Tackling climate change can feel like an impossibly tough task at times, but having a positive impact on our planet is possible — and more so when you get your house in order. With around eight percent of greenhouse gases caused by food waste, making smarter decisions at the shops and implementing sustainable kitchen tricks are just some ways you can reduce your carbon footprint. Whether you learn how to pickle old fridge veg or make the switch to buying organic, seasonal produce from local growers, these small choices can equate to something much bigger. We've teamed up with Glad to celebrate its new Glad to be Green range — and to bring you six simple ways you can combat climate change from your very own kitchen. LEARN HOW TO PICKLE You might be tempted to instantly dump shrivelled, scary-looking vegetables you find at the back of the fridge straight into the bin. Don't be so hasty, though, as you could be throwing away an easily pickled snack. Not only are pickled veggies tasty, but they will also rapidly cut down your food waste at home — if you make them yourself, that is. Pickling has been a go-to preserving method for thousands of years and it's pretty easy to do. Just reach for those old apples, onions, carrots, cucumbers and basically any other plant-based product. Throw in whatever combination you want inside a sterilised glass jar. Add the brine, which is made up of water, vinegar, salt and your favourite spices, and make sure all produce is submerged. Seal tight and put in the fridge. Depending on what kind of pickling you're going for — quick, canned, fermented — the process can take as little as 90 minutes and sometimes as long as around five weeks. Still feel a bit daunted? The pickle legends at Cornersmith run online classes as well as in-person ones for Sydneysiders. [caption id="attachment_778329" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jacqui Manning[/caption] BUY ORGANIC, SEASONAL FRUIT AND VEG FROM LOCAL GROWERS Australia is blessed with some of the best produce around, so why not go straight to the source? Hitting up your local farmers market for organic, seasonal fruit and vegetables ensures you get your hands on the freshest produce available, meaning it's likely to keep for longer. It doesn't matter if the produce is 'ugly' by supermarket standards, either, so pick up that wonky carrot or gnarly lemon and know that at growers markets, it's all about the taste (and reducing the waste). Plus, buying local often means less food miles involved and pesticide-free produce is better for the environment, too. You'll also get among your community and directly support local farmers. GROW YOUR OWN HERBS The right herbs can make or break a dish. But going to the supermarket for another bunch of basil when you only need a little isn't exactly an environmentally friendly choice. Yep, after a few days that basil will become brown and sad and you'll chuck it. And so the cycle continues. Unless, that is, you start your own mini herb garden. You can do this on your windowsill, balcony or in your garden and, when you need to liven up your meals, all you have to do is cut off a few leaves. Don't have a green thumb? Rest assured that keeping a herb garden alive is easy with some simple planning. Just decide on a selection of herbs you'll actually use, choose a sunny spot and go easy on the water. START A WORM FARM When food waste breaks down in landfill, it releases methane: one of the most potent greenhouse gases. So, instead of chucking your scraps in the bin, why not start a worm farm? That way, your scraps are repurposed and take on a new life. Fortunately, compost worms, such as tiger and red worms, love to munch on many food types, so you can load them up with vegetable scraps, fruit skins and coffee grinds. A thriving worm farm traps gases released from scraps in the soil, diverting some of the emissions that are usually a direct result of the food waste coming from your kitchen. Visit your local hardware store to find ready-to-go worm farms or make building one your next DIY project. Some local councils even offer discounts on worm farms via Compost Revolution. [caption id="attachment_766152" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lisa Fotios[/caption] COMPOST YOUR ORGANIC MATTER (OR DONATE IT) According to Foodbank Australia, the average Australian household throws away 2.5 million tonnes of edible food each year. So, it's no wonder reusing our waste in worm farms and compost has proven to be one of the best ways to reduce food waste and its harmful gas emissions. Many Aussie councils have started implementing composting schemes, so check out your local council to see if you can hop on the bandwagon. All you have to do is throw your scraps into an organic matter bin for collection and, eventually, it'll be turned into compost. The Glad to be Green Compostable Kitchen Caddy Liners are made from 30 percent renewable material cornstarch and are certified compostable to Australian standards. Or, if you have a proper compost operation going — and too much product to fertilise your own garden — you can donate your compost to local community gardens, schools and other organisations. STORE YOUR LEFTOVERS PROPERLY It might sound simple, but so much food goes to waste just because it hasn't been stored properly. If you've cooked up a storm and need a convenient way to store leftovers, you don't have to stock up on cheap plastic containers that'll end up in the trash before long. If you're keen to invest in some snazzy reusable lunchboxes, consider this the dangling of the proverbial carrot. Otherwise, you can opt for Glad to be Green's Reseal Bags and Cling Wrap, which are made from 50 percent plant-based materials, including sugarcane, and provide a robust bio-based alternative. Go green and visit the Glad website for more tips and tricks. Top image: Cottonbro, Pexels UPDATE: Friday, June 25 —Sydneysiders who work or live in Woollahra, Waverley, Randwick and City of Sydney Councils are currently under stay at home orders. Buying essential groceries is one of the four reasons to leave home, but you must wear a mask. You can stay up to date with the developing COVID-19 situation in Sydney, as well as current restrictions, at NSW Health.
Looking to add another streaming service to your subscriptions? Particularly keen on Amazon Prime Video, the online shopping behemoth's film and television platform? Good news and bad news, Australians. Firstly, you can sign up and stream selected content right now. But (and yes, sorry, there's a but)... it doesn't appear as though it's all that official. Technology website EFTM first broke the news that Aussies could not only register for an Amazon Prime Video account, but start watching Amazon's original programming such as The Man In The High Castle and Red Oaks. And, since then, word has spread that Amazon has launched their video platform in Australia. That's particularly exciting for anyone interested in watching The Grand Tour, aka Amazon's new motoring show hosted by former Top Gear personalities Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, which kicked off on November 18. Alas, it's not quite that straightforward. On the one hand, yes, you can currently access the aforementioned series, and others that don't have streaming deals with other platforms — although with some restrictions (only the first season of '80s set dramedy Red Oaks is available, for example, despite the second season launching in the US last week; and you can't access shows like Transparent that are available elsewhere in Australia). However, in a pretty significant sign that using Amazon Prime Video in Australia isn't as official as we all want it to be, you can only access it by visiting either the American or UK sites. There's no Prime Video option on amazon.com.au, no Australian pricing, and no information whatsoever about the service being offered to Aussies. In a statement reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, Amazon is adamant that it hasn't launched in Australia, which answers the question, really. Why Aussies can access content through the US and UK sites remains unanswered. Of course, it has long been rumoured that the platform would launch locally soon, largely thanks to The Grand Tour's certain appeal to Australian audiences, and the fact that Amazon has retained the global rights to the show — and it likely will in December as already announced. For now, in what is proving a big week for Amazon on our shores (the retail giant is set to launch a series of bricks-and-mortar stores and an online supermarket here within the next two years), go forth and watch what you can while you can, and watch this space for more developments.
Towards the grungier end of Brunswick Street you'll find a dark pub with a hearth of gold. With a band room upstairs hosting some of Melbourne's best underground rock bands you can choose between this intimate music space, or hang out downstairs chatting with the laid-back staff, enjoying a good pint or a cheeky glass of wine while soaking up the glow and warmth of the open fire. On Monday nights you can also head over for a free classic film showing and they also host local artist exhibitions. A refreshing change to the increasingly sleek and gentrified scene in Fitzroy, this pub remains comfortingly old school.
Pickleball is everywhere now. It's got its own National Pickleball League in South Melbourne that's hosting an alternative speed-dating event this February. QT Melbourne and Hilton Melbourne even had pop-up rooftop pickleball courts for the Australian Open. And now, one of the best Japanese restaurants and sushi spots in Melbourne, Ichi Ni Nana Izakaya, has teamed up with the NPL to host an evening of pickleball, prosecco and live sushi-making. Because, why not? On Friday, February 23, ticketholders will head to NPL's The Jar to play a casual doubles round-robin while sipping on prosecco, before they get 1.5 hours of unlimited sushi and drinks. One of Ichi Ni's sushi masters will be pumping out maki rolls and nigiri from the small open kitchen, so guests can watch on after playing a few rounds of pickleball. These folks are absolute legends in the sushi game, so you'll want nab a front row seat to their show. What's on the menu for PICKLESUSHI? There'll be a selection of classic salmon and tuna nigiri, plus two of Ichi Ni's signature maki rolls. These will be the Ichi Ni maki roll — an inside-out roll filled with lobster, avocado and cucumber that's topped with flamed salmon and mayo — and the yasai roll made with inari, cucumber, avocado, daikon and sesame seeds. The crew has even made a special pickled sushi just for the event. This bad boy will feature ceviche kingfish and jalapeños. Pair these next-level after-work eats with wine, beer, seltzers and soft drinks from The Jar's bar — all included in the $90 ticket.
Queen Victoria Market's Purpose Precinct has done things differently since it launched in 2022. Operating as a social enterprise marketplace filled with over 80 products designed to create social, environmental and cultural good, one part of this forward-thinking marketplace is the Moving Feast Kitchen — a space that explores what food justice and sustainability look like in practice. It's been announced that Australian chef, author and food advocate Tobie Puttock is moving into the kitchen as the new Innovation Chef, bringing his enduring passion for sustainable food systems. Best known for his long-standing collaboration with Jamie Oliver, where he helped establish training restaurants for underprivileged young people, Puttock's ambitious approach to zero-waste cooking and food education is central to his purpose-driven goals. Back home in Melbourne, Puttock's pairing with Moving Feast Kitchen is certainly a harmonious fit. "Food has the power to bring people together, to nourish, and to create lasting change. The Moving Feast model – circular, inclusive, community-driven — is exactly the kind of space where I want to cook, teach and collaborate," says Puttock. Launched by leading social enterprise STREAT at the start of the pandemic, Moving Feast's network of food-based social enterprises collaborates on fair and regenerative system projects. Though it was initially founded in direct response to the COVID-19 crisis, the operation has since expanded to over 30 one-off and multi-year projects, including the Purpose Precinct and Crowd Sauce — a series of pantry ingredients made from surplus produce. Now with Puttock at the helm, Moving Feast Kitchen will step up its program of cooking classes, events and zero-waste retail food products. "We're expanding our commitment to innovation and community impact at Queen Victoria Market, and the work happening through the Purpose Precinct is central to this," says Matt Elliott, CEO of Queen Victoria Market. "The addition of Tobie will build on the incredible work by the STREAT team already underway on site." In tackling issues like food waste and food injustice, Moving Feast aims to address numerous climate and social challenges. From within the Purpose Precinct, it operates more as a science lab than a traditional kitchen, giving innovative changemakers like Puttock the space to rethink our relationship with the food supply chain to make a tangible impact. However, the pantry's range of long-shelf life products made from overripe and unsold produce also makes for a nourishing bite. Moving Feast Kitchen is open at QVM's Purpose Precinct on Tuesdays and Thursday–Saturday from 9am–3pm. Head to the website for more information.
Maybe you love getting away, but hate the possibility of noise echoing through the walls from neighbouring hotel rooms. Perhaps you adore nature, and yet camping doesn't quite float your boat. Or, you could be mighty fond of hitting the water, but you're not so fussed about actually sailing anywhere. For all of these situations and more, the Gold Coast has now a new holiday option: Drift Flotel. What's a 'flotel'? It's exactly what it sounds like — and it's really a luxe houseboat decked out for stays, but you get the idea. And if you're wondering what makes the three-storey, 12-metre-long Drift Flotel different from other seafaring vessels, this one only floats rather than cruises. When you arrive, you'll find it anchored in one spot, and it won't move from there during your entire visit. That means you'll get to slumber on the water without needing to worry about operating the boat. You'll also score both water and national park views, too. When you're not taking in the sights, you and five mates — because the flotel sleeps six — can also hang out on the walkaround deck or up on the rooftop terrace. Naturally, they're great place to take in the scenery as well. Available for $680 per night, the refurbed houseboat features two bedrooms and bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, and a lounge and dining space. And, if you're keen to hang out with a few more pals during the day, it can hold 12 all up. Upstairs, there's a bar as well — complete with an ice machine and cocktail-making equipment, aka all the essentials. As for where you'll be anchored, Drift Flotel calls a small inlet 10–15 minutes from Jumpinpin home. To get there, you'll take a 40-minute voyage on a 32-foot flybridge cruiser, leaving from Horizon Shores Marina at Steiglitz near Jacobs Well and travelling through the Southern Moreton Bay Islands National Park. And if you are keen to go exploring by water during your stay, the Drift Flotel comes with a five-horsepower tender — which'll get you to the shore, too, if you're also keen to go wandering on land. For more information about Drift Flotel, or to make a booking, head to the houseboat's website.
On Sunday, October 20, Prahran Market will host its sixth annual Say Cheese Festival. For the uninitiated (or those who haven't previously attended and devoured all the dairy they can), it's essentially an entire day of eating cheese — and buying even more to eat later. From 10am–4pm, there'll be free cheese tastings, cheesy dish demonstrations and stalls from cheese providores. Or, you can meet cheesemakers, wander along a market trail or tuck into fondue. If you're not too full from all of that, a hefty lineup of traders will also be offering food to take home or eat there. Yes, there will be many, many cheese plates — and raclette, cheese-filled pastas, cheese toasties, blue cheese mussels, cheese dessert gelato and cheesecake. Plus, chefs will also take over the kitchen throughout the day to demonstrate cooking techniques — and take part in Melbourne's second Grilled Cheese Invitational to determine who cooks up the best combo of grilled cheese on bread. If you'd like to expand your palate, you can sample your way through guided cheese flights as well, so you'll be downing the gouda stuff with wine, sparkling, chocolate and beer in no time.
The Case Against Adnan Syed did it. Across both its first and second seasons, Dirty John did too. We're talking about TV shows that leapt to the screen from podcasts, because this genre isn't going anywhere soon. The latest example: Dr Death. Obviously, that moniker doesn't bode well from the outset — for the patients treated by Christopher Duntsch, that is. If you've heard the Wondery podcast that shares the series' name, you'll know how this true tale turns out. And if you haven't, prepared to watch a horrific real-life situation unfold in this new eight-episode drama. Working in Dallas during the past decade, Duntsch was originally a rising neurosurgery star. Then, as the series charts, his patients started leaving the operating theatre either permanently maimed or dead. If you've ever faced going under the knife, this is pure, unfettered and deeply disturbing nightmare fuel — and it all really happened. Joshua Jackson plays Duntsch, and is bound to shed any lingering Dawson's Creek-era affection audiences might have for him in the process (and fondness from The Mighty Ducks and Fringe, too). He's joined by Alec Baldwin (Pixie) and Christian Slater (Dirty John) as fellow surgeons who raise the alarm, and also by AnnaSophia Robb (Words on Bathroom Walls) as the Dallas prosecutor who takes the case. As both the initial trailer and just-dropped new clip for the series show, this is quite the bleak story. Whether you already know how it all turns out or you'll be discovering the details fresh, you'll be able to watch Dr Death on Stan from Friday, July 16. It's dropping all of its episodes at once, too, if you're in need of some grim mid-winter binge-viewing material. Check out the trailer below: Dr Death will be available to stream via Stan on Friday, July 16. Top image: Barbara Nitke/Peacock.
Gelato fans have a couple of fun new things to look forward to this month — and it's all thanks to the dessert aficionados at Gelato Messina and their latest collaboration. First, the chain has announced that it's teamed up with Sundae Body to drop a new range of ice cream-flavoured shower foams. Available in four varieties — strawberries and cream, lemon meringue pie, raspberry sorbet and lamington — the body washes have just hit the shelves at Aussie Priceline stores, as well as Messina and Sundae Body's websites. And what's more, to celebrate the arrival of these limited-edition shower treats, Messina is slinging a bunch of signature gelato scoops for free — for one day only. If you're in Melbourne, simply head down to Priceline's Chapel Street store on Saturday, April 22 to nab a free scoop of Messina while you're stocking up on your favourites from the new line of shower foams. They'll be scooping all four of the above Messina flavours that inspired the new body products — but you'll want to get in early as there are only 500 freebies up for grabs.
The team from Pierogi Pierogi is taking over The Gasometer Hotel's kitchen to ring in International Workers' Day the only way it can: with lots of pierogi. As purveyors of Melbourne's finest handmade Polish dumplings, the market regulars will embrace the revolutionary spirit with parcels filled with kapusta (mushroom and sauerkraut), ruskie (potato and cheese), mieso (beef and veggies) and banan (deep-fried banana and coconut flakes). And pierogi isn't even all of it — hearty krupnik soup, pickled herring and goulash will be on offer too, as well as lots and lots of vodka. Best come with an empty stomach. Pierogi Pierogi promises to "put a tasty dumpling-shaped spanner into the machinations of an oppressive flavourless state". Plus, in addition to the Polish cuisine, the night will feature Turkish disco from DJ Baba Noir and French gypsy punk from Cyclo Timik. It all goes down from 5pm until late on Sunday, April 29.
Many road trippers heading north from Sydney aim for major hubs, such as Port Stephens, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour. But, less than four hours away, there's a less-famous patch of coastline, national parks and green pastures called the Manning Valley. The area's lush beauty is down to its unusual waterway, the Manning River. It's one of the only major rivers in Australia that hasn't been dammed. Plus, it's a double delta, so it meets the sea in not one, but two places. Stick to the shore for empty beaches, impressive walks and a designer hotel dedicated to David Bowie, Nick Cave and Dave Grohl. Pop inland to sample at farmers' markets, groom alpacas and meet flying foxes in NSW's last bit of floodplain rainforest. Here's your guide to road tripping the Manning Valley. [caption id="attachment_604884" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Surfhouse Merewether[/caption] DAY ONE: INDIGENOUS HISTORY, SPARKLING LAKES AND WINE TASTING Road trips aren't for rushing. Break up yours with a couple of stops. Firstly, there's Newcastle — one-time steel capital of Australia, now creative hub by the sea — where laneways are dotted with street art, independent shops and cute cafes. Swing by The Tea Project for a just-right cuppa, Sprocket for locally-roasted coffee and The Edwards for mountainous cheese platters. Cashed up and wanting ocean views and oysters? You'll get them at Surfhouse Merewether. Find loads more Newie tips over here. Another hour on the road lands you in the Great Lakes region. If time's on your side, pretty Myall Lake and its eponymous national park are a worthy diversion. To take a journey into indigenous history, visit Dark Point, which, in 2002, was declared an Aboriginal Site of Significance. For more than 4000 years, the Worimi people met here for seafood feasts — look out for middens. You'll also be treated to spectacular views of Broughton Island, the only spot in New South Wales where you can camp the night among a sea bird colony. Continue along the Pacific Highway to Wootton to visit Great Lakes Paddocks Winery. You're welcome to sprawl out on the grounds for hours, trying the latest in verdelho and sparkling shiraz. Keep an eye out for live music events too. [caption id="attachment_604888" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Rudi's Farmers Market[/caption] DAY TWO: FARMER'S MARKETS, RAINFOREST AND A MUSIC DESIGN HOTEL Another 30 minutes north lands you in Taree, on the banks of Manning River. Start with a visit to Mentges Meats, where Rudi Mentges continues a 700-year-old family tradition, started on the Rhine, of turning local cuts into gourmet kranski, wurst and ham. Every Thursday morning, Rudi's Farmers' Markets takes over with a cornucopia of home-grown veggies, home-made jams, honey, raw cakes and fresh flowers. It's one of many farmers' and artisans' markets in the Manning Valley. Find out how tasty that produce can get when treated by a multi-awarding winning cafe. Bent on Food is in Wingham, a laidback town ten kilometres inland, which hosts the Wingham Akoostik Festival every October. Cafe owner Donna Carrier is a big fan of local farmers, as proven by the super-fresh, piled-up dishes, overseen by head chef Simon Livingston. Tuck into a spinach tortilla with chicken, feta, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted pumpkin and house-made basil pesto or local scotch fillet with house-made beetroot relish, cheese, lettuce, horseradish cream, Turkish bread and beer-battered chips. The cafe doubles up as a grocery shop, so you can take some valley goodness home with you. [caption id="attachment_604873" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Bent on Food[/caption] The Wingham Brush Nature Reserve, which harbours the only floodplain rainforest left in New South Wales, is lovely for a shady afternoon stroll. There are a variety of walks, but the easiest is the 1.9-kilometre boardwalk, along which you'll meet flying foxes, brush turkeys, white cedars and a massive Moreton Bay fig tree. Tinonee Road winds south out of Wingham, passing through The Bight and Mondrook. Now that you've indulged in local produce, it's time to find out what the artists have been getting up to. Make an appointment at Artisans on the Hill, to see art works, handcrafted jewellery, wood turning and more. Workshops are held occasionally. [caption id="attachment_604904" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Boogie Woogie Beach House[/caption] Tonight's digs are The Boogie Woogie Beach House, found 20 minutes east in the beachside town of Old Bar. This extraordinary designer hotel was "born from the love of music and not wanting to go home after a great night out". There are five unique rooms, four of which are dedicated to legendary musicians, namely David Bowie, Dave Grohl, Nick Cave and Louis Armstrong. Can't decide? Go for the fifth: The Mixtape. Whether you take a spa with Ziggy Stardust or shower with Nick Cave, you can count on a luxurious therapeutic mattress, a record player (with vinyls supplied), free wifi, a mini-bar and a HD flatscreen TV. Downstairs, Flow Bar hosts live music on Fridays and Sundays, and serves up consistently excellent food. In the morning, go for The Frenchie (brioche, Rudi's smoked bacon, lemon mascarpone, toasted pecans, wild berry compote, maple syrup). [caption id="attachment_604899" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Black Head Beach[/caption] DAY THREE: BEACHSIDE RESORT, OCEAN POOL, COASTAL WALKS South of Old Bar is a series of gold sand beaches, backdropped by dunes and national park. The safest for swimming is sheltered Black Head Beach, where you can jump in patrolled surf or laze about in a stunning ocean pool. Should you work up an appetite, drop into Gobblegutz Cafe in Hallidays Point for coffee and tasty gourmet wrap. Don't let the shopping centre surrounds deter you — the food is good and hearty. Next up, it's time for some explorations on foot. There's a network of walking trails to help you do just that. For coastal rainforest, secluded beaches, caves and and rock formations, head into Black Head Reserve. You'll pass by a tranquil lagoon and, chances are, find yourself sharing the path with brush turkeys. Check out other tracks nearby over here. [caption id="attachment_604870" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Ramada Resort[/caption] Tonight, you're sleeping over at Ramada Resort, right behind 5.5-kilometre-long Diamond Beach. To get as close to the water as possible, go for a one-bedroom apartment with water views, a two-bedroom apartment or a beach house. Whichever you choose, you'll score plenty of space and a spa bath. When the surf's too rough, take a windy stroll or stick to the resort, where you can dip in the pool, hit the tennis court or relax in the day spa. Jasmine Crittenden travelled to the Manning Valley as a guest of Destination NSW. Images: Peter Saw.
It makes no earthly sense that Melbourne, the city that lives and breathes handmade wooden fruit platters, doesn’t have a regular enough design and craft market. So many plant pots bereft of macramé holders, so many wine stoppers untopped with animal butts, so many heads unadorned by flower crowns. The good people at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) feel the same way and are bringing his injustice to an end, by hosting a bi-monthly design market in the ACCA forecourt. The Upmarket (great pun, friends) will bring Melbourne’s best designers together on the first and third Saturday of every month. You can expect a full (and free) day of shopping with stalls featuring some of the best independent design on offer in the city (so much better than buying online). The Upmarket will also feature creative workshops for all ages, there'll be an entire section named The Larder, dedicated to take home organic and local produce, while The Heart of Dining will fuel your fire for the day with street food aplenty. Emerging and student designers can also get a slice of the pie by applying for one of the five rotating stalls dedicated to up-and-comers. So Melbourne, close that Etsy tab — you’ve got a market to attend. The Upmarket is launching September 5 at ACCA Forecourt, 111 Sturt Street, Southbank. Open 9am-4pm, free entry. For more information, head to www.theupmarket.com.au.
Celebrating its fifth birthday, Pause Fest is back and bigger than ever with a stellar line up of guest speakers and demonstrations of innovative technology that’s set to flip the digital world on its head. If you haven't heard about it before, Pause Fest is all about collaboration, bringing together the sharpest minds in the fields of advertising, design, animation, not-for-profit, commerce, web and post-production so they can work together and take their businesses to the next level. Some of the guest speakers you can expect to see at this year’s festival include Animal Logic (the animation studio behind The Lego Movie), Buzzfeed, Guardian Australia, MONA and Silicon Valley strategist Alexander Chung. As well as #inspirational speakers, there will be many interesting installations, meeting spots and workshops. The VFX Jam looks particularly interesting, where teams participate in a two-day competition to create a visual effects piece judged by industry leaders. Want to change the world for the better? Head to the Web For Good conference to learn more about the creative superheroes who are using technology to do great things. It's the perfect place to wise up and meet some interesting people along the way.
There's no better place to sample a region's top drops than at the wineries, breweries and cideries making them. So lovers of Victorian booze will be very pleased to know that the Peninsula Vinehop Festival is set to return for its second year, having been awarded a Regional Events Fund grant by the Victorian Government and Visit Victoria. It'll showcase the best of the Mornington Peninsula this November 17 and 18, featuring 22 local beer, wine and cider producers, across 11 different venues. Imagine a local version of Rutherglen's long-running Winery Walkabout, only with equal emphasis on craft beers and ciders, and it's not hard to see why Vinehop's 2017 debut proved so darn popular. This year, the first day of the event runs to the same concept — on November 17, affordable shuttle buses will allow visitors to cruise between a stack of participating breweries and wineries, experiencing the best of each along the way. Punters have the option of jumping on a set tour, or taking things at their own pace. Best of all? There's no need for a designated driver. Announced yesterday, the exciting lineup of Vinehop 2018 venues includes the likes of Kerri Greens' stunning hillside cellar door at Red Hill South, Main Ridge's Bayview Estate, and Mock Red Hill cidery, with the ever-popular Red Hill Estate running its festival hub from the Briars in Mount Martha. As well as the opportunity to sample premium libations just metres from where they were crafted, there'll be a program of food trucks, live music and DJs setting the mood at each location. And on November 18, guests can settle in for the more relaxed PostHop Sunday Session — a degustation picnic held at Hickinbotham of Dromana, featuring live tunes from Bamboos leading lady Kylie Auldist, along with some cracking food and drink pairings. The full program of venues for Saturday's Vinehop event includes: Bayview Estate, Main Ridge Blue Range Estate Wines, Rosebud Dromana Estate, Tuerong Hickinbotham Estate, Dromana Kerri Greens, Red Hill South Merricks General Wine Store at Baillieu, Merricks North Mock Red Hill, Red Hill Old Apple Shed, Boneo Phaedrus Estate, Moorooduc Red Hill Estate at the Briars, Mount Martha Stumpy Gully Vineyard, Moorooduc And thanks to a series of onsite pop-ups, you'll also have the chance to sample drops from these guys along the way: Bass and Flinders Distillery Dainton Brewery Hix Beer Hop Nation Jetty Road Brewery Mornington Peninsula Brewery Mr Banks Brewery Portsea Estate Red Hill Brewery St Andrew's Beach Brewery Ten Sixty One Cider Vinehop 2018 will run across November 17 and 18. Grab tickets from August 3, via the website.
Writing a prescient tale is the science-fiction holy grail, and a feat that Philip K Dick firmly achieved. Making a movie that becomes the prevailing vision of what the future might look like in the entire world's minds? That's a stunning filmmaking feat, and one that Ridley Scott notched up as well. The reason for both? On the page, 1968's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. In cinemas, 1982's Blade Runner. And if you need reminding of how stunning a story that the iconic sci-fi author penned, or how spectacular a film that the legendary director then turned it into, look no further than Blade Runner's return to the big screen — with a live score. When Dick pondered the difference between humans and artificial intelligence more than half a century back, he peered forward with revelatory foresight. When Scott followed fresh from Alien, he did the same. Now, with the clash between the organic and the digital a daily part of our lives in this ChatGPT-heavy reality, of course it's time for Blade Runner to flicker again. Film lovers, get ready for another dream movie-and-music pairing. Get ready for synths, too. Vangelis' stunning score will echo as Scott's feature screens in at Melbourne's Hamer Hall on Saturday, November 4–Sunday, November 5 for Blade Runner Live — an event that premiered in London in 2019, made its way around the UK, then hit Japan earlier in 2023. This session will screen the Final Cut version of the movie. Wondering how it differs from the OG release, and also the House of Gucci, The Last Duel and Napoleon filmmaker's Director's Cut? First unveiled in 2007 for the feature's 25th anniversary, it's the only version that Scott truly had full artistic control over. Blade Runner's narrative, if you're new to the franchise — which also includes exceptional 2017 sequel Blade Runner 2049 and recent animated series Blade Runner: Black Lotus, with a new Blade Runner TV series also on the way — focuses on the one and only Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) as cop Rick Deckard. His task: finding replicants, aka androids, which turns into quite the existential journey. It's almost impossible to name a movie or TV series in sci-fi that's popped up over the four decades since Blade Runner first arrived that hasn't owed Scott's film a massive debt — and any synthesiser-fuelled score that hasn't done the same with Vangelis.
How do you make a great show even better? A show that's announces its greatness in its title, for that matter? For its second season, you ramp up everything that worked so well in its initial batch of episodes — and you also add Gillian Anderson. That's what's on the cards when The Great returns in November for another satirical dalliance with Russian history. One of the gems of 2020 — a year that wasn't great in general, but delivered plenty of top-notch new TV shows that we all streamed all year — the series takes a savage yet delightful jump back to the 18th century, to the time of its namesake Catherine the Great. As its first season showed, The Great is filled with the expected lavish costumes, wigs, sets and decor as it explores an immensely famous time that had a significant impact upon the world. Normally, that'd all smack of a certain kind of drama — you know the type — however this is firmly a comedy as well. Starring Elle Fanning (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil) as the eponymous ruler and Nicholas Hoult (Those Who Wish Me Dead) as her husband Peter III, The Great is full of witty, laugh-out-loud lines, sports an irreverent and often cheeky mood, and has ample fun with real-life details — much in the way that Oscar-winner The Favourite did with British royalty on the big screen. That comparison couldn't actually be more fitting, with that film's BAFTA-winning screenwriter, Australian Tony McNamara, using his skills to pen The Great as well. Across its ten-episode, very easy-to-binge, immensely hilarious first season, the series immersed viewers in Catherine and Peter's hardly happy marriage, all the day-to-day dramas in the Russian court, and her plans to push him aside and become the country's ruler in her own right. In its second season — which'll start streaming via Stan in Australia on Saturday, November 20, and just dropped its latest trailer after a teaser a few months back — it'll now chart the aftermath, as well as Catherine's pregnancy. Here are five things that should take your fancy: Catherine and Peter slinging sharp banter back and forth, her preference for eating chicken over sex, the word "huzzah", more chaotic antics and Gillian Anderson joining the cast. Because starring in everything from The X-Files and Hannibal to The Crown and Sex Education isn't enough for latter, she pops up here as Catherine's mother. If you weren't already hooked on all things The Great, that's obviously an excellent — and great, naturally — reason to start watching. Check out the first trailer for The Great's second season below: The Great's second season will be available to stream in Australia via Stan on November 20.
Your regular commute is now an immersive art experience thanks to Melbourne Art Trams, which has returned for its seventh year as part of the Melbourne International Arts Festival. The moving exhibition sees eight trams transformed into public works of art, with seven new commissions and one reproduction of a classic 80s piece. And the first one hit the tracks just this morning. Designed by artist Nyein Chan Aung, the tram is covered in a local interpretation of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper. Called The Late Supper, it features diners at Melbourne's legendary Supper Inn Chinese restaurant. If you'd like to catch it, you'll find it rolling around the 5, 6, 16, 58 and 72 routes from today. The project is a revival of Transporting Art, a program which, between 1978 and 1993, saw 36 hand-painted trams launch across Melbourne. One of those was Lesley Dumbrell's bold geometric 1986 design (below), which will be recreated and rolled out onto the tracks this month in a nod to the event's history. [caption id="attachment_744902" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lesley Dumbrell's 1986 tram courtesy Public Record Office Victoria[/caption] The remaining six trams will also hit the tracks sometime this month — and will keep rolling around the city until August 2020 — boasting designs by stencil artist Vandal and photographer Kent Morris. A Keith Haring-style tribute to friendship by The Beaconhills Year 3 Collective will also cover a tram, as will Gene Bawden's work Yours, mine, ours, Sophie Westerman's colourful design embracing both connection and isolation, and an intricate piece by Nusra Latif Qureshi. The first Art Tram hit the tracks on Tuesday, October 8, with the remaining seven set to be rolled out throughout the month. Top image: The Late Supper by Nyein Chan Aung. Photo by James HH Morgan.
September. It's a time where the flowers start to bloom, our toes start to defrost (maybe) and everyone starts to either look forward to or utterly dread the footy finals. There's a hint of warmer weather in the air, the days are a tiny bit longer, and we can start making dates that don't include the heater. So what better time to start splorin' the CBD? Melbourne Fringe is on and is literally taking over the city (with lasers!), there's a bunch of exhibitions (showing everything from architecture to Kylie Minogue's hotpants) and a film festival that will at least be some form of compensation for not going on a trip to Italy this year. Get amongst it.
Rescued from demolition and relaunching to the public this Friday night, The Terminus Hotel has been reimagined, revamped and replenished from its former days as a local dive — all while holding onto its trademark laidback charm. It's tough saving drinking establishments in sought-after locations from the lusty eyes of real-estate developers these days (Melbourne music venue The Palace, suffered a more unfortunate fate), but a quality parma and pint can clearly go a long way to sway the powers that be. Ultimately, it was venue veterans Matt and Andy Mullins, Tom Birch and Doug Maskiell from Sand Hill Road hospitality group who found themselves with the keys to the grand old property. Originally built in 1938, the pub has been looking rather haggard in recent years. But Techne Architects — the designers responsible for the award-winning Prahran Hotel refurbishment — were primed to attack the interior with creative abandon. What results is a multilevel venue, plush with cushioned booths and lush with green fernery. A careful balance between the slick party sling-back of Southside and local Richmond ruffian has been achieved; rich wooden surfaces, emerald tiles and just a faint accent of the ol' AstroTurf keep things colloquial. Consequently, they've created a polished space that still manages to be accessible and unthreatening to families, foodies, and 3am party-harders alike. Food-wise, on-trend dishes like buttermilk popcorn chicken ($15), orange and bourbon pulled pork sliders ($16) will be included on the brand new menu, along with traditional pub crowd-pleasers, the pie floater with mushy peas ($24) and beer battered fish and chips ($24). The Terminus has retained its heritage-protected, lurid green facade — in fact, the green colour scheme has been emphasised throughout the venue's five bars, rather than downplayed. But inside, the broken tiles and sticky carpets have been replaced with an 'urban jungle beer garden', and the interior has been fitted with tropical trees, expansive windows and a glass roof that refuses to compromise on exposure to problematic elements, despite the open surrounds. It's another sophisticated, impressive design from this crew. That said, sometimes a bit of nostalgic Australiana is nice too — and for that reason, bingo night will stay. The Terminus Hotel is located at 605 Victoria Street, Abbotsford. It will open its doors this Friday, August 8, and is open midday till late Sunday to Thursday, and until 3am Friday and Saturday. Photography by Ben Habarow.
Lovers of fizzy fun juice, rejoice. There's a New Year's Eve celebration for everyone and this one's for you. Footscray favourite Mr West is bringing back its NYE Pet Nat Party for another night of frivolity and fizzy natural wine, featuring some stellar drops that the crew has collected throughout 2019. What a way to celebrate the year that was. General entry to the shindig is free, and once inside there'll be three tiers of pet nat, costing you $12, $14 or $16 a glass. Or you can purchase by the bottle. If you want to play it smart and safe, pre-purchase a party package for $47, which gets you guaranteed entry, four glasses of pet nat and special deals from Slice Shop Pizza. As well as delicious vino and delicious pizza, Mr West is bringing in resident DJ Woli Wols, who'll be spinning hip hop, funk and soul party tunes to help you celebrate.
Not once but twice now, a new sneak peek at The Flight Attendant's second season has hit and dropped some deliciously pointed dialogue along with it. Back in March, when the initial teaser for the show's next batch of episodes arrived, it had Kaley Cuoco's Cassie Bowden exclaiming "I'm still a flight attendant, and I've been making better choices." Now, in season two's just-released full trailer, she's told "you seem very put together." Of course, everything that surrounds those lines of dialogue in both sneak peeks so far immediately contradicts what's uttered — because The Flight Attendant wouldn't be the show it is if chaos wasn't on the itinerary. And this time around, the country-hopping thriller has a new way to dial up the twists. When Cassie escapes into her mind to reflect upon everything that life is throwing her way, which is a lot, she's confronted with multiple versions of herself. Four Cassies — and four Cuocos, too — are better than one, clearly. If you're wondering exactly how that'll play out, you don't have to wait long — with The Flight Attendant's second season arriving in Australia via Binge on Thursday, April 21, and in New Zealand thanks to Neon on Friday, April 22. Obviously, as anyone who quickly found themselves addicted to the extremely watchable series the first time, expecting Cassie to settle into a normal, average, uneventful and calm life is highly unrealistic. In season two, she has indeed moved on from the dramas we all watched back in 2020, though — and moved to Los Angeles, and also started attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. That said, Cassie has picked up a part-time job as well, which happens to see her moonlighting for the CIA. And, as this second trailer shows, that new gig comes with consequences. While Cassie is doing great things at both of her jobs — booze-free things, helpfully — it seems that someone else is trying to pass themselves off as her while she's working her side hustle overseas. Cue more globe-trotting intrigue, taking the show to both Berlin and Reykjavik. Cue more of Cassie's inner monologues as well, which is where those four different versions come in. Also new: cast members Mo McRae (Big Little Lies), Callie Hernandez (Under the Silver Lake), JJ Soria (Gentefied), Alanna Ubach (Euphoria), Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Jessie Ennis (Mythic Quest), Mae Martin (Feel Good), Margaret Cho (Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens), Santiago Cabrera (Ema), Sharon Stone (Ratched) and Shohreh Aghdashloo (The Expanse). They'll join Golden Globe- and Emmy-nominee Cuoco, obviously, plus returning co-stars Zosia Mamet (Girls), Griffin Matthews (Dear White People), Deniz Akdeniz (The High Note) and Rosie Perez (The Last Thing He Wanted). And if you're coming to this small-screen adaptation of Chris Bohjalian's 2018 novel of the same name with fresh eyes, the first season unravelled quite the tale — starting high in the sky, bouncing around the globe and delivering a hectic murder-mystery. Filled with sudden revelations and reversals, featuring multiple points of interest playing out across a split-screen setup, and also sporting cliffhangers to end every episode, the slick, swift-moving series knew exactly the kind of story it was telling and went for broke. Check out the full trailer for The Flight Attendant's second season below: The Flight Attendant's second season will be available to stream via Binge in Australia from Thursday, April 21 — and is headed to Neon in New Zealand on Friday, April 22. Read our full review of season one. Images: Jennifer Rose Clasen/HBO Max.
There's treating yo'self to a night out of the house — staycationing in your own city or heading out of town, whichever suits — and then there's the kind of evening where truly going all out is the only thing on the agenda. Staying at a swanky Brisbane hotel that's been temporarily taken over by a vodka brand would fall into the second category anyway, but here's something that levels up that already-indulgent experience: hiring out the whole place with your mates for a cool $49,999. Firstly, you'll clearly need a fat stack of spare cash. Secondly, you'll want at least 39 pals who are just as eager for quite the luxe experience, because this package covers 40 separate hotel rooms. That means that you'll all be paying $1249.98 each, just for one night at the Grey Goose Hotel by Ovolo — but you'll definitely be making the most of it. That hefty sum gets your whole group exclusive access to The Inchcolm by Ovolo hotel, which is already a mighty decadent place to stay. Inspired by the 1920s, and by Gertrude Stein's Paris salon, it's designed to be the type of spot where Ernest Hemingway, Banksy and David Bowie might all rub shoulders if they were all alive at the same time. And, that's the baseline at Grey Goose Hotel by Ovolo, with the vodka company then levelling up the joint from there — starting with plenty to drink and eat. On the menu: a Grey Goose martini tower at The Inchcolm Bar, followed by a five-hour premium beverage package. There's also a three-course dinner personally created for your group by either chef Ian Curley or Masterchef winner Diana Chan — and your choice of either a DJ spinning sounds or a live jazz band setting the mood. Plus, you'll take part in a martini masterclass with Grey Goose's Australian brand ambassador, as well as an oyster-shucking class. There'll be canapes to snack on as well, a whole caviar indulgence package, too, and a Grey Goose ice sculpture among the decor. Also included is the night's stay, in-room styling, valet parking and a complimentary breakfast the next morning — which, from the sounds of it, you'll be hankering for after a big night. And if you've got 40 more mates who'd love to come along, you can stretch out the package to cover 80 — but that's the absolute maximum. If that sounds like your idea of one helluva OTT evening away from home, you'll need to contact the hotel to check availability and book. You know those holidays where you don't leave the hotel, whether it's a staycation or a trip elsewhere? This is clearly one of them. And yes, liking vodka is a pretty good prerequisite. For more information about Grey Goose Hotel by Ovolo, head to The Inchcolm by Ovolo's website.
Looking for somewhere to take the old gal on Mother's Day, but don't want to miss out on a second of the Good Beer Week fun? Don't worry, the team at the Cherry Tree Hotel in Cremorne has got you all sorted out. This afternoon event is its take on a traditional jam and scone affair, only the baked treats are infused with beer (and their beer is infused with rose petals). $30 gets you a cold one plus unlimited scones and a crack at a wheel of Milawa cheese. The woman who raised you doesn't deserve anything less.
Here's an easy recipe for a movie, and a TV show as well: take a bunch of famous faces, throw them into the same space, knock off one of their characters and let a couple of them get sleuthing, pointing the finger at everyone else. It worked for Knives Out, gloriously so. It's made Only Murders in the Building a treat across not one but two seasons. And while it hasn't really hit the mark in recent Agatha Christie adaptations Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile — especially the later — the same setup remains intact in both flicks. The next film to give the premise a whirl is new whodunnit See How They Run, which definitely has the star-studded cast part taken care of. As seen in the just-dropped trailer, Sam Rockwell (Richard Jewell) plays veteran detective Inspector Stoppard, while Saoirse Ronan (The French Dispatch) steps into the shoes of enthusiastic newcomer Constable Stalker. And, the case they're tasked with looking into also brings Adrien Brody (Succession), Ruth Wilson (His Dark Materials), Reece Shearsmith (Venom: Let There Be Carnage), Harris Dickinson (The Souvenir: Part II), Shirley Henderson (Stan & Ollie) and David Oyelowo (Chaos Walking) into the mix — and more. Set in 1950s London, and in the West End to be precise, the movie follows the aftermath of a big-name death — a Hollywood director who was set to turn a smash-hit play into a film. Cue Stoppard and Stalker entering the sometimes-glamorous, sometimes-unseemly theatre world, trying to work out who's the killer. Slated to hit cinemas at the end of September, the flick hails from first-time feature director Tom George (TV's Defending the Guilty and This Country), with Mark Chappell (Flaked and The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret) on scripting duties. Then mood: jaunty. The tone: comic. Yes, it's firmly murder-mystery comedy. That's another regular part of the whodunnit equation, of course — turning a shock death and the investigation that follows into an amusing picture, that is. Check out the trailer for See How They Run below: See How They Run opens in cinemas Down under on September 29. Images: Parisa Taghizadeh. © 2021 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.
Laneway festivals in Sydney and Melbourne are getting an extra special treat on top of their music bills this year — the organisers have somehow wrangled renowned Australian chef David Moyle (Longsong, Franklin) into curating the festival's food and cocktail offering, with each pairing priced at $25. Dubbed 'Royal Moyle', the lineup sees some of the country's best chefs come together to give festival-goers a gourmet foodie experience. Moyle will head a stand in both cities, with Melbourne's selection also including food by chefs Dave Verheul (Embla), Shannon Martinez (Smith & Daughters), Josh Murphy and Rory Coucher (Harley & Rose); and Sydney's offering up dishes by Restaurant Hubert's Daniel Pepperell and 10 William St's Enrico Tomelleri. Each dish has been paired with a specialty cocktail by expert mixologist and gin guru Shaun Byrne (Gin Palace). At both, Moyle will be cooking up coal-grilled aged beef with saltbush and horseradish, paired with Byrne's ginger tea spritz. The Melbourne menu includes Smith & Daughters' meaty vegan cheeseburger paired with a pickleback, Harley & Rose's hot sauce-topped margarita pizza paired with something called a Laneway Juice and Embla's 'chickpeazza' — a combo of an Italian chickpea pancake and a spicy nduja pizza — paired with a Moroccan style gin and tonic. In Sydney, 10 William Street is turning out a particularly tasty-sounding local squid bruschetta, which has been cooked over coals and flavoured with fermented chilies, capers, oregano and anchovy powder. It's all served on tomato water-dipped and -charred bread, and paired with Byrne's Martini Mary mashup. Not to be outdone, Hubert's chicken roti is topped with a complex Cafe de Paris butter sauce and paired with an alcoholic coconut mango lassi. Considering food prices at festivals are always hiked up, it's an especially sweet deal to get a high-end, 'chef-ified' dish with a legit cocktail for what normally gets you a warm beer and sub-par burger. Oh you fancy, huh Laneway? Check out the full Royal Moyle menus on the Sydney and Melbourne Laneway Festival sites.
Whether you're checking into a nearby spa for the day or heading further afield for a lengthier stint of bliss, visiting a wellness retreat is supposed to be relaxing. But that doesn't seem to be the case in upcoming miniseries Nine Perfect Strangers. The star-studded show was shot in Byron Bay, so it looks the scenic part — but the nine guests who turn up in search of a new lease on life all appear set to get much more than they've bargained for. That's how the series' new trailer unfolds, at least, with the latest sneak peek offering a bigger glimpse at the show following a very brief clip back in April. Given the cast involved — including Nicole Kidman (The Undoing), Melissa McCarthy (Thunder Force), Michael Shannon (Knives Out), Luke Evans (Crisis) and Asher Keddie (Rams) — Nine Perfect Strangers is easily one of the big series of the year, and that long list of famous faces will be navigating quite the eerie and creepy situation. Also part of the show: Bobby Cannavale (Superintelligence), Regina Hall (Little), Samara Weaving (Bill & Ted Face the Music), Melvin Gregg (The United States vs Billie Holiday), Asher Keddie (Rams), Grace Van Patten (Under the Silver Lake), Tiffany Boone (The Midnight Sky) and Manny Jacinto (The Good Place), who'll all navigate a ten-day retreat overseen by Kidman's Masha throughout the drama's eight episodes. The latter oversees a resort that promises to transform nine stressed city-dwellers — but, clearly, things aren't going to turn out as planned for the show's titular figures. As with Kidman's last two miniseries — Big Little Lies, which like Nine Perfect Strangers, was also based on a book by Liane Moriarty; and The Undoing — David E Kelley (LA Law, Ally McBeal, Mr Mercedes) is leading the charge behind the scenes. He's the show's co-writer and co-showrunner, with Long Shot's Jonathan Levine directing every episode. And if you're wondering where and when you'll be able to see the results, Nine Perfect Strangers will stream Down Under via Amazon Prime Video, with the series set to debut on Friday, August 20. Check out the full trailer below: Nine Perfect Strangers will start streaming in Australia and New Zealand on Friday, August 20 via Amazon Prime Video — starting with its first three episodes, with new episodes then dropping weekly afterwards. Images: Vince Valitutti/Hulu.
For plenty of Aussies, this long weekend will be all about collecting sleep-ins, hot cross buns and chocolate bunnies. But one Sydney artist is offering a different kind of Easter egg hunt, swapping the foil-wrapped choccy for some interactive street art and a solid dose of political satire. In the wake of the recent stoush between Senator Fraser Anning and our now famous Will 'Egg Boy' Connolly, prolific street artist and muralist Scott Marsh has devised a multi-city easter egg art hunt. Hidden at various locations across Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne this weekend will be 12 'bunny' artworks — that is, Marsh's own design of Anning, wearing a set of rabbit ears with the word 'egg' splashed across his forehead. View this post on Instagram #Eggstravaganza - Easter Egg Hunt 🥚🐰😄 Over the course of the Easter long weekend (Friday April 19th to Sunday April 21st) I will be putting on an 'Easter Egg Hunt', hiding a dozen bunnies and eggs across 3 cities; Brisbane, Melbourne & Sydney. If you are the first person to locate a bunny and 'feed' him some eggs, you will win one of a dozen limited edition Easter Bunny fine art prints. Follow my Instagram for the location of each Bunny throughout Friday, Saturday and Sunday. How to win: - Find an Easter Bunny - Be the first to DM me a video of you feeding him one of his Easter eggs 🎁 There is a Golden Egg bonus prize. 2 eggs contain gold paint - if you 'feed' the bunny a Golden Egg, you'll be able to choose any original artwork from my web store ( www.scottmarsh.com.au ), valued up to $4000. The Easter Bunny loves his eggs! Feel free to get into the spirit of Easter and BYO eggs to feed the bunnies. 🥚🥚 1 bonus print will go to the most creative egg video. Use hashtags #eggstravaganza #scottmarsh Happy hunting! ✌🏼😁 #feedhim #easteregghunt #easterbunny #freeshit #auspol *VISIT LINK IN BIO FOR MORE DETAILS* A post shared by Scott Marsh (@scottie.marsh) on Apr 15, 2019 at 11:01pm PDT The first punter to locate each Senator Anning 'bunny' and video themselves 'feeding' it an egg from the accompanying basket will score one of Marsh's limited edition Easter Bunny fine art prints, created especially for the hunt. The artist will be dropping location clues via his Instagram on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and keeping an eye on his DMs to catch the prize-winning videos as they come through. Get ready for a smashing weekend and a few egg-covered walls around town. Whoever finds the two special gold paint-filled eggs among the bunch will take out a Golden Egg bonus prize, winning their choice of any of Marsh's original prints, up to the value of $4000. The street artist is also encouraging BYO egg action and extra creative videos. View this post on Instagram Im giving away thousands of dollars worth of art this weekend 👌🏼🥚 #eggstravaganza Easter egg hunt. Visit link in my bio for all the details #easter #easteregg #auspol A post shared by Scott Marsh (@scottie.marsh) on Apr 16, 2019 at 2:52pm PDT Marsh's Sydney-based street art includes well-known portraits of George Michael, Mike Baird, George Pell, Bob Hawke and stacks more. He's also the mind behind the city's Egg Boy mural, painted outside the Lord Gladstone Hotel to celebrate the 17-year-old who filmed himself smashing an egg onto Anning's head at a press conference on March 16. Scott Marsh will drop hints for the 'egg hunt' this Friday, April 19, Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 21. Keep a close eye on his Instagram for details.
Much like its seemingly ageless leading man Keanu Reeves, the tale of The 47 Ronin is both several centuries old and beloved in Japan. Combining some of the most startling exemplars of courage, loyalty and honour, it's a sort of Kelly Gang meets Custer story in which a group of disavowed and banished Samurai (known as Ronin) stoically vow to avenge their master despite its absolute promise of death. From a production standpoint, 47 Ronin unexpectedly delights, with the costumes in particular showcasing the very best union of imagination and authenticity. Alongside some extraordinary set design, the extravagant armour of the Samurai, ornate dresses of the concubines and opulence of the Shogun all inject dazzling colour into an otherwise entirely dark affair. Even the cinematography feels more dramatic and dour than might be assumed for an action movie, which largely represents both 47 Ronin's strength and failing. That's because this is an entirely joyless film, and while no one should expect a story about retribution and mass suicide to be a laugh riot, there's almost always a little wriggle room for fun in an epic tale of witchcraft and warriors such as this. Truly, there is perhaps only one moment of levity in the entire movie and it comes at the expense of a fat man's 'moobs'. As a result, there's a certain lifelessness to 47 Ronin which saps it of the potential to be a tremendously enjoyable movie. It is, instead, a bleak and brooding affair that plods from scene to scene instead of gallopping. Much is made up for in the final battle which, to be fair, is excellent and one of the better set pieces seen in recent times; however, it leaves you wishing the rest of the film had been delivered in a similarly spectacular manner. https://youtube.com/watch?v=47_-pqoPDVQ
For just a few weeks in January, the Portsea Hotel is hosting a luxe Japanese pop-up dining experience full of sushi, nigiri and sake-infused cocktails. Chef Yukio Ozeki from Terasu — the flagship Japanese restaurant at Ardo in Townsville — is behind this waterside takeover running from Friday, January 3–Sunday, January 19, and has created a six-course set menu ($150 per person) packed with top-grade wagyu beef and seafood. Drinks-wise, you can expect a playful cocktail offering that balances tropical flavours and touches of Tokyo. Highlights include the Tokyo Glow (sake, vodka, ginger, grape and yuzu jelly) and the Yubari Delight (gin, melon liqueur, rockmelon and watermelon). Japanese sakes, Euro wines and your usual beers will also be available throughout the pop-up. The Sea, Summer and Suhi experience will take place in Portsea Hotel's Bertrand Bar, which is set to be decked out with black linen-covered tables, glowing paper lanterns and Japanese ferns — all framing panoramic ocean views. Only 48 people can squeeze into each sitting (either for lunch or dinner), so it is set to be a relatively intimate experience that'll surely be popular.
Once again, St Kilda is set to kick off January 26 with a special dawn ceremony commemorating the rich, diverse culture of our land's First People. Back for its fifth edition, We-Akon Dilinja will see the Boonwurrung Land and Sea Council (BLSC) present an inclusive, reflective morning of music, readings and a smoking ceremony at St Kilda's Alfred Square from 5.45am. Speaking to this year's theme of 'Remembrance, Reflection and Recognition', BLSC Chairman N'arweet Jason Briggs said, "The mourning ceremony will celebrate through song and performance the resilience of the Boonwurrung People and invite fellow citizens to share the acknowledgement of the past and present, acknowledging what we can learn from the past — rather than being chained by it — in order to create a better future". The morning will feature a Welcome to Country and introduction by Parbinata Dr Carolyn Briggs AM, along with traditional Boonwurrung songs and performances, a tribute to past elders, readings and a smoking ceremony led by Willie Pepper. Once again, the We-Akon Dilinja Ceremony is being supported by The National Australia Day Council and will be live-streamed online for those who can't make it in person.
After tackling South American fare with Greville Street's White Oaks Saloon and recreating the Southern Cali taphouse experience with Silverlake Social, the 2 Sons Group then started up its own mezcaleria in Prahran: Casa N.O.M. Bar y Restaurante. Sitting just across the road from its oldest sibling, this mezcaleria and restaurant is dishing up an authentic taste of Central and South America, with a focus on fine booze offerings from all across the regions. Here, a diverse lineup of mezcal reigns supreme, while strong collections of tequila, rum, pisco, aguardiente and cachaça showcase Latin America's broad-ranging spirits offering. You'll also spy an impressive rotation of imported craft beers and lots of unique in-house cocktails, like the El Resucitador — a blend of zesty citrus and sweet smoky flavours. The food menu is also replete with traditional Latin American flavours, kicking off with punchy snacks like loaded corn chilaquiles, and Spanish-style croquettes stuffed with pimento cheese, pulled pork and jalapenos. You've also got a stack of tacos, quesadillas, empanadas and arepas — made for mixing and matching to create your own Latin American feast. A playful frozen margarita pie and guava doughnuts round out the food offerings at Casa N.O.M. Bar y Restaurante, best paired with a sipping mezcal or pisco sour. Images: Griffin Simm.
The site at 22 Toorak Road in South Yarra lost something of a neighbourhood legend when Murat Ovaz shut the doors to his Turkish restaurant Yagiz. But the location might just have scored another to take its place, with pan-Asian smokehouse Yan opening in the space in April. Far from an unknown newcomer, Yan is actually the first Melbourne spinoff of a much-loved one-hatted Sydney diner of the same name. The OG has become a Harbour City favourite since opening its doors in the southern suburb of Wolli Creek back in 2017. The team is replicating its winning formula here in South Yarra, celebrating quality ingredients smoked over charcoal and delivered with a nod to Chinese and Japanese cuisine. Expect plenty of bold flavours and crafty technique. To kick things off, you'll find small plates like wagyu beef tataki matched with smoked mussels, wasabi and an anchovy crumb; sauteed sambal prawns; and Szechuan pepper fried tofu in a peanut sesame sauce. Deeper in, lamb ribs are paired with braised eggplant and an Asian riff on chimichurri, a sticky soy pork cutlet is served with cavolo nero and confit egg yolk, and iceberg lettuce is elevated with the addition of lup cheong and a green Szechuan dressing. If you fancy ditching the decision-making, you can go all in with one of two banquet options, priced at $79 and $99. Meanwhile, you've got an expansive drinks offering to sip your way through, including a well-travelled wine lineup and a local-leaning crop of beers. There's also a range of inventive signature cocktails, running to the likes of a jalapeño- and lemongrass-infused margarita, and the Tiramisu Milk Punch — a blend of smoked rum, jin jun mei tea, moscato and savoiardi biscuits. Find Yan Melbourne at 22 Toorak Road, South Yarra — open 5pm–late Tuesday–Saturday. Images: Arianna Leggiero.
Location is everything when watching horror films — your darkened lounge room, a huge screen in the oldest cinema you can find, a drive-in surrounded by creepy trees, or a movie campout dedicated to all things scary are all great examples. But while they'd all do the job, they're not even in the same league as the newest film fest coming to the US in 2017, which will be held in the creepy-as-all-hell hotel from The Shining. It's called the Overlook Film Festival, and as Stanley Kubrick and Stephen King fans could probably have guessed, it has ties to hotel-based, Jack Nicholson-starring horror effort that is The Shining. Big ties — huge ties. The festival will be held in Oregon's Timberline Lodge, which is where the exterior shots for Kubrick's 1980 cinema adaption of King's 1977 novel were filmed. We hope you have to grab an axe, chop down a door, and yell "here's Johnny" to get in. In news exciting enough for you to talk to your local friendly ghost bartender about, the enormous, unsettling-looking building that has haunted many a movie-based dream will play host to four days of experiential events, new and classic genre film screenings and interactive game-like activities between April 27-30, 2017. You probably shouldn't expect that amazing orange, red and brown carpet or red elevator doors opening to a sea of blood as neither are part of the Timberline Lodge's design — but, hey, we don't know all of the Shining-themed tricks the fest's organisers have up their sleeves. It's not the first time a Kubrick-focused horror movie celebration has taken place in the States, with the Stanley Film Festival running from 2013 to 2o15 in a Colorado hotel that inspired King to write his book. The folks behind that are actually putting together the Overlook Film Festival, so you know it is in good fans. Just be warned: if you take a typewriter with you, you might start typing out "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" over and over again. And we're not saying that you will see a photo of yourself in the hotel ballroom from decades earlier while you're there — but we're not saying you won't, either. Via Variety.
An exploration of an exiled poet. The Australian premiere of legendary filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky's latest feature. An effort that's being called Peru's first bona fide horror movie. They're just three of the films in first-ever Cine Latino Film Festival lineup, as Australia's first national fest dedicated to showcasing the best in Latin American cinema tours the country in August. While the complete program features more than 30 movies from Mexico, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Cuba, Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Guatemala and Puerto Rico, there's a reason that the first of the flicks mentioned above, the Pablo Larraín-directed, Gael García Bernal-starring Neruda, has been plucked straight from Cannes to open the festival. The last time the filmmaker and actor worked together, the excellent No was the end result, so expect another insightful look at Chilean politics from their second collaboration. Jodorowsky's Endless Poetry should rank among the festival's just-as-eagerly-anticipated titles, especially by fans of the director's '70s cult classics El Topo and The Holy Mountain and his most recent effort The Dance of Reality — or anyone who marvelled at what could've been when they watched the entertaining documentary Jodorowsky's Dune. And while The Womb doesn't come with quite the same pedigree, it does boast a chilling storyline involving one of the horror genre's favourite topics: motherhood. Elsewhere, a chronicle of the pop star known as the 'Mexican Madonna', an insight into current state of a formerly luxurious Havana hotel, and more than a couple of soccer-themed efforts all feature among the feast of Spanish and Portuguese-language fare, as do Peruvian road movie Solos and Venezuelan beauty queen black comedy 3 Beauties. Just perusing the program is enough to make you want to jump on a plane for Latin America, however for those who can't enjoy an overseas holiday at the moment, immersing yourself in the films of the region really is the next best thing. [competition]583085[/competition]
Foggy skies are causing plenty of drama in Melbourne — and around the country — today, especially for those travelling to or from the airport. As The Age reports, the heavy haze has disrupted flights going in and out of Melbourne Airport and has caused delays of up to two hours. Virgin has already cancelled one flight from Sydney to Melbourne this morning, with more Tiger and Jetstar flights on the same route also set to experience delays. Two of Jetstar's return flights to the Gold Coast have also been cancelled, along with eight Qantas flights scheduled to fly out of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. But a spokesman from the airport told Fairfax that skies were set to clear by later this morning, saying "we are also hearing predictions that the fog will lift earlier than expected". Even if you're not travelling to the airport, it goes without saying that you should take caution on and near the road this morning as visibility is low. The Bureau of Meteorology has tweeted about the 'pea soup', suggesting northerly winds will help push it away in the next few hours, giving Melbourne clear, sunny skies for the rest of the day. For the 4th day in a row #Melbourne has woken up to a thick blanket of fog, will clear later this morning - unlikely to see another pea souper around the city tomorrow, as northerly winds pick uphttps://t.co/POnouPMIRA pic.twitter.com/c0SECqDebB — Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) April 22, 2018 Via The Age. Image: Bureau of Meteorology via Twitter.
Open the cinema doors, HAL, because a new film festival is heading to Australian screens. You won't need someone to strap you to a chair and force your eyes open with a specula to get you to watch this fantastic movie lineup — and you won't have to wander around a maze-like haunted hotel to get there either. Hot on the heels of the Alfred Hitchcock Film Festival, Sydney's Hayden Orpheum and Melbourne's Cinema Nova are turning their attention to celebrating another movie master. This time, the one and only Stanley Kubrick is in the spotlight. From October 6-19, the two cinemas will unleash all 13 of the British filmmaker's full-length features upon eager cinephiles. That means everything from his under-seen anti-war debut Fear and Desire to the controversial Lolita to his final completed effort, the Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise-starring erotic thriller Eyes Wide Shut. Discover why "I am Spartacus!" became such a famous cinema phrase, find out how Dr Strangelove learned to stop worrying and love the bomb, and plunge into the horrors of the Vietnam War with Full Metal Jacket — and even catch special screenings of A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, which Kubrick started developing in the '70s before handing the project over to Steven Spielberg in the '90s. Sure, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange and The Shining pop up in retrospective programs around the country quite often, but there's never a bad time to see these classics the way they were meant to be seen. Plus, catching every one of Kubrick's features in one lineup is quite rare. So rare, in fact, that the fest is calling itself a world premiere. The Stanley Kubrick Film Festival runs from October 6-19 at the Hayden Orpheum in Sydney and Cinema Nova in Melbourne. For more information, head to the Orpheum and Cinema Nova websites.
Thanks to its pop culture-influenced productions based on the Beatles, Adele, Miley Cyrus and Love Actually — aka Lady Beatle, Rumour Has It, Wrecking Ball and Christmas Actually — The Little Red Company has been an integral part of Brisbane's cabaret scene in recent years. For its next show, however, it's taking inspiration from a different source: these self-isolating, stay-at-home times. The IsoLate Late Show has a few purposes. Firstly, it brings together Queensland creatives in a period when gigs and performances are being cancelled all over the place. Secondly, it's raising money for performing arts professionals affected. And, last but by no means least, it's keeping you entertained while you're cooped up at home. At 8pm AEST (9pm AEDT and 11pm NZDT) on Friday, March 20, host Naomi Price and performers Luke Kennedy (The Voice Australia), Tom Oliver (Velvet), Irena Lysiuk (Sweet Charity), Jason McGregor (Lady Beatle), Scott French (Christmas Actually) and Mik Easterman (Christmas Actually) will be putting on a live-streamed cabaret show — and belting out plenty of hits. Watch along via Instagram or Facebook, and help support Queensland creatives by donating. To get you in the mood, check out a glimpse of Christmas Actually below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUkm9YzNo_4 Top image: Dylan Evans
A vibrant laneway culture might be one of the things that's put Melbourne on the map, but if you've explored the dingier corners of the city, you'll know that some of our laneways have more in the way of creepy corners and bin stench, than of hip, hidden bars. One lane that used to be in this aesthetically-challenged camp is Mornane Place, which runs along the back of Bourke Street's Grossi Florentino, Pellegrini's, and Ombra. But the future's now looking bright for this little thoroughfare, thanks to a bit of TLC from its neighbours, some improvements facilitated by the City of Melbourne's Love Your Laneway program, and best of all, the addition of its own laneway bar. The Grossi team took over this petite space across from their back door during last year's renovations, popped in some shelves, and have been using it as a cellar to house their wine collection. But now that the exterior is being spruced up with new lighting, street art, and pavement repairs, the space is set to do double time as a cosy wine bar called Arlechin. Punters can expect a warm, moody drinking spot, with plenty of intimate date-night corners and walls filled to the brim with bottles. There'll be an oft-changing wine list, clever reinventions of some classic cocktails, and a food menu that lends itself just as well to snacking as to feasting. And best of all, you won't have to pick your way down a smelly laneway to find it. Until then, this is as much as we get: Arlechin is set to open early April in Mornane Place, Melbourne CBD.
Director Terry Gilliam goes back to the future in the third and final chapter of his so-called Orwellian triptych. An existential tragedy in the guise of a sci-fi black comedy, The Zero Theorem explores many of the same dystopian concepts seen in Brazil in 1985 and 12 Monkeys a decade later. This is unmistakably the weakest of the trio, although in fairness the other two are amongst the best science fiction films of each of their respective decades. It's a messy and sometimes frustrating film, full of big ideas that don't always get the treatment they deserve. You certainly can't fault Gilliam's ambition though, nor the quality of the pieces with which he's working. Christoph Waltz, minus his eyebrows, plays an agoraphobic computer programmer by the name of Qohen Leth. Employed by the omnipresent ManCom Corporation, Leth's sole duty is crunching the numbers on the Zero Theorem, an intricate mathematical equation that, if solved, will prove that life in inherently meaningless. For the shut-in Leth, whose nightmares are already dominated by a terrifying black hole, the task soon transforms into an obsession. Theorem sees Gilliam, a satirist at heart, aim his guns squarely at the commercial establishment. Bucharest masquerades as futuristic London, a city in which advertisements will literally chase you down the street. Visually, the director draws on everything from Metropolis to Lewis Carroll, not to mention, of course, a healthy dose of Nineteen Eight-Four. The world he creates is full of absurd whimsy, yet a lingering sense of oppression always remains. It an environment we only see in glimpses, however. The bulk of the film takes place in Leth's home, a dank, rat-infested, fire-damaged church. It's here that he toils, the Quasimodo of the future, observed via surveillance camera perched atop a headless statue of Christ. It's not what you'd call a subtle visual, but then again, no one ever accused Gilliam of being subtle. Nor would you call him a particularly focused filmmaker. At times there's a sense he's throwing everything at wall in the hope that some of it will stick. Questions of faith, purpose and reality are interesting in their own right, but never quite coalesce into an entirely satisfying whole. In his first true starring role, Christoph Waltz gives a fantastic performance that's quite different to what we've seen in his collaborations with Tarantino. French actress Melanie Thierry, meanwhile, seems likely to break out as Leth's potential love interest, a mysterious cyber-seductress named Bainsley. Their dynamic gives the film some much-needed emotional stakes. Yet the plot that surrounds the relationship remains oddly lacking in momentum. The Zero Theorem is nowhere near Gilliam's best. At the same time, in a lot of ways it feels like his most definitive film, in that it represents all of his good and bad tendencies simultaneously. It's as bold and intriguing as it is cluttered and confused. In the end, it contains just enough interesting elements to justify the cost of a ticket. https://youtube.com/watch?v=rae7_O_6EtU
In 2020, Netflix's Enola Holmes asked a question: what if Sherlock Holmes had a teenage sister who was just as good at sleuthing as he is? Now, in 2021, the streaming platform has another query for fans of the famed detective: what if there was actually a team of teens who were tasked with solving his mysteries, all while Sherlock gets the credit? That latter train of thought provides the premise for The Irregulars, Netflix's next dalliance with the character created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Set in Victorian London, the eight-part series meets its motley crew of adolescents as they're asked by Doctor Watson (Royce Pierreson, The Witcher) to work for Holmes (Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Killing Eve). As the just-dropped trailer shows, they're also enlisted for their new gig as the city and the world comes under threat from insidious supernatural forces — which only they can stop. Yes, it sounds like something that an algorithm would concoct (and probably has) after seeing how many people stream both Stranger Things and the multiple other iterations of Sherlock Holmes that have reached screens over the years. But at least part of the concept does tie back into Conan Doyle's work, with the Baker Street Irregulars even popping up in 1887's A Study in Scarlet, the first novel to feature Holmes and Watson. When the series hits Netflix on Friday, March 26, you'll be watching Thaddea Graham (The Letter for the King), Darci Shaw (Judy), Jojo Macari (Sex Education), Mckell David (The Gentlemen) and Harrison Osterfield (Catch 22) as Irregulars members Bea, Jessie, Billie, Spike and Leopold — and Clarke Peters (His Dark Materials) as The Linen Man. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTE5MAGpflw The Irregulars starts streaming via Netflix from Friday, March 26.
Each year, the folks at Sydney-based film festival organisers Queer Screen ask an excellent question, and answer it in the best way possible. That query: what's better than one queer-focused film festival popping up every 12 months? The response: two, of course. Here's another train of thought that the crew have been posing, too: what's better than two celebrations of LGBTQIA+ cinema in Harbour City picture palaces? The solution here: sharing the love by taking the movie-worshipping online nationally. Queer Screen runs the Mardi Gras Film Festival during the first half of every year, so that's been and gone for 2023. It also gives cinephiles the Queer Screen Film Fest later each year — and that's next on the agenda. This isn't any old QSFF, either. It's the event's tenth anniversary, and the fest is marking that milestone with more than 30 films, plus that online component for audiences across Australia. For those playing along in-person, the physical fest runs from Wednesday, August 23–Sunday, August 27 at Event Cinemas George Street. For people on the couch, you'll have until Sunday, September 3 to get streaming. And that 30-plus films includes ten narrative features, three documentary features, four retrospective flicks getting encores, two TV shows and 19 shorts from 11 different countries. There's more range if you hit up a cinema rather than your television, but it's a mighty impressive lineup all the same. Opening the Sydney sessions is Blue Jean, a four-time British Independent Film Award-winner about a lesbian teacher in Thatcher's England — and, at the other end of the fest, Theatre Camp will close out QSFF 2023 with a crowd-pleasing comedy about loving the stage, as starring and co-written and co-directed by Booksmart and The Bear's Molly Gordon. Elsewhere, the lineup includes Cannes Palm d'Or-winning Shoplifters filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda's Monster, which picked up this year's Queer Palm; Marinette, about soccer legend Marinette Pichon (and, yes, arriving just after the Women's World Cup); Busan International Film Festival hit Peafowl, about a Korean trans woman's homecoming; and Medusa Deluxe, which jumps into a hairstyle competition. There's also the Berlin-set Drifter, page-to-screen drama Lie with Me and Indigo Girls doco It's Only Life After All, plus the AIDS in Hollywood-focused Commitment to Life. Or, heading back into sports, Equal the Contest follows regional women's Australian rules football team Mount Alexander Falcons in an exploration of the barriers still faced for women and gender-diverse people on the field. And those retro titles? They span Anchor & Hope, about a trio's complicated relationship; German coming-of-age romance Centre of My World; rom-com Nina's Heavenly Delights, focusing on a woman reuniting with her Indian family in Scotland; and the southern Chile-set The Strong Ones. "Queer Screen is celebrating not only its 30th year of existence, but also the tenth edition of our mini festival. It's an incredibly exciting year and I'm thrilled to be bringing such an outstanding selection of films to Sydney to continue the celebrations," said Festival Director Lisa Rose. "Ten years ago, when the first Queer Screen Film Fest began, we only screened seven films and the whole thing was run by volunteers. This world-class program is a very fitting tribute to how much we have grown and to how LGBTIQ+ stories have found their place, front and centre, on the international stage." Queer Screen Film Fest 2023 runs from Wednesday, August 23–Sunday, August 27 at Event Cinemas George Street in Sydney — and online nationally until Sunday, September 3. For more information, visit the festival's website.
Prepare to stare at the moon in all of its glory — up close, without a telescope and without zooming into space. Measuring seven metres in diameter and featuring renderings of the celestial body's surface based on NASA imagery, the Museum of the Moon is a detailed installation by UK-based artist Luke Jerram. The giant sculpture has been touring the world since 2016, displaying in New York, Hong Kong, Mumbai and plenty of spots around Europe. Between December 1, 2018 and April 28, 2019, it'll add Melbourne to its orbit. Inspired by Jerram's time living in Bristol and "noticing the huge tidal variation as he cycled over the Avon Cut each day" according to the Museum of the Moon's website, the artwork recreates the moon at a scale of approximately 1:500,000, with each centimetre equating to five kilometres of the lunar surface. And if you're wondering just how intricate the 120dpi imagery is, the high-resolution NASA photograph that it uses is 21 metres wide, and was taken by by a satellite carrying the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera. The spherical sculpture is lit from within, so it'll add a glow when it comes to Scienceworks for five months. It also combines its imagery and light with a surround sound piece created by composer and sound designer Dan Jones, and just how each venue displays it is up to them. Basically, it's never the exact same installation twice. Jerram has multiple moons, with several touring simultaneously — so the Museum of Moon will also be on display in Newcastle in the UK across some of the same period. Its stint at Scienceworks will mark the Museum of the Moon's second visit Australia, following 12-day showing on the Gold Coast during the city's Commonwealth Games-adjacent arts festival earlier this year. Museum of the Moon comes to Melbourne's Scienceworks from December 1, 2018 to April 28, 2019. Keep an eye on the sculpture's website for further details.
The Arts Centre is opening its summer season with the hit Broadway musical Evita and it's bringing the show's Buenos Aires setting to life with Stomping Ground La Boca — a pop-up beer garden that will take over the Forecourt from December 4 through February 24, 2019, showcasing Argentinian booze, food and music. As the name suggests, Collingwood's Stomping Ground Brewing will be manning the beer side of things. On tap, the brewery's core range will be joined by an Argentinian-inspired lager — brewed exclusively for the beer garden — and a range of Argentinian wines, too. For food, Argentinian eatery Asado (the brand new venture by the San Telmo team) will be slinging a menu of classic street eats, such as beef and cheese empanadas, steak sandwiches and choripan (chorizo and chimichurri on a roll). Plus, a coal-roasted vegetable salad with chickpeas and ancient grains will be available for vegos, and dulce de leche-spiked soft serve and cookies will be up for dessert. The colourful fit-out will be accompanied by lively Argentinian bands that channel the sounds of Caminito in Buenos Aires, with tango lessons and cultural performances also on the docket. Though the beer garden is open to both theatregoers and non-theatregoers alike, the space is best enjoyed before or after a show — especially, before or after Evita. The award-winning musical, by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, stars Tina Arena and follows the extravagant life of Eva Perón, the wife of Argentinian director Juan Perón. It's a worthy summertime excursion and it opens on Wednesday, December 5. The Stomping Ground La Boca beer garden will open at the Arts Centre Melbourne's Forecourt from December 4 through February 24, 2019, 10am until late daily. For more details, head to the Arts Centre website.
There aren't many upsides to winter in this town, but one of them is the return of the Melbourne International Film Festival. Running for two and half weeks from July 29 through to August 14, Australia's oldest and most prestigious film festival will once again bring some of the biggest names in world cinema to the screen. And if that's not enough to get you out of the house, then how do you like the sound of a little pre-film tipple? This year's MIFF is sponsored by Grey Goose, who've teamed up with Flinders Lane bar Mary Fortune on an exclusive festival drinks list. Bibulous film lovers can swing by the Flinders Lane bar any time after 5pm throughout the course of the festival, where they'll find a number of cinema-themed cocktails, including the beef bacon and thyme-infused Dick Tracy, the Bloody Pulp Fiction (with spiced tomato juice, no less), a hazelnut and butter martini named The Man with the Golden Goose, and classy A Streetcar Named Desire, which stars the Amarena cherry. If you want the full fancy film-goers' experience though, order the classic Grey Goose Le Grand Fizz, which is a simple concoction of vodka and St Germain. Mary Fortune is open 5pm till 1am Tuesday to Saturday.
You've seen the TV series, following an incredibly relatable tale of trying to balance work, life, love and the like. Now, see the play that inspired the show. Before Fleabag was winning TV awards all over the UK, including a BAFTA for best female performance in a comedy for writer/creator/star Phoebe Waller-Bridge, it was a similarly applauded one-woman stage piece. And it's heading to small screens across the country. From Friday, April 10 till Sunday, May 31, you can watch Phoebe Waller-Bridge stepping through the story of Fleabag's titular character online via Soho Theatre's on-demand streaming site. Recorded at London's Wyndham's Theatre and broadcast as part of National Theatre Live in 2019, the show will cost £4 (about $8 AUD and $8.30 NZD) to stream, with all proceeds going to charities supporting those affected by COVID-19. Funds will be split across the National Emergency Trust, NHS Charities Together, Acting for Others and the Fleabag Support Fund, which provides grants to out-of-work freelancers in the theatre industry, If you're unfamiliar with the theatre or TV show, Fleabag's existence is perhaps best described as chaotic. Friends, family, job interviews, keeping a guinea pig-themed café afloat...they're just the beginning. The idea behind it came at one of Waller-Bridge's pal's storytelling nights, as a challenge to create a character for a ten-minute slot. If you're a fan, you'll want to see where it all began. If you've just heard everyone talking about Fleabag, and haven't watched it yet, here's your chance to jump on board. Top image: Fleabag at National Theatre Live by Matt Humphrey Updated May 11.
Often touted as the best Irish pub outside of Ireland, this tiny spot located at the top end of Queen Vic Market is easy to miss. But once you find it, head inside for the live music five nights a week (both traditional and contemporary), genuine Irish charm and the perfectly poured Guinness — important for those who know what a good dry stout should taste like. We also love that The Drunken Poet isn't kitsch or gimmicky like many other Irish pubs you find around the world. What you do get is incredibly warm hospitality, great beers and whiskies and the occasional fiddle playing in the corner. But do note that this pub is mostly a drinking destination. It does serve some toasted sandwiches, packets of chips and pickled eggs, but we see it as more of a spot to head to either before or after a meal in West Melbourne. Images: Anna K Photography Appears in: The Best Pubs in Melbourne for 2023
Maybe your suitcase is still looking a tad dusty, following a few years that saw travel plans put on hold. Perhaps you've given it the best workout you possibly could ever since local, interstate and international trips became a thing we could all do again. Whichever fits, scoring flights as cheap as $55 should tempt you to give that trusty bag another spin. Your destinations? Everywhere from The Whitsundays to Japan, all as part of Virgin's latest flight sale. If you're after discounted fares to a heap of places — including around Australia and the globe — Virgin is slashing prices again. This batch of special flights has been badged the Bring on 2023 sale, and can be booked now. You've got until midnight on Monday, February 6 to lock in your plans, unless the cheap fares sell out earlier. As usual, there's a sizeable number of discounted flights on offer: more than 500,000 in this run. They cover local spots such Byron Bay, Cairns, the Gold Coast and Hobart, plus overseas destinations including Bali, Vanuatu, Samoa and Fiji. Offering up to 30-percent off, one-way domestic fares start at $55, which'll get you from Sydney to Byron Bay. As proves the case in every sale like this, that's cheapest route. Other discounted flights include Sydney to the Sunshine Coast from $75, Adelaide to Launceston from $85, Brisbane to Proserpine for the same price, Melbourne to the Gold Coast from $99 and Brisbane to Hamilton Island from $119. Internationally, return deals include Sydney to Fiji from $459, the Gold Coast to Bali from $489, Melbourne to Vanuatu from $539 and Cairns to Tokyo from $699. If you're wondering when you'll need to travel, the fares cover between Wednesday, March 1–Thursday, December 7, all varying per route. As usual when it comes to flight sales, you'll need to get in quick. Sure, the chaos of Black Friday and Boxing Day is behind us for another year, but everyone loves a holiday — and, even better, a bargain holiday. Virgin's Bring on 2023 sale runs until midnight on Monday, February 6 — unless sold out earlier. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Sometimes, when one of Stephen King's books is adapted for the screen, movie magic is made. At other times, an intriguing TV show awaits. And, average and awful films and series have taken inspiration from his pages, too — which, given the huge number of flicks and programs that are based on his novels, is hardly unsurprising. Of course, fans of the famed author will be hoping that the latest page-to-screen adaptation of one of his books has more in common with The Shining and Misery — more than with IT: Chapter Two and the recent TV version of The Stand, at least. The next novel getting the audio-visual treatment: Lisey's Story. And, it isn't just based on King's 2006 tome. This time around, King is penning the whole eight-episode series himself, too. He's just one of the show's big names, with plenty more in store when it starts airing on Apple TV+ from Friday, June 4. Julianne Moore (After the Wedding) stars as the eponymous Lisey, while Clive Owen (Gemini Man) plays her deceased husband — a famous novelist, because plenty of writers pop up in King's works. Joan Allen (Room), Jennifer Jason Leigh (Possessor), Dane DeHaan (Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets) and Ron Cephas Jones (Dolemite Is My Name) also co-star, and so does Sung Kang (Fast and Furious 9). And, behind the lens is Pablo Larraín, the exceptional Chilean filmmaker responsible for No, The Club, Neruda, Jackie, Ema and the upcoming Kristen Stewart-starring Spencer about Princess Diana. Narrative-wise, Lisey's Story follows its central figure two years after her spouse Scott's death. She's blocked some memories of their time together from her mind, but a series of events brings them back to the fore. And yes, chills and thrills then result. Lisey's Story will premiere its first two episodes on Apple TV+ on Friday, June 4, with new instalments following weekly afterwards.
There's so much art in Melbourne, both inside and out, that getting around to see everything you should've by now is pretty much impossible. Frankly, as the days become increasingly wintery, it can be tempting to just hide away in bed. But instead, we're encouraging you to seize the chilly nights with the new Samsung Galaxy S9 or S9+ and make use of their brilliant low light camera — perfect for when the only lighting you have for your shot is but a single street light. Whether it's making up for lost time with NGV Friday Night's after-hours access or exploring the must-see street art of Melbourne's dimly lit alleyways, here's five artworks that you have to go out and capture for yourself. KEITH HARING'S MURAL ON JOHNSTON STREET, COLLINGWOOD Surrounded by trendy bars, cafes and restaurants, Keith Haring's Collingwood mural is one of the city's most well-known and loved examples of public art. Painted on the side of the former Collingwood Technical College right next to Circus Oz's quirky Melba Spiegeltent, the iconic figures appeared when the acclaimed New York artist arrived in Australia in 1984 to paint and speak on behalf of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art. Snap some photos of this cherished mural and then find a warm bar nearby and grab yourself a drink. THIS SIDE IS THE OTHER SIDE BY SUBODH GUPTA AT NGV At first glance, This Side Is the Other Side by Indian artist Subodh Gupta can be viewed with all the wanderlust of a good ol' dusty road journey. And while travel is one of the key themes, the fact that Gupta was born and raised in India's poorest province of Bihar, it may not be the leisure travel your mind first jumped to. That said, his Hindu heritage places the divine in all objects, which explains the gold sheen over this humble, motor scooter hung with milk pails. This Side Is the Other Side is but one of the photogenic pieces in this thoughtful exhibition, aptly named Everyday Divine. INDIGENOUS BOY BY ADNATE ON HOSIER LANE, CBD Hosier Lane is famous for its graffiti and street art – and while most works get tagged and painted over with clockwork predictability, one piece stands out above all the others. Painted by admired Melbourne street artist Adnate, 'Indigenous Boy' is a 23-metre tall mural set against the rear of McDonald House. Drawing attention to the original Indigenous owners of the land that the Melbourne CBD is built upon, the photorealistic portrait is seen looking out towards Birrarung Marr. Head down after dark to photograph Adnate's massive artwork – and while you're there you might catch Melbourne's nocturnal graffiti artists hard at work. PIXCELL RED DEER BY KOHEI NAWA AT NGV Born in Kyoto in 1975, Japanese artist Kohei Nawa's work embodies numerous worldly influences. Drawing on everything from the symbolism of Buddhism and Japanese Shintoism, to the works of British and European sculptures he was exposed to while studying at London's Royal College of Art, Nawa is one of Japan's leading young artists. And lucky for us, the NGV was able to acquire one of Nawa's 'PixCell' works back in 2013. Coined by the artist himself, PixCell is the process of combining organic cells with minute digital pixels. With deer appearing throughout Nawa's work, this is a special piece in Nawa's collection and one you have to see in person to fully appreciate (but don't let that stop you taking a few snaps). FINTAN MAGEE'S MURAL ON AC/DC LANE, CBD Growing up in Brisbane, Fintan Magee has travelled the world painting massive murals and hosting exhibitions for his smaller-scale works. From London and Las Vegas to Tunisia and Turkey, Magee's brand of street art has earned him fans wherever he goes. Often creating work around the environment, climate change and the global refugee crisis, Magee's works make you reflect on the world around you. Tucked away down the end of the CBD's AC/DC Lane, hidden amongst the surviving dive bars and newcomer cafes, his Melbourne mural towers high above the streets, showing a man carrying a tree trunk through the densely urban landscape. It's a little less crowded than Hosier Lane too, so you'll be able to get plenty of snaps without the random strangers. Instead of spending your winter nights on the couch, discover all the after-dark happenings in your city here — and don't forget to document it all on the new Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+, designed especially for low light so you can capture your best moments no matter what. Images: Cole Bennetts.
