The Australian Centre for the Moving Image has announced its program for White Night 2016. The cinema and exhibition space in Federation Square will once again host a number of film screenings and activities, as visitors flood to the city for the annual after dark arts festival, which is set to take place on Saturday, February 20. And everyone knows that, when you need a White Night disco nap, the cinema is the place to go. One of the biggest items among this year's ACMI lineup is the Internet Cat Video Festival, the general content of which you can probably guess for yourself. The centre will also screen Tracy Moffatt's acclaimed short film Night Cries and Don Featherstone's Babakiueria, both of which offer distinctive takes on race relations in Australia. Rounding out the film program is Shane McNeil's Girt by Sea, which mixes archival footage with an original score by The Panics, in what is described as "a cinematic love letter to the coastline of Australia". Those looking for something a little more interactive can also check out the Next Level Games Lounge in the ACMI Lightwell, where you can try your hand at a number of recent and retro video games while listening to music from live DJs and sipping drinks from a pop-up bar. There'll also be the chance to experience virtual reality, with the centre stocking up on cardboard VR mounts. Finally, ACMI's exhibition spaces will remain open all night long, as will the ACMI Cafe & Bar. Of course, the biggest draw of ACMI's White Night Program might not be anything on the program itself, but the simple fact that the cinemas are comfortable and air conditioned – making it an ideal spot to recharge your art-lovin' batteries during the early hours of the morning. The full White Night program is expected to drop in late January, although several major commissions have already been revealed. Standouts include Lisa Roet's Golden Monkey, featuring a 10m-high monkey climbing Melbourne Town Hall, as well as a new collaboration with the Portuguese multimedia group whose projection piece at the Royal Exhibition Building was one of the highlights of White Night last year. For more information about White Night 2016, visit whitenightmelbourne.com.au.
Acclaimed Aussie artist Callum Preston has shown off plenty of his nostalgic side, having delighted audiences when he recreated a 70s-style milk bar — complete with painted timber chocolate bars, magazines and soft drink cans — back in 2017. Before that, he was responsible for a life-sized replica of a DeLorean for 2015 artwork Bootleg to the Future. But now, fresh from helping to bring to life Rone's acclaimed Empire work last year — which saw a deserted art deco mansion transformed into a multifaceted, immersive art experience — Preston is switching up the pace for his latest solo exhibition, titled Everything Is Borrowed. The exhibition is part of a five-week residency at the Rialto's KSR Art Bar. The space has also become Preston's studio — and while the show doesn't officially open until Thursday, November 21, from today, you can drop by the bar to see him working on pieces for the show. These pieces will be a hand-crafted collection of mixed-media works, canvases and Preston's signature painted timber panel piece — and everything will be made on-site. The diverse collection — which will be constantly updated — will be a homage to the multitude of items we humans accumulate throughout our lives. [caption id="attachment_746105" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Callum Preston.[/caption] Everything Is Borrowed is a reference to The Streets' song of the same name, and, taking inspiration from it, Preston will capture the changing value we place on those everyday treasures and trinkets. "We live in a material world, but most of the time it's about what an item means to a person, more than its monetary value," explains Preston. The studio itself is made entirely from recycled materials, with an eclectic assembly of notes, sketches, offcuts, photos, tools, and other bits and pieces gracing its walls. It's worth taking a stickybeak at over a drink one night after work — then head back between Novembre 21 and December 21 to see the exhibition in its entirety. Callum Preston's 'Everything Is Borrowed' will run from Thursday, November 21, to Saturday, December 7 — but you can drop by and see him at work from today. It's happening at the KSR Art Bar, ground floor, Rialto Piazza, entry via 525 Collins Street, Melbourne, and will be open from 4–11pm Monday to Friday.
As most of us loudly exclaim every year, how on earth is it February already? With that, Valentine's Day is almost upon us. Whether you're all in on the celebration of love, you adamantly tell anyone who will listen that it's a money-making conspiracy or you only acknowledge Galentine's Day, there's nothing bad about an excuse to spread warm and fuzzy feelings. If you don't feel like dropping tonnes of cash on one of the many set menu dinners on offer, here are five ideas for V Day that won't break the bank. [caption id="attachment_760801" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ardian Lumi[/caption] LEARN A DANCE OF LOVE AT THE IMMIGRATION MUSEUM For anyone who loves to dance, or likes the idea of dancing but isn't quite sure how, The Immigration Museum has you sorted. It'll be open late for Latin Valentine in honour of the Mexican tradition El Día del Amor y la Amistad (The Day of Love and Friendship). Entry is just $20 each (or a little extra for a sultry dance workshop or a chocolate and tequila tasting), for a night of salsa dancing, afro beats, cocktails, street food and mariachi love song dedications. To celebrate the importance of platonic and familial love, there's also speed friending sessions, personalised compliment cards and a Polaroid photo booth. PAT POOCHES AND GET SMOOCHES AT THIS BREWERY Romance prospects looking a little slim this Valentine's Day? Fear not — your mates at Abbotsford's Moon Dog have the perfect solution, involving some very good boys and plenty of furry (and perhaps a little slobbery) kisses. This February 14, the Abbotsford brewery is serving up a big dose of puppy love with its dog-filled Valentine's Day bash, complete with an adorable doggy kissing booth. It'll be manned by some of Moon Dog's favourite four-legged friends, offering smooches from 4–6pm. Who even needs love when doggy snogs are on the cards? Fittingly, this paw party also coincides with the launch of the latest drop from Moon Dog's Doggo Mates beer series: the big, hazy Leon's New England IPA. Rock up from 4pm and you can be one of the first to sample it fresh from the tap. And, of course, if you've got a pooch of your own, they're welcome to come along and join in the loved-up, Valentine's Day fun. SEE A FILM IN ONE OF MELBOURNE'S PRETTIEST GARDENS A twilight picnic, a bottle of wine and a movie under the stars, all with the grass of Rippon Lea Estate under your toes. Idyllic. Barefoot Cinema has returned to the gorgeous garden for another summer, and this February 14 it's screening the always romantic (despite the teenage deaths) Romeo + Juliet. Tickets are $22 a pop so BYO picnic and pick up a bottle of vino from the bar. Barefoot isn't the only outdoor cinema showing flicks this Valentine's Day, either — you can also head to Moonlight Cinema at the Royal Botanic Gardens, which is screening Ghost; catch Rocketman at the MCG; or watch a free screening of The Notebook at the pop-up Fed Beach. SOAK IN THE SWEET SOUNDS OF THE MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA A free concert at Sidney Myer Music Bowl is a summer right of passage at this point and a super romantic (and cheap) way to spend Valentine's Day this year. La Dolce Vita (the sweet life) will kick off at 7.30pm, conducted by Benjamin Northey, featuring the MSO horn quartet and the world premiere of a MSO commission by Richard Mills, 'Island Signal Island Song'. We advise putting a picnic together and getting down early (doors open at 4.30pm) to secure your spot for a night of classical overtures under the stars. EMBRACE THE 'TRUE' MEANING OF THE DAY: CHOCOLATE (AND CRAFT BEER) Richmond's Concrete Boots Bar is aiming to help you escape the usual love day schtick with craft beer and chocolate extravaganza Schmalentine's Day. Teaming up with sweet specialists The Dessert Plate, Concrete Boots will be pairing paddles of craft beer with artisanal chocolates. For $16 a paddle, you'll get three brews, each with a taste of its perfect chocolate buddy. Try the Big Shed Golden Gaytime stout paired with Cocoa Rhapsody's Mocca, a mango IPA from Jetty Road and Monsieur Truffe's caramel milk chocolate with sea salt, or a chai flavoured choccy with a Belgian blonde ale from Hargreaves Hill. There'll also be snacks, share plates and chocolatey desserts to enjoy. Top image: Immigration Museum
Having said au revoir to the French Film Festival, it's now time to slip over the border into Spain. Returning to Palace Cinemas around the country, this year's Spanish Film Festival will once again showcase some of the biggest and most critically acclaimed Spanish and Latin American films from the past 12 months. How's that for a cinematic siesta? The festival — which will feature at The Astor, Chapel Street's Cinema Como, Northcote's Palace Westgarth and Kino in the CBD — begins with the highest grossing film at last year's Spanish box office: rom-com sequel Spanish Affair 2. Other comic standouts include espionage spoof Spy Time, madcap ensemble My Big Night, and dark domestic comedy Happy 140. Of course, not everything on the program is quite so light and breezy. Critically acclaimed drama Much Ado About Nothing confronts legal and political corruption in modern day Chile, while Ma Ma stars Penelope Cruz in one of her most nuanced roles to date, as a put-upon single mother diagnosed with breast cancer.
It's with a wink and a nod that Ladj Ly names his Cannes prize-winning, Oscar-nominated crime-thriller after one of the most famous French works there is: Les Misérables. And it's with the same irreverent spirit that the first-time feature director lets audiences literally hear the people sing in the movie's opening moments, even though this definitely isn't a musical. Set in 2018, the film's early crowds are belting out 'La Marseillaise'. France has just won the FIFA World Cup, Avenue des Champs-Élysées is alive with soccer fans waving flags and celebrating, and everyone is chanting the national anthem with beaming pride. Shot documentary-style, the city's residents couldn't be more joyous, including when the movie's moniker — literal translation: the miserables — is humorously splashed across the screen. But, despite the ecstatic scenes that kickstart Ly's feature, this is still a rousing cinematic song of angry Parisians. Nearing 160 years since Victor Hugo immortalised the Montfermeil commune, using the Paris district as a key setting in his well-known work, this Les Misérables heads there to tell a different story. Or, to be exact, to explore comparable themes in contemporary France — and to interrogate the reality of life in Les Bosquets housing estates in one of the capital's banlieues. The latter and their communities have featured in the likes of 1995's La Haine and 2014's Girlhood before, two hands-down French movie masterpieces, but the approach here is especially inspired. Drawing parallels with a globally known, much-adapted, long-popular classic to shine a spotlight on modern-day class and cultural clashes is smart and savvy and, in the hands of a filmmaker from the area who is already known for making documentaries about the area, results in a particularly compelling and confronting piece of cinema. Every neighbourhood bubbles with stories. So, focusing on Les Bosquets, Ly relays as many tales as he can. With propulsive and fittingly restless energy, his film flits between the locale's cops, kids and gangs — with struggles between all three groups reaching boiling point over the course of two summery and eventful days. The catalysts: familiar prejudices, long-held beefs, a stolen lion, a wrongful shooting and some controversial drone footage. Anti-crime brigade officers Chris (The Eddy's Alexis Manenti), Gwada (C'est tout pour moi's Djebril Zonga) and the newly transferred Stéphane (Dunkirk's Damien Bonnard) are never far from the trouble, sometimes causing it, sometimes trying to stop it. But two local adolescents also play pivotal parts, with young Issa (debutant Issa Perica) responsible for the jungle cat missing from a visiting circus troupe and shy teen Buzz (fellow newcomer Al-Hassan Ly) the owner of the highly sought-after drone. While Les Misérables takes place just two years ago, Ly, actor and scribe Manenti, and their co-screenwriter Giordano Gederlini (Mother's Instinct) use events from a decade earlier as their basis, with Montfermeil one of the sites of the 2005 French riots. Ly's documentary short 365 Days in Montfermeil chronicled the chaos and the police brutality from the inside, as shot at the time — but here, he dramatises it. It's no wonder, then, that Les Misérables proves unrelentingly terse and always on edge, as well vehemently unafraid to filter real-world unrest through every frame. It's just as unsurprising that it isn't always subtle, but given the complicated terrain that it traverses, it needn't be. As a portrait of social tensions drawn from real-life situations, this is a film of explosive emotional and visceral power even when it's clearly lacking in nuance. Les Misérables makes a range of statements, including pondering the powder-keg banlieue environment, as well as the similarities between the film's cops, children and thugs — all of whom, in their own ways, are trying to get by. Ly contemplates how one event can escalate, detonate and spark a chain of chaos, and, Hugo-style, how insurrectionary acts come about. There's a message in the simple act of calling upon the riots the filmmaker lived through for a movie set years later, too, and it's one of Les Misérables' most potent. The idea that Ly's fictionalised story doesn't just lift details from reality, but that its ins and outs have never stopped being relevant to or reflective of life in Les Bosquets, purposefully hits hard. Also having an impact, and by design: the jittery on-the-ground camerawork that conveys tension, terror and heartbreak in equal measures; and the sky-high, bird's-eye drone footage that reminds viewers visually about perspective and the bigger picture. Indeed, Ly and his cinematographer Julien Poupard (Divines) ensure audiences feel like they're traversing Montfermeil's streets, and that they've seen every corner of the area from every angle as well. The urgent electronic score by Pink Noise does a cracking job of setting the mood, as does the brisk pace set by editor Flora Volpeliere (The Hookup Plan). And, cast-wise, Les Misérables' experienced actors and fresh faces alike all impart a sense of authenticity. By the time all of the above has worked its magic, no one is singing 'La Marseillaise' exuberantly, of course, but viewers have witnessed a stunning film with revolution at its heart. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIsEZ2tTavU&t=6s
Good Beer Week is back for its eighth year, taking over Melbourne and regional Victoria with a huge number of beer-related events running from Friday, May 11 through Sunday, May 20. It will all kick off with an opening party at the Beer Deluxe Federation Square festival hub and proceed on to the festival's craziest program yet. If you attended the Showcase Gala, you'll know they've got some big acts in store. This year, the events have been subdivided into nine categories: Beer Lover, Foodie, Beer Geek, Beer School, Good Times and Good Beer Mates, along with Pint of Origin, Festival Hub and Trade Hub. On the docket are homebrew competitions, wild ale showcases and an all-you-can-eat meat fest, along with your requisite tap-takeovers, beergustations, happy hours and collab brews. Plus, beer school classes will run out of the festival hub all week, where you can train your palate to pick out beer faults, take a blending masterclass and learn about all things barreled-aged. Yes, it's an overwhelming number of events and yes, we've got our shortlist right here. First up, there's the biodynamics and beer dinner, hosted by acclaimed chef Paul Wilson (Wilson & Market). He's teaming up with Byron Bay's Stone & Wood to showcase a feast of sustainably-sourced seafood, ethically farmed meat and wood roasted veggies — all paired with brews, of course. Stone & Wood's head brewer Caolan Vaughan is also joining forces with Three Blue Ducks' Darren Robertson, and the two interstate heavy-hitters will also showcase sustainable produce in a six-course beer degustation at Vue de Monde. Speaking of big name chefs, Blackman's Brewery is turning its Geelong restaurant over to Aaron Turner (The Hot Chicken Project, Igni), who will serve up a menu of his signature Nashville-style treats alongside the launch of a seasonal produce-inspired brew. There's plenty of Japanese-influence on the menu this year, too. You've got the Japanese craft beer and dumpling dinner at Zhou Zhou Bar and an izakaya and beer dinner at Kumo, plus Moon Dog is bringing back its drunken beer ramen event at Shizuku. Pizza lovers shouldn't miss the 3 Ravens and Lazerpig quest to find the perfect pizza beer, either. On the cultural side of things, Fempocalypse has made its way down south from Sydney Beer Week 2017 for round two, with Two Birds and Wayward Brewing showcasing women in the hospitality industries. Sydney's Wildflower Brewing & Blending will also head to Melbourne, taking over Richmond's Slowbeer for an unusual bugs and blending wild beer session. Check out the full program here. As with previous years, many of the events are free, but ticketed events are selling out fast. Best get to scheduling out your week now — along with your pre- and post-festival detox sessions.
Flinders Lane's cocktail bar and pizza joint Trinket is celebrating its new lunchtime hours in a big way — by giving away 500 mini pizzas for free on Wednesday, May 15. The bar will now be open from noon every day, serving up a new menu that includes 13 stone-baked pizzas. To nab your freebie, you'll have to scout the CBD for a marked empty pizza box from noon–2pm — with the locations revealed through the venue's Instagram stories. Bring that box along to Trinket to redeem your free pizza for dine-in or takeaway. The lucky 'golden ticket' pizza box holders can choose from any pizza on the menu. Those include smoked eggplant and squash with salsa verde and goats cheese; prawns and anchovies with zucchini and mozzarella; pumpkin with sage, ricotta and onion; and meatballs with blue cheese and pickled onion. That's Wednesday lunch plans sorted.
It's been almost three years since plans for Melbourne's openair plaza and urban park first dropped. Now, the $60 million Prahran Square is officially open for business, having launched to the public on Sunday, December 1. Transforming the site once home to the drab Cato Street ground-level car park, now a 500-bay underground facility, the City of Stonnington together with Lyons Architecture has gifted the area with an extra 10,000 square metres of public space — more than you'll find at Fed Square. It boasts lush new lawns, an accessible "forest" walk between trees, terraced seating and a big water fountain, all decked out with original public art, more than 130 new trees and around 7200 new plants. It's all built to be as sustainable as possible, too, with rooftop solar panels, rainwater captured and used for watering and energy-efficient LED lighting. A heap of parties, artworks and live music are expected to hit the Square over summer, too. A light and sound installation by Melbourne artist Bruce Ramus, a sculpture combining architecture and native Australian plants by Jamie North and three honey bees by Badtjala artist Dr Fiona Foley will all make their homes here. A free concert with a six-piece Ethiopian jazz ensemble is locked in for Thursday, December 5, too. Originally pegged to be named Cato Square, the project's a hefty ten years in the making. It's also the biggest building project ever undertaken by the City of Stonnington — and, it seems, a necessary one, with the City previously having the second-lowest amount of public open space per capita in the whole state. While it's a big win for the local community, the Square's construction has negatively impacted surrounding businesses, with The Age reporting that a group of nearby traders are planning class against the City of Stonnington to "compensate them for crippling losses caused by nearly two years of construction". Find Prahran Square at Izett Street, Prahran.
Professional boxers aren’t typically renowned for their eloquence. Pre-fight press conferences tend to centre around the two combatants standing silently and mashing their foreheads together, while the post-fight ones rarely escalate beyond monosyllabic grunts and the flaunting of novelty-sized belts. Maybe it’s the boxers' traditionally low socio-economic backgrounds at play, maybe it’s the almost guaranteed head trauma, or perhaps they’re simply still trying to figure out why a square arena is called a ‘ring’ and why anybody thought ‘light heavyweight’ wouldn’t sound ridiculous as a fighting category. In Southpaw, Jake Gyllenhaal plays one such professional ‘boxymoron', and he takes the inarticulacy to the extreme — presenting his character Billy Hope as a man who drools in the place of dialogue. It’s a bold choice for the accomplished actor, whose commitment to both it and the role’s physicality can't be overstated. One glance at the posters for Southpaw is enough to see that Gyllenhaal got jacked for this film, with muscles so enormous they should almost receive separate billing. He looks like a boxer, moves like a boxer and absolutely sounds like a boxer, meaning — in Southpaw — we totally believe him as a boxer. It’s a phenomenal performance, and without it the movie would be a complete write-off. Director Antoine Fuqua is fast establishing himself as the go-to action director in Hollywood, much like John Woo was in the '90s. With recent offerings including Olympus Has Fallen and The Equalizer, he’s continued to deliver slick, high-octane pictures without ever quite managing to repeat the success of his breakthrough film Training Day. The problem isn’t with the direction so much as the scripts, whose stories and dialogue languish in a mire of cliches. Southpaw is another example of this, failing to offer anything new despite coming tantalisingly close at its preface. The film’s early scenes touch upon compelling themes of administrative oversight, bureaucratic corruption, capricious management and the threat of ‘punch drunkenness’ courtesy of Hope’s particular fighting style in which he shirks defence and absorbs countless blows from his opponent until it makes him angry enough to retaliate. All of this largely falls by the wayside, however, as soon as family tragedy strikes and Hope finds himself bankrupt and alone. Redemption, then, becomes the order of the day, but the problem is we neither feel particular involved in it nor satisfied when it inevitably comes. This isn’t so much a tale of personal growth as it is one of reinstitution, where the only thing Hope really learns by the end is how not to get punched. Eminem was originally slated to play Gyllenhaal's role, but in his absence the roles of ‘singers trying to act’ were taken up by 50 Cent and Rita Ora, both delivering adequate performances as line delivery systems. Rachel McAdams pops in as a caricature of a boxer’s WAG and Oona Laurence does a decent job as Hope’s young daughter despite often unspeakably bad lines to work with. The only real other performance of note is from Forest Whitaker as Hope’s eventual trainer, whose brief screen time nonetheless reminds us why he’s one of the most gifted actors of his generation. He seems to find things in scripts that not even the writer could see, and injects some much needed humanity into Southpaw’s later stages, when neither the boxing nor the family troubles prove capable of sustaining the drama.
Purrfect news, feline fans: everything a dapper doggo can do, a cute cat can as well. While that's an accurate statement in general, as anyone who has ever shared their life with both a pooch and a kitty will know, it's also the thinking behind Australia's latest animal event. From the folks behind the Dog Lovers Show comes the mouser equivalent: the Cat Lovers Show. If you wear the 'crazy cat person' label as a badge of honour, stop to pat every moggie you meet while you're walking down the street or spend your all of your spare time watching cat videos (or all of the above), then you'll want to block out September 8 and 9, 2018 in your diary. And, if you live elsewhere, you'll want to head to Melbourne. The Victorian capital first boasted the country's first cat cafe, and now it'll host the first Cat Lovers Show. Expect Carlton to come alive with the sounds of meows, with the event taking place at the Royal Exhibition Building on Nicholson Street. On the agenda: feline-focused education and celebration. Before you go thinking about adorable kitties wearing glasses and sitting at desks, or popping streamers and wearing party hats (awwwwwwwww), it's humans will be doing the learning and rejoicing. Really, what's more informative and exuberant than entering the Pat-A-Cat zone and getting cosy with cats of all shapes and sizes — and possibly taking one home with you? Watching a cat talent show in the Pet Circle Colosseum comes close, obviously. If that doesn't tickle your whiskers, attendees will also be able to take a purrfect match quiz to find out which type of cat suits them best, meet different breeds, listen to talks by experts, browse more than 120 stalls and snap selfies with Instagram cat stars. Plus, a cat-inspired food menu will also be on offer, because everyone wants to eat chicken 'cat'cciatore or chocolate 'meow'sse. Just remember: there'll be plenty of mousers in the Cat Lovers Show house, so you'll need to leave your own moggie at home. The Melbourne Cat Lovers Show will take place on September 8 and 9, 2018 at the Royal Exhibition Building, 9 Nicholson Street, Carlton. For more information — and to keep an eye out for tickets, which will go on sale in February — visit the website.
You're hitting the road on tour and you're only playing the greatest hits. That's one fine way to do the South Island of New Zealand, a destination known for its jaw-on-the-floor scenery, geological wonders, and oh so many gateways to adventure. Our tip? Start in the northwest corner of the island and drive clockwise. You'll hit every region — each with some miracle of landscape and gastronomy to call its own — see seven sublime sights, and emerge satisfied at the end. TASMAN: SPLIT APPLE ROCK Best accessed by way of the ocean, Abel Tasman National Park's Split Apple Rock is a vision emerging from the deep. The natural enigma is the gateway to one of the country's most stunning national parks, surrounded by 237 kilometres of blue waters and golden sands. The granite rock sits 50 metres out into the bay, and as local legend has it, the spherical form was cut by two gods arguing over it. Geologists, meanwhile, believe that the rock was split like an apple during one of the country's ice ages. These days, it's a popular spot for sea kayaking and swimming. You can float right up to the rock and marvel in the nature and wildlife surrounding it. The awe-inspiring beauty is just a taste of the Abel Tasman, which can be walked, kayaked or sailed in however many days your wanderlust desires. Other notable Tasman mentions: Wharariki Beach, Te Waikoropupu Springs. NELSON: LAKE ROTOITI A short drive inland from the abundance of beaches in Nelson, lies Lake Rotoiti, a gem in the region's second national park. The iconic view of the boat ramp, adored by local families and eels alike, stretches to the furthest reaches of the lake, and into the mountains in the distance. In winter, the snowy peaks reflect off the glassy surface. In summer, lush native bushland is a backdrop for children jumping into the water. Native birds can be spied in nearby bushes, with tracks circling the water's edge, and friendly Kiwis are never hard to find if you're looking to dabble in watersports. The money-maker? Watching the sun go down, and the sudden realisation that there's nothing but you and nature. It's captivating. Other notable Nelson mentions: Brook Waimarama Sanctuary, Blue Lake. MARLBOROUGH: QUEEN CHARLOTTE SOUND Chances are you have breezed through this beauty on a trip from the capital to head further south but have never taken advantage of the natural wonder at your fingertips. The Marlborough Sounds are an extensive network of sea-drowned valleys, mountains plummeting into the blue waters below. The calm waters are inhabited by dolphins, whales and friendly fish often caught by locals for food, and the sandy beaches are inhabited by laidback Kiwis and their baches that have passed through the generations. Queen Charlotte Sound is one of the largest channels in the network of bays and mountains and, like much of the country, can be enjoyed by boat or foot. The walking track is an easy route, showcasing some of the best sights all the way through to the capital, and can be done in three to five days. Pick of the bunch? Standing on the corner of the South Island, watching the sun rise over the North. Other notable Marlborough mentions: French Pass, Winery Tour. CANTERBURY: AORAKI/MOUNT COOK Aoraki/Mount Cook has a commanding presence, with a sharp peak and plummeting crevasses. The sheer sight is enough to keep you on edge, but the company of the mountain is oddly comforting. This is the tallest mountain in the country, standing 3,724 metres, and has an ability to render anyone speechless. Ngai Tahu, the main iwi of the region, consider Aoraki as the most sacred of the ancestors that they had descended from. The name is believed to mean cloud piercer. Ascending the steep peak is no easy feat and should be reserved for the most experienced climbers, or those safely tucked inside a helicopter. From Hooker Lake, south of the mountain, the modern explorer can indulge in the ever-inspiring lake and mountain duo. As you drive into the region, past the electric blue Lake Pukaki, and catch the first glimpse of the mountain in the background, you know you're in for a vision of a lifetime. Other notable Canterbury mentions: Lake Tekapo, seal spotting at Kaikoura. OTAGO: ROY'S PEAK Prepare to put in the hard yards to make this Instagram a reality. The five-hour round trek to Roy's Peak has been known to test the fittest climbers, but the view from the top is comparable only to being on Pride Rock. It's overwhelming when you stand on the edge of something so big, with the furthest corners of the country in sight. Gazing over Lake Wanaka, you can spot that Wanaka Tree, and see to the peak of Mount Aspiring in the distance. Bonus: The steep ascent will help you condition your glutes. In a region rich with adventure tourism, from skiing to jetboating, skydiving to bungee jumping, the breath of fresh air at the summit of Roy's Peak is a moment of solace. Take it all in, pinch yourself, it's real. Other notable Otago mentions: Moeraki Boulders, Tunnel Beach. SOUTHLAND: MILFORD SOUND There's no sight more sobering than standing at the foot of some of the world's most remote peaks. Watching lonesome waterfalls fall into endless ocean. It's a sight that's so iconically New Zealand, so undeniably unmissable, and it's all waiting at Milford Sound. This south corner of the country can be explored by foot, discovered by air or taken in by boat venturing through the never-ending turns of the fiord. Buses to Queenstown are abundant, and water tours of Milford Sound depart frequently. Guides will direct you to graceful waterfalls and sharp peaks that can be snapped from afar and savoured forever. Other notable Southland mentions: The Catlins, Stewart Island. WEST COAST: FRANZ JOSEF GLACIER A sight slowly slipping from our grasps, nothing is more striking than the geological wonder that is Franz Josef Glacier. Standing at the base of the icy slopes gives you a real feeling of how vast this country is. There are rare rock formations, frozen rivers from centuries past, mountainous peaks to one side and a blue ocean to the other. It can be dumbfounding if you think too much. A one-hour hike will get you to the base of the glacier, but the best seat in the house is slightly further uphill. Almer Hut is one of the humblest abodes on the planet, though it sits atop dramatic snowy peaks and stark cliff faces. Visitors can enjoy a view down Franz Josef Glacier to the rugged West Coast beaches below. The hike is for experienced climbers, but many local companies offer heli-tours to the picture perfect palace. Other notable West Coast mentions: Punakaiki, Oparara Arches. Start planning your trip to New Zealand's south with our guide to the South Island journeys to take here.
South Yarra's Forrest Hill precinct continues to boom, with the announcement of a lofty, openair atrium to sit at the base of Claremont Street's new luxury residential development, Yarra One. Drawing inspiration from Melbourne's famed laneway culture, the ambitious project will see the thoroughfare between Daly Street and Yarra Lane transformed into a vibrant community hub, and a lifestyle destination in itself. Designed by Fender Katsalidis Architects (MONA), the ground floor space is nothing short of stunning, boasting sprawling, sun-dappled interiors and a soaring timber trellis entwined by lush foliage. Not only will it feature a diverse collection of cafes, restaurants, and retailers, but also rows of tiered seating overlooking a small stage area, marking the space's potential as a cultural hub. Counting favourites like Zumbo Patisserie and Two Birds One Stone as neighbours, this dynamic addition is on track to becoming one of Melbourne's new wave of large-scale lifestyle destinations. Construction for the Yarra One project, including the atrium, will be completed by 2020.
Dancing in your lounge room: everyone's doing it, and it seems that almost every musician around is happy to provide the soundtrack. Hot on the heels of virtual dance party Room 2 Radio and Aussie live-streamed music festival Isol-Aid comes Courtney Barnett and Lucius & Friends — and it comes with quite the lineup. Clearly, both Courtney Barnett and Lucius will be playing sets — and, like everyone involved, will be doing so live from their own respective lounge rooms. Joining them is a lengthy list of musos, including Nathaniel Rateliff, Lukas Nelson, Fred Armisen, Sheryl Crow, Sharon Van Etten, Emily King, Bedouine and Jonathan Wilson, with more set to pop up on the day. Live-streaming on Monday, March 23 Down Under — at 8am AEST, 9am AEDT and 11am NZDT — the online gig aims to raise money for Oxfam's COVID-19 Relief Fund. https://www.instagram.com/p/B9-o8PWBFn6/ To watch along, head to Lucius' Instagram Live feed. Top image: Bruce via Wikimedia Commons
Joan Jett. Jane Fonda. Kathleen Hanna. These are just some of the awesome women in the spotlight at Melbourne's newest film festival. Held over three days at the Northcote Town Hall, the inaugural Girls on Film Festival will screen ten feminist-themed flicks, showcasing some of the most memorable female protagonists from the past 35 years in film. It's an eclectic blend of titles that includes the likes of Heavenly Creatures, Nine To Five and the brilliant anti-teen movie, Heathers. Younger audiences can enjoy Hayao Miyazaki's Ponyo or Niki Caro's Whale Rider. Eye-popping burlesque documentary Exposed, on the other hand, should probably be restricted to the adults. GOFF will also be hosting a special afternoon social event, complete with music, cosplaying, DJ lessons, a unisex nail-bar and the chance to shoot the shit with women in the Melbourne media scene. Naturally, it's called Girl Germs.
After five years spent winning over the brunch-loving masses of Abbotsford, multi-talented eatery Au79 has spread its wings and added to the family, opening the doors to not one, but three new venues. The team has joined forces with the minds at build-to-rent apartment brand Home, which now plays host to new Au79 cafe outposts at both its Richmond and Southbank locations. And what's more, a wine bar is also on the way. Set on Bridge Road, Home's Richmond Traders precinct is the setting for Au79's second Home cafe, showcasing the brand's signature breads and baked goods, house-roasted coffee and brekkie fare. Roll in here for kimchi scrambled eggs with Sichuan chilli oil, a croque monsieur with black truffle bechamel, or the cranberry chicken sanga with basil and avocado. [caption id="attachment_857889" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Au79 Richmond, by Instant Crush[/caption] A more recent addition is its sibling, the Au79 Café and Eatery in the lobby at Home Southbank, which boasts a light-filled space and sleek AA Studio fitout, all-white archways and shimmering metallic accents. Here, an all-day menu features plates like prawn benedict on charcoal brioche, a salmon and pea risotto, and the quinoa salad spiked with turmeric cauliflower and broccolini. Front counters displaying dreamy house-made pastries are a fixture of both sites, laden with buttery danishes, almond croissants, cupcakes and cookies. [caption id="attachment_857885" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Au79 Southbank, by James Geer[/caption] But the new projects don't end there — this winter, Home Southbank will also open the doors to Au79's first-ever wine bar concept, The Green Room. The feel here is set to be modern Australian meets Italian, with the space featuring moody lighting and cosy booth seating. Chef Daniel Cormick (Mulberry Group, Coombe Yarra Valley) has designed a menu of bar bites and larger, dinner-friendly options. You'll be able to breeze in for an after-work vino matched to freshly shucked oysters and the daily arancini special, or settle in over the likes of a black truffle and wild mushroom risotto, and chargrilled whole fish paired with heirloom tomato. Home residents don't even have to venture outside their apartments to get their Au79 fix, either. The cafes run a room-service-style offering, as well as catered private dining options. Find Au79 Cafe at Richmond Traders, 240 Church Street, Richmond. It's open daily from 8am–6pm. Au79 Cafe and Eatery, and The Green Room Wine Bar are located in the lobby of Home Southbank, 260 City Road, Southbank, with the cafe open daily from 7am–2pm.
You've worked all week. You've earned your thirst. And this Sunday you will be rewarded with a big cold beer. Make tracks to your local pub this weekend because Victoria Bitter is shouting a round all across Australia. The free beer giveaway will go down at over 280 venues around the country this Sunday, May 26 from 2–4pm, including 50 venues across New South Wales, over 80 venues across Victoria and a whopping 120 Queensland venues. A few things you should know: the free brews will be limited to one per person and only while supplies last, so you can't count on a completely free afternoon out. The pub will decide the size of the beer, so it could be a pint, pot or schooey — you'll just have to rock up and see. If you're in Sydney, you can head to the New Brighton in Manly, Pyrmont's Harlequin Inn, and the Crows Nest, Kirribilli and Greenacre hotels — and a heap more locations up north and out west. In Melbourne, punters can go along to Young and Jacksons in the CBD, Elsternwick Hotel, Brunswick's Moreland Hotel, the Royal Oak in Richmond and Essendon's Royal Hotel. Up in Brisbane, the CBD's Victory Hotel is slinging the freebies, as is the Valley's Brunswick Hotel, and the Newmarket, the Breakfast Creek, the Stones Corner and Sunnybank hotels. VB's Our Shout giveaway will run from 2–4pm on Sunday, May 26 at venues across the country. Check NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, SA and ACT venues here, and Queensland and WA venues here.
The distinction between American and Australian cop dramas is about as close to black and white as you can get before literally stripping them of colour. Thematically, the US genre is driven by 'heroism' — brave (and usually maverick) police officers who go above and beyond the line of duty to save anything, from a family member to an entire city. Not so in Australia. Here, it is 'corruption' that most frequently forms the basis of plot lines, reflecting either a sorry state of confidence in our law enforcement agencies, or acceptance that action films don't really work in Australia (ie: Mission Impossible II). The latest offering, Felony, takes place in Sydney's inner west and was written, produced and starred in by Joel Edgerton. Edgerton plays Malcolm Toohey, a hero cop whose near miss during a drug raid (he's shot by a fleeing suspect in the film's frantic opening scene) leads to a heavy night of drinking alongside the other officers involved. Later, as he drives home (narrowly avoiding an RBT arrest thanks to a 'cop to cop' password), he accidentally knocks a young boy off his bike and makes the split-second decision to lie about how he came to be first on scene. From that moment on Felony becomes a story about the toxicity of deception and its capacity for infecting all those who are touched by it. It's one of those films that almost immediately registers in that part of your brain where uncomfortable truths reside, refusing to let you dismiss the story as 'mere fiction'. It's all very real, and human and confronting in its simplicity. One lie builds upon another so quickly that you soon find yourself gasping for air on behalf of the characters, and you can never shake the feeling that it will all eventually come crashing down. Worse, you can't quite decide if you want it to. Edgerton managed to pull together an impressive cast to star alongside him, including Tom Wilkinson as the senior cop spearheading the coverup, Jai Courtney as Wilkinson's eager young partner and Melissa George as Edgerton's wife; however, it's Edgerton who most impresses. He neatly captures his character's confusion, fear, conflict and self-loathing without ever threatening to overplay any of it, and his performance is strong enough to rise above the occasional misteps in the script. The ending is unnecessarily symmetrical, certainly, and there's a subplot that goes confusingly AWOL somewhere in the third act, but overall it's a solid film with an excellent turn from its lead. https://youtube.com/watch?v=qjHvfnB8SRI
It's been a decade since Open House began opening up some of Melbourne's most delightful buildings to the public. In honour of their tenth anniversary, this year's Open House Weekend just announced a huge program, featuring over 200 buildings across wider Melbourne. It's all going down on the weekend of July 29 and 30 with a series of talks in the weeks leading up to the open weekend itself. Some highlights of the program include a screening of Citizen Jane: Battle for the City at ACMI (a doco about a Jane Jacobs, a pioneering but untrained American city planner who championed sustainable activism, and whose work is seminal today in planning blueprints), a panel talk on 'high density happiness' discussing pedestrianising our cities, and a screening of Modern Melbourne, a series of interviews with and archival material from some of Australia's most prominent designers and architects. Also on the program is the Living Cities Forum, featuring award-winning architects and urban planners from around the world, and a free walking tour exploring the CBD's currently under construction metro tunnel. Not to mention the buildings. It might be a good idea to start planning your weekend now because it'll take some military precision to get around to all your favourites. You can plan you itinerary on the Open House website but here are our not-to-miss selections. Hassell Studio — a converted 1880s loft for the architectural firm. Old High Court of Australia — an art deco interior and Beaux-Arts exterior makes the old court very pretty indeed. RMIT Design Hub — designed by famous architect Sean Godsell, the unique façade of this alone makes it worth a visit. SIGNAL — the last surviving signal box of Flinders Street Station is now a creative arts studio for young people. State Library of Victoria — get up in the library's nooks and crannies before its big renovation starts. Substation 'J' — although it's been converted into a residential apartment, large elements of the substation remain. They're offering guided tours, but be warned: there's limited mobility access (meaning no prams, children under 14 or wheelchairs, unfortunately). Council House 2 — a world famous building, known for its sustainable functionality. The tour includes views from the rooftop. Cox Architecture Studio — it's the workspace of a premiere architectural firm, so you know it's going to be good. And while there's too many to list, don't forget to check out a few residential buildings as the weekend is probably the only time you'll be able to play house in someone else's beautiful, architecturally ambitious home. The Open House Weekend will take place across Melbourne from July 29-30. For more info, visit openhousemelbourne.org. Image: Earl Carter.
Stephen Hawking is an extraordinary individual. The problem with that — with all extraordinary individuals — is that over time they come to be viewed not as people but as the sum of their accomplishments. The greater the endeavour, the less we tend to know about the beating heart and restless mind behind it. Often it's not until they're visited by tragedy or professional disgrace that we're reminded of their humanity, and yet, in Hawking's case, not even the onset of motor neurone disease or an extramarital affair could detract from his almost super-human status. The Theory of Everything, then, serves as a fitting reminder that beyond the maths lies a man, brilliant — yes — but still just a man: mortal, flawed and confounded by love. Adapted from the book Travelling to Infinity: My Life With Stephen, The Theory of Everything offers us a portrait of Hawking from the perspective of his first wife, Jane (Felicity Jones), and it is, in effect, a love story. Two love stories, rather: the conventional tale between a pair of enamoured Cambridge students, and the stranger yet better known one of Stephen’s infatuation with the universe. Both are heartwarming, exhilarating and profoundly complicated. In the role of Hawking’s wife, Jones is sublime. Her performance is an accomplished blend of fierce determination to see her husband survive, and private frustration at the professional sacrifices that selflessness wrought. As for Redmayne, perhaps the most fitting compliment is that it is now impossible to look at him and not see the professor. It is an extraordinary example of transformation, both physical and performative. Redmayne, like the man he portrays, is robbed of that which most actors find essential: movement, first, then sound. Yes, there is the iconic digital voice to accompany the performance, but voiceover is no more useful to an actor at the time of recording than a ping pong ball affixed to a green screen to denote what will eventually come to be. With the disarming smile of Redford and the ‘everyman-ness’ of Hanks, Redmayne is the acting equivalent of an unputdownable book, almost daring you to try to look away. For a film entitled The Theory of Everything, the story is, in the end, almost infinitesimal. Ours is a galaxy of some 400 billion stars in a universe roughly 13.8 billion years old. On such a scale, humanity is scarcely perceptible, an insignificant evanescent blip of history in which a single, unsettled romance between two people is as close to nothing as science will permit. And yet it is also everything, because it contains within it some of the finest qualities that define the human existence — that showcase the unconquerable spirit and boundless possibilities of the mind. Hawking’s accomplishments almost defy belief, even if they’d been achieved without disability, and while they’re acknowledged in this film, the focus is not on the ‘what’, but the ‘who’ and the ‘how’. Moving, astounding and, perhaps most of all, enlightening, The Theory of Everything is a sensitive yet unsentimental engagement with genius and the actualities of love.
At last year's Melbourne International Film Festival, Perth-set apocalypse film These Final Hours beat out high-profile competition, including The Turning and Mystery Road, to snag The Age Critics Award for Best Australian Feature. Now, almost 12 months later, the film has finally arrived in theatres. Trust us when we tell you that this movie, blending heart-pounding thrills with character-driven drama, is well worth the wait. By the time the story gets going, the end has already begun, courtesy of a devastating meteor strike somewhere in the North Atlantic. Europe is reduced to a cinder in an instant, while a rolling wall of fire promises to annihilate everywhere else. We're never deluded into thinking that survival is even remotely an option. The only question that remains is what to do with the time that's left. Nathan Phillips, most easily recognisable as one of Mick Taylor's ill-fated victims in the original Wolf Creek, plays James, a self-absorbed screw-up with no intention of going out sober. But life, even in its last few moments, has a way of messing with your plans. So it is that on the way to an end-of-the world blow-out, James becomes the reluctant protector of a 12-year-old girl named Rose (newcomer Angourie Rice). After James rescues her from a pair of would-be rapist, she asks him to help her find her family. Perhaps sensing a chance to atone for his squandered life, our dubious hero agrees. In his first feature outing, writer-director Zak Hilditch seems remarkably assured. His native Perth provides a unique and unsettling backdrop for the film, the haunting images of forsaken Australian suburbia striking eerily close to home. Visuals like that contribute to a suffocating sense of bleakness that hangs over the film like a scorching summer heat. But These Final Hours is not entirely devoid of hope. Fundamentally, in fact, it's a film about redemption — about a single act of kindness in the face of common fear. Phillips' performance is one of resounding emotional honesty, while Rice displays a maturity that far exceeds her years. An unlikely pairing, both James and Rose bring out the strength and humanity in the other. In the face of imminent extinction, it's a surprisingly comforting thought. https://youtube.com/watch?v=QaoF6byFQFU
It wouldn't be Midsumma without a good old-fashioned drag show. That being said, there's nothing old-fashioned about this immersive virtual reality production from artists Allison Bennett, Megan Beckwith and Mark Payne. Using their combined skills in photography, digital media, choreography and animation, the trio have produced 3D scans of local drag performers. Plug in and prepare yourself. This probably isn't exactly what the creators of the Oculus Rift had in mind — but to be honest, we don't really care. One week only at the Testing Grounds in Southbank.
The new happiest place on earth is mere months away from opening, with Studio Ghibli's very own theme park welcoming in animation lovers when November 1 arrives. Long in the works, Ghibli Park has had animation lovers waiting to wander its 200-hectare expanse in Nagoya's Aichi Prefecture, around a three-hour train trip from Tokyo, since back in 2017. And wondering exactly how magical it will look for just as long, too. The answer? Supremely enchanting; yes, getting spirited away will be easy here. Ghibli has been dropping early glimpses, even if its recent Hayao Miyazaki-directed cat train trailer was solely animated (but still wonderful). Now, it has just unveiled a treasure trove of new sneak peeks at the upcoming venue. The park will open in phases, but the first won't be short on highlights, including what's been dubbed Ghibli's Great Warehouse — aka its main area. Think of it like a fair within the overall attraction, featuring a video exhibition room, three special exhibition rooms, plus shops and cafes all in one space. Many movie lovers' first stop will be Orionza, a cinema that'll seat 170 patrons and screen ten Ghibli shorts — all of which have only previously been seen at the studio's existing Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, a city on the western outskirts Tokyo. The easy highlight: the 13-minute-long sequel to My Neighbour Totoro, which is an absolute delight, unsurprisingly. Fancy entering one of Ghibli's films? The park also includes recreations of 13 famous scenes from the company's cinematic catalogue that you can step into, including becoming Spirited Away's Chihiro by sitting next to Kaonashi on a mysterious train by the sea. Or, another exhibition focuses on Ghibli's knack for drawing delicious-looking food, and is certain to make you hungry. And, if you're curious how Ghibli's works — such as posters, videos, music and books — appear overseas, there's an exhibition about that as well. Because you'll want souvenirs, the Ghibli's warehouse store will sell Ghibli goodies galore, including items specific to the park. Expect two things: to want to purchase everything, so much so that you'll contemplate whether it's worth getting another suitcase to take home with you; and plenty of company while you're browsing and buying. For a bite or a drink, the Great Warehouse's cafe and milk stand will both take their cues The Wind Rises. One will sling sandwiches and pizzas, while the other focuses on sips to drink — and a sweet made of red bean paste between two pieces of castella, as seen in the movie. Yes, it all truly does resemble the Japanese animation house's glorious frames in real life — as that aforementioned Studio Ghibli museum already does as well. Also slated to feature across the whole park: a life-sized version of Howl's Moving Castle, the antique shop from Whisper of the Heart, Kiki's home from Kiki's Delivery Service and a village area that pays tribute to Princess Mononoke. The Aichi Prefecture Expo Park spot is already home to a replica of Satsuki and Mei's house from My Neighbour Totoro, and Totoro still features heavily in the expanded setup — with the site even initially described as having a My Neighbour Totoro focus. Or, you can check out nods to the cat from Whisper of the Heart and The Cat Returns, buildings with design elements that take their cues from Laputa: Castle in the Sky, and a super-sized garden that'll make you feel like you're one of the tiny characters in Arrietty. Expect more nods to Ghibli's various features to follow, recreating other aspects from its three-decade-old body of work (and possibly its most recent movie, Earwig and the Witch). The animation house also released a new short video with added glimpses at the park, because there's no such thing as too many sneak peeks at something this entrancing pic.twitter.com/oZUKE36Jeg — スタジオジブリ STUDIO GHIBLI (@JP_GHIBLI) September 15, 2022 If you're now planning a Ghibli-centric holiday, Japan's changed its border rules in September to let overseas tourists enter the country without booking guided tours. At the time of writing, you do still need to be travelling on a package tour, however — through a travel agency, even if it just covers your flights and accommodation. Fingers crossed that changes soon. Ghibli Park will open on November 1, 2022. For more information, head to the venue's website. Images: © Studio Ghibli.
It's only been a few months since Polyester Records closed their CBD store, but we're already feeling the withdrawls. Where else are we supposed to go while killing time before a coffee date? As Flinders Lane makes its final transformation into a Bonsoy latte and Pieface dispensary, where can we turn for quality vinyl, books and CDs? Luckily Polyester Records still has its smaller Fitzroy store, but now they need your help to make it great. Polyester have long been champions of the local music scene. Hosting a series of live in-store gigs, their CBD store was always buzzing with the latest talent. Now they want to replicate that energy in their Brunswick Street abode. Though the store's been standing for 30 years now, it's always been too small to accommodate such events and they've launched a Pozible campaign to help crowdfund the renovation. As you can see, the store's already a tight fit — you'd be hard-pressed to fit a drum kit beside the bulky vinyl shelves let alone a whole band and audience. So, with a target set at $12,000, co-owners Simon Karis and Nathan Nott are planning to build new compact racks for the LPs, create a smaller sales counter and move it to the front of the store, then set up an appropriate performance space down the back. "Times have been really tough for us — and all record stores," Karis recently told Tone Deaf. "We definitely don’t just want to come off us as ‘hey, poor us’ and ‘give us money’. We want turn the money into something we can all share." As always, pledgers to the Pozible campaign will get a few perks of their own. Mid-range rewards include Polyester Records' t-shirts, vouchers and CD prize packs. Some big spenders have already snapped up the iconic neon smoking man sign and original screen-printed posters, but if you spend more than $1,000 you can commission your very own oil painting from Melbourne artist Tracy Ellerton! That being said, the main prize will be what you're getting back from the store. Think of your donation as a down-payment on those free gigs you'll be getting. This is a store who got Best Coast to perform an all-ages, in-store gig. They're pretty unlikely to let you down. The Pozible campaign ends Monday, July 21. Head over here to read more and make your pledge.
On the scale of personal injustices, there are few more contemptible or infuriating misdeeds than taking credit for another person’s work. In the artistic world it’s considered a violation of such repugnance that it’s said to offend one’s very ‘moral rights’, being both ’the right of Attribution’ (the right to be recognised as the creator of an original work) and ’the right against False Attribution’ (the right to prevent someone else from saying your work is theirs). Big Eyes, the latest film by director Tim Burton, is a true story based on one of the most egregious example of that violation in living history. Beginning in the late 1950s, it chronicles the decade-long deception perpetrated by the artist Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz) and his iconic ‘big eyes’ paintings. The key word there is ‘deception’, because in reality they weren’t his paintings at all; they were painted by his wife, Margaret (Amy Adams). With millions of dollars made from sales and celebrities the world over seeking their own originals, Big Eyes is a fascinating study in sexual politics and the exponential toxicity of deceit, particularly in an age when the status of a divorced single-mother was tantamount to both social and professional exile. In the leads, Adams and Waltz are both perfectly cast. Adams brings a wonderful sensitivity to the role, capturing the irrepressible passion of an artist and the burgeoning guilt of a woman who chose financial security over artistic integrity. Opposite her, Waltz is pure charisma: a salesman with a cheshire cat grin and an undeniable talent for marketing. The man could sell sand to a desert, then convince himself he invented the sand. ‘Delusional Disorder’ is the medical term for his condition, and its destructive powers are neatly showcased here. This is by far one of Burton’s most understated films, eschewing most of his traditional quirkiness and cartoonish aesthetic in favour of a picture most reminiscent of Ed Wood. Even the score, provided almost inevitably by Danny Elfman, opts for the subtle touch with hardly a whole-tone scale to be heard. That’s not to say there isn’t fantastic design at play, with the set, costuming and even colour choices wonderfully recreating '50s and '60s kitsch. It’s all very pretty, but just like its subject matter, Big Eyes is something of a masquerade: a fetching and uncomplicated visual that belies a much darker truth.
Just like every regional bakery seems to have received an award for the best vanilla slice, others claim to be the spot offering the best pie. However, those who want to put these claims to the test now have their chance, at least in one city, as Ballarat's Best Pie competition gives pie-loving punters a say in whose pastry deserves the ultimate cred. Returning for its third year, there are 36 savoury and sweet pies to taste, with trophies and bragging rights handed out across seven categories, including some for the first time. While an esteemed panel will pick their winner on Saturday, August 2, you're also invited to vote for your crust crusader. Adding to existing categories like Best Pie, Best Sweet Pie and Best Bakery Pie, the inaugural accolades include the Brilliantly Unexpected Pie and the Pie with Purpose, which rewards a low-waste, innovative or local produce approach. So, where does the average pastry aficionado come in? You're invited to participate in the People's Choice Pie award by casting your vote using the QR code at each venue or online. Having quickly become a cherished event, the upper crust of Victoria's food scene is getting involved. For instance, beloved cook, author and television presenter Julia Busuttil Nishimura takes on Master of Ceremonies responsibilities for the 2025 Best Pie Awards. Meanwhile, the judging panel features MasterChef Australia contestant and Ballarat local Tim Bone, alongside acclaimed food writer Richard Cornish. As you might expect, Ballarat is flush with inventive chefs and bakers, with a host of nostalgic classics and bold new bakes giving visitors the chance to compare, contrast and rate each entry. Just some to consider include 1816 Bakehouse's butter chicken pie, the Aussie Oggie Pastry Co's prawn and scallop pie, and the limoncello meringue pie at Kilderkin Distillery. Looking over past winners, the competition is bound to be fierce amongst these pie-oneers. In 2023, Flying Chillies was crowned Ballarat's Best Pie with its babi pongteh pie. Then, Itinerant Spirits' took home the main prize with their wild orchard apple and vodka pie. Will sweet or savoury reign supreme this year? Head to Ballarat and put the town's immense pie selection through its paces. Ballarat's Best Pie competition runs from Friday, August 1–Sunday, August 31 across various locations. Head to the website for more information. Images: Chris McConville.
Keeping you up-to-date with the best and most unique happenings in art, culture, design and technology is what makes us tick. And now we want to celebrate some of the people making these exceptional things happen — so we've partnered with Miller Genuine Draft to create the Miller Design Lab. Across six special nights, the Miller Design Lab will showcase projects from a bunch of creatives at Chapel Street's SoHigh Gallery, with food, Miller Genuine Draft and live music also on offer — and it's all completely complimentary. Taking the reins on Friday, March 22 is Australian artist Buff Diss. Despite touring his work around the globe at a host of international galleries and art festivals, he remains a street artist at heart. And his large-scale geometric murals come with an unexpected twist — they're meticulously created with tape. For the Miller Design Lab, Buff Diss will be using tape and linear mesh to create his artwork in real time. You can watch as he works in response to music and builds to a 'big reveal' moment. DJ Paz and Alice Q will be providing the tunes for the evening, there'll be complimentary food and drink and after-party will kick off at The Emerson Rooftop Bar and Club from 10.30pm — what more could want? You can RSVP to the after-party here. The Miller Design Lab x Buff Diss will run from 7–10pm on Friday, March 22. To RSVP for complimentary ticket for you and three mates, enter your details below. And if you want to check out the rest of the Miller Design Lab events, head this way. [competition]709882[/competition] Follow @millergenuinedraftaus for more details. Images: Kate Shanasy.
There's a lot that's good about summer: barbecues, beach days, frozen cocktails and festivals almost every weekend. But after all that endless partying, sinking into a comfy beanbag and enjoying a good flick outdoors sounds pretty good. And if there's one thing better than sipping on beers and bubbles as the sun goes down at an outdoor cinema, it's doing it while also celebrating fierce females of the movie world — and doing it for free. Nothing screams 2019 louder than strong female leads defying the patriarchal confines of the society they inhabit. We are so on board. So, because we're loving all the tough women gracing the screens at Sunset Cinema at the moment, we've managed to get our hands on some double passes to help you celebrate them, too. You and a mate will be boogying in your beanbag as Emily Blunt takes over the role of much-loved Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins Returns on Saturday, February 16, at Commonwealth Reserve. To get your paws on a double pass, enter with your details below so you can raise a glass to these leading ladies in the glorious summer air. [competition]706476[/competition]
Melbourne Chef Joe Grbac (Saint Crispin, The Press Club, Il Fornaio) has worked at Michelin-starred restaurants under the likes of Gordon Ramsay and Philip Howard. His first solo project Saxe has picked up hats and stars and become CBD favourite since opening in 2017. Now, the beloved chef has revamped his restaurant — well, half of it. What was a casual downstairs bar has been relaunched as the two-storey venue's second dining experience, separate from the polished dining room upstairs. Dubbed Saxe Kitchen, the space now boasts dim, moody lighting, timber communal tables and a few bar stools — which together create an intimate and relaxed space for family-style meals. Here, you'll feel like you're dining at Grbac's house, rather than in his lauded restaurant. From the open kitchen, Grbac is serving up produce-driven fare with a European sensibility. Seasonal is the name of the game here. Expect pancetta and green tomato flat bread, comté crumpets and beef tartare with jerusalem artichoke and macadamia. Plus, pork ragu gnocchi, beef cheek noodle soup and coq au vin. You can also get a chef's menu for a very reasonable $65 a head (compared to upstairs's $85 or $105 degustation). Leading the front of house is Nathan Matthews (Pt Leo Estate, Bistro Elba, Mr Wong). Meanwhile, the drinks list has been created by Alice Williams, who was previously a manager and sommelier at Brae. Expect a focus on minimal intervention, single vineyard wines, along with aperitif cocktails — like the Franco-Américain (Lillet Blanc, bitters, anise liqueur and soda) and the Edinburgh Calling (scotch, sherry and lemon). Fans of the refined dining room upstairs will be glad to know that it hasn't changed one bit. But, next time you go to book, if you're looking for something a little more casual (and a bit cheaper) we recommend trying Saxe Kitchen on for size instead. Saxe Kitchen is now open at 211 Queen Street, Melbourne. Opening hours are Tuesday–Friday, noon–3pm and Tuesday–Saturday, 5pm–late.
It's usually where you head to for a culture fix, but this autumn the Immigration Museum is doubling as a wellness destination, too. It's launching a new series of Wednesday offerings aimed at rejuvenating your body and mind. Running from Wednesday, April 5–May 31, Wellbeing Within is set to serve up a weekly program of wellness activities, spanning everything from mindfulness to movement. You might fancy a hump day reset in the form of a guided morning meditation led by experts in areas like First Peoples wellness practices and forest therapy. You can train in tai chi under the renowned Professor Lily Sun, who's got more than four decades of teaching experience under her belt, or experience the anxiety-releasing wonders of a meditative sound bath, guided by an expert lineup of practitioners. There's also a series of 45-minute lunchtime yoga sessions, plus movement workshops hosted by Wala Connections, drawing on Indigenous culture and traditions. The best part? All classes and sessions come in at either $10 or $15, with museum members able to book for free. Online bookings are required. Images: Eugene Hyland
As was the case with recent release The Walk, Lance Armstrong scandal pic The Program is a film burdened by having the documentary that preceded it set a near-impossible standard for anything better. Comprehensive, compelling and absolutely exasperating, Alex Gibney's The Armstrong Lie was an exceptional piece of honest and meticulous journalism in which Lance Armstrong’s own performance proved to be a breathtaking piece of dramatic fiction. What The Program does offer, however, is a peek inside the conversations and moments that not even Gibney could record – despite his unprecedented access. Why? Because even Armstrong knew better than to let his own videographer record all the actual doping sessions and illegal deals. How the steroids were obtained, how they were snuck into France, how the cyclists took possession, used and then disposed of them - all of this is covered in great detail in The Program, as are as the methods used to defeat the drug testing that followed. As Armstrong, Ben Foster is note perfect. Beyond his remarkable physical similarity to the disgraced cyclist, Foster absolutely nails the camera-ready smile and rehearsed laugh used by Armstrong to mask both his rage and unrestrained ego. Practising in front of a mirror, we see Foster repeating again and again that he “has never tested positive for steroids”, a technical truth amidst a monumental lie that perfectly demonstrates the semantic and psychological art behind what officially became “the most successful doping program the sport [had] ever seen”. Perhaps the only great disappointment with The Program is the lack of time given to the largely unheralded role played by David Walsh – the Sunday Times sports journalist who doggedly and almost single-handedly pursued the Armstrong deception amid unbelievable resistance from every imaginable corner. Played by Chris O’Dowd, Walsh endured manifold lawsuits, professional humiliation and even abandonment by his closest friends and colleagues for investigating a fairytale that was plainly too good to be true. But while O’Dowd receives far too little screen time, The Program still does a good job of explaining why few were eager to question Armstrong’s mythic success. Given his contribution to the global expansion of the sport and the inspiration he provided for cancer sufferers via the Live Strong foundation, it's not hard to understand why we were all so keen to believe the lie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXfp859pcM0
Somewhere in the dark recesses of a record company, a phone rings in the jazz music copyright department. Five minutes later, an email begins to circulate around Hollywood: "URGENT: 1920s costumes required. Wooden tennis racquets also welcome. Destination not yet known, but assume Manhattan or France". Finally, casting agents receive a visit from a mysterious stranger with a very specific request: "I need a girl. Young. Sexy but approachable. Almost too young, without being obvious, if you follow?" He winks and disappears into the smog. The clues are unmistakeable. The conclusion, unavoidable. Woody Allen is making a movie. His 47th, in fact, and his most handsome in quite some time. Yet the eyes can deceive, and just as his characters learn throughout Magic in the Moonlight, beauty all too often masks a shallowness that will always, eventually, out. It is, to put it simply, very light fare across the board. Amusing more than hilarious, sweet yet far from moving, Magic in the Moonlight is as fun to watch as it is easy to forget. Set (once again) in the 1920s, the entire film is built around a simple, singular premise: esteemed magician Stanley Crawford (Colin Firth) is brought to the French Riviera to debunk the charming young American clairvoyant Sophie (Emma Stone). Her bewildering talents, however, quickly defy his every attempt to expose her, deftly penetrating every layer of his stoic scepticism. Faced with the possibility that real magic might exist, the insufferably rational and pragmatic Stanley finds himself questioning everything, from the meaning of life to the love of his soon-to-be wife. It's a romantic comedy of sorts, but the pairing of Stone and Firth fails to spark any real on-screen connection despite both actors ticking all the boxes individually. It's worth remembering there's almost 30 years between the two, an age gap (or chasm, rather) that Stanley acknowledges early on as 'preposterous'. It's perhaps less a joke than a symptom of the film's ultimate inability to resonate. Either way, you don't really care whether they get together or not, just as it matters little whether Sophie's talents are legitimate. The stakes are low, and for a film all about magic, the only genuine mesmerising comes from the scenery. https://youtube.com/watch?v=nzcPdGxuewU
Here in Australia, we sure love our professional sport. But as you'll see from Melbourne's new all-in-one house of good times and friendly competition, we've still got plenty of time for the unprofessional stuff as well. Making its home within Highpoint Shopping Centre from today, January 27, is The Funderdome: a multi-attraction venue complete with mini-golf, karaoke, shuffleboard, arcade games and a stack of other recreational pursuits. Clocking in at a hefty 2000 square metres, the all-ages funhouse is guaranteed to unleash your playful side and tickle your nostalgia. By day it's open to all, while after 8pm the venue transforms into an over 18s-only affair. A free-entry arcade is divided into two zones — one devoted to old-school games like Space Invaders and Pacman, and the other decked out with an oft-updated collection of newer offerings, including some of the latest immersive gaming experiences. Putt-putt stars can put their skills to work on the Playas Crazy Golf course, created in collaboration with pioneering London-based designer Zachary Pulman. It boasts 18 holes across two levels, taking its aesthetic cues from New York's famed Coney Island. And for those whose competitive spirit extends to throwing down ABBA belters, there are two roomy private karaoke lounges, kitted out in a fierce nod to the 70s. Of course, since all that fun's no good on an empty stomach there's also The Clubhouse, serving diner-style eats and drinks alongside even more entertainment offerings. Here, fuel up for your moment of mini-golf glory with the likes of woodfired pizza, panko-crumbed mac 'n' cheese balls, a reuben, or one of the signature hot dogs, aka 'funderdogs'. The matching drinks list pours mostly Aussie wines and familiar local brews, along with a classic-leaning cocktail lineup — think, espresso martinis, Aperol spritzes, the ginger-infused pina colada, and a time-tripping Toblerone. The Clubhouse also features its own collection of activities, including air hockey, Atari pong, foosball, shuffleboard, sports screens and weekend DJs. And if pesky lockdowns have cramped your birthday style in recent times, The Funderdome is helping make up for lost shenanigans with a whole range of party packages and function options starting from an easy $40 per person. Find The Funderdome located next door to HOYTS at Highpoint Shopping Centre, 120-200 Rosamond Rd, Maribyrnong. It'll open 10am–12am Sunday–Thursday, and from 10am–1am Friday and Saturday.
They have toured extensively throughout the US, Canada and Europe, now Australia will again be able to revel in the sonic bliss that is The Black Keys. The 2-piece garage rock heroes have rocked festivals all over the world on the back of some massive success with their latest albums, Brothers and El Camino, which have firmly set the duo at the top of the rock music heap. This will sure to be a highlight on the live music calendar - be sure to get your tickets before they go. The Black Keys will be supported by Australian garage-soul rock upstarts, Royal Headache, who are quickly gaining a massive following of their own.
Following in the very bright and joyful footsteps of Taylor Square in Sydney, Melbourne's St Kilda will soon splash a 35-metre-long flag down Jackson Street. The colourful road and pedestrian crossing will be painted towards the end of this month and will remain for at least two years. The road will be a public display of the City of Port Phillip's support for marriage equality and a celebration of the area's LGBTQI community, as well as a way of injecting a little colour and joy into the days of everyone who treads across it. Jackson Street makes up part of the busy Fitzroy Street precinct in St Kilda, and is considered to be highly visible to those walking, riding, tramming or driving. It's also located also right next to the site of the proposed Victorian Pride Centre, the first of its kind in Australia, which is expected to open in 2010. Acting Mayor Cr Dick Gross said the area's long-standing history with, and commitment to, the LGBTQI community makes it the perfect spot for the rainbow road. The area has hosted the annual Midsumma Pride March for 23 years. Sydney's rainbow crossing near Oxford Street was removed in 2013 after a stoush between local council and state government – but the move spawned hundreds of DIY rainbows by locals, and the news last month that it will be reinstated this October. Here's hoping this one sticks around for good — and that the colour spreads elsewhere, too.
Flick through the pages of any issue of National Geographic and the planet comes to life in all of its natural glory, particularly the colour, movement and all-round splendour of the animal world. Indeed, the magazine has been taking eye-catching wildlife photographs since 1888, and first featured one such image — a snap of a reindeer — on its cover back in 1903. From that huge 130-year history, the publication has picked out the absolute best photos in its archive for a brand new exhibition, which will make its world premiere at the Melbourne Zoo from September 8 to November 30. 50 Greatest Wildlife Photographs will showcase exactly what it sounds like — 50 breathtaking snaps of the earth's animal inhabitants, as curated by famous nature picture editor Kathy Moran, and featuring the work of iconic National Geographic photographers such as Michael 'Nick' Nichols, Steve Winter, Paul Nicklen, Beverly Joubert and David Doubilet. If last year's Photo Ark exhibition has you staring in wonder, then this promises that and more as patrons not only view the stunning sights captured, but the way that photography has evolved over the course of more than a century. Displaying as an outdoor gallery in Melbourne Zoo's Carousel Park, 50 Greatest Wildlife Photographs will be accompanied by augmented reality experience Air, Land & Sea. The interactive installation transports viewers to a watering hole where animals — hailing from Africa, the Arctic and more — graze, drink and interact with the environment around them. As well as giving patrons a glimpse at wildlife photography at its finest, Melbourne Zoo hopes the exhibition will bring attention to the plight of animals around the world. "Our hope is that, after viewing these stunning images and connecting with the wildlife at Melbourne Zoo, visitors will be compelled to remember that all animals deserve our greatest respect, awe and preservation," says Melbourne Zoo director Kevin Tanner. National Geographic's 50 Greatest Wildlife Photographs will be on display at Melbourne Zoo from September 8 to November 30. Entry to the exhibition is included in the zoo admission price. For more information, visit the website. Image: Gray Whale Hands by Thomas P. Peschak, San Ignacio Lagoon, Mexico, April 2015.
If you've ever been (or tried to be) vegan, you'll know there's a certain bliss that comes with having a whole smorgasbord of plant-based products at your disposal. So we expect squeals aplenty at the news that the Big Vegan Market is expanding, and will grace the sprawling interior of Carlton's Royal Exhibition Building, on Saturday, May 13. Kicking off at 10am, the event pulls together a dizzying, all-vegan array of food, drinks, craft, beauty and fashion, with as many as 131 vendors signing up to showcase their cruelty-free wares. Head in to snack on treats from the likes of Fitzroy dessert bar Girls & Boys, vegan dude food masters Wings of Glory and Vietnamese eatery The Pham Sisters, while indulging in some guilt-free retail therapy. You'll spy sustainably-crafted threads from Velvety, snazzy vegan watches from Time IV Change, cosmetics from Little Vegan Makeup Shop, and Wildbag's superfood protein blends, to name just a few. Jump on the Facebook page for the day's full lineup of vegan vendors. Image: Girls & Boys.
By this point in 2020, the year has served up all manner of challenges and surprises. But in one area at least, it's rolling on as planned. Because the world can't last too long without delivering multiple new film and/or television adaptations of Stephen King's work, viewers are about to score another one — a new miniseries version of the author's 1978 novel The Stand. Hitting Amazon Prime Video in Australia and New Zealand from Friday, January15 — after debuting in America in December — The Stand joins HBO's The Outsider as the two new TV shows bringing King's work to our eyeballs over the past 12 months. Of course, as avid fans will know, this isn't the first time this particular book has made the leap to the screen. Back in 1994, it aired as a big-budget, star-studded, four-part miniseries featuring the likes of Gary Sinise, Miguel Ferrer, Rob Lowe, Ruby Dee, Laura San Giacomo, Molly Ringwald and Ed Harris. Plenty of well-known names are onboard this time around, too, because there's quite the sprawling story to tell. And, quite the timely one, although that's obviously pure coincidence. The Stand is set in a world devastated by a plague. Here, the devasation is caused by a bioengineered super flu strain, which has wiped out 99 percent of the global population. Among those that survive, a battle between good and evil plays out — with the character of Randall Flagg, a common figure in King's work (see: The Eyes of the Dragon and The Dark Tower series), featuring prominently. Alexander Skarsgård plays Flagg, while the rest of the cast includes James Marsden, Whoopi Goldberg, Amber Heard and Heather Graham, as well as Watchmen's Jovan Adepo, Paper Towns' Nat Wolff, IT: Chapter Two's Owen Teague, Arrow's Katherine McNamara, and Australian Shirley and The Daughter actor Odessa Young. Behind the lens, The Stand is the latest project from filmmaker Josh Boone — whose latest movie, The New Mutants, hit cinemas in mid-2020 after years of delays. Check out the trailer for The Stand below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytkZJSzeg7A The Stand will start streaming in Australia and New Zealand on Friday, January 15 via Amazon Prime Video, airing new episodes weekly.
They're the pieces of plastic no one can leave home without — if you want to catch a bus, train, tram or ferry. Sydney has Opal, Melbourne has Myki and Brisbane has the Go Card, aka the main way to pay for public transport in today's increasingly cash-less society. For now, that is. News Corp's Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane papers are all reporting the looming end of the current ticketing cards, in favour of smartphone, smartwatch and tap-and-go bank card payments. It's one of those obvious leaps in technology that was always going to happen at some point soon. If there's a more convenient, contactless way to pay that don't rely upon everyone remembering to stuff yet another card into their wallet, then it's hardly surprising that the New South Wales, Victorian and Queensland governments are looking into it. In Sydney, a trial began on the Manly ferry last year, with patrons tapping their Mastercards instead. It's expected to expand to other forms of transport according to The Daily Telegraph, although it's worth noting that Opal multi-trip benefits don't apply to other payment systems. Melburnians can expect to scan on with a credit or debit card in trials due to start this year, focusing on Routes 11, 86 or 96, The Sunday Herald Sun notes. And in Brisbane, The Sunday Mail reports that a trial will commence either later in 2018 or sometime in early 2019, starting with the Airtrain. Moving away from dedicated transport cards — or adding other payment options — will make things easier for tourists and travellers, who shouldn't have to buy a new piece of plastic just to catch a bus or train (or pay extra for a paper ticket if they don't) when they're visiting. Ensuring the new system remains accessible for anyone that doesn't have a smartphone, smartwatch or bank card remains a concern, however. And, there'll always need to be a backup option in case someone forgets their phone, watch or wallet. Via The Sunday Mail / The Sunday Herald Sun / The Daily Telegraph. Images: Beau Giles / Binayak Dasgupta / Andrew Thomas.
Think about all the good times in your life. Now think about the bad times. Was pizza there for all of them? Probably. Similar to how it's perfect as a snack and an entire meal, pizza is just as appropriate for commiserations as it is celebrations. And if you're having a bit of a bad day, pizza is a sure-fire way to make it a little bit better. For those times, you need some cheesy, doughy go-tos. So we've teamed up with affordable ridesharing platform DiDi to compile this very tasty list of pizzerias serving some of the best slices in the city. Side note: DiDi offers super competitive rates for getting you to your pizza palace, so you'll have more cash in your pocket for a few extra slices once you get there. MARGHERITA AT SLICE SHOP PIZZA, FOOTSCRAY This Footscray pizzeria the latest offering from Burn City Smokers' Steve Kimonides and Raphael Guthrie. The menu rotation runs to around seven core creations, with a daily special and a vegan option thrown in for good measure. There might be a pork and fennel number, a classic capricciosa, or maybe a mushroom, thyme and truffle concoction. One thing you can count on is the classic margherita, which showcases the chewy base crafted on tipo 00 flour and fired in an Italian Moretti Forni oven. Best part? All slices at five bucks and can be enjoyed as you wander over to Mr West just across the street. [caption id="attachment_707900" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption] PEPPERONI AT LEONARDO'S PIZZA PALACE, CARLTON While it's located smack-bang in the middle of Carlton's cheese and dough dynasty — and super close to some of Melbourne's best pizzas at D.O.C, Ti Amo and Caprica — Leonardo's Pizza Palace holds its own with some seriously good slices backed up with a seriously good vibe. The menu runs from the classics (margherita) to the extreme (Chinese bolognese) to the divisive (ham and pineapple), but we recommend you order the pepperoni which comes dotted with perfect buttons of meat. Plus, each pie comes with a side serve of ranch dressing for dipping, so there's no excuse not to eat your crusts. [caption id="attachment_683821" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption] CLASSIC CHEESE AT CAPITANO, CARLTON This Rathdowne Street restaurant's reputation is founded on two delicious things: its bone-in veal parmigiana and classic pizzas. For the sake of this list, we're going to gush about the latter. Capitano is a master of a crisp, blistering crust and a dough that will have you dreaming of infinite slices. The classic cheese features fresh and aged mozzarella with pecorino for bite. If you want to up the ante, opt for Grandma's Square Pie, which adds stracciatella into the mix. GLUTEN-FREE PIZZA AT SHOP225, PASCOE VALE SOUTH If you can't eat gluten, or just appreciate a fine slice, Shop225 is calling. This neighbourhood Pascoe Vale pizzeria is dishing up a rare culinary combination: it's championing pizza that is both top-notch and gluten-free. Boasting Coeliac Australia accreditation, the restaurant's got two woodfired ovens — one for regular pizza bases, and one for gluten-free — and all the proper processes in place to minimise cross-contamination for coeliacs. The gluten-free bases swap the usual wheat situation for a blend of Ardor gluten-free flour and rice, tapioca, maize, soy and pea flours, and come at $4 extra — pricey but worth it. And, as an added bonus, plant-based options abound, crafted with lactose-free Local Craft cheese and vegan-friendly meat alternatives. Hot tip: there aren't too many tables at Shop 225, so be sure to book or plan to take away. MARGHERITA AT 400 GRADI, BRUNSWICK Diners have spoken, reviewers spoken, hell, even the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana has spoken — this Lygon Street gem is one of the world's best pizzerias. And — no biggie — but the Margherita Verace won the title of World's Best Pizza in 2014. So there's no question of what pizza you should order; this is dough, cheese and tomato at its best (with a bit of basil and olive oil thrown in for good measure). Better yet, head in between 4–6pm and you'll get bottomless slices and free-flowing drinks for two hours for $45. Switch to DiDi and spend the cash you save on what's important in life — like good pizza. To start riding, download the app here and use the code CONCRETE to score up to $50 in vouchers. Top Image: Leonardo's Pizza Palace by Kate Shanasy.
With shelves and shelves crammed full of options, wine buying can be a little bit daunting. But now there's a new kid in town that promises to make life that little bit simpler. Set to open its doors this Friday, October 12, Act of Wine is Southbank's new boutique bottle shop, heroing the small, the natural and the sustainably produced. It's from the same minds that brought you Broad Bean Organic Grocer next door, and boasts a similar passion for things well made. Here, the big name winemakers take a back seat, in favour of a carefully selected range that focuses on "smaller producers making honest wine". You'll find a solid selection of drops made with minimal intervention and are sure to discover plenty of less familiar names, covering the funky, the traditional, and everything in between. A discerning lineup of craft beer and artisan spirits rounds out the offering. But the wine selection isn't as expansive as what you'd encounter at your usual bottle-o, so you won't need to spend hours browsing — and you know whatever you do pick up will be quality and tasty. To complement the natural-driven booze philosophy, the award-winning Zwei Interiors Architecture have created a warm, organic-inspired fit-out, filled with lots of concrete, timber and natural elements. Be among the first to check out Act of Wine at its grand opening celebrations from 6-8pm this Friday, October 12. There'll be tastings from local brewery La Sirène, and wineries from across Australia. Find Act of Wine at 22 Fanning Street, Southbank, open from Friday, October 12.
The best kind of brunch is one that starts during that critical time bracket between 9.45am and 11.30am (a little too late for breakfast, a bit too early for lunch) and lasts until the sun starts going down. In order to make the good times go the distance, you need a well constructed playlist and an extensive spread of food options. And, of course, you are going to need drinks. After all, a well stocked drinks tray is the cornerstone of any successful brunch. What isn't is facing a table full of boozed up guests before the clock strikes 1pm. Now, thanks to an increased demand for delicious low- and no-alcohol options, you can let the brunch beveragino generously flow without getting everyone totalled. We've teamed up with Tempus Two to handpick some liquid inspiration to impress your guests and make your party an affair to remember (literally). THE MOOD: Popping bottles THE SERVE: 2020 Tempus Two Lighten Up Prosecco Nothing kicks off a brunch better than ceremoniously plucking the cork from a bottle of fizz to the sound of wild applause. It's the ultimate sensory trigger that signals a special occasion is going down. The 2020 Lighten Up Prosecco by Tempus Two has the full flavour of a traditional prosecco with crisp notes of citrus and green apple — but at 6.8 percent alcohol volume and a lower calorie count, you can enjoy more than JTO (Just The One). To put that number into context, that's a massive 30 percent less alcohol (and calories) than a standard bottle of prosecco. We'll drink to that. [caption id="attachment_747074" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Walter's Steakhouse[/caption] THE MOOD: Gorgeously garnished THE SERVE: The 'lightly bleeding' mary A good cocktail can be a work of art. And presenting a tray of artfully constructed concoctions can really wow a crowd, especially with some unexpected little touches in the final execution. Like the umami one-two punch of a cornichon and pickled onion alongside a good stalk of leafy celery on your bloody mary. To go the distance, make them what we're going to call a 'lightly bleeding' mary. Top your tomato juice and Worcestershire with a half measure of vodka or gin — or substitute the booze with a quality, non-alcoholic botanical spirits by the likes of Vera, Sea Arch or Seedlip (the Garden 108 is recommended here). All flavour, no regrets. THE MOOD: F Scott Spritzgerald THE SERVE: The springtime spritz Invoke a Gatsby-esque garden party with a bright, signature spritz that not only looks fantastic on the table but can be sipped throughout the duration of brunch. Start with a scoop of ice, then add a generous dash of Lyre's Italian Orange (a very, very good booze-free substitute for Aperol or Campari), pour in your favourite prosecco (the fruity profile of the Tempus Two Lighten Up would work perfectly), and top with soda. Add a twist of orange peel and two slices of strawberry and you're golden. THE MOOD: On the beers THE SERVE: Heaps Normal So you kicked off the morning with bottles of bubbles and a selection of delicately composed treats but now it's afternoon, your guests have settled in and you've just opened a bag of chips. It's beer o'clock, as they say in France. Keep a few tins of Heaps Normal's exceptional Quiet XPA in your fridge. Brewed to less than 0.5 percent alcohol by volume but with refreshing malty sweetness and long finish, it's a great companion for a leisurely day of drinking. THE MOOD: Something smooth THE SERVE: 2020 Tempus Two Lighten Up Pinot Noir Whether you want to serve it lightly chilled or get pouring straight off the wine rack, a good red is always a friend to brunch hosts and guests alike. The Lighten Up Pinot Noir from Tempus Two gives up great wafts of black cherry and a juicy full flavour that makes it as drinkable as any other promising pinot, but with an alcohol content of 6.8 percent, you can keep quaffing this one for that little bit longer — where a standard 750ml bottle would have anywhere between seven to nine standard drinks, there are only four in a bottle from the Lighten Up series. Your cup overfloweth! For more information about the low-alcohol Tempus Two Lighten Up range, head to the website. Top image: Tempus Two
Each year in cinema, the big screen delivers plenty of must-sees. Thanks to streaming, the small screen does, too. But there's a truth that lingers whenever you sit down to watch a movie: they can't all be great. That's a fact that the just-announced Razzie nominations for 2021's worst films well and truly recognise, as the Golden Raspberry Awards have for 42 years now. Yes, cinema's award season is upon us again, but that doesn't just mean celebrating the best flicks of the past year, which is what the likes of the Oscars and the Golden Globes aim to do. Also getting some love, albeit of the unwanted kind, are 2021's terrible movies. Leading the pack among the 42nd Razzie nominations is the Netflix version of Diana the Musical — aka the Princess Diana-themed movie of the past year that wasn't the much, much, much better Spencer — which picked up nine nods. It's joined by Karen, a film that matches its name, with five nominations; the needless Space Jam sequel Space Jam: A New Legacy with four nods; and straight-to-streaming Mark Wahlberg vehicle Infinite and abysmal heist flick The Misfits with three apiece. Other movies getting some attention: the Amy Adams-starring The Woman in the Window and Dear Evan Hansen, with the actor also earning a Worst Actress nomination for the former; House of Gucci, with Jared Leto's awful efforts recognised in two different categories; and no fewer than eight Bruce Willis flicks. That's how many titles he starred in last year, and the Razzies have even made their own field for them to compete against each other. Like any awards, the Razzie nominations are subjective, of course. Donning a ridiculous blonde mop while hamming up every scene he's in, Ben Affleck turns in an entertaining performance in The Last Duel, but this year's Razzies' Best Supporting Actor category clearly doesn't agree. The 2021 Razzie Award winners will be announced on Sunday, March 27, Australian and New Zealand time. Check out the full list of nominees below: GOLDEN RASPBERRY NOMINEES 2022: WORST PICTURE Diana the Musical Infinite Karen Space Jam: A New Legacy The Woman in the Window WORST ACTOR Scott Eastwood, Dangerous Roe Hartrampf (as Prince Charles), Diana the Musical LeBron James, Space Jam: A New Legacy Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen Mark Wahlberg, Infinite WORST ACTRESS Amy Adams, The Woman in the Window Jeanna de Waal, Diana the Musical Megan Fox, Midnight in the Switchgrass Taryn Manning, Karen Ruby Rose, Vanquish WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR Ben Affleck, The Last Duel Nick Cannon, The Misfits Mel Gibson, Dangerous Gareth Keegan (as James Hewitt, the muscle-bound horse trainer), Diana the Musical Jared Leto, House of Gucci WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Amy Adams, Dear Evan Hansen Sophie Cookson, Infinite Erin Davie (as Camilla), Diana the Musical Judy Kaye (as both Queen Elizabeth and Barbara Cartland), Diana the Musical Taryn Manning, Every Last One of Them WORST PERFORMANCE BY BRUCE WILLIS IN A 2021 MOVIE Bruce Willis, American Siege Bruce Willis, Apex Bruce Willis, Cosmic Sin Bruce Willis, Deadlock Bruce Willis, Fortress Bruce Willis, Midnight in the Switchgrass Bruce Willis, Out of Death Bruce Willis, Survive the Game WORST SCREEN COMBO Any klutzy cast member and any lamely lyricised (or choreographed) musical number, Diana the Musical LeBron James and any Warner cartoon character (or Time-Warner product) he dribbles on, Space Jam: A New Legacy Jared Leto and either his 17-pound latex face, his geeky clothes or his ridiculous accent, House of Gucci Ben Platt and any other character who acts like Platt singing 24-7 is normal, Dear Evan Hansen Tom and Jerry (aka Itchy and Scratchy), Tom & Jerry WORST DIRECTOR Christopher Ashley, Diana the Musical Stephen Chbosky, Dear Evan Hansen Coke Daniels, Karen Renny Harlin, The Misfits Joe Wright, The Woman in the Window WORST REMAKE, RIPOFF or SEQUEL Karen (inadvertent remake of Cruella deVil) Space Jam: A New Legacy Tom and Jerry Twist (rap remake of Oliver Twist) The Woman in the Window (ripoff of Rear Window) WORST SCREENPLAY Diana the Musical, script by Joe DiPietro, music and lyrics by DiPietro and David Bryan Karen, written by Coke Daniels The Misfits, screenplay by Kurt Wimmer and Robert Henny, screen story by Robert Henny Twist, written by John Wrathall and Sally Collett, additional material by Matthew Parkhill, Michael Lindley, Tom Grass and Kevin Lehane, from an "original idea" by David and Keith Lynch and Simon Thomas The Woman in the Window, screenplay by Tracy Letts, from the novel by AJ Finn
Combining elements of dance, performance and moving imagery, the latest video installation by noted Melbourne artist David Rosetzky will be housed at the Australia Centre for the Moving Image in Federation Square. Co-commissioned by ACMI along with Carriageworks in Sydney, the free exhibit, entitled Gaps sees the artist working in close collaboration with dance choreographer Stephanie Lake and performers Jessie Oshodi, Lee Serle, Rani Pramesti and Dimitri Baveas. The multidisciplinary piece aims to explore notions of rehearsal, disconnection and self. Gaps replaces ACMI's previous exhibit, The Calling, and will be open to the public from August 5 until February 8. Rosetzky will also be on hand for a pair of gallery presentation talks, on the evenings of August 6 and 14.
Eastland Shopping Centre, located in Ringwood in Melbourne's (you guessed it) east, will host another pop-up ice rink this winter. The Ice Rink will be running from June 23 through August 26, so you've got plenty of time to rediscover your inner skater and (probably) bang your knees up a bit at first — it can take a couple of goes to get the hang of it. Luckily Eastland knows this and is offering free skating sessions when you spend $20 at any restaurant or shop in its Town Square precinct — plus, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday it's 2-for-1 tickets after 5pm. And the rink is hosting a slew of themed nights, too. On the agenda is Throwback Tuesdays from 6pm — 80s and 90s hits as you cruise around the rink — and R&B Fridays, with a live DJ after 6pm to get your ice party started. On Sundays, the ice rink offers sensory-friendly skating for children and adults with special needs. And all proceeds, every day, go to the Alannah & Madeline Foundation. The Ice Rink is open 11am–9pm, Sunday to Thursday; and 11am–10pm, Friday and Saturday.
If you fancy yourself a bit of a dumpling aficionado, then prepare to have your mind blown, as the Oriental Teahouse kitchen shows just how diverse these pillowy parcels of flavour can be. Join the South Yarra dumpling masters for dinner on Monday, April 3 as they unveil no less than 25 different dumpling creations — one for each year the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival's been kicking. Sample the gamut from classic to contemporary (chocolate dumplings, anyone?), with the option of matched drinks to wash them down.
Take the red pill and vanish down the rabbit hole, with the Valhalla Social Cinema this Saturday, September 6. North Melbourne's premier film collective will hold court for 14 hours of science fiction movie goodness, with titles from the '70s and '80s through to today. The marathon will take place at the Electron Workshop on Arden Street. The candy bar opens at 10am, with the projector set to whir into gear precisely half-an-hour later. Things kick off with the 1971 paranoid thriller The Andromeda Strain, based on the book by Michael Crichton. '80s comedy The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension comes next, followed by a trio of dystopian flicks in Moon, Rollerball and Robocop (the original, of course). The marathon closes out with The Matrix, a film whose mind-bending techno-philosophy should do nicely after more than half a day without sunlight or physical exercise of any kind.
Opening a bar six weeks before a global pandemic forces the mass closure of the country's hospitality venues isn't ideal. But, The Thornbury Fromagerie did just that — and, thanks to the generosity of locals, it's managing to survive. A first-time venue for husband-and-wife team Tassos Dermetzoglou and Olivia Ientile, The Thornbury Fromagerie launched as a dine-in cheese and wine bar, but it quickly had to adapt when COVID-19 hit. "Closing our dine-in experience meant we had to accelerate the launch of our online store," Ientile said in a statement. The shop now offers same-day delivery to the surrounding suburbs every weekday, and, according to the owners, it's been a hit. "What is really touching are the personal messages customers are leaving not only for the gift recipients but also for us," Ientile said. "Words of encouragement, thanking us for providing this service and promising to be the first in line when we can reopen safely." The cheese menu, created in collaboration with Matt Steele of Cornelius Cheese, is conveniently split into goat, white mould, washed rind, semi-hard and hard, and blue. There's lemon myrtle-spiked goat milk chèvre from the Adelaide Hills, a creamy washed-rind number from Époisses in Burgundy, an Oregon blue cheese that's been smoked over hazelnut shells and even cheese made with whiskey. On the wine side of things, French-born sommelier Christian Maier has pulled together a list of drops from across Australia, Italy and France, including a pét-nat from Victoria and a WA skin-contact pinot grigio. Also on the drinks lineup: StrangeLove's sodas. We'd highly recommend grabbing a four-pack of the yuzu flavour. The Thornbury Fromagerie is located at 666 High Street, Thornbury. It's currently offering same-day delivery to Thornbury, Northcote, Fairfield, Preston and surrounding suburbs from Monday–Friday. Images: Kali & Ko
Chapel Street is in for a taste of old-world European romance when Matteo Bruno (Hana, The Meatball & Wine Bar) opens the doors to his latest project next week. Named after Bruno's 93-year-old nonna, Ines Wine Bar looks set to become one of the most charming watering holes around, Euro-style street seating and all. Inside, the team at Techne Architecture have pulled together a warm, laidback mix of walnut, Italian marble and aged brass accents, to match a soundtrack of classic tunes from the likes of Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles. In short: it's a space designed for unwinding. Having most recently honed his smarts at Ides and intimate Japanese spot Kappo, sommelier Raffaele Mastrovincenzo has designed a wine list of around 80 Italian, French and local varieties, with a Coravin system allowing for more interesting by-the-glass sessions. That said, Ines' cocktail game is equally strong, with Italian mixology whizz Stefano Cinelli showing off his knack for the classics — you're just as likely to find yourself dropping in for a sazerac or old-fashioned. Plus, buy a bottle of your favourite spirit and they'll even keep it safe behind the bar for your subsequent visits. Meanwhile, in the culinary corner, it's Euro accents all the way. Think a daily-changing selection of crostini, cheese and charcuterie boards, freshly shucked oysters and the croque signore, riffing on a French classic with the addition of aged prosciutto. Find Ines Wine Bar at 150 Chapel St, Windsor from May 15. It'll open for dinners Tuesday through Saturday.
Unlike a certain lab coat-wearing grandfather and his nervous grandson, we can't all exclaim "wubba lubba dub dub" and zap our way to a different part of the multiverse when things aren't going our way. But, we can get schwifty, kick back and watch a couple of animated interdimensional adventurers unleash their specific style of chaos, with Rick and Morty set to return in 2021 for its fifth season. Once again, Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith (both voiced by show co-creator Justin Roiland) will do what they do best: not just aping a concept straight out of Back to the Future, but wreaking havoc in as many universes as they can stumble across. Also back are Morty's mother Beth (Sarah Chalke, Firefly Lane), father Jerry (Chris Parnell, Archer) and sister Summer (Spencer Grammer, Tell Me a Story) — and, as both the initial trailer for season five and the just-released second sneak peek both show, they're playing a big part in Rick and Morty's dimension-hopping antics this time around. Glimpses at Rick and Morty's upcoming episodes are more about the mood, look and feel than the storylines. The show's trailers tease a heap of the out-there situations, battles and general sci-fi chaos that its characters will find themselves dealing with, and leave the specifics for the new season itself. That's been the case with season five so far, naturally — with nods to and parodies of everything from Voltron to Blade bundled into the two trailers to-date, because that's the way the news goes. As for when you'll be able to watch the next batch of Rick and Morty anarchy — and rejoin the smartest Rick and Morty-est Morty in the universe, of course — the fifth season will start airing week-to-week in the US from mid-June. Hopefully Netflix Down Under will follow suit shortly afterwards. That's what happened with season four, which released its long-awaited episodes in two batches in 2019 and 2020. Watch the latest trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tks_1uCO5kA Rick and Morty's fifth season will start airing weekly from June 20 in the US. Down Under, the show airs on Netflix — and we'll update you with a release date for the new season when one is announced.
