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
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.
From the shaken to the stirred and everything in-between — this May, the country's world-class mixology scene will be celebrated in a very big way at a brand-new month-long drinks festival. The inaugural Australian Cocktail Month is set to kick off Saturday, May 1, descending on venues across Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide with a diverse lineup of crafty collaborations and exclusive concoctions. Here in Melbourne, 18 venues will help the event make its grand debut, including local favourites Nick & Nora's, The Everleigh, Black Pearl, Heartbreaker and Lover. They'll spend the month whipping up creative-charged festival cocktails (and mocktails) using drops from both local brands — think: Melbourne Gin Company, Brix Distillers, Mr Black and Starward — and international labels like Diplomatico Rum, Naked Grouse Whisky and Fords Gin. To get among the best of it, grab a $20 Australian Cocktail Month ticket and enjoy full access to all of the participating venues' cocktail creations. Alcoholic drinks will be priced at $14 a pop, with low-alcohol and booze-free options clocking in at $10. [caption id="attachment_719907" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Everleigh, Gareth Sobey[/caption] Top image: Nick & Nora's, Brook James.
Atop iconic Curtin House on Swanston Street, illuminated by the moon and the lights of city skyscrapers, the screen at Rooftop Cinema & Bar is about to flicker back to life. Fresh on the heels of The Shadow Electric in Abbotsford and Ben & Jerry’s Openair Cinema in St Kilda, the folks at Melbourne’s highest-altitude outdoor picture house have just unveiled the first half of their summer program, with plenty of awesome choices to whet cinephilic appetites. The party begins on December 5 with a screening of Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby. Other recent releases on the schedule include Gravity, Francis Ha, The Counselor and, perhaps the year’s most talked about film: Sharknado. As fun as those titles might be, it’s the retro picks that show the team have really outdone themselves. Unlike Ben & Jerry’s, the program at Rooftop leans heavily on nostalgia, with titles like Pulp Fiction, Casablanca and The Blues Brothers barely scratching the surface of the film-buff favourites on offer. The latter flick is just one in a kick-ass '80s stream that also includes Labyrinth, The Goonies and Stand by Me. The following decade is similarly well represented by Reality Bites, Point Break and Dazed and Confused, amongst numerous others. This year also sees Rooftop teaming up with the gang from Speakeasy Cinema for a Tuesday sidebar that includes Lena Dunham’s breakout feature Tiny Furniture, David Lynch’s divisive Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and the new film from David Gordon Green, Prince Avalanche. The week leading up to Australia Day, meanwhile, features a trio of great local flicks in the form of Muriel’s Wedding, BMX Bandits and the newly released Mystery Road. Seating at Rooftop begins at 9:00pm for a 9:30pm start. The good news is that the bar begins operations at midday, as does the All Day Burger shack. One floor down, Mesa Verde opens at 5:00pm and offers a wide selection of beer, wine, tequila and Mexican cuisine. For more information about Rooftop Cinema including the full December-January program, see here. The February-April program will be announced at the end of January.
Nine pinball machines, six nights and a collection of rare Mountain Goat seasonals — this is what you'll find at the Peacock Inn Hotel for their free mini-tournaments from. Players can jump into an oversized shirt with a stranger or blindfold a friend and hurtle instructions at their trusting side from 12pm for six days during the festival. We're no doctors, but the only way to work out that carpal tunnel strain is to knit that brow of yours and keep playing, right? This event is part of Good Beer Week's 2015 program, running from May 16-24. For more festival picks, click here.
Your mouth has never been more important in determining what other people should eat, thanks to The Village who are hosting a Food of Origin series over five weekends in August, showcasing cuisines from different continents. Each weekend, The Village (formerly the Belgian Beer Garden) will bring together some palate-packing delights from North America, Central & South America, Europe and Asia. Your role? Go famished. Get fuelled up. Then vote for your favourite. This weekend is the grand finale: when the four food trucks that were voted crowd favourite at the previous four week's Trailer Park get togethers come back for one big best-of. We don't know who will be there yet, but it will be a four of these tasty contenders who are battling it out for a spot in the showcase: August 1-2 - North America: Mr Burger, Smokin Barrys, TOASTA, Jay's Yogurt. August 8-9 - Central & South America: Taco Truck, Iv's Burritos, La Revolucion, Señor Churro. August 15-16 - Europe: Greek Street Food, Happy Camper Pizza, Jakob's Kitchen - Gourmet Sausages, The Brûlée Cart. August 22-23 - Asia: White Guy Cooks Thai, Hammer & Tong Food Truck, Nuoc Mama's, Gorilla Grill. August 29-30 - Best Of: The four chosen weekly winners will come back for the Trailer Park Showcase.
A much-loved Melbourne legend is set to have his legacy memorialised, with a fitting permanent tribute set to be unveiled early next year. The City of Melbourne has today announced that a memorial table and plaque created in honour of the late Pellegrini's co-owner Sisto Malaspina will be installed out the front of his famed Bourke Street Italian restaurant. The news comes one year after the Melbourne hospitality pioneer was killed in the Bourke Street terrorist attack in November, 2018. The table will be engraved with a portrait of Malaspina by acclaimed Melbourne illustrator Oslo Davis and the words "Sisto loved Melbourne – and Melbourne loved him back". It'll be placed streetside, where the Pellegrini's mainstay would often be found sitting, chatting and watching the world go by. [caption id="attachment_749741" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Some of the tributes left outside Pellegrini's after Malspina's death in November 2018.[/caption] Malaspina arrived in Melbourne from Italy in the 1960s, purchased Pellegrini's with his business partner Nino Pangrazio in 1974 and operated it together right up until Malaspina passed away last year. He was a familiar face for scores of locals and visitors, renowned for his generous personality and welcoming nature. And for decades, the venue he helped create has been one of the CBD's go-to Italian coffee bars and eateries, famed for its classic pasta and friendly vibe. Malaspina's son David, who's in negotiations to purchase Pangrazio's half of the business, said in a statement that the family is proud of the memorial and he "look[s] forward to looking out of the window of Pellegrini's and watching people learn about Dad while enjoying a coffee at his table". Find Pellegrini's Espresso Bar at 66 Bourke Street, Melbourne. It's open from Monday–Saturday 8am–11pm and Sunday 12–8pm.
They're sticky, cinnamon scrolls, drenched in glaze and famous all across the USA. And at the end of last year, they finally became available Down Under when Seattle-born chain Cinnabon opened its first Australian store in Brisbane. Now, a second store is set to open next Friday, February 14. That store — sorry everyone else — is also in Brisbane. While the first one is located in Toombul Shopping Centre, this one will be on the other side of the city inside Westfield Garden City. So both north and south Brisbane will be in close proximity to the sticky baked goods. When it opens next week, Brisbanites will be able to grab a scroll from 8am seven days a week — but be prepared to queue. The Toombul store still regularly has a lengthy line, even two months after opening. Just like the Toombul store, this one will sling a trio of Cinnabon cult classics, including the classic cream cheese cinnamon roll, the popular chocolate-drizzled Chocobon and very extra Caramel Pecanbon. They're available in both mini and large sizes, along with packs featuring either four or nine 'minibons'. There's coffee and lots of sugary drinks to pair with your snacks, too, including a cinnamon bun frappe. [caption id="attachment_755764" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Cinnabon Toombul[/caption] If you're yet to get acquainted with the decadent dessert creations, prepare yourself for aromatic, cinnamon-spiked dough made to a long-held recipe, decked out with stacks of signature cream cheese frosting and loaded with extras. They're notoriously tough to replicate. The Australian launch was first announced in January 2019, when family-run Queensland company Bansal Foods scored the Aussie rights to Cinnabon. Cinnabon has been going strong in America since 1985, so it has already picked up plenty of Aussie fans along the way. But this is the first time that we're able to get our hands on those sticky, cinnamon-infused baked goods on home soil. And if you're not in Brisbane, you might just need to be patient. Since opening in December, Cinnabon has run multiple pop-ups around Brisbane and — according to Bansal Foods Group Director Gaurav Bansal — the group is "exploring opportunities to have more pop-ups around the country". In a statement, he also 'promised' to open more permanent bakeries in other cities soon. Cinnabon will open at 8am on Friday, February 14 on level two of Westfield Garden City, Kessels Road, Upper Mount Gravatt.
Splendour might be done and dusted, but that doesn't mean you have to pack away your rainbow wellies until summer shows its face. Rekorderlig, ever keen to demonstrate that we Aussies should be tackling winter with a tad more brio than a pack of grizzlies, has just announced the headliner for free upcoming music event Sounds in the Snow. On September 13, just as the flakes start to melt and smack bang in the middle of the Toyota One Hit Wonder Mountain Festival, Sydney synth pop boys Panama will appear in Thredbo to deliver their so-called hopeful house music live. Fronted by Perth-born songwriter and classically-trained pianist Jarrah McCleary, the trio are currently touring Europe and the United States on the back of sophomore EP Always. The only thing we can't tell you is where in the Alps you'll find them, as Rekorderlig is keeping the venue top secret — for now at least. To be among the first to find out, join the Rekorderlig Facebook page. Sounds in the Snow is just one of the many excuses that Rekorderlig's giving you to head to the snow this season. Afternoon sessions are happening at the Thredbo Alpine Hotel every Thursday, Friday and Saturday between 3pm and 6pm; fire pits are burning; the Rekorderlig Hot Pool is providing serious apres-ski relaxation; and their tasty cinnamon and vanilla-fused Winter Cider is at the top of the drinks menu. https://youtube.com/watch?v=UylPrMcurB8
When we take that first sip of our barista-brewed coffee on a workday morning, a lot of us can't actually imagine living without coffee. But what about living without a roof over your head or a guaranteed meal? Unfortunately, this is what many homeless people around Australia face each day, but on Friday, August 4, you can help your fellow Aussies out simply by buying a coffee as part of CafeSmart. CafeSmart is an annual event from StreetSmart that raises money and awareness for the homeless and is back for its seventh year running. This year over 500 cafes will aim to raise more than last year's total of $160,523. So how does it work? From every coffee purchased on August 4 at a participating cafe around Australia, $1 will be donated towards local projects. So if your go-to local isn't participating, shake things up for a day and head to one that is. Prefer a hot chocolate? You can also donate at the counter. Simply by aiming for a bighearted cafe, you'll be helping some of our country's most in-need humans, so treat yourself to a third or fourth coffee guilt-free. There are a heap of cafes participating across the city, but some include: Seven Seeds Assembly Proud Mary Top Paddock Tivoli Road Bakery Dr Morse Barry Axil Earl Sensory Lab
Victorians have become accustomed to a specific pattern over the past few months. When Premier Daniel Andrews takes the podium at a press conference to announce the latest easing of restrictions, he often reveals just when he'll next be hopping behind the microphone to do it all over again. So, since Sunday, November 22, the state's residents have known that more information would be coming today, Sunday, December 6. On the agenda: a heap of new changes, with most coming into effect tonight at 11.59pm. As keeps proving the case at each stage, you'll be able to gather in more places with more people with fewer limits, including at home and in public gatherings with your friends and family outdoors; at cafes, bars and restaurants; and at entertainment venues. Last month, Premier Andrews revealed that Victorians would be able to host more people in their houses before Christmas, with the cap going up from 15 to 30 (and from any number of other households). That's a daily limit, so you can only have 30 people over across one whole day, even if they come at different times in different groups — but it'll now kick in a week earlier than initially planned, from 11.59pm on Sunday, December 6. It's important to note that your home also includes your front and back yards, though. Fancy heading outdoors with your nearest and dearest elsewhere, beyond your own patch of land? In good news, public outdoor gatherings will increase to 100. So your next trip to the beach or the park with your mates can now feature quite the crowd. Also, travel-wise, you'll be able to head out of town in line with the private at-home gathering cap (so in groups of 30 people from any number of other households). https://twitter.com/DanielAndrewsMP/status/1335375495131660289 In the hospitality sector, all venues are moving to a density quota only, rather than a strict numbers limit. One person will be allowed for every two square metres of space both indoors and outdoors, including at food courts. For smaller venues, they can welcome in up to 25 people before the density quotient applies. The above is only permitted to come into effect in tandem with electronic record-keeping for contact-tracing purposes, though — so if there's no QR codes to track who is in a venue, the one-person-per-four-square-metres rule applies. Oh, and standing service is now allowed. Places with a dance floor will also have a stricter limit applied to said space for making shapes. One person will be allowed to show off their fancy footwork per four square metres of dance floor, up to a maximum of 50 people. Yes, that includes nightclubs — which'll be permitted to serve drinks to standing patrons. Both indoors and outdoors, seated entertainment venues (such as cinemas and theatres) will be able to up their capacity to 75 percent, maxing out at 1000 people at a density of one person per two square metres. Again, that's contingent on venues using QR codes. So, again, if they don't, the one-person-per-four-square-metres rule kicks in. Indoor non-seated entertainment venues, like galleries, can move to 50-percent capacity, up to 1000 people, at a density of one person per two square metres — and again, that's only with QR codes. Outdoors, it's just the one-person-per-two-square-metres rule that has to be abided by, with no patron limit. Gyms and fitness studios will increase to a maximum of 50 people per class, with one person per four square metres. Indoor pools can have one person per four square metres, while outdoor pools can host one person per two square metres. And religious gatherings, weddings and funerals will be able to have one person per two square metres with no caps — unless they're in a private residence, where the 30-person limit kicks in. Regarding masks, the rules are changing there as well. You'll need to keep wearing them only in certain situations, such as large and busy indoor indoor shops, and on public transport. You will always need to carry one with you, though. Work-wise, offices in the private sector can increase the number of employees working onsite to 50 percent of workers from January 11, and to 75 percent from February 8. The public sector will move to 25 percent of workers in the office from January 11 and to 50 percent from February 8. Running through all of the above, Premier Andrews noted that Victoria is now at a phase the government is calling a "COVID-safe summer", and that it'll "be in place until at least the end of January, giving Victorians a bit more certainty about what the next couple of months will look like". As always, the usual rules regarding hygiene, social distancing and getting tested if you display any possible COVID-19 symptoms all still apply as restrictions keep easing. For more information about the status of COVID-19 and the current restrictions, head over to the Department of Health and Human Services website — and for further details about Victoria's steps for reopening, head to the roadmap itself. Top image: Kate Shanasy.
Make the most of the summery Melbourne weather with a twilight visit to the Heide Museum of Modern Art. Giving you an after-hours to explore Mirka Mora's Pas de Deux — Drawings and Dolls and Danica Chappell's Thickness of Time exhibitions, the gallery is extending its opening hours until 8pm and hosting a couple of laidback shindigs as the sun goes down. From 5pm — on Friday, January 25 and Saturday, February 16 — visitors will be able to scope out the exhibitions, wander through Heide's beloved sculpture park, and enjoy music from percussionist Vanessa Tomlinson and experimental music producer Martin Ng. There'll also be food and wine available to purchase, because no jaunt through a gallery is truly complete with a glass of bubbly in hand. That's just a straight-up fact — and, if you're organised, you can also bring your own picnic. Entry in Art by Twilight starts at $10 for Heide members, $15 for concession holders and $20 for adults. Image: Jeremy Weihrauch
Bodies, faces, identities — we all have them, we're all happy with some aspects of them and unhappy with others. This complex relationship we have with ourselves is put under the lens in This Is Beautiful. The piece has three actors engaging in a soul-searching discourse about identity and body image while eating a banquet on stage. All the while, behind them a film projection portrays their bodies in transformative ways, beautiful to grotesque and back again. It comes from The Public Studio, an interdisciplinary company that is the brainchild of Ming-Zhu Hii and Nicholas Coghlan (Secret Life of Us). Their style, a blend of visual and performance art that sometimes presents as theatre, sometimes as installation, could be a study in complicated identity itself so they should be well suited to taking on the subject matter. Followed by a series of themed short films, this visual feast will surely give you some food for thought.
Reading-list inspiration, sorted: even if you've devoured plenty of books by the authors on the 2025 Sydney Writers' Festival program, there's still much more to discover and explore. Whether you're keen to start leafing through pages now or plan to finish the fest with a stacked pile of new material by your bed, get excited — more than 200 events are on the lineup, featuring 40-plus international guests and over 100 Australian talents, and showcasing 34 authors among that group that are releasing new books this year. Sydney Writers' Festival's latest roster isn't just great news for Harbour City literary fans. When it runs from Monday, May 19–Tuesday, May 27, it'll also livestream some sessions around the country, so joining in isn't only about being there in-person in Sydney. Either way, there's something on the program for all reading tastes, fans of a wealth of genres, and attendees looking to hear from beloved scribes and discover their next favourites alike. Taking over Carriageworks, Sydney Town Hall, State Library of New South Wales and other venues around the city, SWF 2025 is also budget-friendly with more than 50 events costing nothing to attend — and 30 of those free sessions are at Carriageworks alone. What opens with Torres Strait Islander writer and activist Thomas Mayo, Yuwaalaraay writer and performer Nardi Simpson, plus poet Lemn Sissay and Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit writer Jeanette Winterson, all responding to the theme 'in this together'? This festival. What closes with Anna Funder examining writing in artificial intelligence-heavy times? This fest again. What includes 2024 Booker Prize-winner Samantha Harvey, Brooklyn author Colm Tóibín and Australian Big Little Lies wordsmith Liane Moriarty as well? Yes, this program. Harvey will chat about the International Space Station-set Orbital, while Tóibín has Long Island, the sequel to Brooklyn, to dig into. Also the creative force behind Nine Perfect Strangers and Apples Never Fall on the page, Moriarty will discuss everyday life stories becoming smash hits with David Nicholls, as well as careers and having a literary family with her sisters Jaclyn and Nicola. Plus, Winterson isn't just part of opening night, but will celebrate 40 years since her debut novel and also explore the impact of AI. Similarly on the SWF 2025 bill: Torrey Peters, the first openly trans woman nominated for the Women's Prize for Fiction; Ian Rankin speaking about the 25th instalment in the Inspector Rebus series; plus everyone from The Ministry of Time's Kaliane Bradley and The Safekeep's Yael van der Wouden through to Vanishing World's Sayaka Murata and After You'd Gone and Hamnet's Maggie O'Farrell. You've likely seen actor Harriet Walter in Succession, Silo and Ted Lasso — and This Is Going to Hurt, Killing Eve and Rocketman in the past few years as well — and now you can add this fest to that list, where she'll be unpacking Shakespeare's female characters. Other highlights span Entitlement's Rumaan Alam, Discriminations' AC Grayling on cancel culture, stepping into the world of espionage stories and getting a hankering for pastries — the latter with Flour and Stone's Nadine Ingram, Beatrix Bakes' Natalie Paull and Lune's Kate Reid. The return of the Great Debate is a starry event, featuring Annabel Crabb, David Marr, Nicholson, Matilda Boseley, Justine Rogers, Jennifer Wong and Yumi Stynes. And from there, other topics on the SWF lineup also include the situations in Gaza and Ukraine, sleep, First Nations storytelling, life in exile, queer culture, dwindling workers' rights, Robodebt and Miles Franklin. [caption id="attachment_994843" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Reynaldo Rivera[/caption] Sydney Writers' Festival images: Jacquie Manning.
There's stellar bushwalking to be found all over the Victorian Pyrenees region, but you can quickly access some of the best with a short drive to Beaufort. Here, you'll find the challenging Ben Nevis Walk – a 9.6-kilometre circuit that kicks off with a seriously steep climb up an old 4WD track. As the terrain levels out, you'll have the energy to admire the wildflowers and panoramic views that adorn this landscape. Although this adventure will definitely put even the fittest bushwalkers through their paces, the views from the peak make this journey supremely worthwhile. To plan your trip and check for travel alerts, check out the website. Image: Elliot Kramer
"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." They're words famously spoken by Hippocrates, way back when, and lived diligently by so many foodies, even today. They also sum up the concept at the heart of bright new Prahran café Market on Malvern, which opened its doors in October. The brainchild of Dr Anthony Yeuong, who's also behind adjoining health practice Beingwell Healthcare, MOM was dreamt up in response to a growing number of patients with dietary dramas and allergy issues. Dr Yeuong has long been a champion of food that both tastes good and feels good afterwards, and now he's treating the good folk of Melbourne with a bit of pre-emptive edible 'medicine', Hippocrates-style. With an ex-Nobu chef helming the kitchen, MOM's catering to clean eaters and flavour seekers alike; its thoroughly-researched menu is packed full of paleo, vegan, allergen-free, and FODMAP-friendly goodness. Dishes are categorised according to their specific properties and benefits to the body. You might find yourself boosting those energy levels with the caramelised sweet potato and hemp protein hummus, or you might opt for the red rice and miso eggplant, to help soothe any digestive issues. Backing up all those healing food options, there's a slew of juices and smoothies, coffee by Allpress, and a list of caffeine-free lattes that runs from beetroot right through to mushroom. Market on Malvern is open daily from 7am till 4pm at 388 Malvern Road, Prahran. For more info, visit momcafe.com.au.
What do you get when you cross three fine dining heroes with decades of combined experience that spans pretty much the entire world? Although this sounds a lot like a punchline that would force you to unfollow a close friend, the real answer is Etta, the new home for Hayden McMillan, Hannah Green, and Dominique Fourie McMillan. The trio, who have an insane resume that includes Cutler & Co, The Roving Marrow (which won a hat under Hayden's charge), Attica and Neil Perry's Rosetta, will open up their new joint tonight — Thursday, March 23 — at the Brunswick East end of Lygon Street. With restaurants all over the place trending towards a more healthy-meets-delicious selection of dishes, it's no surprise to see the trio's newest venture taking up the mantle of the balanced yet tasty diet. When we met Hayden back in 2013, when he was killing it in the kitchen at Auckland's TriBeCa, he told us that his dish of choice at home was a "massive bowl of vegetables and sweetcorn with sliced almonds and butter". Whether or not that's still the case, this focus on vegetables is key to the menu at Etta. It's not a case of a strictly vegetarian joint, but he says to expect "a heavy representation of produce over protein". While it's easy to give in to our inner child and assume that everything that is good for you tastes rubbish, Hayden is aiming to blast that notion back into the past — where it belongs. "It's the kind of eating that makes people feel good," he says. "And it's delicious." So expect dishes like mozzarella pasta with peas and broccoli, King George whiting with lentils and lemon, and a rich charcoal lamb dish with goats' cheese. The 80-seat restaurant will be a 'contemporary neighbourhood bistro', and the wine list, curated by Hannah, will share that focus on locality, too, championing small producers and family-owned operations from both at home and abroad. The fit-out has been crafted by IF Architecture (the folks responsible for Gertrude Street's Marion), and will feature a botanical mural by local artist Robert Bowers. As well as lending the bistro her name, blues legend Etta James once said that "the two things you can't fake are good food and good music". With a track record like the one belonging to the trio behind Etta, you'd best believe that they ain't faking. Etta will open on Thursday, March 23 at 60 Lygon Street, Brunswick East. It will open Wednesday to Saturday from 4pm and Sundays from 12pm. For more info, visit ettadining.com.au.
UPDATE, January 18, 2022: MIFF's Hear My Eyes: Two Hands screenings were originally meant to take place in August 2021; however, the festival moved online due to lockdown and these sessions are now being held in January 2022. This article has been updated to reflect that change. Whenever you hear Powderfinger's 'These Days', do you instantly imagine a fresh-faced Heath Ledger and Rose Byrne? If so, congrats — you've seen one of the best Australian films of the 90s, and one of the best Aussie movies in general, too. The song played a significant part in Two Hands, but you mightn't hear it at the Melbourne International Film Festival's big-screen session of the classic flick. It's screening at the fest's regular Hear My Eyes gigs — playing out of season in January 2022 due to 2021's COVID-19 chaos — which pairs must-see features with a reimagined score that's also played live on the night. Doing the honours this time around: The Murlocs. So, you'll be watching them bust out their rhythm and blues sounds as Gregor Jordan's (Dirt Music) exceptional crime film unfurls. They're taking to the stage at The Astor Theatre for four sessions across Saturday, January 29 (at 6pm and 9pm) and Sunday, January 30 (at 3pm and 6pm) and, unsurprisingly, these sessions are set to prove mighty popular ticket-wise. Need a refresher on the movie? Haven't seen it yet, somehow? It follows Jimmy (the one and only Ledger), an ex–street kid and strip-club bouncer who is charged with delivering some cash for his boss (Bryan Brown, Hungry Ghosts). That doesn't turn out as planned, so soon he's on the run — alongside Alex (Byrne, worlds away from her recent role in Physical), the girl of his dreams.
Whoever said an encyclopaedic knowledge of a cartoon about a dysfunctional yellow family would never come in handy was a real narc. So, for its latest edition on Sunday, July 26, Isolation Trivia is pulling the Comic Book Guy out of every Simpsons fanatic. If you don't know squat about Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart and Maggie — and their escapades over the long-running animated series' first nine seasons in particular — then consider yourself warned. This virtual trivia event is definitely for fans. You should at least know the name of Lionel Hutz's law practice, and the monikers of Lisa and Bart's hockey teams coached by Apu and Chief Wiggum. It'll also help if you know who the two other Sideshows were besides Bob and Mel, and the identity of Lisa's first hook-up. These are elementary questions, and their answers should be written into your brain like it's a chalkboard. Play along from home from 6.25pm — and, if you've ever been to a Simpsons trivia night in-person, you'll understand these can get pretty intense, with some competitors near crazed with cartoon intelligence. So be prepared for the moment you stare at the leaderboard, hypnotised by self-doubt, and repeatedly, self-pityingly mutter to yourself, "I'm not so S-M-R-T". Isolation Trivia's The Simpsons trivia night takes place from 6.25pm at Sunday, July 26.
Not one to miss a party, Gelato Messina is joining this winter's black fungus craze by rolling out a country-wide truffle service. Launching across its Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane stores on Monday, July 1, it'll cost just $6 extra. For that six bucks, you can get a full three grams of the fancy fungi freshly grated onto any and all gelato flavours. Choose from classic flavour combinations like dulce de leche, salted caramel, hazelnut and chocolate — or add truffle to one of the more out-there combos. Truffled blood orange, pear and rhubarb gelato? Check. Rum and raisin topped with this decadent fungus? Sure. Fairy bread and truffle gelato? Why not. And, if you missed out on this year's fully sold out truffle degustations, this is a good budget way to still get your fix — the Messina way, of course. The truffle special will be available in limited stores and only while supplies last. Gelato Messina's truffle service will be available from July 1 at Messina in Melbourne's Fitzroy, Brisbane's Fortitude Valley and Circular Quay, Rosebery and Darlinghurst in Sydney. For other places to hunt down decadent treats this winter, check out our truffle guides for Sydney and Melbourne.
Now, a weekday trip to IDES might sound like pure madness to anyone who wants to pay their rent this month. You usually wouldn't get out the door without a hefty bill (fair payment for a very satisfied stomach), unless you're brave. The IDES sample tables are offered on Tuesday and Wednesday, and you'll get a four-course meal for only $70 a head. But there's a catch — the dishes on your menu aren't on the menu. It's a chef's selection of new dishes, so you'll effectively be the guinea pig for a very experimental (and ex-Attica) chef Peter Gunn and, frankly, we can't think of a more exciting way to spend a mid-week evening.
New season, new you? This month, you can blast away the winter cobwebs with some well-deserved self care, when VicHealth's Wellbeing Village descends on Fed Square for a weekend of nurturing and nourishment. Running from Friday, August 26–Sunday, August 28, the pop-up wellness hub aims to inspire people to kick-start some new healthy habits — which of course is excellent timing as we all clamber reluctantly out of hibernation mode. It's hosting a hefty program of classes, workshops, talks and screenings; all of them free. You can perfect the bend with a yoga class led by Lululemon or Cello Yoga, try guided meditation or a mindfulness walk, bust out your green thumb at CERES' workshop on growing veggies, or experience a sound healing session presented by the Peninsula Hot Springs team. All classes and workshops are free, but you're encouraged to reserve a spot online. There'll be healthy eats galore when food trucks take over the Main Square on Saturday and Sunday, and expert-led chats on everything from urban farming to mental health throughout the weekend. And if you head along to the Bike 'n Blend stall, you can even jump on a bike to whizz up a smoothie using your own pedal power. [caption id="attachment_865779" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bike 'n Blend[/caption]
Each year, come August, there's one thing that Melburnians can't complain about. Say all you like about the frosty weather, the inevitable rain and the feeling that winter will never end, but don't even pretend that there's nothing to watch. The eighth month on the calendar and the Melbourne International Film Festival have long gone hand-in-hand, delivering a feast of flicks to entice you into warm, darkened rooms. In fact, this year's MIFF boasts a huge 375 titles on its jam-packed lineup. The just-announced full program spans many a highlight, including one of the year's most anticipated movies: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. If you fancy seeing Quentin Tarantino's latest before it reaches regular cinemas — and Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie on 35mm film, too — then MIFF has you covered. If you're eager to view much, much more between Thursday, August 1 and Sunday, August 18, the debut bill from first-year Artistic Director Al Cossar won't let you down there either. While opening night documentary The Australian Dream, centrepiece gala pick Little Monsters and family gala selection H Is For Happiness have all already been announced, MIFF will fill out its last high-profile slot with closing night's The Farewell — a hit at this year's Sundance, it stars Crazy Rich Asians' Awkwafina as a Chinese American woman visiting her family to say goodbye to her dying grandmother. Other standouts throughout the fest include a slew of movies from top directors arriving straight from Cannes, such as Xavier Dolan's Matthias & Maxime, Ken Loach's Sorry We Missed You, Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne's Young Ahmed, and Diao Yi'nan's The Wild Goose Lake, with the latter marking the newest release from the acclaimed Black Coal, Thin Ice filmmaker. https://youtu.be/RofpAjqwMa8 Also worth keeping an eye out for (and then roving your eyes over) are Harmony Korine's The Beach Bum, which sees the Spring Breakers auteur keep the party going with Matthew McConaughey; Chris Morris' The Day Shall Come, his long-awaited next political satire after Four Lions; much-talked-about Chinese epic Long Days Journey Into Night, complete with its 55-minute single take in 3D; and Hong Sang-soo's regular MIFF appearance, thanks to Hotel by the River. On the documentary front, Wu Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men reunites all nine living members of the band to talk about their ups and downs, Memory: The Origins of Alien ponders the basis of one of the best science-fiction films of all time, and Seahorse explores a trans man's complicated pregnancy. And from the local selection, Ryan Corr and Anthony LaPaglia team up for black comedy Below, Hugo Weaving goes Shakespearean in Measure for Measure, and No Time for Quiet heads to a Melbourne band camp for girls with Courtney Barnett and Cable Ties. https://youtu.be/fuKQfEX1Xy4 Acclaimed Aussie flicks The Nightingale, Hearts and Bones, Animals, Dark Place, Emu Runner, Judy & Punch and In My Blood It Runs, which all premiered elsewhere, will also finally make their way to Melbourne. Indeed, if you felt more than a little envy when Sydney Film Festival rolled around back in June, you'll be able to see many of that fest's top picks — including must-sees like Les Miserables, In Fabric, Scheme Birds and Happy New Year, Colin Burstead, as well as favourites such as Pain and Glory, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Ray & Liz, Bacurau, Come to Daddy, Dirty God and The Dead Don't Die. Need more? How about an all-night Jeff Goldblum movie marathon, complete with The Fly, Independence Day, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and Thor: Ragnarok. Retrospective strands focusing on filmmakers Penelope Spheeris, Agnieszka Holland and Peter Strickland help round out the lineup, as does the usual selection of fulldome shorts at the Melbourne Planetarium. Because MIFF has been dropping parts of its 2019 selection for the past few months, all of the above titles join the fest's initial batch of flicks — plus its live movie-and-music performance by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, and a screening of fantastic French drama Girlhood with an all-new live score.
There are a few certified methods for keeping the winter blues at bay and one of them involves holing up in a cosy restaurant with some good company, some great eating and a few whisky cocktails to wash it all down. Handily enough, that's the very situation that will soon await you at Victoria by Farmer's Daughters each Saturday. Running from May 13–July 29, the Winter Saturday Sessions promise to warm your cockles with an enticing blend of booze and produce-driven fare. Choose one of two weekly sittings (11.30am–1.30pm, 2.30pm–4.30pm) and you'll sit down to a seasonal brunch feast guided by the kitchen's passion for celebrating top-notch Victorian ingredients. Expect bites like a flaky roasted root vegetable pie, barbecued pork belly skewers, farmhouse-style cheeses and chips made using Spud Sisters' famed potatoes. Meanwhile, a bar takeover by the legends at Starward will sort you out with bottomless sips to match, including reworked classics like a whisky-infused dark and stormy, and the cherry lemon old fashioned. A range of local beers and vino is also on offer. Victoria's Winter Saturday Sessions clock in at $99 per person, which'll get you a hearty spread of food teamed with two hours of free-flowing drinks. Images: Arianna Leggiero
Ring in the Year of the Monkey with a little bit of monkey business at Queen Victoria Market. From February 16 to 20, the market is hosting a series of Chinese New Year food, music and cultural events, along with a pair of artistic installations. See traditional lion and dragon dances, take part in a guided market tasting tour, and celebrate with Yuan Xiao Jie: a lantern festival complete with live entertainment and a variety of Asian food stalls. Whichever event you decide to attend, make sure you walk down Queen Street Parade — where 14 columns have been erected featuring traditional Chinese opera masks — and pay a visit to Shed A which will be lit up with 70 red lanterns.
If jungle vibes while shopping for greenery sounds like your perfect outing, head along to the Jungle Collective's indoor plant sale on Saturday, December 12–Sunday, December 13. It's the latest greenery-filled market from the Melbourne nursery, which stocks all kinds of weird and wonderful species. And, after hosting plenty of online-only events this year, this sale is a 100-percent in-person affair. Also: it's slinging 30-percent off the usual price of all plants and pots. Whether you're after a hanging pot plant, some palms for the garden or a giant Bird of Paradise, chances are you'll find it here. Have a reputation for killing your cacti? Overwatering your ferns? Don't worry — there'll be horticulturalists on site on the night to give you advice and chat through any questions you might have. Get inspired by greenery aplenty and learn to incorporate plants into your home and living spaces, all while browsing and soaking up some tunes. Jungle Collective is turning this event into a bit of a maze, too, so you'll enter in one spot, wander along a designated path and leave in a completely different area. Best get in quick though — these markets are always popular, with more than 170 different species usually on offer. Due to expected demand, the sale will be held in 30-minute sessions across both days, and attendees will need to register for free tickets in advance.
Australians all let us rejoice, for the public holiday is here and we plan on making the most of it. As happens every year, our calendar is full to bursting, loaded with events and parties that celebrate our multicultural country and our shared exaltation of the humble snag. Whether you’re looking to take in a live performance, satisfy your tastebuds or just want to go for a dip in the sea, this list will make sure you have yourself a cracker of a day. And yes, we've included plenty of places where you can listen to the Hottest 100. Of course, it's a day of great contention in Australia, often called ‘Invasion Day’, ‘Day of Mourning’, ‘Survival Day’ or ‘Aboriginal Sovereignty Day’ (since 2006). There's a huge protest happening on the steps of Parliament House if you're interested.
Sweet tooths, assemble. Pastry chef Pierre Roelofs and his team of wicked enablers have packed up their summer soft serve pop-up and resurrected their legendary Dessert Evenings, shattering our halfhearted plans to cut down on the sweet stuff like the ears on all those chocolate Easter bunnies we devoured over the weekend. Oops. After five years at Cafe Rosamond in Fitzroy and a short stint at Adriano Zumbo's Fancy Nance in South Yarra last year, Roelofs' dessert extravaganzas are making the move to a new home: Milkwood in Brunswick East. Hosted every Thursday night at the cosy Nicholson Street cafe, diners can expect a four-course degustation — the catch being that all four courses are dessert. The menu is top secret and changes every time. We can tell you that previous evenings have involved ridiculous concoctions of mascarpone, strawberry, honey, orange, cardamom and speculaas, as well as a deconstructed bread and butter pudding served in one of Roelofs' famed dessert test tubes. The first dessert evening will kick off next week on Thursday, April 7 with sittings at 7pm, 8.20pm and 9.40pm. You'll need to book in advance — so for the love of the dessert Gods, do so right away.
There's no reason Christmas shopping should be hell. You don't have to stampede into Myer or David Jones at the last minute. No one's making you stuff those stockings with garbage no one wants. This year you have the opportunity to do things right. The QV are opening up their summery little grass oasis once more for a special kind of Christmas market. With 40 stalls on display, the Melbourne Designed Twilight Markets will be offering up the best of our city's independent artists and designers. There'll be mouth-watering fashion from EAT.ME.DO, original art from Neon Pear, and kooky jewels from Vicki Leigh. But that's not all, every Friday night from 5pm-10pm, this relaxed little space will also be served by a pop-up bar, music, and free picnic rugs for ultimate post-work chill sessions. Don't stress if you miss it either — this gift-giver's dream come true will also be open on weekends. Though you'll have to cope without the bar, the markets will be served with a pop-up cafe from 12pm-5pm on both Saturdays and Sundays.
