UPDATE, March 28, 2023: Nope is available to stream via Netflix, Binge, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Kudos to Jordan Peele for giving his third feature as a writer/director a haters-gonna-hate-hate-hate name: for anyone unimpressed with Nope, the response is right there. Kudos, too, to the Get Out and Us filmmaker for making his third bold, intelligent and supremely entertaining horror movie in a row — a reach-for-the-skies masterpiece that's ambitious and eerie, imaginative and expertly crafted, as savvy about cinema as it is about spectacle, and inspires the exact opposite term to its moniker. Reteaming with Peele after nabbing an Oscar nomination for Get Out, Daniel Kaluuya utters the titular word more than once in Nope. Exclaiming "yep" in your head each time he does is an instant reaction. Everything about the film evokes that same thrilled endorsement, but it comes particularly easily whenever Kaluuya's character surveys the wild and weird events around him. We say yay to his nays because we know we'd respond the same way if confronted by even half the chaos that Peele whooshes through the movie. As played with near-silent weariness by the always-excellent Judas and the Black Messiah Oscar-winner, Haywood's Hollywood Horses trainer OJ doesn't just dismiss the strange thing in the heavens, though. He can't, even if he doesn't realise the full extent of what's happening when his father (Keith David, Love Life) suddenly slumps on his steed on an otherwise ordinary day. Six months later, OJ and his sister Emerald (Keke Palmer, Lightyear) are trying to keep the family business running; he does the wrangling, she does the on-set safety spiels, which double as a primer on the Haywoods' lengthy links to the movie industry. The first moving images ever presented, by Eadweard Muybridge of a galloping horse in the 1800s, featured their great-great-great grandfather as the jockey, Emerald explains. His image was immortalised, but not his name — and, although she doesn't say it directly, that's a fate she isn't eager to share. In fact, Emerald ends her patter by proclaiming that she's available for almost any Hollywood job that might come up. Unsurprisingly, OJ is horrified about the hustle. Her big chance is indeed tied to their ranch, but not in the way that Emerald initially realises either — because who'd predict that something would be lurking above the Haywoods' Agua Dulce property? Just as Get Out saw Peele reinterrogate the possession movie and Us did the same with doppelgängers, Nope goes all in on flying saucers. So, Emerald wants the kind of proof that only video footage can offer. She wants her "Oprah shot", as well as a hefty payday. Soon, the brother-sister duo are buying new surveillance equipment — which piques the interest of UFO-obsessed electronics salesman Angel Torres (Brandon Perea, The OA) — and also enlisting renowned cinematographer Antlers Holst (Michael Wincott, Veni Vidi Vici) to capture the lucrative image. Cue plenty of faces staring up in shock and wonder, as Steven Spielberg has made a mainstay of his films — and cue a movie that nods to Jaws as much as Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Peele makes smartly and playfully cineliterate flicks, which aren't content to merely wink and nudge, but instead say "yep" themselves: yep to all the tropes and symbols that the comedian-turned-filmmaker can filter through his own lens, and his determination to unearth the reality of living in America today, just as he did when he was making some of this century's best skits on Key & Peele. Indeed, Nope is keenly aware of the lure and power of spectacle, especially the on-screen kind, which also echoes through in the picture's other pivotal character. Ricky 'Jupe' Park (Steven Yeun, Minari) isn't involved in the Haywoods' attempts to snap upwards, but the former child star runs a neighbouring theme park called Jupiter's Claim, which cashes in on his big hit role in a movie called Kid Sheriff. He's known for short-lived 90s sitcom Gordy's Home, too, starring opposite a chimpanzee, and moments of the show also pop up in Peele's film. A creepy glimpse at Gordy's Home actually opens Nope, starting the feature with a cryptic teaser that couldn't be more potent. Menace hovering above, sprawling vistas and the clouds that pepper them, galloping horses, rampaging apes, waving skydancers, cheesy Wild West shows, predators versus prey, the quest for fame and its self-destructive toll, cashing in: that all earns Peele's attention, weaved together in one jaw-droppingly impressive and unnerving package. This is the filmmaker's clever and compelling stab at a monster movie as well, which applies in a variety of manners. Here's one that doesn't give too much away: the way that animals have been exploited for entertainment, coupled with humanity's pursuit of bigger and better spectacles no matter the consequences, has long proven an act of monstrousness to be battled. Here's another: chasing visual thrills isn't innocent, a truth that resounds unshakeably in today's always-filming times. Nope is a pics-or-it-didn't-happen flick, too, and explores the price that people are willing to pay to keep getting those images. Perfect shots and the industry that relies upon them aren't without their cost, Peele posits — while also filling his frames with a sublimely surreal sci-fi-western vision lensed with rich detail by Hoyte Van Hoytema, Christopher Nolan's recent cinematographer (see: Tenet, Dunkirk and Interstellar). A movie can call attention to cinema's usually ignored ills and equally demand the utmost attention to its stunning array of sights, of course, and Nope is one such feature. Its sound design and score, courtesy of Johnnie Burn (Ammonite) and Michael Abels (Us, Get Out) respectively, are also both staggering and loaded, finding the ideal balance between haunting quiet and symphonic screaming. Nope is many things. It's a reminder that Hollywood's historical approach to race — its blatant lack of diversity, and its willingness to erase the contributions of people of colour, to be accurate — has proven a monstrosity as well. It's an examination of the power of images, for better and for worse. It sees the dark side of courting celebrity as a supposed way of improving our lots in life. Nope takes Peele's The Twilight Zone fascination, after reviving and hosting the 2019–20 version, to its next level. It's also a cowboys-and-aliens flick, and it's as dazzling as a blockbuster that blends science fiction, western, comedy and horror can be. Nope is frequently a daylight nightmare, boasts this year's second-best use of the wide blue yonder after Top Gun: Maverick, and is so terrifying in one barn-set scene that chills follow. Throw in that exceptional cast, including the pitch-perfect chalk-and-cheese double act that springs from Kaluuya's subtlety and Palmer's energy, and it's a downright marvel, as well as another Peele winner. The yeps keep coming — and yep, you'll never look at the clouds the same way afterwards.
It might not have been planned, but Bluebonnet Barbecue is definitely one of Melbourne's most well-travelled restaurants. After a fire forced the beloved barbecue joint out of its original Collingwood home after just two years of operation, it enjoyed a temporary residency at The Curtin, before eventually settling into new digs within the former North Fitzroy Star in 2016. And now, with redevelopment in the works for the pub, Chris Terlikar's famed eatery is on the move again — though this time it's to a permanent abode, having signed a 20-year lease on a space in Brunswick East. But Bluebonnet's not going anywhere without a proper farewell, which of course involves plenty of meaty treats for all. From March 5–23, it's reinstating its legendary All You Can Meat bottomless barbecue feeds. Book a table for dinner on any of those days (or lunch on weekends) and $55 will get you a feast fit for a carnivore king. The Fitzroy North location will remain open until further notice, and then it'll move into its new home. We'll update you with more info once it's locked in. Bluebonnet Barbecue will remain open until further notice at 32 St Georges Road South, Fitzroy North. For closing dates and details, keep checking bluebonnetbbq.com.au. Updated: April 9, 2018.
Following yesterday's indefinite, effective ban on all international travel, in a bid to slow the spread of COVID-19 across Australia, Qantas and Jetstar have announced they will suspend all scheduled international flights from late March until the end of May 2020. As a result, the airlines will temporarily step down two-thirds of their 30,000-person staff until at least the end of May. In a statement, the Qantas Group says the decision was made "in order to preserve as many jobs as possible longer term". Employees will be able to draw on "annual and long service leave" and additional support will be introduced, including leave at half pay and early access to long service leave. Qantas says it is also talking to Woolworths about temporary jobs for its stood-down staff. The decision comes after Qantas and Jetstar earlier this week announced they'd be cutting back international flights by 90 percent and domestic flights by 60 percent. For now, domestic flights will continue running at a 40 percent capacity, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison saying "domestic air travel is low risk". We could see domestic flights cut further in the near future, however, with Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein this morning announcing that from midnight this Friday, March 20 only essential travellers will be allowed into Tasmania without quarantine. Non-essential travellers, including Tasmanian residents returning to the island from mainland Australia, will be required to self-isolate for 14 days. Essential travellers include health care workers, emergency workers, defence personnel and air and ship crew. These measures are similar to those currently in place for international travellers arriving into Australia, which mandates compulsory 14-day isolation periods for everyone arriving from overseas. Virgin Australia will also suspend all international flights from March 30, and will cut domestic flights by 50 percent, too. For further details about Qantas and Jetstar's plans, visit the company's website. For more information about Virgin Australia's reductions, visit its website. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
If Jailbreak, Escape From Alcatraz or The Shawshank Redemption are among your favourite flicks, you're going to want to lock yourself into a date at Palace Cinemas' latest venture. Australia's much-loved movie house has just announced it's opening a brand new 15-screen cinema Coburg's former Pentridge Prison . Yep 15 screens — and they'll all be fitted with big, comfy seats, when the site opens in mid-2019. And like Northcote's solar-powered Palace Westgarth, the new cinema, which is temporarily named Champ Street, has been designed with environmental sustainability in mind. "My family's vision for Palace Champ Street is to create a warm, vibrant, film, arts, and hospitality hub, which will unite cinema lovers of all ages and cultural backgrounds," said Palace's CEO Benjamin Zeccola. The cinema will occupy the second floor of the brand new two-level Pentridge development, which will house residential, retail and commercial structures. When finished, the ex-prison site will feature a hotel and a bunch of restaurants, bars and cafes. As usual, you'll be able to count on Palace's quality programming of both mainstream and indie films, in addition to regular festivals that feature contemporary films from all over the world. Palace has had quite the year so far. They've just announced plans for two new cinema complexes in Sydney — a 14-screen cinema in Chippendale and 10-screen venue Double Bay — as well as one in Byron Bay. Palace Champ Street is set to open at the Pentridge site mid-2019. Stay tuned for more developments.
One of Melbourne's most controversial new building projects could be axed as Federation Square edges closer to having permanent heritage status. The Victorian landmark, which was granted temporary heritage protection in August, was today recommended for permanent inclusion on the Victorian Heritage Register by Heritage Victoria. Despite being only 16 years old, Fed Square has been recommended for heritage status on the basis of its "historical, architectural, aesthetic, cultural and technical significance" to Victoria. If it gets the heritage tick, Fed Square won't be the first 'young' building to receive protection. Both the National Gallery of Victoria and the Victorian Arts Centre were recognised as having state-level heritage significance soon after their completion — which does give some hope. The recommendation will be advertised for 60 days — allowing time for community feedback — before the Heritage Council of Victoria, an independent body, makes its final decision. If the permanent heritage protection does go ahead, it could thwart Apple's plans to build its first Australian flagship store in the Square. After being announced late last year, Apple's proposed Fed Square store has received considerable community backlash, with new designs revealed in July in response. The opposition to the store isn't just about how it looks, though, but the fact that it'll tear down and replace the existing Yarra Building and also displace the Koorie Heritage Trust in the process. Contentiously, it'll also see public land sold off to a commercial retailer. At present, the temporary heritage protection, which is in place until December 21, prevents any work on the new Apple store from commencing — and any work on another big change taking place in the vicinity, the Metro Tunnel. Fed Square's visitor centre is set to be demolished to build an entry to the tunnel, with work due to begin imminently. To proceed according to schedule, contractor Cross Yarra Partnership will need to apply for a permit or exemption to go ahead — something it has already done, according to The Age. The Heritage Council of Victoria is scheduled to make its final decision regarding Federation Square's heritage status on December 18, 2018. Until then, the square is still covered by its temporary protection. Image: Robert Blackburn, Visit Victoria
Melbourne's sunny season is in full swing — and, if you like celebrating warm weather, adorable animation and mini golf all at once, the part-tee is taking over Federation Square. Everyone's favourite Pixar characters are popping up in Melbourne at a putt-putt course inspired by the Disney-owned studio's loveable films. Yes, Pixar Putt is returning, with the kidult-friendly course heading to Skyline Terrace from Saturday, December 30–Monday, January 29. Designed to challenge both eight-year olds and adults, Pixar Putt features nine- and 18-hole courses that take you past childhood heroes like Buzz Lightyear, Sheriff Woody and Elastigirl. Flicks such as Monsters Inc, Onward, Finding Nemo, Up, A Bug's Life, Wall-E, Inside Out, Soul, Turning Red and Lightyear all get some putting love, too. Clearly, there's no need for a trip to Disneyland — and this year's course features a new holes inspired by Pixar's recent Elemental. So, if you don't think you'll beat your cousin at backyard cricket over the summer, challenge them to a match here. All you need is your hat and A-game (and no pressure if you remain defeated, there's always the nineteenth hole nearby). Pixar Putt is also open for after-dark sessions every Thursday–Saturday night — and they're only for adults. Operating from 7–10pm, the late-night putt-putt hours are perfect for those date nights when you want to do more than just have dinner and see a movie. Otherwise, head along from 10am–8pm Sunday–Wednesday — and from 10am on Thursdays as well — and be prepared to have littlies for company.
Have you heard? Legendary pop and dance icons Charli XCX, Duke Dumont, Cosmo's Midnight and Sonny Fodera are taking to the stage with other stellar artists across four stunning waterside locations for the 2023 run of For The Love. On Saturday, March 4, stars from here and abroad will be taking over Melbourne's Catani Gardens for one massive day and night of good-time vibes — with St Kilda's palm-lined amphitheatre as your backdrop, you'll be dancing to hits and sending out your summer on a high. The 2023 lineup is stacked. The team at Untitled Group — the same minds behind Beyond the Valley and Pitch Music & Arts — have gathered an incredibly strong list of acts to keep the energy high while FTL delivers its signature elevated experience (complete with stand-out fashion and lifestyle elements). Expect Snakehips, Budjerah and KYE, as well as Sumner and Jade Zoe, to make appearances. And while you can experience all of this as a regular punter, For The Love's VIP tickets make it that much better. Enjoy a private bar (avoiding longer lines elsewhere — huge win), upgraded amenities and access to the coveted VIP deck (for uninterrupted views of the stage) and the double-storey VIP fashion lounge (where you'll mingle with FTL's fun-loving ambassadors and social personalities). Is is, by far, the best way to experience this red-hot lineup, which is why Concrete Playground Trips has teamed up with For The Love to create an epic VIP travel package. First off, we're putting guests up in the Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne for two nights — just a short drive from the For The Love venue. In each room? Grey Goose Vodka Essences (to start your pre-drinking the right way) and Tend-2 Hangover Relief (the 100% organic pills that will save you a bit of pain the next day). The much-anticipated event is an exceptional way to send off summer — set your reminders now, legends. The VIP For The Love Melbourne package is exclusive to Concrete Playground Trips. To book your curated experience, head to the website. Top image: Cait Miers
The largest-ever showcase of living Australian artists will casually drop by Ballarat this spring, with the inaugural Biennale of Australian Art (BOAA) in town from September 21 until November 6. It's big news for the small city, with the six-week event set to be a major drawcard for the Central Highlands region of Victoria. There'll be 150 artists coming from all reaches of Australia, making up 65 curated solo exhibitions, as the Biennale aims to have equal representation of artists from every state and territory. Taking place in over 14 different venues across Ballarat, its art points will certainly be amped up several notches by the array of visual arts and live music set to take over the town. With the event boasting a strong focus on Indigenous talent, art from the Numina sisters, Abdul Abdullah, Kim Anderson, David Jensz and Peggy Griffiths will be on display, among work from over a hundred others. Music-wise, the BOAA Band Wagon will be doing the rounds: a specially built music truck that'll provide the sound staging for the event's outdoor gigs at Lake Wendouree and St Andrews Grounds, as well as concerts held at Ballarat's other music venues. In special events, there'll be a living sculpture fashion parade, an evening program called BOAA Dark and a lake sculpture walk, which turns Lake Wendouree into an outdoor gallery featuring 26 sculptures. Free mini buses, bikes and rickshaws will transport attendees around the art path, pausing at pit stops providing food and local beers and wines for your hungry, thirsty and very well-arted selves. With the Biennale expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors, Ballarat looks set to be a pretty busy little place over the six weeks. Two-day or six-week (festival) passes are available at $25 and $100 respectively, so start planning your road trips. The Biennale of Australian Art runs from September 21 until November 6 in Ballarat. For more information, visit the BOAA website.
She might be one of the grand old dames of Brunswick Street, but The Provincial Hotel is certainly keeping things fresh this spring, opening up her doors to a brand new rooftop bar. Launching Friday, September 15, the sky-high space looks set to be hot property as Melbourne's weather starts playing ball, with vintage patio furniture and shabby chic styling mingling to create an al fresco hangout as relaxed as the suburb it calls home. The drinks offering hits all the right notes. Think easygoing, with just enough attitude, starring signature cocktails like the fruity 'You're Punching, Mate' and a new-school riff on the classic Pina Colada. They're backed by a fuss-free, ten-strong tap beer rotation and a globe-spanning wine list that's got a little something for everyone. Meanwhile, the food situation is a hands-on affair that'll see you getting stuck into burgers like The Fitzy (laced with cheese Doritos) and The Sticky Smith Street (featuring a combo of battered sausage, sticky pork and pickles). In an extra win for the wallet, you'll find a whole range of $10 burgers on offer from 4-7pm each Friday. Visit the Northside's newest rooftop bar at The Provincial Hotel, 299 Brunswick St, Fitzroy. For more information check them out on Facebook.
The merits of her ethics and her music are subjective, but the amount of power Amanda Palmer wields in the music industry is conclusive. Even those who found it most difficult to stomach her Kickstarter campaign would probably have little trouble swallowing her claims about the current state of the music business and the appropriateness of asking fans for financial aid, which she recently compiled into one persuasive TED talk titled 'The Art of Asking'. But Amanda Palmer isn't the only industry luminary with a penchant for both lyrics and discourse. Here are nine other thought-provoking, though slightly less controversial, TED talks by famous musicians. 1. AMANDA PALMER: THE ART OF ASKING Start googling 'Amanda Palmer Kickstarter' and it's not long before you're prompted to search 'Amanda Palmer Kickstarter shitstorm'. When the musician took to crowdsourcing last year to raise money for her solo album, people wasted no time in branding her as selfish. 'The Art of Asking' is Palmer's side of the story and raises some interesting points about the difference between 'asking' and 'making' fans pay for music. Palmer is master of the anecdote, and one of the most memorable here is the guy who gave her $10 after a show because he had burned her CD off a friend. 2. DAVID BYRNE: HOW ARCHITECTURE HELPED MUSIC EVOLVE Artists have always had a grand old time of blaming sound systems for poor performance, but the irrepressible David Byrne puts forth quite a different argument for the venue shaping the music. For examples he turns to everything from bird calls and African drumming to Mozart and iconic New York punk venue CBGB — even tying in voting — and by the end of it you're convinced that we make nearly everything with a specific venue or context in mind. 3. BENJAMIN ZANDER: THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF CLASSICAL MUSIC In a TED talk that could equally be called 'The Transformative Power of Benjamin Zander', the magnetic conductor attempts to make every listener realise his or her untapped love for classical music. And after 20 minutes of interesting facts interspersed with heart-melting anecdotes and piano playing that you just don't want to stop, you're pretty sure he's succeeded. 4. ITAY TALGAM: LEAD LIKE THE GREAT CONDUCTORS Conductor of both music and business Itay Talgam leads a talk on how to create harmony without saying a word. He explores the unique styles of six 20th-century conductors and shows what we can learn from each, and in doing so makes some compelling points about control: how to retain it, when to loosen it and how not to lose it. 5. TOD MACHOVER AND DAN ELLSEY PLAY NEW MUSIC Tod Machover of MIT's Media Lab often incorporates new technologies into his works as part of his commitment to bringing musical expression to everyone. Here he presents a talk with Dan Ellsey, a composer with cerebral palsy, to demonstrate how a piece of software called Hyperscore allows people to write music by humming or wielding a mouse. It's a beautiful testimony to music's powers of healing and communication and also features some epic Guitar Hero battles. 6. ANNIE LENNOX: WHY I AM AN HIV/AIDS ACTIVIST Annie Lennox is the founder of SING, a voice for women and children living with AIDS/HIV that raises money to prevent the spread of the disease and support those currently living with it. In this TED talk she shares some of the experiences that inspired her to raise awareness of the AIDs/HIV crisis and explains the meaning behind the 'HIV Positive' T-shirt that sent the rumour mill spinning when she wore it on American Idol three years ago. 7. EMMANUEL JAL: THE MUSIC OF A WAR CHILD "When the rest of the children were learning how to read and write / I was learning how fight". Here Emmanuel Jal reveals the incredible story about his journey from child soldier in the Sudan to world recognised hip hop star and humanitarian. He bounces between speech and lyrics in broadcasting his message about the power, both spiritual and intellectual, of music. 8. ROBERT GUPTA: MUSIC IS MEDICINE, MUSIC IS SANITY Robert Gupta had just completed his undergrate and was studying Parkinson's disease at Harvard when he came to a crossroads at his life, caught between choosing to continue studying neuroscience or to pursue his other love — the violin. He chose the violin, but when a violinist friends suffering from schizophrenia ended up living on the street, he found musical therapy can be a powerful medical instrument itself. 9. EVELYN GLENNIE: HOW TO TRULY LISTEN In this illustration of how listening to music involves more than letting sound waves hit your eardrums, award-winning deaf percussionist Evelyn Glennie makes the argument that listening to music is about being aware of how your whole body takes in and reacts to sound. A decade after this talk was filmed, in the light of Spotify, Rdio, SoundCloud and iTunes, her points about the difference between hearing and listening are more relevant than ever. 10. ADAM SADOWSKY ENGINEERS A VIRAL MUSIC VIDEO The reason Adam Sadowsky doesn't look like a member of an alternative rock band is because he isn't, but he is the guy behind the amazing video for OK Go's 2010 single 'This Too Shall Pass', which has been watched almost 40 million times on YouTube. The video is 3 minutes and 54 seconds of Rube Goldberg machine action, painstakingly constructed by smashing two pianos and four televisions and making over 100 trips to Home Depot. There are no magic tricks involved, but the physics will blow your mind.
So, you've binged on The Jinx and Making a Murderer, and now you need another outlet for your factual film and television fix. Well, we predict you're about to get excited about the newest addition to Australia's film festival circuit: Hot Docs. Hot Docs isn't just your small-scale local documentary festival. Screening more than 200 films, it's North America’s largest doco-focused showcase, and has been running for 23 years. Given that it's also known as the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, you'd be forgiven for thinking that it is limited to the borders of the nation in its name; however, when it makes the leap to Australia in June this year, that'll no longer be the case. Thanks to the folks at Palace Cinemas — including the artistic director of the Australian offshoot, Richard Moore — this brand new doco onslaught will be shown on Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra screens this June and July. Indeed, Palace just keeps building their annual calendar of events, with this revelation following the announcement of a new festival dedicated to American independent cinema, which will kick off in May. The move is certainly timely, and is just the latest link between the festival's main Toronto base and our sunny shores. This year, the Canadian run has selected Australia as its special country of focus. And for its Aussie debut, it will screen a curated selection of festival hits and audience favourites, spanning premieres of both local and international content. Hot Docs will screen at Sydney's Chauvel Cinema from June 21 to July 3, Melbourne's Palace Westgarth from June 14 to 26, and Canberra's Palace Electric from June 15 to 26. For more information, keep an eye on the Palace Cinemas website and Hot Docs Oz Facebook page.
Open House Melbourne will again in 2017 reveal the secrets of our city's most historically and architecturally interesting spaces — but the event isn't just for checking out other people's homes. As part of it, you can head to the Living Cities Forum for a day of critical thought about Melbourne. The forum will unite architects and urban thinkers to talk about what factors make up a healthy, happy and vibrant city. Focusing on what makes a 'better' city and what role designers play in change via political and social context, the forum will bring together speakers from around the world to place Melbourne in a global perspective and encourage conversation. There'll be representatives from Rotterdam (OMA's managing partner David Gianotten), Barcelona (architect Benedetta Tagliabue), LA (critic and author Mimi Zeiger) and London (Victoria and Albert Museum curator Rory Hyde). It'll have you thinking about the future of our city and asking very important questions no doubt, so it's worth convincing your work to let you head along on Thursday.
We're just about ready to fast forward through this winter. Let's skip the low temperatures and head straight for warmer days and colder drinks. While we wish it could be that easy, we all just need to accept the situation and wait out the chill. Embrace the weather and all the winter-exclusive activities it brings — skiing, snowboarding, camping where you'll actually want to sit by the fire, and not to mention warming up in some pretty amazing hot pools. This season you can create your very own cold weather holiday with Teva's winter escape competition, which could win you $1000 to go towards planning your ideal adventure and $250 to shop Teva's shoes and match whichever destination you choose. Slip into a steaming, natural mineral water pool to rid your mind and body of any chilly winter blues. Gaze out at snow-capped mountains instead of the usual view from your desk. Escape the city's hustle and bustle and set up in a treehouse surrounded by nothing but wintry flora and fauna. The opportunities are great when you've got $1000 to splash on a bespoke escape. Grab your Teva shoes — with options good for zipping straight from your cabin into a thermal bath, or for hiking those snowy mountains — and you're good to go. To go in the running to win $1000 towards a winter escape, plus a $250 Teva gift card, enter your details below. [competition]629606[/competition]
Like Netflix, but for actually going to the movies. That's the premise of CinemaClub Australia, a new subscription service offering punters access to bucketloads of movie tickets for a monthly fee. Due to launch in late 2017, CinemaClub aims to cut the cost of going to the pictures. Rather than paying $20 or more every time they head to the cinema, film buffs will instead be able to sign up for a CinemaClub membership that gets them access to a movie ticket every weekday of the month. Concrete Playground reached out to co-founder James Farrell, who said that CinemaClub would be partnering with a number of major cinema chains — as well as various independent cinemas — right around the country. Memberships are expected to cost between $40 and $60 a month — so if you're the kind of person who sees three or more movies a month, you could be about to save yourself a whole heap of money. "Millennials today are avoiding the cinema for cheaper alternatives due to high prices and inflexible offerings," said Farrell. "What we do is make cinema an easy-to-reach and regular activity again. Our members get incredible value and we hope this is something that can really propel the Australian cinema industry." CinemaClub isn't the first start-up attempting to alter the rigid cinema industry, either. It's extremely similar to US subscription service MoviePass, which has come under fire from the States' largest cinema chain AMC for their insanely low fee of just $9.95 USD per month. While this isn't profitable for MoviePass at the moment, it seems the company — of which data firm Helios and Matheson Analytics have majority ownership — will look to swap consumer data for discounts with AMC down the track. Earlier this year, Melbourne couple Sonya Stephen and Shane Thatcher launched Choovie, an on-demand movie ticket app that offers fluid ticket price based on the time of the screening and the popularity of the film. While the success of the membership will rely on participating cinemas, stakeholders and the confirmed monthly fee, we're still interested to see where this goes. You can register your interest via the CinemaClub website to receive more information about when memberships go on sale.
Your Christmas lunch could soon be soundtracked by Bill Murray. Well, that's the best case scenario. Bill Murray has recently told Variety that he will be teaming up with Sofia Coppola for a festive TV special involving him singing a variety of Christmas carols. Obviously once that's out in the world, all other traditional tunes will be irrelevant and we'll all celebrate the season to his unashamed, slightly slurring version of 'Jingle Bells' and 'Silent Night'. Though we don't have many details about the project as yet, both Murray and Coppola have confirmed that something is in the works. It's also safe to assume the work will be somewhat different to their last collaboration, Lost in Translation. "It's not going to be live," said Murray. "We're going to do it like a little movie. It won’t have a format, but it’s going to have music. It will have texture. It will have threads through it that are writing. There will be prose." If that's not vague enough for your liking, he also added that it will have a "patina style and wit to it". "It will be nice," he said. "My motivation is to hear him singing my song requests," said Coppola. Though Murray is well accustomed to being on television — not only was he on three seasons of SNL in the late '70s, he's been such a regular to Letterman over the years he now just wears elaborate costumes and shaves his beard on air for kicks — this will be Coppola's first foray away from the cinema. It's hard to see how her quiet and subtle filmmaking style will translate to the cheesy traditions of Christmas TV specials (despite how much "wit" Murray claims it will have). But, whatever the final result, we're looking forward to it immensely. Now, because we'll basically take any excuse, here's a selection of Bill's best. 'Tis the season. Via Variety.
Two Door Cinema Club are bringing in a new season, Volcano Choir are erupting with musical brilliance and RAC want us to let it all go and just enjoy the weekend. 1. 'CHANGING OF THE SEASONS' - TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB August has been a near perfect month of music for this writer. HAIM released a contender for song of the year with 'The Wire' and announced their album release date, Lorde followed suit and will embark on an Australian tour in October and now the band that occupies all of my playlists (and my heart) have treated us all to their freshest serving of Irish indie rock, and boy is it a doozie. 'Changing of the Seasons' showcases the band's traditional dance-inducing sound just in time for the start of spring, when the band will hopefully announce the details of their upcoming untitled EP. 2. 'DADDY'S MONEY' - JOHNNY STIMSON Johnny Stimson is on a personal mission to make the world groove. His last single, 'Human Man', compelled us all to move, and his latest offering, 'Daddy's Money', gets everything dancing. He hits the vocal lows and highs to sonic perfection, which when combined with the song's bouncing bassline creates an infectious work of fun for your speakers. 3. 'COMRADE' - VOLCANO CHOIR Everything that Justin Vernon touches turns to musical gold. His brilliance transformed Bon Iver into arguably the indie band of the century so far and he is now returning his talents to the collaboration known as Volcano Choir. Whilst the band released their debut album Unmap in 2009 to little fanfare, the brilliant blend led to a blooming fan base eager to hear more. Now with the band set to drop sophomore release Repave next week on September 3, they have offered up 'Comrade', a beautiful harmony ready to be played over and over again until the sun comes up, at which point you'll let it lull you to sleep. A track for all occasions. 4. 'LET GO' - RAC FEAT. KELE & MNDR RAC are known largely for their remixing, but from time to time they take a break to create brand-new material of their own, and they should do it more often as it produces dance gems like this. With a little help from MNDR and Kele of Bloc Party fame, they have made something, well, perfect. I defy you to not feel impelled to dance to this song. 5. 'WE ARE THE CHILDREN' - NOVA & THE EXPERIENCE This song really only needs one word to describe it: happy. So go on, have a listen and be happy (and download it here for free).
One week after the Victorian Government revealed the dates it anticipates to start reopening Melbourne's hospitality scene, it has shared details about just what this next phase might look like. At a press conference today, Monday, September 14, Premier Daniel Andrews shed some light on the realities for venues planning to open their doors from Monday, October 26, outlining a strong focus on outdoor dining. The government also announced it's teaming up with the City of Melbourne to deliver a $100-million support package to help venues bring this vision for an al fresco-focused food scene to life. The Melbourne City Recovery Fund will be used to assist around 16,500 City of Melbourne venues to pay for any infrastructure needed to boost their outdoor dining options, including things like perspex screens, new tables and umbrellas. About a third of the funding will go towards supporting COVIDSafe events and activities with the aim of enticing people back to the city, while close to $40 million is being committed to making physical changes to the CBD streetscape, boosting the viability of outdoor dining through measures like activating vacant shopfronts and widening footpaths. Minister for Industry Support and Recovery Martin Pakula also announced an extra $87.5 million in outdoor hospitality support for venues outside of the CBD. A series of $5000 business grants will help venues cover things like advertising and training, as well as purchasing the furniture, screens and other extras needed to elevate their outdoor dining offering. Local councils will also receive some of the funding, enabling them to reduce or waive permit fees, but also to make improvements to streets. The Premier suggested the new focus on al fresco service would mark significant, ongoing changes for Melbourne's hospitality industry, outlining a similar approach to the one currently being employed in New York City. "They have been able to get their hospitality sector back to something approaching normal, faster than what would otherwise have been the case because they have used the footpath, curbside parking and taken public space and turned it into pop-up cafes, restaurants, bars," the Premier said. "That is what we will do. We will change the way the city operates, and the suburbs and regional cities." [caption id="attachment_699186" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption] As far as how the specifics are set to play out, the Premier explained each venue would be judged on its own merits, but that we'd be seeing changes to many outdoor spaces and lots more tables on footpaths. "Some of that foot traffic may move to the curbside parking area where curbside parking would no longer be allowed. We may see streets closed, some laneways closed, even," he explained. "We may see public space, so parks and gardens that are adjacent to significant numbers of restaurants and pubs, venues like that may well be transformed." The hospitality sector is set to reopen with "predominantly outdoor seated service only" from Monday, October 26, as long as the state hits a 14-day average of less than five new daily coronavirus cases. It must also have clocked less than five cases with an unknown source across the previous two weeks. For more details on the Victorian Government's reopening roadmap, see the website. Top image: Kate Shanasy
If you've ever entered Yayoi Kusama's surreal 'Infinity Mirror Room', stuck polka dots on surfaces in her series Dots Obsession or taken a photo with her giant pumpkin when you visited Naoshima, you probably exclaimed at least once (giddy with the joy only polka dots can bring) that holy shit, I want to live here. It seems this is a common expression as London's Tate Modern and Airbnb have teamed up to transform the spare bedroom of one lucky, art-loving Londoner into a literal work of Kusama's art. Those living in the Greater London area with a private room or entire home listed on Airbnb will be able to enter the competition, the prize of which will see their spare bedroom transformed into a genuine Yayoi Kusama art installation — that is, a vibrant, polka dot paradise. The Japanese artist and writer is known for her polka dot and mirrored art installations. You could actually never be sad again if you scored this room. To win, entrants have to tell the organisers why they want Kusama to transform their home in 300 words or less, and the prize also includes two tickets to the opening party of the Tate Modern's new building on June 16. It's not the first time this year that some prime art property has become available on Airbnb — the Art Institute of Chicago created an IRL replica of Gogh's famous work The Bedroom back in February. Unfortunately, unless you're some some sort of property mogul who's remotely running an Airbnb leasing ring in the Greater London area, you won't be eligible for this prize. However, you can only hope this room is available on your next trip to the UK. Alternatively, you can get a little Yayoi-y and stick polka dots to the wall of your bedroom yourself. Your landlord will love it (or else kick you out immediately).
It's not everyday that you hear the words 1000 litre pool, inner-city backyard and theatrical garments uttered in the same sentence. Yet this is exactly what artist Meg Cowell does. Inspired by the forgotten pieces of clothing strewn about the footpath from somebody’s big night, she set about recreating these pieces of women's clothing (with the addition of couture). She did this through the use of a pool of water to allow buoyancy and an unusual method of display. They end up as illuminated pieces of fabric, which exist in blackness, with only a hint of the water that they are floating within remaining. The result is ghost-like, and the viewer is left with a tactile and emotive image. The pieces of fabric end up looking as if they are “inhabited” by bodies, with movement being created by carefully arranging the clothing with balloons, and being sewn into place. The yellow bustle Girclee print Lens Mist in particular took a few days to position before it was able to be photographed with such a long exposure. While shooting this series, Cowell, who graduated with honours in photography from the University of Tasmania in 2007, had to overcome the difficulties of photographing fabrics in water in her small inner-city backyard. She says this is because the “water adds its own organic force and shifts the fabric in ways that are impossible to control. Because of this, each shot takes about a week to make.” She was “constantly up and down the scaffolding manipulating a collar or adjusting a piece of lace to be "just so". There was “also a certain aspect of mischief in my productions as many of the hired garments are 'dry clean only'," says Cowell cheekily. This added an “element of drama to my process, especially as the owners took my credit card details as bond against damage. My methods for getting around this involve a hair dryer, tissue paper and a pair of straitening irons.” Which are hardly the usual concerns for the average photographer. But luckily it paid off and no bonds were lost. See more of Meg Cowell's photography on her website. Her exhibition, To the Surface, opens at Sydney's Dickerson Gallery opens on July 24 and runs to August 15.
After shuffling through cinemas for decades, the zombie genre has begun to resemble its flesh-eating undead antagonists. It seems that almost every new film takes a chunky bite out of its predecessors, whether nodding to George A Romero's seminal Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead and the rest of the Dead saga — as virtually everything does — or opting for more recent references like 28 Days Later. South Korea's Train to Busan franchise is no different, but it is willing to look far and wide for influences. Indeed, when the series first hit the big screen, it took a Snakes on a Plane-esque idea and changed it to zombies on a train, because who doesn't want to watch a speeding locomotive full of living, breathing humans battle brain-munching foes? Train to Busan not only made a top-notch action/horror-thriller flick in the process, too, but spawned an animated prequel in Seoul Station, which detailed the start of the zombie epidemic in another city. Now, series director Yeon Sang-ho expands upon his universe yet again with four-years-later sequel Peninsula. This time, via a bloody boat ride to Hong Kong and a glimpse of ex-pat life for South Koreans now stranded abroad — spoiler: parallels to COVID-19-era racism abound — Incheon is the franchise's new setting. And, in terms of taking his cues from a variety of sources, Yeon clearly adores another genre as well. Peninsula opts for decidedly dystopian Mad Max-meets-Fast and Furious-meets-World War Z heist flick setup, with a big heap of Escape from New York also thrown in. As with Train to Busan, it works. Peninsula doesn't quite reach its predecessor's heights or add anything new to the heaving undead genre. In fact, it also cribs liberally from the storyline that served the saga's first film so well, just with new characters and a different locale. Nonetheless, Yeon twists his familiar zombie and action elements into a frenetic thriller that's rarely less than thoroughly entertaining. If, prior to 2016, you'd ever wondered what might happen should zombies infest South Korea, this series has already provided a few answers. Now, if you've been pondering what could possibly occur next, Peninsula has plenty more thoughts. The less time spent thinking about the film's terrible English-language talk show clips, which spew exposition at viewers in a cringe-inducing fashion, the better — but they do provide some narrative context. Unsurprisingly, zombies have wholly overrun Peninsula's titular land mass, turning it into a wasteland. That said, they've curiously decided to respect the demilitarised zone and not venture into North Korea, a briefly mentioned development that seems designed to set up the next sequel. Initially lucky enough to flee, army Captain Jung-seok (Gang Dong-won) and his brother-in-law Chul-min (Kim Do-yoon) now get by however they can, with the former wracked with guilt for failing to help others on his way out of the country and the latter festering with grief over his own losses. They're subsequently prime targets for a mob of Hong Kong heavies who want to send them back to the abandoned and quarantined Incheon, where a truck filled with cash awaits. Zombies don't care about money, of course, so the city's valuables are there for the taking. But Incheon isn't completely empty. Min-jung (Lee Jung-hyun), her daughters Joon (Lee Re) and Yu-jin (Lee Ye-won), and her father (Kwon Hae-hyo) were never able to escape, so they've spent years evading the undead. Also roaming the streets is a brutal rogue militia group that calls itself Unit 631 and pits survivors against zombies Fight Club-style for sport. As co-scripted by Yeon and Train to Busan's Park Joo-Suk, Peninsula isn't a film about plot surprises — rather, it's a movie predicated upon setpieces and suspense. Splashing an ample array of eye-catching, unnervingly tense action scenes across the screen is the name of the game here, as well as keeping viewers on the edge of their seats while they're watching. The special effects don't always hold up, but Yeon otherwise achieves his aim with rip-roaring flair. Fresh from scoring an Oscar nomination for Parasite, editor Yang Jin-mo gets to show off his hefty skills, too, especially in the feature's big and small car chases (including the inventive use of lit-up remote-controlled cars to distract and shepherd Incheon's hordes). Predictable as it is, Peninsula's narrative still does what it needs to, providing the scaffolding for the movie's action onslaught. Even better, thanks to the film's engaging cast — especially the trio of Lee Jung-hyun, Lee Re and Lee Ye-won — it benefits from grounded performances that ensure that the audience is invested in the feature's characters. But the part of Peninsula that Yeon truly perfects is also its most obvious aspect: its commentary on humanity's savage nature when faced with anything beyond the status quo. Many a movie has sunk its teeth into the same subject before, including several of the aforementioned flicks that Peninsula owes an overt debt to, but this oh-so-timely exploration of barbarity, carnage and an every-person-for-themselves mindset during a life-changing contagious outbreak repeatedly chomps down hard. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRvHl1dThlg
It's winter. The nights are getting longer, the cold is getting colder, and there you are with two perfectly good ears and nothing to do. But we've got you covered with some Scottish hip hop and four excellent Aussie acts: Big Scary, back with their second album; Ash Grunwald, who has teamed up with two-thirds of The Living End for some huge, riff-heavy blues-rock; OXBLVD, who kinda sound like if Boy & Bear had shot a man in Reno; and some dark, angular, multiple-guitar-having rock from Sydney's Service Bells. So snuggle in with that special someone – you're in for a wild ride. 1. OXBLVD - Gotta Get Away First off, it's pronounced 'ox blood'. Second, I almost didn't include this when I couldn't find a Soundcloud or YouTube clip to embed, but I figure you're all smart enough to find your way over to the band's Unearthed page. And besides, this is way too cool to ignore. There's a serious spaghetti Western vibe to the new single, and you can almost see the band as outlaws, riding across the deserts of the Wild West. There's a real swagger to the guitars, and singer Ed Worland sounds like a man possessed as he wails 'run away' over and over on the coda. These boys can play, and I have no doubt they will be playing stadiums before too long. And when they do, you'll be kicking yourself if you don't catch their residency at Sydney's Oxford Art Factory this Friday, June 14, as well as June 28. 2. Young Fathers - 'Rumbling' When you think of Edinburgh, hip hop groups aren't usually the first things that spring to mind. But Young Fathers are going to change all that. With three distinct, unique MCs, Young Fathers take the influences from their African homelands (Nigeria and Liberia), the grime of the housing projects of their adopted Scotland and all manner of hip hop and electronica influences to end up with something quite striking. 'Rumbling' comes from their first mixtape — imaginatively titled Tape One — but they've also just dropped Tape Two for free on Soundcloud. If there were any justice in the world, these guys would be huge. As it is, it's probably a question of when, not if. 3. Ash Grunwald – The Last Stand Ash Grunwald is one of those 'best-kept secret' kinda guys. He's been around for a decade, playing thousands of shows all over the country and leaving audiences totally enraptured wherever he goes. But he's done all this on independent labels and off his own bat, and he's never reached been able to reach as big an audience as he should. He's an extraordinary guitar player, with (at least) a four-octave voice, and to hear him in full flight is a real treat. On his new album he has joined forces with two more of Australia's greatest musicians — Scott Owen and Andy Strachan, better known as The Living End's rhythm section. And they just cut loose, with huge, crunching riffs and incredible musicianship. https://youtube.com/watch?v=K_EjSuYWzxA 4. Big Scary - Luck Now Big Scary are one of the great success stories of Australian music in the last couple of years, proving once again that even a two-piece can make it big with great songs and a little bit of luck. Their piano ballad 'Falling Away' was a huge smash, and the heavy piano chords that open 'Luck Now' remind you immediately of their earlier hit. But this one has a halting, skipping backbeat and noises swirling all around it, and the production on singer Tom Iansek's voice sounds almost exactly like Bon Iver. It's a really interesting direction for the band to take, and proves that Iansek and drummer Jo Syme are just as versatile, creative and talented as bands with five times the members. Their new album, Not Art, is out at the end of June (pre-order here), and I can't wait to hear what the rest of it sounds like. 5. Service Bells – Prospector's Waltz Queens of the Stone Age have just released an excellent new album, but where do you go after that if you want some pure, unfiltered rock and roll swagger? Sydney's Service Bells, that's where. Rising from the ashes of the criminally under-appreciated Cameras (RIP), Service Bells are all about thick riffs, good times and dark clothing, like all the best parts of QOTSA and Interpol combined, but with David Bowie singing. Yeah, I thought that would get you to hit 'play'.
Every kid dreamed about stepping inside their favourite TV show or movie, whether you were an 80s child who wanted to dance magic, dance through Labyrinth, a 90s teen saying "as if!" to life outside of Clueless — or keen to stake vampires with Buffy — or a 00's Gossip Girl wannabe. Now that we're all adults, those kinds of fantasies keep becoming a reality, in a way, thanks to the seemingly non-stop array of immersive pop culture-themed installations and experiences that keep popping up around Australia. So if you've recently been wishing you could scope out Middle-earth thanks to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, you'll soon be able to. Break out the lembas bread, because Prime Video is taking Melburnians — and everyone who happens to be in Melbourne between Friday, October 7–Sunday, October 9 — to a JRR Tolkein-inspired realm. You might recognise those dates as PAX Aus' next festival, with the gaming and gaming culture event taking over the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. That's where you'll find Prime Video Corridor of Curiosity: See Where It Takes You, too, complete with a room dedicated to the streaming platform's new Lord of the Rings series. On offer in that dedicated hobbit-, elf- and dwarf-loving space: a celebration of Middle-earth, naturally, as well as a heap of costumes from The Rings of Power. You'll be able to scope out outfits worn by Morfydd Clark as Galadriel, Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir and Sir Lenny Henry as harfoot community leader Sadoc Burrows. (And yes, it is a great time to marvel at threads from big franchises in the Victorian capital, given that ACMI is currently displaying Thor: Love and Thunder costumes, too.) The Prime Video Corridor of Curiosity: See Where It Takes You also includes two more rooms dedicated to two of the service's other shows — which is ace news for The Boys aficionados. In that space, you'll enter The Vought Boardroom in The Seven Tower, and you'll be tasked with a mission. This challenge room-style setup will have you solving clues to find missing vials of Compound V within a set timeframe (and working out how you feel about supes, probably). Lastly, a third room will be based around Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, which'll involve entering an interrogation, finding a hidden entrance to a shooting gallery, then hitting targets — for bragging rights and a spot at the top of the leader board. Also up for grabs: limited-edition pins, which you'll nab for completing each room. You'll need to buy a badge to enter PAX Aus, however, if you're keen to head along. Prime Video Corridor of Curiosity: See Where It Takes You will pop up at PAX Aus at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Wharf, Melbourne from Friday, October 7–Sunday, October 9 .
The Gold Coast, with its enviable combination of good weather and beaches, already gives off festival vibes all year round. But the real kicker happens when you add beer to all of that goodness. Add vitamins B (beer) and C (cider) to the vitamin D you cop on the coast with the Crafted Beer and Cider Festival, on Saturday, October 6. Taking place in Kurrawa Park in Broadbeach, the beer festival will unite 35 of Australia's top craft breweries, more than 150 different brews and some good food and live music to line your stomachs and ears. It's as good an excuse as any for a cheeky getaway to the Goldy. Locals like Balter Brewing Company, Black Hops Brewing and Burleigh Brewing Co join up with visitors like Sydney's Akasha Brewing Company, Yulli's Brews and Young Henrys and Victoria's Bridge Road Brewers and Mornington Peninsula Brewery — and that's but a few of the many beer houses to be represented on the day. More of a cider person? Cheeky Tiki Apple Cider and Granite Belt Cider Co. are some of the cideries making the pilgrimage to the Coast. Food-wise, your picks include Greek Street Kantina, Mac From Way Back, The Wiener Haus, SoCal Tacos and more. The music lineup is equally eclectic with punk-pop quartet RACKETT, hip hop band Bootleg Rascal and Canberra's indie rock band Young Monks all providing the soundtrack to your day. Also on the day's agenda is a classic stitch up from comedian Aaron 'Gocsy' Gocs, who'll also be hosting a ping pong competition and beer yoga, where you can perform a few downward dogs before you down your beer — it's all about balance, after all. And, in even better news for your beer-loving palate and soul, you can win a pretty big prize bonanza: we've got a double festival pack up for grabs. The prize includes return flights for you and a mate to the Gold Coast and two night's accommodation plus two festival tickets, $100 Crafted Cash to spend and a Crafted Festival stubby cooler. To enter, see below. [competition]685536[/competition]
It's the iconic charity footy match that sees local musos and radio names battle it out on field in an effort to raise much-needed funds and awareness for disadvantaged Aussies via Reclink Australia. And on Sunday, June 16, 31 years after it was born right here in Melbourne, the much-adored Reclink Community Cup returns for a huge 2024 instalment. This year's Cup will transform Victoria Park into a community celebration of epic proportions, as a 10,000-strong crowd flocks to catch the Megahertz (familiar voices from Triple R 102.7FM and PBS 106.7FM) and the Rockdogs (a team of brave musicians) go head to head. [caption id="attachment_961381" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Suzanne Phoenix[/caption] As always, the off-field antics will be plentiful, with a stellar lineup of line tunes courtesy of Floodlights, Kaiit, Ross Wilson, Teether & Kuya Neil, The UV Race and Whistle & Trick. At least whichever team loses can drown their sorrows in some top-notch music. Every dollar raised from ticketing goes towards Reclink's efforts to improve the lives of Victorians suffering from disability, homelessness, substance abuse and economic hardship through participation in sport and the arts. Yep, whoever emerges victorious from the game, a heap of deserving folks will be the real winners. Gates open at 11am, with kickoff at 2.25pm and everything ending at 7pm. [caption id="attachment_961380" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Suzanne Phoenix[/caption]
Whichever Disney theme park sits on your must-visit list — the original Disneyland in California, Florida's Walt Disney World, or sites in Tokyo, Paris, Hong Kong and Shanghai — you won't be heading there while Australia's borders are closed to international travel. So, the Mouse House has brought some of its magic our way. Now open at Melbourne's newly revamped Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Disney: The Magic of Animation showcases the company's considerable animated prowess across the past century. Whether you've always been a fan of Mickey Mouse, can remember how it felt when you first watched Bambi, are able to sing all of Genie's lyrics in Aladdin or fell head over heels for Moana more recently, you'll find plenty worth looking at among ACMI's halls and walls. And in its doors, too, actually — because walking beneath mouse ear-shaped openings to move from one area to the next is all part of the experience. Of course it is. Displaying from Thursday, May 13–Sunday, October 17, marking ACMI's first big exhibition since it reopened after its $40 million transformation and making its only Aussie stop at the venue, Disney: The Magic of Animation explores everything from 1928's Steamboat Willie — the first talkie to feature Mickey Mouse — through to this year's Raya and the Last Dragon. Obviously, a wealth of other titles get the nod between those two bookending flicks. Fantasia, Alice in Wonderland, Lady and the Tramp, The Jungle Book and The Lion King also feature, as do Mulan, Frozen, Big Hero 6 and Zootopia. And yes, many of these movies have been remade in live-action or photo-realistic CGI; however, ACMI's showcase is only about the animated films. The big drawcard: art from the Mouse House's hefty back catalogue of titles, and heaps of it. More than 500 original artworks feature, spanning paintings, sketches, drawings and concept art. The entire lineup has been specially selected by the Walt Disney Animation Research Library, and will let you get a glimpse at just how the movie magic comes to life, how some of Disney's famous stories were developed, and which animation techniques brought them to the big screen. "The exhibition features behind-the-scenes production artworks which were created during the development of our Disney animated films," explains Walt Disney Animation Research Library Art Exhibitions and Conservation Manager Kristen McCormick. She notes that visitors will "see how the filmmakers and artists develop our stories, and work through different ideas and concepts along the way to creating the films we know so well". And if you think the 500-plus piece collection on display is sizeable — which is is — it was chosen from more than 65 million works in the Walt Disney Animation Research Library. Get ready to peer at hand-drawn dalmatians (which is timely, given that Cruella hits cinemas and Disney+ at the end of May), stare closely at Mickey Mouse's evolution, examine Wreck-It Ralph models and pose next to Snow White. Wall-sized artworks pay tribute to a number of movies, too — The Little Mermaid piece is particularly eye-catching — and feeling like you're stepping into a Disney movie is an unsurprising side effect. Arriving on our shores after past seasons in cities such as Paris, Tokyo, Seoul and Singapore, Disney: The Magic of Animation is clearly designed to appeal to Mouse House fans of all ages. You, your parents, today's primary school kids — you've all grown up watching Disney flicks. So, while you're pondering tales as old as time, being ACMI's guest, contemplating the animated circle of life and definitely not letting your nostalgia go, prepare to be accompanied by aficionados both young and young at heart. Disney: The Magic of Animation is on display at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square, Melbourne from Thursday, May 13–Sunday, October 17 — open 12–5pm Monday–Friday and 10am–6pm on weekend and during school holidays. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the ACMI website. Images: Phoebe Powell.
Rap and science — what could be better? New York-based Canadian rapper Baba Brinkman and DJ Jamie Simmonds will be spinning tha beatz all night long on June 6 and 7 at the Arts Centre (and by all night long, we mean a prompt 6pm start until the album's duration has ceased). From classics such as 'Unity of Common Descent' and 'Creationist Cousins', The Rap Guide to Evolution literally covers everything. Now, we know what you're thinking... and we don't blame you, it sounds weird. We get it. It's a dude standing on stage and rapping about Darwin's theory, it kind of goes against everything we know about rap (and science for that matter). But considering the shining reviews of Brinkman's The Rap Canterbury Tales a few years ago, we can't help but think that this might just be awesome. Not only will Brinkman be delighting us with his rhymes and evolutionary takes on classic rap songs, but there promises to be "epic audio visuals" as well. Argh! Worlds are colliding and we don't know how to feel.
If you're into the feeling you get when two of your favourite singers collaborate on a track — or when Chris Pratt, Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth are all in a movie together — we guarantee you'll be pretty happy about this news. Jewellery designer Emily Green and stylist Beckie Littler have joined their substantial forces to open a store in Preston in Melbourne's north: Pinky's. Pinky's is a pastel-coloured, light-filled, dreamily large space filled with ceramics, homewares and jewellery, with its array of wares all sandwiched together between bright floral walls. The pink-hued space features greenery and light wood, decor-wise — and it's not just a playground for adult eyes. The store also has a little cubby house especially for children to rollick about in while parents are busy shopping or just having a couple of minutes of peace. With both Emily and Beckie being mums, their knowledge and experience of both retail and motherhood have perhaps given the space just what a mum might need. Well, apart from coffee and a nap. Products range along the same cute, happy and pastel lines, including brands such as Emily's own line of jewellery, Leah Jackson ceramics, candles by Frankie Gusti, kids wares from Halcyon Nights and arty offerings from Shuturp. There's just as much garb for little ones as there is for bigger customers, meaning that your birthday present solutions will be taken care of across the board — and your "treat yourself" options for you too, of course. Emily's studio is situated behind the shop, alongside additional studios and a hireable multi-purpose space for workshops, shoots, or if you just want to stay at Pinky's forever and never leave. Given what's on offer, wanting to hang around is a completely understandable response. Find Pinky's at 28 Gilbert Road, Preston. The store is open 930am–4pm Wednesday to Saturday, and 930am–2pm on Sundays.
Long-awaited prequels to huge fantasy franchises: everyone's doing them. Within less than a fortnight, HBO has stepped back into the Game of Thrones with House of the Dragon and now, weekly from Friday, September 2, Prime Video brings The Lord of the Rings back to the screen. Yes, it's a great time to be a fan of the biggest names in the genre, and of two of the most popular page-to-screen sagas ever printed then filmed. It's also quite the moment for anyone keen on mammoth power battles between good and evil, and the historical-looking but purely fanciful worlds in which they unfurl (and of oh-so-many expensive special effects as well). In The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power's case, JRR Tolkien's stories make the move from Peter Jackson's six LoTR and The Hobbit cinema releases onto streaming, courtesy of the show's initial eight-episode first season. It's no less breathtaking to behold than the first three movies, however (the headache-inducing high frame rates used in the latter three flicks made New Zealand's stunning landscape look like any old ordinary hills, rocks and grass, and made for awful viewing). Is such astonishing spectacle enough to recapture the magic of Middle-earth? The answer is right there in every image. This debut batch of instalments reportedly cost US$465 million, and the visual splendour all that money has bought goes a long way. That said, sumptuous sights aren't the only drawcard that The Rings of Power boasts. Like knowing that House of the Dragon was coming, and winter as well, it's been impossible to avoid news about The Rings of Power. The series has been in the works for five years, and is already locked in for five seasons, all jumping back to Middle-earth's Second Age. That's a period of elves, men, dwarves and harfoots — precursors to hobbits — and of the lurking evil of Sauron, plus orcs, trolls and more. It's also when the titular jewellery is forged. On the page, it's largely been covered in an appendix to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books, taking this new series into previously unseen on-screen territory. And, as The Rings of Power focuses on, it's where Galadriel and Elrond's tales truly kicked in, with Morfydd Clark (Saint Maud) taking over from Cate Blanchett and Robert Aramayo (The King's Man) doing the same for Hugo Weaving, with their characters thousands of years younger. Showing how history repeats by repeating a past hit's scenario but setting it further back in history: everyone's doing that, too. The young Galadriel narrates The Rings of Power's explanatory introduction, setting the scene for the show's fight against Sauron — and slowly putting the pieces in place for the compilation of a fellowship to do so. She tells of the dark lord Morgoth and his defeat in wide-ranging wars. She notes that the elf Finrod (Will Fletcher, The Road Dance) was convinced that Sauron, Morgoth's apprentice, still lingered afterwards. And she advises that such a belief and the search to prove it right cost Finrod his life. He was Galadriel's brother, and now she has taken up his mission. Alas, a time of relative peace, as Middle-earth has been under since Morgoth was vanquished, isn't a prime time for Galadriel's quest. She's still scouring far and wide for Sauron, but High King Gil-galad of the Elves (Benjamin Walker, The Ice Road) wants to bathe her in glory for past victories instead. If that's the path she took, there wouldn't be much of a series — although it's not The Rings of Power's only narrative strand. Elrond, Galadriel's closet friend, has been tasked with seeking help from the dwarves of Khazad-dum to build a new forge, but Prince Durin IV (Owain Arthur, A Confession) is wary. Fellow elf Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova, The Undoing) follows strange happenings in a human village, where he also warms to single mother Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi, Bombshell). And harfoot Nori Brandyfoot (Markella Kavanagh, True History of the Kelly Gang) and her fellow diminutive creatures get drawn into odd occurrences, too, after a ball of fire tumbles from the heavens. As overseen by showrunners and executive producers JD Payne and Patrick McKay, with filmmaker JA Bayona (A Monster Calls, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) directing the first two episodes, The Rings of Power spends its opening double instalments setting the scene and building its world. More subplots and characters are weaved in — including a bearded stranger (Daniel Weyman, The North Water) and the stargazing of Sadoc Burrows (Lenny Henry, The Sandman) among the harfoots, elf-prejudiced human Halbrand (Charlie Vickers, Palm Beach), plus Durin's relationship with his king father (Peter Mullan, The Underground Railroad) — and more will follow given the show's hefty cast. A sense of scale shimmers through at every moment, whether via all of the faces gracing the screen or the locations such as Elvish home Lindon, the dwarves' Khazad-dum or the Sundering Seas that they traverse. And it's that grandeur, unsurprisingly, that's one of The Rings of Power's biggest early strengths. While Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit fans will have had The Rings of Power on their must-watch list since it was first announced — it's the franchise's equivalent of second breakfast, after all — it doesn't just take that loyalty for granted. It isn't as content to blatantly tread in its predecessors' footsteps either (not as much as House of the Dragon, with the two destined to be forever compared), even if it's clear that it likely won't deviate too far either. The Rings of Power feels lived in from the outset, but also excited and eager, as if it too wants to roam far and wide rather than merely return to beloved confines. Among the dazzling spectacle, there's a sense of adventure and discovery about the series as well, leaving its audience as keen as a dwarf with a pick to keep digging into more. Tolkien's prose and the films that've sprung from it have always glistened with earnestness and sincerity, and favoured a poetic take on its noble-versus-wicked fray; that gleams again here, thankfully. Perhaps that's what makes The Rings of Power's familiar parts shine with possibility — and makes it seem like anything could follow, even when viewers already know that Sauron won't be toppled no matter how much determination pumps through Galadriel's veins. The first episode doesn't completely find its pace, but by the time the second wraps up, the show has established both an enticing starting point and a firm foundation to keep building upon. Proving epic in all the expected ways, and yet also thrilling via its own surprises: yes, that's powerful. Check out the trailer for The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power below: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power streams weekly via Prime Video from Friday, September 2. Images: Matt Grace / Ben Rothstein.
A charming portrait of two lonely hearts who connect across a city of more than 20 million people, Ritesh Batra's debut feature feels worlds away from a stereotypical Indian melodrama. As a matter fact, were it not for the setting, the language and the mouth-watering shots of local cuisine, you might very well mistake it for Nora Ephron's You've Got Mail. The epistolary romance is hardly a new genre; Ephron's film was itself a modernised remake of the classic Hollywood rom-com The Shop Around the Corner. But Batra infuses The Lunchbox with a distinctively Indian flavour, through his clever incorporation of Mumbai's famously efficient dabbawallas — hard-working couriers who transport freshly cooked lunches to offices all around the city. It's through a one-in-a-million mix-up that curmudgeonly accountant Saajan (Irrfan Khan) receives a meal cooked by neglected housewife Ila (Nimrat Kaur). The lunch was meant for her husband, but Saajan proves a far more grateful diner. So the next day Ila sends a note to accompany the food, thanking her mystery costumer for his appreciation. He replies, and slowly they begin a correspondence, bonding over mutual feelings of loneliness and personal regret. Documentary-style footage chronicles the daily journey of the lunchbox, from doorstep to bicycle, railway platform to high-rise. Every delivery brings the two battered souls closer together, while the food — and the cooking process — takes on a quality that's almost sensual. Batra demonstrates beautiful restraint in his slow, steady development of Saajan and Ila's relationship, an unacknowledged romance in which we soon grow heavily invested. The poignancy of the blossoming love story is balanced by other, platonic relationships. As Saajan counts down the days towards his retirement, he's forced to help train his eager young replacement (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). But what starts as a chore soon evolves into a begrudging sort of friendship. Their odd-couple bond is mirrored by the one between Ila and her neighbour, who shouts recipe and relationship advice through the window of the apartment above. Fundamentally, The Lunchbox is a film about unlikely human connections, and the unexpected happiness they can bring. Endearing characters give substance to the formulaic plot and make Batra's debut feature a satisfying cinematic meal. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Qdn6nVJHyfM
The dollar slice might be dead and buried (if it ever existed in Australia), but what about a seven-dollar pizza? For one night only at Hotel Collingwood, the pub is throwing a mega pizza party with unbeatable prices to match. Happening from 5pm on Thursday, July 24, get ready to settle in for the long haul. Top-notch drink specials like $14 Aperol spritz and tangy margaritas will help keep you satiated while you scoff down slice after slice. Plus, live DJs will carry the vibes onward into the early hours. And if you knock off work just a little early, heading to Hotel Collingwood means you'll be right where you need to be for happy hour. From 4-6pm, order up $3 oysters with vibrant nam jim sauce — the ideal entrée to the main event. There's no shortage of drink specials either, with bartenders pouring selected spirits, wines and beers for $8.50. For those heading along with the crew, or just an extra large thirst, $18 HC jugs have got you covered. Tucked into a corner site north of Johnston Street, the Hotel Collingwood looks sharp these days. Acquired by Julien Moussi's Only Hospitality Group in 2021, a Pierce Widera-led refresh gave the front bar, bistro, all-weather beer garden and upstairs function space a new lease on life. All in all, this makes it a prime destination for a one-off pizza party bound to leave a big impression. So, organise your mates and head along for this midweek celebration that won't cost a fortune. Hotel Collingwood's $7 Pizza Party is happening from 5pm on Thursday, July 24. Head to the website for more information.
This week, NASA has been peering further than it has ever peered before, with dazzling results. But if you're fond of staring at the heavens with your own two eyes to see a stunning sight, you can also just look up until Friday, July 15. A supermoon is upon us, officially hitting at 4.37am AEST today, Thursday, July 14, Down Under — and if you train your peepers towards the sky this evening, you'll still be in for a glowing show. While super full moons aren't particularly rare — several usually happen each year, and one occurred just last month — there is a good reason to peer upwards this time around. If you're wondering why, we've run through the details below. [caption id="attachment_769713" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NASA/Joel Kowsky[/caption] WHAT IS IT? If you're more familiar with The Mighty Boosh's take on the moon than actual lunar terms, here's what you need to know. As we all learned back in November 2016, a supermoon is a new moon or full moon that occurs when the moon reaches the closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit, making it particularly bright. They're not all that uncommon — and because July 2022's supermoon is a full moon (and not a new moon), it's called a super full moon. It's also a buck moon, too, which doesn't refer to its shape or any other physical characteristics, but to the time of year. In the northern hemisphere, July is around the time that new antlers grown by a deer buck each year start to show. Of course, that doesn't really apply in the southern hemisphere, but the name still sticks. Also, this supermoon happens to the biggest and brightest of 2022. WHEN CAN I SEE IT? As mentioned above, the buck supermoon officially hit at 4.37am AEST today, Thursday, July 14, Down Under — but thankfully it is still visible until Friday morning Australia and New Zealand time. NASA advises that this moon appears full for a few days, from Tuesday through till Friday — so if you already thought that the night sky looked a little brighter this week, that's why. Still yet to catch a glimpse? You'll want to peek outside when it gets dark to feast your eyes on a luminous lunar sight. Head over to timeanddate.com for the relevant moonrise and moonset times for your area, with the moon rising at 5.37pm AEST on Thursday, July 14 and setting at 7.58am AEST on Friday, July 15. WHERE CAN I SEE IT? You can take a gander from your backyard or balcony, but the standard advice regarding looking into the night sky always applies — so city-dwellers will want to get as far away from light pollution as possible to get the absolute best view. Weather-wise, the Bureau of Meteorology advises that Sydney's showers will start to ease tonight, Melbourne will be cloudy, showers will develop in Perth and Adelaide will be partly cloudy. In Brisbane, though, clear skies await. If you miss out on this supermoon, the next one is due on August 12. Via NASA / timeanddate.com. Top image: Andrew C.
Thanks to the pandemic, and the restrictions and border closures that've come with it, travelling further than your own city hasn't been all that easy over the past 15 months or so. But Virgin Australia is about to give you some extra incentive to travel — and to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The airline has announced that it'll be launching a new competition called VA-X & Win, which will hand out free flights and a heap of frequent flyer points to Aussie who've had the jab. That's the catch, obviously. To enter, you'll need to roll up your sleeve first. "What the latest lockdown in Melbourne and the evolving situation in Sydney has taught us is the sooner we can all get vaccinated, the sooner we can get on with our lives, without the constant fear and uncertainty that come with lockdowns, restrictions and closed borders," said a Virgin Australia Group spokesperson in a statement. "Most importantly, the sooner all Australians are vaccinated, the sooner our most vulnerable members of society will be protected," the statement continues. "We are proud to have served the Australian community in so many ways over the past 20 years. The VA-X & Win competition is just the next instalment of our service, and is our way of helping boost vaccination numbers to protect the lives and livelihoods of all Australians." A few different prizes will be on offer, including millions of Velocity Frequent Flyer Points and dozens of free flights — in Business Class, too. Also, one person will become a Velocity Points millionaire, with the lucky winner then able to put those points to plenty of use. Most of the details are still quite vague — including how you'll prove you're eligible, how to enter and exactly what prizes will be on offer — given that the competition won't launch until COVID-19 vaccines are made available to all Australian adults. Exactly when that'll happen hasn't been made clear by the Federal Government during its delayed vaccination rollout. At present, adults aged between 16–39 still aren't eligible to get vaccinated unless they're are of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent; work in quarantine, border or healthcare roles; are an aged care or disability facility worker or resident; work in a critical and high-risk job such as defence, fire, police, emergency services and meat processing; have an underlying medical condition or significant disability; or participate in the NDIS, or care for someone who does. Virgin's VA-X & Win competition will launch once COVID-19 vaccines are made available to all Australian adults. For further details about the contest, head to the airline's website.
Australia's picnic baskets have had quite the workout so far in 2021, but one of their biggest moments to shine is about to arrive for another year. When Moonlight Cinema starts setting up its outdoor screens in parks and gardens around the country from late November, it's officially cheese, snack and openair movie-viewing season. The end-of-year mainstay has already revealed its dates for summer 2021-22, and now it's unveiled the first batch of films that'll be gracing its outdoor setup. Get ready to catch a heap of recent blockbusters, a smattering of brand new flicks and a lineup of Christmas movies. You can't run an openair cinema at the jolliest time of the year without the latter, obviously. Moonlight Cinema's program varies city by city, with The Suicide Squad opening the bill in Brisbane on Friday, November 26, and Cruella doing the same in Adelaide on the same date, for instance. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings launches the season in both Melbourne and Perth on Thursday, December 2, while The Suicide Squad also airs first in Sydney on Thursday, December 9 — and Free Guy opens Western Sydney's run on Thursday, December 16. That said, all of the above films pop up in each city at some point, and so does Black Widow, Jungle Cruise, A Quiet Place Part II, Eternals, Red Notice and The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard. Also screening: Edgar Wright's new movie Last Night in Soho, animated sequel The Boss Baby: Family Business, Disney newbie Encanto, stage-to-screen musical Dear Evan Hansen and the family-friendly Clifford the Big Red Dog. Among the retro fare, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, The Greatest Showman and Dirty Dancing are all on the lineup; it would't be a Moonlight Cinema season without them, either. And, for your merry outdoor movie-watching pleasure, the Christmas selection includes Love Actually, The Holiday, Elf, The Grinch, Die Hard and Home Alone. It's also worth remembering that every city is BYO except Brisbane — but, wherever you're settling in for an outdoor cinema session, there'll be food, snacks, a bar and (if you'd like to pay for them) bean bags as well. And, in great news for movie-loving pooches, you can bring them along to all venues except Perth, too. MOONLIGHT CINEMA 2021–22 DATES Adelaide: Friday, November 26–Sunday, January 16 (Rymill Park) Brisbane: Friday, November 26–Sunday, February 20 (Roma Street Parkland) Melbourne: Thursday, December 2–Sunday, March 27 (Royal Botanic Gardens) Perth: Thursday, December 2–Sunday, March 27 (Kings Park and Botanic Garden) Sydney: Thursday, December 9–Sunday, April 3 (Centennial Park) Western Sydney: Thursday, November 16–Sunday, January 30 (Western Sydney Parklands) Moonlight Cinema kicks off in November 2021, running through until April 2022. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the cinema's website.
Longer than a movie but shorter than an ongoing TV show that stretches on for seasons and seasons, television limited series — otherwise known as miniseries — don't always get enough love. But they're a perfect format for unfurling tales patiently and in a detailed way, while also recognising that some stories do have a clear end point. If you've ever seen a film and wished it had been given more room to breathe and unspool, or kept watching a show that's gone on and on long past its natural conclusion, you'll know exactly what we're talking about. Thankfully, HBO loves miniseries. And, it's pumping them out quite regularly at the moment. For the US cable network, there's another big drawcard — because they can attract big-name stars like Oscar Isaac, Riz Ahmed, Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant to lead programs such as Show Me a Hero, The Night Of and The Undoing, and not force them to take a huge timeout from their film careers. The next limited series on HBO's radar is Mare of Easttown, and it'll screen in Australia from April via Binge (and in New Zealand at a yet-to-be-confirmed date). Starring Kate Winslet as small-town private investigator Mare Sheehan, it follows the ups and downs of her life while she's looking into a local murder case. As well as plunging into the darker side of the community she lives in, the series will examine the way the past affects the present and the future. This isn't Winslet's first TV stint — or first with HBO on a miniseries, in fact. She won an Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award for leading 2011's Mildred Pierce, and deservedly so. And, she starred there opposite Australian actor Guy Pearce, who also features in Mare of Easttown. Joining Winslet and Pearce this time around are The Outsider's Julianne Nicholson, Watchmen's Jean Smart and Spider-Man: Far From Home's Angourie Rice. Behind the lens, Mare of Easttown was created and written by The Way Back's Brad Ingelsby — which feels evident from the just-dropped trailer if you've seen that film — and directed by The Leftovers and The Hunt's Craig Zobel. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwaLLEZO6FM Mare of Easttown will start streaming in Australia via Binge from Monday, April 19. The streaming date for New Zealand is yet to be confirmed. Top image: Michele K Short/HBO.
UPDATE Thursday, July 28: Darkfield's Melbourne run has been extended until August 31 — you can nab tickets here. The following has been updated to reflect the change. The masters of immersive thrills behind Darkfield are back to give Melbourne some IRL spine tingles. Thanks to the pandemic, Realscape Productions had to hit pause on touring its smash-hit series of eerie shipping container installations, including Séance and Flight, pivoting to at-home experiences instead. But now, Darkfield is finally headed back to our city, with two unnerving new shows and a couple of return favourites in tow. The series is gearing up to make its Melbourne return from Thursday, May 26–Wednesday, August 31, where it'll deliver four different unsettling productions, each taking place in blacked-out shipping containers and promising to totally mess with your sense of reality. [caption id="attachment_852677" align="alignnone" width="1920"] From 'Eulogy'[/caption] Making its local debut, is the new (and oh-so-creepy-sounding) show, Eulogy. This one sees audience members transported through a dark, labyrinthine hotel under the guidance of a chaperone. 360-degree sound and speech recognition technology are used to lend an eerie dreamlike vibe, and we're told you'll want to stick to the correct path lest you befall some terrible fate at the end of your journey. Another Darkfield creation hitting us for the very first time, is Coma, which unfolds as you lie in a bunk bed and tumble into a dream state along with your fellow supine participants. The total darkness aims to impart a spooky sense of solitude, leaving you to be properly engulfed by the show's multi-sensory elements. Having earned a cult following on previous visits here and overseas, sell-out shows Séance and Flight will also be getting a run throughout Darkfield's visit. The former again plays on the concept of sensory deprivation, thrusting audiences on a journey into the supernatural realm as they join a medium in trying to contact the spirit world. [caption id="attachment_852678" align="alignnone" width="1920"] From 'Séance'[/caption] As the name suggests, Flight takes place on board an imagined plane, sending passengers tripping through dual worlds as they're forced to ponder the many possible outcomes if the cabin suddenly happened to lose pressure. A nerve-jangler, for sure; even for those who aren't afraid of flying. The four shows are set to make their home in Chinatown at 138 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne, with multiple sessions of each running throughout Darkfield's two-month stint. You'll pay $25 for a ticket to Coma, Séance or Flight, and $30 to immerse yourself in Eulogy, while concession tickets all clock in at $20. 'Eulogy', 'Coma', 'Séance' and 'Flight' will appear at 138 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne, with various sessions running from May 26–August 31. Tickets are available now via the website. Images: Mihaela Bodlovic and Alex Purcell
Supermarkets are phasing out plastic bags, venues and even McDonalds are ditching plastic straws, Hobart is eradicating plastic takeaway containers and cutlery, and a store in the Netherlands has launched a plastic-free aisle; however the world's beaches and oceans are still feeling the impact of humanity's decades-long love affair with the single-use plastic. According to a 2010 study, around 12.7 million tonnes of the substance goes into the ocean each year. That's an enormous problem that can't be cleaned up quickly, but the Surfrider Foundation Manly is joining forces with 4 Pines Brewing and a heap of Sydney cafes to do encourage folks to do their part. Running for the month of April across Manly, the Rubbish 4 Coffee Initiative gives locals an extra incentive to collect litter from the shore — if they fill a bucket and bring it to one of eight venues, they'll receive a free brew in return. Roma & Co, Hemingway's, Havana Beach, The Bower Restaurant, The Boathouse Shelly Beach, Manly Wine, Hakan's and Bluewater Cafe are the places taking part, and offering up Single O Coffee Roasters and Grinders coffee to. To get a caffeine hit without spending a cent, Sydneysiders first need to drop by one of the venues to collect a Surfrider-branded bucket. Once they've been to the beach and filled it with trash, they can return to the cafe for their free beverage. Of course, a coffee buzz isn't the only thing they'll be feeling afterwards — there'll also be the buzz of doing the environment a solid. The Rubbish 4 Coffee Initiative runs until the end of April. Visit the event Facebook page for further details.
When Cillian Murphy first came to widespread fame two decades ago, it was for acclaimed British director Danny Boyle while pondering the end of life as we know it, with zombie masterpiece 28 Days Later the spectacular end result. Since then, he's become a regular for fellow UK filmmaker Christopher Nolan and, in their latest collaboration after The Dark Knight, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises and Dunkirk, Murphy again faces an apocalyptic scenario in Oppenheimer. Set to be 2023's most explosive movie, Nolan's first flick since Tenet explores a little thing called the atomic bomb. Focusing on J Robert Oppenheimer as the name makes plain, this biopic keeps promising a tense time at the movies — in its first teaser, initial full trailer and just-dropped new sneak peek — as befitting a situation where the world risked total annihilation in order to be saved. Yes, Nolan is going back to the Second World War again, focusing on the eponymous American physicist, aka the man who helped develop the first nuclear weapons as part of the Manhattan Project. Charting Oppenheimer's life, his part in birthing the atomic bomb and how it changed the world — and the fallout — should make for gripping viewing, as viewers will see from July 20, 2023. Oppenheimer's story also includes heading up Los Alamos Laboratory, plus observing the Trinity Test, the first successful atomic bomb detonation in New Mexico on July 16, 1945. Nolan is always in serious mode, but this is a solemn affair even by the Memento, Interstellar and Dark Knight trilogy filmmaker's standards. And, it looks like quite the sight, in no small part thanks to being shot in IMAX 65mm and 65mm large-format film photography, including sections in IMAX black and white analogue photography for the first time ever. Based on Kai Bird and Martin J Sherwin's Pulitzer Prize-winning book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the film boasts an all-star cast, including Emily Blunt as the physicist's wife, biologist and botanist Kitty (reteaming Blunt with Murphy after A Quiet Place Part II) — plus Matt Damon (The Last Duel) as General Leslie Groves Jr, director of the Manhattan Project; Robert Downey Jr (Dolittle) as Lewis Strauss, a founding commissioner of the US Atomic Energy Commission; and Florence Pugh (The Wonder) as psychiatrist Jean Tatlock. Also set to pop up: Josh Hartnett (Wrath of Man), Michael Angarano (Minx), Benny Safdie (Stars at Noon), Jack Quaid (The Boys), Rami Malek (No Time to Die) and Kenneth Branagh (Death on the Nile). Oh, and there's Dane DeHaan (The Staircase), Jason Clarke (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty), Olivia Thirlby (Y: The Last Man), Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story) and Matthew Modine (Stranger Things) as well. Check out the latest trailer for Oppenheimer below: Oppenheimer will release in cinemas Down Under on July 20, 2023. Images: © 2022 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
When Our Flag Means Death arrived in 2022, earned itself a spot among the best new TV arrivals of the year and charmed everyone who watched it, it left viewers thinking the same thing: all television comedies should be pirate romances starring Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby. Only this show earns that feat, however, and it's turning out wonderfully so far — for audiences, that is, with chaos surrounding the seafaring characters played by two of New Zealand's best-known comic names. Expect more choppy seas in store for Stede Bonnet (Darby, Home Economics) and Edward Teach aka Blackbeard (Waititi, Thor: Love and Thunder) in Our Flag Means Death's second season. The swashbuckling series was renewed for a second run in 2022, and next sails back into streaming queues in October. After a teaser in August, it also now has a full trailer — complete with Stede and Blackbeard reuniting. No, Taika's stint playing a pirate isn't over yet, in supremely welcome news for everyone who cruised through Our Flag Means Death's first season and adored it. His latest collaboration with Darby after also working together on Flight of the Conchords, What We Do in the Shadows, Wellington Paranormal and Hunt for the Wilderpeople, the show satirises the buccaneering times of the 18th century. As its first season unfurled, Our Flag Means Death also proved to be a sweet and warmhearted love story, as well as essential viewing. HBO clearly agreed, greenlighting the show's second season for its streaming service Max. You'll be able to watch the results from Thursday, October 5 via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. Spanning eight episodes, season two picks up where its predecessor left off. If you haven't hopped aboard already, Stede is a self-styled 'gentleman pirate', a great approximation of Flight of the Conchords' Murray if he'd existed centuries earlier, and a man determined to bring a bit of kindness and elegancy to the whole swashbuckling game. He's based on an IRL figure, who abandoned his cosy life for a seafaring existence. The show is a loose adaptation of Bonnet's tale, though. As for Waititi, he dons leather, dark hues aplenty, an air of bloodthirsty melancholy and a head of greying hair as Blackbeard. While the famed pirate seems like Stede's exact opposite, disproving that is a big part of the show's narrative. After sparks flew, then season one came to a memorable end, season two will follow what happens next for Stede and Edward. Also featuring among Our Flag Means Death's cast: Samson Kayo (Bloods), Vico Ortiz (The Sex Lives of College Girls), Ewen Bremner (Creation Stories), Joel Fry (Bank of Dave), Matthew Maher (Hello Tomorrow!), Kristian Nairn (Game of Thrones), Con O'Neill (The Batman), David Fane (The Messenger), Samba Schutte (Forspoken), Nat Faxon (Loot) and Leslie Jones (BMF), all returning from season one. This time around, they'll be joined by a heap of new recurring guest stars in Ruibo Qian (Servant), Madeleine Sami (Deadloch), Anapela Polataivao (The Justice of Bunny King) and Erroll Shand (The Clearing), plus Minnie Driver (Chevalier) and Bronson Pinchot (The Mysterious Benedict Society) as guest stars. Check out the full trailer for Our Flag Means Death season two below: Our Flag Means Death will return for season two on Thursday, October 5 in Australia via Binge and New Zealand via Neon. Read our review of season one. Images: Nicola Dove/ HBO Max.
Even though, officially, Apple continues to remain tight-lipped on precisely what will be revealed at its unveiling next Tuesday, September 9, a confident New York Times report suggests that we can expect two iPhones with bigger, better screens and Apple's first wearable computer, which journos and techies the world over have dubbed the iWatch. The smartwatch will be the first brand new product to have hit the Apple shelves since Timothy D. Cook took the reins following Steve Jobs' death in October 2011. Industry experts are predicting the wearable Mac will be available in two sizes, feature a flexible screen protected by tough-as-nails sapphire crystal and perform miracles via a teeny-tiny, stamp-sized circuit board. Okay, not exactly miracles, but similar tasks like displaying maps and measuring bodily movements (such as heart rate and footsteps) with frightening accuracy. What's more, speculation is rife that both the iWatch and the iPhones will take us one step closer to a cashless society: forget fumbling with cards and coins, you'll just flash your wrist at the register and your bill will be taken care of. So you’ll be able to pick up bread and milk on the way home from your morning marathon session without jingling for the whole run. This will work using what’s known as 'near-field communication', technology that powers devices within proximity to swap info wirelessly. It also looks like the iWatch (and possibly the iPhones) will be capable of wireless charging. Beyond this, most of the hype surrounding the iPhones is around the old 'size matters' adage. We’re pretty sure that, like the iWatches, they’ll come in two sizes — one at 4.7 inches and the other at 5.5. Edges are highly likely to take on the tapered design that gives iPads such a sleek look and feel. Of course, this possibility has led busy urban types to ask the big question: how will we text with just one hand? Unsurprisingly, Apple has preempted the concern and made changes to the software interface. Apparently, there'll be two different modes on offer — one that you can make work with one hand while the other's clinging to your coffee; the other requiring the commitment of both paws. You can switch from one to the other as you please. The potentially less exciting news is that you might have to get your Guns 'N' Roses on and practise a little patience. While the iPhones should be retailing within the next few weeks, the chances are that you won’t be able to buy your very own iWatch until 2015. You might as well enjoy your exercise sessions multi-tasking free in the meantime. Via New York Times. Image credit: iWatch concept based on the Nike Fuelband by Todd Hamilton.
Adrenaline junkies, meet your new action sports go-to: a massive three-level skateboarding, BMX, snowboarding, skiing, rock climbing and bouldering facility that'll also mark an Australian-first. Come late 2024, American chain Woodward is making its Aussie debut, and also opening its first-ever international site, with a 3650-square-metre venue in Castle Hill in Sydney. If it gets your blood pumping, odds are that there'll be a space for it at Woodward Sydney, which'll set up shop adjacent as part of Castle Towers Shopping Centre. Think: climbing and bouldering walls, a skate park, mini ramps and a mega ramp, foam pits, a pump track, a spring floor, trampolines and a gym. And, whether you're a professional, an Olympian, aspiring to make action sports more than just a pastime or a complete beginner, the purpose-built centre promises to cater to all ages and abilities. That includes hosting individual classes, programs that span for multiple weeks, competitions, birthday parties and events — and having casual-access passes for folks who just want to give it a go. Plus, for winding down after getting sweaty, there'll be an onsite cafe and bar. "Sydney is the ideal city for our first expansion overseas given its history as a destination that embraces sports and commitment to the action sports lifestyle," said Woodward President Chris 'Gunny' Gunnarson, announcing the Castle Hill venue. "Woodward Sydney will be our most innovative concept to date — and a model for future Urban Centres. Woodward has historically been known as the place to go if you are an aspirational professional athlete, and we want all Woodward locations to be focused on empowering athletes of all abilities and ages to safely progress on a clear path at their own pace using our unique blend of innovative environments, dynamic programming, and passionate staff. Woodward Sydney will epitomise that mission." Also set to be a big focus: encouraging women to get more involved and feel more empowered in action sports, one of the brand's key missions. Woodward started out in 1970 in central Pennsylvania, and now boasts eight venues across the US, including in California, Colorado, Utah, Oregon and Vermont. The New South Wales Government is putting $1.8 million towards the company's first Australian action sports centre, via a grant from the Greater Sydney Sports Facility Fund, with an aim to both increase opportunities for Sydneysiders to get active and support athletes. "Investing in new and existing facilities to improve the quality and quantity of sports infrastructure across Greater Sydney was a priority for the NSW Government," said Minister for Sport Alister Henskens. "The NSW Government recognises the critical role sports infrastructure plays in keeping communities healthy and active. Woodward Sydney will provide an indoor action sports facility which will improve participation and pathway opportunities for emerging and elite athletes." Woodward Sydney will open at Castle Towers Shopping Centre, 22 Showground Road, Castle Hill, in late 2024. Keep an eye on the Woodward website for further details.
MPavilion, Queen Victoria Gardens' pop-up building designed by Barcelona architect Carme Pinós, is hosting one of the year's largest collections of free events — 400 of 'em, to be exact. As well as architecture, events and a community space, MPavilion is also holding the Christopher Boots Halloween Ball VII. A free event, the theme this year is "bioluminescence" — aka, the production and emission of light by living organisms. Think glow-worms and weird sea creatures. The more creative your costume, the better, so best invest in some glow-in-the-dark paint. There'll also be live performers and DJs, and food and drink by the MPavilion kiosk, so you won't be going hungry or thirsty. Let the lights guide you to this (free) ball — but don't forget to register for a (free) ticket. Image: John Gollings
There’s no doubt that music can have an intense effect on your disposition. If it’s one of those days when you’ve woken up in a fog of negativity, sometimes the only answer is to put on your favourite misery album (mine used to be Nina Simone’s Greatest Hits) and wallow. But whilst cathartic, it doesn’t often leave you bouncing out the door. If anything you’ll end up clutching a box of tissues and feeling sorry for yourself. Which is why the website Emotional Bag Check is such a brilliant idea. This new site lets you unload your worries to a perfect stranger, who will in turn read it and send you a song they think will make you feel better (or at least let you sing along to someone else’s heartbreak). And if you’re feeling the urge to spread a little cheer, then you have the chance to give back by reading someone else’s baggage and suggesting a song of your own choosing. You can even include a message if you think you have some worthwhile advice, making a real, helpful and meaningful connection over the internet. I dumped my own emotional baggage and got 'Are We There Yet' by Ingrid Michaelson, sent as a link to Grooveshark, a free music website that lets you immediately listen to your medicine. I didn’t mind the song at all, so thought I’d give back and picked up some baggage about a kid who kept getting Cs in one of his subjects and was pretty bummed. I sent back ‘Vintage Books’ by Cloud Control, not because it really had any relevancy but because it makes me pretty happy and thought it could do the same for my patient. There’s a lot of Katy Perry and Bob Marley in the list of most sent songs, so if you think you have a slightly more diverse compendium of tunes, you may be just the right person to pick up some baggage and share the blues.
Every music lover has dreamed of owning their own record store. What hasn't factored into everyone's fantasies, however, is what happens when that passion for vinyl leaves you with crates and crates of albums, and then crates and crates more. Yes, there are only so many sleeves that even the biggest shop run by the biggest music buff can handle — meaning that, often there's some additional stock needing a new home. In Rathdowne Records' case, it's coping in the best possible way. On Sunday, March 17 from 10am–3pm, the store is holding a huge garage sale to sell off stacks of albums, including newly imported wares. The best part? Records start from $2, with 5000 up for grabs for that price. You can also rifle through a thousand dance releases and take your pick for $10 (or nab 3 for $20), with discounts of between 10–50 percent on shop stock also on offer. Yes, you can boost your vinyl collection for little more than spare change, with thousands and thousands for sale — including house, techno, hip hop, RnB, Japanese pop, anime soundtracks and jazz. While you'll find the store on Northcote's High Street, head into the sale via the garage in the Regal Ballroom carpark.
It's been a while since the pop world has heard from controversial pop queen Lily Allen, but her new video proves that she's been listening in. Her newest song, 'Hard Out Here', is one that goes to town on quite a few facets of the pop world, including misogyny in music and fashion, unrealistic ideas of feminine beauty and, unsurprisingly, twerking. The accompanying music video pushes the envelope even further, tearing into the idea of 'thinness' as well as making a few sarcastic jibes at product placement and over-the-top sexualisation on our screens. As per the majority of Allen's music and videos, there is a strong flavour of humour about her latest offering, and it's not too hard to figure out what the megastar and mum of two is trying to say. In fact, she says it quite blatantly and repeatedly, especially in the throwaway line describing "a glass ceiling that needs breaking". With her slew of swears, constant crotch-grabbing and obvious confusion at the style of dancing favoured by some pop stars (Miley Cyrus will remain nameless), Allen's first musical offering in nearly four years has garnered over half a million hits in the last day. Which is quite a lot for what is essentially a great, big middle finger to the ego of the music industry. Good to have you back, Lily. https://youtube.com/watch?v=E0CazRHB0so
Staying at QT Gold Coast is a luxe experience, with the hotel chain serving up its characteristically distinctive version of beachy chic. That's one of the accommodation brand's key traits, matching each of its sites to its surroundings. QT Sydney's glorious gothic look and QT Melbourne's impeccably polished vibe wouldn't suit Surfers Paradise, after all, and the latter's coastal cool wouldn't match anywhere else either. Here's something else that mightn't quite fit at any other QT: the Gold Coast venue's new qtQT rooftop cabins. The chain has converted an otherwise unused lower-level rooftop into an urban oasis, complete with tropical gardens, firepits and six laidback spots for guests to stay — and get away from it all in the middle of the Glitter Strip. Designed by Nic Graham, a regular at working with EVT — QT's parent company — each cabin can welcome in two guests. So, you and your bestie / other half can book one for a blissful vacation, or you can gather the gang and reserve all six at once. Fancy heading along solo? This is the place for that as well. And, QT sees it as a drawcard for retreats and weddings, too. Whoever you're visiting with — or not — you'll find a stay that's designed to help you unplug, with each cabin featuring its own private balcony. They all come equipped with I Love Linen robes, a bed decked out with I Love Linen sheets and Drift candles for ambience, plus board games and coffee table books. That said, you can switch off as much or little as you like. If you still want to use the qtQT cabins as a base to explore the Goldie, the hotel's newest addition has its own 'curator of sunshine' to organise activities for you. Other onsite options include stargazing by those aforementioned firepits, enjoying an aperitivo in the same place, meditating and tucking into a meal al fresco dining area The Terrace — which'll host both bespoke feasts and communal dining experiences. There's also a lawn called The Landing which looks out over the ocean, and is touted as an ideal picnic spot, place to salute the sun with an early-morning yoga session or a breakfast hangout. And, during your stay — with rates starting at $359 per night — you'll also have access to the hotel's pool precinct. QT is launching qtQT on the first day of summer, after all, with bookings open now for trips from Thursday, December 1. Or, you can head to the onsite SpaQ, or eat cooking, eating and drinking at either sushi-making or whisky-tasting sessions at onsite Japanese restaurant Yamagen. The new qtQT concept is also QT's way of testing out a big travel trend, given how popular tiny homes and cabins have proven over the past few years. "When designing the overall QT Gold Coast upgrade, we identified a previously unused lower-level rooftop. We had been exploring the world of tiny accommodation and standing there as the sun set, we knew this would be the perfect location to trial our interpretation of this experience, the QT way," said EVT CEO Jane Hasting, announcing qtQT. Find qtQT at QT Gold Coast, 7 Staghorn Ave, Surfers Paradise. qtQT is open for bookings for stays from Thursday, December 1. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
In the past few weeks, a bunch of restrictions have come into place in a bid to contain COVID-19 in Australia. Bans of non-essential events of 500 people or larger became events of 100 people, restaurants, cafes and bars across the country have shut and all international and interstate travel has been indefinitely banned. Most recently, new restrictions on social distancing and two-person limits on public gatherings were introduced on Monday, March 30. While restrictions differ state-to-state, federal and state governments have said that Australians should only be leaving their homes for four key reasons: shopping for food and other essential supplies; for medical care or compassionate reasons; to exercise, in-line with the new two-person limit; and for work or education if you cannot work or learn remotely. Those who don't comply with these new social distancing and public gathering rules risk hefty penalties, too, with on-the-spot fines of $1652 in Victoria, $1000 in NSW (with maximum penalties of $11,000 and six months in jail) and $1334.50 in Queensland for individuals. And a heap of people across Australia have already been slapped with fines since these rules were introduced. In Queensland on the weekend, Saturday, April 5, police fined 58 people at a 150-car rally at a warehouse in Rochedale and five men were arrested for travelling to Palm Island, which is a designated remote community that can not be visited for non-essential reasons. Queensland Police also said they were disappointed with the number of people loitering at lookout points in parks and visiting large shopping centres for non-essential needs and would be increasing their presence at these locations. "If you are sitting at a lookout, having coffee in a park, loitering in a shopping centre outside the parameters of the directions, you may be fined," Acting Chief Superintendent Mel Adams of Logan Police District said. "Public safety comes first and we urged people to stay at home." [caption id="attachment_750943" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] Victoria Police issued 108 fines on Sunday, April 6, alone. While exact details of the fines have not been released, one 17-year-old L-plater was pulled over and fined $1652 while on a driving lesson with their mother, as driving lessons are deemed non-essential in Victoria. In NSW, however, driving lessons are allowed — with either an instructor or a family member — as they fall under 'education'. Last week, a Fitzroy restaurant was also fined almost $10,000 for operating, with the ABC reporting there were six staff working and customers eating and drinking on the premises. Eighteen on-the-spot fines were handed out in NSW on Sunday: one man was charged for ignoring "beach closed" signs at Bondi Beach — he also ignored directions from the police to move on and coughed at an officer; and a women was fined for accompanying a food delivery driver. While the driver was working, the women "was only there because she said she was bored being at home", according the NSW Police. Since the laws were introduced, other Sydneysiders who have been charged include two people in a vehicle who did not have "a reasonable excuse not to be at home", a man who had left his home in order to visit his drug dealer and a man who had ignored two warnings and was found a third time on a Market Street bench eating a kebab. Restrictions are changing every day, you can read more about the state-specific public gathering and social distancing laws in NSW, Victoria and Queensland. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
There's nothing quite like a great comeback story. Jordan in '95. Jobs in '96. Jesus in 33. We love watching long-lost enigmas return in dramatic fashion, punching critics in the groin while dazzling us with newfound glory. Such is the tale of ex-Blue-Mountainsiders Cloud Control, who were catapulted to domestic divinity by the success of their 2010 debut, Bliss Release. The psych-pop quartet garnered rave reviews, won shiny awards and then... disappeared. Vanished. Vamoosed. Now, three years after absconding to the UK, Cloud Control has rearrived on Australian soil. And, like a resurrected Goku, they are triumphantly punching everyone in the groin. They've sold out VIVID, dropped a much-hyped single, featured at a sold-out Splendour, dropped a much-hyped second album and are now musically pillaging our fine nation on the Australian leg of their international Dream Cave Tour. Dream Cave, their sophomore release, was masterminded by UK producer Barny Barnicott (The Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian) and exhibits the maturity that Cloud Control have developed through years spent living, writing and playing on the other side of Earth. Their current tour will celebrate this evolution, while harkening back to the blissful release that won them acclaim at the turn of the decade. Supported by Sydney bands Palms and Gang of Youths, this is the perfect opportunity for Cloud Controllers to revel in the band's brilliance before they bugger off back to the UK later this month. https://youtube.com/watch?v=SGSij0-cljI
This news isn't like rain on your wedding day. It doesn't resemble finding a black fly in your chardonnay. And it definitely isn't anything like hitting a traffic jam when you're already late, either. But, it will have you singing those lines — and it is news that you oughta know, too — because 15-time Tony Award-nominated musical Jagged Little Pill is heading to Australia. The acclaimed production is making its first trip beyond Broadway, in fact, when it hits the Theatre Royal Sydney in September. And, when the curtains are raised, it'll help mark another milestone, reopening the Theatre Royal five years after it closed its doors in 2016. Inspired by Alanis Morissette's 1995 album of the same name, Jagged Little Pill the Musical weaves a story around songs from that iconic record. So yes, it's a jukebox musical like Mamma Mia!, We Will Rock You and Rock of Ages. Famed tracks 'Ironic', 'You Oughta Know', 'Hand in My Pocket', 'Head Over Feet' and 'You Learn' all feature, in a production that boasts music by Morissette and her album co-writer and producer Glen Ballard, lyrics by Morissette, and a book by Juno Oscar-winner Diablo Cody. And, songs such as 'Thank U', 'So Pure', 'That I Would Be Good', 'So Unsexy' and 'Hands Clean' all pop up as well, even though they hail from the musician's subsequent albums. [caption id="attachment_807910" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jagged Little Pill the Musical original Broadway cast, Matthew Murphy.[/caption] Just who'll be starring in the show is yet to be revealed, along with the exact season dates. But, narrative-wise, Jagged Little Pill the Musical tells the tale of the Healy family. They struggle their seemingly idyllic suburban lives after a troubling event in their community. Expect to hear Morissette's tunes — including two new songs written just for the show — used in a tale about social issues relevant to today, but with an overall message of hope, healing and togetherness. Whether Jagged Little Pill the Musical will be a Tony-winner by the time it hits our shores, rather than just a nominee, isn't yet known. Its 15 nominations were all announced in 2020 for the pandemic-delayed 74th Tony Awards, which won't be held until Broadway reopens. Australians keen to see the musical can sign up for the ticket waitlist, and can look forward to watching it in a venue with quite the history. The 1100-seat Theatre Royal is one of Australia's oldest theatres, dating back to the 1870s. But most folks will know it in its current form, after it reopened in the 1970s with a design by famed Australian architect Harry Seidler as a replacement for the old theatre that was demolished when the MLC Centre was built. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh49oFfh1Bw Jagged Little Pill the Musical will play the Theatre Royal Sydney at 108 King Street, Sydney, from September — with exact season dates yet to be announced. For further details and to join the ticket waitlist, head to the musical's website. Top image: Jagged Little Pill the Musical Broadway opening night curtain call, Bruce Glikas.
I'm sure that many of you may have left that Facebook friend request from your boss to 'pending' for the last two years for fear of them seeing photos of you on some disgraceful drunken rampage. Indeed, the vast expansion of Facebook means that virtually anybody can have a splendid visual tour into your weekend behaviour and extra-curricular activities simply by searching your name on a social media website. The clever folk down at Cerveza Norte, a South American beer company, have launched a product that will soon solve these first-world problems faced by many party animals. Named the 'Norte Photoblocker', this little device not only keeps your beverages cool, but detects camera flashes and reflects them back, effectively ruining the photo and leaving your face unidentifiable. The product has been developed to "defend drinkers against unwanted interference from amateur paparazzi and day-after embarrassment." Keep one of these handy devices in your jacket pocket, and whip it out when you feel you've had one too many beverages. Check out the advertisement below for the hilariously melodramatic commentary and potential instances where the Photoblocker would be of use. As stated in the video, you don't want to labelled a "floozy" or "dirty old man." This Photoblocker will allow you to get your creep on without any possibility of solid photographic evidence. [via PSFK]
Unleash your inner badass by tagging local walls, sans spray paint or legal consequences. Wallit is a new app that allows users to leave their digital mark wherever they may be. This 'graffiti' exists only in the virtual world, but the wall in question is connected with an actual, physical location. It's the self-proclaimed "only geo-social app connecting people to places through one-of-a-kind multimedia messages on augmented reality walls." Equipped with location awareness, Wallit lets you record a 'tag' (including text, or video or audio clips) on the virtual version of the actual place you left it. The tag is only visible to other app users when they arrive at the location themselves. With the upgraded 1.1 "super walls" version of the app, tags may also be visible to other users in a similar area; for instance, if you tag a McDonald's, other users will be able to see it as they munch on their burger at another McDonald's. Other users may choose to respond to your original tag, sparking interaction, or, in true street artist style, leave their own two cents to outdo yours. [via Fast Company]
