Since late 2017, Taco Bell has been making inroads into the fast food scene Down Under, with four stores now open in Queensland, a total of 50 planned across Australia by the end of 2021 and up to 60 set for Aus as well as New Zealand by 2023. That's great news if you're a local fan of the US Tex-Mex chain. If you're extra fond of the company's burritos, quesadillas, nachos and — of course — tacos, you could always book your next US holiday at a pop-up Taco Bell hotel. The Bell: A Taco Bell Hotel and Resort will welcome guests from August 9, operating for a limited time only. If you're wondering what's in store, it's "a destination inspired by tacos," according to the eatery. Think taco-themed rooms, tacos for breakfast (and lunch, dinner and snacking on whenever the urge hits), a Taco Bell gift shop and an onsite salon doling out Taco Bell-inspired nail art. Apparently the poolside cocktails will also be given a Taco Bell twist, which hopefully doesn't mean boozy liquid concoctions made of meat, salsa, avocado and tortillas. Alcohol seems like it'll be a big feature, with the hotel strictly for those aged 18 and over. As for the rest of the joint's food, The Bell will also serve up an exclusive menu, in case you're feeling like you've already eaten every Taco Bell dish ever. With the chain founded in Southern California back in 1962, eager taco lovers will need to head to the area — to Palm Springs to be exact, although the exact location hasn't been revealed. Reservations will open in June, and there's no word yet on just how much a stay will set you back. For more information about The Bell: A Taco Bell Hotel and Resort, keep an eye on the hotel's website.
Well, this could have gone better. The first leg of Listen Out 2014 has been marred by an unfortunate incident that led to a security guard suffering serious injuries yesterday. Late in the afternoon, a group of gatecrashers jumped the fence at Sydney's Parklands and a 29-year-old security guard rushed to stop them. The intruders then trampled him and ran away. Suffering internal bleeding and a ruptured spleen, the security guard received medical assistance at the venue before being taken to St Vincent's Hospital. He is currently in a stable condition, but police are asking anyone with information about the gatecrahsers to come forward. In particular, they would like to speak to "a man in his late teens or early 20s, with a solid build, and short dark brown hair [who] was last seen wearing a grey t-shirt and red shorts". If you know anyone by that description who also happens to be kind of cheap and incredibly insensitive, time to dob them in. Listen Out is in Perth today and has two more festival dates next weekend for Melbourne and Brisbane. Time to step up your game, people. Do the right thing, look after each other, and there won't be any problems. There are far too many dickheads out there ruining it for everyone. If you have information about the incident call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page.
UPDATE, October 21, 2021: Free Guy is available to stream in Melbourne via Disney+, and is also screening at Melbourne's outdoor cinemas when they reopen on Friday, October 22 — and the city's indoor cinemas when they reopen on Friday, October 29, too. If Free Guy was a piece of home decor, it'd be a throw pillow with a cliched self-empowerment slogan printed on the front. You know the type. It might catch your eye the first time you spotted it, but it'd look almost identical to plenty of other cushions you can buy at absolutely any department store. It'd make you think of other, nicer pillows, too, but its phrasing and design wouldn't be as resonant or appealing. And, while its attractive font would tell you to believe in yourself, stand out and make each moment count, it'd still simply spout the usual well-worn sentiments that keep being served up as store-bought tonics for weary souls. Yes, Free Guy is a big-budget, star-led movie that primarily exists to answer two not-at-all pressing questions: what would The Truman Show look like if it starred Ryan Reynolds, and how would that 1998 classic would fare if it was about massive online video games instead of TV? But it's firmly Hollywood's equivalent of mass-produced soft furnishings emblazoned with self-help platitudes and designed to sit on as many couches as possible. Clearly cast for his generically affable on-screen persona — you almost always know what you're going to get when he's leading a film, as the Deadpool and Hitman's Bodyguard franchises keep attempting to capitalise upon — Reynolds plays Free City bank teller Guy. His daily routine involves greeting the same goldfish upon waking, putting on the same blue shirt, picking up the same coffee en route to work, and having the same chat with his best friend Buddy (Lil Rel Howery, Judas and the Black Messiah) when their place of employment is held up multiple times each and every day. Guy is completely comfortable with his ordinary lot in life. He knows that things aren't like this for 'sunglasses people', the folks who tend to wreak havoc on his hometown, but he doesn't challenge the status quo until he decides that the shades-wearing Molotov Girl (Jodie Comer, Killing Eve) is the woman of his dreams. To have a chance with her, he's certain he needs sunglasses himself — and when he snatches a pair off the latest robber sticking up his bank, it's Guy's first step to realising that he's actually a non-playable character in a video game. Sporting an upbeat mood best captured by its frequent use of Mariah Carey's 'Fantasy', Free Guy enjoys its time in Free City — which is also the game's title. There's a story behind its NPC protagonist's story, however, with the movie splitting its focus between its Grand Theft Auto-esque virtual world and reality. In the latter, coder Millie uses the Molotov Girl avatar, which she needs to search for evidence for a lawsuit. Years earlier, alongside her pal Keys (Joe Keery, Stranger Things), she created an indie open-world game that was purchased by tech-bro hotshot Antwan (Taika Waititi, The Suicide Squad), then sidelined — and, while Keys now works for Antwan, Millie is certain that Free City rips off their game. Proving that will require Guy's help, especially as he starts breaking his programming, making his own decisions and becoming sentient. Something that Guy doesn't glean once he begins thinking for himself: that he's the protagonist in a derivative big-screen action-comedy. Free Guy also borrows from The Matrix, The Lego Movie, Groundhog Day, They Live!, Wreck-It Ralph and Black Mirror. Pilfering from terrible fare as well, it even cribs from the abysmal Ready Player One. And, in reminding viewers that Disney is behind this flick via its purchase of 20th Century Fox, and that the Mouse House also serves up all things Marvel and Star Wars — as if anyone had forgotten — it sits in the same space as the horrendous Space Jam: A New Legacy. There isn't a second of Free Guy that feels original or authentic, in fact, even as it keeps stressing the importance of taking your own route through life. Director Shawn Levy (the Night at the Museum franchise) and screenwriters Matt Lieberman (The Addams Family) and Zak Penn (a Ready Player One alum) are happy with their throw cushion-level message. They're just as content not to practice what they preach. Their villain even blatantly embodies the cash-hungry corporate mindset that thinks leveraging the same ideas is better than developing new ones — there's a whole monologue about it — and it'd be much too generous to think that's a tongue-in-cheek inclusion. There's a bit of winking and nodding in Reynolds' casting, though, and welcomely so. Again, viewers typically know what to expect when he's the star of the show — and as well as aggressively synthesising a heap of better movies into one script, Free Guy endeavours to forcefully coast by on its leading man's likeable presence. If it wasn't entertaining-enough to see him play this kind of part, Hollywood would've stopped doing it. That said, now three decades into his acting career, audiences can also spot the formula behind most of his roles. Free Guy wants you to do exactly that, and to know that Reynolds is putting his usual charm to work as a guy that's meant to be the epitome of usual, which is by far the smartest thing about the film. The man in the spotlight doesn't let anyone down in the process, but that's different to carrying a feature that's anything more than average. Indeed, other than Comer's naturalistic performance, nothing that's around Reynolds busts free of its usual bounds either, and that can't be by design. You can't print by-the-numbers romantic subplots and slick-but-standard action scenes on home furnishings, of course — and you definitely shouldn't do the same with buzzword-heavy dialogue — but that's always Free Guy's chosen level.
When you say the words 'dream housewife' you're probably picturing a white picket fence, a freshly baked Victoria sponge cake and a woman adjusting her man's tie before he heads out of the door to his important man-job. A Hollywood fantasy of womanhood that's somewhat lost its sheen in the modern world. Well, not for Judy. Judy is the vision of a 1950s housewife — she's got the frock, the neat apron, a perfectly set curl, peachy cheeks and pearls. She adores her role, packing lunches and pouring cocktails as her husband Johnny brings home the bacon. Thing is, it's not the fabulous 50s — and Judy's not even a Boomer. Home, I'm Darling is an Olivier Award-winning comedy that's picking apart the seams of 21st century life with witty observation about gender roles, how we cope in our ever-connected modern world and all the harmful trappings of nostalgia. It's MTC's season opener for 2020 and associate artistic director Sarah Goodes is directing a stellar cast, including Nikki Shiels as Judy, Susie Youssef as her friend Fran, Toby Truslove as Johnny and Peter Paltos as Marcus. Plus, Kath & Kim's Jane Turner plays Judy's mum and Izabella Yena (who's in the upcoming movie Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears) takes on the role of Alex. English playwright Laura Wade has garnered rave reviews from the play's London National Theatre run last year. And MTC's summer production is the show's Australian premiere. If you're under 30, you can save 50 percent off full-price tickets. Just show your ID when buying A-Reserve or B-Reserve tickets, or select 'Youth (29 & Under)' when booking online. You can also save cash on your culture kicks by booking three or more 2020 shows with a Mini Package — no matter your age. The theatre's got a solid 2020 lineup. Highlights include the five-time Tony Award-winning musical Fun Home, which is making its Australian premiere at MTC in July. And in September, there's a shiny new production of As You Like It, with music by Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall. So, if you're under 30 and keen to save 50 percent off the full price ticket amount, check out MTC's Mini Packages, here.
There's never a bad time for ice cream, the sweet treat fiend that lurks inside of us all often whispers. It's certainly one of the main thoughts running through your mind when you're heading to a gelato parlour at 9.30am on a Saturday morning. Of course, Gelato Messina isn't any old purveyor of frosty goodness — and their Gelato Appreciation Classes aren't any old excuse to eat dessert for breakfast or brunch. If you've ever stood in front of the counter at one of their 15 Australian stores — or their sole venture in Las Vegas — and wondered just which flavour you could possibly choose because they all look so delicious, then their Gelato Appreciation Class will be your idea of a damn good time and then some. In short, you can taste them all. Messina lets customers do that anyway, but no one really tries 40 or so types in one visit. After you've spent a morning finding out how the magic is made and eating the kinds of dishes they don't scoop up everyday, however, you'll feel compelled to sample every single variety on offer. When you sit down in the Messina classroom, as well as being greeted by your own Messina recipe book, you'll discover that there's more than 5000 flavours in their catalogue thanks to the ever-changing array of experimental specials that pop up each weekday. That's just one of the insider titbits Messina's chefs share over the two to two-and-a-half hour session. There's definitely more where that came from. On an autumn morning, a cosy room of 16 ice cream-loving folks sat in Brisbane's brand new Gelato Messina store in South Brisbane to watch and learn how fior di latte gelato, strawberry sorbet and the famous Dr Evil's Magic Mushroom cake are made — and try them all, and even more. Held as part of their array of events alongside hands-on gelato-making workshops and their seven-course Creative Department dinners, Messina pitch the classes as part degustation, part look behind the scenes, and it's a description that fits. At one moment, you'll be watching a Messina staffer make gelato and talk you through the process — and then you'll be scooping and devouring small bites of the fresh-churned goodness. The next, you'll be finding out that the machine in Messina's Sydney headquarters pumps out a massive one-and-a-half tonnes of gelato per hour, and your stomach will grumble on cue. Then, you'll be tucking into one of several desserts. Perhaps you'll get one that comes in a tuna-like tin, and features smoked brown butter gelato, milk chocolate namelaka (aka a Japanese ganache-like substance), compressed apple and flourless chocolate sponge, for example. Over a fun, relaxed session, you'll keep eating, listening and learning — and hearing amusing anecdotes, including one that involves their Fitzroy digs being mistaken for a nightclub thanks to its hefty line down Smith Street. Prepare for stories about Messina's new dairy farm, the ratio of air that's whipped into their gelato, and even their future plans. Indeed, if you're a big fan, that's almost as ace as all of the gelato you'll be munching on. And, as well as the recipe book and a Lister Messina tote, attendees get a takeaway pack stuffed with gelato to take home. Arrive hungry, but don't expect to leave that way. Gelato Messina hold their Gelato Appreciation Classes in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane throughout the year, with tickets available via their website. Bookings are now open for their first Brisbane sessions, which will be held on July 15, August 19 and September 23.
Local breweries have again proved their might in craft beer's night of nights, as the Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA) named their 2022 victors. Overnight at the beer competition's annual awards ceremony, 35 trophies were handed out, after judges sipped and assessed a record 2,630 entries from across the country and the world. As with last year's competition, Victoria stole a good chunk of the fizzy, amber-hued spotlight, with the state's breweries taking out 13 of those major trophies. Reservoir's Hawkers Beer claimed the honoured title of Champion Large Australian Brewery, in addition to representing its home state as Champion Victorian Brewery. [caption id="attachment_744422" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hawkers Beer[/caption] Meanwhile, fellow Melbourne-born brand Stomping Ground snapped up the trophy for Champion Medium Australian Brewery, also scoring top awards with both its Raspberry Smash and Bunker Porter. Take note if you're on the hunt for a new winter drop. Other southerners to emerge victorious included Footscray's Hop Nation, whose Get The Gist was awarded best modern IPA; Collingwood brewery Molly Rose nabbing the title of best Belgian/French ale with its Nectarined; and Co-Conspirators with a win for its Hop Peddler hazy pale. Of course, the awards proved there's also plenty of fine beer drinking to be done in other parts of the country. Those repping the craft brew scene for Queensland included Moffat Beach Brewing Co, named Champion Small Australian Brewery while also getting a gong for its Triology Best Coast IPA and Shadow Of The Moon Eclipse releases. [caption id="attachment_811810" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wayward Brewing[/caption] Inner-west Sydney mainstay Wayward Brewing nabbed the title of best wood and barrel-aged beer, and in an era where low-alc and booze-free sips are having a moment, Stone & Wood's 2.7% East Point won best reduced/low alc beer. Western Australian beer fans have cause to raise a few pints, too, after Beerland's lolly-inspired Blueberry Clouds sour took out the top slot of Champion Australian Beer. The AIBA also awarded some international breweries worth adding to your beer hit-list, including California's Belching Beaver, Weihenstephan out of Germany, Korea's Artmonster and Auckland's Deep Creek Brewing Co — the latter of which claimed the title of Champion Medium International Brewery. The AIBA is the largest annual beer competition of its kind in the world, each year recognising excellence in brewing, beer packaging design and beer media. For the full lineup of this year's AIBA awardees, jump over to the website.
Australia's strict rules surrounding social distancing and public gatherings could be relaxed in four weeks — mid-May — if three conditions, outlined by the Federal Government, are met. After a national cabinet meeting today, Thursday, April 16, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that the government's attention has turned to the "road to the recovery on the other side" and part of that discussion included the conditions under which current COVID-19 restrictions would be relaxed. On advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC), the Prime Minister has outlined three conditions that need to be in place before restrictions will be lifted: increased testing, beyond those who are just symptomatic increased contact tracing, "using technology" local response capability, including the ability to quickly lockdown areas where there is an outbreak While the Prime Minister said that Australia has "one of, if not, the most extensive testing regime in the world today", he says these rates need to be increased even more to include those who are asymptomatic. "We need to do even better than that to make sure we can have greater confidence that when we moved to a lesser-restriction environment we can have confidence we can identify any outbreaks very, very quickly." On the second point, the Prime Minister did not mention the app specifically, but said that the country needs to increase its contact tracing to an "industrial capability" and to "do that using technology" and "with the support of Australians". Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy has previously compared the app to Singapore's Trace Together, which uses bluetooth technology to record contact between people. As reported by the ABC, the app could be ready within a fortnight and the government would need at least "40 percent of Australians to voluntarily sign up for it to be effective". Controversy surrounding the app relates to it allowing the government to track your movements and share your data with others. In an interview with a Guardian Australia reporter earlier today, Minister for Government Services Stuart Robert said the app would swap your phone number with those nearby. https://twitter.com/joshgnosis/status/1250636195253501952 The local response capability would, as mentioned, relate to local governments' ability to quickly lockdown outbreak areas, such as northwest Tasmania did earlier this week. For now, though, the 'baseline' COVID-19 restrictions will remain in place for at least the next four weeks. The Prime Minister said they'll use the time "to ensure we get these [conditions] in place, and these baseline restrictions will remain in place until then". He also said states who have "gone beyond these baseline restrictions" — including how they may be "enforcing measures", see: fines — would be able to make their own decisions about whether they want to wind back those additional restrictions. "Those states will ... make their own decisions whether they want to change any of those arrangements on their own circumstances. I would refer you to individual states and territories where they may choose to do that over the next three weeks," says Morrison. This could mean fines for breaking social-distancing rules are stopped or Queensland's borders opened, for example. While the easing of some restrictions looks like a possibility next month, the Prime Minister has warned that "if you ease off too quickly, too early, you end up making the situation worse". For now, the current COVID-19 restrictions will remain in place for at least the next four weeks. And fines are still in place for disobeying these in NSW, Vic and Queensland. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Top image: Julia Sansone
We’ve all had that moment on holiday where we wish we could stay forever. Lally Katz’s Timeshare, a collaboration with New York director Oliver Butler, pushes that desire to its breaking point in a play with music that draws heavily on a swag of getaway tropes and the strength of its cast. Carl (Bert LaBonté) runs Paradise, a rundown all-inclusive resort, where Sandy (Fast Forward’s Marg Downey) and her daughter Kristy (Brigid Gallacher) are nearing the end of their stay. While Kristy and her mum wait for the arrival of her brother Gary (Fayssal Bazzi), she’s fallen for resort worker Juan Fernando (also played by Bazzi), who seems more keen on practicing a traditional turtle dance with the fiery Maria (Gallacher), the other member of his 'entertainment squad'. Bazzi and Gallacher’s ability to shift between their characters combined with Butler’s deft direction makes for terrific physical comedy, while LaBonté effortlessly steals scenes as the pathetic, entirely humourless Carl. Through it all Downey provides the perfect counterpoint to their antics, becoming increasingly helpless but remaining defiant in the face of the plot’s sly twists and revelations. In Jethro Woodward’s subtle score that accompanies interludes between scenes we can see flashes of his brilliance as a composer for previous shows such as The Long Pigs, but overall the sound design in Timeshare is slick to the point of being workmanlike. It’s difficult — at times his music seems constrained by the awkward phrasing of Katz’s lyrics, and the biggest numbers suffer slightly by comparison with Meme Girls in the smaller theatre next door. Yet at the same time, it’s only by committing to this style that Timeshare’s music can give full voice to the awkward, helpless tenderness of these characters; from Carl singing ‘I Can Give You Time’ to the backing of an ultimately kitsch electronic organ track, or Kristy’s plaintive ode to Tinder, which helps to situate the world of the play firmly in the here and now. Up until the satisfying reveal of her 'character', the voiceover Katz herself provides throughout the show feels like a device with murky clarity and intention. But just like the music and the dizzying lighting from veteran Paul Jackson, this sense of mystery is a way of capturing the dislocation and disorientation at the heart of this world. As funny as the show is, Timeshare hinges on its treatment of mental health and dementia; the treatment of these topics by writer, director and cast is sensitive and affecting, and elevates the work above simple crowdpleaser into a fine and compelling new Australian work. Read our interview with Timeshare creator Lally Katz here. Image by Jeff Busby.
Bringing some of the world's greatest past and present artists to Australia, the Sydney International Art Series 2017-18 features two outstanding exhibitions — and a gleaming pop-up bar to match. First up, the MCA hosts Pipilotti Rist: Sip My Ocean, a kaleidoscopic exhibition exploring the much-acclaimed work of the Swiss video art pioneer. The most comprehensive showing of Rist's work in Australia to date, the exhibition considers the coming together of the natural world, technology and the human body through Rist's immersive installations and vast audiovisual compositions. Meanwhile, just across the Royal Botanical Garden at the Art Gallery of NSW, Rembrandt and the Dutch Golden Age: Masterpieces from the Rijksmuseum showcases 76 masterpieces of Dutch painting, created during an era of unmatched prosperity and artistic inspiration. Rembrandt and the Dutch Golden Age reveals the wealth, power and influence of an emerging Dutch society in the 17th century. As part of the exhibition, there will be an entire room dedicated to Rembrandt's vast range of work. Also, there will be a work by painter Johannes Vermeer — one of only 35 surviving paintings in the world. To celebrate this year's event, a Pipilotti Rist inspired pop-up bar has sprung up on the banks of Circular Quay. A vibrant and unconventional space, Colour Fields has lots going on, including Sunday sessions by Future Classic, snacks and cocktails by Culinary Edge, workshops and more. Art Gallery of NSW will also hold special events dedicated to the Rembrandt exhibition. Each Wednesday evening during the exhibition's run, the gallery's Art After Hours will feature special talks, tours, performances and a pop-up bar serving drinks and eats. Pipilotti Rist: Sip My Ocean runs until February 18, 2018; Colour Fields is open throughout the summer at the MCA and Rembrandt and the Dutch Golden Age runs until February 18, 2018.
In previous years, Queen Victoria Market's Winter Night Market has proved one of Melbourne's favourite midweek winter pastimes. But the long-running event unfortunately won't be entertaining anyone in 2021, with the event series getting the axe for the second year in a row. Yesterday, Wednesday, July 29, organisers announced that the Night Market's 2021 edition has been cancelled, citing the ongoing impact of COVID-19 restrictions. The move comes after the 2020 event was also canned due to the extended lockdown that shut Melbourne down for much of last winter. In a statement, the QVM team revealed that they had hoped to push ahead with this year's Night Market, but that the ongoing impacts of the state's two recent lockdowns had crushed those plans. "The current crowd limits and ongoing delays have made it too challenging to proceed at this time, a theme sadly seen right across the Melbourne events industry," the QVM crew explained. Organisers acknowledged the cancellation news would be a huge disappointment to the many people involved, but assured punters that the decision to pull the pin had not been made lightly. Prior to the pandemic, the event had become a firm fixture of Melbourne's winter calendar, running from June to August. It usually sees hordes of locals descending on the QVM's heritage sheds each week to cosy up with serves of mulled wine, listen to live tunes and eat their way through an array of global food stalls. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Queen Victoria Market (@vicmarket) While the Winter Night Market has been scratched, QVM organisers took to Instagram to hint they'll be making up for the loss with some other fun offerings later in the year. "We are working on some exciting new events and activations that will continue to celebrate the vibrancy and culture of Melbourne and our Market, and we look forward to sharing them with you all soon," the team explained. The Queen Victoria Market's Winter Night Market will no longer take place in 2021. For more details, see the QVM website.
Ahhh, the 1980s. It may have been a decade of shame for the fashion industry, but for today's TV and film producers it's a limitless goldmine of nostalgia. Red Oaks, The Americans, Deutschland 83, the 'San Junipero' episode of Black Mirror and, of course, Stranger Things, have all benefited from the public's deep-seeded yearning for the MTV-era. And that's to say nothing of the countless '80s properties that have been rebooted, reimagined or received unexpected sequels. King among the works mining '80s nostalgia is Ernest Cline's 2011 sci-fi novel Ready Player One, now adapted for the big screen by director Steven Spielberg. And it is, to put it bluntly, a nerd's wet dream writ large. Set in a densely overpopulated and largely dystopian future, the story sees the world's impoverished masses spending the majority of their time jacked into a VR universe known as The Oasis. But despite being billed as a digital paradise in which anyone can be whomever they want, the reality (both real and virtual) is far narrower. A competition drives every individual within the Oasis, promising both unimaginable riches and control of the program itself. One such desperate contestant is teenager Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan), who escapes his daily grind in the slums by assuming a virtual identity and racing his vintage DeLorean against his fellow gunters (short for "Easter egg hunters"). Together with his friends (none of whom he has ever actually met in real life), Wade works to secure victory over the thousands of professional gunters hired by IOI, a shady corporation whose malevolent CEO Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn) wants to assume control of the Oasis and monetise its every available pixel. Given that Ready Player One is positively overflowing with pop-culture references, Spielberg should be applauded for inserting so few of his own. There's the DeLorean, of course (Spielberg produced Back To The Future), and the iconic musical cues to accompany it. But by and large his movies take a back seat to other fan favourites like Alien, The Breakfast Club and – in the film's most outstanding sequence – Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. The movie is also heavy on the video game references, from Atari originals through to Overwatch. At its best, Ready Player One uses these tips of the hat to advance its story in wildly creative ways. For the most part, however, the never-ending winks are little more than pavlovian treats. As a result, scenes often feel like cinematic fast-food: delicious at the time but lacking in substance and quickly forgotten. Spielberg has, for most of his career, been a master of crafting movies that appeal to all ages. And yet even though the majority of the references in Ready Player One are aimed at those born between 1970 and 1990, it's hard to see the film speaking to many viewers above the age of 25. While the CGI is impressive, the action is far too frenetic. The dialogue, meanwhile, is painfully hammy (the gamer jargon, in particular, feels like Spielberg was given all the parts to an IKEA wardrobe without any instructions on how to put it together). At least Sheridan and his co-stars do a solid job, and Mendelsohn is nothing if not committed to his performance – albeit in service of a role that oscillates haphazardly between a serious villain and a pantomime one. It's hard not to see a great many current or imminent real-life scenarios akin to the world of The Oasis. Which is why it's such a pity that, instead of exploring the dangers of a plugged-in existence, Ready Player One opts to keep things light, ultimately saying little more than doesn't this all look cool? And sure, Spielberg's approach makes for an entertaining blockbuster. But we can't help but wonder about the movie that might have been. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSp1dM2Vj48
Victorians, it's roadmap time. It's déjà vu time as well. Today, Sunday, September 19, Premier Daniel Andrews announced how the city will gradually ease out of its current (and sixth) lockdown, just as he did around this time last year during Melbourne's prolonged 2020 stint of stay-at-home conditions. On the cards is a four-phase removal of restrictions, taking place from when 80 percent of eligible Victorians have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine — but, unsurprisingly, life isn't going to be returning to normal any time soon. Melbourne first went into this lockdown at the beginning of August — just nine days after the previous lockdown ended — and has seen the stay-at-home rules extended multiple times so far, and a nighttime curfew implemented as well. In regional Victoria, the rest of the state started this lockdown with Greater Melbourne, then came out of it just a few days later. Regional areas of the state then re-entered lockdown in the middle of August, but some regions exited stay-at-home conditions earlier in September. Accordingly, the roadmap applies to all areas under lockdown across the state, but it's Melbourne that's been under stay-at-home rules the longest. The current restrictions — which just eased slightly regarding outdoor social interaction and the distance you're permitted to travel away from home for those outdoor gatherings, exercise and to shop — will remain in place until that 80-percent single-dose target is reached in over 16s. That's actually expected to happen soon, on around Sunday, September 26. Then, things will start changing at other jab targets. So, more restrictions are slated to ease when 70 percent of the state's residents aged over 16 have been fully vaxxed, which is when lockdown will end. After that, in the final two steps — so when 80 percent of over 16s have been double jabbed, and when 80 percent of over 12s have been fully vaccinated — more rules will relax as well. Today we are releasing our roadmap. As well as laying out how we will deliver the National Plan, the roadmap lets Victorians know when we can catch up with friends and family, and get back to the things we love. pic.twitter.com/ogMuUGrdGA — Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) September 19, 2021 "The last 20 months have all been about buying us time to get the community vaccinated. We know there will be a pandemic of the unvaccinated. If we open everything up now with just 45 percent of people double-dosed, we would have a catastrophic number of people who would be very very ill, many many thousands of people would be in intensive care, and that is not what success looks like," the Premier said, announcing the roadmap. "If however, we open steadily, gradually, but open, as we get to 70- and 80-percent double dose, then our nurses, doctors, ambulance workers will come under intense pressure, it will be incredibly difficult to our health system, but we will be able to pass through a gateway, an important gateway, we will be able to normalise this," continued Andrews. "We cannot permanently suppress this virus. Lockdowns have been about buying time to get to 70- and 80-percent vaccination. We are fast approaching those milestones. At that point we have got to open the place up, because remaining closed for ever has its own cost in every sense of that word. This is a very difficult balancing act." Accordingly, Victorians in places currently under lockdown will still be staying at home under the present restrictions for the time being, but some changes are expected in around a week when that 80-percent single-dose target is reached. That's when you'll be able to play basketball, golf, tennis, cricket and other outdoor activities with your mates, under the same picnic rules that are in place now. So, that includes one person who isn't from your household if you aren't fully vaxxed, and up to five adults from two households, plus their dependents, if all adults have had both their jabs. And, personal training will be back for five fully vaxxed people outdoors. [caption id="attachment_818582" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] Also under the first phase, schools will start reopening in stages. Due to school holidays, this'll start happening from Tuesday, October 5, but still under the first step in the plan. It's the second phase, when the 70-percent double-jabbed mark is met in over 16s, that'll get everyone most excited. Expected around Tuesday, October 26, that'll see the reasons to leave home ditched, the curfew end and the travel radius go up to 25 kilometres. Also, ten fully vaxxed people will be allowed to gather outdoors, and outdoor community sport will return. Plus, pubs, clubs and entertainment venues can open to 50 double-jabbed people — but outdoors only — and weddings and funerals can do the same. And, for the fully vaccinated, five people can go to a hairdressers at once. After that, at the 80-percent double-dosed threshold for over 16s — which is expected on around Friday, November 5 — groups of ten, including dependents, will be allowed in homes. Groups of 30 fully vaxxed people can gather outdoors, too. Dining indoors at hospitality venues will resume, with up to 150 double-vaxxed folks allowed, and the cap will go up to 500 outside. There'll be no travel radius, so intrastate travel will be back with no limits. Indoor community sport will return as well, there'll be a 150-person cap on hairdressing for the fully vaxxed, and all retail stores will reopen. Indoor entertainment venues, plus weddings and funerals, will follow those 150 and 500 caps mentioned above. And, masks will only be required inside from this point. Finally, around Friday, November 19, when 80 percent of Victorians over 12 are completely vaccinated, the state will align with the rules under Australia's new 'National Plan to transition Australia's National COVID Response' that was announced in July. That's when double-jabbed Australians are expected to be able to travel overseas again without restrictions, when there's set to be no lockdowns, and when vaxxed Aussies will be free from domestic restrictions anyway. The Federal Government is expected to flesh out these rules in the coming months. Also, Victoria has committed that for Christmas, 30 people will be permitted inside homes. Exactly when that'll kick in — obviously before December 25 — hasn't been revealed. A stepped approach will also apply to regional Victoria's path out of COVID-19 restrictions — for areas that aren't in lockdown — but with different rules in place at different stages until 80 percent of over 16s are double-vaxxed. That's when the entire state will be on the same pathway and under the same conditions. It's worth noting that the national plan requires all of Australia to reach each vaccination threshold overall before an individual state or territory that's met that milestone can ease restrictions — but that hasn't been mentioned in Victoria's roadmap, other than at the final phase. Wondering where you can currently get vaccinated? There's a handy online map that helps you find your nearest clinic. Keen to keep an eye on vaccination rates? A heap of online resources will help you do that as well. For further information about Victoria's reopening roadmap, head to the Victorian Government website. For more information about the status of COVID-19 and the current restrictions, head over to the Department of Health website.
A month after becoming the first commercial airline to pilot a non-stop flight from New York to Sydney, Qantas has flown direct from London to Sydney in a trial run. The ongoing research tests are part of the company's efforts to assess the feasibility of the airline's Project Sunrise scheme, which aims to implement the routes by 2022. For the past five years, Qantas has been promising to eradicate one of the worst things about international long-haul air travel to and from Australia: the dreaded stopover. First, it announced and then implemented non-stop 17-hour flights from Perth to London; however if you live on the east coast, you still have to get to Western Australia. So, the airline revealed that it was exploring direct routes from Sydney, not only to London but to New York as well. Since then, Qantas has been pursuing the idea enthusiastically, widening its plan to also include departures to and from Melbourne and Brisbane. Last month, the Aussie carrier took the next step by starting test flights, which were initially announced a couple of months prior. The huge 19.5-hour journey New York–Sydney journey was just the first trip, with Qantas then flying a brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliner from London to Sydney between Thursday, November 14 and Friday, November 15. The UK–Australia trip took 19 hours and 19 minutes from Heathrow, cutting down the current travel time for east coast-dwellers by around two hours — not including the inevitable stopover time once you get from Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane to Perth. And, it travelled 17,800 kilometres, which is longer than the 16,200 kilometres from New York to Sydney. The two flights took around the same time, though, due to prevailing tail winds between London and Sydney. If you know your aviation history, you'll know that the London to Sydney trek has actually been made before; however the last time it happened was back in 1989, when Qantas made the journey on a Boeing 747-400 with just 23 people onboard. This time, around 50 passengers and crew made the journey, with the aircraft flying across 11 countries: England, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, China, Philippines, Indonesia and, obviously, Australia. Like its New York to Sydney counterpart, the aim of the journey was to gather data about inflight health and wellbeing. Passengers and crew were fitted with wearable technology devices to monitor their monitor sleep patterns, food and beverage consumption, physical movement and use of the entertainment system during the flights. The results will then be assessed by scientists and medical experts from the Charles Perkins Centre, with minimising jetlag, and helping identify optimum crew rest and work patterns part of their research. Testing the impact on pilots is also part of the research. While spending nearly a day on one single plane to get to the USA or Europe is definitely better than jumping on and off different vessels multiple times, it's still a seriously long slog. Yes, you'll avoid the sometimes long, always painful stopovers, but the lengthy journey isn't without its physical, mental and emotional toll — as anyone who has made the Perth to London trip knows — which is what makes this testing so important. A third trial flight, repeating the New York-Sydney route, is planned in December. Qantas is expected to announce whether Project Sunrise will progress to making commercial flights, rather than just trial flights, by the end of the same month. If it proceeds, it'll eclipse the current record for the world's longest direct flight — which clocks in at over 19 hours on Singapore Airlines' 15,322-kilometre Singapore to New York route. Images: Qantas.
After a year of streaming flicks on our laptops and phones, it's time to put bums back on seats at actual cinemas. Excitingly, you can do that at IRL film festivals, pop-up cinemas and even car park rooftops across Melbourne. There are lots of places to catch a film in Melbourne RN. We've rounded up a few of our faves right here. Order an extra large popcorn and get ready for some serious viewing.
Melbourne's seen its fair share of dockless bike share systems rolled out (and often axed) over the years. But things are shifting up a gear this year, with the city's first ever long-term dockless share scheme for electric bikes set to launch next month. The City of Melbourne, the City of Yarra and the City of Port Phillip have announced they'll kick-start a one-year trial with Uber's much-hyped e-bike service, Jump. Jump has already been embraced by cities across the US and Europe, and is en route to our neighbours in Auckland, but this will be its Australian launch. When it lands in Melbourne from early March, the bright red pedal-assisted bikes will be available to hire through your regular Uber app. You'll just need to switch to bike mode, where you'll be able to see available bikes and use the app to unlock one and ride away. The bikes will be available to ride within the three inner city councils, which includes the CBD and Docklands, West Melbourne (and over to Flemington), the inner north (Carlton, North Melbourne, Fitzroy and Richmond) and down to the bay (Port Melbourne, South Melbourne, Albert Park, St Kilda and Elwood). In another effort to avoid the woes of past bike share networks, the councils have signed a Memorandum of Understanding outlining the rules and regulations Jump will need to stick to in order to keep operating in Melbourne past the 12-month trial. The company using geo-fencing technologies and remote monitoring to keep track of its fleet. Hopefully that'll help curb the number of bikes ditched in trees, creeks and other questionable spots around the city, as was mostly the downfall of previous players like oBike. As well as laying down requirements for parking and maintenance, it stipulates firm resolution timeframes for damaged or discarded e-bikes. Taking care of service and maintenance will be the crew from Good Cycles, a Melbourne-based social enterprise that trains and employees disadvantaged youth. The city is set to score 400 Jump bikes as the trial launches, with more headed to Yarra and Port Phillip areas in the following months. This will somewhat replace the City of Melbourne's blue bike share scheme, which was abandoned last year. Riders will, of course, have to don a helmet and play by the usual road rules when cruising around on a Jump bike. Prices haven't yet been confirmed but, for reference, in New Zealand the bikes cost $1 (NZD) to unlock and then $0.38 per minute after that. Uber hasn't announced any plans to launch Jump in any other Australian cities yet, but if the trial goes well, we'd expect that it will in the near future. You can expect to see the Jump bike option in your Uber app from early March. We'll let you know when it launches. You can find more info on the Jump bikes here.
Isn't it lovely to see big companies doing their bit for the social good. In Google's case, it's not just about donating huge sums of money. Rather, they make essential communications technology accessible to those who promote positive change. Google's recent launch of Google for nonprofits brings together an extensive toolkit for non-profit organisations, including AdWords, special YouTube privileges, Apps and more. Currently, the tools are only available to Google Grant recipients who receive thousands in in-kind advertising from Google. The company realised that gifting the use of AdWords and the like wasn't enough: Goolge also needed to teach non-profits how to maximise the potential of such tools. Instructional videos and the Make-A-Change section will show users how to make the most of the tools to communicate their message; while the Marketplace will connect non-profits with service providers offering free or discounted rates. Google offers grants to approved non-profits in the US only, but the marketing manager of Google for nonprofits Kirsten Olsen Cahill hopes to expand to other nations soon. [Via Mashable]
2022 has been a great time to be a fan of Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, thanks to not one, not two, but three new projects hitting Australian screens — aka Nightmare Alley, Cabinet of Curiosities and Pinocchio. But if you adore the director's stunning Pan's Labyrinth, as everyone should, then 2023 is going to be even better in Melbourne. The reason? The wondrous film is getting the Hear My Eyes treatment Remixing cinematic masterpieces with a brand-new live score is Hear My Eyes' big thing, as seen in its take on Chopper in 2022 in Melbourne, plus past versions of Drive, Girlhood, Suspiria and Two Hands — and more. It hasn't ever done the same with Pan's Labyrinth before, however, so this performance at 6pm on Saturday, March 18 at The Astor is part of a premiere season. Sleep D and artists Hektor and RBI (Ruby Willis) are writing and performing the new score, giving a hypnotic and resonant picture matching sounds. The end result is set to be one of the most transporting examples of movies meeting music you'll ever go to; think of it as a cinema session and a concert in one. Need a refresher on the film? Released in 2006 and winning three Oscars for its efforts — including Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction and Best Makeup — Pan's Labyrinth takes audiences to Spain during the Franco regime, specifically in the summer of 1944. That when and where ten-year-old Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) gets drawn into a stone maze, with the lines between her reality and this dreamworld colliding — and creating powerful, moving and dazzling movie magic.
Guillermo Del Toro's original Pacific Rim knew exactly what it was: a modern day creature feature starring giant robots beating the living crap out of even bigger monsters. Everything the movie did, from the characters' backstories to the wacky scientists and even the burgeoning romance, was all there to serve a sole purpose: get us to the next massive monster bash. The entire exercise was big, silly and frequently confusing, but in the end it was all forgivable because Pacific Rim delivered the film it said it would. The sequel, by contrast, made the fatal error of having hardly any robot vs. monster fisticuffs, and – to put things bluntly – it sucked. Sadly, cinemas latest creature feature, The Meg, makes a similar mistake, proving about as big a disappointment as the shark you barely get to see. The setup, as far as sharksploitation films go, is actually pretty solid. A deep sea research project named Mana One discovers the Mariana Trench is actually deeper than first thought, with a dense cloud of hydrogen-sulfide masking a deeper world that's remained untouched since the Jurassic period. It's here the scientists both discover and then accidentally release the proverbial Meg (short for Megalodon), setting the giant shark upon a course of murderous destruction as it explores the oceans above. And wouldn't that have been great to watch! Sadly the film chooses to tell rather than show, mostly sending its cast to survey the aftermath of the Meg's mayhem rather than really showing the toothy beast in action. Much of the fault lies in decision to go for a family (and censor) friendly rating that strips the movie of almost all its gore. Truly, there's more bloody violence in a lamb ad then The Meg, robbing it of any sense of gruesome fun. In the lead human role, action man and former professional diver Jason Statham plays a deep sea rescue expert reluctantly drawn back into the world that abandoned him after a deadly incident some years prior. He's grizzled, cynical and a heavy beer drinker, yet still somehow more ripped than a carcass after a shark attack – not that The Meg would show that kind of thing. Statham, like Dwayne Johnson, is a delight to watch on screen, at once committed to his performance yet unmistakably aware of how ridiculous this movie is. Even he, though, feels underutilised in this film, relegated to delivering bad cliches in even more derivative scenarios. His co-stars don't fare much better, with the likes of Ruby Rose, Rainn Wilson and Chinese superstar Li Bingbing all trudging their way through this cheesy affair. In all, there's just not enough Meg in The Meg to justify the price of admission, let alone the title. It's not good enough to be a good film, but also not bad enough to be so bad it's good. Frankly, if it's schlock you're after, you'd be far better served by genuine B-movies like Sharknado. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGYXExfKhmo
New movies always come out on Thursday. Except for one special week of the year, where they come out on Boxing Day, whatever day that might be. It's just another one of those baffling Christmas traditions of which we're terribly fond. In 2013 distributors will be releasing some of their biggest titles — as well as some oddball underdogs — to duke it out on Australia's mass movie-going day. We've seen them all and can report back that some will ease your festive hangover, indigestion and sunstroke more pleasantly than others. https://youtube.com/watch?v=rETaWDZ57v0 Short Term 12 (Sydney and Melbourne only) For when you're with: people who take an expansive view of 'Christmas cheer' It scores: five stars This SXSW Film Festival winner was number one on Buzzfeed's list of 'movies you probably missed in 2013 but definitely need to see', so if you get in quick, you can make it the no.1 movie you outsmarted Buzzfeed on instead. Short Term 12 is the kind of film that feels like a well-edited version of real life — though probably not a life that is familiar to you, if you grew up in safe, loving circumstances. Compulsively watchable and super emotional, it revolves around the kids and their barely adult supervisors at a temporary foster care facility. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ksrkKXoEJbM The Railway Man For when you're with: people with an even more expansive view of 'Christmas cheer' It scores: four stars Based on true events, The Railway Man tells the story of Eric Lomax — a WWII British signalman forced to work upon the infamous Burma line after the Japanese overran his base. Lomax (Colin Firth) was subjected to extraordinary brutality and torture by his captors, the effects of which continued to torment him decades after the war's end; one conflict over, another unceasing. Events finally came to a head in 1980 when Lomax discovered his chief tormenter was still alive and working as a tour guide in the very complex in which he had dispensed his horrors. For a film that covers some terrifically dark elements in excruciating detail, The Railway Man remains an overwhelmingly tender offering that won't feel at all out of place for the post-Christmas period. https://youtube.com/watch?v=rD8f9kn7D2U Philomena For when you're with: more than just your mum It scores: four stars Be not fooled by the marketing materials, which make the film look like an aged-up version of The Trip with Judi Dench in place of Rob Brydon. (Although, thinking about it, that would be brilliant.) Philomena is a terrifically made, entertaining work that stands head and shoulders above many of the films being forced upon us this Christmas. Based on a true story, Philomena follows ex-political spin doctor Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan), who, in an attempt to revive his journalism career, chases the "human interest story" of Philomena (Judi Dench) an elderly woman searching for her long-lost son, who was taken from her by Catholic nuns. As the pair investigates, the truth behind the forced adoption becomes all the more shocking. https://youtube.com/watch?v=7ve8mc6UNSk The Secret Life of Walter Mitty For when you're with: anybody who can silence their inner cynic It scores: three and a half stars Funny, optimistic, life-affirming and full of pretty pictures and massive special effects, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is the ultimate Hollywood product and is something of a passion project for Ben Stiller, who directed, produced and stars in it. The film follows a quiet Life magazine staffer as he learns to seize the day. When Walter can't find a hyped photo negative, which the photographer has described as capturing the "quintessence of life" and which is wanted for the final magazine cover, he sets off on a worldwide hunt, using the few clues he has. https://youtube.com/watch?v=OPVWy1tFXuc The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug For when you're with: the same people with whom you've seen everything Peter Jackson It scores: three stars The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is a marked improvement on last year's An Unexpected Journey. For one thing, it doesn't take an hour for something to happen. Instead, after a brief yet engaging flashback to the first encounter between Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and Thorin (Richard Armitage), the film explodes into life with a pursuit of the Dwarf Dozen et al, and remains — by and large — a pursuit to the end. This is a film with enough action to entertain and enough Tolkien to satisfy; however, it ultimately feels more 'distraction' than 'attraction'. https://youtube.com/watch?v=TbQm5doF_Uc Frozen For when you're with: children, animation geeks and winter-weather fanatics It scores: three stars When Disney finally bought Pixar in 2006, the deal essentially saw Pixar's creative team taking control of Disney's animated output. Given the strong quality control Pixar has over its products, this was no bad thing. Based loosely on Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen — a story Disney has been trying to adapt since the 1940s — the film follows two princesses, one of whom accidentally creates a permanent winter, and the other of whom has to save them from it. It's a far cry from the insufferable toy-selling, pop-culture spewing, catchphrase-ridden films churned out during at the beginning every school holiday period, but nor does it hit the heights of Disney's best output. By Rima Sabina Aouf, Tom Glasson and Lee Zachariah.
Are you ready to get back on the school bus? The We and the I is a 2012 American dramedy directed by Michel Gondry, the idiosyncratic French filmmaker responsible for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. In this fictional film, Gondry recruits a handful of talented kids from the Bronx, the infamous Fort Apache neighbourhood, and fashions a script around them. These Bronx high-schoolers play out real stories on a fictitious bus line, the BX66, and as the bus shudders through real South Bronx neighborhoods old friendships shatter, flirtations begin, secrets spill over and bullies jeer. There's anger, there's profanity, and there's tenderness — all presented without teen-movie romanticism or moral judgment. The We and the I perfectly captures the freewheeling, hormonal chaos of being in high school, not to mention the joy of profanity, and the conflict between the desire to be oneself and the need to fit in. Go see it; there might be somebody in this jumbly group that you recognise.
The 2014 Melbourne Fringe Festival program has launched (gorilla in tow), and it's a predictably bursting-at-the-seams feast of live theatre, music, comedy, dance, film and art that will make for three-or-so weeks of decidedly unabashed fun. Now in its 32nd year, the Fringe is sticking to its tried-and-tested mix of emerging artists and more seasoned acts, but building on the general themes of coming-togetherness and seeing cool stuff, the festival is also launching a brand new series of site-specific works called Uncommon Places. Pairing ten artists with ten not usually arty spaces, the idea is to explore the theme of "third places" — places that aren't work or home but where you do that good old-fashioned socialising stuff, where people meet and discuss art and politics, where creative ideas are born and civic engagement is fostered. In other words, places that aren't really uncommon at all, but maybe just places you wouldn't expect to travel to for an arts festival. Nice. The program has the artists talking to the people who usually use the spaces, and telling their stories through installation. Filmmaker and human rights' advocate Emily Dalkin will take over the City Baths, investigating their social history way back to pre-colonial times, when the site was a local watering hole, while designer Danny Pettingill will bring his exploration of light in space and architecture to Pellegrini's Espresso Bar. Other festival drawcards include the dine-while-you-watch Fringe Film program, now in its second year, which showcases emerging digital artists doing boundary-crossing things with screens; Fringe Furniture, for design nerds; and the mini festival-within-a-festival for the north side at Northcote Town Hall, presented by Speakeasy. If you're an emerging artist dealing in the, erm, less prudish side of art-making, check out FECK:ART — a participatory exhibition of "socially responsible erotica" for work the curators are kinda hoping will need a content warning. And back again, of course, is the perennial Festival Hub at North Melbourne Town Hall, with three different bars in which to sit around and organise your festival shenanigans. It also boasts a continually revolving program of more than 60 events including a series of shows by lady comedians, the high-energy late-night Fringe Club, and Flash!, a showcase of dance, music, art and comedy from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. All in all, there should probably be a veto on ever saying, hearing or thinking the words "I'm bored" for the duration of the festival, which runs, by the way, from September 17 to October 5. See the Fringe Festival website for the full program, tickets, all that good stuff.
Back in 2012, when Daniel Radcliffe was initially trying to shake a certain boy wizard from his system — before everything from Swiss Army Man and The Lost City to Miracle Workers and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story firmly helped — he stepped into a different kind of supernatural thrills. His first post-Harry Potter role saw him take on The Woman in Black, a gothic-horror tale that pitted him against a curse and a ghost. And yes, the latter did have quite the fondness for wearing dark clothing. The film adapted the 1983 novella of the same name for the second time. But before The Woman in Black made it to the screen, it spooked out the theatre courtesy of Stephen Mallatratt back in 1987. Because hauntings often keep coming back, this play is doing so again, this time in a new Australian production starring John Waters (Blaze) and Daniel MacPherson (Foundation). If you don't like scary tales about sinister spirits seeking revenge for past ills, then you might want to sit this one out. If you love them, then prepare to put your nerves to the test. We're betting that the Athenaeum Theatre will be at its unsettling best for the occasion — it's not every day that it hosts a show that ranks among West End's longest-running productions, second only to Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, after all. Melbourne's season will kick off on Thursday, June 13, spanning till Saturday, July 6. The Woman in Black is set in Eel Marsh House in England's north, which sits at the heart of a story that Arthur Kipps recounts about his stint as a young solicitor overseeing Mrs Alice Drablow's funeral. The place isn't just filled with secrets, thanks to the titular figure. Waters plays the elder Kipps, with MacPherson plays an actor who agrees to perform the role of his younger guise. Images: James Reiser.
Canberra coffee fiends have long been familiar with award-winning specialty coffee roaster Ona, which now has a handful of well-known cafes and coffee venues dotted across the nation's capital. Even Sydney has been given a taste, with Ona's first interstate outpost launching in Marrickville in mid-2018. Now, it's Melbourne's turn, as the caffeine maestros gear up to open the doors to their newest cafe venture, in the heart of Brunswick. Set to launch in spring 2020, the Ovens Street venue will boast a similar set-up and offering to its siblings. The team has nabbed a building with what they call a "unique history", which they'll convert into a complete "coffee sanctuary". For Ona, specialty coffee is a serious passion — in place of the standard cafe options, choice here runs to a simple trio of milk, black and filter coffee, with blends and single origins available for each. Expect a full service, open-plan coffee bar, optimised for customer interaction and with dedicated sections for espresso, milk work and filter brewing. Built-in freezers house Ona's famed frozen 'reserve' coffees, which use signature methods to vacuum-seal and store small portions of rare and expensive coffee. [caption id="attachment_673830" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ona Coffee Marickville[/caption] This 'reserve list' hints further at Ona's coffee obsession, acting a little like the high-end vino offering you'd find at a wine bar. The lineup will showcase various coffee harvests, countries of origin and processing techniques, highlighting the huge array of flavour differences. Yep – get ready to unleash your inner coffee nerd like never before. The cafe's food menu is still in the planning stages, but we're told to expect a strong sustainability focus, plenty of local ingredients, and a big contingent of vegan and vegetarian dishes. While Melbourne is not short on great cafes and roasteries, coffee fiends should be particularly excited about Ona — the acclaimed coffee brand's baristas and brews are often recognised as some of the best at the annual Melbourne International Coffee Expo. Ona Melbourne is set to open at 22 Ovens Street, Brunswick, from March/April 2020. Top image: Ona Sydney.
UPDATE, November 30, 2020: Upgrade is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Watching Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green) is quite the sight to behold. Forget the terrible name, which sounds like it belongs to a Mad Men ad agency rather than a person — with his convulsive moves, the mechanic turned quadriplegic turned killing machine is positively hypnotic. Filmed by writer-director Leigh Whannell in a style that's somehow both twitchy and fluid, Grey dispatches with his enemies with super-human ease, combining the cool efficiency of John Wick with the technological flair of RoboCop and The Terminator. Indeed, alongside the body horror cinema of David Cronenberg and the thrilling science-fiction of John Carpenter, it's easy to spot Upgrade's action and sci-fi influences. Played with grim-faced precision by Tom Hardy-lookalike Green, Grey is not someone you'd want to mess with. But the character's flying fists aren't completely under his own control. Paralysed after a self-driving car crash and a subsequent attack by vicious thugs, he's now the recipient of a brain implant that has re-enabled his limbs. Called STEM, it's an experimental advancement designed by a young tech wiz (Harrison Gilbertson) who seems like he's up to no good, even though he's claiming he wants to assist. The fact that the secret chip has a mind of its own — or, rather, a voice (Simon Maiden) that compels Grey to hunt down the gang that killed his wife (Melanie Vallejo) — doesn't help matters. Bone-crunching, blood-splattered revenge is a dish best-served with an AI sidekick in Upgrade. Although the concept might sound more tired than wired on paper, it makes for a sharp, sleek and savage wander into genre territory. Every element that initially seems worthy of an eye-roll — pre-accident, Grey is vocal about his hatred for all things digital, for example — soon raises a smile thanks to the film's pulpy execution. Weapons immeshed into the human body? A villain that sneezes computer chips? A man virtually talking to himself for the entire flick? It all works. And while Upgrade comes from the mind of someone who has seen everything from 2001: A Space Odyssey and Blade Runner to Her and Ex Machina, Whannell has dreamed their various parts into his own new creation. There's a scene, part-way through the movie, that couldn't better encapsulate Upgrade's charms — or its savvy ability to combine its numerous sources of inspiration into an engaging vessel all of its own. It's not the most inventive of the film's many set pieces, but it makes a firm and fitting impression nonetheless. Grey awakens from an operating table, STEM freshly inserted into his spine, and Upgrade has an "it's alive!" moment. Riffing on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is hardly new — nor is taking cues from James Whale's 1931 film that brought the novel to the screen. And yet here, it really couldn't be more apt. Upgrade is a thoroughly 21st-century incarnation of the 200-year-old tale about a man reborn from cobbled-together parts, this time including both flesh and circuitry. It's also a movie put together in the same dice, splice, borrow and reuse fashion. Furthermore, Upgrade proves a much more effective use of Whannell's skills than the Insidious and Saw flicks, the two franchises that brought him to fame after initially reviewing movies on ABC TV's Recovery. Instead of serving up by-the-numbers gore and spooks, there's smarts behind this gleeful mashup of genre staples — not to mention passion, personality, a swift pace, a gorgeous red and grey colour palette, and slick yet gritty futuristic visuals. To be fair, Whannell wrote rather than directed most of his previous hits (and also co-stars in the Insidious films), with the underwhelming Insidious: Chapter 3 his only other credit behind the lens. You'd never guess that Upgrade sprang from the same person, which might just be the biggest compliment you could pay this entertainingly schlocky cyberpunk action-thriller. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEnRNIvEKu8
When yum cha hits the menu at The Grand Richmond, it doesn't show up in its usual guise. Sorry dumplings, spring rolls and pork buns, but this isn't your time to shine. Instead, this feast of bite-sized portions is going Italian. Yes, Italian Yum Cha is exactly what it sounds like. Work your way through little steamer baskets filled with everything from crab risotto to suckling pig croquettes. The list goes on — bruschetta, duck prosciutto, pork lasagne, gnocchi, roast scallops with anchovies and mini pizzas are all included — and also covers desserts such as tiramisu, lemon tarts and bomboloni. You can eat it all with chopsticks if you'd prefer (or at least attempt to). As is the custom, prices are tallied per dish, which come in multiple servings. Booking a table in advance is highly recommended, with Italian Yum Cha making its return for 2021 every Saturday and Sunday for the rest of June, and then one Sunday a month — on July 4, August 1, September 12 and October 3 — afterwards.
There was always that one kid in every primary school who was known as ‘the good drawer’. They could navigate a tray of Derwent pencils with their eyes closed, and their Wonky Vase with Sunflower still life made it into the annual school calendar three years in a row. Shaun Tan was this kid, except unlike the one from your primary school who probably didn’t sharpen their grey lead past grade six, he directed and developed one of his picture books into an Oscar-winning animated film. The logical next step from annual school calendar selection. Dealing with political and social issues illustrated in dream-like, surreal worlds, Perth-born artist and author Shaun Tan creates beloved books that delight both adults and children alike. ACMI will be hosting the world premiere of Shaun Tan’s The Lost Thing: From Book to Film, opening Tuesday, July 16, and running through to mid-January 2014. Divided into two parts, the exhibition will show Shaun's original sketches, collages and finished paintings from The Lost Thing, as well as documenting and examining the painstaking process of transforming the picture book into an animated film. I've made a few page corner flipbooks in my time, and I can tell you first hand what a laborious task this is. I assume the processes are somewhat similar.
There's simply no stopping Scott Pickett. But then, you've got to agree, that's a very good thing. The acclaimed chef and restaurateur, who counts the likes of Estelle, Saint Crispin and Pickett's Deli & Rotisserie among his stable of culinary smash hits, has just unveiled his latest venture, this time taking on South Yarra. Perhaps the most striking Pickett project to date, Matilda 159 Domain has carved its home out of a soaring, two-level space beneath Domain Road's United Places Botanic Gardens boutique hotel. Sitting pretty across from the Royal Botanic Gardens, this one boasts a warm, timber-heavy fitout by creative studio Projects of Imagination, offset by an assembly of natural textures — custom designed Andrei Davidoff ceramics, dark leather banquettes, and tables crafted from Australian blackwood trees. It has an earthy vibe that's reflected in the modern Australian food offering, as Pickett pushes into new culinary territory, ditching the concept of gas cooking to focus on all things fire and smoke. The open kitchen's going in strong, with two fire pits, a rotisserie, a smoker box, a josper and a wood-fire oven — nab one of the eight covetable ring-side seats to best see it all at play. The menu itself features a roll-call of native Aussie ingredients, each dish brought to life by either coal, flame or smoke. Signature creations include the likes of Macedon Ranges duck, smoked over cherry wood and teamed with charred orange; spanner crab with flatbread and a prawn butter; and at dessert, a dish of Glenora rhubarb, burnt custard and lemon verbena. To match, a sprawling wine menu features a curation of top Aussie labels and European favourites, backed by a local-leaning contingent of spirits and craft beers. In the restaurant's basement you'll find Oscar's Bar, where a compact and creative cocktail and snacks list is soon to launch. Matilda 159 Domain is now open at 159 Domain Road, South Yarra. Images: Interiors by Tim Grey, Food by Gareth Sobey
Normally when the middle of the year hits — when Australia's weather is at its frostiest, aptly — the annual Scandinavian Film Festival rolls into cinemas around the country. In Melbourne, that timing coincided with lengthy lockdowns, so the fest is bringing back its Nordic noir-heavy lineup for another spin before the year is out. Kicking off on Friday, November 26 and running through until Wednesday, December 16, the returning showcase of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden and Norway cinema launches with a must-see new entry in the Scandi-noir genre. Hailing from Denmark, opening night's Wildland stars Sidse Babette Knudsen (Borgen, Westworld) as the head of a family crime syndicate. She's charged with looking after her teenage niece and, in a movie that instantly brings Australia's own Animal Kingdom to mind, the latter soon learns more about the family business. Also on this year's Scandinavian Film Festival lineup: Knudsen again in Copenhagen-set psychological thriller The Exception; masterful and engaging Norwegian film Disco, about an evangelical dance champion who finds her faith tested; and surreal mother-daughter drama Psychosis in Stockholm. Or, for fans of Nordic cinema's big names, relationship drama Hope co-stars Stellan Skarsgård (Chernobyl), musical comedy A Piece of My Heart sees Swedish-born actor Malin Akerman (Rampage) back on home turf, and The County hails from Icelandic filmmaker Grímur Hákonarson — who directed Rams, which was remade in Australia last year. Other highlights include Icelandic box office hits Agnes Joy and The Last Fishing Trip, the latter of which has been compared to The Hangover; Finnish biopics Helene and Tove, about painter Helene Schjerfbeck and visual artist and author Tove Jansson, respectively; and Tigers, which tells the true tale of former Inter Milan player Martin Bengtsson. Or, there's also Diana's Wedding, which isn't actually about that Diana — plus closing night's 50th anniversary-screening of The Emigrants starring Max von Sydow and Liv Ullmann.
The brand new Jurassic World exhibition at the Melbourne Museum isn't the only place you can see dinosaurs this week. For when a VHS copy of Jurassic Park goes missing just before a screening at the Lyme Regis Community Centre, it falls upon the Park family to recreate the movie themselves. A sell-out hit at Edinburgh Fringe and now in Melbourne for the International Comedy Festival, Dinosaur Park is a tale of family dysfunction and epic adventure inspired by Steven Spielberg's iconic film. Who needs a $100 million special effects budget when you've got three comedians running around the stage like dinosaurs?
The COVID-19 situation in Australia is changing every day, with the federal government first implementing a ban on non-essential events with more than 500 people and then mandating that everyone arriving from overseas self-isolate for 14 days. In response to the first restriction, events and venues around the country are cancelling and postponing their 2020 plans. The latest casualty: Bluesfest. The long-running festival was set to return to Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm — just outside Byron Bay — for the Easter long weekend, headlined by Alanis Morissette, Dave Matthews Band, Patti Smith, Crowded House and Lenny Kravitz, among others. But, Festival Director Peter Noble this morning announced it would not be going ahead. "We are heartbroken," Noble said in a statement. "We believe we were presenting one of the best ever bills of talent for you." While the Easter festival has been cancelled, Noble says "we are now working through how to move forward". https://www.facebook.com/bluesfestbyronbay/posts/3896289597078132 It's the first time in 30 years the festival will not run, but the second year in a row it has come under threat. Last year, Noble contemplated moving the festival to a spot outside of NSW last year because of the State Government's strict music festival licensing regime. According to website I Lost My Gig Australia, so far 20,000 events have been cancelled, which has impacted 190,000 Australians and equated to $47 million in lost income. And those numbers are continuing to climb by the minute. We'll let you know if and when Bluesfest releases more details. To stay up-to-date with the events postponed and cancelled in your city, head over here. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Top image: Joseph Mayers
Queensland-born cult burger joint Betty's Burgers & Concrete Co. is expanding its empire yet again, announcing it will launch its second Melbourne outpost in Windsor this year. Since opening the Shake Shack-style burger shop back in 2014, founder David Hales has turned his humble Noosa business into an Australian-wide favourite — having opened up shops in Brisbane, Sydney and one in Melbourne's CBD. Famous not just for its no-frills, well-priced burgers (the Classic will only set you back a tenner), the "Concrete" side of its name refers to its popular custard ice cream dessert. Packed with the likes of banana pudding, toffee marshmallow and hot fudge, it isn't just your savoury stomach the Betty crew are looking after. The new store will also have a packed drinks lineup, serving up boutique beers and local wines alongside soft drinks and its signature thick shakes. The 1950s-inspired burger shack on Elizabeth Street often sees quite a crowd, of both burger lovers and shake fans, and Betty's Burgers hopes the Windsor store will be the same suggesting locals 'brace for large queues'. We also suggest priming both stomachs, savoury and sweet, for its opening — it looks like you'll be needing both to tackle Betty's. Betty's Burgers & Concrete Co is set to open its doors at 129-131 Chapel Street, Windsor this year.
Marked in red on every Melbourne movie lover's calendar, the Melbourne International Film Festival is approaching at rapid speed. And from the looks of things, the 63rd annual edition is shaping up to be a good one. The program is a winner and, with the death of the Greater Union multiplex on Russell Street (RIP uncomfortable seats), festival goers can expect some brand-spanking new venues as well. The thought of having to jog between Melbourne Central and the Treasury Theatre off Spring Street isn't exactly appealing, but seeing a MIFF film in IMAX seems pretty damn cool. First things first though. With the program announced and tickets now on sale, the time has come to narrow 341 films down to a number that (a) you can actually afford and (b) won't make your eyes bleed. Choosing between a four-hour Filipino crime drama and a documentary about Big Bird is never easy, but these are the kinds of decisions that simply have to be made. To make your ticket selection just that little bit easier, check out our picks from this year's MIFF lineup. ONE PRESTIGE PIC THAT WAS ALL THE RAGE AT CANNES No one's going to mistake the Yarra for the French Riviera, but the highlights of the word's most prestigious film festival are well represented at this year's MIFF. The joint winner of the Cannes Jury Prize, Mommy is the most recent work from prodigious Quebecois filmmaker Xavier Dolan (Heartbeats, Laurence Anyway). A heightened, visually stylish melodrama, the film tells the story of a fiery single mother and her relationship with her troubled teenage son. What's particularly remarkable about the film is that Dolan shot it entirely in 1:1 aspect ratio, transforming the screen into a perfect square. It may sound like a bit of a gimmick, but the result is nothing short of astounding. Also: Dolan's Jury Prize co-winner was none other than French New Wave pioneer Jean-Luc Godard, still going strong at age 83 with his first feature shot entirely in 3D, entitled Goodbye to Language. There's also Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne's superbly pared-back social drama Two Days, One Night and James Gray's fourth consecutive Palme d'Or contender, The Immigrant. https://youtube.com/watch?v=8U_qYaAQq38 ONE EXAMPLE OF CONTEMPORARY ASIAN CINEMA AT ITS FINEST The life story of the legendary Chinese martial artist Ip Man has been made into movies before, but The Grandmaster puts all previous versions to shame. Renowned Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-wai (In the Mood for Love, 2046) brings his signature visual opulence to every frame, from the elaborate set and costume design to the gorgeous golden hues of the cinematography. Likewise, fight choreographer Yuen Woo-ping (The Matrix, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) outdoes himself, crafting action scenes that are as elegant as they are thrilling. Also: Visually striking Chinese thriller Black Coal, Thin Ice won the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival, and was one of our top picks from the Sydney Film Festival last month. Acclaimed Taiwanese filmmaker Tsai Ming-liang has two films on the program, in the form of narrative feature Stray Dogs and the more contemplative Journey to the West. A special documentary sidebar, India in Flux: Living Resistance, offers portraits of life in modern day India. https://youtube.com/watch?v=YU2ucr3lXYk ONE AMERICAN INDIE WITH A CAST OF FAMOUS FACES The latest film from writer-director Kelly Reichardt (Meek's Cutoff, Wendy and Lucy) features Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning and Peter Sarsgaard as a trio of radical environmentalists plotting to blow up a dam. Well received out of the Toronto and Venice Film Festivals last year, Night Moves looks to be a tad more mainstream than the rest of Reichardt's oeuvre, with the film's tense, paranoid plotting earning it comparisons to the works of Alfred Hitchcock. Also: Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig get serious in Craig Johnson's The Skeleton Twins, Nicolas Cage tries to salvage some of his acting cred in David Gordon Green's Joe, and Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke age 12 years in Richard Linklater's Boyhood. https://youtube.com/watch?v=8NdkapFLgcY ONE DOCUMENTARY TO CHALLENGE YOUR ASSUMPTIONS In 2008, China became the first country to officially recognise 'internet addiction' as a psychological disorder. The prescribed treatment: jail-like boot camps run by khaki-clad soldiers, where parents send their web-obsessed kids to cure them of their affliction. Web Junkies pulls back the curtain at one such facility, following three teenage boys as they try to kick their online habit. In doing so, the film explores the perils of obsessive behaviour, as well the enormous expectations placed on children in contemporary China. Also: Oscar-winning documentarian Errol Morris goes head to head with former US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in The Unknown Known, while the philosophy of Noam Chomsky gets animated in Michel Gondry's Is the Man Who is Tall Happy? There's also a wealth of movies about movies, including a behind-the-scenes look at the history of Studio Ghibli in The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness and an ode to Alejandro Jodorowsky's unmade masterpiece in Jodorowsky's Dune. https://youtube.com/watch?v=bqiH0fiNz2g ONE LOCAL PRODUCTION TO RESTORE YOUR FAITH IN THE AUSTRALIAN FILM INDUSTRY Shot in Melbourne by Australian directing duo the Spierig brothers, this year's opening night film, Predestination, stars Ethan Hawke as a time-travelling secret agent. While that sounds all kinds of awesome, we're actually more excited for the other Australian time travel movie on the program. Shot on the cheap by first-time director Hugh Sullivan, the quirky sci-fi rom-com The Infinite Man had a rapturous reception at SXSW, with Indiewire and Time Magazine naming it one of the best films at the American festival. Also: The already mentioned Predestination, assuming you're willing to splurge for an opening night ticket. The same goes for the gala presentation screening of Tony Ayres' '70s crime pic Cut Snake, as well as the gritty Melbourne-set cop drama Felony on closing night. At regular prices, Michael Cody and Amiel Courtin Wilson's Ruin was among the most memorable Australian entries at the Sydney Film Festival, while Robert Connolly's children's film, Paper Planes, sounds delightful. ONE LATE NIGHT GENRE FLICK TO REALLY PUSH YOUR LIMITS Like him or hate him, no one makes movies like Sion Sono. After bursting onto the global scene in 2008 with his four-hour up-skirt photography epic, Love Exposure, the Japanese poet-turned-filmmaker has made a name for himself pushing the boundaries of violence, sexuality and good taste. Why Don't You Play in Hell? follows a group of amateur filmmakers thrown headfirst into a bloody Yakuza crime war. Although not for the faint of heart, you can just about guarantee that you won't see anything else like it at the festival. Also: Local director Jon Hewitt remakes the impossibly nasty Ozploitation film Turkey Shoot, a movie that in some ways feels like a spiritual prequel to The Hunger Games. On a lighter if still rather gruesome note, Aubrey Plaza and Dane DeHaan star in the Warm Bodies style zom-rom-com Life After Beth. ONE FILM FROM THE BACKBEAT SECTION TO GET YOU MOVING TO THE MUSIC Some of the most popular films at MIFF are programmed in the musically themed Backbeat section. The one we're most excited about this year is the Glascow-set indie musical God Help the Girl, written and directed by Belle and Sebastian frontman Stuart Murdoch. Australian actress Emily Browning stars as an emotionally troubled teenager who turns to song-writing as a means of escape, eventually forming a band with the help of Skins stars Hannah Murray and Olly Alexander. Also: 20,000 Days on Earth presents a semi-fictionalised day in the life of Nick Cave, while Florian Habicht's new documentary Pulp: A Film About Life, Death and Supermarkets takes viewers through the career of '90s rock act Pulp. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Av0Bq7wYcbg ONE CINEMATIC EPIC TO TEST YOUR ENDURANCE (AND YOUR BLADDER) It wouldn't be MIFF without having your butt fall asleep at the Forum Theatre at least once. Of the many epic length films at the festival this year, the immediate standout is Lav Diaz's four-hour crime drama Norte, the End of History. An exploration of family and class set in the rural Philippines and based loosely on Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, the film has been lauded by critics from Cannes to Toronto to New York and described by the New York Times as "a tour de force of slow cinema". Just make sure you bring a snack, because you may have to skip lunch. Also: Shot in vivid black and white, Aleksei German's adaptation of the seminal Russian sci-fi novel Hard to Be a God runs for three hours and took 13 years to complete. On the non-fiction side of things, Frederick Wiseman's 244-minute observational doco At Berkeley has been critically acclaimed, as has Wang Bing's 228-minute portrait of a Chinese mental institution, 'Til Madness Do Us Part. https://youtube.com/watch?v=mRiQxsmjXjY ONE HILARIOUS COMEDY TO FILL THE GAPS BETWEEN THE ARTSY STUFF Not every movie that shows at a festival is horribly worthy and depressing. That said, our pick of the best comedy at MIFF this year does have a bit of a body count. Directed by and starring Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Concords) and Taika Waititi (Boy), What We Do in the Shadows follows the attempts of four vampires to live inconspicuously in a downtown Wellington flat. Shot as a faux documentary a la The Office, the film is a hilarious combination of silly and bloody that earmarks it not just as the funniest film of the festival but the funniest film of the year. Also: Anna Kendrick, Melanie Lynskey and Lena Dunham show off their improv skills in Happy Christmas, the latest low-key comedy from mumblecore maestro Joe Swanberg. Patrons in need of a laugh can also check out the new film from The French Kissers director Riad Sattouf, a Pythonesque gender farce entitled Jacky in the Kingdom of Women. https://youtube.com/watch?v=hsJp0fagY6s ONE RARE CHANCE TO SEE A CLASSIC ON THE BIG SCREEN One of MIFF's big strengths in recent years has been its focused retrospectives. This year the programmers will shine a light on the work of iconic French actor Jean-Pierre Léaud, a sidebar that includes a screening of Francois Truffaut's definitive New Wave masterpiece The 400 Blows. The chance to see the film — one of the most influential works in the history of cinema — in a theatre is a chance cinephiles simply can't afford to miss. Also: Other films in the Léaud retrospective include Olivier Assayas's Irma Vep and a two-part screening of Jacques Rivette's 12-hour Out 1, Noli me Tangere. William Friedkin's 1977 thriller Sorcerer will hit the big screen on the back of a critical resurgence, while further sidebars catering to Hong Kong genre flicks and Italian comedies ensures there'll be a film for every taste. MIFF 2014 runs from July 31 until August 17. For more information and to book tickets, visit the MIFF website.
Sweet-toothed Melburnians, rejoice. Australia's dessert museum is returning for a second round of sugary fun this February. After hitting up Victoria in June last year — and subsequently Brisbane — Sugar Republic is returning with 12 new rooms, colourful installations and a retro candy store. This time, the Melbourne pop-up is taking over the sixth floor of Myer Melbourne and features an 80,000 rainbow pall pit, a giant birthday cake, a sweets-inspired neon installation, a confetti shower and a rainbow-filled bath (the sugary list goes on and on). You're also able to bask in nostalgia inside an old-school milk bar — created by Melbourne artist Callum Preston, who's work you'll recognise from this art show — a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-inspired garden and a life-sized cookie house made from giant Arnott's biscuits. It sounds like the kind of place that Willy Wonka might own. Throughout the colourful exhibition, you'll find many edible treats, including Hubba Bubba, Halo Top, Wizz Fizz, Skittles and Starbursts, and will be able to visit a Sugar Republic cafe, which will be serving up a whole host of sugary delights. Don't tell your dentist. Worried the installation will be filled with littlies? Thankfully, this time round, it's opening on Thursday and Friday nights for adults only — so you can jump in the pit without fear of crushing a small one. Sugar Republic will pop up on the sixth floor of Myer in the CBD from February 10, 2019, and run through until May. It is open from 10am–6pm every day except Wednesday, and adults-only sessions will run from 6.30–8pm on Thursday and Friday nights. Images: Lucas Dawson.
Gauchito Gil is Argentina's Robin Hood. As such, it seems fitting that Australia's own Malbec World Day has been borrowed from the South American country, where the majority of the world's malbec comes from. If this day is a donation from the grape god, it's one we're happy to accept. After a successful five years, Gauchito Gil is once again bringing Malbec Day to Melbourne with a five-hour wine bonanza at North Melbourne's Meat Market on Sunday, April 22. The event comes from the organisers of the Pinot Palooza and Game of Rhones, and mirrors the free-reign tasting set up. Your $60 ticket will include a wine glass, and from there you'll be able to move around, sampling over 90 Australian, French and Argentinian malbec varietals. Other events have been known to get a little boozy, so to soak up all that wine there will be top-notch empanadas from San Telmo and CHE — they'll be among the entrants vying for the prestigious Golden Empanada award. It really doesn't matter if you know everything there is about malbec or if you don't know much at all, because Malbec World Day is about education and celebration of the Argentine grape. And what better way to celebrate than with an bottomless glass of wine?
There is great satisfaction stumbling across District Brewer on noiseless Brewer Road. Having opened in early 2015, the brunch haven that has brought Bentleigh locals experimental yet reliable food. Over the last decade, Bentleigh has emerged as a hospitable suburb. What used to be an area filled with dry cleaners, Asian supermarkets and real estate agents, is now full of competitive cafes and restaurants. District Brewer, adds another layer of value. International influences have given the cafe's menu its edge. Chicken is crumbed in Panko, and mushrooms are topped with gremolata crème fraiche. The menu is also rich in interesting ingredient fusions; the eggs Benedict ($18) comes with a miso baba ghanoush and curry hollandaise. If that's not cultural integration, we're not sure what is. The dishes appear delicate, but are unassumingly hearty. The black forest Bircher ($13) is exactly what it sounds like: adventurous. Made up of macadamia, pistachio, cherry labneh and a chocolate soil, it's actually dessert disguised as breakfast. An avocado and feta smash with a poached egg ($17) is given a fresh twist with the addition of watercress, polenta and mint, and the option to add cured salmon. But if there's one dish the cafe should be proud of, it's the Mexican breakfast, made up of jalapeno fritters, avocado, corn salsa, queso fresco (fresh cheese) and a fried egg. What's even more pleasing is that breakfast is served all day, everyday. At the forefront of District Brewer sits a teal La Marzocco coffee machine, reiterating the cafe's liveliness. It also tells customers that coffee — made with beans from Canterbury's The Mailing Room here — is treated with the utmost respect. If you're making your way via public transport, you may build up a sweat on the 15-minute walk from Bentleigh Station. Luckily, there's an outdoor courtyard planted on synthetic turf where you can relax and sip on something refreshing. Cold-pressed juices ($6) and Vietnamese iced coffees ($6) are also on the menu to revive customers during the scorching days to come.
In an effort to reward Australians who've already had their COVID-19 jabs, and to encourage more to roll up their sleeves as well, plenty of companies and organisations have been giving out prizes to vaccinated folks. Port Melbourne's Prince Alfred Hotel poured free pints, Sydney's Hawke's Brewing Co did free slabs for jabs, Nobody Denim put 100 pairs of jeans up for grabs and sneaker brand Von-Routte is giving 20-percent discounts, for instance. The next place to join them: the City of Melbourne, which has just launched a $100,000 giveaway that's running for eight weeks from Monday, August 16. Melbourne is currently in lockdown due to its latest coronavirus outbreak — the city's sixth in the past 18 months, as every Melburnian is acutely aware. So, given the effect that COVID-19 has already had citywide, there's already ample motivation to get vaccinated. Now, winning $5000 staycation experience packages and $1000 shopping vouchers is another reason. There's ten of the $5000 prizes on offer, with winners nabbing a $1250 Emporium voucher, $1000 Melbourne Central voucher, $250 Endota Spa voucher, $1000 accommodation voucher, $500 dining voucher, and four tickets to Frozen the Musical. You'll need to be listening to Melbourne radio stations to win, however, with the ten packages up for grabs for the next two weeks. If you're keen on scoring shopping vouchers — for Melbourne Central, Emporium and the Queen Victoria Market — they're being given away via social media. You'll want to keep an eye on the City of Melbourne Facebook and Instagram accounts, with the shopping giveaways kicking off after the radio promotion. "We want to thank and reward Melburnians who have already been vaccinated, and provide those who haven't with a bit of extra motivation so the city can re-open and stay open," Lord Mayor Sally Capp said. "I want Melbourne to be the most vaccinated city in Australia because it is the only pathway to confidence." For more information about the City of Melbourne's $100,000 giveaway, head to the City of Melbourne website. Top image: Queen Victoria Market.
To help brighten up your newsfeed a little, Sydney's Sea Life Aquarium is live-streaming playtime with its resident dugong, the adorably named Pig. Who, yes, likes to eat a lot. Pig was found and rescued as a baby dugong in north Queensland after he'd been separated from his family. While the aquarium tried to release him back into the wild, Pig washed up on shore (again) and they decided to keep him. He's now one of only two dugongs in human care, globally. At 10.45am AEDT on Friday, March 20, you can watch Pig splash around, play with toys and hang out and with his keepers Emma and Kerrie via Sea Life Aquarium's Facebook page. It's the feel-good content we need right now. Thankfully, this isn't the only live-stream the aquarium is planning. Keep an eye on future cute (and maybe slightly scary) content, including possible shark feedings, penguin hangs and tropical fish tours. [caption id="attachment_762120" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sea Life Sydney[/caption] Live Stream: Playtime with Pig the Dugong is taking place at 10.45am via Sea Life Aquarium's Facebook page.
Back in 1988, when John Waters wrote and directed Hairspray, he couldn't have known what'd follow. The cult filmmaker's flick was a modest hit to begin with, but really became a sensation on home video in the early 90s. The film's star Ricki Lake, who made her big-screen debut playing 60s teen Tracy Turnblad, also became one of the decade's big talkshow hosts. That's a wild path for any movie to take, but Hairspray's story doesn't end there. A theatre adaptation followed in 2002, as did eight Tony Awards. Then came a new 2007 movie based on that stage musical. Yes, Hairspray has lived many lives — and in its latest, it's playing in Melbourne. In its on-stage, all-singing, all-dancing guise, it is spinning the dance-loving Turnblad's tale of teen dreams and making a difference at Melbourne's Regent Theatre from Sunday, August 7–Sunday, October 9. Turnblad has one specific fantasy, actually: to dance on The Corny Collins Show. And when she makes it, it changes her life — but she has more change to fight for, too. The story unfolds in 1962 in Baltimore, Maryland, where racial discrimination is an everyday part of life. So, Turnblad uses her newfound fame to advocate for a different future for everyone. Hairspray's Melbourne run is a local staging of the original Broadway production, and with director Jack O'Brien (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) and choreographer Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots) guiding the show. Appearing on-stage: Shane Jacobson, swapping Kenny's overalls, his numerous TV hosting gigs and appearing in seemingly every Australian movie made over the past decade for the role of Edna Turnblad, Tracy's mother (which was played by the inimitable Divine in Waters' movie, Harvey Fierstein on Broadway and John Travolta in the 2007 film). He's joined by Carmel Rodrigues as Tracy, Todd McKenney as Wilbur Turnblad, Rhonda Burchmore as the villainous Velma Von Tussle and Rob Mills as Corny Collins. Images: Jeff Busby.
The energetic and soulful Jake Bugg made a name for himself with his self-titled debut album, becoming the first male artist to debut at the top of the UK charts with a first release. His unique blend of folk, pop and rock tunes has astounded audiences worldwide, and his shows in Australia last year lived up to the hype. This April, the 19-year-old rock star in the making is bringing his act back here to show off his sophomore album, Shangri La. The album recruited legendary producer Rick Rubin, as well as other stalwarts of the music industry, including Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith. The sound is classic Bugg, with a renewed, revved up energy. Get in quick to make sure you see the prodigy who is sure to continue climbing the charts for a good while yet. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Veq6GQHU3is
At the age of 29, Daniel Tobias was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Now 40, he's made a show that translates his experiences of illness and recovery into songs and stories through the lens of his identity as a conflicted "atheist Jew". The Orchid and the Crow is impressive for its ability to find light-hearted humour in unpalatable material. But for a show that has perhaps more in common with the conventions of narrative stand-up comedy rather than solo theatre performance, it seems unwilling to commit fully to the strengths of either form. The connection Tobias draws between circumcision and the surgery is a neat conceit but not substantial enough to sustain over an hour's worth of story. And the later introduction of the figure of a messianic, contradictory Lance Armstrong during his recovery isn't quite enough to get it over the line. It's probably unfair to lump Tobias with this criticism but something grates about the ubiquitous American musical theatre style voice deployed in half the show's songs. There might be rich veins of comic possibility waiting to be mined from this kind of parody of the form, but Australian performers' insistence on this style (rather than their natural accent) always carries a vestigial whiff of cultural cringe. On the other hand, the effect actually heightens the emotional impact of the combined song and animation that embodies the show’s title sequence, which arrives with all the more devastating and surprising force as a result. With an opening-night audience packed with enthusiastic well-wishers, it's hard to gauge the effectiveness of the performer's humour. However, the personality of the aggressively endearing Tobias is enough to paper over most of the show's cracks of uncertainty, and some potent moments — especially the static that replaces a doctor's voice as Tobias is given his diagnosis — are terribly affecting. Image by Andrew Wuttke.
In past years it feels as if there's been a surge in the sub-genre of romantic comedies that revolve around the 20-something commitment-phobes. Generally they feature a host of characters more attractive than you, resisting relationships for the sake of engaging in meaningless sex. Or, the kind of films Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis did to flush the Oscar winning demons of Black Swan out of their psyches in 2011. Are We Officially Dating (released in the US as That Awkward Moment) can be lumped into this category, while also having a stab at bro comedy. The film follows Jason (Zac Efron), Daniel (Miles Teller), and Mikey (Michael B. Jordan), who after the failure of Mikey's marriage, make a pact to stay single as a gesture of solidarity. Unsurprisingly, all three violate the agreement. Whilst first-time filmmaker Tom Gormican has an admirable goal — to depict the clunky transition from dating to relationship from a male perspective — this film's insipid plot and unfunny jokes make it, dare I say, 94 minutes worth of 'awkward moments', It's essentially a male version of Sex in the City; they're snappy dressers and waltz around Manhattan, fuelling their crude humour with chai lattes. This brand of sex-positivism doesn't have the quite same punch when paired with stereotypical 'dudes' and such a flimsy premise. Venturing out of the PG13 paddle pool and into cinematic adolescence, Efron plays Jason, an apparently sharp-minded graphic designer working at a chic New York publishing house. In a feat of Don Draper-esque brilliance, he impresses a client by drawing an impromptu stiletto for a book cover. (Ah, of course. The essence of woman boils down to footwear. It's psychology 101, folks.) It's difficult to shirk the film's reductive and vacuous depiction of women. Aside from the trio 'rostering' girls to bone at appropriate intervals so they don't get attached, the female characters are poorly drawn. They merely function as narrative goalposts, as if to assure us that there is in fact, a point. Imogen Poots plays Ellie, Jason's humble, bookish and bohemian love interest. Whilst instinctively likeable, a scene in which she reveals her deepest desire — a ridiculously big house in the middle of Manhattan — feels like a contradiction of character. There's also a touch too many penis jokes. In fact, it feels as if scenes are set up specifically for the purpose of penis jokes. For example, when Jason misinterprets a dress-up party and arrives with a sex toy hanging from his fly, leading to much 'cock'tail punning. All in all, if you're planning on a Valentine's Day movie with your significant other, you may want to think about spending your money elsewhere. To impart the film's single slice of wisdom, "Relationships are about being there for the other person." https://youtube.com/watch?v=UrdI3zAnzno
Stuffing wall-to-wall ABBA songs into a flimsy rom-com story, 2008's Mamma Mia! always felt like it was mere seconds away from two things happening. "Have you met my friend Fernando?" Meryl Streep's overalls-clad hotel owner might say, before asking if he can hear the drums. Or Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan and Stellan Skarsgård's trio of long-lost exes might compare their romantic plight to history, starting with the words "my my, at Waterloo Napoleon did surrender". Neither actually occurred in the original big-screen jukebox musical, which adapted the successful stage production of the same name. But if they had, and in such a groan-inducing, eye-roll-worthy fashion, they wouldn't have felt out of place. Shameless cheesiness and trying to shoehorn in as many of the Swedish pop group's tracks as possible was the name of the game the first time around — and it's a tune that sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is still blasting. Thankfully, there's slightly more nuance, plot and comedy in this repeat spin. Slightly. Crucially, as returning and new cast members alike croon and swoon against the movie's bright, breezy Greek island setting, there's also a boost in singing talent. First things first: 'Fernando' and 'Waterloo' do get a whirl in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, and in situations very close to those described above. The off-screen team is mostly new here, but it still feels like these films write themselves. In fact, while writer-director Ol Parker (Now Is Good) works with a story also credited to romantic-comedy maestro Richard Curtis (Love Actually) and Mamma Mia! playwright Catherine Johnson, he's basically rehashing the same tale. In the first movie, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) sent wedding invitations to the three men (Firth, Brosnan and Skarsgård) that her mother Donna (Streep) had flings with when she was conceived. This time around, the movie jumps between Sophie's present-day preparations to relaunch her mum's hotel and Donna's (Lily James) amorous exploits with the guys in question (Hugh Skinner, Jeremy Irvine and Josh Dylan) 25 years ago. Here we go again, indeed. The line in 'Waterloo' about history repeating itself also springs to mind — and if you start framing your thoughts in ABBA lyrics minutes into this follow-up, then the film has done its job. Collecting fans' money, money, money, taking few chances, and asking viewers to cheer and sing along when their favourite songs pop up, the Mamma Mia! franchise does what lazy pop culture celebrations tend to do. In the most superficial, crowd-pleasing, fan-service manner, it mistakes recognising something exists for actually engaging with it. Ready Player One did the same thing earlier this year, just with a different focus — throwing sci-fi and gaming references at the screen to nod to beloved characters, movies and titles, but without ever delving any deeper. Still, in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again much more than in its predecessor, the approach hits a few melodic notes. Or rather, the exuberant James does, alongside the other series newcomers that play younger versions of existing characters, and Cher as Sophie's grandmother. It helps that the story feels a little less like dead air between songs in this second outing, that the film has a pronounced rhythm rather than just smashing tracks together, and that the song-and-dance choreography is more polished. That said, having energetic talent who can hold a tune helps even more. Battling it out with Christine Baranski (playing one of Donna's life-long best friends) as the franchise's true star, you'll thank James for the music. Courtesy of her performance, you'll also be able to somewhat overlook the fact that the flick is mostly just famous faces making ABBA music videos amidst gorgeous scenery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcSMdhfKga4
In today's art world, it's hard to establish yourself as an emerging artist. Galleries will rarely take the risk of featuring your work, and investors won't even know you exist. Equally tough for wannabe art buffs is to develop a reputation of being a seasoned collector, known for having your proverbial finger on the pulse of the next big thing. The solution could be Artsicle — a try-before-you-buy art rental program based in New York which provides much-needed exposure to artists and affordable art pricing options for art afficionados. The site allows first-time investors to road test art before handing over the big bucks. Simply select from Artsicle's online catalogue, which largely features the work of young artists, and the original art is delivered to your doorstep. $50 a month gets you the pleasure of hanging new works on the walls of your home or office on regular basis. If you love the art enough you can buy it for your very own; if you don't you're under no obligation to purchase and can simply swap it for a new work. [Via PSFK]
Teacher-turned-indie goddess Alexis Krauss and waiter-turned-beats master Derek Miller will return to Australia next month. The duo's stentorian synthesis of driving riffs, shredding guitar and rhapsodic melodic hooks has been on high rotation for many a punk rock devotee since M.I.A. signed them to N.E.E.T. Recordings in October 2009. February 2012 brought the release of Reign of Terror, the follow-up to 2010 debut Treats. The sophomore album sees Sleigh Bells ascend to louder, heavier musical heights, but also carries them through deeper lyrical explorations. Krauss, a curious combination of Joan Jett street tough and Cindy Lauper airiness, croons, moans and belts her way through stories of suicide, brutality and loss. Krauss has described Reign of Terror as "innately much more melodic and guitar-oriented" and "more intimate" than their debut. As deducible from Reign's live opening track, 'True Shred Guitar', Sleigh Bells' shows are raw, feverish, dynamic affairs, powered by Krauss's relentless energy and Miller's rock-fuelled sound explosions. https://youtube.com/watch?v=YiwcUdX7XMw
Melbourne multi-instrumentalist Mark Zito, better known as Fractures, fell and fractured his neck last year — a pretty unfortunate (dare we say ironic?) incident given he was due to set off on his debut live tour at the time. (It probably hurt a bit, too.) Fortunately, Zito has made a full recovery and kicked off a short string of EP launch shows with an appearance at Splendour last week. Fractures' sounds are delicate, emotive, swoonworthy. Take a listen to his first single 'Twisted', or his most recent, the hypnotic, caramel-vocaled 'Won't Win'. Zito's is a pretty classic, oldie-but-a-goodie formula: the five-piece band, the quiet haunting melodies, plenty of emotion and an aesthetic comparable to Justin Vernon's (comparisons to Bon Iver really shouldn't be purely musical) — but one which earned him a couple of sold-out Sydney and Melbourne shows earlier this year. Zito will launch his Fractures EP at Northcote Social Club on August 9 and 13, then he'll support Vance Joy at Athenaeum Theatre One. (Fingers just crossed he doesn't fracture anything else first.) https://youtube.com/watch?v=q809aWGOsrY
Each year, the annual MPavilion design commission unveils an architect-designed temporary structure which plays host to a summer-long festival of free events. And for its 2021 edition, MPavilion returns to the Queen Victoria Gardens from December 2–April 24 2022 for a jam-packed five-month appearance. Aptly titled The LightCatcher, this year's commission is the work of Venice's MAP Studio. It takes the form of an urban lighthouse, featuring a network of steel tubes and light-reflecting mirrored panels that appear to float above the earth. You can head along to check it out for free any time during its stay, as well as digging deep into its supporting program of over 400 free talks, workshops, performances and installations. Among them, catch design-focused conversations with a swag of local and international names, the launch of Patricia Piccinini's hot air balloon sculpture Skywhalepapa, a talk centred on the ancient practice of astronomy within Indigenous Australian Nations, a slew of Melbourne Music Week events and more. Throw in furniture installations, a masquerade ball, a DJ program, and collaborations with the likes of Melbourne Fringe, TarraWarra Museum of Art and Melbourne Theatre Company, and we're anticipating many a return visit. [caption id="attachment_835347" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John Gollings[/caption] Top Images: 'The LightCatcher' by MAP Studio, MPavilion 2021, captured by John Gollings.
No one can know for certain what tomorrow will bring; however, the tales told on screens big and small, and through games and comics as well, have delivered plenty of visions of what might come. Will androids dream of electric sheep? Will a Keanu Reeves (John Wick: Chapter 4)-voiced rock star and terrorist make their presence known? Will Afrofuturist technologies transform life as we know it? These are some of the future possibilities conjured up by beloved pop-culture titles — and they're all part of the Australian Centre for the Moving Image's world-premiere exhibition The Future & Other Fictions as well. Displaying at the Melbourne screen museum across Thursday, November 28, 2024–Sunday, April 27, 2025, taking pride of place as its big summer showcase, The Future & Other Fictions is a love letter to and deep dive into futuristic storytelling. More than 180 works feature, including from Blade Runner 2049, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Cyberpunk 2077 and The Creator. Saltsea Chronicles, comic series NEOMAD and Björk's music video 'The Gate': they're all also covered. Before he was just Ken, Ryan Gosling (The Fall Guy) starred in the 35-years-later sequel to Blade Runner — and before he brought Dune and Dune: Part Two to the screen, Denis Villeneuve directed Blade Runner 2049. The Future & Other Fictions lets attendees follow in their footsteps via miniature sets, which are one of the exhibition's definite must-sees. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever gets the nod thanks to Academy Award-winning costumes by Ruth E Carter, while sketches from NEOMAD also feature — as do concept art from The Creator, Cyberpunk 2077 and Saltsea Chronicles. This showcase isn't just about well-known renderings of the future, though, thanks to work by Olalekan Jeyifous, Osheen Siva and Tāgata Moana art collective Pacific Sisters. Plus, via new commissions, DJ Hannah Brontë has her own take, and so does Liam Young and Natasha Wanganeen (Limbo). As it celebrates how screens imagine the years ahead via its array of artwork, sets, props and scripts — alongside clips, costumes and original design materials, too — The Future & Other Fictions also features a film season focusing on Björk, complete with Björk: Biophilia Live on the lineup. [caption id="attachment_974750" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mahia Te Kore[/caption]
DesignEX has been Australia's leading architecture and design event for 25 years, and this year it's coming to Melbourne. If you're an architect, designer or anyone who works in a visual medium, it's definitely worth a visit for the inspiration and for the networking opportunities. Even if you're not in the industry, it's still a fascinating event. There are talks by design industry professionals, a Ketel One bar, as well as pop-up store Urban Larder by Sarah K selling handmade furniture, homewares and some of the most stylish 'tablewear' (as opposed to tableware) we've ever seen. If you need a caffeine fix among all that, you can head to the specially designed St. Ali Roasters Space. They'll be serving complimentary coffee and pastries in the morning while showing off their coffee art. Thanks to DesignEX, we're giving away 10 double passes to this year's event (normally $25 per person and closed to the public). To be in the running, subscribe to Concrete Playground (if you haven't already) then email us with your name and postal address at hello@concreteplayground.com.au.
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of cinemas worldwide, two questions arose: when will they be able to reopen and, with movie release dates instantly thrown into disarray, what will they show? Picture palaces are now welcoming movie buffs back through the doors in some portions of the world, including parts of Australia and in New Zealand, so that's the first query taken care of. Just what they're able to screen, however, is still the subject of constant manoeuvring. Many of the big films that were due to release in 2020 have been shifted to 2021, such as Fast and Furious 9, In the Heights, Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Halloween Kills. Some have remained committed to reaching the silver screen this year, but have still moved their release date over and over, like Tenet. And some have decided to make the jump online — including after rescheduling in-cinema release plans a few times, as is the case with Disney's live-action Mulan remake. As announced this week, the new Mulan will head straight to streaming platform Disney+ in many areas of the world, including Australia and New Zealand. It'll hit the service on Friday, September 4, but it won't be a part of your regular subscription. Instead, you'll have to pay to view it on a video-on-demand or 'premier access' basis, at a cost that's yet to be announced for viewers Down Under. If you want a ballpark figure, though, the US price is $29.99. This isn't the first Disney project to make the move to digital this year, with Pixar's Onward doing the same after a very brief cinema run as the globe went into lockdowns in March. Terrible family-friendly fantasy Artemis Fowl bypassed theatres altogether, hitting Disney+ in early June, while the phenomenal recorded version of Hamilton debuted on the streamer in July. In Mulan's case, it'll mean that fans can not only watch the highly anticipated blockbuster at home, but also finally enjoy the latest screen iteration of the famed character. In Chinese history, the legend of Hua Mulan dates back to the sixth century. At the movies, the formidable female warrior first fought her way across the big screen in a 1927 silent film. Mulan has been no stranger to the page, stage or cinema over the past 92 years, but many folks know the tale thanks to Disney's 1998 animated musical. Now, as it has done with everything from Alice in Wonderland to The Jungle Book to Aladdin, the Mouse House has turned the story into its latest live-action remake. Once again, Mulan (played by Chinese American actor Liu Yifei) will evolve from dutiful daughter to kick-ass combatant, all to protect her family in a time of war. She's originally due to be married off to a husband chosen by a matchmaker, until the Emperor of China issues a decree stating that one man per household must serve the Imperial Army as it endeavours to fend off northern invaders. To save her ailing ex-soldier father from having to fight, Mulan disguises herself as a man, takes on the name Hua Jun and becomes an icon. Forget rousing tunes or a talking dragon voiced by Eddie Murphy. This time, the tale hits the screen without a singing and smart-talking sidekick, but with plenty of sword-swinging, arrow-flinging antics. In New Zealand director Niki Caro's (Whale Rider, The Zookeeper's Wife) hands, this version of the story goes heavy on the action and empowerment, as shown in the spectacularly choreographed scenes seen so far. As well as Liu (whose resume includes The Forbidden Kingdom and The Assassins), the new Mulan features Jet Li as the Chinese Emperor, Gong Li as a witch, Donnie Yen as the protagonist's mentor, Jason Scott Lee as a villainous army leader, and Yoson An (The Meg, Mortal Engines) as her fellow fighter and love interest. Check out the full trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK8FHdFluOQ Mulan will be able to view via Disney+ — on a 'premier access' video-on-demand basis from September 4, 2020. Image: © 2020 Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Yesterday LCD Soundsystem made a surprise appearance on this year's Coachella lineup, almost five years after the band called it quits. But guess what? That is only the start of it. And proving speculation to be true, frontman James Murphy has posted a lengthy (read: really long) note on the band's website confirming that, yes, the band has officially reunited, yes, they'll be doing an "all over" tour, and they'll be releasing a new album in 2016. Holy shit. We'd almost be angry if we weren't so insanely excited right now. It seems that Murphy has anticipated some backlash from fans who have already mourned the band, and are presumably (hopefully) already on the other side of their seven stages of grief. In his apologetic post, which was also shared on the band's Facebook early this morning Australian time, Murphy acknowledges the fans who "feel very attached to the band, and have put a lot of themselves into their care of us, who feel betrayed by us coming back and playing". These fans did, of course, shell out and possibly sold a limb and/or firstborn child for their last glimpse of LCD at their final Madison Square Garden show back in 2011 — a moment that may now, according to Murphy, may feel "cheapened" by their reunion and promise to do a wider tour. He writes: "to you i have to say: i’m seriously sorry. the only thing we can do now is get back into the studio and finish this record, and make it as fucking good as we can possibly make it." An expected album release date is currently unknown, as are the details of the proposed "all over tour" — but we expect the Internet will start wildly speculating on that too. As for an Australian tour? Well, we'll be sitting here quietly, crossing all our things. Image: Matt Biddulph via Wikimedia Commons
