Being The Drums means being one of the most hardworking bands around at the moment – since they skyrocketed in hype in 2009, The Drums haven't slowed down, incessantly touring and releasing two LPs in that time. They've visited antipodean shores before, working the festival circuit and are about to do it for the third time – this time around for St. Jerome's Laneway Festival in Australia. Singer Jonny Pierce took some time out to talk to Kirstie Sequitin about the rise and rise of the band, recording Portamento in their kitchen and getting lost in translation in Poland. Hi Jonny, how are you? Hey there, how you doin'? I'm good thank you, how's your day going? It's going pretty good, I'm down in Puerto Rico right now, just wrapping up my first real holiday since we started the band and heading back to wintery New York City tomorrow morning. It's a little fast to be leaving but I'm also ready for it – I'm having a really hard time actually relaxing. My mind is constantly reeling so I think it'll actually feel better to sort of, do something creative again. This is the first time, actually, that we've had time for a break… we've had just under a month off. That's the longest time that we've had off since we started three years ago. Because we've just been going going going, even a month feels like a very long time. I feel like we all feel somewhat refreshed and excited to come to Australia, which is a change from sort of the, the, how we were feeling a few months ago when we were wrapping up a very long three-year tour. So Australia will kind of be the first stop after your holidays then? It will, absolutely, yeah. It'll be nice to continue this warm weather, actually. I really didn't like warm weather as a child - I was always drawn towards the cold winters but uh, getting older, so, things change I suppose. You've been coming to Australia every year basically since you started – doing the festival circuit and your sideshows and tours and whatever – how do you feel about coming here so often? Do you like it here? Well, we've always had a really warm reception in Australia so it is a place that we look forward to going… and you know there are some places that we've gone a few times and every time it feels the same but there's always this… it feels like every time we've been to Australia there's been this mounting electricity in the air. It's that sort of thing that keeps you on the road. It seems that the fans there are a bit more rowdy than most of the places which really gets us through the show and makes us excited and makes us sort of play the best show possible. And it's nice to go somewhere where people speak English, to be quite honest (laughs). We spend a lot of time sort of, pointing at venues, and… a lot of sign language. So it's sort of nice to just be able to talk to people. Yeah. "We… like… being… here…" Yeah, exactly. Or like, memorising the words Thank You in every language. It seems that I think I know it and I walk up on stage confidently and it completely slips my mind. I end up asking my guitar player how to say thank you in Polish and he tells me – he gives me an answer that's almost right but just wrong enough to make me look foolish and for the entire set I'm saying thank you wrong… (laughs) Oh, that's awesome. Literally happens non-stop. You were saying before that you being in Puerto Rico is the first holiday that you've had since you guys have started – so how does it feel to be on the road for three years? Do you feel like you've enjoyed those three years or do you feel like it's a bit of a burden? Well, when we first started writing songs for this band and recording, we were living in the middle of nowhere in Florida and it was just Jacob and I – we wrote the Summertime EP and then we recorded most of the first album and that whole time we thought we'd be the only two people who would ever hear it. And out of nowhere, we were asked to play a show in New York City – you know, we had a MySpace page and that was it – so we went off to New York and played the show and the next day we were getting calls from record labels and managers and booking agents. Right from the very first show that we played it was a non-stop whirlwind up until a month ago. At the beginning everything is exotic and exciting and surreal and there's nowhere to really feel like you can put your feet down because the whole time it just felt like we were floating and being hyped up as we were. You don't even really feel anything: we didn't have time to feel excited, we didn't have time to feel angry, we didn't have time to feel anything which is just so, so wild. And then about a year into it, the dust starts to settle a little bit and our feet started touching the ground and you sort of have a clearer vision of what you are as a band and we realised where we had landed. It was really exciting, we felt really grateful for everything – and we still do – but, you know, the reality was… none of us were home, ever, and we were always all together and you don't think about those things when you start a band. You think, 'Oh, we'll play a couple of shows here and there, and I'll keep my bartending job and you'll keep your retail job and that will be enough…' you just jump into it because it's exciting. It's very simple - we just spent too much time together and things started to get a little bit ugly. To me, when things get dramatic and ugly, to me it's a really exciting time to be creative, because I think the best art comes through hardship, and that sort of anger and bitterness really gave Portamento a darker texture that I think we were hoping for. So I think, without really saying it, we were all welcoming the drama. Since then, when we finished Portamento and released it, I think we all felt something break… it was just a unifying experience and I think what we all really learned from the whole thing was to give each other space and to respect each other's opinions. Jacob, Connor and I are all really stubborn, bull-headed people and I don't think this band would exist or be able to survive if we weren't that way. I think it's those three dynamic, clashing heads all the time that… that's where the ideas come from. I'm grateful for all of that and I wouldn't want this to be easy and comfortable because I think that's the number one way to lose your creative spark. Yeah, definitely. (And then the line gets cut and Kirstie's heart breaks a little bit. But he calls her back!) Hello! I don't know what happened there. Alright, so I always read the fact that you guys produced Portamento in your kitchen – is that true? Mmhmm. Do you think that for your next efforts you'll go into the studio? Or do you think you'll continue this kind of, very DIY sensibility. Um, I don't know. We didn't do things DIY because we thought we should – we did things DIY because it was the only option when we started. We were completely broke – we didn't have cars, we didn't really have friends, we were living in this small apartment complex in Kissimmee, Florida, riding my bike to work, a 36-mile round trip every day, that sort of thing. We were really broke. So we just downloaded recording software illegally (laughs) and borrowed our friend's guitar and used an old synthesizer that Jacob's mum gave him and bought a $25 microphone from RadioShack and just recorded things that way. With Portamento we just decided that we were really happy with how the first album turned out. We were trying to record things as professionally as we possibly could but because we didn't have the right gear and the right know-how to do it, we sort of landed on a certain sound by accident but we really learned to love it and call it our own. For Portamento we didn't want to stray from that. We kept it the same way and didn't buy any new equipment or any new recording gear, we just decided to make another record how we made the first. And The Drums, I think so far our heart has been into doing it on our own, but that's just because that's sort of how it happened and I think however we go about the next album – whether we get a producer or we do it ourselves again, or we co-produce, I'm not really sure – whatever it is, you can bet that it's because that's what we want to do. That's the number one thing for us, to never look back and feel like we've made a long list of compromises. So if we work with a producer it's because we feel like we should for the next album and not because someone tells us we should. It's about feeling really natural about everything. Alright, I think that's all I've got for today – thank you so much for your time Jonny and thanks for calling me back after I dropped out there. No problem at all, thank you. Have a great time in Australia, et cetera et cetera. Oh, and have fun in Puerto Rico! Oh, thank you, I will - we have had a really nice time. I lied to this man and told him I had a boating license so I've been taking his boat out every day. So, so far you know that I've been downloading illegal software and lying to people in Puerto Rico – it's not all bad, I swear. The Drums will be playing at St. Jerome's Laneway Festival in Australia. This interview was originally conducted for Scene Magazine.
It's usually where you head to for a culture fix, but this autumn the Immigration Museum is doubling as a wellness destination, too. It's launching a new series of Wednesday offerings aimed at rejuvenating your body and mind. Running from Wednesday, April 5–May 31, Wellbeing Within is set to serve up a weekly program of wellness activities, spanning everything from mindfulness to movement. You might fancy a hump day reset in the form of a guided morning meditation led by experts in areas like First Peoples wellness practices and forest therapy. You can train in tai chi under the renowned Professor Lily Sun, who's got more than four decades of teaching experience under her belt, or experience the anxiety-releasing wonders of a meditative sound bath, guided by an expert lineup of practitioners. There's also a series of 45-minute lunchtime yoga sessions, plus movement workshops hosted by Wala Connections, drawing on Indigenous culture and traditions. The best part? All classes and sessions come in at either $10 or $15, with museum members able to book for free. Online bookings are required. Images: Eugene Hyland
What can Disney say except... yes, "you're welcome", Moana fans? A sequel to the 2016 animated hit is on its way to cinemas before 2024 is out, as announced earlier in the year. Now, the movie's first teaser trailer is here to make a splash, and to confirm that Auli'i Cravalho (Mean Girls) is back voicing Moana and Dwayne Johnson (Fast X) is also returning as demigod Maui. When Walt Disney Animation Studios had Johnson sing a ridiculously catchy tune that was penned by Lin-Manuel Miranda in the first Moana, it clearly gave itself the perfect response to all the love thrown the film's way. Adore the movie? You're welcome. Can't stop crooning its songs? You're also welcome. Excited about the sequel that'll hit cinemas on Thursday, November 28 Down Under? You're welcome for that as well. Story-wise, Moana 2 will see its namesake take to the seas of Oceania to answer the call from her ancestors, which is where new characters will come in. While eight years have passed for viewers, only three have elapsed within the film when Moana and Maui set off on their new — and dangerous — adventure. In the director's chair: Dave Derrick Jr, who was a storyboard artist on the original Moana. And on music duties this time are singer-songwriter Abigail Barlow, composer Emily Bear (Dog Gone), Opetaia Foa'i (returning from the first film) and Mark Mancina (also back from the initial movie). "This was originally developed as a series, but we were impressed with what we saw and we knew it deserved a theatrical release," said Disney CEO Bob Iger when he announced the sequel in the company's first-quarter earnings call for 2024. "The original Moana film from 2016 recently crossed one-billion hours streamed on Disney+ and was the most streamed movie of 2023 on any platform in the U.S." Moana 2 is one of two new Moana movies in the works, with a live-action adaptation of the first Moana also on the way — and with Johnson starring. "Along with the live-action version of the original film that's currently in development, Moana remains an incredibly popular franchise," continued Iger. Check out the first teaser trailer for Moana 2 below: Moana 2 will release in Australian and New Zealand cinemas on Thursday, November 28, 2024. Read our interview with Jemaine Clement about Moana. Images: © 2024 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
As was the case with recent release The Walk, Lance Armstrong scandal pic The Program is a film burdened by having the documentary that preceded it set a near-impossible standard for anything better. Comprehensive, compelling and absolutely exasperating, Alex Gibney's The Armstrong Lie was an exceptional piece of honest and meticulous journalism in which Lance Armstrong’s own performance proved to be a breathtaking piece of dramatic fiction. What The Program does offer, however, is a peek inside the conversations and moments that not even Gibney could record – despite his unprecedented access. Why? Because even Armstrong knew better than to let his own videographer record all the actual doping sessions and illegal deals. How the steroids were obtained, how they were snuck into France, how the cyclists took possession, used and then disposed of them - all of this is covered in great detail in The Program, as are as the methods used to defeat the drug testing that followed. As Armstrong, Ben Foster is note perfect. Beyond his remarkable physical similarity to the disgraced cyclist, Foster absolutely nails the camera-ready smile and rehearsed laugh used by Armstrong to mask both his rage and unrestrained ego. Practising in front of a mirror, we see Foster repeating again and again that he “has never tested positive for steroids”, a technical truth amidst a monumental lie that perfectly demonstrates the semantic and psychological art behind what officially became “the most successful doping program the sport [had] ever seen”. Perhaps the only great disappointment with The Program is the lack of time given to the largely unheralded role played by David Walsh – the Sunday Times sports journalist who doggedly and almost single-handedly pursued the Armstrong deception amid unbelievable resistance from every imaginable corner. Played by Chris O’Dowd, Walsh endured manifold lawsuits, professional humiliation and even abandonment by his closest friends and colleagues for investigating a fairytale that was plainly too good to be true. But while O’Dowd receives far too little screen time, The Program still does a good job of explaining why few were eager to question Armstrong’s mythic success. Given his contribution to the global expansion of the sport and the inspiration he provided for cancer sufferers via the Live Strong foundation, it's not hard to understand why we were all so keen to believe the lie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXfp859pcM0
If you drink much coffee (or have ever been to a cafe, worked in an office or looked through other people's rubbish), you've probably realised that Australia's cafe culture produces a huge number of wasted takeaway cups. But what you may not know is that these cups are not recyclable. Though coffee cups feature paper on the outside, the liquid-proof inside lining is made of plastic, which means the cups cannot be recycled like other cardboard items. It also means they take on average 50 years to decompose in landfill. There is currently no facility in Australia that is able to recycle takeaway coffee cups, but Closed Loop hopes to change that. The Australian company — which offers waste management and environmental solutions to a range of companies, including Noma when it was in Sydney — just completed a trial to help make the case for their proposal. The trial, which received a $17,500 grant from the City of Sydney, introduced standalone bins for takeaway coffee cups into three office buildings across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. 12,000 cups were collected over four weeks, successfully demonstrating that people would be willing to use such bins. And after they've been collected? Closed Loop has worked with researchers from the UK, where they already run a similar cup collection and recycling program, to develop technology that combines the materials in the cups with a polymer to produce a plastic-fibre compound. It can be used to make placemats, coasters and outdoor furniture. Based on the success of the pilot (that is, people using the bins correctly), Closed Loop is proposing to set up a dedicated facility to recycle them. Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore estimates that if the program were to go ahead, more than 25 million coffee cups could avoid ending up in landfill per year from the City of Sydney area alone. Given that around one million disposable coffee cups end up in landfill per minute worldwide, it's good to know there are people trying to tackle the issue. We'll keep an eye on this one to see where it goes. Image: Tim Wright.
The Icelandic Government ushered in the new year with a legal first when, on January 1, it became the first nation in the world to outlaw unequal pay for women. Any company or government agency that employs 25 people or more must prove their equal pay policies through government certification or face hefty fines. "[They] evaluate every job that's being done, and then they get a certification after they confirm the process if they are paying men and women equally," Dagny Osk Aradottir Pind, a board member of the Icelandic Women's Rights Association, told Aljazeera. Even before the passing of the law, which was announced on International Women's Day 2017, Iceland was ranked number one in the world for gender equality according to the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2017. (In case you're wondering, Australia came in at 35, while New Zealand took out 9th spot). Iceland's current leader, Katrin Jakobsdóttir, who was elected in November 2017, is the nation's second female Prime Minister — and since 2016, women have held 48% of parliamentary positions. "I think that now people are starting to realise that this is a systematic problem that we have to tackle with new methods," said Aradottir Pind. "Women have been talking about this for decades and I really feel that we have managed to raise awareness, and we have managed to get to the point that people realise that the legislation we have had in place is not working, and we need to do something more." The Icelandic Government is hopeful that the gender pay gap won't exist beyond 2020. Here's hoping other countries around the world start to follow their lead.
When 2025 hits, 20 years will have passed since Oasis last toured Australia, but that's where the lengthy gap between the band's Down Under shows is ending. There's comeback tours and then there's Britain's most-famous feuding siblings reuniting to bring one of the country's iconic groups back together for a massive world tour — and when Liam and Noel Gallagher start taking to the stage together again, they'll do so at gigs in Sydney and Melbourne. Oasis' reunion tour has been huge news for months, ever since Liam and Noel announced in August that they would reform Oasis — and bury the hatchet — for a run of shows in the UK and Ireland. Since then, they've been expanding their tour dates, also locking in visits to Canada and the US. From London, Manchester and Dublin to Toronto, Los Angeles and Mexico City, the entire tour so far is sold out. [caption id="attachment_975205" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Oasis Knebworth 1996, Photo by Roberta Parkin/Redferns[/caption] That's the story, morning glory — and expect Australian tickets to get snapped up swiftly for Oasis' two announced concerts, one apiece in Sydney and Melbourne. The Manchester-born band is kicking off their Aussie visit on Halloween 2025 at Marvel Stadium in the Victorian capital, then heading to Accor Stadium in the Harbour City a week later. "People of the land down under. 'You better run — you better take cover ...'. We are coming. You are most welcome," said the group in a statement. [caption id="attachment_975206" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Oasis Knebworth 1996, Jill Furmanovsky[/caption] Oasis broke up in 2009, four years after their last Australian tour, and following seven albums from 1994's Definitely Maybe through to 2008's Dig Your Soul — and after drawing massive crowds to their live gigs along the way (see: documentary Oasis Knebworth 1996). If you're feeling supersonic about the group's reunion, you can likely expect to hear that track, plus everything from 'Live Forever', 'Cigarettes & Alcohol', 'Morning Glory' and 'Some Might Say' through to 'Wonderwall', 'Don't Look Back in Anger' and 'Champagne Supernova' when they hit Australia. Oasis Live '25 Australian Dates Friday, October 31 — Marvel Stadium, Melbourne Friday, November 7 — Accor Stadium, Sydney Oasis are touring Australia in October and November 2025. Presale ticket registration runs until 8am AEDT on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, with Melbourne tickets on sale from 10am AEDT and Sydney tickets from 12pm AEDT on Tuesday, October 15. Head to the tour website for more details. Top image: Simon Emmett.
They have toured extensively throughout the US, Canada and Europe, now Australia will again be able to revel in the sonic bliss that is The Black Keys. The 2-piece garage rock heroes have rocked festivals all over the world on the back of some massive success with their latest albums, Brothers and El Camino, which have firmly set the duo at the top of the rock music heap. This will sure to be a highlight on the live music calendar - be sure to get your tickets before they go. The Black Keys will be supported by Australian garage-soul rock upstarts, Royal Headache, who are quickly gaining a massive following of their own.
Following in the very bright and joyful footsteps of Taylor Square in Sydney, Melbourne's St Kilda will soon splash a 35-metre-long flag down Jackson Street. The colourful road and pedestrian crossing will be painted towards the end of this month and will remain for at least two years. The road will be a public display of the City of Port Phillip's support for marriage equality and a celebration of the area's LGBTQI community, as well as a way of injecting a little colour and joy into the days of everyone who treads across it. Jackson Street makes up part of the busy Fitzroy Street precinct in St Kilda, and is considered to be highly visible to those walking, riding, tramming or driving. It's also located also right next to the site of the proposed Victorian Pride Centre, the first of its kind in Australia, which is expected to open in 2010. Acting Mayor Cr Dick Gross said the area's long-standing history with, and commitment to, the LGBTQI community makes it the perfect spot for the rainbow road. The area has hosted the annual Midsumma Pride March for 23 years. Sydney's rainbow crossing near Oxford Street was removed in 2013 after a stoush between local council and state government – but the move spawned hundreds of DIY rainbows by locals, and the news last month that it will be reinstated this October. Here's hoping this one sticks around for good — and that the colour spreads elsewhere, too.
Flick through the pages of any issue of National Geographic and the planet comes to life in all of its natural glory, particularly the colour, movement and all-round splendour of the animal world. Indeed, the magazine has been taking eye-catching wildlife photographs since 1888, and first featured one such image — a snap of a reindeer — on its cover back in 1903. From that huge 130-year history, the publication has picked out the absolute best photos in its archive for a brand new exhibition, which will make its world premiere at the Melbourne Zoo from September 8 to November 30. 50 Greatest Wildlife Photographs will showcase exactly what it sounds like — 50 breathtaking snaps of the earth's animal inhabitants, as curated by famous nature picture editor Kathy Moran, and featuring the work of iconic National Geographic photographers such as Michael 'Nick' Nichols, Steve Winter, Paul Nicklen, Beverly Joubert and David Doubilet. If last year's Photo Ark exhibition has you staring in wonder, then this promises that and more as patrons not only view the stunning sights captured, but the way that photography has evolved over the course of more than a century. Displaying as an outdoor gallery in Melbourne Zoo's Carousel Park, 50 Greatest Wildlife Photographs will be accompanied by augmented reality experience Air, Land & Sea. The interactive installation transports viewers to a watering hole where animals — hailing from Africa, the Arctic and more — graze, drink and interact with the environment around them. As well as giving patrons a glimpse at wildlife photography at its finest, Melbourne Zoo hopes the exhibition will bring attention to the plight of animals around the world. "Our hope is that, after viewing these stunning images and connecting with the wildlife at Melbourne Zoo, visitors will be compelled to remember that all animals deserve our greatest respect, awe and preservation," says Melbourne Zoo director Kevin Tanner. National Geographic's 50 Greatest Wildlife Photographs will be on display at Melbourne Zoo from September 8 to November 30. Entry to the exhibition is included in the zoo admission price. For more information, visit the website. Image: Gray Whale Hands by Thomas P. Peschak, San Ignacio Lagoon, Mexico, April 2015.
If you've ever been (or tried to be) vegan, you'll know there's a certain bliss that comes with having a whole smorgasbord of plant-based products at your disposal. So we expect squeals aplenty at the news that the Big Vegan Market is expanding, and will grace the sprawling interior of Carlton's Royal Exhibition Building, on Saturday, May 13. Kicking off at 10am, the event pulls together a dizzying, all-vegan array of food, drinks, craft, beauty and fashion, with as many as 131 vendors signing up to showcase their cruelty-free wares. Head in to snack on treats from the likes of Fitzroy dessert bar Girls & Boys, vegan dude food masters Wings of Glory and Vietnamese eatery The Pham Sisters, while indulging in some guilt-free retail therapy. You'll spy sustainably-crafted threads from Velvety, snazzy vegan watches from Time IV Change, cosmetics from Little Vegan Makeup Shop, and Wildbag's superfood protein blends, to name just a few. Jump on the Facebook page for the day's full lineup of vegan vendors. Image: Girls & Boys.
By this point in 2020, the year has served up all manner of challenges and surprises. But in one area at least, it's rolling on as planned. Because the world can't last too long without delivering multiple new film and/or television adaptations of Stephen King's work, viewers are about to score another one — a new miniseries version of the author's 1978 novel The Stand. Hitting Amazon Prime Video in Australia and New Zealand from Friday, January15 — after debuting in America in December — The Stand joins HBO's The Outsider as the two new TV shows bringing King's work to our eyeballs over the past 12 months. Of course, as avid fans will know, this isn't the first time this particular book has made the leap to the screen. Back in 1994, it aired as a big-budget, star-studded, four-part miniseries featuring the likes of Gary Sinise, Miguel Ferrer, Rob Lowe, Ruby Dee, Laura San Giacomo, Molly Ringwald and Ed Harris. Plenty of well-known names are onboard this time around, too, because there's quite the sprawling story to tell. And, quite the timely one, although that's obviously pure coincidence. The Stand is set in a world devastated by a plague. Here, the devasation is caused by a bioengineered super flu strain, which has wiped out 99 percent of the global population. Among those that survive, a battle between good and evil plays out — with the character of Randall Flagg, a common figure in King's work (see: The Eyes of the Dragon and The Dark Tower series), featuring prominently. Alexander Skarsgård plays Flagg, while the rest of the cast includes James Marsden, Whoopi Goldberg, Amber Heard and Heather Graham, as well as Watchmen's Jovan Adepo, Paper Towns' Nat Wolff, IT: Chapter Two's Owen Teague, Arrow's Katherine McNamara, and Australian Shirley and The Daughter actor Odessa Young. Behind the lens, The Stand is the latest project from filmmaker Josh Boone — whose latest movie, The New Mutants, hit cinemas in mid-2020 after years of delays. Check out the trailer for The Stand below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytkZJSzeg7A The Stand will start streaming in Australia and New Zealand on Friday, January 15 via Amazon Prime Video, airing new episodes weekly.
Everyone deserves a hefty dose of Steve Buscemi in their lives and, across five seasons and 56 episodes, Boardwalk Empire delivers just that. The beloved actor plays Enoch 'Nucky' Thompson, a corrupt politician who is also a gangster kingpin in Atlantic City during America's prohibition era. The character is fictional, but it's based on non-fiction book Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times and Corruption of Atlantic City, which focuses on comparable real-life figure Enoch L. Johnson. Created by The Sopranos alum and The Wolf of Wall Street screenwriter Terrence Winter — and executive produced by Martin Scorsese, with the iconic filmmaker also directing its pilot — Boardwalk Empire charts Nucky's ups and downs, including the government investigation into his activities. While Buscemi is the obvious star of the show, both Michael Shannon and Kelly Macdonald are top-notch, as is this weighty drama all-round.
They're the pieces of plastic no one can leave home without — if you want to catch a bus, train, tram or ferry. Sydney has Opal, Melbourne has Myki and Brisbane has the Go Card, aka the main way to pay for public transport in today's increasingly cash-less society. For now, that is. News Corp's Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane papers are all reporting the looming end of the current ticketing cards, in favour of smartphone, smartwatch and tap-and-go bank card payments. It's one of those obvious leaps in technology that was always going to happen at some point soon. If there's a more convenient, contactless way to pay that don't rely upon everyone remembering to stuff yet another card into their wallet, then it's hardly surprising that the New South Wales, Victorian and Queensland governments are looking into it. In Sydney, a trial began on the Manly ferry last year, with patrons tapping their Mastercards instead. It's expected to expand to other forms of transport according to The Daily Telegraph, although it's worth noting that Opal multi-trip benefits don't apply to other payment systems. Melburnians can expect to scan on with a credit or debit card in trials due to start this year, focusing on Routes 11, 86 or 96, The Sunday Herald Sun notes. And in Brisbane, The Sunday Mail reports that a trial will commence either later in 2018 or sometime in early 2019, starting with the Airtrain. Moving away from dedicated transport cards — or adding other payment options — will make things easier for tourists and travellers, who shouldn't have to buy a new piece of plastic just to catch a bus or train (or pay extra for a paper ticket if they don't) when they're visiting. Ensuring the new system remains accessible for anyone that doesn't have a smartphone, smartwatch or bank card remains a concern, however. And, there'll always need to be a backup option in case someone forgets their phone, watch or wallet. Via The Sunday Mail / The Sunday Herald Sun / The Daily Telegraph. Images: Beau Giles / Binayak Dasgupta / Andrew Thomas.
Four Australian female composers. Four singers. Four dramatic operatic works inspired by mythology, literature and rare Australian birds. World premiering on one night. Streaming on the Carriageworks Facebook page at 7.30pm AEST on Saturday, April 25, the four-part Breaking Glass was meant to be performed inside the physical arts precinct from March 8–April 4, but its temporarily closure forced the show's premiere online. Presented by Sydney Chamber Opera and Carriageworks together with the Sydney Conservatorium of Music's Composing Women Program, Breaking Glass is broken into four one-act operas by female composers. There's Commute by Peggy Polias, which combines Homer's Iliad with a modern women's uneasy walk home at night; Josephine Macken's terrifying The Tent inspired by Margaret Atwood's writing; The Invisible Bird by Bree van Reyk, telling the true tale of a rare Australian parrot; and Georgia Scott's Her Dark Marauder, which uses Sylvia Plath's poetry to explore a women's battle for identity. If you can't already tell, these aren't your typical operas. Expect electronic music, "abstract aural soundscapes", smoke surrounding performers, kaleidoscopic digital projections and stories firmly planted in the 21st century. Breaking Glass world premieres on Carriageworks' Facebook page at 7.30pm. Images: Daniel Boud
Australians throw away up to 20% of the food they buy. That's one out of five of your grocery bags, into the bin. This means Australians are throwing out $8 billion worth of edible food every year, the same weight as three average size fridges. Each. Yeah, WHAT. Anyone who's worked as a function waiter, bakery barista or silver service maitre d knows that the end of the night's waste can be colossal. I've watched an entire trough of fresh king prawns and glistening oysters poured into the trash at a certain five-star Sydney hotel in front of a hungry, underpaid staff. I've seen trayloads of party pies tipped into dumpsters post album launch. I've stared bitterly as bucket after bucket of organic dinner rolls were shuffled into black plastic rubbish bags and carted away for fear of staff food poisoning lawsuits. Luckily, some young New York-based upstart app developers are using their digital talents to combat the globe's atrocious waste problem. Meet PareUp — an app that allows users to purchase restaurant leftovers at the end of the day. Retailers store inventories of their products, set prices and update listings and herald the 'offerings for the day'. The app is similar to Leftover Swap, a development which allows you to snap your food, upload it to the app and let users know where the food is, how cold it is and whether it can be delivered. The app is due to launch in NYC soon, hopefully Australian restaurants will be able to pair up with the app sometime in the near future. Until the app gets here, restaurants should take a look at their hungry, student loan-ridden staff and think twice about chucking those creme fraiche-topped tarts. Via Food Beast and Lost At E Minor.
Writer/director Paolo Sorrentino itched to create a character based on The Cure's Robert Smith. After seeing that Smith doesn't shed his '80s goth punk gear when he leaves the stage, Sorrentino became fascinated with the idea of "a 50-year-old who still completely identified with a look which, by definition, is that of an adolescent," and all the contradictions in character it implies. That's how we get Cheyenne (given life by Sean Penn), a former rock star who once fronted Cheyenne and the Fellows and now lives a quiet life on an Irish estate with his countervailing, down-to-earth wife (Frances McDormand). There's a little bit of Ozzy in him, too; after years taking drugs (though never booze), he moves slowly, dragging his grocery trolley behind him. He's prematurely old, but also stuck in youth. He's sweet, but petulant. He insists on living in the world the way he wants to live in it. And, yes, he still paints a red oblong over his lips and tucks his black jeans into Docs. This Must Be the Place is a unique comedy where you laugh with someone who's slow-paced, not quick-witted, and you laugh with him. Cheyenne's sentences are a meandering journey whose end you can't envision when you're at the beginning. Or in the middle, usually. It's uniquely funny, and in a gorgeously big-hearted way. There's a couple of lines in here so hilarious and inimitable they alone are worth watching the film for. Concrete Playground has four DVD copies of This Must Be The Place to giveaway. To go in the running, just subscribe to Concrete Playground (if you haven't already) then email your name and address to hello@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=MuvFmg_Ge9k
Prepare to exclaim "yeah, science!" like Jesse Pinkman — and to see a whole lot more of Aaron Paul's Breaking Bad character. The acclaimed series is making a comeback, cooking up a movie that serves as a sequel to the show's finale. In the spotlight: Walter White's former student and protege, who happens to be in a spot of trouble (again). When we last saw Pinkman in Breaking Bad's final episode six years ago, he had just escaped captivity, all thanks to Walt (Bryan Cranston). The latter was injured in the process, but when he asked his former meth cooking partner to kill him, Pinkman couldn't bring himself to do it. So, Pinkman ran, and Walt lost consciousness just a cop arrived. And, that's how the series ended — until now. As happens when every great show comes to a conclusion, we've all wondered what happened next. Come October, fans can find out. First revealed last year, and initially given the working title of Greenbriar, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie will continue Pinkman's tale in a thriller written and directed by Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan. While details are being kept scarce, the film is set "in the wake of his dramatic escape from captivity", with Jesse being forced to "come to terms with his past in order to forge some kind of future", according to the official synopsis. Although this follow-up will span a single package rather than run across multiple episodes, it is still coming to a small screen near you thanks to Netflix. Dropping the debut teaser over the weekend, the streaming platform also revealed that El Camino will arrive soon — on October 11, so mark your calendars. As Better Call Saul diehards are well aware, Breaking Bad has never completely gone away since the OG show wrapped up in 2013; however fans eager to look forward in the show's chronology, not backwards at the early life of Bob Odenkirk's shady lawyer Saul Goodman, have something to add to their must-watch list. Whether Cranston will show up in El Camino is still the subject of rumour, but the date announcement clip does reveal another familiar face, with Skinny Pete (Charles Barker) being questioned by the cops about Pinkman's whereabouts. Check out the El Camino teaser below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZKqMVPlDg8 El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie hits Netflix on October 11. Image: Courtesy of Netflix.
The flashy girl from Flushing is headed to Broadway, with beloved sitcom The Nanny making the leap from the small screen to the New York theatre scene. Of course, the protagonist of the 90s series is no stranger to the latter circles. For six seasons between 1993–98, the show charted the chaos that followed when Fran Fine (Fran Drescher) knocked on the door of British-born Broadway producer Maxwell Sheffield (Charles Shaughnessy) and nabbed a job looking after his three children. Thanks to the theme song that you likely now have stuck in your head, you should remember The Nanny's overall premise: working in a bridal shop in Queens, Fran was dumped by her boyfriend, started selling cosmetics, then scored her new gig — because she had style, flair and she was there. Across 146 episodes, the series followed the aftermath as kids Maggie (Nicholle Tom), Brighton (Benjamin Salisbury) and Grace (Madeline Zima) all adjusted to her presence. Mr Sheffield fell for Ms Fine's charms, his business partner CC Babcock (Lauren Lane) was unimpressed and butler Niles (Daniel Davis) welcomed the change. Sitcom co-creators Drescher and Peter Marc Jacobson are behind the new stage version of the show, alongside Crazy Ex-Girlfriend star Rachel Bloom and executive music producer Adam Schlesinger. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical's Marc Bruni is set to direct — but the musical's cast, as well as when it'll actually hit the stage, is yet to be revealed. We do know that Drescher won't be reprising her famous role. In a statement, she said "of course I would do it myself, but we'd have to change the title to 'The Granny'", Variety reports. As well as its existing narrative links to Broadway, The Nanny also featured plenty of gags about musicals Fiddler on the Roof and My Fair Lady — and that catchy theme song — so there's plenty of material to work with. If you need a refresher, all six seasons are currently streaming in Australia on Stan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL6tbu1Blzs The Nanny is the latest screen favourite to earn a stage adaptation, following in the footsteps of Bring It On, Mean Girls, The Bodyguard, Amelie, Waitress, Muriel's Wedding, Moulin Rouge!,Mrs Doubtfire andMagic Mike. A stage version of The Devil Wears Prada is also in the works, as are theatre adaptations of Empire Records, The Notebook, The Princess Bride and Aussie classic Starstruck. Via Variety.
It's been 13 years since Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio decided to fill a Melbourne alleyway with tunes in 2005. Thankfully, Laneway Festival has just confirmed it will be heading back to its collection of unconventional venues for another year, revealing it's 2018 dates and first two headliners. Returning to Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Fremantle, Auckland and Singapore next January and February, Laneway will raise a plastic cup to the middle of summer with what looks to be one heck of a lineup. Following on from the announcement of two of 2018's headliners — California's inimitable Anderson .Paak with his live band The Free Nationals, and Canada's Mac DeMarco — the festival has dropped the full lineup. On it is a slew of exclusive sets, which will see you get down to BABADNOTGOOD, Odesza, The Internet, and sway along to The War on Drugs and Father John Misty. The full lineup was initially slated to be announced tomorrow, but has been brought forward after it was leaked online this morning. Visa pre-sale tickets go on-sale this Thursday, September 14 and the rest of the tickets going on sale at 9am on September 18. But, enough chit-chat — here's the full 2018 lineup. LANEWAY 2018 LINEUP Aldous Harding Alex Cameron Amy Shark Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals BABADNOTGOOD (exclusive to Laneway) Billie Eilish Bonobo (exclusive to Laneway) Cable Ties City Calm Down Dream Wife Father John Misty KLLO** Loyle Carner Mac DeMarco Miss Blanks Moses Sumney ODESZA (exclusive to Laneway) Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever (Sandy) Alex G Shame Slowdive Sylvan Esso The Babe Rainbow** The Internet (exclusive to Laneway) The War On Drugs TOKiMONSTA Wolf Alice (exclusive to Laneway) **not playing Fremantle LANEWAY FESTIVAL 2018 DATES Singapore — Saturday, January 27 Auckland — Monday, January 29 Adelaide — Friday, February 2 Melbourne — Saturday, February 3 Sydney — Sunday, February 4 Brisbane — Saturday, February 10 Fremantle — Sunday, February 11 Tickets go on sale Monday, September 18 at 9am AEST from Laneway Festival. Image: Andy Fraser.
Think about all the good times in your life. Now think about the bad times. Was pizza there for all of them? Probably. Similar to how it's perfect as a snack and an entire meal, pizza is just as appropriate for commiserations as it is celebrations. And if you're having a bit of a bad day, pizza is a sure-fire way to make it a little bit better. For those times, you need some cheesy, doughy go-tos. So we've teamed up with affordable ridesharing platform DiDi to compile this very tasty list of pizzerias serving some of the best slices in the city. Side note: DiDi offers super competitive rates for getting you to your pizza palace, so you'll have more cash in your pocket for a few extra slices once you get there. MARGHERITA AT SLICE SHOP PIZZA, FOOTSCRAY This Footscray pizzeria the latest offering from Burn City Smokers' Steve Kimonides and Raphael Guthrie. The menu rotation runs to around seven core creations, with a daily special and a vegan option thrown in for good measure. There might be a pork and fennel number, a classic capricciosa, or maybe a mushroom, thyme and truffle concoction. One thing you can count on is the classic margherita, which showcases the chewy base crafted on tipo 00 flour and fired in an Italian Moretti Forni oven. Best part? All slices at five bucks and can be enjoyed as you wander over to Mr West just across the street. [caption id="attachment_707900" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption] PEPPERONI AT LEONARDO'S PIZZA PALACE, CARLTON While it's located smack-bang in the middle of Carlton's cheese and dough dynasty — and super close to some of Melbourne's best pizzas at D.O.C, Ti Amo and Caprica — Leonardo's Pizza Palace holds its own with some seriously good slices backed up with a seriously good vibe. The menu runs from the classics (margherita) to the extreme (Chinese bolognese) to the divisive (ham and pineapple), but we recommend you order the pepperoni which comes dotted with perfect buttons of meat. Plus, each pie comes with a side serve of ranch dressing for dipping, so there's no excuse not to eat your crusts. [caption id="attachment_683821" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption] CLASSIC CHEESE AT CAPITANO, CARLTON This Rathdowne Street restaurant's reputation is founded on two delicious things: its bone-in veal parmigiana and classic pizzas. For the sake of this list, we're going to gush about the latter. Capitano is a master of a crisp, blistering crust and a dough that will have you dreaming of infinite slices. The classic cheese features fresh and aged mozzarella with pecorino for bite. If you want to up the ante, opt for Grandma's Square Pie, which adds stracciatella into the mix. GLUTEN-FREE PIZZA AT SHOP225, PASCOE VALE SOUTH If you can't eat gluten, or just appreciate a fine slice, Shop225 is calling. This neighbourhood Pascoe Vale pizzeria is dishing up a rare culinary combination: it's championing pizza that is both top-notch and gluten-free. Boasting Coeliac Australia accreditation, the restaurant's got two woodfired ovens — one for regular pizza bases, and one for gluten-free — and all the proper processes in place to minimise cross-contamination for coeliacs. The gluten-free bases swap the usual wheat situation for a blend of Ardor gluten-free flour and rice, tapioca, maize, soy and pea flours, and come at $4 extra — pricey but worth it. And, as an added bonus, plant-based options abound, crafted with lactose-free Local Craft cheese and vegan-friendly meat alternatives. Hot tip: there aren't too many tables at Shop 225, so be sure to book or plan to take away. MARGHERITA AT 400 GRADI, BRUNSWICK Diners have spoken, reviewers spoken, hell, even the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana has spoken — this Lygon Street gem is one of the world's best pizzerias. And — no biggie — but the Margherita Verace won the title of World's Best Pizza in 2014. So there's no question of what pizza you should order; this is dough, cheese and tomato at its best (with a bit of basil and olive oil thrown in for good measure). Better yet, head in between 4–6pm and you'll get bottomless slices and free-flowing drinks for two hours for $45. Switch to DiDi and spend the cash you save on what's important in life — like good pizza. To start riding, download the app here and use the code CONCRETE to score up to $50 in vouchers. Top Image: Leonardo's Pizza Palace by Kate Shanasy.
The Australian and Queensland governments have put the call out for some good old-fashioned brain power, in an effort to help save the world's largest living organism. The Great Barrier Reef has copped it pretty hard of late, suffering coral bleaching events in both 2016 and 2017, and more recently sporting a nasty outbreak of crown-of-thorns starfish. And experts warn things will only get worse for the reef if climate change issues are ignored and rising ocean temperatures cause irreversible damage of their own. As SBS reports, the problems have inspired the two governments to launch a $2 million challenge, which will tap into local minds to find ways to protect and restore the country's great natural wonder. Federal Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg described the initiative as "an open invitation to our greatest scientific minds, industry and business leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs to develop innovative solutions which will protect corals and encourage the recovery of damaged reefs." Applications can focus on any aspect of the Great Barrier Reef's restoration, including boosting coral regeneration rates and protecting coral from its main physical stressors. Applications are open now through the Advance Queensland Small Business Innovation Research initiative. Check out all the info on their website. Via sbs.com.au
Rumour has it Google employees get unlimited “sick” days, but chances are only the most raging of hangovers would convince them to stay at home. The company in charge of ruling the world gave an exclusive tour of their NYC offices, and they make the idea of working from home in your pyjamas flicking tabs between Microsoft Word and Facebook while spilling toast crumbs over your MacBook look dreadfully boring. CEOs everywhere, take note: The way to get employees eager to show up to work is not with fruit box deliveries or permission to cellotape cheesy family photographs to office cubicles. A more effective way to increase workplace morale is with Pac-Man arcades and game rooms where employees can fight brain block with a round of pool. For those who find silence more conductive to creativity the compound also features a Google Library eschewing books (so last decade) in favour of secret rooms. And for days when heating last night’s leftovers in one of the multiple “micro” kitchens (which are incidentally bigger than most people’s apartments) doesn't sound appetising there are cafés dishing up free hot meals. One of them even has a rooftop theme and an interior resembling a wooden sauna. Interesting to think what the disgruntled employees of Facebook would have to say about that wee perk. Evidently the building is also occasionally used for working. This can take place in sleek cubicle spaces housing both actual humans and Star Wars B1 Battle Droid replicas, from the comfort of a lounge chair in a space modeled on an NYC apartment, or in the Broadway-themed New Amsterdam conference room. Scroll through the images, turn green with envy and try to think of one cooler office in which to have Friday afternoon drinks. Google's "computer museum". The game room. One of the many "micro" kitchens, which appears to be connected to the Pac-Man arcade. Free M&Ms in the micro kitchen. The Google Library. A B1 Battle Droid from Star Wars. Inside the Five Borough Café. These walls are a continuous impression of what's behind them, giving the impression of viewing the NYC skyline from a balcony. A room poking fun at a cramped NYC apartment. via Refinery29.
The best kind of brunch is one that starts during that critical time bracket between 9.45am and 11.30am (a little too late for breakfast, a bit too early for lunch) and lasts until the sun starts going down. In order to make the good times go the distance, you need a well constructed playlist and an extensive spread of food options. And, of course, you are going to need drinks. After all, a well stocked drinks tray is the cornerstone of any successful brunch. What isn't is facing a table full of boozed up guests before the clock strikes 1pm. Now, thanks to an increased demand for delicious low- and no-alcohol options, you can let the brunch beveragino generously flow without getting everyone totalled. We've teamed up with Tempus Two to handpick some liquid inspiration to impress your guests and make your party an affair to remember (literally). THE MOOD: Popping bottles THE SERVE: 2020 Tempus Two Lighten Up Prosecco Nothing kicks off a brunch better than ceremoniously plucking the cork from a bottle of fizz to the sound of wild applause. It's the ultimate sensory trigger that signals a special occasion is going down. The 2020 Lighten Up Prosecco by Tempus Two has the full flavour of a traditional prosecco with crisp notes of citrus and green apple — but at 6.8 percent alcohol volume and a lower calorie count, you can enjoy more than JTO (Just The One). To put that number into context, that's a massive 30 percent less alcohol (and calories) than a standard bottle of prosecco. We'll drink to that. [caption id="attachment_747074" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Walter's Steakhouse[/caption] THE MOOD: Gorgeously garnished THE SERVE: The 'lightly bleeding' mary A good cocktail can be a work of art. And presenting a tray of artfully constructed concoctions can really wow a crowd, especially with some unexpected little touches in the final execution. Like the umami one-two punch of a cornichon and pickled onion alongside a good stalk of leafy celery on your bloody mary. To go the distance, make them what we're going to call a 'lightly bleeding' mary. Top your tomato juice and Worcestershire with a half measure of vodka or gin — or substitute the booze with a quality, non-alcoholic botanical spirits by the likes of Vera, Sea Arch or Seedlip (the Garden 108 is recommended here). All flavour, no regrets. THE MOOD: F Scott Spritzgerald THE SERVE: The springtime spritz Invoke a Gatsby-esque garden party with a bright, signature spritz that not only looks fantastic on the table but can be sipped throughout the duration of brunch. Start with a scoop of ice, then add a generous dash of Lyre's Italian Orange (a very, very good booze-free substitute for Aperol or Campari), pour in your favourite prosecco (the fruity profile of the Tempus Two Lighten Up would work perfectly), and top with soda. Add a twist of orange peel and two slices of strawberry and you're golden. THE MOOD: On the beers THE SERVE: Heaps Normal So you kicked off the morning with bottles of bubbles and a selection of delicately composed treats but now it's afternoon, your guests have settled in and you've just opened a bag of chips. It's beer o'clock, as they say in France. Keep a few tins of Heaps Normal's exceptional Quiet XPA in your fridge. Brewed to less than 0.5 percent alcohol by volume but with refreshing malty sweetness and long finish, it's a great companion for a leisurely day of drinking. THE MOOD: Something smooth THE SERVE: 2020 Tempus Two Lighten Up Pinot Noir Whether you want to serve it lightly chilled or get pouring straight off the wine rack, a good red is always a friend to brunch hosts and guests alike. The Lighten Up Pinot Noir from Tempus Two gives up great wafts of black cherry and a juicy full flavour that makes it as drinkable as any other promising pinot, but with an alcohol content of 6.8 percent, you can keep quaffing this one for that little bit longer — where a standard 750ml bottle would have anywhere between seven to nine standard drinks, there are only four in a bottle from the Lighten Up series. Your cup overfloweth! For more information about the low-alcohol Tempus Two Lighten Up range, head to the website. Top image: Tempus Two
Each year in cinema, the big screen delivers plenty of must-sees. Thanks to streaming, the small screen does, too. But there's a truth that lingers whenever you sit down to watch a movie: they can't all be great. That's a fact that the just-announced Razzie nominations for 2021's worst films well and truly recognise, as the Golden Raspberry Awards have for 42 years now. Yes, cinema's award season is upon us again, but that doesn't just mean celebrating the best flicks of the past year, which is what the likes of the Oscars and the Golden Globes aim to do. Also getting some love, albeit of the unwanted kind, are 2021's terrible movies. Leading the pack among the 42nd Razzie nominations is the Netflix version of Diana the Musical — aka the Princess Diana-themed movie of the past year that wasn't the much, much, much better Spencer — which picked up nine nods. It's joined by Karen, a film that matches its name, with five nominations; the needless Space Jam sequel Space Jam: A New Legacy with four nods; and straight-to-streaming Mark Wahlberg vehicle Infinite and abysmal heist flick The Misfits with three apiece. Other movies getting some attention: the Amy Adams-starring The Woman in the Window and Dear Evan Hansen, with the actor also earning a Worst Actress nomination for the former; House of Gucci, with Jared Leto's awful efforts recognised in two different categories; and no fewer than eight Bruce Willis flicks. That's how many titles he starred in last year, and the Razzies have even made their own field for them to compete against each other. Like any awards, the Razzie nominations are subjective, of course. Donning a ridiculous blonde mop while hamming up every scene he's in, Ben Affleck turns in an entertaining performance in The Last Duel, but this year's Razzies' Best Supporting Actor category clearly doesn't agree. The 2021 Razzie Award winners will be announced on Sunday, March 27, Australian and New Zealand time. Check out the full list of nominees below: GOLDEN RASPBERRY NOMINEES 2022: WORST PICTURE Diana the Musical Infinite Karen Space Jam: A New Legacy The Woman in the Window WORST ACTOR Scott Eastwood, Dangerous Roe Hartrampf (as Prince Charles), Diana the Musical LeBron James, Space Jam: A New Legacy Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen Mark Wahlberg, Infinite WORST ACTRESS Amy Adams, The Woman in the Window Jeanna de Waal, Diana the Musical Megan Fox, Midnight in the Switchgrass Taryn Manning, Karen Ruby Rose, Vanquish WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR Ben Affleck, The Last Duel Nick Cannon, The Misfits Mel Gibson, Dangerous Gareth Keegan (as James Hewitt, the muscle-bound horse trainer), Diana the Musical Jared Leto, House of Gucci WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Amy Adams, Dear Evan Hansen Sophie Cookson, Infinite Erin Davie (as Camilla), Diana the Musical Judy Kaye (as both Queen Elizabeth and Barbara Cartland), Diana the Musical Taryn Manning, Every Last One of Them WORST PERFORMANCE BY BRUCE WILLIS IN A 2021 MOVIE Bruce Willis, American Siege Bruce Willis, Apex Bruce Willis, Cosmic Sin Bruce Willis, Deadlock Bruce Willis, Fortress Bruce Willis, Midnight in the Switchgrass Bruce Willis, Out of Death Bruce Willis, Survive the Game WORST SCREEN COMBO Any klutzy cast member and any lamely lyricised (or choreographed) musical number, Diana the Musical LeBron James and any Warner cartoon character (or Time-Warner product) he dribbles on, Space Jam: A New Legacy Jared Leto and either his 17-pound latex face, his geeky clothes or his ridiculous accent, House of Gucci Ben Platt and any other character who acts like Platt singing 24-7 is normal, Dear Evan Hansen Tom and Jerry (aka Itchy and Scratchy), Tom & Jerry WORST DIRECTOR Christopher Ashley, Diana the Musical Stephen Chbosky, Dear Evan Hansen Coke Daniels, Karen Renny Harlin, The Misfits Joe Wright, The Woman in the Window WORST REMAKE, RIPOFF or SEQUEL Karen (inadvertent remake of Cruella deVil) Space Jam: A New Legacy Tom and Jerry Twist (rap remake of Oliver Twist) The Woman in the Window (ripoff of Rear Window) WORST SCREENPLAY Diana the Musical, script by Joe DiPietro, music and lyrics by DiPietro and David Bryan Karen, written by Coke Daniels The Misfits, screenplay by Kurt Wimmer and Robert Henny, screen story by Robert Henny Twist, written by John Wrathall and Sally Collett, additional material by Matthew Parkhill, Michael Lindley, Tom Grass and Kevin Lehane, from an "original idea" by David and Keith Lynch and Simon Thomas The Woman in the Window, screenplay by Tracy Letts, from the novel by AJ Finn
Back when MySpace Tom was still a known person being we discovered that playing around with contrast and camera angles could remove pores, noses and any other unsightly facial features that made us look like normal humans. Then Instagram came along and retro-chic became the new high contrast, though this time the entire world was "enhanced": Skies were consistently a halcyon shade of blue, inner-city roads were somehow rife with beat-up Kombis and any annoying details, scenic or human, were happily obliterated. But if you ever find yourself frustrated that you find it hard to recognise your friends in real life because sometimes they have pimples and regular-sized eyes, the Normalize app might be of some assistance. Normalize was created by app developer Joe Macirowski after he became fed up of seeing already beautiful sights being distorted by the Valencia haze. The app, which costs $0.99, takes the Instagram picture and runs it through a series of complex algorithms to try to remove the effects and return the image to its original state. A shared picture manipulated with any of the effects on Instagram becomes stripped of its original information, making it otherwise impossible to view them normally without making tedious manual corrections. With Normalize you can upload a photo and use a simple sliding scale to clean up the colours, borders and brightness to see the image as it would have appeared to the naked eye. Apparently the app doesn’t always work perfectly, but it’s comforting to know that sunsets are sometimes pretty IRL too.
We've made it to the last month of winter (it's almost time to burn your beanies and unpack your togs) and to celebrate Falls Festival has just gifted us with one helluva lineup. Helping to ring in the art and music festival's 27th year is a pretty exciting gang of musical mates headlined by America pop singer and star Halsey, who'll be performing songs off her Platinum albums Badlands and Hopeless Fountain Kingdom. She's joined by Ezra Koenig-fronted rock band Vampire Weekend, who've just dropped their latest album Father of the Bride, British electro duo Disclosure and Icelandic indie pop band Of Monsters and Men. True to form, the Falls 2019 local lineup is equally exciting, and every bit as broad. Homegrown acts hitting the stage include The Voice himself John Farnham, who'll be belting out hits from some of his nineteen albums, including, we're sure, 'You're the Voice'. Aussie dance trio Pnau, dance floor regulars Peking Duk, folk singer Vera Blue and rapper Baker Boy will all be making appearances, too. As always, the tunes are backed by a colourful curation of art events, performances, pop-ups, markets, wellness sessions and gourmet eats. It's all happening over New Years at the usual spots in Tassie's Marion Bay, Lorne in Victoria, the North Byron Parklands and the Fremantle Oval Precinct, WA. But here's what you're here for — the full lineup. FALLS FESTIVAL 2019 LINEUP Halsey (no sideshows) Vampire Weekend Disclosure Peking Duk Of Monsters and Men Pnau Lewis Capaldi Milky Chance John Farnham Banks (no sideshows) Dope Lemon Vera Blue Yungblud G Flip Crooked Colours Parcels Thelma Plum #1 Dads Waax Baker Boy Psychedelic Porn Crumpets Amyl & The Sniffers The Japanese House Pink Sweat$ Good Doogs Cxloe Totty Tash Sultana (Byron Bay only) What So Not (Lorne only) Wolfmother (Marion Bay only) Matt Corby (Fremantle only) + More to be announced FALLS FESTIVAL 2019 DATES Lorne, VIC — December 28–31 Marion Bay, TAS — December 29–31 Byron Bay, NSW — December 31–January 2 Fremantle, WA — January 4–5 Falls Festival 2019 will take place over New Years. Pre-sale tickets are available from 9am on Monday, August 12, with general sales kicking off at 9am on Wednesday, Wednesday, August 14. For more info and to buy tickets, visit fallsfestival.com.
Combining elements of dance, performance and moving imagery, the latest video installation by noted Melbourne artist David Rosetzky will be housed at the Australia Centre for the Moving Image in Federation Square. Co-commissioned by ACMI along with Carriageworks in Sydney, the free exhibit, entitled Gaps sees the artist working in close collaboration with dance choreographer Stephanie Lake and performers Jessie Oshodi, Lee Serle, Rani Pramesti and Dimitri Baveas. The multidisciplinary piece aims to explore notions of rehearsal, disconnection and self. Gaps replaces ACMI's previous exhibit, The Calling, and will be open to the public from August 5 until February 8. Rosetzky will also be on hand for a pair of gallery presentation talks, on the evenings of August 6 and 14.
Eastland Shopping Centre, located in Ringwood in Melbourne's (you guessed it) east, will host another pop-up ice rink this winter. The Ice Rink will be running from June 23 through August 26, so you've got plenty of time to rediscover your inner skater and (probably) bang your knees up a bit at first — it can take a couple of goes to get the hang of it. Luckily Eastland knows this and is offering free skating sessions when you spend $20 at any restaurant or shop in its Town Square precinct — plus, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday it's 2-for-1 tickets after 5pm. And the rink is hosting a slew of themed nights, too. On the agenda is Throwback Tuesdays from 6pm — 80s and 90s hits as you cruise around the rink — and R&B Fridays, with a live DJ after 6pm to get your ice party started. On Sundays, the ice rink offers sensory-friendly skating for children and adults with special needs. And all proceeds, every day, go to the Alannah & Madeline Foundation. The Ice Rink is open 11am–9pm, Sunday to Thursday; and 11am–10pm, Friday and Saturday.
If you fancy yourself a bit of a dumpling aficionado, then prepare to have your mind blown, as the Oriental Teahouse kitchen shows just how diverse these pillowy parcels of flavour can be. Join the South Yarra dumpling masters for dinner on Monday, April 3 as they unveil no less than 25 different dumpling creations — one for each year the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival's been kicking. Sample the gamut from classic to contemporary (chocolate dumplings, anyone?), with the option of matched drinks to wash them down.
Take the red pill and vanish down the rabbit hole, with the Valhalla Social Cinema this Saturday, September 6. North Melbourne's premier film collective will hold court for 14 hours of science fiction movie goodness, with titles from the '70s and '80s through to today. The marathon will take place at the Electron Workshop on Arden Street. The candy bar opens at 10am, with the projector set to whir into gear precisely half-an-hour later. Things kick off with the 1971 paranoid thriller The Andromeda Strain, based on the book by Michael Crichton. '80s comedy The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension comes next, followed by a trio of dystopian flicks in Moon, Rollerball and Robocop (the original, of course). The marathon closes out with The Matrix, a film whose mind-bending techno-philosophy should do nicely after more than half a day without sunlight or physical exercise of any kind.
Suitcases at the ready, eager travellers: your dream Japanese getaway is back on. After two-and-a-half years of border restrictions due to COVID-19, the nation will fully reopen to individual international tourists from Tuesday, October 11 — and you won't need to book a package through a travel agency, or abide by the country's pandemic-era visa restrictions, to enjoy your holiday. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced the news on Thursday, September 22 US time during a trip to New York, The Japan Times and Nikkei Asia reported. "We are a nation that has flourished through the free flow of people, goods and capital," the Japanese Prime Minister advised at a press conference at the New York Stock Exchange, as per Reuters. "COVID-19, of course, interrupted all of these benefits, but from October 11 Japan will relax border control measures to be on par with the US, as well as resume visa-free travel and individual travel," he said. That means that visitors to Japan will be able to make their own travel arrangements — a huge change to the current rules, even though requirements were only altered recently. Until May, the country was closed to international tourists. Then, the Japanese government started trialling in letting strictly controlled package tours, including with Australian tourists. Next, in early June, it broadened those entry requirements to allow in visitors from a heap of nations under the same rules. And, since early September, it has permitted travellers, including from Down Under, to make the journey even when they aren't on guided tours, as long as they have organised their flights and accommodation through a travel agency. From October 11, dropping the visa requirement applies to visitors from nations that weren't required to obtain tourist visas before the pandemic — including from Australia and New Zealand. So, in several ways, heading to Japan will return to the pre-COVID-19 status quo. Japan is also ditching its daily cap on international arrivals, which is currently set at 50,000, on the same date. The timing is fantastic for Studio Ghibli fans eager to make a date with the animation house's upcoming theme park — which opens on Tuesday, November 1. Desperate to hit up a Super Nintendo theme park, too? Always wanted to walk across Shibuya's famous scramble crossing? Keen to sing karaoke in a ferris wheel — or simply eat and drink your way around all the ramen joints and izakayas possible? This is supremely welcome news for you as well. Japan's new border rules will come into effect on Tuesday, October 11. For further details about visiting Japan and its border restrictions, head to the Government of Japan website. Via The Japan Times / Nikkei Asia / Reuters.
Talking to an audience, or one-to-one, former-billionaire Chris Anderson still comes across as pretty approachable. Anderson is curator — and owner — of the smart, global talk-fest, TED, where talks are notes-free and never more than 18 minutes long. Anderson was in Australia last weekend for TEDxSydney's 2012 collection of talks about robots, quantum computing, imaginary friends and the durability of dirty words. After all but one of the other speakers had taken to the stage, Anderson spoke briefly about TED-Ed, which combines videos and mash-ups into a kind of "magic blackboard", and the Worldwide Talent Search for TED2013. After he left the stage, Concrete Playground was lucky enough to sit down with Chris Anderson for almost exactly a TED Talk's worth of time. You come across, from a distance, as very gentle. Do you find that helps you run a big conference like TED? I don't think anyone's ever asked me that before. Interesting. I think I probably am gentle. Maybe I'm gentle. There's lots of ways to run a business. And I do many of them really badly: but I do have a great team. And TED has a life of its own. So, it's amazing to see it take off around the world. Every day is a surprise. Teenagers get ignored a lot in public. Why did you pick teenagers as your target for TED-Ed? Well, our existing talks are aimed at adults and are certainly devoured by a lot of university-age students. And a little bit in schools. But they're not optimised for school use. They're too long. They displace too much class time. They're aimed at adults. And so, given that ideas matter most for people whose world views are still being formed, and given how important education is to everyone's future, we kind of have no choice, but to do something for that age group. And we spent a lot of time thinking about it. And talking to teachers, and listening. And this is where we've ended up. We've got a lot of interest among 18 and up. And we just wanted to move down. And maybe, if this is successful, we'll continue the trip down. Towards, you know, birth. [laughs] What was school life like for you? You talk a lot about better ways of education. Is that informed from a bad experience or a good experience when you were younger? I was brought up in an international school in the Himalayas in India. And it was a fabulous experience, actually. In fact, if I had a wish … if every kid could spend a few years in an international school, a lot of issues would go away. Because, without even trying, you end up a global soul. And, you know, all the big problems in the world are essentially global problems. So, it would be nice if the people who were trying to solve them were taking a global perspective instead of a tribal perspective, which is why we can't solve a lot of what's out there. So, no — it was a wonderful experience. It was lots of time outdoors. Lots of time in nature. And an incredible cast of characters in the school. So, it was great. I watched the TED-Ed talk 'Questions no one knows the answers to'. I really enjoyed that one. When do you think we might know the answers to some of those questions? You're in a good position to have an idea. There was a bunch of different questions thrown into there. I mean, one of the questions — about 'Why aren't we seeing alien life?' — I think there really is chance that in the next fifteen years that we learn a lot on the question. There's a lot of technologies coming online that will allow real spectroscopic information from nearby planets. We might be able to detect vegetation. There's a lot of things that might show up. And we're involved in this project right now to open up, crowd-source, the search as well. To get millions of people looking for signals, not just a few scientists. I would die happy, if we found real contact with another intelligent species out there. It would be totally thrilling. What do you think might be some of the new questions, once we get rid of the old ones? I certainly think it's right that the more we know, the more questions we have. Reality is infinitely complex. And you have to just view it as: each step of the journey is interesting, exciting and useful. I think I've said before that learning something is a different psychological process to consuming something. That most things we do have a law of diminishing returns. You eat ice-cream, and the fourth and fifth taste aren't quite as nice as the first taste. Knowledge — it actually works the other way. The more you know about the world, the more your sense of wonder explodes. And that's actually really cool. That gives me a lot of hope for the future of TED for one thing. You've said before that there's always one talk that really surprises you. What really surprised you today? I thought the talk on quantum computing was mind-blowing. And if quantum computers come along, all bets are off as to what that means for technology. Charles C Mann wrote a great book called 1491 updating America's pre-Colombian history with things he thought every kid should know. What do you think that grown-ups, kids, should know at the moment, much more generally? I think one of the things is how flawed and quirky human nature is. We don't yet have that mental model. A lot of kids are brought up to believe that they're special snowflakes, or [that] their only job in life is to find their passion and it'll all be okay. And the truth is we're really complex biological machines. And we do a lot of things amazingly, and we do a lot of things really badly, actually. Because we evolved for a different era, and a different set of environmental requirements. And so, knowing that, and learning to navigate around that is a really important part of education. What are you reading right now? Do you have time to read? Less time. I think that's probably true of everyone. We're launching this TED Books initiative, based on shorter books. On the idea that most ideas don't have to be expressed at 80,000 or 100,000 words. They can actually be expressed in maybe 20,000 words. So, TED Talk: 2,500 words. TED book: 20,000 words. Then, non-fiction book: 80,000 words. So, there's a sort of niche there. And it means that you can sit down and read in an hour and a half. I think that's actually a great length. So that's what I'm reading right now: we're going to be publishing these new TED books, one every two weeks. And I'm reading a lot of those. And they're pretty cool. Are you happy? I am happy. Most of my life I've been happy. They say it's seventy percent hard-wired, and the rest is magic. I'm unbelievably lucky —I've got one of the world's most enjoyable jobs, surely. And you know I get to see this thing growing in a way I couldn't have imagined. I'm married to an amazing woman who's a much better impacter of the world than I am. [laughs] So, yeah. I'm a lucky person. Photo by the amazing Enzo Amato, and additional assistance by Tully Rosen.
Here's a great way to get people to pay attention to almost anything: add Paul Rudd. Movie fans have known that truth since the 90s, when he first grabbed everyone's attention in Clueless. Sure, some of his early big-screen roles — such as Romeo + Juliet as well — tried to convince us that Rudd was the lesser romantic alternative, but we all knew better. Sorry, mid-90s films, you were wrong. At the beginning of the pandemic, New York City even enlisted Rudd to spread the word about COVID-19 safety — that's how deep the "add Paul Rudd to anything" rule goes. So getting the Ant-Man and Ghostbusters: Afterlife star to run around NYC to plug Billy Eichner's new queer rom-com Bros just makes sense, obviously. Eichner is doing the running with him, bringing back his beloved comedy game show Billy on the Street for a brand-new episode to promote his new flick. Rudd has already been on the series before, in a season-three episode called 'Would You Have Sex with Paul Rudd?'. You don't have to pay many people $1 to say yes to that. This time, Eichner and Rudd jog around, stick a microphone in people's faces and ask if folks will see Bros — and tell them that Rudd wants them to. "Paul Rudd demands that you see Bros," Eichner says to one New Yorker. "I'm in" is the response, naturally. Rudd also carries that aforementioned man, upon request. Not everyone is as obliging, however. "I'm sorry I'm not Florence Pugh!" Eichner screams in response to one rejection, as only Eichner can. If this is your first Billy on the Street experience, the show sees comedian Eichner take to the New York City pavement to ask ordinary folks about movies, music and TV shows, often with a celebrity in tow. During its main run from 2011–17, episodes also involved Eichner yelling at his unsuspecting contestants about their questionable pop culture taste or utter lack of entertainment knowledge — yep, right there on NYC's streets, with a camera pointing their way — and the end result was a hilarious dream to watch for audiences, too. As for Bros, it releases in cinemas Down Under on October 27 — and sees the Parks and Recreation and Difficult People treasure becomes the first openly gay man to co-write and star in his own major studio film. He plays a podcaster who has been asked to write exactly this kind of flick, and falls in love himself (with Killjoys' Luke Macfarlane) along the way. Eichner co-wrote the Bros script with director Nicholas Stoller (Bad Neighbours and its sequel), while Judd Apatow (The King of Staten Island, Trainwreck) produces. On-screen, the cast includes Ts Madison (Zola), Monica Raymund (Chicago Fire), Guillermo Díaz (Scandal), Guy Branum (Hacks), Bowen Yang (Fire Island) and Amanda Bearse (Married with Children). Check out the trailer for Bros below: Bros opens in cinemas Down Under on October 27.
It's a war that's been waged for decades among regional bakeries the country over: who's dishing up Australia's best pie? Whose pastry comes closest to perfection? Which filling reigns supreme? Well, this year's top dog has officially been named, with Kyneton's Country Cob Bakery taking out top honours at the 2019 edition of Australia's Best Pie and Pastie Competition. While you might have your own thoughts about which pie makes the best road trip accompaniment, this nationally recognised contest is run by the experts at the Baking Association of Australia. The 2019 competition saw 12 professional judges sample a whopping 1760 pies from 345 bakeries, across three days. And for the third year in a row, Country Cob claimed the top title, this time winning over tastebuds with a caramelised pork and pepper pie creation loaded with local ingredients. It's an impressive run for baker brothers Ryan and Chan Khun, who've owned and operated the bakery for the past three years. [caption id="attachment_726906" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The award-winning pie.[/caption] The two backed up their big win with 11 other gold medals, including taking out the title of Best Seafood Pie for their curry scallop number, and scoring Best Gourmet Pie with that same champion pork round. Other winners included Gusto Bakery's curried pumpkin, feta and spinach number for Best Vegetarian Pie (which you can find in Fairfield and Moonee Ponds), and Whittlesea Bakehouse claimed the title of Best Plain Chunky Beef Pie. Further afield, JoJo's Gluten Free in the Bass Coast Shire took out Best Gluten-Free Pie as well as Best Pastie overall. Coeliacs might want to lock in a road trip ASAP. And if you fancy sampling Country Cob's primo pie for yourself, Kyneton sits about an hour north of Melbourne just off the Calder, making the perfect pit-stop on a trip to Bendigo. The champion pastry will be sticking on the menu for the foreseeable future. Find Country Cob Bakery at 130-132 Mollison Street, Kyneton, Victoria — it's open from 6am–4.30pm on weekdays and 6am–3pm on weekends.
If you're a vegetarian, worshipper of eggplant or just a keen home cook — which, let's face it, many of us are becoming — chances are Yotam Ottolenghi has had some impact on your life. In fact, we bet you've got at least one of his bestselling cookbooks in your cupboard. And, this week, you can get some tips and tricks from the cult Israeli chef when the Sydney Opera House streams its 2019 chat with him. Streaming at 3pm AEST on Sunday, April 26, the recording is from the Opera House's Talks and Ideas program. Ottolenghi's Aussie visit followed the publication of his book Simple, which celebrates the joys of fuss-free dishes, featuring 130 easy-to-make yet super-tasty dishes. The renowned chef will be in conversation with Malaysian Australian cook Adam Liaw and they'll be discussing everything from what makes a recipe simple to the humble cauliflower, bold flavours and cooking for kids. So, even if you're a bit of a novice in the kitchen, this talk is sure to get you cooking up a storm soon enough. But, Ottolenghi will be talking about much more than that, too. Firstly, there are all his other books, like the Middle Eastern-inspired Jerusalem, the vegetarian-friendly Plenty and the dessert bible Sweet, a collaboration with Melbourne pastry chef Helen Goh. Then, there are his documentaries and his regular writing gigs: a weekly column in Feast magazine and a monthly column in The New York Times. [caption id="attachment_768174" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Flickr/Stijn Nieuwendijk[/caption] The talk is part of the Sydney Opera House's three-month digital program From Our House to Yours, with free content streamed nightly from Wednesday–Sunday. While you wait for the full talk to stream on Sunday, you can also check out the Opera House staff's favourite five Ottolenghi recipes here, as well as five fun facts about the famed chef. Image: Ken Leanfore
Ever wondered what happens to a Playboy Bunny after she’s given an affectionate tap on the cottontail by Mr Hefner, and sent on her jolly way? No, neither did we. That is until we saw American photographer Robyn Twomey’s ‘Playboy’ collection. The fine art portrait photographer, who has shot the likes of Glenn Close, Bill Gates and Ashton Kutcher, photographed a number of former Bunnies after meeting the women at a recent Playboy reunion in Las Vegas. Beautifully shot and powerfully impartial, Twomey has captured each woman’s individuality – some choosing to play on their Playboy heritage, some not. The full portfolio is available on Twomey’s website, showing a fresh insight into life after Playboy. Photos by Robyn Twomey.
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With Australians knocking back an average of 50,000 takeaway coffees every 30 minutes, and one billion paper cups winding up in landfill each year, it's pretty clear that our on-the-go coffee habits need to undergo a drastic change. But no matter how many reusable cups hit the market, that throwaway culture is a hard one to shake. We've been taking tiny steps to address the problem, though; last year the City of Sydney trialled standalone bins for one-use coffee cups and, just recently, a Sydney cafe banned all disposable cups. But the latest product to help make our caffeine addictions somewhat better for the environment is the RecycleMe cup — a new 'more recyclable' takeaway coffee cup, which is being trialled in Sydney and Melbourne this week. This little guy is the brainchild of Australian-owned paper and packaging specialists Detpak and California-based Smart Planet Technologies, who were looking to create a disposable cup that could be easily recycled through the usual paper and cardboard recycling stream. At present, regular coffee cups cannot be recycled like other cardboard items due to their waterproof polyethylene lining, and there is currently no facility in Australia that is able to recycle them. The RecycleMe cups differ because they have a mineral-based lining that's easier to be removed, and means up to 96 percent of the cup can be recycled. The RecycleMe cups can't go straight into your regular recycling bin, though. As part of the trial, patrons who order takeaway coffees will have to turf their empty cups and lids into the special blue bins in-store. From there, the lining will be removed before the cups head to a regular paper recycling facility to be processed and made into new paper and cardboard products. While having to dispose of your takeaway cup at the cafe you bought it from sort of defeats the purpose of getting a disposable one in the first place, it is a step in the right direction — particularly if the cups can enter the regular recycling stream rather than simply going to landfill. You can test the final product at Toby's Estate in Sydney and Melbourne Museum, where the RecycleMe cups will be in use until Sunday, August 20. Detpak aims to have the RecycleMe cups on the commercial market within six months.
Chapel Street is in for a taste of old-world European romance when Matteo Bruno (Hana, The Meatball & Wine Bar) opens the doors to his latest project next week. Named after Bruno's 93-year-old nonna, Ines Wine Bar looks set to become one of the most charming watering holes around, Euro-style street seating and all. Inside, the team at Techne Architecture have pulled together a warm, laidback mix of walnut, Italian marble and aged brass accents, to match a soundtrack of classic tunes from the likes of Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles. In short: it's a space designed for unwinding. Having most recently honed his smarts at Ides and intimate Japanese spot Kappo, sommelier Raffaele Mastrovincenzo has designed a wine list of around 80 Italian, French and local varieties, with a Coravin system allowing for more interesting by-the-glass sessions. That said, Ines' cocktail game is equally strong, with Italian mixology whizz Stefano Cinelli showing off his knack for the classics — you're just as likely to find yourself dropping in for a sazerac or old-fashioned. Plus, buy a bottle of your favourite spirit and they'll even keep it safe behind the bar for your subsequent visits. Meanwhile, in the culinary corner, it's Euro accents all the way. Think a daily-changing selection of crostini, cheese and charcuterie boards, freshly shucked oysters and the croque signore, riffing on a French classic with the addition of aged prosciutto. Find Ines Wine Bar at 150 Chapel St, Windsor from May 15. It'll open for dinners Tuesday through Saturday.
With its iconic steps sequence and distinctive use of montage, 1925 Soviet-made movie Battleship Potemkin changed the way the world thought about film. Making enduring efforts such as Solaris and Stalker, Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky also achieved the same feat during the '60s and '70s. And in 2003, roaming historical drama Russian Ark did too courtesy of a single 96-minute take. Yep, this was more than a decade before Birdman tried something similar. They're just some of the highlights of Russian film history, and there's more where they came from. In fact, that's the domain of the Russian Resurrection Film Festival, which brings future classics and beloved greats alike to Australian cinema screens for an annual celebration of Russian movie making. In its thirteenth year, the fest has curated a collection of twenty efforts that showcase just what makes the country's film output so stellar. Whether you're keen on diving into a duelling epic, going swashbuckling with a beloved animated pirate, or catching a glimpse of uncompleted relics from the past, you'll find plenty to watch here — plus our five must-see picks, of course. FLIGHT CREW Flight Crew falls into the disaster film genre — on account of its content, not its quality or performance. In fact, it's the number one movie at the Russian box office this year, as well as one of the top six of all time. Audiences sure do love watching efforts about earthquakes, volcanoes and trouble on planes, after all, and this one has all three. It's actually a remake of a 1979 Russian blockbuster disaster movie of the same name, because constantly rehashing the past isn't limited to English-language flicks, but boy oh boy does it sound entertaining. THE STUDENT Not every film is going to appeal to every member of the audience, but most people can recognise ambition when they see it. And that's the case with The Student, which some viewers will love and others won't — but honestly, it's genuinely hard to not be enthralled by director Kirill Serebrennikov's visual, thematic and storytelling confidence. Adapting a controversial play, he tells the tale of a teenager who starts questioning everything from his classmates swimming costumes to his biology teacher's lessons as he becomes more and more immersed in religion. The end result certainly got Cannes talking, and it's completely different to any other high school-set film you're likely to come across. ICEBREAKER You can probably count on one hand the number of movies you've seen about a ship striking an iceberg. Actually, to be precise, you can probably count it on one finger. Without a floppy-haired Leo in sight (or Celine Dion's warbling in earshot), Icebreaker might just join the fold as it recounts the real-life exploits surrounding a boat in 1985. Or, it might skirt the obvious and plunge into other polar catastrophes. You'll have to watch to find out, however, the film is made by the same folks behind train-based disaster flick Metro from 2013. That effort was cheesy and cliched, sure, but isn't that what disaster flicks are meant to be? MOSCOW NEVER SLEEPS An Irish filmmaker heads to Moscow with Moscow Never Sleeps — though that's the story behind the movie, rather than the movie itself. In his second Russian-made feature, writer/director Johnny O'Reilly dives into the nation's capital through the antics of five different people going about their daily lives over a 24-hour period. Yep, just about everywhere you can think of boasts a film like this (or a few), but there's a reason that they keep popping up. How better to get a glimpse into the reality of another city and country than through overlapping, intertwined narratives? ALEXANDER NEVSKY A word of warning: this historical drama clocks in at over three hours. But, unlike most lengthy efforts you see at the cinemas these days, there's not a superhero, hobbit or transforming car on screen. Instead, Alexander Nevsky hails from 1938, marks the first sound film directed by Battleship Potemkin's Sergei Eisenstein, is based on a real Russian prince, and has been named among the best movies ever made. As far as really getting a glimpse of the full scope of Russian filmmaking is concerned, there's nothing in the program like it. The Russian Resurrection Film Festival tours the country from October 27, screening at Sydney's Event Cinemas George Street Sydney and Event Cinemas Burwood from October 27 to November 5, Brisbane's Event Cinemas Myer Centre from November 2 to 9, and Melbourne's Australian Centre for the Moving Image from November 10 to 16. For more information, visit the festival website.
Unlike a certain lab coat-wearing grandfather and his nervous grandson, we can't all exclaim "wubba lubba dub dub" and zap our way to a different part of the multiverse when things aren't going our way. But, we can get schwifty, kick back and watch a couple of animated interdimensional adventurers unleash their specific style of chaos, with Rick and Morty set to return in 2021 for its fifth season. Once again, Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith (both voiced by show co-creator Justin Roiland) will do what they do best: not just aping a concept straight out of Back to the Future, but wreaking havoc in as many universes as they can stumble across. Also back are Morty's mother Beth (Sarah Chalke, Firefly Lane), father Jerry (Chris Parnell, Archer) and sister Summer (Spencer Grammer, Tell Me a Story) — and, as both the initial trailer for season five and the just-released second sneak peek both show, they're playing a big part in Rick and Morty's dimension-hopping antics this time around. Glimpses at Rick and Morty's upcoming episodes are more about the mood, look and feel than the storylines. The show's trailers tease a heap of the out-there situations, battles and general sci-fi chaos that its characters will find themselves dealing with, and leave the specifics for the new season itself. That's been the case with season five so far, naturally — with nods to and parodies of everything from Voltron to Blade bundled into the two trailers to-date, because that's the way the news goes. As for when you'll be able to watch the next batch of Rick and Morty anarchy — and rejoin the smartest Rick and Morty-est Morty in the universe, of course — the fifth season will start airing week-to-week in the US from mid-June. Hopefully Netflix Down Under will follow suit shortly afterwards. That's what happened with season four, which released its long-awaited episodes in two batches in 2019 and 2020. Watch the latest trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tks_1uCO5kA Rick and Morty's fifth season will start airing weekly from June 20 in the US. Down Under, the show airs on Netflix — and we'll update you with a release date for the new season when one is announced.
Take every horror movie staple, every expected line and all the usual eerie settings, then throw in a beloved childhood character that's stopped being friendly and turned savage instead. That's a recipe for one of the most intriguing movies of the year, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey. Yes, it's a slasher film starring Winnie-the-Pooh. Yes, really. And yes, it looks set to forever change the way you see the childhood favourite. The flick itself isn't new news, but it now has a trailer — and it's as creepy as the whole concept sounds. "Oh bother!" is definitely the mood, after Christopher Robin returns to the Hundred Acre Wood as an adult, years after leaving his pals Winnie, Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Kanga and Roo behind. All that time alone hasn't turned out well, and there's about to be a body count to prove it. No, the idea that Pooh might turn murderous hasn't ever crossed anyone's minds before. Gracing pages for almost a century — plus screens big and small for decades — Winnie-the-Pooh has done many things in his time, but getting grisly hasn't been one of them. Ever since AA Milne first conjured up the honey-loving, walking-and-talking teddy bear back in the 1920s, Pooh has enjoyed plenty of adventures involving his human and animal friends, and tried to eat as much of his favourite foodstuff as possible. We've all seen the cartoons and toys, and also watched films such Goodbye Christopher Robin and Christopher Robin in recent years. To director Rhys Waterfield, however, Pooh is no longer cute and cuddly, even if he's a honey-fiending teddy bear who normally doesn't wear pants (although he appears to here). And if you're wondering about the tone of Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, other than horror, the filmmaker's other upcoming titles include Firenado, Sky Monster and Rise of the Loch Ness. Clearly, Pooh breaking bad all falls into B-movie territory, which the premise makes plain as well. The setup: after seeing their food supplies dwindle as Christopher grew up, Pooh and Piglet have spent years feeling hungry. They've turned feral, in fact, even eating Eeyore to survive. So when Christopher returns, it sets the pair on a rampage, which leads to them a rural cabin where a group of university students are holidaying. From that summary, it's obvious what'll happen from there. The trailer cements that fact, and throws in more horror tropes than you could fit in a pot of honey in the process. Exactly when Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey will reach screens Down Under, and where, also hasn't yet been announced — and the film's release date in the US and UK is also yet to be set at this point — but it's heading to DVD and VOD rather than cinemas. Wondering why something that's usually so sweet and innocent is being given the creepy, bloody, eerie horror treatment — turning Winnie-the-Pooh into a killer, no less? It's because the character has just entered the public domain in America. Disney no longer holds the copyright, and no one can now hold the exclusive intellectual property rights over the character, opening the door for wild interpretations like this slasher flick. Check out the Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey trailer below: Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey doesn't yet have a release date Down Under — we'll update you when further details are released. Images: Jagged Edge Productions.
Life's not easy for an intrepid, jet-setting rubber duck. Earthquakes, typhoons, stabbing, drowning and censorship are just some of the hardships that Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman’s oversized plaything has faced since first venturing from the bath in 2007. And now, an explosion that’s making international headlines. Twelve hours before the bird was scheduled to become the unrivalled star of Taiwan’s New Year’s Eve celebrations, it deflated without warning in front of crowds of shocked fans, turning into nothing but an enormous piece of yellow plastic. So far, no one really knows why. The sun was shining; the water was still — to all eyes, the northern port of Keelung in which the duck was floating seemed as safe as a hot tub. “We want to apologise to the fans of the yellow rubber duck,” organiser Huang Jing-tai said to journalists. “The weather is fine today and we haven’t found the cause of the problem. We will carefully examine the duck to determine the cause.” According to the Central News Agency, an eyewitness suggested that eagles may have been the problem, having been spotted scratching the avian invader with their claws. This is the second occasion on which one of Hofman’s ducks has exploded in Taiwan. Last month, in Taoyuan, strong winds following a 6.3 magnitude earthquake caused the installation’s back end to burst during inflation. Having proved quite a hit at Cockle Bay last year, the Rubber Duck will return to Sydney Festival on 10 January, this time taking up residence in the Parramatta River. Its visit will not be affected by these overseas traumas; a separate Rubber Duck is safely sequestered away for the event. Via ABC.
If you've only ever spotted one thing about former wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne Johnson, we're betting you've noticed that he already looks like he has superpowers. And if you've been watching The Rock's on-screen career as he's amassed a hefty movie resume over the past couple of decades, you've probably also observed a second key point: he overwhelmingly loves joining franchises. Cases in point: The Mummy Returns and The Scorpion King, his multiple Fast and Furious flicks (and spinoff Hobbs & Shaw), Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, GI Joe: Retaliation, and both Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level. New to that list is Black Adam — and, fittingly, here he plays someone with superpowers. The latest entry in the DC Extended Universe — aka the movies that revolve around Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and the whole Justice League gang, because Marvel isn't the only comic book company with a film and TV universe — Black Adam is also a spinoff from past DCEU flick Shazam!. Johnson plays an ancient prisoner turned god who was given powers almost 5000 years back, then captured in a tomb. Now, he's free and on the loose in the modern world. Is Black Adam a hero or villain? On the page, he's one of Shazam's archenemies — but as the just-dropped trailer for Black Adam shows, grappling with that question is a big part of this new movie. Given that he's played by the always-likeable Johnson, you can probably expect him to fall further on the side of good than evil. Black Adam hits cinemas Down Under on October 20, with Johnson's Jungle Cruise director Jaume Collet-Serra helming. Also featuring on-screen: Aldis Hodge (One Night in Miami) as Hawkman, Noah Centineo (the To All the Boys I've Loved Before franchise ) as Atom Smasher and ex-Bond star Pierce Brosnan as Dr Fate, plus Sarah Shahi (Sex/Life), Marwan Kenzari (Aladdin), Quintessa Swindell (Voyagers) and Bodhi Sabongui (A Million Little Things). And if Black Adam has you thinking about Shazam!, it is getting a sequel this year, too, with Shazam! Fury of the Gods due in cinemas in December. Check out the trailer for Black Adam below: Black Adam opens in cinemas Down Under on October 20.
The year Falls Festival is really teasing us. After announcing that they would expand to Western Australia this year back in June, and then confirming that none other than Childish bloody Gambino would be headlining earlier this month, this morning they've let slip another headliner before the full lineup is released this afternoon. And, much to our delight, it's London Grammar. Yep, the British trio will return to Australia for Falls Music & Arts Festival over the New Years period. It's a quick return to the country — after all, they only toured last year — and they'll join musical (and acting and writing) wunderkind Donald Glover to play all four shows. As always, Falls will be heading to Lorne in Victoria for four nights, and Marion Bay in Tassie and Byron Bay on the NSW coast for three nights over New Year's Eve. They'll also be setting up shop in Fremantle for the first time with Falls Downtown, a two-day city festival slated to take place over the weekend of January 7-8. The main stage will be set up in Freo's town square, while an old-world ballroom and a stone-walled church will house the smaller ones. They'll also be taking over the abandoned Myer building, turning it into a creepy crib for art installations, "unexpected performance areas", markets and "bunkered basement danceterias". There'll even be a small number of glamping tents on the roof. It sounds similar to some of Melbourne Music Week's activations of abandoned spaces, and it sounds insane. This new iteration of the festival and the announcement of Childish Gambino as headliner is another win for Falls, who sell out their Lorne event basically every year. Since its inception in Lorne back in 1993, the festival has grown to span three cities, which include the original site on the Great Ocean Road, Marion Bay in Tassie and, since 2013, Byron Bay. But here's the dates. The full festival lineup will be announced this afternoon. Stay tuned. Lorne, Victoria: December 28-31 Marion Bay, Tasmania: December 29-31 Byron Bay, NSW: December 31 - January 2 Fremantle, WA: January 7-8 Tickets for Falls Festival 2016/17 will go on sale at 9am on Tuesday, August 30 via their website.
It may have been nice and mild today with temperatures in the city reaching a lovely 28 degrees, but all nice weather must come to an end — and, in classic Melbourne style, that's set to happen in the extreme. A cool change is on its way, and it's set to send the mercury plummeting this afternoon and into the weekend. According to Weatherzone, a southerly change is on its way over from South Australia and will see the temperature drop ten degrees before 6pm. It's not coming back up, either, with the chill sticking around through the weekend. In the city, the Bureau of Meterology is predicting a maximum of just 15 degrees (and a low of nine degrees) tomorrow — Saturday, March 30 — which would not only make it the coldest day of the year so far, but, according to Weatherzone, the coldest March day in 41 years. Oof. The cold snap (and some rain) will stick around until about Wednesday, when the BoM predicts the mercury will be back up to 23 degrees with a low of 15. This comes after an extremely hot weekend at the start of March and predictions that this autumn was going to be hotter than average. So you might need to pull out your winter coat for this weekend — but there's no telling how long you'll need it.
Right now in Melbourne, it's more important than ever to find little things in our days to bring a bit of joy into them. While we can't necessarily go to pubs or bars (yet), we can still find activities to put smiles on our faces and get some dopamine hits in. To help you out, we've teamed up with Oporto to bring you five after-work activities to add a little more joy into your Monday to Friday. Try your hand at an online cooking or dance class, take a virtual walk through a museum, or take it easy by ordering takeaway and putting your feet up. [caption id="attachment_783591" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andrea Piacquadio[/caption] MONDAY: DANCE AROUND YOUR LIVING ROOM Shake off any Monday blues with an online live-streamed dance class. Get your blood flowing with energising movements thanks to Australian artist Erin Fowler's Bedroom Dancing for Isolated Times. Practise your expressive movements with Zoom Dance's all levels contemporary class — where, for $10, you'll get a full hour with two to four teachers taking you through each exercise. Or, get your jazz hands ready for an intermediate to advanced jazz class with 6th Position. Alternatively, pop on a YouTube dance workout and sweat it out all the same. Try Emkfit's Shrek workout for a real dorky time. [caption id="attachment_783906" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Museums Victoria[/caption] TUESDAY: GO ON A VIRTUAL TOUR Melbourne Museum may have its physical doors shut but, digitally, it's still open for adventure. Put on your comfiest trackies, make yourself a cup of tea and head off on a virtual tour of the Museum's Dinosaur Walk exhibition. You'll discover 17 skeletons of prehistoric animals dating back over 253 million years. This includes the likes of the duck-billed Hadrosaurus, the ten-metre-high Tsintaosaurus and the horned-face Protoceratops. The exhibition also includes multimedia activities, where you can learn more about what these ancient animals ate to survive. [caption id="attachment_770182" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jason Briscoe[/caption] WEDNESDAY: TAKE A GOURMET COOKING CLASS Get out your chopping board and apron and prepare to make a meal fit for the queen, king or non-binary majesty you are. Feel like Italian? Head over to Nonna Live where you can book a spot to cook pasta — using a recipe that dates back 100 years — with Nonna and her family via Zoom. Once your spot is confirmed, you'll be sent an ingredient list, suggested wine pairings and even a Spotify playlist. Or, try your hand at Asian-style vegan dishes with a class from Otao Kitchen. The plant-based cooking workshop utilises recipes from a number of different cultures and promises lots of flavour. [caption id="attachment_783596" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Shvets[/caption] THURSDAY: ROPE YOUR MATES INTO A PUB TRIVIA NIGHT Just because pubs are off limits doesn't mean you can't show off your superior general knowledge with your mates. You just need to rope them into a Zoom-based trivia session. As quiz master, you'll have control over the topics, meaning you can do a whole round on Zac Efron movies, Keeping Up with the Kardashians quotes or songs from the 80s. There are pre-made quizzes online if you're feeling like handing over the reins to someone else — World of Wanderlust's downloadable quiz or Kiss's 60 Questions are good places to start. FRIDAY: ORDER TAKEAWAY INSPIRED BY A BEACHSIDE SUBURB End your working week right by forgetting all about the cooking. Order in, instead. In fact, forget all the work emails, spreadsheets and finicky little tasks from the last four days. It's time to put your feet up and binge on some Netflix. And the real chill comes with Oporto's new Bondi Rappa, which provides a satisfying feast of two freshly grilled chicken breasts accompanied by crisp lettuce, cheese, creamy mayo and original chilli sauce, all wrapped in a warm pita bread wrap. Order online and then let those Bondi vibes wash over you. Check out Oporto's full Rappa Range here, then make tracks to your closest store — or order online. Top image: Melbourne Museum by Museums Victoria
Mad Max: Fury Road for kids. That’s how PAN ought to have been billed, but instead the studios went with “Every legend has a beginning”. Bit of a truism, but whatever. At least it sets us up with the expectation that PAN will give us the gritty, untold Peter Pan backstory, and — true to its word — on that point it does deliver. Curiously, though, it then leaves much of the remaining (and arguably more interesting) information untouched, rendering PAN more like the ‘beginning of the beginning of the legend’. So who is Peter? Well, in this latest version by director Joe Wright (Atonement), he’s an English orphan enduring the worst of the Nazis’ WWII blitz campaign over London. We learn his ninja-like mother lovingly deposited him at the orphanage as a baby, along with a pan flute necklace and a mysterious letter speaking of hopeful reunions in a far away land. Now as a 12-year-old (played by Aussie newcomer and definite star of the future Levi Miller), Peter discovers the letter but has scarcely a moment to process the information before he’s whisked away by pirates in the middle of the night and transported to Neverland, where his true story begins. The thing is, Neverland isn’t as we remember it. Here in Wright’s version, it’s a colossal mining pit populated by hundreds of thousands of orphan workers all searching for a rare mineral called Pixum — essentially the raw form of pixie dust. Their overseer is a deliciously evil and charismatic pirate named Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman), who we first meet amid a bizarre rendition of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. As he addresses his bedraggled slaves and enforcers from up high and promises them untold riches (or at the very least, confectionary), the comparisons to Fury Road’s Immortan Joe are hard to ignore, particularly when PAN then descends into something of an extended chase scene for the remainder of the film. Still, in this pit we meet all but one of the future figures who’ll feature prominently in the Peter Pan legend, most notably Smee (Adeel Akhtar) and Hook (Garrett Hedlund, turning in what represents a solid audition piece for the next Indiana Jones film, albeit with an accent borrowed straight from There Will Be Blood’s Daniel Plainview). Together, the trio escapes the pit into Neverland’s untamed jungle and goes in search of Pan’s mother with Blackbeard giving relentless pursuit. PAN is the very definition of ‘family-friendly movie’, what with its non-stop action pieces, colourful costumes and entirely palatable violence (when the friendly ‘savages’ are killed, they explode into puffs of brilliantly coloured powder, much like the ‘how it works’ section of a detergent commercial). The special effects are extensive but first-rate, remaining impressively clutter free in that you can always identify the focal point of any scene (compared to the epilepsy-inducing offerings of films like Transformers). Performance wise, the leads (including Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily) all do their best with what’s a regrettably threadbare script, and Jackman probably finds the most out of his character, switching back and forth between homicidal and nurturing so effortlessly that it’s unsettling. There are really only two major shortcomings in PAN, but combined they do a lot to detract from what could have been something truly special. Firstly, it’s all very dour for something that’s set in Neverland, a place where fun is not just a pastime but a mantra and an obligation. Secondly, for a backstory on the Pan legend, we not only end up with very little new information, but — if anything — more questions than before. Case in point: the relationship between Peter and Hook. PAN’s prologue explains “sometimes friends begin as enemies, and enemies begin as friends”, but by the film's finale we see the two characters as close as any two friends could be, even going so far as to laugh about anything to the contrary. How and why such allies become mortal enemies would have made for an excellent plot progression, and it’s hard not to think this was excluded for the presumptive 'prequel sequel’. Still, it’s a wonderful visual experience that’s sure to delight young and old alike.
