UPDATE Thursday, June 17: Melburnians will soon be free to travel around Victoria, with the 25-kilometre travel restrictions lifted at 11.59pm tonight, June 17. However, hospitality and live music venues are still operating under capacity restrictions. Check out the latest information on the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services website. You can also find more figures and graphs on its Victorian coronavirus data page. Things usually get a bit quiet in winter, especially when it starts with a two-week lockdown. Thankfully, now that Melbourne is emerging from its stay-at-home restrictions, the city's music calendar is starting to heat up. On the bill: up-and-comers, screaming thrash metal and animatronics-meets-music combos, with everything from niche geek interests to mainstream names also getting their time in the sun. So, now that life is beginning to return to normal, it's time to spend this winter pricking up your ears and hearing the best that Melbourne's music scene has to offer. [caption id="attachment_802255" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Nicole Cleary[/caption] CHECK OUT A HEAP OF LOCAL UP-AND-COMERS Cancel your plans for Sunday, June 20, because you're spending an afternoon supporting local musicians. Originally set to take place over three days but adapting and rescheduling following Melbourne's lockdown, Ballroom Blitz will see Cool Sounds, Snowy Band, Martin Frawley and Emily Ulman play the new Brunswick Ballroom. Formerly the Spotted Mallard, the site has reopened all shiny and fresh for 2021. Come check out these fresh digs and see newish and emerging acts who were robbed by the pandemic of their chance to tour in 2020. The Sunday session starts at 3pm — and will treat you to some of the city's best up-and-comers. [caption id="attachment_815732" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Leon Schoots[/caption] WATCH MUSIC, ANIMATRONICS AND DIGITAL ART COMBINE Robot Song blends music, animatronics and digital art performance, all while focusing on writer/director Jolyon James' experience as a parent of a neurodiverse child. James' performance explores how love and learning can overcome isolation and barriers between communication, how we navigate and celebrate our love for those who are different, and the unique and wonderful joys this experience of the world can bring. Family-friendly and a tight 65-minutes in length, Robot Song performances run in Chapel Off Chapel from Monday, July 26–Thursday, July 29, including a relaxed performance for neurodiverse audience members on the final date. [caption id="attachment_722920" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Kindred Studios[/caption] HEAD TO A SUBURB-WIDE LIVE MUSIC FESTIVAL It's all going down in the west this winter. West Set is an 11-day live music festival in Footscray, running from Thursday, August 19–Sunday, August 29. The fest has had to adjust to the times this year — it was originally set to run in June, but postponed for obvious reasons — but here's hoping that the lineup will still boast more than 60 acts at 14 different venues. Either way, this event always reflects the diversity of this special suburb, including in its headliners, indie acts and DJ sets. Expect everything from jazz, grunge, folk, post-punk to alt-country and traditional African drumming — and to be reminded why you love Footscray. Also, it's a festival made for walking, with the venues packed so close to each other, you can gig-hop on foot all night. TAKE YOUR PICK OF FAN FAVOURITES It's the season of guilty pleasures and fan favourites at St Kilda's Palais Theatre. The venue's winter calendar includes a series of orchestrated 70s rock — hear David Bowie and Fleetwood Mac like you've never heard them before — as well as tribute acts that are a cut above the Sunday afternoon pub covers you secretly like. Also, Jimmy Barnes, the working class man himself, is taking the stage on Thursday, July 22 and Friday, July 23. Also hitting the venue: the long-running Empire Strips Back Star Wars burlesque show, which is enjoying its tenth-anniversary tour. An evening of sexy stormtroopers are exactly what you need while you're waiting for the next season of The Mandalorian to drop. SEE A LOCAL PUNK-ROCK STANDOUT AT A BELOVED PUB Don't freak out but, as of the time of publication, there are still tickets for Private Function's Thursday, July 1 show at Richmond's Corner Hotel. Shows are usually sold out damn fast for this punk-rock crew. You probably picked up their 2020 album Whose Line Is It Anyway, but this is a band that lives for live shows. Been craving energy and charisma after a year of lockdowns? This is where you'll find it. The lads are back touring Australia, so catch 'em while you can. Stop in for some gastro pub snacks and big feeds (with Corner Hotel's own hot sauce) to get your stamina up before you hit the bigger-on-the-inside, 800-capacity band room. SCREAM YOUR HEART OUT TO THRASH DEATH METAL From the outside, The Gasometer in Collingwood is a cosy old-school pub with fireplaces, tap froths and hearty fare. But just behind that convivial front bar is a massive two-storey gig space that's a local favourite for live music. On Saturday, June 26, the Gaso will play host to something a bit heavier, darker and more thrash-tastic than usual. Frankston's own purveyors of thrash metal, Womb to Tomb, will bring the sound and the fury to the stage for a night of moshing, flailing and distortion pedals. They'll be supported by Carcinoid (crushing death/doom metal), Pissrash (sludge metal) and FishLizard ("the unholy amalgamation of thrash, doom and grindcore"). All three are local acts, and this'll be a wholesome, feel-good night of thrash worth screaming your heart out to. [caption id="attachment_709514" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Jake Roden[/caption] SOOTHE THE WINTER BLUES WITH COUNTRY AND WESTERN TUNES Lulie Tavern in Abbotsford is keeping you warm the southern way this winter — that is, with country music and good, hard bourbon. You'll find the venue's Heartache Tonight country and western nights on the calendar every second Thursday, running right through until spring hits. On June 24, The Canyon Callers come callin' with their particular brand of western swing. Then, on July 8, the gentle Georgia State Line take the stage. After that, it's anyone's guess, gunslingers — but, whoever is on the lineup, you can pair these moody cowboy tunes with quality American eats. The food comes courtesy of Kelso's, home of those infamously Instagrammable sandwiches. It's serving up burgers and fries beneath the neon bar signs late into the night, so you can settle in for a good one, pardner. Top image: Josh Groom.
Forget tats, magicians, superheroes and spinning tops. From Memento to The Prestige to his Batman trilogy, all have served director Christopher Nolan well. But in his latest film, nothing more than the sound and fury of war, and the anguish plastered across soldiers' faces, is needed to get his message across. If Inception famously gave audiences dreams within dreams, then Dunkirk delivers nightmares within nightmares — with the added tension of knowing that, for the first time in Nolan's career, the events seen on screen were inspired by reality. And yet, there's a difference between bleak and dispiriting in Nolan's take on the mass military evacuation of northern France during the Second World War. It was code-named Operation Dynamo, but became better known as the Miracle of Dunkirk — and indeed, those two names serve as a rather handy guide to this movie's approach. Demonstrating a mastery of sound and vision, Dunkirk is devastatingly dynamic in its depiction of troops endeavoring to survive the carnage of combat, but remains a thoughtful portrait of human resilience and camaraderie as well. Real life proves soothing as well as scary, as Nolan balances tenacity with terror, fortitude with fear, and bravery with brutality. For those in need of a history refresher, Dunkirk details the attempts to rescue more than 400,000 men stranded on the titular beach in May 1940. German forces had fenced them in by land, while planes attacked by air, often blowing away navy ships trying to take the British back to safety across the English channel. Nolan flits between the three perspectives, spending a week on the ground, a day in the ocean and an hour flying above. Young privates (played by the likes of Fionn Whitehead and Harry Styles) try to stay alive on the shore; a civilian boat captained by Dawson (Mark Rylance) and his son Peter (Tom Glynn-Carney) heads into the fray to help bring soldiers home; and two Spitfire pilots (Tom Hardy and Jack Lowden) patrol the skies to ward off further bombings. As jam-packed as it may seem, the description above doesn't even scratch the surface of the film's complexities. Being told how Dunkirk's narrative explores the events in question is nothing compared to seeing and hearing Nolan's work in action. Shooting on IMAX and 65mm film, cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema makes the furrowed brows and piercing eyes of the movie's many men as much of a spectacle as swooping aircraft, capsized boats and lines upon lines of troops crowding the coastline. Favouring ticking clocks as much as droning instruments, composer Hans Zimmer unleashes a symphony of suspense that's as effective in its loudest moments as it is when it crashes into silence. This is chair-shaking, nerve-shredding, eye-popping cinema with a capital C. At the same time, Nolan tempers his film's epic scale with moments of intimacy and introspection. While those two extremes sound mutually exclusive, simultaneously conveying both the broad scope and the personal impact of war is what makes Dunkirk so immersive, and so compelling. Unrelenting from start to finish, there's never a moment that's easy to watch, but there's never one devoid of hope either. This is an astonishing feat of storytelling, aesthetics and emotion, one from which you will not be able to look away. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ9J1FgA0A8
It was always going to be a challenge adapting On the Road, a book which is so intensely loved, has been so integral to the minds of so many people for so many years, and written in a language which burns and pulses and pierces the heart like stone cutting glass. We've been waiting years for it, and now the film version of Jack Kerouac's novel, starring Sam Riley and Garrett Hedlund as Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty respectively, criss-crossing the country and trying to live as honestly and as passionately and as freely as they can, is finally upon us. And we can say that it's good. Very good. On the Road is the seminal novel of the Beat Generation, a semi-autobiographical account of Kerouac's time hoofing it across the country in the late 1940s and infamously written over three Benzedrine-fuelled weeks on a 120-foot roll of teletype paper. Francis Ford Coppola bought the rights to the novel in 1979 and has been tinkering about with it to no avail until signing up Walter Salles and Jose Rivera, the pair who directed and scripted The Motorcycle Diaries. The influence of that film haunts On the Road, and just as The Motorcycle Diaries captures the stark beauty of South America, On the Road shows every corner of the United States in its most exquisite detail. The performances from nearly all the actors are outstanding, particularly Riley and Tom Sturridge (as the lovelorn Carlo Marx), with Hedund's turn as Dean Moriarty the big, beating heart of the film. He also, as it happens, is on screen naked on a number of occasions, as are Kristen Stewart's boobs, if you're into that. Viggo Mortensen also provides some of the best lines as Old Bull Lee, a thinly veiled William S. Burroughs — Lorraine is a good name for a bat, don't you know. What will bother some is that the exuberance of the Beats in the novel, "the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk and mad to be saved," dissipates in Salles' slower-paced, golden-toned approach. The best bet, as with all film adaptations, is not to get too caught up in the accuracy of the interpretation, and simply appreciate it for what it is. https://youtube.com/watch?v=etr7upn35E4
Johnny Depp: is there anything he can’t do? Increasingly, the answer is yes, there’s plenty. Or, maybe it’s more about what he shouldn’t do. For proof, see his recent filmography. From being a mainstay in Tim Burton’s movies, to playing Pirates of the Caribbean’s Jack Sparrow, to nodding nonsensically in disguise in Tusk, Depp’s career has become a parade of almost-indistinguishable quirky characters. He pulls silly faces, talks in a ridiculous voice and stumbles around as though he might fall over at any moment. The premises and predicaments change, but the former 1980s 21 Jump Street teen idol doesn’t, apart from costumes and make-up. Mortdecai provides yet another example, with Depp the eccentric art dealer of the title. He comes from wealth – complete with a stylish wife, Johanna (Gwyneth Paltrow), and a loyal manservant, Jock (Paul Bettany) — but owes the British government £8 million. To maintain his lifestyle, he agrees to help old pal, romantic rival and MI-5 agent Martland (Ewan McGregor) recover a stolen painting shrouded in mystery. A Russian assassin and Nazi treasures also feature. The farcical film kicks off with calamity, ripping off Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom as a Hong Kong casino rendezvous ends in a shootout, and doesn’t improve from there. Disaster is key to the plot, with Mortdecai an awkward mix of Mr. Bean and The Pink Panther’s Inspector Clouseau, wreaking havoc wherever he goes — including Moscow and Los Angeles. Disaster is also the only outcome possible for a movie that thinks overripe cheese and cheap port are the height of humour, labels one of its three prominent female characters as a nymphomaniac, and wrings many of its jokes out of gag-reflex reactions to moustaches. “You look like you have a vagina on your face,” Johanna tells Mortdecai in response to his hairy top lip. Yes, really. To be fair to filmmaker David Koepp, who previously worked with Depp on Secret Window, he is taking his cues from existing material. 1973 novel Don't Point that Thing at Me started a series about the oddball aristocrat, but whatever cartoonish joys it may have had are lost in this energetic but overworked update. The flimsy script by Eric Aronson, best known for co-writing rom-com On the Line starring NSYNC’s Lance Bass and Joey Fatone, doesn’t assist matters. If Mortdecai was trying for a manic, frantic combination of smugness, superficiality, and stupidity, then it succeeds — though surely that wasn’t the aim. As for Depp, he is as committed as ever, but also as tiresome. Sharing zero charisma with his co-stars makes every second he is on screen seem like an eternity; and while Paltrow, McGregor, Bettany, Jeff Goldblum and Oliva Munn easily overshadow him, they do so as stale stereotypes, and clearly bored and unhappy. Mortdecai, the man and the movie, just isn’t something anyone wants to spend time with. Chalk it up as one of the same supposedly comedic efforts Depp makes too many of, and everyone else should be running far away from.
UPDATE, May 7, 2021: Us is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. With his Oscar-winning directorial debut Get Out, Jordan Peele gave the world a powerful metaphor for everyday, engrained oppression. In the sunken place, the film's black characters are sent falling down an endless rabbit hole while their lives are controlled by wealthy white folks. African Americans are forced to watch from a cavernous expanse of darkness, all as someone else pulls their strings. Robbed of agency, they become passengers in their own journey, rather than drivers of their fate. The movie's brilliant blend of scares and social satire gives more flesh to the scenario, but the mechanics are straightforward: one race is sent plummeting; the other climbs higher through their subjugation. Peele's concept isn't a one-time idea, as his sophomore film shows. Us doesn't feel like Get Out redux for even a split second, but it does give another clever and chilling dimension to the notion of flailing versus prospering — and another example of who's doing both. This time, the writer-director puts class under his magnifying glass, while still training his gaze firmly at his country. It's not by accident that the movie's title can be read as U.S., aka the United States. That's not supposed to escape anyone's attention. Perhaps the greatest trick that Peele pulls, however, is slicing into the horror of just peering in the mirror and thoroughly detesting what's looking back. After a quick glimpse at an ad for 80s charity campaign Hands Across America, Us' 1986-set prologue sends a young girl (Madison Curry) into an actual house of mirrors. "Find yourself" the funhouse at the Santa Cruz beachside amusement park promises. She does, although not in the usual way — and as flashbacks remembered by the adult Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong'o) reveal, she's left forever shaken by the process. In the present day, Adelaide returns to the Californian spot with her husband Gabe (Winston Duke) and children Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) and Jason (Evan Alex). She's wary and worried as her family pals around on the beach with their better-off friends, the Tylers (Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, Cali Sheldon and Noelle Sheldon). Later, Adelaide tries to explain her visible unease to Gabe, confessing that she has always felt as if her other self was coming for her. With the arrival of the Wilsons' doppelgängers on their driveway that night, her words are proven accurate. Decked out in matching red jumpsuits, wearing lone tan gloves and clutching golden scissors, the sinister doubles call themselves 'the tethered' — and they're here to cut that name to ribbons. What begins as a tense, terrifically staged home invasion soon becomes much more, as Adelaide and her loved ones face off against their murderous counterparts. The terror that follows boasts more angles than the reflective maze that starts this unnerving story. It also contains more twists and turns than the abandoned and unused tunnels buried beneath the U.S., as pointedly referenced in the film's opening title card. Finally, it features more meticulously deployed pop culture references and nods than might be expected in a movie that remains so thoughtfully distinctive. Us is a creeper in multiple senses of the word. It's disquieting from the outset (even more so when it spends its opening credits staring at caged rabbits), but Peele knows how to let that unease fester and grow. While the 'master of suspense' label was bestowed decades ago, the comedian-turned-filmmaker is just as devastating at cultivating distress as Hitchcock or any other iconic horror or thriller director. He's similarly adept at using every tool in his arsenal. After giving It Follows such a disconcerting look, cinematographer Mike Gioulakis does so again here, especially while shooting in domestic spaces. Aided by a few choice song selections that range from NWA to the Beach Boys, Get Out composer Michael Abels conjures up another needling score designed to set viewers on edge. But it's the way that Us' agitated, anxious mood refuses to dissipate that marks the movie as something special. The narrative and its ideas are undeniably creepy and, even when some aspects initially seem a tad too obvious, the film resonates long after viewing. Us' tone, images and sounds reach further, however, truly and deeply creeping under the audience's skin. The simple sight of four shadowy figures looming over a house in the dark of night instantly demonstrates how effective Us is in a visual sense. Choreographed movements of the balletic, stilted and frantic kind do as well. They also highlight Us' other key element, because central to the malaise is Peele's cast. Their characters might battle themselves, but the actors never do the same, always making their dual roles feel like individual creations. If Daniel Kaluuya can earn an Academy Award nomination for Get Out, there's no reason that Nyong'o can't achieve the feat for her twin parts as both a fraught, complex victim and a calm, unrelenting aggressor. Her performance as Red, Adelaide's mirror image, is as delightfully disconcerting and affecting as the doppelgänger's gravelly, haunted voice. From Duke's transformation from goofy dad to non-verbal brute, to Joseph's expressiveness as both a too-cool teen and a psychopathic killer, to a particularly flighty then unhinged turn from Moss, Nyong'o is also in great company. Of course, that's one of the movie's mischievous tricks: as it delves into the divide between 'us' and 'them', it puts everyone in the same unsettling situation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bavqDA_3vIo
What do you do when a global pandemic cancels Melbourne's annual film festival? If you're the folks at MIFF, you move the show online. Like Sydney Film Festival, this year's Melbourne International Film Festival is going virtual. So if you usually spend most of August watching new movies from around the world, you can still look forward to doing just that. Running at the same time the physical festival would've — so, between Thursday, August 6–Sunday, August 23 — this socially distant fest has been dubbed MIFF 68 1/2. 2020 should mark the event's 69th year, but it's keeping that label for next year's in-person fest. Still, cinephiles across Australia will still be able to get a MIFF experience, complete with a ticketed program. On the bill: new flicks, fresh discoveries from emerging filmmakers, and a range of Australian, international, documentary and animation shorts. MIFF's regular Shorts Awards will also be given out. The lineup won't be announced until July 14 (again, MIFF is sticking to its usual timetable), so you'll have to wait to see what you'll be feasting your eyes on — although, given film fests have been cancelled around the world since mid-March, you can probably expect to see a healthy selection of titles from earlier festivals that did still take place, such as Sundance and Berlinale. MIFF 68 1/2 is being made possible thanks to the most significant philanthropic gift the festival has ever received from a private donor, all to ensure the fest still goes on this year — and it'll use streaming platform Shift 72 to screen its program. [caption id="attachment_769569" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Zan Wimberley.[/caption] The full program launch and ticket sales for MIFF 68 1/2 begin on July 14. Top image: Tony Zara / Dean Walliss.
When you're travelling in a group and need somewhere that feels remote, but only ten minutes' drive from shops and cafes, Nine Steps is a good option. The rural retreat is found on 29 acres of bushland at the base of Mount Buffalo — and if you're keen to spot wildlife while you're staying in the countryside you may come across wombats and wallabies while you're pottering about at this spacious accommodation. What was once a classic Aussie shed has been transformed by an architect into a three-bedroom, two-bathroom homestay. There's no wifi or phone reception, but you've got excellent views of Mount Buffalo on your doorstep. Nine Steps sleeps up to six people, and there's a large open-plan lounge and kitchen for spending lots of time with your friends and family. If you need to escape, you're only minutes from Bright and plenty of bushwalking trails in Mount Buffalo National Park.
UPDATE, June 29, 2022: Midsommar is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. In the dark, sprawling house at the centre of Ari Aster's Hereditary, nightmares flourished in even the safest of spaces. In the writer-director's sophomore release, Midsommar, devilish deeds and diabolical forces thrive in lush meadows dappled with unrelenting Swedish daylight. Once again weaving a maze of death, trauma, family, secrets, strange sects, unnerving rituals and eerie altercations, the acclaimed filmmaker is clearly fascinated with specific themes and motifs. He has a type, even with the evident change of location and colour scheme. And yet, Aster can't be accused of making the same movie twice. Watching on as a group of Americans encroach upon a secret Nordic community near the North Pole, joining their celebrations during a once-in-a-lifetime festival, Midsommar dives into a whole new world of terror. Crucially, it thrusts the horror genre's lingering malevolence out of dim rooms and musty corners, and into the fresh, vibrant, perennially sun-drenched air. Midsommar commences with the passing of loved ones, in what's become the director's typical fashion. That Aster has already established an authorial pattern just two movies into his feature-filmmaking career (across less than two years) speaks volumes. Midsommar doesn't seem like a rehash, nor like he's filtering his past hit through the somewhat similar The Wicker Man or Kill List. Instead, it feels as if Aster is finding new ways to unpack ideas that keep devouring his mind and soul. Through the grief-stricken Dani (Florence Pugh), he gives the bone-rattling pain of mourning the most distraught face he can, his committed new lead matching Toni Collette's turn in Hereditary for intensity. Then, he pushes his bereaved protagonist much, much further out of her comfort zone. Tagging along with her barely caring boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynor) as he accompanies his college friend Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren) back to the close-knit commune where the latter grew up, Dani is an interloper twice over. The frat boy-ish Mark (Will Poulter) is visibly unhappy that she's joined their trip and, though fellow anthropology student Josh (William Jackson Harper) offers her kindness, it's obvious that she wasn't initially part of the group's plans. Of course, like their unwanted guest, this motley crew of self-absorbed men don't quite gel at their destination. They're met with hearty smiles, plastered across the faces of serene Swedes who wear white cotton from head to toe, sport floral headdresses and spend their afternoons tripping on mushrooms, but the visitors still stand out. And the more time that Dani, Christian, Mark and Josh spend with the Hårga, as Pelle's pagan community is known, the further they become entrenched in the summer solstice festivities. While it begins with feasts, ceremonies, love runes and laced drinks, disappearances, ominous maypole dances, deaths and worse soon follow. A film steeped in loss, Midsommar is also a movie as much about belonging as longing. The agony and uncertainty someone feels when they don't fit in, and the contentment that springs when they're welcomed with open arms, courses through the picture's veins. Tied to both is Aster's favourite sensation, with dread the movie's emotional baseline. Wherever and whenever he can, the filmmaker layers his sights and sounds with anxiety and apprehension — and with fear and foreboding on top. Unease ripples across the Hårga's leafy haven like a slight but quickening breeze, as made all the more disquieting by the long, wide shots favoured by returning cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski, and the needling, string-heavy refrains that mark The Haxan Cloak's stirring score. Once again, Aster has crafted a work of commanding control and startling technical precision, each element carefully calculated to disturb viewers with maximum effect. Midsommar is also a work of meticulous pacing, a factor that has more of an impact than might be anticipated. As anyone who has experienced it knows, mourning is a process of waiting for time to tick by, and for soul-crushing sadness to fade from a searing flame to a bearable simmer. Likewise, relishing the joys of feeling safe and wanted also hinges upon time — although, in that situation, no one ever wants their bliss to end. Starting patiently then working up to a frenzy, Midsommar packs much into its 147-minute duration, but mirroring these feelings of grief and of comfort just might be its most devastating achievement. With that in mind, Dani is torn in two conflicting directions, simultaneously wishing her ordeal would finish and hoping that it keeps branching into eternity. Reynor's largely dazed and confused Christian feels the same way, but for his own reasons given that their relationship keeps snapping and straining towards its breaking point. The duo are distressed and drugged, yet they're also caught in the commune's thrall, and Aster asks his audience to share their sentiments. It's easy to do as the director asks, unless you're squeamish. A hallucinatory horror trip that doesn't hold back on its deranged imagery, Midsommar is a glowing, sinister dream. It couldn't look more alluring and idyllic, all while exposing festering miseries and inescapable woes. Every inch a sunlit nightmare, it shocks by bathing its dark heart in gleaming brightness, and intoxicates even as it repeatedly unsettles viewers to their core. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I9ZeUWXI2s
The annual Orange Wine Festival is back for its 11th run, with ten days of events highlighting the region's sophisticated winemaking from October 13 through October 22. Patrons can expect wine shows, tastings, dinners and educational workshops, all of which showcase the rich diversity of Orange's rich culinary culture. This year's packed-out program includes over 90 events, which are open to all wine lovers, from the connoisseurs to those still getting to know their palate. The region is known for its cool climate which creates wines with bright fruit and deep, balanced flavours, making them some of the best drops in the country. While there are events on every day of the two weeks, signature events include the Festival Night Market, the Orange Wine Show Tasting ($50-$70) and Wine in the Vines ($145).
In 2019, Melbourne Design Week is celebrating the city's closest thing it has to an iconic feature with a program of tours, talks and exhibitions centred around our relationship with the Birrarung — that is, the Yarra River. Take a bike ride along the river banks, explore the Wonthaggi desalination plant, or take a boat tour of the river's most beloved swimming spots. Yes, people actually used to swim in the Yarra. Other events on the Waterfronts program include Undercurrent, a solo exhibition by Bangerang artist Peta Clancy featuring a series of sobering photographic works created in collaboration with the Dja Dja Wurrung community that highlight hidden massacre sights along the Yarra's banks, as well as Commuter Afloat, a talk on the benefits of water-based transit held right on the water. For the full Waterfronts program, go here. Events are booking out fast, so make sure you get in quick. Image: Giulia Morlando.
The 23rd annual Queenscliff Music Festival is swiftly approaching — and, boy, is there a lot to celebrate. As always, the lineup offers an great mix of talent, with Missy Higgins, The Cat Empire, Newton Faulkner, Fools, The Delta Riggs and Clare Anne Taylor all on the bill. In total, 60 acts and events are slated across the three days from Friday, November 22 to Sunday, November 24. Tickets always move quick for this annual fest, whether you're keen on a pass for the whole weekend or just heading along for one day. This festival is a prime music event for those who like to kick back and soak up the friendly atmosphere of a well-organised festival, just before the madness of summer hits. If this sounds like something you can get down with, hit up QMF.
This week, enter the charming little dream world of Lucy Folk and make her covetable candy-hued cocktail clutches and wearable works of art yours. And all for a fraction of the price, because the Melbourne-based jewellery designer is hosting a sample sale on Thursday, April 6 and Friday, April 7. Huzzah! Older styles, past collections and samples will be available at up to 75 percent off retail price. So does this mean we'll find those peppercorn earrings and caviar rings from the 2014 food-inspired Appeteaser collection? We sure hope so. Plus, even though it's a sample sale, there's no need to worry about being sample sized, because we're talking eyewear, clutches and jewellery. Double huzzah. As we move into cooler autumnal weather and shorter days, future you will thank Lucy Folk (and your shopping habits) for adding a burst of cheer to your every day outfits. The Lucy Folk Sample Sale will run from 8am–7pm both days.
Director Kip Williams has turned out an impressive, stylish Australian premiere of British playwright Caryl Churchill’s Love and Information at the Malthouse. Churchill’s 45th play is a fractured meditation on knowledge, relationships and identity that takes place over 60+ scenes. She gives some guidance as to how acts and sequences within the script are ordered, but within that framework creatives tackling the work have more or less carte blanche. With so many scenes on show, Paul Jackson’s lighting design takes on an important role in delineating the work’s many transitions. This, in combination with sound design by THE SWEATS — a combination of mostly original score and music by bands like Hot Chip — might initially come across as a over-convenient solution, but as the play progresses, it’s these elements of design which provide a constant spine to these disparate scenes. They impart a sense of coherency that encourages an audience to look at the bigger picture, and at the themes emerging in the gaps between scenes themselves. The content in these sometimes very brief exchanges is often explicitly geared towards a discussion of the nature and importance of memory, uncertainty and knowledge. As the action progresses, things begin to get more serious — references to terrorism, war in Tripoli, a young schizophrenic who has stopped taking his pills because “they make it hard to get the information”. One stunning scene is as good as theatre gets, with a patient suffering Alzheimer's playing the piano joined in harmony by his two nurses. Although it’s easy to look for the contemporary cues that might have spurred on the writer’s interest in this material — namely the impact of digital technology upon our ability to relate to one another and ourselves — even when engaging with notions of virtual life, Churchill seems to be speaking to a much deeper and timeless question of connection: what is taking place in any exchange between human beings? What part of ourselves is being lost, or found? The large ensemble cast is flawless, with Marco Chiappi, Harry Greenwood, Glenn Hazeldine, Anita Hegh, Zahra Newman, Anthony Taufa, Alison Whyte and Ursula Yovich making the play’s many set, character and costume changes look effortless. The play is a co-production with the Sydney Theatre Company; Melbourne audiences should book in now before it heads up the coast. Image by Pia Johnson.
The buzz of January is over and if you need a little motivation to continue with those NYE resolutions, look no further than this activewear sale. Australian clothing company Active Truth is moving warehouses and, to make the move a little easier, is offering 40 percent off sitewide. Active Truth's swimwear and activewear is accessible to beachgoers and gym junkies of all shapes and sizes, with swimsuits, tights, crops, bike shorts and maternity wear all ranging from XS to 3XL. Check out these summery floral tights or this black one-piece swimsuit. As an added bonus, you'll receive free express shipping, so even though we're already more than a week into February, you'll have your new swimsuit at your doorstep before summer ends. Plus, Active Truth is committed to sustainability, supporting the The Seabin Project and making its swimwear from reconstructed recycled fibres, such as discarded fishing nets. If you're keen to snag some new togs, have a look through the catalogue and order before the sale ends at 11.59pm on Sunday, February 14. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
Break out the bibs and put away those fine dining manners, because things are about to get messy in the tastiest way possible for Good Food Month. The Church of Bang Bang Boogaloo will be the setting for an all-out Low Country Boil, just like the ones you'll find in backyards across South Carolina and Georgia. Expect tables piled high with mountains of prawns, crayfish, potatoes, crab, sausage, and corn, just waiting for you to dig in and bliss out. There'll be lots of refreshing brews to help wash it all down, and socialising options aplenty.
Here in Melbourne, pub grub is something we hold pretty dear to our hearts, and it's that love affair that's set to be the star of the show at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival's inaugural Smorgasburb celebrations. Hosted by Sand Hill Road — the same guys behind some of your all-time favourite pub feeds — this promises to be one tasty afternoon. They'll be pulling together the likes of Bossam pork belly tacos from the Terminus Hotel, a sardine katsu brioche sandwich from the Prahran Hotel, kombu- cured cobia from the Garden State, and the Bridge Hotel's toasties. It's all being served up against that iconic backdrop of the Bridge Hotel's interior laneway, and teamed with a hefty drinks list worthy of any great pub sesh. Pre-purchase your tickets and you'll get tokens to use on food and drink on the day.
If an indulgent Italian feast is on your agenda for Aussie Wine Month, then look no further than the Three Italians lunch. As the name explicitly states, the event will be an Italian smorgasbord, a celebration of the big Italian three — wine, food and opera. The frivolities kick off with Prosecco and canapés on the lawn, and it only gets better from there. Held outside on at the Pizzini Wines estate in Whitfield, Adam Pizzini of Casa Cucina in Wangaratta will prepare a four-course lunch using local produce and Italian wines. All the while, operatic duo Catherine Pendelich and Céd Le Mélédo will fill the country air with sweet music. Have you ever heard of anything more enchanting? We haven't.
If the meaning of life exists in the sweaty, jam-packed confines of a music festival, then Terrence Malick wants to find it. Partially filmed at Austin's SXSW, Song to Song features the filmmaker's trademark swirling imagery as he searches for substance among the crowds, takes us backstage with the likes of Iggy Pop and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and serves up glimpses of several live performances. The writer-director's ninth feature roves through the city's music scene more generally, but its use of the fest couldn't sum up Malick's central question better. Amidst chaotic circumstances, how does one find beauty and love? Through whispered words (another typical Malick flourish), various characters speak of ebbs and flows, of dream-like experiences, and of emotions that don't always feel quite right. In one of the voiceover's most overt moments, Rooney Mara's Faye discusses her relationship with Ryan Gosling's BV, explaining, "we thought we could just roll and tumble, live from song to song, kiss to kiss." Yes, she's saddled with clumsily making use of the movie's title, but she's also describing its quest to understand the ups and downs of human existence. So it is that Faye falls for musician BV, with all the joy that romance can bring. Complicating matters, however, she also falls for her arrogant but well-connected producer boss Cook (Michael Fassbender), who starts working with BV. Cook also has an affair with a waitress, Rhonda (Natalie Portman), while BV becomes involved with Amanda (Cate Blanchett). As snippets of their lives fill the film, a number of other characters filter in and out – including Zoey (Bérénice Marlohe), with whom Faye has a dalliance; BV's flirtatious mother Judy (Linda Emond); and Rhonda's mum Miranda (Holly Hunter), among others. Accordingly, we watch as a bunch of rather attractive people live, love, fight, sing, play, dance and more. They go on holidays, attend parties, see gigs and roam around mansions — sometimes acting as though they belong, sometimes contemplating how lavish their surroundings and exploits are. Depicting their intermingling relationships is as much of a narrative as Malick is interested in providing. Instead, as he did with the thematically and visually similar To the Wonder and Knight of Cups (and The Tree of Life before that), he prefers to immerse audiences in his familiar style, encouraging them to get caught up in individual moments while pondering the bigger picture. The end product is intoxicating and heartfelt, with Malick's desire to convey the complexity of being alive evident in every frame. That said, it also proves his most indulgent film, as he lets his directorial tics and traits run rampant. The movie couldn't look more gorgeous thanks to cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki's floating, sun-dappled lensing, but it also couldn't lean more heavily on Malick's fondness for hushed voices and random shots of nature — motifs that will entrance some viewers and enrage others. His insistence on improvisation also results in inconsistent performances, with each actor shining at times while coming off stilted at others. Perhaps it's best to think of Song to Song in the same way you would an actual song; a track on Malick's broader cinematic album. Within the tune itself, some parts engage and others lag, but there's always a clear melody making its presence known. Some viewers may prefer his older stuff, and that's fine. If you're on the film's wavelength though, plenty of its beats and rhythms will strike a chord. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cTenw8uVSw
Been there, done that, repeating it all over again: in cinemas and among direct-to-home movies alike, that's sequel territory. Not all second efforts, or third or fourth or 15th, retread the first flick. Some expand the initial story instead. Others take the OG concept in completely different directions. If there's a way to jump back into a hit — or even just capitalise upon a well-known movie name — however, then someone has tried it. With a handful of such films, Monster Fest Weekender III Part 2: The Spawning is celebrating the art of the sequel. As the event's 2025 name makes plain, it's having fun with its chosen theme this time around, too. Monster Fest Weekender initially popped up a few years back, giving fans of genre cinema a second chance to enjoy Monster Fest each year — and yes, the film festival itself is a sequel as well. Monster Fest's main festival will still return later in 2025 — it took place in October in 2024 — but this'll help tide you over until then. From I Still Know What You Did Last Summer and Return to Oz to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and Robocop 2, the three-day Monster Fest Weekender III Part 2: The Spawning is jam-packed with follow-up flicks, all playing at Cinema Nova in Melbourne from Friday, March 28–Sunday, March 30. You can also check out Return of the Living Dead Part II, Phantasm II, Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh and Re-Animator 2: Bride of Re-Animator.
Whoever said games were for children have clearly never experienced the good times at Modern Parlour Games, hosted by Pop Up Playground. They're setting up shop for a residency at the Bella Union on the third Thursday night of every month, thereby busting another myth that you have to wait for the weekend for fun and frivolity. Games you can expect include office chair rallies, reinterpreted party games, story time with some of your favourite comedians and panel game shows. While Modern Parlour Games certainly appeals to those drama nerds amongst us who couldn’t get enough of improv games, they can be enjoyed by all, as they encourage participation, interaction and communication. If you’ve been thinking that perhaps you need to get out more lately, Modern Parlour Games will take you all the way out in the most playful way possible.
The Victorian Government isn't set to deliver the 2020–21 State Budget until Tuesday, November 24, but it has been revealing some of its details and funding plans in the lead up to that date. And, as the announcement of $200 vouchers for regional getaways made clear, it's focusing on getting Victorians to explore their own backyard — and the entire state — in a big way now that this year's two period of lockdown have come to an end. Also already revealed as part of the budget: a heap of cash directed towards projects in regional areas that Melburnians will want to visit. If you like moseying along the coast, camping by the water and heading to a hot springs resort — another one, in addition to Peninsula Hot Springs — then you're in luck. For folks keen to hit up the Great Ocean Road, that area of the state is set to receive $47.5 million in funding. From that money, $23.8 million will be used to build a coastal walking trail that meanders by the sea and through the hinterland, spanning from Fairhaven to Grey River. It'll extend the existing Great Ocean Road Coastal Trail, and will include up to five new swing suspension bridges with impressive views of the Surf Coast. Around $2 million will go towards creating more campsites along the Surf Coast, too, while $18.3 million is earmarked for upgrading visitor facilities and infrastructure in the area, like toilets, viewing platforms, trails, beach access and car parking — and installing free public wi-fi. [caption id="attachment_746191" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Visit Victoria[/caption] In the Gippsland region, $18.5 million is being set aside for a number of projects — including several places to spend a hefty amount of time. Over at the Cape Conran Coastal Park, $3.5 million will go to building ten eco-pods to stay in, all from sustainable materials. Next, $1.5 million will be spent on Metung Hot Springs, to create a new year-round geothermal mineral spring that can welcome 250 guests. And, another $1 million is destined for the proposed Nunduk Spa and Eco-Resort at Lake Wellington. The Gippsland funding will also use $3.5 million to restore the timber trestle Snowy Rail Bridge so it can be used safely by pedestrians and cyclists, plus $2 million for additional camping spots in East Gippsland. Another $2.8 million will go towards making Mallacoota Inlet easier to access, and $3.85 million to do the same for the Point Hicks Lighthouse, with $350,000 earmarked for expanding the Raymond Island koala trail. [caption id="attachment_681271" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Nicole Reed[/caption] From an overall Victorian Tourism Recovery Package clocking in at $465 million, cash will also be allocated to a range of other areas — including the Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing hiking trail, the Grampians Peak Trail, Mackenzie Falls, the Murray River Adventure Trail, Wilsons Promontory, the Mallee Silo Art Trail and the new National Centre for Photography in Ballarat. For wine-lovers, the funds will also be used to help expand the Prosecco Road winery district, and to establish accommodation at Dal Zotto Wines. Exact timing around all of the above hasn't been announced — and it's a hefty list, so it's safe to say it won't all happen quickly. Still, if you didn't already have a sizeable number of places to visit across the state, you will in the future. For more information about the Victorian Tourism Recovery Package, read the Victorian Government announcement. Top image: Great Ocean Road, Visit Victoria
Have you ever fallen asleep while reading a classic text, and dreamt of something much more lively? One assumes Seth Grahame-Smith has, given that his main claim to fame is taking iconic characters and mashing them up with the undead. Having already seen an Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter adaptation, a big screen take on his 2009 novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies seemed like only a matter of time. Unfortunately, the film follows in the footsteps of its presidential predecessor, failing to provide either laughs or gory thrills. To be fair, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies makes a much more convincing attempt than Grahame-Smith's take on honest Abe. You can see how writer-director Burr Steers (Charlie St. Cloud) is trying to splice together his seemingly conflicting components. Sadly, you can see the gaps as well. It's not the concept that the film struggles with, but the tone and the requisite balance, never managing to be as funny or as ridiculous as its director so desperately desires. The film concerns the Bennet sisters, trained zombie killers on the lookout for suitable husbands. Second sibling Lizzie (Lily James) is less than enthused about matrimony, despite the pleading of her father (Charles Dance) that she think about her future, and the machinations of her mother (Sally Phillips) to see her daughters married off to wealthy men. As her sister Jane (Bella Heathcote) courts wealthy new neighbour Mr Bingley (Douglas Booth), Lizzie can't help noticing the stern but somewhat mysterious Colonel Darcy (Sam Riley). He's not the only potential suitor in her midst however, with her pompous cousin Parson Collins (Matt Smith) and debonair soldier Mr Wickham (Jack Huston) also making their interest clear. If the above description emphasises the romantic aspects of the story, it's simply taking its cues from the film. Think of it as Pride and Prejudice with a few zombies thrown in as a gimmick; a way to differentiate the movie from the numerous other big screen versions of the tale. Those familiar with Austen's prose might raise a smile as Lizzie's headstrong ways find a perfect outlet in combat, and will likely enjoy scenes of banter paired with physical duels. As a matter of fact, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies offers a surprisingly serviceable interpretation of its original source material. Those after literal brains, however, will find very little in the blood and gore department. What Steers fails to realise is that there's more to a zombie flick than talking about them, training montages, and throwing in a few shots of decaying faces now and then. Given the charm James shows as a feisty heroine fending off flesh-eating foes, it's disappointing she's not given more opportunities for action. Along with the rest of the cast, she does her best to act like she's in the kind of movie Pride and Prejudice and Zombies should be, rather than the one it actually is.
As a five-year-old in India in 1986, Saroo Brierley didn't expect to be whisked nearly 1,500 kilometres away from his family, and not be able to find his way back. Then, after being adopted by an Australian couple, he definitely didn't expect that he'd have a date with Google Earth as an adult, trying to locate the place that sparked so many memories. This stranger-than-fiction tale inspired a book, and now a movie too. And while a big screen adaptation of his life story might be the latest thing the real-life Saroo didn't anticipate, it's audiences that are in for the biggest surprise. If you didn't know that Lion was based on actual events, you'd be forgiven for thinking that it was simply a feel-good fantasy. First-time film director Garth Davis (TV's Top of the Lake) and writer Luke Davies (Life) recount Saroo's story faithfully, including its well-publicised ending. Yet despite the twists and turns having played out in the media, the Australian duo still manage to deliver a thoughtful, sensitive and emotional viewing experience. Yes, you'll know that tears are coming. But they'll still feel well and truly earned. Aerial shots of the Indian landscape immediately set audiences on a journey, with a charming little boy (newcomer Sunny Pawar) their guide. Tagging along as his older brother Guddu (Abhishek Bharate) seeks work to help their mother (Priyanka Bose) with the family finances, Saroo falls asleep on a train. By the time he awakens, events have been set in motion that will see him fending for himself on the streets of Calcutta, before eventually being adopted by Tasmanians Sue (Nicole Kidman) and John Brierley (David Wenham). It's two decades later, as an adult (now played by Dev Patel), that Saroo turns on his computer and begins his search for home. Sometimes, it's the simplest things that have the strongest impact: a child's warm, cheeky smile; the pain of a lost past lingering in a man's eyes; haunting visions of familiar places embedding themselves in the mind. Saroo's quest owes a lot to a certain search engine, but that's neither the most interesting thing to watch nor the most important part of the narrative. Crafting a highly personal story that conveys universal themes, Davis and Davies ensure that Lion doesn't forget this fact. Even as it balances several competing elements — the two countries Saroo calls his own throughout his life, his feelings for his two families, and the push and pull between old-fashioned human connection and the influence of modern technology — the film never loses its footing Indeed, the key to the movie is people. Or, to be specific, one person and two shining performances. Pawar and Patel each possess the naturalistic spark that keeps viewers along for the ride — one innocent and endearing, the other oozing inner conflict and yearning. As a result, Lion does exactly what it needs to make hearts soar and tears swell. It might do so in a standard fashion, but, boy does it do it well.
Get Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Frances McDormand and more exceptional women in a room, point a camera their way, let the talk flow: Sarah Polley's Women Talking does just that, and the Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar-nominee is phenomenal. The actor-turned-filmmaker's fourth effort behind the lens after 2006's Away From Her, 2011's Take This Waltz and 2012's Stories We Tell does plenty more, but its basic setup is as straightforward as its title states. Adapted from Miriam Toews' 2018 novel of the same name, this isn't a simple or easy film, however. That book and this feature draw on events in a Bolivian Mennonite colony from 2005–9, where a spate of mass druggings and rapes of women and girls were reported at the hands of some of the group's men. In a patriarchal faith and society, women talking about their experiences is a rebellious, revolutionary act anyway — and talking about what comes next is just as charged. "The elders told us that it was the work of ghosts, or Satan, or that we were lying to get attention, or that it was an act of wild female imagination." That's teenage narrator Autje's (debutant Kate Hallett) explanation for how such assaults could occur and continue, as offered in Women Talking's sombre opening voiceover. Writing and helming, Polley declares her feature "an act of female imagination" as well, as Toews did on the page, but the truth in the movie's words is both lingering and haunting. While the film anchors its dramas in a specific year, 2010, it's purposefully vague on any details that could ground it in one place. Set within a community where modern technology is banned and horse-drawn buggies are the only form of transport, it's a work of fiction inspired by reality, rather than a recreation. Whether you're aware of the true tale behind the book going in or not, this deeply powerful and affecting picture speaks to how women have long been treated in a male-dominated world at large — and what's so often left unsaid, too. Stay and do nothing. Stay and fight. Leave the only home they've ever had behind, be excommunicated from their faith and forgo their spot in heaven. When the Mennonite women catch one of their attackers, he names more, arrests follow and the men are sent to the city — the culprits imprisoned, the rest there to bail them out — those three choices face the ladies of Women Talking. To decide which path to take, they hold a secret vote while the colony's males are away. When the results are tied, a cohort within the cohort chat it out in the barn. From elders to mothers and teens, everyone has a different perspective across three generations, or a different reason for their perspective, but the hurt, pain, dismay and distress simmering among the stern gazes, carefully braided hair and surrounding hay is shared. The women's religious beliefs dictate one solution only: absolution. That's the outcome demanded by the scarred Janz (The Tragedy of Macbeth's McDormand, also a co-producer here), so much so that she won't entertain alternatives. But her peers Agata (Judith Ivey, The Accidental Wolf) and Greta (Sheila McCarthy, The Broken Hearts Gallery) see shades of grey in their predicament — shades that Polley and her returning Away From Her and Take This Waltz cinematographer Luc Montpellier highlight in Women Talking's colour palette, even though their viewers will scream internally for the women to immediately leave. While dialogue-driven by necessity, the film also spies the country idyll that sits outside the barn doors, where the kids play contentedly in the crops. This isn't an aesthetically sunny movie — its tones are muted, as its women have long been required to be — but it still sees what departing means on multiple levels with clear eyes. As the debate rages against Hildur Guðnadóttir's (Tár) score of yearning — The Monkees' 'Daydream Believer' also gets a spin, surreally so — Agata's daughter Salome (Foy, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain) furiously advocates for battling. Her toddler daughter was among those attacked, which is understandably something she can't forgive, forget and keep living submissively beside the perpetrators, in a culture that allowed it to happen, afterwards. For Greta's just-as-irate daughter Mariche (Buckley, Men), who is abused by her husband openly aside from the widespread attacks, nothing good can come from running — including with their god. And for Salome's sister Ona (Mara, Nightmare Alley), who is pregnant from being raped, her ideals keep her going. As pros and cons about fighting or fleeing are thrown around, she speaks calmly but passionately about wanting a better community where the Mennonite women have agency and educations, as well as being safe and free. Indeed, because the group cannot read or write, formerly ex-communicated teacher August (Ben Whishaw, No Time to Die) is the lone male permitted to their meeting, taking minutes. More than a decade has passed between Polley's third film and Women Talking, and cinema has been all the poorer for it. How rich and resonant — how raw, sensitive and potent at the same time — her latest directorial effort proves. Compassionate and thoughtful in every frame, it scorches as a based-on-a-true-tale drama and as a state-of-the-world allegory, and says just as much beneath all the feverish utterances. Even with the Mennonite order's rules and conformity, costuming and hairstyles convey plenty about varying personalities. Letting colour seep into the movie's characters as the sun sets parallels the vibrant personalities these ladies are not expected to possess. And when Women Talking peers at the boys of the collective, it does so softly, asking what it takes to turn those innocent faces into men who'd subdue Salome, Mariche, Ona and company with cow tranquillisers to violate them. Such a complex and empathetic feature that's also intense, gripping and wide-ranging — pondering gender inequality, what community truly means and should stand for, religious devotion and the sins permitted in its name, unthinking compliance to any societal order and more — is unsurprisingly packed with performances to match. Women Talking's cast are deservedly up for the 2023 Screen Actors Guild Awards ensemble prize, while Buckley and Whishaw earned Gotham Awards nominations as well; there's no weak link in this troupe, including with all the rhythmic chatter. Each in their own way, Foy, Mara, McDormand and their co-stars radiate heartbreak, determination, vulnerability and anger. Whishaw is similarly excellent, but also never the film's focus. These portrayals are talking, too, in a movie that wouldn't fantasise about offering easy answers — but dreams of the possibilities spirited conversations and no longer staying silent can and do bring.
In his most recent big-screen adventure, the mission of globetrotting super-spy James Bond took him to Istanbul, Macau and the misty Scottish highlands. But now the world’s suavest (and least secret) secret agent will finally make it to Australia, with an exhibit at the Melbourne Museum set to display some of the most iconic weapons, vehicles, outfits and gadgets from 007’s 50 year career. Organised in collaboration with EON Productions and the Barbican Centre in London, Designing 007 – 50 Years of Bond Style showcases more than 400 props from the blockbuster franchise's 23 films. Just a few of the highlights include Jaws’ teeth from The Spy Who Loved Me, Scaramanga’s golden gun and Bond’s beloved Aston Martin. The curators were unfortunately unable to get their hands on Ursula Andress’ bikini from Dr. No, so that famous piece of swimwear appears only as a replica. On the plus side, Daniel Craig’s actual budgie smugglers from Casino Royale will be proudly on display.
The team behind South Melbourne's Park Street Pasta & Wine have some serious street cred when it comes to crowd-pleasing Italian food. And they're about to expand that fan base even further — now, they've opened the doors to their new restaurant venture Osteria Renata, just a quick hop east in the heart of Prahran. Co-owners Alex Ghaddab and Gus Cadden (Head Chef) have delivered High Street a warm, modern take on the classic osteria and named it in honour of Ghaddab's Polish-Ukrainian grandmother. [caption id="attachment_859742" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] There's a sense of generous hospitality throughout, with a comforting, yet imaginative food offering matched by inviting interiors sporting soft olive accents and natural timbers. An onsite pasta lab steers the menu's carb component, as Cadden embraces both the traditional and the innovative. You might find yourself twirling your fork around tagliatelle in a spicy pork shoulder ragu; or vegging out with the porcini, mushroom and caramelised leek quadratti. Give them 48 hours' notice if you fancy trying the statement spaghetti dish, swimming in rich brodetto and topped with half a rock lobster. [caption id="attachment_859747" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] Snack sessions are well catered, with a strong lineup of antipasti — maybe, decadently crisp gnocco fritto paired with 36-month-aged Iberico jamon, barbecued octopus skewers finished with nduja, and a plump burrata knot sat atop fava puree and drizzled in brown butter vinaigrette. Try an Italian craft brew or a Piedmontese nebbiolo to match. A whole roasted garfish crowns a dish of fregola with pippies and bottarga, and the veal cotoletta features crispy capers and a blanket of pecorino. And the spiced pumpkin semifreddo is as warming a winter dessert as it sounds. [caption id="attachment_859743" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Thom Mitchell[/caption] There's a strong Italian lean to the drinks list, where Euro-inspired signature sips rule the cocktail selection, the spritz count is around four, and Italian vino is celebrated alongside drops from Australia, France and Spain. A handful of rotating wine taps will also offer a taste of what's happening with Italian varietals in the local winemaking game. Located out the back, the aforementioned pasta lab won't just be whipping up fresh pasta stocks for the Osteria Renata and Park Street kitchens, but will eventually play host to a program of pasta-making workshops. And come balmier days, the al fresco space between the two buildings will be brought to life as the Prosecco Garden, with room for 25. [caption id="attachment_859748" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] Find Osteria Renata at 436-438 High Street, Prahran. It's open 12pm–late Tuesday–Saturday. Images: Parker Blain and Thom Mitchell
There's this wondrous thing about magic: it almost never fails to capture the imagination of even the most ardent cynic. It might just be for a split second, maybe even less, but in that fleeting moment as the card reappears or the coin vanishes or god knows what else, you can't help but ask yourself "...how the hell did they just do that?" Because of course we all know magic doesn't exist, not real magic, yet our inability to reconcile that which we know from what we've just seen needles away at our curiosity like a splinter under the skin. It's baffling and frustrating and utterly beguiling. But then there's this awful thing about magic in film: it almost never succeeds in capturing the imagination of even the most hopeful viewer. That's because film, unlike real life, already possess the ability to do everything the imagination can muster. The transformation of a pigeon into a pocket square can never hope to impress when space ships can warp into black holes, child wizards can drag race dragons and Hulks can smash. Good movies about magic (such as 2006's The Prestige) aren't about magic, they're about the magicians, and yet the problem with Now You See Me, is that it never really commits to being about either. At the start of the film (when the only genuine magic trick takes place and is legitimately good enough to elicit an audible response from the audience), we meet four magicians played by Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco and Woody Harrelson. All are performing independently until a mysterious benefactor brings them together with the challenge of executing the "greatest magic trick ever conceived". Fast forward a year and they pull it off: a live televised robbery of a French bank vault without ever leaving their stage in Las Vegas. With the promise of even greater robberies to follow, the FBI brings in cynical agent Mark Ruffalo to stop them, whilst professional 'debunker' Morgan Freeman sets out to expose the means behind the magic. There are some nice performances from Harrelson and Mélanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds); however, the plot is utterly ridiculous and the magic isn't even remotely engrossing. It's a sort of 'pop heist movie'; an Ocean's Eleven for Gen-Y that's more concerned with looking cool than being it. https://youtube.com/watch?v=KzJNYYkkhzc
Liam Neeson is back, along with a very particular set of skills that he'll use to separate film-goers from their money. The third film in the Luc Besson-produced action series, Taken 3 once again sees ex-special forces operative Bryan Mills wreak havoc on a group of Eastern European gangsters, all in the name of protecting his wife and daughter. To their minimal credit, screenwriters Besson and Robert Mark Kamen at least try to break the mould a little, inasmuch as Taken 3 doesn't feel like a carbon copy of the original as the second movie did. Even so, there's no forgiving their tin-eared dialogue and wafer-thin storyline, not to mention the fact that director Olivier Megaton still doesn't know how to frame or edit an action scene. Not that that last point necessarily matters as much as you'd think, given that, for what is supposedly an action movie, Taken 3 contains very little action. Most of the first act is instead dedicated to Mills bumbling through a series of family problems, first botching a birthday gift to his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) and then providing marriage counselling to his ex-wife Lenore (Famke Jensen), whose marriage to rich dickhead Stuart (Dougray Scott) is on the rocks. Say what you will about his skull-shattering prowess; as an actual father and husband, this guy kind of blows. Luckily, he doesn't have to worry about that for long, because before you can say "cheap plot device", someone comes along and cuts Lenore's throat. Even worse, they frame poor old Bryan for the murder. The rest of film sees him running around Los Angeles in pursuit of the actual killers, while at the same time avoiding capture by LAPD Detective Franck Dotzler (Forest Whitaker) — a cop whose habit of constantly fiddling with a chess piece is meant to paint him as some kind of eccentric investigative genius, despite the fact that he basically spends the whole movie at least three steps behind his suspect. Of course stupid and/or lazy writing wouldn't be so much of a problem if the film supplied us with decent action — after all, just look at John Wick. Yet despite this being Megaton's fifth time behind the wheel of a shoot-'em-up actioner, his execution of the film's chase and shootout sequences can only be described as incompetent. Flailing handheld camerawork, frantic over-editing and claustrophobic close-ups make it basically impossible to distinguish Miles from his enemies, or to decipher the geography of a given scene. It's ugly, frustrating and totally lacking in tension, and makes the film’s scant 93-minute runtime feel a good fifteen minutes too long.
Forget The Big Bang Theory — in The Flight Attendant, Kaley Cuoco well and truly leaves her long-running stint in the popular (and just-finished) sitcom behind. Exactly what her character does for work won't come as a surprise given the mini-series' title, but the fact that she wakes up in a Bangkok hotel room next to a dead body and then finds FBI agents on her trail when she returns to New York sparks a mighty big mystery. If it sounds familiar, perhaps you've read Chris Bohjalian's 2018 novel of the same name. Before it even hit bookstores, Cuoco's production company snapped up the rights to turn it into a thrilling TV show. Accordingly, it's clearly a passion project for the actor and executive producer, and promises to treat audiences to an array of twists and turns.
If a fresh bread roll, an expertly grilled patty and a slice of melted cheese is your idea of a perfect meal, then you might just have September 18 permanently marked in your diary. Each and every year, that's when the world's most dedicated cheeseburger lovers celebrate their favourite food. We're not saying that burgs will taste better on that date — or that it's really a legitimate day of celebration — but if you just can't get enough of the them, it's definitely worth your attention. Especially if there are cheap burgers involved. Which, this year, there are. Good Times Milk Bar will be selling $5 cheeseburgers in its cafe and from its takeaway window on Wednesday, September 18. Head to Tucker Road between 11am and 4pm to bag a delicious bargain. For those new to the milk bar's take on an old fave, GTMB whips up a beef patty, layers it with pickles, lettuce, American cheese, then squirts on some secret sauce. Next, it's all placed between a soft sesame-crusted bun. And it tastes even better when it's less than half the regular price. $5 cheeseburgers are available from 11am–4pm. Image: Simon Shiff
Turning the cute and cuddly into the rude and crude isn't a new concept. Everything from Greg the Bunny to Meet the Feebles to Ted has been there and done that with varying degrees of success, while the irreverent Who Framed Roger Rabbit bounced through somewhat similar terrain as well. It's not a lack of originality that proves The Happytime Murders' undoing, however. Rather, it's failing to realise that an amusing (albeit well-worn) premise still needs some fluff in its felt. He might come from a puppetry pedigree, but almost every single joke in Brian Henson's new film offers a variation on the same thing: what if puppets drank, did drugs, swore and had sex? Henson, son of The Muppets mastermind Jim Henson and director of both The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island, wasn't responsible for The Happytime Murders' script. That honour goes to Todd Berger (It's a Disaster, Cover Version), although there's little in the way that Henson executes the screenplay that extends past playing up the obvious. In fact, other than flesh-and-blood stars Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph and Elizabeth Banks, the movie's best touch actually springs from the writer's pen. In a film that endeavours to dive into nostalgic territory only to tear it apart in a sea of filthy fabric, having misbehaving puppets snort sugar as their substance of choice is a clever inclusion. Something sweet becomes something toxic, mirroring the picture's own gleeful approach. Made of blue material and sporting a gloomy attitude to match, Phil Philips (voiced by Bill Barretta) roams Los Angeles' streets as a wizened gumshoe. In short succession, two events change his life: he's hired by a seductive new client, and, working her case, he's found at the scene of a violent crime in a puppet porn shop. Before you can say "an octopus fondling cow udders" (something that happens in The Happytime Murders in graphic detail), another killing occurs, and Phil is teamed up with police detective Connie Edwards (McCarthy) to get to the bottom of it all. That the murder victims were all stars on 80s puppet TV show The Happytime Gang complicates matters, as does the fact that Phil was once the LAPD's first puppet cop (and Edwards' partner). While the puppet body count keeps climbing, little else in The Happytime Murders evolves across its mercifully brief running-time. From start to finish, it thinks that toys ejaculating silly string and having Basic Instinct moments is the height of humour. And let's be clear — we're not saying that puppets behaving badly can't be funny, just that it wears not just thin but threadbare here, and incredibly quickly. To give them credit, the filmmakers do try to branch beyond the Team America-style debauchery, setting their story in a world where the plush are treated like second-class citizens, dubbed 'felties' by their 'meat sack' oppressors and given no respect, in an attempt to parallel real-life racial discrimination. And yet, as well-meaning as that part of the story is, it's simply used to set up more debased jokes. It's also hardly unique, especially if the aforementioned Who Framed Roger Rabbit was one of your childhood favourites. Similarly working against the limp film is its unconvincing appearance, which never sells the idea that humans and talking pieces of cloth are actually interacting. There's an awkward, stilted feeling emanating from every scene, and it speaks volumes that the movie's most entertaining sequence involves Bridesmaids co-stars McCarthy and Rudolph and absolutely no characters fashioned from floppy material. Of course, a lot of hard work and skill went into making the furry figures come to life, as behind-the-scenes footage over the picture's closing credits shows. But, as the otherwise unseen green-suited puppeteers manoeuvre stitched-together toys, their efforts contribute to a stitched-together film that can't survive on a rote noir storyline, some human energy and too many gags about puppets gone wild. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ8R5xJeYfU
Given its title, audiences could be forgiven for thinking that The Promise is a Nicholas Sparks-penned romance. It's not, although in truth this tale of love in the time of the Armenian genocide isn't all that different from the sappy fluff the author of The Notebook, The Lucky One and The Choice tends to peddle. Indeed, the latest effort from writer-director Terry George (Hotel Rwanda) has a one-track agenda: bringing an attractive couple together, tearing them apart and then forcing them to overcome horrific obstacles in an attempt to reunite. Oscar Isaac and Charlotte Le Bon play Armenians during the First World War. He's Mikael, a poor village apothecary who agrees to marry a local girl so he can use the dowry to pay for medical school in Constantinople. She's Ana, a well-off tutor who was raised in Paris. When sparks fly, there's plenty of complicating factors keeping them apart — including his betrothed back home and her boyfriend Chris (Christian Bale), an arrogant but fearless American journalist. Then there's the matter of the Ottoman Empire's campaign of violence against their people, which hinders Mikael and Ana at every turn. If it sounds as though we're downplaying the horrors inflicted on the Armenian population, that's because we're taking our cues from the film. The Promise never pushes the Turkish military's eradication efforts to the side — in fact, there's plenty of bleakness and brutality on display. Yet by using the conflict as a backdrop for a sweeping love story, the end result is the same. Given that the movie is billed as the first major feature to explore these particular events, that's obviously an problem. It really should go without saying that such an awful chapter of history doesn't need to be packaged as a grand romance to evoke an emotional reaction, and that it clearly deserves more considered, thoughtful treatment. Of course, filmmakers have been pairing love and war for as long as they've been making movies. The problem is that The Promise doesn't even try to find the right balance. Instead, it turns a rising death toll into a glimmer of hope that the central duo will find a way to be together. When you think about what that could mean for the other players in their overlapping love triangles, it all seems not only calculated, but highly disrespectful as well. Two factors at least help The Promise look the part, even if it struggles elsewhere. Handsome cinematography gives the movie the requisite epic sheen, while Isaac, Le Bon and Bale all put in solid performances. There's energy in their portrayals that isn't evident in the material otherwise, although sadly the trio can't completely enliven bland characters. Rather, they're stuck being the best things about a film that doesn't know the difference between having good intentions and actually following through on them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxjkuy3c3Lw
Need a bit of extra motivation to exercise while you're spending more time at home? Would the chance to dress up and step back in time make you more eager to burn some calories? If so, hop to Retrosweat VHS Workout Club — an online series of themed workouts inspired by 80s and led by Shannon Dooley of Physique Aerobics, who's 'saving the world one grapevine at a time' and injecting a lot more fun (and eye shadow) into exercising. Her usual Sydney classes celebrate the glorious music and dance moves of the 80s — think Prince and Madonna — and now she's bringing it all to your living room. Best of all, it's free. Sessions are about an hour long and all experience levels are welcome, so don't rule yourself out if you think you have two left feet. Pop on your finest g-string leotard, pull back your teased hair with a scrunchy and pull up those leg warmers because it's time to shvitz. To join the club, just head here and enter your details. Classes are added weekly and each will have a different theme such as Palm Springs pool party and #SynthWaveSweat, too, to keep things interesting. While you can get your buns burning for free, donations are encouraged to make sure the fun-fuelled workouts keep coming. https://youtu.be/6cuVw89shw0
In just a couple of months, the days will be getting chillier and you'll be, once again, unpacking beanies and mitts — and cosy weekend getaways are likely already on your mind. Happily, this year sees the return of a popular pop-up accommodation option to regional Victorian, with the Wine Down Pop-Up Hotel heading back to two wineries this autumn. The two beautifully upcycled shipping container hotels are the work of Contained — known for crafting bars, restaurants, offices and hotels out of shipping containers — and are all at once comfy, luxuriously appointed and sustainably crafted. And they'll soon be well-travelled, moving across two of the state's best-loved wine regions between March and June. Designed to inspire some weekend adventures in your own backyard, the pop-up eco hotels will be making their home at Montalto and sister estate Tucks in the Mornington Peninsula (Monday, March 29–Monday, April 26), which has restaurants and even its own sculpture trail. Then, they'll be heading to the historic Rutherglen's All Saints Estate (Wednesday, May 5–Wednesday, June 2). Nestled among the vines, the self-contained Wine Down retreats come kitted out with a swag of high-end trimmings, boasting a plush queen-size bed with primo Cultiver linen, bathroom stocked with Australian-made toiletries, a minibar with a bottle of the property's finest vino, a breakfast hamper of local produce and floor-to-ceiling windows leading onto a deck. You'll also have access to your own private pizza oven, so you can cook up some fancy pies after a hard day of wine drinking. The Wine Down Pop-Up Hotel is heading to Mornington Peninsula from Monday, March 29–Monday, April 26, and Rutherglen from Wednesday, May 5–Wednesday, June 2. Prices start at $275 per night from Sundays through Thursdays and $375 per night on weekends.
As the world ramps up for the latest edition of the world's largest sporting competition later this month, many of us are looking at our bank accounts and finding we're short a few bucks to afford the flights to Paris. Fret not — you can grab a small slice of the Olympic action right here in Melbourne, all for free, at Melbourne Quarter. Never one to miss an opportunity for celebration, the inner city precinct is bringing Parisian delights on Thursday, August 1 and Wednesday, August 7. Those delights start with an Olympic-inspired eclairs pop-up on August 1 from Glacé Desserts, where you can enjoy some creamy pastry treats in the flavours of raspberry, chocolate and caramel, matcha, coffee milk chocolate and passionfruit. There's also a special offering on August 7, with chocolate-covered strawberries available with any purchase at a retailer in the precinct, so hold onto those receipts. Throughout the week, there'll be live music and game highlights broadcast live on the big screens. Paris Olympic Popups will be taking place at Melbourne Quarter on Thursday, August 1 and Wednesday, August 7. Entry is free.
¡Viva el cine español! Australia's carnival of Spanish-language cinema is on the verge of adulthood and is celebrating the occasion in style. Commemorating its 17th birthday in 2014, the Spanish Film Festival will once again showcase the best of the Spanish and Latin American film industry, from twisting crime tales to slick ensemble love stories, heart-warming comedies and searing social dramas. This year's festivities will be bookended by two big favourites from Spain's prestigious Goya awards. Opening night features the sixties-set road-trip movie Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed, winner of six statues including Best Picture, Director and Actor. Two-a-half-weeks later, the macabre comic fantasy Witching and Bitching, featuring Best Supporting Actress Terele Pávez, will bring the festival to a close. Other highlights on the 30-film program include The Golden Cage, which won Best Cast at the Cannes Film Festival, and Scorpion in Love, a boxing drama in which Javier Bardem plays a neo-Nazi gang leader. (Not such a heartthrob now, is he ladies?) For the full Spanish Film Festival lineup, visit the festival website Image: Still from Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed. https://youtube.com/watch?v=xAPS2uPFNkY
It's a tale as old as time, again — but in an escape room-meets-scavenger hunt way. An interactive IRL game based on Beauty and the Beast will have fans running around the streets of Sydney in 2023. This new pastime hails from CluedUpp, which has already busted out CSI, Jack the Ripper, and witchcraft and wizarding-themed activities around Australia — plus Alice in Wonderland games, too. Here, the company wants you to be its guest to get sleuthing. Its Beauty and the Beast game involves roaming around outdoors on an adventure that takes its cues from the classic 18th-century fairy tale that's earned such a following, as combined with a whodunnit-style mystery. Beloved story? Tick. Inserting fans into said narrative? Tick again. Working in the ever-popular genre that is the whodunnit? Tick once more. Throw in the whole escape room and scavenger hunt elements, and it does sound like something that an algorithm would come up with — and a lot of fun. Hitting Melbourne on three Saturdays — July 15, August 12 and September 30 — this spin on Beauty and the Beast starts with the latter getting cursed again. Forget love — this time, there's challenges to complete, clues to crack and fairy tale characters for you and your mates to interrogate. Participants get involved in teams of up to six, roaming around outdoors with their phones to help. And yes, if you want to dress up to fit the theme, you can.
Since its founding in 1989, the story of Bangarra Dance Theatre has been the story of First Nations culture and tales leaping, spinning, swirling and twirling across the stage via some of the best dance works that Australia has ever produced. Sometimes, including in the films Spear and Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra, those stories and that unparalleled artistry has also swayed across the screen. Wherever Bangarra's talents have spread, the end results have always proven a must-see. In the organisation's 35-year history so far, however, it hasn't ever put together a show like Horizon before. Playing Arts Centre Melbourne on Wurundjeri Country from Wednesday, August 28–Saturday, September 7, this is the iconic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performing arts company's first mainstage cross-cultural collaboration, expanding its focus to include tales from across Oceania. Joining forces: Māori choreographer and Arts Laureate Moss Te Ururangi Patterson, a veteran of Atamira Dance Company who is now the Chief Executive and Artistic Director at The New Zealand Dance Company; and Deborah Brown, a Helpmann Award-winning senior Bangarra dancer for 13 years with Torres Strait and Scottish heritage. In a production that takes its name to heart by pondering the space where the sky and sea meet, Patterson and Brown's The Light Inside pays tribute to the duo's respective countries while musing on what it means when we peer at the horizon looking for guidance and the way home. Beforehand, audiences are also treated to Sani Townson's Kulka, with an expanded form from its 2023 debut at Dance Clan opening Horizon. Images: Daniel Boud.
Back in 2018 for its 12th instalment, Opera Australia's popular Mazda Opera in the Bowl returns to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl for a wonderful night of opera under the stars — and it's absolutely free. Featuring some of Australia's top vocal talent in soprano Natalie Aroyan, mezzo-soprano Sian Pendry, tenor Virgilio Marino and baritone Luke Gabbedy, Opera in the Bowl will have you whistling along to famous tunes you didn't even know you knew. Gather the crew (and your trusty picnic basket) and settle in for a night of some of opera's most famous and most beautiful moments. But don't worry if you don't actually own a picnic basket — a whole heap of the city's best food trucks will be there cooking up a storm and the garden bar will be slinging all sorts of cusp-of-summer drinks. As for the soundtrack, a parade of famous arias, duets and overtures is sure to delight all music fans, whether you are an opera aficionado or you don't know Bellini from a bellini. If nothing else, it's a perfect cheap date idea.
Short, smart and sharp as a tack, The Party flies in the face of one of modern-day cinema's worst instincts. When we say it's short, we mean it, with this hilarious social satire clocking in at just 71 minutes. As an argument in support of concise, compact filmmaking (and against protracted running times with pointless meandering and overdone special effects), the movie really couldn't be stronger. Who needs to spend two to three hours watching '80s nostalgia, giant robots or whatever other bloated spectacle keeps coming our way when you can laugh heartily and frequently through this brief, biting take on Britain's bourgeois? Of course, we're generalising. Not all lengthy blockbusters overstay their welcome, but few do exactly what they need to in the exact right amount of time like The Party. That said, the latest film from writer-director Sally Potter (Ginger & Rosa) doesn't just win over viewers with brevity and succinctness. Among its considerable charms, the movie also boasts scathing humour and a stellar lineup of talent. The fast-paced shenanigans start with Janet (Kristin Scott Thomas) opening the door to her London home, staring directly at the camera and looking incredibly unhappy. Jump back to earlier in the evening, when she's just been appointed Shadow Minister for Health and is preparing to host friends to celebrate. Her husband Bill (Timothy Spall) seems to be getting into the mood with a few drinks, although he's rather maudlin given the occasion. Entering at their own leisure, the guests are a motley crew of emotions and moods. The snarky April (Patricia Clarkson) fights with her soon-to-be-ex Gottfried (Bruno Ganz); expectant couple Martha (Cherry Jones) and Jinny (Emily Mortimer) bicker over their approaches to motherhood; while banker Tom (Cillian Murphy) bides his time by doing cocaine in the bathroom — and trying to find somewhere to hide his gun. With The Party confining its characters to Janet's house and charting their actions almost in real time, things get heated rather quickly. Secrets are spilled, tempers seesaw, relationships threaten to unravel and acidic one-liners fly thick and fast – with a few earnest confessions thrown in for good measure. The specific surprises and revelations are best discovered by watching, but Potter and co-writer Walter Donohue (a story editor on much of the filmmaker's work) do more than just thrust seven people into close quarters and wait for them to erupt. As the conversation flows, the movie covers everything from class clashes to gender roles to political instability, in a manner that very much feels like a product of its post-Brexit timing. In what is perhaps a surprise for such a dialogue-heavy piece, the arguing and antics are shot in crisp black-and-white, with gorgeous roaming imagery that isn't afraid to get up close and personal. As a result, the movie sparkles not only in its comedy but in its visuals, which also helps overcome an obvious issue. Yes, The Party can sometimes resemble a play, albeit a particularly brisk and snappy one. Still, if Potter had plonked the same scenario and actors onto the stage, it'd still be an utter delight to watch. As for her cast, there are no weak links among the high-profile bunch — although Clarkson gets all of the best lines and Murphy will make you wish he flexed his comic chops much more often. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb4FF6lCqFw
Remember how good it felt to run around barefoot as a kid? The team at Sole Mechanics want to give you back that feeling by helping you reinstate natural movement, starting from the soles of the feet. Offering an extensive range of natural movement shoes (which basically feels like you're wearing nothing at all), the brand aims to help customers naturally increase lower limb strength, improve posture and increase efficiency and performance. You will have heard the phrase 'move it or lose it', but the talented bunch behind Sole Mechanics knows it isn't always that easy. That's why they stock a wide range of natural motion footwear to help your body get back on track.
Mirek Aldridge is one of a new breed of indie brewers: a ragtag bunch of beer nerds, home brew and craft enthusiasts whose love for beer has driven them toward turning pro. But brewing independently needn't mean recklessly. A vintage arcade machine sits in the corner. "I bought it from America, 10 years ago," says Aldridge, which was roughly around the same time he began home brewing. He'd bought the machine to one day go in his bar. "It actually came with a stack of quarters and a bible stashed inside of it, which was pretty weird." In the corner opposite, hidden behind a row of shiny chrome fermenters, is Aldridge's old 70L all-grain home brewing kit. All of the recipes being brewed at The Mill Brewery, Aldridge's first venture into commercial brewing, were captured initially on this 70L system. It's no match for the 600L system he's brewing on now and which dominates the rear third of the bar and brewery, but it's the perfect size to test out a new batch or to brew a limited one-off keg. "Because we're so small it makes it hard to lock in contracts," says Aldridge. "We're not asking for 100 kg of hops at a time, we're asking for maybe 5 kg. But in saying that, it opens up opportunities for us to go and talk to hop growers directly and actually go out to the hop farms and pick our own hops." The Mill will be running up to eight taps in total but upon opening with brews and food trucks over the weekend of March 25 and 26, Aldrige intends to keep things simple. Three taps pouring an American-styled pale ale, a black Indian pale ale and a vanilla porter will round out the offering in addition to another guest beer tap and a cider tap. Just as much attention has been poured over the wine list which features a bold selection of Victorian varietals, a pinot noir from New Zealand's North Canterbury, a Barossa GSM and Canberrian cool climate shiraz. The Mill, from the homemade red gum tables to the self-confessed obsession with hops and aromatics, has been a lifelong labour for Aldridge. The Mill is pet-friendly and will be serviced by a roster of food trucks on launching. Find The Mill Brewery at 40 Sackville St, Collingwood. For more information, head to their Facebook page.
Since 2017, the Melbourne-based National Gallery of Victoria has hosted the NGV Triennial art showcase every three years, with this summer's iteration from Sunday, December 3, 2023–Sunday, April 7, 2024 the third. Designed to provide a portrait of the world each time it is staged — art trends and breakthroughs; the artists making them; and the themes, ideas and events they're responding to — each NGV Triennial delivers a hefty program. This time, there's 75 works from 100-plus artists, complete with more than 25 world-premiere projects, all tying into the themes of magic, matter and memory. A big highlight: Boston Dynamics robot dogs, which are showing off their very good painting skills. This clearly isn't Black Mirror, with Polish-born Agnieszka Pilat training the robot dogs to make art, as NGV Triennial attendees can watch happen. They're creating a monolithic durational work, with Pilat exploring technology's power in modern life in the process. While attending NGV Triennial is free, you don't have to go inside the NGV International on St Kilda Road to see Yoko Ono's contribution. Drawing upon six decades making art, including her famed Instruction Pieces and major public art commissions, she has provided a large-scale text-based piece that displays on the building's façade. One of the joys of an exhibition like this is the sheer variety of works — although Paris haute couture house Maison Schiaparelli's involvement would be a standout anyway. Artistic Director Daniel Roseberry has picked items from recent collections to display, plus a range of gilded surrealist accessories and body adornment. And, as well as showing his penchant for pushing boundaries and pairing art and fashion, there's a celestial theme. Also immersive: Tokyo-based artist Azuma Makoto's room-sized homage to nature, specifically plants and their magic, beauty and life force. The artist has frozen Australian flowers and botanicals into acrylic blocks, then combined them with a multi-screen film about the life and death of blooms. Yes, you'll be thinking about nature while you take it in. Tracey Emin has contributed a series of works, including five-metre-high text-based neon light installation based on the British artist's own handwriting. From Paris-based and American-born sculptor Sheila Hicks, Nowhere to Go stacks her blue-hued bulbous sculptures against a wall. Or, there's David Shrigley's Really Good — a seven-metre-high thumbs-up. Elsewhere, the massive one-hundred-metre-long woven fish fence Mun-dirra was made over two years by ten artists and their apprentices from the Burarra language group Maningrida, Arnhem Land — while large-scale commission Megacities tasked ten street photographers to snap Cairo, Dhaka, Jakarta, Delhi, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Seoul, Lagos, Tokyo and Mexico City in all their urban glory. Don't miss Hugh Hayden's The end installation, which recreates a primary-school classroom but gets apocalyptic with branches and dodo skeletons. The full list of featured artists also spans Petrit Halilaj, Betty Muffler, Hoda Afshar and Fernando Laposse, plus Flora Yukhnovich, Yee I-Lann, Joyce Ho, Shakuntala Kulkarni and SMACK — and more, obviously. Images: installation views of Azuma Makoto's work, designs by Maison Schiaparelli, Agnieszka Pilat's work Heterobota and Yoko Ono's work I Love You Earth, on display as part of NGV Triennial at NGV International, Melbourne. Photos: Sean Fennessy.
Flight Facilities are mixing it up. Flying high from their Triple J House Party Tour, the Sydney-based duo will be performing their world-famous series of DJ mixtapes for the first time ever. The mixes, entitled Decades, will be performed over two nights. Friday will uncover the rhythmic prowess of 1972-1992, and Saturday will delve into 1992-2012. Given the band’s reputation for touring with flying goggles and aviator jackets, make sure you come dressed to impress. There are prizes for best costume each night, and the shows don't start 'til 11pm so you'll have the cover of darkness to hide your glitter on the way in. Mostly, just come prepared for some pretty vigorous dancing. If you’re craving an excellent night out, this is it.
Back in March 2020, Victoria implemented a State of Emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a move it has extended monthly since. So, while originally due to expire at midnight on Monday, April 13, the State of Emergency has been prolonged every time it has approached its end date. And, although it's now 2021, it has just been extended again. The state is currently working through its roadmap to ease out of lockdowns. That said, because things can change quickly where the coronavirus is concerned, the Victorian Government also recently implementing new restrictions in response to the most recent COVID-19 outbreak. Accordingly, extending the State of Emergency is hardly surprising news. It was prolonged from 11.59pm on Sunday, January 3, 2021, and now runs through until 11.59pm on Sunday, January 29, 2021 — although, of course, it could be continued again then. The State of Emergency declaration allows the state's authorised officers to "act to eliminate or reduce a serious risk to public health" as directed by Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton. That means restricting movement, preventing entry to premises and venues, and detaining people — measures that have been in place for almost a year now as the state responds to the coronavirus. Victoria had also been in a declared State of Disaster since the beginning of August, which gives police additional powers to ensure that Victorians are complying with public health directions — but that was allowed to lapse in November. Fines continue to be handed out to folks who breach the restrictions — with the state's on-the-spot financial penalties spanning up to $4659 for individuals if you test positive for COVID-19 or have symptoms and are awaiting test results, but fail to isolate at home. People who repeatedly break the rules can also be sent to the Magistrates Court and fined up to $20,000. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Victoria and how to protect yourself, head to the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services website.
Melbourne is a city of cyclists. Sure, the bike paths in the CBD could use more work. Sure, tram tracks are basically the enemy of everyone on two wheels. But still, there's no better place to be on a bike. Except maybe Amsterdam. They're so good at it, they don't even have to wear helmets. Urban Bicycles is a store that gives you the best of both worlds — Dutch-made bikes sold in Melbourne's inner suburbs for cheaps. This weekend they're having a one-off warehouse sale where bikes from premier brands Lekker and Vanmoof will be discounted up to 50 percent. As well as helmets, saddles, lights and locks, there will be everything from leisurely single speeds to slick European wheels befitting a pro. Get down to 392 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne between 11am and 5pm on either Saturday or Sunday and barter your way into a slick Dutch ride.
Sure, Melbourne has a lot of cool things happening, pretty much all of the time. But White Night is something special. It's hard to find anything much cooler than an entire night of live music, movies, roving performers and pop-up art. It attracted huge audiences in its inaugural run last year, and the recently released 2014 program looks even better; a cultural playground from dusk 'til dawn. In a celebration of music, art, fashion, theatre and performance, White Night will feature a mix of free and ticketed entertainment, spread out over 12 hours. The events on offer are quite extensive so the program has been separated into regions defined by areas of the diverse cityscape for your convenience. The Lucky Dip region will feature a kaleidoscope of sideshow spectaculars, promising the thrills and delights of carnival culture all the way up central Swanston Street. Of particular note is A Vogue Idea, which sees Matthew Linde lead a group of more than 30 identically dressed models through some of Melbourne’s fanciest venues, in an exploration of how fashion informs human interaction and the tradition of opening night. Flinders Street Station and Fed Square will again be a focal point this year as they showcase projections, installations, photography and dance. The station will again be transformed into a stunning light display (Wonderland) and an extensive program list is available at ACMI and The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia as well. Bourke Street Mall will feature the J+R&B Music Stage, dedicated to rhythm and blues that will be programmed by Julie O’Hara. And the Vortex region of Southbank Pedestrian Bridge will become an immersive cocoon of light — a dazzling installation in the centre of the river. The great thing about White Night last year that it had something for everyone. You don't have to be into dance or theatre or art to appreciate the fun. It's a night to celebrate the city's passions, yes, but it's also a chance for all Melbournians to explore their city in a way that is otherwise impossible, in the night that is like no other. White Night 2014 will be on February 22 from 7pm 'til 7am. Check the website to see the full program.
The Social Network isn't a rowing film, but the Henley Royal Regatta sequence in David Fincher's (The Killer) 2010 triumph quickly became one of cinema's most-famous oar-sweeping moments. Prestige, money, tradition, opulence, power, competition, determination: they all wash through the tightly shot segment, which gleams with the water of the River Thames, the sweat on the crew's faces and, just as importantly, with status. Definitely a rowing film, The Boys in the Boat paddles into the same world; however, a commentator's line mid-movie sums up the focus and angle of this old-fashioned underdog sports flick. "Old money versus no money at all" is how the usual big and rich names in the field and the University of Washington's junior varsity team are compared. George Clooney's (The Tender Bar) ninth feature as a director doesn't just spot the class-clash difference there — his entire picture wades into that gulf. Drawn from 2013 non-fiction novel The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown, reuniting Clooney with his The Midnight Sky screenwriter Mark L Smith in the process, The Boys in the Boat is about the UW's rowing efforts, rower Joe Rantz and coach Al Ulbrickson, too — plus an against-the-odds quest, bold choices, the struggles of the Great Depression, the reality of an Olympics held under the Nazi regime and the looming shadow of war. But thrumming at its heart like a coxswain is setting the pace is the mission to keep afloat one stroke at a time, and not merely in the pursuit of glory and medals. What rowing means to Rantz (Callum Turner, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore), the character at its centre, as well as to the classmates-turned-crewmates catching and extracting with him, is pure survival first and foremost. Rantz is the engineering student who lines his shoes with newspaper to cover the holes in their soles, has no reliable place to sleep and hasn't been a stranger to going hungry for years. He's had zero family to support him since he was 14, thanks to his remarried dad, and he'll no longer be at college if he can't come up with his tuition fees. If the details weren't all true, and if The Boys in the Boat wasn't so matter-of-fact about them — patient in its overall pacing, handsome in its imagery, and clear-eyed about the dire and desperate situation its protagonist is in when everything changes — then the movie's plot might seem to be a Hollywood confection. Indeed, Clooney's current jump behind the lens feels like a throwback thanks to its sincerity, and its understatement along with it. Finding emotion in the specifics of Rantz's life and feats isn't hard, so there's no forceful poking and jabbing needed. That existence-shifting turn comes via trials for UW's JV rowers, not out of affinity for or interest in the sport but because his similarly doing-it-rough pal Roger Morris (Sam Strike, American Outlaws) mentions that there'll be lodging and pay for whoever gets picked. Hundreds show up. Only eight will make it. The gratitude in their eyes is the antithesis of the entitlement spied when The Boys in the Boat enrols them in races against competitors from cashed-up schools, and as The Social Network's time in racing shells splashed around so successfully. Where Rantz's journey glides from there isn't difficult to guess, as seen in training montages, rising passion for his new endeavour, gaining more confidence about falling for childhood friend Joyce (Hadley Robinson, Anyone But You), butting heads with the stoic Ulbrickson (Joel Edgerton, I'm a Virgo) and receiving words of wisdom from boatbuilder George Pocock (Peter Guinness, Jack Ryan). And yet, in a move that separates it from the clumsy breeziness of the other underdog sports flick based on real-life hitting silver screens of late, Next Goal Wins, it's always told with the utmost earnestness. The Boys in the Boat is solid, then — an apt state for a film about securing sure footing atop a substance that's anything but. Clooney's fellow key craftspeople, including cinematographer Martin Ruhe (who shot The Tender Bar and The Midnight Sky), editor Tanya M Swerling (returning from The Tender Bar as well) and composer Alexandre Desplat (also back from The Midnight Sky), make their pivotal contributions just as reliably. Scenes with oars in hand are a particular thrill, contrasting the exertion, resolve and grit to persist within the UW boat with the shimmering water and scenic surroundings. Peering at Turner and Edgerton, their characters pitched as opposites who aren't really, proves equally revealing in conveying why Rantz and the crew's toils — and Ulbrickson's tough love — is all about persevering no matter what, too. As a filmmaker, Clooney started out making movies that he'd also act in, albeit regularly leaving the leading parts to his co-stars. In his 2002 directorial debut Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, as in 2017's Suburbicon, 2021's The Tender Bar and now The Boys in the Boat, for example, he's been perfecting the art of enlisting other talents to play roles that he might've once (or easily could've, but has chosen not to). Edgerton's performance as Ulbrickson slides into that category. That said, he brings his own interiority and intensity to a figure who rarely cracks a smile, appears dedicated to winning above all else — putting the JV squad in races over their senior counterparts if it'll improve his chances of victory, in fact, and regardless of the uproar sparked — yet also clearly cares, even if his way of showing it is simply going about the team's business as usual. Evident in Edgerton's portrayal, and Turner's — the movie would sink if it wasn't — is tenacity that goes past the promise of prizes, fame and acclaim. As much as the film sees the desolation of the period, its push against the privilege, elitism and affluence that's often synonymous with rowing shines through strongest in its characters. This can't be called a scrappy picture in any sense but, as Turner and Edgerton ensure with help from Strike, Luke Slattery (New Amsterdam) as coxswain Bobby Much and Jack Mulhern (Pet Sematary: Bloodlines) as crew member Don Hume, it's filled with scrappers. While The Social Network will remain the pinnacle of rowing on-screen for now, telling a familiar tale well, The Boys in the Boat brings stirring depth.
