Exploring the world in person isn't on anyone's agenda at present, but that doesn't mean you can't improvise from your couch. After hitting up online tours of the planet's best museums and landmarks, then checking out a heap of travel live-streams, you can now journey around the globe via a heap of Netflix documentaries screening for free on YouTube. Viewers can watch all eight episodes of 2019 nature series Our Planet, which is narrated by Sir David Attenborough — and ventures to 50 countries to explore the huge array of different habitats present across the earth. Or, you can feast your eyes on documentary feature Chasing Coral as it follows a team's efforts to invent the first time-lapse camera that's capable of recording coral bleaching events as they happen. In total, ten different Netflix titles have made the leap to YouTube — meaning that, even if you don't have an account with the streaming platform, you can still watch. The move is part of the company's efforts to help teachers and parents find informative and educational options for children; however viewers of all ages can take advantage of the free material. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wGZc8ZjFY4 Other freebies include Ava DuVernay's Oscar-nominated documentary 13th, which explores race relations in America; Knock Down the House, about the campaigns of four women — all progressive Democrats — running for US congress; and the first season of Abstract: The Art of Design, featuring profiles of illustrators, architects, shoe designers, photographers, stage designers and more. Or, you can check out select episodes of Explained, spanning topics such as music, the world's water crisis and cricket, and Babies, which covers the obvious subject — or view three short films, including Academy Award-winner Period. End of Sentence., about access to sanitary products in India; The White Helmets, following volunteer rescue workers in Aleppo, Syria and Turkey; and Zion, about Zion Clark, a wrestler born without legs. To view Netflix's free selection of documentaries on YouTube, visit the streaming platform's YouTube channel. Top images: Our Planet, Netflix.
Winter has taken hold and that's as good an excuse as any to stock up on a few new threads. And this weekend, you can revamp your wardrobe with a fresh haul of quality vintage gear without breaking the bank — Sacred Heart Mission's Prahran op-shop is hosting what's set to be its biggest designer fashion sale yet. From 10am on Saturday, June 11, hit the Commercial Road store to get your mitts on a bumper array of vintage and designer gear; from fashion and accessories to collectibles and homewares. There'll be enough shoes, bags, coats, jewellery and outfits to impress even the most avid of op-shop connoisseurs. The Sacred Heart Mission team has been putting aside its most covetable donations, so you can bet there'll be some top-notch labels in the mix — Prada, Balenciaga, Scanlan Theodore and Comme des Garcons, to namedrop just a few.
Vegans of Melbourne, prepare to loudly rejoice into your soy products. Come February, Collingwood is getting a vegan-only pizzeria with a vegan dessert menu. Wooop. Plan the rest of your lives accordingly. Red Sparrow will open in early February, pending council permits, and the charge is being led by Michael Craig, an ex-chef of Fitzroy vegan mainstay Trippy Taco. A vegan himself, Craig says the venture has been on the cards for a while now. "Opening up a vegan restaurant and bar has been a dream of mine for a long time, so I've been planning this for a while," he says. "I think there's a gap in the market for high-quality vegan pizza — not necessarily from a business point of view, but from a personal desire to have somewhere to eat good pizza and drink beers with friends." Red Sparrow will open in Collingwood on Smith Street with a solid menu of nine pizza options plus dessert. Craig says the eatery isn't just for vegans though and his goal is to prove to people that you don't have to be vegan to love vegan food. "You don't have to be vegan to come to Red Sparrow Pizza and enjoy the food on offer," he says. "More and more people are either becoming vegan or vegetarian, or at least aware of it's benefits, either for animal welfare, the environment or personal health reasons. We're now at a stage where people know they can eat vegan food and it doesn't have to mean compromising on flavour, and that's what I intend to create — a good pizzeria, not just a good vegan restaurant." And don't for a second think that a vegan pizza will lack that cheese goopiness you've come to expect. Craig and his partner Shelley Scott have been developing the perfect cheese mimicry products. "We'll be using at least five different types of dairy-free cheese," says Craig. "Each one is being planned for the specific pizza — be it an almond feta, coconut parmesan, or a soy fior di latte." Traditional pizzerias — heavy on the cheese and meat side of things — don't often give much thought to the vegan alternative. Generally, they, just offer the same pizzas but without cheese, which is pretty blasphemous (in our books, anyway). So Red Sparrow are working on their faux meat game too, with a plant-based pepperoni, and a beer-infused bratwurst on the cards. Fake meat, for those of you who're yet to try it, is usually made with a combination of gluten and organic tofu and you'd be amazed at how convincing it can be. But don't worry, everything at Red Sparrow is ethically sourced and guaranteed to be suitable for dietary requirements — including the booze. So you can chow down and drink up knowing everything is totally animal product-free. Red Sparrow hopes to open early February at 406 Smith Street, Collingwood. For info, keep an eye on their Facebook page.
There's nothing like a bit of big screen movie magic to get you into the Christmas spirit, especially when that involves diving deep into some classics. This year, you can get your festive fix courtesy of Federation Square, when it screens a range of festive and all-ages-friendly flicks in the lead up to December 25. For free. Running on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and evenings until the big day, the movie lineup includes Martin Scorsese's glorious Hugo, the Steve Martin and John Candy-starring classic Planes, Trains & Automobiles, and also It's a Wonderful Life — because every Christmas cinema program has to screen the latter. If you're a big Mark Wahlberg fan, you can also see three of his recent films: Daddy's Home, sequel Daddy's Home 2 and Instant Family. The flicks will screen on Fed Square's Digital Facade — and the times vary, with some titles showing at 5pm and others at 8pm. We suggest getting there relatively early to snag a primo spot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jB4Vsi1UUM
If you like your wild creatures as much as you like your wild wines, then do we have a Queen's Birthday weekend adventure for you. Healesville Sanctuary and Yarra Valley Icons are teaming up to host Wine and Wildlife, a three day mini-festival that lets you hang about in the Sanctuary grounds, sampling local drops and tasty treats, while zookeepers casually pass by with slithery, scaly and soft creatures in hand. The event will take over five spaces between 11am and 4pm each day between June 10 and 12. And, when you're not meeting wildlife, you'll be warming up beside open fires and checking out local musical talent. Plus, if you can get there on Saturday, you'll find a Four Pillars gin pop-up on the Tassie Devils boardwalk. The Wine and Wildlife experience, including tastings, is covered by any general admission ticket, which can be booked online in advance.
In Paris, 1971, the shaggy-haired, inscrutable Gilles (Clement Metayer) finds himself swept in political unrest that has fermented since the riots of May 1968. He and his friends are key figures in an underground movement that sells leftist newspapers, meets in secret and carries out targeted attacks. When his beautiful but enigmatic girlfriend Laure (Carole Combes) abruptly leaves the country, he quickly takes up with the spirited Christine (Lola Créton) instead. Together with Christine and a loose group of friends, he takes part in a street protest which is broken up by sickening violence by the police. The group then up the ante by attacking their school, where armed with Molotov cocktails, they graffiti slogans and drop political pamphlets. Their plans come unstuck, however, when a security guard is badly injured. With the school searching for the culprits, they decide that it is unsafe for them to stay, and instead hightail it to Italy until the volatile atmosphere cools off. Away from the volatility of their home city, the pace slackens and the film’s focus turns from the political to the personal. As old relationships fray, new ones form as the painter Alain (Felix Armand) meets a wealthy American girl, Leslie (India Salvor Menuez), who is now into spirituality and enlightenment. Seemingly untroubled by fear at their recent escape from France and at a loss for what to do next, the group attend political film screenings, debate philosophy, make art, smoke constantly and generally exude ennui. It makes for a strangely low-key portrait of an era of upheaval. Interestingly, the tableaus of beautiful youths lounging about in skinny jeans and unbuttoned shirts often looks more like a Calvin Klein advert than a political gathering, possibly because fashion has long since co-opted the look so associated with youthful rebellion in this era. Increasingly drawn into arguments with Christine about their next move and whether they should get involved with filmmakers working in the revolutionary movement, Gilles still thinks of the estranged Laure and goes to meets her at her decadent and druggy new lodgings. There he shows her an artwork he has done before setting it on fire, having explained it existed for her eyes only. After May’s failure to engage is surprising given the emotional heft of writer-director Olivier Assayas’ previous work, including his last film he wrote, the superlative Summer Hours. The height of the film’s obtuseness is the performance of Hugo Conzelmann as Jean-Pierre — even when blowing up a car he maintains the blankness of a mannequin. In perhaps the film’s most telling scene, Christine says to the perpetually aloof Gilles “I can’t tell if you’re in love with me”. She will not be the only one guessing at the inner workings or motivations of these characters. After May is a fitfully interesting but ultimately frustrating portrait of a time and place.
For big chunks of 2020, a selection of normal, everyday activities have been off the cards for Melburnians. But with restrictions starting to ease again across the Victorian city after the latest lockdown, that is slowly changing. And for those who want to picnic while cruising along the Yarra, you'll be able to do that again — even if you don't own a boat. From the long weekend, starting on Friday, October 23, GoBoat's eco-friendly picnic boats are once again setting sail from Sandridge Wharf at Southbank, near Flinders Street Station. Aimed at making the whole boating caper more accessible for everyday folk, the outfit's Scandinavian-designed vessels are slow-moving, a breeze to operate and don't require a boating licence, making for fuss-free sailing sessions. In a win for the planet, they also run on silent, pollution-free, electric engines, and are crafted from a mix of reclaimed timber and recycled PET bottles. Oh, and did we mention they're pet-friendly? Surely you've got a very good boy who deserves a river jaunt. However, due to COVID-19, GoBoat will be doing things a little differently — just as it did when it returned after the city's first stay-at-home stint earlier in 2020. While the vessels have an eight-person capacity, and you'll be allowed to reach that capacity, you'll only be permitted to hop aboard with people from a maximum of two households (and all your delicious snacks, of course). You'll also be required to physically distance from anyone from that other household, and to wear a fitted face mask. And, given the 25-kilometre rule that's presently in place, you'll need to live within that exact distance of both Southbank and your sailing route. There'll also be hand sanitiser available at the arrival to the dock, and the boats will be sanitised before every use. Only one vessel will sail out at a time, with each group given its own assembly area. Also, you'll have to register digitally before you can board. Each of the contemporary GoBoats clocks in at 18-feet long, boasting a central picnic table with room for all the necessary snacks and booze. And despite what you might be thinking, they're pretty affordable — simply BYO food and drinks, round up enough of your housemates to jump aboard and a GoBoat session will cost you less than $22 per person, per hour. That's $109 hourly in total, or $189 for two hours, $269 for three hours, $349 for four hours, $429 for five hours and $509 for six hours. Yes, you can really make a whole day of it. For more information about GoBoat, or to make a booking, visit the service's website. Images: Lean Timms
While the end result might not be particularly impressive, you have to hand it to the folks behind Goosebumps, the film version of R.L. Stine's best-selling book series that everyone read as a kid. Director Rob Letterman (Gulliver's Travels) and writer Darren Lemke (Turbo) not only manage to capture a sense of nostalgia, but they also solve what must've been one of the biggest problems of the adaptation process. With 62 initial novels and more than 100 spin-offs published, choosing which tale to bring to the screen can't have been easy. Their solution? Bundle together as many as they can, then wrap them all up in a big meta-textual package. Indeed, Goosebumps both follows the formula set out on the page — i.e. a few kids find themselves in a scary situation — while still providing plenty of twists. The latter come in a couple of forms, including inserting Stine himself into the mix. Given that each of the printed volumes followed different characters, he's the series mainstay, after all. Here, played by Jack Black, he's a seemingly eccentric neighbour with a daughter, Hannah (Odeya Rush) he doesn't let wander far, and a bookshelf filled with locked manuscripts. When high-schooler Zach (Dylan Minnette) moves in next door to Stine with his widowed vice principal mother (Amy Ryan), he's more interested in Hannah than her father. In fact, he has no idea who Stine is, though he gets curious when the author tells him to stay away. After hearing screams, Zach thinks something sinister is afoot and is determined to investigate. With his new pal Champ (Ryan Lee) in tow, he breaks into Stine's house, opens some of his books and accidentally unleashes their spooky contents onto the world. Enter Slappy the living dummy, the abominable snowman, a giant mantis, a pink blob, an invisible boy and a whole host of garden gnomes to terrorise Zach and the gang. Yes, Goosebumps goes for the more is more approach to their monsters. Unfortunately, here, it doesn't really pan out. Fans of the novels might be pleased that their favourite foes make their way into the movie; they're less likely to be impressed with the scattershot and over-the-top way in which that's achieved. If it feels like the filmmakers have thrown everything they can at the screen, that's because they have. It makes for a jam-packed 103 minutes, with no time wasted jumping from one creepy encounter to the next. However it also makes for a chaotic array of set pieces and little else. Some scenes hit the mark, including the kitchen-set gnome attack. But they do so at the expense of fleshing out the characters, establishing a mood of anything other than silliness, and thoughtfully exploring themes of loss and inner turmoil. When Black hamming it up is among the feature's few highlights — doing double duty as the voice of Slappy, and saddled with some terrible one-liners as a result — then you know you're in trouble. Rereading the books would be a much more enjoyable alternative.
For a French fix without the international plane fare, you'll find it hard to beat Melbourne's annual Paris to Provence festival. And even more so this year, as the festival hosts its first Coco Chanel retrospective, offering visitors a rare glimpse into the life of one of history's most famous French fashionistas. Co-hosted by French blogger Caroline Voss, Étone Design's Caroline Rham and Paris to Provence founder Laura Rancie, this interactive event will see three of Como House's stunning rooms transformed to recreate various parts of Coco Chanel's life. With tours guided by self-described 'Chanelophiles' Rham and Voss, visitors will get up close and personal with original Chanel designs, which are on loan from Madame Virtue & Co and The Upstyler. Prepare to swoon over the dresses, the suits, the handbags, the jewellery and iconic perfumes. The Grand Ballroom will be decked out with couture and accessories from the peak of Chanel's career, while a recreation of the designer's Paris apartment features a selection of original photos and gorgeous French antiques. Tickets to Coco at Como start at $12, available to anyone with general admission to the Paris to Province festival.
Time flies when you're slurping up mussels and listening to the sounds of jazz, as the folks at South Melbourne Market well and truly know. The Coventry and Cecil corner mainstay has been celebrating both for seven years now at its annual festival. The latest will take place on March 7 and 8, with the Port Phillip Mussel & Jazz Festival returning to serve up a mollusc-focused street party. Oh, and more than six tonnes of mussels. It's free, it'll fill your stomach with locally sourced seafood, and it'll offer up a feast of other treats, including sweets, tipples and dance-worthy tunes. When it comes to enjoying the tasty sea creatures, Claypots, Köy, Paco y Lola, Simply Spanish and Bambu are just some of the eateries popping up — and whipping up an array of different mussel dishes. Seafood lovers will be able to dive into everything from mussel paella to wok-cooked drunken mussels. And you'll be eating for a good cause. The shells will be collected by Shuck Don't Chuck and used to help restore Port Phillip Bay's shellfish reefs. Taking care of the entertainment are local singer Loretta Miller, Alma Zygier, La Nuit Blanche, Margie Lou Dyer and a New Orleans-inspired seven-piece called the Horns of Leroy. Port Phillip Mussel & Jazz Festival runs from 12–10pm on Saturday and 12–8pm on Sunday. Image: Simon Shiff.
If lockdown's seen you devouring books faster than ever, you might be looking for some fresh literary inspiration right about now. And one place you're guaranteed to find it is among Melbourne Writers Festival's 2021 program, which is now set to be reimagined as an all-virtual lineup. The festival's IRL events have been scrapped due to Melbourne's latest lockdown, but in good news — the extended digital program will run from Friday, September 3–Wednesday, September 15. It'll shine a spotlight on some of today's most engaging international literary voices, through a series of conversations, readings, author chats and panel discussions, all streamed online. Among them, Rumaan Alam unpacks his eerily-pertinent dystopian tale Leave the World Behind; Pulitzer Prize-winner Jhumpa Lahiri speaks about the literary construction of Whereabouts; Natasha Brown explores the issues of race and class stirred up in her lauded new novel Assembly; renowned philosopher AC Grayling ponders the great paradox of human inquiry while chatting about his release Frontiers of Knowledge; and the tales of a cast of young creatives come alive as Brandon Taylor shares insight into his short story collection Filthy Animals. Plus, on September 3, a specially commissioned short documentary series Writers on Film invites audiences on a guided tour into the lives and worlds of local authors Jennifer Down, Sophie Cunningham and Tony Birch. [caption id="attachment_823151" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Natasha Brown, author of 'Assembly'[/caption] Top images: Jhumpa Lahiri, author of 'Whereabouts' and Rumaan Alam, author of 'Leave the World Behind.
Like your old primary school fair, only way more interesting (and with way, way more hipsters) The Village Festival is returning to North Fitzroy for four days of fun and frivolity. Setting up in the Edinburgh Garden, this annual event will once again showcase a bunch of local music acts, as well as magicians, circus performers, cooks, craftspeople and artists. Assuming the weather holds out, it seems like the perfect way to spend your lazy weekend. In addition to the lineup of musical performances, shows worth checking out include The Famous Village Dog Show and So You Think You Can Interpretative Dance, as well as an actual wedding to which all of us are apparently invited. You could also get a live portrait done, attend a 10-minute dance party, or sit down for a hearty meal at the Sunday long table lunch. For a full list of what's on, visit the Village Festival website.
Jump on the #19 tram and head up to Sydney Road as the Brunswick Music Festival returns. This year's lineup is an absolute cracker, with more than 40 shows across two incredible weeks, featuring artists from all across the city, the country and the world. The needle drops on Sunday, March 5 with the Sydney Road Street Party, a massive event with more than 200 artists performing across six stages, plus market stalls, food and more. Other standout events on this year's program include the International Women's Day Concert on Wednesday, March 8 featuring the likes of Kylie Auldist, Ajak Kwai and DJs Mz Rizk and Whiskey Houston, the Triple RRR Listen Party promoting some of the country's best female, trans and gender non-conforming artists, and closing night event Music for the People at Shore Reserve in Pascoe Vale South (BYO picnic basket). For the full Brunswick Music Festival program, go here.
There is never a bad time to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But if the urge strikes while you're actually sitting through a movie — and that sudden desire is sparked by glimpsing scenes from the beloved late 90s and early 00s TV show playing in said movie — that's not a great sign. It's a reality with The New Mutants, however, with the latest entry in the X-Men series letting its audience see Buffy clips on more than one occasion. Never subtly deployed, the snippets link in with the film in a number of ways, because this too is about a ragtag group of teens with supernatural abilities fighting off a range of baddies. In fact, one of the many villains in The New Mutants closely resembles the demons in Buffy's famed dialogue-free episode. In case you don't spot that yourself, the movie serves up scenes from the show that overtly stress the similarities. That's the level this long-delayed franchise flick is operating on: happily derivative, happy to call attention to how derivative it is, and seemingly unconcerned if it leaves its viewers desperately wishing they were watching a television program from more than 20 years ago instead. The 13th film in the X-Men saga, The New Mutants kicks off with a traumatic incident involving Native American 16-year-old Dani Moonstar (Another Life's Blu Hunt). She survives the chaos that destroys her reservation but, when she awakens in a hospital run by Dr Cecilia Reyes (Kill Me Three Times' Alice Braga), she can't remember any of the details. She also isn't permitted to leave. Dani is told she's in a facility for kids just like her and, given the franchise and the film's name, the meaning is clear. Her fellow patients (Emma's Anya Taylor-Joy, Game of Thrones' Maisie Williams, Stranger Things' Charlie Heaton and Trinkets' Henry Zaga) are all well-aware of their extra-special skills, though. Dani doesn't even know what she's capable of — but the fact that her arrival coincides with a series of unsettling altercations that target her new pals gives everyone a few clues. By trapping five teenagers in an eerie, inescapable facility, trying to placate them by promising that they'll soon be able to venture to greener pastures if they just dutifully stomach what they're being subjected to for now, but taunting them with pain and terror while they wait, The New Mutants' entire premise explains exactly where the X-Men franchise currently sits — unintentionally, yet rather astutely. Logan aside, things haven't been great for the series of late. Actually, that's an understatement. Fans have sat through average and awful chapters in the hope that something better will come in the future, only to be met by more of the same (or worse). Yes, Deadpool and its sequel were hits, but squarely of the one-note, overdone, easily tiring variety. And the less remembered about the overblown and underwhelming X-Men: Apocalypse and the instantly forgettable Dark Phoenix, the better. A routine mashup of teen, horror and superhero tropes, The New Mutants doesn't improve the saga's fortunes. To be accurate, though, it doesn't really try to. As directed and co-written by The Fault in our Stars filmmaker Josh Boone with co-scribe Knate Lee, it takes a concept that's equal parts The Breakfast Club and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, adds in angsty adolescents just coming to terms with their hormones and superpowers, and serves up a thoroughly flat and by-the-numbers affair. The film's troubled history is well-documented, with the movie first announced five years ago, cast four years ago and shot three years ago, then pushed back release-wise several times over a period of almost two and a half years — but, now that The New Mutants has finally reached screens after surviving cast member changes, script rewrites, reshoots, the Disney acquisition of Fox and the pandemic, that messy journey to cinemas proves the most interesting thing about it. Endeavouring to mutate the familiar superhero formula in even the slightest way is a worthy aim, of course, which is one of the reasons that the very idea of this film has always stood out. The Marvel characters that The New Mutants is based on date back to the early 80s on the page, and giving them a horror-driven spin has seemed an inspired choice since the movie was first announced. Alas, combining one genre's cliches with another's, as the end result does, hardly makes for entertaining viewing. Indeed, although it's suitably moody in the stock-standard way seen in every creepy psychiatric facility-set flick, The New Mutants is generic to an oppressive extent. Filled with up-and-comers circa 2016, the movie's cast can't particularly help either. Williams tries, and the sensitivity she brings to shapeshifter Rahne Sinclair is noticeable. With Moonstar, she also navigates a romantic subplot that touches upon the film's most thoughtful (albeit still glaringly obvious) point — that the persecution of mutants because they're different mirrors plenty in our reality, including the treatment of queer teens. But, with Taylor-Joy in cartoonish territory as Russian sorceress Illyana Rasputin, and Heaton and Zaga simply hitting their respective characters' one note over and over again, any slivers of depth, substance or just plain interest that The New Mutants does manage to rustle up are short-lived. Also fading fast: any hopes that, 20 years since the first X-Men movie released, this franchise has much life left in it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_vJhUAOFpI
In Tammy, what you see is what you get — even if you have seen it all before. A road-trip odd-couple coming-of-age comedy, Melissa McCarthy's latest effort drives down familiar routes in search of revelations and raucousness but does little more than warmly ride through the usual cliches of its genre. McCarthy's titular character is a picture of immaturity, escaping her blue collar, Middle America problems after a day from hell that leaves her car wrecked, her employment terminated, and her husband (Nat Faxon) with another woman (Toni Collette). Despite protests from her mother (Allison Janney), she takes to the highway with her fun-loving, Cadillac-owning grandmother, Pearl (Susan Sarandon). Mismatched travelling companions with individual scores to settle, they set out on a jovial jaunt, but find more than frivolity on their journey. Tackling troubles en route to a far-flung destination has been the premise of many manchild-focused movies, as recent features Due Date and The Guilt Trip have shown. While Tammy appropriates typically male traits in a gender role reversal, even its central swap is absent originality. Indeed, McCarthy's own Identity Thief followed the same formula barely a year ago. Alas, in Tammy, McCarthy's seeming ambition to ape Zach Galifianakis' similar output continues. Even when writing her own roles — here with director Ben Falcone — she copies stereotypes rather than carves out her own niche. Her aims in broadening the representation of women on screen are admirable; her methods are less so. Despite her slapstick skill, she rarely serves up anything other than the same imitative effort. Tammy's derivation doesn't stop there, nor does its squandering of its cast. With Sarandon involved, the girl's own gambit also borrows from Thelma and Louise as it ambles through a checklist of cartoonish tropes. Tammy and Pearl cycle through liaisons with men (Gary Cole and Mark Duplass) they meet along the way, fall afoul of the law, and reunite with long-lost relatives (Kathy Bates and Sandra Oh). Of the supports, Bates makes the best of scarce opportunities in an offering that's as much McCarthy's passion project as it is her star vehicle. And yet, though the comedy and characters clearly spring from all that has come before, the feature sparkles with sincerity. Missives of the self — esteem, worth and discovery — are as common as most of the film's content; however, Tammy never feels anything other than earnest. First-time filmmaker Falcone may assemble everything together in tonally bland and comically mistimed packaging, his visuals devoid of texture and his scenes lingering too long, but his affection for his lead and narrative shines through. In its generic compilation, Tammy may lack its desired humour, but it does boast customary helpings of heart and hopefulness. https://youtube.com/watch?v=K8a3TOhVA3c
Love mussels? Well, you're in luck, because March 11 and 12 sees the Port Phillip Mussel Festival return to South Melbourne Market. Feast on locally-sourced seafood with friends and family at this laidback, two-day seafood street party. Now in its fourth year, the free celebration of the tasty sea creatures and local culture has developed a cult-like following. Top restaurants will be flexing their muscles throughout the weekend, including market eateries Claypots, Köy, Paco Y Lola and Simply Spanish. They'll all be dishing up mussels every which way, be it fried, in a Thai red curry or straight-up. Dance away the early autumn afternoon — and your belly full of mussels — with the perfect mix of high quality, local wine, beer and cider, and a stellar line-up of Melbourne's best jazz bands.
Richmond's Meatmother has officially left the building, barbecue eats and all — but if its replacement Caddie is anything to go by, locals won't be noticing the loss for too long. A smart bar and eatery with a strong local focus, this one's headed up by chef-owner Dylan Evans, whose resume includes international hits like Chicago's Alinea, Manresa in LA and the iconic Noma, in addition to local haunts like Fargo & Co and State of Grace. Here, he's stripping things right back to deliver a dining experience simply centred on great food and drink. The menu is seasonal, share-friendly and small in an approachable way, and is set to change up constantly. Right now, you'll discover dishes like kingfish with burnt butter and capers; an assembly of chicken, tarragon, verjuice and grape; and even a dessert riff on the classic Welsh rarebit. The drinks offering also leans heavily local, featuring a considered curation of craft beers and wines from across Australia. Pop in after work for a glass of Mornington Peninsula chardonnay or a Chenin Blanc from WA, or settle in with a bottle of Lucy Margaux Pinot Noir over a long, lazy dinner. Find Caddie at 167 Swan Street, Richmond. It's open for lunch Thursday through Saturday, and dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Images: Simon Shiff
When you're in a crappy situation, you call a plumber. After the news broke that alleged sexual harasser Kevin Spacey would no longer star in All the Money in the World, with his scenes to be reshot with Christopher Plummer, it was one of the internet's better observations. Controversy aside, the end result is astonishing. You'd never guess that 88-year-old Plummer only stepped into his role as real-life oil tycoon J. Paul Getty in November. Nor will you be able to imagine anyone else playing the part, including the excised, prosthetic-clad Spacey with his penchant for over-acting. Trust Ridley Scott, the now-80-year-old director of Alien and Blade Runner, to mastermind such an impressive technical feat. All the Money in the World is his second movie in less than a year, after 2017's Alien: Covenant — and while it mightn't seem like it at first, there's more than a little in common between the two titles, and with Scott's filmography in general. After spending decades contemplating humanity's complicated relationship with mortality — seen not just in his iconic science-fiction work, but also in the likes of Thelma & Louise, Gladiator and The Martian — Scott has jumped from a film that ponders the notion of creation as the only lasting legacy, to one about the downfall of a man who puts his faith in wealth instead. Plummer's Getty is more comfortable collecting objects than nurturing relationships, including with his own son (Andrew Buchan) — "there's a purity in beautiful things that I've never been able to find in people," the world's richest billionaire dismissively croaks. Getty Jr only contacts his father when he's broke and struggling to provide for his wife Gail (Michelle Williams) and four children, though it's his eldest boy, Paul (played by Charlie Shotwell as a 7-year-old), that the old man takes a shine to. Fast-forward nine years to 1973, and the now-16-year-old (Charlie Plummer) is abducted by kidnappers looking to get their hands on a slice of the Getty fortune, but the cantankerous patriarch insists that he doesn't have a cent to spare. That leaves the distraught Gail to work with Getty's security advisor, former CIA operative Fletcher Chase (Mark Wahlberg), to secure her son's release. A word of warning: you'll hear the phrase "all the money in the world" more than once throughout the film. It's as if Scott and his screenwriters, adapting the 1995 book Painfully Rich, just couldn't help themselves. It's an unneeded wink in a movie that slides with thrilling ease into the icy waters of wealth, laying bare the darkness and ruthlessness born of excessive greed in the process. Balancing multiple negotiations, including Gail wrestling with both Getty and Chase, the family liaising with the captors, and young Paul trying to stay alive with the help of one of his abductors (Romain Duris), the movie also serves up the type of brawny, absorbing thriller we don't often see on screens these days. Working with his regular cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, Scott uses grey tones to contrast the haves and the have nots, immersing audiences in the detail and emotion of the scenario at every turn. Moreover, even when the film stretches its story a little too far amidst multiple twists and changes of allegiance, audiences will find themselves gripped by the work of Plummer and Williams. The pair play polar opposites in an equally effective manner — one a heartless man motivated by self-interest, the real villain of the piece; the other a desperate mother who'd give up anything, including money, for the people she loves. If only Scott had found someone other than Wahlberg to play the third person in their tussle. The actor might as well be fighting giant robots, given how by-the-numbers his performance is. All the money in the world clearly couldn't help with that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viQBNu9z6RQ
What better way to ring in the longest night of the year than with a lavish feast, shared among friends, while the winter moonlight dances off the Yarra in the background? That's the very scene that awaits you at Fatto's Winter Soulstice dinner — held on the winter solstice — this Thursday, June 22. The Italian bar and eatery's cheery riverside digs will be transformed for the occasion, bathed in candlelight as diners indulge in a Euro-inspired four-course feast by Head Chef James Kummrow. Clocking in at $60 per person, the spread features a lineup of winter-perfect dishes, including woodfired albacore tuna teamed with smoked yogurt, confit grapefruit and roast onion; fresh parmesan gnocchi with a pork and fennel ragu; and spiced quince and marsala tart to finish. Drinks are not included in the price, but there will be plenty of wines and beers to choose from, if you feel so inclined. To reserve your spot at the dinner, head to the Fatto website. Images: Jax Moussa
Two-and-a-half hour's drive north of the city, Echuca's American Hotel will really be living up to its name when it hosts this free MFWF event loaded with deep southern charm. It's throwing open the doors and firing up the smokers for a good ol' car park party that's set to kick on all-day long. You'll find yourself chowing down on a menu of US-style barbecue fare, enjoyed outdoors on big communal tables. The bar boasts a famously great rotation of craft brews all year round, but for this meaty occasion it'll also be whipping up a range of sips made with small-batch bourbon — yep, you're in for the ultimate comfort food feast. The soundtrack's set to be a banger, too, with live R&B acts and DJ-spun vinyl tunes sprinkled throughout the day. Rhythm & Booze is part of Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. Check out more of the festival's events here. Image: American Hotel by Emily Godfrey for Visit Victoria.
When most folks scream, they're not powering up their life force, or ki, in battle. Most folks aren't Dragon Ball Z's Goku, however. If you're a fan of the anime, you've probably wished you were at least once or twice, and bunch of gatherings at Australian public spaces will let you scream out your non earth-saving frustrations. Yes, 'Scream like Goku' sessions are a real thing, and they're exactly what they sound like — which, we're certain will be loud. Starting in New York last week, Dragon Ball Z aficionados have been amassing around famous landmarks and letting their voices be heard. We'll let you decide whether they're endeavouring to fend off Frieza, trying to become a Super Saiyan, or just yelling their love (or all of the above). A host of other US sites are slated to follow, as well as Singapore — and Australian Dragon Ball Z fans have been quick to jump into the mix. The first local session is scheduled at 4pm tomorrow, Saturday, September 9, at none other than the Sydney Opera House — because if you're doing to scream in public, you'd better make it count. Over 3000 people have said they're attending in the Facebook event, with another 10,000 'interested'. More gatherings are planned for Sydney's Hyde Park on September 23, and Newcastle's Nobbys Beach on September 24, while Melbourne's Federation Square joins the fun this Sunday, September 10 — almost 5000 people are planning to rock up to that one. Someone has started a campaign to get screamers to the Wheel of Brisbane on October 7, but so far there's not many potential attendees. Dressing up is encouraged, even if you just throw on something orange. If you're not sure how you should be screaming, let this build up some inspiration. Even if you're not a Dragon Ball Z fan, screaming at the top of your lungs with hundreds of other people is bound to be cathartic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRsjCWNXtRE Image: Leticia Almeida.
If you're exploring Brighton and find yourself in need of a stunning floral arrangement (it happens), Pash Flowers and Homewares has you covered. The team behind this local store sources only the best seasonal flora to create arrangements that celebrate the natural beauty of flowers. In addition to the potted plants, flowers and wild branches, Pash also offers a selection of gifts, including ceramics, candles, lotions, soaps and knitted toys. Simply entering this store will elicit a feeling of happiness — how good do flowers smell? — and the best part is you get to take some of it home with you.
Melbourne's current lockdown isn't ending for the foreseeable future, but an important change is just about to kick in. After you've just spent almost a month and a half getting reacquainted with that all-too-familiar five-kilometre bubble, it's now doubling. From 11.59pm on Friday, September 17 — so, realistically, from Saturday, September 18 — you can now venture ten kilometres from your house to shop for essentials, exercise or spend time outdoors with a friend. Yes, some other changes are coming, too. You'll also be allowed to head out within that ten-kilometre radius to meet with someone you don't live with for a picnic, a walk or some other outdoor activity. Or, if you and your friends are fully vaxxed with both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, then up to five adults from two households, plus their dependents, will be permitted to gather outdoors. Accordingly, picnics are back on the agenda, as long as you stay within your travel bubble — and so does either the one other person you're meeting up with, or the group of up to four other people from one other household if they've all had both their COVID-19 vaccinations. And there's an easy way to calculate exactly where you can partake in that government-approved exercise, shopping and "outdoor social interaction", as Premier Daniel Andrews called it, thanks to the same website that lets you find your own ten-kilometre radius. First, you'll want to head to KM From Home, centre the pin on the screen to your address and select a ten-kilometre radius as normal. After that, you can also use the 'drop pin' function to pop another blue marker on the screen and move it to your friend's address. Now, there'll be two big bubbles — one red, one blue — encompassing the zone you're each free to travel in under the Victorian Government's new rules, and showing where they overlap. Another nifty COVID overlap finder website has been in use already this lockdown, and in past lockdowns as well, but at present it hasn't been updated from five to ten kilometres. If you want to keep an eye on it, too, it might move that distance when the new rules kick in. If so, it requires you to simply plug in your home address and that of your mate, and it'll then display each of your ten-kilometre radiuses highlighted on the map, as well as the all-important crossover zone shows all the places where you're allowed to meet up for your two daily hours of exercise. To work out where you and your mate can exercise or meet up outdoors together — and stay within your respective ten-kilometre bubbles — use the pin function on the KM From Home website. Lockdown rules in metropolitan Melbourne will ease slightly from 11.59pm on Friday, September 17, with exercising, shopping for essentials and outdoor gatherings within ten kilometres of your house permitted from that point. For more information about the rules, head to the Victorian Department of Health website.
Mad Hatters looking for a spot to warm up this winter, you're invited to a bottomless G&Tea Party. Taking over State of Grace's new King Street venue every Saturday from midday, this festivity involves G&Ts served in dainty teapots and teacups. And there's an opportunity to get creative. Firstly, choose one of five gins — classic, marmalade, chamomile, peppercorn and coriander or strawberry and basil. Next up, take your pick of mixers — be it tonic, sparkling grapefruit, ginger beer, bitter lemon or spiced apple. Matching your tipple will be a selection of afternoon treats, both savoury and sweet. Begin with warm bellinis with Yarra Valley caviar, then tuck into old-school cucumber sandwiches with herb cream and dill. There's also french onion soup toasties with thyme and lemon myrtle, among other delights. On the dessert menu, you'll find mini doughnuts filled with gin and orange curd or rosemary and thyme sugar. There'll also be gin and sorbet pops with white chocolate, rosemary and bitters. For $55 a head, you'll be feasting on such delights and drinking bottomless booze — it's sure to be the most raucous tea party you've attended in a while. Doing Dry July? You can opt for some mocktails this month for $40 per person, too. State of Grace's G&Tea Parties are held every Saturday, from 12pm–2pm. Bookings are recommended and can be made here.
It's not every festival feels like a country weekend fete that just happens to be headlined by say, The Shins. Fairgrounds, Australia's country boutique camping festival descends on the small NSW town of Berry each December. Taking over the local Berry Showgrounds, Fairgrounds boasts all the trimmings of a major music festival with the essence of a local fair. And this December, it's back for another two-day round. Running over December 8 and 9, the two-day festival is making a triumphant return. In a huge coup for the small festival in its third year, they've secured big time festival favourites The Shins and Future Islands to headline, alongside local legends Client Liaison, D.D Dumbo, Holly Throsby, Jen Cloher, Royal Headache's Shogun and more. Oh, and casual founding Pavement member Spiral Stairs. With a strong focus on the local NSW South Coast area, Fairgrounds isn't just about the tunes. Last year local nosh, market stalls and the local swimming pool played equally starring roles at this multifaceted festival — something we're sure made Berry residents pretty happy. Between dips in Berry's local pool (within the festival grounds), punters feasted on local delights, including fresh rock oysters harvested less than half an hour from the festival site. But we know what you're here for. Here's the full lineup. FAIRGROUNDS 2017 LINEUP: Aldous Harding Client Liaison D.D Dumbo Future Islands Hockey Dad Holly Throsby Japanese Breakfast Jen Cloher Marlon Williams Noname The Shins The Teskey Brothers You Am I Jess Locke Leah Senior Press Club Shogun (Royal Headache) Spiral Stairs (Pavement) Fairgrounds runs December 8–9 at Berry Showgrounds, NSW. Tickets on sale from Moshtix at 9am, Tuesday, August 22 (presale Thursday, August 18 — sign up to the newsletter for this). Festival entry is $160, with camping $220, with shuttle $198. Kids under 12 attend free with an adult. Image: Andy Fraser.
Whichever pop culture phenomenon, figure, show, movie or bad takes your fancy, odds are there's a cookbook devoted to it. Breaking Bad, Brad Pitt's eating habits, Morrissey and Nick Cave-inspired vegan recipes, Twin Peaks pies (and doughnuts and coffee, obviously) — the list goes on. If you're keen to pair a heap of your faves with some joke-tastic dishes, however, then Pun Pantry's kitchen tome is for you. Among their recipes: 'Chicken Kebob Dylan', 'Fleetwood Mac & Cheese', 'Gin Diesel' cocktails (yes, Coronas are among the ingredients) and 'Wu-Tang Clam Chowder', plus 'The Fresh Prince of Eclaires', 'Pumpking Kong Pie', 'Cream Puff Daddy', 'Frying Nemo' and 'Obi-Wan Cannolis'. If some of them sound familiar, that's because Pun Pantry have been selling themed merchandise and showcasing their wares online for a couple of years. Now, they're running a Kickstarter campaign to put their comedic cooking creations into print. Featuring more than 20 recipes, Pun Pantry contend that the book won't just include steps for serving up hilarious and tasty dishes, but will be "an homage to pop culture, filled with stories, interactive material and original comedic flavour". The fundraising drive will also help them attend the America's Mart Novelty Gift Show in January — and with eight days left to go at the time of writing, they're nearly a third of the way to their US$10,000 goal. Via Food & Wine. Image: Pun Pantry / Nude Dude Food.
You don't need much more proof that good things come in small packages than long-running pint-sized cocktail bar Romeo Lane. But owner Joe Jones is happy to give you some anyway. He has teamed up with chef Sam Stafford (Momofuku Seiobo, Town Mouse, Clever Polly's) to launch a new charcoal-fuelled venture. Located in the heart of Fitzroy, Mono-XO clocks in at just 25 seats — it's his smallest venue yet. Set to open in the former Cafe Rosamund site later this month, Mono-XO is a high-energy bar with a rock 'n' roll attitude that defies its size. Bold flavours and careful technique meet laid-back party vibes in a space that's cosy, moody and loud. [caption id="attachment_733487" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kristoffer Paulsen[/caption] The food menu has a Japanese lean, featuring lots of things cooked on sticks over coals (aka yakitori). It's fun, contemporary and entirely gluten-free, with a solid spread of vegan and vegetarian bites to boot. Expect plenty of salt, spice and smoke across a lineup best enjoyed with a crafty drink in hand. As for that crafty drink, you can pick one off a compact list of highballs, natural wines and imported Japanese drops from Sake Connect, with some of Jones' own easy-drinking creations headlining the cocktail list. And, since it wouldn't be a true rock 'n' roll joint without a respectable tinnie range, you'll find a rotation of cans from Orbost's Sailors Grave Brewing. Find Mono-XO at the rear of 191A Smith Street, Fitzroy in late July. Images: Kristoffer Paulsen
Craft beer, local produce and a chin wag with the producers — sound up your alley? Get yourself down to Flavour Exchange at Federation Square as it kicks off its two day spring showcase. Along with many others, visitors can expect to rub shoulders with Dal Zotto and Pizzini wineries, Bellarine Brewery and Two Birds Brewing, Rustica Sourdough and Green Olive at Red Hill, as well as Golden Axe. The Atrium at Federation Square has never looked this tasty this Wednesday and Thursday.
We're getting close to Christmas, a time for helping those in dire straits. And if you can do so while devouring copious amounts of gingerbread, then so much the better. Scheduled for this Saturday, the Gingerbread Demolition is your chance to stuff yourself full of sugar while raising money for children in need. Ticketholders will be treated to a night of food, booze, dancing and cookie decorating, plus the chance to bid on a number of custom-built gingerbread houses at auction. And then smash the crap out of them. Proceeds from the event will go to Save the Children, which helps provide aid to vulnerable kids and young people around Australia and the world. Tickets to the Gingerbread Demolition cost $45 per person, and include food, drinks on arrival and a $25 Uber trip. For more information visit gingerbreaddemolition.com
It seemed that Untitled Group (the crew behind Beyond the Valley, Pitch Music & Arts, Ability Fest) were onto another winner when they teamed up with touring agency Crown Ruler, Moon Dog Craft Brewery and PBS 106.7FM to create a brand new boutique street festival back in 2019. But while the inaugural Duke Street Block Party proved a raving hit with music-lovers, it copped the brunt of COVID — despite a whole lot of planning and multiple rescheduled dates, we never got to see Round 2. Until now. Fast forward to 2022 and the Block Party is finally ready for its comeback, descending on a normally quiet pocket of Abbotsford next month for its huge second instalment. On Saturday, March 19, the festivities will take over Bond Street as well as their usual home of Duke Street, promising three stages and a diverse lineup of acts to see you dancing through the day. On this year's bill, catch high-energy sets from British electronic star Floating Points, Detroit's legendary lady of funk DJ Holographic, Jamaican dancehall icon Sister Nancy and Melbourne's own Cassettes For Kids. The much-loved pairing of US DJs Eris Drew and Octo Octa will be taking to the stage, as will emerging UK act Sherelle, and homegrown legends including C.FRIM, Milo Eastwood, Crescendoll, Sophie McAlister, PET$ and Mirasia. The Moon Dog Warehouse is set to be transformed into a giant DJ-fuelled dance floor for the day, while the next door carpark will showcase more dance-worthy tunes selected by party crew Dutty. There'll be plenty of other goodness to explore throughout the precinct, too, including culinary treats from the likes of Brunswick's Vola Foods and Nico's Sandwich Deli, and freshly tapped brews courtesy of Moon Dog. You'll be able to nab presale tickets from Monday, February 14, with general public on sale Tuesday, February 15. Duke Street Block Party Vol 2 takes over Duke and Bond Streets in Abbotsford, on March 19. Register here for presale by 4pm February 14. Presale tickets are available from 6pm on February 14, with general public tickets on sale from 12pm on February 15.
UPDATE, Tuesday, June 18, 2024: Priscilla is available to stream via Stan, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Yearning to be one of the women in Sofia Coppola's films is futile, but for a single reason only: whether she's telling of teenage sisters, a wife left to her own devices in Tokyo, France's most-famous queen, the daughter of a Hollywood actor, Los Angeles high schoolers who want to rob, the staff and students at a girls school in the American Civil War, a Manhattanite worried that her husband is being unfaithful or Priscilla Presley, as the writer/director has across eight movies to-date, no one better plunges viewers into her female characters' hearts and heads. To watch the filmmaker's span of features from The Virgin Suicides to Priscilla is to feel as its figures do, and deeply. The second-generation helmer is an impressionistic great, colouring her flicks as much with emotions and mood as actual hues — not that there's any shortage of lush and dreamy shades, as intricately tied to her on-screen women's inner states, swirling through her meticulous frames. Call it the "can't help falling" effect, then: as a quarter-century of Coppola's films have graced screens, audiences can't help falling into them like they're in the middle of each themselves. That's still accurate with Priscilla, which arrives so soon after Elvis that no one could've forgotten that the lives of the king of rock 'n' roll and his bride have flickered through cinemas recently. Baz Luhrmann made his Presley movie in Australia with an American (Austin Butler, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) as Elvis and an Aussie (Olivia DeJonge, The Staircase) as Priscilla. Coppola crafted hers in North America with a Brisbanite (Jacob Elordi, Saltburn) in blue-suede shoes and a Tennessee-born talent (Cailee Spaeny, Mare of Easttown) adopting the Presley surname. The two features are mirror images in a hunk of burning ways, including their his-and-hers titles; whose viewpoint they align with; and conveying what it was like to adore Elvis among the masses, plus why he sparked that fervour, compared to expressing the experience of being the girl that he fell for, married, sincerely loved but kept in a gilded cage into she strove to fly free. For the leads playing their titular parts, the two Presley portraits of the 2020s far are also star-making pictures. If Spaeny becomes her director's new muse, it's much-deserved based on her turn as an excited and longing teen, then the isolated high-school senior and stuck-at-home girlfriend who's so controlled that she's instructed to dye her hair the same black that Elvis sports (by him), then the wife and mother virtually living a separate life. In fact, she was recommended by Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog), Coppola's muse since her debut feature, aka Spaeny's co-star in 2024's upcoming Civil War. Although finding someone who could take the role across a decade and a half, and be as genuine as a smitten teen, a fed-up woman deciding to claim her own life and everything in-between wouldn't have been easy, Priscilla's Venice International Film Festival Volpi Cup for Best Actress-winning choice is sublime. Priscilla Beaulieu is just 14 when she's invited to a party at Elvis' home in West Germany, where she's an army brat with a strict dad (Ari Cohen, Fargo) in the service and he's a 24-year-old donning the uniform solely because he's been drafted. Asked if she likes Elvis by one of his pals, her response is: "of course, who doesn't?". She subsequently can't help falling, as is to be expected of a girl being paid attention by one of the biggest stars on the planet. In the giddy aftermath of their first meetings, during their early courtship and when Elvis heads back home, Coppola gets her The Beguiled and On the Rocks cinematographer Philippe Le Sourd roving over fabrics and handwriting, two staple details in her work, to assist in showing the heady passion that pulsates through Priscilla. As her films keep demonstrating, you can glean much about someone by the textures that they surround themselves with, the way they communicate via the written word, and the care they take with each. Here, you can tell how Priscilla's namesake initially feels like she's living in a fantasy come true. As witnessed through Priscilla Presley's eyes — as adapted by Coppola from Priscilla's 1985 memoir Elvis and Me, and boasting an also-brilliant Elordi as the brooding and volatile Elvis — this romance is never a fairy tale, however. She swoons. She pines. She begs her parents (with Succession's Dagmara Dominczyk as her mother) to let her visit Graceland, and then to move there. She does what Elvis says, and shapes herself by his wishes and whims. She acts in the 50s-trained mould, with its firmly defined gender roles, as he also does. Priscilla spies the period, its expectations and demands, but it also spots the imbalance in power that goes beyond social norms. Leaving Elvis' music off the Phoenix-supervised soundtrack wasn't the original plan, after Coppola sought permission from his estate and was denied, yet it has a potent effect: as tunes other than his echo, and not only from the time — a Ramones cover of 'Baby, I Love You' and Dan Deacon's 2007 track 'The Crystal Cat', for instance — the film divorces itself from his perspective, and from what was accepted in the era. From the moment that it starts with red toenails upon shag carpeting, then, until it closes with swinging gates and one of the greatest songs that Dolly Parton has ever written (and a sentiment that never rings false), Priscilla is what many Coppola flicks are: an account of a woman trying to discover herself in restrictive circumstances where her existence is defined by a man. The picture's protagonist is The Virgin Suicides' siblings cooped up in their home, and Lost in Translation's left-behind spouse. She's Marie Antoinette's partner to royalty, complete with an unhappy bedroom life — the Presleys' romance is chaste when Priscilla is younger, then Elvis remains largely uninterested when she's older — and Somewhere's adoring youth in a star's shadow as well. Coppola sees the limits placed upon the women before her camera, the abodes they're trapped in and how they pass the time. In a revelatory fashion, she's well-aware that so much of Priscilla's life with Elvis was filled with just that as he went on tour, made movies in Los Angeles, and had gossip all aflutter about affairs with Speedway's Nancy Sinatra and Viva Las Vegas' Ann-Margret: Priscilla on her lonesome passing the time. While Coppola has never made a feature that's less than excellent, Priscilla is among her most-accomplished. Every inch always means something in the director's oeuvre, and proves immaculate and intimate. Such truths from her filmography resound again here to perfection, with exquisitely ravishing aesthetics — also thanks to costume designer Stacey Battat, who has worked on every one of the helmer's pictures since Somewhere, as well as Nightmare Alley production designer Tamara Deverell — helping to amplify the picture's emotional intensity. Coppola's little-less-conversation approach finds its action in glances and stares, and in being all shook up by what's not uttered. It's absorbing and mesmerising, heartbreaks, hardships and all. Priscilla herself wouldn't want anyone aching for her experience, but she'd surely hope for the crucial feat that Priscilla overwhelmingly achieves: ensuring that viewers feel as if they've lived it.
You're invited to take a rare glimpse into the life of Frida Kahlo, when photographs from the famed Mexican artist's personal collection land at the Bendigo Art Gallery this December. Travelling exhibition Frida Kahlo, Her Photos will be on show in Victoria from December 8, 2018, until February 10, 2019, featuring a sprawling selection of 257 images curated by Mexican photographer and photography historian Pablo Ortiz Monasterio. The collection travels through Kahlo's fascinating life, speaking to the artist's lifelong passion for photography — an art form that regularly influenced her own work. The photos have been pulled from the archives of the Casa Azul (Blue House) — Kahlo's former home, which has been made into a museum celebrating her life and art. You'll spy gems that have only been on public show since 2007, capturing Kahlo's family moments, her love for Mexico and its traditions, her passions, friends and enemies, the era's political struggles, and even the artist's lengthy hospital stay following an accident in 1925. The exhibition also features shots from Frida contemporaries including Fritz Henle, Man Ray, Tina Modotti, Edward Weston, and Lola and Manuel Alvarez. Images: Frida painting a portrait of her father, by Gisele Freund, 1951, courtesy Frida Kahlo Museum; Diego Rivera (in his study at San Angel_, Anonymous, 1940, courtesy Frida Kahlo Museum.
Catering for both children and children at heart, MTC's latest production sees them set sail with Arena Theatre Company. Following the tale of a grandfather and his granddaughter returning a fish to sea, Marlin is set on a small boat amidst a magical on-stage ocean. Directed by Christian Leavesley, the piece explores some fairly serious and eternal themes with the help of imaginative and captivating puppets. "I wanted to conceive a work in which young people and their elders can share time in the theatre that is energised by them experiencing it side by side," said Leavesley. For those particularly touched by the performance, the experience can be enhanced again by taking part in The Marlin Expedition. An adventure that actually takes you out onto the Yarra, the expedition will make for an interactive and intimate experience with just three people on each boat. Plus some room for the puppets, of course.
We can't think of a much more fitting way to celebrate 'M8 Day' on Wednesday, May 8, than with a few actual mates and some local craft brews. The crew at Abbotsford brewery Moon Dog couldn't agree more — they're marking the occasion with a beer-filled celebration, complete with friends and freebies galore. Clock off work early and roll in from 4pm to join in the fun, with your number one bestie in tow. The first 100 pairs of mates through the door will score themselves two free six-packs of Moon Dog's legendary Old Mate pale ale. All you'll need to do to collect, is arrive with your mate (you can't collect a six-pack for them) and throw staff a hearty "maaaaaaaaaaaaaate" on arrival. And if you miss out on the first giveaway, you won't be going home empty handed — the bar's giving away a free schooner of Old Mate to everyone else who rocks up on the night. The party will be kicking on late, with games, pizzas and plenty of good times.
It's said there's no such thing as a free lunch, but Shannon Martinez (Smith & Daughters, Smith & Deli) and Deliveroo are today proving the phrase wrong — in more ways than one. The legendary vegan chef and the food delivery group are teaming up to hand out hundreds of complimentary hot dogs that are both free from animal products and won't cost you a cent. Today's giveaway — going down in both Sydney and Melbourne — are happening in celebration of Martinez's new collaboration with local group The Alternative Meat Co. Together, they've designed not just any old snag-in-bun affair, but, rather, a plant-based creation dubbed the Lasagne Dog. The limited-edition dog features a plant-based sausage in a vegan bun, finished with lashings of garlic butter, a rich plant-based bolognese and vegan cheese sauce by the Alternative Dairy Co. Clocking in at $12, this beaut will be available through Deliveroo from Thursday, October 31, until Sunday, November 3. You'll find it on the app if you're located within 2.5 kilometres of Windsor in Melbourne, or 2.5 kilometres of Potts Point in Sydney. But both cities are in for a free sneak peek today, Wednesday, October 30, with the Deliveroo crew handing out a swag of Lasagne Dogs between 12–2pm at the below locations. Find free Lasagne Dogs at Melbourne's Balaclava (12–1pm) and South Yarra (1–2pm) stations or from Kings Cross Station (12–1pm) or Taylor Square (1–2pm) in Sydney.
On paper, Speakeasy's Once Were Pirates has everything you could want out of a Fringe show. A dark sense of humour, an award-winning writer, an energetic and talented small cast and, of course, pirates. While all these elements work well on their own, the show as a whole is lacking. As the characters fight and gripe about their somewhat confusing circumstances, you're never quite sure whether you're watching a slapstick comedy or a contemplative drama. Because of this, it doesn't quite satisfy as either. Wrangling absurdity into the everyday, Emily Collyer's story follows the new workaday lives of reformed pirates Shane and Gareth (Ben Clements and James Cook). Living amidst a sea of knick knacks and rubbish, the pair spend their time devising get rich quick schemes and wrestling with the difficulties of getting by in the normal modern world. As Gareth accepts the constraints of his new workaday life faster than Shane, the pair develop a great on-stage dynamic as an unconventional odd couple. Tensions between the two are amusing and get a big reaction from the audience with their slapstick physical humour. At times their outlandish style and high-energy performances are reminiscent of the work of gross-out greats Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson. If utilised for the entirety of the show, this relationship would have made for a great dark comedy but the story too often delves into philosophical drama. While some reviewers found this to be rewarding, I found it to jar with the absurd nature of the work. It's hard to give genuine empathy to these characters with no discernible backstory or outside context. If we can't muster sympathy for the squabbles between Captain Hook and Smee, how can we offer it to two confusing Aussie counterparts. On a faultless note, the set design by artist Alexandra Hiller is beautifully ornate and well-utilised. Garbage bags pile atop one another to frame the action perfectly, and the grand romance of piracy is subtly recreated onstage with considered props and intriguing shadowplay. Like a grand ol' ship sailing the seven seas, it's a shame the story itself was a little too turbulent for our liking. For more works at the 2014 Melbourne Fringe Festival, check out our top ten picks.
Have a good hard think at NGV Friday Nights, thanks to a pop-up thoughtography lab courtesy of the brainiacs at La Trobe University. Open to the public every Friday evening from now through to April 22, this sensory experiment is part of the ongoing Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei exhibition. Visitors simply slip on a headset and hey presto — their brainwaves are transformed into vibrant works of art. Okay, so it's a little bit more complicated than that. Thoughtographs are created via electrical impulses in your brain, as measured by a dry electrode electroencephalogram (EEG) headset. As you browse a selection of images from the Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei exhibition, the apparatus reads your reaction and generates different coloured lines. The harder you think, the thicker the lines. The end result is a unique piece of art that you can take home as a permanent souvenir. Pretty rare that you get to walk out of a gallery with a piece of art under your arm — let alone one you technically created yourself.
That soothing feeling that sweeps over you when you spy a cute canine, spend too much time watching internet cat videos or even just spot a picture of a newborn animal — that's the feeling at the heart of Australia's newest wellness sessions. Sure, you've been to kitten yoga and puppy pilates, and they're both great. But we're guessing that you haven't tried meditating with baby goats or getting mindful with soft, cuddly lambs. Currently held in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast, Karmably's cuddly class is coming to Melbourne for the five Saturdays in June. During them, you'll attempt to find inner bliss while surrounded by rescued baby farm animals. In short, it's the best way to de-stress when life's got your goat. After all, who can remain overwhelmed, exhausted or annoyed when they're sharing their chill-out session with actual goats? The classes focus on relaxation techniques, like Breathe In & Bleat Out, which gives you an idea of just what's in store. Those heading along can expect three parts to the session: mindful stretching, meditation and snuggling the four-legged participants. If you're wondering where the concept came from, it was inspired by organiser Berenice Tan's own experiences trying to find something other than the usual mindfulness classes within Australia. Tan began to research animal therapy and, after learning of the benefits (and realising that everyone loves cute critters), her sessions with goats, lambs and even piglets were born. The bliss goes both ways, too — with Karmably not only helping humans to relax in a fun manner, but also assisting animals in need. Tan works with sanctuaries, rescue centres, and organisations such as Harmony Hooves Healing Hearts and ABC Animal Farm. They both raise baby creatures who have either been rejected by their mothers or lost their mums in other ways, and hand-rear them until they can be adopted out as pets to families who live on suitable properties. Tickets to the first few classes have already sold out, so we suggest snapping up tickets ASAP. Updated: May 7, 2019.
Australian spirits are having a serious moment right now. Even so, you won't find many watering holes celebrating them as completely as newly hatched St Kilda bar Land of Plenty. Taking over the site once home to Uncle, this latest venture from Stacy Kewish-Lucas is putting local booze firmly in the spotlight — everything behind the bar and in the kitchen is sourced from inside Australia. The space itself has been transformed into a comfy, moody drinking den, with warm timber and a touch of corrugated iron. Upstairs, a cosy rooftop space is decked out with native Australian bamboo and grass trees, and a mural of bar mascot Wade flying the Whipper Snapper (a Perth whiskey distillery) plane splashed across one wall. Alongside a lineup of local craft brews and wines, native ingredients and Aussie spirits star throughout the cocktail list. Try concoctions like the Sunburnt Country — with house-made macadamia orgeat, dark rum, spiced rum and orange juice — or the vibrant Flamin' Galah, a revamp of the classic Clover Club infused with house-made rosella syrup. A big charcoal grill is put to clever use for the food menu, another all-Aussie lineup that trips from drinking snacks to larger feasting options. Snack on the likes of charred corn on the cob teamed with salted ricotta and chipotle aioli, a saltgrass lamb tartare starring native sea succulents and crispy saltbush, or the kingfish which is cured in Australian breakfast tea. A range of skewers pulls inspiration from across the globe — think, Basque-style chicken thigh, or the lamb souvlaki with sheep's yoghurt tzatziki — and there's a lineup of snags, handful of steaks and a slew of vegan and vegetarian options, too. And for a true-blue dessert, you'll find it hard to pass by the Milo damper paired with a wattleseed cream. The weekly Thursday special is primed for date night, offering a shared starter or dessert, a 500-gram dry-aged rib eye, two sides and a bottle of wine for $80. Find Land Of Plenty at 188 Carlisle Street, St Kilda. It's open Wednesday–Thursday 5–11pm and Friday–Sunday midday–11pm.
This winter, Abbotsford Convent is showing off its wild side. The historic precinct is set to be reborn as an immersive after-dark art exhibition, as it plays host to Interspecies and Other Others from Friday, August 26–Sunday, October 2. The world-premiere exhibition invites you on a multisensory, nocturnal exploration of the Convent's 16-acre grounds, as its diverse artworks reflect on the complexities of the human condition, our history and habitat. Curated by Kelli Alred, it's set to envelop audiences with a free, otherworldly program of installations, projections, performance, sculpture and sound, reimagining building facades, open spaces, and those countless nooks and crannies. [caption id="attachment_863820" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Interloper (alternative)', 2022, Abdul Abdullah.[/caption] You'll catch site-specific commissioned works from renowned contemporary artists like Megan Cope, Atlanta Eke, Abdul Abdullah and Lyndal Jones, along with existing pieces from the likes of Shan Turner-Carroll, Tony Albert and Geoff Robinson. All of it compelling, with plenty of surprises in store — a plant-based sound art installation, a perception-bending photo series starring a fox-headed man, a Lucha Libre-inspired exploration of Indigenous identity and an otherworldly tennis court-based performance work among them. A collection of short films projected onto the St Euphrasia wall will include works by Yeo Siew Hua, Marianna Simnett and Karrabing Film Collective, while a series of online flicks by award-winning filmmaker Sarah-Jane Woulahan is being created in response to the onsite exhibition. [caption id="attachment_863824" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Interspecies' video still, by Heven Osborne.[/caption] Interspecies and Other Others will be free to explore from sunset till 10pm, Wednesday to Sunday for its duration. Top Image: 'Interspecies' video still, by Heven Osborne.
Whether you fancy yourself a green thumb or you just like collecting cute things in pots, we found an event that's sure to tickle your leafiest desires. Inspired by the London fest of a similar name, the Melbourne Houseplant Festival makes its debut next month, dishing up a verdant celebration of indoor plants. Taking over The Wool Mill in Brunswick East on Saturday, August 21, this foliage-filled fiesta promises a hefty dose of both inspiration and education, with talks, workshops and of course, a huge array of plant stalls. It'll be held across four sessions — 10am–12pm, 12–2pm, 2–4pm and 4–6pm. In between shopping for leafy new additions, you can load up on tips and tricks from local plant experts including Plant Runner co-founder Dominic Hooghuis, Instagram green thumb Alan (of Plant Jungle), and authors of Leaf Supply and Plantopedia, Lauren Camilleri and Sophia Kaplan. Alongside a curation of plants and pots from leading local retailers, you'll find books, planters, equipment, handmade potting mix and even botanical-inspired artwork to browse and buy. And if you're feeling inspired, unleash your creativity at one of the day's workshops, join the Plant Jungle team for a class on mounting staghorn ferns, or learn the secrets of terrarium building from Plant Whisperer. There's a range of ticket options available, depending on how many talks and classes you're in for — all starting from $9. Images: London Houseplant Festival, courtesy of the Garden Museum
Scarf down ribs by the pound with tunes and whisky cocktails to match as a Brunswick East institution serves up the perfect Saturday night. Punters can pick from four different kinds of ribs, which the team in The B.East kitchen will be slinging from bang on midday. Memphis barbecue beef, lamb with maple and thyme, pork with pineapple and a dark rum glaze, and buttermilk fried chicken: no matter your preference, you won't be left feeling hungry (unless you're vegetarian, in which case you can order a mock chicken burger or some vego poutine from their regular menu). As for the bartenders, they'll be working overtime mixing drinks, including whisky-infused mint juleps, rye Negronis and honey sours. On the entertainment front, DJs will be on the deck from 7pm, while the bluesy Devil Electric and noise rockers Sleeper Service will hit the stage at 10pm.
A ten-minute dance session for ten people at a time, held in a caravan. A future-focused art party featuring live performance, projection, visual art and music. A photo exhibition exploring the transformation of Australia's premier drag performers. Now that's how you mark three decades of celebrating Melbourne's LGBTIQA+ community and showering the city in queer arts and culture — and it's only the beginning of Midsumma Festival's 2017 lineup. Hitting the big three-oh is a spectacular affair and then some for the annual fest, complete with more than 130 events in the program. Keeping the impressive numbers going — and growing, as they have since Midsumma first kicked off in 1988 — the forthcoming iteration will also feature the work of over 1200 artists and culture creators in more than 70 venues and outdoor space, including hubs at Arts Centre Melbourne, Gasworks and The Hare Hole at Hares & Hyenas. As always, the annual Pride March through St Kilda proves one of the festival's must-attend highlights, alongside the fellow returning flagship event that is the Midsumma Carnival and T Dance. At the former, everyone will dance, strut, sing, catwalk, vogue, placard, drag and move together in a display of difference, acceptance and equality. At the latter, prepare to party all day and night, watch queer sports and even see a dog show, all at Alexandra Gardens. Other standouts include a showcase of portraits of LBTI women by photographer Lisa White, a new take on Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince by the folks behind Psycho Beach Party, a reimagined version of Fringe favourite dance piece HardQueer DeathPony, and UK drag stars Jonny Woo and Le Gateau Chocolat working their way through musical theatre hits such as Les Mis, The Lion King, Cabaret and Annie. Or, hear marriage equality activist and Queen of Ireland star Panti Bliss share her experiences, catch a comedy cabaret about how to be a wingman, enjoy the Cuddle Puddle (yes, it's exactly what it sounds like), pay tribute to Elizabeth Taylor, show off your interpretative dance skills and participate in the Muddy Gras obstacle course. It's going to be a fun and busy three weeks, that's for sure. Midsumma 2017 runs from January 15 to February 5. For more information about the festival, including the full program guide and ticket sales, visit midsumma.org.au Image: Coal Photography.
Start your week in style — no matter what your budget — with Tokosan's revamped weekly oyster special. Following the success of the $1 oyster frenzy it used to run once a month, Greville Street's lively mod-Jap joint is now dishing up the same mollusc madness every single week. Head in on a Monday and chow down on the morsels for just one buck each, from 5pm until they're all gone. You can choose to have yours natural, with a simple squeeze of lemon, teamed with a fiery kick of Tabasco, or, for something a little more adventurous, with a serve of the house-made tozazu dressing. And if Monday's left you thirsty, you'll find plenty to like about Tokosan's drinks list, featuring a solid lineup of sake, Aussie wines and funky, Asian-inspired cocktails.
Belles Hot Chicken has flirted with all sorts of chook-centric creations over the years, but, this time round, it's teaming up with Shin Ramyun for a spicy limited-edition take home pack. And, yes, it includes fried chicken ramen. For the collab with the Korean instant noodle brand, Belles Head Chef and Co-Founder Morgan McGlone has created an easy-to-finish-at-home fried chicken ramen that you can pick up from the Fitzroy and Elizabeth Street stores in Melbourne Available to order for $14 via Bopple, the limited-edition pack comes with Nongshim Shin Red Ramyun, an ultimate chicken thigh fillet (pre-cooked), braised greens with Spam, fried garlic and nori powder. McGlone has also posted a video (below) on how you can easily create the ramen at home. If you have an egg at home, he suggests you add one of those, too, but it's not essential. Melburnians can only venture up to five kilometres from their phone to pick up takeaway food, so if you're not near Fitzroy or Elizabeth Street, you may need to try and recreate your own twist on the fried chicken ramen at home. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-8-UxELMJQ&fbclid=IwAR0jf6mckKVZbtII8_1iQS7McP3OSbTFP2DhZAU60MrI4UXh6P7k0un-c4E Belles x Shin Ramyun take home packs are available to order via Bopple and pick up from the Fitzroy and Elizabeth Street stores.
Mike Meyer has long been a legendary name in the sign business. But it was after his appearance on internationally acclaimed film Sign Painters that he started to receive stacks of calls asking for lessons, tips and advice. Given that there's only a few schools in the whole world teaching the traditional art of hand-painted lettering, he decided to set up a travelling workshop. After a round of successful workshops last year, Meyer is once again set to leave his home in Mazeppa, Minnesota to visit us here down under. He'll be hosting workshops in Melbourne and Sydney, but unfortunately the Melbourne one is all sold out. But you can still hear what the man has got to say in this one-off talk at Work-Shop. Engage in a night of discussion, see a Mike Meyer demonstration IRL and have a drink with him afterwards. Tickets are $30.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that the alternative music scene that came before is unquestionably better than the scene right now. It's something we've all grown up crowing (no matter if we said the same thing a decade ago). So we know that the tendency towards nostalgia and a willingness to make heroes out of drunken twenty-year-olds who only released two records is damn near irresistible. For the semi-autobiographical film Lucky Them, this kind of nostalgia is both the target and the appeal. Loosely based on the experiences of screenwriter Emily Wachtel in the New York music scene, the film is set in Seattle, the birthplace of grunge, and spends equal time exposing nostalgia and falling right into its trap. Lucky Them tells the story of an aimless music journalist, Ellie Klug (Toni Collette), as she searches for an acclaimed Seattle musician, who supposedly died years earlier. Ellie is initially reluctant to uncover the whereabouts of her former lover and music idol, and she struggles to find closure, while her ex-boyfriend Charlie (Thomas Haden Church) films an amateur documentary about her efforts. While the film supposedly runs close to Wachtel's own personal experiences, in taking on the mythology behind Seattle's music history (where director Megan Griffiths lived for many years), the film manages to feel like a broader story of music nostalgia. The character of the lost musician, Matthew Smith, makes references to the early deaths of Pacific Northwest music idols Kurt Cobain and Elliott Smith, and the whole film is layered with Seattle alt-rock nostalgia. The soundtrack that plays over the sweeping shots of the wet, dreary landscape hints at riffs from Nirvana's 'All Apologies', and memorabilia lent to the film by the iconic local record label Sub Pop line the walls of almost every scene, from original Mudhoney posters to gold records from the Shins and Postal Service. These pleasant hometown references make Seattle feel like an extra character in the film. Alongside this, Church gives an excellent comic performance as the eloquent but music-illiterate Charlie and the fantastic Oliver Platt appears as Ellie's editor Giles, the surprisingly patient, ageing pot-smoker forced to deal with shareholder demands that he boost circulation in a fading print music journalism industry. All this makes it easier to stick with Ellie, whose relentlessly immature decisions, alongside the uncomfortably petulant tone Collette uses, make it difficult to connect with her. Although there's a surprise cameo that manages to be charming rather than distracting from the story, it's a shame that Lucky Them finishes in almost rom-com cliche terrain. It's enough to make you wish you were watching Charlie's fictional documentary instead, like the real nostalgia junkie that you are.
Usually when a festival dedicated to espresso martinis pops up, it takes over one place. Such boozy fests only tend to run for a day or so, or a weekend, too. But one of Australia's big hospitality chains is ditching both of those norms, because this drink needs a whole week and more than 200 pubs countrywide to truly get buzzing. Who needs sleep when there's caffeinated cocktails to sip and celebrate? The event: ALH Hotels' Espresso Martini Festival, which'll take over venues in a heap of states including Victoria from Monday, March 13–Sunday, March 19. If you're wondering why, the reason is the same that most food- or drink-themed fests pop up. Yes, there's an occasion dedicated to the beverage in question, with World Espresso Martini Day upon us on Wednesday, March 15. For the week around the espresso martini-fuelled date, ALH Hotels will pour $14 Grey Goose espresso martinis no matter what time you drop by. Fancy a pick-me-up over lunch? After-work bevvies with your colleagues? A cruisy weekend session giving you some extra perk? They're all options — just don't expect to be tired afterwards. Among the venues taking part in Victoria, Melburnians can hit up Young and Jacksons, Moreland Hotel, Elsternwick Hotel, The Croxton and Balaclava Hotel.
UPDATE, December 16, 2020: Richard Jewell is available to stream via Netflix, Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. All it took was a concert and a backpack for Richard Jewell's (Paul Walter Hauser) life to change forever. It's the summer of 1996, and the aspiring cop is thrilled to be working as a security guard at a gig during the Atlanta Summer Olympic Games. But as songs like the Staple Singers' 'I'll Take You There' fill the city's Centennial Park, Jewell spots an unattended bag under a bench. He swiftly informs the police on duty, who figure he's overreacting but evacuate the area anyway. As the crowd begins to disperse, the bomb explodes. While one person is killed, another suffers a fatal heart attack and 111 others are wounded, the toll would've been much higher if Jewell hadn't sounded the alarm. That's the real-life story that monopolised news headlines 24 years ago. It's also the tale that Jewell, with his desperate desire to work in law enforcement, was overjoyed to have attached to his name. And, it's the narrative that Richard Jewell tells, although Clint Eastwood's involvement should make it obvious that it doesn't end there. As demonstrated with gusto in the latter years of his five-decade directorial career, Eastwood is drawn to heroes. He's not just fascinated by people acting bravely, but by true tales of fortitude in the face of pressure, scrutiny, admonishment and even contempt by society, authorities and bureaucracy. American Sniper's flag-waving tribute to the deadliest marksman in US military history, Sully's recreation of the Miracle on the Hudson and subsequent investigation, and The Mule's account of an octogenarian forced to become a drug courier to make ends meet — they all fit the profile, as does Jewell's swift slide from saviour to suspect. Played with equal parts zealousness, assertiveness, awkwardness and friendliness by I, Tonya and BlacKkKlansman's Hauser, Jewell fit the FBI's profile, too. With no other real leads to chase, agent Tom Shaw (Jon Hamm) becomes certain that the security guard's demeanour, portly physique and obsession with cops makes him the culprit. That Jewell lives with his mother (Oscar-nominee Kathy Bates) doesn't help. Nor does the arsenal of guns in his bedroom ("it's Georgia," Jewell notes). So when Shaw slips his theory to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Kathy Scruggs (Olivia Wilde) — a woman happy to trade sex for tips and just as dubious in her ethics in general, the movie intimates, a perspective that's been refuted by those who knew her — Jewell's transformation from hero to accused perpetrator becomes official. With Jewell, his devoted mum and no-nonsense attorney Watson Bryant (Sam Rockwell) on one side and Shaw, Scruggs and the institutions they represent on the other, Richard Jewell becomes an us-versus-them battle — between an ordinary guy vilified instead of celebrated for doing an extraordinary thing, and the forces conspiring against him. With his threshold for subtlety waning over his past few films, Eastwood's feature is that blunt, as is the worldview that comes with it. His conservative politics are well-known, so lambasting the over-reaching government and decrying fake news should come as no surprise. Still, the lack of nuance with which Eastwood tells this tale — working with a script by Billy Ray (The Hunger Games, Captain Phillips and Gemini Man), and adapting a 1997 Vanity Fair article by Marie Brenner — casts a shadow over the movie. Jewell went through something that no one should have to endure. Eastwood doesn't downplay that ordeal, including the fact that Jewell's status as a suspect was widely publicised — even though he was never charged — but the clearing of his name wasn't. And yet, when it comes to portraying the FBI and media, Eastwood does exactly what they both did to his protagonist. Law enforcement and the press are treated so simplistically in Richard Jewell, especially Scruggs, that Eastwood slants the film in one direction and doesn't care to look elsewhere. You could read the filmmaker's version of Scruggs as another of his celebrated working-class characters doing whatever it takes to get by. Wilde's brash, committed portrayal of the now-deceased journalist certainly aims for that interpretation. But there's just not enough depth, balance and empathy on Eastwood's part to support it. Scruggs is a clear villain here — so much so that Eric Rudolph, the actual perpetrator of the attack, barely rates a mention. If Richard Jewell proved bombastic across the board, then its treatment of Scruggs mightn't stand out as much as it does. But Eastwood takes great care to show the complexity of Jewell's situation, laying out the details in a manner befitting any weighty police procedural or 'wrong man' thriller. His staging of the bombing is as tense, gripping and superbly crafted as anything in his 38 films behind the lens — and he smartly anchors the movie around Hauser's multifaceted performance as a man teeming with contrasts. What lingers, though, is the glaring contradiction at the heart of the feature. Richard Jewell advocates against one-note judgements while flaunting its own. It champions the truth about someone unfairly pilloried by the media, yet spins its own questionable story about a real-life figure. Yes, this is a film about a hero, but it didn't need to be a movie about a cartoonish villain as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpbKh4FqR2g
UPDATE, November 20, 2020: Cargo is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. The ravenous undead have been chomping their way across screens for decades. Still, if it seems like their appetite has kicked into higher gear in recent years, that's because it has. Or, perhaps more accurately, the viewing public's hunger for zombie fare has ramped up considerably. Undead thrillers, zombie comedies, long-running TV shows about the brain-eating hordes — we just can't get enough. It's a zombie feast, not a zombie famine, although don't go thinking that you've seen it all before. Australian film Cargo sinks its teeth into the undead basics, and yet still manages to carve out its own territory rather than mindlessly following the masses. With people scarce and zombies shuffling, the movie begins in a standard-enough fashion, plunging into an outbreak that transforms the living into the living dead in 48 hours. Andy (Martin Freeman) and Kay's (Susie Porter) solution is to stick to their houseboat and float down an outback river, which is the best thing they can do to keep their infant Rosie safe. Unfortunately, their sense of security is short-lived, leaving Andy scrambling across the dusty landscape to protect his baby. Also trying to cope with the new dystopian status quo is young Indigenous girl Thoomi (Simone Landers), with Cargo examining more than one fraught father-daughter relationship. Updating their 2013 Tropfest short of the same name to feature length, co-directors Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke know that less is more. A good zombie film doesn't need complicated scenarios or elaborate explanations, so the duo keep things simple. A great example of the genre puts more focus on the humans than the undead, so that's how the filmmakers approach their movie. You won't find heaving throngs of walking corpses here — but you will find a variety of folks handling the life-or-death crisis in different ways. Andy desperately searches for someone to look after Rosie. Ex-fracking worker Vic (Anthony Hayes) plans for the future in a far more insidious manner. And while Thoomi has managed to keep her zombified dad (Bruce R. Carter) around, her elders, lead by their cleverman Daku (David Gulpilil), have their own methods — and their own ideas about the source of the pandemic. If it's rare for a zombie flick to dive so deeply and thoughtfully into its characters, then it is rarer still for such a film to also ponder various kinds of death and destruction. Writing as well as co-helming, Ramke weaves both humanity's impact upon the environment and white settlers' treatment of Australia's aboriginal people into the narrative — and Cargo is all the better for it. While there's plenty that's familiar, especially if you're an undead connoisseur, the movie smartly and astutely plays up the many real-life parallels that come with its premise. These days, contemplating the end of existence as we know it goes hand-in-hand with contemplating our ecological footprint. Similarly, exploring a world where one part of the population terrorises another provides a timely exploration of race relations. Previous zombie stories have also drawn comparable conclusions, but where George A. Romero highlighted racism in Night of the Living Dead half a century ago, Cargo reclaims a space for Indigenous culture in the fight for survival. Amongst all of the above, and amidst the gorgeously shot South Australian backdrop, Freeman and Landers stand front and centre. The former might be a veteran and the latter a newcomer, but the movie wouldn't work quite as well without either. Freeman's recognisable everyman persona comes in handy, even if it makes you remember his trek across greener terrain in The Hobbit trilogy. Landers' naturalism couldn't be more buoyant, even in such a bleak film. One gets more screen time than the other, but together they embody Cargo's distinctive take on its well-worn genre. This involving, moving zombie drama initially ambles along a reliable path, yet isn't afraid to find its own direction — and isn't shy about blending the expected and the fresh in the process. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_SiHPtwQ7s
