Most Melbourne eateries that create specials for Easter tend to make one showstopping treat. But the crew at Pidapipo Laboratorio are given the freedom and resources to dream up all kinds of delicious things year-round. For Easter this year that includes hot cross bun gelato sandwiches, three Easter-inspired gelato flavours and a heap of different chocolate eggs. Single-origin Dominican Republic cacao will be showcased throughout each of the Easter eggs at Pidapipo, from the milk and dark chocolate eggs to its famed filled eggs that were a huge hit last year. The dark chocolate eggs are pumped full of salted caramel, the milk chocolate filled with hazelnut gianduja and its white chocolate eggs are stuffed with almond praline and caramelised coconut. Then we have the three limited-edition gelato flavours. The most exciting creation is inspired by the classic Italian sweet bread Colomba, made with layers of raspberry curd, Colomba, stracciatella gelato and chocolate cookie crumbs that are topped with whipped cream and maraschino cherries. This beast of a gelato will only be available in a take-home tub. Punters can also try the milk chocolate gelato with amarena cherries and toasted chocolate hot cross bun crumbs, or the honey gelato with blueberry jam and toasted hot cross bun crumbs. These hot cross buns have been baked in-house and are not only used to top the new gelatos. They'll also be available either on their own or stuffed with gelato to make an epic ice cream sandwich. Choose from a chocolate hot cross bun served with a scoop of milk chocolate and amarena cherry gelato, or a spiced raisin hot cross bun chock full of honey and blueberry jam gelato. Rather eat these bad boys at home? If that's the case, the team will send you off with a pack of six fresh buns and a one-litre tub of gelato. No need to worry about them getting soggy bottoms during the drive. The easter eggs and special edition gelato flavours will be available at all Pidapipo stores in Melbourne, but the hot cross buns can only be found at Pidapipo Laboratorio. For more information and to pre-order some Easter treats, visit the venue's website.
Set your alarms and mark your calendars, folks: Thursday, October 5 is set to be a big day for cannoli lovers (so, basically everyone). Cannoleria is opening a permanent residence at Queen Victoria Market's dairy hall, and it's celebrating in style. The first to step through their doors between 10am–12pm on opening day will be treated to free cannoli. So be quick, 1000 will quickly become 900, then 800 and so on. (We don't need to explain maths to you.) Friends, this is the stuff that ricotta-filled dreams are made of — That's Amore ricotta to be precise. Launched in 2018 by the creators of That's Amore Cheese, Cannoleria has been filling its cannoli daily with fresh ricotta and other classic (and not-so-classic) fillings ever since. Do yourself a favour and experience the rocher, as made with Nutella ricotta and hazelnut crumble. After setting up shop in South Melbourne Market in 2019, Cannoleria began popping up all over Melbourne, going so far as to establish a factory in Heidelberg West in 2020. So, in short, these babies are popular — and a new permanent location in the heart of the city is just plain good news. If you miss the initial opening, you can still go and grab yourself a cannolo or two at the permanent Queen Vic store every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 6am–3pm; on Saturdays from 6am–4pm; and on Sundays from 10am–4pm. So, whether you're a local out for your weekly shop or perusing Queen Vic for the first time, you might want to swing by and grab yourself a little taste of Italia. Ciao for now.
Australia and New Zealand haven't been treated to Beyoncé's Renaissance tour, but we are getting the next best thing: RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ. The latest chance to worship the superstar on-screen was announced back in October and will hit cinemas worldwide in December. And, it will be arriving Down Under at the same time as the US: on Friday, December 1. What runs the movie world right now? Concert flicks, which are having a big-screen moment again. In the space of mere months, three huge examples of the genre are playing cinemas worldwide, much to the delight of folks who like getting their film and music fix in one go. First came Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour in October. In Australia, Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense, aka the best concert flick ever made, has returned to picture palaces since mid-November. Next, RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ will do the same — and it has dropped another trailer to celebrate. Beyoncé is no stranger to splashing her sets across a screen, after HOMECOMING: A Film By Beyoncé did exactly that on Netflix back in 2019. That movie covered the superstar singer's time on the Coachella stage, and came with a 40-track live album as well. This time, Bey is focusing on her 56-performance, 39-city world RENAISSANCE tour in support of the 2022 album of the same name. Now wrapped up after starting in Stockholm in Sweden in May and finishing in Kansas City, Missouri in the US on Sunday, October 1, the RENAISSANCE tour featured everything from 'Dangerously in Love 2', 'Cuff It', 'Formation' and 'Run the World (Girls)' to 'Crazy in Love', 'Love On Top', 'Drunk in Love' and 'America Has a Problem'. Given that audiences in Australia or New Zealand haven't experienced that setlist for themselves, with the tour skipping Down Under shows so far, RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ is the first chance for Bey fans in this part of the world to join in without heading overseas. "When I am performing, I am nothing but free," said Beyoncé in the concert film's initial trailer. "The goal for this tour was to create a place where everyone is free," the musician continued, in a sneak peek that includes behind-the-scenes glimpses, crowd shots and, of course, spectacular concert footage. In the latest trailer, Beyoncé expands upon her daily challenge. "In this world that is very male-dominated, I've had to be really tough to balance motherhood and being on the stage," shares the singer. RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ charts the tour from its first show until its last, as well as the hard work and technical mastery that went into it on- and off-stage, as 2.7-million-plus fans have seen in person. Check out the latest trailer for RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ below: RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ will release in cinemas Down Under from Friday, December 1 — head to the film's website for tickets and further details. Images: Julian Dakdouk / Mason Poole.
Imagine being brought up by cinema. Imagine your world shaped and informed by the films you spent hours and hours watching and rewatching, and your understanding of almost everything that lurks outside your home and family coming from what you see on a screen. Even the most avid cinephiles can't say they've had this experience to the same extent as the Angulo siblings. For the majority of their lives, these seven black-wearing, longhaired children remained inside their Manhattan apartment watching movies. The exploits of Bhagavan, Govinda, Narayan, Mukunda, Krsna and Jagadisa, plus their sister Visnu, fall into the categories of so outlandish it must be true and needing to be seen to be believed. First-time documentarian Crystal Moselle enters the family's sanctuary, captures a slice of their existence, and gives the teenage and twenty-something male members of this band of film fiends a chance to chat to the camera. Their tales — and their passion — prove striking, but these brothers don't just spend all their time staring at the television. When the documentary starts, they've never actually been to a movie theatre; however, watching whatever they can on DVD isn't their only form of interaction with cinema. They also transcribe the dialogue of their favourite fare, create scripts, then re-enact and record elaborate re-stagings. They're dedicated to getting things just right, too, obsessing over costumes and accessories, and handcrafting accompanying posters. It's a fascinating real-life scenario, made all the more so by the shadow of the father who has kept his kids confined to his realm with only films as their method of escape. It's also one that Moselle is content to simply watch and wonder at, rather than probe or peer deeper into. Said family patriarch is seen, and his wife too, yet any delving into his attempts to create his own isolated brood and her inability to do anything about it remains slight and superficial. Accordingly, as a portrait of the impact film can have upon those so enamoured with it that it becomes their whole life — albeit in strange and heightened circumstances — The Wolfpack engages, but that's all there is. Indeed, as a dissection of how and why the Angulos became such avid movie buffs, it never dares to diverge from the most standard of scripts. Thankfully, sharing in the joy of the former helps temper the latter, particularly when spirited, homemade reenactments of Reservoir Dogs, The Dark Knight, No Country for Old Men and Pulp Fiction rank among the documentary's highlights. Of course, that Moselle has done little more than serve up a fly-on-the-wall look at subjects she was certainly lucky to come across is never forgotten, as enthusiastic as their love of cinema — and as eye-opening as their stories and subsequent breaking out of their comfort zone — ultimately are.
When Nordie opened its doors in Red Hill in late 2017, Mornington Peninsula wine country scored a dose of Scandinavian cool. With its smart, minimalist design, this Danish-inspired cafe is the work of Tom Portet (Yarra Valley winery Dominique Portet) and wife Rina, a Copenhagen native. The all-day menu champions clean, simple flavours, top local produce and contemporary techniques. Expect dishes like the signature Nordie Green Bowl ($18.5), loaded with quinoa, kale, avo, hummus and beetroot — or the potato and sumac rosti ($19.5) matched, perhaps, with smoked salmon ($5.5) and truffle hollandaise ($3). A range of smørrebrød ($15–15.5) and a Copenhagen hot dog ($17.5) fly the flag for the homeland. Nordie's tidy retail offering runs from coffee beans through to stylish homewares from famed Danish design house Hay. And, while in Red Hill, you might as well take advantage of Portet's winemaking heritage and visit the duo's wine store, Red Hill Wine Collective, located two doors down. Here, you can pick up a bottle to enjoy in-house, corkage-free.
UPDATE, July 16, 2021: The Favourite is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies and Amazon Video. Whenever Yorgos Lanthimos' name comes up in film-related chatter, it's usually accompanied by the words 'Greek Weird Wave'. Since Dogtooth earned an Oscar nomination, the director has become synonymous with the offbeat cinema coming out of his homeland — movies that, like the filmmaker's grief-focused Alps, proudly explore life with more than a dash of absurdity. He's since moved on to English-language productions with high-profile stars, but the same strange sensibilities remain baked into his work. That said, perhaps Lanthimos' movies aren't all that odd. Perhaps he's simply stripping away the social niceties that we've all been taught to accept, and exposing human interaction for the transactional exchange that it is. If The Lobster's vision of love or The Killing of a Sacred Deer's tale of a family facing tragedy didn't already make it plain, Lanthimos' films present the world as a constant fight between giving and taking. Rarely has that been more apparent than in The Favourite, where a monarch's lackeys view friendship with a royal as a path to personal glory. So, Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) gives the needy, gout-stricken, often bedridden Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) everything she wants: companionship, love, sex, an ear to hear all of her worries and a steady hand to help rule the kingdom. Well, almost everything. She can't abide the 17 rabbits that Anne treats as her surrogate children for a very sad reason, and she's not afraid to tell the sovereign when her makeup makes her look like a badger. But Sarah also takes, elevating her own power as the country tries to survive the War of Spanish Succession, and then flouting her status over the rest of the scheming court. Into an ostensibly comfortable situation arrives Abigail Hill (Emma Stone), a cousin of Sarah's who has fallen upon hard times. The newcomer's request for a servant job goes smoothly enough, but here's the catch when life is a perpetual tug-of-war: everyone only wants to give if they're going to get something in return. Oozing ruthlessness and cunning despite her innocent facade, Abigail makes herself indispensable to the Queen. Soon, it's the younger woman who's always by the ruler's side. The equally calculating Sarah might be trying to oversee England's military strategies against the French and keep an influential landowner (Nicholas Hoult) in his place, however she still has time to battle it out for Anne's attention and affection. The savage dialogue, each line wittier, bleaker and yet still funnier than the next. The gleeful abandon of polite, ordinary behaviour. The acerbic insights that prove equal parts perceptive and awkward. Thanks to all three — plus an utter disdain for meeting anyone's expectations — being an actor in Lanthimos' films seems like one of the best jobs in the world. Working with a script by first-timer Deborah Davis and Australian screenwriter Tony McNamara (Puberty Blues), Colman, Weisz and Stone all lap up their parts. Colman might've been deemed the lead for awards consideration (and may very well win a deserved Oscar as a result), but this is a stellar three-hander. The trio of talents relish Lanthimos' usual penchant for stilted conversations, as well as his foray into new territory. While a politically charged, 19th century, somewhat slapstick comedy isn't the filmmaker's usual wheelhouse, maybe it should be. As fantastic a director as Lanthimos is of actors, he's also an auteur with a distinctive eye. His movies resemble no one else's — and when he's satirising history in a lavish period picture that also keenly reflects today's political chaos, that fact is blatantly apparent. The Favourite looks the part, with its action largely confined to the Queen's ornately appointed castle, and with its characters donning decadent dresses and powdered wigs. But, using fish-eye lenses to literally give a different perspective, plus wide shots to emphasise the stifling nature of the palace's empty spaces, Robbie Ryan's (American Honey) cinematography is anything but stiff and formal. There's a bite to Lanthimos' approach, of course, as there always is. He isn't just interested in depicting the selfishness and arrogance behind Anne, Sarah and Abigail's twisted triangle. As one hell of a final shot hammers home, he's all about the cost. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2G8SetsNM4
Just like fashion collections, gallery exhibitions are all about seasons — and summer at the National Gallery of Victoria is set to be a stunner. To cap off 2022, the Melbourne cultural institution will fill its walls and halls with an Australian-first showcase dedicated to designer Alexander McQueen. Boundaries will be pushed, as they always have been in the late, great fashion icon's sartorial work. Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse will take over the NGV International between Sunday, December 11, 2022—Sunday, April 16, 2023 — heading straight to Australia after displaying at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), where it's running now. LACMA organised the exhibition, drawing upon 60 garments and accessories from its own holdings, and contacted NGV about both contributing and running its own season. That's where 50 designs by McQueen from the NGV Collection come in, plus other artworks from each institution. The aim: going deep and broad, rather than stepping through McQueen's career and life in a birth-to-death fashion. Indeed, it's a showcase that the team at the NGV has been hoping to put together since the designer first made a splash in the early 90s. [caption id="attachment_854685" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Installation photograph. Lee Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, April 24–October 9, 2022. Photo © Museum[/caption] "In a bigger picture way, we started thinking about Alexander McQueen when we first acquired his work. So, the first examples we acquired came directly from the designer's studio back in 1996 — so over 25 years ago," explains Katie Somerville, the NGV's Senior Curator of Fashion and Textiles. "In a sense, the desire to represent his work and the recognition that he was someone really significant started back then." Celebrating McQueen's artistry and impact isn't just about placing an impressive array of his pieces on display, though. At Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse, understanding its namesake involves understanding what inspired him. "This exhibition is not a retrospective, in that it's not a go-to-whoa examination of him from a more biographical point of view," advises Somerville. "It really does do a wonderful job of exploring him as a creative soul. So, looking at not only his capacity technically — and of course he was astonishingly accomplished in tailoring, cut, dressmaking; his foundation was learning on the job, on Savile Row, in theatre costuming companies in his late teens, and he's known for that incredible craftsmanship and technique, and being very hands-on in his designs. But the overarching premise of the exhibition is really about trying to get an appreciation for all the different sources of inspiration that came to inspire Alexander McQueen." [caption id="attachment_854686" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alexander McQueen backstage at Pantheon as Lecum collection, autumn–winter 2004–05 show. Courtesy the photographer. Photo © Robert Fairer.[/caption] That spans "a myriad of sources throughout art history, ancient history, popular culture, music and cinema across the board," says Somerville, with the NGV's showcase reflecting upon the whole picture. "By using works from our art collection, and the collection at LACMA, we're able to effectively bring together and illustrate some of the sources of his inspiration, so that you can see these incredible works alongside some of the works and artists and references that would've inspired Alexander McQueen. It's a very deep look at his working methodology, but also at his legacy, and why he was so profoundly successful at shifting the nature of how we understand fashion in this contemporary era." Thanks to the NGV's pieces, Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse includes McQueen-designed items dating back to 1994, and features 25 different seasonal collections — with 20 seasons covered from its own holdings alone. That includes examples from the autumn-winter 1995–1996 Highland Rape collection, the autumn-winter 2006–2007 The Widows of Culloden range, and spring-summer 2010's Plato's Atlantis, McQueen's final complete collection before his death in February 2010. While charting McQueen's story in a linear fashion isn't on the cards, the exhibition will dive into his oeuvre via various sections. So, with Mythos, three collections inspired by mythological and religious belief systems will sit together. Then, in Fashioned Narratives, four collections that showcase his knack for world-building will be in the spotlight. Next comes Evolution and Existence, which hones in on his interest in life cycles and the human condition — and Technique and Innovation, which is rather self-explanatory. Finally, Dangerous Bodies will highlight early collections with a focus on eroticism and empowerment. [caption id="attachment_854687" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alexander McQueen. Look 38, Look 40, Look 41, The Widows of Culloden collection, autumn–winter 2006–07. Courtesy the photographer. Photo © Robert Fairer. © Alexander McQueen. Models: Natasha Poly, Querelle Jansen, Tanya Dziahileva.[/caption] Another must-see part of all of the above: behind-the-scenes snaps by photographer Robert Fairer, taking audiences backstage at McQueen's shows — because his parades were an event and an art. If it sounds huge, that's because it is. The NGV is no stranger to big summer fashion exhibitions, with Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse following its massive celebration of Coco Chanel's work from December 2021–April 2022. Sitting in between the two couture-focused spreads: The Picasso Century, which'll see the NGV International hone in on Picasso — and his pals — across its winter season. Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse runs from Sunday, December 11, 2022—Sunday, April 16, 2023 at the NGV International, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne. For more information, or to buy tickets, head to the gallery's website. Top images: Alexander McQueen. Look 38, Look 40, Look 41, The Widows of Culloden collection, autumn–winter 2006–07. Courtesy the photographer. Photo © Robert Fairer. © Alexander McQueen. Models: Natasha Poly, Querelle Jansen, Tanya Dziahileva. Installation photograph. Lee Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, April 24–October 9, 2022. Photo © Museum.
Peanut butter and blueberry jam. Vanilla creme and chocolate ganache. Lime curd with toasted meringue. These are just a few of the diabetes-inducing flavours that have earned Doughboys a reputation as one of the best doughnut outfits in town. For the past couple of years, Will McKenzie and his team of dough-fiends have popped-up in shared spaces, coffee shops and markets around Melbourne, spreading joy and tooth decay wherever they go. Now they've got their first official store. Located towards the Southern Cross end of Bourke Street in the CBD, Doughboys HQ has been a long time in the making, with McKenzie teasing plans for a permanent storefront almost six months prior to their January 2016 opening. Still, it's worth the wait. Designed by Studio Esteta, the store boasts tiled floors, high ceilings and ample display cases, so sugar-obsessed doughnut lovers can press their noses against the glass. Small Batch Roasting Co. provide the coffee, and hopefully they'll keep up their partnership with Gelato Messina as well. Because if there's one thing better than a doughnut, it's a doughnut stuffed with chocolate fudge brownie ice cream.
Aussie beer lovers tend to have their tried-and-true favourites, whether it's VB, Carlton Draught or Great Northern. If you love a beer with your mates, then this Hazy Lager from Matilda Bay Brewing is set to be your second favourite beer by offering you a chance to win some merch from your best-loved brews. To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is order a Hazy Lager at The Hightail Bar from Monday, October 16, until Thursday, October 26. Once you make your purchase, you'll get an entry card with a QR code. Scan the code and enter your details to be in the draw. What's the big prize, I hear you ask? None other than a one-of-a-kind VB massage chair. But it doesn't stop there — there are a bunch of other prizes to be snagged. VB lovers could go home with a surfboard, snowboard or barbecue. There are also Great Northern fishing kits, Carlton Draught bar fridges and Carlton Dry coolers up for grabs. Hazy Lager is Matilda Bay Brewing's latest release and promises a hazy body that's full of flavour with stone fruits, hints of spice and herbal hop notes on the palate. The smooth and easy brew from Australia's oldest craft brewery is ideal for when you feel like a break from your favourites. Founded in 1983, Matilda Bay is Australia's original craft brewery. Love your favourite beer even more by drinking Hazy Lager. For competition terms and conditions and to find out which pubs and bottle shops are participating, visit the Second Favourite Beer website. The competition is only open to those aged 18 and older and ends at 11.59pm on Thursday, October 26.
While the NGV's gallery spaces are gearing up to host an array of breath-taking garments as part of its soon-to-launch blockbuster Alexander McQueen exhibition, its grounds have already scored a fresh injection of colour for the summer. And that's thanks to the winning NGV 2022 Architecture Commission, Temple of Boom, which made its home in the Grollo Equiset Garden this week. The boldly coloured replica of Greece's famed Parthenon will be parking itself here until August next year, set to be continually refreshed with large-scale works by various local artists during its stay. The structure itself is the work of Adam Newman and Kelvin Tsang, celebrating The Parthenon as a symbol of Western civilisation, democracy and enduring beauty — and built to reflect on the impact time has on architecture. The latter is what'll also drive Temple of Boom's ever-shifting look, the first of which features vibrant optical illusions and floral elements by contemporary artists Manda Lane, Drez and David Lee Pereira. Lane's work centres around relationships between the man-made and the natural; Pereira is known for his explorations of gender and identity fluidity; and Drez's murals challenge perspective using colour and form. While the structure will be transformed with different artworks across three phases of its stay, it'll also work as a community meeting spot and play host to an extended program of events. That includes a calendar of talks, performances and VR experiences held in collaboration with the Hellenic Museum Melbourne; and a lineup of Friday evening DJ sets as announced for the new NGV Friday Nights summer season. Catch 'Temple of Boom' in the Grollo Equiset Garden, NGV International, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, until August 2023. Images: Installation view of the 2022 NGV Architecture Commission 'Temple of Boom', designed by Adam Newman and Kelvin Tsang, at NGV International from 22 November 2022–August 2023. Photo by Sean Fennessy.
As the mercury rises, Australian cities come to life. Rooftop bars transform under the summer sun, the streets feel alive, and you start feeling that itch to explore. Call it a sign, but Vibe Hotels have decided to bring their Black Friday sale forward to match that exact feeling. From now until Tuesday, December 2 you can score 20 percent off at each of their hotels. Plus, sign up to the e-Club to receive an additional discount and instant reward every time you stay. From waterside gems to sun-drenched rooftop bars, these cities make for the perfect summer breaks. Adelaide [caption id="attachment_1043290" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vibe Hotel Adelaide[/caption] Adelaide is often overlooked as a summer getaway thanks to its reputation as a city of churches. But, in reality, it's a foodie mecca, fringed with endless beaches. Base yourself at Vibe Hotel Adelaide, naturally. Start your day with a leafy walk to breakfast at sacred local spot Exchange Coffee as you plan which of Adelaide's beaches you'll spend the day lazing at: Glenelg, Henley, or slightly further out Port Noarlunga. Take a day trip to Kangaroo Island for more ridiculous beaches and wild life spotting. Or, you'll be spoiled for choice when it comes to wineries: Barossa, McLaren Vale, the Adelaide Hills, and the Clare Valley are all easy day trips. After a long day exploring, head back to your hotel for dinner at Storehouse Flinders East. Hobart Thanks to Dark Mofo, Hobart has earned a reputation as a winter city. But ask any local and they'll tell you it's a city made for summer. Vibe Hotel Hobart has a location perfect for exploring everything the city has to offer with onsite restaurant Belvedere showcasing the Apple Isle's bountiful produce. For more local-approved bites, head to hole in the wall wine bar Sonny or, for a sun-dappled beer garden, try Preachers in historic Battery Point. Hobart is the best place to make the most of Tasmania's wilderness with countless day trips at your fingertips. Spot wombats and dip in crystal clear waters at Maria Island, stand at the edge of the world in the Tasman National Park, or take a foodie tour of Bruny Island. If the Tasmanian summer isn't quite summering, thaw out in the heated swimming pool at your hotel. Subiaco [caption id="attachment_1041855" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rottnest Island, Fabian Kühne[/caption] Subiaco—known affectionately as Subi to locals—is an ultra-sleek pocket of inner city Perth. You'll find excellent coffee, fine dining, and of course, Vibe Hotel Subiaco right in the thick of it. And, one of the city's favourite restaurants, Storehouse Subiaco is perched right on the roof with unparalleled views of the city skyline. Rokeby Road cuts through the heart of Subi and is lined with chic boutiques, galleries and some of Perth's best dining. Yiamas, Shui, Lulu La Delizia are some of the suburb's best eats. If you're taking a weekend break, stop by the Subiaco Station Markets to sample the local produce. You'll also find the Regal Theatre, one of the last live theatres in Perth within walking distance from your hotel. If you're craving beaches, you're conveniently staying on the train line to Fremantle. Fremantle is not only home to some of Perth's best beaches, but is also the departure point to access Rottnest Island. Melbourne [caption id="attachment_1043679" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vibe Hotel Melbourne[/caption] Finding a reason to spend a weekend in Melbourne is one of life's easier tasks. When you add Vibe Hotel's 20 percent off Black Friday discount, its almost like you have to go. Fleet Rooftop sits 68 metres high above the Vibe Hotel Melbourne. Start your trip here with cocktails, artfully served small plates and a stellar view of the Melbourne skyline. You'll be staying right in the centre of the city so you can spend your trip weaving through laneways and arcades as you discover the cafes, bars and vintage boutiques. Catch a show at the nearby historic East End Theatre District. Or, back at your hotel, unwind in the pool before heading back to the rooftop for sunset. Vibe Melbourne Docklands also offers amazing views of the city and Yarra River with leisure facilities including a 28-metre heated rooftop pool (one of Melbourne's largest), a steam room and well-equipped gym. On the edge of the free city circle tram, you'll be in the heart of the city within 15 minutes while enjoying the more laidback atmosphere of the Docklands waterfront precinct. Darling Harbour [caption id="attachment_1043678" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vibe Hotel Darling Harbour[/caption] Sometimes you just need a getaway to take a moment to enjoy Sydney's summer from a rooftop pool. Vibe Hotel Sydney Darling Harbour is the perfect place to do just that. Spend a weekend soaking up the sun from a poolside cabana with views out across the city. Then, as the sun begins to set, head over to Above 319, the hotel's rooftop bar for cocktails before enjoying a night out in Sydney. Try Pakistani food at Lal Qila, treat yourself to Japanese fine dining at nearby Nobu's or nab a reservation at Sydney institution, Bennelong. Make the most of summer and while away a weekend taking advantage of Sydney's beaches before you head back home to reality. Catch a ferry from Darling Harbour to locally loved beaches like Milk Beach or Camp Cove. Darwin Ask what people love about Darwin and two things come to mind. First, it's the city's technicolour sunsets (best viewed from the Darwin Sailing Club). Second, it's the quality of the laksa available thanks to Darwin's proximity to South East Asia. You'll find some of the best at Mary's Laksa at the weekly Parap Village Markets alongside satay and fresh tropical fruits. Head inland and visit Litchfield National Park for wild swimming in shaded outback lagoons. Then, to escape the tropical heat, duck into the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory for one of the country's best displays of Indigenous art. Vibe Hotel Darwin drops you in the heart of it all with its prime position by the waterfront precinct and Darwin Lagoon. Canberra Canberra is criminally underrated as a weekend getaway, and Vibe Hotel Canberra makes for the perfect base to see it all. The sprawling grounds of Parliament House sit at its heart. Just outside the grassy knolls of our political centre, you'll find the National Portrait Gallery of Australia and the National Gallery of Australia. Don't miss the Sculpture Garden's 26 outdoor pieces, including Within Without (2010) by James Turrell. After exploring, dive into Canberra's food scene. For cocktails, a kitschy styled space and small plates stop by Such and Such. For lunch, Sanducci does a daily rotation of—not to be dramatic—life changing sandwiches. It's worth slipping beyond the city limits to visit Canberra's vineyards, like Mount Majura, and Australia's tallest peak, Mt Kosciusko. The trails are unburdened by snow in the summer making it a perfect time to visit. Book your summer getaway now with 20 percent off stays at the Vibe Hotels website. Plus sign up to their eClub and receive an additional discount and instant reward every time you stay.
How do you follow up a festival that boasted Black Mirror's Charlie Brooker, plus Australian icons Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts, all talking about their experiences in film and television — and the world-premiere of a documentary about The Wiggles, too? That's the task at hand for the screen-focused side of SXSW Sydney, which is currently in the process of compiling exactly that lineup for its second run. The event's October 2024 dates are still months away, but it keeps dropping details, including Australian filmmaker Warwick Thornton and composer Jed Kurzel newly joining the lineup. The director behind Samson & Delilah, Sweet Country and The New Boy, Thornton will take to the stage to give audiences a live director's commentary of one of his features. Which movie it'll be — he's also helmed The Darkside and documentary We Don't Need a Map — hasn't yet been revealed. Kurzel's filmography doesn't just include his brother Justin's Snowtown, Macbeth, Assassin's Creed, True History of the Kelly Gang and Nitram, but also everything from The Babadook and The Nightingale to Alien: Covenant and Dev Patel's directorial debut Monkey Man. He'll be doing a live commentary as well, talking through how he scores opening sequences. [caption id="attachment_861204" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mark Rogers[/caption] Thornton and Kurzel are two big names in Australia's film industry — and they have impressive company in the latest round of SXSW Sydney 2024 announcements, as the fest's Monday, October 14–Sunday, October 20 dates get closer. From Margot Robbie's production company LuckyChap Entertainment, Barbie executive producer Josey McNamara will chat about the organisation's recent flicks, which also spans Promising Young Woman and Saltburn. And Mark Andrews, who co-helmed Pixar's Brave, will discuss his work at independent animation studio Floating Rock. With Mortal Kombat director Simon McQuoid already on the lineup, plus Heartbreak High star Ayesha Madon on the music bill, and also Westworld and Bosch & Rockit star Luke Hemsworth — albeit the latter hosting the session Better Than a Hollywood Movie: The Highs, Lows, Epic Moments and Colossal Steps Forward in Bringing Back the Tasmanian Tiger, so not talking about his screen career — the 2024 fest's roster of big movie and TV names just keeps growing. SXSW Sydney has just added a heap of other talks, too, covering Floating Rock's origin story, women in VFX and animation, film distribution in Australia and what it means to have your work screen at the OG SXSW in Austin. Keen for a crash course in the industry? That's where 90-Minute Film School will come in, debuting with a focus on five aspects of filmmaking. A screen mentorship program will also join the Sydney program for the first time. [caption id="attachment_967878" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jaimi Joy[/caption] There's no new word on what will be getting projectors rolling, however, so watch this space if you're keen to glue your eyes to the the latests flicks and TV shows. As part of its many lineup drops so far — a first batch came in May, then a second round in June, then two others earlier in July — the festival has already revealed that documentary The Most Australian Band Ever! about the Hard-Ons sits on the roster. So does S/He Is Still Her/e: The Official Genesis P-Orridge, which is executive produced by Against Me!'s Laura Jane Grace — and also Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Ara, about thrash metal in the Māori language. Firmly a must-see from past announcements: Slice of Life: The American Dream. In Former Pizza Huts. The latest documentary from Barbecue and We Don't Deserve Dogs' Matthew Salleh and Rose Tucker, who are no strangers to SXSW in Austin, it sees the Australian-born, Brooklyn-based duo explore the US today through former Pizza Hut buildings. [caption id="attachment_967880" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for SXSW Sydney.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_967879" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for SXSW Sydney[/caption] [caption id="attachment_953711" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jaimi Joy[/caption] [caption id="attachment_953720" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Katje Ford[/caption] SXSW Sydney 2024 will run from Monday, October 14–Sunday, October 20 at various Sydney venues. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for further details. Top image: Jami Joy.
Australia is getting accustomed to life without single-use plastic bags, but Europe is going one step further, with the European Union today voting to ban ten single-use plastic items by 2021. The European Parliament first drew up the plan in May last year, which is designed to specifically combat the growing amount of plastic that's clogging up the world's oceans. The ban will target ten items that are most frequently found on beaches, including plastic cutlery, plates, cups, stirrers and straws, as well as cotton buds and balloon sticks. This comes after researchers predicted that plastic will outweigh fish in our oceans by 2050. By 2029, all EU members will also be required to collect 90 percent of single-use plastic beverage bottles for recycling, while awareness campaigns will ramp up for the reduced consumption of other single-use products and countries will need to fund the public clean-up of litter — such as tobacco filters and fishing great — from beaches and oceans. A year later, in 2030, the EU is aiming to make all of its plastic packaging reusable or recyclable. You can dive into the nitty gritty of its plan here (if you please). The European Parliament passed the ban on Wednesday, March 27, and member states will have two years years to implement the legislation into their own national law. It is the latest recognition that the war on waste is one that needs serious attention. The British parliament announced plans to go plastic-free early last year, France will ban plastic plates, cups and cutlery from 2020, while Hobart will become the first Australian city to ban single-use plastics. And that's on top of the flurry of supermarkets, big name brands, well-known food chains and furniture behemoths making their own commitments to reduce, recycle or eradicate single-use plastics from their operations. The European Union's single-use plastic ban will be introduced by 2021.
What do Elvis Presley, Yayoi Kusama, Pablo Picasso and Ancient Greece have in common? In 2022, all four will have items and objects on display across Victoria. Accordingly, if you're looking for an excuse to spend the cooler months in a museum or gallery, you have several — including peering at 44 ancient works dating back to the early bronze age. Those historic pieces will hit Melbourne Museum courtesy of Open Horizons: Ancient Greek Journeys and Connections, a new exhibition that's set to open on Saturday, April 23. Co-created and presented with the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, the Australian-first showcase will feature pieces from the Greek organisation's collection — which happens to be the richest range of artefacts from Greek antiquity worldwide — all of which will be making an appearance Down Under for the first time. In the case of two of the exhibition's big highlights — the gold Theseus ring, which dates back to the 15th century BCE, as well as a 2500-year-old marble sphinx that depicts a female head with the body of a winged lion — they'll make their debut outside of the National Archaeological Museum, too. Also coming our way: a collection of artefacts depicting Greek hero Heracles, as well as pieces that date through to the Roman period. Overall, Open Horizons: Ancient Greek Journeys and Connections will focus on not just Ancient Greece itself, but how the trade of ideas and goods influenced its culture — and how the Greeks also influenced the rest of the ancient world. [caption id="attachment_845125" align="alignnone" width="1920"] One of a pair of antefixes Clay Representations of Chimaera and Bellerophon mounting his winged horse, Pegasus. From Thasos. 550-500 BC. Credit National Archaeological Museum and Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports. Photographer Magoulas.[/caption] Top image: 'Open Horizons: Ancient Greek Journeys and Connections' at Melbourne Museum, installation shot by Tim Carrafa.
Food enthusiasts in Fitzroy are in for a good time at Bontempo Pizzeria. In fact, that's literally what the name of the restaurant means, 'good time'. The second venture from the team behind Fratellino in South Yarra, this Brunswick Street eatery is serving woodfired pizza alongside an array Italian staples, and is generally doing everything it can to deliver what it promises. "With the space we have we can cater to everyone, from couples to families and larger groups," says co-owner Joe Kavanagh. "We know that if we keep it simple by teaming good quality pizza and pasta with affordable drinks in a casual atmosphere, the rest will take care of itself." Kavanagh points to The Bont, the restaurant's signature pizza made with whiskey-infused Western Plains pulled pork, fresh basil, garlic, sage, tomato and mozzarella, as a menu highlight. Other standout options include the Salsicce e Funghi with pork and fennel sausage, mushrooms, garlic, parsley and mozzarella; and the Zucca, a vegetarian number with roast pumpkin, feta, basil, pine nuts, spinach, rosemary, garlic and tomato. All Bontempo's pizzas are made in a Valoriani clay wood-fire oven imported from Italy and custom-built on site. If you're not in the mood for pizza (although we can't fathom why that would be), you might want to try the Fettuccine Gamberoni made with king prawns, white wine, garlic, cream and a dash of napoli. Alternatively, you can sink your teeth into a chargrilled swordfish steak. For dessert, choose from classic Italian sweets such as affogato and chocolate calzone. As for beverages, Bontempo offers a wide range of local and Italian wines, as well as beers from Fitzroy Cellars and Thunder Road Brewing, and cocktails from The Everleigh Bottling Co. Images: Tom Ross.
In its entire concept, Sydney Opera House's All About Women has always pushed girls, ladies and women to the front. So, when the venue announced that the next version of its key feminist festival would feature riot grrrl pioneers Bikini Kill, it couldn't have been a more perfect way to start its lineup. That in-conversation event is just the beginning of the event's 2023 program, however, with the just-announced complete bill also going big on high-profile guests — such as child actor-turned-I'm Glad My Mom Died author Jennette McCurdy and human rights barrister Jennifer Robinson. Former iCarly star McCurdy will chat through her experiences, including growing up in the spotlight, finding her independence and the events that led to her New York Times best-selling memoir, in an Australian-exclusive conversation. After successfully representing Amber Heard in Johnny Depp's UK libel case, Robinson will feature in a panel called 'The War on Women', about fighting for both rights and lives, alongside Egyptian American journalist Mona Eltahawy, Pakistani author and journalist Fatima Bhutto, and Mununjali Yugambeh and South Sea Islander Professor Chelsea Watego. [caption id="attachment_885156" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jennifer Robinson by Kate Peters[/caption] Running from Saturday, March 11—Monday, March 13, All About Women's 2023 festival marks its 11th, and sees the event held across three days for the first time ever — growing again after it only just expanded to two days in 2022, in fact. And, in another significant change for this year, the event's lineup is guided by four festival co-curators. Doing the honours: author, podcast presenter and gender equality advocate Jamila Rizvi; Gamilaroi academic and Tell Me Again author Dr Amy Thunig; feminist social commentator, novelist and writer Jane Caro AM; and Sydney Opera House's Head of Talks and Ideas Chip Rolley. Their full program includes 25 events featuring 60-plus international and Australian artists, thinkers, and storytellers, starting with an evening of storytelling, poetry, dance and music for the fest's Opening Night Gala, hosted by Clare Bowditch and featuring actor Eryn Jean Norvill (The Picture of Dorian Gray), "mother of African contemporary dance" Germaine Acogny, Iranian Australian singer and instrumentalist Gelareh Pour, and Fatima Bhutto. And, it also spans Cult Classic author Sloane Crosley chatting about modern dating with journalist Maddison Connaughton — and a romance and reality TV-focused discussion between Bachelorette Brooke Blurton, Just The Gist podcaster Rosie Waterland, and Gamilaroi and Torres Strait Islander writer and actor Nakkiah Lui. [caption id="attachment_885157" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brooke Blurton by Jarrad Seng[/caption] In a session about neurodivergence in women and gender-diverse people, 2021 Australian of the Year Grace Tame, Heartbreak High's Chloe Hayden, and research psychologist and activist Dr Jac den Houting will talk with Thunig — and a panel examining trying to achieve justice in sexual abuse claims, and the trauma the process can bring, will feature sexual assault law reform advocate Saxon Mullins, criminal lawyer Katrina Marson, Yorta Yorta woman and survivor advocate Amanda Morgan, and lawyer and author Bri Lee. Or, attendees can look forward to Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies scholar Kylie Moore-Gilbert hosting a session on the women-led revolution in Iran, as joined by Pour, scholar and poet Dr Saba Vasefi, and author and journalist Shokoofeh Azar; plus a panel about the body positivity movement's struggles to be genuinely inclusive, featuring Wadjanbarra Yidinji, Jirrbal and African-American former model Sasha Kutabah Sarago, body love activist and podcaster April Hélène-Horton aka The Bodzilla, fashion editor and queer rights activist Deni Todorovič, disability rights campaigner Elly Desmarchelier, and comedian and broadcaster Tanya Hennessy. [caption id="attachment_844646" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jacquie Manning[/caption] The list goes on, covering Clementine Ford exploring the history of demonising single women, a session on women's activism through a First Nations lens, diving into starting a family in a modern world, unpacking gendered emotions, and turning Eltahawy's FEMINIST GIANT newsletter into a panel. The Girlboss movement, making tough decisions, the shame often imposed on women and girls, leading movements, a Bikini Kill gig: they all get their time in focus, too. Just like in 2022, the festival will host its sessions in-person for Sydneysiders, and will also live-stream to viewers both around Australia and worldwide — which is ace news if you live outside of the Harbour City. [caption id="attachment_874299" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Debi Del Grande[/caption] All About Women 2023 will take place from Saturday, March 11—Monday, March 13 at the Sydney Opera House, with tickets on sale from 12pm AEDT on Thursday, January 19. Head to the festival's website for further details. Top image: Jennette McCurdy by Brian Kimskey.
If you've ever worked in hospo, you've been in this situation. And even if you haven't waited, tended bar or cooked up a storm in a professional kitchen, you can probably still relate. Finding a decent place to relax, eat great food and drink fabulous cocktails after the clock strikes midnight isn't as easy as it really should be these days. And so, with that in mind, the Late Night Harlem Supper Club became a reality. After a super successful, sold out debut event back in October last year, the CBD bar Nieuw Amsterdam is bringing back the post-midnight feast in the wee hours of Sunday morning of March 26 (or, really late on Saturday night). This Supper Club will see chefs Ved Navghare and Kay-lene Tan in control of the kitchen. Given that they are head chef and pastry chef (respectively) at Tonka, their three-course menu is sure to have an Indian undertone to it. The $70 ticket includes the three courses and an arrival cocktail, with all other drinks will available to purchase separately. Night owls, get booking.
Part of the not-for-profit sustainability reserve on Merri Creek, CERES Nursery is your go-to spot for 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. Along with a selection of indoor and outdoor plants, and a hefty range of natives, you'll find just about everything you need to help your garden thrive. There's a range of certified organic potting mix, fertilisers and pesticides, bulk fertilisers you can refill with a BYO container, a huge stash of gardening books and a used pot exchange designed to help cut down on plastic pots.
Evie's Disco Diner is a queer-friendly, bottomless brunch-serving, drag-bingo-playing bar that's loved by Fitzroy's late-night revellers. It's big, brash and doesn't take itself too seriously. This has been a winning combo for the team running the Gertrude Street haunt — one of our picks for Melbourne's best bars for dancing. But when they decided to open a spot in the CBD, they didn't want to replicate this formula exactly. Instead, new bar Champagne Problems is like Evie's grown-up sister. She still likes to party and have a big night out, but now prefers to do so while sipping on signature cocktails, and snacking on shared plates and cheese fondue. The crew running the show describes the aesthetic and vibe as "elevated camp". Where Evie's accents are all bright pink, Champagne Problems is fully embracing lime green, from the neon sign out front, to the chairs, painted walls and cocktails like its appletini and Japanese slipper — and yes, we are as confused as you are by Midori's unexpected return to so many Melbourne bars. The team has also left plenty of room inside for when long drinking and dining sessions lead into dancing around the bar late at night. A regular lineup of DJs will help set this party mood as well. But before the party gets going, plenty of food is up for grabs. Small plates dominate the menu, like devilled eggs, prawn cocktails, seared scallops with beets and roasted garlic puree, oysters with champagne granita, and cheese and meat boards. A few bigger dishes also feature, like the lobster roll, beef burger, steak frites and duck a l'orange. Late at night, the kitchen serves decadent truffle gruyere jaffles and caviar bumps. And cheese fondue is also on the cards for winter, great for big group hangs. You can pair these eats with beer and wine, but Champagne Problems is more about cocktails — surprisingly, not champagne. When the sun is shining, you can sit on the outdoor tables with limoncello and yuzu spritzes and margaritas. Those wanting the harder stuff can try the cherry negroni or coconut old fashioned. Classics can also be whipped up without fuss if the signatures don't do it for you. If you loved drinking and dancing at Evie's but now feel a little too old for it, consider a trip to its older sibling in the CBD. You'll find Champagne Problems at 238 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, open 4pm–late from Wednesday to Sunday. For more details, head to the venue's website. Images: Luke Robinson, Drop Media
The year 2000 seems appropriate for the release of an iconic Australian record: it was the year Daniel Johns promised he'd make it up to us; we'd recently learned Madison Avenue was not our baby; and we'd narrowly avoided death by computers crashing. It was time to celebrate a new millennium. Having sold more than a million copies, Since I Left You had fans pleading for a follow-up album from day one. But 14 years later, The Avalanches are still yet to deliver. Though a second album is expected at any moment, Vivid Sydney is keeping us satisfied in the meantime. Fronted by South Africa-born, Sydney-raised eclectic electronic whiz kid Jonti along with alt-pop local favourite Rainbow Chan and management buds Astral People, Vivid LIVE's celebration of The Avalanches will see as many as 17 performers reinterpret and rearrange some of the 3,500 samples included in Since I Left You. Between rehearsals and resting his voice, Jonti took time to chat with us about Saturday's Opera House performance, his love for The Avalanches and what to expect from the future. ON VIVID LIVE Originally produced for OutsideIn Festival last year, the Since I Left You tribute set was created to "show our own profuse love for The Avalanches," according to Jonti (who'll no doubt be blissing out himself throughout the show). If you've been a little baffled by what to expect from the Saturday May 24 performance, Jonti makes it plain. "It's a recreation of the album. We're basically just trying to bring it to life, cover every sound and play it in the same order as when you listen to the album, but back-the-front," he says. Of the whopping 18 songs making up Since I Left You — and the 3,500 samples included in it — 'Electricity' is Jonti's favourite of their reinterpretations (although it wasn't an easy task to pick just one). "I just think it ends with a lot of soul and the strings sound really beautiful. It just kind of explodes and everyone's really on their A game and it's all kind of 'game over' sounding. I've really liked the way we've been doing that one." https://youtube.com/watch?v=VfAuFAgHpzc ON HIS LOVE FOR THE AVALANCHES To have a bunch of young, celebrated musos recreating their album at the Opera House 14 years after its release must feel pretty damn great for The Avalanches. But of course, it's equally satisfying for Jonti, who's adored the Melbourne band since their first release. "There's copious amounts of love in their album and I feel that's what makes it kind of transcend over the years. "When I moved to Australia from South Africa, I wasn't really sure of my identity. I had to find myself and I think the album helped me with that; it helped me choose a path. And even last year, I was very stuck and went through a breakup, then we did the Since I Left You [OutsideIn] show and it just resparked a love of music. It's the album that keeps giving," Jonti laughs. The Avalanches have kept us on their toes with rumours of a second album since Since I Left You's release. But it finally seems likely that we'll hear more from the Melbourne legends any day soon, with Jonti recently collaborating on the forthcoming anticipated (and rather mysterious) release. Despite his undying love for their first album, it seems even Jonti thinks a second could be better. "I think it's possible. When I got back from the studio I was kind of blushing like a school girl. It definitely has the same power." But rethinking his answer, Jonti reckons it might not be his favourite. "Only because I'm on their album. I don't think I could say that's my favourite album and be on it," he laughs. "That would sound weird." https://youtube.com/watch?v=_MJNjRAkRfE PREDICTING THE FUTURE Orchestrating a 17-person show at the Opera House has become Jonti's pet project for the past year. But requiring a huge amount of effort, stress and thought, it'll all be over after Saturday night. "There'll definitely be withdrawals. We were talking about it this morning, like, 'what are we going to do?' But we have ideas. And you just don't know what's around the corner so we'll probably just keep the gang together one way or another. "We definitely want to do a show in Melbourne, because that's where they're [The Avalanches] from. But it all depends on whatever we can make feasible. It's just hard enough getting us all in the one room to rehearse!" But between rehearsals, Jonti's also been recording a solo album that's probably "40 per cent" completed. "We'll see where that leads to." Jonti will perform as part of Vivid LIVE in Since I Left You - A Celebration of The Avalanches on Saturday 24 May. More details over here.
Cornucopias of cheese, rich roast lamb dinners, creamy Chardonnays — Orange is officially the new black. Grown from a rich mining past, Orange is now known as the 'food basket' of NSW, a title not halfheartedly earned. Wine is the obvious breadwinner, but it's not where the culinary adventure stops. From local produce-focused restaurants in reclaimed police stations to slick B&Bs in former sheep shearing sheds, to cellar doors in 1890s primary schools, Orange has seized its history with two, soil-happy hands and cultivated the modern foodie Mecca it is today. Just a four-hour drive from Sydney, or eight from Melbourne, Orange is in a prime spot for a seriously food and wine-drenched weekend away. You'll roll back to Sydney with a belly full of wine, cheese and lamb, your boot brimming with new wine variety favourites and your respect for Chardonnay restored. DRINK: WINE, WINE, WINE First piece of Orange advice: forget everything you know about Chardonnay. Second? You're going to taste some Australia's best, best, best wines in one weekend, so bring some Berocca and start fighting over who's designated driver. Orange is a pretty chilly place and sits over 600 metres above sea level. This means whites, sparkling and Pinot Noir country. Orange has a great many wineries, so it can be hard to know where to start (tip: just time your visit with the Orange Wine Festival). But most wineries offer free maps of the region, so start with one and take it from there. First up, let's visit Julie and Peter Mortimer, owners of Mortimers of Orange. A former Canterbury Bankstown Bulldog and extremely cheery gent, Peter Mortimer has left his NRL career behind for a life of exceedingly good Sauvignon Blanc with his wife and their five sons — and he can spin quite the yarn during a tasting, accompanied by his golden retriever, Bonnie. After planting their first vineyard in '96, the Mortimers bought the public school next door and turned it into their cellar door. There's nothing like a morning tasting with cheese and crackers where many an assembly has met. Next, we're off to Colmar Estate, run by Bill and Jane Schrapnel, two of the most knowledgable perfectionists in the game. Moving to Orange from Beecroft in Sydney, the Schrapnels have created one stunning vineyard you can can see most of right from the cellar door. But if you miss out on hitting Phillip Shaw's Cellar Door, you're doing it wrong. Shaw knows the wine game like the back of his hand, making wine since he was 12 and winning awards left right and centre for the family's celebrated varieties. You've never had Chardonnay like this, let me tell you. One of Shaw's lovely sons, Daniel, took us through the winery, past the fermenting room and to the barrels, where he gave us a taste of young Shiraz right out of the barrel. Holy. Grapes. More local wineries to note include Heifer Station Wines, run by the incredibly lovely Michelle and Philip Stivens, and the eclectic Bloodwood (appointment only). EAT: EVERYTHING YOU CAN CONSUME THAT ISN'T WINE If you think hitting the all-you-can-eat Pizza Hut is your first port of call in Orange, hold that thought. Orange is home to some of the most genuinely kickass restaurants in the game, and one of the key players is Union Bank, the newest guardians of Orange's historic former police station, school of the arts, bank and then some, owned by Nick and Emma Bacon, chef and sommelier respectively. Pull up a pew in UB's warm-lit, homey space and feast on octopus with smoked macadamia and turnip pickle, bone marrow with salsa roja, a whole chicken with garlic sauce and sumac, and a sirloin served with a miso bagna cauda, all spruced up with produce from the kitchen garden (just 15 metres from the actual kitchen). If you're serious about your food, you must take a trip to Milthorpe, a wonderfully quaint little town with a population of 650 just 15 minutes outside Orange. For breakfast, make sure you book ahead at The Old Mill Cafe, a beautiful old-fashioned tearoom whose lemon meringue pies need to be seen to be believed (and Instagrammed). But you absolutely cannot leave without visiting Tonic. Established in 2003 by owners Tony and Nicole Worland, one-hatted wonder Tonic brings both locals and foodie pilgrims alike. Tony boasts quite the resume, having worked beside the likes of Matt Moran, Michael Manners and Gordon Ramsay, so expect ambitious food that showcases local producers. If you're looking for a hit of caffeine between tastings, Orange isn't just letting the coffee scene go unperfected. Head to Bills Beans in east Orange, a former butcher's shop converted into a buzzing cafe owned by young guns Ricky Carver and Carlie Beer. Their lively barista Eric knows everyone's name and sings along to Toploader's 'Dancin' in the Moonlight' while making one of the best coffees you'll have in an age. Feast on freshly-made nosh like juicy, cheesy mushroom toasties, melt-in-your-mouth homemade pumpkin quiches and perfect, perfect scrolls. Also recommended, Good Eddy. For all your take-home local goodies, The Agrestic Grocer in town. EXPLORE: LOLLY SHOPS TO ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM It's worth inhaling more than edible and drinkable goods on your trip to Orange, especially if you're a history buff, art fan or general lover of all things vintage. Orange has a few great local galleries, including The Corner Store Gallery in east Orange. Exhibitions change every three weeks and range from James Kearns' abstract expressionist landscapes to Isobella Grist's smart collages. If you're a bit of a history nut, let's start with the fact that you're struttin' around in Banjo Patterson's birthplace (yes, there's a poetry festival, if you're wondering). After you've wandered through Orange's city centre, with many beautiful old buildings (one particularly good example in the middle of Kinross Wolaroi School), head straight for Orange's teeny neighbour, Milthorpe. We're talking antique shops, adorable design store Tomolly, a bowling club and cellar doors aplenty, like Orange heavyweights Angullong or Slow Wine Co. STAY: SHEEP SHEDS TO COUNTRY LOFTS As far as snuggly country accomodation goes, Orange has some pretty beautiful spots to kip. If you're up for a true country stay with every last modern convenience, head for the award-winning Black Sheep Inn just 9km west of Orange on Heifer Station Lane, owned by the lovely Helen and Andrew Napier. Originally a 1900s sheep shearing shed, most of the original features have been preserved — along with a wrought iron fireplace. The Inn has five snug suites, each boasting original rolling shed doors instead of blinds (a very sweet feature). Corrugated iron runs the interior design, offset with modern steel trimmings and crisp white sheets. Helen served us brekkie in the morning, a three-course feast from poached pears with straight-up insane homemade lemon curd, to freshly-toasted sourdough with unbelievably delicious homemade apricot jam. If you're headed for the quaint country streets of Milthorpe, there's plenty of boutique accomodation to snuggle into and forget you ever had some kind of job to return to. While you can take over an entire old chemist at Hockey's Accommodation, we made a temporary home of the Millthorpe Motel, a collection of 20 modern, homey rooms, from basic studio rooms to loft apartments that feel like your very own little ski lodge. Think comfy armchairs, luxe white bedding, and an easy stroll to Tonic, to repeat yesterday's belt-busting feast. Images: Andy Fraser. CP stayed, ate and wined as a guest of Orange360. For more information about Orange, head over here.
UPDATE, September 4, 2020: Paddington 2 is available to stream via Netflix, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Break out the marmalade, slather it on a sandwich and stash it under your hat in celebration, because Paddington is back. In 2014, the Peruvian mammal journeyed from author Michael Bond's pages to his first movie adventure, and the resulting blend of heartwarming sweetness and madcap goofiness proved an utter delight. Three years later and we're pleased to report that the follow-up is every bit as much of a joy. As with its predecessor, this sequel adores its furry protagonist every bit as much as generations of readers have, and is determined to bring that love to his latest big-screen excursion. But it's also committed to being entertaining; to jovial jokes, smart sight gags and well-meaning silliness. In short, it'll leave you sporting the biggest, sincerest of smiles. Picking up where part one left off, Paddington 2 sees the eponymous bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw) still happy with the Brown family, both in their hearts and in their home. Risk analyst Henry (Hugh Bonneville) is annoyed about losing out on a promotion, his wife Mary (Sally Hawkins) is preparing to swim the English channel, teenage daughter Judy (Madeleine Harris) has started her own neighbourhood newspaper and son Jonathan (Samuel Joslin) is reinventing himself at school. As for Paddington, he's trying to purchase an antique pop-up book for his beloved Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton) back in the jungle. Working odd jobs helps raise the cash he needs, but soon two problems present themselves. The first comes in the form of famed theatre actor Phoenix Buchanan (Hugh Grant), who is after the text as well. The second arises when the prized tome is suddenly stolen. Quicker than our hero can stuff a toothbrush or two into his ears, Paddington 2 jumps from a carnival to prison to touring London's famous landmarks. With a jailbreak, some amateur sleuthing and a train-top chase included, it's a busy 103 minutes as the talking bear falls victim to prejudice, befriends a burly jail cook (Brendan Gleeson) and tries to restore order. Despite this, however, the movie never feels over-stuffed. Nor is it lacking in visual treats, be it the exceptional CGI work used to bring Paddington to life, or the gorgeous animation that takes viewers through a pop-up world. The film offers up such a feast of precise, playful and picturesque imagery that it's easy to imagine Wes Anderson sitting at the helm. Indeed, if the man behind Moonrise Kingdom and The Grand Budapest Hotel had a British counterpart, it'd be Paddington director Paul King. Before he steered the series' maiden movie outing, the filmmaker directed all 20 episodes of The Mighty Boosh as well as the similarly surreal comedy Bunny and the Bull, and the offbeat sensibilities of both shine through here. Witty, whimsical and filled with wonder, in King's hands the film is a comic caper that offers a warm hug and a fierce rib-tickling at the same time. It also finds room to make a gentle statement about the merits of inclusiveness — a message that feels extra important given the current climate in Paddington's adopted England, as well as the world at large. All that's left is for the cast to ace their roles, which is exactly what they do. The returnees remain in fine form, with Whishaw's vocal work proving a particularly perfect match for Paddington's famed kindness and politeness. Grant, meanwhile, hams things up spectacularly, turning in his best and most enjoyable performance in years. Moreover, there's an expressiveness and physicality to his efforts that could've worked just as well in a silent movie — as could've much of the immensely bearable fun throughout the film. Everyone talks, of course, but Paddington 2 serves up an array of well-executed nods to cinema history, along with the feeling that it'll be joining all of those classics soon enough. It's not only the best family-friendly flick of 2017, but one of the best of the year in any genre. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aQR1oc3E40
With Premier Daniel Andrews' announcement that restaurants, cafes and pubs will be able to reopen to dine-in customers from June 1, CBD taqueria Bodega Underground has decided to bring back its Mexican bottomless brunch. From Friday, June 5 to Sunday, June 7 (and every Friday, Saturday and Sunday thereafter), you'll be able to dig into its five-course spread of tacos, chilaquiles and ceviche once again. If you're GF or vegan, the team can accommodate — as usual. It's all going down at its cosy Little Bourke Street den, where you can pretend you're day-drinking somewhere between Cabo and Cancun. Alongside the feast, you'll score 90 minutes of unlimited beer, wine and cocktails, with each of the drinks on offer rocking their own Mexican twist. We're talking spicy, beer-infused micheladas, tequila-based palomas and even something called a Mexi-Mimosa. All of this — the food and booze — will set you back just $65. Bookings are available at 12pm, 1.45pm and 3.30pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. If you want to reserve you're spot, you'll need to get in quick — with only 20 people allowed inside the restaurant at a time we're sure spaces are going to fill up fast. Images: Jean-Louis Carvalho
Are you ready to get out and about and make the most of everything summer has to offer? Us, too. For some, that may mean reading by the pool and for others, it's going on week-long hikes in the wilderness. Whatever your cup of tea (or cocktail), there's plenty to do this steamy season. Naturally, when you're enjoying the season with outdoor activities and spontaneous adventures, it's good to have a top-notch drink in hand. So, we've teamed up with Whitley Neill Gin to bring you seven Aussie summer scenarios with the perfect drink to match. CAMPING TRIP Hit the highway with the windows down as you head off for a weekend camping adventure to one of Australia's many diverse and beautiful nature spots. Come summertime, there are plenty of beaches, headlands, national parks and spots in the wilderness that are calling your name. But before you jump in the car, whip up a batch of Fizzy Berry Lemonade, made with Whitley Neill Raspberry Gin and lemonade (plus a few other cheeky ingredients) to enjoy when you arrive. It's a no-fuss cocktail that's sweet, refreshing and perfect for sipping while soaking in the sun around a campsite. BEACH CRICKET Is it really summer in Australia without a hit of beach cricket? Head down to your local salty spot with the bat and ball in tow. Pairing perfectly with this game is the Royalty Gin Spritz, which you'll only need four ingredients to stir up: Whitley Neill Rhubarb & Ginger Gin, soda water, lime wheels and sprigs of mint. It's a faultless, sessionable drink that's simple, sweet and a little bit spicy. You may even try to get bowled out just so you can have a drinks break. BACKYARD BARBECUE Fire up the grill, marinate the chicken (or tofu) and get the corn prepped and ready because barbecue season is back. This year, turn it up a notch and impress your friends by pairing the feast with a Queen's High Tea. Instead of getting yet another slab, this number will bring elegant vibes. As it's made in a jug, it's perfect for sharing. It's packed with fruitiness — fresh apple, rhubarb and sprigs of mint — and has notes of peppery and sweet gingery spice thanks to Whitley Neill Rhubarb and Ginger Gin. Plus, it's topped up with prosecco and we've never known a bubbly drink that hasn't been a hit around the barbecue. [caption id="attachment_796998" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Angelo Pantazis; Unsplash[/caption] BOAT PARTY Did someone say boat party? Slap on the sunscreen, fish out your best swimsuit from the back of the wardrobe and get out on the water to enjoy the breezy air with a drink in hand. To help you refresh from the inside out is the Spring Break Gin Spritz. It's just the drink to be sipping in the sun with mates after a swim. It's light and boasts fun notes of orange, rosemary and lime that complement the Whitley Neill London Dry Gin. It's incredibly simple to make, so the real challenge with this one will be sipping it slowly. CHASING WATERFALLS Despite what TLC says, chasing waterfalls can be a great summer pastime. There's nothing like getting out of the city for a weekend to escape the hustle and bustle for an adventure in nature. There are plenty of waterfalls, both to look at and to swim under, all around Australia. Once you've found the spot, and maybe taken a dip, enjoy a Raspberry Rose Gin Spritz. There's just one thing to say: it's refreshing AF. Made with Whitley Neill Raspberry Gin, the sweet, summery cocktail is topped with raspberry and rose soda, strawberries and basil. COASTAL SWIMS Bring some romance to a summer outing by heading to the seaside for a coastal swim, then sipping a Honeymoon in Sicily. Grab a SO or mate and take to the salty water for a refreshing dip before enjoying this Aperol spritz cocktail. The drink will do the heavy lifting by transporting you to Mediterranean sweet orange orchards with the inclusion of Whitley Neill Blood Orange Gin. Plus, the grapefruit and basil will make you feel like you're on the Italian coast. DAY HIKE A day hike always goes down well in summer. No matter where you are in Australia, there are plenty of places to get out in the wilderness, clear your head, reconnect with nature and get the blood flowing with a long explorative walk. Then, after you've enjoyed the great outdoors and earned some rest, kick back with a glass of Aperitivo Sunsets. This afternoon cocktail is the refreshing hit you'll be after. It's a fruity combination, made with dry gin, orange, grapefruit and cranberry juice and slices of fruit and mint, that tastes and looks like a sunset itself. For more information on Whitley Neill's innovative gin range, head to the website.
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. THE INNOCENTS Thanks to his Oscar-nominated work co-penning The Worst Person in the World's screenplay, Eskil Vogt has already helped give the world one devastatingly accurate slice-of-life portrait in the past year. That applauded film is so insightful and relatable about being in your twenties, and also about weathering quarter-life malaise, uncertainty and crisis, that it feels inescapably lifted from reality — and it's sublime. The Innocents, the Norwegian filmmaker's latest movie, couldn't be more different in tone and narrative; however, it too bears the fingerprints of achingly perceptive and deep-seated truth. Perhaps that should be mindprints, though. Making his second feature as a director after 2014's exceptional Blind, Vogt hones in on childhood, and on the way that kids behave with each other when adults are absent or oblivious — and on tykes and preteens who can wreak havoc solely using their mental faculties. Another riff on Firestarter, this thankfully isn't. The Innocents hasn't simply jumped on the Stranger Things bandwagon, either. Thanks to the latter, on-screen tales about young 'uns battling with the supernatural are one of Hollywood's current favourite trends — see also: the awful Ghostbusters: Afterlife — but all that this Nordic horror movie's group of kids are tussling with is themselves. Their fight starts when nine-year-old Ida (debutant Rakel Lenora Fløttum) and her 11-year-old sister Anna (fellow first-timer Alva Brynsmo Ramstad), who is on the autism spectrum, move to an apartment block in Romsås, Oslo with their mother (Blind's Ellen Dorrit Petersen) and father (Morten Svartveit, Ninjababy). It's summer, the days are long, and the two girls are largely left to their own devices outside in the complex's communal spaces. That's where Ida befriends Aisha (Mina Yasmin Bremseth Asheim) and Ben (Sam Ashraf), albeit not together, and starts to learn about their abilities. One of The Innocents' most astonishing scenes — in a film with many — springs from Ida discovering what the sullen, bullied Ben can do solely with his brain. Indeed, one of Vogt's masterstrokes is focusing on how she reacts to the boy's telekinesis, as demonstrated by flinging around a bottle cap. Ida is almost preternaturally excited, and she's lured in by the thrall of what Ben might be able to do next, even though she can visibly sense that something isn't quite right. Another series of unforgettable moments arises shortly afterward when her new pal, lapping up the attention from his only friend, cruelly and sickeningly shows off without even deploying his superpowers. It's a deeply disturbing turn in a movie that repeatedly isn't afraid to find evident terrors in ordinary, everyday, banal surroundings, and Ida's response — horrified, alarmed, yet unwilling to completely cut ties — again says everything. Vogt doesn't shy away from intimating something that society often doesn't, won't or both: that childhood and innocence don't always go hand in hand. En route to their new home in the film's opening sequence, Ida is already spied pinching the non-verbal Anna just to glean what she'll do. Later, as conveyed in economical imagery lensed by stellar cinematographer Sturla Brandth Grøvlen — who already has Another Round, Last and First Men, Shirley, Rams and Victoria to his name, and uses blood here with haunting precision — she's seen escalating that pain-fulled experimentation in a gutwrenching fashion. This side to the girl's personality isn't played as a twist or shock, and neither are Ben's skills and proclivities, or the friendly Aisha's telepathic powers (including the ability to communicate with Anna). Instead, The Innocents is positively matter of fact about what its pint-sized characters are capable of, and also steadfastly avoids trading in simplistic ideas of good and evil, or offering up neat rationales. Read our full review. HOW TO PLEASE A WOMAN When Magic Mike stripped its way into cinemas a decade ago, it didn't just turn Channing Tatum's IRL background into a movie and give his chiselled torso oh-so-much attention; it understood that women like sex, boast libidos and have desires, too. Its sequel, Magic Mike XXL, doubled down on that idea, and winningly so — even if the saga dances with a notion so blatant that it definitely shouldn't feel revelatory to see it thrust front and centre in a big-budget Hollywood film. There's no trace of Tatum in How to Please a Woman, and it has nothing to do with the saucy franchise that has a third flick on the way, but this Aussie comedy nonetheless follows in Magic Mike's footsteps. Here, women also like sex, boast libidos and have desires, and that's something that the stuck-in-a-rut Gina (Sally Phillips, Off the Rails) turns into a lucrative business. When first-time feature writer/director Renée Webster begins her sunnily shot, eagerly crowd-pleasing leap to the big screen — following helming gigs on TV's The Heights and Aftertaste — Gina's relationship with sex is non-existent. She has long been wed to lawyer Adrian (Cameron Daddo, Home and Away), but he still thinks that having a tumble on their last holiday years ago is enough bedroom action to keep their marriage going. Gina's resigned to that fact, too, until her ocean swimming club pals book her a stripping surprise for her birthday. Tom (Alexander England, Little Monsters) shows up at her door, starts gyrating and undressing, and says he'll do whatever she wants. Although her friends are later horrified — and its their eagerness to truly take Tom up on his offer that inspires a brainwave — Gina asks him to clean her house instead. Men doing housework shouldn't be revolutionary or subversive either, but How to Please a Woman still uses it as a doorway to exploring other female yearnings that are often left unsatisfied. It's as cliched a move as Webster makes — and her movie makes plenty — but it's also part of the film's devotion to celebrating what women genuinely want. Here, a comedy can be overt, easy and obvious (all things that Gina's sex life isn't), and also delightfully well-intentioned in embracing a fact of life that's rarely given much attention, especially if women past their 30s are involved. Indeed, when a suddenly unemployed Gina, devastated by being the only one downsized out of the insolvency firm she dutifully works for, spots a removalist company she thinks she can save — by turning it into a male escort service, covering scrubbing and shagging alike, and both if customers would like — How to Please a Woman is both broad and joyous. There's a caper attitude to Gina's operations from there, after convincing Tom's removals colleagues Anthony (Ryan Johnson, Doctor Doctor), Ben (Josh Thomson, Young Rock) and Steve (Erik Thomson, Coming Home in the Dark) to widen their professional repertoire. She's skirting the law, Adrian's none the wiser, and the customers (including characters played by Blacklight's Caroline Brazier, Mystery Road's Tasma Walton, Rams' Hayley McElhinney and The Heights' Asher Yasbincek) keep coming. Sometimes, those between-the-sheets antics are clumsy, and Gina's new stable of prostitutes need a few pointers. That applies to getting their paying clients' homes spick and span, too. And, it also covers How to Please a Woman overall, which is always cosier and less risqué than its sex-positive, age-positive and female-focused premise implies. It also leans on the expected rather than takes risks, but remains wonderfully cast — especially Phillips — and gleefully wears its message about finding happiness by knowing what you need and going for it. LAST SEEN ALIVE Perhaps the most positive thing that can be said about Last Seen Alive is this: it's definitely a Gerard Butler-starring kidnapping thriller. That isn't meant as praise, though; rather, the film simply manages to be exactly what viewers would expect given its star and premise. There's clearly far less cash behind it than the also-terrible trio of Olympus Has Fallen, London Has Fallen and Angel Has Fallen — or Geostorm, Den of Thieves, Hunter Killer and Greenland among the Scottish actor's career lowlights over the past decade, either. There's visibly less effort, too, and more of a phoning-it-in vibe. The second collaboration between actor-turned-filmmaker Brian Goodman (What Doesn't Kill You) and producer/writer Marc Frydman after 2017's Black Butterfly, it plays like something that a streaming platform's algorithm might spit out in an AI-driven future where new movies are swiftly spliced together from pieces of past flicks. Yes, among Butler's output and with its abduction storyline, it's that derivative. Butler plays Will Spann, a real estate developer who already isn't having a great day when the film begins — but it's about to get worse. He's driving his unhappy wife Lisa (Jaimie Alexander, Loki) to her parents' home, where she's keen to decamp to find herself and take a break from their marriage, and Will is desperate to convince her to change her plans en route. His charm offensive isn't working when they stop at a petrol station mere minutes away from their destination, and he has zero charisma for anyone when Lisa unexpectedly disappears while he's filling the tank. Fuming that local police detective Paterson (Russell Hornsby, Lost in Space) hasn't just dropped everything immediately, and that he also has questions about their relationship, Will decides to chase down any lead he can himself. Meanwhile, Lisa's unsurprisingly wary parents (Queen Bees' Cindy Hogan and Master's Bruce Altman) direct their suspicions his way. Perhaps the most backhanded compliment that can be given to Last Seen Alive is this: it'd make a better Liam Neeson movie. Both Frydman's script and Goodman's execution feel like they're aiming for Taken; instead, even this year's dismal Blacklight looks better. With Butler in the lead, Will comes across as overbearing and insufferable rather than concerned and committed to doing whatever it takes — and nothing that the character does makes much sense as a result. He refuses to let the cops investigate because, basically, he's played by an angry Butler. He can't even wait at the petrol station that Lisa disappears from for seemingly the same reason. When he gets a tip about a suspect, he takes matters into his own hands rather than tells Paterson because, you guessed it, he's played by an angry Butler. Accordingly, the entire movie is little more than an exercise in answering the same question over and over again: what would a jerk of a character played by an angry Butler do in any given situation? It doesn't help that Last Seen Alive is shot as if the bane of every recently made television's existence, motion-smoothing settings, were already set in-camera. There's low-budget naturalism and then there's the flat, dull, soap opera-style look that this film sports. And, the special effects used for explosions simply demonstrate how vast the gap between unconvincing CGI and the real thing can be. Similarly doing the film no favours: the complete and utter absence of tension that stems from its central casting, and also its eagerness to prove as generic as possible. Little that Spann does is logical, but it's also ridiculously predictable because it's exactly what has to happen with Butler in the part. That he's easily and quickly overshadowed by Ethan Embry (First Man) in a thankless supporting role says everything it needs to. 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 February 3, February 10, February 17 and February 24; and March 3, March 10, March 17, March 24 and March 31; April 7, April 14, April 21 and April 28; and May 5 and May 12. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Belfast, Here Out West, Jackass Forever, Benedetta, Drive My Car, Death on the Nile, C'mon C'mon, Flee, Uncharted, Quo Vadis, Aida?, Cyrano, Hive, Studio 666, The Batman, Blind Ambition, Bergman Island, Wash My Soul in the River's Flow, The Souvenir: Part II, Dog, Anonymous Club, X, River, Nowhere Special, RRR, Morbius, The Duke, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Fantastic Beasts and the Secrets of Dumbledore, Ambulance, Memoria, The Lost City, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Happening, The Good Boss, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, The Northman, Ithaka, After Yang, Downton Abbey: A New Era, Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, Petite Maman, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Firestarter, Operation Mincemeat, To Chiara and This Much I Know to Be True.
Australia's east coast is cooling down. Winter has arrived. But Western Australia is just sitting over there, still bathed in sunlight (especially the north). Its coastal waters remain warm, the rolling vineyards are pumping out great vinos and the vast national parks and deserts are ripe for exploring. Now is the time to travel to WA. And we have joined forces with an assortment of local tour operators in Broome, Perth, Ningaloo Reef, the Kimberley and Rottnest Island to help you get the most out of your trip out west. Check out these ten exclusive deals that can only be booked through Concrete Playground Trips. MARGARET RIVER GLAMPING ESCAPE This four-day wellness escape kicks off in Perth, where you get picked up by your guide and driven up to the Margaret River glamping site, stopping off for a swim, morning tea, beachside picnic and chocolate tasting along the way. The rest of your holiday consists of hikes led by holistic healers, meditation workshops, yoga classes and a cheeky wine tour. All your meals are also included. Throughout all of this, you'll stay in Fair Harvest Permaculture Farm's comfy glamping tents and mingle with fellow wellness enthusiasts. If you are in great need of a total mind and body refresh, seriously consider this unique Western Australian glamping holiday deal. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_893739" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Western Australia[/caption] THE ULTIMATE PERTH AND ROTTNEST ISLAND GETAWAY To get the most out of a trip to the southern end of Western Australia, we curated this special getaway with the region's top tour operators. First off, we'll put you up in the Duxton Hotel Perth for three nights (where you'll find a complimentary bottle of vino on arrival), located right in the centre of the city. We've then organised a full day of adventuring around Rottnest Island and Perth. You'll go on a Swan River cruise, get return ferry ride tickets to the island and have the option to hire a bike to explore the area at your own pace. We've even added a HALO Rooftop Climbing Tour and zipline experience across Swan River for a little adrenaline rush. BOOK IT NOW. A KICK-ASS KIMBERLEY ADVENTURE This ten-day tour takes you through Australia's Top End. You'll cover a vast distance, travelling from Darwin to Broome, without simply living in a car. So much time is dedicated to swimming within clifftop watering holes, hiking around scenic trails and relaxing at glam accommodation — all the while learning about the millennia-strong First Nations culture that guides any tour through the region. If you've ever wanted to visit this part of Western Australia and the Northern Territory, then check out the full itinerary and nab your spot via the link below. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_887073" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ben Careless (Unsplash)[/caption] WEST COAST AND NINGALOO REEF TOUR Road-tripping along Western Australia's long coastline is a bucket list travel experience for so many people. We all want to visit the Pink Lake, snorkel around wild turtles and colourful coral in Ningaloo Reef and feed dolphins in Monkey Mia. Some of Australia's best bits are on show up here. And this six-day tour takes you to a bunch of them. Stay in motels, resorts, cabins and lodges to experience some proper rural Australian culture and be taken to all the above Western Australia travel destinations as well as The Pinnacles and Kalbarri National Park. It's the ultimate coral coaster. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_895290" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Western Australia[/caption] EXPERIENCE THE BEST OF BROOME This trip around Broome will have you staying at the four-star resort Seashells in a one-bedroom apartment for three nights. You can easily spend an entire day dipping in and out of the luxe pool, but you really should check out the local sites in your own time. Moreover, for one of your days in Broome, you'll join a Horizontal Falls adventure, which includes a return seaplane flight, a fast boat ride through the falls, a swim and snorkel afternoon and a scenic cruise around the area. We've sorted it all for you — even the return transfers from the airport — making your Broome holiday totally stress-free. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_890742" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cape Mentelle Winery by Russell Ord[/caption] MARGARET RIVER BEACHSIDE ESCAPE This is a four-day food- and wine-filled holiday in the lush Margaret River region. Spend your mornings and evenings at Margarets Beach Resort in a studio apartment overlooking the crashing waves of Gas Bay. Then go exploring the region at your own pace. To make that easier, we've also thrown in a five-day car hire. You'll get a suggested itinerary as well as a special one-hour Passel Estate Experience. This includes a special wine tasting that's paired with a series of locally produced craft foods — think chocolates and cheeses. This is great for those who want some things organised ahead of time, but still like the freedom to do their own thing when holidaying. BOOK IT NOW. ESPERANCE WELLNESS AND YOGA RETREAT It's hitting that time of the year when many of us start feeling burnout creeping up. That's when we really need to go on a three-night wellness retreat. For this one, you'll spend a few days at Esperance Island View Apartments enjoying small-group yoga sessions and wellness experiences with sea views. The rest of your time will be spent leisurely exploring this gorgeous part of WA — or simply reading a book on a nearby beach. Throughout this Esperance holiday, all your meals will be included as well as transfers from Perth and extra activities. We've curated this trip so you can just fly in and immediately relax. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_891479" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tobias Keller (Unsplash)[/caption] THE PERTH TO MONKEY MIA EXPLORER This Western Australia tour between Perth and Monkey Mia may be short (in distance), but it's big on natural attractions — the kind you expect to see on postcards (or all over Insta). See the limestone pillars of The Pinnacles, the oh-so-blue waters of UNESCO World Heritage-listed Shark Bay, the wild dolphins of Monkey Mia and the ancient gorges of Kalbarri National Park all within five days. That gives you plenty of time to also relax at your premium accommodation, spend days swimming at pristine beaches and discover small rural towns full of charm. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_895302" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Western Australia[/caption] SWIM WITH WHALE SHARKS ON THIS NINGALOO REEF ADVENTURE Swimming with whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef should be at the top of every bucket list when visiting Western Australia's Coral Coast. Exmouth is the gateway to the world's largest fringing reef — the Ningaloo — and that's exactly where you're headed on this exclusive three-day adventure. You'll enjoy a full day diving head-first into this pristine aquatic wonderland, which is home to dolphins, manta rays, turtles, Humpback whales and, of course, the much-loved whale sharks. Spend the rest of your days at your own leisure, but we highly recommend hitting up the iconic Cape Range National Park, home to native wildlife and epic walking trails. BOOK IT NOW. 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. Top image: Scenic Eclipse II
It isn't often that a fast-food chain wins the hearts of industrial food system activists. And yet, with its anti-establishment message and over 3 million hits already recorded, Chipotle's touching new infomercial has recently cemented a subtle but powerful message to otherwise apathetic customers. Produced by Oscar winners Moonbot Studios, the animation is being used by American fast food chain Chipotle Mexican Grill to promote their mobile app game, which warns against the horrors of industrialised factory food production. Accompanied by a haunting rendition of the uber-familiar 'Pure Imagination' from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, sung by musician and animal rights activist Fiona Apple, the video succeeds as an indirect marketing hook, encouraging a more sustainable model for food cultivation. Also impressive is the fact that the video achieves this with almost non-existent branding, the Chipotle pitch not appearing until the final seconds of the video. https://youtube.com/watch?v=lUtnas5ScSE The brand — which took a hit earlier in the year after a fake Twitter hack and criticism over changing standards of beef — is once again proving its worth, the Scarecrow video showing an impressive commitment by the Mexican food chain to serve responsibly raised food. The app is already one of the top ten most played free games on the iOS charts. It sees players act as the Scarecrow, the empathetic protagonist of the short film, with users then rewarded with free burritos. Via Gawker.
With the temperature and acidity of the oceans gradually rising comes the possibility of the extinction of the colourful, gorgeous coral reefs that are home to thousands of sea creatures. So, MUSA (Museum Subacuático de Arte) was created in 2009 in an attempt to preserve the precious coral reefs, using the ocean floor near Cancun, Isla Mujeres and Punta Nizuc, Mexico as a museum for sculptures that would also help sustain life beneath the surface. Senior TED Fellow and artist Colleen Flanigan's innovative Biorock sculptures have been chosen to become part of the project. Flanigan's metal sculptures are designed to counter the damage already done by global warming and pollution and regenerate the coral by raising the pH level of the surrounding water and help them acquire sufficient calcium carbonate for the coral's exoskeleton. The Biorock structures will also provide the living reefs with an alkaline environment that will increase resistance to environmental stressors. $15,000 is needed to fund Flanigan's underwater installations in MUSA, so she's kickstarted a Kickstarter account. $12,542 has been donated to date, but there is still a ways to go before the April 12th deadline. If you donate just a dollar, Flanigan will even say your name as she plants a polyp — every little bit helps.
In a city like Melbourne, no number of food precincts and dining hubs seems to be too many. Which is a good thing, seeing as we're about to score another. And this one, located in the city's west, is set to be an absolute monster. Taking over a hefty 10,000-square-metre site beside Scienceworks in Spotswood, the well-named Grazeland is on track to open early next year. It'll be home to over 50 sweet and savoury food vendors — along with market stalls slinging locally made wares, three licensed bars and an ongoing entertainment program — and operate as a sort of permanent, returning food festival that's open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the year. We're imagining something in the same vein as popular interstate food offerings like Brisbane's Eat Street, and on a smaller scale, Steam Mill Lane in Sydney's CBD. [caption id="attachment_750746" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Grazeland site.[/caption] Designed by Push Projects along with Phil Bucknell of Milieu Projects, the precinct's set to feature a playful fitout across a series of themed spaces. You'll be able to graze your way through a diverse lineup of food stalls, settle in to enjoy some live tunes, or kick back with a beer in one of the many sunny outdoor spots. A huge shipping container will boast primo views of both the West Gate Bridge and the Melbourne city skyline, and there will be plenty of cover for rainy days. The full lineup of food vendors that'll be calling Grazeland home hasn't been announced yet, though we do know that 48h Pizza & Gnocchi Bar, Cripps Family Fish Farm and Cannoleria by That's Amore Cheese have all been locked in. Grazeland will be family friendly and open from 5–10pm on Fridays, and 12–10pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Grazeland is set to open at 20 Booker Street, Spotswood from early 2020. We'll keep you posted as more details drop.
In gleaming news for streaming viewers, Mick Herron's Slough House novel series boasts 12 entries so far. In another ace development, several more of the British author's books have links to the world of veteran espionage agent Jackson Lamb. If you're already a fan of Slow Horses, you'll be thrilled. For newcomers, you'll feel the same after diving into this small-screen spy delight and binging your way through it as quickly as possible. Thankfully, all those tales on the page mean that the episodic thriller based on Herron's work has plenty more stories to draw upon in its future. Now up to its third brilliant season as a television series, long may its forward path continue. Apple TV+ has clearly felt the same way since the program debuted in April 2022. In June the same year, the platform renewed Slow Horses for a third and fourth run before its second had even aired. That next chapter arrived that December and didn't disappoint. Neither does the latest and 2023's only batch of six episodes, this time taking its cues from Herron's Real Tigers — after season one used the novel Slow Horses as its basis, and season two did the same with Dead Lions — in charting the ins and outs of MI5's least-favourite department. Slough House is where the service rejects who can't be fired but aren't trusted to be proper operatives are sent to dwell in record-keeping drudgery, with Lamb (Gary Oldman, Oppenheimer) its happily cantankerous, seedy and shambolic head honcho. Each season, Lamb and his team of losers, misfits and boozers — Mick Jagger's slinky earworm of a theme tune's words — find themselves immersed in another chaotic case that everyone above them wishes that they weren't. That said, Slow Horses isn't a formulaic procedural. Sharply written, directed and acted, and also immensely wryly funny, it's instead one of the best spy series to grace television. Each repeat go-around might feature Lamb's band of disgraced agents demonstrating that they're not the write-offs that the rest of the espionage field thinks — and often wants — them to be, but every season-long predicament is meticulously detailed, as are the series' characters. It's easy to see why all things Slough House have gone the television route, rather than following Bond, Bourne and Mission: Impossible into cinema: these are people and scenarios that benefit from spending as much time with as possible. Slow Horses' astuteness, excellent cast and knack for comedy are all present in season three, which starts with two British intelligence officers in Istanbul. Sean Donovan (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Gangs of London) and Alison Dunn (Katherine Waterston, Babylon) share a bed as well as the same outpost, but there's a shadow over their bliss: he's been tasked with investigating whether she's leaking classified information. The Bourne movies come to mind in early chases, but Lamb and his spooks are still the show's focus. Accordingly, when the fallout from the opening events touches Slough House, River Cartwright (Jack Lowden, The Gold), Catherine Standish (Saskia Reeves, Creation Stories), Louisa Guy (Rosalind Eleazar, Class of '09), Marcus Longridge (Kadiff Kirwan, This Way Up), Shirley Dander (Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Dreamland), Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung, Gods of Their Own Religion) and their boss — plus his boss Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas, Rebecca) — are thrust into a game of cat-and-mouse that revolves around secret documents. In London, the situation hits home when one of the Slow Horses' own, the forever-loyal Standish, is abducted. The talented Cartwright again endeavours to illustrate why being banished to Slough House for a training mistake was MI5's error — and why caring about his team has always been one of his finest and most-reliable traits. This'd be a lesser show if Cartwright was simply a gleaming hero forced down the ladder for one false move and always excelling, however, and if Lamb's relentless cynicism about his team's highest flyer was just the bitterness of an old hand about an up-and-comer. Slow Horses doesn't ever throw around the terms in its opening song 'Strange Game' as insults, instead understanding that none of the agents on a slippery slope are perfect because no one is. Indeed, Cartwright and company don't keep chasing a ghost of a chance to get out of spy purgatory solely out of pride, but also due to skill, tenacity and resilience. Lamb's team isn't kept in their place merely because of vendettas or politics — although both factor into the ongoing storyline — but also via struggles, troubles and flaws that are hardly uncommon. All of MI5's inflated egos, uncooperative attitudes, bad tempers, problem gamblers, substance abusers and recovering alcoholics haven't been banished to Slough House, either. While there's a sense of romance to every underdog tale about ragtag outsiders finding somewhere to fit in, Slow Horses is clear-eyed about an unassailable fact: often, all that separates the Lambs and Cartwrights from the Taverners and Spiders (aka The Great's Freddie Fox as James Webb, who has long loved lording his status over his former training rival) is however the cookie happens to crumble. Season three adds extra emphasis to this truth by digging into Taverner's icy turf war with her superior Ingrid Tearney (Sophie Okonedo, The Wheel of Time); the squabbling between MI5's top two women might be more refined than among the Slow Horses, but there's still no one faultless here. As it flits between the service's upper echelons and its lowest ranks, this season also continues to hone its piercing mistrust of everything, especially bureaucratic power. John le Carré (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Night Manager, A Most Wanted Man, Our Kind of Traitor) meets Armando Iannucci (The Thick of It, In the Loop, Veep), then, and it's as glorious as that sounds. Tense, taut, riveting, rollicking, witty: throw in impeccably penned, staged, shot and acted, and that's the Slow Horses package. Giving both Scott Thomas and Okonedo more screen time gifts the series some new standout scenes, too, although there's not a moment wasted or a sequence that proves superfluous in this tight and gripping show. Of course, no one will ever best Oldman for Slow Horses' top performance — his blend of slovenly but savagely smart as Lamb is an art in everything from his can't-give-a-fuck gaze to his slicing line readings. And if Lowden pairs this stint of cloak-and-dagger antics with gadgets and martinis as 007, as keeps being rumoured, it'd be well-deserved based on his layered portrayal as Cartwright. It'd be right on theme as well, just as Oldman's jump from Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy to Slow Horses was; being at the summit or the foot of the spy game, and life, can just be a matter of circumstance. Check out the trailer for Slow Horses season three below: Slow Horses streams via Apple TV+.
Aptly given its title, new Apple TV+ sitcom Loot doesn't look cheap — or sound it. It's partly filmed in one of America's biggest private homes, an enormous mansion with 21 bedrooms, five pools, a bowling alley and a cinema. It's filled with well-known needle drops that come quickly and often, with one episode featuring three Daft Punk tracks alone. It couldn't scream louder or drip harder with excess; the series is about a mega-rich tech whiz's wife who gets $87 billion in their public and messy breakup, after all. And, it is inescapably made by a company that's a big technology behemoth itself, and has been splashing stacks of cash to build its streaming roster (see: The Morning Show, Ted Lasso, Severance, Physical, Prehistoric Planet, Foundation, The Shrink Next Door, Shining Girls, Slow Horses, Lisey's Story and more). Loot is also clearly a satire. Across its ten-episode first season — with the first three episodes dropping on Friday, June 24, and the rest following weekly — it parodies all that wealth, the people who have it and the lives lived in bubbles due to it. It also lampoons the idea that the lavishness that money can and does buy for the one percent can be balanced by giving a fraction of it to worthy causes. Yes, Loot is the latest entry in the eat-the-rich genre, alongside The White Lotus, Succession, Squid Game and Killing It of late. Hailing from creators Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard, both former Parks and Recreation writers, it also spins an immensely entertaining workplace sitcom around its pointed premise. The setup: amid being gifted a mega yacht for her birthday, then jumping to a party in that aforementioned sprawling home, Molly Novak (Maya Rudolph, Big Mouth) discovers that her husband John (Adam Scott, Severance) is cheating on her. Post-divorce, after that huge settlement and a stint of partying around the globe with her assistant Nicholas (Joel Kim Booster, Fire Island), she gets a call from Sofia Salinas (Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Pose), the head of the foundation she's forgotten bears her name (and even exists). With Molly's drunken decadence all over the news, the charity is finding it difficult to do its work. So, the organisation's namesake decides to ditch the revelry — and her married moniker, becoming Molly Wells — and put all that dough to better use. She also commits to playing an active role in how her funds can truly help people. As workplaces in workplace comedies always do — Yang also has The Good Place on his resume, which became a workplace comedy in its own way; Hubbard has written for 30 Rock and Superstore as well — Molly's foundation is staffed by a motley crew. Sofia is tough and wholly dedicated to making people's lives better. Following Molly over to the new gig, Nicholas is cutting in his comments and cut about the change in his lifestyle. Then there's Howard (Ron Funches, AP Bio), the sweet and supportive cousin that Molly barely remembers at first; mild-mannered divorced dad and accountant Arthur (Nat Faxon, Our Flag Means Death), who starts to hope his boss will become something more; and Ainsley (Stephanie Styles, Bombshell) and Rhonda (Meagen Fay, Dopesick), the requisite TV office oddballs. Re-entering the working world after two decades is quite the culture shock for Molly, unsurprisingly, and so is being part of a team again. Loot is always the show it instantly seems it will be: a workplace sitcom with a clear target in its sights, and a comedy with as much warmth as humour. It directs its scathing digs towards moneyed indulgence and ridiculousness — in Molly's life and the attitudes that come with it, there's obviously plenty to poke fun of — and its heart towards her coworkers and their efforts. It tries to swing both ways with Molly herself, pointing out that the life she's become accustomed to is patently absurd, but also endeavouring to demonstrate how she's trying to learn and grow. Here, a running gag has David Chang playing himself as Molly's overworked personal chef, for instance. Also, when Rudolph breaks out her Beyonce impression again, it's when Molly couldn't be in a more inappropriate, tone-deaf and cringe-inducing setting. But Loot's protagonist is also never one-note; that she keeps swinging between cashed-up extravagance and genuinely attempting to do better makes her a far more fleshed-out character. Molly is also a showcase part for the always-wonderful Rudolph, who really should've had a sitcom like this on her resume by now. She's featured in a few in her post-Saturday Night Live career, but in supporting parts, including stealing every scene she's in in both The Good Place and Up All Night. She's also glorious in the exceptional Forever, the 2018 existential comedy that similarly stems from Yang and Hubbard, yet sadly only lasted one season. But while Amy Poehler had Parks and Recreation, and Tina Fey had 30 Rock, this kind of series has eluded Rudolph. TV has been worse for it — and Loot wouldn't have worked for a second without her. It already navigates such a delicate tightrope, satirising the ultra rich while embracing Molly's quest to be more than just an affluent caricature. Indeed, it takes Rudolph's adaptability, her willingness to play the joke and also unpack it, her presence, and her charm to anchor the show's parody and empathy in tandem. If this entertaining must-see returns for a second season, it might be a different program, though. That's also a great thing. Loot's initial batch of episodes is a little like a Rorschach test: some viewers will see what it's trying to savage while still being a warmhearted workplace comedy, others will mostly notice that it doesn't chomp down as hard as Succession and its wealth-eviscerating brethren. The show is happy to sit in the first category for now but, still with its upbeat vibe, it makes bigger moves towards the other camp by the time its debut run wraps up. Seeing how it builds is one of Loot's thrills — alongside the tour de force that is Rudolph, including in Molly's Hot Ones appearance; Booster and Funches repeatedly proving a joy, playing to their strengths separately and together; Scott at his smug best among a well-rounded ensemble; and the series' deeper skewering and throwaway gags alike, of course. Check out the trailer for Loot below: Loot is available to stream via Apple TV+.
More summertime magic is on its way: after first announcing four Australian shows for 2025, Childish Gambino has expanded his upcoming Down Under tour to add two extra gigs. Sydney and Melbourne, the musician that you also know as Donald Glover has expanded his stops in both cities — and, as Olivia Rodrigo also just did, he's popped more concerts on his itinerary before general ticket sales even start. This year started with Glover on-screen in the TV remake of Mr & Mrs Smith. Next year will begin with Childish Gambino returning to Australia on his The New World tour, on what will be his first trip to these shores since 2019. The rapper and hip hop talent won't just play tracks from his latest album Atavista — the finished version of 2020's 3.15.20 — but also from a career behind the microphone that dates back to 2011. Accordingly, expect to hear 'This Is America', 'Redbone', 'Sweatpants' and other songs from his past records Camp, Because the Internet and Awaken, My Love!. [caption id="attachment_955315" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eli Watson via Flickr.[/caption] Across February 2025, the Australian leg of the tour will kick off at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, then hop to Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena, Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena and RAC Arena in Perth. When he last headed this way — complete with a headline spot at Splendour in the Grass — it was after initially announcing a 2018 Australian tour, then cancelling it due to an ongoing injury. Before that, he performed at Falls Festival in 2016. Gambino mightn't have been on Aussie stages for a spell, but Glover had the final two seasons of Atlanta — both in 2022 — reach screens since he was last Down Under. Voice work on Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, producing TV series Swarm, the aforementioned Mr & Mrs Smith: they've all joined his resume as well. He'll also be heard as Simba again in Mufasa: The Lion King, the prequel to 2019's photorealistic version of The Lion King, before 2024 is out. On all Australian shows — and in New Zealand, too, which is also part of this tour — Gambino will be supported by Amaarae. [caption id="attachment_955317" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eli Watson via Flickr.[/caption] Childish Gambino 'The New World' Tour 2025 Australia and New Zealand Dates Tuesday, January 28 — Spark Arena, Auckland Saturday, February 1 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Tuesday, February 4–Wednesday, February 5 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Friday, February 7–Saturday, February 8 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Tuesday, February 11 — RAC Arena, Perth Childish Gambino is touring Australia and New Zealand in January and February 2025 — with ticket presales from Thursday, May 16, 2024 at staggered times, and general sales from Monday, May 20, 2024 (at 11am in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, all local times; and 1pm in Melbourne). Head to the tour website for further details.
The game is ending. That the deadly contest at the heart of Squid Game just keeps going, continuing to pit new batches of 456 players against each other in a battle to the death to win 45.6 billion won, sits at the heart of the award-winning Netflix hit — but the show itself is wrapping up. That the series will say goodbye with its third season was announced in 2024, as was the fact that its final run will arrive in 2025. The streaming platform has now confirmed exactly when: Friday, June 27. Mark your diaries — and get ready to see what happens next in Seong Gi-hun's (Lee Jung-jae, The Acolyte) quest to bring down those responsible for the killer contest. If you've watched season two, which dropped on Boxing Day 2024, then you'll know that Player 456 went back in the game with new fellow competitors for company, and also found himself closer to the person pulling the strings than he knew. Season three will see Gi-hun keep at his pursuit to stop the game. It'll also feature more of his nemesis Front Man's (Lee Byung-hun, The Magnificent Seven) attempts to thwart his plan. However their respective efforts pan out, the show's last run is also set to feature a finale written and directed by series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk. Squid Game is now Netflix's most-popular non-English show of all time; in fact, it holds both the first and second spots on the list, for its first and second seasons respectively. Money Heist season four is third, Lupin season one is fourth, while La Palma, Who Killed Sara? and Berlin are also in the top ten. That Squid Game is a smash isn't new news, of course. It proved such a huge success in its first season that Netflix was quick to confirm that more was on the way — even if season two arrived after a three-year gap. In the show's second season, Gong Yoo (Train to Busan) returned as the man in the suit who got Gi-hun into the game in the first place, as did Wi Ha-joon (Little Women) as detective Hwang Jun-ho, but a series about a deadly contest comes with a hefty bodycount. Accordingly, new faces were always going to be essential — which is where Yim Si-wan (Emergency Declaration), Kang Ha-neul (Insider), Park Sung-hoon (The Glory) and Yang Dong-geun (Yaksha: Ruthless Operations) all came in. If you've somehow missed all things Squid Game until now, even after it became bigger than everything from Stranger Things to Bridgerton, the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning series serves up a puzzle-like storyline and unflinching savagery, which unsurprisingly makes quite the combination. It also steps into societal divides within South Korea, a topic that wasn't invented by Parasite, Bong Joon-ho's excellent Oscar-winning 2019 thriller, but has been given a boost after that stellar flick's success. As a result, it's easy to see thematic and narrative parallels between Parasite and Squid Game, although Netflix's highly addictive series goes with a Battle Royale and Hunger Games-style setup. Netflix turned the show's whole premise into an IRL competition series as well, which debuted in 2023 — without any murders, of course. Squid Game: The Challenge has already been picked up for a second season. There's no dedicated trailer for Squid Game season three yet, but you can watch a teaser Netflix's big returning 2025 shows below — and revisit the trailer from Squid Game season two: Squid Game season three streams via Netflix from Friday, June 27, 2025. Season one and two are available to stream now. Images: Netflix.
When Disney+ made its way into the world back in 2019, it gave viewers — including folks in Australia and New Zealand — access to a huge range of Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and National Geographic movies and shows. What it didn't do is bring Hulu, which the Mouse House owns the majority stake in, to audiences Down Under. And, with Disney+ focused on family-friendly fare, it didn't deliver the kinds of series and films that Hulu screens, either. Hulu still isn't heading our way. But, on Tuesday, February 23, Disney+ expanded to include a new section that's basically an international equivalent of Hulu. It's called Star and, when it was first announced late in 2020, film and TV fans were advised that it'd screen "an additional 1000 unique titles... in the first year". Wondering exactly what that includes? Well, more than 150 TV shows and 450–plus flicks have been added so far, and there are plenty of highlights among the bunch. From the pile of television programs, four fall into the 'Star Originals' category at the moment, meaning that they're brand new to viewers Down Under. Three of the four newbies are Hulu shows, too, so if you've been wanting to watch Love, Victor (the spinoff from 2018 movie Love, Simon), Helstrom (which forms part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe) or Solar Opposites (an animated sitcom co-created by Rick and Morty's Justin Roiland), now you're be able to. Plus, by the end of the year, Disney+ will release at least 30 more TV series that haven't made their way to Aussie or NZ viewers before. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKeugS4qjag Also the television front, you can binge your way through every episode of Alias, 24, Felicity, Futurama and Glee — or opt for New Girl, Prison Break, Scandal and The X-Files instead. You can also check out ten seasons of Bob's Burgers, too. The list goes on and, like the existing Disney+ range, you'll find a hefty focus on older shows over new titles. From Star's big list of classics, plenty of titles stand out. Among the film selection, you'll find the Alien, Planet of the Apes, Die Hard and Omen franchises, plus the Predator and Taken flicks as well. And, you can also pick between older movies like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Fly, Never Been Kissed, Office Space, Pretty Woman, Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!, or more recent fare such as Black Swan, Eddie the Eagle, Logan, The Favourite and Jojo Rabbit. A heap of Wes Anderson films, including Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, are also featured. Star draws upon Disney's studios, such as Disney Television Studios, FX, 20th Century Studios, 20th Television and Touchstone. And it doesn't everything that Hulu does, because plenty of Hulu's series and films pop up elsewhere Down Under — like The Handmaid's Tale, for instance. That said, it's safe to expect that some of the rights deals that deliver Hulu content to other networks and streaming platforms in Australia and might change after Star's hits, moving where you can catch certain flicks and programs in the process. As you might've already guessed, Disney+'s expansion to include Star comes with a price increase. Australian subscriptions have gone up to AU$11.99 per month or AU$119.99 per year, while New Zealand subscriptions are now NZ$12.99 per month and $129.99 per year. If you're already a subscriber, the new price won't kick in for six months, though — so whenever your next renewal hits after August 22. Star joined Disney+ in Australia and New Zealand on Tuesday, February 23, with Disney+ subscriptions costing AU$11.99 and NZ$12.99 per month or AU$119.99 and NZ$129.99 per year from now on.
UPDATE, 2pm, Friday, July 22: Splendour in the Grass has now cancelled its main stage gigs on Friday, July 22 due to "a significant weather system" that "is currently sitting off the east coast and may reach land later today bringing more rainfall". Organisers also advised that the festival looks forward "to Saturday and Sunday programming moving ahead as planned". Yes, you can call it a comeback: after two winters without live tunes at North Byron Parklands, Splendour in the Grass has finally returned. But rather than a bustling weekend filled with huge sets from some of the biggest global and local musos there are — with Gorillaz, The Strokes and Tyler, The Creator on headlining duties — eager festival-goers are arriving to a soggy time. A chaotic time, too, especially if you're planning to camp — and you attempted to arrive on Thursday, July 21 to get settled early. Due to incredibly wet conditions, North Byron Bay Parklands has been experiencing flooding, leading to uninhabitable campsites, a logistical mess and hefty delays for carloads of Splendour attendees trying getting in. Concrete Playground staff writer Ben Hansen joined the queue at 5.50pm on Thursday, and didn't get into the campsite until 4am on Friday. "The communication was that there were cars being bogged and they were understaffed, and that's why they couldn't process anyone," he advised. "In the end, they were just trying to get people into the campsite, and then they gave up and redirected everyone that was in the lines straight into the car park that's usually for day parking. Everyone that was in those lines has just set up camp there. Nobody has talked to us since — we haven't talked to a volunteer, we've just kind of set up a community in the car park, and we're all just living there for the next three days. There's toilets but there's no other amenities." This morning, on Friday, July 22, Splendour organisers advised in a Facebook statement that North Byron Parklands "can no longer accept any campers or vehicles including day parking" at the site. Instead, all incoming camping patrons and day parkers are being directed to Byron Events Farm at 35 Yarun Road, Tyagarah, with free bus shuttles them taking them to the Parklands once they've set up camp. Understandably, the mood on the ground is mixed. "People are excited to be back at the festival, but people are sad," Hansen explained. On Thursday evening, the festival advised on Facebook that "the weather and staff shortages were all worse than expected". Unsurprisingly, the damp conditions around the ground are causing a muddy ol' time — even for a festival that's long been synonymous with mud. "It's as muddy as I've ever seen it. I was here in 2015, when everyone was like 'this is the muddiest year in ages', and I reckon it's muddier this year. Walking into the festival — I'm currently in front of the entrance to the festival, and the mud is up to my calf, nearly up to my knee in points," Hansen noted. "The gumboots are getting a workout... it's Splendour in the pool at this point." TikTok is currently filled with videos showcasing the situation, naturally. More rain is forecast by the Bureau of Meteorology for today, with showers and wind on Saturday, plus possible showers on Sunday. Splendour in the Grass runs from Friday, July 22–Sunday, July 24 at North Byron Parklands. For further information, head to the festival's website and Facebook page. Images: Ben Hansen.
Concrete Playground is taking the edge off the death of daylight saving by giving you the chance to experience Sydney's best cultural events for an entire month. One lucky person will win $1500 worth of fun, including: Dinner for two at Grasshopper to the value of $150 Double passes to two Vivid LIVE 2011 shows at Sydney Opera House Double passes to Baal and Edward Gant's Amazing Feats of Loneliness at Sydney Theatre Company Double movie passes to Incendies and Source Code (plus a pack of 10 Hopscotch DVDs) A double pass to see Guineafowl play live A pass to all events and talks at the Creative Sydney 2011 festival Two cocktail jugs and entry for two to the gig of your choice at Goodgod To enter, just make sure you're subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name to hello@concreteplayground.com.au. Entries close Friday, April 9 2011 at 5pm. https://youtube.com/watch?v=14e1507YOLs
Through their Fresh Ink program, the Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP) has been giving Australia's finest emerging writers space to play on stage, page, film and online. Their latest development under the banner of the Voices Project is worth checking out. It takes two heartbreaking monologues about first love and turns them into different but equally heartbreaking short films, which can be viewed online. Bat Eyes by Jessica Bellamy will give you a whole new appreciation of WH Auden, as it hones in on the fleeting bond shared between a teenage bully and his visually impaired, poetically charged target. The optometrist's office has never before seemed so romantic. Bat Eyes and its counterpart, Boot — about teenage recklessness and tense girl best-friendships — have been beautifully shot by director Damien Power. The great thing about the Voices Project is that it brings together young people from different backgrounds and disciplines, and it makes writers and viewers think about how storytelling changes from medium to medium. As well as the adapted short films, you can watch the original monologues (directed by Laura Scrivano) and see how they've changed while making the jump out of just one person's head. If you're under 26 and have your own thoughts on love to share, you can enter Fresh Ink's current Love Bytes competition, open until Friday, May 4. https://youtube.com/watch?v=qyDEEQoVqjY
February 2018 marks four years since the lockout laws hit Sydney's entertainment precinct. In that time, venues have shut up shop (like Hugos Lounge, which directly attributed the lockout laws to its closure), others have closed and reopened under new ownership (The Flinders and The Lansdowne, among them) and Kings Cross, once the nightlife hub of the city, has turned into a ghost town after midnight. Moreover, tens of thousands of people have rallied in opposition to the laws. Regardless, the NSW Government has given no indication that it will make any huge changes to them. The only consolation has been a half-hour extension of trading hours for businesses hosting live events. Sure, it's better than nothing — but it hasn't been enough to restore Sydney's nightlife to what it once was. That's why entrepreneur Paul G Roberts, founder of Fashion Industry Broadcast and Style Planet TV, decided to make a documentary titled After the Lockouts. When Roberts, who previously ran Melbourne night club Checkpoint Charlie, first moved to Sydney in the late 1990s, the nightlife was, in his words, "amazing". "You were spoilt for choice," he says. "You could go out from sunset to sunrise, seeing bands, going to clubs, going to cool bars...it's really not the same anymore." But, rather than mourn and complain, he wanted to get to do more research on the matter. So, with a camera crew in tow, he spent most of 2017 researching, studying media representations, speaking to venue owners and travelling to cities around the world, to find out how they manage busy nighttime economies without lockouts. "I wanted to cut through the spin and get down to the facts, the evidence," he says. After the Lockouts gains authority with interviews with some of Sydney's leading nightlife figures, including Keep Sydney Open's hardworking Tyson Koh, Mark Gerber (Oxford Art Factory), Maurice Terzini (Icebergs Dining Room), councillor Jess Scully and Dave Evans, former owner of Hugos Lounge, which closed down in mid-2015 due to revenue loss following the lockouts. There's also a tour of Amsterdam with night mayor Mirik Milan, who, since 2014, has overseen the city's nocturnal happenings. The documentary doesn't seem to include any interviews with any NSW Government spokespeople. Through the doco, Roberts also poses alternative solutions to the laws — that is, strategies for reversing the laws and renewing the city's vibrant all-night scene. "I'm very confident that anyone who sits through the whole film will walk out with a new perspective," says Roberts. "There are so many people doing a Herculean job to fight the lockout laws...but there needs to be a united voice. There needs to be an ongoing campaign to put pressure on the government. The film is just the first part of a multi-pointed campaign." After the Lockouts will premiere at a private gala screening tonight, February 1. The plan is to then roll it out across cinemas and the Internet. For more info, visit afterthelockouts.com. Image: After the Lockouts.
If you've been spending the summer getting reacquainted with your couch, we're betting we know exactly what you've been watching. Well, one show at least — because Netflix has revealed that 82 million households around the globe have been feasting their eyes on Bridgerton. Those hefty viewing figures apply to the gossip-fuelled, 19th-century-set series' first four weeks, with Bridgerton launching on the streaming service on Christmas Day. And if 82 million sounds like a huge number, that's because it is. Indeed, Netflix has announced that the figure has catapulted Bridgerton to the top of its most-watched original shows ever. Yep, this episodic adaptation of Julia Quinn's novels has beaten out last year's favourites such as The Queen's Gambit and Tiger King, as well as the debuts of older series like Stranger Things. So, if you keep seeing the show pop up in the top ten list included in Netflix's interface, that's because it has proven that popular — in every country except Japan, in fact. Obviously, when streaming service unveils its lineup of its most-watched programs and movies at the end of 2021, as it did in 2020, Bridgerton is going to feature. That said, whether folks in that many homes worldwide have watched the whole eight-episode first season of the show yet is another matter entirely. Netflix's viewing numbers only capture how many of its subscribers have watched at least two minutes — yes, just two minutes — of the platform's movies and series. So, while a very large amount of people worldwide are aware that the show exists and have had a peek, they might not know the ins and outs of Daphne Bridgerton's (Phoebe Dynevor) quest to find a husband, her dalliances with the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), the scandal in the Featherington household, all the other dramas that come with Regency London's marriage market and just what Lady Whistledown has been writing about. And, they may not have spent any time dreaming about wandering around the program's super-green gardens, either. Nonetheless, all the attention has meant that Netflix is keen to keep the series going, with the company announcing that a second season will start production this year. An airdate yet to be revealed, however. Check out the trailer for the show's first season below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpv7ayf_tyE The first season of Bridgerton is available to stream now via Netflix. The show's second season has been announced, but a release date is yet to be revealed. Top image: Liam Daniel/Netflix.
The in-flight experience will soon exit the amateur days of free peanuts and on-demand movies with the latest luxury seating design by Contour Aerospace and Factorydesign. A futuristic chair paired with the ultimate gaming experience is the newest plan for flying in style. The Not for Wimps (NFW) game simulator is built into passenger seats and includes a full sized monitor suspended at eye-level in front of each seat, surround sound with speakers on each side of the headrest and an abundance of leg room for a stimulating, realistic gaming experience that will have you wishing your flight lasted longer. Each seat is also encased in what can only be described as a noise-cancellation bubble, that prevents other passengers from hearing any sound effects or ambient noises except those from their own games. The NFW is only in the prototype stage and is being proposed at the Aircraft Interiors Expo at the German Messe in Hamburg this week, but gamers everywhere will be chomping at the bit for news of the go-ahead to jump-start this futuristic feature of flying. [via PR Newswire]
If you're lucky enough to count Woolworths' Double Bay store as your local, you might soon be in for speedier shopping trips and a whole lot less time spent battling the self-serve checkouts. As reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, the supermarket chain will launch a trial of 'shop and go' technology in the Sydney eastern suburbs store from today, Thursday, September 6. The first of its kind in Australia, the program allows customers to dodge the checkouts completely, instead scanning and paying for products via their smartphone as they shop. The new technology has already been embraced overseas, with retail giant Amazon famously opening its first checkout-free, fully automated shop-and-go grocery store in Seattle earlier this year, and China's bricks-and-mortar Alibaba stores using a similar technology. The Woolworths trial will see a few thousand members of its loyalty program — who are also Double Bay regulars — invited to shop there using a special Scan&Go app, which they can download to their smartphones. The customer can then use it to scan the barcodes of each item they take from the shelves, while specially-designed scales will handle the weighing and scanning of fresh produce. At the end of their visit, the shopper can pay for their haul via the app, 'tap off' on a pole near the exit, then leave the store — without interacting with either a human or robot checkout. As well as being faster and, potentially, easier, the new technology has the added benefit of letting customers track their spending while they're going. So, you'll know when those $2 chocolate bars push you over budget. There's no word on how long the Scan&Go trial will run for, and Woolworths says it currently has no plans to roll out the technology to other stores.
If you're heading to the tropical north, chances are you're going for nature. Whether it's the spectacular reefs, the captivating wildlife or the towering rainforest, if you love nature, you'll want to keep it as pristine and protected as possible during your stay. From immersive rainforest education experiences to luxury eco-stays, there are plenty of ways to lighten your footprint while on holiday in Tropical North Queensland.
At many times in Breaking Bad's history — and in even-better spinoff prequel series Better Call Saul's history, too — Mike Ehrmantrout (Jonathan Banks, The Commuter) has known exactly what to say. The former cop-turned-private investigator, fixer, cleaner and hitman doesn't speak if he doesn't need to, so when he does, it's worth listening to. And in the just-dropped trailer for Better Call Saul's long-awaited sixth and final season, he makes quite the statement. "Whatever happens next, it's not gonna go down the way you think it is," Ehrmantrout utters in his inimitable gravelly voice towards the end of this first sneak peek at the new season — and if you've been along for the Breaking Bad–El Camino–Better Call Saul ride since 2008, that's quite the intriguing choice of phrase. We all do already know what happens in Breaking Bad for Mike, and obviously for lawyer Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk, Nobody), but series creator Vince Gilligan clearly has a few more tricks up his sleeve. Nothing about either two shows has ever just hit the expected beats, of course. And part of what's made Better Call Saul so brilliant is the way it spins its story, fleshing out the two Breaking Bad figures' histories after we've already seen what comes next. For the eponymous Saul — aka Jimmy McGill, his birth name — we've also been getting very short black-and-white glimpses of his Cinnabon-managing post-Breaking Bad life, contrasting with his earnest initial quest to be a legitimate lawyer. We've said it before and it's worth saying again: Better Call Saul is television's greatest tragedy. It's also one that not only spans Jimmy-slash-Saul and Mike — and, in recent seasons, Los Pollos Hermanos owner Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito, The Boys), drug kingpin Hector Salamanca (Mark Margolis, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2) and DEA agent Hank Schrader (Dean Norris, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark) — but the characters in their orbit that didn't appear in Breaking Bad. That includes Jimmy's successful older brother Chuck (Michael McKean, Breeders), and his girlfriend and fellow lawyer Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn, Veep), plus gangland figure Nacho Varda (Michael Mando, Orphan Black). Stating the obvious, this aren't turning out well for most of them. The first trailer for Better Call Saul's sixth season — its first batch of episodes since 2020 — doesn't dive too far into the narrative, but it does make plain what we all know is coming. That'd be Jimmy-slash-Saul breaking bad and embracing his "s'all good, man" new persona as a criminal lawyer (and not just because he represents criminals). However, again, that doesn't mean that we know exactly how the season will play out. Whatever the show's future holds, its sixth season will arrive in two parts — with the first seven episodes airing from Tuesday, April 19 in Australia, and the final six arriving from Tuesday, July 12. We'll also see more of post-Breaking Bad Saul's story, where he's known as Gene. Best break out the cinnamon scrolls, obviously. Check out the Better Call Saul season six trailer below: Better Call Saul's sixth season starts streaming in Australia via Stan from Tuesday, April 19 — and will stream in New Zealand via Neon. Images: Greg Lewis/AMC/Sony Pictures Television.
2012 seems too future a year to still be talking about radio. Invented so many moons ago, how is it possible that radio has dodged the inevitable demise of all other pre-internet devices for information dissemination? And yet, radio is an almost unchanged, non-visual, intangible medium that has managed to engage an audience for over one hundred years. Perhaps it is the pared back simplicity of the sound of the human voice which has enabled the wireless to endure. Or perhaps it's the ability of radio to act as a constant companion – from beside buddy waking us from sleep to background fodder in morning traffic to emergency weather warnings in far corners of the state. Radio possesses a remarkably static history but it is also a diverse, easily accessible technology and one too which has developed through the advent of podcasts and on-demand radio apps. A friend recently introduced to me the This American Life app, and here I quickly spiralled into the world of radio apps. There is beauty in the voice of someone’s story and it makes excellent feed for light-on small talk (although beware the compulsion that can ensue). Other people’s stories are addictive and here, a second warning; radio streaming is a data killer — either get yourself an unlimited data plan or make good use of your workplace wireless. In a world so rammed with visual stimulation, it is incredible to think that the simplicity of the sound of a voice is still an engaging notion. We love stories and with the world just a touch pad away it is all primed and waiting to be streamed (data limit pending). Here are some of Concrete Playground's favourite radio apps to get you started. This American Life For those not yet savvy to the sounds of host, Ira Glass, This American Life is a long-running, weekly one-hour program on America’s public radio station NPR. Each week TAL takes a theme and presents a number of stories on that theme. For example, a 2011 program on gossip looked at the relationship between gossip and the AIDS epidemic in Malawi. The Held Hostage program of 2012 told of a Colombian late night radio program where families of victims of kidnapping call in to send messages to their loved ones, hoping that they are still alive and might just be listening in. The beauty of TAL lies in the lateral consideration of each theme and, most importantly, in the classic tools used to create the stories for radio. TAL is one of the few radio programs to provide a program-only app (Radio National, are you listening?). It is not free but $2.99 is a small price to pay for access to the entire TAL archive, including viewing of the two seasons of the TAL television series. All programs can be streamed, saved for offline listening or alternatively downloaded for a small fee. It is a simple app to use with a clear layout, search bar, full descriptions of each program and labels to mark shows as read or favourited. Price: $2.99 Planet Money Planet Money is an economics-for-dummies radio program, also on NPR. I first heard about Planet Money through my obsession with TAL as the team from Planet Money frequently guest programmes TAL. Primarily though, it is a twice-weekly show and the app is an excellent entry into the program with accompanying articles and their additional appearances on TAL, All Things Considered and Morning Edition. Don’t think you need to know about economics? Think again. Understand economics and you start to understand how most of how our world operates. Highly recommended for dazzling cocktail party swagger when it comes to impressing all. Your education starts here. Price: Free BBC Listener More interested in British radio? BBC Listener is the app for you. With a great old-school wireless interface this app can immediately transport you to the cool tombs of the BBC studios of the 1950s. BBC Listener is especially curated for an international audience with a weekly delivery of 20 of the best BBC programs for that week. Programs are divided into genres and are accompanied by visuals – still and video. Price: One month free trial and then $3.99/month. The app is free to download. TuneIn Radio With the American and British equivalents of the ABC (BBC and NPR) branching out into the world of apps, I guess it is only a matter of time before the ABC gets more serious about their digital platforms. Whilst we wait we are stuck with TuneIn. TuneIn is a radio streaming app which gives you free access to thousands of radio programs across the globe, including Australia. It is a clunky app with no program descriptions and a search function which is a tad redundant unless you actually know what you are looking for. The upside is that when you don’t know what you want to listen to you can stumble upon some goodies. And with thousands of programs to choose from you have access to a diverse mix of radio from around the world. Price: Free Stitcher Much like TuneIn, Stitcher is a radio streaming app although with the addition of a personalisation scheme. As you listen and build up a stable of favourite programs, Stitcher will recommend other shows based on your listening habits ie. the app will ‘stitch’ together your own personal radio station. Prefer not to have a computer claiming, ‘You might also like…’? Not to worry. Stitcher also lets you build this process yourself. Price: Free Podcasts Now, all that I have said above is pretty much negated by the recent addition to the Apple stable, Podcasts. Although technically we have always been able to subscribe to podcasts and have them automatically appear in our iTunes – Podcasts make this process less complicated. Podcasts is simple to use and holds all your subscriptions in one place on your phone. It connects to the iTunes store with just a swing of the window and includes full descriptions of all programs. Of course, it is reliant on your favourite radio programs providing podcasts, but most do. Radio National programs can all be subscribed to, as can BBC Radio programs and NPR. The beauty here is the ability to somewhat branch out of radio and discover some of the cross-platform spoken word interviews and stories which are only available as podcasts. Price: Free
Berndnaut Smilde has challenged preconceptions of visual art with 'Nimbus II'. In this collection of photographs, a natural entity has become synthetic, and what has always been ephemeral is now captured forever. A thematic continuation of Smilde's original 'Nimbus' (pictured below), 'Nimbus II' features a petite, fairy floss-like cloud hovering below the lofty white ceiling of Hotel MariaKapel in Hoorn, Netherlands. Smilde generates the clouds using a smoke machine, carefully monitoring the humidity of the room and using lighting to enhance the life-like essence of the storm cloud. "On the one hand I wanted to create an ominous situation. You could see the cloud as a sign of misfortune," said Smilde of 'Nimbus' in a 2010 interview with Probe online gallery. "You could also read it as an element out of the Dutch landscape paintings in a physical form in a classical museum hall. At the same time I wanted to make (for once) a very clear image, an almost cliché and cartoon-like visualisation of having bad luck." Despite the bad luck connotations of a cloud, the photos of 'Nimbus II' succeed in establishing a whimsical element as well. Smilde said that this work plays with the concept of the ephemeral and is influenced by "physical presence found within transitional space." [via Trendhunter]
In a dream world, a new film pairing Emma Stone with Yorgos Lanthimos would hit cinemas approximately every six months. In this realm, that's happening at least once. Oscar-winner Poor Things reached picture palaces Down Under at the end of 2023, and now Kinds of Kindness, the duo's next collaboration, has a date with local big screens in mid-July. The Greek director has reteamed with Stone (The Curse) for their third feature, after The Favourite as well, with the end result first premiering at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. While Lanthimos' current favourite lead actor won an Academy Award for Poor Things, it was Jesse Plemons (Killers of the Flower Moon) who scored a trophy at the prestigious French fest, collecting the Best Actor gong. As both the first teaser and just-dropped full trailer for Kinds of Kindness show, Lanthimos and Stone have made a triptych this time, with the film featuring three fable-like tales. One is about a man who doesn't have any choice as he attempts to seize control of his existence. Another follows a policeman whose wife goes missing at sea, then returns but doesn't seem like herself. And the last charts a woman trying to find a person with a unique ability that's meant to become a spiritual leader. The initial glimpse at the movie spanned speeding cars, dragged bodies, slaps, dancing, dogs, licking and Stone talking about the moment of truth, all soundtracked by the Eurythmics' 'Sweet Dreams'. If you're thinking "isn't it wonderful" about this combination of elements, the movie understands — they're Stone's last words in the footage. The new trailer keeps the same soundtrack, and also some of the above details, but also comes with cryptic warnings, declarations of love, fainting, intimate anecdotes and dogs driving a car. On-screen, Stone — who also worked with Lanthimos on short film Bleat — has her Poor Things co-stars Willem Dafoe (Asteroid City) and Margaret Qualley (Drive-Away Dolls) for company. Joining them and Plemons: Hong Chau (The Menu), Joe Alwyn (Stars at Noon), Mamoudou Athie (The Burial) and Hunter Schafer (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes). Lanthimos helms, co-writing the script with Efthimis Filippou (who penned the filmmaker's Dogtooth, Alps, The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer, too), on a flick that'll release Down Under on Thursday, July 11 — and play Sydney Film Festival before that. Check out the trailer for Kinds of Kindness below: Kinds of Kindness releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, July 11, 2024. Images: Atsushi Nishijima. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
First we had beer flavoured like food, and now at long last we've got beer that is food. Yep, move over Nutella, there's a spreadable beer in town by the name of Birra Spalmabile. It hails from Italy's Cittareale, where Emanuela Laurenzi of Alta Quota Brewery and Pietro Napoleone of Napoleone Chocolatiers have combined their expertise in something of a dream team. The duo unveiled their invention at Turin’s Salone de Gusto food fair, where the spreadable beer caused quite a stir, and we're not surprised. Birra Spalmabile (literally translated to 'beer spread') reportedly goes down nicely with a slice of cheese. (And you thought you were weird for combining peanut butter and vegemite on your sandwiches.) Also useable as a filling in cake, the spread comes in two flavours — Omid dark ale and Greta blonde ale, the first being a little more intense than the latter and each made of 40 percent beer. Though not stocked in any Aussie stores, you can order a jar or ten directly from the source by emailing commericiale@birraaltaquota.it. Just expect to pay its weight in gold for delivery. Via NY Post
Cooking can be many things. For some, it's merely a means to an end; for others, it can be meditative to the point of being therapeutic. But no matter which side of the fence you fall on, there are days when we just can't be bothered doing it. And the same is true of professional chefs — after all, if you do something for a living there surely comes a point where you just don't feel like doing it in your spare time, right? But where do chefs eat in their downtime? We've teamed up with UberEats to ask four Melbourne hospo stars — Josh Fry of Poodle, Ross Magnaye (pictured above) of the soon-to-open Serai, Anneleise Brancatisano of Hector's Deli and Stephen Clark of Robata — about their top local picks for those times they feel like handing over the reins to someone else. [caption id="attachment_753066" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gami[/caption] GO-TO MEAL FOR A HANGOVER Josh Fry: "A1 Bakery is easily one of the best places to eat on Sydney Road. It's the tawook chicken wrap for me — a toasted pita filled with grilled chicken, toum, pickles and chips. And of course, we always grab a couple sambousik for an entree. But, that said, I do think fried chicken is the ultimate hangover cure, and you can't go past the boneless fried chicken with garlic sauce and spicy sauce from Gami." Ross Magnaye: Like Fry, Magnaye knows of the miracles worked by Gami fried chicken after a few too many. "The fried chicken wings with spicy sauce is my favourite hangover food, with steamed rice and fries. I'm a sucker for fried chicken and Gami is unreal. You definitely have to pair it with an ice-cold Korean beer." Hair of the dog met with fried chicken? You'll be right as rain in no time. Anneleise Brancatisano: "The beef and brisket pho from Pho House in Flemington. It is the ultimate 'fix me' — I love it! It's my local, and they're super consistent and friendly. The beef broth is so fragrant and everything else is the perfect level of fresh and spicy. It's the only way to revive my (self-inflicted) sad body. Though, a medium McSpicy meal — add tomato and cheese — with an ice-cold Coke, delivered by Uber from the Maccas 500 metres down the road also does the trick." Stephen Clark: The Robata chef is pulling through with a classic here — a bacon and egg roll. After a big one, nothing soothes quite like the layers of crispy bacon meeting a golden yolk. "I order extra egg and extra bacon from Oscar Cooper in Prahran," shares Clark. "It's the best egg and bacon sandwich in town." Big call for the classic next-morning order — it must be good. [caption id="attachment_851718" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kaoyum[/caption] GO-TO MEAL FOR A DATE NIGHT Josh Fry: "There's nothing sexier than a pizza pie, and both of these places are insanely good. From Compass Pizza, my pick is the capricciosa (with a garlic bread of course); and at Wolf and Swill you can't go wrong with the mortadella pizza and the blackened cabbage salad." Ross Magnaye: "For a proper date night at home I order from one of my favourites in South Yarra, Kaoyum. It's an amazing Thai restaurant with super delicious food. My go-to dishes there are the kha moo braised pork hock and the crab fried rice, but I love to eat properly on a date so I could order the whole menu there." Anneleise Brancatisano: "Supper Inn is a favourite date spot and some of my most cherished memories involve sharing the incredible food with loved ones, in the restaurant or at home. Order the XO pipis with Chinese donut." Stephen Clark: Sometimes you just can't muster the energy to produce a date-worthy dish, let alone a full meal, so having a known winner that can be delivered is a must in your romancing tool kit. "The tuna salad from Mopho Canteen is a go to, and its sticky pork belly is also sensational. So much flavour! Half a roast duck and special fried rice from Harmony BBQ and Seafood is also perfect — and great for leftovers the next day, too." [caption id="attachment_736051" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leonard's House of Love[/caption] GO-TO MEAL FOR A NIGHT OF NETFLIX AND CHOW Josh Fry: It's heat, aromatics and classics for the Poodle chef when settling in for a streaming session. "I always lean towards Spice Mix Restaurant, they do very yum Indian. My pick is the gobi manchurian" — that's the sweet-yet-tangy dry curry featuring lightly fried cauliflower — "and rogan josh." Ross Magnaye: "Congee with century egg and pipis with XO sauce and fried vermicelli noodles from Seafood St. I always eat this after a night out, so therefore it counts as comfort food (and is perfect for a night on the couch when you can't be bothered cooking). Nothing beats this combination, trust me!" Anneleise Brancatisano: "A mixed veggie curry from Curry Canteen. And, this is horrifically clichéd, but I'm a diehard fan of its butter chicken. With saffron rice and extra raita, you can't beat it." Stephen Clark: "I love the cauli bomba bowl from The Pita Man. I discovered this place during lockdown, which definitely provided lots of comfort. Or, another go-to is the south side fried chicken burger with bacon and ranch from Leonard's House of Love. With fries and onion rings — you gotta have both." [caption id="attachment_701025" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pidapipó[/caption] GO-TO DESSERT Josh Fry: "Okay, this is a classic. Tropical passionfruit cheesecake from The Cheesecake Shop. It is a whole cheesecake, but it's worth every penny — and you can freeze the leftovers. As a bonus, if you're feeling lonely, you can get them to write on it for you." Yep. A whole cheesecake. With your name on it. That's a powerful Uber Eats order. Ross Magnaye: "I really love the whisky and smoked sea salt cream eclair from Hector's Deli. The owner Dom just welcomed Anneliese to the team to create some amazing desserts; her sweets are next level, super delicious and no frills." Anneleise Brancatisano: "I'm a dessert person by choice and by trade, and can confirm that a take-home tub from Bico Gelateria in Brunswick will always satisfy. It feels like Melburnians eat ice cream every day of the year, regardless of the weather, which is a comforting thought. My favourite flavours are the ricotta and honey, which is layered with pistachio and fennel seed crumb, and the fior di mandarino." Stephen Clark: "I don't stray from the three-flavour ice cream tub from Pidapipó, with pistachio, chocolate and Nutella. It's the best ice cream shop in Melbourne by a mile, and I never order anything else sweet because it's just never as good." Don't feel like cooking tonight? Jump on UberEats to discover a new local favourite. Right now, the delivery platform is offering discounts on a heap of restaurants around Melbourne from Monday to Wednesday — find out more here.
To celebrate its 21st year, Splendour in the Grass has already announced a packed music roster, starting with Lizzo, and also featuring Flume, Mumford & Sons, Lewis Capaldi, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Noah Cyrus, Hilltop Hoods, Sam Fender, J Balvin, Little Simz, Idles, Tove Lo and more. But a month out from the fest, the Byron Bay event isn't done inviting special guests. This party will also now include Pussy Riot, complete with a live interview with Nadya Tolokonnikova — and the collective performing. Also joining the lineup from Friday, July 21–Sunday, July 23: everyone's favourite ex-AFL player-turned-sports newsreader Tony Armstrong, The Betoota Advocate, Dr Karl, Brooke Boney, and comedians such as Deadloch star Nina Oyama and Michael Hing. While Pussy Riot will indeed take to the GW McLennan stage in what'll be their only live Australian performance, Splendour's program boost is otherwise all about who'll be gracing the Forum, Science Tent and Comedy Club, plus the new Forum Live Podcasts initiative. [caption id="attachment_906507" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yulia Shur[/caption] In another Aussie exclusive, Tolokonnikova will chat with The Project host Hamish Macdonald about being a globally renowned artist and being included on Russia's most-wanted list. That's part of the Forum's lineup, which also spans Boney, Armstrong, Rachael Cavanagh, Dean Parkin and Carla McGrath chatting about the Indigenous Voice to Parliament; a special directors-cut screening of Australian hip hop documentary Burn Gently; and the first-ever Splendour Town Hall, which'll feature Federal Youth Minister Dr Anne Aly. Dr Karl will do what he does best — break down all things science — in Great Moments in Science; online sex work will be in focus at Social Media x Sex Commerce: The Oldest Profession Meets the Newest Technology; and other sessions will examine new cannabis laws, what it's really like to work in the music industry, pill testing, and why generations Y and Z are doing it tough compared to their parents. Thanks to Forum Live Podcasts, The Betoota Advocate Podcast will record live, as will What the Flux, Where's Your Head At?, Sometimes Funny Always Awkward, Kinky History and Science Vs. The Science Tent will feature everything from body farms and forensics to conservation and the science of wellness, while the Splendour Comedy Club will welcome in Oyama, Hing, Nat Damena, Blake Freeman, Alexandra Hudson, Sashi Perera, Rosie Delaney, Hot Department and more. [caption id="attachment_906505" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mitch Lowe[/caption] SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2023 MUSIC LINEUP: Lizzo Flume (Australian exclusive: ten years of Flume) Mumford & Sons (Australian exclusive) Lewis Capaldi Yeah Yeah Yeahs Hilltop Hoods J Balvin Sam Fender Idles Little Simz Tove Lo 100 Gecs (Australian exclusive) Arlo Parks Ball Park Music Iann Dior King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard 070 Shake Pnau Ruel Loyle Carner Benee Marlon Williams Hooligan Hefs Peach PRC Palace Dune Rats Tkay Maidza Noah Cyrus Skegss Sudan Archives Cub Sport Meg Mac X Club. Claire Rosinkranz Jack River The Smith Street Band Lastlings Jeremy Zucker Young Franco Sly Withers MAY-A The Vanns Telenova Vallis Alps Jamesjamesjames Kaycyy RVG Teenage Dads Balming Tiger Automatic Harvey Sutherland Gali Del Water Gap Royel Otis Shag Rock Big Wett Mia Wray Memphis LK Gold Fang Milku Sumner Forest Claudette Full Flower Moon Band William Crighton Hellcat Speedracer Triple J Unearthed Winners Mix Up DJs: Tseba Crybaby Latifa Tee Foura Caucasianopportunities Luen Mowgli DJ Macaroni Crescendoll Splendour in the Grass will take over North Byron Bay Parklands from Friday, July 21–Sunday, July 23, 2023 — head to the festival website for further details and tickets. Top image: Dave Kan.
Just two weeks after announcing its 2024 lineup, long-running regional music festival Groovin the Moo has been forced to cancel all six of its dates. The beloved touring festival was set to hit Adelaide, Canberra, Bendigo, the Sunshine Coast, Bunbury and, for the first time, Newcastle throughout the end of April and beginning of May, but has now been forced to pull the plug on the national tour, citing poor ticket sales for the cancellation. "We are extremely disappointed to announce that the Groovin the Moo 2024 tour has been forced to cancel," reads the statement released by the festival. "Ticket sales have not been sufficient to deliver a regional festival of this kind." "All tickets will be refunded automatically. Thank you to everybody who has supported the festival. We hope to be able to bring Groovin the Moo back to regional communities in the future." This year's edition was set to feature Wu-Tang Clan's GZA, Spice Girl Melanie C doing a DJ set, The Kooks, The Beaches and Alison Wonderland. Stephen Sanchez, Armani White, Kenya Grace, King Stingray, DMA's, Jet, The Jungle Giants, Mallrat and San Cisco were all also set to appear on the bill, alongside Hot Dub Time Machine, Mura Masa, Claire Rosinkranz, Jessie Reyez, Meduza and The Rions — and more. 2024 was set also to be the first year when the festival moved from its longstanding NSW home in Maitland, with plans to move the festivities to Foreshore Park in Newcastle. It comes during a tough time for music festivals in Australia. Late last year, Sydney Festival was forced to pull the plug on the inaugural edition of its Summergrounds Music Festival, citing "changing consumer behaviors, cost of living pressures and mounting operational expenses". And, fellow regional favourite This That hasn't been able to go ahead with its annual events for the last two years. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Groovin the Moo (@groovinthemoo) Groovin the Moo won't be happening in 2024. You can read the festival's statment via Instagram. Images: Jordan Munns
