Wunderbar! It's time to bring the haus down German-style this New Year's at South Wharf. At the epic Munich Brauhaus, the party's $75 entry fee gets you a three-course Bavarian feast and glass of sparkling at midnight, as well as a live Oompah band playing and a DJ later in the evening when the dancefloor requires your shapes-throwing presence. If you're after the best seat in the haus for the fireworks display, you can get a table in the riverside Bier Garten for $125 — which includes a cheeky bottle of bubbles. We'll raise a stein to that.
Having almost faced its final curtain call when a fire ripped through it in May, Carlton's La Mama Theatre is set to be reborn, thanks to a tidy $1 million grant from the Victorian Government. The money will back up the independent theatre's own fundraising efforts as it works to rebuild, as well as an earlier $150,000 rescue package provided by Labor in the wake of the incident. Restoration of the Faraday Street site will involve repurposing as much of the original building as possible, respecting its heritage while also making it fully accessible for the first time and setting it up for future generations. Architect Meg White and local firm Cottee Parker will head up the rebuild, which is slated to begin next year and be completed by 2020. La Mama is a non-profit theatre and stalwart of Melbourne's art scene, having been established back in 1967. Founded by Betty Burstall, the theatre has seen the likes of Cate Blanchett, Judith Lucy and Julia Zemiro pass through it and hosts many alternative and experimental shows. The theatre will continue to operate out of nearby sister venue La Mama Courthouse, until it returns to the city's arts scene in full capacity. If you'd like to lend a helping hand, La Mama is also accepting donations from the public. Image two: La Mama Theatre before the fire.
Some days, don't you just want to grab a drink, make a few shiny spheres zigzag around a table, and enjoy the soothing blend of booze and pinball? If so, Melbourne's Pinball Paradise is your new hangout — as well as Australia's first dedicated pinball and whiskey bar. Lighting up the first floor at 213 Franklin Street, and accessed via a secret entrance in ground-floor bar Island Somewhere, Pinball Paradise is basically a beverage-serving pinball arcade for adults. And if that sounds like the kind of space that every pinball lover dreams of, wait until you clock the themed machines you'll be flipping balls in. Prepare for a pop culture bonanza, including Game of Thrones, Dracula, The Wizard of Oz, Dirty Harry, Terminator 2, Jurassic Park, Popeye, The Creature from the Black Lagoon and Maverick pinball. Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, The Addams Family, Star Trek — they're all likely to give your button-smashing, flipper-controlling fingers a workout as well, alongside a range of rare, classic machines. Drinks-wise, expect whiskey aplenty, with Japanese varieties a favourite. A selection of food is also on offer to help you keep up your pinball-playing energy levels. As well as becoming the new home of all of your spare change, Pinball Paradise might just be the future of your fun nights out. Indeed, with mini golf and arcade watering holes popping up around the country, simply going to a bar, grabbing a drink and chatting with your friends is quickly becoming a pre-2016 concept. Find Pinball Paradise on the first floor at 213 Franklin Street, Melbourne. Check out their Facebook page for more information.
If you've got a hard-earned thirst for some spiffy beer merch, the folks at Victoria Bitter have you covered, and that's been the case for a couple of years. Hankering not just for branded VB gear for your wardrobe, but also for a VB fragrance? Then you'll be pleased to discover that the famed Carlton & United Breweries beer has just added a new scent to its range. Called Thirst, the brand's newest addition has also been dubbed "eau de hard work". That's by VB itself, of course. And, to answer the first question that will have instantly popped into your head — yes, it comes in a bottle that looks like a stubby. As for second query that we're sure you're currently pondering, the fragrance is made from perfume oil combined with "the essence of Australian Super Pride hops" — aka an extract from the same hops that are used to brew VB. So, while you hopefully won't reek like the stale aroma that sticks to your clothes after you've accidentally spilled your beer, you will definitely smell like hops, it seems. Apparently the scent has whiffs of "bitter citrus" and "icy aromas", too. If you're eager to not only drink VB, but bathe yourself in a cloud of its distinctive bouquet, you can purchase Thirst from Chemist Warehouse, either online or in-store. Sadly but unsurprisingly given how popular the brand's merch always proves (case in point: its retro Christmas sweater from earlier this year), the small amount of the stock that was up for sale via VB's 'Big Cold gear' website has already sold out, though. If you're keen on other VB-themed items as well, you can still head to the brand's site to check out its retro-styled collection, which nods firmly to the brew's lengthy history quenching the thirst of hardworking Aussies. There are crewneck jumpers, t-shirts, hoodies, beanies and caps, all emblazoned with that instantly recognisable logo. Alongside all the clothes, you'll also find VB jigsaw puzzles — plus glasses, water bottles, coolers, speakers, bar mats and even fridges. Victoria Bitter's Thirst scent is available to purchase from Chemist Warehouse — either online or in-store. For more information, visit VB's 'Big Cold gear' website.
It's impossible to think about Christmas without also thinking about ornament-adorned trees, but the traditional towering variety isn't always practical. Perhaps you don't have space in your apartment. Maybe you're keen on the real thing, but just can't make it to market, farm or nursery to get one. And, even if you've found a place for the same old plastic tree that you trot out every year, you're probably still wishing that you could gaze up at the real thing. Floraly, the Australian plant delivery service that focuses on sustainable blooms and even offers monthly subscriptions, now has a Christmas offering — and if you're eager for a living tree, and you're happy with a pint-sized version, then it's about to make your festive dreams come true. 'Tis the season to order a 60-centimetre-tall tiny tree that comes with decorations and a pop-up pot, wait for it to be delivered, then feel mighty jolly. Sourced from farms in Victoria and New South Wales, and able to be sent Australia-wide, Floraly's trees also arrive with soil, fairy lights, baubles and a tree-topper — so they really do look like miniature versions of your ideal Christmas centrepiece. You'll also receive batteries to power the lights and, if you need some extra sweetness, can order some Koko Black chocolate with your mini plant. In line with Floraly's eco-conscious mindset, its trees still have their root system intact. That means that once Christmas is over, you can replant them, keep them for some year-round merriment and then enjoy their splendour next year. The trees also come in fully recyclable packaging, further reducing their environmental impact. If you're keen, you can pre-order a small bundle of greenery from the Floraly website for $79, with trees due to be shipped in the first week of December. Even better — delivery is free to Sydney, Wollongong, the Central Coast, Brisbane and Melbourne. Fancy sending a tiny tree as a gift? You can do that too. Floraly's tiny Christmas trees are available to pre-order now by visiting the service's website.
Of all the things available to watch on YouTube, IKEA's new contribution to the online platform might just be the most leisurely. Jumping on the slow TV bandwagon (or ship, to be more accurate), the huge furniture retailer is currently streaming a watery boat journey between Sweden and Australia — the voyage that brings its Billy bookcases, Kallax shelves, Ektorp sofas and more to our shores. That trip takes a whopping 14 days — or 336 hours — and it's playing on IKEA's new Slow TV YouTube channel in full. The stream started on Thursday, September 12 and will run through until Thursday, September 26. And while it's designed to look like it's all happening live, IKEA has specifically called it a "real-time representation". Those keen to tune in will see plenty of the high seas for much of the stream's duration. Later, when the vessel reaches Australia, you'll be able to watch as the ship pulls into port, then keep viewing as its shipping containers are unloaded, and then witness their journey to stores. You'll also be able to see IKEA boxes arrive at the back of one specific shop, then make their way to the warehouse, with its products unpacked and ready to be sold. Whether it sounds like riveting viewing or not will depend on your threshold for the slow TV trend. Based on how many folks watched SBS' forays into the genre over the past couple of years — first by airing a 17-hour documentary about The Ghan and it's train trip across the country, and then by doing the same with the Indian-Pacific — it seems there's a sizeable audience for simply watching the world go by. IKEA's venture into the slow TV fold has a purpose. Yes, it's trying to get you into the company's stores. The chain is holding a Festival of Sleep on the stream's final day, because this 14-day video is also designed to help viewers relax, feel calm and get some shut-eye. It follows IKEA's Sleep Podcast earlier this year, which attempted to entice listeners to nod off by reading a list of Swedish furniture names. The podcast's narrators, Kent and Sara Eriksson, are also doing the same job here — this time rattling off products from IKEA's 2020 catalogue. Check out IKEA's Slow TV YouTube channel below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSZBjFzq3Ng IKEA's Slow TV YouTube Channel is screening until Thursday, September 26.
This year's Melbourne International Comedy Festival New Order stream features young comedic talent from the UK and Europe. This four-person bill will feature Adam Hess, Larry Dean and Lou Sanders, but it's Danish stand-up, blogger and podcaster Sofie Hagen that we're most interested in. She's been rising rapidly up the comedic ranks — and for damn good reason. Tackling taboo topics with understated wit and charm, her act covers everything from body issues, mental health and feminism, to her own fanatical obsession with Irish boy band Westlife.
2024 was a year of heartbreaking cancellations in the Australian music scene. Not every festival that took some time out has returned a year later, but 2025 has thankfully seen more than a few comebacks. Here's the latest: Harvest Rock, the Adelaide event that cemented itself as a fest worth travelling to in its 2022 debut and 2023's second spin, has locked in a two-day 2025 instalment in October. It was in August 2024 that Harvest Rock revealed that just two years after initially popping up, the decision had been made to postpone that year's event. The news came after Splendour in the Grass announced its 2024 dates and lineup, then ditched its plans — and following Groovin the Moo going through the same cycle of reveals and cancellations. Spilt Milk, Summergrounds Music Festival and Dark Mofo also sat the year out or said goodbye permanently. Dark Mofo returned for 2025, as is Spilt Milk — and now Harvest Rock is joining them. Only Teenage Joans have been named on the lineup for this year's stint at Rymill Park / Murlawirrapurka and King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina so far, but you can pop Tuesday, August 12 in your diary, as that's when the full roster of acts that'll be taking to the stage will be unveiled. Also crucial, dates-wise: Saturday, October 25–Sunday, October 26, when the festival is taking place. When Harvest Rock was first born, hailing from the Secret Sounds crew — who were also behind Splendour in the Grass — it aimed to get everyone dancing in a park in Adelaide each spring, including interstaters heading to South Australia to enjoy the fest's visitworthy lineups. The first year welcomed Jack White, Groove Armada, The Avalanches, Crowded House and Courtney Barnett, for starters. 2023 backed that up with Jamiroquai and Beck doing Australian-exclusive shows, plus everyone from Sparks and Nile Rogers & Chic to Bright Eyes and Paul Kelly. A two-day blend of music, food and wine — well, it is in SA — Harvest Rock also spans Adelaide's top restaurants and eateries serving up dishes, a culinary-focused stage and wine tastings. 2025's iteration will include Wildwoods & Cellar Door by Duncan Welgemoed and Nick Stock, for starters. "We're thrilled to see Harvest Rock return to its Adelaide home to deliver a festival that brings global stadium-sized artists to South Australia, while also championing the region's world-class food, wine and culture for interstate guests. Harvest Rock not only drives tourism and benefits local businesses, but offers a unique festival experience for all ages across the local community and beyond," advised Festival Director of Harvest Rock Ryan Sabet. "Music to the ears of festival lovers and our hospitality and tourism operators, Harvest Rock will return to Adelaide this October. The beauty of this festival is that it combines what we do best in South Australia — offering premium food and beverages and delivering memorable events," said SA Minister for Tourism Zoe Bettison about Harvest Rock's comeback. "Held in 2022 and 2023, Harvest Rock has contributed a combined $34.5 million to the state's economy. We continue to see the impact major events like this deliver to our economy, while reinforcing our state's reputation as the ultimate destination for bucket-list events — whether you are a sports fan, art lover, foodie or just enjoy a good festival." Harvest Rock 2025 is set to take place across Saturday, October 25–Sunday, October 26 at Rymill Park / Murlawirrapurka and King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina, Adelaide. Head to the festival's website for further details — with presale tickets available from Tuesday, August 19 and general sales from Wednesday, August 20. And check back here on Tuesday, August 12 for the lineup. Image: Ian Laidlaw / Mitch Lowe / Zennieshia Butts.
Take the morning off and head to the Royal Botanic Gardens for a lunchtime walk in the park. While the gardens might be surrounded by the concrete jungle of Melbourne CBD, the shady treetops will soon envelop you from the summer heat and have you soaking in the peace and quiet. The myriad of paths takes you deep into the gardens, which you can wander aimlessly as you take in the sunshine. Besides the impeccable grasslands and garden beds of local flora, there are sculptural highlights, pristine lakes and pavilions hidden amongst the trees. Another must-see is Guilfoyle's Volcano, which sat untouched for 60 years but after being overhauled, the surrounding boardwalks and viewing platforms provide unmatched views of Melbourne's skyline. Image: Sarah Worthy via Flickr.
Stand-up comedy. A little bit like high-risk/high-reward eggs when you're severely hung-over, it can either be so right or a sickening mess. Usually there's no vomiting after bad stand-up, but the embarrassment level is similar. Word of advice — if you want to avoid becoming the butt of the joke, stay away from the front, avoid being late, put your phone on silent and for goodness sake don't have any distinctive features. To help you avoid having to endure an hour of awkward shuffles, no clapping and staring at the ground rather than the stage, we have rounded up the best of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, both locally and internationally. Simon Taylor Writing for the likes of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, this young lad is making quite a name for himself. As a self-proclaimed "male feminist" his one man debate shows him battle it out against...himself. Putting both masculine and feminine sides head to head results in self-deprecation, joy, and a nice amount of social commentary. In between laughs you’ll come to question a little about yourself and the gender roles we play in every day life. Catherine Deveny Catherine Deveny is known for having an opinion or two, creating a little bit of controversy and being proud of it. The quick-witted writer is taking to the stage in her new show Curvy Crumpet. She brings together a nice mix of jokes and story telling when approaching anything and everything from porn, immigration, parenting advice and back fat — hopefully in that order. Adam Hills This Aussie has flown the coop for greener pastures (the cold UK) but is back on our shores for a good time not a long time, bringing us Happyism. Known for his effortless delivery and a stint on Spicks and Specks, we have high hopes. Ross Noble (UK) A little bit crazy, but always funny, Ross Noble makes a point of changing his show each night. While this larrikin is in fact from the UK, he called Australia home for a long time and is married to an Australian lass, so like pavlova, we feel a strong sense of ownership. Tangents are frequent and varied, but Noble always manages to bring things back to a hilarious back-of-the-net close. Danny Bhoy (UK) In Australia we love this particular Scot and thus tickets to Dear Epsom will sell like hotcakes decorated in plaid. This year he will touch on the issue of the written letter — ones we send, those we never get around to writing and those that could even change the world. Arj Barker (USA) We’ve loved Arj Barker ever since he was a cartoon accompanied by his trusty sidekick Poopy. We would always ask, "what will they do next?" This time it’s regrettably just Arj in his new show Go Time. We miss Poopy. Events The 24th Annual Great Debate The great debate is a coming together of some of the funniest minds in the game (the funny game that is). With one topic and a group of seriously non-serious heavy weights, arguments are sure to be weird and wonderful. As the affirmative and the negative battle it out, wit, intelligence and an all round raucous evening will ensue. The Gala, proudly supporting Oxfam The Gala, screened on Channel 10, sees a huge lineup of acts from the festival all on one stage in one place for one night — three ones, count 'em. Last year we saw the likes of Stephen K Amos, Fiona O’Loughlin, Greg Fleet, Tom Ballart and Glenn Wool. While the audience is giggling its way through the night, cash donations are going towards humanitarian projects across the world thanks to Oxfam. Bulmers Best of the Edinburgh Fest We wish we were at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, each and every year, but usually that doesn’t happen for us and we must somehow make do. Some of the best acts from the festival make the trip for Bulmers Best of the Edinburgh Festival. This year Jimmy McGhie, Stuart Goldsmith and Tom Allen take to the Scot-friendly stage. The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is on from March 27 to April 21. You can see the full program on their website.
Somewhere in the world, the afterparty for the World’s 50 Best Restaurants award ceremony is wrapping up. It’s been a very big event. The restaurant world’s creme of the crop came together to feast, celebrate and form alliances in order to claw their way up next year’s list. No doubt dishes were served that we couldn’t even imagine, dishes that would break our brains if we mere mortals were we to taste them. But best of all, Ben Shewry’s restaurant Attica was named amongst some of the best in the world, once again coming in at a very respectable #32. Ahhh the World’s 50 Best Restaurant list, you're so much more than a list of places we'll blow half our savings to eat at. The list, whose organisers revealed the top 51-100 last week, is compiled by industry heavyweights and international critics (those blessed people who get to eat Michelin-starred nosh for a living), and is considered a definitive ranking of international food-goodness and tasty nom-noms. So it’s no mean feat for Australia to have a spot on the list, with the likes of Sydney's Sepia and Quay and Victoria’s Brae also nabbing spots in the top 100. Being a restaurateur these days is almost as bloody as being the head of a great Westeros house — although in the foodie game, your position is determined by this annual list and not how many shocking betrayals and gruesome deaths you encounter per season. But there's just as much intrigue happening on this humble list as there is on the influence track of any drunken GoT board game session (go with it). The three big names that consistently dominate the game are this year’s victor El Celler de Can Roca (Girona, Spain), second place Osteria Francescana (Modena, Italy) and third place Noma (Copenhagen, Denmark). This is where it gets interesting, because Noma won last year, Osteria Franescana came second and while El Celler de Ca Roca moved up from third place to first and knocked Noma off the Iron Throne before being poisoned on their wedding day allegedly by their uncle while Sansa Stark escaped to the North under Littlefinger’s protection. Or something like that. When you play the game of lists, you win or you try again next year. See the whole list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants here. Image: Attica.
Love quirky facts? Spent your life amassing the kind of details that will probably never come in handy? Consider yourself a whiz at every trivia night around town? If so, you're probably a QI fan — and an avid listener of No Such Thing As a Fish. The former is, of course, the long-running British comedy panel quiz. The latter is the popular, award-winning podcast hosted by four of the show's researchers, aka the folks putting in the hard yards to come up with amusing pieces of information you didn't know you needed to know. Series staffers Dan Schreiber, James Harkin, Anna Ptaszynski and Andrew Hunter Murray aren't just finding tidbits for a raft of English comedians, or spending their spare time sharing the most bizarre facts they've come across over the last seven days, however. Come May 2018, they're also heading to Australia to shower our shores with trivia morsels. The live version of the podcast will include a live recording, so your laughter might be immortalised forever, plus a round up of the most astonishing things the team have discovered from the year's news. It has been a busy couple of years for the group, with their last UK and European tour proving a sell-out, and their 187 episodes to date scoring more than 55 million downloads. As Schreiber explains, "we started as four dorks sitting around a single microphone trying to make each other laugh. Things have changed a bit since we started — we now have four microphones — but it's a thrill to know there are hundreds of thousands of other people who love the same wild and hilarious facts that we do." No Such Thing As a Fish heads to The Comedy Theatre, Melbourne on May 12, the Sydney Opera House on May 15 and Brisbane's Queensland Performing Arts Centre on May 17. Tickets go on sale at 10am on November 1, with a pre-sale from midday on October 30. Check out the podcast's website for further details.
If you've ever stumbled down Russell Street at midnight searching for something cheesy, chances are you know Connie's: a nostalgic, pizza-shaped hole in the wall, operating from inside Heartbreaker, arguably the CBD's best rock-n-roll dive bar. Well, hold onto your parmesan shaker, because Connie's will be slinging its signature NYC-style pizzas from a brand new, much larger home above Heartbreaker from January next year. It's Connie's first dedicated space, and co-owners Michael Madrusan and his partner Zara, have ripped their playbook straight from the Italian American eateries of the 1980s, with warm hospitality, cheesy mozzarella sticks, and a generous slice of nostalgia. [caption id="attachment_834208" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Connie's co-owners Zara & Michael Madrusan. Photography by Pete Dillon.[/caption] "We had always planned for Connie's to evolve beyond Heartbreaker's four walls, into its own restaurant, but the right location had never presented itself," says Zara. "Michael and I have had our eyes on the space for some time and when it became available, we jumped at the opportunity and immediately started working on the new concept." The new concept is this: crimson vinyl booths, seating for over 70 patrons, leadlight pendants dangling from the ceiling and '80s Italian film posters plastered on the walls. There's a jukebox in the corner, a pool table ready to roll, and several revolving disco balls (because it wouldn't be the 1980s a double dose of kitsch). The new Connie's will also feature a rooftop deck overlooking Lonsdale St, with room for another 30 hungry diners. "I have so many great memories of my younger years spent at my family's Italian restaurants. I wanted the new Connie's to showcase the best traits of old school family-run pizzerias," says co-owner Michael. "It will be fun, familiar food and a really good time. Our venues are known for the theatre and attention to detail. With Connie's, the music will play a huge role in bringing the experience to life." [caption id="attachment_825640" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Connie's Grandma Pies which ran as a lockdown special.[/caption] Cooked to a soundtrack of Soul and Motown classics, pizza will still be the star of the show. The new Connie's menu revolves around their signature deep dish and classic NYC 18-inch pizzas, but Michael is also running pasta, eggplant parmigiana, baked clams, mozzarella sticks, cheesy garlic bread and retro gelato desserts (courtesy of Mr Pisa). It's the closest you're going to get to 1980s Little Italy in Melbourne. Connie's new pizzeria is set to open in mid-to-late January 2022 at upstairs, 234B Russell Street, Melbourne, directly above Heartbreaker. It will be open from 5pm until late, Wednesday—Saturday.
Philadelphia indie-rockers The War on Drugs have revealed they will play a Melbourne sideshow alongside their Australian debut performances at Falls Festival and Southbound. Devoted fans will no doubt be crossing their fingers that some material from their much-awaited third album will be unveiled during the tour. The War on Drugs emerged onto the scene back in 2005 as a musical collaboration between frontman and creative honcho Adam Granduciel and Kurt Vile, who has since left to pursue a solo career with his backing band The Violators. If you've never heard of them but you like your rock and roll a little bit classic (think a bit of Petty, a splash of Springsteen and, vocally, a whole lot of Dylan), then you may want to grab tickets to a show.
Fans of Kathryn Bigelow's Oscar-winning war drama The Hurt Locker will recall that one of the film's most tense and thrilling sequences involved a lone enemy sniper laying waste to a group of US troops and UK mercenaries deep in the Iraqi desert. Pinned down in the blazing heat with little more than rubble for cover, the fear, confusion and discomfort of the men coming under fire was made all the more nail-biting courtesy of a near-silent soundtrack interrupted only by the 'hiss' and 'thwack' of bullets either missing or finding their mark. If that sequence felt somehow rushed or underplayed to you, however, then Doug Liman's latest film The Wall is every bit the fix you're looking for, since it's a movie that stretches that scenario to feature length. The setup is fantastic: six bodies – contractors, engineers and security personnel – all lie dead and scattered around an oil pipeline construction site, whilst way up in the hills a two-man American sniper team (John Cena and Aaron Taylor-Johnson) scans for any sign of the enemy. After 20-something hours of incident-free observation, they declare the site clear and march on down to make the final call in person, whereupon the enemy sniper reveals he's very much still in the picture and cripples both men with a series of sudden and devastating body-shots. As one of the soldiers lies exposed and bleeding, the other scrambles to find cover behind the tiniest, flimsiest shale wall. It's here that the remainder of the movie takes place. Without giving too much away, this is very much Taylor-Johnson's film, for it's he who occupies the vast majority of screen time, turning in an impressively physical and committed performance. You can't help but grit your teeth and squint in sympathy as he endures excruciating pain and the non-stop swirling of dust. Indeed, the immersive nature of the desert setting is one of the film's greatest strengths, evoking such a dry, overbearing heat that you feel compelled to rehydrate throughout. Where The Wall goes awry is when the enemy sniper begins taunting Taylor-Johnson's character over his radio, at which point some hackneyed horror-style lines ("We're not so different, you and I") begin to rear their head. Quoting Robert Frost and Edgar Allan Poe, and pontificating on the hypocrisies of American militarism, the unnamed gunman's dialogue feels like an attempt to bring an unnecessary extra layer of menace to what's already a fine and gripping story. It'd be like taking the shark from The Shallows and having it lecture Blake Lively on the inequities of big game fishing. The threat is already there, you don't need anything more. Even so, like The Shallows, The Wall achieves a lot with very little. Full credit to Liman and company, who have crafted a single-setting, single-actor showcase that proves you don't need a $200 million budget to tell a powerful and engaging war story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyCuUr2_hmA
A spectacular sea of drones is set to engulf Melbourne's night sky above Victoria Harbour this New Year's Eve and into 2022, with the City of Melbourne announcing Australia's largest ever drone show. The swarm of 350 drones will light up the sky in Docklands for a seven-minute show twice on New Year's Eve 2020/21 before both the 9.30pm and midnight fireworks. Once we've all rung in the new year, the show will also run twice a night between Monday, January 3–Sunday, January 30. On New Year's Eve, four ticketed zones will be set up around the harbour at Docklands, Flagstaff Gardens, Alexandra Gardens and Treasury Gardens. Each zone will be treated to entertainment including comedy, circus acts, bands and DJs, plus food trucks and light installations. The luminous show has been designed by drone art company Celestial who was previously responsible for drone exhibitions as part of the Edinburgh 2020/21 New Year's Eve celebrations and Amnesty International's 60th anniversary. Tickets to the drone show's viewing zones will be awarded via a Ticketek ballot which City Activation Councillor Roshena Campbell calls the "hottest tickets in town". "We encourage people to book into a celebration zone or a participating city venue. A staycation at one of the many city hotels would make it the ultimate Melbourne holiday," Campbell says. The City of Melbourne's full New Year's events lineup will be revealed on Thursday, November 25, however one other element that has been revealed is the return of the New Year Street Feasts in partnership with the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival. The food festival will take over eight precincts across Melbourne appearing in top culinary spots like Flinders Lane, Russell Place and Little Collins Street, as well as classic Melbourne spots like Fed Square and Docklands. Melbourne's drone show will take place over Victoria Harbour, Docklands on New Year's Eve and twice a night between Monday, January 3–Sunday, January 30.
Size matters. So too, does timing. It's safe to say that in the wake of the sprawling Avengers: Infinity War, Ant-Man and The Wasp is precisely the kind of modest, self-contained movie the team at Marvel needed to make. Set shortly before The Avengers' dust-up with Thanos, the film acknowledges its place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe yet cleverly distances itself from intergalactic conflict by instead focusing on three very intimate human stories. The first concerns Scott Lang, aka Ant-Man, played again by the seemingly ageless Paul Rudd. Thanks to his exploits in Captain America: Civil War, he now finds himself subject to house arrest and attempts to while away his two-year sentence by both establishing a security consultancy company and creatively entertaining his young daughter. The second picks up with Lang's two (now former) partners: Hope van Dyne aka The Wasp (Evangeline Lily) and her father Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) as they attempt to rescue Hope's long-lost mother from the mind-boggling Quantum Realm. The third follows a pair of villains: superhuman Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and black marketeer Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins), each of whom seeks to steal Pym's quantum tech for themselves. That's the sum of it. There are no aliens here, no space ships or wormholes. There aren't even many lives at stake. Instead, Ant-Man and The Wasp mostly concerns itself with the preservation and/or restoration of fading relationships. The small-scale (no pun intended) storytelling proves a welcome reprieve from the MCU's growing complexity, while the filmmakers also smartly retain the innovative action and laugh out loud comedy from their character's first big screen outing. The danger for this franchise was always going to be the Honey I Shrunk The Superhero dynamic getting old. Thankfully, the creative minds behind Ant-Man and The Wasp continue to deliver the unexpected in almost every major sequence, tinkering with the size of everything from cars to buildings to Pez dispensers. As Lang, Rudd very much holds court again, his disarming awkwardness acting as the perfect foil for the more stern performances of Lily and Douglas. Not every joke lands, and a few of the one-liners seem crowbarred in, but the tone remains impressively consistent throughout, almost to the point of feeling like a straight-up comedy (thanks in no small way to another scene-stealing turn from Michael Pena). Goggins, too, is as reliable as ever as the Southern Gentleman rogue, while John-Kamen's Ghost offers the film its necessary dramatic streak without ever descending into two-dimensional villainy. Later appearances by some other big names (whose identity we'll preserve for the sake of surprise) lend additional gravitas to an already impressive cast, and even Stan Lee's inevitable cameo brings a laugh instead of the usual eye roll. Unsurprisingly, Ant-Man and The Wasp also addresses the shocking finale to Infinity War, although it does so in a neatly inconclusive way, allowing for much speculation and very little certainty. In all, it's a well calculated step by Marvel and a timely reminder that superhero movies can tell compelling human stories without resorting to world-ending CGI chaos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_rTIAOohas
When you're a single player in the arduous dating game, swiping can get old fast. You spend all your time sifting through the timewasters and sleazeballs, while your true love potentially slips through your too-busy-swiping fingers. Thankfully, lovers, there's a new app on the block pulling out all the stops to ensure you have a quality dating experience. The Inner Circle is a unique dating platform that brings together like-minded singles — online and offline. Turns out looking for love can be fun, after all. We've broken down the key features of the app below and paired them with a date idea for you to enjoy with your new flame. Bring on the lovefest. [caption id="attachment_637902" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Katje Ford.[/caption] NIGHTS OUT The Inner Circle brings members face-to-face through unique events. You can rub shoulders with other singles while enjoying a night out with friends. For a similar vibe, take your date to pub trivia and get to know them within a social setting — and maybe nab a sweet cash prize. It's a win-win, literally. Sydneysiders, head to the Botany View Hotel in Newtown for Thursday trivia with a cash prize. Melburnians, make tracks to The Penny Black for trivia in the beer garden, and Brisbanites, you can catch beer-garden trivia at The Wickham. NO CATFISHING With its involved screening process, The Inner Circle cuts out any risk of catfishing. Basically, all the rotten fish are thrown back to sea. See a literal representation of this and plan a date to go fish picking with your partner. Then, spend the evening cooking your catch with your other 'good catch' while enjoying a glass of crisp riesling. For an upscale fishmonger experience, head to the Fish Butchery (Sydney), run by the Saint Peter crew. Or, for a no-frills affair, head to Ocean Made (Melbourne) or The Fish Factory (Brisbane). PERFECT PAIRINGS The Inner Circle's dedicated team carefully considers each and every application to ensure members are well suited, much like pairing a good wine and cheese. To channel the same meticulous attention to detail and to sample some tasty treats, take your date to a cheese and wine tasting. There are loads of fromageries around, but we suggest, Formaggi Ocello in Sydney, Milk the Cow in Melbourne and Fromage the Cow in Brisbane. If all goes well, grab some gooey delights and vino to go and enjoy them together back at home. ON THE GO The Inner Circle has a ton of travel features that make it is easy to use at any time. So you have access to the best, even when travelling. Take your date on a scenic hike; it's a great way to get to know someone while you both enjoy a nice rush of endorphins from the exercise and get a dose of vitamin D. No matter where you are in Australia, you can always find a good trail. Check out our guides for Brissie, Melbourne and Sydney, then get planning. NO SWIPING Forget about the awkward left and right swipes that have started to hurt your fingers. Say goodbye to RSI. The Inner Circle has no swiping, which means your hands are free to do other fun things, like dabble in pottery or craft a terrarium. Plan a phone-free date with your new main squeeze and not only will you enjoy the use of both hands, but you'll pick up a new skill, too. To relive that pottery moment from Ghost and try your hand at ceramics, head to Bea Bellingham (Sydney) or Céramiques Elsternwick (Melbourne). Or, if you'd prefer something more organic, make a succulent-filled mini-garden at Work-Shop in Brisbane. Get off the tired, old dating apps and jump into The Inner Circle. Sign up here and get exploring.
Back in 2021, news arrived that Round the Twist was joining The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Muriel's Wedding, Strictly Ballroom, Starstruck and Moulin Rouge! in making the leap from Australia's screens to its theatres as a stage musical. If you've ever, ever felt like you needed to see the classic 90s and early 00s Aussie children's TV series with singing and dancing, the end result is debuting in Brisbane, with Round the Twist The Musical making its world premiere as part of Queensland Theatre's 2024 season. The homegrown gem has gone the screen-to-stage route with a show that already has the entire country well-acquainted with its characters. Taking over QPAC's Playhouse from Tuesday, November 12–Sunday, December 8, it closes out Queensland Theatre's 2024 run. We bet you're now more excited right now than a Twist family member in a lighthouse. Airing for two seasons between 1990–93, then another two from 2000–01, Round the Twist adapted Paul Jennings' popular books into an offbeat fantasy series. If you were the right age, it was must-see TV — and now it's your next must-see musical. Here's hoping that the new stage production not only does justice to the show that absolutely every Aussie kid watched in the 90s and 00s, and more than once, but that it taps into its balance of humour, strangeness and scares. There's definitely a big lighthouse involved, because of course there is. Obviously, we all know which song absolutely has to be included — and multiple times, ideally. Yes, it's the theme tune by Andrew Duffield that you've now got stuck in your head and will keep singing to yourself for the rest of the week. (And no, we're not sorry for putting it there.) Writer/composer Paul Hodge and director Simon Phillips (Muriel's Wedding: The Musical, Ladies in Black) are guiding the show, which will focus on single father Tony Twist; his children Pete, Linda and Bronson; and their efforts to save their home from the Gribble family while also attempting to solve a 200-year-old mystery. Expect haunted spaces, ghosts, smelly feet and a crystal ball as well, and songs. Images: Lyndon Mechielsen. Updated: Friday, November 22, 2024.
Samurai! Robots! Sword-fighting school girls! It can only be Japanese cinema. The Japanese Film Festival, which started on November 29 and will be screening at both ACMI and Hoyts Melbourne Central, is far from being a straight forward ninja fest. The program covers an eclectic range, from opening nighter Thermae Romae, about an Ancient Roman architect travelling forward in time in search of modern toilets, to A Terminal Trust, a pensive drama tackling the hard topic of euthanasia, to Helter Skelter, a thriller set in a beauty-obsessed world of celebrity and plastic surgery. ACMI is also running a free program of sixties classics from Yasuzo Masumura, one of the key figures in Japan’s answer to the New Wave. Now in its sixteenth year, the festival showcases the wonderful diversity of Japanese film, challenging audience expectations and defying cultural cliches. Although the sword-fighting school girls will be there too.
Whenever Vivid takes over Sydney to kick off winter, the city instantly gets brighter. Unleashing a huge festival of lights and vibrant installations (and music and talks as well) will do that, of course. And, come Friday, May 27–Sunday, June 18 this year, the popular event might just beam a little stronger than usual — returning for the first time since 2019, after cancelling its 2020 and 2021 events due to the pandemic. Vivid's just-dropped full 2022 lineup certainly boasts plenty of highlights — and more than 200 events in total. Sticking with all that eye-catching light to begin with, there'll be more than 50 luminous installations dazzling the city, including two particularly spectacular attractions by the water. The first, Sydney Infinity by Oracle Liquid, is a water sculpture in Darling Harbour that'll feature 12 80-metre-high water shoots, plus a Sydney-inspired soundtrack by DJ Pee Wee Ferris. And the second, at Walsh Bay, will see a 100-metre floating Light Walk pop up for folks to mosey along, including more than 200 giant, bubble-esque spheres that'll hover eight metres in the air. [caption id="attachment_846473" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mandylights, Our Connected City[/caption] There's also Endless Love from Michaela Gleave, which'll arch that phrase over Circular Quay; Leila Jeffreys' piece in the same spot, Temple, which is all about Sydney's bird life; and Yarrkalpa — Hunting Ground, which'll light up the Sydney Opera House's sails with First Nations art by the Martu Artists, as aided by creative technologists Curiious (and with a soundtrack by Electric Fields and Martu Artists). Also, Vivid will host First Light, a Welcome to Country celebrating the Gadigal people and Country on Friday, May 27. And, Our Connected City by Mandylights will literally shine new light on the city's landmarks, setting up 200-plus searchlights beaming over Sydney Harbour, CBD buildings and the Cahill Expressway. Plenty of Vivid's other light works were revealed back in February — such as the overall Light Walk, a certain-favourite that'll host works from 62 light collaborators and 114 light artists from five countries, and mark Vivid's longest-ever continuous Light Walk; and Ken Done's For Sydney With Love which'll be projected onto the facade of Customs House. There's also Convergence in the disused Goods Line railway tunnel at Central Station, aka Vivid's largest-scale laser exhibition ever, as well as Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran's Earth Deities. [caption id="attachment_846469" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mike Eggert and Dan Hong, Destination NSW[/caption] In something completely new for 2022, Vivid will throw its first-ever Vivid Sydney Dinner, which'll celebrate the city in a whole heap of ways. Taking place at Merivale's Ivy Ballroom and hosted by Justine Clarke, it'll combine music, talks, food and wine — and lights, because it's Vivid — with a lineup that spans Ken Done, Julia Baird, the Vivid Sydney Brass Band, James Morrison, Ngaiire, Virginia Gay and Kate Monroe, plus food by chefs Dan Hong and Mike Eggert. On the talks part of the program, American filmmaker Aaron Sorkin is headed to Sydney to discuss the intersection of politics and drama, as seen so often in his work — so expect everything from The West Wing and The Newsroom to The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Being the Ricardos to get a mention. Also among the big names getting chatty: musician, artist and actor Troye Sivan, who'll talk with Patrick Abboud; and US journalist Gretchen Carlson, whose story was told in the film Bombshell. Get ready to enjoy this section of the lineup up late, too — thanks to the aptly named Vivid Ideas Up Late. It'll pop up at the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Australian Museum, the Powerhouse Museum and the National Maritime Museum, hosting free nights filled with talks, performances, fashion, music and food. And, the overall Vivid Ideas bill will also feature James Valentine and HG Nelson's the Even Greater Sydney Committee at Parliament House, as well as tales about Sydney from folks such as Jonathan Biggins, Kate McClymont, Leah Purcell and Stephen Page. Over at The Great Hall at The University of Technology Sydney, more than 60 events will also join the program, including seminars and film screenings. [caption id="attachment_811633" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sampa the Great, Lucian Coman[/caption] Music-wise, Vivid is no slouch, either. It never is. Vivid Live at Sydney Opera House will feature Paul Kelly, Thelma Plum and Ash Naylor during a gig dubbed Time And Tide: Four Decades of Song; Sampa The Great's new show An Afro Future; and Berlin-based piano star Nils Frahm performing Music for Sydney, for starters. Also on the lineup: Tkay Maidza in the Joan Sutherland Theatre, Spiritualized at Luna Park's Big Top, three nights of live music and short films in Darling Harbour, free DJs every night at The Goods Line, and 150-plus music events in total. Included in the latter figure is Carriageworks' program of tunes, featuring Perfume Genius, CHAI, TOMM¥ €A$H, Cate Le Bon, Divide & Dissolve and more. In some cases, the venues will be as big of a drawcard as the performers, with gigs set for Central Station's Grand Central Concourse, Tumbalong Park, Phoenix Central Park, The Calyx – Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, The Bearded Tit, Cell Block Theatre and National Art School as well. Yes, you'd best clear your calendar for the end of May and first few weeks of June — Vivid is about to keep you mighty busy. Vivid Sydney 2022 will run from Friday, May 27–Sunday, June 18. For further information and tickets, head to the event's website. Top images: Convergence, Mandylands / Earth Deities, Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, Jessica Maurer, Kane-Sullivan.
Countless late-night drinking sessions and cheap pizzas have been enjoyed at 376 Brunswick Street over the years, where famous former resident Bimbo made its mark as a beloved, sticky-floored student haunt. After a fire forced the building's closure back in 2018, and a short-lived relaunch the following year, it's now getting a proper restart at the hands of new owners, Australian Venue Co (Fargo and Co, State of Grace, The Smith). Say g'day to the Fitzroy site's newest iteration: Kewpie. Named after the iconic doll figure that's long graced its exterior wall, Kewpie will carry on the legacy as a laidback neighbourhood boozer with cheap pizza and a weekly roster of DJ-fuelled party sessions. Aesthetically, little has changed since the pub's last makeover, with low booths spread across the spacious ground-floor rooms, colourful posters plastered across the walls, and a sunny bar and terrace offering prime position up on the rooftop. From the kitchen comes a delightfully affordable offering of pizza and snacks, most clocking in at an easy $5. Vegetarian options might include a caramelised onion and potato number, or the Mexican-inspired Poncho topped with corn chips and jalapenos. There's a peri peri chicken pizza, another loaded with Calabrese salami, and a garlicky marinara creation starring calamari, prawns and capers. Throw on a side of the pizza spring rolls if you're feeling snacky. To match, the bar's keeping things simple, with a mix of crowd-pleasing brews, craft tins, wines and classic cocktails on offer. And soundtracking the Kewpie good times, there'll be a slew of music-focused happenings across the second half of each week — hip hop and funk for Bump Thursdays, the Friday Glow Down curated by Anyo and Kel Rhys, a slew of familiar selectors firing up House Party 3.0 Saturdays and smooth vinyl tracks for your Sundays. To celebrate its launch, Kewpie will be giving away 50 free pizzas every day, from Monday, November 8–Friday, November 12. Head in to nab yours. Find Kewpie at 376 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, from Monday, November 8. It'll open from 4pm–late Monday–Wednesday and 12pm–late Thursday–Sunday. Top Images: Kate Shanasy
Saying goodbye to 2025 at Lost Paradise means farewelling the year with a jam-packed lineup of tunes. Ben Böhmer, Chris Stussy, Confidence Man, Duke Dumont, I Hate Models, KETTAMA, Marc Rebillet, Maribou State, Underworld, X CLUB: they're all headlining the annual end-of-year music festival in Glenworth Valley on the New South Wales Central Coast this year. You should already have the dates in your diary, given they were announced at the end of July — but if you don't, mark Sunday, December 28, 2025–Thursday, January 1, 2026 on your calendar and prepare for a huge few days. Other acts on the bill include Anna Lunoe, BIG WETT, Channel Tres, Fcukers, DJ Heartstring, Hot Dub Time Machine, Omar+, VTSS and plenty more. [caption id="attachment_1017760" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John Gorrigan[/caption] Some people love last-minute New Year's Eve plans, going wherever the mood takes them. Others can't start planning early enough. If you fall into the latter category, this December is for you. For Lost Paradise newcomers, the multi-day event turns a slice of its setting — which is located an hour out of Sydney — into one helluva shindig, complete with live music and DJ sets spanning both international and Australian talents. This year, organisers are promising newly reimagined versions of the festival's Arcadia, Lost Disco and Paradise Club stages. Tunes are just one part of the Lost Paradise experience, though. Here, art, culture, wellness, and food and drink also get a look in. And, at Shambhala Fields, you can hear talks and take part in workshops — so that's where you'll find the likes of Dr Karl, Eric Avery, Deano Gladstone, Lara Zilibowitz, Kath Ebbs, Sez, Tom Carroll, Simon Borg-Olivier, Gwyn Williams and others. Since first unleashing its specific flavour of festival fun back in 2014, Lost Paradise has become a go-to way to wrap up one year and welcome in the next — including if you're keen to camp for its duration. Lost Paradise 2025 Lineup Ben Böhmer Chris Stussy Confidence Man Duke Dumont I Hate Models KETTAMA Marc Rebillet Maribou State Underworld X CLUB Anna Lunoe Baby J Bad Boombox & Mischluft Balu Brigada Bella Claxton BIG WETT Blusher Bullet Tooth Cassian Channel Tres Dameeeela DJ Heartstring Dombresky presents Disco Dom Dr Banana Fcukers Folamour Heidi Hot Dub Time Machine INJI Jazzy Josh Baker Juicy Romance Kilimanjaro Luke Alessi Merci, Mercy Narciss Notion Odd Mob Omar+ Pegassi Prospa Riria Ross From Friends presents Bubble Love Sex Mask Silva Bumpa Sim0ne Sumner Swim (live) Two Another VTSS Wolters Alex Dowsing Badassmutha Bella Backe Caleb Jackson Couch Mechanic Cricket Dayzzi B2B Daug Disco Dora Elijah Something GMOZ Grooveworks Kai Kawai Large Mirage LAYTX Lily FM Lost Soundsystem Madame Reve Maina Doe Mash Middle James Mina Tonic Oscill8 Pamela Penelope People's Party Roxy Lotz Salarymen Selve Siila Silly Lily Sim Select Tia Lacoste Tokyo Sexwale Tseba Waxlily Yasmina Sadiki Shambhala Fields: Benny Holloway Catriona Wallace Chanel Contos Deano Gladstone Dr Karl Eric Avery Gwyn Williams Kath Ebbs Lara Zilibowitz Plastic Free Mermaid Sez Simon Borg-Olivier Tom Carroll [caption id="attachment_965688" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Byravyna[/caption] Lost Paradise returns to Glenworth Valley, New South Wales from Sunday, December 28, 2025–Thursday, January 1, 2026. Sign up for presale tickets online, with general tickets available from 10am AEST on Wednesday, August 27, 2025. Head to the festival website for more details. Underworld image: Roberto Ricciuti/Redferns. Lost Paradise images: Jess Bowen, Jordan K Munns, Byravyna and Amar Gera.
One of the original godfathers of dance music is coming to Australia for a five-date nationwide tour. Fatboy Slim, otherwise known as Norman Cook, exploded in the 90s with his brand of big beat that overflowed into the mainstream pop world. From his four studio albums between 1996–2004, he can claim bonafide hits like 'Right Here, Right Now', 'The Rockafeller Skank', 'Praise You' and 'Weapon of Choice'. Fun fact: Cook also holds the Guinness World Record for the most top 40 hits under different names. Melbourne audiences can expect the full live show when Fatboy Slim lands next January — hitting up the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Friday, January 24. The UK artist will be supported by 2manydjs, aka David and Stephen Dewaele of Soulwax, with further local support acts to be announced. Image: Fatboy Slim.
Taste of Melbourne, one of the best restaurant festivals in the world is landing in Albert Park on 15 November, and running until Sunday 18 November. It brings together great restaurants and producers under the one roof. This year Taste of Melbourne is taking things outdoors to Albert Park taking over the lakeside Pelican Lawn. 15 of Melbourne's top restaurants including Taxi Dining Room, Albert Street Food and Wine, Mamasita, Movida and The Alyesbury, just to name a few, will be there creating entrée sized portions of some of their signature dishes. The producers making an appearance include Dal Zotto Wines, Stone & Wood, Cacao Fine Chocolates, and too many more to name. Evening sessions will run on all four days of the festival and lunch sessions will run on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The festival is quite sizable and if your anything like us you will want to try every thing. To make things a little easier for you here's Concrete Playground's top ten festival picks. 1. Acqua Panna Experience There is something romantic about Italy. The wine, the food, the vespas. The Acqua Panna Experience will bring you the finest of Italy for the whole four days with an authentic Italian café experience. Sample pizzas from Remo Nicolini, sip Sanpellegrino and Ketel One vodka cocktails will even be whipped up using the best Sanpellegrino has to offer. When in Rome, right? 2. Sensology presents The Art of Cocktail Making Cocktails, they are delicious creations and those sneaky bartenders make it look much easier than it actually is. The expert mixologists from Sensology will help you out in their fun and very informative cocktail making classes. With a range of different drinks being taught over the four days including the espresso martini, the mojito and the whisky sour, you'll be sure to find something you enjoy. 3. Sustainability Living Pop Up Sustainable Living, hosted by the team at Dirty Girl Kitchens is here to teach us all a thing or two about sustainable practices. Each day a different restaurant will take over with Matt Milkinson's Bishop of Ostia and Pope Joan taking the reigns on Saturday and Darren Robertson's Three Blue Ducks featuring on Sunday. 4. Plumm Wine Theatre It is great to know your stuff when it comes to wine, but it isn't always that easy. Gournet Traveller WINE is bringing us the Plumm Wine Theatre along with a series of interactive and fun wine sessions. There will be some of the best wine buffs in the industry there to guide you and Nick Stock, one of our best wine critics, will be hosting two wine tastings in each session. Matt Skinner, wine writer and presenter will also be running one tasting per session where he will teach you all about the right glassware for your wine. Apparently we only need five different glasses? Other sessions will include Summer of Riesling, Sake Samurai School and Pinot Peninsula. 5. Best in Taste Awards On Thursday night, Taste will be holding a Best in Taste Awards where we hear some big names will be on the judging panel. Think food writers, producers; these guys know their stuff. International guest chef for 2012 Nuno Mendes of Viajante will be joining the stellar judging panel. The highly sought after title of “Best in Taste 2012" is making its Australian debut right here in Melbourne. With all the delicious dishes on offer here, we are just glad we don't have to make the deciding vote. 6. Jaguar Champagne and Dessert Bar Champagne and dessert, two of our favourite things. Taste is putting them together in the Jaquar Champagne and Dessert Bar where The Botanical will create delightful petit fours just to you, including truffles and financier griotte. It's a little classy and the perfect way to take a moment to put your feet up in style. 7. Dilmah Chef's Skillery An exciting line up of chefs including Peter Kuruvita from My Sri Lanka will bring a unique skill to each session. Chefs will teach guests everything from knife skills to filleting a fish. Peter Kuruvita will be creating dishes utilising Dilmah Tea itself. Guests will also get to chat to the chefs after the presentations and ask those questions you've always wanted to ask yourself. 8. Malaysia Kitchen Adding a little bit of heat to the festival will be the Malaysia Kitchen Australia which will take guests on a journey of the senses. Guests will enjoy a range of dishes that will showcase the diversity of Malaysian cuisine with a number of Melbourne's loved Malaysian restaurants on board with dishes including Laksa and Char Kway Teow on the menu. Don't miss Poh from Masterchef as she whips up Prawn & Pineapple Curry on both the Saturday and the Sunday. 9. Rekorderlig Cider Bar It's spring and that means cider drinking weather has arrived. Rekorderlig take cider to the next level with weird and wonderful flavours from Strawberry-Lime to Wild Berry. At Taste of Melbourne you will be able to head on over to their bar, sample all of their exciting flavours and take a little time out from the hustle and the bustle of the festival. Some of Melbourne's top bartenders will also be on hand to show you how to best serve your Rekorderlig. 10. Laurent-Perrier Champagne Masterclass Hosted by Kyla Kirkpatrick aka the Champagne Dame this is a masterclass for all you Champagne lovers out there. Kyla will take guests on a tour of Champagne educating on grape varietals, production techniques and a little history thrown in there as well. There will then be the all important tastings of Laurent Perrier's range including some exclusive offerings for this occasion only. We hear there will be some food and flower matching involved in what's shaping up to be a very unique event. There will be 11 sessions run over the Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For all ticketing information and timetables head to www.tasteofmelbourne.com.au
As announced by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews yesterday, those all-too-familiar lockdowns will be reintroduced for the whole of metropolitan Melbourne, as well as Mitchell Shire, coming into effect for six weeks from 11.59pm tonight, Wednesday, July 8. The Victorian Government's move comes as the state recorded its highest ever new COVID-19 case totals for two consecutive days: 127 on July 6, followed by 191 yesterday. The decision will see the affected areas return to a state of lockdown similar to what was in place at stage three of Victoria's COVID-19 restrictions in late March. That means residents are only allowed to leave home for one of four reasons: for work or school (if you can't do this from home), for care or care giving, for daily exercise or for food and other essentials. Only the exercise situation is a little more strict than last time, with people not permitted to venture beyond the metropolitan Melbourne area. So, what exactly is metropolitan Melbourne and which areas does it include? Well, according to the Government, the soon-to-be-locked-down region spreads over 9990-square-km and is home to 4.9 million people. [caption id="attachment_775221" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Metropolitan Melbourne via Live Melbourne[/caption] Metropolitan Melbourne includes 31 of Victoria's 79 local government areas (LGAs), including Banyule, Bayside, Boroondara, Brimbank, Cardinia, Casey, Darebin, Frankston, Glen Eira, Greater Dandenong, Hobsons Bay, Hume, Kingston, Knox, Manningham, Maribyrnong, Maroondah, Melbourne, Melton, Monash, Moonee Valley, Moreland, Mornington Peninsula, Nillumbik, Port Phillip, Stonnington, Whitehorse, Whittlesea, Wyndham, Yarra and Yarra Ranges. As for Mitchell Shire, the 32 LGA, which is also included in the lockdown, it's an area north of Melbourne with approximately 49,000 residents. Unsure what LGA you're in? You can punch in your address over on this Victorian Government website. If you call one of these spots home, the new stay-at-home orders apply to your household from midnight tonight, continuing for the next six weeks. Restaurants, bars, pubs and cafes located within the areas will be allowed to open only for takeaway and delivery services. The region's indoor sports centres and gyms will shut their doors, as will salons and personal care services, with the exception of barbers and hairdressers. Libraries, galleries, cinemas and museums, many of which had just reopened, will also be closed for the duration of the lockdown. Stay-at-home orders for all of metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire will come into place at 11.59pm on Wednesday, July 8 for at least six weeks. For more information, head to the Department of Health and Human Services website.
If your spring routine usually involves bar-hopping around Brisbane — and around Fortitude Valley in particular — while listening to up-and-coming musicians, then you must already a devotee of BIGSOUND. The music-fuelled celebration takes over the Queensland capital every September or October, albeit virtually in 2020. And this year, it's back as a physical festival. Between Tuesday, September 7–Thursday, September 9, Brissie will once again become Australia's live music hotspot — even if a Melbourne survey generally claims otherwise. When BIGSOUND hits the city in its in-person format, it typically seems like every venue in Fortitude Valley is filled with bands, industry folks and music-loving punters, all enjoying the latest and greatest tunes and talent the country has to offer. Expect 2021's iteration to be no different. The three-day program will include conferences, live festival showcases, secret shows and official parties, with around 150 musicians taking to the stage and showing the industry why they should be pointing their ears their way. While specific lineup details won't be revealed until closer to the event, attendees can look forward to an Indigenous showcase and a women in music event on BIGSOUND 2021's opening night. Also on the bill: tunes galore, as well as talks about everything from changing industry and audience dynamics and the post-COVID world to inclusivity and gender equality. Announcing the event's return for 2021, QMusic CEO and BIGSOUND Executive Producer Angela Samut said that this year's program will "provide the chance for us to collectively grieve the losses the industry has faced over the past year, and celebrate the treasure trove of Australasian talent that has been incubating throughout this time." She continued: "our commitment to rebuilding a stronger, safer, more inclusive industry as we emerge from COVID has never been greater, and BIGSOUND is once again stepping up to the plate as the place where people come to discover the future of music and to be part of the future of music." [caption id="attachment_809942" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Kymie at BIGSOUND 2019, by Lachlan Douglas[/caption] Past BIGSOUNDs have showcased everyone from Gang of Youths, Flume, Tash Sultana and Courtney Barnett to San Cisco, Violent Soho, Methyl Ethel and The Jungle Giants, so its program is usually a very reliable bellwether of current and up-and-coming talent. If you're keen to attend the BIGSOUND conference within the broader program — and hear its talks and speeches — it'll run on Wednesday, September 8 and Thursday, September 9. And if you're an artist looking to take part in the event in general, applications are now open until May 28. BIGSOUND 2021 will take place between Tuesday, September 7–Thursday, September 9 in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. For more information — or to apply to take part if you're an artist — visit bigsound.org.au. Top image: David Byrne.
The state's largest inland city will throw open its doors for the Ballarat Unlocked dining series as part of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival 2022. This one-of-a-kind experience will have the region's best chefs take over Ballarat's historic buildings and showcase unique dining events from Friday, November 18–Saturday, November 26. Spots are limited, so be sure to book your experience of choice before it sells out. Events in the series include a feast in an art gallery, a degustation beneath the Ballarat Mechanics Institute and even a dinner that's set to recreate the 1927 opening of Australia's first Parliament House. This is the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in Ballarat's community and explore what it has to offer. Head on over to the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival website for more information about Ballarat Unlocked. [caption id="attachment_871090" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Royal Mail Hotel, Dunkeld - Supplied[/caption]
National Reconciliation Week happens every year, with the purpose of educating all Australians about our shared history and celebrate the culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The (very fitting) theme this year? In This Together. Running from May 27 to June 3, the festival's dates signify two important milestones in our reconciliation: the 1967 referendum and the Mabo decision, which saw the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples land rights. This year, the program will centre on ideas of moving forward as a nation and working toward a shared future. Of course, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the week-long program will look a little different. It'll launch with an Acknowledgement of Country from 12pm on Wednesday, May 27, with Australians paying their respects via social media. Then, a panel discussion hosted by Larissa Behrendt (Speaking Out) will take place on Thursday, May 28 from 12–1pm. She'll be joined by parliament members Ken Wyatt and Linda Burney, plus Reconciliation Australia CEO Karen Mundine and University of Wollongong Lecturer Summer May Finlay to discuss the historic bridge walks of 2000 and the role of reconciliation since then. For more information and to stream, check out the Facebook event here. Also on the bill is a Virtual Indigenous Film Festival and an hour-long concert, featuring Busby Marou, Alice Skye and Jimblah and hosted by Christine Anu, no less. It'll go down at 9.05pm on Friday, May 29 and you can tune in via ABC Radio or head to Reconciliation Australia, ABC Sydney or ABC Australia Facebook pages. The National Gallery of Victoria will be hosting its own events to celebrate Reconciliation Week, including an introduction to Indigenous art, a look at the artworks of Destiny Deacon, and 'Curating Indigenous Art', which is a collaboration between the NGV, ACMI, Koori Heritage Trust and Deakin University. Sydney's AGNSW currently has an interview with artist Gail Mabo you can watch as part of its Together in Art series. The Sydney Opera House has a five-day program lined up, too, including recorded concerts, talks, dance performances, Badu Gili and the First Nations Arts Awards 2020. Red Room Poetry is hosting its annual Poetry in First Languages. https://youtu.be/T5hs5MLVqUM Images: Badu Gili, Sydney Opera House; Regalla (2013) by Reko Rennie, NGV courtesy of blackartprojects.
If you'd said five years ago that Matthew McConaughey was one of the finest actors of his generation, you'd have been a laughing stock. As it turns out, you'd also have been right. After spending most of last decade taking his shirt off in rom-coms and exhibiting poor equilibrium in film posters, the Texan has undergone a total reinvention in recent times, and his role in Dallas Buyers Club is his most transformative yet. With Christian Bale-like commitment, the actor is down to skin and bones as Ron Woodroof, a real-life AIDS patient who, at a time when the legally permitted treatments were proving totally ineffectual, ruffled the feathers of the Federal Drug Administration by smuggling unapproved medicines in through Mexico. Even more emaciated than McConaughey is Jared Leto, nigh unrecognisable as an AIDS-suffering transgender woman named Rayon. Together, she and Woodroof thumb their noses at the medical bureaucracy by forming the 'Dallas Buyers Club', providing patients with imported drugs in return for a $400 monthly fee. Even discounting their weight loss, both actors are in phenomenal form. Leto disappears completely into his part, creating a kind, funny, heartbreaking character whose unlikely friendship with Woodroof gives the movie its beating heart. Dallas Buyers Club is in cinemas on February 13, and thanks to Pinnacle Films, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au. Read our full review of Dallas Buyers Club here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=F5YQh7qsGNQ
Since opening in 2018, teamLab Borderless has been one of Tokyo's top tourist destinations, and with good reason. Dazzling, stunning, breathtaking, kaleidoscopic, worth a trip to Japan all by itself: all of those descriptions apply to the digital-only art gallery, which became the most-visited single-artist museum in the world during its first year of operation. But if it has been sitting at the top of your must-experience list for when Japanese vacations start getting easier, you'll still need to wait — because Borderless' Tokyo base is on the move. Japan's border restrictions ease again on Wednesday, September 7, allowing tourists to enter the country for holidays even if they're not on guided tours — as long as they still book their travel package through a travel agent. A stop at teamLab Borderless won't be on the itinerary until 2023, however, with the original Tokyo site in Odaiba shutting its doors at the end of August. That's the bad news. The excellent news: at some point in 2023, teamLab Borderless will relaunch at a brand-new site. Instead of crossing over Tokyo's gorgeous Rainbow Bridge to get to it, you'll be heading to central Tokyo, where it'll form part of the new Toranomon-Azabudai project. Those digs are only slated to be completed next year, so there's no exact opening date set for teamLab's new Tokyo Borderless museum — but the art collective has advised that the Toranomon-Azabudai location will let visitors "wander, explore, discover in one borderless world". If you were lucky enough to mosey around the OG spot before the pandemic, you'll know that that's an apt description of the Borderless experience, where vibrant, constantly moving, always-changing interactive digital art keeps glowing and flowing before your eyes. [caption id="attachment_701269" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Sarah Ward[/caption] There's no word yet whether the same artworks will make the move over to the teamLab Borderless' new home, if old favourites will evolve in different surroundings, or whether fresh pieces will grace the walls, floors and every other surface imaginable — in Odaiba, that even included cups of tea. A second teamLab Borderless has already been open in Shanghai since 2019, and others are slated for Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Hamburg in Germany — both with a 2024 opening date. teamLab also has operates a different museum in Macao, and has its first teamLab Phenomena in the works for the Saadiyat Cultural District in Abu Dhabi, again targeting a 2024 launch. [caption id="attachment_868129" align="alignnone" width="1920"] ⒸDBox for Mori Building Co.[/caption] As for the new Tokyo site, it'll still be a must on any Japanese holiday itinerary. Add it alongside the Super Nintendo theme park, Shibuya's famous scramble crossing, singing karaoke in a ferris wheel and wandering around the Studio Ghibli museum — and making a date with the animation house's theme park, which opens in November 2022. teamLab Borderless Tokyo: MORI Building Digital Art Museum is relocating to the Toranomon-Azabudai Project, Tokyo, from sometime in 2023 — for more information, visit the museum's website. Top image: teamLab, Exhibition view of teamLab Borderless: MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM, 2023, Tokyo © teamLab, courtesy Pace Gallery.
The summer of 2018–2019 wasn't just hot. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, it was Australia's warmest on record. And the rest of the year has followed a toastier-than-normal pattern, with the record-breaking summer followed by a hotter-than-standard autumn, a warmer-than-usual winter and a sweltering spring as well. To the surprise of no one, the next few months look set to continue the trend, with BOM releasing its latest climate outlook. It spans December 2019–March 2020, and includes all of the usual terms we've all become accustomed to hearing: warm, dry, temperatures above average and rainfall below usual levels. Of course the period in BOM's new outlook does cover summer and the beginning of autumn, so weather across the country was never going to be chilly. Still, if you were hoping for bearable heat — or prolonged rain on the east coast — there's little in the way of good news. As seen in spring, below average rainfall is forecast around most of the country, as well as above average temps — and the mercury is set to rocket both during the day and at night. In other words, if you call most of mainland Australia home, there's a very good chance that you'll experience summer and early autumn temperatures that are toastier than the median. The far west coast is expected to receive more rain, and the nation's southeast may experience slightly cooler nights in December, but it's anticipated that everything else will go up, figures-wise. Apart from Tasmania, the absolute lower edges of South Australia and Victoria, and parts of inland Western Australia and the Northern Territory, the whole country is tipped to endure maximums higher than usual — at least 70 percent more likely. That includes the entirety of Queensland and New South Wales. If you're wondering exactly what's in store, it's always worth keeping the usual daily temps across the period in mind — and remembering that they'll be exceeded. In Sydney, that means the mercury will soar above a 25.2-degree maximum in December, a 26 top in January, a 25.8 max in February and a 24.8 high in March, while Melbourne can expect temps above 24.2, 26, 25.8 and 23.9 in the same months. In Brisbane, the standard tops range between 29.2–30.5, and in Perth it spans 29.1–30.6. When it comes to rainfall, the news is similar — after what's already been a catastrophic bushfire season for regional areas, not to mention the ongoing drought conditions that farmers have been enduring. Indeed, BOM notes that "the outlook for drier and warmer than average conditions will maintain that heightened [bushfire] risk over the coming months", and that "the risk of heatwaves is increased" as well. Yes, the rest of the year is predicted to be drier than average, with only the western WA coastline (stretching from the Midwest to the Kimberley) rating any chance of receiving more rain than usual. BOM also notes that, "while outlooks for drier than average conditions may ease for some areas heading into 2020, several months of above average rainfall would be needed to see a recovery from current long-term rainfall deficiencies". Every time that BOM peers a couple of months into the future, the results seem to follow the same pattern. Let's not forget that in 2018, overall, Australia copped its third-warmest year ever — or, in our winter this year, that the planet may have endure its hottest month in recorded history. If it isn't part of your end-of-year routine already, we suggest planning plenty of time in the coolest places you can find — beaches, pools, rivers or anywhere with a refreshing swimming spot — this spring and summer. Graphics: Bureau of Meteorology. Top image: Rainbow Beach, Tourism and Events Queensland.
The Big Day Out has finally announced its replacements for pull-outs Blur. Not replacements that look or sound like Blur, but replacements all the same. Liam Gallagher's Beady Eye, The Hives and The Deftones are set to take to the BDO stages in the new year. Happy fans of those bands can hold on to their festival tickets; the still disgruntled can go ahead and claim their refund. Festival promoter AJ Maddah (the man behind Soundwave and the ill-fated Harvest) was originally set to make the announcement last Friday, but wanted to wait until he had all three of the bands' contracts in hand. In a move that shocked fans and festival organisers, Blur announced their decision to pull out of the festival last week via their Facebook page, citing "the constantly shifting goalposts and challenging conditions of the organisers" as the reason for the decision. Many fans took to social media to express their disappointment, with some blaming the festival, while others directed their anger at the band themselves, calling them a "bunch of sooks" and even rubbing in England's recent Ashes loss. Blur were one of founder Ken West's "white whales"; it took him 14 years to finally land them. The band even had their own purpose-built stage, called the Love Stage. The promoters disputed the claim that they were to blame. Big Day Out CEO Adam Zammit tweeted "22 years and thousands of bands, I don't think we are the issue."
It has finally happened again, Melburnians. The city's projectors remained silent, its theatres bare and the smell of popcorn faded over the recent almost two-week lockdown; however, Melbourne's picture palaces are now back in business. When stay-at-home restrictions are in place, no one is ever short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made over over the last year or so, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent more time than usual over the past 18 months glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that. And, we've rounded up, watched and reviewed the new movies that have just arrived in theatres this week. THE SUICIDE SQUAD New decade, new director, new word in the title — and a mostly new cast, too. That's The Suicide Squad, the DC Extended Universe's new effort to keep viewers immersed in its sprawling superhero franchise, which keeps coming second in hearts, minds and box-office success to Marvel's counterpart. Revisiting a concept last seen in 2016's Suicide Squad, the new flick also tries to blast its unloved precursor's memory from everyone's brains. That three-letter addition to the title? It doesn't just ignore The Social Network's quote about the English language's most-used term, but also attempts to establish this film as the definitive vision of its ragtag supervillain crew. To help, Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker James Gunn joins the fold, his Troma-honed penchant for horror, comedy and gore is let loose, and a devil-may-care attitude is thrust to the fore. But when your main aim is to one-up the derided last feature with basically the same name, hitting your target is easy — and fulfilling that mission, even with irreverence and flair, isn't the same as making a great or especially memorable movie. Indeed, a film can be funny and lively, use its main faces well, have a few nice moments with its supporting cast and improve on its predecessor, and yet still fall into a routine, unsuccessfully wade into murky politics, never capitalise upon its premise or promise, keep rehashing the same things, and just be average, too — and right now, that film is The Suicide Squad. Mischief abounds from the outset — mood-wise, at least — including when no-nonsense black-ops agent Amanda Waller (Viola Davis, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom) teams up Suicide Squad's Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman, The Secrets We Keep), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney, Honest Thief) and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie, Dreamland) with a few new felons for a trip to the fictional Corto Maltese. Because this movie has that extra word in its title, it soon switches to another troupe reluctantly led by mercenary Bloodsport (Idris Elba, Concrete Cowboy), with fellow trained killer Peacemaker (John Cena, Fast and Furious 9) and the aforementioned Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian, Bird Box), Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior, Valor da Vida) and King Shark (Sylvester Stallone, Rambo: Last Blood) also present. Their task: to sneak into a tower on the South American island. Under the guidance of The Thinker (Peter Capaldi, The Personal History of David Copperfield), alien experiment Project Starfish has been underway there for decades (and yes, Gunn makes time for a butthole joke). In this movie about cartoonish incarcerated killers doing the US government's dirty work, Waller has charged her recruits to destroy the secret test, all to ensure it isn't used by the violent faction that's just taken over Corto Maltese via a bloody coup. The end result is silly and goofy, fittingly — and yet, even when a supersized space starfish gets stompy (think: SpongeBob SquarePants' best bud Patrick if he grew up and got power-hungry), this sequel-slash-do-over is never as gleefully absurd as it should be. Again and again, even when Gunn's gambit works in the moment, that's how The Suicide Squad keeps playing out. Read our full review. SHIVA BABY "What are you up to?". It's a familiar question and, when asked by a friend, it's a considerate and good-natured query that shows their genuine interest. But when it's posed by the wrong person, it comes loaded with expectations and inherent judgement — like the type you might find at a gathering of family members and life-long family pals who've turned their gaze in your direction because you're at the age where interrogating every inch of your existence has become their preferred form of sport. In Shiva Baby, this question comes in multiple ways and is asked multiple times. Attending a shiva, the wake-like mourning ritual observed in the Jewish faith, college senior Danielle (Rachel Sennott, Call Your Mother) is on the receiving end of this barrage. Stuck in a house full of enquiring minds, she feels every needling probe thrust her way by relatives and friends of relatives, all asking about her life, future, job, studies and romantic status, and even her weight. She's trapped in an everyday, immensely relatable situation, of course, but one that's never anything other than awkward — and first-time filmmaker Emma Seligman ensures that her audience feels every second of Danielle's discomfort. (Roving and floating camerawork that gets viewers seeing the chaos from Danielle's perspective, and a score that ramps up the unease — its strings rattling nerves just as effectively as every incident and altercation at the shiva — are some of the director's immersive and well-executed flourishes.) Danielle doesn't quite know how to answer the onslaught, partly because she doesn't want to and feels as if she shouldn't have to. She's right, obviously. Hours earlier — with the film's blackly comic dramas occurring over a single day — she was happily astride the older, richer Max (Danny Deferrari, Private Life) in a lavish Manhattan apartment. That's how Shiva Baby opens, and he gifts her an expensive bangle afterwards, as well as cash as payment. To her parents and relatives, she refers to her job as "babysitting". The film never intimates that Danielle is ashamed of doing sex work, and refreshingly so, but it gives the impression that she'd prefer not to have a conversation about it with all the busybodies already poking their noses in her direction. Accordingly, she doesn't explain that she missed the funeral because she was having sex. When she arrives at the shiva with her parents Debbie (Polly Draper, Billions) and Joel (Fred Melamed, WandaVision), she has to ask which distant relative died more than once. A recent NYU graduate in her mid-20s, Seligman writes and stages this whole scenario with the specificity of someone who knows the claustrophobia, tension, horrors and social distress these gatherings can inspire, and the cringing that happens deep inside every time. She also knows that there's never just one complication, or even just a couple, as occurs here when Max, his wife Kim (Dianna Agron, Glee) and their baby daughter show up at the shiva, as well does Maya (Molly Gordon, The Broken Hearts Gallery), Danielle's ex-girlfriend from high-school. Read our full review. THE ROSE MAKER The scent of popcorn lingers in the air, and long-standing venues tend to have a particular aroma, but cinema isn't generally an olfactory medium. Smell-O-Vision pops up every now and then, using scratch-and-sniff cards to emit particular tangs tied to specific films; however, any whiffs tickling your nose while you're watching a movie usually have nothing to do what's on-screen. One of the joys of The Rose Maker is that it makes its audience feel like they're smelling the rows and bouquets of roses they're seeing, even though they obviously can't. Filmmaker Pierre Pinaud (On Air) arranges many of his frames with colourful blossoms, with his array of woody perennials in a rainbow's worth of hues basically becoming flower porn. The more these vibrant sights appear, the more your brain fills in the gaps — but that isn't this kind-hearted comedy's only source of charm. Based on the flicks releasing in Australian cinemas of late, the current state of French cinema is sweet, both scent- and sentiment-wise. Let's call it the fragrant French film universe: the realm in which The Rose Maker, which focuses on growing standout roses, and Perfumes, about a perfume-industry veteran with a particularly fine-tuned sense of smell, can co-exist. The two recent movies don't overlap in their narratives (although a pivotal plot point in the former could easily see one character step right into the latter), but as well as flowers and and scents, they do also share an underlying warmth, an interest in how the senses can bring people together platonically and professionally, and a blend of sincerity and insight layered over otherwise formulaic storylines. In The Rose Maker, Eve Vernet (Catherine Frot, The Midwife) has devoted her life to creating glorious new rose hybrids — and, ideally for her reputation and her business' bank balance, winning awards for them as well. Her dad did the same, and she's carried on the family trade in the 15 years since his death, even though it's becoming increasingly harder in the face of big, slick outfits that have hundreds of workers, spit out new varieties with frequency and don't care about the longevity of their creations. Indeed, when she's beaten at a prestigious annual rose contest by Lamarzelle (Vincent Dedienne, A Good Man), the owner of one such competitor, Eve fears for her future. Vernet Roses is already struggling financially and can't afford workers, and sales are down. Then her long-standing assistant Véra (Olivia Côte, Antoinette in the Cévennes) comes up with the idea of obtaining help through a rehabilitation program, which sees ex-thief Fred (Manel Foulgoc, Poètes), 50-year-old Samir (Fatsah Bouyahmed, Invisibles) and the highly strung Nadège (Marie Petiot, Hippocrate) begin to learn the rose game. Eve is initially skeptical, but more than roses start blossoming as she enlists her new offsiders' assistance with creating a particular hybrid to win next year's prize. There isn't much in the way of narrative surprises here, but the screenplay co-written by Pinaud, fellow filmmaker Philippe Le Guay (Normandy Nude) and three other scribes smartly uses its familiar plot to interrogate the tiers of French society. And, not only the always-excellent Frot but also relative newcomer Foulgoc turn in textured and moving performances. SOME KIND OF HEAVEN If you didn't know that Some Kind of Heaven was a documentary, you might think that it was a skit from I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson. The same kind of social awkwardness that makes the Netflix sketch comedy such an equally savage and hilarious watch is present in this factual look at the retirement community also dubbed "god's waiting room": The Villages, Florida, the world's largest master-planned, age-restricted locale of its kind, and home to more than 120,000 people. This is a place for folks aged over 55 to live in multiple senses of the world. Couples tend to move there, then sign up for some of the thousands of activities and clubs that get them out dancing, kayaking, cheerleading, swimming and more. If a resident happens to be on their own — usually after their partner's passing — they can get involved in the local singles club, too. Around since the early 80s, and also described as "Disney World for retirees", this community is meant to be a dream. It was specifically designed to resemble the kinds of small towns its inhabitants likely grew up in, right down to the shop-filled main street and the large town square, and locals aren't ever meant to want to leave. But as Some Kind of Heaven follows four folks who've made The Villages their home — including one ex-Californian import that's just squatting — it demonstrates the reality that lingers behind the busy facade and glossy sales pitch. Requiem for a Dream's Darren Aronofsky is one of the doco's producers and, while Mother!-style horrors never quite pop up, this isn't a portrait of bliss by any means. Many of The Villages' residents are clearly happy. In his first feature-lengthy documentary, filmmaker Lance Oppenheim trains his gaze at people who aren't likely to appear in any of the community's brochures, however. Every shot lensed by cinematographer David Bolen (1BR) and boxed into the film's square frame is scenic and striking — Some Kind of Heaven sports an exquisite eye for visual composition — but much of what the movie depicts feels like stepping into a surreal alternative realm. (In one sequence, the camera meets a room filled with women called Elaine, all of whom introduce themselves one after one — and it's a scene that could've come straight out of any one of David Lynch's visions of suburban horror.) Approaching their 47-year wedding anniversary, Reggie and Anne think they've found the place for them. That's what they're both saying, at least, but The Villages means different things for each of them. Reggie has used the move to embrace his love of drugs and doing whatever he wants, and Anne has once again been forced to stand by his side, including when he's sent to court and admonished for his rudeness while representing himself. Then there's Barbara, a widow from Boston who didn't ever plan to live in Florida alone. She still works full-time, a rarity among her fellow residents, and she yearns for the company she thinks a margarita-loving golf cart salesman might bring. Rounding out the interviewees is the sleazy Dennis, an 81-year-old living in his van until he can find an attractive and rich woman to marry. Some Kind of Heaven doesn't judge him, or anyone else in its frames, but it lets these stories speak volumes about a place positioned as a fantasy land and yet really just bringing out the chaotic teenager inside everyone. FANNY LYE DELIVER'D Even on a blissfully sunny day, a devastating storm can darken a dazzling blue sky, cracking through that gorgeous facade with the weather's version of stress and woe. That's the sensation that emanates from Fanny Lye Deliver'd's early shots, which show a quaint, picturesque Shropshire farm shrouded in mist so scenic that the entire image looks like it could've been rendered in watercolours — and painted back in 1657, when the movie is set. But little is perfect behind this bucolic beauty. And, that's the case even before two strangers encroach upon the household, throwing the Lye family into tumult. As they get ready to attend church on what's otherwise an ordinary Sunday, Fanny (Maxine Peake, Peterloo) is under no misgivings about her place in the farm's hierarchy. She's treated with scowling disdain by her Puritan husband John Lye (Charles Dance, Game of Thrones), who sees saving the family's souls as his domain and doing what she's told the sole duty of his other half. Fanny also comes second to the couple's only son Arthur (Zak Adams, Alice Through the Looking Glass) and, like him, she's often beaten with a stick by John to apparently keep her on the right path. When young lovers Thomas Ashbury (Freddie Fox, The Pursuit of Love) and Rebecca Henshaw (Tanya Reynolds, Emma) sneak their way into the Lye home that church-going morning, they come looking for food, shelter, sustenance, and protection from the sheriffs and constables (The Dig's Peter McDonald, Downton Abbey's Perry Fitzpatrick and Cuckoo's Kenneth Collard) on their trail; however, they also expose the tension, turmoil, and patriarchal- and religious-inspired oppression festering under the rural abode's thatched roof. Fanny Lye Deliver'd isn't writer/director Thomas Clay's first feature or even his second, with those honours going to 2005's The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael and 2008's Soi Cowboy. More than a decade later, his third film is a work made with a distinctive vision, though. Every visible detail, meticulous performance, powerful and probing line, and weighty rumination upon the subjugation of women and the ills enforced in faith's name — here, during Oliver Cromwell's reign over Britain following the English Civil War — is that fastidious, that intoxicating even when used to depict suffering and brutality, and also that effective. Clay's picture could easily sit in the mud, folklore and farmland anxiety with The Witch, a film that similarly steps into a god-fearing community where the hatred of women ascending beyond the meagre station allotted them has infected every thought and action. It plays like a cousin to that similarly entrancing and potent movie, however, rather than a sibling. It shares similar horrors, but casts them into cinemas like it's doing so anew, and sometimes peppers its efforts with inescapable lashings of dark humour. Fanny Lye Deliver'd also benefits from Peake's ferocious and arresting work in the eponymous role, in what proves a survivalist film in the same fashion as all other features about women attempting to persist amidst violence and persecution (see also: the vastly dissimilar Herself). It's no wonder that the camera loves peering her way, even as it lenses everything around her like it's painting with celluloid. THE TOLL For almost three decades, cash fees at the most isolated toll booth in Wales have been collected by one man. Known to his fellow small-town dwellers just as Toll Booth (Michael Smiley, Gunpowder Milkshake), the Irish import reads books all day, occasionally sticks his hand out of the window to take coins from passers-by, and is also immersed in the quiet locale's shady underworld. And, he's actually a big-city ex-crim who has been hiding out in the sleepy spot. Alas, that status that comes to an end when he's spotted by an old colleague (Gary Beadle, Small Axe) from all of those years ago. Also, this unwelcome reunion occurs on the same day that the booth is held up by gun-toting triplets (all played by Gwyneth Keyworth, The Trouble with Maggie Cole), which is what gets diligent local police officer Catrin (Annes Elwy, Apostle) sleuthing around, and sees Toll Booth's underlings Cliff (Paul Kaye, Creation Stories) and Dom (Iwan Rheon, Game of Thrones) become involved. Ever since Guy Ritchie first gave the world his Quentin Tarantino-inspired take on the heist and crime genres, but British — as seen in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch — fast-paced, blackly comic crime capers have rarely been too far from the UK's cinematic output. The Toll is the latest, and it knows its genre. Debut director Ryan Andrew Hooper also owes a debt to the movies of Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths) and his brother John Michael McDonagh (The Guard, War on Everyone), as well as to plenty of westerns, and even to both the film and TV versions of Fargo. Always eager to sprinkle in its own personality — a must in avoiding becoming just another formulaic entry in a busy part of the cinematic spectrum — The Toll benefits from perfecting its tone and its central casting. The same proved true of Irish caper comedy Pixie earlier in the year, but there's a greater sense of cohesion and balance here. The Toll doesn't merely coast by on Smiley's always-welcome presence (see also: Kill List, Free Fire and Come to Daddy) and its energy, but builds upon those key facets via its enthusiastic eccentricity, its affable gags about small-town Wales and a great co-lead performance by Elwy. Jokes about Elvis impersonators, mistaking eye pads for iPads, and a stick-up that only pulls in a sandwich, some change and an average watch don't feel tired here, or stretched. Neither do the title's multiple meanings, with the film also contemplating the price paid by Toll Booth to escape his prior life, as well as the cost of Catrin's ongoing quest to ascertain who killed her father in a hit-and-run accident a year prior. First-timer Matt Redd pens a snappy script and cinematographer Adrian Peckitt (In Me) capably lenses quaint details of the characters' rural existence and the sprawling countryside setting alike. Hooper uses a heavy hand with his soundtrack, and makes certain that viewers see this as a modern Welsh western as a result, but he also crafts a likeable movie from start to finish. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately before lockdown — check out our rundown of new films released in Melbourne on March 4, March 11, March 18 and March 25; and April 1, April 8, April 15, April 22 and April 29; May 6, May 13, May 20 and May 27; June 3, June 10, June 17 and June 24; July 1, when the July lockdown ended and on July 29. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Chaos Walking, Raya and the Last Dragon, Max Richter's Sleep, Judas and the Black Messiah, Girls Can't Surf, French Exit, Saint Maud, Godzilla vs Kong, The Painter and the Thief, Nobody, The Father, Willy's Wonderland, Collective, Voyagers, Gunda, Supernova, The Dissident, The United States vs Billie Holiday, First Cow, Wrath of Man, Locked Down, The Perfect Candidate, Those Who Wish Me Dead, Spiral: From the Book of Saw, Ema, A Quiet Place Part II, Cruella, My Name Is Gulpilil, Lapsis, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, Fast and Furious 9, Valerie Taylor: Playing with Sharks, In the Heights, Herself, Little Joe, Black Widow, The Sparks Brothers, Old and Jungle Cruise.
Melbourne Now is impossibly large. Too large to talk about in any cohesive way, in fact. With the work of over 400 artists covering over 8,000 square metres of space over multiple levels of two major galleries and in some cases even the city's streets, me giving a review of Melbourne Now is like someone writing a travel guide of the entire European continent after having spent seven days on a Contiki tour. That being said, some conclusions can definitely be drawn. Firstly, the exhibition is impressive. After being toted for months as the National Gallery of Victoria's most ambitious project to date, it's now clear they weren't bluffing. Corridor after corridor, gallery after gallery, the work just keeps coming. If you were to give each artwork the attention it deserves, you would be there for days, and if exhibitions were in any way comparable to restaurants, Melbourne Now would be an all-you-can-eat type of place — one of the classy ones. However, as you roam around the large collection of works on show, you do have to readjust the expectations you may have for any regular exhibition. There is no real theme. There's no concept or message; no fortified aesthetic. The strength of the exhibition lies in the artworks' many differences. Each masterfully curated gallery space ushers in a new idea, a new vision. As a portrait of contemporary Melbourne, the collection is oblique and discordant. While you may think of these qualities in a negative way — what is the purpose of art for if not to achieve some sense of meaning — these words are in fact evidence of the idea being executed well. The NGV gets it right. We can't talk about contemporary art as a whole without acknowledging its many differences. The Bold and the Beautiful Everyone knows beauty can be found in odd places, but in such rapid-fire succession Melbourne Now really does reveal the full spectrum. Firstly, there are the conventional forms. With 40 fashion labels, shoemakers, jewellery practitioners and textile designers showing their wares, a portion of the ground floor at the Ian Potter Centre channels the best of our fashion festivals with work from both emerging and established artists. The photographic work on display is another highlight of the conventionally beautiful. Paul Knight explores intimacy and companionship through an affecting photographic series of couples in bed. David Rosetzky's video piece Half-brother hypnotically explores intimacy and confidence through dance and (oddly enough) paper. And on a grander scale, Ash Keating just transformed the outside wall of the NGV into a remarkable impressionistic canvas with the ingenious help of fire extinguishers loaded with paint. Then there's that other sphere — the dark and irresistible. Patricia Piccinini is well-known for her surreal and menacing depictions of altered beings, and The Carrier (pictured) is one of the best. Much like the work of Ron Mueck, it is a wonder to witness in the flesh (so to speak). Similarly, work from Stelarc's Ear on Arm series provides unhealthy intrigue, and Julia deVille creates a mysterious beauty in a room filled with jewel-encrusted dead animals. The Silly and the Solemn Some of the highlights of the exhibition come from its willingness to downplay its own grandeur. Stuart Ringholt's series of conveniently covered nudes (pictured) contributes to a welcome sense of cheekiness that stretches to many of the included works. Ross Coulter's 10,000 Paper Planes documents the beautiful aftermath of launching 10,000 paper planes from the mezzanine of the LaTrobe Reading Room at the State Library, and Darren Sylvester asks audience members to just lose their inhibition and dance with his amazing light-up dancefloor fittingly titled For You. However, all this light-heartedness doesn't undermine other works with much heavier themes. Georgia Metaxas' photographic series The Mourners (pictured) is heartbreaking in its depiction of women following the death of their husbands. Penny Byrne examines the dark side of nationalism by disfiguring kitsch figurines in iProtest. Then, Destiny Deacon offers up a dark installation about stereotypes of Indigenous identity; her work is just one of many fuelled by a sense of postcolonial anxiety. So what does this have to do with Melbourne again? Before seeing it, the premise of Melbourne Now sounds a little ludicrous. These works really aren't all connected to Melbourne like you might imagine, and the goal to "reflect the complexity of Melbourne and its unique and dynamic cultural identity, considering a diverse range of creative practices as well as the cross-disciplinary work occurring in Melbourne today" sounds like one of those intimidatingly broad VCE exam questions: 'What is art?' or 'Examine World War Two in 500 words or less'. There are some pieces, of course, that examine Melbourne in a more literal sense. Jon Campbell plasters a wall in customised tea towels that invert and challenge our inherent sense of Australiana, and there are a number of pieces that explore laneway culture including street art and local activism. In an encouraging show of democracy and civic engagement the artwork Zoom even asks audience members to decide 'How Might We Design Our Future City?'. But, the thematic concern of Melbourne is secondary to Melbourne Now's examination of contemporary art itself. As the NGV are often concerned with competing on a global stage with regular announcements of European masterpieces, it's incredibly reassuring to see them so involved with contemporary Australian art in this way. Melbourne Now is the kind of exhibition we need open forever — the kind of showcase that keeps audiences in touch with a diverse range of new artwork and practices. This is art relevant to us. Image credits from top, left to right Tully Moore, Chevron, Goggle, Kaws, Universal Habit, 2013 (installation), oil on canvas cotton, chrome, plastic 178.0 x 108.0 cm, © Tully Moore, courtesy John Buckley Gallery, Melbourne. Patricia Piccinini, The Carrier, 2012, silicone, fibreglass, human and animal hair, clothing, 170.0 x 115.0 x 75.0 cm, Collection of Corbett Lyon and Yueji Lyon, Lyon Housemuseum, Melbourne, proposed gift, © Patricia Piccinini, courtesy Tolarno Galleries, Melbourne, Photo: Peter Hennessey, Supported by Corbett and Yueji Lyon. Kinonak, Melbourne (fashion house) Australia est. 2011, Amie Kohane (designer), Kiwaa dress, 2013, from the Free-Time Collection Spring- Summer 2013-14, Collection of the artist, Supported by MECCA Cosmetica © Amie Kohane. Stuart Ringholt, Nudes, 2013, collage, (1-52) 29.0 x 30.0 cm (each) Collection of the artist, © Stuart Ringholt, courtesy Milani Gallery, Brisbane. Georgie Metaxas, Untitled 28, 2011, from The mourners series 2011, type C photograph, 60.0 x 50.0 x 7.0 cm, Collection of the artist, © Georgia Metaxas, courtesy of Fehily Contemporary, Melbourne. Ross Coulter, 10,000 paper planes – Aftermath (1) 2011 type C photograph, 156.0 x 200.0 cm, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Purchased NGV Foundation, 2012, © Ross Coulter. Melbourne Now is open 'til March 2014. Works are on display at both the International and Australian spaces of the NGV and entry is free. For more information head to the Melbourne Now website or download the app.
When the end of the year hits, do you get 'Christmas is All Around', as sung by Bill Nighy, stuck in your head? Have you ever held up a piece of cardboard to tell the object of your affection that, to you, they're perfect? Does your idea of getting festive involve watching Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Rowan Atkinson and Martin Freeman, all in the same movie? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then you clearly adore everyone's favourite Christmas-themed British rom-com, its high-profile cast and its seasonal humour. And, you've probably watched the beloved flick every December since it was first released in cinemas back in 2003. That's a perfectly acceptable routine, and one that's shared by many. But this year, you can do one better. A huge success during its past tours of the UK and Australia (to the surprise of absolutely no one), Love Actually in Concert is returning in 2022 to make this festive season extra merry. It's exactly what it sounds like: a screening of the film accompanied by a live orchestra performing the soundtrack as the movie plays. To the jolly delight of Melburnians, it's heading to the Plenary at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, at 4pm on Saturday, December 17. Here, you'll revisit the Richard Curtis-written and -directed film you already know and treasure, step through its interweaved Yuletide stories of romance, and hear a live orchestra play the movie's soundtrack. And, yes, Christmas (and love) will be all around you. Tickets go on sale at 9am local time on Wednesday, October 5, and you can join the waitlist now.
Curated by Will Foster, Trilogies is an exhibition bringing together the work of Swedish (Berlin-based) artist Erik Bünger, Sydney (New York-based) duo Soda_Jerk and Melburnian Willoh S. Weiland over the last ten years. The opportunity to see the work of all these artists in such an ambitious, cohesive setting makes this Substation exhibition an unmissable early-2015 offering for Melbourne art-lovers. Bünger is presenting Written on Tablets of Flesh, a series of videos and performative lectures that navigate the contradictory relationship between the human body and voice, while Soda_Jerk’s Dark Matter explores how our experience of time is governed and affected by screen technology. Weiland is the Artistic Director of Aphids, a group that have presented some of the most ambitious arts projects in Australia over the last few years — fans of the Dromana Drive In should check out the heartwarming footage from their Drive In Project last year. His work in Trilogies is the last in a series of projects that look at the relationship between art and space.
Hanging out at the beach, then grabbing a beer: it's one of life's simple pleasures. Even Australian surfing legends such as Mick Fanning agree — so much so, that the three-time world champ is opening his own brewery on the Gold Coast. If you're keen on knocking back a beverage with a wave-riding pedigree, Balter Brewing Company is the name to look out for. The boutique operation is already making their first batches of XPA, ready to hit local bars in March before their grand opening in April. Plus, Fanning will apparently be jumping behind the bar to pull a few. Given that Fanning only recently announced that he'd be taking a (truly deserved) year off, it sounds like he has quite the solid plan for his spare time. He's not the only famous surfing name switching seawater for amber ales, however. Joining the quest for the kind of endless summer you can probably only have on the Gold Coast, fellow pros Joel Parkinson, Bede Durbidge and Josh Kerr are also among Balter's shareholders. Balter Brewing Company will open in Currumbin on the Gold Coast in April. For more information, keep an eye on their website, Facebook page and Twitter feed.
Brisbanites, you now have plans for 2032. Australians who reside elsewhere, you're going to want to make a trip to the Sunshine State that year, too. After first being named the preferred location back in February, and then earning the International Olympic Committee Executive Board's endorsement in June, Brisbane has just received the official tick of approval — and has been announced as the host of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Today, Wednesday, July 21, the full International Olympic Committee voted to choose the 2032 host, with Brissie emerging victorious. Given how the past few months have panned out, this result was expected; however, that doesn't make it any less exciting. The 2032 games will take place between July 23–August 8, 2032 at a range of venues not just in Brisbane itself, but around southeast Queensland. Brissie's bid included clusters of venues in the city, on the Gold Coast and on the Sunshine Coast. As revealed in April, the Gabba will also undergo a huge revamp in preparation for the games, which'll basically involve tearing the stadium down and rebuilding it again. https://twitter.com/iocmedia/status/1417763724291497989 It has been a big year for Brisbane, sports-wise, with the city making history last October by becoming the only place outside of Melbourne to ever host an AFL Grand Final. It's been a big few years for southeast Queensland, actually, given that the Gold Coast hosted the Commonwealth Games back in 2018. The 2032 games will be the first held in Oceania since 2000 — when Sydney did the honours, as every Australian remembers. It'll also mark just a 32-year gap between Australia's most recent hosting slots. The Olympics were first held on our shores back in 1956, in Melbourne. https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1417764096678653952 Brisbanites can expect fireworks lighting up the sky tonight in celebration, as the Premier revealed in the lead up to the announcement. They're being set off from river barges and CBD buildings, and Brisbane's buildings, bridges and City Hall are also being lit up in green and gold hues as well. The news comes as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics — delayed from last year due to the pandemic — kick off this week, running through until Sunday, August 8. Paris is on hosting duties in 2024, while Los Angeles will take the torch in 2028. Brisbane will host the 2032 Olympics from July 23–August 8, 2032. For further information, head to the Games' website. Top image: IOC/Christophe Moratal.
Remember when we used to bemoan the fates of so many young women growing up with Bella from Twilight as a hero? Now we know the same generation has had Katniss Everdeen, and the kids are all right. Plus, those of us well on the 'A' side of 'YA' want in on the flamboyant, ultra-capitalist dystopia and its inadvertent girl revolutionary. Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games is a really developed universe, and the story only gets more compelling with Catching Fire, which in film is a 2 hour 25 minute whirlwind. After the gameplay-based formula of the first instalment, it was hard to figure out where the sequels would go — another fight-to-the-death Battle Royale would be repetitive, but if we don't spend any time in an arena, the premise of the trilogy would look pretty disposable. Suffice to say, Catching Fire has it covered. After the act of subversion Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) pulled off on live TV at the end of The Hunger Games, agitation is spreading in the poorer districts of Panem, and the despotic President Snow (Donald Sutherland) and the ruling elite of the Capitol will do anything to quell it. Snow manipulates Katniss into placating the proletariat via a tightly controlled publicity tour — and if she fails, he has a plan B. Following the strategy of his sly new head gamemaker, Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman. Just bear with the name), Snow calls for a special-occasion Hunger Games, for which all the competing tributes are drawn from past victors. This throws our old favourites — Katniss, Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), Haymitch (Woody Harrelson), Effie (Elizabeth Banks), Cinna (Lenny Kravitz) — back together, while also introducing a new field of characters fierce in combat and charisma. Just try not to love matter-of-fact badass Johanna (Jena Malone) and sleazy Finnick (Sam Claflin), an arrogant prepster who nonetheless piggybacks his elderly mentor, Mags (Lynn Cohen), about the place. It's all on Katniss to survive, again — while protecting Peeta, her family and her distant love Gale (Liam Hemsworth). This time, she also has to slot in her obligations to all of humankind. Collins' story gives the film excellent bones. The allegories — to reality TV, consumer society and good old fashioned class struggle — sit very near the surface, but that doesn't dull their impact; it's a thrill to see such politics in a dazzling mainstream package. Several key moments of protest are nimbly handled, such that they provoke real empathy and reflection. Director Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend) and his team have not dropped the ball. There's no Disneyfication; Catching Fire has a distinct look and sustained dark, gritty mood. The Capitol is made to look both glamorous and repulsive, and comedy is inserted with precision; every time Stanley Tucci does a weird laugh, we do a weird laugh, and Malone kills it in the space of an elevator ride. Of course, The Hunger Games' ultimate weapon is Jennifer Lawrence, and Catching Fire lets her unleash her Jennifer Lawrenciest self, pulling some unpretty faces, cracking a few jokes and being brazenly down-to-earth in the face of Panem-wide 'Girl on Fire' hysteria. We'll follow her into any showdown — including when the final Hunger Games arrives split in two parts, in 2014 and 2015. https://youtube.com/watch?v=MkvUNfySGQU
As part of her first headlining tour of Australia, Solange (also known as Solange Knowles, aka Beyoncé’s baby sister) has announced Falls Festival sideshows in Sydney and Melbourne. This will be the first time the Texan-born Knowles has ever treated fans Down Under to a live performance of her 2012 dance-friendly EP, True. This comes in the context of eager anticipation of her long-coming third studio album, on which she apparently collaborated with Aussie dudes Midnight Juggernauts. It's due for release sometime next year. Perhaps as famous for being the offspring of the fabulous Mrs. Carter as for her music, Solange has steadily been earning cred as a singer-songwriter in her own right. She certainly can churn out a catchy pop hit, as her successful single 'Losing You' proved last year. Recalling her elder sibling vocally, it managed to step away from her stylistically and embraced a much splashier, synthy '80s pop feel. The sideshows should be a fun choice for anyone craving a night of uncomplicated, playful, upbeat music. Pre-sale tickets for the Melbourne show go on sale at 10am on Wednesday, 9 October, at the Prince Band Room. Sydney tickets go on sale at 10am, Wednesday, 9 October, at Metro Theatre and Ticketek. Tour dates: Melbourne: January 7 – Prince Band Room Sydney: January 8 – Metro Theatre
It is rare that we're given an opportunity to be fashion conscious and socially aware at the same time. But it looks like that will change with the launch of Bloodless, the Sydney fashion label raising awareness, funds and hope for social causes. Co-creator Nishan David is stoked to be getting the project off the ground. "The idea of Bloodless is a cult streetwear label which gives rebels a cause, using T-shirts to start conversations and raise funds for social causes, in a more organic and hopeful manner than regular non-for-profits," he says. With co-funder and creative lead Christine Inkley — as well as a huge team of friends and volunteers — David is encouraging us to do something a little different with our money and our desire for social justice. The strategy? Each month Bloodless will share and fund the story of a new cause, through the sale of a different line of T-shirts. Once the shirts are sold out, the money will be donated to a project happening in the developing world (South Africa, Kenya and Papua New Guinea), with social 'changemakers' like month one's Charles Irai directly receiving the funding needed to get a particular organisation off the ground. In his hometown in Papua New Guinea, Charles is launching One Step Closer, which teaches entrepreneurial skills to local kids, 70 percent of whom drop out of high school. "Really what we're trying to do is take something that every young Australian is already engaged with and channel these habits for social good," says David. "Rather then complaining about what is wrong let's make an actual option." On average, each Australian spends $44 per week on fashion. So shouldn't it always have been a no-brainer to provide an on-trend, hemp-free way for us to engage with social issues? "I think the mistake the non-profit sector has often made is not speaking to young people in their own language. Gen Y are very used to making our own rules, describing things for ourselves, telling things the way they resonate with us … We need to conceptualise how we talk about social justice, because in a way it hasn't worked." The limited edition Bloodless tees are designed in Sydney, made with 100 percent pure cotton and will be on sale for $50. David and Inkley's aim is to have six different organisations launched by the end of summer. "There is that dichotomy in Australia that if you walk into any store and you grab something off the shelf, either of two things are going to be true about it," says David. "Either it's going to be something that you know is ethically made, or it's going to be something you'd actually wear. "We want Bloodless to be fashion-first and I think that's very different to most other people who have ever done fundraising tees. A lot of the time it is assumed that people will have good hearts and buy the product to support the cause, instead of just making great products. We don't want any guilt-tripping, we want to make the product stand on its own two feet. That is our foundation." At the same time, you're getting a personal item that really means something. "There's this one t-shirt I have, and it's just got this square print photograph of a homeless guy and he's holding a sign that says 'I just want my childhood back'," David continues. "Whenever I wear that shirt people are always wondering what the story is behind it, and I always wish I was able to say 'yeah, half the profits of this shirt went to lifting people out of homelessness in inner-city New York.' But I can't. It is just a shirt." Bloodless launched their Pozible campaign on Tuesday, November 5. Check it out for more info and to pre-order your shirt. You can also follow them via their Facebook, Instagram and website.
Melbourne's longest running improv comedy night, The Big HOO-HAA! have long been putting audiences in stitches thanks to their virtually unmatched wit and punchlines. Founded in Perth in 2002 by comedian Sam Longley, since 2010 The Big HOO-HAA! have been providing Melbourne audiences with an alternative way to get their laughs. Pitching two teams, The Hearts and The Bones, against each other, they fight it out for the biggest laughs with only a few props and audiences suggestions to draw from. With the audience choosing the winner by popular vote, the team's are made up of the city's comedic geniuses who put their combined talents together for a fast paced night of comedy. Tucked away off Little Collins Street at The Butterfly Club, the quirky surrounds provide the ideal eccentric environment to match the on-stage outrageousness.
No one in the world asked for cough drop-flavoured KitKats, but that's a flavour that the chocolate brand has indeed whipped up. It's known for creating weird and wonderful varieties, as you will have spotted if you've ever been to Japan and perused the confectionary section of a convenience store — and if you're an Australian chocolate fiend keen on some creative sweets this Christmas, the company has quite the feast on offer as well. Actually, KitKat's new Aussie range of festive-themed choccies are inspired by an Australian Christmas feast, with four flavours available in one pack. It's designed to mimic the experience of eating your way through a multi-course Xmas lunch or dinner, so there's a prosciutto, melon and champagne variety to start with — which comes as part of a white chocolate KitKat. Next, it's on to the main course, aka a milk chocolate KitKat that tastes like baked ham with orange and clove glaze. But you can't just have meat without some vegetables on the side, so there's also a honey glazed carrots KitKat, because of course there is. Then, last but not least comes the Christmas pudding with brandy custard version — for dessert, although the whole chocolate spread obviously falls into that category. Folks in Sydney and Melbourne can pick up a KitKat Chocolatory Christmas Feast pack for $25 in-store — and each one comes with one finger of all of the aforementioned flavours. If you're keen and you live elsewhere throughout Australia, you can order packs online to be delivered to your door. For more information about the KitKat Chocolatory Christmas Feast pack, head to KitKat's Australian website.
Learning to always keep hand sanitiser within arm's reach is a very 2020 lesson. Working out how many jigsaw puzzles you can do in a single month is too. So is accepting change — because a year can start out normally, then transform into something completely different. And while we didn't need a pandemic to tell us this, a person's entire life can go through similar shifts as well. Someone can start out in one job, for instance, then make a once-in-a-lifetime leap to pursue another. That's the story behind Wilson Brewing Company, which is based in Albany. It also applies at Illegal Tender Rum Co, in Springfield in Western Australia's midwest. Or, a person can jump into the wine industry in one part of the country, then end up making it in a completely different area. That tale rings true at Ferngrove Wines in the Great Southern region, for instance. What hasn't changed lately, though, is how much Australians love Wilson, Illegal Tender and Ferngrove's drinks. When BWS asked Aussies to pick the country's top tipples as part of its Local Luvvas initiative, all three emerged victorious in WA. They'll now receive an extra helping hand with getting their products stocked in more BWS stores — and we've chatted to key players from all three to discover just how life's changes brought them to this point. FROM THE MINING INDUSTRY TO MAKING BEER IN AN OLD NURSERY If you were to ask the entire Australian population how they'd spend their time if they could have any job they wanted, we're betting that a considerable number would mention brewing beer. Matty Wilson would now, but he mightn't have known how much he loves his work if he hadn't been a boilermaker in the Pilbara first. It was there, as one of the mining industry's many fly-in, fly-out employees, that his cousin Leon first introduced him to brewing. "I was instantly addicted, and loved the combination of science, cooking and chemistry," he says. "After about six months, I realised that I had a knack for brewing and recipe development — and started thinking about opening a brewery in Albany." Opening a brewery isn't a part-time endeavour, of course. For Wilson, it meant calling time on his existing career, buying an old garden nursery with a big dilapidated shed out the back, and putting all his energy into making Wilson Brewing Company a reality. He didn't completely farewell his old skills at first, though, using them over the course of nine months to fix up the property and build his first brew kit by hand — a key early step in making the leap into the professional beer business after five years of home brewing. That was back in 2016 — and while it represented an enormous change for Wilson, this year would bring more. "2020 has proven to be a time of overcoming challenges," he says; however, it has also been one of "banding together and supporting each other". When he started Wilson Brewing, he sold his first keg to the Earl of Spencer Pub in Albany. Now, in this tough period, the community in WA's southwest and the state as a whole has been pivotal. "They've truly proven why it is so great to live here," Wilson shares. "We have had unprecedented support, and have had the opportunity to support others like never before. We learned that we can take a beating, stick it out, and come out the other end stronger and still chasing our dreams." LEAVING A CAREER AS AN ELECTRICIAN TO DISTILL RUM At first glance, Illegal Tender Rum Co's origin story is rather similar to Wilson Brewing Company's — and that of the former's Codie Palmer to the latter's Matty Wilson, too. Palmer was previously an instrumentation electrician by trade, working in iron ore mining in Dampier. Now, after selling his house and car to finance his dream, he has been distilling professionally for six years out of Dongara. For Palmer, however, making rum was always his "true calling". In fact, he's been doing it for more than half of his life. "There is something about it that just ensnared me; something with the process and how you could take raw ingredients and really make them your own," he says, explaining that it's "a curiosity that beckons to you like a bright light in the night". He relishes the process, and the hard work that's required along the way. "A truly great spirit is something that is nurtured from start to finish — no shortcuts," he notes, explaining how Illegal Tender guides its 100-percent Australian ingredients through the brewing stage, then through fermentation, then double distillation, and finally through maturation. In 2020, Illegal Tender has been making something else as well: hand sanitiser. Add that to the big changes that have marked Palmer's rum-distilling path — but, while unexpected, it's one he'll always cherish. "It saw us help thousands of vulnerable people in our area, and that's something that we will be proud of for the rest of our days," he says. Indeed, it has allowed him to support a community that has supported him. "Without it, we simply would not be around. When we began our journey, it was the local support we received from the very beginning that made us feel like we were a part of a greater family," he explains. "Being local should be something all producers are proud of… and supporting locals should be at the forefront of people's minds in this day and age." SWAPPING THE BAROSSA VALLEY FOR WA'S GREAT SOUTHERN REGION Unlike his fellow Local Luvvas winners, Ferngrove Wines' Craig Grafton didn't experience a stint in mining before following his vino dreams. But he still probably wouldn't have predicted that he'd become the chief winemaker at a Western Australian vineyard — especially given that he grew up north of South Australia's Barossa Valley; has spent time working in the Yarra and Clare valleys, Geelong and Bellarine, and Mildura; and has also plied his trade in the Bordeaux region of Southern France, in California's Sonoma Valley, and also in Nashik in India and Ningxia in China. The move to WA was the result of years of respect for the area, though. "I have always held the Great Southern region in high regard," he says, noting that that's proven true across his 20 years as a winemaker. And if you're going to make a top-notch drop, Grafton believes that you need the very best location. "It is a little clichéd, but it is absolutely true that great wines really are made in the vineyard." Ferngrove's location since 1998 — where "the cool climate of the Frankland River allows our vines to produce some incredibly intense fruit, and we have relatively warm days which allow the fruit to fully ripen in flavour," as Grafton explains — is a little off the beaten path. It's 360 kilometres south of Perth, in fact. That makes local support crucial for Ferngrove Wines, even before 2020 delivered its challenges. "Being loved as a local winery is what we've been striving for as remotely located vineyard. We have to work a little harder to get our wines out there, and it means that we have to shout and scream at the top of our lungs that we are a winery that's worth tasting, enjoying and seeking out," he says. As a self-confessed wine fanatic, that's a task that Grafton enjoys, however; "the romance, the history, the people, the places that are all involved in wine production made me want to forge a career and lifestyle around this". To find these or other Western Australian drinks as part of the BWS Local Luvva's initiative, head to your nearest BWS store.
Enjoy the finer things in life at this sophisticated Good Beer Week event beneath the stained glass windows of Richmond's St Stephen's Church. Ticketholders will get the chance to sample six exclusive beers from Belgium's Rodenbach Brewery, each of which has been carefully paired with a selection of cheeses by Yarra Valley Dairy's head cheesemaker Jack Holman. And, just in case you had any doubts about just how fancy this thing will get, the night will also include a performance by some of the best opera singers in the country. It's a far cry from frothies at the footy, that's for sure.
In early September, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews unveiled how the metropolitan Melbourne area will gradually ease out of its stage four COVID-19 lockdown. On the cards is a five-step removal of restrictions. We are currently in the second step of the plan, however, more restrictions eased at 11.59pm on Sunday, October 18 as the Victorian Government works toward the third step (hopefully set to happen on November 1). Thanks to this latest rollback of restrictions, Melburnians can travel further and more services (like hairdressers) can reopen, as can tennis courts and golf courses. But, everything is certainly not normal this Grand Final long weekend. The game itself is taking place over at The Gabba in Queensland on Saturday, October 24. Thankfully, though, Victoria still gets a public holiday on the Friday — and it's the first all-Victorian Grand Final since 2011, with the Richmond Tigers and Geelong Cats going head to head. If you're wondering exactly what you now can and can't do this long weekend, that's understandable — the new restrictions are a lot to take in. So, we've detailed the basics. This information is correct as of Thursday, October 22. Is there still a curfew? No, the curfew for metropolitan Melbourne has been scrapped. It lifted for the last time at 5am on Monday, September 28. Originally, it was due to stay in step two, but Premier Andrews announced that change on Sunday, September 27. For what reasons am I allowed to leave the house? Remember those four reasons first announced way back in March? Yep, it's still those. You can leave home to purchase groceries and other essentials, for care and caregiving, for permitted work, and for outdoor exercise and recreation which now includes socialising with up to nine people outdoors. [caption id="attachment_776562" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Heroes mask[/caption] Do I still have to wear a mask? Yes, masks or face coverings are still compulsory whenever you leave home. In fact, the rules for masks have tightened in step two. You now have to wear a fitted face mask — with bandanas, scarves and face shields no longer acceptable. How long am I allowed to be out of the house for? The two-hour limit on time spent out of the home has now been lifted. You may now leave your house for any amount of time in order to exercise or socialise with friends or family as long as you're abiding by all other restriction. How far can I travel? You can now travel up to 25 kilometres from your home, five times as far as you've previously been allowed to venture. However, if you live in Metropolitan Melbourne, you are still not allowed to travel into regional Victoria even if it is within 25 kilometres from your home. If this newfound freedom is a little overwhelming, this website can help you determine what fits in your 25-kilometre radius. Can I see friends and family? Yes, but there are quite a few caveats, so bear with us. You can catch up with up to ten people, from a maximum of two different households, outside of your home. You can exercise with them or have a picnic (socially distanced, of course), but you cannot travel more than 25 kilometres from your home. This has been increased from the previous limit of five people. Inside your home, the rules are a little different. The "single social bubble" from step one is still in place, which allows a single person living alone or a single parent with children under 18 to nominate one person to be in their bubble. You are allowed to have this nominated person over to your home and you can go to their home — and you can travel more than 25 kilometres to visit them, but you must stay within metropolitan Melbourne. You can also stay overnight. The same rule still applies for intimate partners, too. Can I have a session with a personal trainer in a park? Under step two, yes. Up to two people per trainer is allowed. Can I have a picnic in a park? Yes, as long as it's with up to ten people (including yourself) from a maximum of two different households — and within 25 kilometres of your homes. Here are some of our favourite spots. [caption id="attachment_786853" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Go Boat by Lean Timms[/caption] Can I have a picnic on a boat? Luck you asked, because yes you can. Melbourne's BYO pet-friendly picnic boats have returned to the Yarra. But, you can only hire one if you live within 25 kilometres of Southbank and your sailing route. We also highly suggest booking over here. Can I go to the beach? Yes, if there is a beach within 25 kilometres of your home. You can only go with up to ten people (including yourself) from a maximum of two different households. Can I drive to a park or beach? As long as it's within 25 kilometres of your home, yes. While it was initially banned at the start of stage four, the government changed the rules after backlash on social media. Can I go to a pool? Indoor? No. Outdoor? Yes. Up to 30 people may swim in an outdoor pool, but there are capacity limits and bookings at many pools, so check the website before throwing on your togs. You can check out some of our favourites over here. [caption id="attachment_750757" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Urbnsurf by Adam Gibson[/caption] Can I go to a surf park? You sure can — if it's in your bubble, of course. Urbnsurf, Victoria's only surf park, has started pumping out waves again. Once again, bookings are essential and you can make one right here. Can I visit a regional town? If you work in regional Victoria, you can travel there (but you'll need a permit) — otherwise no. You can travel more than 25 kilometres from your home to see someone in your "social bubble", but you cannot enter regional Victoria for this reason. Can I go shopping? For groceries and other essentials, yes. But not all shops are open and some have altered hours, so check before you head off. And do make sure you stay within 25 kilometres from your home. Can I get my haircut? Yes. Under the new restrictions, hairdressers and barbers are allowed to recommence work. As it has been a long time since Melburnians have been able to get a haircut, booking ahead of time is recommended. [caption id="attachment_786571" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Prahran Market X Moon Dog footy pack[/caption] How about to a restaurant or cafe? You can pick up takeaway from a hospitality venue located within 25 kilometres of your home, but dine-in service is off the cards for now. To help get your ready for the long weekend, we've rounded up some of the best goal-kicking Grand Final packs you can order to your home for game day. Can I go to gyms or other recreational services? Indoor gyms are currently closed, but outdoors playgrounds and gyms are open. Tennis courts, skate parks and golf courses will also reopen under the new revised restrictions. Can I watch the game? Hell yes. And you can do so for free, too. Channel 7 will be playing the game live from 7.30pm AEST, with pre-match coverage starting from 4.30pm. You can also watch it via 7 Plus. If you have more questions, the Victorian Government has an extensive list of FAQs on its website. Top image: Go Boat by Lean Timms
Jane Miller's True Love Travels on a Gravel Road has been described as "a very funny riff on choice and broken dreams". Following the romantic adventures of Jake, a country boy who falls in love with Elvis-obsessed Maggie, the performance explores how far some people will (literally) go in their pursuit of happiness. Making Maggie's dream of escaping to Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee a reality becomes Jake's obsessive focus as he tries to shake off the label of town loser. Isolated country towns can be cruel, but then again, how many city girls choose cotton dress worlds when they could have satins and lace? Written by Jane Miller and directed by Beng Oh, True Love Travels on a Gravel Road is a quintessentially Australian play, complete with a cast of lovable undesirables and a stultifying, small town setting. Smooth streets may not be paved with gold but sometimes, true love might just travel on a plain old, gravel road. Image via truelovetravels.net
Karlis Zaid, Mark Jones and Aurora Kurth star in the latest version of their dark satirical musical about the war on terror in our own backyard. Described by one of its creators as a "macabrial" (macabre musical), Australian Horror Story sounds seriously twisted. Where else are you going to hear a song about a lonely flasher, or hear lyrics that instruct you to "cup the balls of consternation"? There are plenty of family friendly shows at the Melbourne Cabaret Festival this year, but this definitely isn't one of them.
