Your brain might be addled by that last round of beers last night, but you know one thing for sure: the local neighbourhood cafe just ain't gonna cut it today. You need a spot where you can shamelessly forgo your usual latte for a heady breakfast cocktail, good food and even better conversation. A place where the brunch menu starts early, or finishes late. Not sure where to start? We've partnered with Grey Goose, the world's finest French vodka, to help you locate seven boozy brunch spots where you can order a croque monsieur with classic vodka martini, or a round of cosmos with your indulgent black pudding and fried egg. There's no judgement here — you'll feel better in no time.
And boom, just like that, we're a brief nine weeks out from Christmas. We don't quite know where the time went or what happened, but present-buying season is upon us. What better time to kick into gear and avoid the dreaded last-minute shopping scramble, by hitting the Virtual Ethical Christmas Market this weekend. This annual event is normally an IRL situation, but it's headed online this year, now open to shop at your leisure, right up until the big day. Once again, organisers have curated a bumper selection of goodies from a range of small, ethically minded local businesses. If you're after gifts that are fair-trade, eco-friendly, socially-conscious, vegan or all of the above, consider this marketplace your one-stop-shop. Catch homewares from the likes of Plant Lab, Food Wraps 101, The Karma Collective and The Other Straw, or deck out that wardrobe with finds from labels like Colour Coded, Frske and Remuse. There are skincare and beauty products courtesy of The Essentials Lab and Nur Organics, alongside a diverse range of accessories, stationary, kids' gear and food products. Tick off your entire gift list at once and make this Christmas one with a conscience.
Freedom Time — the free-spirited festival synonymous with balmy summer days, dance-fuelled nights and lush DJ sets — is gearing up for another huge season, today dropping the lineup for its jam-packed third summer series. This time around, the Freedom Time gang are spreading the love even further, adding a January 7 visit to Sydney's Manning Bar and Gardens on top of the usual shows in Perth on New Year's Eve and at Melbourne's Coburg Velodrome on January 1. As always, the festival's gifting us with a diverse lineup of musical guests, assembling a mix of international greats and homegrown heroes that'll have you dancing your little feet off no matter your style. Headlining this eclectic bunch is famed Chicago house producer Larry Heard (aka Mr Fingers), Jamaican dancehall legend Johnny Osbourne and an inter-generational collaborative effort from Leroy Burgess and Melbourne's own Harvey Sutherland. Meanwhile, Rhythm Section International's Bradley Zero will present a handpicked label showcase in each city, featuring a crop of local acts performing alongside modern soul duo, Silentjay and Jace XL. Melbourne will also be grooving to sets from beloved local DJ CC:DISCO, Haiatus Kayote vocalist Nai Palm and singer-songwriter Sampa The Great. FREEDOM TIME 2018 LINEUP Larry Heard (aka Mr. Fingers) Leroy Burgess Harvey Sutherland Johnny Osbourne Sassy J Bradley Zero CC:DISCO Nai Palm Sampa The Great Wax'O Paradiso Nozu Jordan Rakei J'Nett SilentJay & Jace XL Band Krakatau 30/70 Prequel Heartical Hi Powa Phil Stroud Samantha Goldie Big Rig Umut Jeremy Spellacey Winters Cazeaux Oslo Pjenné Millú Freedom Time will take place on New Year's Day at Coburg Velodrome. Tickets will go on sale at 9am, September 26. Grab yours here. Images: David Smiley.
Get your fill of the best vegan food in town at the fourth annual Vegan Day Out. This weekend in Sydney and Melbourne, The Cruelty Free Shop is putting together a walking tour of vegan cafes, restaurants and retailers, many of which will be offering discounts, deals and free samples to anyone who stops by. On March 5 and 6, socially conscious eaters can stop by The Cruelty Free Shop on Glebe Point Road in Sydney or Brunswick Street in Melbourne and grab a map outlining their route. Whether you're a dyed in the wool vegan or just giving it a go, you'll find a whole world of retailers catering to animal-free eating, offering meal deals, two-for-ones, complimentary coffee, wine tastings and savings on vegan groceries. The Cruelty Free Shop will also be running its own tastings throughout the day, as well as offering discounts on more than 400 different products.
You may not know the name Clark Terry, but odds are you've heard of the people he inspired. Quincy Jones, for example? What about Miles Davis? With a career that spans a whopping seven decades, Terry is undoubtedly one of the most influential people to ever pick up a horn. But he was beloved in jazz circles not just for his mastery of the trumpet, but for his commitment to passing his love of music on to others. Shot over four years by Australian director Alan Hicks, Keep On Keepin' On provides an overview of Terry's incredible career, while also chronicling his relationship with his most recent protégée, 23-year-old blind piano player Justin Kauflin. It's a charming story that offers a much needed breath of air after this year's other big jazz picture, Whiplash, about a student-teacher relationship of a very different kind. Aided by the old jazz man's nostalgic narration, Hicks takes viewers back to 1920s St Louis, home to a vibrant jazz scene even then. Growing up dirt poor, Terry's first trumpet was paid for in loose change from his neighbours, an act of generosity that clearly left a mark. From there the young musician rose quickly, playing with the likes of Count Basie and Duke Ellington. Later he found a home for himself as the first black staff musician at NBC. Regardless of your interest in jazz history, it's hard not to be impressed by Terry's resume. Yet it's the present day sequences, featuring Terry and Kauflin, that ensure the documentary leaves a mark. Indeed, despite their more than 65 year age difference, the two are just a couple of peas in a pod. To Kauflin, Terry is a friend, a mentor and a gateway to an era long since passed. To Terry, Kauflin is someone with whom he can share his years of experience, and find kinship as his own health begins to decline. They're a hugely endearing duo, and their love of their craft is infectious. When presented with his honorary Grammy, Terry is credited with having "the happiest sound in jazz," but the truth is that it's a sentiment that reaches far beyond his music. It's remarkable, and inspiring, how upbeat the pair remain in the face of their respective adversity. You don't have to be a music fan to appreciate that.
Melbourne's biennial showcase of young and emerging artist has unveiled its latest program. Running from May 3 to 20, the 2018 Next Wave Festival will highlight some of the coolest, most exciting and most innovative up-and-comers working across theatre, dance, video, music, sculpture and everything in between. The festival will kick off with a free opening night party at the Brunswick Mechanics Institute. The soiree is being sponsored by the Archie Rose Distilling company, so you know the booze will be good. It's one of a number of epic shindigs on the program this year, with Sezzo Snot and Makeda Zucco set to take over the Tote Hotel for a night of electronic music, sound art, performance and installation, and DJ Sista Zai Zanda headling an Afro-futuristic Mother's Day eve celebration of dance, music, poetry and storytelling. The lineup is packed full of events, so we've rounded up our top five below — and they include everything from freestyle dog dancing to a democratic dinner party. To see the full lineup and buy tickets, head to the Next Wave website.
Another week, another chance to fill it with as much fun as possible. Thankfully, Melbourne is a place that knows how to deliver. All-you-can-eat sushi on a Tuesday, planetarium parties on a Friday, deep dives into pop culture icons on a weekend — that's just life in this busy city of ours. No day is ever the same, and no span of seven days either. Of course, we wouldn't have it any other way. Too much to do, too little time? If that's how you're feeling, don't worry, we've got you covered. To help you get the most out of every moment across this particular week, we've teamed up with Australian Red Cross and Uber to cast our eyes over the best events happening around town from Monday to Sunday. The result is a jam-packed agenda that not only takes care of your free time but makes sure you're having a mighty fine time while you're at it, too. If you need a ride to or from your destination, Uber can obviously assist — but the ride-sharing service and Australian Red Cross also have your Sunday sorted. That's when they're holding their annual Uber x Red Cross clothing drive, and will even send a driver to your house to pick up your unwanted threads. As well as helping clear out your wardrobe and helping those in need, it's the perfect way to cap off your busy week. Spend Monday to Saturday at movie retrospectives, pop-up eateries and seeing ace new plays, then chill at home, donate to a good cause without leaving the house, and make a date with your couch.
Run by Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art, Dark Mofo is an arts celebration where anything truly can occur. A haven for shows, gigs and installations of the dark, sinister, confronting and boundary-pushing variety, it's back for another stunning year in 2023, taking place in Hobart between Thursday, June 8–Thursday, June 22. This year's weird and wild lineup includes a Twin Peaks-inspired ball, a teddy bear with laser eyes, sleeping over, catching Soda Jerk's latest film and seeing punk icons Black Flag play their first Aussie gig since 2013. Oh, and Florentina Holzinger's dance theatre performance A Divine Comedy, an Australian premiere and an Aussie exclusive that reimagines Dante's classic examination of hell, purgatory and paradise, That ball both wonderful and strange? That'd be Dark Mofo's hedonistic masquerade, which this year is called The Blue Rose Ball. David Lynch fans, this sounds like heaven — in a mystery venue turned into the Blue Velvet Lounge, and with live tunes and performances all on theme. If your costume includes red and white zigzags, you've obviously nailed it. That teddy bear? It's called Giant Teddy, a new commission by Dark Mofo from EJ Son. Festival attendees will see a giant Korean pop culture-inspired teddy bear that, yes, has lasers for eyes — plus a camera that'll show its live surveillance elsewhere in Hobart. [caption id="attachment_895370" align="alignnone" width="1921"] Winter Feast, Dark Mofo 2022. Photo credit: Rémi Chauvin, 2022. Image courtesy of Dark Mofo 2022.[/caption] The sleepover comes courtesy of Max Richter's SLEEP, which returns to Australia for an eight-and-a-half-hour overnight stint. You'll slumber, and Richter's compositions will play. The former will happen on beds provided by Dark Mofo, and the latter is based on the neuroscience of getting some shuteye. And if you've seen the documentary about it, you'll already be excited — and have your pyjamas ready. Soda Jerk joins the fold with Hello Dankness, which compiles samples into a 70-minute survey of American politics circa 2016–21 — so, a chaotic time. And Black Flag won't have Henry Rollins with them, but will be doing a one-off exclusive Australian show in Tassie. The music bill also features First Nations artists BARKAA, Tasman Keith, dameeeela, DENNI, MARLON X RULLA, Uncle Dougie Mansell, Katarnya Maynard, Rob Braslin and more on opening night; Ethel Cain hitting Australia for the first time; Thundercat breaking out the bass; and Witch with Dinosaur Jr's J Mascis on the drums. Squarepusher, Trentemøller, Drab Majesty, Plaid, Sleaford Mods, Deafheaven — yes, the list goes on, with Zindzi & The Zillionaires, as led by Play School host Zindzi Okenyo, also on offer for younger attendees. Dark Mofo's arts lineup spans two new pieces by Martu artist Curtis Taylor: video work Ngarnda (pain) about blood rituals, cultural rites and lived experiences; and multi-media installation Boong, which focuses on exposing racial violence. And, there's Western Flag from Irish talent John Gerrard — aka a ten-metre-by-ten-metre digital screen depicting a flagpole, but spewing out black smoke non-stop, in a reference to the world's first major oil find in Texas in 1901. [caption id="attachment_895362" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ethel Cain | Dark Mofo 2023. Photo credit: Helen Kirbo. Image courtesy of the artist and Dark Mofo.[/caption] Top image: Dark Mofo/Rosie Hastie, 2021. Image Courtesy Dark Mofo, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
When a TV show or movie franchise returns years and years after its last instalment, there's no longer any point being surprised. It happens that often these days, with Veronica Mars, Twin Peaks, Star Wars and Jurassic Park just a few recent examples. The latest past pop culture hit set to make a comeback: Sex and the City. Thankfully, as anyone who sat through the terrible 2008 and 2010 movies of the same name will be hoping, the Sarah Jessica Parker-starring series is returning to the small screen this time around. This news was first announced back at the beginning of 2021 — and, ten months later, new HBO show And Just Like That... is now getting closer to reaching our eyeballs. Mark December in your diary and prepare to start sipping cosmopolitans over summer, as that's when this ten-episode spinoff will arrive. Parker is back, as are her initial co-stars Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon. But And Just Like That... is being badged as a "new chapter' in the Sex and the City story, rather than an additional season of the existing 1998–2004 program — and there's one clear reason for that. While the show will follow Carrie (Parker), Miranda (Nixon) and Charlotte (Davis) once more, the character of Samantha isn't part of the revival, and neither is actor Kim Cattrall, who played her. So, you'll be watching a trio of the original series' leading ladies as they navigate their lives — this time in their 50s. Although Parker, Nixon and Davis won't have Cattrall for company, the list of returning Sex and the City cast members includes Chris Noth, Mario Cantone, David Eigenberg, Evan Handler and the late Willie Garson. Yes, that's Big, Anthony, Steve, Harry and Stanford all accounted for. Also, Grey's Anatomy's Sara Ramírez will feature as well. Parker, Davis and Nixon are also named as producers on And Just Like That..., alongside Michael Patrick King, who worked as a writer, director and executive producer on the original (and on the two movies). In Australia, And Just Like That... is headed to Binge, Foxtel's stand-alone streaming service (and also home to Sex and the City's six seasons). A trailer for the new series hasn't been released yet, but HBO has dropped a date announcement video, which gives a few glimpses. Check it out below: And Just Like That... will start streaming in Australia via Binge sometime in December. We'll update you with an exact airdate once one is announced. Top image: HBO Max.
Melissa McCarthy is now three-for-three in collaborations with Paul Feig. The actor-director team chase down Bridesmaids and The Heat with a goofy espionage comedy that serves as a showreel for their respective talents. In Feig’s case, that means cementing his reputation as one of Hollywood’s most rock-solid comic-directors, extracting hilarious turns from a more-than-willing cast while demonstrating a surprising amount of confidence with action scenes, which bodes well for his Ghostbusters sequel next year. For McCarthy, it means delivering one of the best performances of her career, nailing both the verbal and physical comedy while steering almost entirely clear of lazy jokes about her gender or her size. McCarthy stars as analyst Susan Cooper, a desk jockey working in the CIA basement funnelling instructions via an earpiece to operatives around the world. Her primary charge, and the subject of her unrequited affections, is the revoltingly narcissistic Bond-wannabe Agent Bradley Fine (Jude Law). But things suddenly change after Fine is gunned down by a devious arms heiress (Rose Byrne), who has somehow gained access to the identity of every active spy. With their best assets compromised, the agency has no choice but to throw the untested Cooper into the field. It’s a pretty standard comedic premise, in a similar vein to other recent spy spoofs such as Johnny English and Get Smart — the one major difference being that Cooper is actually fairly good at her new job. Feig, who wrote the film as well as directing, pokes fun at all the typical spy movie cliches, from the megalomaniacal villain all the way down to the gadgets, here disguised as everyday items such as fungal cream and laxatives. For the most part the humour is fairly broad and sweary — this is, after all, the same director who had McCarthy shit in a sink. Still, as with Feig’s previous films, the material is elevated considerably by the performances. After proving the MVP in both Bridesmaids and Bad Neighbours, Rose Byrne could well consider giving up dramatic roles altogether. Her villainous turn here is a delightful caricature of upper-crust snobbery, and many of the film’s best scenes are the ones that she and McCarthy share. Law is likewise wonderfully hammy as Fine, while Jason Statham sends up his typical screen persona as a 'rogue' CIA agent a little too convinced of his own brilliance. But it’s McCarthy who’s the real hero here, throwing herself into every scene with absolute commitment. Together, she and Feig not only deliver big laughs but also manage to skewer our expectations of what someone who looks like her is capable of. Yes, there are plenty of jokes at Cooper’s expense, but more often than not they’re the result of people underestimating her. As it turns out, that’s a pretty big mistake.
UPDATE, November 6, 2020: A Cure for Wellness is available to stream via Netflix and Prime Video. When you're sitting through a bland attempt to remake a decades-old radio series, or a spate of diminishing sequels in an average-at-best franchise, you can forget that filmmakers don't just make movies — they also watch them and love them. With The Lone Ranger and the first three Pirates of the Caribbean flicks on his resume, it's rather easy to do just that where Gore Verbinski is concerned, but every now and then he does something to remind you. Back in 2011, the Oscar-winning animated western Rango did the trick, ensuring every viewer knew just how fond Verbinski is of the genre. Likewise, with A Cure for Wellness, his first horror film since The Ring, Verbinski wears his inspirations on his sleeve. And while it mightn't stand out as a landmark scary effort, it still makes for intriguingly creepy viewing. For the record, the veteran filmmaker appears to have seen and adored Rosemary's Baby, The Shining, Shutter Island and Crimson Peak, as well as countless '30s gothic fright fests, '70s Italian giallo films, '80s body horror flicks and everything Alfred Hitchcock ever made. Over the course of 146 minutes, A Cure for Wellness plays like the kind of feverish dream you might have after marathoning all of your favourite spooky movies, with your brain trying to mash everything into one over-the-top package. A labyrinthian sanitarium filled with complacent patients, eerie lullaby-like singing, ravenous eels no one else seems to see, and a history of unrest and incest: you can already spot how some of those filmic influences come into play, can't you? Along with a mysterious young woman (Mia Goth), this is what Wall Street up-and-comer Lockhart (Dane DeHaan) finds when he makes the trip to a wellness centre in the Swiss Alps looking for his company's CEO (Harry Groener). Lockhart thinks that he'll be in and out within 20 minutes, but after an accident he's stuck in plaster and unable to head home, which seems to suit the water therapy-loving doctor-in-charge (Jason Isaacs) quite nicely. There's no missing the fact that all of the folks seeking some rest and relaxation are high-flying business executives. Verbinski, who came up with the story with his Lone Ranger screenwriter Justin Haythe, isn't particularly subtle with some of the movie's ideas — and that's without even getting into a subplot involving pure bloodlines. But he's also largely unconcerned with splashing around in anything other than H20 galore, a mood of dread and tension, and gorgeously unsettling visuals in pale, icy shades. Diving deep into all three results in the cinematic equivalent of a gloriously macabre synchronised swimming routine; an intricately choreographed sight to behold that keeps the most interesting parts on the surface. And what a surface it is. Mastering a tone of unease, serving up a sleek, sinister feast for the eyes, and throwing in a wealth of affectionate nods to genre greats mostly keeps the feature afloat. Mostly. Unsurprisingly, A Cure for Wellness struggles with thin characterisations, and even more so when the predictable yet twist-heavy plot tries to wrap up its stretched-out antics. Still, if you've fallen down its well of unhinged delights you'll probably find them part and parcel of the fun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mcVodJmBlU
Cancel your weekend plans, marshmallows. You now have a date with everyone's favourite pint-sized private eye. While the fourth season of Veronica Mars was due to drop in Australia next week, streaming platform Stan has just announced that it'll land today, Saturday, July 20, instead — all eight new episodes, and all at 6pm. The news comes after Ms Mars herself, aka Kristen Bell, attended San Diego Comic-Con overnight Australian time, and revealed that the fresh instalments had just released on US streamer Hulu a week early. What's good for America, in this case, is also good for Aussie Veronica Mars aficionados. Basically, if you're a fan of the show, then this past year just keeps delivering. First, we found out that the beloved series was actually, genuinely coming back for a fourth season. Then, not one, not two, but three teasers and trailers showed us just what kind of sleuthing fun we were in for. Now we'll get to see the whole thing earlier than expected — which couldn't be more different to how the original first three seasons were treated by Aussie TV back in the mid 2000s. https://www.facebook.com/StanAustralia/photos/a.777065482350660/2384072258316633/?type=3&theater Story-wise, the fourth season sees Veronica (Kristen Bell) back in her hometown of Neptune, still in the P.I. game with her dad Keith (Enrico Colantoni) and still solving mysteries. This time, a series of bombings and a shady ex-con turned businessman (JK Simmons) are on her radar. As well as plenty of twists and turns to follow, expect a heap of other familiar faces in the form of Jason Dohring as Veronica's on-again, off-again love interest Logan, Percy Daggs III as her bestie Wallace and Ryan Hansen as her sleazy ex-classmate Dick. Check out the full trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUiWTxS76og&feature=youtu.be All eight episodes of Veronica Mars' fourth season will hit Stan at 6pm on Saturday, July 20.
The vixens from the Fox and cowboys from Cavalier want you to clue-in and come hunting. It's one of the longest running events, not to mention most popular. Be prepared for challenges as you search for great beer and collect points while roaming the streets of Collingwood. You'll work up a thirst, but the lads from Cavalier will reward your efforts with a drop or two at the end. This event is part of Good Beer Week's 2015 program, running from May 16-24. For more festival picks, click here.
When Wonder Woman 1984 opened in cinemas Down Under at the end of 2020, it was the year's last big release. The superhero sequel was one of the very few blockbuster flicks to actually hit the silver screen since the pandemic started, too. Now, just over a month later, the Gal Gadot-starring film is doing something else notable: becoming available via video on demand while it's still showing in theatres. From Wednesday, January 27, cinephiles and caped crusader fans can stream Wonder Woman 1984 via digital movie rental services such as Google Play, YouTube Movies, Amazon Video and iTunes — to rent for AUD$29.99, or to buy for AUD$34.99. If you'd prefer to see it on the big screen, you still can at the time of writing. But if you'd like to watch it at home on your couch, that's now an option as well. The film has made over $26 million at the Australian and New Zealand box office, so plenty of folks did head out to see it in theatres — and to see what happens to Diana Prince (Gadot) in the decade that gave us parachute pants. Chris Pine returns from the first Wonder Woman movie, while Kristen Wiig and Pedro Pascal join the franchise as new antagonists. Before the pandemic, a huge movie like Wonder Woman 1984 wouldn't ever be available to view at home so quickly. Usually, films that release in cinemas don't make the jump to home entertainment for 90 days, in fact. But much has changed about the world in the past year, with Wonder Woman 1984 following in the footsteps of a heap of fellow flicks that did the same last March and April, when cinemas closed. Other features, including Hamilton, Mulan and Soul, bypassed the big screen altogether last year, too. Whether this'll keep happening in the blockbuster space Down Under is yet to be seen — but there is a growing precedent for it in overseas countries where COVID-19 case numbers remain high and either all or most cinemas are closed. Warner Bros, the Hollywood studio behind Wonder Woman 1984, announced late last year that it'd be releasing both the superhero flick and its full 2021 slate of movies in cinemas and on HBO Max simultaneously where the latter is available. That doesn't include Australia and NZ, though, because HBO hasn't yett launched in either nation. Check out the trailer for Wonder Woman 1984 below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFgnHhMLNJE Wonder Woman 1984 is currently screening in cinemas in Australia and New Zealand; however, it's also available to stream online via video on demand from Wednesday, January 27.
The Melbourne International Film Festival will donate a portion of proceeds from this year's closing night gala to charity, in honour of late Indigenous music icon Dr G Yunupingu. MIFF organisers had previously announced that the festival would close with a screening of a documentary about Yunupingu's life, but temporarily halted ticket sales following the musician's tragic passing late last month. Dr Yunupingu's family has asked that the media refrain from sharing his full name or image, raising questions over whether the closing night film should be changed. However, the documentary makers have since sought the advice of senior Gumatj elder David Djunga Djunga Yunupingu, and on his direction have confirmed that the screening will go ahead, with ten percent of ticket sales going to Dr Yunupingu's foundation, which supports Indigenous youths in remote communities around the country. David Djunga Djunga Yunupingu will introduce the screening alongside director Paul Williams. MIFF's closing night screening of the documentary of Dr G Yunupingu's life will take place on the evening of Saturday, August 19. To book tickets, go here.
UPDATE, August 27, 2021: From Friday, August 27, Cruella will be available to stream via Disney+ — and as part of your regular subscription. A killer dress, a statement jacket, a devastating head-to-toe ensemble: if they truly match their descriptions, they stand the test of time. Set in 70s London as punk takes over the aesthetic, live-action 101 Dalmatians prequel Cruella is full of such outfits — plus a white-and-black fur coat that's suspected of being made from slaughtered dogs. If the film itself was a fashion item, though, it'd be a knockoff. It'd be a piece that appears fabulous from afar, but can't hide its seams. That's hardly surprising given this origin tale stitches together pieces from The Devil Wears Prada, The Favourite, Superman, Star Wars and Dickens, and doesn't give two yaps if anyone notices. The Emmas — Stone, playing the dalmatian-hating future villain; Thompson, doing her best Miranda Priestly impression as a ruthless designer — have a ball. Oscar-winning Mad Max: Fury Road costume designer Jenny Beavan is chief among the movie's MVPs. But for a film placed amid the punk-rock revolution, it's happy to merely look the part, not live and breathe it. And, in aiming to explain away its anti-heroine's wicked ways, it's really not sure what it wants to say about her. Here, the needle drops have it. If compiling Cruella's soundtrack involved more than typing "60s, 70s and 80s hits" into Spotify, it doesn't show. A snarling rendition of The Stooges' 'I Wanna Be Your Dog' proves as blatant as it sounds. When a plan comes together to The Beatles' 'Come Together', you'll wonder if the laziest algorithm in the world made that choice. And would it really be a film about someone called de Vil — a naming choice that's spelled out with such force, you could spot it from the moon — if The Rolling Stones' 'Sympathy for the Devil' wasn't given a spin? As the Mouse House keeps exploring its antagonists' nefarious urges (see also: the two Maleficent movies), it routinely just covers the bare necessities, story-wise. Here, it takes that approach in as many places as it can. Indeed, in telling viewers that Cruella is saddled with childhood traumas, too, it seems to think that two-plus over-stretched hours of 70s cosplay will suffice. Before she becomes the puppy-skinning fashionista that remains among Glenn Close's best-known roles, and before she's both a wannabe designer and the revenge-seeking talk of the town played by Stone (Zombieland: Double Tap), Cruella is actually 12-year-old girl Estella (Tipper Seifert-Cleveland, Game of Thrones). Sporting two-toned hair and a cruel that streak her mother (Emily Beecham, Little Joe) tries to tame with kindness, she's a target for bullies, but has the gumption to handle them. Then tragedy strikes, an orphan is born, loss haunts her every move and, after falling in with a couple of likeable London thieves, those black-and-white locks get a scarlet dye job. By the time that Estella is in her twenties, she's well-versed in pulling quick heists with Jasper (Joel Fry, Yesterday) and Horace (Paul Walter Hauser, Songbird). She loves sewing the costumes required more than anything else, however. After years spent dreaming of knockout gowns, upmarket department stores and threads made by the Baroness (Thompson, Last Christmas), she eventually gets her chance — for fashion domination, as well as vengeance. It worked for director Craig Gillespie in I, Tonya, but the wry narration that guides Cruella's story quickly overstays its welcome. The knowing tone, obvious observations and taunts of a death that can't stick in a prequel all purely hit the expected beats, as almost everything here does. Co-screenwriter Dana Fox also penned Isn't It Romantic, but trades satirising one genre's tropes for leaning into another's (yes, villain origin stories are their own genre now). Fellow scribe Tony McNamara was nominated for an Oscar for The Favourite and an Emmy for The Great, so the fact that Stone often feels like she has stepped out of the former and into this — right down to her subterfuge and scheming beneath the Baroness' feet — is no surprise. The Devil Wears Prada's Aline Brosh McKenna gets a story credit, too, because Disney isn't attempting to conceal its inspirations. Cruella may stem from Dodie Smith's book, then the cartoon, then the live-action remake, but it has been cut from a clear pattern. There's zero vampishness in the end result, but plenty of botched ideas and muddled themes. When Estella is driven to succeed, rebel against being treated poorly at work and punish the person responsible for her pain, they're far more fascinating aspects of her character than the movie meaningfully examines — perhaps because they don't quite fit her journey to the monochrome side. Empathising with her plight is easy several times over. After an early incident, understanding why she doesn't love dalmatians is as well. Gillespie and company don't come close to selling the leap from ambitious and avenging to future animal cruelty, though. The latter isn't actually a part of Cruella, but in giving its central figure the Joker treatment, the film's character arc is always a stretch. It also undercuts the much more potent notion that some people are just evil, and don't need a sob story as an excuse. If, in all of their eagerness to stick to a template, Cruella's powers-that-be just wanted to pair Stone up with another English acting titan — swapping The Favourite's Olivia Colman for the on-screen treasure that is Thompson — and then let them have at it, that's understandable. It's also as a good enough reason as any for this or any movie to exist. Alongside Beavan's Vivienne Westwood- and Alexander McQueen-influenced costumes, plus Nicolas Karakatsanis' (another I, Tonya alum) constantly moving camerawork, the acerbic Oscar-winning Emmas are the reason that the film has any bite to go along with its empty barks. But the duo's gleeful cartoonishness, flamboyance and winning ability to wear the hell out of their outfits only takes Cruella so far. Even with their obvious commitment, this intellectual property-extending exercise is more filler than killer. After you give it a whirl, you'll put it back on the rack and rarely spare it another thought. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgZgFHDGHrY&feature=youtu.be Top image: Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2021 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved.
As a nation, Australians devour approximately 190,000 tonnes of meat per year. This equates to 120kg per person per annum, which is almost three times as much as the world average. Despite the phenomenal increase in meat consumption over the last few decades, particularly in pork and poultry, the number of pig producers in the country has reduced by 94 percent and there are only two major producers of chicken. This is largely why two-thirds of the world's meat now comes from factory farming. So what can you do about the animal cruelty and health problems this gross over-consumption is causing? Take part in Meat Free Week from March 18-24 to help spread the word and raise funds for this important issue. All money raised from the initiative goes to the animal protection institute Voiceless, who help protect factory farmed animals in Australia. And they're not trying to persuade you to become an avid vegan or vegetarian; it's simply about modifying meat consumption: limiting meat intake and only choosing free-range animal products in order to reduce the amount of factory farming in Australia. You could also improve your own health in the process as eating excessive amounts of meat can lead to heart disease, kidney failure or even cancer. Simply sign up and create your profile, read up and learn about factory farming so you can explain to others why it's so important, tell all your family and friends about it and get them to sign up as well or to sponsor you with a small donation, stock up on fresh ingredients and try out some delicious meat-free recipes designed by celebrity chefs, then go without meat for seven days and tell everyone how it's going through social media, particularly with the hashtag #meatfreeweek.
Due to the chilly weather, there are only some activities you truly feel like doing during the winter months. While cosying up by a fireplace and eating hot cheese are two of them, one involves actually going outside: ice skating. And this year Melbourne has three top-notch ice skating rinks you can practise your best Nancy Kerrigan moves on (as well as one a road trip away). If you don't think you're quite coordinated enough to imitate Kerrigan, fear not — we've got an ice activity for you, too. A giant ice slide has also popped up in Melbourne. So don your warmest winter woollies, grab your bestie, date or fam, and head to your closest ice pop-up — or jump in a car, bus or train and visit all three. You'll find them by the beach, in regional centres and in the middle of the city, decked out with stalls serving up mulled wine and cheese toasties, and alongside pop-up igloos and giant ice slides.
Staycationing in your own city? Heading interstate for a getaway? Either way, deciding which hotel to spend the night in can depend on a range of factors. Some are straightforward, such as location and price. Others span the broader experience, including amenities, facilities, ad onsite restaurants and bars — and whether the place you're bunking down in serves cocktails using spirits that it has barrel aged itself. Set to open in Melbourne's growing 80 Collins Street precinct in late March, Next Hotel Melbourne ticks the last box — and it's the first hotel in Australia to do so. It'll be home to a space called the Barrel Room, where it'll run a wood-ageing program for spirits, cocktails and herbal liquors. You'll be able to drop in, make your pick, see your choice decanted, have a taste and even make requests regarding what else should be barrel aged. Those tipples will also form part of Next Melbourne's own signature bottled cocktail lineup, which'll be stocked in the in-room mini-bars. Also on offer at the new Melbourne 24-storey spot: 225 guest rooms; design touches that span marble, eye-catching lighting and art by Jonny Niesche, Consuelo Cavaniglia and Julia Gorman; and in-suite espresso machines and cocktail-mixing stations. The site will also include a club area for working and meeting away from home, complete with its own food and drink selection, plus a fitness centre with on-call personal trainers. Overseen by Daniel Natoli and Adrian Li, Next Melbourne will feature dining and drinking venue La Madonna, too, which'll span across an entire floor. Also due to open in late March, it'll offer share plates at the bar, a lounge space for cocktails, and booth seating and large tables for meals — and it's where the Barrel Room will be located. On the site's ground floor, Ingresso by La Madonna is already open, serving up coffees to start the day, an afternoon aperitivo hour, and other drinks and bites to to either eat onsite or takeaway. Next Melbourne joins a much-talked about precinct, with 80 Collins Street also just welcoming Farmer's Daughters — and already home to opulent champagne bar Nick & Nora's and cafe Maverick. Find Next Hotel Melbourne in the 80 Collins Street precinct, with entry via 103 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, from late March.
Loving Hut may not be a secret Melbourne find — there are over 200 of them worldwide — but it certainly doesn't diminish its position as one of the city's best vegan spots. The menu is loosely based around pan-Asian cuisine and is very mock meat-heavy, with dishes ranging from 'ham' sushi, deep fried 'prawns', rainbow salads and some Southern fried 'chicken'. They also have a big grocery selection at the front of the High Street space, where you can buy up on all the mock meat and vegan oyster sauce you need to feed yourself very, very well. Loving Hut also have a second restaurant on Victoria Street, Richmond. Image credit: Jennifer via Flickr
Australia's real-time restaurant deals app, EatClub — which was launched by celeb chef Marco Pierre White — is now offering $5 takeaway dishes from a heap of inner city restaurants this week. From Monday, March 16 to Friday, March 20, you can score a $5 feed. All you have to do is redeem a takeaway deal, then use the app's ordering and payment feature to complete your order. To give you an idea of what's part of this sweet deal, you could be tucking into bao from Cooking Corner, Pelicana's fried chicken, bubble tea from Tmix, Roll'd rice noodle salads or bubble tea from King Tea— all for just a fiver. This is in addition to all the deals the eateries already offer as part of the app's aim to fill restaurant tables on quieter nights while also offering diners to eat out for up to 50 percent off. So, overall, you'll be able to score a delicious feed for less than a trip to your local chicken shop. To get involved, you just have to update the app, or download it if you're a newbie. Then claim a takeaway deal from any venue displaying a $5 icon on the map, select order and pay via the app and take your pick of a cheap treat (and anything else your heart desires). The chefs will whip it up in the kitchen, ready for you to pick up in no time. Make sure you download the EatClub app here.
The realisation that eventually comes to everyone underscores Once My Mother, one that dawned slowly upon filmmaker Sophia Turkiewicz. She grew up listening to stories her mother, Helen, would tell of her life, but could only see as far as the intersection with her involvement. More immediate family history weighed upon Sophia, driving a desire for distance as she grew from a girl into a woman. Unforgiving about time spent in an orphanage, she also demonstrated an unwillingness to look past the emotional scars of her upbringing. It follows that Once My Mother takes a universal process — that of discovering the real personality of our parents, of understanding the true impact of their past not just upon their lives but our own, and of showing compassion for any missteps along the way — and relates it to the audience in the only way possible: as a personal journey. Turkiewicz's documentary is dedicated to dissecting Helen's resilience through decades marked by difficulties of destruction, discrimination and displacement; however, it is also shaped by a daughter's burgeoning awakening to things only age and experience could help her appreciate. Read our full review here. Once My Mother is in cinemas on July 24, and thanks to Change Focus Media, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=-fos7dm2inE
We're in the thick of summer festivals, and organisers of Splendour in the Grass and Falls Festival have launched a brand newie: Sydney City Limits. A sister festival for Texan mega-fest Austin City Limits, Sydney's version will be a one-day all-ages event full of music, food, art and market stalls aplenty. Gracing four stages in Sydney's Centennial Park will be a serious lineup of Australian and international artists. Over 30 huge names — including international acts Justice, Beck, Phoenix and Grace Jones, and local artists Gang of Youths, Tash Sultana, Vance Joy, Dune Rats and Allday — will converge on the inner-city park for the festival. Not a bad debut lineup. You'll also be nourished by a handful of Sydney's top chefs, restaurants and food trucks, all curated by the team behind Mary's and The Unicorn. And just like the festival's American counterpart, the creative arts will get a strong representation here, too. You'll be able to explore an openair art space that showcases snapshots of the city through painting, street art, photography, video and performance art by Sydney artists. There will also be artisan markets, with the opportunity to bring home fashion, jewellery, art and merchandise.
Usually when the Easter long weekend hits, music fans descend upon Byron Bay for five days of live tunes. Both in 2020 and 2021, that didn't happen — with Bluesfest cancelled last year when the pandemic began, then scrapped again this year after a new COVID-19 outbreak saw NSW Health issue a public health order to shutter the event. Thankfully for music lovers and festival devotees, the 2021 festival hasn't been ditched completely. More than a month after it was originally due to take place between Thursday, April 1–Monday, April 5, Bluesfest organisers have announced that it'll move to October instead. So, mark Friday, October 1–Monday, October 4 in your diary. That's another long weekend, although the rescheduled fest will be one day shorter than normal. Once again, the long-running festival will return to Byron Events Farm (formerly Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm) just outside Byron Bay. Originally, 2021's event was set to be headlined by Jimmy Barnes, Tash Sultana, Ocean Alley, Ziggy Alberts and The Teskey Brothers, but organisers haven't made any new lineup announcements yet. The fest will unveil its full new bill sometime next week, and revealed in a Facebook post announcing the new dates that it has "been adding more of Australia's absolute best talent". View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bluesfest Byron Bay (@bluesfestbyronbay) Bluefest also advised that season tickets for the festival will go on sale next week as well, with one- and three-day tickets available before that — but no specific dates were provided. Eager music fans can sign up for the waitlist now, and will be notified when tickets drop. Current ticketholders will be contacted by Moshtix with all the necessary information about the new dates, rolling your existing tickets over and getting a refund if you can no longer attend. And, because five-day passes were sold for the April dates, Bluesfest organisers are promising "something very special" for folks with those lengthier tickets during the October dates. Yes, that'll also be revealed sometime next week. Bluesfest 2021 will now run from Friday, October 1–Monday, October 4 at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Byron Bay. The new lineup announcement is set to be announced sometime next week — to register for the ticket waitlist, head to Moshtix. Top image: Andy Fraser
Last year, Melbourne’s first White Night was almost a victim of its own success. The CBD was stretched to capacity, swamped by unexpected crowds, and even if you had no interest in seeing The Cat Empire you were somehow forced to sardine yourself on Flinders Street regardless. This year, organisers have put a fix to many of these teething problems. Now, events are spread across the CBD (but never more than a brisk walk away) and most performances will be running repeatedly throughout the night. While it’s worth taking the time to browse the festival’s online program, we've plotted out one course of action for you. From 7pm till 7am — here's your guide to Melbourne's classiest all-nighter. Moonlight Synchro Your night begins at Melbourne’s iconic City Baths. Interestingly, this year’s White Night Melbourne (along with the 2014 Midsumma Festival) features sport as a genre of art in its own right, one of the first times major arts festivals in Australia have attempted to stake this kind of claim across the cultural divide. The stylised movements of synchronised swimming easily lend themselves to this kind of artistic spectacle, so why not take advantage while your eyes are still wide open? Trip the light acquatic with some Moonlight Synchro. The Book of the Night From there, the State Library is just a short stroll away. In an exciting partnership with the Emerging Writers Festival, White Night is presenting The Book of the Night — a live writing performance that sees a different writer takes to the stage each hour to create a chapter in a collective work of fiction. What’s intriguing (and surely terrifying for those involved) is that their work is projected in real time as well as being streamed online. Novelists, short story writers, poets and even comic artists will be taking the stage, and the performance will also be set to music creating an exciting interplay between form, style and voice. There’s also some element of (voluntary) audience participation — apparently visitors can throw out suggestions to the writers about plot points and character. Get along and make your mark on literary history! You Are Allowing This To Happen What would a one-night-stand Melbourne arts festival be without a nod to the city’s street art scene? This year White Night have commissioned local artist Rowan Williams to create a series of paste-up pieces that repurpose familiar city locations in a work entitled You Are Allowing This To Happen. Sharing a name with the Archbishop of Canterbury makes it hard to find examples of Williams’ previous work — only adding a further layer of mystery to Melbourne laneways’ grime. Keep an eye out for Williams’ paste-ups as you leave the Library and head down towards Collins Street. Forgotten If you head up Russell Street you’ll shortly come across Scots Church, the inside of which is an incredible, moody space — perfect for White Night’s next offering. Terry Taylor is a Melbourne-based visual artist who has exhibited work throughout Europe and beyond. In Forgotten she’s collaborating with sound designer and composer Russell Goldsmith to create an eerie, atmospheric work derived from the subterranean catacombs of Paris, where centuries-old skulls line the walls, covered with the scratched out graffiti and love hearts of tourists, in a process that renders celebrities and ordinary characters in cadaverous oil painting. A spooky soujurn fitting of the witching hour. Taxi You’ll never look at the Flinders Street cab rank the same way again. In Taxi, director Susie Dee revamps a multiple Green Room Award-winning show from the 2011 Big West Festival. In its original incarnation the show took place in an actual taxi, with three audience members sitting in on the fragile narrative spun out by a driver and his passengers. For White Night the show’s been transformed into film, and it’s unclear how well the original performance will translate across forms, but its previous success and the creatives involved make this well worth checking out. Title Sequence As you leave Taxi, the allure of Federation Square will surely be irresistible. Dodge some of the crowds by ducking into ACMI and check out their specially-curated selection of iconic title sequences. The exhibition stakes a claim for opening titles as an artform all of their own, including gems like the slow yellow crawl of Star Wars, or the perfect, unwinding nightmare that begins Se7en. ACMI have made a habit of these kind of montage-like exhibitions, such as last year’s 101 Zombie Kills, or its permanent and always entertaining compilation of Wilhelm Screams. The collection spans all genres and comes with helpful text onscreen. Wonderland Much of White Night's wonder is found in its ability to transform the city, and no one does that better than returning projectionist artists The Electric Canvas. Much more than simple projection-mapping, their work takes place on a breathtaking scale, and uses a combination of techniques that allows for incredible details and texture. Best known for their transformation of Flinders Street Station last year, this year they'll be projecting across not only Melbourne landmarks but entire streetscapes. Any free time you may have is best spend just roaming the streets and taking it in. It will all disappear in the stark light of morning. Editor's note: In light of NSW's recent legislation regarding liquor licensing and opening hours, events like these are a happy reminder of how good us Victorians have it. Look after yourselves and enjoy the madness. 12 hours is a marathon, not a sprint.
You don't normally associate the MCG with fine dining — it's more overpriced pies and eating an entire six-pack of hot jam doughnuts to yourself. But it appears that's about to change in the lead up to this year's AFL Grand Final, as some of Melbourne's best restaurants set up outside the 'G. Part of this year's pre-GF celebrations, Yarra Park will play host to a four-day Footy Festival in the lead-up to the big game, featuring music on the night before the big day, and a Taste of Footy food fest within the broader fest. Biggie Smalls, Taco Truck and Toasta are just a few of the culinary heavy-hitters — and you can expect footy-inspired spins on their typical cuisine, plus tipples at the Yak Ales pop-up watering hole. Yarra Park will also be home to the Grand Final Live Site, with activities, live entertainment and broadcasts. It will be open from 9am–6pm daily. Disclaimer: you will not be allowed to drink your wine out of a Premiership Cup. It will be a good place to get a snack if you're going to the game, however. Image: Biggie Smalls.
Next time you slather your hands with sanitiser, you could be covering them with your favourite booze as well. With alcohol a crucial ingredient in the now-essential product — especially sanitiser that's effective against COVID-19 — distilleries and breweries are doing their part to help boost supplies. To the delight of coffee liqueur lovers, that now includes Australia's much-loved Mr Black. While gin aficionados can splash their digits with Manly Spirits Co's gin-infused hand sanitiser and fans of distilled and fermented sugercane can disinfect with hand sanitiser from Queensland's Bundaberg and Beenleigh rum distilleries — and plenty of other boozy outfits are jumping on the trend, too — fans of caffeinated booze can look forward to freshening their fingers with their preferred tipple. Mr Black has whipped up its own sanitiser and is shipping it around the country. It's also donated a heap of bottles of its A-class sani to a bunch of charities, medical centres and COVID-19 testing clinics. You can grab a maximum of two 500 millilitre bottles, for $19.95 each, plus a $10 flat-rate national shipping fee. The hand sanitiser is made using a World Health Organisation recipe with 80 percent ethanol, and as bottles don't come with a pump they're designed to be used as refills. If you decide to invest in some actual coffee liqueur while you're on the site — the OG ($60), single-origin ($75) and amaro ($80) versions are all for sale, as is the most adorable 50-millilitre bottle ($5.99) — or some sweet merch, and spend over $100, you'll get free shipping. We think this hand sanitiser is going to sell out super fast, so head over to the website and order yourself a bottle quick smart if you're keen. Mr Black hand sanitiser is available for $19.95 per 500 millilitre bottle, maximum of two per person.
Here's what stuck with our critics. Top Five Movies - Rima Sabina Aouf, Editor-in-Chief Silver Linings Playbook Forget American Hustle; this January release was David O'Russell's big 2013 success. Not only is it funny and moving, it's a sensitive, generous portrayal of mental illness that means a lot to many people. The Act of Killing Your jaw just drops further and further with every minute of this documentary about the 1965-66 Indonesian genocide and the ongoing exaltation of its perpetrators. Upstream Color There is no filmmaker quite like Shane Carruth, and there is no forgetting the experience of watching Upstream Color, wondering what the fuck is happening and then letting go and running with it. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire It kicks so much arse. Short Term 12 The best Boxing Day release you've probably never heard of, Short Term 12 will make you feel all the feelings. Top Five Movies - Tom Glasson, Writer We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks A surprisingly sensitive inquiry into Wikileaks and the two men responsible for its overnight infamy. Complex and impressively even-handed, it's also far more compelling than last month's The Fifth Estate. Zero Dark Thirty People often forget (or simply don't realise) that Kathryn Bigelow directed Point Break. Fact is, she's arguably the best director of action right now, and Zero Dark Thirty was a sublime example, combining heart-pumping combat with deeply personal drama. Red Obsession Rightly described as a 'wine thriller', this documentary offered an enthralling, passionate and consistently amusing perspective on the extraordinary price boom of 2011, followed by its equally dramatic crash and China's growing obsession for the iconic Bordeaux reds. Moonrise Kingdom Perhaps the darkest of the Wes Anderson oeuvre, Moonrise Kingdom is also somehow his most romantic. Quirky, whimsical and wickedly funny, it's a delightful tale of young, forbidden love. The Gatekeepers Like the Shin Bet agents it scrutinised, this gripping documentary grabbed you by the throat from the opening scene and never let go. A remarkable and candid examination of one of the world's most secretive organisations. Top Five Movies - Lauren Carroll Harris, Writer Mystery Road Both bleakly beautiful and staunchly optimistic, and with an Indigenous cultural perspective that's rarely represented in the mainstream, I'm convinced that we'll look back on it as something important in Australian cinema. The Great Gatsby Luhrmann’s 21st-century bastard iteration of the sham-American-dream classic made me cry like a small child. I don't care how uncool it is to admit — this was the first version that made me feel the true tragedy of Gatsby (a perfect, shiny-eyed Leo DiCaprio) and Daisy's predicament. Behind the Candelabra Steven Soderbergh went beyond the cliches of both a 'gay film' and a biopic to deliver touching, if typically unsentimental, twin portraits: one, a dysfunctional, tragic relationship, and the other, a destructive American addiction to consumerism and celebrity. The Act of Killing A film that changed the documentary genre and terrified and transfixed audiences more than any fiction could. If it helps the victims of Indonesian war crimes achieve justice, it may even be one of the most effective documentaries. Top of the Lake Challenging, gorgeously shot, with difficult characters and deft observations of crimes against women and the relationship between childhood and adulthood — it had everything I expect from great film. It counts. *Tom and Rima would like to go on record with the actual no.1 film they've seen this year, Spike Jonze's Her. Unfortunately, it's not out till January 16. Look for it then, and on our 2014 lists.
Musical theatre fans just keep getting more reasons to celebrate Jonathan Larson. In the past few years, none other than Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda took one of the composer, lyricist and playwright's works and turned it into a movie. After tick, tick…BOOM! hit screens, a stage production toured Australia as well. Next, Aussie audiences can catch the show that made him an icon: Rent. In 2024, it too will do the rounds Down Under, kicking off in Brisbane in January. Larson created and composed the smash-hit production. Also, his Rent journey comes with quite the heartbreaking behind-the-scenes story. In the 90s, Larson passed away at the age of 35 on the day that that now-huge show premiered its first off-Broadway preview performance. So, he didn't get to see the Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning phenomenon that it would become. Plenty of other people have — when it first hit Broadway, Rent ran for 12 years, making it one of the famed theatre district's longest-running shows. And among those prizes is the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer for Drama, all for a tale about seizing the moment, facing adversity and finding one's community. Loosely based on Puccini's La Boheme, and written to include real-life locations and events, the rock musical will bring tunes including 'Seasons of Love', 'Take Me or Leave Me' and 'La Vie Bohème' to Brisbane's QPAC Playhouse, then head to Arts Centre Melbourne, the Civic Theatre in Newcastle, Perth's His Majesty's Theatre and Canberra Theatre. If you need a refresher on the story — or you're coming to Rent for the first time, having missed past performances and the 2005 film version — then prepare to step back to New York in 1991. Over the course of the year, as their neighbourhood is being gentrified and HIV/AIDS casts a shadow, a group of friends chase their dreams and strive for their place in the world. "With Rent, Jonathan Larson unleashed a phenomenon — it would be difficult to find someone who hasn't at least heard of it. Rent is the musical of the 1990s and the early-aughts but it has proved itself timeless," said producer Lauren Peters, announcing the new Aussie run. "The characters who live in the East Village of 1990s New York navigate that which resonates so deeply with us in Australia in 2024: cost-of-living pressures, the threat of preventable disease, the subtle feeling that all the ways in which we can now communicate belie our disconnection." "And all of this sounds terribly heavy but Rent somehow takes all this and turns it into a joyous celebration of connection, chosen family and life itself — and it's that joy in the face of all of life's adversity and opportunity that is perhaps best captured in its iconic number Seasons of Love, a song which has achieved the rarest of Broadway feats and transcended the show for which it was written," Peters continued. View this post on Instagram A post shared by RENT: The Musical (@rent_2024) RENT AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2024: Saturday, January 27–Sunday, February 11 — Playhouse, QPAC, Brisbane Saturday, February 17—Thursday, March 7 — Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne Friday, March 15–Sunday, March 17 — Civic Theatre, Newcastle Saturday, May 11–Sunday, May 26 — His Majesty's Theatre, Perth Saturday, June 7–Sunday, June 16 — Canberra Theatre, Canberra Rent will tour Australia in 2024 — head to the musical's website for further details and to sign up for the ticket waitlist, with Melbourne pre-sale tickets available from Monday, September 25 and Brisbane pre-sale tickets available from Tuesday, October 3. Top image: Team Dustizeff via Wikimedia Commons.
Among the many challenges that Australians have faced over the past year, our love of travel has been hit hard. Domestic border restrictions keep changing with frequency in response to new cases and clusters in different states, meaning that planning a holiday beyond your own city has been more than a little tricky. This was particularly true over Christmas and NYE, when an outbreak on Sydney's northern beaches saw many states quickly shut their borders to NSW — including Victoria. On January 1, 2021, Victoria closed its borders to all of NSW. A week ago, it reopened to regional NSW. From 6pm tonight, Monday, January 18, it's reopening to parts of Greater Sydney, too. From that time, 25 of Greater Sydney's 35 LGAs, as well as the Blue Mountains and Wollongong, will be changing from a 'red zone' to an 'orange zone', as part of Victoria's new traffic light-style system, which means travellers from those areas can enter Victoria — but they'll need to isolate on arrival and get tested within 72 hours, then when they receive a negative result they're free to leave isolation. They'll also have to apply for a permit before entry, too — like all Australians. Last week, Victoria introduced compulsory permits for anyone who wants to enter the state. If you try and enter Victoria without a valid permit, you risk being fined $4957. You can apply for one over here. Travellers who have been in the remaining ten Greater Sydney LGAs in the past 14 days, which are still 'red zones', cannot enter Victoria. Those LGAs are: Blacktown City, Burwood, Canada Bay City, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield City, Inner West, Liverpool City, Parramatta City and Strathfield Municipality. Folks who've been in a red zone can apply to receive an exemption or a specified worker permit. The former covers instances such as emergency relocations, funerals, essential medical care, and people needing to return home for health, wellbeing, care or compassionate reasons. https://twitter.com/VicGovDHHS/status/1350957562263384069 From 6pm tonight, NSW towns along the Victorian border will also move to 'green zones'. Travellers entering Victoria from a 'green zone' still need to apply for a permit, but do not need to get tested or isolate on arrival, unless they develop symptoms. These new 'green zones' include: Albury City, Balranald Shire, Bega Valley Shire, Berrigan Shire, City of Broken Hill, Edward River Council, Federation Council, Greater Hume Shire, Hay Shire, Lockhart Shire, Murray River Council, Murrumbidgee Council, Snowy Monaro Regional Council, Snowy Valleys Council, City of Wagga Wagga and Wentworth Shire. The loosened border restrictions come as Victoria records its 12th consecutive day of zero new cases of community transmission. Overnight, the state did record four new cases in hotel quarantine, all of which are linked to the Australian Open. https://twitter.com/VicGovDHHS/status/1350938786365120517 Of course, the current designated zones and regulations are subject to change, with Premier Daniel Andrews advising that designated red zones would be reviewed daily. Victoria also reclassified the LGAs of Greater Brisbane as 'orange zones' from 6pm on Saturday, January 16. For more information on Victoria's new permit system — or to apply for one — head to the Department of Health and Human Services website.
First in Sydney, then in Melbourne and now in Brisbane, the biggest show in musical theatre this century has finally been sharing its Tony-winning take on 18th-century American politics with Australian audiences. Since 2021, being in the room where it happens hasn't required a trip to the US — but you will need to be in Brisbane in March to be in the room where Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda himself will be in attendance in-person for a Hamilton fan event. For the first time during the blockbuster musical's Australian time — and likely the only time, given that the show will leave the country for a New Zealand run when it finishes its Sunshine State season at QPAC's Lyric Theatre on Sunday, April 23 — Miranda is heading Down Under. The exact date hasn't been revealed, but he'll hit the River City to meet the local company of the production, and also to take part in that event for Hamilton obsessives. [caption id="attachment_773737" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hamilton filmed version courtesy Disney+.[/caption] "I have been waiting such a long time to come to Australia and I can't wait to be with the company down under in-person for the first time," Miranda said, announcing his visit. "I have heard such great things from friends and fans in Australia, it is going to be fantastic to be able to meet them and watch them perform." Just like exactly when in March Miranda will be in Brisbane, where the fan event will happen and what it will entail — and how folks will be able to attend — is yet to be revealed, with further details to come. Still, Brisbanites and Australians keen on a trip to the Queensland capital won't want to throw away the shot to see the man who made the game-changing, award-winning, rightly raved-about Hamilton what it is "Australian fans have been so patient waiting for Lin-Manuel Miranda's visit to Australia and we have something very special in store for them when he gets here," added Australian Hamilton producer Michael Cassel AM. [caption id="attachment_774807" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hamilton filmed version courtesy Disney+.[/caption] The Broadway hit's Aussie production features a cast that currently includes Jason Arrow as Alexander Hamilton, Martha Berhane as Eliza Hamilton, Callan Purcell as Aaron Burr, Akina Edmonds as Angelica Schuyler, Matu Ngaropo as George Washington, and Victory Ndukwe as Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson. Sami Afuni plays Hercules Mulligan and James Madison, Wern Mak does double duty as John Laurens and Philip Hamilton, Elandrah Eramiha plays Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds, and Brent Hill steps into King George III's robes. Haven't become a Hamilton obsessive yet? Not quite sure why it has been the most-talked about theatre show of the past six years? The critically acclaimed hip hop musical, for which Miranda wrote the music, lyrics and the book, is about the life of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, as well as inclusion and politics in current-day America. In addition to its swag of Tony Awards — 11 in fact, which includes Best Musical — it has nabbed a Grammy Award and even a Pulitzer Prize. Until now, Brisbanites eager to see the show had to be content with trips south or watching the filmed version of its Broadway production, which started streaming via Disney+ in 2020 (and yes, it's as phenomenal as you've heard). And yes, the $10 ticket lottery has also hit the River City, offering Hamilton tickets for less than the cost of lunch. [caption id="attachment_870525" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Australian production of Hamilton by Daniel Boud[/caption] Hamilton's Brisbane season runs until Sunday, April 23 at QPAC's Lyric Theatre, South Bank, with tickets available via the musical's website. Details of Lin-Manuel Miranda's fan event are yet to be announced — we'll update you when more information comes to hand. Top image: Hamilton filmed version courtesy Disney+.
Watching Daniel Craig play legendary secret agent James Bond in Skyfall — with his guns blazing through the streets of Istanbul, seamlessly jumping from a motorcycle to a moving train — is pretty incredible. But, you could be even more impressed by the film if you watch it with a live score performed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra this summer. The most successful film of the 007 franchise to date, Skyfall (2012), will be played at a special screening at Melbourne's legendary Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Skyfall in Concert will take place on Wednesday, December 8, and will see the MSO perform Thomas Newman's award-winning score live to film in an immersive cinematic experience that'll impress Bond fans old and new. The show will kick off at 7:30pm and you can nab tickets from $79 per person. Get in quick to be sure not to miss out on breathtaking live music with some epic 007 action. Skyfall in Concert will take place on Wednesday, December 8 at Sidney Myer Music Bowl. For more information and to secure your spot, visit the website.
What happens when the flavours of Japan and Peru go head to head, you ask? Well, you're about to find out. On Thursday, June 24, Fitzroy North South American restaurant Citrico is taking cues from the Peruvian-Japanese mash-up known as Nikkei cuisine and plating up a 10-course omakase feast. Head Chef Dave Allison will be pulling flavour inspiration from the Los Andes through to Tokyo, for this memorable, globe-trotting Good Food Month degustation. You'll get a true taste of Nikkei fare, through crafty dishes like tempura beef tongue rolls matched with panca chilli mayonnaise, squid noodle salad featuring fried enoki mushrooms, wagyu with a ponzu and rocoto chilli emulsion, and miso-glazed toothfish hot off the parilla grill. There's even a fusion flan for dessert, finished with yuzu praline and custard apple cream. You can look forward to sipping some clever sake and wine pairings throughout the night, as well as a few exclusive Nikkei-inspired cocktail creations. The whole evening comes in at $110 per person. [caption id="attachment_689022" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption] Top image: Kat Shanasy
No matter where you are in Australia, you've probably spent the majority of the year in your own state (if not the majority of the year in your own bedroom), with many states and territories keeping their borders firmly closed. But, the last of the interstate restrictions are starting to ease. With the exception of WA (which is currently open to only the ACT, Queensland and the NT and Tasmania, but is set to open to NSW and Victoria from December 8) and SA residents (who are still unable to visit Queensland), Australians can pretty much visit anywhere in the country without quarantining. To celebrate, Virgin Australia is selling over 60,000 fares to destinations around the country, starting from just $75 a pop. Hang on, Virgin? Yes. The same airline that, just months ago, entered voluntary administration. It has since been sold to US private investment firm Bain Capital, launched a comeback sale in early July and its voluntary administration officially ended on Tuesday, November 17. The 12-hour Happy Hour flight sale kicks off at 11am AEDT today, Thursday, December 3, and runs until 11pm tonight — or until sold out. In the sale, you'll find cheap flights on 25 routes to destinations across the country, with travel dates between December 5 and January 19, 2021. If you've been waiting to book Christmas flights home — or a summer getaway — now might be the time. Discounted flights are economy and include seat selection and checked baggage. Some of the routes on offer include Melbourne to Newcastle from $75, Sydney to Brisbane from $95, Adelaide to Sydney from $109 and Hobart to the Gold Coast from $169. [caption id="attachment_743607" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Whitsunday Beach by Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] The discounted flights are part of Virgin's relaunched weekly Happy Hour sale series, which will take place every Thursday for the foreseeable future. As we are still in the middle of a pandemic, flying is little different to normal. Virgin has introduced a range of safety measures, including hand sanitisation stations, contactless check-in and face masks provided to all passengers (but wearing them is not mandatory). Virgin is also waiving change fees and allowed unlimited booking changes between now and January 31, 2020. You can read more about its new flexible options over here. Virgin's Happy Hour sale runs from 11am–11pm AEDT on Thursday, December 3. Find out more about current interstate border restrictions over here.
The Sydney Mardi Gras is almost upon us and, along with it, a feast of new queer cinema is about to descend upon the city. For 29 years now, the Mardi Gras Film Festival has added the latest LGBTQIA+ movies to Sydney's big celebration, and it's doing the same again in 2022 — but, as happened in 2021, it's going hybrid with both physical and online screenings. Accordingly, if you're a Sydneysider who's keen to get your big-screen queer film fix between Thursday, February 17–Thursday, March 3, you can, with the fest showing at Event Cinemas George Street, and holding one one-off sessions at Hayden Orpheum, Cremorne and Event Cinemas in Parramatta and Hurstville. But if you feel more comfortable watching from home during the current Omicron outbreak or you're a fan of LGBTQIA+ movies located elsewhere in Australia, you'll also be able to enjoy MGFF digitally as well. The fest's 2022 lineup spans 119 films from 37 different countries, covering 32 narrative features, 15 documentaries, four episodic screenings, a retrospective and nine programs of shorts — so yes, there's more than a bit to watch. That said, different flicks will play in cinemas and on-demand, as happens with hybrid fests, but more than half of the program will be available for those playing along at home and interstate. Opening the fest on the big screen is Wildhood, which is set in Canada's Atlantic Provinces and hails from MGFF's focus on First Nations filmmaking for 2022. In-cinemas only, it's joined by high-profile international film festival circuit highlights such as Great Freedom, an immensely moving drama about a man's experiences being imprisoned under Germany's former law criminalising homosexuality; and Benedetta, which follows a 17th-century nun who shocks her convent with visions, wild power plays and lesbian affairs, and happens to be the latest feature by Basic Instinct, Showgirls and Elle director Paul Verhoeven. Or, there's the Carrie Brownstein and St Vincent-starring mockumentary The Nowhere Inn, which has them both play versions of themselves, and The Novice, about a queer student on a university rowing team. Other standouts include Mexican magical realist drama Finlandia; documentaries about queer comic creators, lesbians in post-punk 80s London and American artist Keith Haring; and closing night's B-Boy Blues, which is based on the celebrated novel o the same name. Online, LGBTIQ+ cinema fans can also check out horror film The Retreat, which combines a cabin-in-the-woods setup with planning a queer wedding; Cannes-selected Taiwanese drama Moneyboys; the relationship-focused Ma Belle, My Beauty, about a long-term couple living in a scenic villa in the south of France; and Estonia's Firebird, which charts a romance against the backdrop of the Cold War. There's also documentary Coming to You, following two mothers fighting for LGBTQ+ rights in Korea; and As We Like It, an all-female version of Shakespeare's comedy As You Like It. Mardi Gras Film Festival 2022 runs from Thursday, February 17–Thursday, March 3 at Event Cinemas George Street, plus one-off sessions at Hayden Orpheum, Cremorne and Event Cinemas in Parramatta and Hurstville — and online nationally. For more information, visit the festival's website.
Two decades after Hae Min Lee's murder, the Baltimore high school student's horrific plight continues to dominate the true crime landscape. After featuring on the first season of Sarah Koenig's grimly addictive podcast Serial, it's now the basis for a new documentary series, The Case Against Adnan Syed. The four-part HBO series picks up where everyone's 2014 obsession left off — the trailers promise to reveal 'a new chapter' — not only exploring 18-year-old Lee's death in 1999 and her ex-boyfriend Syed's conviction in 2000, but the latter's ongoing quest to have the extremely complex legal matter reassessed in the years since he was found guilty. Everything from Lee and Syed's relationship, to the original police investigation and trial, to the developments up until now feature, with the film gaining exclusive access to Syed, his family and his lawyers. While the show started airing on HBO in the US in March, Australians can now watch the series, too — it's after airing on SBS throughout April, the four episodes are now available on SBS On Demand. Check out the HBO trailers below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQaTa5eTxnk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA1qzo2WEew The series couldn't come at a more crucial time for Syed, who was convicted of first-degree murder, sentenced to life in prison, and has been fighting his case through the courts ever since. While he was granted a new trial in 2016, that ruling was subsequently appealed by the State of Maryland — only for the Court of Special Appeals to agree to vacate Syed's conviction and finally give him that retrial last March. Earlier this month in Maryland's Court of Appeals, that retrial request was denied, but Syed's attorney has committed to keep battling. Splashed across the small screen, it's certain to make for compelling viewing — but if you think you've spent too much time mulling it all over across the past five years, filmmaker Amy Berg has you beat. Unsurprisingly given how complicated the matter is, the director has been working on the project since 2015. And, with her excellent doco background — with Berg helming 2006's Oscar-nominated 2006 Deliver Us from Evil, about molestation in the Catholic Church; examining the West Memphis Three's quest for freedom in 2012's West of Memphis; and tackling the sexual abuse of teenagers in the film industry in 2014's An Open Secret — her new venture is certain to be thorough. As they did for West of Memphis, Nick Cave and Warren Ellis provide the score. The Case Against Adnan Syed is now streaming on SBS on Demand. Image: SBS. Updated: May 2, 2019.
If you're a fan of Gelato Messina and its frosty sweet treats, the past year or so has been mighty kind to your tastebuds. The dessert chain has released all manner of one-off specials, launched a new range of chocolate-covered ice cream bars in supermarkets and dropped a new merchandise line, for starters. And, thanks to a boozy collaboration, it has also been taking care of your cocktail cravings. Teaming up with Cocktail Porter, Messina started serving up DIY drinks kits last year — and Easter this year, too — letting you make your own boozy beverages using Messina products. Unsurprisingly, these make-at-home packages have proven popular, so one has just become a permanent addition to Cocktail Porter's range: the dulce de leche espresso martini kit. Basically, it's the answer to a familiar dilemma. No one likes choosing between tucking into dessert or having another boozy beverage — so these kits combine the two. To enable you to whip at dulce de leche espresso martinis at home, you'll get a box filled with vodka, coffee liqueur, premium cold-drip coffee and Messina's dulce de leche topping, plus Messina's chocolate hazelnut spread and shaved coconut to go on top. Then, you just need to follow the instructions and get drinking. You can pick between two different-sized packs. A mini espresso martini kit costs $85 and serves up six drinks — or you can opt for the large for $149, which makes 18 dessert cocktails. Cocktail Porter delivers Australia-wide, if that's your winter drinking plans sorted. You can also sign up for a subscription, which'll see a kit sent to your door each and every month. To order Cocktail Porter's Gelato Messina cocktail kits, head to the Cocktail Porter website.
Can you feel a tingling in your toes as your feet start to defrost? That's the feeling of winter slipping away (or maybe you've been sitting cross-legged for too long) and with its demise comes the return of Australia's beloved Moonlight Cinema. Ahhh balmy nights on the grass, we have missed you. Heralding the coming of the warmer months, Moonlight Cinema is a summertime tradition and it always nails the balance between new releases and cult classics. The film program is yet to be announced, but we'll keep you updated as soon as it is. Nosh-wise, Moonlight Cinema will again let you BYO movie snacks and drinks (no alcohol in Brisbane, though), but the unorganised can also enjoy a plethora of snacks from food trucks — perfect, messy treats made for reclining on bean beds. Bean beds and snack trucks, is there anything better? This season includes screens in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth, running from November through to March. Get your pens out and jot down these dates. MOONLIGHT CINEMA 2019 DATES Sydney: Nov 28–Mar 29 (Centennial Park) Melbourne: Nov 28–Mar 29 (Central Lawn at Royal Botanic Gardens) Perth: Nov 30–Mar 29 (Kings Park and Botanic Garden) Adelaide: Dec 13–Feb 16 (Botanic Park) Brisbane: Dec 14–March 29 (Roma Street Parkland) The Moonlight Cinema kicks off on November 29. For more information and bookings here.
Victoria is back in lockdown, case numbers have been rising again and the exposure sites list is growing. All of this feels familiar, obviously, but it's the reality again at the moment. So, as well as staying at home, making friends with your couch and watching Premier Daniel Andrews' daily press conferences, checking out the frequently updated list of venues visited by folks who've since tested positive to COVID-19 is back on your agenda. Maintained by the Victorian Department of Health, that register of places has been growing over the past few days, and now sits at 84 venues as at the morning of Friday, August 6. And, as keeps happening with successive outbreaks, a few of the big venues on the list have been there before. If you visited Melbourne Airport or Highpoint Shopping Centre this week, monitoring for symptoms — or getting tested and spending a stint in self-isolation afterwards — might be in your future. Both venues have been named as exposure sites, and not for the first time. At Melbourne Airport, if you were at Terminal 3 from 8.35–11.05am on Monday, August 2, you were at a Tier 3 site. That requires watching out for any signs of COVID-19 and then getting tested. However, if you then flew on to Launceston with Virgin that morning, you're classed in Tier 1, which means you'll need to get tested immediately and then self-isolate for 14 days. At Highpoint Shopping Centre, a number of different areas are covered — some as Tier 1 sites, and some as Tier 2. In the first category, if you went to Lowes from 12–1pm or Bad Workwear from 12.30–1.30pm on Saturday, July 31, you'll need to get tested ASAP and then self-quarantine for a fortnight. If you were on level two of the centre at all between 12–1.30pm that same day, or at the level three food court from 12.30–2pm, you'll also need to get tested urgently, and then self-isolate until you receive a negative result. https://twitter.com/VicGovDH/status/1423159117351297026 Other notable venues that've newly joined the list include Coles at Yarraville, Aldi at Altona North and West Footscray and Kmart Footscray. As always, Melburnians can keep an eye on the register of exposure sites at the Department of Health website — it will keep being updated if and when more venues are identified. For those looking to get tested, you can find a list of testing sites including regularly updated waiting times also on the Department of Health website. And, has remained the case throughout the pandemic, Melburnians should be looking out for coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste, symptoms-wise. For further details on the latest exposure sites and updated public health advice, see the Department of Health website. Top image: Medelam via Wikimedia Commons.
Maybe it's the twilight glow. Perhaps it's the stars twinkling above. Or, it could be the cooling breeze, the picnic blankets and beanbags as far as the eye can see, and just seeing a movie grace a giant screen with a leafy backdrop. When the weather is warm enough Australia-wide, a trip to the cinema just seems to shine brighter when it's outdoors. That's Sunset Cinema's whole angle, in fact, and it's returning for another season across the east coast. Over the summer of 2022–23 — and into autumn, too — this excuse to head to the flicks in the open air has seven stops on its itinerary: one in Canberra, three in New South Wales, two in Victoria and one in Queensland. In each, movie buffs can look forward to a lineup of new and classic titles, and a setup perfect for cosy date nights or an easy group hangs outdoors. NSW's run gets started on Friday, December 9 at St Ives Showgrounds, screening through till Saturday, January 28 with a lineup that includes box-office behemoths Top Gun: Maverick and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Disney's Strange World, Aussie drama Blueback and Olivia Wilde's Don't Worry Darling. Also on the bill: a heap of festive flicks leading into Christmas, such as Elf, Love Actually, Home Alone and The Nightmare Before Christmas; and three dog-focused films in January, spanning Marley & Me, Scooby-Doo and 101 Dalmatians. Sunset Cinema will also head to North Sydney Oval from Wednesday, January 11—Saturday, April 1, featuring the likes of 2022 hits The Menu and Everything Everywhere All At Once, Steven Spielberg's latest The Fabelmans, Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody, throwbacks such as There's Something About Mary and Crazy Stupid Love, and more. And, at the Wollongong Botanic Garden from Thursday, December 15–Saturday, March 11, the season covers many of the aforementioned titles — the Christmas lineup included — and also Mean Girls, Freaky Friday and The Parent Trap as part of a Lohan Fest. In Victoria, Mt Martha is first on the agenda, with Sunset Cinema hitting The Briars from Wednesday, December 21—Friday, January 20. Those festive films get a run here, too, as do classics Dirty Dancing and The Princess Bride — and many of the new titles showing at other venues. Melburnians don't miss out, however, thanks to a new St Kilda run from Friday, February 1—Saturday, March 4 at St Kilda Botanical Gardens. The lineup for that spot hasn't yet been revealed. And, in Brisbane, mark April in your diaries — with the exact dates, venue and program to be announced. At all stops around the country, BYO picnics are encouraged here, but the event is fully licensed, so alcohol can only be purchased onsite. Didn't pack enough snacks? There'll be hot food options, plus plenty of the requisite movie treats like chips, chocolates, lollies and popcorn. SUNSET CINEMA 2022–23 DATES: Canberra, ACT: Thursday, November 24—Saturday, February 25 at Australian National Botanic Gardens St Ives, NSW: Friday, December 9—Saturday, January 28 at St Ives Showgrounds Wollongong, NSW: Thursday, December 15–Saturday, March 11 at Wollongong Botanic Garden North Sydney, NSW: Wednesday, January 11—Saturday, April 1 at North Sydney Oval Mt Martha, VIC: Wednesday, December 21—Friday, January 20 at The Briars, Mt Martha St Kilda, VIC: Friday, February 1—Saturday, March 4 at St Kilda Botanical Gardens Brisbane, QLD — from April 2023, exact dates and venue TBC Sunset Cinema's 2022–23 season runs at various venues around the country from November 2022. Head to the Sunset Cinema website for further details.
In the most mathematical news since boffins discovered a pattern in prime numbers, the cast and crew behind of Adventure Time, the show that straddles generational gaps like it ain't no thing, are coming to town next March. It's going to be live, it's going to be loud and it's gonna be so flippin' awesome. Making quick trips to Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, Adventure Time Live will be an interactive, audio-visual festival that includes Q&As with cast and crew, cosplay competitions, live reads of classic episodes and much more to be announced. It's not a show, it's an experience, man. The event hits Australia between March 10 and March 12 next year, which will probably coincide with the largest gathering of adults pretending to be children pretending to be adults that this country has ever seen.
In the world of photography there are few trends as divisive as the rise and rise of Instagram and Hipstamatic. Battle lines have been drawn between those who view the advent of such filter apps as a positive democratising force, spreading the artistry of photography to the masses, and on the other side, those who think they're just a refuge for teenage poseurs and their collections of cats. New York artist and photojournalist Benjamin Lowy has become an unintentional figurehead for the former, thanks to his stunningly evocative photographs of war-ravaged North Africa and the Middle East. Lowy, whose work has graced the cover of TIME Magazine (the first photo taken from a phone to do so) and been featured at London's Tate Modern, has spent the last five years making Afghanistan his second home, creating his first body of work made entirely with Instagram and his ever-resilient iPhone. For Lowy, the decision to use his iPhone was made more out of convenience than out of any great artistic or journalistic ambition. He found that the burden of lugging around his camera meant that his initial passion in photography was "losing some of its mystical wonder", and when he reverted to the phone, he found a fresh perspective on the world around him. "I've been shooting with my phone for years and posting it online. I didn't see it as art, it was just another form of self-expression," Lowy told us. "I started finding myself being able to express myself a little more viscerally and easily because [the camera] was in such a small package." As a wartime photojournalist Lowy found that the ubiquitous images of "raids, explosions, suicide bombers" had increasingly desensitised people to the horrors of war. When he first began using his iPhone, Instagram resembled more of a passing fad than a cultural mainstay, and Lowy thought that this brave new world of photography may go a long way in getting people to sit up and take notice. "When you think of Iraq or Afghanistan, people saw those same images day in and day out," he says, "and because people kept seeing those images all the time it was easier to tune them out. So my idea throughout the course of my career has been to constantly experiment with images and aesthetics in order to gain the public's attention." While these images are often filled with the explosive and dynamic moments of war, what is much more unique about these photographs is their depiction of everyday life in Afghanistan. They show us a foreign land that although ravaged and decimated by war is eerily familiar to our own world. "It is a different place from the place we all know and we all call home but at the end of the day people are all the same," Lowy said. "Our blood is all red, when we wake up in the morning we want to have our cup of tea or coffee and send our kids to school and live peacefully ... The simple things that make humans humans are all the same regardless of where you live." Lowy's iAfghanistan exhibition is on display in the State Library of NSW, Macquarie Street Foyer, from May 17 to July 22 as part of the Head On photo festival. We've featured a small selection of our favourites below. Images courtesy of Head On photo festival and © Benjamin Lowy.
For most of us, getting festive involves trees, lights, wreaths, tinsel and other assorted decorations. For the folks behind pop-up dessert museum Sugar Republic, nothing says Christmas like a ten-room pop-up absolutely brimming with end-of-year cheer. Think marshmallow-themed pools, human-sized snow globes, a lane filled with candy canes and a giant peppermint ball pit — plus a a gingerbread cottage and plenty of ugly sweaters, naturally. That's what Melburnians will find at Christmasland, which takes over the old MacRobertson's Confectionery Factory from Sunday, November 10. Basically, the Sugar Republic crew is swapping out sweet treats for all things jolly and merry, then decking the Fitzroy spot's halls and walls in the same over-the-top manner as its previous dessert-heavy installation. And, we do mean over the top. That marshmallow pool? You'll be able to slide into it. The snow globe? You'll be able to stand inside and try to catch falling snow. One space will be called Tinseltown, so you know what you'll find there. There'll also be life-sized toys, the requisite Christmas carols and even seasonal smells. [caption id="attachment_707305" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] The ball pit at Sugar Republic.[/caption] Because these kinds of installations are all about the photos, Christmasland will feature a heap of merry backdrops for your snaps and selfies — such as a giant Christmas card, a ski lift, a huge advent calendar and a forest of pink trees. And, because festive season isn't complete without indulgent snacks, you'll also be able to sample chocolates and lollies. Just how long Christmasland will run for, how much tickets will cost and what the pop-up's opening hours will be are all yet to be revealed, with general public tickets going on sale on Tuesday, October 8. This should go without saying, but if you're a known Grinch who has recurrent Christmas-themed nightmares, this probably isn't for you. Find Christmasland at MacRobertson's Confectionery Factory, 379 Smith Street, Fitzroy from Sunday, November 10. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, October 8 from the Sugar Republic website.
It's getting easier and easier to break free from your pesky plastic bag habit, especially now that the Victorian Government has followed through with its promised statewide ban on single-use plastic shopping bags. Confirmed 12 months ago, the new legislation was introduced to parliament today and, if passed by both houses, the ban will come into effect from November 1, 2019. That means in just four months, all single-use lightweight plastic shopping bags (with a thickness of 35 microns or less) could be given the boot — even those made from biodegradable or compostable plastic. The single-use bags will be removed from all Victorian retail outlets, which includes supermarkets, corner stores and even your favourite local vintage shop. Best make sure you've got a solid collection of reusable bags ready to go. [caption id="attachment_663522" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Queen Victoria Market banned plastic bags earlier this year.[/caption] Plastic bags that won't be included in the ban include garbage bags, bin liners, animal waste bags and those thin 'barrier bags' you get with your fruit and veggies. The legislative shakeup comes off the back of extensive community consultation, which found an overwhelming number of Victorians supported a ban ban on single-use bags. Supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths enforcing their own nationwide plastic bag bans just under a year ago, while local shopping spots including The Queen Victoria Market and South Melbourne Market have also scrapped the plastic. As well as being a big win for the environment, the move brings Victoria into line with South Australia, the ACT, the Northern Territory, Tasmania and Queensland, who have all banned single-use plastic bags. NSW is now the only state that hasn't committed to a ban. If passed by both parliament houses, Victoria's statewide ban on single-use plastic bags will come into force on November 1, 2019.
If you're the type of spirits aficionado who likes their tipples to taste exactly how they always have, then you probably aren't all that fond of creative booze flavours. You mightn't be a fan of bloody shiraz gin, for instance. You likely didn't even give lamington vodka a try. And, well, peanut butter whiskey isn't going to be your thing either. For anyone that's now wondering how to make a peanut butter and jelly cocktail, this latest flavour from Sheep Dog Whiskey is probably already having the exact opposite effect. Yes, peanut butter whiskey is now a real thing that exists, and can be sipped by fans of both peanut butter and caramel-hued spirits. And, after launching in the US, where it's made, it is now available in Australian bottle shops. Taste-wise, you can expect the obvious — so, peanut butter and whiskey — however, this tipple also apparently comes with notes of vanilla and caramel popcorn as well. And if you're wondering how to drink it, the brand suggests going neat — or adding it to your next espresso martini. Other options include combining it with grape liqueur so that you really can have a PB&J-flavoured tipple, or whipping up a peanut butter old fashioned. Naturally, if you're not fond of peanuts, this definitely isn't for you. Sheep Dog Peanut Butter Whiskey is now available in Australia for $55 RRP a bottle — from BWS, Dan Murphy's and First Choice.
Crap in a suitcase and you too might win an Emmy. Actually, don't try that at home. It worked well for Australian actor Murray Bartlett, though, after he just nabbed one of TV's most prestigious awards — and gave his mum back home Down Under a shoutout in the process — for the all-round phenomenal first season of The White Lotus. In 2022, the Emmy Awards did what the Emmy Awards always do: gave a heap of gleaming trophies to a heap of ace TV shows, and the folks who make them, of course. Oh, and it also had people dancing to the Law and Order theme, among other classic television tunes; enlisted Oprah to stress how massive the odds are of anyone ever winning; and paid tribute to the one and only Geena Davis as well. The winners, which included frontrunners Succession, The White Lotus, Ted Lasso and Squid Game, all showed that it really has been an exceptional time for TV lately. The nominees list illustrated that anyway — and even if Severance, Better Call Saul, Yellowjackets, What We Do in the Shadows,Only Murders in the Building, Barry, Station Eleven and Scenes From a Marriage didn't end up emerging victorious, they're all still among the absolute best shows that graced the small screen over the past year. That's the ceremony done and dusted. Looking for a rundown of how it all went down, as well as a list of winners? We've got that taken care of. Now, here comes the next part for all of us at home: celebrating all of the series that earned Emmy recognition this year by getting watching or rewatching. Here's ten you should check out ASAP. THE WHITE LOTUS With Enlightened, his excellent two-season Laura Dern-starring comedy-drama from 2011–13, writer/director Mike White (Brad's Status) followed an executive who broke down at work. When she stepped back into her life, she found herself wanting something completely different not just for herself, but for and from the world. It isn't linked, narrative-wise, to White's latest TV miniseries The White Lotus. The same mood flows through, however. Here, wealthy Americans holiday at a luxe Hawaiian resort, which is managed by Australian Armond (Murray Bartlett, Tales of the City) — folks like business star Nicole (Connie Britton, Bombshell), her husband Mark (Steve Zahn, Where'd You Go, Bernadette), and the teenage trio of Olivia (Sydney Sweeney, Euphoria), Paula (Brittany O'Grady, Little Voice) and Quinn (Fred Hechinger, Fear Street); newlyweds Rachel (Alexandra Daddario, Songbird) and Shane (Jake Lacy, Mrs America); and the recently bereaved Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge, Promising Young Woman). From the outset, when the opening scene shows Shane accompanying a body on the way home, viewers know this'll end with a death. But as each episode unfurls, it's clear that these characters are reassessing what they want out of life as well. In The White Lotus, a glam and glossy getaway becomes a hellish trap, magnifying glass and mirror, with everyone's issues and problems only augmented by their time at the eponymous location. In terms of sinking its claws into the affluent, eat the rich-style, this perceptive, alluring and excellently cast drama also pairs nicely with the White-penned Beatriz at Dinner, especially as it examines the differences between the resort's guests and staff. EMMYS: Won: Outstanding Limited Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series of Television Movie (Murray Bartlett), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series of Television Movie (Jennifer Coolidge), Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Mike White), Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Mike White) Where to watch it: Binge. Read our review of season one. SUCCESSION Fans of blistering TV shows about wealth, power, the vast chasm between the rich and everyone else, and the societal problems that fester due to such rampant inequality, are living in a golden time. Just in the past 12 months or so, The White Lotus has fit the bill, as has Squid Game; however, Succession has always been in its own league. In the 'eat the rich' genre, the HBO drama sits at the top of the food chain as it chronicles the extremely lavish and influential lives of the Roy family. No series slings insults as brutally; no show channels feuding and backstabbing into such an insightful and gripping satire of the one percent, either. Finally returning in 2021 after a two-year gap between its second and third seasons, Succession didn't just keep plying its astute and addictive battles and power struggles — following season two's big bombshell, it kept diving deeper. The premise has remained the same since day one, with Logan Roy's (Brian Cox, Super Troopers 2) kids Kendall (Jeremy Strong, The Trial of the Chicago 7), Shiv (Sarah Snook, Pieces of a Woman), Roman (Kieran Culkin, No Sudden Move) and Connor (Alan Ruck, Gringo) vying to take over the family media empire. This brood's tenuous and tempestuous relationship only gets thornier with each episode, and its examination of their privileged lives — and what that bubble has done to them emotionally, psychologically and ideologically — only grows in season three. It becomes more addictive, too. There's no better show currently on TV, and no better source of witty dialogue. And there's no one turning in performances as layered as Strong, Cox, Snook, Culkin, J Smith-Cameron (Search Party), Matthew Macfadyen (The Assistant) and Nicholas Braun (Zola). EMMYS Won: Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Matthew Macfadyen), Writing for a Drama Series (Jesse Armstrong) Where to watch it: Binge. Read our review of season three. SQUID GAME Exploring societal divides within South Korea wasn't invented by Parasite, Bong Joon-ho's excellent Oscar-winning 2019 thriller, but its success was always going to give other films and TV shows on the topic a healthy boost. Accordingly, it's easy to see thematic and narrative parallels between the acclaimed movie and Netflix's highly addictive Squid Game — the show that's become the platform's biggest show ever (yes, bigger than everything from Stranger Things to Bridgerton). Anyone who has seen even an episode knows why this nine-part series is so compulsively watchable. Its puzzle-like storyline and its unflinching savagery making quite the combination. Here, in a Battle Royale and Hunger Games-style setup, 456 competitors are selected to work their way through six seemingly easy children's games. They're all given numbers and green tracksuits, they're competing for 45.6 billion won, and it turns out that they've also all made their way to the contest after being singled out for having enormous debts. That includes series protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae, Deliver Us From Evil), a chauffeur with a gambling problem, and also a divorcé desperate to do whatever he needs to to keep his daughter in his life. But, as it probes the chasms caused by capitalism and cash — and the things the latter makes people do under the former — this program isn't just about one player. It's about survival, the status quo the world has accepted when it comes to money, and the real inequality present both in South Korea and elsewhere. Filled with electric performances, as clever as it is compelling, unsurprisingly littered with smart cliffhangers, and never afraid to get bloody and brutal, the result is a savvy, tense and taut horror-thriller that entertains instantly and also has much to say. EMMYS: Won: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Lee Jung-jae), Directing for a Drama Series (Hwang Dong-hyuk) Where to watch it: Netflix. TED LASSO A sports-centric sitcom that's like a big warm hug, Ted Lasso belongs in the camp of comedies that focus on nice and caring people doing nice and caring things. Parks and Recreation is the ultimate recent example of this subgenre, as well as fellow Michael Schur-created favourite Brooklyn Nine-Nine — shows that celebrate people supporting and being there for each other, and the bonds that spring between them, to not just an entertaining but to a soul-replenishing degree. As played by Jason Sudeikis (Booksmart), the series' namesake is all positivity, all the time. A small-time US college football coach, he scored an unlikely job as manager of British soccer team AFC Richmond in the show's first season, a job that came with struggles. The ravenous media wrote him off instantly, the club was hardly doing its best, owner Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham, Sex Education) had just taken over the organisation as part of her divorce settlement, and veteran champion Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein, Uncle) and current hotshot Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster, Judy) refused to get along. Ted's upbeat attitude does wonders, though. In Ted Lasso's also-excellent second season, however, he finds new team psychologist Dr Sharon Fieldstone (Sarah Niles, I May Destroy You) an unsettling presence. You definitely don't need to love soccer or even sport to fall for this show's ongoing charms, to adore its heartwarming determination to value banding together and looking on the bright side, and to love its depiction of both male tenderness and supportive female friendships (which is where Maleficent: Mistress of Evil's Juno Temple comes in). In fact, this is the best sitcom currently in production. EMMYS: Won: Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Jason Sudeikis), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Brett Goldstein), Directing for a Comedy Series (MJ Delaney) Where to watch it: Apple TV+. Read our review of season two. ABBOTT ELEMENTARY The Office did it, in both the UK and US versions. Parks and Recreation did it too. What We Do in the Shadows still does it — and, yes, there's more where they all came from. By now, the mockumentary format is such a well-established part of the sitcom realm that new shows deciding to give it a whirl isn't noteworthy. But in Abbott Elementary, the gimmick is also deployed as an outlet for the series' characters, all public school elementary teachers in Philadelphia, to help convey the stresses and tolls of doing what they're devoted to. In a wonderfully warm and also clear-eyed gem created by, co-written by and starring triple-threat Quinta Brunson (Miracle Workers), that'd be teaching young hearts and minds no matter the everyday obstacles, the utter lack of resources and funding, or the absence of interest from the bureaucracy above them. Brunson plays perennially perky 25-year-old teacher Janine Teagues, who loves her gig and her second-grade class. She also adores her colleague Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph, Ray Donovan), the kindergarten teacher that she sees as a mentor and work mum. Actually, Janine isn't just fond of all of the above — she's so devoted to her job that she'll let nothing stand in her way. But that isn't easy or straightforward in a system that's short on cash and care from the powers-that-be to make school better for its predominantly Black student populace. Also featuring Everybody Hates Chris' Tyler James Williams (also The United States vs Billie Holiday) as an apathetic substitute teacher, Lisa Ann Walter (The Right Mom) and Chris Perfetti (Sound of Metal) as Abbott faculty mainstays, and Janelle James (Black Monday) as the incompetent principal who only scored her position via blackmail, everything about Abbott Elementary is smart, kindhearted, funny and also honest. A second season is on its way, too. EMMYS: Won: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Sheryl Lee Ralph), Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (Quinta Brunson) Where to watch it: Disney+. EUPHORIA From the very first frames of its debut episode back in June 2019, when just-out-of-rehab 17-year-old Rue Bennett (Zendaya, Spider-Man: No Way Home) gave viewers the lowdown on her life, mindset, baggage, friends, family and everyday chaos, Euphoria has courted attention — or, mirroring the tumultuous teens at the centre of its dramas, the Emmy-winning HBO series just knew that eyeballs would come its way no matter what it did. The brainchild of filmmaker Sam Levinson (Malcolm & Marie), adapted from an Israeli series by the same name, and featuring phenomenal work by its entire cast, it's flashy, gritty, tense, raw, stark and wild, and manages to be both hyper-stylised to visually striking degree and deeply empathetic. In other words, if teen dramas reflect the times they're made — and from Degrassi, Press Gang and Beverly Hills 90210 through to The OC, Friday Night Lights and Skins, they repeatedly have — Euphoria has always been a glittery eyeshadow-strewn sign of today's times. That hasn't changed in the show's second season. Almost two and a half years elapsed between Euphoria's first and second batch of episodes — a pair of out-of-season instalments in late 2020 and early 2021 aside — but it's still as potent, intense and addictive as ever. And, as dark, as Rue's life and those of her pals (with the cast including Hunter Schafer, The King of Staten Island's Maude Apatow, The Kissing Booth franchise's Jacob Elordi, The White Lotus' Sydney Sweeney, The Afterparty's Barbie Ferreira, North Hollywood's Angus Cloud and Waves' Alexa Demie) bobs and weaves through everything from suicidal despair, Russian Roulette, bloody genitals, unforgettable school plays, raucous parties and just garden-variety 2022-era teen angst. The list always goes on; in fact, as once again relayed in Levinson's non-stop, hyper-pop style, the relentlessness that is being a teenager today, trying to work out who you are and navigating all that the world throws at you is Euphoria's point. EMMYS: Won: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Zendaya) Where to watch it: Binge. HACKS In 2021, Hacks' first season quickly cemented itself as one of 2021's best new TV shows — one of two knockout newbies starring Jean Smart last year, thanks to Mare of Easttown as well — and it's just as ace the second time around. It's still searingly funny, nailing that often-elusive blend of insight, intelligence and hilarity. It retains its observational, wry tone, and remains devastatingly relatable even if you've never been a woman trying to make it in comedy. And it's happy to linger where it needs to to truly understand its characters, but never simply dwells in the same place as its last batch of episodes. Season two is literally about hitting the road, so covering fresh territory is baked into the story; however, Hacks' trio of key behind-the-scenes creatives — writer Jen Statsky (The Good Place), writer/director Lucia Aniello (Rough Night) and writer/director/co-star Paul W Downs (The Other Two) — aren't content to merely repeat themselves with a different backdrop. Those guiding hands started Hacks after helping to make Broad City a hit. Clearly, they all know a thing or two about moving on from the past. That's the decision both veteran comedian Deborah Vance (Smart) and her twentysomething writer-turned-assistant Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder, North Hollywood) had to make themselves in season one, with the show's second season now charting the fallout. So, Deborah has farewelled her residency and the dependable gags that kept pulling in crowds, opting to test out new and far-more-personal material on a cross-country tour instead. Ava has accepted her role by Deborah's side, and is willing to see it as a valid career move rather than an embarrassing stopgap. But that journey comes a few narrative bumps. Of course, Hacks has always been willing to see that actions have consequences, not only for an industry that repeatedly marginalises women, but for its imperfect leading ladies. EMMYS: Won: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Jean Smart) Where to watch it: Stan. Read our full review of season two. THE DROPOUT Dramatising the Theranos scandal, eight-part miniseries The Dropout is one of several high-profile releases this year to relive a wild true-crime tale — including the Anna Delvey-focused Inventing Anna, about the fake German heiress who conned her way through New York City's elite, and also documentary The Tinder Swindler, which steps through defrauding via dating app at the hands of Israeli imposter Simon Leviev. It also dives into the horror-inducing Dr Death-esque realm, because when a grift doesn't just mess with money and hearts, but with health and lives, it's pure nightmare fuel. And, it's the most gripping of the bunch, even though we're clearly living in peak scandal-to-screen times. Scam culture might be here to stay as Inventing Anna told us in a telling line of dialogue, but it isn't enough to just gawk its way — and The Dropout and its powerful take truly understands this. To tell the story of Theranos, The Dropout has to tell the story of Elizabeth Holmes, the Silicon Valley biotech outfit's founder and CEO from the age of 19. Played by a captivating, career-best Amanda Seyfried — on par with her Oscar-nominated work in Mank, but clearly in a vastly dissimilar role — the Steve Jobs-worshipping Holmes is seen explaining her company's name early in its first episode. It's derived from the words "therapy" and "diagnosis", she stresses, although history already dictates that it offered little of either. Spawned from Holmes' idea to make taking blood simpler and easier, using just one drop from a small finger prick, it failed to deliver, lied about it copiously and still launched to everyday consumers, putting important medical test results in jeopardy. EMMYS: Won: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series of Television Movie (Amanda Seyfried) Where to watch it: Disney+. Read our review. DOPESICK 'Eat the rich' dramas have been having their day across small screens and streaming queues (see: Succession, The White Lotus and Squid Game above), inescapably so. That said, shows in another big current trend are everywhere, too. Dramatised true tales just keep enlisting stacked high-profile casts to wade through murky IRL details, Dopesick included — which adapts Beth Macy's non-fiction book Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America. You don't need to have read that text to instantly know that it's about the impact of opioids throughout the US. Everyone has heard of painkiller OxyContin, which originated from US pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma. Everyone now knows that it is highly addictive, and that that simple fact is the cause of too many woes. If you aren't aware of all the details — or even if you are — prepare for grim viewing via this eight-part affair. The names don't mirror real life, but the story is factual — and infuriating. Michael Keaton (Morbius) plays Samuel Finnix, a mining town doctor who is convinced by Purdue rep Billy Cutler (Will Poulter, Midsommar) to begin prescribing the then-new OxyContin to patients — such as Betsy (Kaitlyn Dever, Dear Evan Hansen), who has a back injury. Also covered: the legal efforts by assistant US attorneys Rick Mountcastle (Peter Sarsgaard, The Lost Daughter) and Randy Ramseyer (John Hoogenakker, Castle Rock) to make Purdue accountable, with the series never holding back about the ills that the drug has caused. The word for the end result: harrowing in oh-so-many ways and for oh-so-many reasons, and also empathetic towards the people affected by opioids. EMMYS: Won: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series of Television Movie (Michael Keaton) Where to watch it: Disney+. OZARK In 2022, Julia Garner schemed her away into New York's upper echelons in the instantly addictive Inventing Anna, playing IRL faux socialite Anna Delvey — and won the unofficial award for wildest accent on TV, too. She didn't end up nabbing an Emmy for her part, despite being nominated; however, the acclaimed actress didn't go home empty-handed. The reason? Fellow Netflix series Ozark. Not for the first time, The Assistant star picked up the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series gong for the crime drama. Actually, this marks her third win, all for her blistering performance as Ruth Langmore. When the show started back in 2017, Garner wasn't in its top-two biggest names, thanks to Jason Bateman (The Outsider) and Laura Linney (Tales of the City), but she's turned her part into an absolute powerhouse. Ozark's focus: a financial advisor, Marty Byrde (Bateman), who moves from Chicago to a quiet Missouri town — yes, in the titular Ozarks region — after a money-laundering scheme goes wrong in a big way. That's a significant shift for his wife Wendy (Linney) and kids Charlotte (Sofia Hublitz, What Breaks the Ice) and Jonah (Skylar Gaertner, Daredevil), but it doesn't see Marty change his ways. Instead, more laundering is in his future, as well as crossing paths with Ruth, who hails from a criminal family. Across its four-season run, Ozark has always been lifted by its performances, which is unsurprising given that Bateman, Linney and Garner are all at the top of their games. It's a masterclass in tension, too, and in conveying a relentless feeling of dread. EMMYS: Won: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Julia Garner) Where to watch it: Netflix. Top image: Mario Perez/HBO.
One of the best things about 2021 so far? The return of live sport to sports-mad Melbourne. And we're in for a treat this weekend, when one of the fiercest rivalries in Australian sport makes its return to AAMI Park. The 34th Melbourne Derby, between Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory, is set to add another chapter to the enthralling battle between the two biggest A-League teams in the state. The match on Saturday, April 17 follows hot on the heels of last month's game between the sides which saw the Victory suffer the worst defeat in its storied history, at the hands of its cross-town rivals. With the winner set to claim bragging rights until the next instalment — the current win tally stands at 13 per team — no doubt the Victory will have extra incentive to avenge their loss. Meanwhile, City will be looking for its third consecutive Derby win and to continue its strong season thus far. With everything to play for this Saturday night at AAMI Park, there's no doubt it'll be the hottest ticket in town. Head here to buy your tickets.
More than a quarter-century ago, a TV sitcom about six New Yorkers made audiences a promise: that it'd be there for us. And, as well as making stars out of Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow, Friends has done just that. Sure, the hit series wrapped up its ten-season run in 2004, but the show has lived on — on streaming platforms, by sending an orange couch around Australia, by screening anniversary marathons in cinemas and in boozy brunch parties, for example. In news that was bound to happen someday — no pop culture entity truly comes to an end in these reboot, remake, revival and spinoff-heavy times — Friends is living on in a much more literal sense, too. First hinted at in 2019, officially confirmed in 2020 and just releasing its first teaser trailer (and announcing a US air date), the show is coming back for a reunion special on HBO's streaming platform HBO Max. Naturally, the whole gang is involved. Yep, it's 'The One Where They Get Back Together' — which is exactly how the trailer for Friends: The Reunion describes the special. That said, it's worth noting that the special is unscripted, which means that Aniston and company aren't literally stepping back into Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey, Ross and Phoebe's and shoes. Instead, the actors behind the characters will chat about their experiences on the show — all on the same soundstage where Friends was originally shot. And, let's face it, the fact that they'll all be on-screen at the same time in the same place celebrating the series that so many folks love is probably enough for fans. Aniston, Cox and the gang will have a few other famous faces for company. More than a few, in fact. The guest list is hefty, and spans folks with connections to the show and others that must just love it — including David Beckham, Justin Bieber, BTS, James Corden, Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevingne, Lady Gaga, Elliott Gould, Kit Harington, Larry Hankin and Mindy Kaling, as well as Thomas Lennon, Christina Pickles, Tom Selleck, James Michael Tyler, Maggie Wheeler, Reese Witherspoon and Malala Yousafzai. Initially slated to air last May — with those plans delayed due to the pandemic — the special will now stream via HBO Max in the US on Thursday, May 27. For folks Down Under, just when and where it'll surface hasn't yet been revealed; however, it's bound to be here for us sooner or later. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MedRN92V6lE Friends: The Reunion will be available to stream in the US via HBO Max on Thursday, May 27. It doesn't currently have an air date or streaming date Down Under — we'll update you when one is announced.
After the disrupted domestic-only ski season in 2020 — and with travellers from Australia permitted to enter New Zealand without quarantining from mid-April 2021 — thrill-seekers from both sides of the ditch could be hitting NZ's pristine slopes from as early as June. That means it's less than 70 days until NZ Ski's fields, including Coronet Peak and The Remarkables in Queenstown and Canterbury's Mount Hutt are up and running for winter. The operator has plenty going on this season, including opening the country's first eight-person chairlift and night skiing events. Mount Hutt is set to be the first to open from Friday, June 11–Sunday, October 17. It will be open seven days with capacity on the mountain increased thanks to the brand new Nor'west Express eight-seat chairlift. With a ride time of only two minutes, the lift will have capacity to carry up to 3000 skiers per hour. It also features a loading carpet to assist those who are new to using chairlifts. The field's full moon skiing event will also return. Coronet Peak will be open from Saturday, June 19 right through until Sunday, September 26. The ski field plans to operate its popular after-hours night skiing events every Wednesday and Friday from June 25 onwards. The 48th dog derby is also on the cards. Fellow Queenstown favourite The Remarkables will be open every day of the week from Saturday, June 26 through to Sunday, October 17. The mountain's Sugar Bowl development includes two brand new trails and a new snowmaking system mean better snow coverage on the Serpentine side of the mountain. Cardrona Alpine Resort's Olympic-sized superpipe will be open from Saturday, June 12 until Sunday, October 17.. The ski field is also adding another chairlift to its network, which opens up a new major section of skiable terrain on the southern face. Sibling ski field Treble Cone is scheduled to open from Saturday, June 26–Sunday, September 26, and for cross-country skiers and snow-shoers, Cardrona's Snow Farm is intending to open for the 2021 winter from Friday, June 18–Sunday, September 19. The largest ski area in the nation, Mt Ruapehu, is preparing to open its Happy Valley (Saturday, June 5), Turoa (Saturday, July 3), Whakapapa (Saturday, July 3) fields, too, which will give skiers and snowboarders access to the mountain's natural pipes, steep chutes and vertical drop of 722 metres. The alpine village says the opening will be subject to snow conditions. With the quarantine-free trans-Tasman travel bubble set to open from Sunday, April 18, a rise in visitor numbers is expected across all fields. All ski field 2021 season plans are dependent on snow conditions, as well as COVID-19 guidelines and expectations set out by the New Zealand Government. For more information about NZ's ski fields, head to the various websites for Mount Hutt, Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Cardrona Alpine Resort, Treble Cone, Snow Farm and Mt Ruapehu. Images: NZSki.
By this stage, there's every chance you've forgotten what a dance floor even looks like. But the folks at Untitled Group — the same minds behind Beyond the Valley, Pitch Music & Arts and Ability Fest — are here to get you reacquainted. They've just revealed a huge all-Aussie lineup for the 2021 edition of their live music series For The Love, which is headed to Perth, Melbourne and the Gold Coast in March and April. Across three dates, legendary acts including electronic duo Flight Facilities, dance floor darlings Cosmo's Midnight and Brisbane rapper Mallrat will help you dust off the cobwebs and rediscover that groove. The party kicks off at Perth's McCallum Park on Saturday, March 13, before heading to Birrarung Marr in Melbourne on Saturday, April 3. Doug Jennings Park on the Gold Coast plays host to the final event on Saturday, April 17. These three waterfront venues are set to be transformed into blissful dance destinations, heaving to live sounds from favourites like singer-songwriter Running Touch and brother-sister duo Lastlings, along with London Topaz, Boo Seeka, George Maple and Elizabeth Cambage. Punters will also have the opportunity to kick back in style in one of For The Love's VIP lounges, presented by Aussie streetwear label Nana Judy. If an evening spent cutting shapes by the water sounds like a much-needed addition to your calendar, you can now register for presale until 3pm on Wednesday, December 9. Presale tickets go on sale from 5pm that same day, with general public tickets up for grabs from noon on Thursday, December 10. For The Love 2021 hits Perth on March 13, Melbourne on April 3 and the Gold Coast on April 17. Head to the website to register for presale.
