Melbourne's Asian rotating market HWKR is celebrating its one year anniversary with a four-day Chinese New Year blowout, featuring DJ sets, lion dances and a whole lot of food. It's happening from Thursday, February 7 through Sunday, February 10, when HWKR will offer a Chinese-inspired banquet, which has been curated by all its latest pop-ups. The collaboration dinner features five-to-six courses for, a rather reasonable, $50 per person. For mains, there's thit kho (pork belly casserole) by Ms Kim Vietnamese eatery, which is run by 2018 My Kitchen Rules grand finalist; Peking pork tacos and tofu 'dominos' by Kung Fu Burger; a poke bowl by Aburi sushi stall The Modern Eatery; and chilli prawns by Malaysian kitchen Junior Tan. For dessert, there's also a taro bingsu (Korean shaved iced) from Scoopy Milk Bar. Groups of four or more have the option to add a serve of traditional yee sang ($80), too — it's a vibrant 'prosperity salad' which is a staple at the family table during Chinese New Year, promising a successful year in the form of shredded vegetables, raw fish and sauces. Apart from the banquet, sponge dessert specialist HS Cakes will sell a special creation throughout the weekend, and not-for-profit bar Manymore is offering a specialty cocktail menu inspired by Asian flavours. Alongside the meal will be entertainment aplenty, including DJs on from 6–10pm each night, traditional lion dancers offering four performances (7pm Thursday, 1.15pm Friday, 1pm Saturday and 7pm Sunday) and a free photo booth to boot. Bookings and walk-ins are welcomed. For the full menu and to book, head to the website.
Warm, cosy, rosy, charming, feel-good: typically when a film spins its story during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, none of these words apply. But with Belfast, Kenneth Branagh has made a movie set in its eponymous city when the Protestant-versus-Catholic violence was a constant sight, and also helmed a feature that's about a childhood spent with that conflict as a backdrop. It's an approach that only works because Branagh draws from his own experiences — the film isn't a play-by-play memoir, but it's also clearly personal. Here, it's 1969, when the actor-turned-filmmaker would've been nine years old. The movie's protagonist, Buddy (first-timer Jude Hill), is that exact age, in fact. And with the beginnings of a three-decade-long sectarian fracas bubbling and boiling around him, he navigates the usual age-appropriate antics, such as school, crushes, doting grandparents with ailing health and a potential big move. The Troubles are a constant sight in the largely monochrome-hued film, too, and the reason Buddy's that parents are contemplating relocating to England, something they wouldn't have dreamed of otherwise. Pa (Jamie Dornan, The Tourist) already spends most of his time working there as a joiner, leaving Ma (Caitríona Balfe, Outlander) at home with Buddy and his elder brother Will (Lewis McAskie, Here Before) — with assistance from the boys' Granny (Judi Dench, Six Minutes to Midnight) and Pop (Ciarán Hinds, The Man in the Hat) — and he's been offered a new job that comes with a house. The violence swirling through Belfast has already made it to the family's street, to their hounded Catholic neighbours and, when Pa refuses to join the fray, put them on their fellow Protestants' hit list. Shifting to London (or perhaps further, to Sydney or Vancouver) would provide a new start and a safer future, but leaving all they've ever known isn't a simple decision. Belfast's adult characters are only known as Buddy would know them, such is Branagh's commitment to seeing this story, time and place through a child's eyes as he once did. And, while there's much debate to be had between Pa and Ma about whether to go or stay, the film is filled with its young lead's joys and worries — with the prospect of never again seeing the Catholic classmate he swoons over high among the boy's concerns. Belfast isn't short on context, however, though there's zero chance that it could be mistaken for a meaty interrogation of The Troubles. Branagh weaves in examples of how the push-and-pull of the conflict that's inescapable in his neighbourhood every day, Molotov cocktails, broken windows, blazes, riots and all, puts Buddy and his family in the middle. Still, a magical view of childhood remains, including when Buddy gets thrust into the thick of the fray — where, after he returns home with looted supermarket wares, his mother marches him back to return the stolen products amid the chaos. Branagh also indulges in an origin story, perhaps inspired by his stint in the Marvel Cinematic Universe directing the first Thor film back in 2011 (Buddy is even seen reading a Thor comic). Escaping The Troubles as much as anyone can in Belfast, the writer/director's on-screen surrogate adores seeing Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and A Christmas Carol also features — scenes that come to life in colour, unlike the bulk of the picture around them. In the process, Branagh helps trace the early steps of his own desire to become a thespian and filmmaker, which has led to everything from Shakespeare adaptations such as Much Ado About Nothing and Hamlet, to doing double duty in front of and behind the lens with Hercule Poirot duo Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile. He's played Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' Gilderoy Lockhart, helmed Disney's live-action Cinderella, gotten villainous in Tenet, and of course, enjoyed an applauded on-stage career as well, all stemming from those first rapturous experiences watching when he was growing up. You could also call Belfast Branagh's Roma moment, after Alfonso Cuarón also gave cinema a black-and-white vision drawn from his own childhood, although that comparison fades quickly — even with Oscar love likely to come this film's way, in nominations at least, as it did for its predecessor. Here, the Dutch angles have it, with one of Branagh's go-to stylistic moves visually reinforcing Belfast's skewed perspective. Everything that viewers see is gorgeously lensed by his regular cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos (a mainstay on everything except All Is True since 2007's Sleuth), and also fondly nostalgic as cherished memories of formative years always are, with the lean firmly towards Buddy and his subjective view. As often set to a Van Morrison soundtrack, there's no doubting that this is a portrait of the big and small moments remembered and given a tender glow far more than it's about matters of politics and religion. As carefully and sentimentally conjured up and constructed as it is, Belfast's message remains timely as it gazes five-plus decades back. Horror and conflict stalk Buddy's working-class turf, his routine and life are shaken and upended, but hope — and the reality that life does go on — shines through. The opposing forces of comfort and change jostle around him, and this boy and his loved ones endeavour to make their way through it. Indeed, it should come as no surprise that this was Branagh's pandemic project, or that he peers back with such affection. In one of the movie's least successful touches, he even finds a way to convey that process on-screen, starting with a glossy shot of Ireland today, then literally peeking beyond a wall to venture into the past. Branagh's best choice: his magnificent cast, although an actor who also directs guiding marvellous performances out of his key players also doesn't surprise. What's especially glorious about Hill, Dornan, Balfe, Dench and Hinds is how much their portrayals tell us about their characters in the beats between dialogue, with wide-eyed enthusiasm radiating from wonderful newcomer Hill, and Dench and Hinds perfecting Granny and Pop's world-wise lived-in dynamic, for instance. Dornan and Balfe are also exceptional; whether bickering heatedly about tax debts and far-off places or taking to the dance floor — or, in Dornan's case, belting out a big-hearted rendition of 'Everlasting Love' to give his Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar crooning a companion — they're a picture of that unceasing emotion that Branagh infuses into every element of the film. Yes, as its showcase number trumpets, that's love, which leads to a sweet, neat and light but still vivid and soulful snapshot of growing up amid swelling uncertainty. Image: Rob Youngson / Focus Features.
Vegetables are the undisputed heroes at the southside's newest casual eatery, which is located right on the edge of South Melbourne Market. Marko is kicking it slow, embracing an old-school food philosophy and dishing up a vibrant offering that's entirely plant-based. The brainchild of food industry veteran Dehne Bingham (former CEO of Belles Hot Chicken and 100 Burgers Group), the restaurant is set on getting back to basics, focusing on serving food that's better for the community, the planet and the people eating it. In the kitchen, Head Chef Nabin Shrestha (Rumi, Vegie Bar) is plating a daytime menu of vegan and vegetarian dishes, curated by long-time champion of plant-based dining, chef Charley Snadden-Wilson (Ramblr, Etta, Embla). There's a strong emphasis on sourcing ingredients as locally as possible, working with the seasons and, of course, snubbing any preservatives or other nasties. But Marko isn't afraid to have some fun, too, with a colourful lineup of eats that shows plenty of creativity. Diners can choose from the list of burgers ranging from $12-15, all available with gluten-free alternatives — from the signature Marko cheeseburger layered with coconut cheese and a plant-based patty to the spicy cauliflower number with jalapenos and chipotle mayo. Fluffy pitas ($13-14) from Brunswick's Alasya Bakery are also on the menu, and come stuffed with the likes of green pea falafel or roasted mushrooms with quinoa tabbouleh and tahini sauce. Marko also serves up a range of vibrant veggie bowls ($13-15), along with sides like chilli-topped corn ribs ($8) and crispy chips finished with your choice of house seasoning. And, you can make a meal of it with one of three 'feed me' options, matching a burger or pita with chips, dip and a Capi soda ($23-26). To drink, expect to find a rotation of craft brews, natural wines, and cocktails both boozy and non-alcoholic, along with caffeinated options shuttled down from nearby coffee window Clement. As a bonus feel-good factor, there's also an environmental conscience that extends beyond the meat-free menu. Marko is using all recyclable packaging, has implemented a special system for recycling food waste and powers its kitchen partly by renewables. Top Images: Bold and Italic Media
MAMAS Dining Group (Hochi Mama, Straight Outta Saigon and Kiss and Tell) is branching out from its Southeast Asian roots with the launch of its latest Chapel Street sites: Windsor Wine Room and Suzie Q. Windsor Wine Room is set to open in May this year at the former Lover site, where you'll find top-notch wines paired with contemporary European food. Michael Stolley (ex-Ish Restaurant and Eazy Peazy) will run the kitchen pass here, slinging a series of small and large plates. Kick things off with potato and honey-studded focaccia, burrata with a vodka-spiked sauce, and barbecued lamb skewers, before launching into bigger bites like the cauliflower pie and octopus and nduja ragu pasta. [caption id="attachment_953020" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Suzie Q[/caption] Then there's the two-storey Suzie Q, MAMAS Group's biggest and most ambitious venue to date. Mitchell and Eades (Beverly, Grill Americano, Carlton Wine Room, Hawker Hall, Mr Miyagi and Lana) has been tasked with designing the large space, which is said to embody "the hedonism and rebellion of the underground nightlife scene in the 80s, re-imagined through a modern lens". Stolley has also dreamt up Suzie Q's menu, inspired by classic Cantonese cuisine. But don't expect this to be a traditional Chinese restaurant. He's adding plenty of contemporary flair — something MAMAS Group is well known for. Windsor Wine Room (60 Chapel Street, Windsor) will open in May this year and Suzie Q (247 Chapel Street, Prahran) is slated to open in June. For more information, head to the restaurant group's website.
Melburnians, your winter plans now include a date with the biggest name in street art there is: Banksy. The mysterious artist won't be there. Or, if they are, no one would know anyway. More than 180 works will showcase Banksy's art, however, including infinity rooms and simulations that play with some of Banksy's most famous creations. The Art of Banksy: Without Limits made its Australian debut in Brisbane in 2023, and has also been on display in Adelaide and Sydney since. Next stop: District Docklands from Wednesday, June 12, 2024. Tickets are on sale from 7pm on Thursday, April 18. A massive collection of pieces by the art world's chief enigma — including the darkly satirical, overtly political work that has turned the stencil-loving artist into such an infamous icon — The Art of Banksy: Without Limits' hefty array of artworks include Banksy's certified art, prints on a heap of different materials, plus photos and sculptures as well. For an immersive experience, there's installations — physical and digital — alongside murals and mapping shows. One such installation: a simulation of Dismaland Bemusement Park. Another: that mirrored infinity room. Banksy's murals in Ukraine also get a nod, and one space is devoted to the MV Louise Michel, the 30-metre-long high-speed lifeboat funded by Banksy that patrols the Mediterranean to rescue refugees. Attendees will also be peering at reproductions of Banksy's works that have been made exclusively for this exhibition, recreating some of the artist's pieces using — of course — stencils. Flower Thrower, Kissing Coppers and sculpture Phone Booth make an appearance — and spray painting your own shirt is an option. Adding Melbourne to its list of stops alongside Istanbul, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Berlin, Bucharest, Cluj and Budapest, plus Riyadh, Vienna, Warsaw, Seoul, Atlanta, Miami, Charlotte, Chile, Seattle and Mexico City, The Art of Banksy: Without Limits will run daily and take between 45–60 minutes to wander through. And yes, you can snap away for the 'gram while you're there. The Art of Banksy: Without Limits will display at District Docklands, 440 Docklands Drive, Melbourne, from Wednesday, June 12, 2024, with tickets on sale now — head to the exhibition's website for more details.
This September, the NGV is showcasing two exhibitions from celebrated Australian photographers: Polixeni Papapetrou and Petrina Hicks. While the exhibitions will be separate — and give you ample time to appreciate and mull over both artists' bosy of work — they will both be on display at the Ian Potter Centre from September 26 until March 2020. Bleached Gothic is the first major survey of Hicks's work, and includes over 50 photographs and motion works from the past 15 years. Hicks explores the complexity of the female experience through enigmatic and surreal photographs. Her work poses question into the visual and cultural representation of women throughout social climates in a series of photographs relevant to the experiences of today. You'll probably recognise Shenae and Jade, which depicts a young girls with a budgie in her mouth. Papapetrou's exhibition — Olympia: Photographs by Polixeni Papapetrou — is the first major retrospective from the Australian photographer, and includes works prior to her death that have never been exhibited in Melbourne. The series showcases photographs of her daughter Olympia, from her birth until her mother's death last year, and explores the representation of children in their contemporary settings. The dual exhibitions are a great way to get a glimpse of never before seen displays, and some of the best works, from two of Australia's best female photographers. Both exhibitions are free to attend. Image: Petrina Hicks, Shewolf I (2016) from theThe California Works series, courtesy of the artist, Michael Reid, Sydney, and This Is No Fantasy, Melbourne.
Like its exterior, the contents of this store have a penchant for the absurd. Enjoy a healthy bento lunch while day-dreaming about hamburgers. Organise your desk with some post-its that tell it how it is. Or slow down your schedule with a 365-day clock. Though this novelty makes it the perfect place to pick up an outlandish gift, Third Drawer Down also offer a curated selection of homewares and everyday items that are useful all-year round. Dive into the madness on either side of the Yarra. Third Drawer Down now have stores in both Fitzroy and Prahran. Third Drawer Down is also located at 155 Greville Street, Prahran.
The work of three world class choreographers from disparate corners of the world will come together in Melbourne for an electric triple bill. With just a dozen engagements at the ornate State Theatre, The Australian Ballet presents Vitesse, a stirring celebration of movement and sound. The performance begins with Christopher Wheeldon’s DGVc: Danse à Grande Vitesse, a lightning-fast work set to music by Michael Nyman, which was composed for the inauguration of the TGV bullet train in France. Second up is Jiri Kylian's Forgotten Land, a fluid number that the Arts Centre program describes as "like an Edvard Munch painting come to life". The show will conclude with William Forsythe's In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, a groundbreaking work widely celebrated for pushing the limits of ballet technique.
Melbourne's hospitality lockdown looked set to claim one of its biggest victims yet, when John and Lisa Van Haandel announced in May that their 15-year-old restaurant Longrain would not be returning post-COVID. That is, until fellow star restaurateur Scott Pickett phoned them up to throw his hat into the ring. Pickett, the chef-owner behind such favourites as Estelle, Matilda, Lupo and Chadstone's Pastore, will now take the reins at the Southeast Asian diner. And he'll be sticking with Longrain's tried-and-true formula, with plans to keep things operating much the same as before, from the food right through to the crew. "It's a wonderful brand and venue, and I didn't want to see that disappear," Pickett said in a statement. "I am stoked that the team is staying on and we can continue this iconic Melbourne venue. Longrain 2.0, I call it." [caption id="attachment_775369" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tim Grey[/caption] While Pickett steps in as overseer, Chef Arté Assavakavinvong will continue heading up the kitchen he's called home for the past six years. Expect to see familiar faces cooking up signature Longrain favourites, which will star alongside a few new Thai-inspired creations — and perhaps a whisper of Pickett flair worked through the menu and produce list. The Van Haandels are backing the new owner and his plans, saying, "we pass the baton confident our baby is in good hands." As for sibling venue Longsong, which sits above the Little Bourke Street space, it'll kick on as an extra Longrain dining room while the pandemic does its thing, offering both a $65 and $95 banquet menu. The upstairs venue is then set to make its own return later in the year. The initial plan was to reopen Longrain 2.0 on Wednesday, July 29, but those plans have been put on hold with all of metropolitan Melbourne going into lockdown until at least Thursday, August 20. We'll let you know when a new date is announced. Longrain is set to reopen at 44 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne later this year. Images: Tim Grey
In wrestling – of the competitive rather than staged variety – combatants trade in proximity, physicality and supremacy. They come in close, sizing up each other’s strengths through grabbing and grappling, and then exploiting weaknesses for their own glory. Sudden moves may be made, but little happens quickly. It takes time to push and shove into positions of power, and to feel out avenues for domination. Telling a tale of violence and sought-after victory that can only be ripped from reality, Foxcatcher mimics the sport at its centre, progressing slowly yet never relenting from its atmosphere of tension. Three men jostle for the spotlight: the Olympic Gold medal-winning Schultz brothers Mark (Channing Tatum) and Dave (Mark Ruffalo), and wealthy and eccentric wrestling aficionado John E. du Pont (Steve Carell). Though both siblings shared success at the Los Angeles games in 1984, the awkward, lonely Mark remains in the shadow of charismatic family man Dave, their training sessions the highlights of his daily routine. Du Pont’s unexpected offer to finance his – and the American wrestling team’s – repeat shot at the top spot is the opportunity Mark has been waiting for, but his second chance serves his benefactor’s ego, not his own dreams. As Dave asks when Mark tries to convince him to come along at du Pont’s urging, “What does he get out of all this?” The outcome is the stuff crime reenactments are made of; however, 2014 Cannes Film Festival best director recipient Bennett Miller heightens the simmering anxiety of clashing personalities and motivations over the sensationalist result. Those familiar with the filmmaker’s previous two efforts, fellow true crime feature Capote and the baseball-oriented Moneyball, will be well versed in his approach. Once more, Miller’s film is studied and sparse on the surface but explosive underneath; inspired by history but unafraid to shape events to fit its own statement on masculinity, capitalism and America; and coloured by the purposefully unsettling shades of a chilly, blue visual look. Patient pacing — particularly in long shots framing each of the trio against the surroundings of busy training room, claustrophobic apartment and expansive country estate — allows the pressure to build, though what really blossoms is the Foxcatcher’s troika of obsession and aggression-laced character studies. Details are drip-fed horror-style, not only in the script’s unraveling of psychological unease, but in the intensity of the performances. With Oscar nominations apiece, Carell and Ruffalo command attention, albeit in vastly different ways. The affectations of the former, perfecting the control of the privileged yet paranoid, clash with the naturalistic caution of the ever-agreeable latter. It is Tatum, however, who steals every scene, lumbering, vulnerable, and always with the air of the loser even when Schultz is winning. His character might be an innocent initially easily manipulated, but his layered, internalised portrayal ascends to the apex of the against-type cast. Perhaps it is fitting that he has been eclipsed in the awards chatter — overlooked once again as life imitates art depicting real-life circumstances.
It's not every day that you get to sample drops worth 95-plus points in the eyes of premier Australian wine critic James Halliday. But if you venture to Seville Estate in the upper Yarra Valley, that's exactly what you'll be doing. Hidden away in the Dandenong foothills, this dreamy spot — which Mr Halliday has consistently awarded five stars — is great for an afternoon of wine and food. You'll be gazing at idyllic vineyards, backdropped by Mt Donna Buang's mighty summit while swirling and sipping your way through the entire collection, made exclusively from the Estate's 26 acres of grapes. Two of the 2017 drops scored a whopping 99 points in the James Halliday Wine Companion 2019, taking home best shiraz and best pinot noir. But they're far from the only varietals you'll be tasting — gear up for killer riesling, cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay, too. The Seville folks are also celebrating a recent revamp. Re-landscaping has given the gardens a new edge and there's now a stunning restaurant with an unbeatable view, open for lunch and dinner on Friday and Saturday, and lunch on Sunday. If you're keen to hang around all weekend, stay over. Choose between the original four-bedroom homestead, built in 1975 by Seville's original owners Dr Peter McMahon and his wife, Margaret, and three self-contained apartments.
Collingwood gallery Sullivan + Strumpf are launching a new exhibition this month: Tissu Tissue by acclaimed abstract artist Lara Merrett. Merrett is known for her mind-bending colour work, and these new canvases push her trademark style about as far as it can go. Imagine an ocean of soft, pulsing colour, where forms blur and merge into one another. It's trippy and soothing all at the same time, in a similar vein to US artist Arielle Austin. "As an ocean swimmer, I try to tap into, hold onto, and inject this state into the work. In thinking of landscape as an experience, I am connecting to this larger force – I am part of something bigger than myself," Merrett says. "In psychoanalysis, oceanic feeling is an expansion of consciousness beyond one's body, a limitless extension, and a sense of unlimited power associated with identification with the universe as a whole." Born in Melbourne in 1971, Merrett currently splits her time between studios in Sydney and Bendalong in regional New South Wales. Tissu Tissue is a rare chance for Melburnians to catch her latest work. The exhibition will run from July 20 to August 12, with a special launch event on Thursday ,July 20 (6–8pm). Follow Sullivan + Strumpf for all the updates. Images: Supplied
In the late 70s, when Texas housewife, mother of two and popular church choir singer Candy Montgomery had an affair with fellow congregation member Allan Gore, commenting about her being a scarlet woman only had one meaning. If anyone other than Elizabeth Olsen was stepping into her shoes in HBO miniseries Love & Death — which streams via Binge in Australia from Thursday, April 27 and Neon in New Zealand from Friday, April 28 — it would've remained that way, too; indeed, Jessica Biel just gave the IRL figure an on-screen portrayal in 2022 series Candy. Of course, Olsen is widely known for playing the Wanda Maximoff aka the Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as seen in WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness most recently. So, mention 'scarlet' in a line of dialogue around her, and it calls attention to how far she is away from casting spells and breaking out superhero skills. And she is, although she's also again playing a woman succumbing to her darkest impulses. There's a reason that Montgomery keeps fascinating Hollywood, dating back to 1990 TV movie A Killing in a Small Town (a film directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal, dad to Ambulance's Jake and The Deuce's Maggie). There's also a reason that she's been the subject of plenty of true-crime podcast episodes since — and had journalists John Bloom and Jim Atkinson writing the 1983 non-fiction book Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs before that, plus Texas Monthly articles 'Love & Death on Silicon Prairie, Part I & II'. On June 13, 1980, Allan's wife Betty was murdered with an axe. She wasn't just killed; she was bludgeoned 41 times. Within days, Candy was a suspect. From there, she was accused, arrested and put on trial. And, she ultimately admitted swinging the blade, albeit with a caveat: that after her friend discovered her relationship with Allan, Candy was defending herself. It's with pluck and perkiness that Olsen brings Candy to the screen again, initially painting the picture of a perfect suburban wife and mum. She keeps exuding those traits when Candy decides that she'd quite fancy an extra-marital liaison with Allan (Jesse Plemons, The Power of the Dog) — slowly winning him over, but setting ground rules in the hope that her husband Pat (Patrick Fugit, Babylon) won't get hurt, nor Betty (Lily Rabe, Shrinking) as well. The quartet have known each other for years when Love & Death starts, through their faith and due to their pre-teen daughters Jenny (TV debutant Amelie Dallimore) and Alisa (Harper Heath, Forever and a Day). Then Allan bumps into Candy during a volleyball game, which gets her thinking about them slipping between the sheets. "He smelled like sex," she tells her pal Sherry Cleckler (Krysten Ritter, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie), convincing herself about getting adulterous with every word. Candy is straightforward when she propositions Allan, as they both are when they meet for strategy sessions to work through the pros, cons and parameters of cheating on their partners together. A sense of foreboding hangs in the air, though; for viewers that don't know the outcome when first sitting down to the seven-episode series, Betty's bloody end is referenced in the first instalment. Much that eventuates between Candy and Allan until things get violent is a tale as old as time, with what was meant to be a purely carnal liaison becoming far more complex as affection blossoms. She feels stuck in a rut with the mild-mannered Pat, seeing her time with Allan as an adventure. He's so accustomed to a reserved form of romance with Betty that he doesn't even know how to French kiss. And when Allan and Betty choose to work on their marriage at a counselling weekend, Candy can't hide her jealously while she minds the pair's children. As it leads up to Betty's death, Love & Death also surveys the local scandal when beloved pastor Jackie Ponder (Elizabeth Marvel, Mrs Davis) leaves for another town, with the younger Ron Adams (Keir Gilchrist, Atypical) her replacement. Jackie's move robs Candy of one of her closest confidants, while Ron's arrival, his visible youth and the changes he's intent on making upsets Betty. Series creator David E Kelley could've told this tale without dipping into church business, but this subplot is pivotal to his take on the story. He isn't just retelling the murder, as so many other projects have explored before. Rather, he's drawn in by who these women were in their everyday lives, and by the fact that they're ordinary folks with routine dramas before the worst occurs. Of late, prolific TV producer and writer Kelley has carved himself a niche with twisty tales about existences upended, beginning with Big Little Lies, then following with The Undoing and Nine Perfect Strangers (Nicole Kidman, the star of all three, is also an executive producer on Love & Death). With directors Lesli Linka Glatter (Homeland) and Clark Johnson (Mayor of Kingstown), he isn't interested in sensationalising his latest narrative, instead crafting a series about a gruesome crime with restraint and sensitivity. That's one of the factors making yet another version of Candy and Betty's encounter so gripping — that, and the show's outstanding performances. Indeed, no past iteration has boasted Kelley behind the scenes, or the stellar Olsen in career-best form at its centre. When Love & Death turns its attention to the inevitable law-and-order proceedings, Kelley also slides easily into one of his preferred modes: legal dramas. He's been bringing such shows to TV since late-80s/early-90s hit LA Law, with his resume also featuring everything from The Practice, Ally McBeal and Boston Legal to Goliath and The Lincoln Lawyer — and an episodic version of Presumed Innocent in the works as well. It's no wonder, then, that She Said's Tom Pelphrey is so magnetic as Candy's lawyer Don Crowder, who jumps into criminal defence for the first time with an immensely difficult case. Although Love & Death is never merely a courtroom series, it's canny about deepening its character study of Candy while she's protesting her innocence by self-defence, and in putting the attitudes and figures around her under a magnifying glass as her life becomes news fodder. Even if there wasn't a 'scarlet woman' reference to remind audiences that Olsen isn't in the MCU here, her complicated lead portrayal makes that plain. Whether she's being bubbly, dutiful, calculating or unsettling, she's terrific, especially in the mid-series episode that depicts Candy's last meeting with Betty, then shows her returning to her errands afterwards. Olsen is particularly masterful at grappling internally with Candy's choices and emotions right in front of viewers' eyes — see also: the spark that clicks when she chooses to pursue Allan, and her reactions under interrogation — and with an also- (and always-) excellent Plemons, is similarly exceptional at selling the love part of series' title. Love & Death never forgets that it's about murder, or who is the victim, but it's always about people rather than headlines. Check out the trailer for Love & Death below: Love & Death streams via Binge in Australia from Thursday, April 27 and Neon in New Zealand from Friday, April 28. Images: Jake Giles Netter/HBO Max.
Anime, claymation, 3D stereoscopic and old-timey pen and paper will all be on display at Melbourne's inaugural celebration of all things animation. As its name suggests, the Melbourne International Animation Festival is basically about two things: (1) the entire gamut of what we might consider as animation and (2) its global-ness. With animation taken from such diverse corners of the world as Lithuania, Canada, Japan and the United States, the 11-day festival looks set to be an artistic tour of how animation has come to reflect different national and regional cultures. So what does the event actually involve? The short answer is a little bit of everything. There will be screenings and film galas, showcasing 200 or so of the best new animated films going around, exhibitions and collections of everything from music videos to Portland Claymation, forums and talks from some of the world's most celebrated indie animators and interactive workshops that look at such nostalgic treats as making your own flipbook. Head to their website if you're hoping to get a complete breakdown of their program and stock up on your favourite Lithuanian fairytales and children's anime because it's all set to be on show when the festival kicks off on June 20.
Established in 2009 to discuss difficult issues, push boundaries and inspire debate, Sydney's Festival of Dangerous Ideas has spent a decade exploring provocative topics — and it's celebrating its tenth anniversary in the same fashion. This year's event will tackle the theme 'dangerous realities', focusing specifically on racism, surveillance and climate change. After postponing its weekend-long Town Hall event in April due to the government's ban on non-essential gatherings over 500 people, FODI has decided to return next month with a succinct digital program for 2020. It's called FODI Digital, aptly — and fans will be happy to hear that headliner Edward Snowden is still on the docket. The whistleblower will — of course — examine the reality of mass governmental surveillance system. As expected, he was always planned to appear via livestream rather than in person, so not much has changed. The one-hour conversation will take place on Thursday, September 24 from 7pm. Alongside Snowden, the program features Professor Marcia Langton AM on Thursday, September 10 and Journalist David Wallace-Wells on Saturday, October 11. Langton will discuss the truth about racism in relation to Australia's Indigenous people, as well as our society's resistance to accepting our racist past. Meanwhile, Wallace-Wells will dissect the climate crisis in a conversation titled The Uninhabitable Earth. As all events will be live-streamed, tickets will cost just $10 for Langton and Wallace-Wells and just $15 for Snowden — or nab tickets to all three for $30. FODI is presented by The Ethics Centre, who co-founded the fest with the Sydney Opera House, then partnered with UNSW for the 2018 version of the event on Cockatoo Island. While this year's digital season is decidedly different from past iterations, it still boasts the fest's usual high-calibre range of speakers — so another eyeopening FODI season awaits. FODI Digital will take place across three separate online conversations on Thursday, September 10; Thursday, September, 24; and Saturday, October 11. For tickets, visit the festival's website. Top image: Jodie Barker
Red Gum BBQ's pit master, Martin Goffin dreams about meat and wood nightly, such is his obsession with all things barbecue. A far cry from what he envisaged growing up in Great Yarmouth, on England's east coast, Goffin and his wife Melissa own and run a barbecue joint of epic proportions in Red Hill on the Mornington Peninsula. It was a visit to a barbecue restaurant just out of Melissa's hometown of Miami in 2005 that sealed Goffin's fate. And from the first bite, he was hooked. But it wasn't till 2012 that Goffin took his low-and-slow cooking on the road. "I was on paternity leave with my son in 2011 and got bored, and had a real think about what was going on in my life, what I enjoy doing and what I wanted to do," Goffin says. "Essentially, it was barbecue." He then started working markets and local events with a three-by-three metre marquee and a trailer with a Texas offset smoker. A couple of years later, in 2016 — just before they signed the lease on the Red Hill venue — Goffin went back to the States and did a week at Southern Soul Barbeque in Georgia. Here, he learnt how to take what he had been doing to the far-larger scale of a restaurant. Red Gum BBQ has just celebrated its second birthday in a space that used to be a truck mechanics, and is now filled with recycled wooden picnic-style tables and bench seats, a bar, and, down the far end, three massive smokers built specifically for Goffin."A guy called Paul, over at Silver Creek Smokers, built them for me," says Goffin. "They're old, five-metre-long LPG tanks, and they all have date stamps from when they were originally built — so there's one from 1982 and another one from 1970. They're magic, and I love them." Red Gum BBQ is, according to Goffin, the largest barbecue restaurant in the country, and it implements a range of sustainable practices, including sourcing free-range and grass-fed meats from exclusively ethical and local producers. Drinks are from the area, too, with all the wines and most of the beers coming from the Peninsula. Hop fans can try a selection of local brews (five to be exact) on a beer and cider taster paddle ($25). As for the food itself, the concept is simple. As at most American barbecue joints, you choose your barbecued meat: fall-off-the-bone beef rib with a salt and pepper crust (market price); beef brisket ($19); slightly spicy, slightly sweet pulled pork ($18); pork ribs (market price) or half or quarter chicken ($19 or $10); add your sides: coleslaw, mac 'n' cheese, broccoli salad, fries, potato salad or cornbread (all $8–12); and dig in. Even the wood used to cook the meats — which, for most, is between twelve and sixteen hours — is local: red gum. Goffin explains his local-is-best mantra by comparing it to barbecue in the States. "Barbecue in America is traditional. It's traditional in the sense that everything is local," Goffin says. "I'm trying to recreate what they've done in the States, but by using what we have available here."
If you like your wild creatures as much as you like your wild wines, then do we have a Queen's Birthday weekend adventure for you. Healesville Sanctuary and Yarra Valley Icons are teaming up to host Wine and Wildlife, a three day mini-festival that lets you hang about in the Sanctuary grounds, sampling local drops and tasty treats, while zookeepers casually pass by with slithery, scaly and soft creatures in hand. The event will take over six spaces between 11am and 4pm each day between June 9 and 11. When you're not meeting wildlife, you'll be warming up beside open fires and checking out local musical talent. Plus, you'll find a Four Pillars mulled wine and gin bar on the Koala Lawn. The Wine and Wildlife experience, including tastings, costs $41 — which is only a few dollars more than a normal general admission ticket. Booking in advance is recommended, with all proceeds going towards Zoos Victoria's efforts to save 21 local threatened species from extinction.
When Australian wine festival Pinot Palooza does the rounds each year, it's heaven for fans of the type of vino that's in its name. When dairy fest Mould pops up, cheese dreams are indeed made of this. The two initially ran as separate events, but that's been changing in some Australian cities in recent years. In 2025, Melbourne is on that list, getting the Mould x Pinot Palooza experience. It's a wine fest. It's a cheese fest, too. It's a celebration of an iconic pairing, clearly. Come winter, across Friday, July 4–Saturday, July 5, Melbourne gets a two-day stint at the Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton. Sessions run from 5–9pm on the Friday, and from 11am–3pm and 4–8pm on the Saturday. On the vino side, being spoilt for choice can be overrated. Sometimes, like when deciding which wine varieties you feel like at any given moment, it's easier to have someone else do the picking for you. With that in mind, Pinot Palooza goes all in on pinot noir — and here, the sound of a light- to medium-bodied red wine sloshing around a glass is the standard soundtrack. For cheese fiends, imagine a place where cheese reigns supreme, other than in your own kitchen. Imagine a wide array of different varieties on offer for the tasting. Imagine being able to sample whatever you liked from this dairy feast, too. And, picture just buying one ticket to devour all the cheddar, brie, camembert, raclette and whichever other cheeses take your fancy. Is this the real life? Yes — it isn't just a cheesy fantasy. Bringing Pinot Palooza and Mould together is both a stroke of genius and the result of the two events both being organised by the same company. Revel first starting clinking glasses filled with pinot noir in 2012, then turned its attention to cheese, cheese and more cheese in 2017. The full lineup of folks that'll be letting you sample their wares hasn't yet been revealed, but it will include Innocent Bystander, Vinteloper, Yering Station, Meadowbank Wines, Charteris Wines and Howard Vineyards on the wine front, plus Milawa Cheese and Bruny Island among the cheesemongers — and Bee One Third honey and Women's Work relishes, too. And yes, your $59 ticket still includes unlimited tastings at the fest's featured stalls. You'll also get a free cooler bag, wine glass and tote.
UPDATE, April 21, 2021: A Simple Favour is available to stream via Netflix, Stan, Google Play, YouTube Movies and Amazon Video. A Simple Favour is an unashamed delight: a deliciously twisty mystery with the zest and kick of a strong gin martini (and the visible gloss and sparkle of one too). Based on Darcey Bell's 2017 novel of the same name, the film slings its thrills with an upbeat vibe from director Paul Feig, dynamic performances from Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, plus a knowing but never mocking tone. It's the fun, fierce movie that Gone Girl might've become had it been vastly more playful, and boasts the flair that The Girl on the Train desperately needed. That's not a criticism of the former film, although it definitely is about the latter. If there's one thing that A Simple Favour knows above all else, it's how to turn a pulpy airplane read into an irresistible big-screen experience. Kendrick plays the widowed Stephanie, a perky, perennially helpful mum who lives for her young son. From overzealously signing up for every school activity that she can, to dispensing mothering tips on her vlog, she's a maternal wind-up bunny, to the point of ridicule by other parents (including Andrew Rannells as a snarky, scene-stealing dad). No one, including Stephanie, would've expected fashion executive Emily (Lively) to pay her any attention. The duo only start spending afternoons together downing cocktails and listening to jazzy French pop because their kids beg for a playdate. It's a chalk and cheese relationship, with Stephanie awed by her new pal's glamorous home, life and husband (Henry Golding), while Emily maintains an air of aloof, self-involved intrigue. Then Emily asks Stephanie to do her a simple favour, and nothing is ever simple again. One of Stephanie's video blogs kickstarts A Simple Favour, instantly revealing that Emily has disappeared. That's the film's basic premise — and when the movie fills in the gaps via flashback, it sets up one of its recurring motifs. As this sleuthing story slinks and snakes along a trail of gloriously unhinged developments, the truth proves slippery. Any good thriller involves duplicity, and all notable detective tales have their fair share of zigzags. Feig frequently serves up both while simultaneously fracturing the flimsy facade of suburban bliss, letting his characters spin their stories as his images expose the reality behind them. It's a technique that the filmmaker has cause to use often, and it adds to an enjoyably devilish atmosphere. Indeed, the director of Bridesmaids, The Heat, Spy and Ghostbusters might be in less overtly jokey territory than usual, but Feig's trademarks are all still on show. His latest female-focused flick throws women into a realm often populated by men, yet firmly retains its own personality. As the movie charts a knotty whodunnit narrative, it also follows its protagonists as they realise just what they're really capable of — be it nice or nasty. Furthermore, A Simple Favour brandishes a cutting, subversive sense of humour, while ensuring that viewers are always laughing with rather than at his on-screen ladies. Even when Kendrick is at her peppiest, and Lively at her most gleefully cunning, siding with the two is consistently on the cards. Whatever Stephanie and Emily get up to — and this is a film with a body count, oh-so-many deep secrets and more than 50 shades of darkness — the actors behind them are flawless. Kendrick nabbed an Oscar nomination for Up in the Air almost a decade ago, and Lively ruled New York's Upper East Side for six seasons on Gossip Girl, but here they're both given roles that are intricately attuned to their individual talents. That remains true emotionally as well as physically, with Stephanie a pocket livewire who's enthusiastic, awkward but never out of her element, and Emily seductive yet savage whether she's decisively making the perfect drink or devastating everyone around her with the sharpest of dialogue. Screenwriter Jessica Sharzer is in her element, too, even if a A Simple Favour doesn't initially seem an obvious companion to 2016's tech-savvy Nerve, her previous screenplay. Both movies share a knack for finding the sweet spot between the silly and sublime as their warped plots turns themselves inside out, A Simple Favour more successfully so. Sharzer's scripts veer into ridiculousness but float above B-grade schlock, and throw winks at the audience yet never act like the whole thing is just an ironic gag — although the source material assists considerably in this case. With help from Feig, Kendrick and Lively, the end result is slick, smart, slightly sleazy and ruthlessly entertaining, and remains thoroughly committed to making viewers eat up every moment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqsdrYBPjv8
More dogs. That's it, that's our wish list. There can never be enough dog-friendly bars, dog-centric events, creative food for dogs, doggo movie screenings or just good ol' dog parks, and there never will be. Also, as the ABC's new Tony Armstrong-hosted three-part doco series A Dog's World with Tony Armstrong clearly realises, there can't be too many shows about these four-legged cuties either. Netflix already gave us two seasons of the docuseries Dogs, recent big-screen release Stray spent time with puppers in Istanbul and there's even a whole streaming platform made for woofers — as every pooch owner knows, they like to watch TV, too — but none of them enlist the former AFL player turned ABC News Breakfast sports presenter to explore the world of canines. Obviously, given its title, A Dog's World with Tony Armstrong definitely does. Across the three-part series, he won't just be surrounded by canines, but will also interview top canine researchers, step into the evolution of dogs, explore their senses and help provide advice for your own barking bestie. "When I was approached about the possibility of being involved in A Dog's World, I don't even think I got to the end of the email before I was agreeing to take part," says Armstrong. "It was amazing being involved in the project, I learned a lot and I hope everyone who watches enjoys it as much as we enjoyed making it!" The ABC has just dropped a trailer for the series and, yes, it looks as super-cute as it sounds. The dogs featured even just in the 100-second sneak peek firmly fit that description. If you're keen to watch, add 8.30pm on Tuesday, March 22 to your diary — which is when A Dog's World with Tony Armstrong will start airing on ABC TV and streaming via ABC iView. Check out the trailer for A Dog's World with Tony Armstrong below: A Dog's World with Tony Armstrong will be available to watch via ABC TV and ABC iView on Tuesday, March 22.
You'll find the Royal Mail Hotel at the foothills of the Grampians National Park, within the town of Dunkeld. But these guys don't offer up your usual hotel room accommodation. Instead, they have a super diverse range of places to stay on the property. Their timber clad semi-attached rooms look out over the mountains and are relatively close to the Royal Mail Hotel's restaurant and pool area (these are the most hotelly). They then have a few small apartments, a grand colonial homestead and the newly renovated bluestone cottages. These cottages are located three kilometres from the main property (within the 91-hectare Mount Sturgeon Biodiversity Reserve), offering up a totally secluded stay in the Victorian countryside. The 1850's bluestone cottages are the perfect blend of country charm and modern style. But they have left the modern tech out on purpose. You won't find a television on the property. Instead, sit out in the courtyard with a cup of tea (or bottle of wine) and take in some Aussie nature. Wugarri (Mount Sturgeon) dominates the scenery, while wallabies and kangaroos wander all about this area too. It's easy to forget that you're actual staying in a hotel. That is until you tuck into the daily in-room breakfast, take the complimentary transfers to and from the main hotel property and let the team organise both nature feeding experiences and local wine tours. Either use Royal Mail Hotel as a base to explore the region, or just live it up on their properties — relaxing in the surrounds of nature, dining at their award-winning Wickens restaurant or paddling about the pool all day long. Dealer's choice. Images: Emily Weaving.
There's no doubt Melbourne's hospitality scene is one of those doing it particularly tough right now, with restrictions halting all dine-in trade since late March (apart from that brief window back in June) and the latest lockdown extended beyond what was originally anticipated. What's more, the Victorian Government's roadmap to reopening — which it unveiled on Sunday, September 6 — suggests that Melburnians are still over a month away from being able to sit down to a meal at an actual restaurant. According to the timeline, hospitality venues will be allowed to reopen from Monday, October 26 at the earliest. And, even then, it'll be for predominantly outdoor table service and with density limits in place. More recently, the government announced some good news: a $187 million in support packages to help boost outdoor dining across the city and the City of Melbourne shared some more details about what that might look like over the weekend. Here, we chat to the staff at six local venues about what the next few months (and years) could look like for them. ELLIE WOODRUFF, FUNCTIONS MANAGER, RICE PAPER SCISSORS (FITZROY) AND RICE PAPER SISTER (CBD) For Ellie Woodruff of modern Southeast Asian restaurants Rice Paper Scissors and Rice Paper Sister, the timeline spelt out on the roadmap was "a tough blow". "We miss serving our guests," Woodruff told Concrete Playground. And, while the team's keen to open as soon as it's safe to do so, it knows there'll be limitations to navigate. "It's still unclear whether the October date will mean anything for us," Woodruff says. "If the density quotient... is kept, and we are only allowed to seat diners in our outdoor areas, it would mean eight-to-ten guests per restaurant, which doesn't make it feasible for us to open." Plus, the costs involved in reopening — think, new contactless ordering systems, staff retraining, stock etc — leave little room for second chances. "Last time we did all this and only stayed open for four weeks before going back into lockdown," Woodruff explains. "It was crushing for morale. This time, it is absolutely critical that when we open, we remain open." Desperate to get their staff back into work and with these cash flow issues looming, that opening date can't come quick enough. "Our profitability is nothing compared to when we are open, so there's really only so long we can remain in this situation before we reach a breaking point," Woodruff says. In the meantime, like so many, Rice Paper Scissors has even extended free delivery on its new Weekender Boxes, which contain everything you need to whip up your choice of five signature dishes, plus a cheeky breakfast creation, for $50. GERRY NASS, OWNER, THE ROBERT BURNS HOTEL (COLLINGWOOD) Another owner who's concerned about the lack of clarity in the government's reopening timeline is the Robert Burns Hotel's Gerry Nass. "It's not a roadmap. It's a 'what if'," he says. As with most, the struggle to stay afloat has been tough for his venue and team. "We are open, but seeing only about ten percent of sales with home delivery and takeaway," explains Nass. "Everyone is working on limited hours and all our casuals are driving deliveries." He made the decision to steer clear of third-party services and has kept his operations local, right through Melbourne's latest stretch of restrictions. Looking ahead, Nass says he's happy to cop any necessary venue density limits as long as he gets to open those doors. "We are already good at managing a regulated industry. We can deal with opening at a limited capacity," he says, remembering the three brief, but busy weeks the pub enjoyed when restricted dine-ins were allowed back in June. "The seats were limited, yes, and everyone had to follow new rules, but it worked. We also only opened five days to keep the wages down so staff would only work four days a week. Everyone was taking less, but all were well rested which is something hospitality is not used to. And the mood was great and there was hope." While the pub is waiting to make a proper return to those days of old, it continues dishing up the goods for its regulars with a menu of home-delivered pub classics, bottled cocktails and tap beer. LUKE STEPSYS, OWNER, FEAST OF MERIT (RICHMOND) AND PANAMA DINING ROOM (FITZROY) As the owner of two very different venues, Feast of Merit and Panama Dining Room, Luke Stepsys admits the roadmap has made any planning difficult. "Like any business currently closed, it would be foolish to develop or implement any type of plan for reopening," he says, adding that the government's firm approach and strict timeline "gives us absolutely no certainty for the future." While Stepsys supports keeping lockdowns in place until the state starts clocking more manageable case numbers, he's also wary about the targets its required to meet. "I fear this benchmark will be the death of small businesses in Melbourne, including the hospitality industry," he explains. "I look towards NSW, and feel so much envy." When Concrete Playground talked to the venue owner prior to the Victorian Government unveiling its new outdoor hospitality support package this week, he was unsure about the viability of a move to predominantly outdoor service. "The outside dining plan sounds wonderful in theory, but reality says it won't work in Melbourne for most operators," Stepsys predicts, outlining issues like the city's sketchy weather and limiting contact between diners passing foot traffic. While he suggests that closing streets and creating pop-up outdoor dining precincts could work in certain areas, he's aware that some venues — like his own third-storey Fitzroy warehouse eatery — have very few options for al fresco service. So, Stepsys is holding tight and waiting for the government's green light. If that was pushed out to the end of November, both of Stepsys' venues would have been closed for 29 weeks this year, still racking up overheads of $10,000 to $15,000 per week. He admits he's lucky to be in a position to bounce back from this, with close to 100 weddings and events already booked for Panama Dining Room next year. "But I really feel for the state of my industry," he says. "I know of so many owners who are really struggling financially and mentally." FUMI TAMURA, CO-OWNER, TAMURA SAKE BAR (FITZROY) At Fitzroy's Tamura Sake Bar, owners Fumi and Takako Tamura had largely accepted there'd be a lengthy wait on the return of normal dine-in trade, but say they still feel the pinch of the roadmap and its targets. Fumi admits his initial reaction was simply, "shiiiiiiiiit". As a Japanese venue that usually operates with a large portion of Japanese staff, they're looking at some additional staffing challenges. "We'll be in the difficult situation [of finding] chefs and front staff who are aware of Japanese authenticity, with food and sake knowledge," explains Fumi. "Most Japanese students and working holiday visa holders left the country and they won't be able to come back in." Like many, Tamura has had to change its offerings, shifting from a craft sake bar to a takeaway eatery focused on sushi, sashimi and other Japanese deli-style fare that can be enjoyed fresh at home. But while the takeaway and delivery is working a treat during lockdown, and looks set to stick around even after reopening, Fumi admits he's itching to see the venue return to its true calling. "It will be hard to keep our motivation to work in this situation if we are only trading as a takeaway business. It is more about the culture and connection with our customers through our food, sake and music," he says. "We still feel love coming straight back from our customers during these lockdown takeaway trades, but we can easily lose the passion if we can't see our near future being back as it was, [with] happy customers around our bar counter." If an October 26 reopening gets the green light, Tamura Sake Bar fans can look forward to being greeted by all that passion, along with a new seasonal menu and a revamped dining concept making the most of outdoor service. DAVID BARTL, CO-OWNER, THE ASCOT LOT (ASCOT VALE) AND YET-TO-LAUNCH HOLMES HALL (MOONEE PONDS) Dave Bartl calls the government's roadmap "heartbreaking", as his food truck park sits shuttered since April and his new venture has waited over seven months to host its own grand opening. While Bartl and his co-owners are hoping that the largely outdoors Ascot Lot will be able to meet any density requirements and open up from October 26, there's likely to be a much bigger wait on the launch of the new 400-seat Holmes Hall, unless enough adjacent footpaths and car parks can be converted into dining spaces. "As much as we can't wait to start trading, it's really important to us that after almost two years of dreaming, we don't settle for something that isn't anywhere near what we've been working towards," Bartl explains. "So we'll be patient." Bartl predicts the challenges after reopening will be similar for many: "finding the balance between a COVID-safe environment that is also financially viable." There are plenty of extra costs involved in simultaneously delivering table service and meeting new health requirements, too — and then there's Melbourne's sketchy weather. "The outdoor dining option, whilst sending a ray of hope, is always a little scary as we've found from operating The Ascot Lot," he explains. "It is often hard to build a stable and consistent trade in a very weather dependent venue. Hopefully Melburnians just remember that we need their support and they brave the slightly colder days to get out and about anyway. I'm confident they will after being locked up inside for months this year." [caption id="attachment_783653" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brad Hammond by Simon Shiff[/caption] BRAD HAMMOND, GENERAL MANAGER, THE ALBERT PARK HOTEL (ALBERT PARK) The pandemic's timing has been especially unfortunate for owners of the newly revamped Albert Park Hotel, which had barely opened its doors before the industry started to shut down back in autumn. General Manager Brad Hammond says that while he knows the timeline is necessary, it's disappointing after so much time already spent locked down. And he suspects things will be even tougher should venues be restricted to only outside dining at the start. "There is another six weeks before we can trade and even then to not have anyone through the doors [would be] a hard pill to swallow," admits Hammond. "That said, we are lucky to have a decent outside space to make the most of the restrictions thereafter." The pub's main challenges have been retaining its staff, many of whom are on visas and have little other support during lockdown. "We were particularly unlucky with the timing of our launch and it means only a fraction of our team were eligible for Jobkeeper," he says. "The longer it goes, the more fallout we see." A takeaway and delivery service has helped keep some of the staff in work, though there'll still be plenty of rebuilding required when things pick up again. While Hammond knows the financial implications of these extended lockdowns are grim, the venue's also fortunate to be in a position to bounce back when the time comes. "We're lucky to be a part of a great community and the people of Albert Park and the surrounding areas have really been behind us," he says. "Whenever we do come out the other side it's going to be one hell of a party." Top image: Tamura Sake Bar by Kate Shanasy
Horn Please has passed through a few different owners' and chefs' hands throughout the years. It was originally run by Jessi Singh until he sold it in 2015, to work over in New York. Amar and Raj Singh then took over until Jessi returned in 2018 to work as a consultant and chef for Horn Please. Nowadays, each of these chefs and restaurateurs plays apart in making Horn Please one of the very best Indian restaurants in Melbourne. It's definitely worth a visit — for a few reasons. Jessi grew up in a humble, North Indian kitchen, and his love of food and traditional cooking methods is evident by just looking at the menu. The 'Street' menu includes a beetroot paneer tikka, generously marinated in curd cheese and charred in the tandoor oven, as well as Colonel Tso's cauliflower, served with a tomato chilli sauce. If you're hanging out for a curry then it's all here, including mouth-watering favourites like free-range butter chicken, marinated in yogurt, tomato and fenugreek, as well as classic village dishes such as Punjabi kadhi. This dish consists of spinach fritters with turmeric and slow cooked sour yoghurt. There's even a cheeky sweets menu to close out the night, including classics such as Indian donuts and mango lassis. Horn Please is no longer BYO, but there's a good reason for that. They've invested a generous pour of time and effort into creating a drinks menu on par with the food menu. Standouts include the salted caramel espresso martini and the dirty lassi. There are Indian beers to compliment the curries and a range of whiskies including Paul John, a sumptuous sing-malt from Goa. The wine list is eclectic with a focus on Australian and European drops. Top images: Peter Tarasiuk
In the spirit of Grand Final footy fever, Saxe is celebrating the long weekend with an Aussie feast on the public holiday Friday (Friday, September 27) from 2–4pm. A free-flowing frenzy of Four Pillars cocktails will be available for the whole two hours, as will a sharing menu of reworked Australian classics from chef and owner Joe Grbac. For $75 per person, you and your mates can spend the afternoon sipping unlimited Four Pillars gin cocktails, and eating the Aussie-inspired menu. The latter includes pork Chiko Rolls with jalapeño sauce, crumpets with mushroom jam, beef tartare with macadamia and jerusalem artichoke, as well as a chicken, bacon and mushroom orecchiette. Cocktail-wise, the unlimited drinks will include the gin and juice (with Bloody Shiraz gin), a negroni spritz, the Melbourne Calling — with lemon, Four Pillars sherry cask gin and rosemary — and the Springtime, with lime, ginger, rare dry gin, soda and flower syrup. To ensure your spot at Saxe this Grand Final weekend, you'll need to head over to the website — or call 9089 6699 — to make a booking.
For local music-lovers, 2022 is set to go out with a bang. You'd best clear that calendar and warm up your ticket-purchasing finger because Victoria's new statewide music celebration Always Live just dropped its bumper program spanning from late October to early December. It's dishing up a star-studded lineup of gigs and concerts, featuring everyone from Dua Lipa and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, to Yothu Yindi and Sampa the Great. The newly announced spring program features a huge 150 local and international artists playing over 90 shows sprinkled across 12 different regions. And yes, that means there's something for every kind of music fan. [caption id="attachment_811633" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sampa the Great, Lucian Coman[/caption] UK disco-pop sensation Dua Lipa will be touching down to play the only small theatre show of her upcoming global tour, hitting the Palais Theatre for an intimate 2500-capacity, Victorian-only gig. Hip hop visionary Sampa the Great will return to her one-time hometown of Melbourne to showcase her new album As Above So Below live, while multiple ARIA Award-winner Jessica Mauboy joins a lineup of emerging stars playing a concert in Bright's Pioneer Park. And Aussie rock royalty Crowded House are headed to Wodonga for a one-off show on the banks of the Murray, joined on the bill by fellow local faves Angus & Julia Stone and Boy & Bear. [caption id="attachment_864725" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Toro y Moi[/caption] The international names will be here in force, too, including US chillwave pioneer Toro y Moi and Brooklyn-based folk rockers Big Thief. Plus, UK star Sophie Ellis-Bextor — recent addition to the Summer Camp lineup — is set to play a tiny show at the NGV Garden International Restaurant, to an audience of just 100. Australia's own Yothu Yindi will headline a roll call of established and rising First Nations musical activists for Blaktivism at Hamer Hall; while The Curtin Hotel's Bad Apples House Party will showcase stacks more Indigenous talent, including Briggs, Mo'Ju and Chasing Ghosts. Bendigo is set to fire up for new three-day music fest Almost Summer, featuring the likes of Bananagun and Black Cab, and St Kilda celebration Lovely Day serves up a beachside showcase starring The Teskey Brothers, Emma Volard and New York's Emily King. [caption id="attachment_864726" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yothu Yindi[/caption] The return of the OK Motels series sees names like Cash Savage and The Last Drinks, and Nice Biscuit descend on the regional town of Charlton; The Far Side (FKA The Pharcyde) joins the freshest acts in hip hop, soul and R&B for FLOW Festival; and Rockin' the 'Burbs invites Aussie rock legends like Magic Dirt, Wendy Matthews and The Black Sorrows to grace the stage at some of the city's most iconic suburban haunts. Of course, this blockbuster lineup is on top of Always Live's many previously announced November shows, including Billy Joel's sold-out concert at the MCG, and Nick Cave and Warren Ellis' two-date Hanging Rock appearance. [caption id="attachment_864727" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Teskey Brothers, by Nick Mckinlay[/caption] To check out Always Live's full program and to grab tickets, jump onto the website.
Maybe you lived through it. Maybe you were too young. Maybe you weren't even around yet. Whichever applies, we can still all agree that the '90s gifted the world with a host of wonders. The music, the clothing, the TV, the movies, the stars...if they were around in Australia two decades ago, then they probably make an appearance at NGV Australia's new exhibition. Popping up at the Ian Potter Centre from June 2 to October 1, Every Brilliant Eye: Australian Art of the 1990s celebrates the creativity of the period in question, featuring more than 100 works from the NGV Collection, plus selected pieces relating to various artist collectives, artist run spaces and subcultures that emerged during the influential decade. If the name sounds familiar, that's because it comes from a Died Pretty track. And if it doesn't, make hunting down the song your first piece of '90s fun. There's plenty on offer in the exhibition itself, including an entire room dedicated to club culture, including a music video and fashions from the era on display. Or, feast your eyes on all things grunge, check out the work of the three Indigenous female artists who represented Australia at the Venice Biennale of 1997 (Emily Kam Kngwarray, Yvonne Koolmatrie and Judy Watson), or enjoy an Unplugged Live conversation series complete with chats with '90s musos, as hosted by The Panics' singer-songwriter Jae Laffer. Images: Installation view of Every Brilliant Eye: Australian Art in the 1990s at NGV Australia, shot by Thomas Dallas Watson.
In May 2024, Mornington scored a luxe new cocktail bar that's bringing old-world luxury down to the coast. The Bon Vivant's Companion is all black finishes, brass trimmings, art deco pendant lights and marble counters, and makes for a moody and lavish setting for cocktail-sipping. Behind the bar, you'll find over 200 Australian spirits, with a particular focus on gin and whisky. These are served up as they are, or mixed into a collection of signature cocktails or reimagined classics. The Clarified Paper Plane made with whiskey, amaro, Aperol and lemon is a particular standout. As is the Manhattan, made using Hellyers Road pinot noir-cask whisky, rose vermouth, cherry glaze and chocolate bitters. But if you'd just prefer a dirty gin martini, you'll have no trouble getting a mighty good one here. When it comes to food, there are just a few snacking options. Expect small plates like coconut ceviche with pomegranate arils and chilli and smoked trout rillette with salmon roe and house-made chips. Platters of cured meats and cheeses are also easy choices for those looking to graze, but there isn't a whole heap to eat as this haunt is primarily a drinking destination. But make sure you don't just rock on into the front bar and leave it there. For there's a Japanese-inspired speakeasy bar hidden behind a false wall somewhere in the building. Either feel for it yourself, pushing every wall in The Bon Vivant's Companion, or ask the staff for 'Jane'. They'll take you to the secret bar with its huge whisky collection. If you're in Mornington and have a hankering for fine whisky, gin or luxe cocktails, this'll be your spot.
It has been eight months since The Handmaid's Tale dropped its first teaser for its upcoming fourth season, which, like plenty of other things over the last year, was postponed. Over that time, it was also announced that the dystopian series would bless our screens for even longer, with a fifth season green-lit before the fourth even airs. But fans keen to actually step back into the show's story, rather than just hear news about it, have been hanging out to do exactly that for quite some time. Thankfully, that delay is about to come to an end, with a US release date just announced for the next batch of episodes. The Handmaid's Tale will start its fourth season in America on April 28 — and while just when it'll air Down Under hasn't been revealed, you shouldn't expect that there'll be much of a wait. Hulu, the platform that airs The Handmaid's Tale in the US, has also just dropped a new trailer for the fourth season, so you can get another glimpse of what's about to hit. In its opening moments, the tense score and images of empty streets are accompanied by a radio broadcast‚ with the resistance in full swing. And yes, the show's protagonist, June (Elisabeth Moss), is still battling against Gilead after season three's cliffhanger ending. Toppling a totalitarian society that's taken over the former United States, tearing down its oppression of women under the guise of 'traditional values', and fighting for freedom and equality doesn't happen quickly, after all. If you're wondering what else in store in the award-winning adaptation of Margaret Atwood's 1985, June's quest isn't likely to be easy — because everything in this series comes with risks and challenges. Check out the latest season four trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmcWPOH4Yqw The fourth season of The Handmaid's Tale will hit US screens from April 28, and it's likely it'll start airing on SBS in Australia around the same time. We'll update you with further details when they're announced.
The 21st-century has not been kind to the vampire. Between Stephenie Meyer's sparkling high schoolers, the leather-clad killers of the Underworld series and whatever the hell those things in I Am Legend were meant to be, the once noble creatures of the night have been reduced by pop-culture to cringeworthy caricatures. Bela Lugosi must be turning in his grave. Enter Jim Jarmusch, director of Dead Man, Ghost Dog and Broken Flowers, to name just a few. One of the enduring figures of the American indie film movement, Jarmusch has made a career out of minimally plotted, post-modern genre subversions, and his latest work is no exception. Mixing traditional vampire mythology with the director's distinctively aloof brand of cool, Only Lovers Left Alive is a handsome, compelling, meditative take on the lives of the eternal undead. An appropriately gaunt and pasty Tom Hiddleston plays Adam, a centuries-old bloodsucker living on the outskirts of Detroit. A reclusive figure, Adam's only human contacts are a crooked hospital doctor (Jeffrey Wright) who provides him with fresh batches of O-negative, and a wide-eyed rock 'n' roll fan (Anton Yelchin) from whom the vampire buys vintage guitars. Aside from his music, the one thing Adam cares about is his wife, Eve (Tilda Swinton), with whom he is reunited not long after the movie begins. For a while, the immortal lovers live in peace, only to find their solitary existence shattered by the arrival of Eve's impulsive younger sister (Mia Wasikowska). Like many of Jarmusch's films, Only Lovers moves along at a languid pace, with large stretches of the movie unfolding in which very little actually happens. Nevertheless, viewers willing to give the film their patience will be rewarded by its rich, intoxicating atmosphere. Synonymous both with rock 'n' roll and America's crumbling economy, Detroit's empty streets and abandoned buildings are the perfect stalking ground for Jarmusch's silent camera, which finds an eerie kind of beauty in moonlit vistas of urban decay. Electronic guitar chords flow despondently across the soundtrack, ringing in perfect harmony with the images projected on the screen. The protagonists are drawn with fascinating detail. Late-night musings, on music, art, science and the various historical figures that Adam and Eve once knew, are underlined by a sardonic sense of humour, informed by centuries of bitterness and disappointment. Detached from the world around them, there's an air of tortured disinterest to the duo, like ageing rock stars, or unkillable hipsters (and isn't that a terrifying concept?) Emphasising mood over story, Only Lovers Left Alive is the cinematic equivalent of one of Adam's melancholic rock songs. It washes over you, absorbing through your skin. Jarmusch has brought dignity back to the vampire, in his own unmistakable style. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ycOKvWrwYFo
While seeing fruit mince pies in your local shopping centre in October feels downright disturbing, there's one Christmas treat that no one ever minds arriving early: Four Pillars annual Christmas Gin. The latest iteration of the Healesville distillery's seasonal sip is coming in strong, set to hit shelves on Saturday, November 2. It's the delicious result of a yearly tradition that sees a bunch of Christmas puddings handmade with distiller Cameron Mackenzie's mother's recipe — the 1968 Australian Women's Weekly recipe, in fact — distilled with various festive botanicals to create a sought-after tipple that pretty much screams December 25. The flavours of an Aussie Christmas are captured in notes of cinnamon, star anise, juniper, coriander and angelica. The Christmas gin is then blended with some earlier gin that's been carefully ageing in 80-year-old muscat barrels. It's all finished with a hit of Rutherglen muscat for a bit of added richness and complexity. Each year, a new unique label is chosen to wrap up this Christmas creation, setting out to evoke that same festive spirit. The 2019's bottle design is the work of artist Tim Summerton, who lives on a property in the Southern Highlands where he grows hundreds of Indigenous Australian plants. The bottle is decorated with one of them: vibrant red Illawarra flame trees. The distillers recommend you sip the limited-edition gin straight over ice, mix it with ginger ale or whip up a Christmassy martinez with gin, vermouth, Benedictine and Angostura bitters. Or you can just splash a bit of it on your own Christmas pudding. If you want to nab a bottle, have your fingers poised over the 'buy' button when they go on sale online on November 2. Alternatively, you can stop by the Four Pillars HQ in Healesville, Victoria. Bottles are $100 a pop and would make stellar Chrissy pressies, if you're already thinking about that. Four Pillars Christmas Gin is available from November 2, in selected retail stores and online. But you'd best be quick — there's only a limited amount of bottles.
Know a pondering and philosophical soul? Give them a gift to fuel their late night wine-fuelled deep and meaningful chats. Part cafe, part shop, you'll find a range of books discussing the questions of modern life (e.g How to Find Fulfilling Work, How to Worry Less About Money, and How to Stay Sane). There's also a plethora of consoling gifts such as a 'comfort blanket', inspiration cards and philosophy games — because soul-searchers deserve a little fun too, don't they?
With the spoils of Melbourne's world-class food scene sitting right at your fingertips, you'd be bonkers not to get amongst it every chance you get. If you're a CBD worker, today's the day to treat yourself to a slightly lengthier lunch break, so you can amble through the delectable Love Italy lunchtime set menu at Grossi Florentino. One of Melbourne's longest-standing culinary stalwarts, this Bourke Street beauty delivers standout, honest Italian fare, with its lunchtime set menu showcasing a different region of Italy each month. Opt for a two-course feed ($45) or three-course feast ($55), and roll back to the office plotting your next Italian getaway.
There's nothing like a tidy payday cash injection to leave you feeling flush and with the urge to splurge. And what better way to treat your hard-working self, than with a big ol' fancy-pants feast? After all, you've got to balance out the stints of cheap eats and Mi Goreng somehow. Well, to see you through the fruitful times, we've teamed up with American Express to bring you a lineup of some of the city's most splurge-worthy restaurants — venues where you can make it rain and eat like royalty, without burning through your entire pay cheque in one sitting. Not only will these culinary hot spots fill your belly and excite your tastebuds — as well as add to your collection of Amex points — they're also guaranteed to make you feel special, kind of like you've finally made something of your life. Let the feasting begin. Got yourself in another dining situation and need some guidance? Whatever it is, we know a place. Visit The Shortlist and we'll sort you out.
If you're craving some Bridgerton-esque charm in your life, Mary Eats Cake will host its first Scone Festival this June, offering a month-long celebration of both sweet and savoury bites. Each week from Saturday, June 1–Sunday, June 30, Mary Eats Cake will introduce a new and exciting scone flavour, such as decadent double chocolate, Italiano pizza, pumpkin spice and jalapeño popper. Guests can drop in to the Montrose or Brunswick venues to try the weekly flavour, or book in for a high tea experience with bottomless festival scones. For more details about the Scone Festival at Mary Eats Cake and to book your spot, visit the official website.
Barbers of Brunswick doesn't do things by halves. Many barbershops offer clients a tipple with their trim, and though this spot does that too, it also has a dedicated space out the back that doubles as a lounge bar. There are worse places to wait for your appointment, that's for sure. When your name is called, you'll settle in to one of the vintage barbers chairs, get your hair washed in one of the brushed concrete basins and have a chat to your friendly barber as they get to work. More importantly, Barbers of Brunswick is passionate about ensuring their patrons feel good both in and out of the chair. And we're not just talking about giving them a sexy haircut that'll make them feel good about themselves — although it does that, too. But it also puts its money where its mouth is by supporting a number of charitable organisations, including Movember, Encompass Care Vic and Beyond Blue, via financial donations and volunteering.
“We must rediscover”, wrote Austrian philosopher Ivan Illich, “the distinction between hope and expectation”. Jurassic World may now offer us that opportunity. Back in April, hopes were high that this would finally be the film to return the franchise to greatness, however — to paraphrase The Dark Knight — this is not the film we’d hoped for, but the one we should have expected. Why is it a giant disappointasaurus? Let us count the ways. IT’S ALL JUST A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY REPEATED So, there’s a revolutionary dinosaur preserve on an island off Costa Rica. Two young children, relatives of the park’s chief administrator, visit and receive a VIP tour, only for an enormous dinosaur to escape its pen, trash the kids’ glass-roofed transport and begin killing park employees. The park’s innovators, InGen, only make matters worse, but, thankfully, there’s an old-school expert on hand to keep the kids alive, even when they're circled by three ravenous raptors in the climatic finale that sees a T-Rex come to the rescue right in the heart of the Visitor Centre. Don’t know which Jurassic film we're talking about? Exactly. SAFETY FIRST, PEOPLE In 1992 John Hammond tried to open Jurassic Park, but (unfortunately) some things went wrong and people died. His son tried again a few years later, but (unfortunately) some things went wrong and people died. Couple of years after that, Sam Neil went back to the islands and again, people died. It was very unfortunate. Point is: if you're somehow convinced that 'fourth time's a charm', you begin by ensuring that every single design aspect of your dinosaur theme park is grounded in the knowledge that things could go wrong and people might die. Now, I'm no structural engineer, but for me that at least means having: a. A bunker capable of securing every person on the island within minutes; and b. enough transportation off the island for every person who's on it. 'Lifeboats on the Titanic', and all that. Unfortunately, in Jurassic World, the definitive emergency protocol involves: keeping things quiet (because, money), having inexperienced teenagers herd everyone into an open-air Visitor Complex alongside the two largest dinosaurs on the island and then calling for a moderate-sized ferry to crawl back over from Costa Rica to pick up some of the people. SHE’LL BE RIGHT Early on in Jurassic World we hear the park’s operations manager, Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard), complain that “this is the second time this month” that a dinosaur has breached its security perimeter, before dispatching a team to quietly fix it up. The second time. In a month. The fact that it was a herbivore is entirely irrelevant. Even if it had been nothing more than a prehistoric butterfly or an aggressively-growing shrub, you'd shut that entire park down in a heartbeat until there were no security breaches. Ever. The logic failings of Jurassic World are so glaring from so early on that you basically want everyone to die just to punish them for unbelievable stupidity. RECEPTION! RECEPTION! MY KINGDOM FOR RECEPTION! You know what would be a great twist in a movie? Someone whipping out their mobile phone and it having perfectly good reception. Sadly, though, for both the visitors and staff of Jurassic World, despite being in a state-of-the-art theme park that literally lets you ride glass orbs through herds of genetically engineered dinosaurs one full decade into the scientific era of ‘de-extinction’, nobody's yet figured out how to put a cell tower on top of a tall hill. WHO? 1993’s Jurassic Park was full of wonderfully crafted, three-dimensional characters whose names we still recall more than two decades later. John Hammond, Doctors Grant and Sattler, Ian Malcolm, Dennis Nedry, Timmy and Lex — heck, we even remember the names of the dinosaurs (did someone say dilophosaurus?). They’re all still memorable because of their distinct personalities and carefully selected attributes, both human and reptile. Lex knew UNIX. She knew UNIX. Jurassic World, by contrast, is more like the Star Wars prequels in that you refer to characters like you were giving police a vague description of the gang that mugged you. “Well, um, there’s the uptight redhead who never takes her heels off, her assistant (she’s British, I remember that she was British), the rich guy who was semi-charismatic, but then just died, those two kids (the younger one seemed to know some stuff about DNA but it never amounted to anything, so...), oh, and the hero! He was kinda cool, but we never really got to know what he wanted or desired, so he just sort of... stayed cool and did cool things”. Sorry folks, the only character you’re going to feel anything for in this film is a dying Apatosaurus. That indistinct gang stole your $20 and you’re never getting it back. KNOW YOUR STARS The stars of Jurassic Park were the dinosaurs, specifically the T-Rex and the velociraptors. All those memorable humans listed above — their excellent performances notwithstanding — were in supporting roles and that suited everyone just fine. In Jurassic World, there are at least loads of dinosaurs, including two fantastic new editions: the mosasaurus (a giant shark-eating sea creature) and the terrifying hybrid known as the ‘Indominus Rex’. The problem is, we see the Mosa the leasta, and the Indominus, despite sporting some amazing features like camouflage, scarcely uses them. In a movie full of branding, it almost seems incomprehensible that a dinosaur capable of going full chameleon doesn’t at some point blend into the park’s background with its skin adopting the Jurassic logo (or, you know, those of IBM and McDonalds). "IMAGINE IF WE’D HAD THESE IN TORA BORA" Vincent D’Onofrio’s character wants to weaponise raptors for the US military to use in the place of drones. It sounds pretty insane, but to be fair, the US Navy has already trained dolphins to protect its ships, recover gear and detect mines. Still, D’Onofrio's line was so terrifically stupid that the audience laughed. The mere mention of freedom-loving velociraptors hunting down bin Laden in Afghanistan like some sort of Squeal Team Six ought to have had his character institutionalised, but instead he somehow ended up Head of InGen security and given full licence to test out his theory. Also, his constant allusions to "65 millions years of instinct” fundamentally misunderstand the concept of ‘time', in that if something lived 65 million years ago, died and is then brought back to life today, it has not accrued aeons of life experience in the downtime. $700 MILLION ON DAY 1 Yes, it’s a blockbuster. In fact, it’s the blockbuster, breaking all opening day records in the US. Why? Because, dammit, we want to see dinosaurs and Jurassic World has dinosaurs. Big ones, cute ones, scary ones and familiar ones. It ultimately gives us exactly what we want, which is why — in the absence of a good story — it’s such a shame it couldn’t also give us what we’d hoped for.
Bars where you can do more than just sit around and drink are really having a moment in Melbourne, and it's mainly thanks to the ever-expanding empire of Funlab. The company is in charge of the ever-popular Holey Moley, Strike Bowling and Sydney's Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq (which is set to open in the Docklands soon, too). Now, it has just launched its latest brainchild: B. Lucky & Sons. It's a kidult-friendly bar-meets-arcade with some actually good pawn-shop prizes, instead of the usual plastic crap you get. Think vintage Chanel bags, classic cameras and rare vinyls, plus a Nintendo 64 in its original box and Tune Squad swag from the 1996 cult classic, Space Jam. Yup, they're going real old school with this one. The bar is also hidden behind the facade of an old pawn shop and decked out with eclectic furnishings, from old-world casino chandeliers to neon-lit red octagonal booths. This East-meets-West fit-out extends to the food, where pizzas are topped with the likes of crispy wonton wrappers and bonito flakes or sausage, gravy and potato crisps. For drinks, the bar is slinging canned cocktails and alcoholic bubble teas — like the Taro Bang (Frangelico, rum and taro with blueberry pearls and jellies) and the Passion Crackle (vodka, passion fruit and peach teas with apple flavoured pearls and jellies). Not to mention punch bowls served with floral tea cups, a gold-rimmed espresso martini and one with a side of toast and raspberry jam. The games themselves are clear throwbacks for the millennial generation — featuring everything from Mario Kart and Space Invaders to NBA Hoops and a Dance Dance Revolution knock-off. While the venue is open to littluns during the day, it's strictly adults-only at night, so you don't have to worry about being laughed at by a ten-year-old when you fall off Rainbow Road for the 14th time. Images: Zennieshia Photography.
The quiet backstreet setting of Thornbury's 3 Ravens Brewery has become a little rowdier this summer, with the launch of its new weekend pop-up, dubbed the Industrial Oasis Beer Garden. Out the front of the venue, a sprawling section of Theobold Street has been transformed into an openair drinking destination, serving up craft brews, food truck eats and DJ tunes every Saturday and Sunday until mid-April. On the brewery decks, you'll catch vinyl tunes from the likes of Rusty Brown Record Collective, Larry Quicksticks and Phizbert, in between challenging your mates to a few rounds of ping pong. A rotation of local food truck favourites will be rolling by as well — expect pizzas by Happy Camper, US-style sandwiches from Oh Boy! It's a Food Truck and plenty more to come. And of course, the 3 Ravens beer will be flowing, with the bar pouring limited-edition specialty brews alongside core drops like the Tropical Pale Ale and Thornbury Pilsner. Opened from noon each day, the new al fresco haunt is taking both bookings and walk-ins for its outdoor seating and picnic spots. And with zero time limits in place, you're able to kick back here in the sunshine for as long as you like. 3 Ravens Industrial Oasis Beer Garden is open from 12–9pm Saturday and Sunday.
Playa Takeria prides itself on being Sydney's authentic Mexican taqueria. So where better to spend Cinco de Mayo this year than under the gaze of their mural of saluting Frida Kahlo, where you can find cactus in your salad or corn smut (the delicacy/corn fungus also known as Mexican truffle) in your taco? Cinco de Mayo may originally have been a holiday celebrating Mexico whipping France back in the 1800s in the city of Pueblo, but it has become a day across the globe to celebrate all things Mexican and to ingest as much guacamole as you humanly can. For the festivities, Playa will be hosting a Cinco de Mayo Dinner Fiesta, with special edition tacos – including the Senioritas Taco, the Barbacoa and the My Hot Mexican — as well as $5 Coronas and $20 buckets of Corona. Head along between 11am and 3pm or stick around from 6pm until late and spend your Cinco de Mayo sharing an ice bucket of beers filled with limes and stuffing your face with some of the best Mexican fare in the city.
The two-kilometre coastal walk between Bondi and Tamarama is always a stunning Sydney sight no matter when you mosey along it, but it's especially impressive during Sculpture by the Sea. Once a year since 1997 — except during the pandemic's early days — the outdoor art event displays large-scale pieces with the ocean as a backdrop. Understandably, it isn't just one of the annual highlights of Sydney's cultural calendar, but of Australia's. That excuse to soak up the great outdoors in the Harbour City returns again in 2023, from Friday, October 20–Monday, November 6. On the agenda once more: 100-plus artworks by Australian and international sculptors, all along a two-kilometre walk. But this is the 25th Sculpture by the Sea, so it's celebrating notching up that milestone with pieces by artists who displayed at the event back at its beginning. Paul Bacon, Stephen King, Michael Le Grand, John Petrie, James Rogers and Margarita Sampson earn those honours, bookending a quarter-century run. Sculpture by the Sea 2023 will also feature works by Philip Spelman and Ron Gomboc, who reach double decades displaying at the event; Lucy Barker and Ayako Saito, who hit a decade; and Chinese artist Chen Wenling. Discovering exactly who'll be showing what and where is part of the fun of taking the spring stroll, but this year's event won't be short on talent. As always, the exhibition is set to draw a crowd. Each year, Sculpture by the Sea attracts approximately 450,000 visitors over 18 days, with the same number of art lovers expected this time around. The past few years have been particularly eventful for the exhibition, which had to sit out 2020 like oh-so-many festivities around the world, then tried to make a comeback in October 2021 but also had to scrap those plans due to the pandemic. It did successfully stage a CBD spinoff, Sculpture Rocks, in autumn 2021, however. Even before the current global health situation interrupted its annual plans, organisers were also at loggerheads with the Council over the construction of a new path back in mid-2019, and were scoping out alternative locations for the long-running art exhibition. In fact, it was only early in 2021 that the parties came to an agreement to remain in Bondi until 2030, with the organisers and Council agreeing to a ten-year deal. Amid all of the above, the Sculpture by the Sea team also branched in 2022, opening the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail. It's a permanent 100-kilometre collection of outdoor art along the Snowy Valleys Way, passing through the towns of Adelong, Batlow and Tumbarumba, the hamlet of Tooma, plus the Tumbarumba wine region's cellar doors. Sculpture by the Sea will return to the Bondi–Tamarama coastal walk for 2023 from Friday, October 20–Monday, November 6. For more information, head to sculpturebythesea.com. Images: Charlotte Curd, Reni Indrawan, Clyde Yee, Jack Bett, Jarrad Seng, W Patino, G Carr and Samantha Burns.
Named for Shanghai's ancient narrow streets and alleys, the popular Hutong Group first set up shop in the CBD. The Prahran branch — specialising in peking duck and dumplings — has been around since the end of 2009 and is often as busy as its sibling. The addition of peking duck in its name supposedly indicates their specialty with the dish, however the boast that they are "the original one to make the Peking Duck since 1978 in China" is confusing as a statement and one that is not necessarily fulfilled. As in their other venues, Hutong Peking Duck & Dumpling offers Shanghainese food from eastern China, where dishes are traditionally small and designed for sharing. Their xiao long bao (also known as XLB or soup dumplings) command a rather large and dedicated following. Thin — but not too thin — dumpling skins expertly envelop the fragrant, soupy crab and pork filling ($13.50 for eight). Challenging to eat perhaps, but, having been advised by a dumpling maker that this is what you're after in a dumpling, juices running down the chin is not a problem you should worry about with these morsels. You can have the aforementioned peking duck in dumpling form, or their signature half or whole peking duck with steamed pancakes ($36.90-68.90). This is a build it yourself deal, with the menu instructing you to take a pancake, fill it with roasted and sliced duck meat, swathe this with special duck sauce, some cucumber strips and spring onions, roll it up and put it in your mouth before it all falls apart. It's a pretty dish and rather ceremonially presented with its flower adornment and bamboo steamer full of pancakes. As far as flavour is concerned though, there's just something missing. The gloriousness of the first bite of hot, crispy skin giving way to a melting mouthful of sweet, savoury, smoky duck fat and meat experienced with our previous peking duck endeavours was absent here. While the service was fast and efficient, there is little interest in conversation — or time for explanation or recommendation. You'll want to take a dumpling savvy friend and allow them to order up a storm. Otherwise you may feel a little overwhelmed by the vast menu and lack of navigation assistance. Disinterested service is often part of the deal in dumpling venues — as is a flask of complimentary Chinese tea, lots of dumplings for your dollar and laminated tables. But don't expect any of the latter at Hutong. A lot of care has been put into the décor here with its of mixture of wood, tiling, glass, contemporary art and ornaments. It's very much about the look. All of the surfaces are hard ones, which makes for some tricky acoustics once people start competing for their voices to be heard. If you're after a cheap and cheerful dinner — or a lot of dumpling bang for your buck — Prahran's Hutong isn't for you. But if you feel like mulling over a few xiao long bao and a glass of wine in a refined environment, this is the place to do it.
A lot can happen in 13 years — and for the cast of 2010's page-to-screen favourite Scott Pilgrim vs the World, much has. Michael Cera kept returning to Arrested Development's George Michael, and made a stunning appearance in the Twin Peaks revival. Mary Elizabeth Winstead added everything from Fargo and 10 Cloverfield Lane to Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) to her resume. Chris Evans became Captain America, Kieran Culkin has been killing it with insults in Succession and Anna Kendrick had the whole Pitch Perfect franchise. Brie Larson slipping into Captain Marvel's shoes, Aubrey Plaza's The White Lotus stint, Jason Schwartzman still showing up in Wes Anderson films aplenty — that's all occurred as well. One new thing about to come all of the above actors' way, too: more Scott Pilgrim. The movie that started off as a series of graphic novels, and also hit video games, is next making its way to the small screen as Scott Pilgrim: The Anime. Of course, when a film becomes a streaming series, that doesn't always mean that the OG cast return with it — but, thankfully, it does in this case. Netflix is behind the show, and announced that the anime adaptation of Bryan Lee O'Malley's graphic novels will feature the voices of Cera as Scott, Winstead as Ramona Flowers, Culkin as Wallace Wells, Kendrick as Stacey Pilgrim, Larson as Envy Adams and Plaza as Julie Powers. And, yes, Evans, Schwartzman, Satya Bhabha (Sense8), Brandon Routh (The Flash) and Mae Whitman (Good Girls) are all back as Ramona's evil exes. The list doesn't stop there. Amid shouting "we are Sex Bob-Omb!", Alison Pill (Hello Tomorrow!) as Kim Pine, Johnny Simmons (Girlboss) as young Neil, Mark Webber (SMILF) as Stephen Stills, Ellen Wong (Best Sellers) as Knives Chau are all back, too. The story will still follow the titular bass player, in what's set to be more than just a do-over. "I knew that a live action sequel was unlikely, but I would usually defer by suggesting that perhaps an anime adaptation was an interesting way to go," the original film's director Edgar Wright told Netflix. "And then, lo and behold, one day Netflix got in touch to ask about this exact idea. But even better, our brilliant creator Bryan Lee O'Malley had an idea that was way more adventurous than just a straight adaptation of the original books," Wright continued — and he's back as an executive producer. Scott Pilgrim: The Anime doesn't yet have a release date, or a trailer; however, you can check out Netflix's cast announcement clip below: Scott Pilgrim: The Anime is headed to Neflix, but doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when one is announced.
UPDATE, December 23, 2021: The Lost Daughter released in select Australian cinemas on Thursday, December 16, and will be available to stream via Netflix on Friday, December 31. Watching Olivia Colman play a complicated woman is like staring at the ocean: it's never the same twice, even just for a second; it couldn't be more unpredictable, no matter how comfortable it appears; and all that surface texture bobs, floats, swells, gleams and glides atop leagues of unseen complexity. That's always been true of the British actor's absolute best performances, which could fill any body of water with their power and resonance. It's there in her acidic work in The Favourite, which won her an Oscar, and also in The Crown's more reserved turn as a different English monarch. It flowed through the devastating Tyrannosaur, which perhaps first truly showed the world exactly what Colman could do — and has marked her Academy Award-nominated supporting part in The Father, plus TV standouts Peep Show, Broadchurch, The Night Manager and Fleabag. It's fitting, then, that The Lost Daughter tasks Colman with glaring at the sea, and doing so both intently and often. A necessity of the narrative, as penned on the page by My Brilliant Friend's Elena Ferrante and adapted for the screen by actor-turned-filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal, it's a touch that washes through the movie with extra force due to its star. Colman plays comparative literature professor Leda, who fills much of her time peering at the ocean as she summers on a Greek island — and also people-watching thanks to the loud, entitled Queens family that keep invading her chosen patch of sand. While both gazing at the waves and taking in the onshore domestic dramas, Leda sees her own ebbs, flows, thorns and flaws reflected back. Vacationing alone, Leda isn't on a getaway as much as she's escaping — not actively, but because that's her default mode. She's never willing to stray far from her work, shuffling through papers as she sunbathes and flirtatious young resort manager Will (Paul Mescal, Normal People) moves her lounger to keep her in the shade; however, as flashbacks show, the urge to flee all markers of apparent normalcy has long gushed in her veins. Leda tells anyone who asks that she has two daughters (Bianca is 25 and Martha is 23, she frequently offers), but they're heard via phone calls rather than seen as adults. She's prickly when mum-to-be Callie (Dagmara Domińczyk, Succession), of those noisy interlopers, asks if her extended group can take over Leda's beach umbrella. But in Nina (Dakota Johnson, The Nowhere Inn), the raven-haired mother of frequently screaming toddler Elena (debutant Athena Martin Anderson), she spies more of herself than she's been willing to confront for decades. The Lost Daughter's title references an incident one sunny day when Elena disappears as Callie, Nina and company — the latter's shady husband Toni (Oliver Jackson-Cohen, The Invisible Man) as well — idle by the water's edge. The Americans react with distress, but Leda calmly strides forth amid the chaos, all while battling memories of being a young mum (Jessie Buckley, I'm Thinking of Ending Things) searching for her own absent child. Indeed, loss and escape are serpentine concepts here, winding through Leda's past, her affinity for the clearly unhappy Nina and the second wave of mayhem that erupts when Elena's beloved doll also goes missing. The concept of trouble in paradise proves just as layered, infecting idylls scenic and, in pondering the supposed bliss that we're all told motherhood brings, societally enforced. The idea that bringing life into the world isn't the existence-defining triumph of femininity it's sugar-coated as doesn't simply sit at the heart of Ferrante's novel and Gyllenhaal's debut stint behind the lens — from the instant that Colman is seen collapsing on the pebble-strewn shoreline in the picture's opening, it laps over The Lost Daughter's every moment. Leda is a woman haunted by everything having kids has brought, as well as guilt-stricken by all that's followed, and this bold and affecting movie confronts that rocky truth. It's the filmic antithesis to keeping calm and carrying on, or relishing the rewards while disregarding the sacrifices, whether Leda is trying to retain a sense of self in the feature's journeys backwards, grappling with the gnawing consequences of her choices and the parallels in Nina's exasperation, or obsessing over dolls, those symbols of maternity routinely given to girls at birth. For any director, this is audacious and intricate terrain, but Gyllenhaal is as exceptional and daring a filmmaker as she is a performer. As her own impressive acting career demonstrates, complete with knotty and slippery turns in Secretary, Sherrybaby, The Kindergarten Teacher and The Deuce, she could've played Leda and just as phenomenal a film would've likely resulted. Her decision to enlist Colman doesn't only spring from humility, though, but from spying what we all notice whenever the star graces any screen. One of Colman's extraordinary skills is her knack for ensuring that her characters could swim in any direction and, whatever swings and lurches they take, it always feels like the most natural development there is. She's a master not just of complicated women, but of conveying the innate and relentless state of being complicated. Daughters get lost, mothers struggle, prickly exchanges pepper the picturesque setting — Leda isn't afraid to voice her displeasure to Callie and her relatives, or to teens ruining a trip to the local cinema, and she's positively awkward with Lyle (Ed Harris, Westworld), the caretaker of her holiday apartment — but so much of The Lost Daughter's tension rushes from Colman's performance. From Buckley's, too, with the movie's two Ledas echoing each other — the woman she once was and the one she becomes — with precision and synergy that's too shrewd and naturalistic to resemble mere mimicry. It's also telling that Gyllenhaal has cinematographer Hélène Louvart (Never Rarely Sometimes Always) lens the film like a volatile memory, probing closeups, lingering details and slight but inescapable jitteriness all included, while the jazzy score by Dickon Hinchliffe (The Third Day) skews towards the melodic. Everything about Leda's experiences has been stressful rather than peaceful, but the prevailing view of being a mum keeps trying to tell the world otherwise — and both the character and the film refuse to accept those false platitudes. The Lost Daughter releases in select Melbourne cinemas on Thursday, December 16, and will be available to stream via Netflix on Friday, December 31.
Opened in 2021, Yugen Tea Bar was about as luxe a tea-drinking experience as you could find in Melbourne. Moody lighting, white tablecloths and a menu spanning 40 teas guided by expert sommeliers set the tone. However, after a significant update, YTB is pulling the experience back – way back – to create a more relaxed, specialty cafe experience. Yet that doesn't mean the venue's inventive, Asian-inspired cuisine or dedication to quality has gone anywhere. Situated on a busy corner of Chapel Street above the renowned Yugen Dining, visitors can now expect an elevated brunch spot, where mindfully conceived breakfast and lunch cuisine pairs with ONA coffee, matcha lattes and, of course, a serious array of in-house teas. Now catering to locals, office workers and brunch-lovers alike, this more accessible format offers both grab-and-go creations alongside laidback all-day dining. "With YTB, we wanted to create a space where every dish feels considered – fresh, vibrant, and layered with flavour – where specialty coffee, tea, and thoughtful dishes come together in a welcoming, vibrant setting," says Stephen Nairn, Culinary Director at LK Hospitality and the owner of Yugen. "It's a place designed not just for one visit, but to return to time and time again, whether for a quick morning matcha and snack or a leisurely brunch. We want YTB to feel like a part of the community – somewhere familiar yet always exciting." This easygoing direction is reflected in the new menu, with made-to-order sangies, vibrant salads and fresh-from-the-oven pastries pumped up with seasonal ingredients and creative flourishes. Take the buckwheat taiyaki – YTB's signature dish – for example. Here, a traditional Japanese fish-shaped waffle is filled with miso egg and aged cheddar togarashi, then served with pickles and a pickled ginger dressing. There's also the caramelised shokupan, where toasted Japanese milk bread is adorned with caramelised banana, bacon and maple butter. Sweet-tooths will also feel right at home, as Executive Pastry Chef Kay-Lene Tan has shaped a new nostalgia-driven selection of house-baked delights. Bruce the Cake, a decadent Valrhona dark chocolate cake wrapped in a silky ganache, is one alluring highlight. Inspired by Bruce Bogtrotter's cake from Roald Dahl's childhood classic novel Matilda, no one's judging if you sneak an extra slice. There's also the matcha white chocolate cookie – a gooey creation pairing chunky chocolate chips with earthy matcha. The drinks selection is also top-notch. Behind the coffee machine, Head Barista Alec Guerzoni (CIBI, Allpress, Path Coffee) brings expertise to every cup, whether that's coffee, house-blend teas, ceremonial matcha or hojicha. Meanwhile, there's also a refined selection of beers, wines, sakes and cocktails. Finally, the revamped Yugen Tea Bar will also feature locally crafted ceramics, fresh flowers and exclusive dog treats crafted by Tan. Yugen Tea Bar is open Monday–Friday from 7.30am–4pm and Saturday–Sunday from 8am–4pm at 605 Chapel Street, South Yarra. Head to the website for more information. Images: Tim Harris / Jana Langhorst.
The drinks pour freely at this prohibition-inspired speakeasy bar. Located in the heart of the city overlooking the State Library, Father's Office has become one of the most popular spots for a drink after work since opening its doors in 2014. Alongside the hard stuff, there's decadent American burgers, wings and more, all of which have helped it become a hit. Combined with the art-deco dining room, it makes for a stylish and tasty setting to catch up with co-workers. You can't have a CBD bar without the happy hour to match, and Father's Office doesn't miss a beat with a whole host of drinks to choose from. There's a selection of $12 cocktails, $6 bottled beer and schooners, cut-price jugs and much more. The daily happy hour runs between 5–7pm and 8–10pm, as well as all-day Sunday, so there's plenty of opportunity to get a drink on a steamy day.
Bordering Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens lies The Tan, a 3.8-kilometre track surrounded by some of the city's greatest landmarks. Finish your day with a run or walk — or a mix of both, we don't judge — around the track, where you'll pass sites including the Shrine of Remembrance, AAMI Park and the Swan Street Bridge, which gives way to a stunning view of the CBD on a clear day. The Anderson Street incline busts quite a few calories, so you can afford to treat yourself after your exercise session. Post-light exercise session, hop over to Jardin Tan, Shannon Bennet's vibrant Vietnamese-inspired eatery for an early dinner — it's right in the middle of the Botanic Gardens, so plan your route accordingly. Image: Nic Allchin.
Just when you thought they couldn't possibly squeeze any more shiny new additions into Chadstone's newly-launched Social Quarter precinct, along comes the final piece of the puzzle. Introducing, Cityfields — an all-day bar and diner with a European lean from the team behind South Melbourne's much-loved Half Acre. It's the realisation of a plan that's been a long time in the making and it's well worth the wait. The polished yet effortlessly chic venue really impresses. Unfolding across two levels, this grand, light-filled space makes a statement, imagined with the help of designers Pasquale Cook and Studio Manifold. It's got a show-stopping curved staircase lit by vintage chandeliers, lofty 12-metre-high ceilings and an assortment of seating, indoors and out, with soaring double doors to greet you as you enter. On the ground floor, both the public bar and restaurant plate up the same day-to-night culinary offering; the menu taking cues from Half Acre, then adding a dash of European bistro flavour. There's a touch of Aussie influence, an abundance of local produce and plenty of wood-fired elements on show throughout. That might mean kicking things off with the wood-roasted pumpkin dip, dainty olive and anchovy gildas, kingfish crudo finished with native lime, and hand-cut salami with caperberries and pickles. There's even a nod to the potato cake done with goat milk yoghurt and a sweet pickle relish. Vibrant salads range from a classic niçoise to a seared beef and lentil number, while pasta fiends can cosy up to the likes of gnocchi cacio e pepe with shaved pine mushrooms, and a hearty pairing of Sicilian tomato pesto and bone marrow. Or, dig deeper with the porchetta sided with rich quince jus, a cheeseburger or one of four wood-fired steak cuts teamed with very French accompaniments. You'll also find a roving dessert cart doing the rounds, though it's hard to pass up the house-made soft serve in flavours like anzac biscuit and olive oil, and macadamia Milo affogato. Locals lead the crafty beer lineup and the wine list is expansive, with a handful of signature cocktails headlined by a riff on the gin fizz. Taking pride of place atop the bar, the Sling Shaker jiggles away blending the contents of up to six cocktail shakers at once. And just in case you needed any more excuse to stop by for a tipple, happy hour runs from 4–7pm every Monday to Thursday. But, despite the impressive offerings of Cityfields' ground floor, that's far from it. Set to open next month is the venue's sophisticated second level, home to a 40-seat dining room as well as the Terrace Bar and Terrace Garden. Rooftop sips and al fresco long lunches await. Find Cityfields at Chadstone Shopping Centre, 1341 Dandenong Road, Chadstone. It's open daily from 12pm–late. Images: Pete Dillon
With a distinctly Chinese club culture only emerging in relatively recent times, acclaimed Chinese photographer Chen Wei's first Australian solo exhibition captures the enigmatic scene. The end of the country's Cultural Revolution saw many western influences and pastimes begin to flow into China, with the 1980s and '90s seeing the rise of nightclubs and electronic music. This brought young artists and intellectuals together in a previously unknown expressive environment — one that, at the time, was considered to be rebellious and progressive. While nightclubs are commonplace in China nowadays, Chen Wei set out to document the unique subculture and comment on societal changes that are taking place across the country. As nightclubs have become widespread, through his photo series, Wei argues that nightclubs reflect a culture that has accepted western influence and is now unsure of what the future holds. Running until May 7, The Club is presented at Fitzroy's Centre for Contemporary Photography. Image: Chen Wei In The Waves #5 (2013).
