monroe, including a plethora that are iconic themselves. In the second camp, however, falls Blonde's decision to filter its central figure's story through her death, as though that was the most important thing about her — and that it was inevitable. No one ever wants to be defined by one thing. Monroe certainly didn't, as Blonde itself depicts. She fiercely yearned to be known as more than a sex symbol who drew crowds to cinemas and attracted intense media interest — but being objectified was a part of her Hollywood experience, including here from the moment that a first studio meeting ends horrifically. As written and directed by Australian filmmaker Andrew Dominik, in his latest feature to unpack larger-than-life true tales after Chopper and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Blonde reductively sees that awful treatment, her childhood struggles, her tumultuous marriages and romances, her miscarried or aborted pregnancies, and her late-career on-set antics as all leading to the conclusion that's long been a matter of history. Far more engrossing is the movie's efforts to unpack the truth and pain behind all of Monroe's career-defining images, and to plunge the audience into a fraught headspace with her — and that soulful and phenomenal lead performance. Blonde streams via Netflix. NEW AND RETURNING SHOWS TO CHECK OUT WEEK BY WEEK LOS ESPOOKYS In the US, it was one of the best new shows of 2019. In Australia, thanks to a hefty delay in bringing it to our screens, it earned that distinction in 2021. The one silver lining for the latter? The gap between Los Espookys' first season and its second has proven much shorter Down Under — but more of this Spanish-language HBO comedy was always going to be worth the wait. The premise is a gem; the cast is a delight; the cavalcade of horror references is so savvily worked in that it almost puts every other winking, nodding, nudging show or movie to shame; and there remains nothing else on television or streaming like it. Sharp, witty, absurd, affectionate, insightful, charming, oh-so-distinctive, perhaps the best unofficial (and unrelated) successor to The Mighty Boosh yet: that's Los Espookys again and again, even more so in season two, although it's also a must-see that's best experienced rather than described. The same rings true for the Los Espookys gang and their business: horror IRL. It genuinely is a business for genre devotee Renaldo (Bernardo Velasco, Museo) and his pals Andrés (Julio Torres, Shrill), Úrsula (Cassandra Ciangherotti, This Is Not a Comedy) and Tati (Ana Fabrega, Father of the Bride), turning a passion into a line of work with a steady-enough list of customers. In an always-unpredictable affair co-created by Torres, Fabrega and Our Flag Means Death's Fred Armisen, the group stages spooky setups for folks willing to pay — gloriously outlandish and OTT scenarios, always with a tactile and DIY feel, resulting in both impressive and hilarious outcomes. Those installations keep coming, and so does both personal and interpersonal chaos for the crew (plus Renaldo's parking valet uncle Tico, as played by Armisen), particularly after Tati can't quite adjust to marriage, Andrés navigates life beyond the luxury he grew up in, Renaldo keeps being haunted and Úrsula tries to fend off persistent TV offers. Los Espookys streams via Binge. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER Like knowing that House of the Dragon was coming, and winter as well, it's been impossible to avoid news about The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The stunning-looking series has been in the works for five years, and is already locked in for five seasons, all jumping back to Middle-earth's Second Age. That's a period of elves, men, dwarves and harfoots — precursors to hobbits — and of the lurking evil of Sauron, plus orcs, trolls and more. It's also when the titular jewellery is forged. On the page, it's largely been covered in an appendix to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books, taking this new series into previously unseen on-screen territory. And, as The Rings of Power focuses on, it's where Galadriel and Elrond's tales truly kicked in, with Morfydd Clark (Saint Maud) taking over from Cate Blanchett and Robert Aramayo (The King's Man) doing the same for Hugo Weaving, with their characters thousands of years younger. The young Galadriel narrates The Rings of Power's explanatory introduction, setting the scene for the show's fight against Sauron — and slowly putting the pieces in place for the compilation of a fellowship to do so. She tells of the dark lord Morgoth and his defeat in wide-ranging wars. She notes that the elf Finrod (Will Fletcher, The Road Dance) was convinced that Sauron, Morgoth's apprentice, still lingered afterwards. And she advises that such a belief and the search to prove it right cost Finrod, her brother, his life. Alas, during relative peace, as Middle-earth has been under since Morgoth was vanquished, isn't a prime time to take up that fight. But she's still scouring far and wide for Sauron, even if High King Gil-galad of the Elves (Benjamin Walker, The Ice Road) wants to bathe her in glory for past victories instead. If that's the path she took, there wouldn't be much of a series — and that's just the start of a thrilling show that also spends time with the dwarves of Khazad-dum, fellow elf Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova, The Undoing) among the humans, and harfoot Nori Brandyfoot (Markella Kavanagh, True History of the Kelly Gang) and her fellow diminutive creatures. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power streams via Prime Video. Read our full review. ANDOR When it arrived in 2016 between Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens and Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi, Rogue One: A Star Wars sent a message in its own spy-slash-heist flick way: it wouldn't be slavishly beholden to the Star Wars franchise's established and beloved universe. It felt earthier and murkier, more urgent and complicated, and far more steeped in everyday reality — within its science-fiction confines, of course — and more concerned with the here and now of its specific narrative than the bigger saga picture. It was certainly and unshakeably bleaker, and felt like a departure from the usual template, as well as a welcome risk. The same proves true of impressive streaming prequel Andor, which slips into its namesake's routine five years prior. The Galactic Empire reigns supreme, the Rebel Alliance is still forming and, when the series opens, Cassian (the returning Diego Luna, If Beale Street Could Talk) is a wily thief living on the junkyard planet of Ferrix. A Blade Runner-esque sheen hovers over a different place, however: the industrial-heavy, corporate-controlled Morlana One, which couldn't be further under the boot of the Empire if it tried. As Monos-style flashbacks to Cassian's childhood aid in fleshing out, he's searching for his sister, but his latest investigatory trip results in a confrontation and the Preox-Morlana Authority on his trail. Back on Ferrix, he endeavours to hide with the help of his friend/presumed ex/mechanic/black-market dealer Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona, Morbius) and droid B2EMO (Dave Chapman, Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker), while keeping his latest antics a secret from his adoptive mother Maarva (Fiona Shaw, Killing Eve). But, even after being told to drop the case, persistent Imperial Deputy Inspector Syril Karn (Kyle Soller, Poldark) and higher-ranking officer Dedra Meero (Denise Gough, Under the Banner of Heaven) aren't willing to give up. Andor streams via Disney+. Read our full review. ATLANTA You can't escape yourself. As Atlanta sent Earnest 'Earn' Marks (Donald Glover, Guava Island), his cousin and rapper Alfred 'Paper Boi' Miles (Brian Tyree Henry, Bullet Train), their Nigerian American pal Darius (Lakeith Stanfield, Judas and the Black Messiah) and Earn's ex Vanessa (Zazie Beetz, also Bullet Train) around Europe in the show's third season earlier in 2022, that truth became inescapable, too. Hopping everywhere from Amsterdam to Paris and London, the group saw the daily reality of being Black Americans linger with them at every destination — and their personal ups and downs as well — no matter how wild, weird, bleak or hopeful the circumstances they were in. Arriving mere months later, season four kicks off by also exploring that point, including in a debut episode that sees Atlanta, the city, haunt the show's main players. They're back home and there's no way they couldn't know it, whether they're on scavenger hunts, stuck in carparks or being chased. Just a handful of episodes in, Atlanta's fourth season also examines another truth that's always sat at the core of the show: that for better and for worse, there's no place like home. That applies to the physical location, but also to the homes we make with other people — family, friends and everything in-between. Earn and Van gravitate closer together, but their relationship has always ebbed and flowed. Al keeps pondering what success really means, too. In the process, Glover's superbly smart, blistering and often-surreal unpacking of race relations lays bare the nation it usually calls home, as it did so incisively in its first two seasons, while never failing to challenge, surprise and swing big. That the show's final season also clearly muses on legacies obviously couldn't be more fitting; however it ends, no doubt in a thoroughly unpredictable and yet also ridiculously apt way, it'll always be a great on Glover, Henry, Stanfield and Beetz's resumes. Atlanta streams via SBS On Demand. THE PATIENT In one of 2022's new streaming standouts, Bad Sisters, Brian Gleeson tries to get to the bottom of a suspicious death. In another, The Patient, Domhnall Gleeson plays a serial killer. The two shows have more differences than commonalities, but it's clearly a great time for the Frank of Ireland-co-starring Gleeson brothers and twisty tales about crime. For Run's Domhnall, he co-leads a show about a murderer who enlists a therapist to try to stop his homicidal urges. Sam Fortner does indeed sit in Alan Strauss' (Steve Carell, Minions: The Rise of Gru) office and seek his help, but as well as hiding his eyes and face behind sunglasses, he keeps his real name, the bulk of his personal details and bloody pastime to himself. It's only after Strauss wakes up chained in Fortner's house that the latter feels comfortable enough to come clean and truly ask for assistance, albeit under terrifying circumstances for his captive. Domhnall Gleeson's on-screen resume isn't short on highlights, including Ex Machina and Brooklyn. Carell's has blatantly boasted many, spanning both comedies (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and The Office, obviously) and dramas (including his Oscar-nominated work in Foxcatcher). Accordingly, it should astonish no one that they're both instantly gripping in The Patient, as their characters bounce off of each other in inherently grim circumstances; however, they're each also in career-best form. The psychological-thriller series works as two commanding, textured and high-stakes character studies as Fortner demands Strauss' professional best, and ensures he isn't capable of refusing — and works through their respective baggage cat-and-mouse-style from there. In fact, it hits its marks so well that the show's concise format (each episode clocks in at between 20–25 minutes) keeps viewers wanting more. The Patient streams via Disney+. RICK AND MORTY The longer that Rick and Morty continues, the more it galaxy- and time-hopping mayhem it slings at the screen, aka whatever out-there sci-fi situations that creators Justin Roiland (Solar Opposites) and Dan Harmon (Community) can conjure up. But the more that this Back to the Future-inspired animated hit continues, too, the more that it proves a tragedy about choices made and not — and how even having all the science-fiction gadgetry in this and every other world and dimension can't make everything perfect always, because that's just not human (or alien, animal or Birdperson) nature. Season six of the series was always going to get contemplative given how the past season ended, of course, and because that's been baked into the show since day one. Still, the oft-quoted "wubba lubba dub dub" feels particularly weighty this time around, considering what it really means: "I am in great pain, please help me". Rick Sanchez (voiced by Roiland) has been saved, but that initially tears the Smith family apart — by now, they know (and we know) that Rick and his daughter Beth (Sarah Chalke, Firefly Lane), son-in-law Jerry (Chris Parnell, Archer), grandson Morty (also Roiland) and granddaughter Summer (Spencer Grammer, Tell Me a Story) aren't quite the versions of themselves they once were. Also part of the season's first few episodes: Beth getting close to Space Beth, also with consequences throughout her household; exploring what it means to offload parts of your life you're not happy with; and a good ol'-fashioned "yippee ki-yay!"-shouting Die Hard parody. In other words, it's all quintessential Rick and Morty, just getting deeper with each new run of episodes. Naturally, when Peter Dinklage (Cyrano) voices an alien equivalent of Hans Gruber, it's gold, and yet another classic Rick and Morty moment. Rick and Morty streams via Netflix. Need a few more streaming recommendations? Check out our picks from January, February, March, April, May, June, July and August this year. You can also check out our running list of standout must-stream 2022 shows so far as well — and our best 15 new shows from the first half of this year, top 15 returning shows and best 15 straight-to-streaming movies.
Sporting a truly authentic cucina povera kitchen — embroidered tablecloths, mismatched chairs and lacy curtains — Bar Idda is the real deal when it comes to Italian restaurants in Melbourne. As its popularity shows no signs of abating, it's best you make a booking and be sure to grab the best seats in the house: the front room, or the window ledge overlooking Lygon Street. Even better, hit Bar Idda on a balmy night and you'll be promised a sunset and the whiff of tobacco from the regular congregation of older, Italian gents. A place where over-ordering is impossible, the casual diner-style vibe of Bar Idda is complemented by a shared menu of carefully considered classics and modern morsels. Entirely moreish and communal, order lots of little pieces and find yourself colliding knives and forks to steal the last piping-hot arancino (mixed mushroom, Sicilian oregano, fontina cheese) or delicately sweet purpetti dolce (tomato braised beef, almond, pine nut, currant, cinnamon meatballs). Simply not to be missed, the piscina spade with barqbecued swordfish, marsala carrots and gremolata proves how stunning the perfect seasoning can be. Every item on the menu at Bar Idda sits in harmony with its counterparts, making it supremely easy to order; the richer dishes sit in contrast to light salads, helping to cut through different flavours. Drinks are complementarily matched and on offer is a range of imported beers and carefully selected wines not often seen elsewhere. Wine by the carafe is endearing and the perfect addition to your spread, proving the true Mediterranean adage that alcohol is to be enjoyed with a meal. Finishing off with dessert — this is where Bar Idda storms home — try the cassata or cannolo with cinnamon shell and bitter chocolate crema to have you well and truly on your way to an Italian dream. Bar Idda is an all-Sicilian affair that will make you feel an entire world away. Its kitsch decor gives way to much more than what appearances offer, and its authenticity and sprit of generosity is clear. Here, it's hard not to turn every meal into a feast. Appears in: Where to Find the Best Pasta in Melbourne for 2023
"Are people born wicked? Or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?" They're the questions that the full trailer for Wicked poses in its first moments. The rest of the sneak peek, the film it's for, and both the musical and the book that it's based on all explore those queries through the tale of Glinda (Ariana Grande, Don't Look Up) and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo, Pinocchio). Film lovers, you're going off to see the witches, the powerful witches of Oz, when Wicked soars from the page and the stage to the screen in 2024. The famous and beloved theatre musical adapts a book that takes inspiration from The Wizard of Oz, and has been a show-going favourite for more than two decades thanks to composer Stephen Schwartz and playwright Winnie Holzman. Now, it's heading to cinemas as a two-part movie. The first instalment, now just called Wicked rather than Wicked: Part One, arrives in November with director Jon M Chu (In the Heights, Crazy Rich Asians) behind the lens. Grande dons pink and Erivo sports the requisite green in both the first teaser trailer for the movie — which arrived amid the annual Super Bowl sneak-peek frenzy (see also: Deadpool & Wolverine) — and also for the just-dropped complete sneak peek. Haven't caught the stage show on its current Australian run, including in Sydney since 2023 and in Melbourne from March 2024 , with Brisbane to come? Defy gravity in your local picture palace before the year is out instead. In the two trailers for the film, Glinda tells Elphaba "don't be afraid". "I'm not afraid," is the fellow witch's response. "It's the Wizard who should be afraid of me." As for why, the second trailer steps through more of the plot — complete with renditions of 'Popular' and, yes, 'Defying Gravity'; Elphaba getting her black witch hat; flying monkeys; hues of pink and green aplenty; and meeting the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum, Asteroid City) in Emerald City. Wicked follows the Land of Oz's witches, with telling their untold tale the musical's whole angle. On the stage, the show has notched up more awards than you can fit in a hefty cauldron over the years. That includes three Tonys from ten nominations, a Grammy, an Olivier Award and six Drama Desk Awards. Joining Grande and Erivo in bringing Wicked to the cinemas is quite the who's who-style cast. Alongside Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh (A Haunting in Venice), Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton), Ethan Slater (The Marvellous Mrs Maisel) and Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live) also feature. As for when the second Wicked movie will also get flickering, it's due in November 2025. Check out the full trailer for Wicked below: Wicked releases in cinemas Down Under on November 28, 2024.
Feeling the need for speed, posing as an assassin, faking a romance, battling tornadoes: thanks to Top Gun: Maverick, Hit Man, Anyone But You and Twisters, they've been Glen Powell's recent tasks. The actor's next job is to flee, and also to survive, in the second big-screen adaptation of a dystopian novel written by one of the most-famous authors there is under a pen name. His The Running Man gig under director Edgar Wright (Last Night in Soho) also involves following in Arnold Schwarzenegger's (Fubar) footsteps. 2025 is the perfect year for another take on the thrilling page-turner that Stephen King released in 1982, but as his pseudonym Richard Bachman. This is the year, in fact, that The Running Man is set on the page — and when King imagined that healthcare in the United States would favour the wealthy, leaving everyone else in such a scramble for medical treatment that signing up to compete in a literally killer television show is the only option. As the just-dropped first trailer for The Running Man shows, Powell's Ben Richards is the man in a bind in a near-future society. He's 35, married, has one child and is facing a medical crisis, needing a doctor for his sick daughter. He's also both unemployed and blacklisted from working. Josh Brolin (Outer Range) plays TV producer Dan Killian, who convinces Ben that entering the hit small-screen series that shares the film name could solve all of his problems. The aim, then, is for the lethal game's newest contestant to make it through 30 days while professional assassins are trying to hunting him down — and as the world watches on to huge ratings success. When Schwarzenegger portrayed Richards in 1987, the film didn't stick as closely to King's storyline. Back behind the lens for the first time since 2021's trio of films — Last Night in Soho, Sparks documentary The Sparks Brothers and concert film What the Hell Is It This Time? Sparks Live in London — Wright has also enlisted Michael Cera (The Phoenician Scheme) to lend Powell's protagonist a hand, plus Colman Domingo (The Four Seasons) as the host of The Running Man. His cast spans everyone from Lee Pace (Foundation) and Jayme Lawson (Sinners) to Emilia Jones (Winner), William H Macy (Accused) and Daniel Ezra (All American), too. The film hits cinemas Down Under on Thursday, November 6, 2025 — and its debut trailer has also dropped with ideal timing, given that watching competitors attempt to survive a deadly game was at the heart of Squid Game, which just wrapped up its third and final season, and also clearly owes King's novel a debt. Check out the first trailer for The Running Man below: The Running Man opens in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, November 6, 2025.
Brighton's Half Moon pub — run by the same group that owns Lucky Coq, Portsea Hotel and The Albert Park Hotel — is huge. Behind the building's original historic façade, lies six separate (and recently done-up) drinking and dining spaces, split across two levels. Food-wise, expect a glammed-up pub classics menu in the main dining. Here, they've moved beyond the parma, instead serving more sophisticated dishes like steak tartare, octopus carpaccio, crispy pork belly and an enormous braised lamb shoulder that's meant to be shared. But fear not, you can still get your parma at the front bar and beer garden. That and steak sandwiches, fish and chips, steak, oysters and chicken wings are served up in this more casual part of Half Moon. It's also where you'll tuck into a great $30 roast on Sundays. If you find yourself in need of something to eat and drink after a day at the beach in Brighton, do consider a jaunt over to Half Moon. Top image: Simon Shiff Appears in: The Best Pubs in Melbourne for 2023
There are some things in life that are best left to the professionals. Brewing beer. Dentistry. Flying a plane. Also on the list? Heading to a Melbourne hair salon to replicate that fancy hairstyle you saw on social media for your next special occasion. Sure, you could try to do it yourself at home — check out our styling videos for tips and inspiration — but there's no better way to get in the party mood than a little pamper sesh. That's why we curated this list of the best hair salons in Melbourne (and a barbershop, too). The teams at these spots are absolute wizards with cutting and styling tools — wrangling that mop atop your head in no time. Recommended reads: The Best Barbers in Melbourne The Best Spas in Melbourne The Best Natural Hot Springs and Spas in Victoria
There hasn't been much to look forward to in 2021, but we're all eagerly anticipating one big thing. That'd be the moment that 11.59pm on Friday, December 31 passes by, ticking over to 12.00am on Saturday, January 1, 2022. And, because it's actually almost that time of year, plenty of events have started announcing their New Year's Eve plans so you can work out how to spend that long-awaited moment. Here's another one: Annus Finis, MONA's first-ever NYE shindig. Taking place from 6.30pm on Friday, December 31 (obviously), this New Year's Eve party will take over MONA's lawns and main stage with live tunes, food and drinks, and the general kind of end-of-year shenanigans that every NYE get-together needs. Here, that also means an all-Tasmanian lineup, with Indigenous singer-songwriter Denni, hip hop artist Greely and audio visual artist and DJ Dameza helping do the honours. Also on the bill: Medhanit, Too Many Jasons, Scraps, Silver Fleet Ships, and what's being described as "an absurdist, anarchist ensemble boasting some of Tasmania's most talented performers" who'll pair up punk and Japanese influences. So, if a trip to Tassie is now on your NYE agenda — with the state reopening to double-vaccinated arrivals in mid-December, handily — you now know how can say goodbye to 2021. As for what you'll be eating and sipping, MONA's burger bar Dubsy's will be dishing up its diner-inspired fare, and the Moorilla Wine Bar will be doing both food and drinks. "Here at MONA, we love to throw a party, and I think we're pretty good at it," said MONA CEO Patrick Kelly, announcing Annus Finis. "We're excited to see our lawn full of punters again, and hopefully we can cast some MONA magic over New Year's Eve after what has been another challenging year for tourism and events, saying goodbye to arguably the worst year since 2020." MONA has also already announced that it's bringing back Mona Foma in January — so if you can't spend NYE in Tassie, you still have options for a 2022 trip to the Apple Isle. Annus Finis will take place at MONA from 6.30pm on Friday, December 31. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the MONA website. Images: Mona/Jesse Hunniford.
Last year, just as the pandemic started shutting down our regular routines, a handy browser plug-in popped up to make life a little more bearable. That'd be Netflix Party, which helps you watch movies with your mates while still social distancing — synchronising everyone's playback so you're truly watching each and every frame at the same time. That's all well and good if you're watching via a browser, and you're watching Netflix. If you and your pals are keen on an iOS alternative that'll slide right into your chats and span other platforms, you'll soon have one. As part of its big iOS 15 announcement, Apple has revealed that it is launching a new Facetime feature called Shareplay. It'll allow you to view films and TV shows together and in sync — and listen to music as well — complete with shared playback controls. So, once you and your friends are on a Shareplay session, anyone can pause whatever you're watching or hearing. Also, you won't all need to be using an iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple TV to access the service. Apple also announced that it's going to extend Facetime calls beyond its own devices, so folks who use Android or Windows devices will be able to access the application via their web browser. A heap of other platforms will be integrated into Shareplay, if you're wondering what you and your crew will be able to binge together. They include Disney+, TikTok and Twitch, as well as Paramount+ — which will launch in Australia this August. You'll obviously all need to subscribe to whichever platforms you're planning to view or listen to — so this won't be a way to watch The Mandalorian on your mates' account. Shareplay will work with Apple Music and Apple's own range of movies and TV shows, naturally, and you'll also be able to share your screen via the feature to view other apps together. Other updates slated for iOS 15, which is expected to start rolling out from spring 2021, include redesigned notifications, a big Safari revamp, a Live Text function that'll be able to read handwritten writing in photos, enhanced features in Apple Maps and ramped up privacy controls. The weather and notes apps are getting a makeover, too, and there'll also be a new Live Translate feature as well. Apple's iOS 15 is expected to start rolling out from spring 2021. For further details, head to the Apple website.
Canada had Degrassi. Britain had Press Gang. For for seven seasons, 210 episodes and a whole heap of "rack off"s between 1994–99, Australia had Heartbreak High. It's the show that turned Callan Mulvey's Drazic into an icon, actually resembled the multicultural country its homegrown audience experienced every day, and lived and breathed 90s teen angst along with its after-class viewers. Once its instantly catchy opening-credits theme started each episode, it cycled through the same taboos and troubles that every high school-set drama does, and weathered the same schoolyard ups and downs as well — but it was unmistakably and unashamedly Aussie from its accents and Sydney setting to its attitude and vernacular. The OG Heartbreak High wasn't just another snapshot of adolescent chaos; it was a mirror. Dropping on Netflix on Wednesday, September 14, the revival is now another generation's looking glass. It's also a welcome blast from the past for everyone who grew up with the original or managed to track it down afterwards (wearing out old VHS tapes, perhaps, before it hit Netflix itself); however, it's never just that, not even for a second. Initially a spinoff from the Claudia Karvan- and Alex Dimitriades-starring 1993 movie The Heartbreak Kid, which adapted the 1987 play of the same name, Heartbreak High returns with Gen Z at its core and a spicier vibe to match. This new batch of Sydney high schoolers don't just watch Euphoria, Sex Education and Never Have I Ever, the shows that Heartbreak High circa 2022 easily slots alongside — they're now at the centre of Australia's version, all while listening to a Triple J soundtrack, working at Harry's Cafe de Wheels, avoiding eshays and talking about bin chickens. Teen-focused dramas always reflect the generation they're made for, and the returning Heartbreak High is no different. Today's high school-set shows often come with more than a few nods backwards as well, though. Just like Beverly Hills, 90210, Saved by the Bell and Gossip Girl before it — like Degrassi's multiple go-arounds across more than four decades now, including a new take that's set to land in 2023 — Heartbreak High 2.0 knows it has a history and doesn't dream of pretending otherwise. 90s worship is in fashion anyway, so all those Doc Martens, nose rings, baggy jeans, slip dresses and oversized band t-shirts not only could've adorned the initial show's cast, but prove a natural fit this time around. Sporting such decade-crossing attire is a fresh-faced — and fresh-to-the-franchise — cohort of Hartley High students. The years and teens have changed, but the location, like plenty of the outfits, remains the same. When the eight-episode new season begins, Amerie (Ayesha Madon, The Moth Effect) and Harper (Asher Yasbincek, How to Please a Woman) are life-long best friends, but their sudden rift after a drunken night at a music festival changes everything. Amerie doesn't know why Harper has suddenly shaved her head, let alone cut all ties with her. She's just as shocked when the mural they've graffitied in an unused school stairwell, chronicling who's dated, had a crush on and slept with who among the year 11s, is scandalously outed. That "incest map", whether one of Amerie's classmates received a "tongue punch in the fart box", if another has a "lazy kebab vagina", the pink dildo stuck to the school basketball hoop's backboard: there isn't just one sign that Heartbreak High isn't in the 90s anymore, let alone on Network Ten or the ABC; there's a whole classroom full of them. Where the initial series was groundbreaking in its cultural and class diversity at a time when the overwhelmingly white casts of Home and Away and Neighbours otherwise monopolised Aussie screens, navigating almost exclusively middle-class existences, creator Hannah Carroll Chapman (The Heights) ensures that her version is equally as inclusive — and frank — when it comes to gender, sexuality and neurodiversity. Principal Woodsy (Rachel House, Baby Done) isn't impressed by her students' candour, however, sending every Hartley attendee named on the map to an after-hours sexual literacy tutorial. Also in the group: the non-binary Darren (screen first-timer James Majoos) and their bestie Quinni (Chloe Hayden, Jeremy the Dud), who has autism — and who now comprise Amerie's new support system. Hartley heartthrob Dusty (Josh Heuston, Thor: Love and Thunder), his smug pal Spider (Bryn Chapman Parish, Mr Inbetween) and resident comic relief Ant (debutant Brodie Townsend) are all roped in, too. So is the pink-haired Sasha (Gemma Chua-Tran, Mustangs FC), her ex-turned-bestie Missy (fellow newcomer Sherry-Lee Watson), and mullet-wearing drug dealer and food delivery driver Ca$h (Will McDonald, Home and Away), plus Bundjalung boy, basketballer and new Hartley arrival Malakai (Thomas, Troppo). Throw any motley crew of high schoolers together and familiar issues and struggles will arise, as all of Heartbreak High's peers — then and now — can attest. Although no one becomes a teen mother here, recent fellow Aussie series Bump also casts a shadow (and not just because it stars The Heartbreak Kid's Karvan among the parents). That show hews softer and smoother, while this one skews glossier and racier. At first, it feels like the OG Heartbreak High's rawness and grit might've been buffed away. But as the series charts the fallout from Amerie and Harper's feud, the reasons behind it, and a new wave of hookups and controversies — as well as parties and pairings — it finds its own intensity. Come for the instant nostalgia, stay for an old favourite firmly seen with fresh eyes: that's the revived Heartbreak High experience. Some recognisable names pop up, but overtly winking and nudging to 90s viewers definitely isn't the show's point. It can't be; teen chaos doesn't rack off but rather gets handed down through time, just as this series now has. Spanning everything from consent and crime to drugs and police brutality, there's more than enough adolescent mess and stress to go around again. Viewers don't have a moment to waste wondering if old faces will return anyway, given how dynamic the new cast is — Madon, Majoos and Hayden make a terrific lead trio, and Weatherall, McDonald and Yasbincek in particular turn in beautifully complicated performances — and how addictive their characters' dramas prove. Check out the trailer for Heartbreak High below: Heartbreak High streams via Netflix from Wednesday, September 14. Images: Mark Rogers / Lisa Tomasetti / Elise Lockwood, Netflix.
All too often, being vegan and being spoilt for choice are two mutually exclusive concepts. But at the newly hatched Vincent's Marketplace, they're cohabitating very happily together under the one roof, thank you very much. The latest venture from meat-free wholesalers Vincent Vegetarian Food, the new Brunswick Street site features both a comprehensive vegan supermarket and a cosy plant-based cafe to visit pre- or post-shop. The retail shelves carry a huge array of products, offering the kind of diverse range that's been synonymous with Vincent's since it started life as a vegetarian superstore in Footscray back in 1996. Here in Fitzroy, you'll spy plenty of plant-based goodies not found in too many other Melbourne stores — such as vegan condensed milk, whipped cream and honeycomb — as well as an exclusive line of signature Vincent's products that includes vegan fried 'chicken', dumplings, party snacks and faux bacon. Sitting next to it is a standing-room-only cafe pouring top-notch St Ali coffee and selling innovative pastries from the CBD's Weirdoughs. These guys are famous for whipping up wild and wonderful plant-based treats, from Aperol spritz-filled doughnuts to cube-shaped croissants. Vincent's Marketplace adds to Fitzroy's already thriving vegan and vegetarian scene, joining vegan bar and restaurant Smith & Daughters, sibling Smith & Deli, the long-running Vegie Bar, plant-based dessert bar Girls & Boys, and many more.
A snowy camp, crosses, bad dreams, creepy houses, lurking shadows, ringing phones and an immensely unsettling mask: welcome to the world of Black Phone 2. Four years after writer/director Scott Derrickson (The Gorge) adapted a short story by Joe Hill — an author with a hefty horror pedigree as the son of Stephen King — into The Black Phone to box-office success, he's now helming his first sequel to his own work. Derrickson began his feature career on follow-up flicks courtesy of 2000's Urban Legends: Final Cut (which he co-penned) and Hellraiser: Inferno (which he directed), but was absent from the hot seat when his Sinister and Doctor Strange continued their stories. A second Black Phone film wasn't originally the plan, though. For fans of the first feature, 2025's return to the movie's world also raises a question within its narrative. In the just-dropped first trailer for Black Phone 2, however, Ethan Hawke's (Leave the World Behind) villainous The Grabber utters a pivotal line to Mason Thames' (Monster Summer) Finney Blake, who survived his clutches the first time around: "you of all people know that dead is just a word". How important is that sentiment to Black Phone 2? "Very essential and fundamental is my answer to that," Derrickson tells Concrete Playground. Audiences will find out how and why for themselves in the best horror-movie month on every annual calendar, with the film set to reach cinemas Down Under on Thursday, October 16, 2025. For now, though, the picture's initial trailer teases snowball fights, a stint at the Alpine Lake Youth Camp, photos of other kids and blood. Also featured: The Grabber asking "did you think our story was over?" before stating "vengeance is mine". In The Black Phone, The Grabber did what his name suggests: he snatched up children. Circa 1978, Finney, his sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw, The Curse of the Necklace) and their friends were already scared of his insidious presence, too, before Finney became his next target. Back to things living up to their monikers: yes, there was a black phone, disconnected yet still ringing, offering a link to The Grabber's prior victims. It wasn't just Hawke getting nefarious that made the movie a hit and piqued viewer interest for more, but also its full impressive cast, immersive tale, and the expert sense of tension cultivated by The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Deliver Us From Evil alum Derrickson. With Black Phone 2, a few years have passed on-screen as well — which meant that Derrickson could find his ideal way into a Black Phone sequel. He wasn't interested in the kind of next effort that just repeats the first, so the fact that Thames and McGraw are now older was pivotal. Black Phone 2 is "a high-school coming-of-age movie instead of a middle-school coming-of-age movie", then, he explains. Now that he's focusing on teenage characters, that does indeed enable him to heighten some of the horror elements, including gore. "Absolutely. All true. That's very perceptive. And yeah, I think a high-school horror film requires a certain degree of intensity and violence that a middle-school horror film really doesn't want or need," Derrickson told us. Alongside Hawke, Thames and McGraw, Jeremy Davies (Adventures of the Naked Umbrella) and Miguel Mora (So Help Me Todd) are also back. Getting Hawke onboard in the beginning, even after Derrickson had directed him in Sinister, wasn't assured, but The Black Phone was all the better for his efforts. For Thames, Black Phone 2 arrives in what's already a huge year, given that he plays Hiccup in the live-action How to Train Your Dragon. We also chatted with Derrickson about the franchise's core casting, how the second movie came about, his essentials for the sequel, the approach when you're stepping back into a film's world and that oh-so-key skill of dripping unease through a horror flick. On Whether Making Sequel to The Black Phone Was Initially the Plan "After the first movie, I didn't feel obliged to make a sequel. The studio, as soon as the movie was a hit, was asking me 'will you please make a sequel?'. And I didn't feel necessarily that I wanted to do that. I didn't have any ideas at that point. And it started, the idea for Black Phone 2 started, with an email from Joe Hill — with my friend Joe, he sent me an email and he said 'hey, I have an idea for a sequel', and he wrote out this pitch. I didn't respond to all of it, but there was an idea, a central idea in it, that I thought was fantastic that I'd never thought of. So I began to sort of noodle on that idea — and then, as I was toying with the idea, I started to realise that if I went and made another movie first, then by the time I finished that film these kids that I've had loved so much, and did such a good job in the in the first movie, would be in high school. And so I thought 'I'm going to go do that'. So I told the studio I would do the sequel, but I'm going to go make another movie first — because I wanted to make a high-school coming-of-age movie instead of a middle-school coming-of-age movie. And so it's been a little bit of a wait, but that was intentional, because I wanted these kids to be older. Mason, when we shot this, was 17 — and Maddie was 15. And both are in high school, and that's a very different kind of film and a very different genre to work in." [caption id="attachment_861837" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Black Phone[/caption] On Casting Ethan Hawke as The Grabber — and Getting Him to Agree to Play a Villain "I wrote the first movie without him even knowing anything about it. And I sent him the script, and he told me before he read it, he said 'look, I don't really do villains. I don't play villains. I probably won't do this'. And then that night, he left me a voicemail saying one of the lines of The Grabber in The Grabber's voice. And I thought 'oh, that's all it was'. I knew that that was his way of saying he was going to do it. And I think he really loved the movie. So when it came to doing a sequel, I did the same thing. I sent him the script, and he told me he was very nervous to read it because he had never done a sequel. And I said 'what about the Before Sunrise movies? You made three of those'. He goes 'yeah, but I wrote those. That doesn't count'. But he read the script and was so excited afterwards. And it was just a very similar story — he read it, and called me immediately after and said 'I love this. I think it's great'. And we scheduled the movie right away." On the Importance of This Being a Sequel That Continues the Story with the Same Characters, Not One That Basically Remakes the First Film "I didn't want to make the same movie again. And I think that sequels that disappoint are sequels that try to do the same thing, only bigger — or the same thing, only more. I knew that I would want to make a very different kind of movie, but I also probably wouldn't have considered doing a sequel of any kind if it didn't involve those characters. Because I love those characters. I love those kids. They're all really good actors, and the idea of being able to make a movie with characters who are in a different stage of life and played by actors who were in a different stage of life — Mason was 17 when we shot this and Maddie McGraw was 15. And Miguel Mora comes back as well in this movie. And it was really a delight to be able to, again, tell a different kind of story about a different stage of life. And I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't with all those same characters." On How Mason Thames' Career Has Blossomed Since The Black Phone, Including Black Phone 2 and Playing Hiccup in the Live-Action How to Train Your Dragon "It's so wonderful to watch. And part of the reason that it's so wonderful is because Mason is a kid who really has his head on his shoulders. He's not seduced by the fame. He's not interested in celebrity. He told me, he said 'if I could get rid of all my social media, I would'. He said 'the only reason I keep it is because it's important to studios for the marketing of their movies'. He's just got such a solid perspective and grounded point of view for such a young man — for somebody who's, I think he's 18 now. It couldn't happen to a better kid is what I'm saying. So it's wonderful to know that I gave him, I just sort of discovered his raw talents and gave him the shot that I did. He did such a good job and he does an amazing job in this movie as well." On What Goes Into Cultivating Unease, Dread and Disquiet in a Horror Film for Derrickson "I think that's the essential thing about the horror genre. It's not gore. It's not acts of violence. Ultimately, what makes a horror film a horror film is tone. There are some horror films that are very, very scary without any violence. And there are some very violent movies that aren't very scary. And the difference is that dreadful tone. I think that I'm interested in that aspect of horror more than jump scares, more than gore. The horror films that I love are films that crawl under my skin and have a captivating tone. And the best ones stay with me after the movie. I remember when I saw The Witch — it took me three days to shake the feeling of that movie from me." [caption id="attachment_861838" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Black Phone[/caption] On the Approach When You're Stepping Back Into an Existing World with a Horror Sequel "I think that, including those early things that I did, the goal is to try to bring something fresh and original while maintaining the elements that our audience wants to see return. And that's always a tough thing to do as a director, but you have to be in tune with your audience and understand 'well, these are the things they definitely want to see. They want to see this. They want to see that. They want this to happen. They want these elements from the original film within their franchise picture'. [caption id="attachment_873778" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Black Phone[/caption] But at the same time, what they can't tell you is that they want most of it to be fresh. They want to be surprised. They don't want to watch the same movie again. And so as a director, it's about threading that balance. And in this movie, I think it was the characters that they wanted to see returning. And the fact that the movie has a kind of tonal shift, I think is something they're going to find satisfying." Black Phone 2 opens in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, October 16, 2025.
Not content with filling a Tokyo warehouse with some of the most dazzling and immersive art you're likely to feast your eyes on — not to mention play with — art collective teamLab is now turning an old oil tank into a digital waterfall. With the interdisciplinary outfit's Borderless Digital Art Museum open for less than a year and proving one of the Japanese city's hottest tickets, the group is set to bring a collection of eye-popping works to China. Coming to the new Tank Shanghai from March 23 to August 24, teamLab: Universe of Water Particles in the Tank features cascading waterfalls, blooming flowers, rushing waves and scattering cherry blossoms as part of an engaging series of digital, interactive and interacting pieces. There's no such thing as a dull artwork where teamLab is concerned, but the undisputed highlight of its next foray into China is Universe of Water Particles in the Tank, Transcending Boundaries. Spearheaded by art collector Qiao Zhibing, Tank Shanghai's 60,000-square-metre space is built out of five empty oil tanks, so there's nowhere better to project streams of falling water. teamLab's piece will take over one tank, running over the interior surface. And, when folks stand on the waterfall's floor or walk up to its wall of digital water, it'll react to their presence, with the flow changing direction just like it would if you were standing underneath the real thing. Living up to the 'transcending boundaries' part of its name, Universe of Water Particles in the Tank will also interact with other works. When its trickles hit floral piece Flowers and People, Cannot be Controlled but Live Together, Transcending Boundaries - A Whole Year per Hour, which represents 12 months' worth of blossoming and wilting as its moniker suggests, the digital stream will cause petals to scatter. Both pieces are reminiscent of works also on display in Tokyo, but that doesn't make them any less glorious. The same applies to Black Waves: Lost, Immersed and Reborn, which projects one continuous wave across multiple walls. teamLab: Universe of Water Particles in the Tank runs from March 23 to August 24 at Tank Shanghai,2380 Longteng Avenue, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China, with tickets currently on sale from 199 renminbi. Images: teamLab.
