Before the pandemic, when a new-release movie started playing in cinemas, audiences couldn't watch it on streaming, video on demand, DVD or blu-ray for a few months. But with the past few years forcing film industry to make quite a few changes — widespread movie theatre closures and plenty of people staying home in iso will do that — that's no longer always the case. Maybe you've been under the weather. Perhaps you haven't had time to make it to your local cinema lately. Given the hefty amount of films now releasing each week, maybe you simply missed something. Film distributors have been fast-tracking some of their new releases from cinemas to streaming recently — movies that might still be playing in theatres in some parts of the country, too. In preparation for your next couch session, here are 19 that you can watch right now at home. WHITE NOISE We're all dying. We're all shopping. We're all prattling relentlessly about our days and routines, and about big ideas and tiny specifics as well. As we cycle through this list over and over, again and again, rinsing and repeating, we're also all clinging to whatever distracts us from our ever-looming demise, our mortality hovering like a black billowing cloud. In White Noise, all of the above is a constant. For the film's second of three chapters, a dark swarm in the sky is literal, too. Adapted from Don DeLillo's 1985 novel of the same name — a book thought unfilmable for the best part of four decades — by Marriage Story writer/director Noah Baumbach, this bold, playful survey of existential malaise via middle-class suburbia and academia overflows with life, death, consumerism and the cacophony of chaos echoing through our every living moment. Oh, and there's a glorious supermarket dance number as one helluva finale, because why not? "All plots move deathward" protagonist Jack Gladney (Adam Driver, House of Gucci) contends, one of his words of wisdom in the 'Hitler studies' course he's taught for 16 years at College-on-the-Hill. Yes, that early declaration signals the feature's biggest point of fascination — knowing that eternal rest awaits us all, that is — as does White Noise's car crash-filled very first frames. In the latter, Jack's colleague Murray Siskind (Don Cheadle, No Sudden Move) holds court, addressing students about the meaning of and catharsis found in on-screen accidents, plunging into their use of violence and catastrophe as entertainment, and showing clips. In the aforementioned mid-section of the movie, when White Noise turns into a disaster flick thanks to a tanker truck colliding with a train and a wild road trip with Jack's fourth wife Babette (Greta Gerwig, 20th Century Women) and their kids Heinrich (Sam Nivola, With/In), Steffie (May Nivola, The Pursuit of Love), Denise (Raffey Cassidy, Vox Lux) and Wilder (debutants Henry and Dean Moore), you can bet that Murray's insights and concepts bubble up again. White Noise is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. BARBARIAN "Safe as houses" isn't a term that applies much in horror. It isn't difficult to glean why. Even if scary movies routinely followed folks worrying about their investments — one meaning of the phrase — it's always going to be tricky for the sentiment to stick when such flicks love plaguing homes, lodges and other dwellings with bumps, jumps and bone-chilling terror. Barbarian, however, could break out the expression and mean it, in a way. At its centre sits a spruced-up Detroit cottage listed on Airbnb and earning its owner a trusty income. In the film's setup, the house in question is actually doing double duty, with two guests booked for clashing stays over the same dates. It's hardly a spoiler to say that their time in the spot, the nicest-looking residence in a rundown neighbourhood, leaves them feeling anything but safe. Late on a gloomy, rainy, horror-movie-101 kind of night — an eerie and tense evening from the moment that writer/director Zach Cregger's first feature as a solo director begins — Tess Marshall (Georgina Campbell, Suspicion) arrives at Barbarian's pivotal Michigan property. She's in town for a job interview, but discovers the lockbox empty, keys nowhere to be found. Also, the home already has an occupant in Keith Toshko (Bill Skarsgård, Eternals), who made his reservation via a different website. With a medical convention filling the city's hotels, sharing the cottage seems the only option, even if Tess is understandably cautious about cohabitating with a man she's literally just met. Ambiguity is part of Barbarian from the get-go, spanning whether Keith can be trusted, what's behind their double booking and, when things start moving overnight, what's going on in the abode. That's only the start of Barbarian's hellish story. Barbarian is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. SHE SAID Questions flow freely in She Said, the powerful and methodical All the President's Men and Spotlight-style newspaper drama from director Maria Schrader (I'm Your Man) and screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz (Small Axe) that tells the story behind the past decade's biggest entertainment story. On-screen, Zoe Kazan (Clickbait) and Carey Mulligan (The Dig) tend to be doing the asking, playing now Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. They query Harvey Weinstein's actions, including his treatment of women. They gently and respectfully press actors and Miramax employees about their traumatic dealings with the Hollywood honcho, and they politely see if some — if any — will go on the record about their experiences. And, they question Weinstein and others at his studio about accusations that'll lead to this famous headline: "Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades". As the entire world read at the time, those nine words were published on October 5, 2017, along with the distressing article that detailed some — but definitely not all — of Weinstein's behaviour. Everyone has witnessed the fallout, too, with Kantor and Twohey's story helping spark the #MeToo movement, electrifying the ongoing fight against sexual assault and gender inequality in the entertainment industry, and shining a spotlight on the gross misuses of authority that have long plagued Tinseltown. The piece also brought about Weinstein's swift downfall. As well as being sentenced to 23 years in prison in New York in 2020, he's currently standing trial for further charges in Los Angeles. Watching She Said, however, more questions spring for the audience. Here's the biggest heartbreaker: how easily could Kantor and Twohey's article never have come to fruition at all, leaving Weinstein free to continue his predatory harassment? She Said is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery opens with a puzzle box inside a puzzle box. The former is a wooden cube delivered out of the blue, the latter the followup to 2019 murder-mystery hit Knives Out, and both are as tightly, meticulously, cleverly and cannily orchestrated as each other. The physical version has siblings, all sent to summon a motley crew of characters to the same place, as these types of flicks need to boast. The film clearly has its own brethren, and slots in beside its predecessor as one of the genre's gleaming standouts. More Knives Out movies will follow as well, which the two so far deserve to keep spawning as long as writer/director Rian Johnson (Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi) and Benoit Blanc-playing star Daniel Craig (No Time to Die) will make them. Long may they keep the franchise's key detective and audience alike sleuthing. Long may they have everyone revelling in every twist, trick and revelation, as the breezy blast that is Glass Onion itself starts with. What do Connecticut Governor and US Senate candidate Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn, WandaVision), model-slash-designer-slash-entrepreneur Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson, Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon), scientist Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr, The Many Saints of Newark) and gun-toting, YouTube-posting men's rights activist Duke Cody (Dave Bautista, Thor: Love and Thunder) all have in common when this smart and savvy sequel kicks off? They each receive those literal puzzle boxes, of course, and they visibly enjoy their time working out what they're about. The cartons are the key to their getaway to Greece — their invites from tech mogul Miles Bron (Edward Norton, The French Dispatch), in fact — and also perfectly emblematic of this entire feature. It's noteworthy that this quartet carefully but playfully piece together clues to unveil the contents inside, aka Glass Onion's exact modus operandi. That said, it's also significant that a fifth recipient of these elaborate squares, Andi Brand (Janelle Monáe, Antebellum), simply decides to smash their way inside with a hammer. As Brick and Looper also showed, Johnson knows when to attentively dole out exactly what he needs to, including when the body count starts. He also knows when to let everything spill out, and when to put the cravat-wearing Blanc on the case. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. ROALD DAHL'S MATILDA THE MUSICAL Mischievous and magical in equal measure (and spirited, and gleefully snarky and spiky), Roald Dahl's Matilda has been a balm for souls since 1988. If you were a voracious reader as a kid, happiest escaping into the page — or if you felt out of place at home, cast aside for favoured siblings, bullied at school or unappreciated in general — then it wasn't just a novel. Rather, it was a diary capturing your bubbling feelings in perfect detail, just penned by one of the great children's authors. When Matilda first reached the screen in 1996, Americanised and starring Mara Wilson as the pint-sized bookworm who finds solace in imagined worlds (and puts bleach in her dad's hair tonic, and glue on his hat band), the film captured the same sensation. So has the song-and-dance stage version since 2010, too, because this heartfelt yet irreverent tale was always primed for the musical treatment. Over a decade later, after nabbing seven Olivier Awards for its West End run, five Tony Awards on Broadway and 13 of Australia's own Helpmann Awards as well, that theatre show's movie adaptation arrives with its revolting children and its little bit of naughtiness. Tim Minchin's music and lyrics still provide the soundtrack to Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical, boasting the Aussie entertainer's usual blend of clever wordplay and comedy. Both the stage iteration's original director Matthew Warchus and playwright Dennis Kelly return, the former hopping back behind the camera after 2014's Pride and the latter adding a new screen project to his resume after The Third Day. The library full of charm remains, as does a story that's always relatable for all ages. Horrors and hilarity, a heroine (Alisha Weir, Darklands) for the ages, a hulking villain of a headmistress (Emma Thompson, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande), the beloved Miss Honey (Lashana Lynch, The Woman King), telekinetic powers: they're all also accounted for. Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. STARS AT NOON Sweat, skin, sex, schisms, secrets and survival: a great film by French auteur Claire Denis typically has them all. Stars at Noon is one of them, even if her adaptation of the 1986 novel of nearly the same name — her picture drops the 'the', as a certain social network did — doesn't quite soar to the same astonishing heights as High Life, her last English-language release. Evocative, enveloping, atmospheric, dripping with unease: they're also traits that the two flicks share, like much of the Beau Travail, 35 Shots of Rum and White Material filmmaker's work. Here, all the sultriness and stress swells around two gleamingly attractive strangers, Trish (Margaret Qualley, Maid) and Daniel (Joe Alwyn, Conversations with Friends), who meet in a Central American hotel bar, slip between the sheets and find themselves tangled up in plenty beyond lips and limbs. Shining at each other when so much else obscures their glow, Stars at Noon's central duo are jumbled up in enough individually anyway. For the first half hour-ish, the erotic thriller slinks along with Trish's routine, which sees perspiration plastered across her face from the Nicaraguan heat, the lack of air-conditioning in her motel and the struggle to enjoy a cold drink. The rum she's often swilling, recalling that aforementioned Denis-directed feature's moniker, hardly helps. Neither does the transactional use of her body with a local law enforcement officer (Nick Romano, Shadows) and a government official (Stephan Proaño, Crónica de un amor). Imbibing is clearly a coping and confidence-giving mechanism, while those amorous tumbles afford her protection in a precarious political situation, with her passport confiscated, her actions being scrutinised and funds for a plane ticket home wholly absent. Stars at Noon is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. SERIOUSLY RED When working nine to five isn't panning out for Raylene 'Red 'Delaney (Krew Boylan, A Place to Call Home), she does what all folks should: takes Dolly Parton's advice. Pouring yourself a cup of ambition is never simple, but when you're a Parton-obsessed Australian eager to make all things Dolly your living, it's a dream that no one should be allowed to shatter. That's the delightful idea behind Seriously Red, which pushes Parton worship to the next level — and idolising celebrities in general — while tracking Red's quest to make it, cascading blonde wigs atop her natural flame-hued tresses and all, as a Dolly impersonator. That's a wonderfully flamboyant concept, too, as brought to the screen with a surreal 'Copy World' filled with other faux superstars; enlisting Rose Byrne (Physical) as an Elvis mimic is particularly inspired. Seriously Red doesn't just get its namesake adhering to Parton's wisdom, whether sung or spoken over the icon's 55-year career. It also splashes the country music queen's adages like "find out who you are and do it on purpose" across its frames as well. They help give the film structure and assist in setting the tone, as this rhinestone-studded movie comedically but earnestly explores two universal struggles. Everyone wants to be true to themselves, and to work out what that means. We all yearn to spend our days chasing our heart's real desires, too. As penned by Boylan in her debut script, and directed by fellow feature first-timer Gracie Otto (after documentaries The Last Impresario and Under the Volcano, plus episodes of The Other Guy, Bump, Heartbreak High and more), Seriously Red spots a big question lurking in these missions for Red, however — because what does it mean when being yourself and scoring your dream gig means being someone else? Seriously Red is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. BARDO, FALSE CHRONICLE OF A HANDFUL OF TRUTHS Everyone wants to be the person at the party that the dance floor revolves around, and life in general as well, or so Alejandro González Iñárritu contends in Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths. In one of the film's many spectacularly shot scenes — with the dual Best Director Oscar-winning Birdman and The Revenant helmer benefiting from astonishing lensing by Armageddon Time cinematographer Darius Khondji — the camera swirls and twirls around Silverio Gama (Daniel Giménez Cacho, Memoria), the movie's protagonist, making him the only person that matters in a heaving crowd. Isolated vocals from David Bowie's 'Let's Dance' boom, and with all the more power without music behind them, echoing as if they're only singing to Silverio. Iñárritu is right: everyone does want a moment like this. Amid the intoxicating visuals and vibe, he's also right that such instances are fleeting. And, across his sprawling and surreal 159-minute flick, he's right that such basking glory and lose-yourself-to-dance bliss can never be as fulfilling as anyone wants. That sequence comes partway through Bardo, one of several that stun through sheer beauty and atmosphere, and that Iñárritu layers with the disappointment of being himself. Everyone wants to be the filmmaker with all the fame and success, breaking records, winning prestigious awards and conquering Hollywood, he also contends. Alas, when you're this Mexican director, that isn't as joyous or uncomplicated an experience as it sounds. On-screen, his blatant alter ego is a feted documentarian rather than a helmer of prized fiction. He's a rare Latino recipient of a coveted accolade, one of Bardo's anchoring events. He's known to make ambitious works with hefty titles — False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths is both the IRL movie's subtitle and the name of Silverio's last project — and he's been largely based in the US for decades. Yes, parallels abound. Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. THE WOMAN KING Since 2016's Suicide Squad, the DC Extended Universe has tasked Viola Davis with corralling super-powered folks, including villains forced to do the state's bidding (as also seen in The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker) and regular world-saving superheroes (the just-released Black Adam). In The Woman King, however, she's more formidable, powerful and magnificent than any spandex-wearing character she's ever shared a frame with — or ever will in that comic-to-screen realm. Here, she plays the dedicated and determined General Nanisca, leader of the Agojie circa 1823. This is an "inspired by true events" tale, and the all-female warrior troupe was very much real, protecting the now-defunct west African kingdom of Dahomey during its existence in what's now modern-day Benin. Suddenly thinking about a different superhero domain and its own redoubtable women-only army, aka the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Dora Milaje in Wakanda? Yes, Black Panther took inspiration from the Agojie. If you're thinking about Wonder Woman's Amazons, too, the Agojie obviously pre-dates them as well. Links to two huge franchises in various fashions aren't anywhere near The Woman King's main attraction, of course. Davis and her fellow exceptional cast members, such as Lashana Lynch (No Time to Die), Thuso Mbedu and Sheila Atim (both co-stars in The Underground Railroad); The Old Guard filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood and her grand and kinetic direction, especially in fight scenes; stunningly detailed costumes and production design that's both vibrant and textured; a story that still boasts humour and heart: they all rank far higher among this feature's drawcards. So does the fact that this is a lavish historical epic in the Braveheart and Gladiator mould, but about ass-kicking Black women badged "the bloodiest bitches in Africa". Also, while serving up an empowering vision, The Woman King also openly grapples with many difficulties inherent in Dahomey's IRL history (albeit in a mass consumption-friendly, picking-and-choosing manner). The Woman King is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. BROS Buy this for a dollar: a history-making gay rom-com that's smart, sweet, self-aware and funny, and also deep knows the genre it slips into, including the heteronormative tropes and cliches that viewers have seen ad nauseam. Actually, Billy Eichner would clearly prefer that audiences purchase tickets for Bros for more that that sum of money, even if he spent five seasons offering it to New Yorkers in Billy on the Street while sprinting along the sidewalk and yelling about pop culture. Thinking about that comedy series comes with the territory here, however, and not just because Eichner brought it back to promote this very movie. Starring and co-written by the Parks and Recreation and The Lion King actor — with Forgetting Sarah Marshall and the Bad Neighbours franchise's Nicholas Stoller directing and co-scripting — Bros both presents and unpacks the public persona that helped make Billy on the Street such a hit: opinionated, forceful and wry, as well as acidic and cranky. No one person, be it the version of himself that Eichner plays in the series that helped push him to fame or the fictional character he brings to the screen in Bros — or, in-between, his struggling comedian and actor part in three-season sitcom Difficult People, too — is just those five traits, of course. One of Bros' strengths is how it examines why it's easy to lean into that personality, where the sheen of caustic irritability comes from, the neuroses it's covering up and what all that means when it comes to relationships. The movie does so knowingly as well. It's well aware that Eichner's fans are familiar with his on-screen type, and that even newcomers likely are also. Accordingly, when Bros begins, Eichner's in-film alter ego is shouting about pop culture and being adamant, grumpy and cutting about it. In fact, he's on a podcast, where he's relaying his failed attempt to pen a script for exactly the kind of flick he's in. Bros is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. BLACK ADAM "I kneel before no one," says Teth-Adam, aka Black Adam, aka the DC Comics character that dates back to 1945, and that Dwayne Johnson (Red Notice) has long wanted to play. That proclamation is made early in the film that bears the burly, flying, impervious-to-everything figure's name, echoing as a statement of might as well as mood: he doesn't need to bow down to anyone or anything, and if he did he wouldn't anyway. Yet the DC Extended Universe flick that Black Adam is in — the 11th in a saga that's rarely great — kneels frequently to almost everything. It bends the knee to the dispiritingly by-the-numbers template that keeps lurking behind this comic book-inspired series' most forgettable entries, and the whole franchise's efforts to emulate the rival (and more successful) Marvel Cinematic Universe, for starters. It also shows deference to the lack of spark and personality that makes the lesser DC-based features so routine at best, too. Even worse, Black Adam kneels to the idea that slipping Johnson into a sprawling superhero franchise means robbing the wrestler-turned-actor himself of any on-screen personality. Glowering and gloomy is a personality, for sure, but it's not what's made The Rock such a box office drawcard — and, rather than branching out, breaking the mould or suiting the character, he just appears to be pouting and coasting. He looks the physical part, of course, as he needs to playing a slave-turned-champion who now can't be killed or hurt. It's hard not to wish that the Fast and Furious franchise's humour seeped into his performance, however, or even the goofy corniness of Jungle Cruise, Johnson's last collaboration with filmmaker Jaume Collet-Serra. The latter has template-esque action flicks Unknown, Non-Stop, Run All Night and The Commuter on his resume before that, and helms his current star here like he'd rather still directing Liam Neeson. Black Adam is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. MILLIE LIES LOW A scene-stealer in 2018's The Breaker Upperers, Ana Scotney now leads the show in Millie Lies Low. She's just as magnetic. The New Zealand actor plays the film's eponymous Wellington university student, who has a panic attack aboard a plane bound for New York — where a prestigious architecture internship awaits — and has to disembark before her flight leaves. A new ticket costs $2000, which she doesn't have. And, trying to rustle up cash from her best friend and classmate (Jillian Nguyen, Hungry Ghosts), mother (Rachel House, Cousins) and even a quick-loan business (run by Cohen Holloway, The Power of the Dog) still leaves her empty-handed. Millie's solution: faking it till she makes it, searching for ways to stump up the funds while hiding out in her hometown, telling everyone she's actually already in the Big Apple and posting faux Instagram snaps MacGyvered out of whatever she can find (big sacks of flour standing in for snow, for instance) to sell the ruse. There's a caper vibe to Millie's efforts skulking around Wellington while endeavouring to finance her ticket to her dreams — and to the picture of her supposedly perfect existence that she's trying to push upon herself as much as her loved ones. Making her feature debut, director and co-writer Michelle Savill has imposter syndrome and the shame spiral it sparks firmly in her sights, and finds much to mine in both an insightful and darkly comedic manner. As she follows her protagonist between episodic efforts to print the legend — or post it one Insta picture at a time — her keenly observed film also treads in Frances Ha's footsteps. Both movies examine the self-destructive life choices of a twentysomething with a clear idea of what she wants everyone to think of her, but far less of a grasp on who she really is and what she genuinely needs. While some framing and music choices make that connection obvious, the astute delight that is Millie Lies Low is never a Wellington-set copy. Millie Lies Low is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. STRANGE WORLD Strange World needs to be a visual knockout; when a title nods to an extraordinary and otherworldly place, it makes a promise. Director Don Hall and co-helmer/screenwriter Qui Nguyen, who last worked together as filmmaker and scribe on the also-resplendent Raya and the Last Dragon, meet that pledge with force — aka the movie's trademark approach. Strange World goes all-in on hallucinogenic scenery, glowing creatures and luminous pops of colour (pink hues especially) that simply astound. Indeed, calling it trippy is also an understatement. The picture is equally as zealous about its various layers of messaging, spanning humanity's treatment of the planet, learning to coexist with rather than command and conquer our surroundings, and navigating multigenerational family dynamics. A feature can be assertive, arresting and entertaining, however, because this is. Clade patriarch Jaeger (Dennis Quaid, Midway) can also be described as strong-willed and unsubtle, much to his son Searcher's (Jake Gyllenhaal, Ambulance) frustration. In the mountainous land of Avalonia, the former is a heroic explorer intent on seeing what's on the other side of those peaks — a feat that's never been achieved before — but the latter pleas for staying put, spotting a curious plant on their latest expedition and wanting to investigate its possibilities. Doing anything but bounding forth isn't the Clade way, Jaeger contends, sparking an icy father-son rift. Jaeger storms off, Searcher goes home, and Avalonia is revolutionised by pando, the energy-giving fruit from that just-discovered plant, over the next quarter-century. Then, in a locale that now enjoys electricity, hovering vehicles and other mod cons, the natural resource suddenly seems to start rotting from the root. Strange World is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. GUILLERMO DEL TORO'S PINOCCHIO Guillermo del Toro hasn't yet directed a version of Frankenstein, except that he now has in a way. Officially, he's chosen another much-adapted, widely beloved story — one usually considered less dark — but there's no missing the similarities between the Nightmare Alley and The Shape of Water filmmaker's stop-motion Pinocchio and Mary Shelley's ever-influential horror masterpiece. Both carve out tales about creations made by grief-stricken men consumed by loss. Both see those tinkerers help give life to things that don't usually have it, gifting existence to the inanimate because they can't cope with mortality's reality. Both notch up the fallout when those central humans struggles with the results of their handiwork, even though all that the beings that spring from their efforts want is pure and simple love and acceptance. Del Toro's take on Pinocchio still has a talking cricket, a blue-hued source of magic and songs, too, but it clearly and definitely isn't a Disney movie. Instead, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio is an enchanting iteration of a story that everyone knows, and that's graced screens so many times that this is the third flick in 2022 alone. Yes, the director's name is officially in the film's title. Yes, it's likely there to stop the movie getting confused with that array of other page-to-screen adaptations, all springing from Carlo Collodi's 19th-century Italian children's novel The Adventures of Pinocchio. That said, even if the list of features about the timber puppet wasn't longer than said critter's nose when he's lying, del Toro would earn the possessory credit anyway. No matter which narrative he's unfurling — including this one about a boy fashioned out of pine (voiced by Gregory Mann, Victoria) by master woodcarver Geppetto (David Bradley, Catherine Called Birdy) after the death of his son — the Mexican Oscar-winner's distinctive fingerprints are always as welcomely apparent as his gothic-loving sensibilities. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. MURU Defiant, powerful and passionate at every turn, Muru depicts a relentless police raid on New Zealand's Rūātoki community. Equally alive with anger, the Aotearoan action-thriller and drama shows law enforcement storming into the district to apprehend what's incorrectly deemed a terrorist cell, but is actually activist and artist Tāme Iti — playing himself — and his fellow Tūhoe people. If October 2007 springs to mind while watching, it's meant to. Written and directed by Poi E: The Story of Our Song and Mt Zion filmmaker Tearepa Kahi, this isn't a mere dramatisation of well-known events, however. There's a reason that Muru begins by stamping its purpose on the screen, and its whole rationale for existing: "this film is not a recreation… it is a response". That the feature's name is also taken from a Māori process of redressing transgressions is both telling and fitting as well. Kahi's film is indeed a reaction, a reply, a counter — and a way of processing past wrongs. In a fashion, it's Sir Isaac Newton's third law of motion turned into cinema, because a spate of instances across New Zealand over a century-plus has sparked this on-screen answer. Muru's script draws from 15 years back; also from the police shooting of Steven Wallace in Waitara in 2000 before that; and from the arrest of Rua Kēnana in Maungapōhatu even further ago, in 1916. While the movie finds inspiration in the screenplay Toa by Jason Nathan beyond those real-life events, it's always in dialogue with things that truly happened, and not just once, and not only recently. If every action causes an opposite reaction, Muru is Kahi's way of sifting through, rallying against and fighting back after too many occasions where the long arm of the NZ law, and of colonialism, has overreached. Muru is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT War makes meat, disposable labour and easy sacrifices of us all. In battles for power, as they always are, bodies are used to take territory, threaten enemies and shed blood to legitimise a cause. On the ground, whether in muddy trenches or streaming across mine-strewn fields, war sees the masses rather than the individuals, too — but All Quiet on the Western Front has always been a heartbreaking retort to and clear-eyed reality check for that horrific truth. Penned in 1928 by German World War I veteran Erich Maria Remarque, initially adapted for the screen by Hollywood in 1930 and then turned into a US TV movie in 1979, the staunchly anti-war story now gets its first adaptation in its native tongue. Combat's agonies echo no matter the language giving them voice, but Edward Berger's new film is a stunning, gripping and moving piece of cinema. Helming and scripting — the latter with feature first-timers Lesley Paterson and Ian Stokell — All My Loving director Berger starts All Quiet on the Western Front with a remarkable sequence. The film will come to settle on 17-year-old Paul Bäumer (astonishing debutant Felix Kammerer) and his ordeal after naively enlisting in 1917, thinking with his mates that they'd be marching on Paris within weeks, but it begins with a different young soldier, Heinrich Gerber (Jakob Schmidt, Babylon Berlin), in the eponymous region. He's thrust into the action in no man's land and the inevitable happens. Then, stained with blood and pierced by bullets, his uniform is stripped from his body, sent to a military laundry, mended and passed on. The recipient: the eager Paul, who notices the past wearer's name on the label and buys the excuse that it just didn't fit him. No one dares waste a scrap of clothing — only the flesh that dons it, and the existences its owners don't want to lose. All Quiet on the Western Front is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. HALLOWEEN ENDS Whenever a kitchen knife gleams, a warped mask slips over a killer's face or a piano score tinkles in a horror movie — whenever a jack-o'-lantern burns bright, a babysitter is alone in someone else's home with only kids for company or October 31 hits, too — one film comes to mind. It has for four-plus decades now and always will, because Halloween's influence over an entire genre, slasher flicks within it and final girls filling such frames is that immense. That seminal first altercation between then 17-year-old Laurie Strode and psychiatric institution escapee Michael Myers, as brought to the screen so unnervingly by now-legendary director John Carpenter, also valued a concept that couldn't be more pivotal, however. Halloween was never just a movie about an unhinged murderer in stolen mechanic's overalls stalking Haddonfield, Illinois when most of the town was trick-or-treating. In Laurie's determination to survive Michael's relentless stabbing, it was a film about trauma and fighting back. As played by Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All At Once) for 44 years — her big-screen debut made her an OG scream queen, and she's returned six times since, including now in Halloween Ends — Laurie has never been anyone's mere victim. In the choose-your-own-adventure antics that've filled the franchise's ever-branching narrative over 13 entries, her tale has twisted and turned. The saga's has in general, including chapters sans Laurie and Michael, films that've killed one or both off, and remakes. But mustering up the strength to persist, refusing to let Michael win and attacking back has remained a constant of Laurie's story. That's all kept pushing to the fore in the current trilogy within the series, which started with 2018's Halloween, continued with 2021's Halloween Kills and now wraps up with an instalment that flashes its finality in its moniker. Laurie keeps fighting, no matter the odds, because that's coping with trauma. This time, though, is a weary Haddonfield ready to battle with her? Halloween Ends is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. VIOLENT NIGHT When it comes to originality, place Violent Night on cinema's naughty list: Die Hard meets Home Alone meets Bad Santa meets The Christmas Chronicles in this grab-bag action-comedy, meets Stranger Things favourite David Harbour donning the red suit (leather here, still fur-trimmed) and doing a John Wick impression. The film's beer-swigging, sledgehammer-swinging version of Saint Nick has a magic sack that contains the right presents for the right person each time he reaches into it, and screenwriters Pat Casey and Josh Miller must've felt that way themselves while piecing together their script. Pilfering from the festive canon, and from celluloid history in general, happens heartily and often in this Yuletide effort. Co-scribes on Sonic the Hedgehog and its sequel, the pair are clearly experienced in the movie version of regifting. And while they haven't solely wrapped up lumps of coal in their latest effort, Violent Night's true presents are few and far between. The main gift, in the gruff-but-charming mode that's worked such a treat on Stranger Things and in Black Widow, is Harbour. It's easy to see how Violent Night's formula — not to mention its raiding of the Christmas and action genres for parts — got the tick of approval with his casting. He's visibly having a blast, too, from the moment his version of Santa is introduced downing drinks in a British bar, bellyaching about the lack of festive spirit in kids today, thinking about packing it all in and then spewing actual vomit to go with his apathy (and urine) from the side of his midair sleigh. Whenever Harbour isn't in the frame, which occurs more often than it should, Violent Night is a far worse picture. When you're shopping for the season, you have to commit to your present purchases, but this film can't always decide if it wants to be salty or sweet. Violent Night is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. MONA LISA AND THE BLOOD MOON When Ana Lily Amirpour made her spectacular feature filmmaking debut in 2014, and made one of the best movies of that year in the process, she did so with a flick with a killer title: A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night. That moniker also summed up the picture's plot perfectly, even if the Persian-language horror western vampire film couldn't be easily categorised. Take note of that seven-word name, and that genre-bending approach. When Amirpour next made wrote and directed The Bad Batch, the 2016 dystopian cannibal romance started with a woman meandering solo, albeit in the Texan desert in daylight, and also heartily embraced a throw-it-all-in philosophy. Now arrives her third stint behind the lens, the hyper-saturated, gleefully sleazy, New Orleans-set blend of superheroes, scams and strippers that is Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon — which, yes, features a female protagonist (Jeon Jong-seo, Burning) strolling unescorted again, back under the cover of darkness this time. Mona initially walks out of a home instead of towards one, however. And Amirpour isn't really repeating herself; rather, she has a penchant for stories about the exploited fighting back. Here, Mona has been stuck in an institution for "mentally insane adolescents" for at least a decade — longer than its receptionist (Rosha Washington, Interview with the Vampire) can remember — and breaks out during the titular lunar event after gruesomely tussling with an uncaring nurse (Lauren Bowles, How to Get Away with Murder). The Big Easy's nocturnal chaos then awaits, and Bourbon Street's specifically, as does instantly intrigued drug dealer Fuzz (Ed Skrein, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil) and a determined but decent cop (Craig Robinson, Killing It). With opportunistic pole-dancer Bonnie Belle (Kate Hudson, Music), Mona thinks she finds an ally. With her new pal's kind-hearted latchkey kid Charlie (Evan Whitten, Words on Bathroom Walls), she finds a genuine friend as well. Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Looking for more at-home viewing options? Take a look at our monthly streaming recommendations across new straight-to-digital films and TV shows — and our best new films, new TV shows, returning TV shows and straight-to-streaming movies, plus movies you might've missed and television standouts of 2022 you mightn't have gotten to.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations, giving you inspiration for your next trip. In this instalment, we take you to Scottsdale, Arizona — a vibrant city on the edge of the state capital in the 'Valley of the Sun' for a luxurious stay at Mountain Shadows Resort. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? Mountain Shadows Resort is a recent addition to the Scottsdale resort scene but actually dates back to the 1950s. Having originally opened way back in 1959, Mountain Shadows became immensely popular and a regular destination for celebrities and politicians of the era. It closed sometime later and underwent a four-year renovation from the ground up before reopening in 2018. But that was years ago. What is it now? The name (unchanged since day one) is linked to its location, as the resort sits in full view of Camelback and Mummy Mountains, and the property now boasts hundreds of guestrooms and suites, an 18-hole golf course, two quality dining venues, two pools, a gym, an art gallery and several event spaces. THE ROOMS You have your pick of rooms big and small, with 180-plus rooms and 40-plus suites available to visitors. The rooms overlook the pools, the mountains and the golf course, and vary from the stylish signature to the picture-perfect premiums. And if you're really looking for luxury, fork out for a private, multi-storey suite. The rooms have an eye for urban aesthetics (high ceilings, concrete floors and geometric lighting) and are comfortable as can be. Plus, new arrivals can be met with a cocktail cart, leading to the glorious moment of kicking off your shoes, dropping your bags and fixing yourself a margarita in front of the desert scenery. FOOD AND DRINK Dining at Mountain Shadows is spread across several venues, but heroed by Hearth 61'. This glitzy restaurant stars floor-to-ceiling windows, an outdoor patio and an exhibition kitchen. Said kitchen is built around the titular hearth, bringing a smoky touch to many dishes. Executive Chef Charles Wiley champions organic local produce across the menus. Hearth 61' is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and also boasts a bar and a 'living room' for those looking for a quick and casual experience. Across the property and against the golf course is an alternative, Rusty. This indoor-outdoor hybrid eatery is the perfect spot to start (or finish) a round on the short course and boasts a refreshing roster of food and drink. Hot tip: tradition demands that the highest score of the game (aka the loser) buys the drinks. THE LOCAL AREA Mountain Shadows sits in Paradise Valley, which is a part of the city of Scottsdale. This is the playground of the valley, home to activities for all. A ten-minute drive from the resort takes you to Old Town Scottsdale (pictured above), which boasts a wide range of dining picks and shops to grab some southwestern USA souvenirs. We'd recommend booking a tour with Arizona Food Tours to get a comprehensive (and delicious) understanding of the town. Slightly further out, you can get your gaming on at Mavrix, take a trip through the world of music at the Musical Instrument Museum or challenge yourself with a desert hike in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Scottsdale is adjacent to the state capital of Phoenix, so is easy to get to on arrival or a great locale to explore before a flight home. THE EXTRAS Arizona boasts plenty of drawcards for plenty of visitors, but one of its most popular pastimes is golfing. As mentioned, Mountain Shadows has an 18-hole course, which offers a variety of packages for guests to enjoy the course with food and drinks. There is also a partnership with the nearby Camelback Golf Club, and guests can enjoy a complimentary chauffeur ride to the 36-hole course if they can't put down their club. For culture vultures, keep a look out for the art gallery between the lobby and meeting spaces to get a glimpse of local artists' work and a collection profiling Mountain Shadows in its 20th-century golden years. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world.
Since 2017, watching The Handmaid's Tale has meant wishing for one thing: the end of Gilead, the totalitarian, male-dominated society that rules the show's dystopian version of the United States. (No, not the masterplanned Sydney community of the same name.) In the award-winning series adapted from Margaret Atwood's book, that outcome is finally coming in a way — with American streaming platform Hulu announcing that the hit show will finish up when its sixth season airs. That said, it's highly likely that The Handmaid's Tale won't truly wrap up with the destruction of Gilead, because Hulu also has revealed that The Testaments in the works. It too is based on an Atwood novel — on her sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, which hit shelves in 2019 — which means that her fictional nightmarish realm isn't going far. The news that The Handmaid's Tale will end after season six comes ahead of the show's fifth season, which starts airing from Thursday, September 15 — so fans still have two more batches of episodes to soak up, sweat and stress through, and enjoy. "It has been a true honour to tell the story of Margaret Atwood's groundbreaking novel and chillingly relevant world, and we are thrilled to bring viewers a sixth and final season of The Handmaid's Tale," said creator, showrunner and executive producer Bruce Miller in a statement announcing the news. "We are grateful to Hulu and MGM for allowing us to tell this story, which unfortunately has remained as relevant as ever throughout its run, and are in awe of our incredible fans for their unwavering support, and without whom we never would have gotten to this point," Miller continued. If this all sounds a bit familiar, that's because The Handmaid's Tale isn't new to plotting out its future a couple of seasons in advance. Back in 2020, it was renewed for this fifth season before the fourth even dropped, too. Miller will also work on The Testaments, which doesn't yet have a release date — and neither does The Handmaid's Tale season six. If you haven't read the book, The Testaments is set 15 years after the events of its predecessor, and also includes familiar characters. How that'll play into the end of The Handmaid's Tale on-screen obviously hasn't been revealed. For now, blessed be your streaming queue with The Handmaid's Tale season five, which promises one helluva reckoning. Of course, things are never well here — but now June (Elisabeth Moss, Shining Girls) faces the fallout from her actions in the show's last go-around, and Serena's (Yvonne Strahovski, Stateless) in-mourning getup speaks volumes. In the show's recent trailers, June doesn't just navigate more than a few consequences. Still fighting Gilead from afar, with Luke (O-T Fagbenle, Black Widow) and Moira (Samira Wiley, Breaking News in Yuba County), she admits how much she enjoyed her most recent choices. As for Serena, she's in profile-raising mode in Toronto, as Gilead's influence creeps into Canada — and Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford, Tick, Tick... Boom!) and Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd, Rebecca) are endeavouring to reform Gilead. Also returning among the cast in season five: Max Minghella (Spiral: From the Book of Saw), Madeline Brewer (Hustlers), Amanda Brugel (Snowpiercer) and Sam Jaeger (The Eyes of Tammy Faye). Check out the trailer for The Handmaid's Tale season five below: The fifth season of The Handmaid's Tale will hit start airing in Australia and New Zealand from Thursday, September 15 — on SBS TV, and to stream via SBS On Demand and Neon, with new episodes arriving weekly. Season six doesn't yet have a release date and neither does The Testaments, but we'll update you when they do. Images: Sophie Giraud/Hulu.
Before the pandemic, when a new-release movie started playing in cinemas, audiences couldn't watch it on streaming, video on demand, DVD or blu-ray for a few months. But with the past few years forcing film industry to make quite a few changes — widespread movie theatre closures and plenty of people staying home in iso will do that — that's no longer always the case. Maybe you've been under the weather. Perhaps you haven't had time to make it to your local cinema lately. Given the hefty amount of films now releasing each week, maybe you simply missed something. Film distributors have been fast-tracking some of their new releases from cinemas to streaming recently — movies that might still be playing in theatres in some parts of the country, too. In preparation for your next couch session, here are 13 that you can watch right now at home. BONES AND ALL To be a character in a Luca Guadagnino film is to be ravenous. The Italian director does have a self-described Desire trilogy — I Am Love, A Bigger Splash and Call Me By Your Name — on his resume, after all. In those movies and more, he spins sensual stories about hungry hearts, minds and eyes, all while feeding his audience's very same body parts. He tells tales of protagonists bubbling with lust and yearning, craving love and acceptance, and trying to devour this fleeting thing called life while they're living it. Guadagnino hones in on the willingness to surrender to that rumbling and pining, whether pursuing a swooning, sweeping, summery romance in the first feature that put Timothée Chalamet in front of his camera, or losing oneself to twitchy, witchy dance in his Suspiria remake. Never before has he taken having an insatiable appetite to its most literal and unnerving extreme, however, but aching cannibal love story Bones and All is pure Guadagnino. Peaches filled with longing's sticky remnants are so 2017 for Guadagnino, and for now-Little Women, Don't Look Up and Dune star Chalamet. Biting into voracious romances will never get old, though. Five years after Call Me By Your Name earned them both Oscar nominations — the filmmaker for Best Picture, his lead for Best Actor — they reteam for a movie that traverses the American midwest rather than northern Italy, swaps erotic fruit for human flesh and comes loaded with an eerie undercurrent, but also dwells in similar territory. It's still the 80s, and both hope and melancholy still drift in the air. The phenomenal Taylor Russell (Lost in Space) drives the feature as Maren, an 18-year-old with an urge to snack on people that makes her an unpopular slumber-party guest. When she meets Chalamet's Lee, a fellow 'eater', Bones and All becomes another sublime exploration of love's all-consuming feelings — and every bit as exquisite as Guadagnino and Chalamet's last stunning collaboration. Bones and All is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. THE MENU Getting "yes chef" bellowed his way as Julian Slowik, the head chef at exclusive fictional restaurant Hawthorne, Ralph Fiennes (The Forgiven) is a sinister delight in the vicious and delicious The Menu. With his character terrorising staff and customers alike, but similarly trapped with his employees in the hospo grind, Fiennes is also visibly having a ball in an entertainingly slippery role. He plays the part with the instant presence to make a room of well-paying patrons snap to attention just because he's there, and his facial expressions — his eyes in particular — are a masterclass in passive malevolence. There's a cruel streak in Slowik, as there is in the movie, but The Menu is a black, bleak, vengeful comedy as well. Director Mark Mylod (What's Your Number?) and writers Seth Reiss and Will Tracy (The Onion) know the best thing to eat, aka the rich, and turn their fine-dining factory into a savage, savvy and scathingly amusing satire about coveting $1250-a-head meals but letting the workers behind them slice, steam, stir and sweat through upscale kitchen drudgery. Babbling snootily about mouth-feel before even getting to Hawthorne by boat, Tyler (Nicholas Hoult, The Great) doesn't spare a passing thought for the restaurant's workers. A self-confessed foodie who can't abide by the eatery's no-photography rule for a single course, he's in fanboy heaven after finally scoring a booking — and doesn't his companion Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy, Amsterdam) know it. She's less enthused, and her lack of fawning over her surroundings, Slowik, each plate and the theatre of it all rankles her date. She's the least-excited diner of the evening's entire list, in fact, which also spans status-chasing finance bros (The Terminal List's Arturo Castro, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series' Mark St Cyr and The Now's Rob Yang), a cashed-up couple (Mass' Reed Birney and Julia's Judith Light) who attend regularly, an arrogant food critic (Janet McTeer, Ozark) and her editor (Paul Adelstein, The Greatest Beer Run Ever), and a movie star (John Leguizamo, Encanto) with his assistant (Aimee Carrero, Spirited). The Menu is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. MISTER ORGAN A single tweet has sparked many things for many people; however, the chaos started by a social-media missive from New Zealand journalist and filmmaker David Farrier has few parallels. In 2013, he commented on Twitter about a friend parking their car at Auckland's now-closed Bashford Antiques, then weathering an unpleasant experience: the threat of towing, instant abuse, and an immediate demand for $250 in order to be allowed to leave. Farrier next began writing articles about it all, and what seemed like a clamping racket, in 2016. In his first piece, he covered being asked by his employer three years prior to delete his tweet, too. But his own ordeal was only just beginning, because his ordeal involves Michael Organ. "You pay a soul tax for every minute you spend with him," Farrier notes in the documentary he's made about all of the above, complete with far more twists than anyone can imagine going in — and watching Mister Organ, the feeling behind that observation is starkly apparent. As well as helping impose onerous conditions on folks parking outside an antiques store, and becoming the owner's constant companion in the process, claiming to be royalty is also part of this tale. Organ has defended himself in serious court cases, and assisted with bringing legal proceedings against others, including Farrier. His web of interpersonal dealings, as fleshed out through discussions with ex-housemates and acquaintances, brings bewildered and infuriated interviewees into the doco. Finding someone to say a kind word about him is almost impossible, other than the endlessly talkative Organ himself. For newcomers to this situation, it's best to get the ins and outs by watching, stolen boats and all, because no description does them justice — but Farrier's time with Organ, as he tries to get to the bottom of his story, never fails to surprise. Viewers of filmmaker's Tickled and Dark Tourist will easily glean why he was drawn to tell this tale, though; for starters, it's another disturbing, perplexing, so-messy-it-can-only-be-true slice of life. Mister Organ is available to stream via DocPlay, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. SKINAMARINK Age may instil nocturnal bravery in most of us, stopping the flinching and wincing at things that routinely go bump, thump and jump in the night in our ordinary homes, but the childhood feeling of lying awake in the dark with shadows, shapes and strange sounds haunting an eerie void never seeps from memory. Close your eyes, cast your mind back, and the unsettling and uncertain sensation can easily spring again — that's how engrained it is. Or, with your peepers wide open, you could just watch new micro-budget Canadian horror movie Skinamarink. First-time feature filmmaker Kyle Edward Ball has even made this breakout hit, which cost just $15,000 to produce, in the house he grew up in. His characters: two kids, four-year-old Kevin (debutant Lucas Paul) and six-year-old Kaylee (fellow newcomer Dali Rose Tetreault), who wake up deep into the evening. The emotion he's trading in: pure primal dread, because to view this digitally shot but immensely grainy-looking flick is to be plunged back to a time when nightmares lingered the instant that the light switched off. Skinamarink does indeed jump backwards, meeting Kevin and Kaylee in 1995 when they can't find their dad (Ross Paul, Moby Dick) or mum (Jaime Hill, Give and Take) after waking. But, befitting a movie that's an immersive collage of distressing and disquieting images and noises from the get-go, it also pulsates with an air of being trapped in time. It takes its name from a nonsense nursery-rhyme song from 1910, then includes cartoons from the 1930s on Kevin and Kaylee's television to brighten up the night's relentless darkness. In its exacting, hissing sound design especially, it brings David Lynch's 1977 debut Eraserhead to mind. And the influence of 1999's The Blair Witch Project and the 2007-born Paranormal Activity franchise is just as evident, although Skinamarink is far more ambient, experimental and experiential. Ball has evolved from crafting YouTube shorts inspired by online commenters' worst dreams to this: his own creepypasta. Skinamarink is available to stream via Shudder and AMC+. Read our full review. BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER Black Panther: Wakanda Forever isn't the movie it was initially going to be, the sequel to 2018's electrifying and dynamic Black Panther that anyone behind it originally wanted it to be, or the chapter in the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe that it first aimed to be — this, the world already knows. The reason why is equally familiar, after Chadwick Boseman died from colon cancer in 2020 aged 43. At its best, this direct followup to the MCU's debut trip to its powerful African nation doesn't just know this, too, but scorches that awareness deep into its frames. King T'Challa's death starts the feature, a loss that filmmaking trickery doesn't reverse, no matter how meaningless mortality frequently proves when on-screen resurrections are usually a matter of mere plot twists. Wakanda Forever begins with heartbreak and pain, in fact, and with facing the hard truth that life ends and, in ways both big and small, that nothing is ever the same. Your typical franchise entry about quick-quipping costumed crusaders courageously protecting the planet, this clearly isn't. Directed and co-written by Ryan Coogler (Creed) like its predecessor — co-scripting again with Joe Robert Cole (All Day and a Night) — Wakanda Forever is about grief, expected futures that can no longer be and having to move forward anyway. That applies in front of and behind the lens; as ruminating so heavily on loss underscores, the movie has a built-in justification for not matching the initial flick. The Boseman-sized hole at Wakanda Forever's centre is gaping, unsurprisingly, even in a feature that's a loving homage to him, and his charm and gravitas-filled take on the titular character. Also, that vast void isn't one this film can fill. Amid overtly reckoning with absence, Coogler still has a top-notch cast — returnees Letitia Wright (Death on the Nile), Angela Bassett (Gunpowder Milkshake), Danai Gurira (The Walking Dead), Lupita Nyong'o (The 355) and Winston Duke (Nine Days), plus new addition Tenoch Huerta (Narcos: Mexico), most notably — drawing eyeballs towards his vibrant imagery, but his picture is also burdened with MCU bloat and mechanics, and infuriating bet-hedging. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. BLUEBACK Films about humanity's affinity with animals are films about our ties to the natural world — and doesn't Blueback splash that truth around. Plunging from The Dry into the wet, writer/director Robert Connolly reteams with Eric Bana for another page-to-screen adaptation of a homegrown book; this is another movie inseparable from its landscape, too, again exploring the impact people have upon it. This time, however, Bana isn't the star. He's memorable as larrikin abalone diver and fisherman 'Mad' Macka, and this Tim Winton-based feature would've benefited from more of his presence, but the Dirty John actor is firmly in supporting mode. Set against the enticing Western Australian coast as the author's work tends to be, this is a picture about the sea's thrall, existential importance and inherent sense of connection — as filtered through the bond between a girl and a wild blue groper, plus the evolving relationship between that same child and her eco-warrior mother. Mia Wasikowska (Bergman Island) plays Blueback's fish-befriending protagonist as an adult, with the text's Abel becoming Abby here. Radha Mitchell (Girl at the Window) shares the screen as Dora, her widowed mother, early in the film's year-hopping timeline. Still, in their second of three movies in succession — arriving before upcoming The Dry sequel Force of Nature — Connolly and Bana dip back into familiar territory. Obvious swaps are evident, including a beachside rather than a farming community, and atrocities against the planet and its wildlife instead of crimes against people, but it's easy to see Blueback's appeal as a reunion project. Among the key differences as Abby and Dora fight to save their town and its aquatic treasures, still battling wrongs to strive for what's right: this is an overtly and eagerly family-friendly affair. Blueback is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. SISSY Thanks to everything from The Saddle Club and I Hate My Teenage Daughter to Sweet/Vicious and The Bold Type, Gold Coast-born Australian actor Aisha Dee knows what it's like to live life through screens. She's been acting since she was a teenager, and she's charted the highs of her chosen profession — all in front of a lens. In Sissy, she hops in front of a camera again, naturally, and not only once but twice. In this delightfully savvy and funny Aussie horror film, Dee turns in a wonderfully layered performance as the titular Instagram influencer, whose soaring follower count, non-stop flow of likes and adoring comments, and online fame all stems from her carefully poised and curated wellness videos. Also known as @SincerelyCecilia, the character's sense of self springs from that virtual attention too; however, when she reconnects with her childhood best friend Emma (co-director/co-writer Hannah Barlow), gets invited to her bachelorette weekend and finds old schoolyard dynamics bubbling up, that facade starts to shatter. If Mean Girls was a slasher film set in a remote cabin in rural Australia, it might look something like Sissy — and that's a compliment multiple times over. Every horror movie wants to be smart and savage on multiple levels, but Barlow and fellow co-helmer/co-scribe Kane Senes (reteaming after 2017's For Now) weaponise everything from influencer culture and pastel, rainbow and glitter colour palettes to toxic friendships, all while spinning a clever, cutting and comedic take on the impact of bullying. They also fill their feature with as gloriously diverse a cast as Australian cinema has boasted, and with one helluva lead performance. If Carrie was set in today's always-online world, amid cancel culture and plentiful praise at the press of a button, it'd look like this, too, but this instant Aussie horror classic takes its own bold stab at plenty of genres. Sissy is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. ARMAGEDDON TIME What's more difficult a feat: to ponder everything that the universe might hold, as James Gray did in 2019's sublime Ad Astra, or to peer back at your own childhood, as the writer/director now does with Armageddon Time? In both cases, the bonds and echoes between parents and children earn the filmmaker's attention. In both cases, thoughtful, complex and affecting movies result. And, as shared with everything he's made over the past three decades — The Yards, The Immigrant and The Lost City of Z among them — fantastic performances glide across the screen, too. Here, in a portrait of a pre-teen's growing awareness of his privilege, the world's prejudices, the devastating history of his ancestors, and how tentative a place people can hold due to race, religion, money, politics and more, young stars Banks Repeta (The Black Phone) and Jaylin Webb (The Wonder Years) manage something remarkable, in fact, more than holding their own against a reliably excellent Anthony Hopkins (The Father), Anne Hathaway (Locked Down) and Jeremy Strong (Succession). Repeta plays sixth-grader Paul Graff, Gray's on-screen surrogate, and Armageddon Time's curious and confident protagonist. At his new public school circa 1980, he's happy standing out alongside his new friend Johnny (Webb), dreaming of being an artist despite his dad's (Strong) stern disapproval and disrupting class whenever he can to his mum's (Hathaway) dismay — and outside of it, he's happiest spending time with his doting grandfather (Hopkins). But Paul will start to understand the luck he has in the world, hailing from a middle-class Jewish family, compared to his black, bused-in friend, even if that comfort is tenuous, too. And, he'll keep seeing the way the world has Johnny at a disadvantage in every way possible, from their instantly scornful teacher to Paul's own parents' quick judgement. As lensed with the look and feel of a memory, Armageddon Time is clear about the small moments that leave an imprint, and the small deeds left undone that cause craters. It's a powerful work from a filmmaker surveying happy and sorrowful slices of the past, and doing so with unflinching eyes. Armageddon Time is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. THE VELVET QUEEN "If nothing came, we just hadn't looked properly." Partway through The Velvet Queen, writer Sylvain Tesson utters these lyrical words about a specific and patient quest; however, they echo far further than the task at hand. This absorbing documentary tracks his efforts with wildlife photographer Vincent Munier to see a snow leopard — one of the most rare and elusive big cats there is — but much in the entrancing film relates to life in general. Indeed, while the animals that roam the Tibetan plateau earns this flick's focus, as does the sweeping landscape itself, Munier and his fellow co-director and feature first-timer Marie Amiguet have made a movie about existence first and foremost. When you peer at nature, you should see the world, as well as humanity's place in it. You should feel the planet's history, and the impact that's being made on its future, too. Sensing exactly that with this engrossing picture comes easily — and so does playing a ravishing big-screen game of Where's Wally?. No one wears red-and-white striped jumpers within The Velvet Queen's frames, of course. The Consolations of the Forest author Tesson and world-renowned shutterbug Munier dress to blend in, trying to camouflage into their sometimes-dusty, sometimes-snowy, always-rocky surroundings, but they aren't the ones that the film endeavours to spy. The creatures that inhabit Tibet's craggy peaks have evolved to blend in, so attempting to see many of them is an act of persistence and deep observation — and locking eyes on the snow leopard takes that experience to another level. Sometimes, pure movement gives away a critter's presence. On one occasion, looking back through images of a perched falcon offers unexpected rewards. As lensed by Amiguet (La vallée des loups), Munier and assistant director Léo-Pol Jacquot, The Velvet Queen draws upon hidden cameras, too, but so much of Tesson and Munier's mission is about sitting, watching and accepting that everything happens in its own time. The Velvet Queen is available to stream via Docplay, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. GLORIAVALE Exploring the story of the religious community that shares its name, New Zealand documentary Gloriavale makes for stunning, gut-wrenching and infuriating viewing. It's been a booming time for NZ films that earn that description over the past few months — see also: Mister Organ above — but this true tale was always going to stand out and leave an imprint. Given that it involves chatting to survivors of the cult-like organisation, particularly excommunicated members relaying their heartbreaking experiences, being aghast at their ordeals is a natural reaction. Feeling angry that this can happen is, too, including as the film charts legal proceedings to bring Gloriavale's horrors to light. What has gone on behind closed doors, in a closed community, in the West Coast-based sect heartily requires this type of exposé — and with brother and sister John and Virginia as their key interviewees, filmmakers Fergus Grady and Noel Smyth (reteaming after 2019's Camino Skies) are up to the task. The specifics date back to the late 1960s, when the organisation was founded and started drawing in members, who were soon living under the sect's strict beliefs. Here, for instance, women are expected to work all through their waking hours to keep Gloriavale running — not even sitting down for meals — and cramming the group's many families all under one big roof is the norm. Also, when sexual abuse claims arise, including with children as victims, blame is directed everywhere but the accused perpetrators. As Gloriavale steps through details like these again and again, it's unsurprisingly harrowing from the outset. Archival footage from within the community only adds to the distressing mood, and charting the legal cases ups the drama, but the accounts of what's gone on at the titular place would be damning and gripping as is even if Grady and Smyth only had talking-head interviews at their disposal. Gloriavale is available to stream via SBS On Demand, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. WHITNEY HOUSTON: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY In the decade since her death in 2012, Whitney Houston has proven one of filmmaking's greatest loves of all. No fewer than five movies have told her tale, including documentaries Whitney: Can I Be Me and Whitney — and that's without including a feature about her daughter Bobbi Kristina, a miniseries focused on her ex-husband Bobby Brown and dramas clearly based on her story. All of that attention echoes for obvious reasons. Houston's mezzo-soprano voice, which earned her the nickname "The Voice", soared to stratospheric and literally breathtaking levels. Still holding the record for the most consecutive number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, which she took from The Beatles and the Bee Gees, her career zoomed skyward as well. That swift rise from New Jersey church choir member to one of the biggest bestselling music artists ever was matched by tabloid-fodder lows, however, and that tragic, gone-too-soon passing — and Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody charts it all. Taking its name from one of Houston's most exuberant singles isn't just music biopic 101 (see also: Bohemian Rhapsody, also penned by this film's screenwriter Anthony McCarten). Kasi Lemmons' (Harriet) feature follows the standard Wikipedia entry-like genre template, but the filmmaker wants those titular words to reflect how Whitney (Naomi Ackie, Master of None) just wanted to be herself, to be loved as such, and openly be with Robyn Crawford (Nafessa Williams, Black Lightning), the girlfriend-turned-creative director that her gospel singer mother Cissy Houston (Tamara Tunie, Cowboy Bebop) and stern father John (Clarke Peters, The Man Who Fell to Earth) disapprove of. Instead, after being signed to Arista Records at 19 by producer and executive Clive Davis (Stanley Tucci, The King's Man), Whitney becomes America's princess next door. Ackie turns in a commanding, multi-layered performance as the conflicted singer — even while lip-synching, with the movie smartly using Houston's own vocals — in a film that's impassioned, wisely filled with electrifying performance recreations, yet is happy to just hit every expected note. Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. LYLE, LYLE CROCODILE The Paddington movies did it better. That's a general catch-all statement that can apply to almost anything, zero context required, and it's also the prevailing feeling while watching Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile. Instead of a marmalade-coveting bear, a singing crocodile is trying to win hearts — and the similarities don't stop there. The page-to-screen leap from a children's favourite? Tick. An adorable animal winding up in a family of humans who need its unique presence to make their lives complete, bring them together and show them what truly matters? Tick again. The strait-laced dad, creative mum, nasty neighbour and kindly kid? Keep ticking. Also present in both: the titular critter donning human clothing and craving fruity foods, warm colours aplenty, a vintage look and feel to interior spaces, a tense and traumatic capture, and an accomplished star having a whole lot of fun going big, broad and cartoonish (Javier Bardem here, and worlds away from The Good Boss, Dune or Everybody Knows). Bardem's playful turn as magician Hector P Valenti is the best thing about Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, which is breezily watchable but so indebted to Paddington and its sequel — so desperate to be an American version of the charming English franchise — that orange conserve might as well be smeared across the lens. As directed by Office Christmas Party's Josh Gordon and Will Speck, and scripted by Johnny English Strikes Again's Will Davies (adapting from Bernard Waber's books), the film is also a musical, with the eponymous croc (voiced by Shawn Mendes) able to sing but not speak. Those forgettable songs pad out a slight story, after Valenti discovers Lyle, hopes to get famous as a double act and loses his New York City brownstone when his gambit fails. Then the new residents, the Primm family, find the reptile in the attic, son Josh (Winslow Fegley, Come Play) finds a friend and his parents (Hustlers' Constance Wu and Blonde's Scoot McNairy) find their own reasons to get snapped up in the critter's singing-and-dancing vibe — although Mr Grumps (Brett Gelman, Stranger Things) downstairs obviously lives up to his moniker. Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH Since arriving in cinemas in 2001, Shrek has inspired three more ogre-centric flicks, a heap of shorts and TV specials, and a stage musical for the whole family. It's also the reason that green-hued burlesque shows exist, plus all manner of parties and raves — none of the last three of which are appropriate for kids, obviously. But beyond the Mike Myers (The Pentaverate)-voiced titular figure himself, only Puss in Boots has become solo big-screen fodder from among the franchise's array of characters. Like much in this series, the shoe-wearing feline hails from fairy tales, but the reason for its ongoing on-screen popularity is as simple as casting. Who doesn't want to see a kitty swashbuckler voiced by Antonio Banderas (Official Competition), basically making this a moggie Zorro? Based on the 2011 Puss in Boots' $555 million at the box office, that concept is irresistible to plenty of folks — hence, albeit 11 years later, sequel Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Pairing the right talent to the right animated character doesn't instantly make movie magic, of course; however, The Last Wish, which literally has Puss seeking magic, is among the best films that the broader Shrek saga has conjured up so far. The eponymous cat begins the picture being his usual swaggering self and caring little for the consequences, including his own dwindling lives. One raucous incident sees him realise that he's died eight times already, though, and knowing this ninth go-around is his last according to feline lore suddenly fills him with existential woe. That's a thoughtful premise for an all-ages-friendly flick, and one that's never dampened by the film's plethora of fairy tale nods, high-energy vibe and usually amusing gags. So, Puss, Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek, House of Gucci) and their new canine companion Perro (Harvey Guillén, What We Do in the Shadows) attempt to find a famed wishing star that can make avoiding death a reality — but Goldilocks (Florence Pugh, The Wonder) and the three bears (Black Widow's Ray Winstone, Mothering Sunday's Olivia Colman and Our Flag Means Death's Samson Kayo) are also after it, as is a no longer 'little' Jack Horner (John Mulaney, Big Mouth). Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Looking for more at-home viewing options? Take a look at our monthly streaming recommendations across new straight-to-digital films and TV shows — and fast-tracked highlights from January, too. You can also peruse our best new films, new TV shows, returning TV shows and straight-to-streaming movies, plus movies you might've missed and television standouts of 2022 you mightn't have gotten to.
It's the most wonderful time of the year if you're a horror fan. For the committed, watching scary movies is a year-round pastime — but there's nothing like the extra jump that comes when Halloween rolls around. Maybe it's all those creepy jack-o-lanterns? Maybe it's the extra sugar? Maybe it's just seeing the world embrace everything spooky not only for an entire night, but for the month of October leading up to it. Whatever your motivation to get cosy on your couch with a frightening flick — or enjoy bumps and jumps in a cinema filled with people — 2018 has delivered plenty of excellent fear- and tension-inducing movies. Including a death-soaked dance party, Japanese zombies on the loose and Nicolas Cage at his most unhinged, here are 13 stellar scary, thrilling and unsettling efforts — enough to make your very own Halloween movie marathon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3__y-uPwbe8 HEREDITARY With Hereditary, first-time feature filmmaker Ari Aster didn't just make an almost unbearably tense horror film, or one of the year's best examples of the genre. He did both, but he also made a masterclass in dread — you know, the feeling that makes you want to watch most of the movie with your fists and teeth clenched — and a masterful depiction of grief's lingering power. Expect to feel uneasy from start to finish as the Graham family's lives disintegrate when trauma after trauma comes calling for them. Toni Collette's haunting pain-riddled performance helps ramp up the anxiety too, but Aster dedicates his entire film to ensuring every frame, sound and moment is as disquieting as possible. Read our full review here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL_I2vNwkXQ HALLOWEEN Cue the best horror soundtrack in the business, because the quintessential slasher franchise is back. Yes, the Halloween series has delivered some downright terrible movies (the very 00s Halloween: Resurrection, for example), but this iconic saga still holds its own with its newest entry. Not only does Michael Myers return for the tenth time in 11 films, but Jamie Lee Curtis returns as the ultimate final girl Laurie Strode. And when Michael starts wreaking havoc on their hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois once more, she's ready — in a direct sequel to the first Halloween that nods to everything that made John Carpenter's original so iconic, also references many of the series' sequels and remains a fantastic addition in its own right. Halloween is in cinemas now. Read our full review here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0bnoFhkjvg A QUIET PLACE A Quiet Place isn't John Krasinksi's first film as a director. It isn't even his second. But this near-wordless horror effort truly announced The Office star's arrival as a filmmaker, complete with style, nerve-rattling scares and a powerful gut-punch of a performance from Emily Blunt. The married pair is not only keeping it in the family, but also play a family trying to survive a post-apocalyptic future. Here, even the slightest sound attracts savage creatures and results in a swift death — and, it also results in one of 2018's best horror movies, as well as an all-round technical feat that thoroughly weaponises silence. Read our full review here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m3cPEbwwhg ANNIHILATION The second film from author-turned-director Alex Garland after Ex Machina, Annihilation was originally set for a big-screen release, only for last-minute plans to send it to Netflix in most countries instead. No matter how you watch it, it's a sci-fi/horror trip that seethes with both existential and otherworldly terrors. Natalie Portman leads the cast as biology professor and former soldier Lena, whose husband (Oscar Isaac) returns from a super-secret special forces mission after a year's absence. Alas, nothing is quite right — and when Lena volunteers to follow in his footsteps to try to save him, she takes a team searching for answers within a radiant electromagnetic field called 'the Shimmer". Watch it on Netflix here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du2XfUDfjN0 ONE CUT OF THE DEAD A box office extravaganza in Japan that's made its super low budget back several hundred times over (yes, several hundred), One Cut of the Dead starts out like many a zombie flick. Combine a group of people, a creepy setting and a sudden attack of the undead, and you know what you're in for — even if the victims are a team of filmmakers making a zombie movie, and even if it's all initially captured in one unending take. With Shinichiro Ueda's movie, however, you really don't know what you're in for, even when you're certain that you do Saying more is saying too much, but this is a smart, energetic and highly enjoyable take on a busy genre that has a heap of tricks and twists up its sleeves. One Cut of the Dead will screen as part of the Japanese Film Festival — on November 15 and 24 in Sydney and November 22 and 30 in Melbourne. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTJrztVvmx0 REVENGE The idea that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned is completely outdated, and even insulting. Hell truly hath no fury like a woman exploited by men who simply think they can get away with anything. That's the general idea behind the rape-revenge genre, and the aptly named Revenge is the latest example. A brutal and commanding feature debut by French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat, it follows Matilda Lutz's Jen, who thinks she's spending a weekend away with her married boyfriend, only for two of his friends to arrive unexpectedly. When things take a turn for the worst, saying that Jen fights back is an absolute understatement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKsZlwq19mE MANDY Two words: cheddar goblin. That'll make more sense once you've seen Mandy, and if it doesn't make you want to watch this out-there genre effort, then the movie mightn't be for you. Starring Nicolas Cage at his most Nicolas Cage-like, the film sees the inimitable star play a lumberjack happily in love with his titular partner (Andrea Riseborough) until a cult and their demonic demon bikers decide to snatch her up. Needless to say, things get strange, bloody and unhinged, with director Panos Cosmatos (Beyond the Black Rainbow) making an 80s-set mind-bender that would've even seemed excessive if it came out three decades ago. That's meant in the best possible manner, with everything from the feature's colour-saturated visuals, to its ferocious score, to Cage's glorious performance all hitting the mark — and, perhaps surprisingly, the movie's melancholy tone as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reMwL8uYXps THE ENDLESS On paper, The Endless might sound like the sum of its intriguing but far from unusual parts, with creepy cults, temporal trickery and sibling struggles all fairly common film fodder. On the screen, however, this film from director/actor duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead proves anything but standard. In fact, it's the kind of sci-fi/horror flick that will floor you with its ingenuity, make you want to watch it again immediately afterwards, and inspire you to check out the filmmaker's first effort, Resolution. Imaginative, enthralling, astute with its aesthetics and atmosphere, and insightful in contemplating both human and supernatural drama, this account of two brothers returning to the close-knit camp they used to call home is the whole weird and wonderful package. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ydNrDCw58c CLIMAX A dance party where everyone's invited, but hardly anyone will make it out alive? That's Gaspar Noe's Climax. While the writer/director is known for pushing buttons and boundaries thanks to the likes of Irreversible, Enter the Void and Love, his latest film isn't quite as provocative in the same manner — but it's still a memorable and mesmerising Noe feature from start to finish. In fact, it just might be his best work. After a dance crew finish their rehearsals, they do what they do best to blow off some steam. Alas, someone has spiked the sangria, and soon an emotional and physical slaughter begins. The frenetic soundtrack rarely lets up, and neither does the carnage or the chaos. In short, it's a lurid, bloody and hypnotic case of mayhem and murder on the dance floor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEnRNIvEKu8 UPGRADE Before Tom Hardy starred as a man whose body was overtaken by a being that could violently control his every move, Tom Hardy lookalike Logan Marshall-Green starred in a movie with almost the exact same premise. Upgrade is a completely different film to Venom, and a better one. It's a sci-fi-horror hybrid that carves out a bleak dystopian world, sets its protagonist on a mission and has an action-packed blast with both. The idea behind the flick is simple, but oh-so-thrilling in Aussie director Leigh Whannell's hands. After a tragic incident, Marshall-Green's Grey Trace loses his wife and the ability to walk, until he's implanted with software called STEM. Grey wants revenge on the people responsible for his misfortune, and STEM is a little too happy to help. Read our full review here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yOkE3vsU6g UNSANE When Sawyer Valentini (Claire Foy) seeks out psychiatric assistance in a new city, she expects to chat to an expert who can help her to cope with anxiety and trauma. Instead, she's involuntarily committed into a facility. As you'd expect, it's hardly conducive to improving her overworked, overstressed mental state, or assuaging her terror after being forced to upend her life to avoid a stalker. Foy is magnetic as a woman simultaneously unravelling and trying to keep her wits about her, in what's proving to be a big year for the First Man and The Girl in the Spider's Web star. And, she also benefits from Steven Soderbergh's decision to film Unsane entirely on an iPhone, with a tense, claustrophobic film getting images that couldn't better match its mood. Read our full review here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEc3R3Pn0FA THE WOLF HOUSE The most striking, inventive and impressive animated movie of the year doesn't stem from Pixar or Studio Ghibli or any name that you're familiar with. Instead, it's an astonishing and unsettling combination of art installation and filmmaking by artists turned filmmakers Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña. The Wolf House takes its cues from fairytales as a girl with three little pigs finds refuge in a building in the woods, but this is closer to David Lynch's nightmares than anything you might've read as a kid. It's also a technical marvel, using large-scale stop-motion to unparalleled effect, with its scenes staged and filmed in galleries around the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmBZC3CcsZ8 PROFILE Profile is the latest film to use what might seem like a gimmick — and the third linked Night Watch, Wanted and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter director Timur Bekmambetov — and it's absolutely captivating. Unlike Unfriended and Searching, which he produced, Bekmambetov helms this based-on-a-true-story account of a journalist (Valene Kane) investigating ISIS enlistment campaigns by befriending a charming recruiter (Shazad Latif) online. Tabs, programs and windows pop up thick and fast, and the stress soars with it, as a bond forms between the two. Tense and horrific in a variety of ways, this is slick, thrilling and utterly involving filmmaking. And with pitch-perfect performances to go with it, it's a film that not only entertains and engages, but lingers.
Last year was tough for Australia's hospitality industry, but hope is on the horizon thanks to the inspirational ideas submitted by talented bartenders, managers and venue teams in this year's Idea Lab competition. Beam Suntory's competition initiative awarded grants from $5000–20,000 to support hospo legends and their passion projects with a goal to improve the industry as a whole. And the result is a series of new projects that will revitalise the bars you visit week after week, as well as supporting the industry as a whole. Whittled down from 20 finalists, these six ideas were chosen from around the country as 2021's Idea Lab champions. Read on to find out what's coming — or relaunching — in a city near you. A BETTER SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY FOR HOSPO WORKERS Having spent decades in the Melbourne hospo scene, Nicola Keating (Welcome to Brunswick, Brunswick Mess Hall) is sick of pervasive sexual harassment in the industry. She's joined forces with psychologist Ishma Alvi to launch a sexual harassment and assault policy for Australia's hospitality industry. The duo has been awarded $20,000 to start the project, called The Consent Blueprints, which will create training modules and implement safeguarding tools for venues. The program will also promote risk assessments and risk management protocols for venues and events. The Consent Blueprints is positioned to truly make change in the industry, so watch this space. A MULTIUSE COCKTAIL LAB IN WOLLONGONG Wollongong's escape room bar Breakout Bar is set to expand this year thanks to bartenders Orion Leppan Taylor and Mitchell Bloomfield. The duo want to elevate the local cocktail scene by creating a space that's both a test kitchen for bartenders and a multipurpose event space. The Wollongong Cocktail Lab will include prep islands and high-end equipment, a research and development lab with cocktail-making equipment like centrifuges and rotary vacuums, and a small bar and masterclass section. And the pair has been awarded $20,000 to make it happen. It's not just for hospitality workers either, as on weekends you can expect masterclasses, cocktail-making courses, spirit tastings and other similar events for punters, too. A DEDICATED ICE LAB IN PERTH Western Australian Tom Kearney runs a company called Arctic Fox Ice Co, which supplies quality ice to bartenders and venues across Perth. Alongside providing ice for high quality drinks, Kearney's company aims to offer workshops, training and other cocktail- and ice-related activations. His idea to create a dedicated space for training sessions was awarded a whopping $20,000 from Beam Suntory. If you're a hospo worker in Perth, look out for upcoming details on the Arctic Fox Ice Lab in the near future. A HOSPO DEVELOPMENT NETWORK IN WA There is a lack of personal and professional development available to Australia's expansive hospo community, believes Perth bartender Kaden Pool, from Arcade Palace. Pool says this shortcoming is especially noticeable in WA, so his idea is to create a not-for-profit that provides professional development opportunities for the local hospitality scene. Good Causes will host workshops and training sessions for industry workers and Pool's been awarded $5,000 to make it happen. The not-for-profit will officially launch in 2021, so keep an eye on the Instagram page for more details. A THREE-WEEK CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION IN BRISBANE After a long, difficult year, we were all in need of a little extra Christmas cheer according to Queensland man Daniel Rodriguez. To finish 2020 off with a big ol' bang, Daniel's big idea was to go all out with a Christmas celebration in Brisbane that lasted three weeks. He was awarded $10,000 to bring together the city's live music scene in a series of Christmas-themed events geared toward bringing Brisbanites back into its city venues. A NETWORKING COLLECTIVE IN ADELAIDE Adelaide's hospo elite have bandied together for this one under the name The Pursuit of Hospitality. Maybe Mae's Michael Keogh, Cry Baby's Sean Howard, Bar Torino's Kayla Grigoriou and Jack Booker (Yiasou George, Anchovy Bandit) have joined forces to come up with a mentorship community that supports rookies in the early days of their hospitality careers. The Pursuit of Hospitality are at the top of their game as managers, owners and distillers, and so the group aims to provide industry expertise to the next gen. The team has been awarded $5,000 to provide training and networking opportunities to hospo workers, and it plans to bring together the Adelaide community like never before. Top image: Orion Leppan Taylor, Wollongong Cocktail Lab
During its eight-season run between 2011–19, Game of Thrones served up more drama than several fire-breathing dragons could whip up. It also delivered HBO huge ratings, plenty of advertising dollars and free-flowing acclaim, so the US cable network is understandably keen to keep the franchise going — and it looks like it has three more GoT-related TV shows in the works. We say 'more' because HBO already has three others in various stages of development. Indeed, just which new programs will spin off from the world created by George RR Martin has been a hefty source of drama in itself over the past few years. Before GoT even finished, there was chatter about what would come next, with the network first announcing that it was considering five different prequel ideas. It then green-lit one to pilot stage, scrapped it and later decided to adapt Martin's House Targaryen-focused Fire & Blood for the small screen as a show called House of the Dragon instead. Next, it opted to also give novella series Tales of Dunk and Egg the TV treatment — and to work on an animated GoT show as well. Now, The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that fans might be able to look forward to 9 Voyages, 10,000 Ships and a third show set in Flea Bottom, the King's Landing slum. So, like residents of Westeros hoping that summer (or at least autumn) will last for ever, you don't need to let go of this highly successful fantasy world anytime soon. Hailing from Rome creator Bruno Heller, 9 Voyages plans to focus on Lord Corlys Velaryon, who is also known as The Sea Snake, Lord of the Tides, Master of Driftmark and head of House Velaryon. If he doesn't yet sound familiar, that's because he's set to appear in House of the Dragon, where he'll be played by Steve Toussaint (It's a Sin). As for 10,000 Ships, it'll be about Princess Nymeria, an ancestor of House Martell who started the kingdom of Dorne. If it goes ahead, the show will tell a tale that takes place around 1000 years before the events in GoT. Then there's the the Flea Bottom series, which doesn't yet have even a working title. But, viewers can expect to spend time in the spot where Davos Seaworth and Gendry Baratheon were born. So far, only House of the Dragon — which will star Olivia Cooke (Pixie), Emma D'Arcy (Misbehaviour), Paddy Considine (The Third Day), Rhys Ifans (Official Secrets), Matt Smith (His House), Sonoya Mizuno (Devs) and Eve Best (Nurse Jackie) — is confirmed to be forging ahead. You can probably pencil in 2022 in your diary, if you're wondering when you might be able to see it. As for the other five GoT-related shows, they're just in various stages of development, so it's too early to say when they might pop up or who'll star in them. As the scrapping of the first proposed prequel illustrates — as mentioned above — the fact that HBO is pondering making new Westeros-set programs doesn't mean that they'll end up coming to fruition. At some point, Martin's saga will also live on in his books, whenever the author finally publishes the long-awaited next instalment of his A Song of Ice and Fire series. Until any of the GoT prequels and spinoffs actually drop, you can always rewatch the original — which is streaming in Australia via Binge — or revisit a trailer from its eighth and final season below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuLUyJdRvSU Via The Hollywood Reporter.
UPDATE, May 19, 2021: A Quiet Place is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Silence isn't simply deafening in A Quiet Place. As a family attempts to evade aliens that attack every sound, the absence of noise couldn't scream louder. The film's stillness is forceful and unrelenting, creating a stunning soundscape. One type of silence fills a room, farm house, abandoned supermarket and sprawling country property with dread and anxiety. Another thrums with the comfort of routines designed to impart normality in a clearly abnormal situation. Moreover, this symphony of quiet doesn't just play at different volumes, but with different instruments. As voices drop below a whisper and words are signed rather than spoken, the surrounding din of a desolate, post-apocalyptic world buzzes faintly: the whistling wind, the rushing water, the creaking of branches. In a movie that's acoustically muted for most of its running time — a movie that infuses its hushed status into its very premise — all of the above couldn't be more crucial. As an achievement in sound design, A Quiet Place is positively thunderous, even if Buffy the Vampire Slayer did something similar years ago. Director, co-writer and actor John Krasinski makes every minute of silence and every sudden burst of noise count, executing a straightforward B-movie concept with exceptional technical precision. More than that, The Office star ensures that his third stint behind the camera echoes both literally and emotionally. Here, a protruding nail is a heartbreaking sight. A bloodied hand streaking along a pane of glass proves horrifying as well as surprisingly hopeful. A suppressed grimace of pain gets the audience's adrenaline pumping, as well as their empathy. Viewers first meet A Quiet Place's central family on day 89 of their ordeal. When the central unnamed couple (Krasinksi and Emily Blunt) and their young children (Millicent Simmons, Noah Jupe and Cade Woodward) take a cautious trip to stock up on supplies, it ends in tragedy, establishing just how deadly absolutely any sound can be. Skip to day 472, with Blunt's character now heavily pregnant, Krasinski's patriarch trying to keep everyone safe, and the remaining kids quite rightly nervous. Still, they're as happy as they can be in their terse, jumpy, grief-stricken state. They're together, and thanks to the eldest daughter's hearing impairment, they're able to communicate via sign language. But the impending baby is certain to cry, the children waver between wanting to help and wanting to run, and the extra-terrestrial critters are rarely out of earshot. Krasinski's stripped-back use of sound reflects his entire approach, crafting a masterfully sparse movie from start to finish — and a downright masterful one too. Forget questions about why the monsters are there and where everyone else is: they couldn't matter less in this taut, fast-paced thriller, and they shouldn't even cross your mind. Disposing with the need to provide clunky explanations or exposition (something which can and has thwarted many horror flicks), A Quiet Place hones its focus on the protagonists, their immediate plight and their quest for survival. Indeed, the script's economical nature allows the film to flex its other muscles — or sharpen its other senses, fittingly. Visually, A Quiet Place flits between claustrophobic close-ups and the wide-open expanse of the family's farm, a contrast that ratchets up the tension as well as the movie's impact. When it's used, the score proves stirring without over-stressing the scenario's urgency, or making the bumps and jumps feel cheesy. Above all, however, it's the cast that not only benefit from the film's preference for showing rather than telling, but make their mark as a result. Like her work in Looper and Sicario, Blunt is both formidable and feminine, demonstrating that one doesn't negate the other in one of the best performances of her career. Watch out for the scene-stealing Simmons, though. The deaf young actress, who was similarly great in last year's Wonderstruck, is the strong, silent, expressive heart of this stellar picture — and its secret weapon in more ways than one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqy27Bk0Vw0
Global retail site ASOS has announced that, as of 2019, it will not sell garments derived from animal products such as silk, cashmere, mohair and feathers. The news was revealed via an update to the brand's animal welfare policy, with the company stating "ASOS firmly believes it is not acceptable for animals to suffer in the name of fashion or cosmetics." With a growth last year of 30% in their sales across major markets, ASOS is quickly growing in popularity and its reach — started in the UK in 2000, it now spans across multiple regions with designated sites in Australia, USA, France, Germany and others, as well as shipping to 140 countries. It's massive, and chances are you've bought a dress or a coat or six versions of the same t-shirt all in different colours from the retailer. The news falls in alignment with changing attitudes and expectations towards animal welfare in regards to fashion production. ASOS' animal welfare policy also notes that "all animal materials used must be by-products of the meat industry. ASOS is committed to working with industry expert groups to support the ongoing research, development and implementation of animal welfare standards and transparency in the leather supply chain." Products made from mohair (which comes from angora goats), cashmere (from cashmere goats), silk (made by silkworms) and down (feathers closest to a birds skin) will be banned — as well as feathers themselves — adding to ASOS' existing ban on using fur and angora. Products that use teeth and bone, including mother-of-pearl, will also be halted. PETA has applauded the move and, as well as global brands like Gucci and Versace jumping aboard with banning fur, a number of local Australian brands are adding their voices too.
Plenty can happen in six years. Since the last time that Hans Zimmer performed in Australia, his score for Dune won him his second Academy Award and his work on Dune: Part Two earned him his fifth Grammy, for instance. Over that period, the iconic composer has also given everything from No Time to Die, Wonder Woman 1984, Top Gun: Maverick and The Creator to Prehistoric Planet and Planet Earth III their tunes. One of the biggest names in big-screen music, he's clearly been busy — but he's not too busy to add a three-city Aussie tour to his 2025 calendar. Zimmer will head Down Under for the first time since 2019, including two dates in Melbourne. If you've seen him live before, you'll know that this is quite the sonic experience, especially for movie lovers. And if you haven't caught him yet, you'll want to fix that at his Tuesday, April 29–Monday, April 30 gigs at Rod Laver Arena. For more than four decades now, Zimmer has given screens big and small a distinctive sound. The German composer helped put the bounce in The Lion King's score and the droning in Inception's memorable tunes, and has loaned his talents to everything from Thelma & Louise to Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy to Blade Runner 2049. It's an impressive list that just keeps going and growing — see: above — and it sounds even more impressive when played live and accompanied by an orchestra. [caption id="attachment_990221" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Suzanne Teresa[/caption] The latest trip Down Under for the man who has worked his music magic on a wealth of titles — Hidden Figures, The Boss Baby, Dunkirk, Widows, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, The Lion King remake and The Crown are just a few more of his recent-ish credits — comes not only after his 2019 visit, but after he toured his Hans Zimmer Revealed concert series in 2017, including to Australia. His 2025 shows see the return of his Hans Zimmer Live gigs, complete with a 19-piece live band and full orchestra, as well as a huge stage production that features a luminous light show and other eye-catching visuals. While the Oscar, Golden Globe, Grammy and Tony-winner obviously isn't going to perform every single one of his iconic film scores, expect to hear plenty of your favourites from a newly arranged lineup of tunes that includes Dune, Gladiator, Interstellar, The Dark Knight, The Lion King, The Last Samurai and Pirates of the Caribbean. Onstage, Zimmer will have Australian singer Lisa Gerrard for company, with some of the songs that she co-penned with him featuring in the set — so, tracks from Mission: Impossible, King Arthur, Black Hawk Down, Tears of the Sun and more. [caption id="attachment_990220" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Suzanne Teresa[/caption] Top images: Lee Kirby / Frank Embacher Photography / Suzanne Teresa.
It may not end with a fade to black, with questions hanging over its characters' fates, or the revelation that it's all been a dream — but, however it happens, Atlanta is definitely wrapping up. Since 2016, the Donald Glover-created series has been one of the best things on TV; however, it's about to say farewell with a fourth and final batch of episodes. That isn't new news — Atlanta's end was revealed earlier this year — but that last go-around now has a trailer. In typical Atlanta style, it's cruisy and a tad surreal, and also still full of anxious and probing situations. This is the show that just had Alexander Skarsgård (The Northman) pop up and masturbate furiously, ventured into cannibalism and also delivered a wild Amelie parody in its third season, after all. That last round of instalments only arrived earlier this year, airing from March–May, after a four-year wait since season two. Clearly, the gap this time is vastly shorter — so if you're sad about the series ending, at least it's going out with a huge double dose. Exactly what creator and star Glover, who frequently writes and directs the series as well, has in store for his on-screen alter ego Earnest 'Earn' Marks isn't revealed in this first sneak peek at Atlanta's endgame — but Earn says he's in a good place, work-wise. Along with his ex Vanessa (Zazie Beetz, The Harder They Fall), rapper cousin Alfred 'Paper Boi' Miles (Brian Tyree Henry, Eternals) and Nigerian American pal Darius (Lakeith Stanfield, Judas and the Black Messiah), he's back in the titular US city after the last season followed the group around Europe. But, being the show it is, coming home won't be simple. Exactly how Atlanta follows up each and every season — all of them insightful, exceptional and unafraid to take big leaps — is always a thrill to discover. As it ventured around Europe, the show's third season went all in on white bullshit, and also on the way that the white-centric world will forever be haunted by how it still treats and has historically treated people of colour. What comes next will arrive for the final time in mid-September, with the show due to start its last run on Thursday, September 15 in the US. It streams via SBS On Demand in Australia and Neon in New Zealand, and will hopefully hit day and date Down Under, so on Friday, September 16, as season three did. Check out the trailer for Atlanta's fourth season below: The fourth season of Atlanta will release in the US on Thursday, September 15 — with the series streaming via SBS On Demand in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. We'll update you with an exact date Down Under when it comes to hand. Read our full review of Atlanta season three.
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to watching anything, we're here to help. From the latest and greatest to old favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue for August. NEW STUFF TO WATCH NOW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvamPJp17Ds LOVECRAFT COUNTRY Viewing US race relations and the nation's treatment of its black residents through a horror lens has long been Jordan Peele's jam, dating back to his Key & Peele days. Anyone who has seen Get Out and Us, the two films he has directed thus far, also knows this — and it is evident in Hunters, the TV series he executive produced earlier this year, as well. So Lovecraft Country, HBO's new horror drama based on the 2016 of the same name, was always going to be in Peele's wheelhouse. He's an executive producer again, and he's firmly in his element. Set in the 50s in America's south, this extremely well-executed series follows returned soldier Tic Freeman (Da 5 Bloods' Jonathan Majors), his uncle George (Project Power's Courtney B Vance) and his friend Leti Lewis (Birds of Prey's Jurnee Smollett) as they set off on a road trip to both find Tic's missing dad and locate African American-friendly places for George's Green Book-style guide. Their journey takes them to a part of the country where famed real-life sci-fi and horror writer HP Lovecraft found inspiration for his tales, too — and the results are smart and unnerving on multiple levels. The first two episodes of Lovecraft Country are available to stream via Binge, with new episodes added weekly on Mondays. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNlKbqHqGcY HOST Not to be confused with Bong Joon-ho's creature feature The Host, nor with the terrible sci-fi romance of the same name based on a novel boy Twilight author Stephenie Meyer, Shudder's engaging new horror flick Host is relevant to the absolute minute. The setup: bored in COVID-19 lockdown, a group of British friends (Haley Bishop, Jemma Moore, Emma Louise Webb, Radina Drandova, Caroline Ward and Edward Linard) decide to spice up their weekly Zoom catchup by enlisting a medium to conduct an online seance. Obviously, anyone who has ever seen a scary movie before knows that this is a bad plan, and that things won't end well. It's not so much what happens here that serves up the film's thrills, however, but how director Rob Savage (Strings) unfurls this creepy, timely premise. Frightening and tense features solely set on computer and mobile phone screens are by no means new — see Unfriended, Searching and Profile, just to name a few — but this is a savvy, cleverly staged and suitably spooky addition to the genre. Host is available to stream via Shudder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_EVR1fI68o I'LL BE GONE IN THE DARK One of the true-crime highlights of the year so far (no, Tiger King really doesn't come close), I'll Be Gone in the Dark delves into the search for the Golden State Killer. If that sounds familiar, that's because the case has been splashed across news headlines of late — including this past weekend, when the culprit was sentenced for his crime spree more than three decades after he last committed the 13 murders, over 50 rapes and more than 120 burglaries that made him the scourge of 70s and 80s-era California. Knowing the most recent developments doesn't spoil this six-part series, though. It's too layered, too full of insight and information, and too tied to author Michelle McNamara, too, to suffer that fate. McNamara wrote the book, I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer, that the show is based on. And, her story is as much a part of the series as the case she spent years fixating over, with the writer's text published in 2018 after her tragic 2016 death from an accidental overdose. I'll Be Gone in the Dark is available to stream via Binge. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYQvesno79Y P-VALLEY Blasted with disapproval by her mother for her choice of vocation, strip club employee Mercedes (Brandee Evans, Lethal Weapon) comes back strong: "Nah ma, it's art. I transport motherfuckers," she retorts. It's a powerful moment in P-Valley's first episode, but this is a powerful show all-round — and one that 100-percent treats its central activity as an art form. Created by Katori Hall and based on the playwright and journalist's stage production Pussy Valley, the series follows the ins and outs at erotic dance establishment The Pynk in the Mississippi Delta. The arrival of newcomer Autumn Night (Elarica Johnson, A Discovery of Witches) provides the program with its dramatic catalyst, but P-Valley is concerned with everyone in The Pynk's vicinity. Bold and vibrant in its storytelling, characters and visuals alike — neon features heavily — this series not only tells tales that aren't often seen on-screen, but does so with a clearcut and compelling vision. It's soapy at times, but it's also detailed, raw and utterly involving. The first six episodes of P-Valley's first season are available to stream via Stan, with new episodes starting again from Sunday, August 30. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViiYJZqGC5w BOYS STATE Imagine this: as part of an annual program designed to teach high schoolers about citizenship, leadership and US politics, a thousand teenage boys spend a week building their own (fictional, obviously) government. They form parties, come up with platforms, campaign for votes, endeavour to find consensus on topical issues and, for some attendees, try to reach Boys State's highest office of governor. If you think you already know how this would turn out, especially given the divided nature of American politics today, you're actually right. Still, watching it happen in the excellent documentary that's also called Boys State is another thing entirely. Taking a deep look at the next generation, interrogating their ideals, seeing what rhetoric these 17-year-olds have picked up and witnessing their willingness to do whatever it takes to succeed, this film is exactly what it aims to be, providing a glimpse of the US in a microcosm as well as a potential insight into the country's future. As directed by Jesse Moss (The Overnighters) and Amanda McBaine, it's also engrossing and striking, not to mention unsettling and optimistic in equal measure. Boys State is available to stream via Apple TV+. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4jopG1wX88 HIGH SCORE Maybe you're a Space Invaders aficionado from way back. Perhaps you've always had some sort of Nintendo console in your house. Or, you could prefer computer role-playing games — or mashing buttons in combat titles like Street Fighter II. Whichever category you fall into, six-part documentary series High Score is here to take you through the history of video games, particularly focusing on the 80s and 90s. It provides a wide-ranging snapshot of a broad topic, complete with personal anecdotes from a wide array of folks involved in the industry in various guises, and will certainly get you hankering for some retro fun. That said, there are omissions. If you correctly think Tetris is the best game ever made and deserves all of the attention and adoration possible, you might be disappointed, for example. Still, the whole thing is narrated by Charles Martinet, who has otherwise been known as the voice of Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Wario, Waluigi and Toadsworth since the 90s. High Score is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwJ5LDOl2Tc ACUTE MISFORTUNE If Adam Cullen had been any other artist and Erik Jensen any other journalist, Acute Misfortune may not exist. In 2008, the former invited the latter to stay with him, see him at his best and worst, and channel his rollercoaster ride of a life story into a biography — and, as dramatised by actor-turned-filmmaker Thomas M. Wright in one of the very best Aussie films of the past few years, the results are simply blistering. Just as Jensen didn't shy away from Cullen's erratic, frequently controversial nature at any point, nor does this stunning drama, which could never be accused of being a straightforward biopic of the Archibald-winning painter. Aided by stellar performances by Snowtown's Daniel Henshall as Cullen and Babyteeth's Toby Wallace as Jensen, as well as a script by co-written by the real-life Jensen, this is a warts-and-all portrait that lays bare not only its subject, but Australia's fascination with festering masculinity, and it's a lively and compelling watch from start to finish. Acute Misfortune is available to stream via Stan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QxEh4iadnw HOWARD Disney loves celebrating Disney, and also adores dipping into its own back catalogue. But Howard, its latest project to fit that description, stands out. After spending much of the past decade making or planning live-action versions of its big animated flicks like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Little Mermaid, the Mouse House is now going the documentary route to pay tribute to a man pivotal to all three. Indeed, if it wasn't for Oscar-winning lyricist Howard Ashman, fans everywhere may never have sung the lines "be our guest", "darling it's better down where it's wetter" or "you ain't never had a friend like me". A playwright who tasted theatre success and failure, proved a hit at Disney by helping them pump out beloved hits, and also passed away at the age of just 40 due to complications from HIV/AIDS, Ashman's is quite the story. He was behind the musical version of Little Shop of Horrors as well, and collaborated with fellow Disney composer Alan Menken — and, as told primarily via warm recollections overlaid across archival footage by filmmaker Don Hahn (Waking Sleeping Beauty), Ashman couldn't be more worthy of this touching tribute. Howard is available to stream via Disney+. ONES TO WATCH OUT FOR LATER IN THE MONTH https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo1CzqSA1D4 HUNGRY GHOSTS If there's one thing that the horror genre is fascinated with — and ghost stories especially — it's the way the past continually lingers over the present. Unsurprisingly given its moniker, Hungry Ghosts also adopts the topic; however this is a gripping four-part Australian supernatural drama with a difference. Following four Melbourne families, three of whom are of Vietnamese descent, the show is tied to the annual Hungry Ghost Festival, where some Asian communities venerate the dead. As the event approaches, an old war tomb is reopened in Vietnam — and, suddenly, spirits start terrorising twenty-something nail salon worker May Le (Catherine Văn-Davies), as well as others in her orbit. Moody and intriguing from the outset, Hungry Ghosts serves up effective spooks and scares. Most impressive, though, is its deep contemplation of the way that people are haunted by their troubles, fears and previous actions (including the long-lasting impact of conflict, such as the Vietnam War, on the program's multigenerational web of characters). Also a standout is the series' diverse cast, with the show starring 30 Asian Australian actors and more than 325 Asian Australian extras. Hungry Ghosts starts streaming via SBS On Demand from 9.30pm Monday, August 24, with new episodes added at the same time each night until Thursday, August 27. CULT CLASSICS TO REVISIT AND REDISCOVER https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do_BCA-vR9E ORPHAN BLACK Maybe you couldn't get enough of Orphan Black back when it originally aired, with the Canadian sci-fi thriller hitting screens between 2013–17. Perhaps you heard its name pop up again and again and were intrigued by the premise, but never got around to binging your way through it. Either way, all five seasons of the acclaimed series have now hit Amazon Prime Video, if you're looking for your next marathon viewing session. That's 50 episodes of twisty clone-fuelled thrills — because, yes, that's what Orphan Black is all about. It starts with a woman, Sarah Manning, watching her doppelgänger commit suicide, then assuming her identity. Where it goes from there is too labyrinthine for a quick summary, but Sarah soon discovers that she has more than one likeness as part of an illegal experiment. Obviously, it's an enthralling premise, and one primed for plenty of surprises. And star Tatiana Maslany (Destroyer, Perry Mason) is a powerhouse, deservedly scoring multiple Emmy nominations for her work. All five seasons of Orphan Black are available to stream via Amazon Prime Video. Top images: Lovecraft Country, Eli Joshua Ade / HBO; Hungry Ghosts, Sarah Enticknap / SBS.
Canberra music, food and art festival Spilt Milk is set to return to the capital this November, celebrating its third outing with a suitably huge lineup, announced this morning. Heading up the bill is none other than US hip hop star Childish Gambino, fresh off the back of a #1 Billboard Charts debut for his single This Is America. He hasn't yet announced any other Australian shows, but Spilt Milk isn't billing his appearance as an exclusive, so chances are he'll announce at least a few more shows. (We've still got out fingers crossed that he bring his Pharos festival here after New Zealand.) He'll be joined at the capital's Commonwealth Park on November 17 by fellow international stars, UK pop legends The Wombats and LA producer RL Grime. There's also plenty of homegrown goodness on the menu, with the likes of Sydney singer-songwriter Vera Blue, indie-pop sensation Jack River, dance floor darling Hayden James and Canberra's own high-energy duo Peking Duk all set to take the Spilt Milk stage. But the musical lineup's not to be outdone by the rest of the program, with a ripper serve of visual art, tasty eats and pop-up bars on the cards. Get ready for a multisensory feast, as Hamburg-based artist Stefanie Thiele leads a team of local talent in creating a wondrous playground of installations and art experiences. And keep those taste buds satisfied throughout the day, with eats from the likes of Dirty Bird Food Truck, Bao Brothers, Happy As Larry and Chur Burger. If you fancy being a part of Spilt Milk round three, you'd best not dilly dally — the festival's debut event in 2016 sold out in a mere 18 minutes, while the following year's tickets were all snapped up within nine minutes. This year, Canberra locals will get first dibs, with Homegrown tickets on sale July 1. After that, pre-sale tickets will be available Australia-wide from noon on July 3, with a general admission release on sale at 12pm, Thursday, July 5. In the meantime, here's what you came for — the full lineup for Spilt Milk 2018. SPILT MILK 2018 LINEUP Blanke Camouflage Rose Channel Tres Childish Gambino Cub Sport Ebony Boadu Hatchie Hayden James Jack River Kinder Kira Puru Kwame Manu Crook$ Methyl Ethel Miss Blanks Moaning Lisa Peking Duk RL Grime Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever Shockone Skeggs Thandi Phoenix The Jungle Giants The Wombats Thundamentals Vera Blue Willaris. K YG ARTISTS Faith Kerehona JBR Roskoe Stefanie Thiele VOIR (With more to be announced) FOOD Bao Brothers Eatery Chur Burger Dirty Bird Food Truck Happy As Larry Sofrito Paella Spilt Milk Festival will run on Saturday, November 17 at Commonwealth Park, Canberra. Tickets go on sale next week at spilt-milk.com.au. Image: Cole Bennetts.
Is there something you need to get off your chest? As part of the UK-based Deloitte Ignite Festival, curator Mike Figgis is asking you to confess your hidden thoughts, desires, hopes, fears and pet peeves. And like all good confessionals, it is completely anonymous. Running over three consecutive days, the Deloitte Ignite Festival is a annual festival of contemporary arts and ideas, which are all loosely linked by the festival's theme, 'Just Tell The Truth'. Dazed Digital, in partnership with the festival and inspired by its theme, have set up a completely anonymous online confessional, which allows participants to upload their secrets. It's easy. Just go to the website, upload your text, pick your photo and the colour of your font, et voila: instant online absolution. Even if you have nothing to confess, it's worth checking out to see what others have and to see the great selection of photography which accompany the confessions. By clicking on the photo you get access to the photographer's profile and work. Fessing up has never been easy but at least now it can be fun.
It was back in March 2022 that the world first learned of Mrs Davis, who would star in it and which creatives were behind it. Apart from its central faith-versus-technology battle, the show's concept was kept under wraps, but the series itself was announced to the world. The key involvement of three-time GLOW Emmy-nominee Betty Gilpin, Lost and The Leftovers creator Damon Lindelof, and The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon writer and executive producer Tara Hernandez was championed, plus the fact that Black Mirror: San Junipero director Owen Harris would helm multiple episodes. Accordingly, although no one knew exactly what it was about, Mrs Davis existed months before ChatGPT was released. A puzzle-box drama that's equally a sci-fi thriller, zany comedy and action-adventure odyssey, Mrs Davis now follows ChatGPT in reaching audiences — hitting screens, including via Binge in Australia, from Friday, April 21. Don't even bother trying not to think about the artificial intelligence-driven chatbot, or pondering the growing number of programs just like it, as you're viewing this delightfully wild and gleefully ridiculous series, however. There's no point dismissing any musings that slip into your head about social media, ever-present tech, digital surveillance and the many ways that algorithms dictate our lives, either. Mrs Davis accepts that such innovations are a mere fact of life in 2023, then imagines what might happen if AI promised to solve the worlds ills and make everyone's existence better and happier. It explores how users could go a-flocking, eager to obey every instruction and even sacrifice themselves to the cause. In other words, it's about ChatGPT-like technology starting a religion in everything but name. That premise isn't particularly outlandish, and nor is speculating where artificial intelligence might lead humanity; on the page, science fiction has been theorising about playing god and creations going rogue since Mary Shelley penned Frankenstein. In those footsteps has sprung everything from 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner, and the Alien, The Terminator and The Matrix franchises to the TRON movies, WALL-E, Ex Machina and Her on the big screen, plus Alita: Battle Angel, After Yang, M3GAN and more. Indeed, endeavouring not to think about the latter — the unhinged horror-comedy that proved a box-office hit earlier in 2023 — is futile while watching Mrs Davis, too. It isn't just the prominence of AI that binds the pair, but the willingness to go all-in on OTT leaps, detours, and jumps in tone and genre. In fact, Mrs Davis thrusts that somersaulting to a gleefully berserk yet magnificent extreme. The titular Mrs Davis isn't actually married — not to anything but amassing users, then keeping them plugged in — and certainly isn't a person with a surname. In some countries, the AI is called mum or Madonna, such is the loving light that it's seen in by its devotees. But Simone (Gilpin, Gaslit) doesn't subscribe. A nun raised by magicians (The Dropout's Elizabeth Marvel and Scream's David Arquette), she enjoys sabbaticals from her convent to do whatever is necessary to bring down folks who practise her parents' vocation and the show's central technology alike. She also enjoys quite the literal nuptials to Jesus Christ, is divinely bestowed names to chase in her quest and has an ex-boyfriend, Wiley (Jake McDorman, Dopesick), who's a former bullrider-turned-Fight Club-style resistance leader. And, she's tasked with a mission by the algorithm itself: hunting down the Holy Grail. No summary of Mrs Davis can do its plot justice, or the rollercoaster ride it takes from the get-go. In its opening episode alone, the show throws in the Knights Templar sacking Paris for the fabled treasure to end all fabled treasures, Simone zipping about on a motorcycle in her habit, surreal diner chats between the nun and her husband Jay (Andy McQueen, Station Eleven), a car crash staged by magicians, a shipwrecked man called Schrödinger Ben Chaplin, The Dig) with a cat, Nazis, big Kill Bill vibes — well, it is about a blonde in a distinctive outfit kicking ass and seeking revenge, often while placed against western-esque backdrops — and a factory pumping out hippopotamus meat. There's more in that debut instalment, as there is in each that follows, so much so that any chapter feels as if anything can occur at any time. Battling an algorithm is firmly in Mrs Davis' circuitry, but it never seems like it was spat out by one. There's a scene approaching halfway through Mrs Davis' eight-episode run where Simone watches a screen, just as everyone streaming the series is doing. When she exclaims "what the fuck?", it isn't the first time that the show inspires that reaction. When this mind-bender isn't nodding to everything that's ever grappled with AI in pop culture, winking at Lost and obviously elbowing Indiana Jones, it's also skewering commercials, bringing Arrested Development to mind and hopping on The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou's boat. It has heists and Arthurian legend, details out of Dan Brown and Robinson Crusoe, secret societies and Hands on a Hardbody-inspired endurance contests, the great Margot Martindale (Cocaine Bear) as Simone's Mother Superior and a comically exaggerated Australian (Daisy Jones & The Six's Chris Diamantopoulos, who definitely isn't an Aussie) as well — and it never stops ramping up its absurdity, its excitement to veer anywhere and everywhere all at once, and those what-the-fuck moments. Spin all of the above together and out comes infectious, addictive, must-watch-more fun — constantly surprising viewing, too, especially in these commissioned-by-algorithm times. Mrs Davies does genuinely contemplate what technology's constant advancements may mean for humankind; however, it wants to be rollicking entertainment as it does so. To that end, it helps that the show's three helmers each sport experience in twisty on-screen tales that often aren't afraid to take big steps into the unexpected. They direct a series now that's glossily made but always anarchic with its slickness, its pinballing from one out-there development to the next and its pacing, benefiting from Harris' time on The Twilight Zone and Brave New World, Alethea Jones' background on Made for Love and Dispatches From Elsewhere, and Frederick Toye being a Watchmen and Westworld alum. When Mrs Davies begins, going with the flow is the only response. Although a new burst of idiosyncratic madness is rarely far away, there's always meaning in whatever is happening, with the series examining not just AI and its influence but also parent-child bonds, plus also our species' undying need for both storytelling and something to believe in (and frequently the two at once). And, crucially, at the show's core is the always-phenomenal Gilpin. No matter how eccentric and ambitious Mrs Davies gets, she's its anchor, including while navigating everything that it catapults Simone's way. She's in excellent company — even Diamantopoulos ensures that what could've been a lazy Aussie caricature earns its comedic beats — and she has everyone on- and off-screen along for the ride with her. Check out the trailer for Mrs Davis below: Mrs Davis screens in Australia via Binge from Friday, April 21. Images: Binge/Peacock.
Fusing thousands of EDM lovers, raveheads waiting for the bass to drop and a formidable amount of hot sauce can't possibly go wrong right? Face-melting dance and tastebud-destroying chili will combine their unlikely party powers for the first ever Electronic Sriracha Festival in San Jose, California. There'd better be some solid water stations in the production budget. Staking a spicy claim over San Jose's St. James Park on August 30, the hot sauce-inspired festival is making David Tran's beloved Sriracha rooster the poster boy for build ups, bass drops and breakdowns. Taking over two city blocks, three stages of electronic music, four bars and 120 sriracha-infused dishes, ESF is keeping food at $6 and the amps to 11. Seems it's all about endorphins, with EDM generating the same rush as a mouthful of hot sauce (the secret's in the capsaicin). Seems the moment before the bass drops parallels the waiting game before the Sriracha heat seeps in. Goes without saying, punters to both types of caps[aicin]-fuelled adventures do often display the same facial reaction: Could be one of the most unlikely Nailed It festivals yet, more innovative than your regular phone company sponsor with only corporate tents and handouts to add to the vibe. Sriracha held their first food-focused festival in LA last year, seems the team want to take things next level. The line-up will be released Monday, July 21 at 9am. Via Grub Street.
Sometimes, dreams do come true. More often than not, they don't. The bulk of life is what dwells in-between, as we all cope with the inescapable truth that we won't get everything that we've ever fantasised about, and we mightn't even score more than just a few things we want. This is the space that Party Down has always made its own, asking "are we having fun yet?" about life's disappointments while focusing on Los Angeles-based hopefuls played by Adam Scott (Severance), Ken Marino (The Other Two), Ryan Hansen (A Million Little Things), Martin Starr (Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities) and more. They'd all rather be doing something other than being cater waiters at an array of California functions, and most have stars in their eyes. In the cult comedy's first two seasons back in 2009–10, the majority of its characters have their sights set on show business, slinging hors d'oeuvres while trying to make acting, screenwriting or comedy happen. By even existing, Party Down itself is the product of dreams that aren't fulfilled and the twists of fate that follow. If Veronica Mars hadn't initially been cancelled after three seasons, its creator Rob Thomas mightn't have moved onto a new collaboration with two of the show's fellow former staff — writer/producer John Enbom and producer Dan Etheridge — plus one-time guest star Paul Rudd (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania). And, if that hadn't have occurred, Party Down wouldn't have ever graced screens with its spectacular dark farce at all. It too was cancelled too soon but has found a way to make a comeback. In its 13-years-later revival, it smartly and hilariously grapples with what it means when dreams don't pan out, and when they seem like they will only to crash. Bringing most of the original gang back together — Lizzy Caplan had scheduling issues making the also-excellent Fleishman Is in Trouble, but Jane Lynch (Only Murders in the Building) and Megan Mullally (Reservation Dogs) return — Party Down keeps its shindig-by-shindig setup. Across its first 20 instalments as well as its new six, which drop weekly on Stan from Friday, February 24, each episode sends the titular crew to a different soirée. The opening get-together is thrown by one of their own, Kyle Bradway (Hansen), who has just scored the lead part in a massive superhero franchise. Ex-actor Henry Pollard (Scott) is among the attendees, as are now-heiress Constance Carmell (Lynch) and perennial stage mum Lydia Dunfree (Mullally), but comedian Casey Klein (Caplan) is too busy being Saturday Night Live-level famous. Hard sci-fi obsessive Roman DeBeers (Starr) and the eager-to-please Ron Donald (Marino) are present as well, in a catering capacity. Having some of the team still sporting their black pants, crisp white shirts and pastel pink bow ties after such time has passed could've played as lazy or unbelievable. Party Down has always been as unflinchingly honest as it is sidesplittingly funny, however. It finds its main figures literally in reunion mode, and uses that entry point to explore everything that could've changed — and what mightn't have — for anyone getting their start working in hospitality in LA. Some achieved exactly what they said they would. Some are still just talking about it, and bitterly. As for Henry, he advises Kyle that he's a high-school English teacher. When his pal asks "on what show?" in response, Party Down remains as incisive as ever at tearing down the Hollywood mindset, its posturing and its centre-of-the-universe delusion. Henry genuinely is a high-school English teacher IRL, a fact that Kyle hasn't even entertained. More of the Party Down OGs end up back in uniform, in turns of events that couldn't be more organic, believable and steeped in the series' constant confrontation with dreams failing, flailing and fading. Still, season three has fresh faces; hospitality is a turnover-heavy industry. Content creator Sackson (Tyrel Jackson Williams, Brockmire) would rather be filling his socials, and flouts the Ron Donald dos and Ron Donald don'ts as Henry, Kyle, Roman and the group always have. The Gen-Z influencer wannabe also acts as visible reminder of how the notion of stardom has changed. Chef Lucy Dang (Zoë Chao, The Afterparty) seeks fame through her cooking, which isn't your standard catering spread. Baking ripened camembert into birthday cake, for instance, she wants food to be art rather than mere fuel. Also among the newcomers, but not holding trays for minimum wage, are Jennifer Garner (The Adam Project) as film executive Evie Adler and James Marsden (Dead to Me) as hotshot actor Jack Botty. The former hits it off with Henry — because with Caplan's Casey absent, Party Down still needs its emotional core and will-they-won't-they rom-com spark amid the Hollywood takedowns, ridiculous celebration ideas and slapstick absurdity it throws together skilfully, cleverly and hysterically. Unsurprisingly, season three is usually at its best when the show's old favourites bounce off each other, but Thomas and company have done well with their newcomers. That's another returning talent; before she was winning awards for The White Lotus, Jennifer Coolidge made a killer two-episode addition to the crew, and Mullally joined the cast when Lynch moved onto Glee. Are we having fun yet? Yes, always. While the catchphrase that's long haunted Henry — uttered in a beer commercial, and his biggest acting claim to fame — is rolled out again, Party Down season three is also supremely skilled at working in nods and callbacks without ever feeling like the person at the party that won't move on from the past. With Enbom showrunning, the writing is again intelligent and amusing, and the tone hasn't wavered a decade-plus on. And, once getting the gang back together has been established, Party Down's latest stint still ranks it among the all-time great workplace comedies. Scott does love pondering the daily grind, starring in Parks and Recreation and Severance before making his way back to pouring drinks. There's exactly one issue with season three: it only runs for six episodes. Since 2009, the world has always needed more Party Down, and that remains the case now that it's finally back. No one needs Party Down, the company, like Ron still does, though. None of the show's characters have ever embodied the desperate extremes that someone can go to to make their dreams come true as he still does, either — or what happens when someone has pitched their whole identity on one thing and won't accept any alternatives no matter the humiliations that arise. Marino, like Hansen and Scott, made the jump over to Party Down from Veronica Mars to play the catering outfit's oh-so-keen (but always-bumbling) manager, and his performance continues to be a masterclass in bleak and physical comedy in a series that's outstanding at (and has fun with) both. Check out the trailer for Party Down season three below: Party Down's third season streams via Stan from Friday, February 24 — and via TVNZ+ as well.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. BELFAST Warm, cosy, rosy, charming, feel-good: typically when a film spins its story during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, none of these words apply. But with Belfast, Kenneth Branagh has made a movie set in its eponymous city when the Protestant-versus-Catholic violence was a constant sight, and also helmed a feature that's about a childhood spent with that conflict as a backdrop. It's an approach that only works because Branagh draws from his own experiences — the film isn't a play-by-play memoir, but it's also clearly personal. Here, it's 1969, when the actor-turned-filmmaker would've been nine years old. The movie's protagonist, Buddy (first-timer Jude Hill), is that exact age, in fact. And with the beginnings of a three-decade-long sectarian fracas bubbling and boiling around him, he navigates the usual age-appropriate antics, such as school, crushes, doting grandparents with ailing health and a potential big move. The Troubles are a constant sight in the largely monochrome-hued film, too, and the reason Buddy's that parents are contemplating relocating to England, something they wouldn't have dreamed of otherwise. Pa (Jamie Dornan, The Tourist) already spends most of his time working there as a joiner, leaving Ma (Caitríona Balfe, Outlander) at home with Buddy and his elder brother Will (Lewis McAskie, Here Before) — with assistance from the boys' Granny (Judi Dench, Six Minutes to Midnight) and Pop (Ciarán Hinds, The Man in the Hat) — and he's been offered a new job that comes with a house. The violence swirling through Belfast has already made it to the family's street, to their hounded Catholic neighbours and, when Pa refuses to join the fray, put them on their fellow Protestants' hit list. Shifting to London (or perhaps further, to Sydney or Vancouver) would provide a new start and a safer future, but leaving all they've ever known isn't a simple decision. Belfast's adult characters are only known as Buddy would know them, such is Branagh's commitment to seeing this story, time and place through a child's eyes as he once did. And, while there's much debate to be had between Pa and Ma about whether to go or stay, the film is filled with its young lead's joys and worries — with the prospect of never again seeing the Catholic classmate he swoons over high among the boy's concerns. Belfast isn't short on context, however, though there's zero chance that it could be mistaken for a meaty interrogation of The Troubles. Branagh weaves in examples of how the push-and-pull of the conflict that's inescapable in his neighbourhood every day, Molotov cocktails, broken windows, blazes, riots and all, puts Buddy and his family in the middle. Still, a magical view of childhood remains, including when Buddy gets thrust into the thick of the fray — where, after he returns home with looted supermarket wares, his mother marches him back to return the stolen products amid the chaos. Branagh also indulges in an origin story, perhaps inspired by his stint in the Marvel Cinematic Universe directing the first Thor film back in 2011 (Buddy is even seen reading a Thor comic). Escaping The Troubles as much as anyone can in Belfast, the writer/director's on-screen surrogate adores seeing Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and A Christmas Carol also features — scenes that come to life in colour, unlike the bulk of the picture around them. In the process, Branagh helps trace the early steps of his own desire to become a thespian and filmmaker, which has led to everything from Shakespeare adaptations such as Much Ado About Nothing and Hamlet, to doing double duty in front of and behind the lens with Hercule Poirot duo Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile. He's played Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' Gilderoy Lockhart, helmed Disney's live-action Cinderella, gotten villainous in Tenet, and of course, enjoyed an applauded on-stage career as well, all stemming from those first rapturous experiences watching when he was growing up. Read our full review. HERE OUT WEST Western Sydney could use a love letter right now, and that tribute arrives in Here Out West. The product of eight up-and-coming screenwriters from the area, it celebrates a place that has spent much of the past year garnering attention for a reason no one wanted: thanks to the tighter rules applied to the region during Sydney's four-month stretch of stay-at-home conditions in 2021, it was home to New South Wales' strictest lockdown of the pandemic to-date. Thankfully, COVID-19 isn't this movie's focus. Instead, as told in nine languages — Arabic, Bengali, Cantonese, Kurdish, Tagalog, Turkish, Vietnamese, Spanish and English — and helmed by five female filmmakers, Here Out West dwells in everyday lives. It champions by seeing and recognising, and by trumpeting voices that have always been there but are infrequently given a microphone. Opening shots of suburban houses and looping highways set the scene: viewers aren't journeying to an Aussie beach or the nation's parched outback expanse, aka two of the prevailing visions of this sunburnt, sea-girt continent on-screen. Rather, Here Out West unfurls its octet of intertwined vignettes in spaces far more ordinary — not to downplay the importance of surveying western Sydney, but to clearly note that these are its daily playgrounds. It's here that mothers have babies, neighbours look after the kids next door, grandmothers worry about their grandchildren, dads struggle to connect with their sons, and sport and food are among the ways that people come together. It's here that adults bicker among themselves over love, and with their parents about their futures. It's where lives begin and end, and where folks with dreams both big and modest also try to start anew. And yes, all of these scenarios are covered by the film's narrative. Initially, Here Out West spends time with Nancy (Geneviève Lemon, The Tourist), who takes care of her eight-year-old neighbour Amirah (debutant Mia-Lore Bayeh), but wasn't actually planning to help out today. She has a newborn granddaughter to meet — one that the authorities are planning to take away, so Nancy makes a drastic decision that'll ripple throughout the community across the movie's one-day timeframe. In the film's second segment, hospital carpark security guard Jorge (fellow first-timer Christian Ravello) is brought into the wider story, and also gets a snapshot chapter of his own. His instalment then intersects with friends Rashid (Rahel Romahn, Moon Rock for Monday), Dino (Thuso Lekwape, Book Week) and Robi (Arka Das, Babyteeth), who run through the streets arguing about Rashid's cousin. Next, their section links in with Ashmita (Leah Vandenberg, The Hunting) and her dying Bengali-speaking father back at the local hospital. Returning to specific spots comes with territory, because it comes with living anywhere; paths cross, people are drawn to the same busy and central locations, and some facilities — such as Here Out West's pivotal hospital — are always a hive of activity in any community. That truth continues to drive the film as it meets Kurdish refugees Keko (De Lovan Zandy) and Xoxe (Befrin Axtjärn Jackson), who are hoping to make a new beginning that still involves his penchant for music and her skills hand-weaving carpets, before jumping to Tuan (Khoi Trinh) and his brother Andy (Brandon Nguyen), who possess varying ideas about what it means to be Vietnamese Australian. Then comes a glimpse at nurse Roxanne's (Christine Milo, It's a Cult!) day as she works a double shift and misses her family in The Philippines. And, there's also Winnie (Gabrielle Chan, Hungry Ghosts) and Angel (Jing-Xuan Chan, Neighbours) as the mother and daughter close their Chinese restaurant for the last time. Read our full review. JACKASS FOREVER Older men, same ol' tricks and dicks: that's Jackass Forever. The fifth film in the prank-fuelled TV-to-movie franchise isn't afraid of letting it show, either, just as it's never been afraid of flashing around male genitalia. No one in Jackass' crew of comic daredevils is scared of that much — or, if they are, they're more frightened of not challenging themselves alongside their buddies — so the proud and purposeful attitude flaunted in the flick's title and usual formula is thoroughly unsurprising. Twenty-two years have passed since Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Dave Englund, Wee Man, Danger Ehren and Preston Lacy first turned outlandish stunts and practical jokes into an MTV hit, but age hasn't wearied their passion or camaraderie. It also hasn't dampened the gang's fondness for showing their junk, but there's something sweet here among all the penises: the fact that time inescapably passes but doing stupid shit with your mates sparks immortal joy. Jackass Forever is stupid, because the kinds of gags that Knoxville and company love are profoundly idiotic — including the film's opening gambit, where a green Godzilla-esque creature tramples a city but it's really Pontius' package painted like a monster. Also inherently silly: using the cast's bodies to prop up skateboarding ramps, a Knoxville-hosted game show that penalises wrong answers with a whack to the sack, exploding a port-a-potty while Steve-O is using it and a contraption made of harnesses that simultaneously gives three people wedgies. The ridiculous bits go on, including lighting farts underwater and drinking milk on a moving carousel to the point of vomiting. Another reason that Jackass is forever for this troupe: they're still as juvenile now, even though they're all over or approaching 50, as they ever were. Describing Jackass' risky skits and scenes never comes close to watching them, but how funny anyone finds this franchise depends on individual senses of humour and, sometimes, upon your mood on any given day. Regardless, there's always been an art to its follies, as captured on camera by Jeff Tremaine, the series' longstanding director, and also its co-creator with Knoxville and Her filmmaker Spike Jonze. Jackass' slapstick credentials carry on the traditions of Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and The Three Stooges, but lewder and grosser, obviously. The saga's commitment to documenting not just the stunts and pranks themselves, but the setups, attitudes in advance and reactions afterwards — the key interplay between its perpetrators, victims and spectators, too — also sees it deconstruct the brand of comedy it sports as it goes. These sense-defying jesters show their working, in other words, and share the thrills it inspires. No wonder they don't ever want it to stop. Mortality does hang over Jackass Forever, however, as seen in a number of ways — starting with Knoxville's grey hair. It isn't always so strikingly silvery, and he's also shown talking about not wanting to show his bald spot, which Jonze then rushes in to cover with black spray paint. But when the crew's ringleader does let his wintry-hued tresses show, it's the best visual representation possible of how these guys will be adoring all things Jackass till they die. Well that, and the plethora of injuries suffered, including Knoxville's concussion, brain haemorrhage and bone fractures from a bull stunt. Jackass' ridiculous men can't escape the passing years and its impact upon their bodies if they wanted to, but it clearly makes them savour what they're doing. Read our full review. MOONFALL Does Roland Emmerich hate earth? Asking for not just a friend, but for the residents of an entire planet that the filmmaker just can't stop blowing up, devastating via CGI chaos and threatening with its end in his movies. Or, does he really love it, and has committed to the cinematic version of negging — tearing this pale blue dot down again and again so that his always paper-thin characters can swoop in to save the day, and also somehow seduce thankful viewers? Either way, Hollywood's go-to disaster-porn helmer is running out of moves, after a career spent blighting the globe in Independence Day, the terrible 1998 American Godzilla, The Day After Tomorrow, 2012 and Independence Day: Resurgence. He does what he long has with Moonfall, of course, but with a space twist and while also noticeably ripping off elements of Alien and Prometheus. Moonfall begins in 2011, on a Space Shuttle mission, when it seems as if astronauts Brian Harper (Patrick Wilson, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It) and Jo Fowler (Halle Berry, Bruised) might first find themselves in a Gravity knockoff. Something dark, fast and strange swarms them while Harper is out in the inky nothingness working on a satellite, leading to a tragedy, but no one believes his version of events — including Fowler. Ten years later, he's considered a has-been, she's still at NASA and, when conspiracy theorist KC Houseman (John Bradley, Game of Thrones) learns that the moon has been knocked off its orbit, they're the only ones who can save the day. Harper is also one of the only people willing to listen to Houseman's wild claim that the moon is actually an artificial megastructure, which is linked to its sudden descent upon earth. There's a word for folks who share Houseman's beliefs: 'megastructuralist', a term that viewers will never forget given how many times that Emmerich, Harald Kloser (also the film's composer) and Spenser Cohen (Extinction) work it into their screenplay. It's all that Bradley seems to say, and Moonfall clings to it like its filmmaker is desperately trying to one-up the hollow earth theory seen in Godzilla vs Kong, a better take on creature features than his past attempt. In general, Moonfall's script plays like a grab-bag of better elements from other space, disaster and sci-fi flicks all thrown together and spun like a gyroscope, but its nods in Ridley Scott and the Alien franchise's direction couldn't be more blatant. Indeed, thanks to its obvious pilfering, Moonfall often appears to have a better movie lurking inside — an interesting-enough space film erroneously packaged with all of Emmerich's standard world-ending mayhem — but only if you can somehow forget that one of the best pictures ever made got there first. Emmerich's latest would definitely be improved it it blew away some of the time it spends charting the fallout on earth, where "city-sized moon pieces will rain down", Harper and Fowler both have sons to save, and the thoroughly bored look on Charlie Plummer's (Words on Bathroom Walls) face as the just-imprisoned-but-good-at-heart Sonny Harper says everything. But then this film wouldn't have been made by this director, who refuses to embrace the ridiculousness of everything he's thrusting onto the screen and sticks with his stock-standard self-serious vibe. The premise, the writing, each easily foreseeable twist — it's all ludicrous, but played far too straight, although that doesn't result in anything but by-the-numbers performances by Wilson and Berry, and a gratingly one-note turn from Bradley. Perhaps Moonfall's biggest feat is making that other recent flick about a falling celestial object, Don't Look Up, look better than it is in comparison. Well that, and owning its silliness exactly once, in its moniker, because Moonfall certainly does describe exactly what happens. INDIA SWEETS AND SPICES India Sweets and Spices sports a clunky title, but a descriptive one. The saccharine and the zesty — the formulaic and spirited, too — combine in this coming-of-age comedy about an Indian American college freshman returning home from her no-holds-barred campus life for the summer, and being expected to slot back into her parents' and culture's expectations and traditions as if she'd never left. That quickly unhappy student is Alia Kapur (Sophia Ali, Grey's Anatomy), who has little on her agenda for her break except lazing by and in the pool; however, her prim-and-proper mother Sheila (Manisha Koirala, an Indian cinema mainstay) and doctor father Ranjit (Adil Hussain, Star Trek: Discovery) still demand that she do the rounds of their social circle's weekly Saturday-night party circuit. It's more her mum's doing than her significantly more laidback dad's, but it's also the done thing. What isn't usual: inviting the new proprietors of the local Indian store to these well-to-do shindigs. Writer/director Geeta Malik (Troublemaker) could've called her sophomore feature Crazy Rich Indian Americans — or Snobby Rich Indian Americans — and the moniker would've stuck, with a clear class clash the obvious outcome when Varun Dutta (Rish Shah, To All the Boys: Always and Forever), his mother Bhairavi (Deepti Gupta, High School Musical: The Musical — The Series) and dad Kamlesh (Kamran Shaikh, Evil Eye) show up to the Kapurs' home as asked. The conceited judgement over their nice but not glitzy attire is immediate, and further awkwardness springs quickly when it turns out that Sheila and Bhairavi shared a past before they both emigrated to the US. Alia is outraged over the reaction, intrigued about her mum's history and, given that's the reason she invited the Duttas in the first place, interested in Varun — and all three swiftly shape her summer. There's a sprinkle too much of the familiar to India Sweets and Spices, both in its narrative — and many of the details and cliches used to tell it — and its insights into the struggles of growing up surrounded by one country's attitudes but with another's conventions always knocking at the door. The template-esque feel makes the film pleasant rather than overly memorable, and its boilerplate TV-style gloss and sheen doesn't help it stand out, either. Thankfully, Malik's three key female talents couldn't fade into a by-the-numbers setup if they wanted to, and add much of the movie's verve as a result. Ali may play a character that could've stepped out of any similar flick, including the likes of Bend It Like Beckham and The Big Sick, but her delivery and presence are one of this feature's best traits. And whenever Koirala and Gupta are on-screen, be it together or separately, India Sweets and Spices benefits immensely. All three women are also pivotal to Malik's biggest attempt to differentiate India Sweets and Spices from other comparable fare: her foray into the quest for women's equality in India. Perched within the film's otherwise straightforward intergenerational and class conflicts sits a look at gender roles both historically in India and within Indian American communities today — the movie takes place in New Jersey — plus an examination of the sacrifices that might be made by someone willing to forgo her own fight to gift a better life to her children instead. This meaty and meaningful aspect of the feature would hit harder if so much that surrounded it wasn't content with easy tropes, though. Indeed, India Sweets and Spices is a tad too happy to act against its own advice, settling for something that's good enough rather than pushing itself further past the tried and tested. STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET On a fictional New York street that's home to a cross-section of the city's multicultural population, young and old alike, and also to boisterous muppets, sunny days have been sweeping the clouds away since November 1969. Eager to educate preschoolers, Sesame Street has taught multiple generations of children the alphabet, to count — with help from Count von Count since 1972, of course — and about life in general, and both its longevity and the beloved turf it holds within popular culture speak to its enormous success. Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street knows that it's profiling a seminal piece of television, and that virtually everyone born in the past half-century grew up watching the adored series; however, it's also keen to tell the story behind that story. Nostalgia drips through this behind-the-scenes documentary, gleefully so, but so too does a chronicle of how Sesame Street became the icon it is — and against the odds. The show's backstory starts with TV producer Joan Ganz Cooney and psychologist Lloyd Morrisett, and with a dinner-party conversation that saw them float the idea of a television series that might help American children prepare for school — particularly kids of colour. The path to Sesame Street reaching the air wasn't smooth from there, or plain sailing once it got to screens (its focus on racial integration didn't go down well in parts of Mississippi, for instance), but education-meets-entertainment history was nonetheless made. Inspired by Michael Davis' 2008 non-fiction book Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street, documentarian Marilyn Agrelo (An Invisible Sign) fashions her film as an insider's window into a miraculous program, blending informative details about how it came to be and its early years with clips of its muppet-fuelled magic. Both elements of the movie engage, as do its recent and archival interviews. On the screen, Street Gang benefits from the type of observation that helped make its subject such a delight: that showing is far better than telling. Given that there's so much ground to cover — Sesame Street could easily earn its own historical documentary series, but this film fits what it can into 107 minutes — it's patently a tricky juggling act to find the right balance between Sesame Street footage and analysis, but the clips presented are charmers. Agrelo deploys these snippets to demonstrate the show's commitment to representation, as paired with chats with actors such as Emilio Delgado (Luis) and Sonia Manzano (Maria); its educational approach, aka its number-one reason for existing; and the puppetry prowess of original Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch performer Carol Spinney, and of the great Jim Henson and Frank Oz. Discussions with and about the former, including about how both characters gave him outlet for parts of his personality, are lovely, while giggling at the latter pair's work as Bert and Ernie never gets old, and neither does appreciating why the double act is such a piece of genius. Sesame Street has always been revolutionary, too, and in a plethora of ways, all of which Street Gang celebrates. Its firm intent to ensure that it represented America's diversity sprang from its times and made a statement, while its willingness to use advertising techniques — jingles included — was savvy and smart. Its blend of humour and information, its eagerness to entertain the adults watching as well as the kids, the passion for ensuring that all children felt included and empowered: they're all pioneering. And, as much as the aired segments and hilarious outtakes prove joyous, the meaning and power of Sesame Street always beams through. Of course, being both amusing and enlightening was always the show's aim, so it's apt that this loveable documentary about it easily achieves the same feat. Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street is screening at Sydney's Golden Age Cinema and Bar, and is also available to stream via video on demand. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28; November 4, November 11, November 18 and November 25; December 2, December 9, December 16 and December 26; and January 1, January 6, January 13, January 20 and January 27. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Alpinist, A Fire Inside, Lamb, The Last Duel, Malignant, The Harder They Fall, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Halloween Kills, Passing, Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark, Julia, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick... Boom!, Zola, Last Night in Soho, Blue Bayou, The Rescue, Titane, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, Dune, Encanto, The Card Counter, The Lost Leonardo, The French Dispatch, Don't Look Up, Dear Evan Hansen, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Lost Daughter, The Scary of Sixty-First, West Side Story, Licorice Pizza, The Matrix Resurrections, The Tragedy of Macbeth, The Worst Person in the World, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, House of Gucci, The King's Man, Red Rocket, Scream, The 355, Gold, King Richard, Limbo, Spencer, Nightmare Alley, Belle, Parallel Mothers and The Eyes of Tammy Faye.
Get diggin' on Australia and New Zealand's latest big gig news: TLC are touring Down Under in 2024. The best-selling American female group in history aren't just heading our way for any old reason, either. Next year marks the 30th anniversary of their smash-hit second studio album CrazySexyCool, so they're taking to the stage to celebrate. The band might advise against chasing waterfalls, but chasing these concert dates is highly recommended. TLC's 2024 visit comes two years after Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins and Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas headlined Fridayz Live in Australia, and were meant to do the same at Friday Jams in Aotearoa before dropping out of the NZ gig due to a COVID-19 case among their touring party. Those shows didn't just feature TLC, but saw other nostalgic acts behind the microphone — as will the group's next dates. On supporting duties: Busta Rhymes and En Vogue. CrazySexyCool gave the world 'Creep', 'Waterfalls', 'Diggin' on You' and 'Red Light Special', among other tracks, but the 1994 diamond-certified album won't the only source of songs for their 2024 shows. Expect hits from across TLC's career, so the likes of 'No Scrubs' and 'Unpretty' as well. Get excited about a 90s-themed party as well. Going all in on the decade that brought TLC to fame will include 90s fashion, fan interaction and a few surprises. Whatever the latter turns out to be, attendees will find out in February in NZ and March in Australia. TLC will start their tour on Thursday, February 29 at Trusts Arena Auckland, before hopping across the ditch to kick off the Aussie leg on Saturday, March 2 at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena. From there, T-Boz, Chilli, Busta Rhymes and En Vogue will play the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Sunday, March 3; Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on Tuesday, March 5; and the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Thursday, March 7. Their final stop: on Saturday, March 9 at RAC Arena in Perth. "I'm so excited to return to Australia!" said Chilli, announcing the tour. "This is the album that put us on the map with Aussie fans and showed the world who we really are. And to mark 30 years, this will be quite the celebration!" TLC 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF 'CRAZYSEXYCOOL' AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND TOUR 2024 DATES: Thursday, February 29 — Trusts Arena, Auckland Saturday, March 2 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Sunday, March 3 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide Tuesday, March 5 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Thursday, March 7 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Saturday, March 9 — RAC Arena, Perth TLC's 30th anniversary CrazySexyCool tour will head Down Under in February and March 2024. Pre-sale tickets are available from 11am local time on Monday, December 4, with general sales from 1pm local time Thursday, December 7 — head to the tour website for more information. Read our interview with Chilli.
Sometimes in life, the good comes with the bad. Maybe you've found yourself in a small American town after escaping from a lab, and you're desperate to discover everything about your past — all of which obviously is far from great — but also you make some fantastic new friends and discover frozen waffles in the process, for instance. Or, for all of us who've been watching Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown, Godzilla vs Kong) navigate that path in Stranger Things, perhaps you find out when one of your favourite shows is finally returning after a lengthy three-year gap, but you also learn that it now has an end date. Sorry Stranger Things fans, but the latter situation is now your reality — because the show has revealed when it'll drop its fourth season and also announced that there'll only be one more season to follow after that. The series' creators Matt and Ross Duffer revealed the news in a letter posted on social media, and also confirmed a few extra details about those season-four episodes that you'll be able to watch soon. So, sticking with the happy part of the announcement at first, Stranger Things season four will arrive in two parts — with the first dropping on May 27 and the second on July 1. And, while you'll have a gap between your binging this time around, the show's fourth season has "a runtime of nearly twice the length of any previous seasons," the Duffer brothers advised. Indeed, that's why it's being released in two volumes. uoos noʎ ǝǝs pic.twitter.com/pJ71dRgmo1 — Stranger Things (@Stranger_Things) February 17, 2022 Now, the not-as-cheery news: the Duffers are planning to wrap up Stranger Things after its fifth season. Yes, that means you have all of season four and then a whole other season after that to look forward to — but it also means that your time with the 80s-set Netflix sci-fi series is officially limited. The Duffers also mention that they have more stories to tell in the Stranger Things world, though, so you know what that usually means: spinoffs. Netflix doesn't like letting go of its hits easily, after all, so the quest to find a way to keep wandering through this franchise is about as surprising as Jim Hopper's (David Harbour, Black Widow) gruff mood. If you need a refresher on where things are at before May hits, quite a few season four trailers have released over the past two years, starting back in February 2020. Since then, a couple more teasers dropped in May 2021, then another one in August, followed by yet another in September and one more in November. Across the clips, viewers have been taken to California, which is where Eleven, Joyce (Winona Ryder, The Plot Against America), Will (Noah Schnapp, Waiting for Anya) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton, The New Mutants) have washed up following season three. Eleven is settling in as well as she can settle in anywhere, as she explains in a letter to Mike (Finn Wolfhard, The Goldfinch) — but she also can't wait until she can see him in person again. And, we've also caught a glimpse of what happens to beloved police chief Hopper after the last season's big cliffhanger and Russian-set post-script, and spent time with Steve (Joe Keery, Spree), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo, The Angry Birds Movie 2), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin, Concrete Cowboy) and Max's (Sadie Sink, The Last Castle) in a haunted house in Hawkins. Plus, we've headed back to Hawkins Laboratory and its whole eerie setup, too. It's worth remembering that when Netflix announced the show's renewal for a fourth season back in 2019, it did so with the catchphrase "we're not in Hawkins anymore". That clearly applies in a number of different ways. And if you're wondering about timing within the show itself, season four will pick up six months since the Battle of Starcourt. Also, there'll be a new supernatural threat — of course there will — but if the series' latest mystery is solved, Eleven and the gang might be free of the Upside Down forever. Check out the most recent Stranger Things season-four sneak peek below: Stranger Things season four will be able to stream via Netflix in two parts, with Volume One dropping on May 27 and Volume Two hitting on July 1. Images: courtesy of Netflix.
The annual Melbourne Food & Wine Festival — Victoria's biggest and arguably greatest food and drink fest — is returning in 2025 with another stacked lineup of experiences. All in all, over 200 different food- and drink-filled events have been squeezed into the ten-day festival, which is running from Friday, March 21–Sunday, March 30. The World's Longest Lunch will once again kick off the festival, this time led by Curtis Stone. He's off in LA right now, but will be returning to Melbourne to lead the massive three-course communal feast, which takes place along a 600-metre table in Kings Domain. A couple days later, we then get to experience another iteration of the World's Longest Brunch, this time led by Julia Busuttil Nishimura. But unlike previous years, this version won't be set up along another long table outside at Kings Domain. Instead, you'll spend the morning moving throughout the Botanical Gardens, dining at three different locations. [caption id="attachment_842980" align="alignnone" width="1920"] World's Longest Lunch[/caption] The first stop is at Tecoma Lawn, where brunch-goers will sample Julia's cinnamon buns, lemon mascarpone tart, and chocolate and almond pasticcini. This is followed by a selection of savoury bites at Taxodium Lawn and a grazing feast at The Alto. There'll even be a huge cake station at this year's World's Longest Brunch, which has carved itself out as the cooler, younger version of the World's Longest Lunch. But these two headline events are just the beginning. You've then got the Global Dining Series, which sees 20 international chefs, drink legends and producers descend on Melbourne for a heap of takeovers and collaborations. Most notably, Daniel Calvert from Sézanne — currently ranked number one in Asia's 50 Best Restaurants — will be joining Dan Hunter at Brae for two intimate services. London's much-celebrated St John and Brat are also running their own residencies, bringing a taste of British fine-dining to Melbourne. Some of the city's top bakers and patissiers are also joining forces again this year for the Baker's Dozen pop-up, which will be taking over Fed Square on Saturday, March 29 and Sunday, March 30. No need to traipse all over Melbourne to find your favoruite sweets — they'll all be in one place for this hugely popular two-day event. This year, you'll stop by and find treats from To Be Frank, All Are Welcome, Antara 128, Lumos, Baker Bleu, Kudo, Lulu & Me, Mietta by Rosemary, Madeleine de Proust, The Flour Melbourne, Monforte Viennoiserie, Raya, Tarts Anon, Lune, The Invy Baker x Urbanstead, plus special guests AP Bakery (from Sydney) teaming up with local bakery Iris. But pastry fans don't just get to celebrate during these two days. Throughout the week, you can also pop over to Melbourne Quarter to try cardamom buns and other sweet treats from Richard Hart's pop-up bakery. His cardamom buns are world-famous, and you can usually only find them at his bakery Hart Bageri in Copenhagen. [caption id="attachment_981421" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Busuttil Nishimura by Kristoffer Paulsen.[/caption] Three free events are also on the agenda for the 2025 Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, with over 3000 free bites up for grabs across the week. First, you can drop by Emporium's Dim City for free dim sims that have been reimagined by top chefs Rosheen Kaul, John Rivera and Eun Hee An. Something Saucy then sees the crew from Super Norma give away bowls of their hugely popular pasta down a Melbourne laneway. And lastly, Taco Truck founder Raph Rashid is teaming up with Tom Sarafian to create a mashup of Mexican and Middle Eastern eats that are also all free. A lot of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival events can be pretty expensive, so it's a huge win to see these free events included in the lineup. Regional Victoria is also getting a shoutout this year, with over 30 events taking place beyond Melbourne. This includes a long lunch run by some of Murrindindi Shire's top hospitality teams, brewers and winemakers; a luxe dinner championing fermented food and bevs at Healesville's Giant Steps Wine; a Macedon Ranges winemakers lunch; and a big bush dance out at the Gippsland Jersey farm. We've touched on a heap of events here, but this really is just the surface of what's on offer. As always, we highly recommend you dig through the festival's website to discover more of what's on offer — and book out your faves before tickets sell out. [caption id="attachment_962879" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rosheen Kaul[/caption] The Melbourne Food & Wine Festival is running from Friday, March 21–Sunday, March 30, with tickets going on sale for the general public on Thursday, November 28. Melbourne Food & Wine Festival subscribers get early access to tickets, starting from Monday, November 25. For more information, you can check out the festival's website. Top image: Curtis Stone by Kristoffer Paulsen.
It might be the middle of winter, but that hasn't deterred Melbourne's newest frozen dessert destination from coming in hot. Opening in Hawthorn over the weekend, Kōri is the new boutique Japanese ice creamery from LuxBite's Bernard Chu and Young Chef of the Year 2022 finalist Joane Yeoh. It's a truly sweet meeting of minds, with Yeoh's resume spanning the likes of Tokyo's Chocolate Academy and Michelin-starred restaurant Narisawa, and her collaborator a longtime legend of the Melbourne dessert scene. [caption id="attachment_864293" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shannon McGrath[/caption] Kōri is scooping over 20 hand-crafted ice cream flavours, both dairy- and plant-based, with a penchant for the bold and innovative. Classic Japanese flavours are reimagined with locally-sourced ingredients, with seasonal creations to sit alongside year-round signatures on the menu. On the starting lineup, you'll find heroes like matcha and pistachio, hojicha (roasted green tea) and hazelnut, chestnut and rum, strawberry shortcake and a frosty take on the Japanese custard dessert 'purin'. Meanwhile, dairy-free diners can look forward to options like yuzu, fuji apple and vanilla tofu. And you can bet there'll be wild new flavours constantly hitting the menu, fresh from the brainstorming minds of Chu and Yeoh. [caption id="attachment_864291" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shannon McGrath[/caption] The Glenferrie Road space itself also pays homage to Kōri's Japanese influences, with a striking fitout by leading Melbourne studio Architects EAT. Bold orange and pink hues down one side of the room have been carefully played against the sleek metal and neutral tones of the other, giving the illusion that you're stepping into some 2D art poster. Find Kōri Ice Cream at 659 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn. It's open from 12–10.30pm Sunday to Thursday, and from 12–11pm Friday and Saturday. Top Image: Shannon McGrath
Fancy prancing through fields laced with the charm of provincial France? It's just casual summer weekendery when So Frenchy So Chic is in town. The ever-popular one-day French festival is waltzing back to Sydney's Bicentennial Park and Melbourne's Werribee Park Mansion in February 2022, and celebrating its tenth anniversary in the process. If you haven't been before, expect an entire afternoon of French-inspired niceties, including (but not limited to) gourmet picnic hampers, tartlets and terrines, and offensively good wine — all to a chill French soundtrack. So Frenchy hinges around a solid lineup of eclectic artists, with taking cues from France as much of a focus this year as showcasing French talents. Heading the 2022 bill is the YÉ-YÉ 2.0 project, which features Australian female artists performing new interpretations iconic 60s French pop music, and will see Ali Barter and Nadeah take to the stage. In another big highlight, Mick Harvey and the Intoxicated Men — which includes JP Shilo, Dan Luscombe, Glenn Lewis, Hugo Cran and Xanthe Waite — will play the songs of Serge Gainsbourg. Also on the lineup is up French Nigerian singer-rapper Féfé, who'll be supported by Melbourne's Cookin' on 3 Burners; French Australian singer, songwriter and producer Lili Alaska; and DJ sets by Mike Guerreri, DJ Frank Rodi and So Frenchy festival founder Jean-François Ponthieux. If you're not the most organised of picnickers, So Frenchy is putting on the works again with fancy picnic hampers, cheese plates and other French food fare; think: oysters, lobster rolls, croque monsieur, crème brûlée and crêpes. In Sydney, Rosebery French eatery Frenchies is packaging up charcuterie hampers, and you can also tuck into bites from Bellevue Cottage. In Melbourne, Frederic Bistro, Milk The Cow, L'Hôtel Gitan and chef Romu are doing the honours. And of course, there'll be plenty of Champagne Lanson, French beer, cocktails, and rosé, red and whites wines as well. Early bird tickets are now on sale for $82 a pop. If you've got kids, you'll be happy to know that the whole thing is very family-friendly, and children under 12 can get in for $22. SO FRENCH SO CHIC 2022 AUSTRALIAN DATES: Sunday, February 13 — Werribee Park Mansion, Melbourne Saturday, February 19 — Bicentennial Park, Glebe So French So Chic hits Sydney and Melbourne in February 2022. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the event's website. Images: Liz Sunshine.
If you've ventured down Collingwood's Wellington Street lately, you probably would have been intrigued by a certain eye-catching corner building, decked out with a bold black and white façade, and 'coming soon' signs in the windows. Well now, Chotto Motto is up, running and ready to play. The lively Japanese haunt is a joint effort from Dylan Jones and Tomoya Kawasaki, the latter who is behind fellow mod-Japanese hits Wabi Sabi Salon and Neko Neko. Kawasaki is also the voice behind Jones' affirmation-slinging Instagram pooch, Tofu Pupper. At Chotto Motto, it's the humble gyoza that reigns supreme, specifically crisp-based Hamamatsu-style dumplings that are served as a group, flipped upside down. Grab a 10 or 20-piece feed, in flavours like spicy kimchi miso pork, free-range chicken and coriander, or the vegan-friendly nasu dengaku eggplant. Small plates might include the likes of furikake-seasoned fries, taco-style wagyu teriyaki roll-ups, or crisp cauliflower karaage matched to a Thai basil mayo. A tidy range of katsu sandwiches is also on the cards — get excited for these classic combinations of white bread, cabbage slaw and tonkatsu sauce, sandwiched with panko fried prawn croquettes, or maybe some crunchy katsu chicken. A Japanese vending machine comes stocked with a hefty range of imported craft beers, and the cocktail lineup rocks a distinct Japanese twist — and features an interesting matcha sour. There's soft serve to finish, too, with a new flavour rotating each month. The space itself is equally upbeat, between the Japanese slot machine, the neon glow and an assortment of knick knacks scattered throughout. You'll catch a vibrant mural by Mitch Walder gracing one interior wall, while outside's head-turning paint job is the work of Melbourne street artist Chehehe. Find Chotto Motto at 287 Wellington Street, Collingwood. It's open from 5–10.30pm Monday–Saturday.
Realising that Christmas is almost upon us again each year can happen in various ways. You might start hearing jolly tunes echoing in shopping centres. Those over-eager neighbours could've put their decorations up already. You may just notice that Halloween is over so festive season has begun. Or, your calendar might be filling up with end-of-year shindigs. Here's another: the release of Four Pillars' annual Christmas Gin, aka the one Christmas treat that no one ever minds arriving early. The latest iteration of the Healesville distillery's seasonal sip has hit shelves for the year. As always, it's the delicious result of a yearly tradition that sees a bunch of Christmas puddings handmade with distiller Cameron Mackenzie's mother's recipe — the 1968 Australian Women's Weekly recipe, in fact — and distilled with various festive botanicals to create a sought-after tipple that pretty much screams December 25. The flavours of an Aussie Christmas are captured in notes of cinnamon, star anise, juniper, coriander and angelica. The Christmas gin is then blended with some earlier gin that's been carefully ageing in 80-year-old muscat barrels. It's all finished with a hit of Rutherglen muscat for a bit of added richness and complexity. Each year, a new unique label is chosen to wrap up this Christmas creation, setting out to evoke that same festive spirit. The 2023's bottle design is the work of artist Jo White, who has combined nine appropriately themed artworks into the one label. The distillers always recommend that you sip the limited-edition gin neat; mix it with ginger ale, lime and bitters; or whip up a pavlova punch with the festive gin, passionfruit, muscat, berries and your choice of sparkling. As exciting as the gin is, it often has company — and 2023 is no exception. So, you can splash a bit of it on your own Christmas pudding, or or pair it with Four Pillars' own Christmas gin puddings. They come made with with gin-steamed oranges and a dash of Christmas Gin (naturally), and they're also available to buy now. This year, there's a gin ham glaze, too, which is again made with gin-steamed oranges (plus dijon mustard, sugar, salt and some spices). If you want to nab a bottle of Christmas Gin — or any of the above — you can hop online. Alternatively, stop by the Four Pillars HQ in Healesville, Victoria or the brand's Surry Hills shop in Sydney. Bottles are $100 a pop and would make stellar Chrissy pressies, if you're already thinking about that. The pudding will cost you $30 and the glaze $10. [caption id="attachment_924706" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] Four Pillars Christmas Gin is available to buy online, from the Healesville distillery and Surry Hills shop now.
Named the live music capital of the world back in 2018, Melbourne's gig scene is legendary — and, even after a tough couple of pandemic-affected years when it comes to live performances, it has the hefty array of venues to prove it. But every city can always use more places for more bands to play, which is where St Kilda's latest addition comes in. Get ready for gigs with a breeze right by the seaside, because you'll find Palace Foreshore adjacent to the Palais Theatre and Luna Park. Billed as a summer venue, the new outdoor music space will start hosting live gigs this November, and will be installed fresh each year when the weather is warm. That means that soaking up tunes, and the sunshine, all with Port Phillip Bay as a backdrop is now on your annual agenda. [caption id="attachment_814905" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Amy Whelan[/caption] Doing the honours to christen the venue: an initial lineup that starts with Sam Fender in mid-November, then welcomes in The Black Crowes, Tim Minchin, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, and more. Keshi and Rei Brown, Six60 and Grentperez, and The Teskey Brothers and Cory Henry all also have dates with the venue — with more acts to be confirmed. Global entertainment outfit Live Nation has teamed up with Publica Australia, Pavilion Australia and the City of Port Phillip on the venue, which will host everything from day-long festivals to headline gigs — and can welcome in 5000 people per show. [caption id="attachment_876098" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jason Galea[/caption] Live Nation owns and operates the Palais Theatre, too, so it knows the neighbourhood. In Palace Foreshore's case, the new venue has also received funding support from the Australian Government's Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund, which aims to help get the arts and entertainment sector back to its best after the chaotic last few years. Here, that money will help the venue upgrade its outdoor site facilities, and also support Aussie talents. PALACE FORESHORE 2022-23 FIRST GIGS: Friday, November 18 — Sam Fender Sunday, November 20 — The Black Crowes Tuesday, November 22 — Keshi + Rei Brown Saturday, November 26 — An evening with Tim Minchin Thursday, December 1 — Six60 + Grentperez Sunday, December 4 — The Teskey Brothers + Cory Henry Saturday, December 10 — King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Palace Foreshore will start hosting gigs in St Kilda, adjacent to the Palais Theatre and Luna Park, from mid-November 2022. For more information, head to the venue's website.
If there's one place that no television or literature fan wants to live, it's Gilead, the dystopian society at the centre of The Handmaid's Tale. But while aspects of the oppressive community bear uncomfortable resemblances to modern society, it's thankfully a fictional construct — well, except for the name. In what proves to be a mighty hefty case of bad timing, developer Lendlease is currently promoting a new masterplanned site in Sydney's far southwest that shares its name with the republic in which The Handmaid's Tale is set. To be fair, the name Gilead actually springs from the bible, where it refers to two different regions. And, in Sydney, its use pre-dates everyone's present obsession with the Hulu TV show — and Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel — too, with an existing farmland-filled suburb first getting the moniker 200 years ago. Still, trying to promote a planned community called Gilead at the moment is both hilarious and unfortunate — and, you'd think, a bit of a tough sell. Masterplanned sites have shaped the Australian suburbs since the 50s, with developers snapping up parcels of land, filling them with houses and usually giving them scenic-sounding titles. When it acquired the land in 2015, we're sure Lendlease didn't anticipate that the dystopian novel would re-enter popular culture, but, now that it has, Gilead doesn't quite have the same ring to it. The real-life Gilead will be situated ten minutes by car from Campbelltown and Camden, and 40 minutes from Wollongong. It's described on the development website as "perfectly combining a rural lifestyle with the convenience of urban living". No mention of living under his eye, thankfully. But the 210-hectare site isn't without its non-Handmaid's controversies, either. Both before and after the area was rezoned in 2017 — making the building of 1700 new homes possible subject to final approvals — it has been met by disapproval. Locals contend that colonial and Indigenous history would be compromised by the development, as reported in the Wollondilly Advertiser, with other concerns spanning not only the site's heritage, but the wildlife and environmental impacts. Okay, now that does sound like something you might see on a dystopian TV show.
Melbourne's city streets are the canvases for works of art. Around every turn you'll find tributes to beloved artists and brilliant street murals from our own local greats. One famous artist from the history books who would've adored the pop of the city, with its nods to rock, pop and advertising, is Andy Warhol — the mind and paintbrush behind the famous 'Campbell's Soup Cans' (1962). In partnership with LEGO Art, who've included a tribute to Andy Warhol's 'The Marilyn Diptych' in its latest range of products designed for adults, we've picked out five places in Melbourne where you can spy pop art-inspired street art that we believe Warhol himself would have loved. From the large-scale Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat mural on Easey Street to the famous Skipping Girl and, of course, AC/DC Lane. Under metropolitan Melbourne's stage four restrictions, you can only leave your house to buy essentials and for exercise. Bookmark this for when you can explore your city again. [caption id="attachment_781662" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wikimedia Commons[/caption] KEITH HARING MURAL, COLLINGWOOD The Keith Haring mural on Johnston Street in Collingwood was an art project Haring undertook himself with Collingwood Tech when he visited Melbourne in 1984. Collingwood Tech is no longer at the location, but Haring's legacy (the artist passed away in 1990) remains. The New York-based artist was a believer of breaking down barriers of high and low art; he worked with the community to paint the wall and today it's one of only 31 known murals of Haring's that's survived the ages. The Collingwood mural is so precious it is part of a conversation project to restore it to its original glory. Warhol, being a great lover of pop art and a contemporary of Haring, would have loved this mural for all its vibrancy and colour within the urban cityscape. KEITH HARING AND JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT MURAL, COLLINGWOOD If you're on Easey Street in Collingwood, it'd be hard to miss the 11-metre-tall, 30-metre-wide mural paying tribute to American artists Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. The piece was painted in 2019 by ten of Melbourne's best street artists — including Heesco, Conrad Bizjak, Chehehe, Ling, Dvate, Phibs, Sabeth and Duke — and features the two artists in black and white portraits surrounded by vivid, abstract line work. Warhol and Basquiat had a renowned friendship during their time — one that bemused the art world — and even saw them collaborate on artworks. We think Warhol would have enjoyed this tribute to his pop art pals for its striking looks and dominant position in one of Melbourne's coolest suburbs. [caption id="attachment_781727" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matt Adnate[/caption] DJIRRI DJIRRI DANCERS MURAL, SIDNEY MYER MUSIC BOWL The Sidney Myer Music Bowl Box Office has received a fresh coat of paint this year with a new mural of performers from the Djirri Djirri Wurundjeri women's dance group. The mural features close-up portraits of Djirri Djirri's singer Jedda Peden and lead dancer Dharna Nicholson-Bux, and it was created by local spray paint street artist Matt Adnate. Adnate's brushstrokes can be seen on large-scale murals right across the city, and he often works with and honours First Nations people within his works. This new mural is following suit by representing Indigenous singers and dancers on the building known for hosting entertainment and art. We think Warhol would love this mural as he was a big fan of working with celebrity portraits, and though the Djirri Djirri dancers have a local fanbase, this mural helps to extend that deserved spotlight even further afield. [caption id="attachment_781548" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wikimedia Commons[/caption] SKIPPING GIRL VINEGAR SIGN, VICTORIA STREET The Skipping Girl, also known as 'Little Audrey', is a much-adored animated neon sign along Victoria Street in Richmond, which depicts a young girl skipping over the word 'vinegar'. Audrey first came onto the scene in 1936, when the sign was erected above a vinegar factory in Abbotsford. She then did a brief stint in Altona, before being relocated back to Victoria Street in 1970 where she's skipped ever since. If you head to the shopping haven Victoria Gardens, you'll see her right across the road. Warhol, being a huge lover and critic of the intersection between advertising and art, would've loved the Skipping Girl as she brightly lights up the city skyline while not-so-subtly encouraging us to buy some vinegar. [caption id="attachment_781550" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Visit Victoria[/caption] AC/DC LANE AC/DC Lane — formerly known as the very dry Corporation Lane — was given its name change in October 2004 as a tribute to the Aussie rock band, and our city's passion for rock 'n' roll. Now, the laneway is host to a range of street art — large and small — including pieces depicting musicians and fictional characters. You'll even spot a poster of AC/DC guitarist Angus Young there. And, until recently, the laneway housed the city's beloved late-night haunt for cheap espresso martinis and live gigs, Cherry Bar, which has reopened in a new location on Little Collins Street. It's no doubt that Warhol, being a lover of rock 'n' roll — he even managed and produced the seminal rock band The Velvet Underground — would love the lane for its embodiment of everything rock, as well as its symbolism for a city that's always put live music first. Discover more about the new LEGO Art range, here. Top image: Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat mural by P1xels.
If you haven't watched Nicolas Cage pour a bottle of vodka over himself while growling with sorrow and menace, have you truly lived? If you haven't seen him milk an alpaca, get creepy about eating peaches or lend his voice to a black-and-white film noir-style Spider-Man (yes, really), then you probably should ask yourself the same thing. And if you haven't witnessed him chase a terrible CGI white jaguar around a hijacked ship, fight space ninjas, battle demonic animatronics and seek revenge over a stolen pig, well, you know you now want to after reading that sentence. The same applies to Cage playing Cage as well, naturally. That's the thing about Cage — sometimes his films are fantastic, sometimes they're terrible, but he's always compellingly, intoxicatingly watchable. He's the type of actor that no one wants to stop watching and, for better and for worse, his mighty prolific career just keeps delivering more and more movies. Currently got a Cage-sized itch that desperately needs scratching? Don't we all, and always. Indeed, there's plenty to watch from his 100-plus on-screen credits. That's a lot of flicks to choose from, so we've picked out 26 of his weirdest, wildest and most wonderful films, paired them up in double features, and basically planned out your next 13 nights of movie-watching. Consider this the viewing marathon you didn't know you needed. MANDY AND COLOR OUT OF SPACE One features Cage as a heartbroken lumberjack wreaking havoc with a chainsaw while chasing down demonic bikers. The other initially puts him in kooky dad mode, until a strange meteor unleashes mayhem and monsters — and Cage's unhinged best, of course — on a rural property. If these descriptions didn't already make it obvious, when it comes to excellent recent Cage flicks that pair out-there premises with excellent performances from their leading man, both Mandy and Color Out of Space sit at the top of the pile. They also provide quite the mind trip filled with psychedelic visuals and vivid soundscapes, all thanks to filmmakers Panos Cosmatos (Mandy) and Richard Stanley (Color Out of Space). Mandy is available to stream via Stan, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Color Out of Space is available to stream via Shudder, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. CON AIR AND FACE/OFF If you're a Cage-loving movie buff, then you probably know exactly when cinema reached its peak. Back in June 1997, two films hit the big screen within weeks of each other, delivering a double dose of Cage action, chaos and craziness that people still watch and rewatch today. Yes, Con Air and Face/Off made their way to cinemas in the same month — and yes, that's a whole lotta Cage to soak up in a darkened room in short succession. In Con Air, he plays a former army ranger-turned-paroled convict who's trying to head home when his prison flight is hijacked by fellow criminals. In Face/Off, he's a sociopathic terrorist who switches faces with the FBI agent (John Travolta) on his trail. Unsurprisingly, neither film is subtle. Face/Off is available to stream via Disney+, iTunes and Prime Video. Con Air is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. RAISING ARIZONA AND ADAPTATION Often, when you're watching a Cage film, laughter is inevitable — even if you're not watching a comedy. So when Cage flexes his comic chops on purpose, the results are usually genuinely spectacular. In the case of Raising Arizona, Cage and the Coen brothers make a perfect pair. Also mighty fine: the movie's premise, following an ex-con and his wife's (Holly Hunter) zany scheme to kidnap a baby (and a quintuplet at that) so that they can start a family. With Adaptation, Cage pairs up with Being John Malkovich's Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman, and they also make quite the team — as you'd expect with Cage playing a version of Kaufman, as well as Kaufman's fictional twin brother. Raising Arizona is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Adaptation is available to stream via ABC iView, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. WILD AT HEART AND MOONSTRUCK Speaking of Cage and phenomenal director combos, Wild at Heart boasts one of the very best there is. The movie David Lynch made between Twin Peaks' initial run and the series' big screen prequel and sequel Fire Walk With Me, it features one of Cage's greatest performances — because Cage playing one half of a couple on the run (opposite Laura Dern), singing Elvis tunes like he was born to and navigating a Lynchian crime-romance flick is what dreams are made of. The actor also dabbles in affairs of the heart in Moonstruck, this time as an opera-obsessed baker who falls for his brother's (Danny Aiello) fiancee. It's the movie that won Cher a Best Actress Oscar, too, as the object of Cage's affection. Wild at Heart is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Moonstruck is available to stream via Stan, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT AND PIG If there's one thing that's been a constant in Cage's career, it's range: you name it, he's probably played it. His two most recent big-screen releases demonstrate that perfectly — including taking on the part he was born to, and also turning in one of his best-ever performances. In The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Cage is Cage. Yes, this Cage-loving film tasks him with jumping into his own fictionalised shoes, and he has a blast doing so. In Pig, he's seeking vengeance against the people who stole his beloved truffle pig, and he's as phenomenal as he's ever been on-screen. It sounds like the kind of premise that'd be a joke in other hands, or just a John Wick ripoff, but not with Cage at his finest and debut feature writer/director Michael Sarnoski behind this revenge thriller. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is available to stream via Google Play, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Pig is available to stream via Stan, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. WILLY'S WONDERLAND AND JIU JITSU Sometimes, we all just want to see Cage fight things. Clearly, that's an easy sell to get film financing, too. Otherwise, there's no justification for either Willy's Wonderland or Jiu Jitsu to exist — because both films' entire concepts revolve around Cafe going fist to fist with improbable adversaries. In Willy's Wonderland, he faces off against possessed animatronic mascots at a family-friendly restaurant. He also put in a silent performance for the ages, with his drifter character grunting and growling rather than speaking. Then, in Jiu Jitsu, he's part of an ancient order of skilled martial artists who have to do combat with vicious aliens every six years. No, we didn't make all of this up — but, in each case, someone else did. Willy's Wonderland is available to stream via Stan, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Jiu Jitsu is available to stream via Stan, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. LEAVING LAS VEGAS AND JOE Never forget that Cage, when he wants to be, is a truly talented actor. His resume can scream otherwise at times, but an exceptional Cage performance is a sight to behold. Exhibit A: his Oscar and Golden Globe-winning work as a suicidal alcoholic in Leaving Las Vegas. Exhibit B: his role as a troubled man who gives a similarly tormented 15-year-old (Tye Sheridan) a job in Joe. Made almost two decades apart, this pair of films show that Cage always has a great performance in him, no matter what else he's been acting in lately. And, while he's often known for his wild and wacky ways — in no small part due to his resume over the past decade or so — he's impressively attuned to telling bleak tales. Leaving Las Vegas is available to stream via iTunes. Joe is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. BRINGING OUT THE DEAD AND THE ROCK Speaking of Cage's absolute best performances, Bringing Out the Dead features a powerhouse effort from its main star. He's directed here by the great Martin Scorsese, so how could it not? As a paramedic who works the graveyard shift, has his own demons, and is wearied by life and the world, this is one of the greatest films on both Cage and Scorsese's resumes. It sits in stark contrast to The Rock, but sometimes a good double is all about contrast — and seeing someone at the height of their powers in two different ways. Working with king-of-the-overblown Michael Bay (the Transformers franchise), Cage tries to break into Alcatraz to diffuse a hostage situation, and he hits every mark he's asked to. He also makes a great double act with Sean Connery. Bringing Out the Dead is available to stream via Disney+. The Rock is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. MOM AND DAD AND MATCHSTICK MEN In Mom and Dad, Cage is no one's ideal father. Along with Selma Blair as his wife, he's trying to kill his kids. So are all the other parents in town, all thanks to a violent and murderous bout of mass hysteria. That means horror-comedy antics aplenty, as well as a whole heap of over-the-top expressions from Cage — the kind that only he can do justice to, of course. He grapples with being a dad and gives his facial muscles a workout in the entertaining Ridley Scott-directed drama Matchstick Men, too, although in a completely different scenario. This time, Cage plays a conman who discovers he has a teenage daughter (Alison Lohman) just as he's about to pull off a big job with his protege (Sam Rockwell). Mom and Dad is available to stream via Stan, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Matchstick Men is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. KICK-ASS AND SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE Still getting fatherly, Cage isn't just a dad in Kick-Ass — he's a former cop-turned-crime fighter called Big Daddy, and he's training his 11-year-old daughter (Chloe Grace Moretz) to follow in his footsteps. Focusing on their run-in with the eponymous wannabe superhero (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), this caped crusader flick isn't always as funny as it thinks it is, but Cage consistently delivers. And, if you've always fantasised about hearing Cage as Spider-Man, he delivers in the sublime and surreal Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. He's just one of many webslingers in this animated delight (and the best Spider-Man movie out of the lot); however he's a great one: Spider-Man Noir, a black-and-white Spidey from a 1930s universe. Kick-Ass is available to stream via Binge, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is available to stream via Disney+, Binge, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. VAMPIRE'S KISS AND GHOST RIDER If you think you've witnessed Cage at his most manic but you haven't experienced Vampire's Kiss, we have some news for you: you're wrong. Nothing in the actor's filmography compares to this 80s comedy-horror film. We'll say that again: nothing. In terms of out-there Cage performances, this is ground zero. You'd expect that given that Cage plays a literary agent who starts to believe he's a vampire, and begins acting accordingly. After you've watched it, you'll spot shades of Vampire's Kiss in every other Cage film — including in Ghost Rider, where Cage blazes away as the titular bounty hunter of the damned. Adapting a Marvel comic, Ghost Rider isn't great, but like Vampire's Kiss, it's the type of movie that really has to be seen to be believed. Vampire's Kiss is available to stream via iTunes. Ghost Rider is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL — NEW ORLEANS AND PRIMAL Let these five words tell you all you need to know about Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call — New Orleans: Nicolas Cage and Werner Herzog. One acts, the other directs, two inimitable titans of their fields combine, and the movie that results — a crime thriller about a corrupt cop — firmly marches to its own beat. It also features a memorable iguana scene, which might've prepared Cage for his role in Primal. There, he plays a big-game hunter stuck chasing a white jaguar around a hijacked ship, all as a deranged murderer also stalks the crew and passengers. One of Cage's most recent movies, it turns out exactly as you expect it does (and with oh-so-much awful CGI). Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans is available to stream via Stan, Google Play and YouTube Movies. Primal is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. KNOWING AND DRIVE ANGRY When it comes to Cage, there's no avoiding the obvious: he has made a whole heap of ridiculous and trashy movies. Lately, they've been going direct to streaming — but, in the late 2000s and early 2010s, these kinds of Cage flicks were still hitting cinemas. The Australian-shot Knowing is one of them. Made in Melbourne, co-starring Rose Byrne, Ben Mendelsohn and Liam Hemsworth before they were Hollywood fixtures, and proving a box office hit, it casts Cage as an astrophysics professor certain he's found a code that predicts the future. Or, there's Drive Angry, where Cage escapes hell with a gun stolen from Satan, all so he can get revenge on the cult leader who killed his daughter. Knowing is available to stream via Binge, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Drive Angry is available to stream via iTunes and Amazon Video.
If you're an Uber One member who's headed to the Australian Open, you're in luck. Complimentary rides to the Rod Laver Arena in snazzy EVs are on the cards — and they'll even drop you home. For the duration of the tournament until Sunday, January 28, Kia is serving up a fleet of 30 brand-new EV9s and EV6s, which are available in the 'Kia Electric' option on your Uber app — assuming that they haven't all been snapped up at the time you're looking, of course. Given that Kia is the major partner of the Australian Open, these same types of EVs will be transporting the players to and from the tournament. So you'll have the chance to experience travelling to the matches like a star of the game, even if you get winded going up the stairs. [caption id="attachment_935839" align="alignnone" width="1920"] annieb via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] How do you snag one of these rides? Simple. When heading to the tennis, just pop 'Rod Laver Arena' as your destination. If you're going home, just pop in your address or anywhere else you feel like heading within a five-kilometre radius. If an EV is available between 9am–7pm, from until Sunday, January 28, you can select it and enjoy the ride on Kia's dime. Here's the fine print: it's capped at $100, and only available if you're an Uber One member and booking within a five-kilometre radius of the arena. Free trip to one of the greatest sporting events on the planet, all in the quiet comfort of a slick EV? That's not a bad start to any day at the tennis. The Australian Open is held at Melbourne Park. It runs from Sunday, January 14 to Sunday, January 28. Top image: Tourism Victoria via Flickr.
Come 2024, Melbourne will have a brand new spot for al fresco adventures, with the announcement of a brand new public park set to open on the banks of the Yarra River. Dubbed Seafarers Rest, the 3500-square-metre space is in the works for Northbank — that oft-forgotten wedge of land between Flinders Street and the river, located opposite Southbank and accessed via the Seafarers Bridge. After a period of community consultation and a few tweaks to the original plans, the park's final design scored its approval from the City of Melbourne this week. Developer Riverlee is set to kick off construction shortly, though it's no small project —which is why Seafarers Rest isn't slated to be completed for three years. Final plans for the new park promise an injection of open space along the riverfront stretch, encompassing grassy lawns, play areas, pedestrian paths, seating and flexible event spaces, as well as something the developers are calling an 'urban forest'. The design, by local landscape architects Oculus, pays homage to both the site's First Nations history and the site's long maritime connection. Plus, in alignment with the City of Melbourne's 40 percent Urban Forest Canopy target, it's set to be a leafy haven, with the land's existing collection of eucalypts to be retained and enhanced. Indeed, if seeing greenery in this part of the city sounds familiar, that's because Northbank hosted a field of tulips back in 2019. That one-day pop-up lined the wharf in front of the Riverlee display suite — but, obviously, the new park will be sticking around permanently [caption id="attachment_739897" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Tulips at Northbank in 2019[/caption] Seafarers Restwill form part of the $500 million Seafarers development project, which will also see the adjacent heritage-protected Goods Shed 5 transformed into a luxury residential site and accommodation precinct for Australia's first 1 Hotel. "Seafarers Rest has been part of Riverlee's plan to transform this somewhat forgotten part of the city for many years, so we are excited to officially be progressing with our plans in creating a green, open space by the river for everyone to enjoy," said David Lee, Development Director for Riverlee. "Through a highly collaborative process, we are proud to make possible the largest programmed park outside of Birrarrung Marr that allows for connection with the river." Seafarers Rest is due to open at Northbank in 2024. For more details, jump over to the City of Melbourne website.
We rang in the year of the pig (goodbye year of the dog, go sleep it off) on February 5, but the festivities are continuing throughout the month. And what's the best way to partake in the celebration? We've got it right here and it'll make you happier than a pig in mud. Dumpling master Din Tai Fung is offering new limited edition 'Piggy Buns' for the first half of February and they are some the cutest dumplings we've ever seen. Just look at them. Din Tai Fung is famous for its dumplings and is known to release beautiful and novelty dumplings for special occasions (check out these adorable little monkey buns from 2016). The pig bao buns are steamed-to-order, stuffed with a sweet filling of chocolate and served on a bed of Oreo 'soil'. The pig buns are available at most Din Tai Fung restaurants and food court outlets in Sydney and Melbourne (full list below) and through Deliveroo in both cities— so you even order them straight to your desk. The only problem we can foresee is that eating those sweet little pig faces may be hard… but we'll probably manage it. If you're in Sydney and decide to head down to the World Square location on your lunch break, you'll also be able pat real life pigs while you're there. Three little piglets will be available for pats on Level 1 between 11am–2pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (February 8–10). Piggy Buns are available for $8.80 for two until mid-February at seven Din Tai Fung Sydney stores — World Square, Westfield Chatswood, Central Park Mall, Broadway, Westfield Miranda, The Star, Gateway and Greenwood Plaza — Melbourne's Emporium store and via Deliveroo.
The spirit of cabaret is alive and well in Melbourne, with one of the world's most-celebrated chanteuses lighting up Meat Market for a month or so. Her particular mix of debauchery, dark humour and biting social commentary make this one of 2025's must-see shows. German kabarett superstar Bernie Dieter — described as "an electrifying cross between Lady Gaga, Marlene Dietrich and Frank-N-Furter in sequins" —has unleashed her infamous gin-soaked haus band and her troupe of bombastic bohemians on the Victorian capital, kicking off Thursday, April 3 and running till Sunday, May 11. Gather your fellow deviants for this one. The show encapsulates the spirit of the notorious kabarett clubs of Weimar Germany, and features a vibrant lineup of international talent. The billing includes the dangerous art of fire and sword swallowing, hand balancing, gender-bending aerial performances, and plenty of strip teasing and pole dancing. The colourful show celebrates freedom and diversity in all its forms — Dieter herself describes it as "the ultimate party at the end of the world". Select images: Matthew Gelding.
There's one mass gathering that's immune to the disruptions of COVID-19 and that's the nightly parade of Phillip Island's famed little penguins. And while the feathered friends have been continuing their daily pilgrimage from ocean to burrow without the usual audience, they'll soon be waddling back into our hearts thanks to a new live stream series. From Tuesday, August 25, you can catch the penguins' ritual sunset parade in real time from the comfort of your couch, as it's streamed for free via the Phillip Island Nature Parks Facebook page and YouTube channel. At 6pm (NZT 8pm) each night, tune in for half an hour to see the birds make their familiar journey from the water, across the dunes and back to their homes to cosy up for the evening. Not only will you get to spy those adorable penguins in action without having to brave the cold, but Phillip Island's rangers will be on hand providing some expert commentary to match. Score a daily dose of cuteness, learn a few fun penguin facts and even ask some questions of your own. Top image: Tourism Australia
Bingo. Rave. Two ends of the spectrum of fine holiday fun finally came together in Australia this winter. Bongo's Bingo is a games night like you've never seen before. Part club, part rave, and, of course, part bingo night, this unlikely fusion event has been wildly popular in the UK since 2015. They took the show on the road, launching in Australia this June. In partnership with Wats On Events, Bongo's Bingo Down Under threw massive bingo raves at The Tivoli in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley, Sydney's Paddington Town Hall and Melbourne's Collingwood Town Hall — and it went so well, they're doing it all again. Patrons can expect all of the debauchery of the original British version of Bongo's Bingo, including rave intervals, dancing on tables and a loose kind of bingo that you definitely never played with your nan (well, maybe you have). The victorious players can win everything from big cash prizes to a Hills Hoist, with a range of some absolutely ridiculous surprises on offer.
When restaurateurs Frank Ciorciari and Gian Chiaravalle opened up a European-flavoured wine bar in Malvern East the intention was to keep things casual. But Ciorciari's background of working in catering at Formula's One's McLaren team was always going to bring an influence of the high life, and the local wine bar is better known as a classy place to go for drinks and snacks, rather than a casual tipple. Though, both are welcome. Here you'll find Italian influences across the menu, from the spaghetti vongole served with local clams, chilli and garlic, or the hand-made pappardelle with duck and porcini mushroom ragu, to the desserts — tiramisu, pannacotta and cannoli. But there's also a French accent in items like the slow-braised lamb cigar, pomme frites and baguette with herb garlic butter. It's the same Italo-French influence across the wine list too, though you'll spot a couple of bottles from Germany, Austria, Spain and California, with a few local producers thrown in for good measure. As the bar is also a bottle shop, take a bottle home with you when you're ready to leave.
If there's one thing that doesn't seem to have suffered much during pandemic times, it's our obsession with indoor plants. But with many bricks-and-mortar shops closed, you might have found it a little tougher adding any new greenery to your collection. Thankfully, lots of local plant-slingers have adapted with the times, creating online stores and offering home-delivery to see you happily through any retail restrictions. Browse a hefty range of leafy delights from the comfort of your couch, to then pick up in-store (if its within five kilometres, of course) or have home-delivered. With fiddle leaf figs, cute ceramic planters and gardening guidebooks all at your fingertips, you can stay home, stay safe and stay green. Check out these ten Melbourne plant stores now delivering to your door. VINE BOY, ONLINE Born in response to pandemic restrictions and frustrations, new online plant and gift retailer Vine Boy is out to offer locals some fresh gifting options, without the exxy price tags. Alongside a range of Aussie-made pressies, it's stocked with an affordable curation of potted indoor plants and accessories, with prices starting from an easy $39. The collection features best-selling varieties like Monstera deliciosa and Bird of Paradise, available in different sizes and with chic pots as standard inclusions. Orders over $75 will score free delivery, otherwise you're looking at a $10 flat-rate fee. Home drop-offs are available to all suburbs within 25 kilometres of Melbourne CBD, and if you order before 11am you can even expect same-day delivery. GLASSHAUS, CREMORNE Cremorne plant store Glasshaus is so darn pretty it normally doubles as an events space and wedding venue. And while you can't really check out those leafy green looks during lockdown, you can take solace in the online store, stocked with a sprawling assortment of indoor plants, designer pots and floral arrangements. There's big appreciation here for the rare and unusual, so it's a solid choice if you're hunting something a little bit different to add to your collection. Local shoppers can opt for contactless pick-up from the Glasshaus Florist at 101 Swan Street, Richmond, otherwise there's delivery available for addresses all across Melbourne. Perhaps now's the time to buy that tall green beauty that won't fit in your car… [caption id="attachment_775189" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arianna Leggiero[/caption] BOTANICAH, PRAHRAN Botanicah's sprawling greenery-filled warehouse clocks in at a whopping 350 square metres, stocked to the brim with a grand assortment of plants, pots and accessories. And while IRL visits are off limits, you can still get your greenery fix with a trip to the venue's virtual store. The website features a wide range of leafy delights that have been carefully chosen by the owners from local nurseries. Throw in a huge selection of ceramics and you'll find yourself totally spoilt for choice. To get your haul home, there's a trusty delivery service for addresses within ten kilometres of Prahran, with a minimum order of $50. And if you're local, free click-and-collect is available from the warehouse on Fridays and Saturdays. FOLIA HOUSE, CBD With a healthy appreciation for the greener things in life, Folia House has long been a go-to for plant-aholics, slinging a mammoth range of seasonal and indoor varieties. And while the doors are closed, that lush assortment of hanging plants, cacti, succulents, ferns and other greenery is available to shop online. There's also a neat collection of pots, planters and accessories to help keep those plant babies looking tip-top. Once you've stocked up your online cart, click-and-collect is available from both the CBD store or the West Footscray warehouse, for orders over $30. And for orders over $50, there's home delivery servicing suburbs across metropolitan Melbourne, with fees starting from an easy $9.99. THE PLANT EXCHANGE, COLLINGWOOD Tucked away within Collingwood's Schoolhouse Studios, The Plant Exchange is only tiny, but it's working a downright hefty range of greenery. Owners, horticulturalists Jane Lloyd and Michael Chester, offer a regularly changing lineup of plants, with a special focus on rare, unusual and collector varieties. These days, you can get your fix via the team's online store, which is stocked with a tidy array of indoor plants, pots and extras. Locals can collect their orders in-store on Saturdays, or there's a handy $10 delivery service for suburbs located within ten kilometres of the shop. Further out? An express post option is also on offer, for a flat-rate shipping fee of $15. PLANTSMITH, PRESTON Foliage-filled haven Plantsmith is the brainchild of horticulturist and landscape designer Liz Turner. It's stocked not just with a sprawling array of plant life, but scores of pots, planters, books, stands, gardening tools and treatments to help really cultivate your green thumb. And right now, that impressive edit is available to browse and buy online, divided into categories like 'pet-friendly' and 'low-maintenance' for easy navigation. The team's offering free in-store pick-up every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, as well as a $15 delivery service to most suburbs within 15 kilometres of Plantsmith's Preston HQ. And while the usual workshop program is on hold, you can email through any burning plant health questions to hello@plantsmith.net.au in the meantime. [caption id="attachment_747645" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Virginia Cummins[/caption] LYGON ST NURSERY, BRUNSWICK EAST Indoor plant shop and outdoor nursery in one, this cheery Brunswick East spot is a plant-lover's dream. Owner Michael Khalil is a huge advocate for the positive effects of indoor plants on mental health and anyone who's stepped through his jungle-like shopfront would have a hard time disagreeing. Now available via an online store, you'll find plants and pots to suit all shades of green thumb, every budget and any kind of house setting. Plus, there's a range of treatments, tools, potting mixes, guidebooks and ceramics to have those plant babies looking their best. Get your fix even during lockdown, with free local delivery for orders over $50 and in-store pick-up also on offer. FITZROY NURSERY, FITZROY An oldie, but definitely a goodie, Fitzroy Nursery is proof that plant obsessions aren't anything new. With three decades under its belt, the Brunswick Street icon has been selling greenery since before most of you were even born and it's still a much-loved plant pit-stop today. And even during lockdown, its famously expansive selection continues to grow, with more rare and unusual plants added weekly to the online store. Right now, staff are hand-delivering orders within five kilometres of the store for a $15 flat-rate fee, or you can opt for the click-and-collect service. Expect to find an eclectic assortment of greenery, along with a solid range of outdoor pals primed for apartment living. CERES NURSERY, BRUNSWICK EAST Part of the not-for-profit sustainability reserve on Merri Creek, CERES Nursery is a favourite for anyone stocking up on herbs and edible plants. These guys are all about encouraging backyard food production, no matter how big or small your patch of turf. And right now, they've pulled together an extensive selection of those indoor and outdoor plants, natives, seeds and organic gardening products for you to shop online. Pick-ups are available on all orders, plus there's a delivery service kicking off in the coming days. Reached internet overload? The team's also doing sales and giving advice over the phone — give them a call on (03) 9389 0111. THE PLANT SOCIETY, COLLINGWOOD A celebration of all things green, The Plant Society is the work of architect and interior designer Jason Chongue, who's passionate about getting younger generations hooked on the joy of indoor gardening. Alongside its Collingwood flagship store, and a handful of outposts in Melbourne and Sydney, you'll find an expansive online offering featuring a considered curation of indoor plants, books, accessories and homewares. Those living within five kilometres of any store (Collingwood or South Yarra) can enjoy free delivery on orders over $50, otherwise there's the option of contactless click-and-collect. Need a little extra guidance in the greenery department? The Plant Society is also running virtual shopping experiences — book in for a 15-minute phone call or video chat, show them your space and they'll help you choose the best plants to fill it.
May has the Eta Aquarid meteor shower, June boasts the Delta Aquariids and December welcomes the Geminids. In November, however, it's Leonids time. Arriving at the end of spring in Australia and New Zealand, the Leonids may not be quite as well known as some of its counterparts, but it's still a shower worth looking up for. And it's famous for one impressive reason: its spectacular meteor storms. It can feature more than 1000 meteors per hour, but that only occurs around every 33 years — and, sadly, the most recent occurred in 2001. Still, while you won't spy that kind of intense onslaught in 2021, you will still see meteors. The Bureau of Meteorology predicts there'll be around five per hour hurtling across the heavens on average. At its peak, timeanddate.com predicts ten per hour. In good news for those Down Under, the Leonids can be seen in the Southern Hemisphere. Although it runs from Saturday, November 6 until Tuesday, November 30, this year it'll be best detected between Wednesday, November 17 and Thursday, November 18. Like many astronomical shows, catching an eyeful after midnight is recommended (aka when the moon has set and its light will not interfere). Specifically, for the best view, mark the early hours of Thursday, November 18 in your calendar. Named for the constellation of Leo, which is where it appears to radiate from in the sky, the Leonids aren't just renowned for its huge showers approximately three times each century, but also for its place in history. During the storm of 1833, it has been estimated that more than 100,000 meteors streamed across the sky per hour — and, as a result, the Leonids helped play a part in the formulation of the first theory about the origin of meteors, NASA notes. The Leonids stem from the Comet Tempel–Tuttle, which was actually first officially recognised after the famous meteor shower of 1833 — in 1866, in fact. And, if you're wondering why the Leonids' storms only hit every 33 years or so, that's because that's how long it takes for the comet to orbit around the sun. [caption id="attachment_751114" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] The peak of the 2009 Leonids meteor shower. Image: Navicore via Wikicommons.[/caption] For your best chances of getting a glimpse, the usual advice applies. Get as far away from bright lights as possible — this could be a good excuse to head out of the city to a clear-skied camping spot — and pray for no clouds. And, given that the Leonids originate from the Leo constellation, that's what you'll be looking for in the sky. To locate Leo, we recommend downloading the Sky Map app — it's the easiest way to navigate the night sky (and is a lot of fun to use even on a non-meteor shower night). The Leonids meteor shower runs between Saturday, November 6 until Tuesday, November 30. Top image: Mike Lewinski via Flickr.
Don't you wish you could spend two-plus weeks closing out summer and welcoming autumn at the first WorldPride ever held in the southern hemisphere? In 2023, that's set to become a reality, all thanks to Sydney WorldPride. Don't you wish you could see a feast of big-name talent take to this stage for what's basically a mega Mardi Gras? That's coming true, too — and if you now have 'Don't Cha' stuck in your head, Nicole Scherzinger has just joined the bill. The Pussycat Dolls lead singer will headline the already-announced Bondi Beach Party on Saturday, March 4, which will turn the famed stretch of sand into an openair club. For one afternoon and evening only, a casual 12,000 people can dance by the water from dusk to the aforementioned 'Don't Cha', 'Buttons' and more tracks from across her career. As well as Scherzinger, the massive party will feature Australian DJs dameeeela, Jarred Baker, Jacqui Cunningham, DJ Charlie Villas and DJ Dan Murphy — taking to the decks and the sand. Unsurprisingly, the event already proved a hot ticket before the lineup announcement; however, there's a last batch of tickets on-sale now. Scherzinger's addition to the Sydney WorldPride bill slots in alongside Kylie Minogue and Charli XCX opening the festival, MUNA and G Flip closing it, Kelly Rowland headlining the Domain Dance Party and the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade will return to Oxford Street. Also on the lineup from Friday, February 17–Sunday, March 5 around Sydney: more than 45 rainbow artworks all around town and a monumental pride march with 50,000-plus people walking across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, as part of a hefty program boasting more than 300 events over 17 days. This is the largest-ever LGBTQIA+ festival ever held in the region — and yes, it just got bigger. Sydney WorldPride will run from Friday, February 17–Sunday, March 5, 2023, with Bondi Beach Party happening from 3pm on Saturday, March 4. For more information, head to the event's website. Top image: Destination NSW.
Best known to bargain hunters all over Melbourne, Mutual Muse is quietly one of the best consignment stores in the city. Focusing on sustainable fashion and sourcing garments made from natural fibres, the store invites anyone to drop by with a bag of their best threads and sell them for a profit of either 50 percent store credit or 25 percent cold hard cash. It's the perfect system to create a store that feels just like you're diving into your best friends closest. Particularly if that best friend loves local brands like Obus, Kuwaii and Gorman — although household names like Country Road and Zimmerman make appearances, too. You can also check out Mutual Muse's original shop at 687 High Street, Thornbury.
Under normal circumstances, a cup of coffee (or several) is an essential part of a busy, bustling day for most folks. It's the caffeinated elixir that kickstarts your engine, puts a spring in your step and gets your brain functioning — and working and waking hours just wouldn't be the same without it. In these COVID-19 times, everyone's routine has clearly changed; however that hankering for a cuppa is probably still going strong. And if you like your coffee in cold-brew form from one of Melbourne's favourite roasters, you can now get your fix by stashing a huge cask of the good stuff in your pantry. South Melbourne's St Ali is already selling — and delivering — beans, house blends, Nespresso-compatible capsules, six-packs and slabs of iced lattes and filter coffee, and even its own 75-percent alcohol hand sanitiser. New to its list are goon sacks of cold-brew concentrate, as made from the roastery's Orthodox blend. Called St Ali Cold Brew 2.0 Concentrate, they come in four-litre packages and will set you back $55 — and deliver Australia-wide. Each cask is designed to last, too, with St Ali recommending that you pour it in 30–50 millilitre serves. That'll give you around 100 caffeinated beverages — as mixed with milk, water and/or ice. If it's cocktail hour, you can always add in booze as well. [caption id="attachment_755831" align="alignnone" width="1920"] St Ali[/caption] For further information about St Ali's cold brew 2.0 concentrate, or to place an order, visit the roastery's online store.
The plastic rings that hold six packs together are both genius and hazardous. On the one hand, they're really bloody handy when you're carting six tinnies to a barbecue — have you ever tried to hold six loose cans of beer? — but on the other, they have a devastating impact on marine wildlife when they become waste. To combat the effects these pesky pieces of plastic have on the environment, a Florida brewery has developed a type of biodegradable six-pack ring that can actually be eaten by the animals they usually pose a risk to. After seeing the effect plastic has on marine animals like birds and turtles, Saltwater Brewery — a small brewery in Delray Beach, Florida — teamed up with New York advertising agency We Believers to redesign their packaging to make it more environmentally friendly. What they came up with was a biodegradable version of the plastic rings made of the wheat and barley that's left over after brewing. They claim that it's the first 100 per cent biodegradable, compostable and edible packaging in the beer industry. The first batch of rings were made using a 3D printer, and the brewery aims to produce 400,000 per month to cover their current production. It's a great move that we hope bigger breweries take on. Now to tackle aluminium cans... Via Creativity.
The start of the Tour de France is just around the corner, with the peloton soon leaving behind Lille bound for the Champs-Élysées. Returning for the 2025 race, Bobbie Peels will be there every pedal of the way, pouring premium wines by the glass and serving classic French dishes as each stage is screened late into the night over the three-week event. Held from Saturday, July 5–Sunday, July 27, the Tour de Vino sees the North Melbourne pub curate its wine selection depending on the French region that the peloton is passing through. Making for a dynamic spectator-meets-dining experience, noteworthy wines pair with late-night action and the charming countryside footage that cycling fans know and love. With the Tour de France commencing in Lille, aka the beer capital of France, Bobbie Peels has teamed up with Bentspoke Brewing for the very first time, tapping four special brews to enjoy across the three weeks. Meanwhile, premium importer Enoteca Wines has worked closely with the pub to source stage-winning drops produced across several acclaimed regions. To eat, guests can enjoy a rotating selection of French-inspired dishes, like French onion soup, coq au vin and crème brûlée. "Just like the athletes we see on the bikes, the winemakers we are featuring are true masters of their craft," says Bobbie Peels co-owner Phil Gijsbers. "It will be a pleasure to provide the vinous accompaniment to the world's most prestigious race."
As one of Australia's most prestigious arts awards, the Archibald Prize presents the year's most-loved portrait paintings, with artworks typically featuring the full spectrum of celebrities, politicians, sportspeople, authors and artists. The 2017 award was taken out by Sydney-based painter Mitch Cairns, whose figurative painting depicting his wife, and fellow artist, Agatha Gothe-Snape was a near-unanimous winner. Cairns had previously been short-listed for the award four times, and was runner-up twice, but this time came away with the award — and the $100,000 prize to boot. This year's prize is exhibited exclusively in Victoria by the Geelong Gallery and presents the many engaging, and often controversial works, created by Australia's leading and up-and-coming painters. The entire 43 finalist's paintings are on display — use our handy guide to the Archibald to help you navigate it. Plus, don't miss the pop-up cafes, bars and weekly events taking place throughout the exhibition.
The Church Street space once home to the Great Britain Hotel has been given a new lease on life, and has been reborn as multi-faceted good times haunt, Harlow. Offering a little something for all occasions, the new-look pub now boasts a ground floor bar and dining space, a sprawling split-level beer garden and a neon-drenched basement bar that's heavy on the grunge. With room for 250, the dog-friendly courtyard comes decked out in festoon lighting and lively street art, with a separate entrance for those with four-legged mates in tow. The music offering is as diverse as the space itself, with weekend DJs rounding out a broad-ranging soundtrack through the week. More lively flavours come courtesy of the kitchen, where the focus is on cleverly rejigged pub classics. On the menu, openers might include small bites like mini crab doughnuts or duck and bacon sausage rolls, leading into supporting acts like a decadent steak sanga, loaded with barbecue sauce, swiss cheese and maple bacon. A hefty vegan burger and a smoked beer and cheese hot dog make an appearance, too, while larger groups might be lured by the barbecue option, tucking into a feast of charry treats hot off the grill. And downstairs, with its old-school music videos and low booths, the moodily lit basement bar proves an ideal setting for a cocktail offering that references the different tunes you'll hear throughout the pub each week. Sips like the California Girls — blending citrus vodka, peach liqueur, orange juice and pinot gris — bring the summery pop vibes, while the likes of Boyz-N-The-Hood, crafted with Jack Daniels, Apple Jack, Fireball and apple juice, feature in the menu's hip hop-inspired lineup. Find Harlow at 447 Church Street, Richmond.
If were a kid in Australia over the past four decades, your birthday probably wasn't complete without a butter cake mix, vienna cream icing and some lollies. Thanks to The Australian Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book, that combination has long been the stuff of youthful dreams — and yes, you probably begged for it to be served in various creative shapes and configurations at all of your childhood birthday parties. We all know the book in question. Even when we were months and months away from next blowing out our candles, we all pored over pictures of its cakes for hours and hours, studiously planning which one we wanted next. And, we all should have a copy of that beloved tome on our shelves now; however, you'd best save some room for its new companion. Get ready to bake your way through the Allen's Party Cake Book, a collaboration between the sweet brand The Australian Women's Weekly that reimagines a heap of the cakes we've all grown up loving with Allen's lollies. To answer your number one question, yes, the famed train cake is included. There are 38 cakes in total, obviously all featuring plenty of Allen's lollies — think: snakes, freckles, bananas, strawberries and cream, raspberries and more — in a big way. That's reason enough to bake a cake, naturally. If you're currently in lockdown, consider it an excuse to treat yo'self to something tasty. And if you need another reason, the book has been released to celebrate Allen's 130th birthday, so you can get mixing and baking to commemorate the occasion. To nab a copy of the Allen's Party Cake Book, you'll need to head to Coles, where they're available for a limited time while stocks last. Because you'll need lollies for all of the recipes, you'll get a copy of the recipe book for free when you buy three Allen's or Bakers Choice products in one transaction. The Allen's Party Cake Book is available from Coles supermarkets while stocks last.
Where better to put on a show about gay marriage than Chapel Off Chapel? Though Standing on Ceremony began its life in New York following the legislation of same sex unions in 2011, this old church in Prahran that now enjoys a vibrant new life as a theatre, seems the perfect venue for exploring the changing face of marriage in Australia. The show comprises nine short plays from American playwrights, including celebrated writers such as Neil LaBute (The Shape of Things; Reasons to be Pretty) and Jose Rivera (The Motorcycle Diaries). In America, it seems to have been often performed as dramatised readings, but this local version is a full theatrical production smartly put together with careful attention to detail in costume and effective use of lighting and rear projection. The cast includes some recognisable names too, including Michael Veitch, Pia Miranda and Spencer McLaren — they’re a charismatic bunch who come together to create believable and endearing couples. While the plays are all very American — the days when anything like this can be written about Australian experiences being still, sigh, delayed — the actors do a good job of capturing American cadences and attitudes. With a live band playing jazz and funky pop covers between plays, there is a party vibe that's similar to attending an actual wedding in the Chapel Theatre. Though you can expect tighter scripting and better jokes than from an average wedding speech, there's just as much emotion. As with an actual wedding, I'd suggest bringing tissues. The plays range from light comic vignettes and slice-of-life dramas, to high satire and some real tear-jerkers. Jordan Harrison’s The Revision is a warm hearted but pointed comedy about two men rewriting their wedding vows to reflect the realistic prospects facing gay couples in modern America. This Flight Tonight by Wendy Macleod, is a beautifully observed depiction of pre-wedding jitters, seen through the lens of two young women needing to travel interstate to get married. Mo Gaffney’s Traditional Wedding reframes the newness of gay marriage by having a long-married lesbian couple looking back on their wedding, while Paul Rudnick’s satires The Gay Agenda and My Husband are ebullient lampoons of social attitudes. A highlight of the night is Doug Wright’s On Facebook a slick dramatisation of an actual online argument that will strike a chord with regular users of social media. Moisés Kaufman’s London Mosquitoes, framed as a eulogy by an elderly Jewish man for his long term male partner, is a bittersweet journey through personal and social history, touchingly spoken by Veitch. But the night hits its dramatic peak with LaBute’s Strange Fruit, a heartbreaking and expertly delivered piece set in California during the struggle for legalisation. The overall arc of the night is well constructed, balancing humour and drama well, and the show comes to a celebratory finale with Rivera’s Andrew and Pablo at the Altar of Words, which brings all the cast on stage for a ceremony featuring some very honest vows, neatly closing the circle started with The Revision. All together Standing On Ceremony is a tremendous night of theatre which gives the topic of gay marriage the multi-faceted, warm-hearted and perceptive portrayal it deserves. I do recommend it.
The team behind recently refurbed The Royce purchased The Lyall back in 2021 and immediately started planning its makeover. The vision was to make it feel less like your usual hotel in Melbourne and more like a series of townhouses or Parisian-style apartments all connected to one another. And they seem to have done a pretty bang-up job, achieving just that. Sat on the leafy Murphy Street just off Toorak Road, you could easily mistake it for yet another luxury home in South Yarra. It doesn't scream 'hotel'. This flows throughout the new space, designed by the DKO team, who've also worked on Archer's Restaurant at Marriott Hotel Docklands and Pullman Melbourne on the Park. The lobby feels more like a luxe living room than hotel, decked out with a marble fireplace, plush seating and views through to the Japanese Maple Garden. The 49 rooms and suites are clearly hotel accommodations — there's no getting past that — but the views over either the quiet street lined by homes or the internal garden do help it feel more like a mini apartment. Guests can choose from balcony rooms, a collection of suites that vary in size, and a lavish penthouse suite with two fireplaces and an expansive outdoor terrace. Each is decked out with dark-stained Tasmanian oak furniture, grey marble bathrooms and plenty of luxury amenities. Some even have deep bathtubs looking out over the street. Director of Interiors at DKO Michael Drescher notes how "the inspiration for this transformation is drawn from the idea of a European pied-à-terre, combining Australian and European furniture to create a blend of comfort and style. The approach exudes quiet luxury, emphasising high-quality, minimalist pieces that possess timeless appeal." This is further reflected in the hotel's restaurant and wine bar, which will be open to the public. Here, contemporary Australian cuisine will be served from breakfast through to dinner, accompanied by an extensive international wine list. Everything at The Lyall is fairly understated but clearly luxurious. The Lyall will welcome its first guests on Thursday, March 14 and can be found at 16 Murphy Street, South Yarra. For more information, head to the hotel's website.
What do Heath Ledger serenading Julia Stiles and a monkey playing music have in common? If you head to Moonlight Cinema in February 2025, they're both on the program — and they're indicative of a lineup that's going big on films about love and also flicks where tunes have a prominent part. 'Tis the month for big-screen romances, unsurprisingly. The outdoor picture palace is celebrating a heap of recent pictures that are either musicals or about musicians, too. If you'll be attending with a date, 10 Things I Hate About You is on the bill nationally, as are The Notebook and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. With Moonlight Cinema operating in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth, some cities will also get the chance to revisit Notting Hill. And from cinema's brand-new fare, the Florence Pugh (Dune: Part Two) and Andrew Garfield (Under the Banner of Heaven)-starring We Live in Time is popping up multiple times at all sites, while the new Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is scoring a preview screening. All of the above pop up in what the venue is calling a 'week of romance' — around Valentine's Day, naturally. Wicked keeps earning a place on Moonlight Cinema's roster, this time with sing-along sessions in all cities. In some locations, A Complete Unknown is another returning title, because who can get enough of Timothée Chalamet (Wonka) as Bob Dylan? So is Mufasa: The Lion King, complete with songs by Hamilton great Lin-Manuel Miranda — and also Better Man, aka the Robbie Williams biopic that brings the British singer to the screen as a CGI chimp. With the specific program varying per venue, viewers can also look forward to the electing-a-new-pope thrills of Conclave, the 1972 Munich Olympics-set September 5, a preview of Gettin' Square sequel Spit, and blasts from the past courtesy of Twilight and The Devil Wears Prada — among other titles, and depending on where they live. If you're in Queensland or South Australia, take note: Brisbane's season is on until Sunday, February 16 in Roma Street Parklands, while Adelaide's runs till the same date in Botanic Park. Elsewhere, Moonlight Cinema's stints at Centennial Parklands in Sydney, Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne, and Kings Park and Botanic Garden in Perth all extend through to Sunday, March 30 — so there'll be another lineup drop to come. As always, the films and the setting are just two parts of the Moonlight experience. Also a drawcard: the Aperol spritz bar. Nosh-wise, the event is again letting you BYO movie snacks and drinks (no alcohol in Brisbane, though), but the unorganised can enjoy a plethora of bites to eat onsite while reclining on bean beds. There's two VIP sections for an extra-luxe openair movie experience, too, as well as a platinum package with waiter service in Sydney and Melbourne only, and a beauty cart handing out samples. Plus, dogs are welcome at all sites except Perth — there's even special doggo bean beds. Moonlight Cinema 2024–25 Dates Brisbane: Thursday, November 21, 2024–Sunday, February 16, 2025 in Roma Street Parklands Sydney: Friday, November 22, 2024–Sunday, March 30, 2025 in Centennial Parklands Adelaide: Thursday, November 28, 2024–Sunday, February 16, 2025, 2024 in Botanic Park Melbourne: Friday, November 29, 2024–Sunday, March 30, 2025 in Royal Botanic Gardens Perth: Thursday, December 5, 2024–Sunday, March 30, 2025 in Kings Park and Botanic Garden Moonlight Cinema runs until February 2025 in Brisbane and Adelaide, and until March 2025 in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the cinema's website — and we'll update you with further program details when they're announced.
