When it comes to summer, Australia hits it out of the park. Proof? Just look at how many high-quality festivals are held in the sunny months. From camping festivals with a secret lineup in a dairy farm, to a one-day inner city dance parties, there's pretty much something for every inclination (and intensity) this summer. And with all the frivolity and letting loose that happens on festival grounds, it's forgivable to forget who'll be gracing the stages. The 2018–19 season shows off an incredible crowd of Aussie musicians, with names almost eclipsing the international talent they'll be playing alongside. Courtney Barnett, Gang of Youths and Flight Facilities are a representation of the hundreds of Aussies doing the rounds, joined by international artists such as Cardi B, Anderson .Paak and Nicki Minaj headlining. But it's not just about the music. There'll be no shortage of visual art and the food offerings, like every year, are more and more gourmet and accommodating to dietaries (even at some of the more remote locations).
These days, you pretty much know what you're getting going into a Michael Moore film: snappy (if also convenient) editing, some cringeworthy stunts, and a broad comparison of America's woes compared to all those other countries doing it better. You watch Sicko and you leave feeling a little bit glum, a little bit entertained, and convinced universal healthcare would be better for the United States, but that it's probably never going to happen because of big business and dirty politics. Then you watch Where To Invade Next and you leave feeling a little bit glum, a little bit entertained, and convinced that US drug and prison policy would be worth overhauling, but that it's probably never going to happen because of big business and dirty politics. Fahrenheit 11/9 kicks off in exactly the same fashion, but oh man does it shift gears and deliver something unexpected by the end. You leave feeling a little bit entertained, a whole lot glum, and entirely convinced that nothing short of democracy itself (to the extent it exists at all within the United States) is at risk of collapse because of, yes, big business and dirty politics. And no, that's not even close to hyperbole. This is a fine return to form for Moore, pulling a remarkable bait and switch such that his ultimate point comes at you just as you're beginning to question if he even has one. He achieves this by constantly changing Fahrenheit 11/9's subject matter and tone, beginning with an amusing recap on the smug and almost jovial certainty with which everyone from the Democratic National Committee to the Republican Party to the media (including Fox) and even the Trump camp itself assumed Hilary Clinton had the 2016 election in the bag. Like Showtime's excellent The Circus, this section of the film carries with it an uncomfortable blend of dramatic irony, on account of us knowing how it all ended up, coupled with an ongoing dismay that, well, that's actually how it all ended up. But then it changes tact and jumps to Flint, Michigan, where the contamination of the city's water supply led to an ongoing lead poisoning crisis. And then it jumps again, this time to school shootings. Then it's Ivanka Trump. Then Bernie Sanders and Hitler, and you find yourself wondering what the hell is this guy doing? What he's doing is establishing a pattern, using small-scale examples examined with deep journalistic scrutiny, and then stepping back and applying that insight to national, global and even historical events. The litany of unfathomable scandals in Flint are used not only to shock us, but to reveal how Governor Rick Snyder's corporate influences first emboldened, then enabled, his wholesale suspension of democracy in the state (effectively a coup d'état in Moore's opinion). That it's unfathomable is the point: these successions of outrages, whilst shocking, do not in isolation feel like a crisis point to anyone other than those hapless few affected. Combined, though, they serve to steadily erode matters of far-reaching significance like voter confidence and trust in the three branches of government. The takeaway is, if it can happen in a town like Flint with the world watching on and still nobody does anything, then it can happen in your town, too. And then your state. And then your country. But back to the whole Hitler thing. Ordinarily, thanks to Godwin's Law, you'd assume it's at that precise moment when Moore's point, however salient, loses all credibility. Instead, courtesy of some unsettlingly frank interviews with experts like Yale History Professor Timothy Snyder, we realise Moore isn't saying Trump is Hitler 2.0. Rather, he's showing that the current apathy and perhaps even amusement with which everyone from the experts to the press to the voting public dismisses or downplays each of Trump's outrageous comments and racist, bigoted, sexist or protectionist policies, is precisely what happened in Weimar Germany. It's just puffery until it's not. Just a weather balloon until it's not. Just a joke, until there's nothing funny about it at all. And that's the same for Fahrenheit 11/9. It starts out quite amusing, but by its conclusion there are no more cheeky edits from Moore, nor any sniggers from the audience. It's a straight-up slap in the face, softened only by buying into Moore's unbridled enthusiasm for the activist youth movement in America (led by the likes of the survivors of the Parkland school shooting) and the surge of independent candidates and representatives poised to shake the foundations of the DNC. There are still some unnecessary stunts from Moore, along with some broader-than-usual bows drawn, but they're fleeting enough to have no impact on his broader message. The Flint section alone makes Fahrenheit 11/9 a film worthy of your time, but it's the whole that makes it so affecting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZeLvaflLLc
Renowned food writer and chef Michele Curtis is reinventing the concept of corner store with her newly opened St Kilda West operation, Frankie's Top Shop. Making its home in a former kiosk site on leafy Cowderoy Street, it's a charming neighbourhood gem, complete with a verdant colour palette, shelves filled with Curtis' favourite pantry staples, and a cabinet heaving with the day's gourmet take-home creations. A rotation of lively salads, ready-to-heat dishes and sweet treats is set to be a life-saver for those trekking past after a long slog at the office. By day and at the weekends, Frankie's is just as well-loved for its cafe offering, with the open kitchen serving up a vibrant menu that swings from apple cinnamon porridge and fig-topped buttermilk pancakes, to a signature eggs Benedict and daily-changing lunch tart. A host of creative specials ensures there's always something new to get stuck into, and an extensive kids' menu speaks to Frankie's all-welcoming, family-friendly nature. Backing it up the fare, you'll find organic coffee by Dukes, an on-trend array of turmeric, matcha, and chai lattes and nostalgia-inducing milkshakes.
Since late 2020, Victorians have had plenty of excuses to holiday throughout the state's regional areas, with the State Government handing out 110,000 travel vouchers worth $200 each so far as part of its $465 million Victorian Tourism Recovery Package. Another round of vouchers for regional travel are still to come, and will release this month — but if you'd rather enjoy a staycation in Melbourne, an extra batch of vouchers will now cover stays and experiences in the state's capital. The Melbourne vouchers were first announced in February, when the Victorian Government revealed a new $143-million support package to help businesses impacted by the state's recent five-day circuit breaker lockdown. Now, just what they'll cover, when you can use them and when you can get your hands on them have also been revealed. After spending so much of the past 12 months staring at your own four walls, you probably don't need much motivation to head out of the house, but the Melbourne Travel Voucher Scheme will give you some anyway. Available from 10am on Friday, March 12, it'll provide vouchers for use on accommodation, attractions and experiences across the metropolitan area, which'll be valid between the eight weeks from Friday, March 19–Sunday, May 16. You can use them within 26 local government areas across Greater Melbourne: in Melbourne, Port Phillip, Stonnington, Yarra, Banyule, Bayside, Boroondara, Darebin, Glen Eira, Hobsons Bay, Kingston, Manningham, Maribyrnong, Monash, Moonee Valley, Moreland, Whitehorse, Brimbank, Casey, Greater Dandenong, Hume, Knox, Maroondah, Melton, Whittlesea and Wyndham. They can't be used in places that were part of the regional scheme, though. So, this time around, you won't be heading to the Yarra Valley, Dandenong Ranges, Frankston or the Mornington Peninsula, for instance. If you're familiar with the regional vouchers, you'll know that they've proved mighty popular. Indeed, when the first round of 40,000 vouchers was made available, the Victorian Government had to release another 30,000 to meet demand (and make up for the fact that the Business Victoria voucher registration page had to go offline for extended periods because so many folks were trying to access it). So, getting in quickly for the Melbourne vouchers is highly recommended — as the regional ones have been routinely snapped up in minutes whenever they've been released. The same rules for using the vouchers apply to Melbourne, too. They can be spent on accommodation, tourism attractions and tours in the city, but there's a hefty list of things you can't use them on — including gaming, alcohol, fuel, food and drinks (unless it's part of a winery tour, for example), groceries, personal items (such as clothing) and transport (such as rental cars and public transport). So, you can't just use the voucher to road trip to a pub, but you can use it to book accommodation at the pub, then spend your own money on food and drinks — which will still make your staycation significantly cheaper. There are some additional caveats, too: the vouchers are limited to one per household (not per person) across the entire scheme; you must first provide evidence of spending $400 on accommodation, attractions or tours before getting your $200; and you must pay for a minimum of two nights accommodation in Greater Melbourne. Which means, at most, half of your expenses will be covered — but, that's $200 that you won't have to fork out yourself. Yes, it's a little complicated — but the Victorian Government has broken it down in more detail online. It has also given some more examples of what you can use the vouchers on, including holiday parks, cottages, private holiday rentals, adventure tours and entry fees to city attractions, such as museums, water parks and adventure parks. As with the Regional Travel Voucher Scheme, there are two obvious aims overall: enticing Victorian residents to make the most of Melbourne, and helping support the city's pubs, hotels, wineries and small businesses. If you're still eager to head further afield, the final round of regional vouchers will be handed out on Tuesday, March 30, for travel between April 6–May 31. There'll also be 50,000 of them, up from the 40,000 first announced for the regional scheme's third round. You can apply for the of 40,000 $200 Melbourne travel vouchers from 10am on Friday, March 12 at the Melbourne Travel Voucher Scheme website.
Melbourne winters mightn't be known for their ice and snow (just yet, anyway), but that doesn't mean you can't slide across a frozen surface in the centre of the city. From June 21 to July 14, the corner of Acland and Barkly streets will become a winter wonderland thanks to the return of the Skating At St Kilda Festival. With the event back for another year, all of the frosty fabulousness Melburnians know and love is back, too: ice skating, obviously, but also music, food and more. It's the next best thing to heading to Europe when Melbourne's at its iciest. Entry to the area is free, but you'll have to pay for all of the fun stuff, with the fest open from 10am–9pm Monday to Sunday. The lineup of events includes not only regular ice skating, but a romance-themed 'date and skate' night each Tuesday, plus a 90s and 00s-themed 'Ice Ice Baby' disco evening every Thursday.
People have orgasms every day, but for decades spent closing her eyes and thinking of England in a sexually perfunctory marriage, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande's lead character wasn't among them. Forget la petite mort, the French term for climaxing; Nancy Stokes' (Emma Thompson, Cruella) big wrestling match with mortality, the one we all undertake, has long been devoid of erotic pleasure. Moments that feel like a little death? Unheard of. That's where this wonderfully candid, intimate, generous and joyous sex comedy starts, although not literally. Flashbacks to Nancy enduring getting it over with beneath her now-deceased spouse, missionary style, aren't Australian filmmaker Sophie Hyde (Animals) or British comedian-turned-screenwriter Katy Brand's (Glued) concern. Instead, their film begins with the religious education teacher waiting in a hotel room, about to take the biggest gamble of her life: meeting the eponymous sex worker (Daryl McCormack, Peaky Blinders). For anyone well-versed in Thompson's prolific on-screen history, and of Brand's work before the camera as well, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande inspires an easy wish: if only Nancy had a different job. Back in 2010, the pair co-starred in Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang, a title that'd also fit their latest collaboration if its protagonist cared for kids rather than taught them. Jokes aside, the instantly charming Leo is used to hearing that sentiment about his own professional choices. Indeed, Nancy expresses it during their pre- and post-coital discussions, enquiring about the events that might've led him to his career. "Maybe you're an orphan!" she says. "Perhaps you grew up in care, and you've got very low self-esteem," she offers. "You could have been trafficked against your will — you can't tell just by looking at somebody!" she continues. There are plenty of "if only" thoughts and feelings pulsating through Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, a film where its namesake's tongue couldn't be more important — yes, in that way, and also because talk is as crucial as sex here. If only Nancy hadn't spent half of her existence in a pleasure-free marriage. If only a lifetime of being middle class and socially conservative, and of internalising Britain's stereotypical 'keep calm and carry on' mentality, hadn't left her adrift from her desires. If only being a woman in her mid-50s wasn't seen as a libidinous void by society at large, a mindset that's as much a part of Nancy as the wrinkles and ageing body parts she can barely look at in the mirror. If only prioritising her sensual needs wasn't virtually taboo, too, especially in her mind — even after, two years since being widowed, she's booked an expensive rendezvous with Leo. Good Luck to You, Leo Grande unpacks those if onlys — not the Nanny McPhee one, obviously, but the idea that Nancy's life is immovably stuck in the same rut it has always been. As played by Thompson at the height of her acting powers, at her absolute splintery, finicky yet vulnerable best even with Last Christmas, Years and Years, Late Night and The Children Act on her recent resume, she's nervous, anxious, uncertain and always on the cusp of cancelling, including once Leo strolls into the room, beams his easy magnetism her way and starts talking about what she wants like it's the most natural thing in the world. Slipping into the sheets and knowing what excites you is the most natural thing in the world, of course, but not to Nancy. As her four appointments with Leo progress, she comes up with a lineup of carnal acts she'd like to experience — and she may as well be reading from her grocery list. But getting her to shed her inhibitions is as much his focus as shedding her clothes, and the twentysomething won't let Nancy keep getting in the way of herself. How simple Good Luck to You, Leo Grande is, and also how complex. That's fitting; sex is the same. Brand has penned a slinky two-hander about an unfulfilled woman tentatively taking charge of her own wants, and the helping hand she needs to do so, and also a movie that layers every stigma about female lust, older women, sex work, boundaries and respect into one frank, empathetic, penetrating and delightful package. That's there in the minute details, such as Nancy's job teaching religion to schoolgirls, to whom she's shown the same stern judgement she directs her own way. It's in the way that Leo asks before making every move, dismantles Nancy's concerns about his vocation and their age gap, and dedicates their time together to putting her at ease in every way he can as well. And, it also lingers in his response to her lack of care about his own work-life divide. The straightforwardness, the complications, the texture, the intense emotional landscape — they all evolve and deepen as Good Luck to You, Leo Grande goes on, as do the weighty subjects that the movie ponders, and the two characters swirling through the frame. Twirl, twist, sway, spin, thrust, tumble: Nancy and Leo do all of the above, physically and verbally, and what a double act they make. You could call Good Luck to You, Leo Grande a chamber piece courtesy of its small cast, chatter-heavy setup and the fact it's largely set in one room; however, the always-phenomenal Thompson and the immediately mesmerising McCormack make every second of the film feel expansive. Movies about women of a certain age attempting to get their groove back aren't uncommon, but movies about accepting that there's even a groove to reclaim, why that's essential, and how not only sex but sex work have a pivotal place in our daily lives are almost as scarce as Nancy's orgasms — until now. Helming her third feature after progressing from the also revelatory 52 Tuesdays through to Animals and now this, Hyde could've just ensured that her regular cinematographer Bryan Mason was peering Thompson and McCormack's way, then let their acting magic happen — and, at times, that's how it appears. But Good Luck to You, Leo Grande does what Nancy never has with herself, and what Leo endeavours to control with his clients: it truly sees its central pair, who they are and who they want to be, and what makes them moan, groan and tick. Hyde is clearly drawn to intricate two-person dynamics and the dances they inspire, whether following a teenager and her transgender parent, two thick-as-thieves best pals or a couple of strangers getting explicit. She blatantly loves telling coming-of-age tales, too, with the emphasis on both the coming and the age in this case. And, she ensures that soaking in the quiet moments, including when her characters are together but alone, says as much as any words bantered back and forth. Sex comedies have rarely felt so lived in, so comfortable, so earnest or so nuanced, or like such a release.
A spoonful of sugar may be needed to make this medicine go down: the Mary Poppins musical will soon be leaving Melbourne. Umbrellas at the ready because this supercalifragilisticexpialidocious singing nanny is only taking over Her Majesty's Theatre until Sunday, June 18. Mary Poppins has come to Melbourne after previously flying into both Sydney and Brisbane, and hails from Disney and theatre producer Cameron Mackintosh. This current version of the show tells the same enchanting tale that everyone knows from the hugely popular, five-time Oscar-winning 1964 film — which, as well as inspiring this stage adaptation, also gave rise to the big-screen sequel Mary Poppins Returns in 2018. Everything to do with the English governess harks back to P.L. Travers' books about the character, of course, and pop culture has been thankful for and downright delighted with her stories for almost six decades now. Escape the chilly Melbourne evenings as winter draws near and grab your friends for a magical night out on the town — there are fantastic seats available for midweek performances, so take advantage of early bird meals and happy hours with your mates before seeing Mary Poppins take flight. Local theatre fans can enjoy this updated version of the show that last graced Australia's stages — and won eight Helpmann Awards — back in 2011. Since Mackintosh first teamed up with writer Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey) to bring Mary Poppins to the theatre in 2004, the production has won four Olivier Awards and a Tony, too. "Mary Poppins has really incredible staging, and the performances from the leads are world-class," says Suz Tucker our editorial director. "Jack Chambers [Bert] is a treat and astonishingly light-footed. But Stefanie Jones [Mary Poppins] is particularly excellent. She's got just the right amount of enigmatic Mona Lisa quality, graceful comic timing and firmness." Find out for yourself before the play's run ends on June 18. Get in fast to secure your tickets to this must-see performance, it's the ultimate winter activity for theatre lovers and Disney fans alike. If you are looking for things to do in Melbourne this winter, Mary Poppins is showing at Her Majesty's Theatre until Sunday, June 18. Tickets to Mary Poppins start from $49.90 and are available to purchase from TicketTek. Images: Daniel Boud. Updated May 24.
The countdown is on. In 50 days the National Gallery of Victoria will open its most ambitious collection to date, featuring 300 artists, architects, designers and creative practitioners. Melbourne Now celebrates what makes Melbourne the buzzing, cultural and creative hub we know and love. The architecture and design element of the collection will feature a large Community Hall designed by McBride Charles Ryan to be set up in the foyer of the NGV International. There are over 600 events programmed at for the venue during the four months of Melbourne Now. Ewan McEoin's work also looks to be an intriguing feature, as his immersive light installation will explore the city and how we navigate our way through it. The fashion, textiles and jewellery section will include the likes of the wonderful Toni Maticevski, cult brand Perks and Mini and the endless talent found at the Designer Thinking group exhibition. Shoe lovers will be drawn towards Preston Zly Design, where famous shoes from children's classics (think Dorothy's ruby shoes and Cinderella's glass slipper) have been recreated, and there is also the Shoemakers exhibition for more fancy footwear fun. This is just a small sample of the immense creative talent this exhibition will have to offer. The Community Hall also encourages participation — check out the NGV blog to see how you could get involved. If you are passionate about Melbourne and its dynamic, creative identity, this comprehensive collection of exceptional work is not to be missed. Melbourne Now opens on November 22 and runs until March 23, 2013.
Zip lines, bungee jumping and treetop obstacles are just the start of Australia's newest destination for adventure seekers. Set along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Live Wire Park is Australia's first outdoor adventure park that is completely powered by nature. Located within The Great Otway National Park, it's family-owned and designed with the environmental in mind, which means the park is completely off-grid, fully solar powered and all water is collected on-site — both reducing waste and taking advantage of the natural resources available. Apart from its minimal environmental impact, the park packs in some serious fun, too. Set just 900 metres from the Lorne coastline, the elevated park is set among the treetops and boasts a 5250-metre-long zip line, a Tarzan swing, a 10-metre bungee, a suspended 120-metre walking circuit among the native blue gums and even a "super circuit" of 53 physical and mental activities that test park-goers while suspended in mid-air. You'll scale trees, swing on ropes and plunge down a bungee jump, all while solving a few puzzles and problems. Plus, you can expect plenty of wildlife sightings among the pristine rainforest and waterfalls. The park's newest attraction — launched just in time for summer holidays — is Spring Circuit, a five-zone circuit suspended five metres off the ground. Here, you can dive into an elevated ball pit, throw giant blow-up giant objects at each other and escape inside hanging black pods.
Exclaiming "I'm already a star. You don't become a star: you either are one or you aren't. I am!" to get into the hottest party in Los Angeles, aspiring 1920s actor Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie, Amsterdam) has ambition. Gracing the same Golden Age soirée after ending his latest marriage with an overplayed joke that could've sprung from Inglourious Basterds, veteran leading man Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt, Bullet Train) wouldn't have gotten where he is without the same drive and determination. And, helping the shindig be the only place to be, including wrangling an elephant for the night's entertainment (a pachyderm that empties its bowels on everyone pushing it up a hill no less), Manny Torres (Diego Calva, Narcos: Mexico) has the eagerness to do something — anything — in show business. Meet Babylon's zeal-dripping on-screen threesome, a trio matched only in their quest to rocket sky-high as the man conjuring them up: jazz-loving, La La Land Oscar-winning, Tinseltown-adoring writer/director Damien Chazelle. As Babylon unfurls across its hefty 189-minute running time, it takes a colossal heap of ambition — perhaps as immense as the pile of cocaine that Nellie gravitates towards inside the party — to make it or even fake it in the film industry. For his fifth feature, and first since 2018's First Man, Chazelle waves around his own as enthusiastically as he possibly can. Even just considering his hefty list of conspicuous influences makes that clear, with the filmmaker unshackling his inner Baz Luhrmann, Martin Scorsese, Paul Thomas Anderson and David Lynch, to name a mere few overt nods. The Great Gatsby, Goodfellas, The Wolf of Wall Street, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Mulholland Drive: swirl them together with Kenneth Anger's 1959 publication Hollywood Babylon, plus everything from Sunset Boulevard to Hail, Caesar!, and that's just the beginning of Chazelle's plans. The end result also makes for a relentless and ravenous movie that's always a lot, not just in length, but is dazzling (and also very funny) when it clicks. That elephant crap doesn't just make quite the opening, as splattered from a visible opening. Beneath the glitz and glamour, and aiding all things shiny and starry to appear that way, lurks something far less seductive — so Babylon posits from the outset, then keeps pulling back the curtain like it's The Wizard of Oz. Before the film's first 15 minutes are up, it has also sprayed urine, waded through orgies, thrown around furniture, thrust about drugs and danced frenzied dances (Robbie does an entrancing one, No Time to Die cinematographer Linus Sandgren does another with his soaring and swooping camerawork, and Chazelle's usual composer Justin Hurwitz sets the bouncy tone with his Golden Globe-winning score, then keeps doing so). Also, before the initial revelry recedes, Manny is smitten with Nellie, while she has an acting job the next day. Hollywood: it's where shit explodes and snakes are wrestled literally and metaphorically, and where enough wishes are granted on-screen and behind the scenes to keep everyone returning for more. In the rest of its first act, Babylon is a filmmaking western; to spend time on a silent-era set here is to gallop across cinema's frontier. Nellie is a natural, and feted for crying on cue (that she's getting her start when big gestures and performances are a necessity also assists). Manny nabs an opportunity as well, his efforts to secure a replacement camera for a pivotal epic shot before a moody director loses his light instantly one of the film's most hilarious stretches. While the preceding party was a vibe, Babylon's best bursts through this madcap on-the-lot day. Simply surveying the packed-together sets, movies made next to movies upon movies, is a delight — and the pacing, zippily juggling Nellie, Manny and Jack's exploits, is among the picture's tightest. With the feature kicking off in 1926, though, the noisy, frenzied chaos that buzzes in this sequence has a talkie-sparked expiration date. For the fools who dream, Chazelle worships stories of artists chasing lifelong fantasies and meeting stark realities, with Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench, Whiplash, La La Land and streaming series The Eddy all leading to Babylon. He's equally fond of Tinseltown's favourite tales about Tinseltown: the path-crossing of new starlets and established players as change reshapes the business forever, as a couple of A Star Is Born versions, The Artist and the masterpiece that is Singin' in the Rain have all covered. It's the boldest of moves that any director can make to fashion a film as a copy or an origin story to the latter, or both, but that's where Chazelle's ambition brilliantly heads. So, with the advent of synchronised sound, and as Manny keeps working his way up, cue Jack striving to maintain his fame and Nellie struggling with her New Jersey voice. Babylon doesn't say anything new — when you're openly going where so many flicks and filmmakers have gone before, is there anything much new to say? — but it does pull off the Luhrmann-esque feat of making its style part of its substance. This has to be a flashy, energetic, excess-laden affair, selling the allure that draws Nellie, Jack and Manny in, plus the emptiness behind it. Babylon has to be slick but messy, decadent but corrosive, and affectionate but clear-eyed about Hollywood's ills, and a heady, hectic experience. It has to be jam-packed at the same time, but it could've been that and given Li Jun Li (Devils) and Jovan Adepo (The Stand) more to do. Their characters, Anna May Wong clone Lady Fay Zhu and talented trumpeter Sidney Palmer, traverse a rise-and-fall trajectory as well. They're exuberant, fascinating, and meant to demonstrate how Asian, Black and queer figures were pushed aside. To genuinely address that point, though, they're deserving of greater focus and a weightier part in Babylon's narrative. Among the trio receiving the bulk of Chazelle's attention, Robbie is exhilarating; understanding how Nellie demands the eyeballs of everyone in her orbit is easy. Nuanced layers of pain and sorrow also linger in her non-stop portrayal when she does slow down, or sometimes glistens in her eyes alone. Her Once Upon a Time in Hollywood co-star Pitt remains in that movie's mode, happily and fittingly so — and relative newcomer Calva is terrific as Manny. Add in a well-cast Jean Smart (Hacks) as a Louella Parsons- and Hedda Hopper-inspired gossip queen, plus Tobey Maguire getting villainous and channelling Alfred Molina, and Babylon keeps stacking in moving pieces as much as moving pictures. On that, this flick doesn't end subtly. But, ambition splashing heavily again, it also has its big finale work as an ode as much as a lament.
Even if you don't regularly buy your groceries at Aldi, you'll have heard about the supermarket chain's sales. As well as selling bread, milk and all the usual pantry staples, it drops twice-weekly specials that cover the types of items you'd usually find at a department store — at a discount price. Its annual snow gear sale attracts huge crowds, and you honestly can never quite guess what other kinds of things might turn up each week. You probably know someone who bought their outdoor furniture at Aldi, or nabbed a cheap TV. You might've even found a hammock or a rotisserie while you were browsing the company's aisles yourself. The one big caveat that has always applied to these sales, which Aldi calls 'special buys'? They're only available in-store, because that's how the retailer operates. Until now, that is — because it has just announced plans to start trialling online shopping with its thocoveted specials. To start with, the test run will be limited to the greater metropolitan regions of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland — which is great news for Sydneysiders, Melburnians and Brisbanites. Aldi isn't dropping its entire specials range online each Wednesday and Saturday morning, though, but will start out by making select items available. First up, from 8.30am on Wednesday, May 26, is a queen-size latex mattress in a box for $499. After that, at the same time on Saturday, May 29, you'll be able to score a 545-litre French door refrigerator for $879. And yes, Aldi is sticking with the days and timing that it uses IRL, so you won't get a jump on the specials by staying home. The aforementioned two items will be available in the brand's supermarkets at the same time, as will whichever future specials it pops online. The company is planning to test a range of products over the next few months, including other bulky items and everyday offerings. "We are constantly looking for ways to improve the experience for our customers and are very excited to be taking our first steps into eCommerce. Our limited initial online offer allows us to set the foundations for our future program," said Simon Padovani, ALDI Australia's Group Director Customer Interactions. The company doesn't intend to offer grocery shopping online, but it is looking to expand the digital specials trial to other parts of the country in the future. To check out Aldi's online store — with its first sales happening at 8.30am on Wednesday, May 26 and Saturday, May 29 — head to its website.
Birrarung Marr is set to come alive with smoky scents and a smorgasbord of Asian flavours, when the Night Noodle Markets make their much-anticipated return to our culinary calendar from Thursday, November 10–Sunday, November 27. Get ready to spend 18 spring nights tucking into a range of street food bites from a wide array of hawker-style stalls. On the menu: perennial favourites Hoy Pinoy, Flying Noodles, May's Malaysian Hawker, Wonderbao, Gelato Messina and Twistto, mainstays of the Night Noodle Markets' tours around the country. That means you'll be feasting on everything from noodles and dumplings to bao and desserts, spanning options from local, interstate and nationwide eateries — and also including vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and Halal picks. Also setting up shop for this year is Brendan Pang's West Australian dumpling spot Bumplings, courtesy of a Mazda x Bumplings stall. Due to the Mazda part, the dumplings will be paired with an exclusive Soul Red Crystal sauce that's inspired by Mazda's red body colour. Windsor's My Miyagi will be dishing up a bespoke Japanese menu, while Calabang's calamari, Bangkok Street Food's Thai wares and Roll Up's roti rolls are also all on the lineup. Taking care of the drinks offering, there'll be a Stomping Ground beer garden, a Cointreau margarita kombi bar, an Aperol spritz zone and a Rekorderlig cider dome. Plus, you can get sipping without the future hangover at the Dan Murphy's Zero% Bar — following on from the bottle-o chain's alcohol-free Melbourne venue and serving only non-boozy beverages. Live entertainment and lion dances are set to dazzle while you eat. And, you'll be able to bring your pets along — there'll even be doggy noodle boxes for them to enjoy. The markets will be open from 5–9pm Monday–Tuesday, 5–10pm Wednesday–Thursday, 5–11pm on Fridays, 4–10pm Saturdays and 4–9pm on Sundays, giving you ample chance to head by. [caption id="attachment_856039" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hoy Pinoy[/caption]
This week, you can help raise some much-needed coin for victims of the Aussie bushfires, simply by grabbing a drink at the CBD's pastel-hued cocktail and rooftop bar Peaches. From January 6 to January 12, the pretty-in-pink venue will be fundraising for wildlife rescue charity Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, through sales of a limited-edition signature cocktail. Dubbed Koala Rescue, the newly hatched drink blends Applewood limoncello, Applewood gin, grapefruit and thyme, and 100 percent of profits from each one sold this week will be heading to support the charity's work helping various wildlife affected by the recent fires. https://www.instagram.com/p/B65XcLCAeym/ Fancy a fundraising feed, as well? The bar's owners also run Preston venues Takeaway Pizza and Dexter, which will each be whipping up some fire relief specials of its own. Until January 12, all proceeds from Takeaway Pizza's $15 cheese pizzas will also be heading to Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, while profits from Dexter's special of steak, pickles and mash sold between January 9–12 is going to support both animals and humans via the Bushfire Disaster Appeal. Top image: Peaches by Kate Shanasy.
Once again, Melbourne's late summer openair cinema will occupy hallowed turf, with a pop-up cinema on the pitch at the MCG. Taking over the iconic sporting arena for the first weekend of February, Cinema at the 'G will showcase a pair of music-filled hit movies under the stars. On Friday, February 1, the venue will be far from the shallow for its screening A Star Is Born, the Lady Gaga-starring mega hit that's directed by and co-stars Bradley Cooper. The following evening, Bohemian Rhapsody will rock the stadium, with Rami Malek stepping into Freddie Mercury's shoes. The venue might seat 100,000 on grand final day, but only 2000 tickets are available for each night of cinema. Ticketholders can bring picnic blankets, pillows and snacks, or munch on food available for purchase on-site. Doors open at 6.30pm for an 8.30pm start, and proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Bank of Melbourne Foundation, which in turns supports an array of Victorian charities.
Any chance to see Yayoi Kusama's work in Australia is huge news, and reason to make a date — including travel plans, if needed — to get immersed in the Japanese icon's infinity rooms, and also be surrounded by pumpkins and dots. So when the National Gallery of Victoria announced that its big summer 2024–25 showcase would be dedicated to the artist, that was enough to make the resulting exhibition a firm must-see. Adding Friday-night parties to the mix is the cherry on top, then. How many ways can Melbourne go dotty for Kusama? It's time to find out from the exhibition's opening on Sunday, December 15, 2024, although answers have been arriving in advance. Kusama's five-metre-tall dot-covered Dancing Pumpkin sculpture has made NGV International's Federation Court its home first. Then came the revelation that the showcase will feature a world record-breaking number of infinity rooms and other immersive installations. And, outside the gallery on St Kilda Road, Kusama's Ascension of Polka Dots on the Trees has wrapped the trunks of more than 60 trees in pink-and-white polka-dotted material. NGV Friday Nights often forms part of the venue's high-profile exhibitions, so it should come as no surprise that the event series is back for Yayoi Kusama. The after-hours parties kick off on Friday, December 20, 2024 for some pre-Christmas fun, then run for 18 weeks until Friday, April 18, 2025. Come quittin' time for the week, Melburnians can add spots to their late-night shenanigans. If you're making a visit from interstate, you'll want to ensure you time it to hit one of the soirees on your trip. Seeing art is obviously on the NGV Friday Nights itinerary, but so is music and culinary experiences. The NGV's Great Hall will welcome live DJ sets, including from Dijok, Small FRY, Elle Shimada, Tanzer and more. In the NGV Garden Restaurant, acclaimed chefs Martin Benn is doing a residency for the exhibition's duration, serving up Asian-inspired dishes using Australian produce, Attendees can also look forward to other dining and drinking options, such as the Moët & Chandon champagne bar, Four Pillars gin bar, Yering Station wine bar and Häagen-Dazs ice cream cart — so there's sparkling, G&Ts, wine flights and frozen treats covered — plus a Japanese-inspired menu from the Great Hall and Gallery Kitchen. Gracing NGV International's walls until Monday, April 21, 2025, Yayoi Kusama features over 180 works, in the largest Kusama retrospective that Australia has ever seen — as well as one of the most-comprehensive retrospectives devoted to the artist to be staged globally, not to mention the closest that you'll get to experiencing her Tokyo museum without leaving the country. Images: Michael Pham / Tobias Titz.
Festival FOMO is real, and festival sideshows are one solution: the gigs you go to when you're not going to the main gig. Can't make it to Adelaide for two music-filled October days at Harvest Rock II? Loving the South Australia-only fest's lineup? Some of the event's highlights have announced dates along Australia's east coast — and one of them is Sparks. The iconic duo, aka brothers Ron and Russell Mael, will draw upon a whopping 57 years of making ridiculously catchy and smartly funny tunes on their first tour of Australia since 2001. In Melbourne, they'll be unleashing highlights from their enormous back catalogue at the Palais Theatre. Thanks to 2021's double of Edgar Wright-directed documentary The Sparks Brothers and Cannes Film Festival opener Annette, the Maels have been everywhere of late — and, when that includes the Victorian capital on Thursday, October 26, they'll be busting out tracks like 'The Number One Song in Heaven', 'This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us' and latest single 'The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte'. In a glorious move, Sparks have been beginning their recent sets with 'So May We Start' from Annette, too, which won them the Best Composer award at Cannes.
Music and sport will collide again this summer as AO Live returns to John Cain Arena for its biggest edition yet. The only music series held at a Grand Slam, AO Live has grown into a major drawcard of the Australian Open calendar — and for 2026, it's getting even bigger. Running from Wednesday, January 28 to Sunday, February 1, the series will stretch across five nights of live performances, with a lineup that blends local favourites and global heavyweights. Headlining acts include The Kid LAROI, Spacey Jane, Peggy Gou, The Veronicas and Sofi Tukker, with additional artists still to be announced in the lead-up to summer. [caption id="attachment_1031979" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sofi Tukker[/caption] The expansion follows record attendance at previous editions of AO Live, which transforms Melbourne Park into a festival-style precinct after the day's matches wrap up. Alongside the main stage at John Cain Arena, fans can expect live music and DJ sets scattered across the grounds — from laidback acoustic sessions in Garden Square to high-energy local talent spinning on Grand Slam Oval. According to organisers, every ticket "unlocks more than just epic music", offering access to both the AO's tennis action and the wider event atmosphere — including premium food, drinks and summer entertainment. It's an experience that continues to blur the line between sport and festival, delivering one of the city's biggest multi-night celebrations each January. Tickets start from $99 and go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, October 14. AO Live 2026 runs January 28–February 1 at John Cain Arena, Melbourne. You can view the full lineup and ticket details via AO Live. Images: Supplied
Throughout a fruitful international career, German-born photographer Francis Reiss produced many iconic photographs of both landscapes and people. Working extensively around the world for numerous acclaimed publications — in particular LIFE and Time Magazine — Reiss became enamoured by Australia, eventually becoming a citizen in 1989. In was then that he set about capturing the many eccentricities of Australian culture and lifestyle, which have since become important collections for institutions such as the State Library of Victoria and the National Library. People I Have Met: Portraits by Francis Reiss presents many of Reiss' most famous images, many of which feature leading Australian artists and personalities such as John Perceval, Inge King, Chris Wallace-Crabbe and many others. This free exhibition runs until April 29 and is presented at the Whitehorse Art Space in Box Hill. Image: Francis Reiss, Inge King (detail) (1996).
Great news, budding entrepreneurs. We've found a very simple equation for immediate business success. Okay, not really. The truth is there is no such thing. In most cases, it takes a pinch of courage, a splash of creativity and a dash of good timing to make it happen. But, there's always something to be gained from hearing the stories of those who've taken the plunge and pulled it off. As far as restaurant groups go, Three Blue Ducks is becoming an Australian powerhouse. But, its success hasn't cost the guys behind it their down-to-earth attitude. Since launching the first Bronte cafe eight years ago, the team has grown to six co-owners (or 'ducks' as they're affectionately named), employing over 240 people across four venues in NSW and QLD (with a fifth slated to open in Melbourne later this year). We sat down with one of the original ducks, Mark Labrooy, to talk about (realistic) business growth, the importance of avoiding trends and why data is helping to improve resourcing and reduce waste. We've teamed up with Westpac to bring you some of Labrooy's top tips to celebrate its Presto Smart payment terminal, which seamlessly connects to a range of point-of-sales systems. Presto gives small businesses a leg up and makes payments and reconciliations a breeze so they can achieve scale — just Three Blue Ducks has done. ESTABLISH YOUR OWN VOICE What do your mum's famous lasagne recipe and your favourite pair of jeans have in common? They're classics that have stood the test of time. Every bite reminds you of childhood meals spent around the dinner table, and every wear confirms that you'll never find denim that feels as comfy as this. The same principle goes for any successful business. To stand out from the pack, it's important to create a product that's unashamedly one-of-a-kind. For the folks behind Three Blue Ducks, their shared passion for ethical and authentic food has been the foundation of the business from day one. "We thought we should do the food we like to eat at home in the venues, and that started to become the ethos around what we do," explains Labrooy. "I think that's what makes you authentic. If you just run with the pack and do what everyone else is doing, I think you lose your voice." USE POP-UP VENUES TO TEST THE WATERS Stepping outside our comfort zone is daunting, whether in work or life. Once you've hit your stride, it's tempting to sit back and let things happily tick away. But to stay relevant, businesses should be prepared to pivot and evolve so, once the Three Blue Ducks team had consolidated their Bronte outpost, they saw a chance to try something new. "The first new venue we did was a pop-up in the snow at Falls Creek, and it was sort of a nudge along," explains Labrooy. Opening a new location is always a risk. What if the market doesn't embrace your venue? Is this the right time to make a move? Are there strong competitors you'll need to contend with? But with risk comes reward. Plus, creating a temporary pop-up means you can experiment with new concepts and ideas without the commitment of a permanent store. "We opened this new venue and we did really well, and it gave us a boost of confidence," tells Labrooy. [caption id="attachment_663257" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] EMBRACE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ALIGN WITH YOUR ETHOS As cheesy as it sounds, sometimes things do happen for a reason. It could be spotting a 'For Lease' sign in your dream neighbourhood or meeting another like-minded entrepreneur looking to embark on their next project. When unmissable opportunities arise, jumping in can keep you ahead of the game. "We had an opportunity that presented itself with The Farm in Byron Bay, and that was a really big play for us," tells Labrooy. He reveals this venture was the business's most challenging to date. However, creating a farm-based restaurant with unlimited access to fresh local produce was always something the team wanted to pursue. "We had the opportunity to design a restaurant and kitchen completely to our specs," Labrooy explains. "We had access to all the farmers that were growing produce on the property. We used to think about ordering eggs, but now we have 500 chickens giving us fresh eggs daily." [caption id="attachment_693841" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY Whether you're creating a coffee bar or launching a boutique, connecting with your customers is key to success. As a bricks-and-mortar store, you become part of your local area — and you should use those community relationships to your advantage. This insight continues to inform every Three Blue Ducks venue as the team prioritise giving back to the local areas they call home. The Byron Bay location is a testament to this, as Labrooy tells, "there's no business in the Northern Rivers that even remotely comes close to what we're doing. There's around $4 million dollars of wages that go back into the local economy, plus $4.5 million of produce purchased from local suppliers… we don't use big companies, we use local people with small businesses instead." LEVERAGE DATA TO TEST, LEARN AND GROW Launching a new business is full of unknowns. When are the busiest parts of the day? How many staff should you hire? What quantities of stock do you need on hand to meet demand? In most cases, the first couple of years are about trial and error. For Three Blue Ducks, understanding customer behaviour has always been a valuable resource. By analysing data trends, the team is able to make informed business decisions to maximise profitability and reduce waste. "In Bronte, for example, in November, we know that there is the Sculptures by the Sea and we have thousands of visitors... So we know that's going to be a really busy time of year for us. We order more produce and roster on more staff so we can accommodate," tells Labrooy. "It's all about understanding when are our peaks and troughs and how we manage our restaurants in terms of staffing, food costs and ordering, so we can really reduce our waste." Now that you have some top tips, it's time to take the first steps towards scaling up your business. And when it comes time to set up your payment technology, look to Westpac's Presto Smart terminal. It's made for speedy payments, busting queues, reducing keying errors and seamlessly connecting to a range of Point of Sales systems to help you keep track of cashflow. Please note that the above information is intended to be general in nature and should not be relied upon for personal financial use. Request more info and speak to Westpac here. Top image: Nikki To.
When Disney revealed that it was moving into streaming, it also announced a slew of high-profile titles designed to keep everyone's eyes glued to the company's new platform. Naturally, that included Marvel, with a number of new Disney+ series commissioned to broaden out the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If you loved Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Vision (Paul Bettany) and Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) on the big screen, you'll now get to enjoy more of each in a variety of spinoff shows. So far, in typical Mouse House style, details have been kept close to Disney's chest. We know that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and WandaVision are due to release later in 2020, with Loki set to follow in 2021. Thanks to their titles, we obviously also know who they're about. And, we know that they'll all star the familiar faces that brought the characters to big-screen fame — and that they'll each run for six episodes apiece. Broadly, we know the premise for each series, too. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will take place after the aforementioned huge blockbuster, following its eponymous characters as they team up in the aftermath. As for WandaVision, it's a sitcom-style series exploring the home lives of Wanda and Vision, although there's undoubtedly more to it. And when Loki hits next year, it'll see the God of Mischief return — and it'll be set after Endgame. Until now, however, we haven't seen any footage from any of the three shows — but, during this year's Super Bowl, Marvel dropped its first sneak peek. The company released a combined teaser for the trio of series, so there's still not much in the way of substantial detail. That said, if you've been hanging out to see what's in store post-Avengers: Endgame, a quick glimpse is better than nothing. Check out the teaser below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=62EB4JniuTc&feature=emb_logo The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and WandaVision will hit Disney+ sometime later in 2020, with Loki due to premiere in 2021 — we'll update you with release dates when they're announced.
You're successful in your career, but your personal life suddenly takes an unwanted turn. Then, your childhood best friend-slash-crush and Keanu Reeves both turn up. That's the premise of Netflix new rom-com Always Be My Maybe, which follows celebrity chef Sasha (Ali Wong), who reluctantly reconnects with her dependable old buddy Marcus (Randall Park) after falling out with him 15 years earlier — only for a slick newcomer (Reeves) to threaten their reunion. If that sounds like your idea of a good night in, that's what the streaming platform is counting on. As well as serving up highly binge-able TV shows and plenty of viewing options with a strong female lead, Netflix loves flicks of the romantic and comedic persuasion, especially among its original content. Clearly audiences love a rom-com too, which is why the service keeps making them. Always Be My Maybe arrives with an impressive pedigree, with director Nahnatchka Khan known for Fresh Off the Boat and Don't Trust the B____ in Apt. 23, and stars Wong and Park co-writing (with Grimm's Michael Golamco) and co-producing as well. Cast-wise, the stacked lineup also includes Lost's Daniel Dae Kim, Broad City's Michelle Buteau, Miracle Workers' Karan Soni and Paper Heart's Charlyne Yi, plus Lyrics Born and Keanu, of course. Check out the trailer below and then watch the film on Netflix immediately. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHBcWHY9lN4&feature=youtu.be You can now stream Always Be My Maybe on Netflix. Updated: June 28, 2019. Image: Ed Araquel / Netflix.
A theatre experience unlike any other, Flight shapes up as one of our most anticipated works on the 2018 Melbourne Festival program. Adapted by Oliver Emanuel of Scottish theatre company Vox Motus from Caroline Brothers' novel Hinterland, the play tells the story of Afghan brothers Aryan (aged 15) and Kabir (aged eight) as they make their way across Europe in search of a better life. The subject matter is timely, but it's the method in which the tale is told that really makes it stand out, with each audience member sitting in their own private booth as the story unfolds via a series of immaculately crafted dioramas. Image: Mihaila Bodlovic.
Stepping into Berlin's Markos Dance Academy on a grey, rainy 1977 day, Susie Bannion (Dakota Johnson) is a picture of nervous excitement. The former Ohio Mennonite clutches at her meagre belongings with equal parts eagerness and apprehension, her eyes darting keenly. But once she's through the school's doors, she's willing to surrender to whatever comes her way. It's an attitude that everyone watching Suspiria should take note of, for Susie is the perfect viewer surrogate in this delightfully dark, seductive, twitchy and witchy remake. Like the American in Germany pursuing her dream and accepting everything that happens next, giving yourself over to the movie's horrors and charms is truly the audience's only option. If ever a remake yearned to be judged on its own merits, it's Suspiria. After the sun-dappled Italian vistas and melancholic romance of his sublime Call Me By Your Name, filmmaker Luca Guadagnino takes Dario Argento's iconic 1977 film — and really takes to it. Made with evident love for the original, but never trying to slavishly recreate it, Guadagnino's Suspiria is a new dreamlike interpretation of an already dreamlike classic. It's the feverish nightmare you might have after letting the initial flick needle its way into your brain and mix with your own subconscious. Perhaps that's what happened to Guadagnino and his second-time screenwriter David Kajganich (A Bigger Splash). Either way, their protagonist also experiences her own disturbing nocturnal visions, and they're gloriously unhinged. In a city still grappling with the aftermath of catastrophic conflict three decades on, where Red Army Faction terror attacks have become a daily occurrence, bad dreams are the least of Susie and her fellow dancers' concerns. Amid preparations for the academy's latest show — a re-staging of a piece created by head teacher Madame Blanc (Tilda Swinton) after the Second World War — their star goes missing. It's with an air of unease that the unsettled group moves forward after Patricia's (Chloë Grace Moretz) disappearance, which the school's teachers link to the far-left RAF's disorder in the streets. Thankfully, newcomer Susie is both willing and able to step into Patricia's shoes, with her breathy passion more than catching Madame Blanc's eye. While Argento's Suspiria teased out its big twist, Guadagnino's version lays it all out on the dance floor from the outset. Rather than a company of dancers, complete with experienced instructors overseeing the next generation, this is a coven. Rather than training for their next recital, they're readying their new sacrifices for a ritual. Removing the mystery around the film's otherworldly elements doesn't remove the mystery from the film, however. With an elderly psychiatrist (an actor credited as 'Lutz Ebersdorf') searching for Patricia with the eventual help of Markos dancer Sara (Mia Goth), there's intrigue aplenty. The intense teacher-pupil, pseudo mother-daughter bond between Susie and Madame Blanc also keeps everyone guessing. Scored to Thom Yorke's moody tunes and edited with a sense of anxiety, Suspiria isn't a character study. It doesn't probe the recesses of Susie's mind to explore what makes her tick, or delve deeply into Madame Blanc's motivations. Instead, it largely leaves its key duo at the mercy of the movie's macabre plot. That's what horror movies typically do, as seen in this year's other dance-horror flick, Gaspar Noe's Climax. Nonetheless, Johnson and Swinton instantly demand the audience's attention, drawing viewers in in much the same way that their characters are drawn to each other. The combination of vulnerability and determination that made Johnson the best thing about the Fifty Shades trilogy is firmly on display, as is Swinton's well-established allure in multiple guises. Everything else that Guadagnino and Kajganich place within Suspiria's frames is also designed to reel the audience in; to encourage surrender, if not willingly then by force. A movie as densely layered as the rhythmic yet jarring dance moves that it thrusts to the fore, Suspiria is laden with intoxicating, inescapable detail. Thematically, it delves into the scars of war, the historical subjugation of women and the way that one childhood moment can shape someone's life. In its aesthetics, it's an all-out horror onslaught that evolves from creepily atmospheric to violently sensual to gleefully bloody (oh-so-bloody!) across its 152-minute running time. The film's strong visuals shouldn't come as a surprise, although not for reasons that original Suspiria fans might expect. Where Argento's movie glowed with deep jewel tones, Guadagnino favours grim shades enlivened by more than a dash of red. With a filmography that also includes Swinton in I Am Love, and both Swinton and Johnson in A Bigger Splash, Guadagnino has long known how to throw gorgeous pictures across the screen. He's not the first filmmaker to demonstrate that horrific imagery can also be bewitching but, aided by the suitably restless camerawork of cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (Call Me By Your Name), he makes the case in a stunning fashion. Two scenes stand out — Susie's telekinetic audition, and the movie's over-the-top climax — but the entirety of Suspiria stamps itself onto viewers' eyeballs. Perhaps Susie and her cackling company won't be the only ones having lurid, disturbing and spellbinding dreams. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q6jwH5_MKQ
"If any one unwarily draws in too close and hears the singing of the Sirens, his wife and his children will never welcome him home again, for they sit in a green field and warble him to death with the sweetness of their song." With The Odyssey, Homer essentially created the epic. But with the above passage, he also created something much more insidious — the femme fatale, a stock female character who tempts men with the ultimate goal of destroying them. Victorian Opera's latest project, Lorelei, shoves a cabaret skewer through this idea and roasts it over an operatic blaze. Sopranos Ali McGregor and Antoinette Halloran with mezzo-soprano Dimity Shepherd have been spicing up the classics for a while as the Opera Burlesque collective. Now, they take to a cliff-top on a tricky bend in the river Rhine to explore how women are represented in literature and opera. But wouldn't you know it — just as they're getting down to business, a ship begins to approach. And it seems to be having a little trouble on those bends. Part cabaret, part opera and with a stinging libretto by Casey Bennetto (Keating! The Musical) and Gillian Cosgriff (8 Songs in 8 Weeks), Lorelei takes its cues from the sirens of German folklore. It's happy enough to toy with the trope — but it's not going to stop until it's smashed to matchsticks on a rock. Lorelei will run from November 3–10 at The Coopers Malthouse, Merlyn Theatre. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Victorian Opera website.
From humble food truck beginnings, Melbourne Greek doughnut-slinger Lukumades opened its first bricks-and-mortar spot in West Melbourne in 2017. Now, it's brought its deliciously chewy on the inside, golden and crispy on the outside dessert to Windsor. The second Melbourne outpost will be located on a buzzing section of Chapel Street, dishing up a modern spin on traditional Greek loukoumades. Cult favourites such as the Oreo Balls smothered in white chocolate and served with a scoop of cookies and cream gelato, and the White Nutella Balls — topped with salted caramel sauce and crushed biscuits — will be on the menu, as well as more traditional doughnuts dusted with icing sugar or dipped in honey and cinnamon. New flavours on rotation will include matcha and jaffa, too. Lukumades is not just expanding to Windsor, either. As well as openings in Perth and Sydney, the brand has its sights set globally — thanks to its recent franchising — with stores in the United States and Cyprus anticipated to open by the end of the year.
Melbourne, Sydney's favourite providore is coming your way — armed with dry-aged T-bone Florentina, Venetian doughnuts and house-churned gelato. Yep, we're talking Fratelli Fresh, the original gurus of fresh produce and authentic Italian goodness from up north. With five restaurants currently operating in Sydney, the Fratelli folks haven't settled for just any old place for their Melbourne debut. They're arriving with a bang, having taken over the stunning, two-storey, heritage-listed building in Alfred Place that was most recently inhabited by Stokehouse City. The expansion down south comes just a few months after the Fratelli Fresh chain was bought by the Urban Purveyor Group. On the ground floor, you'll find Fratelli Fresh's famous red and white décor. Nab yourself a seat at the marble-topped pizza counter and wait for your 48-hour, naturally-fermented, hand-stretched, thin-crust pizza to emerge from the wood-fired oven. Alternatively, hang out in the laneway with a friend and order the signature abbacchio alla Romana, which is Roman-style lamb on the bone with parmesan crust. Or you can always go with some antipasti or pasta, the wood-grilled fish or the aforementioned t-bone. Dessert will include Fratelli's famed tiramisu, and that's really all you need to know. The menu is wallet-friendly too, with more than 25 dishes for under 20 smackaroos and a six-course banquet for $55. Swing by during aperitivo hour between 3pm and 6pm, for $5 wine, beer and spirits, and $10 spritzers and Negronis. A photo posted by Fratelli Fresh (@fratellifresh) on Oct 12, 2015 at 4:46pm PDT But that's not all. Up the spectacular staircase, on the first floor, you'll find another Sydney export: The Cut Steakhouse. Sink into an ocean-green leather banquette and take your pick of ten beef cuts from five fancy, fancy farms. Extra posh cuts include Cape Grim's 36-month grass-fed beef, Black Market's 270-day grain-fed beef from the Rangers Valley, John Dee's 150-day grain-fed scotch fillet and a full-blood wagyu from Robbins Island. Match 'em with one of eight sauces and your pick of ten sides, including buttermilk onion rings and slow-roasted leeks. Meanwhile, in The Cut's bar, The Library, you'll be exploring a 300-strong, international wine list, more than 80 whiskies, a slew of craft beers and a bunch of signature cocktails. To celebrate this mammoth double opening, the two restaurants will also be running a giveaway in the funnest way possible — by dropping teeny-tiny prize-bearing parachutes from the building's rooftop. Fifty parachutes — containing prizes from free coffee for a week and pizzas for year, to dinners, lunches and bar tabs — will be dropped from 7 Alfred Place from 4.30pm this Friday, July 15. Start practicing your catching skills. Fratelli Fresh and The Cut Steakhouse will open this Friday, July 15. For more info, visit fratellifresh.com.au/the-alfred and thecutbarandgrill.com/melbourne.
Repertoires of Contention sees Mexico City-based artist Joaquín Segura team up with local artist Tony Garifalakis for a fascinating exhibition that considers the global role of artists, and the cultural institutions that challenge perceptions and encourage public debate. The unlikely duo first met at the International Studio and Curatorial Program in New York and found they share a similar outlook on global power structures and the way they are encouraged and simultaneously resisted. Repertoires of Contention features textile, video, installation, photographic and intervention works and explores the similarities in the pair's ideologies, despite their vast geographical differences in the place they live and work. Named after a social theory that describes the tools organised groups can use to protest and resist, Repertoires of Contention presents this interconnectedness in an exciting and enlightening exhibition. Repertoires of Contention is on now at Gertrude Contemporary until Saturday, November 4. Image: Curator Ivan Muñiz Reed with artists Joaquín Segura and Tony Garifalakis, courtesy of Joaquín Segura.
Melbourne might currently be enjoying a somewhat mild start to the new year, with temperatures in the mid-20s on January 1 and forecast to stay below 30 degrees until Thursday; however a blast of extra sizzling warmth awaits come the end of the week. Indeed, finding some frosty air-con or a shaded pool is recommended on Friday, when the city is predicted to swelter through a day-long spell of 42-degree heat. The Bureau of Meteorology expects the mercury to soar across Victoria on January 4, hitting the 40–42 range in Melbourne and throughout the state's south, and reaching 44–46 in the north. While that's a whopping 16 degrees above Melbourne's average top January temperature according to Weatherzone, it's still lower than the city's highest recorded January maximum of 45.6 degrees back in 1939. https://twitter.com/BOM_Vic/status/1079983551989329921 The particularly hot spell comes after several similarly baking days last month, although the temperature will exceed the 38-degree maximum experienced in the brief early-December heatwave. It'll also top Melbourne's efforts post-Christmas, when the mercury climbed to 37.4 degrees on December 27. Thankfully, the scorching summer blast will be short-lived. BOM expects a gusty southwest change to arrive late on Friday, heralding a return to mid-20s temps. A cloudy few days will see Saturday peak at 24 degrees and Sunday hit just 22, before Tuesday climbs back up to 27. Image: udeyismail via Flickr.
The annual Orange Wine Festival is back for its 11th run, with ten days of events highlighting the region's sophisticated winemaking from October 13 through October 22. Patrons can expect wine shows, tastings, dinners and educational workshops, all of which showcase the rich diversity of Orange's rich culinary culture. This year's packed-out program includes over 90 events, which are open to all wine lovers, from the connoisseurs to those still getting to know their palate. The region is known for its cool climate which creates wines with bright fruit and deep, balanced flavours, making them some of the best drops in the country. While there are events on every day of the two weeks, signature events include the Festival Night Market, the Orange Wine Show Tasting ($50-$70) and Wine in the Vines ($145).
In true 2020 fashion, AFL Grand Final celebrations are set to look very different this time around. The game itself has been shipped interstate, the pubs are closed and even the classic backyard barbecue with mates is a no go. But that doesn't mean you need to let Saturday, October 24 pass without indulging in a proper footy feast, worthy of Melbourne's famous sporting clash. Diehard footy fan or not, there's no better time of year for some pub grub and finger food, matched with a few bevvies and scoffed in front of the telly. To save you from kitchen duty, we've found a stack of finals-friendly food and drink bundles, most of which you can get delivered to your door. And, of course, there are plenty of pies in the mix. Dust off that merch and elevate your at-home Grand Final experience with these eight footy packs. PRAHRAN MARKET x MOON DOG POUR 'N PLENTY PIE & BEER BOX Those game day pie cravings are in solid hands with this limited-edition pack from the Prahran Market and Moon Dog Brewery, celebrating that time-honoured footy pairing of hot pies and cold beer. Seven market vendors have each created their own signature party pie for the occasion, with inventive fillings ranging from lamb kofta to peking duck. The $55 pack comes loaded with 13 ready-to-heat pies, as well as a mixed four-pack of Moon Dog brews and a mini Sherrin footy. It also comes with tasting notes and the option to experience a virtual pie tasting session. How much? $55 HAND PICKED ULTIMATE FOOTY FEED Graze your way through Grand Final Day with the Ultimate Footy Feed selection from Australian Venue Co's new at-home menu. The pub group's chefs have dreamt up a roll-call of reimagined footy snacks, which you can have delivered straight to your door on October 23 (Grand Final Eve) for an easy $5 fee. Choose six snack dishes for $30, or eight options for $45, and get ready to sink your teeth into creative bites like boozy barbecue sausage rolls, ramen-fried chicken nuggets, and lobster mac 'n' cheese bites matched with truffle mayo. Orders close at noon this Thursday, October 22, so don't muck around. How much? $30–40 HOP NATION x PIE THIEF GAME DAY PACKS Can't fathom a footy final without some form of pie? Well, there'll be no Four'N Twenty pastries scoffed at the 'G this year, but Footscray pie shop Pie Thief and craft brewery Hop Nation have teamed up to deliver the next best thing. The duo's new Game Day bundles come in either six- or 12-pack form ($45/80), matching a selection of mini pies with signature Hop Nation brews and tinnies from their newly launched seltzer range, 'Ray. Get excited for pie varieties like chunky steak and spag bol, paired with drops like The Chop IPA, The Damned pilsner and summery peach seltzer. Deliveries will be running to a bunch of central and western postcodes on October 21 and 22, so that your fridge is all stocked come game day. How much? $45–80 ATTICA FOOTY LOAF Yep, even Ben Shewry's fine dining icon Attica is getting into the Grand Final spirit. The Ripponlea restaurant is shaking things up with a special at-home offering available only on October 23 and 24 — a family-friendly nacho-style footy loaf. For $85, you will get to enjoy a feast Shewry's own kids have labelled their "favourite ever Attica meal", starring a full loaf of bread with a swag of accompaniments for dipping, ripping and/or filling as you see fit. There's a rich beef and black bean chilli, corn chips, jalapeños, guacamole, pepperberry pickled onions and two varieties of sour cream. It's all available for pickup, or delivery to select suburbs, with pre-orders open now. How much? $85 400 GRADI GRAND FINAL PACKS The pizza maestros at 400 Gradi are slinging not one, but three different AFL Grand Final packs, catering to the full range of footy feasting preferences. You can opt for a grazing-style combination of cheese and prosecco ($70), or go for gold with one of the group-friendly spreads, featuring salumi, pizza, focaccia, a full lamb shoulder, tiramisu and more. Each pack is designed for two, but if you want to upsize, you'll find plenty of choice add-ons available in 400 Gradi's online food store. Delivery's available all across the state, with fees varying depending on how far out you are. Just be sure to get your pre-order in before the October 21 cut-off. How much? $70–170 SAN TELMO x FUTURE MOUNTAIN BREWING PARTY PACK Promising to lend a little South American flair to the footy finals experience is the new limited-edition party pack from the San Telmo Group. One of three bundles created in collaboration with the folks from Future Mountain Brewing, this should answer all your food and drink cravings. You'll score a one-litre serve of Future Mountain beer — perhaps the old-world farmhouse ale or an oak-aged golden sour — along with a lineup of Argentinian eats ready to heat and eat. We're talking empanadas, cured meats, chimichurri and a couple of classic choripan (chorizo rolls). You can pick up your feast from one of three locations, otherwise delivery is available to select suburbs near the Reservoir brewery. How much? $90–122 EASEY'S x THE EMERSON FOOTY BUBBLE PACKS Easey's kitchen residency at The Emerson means good things for any southsider with a burger craving this finals season. The pair is dishing up three different Bubble Packs, perfect for devouring in front of the telly while cheering on your team. There's a solo pack featuring a cheeseburger and a couple of cans of Splash vodka ($29), and a two-person bundle packed with two of Easey's signatures and a celebratory one-litre cocktail serve ($79). Need a footy feast for four? You'll also find a $99 family pack in the mix, loaded with four burgers and a four-pack of Splash. All three options are available daily from noon till 7.30pm, though you'll have to pick-up from the venue. How much? $29–99
Terms like #BlackLivesMatter and alt-right didn't exist in 1967. As such, they're not mentioned in Detroit, a film based on the infamous race riots that gripped the titular town 50 years ago. Instead, we hear other telling words and phrases. Words like "you people". Words like "them". When a racist cop compares the city to 'Nam, when offensive slurs flow freely, and when scared black men openly pray for their lives in front of white police officers, there's no mistaking the climate of hatred and fear they're all inhabiting — or the parallels with the United States today. In a film of talk as much as action, these moments shudder with significance. Often, they make the audience shudder as well. Director Kathryn Bigelow, who remains the only woman to win an Oscar for direction, wants the violence, the slurs and the sense of anxiety to stand out. At the same time, she demonstrates just how commonplace it all was — and still is. As they did with The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, Bigelow and writer Mark Boal serve up an eye opening account of how America operates. Only this time, as they delve into racial, societal and institutionalised conflicts, they're working on home soil. Accordingly, Detroit pieces together a picture of a city and a nation seething with disharmony, weaving seemingly disparate stories together to recreate one specific incident. On the night of July 25, 1967, cops respond to reports of a sniper at the Algiers Motel, but can't locate the culprit or a weapon once they arrive. Already full of bluster from an earlier altercation, Officer Krauss (Will Poulter) and his colleagues (Jack Reynor and Ben O'Toole) aren't prepared to leave empty-handed. So the trio interrogate and intimidate a group of black men, plus two young white women, determined to put somebody in handcuffs. Among their detainees: The Dramatics singer Larry (Algee Smith) and his pal Fred (Jacob Latimore), who are staying the night en route home from their cancelled gig, and happen to cross paths with the attractive Julie Ann (Hannah Murray) and Karen (Kaitlyn Never). They're in the vicinity of the shots simply because they've followed the girls into their friend Carl's (Jason Mitchell) room. He's hanging out with a few mates, while returned soldier Greene (Anthony Mackie) is also down the hall. Arriving with the national guard, part-time security guard Melvin Dismukes (John Boyega) tries to assist in the aftermath. Detroit lets viewers get to know these characters — and to know them well. You can tell a lot about a person by the way they react when times get tough, and everyone here is swimming in pressure. After backstories are laid out in the film's first quarter, the movie spends its terse, tense mid-section in the hotel, watching the various figures face off. The camerawork is jumpy, intimate and urgent, as are the performances. Poulter is unnerving in his venomous conviction, while Smith is heartbreaking as the aspiring talent seeing his dreams fade away. Boyega, meanwhile, is a ball of internalised turmoil as the man caught in the middle. With the aforementioned war films as well as Point Break and Strange Days on her resume, Bigelow has consistently proven herself to be one of the best action directors working today, and Detroit only solidifies that status. Just as the film initially bounces around the riots to establish Detroit's volatile intensity, it also gets up close and personal with its main players, crafting a brutal snapshot not only of the events in question, but the city at the time and America as a whole. In the process, it serves as both an immersive picture of history and a horrific cautionary tale. Archival footage is used to amplify the grim mood, but it isn't really needed. Detroit would be a stunning piece of cinema either way. https://youtu.be/yv74LqiumXE
Laure Calamy doesn't star in everything that's hitting screens big and small from France right now, but from Call My Agent! and Only the Animals to Full Time and The Origin of Evil, audiences can be forgiven for feeling otherwise. Calamy isn't new to acting, either, with a resume dating back to 2001; however, her in-demand status at present keeps showering viewers with stellar performances. Indeed, The Origin of Evil is a magnificent Calamy masterclass. She's playing a part while playing a part, and she makes both look effortless. The Antoinette in the Cévennes César Best Actress-winner is also a picture of unnerving determination and yearning, and resourcefulness and anxiety, too, as a seafood-factory worker usually tinning anchovies, then packing herself into a mix of Knives Out, Succession, The Talented Mr Ripley and Triangle of Sadness. Unleashing in-fighting upon a wealthy family residing on Côte d'Azur island Porquerolles, this instantly twisty and gripping thriller from Faultless and School's Out writer/director Sébastien Marnier (who collaborates on the screenplay with Amore mio scribe Fanny Burdino) takes a setting that'd do The White Lotus proud as well, then wreaks havoc. On the agenda in such lavish and scenic surroundings, which come filled with an unsettling menagerie of taxidermied animals: witnessing savage squabbling over who'll inherit a business empire, bathing in the kind of bitterness that only the bonds of blood among the affluent and entitled can bring, more than one person wishing that patriarch Serge Dumontet (Jacques Weber, The World of Yesterday) would shuffle off this mortal coil and, just as crucially, not everything being what it seems. First, The Origin of Evil sees the mundanity of Stéphane's (Calamy) life on the mainland, as she works the tinning assembly line, is stood up during a visit to her incarcerated girlfriend (Suzanne Clément, STAT) and gets kicked out when her landlady decides to reconcile with her estranged daughter. It's after the latter news that she picks up the phone, makes a call and locks in a date for her own reunion. Soon, Stéphane and Serge are getting acquainted — but when the restaurateur takes his long-lost daughter from a fling decades ago back home to his palatial abode, the welcome is hardly warm. His shopaholic wife Louise (Dominique Blanc, Syndrome E) is largely obliging enough, but his daughter George (Doria Tillier, Smoking Causes Coughing) couldn't be icier, her daughter Jeanne (Céleste Brunnquell, Fifi) can't understand why anyone would want in on a clan she can't wait to get out of and light-fingered maid Agnès (Véronique Ruggia, Loving Memories) is also far from friendly. Stéphane isn't the only reason that affection among the Dumontets is as dead as the stuffed critters filling their airy, stately but jam-packed abode. His health may be ailing, but Serge still has a bite regarding work, ruling the roost and being threatened as the head of the family. George says that she's been running the company since her father's stroke, and is taking him to court to gain full control — which he'll do anything to stop. Accordingly, the joy that Serge splashes around over Stéphane's sudden appearance and the misgivings that are directed her way by George are both saddled with ample history. Whether she's claiming to own the fish factory, advising that all she wants is to get to know the dad that she's grown up without, or ignoring George's cold demand that she go away and never come back, Stéphane's time with this battling brood also has its own knotty backstory. With his School's Out cinematographer Romain Carcanade, Marnier makes The Origin of Evil a visually exacting and foreboding film, even as its vibe is laced with black comedy. Nudging viewers to spot firearms and knives isn't by accident. Ramping up the tension by having the audience primed for a body count isn't as well. Playfully clever use of split screens when everyone in front of the lens is in the same room helps reinforce the Dumontets' divisions, with and without Stéphane — and stresses her outsider status among them, alongside a heavy everyone's-a-future-suspect air. In its imagery, The Origin of Evil is as busy as the central villa that Louise has stacked with everything that she can possibly collect (one notable instance: a wall of VHS tapes of recorded TV shows). The switch of hues from grim to bright whenever Porquerolles beckons is telling, too. Watching along is like playing detective, then, scouring the sights, scenes and details for tell-tale tidbits. It might sport a title that could grace an entry in the Evil Dead, The Conjuring or IT franchises (most scary-movie sagas, really), but The Origin of Evil isn't a horror movie — traditionally, at least. As told via savvily suspenseful scripting, where constantly waiting for new revelations doesn't mean being ready for everything that spills, it's scathing about the ghastliness of money, privilege and expectation, and also misogyny. Snaky doesn't only sum up the plot, though. Where allegiances and sympathies land at any given moment is equally as zigzagging. And, as the story keeps spinning, Calamy's bobbing and weaving efforts as Stéphane are nothing short of phenomenal. Marnier and Carcanade regularly catch reactions from the newcomer in the Dumontets' midst that her hosts cannot see, each one adding new layers to this star performance. As riveting as she proves at every moment, Calamy also has excellent company, including the rest of the female-heavy cast. Blanc, Tillier, Brunnquell and Ruggia's characters mightn't receive as much time on-screen to demonstrate as much depth, but the quartet still ensures that they each make a sharp impression. Blanc is a barbed yet smiling gem, in particular. Together, around Weber segueing from affable to monstrous, the four women unpack the many imperfections of a life that glitters only on the surface — aka the flaws in the gleaming prize that Stéphane is so eagerly chasing. Again, however, Calamy is The Origin of Evil's jewel. If France's film and TV output wants to keep pushing her to the fore again and again, its movies and television shows will only be better for it.
Calling all Scandi cinema diehards, Nordic noir buffs, fans of the region's oft-icy climes, and lovers of mythology and folklore: the 2023 Scandinavian Film Festival has something on its lineup for you. When it gets frosty in Australia each year, this big-screen showcase celebrates titles primarily hailing from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden — and its latest lineup is full of must-see highlights. Screening from Thursday, July 13–Wednesday, August 2 at Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, The Kino, Pentridge Cinema and The Astor Theatre in Melbourne, the fest's latest program will kick off with the Australian premiere of Let the River Flow, which won the Audience Award at this year's Göteborg Film Festival. Based on a true tale, it tells of a young woman who unintentionally becomes involved in a protest against a dam, with the new structure set to possibly flood Indigenous Sámi land. The standouts keep coming, such as Godland from Icelandic filmmaker Hlynur Pálmason (A White, White Day), which gets the festival's centrepiece slot — and Fallen Leaves, the latest from Finnish great Aki Kaurismäki's (The Other Side of Hope). Both hit the Scandi Film Festival after bowing locally at other events around the country. Also boasting a high-profile name is Burn All My Letters, which follows the consequences of a love affair, and stars Barbarian and John Wick: Chapter 4's Bill Skarsgård. Or, there's Swedish thriller Shadow Island, Darkland sequel Darkland: The Return and psychological drama Copenhagen Does Not Exist for devotees of Nordic cinema's dark side. If that's your favourite way to get a Scandi film fix, you'll also be in your element with Scandi Screams, the fest's six-movie retrospective. That's where that focus on myths and eerie tales comes in, and of course Let the Right One In is on the lineup. So is Ari Aster's Midsommar, the Oscar-nominated Border, Mads Mikkelsen in Valhalla Rising, twisted Christmas flick Rare Exports and the fantasy-heavy Troll Hunter. Back to the event's slate of recent releases, comedy lovers can get excited about Iceland's dinner party-set Wild Game, Denmark's Fathers & Mothers and The Land of Short Sentences, the new film in The Grump franchise, and absurdist-leaning period piece Empire. Also on the lineup: Unruly, another 2023 Göteborg Film Festival award-winner, this time for Best Nordic Film; documentary The King, about Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf; Munch, a dramatisation of the Norwegian artist's life; coming-of-age drama Norwegian Dream; One Day All This Will Be Yours, about a Swedish cartoonist and her siblings dividing up the family farmland; and polyamory love story Four Little Adults.
There are plenty of ways to mark a movie milestone. Whenever one of your favourite flicks notches up five, ten, 20, 30 or more years since first hitting screens, watching it is the easiest way to celebrate, of course. That's definitely in order when the original animated version of The Lion King — not the recent live-action take — hits three decades in 2024. How to truly do justice to the Disney smash that spawned a musical, ample sequels and oh-so-much enduring affection? Seeing it show at an in-concert session with a live orchestra playing its songs and score. Yes, The Lion King in Concert is coming to Australia, with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra doing the honours. The blockbuster movie-and-music performance was announced as part of MSO's just-unveiled 2024 season, and will take over The Plenary at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday, February 3. This is an Aussie premiere, too, featuring Hans Zimmer's score and Elton John and Tim Rice's songs performed live as the movie once again graces a silver screen. As Nicholas Buc conducts, audiences will be feeling the love that night — and day, thanks to both 1pm and 7.30pm sessions — and celebrating the circle of life as well. Just can't wait to commemorate 30 years since the film debuted, instantly becoming an all-ages favourite? Add this chance to revisit Simba's journey to your calendar. Both John and Rice's tunes, and Zimmer's music, won Oscars. The former were nominated three times in the same field, in fact, with 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight?' winning out over 'Circle of Life' and 'Hakuna Matata'. So, yes, seeing any film as its score is played live is a rousing experience, but this one will feel particularly powerful. There's no word yet whether The Lion King in Concert will be a Melbourne exclusive in addition to being an Aussie premiere, or if it'll make the rounds of other city-based symphony orchestras. Some such shows hop around the country, as Star Wars, Harry Potter and Zimmer-focused gigs have. Others have stuck to one place, as seen with past The Princess Bride, Home Alone and Toy Story performances, and the upcoming Black Panther. Sydneysiders, Brisbanites and folks elsewhere, perhaps cross your fingers while you channel a "hakuna matata" mindset. You can always stream the sing-along version while you wait for local dates. Check out the trailer for The Lion King below: The Lion King in Concert will play The Plenary, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, on Saturday, February 3, 2024. Head to the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra website for further details, and tickets from Tuesday, October 3, 2023.
The Night Poodle Markets is making its grand debut at this year's Melbourne Night Noodle Markets. So, if you've got a fur baby you'd like to flaunt, this is your pup's chance to shine. Hosted for one-night-only on Sunday, November 13, the inaugural Paw Parade – presented by Scratch – will feature a dazzling pink runway for all adorable canines to walk down. All doggos will be judged on character, costumes and cuteness by none other than Drag Queen, Sam T. In addition, dogs and their owners will be treated to a mini photo session at the dedicated photo wall, as well as free samples of Scratch's dog food and treats presented in a limited-edition doggy noodle box. Keeping in theme with the family-friendly occasion, Night Noodle Markets will also launch its first Family Day on Saturday, November 19 at 4pm. For three hours, the event will include a bubble artist, a magician, stage entertainment, yard games and a free kids' face painting session with Sparkly Sue. To register your pup for the Paw Parade, head over to this link for more details. Do also check out the Night Noodle Markets 2022 website to see what to expect from Thursday, November 10–Sunday, November 27. [caption id="attachment_876884" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Night Noodle Markets - Supplied[/caption] Top image: Night Noodle Markets — supplied
Internationally renowned sculptor Ken Unsworth was born in Melbourne, but, during his 50-year career, he's not had a major exhibition in the city. Until now, that is. This spring, he'll be bringing skeletons, crying babies and a grand piano to the National Gallery of Victoria, for Ken Unsworth: Truly, Madly. The free show will feature key works spanning Unsworth's past. Among them are When the angel of the lord came down, a tribute to his late wife, Elisabeth Unsworth, who was a concert pianist, and Mind games, in which two skeletons face one another across a table. Look out, too, for brand new pieces, including When snowflakes turn to stone, an oversized skeleton encircled with stones, and Alphaville, which immerses you in five-metre high buildings and their sounds – from barking dogs to prayer rituals. Now 87, Unsworth worked as a high school art teacher before becoming a full-time artist. He exhibited at the 1976 Sydney Biennale; numerous Australian Sculptural Triennials; Biennales in Paris, Venice and Istanbul; and several other major international shows, including Magiciens de la Terre, curated by Jean-Hubert Martin at The Pompidou Centre in 1989. Images: Mind Games 2014, Ken Unsworth; When snowflakes turn to stone 2018, Ken Unsworth; In concert (1983-84), Ken Unsworth; Below the horizon 2017, Ken Unsworth. All photos by Eugene Hyland.
Yoga is good for us, we all know that. Yogis can live to be 400 and are known to look fresh as a daisy at 5am, and a daily or weekly regiment of yoga can seriously aid your mental health. But really, that pan-pipe music can be so annoying — not to mention that it's never loud enough to stifle the occasional fart. But all those troubles are behind you now because you can get limber among your people at Bey Yoga. Every Sunday from 3pm, you can channel your inner Beyonce while enjoying Bey and Bey-inspired music with nary a pan-pipe in sight. The class is designed to work your core strength and flexibility as well as mindfulness — and no doubt all this conditioning will help you nail the moves at your next Bey dance class. If this is your jam, make sure to book ahead as spots are limited and coveted.
UPDATE, October 23, 2020: Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is available to stream via Netflix, Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube, iTunes and Amazon Video. The film that inspired DC Comics fans to ridiculously call for Rotten Tomatoes' closure, 2016's Suicide Squad was many things. Filled with nefarious characters forced to band together to save the world, it was supposed to be a Joker-led villainous team-up flick — and, while it ticked that box, it was also formulaic, bloated, unsubtle and overflowing with ugly CGI. As a result, it was mostly just dull and a slog to watch. And while the anti-hero onslaught is still getting a sequel in 2021, only one element truly stood out. That'd be Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, the Arkham Asylum psychiatrist who jumped into a life of crime when she became the jester of genocide's main squeeze. From the moment that Robbie stole the show in Suicide Squad, a Quinn-focused spinoff was always inevitable. So, knowing when they're onto a good thing — and witnessing their now Academy Award-nominated Australian star keep rising in fame via I, Tonya, Mary, Queen of Scots, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Bombshell — the folks behind the DC Extended Universe have gone and done the obvious. Thankfully, the powers-that-be learned a few lessons along the way, leaning into everything that first made the anarchic character attract so much big-screen attention. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is vividly stylised, irreverently upbeat, and both frenetic and fluid. To the benefit of every fight and chase scene, it's also more concerned with eye-popping action choreography than overblown special effects. The movie's riotous mood, lurid colour scheme and kookily comic sensibilities can't smooth out all of its bumps, though, but put it this way: Suicide Squad, this definitely isn't. After breaking up with the Joker (Jared Leto's awful green-haired version of the villain is nowhere to be seen, luckily), Quinn finds herself at a crossroads. Just like anyone who's newly single, she's not quite sure what to do with herself, other than drinking, downing comfort food, cutting her hair and getting a pet. Just when she's starting to reclaim her havoc-wreaking spark, she also discovers an unexpected consequence of changing her relationship status. Now that she's no longer the clown prince of crime's other half, every lowlife in town wants to settle the score for all the times she's done them wrong. One of them is psychopathic nightclub owner Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor) — and, in trying to save her alabaster skin from her new number-one nemesis, Quinn gets caught up with a posse of other feisty Gotham gals. Enter: Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), a hard-nosed detective constantly overlooked by the brass; Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), a singer at Sionis' club with a helluva voice; and the crossbow-wielding, vengeance-seeking, leather-clad Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Light-fingered teen Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) actually brings them all together, with Sionis' goons chasing her, too. These ladies comprise a disparate bunch throughout much of the movie, but — because this flick is based on and named after a comic-book superhero team — becoming a girl gang is blatantly on the agenda. Yes, even with candy-coloured trickster Quinn leading the charge and grinning away as she's doing so, Birds of Prey brandishes a familiar caped crusader template. Besting Suicide Squad is an incredibly low and easy bar to conquer, which Birds of Prey does. Completely finding its own groove is a trickier task and, despite the best efforts of director Cathy Yan (Dead Pigs) and writer Christina Hodson (Bumblebee), it proves harder to master here. Sporting a punk-ish, perky, peppy attitude, Birds of Prey feels unique in the DC movie realm, even against other standout franchise entries like Wonder Woman and Aquaman. But its goofy, off-kilter vibe also feels just a few shades away from Marvel's Thor: Ragnarok on occasion. Quinn's cheeky, knowing, mile-a-minute narration, as well as the playful plot structure that comes with it, can also veer too close to Deadpool territory. That makes Birds of Prey fun, purposefully chaotic and mostly entertaining, but also sometimes struggling to keep it all together. That's Quinn herself in a nutshell, though — and while this isn't a case of a film perfectly aping its protagonist in every possible way, there's still some nice symmetry at play. And, there's always something enjoyable going on on-screen. Often, it's the kinetic fight scenes, with credit to second-unit director (and John Wick franchise director) Chad Stahelski. At other times, it's the dazzling, glittering production design, or a memorable dream sequence that casts Quinn as Marilyn Monroe. Usually, it's the cast, which firmly pushes a diverse array of girls to the front. An over-the-top McGregor relishes his rare cartoonish bad guy role, but Birds of Prey's motley crew of female stars soar highest. Robbie most of all, unsurprisingly — and just as Joaquin Phoenix's take on the Joker looks likely to nab him an Oscar, it's a delight to see Harley Quinn still stealing the spotlight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygzqL60kvwU
As one of the past year's most anticipated venue openings, multi-level party playground HER (from the Arbory and Arbory Afloat crew) got a serious workout in 2022. And if you figured those four storeys would be teaming up to host one giant New Year's Eve celebration — well, you'd be correct. In fact, guests at HER's upcoming NYE party will have free rein of the entire venue — as well as enjoying one-night-only access to a secret, never-before-seen fifth floor. The building's Lune Rouge NYE party promises to dish up an enchanting night of art, performance, glamour and debauchery, with ticket packages starting from $275. From 8pm–12am, guests are in for free-flowing champagne and cocktails, plus bottomless bites — from BKK's punchy Thai dishes to the caviar and French fare of HER Bar. [caption id="attachment_842092" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] You can groove to tunes from the likes of JNETT and Alton Miller, explore numerous art installations, drop by BKK for a sit-down feed and unleash your best dance moves immersed within HER Bar's sultry red glow. Meanwhile, the secret space on Level Two will be making a debut of sorts, with an avant-garde disco and cabaret party hosted by experimental artists and performance duo Discordia. Guests are encouraged to don their best red outfits for the festivities — and dancing shoes are definitely recommended. Images: Griffin Simm and Parker Blain
These days, we're all on the hunt for cheap eats in Melbourne. And Brunswick East is already home to plenty of damn good spots — CDMX, Wild Life Bakery, Mankoushe, Nico's Sandwich Deli and Thaila Thai. But there's always room for more. Enter Tawooq, the new Lebanese street food spot on Brunswick East's booming Lygon Street. Here, just nine menu items are up for grabs, each costing less than $15. The Lebanese wraps come stuffed with either falafels, beef shawarma, fries or the signature chicken tawooqs (grilled chicken covered in a creamy yogurt-based marinade). Baguettes are loaded with small spicy sausages (makanek or sujuk), tomatoes, pickles and sauces, as well as asbe (grilled chicken livers). But don't get turned off by the idea of liver, because this baguette is one of the most succulent of all the meat-filled bites. Nonetheless, those wanting something more western can order the classic fried chicken or beef burger. These look great, but you really should go to Tawooq for the Lebanese eats. Pair your lunch or late-night meal (Tawooq is open till 2am on Friday and Saturday nights) with soft drinks or order some fresh smoothies from its sister brand Laiimoon. Located within the same space, you can get its traditional Lebanese sahlab (milk pudding) or one of its smoothies packed with fresh fruit. It's a small selection of food and drink, but you've only got to master a few to become a true food destination in Melbourne. You'll find Tawooq at 109 Lygon Street, Brunswick East, open 11am–11pm Sunday–Thursday, and 11am–2am on Friday and Saturday. For more details, head to the venue's website.
Melburnians are set to score a brand new place to get a culture fix this winter, when Science Gallery Melbourne opens its doors as part of the University of Melbourne's new innovation precinct. Celebrating the intersection of art and science, the 3800-square-metre site is slated to welcome its first visitors in June, showing off a state-of-the-art gallery complete with a theatre, learning centre, workshop facilities, social areas and a range of exhibition spaces. It'll be the first permanent home for Science Gallery Melbourne, which has hosted various exhibitions and programs at public spaces and pop-up sites all over the city for the past four years. This major new addition is set to showcase a calendar of immersive, interactive exhibitions and events, and will also feature a significant educational hub in its STEM Centre of Excellence. It's one of a whole suite of Science Gallery museums located in universities around the world, which are dedicated to exploring a fusion of scientific theory, new technology and creativity. The purpose-built museum has been designed by award-winning architect William Smart of Smart Design Studio, and its fitout is inspired by the hidden forces of nature. Inside, it boasts a dramatic ceiling that appears to warp as you move beneath it, while at the front entrance, the gallery's facade has been constructed from Venetian glass bricks, each housing one of 226 touch-enabled screens, creating a changeable digital canvas for future works and collaborations. Helping to launch the museum in June, will be opening exhibition Mental: Head Inside, which is set on exploring the societal bias about mental health and diving into the spectrum of our lived realities. It'll showcase 25 new projects and installations from artists local and international, along with a calendar of performances, panel discussions, workshops and public art. Science Gallery Melbourne is slated to open at the corner of Grattan and Swanston streets, Parkville, on June 15. For further details, head to the museum's website. Images: Peter Casamento
British and Mediterranean Easter traditions are well-known and celebrated all over Melbourne. You'll find hot cross buns at most supermarkets, bakeries and cafes. Greek Easter egg smashing is well-loved by many who aren't Greek Orthodox. And Italian Colomba is looking like it will soon be as famous as its sibling the panettone. But Brunswick East's Eat Pierogi Make Love is keen to teach Melburnians about Polish Easter festivities. And, of course, it's doing this through food. What better way is there to pique our curiosity than appealing to our appetite? Pop over to the Lygon Street restaurant on either Friday, March 29 or Saturday, March 30 to get a food-filled education. For $149, two people get a traditional Easter soup made with fermented rye flour, smoked meats, and marjoram; a sharing platter loaded with pickled herring, baked pork and beef pate; sausage and sauerkraut pierogis; plenty of bread for mopping up all the sauces and ferments; and a Polish cheesecake. Chef Ola Gladysz is known for her generous portions, but there's always the option to add more a la carte options during the night if you so wish. Our recommendation? As many pierogis as you can manage.
So there's a play called Mein Kampf. A comedy, in fact. Undoubtedly someone’s outraged already, just reading that. Adolf Hitler's notorious manifesto certainly seems like unusual fodder for comedy, but the play has been a perennial success since its first staging in Vienna in 1987. Written by Hungarian-born Jewish playwright George Tabori, who was himself an exile from the Third Reich, it casts the young Hitler in a farcical role as a penniless and pitiful wannabe artist. While staying in a seedy hostel, young Hitler strikes up a friendship with an old Jewish man, who becomes his inspiration for everything from the title of his book to his style of moustache. Both a fast-moving lampoon and an exploration of the origins of evil, Mein Kampf promises to be outrageous in every sense of the word. After a hit season in 2013, this production returns for an encore season in July 2014.
It's a pretty good time to be a fan of rooftop bars, barbecue or both if you live in Melbourne. We announced back in June that the Fancy Hank's BBQ crew were planning to open a dedicated, two-storey barbecue joint on Bourke Street — and it has just opened in doors. Plus, the new rooftop bar we were buzzing about in August is set to join them, possibly as soon as this week. Yep, it's an upstairs/downstairs kind of place, and you can enjoy the former while the Fancy Hank's puts the finishing touches on the latter. The new 100-seat restaurant is basically a bigger, better version of their venue at The Mercat, complete with a two-tonne smoker that had to be brought in through the first-storey window. They'll need it; co-owner Michael Patrick says the menu features their signature smoked meats, as well as a rotating vegetarian main, such as a smoked eggplant or sweet potato, as well as a few more surprises. "The sides will be a bit more considered as well — a bit more seasonal, a bit more made to order, a bit more interesting," he says. "And mains will be served up on platters, family-style — that's the way to go. We'll be adding a dessert cabinet too." Head above, and you'll feel like you're in the heavens — or Good Heavens, as the bar will be called. A whole new concept set to open any day now, it's a casual rooftop bar that's unlike anything the Fancy Hank's guys have done before. The bar has chosen to champion brightly-coloured '80s-inspired cocktails (blue curaçao may be making an appearance), as well as barbecue snacks like spicy southern chicken ribs, chilli nachos and a seared and smoked lamb neck grilled cheese sandwich. Of course, new doors might be opening, but old ones don't have to close. The Mercat still has ties to your beloved Fancy Hanks, but it's now called Knuckles Sandwich Bar. It's a scaled-back version of the original, but still as tasty — and there's no prizes for guessing what they serve. Fancy Hank's is now open at 1/79 Bourke Street, Melbourne. Good Heavens is due to follow later this month. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for updates. By Imogen Baker, Lauren Vadnjal and Sarah Ward.
Always on the lookout for your next photo op? Wanting a fun way to escape your reality? Make sure to have your cameras at the ready because Honey House is about to hit Queensbridge Square (and have Melbourne feeling a little topsy-turvy — in a good way). Courtesy of Honey Insurance, the bold building is here to help you up your know-how on protecting that home of yours with seven interactive rooms (think mirrored illusions, misplaced furniture in candy-bright hues and photo spots aplenty). Want to know the best part? The part-photo-studio-part-art-installation is completely free for everyone to enjoy. Once you're in, you'll have plenty of time to explore, play and get the perfect shot — check out the Honey Instagram for a sneak peek. Running from Thursday, June 2 until Monday, June 6, this surreal experience is not one to miss. Reserve your tickets in advance, because it's sure to draw some serious crowds. Head to the website to reserve your spot. Top images: Scott Ehler
Glittery mirror balls, synth-heavy disco tunes and pizza — it's a Saturday night match made in heaven and it's the combo that's going to end your year right at Connie's Italian Diner. On December 31, the modern trattoria and much-loved party spot is combining its favourite things for a NYE party to remember. The venue's opening its leafy rooftop terrace, firing up its dance floor and inviting you to spend your final evening of 2022 getting down to a soundtrack of Italo-Disco tunes. Nab yourself a $125 ticket and you'll enjoy four hours of free-flowing drinks to match — including beer, vino, bubbles and a slew of aperitivo cocktails. Because what's a rooftop party without a few spritzes or Americanos? To fuel you up for all that dancing, they'll also be rolling out lots of Italian-style snacks; from mozzarella sticks, to arancini, to Connie's signature pizza varieties. And we reckon that terrace will offer a pretty good peek of the midnight fireworks, too.
As one of Melbourne's largest Chinese communities, Box Hill will celebrate the turn of the season with a marathon 12-hour festival that stretches from 1pm until well into the night. Local vendors will serve some of the city's tastiest Chinese cuisine, while traditional lion and dragon dancers entertain the masses. The highlight will be the Parade of Choi Sun, the Chinese God of Fortune.
A quarter-century since the world first met Monica, Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe, TV's most famous friends are never too far from anyone's thoughts. When the sitcom's catchy theme tune promised "I'll be there for you", it seems these New York pals really meant it — not just about each other, but for the legions of viewers who watched their antics between 1994–2004, then kept rewatching them afterwards. Over the years, you've probably caught reruns on television, binged your way through boxsets or let episode after episode play on Stan — but you probably haven't enjoyed a marathon of standout eps on the big screen. To celebrate the series' 25th anniversary, a heap of Melbourne cinemas are letting Friends fans do just that. There mightn't be an orange couch for you to sit on, but you'll want to gather the gang regardless. Prices and session times vary per cinema, but the lineup remains the same. On the bill are 12 of the show's classic episodes, including The One With The Black Out, The One With The Prom Video and The One Where No One's Ready — plus The One With Chandler In A Box, The One Where Everyone Finds Out and The One Where Ross Got High. Running for five hours, the screening will also feature new footage, interviews and bloopers — so you'll get an extra dose of Friends fun.
It's been a long wait in Melbourne if you want to rock 'n' roll with AC/DC live. 2025 marks ten years since the iconic Sydney-formed band last took to the stage Down Under. It's also the year, thankfully, that they're making their Aussie concert return. After kicking off in 2024, the group's Power Up tour will play Australian dates, with Brian Johnson, Angus Young and company hitting up Melbourne on Wednesday, November 12 and Sunday, November 16. Let there be rock at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, then. This is the first time that the legendary Australian rockers have toured Down Under since their 2015 'Rock or Bust' world tour. In November in Victorian capital, Amyl and The Sniffers are onboard in support to make this massive concert even more so, and to give attendees a taste of two different generations of Aussie rockstars. This tour isn't just a fitting homecoming for AC/DC, but comes more than half a century since the band played their first-ever show in Australia. This 2025 gig will be just over a month and a half short of 52 years since that 1973 Sydney debut. Power Up is also the name of the group's 2020 album, their most-recent record — which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, made multiple best-of lists for that year and scored Grammy nominations. For those about to rock, AC/DC's high-voltage current set list spans their entire career, however, including everything from 'If You Want Blood (You've Got It)', 'Back in Black' and 'Hells Bells' to 'Highway to Hell', 'Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap' and 'You Shook Me All Night Long'. Images: Christie Goodwin. Updated: Thursday, June 26, 2025.
