For the past two years, Melburnians have missed out on the globe-trotting fare of the Queen Victoria Market's legendary winter night market series, with the long-running event cancelled twice due to COVID-19. But the precinct is promising to help fill some of that void this December, with the return of another food-filled pop-up: Food Truck Stop. On Wednesday, December 1, 8 and 15, this summer edition of Food Truck Stop will serve up a weekly showcase of street eats from around the globe, courtesy of a hefty rotation of food vendors. It'll be the market's first nighttime activation since Melbourne emerged from its most recent lockdown. [caption id="attachment_832695" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Two Fat Indians[/caption] From 5pm each week, you'll be able to explore the global food truck lineup, feasting on goat curry and smashed samosas from Two Fat Indians, Vietnamese noodle bowls from Nem 'N Nem, Pasta Face's Tuscan-style beef ragu gnocchi, and traditional chicken and lamb yiros from The Greek Trojan Yiros. Elsewhere, there'll be lobster rolls, Texas barbecue, Jamaican jerk chicken, Tex-Mex street tacos, house-made gelato and more. If you find all that eating to be thirsty work, you can swing past the Beer Garden for a bev — the summer-themed pop-up is slinging an all-Victorian lineup featuring Mitchelton Wines, Brick Lane Brewing beers, Coldstream Brewery ciders and cocktails crafted on Antagonist Spirits. Entry to the pop-up is free, with food and drinks available to purchase. It all kicks on until 10pm each week. Catch Food Truck Stop at Queen Victoria Market, corner of Queen and Therry Streets, Melbourne, on December 1, 8 and 15.
Legendary Scottish brewery BrewDog didn't hold back when it came to creating its first Melbourne venue. Off the back of the brand's 2019 Aussie debut in Brisbane, it unveiled this absolute monster of a brew bar within the historic Pentridge Prison site in November 2022. Done in partnership with Australian Venue Co (Harlow, The Smith, State of Grace), the $3 million beer bar spans two spacious levels within the prison's E Division building. At 12,000 square feet, it's got room for 500 punters; complete with a ground floor dining room and den, three upstairs function spaces, and a gigantic beer garden with its own container bar and dedicated games area. From the bars comes a 20-strong tap beer lineup, starring numerous BrewDog drops alongside a rotation of guest brews. Favourites like the Dead Pony Club pale ale ($14.40), the Punk XPA ($14.90) and the Elvis Juice American-style IPA ($15.90) make an appearance, as do newcomers like an E Division pale ale ($14.90). Expect drops from the likes of Hop Nation and Hawkers, too. To match, there's a sprawling menu of classic pub fare, featuring an impressive ratio of plant-based and gluten-free options. It jumps from a range of schnitties, parmas, tacos and burgers — including one done with XPA-braised brisket ($27.95) — to pizzas and a whole stack of wing varieties. Grazing plates include the likes of buffalo chicken loaded fries ($18.95), and haloumi with native pepper berry ($18.95); while the Hoppy Meal option gets you a burger, a side and a beer icypole for $25.95. Like all good pubs, weekly specials abound here — from Monday's two-for-one vegan menu, to an all-you-can-eat wings situation each Wednesday. Images: Anna Kucera
Melburnians are getting a nightmarish dose of Christmas spirit this festive season as Bar Humbug pops-up along North Melbourne's Queensberry Street this December. This is not your regular PG Christmas-themed installation — it's more like a bar from Bad Santa. Christmas tunes will be on loop as you wander through a range of themed rooms. You can sit on Santa's lap in the Grotty Christmas Grotto, kiss your loved one (or a stranger) in the Mistletoe Corner and sip on 'naughty' and 'nice' cocktails from the bar. Expect lots of (bad) singing along to Mariah Carey — as well as lots of tinsel, candy canes and shiny Christmas paper chains. Most importantly, there will be a full bar and dress-ups to take your Christmas debauchery up a notch. The bar will be open Thursday and Friday nights from 5pm, and from midday every Saturday and Sunday up until the weekend before Christmas. The bar is hosting a heap of Christmas functions, though — so best to check that it's not closed for one before you head along. If that's not enough festivity for you, you can also head along to the Bottomless Bubbles and Baubles on Saturday, December 14. For $59, you'll get two hours of endless prosecco and beers as well as all-you-can-eat pizza. These tickets will go quick, so snag one ASAP over here.
Rolling hills flanked with eucalyptus trees, and the distant roar of the Indian Ocean — the Margaret River region looks calm, almost lazy. But there's serious work happening in the region's wineries. Some of the best chardonnays and cabernet sauvignon in Australia come from Margaret River, and Vasse Felix is the legacy winery that started it all. For one night only, Stokehouse will celebrate Margaret River winemaking with a four-course seasonal menu by Executive Chef Jason Staudt and, of course, the perfect pairings for the occasion by Head Sommelier Wil Martin. Canapes go with the blanc de blancs from Idée Fixe, Vasse Felix's spinoff dedicated to sparkling wines. The night goes on with a selection of Vasse Felix wines, including the 10th release of the acclaimed 'Tom Cullity'. With over two decades at the helm of winemaking at Vasse Felix, Virginia Willcock will walk you through its wines and the tales behind them. Willcock was also recently recognised as the winemaker of the year at the Halliday Wine Companion awards — you'll be dining with a legend.
One of the main events of Chinatown's annual Lunar New Year festivities, the Dragon Parade is truly a sight to behold. At 11.30am on Sunday, February 14, the Dai Loong ("big dragon") will emerge from its home at the Chinese Museum and make its way through the streets of Melbourne, heralding the New Year and the beginning of the Spring Festival. There'll be dancing and drumming and colourful costumes as far as the eye can see. And if all the parading leaves you feeling peckish — well, you'll be in Chinatown now, won't you? Image: Chris Phutully via Flickr.
EziStreat, North Melbourne's buzzy food hall, is hosting a Thai Sunday Market later this month in honour of Thai culture and cuisine. The 600-square-metre food precinct will take your tastebuds on a journey to Thailand with dishes like curries, roti and sticky rice, and street food from vendors such as Soi Thai and ASAP Room. Additionally, the event will showcase traditional and modern Thai acoustic performances by Wachirun (Terry) Zarapho. With over 20 stalls offering Thai delicacies, crafts, and entertainment, attendees can expect a true taste of Thailand. Whether you're a Thai food-lover or simply seeking a fun outing, this market invites everyone for a day of delicious food and cultural exploration. Admission is free, so head over to EziStreat, 275 Macaulay Rd, North Melbourne, on Sunday, April 21, if you're in need of weekend plans.
In an emotional sense, things aren't really looking up in Australia at the moment. 2020's horror show has continued into 2021, thanks to new outbreaks and lockdowns, because the chaos of the pandemic hasn't passed just yet. But, for one night, it's worth literally looking up with your eyes and your noggin — because a conjunction of Venus and Mars is about to happen way above our heads. Peer skywards tonight, on Tuesday, July 13, and you'll see the two planets in close proximity. How close? According to NASA, they'll appear a mere finger's width apart. They won't actually physically be that close, of course, but they'll sure look like it. If you're not familiar with the term 'conjunction' within the field of astronomy, it refers to two objects or spacecraft sharing the same right ascension or ecliptic longitude — so they're at the same angular distance in one way or another. Specifically, it's used to describe the moment that two objects are at their closest apparent point together in the sky. You might remember the term from last year, because Jupiter and Saturn went through the same thing in December. https://twitter.com/NASAAmes/status/1414660845557125120 For this conjunction, you'll want to find a spot where you can peer in a northwestern direction. That's where you need to look — but if you're wondering when you should take a peek outside this evening, The Conversation advises looking up between 6.30–7.30pm. You'll be able to see Venus before then, from dusk, but Mars will only be visible once it gets dark. In Australia, you'll spy Mars slightly above its neighbour, and to the left. Venus isn't hard to spot; it has been called "the evening star", after all. To get a glimpse of the red planet, you'll need to peer a little harder, as it is nowhere near as bright. To get the best view, you'll want an unobstructed vantage of the sky — and, to look even closer, to use binoculars or a telescope. If you do choose some optical help, you'll be able to see both Venus and Mars in the same field of view. 2021 has already delivered a few sky shows, via pink, blood and strawberry moons, so this is just the latest astronomical gift this year. But, at a time that hasn't been big on good news, it's definitely worth looking up for. The Venus and Mars conjunction will be visible in the evening of Tuesday, July 13. For further details, head to the NASA website.
At two of the world's most-prestigious film festivals, prizes are awarded to the best queer movies on the lineup. Not all cinephiles can attend Cannes and Berlinale, so Australia's Mardi Gras Film Festival is bringing LGBTQIA+ flicks from both 2024 fests Down Under in 2025. Romania's Three Kilometres to the End of the World won the Queer Palm. The Istanbul-set Crossing took home the Teddy Jury Prize in Berlin. They're both highlights of the just-announced MGFF program, which has a date with Sydney cinemas in February — and boasts a roster of almost 150 flicks. The movie-loving component of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, MGFF wants audiences to enjoy its feast of LGBTQIA+ films on the big screen if they can. The bulk of the lineup will hit picture palaces across Thursday, February 13–Thursday, February 27, at venues including Event Cinemas George Street and Hurstville, Dendy Newtown, Ritz Cinemas Randwick, the State Library of NSW and The Rocks Laneway Cinema. For those who can't make it in-person, there's also a small-screen component, streaming a selection of titles on-demand nationwide from Friday, February 28–Monday, March 10. If you're hitting up movie theatres, award-winners aren't Mardi Gras Film Festival's only drawcards. On opening night, coming-of-age tale Young Hearts will start the proceedings with a story of romance in rural Belgium, while French standout Somewhere in Love is doing the honours to close out the physical event. In-between, viewers have 72 sessions to choose from, complete with the world premiere of In Ashes from Denmark-based filmmaker Ludvig C Poulsen; South Korea's Love in the Big City; the Alan Cumming (Schmigadoon!)-starring Drive Back Home; and Ponyboi, which features Australian actor and The White Lotus favourite Murray Bartlett (The Last of Us). Or, catch Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story, which tells of its namesake's tale from her 50s Nashville success through to disappearing from the public for four decades; Aussie effort Heart of a Man, about a closeted Indigenous boxer; period drama Lilies Not for Me with Fionn O'Shea (Masters of the Air) and Robert Aramayo (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; Duino, a semi-autobiographical effort about an Argentinian filmmaker working on a movie about his first love; and the Venus Xtravaganza-focused I'm Your Venus, which is a must for fans of Paris Is Burning. That's just a taste of the program, which spans Aussie festive slasher Carnage for Christmas, Nina Hoss (Tár) in Foreign Language, a documentary about Ani De Franco, Brazilian drama Streets of Gloria and more, too. Blasts from the past come courtesy of a free screening of The Birdcage, plus a 20th-anniversary session of Imagine Me & You (featuring Lena Headey long before Game of Thrones), with both showing under the stars. If you'd like to don a habit, croon tunes in a cinema or both, Sister Act is getting the sing-along treatment. And from the 70s, Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers — which is one of the first-ever trans-led feature films — is making its Sydney premiere. Cabaret is also on the bill, a fitting choice given that documentary Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story is on the lineup as well — gifting Liza Minnelli obsessives a double feature. Movie buffs eager to check out the online program from their couch can look forward to the aforementioned Drive Back Home and Heart of the Man; a doco about activist Sally Gearhart; Unusually Normal's factual portrait of a family that includes two lesbian grandmothers, four lesbian mothers and one lesbian granddaughter; and a blend of fiction and reality with 2024 Sundance Special Jury Award-winner Desire Lines, among other titles. A number of shorts programs will be available to stream, too, with packages devoted to Asia Pacific, transgender and gender diverse, queer horror, queer documentaries, sapphic and more. Black Doves' Ben Whishaw pops up in one of the gay shorts, while Hacks' Megan Stalter appears in one of the films in the comedy lineup. 2025's MGFF marks Festival Director Lisa Rose's last at the helm. "The film industry has changed dramatically throughout my time with Queer Screen. The volume of LGBTQIA+ content we see, as well as how and where we see it, continues to evolve," she notes. "Yet the sense of belonging that comes when the lights dim and a room full of queer people experience a queer story together remains a constant. Even when a film has the audience divided, the feeling of community that envelops us is unifying." Queer Screen's 32nd Mardi Gras Film Festival 2025 runs from Thursday, February 13–Thursday, February 27 at venues around Sydney — and online nationally from Friday, February 28–Monday, March 10. For more information, visit the festival's website.
UPDATE: JULY 16, 2020 — Tina's Noodle Kitchen is currently offering takeaway from 11.30am-8.30pm every day via Uber Eats. From the same crew that spiced up Melbourne's palate with those beloved Dainty Sichuan restaurants, comes this northside noodle house. If you like your meals generous and your tastebuds shocked, this one's sure to tick all the right boxes. At Tina's Preston outpost, it's the hearty bowls of noodle soup that take centre stage, with rice noodles swimming either in a fiery red broth or one of the slightly tamer meat-based stocks. There's a whole swag of protein options with which to pimp your bowl, too, from thinly sliced wagyu or an assembly of fresh seafood, to house-made prawn balls and a wild array of offal additions. Familiar favourites might include braised chunks of pork belly or a mixed mushroom medley, while the 'chilli blood curd combination' speaks to the more adventurous diner. Alongside, sits a run of classic Sichuan-style snacks — think, spicy braised duck parts, house-made wontons, curls of pig's ear and a lineup of skewers, matched with a tongue-numbing chilli oil for dunking. It's busy, buzzy and delightfully easy on the wallet, even with your heftiest appetite in tow. Image: Letícia Almeida
With so many beauty products floating around, it's hard to know if your current ten- (or one-) step skincare routine is making any kind of difference. It might seem obvious, but Carla Oates, founder of The Beauty Chef, recommends starting with what's on the inside — with products that work on improving your gut and skin microbiome. The Beauty Chef first saw success with its GLOW®️ Inner Beauty Essential: a probiotic supernutrient powder that features powerhouse ingredients such as vitamin C, biotin, niacinamide, prebiotics and zinc to give your skin a serious glow-up, while supporting healthy hair, nails, digestion and energy. The entrepreneur has since spent the past 15 years creating a line of innovative inner beauty products for skin, gut and whole-body wellness that are now sold at David Jones, MECCA and Sephora — as well as beloved by people across the globe. In partnership with Klaviyo, we caught up with Oates to uncover her path into the industry, her advice for fellow entrepreneurs and the importance of listening to your gut. How did The Beauty Chef come about? As a child, I suffered from eczema and allergies. My mum took me to see a naturopath who dramatically changed what I ate, removing processed foods and allergens like gluten and dairy. My allergies and eczema subsided, so I experienced firsthand that what we eat can affect our skin and health. My daughter also experiences eczema and allergies. With the assistance of health professionals, we removed specific trigger foods from her diet, and I began researching the link between gut and skin health. As I explored this link more closely, I decided to put my family on a gut-healing protocol, which included eliminating certain foods and introducing lots of lacto-fermented whole foods with beneficial bacteria into our diet. Friends and family took notice and I realised I was onto something. Why focus specifically on inner beauty? Inner beauty is so important. When people start to delve deeper into understanding what makes skin healthy, it's not so much about what they're putting on their skin but how they're nourishing it from within. I focus on inner beauty because so many benefit from it. I've spoken to people who have tried all sorts of concoctions to remedy their skin on the outside, but it's only once they look to support their skin and health from the inside that results become abundantly clear. Can you break down the gut-skin connection for us in simple terms? The simplest way is to use the analogy of our gut as a garden. If the soil in the garden isn't healthy, balanced and thriving with a good array of nutrients and bacteria, then the plants that grow within its soil will struggle to blossom. The gut is where 70 percent of our immune system lies. It's where we make nutrients, regulate hormones, detoxify enzymes, neutralise pathogens and make neurotransmitters, so it's super important to get your digestive health in check. For someone just discovering The Beauty Chef, where should they start? GLOW®️ Inner Beauty Essential or GLOW AGELESS™ Inner Beauty Essential are five-star probiotic supernutrient formulas that promote healthy glowing skin, hair and nails, energy and gut health. From there, you can target any other specific skin, gut health or wellbeing concerns with products from the rest of our range — all our products are designed to work together for enhanced results. What challenges did you have to overcome as a woman establishing her own business? When I launched in 2009, ingestible beauty was a foreign concept. Pioneering the category wasn't easy because retailers didn't have a category for it. One of the hardest things was convincing manufacturers to support our low volumes. I had to find my CEO voice and seriously hustle to help them see my vision and understand the product. In the beginning, I was wearing every single hat, from product development to marketing and even HR. Now, we have 30 full-time staff at our head office. A key learning for me has been understanding and accepting that I can't be and do everything all the time. And, as the business expands, it's imperative to support that growth with leaders who are specialists in what they do. Networking with other female founders is also very important for me, both professionally and personally. No matter how different our businesses may be, we face similar challenges. When you connect, you can relate to each other and share learnings. How has Klaviyo helped your business? Klaviyo email and SMS have helped The Beauty Chef streamline our communications with our customers. We now have one central platform for key communications to our customers and can effectively personalise and segment to ensure long-term retention. Do you have any advice for other budding entrepreneurs? Do what you love because success requires hard work, so you might as well spend the hard work doing something you wholeheartedly enjoy. Plus, you are bound to be more successful doing something you have fire, passion and drive for. Try not to get caught up in trends and make sure you're creating products that serve a purpose and provide a solution that is unique. And be gutsy and follow your gut instinct. Discover The Beauty Chef's full range of products at the website, and find out more at the Klaviyo website.
A verdant oasis awaits those who visit Coburg Lake reserve, just a short stroll from the suburb's centre. The sprawling park, an erstwhile bluestone quarry worked by prisoners from the adjacent Pentridge Prison is home to many walking paths, bike trails, two playgrounds and public gym equipment, all centred around the picturesque Coburg Lake. It's also a great spot for a barbecue with a number of public grill stations dotted around the park, while a public bocce court is an ideal spot for a post-lunch activity. The reserve is home to a large colony of ibis, while you can also expect to see ducks, water hens and mallards. The reserve's range flora includes mature native and exotic trees, which provide beautiful shade along the meandering walking trails and open green spaces.
Travel junkies now have another big-ticket festival to add to their overseas itineraries as organisers behind legendary California music fest Coachella announce plans for a new London festival to launch next year. Kicking off on May 25, 2018, All Points East will feature a three-day, multi-genre music festival held across six stages in east London's Victoria Park. On top of that, the festival will span an extra week of free entertainment for the community before culminating in a trio of standalone headline shows. Already confirmed on the bill for the first portion are London heavyweights The xx, Jamaican MC Popcaan and Swedish pop act Lykke Li. Punters will be able to grab tickets to one, two or all three days. There'll then be free access to the site over the following week, as it plays host to a diverse program of comedy shows, food and drink events and an outdoor cinema. Finishing strong from June 2, the APE Presents headline shows will feature the likes of American indie rockers The National and The War On Drugs, synth-pop trio Future Islands, LA act Warpaint and Pennsylvania rock outfit The Districts. Further All Points East artist announcements are set to drop next week. Stay tuned. Via The Guardian.
Nineties kids, Disney fans and everyone who's ever cried over a lion cub that just couldn't wait to be king, it's time to climb onto a rock and yell your lungs out. The circle of life has struck again, and The Lion King is back. It's in live-action form this time around, and the second teaser trailer for the new movie has just dropped. You can watch it here courtesy of Beyoncé. Yes, Beyoncé is in the new Lion King. Releasing in mid-2019, the film will once again tell the tale of Simba, who's set to take over the pride from his father Mufasa, only for his malicious uncle Scar to get in the way. You know where it goes from there — and you'll be hearing the voices of Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as his childhood pal Nala, and James Earl Jones as his dad. Yes, the latter is reprising his role from the original film. Other big names attached include Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, John Oliver as Zazu, and Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen as Timon and Pumbaa. Elton John is back working on the soundtrack with Tim Rice, as they both did on the first film. They'll reportedly have some help from Beyoncé, naturally, while The Jungle Book's Jon Favreau is in the director's chair for the entire production. If you're anxious about how it might turn out, it's worth taking Timon and Pumbaa's advice at this early stage — although this initial look should help get rid of your worries for the rest of your days. The Lion King hits Australian cinemas on July 18, 2019. We'll share the full-length trailer when it hits the internet.
The 2011 World’s 50 Best Bars list has been published by Drinks International, curated by editor Lucy Britner and US drinks writer, Camper English (I can imagine someone with that name sipping cocktails on a daily basis). The pair asked the opinion of around 100 bar professionals, including the Playboy Club’s Salvatore Calabrese, 'King of Cocktails' Dale DeGroff, Esquire US’s David Wondrich and diamond ice-carver Hidetsugu Ueno. These votes were combined with global votes and resulted in a list with bars from 16 countries. Your local favourite may not be on the list, but rest assured that all fifty are well worth the visit next time you find yourself in one of the world's culture capitals. Here are the top ten (and you can download a guide to all of them here). 1. PDT, New YorkPDT, short for Please Don't Tell, is a sexy speakeasy with a deep-fried twist - you can order drunk snack food from the low-key joint, Crif Dogs (from where you enter via the false rear wall of a phone booth), next door. An old-fashioned with a side of frankfurt? Yes please. Where: 113 St. Marks Place, New York 2. Connaught, LondonThe height of London elegance, if you order a martini the waiter will pour gin and vermouth from a crystal tumbler at your table and let you choose an infused bitters from their many flavours. Where: The Connaught, Carlos Place, London 3. Artesian, LondonModern touches like purple mock-snakeskin leather chairs and excellent service brings this Grand Victorian-styled bar into this century and at the top of the list. Play dominos whilst you sip on a rum-based cocktail. Where: Regent Street, 1C Portland, London 4. Death & Co, New YorkSome of the best cocktails in New York can be had in this dark, shadowy speakeasy. Where: 433 East 6th Street, New York 5. Milk & Honey, LondonThis bar is tucked away so not anyone can just wander in - it's members only for most of the week. Regular people can visit at the beginning of the week to try the phenomenal cocktails. Where: 61 Poland Street, London 6. American Bar at the Savoy, LondonThe bar that bore the ultimate cocktail guide, this is London's most iconic imbibing institute. Good luck getting a seat. Where: The Savoy, 100 Strand, London 7. 69 Colebrooke Row, LondonIf you were very, very rich, this bar might feel like your lounge room, complete with bow-tied butlers to make you cocktails and pour your water in tall glasses from cocktail shakers. Where: 69 Colebrooke Row, Islington, London 8. Drink, BostonAll you have to do is a name a flavour you feel like and a personalised drink will be yours. Where: 348 Congress Street, Boston 9. Harry’s New York Bar, ParisHemingway, Sartre and Blondin were all regulars at this famous bar that invented the Bloody Mary and the White Lady. A Paris must. Where: 5 Daunou street, Paris 10. Black Pearl, MelbourneSplit over two levels, head up if you'd like to drink out of Royal Doulton glassware or downstairs for a beer. Either way, you'll have a good time. Where: 304 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, Melbourne Also... A special mention to Sydney's own Eau de Vie who finished in 13th place, and Wellington's Matterhorn who finished 33rd. For the rest of the list, click here.
It feels like we only just farewelled the last one, but here we are in another COVID-19 lockdown. And while the latest stay-at-home orders have many sucky aspects, one of the worst is not being able to spend time with your nearest and dearest. With restrictions dictating how far Victorians can travel with just five reasons to leave home, it might be a minute before you can enjoy IRL hangs with your crew. So, we've rounded up a few ways you can get in some quality mate time without leaving your house. Get them on board for a virtual dance party, take to your respective kitchens for a Masterchef-style cook-off, or belt out some classic tunes at an old fashioned karaoke session. Book in one of these mate dates and inject a little happiness into your lockdown stint. OUTSMART A VIRTUAL ESCAPE ROOM Beat the boredom, use a few brain cells and hang with your mates by having a crack at an online escape room. These days, you'll find a whole swag of these interactive puzzles online, with most requiring little more than a couple of willing participants and a decent internet connection. Local crew Experios has six different self-guided digital escape rooms to choose from, with prices starting from an easy $30 per team. Race the clock with a classic bomb-dismantling scenario in Time's Ticking, flex your theft skills in Ben's Big Heist, or reminisce about the good old days of bar hopping in the Jack's Hangover challenge. Brunswick-based escape room studio Ukiyo is also offering a couple of captivating virtual games that'll see you ditching lockdown life in favour of some cleverly crafted alternate realities. This one even has a mini quiz you can do to help pick your perfect escape room match. [caption id="attachment_770182" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jason Briscoe via Unsplash[/caption] COOK THE SAME MEAL — AND DECIDE WHOSE IS BETTER Now we've got extra time on our hands, we can work on levelling up those at-home cooking skills with a competitive virtual cook-off. Here's how it works: First you agree on a meal you both enjoy and can round up the right ingredients for. You can order boxes of groceries from plenty of your local restaurants, food stores and markets. Or, try Co-Lab Pantry for a broad range of restaurant-made pantry staples and gourmet Victorian grocery products, delivered to your door. Once you've got everything you need, FaceTime your mate, crack open a bottle of wine and get cooking. You'll be able to watch each other in action and have entertaining company while you whip up dinner. Once your gourmet creation is ready, enjoy a virtual dinner date while you determine who's the better cook. Did someone say MasterChef? [caption id="attachment_760387" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hot Dub Time Machine, by Pat Stevenson[/caption] THROW AN AT-HOME DANCE PARTY The clubs are closed (again), but your living room dance floor is always open and ready for business. Tee up a Zoom session with your bestie (or the whole gang), to enjoy an at-home, virtual dance party. The best part? This club's closing time is whenever you decide. Of course, you'll need some great jams to set the mood and keep those party vibes rolling. And happily, the folks behind time-travelling dance party Hot Dub Time Machine have you more than covered in that department. Check out the #hotdubathome section of its website to find a whole stack of groove-busting DJ sets recorded during last year's lockdowns. They'll have you dancing through tunes of the past few decades. Also no stranger to a living room boogie is DJ Andrew McClelland of long-running dance party series Mr McClelland's Finishing School. While IRL events are on hold, he's curing those lockdown blues with a special virtual DJ set this Friday, May 28, streamed via Twitch. Check it out here. BINGE A SHOW TOGETHER While streaming content through a shared screen might be a little ambitious, the two of you can coordinate playing and pausing whatever you're watching while you video chat. Right now we recommend checking out The Serpent on Netflix if you're after a stranger-than-fiction true crime tale set in the 70s, or taking a look at Stan's binge-worthy comedy Rutherford Falls, from Brooklyn Nine-Nine co-creator and producer Michael Schur. You could also turn to cult classics you never had time to watch, like Peaky Blinders on Netflix or Breaking Bad on Stan. Looking for something lighter? Check out this list of comedies. In these uncertain times, it's nice to get lost in another world — and even nicer with your buddy (virtually) by your side. BLOW OFF STEAM WITH AN ONLINE KARAOKE PARTY There's no room for lockdown blues when you're belting out bangers with your besties. Even if the sing-along requires internet connection and a web cam. Video chat platforms are now social go-tos after 2020's strange age of isolation but, in case you may have missed it, they're also happen to be perfect for hosting rousing virtual karaoke parties. Set a date, invite the crew and start working on your best lung-busting material. Themes and dress-ups are encouraged, and if you're stuck for ideas, you'll find plenty of online karaoke catalogues to browse and inspire. All of Victoria is in stage four restrictions from 11.59pm on Thursday, May 27 until the same time on Thursday, June 3. For more information about the rules, head to the Victorian Department of Health website.
Over the past decade, Disney has made a hefty commitment to remaking its animated classics as live-action movies, as seen via the two Alice in Wonderland films, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Dumbo and Aladdin, to name a few. The next to get the same treatment is 101 Dalmatians, and the Mouse House is going with the same approach it used with the Maleficent flicks. Yes, there'll be spotted dogs in Cruella, but this Emma Stone-starring spinoff is all about its villainous namesake. Set to release in May — and currently slated for cinemas, rather than making the move to Disney+ like Mulan did last year — Cruella focuses on Estella de Vil before she becomes the puppy-kidnapping figure that everyone already knows. It's the 70s, she's in London, and she's an outcast and a grifter. Estella is also desperate to become a fashion designer, and draws the attention of industry veteran Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson, Last Christmas). Obviously, Estella's relationship with the Baroness isn't going to end well. Even if you only have the faintest memories of 101 Dalmatians, Estella clearly has to morph into that tale's antagonist. And, based on the just-dropped first trailer for Cruella, she's going to do so in a movie that seems to have seen what Joker did — including the fact that it won Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar — and decided that's a good model to run with. As well as Stone, her two-tone hair and striking outfits — and Thompson, too — Cruella features Richard Jewell's Paul Walter Hauser, Outside the Wire's Emily Beacham, Yesterday's Joel Fry, The Good Place's Kirby Howell Baptiste and 1917's Mark Strong. The film marks a reunion between Hauser and director Craig Gillespie, after they worked together on I, Tonya, while the script is co-written by Isn't It Romantic's Dana Fox and The Great's Tony McNamara. If a live-action version of Cruella de Vil sounds familiar, that's because Disney has done it before. Back in 1996, Glenn Close took on the role in 101 Dalmatians, and then sported a heap of black and white again in 2000 sequel 102 Dalmatians. So, never one to leave its past works alone for too long, the Mouse House is following in its own footsteps in multiple ways with Cruella. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmRKv7n2If8 Cruella releases in Australian and New Zealand cinemas on May 27.
For the two past pandemic-affected years, the Melbourne International Film Festival has beamed its lineup to movie lovers online rather than in cinemas. Turning 70 in 2022, however, it's returning to where it has always belonged. After expanding its audience and going national with its virtual programs, MIFF isn't ditching its digital screenings — but once again showing hundreds of the latest and greatest titles in international cinema in Melbourne picture palaces is firmly the star of this year's show. That's the first piece of great news for Melbourne movie buffs. The second: while MIFF will grace the screens at a heap of inner-city favourites between Thursday, August 4–Sunday, August 21 — such as ACMI, The Capitol, Forum Melbourne, Hoyts Melbourne Central, IMAX, Kino Cinema and Cinema Nova — it'll also show in suburban Melbourne cinemas The Astor, Lido, Pentridge and Sun Theatre from Friday, August 12–Sunday, August 21, too. Throw in the online component as well, which runs from Thursday, August 11–Sunday, August 28, and that's almost an entire month of MIFFing to look forward to. Also among the ace announcements: the first 33 films that cinephiles can put on their must-see lists, whether on screens big or small. That includes homegrown titles to both open and close MIFF 2022, with the fest launching with the world premiere of coming-of-age feature Of an Age by director Goran Stolevski — then wrapping up with the Aussie premiere of documentary Clean, about Melbourne 'trauma cleaner' Sandra Pankhurst. Other highlights span 2022 Berlinale Golden Bear-winner Alcarràs; Australian docu-drama The Plains, which hones in on daily life and picked up an award in Rotterdam; Dual, the Aaron Paul (Westworld) and Karen Gillan (Avengers: Endgame)-starring latest by The Art of Self-Defense's Riley Stearns; and Aubrey Plaza (Best Sellers) slipping into the thriller genre in Emily the Criminal. Or, there's horror-comedy Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon from A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night's Ana Lily Amirpour, which focuses on a telekinetic young woman; Where Is Anne Frank, the first feature film in eight years by Waltz with Bashir director Ari Folman; and doco Jane by Charlotte, with actor Charlotte Gainsbourg (Nymphomaniac) exploring the life of her iconic mother Jane Birkin. It wouldn't be a MIFF without a film by South Korean filmmaker Hong Sang-soo (The Woman Who Ran, On the Beach at Night Alone), which is where the Berlinale Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize-winning The Novelist's Film comes in. And, other standouts include New York-focused music documentary Meet Me in the Bathroom, about the 00s music scene; fellow doco Fire of Love, a Sundance-winner that surveys the lives of volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft; and Reflection, about a man's experiences in post-Maidan Ukraine. Thanks to the MIFF Premiere Fund, which helps financially support local flicks, the Australian contingent also covers ten more titles so far. Among the must-sees: Greenhouse by Joost, a documentary about zero-waste pioneer Joost Bakker and chefs Matt Stone and Jo Barrett making a self-sufficient, eco-friendly residence; the Western Australian-shot Sweet As, starring Tasma Walton (How to Please a Woman), Mark Coles Smith (Occupation: Rainfall) and Shantae Barnes-Cowan (Firebite); and the film student-focused Petrol, from Strange Colours' director Alena Lodkina. Plus, there's Under Cover, a Margot Robbie (The Suicide Squad)-narrated doco that focuses on women aged over 55 facing homelessness — and Moja Vesna, a drama about the impact of grief upon a Melbourne immigrant family that first premiered in Berlin. The list goes on — and, it'll only grow, with the entire program will be revealed on Tuesday, July 12. That's when exactly what'll screen in MIFF's new competition, which'll boast a $140,000 Best Film Award, will also be unveiled. In the interim, start steeling yourself for almost a month spent in darkened rooms, basking in the glow of the silver screen, committing the fest's ads to memory, and doing the usual dash up and down Swanson Street. Or, for checking out the program in Melbourne's suburbs — or online nationally. The 2022 Melbourne International Film Festival runs from Thursday, August 4–Sunday, August 28 at a variety of venues around Melbourne and Victoria, and online. For further details, including the full program from Tuesday, July 12, visit the MIFF website.
Elton John summed it up perfectly: when Marilyn Monroe died in 1962, her candle burned out long before her legend ever would. Six decades since her passing, the actor remains a Hollywood icon. Like Elvis, she may as well be mononymic. Her face is instantly recognisable, and still everywhere. Ana de Armas just received an Oscar nomination for playing her, after Michelle Williams earned one back in 2012 for also stepping into her shoes. And, the Some Like It Hot, Gentleman Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire star is also the subject of a sizeable exhibition heading to Australia for the first time: Marilyn: The Woman Behind the Icon. This Marilyn celebration will make its Aussie premiere at Sydney Town Hall, in the Lower Town Hall, from Saturday, July 1–Sunday, September 24. On display: more than 200 artefacts spanning Monroe's life, including handwritten notes, personal letters and other possessions. [caption id="attachment_905883" align="alignnone" width="1920"] New York Sunday News via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] This is the largest Marilyn collection of its kind. Indeed, the objects set to grace the showcase stem from Ted Stampfer, owner the world's largest range of Marilyn items. With Marilyn: The Woman Behind the Icon, he's aiming to share insights into Monroe as a person, not just a celebrity — spanning her time in the spotlight, of course, but also back when she was Norma Jeane Mortenson. Stampfer will be on hand on opening day providing a curator's tour, as part of an events program accompanying the three-month memorabilia exhibition. Friday-night sessions will feature music and entertainment, and film screenings will also be part of the lineup, letting attendees experience Marilyn's movie magic for themselves. [caption id="attachment_905881" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joseph Jasgur, Ted Stampfer[/caption] As it celebrates the woman who scaled the heights of fame, became a household name, but received horrific scrutiny for her sex-symbol status and her love life — focusing on her hard work, not the stories spun about her — this'll be the only time that Marilyn: The Woman Behind the Icon will open to the public in this form. "With rare insights and exclusive access to Marilyn's personal belongings, this exhibition offers a unique glimpse into the private world of this cultural icon," said Stampfer. "From humble beginnings to Hollywood stardom, Marilyn Monroe remains an enduring cultural icon, whose life continues to fascinate and intrigue us to this day." [caption id="attachment_905878" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ted Stampfer[/caption] Marilyn: The Woman Behind the Icon will display at Lower Town Hall, Sydney Town Hall, 483 George Street, Sydney, from Saturday, July 1–Sunday, September 24 — head to the exhibition website for further details.
The past 18 months or so haven't been a golden time for much, but the pandemic has been great for watching animal live-streams. Are your pets asleep? Don't have any furry four-legged companions of your own? Just like watching adorable critters all day, everyday, because who doesn't? Thanks to zoos and aquariums around Australia and beyond, there's always something to peer at. And, that applies whether you have minutes, hours or days to lose to cute creatures, or you'd just like to check in on them every now and then. You can even keep them on your screen all day long if that's what'll brighten your mood. Melburnians — or anyone interested in the city's bird life — currently have something special to watch, too. This live-stream isn't actually new, but it's particularly relevant at this time of year. Thanks to a camera on 367 Collins Street in the CBD, you can train your peepers on two peregrine falcons nesting outside the building. You can give them a squiz any time you like, but if you do so from August onwards each year (aka now), you'll see them lay and hatch their chicks. At the moment, the eggs are already there, so you'll spy a whole lot of sitting atop them as the feathered couple waits for them to hatch. To give them, head to the Mirvac building's website. For those visiting the structure itself, the CCTV footage of the falcons is also on display in the foyer. This nest comes with quite the history, too, as peregrine falcons have been making nests at 367 Collins Street since 1991. This is actually the only known peregrine falcon nesting site within the Melbourne CBD, which obviously makes it extra special. Check out the live-stream below: For more information about 367 Collins Street's peregrine falcons and their nest, head to the 367 Collins website and the 367 Collins Falcon Watchers Facebook page.
A good neighbourhood wine bar is arguably better than its inner city counterparts. Especially if you want to sample a few different varieties and walk home afterwards. In Williamstown, neon pink signage signals your local — but don't let the fluro mislead you. Lower West Side Wine Bar has a sophisticated and relaxed vibe inside — with hardwood high tables, leather stools and black fixtures, the focus here is on the wine. Australian producers are well represented, as are French and Italian vineyards, in keeping with the European influence of the bar snacks. Get down on Tuesday nights for a wine tasting, and pair it with a stacked cheese and charcuterie board.
Across six seasons, Netflix's Chef's Table added plenty of high-profile additions to everyone's culinary bucket lists, celebrating the stellar kitchen skills of talents such as Massimo Bottura, Francis Mallmann and even Attica's Ben Shewry. For the streaming platform's next delicious adventure, it's re-teaming with the documentary series' creators for another food excursion — this time focusing on both famous and lesser-known players in the global street food scene. Available to binge now, the aptly titled Street Food hops around the planet to showcase hawker stallholders, food carts and other folks making a big impact in their small street kitchens. In the show's first nine-episode season, Asian cuisine is on the menu. Get ready to get hungry for dishes from Thailand, Japan, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore and The Philippines. Each country earns its own episode, focusing on various local street food heroes, their stories of hard work and perseverance, and the cultural context behind their cuisine. In Bangkok, the well-known Jay Fai takes viewers through her story, while Delhi's Mohamed Rehan whips up a buffalo stew that's been tempting tastebuds since the 1800s, and Chiayi's Uncle Goat cooks in a giant oven cave. Over in Osaka, Mr. Kita has one of the oldest takoyaki stalls in the city, and Singapore's 85-year-old Master Tang has been making wanton noodles since he was orphaned in World War II. Already feeling your stomach rumble? Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI_LjETc_Ak Street Food is available to stream on Netflix now. Images: Martin Westlake/Jisang Chung/M.Synchrony/Netflix. Updated: May 28, 2019.
My sister and I — like many of you, I'm sure — are really good at being really bad at dancing. The other day on her orientation day at university, she was made to play a game: find one person who is the eldest child, find one person who has been to Spain, find one person who is a great dancer. Long story short, my sister's inflated sense of her own dance ability became the focus of the entire classroom, as the teacher asked her what type of dance she studied. Her answer? "Er… I just love krumping." For those of you who share this passion, or perhaps enjoy something a little more structured, you want to be twerkin' all the way to Dance Massive 2013, an extensive program of dance work hosted by Arts House, the Malthouse Theatre, and Dancehouse. Each venue is set to curate a program of events, ensuring you'll be privy to a specially tailored selection of flexible fun wherever you go. We've picked out a few shows for everyone to enjoy, whether your signature move is the sprinkler, the Harlem Shake, or the pirouette. WeTubeLIVE Everyone likes watching people dance on YouTube. It’s infectious, fun, and can be damn impressive. WeTubeLIVE will bring YouTube dancing to the offline world as 50 performers interpret 100 dance clips made famous on the internet. The best (or potentially worst) part? If you fancy yourself a bit of a Beyonce protege, you can apply to perform at the event. BRB, polishing up my Single Ladies routine. The Recording Staged like a film set, The Recording goes through the process of filming a scene from start to finish. The performers learn their lines and work on the scene together as the work evolves into a full-blown cinematic production. Directed and choreographed by Sandra Parker, The Recording is part dance, part play, and part installation. One for the theatrically inclined. P.O.V. If you're the kind of person who's the first to stick up their hand come audience participation time, you’re going to love P.O.V. Choreographed by Chunky Move's Lee Serle, P.O.V. gets rid of that invisible wall between audience and performer. Viewers sit spaced apart as dancers move around them, becoming totally immersed in the performance. Go to the toilet before it starts — you really don’t want to be the person who has to get up and fight their way through a bunch of dancers on a full bladder. Conversation Piece Incorporating a spoken word element, Lucy Guerin's Conversation Piece uses words as stimulus for the dance performance. A different conversation is held between performers — there's three actors and three dancers involved — for the first eight minutes of each show, which is looped and backed with music as the work progresses. There must be some kind of planning beforehand though? Imagine a dance routine to, "What do you wanna do? I dunno, what do you wanna do?" It's got a certain rhythm, I guess. Dance Your Heart Out Itchy feet after watching all those dancers? If you’d like to have a crack at it yourself, head along to Dance Your Heart Out, a series of morning dance classes from March 18-22. Hosted by some of Australia’s funkiest movers and shakers (literally), classes are $20 and start at 10am every day. Sadly, most begin at Intermediate/Advanced level, and there are no classes for "incredibly inflexible but enthusiastic bedroom dancers" like myself. However, if you've got some experience under your belt, it's a great opportunity to shake it with the best of 'em. Dance Massive runs from March 12-24, and performances will be hosted across four venues. Aside from the shows there’s a bunch of other stuff, like open studios and forums, which offer extra insight into what is for many, an unfamiliar industry. Images via dancemassive.com.au/Centre Stage/Psy.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations — giving you a little inspiration for your next trip. In this instalment, we take you to Monte Pacis in Lithuania, an outrageously grand monastery that's been partly transformed into a luxury hotel. If you're planning a big European getaway this summer, think about spending a few nights here. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? It's a 17th century monastery located on a gorgeous lagoon surrounded by nature — need we say more? THE ROOMS The 13 rooms and apartments at Monte Pacis are decorated in baroque style, each complete with a minibar and private bathroom. Large canopy beds sit in rooms with double-vaulted ceilings and chandeliers dripping from large wooden beams. Ornately decorated and grand in scale, it feels more like a royal castle than the home of monks. And with so few people staying here at one time, you are almost guaranteed peace and quiet. FOOD AND DRINK The restaurant at Monte Pacis is known as one of the very best places to eat in the Baltics. It offers a four- or six-course tasting menu that changes seasonally (notably, much of the produce comes from the monastery grounds). Head chef Raimundas Dambrauskas is known for creating challenging dishes that rival Michelin-starred restaurants. On the booze front? The team has won awards for the extensive wine list, with some wines coming from other monasteries in the region. Be sure to add the (very) reasonably priced wine pairings onto your tasting menu experience. THE LOCAL AREA The hotel sits on the bank of Lithuania's Kaunas Lagoon, where you can swim and sail during summer and take wintery walks in the colder months — you might even be able to walk across some of the frozen parts. If that sounds too risky, you can simply stick to some of the many hiking trails that wind around the protected forests. The local city of Kaunas must be explored too. In 2022, it was named the European Capital of Culture thanks to the abundance of galleries, festivals and dining venues. There's stacks going on in this little known city — both ancient and modern. Next time you go gallivanting around Europe, be sure to add Lithuania to your list of must-visit countries. THE EXTRAS When staying at Monte Pacis, you are surrounded by history and tradition. That's why it's imperative you take a tour of the monastery and its grounds — seeing how monks, both past and present, use the space while marvelling at all the baroque artworks. The hotel's residents even have access to the historical literature library and spiritual literature room. Either attempt to read something from the shelves or bring your own book to enjoy within the staggering space. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world.
Historically, 'beautiful' is probably not the first word you'd pick to describe your local butcher shop. But then again, Victor Churchill isn't your average meat store. For Sydneysiders, the name is a familiar one, with the butcher's OG Woollahra site an eastern suburbs staple since opening in 2009. Anthony Bourdain famously once called it 'the most beautiful butcher in the world'. And now, it's Melbourne's turn, as the Victor Churchill stable expands to include a new southern flagship on Armadale's High Street. Opened this month in a former bank, the new store will more than 'meat' your expectations of a butcher, boasting a specialty charcuterie counter, wine bar, grocery corner, retail booze offering and lunch counter, along with its premium curation of meat products. It's an undeniably dapper space, too, all warm timber, green marble floors and chic copper accents, with dry-ageing meat hung theatrically as if in a gallery. [caption id="attachment_832900" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pete Dillon[/caption] The brand is a family affair, founded and run by Anthony Puharich and his fourth-generation butcher father, Victor. And together they've built some serious pedigree, with their wholesale business Vic's Premium Quality Meat a longtime supplier of top Melbourne restaurants including Attica, Flower Drum and Grossi Florentino. Here at the new Armadale outpost, Victor Churchill is continuing its legacy of serving top-quality protein sourced from leading Aussie producers. As with its sibling, the store also does away with the traditional physical butcher's counter, in an effort to make the shopping experience more inviting and personal. The aforementioned wine bar is an intimate, 12-seat space at the back of the venue, where you can settle in for a glass of vino, a cocktail and — from next year — dinner. Here, a Josper charcoal-fuelled rotisserie, charcoal oven and basque grill will guide a menu filled with top-notch meat, charcuterie and seafood. Think, steak tartare, prawn cocktail and lobster pulled fresh from the tank. [caption id="attachment_832905" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pete Dillon[/caption] Meanwhile, your future picnicking endeavours will be well serviced by the bumper charcuterie counter, which is stocked with an ever-evolving selection of house-made patés, terrines and snags, plus savoury goodies whipped up by the house pastry chefs. While you're there, you can shop a considered retail curation of seasonal produce, pantry staples and wine. And you probably shouldn't leave without grabbing one of the signature lunchtime rolls, loaded with rotisserie chicken or hot roast beef. Find Victor Churchill's new Melbourne flagship at 953 High Street, Armadale. The store is open 9am–6pm weekdays, 8am–6pm Saturdays and 9am–5pm Sundays, while the bar is open 12–6pm Mondays–Saturday and 12–5pm Sundays. Images: Pete Dillon, Paul Gosney (interiors)
A Taiwan-born tea store with over 50 global outposts under its belt, The Alley LuJiaoXiang has made a name for both its slurpable drinks and those all-important 'beverage aesthetics'. Not only do these sips have serious swagger, but ingredients like the sugar cane syrup and signature tapioca pearls are made in-store from scratch. Sample those house-made orbs in the likes of a milk-infused black tea blend or tea latte, or go for one of the popular fruit tea concoctions, best enjoyed topped with some 'snow velvet' cheese foam. And if you fancy a bit of a mouth party, opt for something featuring The Alley's special brown sugar pearls. These rich little gems are served warm, making for an extra treat when mixed through cold milk. You can also find The Alley in QV Melbourne, Highpoint Shopping Centre, and on Bourke and Elizabeth streets in the CBD.
After headlining Splendour in the Grass earlier this year, The National are bringing their moody, Nick Cave-esque brand of indie rock back to Australia in February 2014. The tour kicks off in Adelaide before heading to Sydney (where they'll be performing on the Opera House forecourt), Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Given we're an island on the other side of the world, it took the New York-based band a while to make their way Down Under, but better late than never right? We've loved them doubly ever since. The National first came to Australia in 2008 to promote their fourth album, Boxer, before coming back in 2010 and 2011 for the Falls Festival and Harvest. They took a break for a few years before returning with their sixth album, Trouble Will Find Me, which is being hailed as their best to date. After appearances at several major festivals like Reading and Leeds and Lollapalooza, The National are fast building a reputation as a must-see live act. Fans can expect to hear some of their older songs, like 'Demons', 'Bloodbuzz Ohio' and 'Fake Empire' (which was controversially used in a Mitt Romney election video without their knowledge) as well as newer stuff from Trouble Will Find Me. Update 4 September: The National will perform a second and final show on the Forecourt, on Friday, 7 February, after selling out their first performance in under an hour. Tickets will go on sale at midday tomorrow, Thursday 5 September. The 2014 tour dates are: Thursday 6 February – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide Handsome Tours pre-sale from Thursday 29th August. General public tickets on sale Tuesday 3rd September, 9am AEST. Saturday 8 February– Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Sydney. Opera House pre-sale from Tuesday 29th August. General public tickets on sale Friday 30th August, 9am AEST. Sunday 9 February - Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne. Handsome Tours pre-sale from Thursday 29th August. General public tickets on sale Tuesday 3rd September, 9am AEST. Tuesday 11 February - Riverstage, Brisbane. Handsome Tours pre-sale from Thursday 29th August. General public tickets on sale Tuesday 3rd September, 9am AEST. Friday 14 February - Belvoir Amphitheatre, Perth. Perth Festival pre sale from Thursday 7 November. General public tickets on sale Tuesday 12 November, 9am WST. For more information see the Handsome Tours website.
UPDATE: May 24, 2020: Child's Play is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. Black Mirror, meet 80s cinema's favourite flame-haired, knife-wielding plaything. That's Child's Play circa 2019 straight out of its gleaming box. Chucky has never gone away, with the last flick in the initial seven-film franchise hitting home entertainment just two years ago. An eight-part series called Chucky is headed to TV screens next year, too, from the original movie's Don Mancini. But updating the carnage-inflicting toy for today's incessantly-online, internet-of-things environment was always going to happen, jettisoning the notion of a doll possessed by a serial killer for something considerably more high-tech. It's a premise rich with possibilities — dissecting humanity's growing subservience to technology, our fear of artificial intelligence, the reality that all-powerful companies may not have customers' best interests at heart, and showing how increasingly aggressive times can create a dangerous and deadly loop of vicious behaviour. Sadly, although the new Child's Play doesn't shy away from its many timely ideas, it doesn't do anything more than push them through a horror assembly line. A standard slasher flick made from well-worn parts remains just that, even when it has been given a famous name, plenty of topical talking points and a slick visual makeover. In fact, the fact that this do-over tries so hard to pair its murderous robotic figurine with timely observations, while also happily sticking to a bland, broad, surprise-free playbook, is its most grating trait. Perhaps it's simply peddling another piece of social commentary: that movie studios, like toy corporations, can release whatever generic fare they like as long as they make it appear shiny enough, and consumers just have to stomach the resulting havoc and dreck. Whether you're buying the latest gadget or heading to the cinema, that's the cost of making a purchase today. Single mother Karen Barclay (Aubrey Plaza) doesn't actually hand over any hard-earned cash for a walking, talking Buddi doll (which speaks with the voice of Mark Hamill). Instead, the department store employee convinces her boss to let her take one of the returned, malfunctioning toys home as a gift for her hearing-impaired son Andy's (Gabriel Bateman) birthday. Almost a teenager, the boy is hardly overjoyed about his present. Still, he's lonely and in a new city, the computerised plaything clearly adores him like it is programmed to, and it also helps him befriend a couple of neighbourhood kids (Ty Consiglio and Beatrice Kitsos). That said, that something is astray is clear from the moment that Andy's plastic buddy decides its own name is Chucky. As the movie's opening scene shows, a disgruntled sweatshop worker has removed the figurine's appropriate language and anti-violence filters in an act of employee-level corporate vengeance. So while Chucky might seem like little more than an eccentric and clingy android BFF to Andy, the smart doll is willing to do whatever it takes to keep their friendship alive — including slaughter anyone who gets in the way. If first-time feature director Lars Klevberg and debut screenwriter Tyler Burton Smith are trying to pre-empt criticism by having their mechanical villain love something so much that it turns into a toxic fan, slaying everything in its path irrationally and indiscriminately, that's one of their big swings and misses. It's better reading into their other big theme, and one that Chucky demonstrates again and again in trying to resolve Andy's woes with a knife: being careful what you wish for. For material so rife with potential, Child's Play remains content to make the easiest and most apparent statements in routine and uninspired ways. It's also happy to follow cookie-cutter characters, throw in the expected deaths and just generally follow the operating manual. And while there's undeniable pleasure in hearing Parks and Recreation alumni Plaza say the name 'Andy' repeatedly, she headlines an entirely wasted cast. Playing a cop whose mother lives in the same building as Karen and Andy, Atlanta's Brian Tyree Henry falls into the same category. So do Hamill's creepy but never overly menacing vocals. When Chucky keeps killing over and over again with a single-minded focus, Child's Play begins to resemble another tech-heavy, needlessly rebooted, never-say-die franchise: the Terminator. It's not that these sagas don't know when to end; rather, they keep kicking on without justifying why. The same can be said for recent instalments in other long-running series, such as X-Men and Men in Black. But, simultaneously glossy and formulaic where its predecessors were gleefully makeshift and off-kilter, Child's Play couldn't try harder to stress that it's a new beginning. It is, and yet starting over again isn't always a good thing. Credit where credit is due, however. Who dies, and when, never comes as a shock, but this horror flick does value a great bit of gore. While the bloodshed takes time to splatter across the screen, when it comes, it's memorable. If only Klevberg and Smith had expended the same energy and inventiveness on the rest of the film as they do on Chucky's growing pile of bodies. Their one other playful attempt arrives via the movie's blackly comic tone, endeavouring to ape The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, and even using clips of the 80s slasher sequel to teach the picture's homicidal robot how to stab, slice and snatch people's faces off. If you're thinking the obvious, though, you're right — whether it's reimagining its source material, adhering to topical and filmmaking trends, or nodding to other genre fare, Child's Play follows poorly in everyone's footsteps. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeHNLikDiVw
That beloved, giant yellow legend of a floating rubber duck is missing. The 59-foot, one-tonne inflatable sculpture by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman was apparently swept away by furious floodwaters in China's south-west Guizhou Province on Wednesday. The duck's exhibition team saw our giant inflatable hero unleashed from its ten-tonne metal platform on Guiyang's Nanming River, The Wall Street Journal's China Real Time blog has reported. "The duck flopped over and was flushed away really quickly by the torrential flood," said exhibition co-ordinator Yan Jianxin. "It disappeared right in front of me." Touring hasn't been kind to the giant inflatable hero. Popping up everywhere from Sydney to Sao Paulo since 2007, the team of giant ducks have quite the rambunctious tour diary. Just months earlier, one duck exploded in the middle of a port in Taiwan. Collapsing only 11 days after installation at Keelung, the mystery behind the duck's demise was never solved. "Organisers are unsure as to the cause of its demise, but one theory is that it was attacked by eagles," reported the BBC. Another duck then went on to casually deflate in Hong Kong. But now our noble, buoyant adventurer is nowhere to be found. Local radio stations are rallying local citizens to the hunt — "If you live along the river and see an 18-metre tall big yellow duck, please call 5961027." Like looking for a giant yellow duck in a watery haystack, the search could be a tough one. If only the duck was brightly coloured, able to float and unbelievably oversized. Wait. Via BBC, Gawker and WSJ. Images by Trey Ratcliff, Zuma Press, AP Photo, Kin Cheung, Reuters.
As a 29-year-old red P-plater (don't mock me, I'm quite sensitive about it), I pose a threat to other motorists simply by spending too much time with my eyes obsessively locked on the speedometer rather than on the road. Other times I'm praying for a red light so I can check Google Maps, because I didn't hear its guiding voice give me directions (sometimes it's hard to hear anything over the amazing Ace of Base remixes pumping on my stereo). Worst of all, what the hell do I do in low visibility conditions, like midnight drag races through dense fog along winding country roads? How do I know which way the road is about to swerve, before it's too late and I soar, Thelma & Louisely, off a cliff? If only Google Glass were available to me now, I find myself sighing. Now I discover I need sigh no more, and neither need you, for augmented reality windscreens are finally here thanks to an iPhone app called HUDWAY. The nifty thing about HUDWAY is that it combines digital tech with a totally analogue, pre-existing factor for its interface: to make it work, you simply place your phone on the dashboard, and its display is reflected onto the windscreen. Presto: high-tech heads-up display, with elements like your speed and the distance to the next turn expressed in numerals, as well as a visualisation of the road ahead, showing particularly dangerous turns in red. It's definitely an advance in driver safety, and it also happens to be available for free. Once you enter your destination using an internet-supported map service, the route's loaded and ready to go, so that you needn't remain online while driving. This is great news for those times when you are doing the above-mentioned midnight drag races through internet-free mountain ranges. Check out the video below to see HUDWAY in action as a driver hurtles recklessly through rain-sodden long grasses, anticipating turns and showing nature who's boss. Via PSFK.
In 2017, one filmmaker had viewers around the world swooning. From the moment that Luca Guadagnino's big-screen adaptation of Andre Aciman's Call Me By Your Name premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and then the Berlinale, it wowed audiences, made a star out of Timothée Chalamet and had everyone talking about Armie Hammer's dancing skills. So the news that the acclaimed director is serving up another Italy-set coming-of-age drama is firmly — and understandably — cause for excitement. This time, Guadagnino is doing so on the small screen, courtesy of new HBO mini-series We Are Who We Are. It's set in 2016, and follows two American teenagers living on a US military base with their parents. Jack Dylan Grazer (IT: Chapter Two) stars as 14-year-old Fraser Wilson, a new arrival from New York with his mothers Sarah (Chloë Sevigny, Queen & Slim) and Maggie (Alice Braga, The New Mutants) — while first-timer Jordan Kristine Seamón plays Caitlin Poythress, a veteran of living on the base with her older brother Danny (Spence Moore II, AP Bio), father Richard (Scott Mescudi, aka Bill & Ted Face the Music's Kid Cudi) and mother Jenny (Faith Alabi, Cold Feet). Also featured in this eight-episode tale of friendship, teen angst, first love and finding one's identity are Francesca Scorsese (daughter of iconic filmmaker Martin Scorsese), Ben Taylor, Corey Knight, Tom Mercier (Synonyms) and Sebastiano Pigazzi — with the cast blending well-known names and faces with plenty of newcomers. We Are Who We Are started airing in the US on September 14, but it'll head to Aussie screens via SBS Viceland and SBS On Demand at a yet-to-be-revealed date. If you're in the need of a virtual trip to Northern Italy, as directed by the filmmaker also behind I Am Love, A Bigger Splash and the 2018 Suspiria remake — and co-written by Guadagnino with Paolo Giordano (The Solitude of Prime Numbers) and Francesca Manieri (Daughter of Mine) — then add this to your future must-watch list. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6VAQ6LdnKs&feature=emb_logo We Are Who We Are will screen on SBS Viceland and SBS On Demand at a yet-to-be-revealed date — we'll update you with further details when they come to hand. Top image: Yannis Drakoulidis/HBO.
This cosy old-school pub in Abbotsford is dog-friendly, so expect to see lots of furry friends when you come here for a pint and a pub feed. Pull up a seat in the warm wooden interior in winter and play a round of pool or head out to the beer garden in summer. The pub has a a bunch of craft beers on tap. Otherwise you can nab a glass or bottle of local vino. For food, you'll find plenty of classic pub feeds on the menu, such as bangers and mash ($24), rump steak ($25), fish and chips ($22), some salads, a range of pizzas and a daily pie ($22) — but it's the Sunday roast that is a must. The Retreat's roast is a weekly changing dish of roasted goodness, priced at an easy $20. It usually involves a hearty serve of roast pork, beef or lamb, teamed with all the classic trimmings — winter veggies and loads of thick gravy, guaranteed. Grab yourself one of these, a pint of craft beer and a spot in front of the footy, and your weekend's looking pretty enviable. [caption id="attachment_772853" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Retreat Hotel Abbotsford[/caption]
Cumulus Up's City Cellar Door series returns for 2018, once again featuring a revolving door of Australian wine producers all keen to show off their top-notch drops. The event is the perfect opportunity to taste delicious wine, chat directly to the makers and grab your fave bottles at cellar door prices — all without leaving the CBD. And, while Victorian producers will once again sit in the spotlight, the series will also showcase Tasmanian wineries for the first time. The year's first instalment — which will run on the first Saturday of every month until October — kicks off at midday on May 5, this month paying homage to the Mornington Peninsula. Wine enthusiasts will be treated to stellar tipples from the likes of Main Ridge Estate, Prossimo, Allies and Avani, alongside matched snacks available from the Cumulus clan. And what's wine without snacks? To make sure the event has all the trimmings, there'll be plenty to eat, including the bar's suckling pig. Entry is by gold coin donation, with all proceeds going to OzHarvest. This is a not-to-be-missed event for anyone who loves wine.
Let's go party, indeed: Barbie is here, filling Australian cinemas with pink-hued cheer, and slaying both the patriarchy and the Australian box office. Greta Gerwig's Margot Robbie-starring take on the famous doll packed picture palaces not just with every shade of not-quite-red it could, but with people, breaking a Malibu DreamHouse worth records in the process. If you noticed plenty of fellow filmgoers watching this trip to Barbie Land, then Los Angeles, then back with you last weekend, that was the experience mirrored around the country. In fact, Barbie notched up the biggest opening at the Australian box office for 2023 so far, raking in $21.5 million including preview screenings. The stats keep coming, but the best is truly historic: Barbie enjoyed the biggest opening weekend for a film directed by a female filmmaker. It earned that same huge opening weekend title for films with any of Robbie, Gerwig and Ryan Gosling (The Gray Man) involved. Now that's some Kenergy. Also, Barbie helped smash even more records as part of the double feature of 2023: Barbenheimer. Thanks to both Barbie and Christopher Nolan's vastly dissimilar atomic-bomb thriller Oppenheimer, the Aussie box office saw its biggest-ever Saturday and Sunday takings. On Saturday, July 22, $11.1 million spent bested the $10.3 million recorded in April 2019 when Avengers: Endgame released. On Sunday, July 23, the $10.5 million gross topped the $9.96 million taken in December 2105 — on the Boxing Day public holiday on December 27, in fact — as fuelled by Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens, plus Boxing Day releases. Specific cinemas also broke past records. At Sydney's Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace, the independent theatre scored its highest-grossing weekend in its 88-year history. Oppenheimer in 70mm notched up the cinema's highest-grossing opening ever, while Barbie now sits second in that same category. At Melbourne's Cinema Nova, the also-independent cinema looks set to earn its biggest box-office week of all time. If it does, it'll break the record set in January 2020, when Gerwig's Little Women was playing alongside films like Jojo Rabbit and Parasite. Barbie also took the opening-week record from Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel, and might become the first film by a female filmmaker to hit the venue's top ten of all time list. As for Oppenheimer, it's in the top ten biggest opening weekends. It shouldn't be lost on anyone that Barbie and Oppenheimer's successes mean that two movies that aren't part of long-running franchises have audiences flocking in. Neither film comes in as the fifth or 11th or 17th or 31st entries in a long-running saga, and don't we all know and love it. Here's the big takeaway: more of that please, especially given that oh-so-much of what reaches the silver screen is a sequel, prequel or chapter in a sprawling universe these days. Check out the trailers for Barbie and Oppenheimer below: Barbie is showing in Australian cinemas now. Read our review. Oppenheimer is also showing in Australian cinemas now. Read our review, too.
We all love a bottomless brunch — whether it comes in the classic eggs and mimosa form, or the more contemporary lunch adaptation where you get a whole lineup of endless cocktails paired with a hefty set menu. Ming Dining's new bottomless brunch falls into the latter's definition. From Friday–Sunday, the crew is plating up a seven-course Asian-fusion feed paired with bottomless cocktails, beer and wine for only $69 per person — that's a proper bargain. During the two-hour window, that table will fill up with dumplings, spring onion pancakes, Hiromasa kingfish, Taiwanese calamari, beef short rib bao buns, sweet and sour pork, and a luxe black truffle fried rice. When it comes to cocktails, you can try some of its signature Asian-inspired sips as well as your classic Aperol spritz, espresso martini and spicy margarita. Few bottomless brunch spots have such vast offerings (both when it comes to food and bevs), so be sure to take advantage of this one.
When your nine-to-five plays out like a well-oiled machine, it can sometimes feel like each week is a little same-same. But Melbourne is brimming with a fine bounty of things to experience and explore each and every day. So aside from casual laziness and a little lack of inspiration, there's really nothing stopping you from squeezing some adventure and spontaneity into your schedule. We've teamed up with Mazda3 to help you celebrate the little things that bring a sense of adventure to life. Shake things up, as we give you seven different detours to take each week in Melbourne. From Monday to Sunday, enrich your everyday with one completely achievable activity that inspires you to take the scenic route as you go about your daily routine. This week, fight Mondayitis at a trampoline playground, win big playing Mario Kart at Bosozoku and hit the planetarium for a night of films on the big dome. Plus, we've got your future detours sorted for the new few weeks here. All require no more effort than a tiny break from the norm — what's your excuse for not trying them all?
Richmond's longstanding Meatball & Wine Bar quietly shut up shop earlier this month. But hey, one baller's loss is a Francophile's gain, with the Swan Street space this week revealing its next tenant — a charming new all-day French bistro by the name of Tartine. The brainchild of chef Andrew Beddoes (Ines Wine Bar, The Grand Richmond, Soho House's French cafe, Café Boheme) and Meatball & Wine's Matteo Bruno, Tartine opens its doors this Thursday, August 25. The contemporary French restaurant comes complete with a takeaway coffee window and onsite provedore. Named after the French word for 'open sandwich', the venue is of course doing some 'delicieux' things when it comes to bread. Developed especially for the restaurant, Tartine's locally-made artisan sourdough is crafted on organic spelt and stone-ground flour, then used as a vehicle for cleverly reworked classic tartine toppings. Expect combinations like pear and roquefort cheese; pork rillettes and cornichons; crab and green apple paired with a crab emulsion; and prosciutto with celeriac remoulade. The bread itself is also available to buy from the provedore, along with a selection of wine and some of the kitchen's own signature toppings. As for the rest of the bistro menu, it'll see you snacking in style, starting off with small bites like pâté en croûte (terrine encased in pastry), hash browns with truffle and foie gras, scallop tartare and a slew of charcuterie options. There's a cheese trolley loaded with international delights, and a caviar service in honour of Melbourne's current favourite culinary pastime. Mains might include a side of pork paired with quince and charred cabbage, and a steak frites with Montpellier butter, while classics like lemon tart and apple tarte tatin rule the dessert list. Natural wines lead the drinks offering, though you'll also find a lineup of oh-so-French champagne cocktails to see you from brunch through to after-dinner sips. Find Tartine at 105 Swan Street, Richmond, from August 25. It's open for lunch and dinner Tuesday to Saturday, as well as for Sunday lunch.
Sometimes, you just have to take advice from a pop-culture phenomenon — and if you're wondering whether to see Lin-Manuel Miranda's game-changing musical Hamilton, you need to listen to the show itself. Melburnians, you don't want to throw away your shot to see the biggest show of the past seven years and the most talked-about musical of the decade right here at home while you can. After premiering in Sydney in early 2021, Hamilton has been dazzling Melbourne since March this year; however, its time at Her Majesty's Theatre is limited. The show will officially close on Sunday, January 15, 2023, ready to make the move to Brisbane, letting the Sunshine State be in the room where it happens. That's the sad news — and news that means that you'll need to get as passionate about getting a ticket as Alexander Hamilton was about America if you haven't caught Hamilton's Melbourne run yet. Here's some great news to go with it, though: you can still nab yourself a cheap ticket to see this musical take on US politics in the 18th century. As happened with The Book of Mormon, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Moulin Rouge! The Musical, a ticket lottery is being held for Hamilton's Melbourne season — and, while it started when the show did, it's still going strong. Plus, this one is cheap. Very cheap, in fact. Via TodayTix, you can sign up for your chance to score a ticket for just $10. Yes, that figure is accurate. To take part in the lottery, you will need to download the TodayTix app — which is available for iOS and Android — and submit your entry each Friday. The lottery goes live at 12.01am every Friday morning and closes at 1pm the next Thursday, with winners drawn between 1–6pm on that Thursday. If your name is selected, you'll have an hour to claim your tickets from when you receive the good news. And, if you need a reminder, you'll also be able to sign up for lottery alerts via Today Tix, too. Hamilton isn't the kind of musical you miss while it's in town. After hitting Broadway in 2015, it has won 11 Tony Awards and become one of the Obamas' favourite musicals, too. The critically acclaimed hip hop show, for which Miranda wrote the music, lyrics and the book, is about the life of its eponymous Founding Father, as well as inclusion and politics in current-day America — and in addition to its those Tonys, which include Best Musical, it has nabbed a Grammy Award and even a Pulitzer Prize. While you wait for your lottery shot, you can still watch the filmed version of Hamilton with the original Broadway cast on Disney+ — yes, it's as phenomenal as you've heard. Hamilton's Melbourne season runs until Sunday, January 15, 2023 at Her Majesty's Theatre. Visit the musical's website for further details. To enter the Today Tix $10 lottery, download the company's iOS or Android app, and head to the company's website for more information — and to set up an alert. Images: Daniel Boud, Destination NSW.
If you love meat, smoke and maybe a bit of hot sauce and kimchi, then you're in the right city. In Melbourne, there's no shortage of quality barbecue, whether you're looking for American-style brisket in Brunswick or Korean cuts in the CBD. Our barbecue is so sophisticated that, these days, barbecue had infiltrated fine dining and, at some spots, even vegetarians are fully catered for. One place even has a karaoke room. As luck would have it, these joints have also perfected the art of barbecue drinking — crack a tinnie just like you're in your mate's backyard, order a glass of funky orange riesling or go for soju in every variety available. Here are some of our top picks for all things barbecue (and booze) in Melbourne. Recommended reads: The Best Steak in Melbourne The Best Hot Pots in Melbourne The Best Pubs in Melbourne The Best Restaurants in Melbourne
Reaching the ripe old age of 42 years is no mean feat for an Australian music fest. But beloved bayside celebration St Kilda Festival is doing just that when it returns in February to deliver its bumper 2023 instalment. And yes, it's dishing up a hefty lineup of musical guests to mark the occasion. Already confirmed to be heading along to join the free festivities from Saturday, February 18–Sunday, February 19: big-name Aussie acts Hoodoo Gurus, Confidence Man and Christine Anu. Now, it's confirmed that they'll be joined by Genesis Owusu, Yothu Yindi, Alice Ivy and a whole lot more. [caption id="attachment_885347" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mackenzie Sweetnam[/caption] St Kilda Festival's refreshed 2023 format is set to include the new First Peoples First program celebrating Indigenous music and culture on the Saturday. Anu will take the stage alongside acts like Jem Cassar-Daley, Jungaji, Lady Lash and Dean Brady, while the late Archie Roach is to be honoured with a dedicated musical tribute featuring Emma Donovan, Bumpy, Sally Dastey and others. The following day will fire up for Big Festival Sunday, with multiple stages playing host to artists like ARIA award-winning hip hop star Genesis Owusu, legendary Aussie outfit Yothu Yindi, singer-songwriter Hatchie, electro darling Alice Ivy and longtime Nick Cave collaborator, the multi-talented Mick Harvey, just to name a few. Throw in more live sounds from the likes of Jen Cloher, THNDO, JK-47, Ashwarya and Phoebe Go, plus roving entertainment, dance performances, community activities, market stalls, and scores of food and drink pop-ups, and it's safe to say this fest is celebrating its 42nd birthday in style. [caption id="attachment_839020" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nathan Doran[/caption] [caption id="attachment_839022" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nathan Doran[/caption] St Kilda Festival will take over the St Kilda Foreshore and surrounds from Saturday, February 18– Sunday, February 19. Check out the full program over on the website. Top images: Nathan Doran and Andy Swann.
If there's anyone in Sydney who knows where to find the best street art, the smartest galleries and the most fun art gatherings, it's Scott Marsh. Even if you don't know his name, chances are, you know his work. His most famous piece is undoubtedly Kanye Loves Kanye, a seven-metre-tall mural of two Kanyes kissing one another, which appeared in Teggs Lane, Chippendale, in April 2016. Within a month, someone paid Marsh $100,000 to buff (graffiti-speak for paint over) it. Also among his international headline-grabbing works are Casino Mike, a satirical portrait of former NSW premier Mike Baird painted as a protest against the lockout laws, and Tony Loves Tony, an image of Tony Abbott marrying himself. In partnership with Pullman Hotels and Resorts, we're helping you explore more on your next holiday and make sure you get those experiences that the area's most switched-on residents wouldn't want their visitors to miss. In Sydney, we've called in Scott, whose favourite spots range from Wendy Whiteley's dreamy harbourside garden to the best shops for premium spray paint. A stay in one of Pullman's two locations in central Sydney — Hyde Park and Quay Grand Sydney Harbour (there's also two more at Sydney Airport and Sydney Olympic Park) — will not only put you in the thick of all this action, it will let you contemplate all you've seen in five-star luxury at the end of the day. Read on for Scott's perspective on Sydney's artistic hot spots, and check out the rest of our Explore More content series to hone your itinerary for some of Australia's best holiday destinations. SUNDAY WALLS AT THE LORD GLADSTONE Since June 2015, artists and musicians have been gathering once a month at the Lord Gladstone in Chippendale for Sunday Walls. From 2 until 10pm, an emerging or established graffiti artist works on a temporary mural with a stack of spray cans, while live hip hop DJs provide a soundtrack. Punters hang around to watch, eat $10 fried chicken and share $15 jugs of Frank Strongs. The Lord Gladstone attracts a pretty laidback, eclectic crowd, and watching a new art work appear before your eyes can't not be fun. GOODSPACE GALLERY OPENINGS Goodspace Gallery gives Chippendale a weekly art fix with exhibition openings on Wednesday evenings from 6pm–9pm. Artists score a good deal because the space doesn't charge rent or take commissions. Plus, both local and international talent features. In early November, Sydney-based photographer James Simpson exhibited Endless Summer, a collection of photos influenced by French and Italian cinema of the '60s and '70s. The week before, photographer Joshua Valageorgiou, who splits his time between Sydney and Athens, took over the space with Cluster, a black-and-white analogue series. [caption id="attachment_644404" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] by Luke Shirlaw[/caption] IRONLAK ART AND DESIGN About a year ago, this graffiti-dedicated retail space opened on the ground floor of Central Park, Broadway. It's the Sydney flagship of Ironlak, a premium spray-paint brand founded in the early 2000s by Australian graffiti artist Luke Shirlaw, in collaboration with brothers Levi and Heath Ramsay, and now sold internationally. Not only is Ironlak Art and Design a great place to check out quality products and meet artists, the walls are covered in street art. Plus, it's open until 8pm 363 days a year, so even if you're in a full-time job, you can drop by and get what you need to start your next project. REDFERN AND NEWTOWN GRAFFITI AND STREET ART There's a few great street art spots around Redfern and Newtown that I check out whenever I can. More often than not, I find something new to see. In Redfern, expect to catch me around The Block or Phillip Lane, where there's a lot of Indigenous street art, including works by Reko Rennie and Hego, telling stories of history, identity and resistance. When I'm in Newtown, I take a wander down Wilford and Gladstone Streets. Young Henrys is nearby, which means it's pretty tempting to stop for a beer sample or two. FINTAN MAGEE'S HOUSING BUBBLE MURAL This is my favourite mural in Sydney. It's called The Housing Bubble and it's on the side of the Urban hotel, on the corner of Enmore and Station Streets. Fintan Magee, an artist who was born in Lismore and grew up in Brisbane, painted it over the course of four days during Marrickville Council's Perfect Match street art festival in July 2015. Every year, the event brings a bunch of new works to Sydney, by providing artists with spaces and encouraging crowds to watch as they sketch, paint and spray. [caption id="attachment_644637" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] by Newtown Graffiti[/caption] SYDNEY STEEL ROAD, MARRICKVILLE Found just a short walk from Sydenham Station, Sydney Steel Road puts a whole lot of excellent art, colour and vibrancy into an otherwise industrial area. There's everything from realistic portraits to political statements to giant, surrealist murals. When you're done here, wander across Camdenville Park to May Lane, which gives you a stack more work to see. A shopkeeper started a graffiti wall there more than 15 years ago because he wanted to create a space where artists could work legally. May Lane is a fixture on the Perfect Match program, so major new works are added each year. 567 KING Newtown's graffiti writers have been stocking up here since August 2005, and these days, artists of all kinds drop by. Whether you want spray paint, pencils, paints or paper, you can get it. Plus, if listening to a bit of hip hop on vinyl or CD while you're working is your thing, you can make your picks in the shop and ask the crew to deliver them to your door. There's also a handy commissioning service: get in touch with a request for an artwork and 567King will hook you up with the right artist for the job. BRETT WHITELEY STUDIO When Brett Whiteley died in Thirroul in 1992, he left behind this studio in Surry Hills, where he'd worked and lived since 1985. Walking in here is a bit like stepping back in time, into Whiteley's private and artistic life. There are paintings he started but never finished, piles of books that gave him inspiration and quotes scrawled across the wall. In the adjoining gallery, temporary exhibitions showcase works owned by the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Whiteley Estate and private collectors, so there's always a new reason to visit. WENDY'S SECRET GARDEN Across the harbour, in Lavender Bay, is the creative work of the other half of the legendary Whiteley partnership: Wendy Whiteley's Secret Garden. From 1970, for the best part of 20 years, the Whiteleys lived in a house nearby. When Brett passed away, Wendy coped with her grief by setting to work on the land, which back then, was disused railway property, covered in rubbish and weeds. Now, it's a haven of blood leaf, ginger, angel's trumpets, palms, fig trees and sandstone walls overhung with rambling vines, where I come to escape, sketch and drink coffee. MCA ARTBAR MCA ARTBAR combines art with music and live performance to create something entirely new. The happening takes over various parts of the gallery on the last Friday of every month, and even if you've checked out the program, you never can tell quite what you're in for. In July 2017, Latai Taumoepeau curated Archipela_GO ....this is not a drill, a mix of live performances and interactive works exploring climate change. Before that, in May, Vivid 2017 artist Julia Gorman brought together samba dancers, DJs, artists and a pop-up jewellery stall for a night of colour and light. Explore more with Pullman. Book your next hotel stay with Pullman and enjoy a great breakfast for just $1.
One of the most crippling and persistent of first world problems is the fact that sometimes things remain over there when you in fact want them over here. But now cutting-edge spy technology could change all that. How did we fail to see the answer, when it was right in front of our eyes? All we need is a way to give objects wings, and Dutch designer Jasper van Loenen has already done the bothersome design work for us. Drone It Yourself takes the guesswork out of droning, by using simple components to transform any (lightweight) item into a flying beast of the skies. Channelling our Zeitgeist's motif of personal customisation, anyone can 3D-print the kit's parts, which can also be altered and enhanced with any clamps or other addenda you may wish to incorporate into your quadrocopter. Grab your remote control/pizza/Frankie magazine, and dispatch it on its stealth mission. The kit's four propellors connect to a control unit containing a receiver, bluetooth module, 4 ESCs and OpenPilot CC3D flightcontroller. Presto: next-level convenience — and a springboard for further innovation — is achieved. Check out the video below to see how it looks when drones become tools that anyone can make. Via Mashable.
When you've fought for your life, plus a massive cash prize, while donning a green tracksuit, you're probably not going to shake off the deadly endeavour easily. So shows the latest teaser trailer for Squid Game season two. Lee Jung-jae (The Acolyte) is back as Gi-hun, and there's a familiar face — or mask — at his door, awakening him from a restless slumber. Soon, he's back on bunks as competitor 456. Let the games begin — again. Following a three-year wait since its award-winning first season, and after teasing the show's 2024 return since January, Squid Game will start playing once more on Boxing Day. If you usually spend the day after Christmas shopping, at the cinema or recovering from your food coma by trying to play backyard cricket, you now have other plans if you want to catch the next instalment of the South Korean thriller ASAP. It was back in August that Netflix not only advised when its huge 2021 hit — one of the best new TV programs of that year, in fact — will finally make a comeback, but also announced that there's even more in store. After Squid Game season two arrives on Thursday, December 26, 2024, Squid Game season three will drop sometime in 2025. There's no exact date for the latter as yet, but it will be the final season, closing out the Squid Game story. The streaming platform revealed both pieces of news with a date announcement teaser that featured a running track, competitors in recognisable green tracksuits, and also-familiar folks in red watching on alongside the masked Front Man — and with a letter from series director, writer and executive producer Hwang Dong-hyuk. Now, Netflix has dropped its next sneak peek at the second season — including at new games. Also back: Gi-hun's nemesis (Lee Byung-hun, The Magnificent Seven). If you're wondering what else is in the works after the hefty gap — Squid Game was such a huge smash in it first season that Netflix confirmed at the beginning of 2022 that more was on the way, and also released a teaser trailer for it the same year, before announcing its new cast members in 2023 — a few further details were dropped earlier in the year. That's when Netflix previously unveiled a first brief snippet of Squid Game season two in a broader trailer for Netflix's slate for the year, as it releases every 12 months. In the footage, Seong Gi-hun answers a phone call while at the airport sporting his newly crimson locks. He's soon told "you're going to regret the choice you've made". Cue his statement of vengeance; Squid Game meets John Wick, anyone? Wi Ha-joon (Little Women) is also back as detective Hwang Jun-ho, as is Gong Yoo (Train to Busan) as the man in the suit who got Gi-hun into the game in the first place. A show about a deadly competition that has folks battling for ridiculous riches comes with a hefty bodycount, which means that new faces were always going to be essential in Squid Game season two — so that's where Yim Si-wan (Emergency Declaration), Kang Ha-neul (Insider), Park Sung-hoon (The Glory) and Yang Dong-geun (Yaksha: Ruthless Operations) all come in. If you somehow missed all things Squid Game when it premiered, even after it became bigger than everything from Stranger Things to Bridgerton, the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning series serves up a puzzle-like storyline and unflinching savagery, which unsurprisingly makes quite the combination. It also steps into societal divides within South Korea, a topic that wasn't invented by Parasite, Bong Joon-ho's excellent Oscar-winning 2019 thriller, but has been given a boost after that stellar flick's success. Accordingly, it's easy to see thematic and narrative parallels between Parasite and Squid Game, although Netflix's highly addictive series goes with a Battle Royale and Hunger Games-style setup. Here, 456 competitors are selected to work their way through six seemingly easy children's games. They're all given numbers and green tracksuits, they're competing for 45.6 billion won, and it turns out that they've also all made their way to the contest after being singled out for having enormous debts. Netflix turned the show's whole premise into an IRL competition series as well, which debuted in 2023 — without any murders, of course. Squid Game: The Challenge has already been picked up for a second season. Check out the latest teaser trailer for Squid Game season below: Squid Game season two streams via Netflix from Thursday, December 26, 2024. Season three will arrive in 2025 — we'll update you when an exact release date for it is announced. Images: Netflix.
You should cut down on your porklife and get to the Palais Theatre this summer, Damon Albarn is coming to Melbourne. Celebrating the recent release of his critically-acclaimed first solo venture Everyday Roots, the legendary Blur frontman will bring early Christmas presents to Melburnians with an intimate performance on Friday, December 12. Alongside his Blur/Gorillaz escapades, the 46-year-old has casually worked with Everyone Ever — including the late Bobby Womack, buds Brian Eno, Natasha Khan (Bat For Lashes), Paul Simonon (The Clash), master drummer Tony Allen, Snoop Dogg and Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers). For his Melbourne show he'll be joined onstage with his shiny new live crew, The Heavy Seas, plus a cheeky string quartet and onstage choir. Epic. While the setlist will undoubtedly focus on Albarn's solo material, fingers are crossed for a Boys and Girls Easter Egg or two. Damon Albarn will play the Palais Theatre at 7:30pm, Friday 12 December. Tickets available from Ticketmaster. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ODG3VRkncBc
Snorkelling. Private jets. Quokkas. Go-getters Heineken and boutique experience cultivators MrAristotle are at it again, and this time with a prize so appealing, you’ll want to move to Perth just to enter. To mark the release of SPECTRE — the 24th film in the iconic James Bond franchise — Heineken is celebrating its long-term partnership with the Bond brand to offer a few lucky fans a series of unbelievable and exclusive luxury experiences. Throughout November and December, Heineken have been hosting exclusive SPECTRE 007 events that are so mysterious participants haven't known what’s in store until they’re suddenly whisked away and thrown right into the middle of the action right as it happens. Having already revealed their helicopter pub tour and personal stylist session prizes, Heineken and MrAristotle have now unveiled their latest prize. Forget packing into the stuffy car and spending hours looking for a park, this one’s for the high-flyers... literally. It's a pretty fancy trip to Rottnest Island for lucky Perth people — we're talking luxury private jets, snorkelling in coral gardens, gourmet lunches, quokkas, the works. So what type of mission are you up for? You'll just have to sign up to find out — it could be anything worthy of the world of James Bond. Sure, that could technically mean you have to infiltrate villain lairs and have various tuxedo scuba suits on hand for 24 hours, but we’re pretty confident it’s referring to the fun stuff: parties filled with glamour, prestige, special guests and VIP performances. To be in the running, fans need to sign up via the Heineken's The Catch website and have your mates locked, loaded and ready to move at a moment’s notice. High fashion and jet skis aren’t essential, but they’ll certainly come in handy... Image: Dollar Photo Club.
Whether you're searching for budget skincare solutions, are stuck in a makeup rut or have never quite figured out how to apply eyeliner properly, YouTube has long been a beauty vlogging haven. But what if you're trying to stay glam after nuclear winter decimates the earth, wipes out life as we know it and forces the mutated remnants of humanity deep underground? Only Sarah's Channel can show you how to dazzle in that literally nightmarish situation — and how to make homemade lipstick out of saliva, clay, blood and what seem to be glow-in-the-dark mushrooms. It's set two centuries after a world-ending disaster and, after initially dying along with the vast majority of the population, Sarah (Claudia O'Doherty) has been reanimated. She's supposed to help the planet's waning survivors grow crops, overcome illnesses, restart civilisation and avoid being eaten by a giant monster called Quahmork — just everyday things, really — but the beauty vlogger, influencer, brand ambassador and author would rather keep doing what she knows. In her original life, Sarah had more than 3.5 million subscribers across her various social media platforms, and she's not going to let them down. They're all dead, but what's the point of saving the few not-quite-people left if no one looks their best? That's the idea behind the ABC's hilarious new satirical series, with Sarah's Channel taking amusing and astute aim at influencer culture and manufactured authenticity — all while its eponymous host dispenses beauty advice in a bleak, post-apocalyptic future, of course. Now available on both ABC iview and YouTube, the first season's six five-minute episodes cover everything you need to know if you're having #dystopianworldproblems, including Sarah's favourite products, her daily routine living in a fortified bunker and how to give a makeover to a slimy subterranean creature who has evolved from humanity. If you loved Australian actor and comedian O'Doherty in Netflix's Love — if you thought she was the best thing about the romantic dramedy, in fact — then you'll feel the same about her turn as the relatable yet oblivious Sarah. She stars alongside Sarah's Channel writer/director Nick Coyle (stage production Feather in the Web), who plays terrified mole person Justin. Sarah's Channel is the smart end-of-the-world parody and scathing takedown of online behaviour that you didn't know you needed. Watch the first episode below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deLiDLkQzio The entire six-episode first season of Sarah's Channel is now available to watch on ABC iview and YouTube.
Wiseman's Ferry is a teeny, tiny village perched on the banks of the mighty Hawkesbury River, surrounded by national park and with a population of just 220. The settlement gets its name from one Solomon Wiseman, an ex-convict who, in 1827, organised the first river crossing by ferry. And his service still runs today. A weekend at Wiseman's usually involves hours lolling by, on and in the river; pretty walks through nearby Dharug and Yengo National Parks; some pub grub at Wiseman's Inn and perusing paintings by local artists. On top of that, the annual Return To Rio rolls into town in November for three days to add even more reason to make your way to the idyllic village. This year, Carl Cox and Eric Powell will be powering through their Mobile Disco, a twelve-hour (yep) marathon of funk, soul, disco and classic house, pumped out by a live, twelve-piece band. Also in the line-up are Incognito, Lee Foss, &ME, Fabio and Grooverider, Bedouin, Neil James and loads more dance music legends. When you're not furiously making shapes, you can take a timeout at yoga classes, meditation sessions, markets and swimming holes. We've teamed up with Mazda3 to help you make the most of your Return to Rio. Here are the best options for what to eat, what to do and where to stay during the festival weekend. EAT AND DRINK At Return To Rio, expect an array of food stalls, peddling all kinds of international cuisines, from steaming pho to massive burgers, designed to fuel all-night dancing. Vegos and vegans, fear not: you'll be well catered for, too. Also, if food options are any worry, you're invited to pack your own steak or haloumi slab and fry it up on one of the barbecues provided. Outside of the festival, no visit to Wiseman's Ferry counts without a visit to Wiseman's Inn. Built in 1827, this sandstone retreat was once Solomon Wiseman's stately home and is now owned by ex-Wallaby Bill Young. On cool days, relax by the open fire; on hot ones, head into the shady beer garden. Either way, keep an eye out for the local ghosts who are said to be roaming the halls of the inn. Meanwhile, you can find coffee, house-made pies and wraps at Wiseman's Ferry Grocer, and a solid modern Australian offering at Busby's Cafe, where dishes include garlic prawns in creamy chive-white wine sauce, as well as baby barramundi fillets with kipfler potatoes and tomato-rocket salad. For a fancier bite, reserve a table at Riverbend Restaurant, within the idyllic, landscaped gardens of The Retreat. The ever-changing menu is big on local, seasonal produce. DO Festival bound? Your first job is to dance until you're wrecked. After that, wander around the Return To Rio markets, relax at a yoga session and restore your energy by the pool, complete with cocktail bar and soundtracked by reggae. Your ticket also gets you access to the resort's facilities, which include a nine-hole golf course, volleyball and tennis courts and plenty of river frontage. When you're ready to find out what lies beyond the festival gates, a bush walk is a good starting point. For a piece of convict history, as well as some stunning Hawkesbury vistas, there's the Old Great North Road World Heritage Walk, a nine-kilometre loop that begins on the river's northern bank (you'll need to catch the ferry). If you're short on time, it's possible to stroll along just one section, such as Hangman's Rock. A more challenging adventure is the 11 Kilometre Walking Track, which takes in ferny forests, friendly creeks and some steep sections. Next up is the question of getting onto the water. Hawkesbury House Boats hires out various vessels, from kayaks to speedboats. Meanwhile, Xterra Adventures offers guided tours in the form of a four-hour escapade up MacDonald River, a tributary of the Hawkesbury that includes morning tea. Keen to meet a few arty types? Wiseman's Ferry's natural beauty and isolation have been attracting them for years. Check out their work at Ferry Artists' Gallery, a community-run venture that exhibits painting, sculpture, jewellery, ceramics and glassware. There are occasional workshops, too. STAY The festival grounds give you pretty much every accommodation option under the sun: camp it (with your own tent), glamp it (with Simple Pleasures providing all your needs) or tipi it (in one of Rainbow Tipis' magnificent creations). Should you seek the protection of four solid walls, book a cabin, lodge or home — depending on the size of your crew. Last, but not least, you're welcome to bring your own mobile digs, be they van, car or motorhome: just make sure you book a spot before leaving home. Like the idea of popping in and out of the action? Get some buddies together and sleepover on a houseboat. Able Hawkesbury River Houseboats have them for all budgets. At one end, there's the five-star Spa, with five queen-sized ensuite bedrooms, a ten-person jacuzzi, full kitchen, lounge room and wrap-around deck. At the other, there's the humble Aquavan two to four berth, with sleeping space for up to four on day lounges that turn into double beds, a shady front deck and a barbecue. The benefit of the Aquavan's littleness is that you can go exploring on the Colo and MacDonald Rivers. Back on land, the aforementioned Wiseman's Inn harbours a bunch of straightforward, affordable rooms. Or, if you want to go all out on a luxe stay, check into The Retreat, a 50-acre property with 54 rooms, including spa suites, as well as a golf course, tennis courts and pool. Return To Rio takes place at Del Rio Resort from November 3 to 5. Personalise your next adventure via The Playmaker, driven by Mazda3.
When the Victorian Government revealed its reopening roadmap to take the state out of its strict current COVID-19 lockdowns, it flagged a big shift for Melbourne's hospitality scene. While outdoor dining isn't an unfamiliar concept, it's a key part of Victoria's plans to allow restaurants, cafes and eateries to start welcoming customers back onto the premises. In fact, when hospitality businesses in the metropolitan Melbourne area are permitted to move away from takeaway and delivery-only operations — earmarked for Monday, October 26, as long as the state has a state-wide average of less than five new COVID-19 cases over the previous 14 days, with less than five cases coming from an unknown source in the same period — they'll be asked to run "predominantly outdoor seated service only". Just what that requirement entails has received plenty of attention over the past few weeks, with both the Victorian Government and the City of Melbourne providing some details. Both outlined a similar al fresco approach to the one currently being employed in New York City, which allows food venues to temporarily use sidewalks and curbs for openair dining to cater to more customers within health restrictions — and now the local powers-that-be have unveiled a temporary extended outdoor dining permit scheme, and explained what said permits can be used for. When eat-in service recommences, Melburnians won't just tucking into a meal outdoors — they'll be dining on footpaths, in on-street car parking spaces that have been taken over by adjacent businesses, in laneways and even on the street. All four options are listed by the City of Melbourne as reasons to obtain a free permit, with the plan forming part of the City of Melbourne and Victorian Government's $100 million Melbourne City Recovery Fund. "We're reopening the city for business and will work with venues to find outdoor dining opportunities appropriate for their unique part of the city," said Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp in a statement. "We will continue to advocate for flexibility so restaurants and cafes can open indoors in a COVID-safe way sooner," she continued, while also noting that the city "will balance the expansion of outdoor dining with the needs of our residents" — considering traffic conditions, the safety of patrons, and maintaining access for pedestrians, residents and essential vehicles. [caption id="attachment_697521" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Duke of Kerr by Kate Shanasy[/caption] The Lord Mayor also gave an indication of what street closures could look like, with roadways shut down to create more space for dining and entertainment on weekends. "Temporary street closures would create a festive atmosphere for outdoor dining. We could temporarily close locations such as Bellair Street in Kensington and Faraday Street in Carlton to help businesses trade safely," she explained. Among the other sites that could be temporarily closed for dining, Bourke Street between Exhibition and Spring streets, Russell Street between Lonsdale and Bourke streets, Domain Road in South Yarra and Errol Street in North Melbourne have all been floated. For businesses that don't have access to an outdoor space — that can't trade in front of their premises on a footpath, on-street car parking spaces, laneways and or on the street — the City of Melbourne is also looking to create hospitality hubs a to around town that let these venues come together. Obviously, exactly when these outdoor dining plans will come into effect is dependent on COVID-19 case numbers. That said, businesses can start applying for permits from Thursday, October 1. For more information about the City of Melbourne's extended outdoor dining permits, visit the local government body's website. Additional details about the City of Melbourne's COVID-19 response are also available on its the website. And for more information about the Victorian Government's roadmap, head to vic.gov.au. Top image: Good Times by Kate Shanasy
When you're next walking down Collins Street, be sure to seek out this unassuming little pod of delight. Sensory Lab's space-like cafe has garnered numerous accolades for its curious and artistic aesthetic. Wanting to create a 'calm space away from the hustle of Melbourne's CBD', Foolscap Studio has styled a haven for coffee and tea. The cafe is a Swedish-Japanese fusion, combining calmingly minimalist design with spacey vibes for a machine-like feel. There are only a few tables for two, and a couple of spots for solo coffee drinkers. Here, you can have your coffee any way you like it — your blend will even come with tasting notes, and you even can take home a bag of beans. Small bits of food are available, too, like topped toast and a changing array of cakes on the counter. Appears in: The Best Coffee Shops in Melbourne's CBD
