With a Game of Thrones prequel series on its way, and a new Lord of the Rings TV show as well, 2022 is shaping up to be a huge year for fantasy. From August onwards, you can expect your streaming queues to be full of the genre, in fact. Getting in before those two other certain hits: Netflix's The Sandman, which brings Neil Gaiman's graphic novels to the screen. The streaming service has just announced that The Sandman will drop on Friday, August 5 — and it has released a new teaser trailer, too, to get viewers excited. If this is your first interaction with Gaiman's's tale and the Dream King at its centre, prepare for a suitably dark and brooding blend of myth and fantasy. So, another characteristic entry in the genre. As first played out in comic books between 1989–1996, The Sandman combines contemporary fiction, historical drama and legend to tell the tale of the Dream King, who is also known as both Dream and Morpheus, and has power over all dreams and stories. Sweetbitter, Mary Shelley and Song to Song's Tom Sturridge takes on the key role, as the show dives into his character's efforts to mend his mistakes — both cosmic and human — after being held prisoner for a century. To do so, he must visit the people, places and timelines he's affected. In print, The Sandman hails from DC Comics — and, yes, beings with superpowers are at its core. Dream is part of the Endless, alongside Destiny, Death, Desire, Despair, Delirium and Destruction, because everything these days (and in the 90s, too) needs a squad of folks with otherworldly abilities. Also set to feature, cast-wise, are Game of Thrones stars Gwendoline Christie and Charles Dance — the former as Lucifer, ruler of hell — plus Vivienne Acheampong (The Witches), Boyd Holbrook (The Predator), Jenna Coleman (The Serpent), David Thewlis (Landscapers), Stephen Fry (The Dropout), Kirby Howell-Baptiste (The Good Place) and Joely Richardson (Color Out of Space). And, both Patton Oswalt (Gaslit) and Mark Hamill (Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker) are involved as well, doing voice work. When The Sandman finally drops into your Netflix queue, it'll arrive after years of trying — both on the big and the small screens. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was once attached; however, that version didn't come to fruition. And the character of Lucifer has already scored its own series, but played by Tom Ellis (Isn't It Romantic). Check out the trailer for The Sandman below: The Sandman will start streaming via Netflix on Friday, August 5. Images: courtesy of Netflix.
If you weren't listening to Jonathan Boulet in '09 and missed the follow-up boat in 2012, there's a whole new Boulet chapter to wrap your ears around. With riff-heavy tracks that rarely skimp on the gnarl, the Sydneysider's sounds supersede your average post-punk howls — and his latest album Gubba proves he's only getting grimier. Boulet made his way into earholes Australia-wide with his self-titled 2009 LP, before giving hungry fans the highly-praised We Keep The Beat, Found the Sound, See the Need, Start The Heart three years later. Since then, he's shared stages with Mumford and Sons, Tame Impala and Kate Nash, done Splendour, Falls and SXSW, then last year he packed up, jetted off and found a new home in Berlin for a brief hiatus. Now the multi-instrumenalist is back, with a leather-laden Dad on one side and third LP Gubba on the other. The album's already been praised as brutal, sneering and showing new degrees of maturity — not in a "I pay my own rent, dammit," sense, but rather in terms of musical complexity. We had a chat to Boulet ahead of his nationwide tour about Gubba, the evolution of his unique sound and the coolest motorbike gang you might ever see. You've had a super busy 2014 so far with the release of Gubba, what's been a particular high? It's been a pretty good start, I reckon. Pretty energised and elated to have finished another album and have it out so quickly after the fact. I think just having this album released already is the high. It's only downhill from there. No, not really. Touring will be the only thing to trump the joy of having a new release. That and the cocaine. It's been two years since the release of We Keep the Beat, Found The Sound, See The Need, Start the Heart, does that mean Gubba has been a solid two year project? No way. Two years?! My attention span is not that durable. Only after we were completely done touring that last record, I started to consider what may or may not lie in the future. I had already been working on some riff ideas by the time we landed in Berlin, but most of them were thrown out and replaced by younger, tastier and more seductive riffs. Gubba is a hell of a sporadic album — it bounces from grizzly to get-up in a matter of tracks. Why do you think there is such a change of pace in Gubba from your previous works? I think that before I was attempting to write an album entirely consisting of singles. This time I had a lot of fun making small musical things, little ditties and such to help break up the consistently high levels of loudness. Whether they are effective in actually breaking up the album is completely irrelevant. When you started piecing together the tracks, was there any overall style or plan you were working towards? Initially, the plan was simply 'balls to the wall'. Energy. And it began to take shape in a rock context. After a while I learned that for something to sound loud, it needs to be next to something that is quiet. So I sought to introduce more depth, dynamics and points of interest. It all continued to blossom and flourish from there. https://youtube.com/watch?v=FOcziciUnr0 The Hold it Down clip is pretty solid — excellent ratio of leather-to-wrap-arounds. Tell us a bit about filming the clip. Is your dad really the star of the video? My good friend Jack Saltmiras filmed it with a bunch of our mates. And yes, my Dad is the mad dog in charge. He said after shooting the scene where he was doing burnouts and thrashing the bike, it started to run smoother than it ever had before. It's the coolest motorbike crew I've ever seen and I'd give anything to be in a gang like that. How do you think your decision to uproot and head abroad has influenced your music style? Do you think a change of scenery has had a pretty significant effect on this album? I don't think it has much at all to be honest. I think the change of scenery has had an effect on me as a person and therefore possibly that has effected the music. It's hard to say. I think I would have made the same thing whether I was in Australia, Berlin or Antarctica. Although, if I made it in Antarctica the album would be called, Fuck You, Cold. For those who've missed the boat on your other music projects, tell us a little about Top People and Snakeface. Do you have any other projects in the works at the moment? Top People is a project I do with Zacc Abbott-Atchinson (ex-Halal, How Are You? singer). It's basically slow, loud music with hilarious lyrical content. Good fun if you ever get the chance to come to a show, if we ever play another one. And Snakeface is what started as a thrash band that more and more of our friends have become involved in, up until we made the album Oberon. A punk band, with as many varying influences as it does members. If you are of the heavy music persuasion, I implore you to check out both. If you gave Gubba to someone to listen to for the first time, what would you hope they respond to or take away from it? I would hope they would frame the record, dip the framed record in gold, then compress the gold-dipped, framed record into a golden crystal to be worn around the neck and passed down from generation to generation until they forgot what it was actually made of, then pawned it for cash and bought a cheap puppy with the money. Gubba is out now via Popfrenzy. Jonathan Boulet National Tour Dates: Friday 15 August — Northcote Social Club, Melbourne Saturday 16 August — Pirie & Co Social Club, Adelaide Thursday 21 August — Goodgod Small Club, Sydney Thursday 28 August — Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
When it was announced back in 2016 that Moulin Rouge! was being turned into a stage musical, fans around the world thought the same thing in unison: the show must go on. Since then, the lavish production premiered in the US in 2018, then hit Broadway in 2019, and also announced that it'd head Down Under in 2021 — and if you're an Aussie worried about whether the latter would actually happen after 2020's chaos, it looks like the same mantra applies to its planned Melbourne season. Moulin Rouge! The Musical has put out a casting call for auditions in both Melbourne and Sydney in January and February 2021, with working towards June rehearsals and August previews part of its timeline. So, once the second half of next year hits, you could be watching the spectacular show — which is based on Baz Luhrmann's award-winning musical movie, of course — at Melbourne's revamped Regent Theatre. The musical brings to life the famed Belle Époque tale of young composer Christian and his heady romance with Satine, actress and star of the legendary Moulin Rouge cabaret. Set in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris, the film is known for its soundtrack, celebrating iconic tunes from across the past five decades. The stage show carries on the legacy, backing those favourites with even more hit songs that have been released in the 19 years since the movie premiered. And, when Moulin Rouge! The Musical makes its Aussie debut, it'll be doing so in the movie's 20th anniversary year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p68Q1G1A_k4&feature=emb_logo The musical is heading to Melbourne in the hands of production company Global Creatures, along with the Victorian Government. The Government is also a big player behind the Regent's upgrade works, having dropped a cool $14.5 million towards the $19.4 million project. It co-owns the site, along with the City of Melbourne. While Moulin Rouge! The Musical's exact season dates haven't been revealed, you can register for the ticket waitlist via the production's website. Moulin Rouge! The Musical will hit The Regent Theatre, at 191 Collins Street, Melbourne in 2021 — with the show currently working towards an August 2021 kick-off date. To register for the ticket waitlist, head to the production's website. Moulin Rouge! The Musical image: Matthew Murphy.
Now that peak entertaining season is over, what better time to give your old ceramics collection a spruce up? Especially since you can score some fab pieces on the cheap, at Mud Australia's one-weekend-only Melbourne seconds sale. The legendary Aussie label is hosting a huge warehouse sale opposite its Fitzroy store this weekend, July 19–21, and is slinging a whole assortment of its handmade porcelain and homewares for up to 50 percent off the regular price. Head along each day to find some very pocket-friendly deals on designs that are slightly chipped, samples colours, left over from discontinued lines, imperfectly glazed, or as the team describes, 'outrageously organic'. There'll be everything from tableware to bakeware, vases and lights. Mud Australia seconds sale is open on Friday midday–7pm, Saturday 10am–4pm and Sunday 11am–3pm.
It's the end of an era, and it's going out with some impressive names. When Bluesfest hosts its last-ever festival in April 2025, it'll have Crowded House, Ocean Alley and Vance Joy for company. A week after announcing that the music fest only has one more run in it, the Byron Bay mainstay has started unveiling its goodbye lineup, revealing the initial 20 acts on the bill. 'Don't Dream It's Over' should take on extra resonance when it earns a spot in Crowded House's set, with the band making one last Bluesfest appearance. Ocean Alley are also no strangers to the fest, and equally onboard for the final 2025 hurrah. From there, the roster of talent for Thursday, April 17–Sunday, April 20, 2025 so far also spans Tones and I, Gary Clark Jr, Rag'n'Bone Man, RY X, Allison Russell and Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram — and more already, with future lineup announcements still to come. "As we prepare for the final chapter of Bluesfest in 2025, I am profoundly moved by the outpouring of support from thousands in our community, along with the many artists and their management eager to be part of our farewell edition. Thank you all for your heartfelt messages and expressions of solidarity," said Festival Director Peter Noble, revealing the fest's first acts for next year. "We're thrilled to unveil the first wave of artists for our grand finale. This lineup, meticulously curated to honour Bluesfest's rich legacy, features a dynamic mix of legendary and cutting-edge performers. This announcement marks just the beginning. Our second lineup is well and truly in the works and the reveal is on the horizon, promising to further enhance what is set to be an epic farewell." Bluesfest's four-day 2025 event will celebrate the Easter long-weekend fest's 36th year, as well as its last. As for who'll join Crowded House, Ocean Alley, Vance Joy and company, start guessing — 2024's headliners Tom Jones and Elvis Costello, if that helps. The last few years have been tumultuous for the Byron Bay fest. 2023's event lost a number of acts, including King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Sampa the Great, after Sticky Fingers were added to the bill. Bluesfest ultimately dropped the controversial band. And while the fest went ahead in 2022 after two years of pandemic cancellations (and a thwarted temporary move to October for the same reason), it showcased a primarily Australian and New Zealand lineup. [caption id="attachment_970517" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Celina Martins[/caption] Bluesfest saying goodbye means that two huge Aussie music festivals that call Byron Bay home have shut up shop, although hopefully one is only temporary. After Splendour in the Grass announced its dates for this year, then its lineup, it swiftly cancelled mere weeks later. It continues to prove a tough time for the Australian live music scene. Bluesfest calling time follows Mona Foma doing the same after its 2024 event — plus a lengthy list of festivals beyond Splendour that've ditched their plans this year, sometimes also without announcing their intentions for the future. Just two years after debuting, Adelaide's Harvest Rock has scrapped its 2024 fest as well. Spilt Milk cancelled its 2024 festivals, while Groovin the Moo did the same after announcing its lineup. Summergrounds Music Festival, which was meant to debut at Sydney Festival 2024, also pulled the plug. As announced in 2023, Dark Mofo took a breather in 2024. Yours and Owls has postponed its next fest until 2025, too, but is hosting a pre-party in October this year. Bluesfest 2025 Lineup: Crowded House Vance Joy Ocean Alley Tones and I Gary Clark Jr Rag'n'Bone Man RY X Allison Russell Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram Brad Cox Here Come the Mummies The California Honeydrops Marc Broussard Pierce Brothers Taj Farrant Fanny Lumsden 19-Twenty WILSN Cimafunk Neal Francis [caption id="attachment_969986" align="alignnone" width="1920"] LD Somefx[/caption] [caption id="attachment_969989" align="alignnone" width="1920"] LD Somefx[/caption] [caption id="attachment_969987" align="alignnone" width="1920"] LD Somefx[/caption] [caption id="attachment_867504" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kurt Petersen[/caption] [caption id="attachment_969988" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Roger Cotgreave[/caption] Bluesfest 2025 will run from Thursday, April 17–Sunday, April 20 at Byron Events Farm, Tyagarah. Early-bird tickets are on sale now — for further information, head to the Bluesfest website. Top image: Joseph Mayers.
Hold the phone everybody, there's huge news a-brewin' in the Sydney art world. Three of Sydney's biggest cultural institutions – the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Carriageworks and the Museum of Contemporary Art – have just announced a major, citywide new exhibition showcasing Australian art. Yep, just like the OG Transformers, all banding together for the good of Sydney. Positioned as a counterpoint to the Biennale of Sydney (to occur in the off-years), The National: New Australia Art will run over six years with three editions presented in 2017, 2019 and 2021. The program is planned to run over the three spaces and activate an art corridor running between Redfern, The Domain and Circular Quay. There'll be a focus on the works of emerging, mid-career and established Aussie artists — in fact this will be the only large-scale, multi-venue exhibition series in Sydney focused solely on contemporary Australian art. It's straight-up huge news for Sydney. We've seen the effect citywide installations and cultural programs can have on this fine city of ours, just head along to the Biennale this weekend to see for yourself. And the sole focus on Australian artists, with no hat tip at all to international context, is sure to help us forge a contemporary art identity that genuinely resonates with everyday Aussies. "The National: New Australian Art will chart the rich diversity of contemporary practice featuring artists that work in dialogue with other disciplines including performance, dance, music and screen," says Carriageworks director Lisa Havilah. "The project will make a significant investment in Australian artists through the extensive commissioning of new work that reflects contemporary Australia and our place in the world." Curators for the 2017 edition of The National: New Australian Art are Anneke Jaspers, Curator Contemporary Art and Wayne Tunnicliffe, Head Curator Australian Art, AGNSW; Lisa Havilah, Director and Nina Miall, Curator, Carriageworks; and Blair French, Director, Curatorial & Digital, MCA. Okay team, break. We've only got 12 months to plan appropriately artsy outfits. The first installation of The National: New Australian Art will kick off on March 20, 2017 and run until June 18, 2017.
If you're yet to get some Alpaca on your fork, then folks, this is your chance. The good people of South America have been celebrating this versatile protein for centuries, and Peruvian restaurant Pastuso will show you what all the fuss is about during their six-course, head-to-tail alpaca dinner. On Monday 23 November, feast on the likes of succulent, slow-cooked short ribs and braised shoulder meat with carrot and cumin puree, all washed down with matching wines.
One of South Melbourne's iconic food celebrations is back for a lip-smacking weekend of music and molluscs. Port Phillip Mussel & Jazz Festival returns to the South Melbourne Market from Saturday, March 9–Sunday, March 10. Once again, the precinct will come alive for a food-focused, tune-filled street party from 11am each day, with the humble mussel as the star of the show. Seafood lovers will find themselves in heaven, feasting through a host of special dishes from resident vendors, plus all the usual market favourites slinging everything from pastries and porchetta rolls to fine cheese and cannoli. The market has once again teamed up with The Nature Conservancy to deliver the Shuck Don't Chuck recycling program — leftover mussel, oyster and scallop shells from the weekend's feasting will be collected, cured and reused to help rebuild marine ecosystems in the bay. As always, there'll also be plenty of fresh catches for entertainment — enjoy soul and jazz tunes on the main stage alongside cooking demonstrations, kid's activities and roving entertainers.
UPDATE: JULY 1, 2020 — Due to worldwide cinema closures and other concerns around COVID-19, Tenet will no longer release on its initially scheduled date of Thursday, July 17, 2020. Instead, it will now release on Thursday, August 13. This article has been updated to reflect that change. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Every ten years, Christopher Nolan sends audiences on a wild journey. The Batman Begins, The Prestige and Interstellar filmmaker makes movies more often than that, but a decade seems to be how long it takes to indulge his weird and wonderful side. In 2000, that led to Memento, the film that helped bring the writer/director to broader attention. In 2010, Inception and its dreams within dreams were the end result. Now, come 2020, Nolan will be trifling with time and tasking BlacKkKlansman's John David Washington with trying to stop World War III, all in the trippy Tenet. Until now, little has been known about Tenet, other than its name, its release date — July 16, 2020 Down Under — and its cast. And while the just-dropped first trailer doesn't spill many of the film's secrets, it does paint a very intriguing picture. In fact, rumours trying to connect the film to Inception are already circling, just based on the two-minute sneak peek. Washington plays a spy, partnered with Robert Pattinson, who is trying to stave off something worse than a nuclear holocaust. He's also welcomed to the afterlife, told to start changing the way he sees the world and, in one scene, senses that a fight will take place before it happens. Things also move in reverse, stunts defy logic in more than just the usual action movie ways and Michael Caine pops up. And, in case you weren't already thinking of Inception anyway, the trailer is scored with an ominous, droning thrum. Tenet also features Australian actor Elizabeth Debicki (Widows), Harry Potter's Clémence Poésy, Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Avengers: Age of Ultron), Himesh Patel (Yesterday), Martin Donovan (Ant-Man) and Kenneth Branagh — with the latter also starring in Nolan's last film, the World War II epic Dunkirk. As for what else is in store in the filmmaker's 11th feature — other than dazzling visuals, an ambitious story and messing with viewers' heads in general — that's something Nolan isn't likely to give away until the film hits cinemas. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdOM0x0XDMo Tenet is slated to release in Australian cinemas on August 13, 2020. We'll update you if that changes again.
You know that feeling where you're begrudgingly up before dawn only to have your heart warmed by a surprise sighting of a hot air balloon set against the sunrise? Well this one's for you — and if you haven't ever experienced such a dawn, this one is really for you. In April, the Canowindra International Balloon Challenge sees the skies above the historic central-west town come alive with the roar of burners and the kaleidoscope of colourful hot air balloons in the atmosphere. The full event takes place over a whole week in April, with official balloon competitions happening throughout the week. The comp involves a number of difficult tasks, the most entertaining of which is the key grab — the aim is to fly your balloon in to try and pluck a large novelty key from the top of a flagpole, with the winner receiving some major dollar bills. There'll also be a campfire cookout and concert on Anzac Day evening (25th April). The final Saturday night sees the Balloon Glow and Night Market, where balloon operators light up their burners in the dark and in time to music.
You can't help but conjure up images of the romanticised '60s Woodstock era while listening to Richard In Your Mind. Putting forward a Beatles-ish pop sound swathed with psychedelic and krautrock rythyms, the Sydney five-piece have just released their newest album, Ponderosa via Rice Is Nice, the local record label boasting a host of Sydney talent such as Donny Benet and SPOD. RIYM's tunes are a fun and light-hearted affair, exploring overarching themes of things like nature, exploration and escapism — no doubt influenced by the band's hours spent in the Blue Mountains, where they recorded the tracks. To launch Ponderosa, Richard In Your Mind are playing a couple of intimate shows along the East Coast. It might not be the 1960s anymore, but these guys are definitely making sure the crazy psychedelia still lives on. And if you haven't seen the video for latest single 'Hammered in the Daytime', do yourself a favour and click the tab above. It's the family TV show we truly wish existed. https://youtube.com/watch?v=kMyxjFAyLMU
Here's an excuse to roll out of bed early, then start your day with a cinema date: on Sunday mornings, Hoyts is slashing its standard ticket prices to $10 before midday at its cinemas across Australia, including in Melbourne. Head to one of chain's picture palaces and pick whichever film that's playing, as long as it's an early session that begins prior 12.01pm, to score a bargain movie date to kick off winter. Sure, Sunday mornings are prime sleep-in time, but this is a hard deal to pass off if you're a cinephile, on a budget, like spending the colder months indoors, are looking for a cheap date idea or all of the above. Initially, the special was only running for June, but now it has been extended for the foreseeable future, with no end date locked in. Movie-wise, there are plenty of titles to choose from, whether you're keen on the Austin Butler-starring motorcycle drama The Bikeriders, the horror thrills of A Quiet Place: Day One, or getting animated with Inside Out 2 and Despicable Me 4. You can also catch Twisters and Deadpool & Wolverine, which release in July. You don't need to be a Hoyts member to score the discount; however, there are some caveats. The $10 tickets are only available on Sundays; can be booked online, via the Hoyts app or in-person at the cinema; and will attract a booking fee for everything but physical purchases. And again, the deal applies just to standard sessions, not HOYTS LUX and special events — but you can pay extra to sit in a D-BOX motion recliner or get the Xtremescreen experience. Updated Wednesday, July 3, 2024.
There’s something very telling about what happens when you type ‘Point Break’ into Google. The first result is the Wiki for Kathryn Bigelow’s iconic action crime thriller starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, whereas the second one is ‘Point Break (2015 Film)’. The order alone says much about its place in the filmic world order, but the name is the real giveaway: Point Break...2015 Film. Yes it’s still technically Point Break, but of the Degrassi: The Next Generation variety — related, yet unworthy of the original title. This remake, starring nobody, is slated for release on December 25 and is hence the most unwanted Christmas present since that clay ashtray your nephew Declan made. It’s one thing to re-do a film that didn’t get it right the first time — or even several times round (*cough* The HULK) — but when you stray so heavily into ‘unnecessary remake’, you come perilously close to not just making a bad movie, but somehow tarnishing the original too. Consider, then, 2008’s Man on Wire. This outstanding documentary by James Marsh won all manner of accolades for its gripping, diligent and wildly entertaining retelling of Philippe Petit’s astounding high-wire walk between the two towers of the World Trade Centre in 1974. Combining interviews, real-life footage and the occasional re-enactment, it captures every bit of the energy, ebullience and foolishness that defines both Petit and his iconic feat. It is, in short, an outstanding film and a definitive account, making it almost inevitable then that Hollywood should promptly designate it prime material for a retelling. So it is that we have The Walk, perhaps tellingly presented by Google as 'The Walk (2015 Film)’ despite there being no predecessor of the same name. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the bulk of the movie is presented as a something of a comedic, carefree caper with almost clowning levels of performance and dialogue. In the lead, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is at once excellent and terrible. His spoken French and Fred Astaire-esque lightness sparkle, but his to-camera narration and ‘English with zee accent’ scenes are cringeworthy, bordering on parody. With the jazzy soundtrack, nifty editing and whacky cast of accomplices, the majority of the film seems almost desperate to let you know it’s having fun, oftentimes more than you, and it’s not until we first arrive at the Towers that the seriousness sinks in. Thankfully, too, that's when The Walk undergoes a swift and marked transformation, and where its use of 3D finds a welcome home. 3D cinema has, to date, been almost exclusively an unnecessary gimmick and unwelcome expense, but that’s not to say it doesn’t have its place. When employed correctly it can be a powerful storytelling device, drawing the viewer deeper into a moment and sharing the experience with you rather than just showing it. As Petit finally arrives in New York and beholds the Towers for the first time, the sensation is deeply unsettling — a sort of vertigo from the ground up — and you absolutely participate in his sudden fear and uncertainty. The sensation then compounds exponentially as he travels to the top and peers down over the edge, at which point you’ll be hard pressed not to tightly grip the arms of your chair. As such, it is ‘the walk’ within The Walk where the film is at its best, and the exhilaration of experiencing the moment from Petit’s perspective almost exonerates all that precedes it.
Barunah Plains is nowhere near the Gold Coast, but a taste of the Glitter Strip will hit Hesse in Victoria to farewell 2024 and welcome in 2025. Beyond The Valley is back for another massive end-of-year party, with the music festival giving former pro surfer-turned-DJ Fisher — a Grammy-nominee for 'Losing It', too — its top slot. With multiple days to fill, taking place across Saturday, December 28, 2024–Wednesday, January 1, 2025, Beyond The Valley goes big with its lineups. This year's just-dropped full roster pinballs between nations, music genres and eras, resulting in a bill where Ice Spice sits alongside Tinashe, Sugababes and Natasha Bedingfield — and Chase & Status, Marlon Hoffstadt, Royel Otis, Sammy Virji, AJ Tracey and Denis Sulta, too. Just from those names alone — and there's plenty more — that gives festivalgoers 'Munch (Feelin' U)', 'Nasty', 'Push the Button', 'These Words', 'Backbone', 'Call Me', new versions of 'Murder on the Dancefloor' and 'Linger', 'If You Need It', 'Bringing It Back' and 'World of Flies' to look forward to. Also on the lineup: Confidence Man, BARKAA, Teenage Dads, NEIL FRANCES, Lola Young, Ghetts and The Rions, as well as Kita Alexander, The Grogans, Billie Marten, The Terrys and Sycco. And yes, the list still goes on from there. After supporting Fred again..'s whirlwind Australian tour earlier in 2024, JOY (Anonymous) is on the electronic side of the bill, alongside everyone from horsegiirL, KI/KI, DJ BORING, SG Lewis and Tinlicker through to Ben Hemsley, Avalon Emerson, Sam Alfred, Sally C, LB aka Labat, Chloé Caillet, and Flowdan & Neffa-T. Music is the main focus of and drawcard at Beyond The Valley, but this fest knows that tunes aren't all that its punters listen to — and that dancing to them isn't the only way to have a blast. First, enter the dedicated podcast stage, this time with Dan Does Footy, It's Layered, The Hook Up, No Hard Feelings and The Psychology of Your 20s getting chatting. Next, there'll also be drag bingo with Poof Doof, hidden parties popping up and swimming pools for a summer splash. The fest is also aiming to give back via donating $1 from each ticket to Igniting Change and offsetting emissions via Treecreds. Beyond the Valley 2024 Lineup: Fisher Ice Spice Chase & Status Marlon Hoffstadt Tinashe Royel Otis Sammy Virji Sugababes AJ Tracey Denis Sulta Natasha Bedingfield horsegiirL Confidence Man Teenage Dads KI/KI DJ BORING SG Lewis JOY (Anonymous) Tinlicker (DJ set) Ben Hemsley NEIL FRANCES Lola Young Ghetts Flowdan & Neffa-T Avalon Emerson The Rions BARKAA Kita Alexander The Grogans The Terrys Sycco Malugi Sam Alfred Hannah Laing Girls Don't Sync Oden & Fatzo (live) Fish56Octagon Sally C LB aka LABAT Franck Chloé Caillet Odd Mob Anna Lunoe Billie Marten Nick Ward Jersey Sarah Story Luke Alessi Nina Las Vegas Half Queen MESSIE Vv Pete Laura King Little Fritter Jimi The Kween Djanaba tiffi Ollie Lishman WOLTERS Marli Ned Bennett Stev Zar Denim Liz Cambage Jewel Owusu SOVBLKPSSY DIJOK Kimboclat Eva Brown Suga Princess Podcast stage: The Hook Up Dan Does Footy It's Layered Luke & Sassy Scott No Hard Feelings The Psychology of Your 20s Beyond The Valley will run from Saturday, December 28, 2024–Wednesday, January 1, 2025 at Barunah Plains, Wentworths Road, Hesse, Victoria. Ticket presale registrations are open now, closing at 3pm AEST on Tuesday, August 27 — with festival presales from 6pm on Wednesday, August 28. General sales kick off at 12pm AEST on Thursday, August 29. For more information, head to the fest's website. Beyond The Valley images: Alex Drewniak, Mitch Lowe, Duncographic, Ash Caygill, Josh Bainbridge, Chloe Hall.
It's been more than a year since Five Guys, the burger joint with more than 1600 stores to its name across America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, first announced the news that folks Down Under had been waiting to hear. When the popular US-based chain revealed that it was finally launching stores in Australia and New Zealand, it sparked a lot of rumbling stomachs — and, from Monday, September 20, it's following through. That's when Five Guys will open its first Aussie outpost, which'll start serving up burgers, fries, hotdogs, sandwiches and shakes in Penrith. As already announced earlier in 2021, Sydney is the first place Down Under to taste the chain's wares. Due to the city's ongoing lockdown, however, it'll only be open for takeaway for the time being. Live within five kilometres of 123 Mulgoa Road — or within the same Local Government Area, depending on the restrictions in your part of town? Then you'll be able to head in to grab a bite to bring home with you. The temporary pivot to only doing takeaway orders is actually Five Guys' second big pandemic-inspired change. Initially, the brand was set to open its debut store Down Under in Sydney's CBD, but it switched to Penrith due to COVID-19. Overseas, Five Guys has amassed quite the reputation. Even given the number of big-name US burger chains with hefty followings, such as Shake Shack and In-N-Out, it stands out. If you're wondering why, the fact that its made-to-order burgers skew in the classic rather than oversized, jam-packed direction is one good reason. These burgs come with two hand-formed patties on toasted buns, with your choice of free toppings (including pickles, grilled mushrooms and jalapeños). Five Guys also does bacon cheeseburgers that add two strips of bacon and two slices of Kraft American cheese as well. Prefer hotdogs, sandwiches (in veggie, cheese or BLT varieties), hand-cut fries (with or without Cajun spices) and vanilla milkshakes? They're all on the menu as well. Don't go thinking that the latter are boring, though — you can add bacon, bananas, peanut butter, salted caramel and even Oreo pieces to your design-your-own beverage. The cult-favourite chain makes the leap to Australia and New Zealand as part of a master franchise agreement with Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group, aka the folks behind The Meat & Wine Co, Hunter & Barrel, 6 Head, Ribs & Burgers, Italian Street Kitchen and Butcher and the Farmer. Five Guys started back in 1986 in the Washington, DC area and, as anyone with allergies should note, only cooks its fries in peanut oil. Around 20 stores are due to launch in Australia, plus more in NZ — although exactly where else and when Five Guys will be popping up is yet to be revealed. In Sydney, additional sites are currently under consideration, including in the CBD around Circular Quay, Darling Harbour and Broadway. Find Five Guys' first Australian store at 123 Mulgoa Road, Penrith from Monday, September 20 — open from 11am–10pm daily. More eateries in other Australian states — and in New Zealand — are set to follow; we'll update you when more information comes to hand.
Given its location on the Sapphire Coast (a six-hour drive south of Sydney or seven-hour trip north of Melbourne), the Wanderer Festival may require a little more travel than the leisurely stroll suggested by its name. But, it promises to deliver an excellent final destination for road trippers seeking a weekend away that's big on tunes, tasty treats and a tonne of cool market stalls. Wanderer Festival is a three-day event held in picturesque Pambula Beach between Friday, 29 September and Sunday, 1 October. This year's genre-diverse lineup of 40+ artists include Ocean Alley, Django Django, The Jungle Giants, Thelma Plum, Spiderbait and UK indie-rock luminaries Gomez. Those looking for more than music will find it in the Wanderer Festival Big Top, which will feature gravity-defying circus cabaret courtesy of the Flying Fruit Fly Circus. Other off-stage activations include craft markets and food stores. The former will be the place to stock up on unique hand-crafted, hand-made or hand-picked goods, while the latter will be packed with a range of stalls that focus on produce from the region and local beer, wine and spirits, as well as culinary delights from around the world. The Wanderer Festival will run from Friday, 29 September and Sunday, 1 October 2023. For the full event program visit their website.
It isn't every day that Australia busts out a pop-metal tune to compete on the world stage. No, just at Eurovision 2023. Apologies to whatever's been getting a workout on your playlist over the past few weeks, but May is here, which means that Eurovision is here. And, so are a whole bunch of synth-heavy Europop tunes — plus that Aussie riff on a on Europop tune — that'll worm their way into your head. This is Christmas for pop songs belted out competitively in a glitzy ceremony filled with eye-catching outfits, with the the 67th Eurovision Song Contest kicking off at 5am AEST on Wednesday, May 10. Doing the honours for Australia, starting in the second semi final at 5am AEST on Friday, May 12, is Perth synth-metal band Voyager. Their track: earworm 'Promise', which'll have "it's gonna be alright" lodged in plenty of brains from the moment that the band take to the stage. For newcomers, Eurovision started back in 1956 as a competition between a mere seven nations. Now, more than six decades later, it's a glitter-strewn and spandex-fuelled global musical phenomenon. Thirty-seven countries not only in Europe but from elsewhere will compete in 2023 — hello Australia — and viewers tune in en masse to watch, sing along and add new pop tunes to their queues. This year's host city is Liverpool in the United Kingdom, in a break from Eurovision tradition. The song contest usually unleashes each year's contenders in the country responsible for the past year's winner — and in 2022, Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra won for 'Stefania'. But due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, Eurovision will be held in the UK for the first time in a quarter-century. Thanks to duo TVORCHI, a huge hit on their homegrown charts, Ukraine will still defend its title with the song 'Heart of Steel'. Australians keen to tune in will be directing their eyeballs to SBS, with the broadcaster's usual annual celebration of all things Europop returning for another round. 2023 marks 40 years of the network showing Eurovision, in fact. When Voyager play their track, they'll be up against performers from 15 other countries, including Brunette from Armenia, Belgium's Gustaph, Diljá from Iceland, Joker Out from Slovenia, and Austria's Teya & Salena. Also in the same show: Aussie Andrew Lambrou, who is competing for Cyprus, his parents' homeland, with 'Break a Broken Heart'. If Voyager makes their way through to the grand final — with only 21 acts making the cut, and France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Ukraine automatically guaranteed spots — you'll also want to get up early on Sunday, May 14. Or, even if they don't, that's when this year's winner will be anointed. Of course, for those who can't tear themselves out of bed before it's light and can somehow manage to avoid the internet and social media, both semis and the grand final will also screen in primetime on the same dates. Wondering who Voyager are? And why you didn't get a say in their Eurovision selection? Unlike past years, there was no Eurovision — Australia Decides event and public vote to choose who'd score the Aussie berth; however, the five-piece band featuring Danny Estrin on vocals and keytar, Simone Dow and Scott Kay on guitar, Alex Vanion on bass and Ash Doodkorte on drums has been vying to represent the country since 2015. In 2022's Australian vote, they came in second to Sheldon Riley, who took the country to 15th spot in last year's Eurovision grand final. Now that it's time to watch along, SBS' usual local hosts Myf Warhurst and Joel Creasey are once again overseeing the Australian coverage. And if you can't decide whether to beat the sun or wait and host a party at sensible hour, it's worth remembering that Australians can indeed vote for Eurovision, but only until around 15 minutes after the last song is performed in each live semi-final broadcast and about 40 minutes after the last track ends in the grand final. In a big change to past years, voting is open to everyone in all finals — whether you're from a country participating in that final or not — and the artists who get through from the two semi finals to the grand final will be solely chosen by the audience at home. Still remaining the same: the rule that says Australians can't actually vote for Voyager, because no one can vote for the country they represent. EUROVISION 2023 BROADCASTS: LIVE BROADCASTS: Semi final one: 5am AEST on Wednesday, May 10 on SBS and SBS on Demand Semi final two: 5am AEST on Friday, May 12 on SBS and SBS on Demand — featuring Voyager Grand final: 5am AEST on Sunday, May 14 on SBS and SBS on Demand STREAMING REPLAYS: Semi final one: 12pm AEST on Wednesday, May 10 on SBS on Demand Semi final two: 12pm AEST on Friday, May 12 on SBS on Demand — featuring Voyager Grand final: 3pm AEST on Sunday, May 14 on SBS on Demand TV REPLAYS: Semi final one: 7.30pm AEST on Friday, May 12 on SBS Semi final two: 7.30pm AEST on Saturday, May 13 on SBS — featuring Voyager Grand final: 7.30pm AEST on Sunday, May 14 on SBS SBS' Eurovision 2023 coverage runs from Wednesday, May 10–Sunday, May 14. For more information, head to the broadcaster's website. Images: Sarah Louise Bennett / Corinne Cumming.
In as much as anyone can be one, Janette Sadik-Khan is an urban development rockstar. Spearheading the re-design of both New York City's transport system and the world-renowned Times Square public space, she is a global leader in her field. And, in speaking at this year's Velo-City conference in Adelaide, Sadik-Khan has offered some advice for Australian cities. Namely, our streets should be more like "living rooms" and — surprise, surprise — we definitely need better bike lanes. With six years under her belt as the Transportation Commissioner of New York City, this lady knows exactly what she's talking about. "Our streets are where we play and meet, kind of like the living rooms of New York," she told the crowd at Velo-City this week. Fighting a war against congestion, Sadik-Khan endeavoured to make New York's public spaces accessible for all — walkers, cyclists, drivers and those relying on public transport. In one of her biggest projects, last year she transformed Times Square into a communal pedestrian space with hundreds of fold-out chairs. It proved to be a huge win for businesses as well as the local community, and in fact shot the area into the top ten retail spaces in the world for the first time ever. In her trip down under, Sadik-Khan has praised cities such as Sydney, Adelaide and Auckland, stating that they seem to have a great deal of leadership at the local level. In fact in just this last week, Sydney has announced a new speed limit for their CBD in order to limit pedestrian accidents, and Melbourne City Council is considering the closure of many main streets in favour of an innovative new walking plan. However, the area all cities are lacking in is undoubtedly their facilities for cyclists. Sadik-Khan claims we must invest in better bike lanes and sustainable bike-share programs. Though many of our major cities have such programs in place, they're understandably not functioning as well as they could. With car doorings a regular occurrence, and animosity towards cyclists at an all-time high, it's clear more can be done. Of course, New York is far from the perfect example. I personally would be terrified to ride my bike through the main city streets and I don't think the local cabbies would be happy to share the road with me either. But it's undoubtedly a beacon of hope. With your feet up on a deck chair in the middle of an NYC icon, you can't help but think something's gone right. Via ABC. Photo credit: hadsie via photopin cc and cuellar via photopin cc.
With its ten-day feast of art, music and performances, heading to Launceston's Mona Foma can feel a little like wandering through a labyrinth. The first of MONA's annual arts festivals, the now 12-year-old event guides punters in one direction, then nudges them in another, thoroughly spoiling attendees for choice — which is what you'd expect of a fest that features more than 400 artists across 25 venues. When it returns in 2020, taking place between Saturday, January 11 and Monday, January 20, Mona Foma is taking that maze-like feeling literally. One of its headliners is the latest project by Nottingham's Architects of Air — who just popped up in Melbourne and will now be unleashing a giant, colourful, light-filled inflatable playground called Daedalum Luminarium on Tasmania. It'll turn the banks of the Tamar River into an interconnected series of caves and caverns with 19 egg-shaped domes, all inspired by the Roman Pantheon and taking their cues from mythology — and an accompanying soundscape created by Midnight Oil's Jim Moginie. [caption id="attachment_746633" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Orville Peck. Image courtesy of the artist and Mona Foma[/caption] There are plenty of other highlights on the program to lose yourself in, too. Chief among them is the music lineup, which is led by Slovenian industrial popsters Laibach, who'll perform their take on The Sound of Music (yes, really). If a masked cowboy crooner is your thing (and isn't it everyone's?), Orville Peck will be singing tunes of heartbreak and revenge from his debut album, Pony. They'll both be joined by Italian pianist Ludovico Einaudi and his ivory-tickling tunes, Flying Lotus 3D's blend of jazz-funk, hip hop and eye-popping visuals, plus Mona Foma mainstay Amanda Palmer, who'll ask Launceston's ladies to share their thoughts and fears, then turn their answers into a new piece of music. Elsewhere, Mona Foma-goers can bounce around to the Japanese girl power stylings of Chai, and hear Paul Kelly perform with composer James Ledger, singer Alice Keath and the Seraphim Trio. And, in the type of show we're betting you haven't seen before, Berlin-based Holly Herndon is performing with her self-designed, artificially intelligent 'baby' called Spawn. [caption id="attachment_746634" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] MONA/Rémi Chauvin. Image courtesy of the artist and MONA Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia[/caption] Keen to keep listening? Sound artist Akio Suzuki wants you to do just that, creating an immersive sound walk that's inspired by — and will take you around — Launceston. And while you're on your feet, follow them to huge puppet show King Ubu, which'll stage a version of Alfred Jarry's 19th-century French satire Ubu Roi in the famed Cataract Gorge with giant puppets. Among the other standouts, MESS and Soma Lumia's Hypnos Cave re-imagines existing Launceston attraction The Dark Ride — with lasers, video art, lights and a synth soundtrack adding an extra layer to the watery, convict era-inspired barge trip. You can also head along to The Centre, a collection of choreographed works inspired by after-school sport (complete with snacks), or ponder how sweat and even dead skin could play a role in futuristic fashion with designers Alice Potts and Tarryn Handcock. Laughing like kookaburras, enjoying Indigenous Australian art out of the city, watching movies about artists and hearing electronic beats inspired by the ancient music of the Japanese royal court — that's all on the bill, too. As is Mona Foma's beloved after-hours party Faux Mo: Working 9 to 5 (which'll run from 9pm–5am, naturally, and include breakfast at 4am). Mona Foma runs from January 11–20, 2020, in Launceston, Tasmania. For more information or to grab tickets from 10am AEDT on Monday, October 21, head to mofo.net.au. Top image: 'Daedalum' by Architects of Air (UK). Image courtesy of the artist/studio and Mona Foma.
Our favourite thought-provokers over at The School of Life are gifting us with a two-week community festival of philosophy, culture and ideas. Set to take over Melbourne's western suburbs this November, the Think West program will be all about expanding your mind and stimulating your thinking, delivered in the organisation's trademark open-minded style. With over 40 workshops, classes, tours and events on offer across the inaugural festival, the School of Life team has rounded up a host of interesting westside partners. They've got an impressive list of venues too, with the likes of Yarraville's iconic Sun Theatre, the Planetarium at Scienceworks, Footscray Community Arts Centre, Two Birds Brewing and co-working space The Dream Factory in Footscray hosting events. The full Think West program is set to drop on October 5, but you can expect highlights to include a night of stargazing and perspective-shifting at Melbourne Planetarium, a talk on the art of resilience by Meshel Laurie, and, of course, a memorable and engaging launch party, during which you'll learn how to up your conversation game and become a boss communicator. And if you simply can't wait to get those mind cogs working and want a hands-on sneak peek of the festival action, there's also a Think West 'taster program', running from October 6-16. In a purpose-built creative space at Highpoint Shopping Centre (one of the presenting partners), you'll be able to get a preview of what's to come, with one-hour sample classes covering topics like How To Be Resilient, How To Find A Job You Love, and How To Have Better Conversations. Think West will run from November 6-20 at various venues in Melbourne's inner west. The full program will be announced on Wednesday, October 5. For the more details, visit thinkwest.com.au.
Those lucky enough to visit Uluru — to both get out to the remote location and to be granted generous permission to the sacred site by its traditional owners, the Anangu people — will attest to its magic and sheer magnificence. But for those who can't make it to the Red Centre, Google has made it possible to explore the area via the internet — today they've added a number of 360-degree images of trails from the surrounding Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park to Google Street View. By now Google has mapped most major cities and landmarks around the world, but in the case of Uluru, they've taken a bit of a different approach. Over the past two years, the tech company has worked with the Anangu people to capture and map the park in accordance to Tjukurpa, a traditional deep respect for the land that guides their law, values and behaviour. This means that not everything in the park has been captured by the Google Trekker, and that the traditional owners feature heavily in the project — most notably through interactive audio-visual stories on Google's Story Spheres platform. These include narration by Sammy Wilson and music by elder Reggie Uluru, both of whom are traditional owners of the land. So what can you see? Well, you can catch a glimpse of Uluru on the horizon from the Talinguru Nyakunytjaku viewing area, 'walk' around the base of the landmark and do the Kuniya Walk, which will take you to waterhole Kapi Mutitjulu and let you get up close to ancient art at Kulpi Mutitjulu (the Family Cave). The content captured by Google is a rare chance to see the crevices and fine details of Uluru up-close and hear oral stories from the traditional owners of the land. You can explore Uluru through Google Street View here, and listen to the Anangu people's stories through Story Spheres here.
All across New South Wales, stages are being dusted, soundchecks are running, setlists are being distributed, and crowds are gearing up—because Great Southern Nights, NSW's statewide music festival, is almost ready to make its 2025 return. With more than 300 gigs taking place across 17 nights in cities and districts from Byron Bay to Broken Hill and beyond, as festivals go, it's going to be an all-timer. It would be unusual if none of the action took place in the busiest city in the state, so it shouldn't be a surprise that Sydney will be at the heart of the action. With so much to choose from and so little time to figure it out, we've teamed up with Great Southern Nights to pick out the must-see gigs and to offer some suggestions on how to make a night out of each and every act. The Lineup The fun starts straight off the proverbial bat in the always-buzzing inner city. Oxford Art Factory is playing host to Sydney's own ARIA-nominated breakout star Charley on Wednesday, March 26. Then, by the sea at the Beach Road Hotel, you'll find a very on-theme act for Bondi with surf stoner pop-style band Babe Rainbow on Friday, March 28. On that same Friday over in the Inner West, ARIA-nominated electronic producer Alice Ivy hits the Trocadero Room in Enmore. Plus, Newtown's The Vanguard Hotel is going back-to-back with Adelaide's own smash-hit star Aleksiah on the same night, followed by the globally popular Kaiit on Wednesday, April 2 and the captivating lyrics of DEVAURA on Thursday, April 3. Up the road in Chippendale, a mini festival is happening at the Lansdowne Hotel with the Booty Block Party on Saturday, April 5, headlined by Triple-J favourite duo Bootleg Rascal. If you've still got any steam left in you, swing by the City Recital Hall for SAFIA, W Sydney for Kinder, Glass Island for Havana Brown, Metro Social for Total Tommy or venues within the Hollywood Quarter for a specialised Great Southern Nights Gig Trail. Local Eats and Treats It's impossible to distil the full potential of Sydney's dining scene down to a few short paragraphs, but thankfully, Great Southern Nights is concentrated near some of the city's most popular eateries. Within the streets of the aforementioned Hollywood Quarter and Surry Hills, you'll find Sydney mainstays like the charming Hollywood Hotel, tequila-soaked Tio's, multiculturally flavoured Nomad, the fried chicken-focused dive bar Butter and Sydney's home of high-end degustations, NEL. If you make your way over to the Inner West, you're also set to encounter some of Sydney's most loved restaurants. In Newtown, one of those restaurants specialises in two things: burgers and natural wines. That might sound unusual, but Mary's is a Sydney favourite for a reason. There's also Earl's Juke Joint, a New Orleans-esque bar hidden behind what looks like a butcher shop, and Cairo Takeaway, an Egyptian restaurant that some claim serves the best chicken and falafel in the city. Things to Do and Places to See There's always something happening in the Harbour City — Sydney is one of those cities where you can find something worth your time just by picking a direction and walking, especially in the areas hosting Great Southern Nights gigs. If you're around the Hollywood Quarter, check out our neighbourhood guide to Surry Hills for some of the most popular local spots, or visit the neighbourhood guide to Newtown should you find yourself in the Inner West. Otherwise, there are plenty of itinerary-worthy activities running alongside Great Southern Nights. The first weekend of the festival is your last chance to catch one of Sydney's most comfortable outdoor cinemas, and you'll have until the end of the following week (Sunday, March 30) to head out west for one of the largest Ramadan Night Markets in the city. If you love a game night, you can join an interactive Dungeons & Dragons session at the Sydney Opera House. And if you want to surround yourself with what makes Sydney great, get a dose of the city's many cultures in Darling Harbour or immerse yourself in a reconstructed forest in the Royal Botanic Gardens. Where to Stay And, of course, you need a great spot to spend your nights recharging ahead of another great gig. That goes for residents and visitors alike since a city staycation can save you some serious late-night hassle in getting home. If you want to go all-out on luxury, opt for a room at W Sydney, the design-heavy Darling Harbour stay that's hosting some of Great Southern Nights gigs — or the stunning heritage building-encasing Intercontinental Sydney with spectacular views of the harbour. Further into the inner city, Chippendale's Old Clare Hotel is a prime pick for a centralised stay and is even dog-friendly if you're travelling with a four-legged friend. Over on the eastern end of the city, Oxford House serves as a fantastic Palm Springs-style escape hidden on one of Sydney's busiest roads. Great Southern Nights is set to take over venues across NSW between Friday, March 21 and Sunday, April 6. Check out our gig guides for Newcastle, the Central Coast and Wollongong or visit the website for more information.
When Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) returns to the world of fashion, very few people care. In Zoolander 2, the male model finds that everyone has moved on during his 15-year absence; in fact, upon his arrival at the Rome airport with his rival turned best buddy Hansel (Owen Wilson), the paparazzi barely give him a second glance. The dim-witted character's on-screen comeback appears to subvert the film's off-screen reality, given that audiences have been clamouring for a follow-up to Zoolander ever since the 2001 feature became a cult favourite. Alas, it actually proves a sign of things to come, with the sequel rendering its central figure utterly forgettable. The Derek Zoolander of today might still boast shiny hair and his famous facial expressions, but he's now a recluse who gave up his career and son after a tragedy. Only an invitation to sashay down the runway for superstar seamstress Alexanya Atoz (Kristen Wiig) lures him back into the spotlight, though his trip to Italy also thrusts him into the thick of another conspiracy plot. This time, celebrities are dropping like flies, leaving pouting, blue steel-style selfies behind. Enter Interpol fashion division agent Valentina (Penélope Cruz), who needs Derek's help to put an end to the assassinations. Like many sequels, Zoolander 2 knows that viewers liked the first film, and isn't willing to stray far from that winning formula for its second outing. That means not just a similar story, the same levels of sartorial silliness and ample stupid dialogue, but plenty of overt nods to its predecessor. Indeed, spotting the references, repeats and rehashes — a familiar face here, a recycled line there — is perhaps the most enjoyable part of the movie. If you think that's a bad sign, you'd be right. If you think that everything else feels stretched, with countless twists and gags about obvious pop culture targets, you'd be right there too. That sense of déjà vu you're feeling is by design. What sets the two films apart, other than the sequels bloated narrative, is their respective strike rates. Zoolander might've been little more than a collection of exaggerated sketches and quotable dialogue, but at least its jokes landed more often than they didn't, whether skewering the fashion industry or taking aim at society's obsession with superficiality. Here, the recognisable content raises a smile, but attempts to contemplate loyalty, legacy and longevity come across as cheap and easy. Everything else — taking down hipsters, packing in cameo appearances, literally killing off Justin Bieber, and having Hansel date an orgy — falls flat. At least Stiller, as co-writer, director and star, can't be accused of lacking enthusiasm either in front of or behind the lens. Zoolander 2 is left wanting in the surprise and subtlety departments, however it forges ahead with the same energy he brings to his performance. Acting-wise, he's pulling the same faces and hitting the same beats — as is Wilson and scene-stealing fellow returnee Will Ferrell as devious designer Mugatu — but he doesn't seem as strained as the material he's working with. Ultimately though, Stiller's eagerness isn't enough. Just like there's a lot more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking, there should be more to a long-awaited sequel than blatantly reliving past glories.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late 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 new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. CYRANO Love can spring quickly, igniting sparks instantly. Or, it can build gradually and gracefully, including over a lifetime. It can be swift and bold like a lightning strike, too, or it can linger, evolve and swell like a gentle breeze. In the sumptuous confines of Cyrano, all of the above happens. The latest adaptation of Edmond Rostand's 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac, this time as a musical via playwright Erica Schmidt's own song-filled on-stage version, lends its attention to two men who've fallen for the plucky Roxanne (Haley Bennett, Hillbilly Elegy) in opposite ways. Charming soldier Christian de Neuvillette (Kelvin Harrison Jr, The Trial of the Chicago 7) gets the fast-and-infatuated experience, while the movie's namesake (Peter Dinklage, I Care a Lot), a poet also handy in battle, has ached for his childhood pal for as long as he can remember. Roxanne's two suitors make a chalk-and-cheese pair, with their contrasting approaches to matters of the heart — specifically, to winning her heart and helping ensure that she doesn't have to marry the rich and ruthless De Guiche (Ben Mendelsohn, The Outsider) to secure her future — driving much of Cyrano's drama. Also present and accounted for, as all takes on the tale have included (see also: 80s rom-com Roxanne with Steve Martin, the Gérard Depardieu-starring Cyrano de Bergerac, 90s rom-com The Truth About Cats & Dogs with Uma Thurman and Janeane Garofalo, plus recent Netflix teen flicks Sierra Burgess Is a Loser and The Half of It): insecurities about appearance, a way with words and a ghostwriting gambit. Short in stature given Dinklage's casting, Cyrano can't even dream that Roxanne could love him. But he wants her to be happy above all else and knows that she's smitten with Christian, so he secretly lends his romantic rival his letter-penning abilities to help woo her by lyrical prose. This Cyrano may have a different reason for not believing that Roxanne could reciprocate his feelings, even as she gets giddy over the correspondence he scripts for Christian — traditionally, a large nose gets in his way — but his slow-and-steady affection is especially apt in this particular film. The latest period piece from Joe Wright, it slips into the British director's resume alongside Pride & Prejudice, Atonement and Anna Karenina, and initially seems as standard a silver-screen staging of Cyrano as a musical as he could reliably muster. But all three of those aforementioned movies are stunning in their own ways, especially the gutsy Anna Karenina. Unsurprisingly, his newest feature is as well. Doing his best work since that Tolstoy adaptation, and clearly back in his comfort zone after Pan, Darkest Hour and The Woman in the Window, Wright lets Cyrano take its time to bloom and blossom. And, when it flowers partway through, it makes viewers realise that it's been a gorgeous gem of a film all along. Like on-screen love story, like surrounding flick, basically. That said, the routine air that initially seems to float through Cyrano's first act can't have been by design. Rather, the film winds up to its full heart-wrenching powers so patiently that it appears a tad too expected while its various pieces are being put into place — a fact hardly helped by how often this exact narrative or variations of it have made it to screens — until it's just simply and unshakeably wonderful. Wright doesn't change anything in his approach, helming a handsome, detail-laden, rhythmic piece of cinema from the outset, but the emotions that truly make the movie sing strengthen minute by minute. And yes, when it all clicks in just so, it's with its three main players literally crooning, conveying so much about their huge, swirling, all-encompassing feelings that normal dialogue couldn't have done justice to. Read our full review. HIVE 2021 swarmed with historic achievements for women in film, including Nomadland's Chloë Zhao becoming the first woman of colour and only second woman ever to win the Oscar for Best Director, that category's nomination of two female filmmakers for the first time in its then 93-year history and the Cannes Film Festival awarding the Palme d'Or to a woman — Titane's Julia Ducournau — for only the second time. But before all of that, Kosovo-born writer/director Blerta Basholli achieved something at the Sundance Film Festival that'd never been done either: winning the US fest's World Cinema Dramatic Competition Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award and Best Director gong for Hive. It was a well-deserved feat for a movie that'd stick in memory even without such an achievement, and it's easy to see why Sundance's jurors and viewers responded with such a show of support. A powerhouse of a true tale that's brought to the screen with a devastatingly potent lead performance, Hive is simply unshakeable. In Basholli's first feature, to peer at star Yllka Gashi (Kukumi) is to look deep into a battler's eyes. Hive directs its attention her way frequently. The also-Kosovan actor plays Fahrije Hoti, a woman who has never been allowed to stop fighting, although the men in her patriarchal village would prefer she'd keep quiet. They wish she'd just attend to her duties as a mother and do what's expected. They think she should be a silent, compliant wife, although there's a significant problem with that idea. With her husband missing for years due to the Kosovo War, she can't be a meekly obedient spouse even if that was in her nature — which it isn't — because the man she loves is gone, no sign of him either dead or alive has been recovered, and she's trapped in limbo as she waits, tries to keep caring for her family and endeavours to go on. Those dismissive, misogynistic attitudes flung at Fahrije by her community join the litany of roadblocks that she's forced to rally against with every word, thought and breath she has. In her husband's absence, her father-in-law Haxhi (Çun Lajçi, Zana) is eager to maintain the status quo, but Fahrije has been trying to make ends meet anyway, all in a town — and amidst a male-dominated culture — that couldn't be more unsympathetic to her plight. She isn't alone, however, with many of the locale's other women also widowed due to the conflict, and similarly expected to survive without upsetting traditional gender roles. So, with the beehives that she dutifully attends to unable to keep providing enough income to pay her bills, the enterprising Fahrije and her friend Nazmije (Kumrije Hoxha, The Marriage) decide to start a female-run co-operative to make and sell ajvar, a pepper relish. A picture of stinging resilience, unflappable fortitude and baked-in sorrow, Gashi is phenomenal as Fahrije. Not only does Hive keep gazing her way but, thanks to the raw compulsion of her performance, viewers eagerly do the same. The skill required to play stoic but also persistent, passionate and simmering with internalised pain can't be underestimated, and watching Gashi navigate that balance like it's the only thing she knows — because, for Fahrije after her husband's disappearance, it now is — is affecting on a gutwrenching level. Lived-in fury and resolve buzzes through every facet of her portrayal, all as the woman whose shoes she's walking in weathers derision, violence and attempted sexual assault for daring to dream of attempting to support herself. It comes as no surprise that various film festival prizes have been sent Gashi's way among Hive's collection of accolades, with ample merit. Read our full review. STUDIO 666 As the drummer for Nirvana and the frontman for Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl doesn't have many mixed bags on his resume. The music superstar has been in the spotlight for three-plus decades now, and boasts success after success to his name, complete with a list of awards and hits bound to make almost everyone else in the industry envious. But all their lives, Grohl and his fellow Foos must've dreamt of being horror movie stars — and the result, the pandemic-shot Studio 666, shouldn't entice any of them to quit their day jobs. A haunted-house horror-comedy, this rockstar lark is gonzo, gory and extremely goofy. It's a clear bit of fun for everyone involved, and it's made with overflowing love for the genre it slips into and parodies. But it's an indulgent and stretched exercise in famous folks following their whims at times like these, too. Achievement unlocked: there's Grohl's mixed bag. Studio 666's setup revolves around Grohl, drummer Taylor Hawkins, guitarists Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear, bassist Nate Mendel and keyboardist Rami Jaffee packing their bags for a live-in recording session at an Encino mansion. As the movie's 1993-set prologue shows, their temporary new home has a dark past, after the last group that inhabited the spot met bloody ends; however, ignorance is bliss for the Foo Fighters. Actually, an obligation to deliver their tenth album to their overbearing manager (Jeff Garlin, Curb Your Enthusiasm) inspires the move, as does the band's creative lull in conjuring up the record otherwise. Grohl instantly falls for the sound of the space as well, to an unhinged degree, and his bandmates begrudgingly agree to the month-long stay to make musical magic happen. Recording an album doesn't usually spark The Evil Dead-style murderous mayhem, cursed book and all, but that's Studio 666's gambit. Its Californian abode isn't just stalked by a grisly ghoul with a love of gut-rumbling tracks — it possesses Grohl with the need to craft a killer song, length be damned, and with satanic bloodlust, cannibal cravings and prima-donna rocker behaviour. Is he monstrous about doing whatever it takes to get the tune because he's bedevilled by the house's resident evil, he's on a power trip or both? That's one of the film's big gags, and also a hefty splatter of the kind of sense of humour it's working with. Winking, nudging, satirising, and sending up fame, egos and the all-devouring nature of entertainment stardom: they're all on the movie's menu, alongside as much gleefully cheap-looking viscera as any feature can manage to splash around. Amid the deaths by cymbal, barbecued faces and projectile-vomited guts — no, what's left of the Foos at the film's end won't be getting their bond back — there's zero doubt that Grohl and company are enjoying themselves. Actors, they aren't, but playfulness has always been part of Foo Fighters' mood. When the band began in 1994, initially as a one-man project by Grohl after Kurt Cobain's suicide the same year, it was instantly perkier and sillier than Nirvana. For the 'Big Me' music video from the group's self-titled first album, they shot an unforgettable Mentos ad parody in Sydney. With the 'Learn to Fly' clip in 1999, they satirised airline flicks — Airplane!, which was already a send-up, plus disaster fare Airport 1975 and Airport '77 — aided by Tenacious D's Jack Black and Kyle Gass. Getting so delightedly bloody might be new, but refusing to take themselves seriously definitely isn't. Read our full review. PREPARATIONS TO BE TOGETHER FOR AN UNKNOWN PERIOD OF TIME Will they or won't they? Do they or don't they? Every time that romance and relationships are portrayed on-screen, at least one of these questions always echoes. In the entrancingly moody and astute Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time, it's the latter. Whether Hungarian neurosurgeon Márta Vizy (Natasa Stork, Jupiter's Moon) and fellow doctor János (Viktor Bodó, Overnight) will end the film in each other's company still remains a pivotal part of the plot, but if there's ever been anything between them — or if it's all simply in Márta's head — is the far more pressing concern. She's a woman smitten, so much so that she's returned home from a prestigious job in the US just for him. But his behaviour could be called vague, rude or flat-out ghosting, if he even remembers that they've crossed paths before — and, if they ever actually have. Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time first introduces Márta as she's unloading her János-sparked romantic woes upon her therapist. What could've been a standard rom-com or romantic drama setup soon twists into something far more alluring and intriguing, however. Indeed, as writer/director Lili Horvát (The Wednesday Child) ponders the role of memory in affairs of the heart, her film just keeps inspiring more trains of thought. How can we ever know how someone else really feels about us? How long will any romantic emotions last, and can they last? Is it ever truly possible to trust whoever our hearts fall or, or our hearts to begin with? And, can we genuinely believe those intense memories of love that implant themselves inside our brains, refuse to leave and inspire life-changing decisions — or is love too subjective, no matter how deep, real, shared and strong that it feels? These queries all spring from Márta's homecoming, after she meets János at a conference in New Jersey, then pledges to do so again a month later on a Budapest bridge. She shows, but he doesn't. Worse: when she tracks him down at his work afterwards, he says that he doesn't know her. While tinkering with memory is a familiar film and TV concept — see: everything from Memento and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to Mulholland Drive and Severance — Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time is interested in the emotional fallout from János' claims to have zero knowledge of Márta first and foremost. Confused, unsettled and still wholeheartedly infatuated, she just can't bring herself to return stateside, and also can't get János out of her mind in general. Scripted with empathy and precision by Horvát, and also shot and styled like a waking dream, Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time isn't easily forgotten either, siding its viewers with Márta over János. This is a haunting and beautifully acted psychological drama that lays bare just how all-encompassing, obsessive, intoxicating and mind-melting love can feel, all as it plays with recollection and its ability to shape our perspectives. The tone is loaded but uncanny — sweet but uncertain, too — and Horvát has fun getting both emotional and cerebral while having her characters cut open brains. The latter happens literally and yes, there aren't many movies quite like this one. Cinema doesn't boast too many performances like the exceptional Stork's, either, which draws viewers into every feeling, question, and pang of both intense affection and shattering uncertainty that flows through Márta. Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time screens in Melbourne from February 24, and opens in Sydney and Brisbane from March 17. FORTUNE FAVORS LADY NIKUKO Japanese animation has given cinema-goers a wealth of gifts, Studio Ghibli's enchanting on-screen magic across nearly four decades sitting atop the pile, and the heartwrenching Your Name and Weathering with You ranking high among them as well. But films that serve up gorgeous snapshots of coastal living and cuisine are finding their own anime niche, too, with Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko following Ride Your Wave — and proving as much of a delight. It isn't quite another romantic tale about matters of the heart, hope and H2O, as Josee, the Tiger and the Fish also was, but only because it focuses on an 11-year-old and her mother. The same swells of emotion still wash through, all in an eye-catchingly animated story set in a northern Japanese harbour town — complete with cooking up a storm, and making illustrated dishes spark hunger pangs. The film's title refers to the outgoing, happy-go-lucky, houseboat-dwelling Nikuko (voiced by Shinobu Ôtake, Shadowfall), who works as a bar waitress in the sleepy locale she now calls home, and is also never without a smile. But as Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko's introductory sequence explains — adopting a more stylised, less naturalistic type of imagery than the bulk of the movie in the process — her bad romantic luck, including the debts she's amassed from her past loves, has played a large part in her current fate. She still works hard six days a week, never complains, and is instantly recognisable around the village. The whip-smart, serious and introverted Kikuko (model and flutist Cocomi), Nikuko's daughter, doesn't share the same attitude, however, and wants nothing more than to blend in where her single mother stands out. Based on the 2011 novel of the same name by Kanako Nishi, Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko keeps its dramas grounded, as Kikuko navigates the usual struggles of school — being forced to pick which classmates to spend lunchtime with, for instance — and the standard preteen experience that is pushing away from your parents. Indeed, no one is spirited away, tasked with saving the world or left communing with water in a grief-stricken state here, but that doesn't make this slow-building film any less resonant. As well as being deeply instep with the woes of adolescence, and of the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, this affecting slice-of-life feature also laps up simply stepping into its characters' lives and their surroundings. Where watching Weathering with You felt like taking a walk through Tokyo, for example, viewing Fortune Favours Lady Nikuko whisks the audience away to its peaceful seaside setting. Filmmaker Ayumu Watanabe also directed 2019's Children of the Sea, another recent Japanese gem and fellow Studio 4°C release that proved sweet and smart, and similarly looked a treat — and he's as skilled at immersing viewers into heartfelt stories rendered through animation as his internationally better-known compatriots. There's also a sense of calm to his films that's both soothing and bewitching, as vibrant as they always look. In fact, the only misstep that Watanabe and screenwriter Satomi Ohshima (Our 30 Minute Sessions) make with Fortune Favours Lady Nikuko stems from the easy jokes made about the movie's namesake's size, which visibly contrasts with her reed-thin daughter but didn't need to also be the butt of several verbal gags. The tone is still loving, and one of the feature's big thematic threads does involve seeing past the obvious — especially given two people who are painted as such opposites sit at its centre — but it's still a rare grey cloud in an otherwise warm anime sky. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28; November 4, November 11, November 18 and November 25; December 2, December 9, December 16 and December 26; January 1, January 6, January 13, January 20 and January 27; and February 3, February 10 and February 17. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Alpinist, A Fire Inside, Lamb, The Last Duel, Malignant, The Harder They Fall, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Halloween Kills, Passing, Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark, Julia, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick... Boom!, Zola, Last Night in Soho, Blue Bayou, The Rescue, Titane, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, Dune, Encanto, The Card Counter, The Lost Leonardo, The French Dispatch, Don't Look Up, Dear Evan Hansen, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Lost Daughter, The Scary of Sixty-First, West Side Story, Licorice Pizza, The Matrix Resurrections, The Tragedy of Macbeth, The Worst Person in the World, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, House of Gucci, The King's Man, Red Rocket, Scream, The 355, Gold, King Richard, Limbo, Spencer, Nightmare Alley, Belle, Parallel Mothers, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Belfast, Here Out West, Jackass Forever, Benedetta, Drive My Car, Death on the Nile, C'mon C'mon, Flee, Uncharted and Quo Vadis, Aida?.
We thought we'd hit peak Harry Potter fandom when a store dedicated to the wizarding world opened last year. Nope. With the latest Fantastic Beasts film just in cinemas and JK Rowling's Harry Potter and the Cursed Child theatre production now playing, the magical realm's touch on reality shows no sign of fading anytime soon. Now, grandiose Melbourne institution The Hotel Windsor is continuing the craze by transforming one of its 180 heritage rooms into a wizarding wonderland — complete with rare collectibles from the Harry Potter franchise. Think wands, prints from the film's original illustrators and tonnes of official merchandise, along with many magical limited-edition items. Guests of the suites — which have also been decked out with Hogwarts-appropriate vintage trunks, leather furniture and plush rugs — have exclusive access to all of it. And can even buy the magical merch, if they so please. The suite's launch corresponds with the start of the Cursed Child performances at the Princess Theatre — located just down the block from the Windsor — and it will remain open for bookings through till December 31, 2019. This means that the magical world of Harry Potter doesn't have to end post-show, but will just keep on going back at your hotel room. Of course, the suite will cost a pretty penny, starting at $699 for mid-week bookings and $899 on weekends. But, if you're a 'live, breathe and (literally) sleep' kind of fan, it just might be worth it. The Wizards Suite at The Windsor is available to book from January 15–December 21, 2019. To secure your night's stay, head to The Hotel Windsor website.
After spending a day, evening or both sipping on your favourite wine, you might feel as though you've been soaking in boozy grape juice. That's understandable. You'll feel the same when you're enjoying a glass of Edivo Vina's tipples — but expect to dive deeper, literally. Edivo Vina is Croatia's first underwater winery, and they're now open for visitors. Yes, that means doing more than simply plunging your face into a wine glass. You'll descend into the ocean's depths to explore their operations, and check out a sunken shipwreck that's used as their underwater cellar while you're down there. And, you can even help bring your own bottle of vino back up to the surface. Located off of the coast of Drače on the Pelješac Peninsula, the winery first starts their booze-making process on land, where their wines are aged for three months. They're then stored in clay jugs known as amphorae, corked and protected by two layers of rubber, and submerged 18 to 25 metres into the sea for one to two years. Relying upon natural cooling, giving the booze a pinewood aroma and also benefiting from the water's "perfect silence" — because quiet wine-making is the best wine-making, apparently — it's a system that the ancient Greeks used. They are known for their love of wine, after all. Unsurprisingly, after such a substantial stint in the ocean, the bottles come back to the surface coated in shells, corrals and algae. Now that's something you won't find at your local bottle-o. Images: Edivo Vina.
The Barossa Valley's rolling, winery-filled countryside has scored a sleek new addition, in The Villas — a secluded, luxury retreat championing environmentally responsible architecture. Two thoughtfully designed structures have made their home in the quaint town of Marananga, an hour's drive from Adelaide, on the site beside owners Grant and Cathy Wills' historic former schoolhouse. Each of the standalone eco-villas boasts a warm, minimalist feel, the spaces kitted out with a plethora of luxury trimmings — think, queen-size beds fitted with French linen, wifi, fully-equipped kitchens, and rainwater showers and soak tubs. All topped off with views across the one-hectare of private property (yours to explore) filled with sugar gums, eucalypts and — often — 'roos. The work of Sydney firm Stephen Sainsbury Architects, the villas are a South Australian first. They're constructed using a minimal impact and environmentally sustainable system called "Ecoshelta", which has been used to build off-the-grid retreats across NSW and Tasmania. This retreat is also a prime basecamp for any winery hopping adventures, perched within walking distance of no less than five local cellar doors, not to mention the famed Seppeltsfield Road Distillers. With more than 150 wineries in the region, you certainly won't be short a good glass of plonk. A stay at The Villas starts from $385 a night with a two-night minimum. Price of the stay includes a complimentary breakfast made using local produce. Find The Villas at 468 Seppeltsfield Road, Marananga, South Australia.
It's been a long time between slices, but one much-loved Carlton pizza spot is finally set to enjoy its full phoenix-from-the-ashes revival moment. Leonardo's Pizza Palace will reopen in all its original glory on Friday, July 15; just over 12 months after a fire blew through its pizza kitchen and forced the venue into an extended closure. Dealing with the fallout of significant fire damage right in the midst of lockdowns and restrictions was no mean feat. While the venue has been allowed to operate in a reduced capacity since January, its legendary woodfired pizzas have remained off the menu while the pizza kitchen stood closed. But now, with rebuilding finally finished, it's all back, baby. [caption id="attachment_860512" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jana Langhorst[/caption] The July 15 relaunch will kick off a big weekend of celebrations, as the team returns to doing what they do best and give the people what they've been craving. That means you'll be able to be reunited with smash hit pizzas like the Jalapeno with fermented peppers and cheese, and the house Pepperoni. Leonardo's snacks and sides are also worth a look-in, with bites like the cacio e pepe polenta, loaded salumi plates and anchovy crostini currently in the lineup. [caption id="attachment_860516" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Natalie Jurrjens[/caption] Also on the bill for opening weekend: non-stop happy hour specials, including $12 Negronis, $12 jugs of beer and the signature Pina Coladas going for an easy $14 a pop. There's a lot to celebrate, after all. Kicking off a return to the regular DJ programming, the tunes will also be banging, with the weekend's curation courtesy of Wax'o Paradiso. "We are so relieved and excited to welcome people back in and serve up the food we are known for," says co-owner Guy Bentley. "It has been a really tough 12 months and we are looking forward to the future." Leonardo's Pizza Palace will relaunch form 5pm on July 15, at 29 Grattan Street, Carlton. Its new weekend opening hours are 5pm–1am Friday, 12pm–1am Saturday and 12pm–late Sunday. Top Images: Natalie Jurrjens
'Squito', as the 'throwable panoramic camera ball' is officially known, is the brainchild of Boston-based inventor Steve Hollinger. Packed with three cameras, an IMU (inertial measurement unit), a microcontroller, an image processor and sensors, the tennis ball-sized piece of first generation genius promises to take video to yet another new level. And yes, it might unleash a torrent of Facebook selfies from unimaginable angles, but what's more interesting about Squito is its potential to assist in search-and-rescue missions, reconnaissance, architectural development and mapping. Built to function in all kinds of conditions, including darkness, fog and smoke, it can be used in disaster zones to detect injured and trapped victims. Squito's sensors determine the relationship between its rapidly moving apertures and the subject concerned, so that images can be joined to form a panorama. Moreover, video stabilisation is possible, and photos and footage are sent to a nearby computer, tablet or smartphone via wireless communication. 'Throwable camera innovations are accelerating with advancements in sensor and imaging microelectronics,' Hollinger explains. 'And with the advent of low-cost, high-speed cameras for outdoor recreation, an affordable throwable camera is finally within reach.' Want one? Unfortunately, the Squito is not yet up for sale. Hollinger has a second patent, but he's looking for 'camera companies, investors and individuals operating on the cutting edge' to get involved. [via Hypebeast]
Film festival opening nights aren't just about red carpets, a jam-packed guest list, plenty of photo opportunities and oh-so-much buzz. They're also about launching a cinema celebration as the event means to go on. So, with SXSW heading Down Under for the first time in 2023, hosting SXSW Sydney from Sunday, October 15–Sunday, October 22, exactly which flick gets pride of place at the fest's Screen Festival is a particularly massive deal. The pick: The Royal Hotel, the latest film from Australian director Kitty Green. Green will bring her second fictional feature and fourth full-length effort to the Harbour City's first-ever SXSW, with the movie enjoying its Australian debut fresh from world-premiering at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. The Royal Hotel also marks the second collaboration in a row between Green and star Julia Garner, who was as stunning in the filmmaker's The Assistant as she was in Ozark and Inventing Anna. This time, the Casting JonBenet helmer and her current go-to star are teaming up on a tale about US backpackers who get jobs at an outback Australian pub — and also stay there. Amid the heat, the lack of wifi and drinking wine out of a cask, Hanna (Garner) and Liv (Jessica Henwick, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery) also cross paths with the town's male residents, including Hugo Weaving (Love Me) as the watering hole's owner, plus Toby Wallace (Babyteeth) playing charming and Daniel Henshall (Mystery Road: Origin) getting chilling. "Kitty Green's The Royal Hotel is a deft reworking of the Aussie outback thriller, reoriented with a female gaze, and we could not be more thrilled to open the inaugural SXSW Sydney Screen Festival with Kitty in attendance," said SXSW Sydney's Head of Screen Ghita Loebenstein, announcing the opening-night selection. "The film takes deliberate stabs at the more toxic shadows of the genre, and our culture, in sophisticated but ever entertaining ways. Kitty is a local luminary gaining international acclaim as a writer-director with a fearless vision for nuanced storytelling and this film is the perfect opener to the Screen Festival, which seeks to amplify and celebrate bold voices in film." The Royal Hotel joins ten previously announced titles on the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival lineup from Sunday, October 15–Saturday, October 21, with more to come. Also a big local title on the bill: documentary Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles, which will enjoy its world premiere at the fest. And, among nine flicks revealed in July, everything from flicks starring Indonesian rappers and documentaries about Tokyo Uber Eats rider to movies featuring viral Chinese dance crazes will pop up. Can't wait to watch your way through the fest? SXSW Sydney Screen Festival wristbands go on sale on Friday, August 25, starting at an early-bird price of $240 and getting people wearing one into unlimited screenings. [caption id="attachment_910715" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Netflix[/caption] The SXSW 2023 Sydney Screen Festival also features an array of speakers, with Queer Eye star Tan France set to hit Australia to get chatting. Indigenous filmmakers Leah Purcell (The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson), Kodie Bedford (Mystery Road: Origin) and Jub Clerc (Sweet As) will also take to the stage; Osher Günsberg is on the SXSW Sydney bill recording an episode of his podcast Better Than Yesterday with a yet-to-be-announced special guest; and Gone Girl, The Nightingale, The Dry, Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers producer Bruna Papandrea and Binge's Executive Director Alison Hurbert-Burns will also appear. As well as showering viewers with movies and TV shows, with more titles to come — including First Nations Screen Festival programming by Winda Film Festival founder Pauline Clague — SXSW Sydney's film- and TV-focused strand will feature red-carpet premieres; digital and social content; an XR showcase; Q&As and panel discussions; parties and mentoring; and a screen market for industry deals. Free outdoor screenings are also slated, alongside indoor sessions at The ICC's Darling Theatre, Palace Cinemas Central and other yet-to-be-advised venues. SXSW Sydney will run from Sunday, October 15–Sunday, October 22 at various Sydney venues, with the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival running from Sunday, October 15–Saturday, October 21 at The ICC's Darling Theatre, Palace Cinemas Central and more venues to be announced. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for further details. If you're keen to make the most of Australia's first SXSW, take advantage of our special reader offer. Purchase your SXSW Sydney 2023 Official Badge via Concrete Playground Trips and you'll score a $150 credit to use on your choice of Sydney accommodation. Book now via the website.
When the ABC decided to take a few cues from Britain's music quiz and comedy panel TV series Never Mind the Buzzcocks by creating Spicks and Specks, Australia's national broadcaster likely knew that it had a hit on its hands — but it mightn't have realised just how beloved the show would become. 2025 will mark two decades since the series debuted. It hasn't always been on the air every year since, but it will be back for next year's milestone. Get ready to bust out all that music knowledge, and also to play along with one of the nation's favourite television shows — again. Among everything that the ABC has ever broadcast, be it news, entertainment, after-school kids shows, oh-so-much Doctor Who and late-night music videos to keep you occupied after a few drinks all included, the Adam Hills-, Myf Warhurst- and Alan Brough-led Spicks and Specks is among the all-time highlights. Exactly when the next season will hit in 2025 hasn't been revealed, but 2024's run arrived from June. There's no word yet on new guests, either, but a heap of top Australian talent will sit around and talk about tunes as always. 2024's guests included Anthony Callea, Marlon Williams, Elly-May Barnes, Nooky, Montaigne and Dan Sultan, as well as Mark Seymour, Oli from Lime Cordiale — and also Hamish Blake, Tommy Little, Steph Tisdell, Abbie Chatfield, Shane Jacobson and Jenny Tian. Here's how it works, if you need a refresher: Spicks and Specks' contestants answer questions, compete for points and just generally prove funny, too. That's the concept behind the series, which pits Aussie musos and comedians against each other. It was a weekly favourite when it first aired between 2005–2011 — and it keeps being resurrected. As fans are well-aware, Spicks and Specks has enjoyed more comebacks than John Farnham, although that has meant different things over the years. When the program was first revived back in 2014, it did so with a new host and team captains, for instance. And when it started to make a return with its original lineup of Hills, Warhurst and Brough, it first did so via a one-off reunion special. That 2018 comeback proved more than a little popular. It became the ABC's most-watched show of that year, in fact. So, the broadcaster then decided to drop four new Spicks and Specks specials across 2019–20 and, for 2021, to bring back Spicks and Specks in its regular format. In 2022, ten new episodes hit — and then the show returned again in 2024. To tide you over until new episodes, here's a clip from 2024's Spicks and Specks run: Spicks and Specks will return to ABC TV and ABC iView in 2025 — we'll update you with more details when they're announced.
No adult should actually want to head back in time to their schoolyard days, but sending your chocolate-loving tastebuds there is a different matter. Some flavours and snacks just transport you into your memories, offering up a blast from the past with every bite, and KitKat is making them its business — alongside releasing oh-so-many wild and delightful flavours in Japan, of course. (Cough drop KitKats, anyone?) In 2022, KitKat teamed up with Aussie favourite Milo on the chocolate bars of your childhood dreams. Now, it's giving that concept a second go — this time with Milkybars. Sure, you mightn't have had a Milkybar since you carried around a lunchbox in a backpack, but come April and May, you'll be able to get your fix via three options. The Milkybars are on this new range of KitKats, and literally — in a way that 90s TV ads never imagined. Leading the pack is a regular four-finger KitKat covered with Milkybar white chocolate, which'll hit 7-Elevens first from April. But, it has company. If you're keen to share — or save some for yourself for later — there's a big KitKat block also covered in white chocolate which arrives at other supermarkets and convenience stores from Wednesday, May 3. Or, there's a sharepack filled with small pieces which you'll only find at Coles from the same May date. No, you don't have to eat this collab with milk. Also, you don't have to enjoy them in a milk bar, if you can find one around the place. And no, you don't have to call yourself the Milkybar Kid, either — even if the character was a staple of Nestlé's Milkybar advertisements from the 60s onwards. To really ramp up the nostalgia, check out one of those old ads below: KitKat's Milkybar chocolates will hit store shelves from April and May, retailing at $2 per bar, $5 per share pack and $5.50 per block.
A few years ago, it would've been hard to imagine millions of people getting excited about watching someone sleeping in a box. But two weeks ago, we all did just that, as that most sculptural of humans, Tilda Swinton, set up in New York's Museum of Modern Art for some shut-eye under glass. The performative art work, titled The Maybe, had been exhibited previously in 1995, but this time it generated a huge level of interest — and Swinton's heightened celebrity wasn't the only driver. Performance art — these days often called live art, time-based art or just plain performance — is having a bit of a moment. Right now, thousands of Sydneysiders are queuing to experience 13 Rooms, an installation of, yes, 13 rooms, each containing a flight of performative fancy from one of 13 internationally renowned artists. Once in, they're swapping their personal belongings for those of others, negotiating a revolving door made of people and comprehending a live person floating on air. The art form is easy to make fun of (sometimes brilliantly, as in this Portlandia clip), but that's partly because it's fun and easy to engage with. So why have we entered the time of performance art? Here are a few of the factors behind the rise. 1. Art parties The last time performance art was at its heights was in the 1960s, when Andy Warhol's 'happenings' were a major way of doing cultural business. These were events at his famous Factory studio and one of history's main moments in which artists from all different disciplines were invited to mingle — along with people who just liked to party. There might be paintings on one wall, video projections on another, the Velvet Underground everywhere. "What's happening now is happenings — where music, dancing, movies, everything happens at once and assaults all the senses," wrote Newsweek in its Pop issue in 1966. Sound familiar? Minus some orgies and taboo breaking, it's not unlike the current mode for art parties like Jurassic Lounge, ARTBAR or Next Wave events. Performance art — based, as it usually is, on a strong central concept that can be communicated within minutes, if not seconds — is the sort of thing that can thrive in a hullabaloo. Even if it's a durational performance whose real meaning will only become known over days, you can still just engage for 30 seconds and move on to the next thing. It also helps that much like then, we're into interdisciplinarity at the moment — the Australia Council even has a separate funding body for it, the Inter-Arts office. More on that in point two. 2. A response to digital The internet is big, you guys. Photorealistic blending of oil paint is great, but how much can it tell us about our technologically precipitous times? Let's throw everything we have at that moral puzzle, is the thinking: film, video games, live art, big ideas. A blend of sculpture and theatre, performance is one of the quintessential interdisciplinary arts. There are two particular aspects of it that suit our ubiquitously digital times: interactivity and the idea of 'absolute presence'. Interacting with stuff is our modus operandi now, and we don't want to stop when we put down our devices. Although it doesn't usually put you on the spot in the dreaded 'public participation' way, performance art is essentially interactive. A performer and an observer (performer #2?) in one space cannot help but have an effect on each other. And then there's almost the converse quality: sometimes we just want to cut the digital tether and just be in one place, without distraction (like mindfulness. But arty). Seeing performance art is a way of having an experience that you know is personal, private, fleeting, immediate and real. It's kind of nice. 3. Marina Abramovic Marina Abramovic has been a presence in popular culture for a while now — she was on Sex and the City back in 2003, when Carrie dated an artist. But her 2010 MoMA show, The Artist Is Present, captured public attention as few art world things have. With the still-entertaining Tumblr Marina Abramovic Made Me Cry, she basically reached meme status through the act of sitting. Since then a documentary about the exhibition and her weird mutual obsession with that other interdisciplinary something, James Franco (she's apparently making a movie about him) have continued to endear and fascinate. (In the above clip, she has a surprise reunion with her ex-partner Ulay at The Artist Is Present — gah!) 4. Art gallery infiltration Sydney's MCA is about to launch a second season dedicated to performance art, this year dubbed Workout. Previously, the Dachshund UN held there was something of a live art coup. And the MCA is not alone; traditional galleries are increasingly finding space for the oft-puzzling art form that can't be hung on the wall or put behind glass (unless it's Tilda). Melbourne's ACCA will soon host Mikala Dwyer's performance project, and last year London's Tate Modern opened the Tanks, a cavern underground that plays host to a roster of performance as well as film, sound and, of course, happenings. As Laura Cumming wrote in her Guardian review, "For the moment, the Tanks are the coolest part of the whole Tate enterprise. They have an air of freedom about them, as if anything might happen, and that comes from the ever-changing relationship between the raw building, the art and its audience." With institutional support, this era of performance art could be a long one. Settle in.
Quentin Tarantino loves movies. He adores directing them, and has nine impressive flicks to his name spanning three decades to prove it. He's oh-so-fond of dropping references, nods and winks to other films in his films, as anyone who has ever seen even just one already knows. Sometimes, such as in Inglourious Basterds and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, he builds the business of making movies or screening them — or both — into his plots as well. He'll chat about them at length, too, and he turned his last flick into a book that spends plenty of time delving into film and TV history. So naturally he's about to do what every film lover seems to do at some point. Yes, he's making a podcast about movies. While sitting the Reservoir Dogs, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill and The Hateful Eight filmmaker behind a microphone and just letting him wax lyrical about cinema would've attracted listeners anyway, Tarantino's new podcast does have a specific angle. Famously, he was once a video store clerk — so he's diving back into those days. That's why you'll be listening to The Video Archives Podcast, which is named after the Californian shop that Tarantino worked at in the 80s. And, staying true to that concept, he'll be discussing films that he watches on the old store's actual VHS tapes. Because Tarantino is Tarantino, he acquired the joint's tapes back in 1995, and also rebuilt the Video Archives store in his home. Now, alongside his co-host Roger Avary — who also used to work at The Video Archives, where the pair met; also then became a director, making Killing Zoe and The Rules of Attraction among other movies; and collaborated on the Oscar-winning Pulp Fiction screenplay — he'll be pulling tapes off his own shelves, watching them and getting nattering. As outlined in the podcast's just-dropped trailer, the pair will chat about movies such as John Carpenter's Dark Star, Bond film Moonraker, Mexican supernatural flick Demonoid: Messenger of Death and horror-comedy Piranha — aka titles they recommended and rented out all those years back. They'll be joined by announcer Gala Avary, Roger's daughter, and also "expose listeners to movies they didn't know they'd love, give awards to their favourites and rate the quality of the video transfer", according to the podcast's announcement. The Video Archives Podcast is set to start dropping episodes on Tuesday, July 19, and will arrive via SiriusXM's Stitcher. And yes, of course Tarantino has something to say about it already. "We never imagined that 30 years after we worked together behind the counter at Video Archives, we would be together again doing the exact same thing we did back then: talking passionately about movies on VHS," Tarantino and Avary advised in a joint statement. "Watching movies was what originally brought us together and made us friends, and it's our love of movies that still brings us together today. So we surrounded ourselves with the original Video Archives collection, where we both worked before we became celebrated filmmakers, and time-traveled ourselves back to the golden age of VHS. We LOVE to discuss movies, and we want to welcome you into The Video Archives Podcast to hang with us and Archives' new employee Gala, and discover the hidden VHS gems on our shelves." For more information about The Video Archives Podcast, which'll start dropping episodes from Tuesday, July 19, head to Stitcher. Top image: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
A steakhouse and bar dedicated to New York-style Italian American eats has opened in the heart of the city. The two venues — Pretty Boy Italian Steakhouse and Floyd's Bar — now take up level one and two of Little Lonsdale Street's joined Novotel and Ibis hotels, and they aim to pay homage to the location's past as a gangster haunt and serves up cuisine inspired by Manhattan's Little Italy. Executive chef Michael Smith — who used to run the kitchens at Tonka and Mamasita — is in charge of the food here, and he's turning out fresh pasta made in-house daily, along with premium Australian steaks. Aged onsite, cuts include the O'Connor scotch fillet and Cape Grim ribeye on the bone, which is aged for four-to-five weeks. The menu also focuses on local produce and uses traditional techniques for curing meat — think green olive mortadella and wagyu bresaola — and making sugo. Other specialties include gnocchi with black truffle, porcini and portobello ragout; spicy kingfish crudo with orange, fennel and purple basil; and zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta, goat's curd and Vino Cotto wine. The restaurant is open for dinner from 6pm and breakfast until 10.30am, but closed for lunch. St Ali coffee is available all day, too, and desserts include tiramisu, New York cheesecake and vanilla panna cotta with amaretto jelly. In Floyd's Bar on level two, there's a spritz menu that starts with the classic Aperol and extends to the Sloe Spritz (Sloe gin, brandy, peach liqueur, pineapple, passionfruit and prosecco). Multiple negronis also make the menu, including a Breakfast Negroni — made with orange marmalade, orange bitter, Four Pillars gin and Cinzano — and the Four Pillars Spiced Negroni. On the wine list, Australian drops using Italian grapes are the focus. Pretty Boy Italian Steakhouse is located on level one and Floyd's Bar is on level two of Novotel Melbourne Central, 399 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. Both are open seven days a week — the former for breakfast and dinner, and the latter from 2–11pm.
It's no secret that high-level cycling attracts some pretty serious devotees, but when you come across the Bike Gallery just off Burke Road, you'll be made to feel at home with some fantastic coffee and a laidback attitude. Opened in November 2010, the shop is no slouch when it comes to high-end bicycles, stocking acclaimed cycling brands such as Pinarello, Cervelo and S-Works, and also clothing and accessories by the likes of Rapha, Pedla and Melbourne's own MAAP. With a dedicated cafe, workshop and regular shop rides, Bike Gallery is a place that most cycling fanatics can only dream of.
For a wintry weekend getaway filled with quality local beer, you can't match the annual out-of-town suds fest that is Bendigo on the Hop. And this beloved beer celebration returns to transform the Bendigo region into a haven of good brews, great food and live tunes, on Saturday, August 27. Jump in the car, head just under two hour's northwest of Melbourne and spend the day hopping between the area's best beer-slinging spots; each of which is hosting a different Victorian brewery for the occasion. You'll score tasting tokens and a souvenir glass, before making your way around the participating venues, where the breweries will each be showcasing two different brews to try. You'll be able to buy additional tasters and full-size pours from each location, too. The lineup is set to feature both core and limited-release beers from the likes of Bridge Road Brewers, Blackman's, Holgate, Shedshaker and Love Shack. On top of that, there'll be the chance to chat to the brewers as you wander, plus stacks of live tunes and top-notch eats to enjoy throughout the day. Tickets are $88, which includes your day's tasting tokens, a keepsake glass and entry to all participating venues — choose your starting venue when you buy your tickets online.
We're thinking he's back — and, if you're a fan of the John Wick flicks as everyone should be, we're thinking you're thrilled about your next night at the movies. John Wick: Chapter 4 sees Keanu Reeves bust out his on-screen assassin moves again in another action-packed onslaught. Beautiful in their balletic non-stop fight choreography, and also surprisingly heartwarming thanks to Reeves as the world's most committed dog owner, these films take the action genre to another level. The only thing better than watching a new John Wick movie? Seeing it a day before it hits general release over a three-course menu inspired by the picture. That's what Village Cinemas is serving up around Melbourne from 7pm on Wednesday, March 22, complete with bites with Japanese, New York and French influences — all settings in the movie. For $120, which includes your Gold Class ticket to the film, you'll start off karaage chicken with kewpie mayo and lime — washing it down with either a glass of sparkling wine or Kirin lager. Next comes a New York pastrami sandwich on rye with chips and dill pickle, plus either a glass of red or white wine or Brooklyn lager. And then for dessert, tuck into profiteroles filled with ice cream and topped with chocolate fudge sauce, all while sipping either a French martini or an espresso martini.
You've read the books, you've watched the flicks, you've sat through the theatre production — or you're planning to — and you've devoured your fair share of pop-up bars and themed experiences. But if you're eager to get your fill of wizard-related goodness any way that you can, here's another option: a series of immersive (and unofficial) wizard-inspired high tea events is coming your way, popping up in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. A Wizardry High Tea will grace all three cities with a run of multiple sessions each, held at top-secret locations. The dates vary from place to place, but Sydney's sessions will run between July and November, Melbourne's from May till November, and Brisbane's across the weekend of Friday, September 23–Sunday, September 25. So what sort of magical shenanigans are guests in for, you ask? Well, each city will host both daytime sessions that are open to all ages and night events reserved for adults only. There'll be appropriately themed cocktails and appearances from folks in costume, as well as immersive activities including potion-making classes. Of course, the high tea spread will stick to the theming as well, though exactly what's on the menu is being kept under wraps for now. As for where it's all happening, that'll be revealed to ticketholders before their sessions. Tickets to the 'daybreak' sessions are $70, with 'twilight' passes coming in at $95. A WIZARDRY HIGH TEA 2022 DATES: Sydney: Saturday, July 23–Sunday, July 24 and Saturday, November 19–Sunday, November 20. Melbourne: Friday, May 6–Sunday, May 8, Friday, July 8–Sunday, July 10 and Saturday, November 26–Sunday, November 27. Brisbane: Friday, September 23–Sunday, September 25. A Wizardry High Tea will hit Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane between May–November. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the event's website.
The underworld beckons: in 2025, hit musical Hadestown is set to take to the stage for the first time in Melbourne. Initially premiering as an indie theatre piece in 2006 in Vermont, then reaching off-Broadway in 2016 and Broadway in 2019, the show from musician and playwright Anaïs Mitchell plunges into the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice. Audiences at Her Majesty's Theatre can see the production give the ancient Greek myth a new spin from May. The Victorian capital is hosting the second Aussie stop, after Sydney, of the musical that spent 2019 and 2020 collecting accolades after accolades. From 14 Tony nominations, it won eight awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. At the Grammys, it took home Best Musical Theatre Album. If you're new to the show – which has been seen by more than three-million people and streamed over 350-million times — two love stories get Hadestown's narrative burning. Orpheus and Eurydice share the spotlight with King Hades and Persephone, as Mitchell accompanies their intertwined affairs with a soundtrack of New Orleans-inspired jazz and American folk. The production's Melbourne season kicks off on Thursday, May 8, 2025. Images: Hadestown Original London Cast.
Named for Shanghai's ancient narrow streets and alleys, the popular Hutong Group first set up shop in the CBD. The Prahran branch — specialising in peking duck and dumplings — has been around since the end of 2009 and is often as busy as its sibling. The addition of peking duck in its name supposedly indicates their specialty with the dish, however the boast that they are "the original one to make the Peking Duck since 1978 in China" is confusing as a statement and one that is not necessarily fulfilled. As in their other venues, Hutong Peking Duck & Dumpling offers Shanghainese food from eastern China, where dishes are traditionally small and designed for sharing. Their xiao long bao (also known as XLB or soup dumplings) command a rather large and dedicated following. Thin — but not too thin — dumpling skins expertly envelop the fragrant, soupy crab and pork filling ($13.50 for eight). Challenging to eat perhaps, but, having been advised by a dumpling maker that this is what you're after in a dumpling, juices running down the chin is not a problem you should worry about with these morsels. You can have the aforementioned peking duck in dumpling form, or their signature half or whole peking duck with steamed pancakes ($36.90-68.90). This is a build it yourself deal, with the menu instructing you to take a pancake, fill it with roasted and sliced duck meat, swathe this with special duck sauce, some cucumber strips and spring onions, roll it up and put it in your mouth before it all falls apart. It's a pretty dish and rather ceremonially presented with its flower adornment and bamboo steamer full of pancakes. As far as flavour is concerned though, there's just something missing. The gloriousness of the first bite of hot, crispy skin giving way to a melting mouthful of sweet, savoury, smoky duck fat and meat experienced with our previous peking duck endeavours was absent here. While the service was fast and efficient, there is little interest in conversation — or time for explanation or recommendation. You'll want to take a dumpling savvy friend and allow them to order up a storm. Otherwise you may feel a little overwhelmed by the vast menu and lack of navigation assistance. Disinterested service is often part of the deal in dumpling venues — as is a flask of complimentary Chinese tea, lots of dumplings for your dollar and laminated tables. But don't expect any of the latter at Hutong. A lot of care has been put into the décor here with its of mixture of wood, tiling, glass, contemporary art and ornaments. It's very much about the look. All of the surfaces are hard ones, which makes for some tricky acoustics once people start competing for their voices to be heard. If you're after a cheap and cheerful dinner — or a lot of dumpling bang for your buck — Prahran's Hutong isn't for you. But if you feel like mulling over a few xiao long bao and a glass of wine in a refined environment, this is the place to do it.
Art galleries often focus on making you think about what you are looking at, but not every exhibition makes you think about why you came to look at art in the first place. That's the idea behind The same crowd never gathers twice, a six-month exhibition program at Buxton Contemporary, a public art gallery on the Southbank Campus of the University of Melbourne. This exhibition, running until Sunday, October 13, uses moving images, sound, sculpture and performance to test the limits of the 'arena', i.e. the setting where humans gather to witness and participate in public life. Are you a passive spectator, watching from afar? Or do you prefer to take a more close-up and involved role? There's room for both in this program. [caption id="attachment_955100" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Installation view of The same crowd never gathers twice, Buxton Contemporary, the University of Melbourne, 2024. Featuring Cate Consandine, RINGER 2024. Courtesy of the artist and Sarah Scout Presents. Photography by Christian Capurro.[/caption] Said program includes the premiere of Ringer, a multi-channel film by Melbourne artist Cate Consandine; Assembled Audience, an Australian sound installation debut from NYC-based artist Taryn Simon; Body Loss, a performance piece from Sydney-based dancer and choreographer Angela Goh; and a site-specific commission for Buxton's heritage gallery by NZ-based artist Yona Lee and much more. 'The same crowd never gathers twice' is taking over Buxton Contemporary Gallery from Wednesdays to Sundays until Sunday, October 13. The exhibition is free to enter. For more information, visit the website. Top image: Installation view of 'The same crowd never gathers twice', Buxton Contemporary, the University of Melbourne, 2024. Featuring Riana Head-Toussaint, 'Animate Loading 1' 2022. Courtesy of the artist. Photography by Christian Capurro.
Vintage clothes + proceeds going to disadvantaged women = perfection. Dear Gladys is a not-for-profit shop that supports Fitted for Work, an organisation which supports women in hardship to secure employment through mentoring, interview preparation, outfitting, work experience opportunities and much more. This Friday, July 1, Dear Gladys will be expanding its online stock and holding a pop-up store at QV Women's Centre Melbourne. This is your chance to snap up some super cute vintage outfits and homewares while supporting a worthwhile cause. Not only will the online stock be available, but there's extra goodies and sale items being thrown in as well. Swooooon. The clothes are glorious (dibs on this.....and this), the homewares are adorable (seriously stop it), and the deals are so good you'd almost be losing money if you didn't go. Plus, it's supporting those who need it, so you have zero excuses not to check it out. Happy shopping!
Melbourne may not have many phwoar views, but you wouldn't know it perched on the terrace of Transit's Cocktail Lounge. The cool breeze off the Yarra below fans the view of the Arts Center precinct, sweeping down to the towers of Southgate. The crowd is usually a healthy mix of Southbank's after-work set with G&T's the refreshment of choice. Check out our full list of the ten best rooftop bars in Melbourne. Images: Giulia Morlando.
In Brisbane until October, a massive Chiharu Shiota exhibition is on display — and it's well worth the trip north. But Melburnians can check out the Japan-born, Berlin-based artist's pieces without hopping on a plane, all thanks to the Anna Schwartz Gallery. Until Saturday, July 23, the Flinders Lane venue features just-as-stunning works. Red and black are a big feature, colour-wise, as they always are in Shiota's work. String, yarn, wool — they all make an appearance as well. This showcase is smaller, more intimate, but still inescapably striking. Staring at a room filled with dangling, intertwined, labyrinthine threads always will be. Called State of Being, this exhibition spans both 2D and 3D pieces, including a red sculptural human figure that's being displayed for the first time beneath one of Shiota's wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling webs. Attendees can also peruse other sculptures, works on canvas and paper — and reclaimed love letters, diaries and photos picked by by the artist at flea markets. "I believe that we are all connected. Were you able to see the invisible, all human connection is one. Thread from each heart is expressed as words linking us. In the flea market I found old love letters and diaries and although I never met the writer, I felt connected," explains Shiota.
Next time you work up a sweat, you could be surrounded by neon lights, wandering through plenty of concrete and descending into a South Yarra basement. That's what's on offer at 1R Melbourne, the first Australian outpost of the UK-based fitness club chain, which has just opened its doors on Chapel Street. Spread across 800 square metres, the Melbourne venue is 1R's biggest site to-date out of its eight worldwide. But, like its sibling venues in London, it's hardly your usual gym experience. That's a fairly familiar claim these days — Melbourne has also just welcomed its first Barry's Bootcamp studio, from another company that endeavours to give your standard workout routine a twist — but 1R tackles its task with industrial-style decor, high-intensity classes, music curated by local DJs and free prosecco on Friday nights. If you're all about exerting some energy, 1R's sessions fall into three categories: 'reshape', 'rumble' and 'reformer'. The first provides a full-body workout, while the second puts the site's boxing bags to good use — and also focuses on speed, footwork and high-intensity interval training. In the third group, pilates meets cardio, with everything once again dialled up to get the blood pumping. Whether one of the above classes has already piqued your interest, or you're keen on trying them all, 1R does memberships, packages and pay-as-you-go sessions — so you can choose how much you're keen to commit. One-off visits cost $25 a pop, newcomers can sample three classes for $30 in total, or gym diehards can opt for 28 sessions per month for $320. Thanks to the fitout by Foolscap Studios, 1R's decor and design is as much of a drawcard as its fitness routines, starting with its calm, crisp ground-floor reception area. That's where you'll also find the smoothie and coffee bar — which serves up the aforementioned sparkling to end the working week — as well as a retail space showcasing local activewear designers. Downstairs, each of 1R's different workout concepts gets its own room. When the sessions start, you'll be doing so in moody lighting and to a beat timed to match your movements. Then, afterwards, you can head to the repair rooms, which stock Grown Alchemist products and Dyson hair dryers, and are designed to look futuristic but also relaxing. You can also call upstairs to order a post-workout drink from the bar, too. Find 1R Melbourne at Shop 10, 625 Chapel Street, South Yarra. For more information about its sessions and prices, visit the fitness club's website. Images: Simon Shiff.
The Noosa Eat & Drink Festival is making its grand return in 2024 with a fantastic epicurean program worthy of a journey to the Sunshine Coast. There aren't many events that bring leading chefs, acclaimed restaurants, live music and beach parties together, but this event offers all that and more in one of the country's most picturesque coastal destinations across four days from Thursday, May 30 to Sunday, June 2, 2024. From multi-course lunches at Noosa's buzziest hotspots to celebrity chef masterclasses and sunset drinks on the beach, read on for the various mouthwatering ways to experience Noosa Eat & Drink in 2024. Festival Village The heart of the Noosa Eat & Drink Festival is the two-day Festival Village across Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2. Grab your tickets for one of the interactive chef-hosted masterclasses including a Bandita Masterclass with Jason Jones and Seabourne Distillery, and a dessert masterclass with sweets superstar Anna Polyviou. Then grab a wine, beer or cocktail from world-class purveyors as you explore the Producers Pavilion throughout the day to procure local honey, condiments, ceramics and more. This year's Main Stage program at the Festival Village will showcase cooking demos led by notable foodie personalities and celebrity cooking competitions. Once the sun goes down, a lineup of entertaining performers will keep the crowds warmed up, from guest DJs to six-piece live band Bermuda Social. You can regularly recharge with a bite from one of the pop-up restaurants and stalls, or unwind in style at the VIP Lounge. VIP ticket-holders can enjoy a complimentary welcome drink of Chandon Garden Spritz and catering by Lanai Noosa in lounge seating on a private lawn. They'll also get front-row seating by the main stage and priority entry. Book your Festival Village tickets here. Beach Events The festival will take over Noosa Main Beach with back-to-back twilight events and a Sunday brunch from Friday, May 31 to Sunday, June 2. These sprawling oceanside shindigs are so sought after that one of them sold out within a couple of days of tickets going on sale. That's right, tickets for the official opening party on the Friday evening have already been snapped up entirely. However, the Sunday Festival Sundowner — the beach party that caps off the weekend with tequila, dancing and revelry — is now on sale so get in quick. Earlier on the Sunday, The Minuty Beach Brunch will take place with a menu curated by George Calombaris and MasterChef alumni Sarah Todd, paired to complement the flavour profile of Château Minuty rosé which will be flowing on the day. Book your tickets now. On Saturday, June 1 Noosa Main Beach will be taken over as the Saturday Beach Club where groups can book tables or picnic rugs and enjoy Italian-style grazing platters by Locale and drinks for a leisurely hang to make the most of the gorgeous setting. Rally your crew and book in for a session pronto. Restaurants It wouldn't be a spotlight on Noosa's food scene without the involvement of beloved local restaurants. Refined classics Locale, Noosa Waterfront and Season will join fresh favourites Seabourne Distillery, Mariella Mexicantina, Bandita Mexican and Sum Yum Guys for special menus and exclusive events. Among the highlights: The Locale Long Italian Lunch presented by Cloudy Bay for which the terrific Hasting Street Italian eatery is collaborating with visiting chef Will Cowper of Otto Brisbane for a traditional Italian-style feast paired with Cloudy Bay wines. Tickets go on sale from March 14. Another option is going down a little further south at the Peregian Beach Hotel for the Local Love Lunch where guests will enjoy a four-course lunch starring the best local and native produce with beverages courtesy of Seabourne Distillery and wines from Alpha Box & Dice. Get tickets here on March 14. If a Mexican feast with mezcal is more your speed, get on board for the Bandita Late Lunch, where the Bandita Noosaville team will join forces with Mextrade — Australia's top distributor of tequila, mezcal and Mexican craft spirits. Tickets will be available here from March 14. And one of the waterfront institutions of Noosa Main Beach, Season Restaurant, is hosting a lavish Asian dining feast at the Season Restaurant x Shaw + Smith Lunch with wines courtesy of the renowned Mclaren Vale winery at which winemaker Adam Wadewitz will be on hand to guide you through each pairing. Bookmark this link to secure your tickets. There's also a special collaboration between Khanh Ong and Betty's Burgers, a gin tour, a local craft beer tour, and a laneway party at Noosa Junction. There will also be a floating dining experience on the luxe Catalina Noosa and even an island takeover. Tickets are strictly limited and sold separately per event, so make sure to get in quick. Purchase tickets and find out more at the Noosa Eat & Drink Festival website.
Melburnians, your winter plans now include a date with the biggest name in street art there is: Banksy. The mysterious artist won't be there. Or, if they are, no one would know anyway. More than 180 works will showcase Banksy's art, however, including infinity rooms and simulations that play with some of Banksy's most famous creations. The Art of Banksy: Without Limits made its Australian debut in Brisbane in 2023, and has also been on display in Adelaide and Sydney since. Next stop: District Docklands from Wednesday, June 12, 2024. Tickets are on sale from 7pm on Thursday, April 18. A massive collection of pieces by the art world's chief enigma — including the darkly satirical, overtly political work that has turned the stencil-loving artist into such an infamous icon — The Art of Banksy: Without Limits' hefty array of artworks include Banksy's certified art, prints on a heap of different materials, plus photos and sculptures as well. For an immersive experience, there's installations — physical and digital — alongside murals and mapping shows. One such installation: a simulation of Dismaland Bemusement Park. Another: that mirrored infinity room. Banksy's murals in Ukraine also get a nod, and one space is devoted to the MV Louise Michel, the 30-metre-long high-speed lifeboat funded by Banksy that patrols the Mediterranean to rescue refugees. Attendees will also be peering at reproductions of Banksy's works that have been made exclusively for this exhibition, recreating some of the artist's pieces using — of course — stencils. Flower Thrower, Kissing Coppers and sculpture Phone Booth make an appearance — and spray painting your own shirt is an option. Adding Melbourne to its list of stops alongside Istanbul, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Berlin, Bucharest, Cluj and Budapest, plus Riyadh, Vienna, Warsaw, Seoul, Atlanta, Miami, Charlotte, Chile, Seattle and Mexico City, The Art of Banksy: Without Limits will run daily and take between 45–60 minutes to wander through. And yes, you can snap away for the 'gram while you're there. The Art of Banksy: Without Limits will display at District Docklands, 440 Docklands Drive, Melbourne, from Wednesday, June 12, 2024, with tickets on sale now — head to the exhibition's website for more details.
