Want to never kill a pot plant again? Figure out which teeth you're not brushing? Print your own pizzas at home? Sure, we're moving swiftly toward the Simpsons-predicted Ultrahouse 3000, but 2015 is looking pretty bright for gadget-lovers wanting to make their lives that little bit better. With CES 2015 having wrapped up this week in Las Vegas, technological developments have been on everyone's lips, feed and minds. With self-driving cars, 4K televisions and virtual reality developments at the forefront of the convention's announcements, more domestic (and somewhat more accessible) inventions got us pretty psyched for the year to come. SMART TOOTHBRUSHES You skipped a brush. You know it. Your significant other probably knows it. Your coworkers bitch about it. But until now, you haven't been held accountable, really. Now, you'll have no excuses with the development of the smart toothbrush. Oral-B's bluetooth-enabled brush was revealed last October, but Vigilant newcomer the Rainbow made more waves at CES this week. Making a game out of the often tedious chore of brushing your teeth, the Vigilant Rainbow allows for interactive games while you brush. According to the makers, the toothbrush knows its location inside your mouth (somewhat terrifying, right?) and tells the brusher, via the app, which teeth still need attention. Your risk of developing cavities just plummeted, go team. SMART FLOWER POTS Never kill another pot plant again; some equally neglectful genius has created a smart flower pot for you. Showcased at CES, the Parrot Pot uses sensors to analyse your plant and track temperature, sunlight, moisture, fertiliser and growth, using an in-built watering system to make sure ol' ferny gets watered and fed when it's in need. Connected through bluetooth and managed by an app, you can keep an eye on your plant at all times — a good one for the perpetually holidaying or casually inept. FLOATING SPEAKERS Because when you're cranking Jamie XX in the office, you deserve the right to a little wizardry while you're at it. Floating speakers made a few appearances at CES this year, both levitating and water-friendly. Levitating speakers, while quite honestly not the best use of levitation, dropped a few jaws this week. The Air2 (pronounced Air Squared) uses strong magnets to create that creepy hovering effect — a feature that also allows the speaker to stick to magnetic surfaces. Water-wise, Monster have created a floating speaker promoted by legendary slam dunker Shaquille O’Neal — dubbed The SuperStar BackFloat (really). The speaker can be submerged underwater and floats on the surface, perfect for pool parties. FOOD PRINTERS While 3D printing and food printing has been around for quite a while now, several major players debuted their wares at CES this week. Most impressively, XYZprinting are geared up to release their at-home Da Vinci 3D printer later in 2015, a machine that was printing everything from dinosaur-shaped lollies to pepperoni-dotted pizzas over the week. According to Mashable, the food designs (technically, recipes) are approved by a 'foodie guru', stored in XYZPrinting’s cloud-based service and sent to the printer — connected via USB to Windows 7 and 8 and Mac OSX systems. Costing around $3000, this exxy little appliance is still in the upper rungs of accessibility but one step closer to widespread domestic use. SMARTER WIFI KETTLE Although it has one of the blandest taglines of a new product ever — 'It's more than just a kettle' — the Smarter kettle is truly simple and 100 percent awesome. Using an app (naturally), you can pre-boil your water from anywhere in the house using wifi. Apparently, the team have worked out this will save you up to two days a year of waiting around for the kettle to boil (five minutes at a time). You can set the kettle to 'Wake' and 'Home' mode, so it automatically starts boiling at times when you're in the need for caffeine, and you can adjust the boiling temperature (hardcore tea drinkers, you know what's up here). The stainless steel kettle sends you a message to tell you when your hot water is ready, and reminds you to refill. Super simple, but super useful. WOODEN TOUCH TABLETS Less a huge, jaw-dropping technological development, more a super, super pretty Thing. Aiming to unpack multifaceted devices and get things back to single purpose party times, Bang & Olufsen have created the BeoSound Moment, a device solely dedicated to playing music — we know, right, how 'old school' of them. As with any music playing device, the Beosound Moment nabs your music from the cloud and tries to tailor your playlists to your preferences; nothing new here. But the prettiest part of B & O's tablet is the fact that one side is completely covered in wood — something the company maintain has never been done before with a sensitive, touchable interface. There's a volume adjusting wheel set into the oak — yep, with a function reminiscent of the ol' iPod. So while this isn't anything groundbreaking in terms of music players, this is some seriously nice design. SMART BELT This has seen quite a bit of news already this year, but Emiota's smart belt is a classic first world development. Basically, the Belty (adorable) senses tension and adjusts accordingly — so if you've stuffed yourself silly at Christmas lunch, your belt will do the unbuckling for you. It's not just for big ol' pig-outs though, the belt will sense if you've put on weight — it's connected to smartphone app, which also monitors your activity during the day. THE MELOMIND HEADSET Stressing out gets the better of all of us, whatever walk of life you're careening down right now. Everyone has their brilliant strategies to de-stress, Zen out and find their centre again — watching Attenborough documentaries, cranking some Debussy, working out to Tay Tay; whatever your vice. But a new headset called Melomind could be the answer to your stressfest. Developed by the team at myBrain, the Melomind is a brand new gadget that uses contact points to measure your brain activity. Sending the results to a smartphone app, the Melomind then plays music to match your state of mind. And nope, we're not talking Enya or rain sounds; it's specially composed music engineered to train your brain to relax. Set for release in Europe by September 2015, the Melomind will set you back around US$300. HONORABLE MENTION: LG'S TWIN WASH Shout out to LG's new Twin Wash system, which allows you to put on both your darks and lights at the same time. For anyone interested in taking care of their clothes, but wanting to maximise time out of the laundry, this is a certifiable booyah. Cahmahn. Via Mashable, The Verge, TechCrunch and Gizmodo.
If there's one recycling exercise that's always fun to do, it's finding a new use for an old bottle. We've seen Jack Daniels flasks transformed into soap dispensers, bottle caps turned into garden sculptures and crates of beer metamorphose into Christmas trees. If summer holiday excesses have left your place overflowing with empty receptacles that once bore much seasonal cheer, here's one simple, ingenious way to take care of them: Bottle Lights. Supplied by quirky gifts company SUCK UK, they transform any bottle into a magical lantern. Priced at just £10 ($18), LED corks are a convenient alternative to candles, which might look enchanting but don't survive the outdoors should any gust of wind come their way. Plus, a host of clever features means particularly slick operation. These include an on/off twist mechanism and rechargeability via USB. One hour's worth of charges provides two-and-half-hours of illumination. So, not only are they pretty, they're also eco-friendly. SUCK recommends brightening up a series of vintage bottles for an unusual lighting effect or selecting a favourite empty and transforming it into a central table-piece. Via Gizmodo.
If technology has taught us anything, it's that there's no realm of everyday life that it won't intrude upon. No, we're not talking about a Matrix-style situation — but the latest product to be infused with artificial intelligence might get you wondering if absolutely everything needs a tech upgrade. When it comes to the humble toothbrush, you could be forgiven for thinking that electric versions were about as advanced as things were going to get (or that anyone needs, to be honest). Enter an AI-infused instrument for keeping your chompers clean. It's the first of its kind, and it sounds incredibly clever and helpful, as well as a bit like technology in overdrive. The Ara, a product made by oral care company Kolibree and launched at the 2017 Consumer Electronic Show, features 3D motion sensors, an accelerometer, a gyroscope and a magnetometer that all collect data about how you're brushing — and how you can do better. Like everything, there's app attached that collates the relevant information, including details of the date and time you attended to your dental hygiene, the duration, and the zones brushed. Expected to be available from March 2017 at a cost of US $129, The toothbrush will also capture data when it isn't connected to the app. With the Ara designed to help improve their oral health, users also receive a weekly update telling you "how well you've brushed over the last seven days," which I'm sure everyone will look forward to. To be honest, we shouldn't be all that surprised. If smart hair brushes can help you keep your locks in tip-top condition, of course a toothbrush was going to come along that did the dental version of the same thing. Via Dezeen.
The grassy headland fringing the delightful blue waters of Bronte, with tribes of surfers bobbing on the waves and tanned sunbathers lining the beach, is the perfect setting for Perrier mixologist Tomas Vikario to re-create summer’s best cocktail for sharing: The Perrier Summer Punch. It's the fourth delectable concoction in Perrier’s series of cocktails tailor made for Concrete Playground, and on a perfect Sydney summer day, it couldn't be more welcome. "Did you know that the origins of punch can be traced back to seventeenth century British sailors?" asks Tomas, explaining how citrus fruits were added to the sailors' ration of rum to prevent scurvy. It’s a quirky historical flashback, but Vitamin C deficiencies aside, today's punch comes with a 'Tomas' twist on the classic. By replacing the traditional rum with a smooth vodka and adding Perrier, Tomas has created a beverage that's as light and refreshing as a Sydney summer is sizzling and steamy. "This is the perfect no-fuss drink for casual summer get-togethers or when friends turn up unexpectedly,” says Tomas as he expertly dices fruit for the punch. “You don’t need any special equipment and you can also use whatever fruit you have on hand.” As Perrier’s beverage innovation manager, Tomas has his pulse on international trends and says there's a move towards lighter, cleaner flavours and drinks that have a bit of 'fizz'. With its long-lasting bubbles and low mineral content - which means it doesn’t inhibit other flavours - Perrier certainly injects this refreshingly delicious punch with a zingy edge, making it an invigorating treat on hot summer days. To re-create the Perrier Summer Punch you'll need: 700 ml vodka 500ml iced tea 200ml freshly squeezed lemon juice (roughly three lemons) 200ml freshly squeezed orange juice (roughly two oranges) 2 oranges 2 lemons 10 strawberries 750 ml Perrier Step 1 Prepare the fruit: take the oranges, limes, lemons, and strawberries and halve or quarter into bite-sized pieces. Combine in a glass punch bowl. Step 2 Add the freshly squeezed lemon and orange juices or substitute with bottled juice if you're out of the fresh stuff. Then add 500ml of iced tea — store-bought or a homemade brew, whichever is on hand. Tomas uses a peach iced tea but says you can try other flavours like mango or lemon. Step 3 Measure out 700ml of good-quality vodka — you can go heavier or lighter depending on your taste — and pour over the fruit. Belvedere is Tomas's vodka of choice on the day, but he adds that you can use others like Grey Goose. Want to mix it up a bit? Experiment with liqueurs like Grand Marnier or Cointreau in place of the vodka. A tip from Tomas: if you have the time (and the patience), start steps 1-3 the night before — or a few hours in advance — to allow the fruit to soak up the alcohol, intensifying its flavoursome goodness. Stir together slowly. Step 4 If you can get your hands on it, add a large chunk of ice. According to Tomas, a block of ice takes longer to melt than cubes and helps to prevent diluting the light, fruity flavours of the punch. Don’t have an ice maker nearby? Tomas suggests using a plastic container, like an old ice cream tub (make sure it’s clean first), to make your own ice blocks at home. Step 5 Finally, to add that extra fizz, slowly pour one 750ml bottle of chilled Perrier into the punch. Stir gently and serve in glass cups or demitasses, as Tomas has used in this recipe, with generous helpings of fruit. Variations Fancy some punch alternatives? Replace the strawberries with 20 fresh cherries and the vodka for 300ml of white rum, add in a bottle (750ml) of champagne (or sparkling wine) and some Perrier, and omit the lemon and orange juices for two tins of canned peaches or apricots (along with their juice) to create a chic white sangria Perrier punch.
In his latest project, Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy?: An animated conversation with Noam Chomsky, the highly original French filmmaker Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The We and the I) ventures into a hybrid territory of animation film-meets-documentary-meets-conversation. Based around several intimidatingly intellectual chats Gondry had with the American philosopher, political activist and linguist, the film cuts between documentary-style footage of their conversations and surreal animations drawn by Gondry himself. The self-proclaimed outcast admits he felt "pretty stupid" in Chomsky's toweringly brilliant company, and the hand-drawn doodles serve to render more accessible the complicated concepts they covered, such as human cognition and the nature of communication. The animation springs from an admittedly out-of-his-depth Gondry's own instinctive, colourful and at times childlike responses to Chomsky's thoughts rather than a know-it-all smugness. Gondry recently told BuzzFeed, "I don't assume that the audience is sophisticated or not sophisticated because I'm not sure I'm smarter than them. I'm probably less smart than most people." The feature-length film premiered at the closing night of festival DOC NYC, and has had positive, if sometimes bemused reviews. It seems well worth a viewing for Chomsky fans and, seriously, it's a bit of a novelty seeing a cartoon-version of the ideas zooming around one of the world's leading intellectual minds, isnt it?
As the nights heat up each summer, the NGV proves it knows how to party like the best of them, serving up its signature after-hours summertime sessions filled with tunes, food, pop-up bars and more. In excellent news for all you lockdown-weary souls — this year will be no different. The much-loved NGV Friday Nights are set to make their sweet return from December 10, running every Friday night — except Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve — until April 22 next year. Happening from 6–10pm each week, the sessions have something for gallery-lovers and general night owls alike. Guests will gain exclusive after-hours access to explore the new Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto exhibition, browsing its impressive collection of over 100 vintage garments and peering into the career of one of fashion's most influential designers. After it launches on December 17, guests will also be able to take a spin around major ground floor exhibition Bark Ladies: Eleven Artists from Yirrkala to see bark paintings and larrakitj (painted hollow poles) by a collective of women artists from the Buku Larrngay Mulka Centre (Buku) in Northeast Arnhem Land. Meanwhile, across the ground level and the NGV Garden, a rotation of top Melbourne DJs is set to deliver a sparkling soundtrack to these summertime soirees. Gracing the decks, expect local favourites including Andras, MzRizk, DJ Jnett, The Dollar Bin Darlings, Hot Wax Sound System, Banoffee, Edd Fisher and a whole host more. To wash it all down, you'll find three different bars serving a hefty array of refreshments. Hit the Four Pillars Gin Bar in the Grollo Equiset Garden for crisp G&Ts and signature cocktails, or swing past the Pommery Champagne Bar for fine bubbles and oysters — a Coco-worthy option if ever there was one. There's also a Yering Station pop-up pouring a selection of acclaimed Yarra Valley wines, where you can even do a tasting flight of three different house drops while you're soaking up those DJ sounds. And in the garden, there'll be a few cheeky giveaways on offer from the David Jones Vault, which will open for a fleeting time each Friday. NGV Friday Nights will run weekly from December 10–April 22 (not including December 24 and 31) at NGV International, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne. Jump online to see the full lineup and book entry tickets to the exhibition.
At any given moment, finding a movie to watch isn't difficult. But there's a difference between pressing play on any old film that your streaming service of choice is throwing your way — new releases and classics alike — and feeling like you're discovering something that's truly special. Online film festivals have been playing in the latter space during the pandemic, and letting cinephiles enjoy that electric feeling that comes with giving yourself over to a gem of a feature. And, for two years in a row now, Melbourne's annual film fest has been as well. The Melbourne International Film Festival didn't intend to run solely online two years in a row. In 2020, it made the jump to digital by necessity. This year, it worked towards a triumphant return to cinemas — yes, to physical screenings — while also continuing to embrace the greater accessibility that virtual sessions provide. But this year's fest always had to have contingency plans in case outbreaks and lockdowns bubbled up again, which is exactly what's happened. So, MIFF is unleashing its magic solely online once more. Making movie buffs feel like they're getting swept up in the latest and greatest in international cinema is still on the agenda, though. You might be sitting on your couch instead of in your favourite seat right at the back of the Forum or Hoyts Central — and you might be elsewhere in the country, too, instead of making the trip to Melbourne for some wintry cinema fun — but MIFF hasn't stopped giving film lovers what they adore. Already, we've watched, reviewed and recommended ten must-sees on the festival's MIFF Play streaming platform; however, this 18-day fest has plenty more where they came from before it wraps up on Sunday, August 22. So, we've done the same with another ten films. Streaming a couple won't just help you feel like you're getting a MIFF experience, either, but it'll also support the fest during an obviously challenging time. RIDERS OF JUSTICE Few things will ever be better than seeing Mads Mikkelsen get day drunk and dance around while swigging champagne in an Oscar-winning movie. Yes, that's one fantastic film experience that 2021 has already delivered. But the always-watchable Danish star is equally magnetic in Riders of Justice, a revenge-driven comedy that's all about tackling your problems in a different and far less boozy way. After a train explosion taints his life with tragedy, dedicated solider Markus (Mikkelsen, Chaos Walking) heads home to be with his traumatised daughter Mathilde (Andrea Heick Gadeberg, Pagten). Talking is her way of coping, but clamming up has always been his PTSD-afflicted modus operandi. Then statistician Otto (Nikolaj Lie Kaas, The Keeper of Lost Causes), his colleague Lennart (Lars Brygmann, The Professor and the Madman) and the computer-savvy Emmenthaler (Nicolas Bro, The Kingdom) arrive at the grieving family's door with a theory: that the accident was anything but because mathematically it's just so unlikely to have occurred otherwise. As written and directed by Anders Thomas Jensen (Men & Chicken) — and co-penned with Nikolaj Arcel (A Royal Affair) — Riders of Justice takes a darkly comedic approach to its storyline, which is where its anarchic plot developments and witty dialogue come in. But this is also a film with a thoughtful and tender core, especially when it comes to men facing their troubles. It's set at the end of the year as well, so it counts as a screwball Christmas movie. ROSE: A LOVE STORY Less is more in survival thriller Rose: A Love Story — which is also a brooding horror movie, and yet doesn't feel the need to overplay its hand. This intimate British gem takes a familiar setup, bides its time building out its chosen world and revels in getting to know its two main characters, because their precarious relationship sits at the heart of the smartly written film. Living off the grid in a tree-lined patch of wilderness, the eponymous Rose (Sophie Rundle, Peaky Blinders) and her husband Sam (Matt Stokoe, Cursed) have clearly settled into their routine some time ago. They largely live off the land and pay one trusted acquaintance to bring them petrol for their generator, all so Rose can stay inside writing while Sam tends to chores outdoors. But she also needs his care, and needs the blood he collects via leeches — and when an injured teenager (Olive Gray, Save Me) literally stumbles upon their quiet abode, that part of their existence starts sparking questions. With its stripped-back way of unfurling its narrative, Rose: A Love Story leans heavily on Rundle and Stokoe's textured and compelling performances, which explore the stakes and sacrifices that come with love in every glance and gesture. Stokoe also wrote the script, but first-time feature filmmaker Jennifer Sheridan brings a canny eye to both warm and brutal moments alike, and to teasing out the complicated and fragile bond between this particular pair, as well as any duo in love. NIGHT OF THE KINGS Every movie aims to make its viewers feel as if they've stepped straight into its glistening frames. Rare is the film that genuinely manages that feat, though. Rarer still is a feature as vivid, immersive and engaging at every moment, and via every piece of sound and vision it thrusts at its audience, as Night of the Kings proves across its 93-minute running time. The second directorial effort from Ivorian filmmaker Philippe Lacôte (Run), this prison-set blend of drama, thrills and fantasy heads inside a Côte d'Ivoire jail surrounded by rainforest outside Abidjan. When a new inmate (debutant Bakary Koné) arrives, he's plunged straight into its chaotic depths; however, he also becomes a key player in its internal politics. Here, the inmates enforce their own order, including requiring their leader (Steve Tientcheu, Les Miserables) to take his own life if he can no longer fulfil his role. This incarcerated society also places great emphasis on one particular storyteller, a job that's soon bestowed upon its newest member. So, the fresh face dubbed the prison's 'Roman' spins a tale that jumps through the past, from 19th-century Africa to more recent bloodshed, with his words leaving his fellow detainees hanging — but if he can't make his yarn last all night, he too will meet his end. Night of the Kings sits right on the precipice of myth and grit, and of history and fantasy, and it's as inventive as it is gripping. And, even if the great Denis Lavant (Holy Motors) didn't pop up, it'd still be an imaginative and beguiling piece of cinema. COME BACK ANYTIME Craving the rich, noodle-laden flavour that only ramen can bring is an instant side effect of watching Come Back Anytime. Yearning to wander into a tiny Tokyo ramen bar, take a stool at the bar and watch a ramen master at work — while you leisurely slurp through his brothy bowls, pair them with pan-fried gyoza, enjoy a sake or several, and chat to his regular customers — is just as natural a consequence. Directed by John Daschbach (Brief Reunion), this year-in-the-life portrait of Chiyoda City's Bizentei and its owner and chef Masamoto Ueda is culinary documentary filmmaking at its finest, examining a beloved type of dish, one talented man who has made it his life's work, and the many other lives — and tastebuds — touched along the way. When the film hangs out in the ramen bar, watching Masamoto cook, his wife Kazuko assist, and Bizentei's devotees savour every sip, it captures a place and a mood with the same affection as Las Vegas bar doco Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets. When it explores Masamoto's technique and impact, it's the Jiro Dreams of Sushi of ramen movies. And when it cycles through the seasons, showing what different times of the year mean at the ramen joint in question, how its central figure's existence adapts and evolves, and also using its structure to prompt jumps back into both Bizentei's and Masamoto's history, it's never anything less than a deep, charming, soul-warming and all-round full cinematic meal. PREPARATIONS TO BE TOGETHER FOR AN UNKNOWN PERIOD OF TIME Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time first introduces Hungarian neurosurgeon Márta (Natasa Stork, Jupiter's Moon) as she's unloading her romantic woes upon her therapist. What could've been a standard rom-com or romantic drama setup soon twists into something far more alluring and intriguing, however, with writer/director Lili Horvát (The Wednesday Child) pondering just how we can ever know how someone else really feels about us, and how long any romantic emotions can last — and if we can ever trust those intense memories of love that implant themselves inside our brains and refuse to leave. After working in the US, Márta has returned home to Budapest suddenly because of fellow doctor János (Viktor Bodó, Overnight). They met at a conference in New Jersey, and pledged to cross paths again a month later on a Budapest bridge, but he doesn't show up. Worse: when she tracks him down at work, he says he doesn't know her. Márta can't bring herself to return stateside, though, and can't get János out of her mind in general. This is a haunting and beautifully acted psychological drama that lays bare just how all-encompassing, obsessive, intoxicating and mind-melting love can feel, all as it toys with memory and its ability to shape our perspectives. The tone is loaded but uncanny — sweet but uncertain, too — and Horvát has fun getting both emotional and cerebral while having her characters cut open brains. In other words, there aren't many movies quite like this one. THE NOWHERE INN "From now on, I need more say in how people are going to act," says Annie Clark. "It's a documentary," replies Carrie Brownstein. Winking and nodding (and gleefully eager to show it again and again), The Nowhere Inn tasks the famous pair with playing versions of themselves — under the guise of the Sleater-Kinney muso and Portlandia actor shooting a doco about St Vincent as she goes on tour for her album Masseduction. This psychological thriller-meets-mockumentary finds plenty to parody within its premise, especially after Brownstein suggests to Clark that she might want to let her onstage persona bleed out into the behind-the-scenes footage, because talking about radishes isn't really setting the right vibe. Cue a satirical interrogation of authenticity and performance, creativity and fame, and the riding the rollercoaster that is putting yourself out there in the world. Clark goes from mildly playing Scrabble and chatting about vegetables to becoming an OTT rock diva 24/7 and staging an affair with Dakota Johnson, with the Suspiria star even aping the musician's hairstyle. Meanwhile, Brownstein segues from trying to convey the different facets and blurred boundaries within her subject to sometimes recoiling from and sometimes embracing the exaggeration and artifice that comes with Clark being St Vincent non-stop. The two central figures wrote the script themselves, mining fame's existential struggles for both insights and laughs, and their commitment to the concept shows. Behind the lens, first-time feature filmmaker Bill Benz also brings a sketch comedy feel from his time on Kroll Show and, like Brownstein, Portlandia. NEW ORDER If only one word could be used to describe New Order, that word would be relentless. If just two words could be deployed to sum up the purposefully provocative latest film by Michel Franco (April's Daughter), savage would get thrown in as well. Sharing zero in common with the band of the same name, this 2020 Venice Film Festival Grand Jury Prize-winner dreams up a dystopian future that's barely even one step removed from current reality — and in dissecting class clashes, and examining the growing discontent at the lavish lives indulged by the wealthy while so much of the world struggles, the mood and narrative are nothing less than brutal. The place: Mexico City. The setup: a wedding that goes wrong. As the ceremony gets underway at a compound-esque mansion jam-packed with the ultra-rich and ultra-corrupt, the chasm between the guests and the staff is glaring. Case in point: bride-to-be Marianne (Naian González Norvind, South Mountain) couldn't be more stressed when she's asked for money to help ex-employee Rolando's (Eligio Meléndez, La Civil) ailing wife, and plenty of her family members are flat-out rude about their former servant's plight. Then activists start making their presence known outside, and further afield in the city's streets. The military respond, sparing no one in their efforts to implement the movie's moniker. Franco doesn't want any second of New Order to be easy to watch, or for the parallels he's critiquing to go unnoticed — and while this definitely isn't a subtle film, it's a stylistically brash and bold, emotionally dynamic whirlwind that festers with palpable anger. STRAY In glorious 2016 documentary Kedi, Istanbul's stray cats received their moment in the cinematic spotlight, and also expressed much about the Turkish city and its human inhabitants in the process. The result was perfect — purrfect, even — regardless of whether you're normally a feline fan. With Stray, it's now their canine counterparts' time to shine. Istanbul has a 'no kill, no capture' law when it comes to the dogs roaming its streets, which is why there's more than 100,000 of them scampering around. And while documentarian Elizabeth Lo only spends time with a few of those tail-wagging woofers, including street veterans Zeytin and Nazar, as well as puppy Kartal, she stitches together a perceptive and textured portrait of their daily lives, of the city around them, and of the people who help and are helped by them. Making her first full-length film after a background in doco shorts, director/cinematographer/editor Lo lets her four-legged subjects be the stars, and lets her audience observe them. More than that, she frequently places the camera at canine height so that viewers feel as if they're seeing the world through a dog's eyes. Forget saccharine Hollywood flicks that use that idea as a gimmick (see: A Dog's Purpose and A Dog's Journey — or, better yet, don't see them because they're terrible). Here, immersion and insight are the key aims, and they're feats that the soulful and thoughtful Stray repeatedly, patiently and ruminatively delivers. THE GIRL AND THE SPIDER When spectacular choreography graces the screen, it's often via balletic feats of action or striking displays of movement and cinematography. The John Wick franchise and The Raid films demonstrate the first category, while movies with a hypnotic sense of physicality such as Climax and Ema sit in the second camp. The Girl and the Spider has little in common with any of these features, and yet it's still a stunningly choreographed film. Directors Ramon and Silvan Zürcher turn their attention to people going about their ordinary lives, as they did in their excellent 2013 debut The Strange Little Cat. Where that last delight almost solely remained inside one apartment, this movie flits between a few, as Lisa (Liliane Amuat, Those Who Are Fine) moves out of the flat she shares with fellow students Mara (Henriette Confurius, Golden Twenties) and Markus (Ivan Georgiev, Leipzig Homicide). As family members, neighbours, handymen and removalists all potter around, Mara only feigns to help. Really, she just hovers around as everyone else works, packs and moves, haunting the space and sometimes wilfully causing messes and scenes. The Zürcher brothers adore gazing at everyday domesticity and letting their characters' actions do plenty of talking. This is a chatty film, but the physical symphony of ordinary comings and goings says just as much. As it contemplates connections and absences, new starts and festering loneliness, and camaraderie and alienation — and isn't afraid to show its characters being awkward, petty and petulant — The Girl and the Spider also uses its enveloping sense of movement to embrace life's ambiguities. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOY IN THE WORLD In 1970, at the age of 15, Swedish teen Björn Andrésen's life changed forever. He walked into a hotel room to audition for Italian filmmaker Luchino Visconti, and only did so at his grandmother's urging — but, after the director was struck by his look and presence, the boy was quickly cast in the big-screen adaptation of Death in Venice. Soon, Andrésen would receive quite the compliment, too. When Visconti declared him "the most beautiful boy in the world" at the movie's premiere, the entire planet took notice. That statement had an impact and, while the experience would leave an imprint upon any shy adolescent who'd much rather be playing music than making movies but nonetheless finds himself becoming an international idol, it drastically altered Andrésen's entire future. That's the poignant story that The Most Beautiful Boy in the World tells with a perceptive eye; however, crucially, this isn't just a case of documentarians Kristina Lindström (Palme) and Kristian Petri (The Hotel) looking back, compiling archival footage — including Andrésen's initial audition video — and relaying all of the details from an outsiders' viewpoint. Their central figure is as much a part of the film now as he is in snippets from the past, and he's just as willing to interrogate how Death in Venice caused a major shift in everything he knew. His tale spans much further, too, covering several personal tragedies that he reflects upon with candour, next-level adoration in Japan and a pivotal role in Midsommar. The 2021 Melbourne International Film Festival runs until Sunday, August 22, screening online via the festival's streaming platform MIFF Play. For further details, visit the MIFF website. Looking for a few more MIFF movies to watch? Check out our first ten recommendations from this year's digital-only program.
This year alone, this fine country has seen Harry Potter brunches, dinners, movie marathons and trivia nights. And that's not to mention the Christmas feast that's happening in Sydney next month. But are you sick of it? No chance. If there's one thing we know, it's that the demand for Harry Potter will never die — and this latest pop-up, along with the fact that the next Fantastic Beasts film comes out this month, seems to prove that. The next piece of mainstream Harry Potter fandom to hit Sydney and Melbourne will be the Cauldron Bar. Inspired by the experiences that the gang had in potions class — and hopefully avoiding the botched polyjuice potion episode — the pop-up bar will mix magic and mixology. That's to say, there will be cocktails. Probably with some dry ice and bubbling substances. While details are vague for now, it sounds like it'll be sort of like a science class, except you'll wear robes and mix your drinks with a wand. And drink what you mix, too, of course. The 'experience' will take 90 minutes and be mostly self-guided. You may or may not have to take your O.W.L exam after. The Cauldron Bar will pop up in Sydney and Melbourne in April 2019. Tickets aren't on sale yet, but you can register here.
It's been 10 months since we first learned the Queen Victoria Market precinct is on track to score a new community library complete with rooftop terrace, as part of the $500 million Munro development. And now, the City of Melbourne has unveiled its latest plans for the ambitious site, as it sets out to raise the bar for what an Aussie public library can be. Unfolding across three storeys and clocking in at 3100 square metres, the proposed designs for the Munro Library and Community Hub have been steered by renowned local architecture firm, Six Degrees Architects. They include the already-hyped rooftop terrace, with views across the precinct, designed for al fresco reading sessions and other outdoor activities. A dedicated creative makers' space will offer access to 3D printers, sewing machines, laser cutters and painting booths, while two sound studios will be used for audio recording and podcast creation. Throw in a giant light-filled reading room, a communal study zone and events space, an assortment of community meeting rooms, a kids' library and the proposed Family Services Centre, and you've got some truly broad community appeal. The building will also boast a 5-Star Green sustainability rating and feature a bold, text-based artwork by local artist Rose Nolan across its facade. The new designs come off the back of extensive community feedback, as well as consultation with Traditional Owners and Elders to ensure they properly reflect and honour First Nations culture. The plans will be put before councillors at the next Future Melbourne Committee meeting on Tuesday, August 2, with the library and community hub slated to open to the public sometime late next year. Separate plans for the Munro development's retail offering were announced in June, including a third store for Only Mine Chocolaterie, new venues from St Ali and Market Lane, and a two-level beer haven courtesy of Brick Lane Brewing. Plans for the Munro Library and Community Hub will be considered at the Future Melbourne Committee meeting on August 2. For more info about the overall project, see the City of Melbourne website. Images: Renders by Six Degrees Architects
US rapper Lizzo has had a big year. A huge year. As well as releasing her extremely well received (and much played) album Cuz I Love You, she's been in Hustlers and is currently on the cover of British Vogue. If you've become as unstoppably obsessed with everything she does as the rest of the world has, then we have good news for you: the lady herself will be coming to Sydney and Melbourne next year to play shows at the Sydney Opera House's Concert Hall and Melbourne's The Forum. Lizzo (or Melissa Viviane Jefferson) will fill the venues with her catchy hits 'Juice' and 'Truth Hurts' — and have the crowd hollering, "turns out I'm 100 percent that bitch" — as well as other bangers off her hit 2019 album. This will be her first ever visit to Australia. https://www.instagram.com/p/B4ktT5yhq4k/ While she's in Australia, she'll also be heading to Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne with FOMO in early January. There are still tickets to those festivals if you can't make it to her solo shows. If you do want to go to her solo shows, though, you'll need to snap up tickets fast — Lizzo will only be taking to the stage once at the Sydney Opera House (on Monday, January 6) and once again at The Forum (Wednesday, January 8). Her Sydney show will be one of the last performances, alongside Solange's in late Jan, in the Concert Hall before it shuts for major renovations next year. Lizzo will perform at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall on Monday, January 6, 2020 and at The Forum, Melbourne on Wednesday, January 8. For Sydney, general tickets go on sale at midday on Thursday, November 21, with pre-sale kicking off at midday on Wednesday, November 20 — you can sign-up for the latter here. Melbourne general tickets are available from 9am on Tuesday, November 19, with pre-sale from 9am on Monday, November 18 — sign-up for those here. Image: Luke Gilford
You don't need binoculars or a deerstalker cap to be a sleuth. If you're keen to investigate new cases at the press of a few buttons, all you really need is a stacked streaming queue. TV mysteries and dramas are full of whodunnits, after all. And, while they're filled with on-screen folks trying to get to the bottom of many a thorny predicament, they're also all perfect for letting viewers play armchair detective at home. Perhaps you're excellent at spotting tiny foreshadowing details? Maybe you have a great feel for television's twists and turns? Or, you could just love escaping into a series, lapping up all the minutiae and seeing if you can pick what's going to happen next? Whichever category fits, we've paired up with streaming platform Binge to take care of your next five viewing picks. They'll have you puzzling along as you're watching — including via a 14-day free trial for new customers.
At the beginning of 2012, when the world discovered that Channing Tatum was starring in a movie about male strippers — and that it was based on his own experiences working in the field — everyone was a little sceptical. Which was understandable. Magic Mike boasts a great director in Steven Soderbergh, and a cast that also includes Matthew Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Olivia Munn, Riley Keough and peak McConnaissance-era Matthew McConaughey, but, on paper, it was hardly a sure thing. Of course, once the film hit the screens, it was a hit. More than that — it was a smart and sensitive look at men chasing the American Dream by taking off their clothes. Sequel Magic Mike XXL, which released in 2015, not only repeated the feat but added more depth, and Tatum successfully turned what could've been a forgettable chapter of his pre-fame life into a successful big-screen franchise. Actually, he's turned it into a stage and screen franchise. Yes, Magic Mike was always going to go back to where it all began. In Las Vegas, London and Berlin, Magic Mike Live has been letting real-life male dancers strip up a storm for eager audiences. Not to be confused with Magic Mike the Musical — because that's something that's also happening — the "immersive" dance show is coming to Australia in 2020. When its Aussie leg was first announced last year, the show was set to debut in Melbourne in May 2020; however, then the pandemic hit. After delaying those dates, Magic Mike Live will now unleash its stuff in Sydney from Thursday, December 17. It'll then head to Melbourne from Tuesday, June 8, 2021, with Brisbane and Perth seasons set to follow at yet-to-be-revealed dates. In each city, Magic Mike Live will steam up a 600-seat spiegeltent called The Arcadia. It's the world's largest spiegeltent, because clearly this kind of show has plenty of fans. This is the first time that the performance will be held in the pop-up two-storey spot, which comes with 360-degree views of the stage, a glass lobby, custom bars, a mini food hall, and a lounge area both inside and out. And while it's blazing a trail venue-wise, on the stage, the Aussie show will combine elements of the Magic Mike Live's three other international productions. While Tatum came up with the idea for Magic Mike Live and co-directs the show, the Step Up, 21 Jump Street, Logan Lucky and Kingsman: The Golden Circle star isn't actually one of the performers. Instead, a cast of 20 — including 15 male dancers — will showcase a combination of, dance, comedy and acrobatics. Continuing her role from the films, stage show co-director and choreographer Alison Faulk is behind the sultry moves, drawing upon a career spent working with Janet Jackson, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Missy Elliott, P!NK, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin. It probably goes without saying, but if you're already thinking about buying Magic Mike Live tickets, expect to have plenty of hens parties for company. MAGIC MIKE LIVE AUSTRALIAN TOUR Sydney — Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park, from Thursday, December 17, 2020 Melbourne — Birrarung Mar, from Tuesday, June 8, 2021 Brisbane — TBC Perth — TBC Magic Mike Live tours Australia from Thursday, December 17, 2020, when it kicks off its shows in Sydney. It'll then hit Melbourne from Tuesday, June 8, 2021, with Brisbane and Perth seasons set to follow at yet-to-be-revealed dates. For more information, or to buy tickets for the Sydney leg, the website. Top image: Jerry Metellus.
If you find yourself thinking back on Law & Order re-runs, Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs or Heath Ledger's turn as the Joker in The Dark Knight, you're probably thinking about one particular type of scene. There's an art to a good on-screen interrogation — to seeing characters verbally spar back and forth, as one probes for answers and the other tries to avoid their questions — that's riveting when it's done well. It's also hilarious when it's done comedically (see Brooklyn Nine-Nine); however, nothing beats a grim, serious, eyes-blazing, nostril-flaring confrontation between a suspected criminal and a savvy detective who are both confined to the same small room. Netflix, in its seemingly never-ending quest to turn every single possible idea into highly binge-able streaming content, is taking this concept and running with it in its new anthology crime series Criminal. Love interrogations, but not so fussed about all the stuff around them? Then you'll want to glue your peepers to this newcomer when it arrives later in the year, because it's all about heated chats in police interview suites. In fact, that's all it's about. The streaming platform is keeping most of the details quiet for now, although the show will tell a dozen different tales across just as many 45-minute episodes — spending three episodes each focusing on cases in France, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom. Criminal will also unfurl its tense arguments with some considerable star power, with David Tennant and Agent Carter's Hayley Atwell among the UK cast. You might also recognise Laurence Anyways' Nathalie Baye and The Unknown Girl's Jérémie Renier in the French instalments, plus Phoenix's Nina Hoss in the German episodes. Behind the scenes, the claustrophobic, cat-and-mouse-style program also boasts a heap of talent, which'll again vary from country to country. Killing Eve writer George Kay and She's Out Of My League director Jim Field Smith will oversee the whole thing, and take care of the British chapters, while The Returned and Spiral helmer Frederic Mermoud, Downfall's Oliver Hirschbiegel and Dark Impulse's Mariano Barroso will do the honours in France, Germany and Spain respectively. While Netflix hasn't released a proper teaser or trailer yet, it has unveiled a cast announcement video which doubles as a foreboding look at things to come: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L82Gx5wrPVs Criminal will drop on Netflix later this year — we'll update you with further details, including an exact release date, as they come to hand. Via Deadline.
It's the election promise Queenslanders fond of an evening out had been hoping wouldn't come true. When the state's Labor Government came to power in 2015, they vowed to combat alcohol-fuelled violence, and to change legislation surrounding the service of booze to do so. In the early hours of this morning — the time Brisbanites will no longer be able to order drinks or enter bars, fittingly — the amended laws were passed through. Most of us want to put an end to anti-social behaviour, but unless you're eager to cut your partying short long before you currently have to, the latest developments bear only bad news. From July 2016, last drinks will be served at 2am — or 3am, if you're hanging out in a designated entertainment precinct. Shots will be banned after midnight, regardless of what you're consuming. And, if you're knocking back a few beverages at home, you'd best grab your supplies before 10pm, because any new bottle-os won't be able to trade past then. That's just the beginning, with new lockout times coming into effect on February 1, 2017. Patrons won't be able to re-enter pubs and clubs after 1am, which is a whole two hours earlier than existing restrictions. Casinos will be exempt, so expect the Treasury — or the new Queens Wharf precinct, once it is up and running — to become the most popular place in the city for late-night revelry. Queensland's tough changes come at a time when the concept of alcohol-related curfews continues to be in the spotlight around the country. Sydneysiders keep coming out in force to show their opposition, with another Keep Sydney Open Rally planned for Sunday, February 21. In Melbourne, a trial of 2am lockouts proved unsuccessful back in 2008, causing Victoria to abandon the idea since. Looks like Brisbane residents now have yet another reason to flock down south.
Put on your Sunday best and head to the CBD on Sunday, May 9 to treat your mum, or a mother figure in your life, to high tea featuring free-flowing Chandon NV Rosé — and tea, of course — for Mother's Day. For $124 per person — or $49 for children where a special Le Petit Kids High tea menu will be served — you and your mum can indulge in a tower of decadent treats. Think, raspberry, lemon and white chocolate scones cascading from the top tier to meet cream cheese, watermelon, salmon roe and dill bagels in the middle. Then, descend to a blood peach, raspberry and lemon heart mille feuille to finish. All this will be accompanied by plenty of Chandon bubbles and enough tea to satisfy the queen — your mum — while live jazz music soundtracks your dining experience in The Westin's Lobby Lounge. Plus, your mum will leave with a special gift in hand. Bookings are essential as places are limited so make sure to secure your table here. Image: supplied
Australia is no stranger to alcohol subscription services. Signing up to get some top-notch gin or vino delivered regularly to your door turned out to be a pretty popular move last year, after all. But none have taken the concept quite as far as booze retailer Craft Cartel Liquor, which has just unveiled a new subscription that'll send you out an actual craft beer vending machine, followed by a year's worth of refills. Yep, if you thought you had it bad for boutique beer, the El Patron subscription is here to put your obsession to shame. Members will first score themselves a customised vending machine, which'll be delivered to their door. Then, Craft Cartel will refill it with quality independent Aussie brews every three months during your annual subscription, including favourites from the likes of Brisbane's Ballistic Beer Co, Jetty Road on the Mornington Peninsula and Newcastle's Foghorn Brewing. Of course, with up to 400 beers delivered each quarter, this is much more than a solo mission — it's designed to, say, level-up your entire office's after-work drinks game, or offer a crafty addition to your local sports club's beer offering. Just as with the $499 monster-sized 100 Beer Case that Craft Cartel released before Christmas last year, this latest offering doesn't come cheap. In fact, you'll have to rustle up a cool $10,000 a year to afford the annual membership. We hope you have a decently sized work crew or group of beer-loving mates to split that cost with. There are also only four — yes, four — of the vending machine subscriptions on offer, so if you do have the dosh, you'll want to move quick. That $10,000 outlay will get you a few extra perks as well, including a beer pong table, private tastings and tours at a bunch of your local breweries, access to Craft Cartel's premium concierge service, various brewery bar tabs and ten membership welcome packs valued at $2000 a pop. If that all sounds a little much for the bank account, Craft Cartel is also releasing a trio of other new beer club memberships, starting from a far more manageable $20 per month. However, spots for these are very limited, too. Pre-sale for all four memberships — including El Patron — kicks off at 11am this Friday, April 16, with sales open to the general public at 11am on Monday, April 19. To learn more about Craft Cartel Liquor's new memberships — and to sign up for the pre-sale period — head to the company's website.
Melbourne's HQ Group has already left its mark on a section of the Yarra, with adjacent riverside venues Arbory Bar & Eatery and Arbory Afloat proving firm fan favourites. Now, it's taking on another corner of the CBD, revealing plans to transform a historic Lonsdale Street building opposite Emporium into a five-storey food and drink haven. The as-yet-unnamed venture will feature five distinct venues, including a rooftop bar, together kicking on from morning until well into the night. It's set to deliver a dynamic fusion of art, design, food, drink and nightlife, in what HQ Group Marketing Director Georgie Larkins describes as "a totally new hospitality experience". Unfortunately, you'll have to wait a while before it opens, with the launch slated for some time next year. [caption id="attachment_793623" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simon Shiff[/caption] Details about this ambitious project are still pretty scarce, though we do know the 117-year-old building features lots of historical touches throughout its collection of light-filled intimate rooms. HQ Group have owned and operated the site since 2015, and have been planning this next addition to their stable for quite some time. Meanwhile, it's been confirmed that Terry Clark — former head chef of acclaimed MONA restaurant The Source — will be stepping in to head up the kitchen offering, but we won't know much more about the food situation until early next year, when the team makes its next announcements regarding the venues and their concepts. HQ Group's next project will open at 270 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, at some stage in 2021. Stay tuned for more details dropping early next year. Images: Simon Shiff
Ever wonder where beautiful art is created? These little behind-the-scenes peeks into the places in which classic artworks are born fascinate us, home to some of the most stunning and influential artworks of our time. Gustav Klimt's studio - Vienna, Austria Salvador Dali in Port Lligat, Spain. Francis Bacon's studio - London, England. Paul Cézanne in Aix-en-Provence, France Frida Kahlo's Studio - Mexico City, Mexico Norman Rockwell in Stockbridge, Massachusetts Andy Warhol in New York Pablo Picasso in the French Riviera. Joan Miró's studio in Palma de Mallorca, Spain Jackson Pollock's studio in East Hampton, New York.
As it did for the victims of the devastating earthquakes in Haiti, Chili and New Zealand, Google has developed Person Finder for Japan in the aftermath of the catastrophic tsunami and earthquake. Person Finder is an online search tool to help people locate the whereabouts of family members, loved ones and friends that have been caught in the natural disaster. The site has two options: "I'm looking for someone," or "I have information about someone." Those looking for an information on the status of another person can type in a name and receive updates once information about that person is logged in the system. Those who wish to let others know they are safe or have information about the safety of others can type that information into the system for searchers to access. Currently the database holds information on the status of almost 200,000 victims, but is still growing rapidly each day as people gain access to the internet and more people are located.
The names Sonny Day and Biddy Maroney sound more like superheroes than commercial illustrators, but with their forces joined they become webuyyourkids. Kirstie Sequitin talks to Sonny ahead of their appearance at Semi-Permanent Brisbane. Have you had any negative reactions to the name webuyyourkids? Um, a few. If we had thought more about this before we started we probably would have called our selves something else. I think we get more raised eyebrows and "Sorry, did you say webuyyourkids? " than anything. It's always funny calling up a company up and them asking where you are calling from. What would you call yourselves otherwise? "Fishfingers" could work? How do you come up with concepts for each piece? In particular, the Best Coast print with the skateboarding legs coming out of the head of a cat and Washington's 'Clementine' video... Good question, there's always an idea or something that comes to mind when we first start on an image. With Best Coast, we knew they loved cats so we started there. The skateboarding legs are female and that just seemed like a natural theme there. And we were just trying something new with composition. Most images come together quite naturally. Clementine was just a simple graphic that popped into my head listening to the song and we just filled it out and built it up with references to the dead miner's daughter from the traditional Clementine song. I guess we're lucky it never feels like we have to go looking to hard for ideas or concepts - they usually just reveal themselves when you are considering the band / music / product / company you're working for and the brief you've been given. Who or what's been inspiring you and Biddy lately and how does it come through in your work? Loads of people, I think we are really into a lot of Japanese psychedelic stuff from the 60s and 70s at the moment and I think that's showing up in the work we are making. Tadanori Yokoo, Keiichi Tanaami are probably the most well known. Peter Max and other designers from the late 60s as well. I think that we are trying to simplify the work that we make too - Enzo Mari is an Italian designer from the 50s Biddy recently stumbled across doing a Google and he's great. I think the influence of all these artists' colour palettes and their approach to simple shapes and strange compositions is very apparent in our work. Your work is so multi-faceted, what's your favourite and least favourite medium or aspect of each medium to work with? Sonny - I love drawing in pen and pencil - I only work in mediums I like so can't list any I don't. Biddy - I do everything on the computer, so - Photoshop! Gig posters and animations are the most fun jobs we do. You've got some pretty high-profile clients - Tourism Victoria, Qantas, St Jerome's Laneway Festival, amongst others - how did you catch your big break? Many jobs have come through our agency the Jacky Winter Group - they are constantly working to bring their illustrators work. And the rest is through someone seeing and liking a job we've already done, or us having worked previously with that client before. For example Laneway Festival came to us after seeing our Popfrenzy posters. The Qantas job came to us as we'd worked with the designer previously when we did the Dungog Film Festival poster. We got the Dungog job because the client wanted a picture of a cow and they liked the cow/bull we drew in the Clementine video.... You'll be sharing your pearls of wisdom at Semi-Permanent next Friday, but can you share the one imperative piece of information that every creative should know before they start their career? Do stuff for yourself, make work for yourself and try to have fun. Don't stay up too late. Drink lots of water. That's about six things isn't it? Finally, why is your Nine Lives exhibition called John Carpenter? I don't think I've even seen any of the Halloween movies... It's called John Carpenter because we've made a series of work that are based on some of his classic movies from the 70s and 80s. I wanted to make some images in reaction to those films, and this seemed like a good time to do it. Sonny and Biddy will be talking as part of the Semi-Permanent conference at the Brisbane Convention and Entertainment Centre this Friday. Image credit: Les Savy Fav screen print (2011) by webuyyourkids
Death: we all have to face it one day or another and the way we do is the stuff true drama is made of. Barry Oakley, comic novelist and satiric playwright, tackles this toughest of topics in Music, which premieres at MTC this week. Richard Piper, most known for his work on TV (City Homicide, CrashBurn) plays Jack, a man facing his proximate demise with little dignity but lots of booze and music. It’s the first play from Oakley in years and will likely be a bittersweet mix of honest emotion and irreverent comedy. It's directed by MTC’s associate director Aidan Fennessy and Piper will be joined on stage by fellow TV actors Janet Andrewartha, Paul English and Robert Menzies. This tale of fractured relationships, inappropriate exuberance and tying up of messy loose ends will be MTC’s final offering for the 2012 season. Here’s to a grand send-off!
Sure, you’ve seen plenty of films before — but have you smelled one? Well, here’s your chance. The inimitable Odorama experience sends all kinds of scents towards willing nostrils, and it’s coming to Sydney's Golden Age Cinema. The film to smell above all others? Why, it’s John Waters’ Polyester, of course! The cult film to end all cult films, and one intended to be as picturesque as it is pungent, Polyester is the ultimate scratch 'n' sniff movie. When it was released in cinemas in 1981, audiences were famously given numbered Odorama cards to scratch at specific moments, unleashing a wave of odours — some pleasant, some not so. The full bouquet of Polyester features smells ranging from dirty shoes to pizza to new car. Starring the one and only Divine, the film offers a frenzied tale to match its fun gimmick, delving into the anarchic lives of the Fishpaw family. Francine’s world is falling apart, and trouble just keeps on coming. Her husband, Elmer (David Samson), is a polyester-clad pornographer having an affair with his secretary (Mink Stole). Her daughter, Lu-Lu (Mary Garlington), is pregnant by her delinquent boyfriend, Bo-Bo (Stiv Bators). Her glue-sniffing son, Dexter (Ken King), could possibly be the sought-after ‘Baltimore foot stomper’. Francine’s sole ray of sunshine comes in the form a Corvette-driving suitor, the dashing Todd Tomorrow (Tab Hunter). Since 1981's screenings of Polyster, Odorama has had few outings, so this is an very rare treat. Seeing and smelling Polyester takes cinema to another level. Steel your senses for a trip to the movies like no other. Warning: this may not suit those with weak stomachs. Polyster screens at the Golden Age Cinema on Friday, November 7, at 9pm. For more information, visit the Golden Age website.
“Comics echo the way the brain works,” says Art Spiegelman. “People think in iconographic images, not in holograms, and people think in bursts of language, not in paragraphs.” Spiegelman, the famed comic book artist, took 13 years to write MAUS, a Holocaust narrative with Jews recast as mice and Nazis as cats. The graphic novel won him the 1992 Pulitzer Prize as well as a fair share of controversy, but success and infamy were nothing new; over a decade as a contributing artist for The New Yorker he had created some of the magazine’s most iconic (and scandalous) covers. As a passionate advocate for 'post-literacy', the author is appearing in Melbourne to take his audience on a tour of the evolution of comics over history, and to underline their relevance in the here and now.
In August 2023, Wicked will unleash its spin on The Wizard of Oz — and one of Broadway's biggest hits of the 21st century — upon Sydney, in what's set to be one of the Harbour City's theatre highlights of the year. But fans of faraway realms, yellow brick roads and toe-tapping songs in Melbourne can get their fix right here at home, all thanks to a new stage production of the show that started it all. This winter, from Thursday, June 29–Sunday, July 9, consider the Victorian capital's National Theatre somewhere over the rainbow. You'll be off to see the wizard there, too. There's never a bad time to pop on your ruby slippers, and hasn't been for the past 84 years since the page-to-screen hit first reached cinemas — including when theatre outfit Theatrical give The Wizard of Oz a whirl. More than 30 performers will tread the boards, led by Lyla Digrazia — a veteran of Theatrical's Freaky Friday — as Dorothy. Kael D'Alterio (Matilda) plays Scarecrow, Ashley Wilsnach (Spring Awakening) gets shiny as Tin Man and Leigh Roncon (Chicago) will seek courage as the Cowardly Lion. Also in key roles: Keyanna Burgher (Into the Woods) as the Wicked Witch, Isobel Smart (also Freaky Friday) as both Glinda the Good Witch and Aunt Em, and Jason Fabbri (Beauty and the Beast) stepping behind the curtain as the Wizard. As they act out the storyline for director Kim Anderson, audiences will also hear all of the tracks that everyone has stuck in their head forever, including Oscar-winner 'Over the Rainbow', 'We're Off to See the Wizard', 'Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead', 'If I Only Had a Brain' and 'The Merry Old Land of Oz'. But, this show isn't without changes, including moving the action forward in time.
Every September and October, Germany erupts with brews, food and lederhosen-wearing revellers for its annual Oktoberfest celebrations. When that time rolls around Down Under, Australia follows suit. One such festivity is Oktoberfest in the Gardens, which has been throwing big Bavarian-themed celebrations around the country for 13 years — and has locked in a seven-city tour for 2023. Oktoberfest in the Gardens will make return visits to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, and add three new stops: Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Newcastle. Across them all, it expects to welcome in over 70,000 people enjoying steins, schnitties and German shindigs. Every city's festival will serve up the same kind of beer- and bratwurst-fuelled shenanigans that Germany has become so famous for. So, if you have a hankering for doppelbock and dancing to polka, it's the next best thing to heading to Europe. Oktoberfest in the Gardens boasts a crucial attraction, too — as well as serving a variety of pilsners, ciders, wine and non-alcoholic beverages, it constructs huge beer halls to house the boozy merriment. When you're not raising a stein — or several — at the day-long event, you can tuck into pretzels and other traditional snacks at food stalls, or check out the hefty array of entertainment. Live music, roving performers, a silent disco, rides and a sideshow alley are all on the agenda. "Australia loves Oktoberfest. COVID was a tough time in the events industry and saw the demise of other events such as Oktoberfest St Kilda and Oktoberfest Brisbane. Our team was very fortunate to be able to run successful events in some parts of the country when others were in lockdown and this allowed us to make it through," said Ross Drennan, co-founder of Nokturnl Events, which runs Oktoberfest in the Gardens. "We're now going all in to really ramp up Oktoberfest in the Gardens and take it to the next level with events all around the country." OKTOBERFEST IN THE GARDENS 2023 DATES: Saturday, September 23 — Pinky Flat, Adelaide Saturday, September 30 — Broadwater Parklands, Gold Coast Saturday, September 30 — The Station, Newcastle Saturday, October 7 — Langley Park, Perth Saturday, October 14 — Brisbane Showgrounds Saturday, October 21 — Catani Gardens, St Kilda Saturday, October 28 — The Domain, Sydney Oktoberfest in the Gardens tours Australia in September and October 2023 — head to the event's website for tickets and further details.
While we may not envy the Spanish economy at the moment, it is hard not to covet their history of great architecture and innovative design. And that envy is sure to continue with the recent completion of the Metropol Parasol, not only the world's largest wooden structure but also one of the most beautiful. Designed by Berlin-based architecture Juergen Mayer H, the inspiration for the building came from a 2004 design competition brief which aimed to provide the people of Seville with an architectural heart and a distinctly urban space for the 21st century. The design also had to take into account some recently unearthed ancient roman ruins in the ground beneath. Mayer's winning structure does all of this, as well as housing a market place, a restaurant, walkways and panoramic views of the city, becoming a mecca for locals and architectural buffs alike. New technology was integral in both the design and production processes. The light sculptural curves and flow of the building were largely influenced by digital technology, while the interconnecting wooden panels used to create this effect are held together by a new — and one would imagine — some very strong glue. Marrying aesthetics and functionality, the Metropol Parasol has provided the city of Seville with a new focal point. And some much needed shade.
In the 'so bad it's good' genre of movies, one stands out, and that's Machete. The 2010 film — famously based on one of the fake trailers in Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's Grindhouse — was really, bang-on good, going beyond pastiche or send-up to create a modern Mexploitation film that was bags of fun. And since it's all so knowingly B-grade, it's completely fine — excellent, really — for it to spiral out to a sequel, Machete Kills. A further sequel is in the works, too: Machete Kills Again... In Space. Bless you, absurdist self-referential geeks of Hollywood. Machete Kills returns to the story of our laconic, near-immortal ex-federale Machete as he crusades for justice along the Mexico-US border. Lifelong character actor Danny Trejo is again backed up by a WTF cast of celebrities, including Charlie Sheen (or Carlos Estevez, as the credits introduce him) as the president of the United States, Jessica Alba, Sofia Vergara, Vanessa Hudgens, Amber Heard, Alexa Vega, Antonio Banderas, Cuba Gooding Jr., Mel Gibson and Lady Gaga. Expect one, two or all of them to die in comic and elaborate ways. Machete Kills is in cinemas on October 24, and thanks to Icon Films, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
At this point in the COVID-19 pandemic, deja vu has reared its head more than a few times. That definitely applies to the Victorian Government's latest announcement regarding masks, because Melburnians have been in this situation before — just last week, actually. Last Wednesday, it was revealed that masks would no longer be needed outside if you could social distance. Then, last Thursday, that change was retracted. Now, today, Wednesday, June 16, Acting Premier James Merlino has advised that ditching masks outdoors if there's no one within 1.5 metres of you will come into effect from late tomorrow night. The rule kicks in at 11.59pm on Thursday, June 17 but, in practical terms, that really means Friday, June 18. You'll still be covering up indoors, of course, with masks remaining mandatory inside. But you won't have to wear them outside if you can maintain a 1.5-metre distance from other people while you're getting some fresh air. If you can't keep your space from others, you'll need to keep masking up. Obviously, you'll still always need to have a mask with you — even if you're heading out for a stroll and no one else seems to be about. You can expect to see more folks around, too, given that the city's 25-kilometre rule is being scrapped, as is the regional travel ban. https://twitter.com/JamesMerlinoMP/status/1404987188283002880 Other changes that are coming into effect include allowing gatherings outdoors with up to 20 people, having two people over to your house per day and welcoming in bigger patron numbers at hospitality venues. If you're wondering where to grab a fitted mask, we've put together a rundown of local companies making and selling them. For more information about the status of COVID-19 and the current restrictions, head over to the Department of Health and Human Services website.
It's that time of year again. We've farewelled daylight savings, the temperature is getting nippier and the calendar is about to tick over to May 8 — otherwise known as the unofficial annual celebration of Moon Dog's much-loved pale ale, the Old Mate (or Old 'May8', if you will). As has become tradition, the Melbourne-born brewery will be marking the occasion with a good ol' party, complete with plenty of beery giveaways. Only this year, the fun will be going down not at its Abbotsford HQ, but its sprawling Preston venue Moon Dog World. [caption id="attachment_811004" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Samantha Schultz[/caption] To get involved, grab your bestie and head to the giant brewpub from 3pm on Monday, May 8. If you're one of the first 50 pairs of buds through the door, simply flash some ID, chuck staff a friendly "maaaaate!" on arrival, and you'll both score a free six-pack of the iconic orange-labelled beer. Of course, you're welcome to stick around to enjoy a nice Monday-night mate date — hanging out by the indoor lagoon, sipping brews and seltzers from the hefty 72-strong tap lineup, and digging into some of the kitchen's contemporary pub fare. [caption id="attachment_744580" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Moon Dog World, Kate Shanasy[/caption] Images: Samantha Schultz
Young Melbourne funnyman Simon Taylor was whisked away from the city’s comedy circuit after a chance run in with Jay Leno led to a regular gig writing for The Tonight Show. When he’s not coming up with gags for Jay he keeps busy with his original webseries Make It Gourmet — somehow he’s found time for a set of homecoming shows that stretches out over the course of the whole Melbourne Fringe Festival. Read the rest of our top ten picks of the Melbourne Fringe Festival here.
Skeletons, ray guns and creatures from beyond the stars — you'll find them all on cans of Beavertown Beer. The UK brewery has become famous around the world for its comic-book inspired can art, some of the most unique examples of which will be on display at Dr. Morse as part of Good Beer Week 2016. Not only that, but you'll also be able to bid on the art via @beavertown_can_art_auction on Instagram. Best of all, profits from the auction will be donated to a refugee charity to be announced. Bidding closes at 5pm on Sunday, May 22, so get in quick before the virtual hammer comes down.
Somewhere on the timeline of illustration history, the humble comic spread from the sweaty palms of pre-teens and into mainstream and indie media. Film companies pumped millions into realising childhood dreams, while pretty girls with black hair revealed that they were also fluent in the secret language of frames, inks and lettering. Comic books, graphic novels, manga — these galaxies amid the universe of illustrated words had successfully wooed the zeitgeist. Now, Graphic, in its second year celebrating comic books and related cultural media, will show Sydney just how much we need those 'funnies'. Legendary comic artist and writer Robert Crumb headlines the 2011 festival at Sydney Opera House. Responsible for deconstructing the American comic book and revolutionising the form forever, his sexual, shocking and acid inspired illustrations include famous cartoon characters like Fritz the Cat and Keep on Truckin'. To win one of five double passes to see Robert Crumb, simply subscribe to Concrete Playground (if you haven't already) then email us hello@concreteplayground.com.au by 5pm on Friday, July 15. https://youtube.com/watch?v=FlT4QZchxQw
After introducing stage three stay-at-home restrictions for metro Melbourne and Mitchell Shire in early July and mandatory face masks for all of Victoria, the Victorian Government has today, Sunday, August 2, announced new restrictions for the entire state as the number of new COVID-19 continues to climb. As of 6pm tonight, Sunday, August 2, a State of Disaster will be declared across Victoria — on top of the current State of Emergency — which will give police additional powers to ensure Victorians are complying with public health directions. A State of Disaster was introduced during this summer's devastating bushfires, too. From 6pm tonight, metropolitan Melbourne will also move into stage four restrictions for six weeks, until at least Sunday, September 13. This will include an 8pm–5am curfew — from tonight — during which you can only leave home to get care, provide care and to go to and from work. Under stage four restrictions, Melburnians will also not be allowed to venture more than five kilometres from their home for exercise or to shop for essentials. Only one person per household will be allowed to go shopping for those essentials once a day. Daily exercise must be limited to one hour and groups must be no bigger than two, regardless of whether they're members of your household. Regional Victoria will move into stage three restrictions — what metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire are currently under — from 11.59pm on Wednesday, August 5. This means you'll only be able to leave home for one of the four reasons (shopping for food and essential items, care and caregiving, daily exercise, and work and study – if you can't do it from home), restaurants and cafes will be takeaway-only, beauty parlours and entertainment venues must close and community sport will need to stop. https://twitter.com/DanielAndrewsMP/status/1289784719215714305 The announcement comes as the state records 671 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, with 73 from known clusters and 598 under investigation. Premier Daniel Andrews says there are currently 760 'mystery cases' across the state and that is Victoria's "biggest challenge". "Those mysteries, that community transmission is in many respects our biggest challenge and the reason why we need to move to a different set of rules," the Premier said. "We must do more. We must go harder. It's the only way we'll get to the other side of this." The new rules won't stop here, either. The Premier says that more announcements will be made about businesses and working tomorrow, Monday, August 3. "Tomorrow, I will have more to say about different industries and there will be three categories," the Premier said. "Those that are business as usual. I want to ensure all Victorians supermarkets, the butcher, the baker, food, beverage, groceries, those types of settings, there will be no impact there. In terms of a number of other issues, they'll be reducing their total output. That will mean there are less people working less shifts... There will be a third category of business and they'll close and move exclusively to a work from home and if they can't work from home the work simply won't be done." Victoria's State of Disaster will begin at 6pm tonight, Sunday, August 2, as will metropolitan Melbourne stage four restrictions. Metro Melbourne's curfew will also begin from 8pm tonight. Regional Victoria will move into stage three restrictions from 11.59pm on Wednesday, August 5. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Victoria, head to the Department of Health and Human Services website.
During the Point Break remake, a gang of adrenaline junkies contemplate their next fix. Staring up at a mountain they're about to base jump from, they discuss their limits — or "the point where you break". Dialogue isn't exactly this movie's strong point. Yes, the film expands its remit and titular reference beyond the realm of surfing that was so integral to its 1991 predecessor. No, it's not a smart move. The latest Point Break is as lacklustre as everything that comes out of its characters' mouths, despite its best efforts to distract audiences with scenes of spectacle. In broad terms, the story remains roughly the same: a freshly minted FBI agent tracks a gang of thieves whose crimes are tied to their thrill-seeking antics. Cue an undercover operation that tests the cops-versus-robbers divide, as Johnny Utah (Luke Bracey) is seduced by the swagger of ringleader Bodhi (Édgar Ramírez). This time, Bodhi and his cronies don't just surf and skydive, but snowboard, glide and free-climb too. Seeking spiritual fulfillment, they're attempting to complete the holy grail of death-defying endeavours, known as the Ozaki Eight. Their accompanying heists are designed to give back what they're taking in the process, redistributing the wealth to the poverty-stricken, Robin Hood-style. As a standalone feature, it all makes for the kind of slick film that leans heavily on what's being seen rather than what's being said. When the expositional or faux-philosophical chatter gets grating, up pops a daredevil act; when the script can't quite find a way to move forward, or anything for its characters to do, the same trick is deployed. It's the "look over there!" approach to filmmaking, and while it provides some striking sights, their purpose as filler is never in doubt. With the central bromance weak and the law-and-order side of things formulaic, Point Break becomes little more than a fast-paced, choppily edited mash-up of extreme sports videos and any template police procedural you can think of. Moreover, as a remake of a beloved, breezy '90s action classic, the film fares even worse. In reimagining the Keanu Reeves/Patrick Swayze, about stoner surfers trying to finance their endless summer, director-cinematographer Ericson Core (Invincible) and writer Kurt Wimmer (Total Recall) clearly think that bigger is better — and that's where their thinking stops. Core has actually toyed with this kind of material before, lensing the car-oriented riff that is The Fast and The Furious. But where that flick spawned a successful franchise, this rehash just peddles in tedium. Sure, he ramps up the stakes, stunts, locations and backstory, adds the requisite updates and throws in a few overt winks and nods (including one that Hot Fuzz did better). But he also strips the feature of its fun, thrills, humour and personality in the process. Indeed, never has there been a movie in greater need of Reeves saying "whoa", Swayze's oozing charm, or Gary Busey being Gary Busey than this choppy dip into been-there, done-that territory. Among the next gen performers, only Ramírez stands out. Aussie actor Bracey plays his role not just blankly but blandly, Ray Winstone phones in his turn as a London-based officer, and Teresa Palmer's love interest appears to exist purely to give someone female a speaking part. To say that this version of Point Break is a wipeout might be a cliché, but it's also the dull reality — and the film doesn't try to inspire anything more than that.
Woooh, Halloween is upon us! Rather than skulking indoors and hoping sugar-crazed kids don’t come a-pestering, why not head out and soak up some of the celluloid gore at the Monster Film Festival. Happening at Cinema Nova over ten days, the Monster Fest offers a feast of horror, black comedy, erotica and blood-splattered sci-fi. The festival started life last year as the Fantastic Asia Film Festival and there is still a selection of Asian films, including a Japanese mock instructional video on dealing with zombies, and one about killer sushi, though this year the program is broader and even more outrageous. Nightly line-ups have been given names like 'Manic Monday' and 'Sicko Saturday' and alongside some of this year’s most demented new releases there’ll be some '80s B-movie brilliance and international guests to nerd out for. On the traditional Halloween two-point scoring system, it should be a treat.
Whether it's opening a sprawling art museum, taking over a 400-year-old castle, turning old oil tanks into a digital waterfall, bringing waves of light to Melbourne or planning its first permanent European site, Teamlab's digital installations are never less than impressive. The term definitely applies to the interdisciplinary collective's latest venture, too. And if you find its work soothing, those feelings are bound to kick in with gusto when you're wandering around historic ruins and getting steamy in a sauna. In its latest dazzling permanent attraction, Teamlab has paired up with Japan's Mifuneyama Rakuen Park. If that sounds familiar, that's because the two have collaborated before. From July–November each year, an installation called Teamlab: A Forest Where Gods Live transforms the site into an interactive playground; however, if you'd like to check out the collective's wonders in the same area throughout the rest of the year, now you can. This time around, Teamlab has specifically joined forces with Mifuneyama Rakuen Hotel Rakan Bath — so you can head to the latter, then check out the former's works (or vice versa). It's calling the new venture Teamlab: Ruins and Heritage: Rinkan Spa and Tea Ceremony, and describes it as an "art and sauna experience within history and the forest", even though its projections within the tree-lined part of the site are only on offer for five months of the year. No matter when you head by — when international travel resumes, of course — you'll be able to head to Mifuneyama Rakuen Takeo's bath house ruins to see Teamlab efforts. Glowing, colour-changing lanterns have been on display since the new attraction opened in November 2020, and digital flowers have been blooming over the bathhouse walls since December. Visitors can also watch flowers, people and water particles dance across huge megaliths, and feel like they're wandering through a place where time has stopped in the process. Or, you can check out butterflies fluttering through underground ruins. There's also a tea house, Mifuneyama Rakuen Park's usual features — including carvings thought to date back 1300 years, Japan's seventh-largest tree and the stone gate to a castle — plus the spa facilities. Normally, some of these sites are only available to hotel guests; however, Teamlab is selling combo tickets to let patrons enjoy them as part of the new venture. To check out all of the above, you'll need to head to Kyushu, the third largest and most southern of Japan's islands. And, when you're next able to make overseas travel plans, you'll want to book your visit to Teamlab: Ruins and Heritage: Rinkan Spa and Tea Ceremony in advance. That's sound advice for every Teamlab venue anyway, but capacity for the Rakan Bath sessions is limited to ten men and ten women at a time. Teamlab: Ruins and Heritage: Rinkan Spa and Tea Ceremony is permanently on display at Mifuneyama Rakuen. Takeo City, Kyushu, Japan. For more information, visit the exhibition website. Images: teamLab.
Still sad because you missed The Avalanches much hyped comeback show at Splendour? Well, start saving your pennies because they're back for the Falls Music & Arts Festival. They're just one of the artists on the 2016 lineup, alongside Childish Gambino, London Grammar, Grouplove, Broods, Jamie T, Parquet Courts and heaps, heaps more. As always, Falls will be heading to Lorne for four nights over New Year's Eve. The Victorian festival will run simultaneously with legs in Marion Bay and Byron. Falls will also be setting up shop in Fremantle for the first time with Falls Downtown, a two-day city festival slated to take place over the weekend of January 7-8. Anyway, this is what you're after — here's the full lineup. FALLS FESTIVAL 2016 LINEUP Childish Gambino (No Sideshows) London Grammar (No Sideshows) The Avalanches Violent Soho Matt Corby Alison Wonderland* Catfish and the Bottlemen* Fat Freddy's Drop* Ta-ku The Rubens* The Jezabels Ball Park Music Grouplove Bernard Fanning* Jamie T Broods Tkay Maidza Grandmaster Flash Illy MØ Hot Dub Time Machine DMA's AlunaGeorge Booka Shade Client Liaison Vallis Alps Parquet Courts City Calm Down LDRU* Modern Baseball Tired Lion* Remi* RY X Marlon Williams* Lemaitre Shura *Not Playing Fremantle
Clearing out your wardrobe, sifting through your old clothing and making a pile to give to a new home rank among life's necessary but often overlooked tasks. It's also an easy process to get just partway through — pulling unloved shirts off their hangers and bagging up a heap of your old outfits to donate to charity, but then letting said bag sit in your hallway for months and months. Sound familiar? If you have the enthusiasm to gift your pre-loved clothing to a new home, but never quite get around to dropping off your old pieces for whatever reason, then you might be interested in The Iconic's new donation scheme. Called Giving Made Easy, it's an extension of the online retailer's free returns mechanism. Just print out a pre-paid shipping label from the company's website, pop it on a box or satchel filled with clothes that you're never going to wear again, then take it to an Australia Post box or office. Obviously, it still involves you actually moving your pile of unwanted clothes out of your house — but even if you never manage to make it to a Salvation Army or St Vincent's store or bin, you're never too far away from a post box. Once posted, your old threads will be sent to the Salvos to sell in their 330 shops across the country, which raise money to assist folks dealing with homelessness, addiction, domestic violence and emergency situations. To nab a label, you will need to have an active account with The Iconic. Once you've done that and printed out the label, you can stick it on any box or satchel you choose. And if you're a customer with one of the company's delivery satchels in your possession after your last order, you can also use that to send in your pre-loved pieces. The initiative is part of The Iconic's efforts to help reduce textile waste, with around 6000 kilograms of fabric and clothing ending up in Aussie landfill every ten minutes. As always when you're donating pre-worn clothes, pieces will need to be in good condition. If you'd happily give it to a friend as it is, then it's okay to give it to the Salvos. The charity is accepting dresses, tops, t-shirts, singlets, skirts, pants, shorts, jeans, coats, jackets, jumpsuits, playsuits, sweats, hoodies, jumpers, cardigans, suits, blazers, shirts, polos and activewear, as well as footwear and shoes. Used underwear, socks and hosiery won't be taken, nor anything that's damaged. To find out more about The Iconic's Giving Made Easy scheme — or to download a pre-paid shipping label — visit the online retailer's website. Top image: The Iconic.
It's been 15 years since Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio decided to fill a Melbourne alleyway with tunes in 2005. Thankfully, Laneway Festival is returning to Melbourne in 2020 with an eclectic program headlined by dance-pop powerhouse Charli XCX. The British songwriter's latest album Charli features everyone from Lizzo to Troye Sivan and Sky Ferreira. The Laneway Festivals will be her only Aussie shows, which is the same case for fellow international heavy hitter, American rapper Earl Sweatshirt. They'll be joined onstage by Canadian electro artist — and TikTok sensation — BBNO$, New Zealand's Benee, London crooner Col3trane and Irish post-punk band Fontaines DC. On the local front, you'll be able to get down to DMA's, Hatchie, Stella Donnelly, Hockey Dad, King Gizzard and the Lizard Gizard and 2019's Triple J Hottest 100 winners, Ocean Alley. LANEWAY 2020 LINEUP The 1975 Charli XCX (exclusive) Ruel Earl Sweatshirt (exclusive) Ocean Alley DMA's JID Tones and I King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Hockey Dad BBNO$ The Chats Mahalia KAIIT Benee Stella Donnelly Oliver Tree Fontaines DC Omar Apollo Col3trane Hatchie Spacey Jane Kucka Pist Idiots JessB The Lazy Eyes
With sea levels expected to rise at least 80 centimetres by the end of the century, scientists, architects and designers have been looking at ways to adapt. The nation of Kiribati, which lies just two metres above the ocean, has confirmed plans to buy land from Fiji and is even considering the purchase of a man-made island. In the Netherlands, architectural firm Waterstudio, founded by Koen Olthuis, is committed to "developing solutions to the problems posed by urbanisation and climate change". They've been coming up with large-scale floating projects, including a Sea Tree, an Ocean Flower in The Maldives and a Floating Boulevard in Antwerp. Now, construction is set to start on the world's first floating apartment block, known as The Citadel. Sixty luxury units, covering two acres of water and built on a concrete caisson, will comprise the project. They'll be constructed on a polder — a low-lying section of land that usually floods during heavy rain — of which there are 3500 in Holland. The usual Dutch practice is to drain them, in order to protect nearby buildings. However, The Citadel will take rising and falling water in its stride, floating accordingly. Each apartment will have its own garden terrace and lake views. Boat docks, a car park and a floating road (providing connectivity to dry land) are also part of the plan. Energy efficiency will be achieved via greenhouses and by taking advantage of the cooling potential of water. It's expected that, eventually, the construction of more floating buildings will see The Citadel become part of a buoyant town. https://youtube.com/watch?v=4nQ2ENphg00 Via Gizmag.
In the words of Tyrion Lannister, it's not easy being drunk all the time. Everyone would do it if it were easy. That may be true, but you can certainly give it a go, when Game of Rhones returns for another year. An epic wine tasting event inspired by the grapes of France's Rhone Valley and the works of George R. R. Martin, this year's Game of Rhones will visit North Melbourne's Meat Market on Saturday, June 10. The event will welcome more than 100 wines from winemakers such as Shaw + Smith, Yarra Yering, Ministry of Clouds, Henschke, Yalumba (and many more). There'll also be food from Fancy Hank's, Mr Burger, Meatsmith and Burn City Smokers, as well as cheese from Yarra Valley Dairy to ensure you don't go hungry. In between goblets, ticketholders will get the chance to chat with sommeliers at the Rhone Bar, where you can purchase full glasses of wine. If you're really keen, you can purchase a Royal Pass, which will get you access to the event an hour earlier, a food voucher and some one-on-one time with a sommelier to help you work out which wines you like best. It should also go without saying that dressing up as your favourite GoT character is highly encouraged. Zombie John Snow, anyone?
Folks, it's the happiest time of the year — and it's not Christmas. Netflix has come to town, the streaming video on demand service everyone is always talking about. If you like film and television, prepare to spend more time than you should picking from more movies and shows than you could possibly watch in your lifetime. But the fact is, having jumped through a number of well-publicised hoops, you might already be using Netflix US. Should you make the switch to the fully legit Australian service? There's a few factors to consider. Netflix never reveal the extent of their libraries, but more than 1000 titles are available locally. While that's only a fraction of the 8000-plus options on offer in the US, it's still plenty. Between Presto, Stan, Quickflix and Netflix (plus the range of services available with a little IP address masking), we're spoiled for choice. Here are some of the Australian Netflix inclusions and omissions that are swaying our decision. WHAT YOU SHOULD WATCH UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT Unless you've been trapped in an underground bunker, the name Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt probably rings a bell. The facts: it stars Ellie Kemper from The Office and Bridesmaids, it's the latest sitcom written by 30 Rock's dream team of Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, and it might just be your new favourite show. It's not just the earworm of a theme song that gets stuck in your head, but the irreverent sense of humour and can-do attitude, too. The show follows a wide-eyed 30-year-old freshly saved from 15 years in a doomsday cult and now trying to make it in New York City, after all. What more convincing do you need? BLOODLINE It may have made its premiere at the Berlin Film Festival in February, but Bloodline is actually Netflix's newest release. The latest original drama in the service's growing TV stable only dropped in the US last weekend — that's how fresh it is. Since then, the buzz has been building, particularly about Australia's own Ben Mendelsohn. He's joined by Kyle Chandler proving he's no longer Friday Night Lights' Coach Taylor, plus a cast that rounds up the likes of Chloë Sevigny, Linda Cardellini and Sam Shepard into a tale of family troubles. Just don't expect the standard sibling squabbles, given that the psychological thriller comes from the creators of Damages. BOJACK HORSEMAN His sitcom-starring days are long gone, and his tell-all biography is his last-ditch attempt at fame, so what's a washed-up talking horse that sounds just like Will Arnett to do? Yes, that's the premise of animated series Bojack Horseman — and it's only the beginning of its offbeat appeal. A whole host of other animals with human traits are in the mix, plus a swag of familiar voices, including Community's Alison Brie and Ken Jeong, as well as Kristen Schaal and Stanley Tucci. Patton Oswalt pops up as a penguin and recent Oscar winner J.K. Simmons becomes a turtle, while Aaron Paul plays — what else — a slacker. VIRUNGA AND OTHER NETFLIX ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARIES Netflix doesn't just produce television shows — it is also in the movie-making game. Funding new features takes some time, but there's already a stack of slices of real life available to choose from, covering topics as varied as human rights abuses, failed US presidential candidates, and the meaning of manhood. One of them, Virunga, crafts a compelling account of conservation efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a species of mountain gorillas face extinction courtesy of oil exploration, armed conflict and poachers. The heartbreaking film was even nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature just last month, following in the footsteps of fellow Netflix offering, Egyptian revolution chronicle The Square, the year before. AZIZ ANSARI: LIVE AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN AND OTHER NETFLIX STAND-UP COMEDY SPECIALS You like to laugh, we like to laugh, and Netflix likes us all to laugh, clearly. Why else would they stack their library with stand-up comedy specials, featuring all the funny people we know and love, that you can't find anywhere else? Aziz Ansari: Live at Madison Square Garden is the latest and greatest of the lot, not to mention the perfect antidote to those suffering from Parks and Recreation withdrawals. The Australian catalogue doesn't feature the full suite of comedy sets, but it does include exclusive shows by Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Chelsea Peretti and Sleepwalk with Me's Mike Birbiglia, so we're not complaining. WHAT YOU CAN'T WATCH FRIENDS, AND YOUR OTHER FAVOURITE TV COMEDIES When all 236 episodes and 86 hours of Friends came to US Netflix at the beginning of 2015, fans of the program rejoiced in the thought of revisiting it from start to finish. Binge-watching older TV comedies and catching up on past seasons of newer shows you might have missed has always been one of the drawcards of the service, whether Archer, Portlandia, Peep Show or It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is your thing, or something else. All of the above are absent from the Australian lineup, meaning you'd best hang on to your DVDs for now. With more titles added all the time, perhaps you'll soon be marathoning Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock and Bob's Burgers. Given Netflix was the driving force behind Arrested Development's revival, at least you know they'll always have that — though, curiously Trailer Park Boys isn't available locally, even with the service funding its latest seasons. KILLER MERMAID, AND OTHER MOVIES YOU WON'T BE SEEING IN MULTIPLEXES Yup, a movie about a man-eating mermaid actually exists, starring Franco Nero — aka the original Django. No, despite the appeal of the idea, the film isn't very good. But it is this kind of fare that makes Netflix US great for cinephiles with adventurous tastes, or just those looking to stumble across something outside the norm. Cult classics and foreign films that will never make it to a big screen are also typically well served by the service, as well as US indies, such as quite a bit of the work of Joe Swanberg. For now, this level of depth is absent, though the Australian lineup does boast some movies not available elsewhere, particularly local content. TWIN PEAKS We’re always going to tell you to watch Twin Peaks, but if you want to do so, you best seek it elsewhere. David Lynch’s surreal, small-town series is nowhere to be seen here — well, not in its small screen version. In one of those strange situations that can only be chalked up to rights issues, you can't watch season one or two of the program, which is available in America, but you can watch Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, which isn't. Given the kooky twists in the series in question, it actually feels quite fitting. Of course, we'll take some over none any day, especially when the movie sequel-slash-prequel is one of the scariest horror films there is. FIREPLACE FOR YOUR HOME Sure, we'll admit that much of Australia doesn't really have the climate for fireplaces for most of the year, but that doesn't mean that we don't want to pretend. Whatever the weather outside, we want to snuggle up on our couches, turn on Netflix, and look at a streamed video of crackling flames — just like it was the real thing. Alas, we can't, with Fireplace for Your Home glaringly absent from the local catalogue. It looks like we'll never know the joy of "a classic tale of logs and fire like you've never seen it before", or its holiday-themed winter wonderland spin-off. THE MAJORITY OF NEW TV SHOWS Netflix launching in Australia is certainly a step forward for our film and TV viewing choices; however, it is worth remembering that it isn't the be all and end all of SVOD services. Even in the US, it doesn't carry the newest seasons of the majority of television programs, other than the select few — such as House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black — Netflix makes themselves. As a catch-up service, there are still plenty of gaps too, including all the HBO shows you've obsessed about for years (sorry Game of Thrones fans). Instead, think of it as a great online library that you can always access — but like its offline counterparts, there's always bound to be something missing. Image: The stars of Netflix come out for the Netflix Australia launch.
When you're sitting in a pub with an ice-cold beer in your hand, and you're about to bring it to your lips to have that especially refreshing first sip, there are plenty of things that you can say cheers to. You can direct your thoughts towards the pals you're drinking with, a special occasion or good news, for instance. Or, in these pandemic-era times, you can say cheers to simply being able to have a beer in a pub — when and where that's possible around lockdowns and restrictions. Australian brewery Furphy wants to help Aussies say cheers, and to help boost the country's vaccination campaign in the process. So, it's doing the best giveaway that a brewery can do and shouting a free beer to 33,000 people that've had both their jabs. Get vaxxed, get a free brew. That's it, that's the initiative. Furphy's 'vaxxed to the pub' aims to increase the number of jabs going into arms, and therefore help get Australia's vaccination rates up — because, under both state-level and national plans, the pathway to coming out of lockdown (in New South Wales and Victoria) and easing the rules in general (in states that aren't currently under stay-at-home conditions) is tied to the number of people who've been rolled up their sleeves. Here's how it works: you fill out the online form on the Furphy website, then you'll be contacted about how you can nab your free brew. The campaign is all about getting people into pubs and clubs again, so you'll be drinking your beer in a participating watering hole — when that's allowed in your state, of course, with the giveaway running from October 1–December 31, 2021. You'll get a free Furphy Refreshing Ale or Furphy Crisp Lager for your troubles, if you're wondering what you'll be drinking. And, you'll need to use the Myy App — and prove that you've been fully COVID-19 vaccinated by showing your vax certificate, of course. [caption id="attachment_825162" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Chris Pavlich Photography[/caption] "We're urging our fellow Aussies to roll up their sleeves and get double-jabbed so that we can start to bring much needed business back to our struggling hospitality sector," said Lion Managing Director James Brindley. "We want to encourage all Aussies who can to get fully vaccinated. We can't wait for the Furphys to flow once more and give some much-needed foot traffic to our hospitality mates." Like Furphy, a heap of Aussie breweries and venues have been finding ways to support the vaccination rollout in recent months. Some pubs have been handing out free brews, Hawke's Brewing Co painted a giant mural of a vaxxed Bob Hawke sipping a frothy on its wall in Sydney and VB has given its classic "hard-earned thirst" ad a jab-friendly spin, for example. For more information about Furphy's 'vaxxed to the pub' initiative, and to register for your free beer, head to the brewery's website.
A vibrating chamber filled with light. Guided night walks through Hobart led by teenagers. Forty-nine search lights beaming up into the sky. Multiple performances by Sonic Youth founder Thurston Moore. Throw in an after-hours art path, late-night parties and a fiery waterside display, and that's still just a taste of Dark Mofo's just-revealed 2021 lineup. The Tasmanian winter arts festival will return to Hobart between Wednesday, June 16–Tuesday, June 22, after being forced to scrap 2020's event due to the pandemic. Something that definitely isn't on the bill: the now-cancelled Union Flag artwork, which was announced back in March as this year's first program inclusion, then sparked a thoroughly unsurprisingly backlash. Instead, arts lovers can experience the world premiere of Russian performance duo 404.zero's aforementioned vibrating installation, peer at the always-vibrant Spectra, enjoy Moore's residency (including gigs with electronic music composer Wobbly and New Zealand's The Dead C), and watch a series of sculptural false gods come to life thanks to Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran's Earth Deities. [caption id="attachment_800593" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jesse Hunniford[/caption] Elsewhere, a reclamation walk on opening night will focus on the city's vegetation, exhibition Paradise Lost will explore the work of suspected serial poisoner-turned-acclaimed colonial artist Thomas Griffiths Wainewright, Chicago-based composer and singer Haley Fohr will sing with music boxes she received on 18 different birthdays, and Jonathan Schipper's Slow Room will see a living room slowly pulled into a hole in a wall over the festival's duration. Yes, there's plenty to tempt you to Tassie in the full program — and, in good news for your wallet (especially after you've booked flights and accommodation for the fest), most of the lineup is free. Ticketed events still feature, especially among Dark Mofo's music gigs, but attendees can still see the bulk of Dark Mofo's 2021 offerings without paying a cent. That includes heading along to its annual Winter Feast in the Princes Wharf precinct, which'll offer free entry after 9pm and all night on Sunday — and going for a splash during the Nude Solstice Swim, another of the fest's returning signature drawcards. [caption id="attachment_812063" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jonathan Schipper, Slow Room. Courtesy Jonathan Schipper and Crystal Bridges Museum. Dark Mofo 2021[/caption] This year's Dark Mofo lineup is also designed to christen Hobart's new Darklab Bell Tower. It's the first bell tower that has been erected in Hobart in around 100 years, and features a 1800-kilogram bell that's been salvaged from a demolished church in Chicago. So, when you're dancing to DJs late at night at In The Hanging Garden, you'll be helping to celebrate one of the city's big new additions. And, although the blood-soaked Union Flag is no longer on the bill, Dark Mofo is still planning to make art from its audience — or from their loved ones' remains, to be exact. As part of a piece called Memorial by Alex Podger, the festival is calling for Tasmanian residents to provide the ashes of their loved ones, which will be placed into a handmade firework shell and then launched above the Derwent River, all to pay a fleeting but eye-catching tribute to life's beauty and complexity. Dark Mofo returns to Hobart from Wednesday, June 16–Tuesday, June 22. Tickets will be on sale from late May — for further details and to check out the full lineup, head to the festival website. Top image: Ivan Volkov, courtesy of 404.zero and Dark Mofo 2021.
It's safe to say that nobody is playing the long game like Marvel Studios. When they put together individual films for Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, Captain America and Thor, the endgame they had in mind was The Avengers, in which all the heroes teamed up to take on one gigantic threat. Guardians of the Galaxy is something different: taking place almost exclusively in outer space, it eschews the interconnected universe — save for a small hints for fans with long memories — in favour of a decidedly stand-alone adventure. And what an adventure it is. Kidnapped from Earth as a child, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) — preferred nom de plume 'Starlord' — is a roguish figure in the vein of Han Solo or Mal Reynolds, who recovers exotic treasures to sell to seedy figures. But his latest acquisition brought him some unwanted attention: he is hunted by green-skinned assassin Gamora (Zoe Saldana), foul-mouthed raccoon Rocket (Bradley Cooper), and sentient tree Groot (Vin Diesel). When all four are thrown into a hellish prison alongside vengeance-minded muscle-creature Drax (Dave Bautista), this group of misfits realise they're the only ones who can stop a powerful madman from destroying the galaxy. Sound pretty uninspiring? Don't be fooled. The film is full of inventive, fun ideas: writer/director James Gunn has crafted a rich and engaging universe that feels infinitely more expansive and detailed than your run-of-the-mill sci-fi film. And that's not even its biggest selling point. Guardians of the Galaxy is funny. Like, laugh-out-loud funny, and for its entire running time. While far too many Hollywood comedies can barely raise more than one or two laughs per hour, Guardians of the Galaxy puts them to shame with an extraordinarily high number of quips and gags that always feel completely natural to the story and characters. What really sells it is the casting. Pratt (Parks and Recreation's Andy Dwyer) is a natural leading man, embracing the goofy in a way that far too many stoic action stars are afraid to. Saldana (Avatar) again proves she's unparalleled at grounding blockbusters even when playing an improbably hued alien warrior. Wrestling star Bautista reveals a substantial gift for comic timing, and it's no backhanded compliment to say that Diesel and Cooper have never been better. A wealth of supporting turns come from Glenn Close, John C Reilly, Peter Serafinowicz, Lee Pace, Djimon Hounsou, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan and a couple of cameos we shan't spoil. Guardians of the Galaxy is a weird, risky prospect for a studio that's all about relatable humans in recognisable settings. Maybe that's why it works: faced with a tougher sell, they've gone the extra mile to make something special. And boy does it work. https://youtube.com/watch?v=3CqymRQ1uUU
Forget humdrum Hallmark — this Valentine's Day, it's time to up the ante by whisking your other half to a boutique escape that would knock even Casanova's (lacy) socks off. Best for lavish loving: Blakes Hotel London, United Kingdom Having long seduced fabulous film stars and glamorous glitterati, Blakes Hotel delivers hedonistic pleasures with a hefty dose of decadence. Put simply, the sexy boudoirs will have you seriously considering extending your stay (no wonder Blakes won 'Sexiest Bedroom' at our recent Smith Hotel Awards). Inspired by far-flung lands, including Turkey, Russia and Indi, each room has its own unique style: think suites kitted out with mother-of-pearl-inlaid furnishings, four-poster beds draped in rich fabrics or hand-painted white floors. Jimmy Choo-clad ankles and Rolex-boasting wrists head to Blakes’ dimly lit restaurant to dine on dishes that are influenced by the East: try tempura oysters for an afternoon aphrodisiac. Best for rustic romantics: The Farm at Cape Kidnappers Hawke's Bay, New Zealand Neighboured by a 6,000-acre working farm and jaw-dropping Pacific Ocean views, The Farm at Cape Kidnappers comes complete with a glam golf course, soothing spa and seductive dining snug. Communal areas in this French-style country house have exposed wooden beams above rough grey-stone walls, natural wood panelling, stone floors scattered with cowhide rugs and oversized couches clustered around a fire — perfect for snuggling up with your favourite person and glass of New Zealand pinot. Following a day on the green, choose from a range of dining spaces — the snug is perfect for dinner a deux. Be sure to leave room for dessert; the hotel’s pastry chef makes all of the scrumptious cookies, breads, jams, ice-cream and pastries from scratch. Best for party pleasures: QT Sydney Sydney, Australia Dubbed the ‘Directors of Chaos’, the red-wigged belles manning the doors at QT Sydney are the first hint that this hotel is not your average boutique bolthole. A playground for adults (ankle-biters are best left with grandma), the hotel occupies the beautiful old bones of the revamped State Theatre and Gowings department store buildings. All the rooms are tricked out with vibrant hits of colour, prints and patterns across fur throws, rugs and cushions. DIY Martini kits cater to budding mixologists and hint at pre-dining-and-dancing tipples. For morning-after alleviation, slot in a session at stylish SpaQ, where an old-school barber is a nod to the history of the Gowings building. Best for quiet canoodling: Ca Maria Adele Venice, Italy With heavy damask fabrics, shimmering Murano chandeliers and ornate flock wallpaper, Ca Maria Adele is a romantic respite hidden away from camera-clutching tourists. Couples are welcomed by a private dock and then coaxed into the elegant reception, resplendent in gold marble and deep African teak. A soundtrack of lapping water and chattering locals can be heard from the windows of Ca Maria Adele’s magnificent rooms: the grand Sala del Doge has sumptuous furnishings and a sensuous red palette; Sala Noire is darkly seductive, with black glass and muted lighting. Best for balmy beach bliss: Qualia Great Barrier Reef, Australia In the heart of the world's largest marine park, the postcard-perfect and too-turquoise views from Qualia extend as far as the eye can see. Pavilions — made from natural wood, glass and stone — are enveloped by lush tropical forest and gardens or are perched on the resort’s aptly named Pebble Beach. Those seeking to stimulate the senses in the most serene of surroundings should head for the spa; oenophiles can get their kicks with a chardonnay massage and vinotherapie body scrub. Golf buggies replace cars and can be used to explore Hamilton Island's main street offerings of shops, cafes and restaurants. When a growling stomach bids you to return to the resort, the Long Pavilion is a fine-dining eatery serving modern Australian cuisine at candlelit tables with sunset vistas. Best for a private palace: La Residence Garden Route & Winelands, South Africa Peering over Franschhoek's valley of vines, La Residence is a mini, modern Versailles with more Persian rugs and exotic antiques than you could poke a pith helmet at. Life happens at a leisurely and luxurious pace here — days are spent moseying between the come-hither infinity pool and shaded sun loungers, cycling around the estate or indulging in a private cheese or wine tasting at one of the neighbouring vineyards. Dine beneath dazzling chandeliers in the hotel's grand dining room. The Persian Alley is perfect for cocktails and canapes by candlelight, while would-be master-chefs can book a cookery demonstration at the chef’s table. Best for enchanting escapism: Jade Mountain St Lucia, St Lucia Rising above the Caribbean sea, Jade Mountain is a cornucopia of zigzagging stone walkways, cascading koi pools and sculpture-topped stone pillars. The vision of conceptual architect Nick Troubetzkoy, each of the ‘sanctuaries’ (fancy talk for rooms) has its own ‘sky path’ — an individual bridge suspended from a network of columns and a removed fourth wall, allowing for totally uninterrupted ocean views. There’ll be no quickly checking emails or uploading a #nofilter shot to Instagram; this is a tech-free zone with no phones, sound systems, TVs or WiFi. Bliss. Expect to fill days with waterskiing, snorkelling, kayaking, cycling, paddling in your private infinity pool and feasting on the seafood-focussed menu at the Jade Mountain Club. Best for decadent dining: The Prince Melbourne, Australia Behind its art deco facade, The Prince is home to simply decorated communal spaces, an acclaimed restaurant and a spa sure to soothe every niggle. In edgy and bohemian St Kilda, the Prince is so cool it's sure to illicit a raised eyebrow from even the most blase of hipster — credentials include a sophisticated vodka bar, buzzing public saloon and an iconic live-music venue. Paying homage to Melbourne’s favoured sleek and minimal aesthetic, rooms are uncluttered and spacious with dark woods, chocolate-grey carpets and unfussy white bed linen. Dining at the Prince is an award-winning affair: helmed by Ashly Hicks, Lyndon Tyers and Stephen Burke, Circa’s menu focuses on seasonal and local produce — roasted duck with mandarin and blackened onion, smoked quail with parsnip curd and mulberries. Best for upscale country manor: The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs Bay of Islands, New Zealand Soak up panoramic Pacific Ocean vistas from The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs, which flaunts blissful beaches, a championship golf course and a cliff-top perch. Rooms at the lodge are the kind that you want to take back home in your carry-on so nothing gets broken: think neutral-toned comfy armchairs by the fire, walk-in wardrobes, indulgent bathrooms and private porches overlooking the sea. If golf isn’t your game, a private beach with soft pink sand is a mere 15-minute stroll from the seventh hole, or you can succumb to the spa, where treatment rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows and overlook a trickling stream. Best for Parisian perfection: L’Hôtel Paris, France In Paris, romance rules and L’Hôtel isn’t daunted by its setting; it will sweep you off your feet. In the hotel where Oscar Wilde penned his last, there are extravagant nods to this famed eccentric everywhere, from the glamorous underground swimming pool to the leopard-print carpet and original Jean Cocteau artwork in the lobby. From the cylindrical hotel atrium, a spiral staircase descends towards the basement hammam, where the pool is decked out with heavy velvet curtains, terracotta floors and rough-stone columns. Post-swim stomachs can splurge on Michelin-starred cuisine at Le Restaurant or, if liquid libations are more your speed, the adjacent Le Bar is a dark and seductive haunt, favoured by artists, film stars and discerning Parisians. Ready to swoon? See more romantic designer dens for Valentine’s Day or explore other collections at Mr & Mrs Smith.
UPDATE, May 2, 2021: Little Women is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Foxtel Now, Google Play, Youtube Movies and iTunes. Greta Gerwig doesn't appear in Little Women, but she's as much an on-screen presence as her stellar cast. Two features into her career as a solo filmmaker, the actor-turned-writer/director has established a clear authorial voice, with both Lady Bird's titular teen and Little Women's Jo March feeling like extensions of Gerwig herself. They're characters she could've and would've played had either movie transpired a few years earlier. Dynamic young women eager to leave their imprint upon the world — and refusing to simply accept the niche that others have earmarked for them, too — they're clear kindred spirits to Frances Ha's eponymous New Yorker. Brought to life by Saoirse Ronan, they're also fiercely determined to do what many of Gerwig's own on-screen characters have: battle for the lives that they want, no matter how difficult that proves. If Lady Bird filtered the above idea through Gerwig's own adolescence in a loosely autobiographical manner, then Little Women locates it in what must be one of her favourite books. Notions of forging one's identity, finding independence and fighting societal conventions already exist in Louisa May Alcott's 1868 novel; however Gerwig's adaptation thrusts them to the fore — not just because a modern remake should, but because they're the Civil War-era story's beating heart. Accordingly, this version of Little Women opens with the indefatigable Jo (Ronan) selling one of her tales to a New York publisher (Tracy Letts), and shows her confidently holding her own in negotiations over what's expected of her female characters. She needs to make the sale to send money home to Massachusetts, but she's never willing to compromise just because she's told to. Tinkering with the flow of Alcott's classic, Gerwig's decision to start Little Women here is inspired. It conveys the crux of Jo's journey in a concise, witty, lively back-and-forth — because, both before and after this point in the overall narrative, she keeps experiencing this tussle in various forms. Via flashbacks, viewers piece together the whole story. Her mother Marmee (Laura Dern) doesn't push Jo along any specific path, and her sisters Meg (Emma Watson), Amy (Florence Pugh) and Beth (Eliza Scanlen) are accustomed to her headstrong ways, but Aunt March (Meryl Streep) has decisive views. With their father (Bob Odenkirk) away at war, the stern matriarch decrees that Jo must marry into money to secure the family's economic standing. Even given her close friendship with the wealthy, besotted Laurie (Timothée Chalamet) — literally the boy next door — Jo steadfastly rejects the prospect that her future is for sale. Gerwig's structural approach has another pivotal impact: it turns this into a tale of women, not girls. The audience first meets the March sisters as adults with precise personalities, and so the film prioritises who they are, not who they once were. This remains a coming-of-age story, but it's savvily reframed to focus on the women that emerge from games, squabbles, crushes, rivalries and stage shows in the attic, rather than on young ladies working out what they want. That might seem a tiny shift, but it makes a vast difference. From the outset, it accepts and foregrounds Jo's unwavering resolve, Meg's desire for a traditional family life of her own, and Amy's pragmatism about the financial realities of being female, instead of making these traits the punctuation that concludes their arcs. All of the above mightn't work so well if Little Women wasn't so superbly cast — especially Ronan as Gerwig's returning on-screen surrogate and Pugh as the thorniest of the siblings. If Gerwig can't play Jo, then no one else but Ronan could've, tapping into the character's intensity and the fact that she's well aware of the cost of her choices. As Amy, Pugh turns in her third excellent performance of the past year (after Fighting with My Family and Midsommar), giving depth and texture to a character who has often been treated as petulant elsewhere. They're surrounded by a wealth of other talent, of course, with Dern and Chalamet each keeping their internet darling status intact with aplomb. Gerwig works wonders with her script and her actors — tasks that might seem easy, but still bear her fingerprints — however she also directs a visually sumptuous film. Little Women sparkles with warmth and charm, not only when dresses catch alight and catastrophic haircuts inspire laughs, but across tender and heartbreaking moments. Cosiness and melancholy aren't mutually exclusive here, and nor are honeyed hues, imagery that resembles vivid period portraits, and a lived-in look and feel. Her trick to adapting Alcott's text for a new era — adding another version to a pile that already includes seven prior big-screen interpretations, including 1994's well-received take with Winona Ryder — is to eschew the idea that something can't be simultaneously dutiful and radical. Gerwig doesn't just make that plain via Jo's story, but bakes it into every frame of this sharp and soulful film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MCOpNti_pQ
Sent to gay conversion camp after being caught with another girl on prom night, Cameron Post (Chloë Grace Moretz) lies on the ground with one of her fellow campers. They're taking part in a class exercise, but when Cameron doesn't express herself in the way that's expected, she's accused of being hostile. More than that, she's told that by remaining more reserved than her classmates — by simply being who she is — that she's attacking everyone around her. While hardly one of The Miseducation of Cameron Post's most dramatic moments, the scene perfectly encapsulates the antagonism that is often directed towards the queer community just for existing. Adapting the applauded novel of the same name and earning the Grand Jury Prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival for its efforts, The Miseducation of Cameron Post deploys the tactics mentioned above on several occasions. The film includes scenes that appear ordinary within the narrative, and don't always stand out when the end credits roll, yet still speak to something broader. In another example, Cameron peels potatoes in the camp kitchen. The 4 Non Blondes hit 'What's Up?' starts playing on the radio, and Cameron begins to sing along. She's timid at first, but as the song continues — complete with a chorus that screams "what's going on?", as well as lines about praying for a revolution — her enthusiasm grows. In specific scenes and in its overall mood, The Miseducation of Cameron Post is compassionate and sensitive — not to the concept of gay conversion therapy, but to teens who are chastised for deviating from society's narrow idea of normality. Focusing on 16-year-old Cameron, the film explores the struggles faced by those packed off to the strict God's Promise facility as they're lectured about gender confusion and instructed to bury their urges. Under the watchful eyes of Dr. Lydia Marsh (Jennifer Ehle) and her supposedly saved brother (John Gallagher Jr.), attendees are taught how to be more stereotypically feminine or masculine. Girls are pushed away from sports, and guys with long locks are given haircuts. Unsurprisingly, Cameron is far from happy to be there, although she has like-minded company in the world-weary Jane (Sasha Lane) and the thoughtful Adam (Forrest Goodluck). While her film is set in the 90s, writer-director Desiree Akhavan wades into topical territory with her follow-up to 2014 comedy Appropriate Behaviour. It's timely, too, with The Miseducation of Cameron Post the first of two high-profile titles about gay conversion heading to screens before the year is out. (The second, Boy Erased, stars Lady Bird's Lucas Hedges, with Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe as his parents.) That said, it's not the movie's subject matter that makes it revolutionary, but its approach. Although it details a horrendous practice, this is a quiet film. It's not sharply subversive like the similarly themed But I'm a Cheerleader from 1999, and it doesn't need to be. Rather, with a big heart and some well-deployed low-key humour, The Miseducation of Cameron Post demonstrates unshakeable strength and defiance — just as its eponymous figure does when she's torn in multiple directions by her feelings, yet refuses to submit to anyone else's ideas about her sexuality or identity. It's little wonder, then, that Akhavan rarely takes the camera away from Moretz's face. When you're making a movie that's so steeped in the emotions of its protagonist, that's an understandable choice. Given that Moretz turns in a performance that's more nuanced and textured than anything else across her career, it's doubly so. The Miseducation of Cameron Post also finds ample time for the excellent Lane and Goodluck, who ensure that their supporting players feel exceptionally well-rounded. It gives other figures their small but important moments too, fleshing out the myriad of ways that places such as God's Promise can do damage. But whether Akhavan is rendering the picture's frames in muted tones that match Cameron's reserved personality, or simply capturing the pain flickering across Moretz's brow, she always adopts her lead character's perspective. This is a movie that gazes with the young woman at its centre, and strives to convey her experience in difficult circumstances, instead of merely looking at her. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6yPs5Nayog
From Groundhog Day and Source Code to Edge of Tomorrow and the Happy Death Day films, many a movie has pondered what life would be like if you were forced to relive the same day or moment over and over. Of course, everyone who has made it through 2020 now knows that feeling, with each second of this year since mid-March blending into one big repetitive blob — so it's rather fitting that one of the year's most enjoyable movies is all about being stuck in a time loop. That'd be Palm Springs, a romantic comedy that first premiered back at this year's Sundance Film Festival, then hit streaming in the US mid-year. It's now finally arriving Down Under, with viewers in Australia and New Zealand able to watch it via Amazon Prime Video from Friday, November 20. And, it's a delight. Prime Video really should've released it earlier, on November 9, as that's the day that Andy Samberg' Nyles keeps repeating. He wakes up in the titular Californian desert resort city and attends a wedding with his girlfriend Misty (Meredith Hagner, Brightburn), which might seem like a pretty standard day to most people. But from his drunken interruptions at the reception to the plethora of revelations that arise — and his interactions with fellow guests Sarah (Cristin Milioti, Fargo) and Roy (JK Simmons) , too — nothing turns out as planned. And it only gets more chaotic when not only Nyles but also Sarah both discover that they can't escape this one particular day. Palm Springs was also produced by Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Samberg, alongside his Lonely Island colleagues Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone. And, narrative-wise, don't go thinking you know exactly where it's all going to go. As directed by feature first-time Max Barbakow and written by Lodge 49's Andy Siara, Palm Springs finds its own way to grapple with the time-loop genre's usual elements — the repetition that feels like being stuck in purgatory, and the existential malaise that comes with it — in a smart and funny rom-com that boasts particularly great performances from Samberg and Milioti. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7QpnvmMmag&feature=youtu.be Palm Springs will be available to stream Down under via Amazon Prime Video from Friday, November 20.
