It’s true, Melbourne has a lot of festivals. Big festivals, piccolo festivals, and “why in hell is there a festival for that?” festivals. Well, we like to celebrate, alright? Just like Kimmy K, we'd go to the opening of an envelope if there was a chance of our face making it into the society pages. White Night Melbourne is another festival, but with a nocturnal twist — it all takes place over 12 hours, from 7pm until 7am (it's after my bedtime, too, but you know, YOLO). Since its establishment in Europe in the early '90s, White Night has expanded all over the world, with Melbourne the latest city to join the line-up. The program is teeming with activities, spread out across eight themed areas, mostly within the CBD grid but extending to Birrarung Marr and the Melbourne Museum. Expect projection art, performance, film, lights, and live music — a bombardment of colour, noise, and merriment that will display Melbourne's thriving cultural scene, or a concentrated, hyperactive, crack-fuelled version of it, anyway. Before you break out in a stress rash because it's all a little 'whelming, regain control in this crazy world of chaos by reading on to find out how to make the most of Melbourne's funnest night watch. Music Flinders Street Station will be transformed into a Theatre of Dreams, which to the weekday commuter might seem like a bit of a stretch, but they needn't be so cynical. The usual scowling youth who take up residence on the steps under the clocks will be replaced by a line-up of local acts including Eagle and the Worm, Hiatus Kaiyote, The Cat Empire, and World's End Press. Eargasms shall abound from LaTrobe street to St Kilda road, with cabaret, opera, classical, electronic, jazz, experimental, and world music scattered throughout the city. The facade of the Forum Theatre will be made over, with 3D projection and electronic music program Particle Picnic running all night long. Literature Down below Flinders Street in Campbell Arcade, zine workshop and distributor Sticky Institute will host a 12-hour zine-making marathon. If you want to soak up some more of the atmosphere, bang out that zine quick smart and head over to Fed Square, where there's an all-night dance party under a canopy of hundreds of mirror balls. There's also an Emerging Writer's Festival workshop at The Wheeler Centre, where young writers will endeavour to keep the crowd entertained with overnight readings of their work and there will always be time for one more bedtime story. Film ACMI will be showcasing a weird and wonderful bunch of films, including 101 Zombie Kills, Warhol's screen tests, and Mother Courage, a film installation that explores Australia's Indigenous communities. There'll also be films showing in the Fed Square Loading Bay Cinema. Art & Performance You'll be able to peruse all the current exhibitions at the NGV, Arts Centre, and State Library as the night wears on, with performances of the Melbourne Theatre Company's Constellations and The Other Place taking place at the civilised time of 8:30pm. Plenty of time afterwards to be as uncivilised as you wish. Surprise! While the usual culprits will be treating us to some impressive entertainment, it's the spaces in between where the city will surprise. An immersive storytelling game, The Whispering Society, will be heard in the alleyways and corridors off Flinders Street, there'll be fountains and lasers erupting from the Yarra, and a dawn procession will ask folks to sing along to a specifically written White Night Melbourne anthem (maybe trying to push the moment a little too hard but we'll see how it pans out?) It's pretty darn exciting to see an event of this calibre being held in Melbourne — the only problem being that there's no way you'll be able to see it all in one night. We can't come close to writing about all of it without developing repetitive motion syndrome, so head to the White Night Melbourne website for more information, including a full program of events. All images via whitenight.com.au
It's always a bit trippy when a blast from your past comes slinking back into your present. And we suspect there'll be plenty of those feelings emerging with the news that the one-time home of The Saint has scored a hefty makeover and entered a new chapter. It's been reborn as multi-level wining and dining hot spot, Saint Hotel. An icon of St Kilda's Fitzroy Street that for many conjures memories of late nights and sweaty dance floors, the building is being steered in a completely fresh direction by its new owners — a small crew of local hospitality veterans led by General Manager Mrinal Beekarry (The Atlantic). Also among those at the helm are father-and-son duo James D and James M Field (construction company Field Group), who've joined forces with architects Telha Clarke to overhaul the grand space. Not only has it been refreshed from top to toe, but also smartly sectioned into a collection of signature venues promising something for all kinds of punters. [caption id="attachment_894969" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sharyn Cairns[/caption] On the Ground Floor, Saint Bar has made its home in that prominent corner spot, delivering a light-filled front bar and restaurant with a smart-casual edge. It's all lofty ceilings and chic heritage touches; a place where you can kick back with tap brews and cocktails while tucking into prawn katsu sandos, wagyu burgers and grilled flatbread with whipped flathead roe. Next to this, beneath the famed atrium, you'll find Saint Dining — a modern Australian fine diner helmed by Executive Chef Gary Lai (The Atlantic, Amber Hong Kong), with a menu fuelled by the kitchen's Josper charcoal grill. Here, steak fiends particularly are in for a treat, with a slew of premium cuts on offer alongside seafood options like Apollo Bay crayfish and fish done with a nori beurre blanc. Skewers might come laden with harissa octopus, or chicken oysters finished with an egg yolk emulsion and crispy skin. [caption id="attachment_894956" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Griffin Simm[/caption] Snacks run to the likes of smoked duck leg croquettes and wagyu tartare sided with mustard creme fraiche, while larger plates include a crayfish mafaldine pasta, grilled quail with radicchio and peach, and a broad bean tart. Venture upstairs and into the sophisticated drinking destination that is Bar 54, where light beams in from a central atrium, a terrace overlooks the iconic St Kilda palm trees, and marble tabletops and mustard-hued banquettes set the scene. This one's your day-to-night go-to for cocktails and produce-led drinking snacks. [caption id="attachment_894955" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Griffin Simm[/caption] There's lots more to come, too. Slated to open on the first floor by mid-April is listening lounge and cocktail haunt Stella's, where you'll find inventive specialty sips by Bouvardia's Roy Das Neves, a custom Pitt & Giblin sound system, and DJs soundtracking the vibes every Thursday and Friday. Incoming later in the year is ground-floor wine cellar and bottle shop, The Vault. Here, you'll be able to select from a vast array of vino to take away, or to enjoy there at the stone tasting table, perhaps paired with snacks from next door. [caption id="attachment_894968" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sharyn Cairns[/caption] [caption id="attachment_894958" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Griffin Simm[/caption] [caption id="attachment_894963" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Griffin Simm[/caption] Find Saint Hotel at 54 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda. Saint Bar and Dining is open Wednesday–Sunday, from 12pm until late, while Bar 54 is open Friday and Saturday from 6pm until late. Top images: Sharyn Cairns and Griffin Simm
Zulya Kamalova’s contemporary Russian folk music has earned her both an ARIA in Australia and the title of Honoured Artist of the Republic in her birth country, Tatarstan. Evolution, Revolution and the Mail Order Bride is her first foray into theatre, and the show, featuring Kamalova with support from a four-piece band, is a song of praise to the toil of Russian women, past and present. During the show, Kamalova hops back and forth between two chief characters: Eva, the titular mail order bride who lives an affluent but dissatisfied life in modern day Toorak, and Inessa, an activist campaigning for the Bolshevik revolution in the early 1900s. The latter is based on real life revolutionary Inessa Armand, a close friend and purported lover of Lenin. This is not really a historical drama though. The characters’ lives are revealed only in snippets — mere brief vignettes between songs. The piece as a whole is largely atmospheric, eschewing detail on the characters in favour of generating broad emotional ambiences. Much of the show is genuinely stunning. Kamalova is a performer of undeniable force and charisma, with a voice that can change moods like Melbourne weather. There are times when she sounds almost unearthly. The music has a charming gypsy swagger to it and the set is remarkable, a fantastical junkyard of artefacts, both modern and antique. There are times though when I wonder if Kamalova could have done with some more support onstage. While she has no trouble commanding the audience’s attention with her singing voice, she seems less at ease acting, especially when managing transitions between scenes and characters. She also seem sometimes overshadowed by the ornate set which doesn’t always offer the best eye lines to its audience. As a result, there is a whole third character, a crone, who I almost never see because her scenes happen in a blocked part of the stage. There are also a number of gimmicks which don’t really add anything, like some sideline business with the band members or a sequence where Kamalova plays out the Adam and Eve story with dolls. While the intent of the piece has clearly been to give Kamalova’s music the theatrical treatment, it’s maybe gone a little overboard about being theatrical. Given that the show’s main drawcard is the singing, I wonder if it would have worked better as a more stripped back production. There’s no denying the heart of the piece though, which is an impassioned statement on the broken dreams and thwarted aspirations of Russian women. There is a palpable sense of struggle, fatigue and frustration at the false promises of social change, and the stirring songs and passionate Slavic soul music only work to enhance this.
Alongside the front line conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, the attacks of September 11 set in motion a third, different kind of battle. Fought on the home front, a quiet, uncomfortable and unspoken war of words and sidelong glances directed towards anyone who suddenly came to look 'different', 'foreign' or 'un-American' ensued. While the inadequacies of American security were undeniable, the indignity of the racial profiling that became rampant in their wake remains to this day an irredeemable blight on the history of the United States. It's within this framework that author Mohsin Hamid set his bestselling 2007 novel, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, now a film by director Mira Nair. It tells the story of Changez (Riz Ahmed), a prodigious Pakistani-born Princeton graduate who's headhunted by Jim (Kiefer Sutherland) to work in New York's top consultancy firm. With the company placing him on the fast-track to partnership and the chairman's daughter (Kate Hudson) quickly besotted, Changez's pursuit of the American dream seems assured. When the Twin Towers come crashing down, so too does his perceived security. Colleagues view him differently, arrests and random searches become commonplace and despicable bigotry bubbles to the surface. At first Changez ignores, then endures, the prejudice, but eventually the feeling of victimisation and the loss of his identity become untenable and he returns to Pakistan. The film flicks back and forth between Changez's time in America and his present-day life as a radical academic suspected of kidnapping an American colleague and it's those latter scenes that engage most directly. Played out as an interview with US journalist Bobby (Liev Schreiber), they hold a distinctly Cold War-era feel that's in the vein of the recent Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. While Schreiber puts in a sound performance as the journo with his own secrets and Sutherland shines as a Gordon Gecko-esque corporate cutthroat, it's Ahmed who steals the show. At times the rhetoric is handled a touch clumsily and the fundamentals of business/fundamentals of Islam motif is, as is the case in the book, not especially subtle, but The Reluctant Fundamentalist remains a compelling and confronting examination of one of the war on terror's less publicised dimensions.
Red Stitch are bringing out the big guns with their upcoming double bill, directed by Julian Meyrick. The performances feature the world premier of Dead Centre, by Aussie playwright Tom Holloway, and the Australian premiere of Sea Wall, by Simon Stephens. Both plays are one-actor performances that explore the fragility of life and seem to promise a pretty full on night at the theatre. Dead Centre follows the story of Helen (Rosie Lockhart), who makes the spontaneous decision to move from the UK to Australia to do the whole "turning over a new leaf" thing. However, the decision only provides temporary relief before her past catches up with her and she is forced to confront what she left behind... In Sea Wall, Alex (Ben Prendergast) seemingly has it all: the wife, the daughter, and a life he speaks of fondly. But this cherished existence is not (as we all know, because, theatre) one to last. As everything falls apart, Alex is left with the difficult task of forming a new perspective on life. With theatre this devastating, who needs Netflix?
The Victorian Government has announced a $143-million support package designed to help businesses impacted by the state's recent five-day circuit breaker lockdown. Businesses and sole traders that took a financial loss during the lockdown — including restaurants, hairdressers, accommodation providers and musicians — will all be eligible for support. Florists and confectioners who took a financial hit due to the lockdown coming over Valentine's Day will also be able to apply for financial aid. Included in the multimillion-dollar package is four separate initiatives. $92 million will be invested in the Business Cost Assistance Program that will offer grants of $2000 for eligible businesses with a payroll of up to $3 million. $24.9 million will be put back into the Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund, an initiative that has been providing financial support to licensed venues impacted by COVID-19 restriction since late 2020. The fund has already provided more than 7500 businesses with over $165 million of financial support. Accommodation providers who experienced cancelations due to the lockdown are entitled to payments through the Victorian Accommodation Support Program, which is split into two tiers. Those who experienced ten or fewer cancellations over the course of the lockdown are eligible for $2250 per accommodation premise, while that amount will increase to $4500 for businesses that experienced more than ten cancellations. The state's Regional Travel Voucher Scheme is also returning, with 50,000 new vouchers being issued — this time spanning both Greater Melbourne and regional Victoria. 40,000 of the $200 vouchers will be issued for travel within Greater Melbourne, while 10,000 new vouchers will be available for travel to regional Victoria. Registration for the next allocation of vouchers will open at 10am on Tuesday, March 30, and apply for travel between April 6–May 31. Those who successfully apply for a voucher will be able to receive a $200 reimbursement when they spend over $400 on accommodation, experiences, tour and attractions. [caption id="attachment_790890" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Peninsular Hot Springs Glamping[/caption] The Victorian Government has announced a $143 million support package designed to assist businesses impacted by the state's recent circuit breaker lockdown. To find out more, head to the Business Victoria website.
White Night Reimagined truly is an event for all the senses, dishing up an array of artistic, musical and culinary experiences. And it all kicks off with a bang on Thursday, August 22, as the Royal Exhibition Building is transformed into a winter wonderland feasting hall. The White Night Feast promises an indulgent evening with three courses created by Melbourne chef royalty: Vue de Monde's Hugh Allen, Annie Smithers of Trentham's acclaimed Du Fermier and dessert queen Philippa Sibley. The decadent three-course affair features creations like a cider-braised duck, pork and pistachio terrine and an oozy golden syrup cobbler with spiced quince. This will be paired with iced schnapps and mulled wine, as well as Victorian wines and beer. Expect, also, to roast chestnuts and dip things into hot fondue throughout the night. The wintry feast is expected to sell out, so be sure to book in advance for this one. White Night Feast runs from 6.30–10.30pm.
A few people are saying the Simon Pegg/Nick Frost/Edgar Wright partnership is getting tired. There might be some truth to that, but it isn't tired yet. The World's End — the third film in their 'Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy', a series of comic genre mash-ups that also happen to feature a random Cornetto ice-cream in each one — is a whirlwind of exuberant humour it's easy to get swept up in. Sure, some of the surprise of the mash-up twist has faded since 2004's breakthrough Shaun of the Dead, but the team has also matured as actors, filmmakers and observers of the human condition. The particular human condition they're concerned with this time around is the sad state of being stuck in one's halcyon days, particularly when they're situated in high school, particularly when you're now nearing 40. Pegg plays the thusly afflicted man-child, and it's far from the loveable, self-effacing type of loser character we're used to seeing him be. As Gary King, he is a real loser, still sporting his teenage sludgy black hair and greatcoat, still driving 'The Beast' registered in someone else's name, still embarrassingly overconfident and still sleazing onto women in the loos. He's so close to being unlikeable, yet there's just enough good in him — and just a smidge of relatability — that we want him to win on his ridiculous quest to unite his high school buddies and claim the victory that should have been theirs 20 years earlier: completion of a 12-stop pub crawl known as the Golden Mile. Gary's more capably adult friends — Andrew (Frost), Steven (Paddy Considine), Oliver (Martin Freeman) and Peter (Eddie Marsan) — want out of the caper not long after arriving back in their insular home town, Newton Haven. But then they discover the place has gone Invasion of the Body Snatchers in their absence, and fighting off invading alien robot hordes takes precedence over fighting each other. All the while, following some spectacular drunk-person reasoning, they continue the course of their pub crawl to the mythic World's End bar. In some ways, The World's End doesn't feel like the final movie of the trilogy; it has the anarchic, careening, appropriately drunken energy of an early oeuvre picture, but one suspects that mood is actually harder to control than it looks. The movie is also unexpectedly mature in its human drama, teasing out the fraught relationship we have with our histories and ultimately encouraging us to go a little less hard on our past selves. There's great joy in watching The World's End, and plenty of rewards in the team's signature brand of comedy. Maybe it is time to move on from the genre mash-up, but this is a thundering way to go out. https://youtube.com/watch?v=7ibQvQUpMTg
Leave your Hunters and your oversized sunhat behind to spontaneously frolic and make out with strangers. Pepa Knight, Jinja Safari's co-frontman, is launching his solo career with the announcement of a 2015 album release. But fans won't have to wait until next year to take off their shoes and enjoy that unmistakably JS-popularised brand of atmospheric, drum-thumping pop. On Friday, November 28, the first collection of Knight's solo recordings, Hypnotized Vol. 1, will be released — following on from his two critically-acclaimed singles 'Rahh!' and 'Clams'. Throughout November, Knight will be performing a series of headline shows to celebrate this first half of his highly-anticipated double album. Presented by Artists Voice and Rare Finds, the confirmed dates include appearances in Melbourne, Sydney, Central Coast, Newcastle and Brisbane. In the coming weeks, Knight will also be releasing another single in support of the tour, giving fans a further insight into the infectious, whimsical sounds of his debut solo effort. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ysx8lssBeIE
Set back behind the iconic Young Husband Limited stock building, and at the unglamorous end of an industrial suburban backstreet, the Henry St Brewhouse isn't much larger than your inner city apartment. Born in a backyard just a few blocks away on actual Henry Street, owners Paul Quayle and Zach Skerritt had never planned to open a brewery — so if their 100-litre DIY all-grain brewing system looks a bit like an upscaled homebrew setup, then that's because it is. Neither Quayle nor Skerritt had a background in brewing or hospitality. The two engineers grew tired of homebrewing from canned kits and partial mashes and looked to all-grain as a better way to brew. Skerritt began to research how the pair might one day open a brewery, but it wasn't until the 2013 edition of Good Beer Week that the question of how became a matter of when. Without a large cash backing the pair, with the help of their families and friends, largely pieced the brewery together themselves. "The planning permit itself took six months and during that time you're paying rent on the place. I was living in the corner for seven months, over winter and stuff, because I couldn't afford to pay rent at my house and the brewery," says Skerritt. They began opening the bar in January 2016 and Skerritt quit his job to work on the brewery full-time in April. Now, with a rotating selection of ten taps including a co-op porter with near neighbours Rumble Coffee Roasters, and with their brews popping up in restaurants, offices and bars around Melbourne, Henry St is growing. At the moment the bar is only open on Friday nights (and on Saturday occasionally), but the pair is hoping to extend their opening hours and upgrade to a larger brewing system soon. Amongst the glut of gentrification and hipster noir bar offerings that saturates Melbourne's food and drink scene, Henry St's brand of 'brewed next door' is refreshing. Patrons are encouraged to bring their own prams, dogs and food (so that the pair can focus on the brewing). Henry St will appeal to those who yearn for the days of Mountain Goat before anyone knew what a Mountain Goat was, and certainly before anyone was drinking it. Their DIY philosophy and isolation may make them humble, but in this comes the appeal of this pint-sized nano-brewery and bar in Kensington. The beer is pretty damn good too.
If you're a kidult at heart and remember the hours and hours spent jumping on the backyard trampoline doing sweet flips and tricks, this one is for you. Bounce is here to help you remember your anti-gravity days of youth and bounce away the sad reality of your nine to five. With over 100 springy trampolines, you can recreate aerial manoeuvres with some expansive new options like slam dunking, wall-running, jumping into a foam pit and static-electricity zapping your colleagues into submission (take that, Helen). You can get your bounce back at Bounce in Blackburn North, Glen Iris and Essendon Fields.
You may have thought your days of hanging out in car parks were over, but Melbourne's newest music event looks set to change that. Play On will bring a unique combination of live classical and electronic music to the underground car park at the Collingwood Housing Estate every Friday night in November, with tickets starting at a cool $12 a pop. The event presents classical music outside of traditional performance venues, making it both an accessible and pretty magical experience in a space that welcomes music lovers from all walks of life. The next event on Friday, November 18 will see the Affinity Collective play Panufnik and Britten string quartets, followed by a set from DJ Big Rig (aka Bec Rigby of local band The Harpoons).
Is Love Story the first crowd-written film? Indie filmmakers have been financing their projects directly from fans for a while, but this pseudo-documentary rom com credits “the people of New York City” as screenwriters. Affable, skinny-jeaned Kiwi, Florian Habicht, sees a beautiful young woman, Masha, on the streets of New York. He misses his chance to get her number, but can’t forget her. Armed with a steadycam and a gutload of courage, he asks regular New Yorkers what he should do. The suggestions of strangers prompt his next moves and the development of the romance. What emerges is less of a love story and more of a testimony to the fact that Americans will truly say and do anything on camera. But this film’s directive isn’t realism or even true love. It's cleverness and kitsch, of the stripey socks and frosted cupcake variety. It’s all pretty meta: in these post-everything times, Love Story takes the idea of a film within a film, and rewrites it on the fly. It doesn’t work like Hollywood and it doesn’t work all the time. But it’s so sweet and silly and earnest, and goofy Florian is such an entertaining host, that the film’s foibles are forgivable — just. Love Story is a fun and admirable cinematic experiment - the trick is not to think too much.
You've binge-watched everything in your streaming queue, made your fair share of jigsaw puzzles, played plenty of board games and worked out a regular exercise regime. Now, as part of your new stay-at-home routine, you've decided to learn a new skill. That's understandable — who doesn't want to emerge from this current drastic change to our lives with not only their health, but a few nifty new tricks up their sleeves? If getting arty has always been on your to-do list, the National Gallery of Victoria's Virtual Drop-By Drawing sessions are here to help. They usually take place in person; however, in the current circumstances, the NGV is moving them online. Budding creatives just need to tune into the NGV Channel, watch video tutorials hosted by Victorian artists and take inspiration from the gallery's collection in the process — with a pencil and piece of paper in your hands, of course. Lily Mae Martin takes viewers into the NGV's 19th-century European paintings gallery — and spends plenty of time marvelling at the life-size marble sculpture Musidora, 1878 by Marshall Wood, while Minna Gilligan focuses on two standouts in the NGV's 20th-century galleries, with Andy Warhol's Self-portrait no. 9 (c.1986) and David Hockney's The second marriage in the spotlight. And Kenny Pittock will take you through sketching fruit and vegetables in your kitchen, using Édouard Manet's The melon. The NGV's Virtual Drop-By Drawing sessions are all available on the NGV Channel to watch. Images: Virtual Drop-by Drawing class with Kenny Pittock, Lily Mae Martin and Minna Gilligan at NGV, 2020.Image courtesy of NGV. Updated April 29, 2020.
Time warp into the new year at our favourite cinema in Melbourne. A cult movie classic of the highest possible order, The Rocky Horror Picture Show has long occupied the December 31 slot on the iconic Astor calendar. It's the kind of movie that everybody needs to see in a theatre at least once. Dress up, sing along and get yourself warmed-up for the night of revelry that lies ahead. If you're lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of Duke the Astor Cat. And to think that just twelve months ago they were on the verge of closing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ov8yLJkknY
Melbourne has no shortage of outdoor cinemas, but only one of them lets you watch a flick with a burrito in one hand and a margarita in the other — and donates 100 percent of ticket sales to charity. Fonda Windsor's rooftop cinema is back for summer and it's offering just that. Running from January 13–30, the openair cinema is screening new flicks and classics and donating all proceeds to WIRES wildlife rescue, which is helping save and care for animals injured or orphaned during the bushfires. So, you can watch Pretty Woman, bawl your eyes out (again) to The Notebook, sing through Bohemian Rhapsody and enjoy the fabulous Priscilla, Queen of the Desert all for a good cause. [caption id="attachment_735692" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Visit Victoria/Mark Lobo[/caption] Tickets to the films will set you back $30 and include a bean bag recliner and bottomless sparkling water. If you'd like to eat — you are at a Mexican restaurant after all — you can order food straight from your phone, including burritos, chips, tacos and quesadillas. Oh, and margaritas, of course. Tickets go on sale at 8am on Wednesday, January 8 via the website.
Come May, there'll be more than a splash of colour added to your daily commute, with six of the city's trams transforming into giant, moving artworks. They'll be hitting the city's public transport network for the latest edition of Melbourne Art Trams, and they'll be breaking new ground in 2021 — because, for the first time, the trams will only be decked out with designs from First Nations artists. Four of 2021's trams will feature art from creatives who identify as Traditional Owners of Victoria, while two trams will showcase pieces from First Peoples artists who live in the state. The artworks will "respond to Melbourne and the multiple layers of history, country, diverse community and connections across Victoria", and Expressions of Interest submissions are now open, closing at 6pm AEDT on Monday, February 1. Whichever designed emerge victorious, the trams will hit the tracks earlier than usual, too, with their timing coinciding with the new Rising festival — the event that merges Melbourne International Arts Festival and arts all-nighter White Night — which starts on May 26. One tram will launch to mark the fest's opening, while the other five will debut over the following weeks, with each decked-out tram doing the rounds for a 12-month period. "It is exciting that for the first time in Melbourne Art Trams history, the project will be focusing on the talent of First Peoples artists from across Victoria. This shift to celebrate and support First Peoples artists with the iconic program is a recognition of our stories and deep connections to the city and that reach out to the regions," said Art Trams curator and Rising Artistic Associate, Kimberley Moulton. "The representation of First People's culture and voice in public art and celebration of the cultural strength of community is something I am passionate about, so I am particularly proud to be involved in the curation of this project and look forward to working with the community in realising their works in this way for all of Victoria and our visitors to enjoy." Melbourne Art Trams is a collaboration between Rising, Creative Victoria, Yarra Trams and Public Transport Victoria, allowing local artists submit their own original tram-inspired designs — and has run as part of the Melbourne International Arts Festival in previous years. The first of Melbourne's art trams will hit the tracks from May 26, with the rest of the fleet joining them in the following weeks and running for 12 months. For further details, or to submit your own design if you're a First Nations artist, head to the Rising website. Images: Melbourne Art Tram, Reko Rennie/James HH Morgan.
Piquancy is taking its name seriously. As soon as you step through its door — tucked amongst the quiet cluster of shops on Hawthorn's Auburn Road — you'll be hit with the sharp, spicy attributes synonymous with the restaurant's namesake. Since opening in April, it hasn't taken long for the team behind St Kilda's Babu Ji to draw the crowds across to Melbourne's east for plates of their distinctive modern Indian cuisine. Operating on a mostly walk-in basis, tables for the dinner service are in high demand, with a few tables reserved for larger groups willing to indulge the chef's tasting menu ($49 for four courses, $69 for six). If you manage to nab one, you'll sit amongst white brick walls bearing shelves of greenery and large Wes Anderson-esque portraits of Indian men. For those who would rather pick and choose, the menu is separated into dishes from the street and dishes from the pot, all of which are made with locally sourced produce. For the former, you're looking at the likes of juicy charred pieces of tandoori chicken ($26), layered cubes of sweet beetroot paneer ($23) and crispy handmade samosas with pomegranate, green mango powder, spiced potato and peas ($17). Servings are best suited to groups of four. The pot dishes out staple Indian delights such as butter chicken ($24) and palak paneer ($22), but also a few welcome surprises. Pile your silver plate high with melt-in-your-mouth lamb kafirana ($26), a stew featuring the subtle combination of ginger, garlic and lime leaf. For the adventurous, the fish curry ($25) is a must. Made with blue grenadier, turmeric, mustard seed and coconut milk, the rich, creamy flavours will almost certainly form part of your regular order. Of course, you'll need to mop it up with a serving of naan; we're happy to report that the kitchen seems to have got that flaky-doughy balance just right. Local wines and craft beers are on offer — though, if you're after the latter, you'll have to get it yourself from the self-serve beer fridge. It'll give you the chance to ponder the labels in all their glory. It's just another way Piquancy will pique your senses.
The obsession with Messina's creamy desserts has spread far and wide. Originally located in Sydney, Messina quickly gained a reputation among Melbourne sweet-tooths for their fresh, innovative gelato. So when the store finally moved interstate, Melburnians warmly welcomed Victoria's first Gelato Messina with steady queues out the door. More than a year later, they've barely budged. The Fitzroy store is Messina's largest to date. Clearly, Donato Toce and Simone Panetta, Melbourne's Messina champions, came prepared. Our excessive fondness for Messina is perhaps the most accurate reflection of the real, honest work that goes into preparing the gelato. From every doughnut to brownie, peanut fudge to jam, Messina uses raw ingredients to make every single element of every flavour you taste. Their revered gelato is then pasteurised and churned fresh in-store to keep it perfectly creamy whether you visit in hailing winters or sweaty summers. "Every gelato we are selling today we made yesterday," Simone said. "At Messina we have a strong focus on quality, not fast pace." And given the amount of genuine love and effort which goes into every cup and cone, we'd have to agree. Like it's Sydney sister, Melbourne's Messina offers 40 different permanent flavours. As if that's not enough to leave you floundering at the freezer, there are also limited edition releases — and they're released every week. One limited edition is revealed every weekday, and each special lasts a maximum of one week. According to Simone, Messina has a backlog of about 1000 limited edition gelatos. Some notable editions include the Robert Brownie Jnr and Hodor, which occasionally reappear for their cult fans. The stores interior fits snugly on Smith Street. Between homely exposed brick and pressed metal, you can watch staff behind a glass window diligently preparing every component for Messina's popular cakes. In the words of Simon, it's "classy, but not too fancy". "The store is just a container for the two main characters: the gelato cabinets with all its colour and the kitchen where we show off our creations everyday." If you're going to be overwhelmed by the mosh pit that is often inside Messina, their best selling salted caramel and white chocolate is a great first choice. If you're in the mood for a more fruity dessert, the pear & rhubarb is perfectly delicate and definitely worth a try. Don't forget to check the specials board (and to ask for a taste if you want to make a considered decision). Modern with an oddball charm, nowadays if you visit Fitzroy you'll find Messina's signature patterned green and orange cups wandering around the suburb, as reflection of our insatiable need for their creamy gelato.
There are many things that the current situation is teaching us — one of the less-serious realisations being that we'll be spending more mealtimes at home. Some local eateries are still offering takeaway and delivery options, but with the government firmly advising Aussies to stay at home as much as possible, we're all going to become a lot more familiar with our kitchens. You may see this as an opportunity to crack out some of your favourite cookbooks, but with the restrictions on some grocery items, those elaborate 15-step recipes are probably going to be a little out of reach. Luckily, Queer Eye star Antoni Porowski has you covered. The Canadian, who is the food expert on the super-popular Netflix series, is hosting daily cooking tutorials on Instagram while in lockdown in Texas. The series, which he has dubbed Quar Eye, focuses on recipes that require only a handful of easily accessible ingredients with an aim to minimise waste. "It dawned on me that a lot of people in the country, and in the world, are actually going through this right now: when they go to the store and they can't find what they want. We're stuck at home so we might as well still be able to prepare good food that's good for us and makes us feel good," Porowski explained in his first video. https://www.instagram.com/tv/B90Oo5lHxYv/ Part one of the series saw Porowski create The Keep Calm-lette, an omelette served with a black bean salsa and, of course, avocado (fans of the show will know of Porowski's deep love for an avo). The punnily named dishes have continued from there, including Sequestered Salmon Squash, Cooped Up Chicken, Stripped of My Sanity Chicken Strips and Let Me Outside Leftovers. Porowski uploads his videos to IGTV and Facebook daily, so you can go back and watch them at any time. Image: Facebook
The Heide Museum of Modern Art will pay tribute to the acclaimed work of one of Australia's most important living artists in a new exhibition on display at the gallery from March 4. Charles Blackman: Schoolgirls will feature more than 40 of the eponymous artist's iconic paintings of uniformed schoolgirls in solitary urban settings, brought together from private and public collections from all around the country and the world. Open to the general public until June 18, the tempera, enamel and oil works in the exhibition showcase Blackman's unsettling style as well as his ongoing fascination with the themes of loneliness and isolation. Entry into Charles Blackman: Schoolgirls is free to Heide members; alternatively, you can buy a museum pass for $18 that will gain you access to all of the museum's current exhibitions.
You may know Loose Leaf from their prolific Instagram following but it's more likely that you've wandered into the Loose Leaf studio expecting a retail space and found anything but. Their approach to gardening is almost spiritual and an inspiration to anyone wondering what a little greenery could add to their home. The studio specialises in commercial installations and workshops ranging from terrarium building to bouquet arrangement. They're also currently writing and photographing a book. This is the place to come to track down any uncommon plants you've set your heart on (Chinese money plant, we're looking at you) but they also stock plants for all levels of expertise, as well as some sweet ceramic planters that go beyond your stock-standard ceramic pot.
Dromana's industrial estate is one step closer to becoming more of a drinking destination than anything else, as it adds yet another small-batch booze outlet to its ever-growing collection. Jimmy Rum has opened the doors to its huge distilling operations and tasting bar. Launching to the public about 18 months after the first bottle of Jimmy Rum was distilled, the new digs are roomy and impressive, set across 500 square metres. It's the latest labour of love from founder and head distiller James McPhearson, who jumped into making craft rum after a decades-long career as a marine engineer. As the only distillery in Victoria dedicated to rum, it's currently whipping up four different types of booze: the Barbados, the Silver, the Oaked and the super strength Navy. They're being crafted in a 4.5-tonne, 1500-litre copper still named Matilda, though still have a way to go before they can technically be called rum — Australian classifications require the base spirit to be aged in wooden barrels for at least two years before it's allowed to be technically called as such. With its new coastal home up and running, Jimmy Rum is out to spread some serious rum knowledge and shift a few perceptions in the process. This is a spirit worth taking as seriously as the local gins and whiskies Australia's currently obsessed with and McPhearson is more than happy to show you why. You can take an educational tour of the distillery, let the experts guide you through a tasting and nab some take-home rum from the cellar door. At the bar, just metres from the still where they were made, you can sample the full range of Jimmy Rum spirits while nibbling on toasties or charcuterie. Staff will take you through the different ways to taste run — like sipping neat, with a few drops of water or over hand-cut ice — and you can try out your newfound appreciation on the two distiller's specials available. There's also a tidy range of rum-fuelled classic cocktails, like the Espresso Rumtini and a riff on the old fashioned, while on Saturdays the place comes alive with food trucks and a lineup of live tunes. Jimmy Rum joins a host of drink-slinging neighbours within the Dromana industrial estate, including gluten-free brewery Twøbays, gin distillery Bass and Flinders, and Jetty Road Brewery. That totals four reasons to get in the car and road trip to Dromana this weekend (with a designated driver, of course). Find Jimmy Rum at 6 Brasser Avenue, Dromana. The bar is open 11am–9pm Thursday to Sunday, while the cellar door is open for sales every day from 9am–5pm. Images: C. McConville.
Going back to uni after an extended break can be an intimidating prospect. But, the stereotype of all students as bright-eyed eighteen-year-olds fresh out of high school is outdated. While it's true that a large number of students (670,000) in Australia are in the 18–22 years age bracket, the latest available figures from 2015 show that there were over 270,000 students aged 30–49. This means that thousands of Australians know the mixed feelings associated with returning to uni but also ultimately feel the rewards of finishing a degree they really want. Some study on campus, others study online; whichever you prefer, here are five hacks to help get you back into the rhythm of uni life. START WITH THE SUBJECTS THAT INTRIGUE YOU MOST Make it fun. If you know what degree you want to do, but are worried about finding that initial drive to kickstart that self-motivated study mindset, start off with the subjects that seem the most engaging to get back in the swing of things. Alternatively, if you're not set on doing a whole degree, you can take a single subject with no entry requirements. Seriously. Try studying in a particular area and see if online study suits you, or upskill in a specific career-related subject or two. Head to the single subjects and degrees page at Open Universities Australia and start perusing. CHOOSE A DEGREE YOU'RE REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT The number one way to make uni work for you is to pick a course that excites you. So select something you like regardless of whether or not it's in fashion or earns you status points from your extended family. Maybe the first time you went to uni, you picked law or commerce because it sounded 'good'. Or dentistry, because that's what your parents did and you frankly didn't have a clue what to do straight out of school. Fair — but this time around, find something that fits more with your true passions. Because, at the end of the day, it's you doing the degree, not anyone else. GO PART-TIME AND STUDY ONLINE Going back to uni doesn't have to mean fully adopting the classic student identity of all study, endless caffeine and extreme budgeting. If you love your current job and want to keep one toe in the workforce, but also want to finish a degree, why not have the best of both worlds? Instead of going back to full-time student status, opt for part-time and study online. Take your degree at your own pace outside work hours, and enjoy a bit more flexibility when it comes to studying and completing assignments. Plus, you'll get the exact same degree that you'd get on campus. IDENTIFY ANY CREDITS THAT COULD CARRY INTO YOUR NEW DEGREE If you've started a course in the past, but didn't end up finishing for whatever reason, all is not lost. You may very well be able to count some of your previous study towards completing your new choice. If a previous course is related to your chosen degree, you can potentially use these as credits to reduce the number of subjects you will need to complete. And even if you don't have any previous study that relates to your new degree, you may be able to use those credits toward elective and non-core subjects. Being able to use previous credits will help you finish your studies faster. You can identify any potential credits you may already have here. CONNECT WITH OTHER STUDENTS IN THE SAME SITUATION AS YOU Solidarity is crucial for getting through any experience. University is meant to be challenging — that's where the growth is — but not to the point of feeling so tough you can't get through it. Connecting with other students via Facebook groups and IRL is key to building a support system. Even if your squad is just you and one other person to talk over assignments with, having that help can change the game. There are so many other people also feeling that mixture of excitement and trepidation about going back to uni — you're not alone! Take the plunge and explore all the degrees on offer from leading Australian unis, online through Open Universities Australia. You've got this.
The pooches of Melbourne will be on parade at this returning festival for our furriest of friends. On Sunday, May 25, Barkly Square in Brunswick will play host to the fourth Barkly Barks Dog Festival, complete with a doggy mini market, dog-friendly beers, professional trainers and more. The festival will cater to dogs of all shapes and sizes, with tons of activities for participants on both two legs and four. You can buy your pet a treat from Canine Wellness Kitchen, Melbourne's dog-friendly food truck; get some costumed pooch snaps and give your doggo a 'pupparazzi' moment; or take your pup to meet a different kind of canine: a real Aussie dingo. But the main event is the dog parade, where gongs will be given out in a whole range of categories, including most obedient, fastest floof, best costume, and dog and owner lookalike. Not sure we'd want to win that one, even if there are prizes up for grabs. Barkly Barks Dog Festival runs from 10am–3pm. Images: Brent Edwards.
For a couple of months between mid-May and early August, around Melbourne's multiple lockdowns, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image became one of the happiest places in Australia. Hosting a huge Disney exhibition will do that, with the venue unleashing Disney: The Magic of Animation — complete with more than 500 original artworks, including paintings, sketches, drawings and concept art from the Mouse House's beloved catalogue of movies. In great news for Melburnians, and for Australians still keen to immerse themselves in a big dose of animated magic, Disney: The Magic of Animation will reopen again on Saturday, October 30. In even better news, it's hanging around for an extended season, and will now run until Sunday, January 23. So, whether you've always been a fan of Mickey Mouse, you can remember how it felt when you first watched Bambi, you're able to sing all of Genie's lyrics in Aladdin or you fell head over heels for Moana more recently, you'll find plenty worth looking at among ACMI's halls and walls. And in its doors, too, actually — because walking beneath mouse ear-shaped openings to move from one area to the next is all part of the experience. Of course it is. Disney: The Magic of Animation also explores everything from 1928's Steamboat Willie — the first talkie to feature Mickey Mouse — through to this year's Raya and the Last Dragon. Obviously, a wealth of other titles get the nod between those two bookending flicks. Fantasia, Alice in Wonderland, Lady and the Tramp, The Jungle Book and The Lion King also feature, as do Mulan, Frozen, Big Hero 6 and Zootopia. And yes, many of these movies have been remade in live-action or photo-realistic CGI; however, ACMI's showcase is only about the animated films. The big drawcard: art from the Mouse House's hefty back catalogue of titles, and heaps of it. The entire lineup has been specially selected by the Walt Disney Animation Research Library, and will let you get a glimpse at just how the movie magic comes to life, how some of Disney's famous stories were developed, and which animation techniques brought them to the big screen. Get ready to peer at hand-drawn dalmatians (which is timely, given that Cruella released this year), stare closely at Mickey Mouse's evolution, examine Wreck-It Ralph models and pose next to Snow White. Wall-sized artworks pay tribute to a number of movies, too — The Little Mermaid piece is particularly eye-catching — and feeling like you're stepping into a Disney movie is an unsurprising side effect. The extended season will also feature screenings, including sing-along sessions of The Little Mermaid, Moana, Frozen and Frozen 2 — plus a viewing of Disney's upcoming release Encanto. Disney: The Magic of Animation is actually ACMI's first big exhibition since it originally reopened back in February this year following its $40 million transformation. It's also an Aussie exclusive, so you won't be able to be its guest or ponder its tales as old as time anywhere else. Given that Melbourne just came out of lockdown mere days ago, these kind of announcements are popping up with frequency at the moment, after Patricia Piccinini's latest exhibition just extended its run — and Moulin Rouge! The Musical locked in its delayed dates as well. So, Melburnians and Melbourne visitors alike, you're about to have quite jam-packed calendar. Disney: The Magic of Animation will reopen on Saturday, October 30 at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square, Melbourne — and will now display until Sunday, January 23. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the ACMI website. Images: Phoebe Powell.
Melbourne's southeast has just scored a huge new Asian-fusion restaurant and bar — Chicki Chan — thanks to Johnny Jong and Kelvyn Yeoh. Jong is running the back of house as Director, leaning on his hefty 28-plus years experience to create this venture — having worked as Executive Chef at both Crown Sydney and Lucas Restaurants. And he has enlisted the help of Yeoh to run the kitchen, who's also worked at Crown and Lucas Restaurants — overseeing venues like Chin Chin, Hawker Hall, Yakimono, and Grill Americano. With such impressive credentials, you can't help but have high expectations for the duo's own restaurant. Similar to Lucas Restaurants venues (where the duo previously worked and seem to have gained inspiration), Chiki Chan is big on the vibes, decking out the two-storey space with a long bar backed by wave-like walls (plus another bar in the room out back), neon artwork, polished concrete floors, screens showing futuristic videos, and pumping music. They have clearly learned a few things from the one and only Chris Lucas, making the space ooze cool. When it comes to food, you can expect an eclectic mix of Asian-fusion eats — think Italian-style burrata with Szechuan chili oil, fennel jam and macadamias; crispy barramundi with an Asian remoulade, jalapenos and palm sugar sauce; and a coconut chantilly served with strawberry conssome, Thai basil oil and raspberry sorbet. Set menus are also on the docket — a necessary addition to any restaurant these days — which cost an easy $55, $65 and $85 per person. As expected, Asian-inspired cocktails make it onto the menu alongside Aussie wines and beers on tap, either found in the restaurant or adjoining Hiki Bar. At the cocktail bar, you can also find a tapas-srtyle food offering to appease the sip and snack crowds and those waiting for a table in the main dining room. Jong and Yeoh are ticking all the right boxes with Chiki Chan, clearly understanding how to stand out (while also fitting in enough as to not scare off customers) within Melbounre's highly competitive hospitality industry. You'll find the new Chiki Chan at 6 Centreway, Mordialloc, open 12pm–late from Wednesday–Sunday. For more details and to book a table, you can visit the venue's website.
If you're looking to spice up the rest of your summer, how about a Sunday session that brings all the vibe of an Ibiza beach club to a buzzing party beneath the sun-soaked palm trees of St Kilda? Melbourne institution Riviera Beach Club (formerly Riva) has kicked off a pop-up series with everything you need for the perfect Sunday. The Café del Mar Sunday Sessions feature a rotation of top DJs including Dest, Luke McD, Rob Sama, and Chasedown — curating a chilled Sunday soundscape from 12pm until late to help wrap up your weekend. You can also expect a range of holiday-worthy cocktails, plus food from Atlantic Group and seafood connoisseurs Pinchy's. Think, fresh lobster rolls, Mediterranean barbecue eats and plenty of fruity sips. The series offers a great excuse to reacquaint yourself with the recently refurbished venue, where you can enjoy the sunset over the water and leave those Sunday Scaries far behind. Entry to the Café del Mar Sunday Sessions is free all day long, though you can reserve a spot by grabbing a ticket online.
A big Friends reunion just hit streaming. Sex and the City is getting a television sequel. Saved by the Bell returned to the screen last year, too. Yes, it's still 2021 — and no, you haven't hopped in a Delorean or phone booth and ventured back to the past. Based on plenty of recent and upcoming TV and streaming options, though, you'd be forgiven for looking at your viewing choices and wondering if a bit of time-travel trickery was afoot. The latest revived series heading to your streaming queue won't dispel that notion, but you know you'll love it anyway. Come Thursday, July 8 on Binge, you'll be saying XOXO to Gossip Girl once again. The new series has been billed as both a reimagining and an extension — which means that it will take place in the same world, but with different characters. Gossip Girl circa 2021 is set nine years after the eponymous and anonymous blog went dark. As the just-dropped first teaser trailer makes plain, it's obviously back in some shape or form — otherwise the series wouldn't have a premise. This time, a new bunch of private school-attending teenagers are at the ever-present, seemingly all-knowing gossip blogger's mercy, all while they navigate New York's Upper East Side and its non-stop dramas. Whether any familiar faces will pop up is yet to be revealed; however, in the most important news there is regarding this revival, Kristen Bell is returning to voice the titular figure. She's already revisited Veronica Mars a couple of times now, so bringing back another of her famous characters fits the trend. Bell will narrate the comings and goings of a group played Jordan Alexander (Sacred Lies), Eli Brown (Wrath of Man), Thomas Doherty (High Fidelity), Tavi Gevinson (Halston), Emily Alyn Lind (Every Breath You Take), Evan Mock, Zion Moreno (Control Z), Whitney Peak (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) and Savannah Lee Smith. The cast has changed, but the social-climbing chaos is bound to be familiar. And, if you were a particular fan of the threads worn by Blake Lively, Leighton Meester and company during Gossip Girl's original 2007–12 run, you'll be pleased to know that costume designer Eric Daman (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) is back for a second go-around. The creators of the initial show, Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage (The OC), have nabbed executive producer credits on the revival — so they'll have a hand in yet another adaptation of Cecily von Ziegesar's books. And the new series' showrunner, Josh Safran (Smash), was a writer and executive producer on the original series. Check out the new Gossip Girl trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reiGW6LTLok Gossip Girl will start streaming via Binge from Thursday, July 8.
Heading to Marvel Stadium at Melbourne's Docklands usually means watching a game of AFL. Or, you could be hitting up the venue to see a gig. Moseying beneath the space to wander around an underground light show and labyrinth definitely isn't normally on the cards. That'll change come winter, with the city's Firelight Festival returning for 2024 — and, for the first time, bringing the Firelight Labyrinth with it. The fest itself is a three-day affair over the last weekend in June, running from Friday, June 28–Sunday, June 30 at New Quay Promenade, Victoria Promenade and Harbour Esplanade. On the agenda, as in past years: fire performers, fire pits, fire drums, flame jets, fire arches and fire sculptures. There'll also be live music, African drumming, and an array of stomach-warming food and drink options — such as dumplings, smoked meats, paella, churros and hot chocolates. Flame-filled arts — and bites to feast on and beverages to sip while you're enjoying them — aren't the only drawcard this year, though. Cue more than 144,000 lights beaming beneath Marvel Stadium, with the labyrinth sticking around for over two weeks from Friday, June 28–Sunday, July 14. Accordingly, this year's Firelight Festival is also a huge tourist attraction for locals and visitors alike, especially if you want to see a key Aussie Rules venue in a new light — literally. As well as all of those sources of luminousness, the Firelight Labyrinth will feature immersive audio, making the experience an audio-visual maze. While the festival is free to attend — you'll need your wallet for whatever you eat and drink — the Firelight Labyrinth is ticketed, costing $37.50 for adults. "The festival is a firecracker for the local economy — injecting $4.7 million last year in three days. We're expecting to see double the support for traders this winter with the Firelight Labyrinth experience spanning 17 days," said Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp. "Firelight Festival is a beacon of light for Docklands' traders — driving 100,000 visitors to the precinct in 2023, creating 700 jobs, and delivering a smouldering serving of arts and culture on Melbourne's stunning waterfront," added Activation portfolio lead Councillor Roshena Campbell. Firelight Festival will take over Docklands nightly from Friday, June 28–Sunday, June 30, with the Firelight Labyrinth running from Friday, June 28–Sunday, July 14. For further details — and presale tickets from Wednesday, May 1, then general tickets from Thursday, May 2 — head to the festival's website.
In this often hectic world, sometimes you need to unplug in order to recharge. You know — to free yourself from that fast-paced city life, in favour of some Mother Nature and a few deep breaths of fresh, country air. Thankfully, you don't have to stray too far from the big smoke for a taste of off-the-grid living, with remote, eco-friendly cabins and home-spun escapes to be found all across the state. Switch off, disconnect and enjoy a much needed dose of serenity at one of these five Victorian off-grid stays. SHACKY, VARIOUS LOCATIONS Melbourne company Shacky began its life as one simple, crowd-funded tiny house, first operating as an Airbnb on a farm in the Otways. A few tweaks and adjustments to the prototype and you can now experience Shacky life at two different remote Victorian locations, with a third launching in the coming months. The Olive Grove edition features a charming two-person tiny house, set among olive trees and grazing sheep in Victoria's High Country, a short two-hour trek out of the city. An ideal spot for that romantic getaway you've been planning, the cabin's powered by the sun and decked out with just enough mod-cons to keep you comfy, while still embracing off-grid living — esky, running water, a basic kitchen and an in-built shower stocked with biodegradable products. SECLUDED CABIN, KINGLAKE Those keen to really get up close and personal with nature will find their ultimate off-grid oasis nestled deep in the heart of bushland, right by Kinglake National Park. This 12-square-metre cabin was designed with small living in mind, though it has all the trappings necessary for a blissful weekend spent unplugging from big city life. It's secluded and solar-powered, with a simple kitchen inside, a creek meandering nearby, and an outdoor bathroom tucked away amongst the trees. Wake to the sound of birdcalls, spend the day hiking the surrounding bush trails and cruise into the evening with some good company and wine on the deck. UNYOKED TINY HOUSES, VARIOUS LOCATIONS Aussie company Unyoked delivers an off-the-grid experience that'll see you disappearing to your own private tiny house in the wilderness, miles from any sign of human interference. The company has two solar-powered sustainable tiny house retreats in Victoria, each set in a secluded patch of wilderness on a private property, around 90 minutes out of Melbourne. Eco-friendly features like composting toilets and zero wi-fi invite you to disconnect from your regular life, though with mod-cons like cosy beds, hot showers and gas stoves, you'll be doing so in comfort. THE WILLOWS CATTLEMAN'S HUT, ANGLES REST Swap the hectic pace of the big smoke for a serve of rustic charm, with a stay at this high country cattleman's hut, sitting on a working horse property just a stone's throw from Alpine National Park. Located a six-hour drive from Melbourne, this one's about as far removed from city life as they come, with the best of rugged Mother Nature waiting right outside the front door. There's no TV or fridge, and the phone reception's sketchy at best, but you can bet you'll find plenty else to keep you entertained. The hut's kitted out with solar-powered lighting and a cosy gas fire stove for cooking, though for full effect, get that campfire roaring, fish some tinnies out of the esky and spend the night gazing at the stars. WOMBAT VALLEY CABINS, WOMBAT VALLEY To ease your way into off-grid living, without foregoing all the good stuff at once, book the crew in for a secluded stay in The Lodge, at Wombat Valley Cabins. With room for 10, this rustic beauty is primed for group getaways, one of just a handful of cabins dotted around this sleepy 60-acre property, in the heart of East Gippsland high country. While it does boast a TV and a stereo, just in case, phone reception is delightfully scarce, power comes courtesy of the sun and an old-school log fireplace keeps things nice and cosy. As an added bonus, this one's pet-friendly — bring along your pup for a weekend spent getting back to nature.
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
They start off in text, drawing in readers with their mysteries, twists and psychological thrills. They focus on women in murky situations, and make that fact known in their titles. Then, after literary success, they jump to the screen. That's the path that Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train both took — for better in one case, for worse in the other — and now it's The Woman in the Window's turn. Based on the 2018 novel by AJ Finn, The Woman in the Window follows Dr Anna Fox (Amy Adams, Hillbilly Elegy), a psychologist who also suffers from extreme agoraphobia. After befriending Jane Russell (Julianne Moore, After the Wedding), the woman who lives across the street, she cries foul when her new pal disappears — but neither Jane's husband Alistair (Gary Oldman, Crisis) nor the cops (including Godzilla vs Kong's Brian Tyree Henry) are willing to listen. As well as firmly falling into clear genre — aka mystery-thrillers that reference women in their monikers — The Woman in the Window is obviously taking some cues from Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window. And, in both the initial theatrical trailer and the just-released Netflix trailer, director Joe Wright (Atonement, Hanna, Darkest Hour) doesn't shy away from that comparison. Whether it's worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as one of Hitchcock's best films or suffers a fate closer to The Girl on the Train won't be discovered until the movie hits Netflix on Friday, May 14 — a year to the day it was originally scheduled to release in cinemas, but then the pandemic hit. Now, The Woman in the Window is going straight to streaming, as the likes of Hamilton, Mulan and Soul all have over the past year. However it turns out, The Woman in the Window has amassed a wide-ranging cast, with Possessor's Jennifer Jason Leigh and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier pair Anthony Mackie and Wyatt Russell all popping up. Lady Bird and Little Women alum Tracy Letts pops up too, and wrote the film's screenplay. Check out the latest trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_0GJg_Jnlo The Woman in the Window will be available to stream via Netflix from Friday, May 14. Top image: Melinda Sue Gordon.
The title of this film is probably the least strange thing about it. The third part of a thematic trilogy by Swedish filmmaker Roy Andersson 15 years in the making, A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence consists of a series of deadpan tragicomic vignettes ostensibly ‘about being a human being’. Sexually aggressive dance instructors, a pair of morose travelling salesman and the long dead King Charles XII are just a few of the bizarre characters who inhabit this esoteric comedy, one that had us scratching our head in bafflement as often as it had us laughing.
There are lots of reasons to spend the day hiking along the Murray River in autumn. The weather is perfect and the air is crisp. It's not so cold you have to wear thermals and not so hot you have to dash from shade-patch to shade-patch. You have the glory of nature, of course — and not regular glory but autumnal glory, which studies show is up to 45 percent more glorious than regular nature. But the ultimate best thing about hiking in autumn? The seasonal food that crops up in country restaurants. After a big day hiking, there's nothing better than cosying up to a big, hearty meal. We've paired some of the best hikes around the Murray River with the tastiest treats to indulge in after you return to civilisation. WANDER THROUGH A BILLABONG THEN A WINERY Mildura is the perfect autumn hiking destination for those of us who also love to eat. It sits alongside a natural billabong that was further irrigated when the region was settled, making it an incredibly fertile food bowl and winery region. Head to the Kings Billabong Walk car park, just north of town, and do the 4-kilometre loop. It's an easy, scenic walk through varied bushland and wetlands. Keep an eye out for wildlife (ducks, spoonbills and kingfishers can be seen on the billabong, doing their thang) and at Psyche Bend, you'll see the original pump house that irrigated the region. Once you've worked up an appetite, head over to Trentham Estate Winery, located on the other side of the wetlands and get a taste of the fresh produce from the region. The winery has an award-winning restaurant, with a balcony overlooking the mighty Murray, open for lunch (12pm–3pm). Alternatively, enjoy their excellent cellar door and charcuterie boards before taking a stroll through the grounds. EXPERIENCE COUNTRY LIFE WITH A PUB MEAL AND HISTORICAL RIVER WALK There are lots of historical towns dotted along the Murray River, and Swan Hill is one of the quaintest examples. The River Walk starts just north of the town centre and winds for 4.5 kilometres down the river. It takes you on a journey through the town and the Indigenous history of the region. It's a flat, easy walk that'll take you about two hours. When you eventually make it back to town, you have some classic country-town food options. For a lighter snack, head to Spoons Riverside and grab a coffee on the river. Or head to one of the many country pubs (try the Commercial Hotel or the Federal Hotel) for a nostalgic pub dinner. It's the perfect way to enjoy a brisk autumn night. Parma and a pot, anyone? TEST YOUR STAMINA AND SPICE TOLERANCE IN SWAN HILL If you're in the Swan Hill region and looking for a more intense hiking experience, head south down the Murray and try the Koondrook Red Gum Forest Walk instead. The full walk is a doozy — 13 kilometres of beautiful red gum forest and wetlands in the Gunbower State Forest. It's best to do it in autumn otherwise you'll work up quite a sweat. Keep your eyes peeled for kangaroos, broad-shelled turtles, and giant banjo frogs, which come out at dusk. There's a shorter 9-kilometre walk too, but both paths are relatively flat and easy-going. Afterwards, we recommend heading back up the road to Swan Hill and checking out Java Spice. It's an incredibly cute, kitschy little Balinese restaurant, with flavoursome food and a relaxing outdoor setting. Stretch out your tired limbs and indulge in a fruity cocktail (you've earned it). TAKE TIME OUT FOR COFFEE, CAKE AND ART DECO IN MILDURA Start with morning tea at the beautiful Mildura Arts Centre. The centre started as a classic country house and now has a contemporary wing. Grab morning tea in their outdoor cafe to fuel you for a day of sightseeing. The sculpture park is the perfect setting for a digestive stroll. Mildura has run a sculpture contest since 1961, so their sculpture game is on point. Wander through the grounds to kick off your walking tour. It's a self-guided tour, so you can go at your own pace while taking in the art deco architecture of Mildura. EAT YOUR WAY THROUGH ECHUCA ON A CULINARY TOUR You have a few options for treating yourself in Echuca Moama. Start with a coffee at 7 Beans Coffee on High Street, but don't linger for long, because there are a few more stops on your culinary tour before you're done. Stop in at The Sweet Meadow down the road. It's a cute cafe with an entirely vegan menu. We recommend the creamy avocado served with pesto and spelt sourdough. When you're done, head over to Beechworth Bakery and stock up on sweet bakery treats for your afternoon adventures. From there, head out to Waaia, where you'll rendezvous with Southern Side Eco Tourism. They organise adventure forays into the Barmah Millewa Forest National Park. With their help, you can go kayaking or hiking deep in the national park with all the trimmings (but be sure to organise ahead of time). For more information on the autumn experiences on offer in the Murray region and across the state, head to the Wander Victoria website.
The jolliest time of the year is almost here. And, that means the most festive movie-viewing window of the year is nearly upon us, too. We all know that it wouldn't be Christmas without rewatching a heap of suitably themed flicks, whether you've loved Elf since you can remember, prefer a classic such as It's a Wonderful Life or will only watch Die Hard — but Stan is hoping that you'll add a new Australian comedy to your end-of-year rotation. Sometime around Christmas, the streaming platform's subscribers will be able to watch festive Aussie flick A Sunburnt Christmas. And yes, you are probably just now realising that Australian doesn't actually have that many Christmas films to its name. This newcomer will join the likes of Bush Christmas, both the 1947 and 1983 versions; the animated Around the World with Dot; and recent horror movies Red Christmas and Better Watch Out — and it seems to be really leaning into the fact that it's a seasonal Aussie film. Directed by Christiaan Van Vuuren (Bondi Hipsters, The Other Guy), A Sunburnt Christmas follows a group of kids who mistake a runaway criminal for the real Santa. Daryl (Snowtown and Acute Misfortune's Daniel Henshall) happens to be dressed appropriately, red suit and all. He has also just crashed a van full of toys. But as well as not being Father Christmas, he's being chased by a mobster called Dingo (Animal Kingdom and Ride Like a Girl's Sullivan Stapleton). Kids, crims, hijinks — if you're currently thinking about Home Alone or Bad Santa, that isn't surprising. But these children live on an outback farm with their a single mother (The Gloaming's Ling Cooper Tang), and neither Joe Pesci nor Billy Bob Thornton are anywhere to be seen. The all-ages-friendly flick doesn't yet have a release date, but you can obviously expect it to hit your streaming queue just as you're breaking out the eggnog. A Sunburnt Christmas will be available to stream via Stan later in 2020 — we'll update you with an exact date when one is announced.
The end of March sees the beginning of cherry blossoms beginning their bloom all over Japan. The cherry blossoms, or sakura, are a fleeting beauty, only revealing the pretty pink petals for a couple of weeks each year — with tourists hailing from all over the world to catch a precious glimpse. With the country's borders reopening to tourists at the end of 2022, there is no better time to head to Japan and soak in all of its wonders than right now. Plus, with the sakura season varying around the country, you can experience that pink sky a bit later in the year if you head further north than Tokyo. If a Japan trip is in your near future, we're jealous! But, you're also probably feeling a tad overwhelmed with the myriad sights to see, activities to do and snacks to snack on. So, it's handy that Klook is up to date with the greatest ways to explore the country. Heading to Tokyo? Osaka? Okinawa? There's parasailing, dedicated cherry blossom experiences, temples aplenty and much more. But, if you're not heading there in the near future, CP's got you covered — don't fret. We've rounded up some standout Japanese experiences in Melbourne that will ease you through your travel bug. [caption id="attachment_893357" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Phattana[/caption] JOIN A CHERRY BLOSSOM-THEMED PAINT AND SIP AT LADDER ART SPACE Heading to Tokyo? Be sure to book a Mount Fuji Classic Route Day Tour to see the cherry blossom trees in flower with the iconic Mt Fuji in the background. You'll have time to explore the picturesque ponds of Oshino Hakkai too, sure to be an experience you'll never forget. Staying in Melbourne? If you can't see the cherry blossoms in the flesh, why not paint them instead? Kew's Ladder Art Space cherry blossom class will provide you with everything you need, all you have to do is show up. Your creative juices will flow (encouraged by some vino) and music, plus expert artists showing you the ropes. Whether you're a tyro or a Picasso, you will take home a hand-painted cherry blossom artwork, with the staggering Mount Fuji as the backdrop — your own slice of Japan to look at every day. [caption id="attachment_889219" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] HAVE AN OMAKASE DINING EXPERIENCE AT YUGEN If you're feeling sorry for yourself for missing out on cherry blossom season in Japan this year, we suggest you stay local and really treat yourself — and what's more indulgent than an omakase experience? Head to the six-seater chef's table at Yugen, where Alex Yu will guide you through an intimate dining experience showcasing the highest quality produce and his well-honed culinary skills. Yu handcrafts a seasonally driven daily menu and personally works to ensure your experience is something truly special. The omakase will set you back $285 per person — make sure you book in advance as spots book out quickly. [caption id="attachment_717300" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] GET YOUR BRUNCH ON AT 279 If you won't be in Tokyo to brunch on nori toast or impossibly fluffy pancakes, look no further than West Melbourne for your daily dose of authentic Japanese home cooking at 279. This sleek venue sits on Victoria Street and offers strictly Japanese cuisine, coffee and dessert. This is a fusion-free zone with a menu that is hearty and traditional, centred around onigiri — which you can find on the shelves of Japan's plentiful convenience stores. Right here in Melbourne is the perfect spot to start your day's feasting with authentic Japanese cuisine — you'll soon forget that you're in Melbourne's decorated streets and not those of Harajuku. SIP ON SAKE AND JAPANESE BEERS AT ROBOT BAR If a night on the town in Tokyo, exploring the alleyway bars of Golden Gai, isn't on the cards for spring, check out Robot Bar hidden away off Flinders Lane. This is a little slice of Tokyo in Melbourne, with an extensive range of sake and beer to enjoy. The Japanese "popular culture bar" is guarded by a gang of toy robots hanging from the ceiling and a collection of vintage Japanese movie posters. A fun and relaxed atmosphere to enjoy after work — or a place to nerd out on anime every Tuesday at 8pm. [caption id="attachment_893354" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marco Montalti[/caption] REPAIR YOUR BROKEN CERAMICS AT A KINTSUGI AUSTRALIA WORKSHOP Klook is full of exciting activities you can enjoy in Japan this spring. But, if you're wanting to take up a new hobby while embracing some culture right here in Melbourne, we suggest you check out Kintsugi Australia's workshop. Kintsugi is the traditional Japanese art of repairing broken pottery using lacquer and gold, dating back to the 16th century. This art form embraces the Japanese celebration of the beauty in imperfection, beautifully highlighting a break or flaw instead of disguising it. Kintsugi Australia offers a range of courses, whether you are looking for something modern, traditional, beginner or intensive. Workshops run most days — there's something for everyone to embrace and enjoy. [caption id="attachment_893361" align="alignnone" width="1918"] Mila Naumova[/caption] TRY YOUR HAND AT IKEBANA FLORAL STYLING Have a go at ikebana, a calming and therapeutic petalled way to bring a bit of Japanese culture into your life. Ikebana is a traditional style of floral arrangement, which is a lot more sculptural practice compared to Western techniques. This practice highlights the inner qualities of materials and aims to express balance, harmony and form. If you're interested in learning how to make beautiful ikebana arrangements, By Azumi has you covered with workshops suitable for beginners and more experienced students, in multiple places in Melbourne. You'll learn all the basics, going home with your arrangement and the skills to flex your ikebana muscles forever. [caption id="attachment_893462" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Author[/caption] BUY SOME MANGA, FIGURINES AND MODEL KITS AT ONE STOP ANIME If you're interested in more contemporary Japanese culture, One Stop Anime has a pretty impressive collection of figurines that will see you take a little piece of Japan home with you. Hidden away on Bourke Street, this treasure trove is heaven for any anime lover. The staff are all experts and super friendly, so they will be sure to help you with whatever you're searching for — whether you are into Studio Ghibli, Pokemon or Hatsune Miku. HEAD OUT OF THE CITY TO STAY AT JAPANESE MOUNTAIN RETREAT Heading to Japan and Fukuoka's on your list? Be sure to check out Klook's Kumamoto Castle and Kurokawa Onsen day trip. After you explore some majestic historical castles and visit an active volcano you will end the day with a relaxing dip in the hot springs of Kurokawa. Staying in Melbourne? Head to the Japanese Mountain Retreat in Montrose for a romantic weekend away. You might not have a vista that includes volcanoes, but the mountains are just as magical. Plus, you can enjoy your own onsen experience. Here, there are multiple bathing packages that'll have you soaking in natural mineral-rich spring water — we promise you will feel worlds away from home in this Japanese oasis. There are plenty of Japanese experiences you can enjoy right here in Melbourne, but if you can't quite cure your travel bug, it might be a sign that a last-minute trip during cherry blossom season is just what you need. Best place to start planning? Klook. For more information, head to the website. Top images: AXP Photography; Julia Sansone; Jezael Melgoza.
UPDATE, September 1, 2023: Aftersun is available to stream via Binge, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. The simplest things in life can be the most revealing, whether it's a question asked of a father by a child, an exercise routine obeyed almost mindlessly or a man stopping to smoke someone else's old cigarette while wandering through a holiday town alone at night. The astonishing feature debut by Scottish writer/director Charlotte Wells, Aftersun is about the simple things. Following the about-to-turn-31 Calum (Paul Mescal, The Lost Daughter) and his daughter Sophie (debutant Frankie Corio) on vacation in Turkey in the late 90s, it includes all of the above simple things, plus more. It tracks, then, that this coming-of-age story on three levels — of an 11-year-old flirting with adolescence, a dad struggling with his place in the world, and an adult woman with her own wife and family grappling with a life-changing experience from her childhood — is always a movie of deep, devastating and revealing complexity. Earning the internet's Normal People-starring boyfriend a Best Actor Oscar nomination, and deservedly so, Aftersun is a reflective, ruminative portrait of heartbreak. It's a quest to find meaning in sorrow and pain, too, and in processing the past. Wells has crafted a chronicle of interrogating, contextualising, reframing and dwelling in memories; an examination of leaving and belonging; and an unpacking of the complicated truths that a kid can't see about a parent until they're old enough to be that parent. Breaking up Calum and Sophie's sun-dappled coastal holiday with the older Sophie (Celia Rowlson-Hall, Vox Lux) watching camcorder footage from the trip, sifting through her recollections and dancing it out under a nightclub's strobing lights in her imagination, this is also a stunning realisation that we'll always read everything we can into a loved one's actions with the benefit of hindsight, but all we ever truly have is the sensation that lingers in our hearts and heads. That aforementioned question arrives early in Aftersun: "when you were 11, what did you think you'd be doing now?" Sophie asks. A query that's been uttered many times to many people, Wells does indeed mean to get Calum taking stock, remembering his youthful hopes and dreams, and seeing the chasm between what he once wanted and where adulthood has brought him. She also wants viewers sharing the train of thought with him, in a movie that doesn't just feel personal in every second — the filmmaker has called it "emotionally autobiographical" — but gets its audience feeling that it is personal to them. That's a remarkable skill, making a piece of fiction drawn partly and loosely from someone's facts feel as vivid to you as if you'd lived it yourself. And, for 90s kids like Sophie, it doesn't just spring from the meticulous period detail in the sets, wardrobe choices, and 'Macarena', 'Losing My Religion' and 'Tubthumping' on the soundtrack. Consider Calum's quietly, subtly shaken response to Sophie's innocent inquiry — the unsettled look on his face momentarily, owning the brief but loaded pause, before he remembers that he needs a dad's reaction — Exhibit A among the evidence that Mescal is doing career-best work. The actor still only has a handful of screen credits to his name, scoring his Academy Award nod in just his third movie role. He's never been anything less than phenomenal in anything he's been in. Earthy and charming, gentle and fragile, stoic and raw, so wounded inside and so reluctant to share it, and sporting a vulnerable gaze and a cast over one wrist, Mescal is simply heartwrenching in Aftersun, however, as it keeps diving into Sophie's remembrances of her oft-smoking, always supportive, tai chi-practising, playfully bantering, tenderly doting but also silently depressed dad. Understanding why the adult Sophie is scouring VHS tapes and her mind's eye for far more than mere nostalgia involves doing what everyone on a resort getaway does: hanging out. Aftersun spends much of its time in the simple holiday moments, including by the pool, at dinner, singing karaoke, day tripping, and in Sophie and Calum's room — and lets these ordinary, everyday occurrences, and the details that flow from them, confess everything they can. With a blue hue, the film pieces together the pair's history along the way, with Sophie living in Glasgow with her mum, Calum based in London but hardly settled or happy, and this vacation a rare chance for the two to enjoy quality time alone. It also hears the instances where he's mistaken for her older brother and, not unrelated, sees her yearning to be liked by the older kids staying at the same hotel as they drink, banter, party and represent a step closer to her dad's existence. Mescal gets a tilt at Hollywood's night of nights for his efforts, but Corio is just as extraordinary — perhaps more so given that it's her first acting role. Watching the duo together is a marvel and, befitting the wistful sensation that washes through the feature about its central voyage, a rarity. Aftersun is sensual and dreamy in its structure and texture, elaborately constructed to look and feel that way, and anchored by two sensationally naturalistic performances and one sublimely authentic rapport. Everything about the picture ripples with a lived-in air: Mescal and Corio alone and combined alike, the emotions so tremendously conveyed in their portrayals, the genuine rather than fetishised 90s minutiae, Catatonia's 'Road Rage' and All Saints' 'Never Ever' echoing among the pitch-perfect music choices, and those flashes of hazy lose-yourself-to-dance reverie that include the grownup Sophie as well as her vision of Calum. Sophie, Calum and the inescapable aching that haunts both make an unforgettable trio, but Aftersun adds more names to that list, Wells chief among them. One of her great feats in penning and helming a movie that itself is a great feat is ensuring it resembles a flickering memory, complete with making it look and play that way — aided by cinematographer Gregory Oke (Raf) and editor Blair McClendon (The Assistant) — with its faded, glitching videotape aesthetic. Her sense of pace, feel and emotional storytelling, and her ability to build layers everywhere, is as engrained as Mescal and Corio's easy vibe. Her way with all the details revealed in all those small things, and with music drops that say everything (the use of David Bowie and Queen's 'Under Pressure' is majestic and dazzling) is as well. There's nothing tiny about the talents on show here, or the story shared, or one of the most resonant, intelligent and shattering final shots any film has ever managed. "Wish we could've stayed for longer," Sophie says before that. When Calum replies "me too", he's speaking for all of us.
Set within the very heart of Camberwell, close to the suburb's iconic junction, one music store has built a stellar reputation over the last 50 years. That would be Music Junction, a specialist in all things instruments and the go-to store for much of Melbourne's music royalty over the previous decades. It doesn't matter whether you're an experienced muso or just looking to learn a new skill, inside you'll find a massive variety of musical instruments and equipment that spans guitars, pianos, percussion and more. Meanwhile, the in-store repair service is there to give your instruments a tune-up if you decide to give something you already own a much-needed dust off. Images: Tracey Ahkee.
Androids may dream of electric sheep, or they may not, but that isn't the only metaphysical question that cinema likes to contemplate. Do souls yearn and strive for — and fret and stress over — their chance to shuffle onto this mortal coil? That's the query that Pixar's Soul pondered so thoughtfully and enchantingly, and it's one that Nine Days, which actually predates its animated counterpart but is only reaching Australian cinemas now, masterfully explores as well. "You are being considered for the amazing opportunity of life," a bespectacled, suspender-wearing, serious-faced Will (Winston Duke, Us) tells the candidates hoping to soon live and breathe. They're far more enthusiastic about the process than he is, although he values their prospective existence much more than they can fathom in their wide-eyed eagerness and excitement. Will has seen what can happen next, because it's his job not only to select the best souls to embark upon this thing called life, but to monitor their progress in all the days, months and years afterwards. He's observed the success stories; however, he's also witnessed the heartbreaks as well. In this stirring and fittingly soulful debut feature from writer/director Edson Oda — a movie that won the dramatic screenwriting award at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival — Will surveys his next troupe of contenders fresh from viewing the unhappy end that met one of his previous favourites. He's already adrift from existence as we know it, and from almost everyone else who resides in the picture's ethereal yet also earthy pre-life realm, but he's now burdened with a renewed sense of solemnity. His colleague Kyo (Benedict Wong, The Personal History of David Copperfield) tries to get him to see the lighter side — the more human side — of the path his next chosen candidate will take. He emphasises the ebbs and flows that Will, who has become more rigid in his thinking and feelings the longer he's in the role, now fervently discounts. But among a roster of new applicants that includes Kane (Bill Skarsgård, IT Chapter Two), Alex (Tony Hale, Veep), Mike (David Rysdahl, Dead Pigs) and Maria (Arianna Ortiz, Rattlesnake), all of which are given nine days to demonstrate why they should be born next, it's actually the calm, passionate and inquisitive Emma (Zazie Beetz, Atlanta) that challenges the way Will perceives his work and what it means to be alive. Nine Days could've been reductive and generic. Perhaps, statistically, it should've turned out that way. Tales of men who learn what's important in their limited period of consciousness via their interactions with spirited women are far too common — and not just on the big screen, but everywhere that tales are told. Many of Nine Days' other elements echo from other films and stories, too, strongly recalling Hirokazu Kore-eda's 1998 film After Life, bringing The Truman Show to mind in Will's voyeurism, clearly sharing thematic threads with Blade Runner and its sequel, and also skirting around similar terrain as Wim Wenders' haunting Wings of Desire. But, thankfully, Oda isn't bogged down by his influences. Just as his protagonist has clear notions of what life should be, at least when Nine Days begins, the first-time filmmaker has a distinct vision for this beautiful and rousing movie. Unlike Will, Oda doesn't waver, reassess or have his ideas probed, however. Instead, he crafts a film that's certain in its message about valuing and seizing life, and just as assured and confident about conveying that concept quietly, patiently, affectingly and with grounded sincerity — and about earning every step in its emotional journey, rather than relying on platitudes. With nuance and layers, that's how Nine Days can celebrate the simple act of appreciating the small things, and yet never comes across as if it's preaching a statement that's stitched onto a throw pillow. It's how Emma can introduce Will to a new perspective, and one he definitely needs, but never play like yet another manic pixie dream girl. It's also how the feature can wade into recognisable territory but avoid falling victim to all of the obvious cliches. That its central character lives and conducts his interviews in an ordinary-looking house that's surrounded by nothing but desert as far as the eye can see aptly reflects how the film itself appears familiar but always stands apart. Another key factor that makes Nine Days the movie it is: its detail. That's a product of Oda's commitment, too. His on-screen realm looks and feels fleshed out and lived in, and so do his characters (yes, even given the premise). Visually, that approach delivers sights that slip onto the screen like favourite possessions, such as walls of old-school TVs, deep stares at both hopeful and pensive faces, and lingering gazes at the sandy expanse surrounding Will's house. Cinematographer Wyatt Garfield's (Beatriz at Dinner) striking shots are also measured, like they're genuinely taking the time to soak in every iota — and the production design he's peering at, including in a room used to give unsuccessful souls one happy memory to hold on to, is a Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Science of Sleep, Be Kind Rewind)-like treasure trove. The same care and attention is afforded Will, Emma, Kyo and their fellow pre-life inhabitants as well, as shines through in the movie's fine-tuned performances. Nine Days is yet another movie that's filled with actors with recent comic book franchise credits; most films are these days. But Duke, Beetz and Wong are hardly talents shackled to their respective parts in Black Panther, Deadpool 2, Joker and Doctor Strange, or to any sprawling universes such titles connect to. They're all performers who bring humanity and vulnerability to their roles here, and in different ways. There's a guarded air of woundedness to Duke's phenomenal internalised portrayal — he's basically a traumatised guardian angel — and a lively curiosity and appreciation to Beetz's work, while Wong radiates empathy. Each of these three key players, and their fellow co-stars, also bake ambiguity into their performances. No person is just one thing, or can ever be solved, after all. That's truly what this evocative and memorable film is all about: the texture, experiences, feelings and enigmas that comprise every soul, and every life.
Finding a critter creeping around in your food is one of most people's worst nightmares; however at this year's Antenna Documentary Film Festival, it's all part of the fun. Not only is the fest screening Bugs, a doco about two researchers from René Redzepi's experimental Nordic Food Lab exploring the culinary value and environmental benefits of eating insects — it's also serving up ant-covered choc tops. Sure, we already knew that edible bugs were in the festival's 2016 lineup; however we didn't take it quite so literally. Gelato makers Cow & Moon are doing the honours, creating a guava-flavoured sorbet choc top crawling with tiny creatures. They'll give the dish a pop of acidity — and yes, the ants are 100% real. The daring desserts will only be on offer at the October 15 session of Bugs at the Chauvel Cinema in Sydney, and really turns film-viewing into quite the interactive and sensory experience. "I am excited for audiences to connect to this film in a real, adventurous and visceral way," says Antenna festival manager Kate Vinen. Who's hungry? The 2016 Antenna Documentary Film Festival screens in Sydney from October 11 to 16, Brisbane from October 26 to 30, and Melbourne from November 2 to 6. For more information, check out the festival website.
A 1.5-hour drive from Melbourne CBD and a short descent along the bushwalking trail in Glenlyon reserve lies your new wild swimming spot. Here, Loddon River drops to the gorge below in a cascading waterfall, creating what may be the most beautiful swimming hole ever. Take it all in as you float, from the gentle rush of the falls to the scrub clinging to the high basalt columns around the sheltered gorge. Formed by volcanic eruptions 2.5 million years ago, Loddon Falls is now a reserve of tranquility, perfect for relaxing and spotting native fauna — wallabies, kangaroos and echidnas are known to make appearances. This is the true treasure of Goldfields country.
The Moon Dog crew is growing it's brewery bar empire in Melbourne at a rapid speed. Moon Dog World in Preston is as popular as ever and they've just opened the ambitious Moon Dog Wild West out in Footscray. But now, all eyes are on Doglands — its upcoming 1500-person bar within the revamped Marvel Stadium Concourse. This will be its biggest site yet, hopefully breathing some life into the Docklands. The team plans to do that by going big, in true Moon Dog fashion. The Preston site has its lagoon. Footscray is a three-storey saloon with a bucking bull and rooftop garden. And Doglands will be an enormous adventureland with an indoor volcano, live music stage, palm trees aplenty and an island. Those who follow the right paths inside the brewery bar might also stumble into the hidden karaoke room. We don't have full details on this new venture, but we do know that it's not the only Moon Dog opening to look forward to. Also on the cards is a waterside site in Frankston. All we know about this one is that it will be be in Franga, but you can guarantee the team will be pouring a heap of their award-winning beers and much-loved seltzers from each spot. We don't have an opening date for Doglands at Marvel Stadium Concourse, but will update you with more information once we have it. In the meantime, visit the brewery's website for details on its other sites.
If the term 'aquatic centre' conjures memories of chlorine-soaked indoor humidity and school swimming lessons, don't panic. Located in Princes Gardens, Prahran Aquatic Centre's openair pool is surrounded by green lawns, towering palms and the South Melbourne skyline. The pool maintains a pleasant 26 degrees, a godsend in Melbourne's changeable weather. Lap-swimmers and recreational water-lovers alike are welcome to take a dip. When you're done, grab something from the cafe and relax on the lawn or deck. Or, satisfy your post-swim appetite by hitting the nearby foodie hotspots in Prahran. Images: City of Stonnington
Michael Bay movies, Michael Bay movies, whatcha gonna do? Since the action-film director leapt from commercials and music videos to his big-screen debut Bad Boys more than a quarter-century back, there's only been two options. Slickly and unsubtly dripping with gleeful excess, his high-concept flicks embrace explosions, chases, heists, shootouts, jittery chaos and perpetual golden-hour hues with such OTT passion that you surrender or roll your eyes — having a blast or being bored by the bombast, basically. Too often, the latter strikes. That proved true of all five of his Transformers films, which are responsible for more cinematic tedium than any filmmaker should legally be allowed to crash onto screens. That his pictures are lensed and spliced as if lingering on one still for more than a split second is a heinous crime usually doesn't help, but it's what Bay is known for — and yet when Bayhem sparkles like it mostly does in Ambulance, it's its own kind of thrilling experience. Following a high-stakes Los Angeles bank robbery that goes south swiftly, forcing two perpetrators to hijack an EMT vehicle — while a paramedic tries to save a shot cop's life as the van flees the LAPD and the FBI, too — Ambulance is characteristically ridiculous. Although based on the 2005 Danish film Ambulancen, it's Bay from go to whoa; screenwriter and feature newcomer Chris Fedak (TV's Chuck, Prodigal Son) even references past Bay movies in the dialogue. The first time, when The Rock is mentioned, it's done in a matter-of-fact way that as brazen as anything Bay has ever achieved when his flicks defy the laws of physics. In the second instance mere minutes later, it's perhaps the most hilarious thing he's put in his movies. It's worth remembering that Divinyls' 'I Touch Myself' was one of his music-clip jobs; Bay sure does love what only he can thrust onto screens, and he wants audiences to know it while adoring it as well. Ambulance's key duo, brothers Will (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, The Matrix Resurrections) and Danny Sharp (Jake Gyllenhaal, The Guilty), are a former Marine and ostensible luxury-car dealer/actual career criminal with hugely different reasons for attempting to pilfer a $32-million payday. For the unemployed Will, it's about the cash needed to pay for his wife Amy's (Moses Ingram, The Tragedy of Macbeth) experimental surgery, which his veteran's health insurance won't cover — but his sibling just wants money. Will is reluctant but desperate, Danny couldn't be more eager, and both race through a mess of a day. Naturally, it gets more hectic when they're hurtling along as the hotshot Cam (Eiza González, Godzilla vs Kong) works on wounded rookie police officer Zach (Jackson White, The Space Between), arm-deep in his guts at one point, while Captain Monroe (Garrett Dillahunt, Army of the Dead), Agent Anson Clark (Keir O'Donnell, The Dry) and their forces are in hot pursuit. Everything from Armageddon, Pearl Harbour and The Island to 2019's Netflix flick 6 Underground has trained viewers in what to expect from Ambulance — plus the movies name-checked in Ambulance's frames, obviously — but Bay is also the filmmaker who gave cinema 2013's exceptional Pain & Gain. His latest doesn't reach the same savvy heights, and it's both boosted by its hearty embrace of Bayhem and occasionally a victim to it, but it's rarely less than wildly entertaining. As the director's best efforts have long shown, he boasts a knack for heist-style films. Capers about break-ins of various sorts, even into Alcatraz, suit Bay because they're typically about chasing hefty scores no matter the cost. Ambulance was made for only $40 million, which is a fifth of most Transformers movies and somehow around half of non-Bay-directed recent release Morbius' budget, but bold moves with eyes on a big prize aren't just fiction in Bay's orbit. When Ambulance works, it enthrals with its shameless hug of classic Bay trademarks — putting them to fitting use, rather than simply splashing them around because that's his familiar schtick. Drone shots (yes, Bay has discovered drones) are frequently a bane of modern filmmaking, trotted out just because they can be, but they careen and prowl here to add urgency, capture the on-the-road frenzy and plot out LA. Bay's fondness for constantly circling camerawork, as seen when director of photography Roberto De Angelis (Faces Places) can't even shoot Will asking Danny for cash without revolving around Abdul-Mateen and Gyllenhaal, also conveys the many non-stop onslaughts crucial to the movie. In that specific scene, the relentless motion expresses the toll of Will's ongoing struggle for funds, the heady excitement of Danny's lifelong grifting and also the continually spinning dynamic between the two brothers. Of course, Ambulance's pièce de résistance is all that time spent in its key mode of transport, intensely zipping and zooming around the City of Angels like Bay is making Point Break-meets-Mad Max: Fury Road (and after attempting to riff on Heat first). His commitment to kinetic and frenetic practical effects and stunts instantly makes the movie's stellar midsection stand out — and yes, that Bay's overall aesthetic and approach now looks worlds away from the franchise action fare that monopolises blockbuster cinema at present is part of what makes Ambulance feel like such a treat. Given this was never going to be a flick with clever dialogue, as those nods to The Rock and company make plain, Abdul-Mateen, Gyllenhaal and González all get their finest moments to shine while speeding along as well. All three turn in charismatic performances that invest one-note parts with flair and as much depth as they can in the circumstances, but it's Gyllenhaal in villainous mode who's always utterly mesmerising. Just like Bay, he's having a ball, it shows and it's infectious. Absent, thankfully, is the filmmaker's past fondness for leering at women (see: the first two Bad Boys movies and anytime Megan Fox appears in the Transformers flicks for especially egregious examples). Instead, that's swapped for ogling LA, its skyscrapers and landmarks, and the chases that blow past them — but Ambulance is still noticeably a sausage fest. It also can't resist overextending its running time at 136 minutes, resulting in a dragging finale. And, it throws in law enforcement- and military-worshipping patriotism that comes as no surprise from the helmer of the dire 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, and clumsily leans on stereotypes with queer and Latino characters. Ambulance's rough patches are eclipsed by its rush, rollicking, dash and dazzle, though, inherent absurdity and all — even if welcoming Bayhem as the current pinnacle of action cinema sounds as preposterous as, well, hijacking an ambulance.
If you're a dinosaur fan in Australia, life keeps finding a way to indulge your interest in prehistoric creatures. In Brisbane, the Dinosaurs of Patagonia museum showcase is currently displaying impressive fossils. In Melbourne and later Sydney, Dinos Alive: An Immersive Experience is about to hit. And also in the Harbour City, Jurassic World: The Exhibition will soon roar into town with its own critters, as well as a celebration of 30 years since the first Jurassic Park movie initially rampaged across the big screen. Yes, it's a great time to fascinated with dinosaurs right now — we've seen two seasons of Prehistoric Planet on streaming in the past two years, too — and this latest exhibition arrives as part of a global tour. A showcase with the same name displayed in Melbourne back in 2016, but this visit comes after stops everywhere from London, San Diego, Paris and Madrid to Seoul, Shanghai and Toronto. On offer: life-sized, lifelike versions of the movie franchise's animals. Expect to feel like you've been transported to Isla Nublar, complete with a walk through the big-screen saga's famed gates. From there, you'll walk through themed environments featuring dinos, including a brachiosaurus, velociraptors — yes, get ready to say "clever girl" — and a Tyrannosaurus rex. Also linking in with the animated Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous series, there'll be baby dinos, including the show's Bumpy. Sydneysiders and visitors to the New South Wales capital will be able to get roaming, and staring at animatronic dinos, from Friday, September 22 at the 3000-square-metre SuperLuna Pavilion at Sydney Showground in Sydney Olympic Park. Exactly how long the exhibition will hang around for hasn't been announced, except that it'll be a limited stay. If it'll head to other Australian cities afterwards also hasn't been revealed. Now, all that's left is to decide which Jurassic franchise character you want to emulate (the best choices: Laura Dern's palaeobotanist Ellie Sattler, Sam Neill's palaeontologist Alan Grant and Jeff Goldblum's mathematician Ian Malcolm, of course). And no, when Michael Crichton penned Jurassic Park in 1990, then Steven Spielberg turned it into a 1993 film, they wouldn't have expected that this'd be the result three decades — and five more movies — later. Jurassic World: The Exhibition will display at SuperLuna Pavilion, Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park from Friday, September 22 — head to the exhibition's website to join the ticket waitlist.
The Boyd family is one of the great Australian art dynasties, which you can explore as the Heide Museum of Modern Art opens up its extensive archives. The legacy of Merric and Doris Boyd — and their five children: Lucy, Arthur, Guy, David and Mary — will be showcased, as each family member has achieved artistic greatness throughout the last 100 years. As was often the case, Heide's founders John and Sunday Reed had their ears to the ground and acquired many of the Boyd family's (and closely associated artists) works during the 1940s and '50s. The many works exhibited include Arthur's surrealist-expressionist paintings, Merric's art nouveau pots and drawings, Guy Boyd's bronze portraits and Lucy's tile designs. In addition, you'll see works by the many great artists who spent time at the family's studio known as the 'Arthur Merric Boyd (AMB) Pottery', such as sculptures and paintings by John Perceval and earthenware by prominent gardener and conservationist Neil Douglas. Making History: The Boyd Family is open now until Sunday, November 12 at the Heide Museum of Modern Art. Image: David Boyd, Landscape (1958).
If you can't go up, go sideways. Iconic Hawthorn pub, The Auburn Hotel, has bought out the next-door neighbours, Regan Motors, with plans to turn the space into a brand new, atrium-style dining hub. It's just one part of a huge $4.3-million renovation and extension project, which should see The Auburn become one of the biggest venues east of Burnley. The other half of the plan is upgrading the Auburn's famous beer garden, including a new wood-fired pizza bar and a lawn for lazy summer afternoons. Plus, a fancy new playground for the little ones. The real star of the show, however, is the old Regan Motors site next door. This has already been knocked down, and the plan is to turn it into a massive atrium-style dining hall. A relaxed spot for lunch, afternoon sessions, weddings and other functions. The Auburn Hotel has been standing on the corner of Auburn Road and Victoria Street since 1888, and it's fair to say this is the biggest expansion the venue has ever undertaken. Demolition work has already started, but The Auburn Hotel is still open for business. Apart from the beer garden renovations, there shouldn't be too much disruption to day-to-day operations. The Auburn Hotel's renovation project is set to finish sometime later this year. We'll keep you updated as more details emerge. Images: supplied.
Beer nerds and coffee snobs can both get something out of this special tasting at Preston brewery Tallboy & Moose. The fittingly named Beerspresso pairs local roasters with local brewers, resulting in eight unique coffee-infused beers. Red Bean, Maker Fine Coffee and Rumble Coffee Roasters are among those providing the beans, while the booze will come courtesy of the likes of 3 Ravens, Westside Aleworks and 7 cent. Your ticket entitles you to a taster of each coffee, followed by a 130ml sample of each beer. Image: Simon Shiff.
