Ali Barter knows all too well that tapping into your most creative self doesn't always come easy. "I used to experiment a lot more," says Barter. "I'd play different instruments, I'd get on the keyboard, or I'd try and write to a concept. I was trying to find my pattern." Along the way, she's discovered her ideal approach is a more organic one, gathering inspiration as she goes. "It starts off with words, maybe from watching a movie or having an interaction with somebody," explains Barter. "I'll jot them down, and then when it gets to the songwriting part, I'll sit down with an instrument, make up a melody and use these words that I've saved. Or new words come along." We sit down with Barter to discuss her approach to the creative process and staying true to herself in music and in fashion. Some will tell you that routine and structure are creativity's best mates, but for this artist, it's the opposite. Between touring, songwriting, time spent in her Collingwood studio and all the other life stuff, Barter's day-to-day schedule is always changing, which means there's no chance of relying on a specific place or time of day to ignite that creative spark. "My routine's all over the shop," she muses. "So it's more just about showing up, getting my notebook and guitar and being there. And something might happen, or nothing might happen." The artist, who writes a lot with husband and producer Oscar Dawson, says she also draws plenty of inspiration from just being around someone she trusts creatively. "If Oscar's there and we're together, it doesn't really matter where we are," she says. "A creative space is really dependent on your attitude and who you're with." "It's like when I go to band practice — we're just in an empty, sterile room, but because I'm there with three other musicians that I love to play music with, we'll end up being creative." And, just as Barter's best work has come from sticking to her own guns in the creative process, the artist's discovered along the way that staying true to her own sense of style also inspires her most authentic work. "I'm just really a jeans and t-shirt girl," she explains. "Sometimes I've tried to be a little bit more out there, but I never feel like myself. And I think it's the same with my music. Musically, if I've tried to be a bit more cool or fancy, I end up not sounding like myself. And with fashion, when I try and be something that I'm not, I don't feel like me." In Barter's wardrobe, denim has always been a staple. "I wear denim every day, it's like my work gear," says the singer-songwriter. "It's just such a functional but honest piece of clothing, you know?" "I've started wearing these Wrangler jeans called Birkins, and I just wear them every day," Barter says. "They're high-waisted, cropped, not too tight and they look good with everything." Listen to Ali Barter's music here, and find the denim that brings out the creative, innovator and gamechanger in you at The Iconic. Images: Kate Shanasy.
Melbourne's newest after-hours pop-up isn't at a pub, an underground club, or even some repurposed warehouse space. Nope, the soon-to-launch Nocturnal event series is happening at a venue you've probably only ever seen in the light of day: Melbourne Museum. From July 7, the first Friday of each month will see the museum's exhibition spaces transformed into an after-dark playground, as Nocturnal swaps the school-uniformed tour groups for crowds of music-loving partygoers. Expect a space primed for Friday night revelry, complete with pop-up bars slinging cocktails, roving entertainers and spot talks from some of the museum's curators. Plus, there will be plenty of killer tunes, with a main stage set up in front of the Forest Gallery. It's all kicking off with quite the bang, too — the first of the Friday night festivities will showcase live sounds from nine-piece outfit, Dorsal Fins, and a DJ set courtesy of Jakubi. Nocturnal will take over Melbourne Museum from 6–11pm, on the first Friday of each month, starting July 7. Early Bird tickets are available here for $25, or at the door for $35.
Next time you're slurping on some noodles or devouring a stir-fry, don't stop when your bowl is empty. If you're still hungry, set your sights on the utensils in your hand. Yes, chowing down on chopsticks has become a reality — and whatever you think they'll taste like, they won't. Unless you were really hoping they'd have the same flavour as furniture, that is. Unveiled by Japan's Marushige Confectionery, the edible chopsticks are designed to serve two purposes: provide a sustainable alternative to current chopsticks, which are usually made out of bamboo, wood, plastic or steel, and are used in the billions each year around the world; and provide a reminder about the country's agricultural traditions. It's for the latter reason that they're made out of igusa, the soft reeds usually used to make the tatami floor mats that are common around the nation. By turning igusa into chopsticks, then getting folks to munch on them, Marushige hopes people will come to appreciate the substance's cultural significance. At present, the tatami-flavoured chopsticks be made available at two restaurants in Tokyo, but whether they'll spread to become a broader trend is yet to be seen. No one can argue with the fact that it's an ingenious idea — how many pairs of disposable wooden chopsticks have you used and then thrown out recently? More than you probably realise. As for the taste, maybe it's the kind of thing that you just get accustomed to. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBOXZBgXqDs Via MUNCHIES.
There's no shortage of cult Korean fried chicken joints that have settled themselves into Melbourne's food scene over the past few years. And, since there's no such thing as too much choice when it comes to crispy fried bird, the city has just welcomed another star onto that growing list. South Korea's Bonchon is the latest to venture Down Under, opening the doors to its first Aussie eatery in Craigieburn Central last month. And it's even celebrating the arrival with a cheeky chicken giveaway on Saturday, January 15. Born in the buzzing southern city of Busan in 2002, Bonchon — meaning 'my hometown' — is now an international name in the chicken game, boasting over 370 outposts across the globe. Its latest has made its home in Melbourne's north, where Aussies can get their first taste of the brand's signature sauces — spicy and soy garlic — and its original recipe double-fried chook. Bonchon's menu famously extends to a range of pan-Asian dishes and other Korean specialties, which are also making an appearance at the new Melbourne restaurant. Here, you can balance your fried chicken fix with the likes of loaded kimchi fries, kimchi coleslaw, prawn and ginger potstickers, and popcorn cauliflower bao. There's a classic beef bulgogi with rice and sweet soy, an assortment of mix-and-match 'k-bowls', and a lineup of Korean-inspired burgers, too. And don't forget to match your feed with one of the soju-infused house cocktails, including a soju margarita. As for that signature chook, it comes battered, double-fried and hand-brushed with sauce to order, available across a whole range of bone-in and boneless combination packs. And, as for that giveaway, the store is treating its new fans to a huge opening special on Saturday, January 15, handing out free three-packs of wings to all customers who visit between 2–5pm. Find Bonchon at Craigieburn Central, Main Street (off Craigieburn Road), Craigieburn. It's open daily from 11am–10pm.
The last six months or so have been huge in the streaming world, with Disney joining the fold, Apple making the leap as well, Britbox announcing its impending arrival in Australia, FanForce TV kicking off this week and short-form, mobile-only platform Quibi launching just days ago. That means there's certainly no shortage of things to watch while we're all staying indoors. But, although most offer free trials, you'll still need to fork out some cash if you want to commit to a particular service — or several. From 7am on Saturday, April 11, Apple TV+ is bucking that trend — temporarily, at least. The platform is making a number of its original TV shows and movies available for anyone to watch for free without a subscription. You'll need an Apple ID to access the service, but binging your way through seven of Apple TV+'s series and one of its movies won't cost you a cent. Titles on offer include M. Night Shyamalan-executive produced thriller Servant, which follows the eerie aftermath of a family tragedy; feel-good anthology series Little America, featuring dramatisations of real-life tales about US immigrants; astronaut drama For All Mankind, as set in an alternative history where the USSR beats the US to the moon; and feature-length wildlife documentary The Elephant Queen, which is narrated by Chiwetel Eljiofor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCke0hXoCf8 Or, you can check out the Hailee Steinfeld-starring comedy Dickinson, get nostalgic with a new version of Ghostwriter and watch the Peanuts crew in Snoopy In Space. For younger viewers, pre-school series Helpsters comes from the folks behind Sesame Street. To access the Apple TV+ app, you'll need an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch or Mac — or you can do so via select Samsung and LG smart TVs, plus Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices. Apple hasn't revealed how long the free content will be available, other than noting that it's for a limited time. To watch Apple TV+'s free content, or to find out more, visit the service's website.
Two Little Boys follows the series of unfortunate incidents that make up Nige (Bret McKenzie) and Deano's (Hamish Blake) long-term mateship. Things get tricky when Nige accidentally runs over and kills a Scandavian soccer star. He has no one to turn to but Deano and, unfortunately, Deano is not the kind of guy to turn to in a time of crisis. The mishap leads to more unfortunate events with hilarious and bizarre consequences. Directed by Robert Sarkies and based on the novel by Duncan Sarkies, Two Little Boys is a cheeky comedy bound to make you laugh and appreciate the one of a kind relationship between two best mates. Thanks to Hopscotch, Concrete Playground has ten double passes to giveaway to see Two Little Boys. To go in the running just subscribe to Concrete Playground (if you haven't already) then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au
Grabbing a meal. Going to work. Eating at a restaurant with friends. Making a living cooking up a storm or waiting tables. We've all had a bite to eat at a cafe, and many of us have worked in hospitality — and we should all be able to enjoy both in a safe space. With tensions rising across the United States since the election of Donald Trump as the country's 45th President, a new initiative has emerged to ensure both patrons and employees can do just that. Sanctuary Restaurants provides resources to eateries to help ensure that people can dine and work in a discrimination-free environment, and to assist with supporting customers and staff that find themselves targeted. Establishments that join the movement — currently 64 at the time of writing — have a zero tolerance policy for sexism, racism, and xenophobia. More explicitly, they do not allow "any harassment of any individual based on immigrant/refugee status, race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation to occur in their restaurant". After signing up, they're advised to place a sign in their windows advertising their policy: "SANCTUARY RESTAURANTS: A Place At the Table for Everyone". While such an initiative should definitely be commended, as should the restaurants signing up and the effort to make sure that restaurants remain inclusive and welcoming for all, the fact that it is needed really says plenty about the current climate of hatred and fear festering around the globe. As long as something like this is necessary, here's hoping more places join in — and that the commitment to cultivating safe spaces continues to spread, including beyond America. Via MUNCHIES.
If your new year's resolution involved dancing as often as possible, the pandemic has just delivered bad news. With Victoria's COVID-19 case numbers continuing to rise again, the state's government has just announced the return of a familiar restriction: the closing of all indoor dance floors in hospitality and entertainment venues. The Footloose-style change was announced by Health Minister Martin Foley today, Monday, January 10, at Victoria's daily COVID-19 press conference, and will come into effect from 11.59pm on Wednesday, January 12. The only exception to the rule: indoor dance floors at weddings, although folks are asked to relocate them outdoors if possible. Indoor hospitality and entertainment venues are still able to remain open, however — they just have to shut their dance floors. And, the current one person per two-square-metre density requirement that kicked in back on Thursday, January 6 remains in place and unchanged as well. Victoria's mask rules are still in effect as well, with the government making masks mandatory again indoors just before Christmas. The state is also strongly recommending that people work from home if possible, as it has been since late last year as well. Victoria currently has 161,065 active COVID-19 cases, including 34,808 new cases reported today, Monday, January 10. For more information about the status of COVID-19 and the current restrictions, head over to the Department of Health and Human Services website. Top image: Jake Roden, Visit Victoria.
Forty years ago, a filmmaker wanted to journey to a galaxy far, far away, and he needed a republic cruiser's worth of epic tunes to go with it. Enter John Williams and the theme everyone now knows. When the first notes of Star Wars: Episode VI — A New Hope's score started playing over the film's opening crawl, movie and music history was made. Neither Williams nor George Lucas could've known just what they'd unleashed, nor that Luke and Leia, Han and Chewie, and the next generation of wannabe jedis and empire lackeys would still be gracing cinema screens decades later. To celebrate not only the space opera saga's longevity, but the upcoming release of Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi in December, St Kilda's Palais Theatre is hosting the Star Wars event to end all Star Wars events: Star Wars: The Force Awakens in concert. We've got a good feeling about what promises to be a force-filled evening of sound and vision, with the last film in the franchise screened in all its Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac and Adam Driver-starring glory, and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra picking up their instruments to perform the corresponding score. Conducted by Nicholas Buc, who'll be living out one of his dreams, they'll play Williams' Oscar-nominated music from the saga's seventh flick live across three concerts on December 8, 9 and 10. Following in the footsteps of the similar Harry Potter shows enchanting audiences this year, also featuring a score by Williams, this is not a trap — but BYO lightsaber, droid and wookie. And if you're a Sydney jedi master or Brisbane rebel who can't make it south, try taking Yoda's advice and trusting the force. The Melbourne gigs have been badged as the series' Australian premiere, so this mightn't be your only hope. Fingers crossed the show will jump on the Millennium Falcon and tour the rest of the country.
Dance, drink, pizza, repeat. Pizza and late-night partying remains one of history's most iconic duos and they're coming together in full force from next month, when 24-hour Hawthorn club Untz Untz launches its adjoining pizza joint and sports bar, Holy Moly. The new venue will take over the ground floor of the newly refurbished Glenferrie Road space and enjoy the same 24-hour liquor license, In addition, coffee and doughnut spot Cop Shop will launch next door shortly after. With a crack team of hospo pros behind it, Holy Moly is promising some intriguing features, not least of which is the $5 pizza menu, designed by Henry Chan (Lucky Coq and Bimbo Deluxe) and available until 3am, every single night. Jenna Hemsworth (former Black Pearl bartender and runner up for Bartender of the Year 2015) has taken the reins of the drinks offering, which will feature a mix of classics and new-school creations, as well as three varieties of Bloody Mary. The space comes courtesy of interior designer Michael Delaney (Honkytonks, Sorry Grandma), along with venue director Nick Foley, with the pair describing it as "a shrine to pizza and good times". Expect artwork by local artist Billie Justice Thompson, a memorabilia-packed sports bar screening classic sporting moments on an 80" plasma, and Melbourne's first VOID sound system. Find Holy Moly and Untz Untz at 660A Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn.
As you may well know by now, museums aren't just for 19th century historical artefacts and giant dinosaur models anymore. They're also for food. Last year New York got a permanent Museum of Food and Drink, which joins a whole slew of weird and wonderful food museums, like Japan's instant ramen museum and the Kimchi Field Museum in Seoul. So it's surprising that, considering our total obsession with food, Australia does not have its own. But that's all set to change, with plans for a brand new institution dedicated to our food culture to be set up in Adelaide. The proposal comes from Adelaide City Council, who believe a culinary cultural centre could help both locals and international visitors learn about and experience Australia's multicultural food culture. Considering the city's proximity to world-class wineries and its own burgeoning food and bar scene, Adelaide — while nowhere near as big as Sydney or Melbourne — makes a good case for being the new centre's home. The project has the support of the State Government and other local cultural institutions, but discussions on what the centre would actually include and who would establish it are still taking place. We'll keep an eye on this one to see where it goes. Via ABC News.
One device to brew them all? Blending slow cold drip coffee with cold/hot pourovers in one genius brewing device, two Queensland coffee companies are teaming up to crowdfund the Brewover. Green coffee supplier Bean Grean and roaster Manna Beans are trying to raise $65,000 toward this new controllable flow hot/cold brewer, which would prick the ears of many an Australian cafe needing to save on space (or straight-up coffee nerds in general). The Kickstarter campaign, which prices the Brewover at around $60 a pop, has currently raised $13,300 with 29 days to go. So how does it work? Coffee purists might turn their nose up, but the team truly know what's up when it comes to coffee brewing methods. The Brewover all hinges on what's called the flow control valve, allowing to switch between three different brewing methods: hot/cold pourovers and cold drip. Pourovers are easy stuff; just pop a Chemex filter in the glass cone and brew hot/cold as usual. Cold drip? Just use the same glass cone as a water reservoir and attach an Aeropress filter under the brew chamber. Pure, well-brewed genius. Via Daily Coffee News.
Festive decorations have started popping up around Melbourne, but it'll soon look like Christmas in a big way when the city's annual festival celebrating the jolliest time of the year returns for 2023. No matter whether you like staring at luminous lights and dazzling sights, hitting up every single festive market around town or soaking in as many Christmas-themed activities as you can find — including Christmas rollerskating, a Christmas maze and a Christmas cinema — that'll all be on the agenda from Friday, November 24. Once again, the city will have an array of methods to get merry this festive season, with the annual Melbourne Christmas Festival running for an entire month until Monday, December 25. If you weren't aware before, you will be now: Christmas in this city doesn't just mean buying gifts and roasting turkeys. Accordingly, from the end of November, you can make a date with spectacular projections and a whole heap of excuses to get shopping, among other festivities. Those nightly Christmas lights are a clear drawcard, and they'll beam across Melbourne Town Hall and and the State Library of Victoria. You'll also be bathed in seasonal vibes when you hang out at Federation Square's Christmas Square, where a 17.5-metre LED Christmas tree will take pride of place. And, a new river show will get Southbank all aglow ever evening. Other standouts around town include the Christmas-themed roller-skating rink making a comeback Carlton's Argyle Square; the Christmas maze at Docklands, which is also a returning favourite; and an 11-day Christmas carnival at Birrarung Marr with dodgems and a ferris wheel. [caption id="attachment_925585" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ray Reyes[/caption] Like Christmas movies? The Capitol Theatre is joining in with screenings of Elf, The Polar Express, The Grinch, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, and The Santa Clause — all for $5 each. Or, Fed Square is showing movies for free outdoors, with Elf, The Polar Express, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street and It's a Wonderful Life on its lineup. Elsewhere, you'll be able to take part in Christmas scavenger hunt and a treasure hunt, mosey along a festive walk that's all about knowing how best to mark the occasion in Melbourne, enjoy a comedic holiday pantomime show, see lights and lasers illuminate the Yarra, hear choirs sing carols and go cruising on a busking boat. If all the merriment makes you hungry and thirsty, you can also partake in a packed stocking's worth of food- and booze-focused Chrissie events. One highlight: Christmas on Afloat. Another: Chinatown's Christmas festival. Ice skating — not just roller skating — is on offer as well. And if nothing says Christmas to you like getting a snap of your pet all dressed up for the occasion, pictures with Santa are also part of the fun. Plus, from a clearly heaving lineup, market and festival devotees can take their pick, with boho, vegan, makers, German, Korean, Japanese and wine options. There's also the Koorie Krismas Market, selling arts and crafts from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. 'Tis the season to spend a month feeling the Christmas spirit all throughout the City of Melbourne, obviously, because there's more where all of the above came from, too. Melbourne Christmas Festival runs from Friday, November 24–Monday, December 25. For further information, head to the City of Melbourne website.
Live theatre, concerts and sport have been beaming their way into cinemas for some time now. Live television recreations of iconic films have been gracing TV screens for a few years as well. And yet, live movies themselves aren't something anyone has toyed with — until now. Lost in London Live is being called "an unprecedented live feature film event", and when you hear the details, you just might agree. The approximately two-hour-long effort will be shot in one take in real time as actors roam around the British capital, and it'll be broadcast directly to cinemas as it's being made. If the idea of watching a film come together before your very eyes sounds surprising — not to mention a logistical nightmare — that's understandable. If the fact that it'll also mark the directorial debut of Woody Harrelson, who'll star alongside Owen Wilson and Willie Nelson, does too, that is as well. The True Detective and Now You See Me actor will play himself as he tries to get back to his family over the course of one hectic night. "Run-ins with royalty, old friends and the law all seem to conspire to keep Harrelson from succeeding," the film's website explains. Yep, move over Birdman, Victoria and the raft of single-take (but not live) movies that have come before — there's a new ambitious film project in the works. Just how it will turn out is anyone's guess, but it's certain to be unlike anything you've ever seen before. With Lost in London Live sounding a little like performance art, perhaps Harrelson is taking a leaf out of Shia LaBeouf's book? "No one has ever shot a movie and live broadcast it into cinemas at the same time. No one's ever been that stupid," the actor offered in the film's video announcement. Whatever the end result, it'll come to fruition on January 19, 2017, and be broadcast to at least 550 locations. No word yet as to whether any Australian cinemas will jump on board, but keep an eye on the Lost in London Live site for more information.
Revenge is a dish best served sandy in Dune: Part Two. On the desert planet of Arrakis, where golden hills as far as the eye can see are shaped from the most-coveted and -psychedelic substance in author Frank Herbert's estimation, there's no other way. Vengeance is just one course on Paul Atreides' (Timothée Chalamet, Wonka) menu, however. Pop culture's supreme spice boy, heir to the stewardship of his adopted realm, has a prophecy to fulfil whether he likes it or not; propaganda to navigate, especially about him being the messiah; and an Indigenous population, the Fremen, to prove himself to. So mines Denis Villeneuve's soaring sequel to 2021's Dune, which continues exploring the costs and consequences of relentless quests for power — plus the justifications, compromises, tragedies and narratives that are inescapable in such pursuits. The filmmaker crafts his fourth contemplative and breathtaking sci-fi movie in a row, then, after Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 as well. The vast arid expanse that constantly pervades the frames in Dune: Part Two isn't solely a stunning sight. It looks spectacular, as the entire feature does, with Australian cinematographer Greig Fraser (The Creator) back after winning an Oscar for the first Dune; but as Paul, his widowed mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson, Silo), and Fremen Stilgar (Javier Bardem, The Little Mermaid) and Chani (Zendaya, Euphoria) traverse it, it helps carve in some of this page-to-screen saga's fundamental ideas. So does the stark monochrome when the film jumps to Giedi Prime, home world to House Harkonnen, House Atreides' enemy, plus Arrakis' ruler both before and after Paul's dad Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) got the gig in Villeneuve's initial Dune. People here are dwarfed not only by their mammoth surroundings, but by the bigger, broader, non-stop push for supremacy. While there's no shortage of detail in both Part One and Part Two — emotional, thematic and visual alike — there's also no avoiding that battling against being mere pawns in an intergalactic game of chess is another of its characters' complicated fights. When the tales that Herbert started penning almost six decades ago — the first Dune book hit shelves in 1965 — made their 2020s-era cinema debut, it was by splitting the writer's introductory trip to Arrakis in half. As the film's title card made plain, Villeneuve always hoped-slash-planned that a second movie would follow. It was a savvy gamble, and it's still paying off. Even in just the opening recent Dune flick (David Lynch got there first in the 80s), breaking the 896-leaf text in two for cinema allowed the story's intricacies to unfurl unhurried. It also ensured that its figures gained flesh and complexity beyond propelling the plot. Crucial to Villeneuve's take on Dune, and to his work in general, is seeing and feeling the minutiae; Paul's path and inner conflict, and Chani's reaction to it in particular, wouldn't cut as deeply otherwise. Without personal stakes, neither would the overall narrative, with its musing on what it means to seek command and dominance — or perhaps shirk it — as well as the resulting ripple effects. House Atreides' move from the lush, ocean-filled Caladan to Arrakis fuelled Part One. Relocating came via decree, not choice — and the bloodthirsty Harkonnens, led by Baron Vladimir (Stellan Skarsgård, Andor) with his brutish nephew Beast Rabban (Dave Bautista, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) doing his bidding, were about as happy with the change in planetary control as expected of their usual vicious demeanour. Before the movie was out, management had reverted back by force, leaving Paul and Jessica in hiding after House Atreides was betrayed and decimated. As scripted by its director with the also-returning Jon Spaihts (The Mummy), that's where Dune: Part Two picks up, with many Fremen still wary of aiding the two outlanders. But Stilgar is unwavering in his certainty that the new saviour that's been heralded for generations — the Lisan al Gaib, as incited by the Bene Gesserit, a string-pulling sisterhood sect — is Paul. Although 1998 album You've Come a Long Way Baby doesn't contain Fatboy Slim's overt reference to Dune, aka 'Weapon of Choice' with its "walk without rhythm and it won't attract the worm" lines, that record's moniker does describe Paul's journey throughout Dune: Part Two. Also, while Hans Zimmer (Top Gun: Maverick) is on score duties again, commandingly so, thinking about 'Weapon of Choice' is unavoidable when Villeneuve has added Christopher Walken (Severance) to the cast as Emperor Shaddam IV. So, as the House Corrino head and leader of the known universe believes that the Atreides bloodline has been vanquished — daughter Princess Irulen (Florence Pugh, Oppenheimer) isn't as confident — Paul trains to be one of the Fremen's guerrilla-esque Fedaykin fighters. He conquers riding sandworms like chariots, and also Chani's heart, even as she's unfailing in her contention that a messiah is another form of dictator and promising one is purely a method of subjugation. Wresting back Arrakis from the Harkonnen, partly by sabotaging their spice-mining operations, is one of Paul's aims. Again, revenge over his slain father is another. Dune: Part Two makes its time with the Fremen, both in the desert and in cave cities, so rich and textured and human that its departures elsewhere are jarring. That's by immaculate and meticulous design, of course, with the aforementioned shift from Arrakis to Giedi Prime — where the twisted Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler, Elvis) is another nephew to the Baron, and even more savage and ruthless, especially in a helluva unsettling yet entrancing gladiatorial scene — proving especially impactful. The two settings are desolate in their own ways, but there's no trace of warmth or hope in the black-and-white realm where the Harkonnens only know callousness. As the Bene Gesserit, via Jessica, her superior Gaius Helen Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling, Benedetta) and the resourceful Lady Margot Fenring (Léa Seydoux, Crimes of the Future), keep trying to bend the galaxy to the matriarchal group's will, grappling with power is a desolate endeavour, too. In a telling that earns its 166-minute length due to its sheer weight, through being so nimble in laying out its story and anchoring more possible chapters (there's another five Herbert novels, and others on top since his death), Paul's is a tale of being haunted by his role, future and its implications. Unsurprisingly for a film where dialogue is not just spoken aloud but also communicated telepathically, there's a compelling interiority to Chalamet's second Dune turn. It's pitch-perfect, and in line with everything that Paul is wrestling with; he's equally excellent in action-hero mode in crisply staged and shot heists and frays, doing the Benjamin Millepied (Carmen)-choreographed sandwalk, giving rousing speeches, being plagued by visions and swooning amid the spice with Zendaya's Chani. In one of her best performances yet, she's the second of the feature's standouts and its emotional centre. Every feeling that's pumping through Chani's veins, from love and dedication to skepticism and disappointment, the audience experiences as well. The third: Butler's ferocious effort, which gets everyone shaking in a far different manner to his Academy Award-nominated stint as the king of rock 'n' roll. Indeed, with portrayals this potent, and everything seen and heard matching — the feature's technical feats are again impeccable and astounding — Dune: Part Two leaves its viewers saying thank you, thank you very much not only to this grand marvel and its predecessor, but to the potential for more spiciness to come.
The career of one of Melbourne's most celebrated painters is the subject of a new exhibition at NGV Australia. Jan Senbergs: Observation—Imagination surveys the celebrated work of the eponymous artist, who for over half a century has captivated art lovers with his large-scale paintings, drawings and prints, depicting some of country's most iconic landmarks in his endlessly inventive style. Open from March 18 until June 12, the free exhibition features more than 120 works. From bushfires raging through the Victorian Otways to maze-like aerial visions of Sydney Harbour, Senbergs' work is instantly recognisable and draws its inspiration from a myriad of sources. The images are quintessentially Australian, with a touch of the absurd. The Federation Square gallery will host numerous special events in conjunction with the exhibition, including workshops, panel discussions and talks with the curator. For the complete lineup, go here.
Eddie Perfect invites you to take a seat at the table at the worst dinner party of your life. The writer, actor, comedian and composer — best known for his role in Offspring and as one of the new hosts of Play School — shows off his darker side in a blood-soaked black comedy about middle class Australia. Written by Perfect, who also stars, The Beast will be on stage at the Melbourne Comedy Theatre from August 25 through to September 4. The play tracks three tree-changing couples who find their (supposedly) enlightened attitudes challenged during a confronting nose-to-tail dinner party. What follows is a savage, tongue-in-cheek take down of bourgeois attitudes, as Perfect and director Simon Phillips sink their teeth into "social climbers, foodies, wine-snobs, helicopter parents, self‐serving do‐gooders and self-righteous gardeners". Of course Perfect is no stranger to taking the piss, having previously written Shane Warne: The Musical.
Under normal circumstances, when a new-release movie starts playing in cinemas, audiences can't watch it on streaming, video on demand, DVD or blu-ray for a few months. But with the pandemic forcing film industry to make quite a few changes over the past year — widespread movie theatre closures will do that — that's no longer always the case. Perhaps you haven't had time to make it to your local cinema lately. Given the hefty amount of films now releasing each week, maybe you missed something. Film distributors have been fast-tracking some of their recent releases from cinemas to streaming lately — movies that might still be playing in theatres in some parts of the country, too. In preparation for your next couch session, here's eight you can watch right now at home. NOBODY As both a comedian and a dramatic actor, Bob Odenkirk has earned a lifetime's worth of well-deserved praise. Writing for Saturday Night Live and starring in Mr Show with Bob and David each sit on his resume, as does his pivotal part in Breaking Bad and lead role in the exceptional Better Call Saul. But in Nobody, Odenkirk highlights a facet of his work that's easy to overlook. Jumping into a new genre, he makes viewers realise a truth that cuts to the heart of his talents. Every actor wants to be the person that can't be replaced, and to turn in the type of performances that no one can emulate; however, only the very best, including Odenkirk, manage exactly that. A movie so forged from the John Wick mould that it's penned by the same screenwriter — and boasts the first film's co-director David Leitch (Atomic Blonde) as a producer, too — Nobody could've featured any existing action go-to. It could've been an easy knockoff of well-known hit, joining the swathe of direct-to-video and -streaming titles that use that very template. It could've given Bruce Willis his next role to sleepwalk through, added yet another Taken-style thriller to Liam Neeson's resume or proven one of Nicolas Cage's more straightforward vehicles of late. Thankfully, though, Nobody is all about the ever-watchable Odenkirk and his peerless and compelling ability to play slippery characters. When Nobody begins, Hutch Mansell's (Odenkirk) life has become such a routine that his weeks all unfurl in the same fashion. Plodding through a sexless marriage to real estate agent Becca (Connie Nielsen, Wonder Woman 1984), and barely paid any notice by his teenage son Blake (Gage Munroe, Guest of Honour) and younger daughter Abby (debutant Paisley Cadorath), he catches public transport to his manufacturing company job every weekday, always puts the bins out too late for the garbage truck on Tuesday mornings, and usually earns little more than polite smiles from his family while he's cooking them breakfast that they fail to eat. Then, the Mansells' suburban home is randomly burgled. Hutch confronts the thieves in the act, has a chance to swing a golf club their way, yet holds back. But when Abby notices that her beloved cat bracelet is missing in the aftermath, he decides to take action — a choice that leads him to an unrelated bus filled with obnoxious guys hassling a female passenger, and eventually sees unhinged Russian mobster Yulian Kuznetsov (Aleksey Serebryakov, Leviathan) threatening everything that Hutch holds dear. Nobody is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. WRATH OF MAN With revenge thriller Wrath of Man, filmmaker Guy Ritchie (The Gentlemen) and actor Jason Statham (The Meg) reunite. The pair both came to fame with Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, repeated the feat with Snatch, then unsuccessfully tried again with Revolver, but they've spend the past 16 years heading in their own directions. During that stretch, the former subjected the world to his terrible Sherlock Holmes films, fared better with left-field additions to his resume like The Man From UNCLE and Aladdin, but didn't quite know what to do with King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. The latter has become an action go-to over the same time — with both forgettable and memorable flicks resulting, including three Fast and Furious movies and a stint scowling at Dwayne Johnson in the franchise's odd-couple spinoff Hobbs & Shaw. Thankfully, now that they're collaborating again, they're not just interested in rehashing their shared past glories. From Wrath of Man's first moments, with its tense, droning score, its high-strung mood and its filming of an armoured van robbery from inside the vehicle, a relentlessly grim tone is established. When Statham shows up shortly afterwards, he's firmly in stoic mode, too. He does spout a few quippy lines, and Ritchie once again unfurls his narrative by jumping between different people, events and time periods, but Lock, Stock Again or Snatch Harder this isn't. Instead, Wrath of Man is a remake of 2004 French film Le Convoyeur. While walking in someone else's shoes turned out horrendously for Ritchie with the Madonna-starring Swept Away, that isn't the case with this efficient, effective and engaging crime-fuelled effort, which finds its niche — and it's a new one for its central duo, at least together. Statham plays Patrick Hill, the newest employee at the Los Angeles-based cash truck company Fortico Securities. On his first day, his colleague Bullet (Holt McCallany, Mindhunter) dubs him H — "like the bomb, or Jesus H," he says — and the nickname quickly sticks. H joins the outfit a few months after the aforementioned holdup, with the memory of the two coworkers and civilian killed in the incident still fresh in everyone's minds. So, when gunmen interrupt his first post-training run with Bullet and Boy Sweat Dave (Josh Hartnett, Penny Dreadful), they're unsurprisingly jumpy; however, H deals with the situation with lethal efficiency. Cue glowing praise from Fortico's owner (Rob Delaney, Tom & Jerry), concern from his by-the-book manager (Eddie Marsan, Vice) and intrigue about his past from the rest of the team (such as Angel Has Fallen's Rocci Williams and Calm with Horses' Niamh Algar). Wrath of Man is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. SPIRAL: FROM THE BOOK OF SAW With Spiral: From the Book of Saw, what came first: the decision to call its protagonist Ezekiel, or the casting of Samuel L Jackson as said character's father? Either way, the film's creative team must've felt mighty pleased with themselves; getting the Pulp Fiction actor to utter the name that's been synonymous with his bible-quoting, Quentin Tarantino-penned monologue for more than a quarter-century doesn't happen by accident. What now four-time franchise director Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II, Saw III and Saw IV) and Jigsaw screenwriters Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger mightn't have realised, though, is just how clumsily this choice comes across. The Saw series has made almost a billion dollars at the worldwide box office, but now it's resorting to winking and nodding to one of its latest stars' past movies. Perhaps Bousman and company didn't notice because almost everything about Spiral feels that forced, awkward, clunky and badly thought-out. Jackson and Chris Rock might gift the long-running franchise a couple of high-profile new faces; however, this ostensible reboot is exactly as derivative as you'd expect of the ninth instalment in a 17-year-old shock- and gore-driven saga. Focusing on a wisecracking, gung-ho, about-to-be-divorced police detective known for exposing his dirty colleagues, Spiral tries to coil the series in a different direction, at least superficially — and pretends to have meaty matters on its mind. Ezekiel 'Zeke' Banks (Rock, The Witches) has been crusading for honesty, integrity, fairness and honour in law enforcement for years. Starting back when his now-retired dad Marcus (Jackson, Death to 2020) was the precinct's chief, he's been vilified by his peers for his efforts. When a killer appears to be targeting rotten cops, too, Zeke is desperate to lead the case. Initially, he just wants to avenge the death of the first victim, one of the only co-workers he called a friend, but he's soon trying to track down a murderer that seems to be following in franchise villain Jigsaw's footsteps. A lone wolf-type not by choice but necessity, Banks also happens to be saddled with a rookie partner (Max Minghella, The Handmaid's Tale) as he attempts to stop the bodies from piling up. Spiral: From the Book of Saw is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. THE UNITED STATES VS BILLIE HOLIDAY More than 80 years after it was first sung and heard, Billie Holiday's 'Strange Fruit' still isn't easily forgotten. Drawn from a poem penned to protest lynchings, it's meant to shock and haunt. It's designed to galvanise and mobilise, too, as drawing attention to the extrajudicial killings of Black Americans should. Indeed, so vivid is the song in its language — "Black bodies swingin' in the southern breeze" describes the third line — US authorities demanded that Holiday stop performing it. She refused repeatedly, so there were repercussions. Concerned that the track would spark change, inspire Holiday's fans to fight for civil rights and justice, and perhaps motivate riots against against oppression and discrimination as well, the US Treasury Department's Federal Bureau of Narcotics went after the musician for her drug use. If it couldn't get her to cease crooning the controversial tune via other means, such as overt warnings and a prominent police presence at her shows, it'd do whatever it could to keep her from reaching the stage night after night. With Andra Day (Marshall) turning in an intense, impassioned, career-defining portrayal as its eponymous figure (and in her first lead film role, too), so tells The United States vs Billie Holiday, the latest Oscar-nominated biopic to step through its namesake's life. Back in 1972, Lady Sings the Blues loosely adapted Holiday's autobiography of the same name, enlisting Diana Ross to play the singer — but, in taking inspiration instead from Johann Hari's non-fiction book Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs, this latest big-screen vision of the music icon's story adopts its own angle. Holiday's troubled childhood and youth has its part in this tale, which is scripted for the screen by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks. Her addiction, and the personal woes that she tried to blot out, clearly don't escape filmmaker Lee Daniels' (The Butler) attention, either. But The United States vs Billie Holiday also falls in alongside Seberg, MLK/FBI and Judas and the Black Messiah in interrogating bleak truths about mid-20th century America. In a film that manages to be both rousing and standard, that includes surveying the misplaced priorities of its government during multiple administrations, and the blatant determination shown by an array of agencies under various presidents to undermine, persecute and silence those considered a supposedly un-American threat to the status quo. The United States vs Billie Holiday is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and Amazon Video. Read our full review. THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD A smokejumper stationed to a Montana watchtower, plagued by past traumas and forced to help a teenage boy evade hired killers, Those Who Wish Me Dead's Hannah Faber actually first debuted on the page. Watching Angelina Jolie bring the whisky-swilling, no-nonsense, one of the boys-type figure to the screen, it's easy to assume otherwise. The part doesn't quite feel as if it was written specifically for the smouldering movie star, though. Rather, it seems like the kind of role that might've been penned with Liam Neeson or Denzel Washington in mind — see: this year's The Marksman for the former, and 2004's Man on Fire for the latter — then flipped, gender-wise, to gift Jolie a new star vehicle. On the one hand, let's be thankful that that's not how this character came about. Kudos to author Michael Koryta, who also co-writes the screenplay here based on his 2016 novel, for conjuring up Hannah to begin with. But on the other hand, it's never a great sign when a female protagonist plays like a grab bag of stock-standard macho hero traits, just dressed up in a shapelier guise. It has been six years since Jolie has stepped into a mere mortal's shoes — since 2015's By the Sea, which she wrote and directed — and she leaves no doubt that Hannah is flesh and blood. There's still an iciness to the firefighter, and she still has the actor's cheekbones and pout, but Maleficent, she isn't. She's bruised, internally, by a fire that got away and left a body count. After hanging out with her colleagues, parachuting out of cars and brooding in her tower, she's soon physically in harm's way as well. As Those Who Wish Me Dead's plot gets her to this juncture, it also cuts back and forth between forensic accountant Owen Casserly (Jake Weber, Midway) and his son Connor (Finn Little, Angel of Mine), plus assassins Patrick and Jack (The Great's Nicholas Hoult and Game of Thrones' Aiden Gillen). Thanks to a treasure trove of incriminating evidence against important people that no one was ever supposed to find, these two duos are on a collision course. When they do cross paths — while Owen is trying to take Connor to stay with Ethan (Jon Bernthal, The Peanut Butter Falcon), his brother-in-law, a sheriff's deputy and one of Hannah's colleagues — it also nudges the boy into the smokejumper's orbit. Those Who Wish Me Dead is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. LOCKED DOWN Sparked by the pandemic, lockdown films aren't just an exercise in adapting to stay-at-home conditions — or a way to keep actors, directors and other industry professionals busy and working at a challenging time. The genre also provides a window into how the creatives behind its flicks view everyday life and ordinary people. Arising from a global event that's placed many of the planet's inhabitants in similar circumstances, these features tell us which stories filmmakers deem worth telling, which visions of normality they choose to focus on and who they think is living an average life. With Malcolm & Marie, a hotshot young director and an ex-addict were the only options offered. In Language Lessons, which premiered at this year's virtual Berlin Film Festival, a wealthy widower and a Spanish teacher were the movie's two choices. Now Locked Down directs its attention towards a CEO and a courier, the latter of which stresses that he's only in the gig because his criminal record has robbed him of other opportunities. Yes, these films and their characters speak volumes about how Hollywood perceives its paying customers. That's not the only thing that Locked Down says. Directed by Doug Liman (Chaos Walking) and scripted by Steven Knight (Locke), this romantic comedy-meets-heist flick is verbose to a farcical degree — awkwardly rather than purposefully. The repetitive and grating misfire is primarily comprised of monologues, Zoom calls and bickering between its central couple. Well-off Londoners Linda (Anne Hathaway, The Witches) and Paxton (Chiwetel Ejiofor, The Old Guard) are weeks into 2020's first lockdown, and their ten-year relationship has become a casualty. Whether chatting to each other or virtually with others, both commit a torrent of words to the subject. Linda has decided they're done, which Paxton has trouble accepting. She's also unhappy with her high-flying job, especially after she's forced to fire an entire team online, but gets scolded by her boss (Ben Stiller, Brad's Status) for not telling her now-sacked colleagues they're still like family. Tired of driving a van, Paxton is willing to do whatever his employer (Ben Kingsley, Life) needs to climb his way up the ladder. That said, he's still tied to the road, with the ex-rebel's decision to sell his beloved motorbike — a symbol of his wilder youth, and its fun, freedom and risks — hitting hard. Locked Down is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Read our full review. GREAT WHITE When a giant shark chomps its way through the cinematic ocean, audiences are meant to side with its scared human prey. But some creature features give viewers multiple reasons to do the opposite — and to find their own way to liven up a dull and formulaic movie. Perhaps the film's non-fish characters are woefully one-note or unlikeable, or both. Maybe the script is so simplistic, even in a well-worn genre, that a shark munching random keys on a typewriter probably could've written something better. Or, it could be that every plot development, performance, visual, and score choice is so overwhelmingly predictable that tension is as rare as a vegan great white. Actually, there's no maybes about any of the last three statements when it comes to horror's latest shark-centric outing, which turns Queensland's waters into a buffet for a ravenous critter. Great White marks the feature debut of director Martin Wilson, and only the second movie script for screenwriter Michael Boughen (Dying Breed); however, that its producers have 2010 Aussie shark film The Reef and its now-in-production sequel The Reef: Stalked on their resumes — plus homegrown 2007 crocodile flick Black Water and its 2020 sequel Black Water: Abyss — will surprise absolutely no one. Great White's setup will be familiar to anyone who has even heard of a shark movie before, let alone watched one. The twist: despite reassurances by marine biologist-turned-seaplane pilot Charlie (Aaron Jakubenko, Tidelands) that the time just isn't right for teeth-gnashing ocean predators to fill their empty stomachs, climate change seems to have changed the titular species' habits. So, on a lucrative charter gig that'll help keep his business financially afloat, Charlie, his girlfriend Kaz (Katrina Bowden, 30 Rock), their cook Benny (Te Kohe Tuhaka, Love and Monsters), and their paying customers Joji (Tim Kano, Neighbours) and Michelle (Kimie Tsukakoshi, The Family Law) find themselves under threat. They've headed to a remote island of personal significance to Michelle, and Joji is clashing with Benny before they even spot the resident great white's last victim. To ramp up the stakes, Kaz is telling Charlie that she's pregnant, too. Quickly, the quintet become the creature's next targets, including while cast adrift in a life raft that could use Life of Pi's Richard Parker for company. Just as speedily, Great White's audience will wish that something — anything — that hasn't previously graced Jaws, The Shallows, 47 Metres Down or even The Meg's frames would happen in this thrill-free bob into been-there, done-that waters. Great White is available to stream via iTunes. THE UNHOLY The Exorcist was not an easy movie to make, as exceptional documentary Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist made clear. But over the past four decades, the horror masterpiece has proven a very easy film to emulate again and again — or, to try to ape in anything that pairs religion and scares, at least. Copying it is nowhere near the same as matching it, of course. That's especially the case when most one-note flicks that attempt the feat simply think that crosses, creepy females and stilted, unnatural body movements are all that it takes. The Unholy is the latest example, to uninspired, unengaging, unoriginal, unconvincing and thoroughly unsurprising results. Adapted from the 1983 James Herbert novel Shrine by seasoned screenwriter turned first-time feature director Evan Spiliotopoulos (Charlie's Angels, Beauty and the Beast, The Huntsman: Winter's War), the movie's premise has promise: what if a site of a supposed vision of the Virgin Mary and subsequent claimed miracles, such as Lourdes in France and Fatima in Portugal, was targeted by a sinister spirit instead? But, despite also boasting the always-charismatic Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead) as its lead, all that eventuates here is a dull, derivative and not even remotely unsettling shocker of a horror flick. The fact that The Evil Dead and Drag Me to Hell's Sam Raimi is one of its producers delivers The Unholy's biggest scare. Looking constantly perplexed but still proving one of the best things about the film, Morgan plays disgraced journalist Gerry Fenn. After losing his fame and acclaim when he was caught fabricating stories, he now makes $150 per assignment chasing the slightest of flimsy supernatural leads. His current line of work brings him to the small Massachusetts town inhabited by Father Hagan (William Sadler, Bill & Ted Face the Music) and his niece Alice (Cricket Brown, Dukeland), the latter of whom is deaf. Thanks to a barren tree, a creepy doll, an eerie chapter of history and a strange run-in with Gerry, however, she can soon suddenly hear and speak. She says that can see the Virgin Mary, too. Swiftly, word about her story catches the church, media and public's attention. Even if Spiliotopoulos had kept the novel's title, it'd remain obvious that all isn't what it seems — the film starts nearly two centuries ago with a woman being burned alive at the aforementioned tree, so nothing here is subtle. But instead of pairing an exploration of the dangers of having faith without question with demonic bumps and jumps, The Unholy embraces cliches with the same passion that satan stereotypically has for fire. The cheap-looking visuals, Cary Elwes' (Black Christmas) wavering accent and the bored look on co-star Katie Aselton's (Synchronic) face hardly help, either. The Unholy is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and Amazon Video. Looking for more at-home viewing options? Here's our list of movies fast-tracked from cinemas to streaming back in May — and you can also check out our monthly streaming recommendations across new straight-to-digital films and TV shows.
When Joost Bakker helped pile 3000 kilograms of clothing waste in Melbourne's Federation Square in April 2022, all to draw attention to fast fashion, he viewed the project with his usual optimism. "Even if it's just one person who walks through that structure and gets inspired and comes up with a solution — that's what's so exciting," the renowned zero-waste campaigner noted. Those exact words could've been uttered about the venture at the centre of Greenhouse by Joost, too. A three-storey home made entirely out of recyclable materials that don't generate waste, and designed to operate as a closed food system with everything catered for onsite and not a scrap spared, it predates his spotlight on the textile industry. Clearly, it boasts the same sustainability focus. In fact, Bakker could've said the same thing about past pop-ups in the same spot over more than a decade, including fellow waste-free eateries also called Greenhouse since 2008. Scratch that — it isn't merely likely that the Dutch-born floral designer and activist could've expressed the same sentiments; it's certain he must've. Eliminating waste is Bakker's passion. Not wasting any time trying to put that aim into action is just as much of an obsession. His work doesn't merely talk the talk but walks the walk, and attempts to help the world see how crucial it is to reduce humanity's impact upon the earth. The habitable Greenhouse is quite the undertaking, though, given its purpose: building an abode that two people can get shelter, food, water and energy from, all in one cosy and clever self-sustaining ecosystem. Chefs Jo Barrett and Matt Stone (ex-Oakridge Wines) agreed to do the residing, and to put Bakker's Future Food System to the test. They were named among the world's 50 best next-generation hospitality leaders in 2021 for their efforts, for what's a vital, pioneering and fascinating enterprise. It's no wonder that filmmakers Rhian Skirving (Matilda & Me) and Bruce Permezel (The Obesity Myth) — both directing, the former writing and the latter lensing — were driven to document it. Shot since the conception and building stage, then chronicling the COVID-19 setbacks, the logistical and setup woes, and the daily reality of living in the structure, it's also no wonder that the resulting Melbourne International Film Festival Audience Award-winner makes such compelling viewing. Greenhouse by Joost is both a record and an aspirational tool: it shows what can and has been done and, as Bakker always hopes, it wants to get everyone watching following in his, Barrett and Stone's footsteps. Of course, for most, money will be a very real and practical obstacle. There's no doubting that Greenhouse stems from considerable resources, both in finances and time. But that's the thing with ambitions: they have us shooting for the stars, breaking our goals down into everyday pieces and finding ways to make even small parts of them happen. Evoking that exact response when it comes to making life's basics sustainable — what we eat and drink, where we stay and sleep, and how we power it all — is Bakker's aim, too. With Bakker as the film's on-screen guide, Greenhouse by Joost does just that itself as well, stepping through the idea and the execution like it's laying out a roadmap for its audience to chart. Viewers won't walk out of the doco ready to move into their own such dwelling, but learning plenty about the ingenious design, the bits and pieces that go into it, and the work required — to get it up, ready and operating smoothly, and also to have it function as a small-scale restaurant — comes with simply watching. Although the cooking, serving, welcoming in eager diners and sharing the titular building comes later in the movie, obviously, it's a crucial piece of the project overall and of Skirving and Permezel's feature. How much more doable does just living in the Greenhouse and taking care of yourself seem compared to running it as a mini eatery? Oh-so-much. How much easier does putting some of its principles to use in your own home seem, too? The answer remains the same. For anyone who isn't as immersed the ins and outs of sustainable possibilities, practices and technologies as Greenhouse by Joost's namesake — aka almost everyone except the film's namesake — the details behind the abode are illuminating as well as inspiring. During the construction phase, for instance, the documentary gets informative about different building materials, including panels made from compacted hay that help put farming offcuts to use. Moving beyond concrete slabs as a base, and therefore avoiding the emissions spat out by cement production methods, involves weighing down the Greenhouse from the roof rather than anchoring it from below. The solution? Soil and plants atop the home, which is also where the bulk of the food comes in. Planters blossom with fruit, vegetables and herbs. A beehive provides honey. Fish and yabbies live in an aquaponics system. With each component, the film offers pivotal data — again, not exactly a how-to, but enough to firmly pique interest. Skirving and Permezel, plus Bakker as their chief talking head, complement the behind-the-scenes insights with a front-loaded array of facts and figures, instantly placing the need for an innovative solution like Greenhouse into context. While none of it should be new news given how widely the message about humanity's destruction of the planet is known — as it needs to be — it still leaves an imprint. (One such tidbit: that 27,000 trees a day are cut down just to make toilet paper.) In the process, there's little that's creative about the movie's structure, crisp imagery and overall approach, letting the project at its centre draw the audience in on its merits (well, with assistance from the over-emphasised score). Still, pairing such sobering data with ways to make a difference — and, in the case of the Greenhouse itself, a game-changing dream solution — is a smart and powerful move. Online during its 18-month stint in Fed Square, Bakker's creation attracted ample attention, unsurprisingly. Although Skirving and Permezel include a glimpse at the reaction on social media, Greenhouse by Joost is far more potent when it's showing what people are responding to — when it's doing rather than basking. Again, there's no mystery why that's the case. From the first Greenhouses through to zero-waste cafe Silo by Joost, later soup bar Brothl, this Greenhouse and those aforementioned clothes, that's always been Bakker's modus operandi. He's a natural showman and spokesman, but he knows that making his zero-waste crusade tangible is his most important task — and his best tool for inspiring even just one person.
Every year, on the last Saturday in March, Earth Hour focuses the world's attention on the planet via a vitally important symbolic gesture. Although carbon is saved by turning things off, the point is the unmissable demonstration — with a huge chunk of the world's population caring about the same thing at the same time. If we can manage this for Earth Hour, why not for grander environmental things? It all started in Sydney in 2007, and has become an international event in the years since, with hundreds of millions of people taking part in more than 7000 cities across over 180 countries. Of course, in 2020, things will be a bit different, with no out-of-home activities taking place — but Earth Hour is still asking everyone to join in by staying in the house and turning off the lights at 8.30pm AEDT on Saturday, March 28 (7.30pm AEST). While you're sitting in the dark, you can also live-stream a heap of performers thanks to Earth Hour Live, with Montaigne, Cody Simpson, Jack River, Polish Club, Bobby Alu, Ella Haber, Dulcie and Alice Skye all on the bill — and journalist Patrick Abboud on hosting duties. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89ZegTD4buQ&feature=emb_logo And, although you won't be able to see them yourself, local and global landmarks and tourist spots such as the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Luna Park, the Wheel of Brisbane, Melbourne Star Observation Wheel, the Eiffel Tower, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Tokyo Skytree, Brandenburg Gate, the Colosseum in Rome, Taipei 101, the Petronas Twin Towers, the Ali Qapu Palace, the Akropolis and Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong are all getting into the Earth Hour spirit by switching their lights off for an hour, too. Images: Earth Hour 2019. Sydney. Luna Park, The Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House, photographed from Lavender Street, Lavender Bay. Photography by Quentin Jones. 30 March 2019. © Quentin Jones / WWF-Aus The Melbourne Star turns out its lights for Earth Hour 2018. © Alain Nguyen / WWF-Aus Story Bridge, Brisbane with lights switched off to celebrate 10 years of Earth Hour, Brisbane, 25 March 2017. © Anastasia Woolmington / WWF-Aus.
The Scandinavian crime fixation currently sweeping non-Nordic nations shows no signs of abating, every piece with big screen potential — TV series, book or otherwise — seemingly earning a filmed adaptation. Jussi Adler-Olsen's Department Q series provides the latest instance, a four-instalment-to-date police procedural setting a duo of detectives in search of answers to dead cases. The Keeper of Lost Causes is the first feature to result. All the usual elements exist in director Mikkel Nørgaard and writer Nikolaj Arcel's version of the novel. (They're both veterans of the burgeoning genre with resumes that encompass television's Borgen and the Swedish-language The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as evidence.) An odd couple, an against-the-odds task, brooding backstories, a pretty prey and a cat-and-mouse game with the perpetrator furnish a feature that stays within the confines of the expected — except for one significant deviation. As well as tracking the law enforcement quest to uncover the truth, the film gifts viewers with the victim's perspective, her tale told as a parallel to the investigation. So it is that the taciturn Carl Mørck (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) and lively Assad (Fares Fares) trawl through discarded clues about the disappearance of personable young politician Merete Lynggaard (Sonja Richter), long considered a suicidal jumper who consigned herself to a watery end five years prior. The inter-spliced chronicle of Merete's plight provides a different account, one that the police must piece together as they delve deeper into her mystery. Though the choice to reveal what would've otherwise been a considerable source of dramatic tension is questionable (albeit, a decision that remains faithful to the book), The Keeper of Lost Causes evokes the requisite ominous atmosphere through its appearance and performances. The customary grey aesthetic colours every scene to cement the creepy mood, just as the main pairing fittingly bristles with discomfort even as Mørck and Assad work towards an accord. Cinematographer Eric Kress impresses in the film's shadowy imagery, a feat also achieved by Kaas and Fares. Adopting a chalk and cheese approach to their portrayals, the two actors bounce off each other with an earned rapport that makes their standard contrasting characters all the more interesting. Indeed, as beholden to formula and the familiar as The Keeper of Lost Causes is, Nørgaard endeavours to invest intrigue into the assembly of predictability the movie becomes. Where it all threatens to come undone is in the feature's inability to overcome its overt status as a set-up for further films. In an episodic manner obviously better served on television, The Keeper of Lost Causes wallows in the establishment more than the outcome. What eventuates is an entertaining enough initial chapter in a what will hopefully evolve into a more satisfying saga. https://youtube.com/watch?v=68sO1s9Hy70
Christian McCabe and Dave Verheul's Russell Street wine bar Embla scored a sibling and neighbour when the team opened Lesa right upstairs in 2018. Now, the family has welcomed another new addition, this one making its home in the sunny openair space atop the Melbourne Theosophical Society next door. Embla Rooftop Bar & Cinema is the city's new destination for wining, dining and big screen movie magic, aiming to level up your usual dinner-and-a-show scenario. Up here, yellow-striped deck chairs, picnic tables and a vibrant aquamarine paint job set something of a breezy Mediterranean tone to match the food offering of seasonal share plates and snacks. While the enormous five-metre screen fires up as the sun goes down, both the kitchen and bar are open from 3pm (5pm on weekends) right through, for anyone wanting to sate their appetite and kick back with a tipple or two. Get ready to tuck into bites like raw kingfish with cucumber, cumquat and a pumpkin seed miso; snapper rillettes with fennel toast; or perhaps the veal rump tartare finished. Meanwhile, the bar's got that summer thirst quenched with a 50-strong lineup of wines, a range of cocktails — such as negronis and margaritas — and tinnies from Bodriggy. [caption id="attachment_800521" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kelly Thompson[/caption] While the bar operates on a walk-in basis, you can snap up cinema tickets in advance over on the website. Once each evening's flick starts rolling after sunset, guests can settle in and enjoy candy bar treats like cultured butter and sea salt popcorn, house-made pineapple lumps and Piccolina Gelateria gelato pops delivered straight to their chair. The folks from events company District Agency (Gourmet Cinema) are taking care of the film programming, with weekly themes running from high school-themed flicks to classic Euro titles and classics such as Pulp Fiction and The Big Lebowski. Coming up, you've got favourites like Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Pretty in Pink, Whiplash and more. Unfortunately, Embla Rooftop Bar & Cinema is here for a good time, but not a long time. The pop-up will run temporarily until the site is shut and developed into a boutique hotel. Find Embla Rooftop Bar & Cinema at 126 Russell Street, Melbourne. It's open from 3pm weekdays and from 5pm weekends, with walk-ins available up until 8pm each night. To see the film schedule, check out the menu and grab cinema tickets, jump on the website. Images: Kelly Thompson
If COD is life (that's Call of Duty for those not in the know) and you regularly get into passionate debates about which console is superior, you might already be aware of the huge games festival that's descending on our fair city from this Saturday. Recognised as the largest games festival in all of Asia Pacific, Melbourne International Games Week is a citywide presentation of creativity, talented developers and behind-the-scenes insights into an industry that continues to boom in Melbourne. Over 50 per cent of Australia's games industry is located here in Victoria, and these developers are making big waves globally: local studio Mountains' quirky game Florence won a coveted Design Award at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference back in June. Running from October 20–28 at numerous venues throughout Melbourne CBD, the sprawling festival includes dozens of events, including the Australian Game Developers Awards, which celebrates the best games from Australian creators. But you don't need to be a budding developer, or even a fully fledged games addict, to get involved. The festival also sees the return of mega games expo PAX Aus, the only edition that takes place outside of the United States. Held across the festival's final weekend, October 26–28, PAX Aus gives gamers the chance to discover and play new and retro games as well as learn about the latest industry innovations. Now if you were acing the Mario Kart Rainbow Highway before you could even legally ace the IRL highways, we've got some good news for you — we've nabbed three double passes to PAX for you. Spend your Sunday enthralled in the very best of games culture, with tabletop games, esports tournaments, music concerts and over 100 panel discussions from local and international business leaders, creatives and personalities. All you gotta do is enter our comp. To go in the running, enter your details below. [competition]692505[/competition]
When it comes to history's legendary painters, Claude Monet's name stands out above most. Now, for the first time ever, Australian audiences are invited to experience the painting that the entire Impressionist movement was named after as the National Gallery of Australia exhibits Monet's world-famous masterpiece, Impression, sunrise. As well as a striking collection of other Monet paintings — including the instantly recognisable Waterlilies and On the Beach at Trouville — the exhibition features works by an array of artists who inspired or followed Monet into leaving behind the studio and painting 'en plein air'. From JMW Turner to James McNeill Whistler and Eugène Boudin, other contemporaries of Monet featured at the NGA include Alfred Sisley and Berthe Morisot, one of the few female painters among the Parisian Impressionists. With their visible brush strokes and incredible depictions of light and its subtle changes, many of these works have been gathered from the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris, which almost never loans its collection. Running until Sunday September 1, Monet: Impression Sunrise is undoubtedly worth taking a wintertime road trip to Canberra for, so grab your pals and hit the road. Images: Claude Monet, Impression, sunrise (1872), courtesy Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris and Christian Baraja SLB; Claude Monet, Waterlilies (1914–17), courtesy NGA; Claude Monet, On the beach at Trouville (1870), Courtesy Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris and Bridgeman Images.
Do you remember the toys you played with when you were a kid? Maybe they were simple, simpler than kids' playthings seem now. They just don't make 'em like that anymore. Then again, if you're young enough, maybe they weren't so simple; my favourite was the GameBoy Pocket, which meant Pokemon Yellow and Super Mario Bros for hours. That model has been completely phased out now, but not before being supplanted by four successive versions. Think of all the thousands of broken, discarded, unused GameBoy Pockets out there, filling the dark underground stomach of a landfill somewhere. Tai Snaith could have been digging through dumpsters to find source material for Sweet Obsolete, her exhibition that privileges useless objects. Inked and painted in the bold, clean colours of nostalgia, her work shows us a polaroid camera, a hatstand, a wooden boat, all shiny and new. Look, they've still got it! As beautiful as the day they were lovingly put together by factory workers in Taiwan, how could we have tossed them aside so dismissively? GameBoy, forgive me, I never should have left you. Sweet Obsolete is a good-looking show. The ink work is especially strong, crafted with exceptional precision, yet up close possessing the same tiny imperfections that ultimately endear our old stuff to us (no one else could smack my GameBoy in the just the right way to make it switch on). The simple style of the works is very designer-chic and nicely complements the plucked-from-memory feel of her lonely subjects. Do I anthropomorphise these objects too much? Tai Snaith even puts faces on some of them. Though the show dips its toes tentatively into some interesting conceptual waters, it offers little more than pleasant aesthetics — a self-portrait in a reflection of a balloon inked in black and white, is a particularly striking piece — as blunt signposting stultifies the risk of intrigue. If we were in any doubt as to the meaning of the objects dotted around the room, Snaith has helpfully slapped the word “obsolete” across one of her paintings, just to make sure we get the message. Constructed by a talented hand, but without the substance to truly carry a solo show, Sweet Obsolete will nevertheless encourage you to take better care of your toys.
Get a head start on the inevitable Christmas Day food coma, with a special festive breakfast feast at one of Melbourne's most legendary cafe haunts. Over in South Melbourne, the long-running St Ali is serving up a strong start to the day for Friday, December 25, with an $80 brekkie menu available from 7am until noon. This one will see you tucking into a parade of shared entrees — think, virgin mary oysters, and a dish of 64-degree duck egg with whipped ricotta and asparagus — before moving onto brunch-style mains like the pork belly with apple, eggs and a bone marrow crumb. Dessert options including an eton mess and a brandy sauce-drenched Christmas pudding round out the morning's fun. To match, you'll be able to add on drinks from St Ali's regular lineup — there's that famed coffee, some fresh juices and a range of cocktails, including an elderflower and lemon bellini. To make a booking, head over to the St Ali.
Prolific Japanese sludge-psychedelic noisemakers Boris are well acquainted with sounds of every type. They've released 19 albums full of them in the past 20 years — spanning from doom-laden metal to feedback-heavy acid rock — culminating in last year's release, with the you-can’t-say-they-didn’t-warn-you of a title Noise. It's a far cry from J-pop (though the trio have been known to dabble in it), but still a sound inspired by Japan. "Every street in every city is flooded with massive noise, from people talking, the constant playing of uncomfortable commercial music, so many conflicting sounds in one space," bassist/guitarist/vocalist Takeshi told the SMH. Last time Boris made it to Australia they played their 2002 cult classic record Flood in its entirety. If you manage to bag a ticket to their Corner show this month, come prepared for eardrum-popping experimental soundscapes as dense as their discography is in releases. Don't forget your earplugs. Supported by White Walls + Hotel Wrecking City Traders.
Do you live in a dog-friendly house? Do you have some spare time on your hands? Do you fantasise about hanging around at dog parks with an actual dog? The good folk at Guide Dogs Victoria need you. They're expecting lots more puppies to be born between now and Christmas and they're in desperate need of carers to raise them. In other words, they're giving away puppies. If you put up your hand, you'll get a puppy for about a year — from its eight-week birthday to when it turns 14 months. During that time, you'll be responsible for introducing the sights, sounds and smells it'll meet when it starts working as a guide dog (and giving your new friend heaps of cuddles). Of course, it's not all just fun, games and cuteness. You'll have to be responsible enough to take care of regular grooming, house training and exercise, and be available to attend local training days, along with vet checks and Puppy Pre-School. A car and a fenced-in property are mandatory, too. In return, the organisation provides a strong support network, food, vet care and prevention of fleas and ticks. Guide Dogs Victoria are looking for people who are home most of the time, and are able to put effort into training and socialising the pup. Every day, 28 people in Australia get diagnosed with vision impairment, nine of whom can expect to go blind. Guide dogs are provided free to those in need, but each costs $35,000 to raise. Keen? Apply here. And send pics please.
It's never too early to start dreaming of balmier days and all those al fresco sipping sessions to fill the sunny season. But this year, you can get a headstart on putting those plans into action, with Arbory Afloat revealing it'll return in its latest incarnation as early as next week. After a winter hibernation, the famed floating bar and restaurant will reclaim its prime position in front of on-shore sister venue Arbory Bar & Eatery, opening the doors for its next season on Wednesday, September 21 — just in time for the four-day weekend Melbourne's just been gifted. As always, Arbory Afloat will be rocking a whole new persona to the last time we saw it, this year pulling inspiration from the Balearic Islands, and the free-spirited energy of Ibiza, Formentera, Menorca and Mallorca. Expect holiday vibes in abundance once you step aboard — even if Melbourne's holiday weather hasn't flown into town quite just yet. A Spanish-accented food offering will span from pintxos and tapas, to bocadillos (sandwiches) and raciones (shared bites); best enjoyed while kicking back overlooking the Yarra and soaking up what the Arbory Afloat team is calling its "dreamiest design yet". Your Ibiza party dreams will be well catered to with concoctions like pina coladas, spritzes, sangria and Porn Star Sour Martinis, featured alongside a range of share-friendly cocktail jugs. Meanwhile, a wine list filled with local and international names will be heavy on Spanish varietals — think, albariño, tempranillo and mencía — and easy-drinking Mediterranean-style brews are set to rule the beer lineup. [caption id="attachment_742538" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arbory Afloat 2019, by Simon Shiff[/caption] Catch Arbory Afloat 2022/23 at Flinders Landing from 4pm on September 21. Opening hours will be 11am–1am daily, from September 22 onwards. Top Image: Arbory Afloat 2019, by Arianna Leggiero
Come Friday night, the Coburg Night Market is undoubtedly the place to be. The market in Melbourne's north, which starts this Friday, boasts crafty gifts from local artisans, tastes from food truckers, and music of all kinds to vibe to. The market is also the perfect place to embrace your inner child (if you can't at least take one with you) and receive a lick of paint to the face, before you jump on a castle and slip down an inflatable slide. For the more tranquil reveller, wander over to the key stage where music will be floating to your ears from a multitude sounds. It would be unhealthy to miss Public Opinion Six, who are delivering funk medicine directly to your soul with their West African afro-beats — a consciousness melding messages of political justice and positivity with fiery beats and rhythm. One-man blues band Juzzie Smith will be there with his eight-strap harmonica belt as well as the honeyed-harmonies from Little Rabbit who mix bluegrass and old timey sounds with their real fancy finger-work on the strings. Also making an appearance on stage will be Perch Creek, The Everymen and Tracey McNeil & the GoodLife. After you've finishing rocking along to these sick beats, get a little sicker by rolling over to see some fierce divas dance. The Brunswick BeyDance broads will show you how to twerk, in one helluva flawless fashion. Then be prepared to swing and jive along to Anna’s GoGo Academy, who have been known to play everything from Elvis' Jailhouse Rock to ACDC's Jailbreak. There will also be food on hand from Mr Burger, Lil Nomnoms, White Guy Cooks Thai, Billy Van Creamery and Burn City Smokers. The Coburg Night Market will run every Friday for four weeks, starting November 27, 5.30 - 10pm. For more information, visit coburgnightmarket.com
Think you're a bit of a curd nerd? Or do you find yourself regularly looking up words on a pizza menu to discover, once again, it's just another type of cheese. Whether you know the difference between pecorino and parmesan or feel like a fromage fool, we've got an at-home sampling session that is guaranteed to please. On Thursday, September 16 and September 23, Milawa Cheese Company is running cheese-fuelled masterclasses, and bringing a taste of Victoria's Alpine region to your house. For $85, you'll join an interactive at-home cheese tasting class with executive cheesemaker, Cameron Rowan. Throughout the session, Rowan will help you brush up on your cheese knowledge as he guides you through samples of four of his favourite fromages. He'll give you insight into what makes a washed rind, explain why a good cheddar can be crunchy and tell you what it really means to make cheese by hand. To make sure you've got all the goods, Milawa Cheese Company will send you a supply pack loaded with cheese straight from its maturing rooms, as well as tasting note information and a cooler bag for your next outdoor cheese adventure. All you need to round up is some bread or crackers and a delicious drink to complete the experience. Want to expand your grab-bag of cheese vocab? Talk and Taste with Milawa Cheese will kick off at 5pm on September 16 and September 23. For more information and to book, visit the website.
Playing with light and meticulously showing attention to detail are the biggest lessons to learn from this year's Australian Interior Design Awards. Entering its 11th year as one of Australia's premier design events, the Design Institute of Australia-backed awards handed their highest hospitality accolades to Melbourne's light-filled coffee roasters and Penfolds' stunning flagship outside of Adelaide. Competition was fierce for the Hospitality Design award, with commendations given to Melbourne's Chinese spot Ruyi and Canberra's sleek bakery bar A. Baker. Among the 31 shortlisted entrants were Woolloomooloo's Riley Street Garage, Surry Hills' Single Origin Roasters, Brunswick warehouse venue Howler, rustic Manly spot Donny's Bar, Prahran's Japanese gem Mr Miyagi, the new Sydney CBD chapter of The Local Bar, Bondi's groundbreaking Sensory Lab, buzzing live music venue Newtown Social Club, Degraves St's elegant cafe The Quarter, Southbank Japanese restaurant Gochi and more new additions to the Australian bar and restaurant family. But there can only be two top dogs. Taking out the award for Hospitality Design, Fitzroy's Industry Beans was applauded for turning a factory shell into a light-filled, timber-clad cafe and specialty coffee roastery. "The use of the ubiquitous timber pallet creates a strong and defined interior," said the jury citation. "The pallets give the cafe an overall industrial aesthetic and add a surprising amount of warmth to the design." Use of light won the jury over in the end, with winning design firm Figure Ground Architecture's louvres letting in the final votes for the top spot. "The quality of light in what could have been a dark and dreary space shows a consideration of the connection between the interior and the exterior," said the jury. "The designers have exhibited a simple and clear concept that has realized the interior’s true potential while weaving it into surrounding street life." South Australia's Penfolds' flagship Magill Estate Restaurant took out the restaurant top spot in the Hospitality Design category, with the jury applauding Melbourne-based archtiect Pascale Gomes-McNabb's All Boxes Ticked finish. "Beautiful lighting, sophisticated use of colour and a thoughtful composition of elements create a delightful and intriguing interior at Penfolds Magill Estate Restaurant," said the jury, praising Gomes-McNabb's attention to detail, custom furniture and bespoke glass lighting. "The designer has tailored shapes and forms specifically to the space, creating a refreshing take on a winery restaurant." Co-presented by the Design Institute of Australia, designEX and Artichoke magazine, this year's awards saw more than 400 projects entered; increasing the entrants by 11 per cent from last year. Event manager Jacinta Reedy told The Australian that back to basics was highly favoured this year. “The jury recognised in these projects’ new directions in interior design, including clever use of raw materials, a love of simplicity and restrained approach to design,” she said. Check out the rest of the Australian Interior Design Awards winners over here.
It's a tough time to be a little guy, with so much of the country in lockdown once again. Many of our local producers rely on farmer's markets to distribute their products, so last year, Sydney's favourite butter churners Pepe Saya Butter Co launched Aussie Artisan Week to encourage Australians to support our nations' small cheesemakers, gin distilleries and mushroom harvesters. After a successful inaugural year, Aussie Artisan Week is back and running from Monday, August 16 until Monday, August 23. Right across the week, Pepe Saya is spreading the local love and encouraging you to check out some of this country's finest artisan producers. The Aussie Artisan Week's Instagram is featuring stories from a raft of its favourite food businesses — and you'll find a growing directory of producers over on its website complete with handy links on where to buy their wares. If you're organising a next-level breakfast for Saturday morning, start with NSW's Crumpets by Merna and Bondi Yoghurt, Northern Territory's Alice Bakery, Queensland's My Berries and of course Pepe Saya Butter Co. Or, if you're planning a fancy night in, you can hit up Cupitt's Estate winery, Kangaroo Valley Olives and Great Southern Truffles. To kick things off, Pepe Saya has also just launched a collaboration with local spread Oomite to create a luxe Vegemite-esque spread that combines Pepe Saya butter, umami and Oomite marble. The Oomite butter is available online in 100-gram wheels.
Now in its fourteenth year, this lazy little gem of the summertime festival circuit is still holding strong with a healthy list of wineries to tour and seminal pub rockers Hunters and Collectors in the 2014 headline slot. If you've never been along before, A Day on the Green has been best described as "the Big Day Out for grown-ups" — a one-day festival much more concerned with home-brought brie than any kind of head-banging. On the Victorian leg this year, ADOTG will be visiting The Hill Winery, All Saints Estate and Rochford Wines; a tour that will be accompanied by the likes of Something for Kate, You Am I, and British India too. However, most people don't go along for the music on its own. This day is much more about you, a few good friends, some great ambience in the fields of a winery, and that all important picnic lunch. Check out the full ticket options here.
When you're watching The Room, or reading behind-the-scenes memoir The Disaster Artist, or seeing the star-studded film the latter spawned as well, one big fact is always glaringly apparent. It's inescapable. It's as obvious as Tommy Wiseau's lanky hair and awkward demeanour. It's as plain as the spoons scattered throughout The Room. Yes, Greg Sestero went through one helluva experience. Of course, if it wasn't for The Room, Sestero mightn't have enjoyed his current fame. When you're in a movie that's so bad it's bad but also someone great to watch — but definitely not great itself by any standards — that's a particular kind of success. So, Sestero has made the most of it. He penned The Disaster Artist. He popped up in the flick based on it. He reteamed on-screen with Wiseau for the two-part Best F(r)iends. And he heads to screenings, doing Q&As to chat about all things The Room, too. It's been five years since Sestero last came to Australia to indulge the nation's The Room fixation, but for a week in February, he's back. His timing is perfect given that Wiseau's disasterpiece notches up 20 years in 2023. Spoons at the ready at Cinema Nova on Saturday, February 18, clearly. Sestero is doing two things: getting talking about The Room as part of 20th-anniversary sessions, and also showing his new horror film Miracle Valley. This one is a horror movie on purpose, rather than accidentally like The Room, and also marks Sestero's feature directorial debut. For newcomers to The Room — with your pristine minds currently untainted by its wonders, and your vocabulary free from constantly saying "oh hi Mark" — it tells the tale of a banker, his adulterous fiancée, his conflicted best friend, a local teen caught up in a drug deal, a mother with cancer, a particularly tense party, a bunch of guys playing football in tuxedos and the worst apartment decorating scheme you've ever seen. Wondering how all of these things come together? Even the wildest combination you can come up has nothing on The Room. As for Miracle Valley, it's about an obsessive photographer and his girlfriend, who head off on a desert getaway but get threatened by sinister forces. No — disappointingly or welcomely, depending on how you feel about The Room — Wiseau is not among the credited cast.
Food is usually the gift you give when you can't think of anything else. Come on, it's true. However, anyone getting their dad Gelato Messina's latest special Father's Day creation can't be accused of that. Given that the gelato wizards are pumping out VHS tape-shaped, Negroni-flavoured gelato cakes, wanting to eat it before Dad can is understandable. Their limited-edition offering, which is completely made out of gelato and chocolate, and is entirely edible. Well, the choc-orange flavoured cake layered with vermouth gelato (!), almond crunch, more choc-orange cake and Negroni gel (made with Archie Rose gin and blood orange mousse) is — and the edible VHS chocolate top layer as well. Best not to take a bite out of the box it comes in, though. Kids of the '80s and '90s, if you're having flashbacks about accidentally sticking food into your parents' video player when you were too young to know better, you're not alone (you're not alone). And yes, that's a good enough reason to get a cake. These memory-jogging sweet treats serve six to eight people, and will be available from Messina's Bondi, Darlinghurst, Miranda, Parramatta, Rosebery and Penrith stores in Sydney, Fitzroy and Windsor digs in Melbourne, and South Brisbane. As is always the case with their creative concoctions, they're certain to get snapped up fast, so ordering one asap is recommended. You'll have to wait until September 3 to eat it, so enjoy this GIF of the cake:
Nine pinball machines, six nights and a collection of rare Mountain Goat seasonals — this is what you'll find at the Peacock Inn Hotel for their free mini-tournaments from. Players can jump into an oversized shirt with a stranger or blindfold a friend and hurtle instructions at their trusting side from 12pm for six days during the festival. We're no doctors, but the only way to work out that carpal tunnel strain is to knit that brow of yours and keep playing, right? This event is part of Good Beer Week's 2015 program, running from May 16-24. For more festival picks, click here.
Melbourne has hosted some pretty prestigious bar takeovers in the past few years, with New York's Please Don't Tell, London's The American Bar and 28 Hongkong Street just some of the high-profile cocktail-shaking legends that have come to play. But never before have we been part of a week-long international bar swap quite like next month's globe-trotting takeover series, Week Well Spent. This one's the brainchild of UK spirits label Ableforth's and Melbourne is one of the key players, as Fitzroy's famed Black Pearl hosts the crew from Japanese favourite Music Bar. Running from August 5 to 11, Week Well Spent will spawn seven international bar takeovers in seven days, in a nod to the seven-day cold-compounding process that goes into creating Ableforth's signature Bathtub Gin. The tour's local leg sees Bar Manager Mizuguchi Takuya of Tokyo's Music Bar descend on Black Pearl for an evening of show-stopping cocktails on Thursday, August 8. He'll be flexing his creative muscle to create a one-night-only drinks list, putting Ableforth's spirits to work in a slew of clever ways. Elsewhere around the world, global stars including Scotland's Panda & Sons, lauded London bar Lyaness and Parisian legend Little Red Door all help round out the Week Well Spent lineup. Black Pearl's Matt Linklater will also head to Tokyo to return the favour at Music Bar, taking the acclaimed Melbourne bar — a regular on the World's 50 Best Bars list, and last year's Best Bar in Australasia — on the road. Catch Black Pearl's Week Well Spent takeover at 304 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, on Thursday, August 8. It all kicks off at 8pm upstairs in The Attic. There's no tickets, just first in, best dressed.
Lock up your teenagers! There's something funky in the air around Chapel Off Chapel and it's getting kids into all sorts of trouble. An over-the-top parody of the unintentionally hilarious 1936 propaganda film of the same name, Reefer Madness: The Musical is an all-singing, all-dancing, all-toking stage show about the unimaginable perils of pot. The show follows a group of young, wholesome, impressionable American teens as they fall victim to the dangers of the so-called demon weed. Crime, weird sex, religious epiphanies and foul language follows – just like in real life, kids. Running from November 24 until December 4, the outlandish show will be directed by Stephen Wheat, who previously brought the foul-mouthed Sesame Street send-up Avenue Q to the Melbourne stage.
With Bannisters' duo of hotels at Mollymook now a firm fixture on New South Wales' south coast, the accommodation brand is turning its gaze to the north. Later this year, Port Stephens will be in for a good dose of swank, with the company taking over the Soldiers Point site previously occupied by Salamander Shores. As at Mollymook, you can expect luxury. Of the 80 four-and-a-half-star rooms, 50 will afford views straight across Karuah River, while the other 30 will look over bushland. If you've cash to splash about, book the penthouse or one of four extra-fancy suites. Wherever you sleep, you'll be welcome to make the most of the infinity pool, hang out in the high-ceilinged lobby and kick back at the onsite pub over a pizza — or indulge in a course or three at the Rick Stein signature restaurant. "The abundance of top-quality seafood is a massive attraction, as is the proximity to the Hunter Valley's wineries," said Stein. "I will be working closely with head chef Mitchell Turner, designing a menu featuring local king prawns, Yellowfin bream, flathead, calamari and school whiting, not to mention the fabulous oysters." Looking the part, all these spaces — and the rest — will be sorted out by Bannisters' stellar design team, made up of architect Tony Freeman, interior designer Romy Alwill and landscape designer Will Dangar. And as for bringing the Bannisters brand to the area, general manager Peter Bacon said "there is so much potential in Port Stephens, and it is a natural progression for us to take a formula that works and replicate it." Find Bannisters Port Stephens at 147 Soldiers Point Roadd, Soldiers Point from later in 2018.
Held every two months in the indoor comfort of Brunswick Town Hall, the Sisters' Market special December event aligns perfectly with the silly season and the desire to pamper your loved ones (or yourself) with locally made and ethically sourced creations. Splurge on handmade clothing, well-crafted jewellery and accessories, one-of-kind stationary, soy candles and delightful beauty treats and more. With only 60 stalls, this market has a spot of difference as all stallholders have been hand-picked by siblings Marianna Gentilin and Roberta Parisito to represent the values and philosophies of the homemade market. Unique stalls to watch out for include the buzzing sensation of Marzrian Queen Bee Jewellery who turns dead bees into stunning wearable works of art, and cute illustrations from the award-winning illustrator and author Elise Hurst. Another bonus is that the market is fully decked out with cash and card facilities saving you from pesky dashes to the ATM. Christmas shopping sorted.
Since Studio Ghibli was formed back in 1985, the team behind the Japanese animation powerhouse have been more than a little busy. They've crafted twenty films that have captured the hearts and minds of cinema-going audiences. They've also made 1993 TV movie Ocean Waves, this year's co-production The Red Turtle, and a whole heap of shorts and television commercials. Plus, they worked on a handful of video games, as well as a British stage production of Princess Mononoke. What's missing from that hefty list of enchanting entertainment? An ongoing small screen series, which is something that Studio Ghibli only turned its attention to recently, in fact. Based on the Swedish children's fantasy book of the same name, Ronja the Robber's Daughter (or Sanzoku no Musume Rōnya) is a 26-episode effort co-produced by the studio and directed by Gorō Miyazaki, who also helmed Tales from Earthsea and From Up on Poppy Hill. As his name suggests, yes, he's the son of legendary My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. The show tells the tale of the titular young daughter of a professional thief who grows up exploring a forest filled with mythical creatures. Then Ronja meets Birk, a child from a rival tribe, who forces her to think about her dad's line of work, as well as family, friendship, love and understanding in general. We know what you're thinking: it sounds like classic Ghibli. Ronja the Robber's Daughter actually aired on Japanese TV in late 2014 and early 2015, so the fact that the animation studio has made a television show is kind of old news. But, the Asian Television Award and International Emmy Award-winning series has just been picked up by Amazon, and is finally making its way to broader audiences in an English-language dubbed version released on its Amazon Prime service. On the one hand, even with Gillian Anderson headlining the American voice cast as the show's narrator, dubbed versions of Ghibli films aren't quite the same as the originals. On the other hand, getting to see a Ghibli television series in any form is a reason to rejoice. If their movies can spirit your imagination away, just think what 26 instalments of a TV program can do. There's no word yet as to whether Aussie viewers will get the opportunity to watch Ronja the Robber's Daughter — and if so, how and where — though hopefully this is a step in the right direction. And with Ghibli scaling back their film efforts (and Hayao Miyazaki announcing his retirement, while also working on a computer-animated short and a magical forest park), it's definitely something to look forward to.
Forget the idea that Port Fairy is a purely summery destination. The small town on the Princes Highway may be best known for its beach, but thanks to its annual winter festivities there's still plenty to do when it gets chilly. From art installations and photography exhibitions to markets and toy-making workshops — plus the feverishly anticipated Dachshund Dash that attracts more than 2000 spectators — Port Fairy Winter Weekends are well worth the drive down the coast. Taking place every second weekend throughout June and July, Winter Weekends will showcase a mix of food, wine, art, culture… and sausage dogs. Did we mention the sausage dogs? They'll be pumping their tiny, adorable legs on Sunday, June 9 — although not before a dog's breakfast and the grand doggo parade. Other standout events include bathing more than 15 colonial cottages and 19th-century villas in light as part of an illuminated installation, a country pub crawl, a mad hatter's tea party, gin and whisky tastings, a Labyrinth screening complete with a dress-up shindig, hot wine paired with cool jazz, and ghost tales in a cemetery. Anyone willing to brave the early morning cold can also take part in the Winter Solstice Dawn Swim first thing on Sunday, June 23. Port Fairy Winter Weekends will run on June 7–9, June 21–23, July 5–7 and July 19–21.
Four years ago, legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Fleetwood Mac toured Australia with Christine McVie, who'd just rejoined the band after a 16-year absence. This year, when the British-American group tours the country, the lineup will look a little different. Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks, John McVie and Christine McVie will be joined on stage in August by Crowded House frontman Neil Finn and Mike Campbell, from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, with Lindsey Buckingham controversially axed from the band early last year. Despite the switch-up — it's not the band's first personnel change, and probably won't be its last — the band will be performing all its biggest hits, from 'Dreams' to 'The Chain' and 'Go Your Own Way'. The six will head to Australia's west coast first, hitting up Perth on August 9, before flying east to perform shows across the east coast — with one show in Brissie, and two in Sydney and Melbourne. Fleetwood Mac is one of the world's best-selling bands, selling in excess of 100 million albums worldwide, with the album Rumours one of the best-selling of all time. Their Aussie tour follows the band's 50-show tour of the US. FLEETWOOD MAC 2019 TOUR DATES Perth — RAC Arena, August 9 Brisbane — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, August 20 Sydney — Qudos Bank Arena, August 27 and 29 Melbourne — Rod Laver Arena, September 2 and 4 Fleetwood Mac pre-sale tickets are available from midday (local time) on Thursday, January 24, 2019, with general on-sale is at midday (local time) in Sydney and Perth, and 1pm in Melbourne and Brisbane, on Friday, January 25, through Live Nation.
Sydney Road is alive with the sounds of music, as one of the largest, loudest community music events in the country returns for another year. For close to three decades, the Brunswick Music Festival has brought an eclectic mix of local and international talent to Melbourne's inner north. Continuing the annual tradition, this year's festival will once again see (and hear) a dozen different venues around the suburb echo with everything from folk tunes to choral cabaret. The festivities run from Tuesday, March 15 to Sunday, March 20; think of it as a marathon rather than a sprint. Standout acts on the program include Japanese 'Godzilla funk' band Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro, Irish rock/jazz/bluegrass ensemble Moxie, and East African pop outfit Alsarah & The Nubatones. They'll join a strong contingent of homegrown performers, such as Mia Dyson, Kylie Auldist and Emma Donovan. For the full Brunswick Music Festival program, go here. Image: Sarah Anderson.
If you love cookies, you've no doubt tried one of Butterbing's cookie sandwiches. The delicious morsels can be found in cafe cabinets across the city, but this weekend, Butterbing will hold their very first pop-up at North Fitzroy ice cream joint Billy Van Creamy. To ring in Butterbing's third birthday celebrations, the crew has been busy whipping up a whole range of brand new flavours, which'll be showcased alongside the classics at the Flavour Frenzy pop-up this Saturday, October 28. There'll be a total of 35 tasty varieties up for grabs during the two-hour event, including a few wild and wacky concoctions born of recent fan requests. What's more, they'll be slinging each of them for more than 35 percent off the standard retail price. Also on the program is the one-off Billy Bing collaboration, featuring a scoop of Billy Van Creamy gelato sandwiched between two of those decadent Butterbing brownie cookies. What's more, these beauties are freezer-friendly — so bring a bag, stock up now and have sweet treats on hand for whenever you get a rampant cookie craving.
Sometimes it feels like the only thing to do with your 'I haven't had a holiday in three years' woes is to jump in your car and leave town in a hurry. The nine-to-five might be getting you down — especially as the warm weather is being such a tease — and you might be sitting at your desk dreaming of standing up and flipping it, quitting your job and cruising up the Princes to a new destination. But, it's probably best you don't. Perhaps, a better idea would be to get to know the parts of your city that you're not so familiar with. Joining forces with Mitsubishi to celebrate of the new Eclipse Cross, we've curated a list of experiences for every day this week to trick you into believing you're in a new town with a fresh vibe. And, you won't even need to quit your job. MONDAY, OCTOBER 15: SWIM AND CROISSANTS Do some laps then treat yourself to a tasty pastry. Start your week off energised and get your blood pumping with some laps at the Fitzroy Swimming Pool. Once you've done had your swim and a hot shower, you'll be ready to crack on with your Monday. But first, breakfast. Make a beeline straight for Lune and its renowned croissants. Grab a buttery, chocolate or almond version (or one of each, for research's sake) and scoff it down on your way to work, inspiring morning envy in those around you on the tram. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16: VEGAN TUESDAYS Gorge on vegan Indian fare guilt-free for just $25. Keep Meat-Free Monday going and hit up Babu Ji, an Indian restaurant on St Kilda's Grey Street that runs Vegan Tuesdays every week. It's an all-you-can-eat sort of affair; devour as much rice and curry as you can for just $25. While the menu varies week to week, all the offerings are completely vegan and can be made gluten free as well (hello, gluten-free naan). The night is intended to showcase the versatility of Indian food and how easily it can cater for dietary requirements like veganism. And, yes, pappadums are included. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17: A DAY OF PODCASTS Get up close and personal with the best podcasting talent at ACMI. Head along to OzPod 2018, the Australian Podcast Conference taking place at ACMI, presented by ABC. The conference will take place on Wednesday, October 17, with a number of international podcasters scheduled to appear. American Julia Lowrie Henderson from the podcast Bikram and Canadian Veronica Simmonds from podcasts Alone: A Love Story, Sleepover and Tai Asks Why will be there, as will locals Hedley Thomas from The Teacher's Pet, Myf Warhurst and Zan Rowe from Double J's Bang On, Honor Eastly from Starving Artist and Being Honest with My Ex and Yumi Stynes from ABC's Ladies We Need to Talk. The conference will combine audio storytellers, producers and innovators, with more of the program to be announced soon. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18: UNRAVELING PERFECTIONISM Head to a talk at MPavilion and learn about the inherent human need to be 'perfect'. MPavilion is about to kick into gear for another year, with the annual spring/summer installation kicking off in October. On Thursday, October 18, you can swing by Perfectionisms: an event focusing that inherent human need to be 'perfect' and how it can positively and negatively affect us. Dr David Irving, Dr Margaret Osborne, Professor Shitij Kapur and Professor Alan Duffy will all turn their considerable brain powers to answer questions about the hunt for perfection and why it drives us. Perhaps, this is the perfect mid-week reality check you need. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19: FINDERS KEEPERS MARKET Peruse the local designs and wares at this seasonal market. Finders Keepers swings back into town this October, taking place at The Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton from Friday, October 19. Head over to the design market that will, as always, feature leading local designers (and those from across the rest of the country, too). In its tenth year, Finders Keepers has grown to be one of Australia's leading markets and supports more than 1200 sellers yearly. With design, art, fashion as well as food and live music to sustain shoppers — even if you don't buy much, your mood leading into the weekend will be amped right up. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20: CITY ESCAPE Get back to the great outdoors and explore Werribee Gorge. Make full use of the sunny days that we've been copping and take the opportunity to go on an adventure this weekend. Head to Werribee Gorge to do a walk and take in some of the west-of-the-city charms. There's nothing like a bit of fresh air and a beautiful environment — only an hour or so out of Melbourne, too — to renew what you love about the city. Take a hike along the popular Werribee Gorge Circuit, an eight-kilometre hike that's perfect for beginners — or those who've been in winter hibernation and have forgotten how to spell the word 'exercise'. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21: BIG FASHION SALE Update your warm-weather wardrobe for less. Along with Finders Keepers, the Big Fashion Sale also hits Melbourne from October 18–21, so you can make your weekend a fashion and design-heavy one. It is the changing of the seasons, after all. The designer clearance sale will set up on Easey Street in Collingwood for the weekend and will be open from 10am–5pm. With EFTPOS available, you'll probably find it easy enough to nab a bargain from a top designer. More than 50 brands are represented and some will be discounted up to 80 percent —that'll get you moving on a Sunday, even if you're sore from yesterday's hike. Where to next? Make the most of every week with Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross and navigate to your next destination here.
Already one of the most scenic areas in Australia, the Whitsundays are about to give visitors something else to look at — an installation of underwater and inter-tidal art, the first to ever be placed in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Set to be unveiled at this weekend's Whitsundays Reef Festival at Airlie Beach, which runs until August 5, four sculptures will be placed near Langford Reef. They're the creation of local artist Adriaan Vanderlugt, and include a fish, a nudibranch (aka a type of mollusc) and a crab. Size-wise, they range up to 1.8 metres long, and weigh around 300 kilograms. The artworks' purpose — other than celebrating creativity — is to give the region a new attraction, unsurprisingly. "This artwork will provide a new experience for people travelling to the Whitsundays and will help the marine tourism industry recover after Cyclone Debbie," said Queensland Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones in a statement. "Around the world — from the Caribbean, to the Maldives, Spain, Bali and Australia's west coast — underwater art has been used to lure visitors." After the unveiling, the sculptures will be installed in early August, moving first to the beach, then to an intertidal spot and then underwater, all one month at a time. It's an approach aimed to prevent interference and damage, with the project acting as a trial to see how locals and tourists alike respond. Up to six more locations in the Bowen-Whitsunday region may also receive underwater art, with calls for artists now open.
After a year spent largely cooped up at home, it's safe to say that most Melburnians are itching to get out and explore. But with the odd COVID-19 outbreak turning interstate travel into a risky holiday game, it seems that now is the absolute best time to embrace the staycation — especially thanks to a suite of new government-funded initiatives designed to entice you to step away from the airline booking page and unearth some of the goodness right here in this very city. Nine local precinct associations have scored themselves extra activation funding from the City of Melbourne, as part of its $100 million Melbourne City Recovery Fund in collaboration with the Victorian Government. And that translates to a raft of new initiatives and programs for local staycationers to take advantage of. If they're quick, of course. One of these, dubbed the Docklands Dollars program, could see you score rebates of up to $210 from the Docklands Chamber of Commerce just for kicking it local. Recipients can access a $100 cashback offer when they book two night accommodation in the Docklands area, as well as up to $110 via a rebate for purchases at the precinct's stores, restaurants, fast food spots, services and attractions. And yep, that includes things like the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel, the O'Brien Icehouse and even those self-drive GoBoat picnic boats. To access the Docklands Dollars initiative, you'll need to submit your interest and register via the program's website. After that, you've got 30 days to book your stay and activate your account for the rest of the rebates. As part of the City of Melbourne's new funding, there's also a competition offering you the chance to win a staycation for you and five mates within the Yarra River Precinct. You can enter that one online as well. More initiatives are set to be rolled out by other City of Melbourne precinct associations, too, including the Chinatown Precinct Association, Carlton Inc and the Collins Street Precinct Group. Find out more about the Docklands Dollars program over at the website. Registrations are open now. Top image: Emily Godfrey via Visit Victoria.
