Last year's lockdowns left little opportunity for scouting out fresh, exciting local booze. But there's a new campaign that promises to help rekindle your appreciation for homegrown tipples, and get your 2022 drinking habits off to a much more adventurous start. Brainchild of the Victorian Drinks Alliance (VDA), Drink Victorian launched last month as a six-month pilot program, aimed at celebrating — and improving access to — the state's finest booze creations. Supported by the Victorian Government, the initiative has seen the VDA team up with 100 leading Melbourne restaurants, bars and pubs, shaking up their drinks lists to showcase even more great Victorian wine, beer, cider and spirits. And in the process, to give customers more opportunity to get acquainted with top-notch local drinks talent. Drink Victorian's aim is to remind drinkers of the diversity of world-class drops being made here in our own backyard, and to encourage the city's drinks lists to champion locality as much as its food menus currently do. [caption id="attachment_839210" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Blackhearts & Sparrows' Smith Street store[/caption] To that end, prepare to see a wealth of fresh local talent heroed on the menu next time you visit any of the participating venues — whether it's for memorable cocktails at Byrdi, Ugly Duckling or Capitano; some tasty brews at Beer Deluxe or Hopscotch; or a wine-sipping session at the likes of The Moon, Marion or Congress. Also onboard is Melbourne-born indie drinks retailer Blackhearts & Sparrows, which is leading its own push to encourage customers to buy local when it comes to wine, beer, cider and spirits. Drink Victorian will also run a series of industry events and tastings aimed at growing the relationships between local drinks producers and the venues pouring them. The program will run on a trial basis until May this year, when it'll wrap up with a huge two-day drinks showcase held as part of the 2022 Melbourne Food & Wine Festival. More on that to come. Drink Victorian started in December 2021 and runs until May 2022, involving 100 participating venues across the city. For more details and to see which venues are taking part, head to the initiative's website. Top image: Carmen Zammit.
Two Spiegeltents, two labyrinths and close to two hundred events are part of the program for Sydney Festival 2015, announced today. A happy 85 of the events are free this year, so it's looking like a long, wallet-friendly summer. "What’s really special about Sydney Festival is the diverse programming, with the best local and international artists from high arts — opera, theatre, and contemporary dance — to circus and family shows," says festival director Lieven Bertels. "Sydney Festival gives audiences the perfect excuse to celebrate the city in summer." Music Music at Sydney Festival has doubled this year, with Domain concerts, Spiegeltent gigs and late-night parties dominating the program. Latin and South American tunes take centre stage, from The Life Aquatic-popularised Brazilian legend Seu Jorge to Afro-Brazilian hip hop powerhouse Karol Conka and Argentinian WTF genre-spanners Frikstailers. Beats stake their claim as festival favourites this year, from Warp Records legend Nightmares on Wax to Young Turks’ Oneman, while strummers like #1 Dads and Kim Gordon’s Body/Head take things up a notch from the myriad of female folk artists on the bill — Alela Diane, Olivia Chaney, Jessica Pratt, Tiny Ruins. Anna Von Hausswolff takes to the Sydney Town Hall grand organ supported by NZ’s Aldous Harding, Moroccan trance dancers Fez Hamadcha explore Sufi sounds, co-founder of The Saints Ed Kuepper delves into a retrospective, while Ben Frost and Tim Hecker team up for a co-headline show at the Opera House. Then Tex Perkins plays Johnny Cash tunes at the historic Parramatta Gaol (check out the Parramatta program, announced yesterday over here), while Gotye realises the music of William Onyeabor with members of LCD Soundsystem and Hot Chip, among others. Sydney Festival’s love for the eclectic ‘who the hell?’ wildcards shines once more, from frenetic Barcelona multi-layering duo ZA! to the unexpected J-pop-meets-noise-pop team-up of Salyu and Cornelius. International hype cards How to Dress Well, Omar Souleyman, Wye Oak and return SydFester Dan Deacon are sure to get punters' paws rubbing. Giving local artists a sophisticated SydFest high-five, one third of the program features Australian musicians. Raise a plastic cup to the likes of Client Liaison, Kirin J Callinan and Firekites among the big Tex Perkins/Gotye guns. Public art Home to much of the festival's music, two Spiegeltents will be anchoring the expanding Festival Village, one of the real successes of last year and a true hub for hanging out in. Also within it will be a huge-scale art work from Ireland's answer to Banksy, street artist Maser. The maze-like, colour-splashed, two-storey-high installation, called Higher Ground, is said to be "a dream come true for those who always wished they could step inside a painting", and will be the focus of everyone's Instagramming this festival (which for the first time in two years, is Rubber Duck-less). Maser will be the artist-in-residence at the Village, though as he operates in anonymity, we don't expect to see too much of him. Other highlights among art installations include the must-ride Waterfall Swing at Darling Harbour, a giant swing that sends you flying towards a curtain of water that, thanks to the work of sensors, parts just before you hit it. Over at Carriageworks is another super-enticing labyrinthine experience, Inside There Falls (by UK-based Mira Calix), an immersive, tissue-paper environment you walk through, guided by haunting audio and the occasional glimpse of dancers. Also at Carriageworks, you can watch the meditative, 45-minute SpongeBob SquareTimes, an accidentally shot video of a man in a SpongeBob suit trying to make friends in Times Square. Performance Another big pillar of the festival is international theatre, dance and performance works. This year the big draws are Belgium's Kiss & Cry, a cinematic romance performed by two hands (yes, hands); India's The Kitchen, a spectacle of cooking and drumming from the creator of The Manginyar Seduction; France and the UK's The Night Dances, a celebration of the words of Sylvia Plath and music of Benjamin Britten, performed by Charlotte Rampling; and France's On the Harmful Effects of Tabacco, a Chekov one-act comedy performed by Theatre Des Bouffes du Nord (former home of Peter Brook) with costumes by Christian Lacroix. These join the already announced Tabac Rouge, a festival centre piece from another French innovator, circus performer James Thierree. On the smaller and more experimental side, there's one-woman memory mission I Guess If the Stage Exploded and, told entirely through the contents of one man's shoebox, Wot? No Fish!!. There's plenty of Australian contributions too, of the likes of Kate Mulvany's Masquerade, Force Majeure's Nothing to Lose, ambitious multimedia ethical exploration The Experiment and the return of the folks from Alvin Sputnik for Falling Through Clouds. On the circus side of things, the new Aurora Spiegeltent will be home to both last year's Limbo and new minimal circus artists A Simple Space, while the USA's Wau Wau Sisters lead the cabaret lineup. Those still holding a torch for the iconic Festival First Night will have to keep holding it; there's no sign of its return any time soon. Absent that inclusive and accessible event, hit up Sounds in the Domain, the Festival Village and the POP Parramatta Opening Party for free outdoor shenanigans. The 2015 Sydney Festival is on from January 8-26. Multipack tickets go on sale on October 24 (tomorrow!) at 9am, and will get you nice discounts. Single tickets go on sale on October 27 at 9am. To buy tickets and check out the full program, see the festival website. By Rima Sabina Aouf and Shannon Connellan.
Looking for some crackin' Christmas presents for the sweet toothed souls in your life? We think you'll find what you're looking for at Koko Black's new festive pop-up, Koko Pop. Making its home at 220 Collins Street from now until December 28, the one-stop chocolate shop is stocked to the brim with the artisan chocolate maker's full Christmas 2018 range. Simply look for the front windows plastered with cheeky one-liners — think, 'After Turkey Treats', 'To My Brat of A Child' and 'For the Boozy Buddy' — and head on in to find an array of Christmas-themed creations. Chocolate soldiers and ballerinas are sure to tempt kidult's tastebuds, as are the collectible pencil tins, filled with miniature chocolate animals, snowmen and Christmas trees. Elsewhere on the shelves, fancy blocks of chocolate are spiked with native Aussie ingredients such as wattleseed and macadamia, toasted sesame and spice, and vanilla and almond nougat. And of course, any Secret Santa will be pleased as punch to unwrap one of Koko Pop's gift boxes, a chocolate-filled 'Star Jar' or a festive hamper loaded with artisan goodies. Koko Pop is open from 9am–6pm, Monday–Wednesday and 9am–9pm, Thursday–Saturday. Images: Bryce Ford.
Hunting for a few spots to wine and dine in Melbourne across the long weekend? Luckily this city has no shortage of cafes, restaurants and bars that are dishing up the goods in celebration of the Queen's birthday. Here are a few spots that are open and ready to whet your whistle and fill your belly. [caption id="attachment_764366" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Firebird by Parker Blain[/caption] EATERIES ARBORY Saturday — Monday: 11am-9pm BABY PIZZA Satuday–Monday: 12–10pm BKK Saturday — Monday: 11.30am-1am CHANCERY LANE Saturday: 6pm–until late CHIN CHIN Saturday: 11am-11.30pm, Sunday, Monday: 11am-11pm ESTELLE Saturday, Sunday: 12–65pm and 6pm–until late, Monday: 6pm-11pm FIREBIRD Saturday and Sunday: 12–4pm and 5.30pm–11.30pm GOOD TIMES MILK BAR Saturday, Sunday: 8pm - 4pm, Monday: 8am - 3pm GRILL AMERICANO Saturday, Monday: 12pm-10pm HAWKER HALL Saturday, Sunday: 12pm-11.30pm, Monday: 12pm-10.30pm HER Saturday— Monday: 7am - 3am HELLA GOOD Saturday: 10am-9pm, Sunday: 10am-7pm, Monday: 10am-5.30pm KING & GODFREE Saturday, Sunday: 9am-11pm, Monday: 9am-10pm MAMMOTH ARMADALE Saturday — Monday: 8am-3pm MATILDA Saturday and Sunday: 8.30am–3pm and 6–8pm, Monday: 6pm-10pm MJOLNER Friday: 5–11pm, Saturday and Sunday: 5pm–late NEW QUARTER Saturday: 12pm-11pm, Monday: 12pm-10.30pm REPEAT OFFENDER Saturday, Sunday: 8am-11pm, Monday: 5pm-10pm STALACTITES Saturday: 11am-2pm, Sunday, Monday: 11am-12am STOKEHOUSE Saturday — Monday: 12pm-12am YAKIMONO Saturday — Monday: 12pm-11.30pm [caption id="attachment_744580" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Moon Dog World, Kate Shanasy[/caption] BARS AND PUBS AGOSTINO Saturday, Sunday, Monday: 12pm-10pm ALBERT PARK HOTEL Saturday — Monday: 12pm–late ARBORY AFLOAT Satuday–Monday: 11am–late ARBORY BAR & EATERY Saturday–Monday: 11.30am–late BAR CAROLINA Saturday and Sunday: 11.30am–late BURNLEY BREWING Saturday–Monday: 12pm–late THE EVERLEIGH Saturday, Sunday: 5pm–1am GLAMORAMA Saturday: 7pm–5am, Sunday: 7pm-5am HARLOW Saturday: 12pm–1am, Sunday, Monday: 12–10pm HEMINGWAY'S WINE ROOM Friday and Saturday: 12pm–late JOHNNY'S GREEN ROOM Saturday: 12pm-12am, Sunday, Monday: 12pm-11pm MOON DOG WORLD Saturday: 11.30am–12am, Sunday, Monday: 11.30am–10pm TETTO DI CAROLINA Saturday: 3pm–1am, Sunday: 3pm–11pm WELCOME TO THORNBURY Saturday: 12pm–12am, Sunday: 12pm-10pm [caption id="attachment_801858" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Queen Victoria Market[/caption] MARKETS PRAHRAN MARKET Saturday: 7am–5pm, Sunday: 10am-3pm PRESTON MARKET Saturday, Sunday: 8am–3pm QUEEN VICTORIA MARKET Saturday: 6am–4pm, Sunday: 9am–4pm SOUTH MELBOURNE MARKET Saturday and Sunday: 8am–4pm Top image: King & Godfree
When you think 'patron of the arts' your local council probably doesn't spring to mind. Thanks to our Art/Work interview series, we're fully aware of the extra work our local artists put in to keep themselves in canvas and oils, and perhaps Blacktown Council could help. Now in its sixteenth year, the Blacktown City Art Prize has grown in popularity and reputation to become one of the most popular art competitions in Western Sydney. There's a grand total of $24,000 available in prize money and acquisition funds across several categories. Entries are invited for four official sections: painting, watercolour, works on paper and sculpture. There are also open prizes for Aboriginal artists, youth artists, environmental art, and local artists. Don't worry if you don't actually live in Western Sydney, that last category is the only one restricted to Blacktown city residents. Entry forms must be submitted by Tuesday August 23, and selected works will be displayed at Blacktown Arts Centre from 24 September – 22 October, admission free.
An old man, haunted by history, leans forward and whispers almost imperceptibly to a young, wide-eyed boy: "…let me tell you a story". As a narrative device it's far from new, though few films have used it as effectively as 1987's The Princess Bride. For lazy writers it's an easy way of skipping from one big scene to the next without having to weave in difficult or dreary exposition. For clever ones, it's a chance to play with form and occasionally even wink at the audience. In The Lone Ranger, it's just plain unnecessary and entirely unwise, instantly robbing the movie of much of its tension by revealing in the opening scene that at least one of its two protagonists lives to be an old shirtless man. The Lone Ranger reunites actor Johnny Depp with producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski, whose last collaboration was the hugely successful Pirates of The Caribbean. Creatively, it seems none of them have quite been able to let go of the past, with The Lone Ranger adopting (to its peril) much of the Pirates franchise's aesthetic and form. Even Depp's character, Tonto, just looks like Jack Sparrow without his hat and for whatever reason, the style doesn't hold water when it's not set on it. The Lone Ranger is, quite simply, an overly long (149 minutes) series of exaggerated action sequences without much of a plot to bind them together. Now you may have noticed that, despite him being both the star and title of the film, this review has so far overlooked the actual Lone Ranger. Why? Because that's exactly what the movie does. From the first teaser it was clear this film was being built around its biggest star, Depp, and not Armie Hammer, who last had to share billing with himself as the Winklevoss twins in The Social Network. Hammer makes a fine Ranger: tall, charming and good looking — he's every bit the polite and polished hero that our mothers loved. But this is the age of the gritty reboot, and pitting a deliberately unarmed lawyer against a villain who literally eats parts of his victims was like slamming two entirely different movies together and hoping nobody would mind. The brutality of the film's opening stages is impressively unsettling and William Fichtner makes a fine bad guy; however, the darkness quickly gives way to quirkiness, robbing the Ranger of any chance to be a proper hero. The Lone Ranger has some great moments, and no matter how incongruous it feels compared to modern soundtracks, the eruption of the iconic William Tell Overture during the film's climax will bring a smile to most faces. But it's just too long, and without any truly defining back story or characteristics, the Ranger will struggle to find an audience calling for this one-off to become a franchise.
This news isn't like rain on your wedding day. It doesn't resemble finding a black fly in your chardonnay. And it definitely isn't anything like hitting a traffic jam when you're already late, either. But, it will have you singing those lines — and it is news that you oughta know, too — because 15-time Tony Award-nominated musical Jagged Little Pill is heading to Australia. The acclaimed production is making its first trip beyond Broadway, in fact, when it hits the Theatre Royal Sydney from Thursday, December 2. And, when the curtains are raised, it'll help mark another milestone, reopening the Theatre Royal five years after it closed its doors in 2016. Inspired by Alanis Morissette's 1995 album of the same name, Jagged Little Pill the Musical weaves a story around songs from that iconic record. So yes, it's a jukebox musical like Mamma Mia!, We Will Rock You and Rock of Ages. Famed tracks 'Ironic', 'You Oughta Know', 'Hand in My Pocket', 'Head Over Feet' and 'You Learn' all feature, in a production that boasts music by Morissette and her album co-writer and producer Glen Ballard, lyrics by Morissette, and a book by Juno Oscar-winner Diablo Cody. And, songs such as 'Thank U', 'So Pure', 'That I Would Be Good', 'So Unsexy' and 'Hands Clean' all pop up as well, even though they hail from the musician's subsequent albums. At present, tickets are on sale for shows until Sunday, December 19, all starring Natalie Bassingthwaighte. She'll play Mary Jane Healey, with Jagged Little Pill the Musical telling the Healey family's tale as they struggle with their seemingly idyllic suburban lives after a troubling event in their community. Expect to hear Morissette's tunes — including two new songs written just for the show — used in a story about social issues relevant to today, but also with an overall message of hope, healing and togetherness. Images: Jagged Little Pill the Musical original Broadway cast, Matthew Murphy. Updated September 27.
Chances are, you burnt through your entire puzzle collection during the first lockdown and now you're in desperate need of fresh jigsaw talent to see you through these next few weeks of lockdown. If that's the case, Australia Unseen's Vincent Rommelaere is here to help. The photographer is known for capturing idyllic scenes of Aussie beaches and rockpools, which are sold as prints on his website. But as iso-life became the new normal earlier this year, Rommelaere began transforming some of his NSW snaps into stunning, 500- and 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles, bringing the great outdoors into living rooms across the country. Now, with Melbourne swept back into Stage 3 restrictions, Australia Unseen has kindly gone and dropped a new batch of puzzle designs, this time featuring a couple of iconic Victorian sights. You can keep your fingers busy piecing together a scenescape of the 12 Apostles ($65), or assembling an early morning view of the Princes Bridge and the Melbourne CBD skyline, complete with hot air balloons dotting the sky ($65). Or, if you're ready to start dreaming of future summer travel plans, try something from the original lineup — maybe a shot of waves crashing over Icebergs, a slice of Byron Bay paradise, or a bird's-eye view of a busy Bondi Beach. Each design is available to purchase on its own, or as part of a gift box teamed with an A4 art print and a personalised postcard message. In the coming weeks, there'll also be options to add thoughtful extras like chocolate and candles. All jigsaw puzzles in stock are shipped from Sydney within two business days and you'll score free shipping on orders over $100. Australia Unseen jigsaw puzzles are now available to buy over here.
Melbourne’s largest free street festival, which has been running for over 30 years, is back once more to celebrate all over the St Kilda precinct. While it is certainly worth checking out the festival over the nine days, the highlight is definitely Festival Sunday, where 5 stages will be set up and the streets will be closed down so punters can freely wander between venues. Here, you can expect to look forward to the likes of Art vs. Science, The Bamboos, Mat McHugh from The Beautiful Girls, Busby Marou and Kingswood all performing on the main stage. Alison Wonderland will be closing the main events with a killer DJ set, so make sure you’re in it for the long haul too. Alternatively, if you want to see some fantastic young guns, check out King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Gold Fields, Dustin Tebbutt and Wave Racer, who will be playing at the O’Donnell Gardens Stage. For something a little more chilled out make your way to Bob Evans and Mama Kin on the Alfred Square stage. The lineup is big enough to challenge some of the main festivals this summer, and better yet — it's all free. For more information including the full lineup, check the St Kilda Festival website.
Light, art and photography – it's a proven winning combination. Australian artist Denis Smith is a professional light painter whose Ball of Light project combines traditional long exposure photography with continuous movements of lights directed by the artist. Surreal, glowing orbs are captured in peaceful yet unlikely places – a cemetery, a mountainside, a beach. Eerily they hover between land and sky, buzzing with strange energy and varied hues. Would you believe that Smith doesn't use Photoshop to edit these incredible images? Smith says "there is so much post processing of photography today, I wanted to create something that was real, yet unreal. No pixels are added or subtracted from the Ball of Light images." [Via Flavorwire]
Practise your Cockney accent, rehearse your favourite drunken London tale and prepare for high tea: the British Film Festival has arrived in Australia for the first time ever. There'll be a dozen contemporary features, five 20th-century classics (The Third Man and Lawrence of Arabia among them) and a chance to quiz Eric Bana during a live Q&A session, and a simply smashing closing night party. Here are five of our must-sees: Jump A massive hit at the Toronto International Film Festival and winner of the Palm Springs Festival's Bridging the Borders Award, Jump is a comic thriller set on New Year's Eve in Derry, Northern Ireland. A witty, fast-paced script captures the stories of three troubled individuals, who find themselves entangled by doomed romance, theft and revenge. Good Vibrations This eccentric, unstoppable rock movie comes to the British Film Festival following sold-out sessions at the 2013 Melbourne International Film Festival. Set against Ireland's Troubles of the 1970s, it follows the story of rebellious, maverick music lover Terri Hooley, Belfast's 'godfather of punk', and his determination to show the world the power of the seven-inch single. Dom Hemingway A gangster film in the style of Sexy Beast, Dom Hemingway stars Jude Law as the outrageous, volatile Dom, and Richard E. Grant as his best friend, Dickie. Following Dom's release after 12 years of imprisonment, the two travel from London to the south of France, encountering all number of misadventures along the way, from a car accident to an inevitable femme fatale. Mission to Lars How far would you go to meet your favourite rockstar? In this quirky documentary, siblings Kate and Will Spicer find out when they take their autistic brother, Tom, to Los Angeles to pursue Metallica's Lars Ulrich. Still Life The latest offering from Uberto Pasolini (producer of The Full Monty), Still Life is a drama in the British humanist tradition. A calm, meticulous ex-councillor, John May (Eddie Marsan) enters the lives of a mischievous adventurer, Billy Stoke, and his abandoned daughter, Kelly (Joanne Froggatt). Check out the full program here.
Summer at the Mornington Peninsula just got a lot hotter (in a good way). Hotel Sorrento, a mainstay since 1872, is set for a grand unveiling in December — revealing a luxurious transformation that's all about premium leisure and maximum relaxation. The renovation was announced early last year, and the team is ready to show off the new and improved Mornington fave. Let's start with the new digs. Thirteen new Sunset Suites have been constructed, starting from $550 per night. These suites will feature expansive windows with lush views, outdoor marble baths, rooms filled with bespoke Jardan furniture and amenities from Hunter Lab. The love isn't confined to the new suites — the existing rooms have also received a facelift. Meanwhile, the new Marlo Spa, hidden away in a private part of the hotel by a peaceful Japanese-inspired garden, is ready to pamper guests with massages, fire and ice therapies and more. And here's where it gets exciting: a 30-metre lap pool set in a travertine-walled terrace, surrounded by greenery and olive trees, has been installed. It's like swimming in the Mediterranean, without the hassle of a 16-hour flight. Add a nice cocktail while relaxing on the new poolside custom-made sun lounges by Grazia, and you've got a recipe for the perfect sunset relaxation session. Bookings are now open for December 2023. Find Hotel Sorrento at 5/15 Hotham Rd, Sorrento.
Every year, when spring hits Toowoomba, the regional city becomes the brightest place in southeast Queensland. Blooms blossom, greenery sprouts and flora reaches towards the sun — that's right, it's Carnival of Flowers time. Usually, the carnival only runs for ten days. In 2021, however, it's sticking around for an entire month. Accordingly, mark all of September in your diary — from Wednesday, September 1–Thursday, September 30 — and start planning a weekend trip west for the event's 72nd year. As always, the Carnival of Flowers will bloom at a variety of Toowoomba locations — including Laurel Bank Park and the Botanic Gardens of Queens Park — showcasing all of the gorgeous florets, growths and gardens around town. Each year, more than 170,000 blossoming bulbs and seedlings are planted, so this huge (and free) carnival won't be short on natural splendour. Attendees can also expect everything from park tours to kaleidoscopic arrays of tulips, petunias and poppies. Food trucks slinging bites to eat, a food trail showcasing local eateries and a ferris wheel with a blooming great view are also on the bill, as are a series of talks in local pubs, a dog-friendly program so that your pooch can get in on the action, both guided and non-guided walking tours, a big food and wine festival, a cinema under the stars and a floral parade. And, yes, the illuminated night garden will return as well. If you're keen to check out live tunes in flower-filled parks, the lineup for this year's ticketed Festival of Food and Wine within the broader carnival includes Sarah Blasko, Ash Grunwald, The Beautiful Girls, Grace Knight, Wendy Matthews, Richard Clapton and GANGgajang. They'll be hitting the stage between Friday, September 10–Sunday, September 11. Basically, there's no bad time to visit — and you might want to make the trek more than once. Indeed, when it comes to scenic spring sights, there's no prettier place to be. And, given it takes less than two hours to head up the mountain from Brisbane, it's perfect for a weekend day trip. Make a playlist, take a picnic and there's your Saturday or Sunday sorted. Naturally, the event will be adhering to COVID-19 requirements — so expect some social distancing with your bouquets. Image: Tourism and Events Queensland Updated June 1.
The Archibald Prize isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you think of artistic gadgetry. This coveted national portrait prize is often full of celebrities, sure, but they're usually rendered in expressionistic swathes of paint or meticulous photorealism. It's rare that we get treated to something on the vanguard — and even rarer to have someone deem Wil Anderson's familiar one-liners worthy of a place in one of the nation's best galleries. The portrait, which has been submitted for consideration of the Archibald Prize this week, is the work of Canberra artist Luke Cornish (aka E.L.K.). Predominantly known for his stencil work, Cornish has stepped out into unfamiliar territory creating an interactive artwork of the much-loved comedian that comes to life with the help of a video app. While the piece that hangs on the wall appears as a regular stencilled portrait, when you point a tablet of smartphone at the artwork, the image turns into a real-time video within the frame. A creepy virtual reality version of Wil Anderson leaps forth from your device and starts riffing on religion and Steve Jobs. It's as excellent as it is terrifying. The result of a collaboration with augmented reality specialist — aka the person with the coolest job ever — Amber Standley, this work looks like the start of something very exciting not only for the Archibald itself, but for art in general. "My plan is to start doing some large-scale mural portraits," the artist told The Herald Sun. "You can imagine walking down Elizabeth Street and holding your phone up to a mural and it just comes to life." A far cry from the unsightly QR codes that we still don't quite know how to figure out, this is some gadgetry we can definitely get behind. Instead of walking down the street flipping mindlessly through Instagram and Facebook we could now be interacting with the street art around us — while still firmly affixed to our phones, of course. As far as Cornish's portrait goes, we won't know if it's a finalist for the prize until July 10, and we won't be able to see it until the exhibition opens in Sydney on July 19. But, suffice to say, we have a good feeling it'll get through. Get your smartphones at the ready — this is definitely one to check out (even if you can't stand Wil Anderson). Via Herald Sun and Citynews.
If you've got a thing for bouncy castles and the likes, you're going to feel quite at home tripping through the latest immersive installation from Nottingham's Architects of Air. Famed the world over for their glowing, inflatable 'luminarium' structures, the artists are headed to Narre Warren's Bunjil Place to show off their latest creation, Katena Luminarium. Once you enter the maze of geometric domes and tunnels, all bathed in a swirling colour palette of glowing light, the moniker makes perfect sense. It's named after the catenary curve, which is the shape of a chain suspended, and is inspired by Antoni Gaudi's design for the Sagrada Familia. You'll start your journey through Katena in an airlock chamber, opening into a tunnel of domes filled with over 100 catenary curves. The mind-bending main dome boasts an intricate fine mesh shape, ablaze with over 200 colour highlights, including a vibrant green apex. While you can't actually bounce in it, you can wander through, or simply find a curve, settle in and soak up the supposed calming and energising effects of the ambient space. Katena Luminarium is open from Monday– Friday 10am–4pm and Saturday–Sunday 10am–5pm. Images: Alan Parkinson
Now in its 65th year, the annual Tesselaar Tulip Festival features over a million tulips planted across 25 acres of farmland. This huge collection of tulips is the perfect excuse to wander through endless fields of flowers to celebrate the start of spring. There's heaps of stuff happening at the tulip farm throughout the month, which sits on the cusp of the Dandenong Ranges and the Yarra Valley (east of Melbourne). For the food fans, we would highly recommend pencilling the Food, Wine & Jazz Weekend (September 27–29) into your eating plans. Boasting locally brewed beer, wine and a tasty snacks from the area — including warm, buttery fire-baked scones, mini dutch pancakes and loaded baked potatoes among the tulips. If you're still not convinced, entry includes complimentary wine and beer tasting. Similarly, the Dutch Weekend (September 20–22) will showcase the best that the Netherlands have to offer – other than tulips — with music, markets, unique crafts (wooden tulip-making, anyone?) and Dutch food available inside the festival. Or, head by on the Irish Weekend (October 11–13), where Irish pipers and dancing will perform (and plenty of Guinness and Kilkenny-drinking will take place) around the site's floral rainbow The Tesselaar Tulip Festival runs from Saturday, September 14 through to Sunday, October 13. Tickets are available at the farm, but you can buy them online in advance to skip the queue.
A film festival that brings the best and brightest new Japanese movies to Australian cinemas each year is a film festival to cherish. Also ace: a film fest that features a solely digital lineup of flicks and TV shows from Japan that you can check out from your couch. So, while it isn't time for the IRL Japanese Film Festival for 2024 yet — it last hit locations around the country across September–November 2023 — the Japanese Film Festival Online will keep you entertained come winter. Both fests serve up a handy way to view the latest and greatest Japanese fare without hopping on a plane, but only the online version lets you do so from home. Running from Wednesday, June 5–Wednesday, July 3, 2024's version will feature 23 films and two TV dramas, the latter serving up 20 episodes. And, you'll be able to check out for four Japanese horror shorts, too, all of which initially debuted in 2023 at the first-ever Horror Film Competition in Japan. The other big drawcard: Japanese Film Festival Online screens its program for free. Accordingly, this lineup won't test your budget, whether you're keen on I Am What I Am, which stars Drive My Car's Toko Miura; Anime Supremacy!, about a new director and a hotshot facing off while making their own competing anime; Single8, a Steven Spielberg (The Fabelmans)-influenced picture about Star Wars-loving teens making their own movie; or classic anime Kimba the White Lion from 1966. Film lovers will be catching the movies on the program between Wednesday, June 5–Wednesday, June 19. Fellow feature options include Father of the Milky Way Railroad, a biopic about poet and novelist Kenji Miyazawa; magazine drama Kiba: The Fangs of Fiction; Baby Assassins, where teen assassins are forced to give up the murderous life; and The Handsome Suit, about a magical outfit. TV fans will be tuning in from Wednesday, June 19–Wednesday, July 3, with 2017's Rikuoh starring Kôji Yakusho (Perfect Days), and stepping inside a traditional Japanese sock company — and 2015's Downtown Rocket based on Shitamachi Rocket novels about an ex-aerospace researcher who leads a factor that he inherited. While you won't pay a thing to watch, you do still need to register via the fest's website. Won't be in Australia at the time? The fest is available in 27 countries. "JFF Online 2024 is not just a film festival; it's a cultural bridge connecting fans of Japanese cinema across the globe," said The Japan Foundation in Sydney's Manisay Oudomvilay. "From the comforts of your home, you can traverse a wide array of genres — from heartfelt dramas and engaging documentaries to captivating anime stories. This festival celebrates the breadth and diversity of Japanese storytelling." "Our lineup includes films that challenge the norms, explore deep human connections, and celebrate the artistry of both seasoned and emerging Japanese filmmakers. We invite cinema lovers and Japanophiles alike from around the world to join us in this unique virtual celebration of Japanese cinematic artistry," continued Manisay. The 2024 Japanese Film Festival Online runs from Wednesday, June 5–Wednesday, July 3. For more information and to register to watch, visit the festival website. Top images: Single8 Film Partners / Jun Ikeido, TBS / Kenji Yamamoto / Anime Supremacy! The Movie Production Committee.
The Victorian Government's designs for an elevated rail on the Cranbourne/Pakenham train line have brought plenty of controversy; however, once the $1.6 billion Skyrail project is completed, it looks like they'll also bring a hefty increase of open spaces to Melbourne's south east. Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan yesterday revealed plans to use the area freed up by the line's elevation to create "11 MCGs worth of new open space." Included in the proposal is a 17-kilometre walking and cycling track running from Caulfield to Eastlink, as well as multi-purpose sports courts, rock climbing walls, skating facilities, parks and play areas. Clayton and Noble Park will also each score a fenced dog park, while an extra 4000 trees are set to be planted in the area as well. The proposed plans come as the government prepares to remove nine level crossings between Caulfield and Dandenong. "By removing the most dangerous and congested level crossings we are making our communities safer," the minister said. "And, by providing more open space we're making them a better place to live." The government says the plans are the result of extensive consultation from a Community Open Space Expert Panel, which was chaired by Director and Chief Executive at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Tim Entwisle.
Before the pandemic, when a new-release movie started playing in cinemas, audiences couldn't watch it on streaming, video on demand, DVD or blu-ray for a few months. But with the past few years forcing film industry to make quite a few changes — widespread movie theatre closures and plenty of people staying home in iso will do that — that's no longer always the case. Maybe you've had a close-contact run-in. Perhaps you haven't had time to make it to your local cinema lately. Given the hefty amount of films now releasing each week, maybe you simply missed something. Film distributors have been fast-tracking some of their new releases from cinemas to streaming recently — movies that might still be playing in theatres in some parts of the country, too. In preparation for your next couch session, here's 15 you can watch right now at home. NIGHTMARE ALLEY Don't mistake the blaze that starts the exceptional Nightmare Alley for warmth; in his 11th film, Guillermo del Toro gets chillier than he ever has. A lover of gothic tales told with empathy and curiosity, the Mexican The Shape of Water filmmaker has always understood that escapism and agony go hand in hand — and here, in a carnival noir that springs from William Lindsay Gresham's 1946 novel and previously reached cinemas in 1947, he runs headfirst into cold, unrelenting darkness. That burning house, once home to the skulking Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper, Licorice Pizza), is surrounded by America's stark midwestern landscape circa 1939. Still, the terrain of its now-former occupant's insides is even grimmer, as Nightmare Alley's opening image of Stan dropping a body into a hole in the abode's floor, then striking a match, shows. From there, he descends into the carny world after being given a job by barker Clem Hoatley (Willem Dafoe, Spider-Man: No Way Home) and doing whatever's asked, including helping clean up after the geek act — although, even with his ambiguities evident from the outset, stomaching a cage-dwelling man biting the heads off live chickens to entertain braying crowds isn't initially easy. While set in an already-despondent US where the Depression is only just waning, the shadows of the First World War linger and more are soon to fall via World War II, Nightmare Alley still gives Stan flickers of hope. Adapted from the novel by del Toro with feature debutant Kim Morgan, and filled to the brim with outstanding performances, the movie doesn't ever promise light or virtue, but kindness repeatedly comes its protagonist's way in its first half. In fortune-teller Zeena the Seer (Toni Collette, Dream Horse) and her oft-sauced husband and assistant Pete (David Strathairn, Nomadland), Stan gains friends and mentors. He takes to mentalism like he was born to it, and his gift for manipulating audiences — and his eagerness to keep pushing the spiritualism further — is firmly a sign. Soon, it's 1941 and he's rebadged himself as 'The Great Stanton' in city clubs, claiming to speak to the dead in the pursuit of bigger paydays, with fellow ex-carny Molly Cahill (Rooney Mara, Mary Magdalene) as his romantic and professional partner beyond the dustbowl. But then that scam attracts the attention of Dr Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett, Don't Look Up), and this drifter-turned-grifter gets caught in someone else's plan. Nightmare Alley is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. KING RICHARD In King Richard, Will Smith does more acting than expected with his back to the on-screen action. He does more acting in general — while the Ali and Concussion star can be a transformative performer, here he feels like he's overtly playing a part rather than disappearing into a role — but the way his eponymous figure handles his daughters' matches instantly stands out. Richard Williams is a tennis parent who despises the usual tennis parent histrionics. At the time the film is set, in the early 90s, he has also coached Venus (Saniyya Sidney, Fences) and Serena (Demi Singleton, Godfather of Harlem) since they were four years old, and penned a 78-page plan mapping out their futures before they were born. He's dedicated his life to their success, alongside family matriarch Oracene (Aunjanue Ellis, Lovecraft Country); however, he's so restless when they're volleying and backhanding that he can't bring himself to watch. These scenes in King Richard are among Smith's best. As directed by Joe Bell helmer Reinaldo Marcus Green — making another movie about a real-life person that makes his male eponymous figure the centre of someone else's story — he's anxious yet determined, and lives the feeling like he's breathing it. They're some of the movie's least blatantly showy and most quietly complex scenes as well. The Williams patriarch has wisdom for all occasions, forged from a tough childhood in America's south, plus the hard work and hustle of turning Venus and Serena into budding champions, so he'd likely have something to say about the insights gleaned here: that you can tell oh-so-much about a person when they're under pressure but nobody's watching. If he was actively imparting this lesson to his daughters — five of them, not just the two that now have 30 Grand Slam singles titles between them — and they didn't glean it, he'd make them watch again. When they see Cinderella in the film, that's exactly what happens. But his courtside demeanour is teachable anyway, recognising how all the preparation and effort in the world will still see you tested over and over. King Richard is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. SPENCER With two-plus decades as an actor to her name, Kristen Stewart hasn't spent her career as a candle in the wind. Her flame has both blazed and flickered since her first uncredited big-screen role in The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas but, by Elton John's definition, she's always known where to cling to. After jumping from child star to Twilight heroine and then one of the savviest talents of her generation, she's gleaned where to let her haunting gaze stare so piercingly that it lights up celluloid again and again, too. Spencer joins Stewart's resume after weighty parts in Clouds of Sils Maria, Personal Shopper, Certain Women and Seberg, and has her do something she's long done magnificently: let a world of pain and uncertainty seep quietly from her entire being. The new regal drama should do just that, of course, given its subject — but saying that director Pablo Larraín (Jackie, Ema) has cast his Diana well, pitch-perfect head tilt and all, is a royal understatement. The year is 1991, the time is Christmas and the place is the Queen's (Stella Gonet, Breeders) Sandringham Estate, where the Windsors converge for the holidays (yes, Spencer is now prime seasonal viewing). As scripted by Peaky Blinders and Locked Down's Steven Knight, the choice of period puts Diana in one of the most precarious situations of her then decade-long married life, with her nuptials to Prince Charles (Jack Farthing, The Lost Daughter) turning into an "amicable separation" within 12 months. Spencer's focus is on three days, not all that defined the People's Princess' existence before or after, but she can't stop contemplating her past and future. The Sandringham grounds include the house where Diana was born, and those happier recollections — and time spent now with her children (debutants Jack Nielen and Freddie Spry) — give her a glow. Alas, all the monarchical scrutiny simmers her joy to ashes, unsurprisingly. Spencer is available to stream via Prime Video. Read our full review. WEST SIDE STORY Tonight, tonight, there's only Steven Spielberg's lavish and dynamic version of West Side Story tonight — not to detract from or forget the 1961 movie of the same name. Six decades ago, an all-singing, all-dancing, New York City-set, gang war-focused spin on Romeo and Juliet leapt from stage to screen, becoming one of cinema's all-time classic musicals; however, remaking that hit is a task that Spielberg dazzlingly proves up to. It's his first sashay into the genre, despite making his initial amateur feature just three years after the original West Side Story debuted. It's also his first film since 2018's obnoxiously awful Ready Player One, which doubled as a how-to guide to crafting one of the worst, flimsiest and most bloated pieces of soulless pop-culture worship possible. But with this swooning, socially aware story of star-crossed lovers, Spielberg pirouettes back from his atrocious last flick by embracing something he clearly adores, and being unafraid to give it rhythmic swirls and thematic twirls. Shakespeare's own tale of tempestuous romance still looms large over West Side Story, as it always has — in fair NYC and its rubble-strewn titular neighbourhood where it lays its 1950s-era scene. The Jets and the Sharks aren't quite two households both alike in dignity, though. Led by the swaggering and dogged Riff (Mike Faist, a Tony-nominee for the Broadway production of Dear Evan Hansen), the Jets are young, scrappy, angry and full of resentment for anyone they fear is encroaching on their terrain. Meanwhile, with boxer Bernardo (David Alvarez, a Tony-winner for Billy Elliot) at the helm, the Sharks have tried to establish new lives outside of their native Puerto Rico through study, jobs and their own businesses. Both gangs refuse to coexist peacefully in the only part of New York where either feels at home — but it's a night at a dance, and the love-at-first-sight connection that blooms between Riff's best friend Tony (Ansel Elgort, The Goldfinch) and Bernardo's younger sister María (feature debutant Rachel Zegler), that sparks a showdown. West Side Story is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. HOUSE OF GUCCI For the second time in as many movies, Lady Gaga is caught in a bad romance in House of Gucci. Yes, she's already sung the song to match. The pop diva doesn't belt out ballads or croon upbeat tunes in this true-crime drama, unlike in her Oscar-nominated role in A Star Is Born, but she does shimmy into a tale about love and revenge, horror and design, and wanting someone's everything as long as it's free. Eschewing the earthy naturalism of her last film performance and tapping into her famed on-stage theatricality instead, she's perfect for the part of Patrizia Reggiani, aka Lady Gucci, aka the daughter of a trucking entrepreneur who wed into one of the world's most prestigious fashion families, helped unstitch its hold on its couture empire, then went to prison for murder. She's exceptional because she goes big and lavish, and because she knows that's the type of feature she's meant to be in: a soapy spectacle about money and power that uses its depiction of excess as an interrogation technique. Complimenting Gaga for nailing the brief — for acing it so dazzlingly that she's sauntering down her own catwalk as most of her co-stars virtually watch from the floor — gives House of Gucci a tad too much credit, though. Ridley Scott's second film in mere months following The Last Duel, and his third in a row to examine wealth and influence after 2017's All the Money in the World, this fashion-world saga skews large, lush and luxe with each choice, too, but doesn't land every sashay with quite the outsized lustre of its crown jewel. If House of Gucci's veteran director was picking an outfit instead, he would've chosen a killer gown, then wavered on the accessories. Some of his other decisions gleam, as seen in the movie's knowingly maximalist and melodramatic air, and in Adam Driver's (Annette) casting as Patrizia's ill-fated husband Maurizio Gucci. Others prove fine, like its jukebox-style soundtrack of 70s and 80s bangers. A few moves are so cartoonish — Jared Leto's ridiculousness, and the Super Mario-style accents sported by almost everyone on-screen — that they play like cheap knockoffs. House of Gucci is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. THE SCARY OF SIXTY-FIRST When Succession roves over New York's skyline — in its opening credits, as set to that bewitching theme tune, or just during its episodes — it gleams with wealth and privilege. Depiction doesn't equal endorsement, however, with the stellar HBO satire sharply cutting into its chosen world at every chance it gets. As one of the show's supporting cast members, Dasha Nekrasova slides into that realm, too, but that's not her only dalliance with the city's architecture, power brokers and all that both represent. The Scary of Sixty-First, the Red Scare podcast host's feature directorial debut, also savages the rich and seemingly consequence-free. It clasps onto a real-life story that's made that case inherently, abhorrently and monstrously. There's no gentle way to put it, but the fact that Nekrasova plays a woman investigating if a bargain Upper East Side duplex was one of Jeffrey Epstein's "orgy flophouses" says much about this purposefully provocative conspiracy thriller horror-comedy. College pals Addie (Betsey Brown, Assholes) and Noelle (the film's co-screenwriter Madeline Quinn) can't believe their luck when they find the cheap property, even if it does visibly need a clean — and have mirrored ceilings, as well as some questionable lock choices — and even if they don't appear completely comfortable with committing to live together. But from night one, the literal nightmares begin. Soon they're spying blood stains, scratched walls and eerie tarot cards, and feeling unsettled in a variety of ways. Enter Nekrasova's stranger, who comes sporting a dark-web rabbit hole's worth of paranoia and bearing the Epstein news. Addie and Noelle take the revelation in vastly different fashions, with the former seeming possessed by one of Epstein's child victims, and the latter diving deep into potential theories with her unnamed new friend. The Scary of Sixty-First is available to stream via Google Play and YouTube Movies. Read our full review. SCREAM Twenty-six years ago, "do you like scary movies?" stopped being just an ordinary question. Posed by a wrong-number caller who happened to be a ghostface-masked killer with a fondness for kitchen knives, it was the snappiest and savviest line in one of the 90s' biggest horror films, and it's now one of cinema's iconic pieces of dialogue. It gets another whirl in the Scream franchise's fifth movie, which is also called Scream — and you'd really best answer it now with the heartiest yes possible. Taking over from the late, great Wes Craven, who also directed 1997's Scream 2, 2000's Scream 3 and 2011's Scream 4 but died in 2015, Ready or Not's Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett task their next generation of slasher fodder with showing their devotion to horror with all the subtlety of a masked murderer who can't stop taunting their prey. That'd be a new Ghostface, who terrorises today's Woodsboro high schoolers, because the fictional spot is up there with Sunnydale and Twin Peaks on the list of places that are flat-out hellish for teens. The same happened in Scream 4, but the first new attack by the saga's killer is designed to lure home someone who's left town. Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera, In the Heights) hightailed it the moment she was old enough, fleeing a family secret, but is beckoned back when her sister Tara (Jenna Ortega, You) receives the feature's opening "do you like scary movies?" call. Soon, bodies are piling up, Ghostface gives Woodsboro that grim sense of deja vu again, and Tara's friends — including the horror film-obsessed Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown, Yellowjackets), her twin Chad (Mason Gooding, Love, Victor), his girlfriend Liv (Sonia Ammar, Jappeloup), and other pals Wes (Dylan Minnette, 13 Reasons Why) and Amber (Mikey Madison, Better Things) — are trying to both survive while basically cycling through the OG feature again, complete with a crucial location, and sleuth out the culprit using their scary movie knowledge. Everyone's a suspect, including Sam herself and her out-of-towner boyfriend Richie (Jack Quaid, The Boys), and also the begrudging resident expert on this exact situation: ex-sheriff Dewey Riley (David Arquette, Spree). The latter is the reason that morning show host Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox, Cougar Town) and initial Ghostface target Sidney Prescott (Skyscraper) make the trip back to Woodsboro again as well. Scream is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. NEVER GONNA SNOW AGAIN Start how you mean to go on is common-sense filmmaking advice. It's the medium's obvious first step, but it's also an elusive achievement. And, it's a feat that's usually only evident in hindsight — when a viewer can see if a stellar introduction really did signal just as sublime things to come, or vice versa. Never Gonna Snow Again perfects the concept, however. In its arresting opening moments, a man walks out of a forest and into a gated community in eastern Poland, and everything about the scene ripples with moody intrigue. The grey fog infusing the film's setting, the enigmatic look on the mysterious protagonist's face, the feeling that anything and everything could happen: filmmakers Malgorzata Szumowska (Mug) and Michal Englert (also the movie's cinematographer) deliver it all at the outset, and then back it up over their feature's 116 minutes. In Never Gonna Snow Again's initial images, that inscrutable man is Ukrainian masseur Zhenia (Alec Utgoff, Stranger Things), who walks out of a forest and into a gated community in eastern Poland. His destination is lined with lavish identical houses — the kind that the song 'Little Boxes' has satirised for almost six decades now — but he's about to be its most extraordinary visitor. His hands can help knead away physical troubles, a must for everyone with his profession. But as he works his physical magic, his touch can soothe minds as well. Trundling his massage table from well-appointed home to well-appointed home, he quickly builds up a devoted client list of well-to-do residents desperate for his help. He steps into their worlds, spying their outward gloss — the similar wreaths on each door, the doorbells chiming with snippets of classic music — and palpating away their inner pain. Never Gonna Snow Again is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET On a fictional New York street that's home to a cross-section of the city's multicultural population, young and old alike, and also to boisterous muppets, sunny days have been sweeping the clouds away since November 1969. Eager to educate preschoolers, Sesame Street has taught multiple generations of children the alphabet, to count — with help from Count von Count since 1972, of course — and about life in general, and both its longevity and the beloved turf it holds within popular culture speak to its enormous success. Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street knows that it's profiling a seminal piece of television, and that virtually everyone born in the past half-century grew up watching the adored series; however, it's also keen to tell the story behind that story. Nostalgia drips through this behind-the-scenes documentary, gleefully so, but so too does a chronicle of how Sesame Street became the icon it is — and against the odds. The show's backstory starts with TV producer Joan Ganz Cooney and psychologist Lloyd Morrisett, and with a dinner-party conversation that saw them float the idea of a television series that might help American children prepare for school — particularly kids of colour. The path to Sesame Street reaching the air wasn't smooth from there, or plain sailing once it got to screens (its focus on racial integration didn't go down well in parts of Mississippi, for instance), but education-meets-entertainment history was nonetheless made. Inspired by Michael Davis' 2008 non-fiction book Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street, documentarian Marilyn Agrelo (An Invisible Sign) fashions her film as an insider's window into a miraculous program, blending informative details about how it came to be and its early years with clips of its muppet-fuelled magic. Both elements of the movie engage, as do its recent and archival interviews. Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. SHANE Paul Kelly named a song after him. Eddie Perfect went one better and wrote an entire musical. But if Shane Warne had lived out his childhood dream, he would've played AFL for St Kilda instead of becoming a tune- and stage show-inspiring star cricketer. That tidbit isn't new news; however, Warne talks it through in new Australian documentary Shane — an early inclusion that demonstrates the film's handling of its well-known central figure. Warne's sporting career rose spectacularly from his failed attempt at Aussie Rules, which he also chats through. It dipped via several scandals, professional and personal alike, which he takes to with considerably less glee. Warne is a candid and engaging interviewee and, while joined by other cricketing and celebrity figures in recounting his life to-date, he's Shane's main source of information, but the film still spins the story that he's happy to share. There's no shortage of details for directors David Alrich (Griff's Great Australian Rail Trip), Jon Carey (Forbidden Games: The Justin Fashanu Story) and Jackie Munro to cover, all of which they unfurl in chronological order. Warne was an AFL-obsessed kid who played under-19s and one reserves game, only to be told he wouldn't make it at the top level. He then considered tennis, but found his calling — and global renown and acclaim — in spin-bowling wickets. Even to viewers unfussed by cricket, Warne's achievements are common knowledge, as are his decades in the spotlight. So too are his controversies; the bookmaker situation, the match-fixing proposition put to him by Pakistani captain Salim Malik, the year-long suspension for taking a banned diuretic and the breakdown of his marriage all get a mention, and all earn Warne's current thoughts. He's also especially eager to discuss his prowess for sledging. Shane is available to stream via Prime Video, Google Play and iTunes. Read our full review. THE KING'S MAN When something shows you its true colours, believe it. The Kingsman franchise certainly did when it debuted in 2014, as viewers have been witnessing ever since. That initial entry, Kingsman: The Secret Service, gave the espionage genre an irreverent and energetic spin, and landed partway between update and parody. But, while making Taron Egerton a star and proving engaging-enough, it didn't know when to call it quits, serving up one of the most ill-judged closing moments that spy flicks have ever seen. Since then, all things Kingsman haven't known when to end either, which is why subpar sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle arrived in 2017, and now unnecessary mostly World War I-centric prequel The King's Man — all from filmmaker Matthew Vaughn, Another year, another dull origin story. Another year, another stretched Bond knockoff, too. It's in a prologue in 1902 that Ralph Fiennes (No Time to Die) makes his first appearance as Orlando Oxford, a duke travelling to South Africa during the Boer War — and soon made a widower, because The King's Man starts with the tiresome dead wife trope. Twelve years later, Oxford is staunchly a pacifist, so much so that he forbids his now-teenage son Conrad (Harris Dickinson, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil) from enlisting when WWI breaks out. But the duke hasn't completely given away serving his country himself, overseeing an off-the-books intelligence network with the help of his servants Shola (Djimon Hounsou, A Quiet Place Part II) and Polly (Gemma Arterton, Summerland). That comes in handy when a nefarious Scottish figure known only as The Shepherd interferes in world affairs, with King George V of England, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia (all cousins, and all played by Bohemian Rhapsody's Tom Hollander) his targets. The King's Man is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE After more than a few pandemic delays, Ghostbusters: Afterlife has finally reached screens — and it floats into a world that's made worshipping previous glories one of the biggest cash-spinners show business could've ever dreamed up. The fourth feature to bear the Ghostbusters name, but a new legacy sequel to the original 1984 film, this reanimated franchise entry certainly sports a fitting subtitle; treating its source material like it's nirvana is firmly filmmaker Jason Reitman's approach. To him, it might've been. Although he established his career with indie comedies such as Thank You for Smoking and Juno, he's the son of director Ivan Reitman, who helmed the OG Ghostbusters and its 1989 follow-up Ghostbusters II. To plenty of fans, those two initial comedy-horror flicks were something special as well; however, acknowledging that fact — and trying to recreate the feeling of being a kid or teen watching the first Ghostbusters nearly four decades ago — isn't enough to fuel a new film. To be fair, the younger Reitman isn't particularly interested in making a new movie; Be Kind Rewind's "sweded" Ghostbusters clips are more original than Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Instead, he directs a homage that sprinkles in links to its predecessor so heartily that it's probably easier to name the scenes and details that don't scream "hey, this is Ghostbusters!" as loudly as possible. The focus: Phoebe (Mckenna Grace, Malignant), a new inhabitant of the cringingly titled Summerville, Oklahoma. With her mother Callie (Carrie Coon, The Nest) and brother Trevor (Finn Wolfhard, The Goldfinch), she's made the move because the granddad she never knew just passed away, leaving a dilapidated rural property to his estranged family. The townsfolk speak his nickname, "dirt farmer", with mocking and intrigue, but his actual moniker — and all that equipment he's left behind — brings big changes Phoebe's way. While being Dr Egon Spengler's granddaughter doesn't initially mean too much to her, other than giving her love for science a genetic basis, she's soon segueing from testing out ghost traps with local teacher Mr Grooberson (Paul Rudd, The Shrink Next Door) to cracking Egon's secret efforts to stop a world-shattering supernatural event. Ghostbusters: Afterlife is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. BLACKLIGHT In most movies, Liam Neeson's Blacklight character wouldn't be the protagonist. Secret FBI fixer Travis Block likely wouldn't even be given a name. Instead, he'd merely be a brief presence who popped up to help other on-screen figures — the federal agents he gets out of tricky situations, for instance — as they went about their business and connected the script's necessary plot points. Turning someone who'd usually be seen as disposable into its lead is this action-thriller's one good idea, but the flattened henchman scene in Austin Powers gave the notion more thought than the entirety of Blacklight demonstrates. There's a difference between thrusting a character to the fore and fleshing them out, especially when a film is happy to define them solely by the actor in their shoes. Here, Travis Block is another prosaic entry on Neeson's action resume first and foremost. The film he's in is directed by Neeson's Honest Thief writer/director Mark Williams, too, who doesn't stretch himself or his star in their second collaboration. When Blacklight begins, Block has spent his career doing whatever FBI Director Gabriel Robinson (Aidan Quinn, Elementary) has asked. Typically, that's assisting on-the-books operatives struggling with off-the-books missions — and Block is great at his job. But when he's tasked with aiding the suddenly erratic Dusty Crane (Taylor John Smith, Shadow in the Cloud), he begins to see more in the rogue agent's story than his old Vietnam War pal Robinson wants to share. Crane has quite the wild tale to tell, tied to the assassination of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez-style politician Sofia Flores (Mel Jarnson, Mortal Kombat) and filled with dark government secrets, and he's eager to share it with scoop-chasing reporter Mira Jones (Emmy Raver-Lampman, The Umbrella Academy). That's exactly what Block is supposed to stop, with his new crisis of conscience putting his daughter Amanda (Claire van der Bloom, Palm Beach) and granddaughter Natalie (debutant Gabriella Sengos) in peril. Blacklight is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. SING 2 Star voices, a jukebox worth of songs, anthropomorphic animated critters, cheesy sentiments: that's the formula fuelling far too many all-ages-friendly films of late. Back in 2016, Sing used it to box office-smashing success by doing little more than spinning a colourful version of American Idol but with zoo animals doing the singing. It wasn't the worst example of this kind of flick, but perhaps the most interesting thing about it was the skew of its soundtrack, which favoured songs that the adults in its audience would like more than the pint-sized viewers entranced by its bright hues, talking lions and koalas, and frenetic pacing. It should come as no surprise, then, that Sing 2 doubles down on that idea by not only mining the discography of U2, but by also casting Bono as a reclusive ex-rockstar. For the Irish frontman, the double payday must've been nice. Returning writer/director Garth Jennings begins Sing 2 with a saccharine rendition of Prince's 'Let's Go Crazy', but that song choice isn't instructional or descriptive; nothing here departs from the expected. This time around, after already gathering a gang of music-loving animals via a singing contest in the first flick, koala Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey, The Gentlemen) has a hit show filling his theatre — but he still wants to make it big in the bigger smoke. Alas, Suki (Chelsea Peretti, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), a dog and a talent scout, advises that Buster's ragtag crew don't have what it takes. He's determined to prove otherwise, taking pigs Rosita (Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show) and Gunter (Nick Kroll, Big Mouth), gorilla Johnny (Taron Egerton, Rocketman), porcupine Ash (Scarlett Johansson, Black Widow), and elephant Meena (singer Tori Kelly) to Redshore City to pitch directly to wolf and media mogul Jimmy Crystal (Bobby Canavale, Nine Perfect Strangers). Sing 2 is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2 As 2019's stop-motion The Addams Family did, The Addams Family 2 boasts a few stellar strokes of voice casting, but that can't save a film that's distressingly eager to be as bland, flat and lazy as possible. Once again, returning directors Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon (Sausage Party) — who team up with first-time co-helmers Laura Brousseau and Kevin Pavlovic — only manage to make viewers wish that Oscar Isaac (Dune) and Charlize Theron (Fast and Furious 9) could've played Gomez and Morticia in a new live-action film, instead of lending their voices to this mess. The lines they're tasked with uttering, as penned by screenwriters Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit (Pokémon: Detective Pikachu) along with Ben Queen (Cars 2) and Susanna Fogel (Booksmart), have less life (and inspire fewer laughs) than a corpse. And, as with the first animated movie, they're still caught up in a flick that has Snoop Dogg cast Cousin Itt so that it can drop in his songs (and yes, that's supposed to be funny, apparently). Story-wise, The Addams Family 2 focuses on Wednesday (Chloë Grace Moretz, Tom and Jerry), who feels she doesn't fit in with her relatives even before she's told she might've been switched at birth. But forget the dark humour that's always been the backbone of all things Addams since its first days on the page. Forget any sense of personality that isn't just "ooh, they're odd and they like grim things" — and forget anything that you wouldn't see in any other all-ages film, too. The script could've been written for any old characters, then had Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley (Javon 'Wanna' Walton, Utopia), Uncle Fester (Nick Kroll, Sing 2), Thing and company shoehorned in, although its family vacation setup does take all the wrong cues from the aforementioned Addams Family Reunion. It hardly helps that the animation style looks ghoulishly unpleasant, but at least the character designs nod to Charles Addams' original cartoons. Nothing else about this unwanted sequel even comes close, in a feature that proves the antithesis of its characters: mundane, safe, routine and only unnerving in how terrible it is. The Addams Family 2 is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. Looking for more at-home viewing options? Take a look at our monthly streaming recommendations across new straight-to-digital films and TV shows.
We're over halfway through Sydney's winter festival of Light, Live (music) and Ideas. Fans of Vivid have been capturing the best of the spectacle, and we're celebrating the best of this year's pics taken from folks like us — appreciators of light art sculptures, awesome projections, and perfect timing. If you haven't made your way down to Circular Quay and its surrounds, hurry. Vivid Light 2012 wraps up next Monday, June 11. Customs House, taken by Alex Wain (via Flickr). What lies beneath... Photo taken by Patrick Shirey (shared via Instagram). Don't feed the piranhas - photo taken by @keithmcinnes (via Instagram). A forest of bubble trees. Taken by iwoolf (via Flikr). A very vivid merry-go-round. Taken by Welsay (via Flickr). Museum of Contemporary Art, taken by @koltonlol (via Instagram). Sunflowers in the Rocks, taken by Real_ARMOTUR (via Flickr). Lighting of the Sails by URBANSCREEN. Taken by Artistiquephotography10 (via Flickr). Main photo courtesy of Destination NSW. Follow the latest fan photos on Vivid Sydney's Facebook page.
If you love a good spud, Thorpdale Potato Festival is where you'll encounter a huge celebration dedicated to the humble root vegetable. Of course, there's no shortage of potato-based goods to munch on, with an assortment of food trucks and stalls putting their spin on this essential ingredient. Yet what has helped the Thorpdale Potato Festival stand the test of time since 1977 is how this event extends far beyond just a good feed. Instead, the schedule is jam-packed with old-timey fairground games centred around the spud. For instance, the Vin Rowe Spud Run sees competitors race around a course with 50 kilos of spuds balanced over their shoulders. Other challenges include growing a massive pile of spud bags higher and higher, alongside gruelling potato-picking games and mashed potato-eating competitions. There's even Hessians on the Field, where budding fashionistas take to the runway to see who wore the demure potato sack best. Also on the agenda are sheep shearing demonstrations, motorbike stunt shows, face painting, kids' carnival rides and live music featuring some of Gippsland's most foot-stomping bands. So, if you love all things potato, start planning your trip to Thorpdale on Sunday, March 9. Don't stress – there's still plenty of time to perfect your haute couture potato sack garment.
No one can know for certain what tomorrow will bring; however, the tales told on screens big and small, and through games and comics as well, have delivered plenty of visions of what might come. Will androids dream of electric sheep? Will a Keanu Reeves (John Wick: Chapter 4)-voiced rock star and terrorist make their presence known? Will Afrofuturist technologies transform life as we know it? These are some of the future possibilities conjured up by beloved pop-culture titles — and they're all part of the Australian Centre for the Moving Image's just-announced world-premiere exhibition The Future & Other Fictions as well. Displaying at the Melbourne screen museum across Thursday, November 28, 2024–Sunday, April 27, 2025, taking pride of place as its big summer showcase, The Future & Other Fictions is a love letter to and deep dive into futuristic storytelling. More than 180 works will be on display, including from Blade Runner 2049, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Cyberpunk 2077 and The Creator. Saltsea Chronicles, comic series NEOMAD and Björk's music video 'The Gate': they're all also featured. Before he was just Ken, Ryan Gosling (The Fall Guy) starred in the 35-years-later sequel to Blade Runner — and before he brought Dune and Dune: Part Two to the screen, Denis Villeneuve directed Blade Runner 2049. The Future & Other Fictions lets attendees follow in their footsteps via miniature sets, which are one of the exhibition's definite must-sees. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever gets the nod thanks to Academy Award-winning costumes by Ruth E Carter, while sketches from NEOMAD also feature — as do concept art from The Creator, Cyberpunk 2077 and Saltsea Chronicles. This showcase isn't just about well-known renderings of the future, though, thanks to work by Olalekan Jeyifous, Osheen Siva and Tāgata Moana art collective Pacific Sisters. Plus, via new commissions, DJ Hannah Brontë has her own take, and so does Liam Young and Natasha Wanganeen (Limbo). [caption id="attachment_974744" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andrew Thomas Huang[/caption] As it celebrates how screens imagine the years ahead via its array of artwork, sets, props and scripts — alongside clips, costumes and original design materials, too — The Future & Other Fictions also features a film season focusing on Björk, complete with Björk: Biophilia Live on the lineup. "This exhibition reminds us that the way we imagine the future is shaped by popular film, TV shows and videogames. Many alternative visions of the future can and do exist," explains ACMI Director and CEO Seb Chan. "From two-time Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E Carter to Italian fashion designer Alessandro Michele; New Zealand's renowned special effects studio Wētā Workshop to the Pilbara's own Love Punks. We hope that visitors leave optimistic about what might be possible — and find hope in designing the futures we need." [caption id="attachment_877485" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_974749" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mahia Te Kore[/caption] [caption id="attachment_920309" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 20th Century Studios. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_974745" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andrew Thomas Huang[/caption] [caption id="attachment_974750" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mahia Te Kore[/caption] The Future & Other Fictions will display at ACMI, Federation Square, Melbourne, from Thursday, November 28, 2024–Sunday, April 27, 2025. Head to the venue's website for more details.
Fitzroy's Grub is teaming up with some of the sweetest folks in town for a series of extravagant weekly high teas. After a sold-out run last year, Sweet Set will again treat punters to an eight-course menu in Grub's upstairs space every Sunday afternoon from July 14–September 1. Each week will include four savoury creations from the Grub kitchen paired with with four sweet numbers from a rotating lineup of Melbourne's best pastry chefs. Expect native ingredient-spiked hot chocolates and rich cakes from Mörk, pastries and doughnuts aplenty from Penny for Pound and some next-level baked goods from All Are Welcome's Boris Portnoy, who used to be the head pastry chef at Michelin-starred restaurant Meadowood in the Napa Valley. The whole thing costs $69 per person, and includes a glass of Puncheon prosecco and either a pot of tea or Market Lane coffee. Sessions will run at 11.30am, 2pm and 4.15pm each week, and we suggest getting your friends on board now — these pastry parties sold out last year. We promise not to tell your dentist if you promise not to tell ours. SWEET SET 2019 LINEUP July 14 — Bethany Claire Cakes, Candied Bakery, Cherry Cakes, Miss Ladybird Cakes July 21 — Don't Lose Your Temper, Tivoli Road July 28 — LuxBite, Penny for Pound August 4 — Bibelot, Emelia Jackson August 11 — Geoffrey Michael Patissier, Cobb Lane August 18 — Fig & Salt, Alice Wright August 25 — All Are Welcome, Lisa Van Zanten September 1 — Mörk Images: Ewen Bell.
They're the minds that transformed the underground car park at Marvel Stadium into thumping events space B3. Now, music agency Novel is at it again, taking over a Thornbury warehouse for its next heart-pumping edition of Smalltown. Another dazzling lineup of local and international musical talent will be coming to play on Saturday, May 11, headlined by Berlin legend (and Berghain resident) Ben Klock, French-born DJ Jennifer Cardini and Italy's brother duo Mind Against. And they're making the journey Down Under very worthwhile, each delivering a mammoth three-hour set. Meanwhile, home-grown support acts include favourites like Jennifer Loveless, Suzuki Drift, Edgework, Walter Juan and Marli. Of course, in true Smalltown form, the tunes and dance floor action will be just one part of the day's adventures. Expect some killer light displays by creative studio John Fish — whose work you've seen at the likes of Melbourne Music Week and Pitch Music & Arts — and a Funktion-One sound system to take it all to the next level. Smalltown will run from midday–11pm. Images: Duncographic
A much-loved northside summer pop-up is making its long-awaited return next month, as the Coburg Night Market takes over Coburg Courtyard from Friday, December 9–Sunday, December 11. Whether you're stocking up on prezzies or just want to soak up the start of those long summer nights, the free, dog-friendly market promises three days jam-packed with good stuff. Not least of which are the live tunes, curated by the selectors at Triple R. Pull up a picnic rug and treat your ears to sounds from the likes of Rainbow Chan, Yung Shogun, dj pgz, Simon Winkler, Srirachi, Jaguar, Small Fry and more. Shoppers will also find a tidy curation of market stalls from local creatives and businesses. Expect threads by the likes of Winkie Vintage and Green Ant, accessories from names like Fiona Howes and Polypairs, and artworks by Lawz Drawz, plus homewares, candles, condiments, textiles, whisky, pantry goodies and more. And no one will be going hungry, thanks to a bumper lineup of food and drink pop-ups slinging their wares across all three days. Bring your appetite to feast on dishes from the likes of Bao Melbourne, Brat n Roll, Nohadra's Kitchen, Porcupine Eatery and Real OG Burger, to name a few. Coburg Night Market will run from 5–10pm on December 9, 12–10pm on December 10 and 12–8pm on December 11. Images: Nic Cleary and Coburg Night Market
When winter begins to thaw, with leaves growing back on trees and flowers coming into full bloom, we want to celebrate the warmer weather and the world's annual rebirth. And, come September, Australia's biggest festival of spring will roll around. Now in its 34th year, Floriade will once again fill Canberra's Commonwealth Park with more than one million blooms. But this month-long flower festival is more than just smelling the tulips. After a successful introduction last year which saw more than 80 community groups plant a stunning tulip trail through Canberra's suburbs, the Floriade Community initiative will return with an additional 300,000 bulbs and annuals available. While you're in town, you may as well take the time to check out Canberra's best microbreweries, cafes and cultural hotspots, too. Start looking at accomodation ASAP. [caption id="attachment_736041" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Martin Ollman Photography[/caption] Top image: VisitCanberra
For the third time in seven days, the Australian Government has introduced new restrictions on non-essential mass gatherings. On Friday, March 13, a ban on outdoor mass gatherings over 500 people was introduced, and was followed by a ban on non-essential indoor events of over 100 people on Wednesday, March 18. The latest, announced this afternoon, Friday, March 20, by Prime Minister Scott Morrison concerns non-essential indoor events of less than 100 people. A limit of one person per four square metres has been recommended by the Australian Government and Chief Health Minister. Airports, public transport, age care, correctional facilities, law courts, parliaments, food markets, supermarkets, office buildings, factories, mining sites, hotels, motels, schools, universities and transit spots — such as Bourke Street Mall, Martin Place — are considered 'essential', but cafes, pubs, nightclubs, restaurants, bars and cinemas (ones that are not already closed) will need to adhere to the new limits, the Prime Minister has today revealed. It's not clear how and if these limits will be enforced, but it's likely many venues will need to introduce new limits on capacity. With hospitality venues across the country closing and becoming takeaway-only already, it's also likely these new restrictions will lead to even more closing their doors, at least temporarily. The Prime Minister has also encouraged essential gatherings to adhere to the new guidelines, saying if it's done so more broadly we have a greater chance of "flattening the curve" (the term adapted for reducing the exponential spread of COVID-19, as shown by this graph). He has also, once again, pressed Australians to practise social distancing. It's predicted the above measures will be in place for "at least the next six months". For now, the bans on non-essential gatherings are in place indefinitely. A limit on one person per four square metres is now recommended for all non-essential indoor gatherings of fewer than 100 people. The Australia-wide bans on non-essential indoor gatherings of more than 100 people on non-essential outdoor events of more than 500 people are still in place. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Top image: Kitti Gould
The flash mob has become synonymous with making a statement, a bold one at that. It isn't everyday that a group of people randomly assembles in a public place to perform a silly choreographed dance number, so on the rare occasion a flash mob does take over the streets, passersby pay attention. American Airlines took advantage of this increasingly popular public display to make a statement of their own. The airline broke away from traditional methods of advertising and organised a flash mob at the U.S. Bank Plaza in downtown Los Angeles to promote the launch of their new flight services. The performance began with a single man dancing past a father and his daughter, and he was soon joined by 40 dancers descending the steps of the public plaza. After shocking onlookers with their meticulously choreographed routine, the mob created the American Airlines logo with their travel bags above their heads and then nonchalantly dispersed. Few things grab attention quicker than a flash mob, but this form of marketing has surely been done to death. And what are the new services that this quirky advertisement was meant to showcase? The airline now offers daily non-stop flights from LAX to Shanghai as well additional flights to nine new U.S. destinations. https://youtube.com/watch?v=a_w0lX3NIOk
Illustration, beauty, photography and nature come together in Darkness of Noon, a new exhibition and book to launch at this year’s L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Week. Photographer Derek Henderson focuses on capturing life in its true essence, whilst illustrator Kelly Thompson showcases her deep understanding of creating the female form, with both artists drawing on the delicate and subtle beauty of model Zippora Seven. The nude likenesses of Zippora are tasteful, natural and have an element of fantasy about them, creating a world that one wants to lose some time in. The exhibition will showcase a portion of what can be found in the coffee table style book designed by Australian based designer Fabio Ongarato, who has worked with the likes of Baker D. Chirico and Country Road. Only 1000 copies will be printed. Image credit Derek Henderson and Kelly Thompson.
The roll call of food favourites announced for CBD development 80 Collins are slowly starting to open their doors. We'll get our first glimpse inside opulent champagne bar Nick & Nora's when it opens on Thursday, July 2, but, before that, we can swing past Maverick for a golden waffle and a bloody mary. Fronting Little Collins Street, Maverick is the next offering from the minds behind Richmond's Mayday Coffee & Food, brother and sister duo Adam and Elisa Mariani. The space comes courtesy of Pitch Architecture and is warm and playful, filled with apricot and navy hues, futuristic lights and a terrazzo bar as its centrepiece. While CBD foot traffic isn't quite what it was pre-pandemic, with many Melburnians still working from home, those who do drop by on their lunch break can pick up coffee by specialty roaster Axil and pastries from Richmond's Penny for Pound or linger over Head Chef Eugene Yap's (The Kettle Black) eggs benedict with house-made pastrami, roast pork belly rolls and three-cheese and chilli scrambled eggs. If a coffee — albeit an oat-milk flat white, a single-origin long black or a batch brew — isn't quite going to cut it, the cafe is also licensed. You can pair a house spritz with the seasonal mushrooms on thick-cut rye, perhaps, or a Victorian montepulciano from Delinquente with a dry-aged stead sandwich — or, you can ditch the alliteration, and go for a martini with a bowl of bircher. [caption id="attachment_711890" align="alignnone" width="1920"] A render of 80 Collins[/caption] Come the end of 2020, Maverick will have some fairly fancy food company in the new food precinct. As well as Nick & Nora's, it'll be home to a new fine-diner from Chin Chin's Chris Lucas and Sepia's Martin Benn and Vicki Wild, Alejandro Saravia's new paddock-to-plate Farmer's Daughters restaurant, an urban cellar door from Handpicked Wines, a two-story dessert bar from Christy Tania and Colours Bowls from young gun chef Charlie Carrington. The giant 80 Collins development is going up on the site of the heritage-listed Le Louvre building, on the corner of Collins and Exhibition Streets. The high-rise, along with a newly refurbished commercial tower on the same block, will boast a futuristic new office tower, a 255-room boutique hotel and a luxury retail offering alongside the hospitality precinct. Find Maverick at 95 Little Collins Street, Melbourne from 7.30am–3pm Monday–Friday. Images: Michael Woods
Watching a cursor move around a computer screen doesn't sound very exciting, let alone frightening. There's only so much intrigue to be found in basically watching over someone's shoulder as they flick between YouTube, Skype, Facebook, Spotify, Gmail and iMessage — or is there? It depends what they're up to, of course, and in these always-online times, that could be anything. In Unfriended, the MacBook user in question, high schooler Blaire Lily (Shelley Hennig), is doing quite a few things. First, she's watching shocking footage of her friend, Laura Barns, committing suicide exactly a year earlier, as well as the embarrassing video that drove her to her death. Next, she's cyber flirting with her boyfriend, Mitch (Moses Jacob Storm). Then they're both video chatting with pals Adam (Will Peltz), Jess (Renee Olstead), Ken (Jacob Wysocki) and Val (Courtney Halverson). They're not the only ones taking part in the conversation, as they soon realise. Their Skype call also includes an unknown party, but hanging up on the unpleasant troll isn't as easy as it should be. At the same time, Blaire starts receiving strange Facebook messages from Laura, despite her dearly departed status. Mitch suggests that their virtual gatecrasher is Laura's ghost in the machine, a prediction that seems laughable at first, but less so as the interloper's taunts get increasingly violent — and personal. Yes, this is a supernatural revenge film. Yes, it swaps a handheld camera for a computer screen in the next evolution of the found footage genre. Yes, that means that the entirety of Unfriended unfolds on a laptop, as scared teens are taunted by an unseen foe. Director Levan Gabriadze, writer Nelson Greaves and producer Timur Bekmambetov — the helmer of Wanted and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, as well the most famous name involved with the ultra low-budget production — simply toy with the usual horror narrative in the same way their villain plays with the characters. It's both obvious and ingenious, and it mostly works. Setting the movie within an overlapping cascade of constantly minimised and maximised application windows places the potential victims in an immensely relatable situation — i.e. staring at a computer for hours on end. More than that, it also ramps up the suspense. A couple of bloody set pieces aside, the usual jumps are largely absent, with few scares to be found in pixilated video that keeps the characters' fearful faces on screen as much as possible. However, tension ripples through every typed then deleted message and every mouse move to the wrong place. Blaire and her friends are on the edge of their keyboards, and the audience is inching towards the edge of their seats. Unfriended also offers a critique of online interaction from bullying to shaming, though there's nothing new in its exposé of the awful ways people behave when they think they're anonymous. There's nothing new in the cast's performances as self-absorbed, fighting and terrified teens, either, other than accurately reflecting the right age and behaviour. Innovation doesn't matter here, though; the movie only ever promises a modern update. When it clicks, it clicks. When it doesn't, it's still not enough to make you want to log off.
Outdoor clothing brand Merrell wants your photos to stitch together the world's largest panoramic photo. You can be a part of it by uploading your geo-tagged shots of the outdoors to the Add Your Own Scenery website where they are pinned to a virtual globe, or you can just browse others' photos and see what things look like in their neck of the woods. As well as inspiring people to get and share their love of the outdoors with others, the project has a philanthropic purpose: for every photo uploaded Merrell will donate $1 to a range of conservation groups, up to their target total of $250,000. Unfortunately only residents of the US, UK and Canada are eligible for the prizes on offer, but sharing your favourite part of nature with the rest of the world to help conserve it should be reward enough! [via PSFK]
Victoria's Grampians National Park is already home to a number of world-class hiking trails, but, come next year, it will have a giant new one that's will be a whole trip in itself. Start stretching, because this will be a big one. When completed in late-2020, the Grampians Peaks Trail will cover 160 kilometres and take 13 days to traverse. It'll connect some of the Grampians' best mountain peaks, providing panoramic views of the southern volcanic plains from Mount Abrupt, winding through the parks low-lying greenery and waterfalls to Mount Zero in the north. The track has been designed so everyone can get some use out of it — whether you're looking for a leisurely day trip or an overnight hike, or ready to commit to an epic two-week adventure. Gariwerd — as it's known by the land's Traditional Owners, the Jardwadjali and Djab Wurrung people — is more than just its rugged, sandstone mountains. The park is heritage listed for its Aboriginal significance (there is a large number of ancient rock art paintings and shelters in the area), its abundance of animal and plant life, and its damn spectacular views. If you're raring to get started, a section of the Grampians Peaks Trail is already open — and it's a three-day circuit, so you can easily make a weekender out of it. As it stands, the 36-kilometre walk starts and ends at Halls Gap and has two campsites — Bugiga Hiker Camp and Borough Huts Campground — and takes in highlights like the Pinnacle, Spitters Falls, the Gate of the East Wind, Mount Rosea and Bellfield Lake. The Grampians Peaks Trail will open in full in late 2020. We'll keep you updated with new details on the track as its launch gets closer.
Always on the lookout for your next photo op? Wanting a fun way to escape your reality? Make sure to have your cameras at the ready because Honey House is about to hit Queensbridge Square (and have Melbourne feeling a little topsy-turvy — in a good way). Courtesy of Honey Insurance, the bold building is here to help you up your know-how on protecting that home of yours with seven interactive rooms (think mirrored illusions, misplaced furniture in candy-bright hues and photo spots aplenty). Want to know the best part? The part-photo-studio-part-art-installation is completely free for everyone to enjoy. Once you're in, you'll have plenty of time to explore, play and get the perfect shot — check out the Honey Instagram for a sneak peek. Running from Thursday, June 2 until Monday, June 6, this surreal experience is not one to miss. Reserve your tickets in advance, because it's sure to draw some serious crowds. Head to the website to reserve your spot. Top images: Scott Ehler
It's been a tough year for the Melbourne hospitality scene, but some good news is in play. As restrictions ease this week (and are set to ease further from November 22) and venues begin to reopen, a few exciting surprises are in store. One of those is a brand-new rooftop bar, which just opened atop Harlow in Richmond. After being closed for months, the much-loved pub has swung open its doors with a major $1.3-million addition in tow. The expansive, wraparound space offers sweeping city views, cocktails, late-night bites and bottomless weekend brunches to boot. For starters, the rooftop is pouring and shaking five signature cocktails that you can't get downstairs. Those include the Rockstar (watermelon-infused tequila, Cointreau and chilli salt), the What's Poppin (St Germain, Aperol and grapefruit) and the Dang! (mezcal, blood orange, agave and rosemary). There are also ten beers taps to choose from, plus a selection of tinnies and a good number of wines on offer. For food, expect pub classics like parmas, fish and chips, steaks and burgers — including a Beyond Meat variety with cheddar, pickles and special sauce. Plus late night bites like salt and pepper calamari, cheeseburger spring rolls, buffalo chicken burgers and haloumi with strawberry and balsamic. On weekends, stop by for bottomless brunch, with the two-hour package costing $49 per person. Choose from wines, house beer and cocktail in bags — think the Space Kitten (white rum, banana, coconut cream and pineapple) and the Salmon Dance (cinnamon-infused raspberry vodka, peach schnapps and cranberry juice). Alongside the drinks, you can dig into options like the caviar-topped lobster and prawn mornay roll or a chicken and smoked ham parma. The U-shaped bar offers a mix of high and low tables, alongside picnic bench-style seating. Expect neutral tones contrasted by colourful finishes, including the emerald green tiles behind the bar and the green stone bar top, as well as fruit trees and greenery aplenty. There's also a doggo mural that features the three lucky winners of Harlow's Puppy Pals competition. The rooftop has capacity for 200 people all up, though that won't come into play until COVID-19 restrictions have eased considerably. In the meantime, we suggest booking your table in advance. Harlow's rooftop bar isn't the only new venue to be unveiled, either. Calia and Layla in the CBD, The Commons in St Kilda and Atiyah in Federation Square have all opened recently, too. Here's hoping the good news keeps rolling in as summer approaches. The Harlow Bar rooftop is now open at 447 Church Street, Richmond. It's open from 4–10pm Monday–Thursday, 12pm–midnight Friday–Saturday and 12–10pm Sunday.
Melbourne's rotating Asian market HWKR has revealed its next pop-up concept — and, boy, is it a good'un. The team has joined forces with Australia's favourite instant noodle brand Indomie to bring Melburnians the Jakarta-inspired Warung Stall. The menu is 'pimp mie goreng' themed, so Indomie's classic instant noodles will be used as the base for the dishes — but they definitely don't resemble what you would cook up at home at 2am. Expect mie goreng with fried chicken ribs, telur balado (chilli sauced egg), anchovies and peanuts; spicy mie goreng with Balinese beef, tofu, shrimp crackers and sambal; and corned beef and egg-topped noodles. There are also a few noodle soups on offer, like the curry chicken version with corn fritters, or the fried chicken ribs option with egg, Asian greens and homemade cabe ijo (pickled green chilli paste). If you're just after a snack, you can grab an egg-stuffed martabak (that is, a savoury crepe), mie goreng-dusted potato crisps and a chicken and potato pastel jadul — a street snack that resembles an empanada. Large dishes range from $10.50–13.50, and snacks are around $7–8. The menu is completely halal, vegetarian-friendly and some dishes can be made vegan, too. If you get in quick, Indomie is also giving out 100 vintage tote bags with any order. Best hop to it. The stall is open daily from 11.30am–10pm and until 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Updated: July 9, 2019.
Rental life just got a little sweeter in Victoria, as the State Government today launches another big change to its rental laws. And your four-legged mate (or future fur-kid) is sure to be pretty happy with the outcome. The full suite of changes has been a long time coming, with Premier Daniel Andrews first announcing plans for a reform package way back in October 2017. And, while some of the approved changes have already been operating and others won't come into effect until this July, the reforms regarding owning a pet in a rental property launch today, Monday, March 2. Under the new laws of the Residential Tenancies Act, tenants are allowed to keep pets in their rental property with written consent from their landlord. You simply have to fill out one of Consumer Affairs Victoria's official 'Pet Request Forms' for each separate animal, which the landlord then has 14 days to respond to. The landlord can only refuse a pet request by applying to VCAT (Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal) and showing it's inappropriate to have one at the rental property. While requests can be refused if the property is not suitable for the type of pet, the council rules prohibit certain animals or if the pet may pose a threat to neighbours, overall, the law is set to make things a whole lot easier for potential fur-parents. Previously, there were no laws directly covering pets in rented homes. The new laws only apply to those moving into a new rental or getting a new pet after March 2, so, if you're already happily shacked up with an approved cat or doggo, you won't have to request permission again. And as always, assistance animals are exempt from any laws applying to 'pets'. Just remember that despite the newly eased pet regulations, there are still other rental laws in place to prohibit any damage to the property and nuisance to neighbours, including things like bad smells and persistent barking. So, your very good boy will still have to play by the rules. Other rental reforms have seen the introduction of new long-term leases (in effect from February, 2019) and a crack-down on implementing more than one rent increase for every 12 months (from June 2019). The full suite of changes will be brought in from July, 2020, including a ban on rental bidding, stricter rules affecting the landlord's right to enter a tenanted property, and an expanded definition for what's considered 'urgent repairs'. You can check out all the rental reforms at the Consumer Affairs Victoria website.
Last month we found out that Melbourne Music Week was planning to take over Queen Victoria Market, now we know their full plan: they want the whole city. The full MMW program will see 250 artists take part in 110 events over 10 days of festivities in 40 locations. While your usual bars and bandrooms are all accounted for, this year you'll also be seeing music in laneways and trams, at Rooftop Cinema, the NGV, MPavilion, and power stations. It'll even be in elevators. No kidding — elevators. This enormous reach comes in an effort to showcase not only Melbourne's music, but the city itself. "Melbourne is one of the world's greatest music cities," said Councillor Beverley Pinder Mortimer from the City of Melbourne. "[In this festival] the city becomes the stage." Kind of like in that film with Kiera Knightly and Mark Ruffalo... but better. The full program sees local favourites Midnight Juggernauts, Remi and The Harpoons added to a lineup that already included Architecture in Helsinki, Cut Copy, Tangerine Dream, The Church and World's End Press. Further international artists like longstanding Detroit techno collective Underground Resistance, German dance duo Pachanga Boys and Oneohtrix Point Never were also added to the bill. The latter are definitely shows you should jump on quick. Underground Resistance are presenting a night of techno jazz with label founder Mike Banks, and Oneohtrix Point Never is lighting up Queen Vic with the help of local legend Robin Fox. If you don't have the time to comb through the program for gems like that, we suggest heading along to the Live Music Safari on Thursday, November 20. Back for another year, this marathon event will offer you a whole night of amazing free gigs in 14 venues across the city. Or, if you're hesitant about heading out on a school night, there's always the Self-Made series. With impromptu performances popping up on trams and elevators, you might just encounter something great on your way to work. Whether you're having a quiet drink or simply walking around the city at night, music is bound to find you in one way or another. And, with over half the events in this year's program free of charge, there's no reason to not get involved. Even 90 per cent of the ticketed events are under $50. If you'd like to get your hands on some, ticket sales have just opened. Melbourne Music Week runs from November 14-23. Check out the festival website to see the full program.
'Madchester' pioneers the Happy Mondays have just announced an Australian tour — the first time that the original lineup of one of the most influential bands of their generation have made it all the way Down Under. Alongside bands like New Order and the Stone Roses, Happy Mondays were key to the development of the Madchester sound that defined the early '90s and revitalised English music, rescuing it from the ignominy of Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran. Fusing traditional pop elements with funk, northern soul and acid house, Happy Mondays were the poster band for the explosion of rave culture in the UK and released two iconic albums — Bummed and Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches — that remain essential listening today. Supporting them will be fellow Madchester icons 808 State for a special DJ set. Formed in Manchester in 1988 by Graham Massey, Martin Price and Gerald Simpson, 808 State's first album, Newbuild, is now regarded as a milestone in UK electronica. As the NME observed, "808 State revolutionised a whole genre of music in the late-'80s, inspiring Underworld, Orbital and the Chemical Brothers in the process." Happy Mondays Australian 2013 Tour Dates Wed 5 June – Metropolis, Fremantle - tickets via www.oztix.com.au, www.heatseeker.com.au Thu 6 June – The Palace, Melbourne - tickets via www.ticketek.com.au, www.oztix.com.au Fri 7 June – The Tivoli, Brisbane - tickets via www.ticketek.com.au Mon 10 June - UNSW Roundhouse, Sydney - tickets via www.ticketek.com.au
Feel like you already need a vacation to get over your yet-to-start Christmas vacation? As merry and jolly as the festive season is, all that fun, shopping, eating, drinking and partying in such a short space of time can have that impact. So, if that's your current vibe, you're not alone. And thanks to Jetstar, you can now make cheap post-Christmas holiday plans — as in $39 for domestic fares and $175 for international flights cheap, and to The Whitsundays, Byron Bay, the Gold Coast, Japan, Hawaii, Thailand, Bali and more. The Australian airline has just launched its 'post-Chrissy recovery' sale — and yes, technically it's a pre-Christmas post-Chrissy recovery' sale given the timing. Whatever you want to call it, it's an excuse to grab that suitcase and get excited about the getaway that'll help you recover from Christmas. Running from 12am AEDT on Thursday, December 8 till 11.59pm AEDT on Monday, December 12— or until sold out, if everything gets snapped up earlier — the sale's list of destinations is impressive just like the supremely affordable prices. Those starting fares cover Sydney to Byron Bay (from $39) and Sydney to Auckland (from $175), but the full list includes Brisbane to Proserpine from $59, Melbourne to the Gold Coast from $49, Cairns to Osaka from $259 and the Gold Coast to Tokyo from $299. Also on offer: Melbourne to Bali from $199, Melbourne to Phuket from $219, Sydney to Ho Chi Minh City from $195 and Sydney to Honolulu from $229. Yes, the list goes on. You will need to be happy to wait till around mid-2023 for your post-Christmas vacation, however. Dates for sale flights vary depending on the departure and arrival points, but expect to travel between early May and mid-September. There are a few rules, as is always the case. All sale fares are one-way, and they don't include checked baggage — so you'll need to travel super light or pay extra to take a suitcase. But, if you're a Club Jetstar member, you'll get the jump on the sale — with access from 12pm AEDT on Wednesday, December 7 until midnight. Jetstar's 'post-Chrissy recovery' sale runs from 12am AEDT on Thursday, December 8 till 11.59pm AEDT on Monday, December 12— or until sold out, if snapped up earlier. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Sydney WorldPride is bringing the party to town. Not only will it see our country's best gay clubs, bars and party spaces come to life but the celebrations will flow throughout galleries and art spaces, museums (hello Pride Shark!), boutiques, public parks, rainbow roads, and the sails of the Opera House. Our editors have picked their favourite Sydney WorldPride events but we've also enlisted a few locals to share some of the less obvious spots to celebrate. Enter Alex Greenwich. The Independent MP is a proud gay man and has used his public platform to push for equality and LGBTQIA+ rights throughout his career. For WorldPride, he's swapped his signature casual suit and shirt for a tuxedo exploding with green tulle in an installation hosted in the hallowed halls of the QVB. Alex is among a lineup of queer Australian legends currently being honoured for their contributions to the LGBTQIA+ community. The retail centre is temporarily changing up its name from the Queen Victoria Building to reflect each of these contemporary queens with a set of fabulous portraits befitting of any royalty on display shot by photographer Dream Syndicator. The queens in focus are trans icon and cabaret star Carlotta, queer activist Ken Davis (a member of the original Mardi Gras 78ers), Indigenous drag queen Felicia Foxx, and Alex along with Janine Middleton who, together, co-chaired Australian Equality and successfully fought for and helped achieve marriage equality in Australia. Who better than MP Greenwich — whose office is literally in the middle of Oxford Street — to give a few tips on where to go during Sydney WorldPride? And if you bump into him in a bar, he'll take a tequila and soda, thanks darl. What do you think about Sydney hosting WorldPride this year? "Sydney hosting WorldPride is such a great opportunity to showcase our city and diverse community to the whole world. During covid Sydney missed the world and the world missed Sydney and Sydney WorldPride is a nice way to welcome back the rest of the world. Sydney has the most beautiful and diverse welcoming LGBTQIA+ community and I'm grateful to be part of that community. I'm also grateful to have the opportunity to represent that community in parliament." If someone spies Alex Greenwich at a club or bar (and WorldPride is bringing to life some of the best), what drink should they buy you? (And what topic should they NEVER bring up?) "If I'm in a club, tequila and soda will probably be the drink of choice. I don't know about a topic that I wouldn't want some to bring up... I'll talk about any topic." What are the best queer venues in Sydney in your opinion? "I think there's such a great variety of queer venues in Sydney. I love Stonewall. The re-opening of ARQ is awesome. POOF DOOF at Kinsella's and smaller venues like Dulcies in the Cross." [caption id="attachment_679716" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The iconic Stonewall on Oxford Street[/caption] What are some of the best spots where an international visitor should go on a first-date during Pride? "There's so many great spots in Sydney to choose from. What I would say is to go to a swimming hole like the new cove in Barangaroo, grab food from a mini deli like Darlinghurst Deli and stop by a bottle shop, and go for a picnic and a swim." Where do you like having a late-night dinner or snack? "Chinatown is always a great destination for a late night dinner." Which local LGBTQIA+ owned businesses do you like to support? The great thing with Sydney is there are so many LGBTQIA+ owned businesses to support. I try to support them all but Claire's Kitchen on Oxford Street is an iconic dinner destination. What events are you most excited about for Mardi Gras and WorldPride? And what are the events you would say are not-to-be-missed? "I'm most excited for the Pride March Harbour Bridge Crossing . It will be historic and an opportunity to send a strong message about supporting LGBTQIA+ rights. I'm also looking forward to the Mardi Gras parade and marching in it again, the First Nations Gala at the Opera House, and the Opening Ceremony." [caption id="attachment_892180" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Miss First Nations perform at the First Nations Gala[/caption] Finally, Alex: how important is Kylie Minogue? "Kylie is obviously an icon of Australia and a strong supporter of the community and it's so wonderful that she is joining us for the celebration." For more inspiration for how to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime celebration head to our events guide on the best of Sydney WorldPride.
How did Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard become one of the biggest Australian musicians around the world right now? Attend SXSW Sydney in 2024 and you'll find out. The singer-songwriter better known as The Kid LAROI is the latest addition to the event's constantly growing lineup, in a key spot: the 'Stay', 'Without You', 'Thousand Miles', 'Love Again' and 'Girls' talent has been revealed as the fest's music keynote speaker for this year. In 2023, Chance The Rapper did the honours. SXSW Sydney isn't skimping on big names, clearly. On Saturday, October 19, 2024 at the ICC Sydney Theatre, expect The Kid LAROI to step through his career journey so far, from Redfern to streaming superstardom — and also what his future holds. The Kid LAROI postponing his Australian tour to this spring from February 2024 has worked out well for SXSW Sydney, then. As part of the event, he'll also help develop professional development workshops and performance opportunities for Waterloo and Redfern's First Nations communities. After he's chatted about his career to SXSW Sydney's patrons, The Kid LAROI will embark upon a seven-city Australian tour in support of his debut studio album The First Time. On the itinerary: HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast, Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Commbank Stadium in Sydney, Perth's RAC Arena, Adelaide Entertainment Centre, MyState Bank Arena in Hobart and Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena. Migos frontman Quavo and Sydney's own ONEFOUR are also on the bill everywhere except the Gold Coast and Hobart. [caption id="attachment_926206" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Adam Kargenian[/caption] SXSW Sydney's 2024 lineup just keeps expanding, after Lucy Lawless, Grace Tame and Tim Minchin — plus sports stars Nick Kyrgios and Noémie Fox, playwright Suzie Miller, former Bangarra Dance Theatre Artistic Director Stephen Page and more — also joined the program to round out August. Set to take place across Monday, October 14–Sunday, October 20 dates, the event began revealing its program back in May, which was just the beginning. Another announcement arrived in June, then not one, not two, but three more in July — and also another, focusing on the free hub at Tumbalong Park, at the beginning of August. Then came more music acts and speakers, still in August. SXSW Sydney 2024 will run from Monday, October 14–Sunday, October 20 at various Sydney venues. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for further details.
As soon as I heard the name of this place, I was already into it. Tipple is just one of those excellent words that conjures images of having one too many afternoon shandies or Pimm's cups. It lends a certain cheeky class to the act of drinking that seasoned souls like myself greatly appreciate. But there's much more to The Tippler than just the name. Setting up shop in the often overlooked streets of East Melbourne, The Tippler has the dual advantage of being incredibly accessible and close to the city, while still feeling like a little local's getaway. Tucked into a small but well-designed space on Wellington Parade, this new bar/restaurant boasts a clean wood-based aesthetic, and a detail-oriented selection of food and drink that somehow feels both innovative and unpretentious all at once. At the bar you can expect a well-chosen selection of local craft beers including Mountain Goat Steam Ale (brewed just a matter of streets away), Coburg Lager and Sydney's 4 Pines, as well as a small (and rotating) selection of classic and original cocktails. Even in their spiffy little aprons, the bar staff are well-versed in all stock, friendly, and happy to talk you through any selections. The same can be said of the wait staff too. Instead of a formal dining experience, staff on the floor offer relaxed table service to anyone that so desires and will cheerily run through the short menu with you. What could at first be overlooked as a small bar menu is in fact a nuanced and varied offering of ornate dishes with both vegan and gluten free options. Just after a few snacks to pick at while enjoying a nightcap? Try out the prosciutto with Mount Zero olives, sesame seeds, soy bean crostini and almonds ($16 or $17 with added goats cheese). After something more substantial, and not in the mood for sharing? There's the pan-fried gnocchi with sweet potato, sage burnt butter, lemon and goats chevre ($19) or the slow-braised lamb shoulder and chickpea stew ($22). But our top pick is the beef short rib. Served with sesame spinach, edamame and apple and daikon slaw (small $22, large $26), the meat in this dish was so tender it seriously just fell off the bone. It feels a little sad to write about The Tippler — I live just around the corner and can still easily get a seat on Friday nights — but credit where credit's due. So, here's the insider's tip: happy hour is from 5-7pm and cocktails are $10 all day Sunday. You're welcome.
If you've ever sat down to play Mario Kart on any of the various devices that the beloved game has popped up on over the years — Google Maps, mobile phones and reality also included — then you've likely learned two things. Firstly, rainbow roads are truly something else. Secondly, you can never have too much Mario in your life. The folks at Universal Studios clearly agree on the second point, as everyone should, and they gave us an IRL Nintendo-themed amusement park in 2022 to prove it. Open for the past year, the globe's first Super Nintendo World is part of Universal Studios in Osaka, and it looks glorious — thanks to life-sized recreations of both Bowser's Castle (complete with spiked fences and heavy iron doors) and Peach's Castle, plus Mario Kart rides as well. [caption id="attachment_804547" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nintendo and Universal Studios[/caption] Super Nintendo World was never going to be an Osaka exclusive, though. The Japanese theme park isn't losing its latest attraction, but more were always planned for Universal Studios in Hollywood, Orlando and Singapore. And, come 2023, you'll definitely be able to live out your IRL Mario Kart dreams in Tinseltown, because that's when and where the next Super Nintendo World is opening. Exactly what Universal Studios Hollywood's version will include hasn't yet been confirmed, and neither has an exact opening date — but if a trip to the US is on your agenda next year, it now has a new stop. In a press release announcing the 2023 launch, Universal Studios advised that the new Super Nintendo World will be "a visual spectacle of vibrant colours and architectural ingenuity located within a newly expanded area of the theme park, featuring a groundbreaking ride and interactive areas, to be enjoyed by the whole family", although that's obviously still quite vague. Unsurprisingly, themed shopping and dining will be a big part of the experience, of course. #SuperNintendoWorld is opening in 2023 at Universal Studios Hollywood! Level up with exclusive merch at the Feature Presentation store, opening soon. pic.twitter.com/4qh0bDACGN — Universal Studios Hollywood (@UniStudios) March 10, 2022 If you'd like to try to glean some clues from Osaka's Super Nintendo World, it lets you enter via a warp pipe — naturally — and there's simply no mistaking its Nintendo-themed space for anywhere else. And, Osaka's Mario Kart fix comes courtesy of Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge, where patrons race through familiar Mario Kart courses that've been brought to life. Yes, as you steer your way along the track, you're surrounded by characters such as Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach. You can also throw shells to take out your opponents, because it wouldn't be Mario Kart without them. If you're wondering how it all works, it's a blend of physical sets, augmented reality, projection mapping and screen projection, all designed to make you feel like you're really in the game. Also a highlight in Osaka: Yoshi's Adventure, which lets you climb on Yoshi's back; the world's first Mario cafe, as kitted out with a red and green colour scheme; and wearable wrist bands, called Power Up Bands, which connect to a special app and allow patrons to interact with the site using their arms, hands and bodies (and enable you to collect coins just like Mario does in the Super Mario games). Fingers crossed that they all make the leap to Hollywood, too. Super Nintendo World will open at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2023. For more information, keep an eye on the theme park's website. Top image: Nintendo and Universal Studios.
A festival with Christina Aguilera doing her first Australian show since 2007 is quite the big deal. The same event spanning 165 artists at 60-plus events — all in Victoria — is positively massive. That's Always Live, which returns for 2023 for 17 days from Friday, November 24–Sunday, December 10. This year's feast of shows also includes Swedish DJ and producer Eric Prydz bringing his HOLO set our way in an Australia–New Zealand exclusive; songwriter and producer Jai Paul also playing his only shows in this neck of the woods; Jessie Ware putting on two intimate evenings outside her Summer Camp headlining stint; and Zach Bryan's first-ever Australian concert. Already on the Meredith bill, Caroline Polachek has added a solo gig at Melbourne's Forum Theatre. Also a huge highlight: BLAKTIVISM at Hamer Hall, with King Stingray, Tasman Keith, Emma Donovan, Uncle Bart Willoughby, Deline Briscoe, Sorong Samarai and Suga Cane Mamas. For Swifties, tribute gig Taylor Made will see Alex The Astronaut, Charley, Clare Bowditch, Emily Wurramurra, Kate Miller-Heidke, Lisa Mitchell and Sophia J Smith shaking off their best Taylor Swift covers. Returning from last year, Emma Donovan and Friends will again hero acoustic tunes from First Nations artists, while purpose-built pop-up studio SOUNDBOX will be back at the Arts Centre Melbourne forecourt. The jam-packed program also boasts the Tones and I-curated Music In the Park in Mornington, featuring The Cat Empire, The Veronicas, Budjerah, KAIIT and The Pierce Brothers; the Gonna Be Good series, with everyone from Holy Holy, Aleksiah, ILLY and The Temper Trap to Northeast Party House, Casey Barnes and Ruby Fields; Summer Camp, as already announced; and SOULTRAINS, which is getting Lee Fields & The Expressions, plus Surprise Chef, playing four venues along four Metro train lines. Still on a railway theme, there's End of the Line, a festival popping ip at the end of the train lines in Sandringham and Williamstown. Clare Bowditch headlines the former, and Alex Lahey the latter. And, music lovers can look forward to the Jamaican Food and Music Festival at Seaworks, the Ballroom Mix Tapes series at Brunswick Ballroom — which will launch brand-new releases — and a regional tour by Amyl and the Sniffers. Throw in Peter Garrett and The Alter Egos hitting Wangarratta Arts Centre, Cosmic Psychos marking their 40th anniversary and A.B. Original headlining a free show at Victoria Park Lake, and clearly the list well and truly goes on. [caption id="attachment_899478" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption]
James Klapanis of Eastern Grace Group (St. Cloud Eating House and Young's Wine Rooms) recently brought on Matteo Tine (ex-Grossi Florentino, Bar Carolina, Tetto di Carolina and Pixie) as the restaurant group's Executive Chef and Creative Director — and they're already working on some big plans. Tine first assembled a new team at Young's Wine Room to reinvigorate the Hawthorn wine bar. But the duo's main focus right now is on Mediterranean-inspired restaurant and bar Orlo, slated to open in late June. Set within the old Dyason Cordial Factory in Collingwood, the Oxford Street venue will have a heap of distinct drinking and dining areas split across multiple levels. In the main restaurant, Tine is leaning heavily into his Sicilian roots, plating up contemporary Italian eats influenced by a smattering of other European cuisines. Tine is all over the food, but the duo has brought on a couple hospo heavyweights to dream up the drinks menus. When it comes to wine, Grossi Group's Carlo Grossi has curated a list of vinos that pair well with Tine's Med-inspired dishes. He's been tasked with making these fun, bright and accessible, meaning you don't have to spend the big bucks when ordering a few bottles for the table. And when it comes to cocktails, the Orlo crew has enlisted none other than Joe Jones (Purple Pit) to work his magic. We're huge fans of his Purple Pit libations, so can't wait to see what he does at Orlo. Here, he has designed a few signature sips, including seasonal cordials that'll be served in old cordial bottles as a fun nod to the building. We're sure the best place to find these bevs will be in Orlo's downstairs bar Cordial Club. The 1880s red brick factory has been revived by the team at McCluskey Studio, who've made sure to keep plenty of its original features while glamming it up a little. They've also worked with Klapanis to use his collection of reclaimed materials and vintage furniture throughout the site. Klapanis and Tine have gone all out with Orlo, and it's hard not to have high expectations. Orlo will open at 44 Oxford Street, Collingwood, this June, and be open every day of the week from 12pm–late. For more information on the new opening, visit the venue's website.
After three years without sugar, Damon Gameau has come off the wagon in a big, bad way. Intent on uncovering amount of processed sugar in an average Australian diet, the actor-turned-documentary filmmaker puts his own health on the line, consuming the equivalent of roughly 40 teaspoons of sugar a day. The result is a lively and eye-opening documentary on a subject that needs as much attention as it can get. Gameau’s most obvious compatriot is Morgan Spurlock, who likewise put his own health on the line back in 2004 with the Oscar nominated Supersize Me. The comparison is an obvious one, and you’d be right in thinking that That Sugar Film seems suspiciously similar. But where Gameau has an edge is that his focus is on so-called health food. When a man dines on McDonalds for a month, of course he packs on the pounds. But when you get the same results with vitamin water and low-fat yogurt, the story is suddenly very different. Behind the camera, Gameau does everything he can to keep his viewers entertained. Music and colourful graphics are in plentiful supply, giving the film an at times hyperactive quality that fits the subject matter to a tee. Information often comes delivered with the aid of unexpected celebrity cameos, including appearances by Hugh Jackman, Isabel Lucas and Stephen Fry. There’s an initial temptation to dismiss the movie out of hand; after all, Gameau’s diet doesn’t exactly constitute sound scientific method. Yet despite the film’s gloss and gimmickry, Gameau could never be accused of sugar coating the facts. That Sugar Film attacks its subject from every conceivable angle, including sugar’s effect on children’s learning habits, the correlation between high sugar diets and poverty, and perhaps most unsettling of all, the lobbying efforts of billion-dollar food corporations, whose strategies seem frighteningly similar to those of big tobacco. Still, the scariest thing about this doco is the way in which it confronts us with just how much sugar we all consume. In one of the movie's most memorable sequences, rather than eating a day’s worth of sugary food, Gameau simply eats the equivalent amount in white sugar crystals, providing viewers with a visual reference point that’s both funny and revolting. While its message can seem obvious at times, That Sugar Film has the potential to change the way people think and behave. What higher compliment can a documentary film be given?
Prospects for craft brewers have taken another knock, as much-loved independent operation Molly Rose Brewing has been placed into liquidation. The latest in a long line of struggling breweries to reach this point over the last couple of years — including Burnley Brewing, Deeds Brewing and Rocks Brewing Co — Molly Rose is now working with liquidator DBA Reconstruction & Advisory in an effort to keep the lights on in Collingwood. Following the massive surge in craft breweries over the past decade or so, the market is now experiencing a significant downturn compounded by numerous factors. With consumers faced with surging cost of living, many are turning to cheaper options, leading to a substantial drop in craft beer sales. Many companies have also struggled to overcome COVID-era debts that have placed a heavy burden on their finances. "A combination of rapidly increasing costs of operations and a reduction in consumer sentiment has made our financial situation untenable, and after exploring every possible option, we have decided to appoint DBA Reconstruction & Advisory as liquidator," said Molly Rose Brewing founder Nic Sandery in a statement issued to media. While finding a solution will be challenging, not all hope is lost. In recent times, breweries like Kaiju Beer and Black Hops Brewing have emerged from the liquidation process with new investment and positive prospects. "While there is no guarantee of success, we are hopeful that we can negotiate an agreement that will allow us to reopen and continue serving our community with great beer and food," added Sandery. Regardless of the outcome, Molly Rose Brewing has left a significant impression on the local craft brewing scene. Prior to launching the business, Nic worked at a wealth of forward-thinking breweries in Australia and overseas, such as Little Creatures and Holgate. After returning home, he started selling his small-batch creations, informed by his journeys, directly to consumers online. Then, he 2019, he made the leap to a physical location with the opening of a Collingwood taphouse. Focused on innovation, the brand has captured fans far and wide thanks to its creative brews, from fermented blends to barrel-aged hybrids. The brand has also become known for its frequent collaborations with culinary figures and outfits from across the food and drink world. Just recently, Molly Rose teamed up with Kariton Sorbetes, pairing Asian-inspired artisanal gelato with a frothy beverage to create beer floaters. Molly Rose Brewing is currently closed. Head to the venue's website or Instagram to check for updates.
