Still got a bit of festival action left in this season's tank? Put it to excellent use, with a trip to Tasmania and a few days adventuring at the seventh edition of Party In The Paddock. The laidback music and arts festival makes its yearly return to a property in White Hills, a 20-minute drive southeast of Launceston, from February 7 to 9. And it's bringing with it a good-times lineup well worth crossing Bass Strait for, with UK songstress Lily Allen, four-piece indie rock band The Jungle Giants, electro duo The Presets, Sydney alt-rockers Middle Kids, Melbourne's Slowly Slowly and singer Vera Blue just some of the big-name acts set to grace this year's stage. In addition to three days chock-full of live tunes, the festival is dishing up a hefty arts program, pulled together by the legends at Vibestown. And 2019's version is as big as ever, promising the full gamut of fun, interactive and mind-bending experiences. We're talking existential short film screenings, a funeral ceremony that'll have you farewelling your greatest fears, comedy sessions headlined by Matt Okine and Gen Fricker, morning yoga sessions and a pop-up Willie Smith's bar slinging breakfast cocktails and funky DJ tunes. Browse market stalls filled with top Tassie produce, let collaborative art project Real Talk inspire you to swap social media for some actual conversations, and of course, join the wild, wacky and riotously dressed for the famed Vibestown March. Images: Mitch Lowe and Andy Hardy.
Local maker markets are on the rise these days, as more and more shoppers are seeking out quality wares made by Aussie artists and designers. And while there are some mighty big annual markets at Fed Square and the Royal Exhibition Building, the mere size of these can be overwhelming. That's why we are all for the smaller local markets, where you can casually shop around each of the stalls while taking your time to speak to owners. One of these is the Handmade Design Market at Coburg Town Hall, which showcases all kinds of businesses. From 10am–3pm on Sunday, September 15 and Sunday, December 15 (just before Christmas), punters can head over to Cobrg and discover new products made by local artisans. The full list of traders has yet to be announced, but you can expect to find clothing and accessories, homewares, ceramics, cakes, and beauty products. Just about every kind of maker is free to sell their creations at the Handmade Design Market — as long as their products are made by hand. Entry is $5 at the door or free if you register at the market's website.
In April, Australia scored a promise of international hotel luxury, when global chain Waldorf Astoria announced plans to open its first Aussie outpost in Sydney in 2025. Then, we learned famed Marriott-owned hotel brand the Ritz-Carlton is set to open a sprawling property on the Gold Coast by 2026. But before that all comes to pass, it's Melbourne's turn for a slice of the action, with the Ritz-Carlton also gearing up to launch in the Victorian capital in March 2023. Perhaps best known for its iconic Manhattan hotel that overlooks Central Park and has starred numerous times on the big screen, the Ritz-Carlton will now be making its home on Lonsdale Street. And it's on track to be Australia's tallest hotel, soaring high at an ear-popping 80 storeys, with 257 guest rooms and suites. [caption id="attachment_881631" align="alignnone" width="1920"] By Gabriel Saunders[/caption] The hotel itself will have all the high-end trimmings you could imagine, including marble bathrooms, custom-made leather and velvet furniture, and a heated indoor infinity pool with views across the city. The glam lobby is perched all the way up on that 80th floor, too. It's also set to deliver some primo food and drink offerings, if the newly-appointed culinary team is anything to go by. Taking the reins as Executive Chef is the renowned Michael Greenlaw, who counts stints at London's Bibendum, Gilt in New York and Vue de Monde on his star-studded resume. Backing him in the role of Culinary Advisor is Aussie food legend, and the celebrated chef behind classics like Peninsula Bistro and Marque, Mark Best. The Ritz-Carlton Melbourne's upscale dining offering will include a restaurant perched high up on the 80th floor, open to both hotel guests and visitors. [caption id="attachment_881634" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Best and Greenlaw[/caption] Find the Ritz-Carlton Melbourne at 650 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, from March 2023. We'll share more details as they drop.
Benjy's has a dog-friendly karaoke courtyard. We repeat: dog-friendly karaoke. It's yet to be seen if this means doggos are encouraged to sing along, but it's the best regardless. If you've ever found yourself loitering on the northern end of Lygon Street with your diva pup and a song in your heart, your time has come. The venue has a karaoke bar, live bands and musicians, an all-day kitchen (serving vegetarian and vegan fare) and — perhaps most importantly — a beer garden that welcomes all your four-legged friends. The interior is worth a little scream — think Barbie, disco balls and a colour scheme inspired by those candy necklaces you used to crunch in high school. Basically, it provides all the raw ingredients for a banger of a night out — especially if you dress your dog up as Mariah Carey.
Glen Waverley might not be Melbourne's biggest food hub, but Trei Cafe's opening on Blackburn Road has got has foodies running southeast. Boasting a clean eating menu options and playful pastel features, order yourself a Snickers smoothie bowl and prepare for the healthiest bowl of chocolate ever. Made with almond mylk, cacao, peanut butter, banana, rice malt syrup and salted peanuts, it's almost certainly the best (and nuttiest) start to the day. It's also running a cracker of a special this year, offering all vegan dishes for only $13. Yep, for less than a lobster you can enjoy cookies and cream hotcakes, mushroom burgers, veggie bowls, curried lentils, sushi bowls and the aforementioned acai bowls. If you're an animal-loving coeliac, you'll be looked after, too. With five gluten-free vegan dishes also on offer for only $13 dollarydoos. If you stopped reading at cookies and cream hotcakes and are organising in a trip already we hardly blame you – however, there's no rush. The vegan menu special will be running through to the end of the year, plenty of time to get yourself there an enough times to try everything.
Another Emmys year has rolled around, Breaking Bad and Modern Family dominated yet again, Matthew McConaughey missed out on his expected golden accolade for True Detective and everyone was mean about Lena Dunham's dress. Between Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman nabbing matching Sherlockian trophies, American Horror Story popping up in every last category and Australian audiences scrawling down lists of shows they'll be pirating soon, there were a few big ol' magic moments that caught our attention this year — for the high-fivably better and WTF-inducing worse. HIT: Brian Cranston and JLD Had a Big Ol' Pash Dentist Tim Whatley and Elaine Benes reunited in a big fat smooch. Multi Emmy-winning Brian Cranston (who once played Elaine's dentist boyfriend on Seinfeld back in the day) proved he truly is The Danger by planting a big ol' pash on Julia Louis-Dreyfus after she was announced Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Veep. On her way to the stage, Cranston intercepted Louis-Dreyfus for a big wet snog after exclaiming, "You were on Seinfeld!" Mackin' legends. MISS: Sofia Vergara Was Objectified on a Rotating Pedestal During a Speech About Diversity Seriously, what were they actually thinking? Maybe, just maybe, if you're the president of the Academy about to give a speech about diversity on globally-watched television, do not deliver said speech with Modern Family's Sofia Vergara on a rotating pedestal beside you, blatantly revolving like a piece of meat. As Huffington Post points out, only 26 percent of the nominees this year are women, not to mention the fact that the Emmys have only twice awarded a Latina actress with an award. Leave the rotating pedestals out and let Vergara stand on her own two feet huh? HIT: Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey Looked Like a Night at the Roxbury Donning suits akin to Chris Kattan and Will Ferrell in their 1998 comedy, the True Detective bros offered up an offensive amount of swagger in their matching promworthy tuxes. Even Kattan noticed. HIT: Billy Crystal Made the Only Speech that Could Be Made for Robin Williams "He was the greatest friend you could ever imagine... It's very hard to talk about him in the past, because he was so present in our lives," Crystal said, inviting a minute's silence for the recently-passed legend, following the Emmys' 'In Memoriam' segment. "He was the brightest star in the comedy galaxy," he said of his super close friend, before closing with an outstanding last line: "Robin Williams, what a concept." https://youtube.com/watch?v=hYv7qSDIRRY MISS: Julia Roberts Didn't Miss an Opportunity to Make Everything About Julia Roberts Mere seconds before awarding Bryan Cranston with his straight-up deserved Emmy for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series, presenter Julia Roberts took a moment to remind everyone about number one. "Apologies to anyone who doesn't get to hug me in the next ten seconds," she said, before reading out Cranston's winning spot. Top marks, Roberts. HIT: Everyone Realised the Director of True Detective is a Stone Cold Fox As if we all pictured Cary Joji Fukunaga as a Tom Waits-like, porch-dwelling, gravel-voiced cowboy, the True Detective director got more applause on Twitter for being smokin' hot than he did for his award-winning series. Kind of like every Emmy-winning actress ever. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ygcHfkOoAeQ HIT? Sarah Silverman Might Have Been Stoned "We're just molecules and we're hurling through space right now." We're not sure, Silverman rules anyway. Check out the entire list of Emmy winners and nominees right here.
If you managed to nab a ticket to Paul Kelly's Making Gravy tour in Melbourne last year, then you were one of the lucky ones. If you weren't and have been lamenting ever since, you can stop. The songwriting legend has just announced that he'll be performing the show all over again this December, in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. As in 2017, you can expect to hear a stack of songs from Kelly's four-decade long career. Listen out for all the hits, from "Dumb Things", from the album Live, May 1992, to "Love Never Runs On Time" from Wanted Man (1994). The Christmas classic "How To Make Gravy", first released in 1996 on an eponymous EP, is on the menu, too. Chances are, you'll also hear some tunes from Kelly's new album, Nature. Due out on 12 October, it features poems by Dylan Thomas, Walt Whitman, Sylvia Plath, Gerard Manley Hopkins and Phillip Larkin, alongside original poems and songs. Last year, his 23rd studio album, Life is Fine, topped the ARIA Albums Chart, becoming the first of his albums to do so. Kelly won't be hitting the road alone: he's inviting a bunch of special guests. He'll be joined by Angus & Julia Stone, playing tunes from 2017 album Snow, Alex Lahey at all shows, with Angie McMahon and D.D Dumbo joining the lineup in Sydney, and Mojo Juju jumping on board in Melbourne and Brisbane. All three shows are outdoors and all-ages. Paul Kelly Making Gravy presale tickets will be available from 2pm on Monday, August 20. General sales will kick off at 10am on Thursday, August 23. Paul Kelly Making Gravy will hit Sydney's Domain on Saturday, December 15; Melbourne's Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Friday, December 14; and Brisbane's Riverstage on Friday, December 21. Image: Cybele Malinowski
When you've created a huge hit HBO TV show that's known for filling its frames with parties, drugs, attractive actors and plenty of drama, what do you move onto next? If you're Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, you keep doing what's worked for you so far. The writer, director, producer and creator isn't done with his Zendaya-starring success just yet — it's been renewed for a third season, so more is definitely in the works — but he's also teamed up with Abel 'The Weeknd' Tesfaye on upcoming HBO series The Idol. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is clearly Levinson's motto. "If it ain't broke, bust it out again elsewhere" works, too. This time, however, instead of exploring the ups and downs of high school, he's jumping into the music industry. Starring and co-created by The Weeknd — with writer and executive producer Reza Fahim also credited as a co-creator — The Idol is set to chronicle the chaos that comes with chasing pop stardom. From the just-dropped first teaser, it spans the parties and drugs as well. The focus: a self-help guru and leader of a modern-day cult, played by The Weeknd, as well as the up-and-coming pop idol that he starts a complicated relationship with. Lily-Rose Depp (Voyagers, The King) also stars. From there, details get thinner. The trailer sets a vibe but gives away few other narrative details, other than thrusting Depp's character into a heady new world — and having an unseen figure, presumably The Weeknd, ask if she trusts them. When it was originally announced in November 2021, The Idol was set to span six episodes, all filmed in Los Angeles — with She Dies Tomorrow's Amy Seimetz directing every single one. But back in April this year, it was revealed that Seimetz had left the project and reshoots were underway as a result. How that'll impact the end product is obviously yet to be seen. Exactly when The Idol will surface both in the US and Down Under hasn't been announced yet, either. Also set to pop up in the series: Troye Sivan (Boy Erased), Steve Zissis (Happy Death Day 2U), Melanie Liburd (This Is Us), Tunde Adebimpe (Marriage Story), Elizabeth Berkley Lauren (Saved By the Bell), Nico Hiraga (Booksmart) and Anne Heche (All Rise). That said, whether the show's cast has been affected by the reshoots also hasn't been revealed. Check out the first teaser trailer for The Idol below: The Idol doesn't yet have a release date, including Down Under — we'll update you when one is announced.
Since 2012, Melburnians have been honouring the age old tradition of making salami by throwing their hat in the ring and showing off their product at the Melbourne Salami Festa. For those who are just being introduced to The Salami Army, salami-making is by no means restricted to your elderly Italian neighbours, as every year their salami-tasting competition sees more and more entrants. Making salami is a nose-to-tail approach where every piece is appreciated and nothing is wasted. The process that goes into creating this delicious treat takes skill and patience, and we’re salivating just thinking about taste-testing the rewards. Northcote Town Hall will be set up as a salumi tasting hall, with some of Australia’s best artisan brands selling their product. On top of that, a few of Melbourne’s top restaurants will have pop-up stalls, and there'll be live music throughout the day. If you’re inspired to make your own salami, stick around for a demonstration or two, just don’t forget to make one for us.
There are lots of reasons people venture into taxidermy. They might want to boast of their hunting conquests (not okay), they could eerily try to preserve a dead pet (not quite okay), or maybe they just work at the Natural History Museum (okay). Rod McRae's latest showing at Deakin University Art Gallery takes a little from each of these worlds, while staying true to none of them. Stating his main themes as conservation, hunting culture, biodiversity, stewardship, colonisation and climate change, McRae's exhibition is inherently political. Featuring myriad taxidermied animals in strange and surreal environments, Wunderkammer is essentially about questioning our relationship with such animals and how audiences react when confronted with once wild creatures in close quarters. Disclaimer from the gallery: All the animals in Wunderkammer have been ethically sourced. No animal has been harmed to make this work in the first instance; the skins are the result of death by natural causes, medical euthanasia, hunting, culling and/or food production and have been traded on, sometimes multiple times, before they became part of this body of work.
Is Black Mirror a sci-fi flight of fancy or a realistic window into the future? Does it take humanity's increasing reliance upon technology to the fictional extreme, or predict what's about to happen? Whichever train of thought you subscribe to, if you're a fan of the Charlie Brooker-created series, you've probably jumped at every possible chance to immerse yourself in the television series. First, there was the interactive Black Mirror exhibition that popped up in London. Then came a super bleak board game. Now there's a retro-style video game as well. Hot on the heels of the program's just-released choose-your-own-adventure movie, Bandersnatch, comes your chance to mash buttons while diving into Black Mirror's twisted realm. The video game is called Nohzdyve, and it's seen in the series' new flick. It's one of the hit titles created by Colin Ritman (Will Poulter), the programmer that Bandersnatch's 19-year-old protagonist Stefan (Fionn Whitehead) first idolises, then buddies up to. The two become colleagues at games development company Tuckersoft when Stefan tries to turn his own dream game into a reality. Avid Black Mirror fans will have spotted that Nohzdyve is a reference to the first episode of the show's third season, Nosedive, aka the Bryce Dallas Howard-starring tale about a world where social media controls life's ups and downs. It's also the episode that was turned into the aforementioned board game — and, clearly, it's one of the series' instalments with the most glaring real-world parallels. In Bandersnatch, the Nohzdyve video game was made in the 80s, which means that social media obviously doesn't rate a mention. Instead, the game involves falling through the sky while collecting eyeballs and avoiding buildings. If you're keen to play it, Nohzdyve can be downloaded from the Tuckersoft website; however there is a catch. It will only run on a downloadable emulator that recreates the ZX Spectrum home computer system from 1982 (aka a British equivalent to the Commodore 64). Still, if you've already worked your way through Bandersnatch's interactive story — deciding what path Stefan's tale takes, picking between branching narrative arcs, and looping back again and again to find all of the endings — you can trade one type of Black Mirror game for another.
You'll soon be able to enjoy the Magnum + Queens Wine experience offline, as the sommelier-curated online wine shop unveil its first bricks-and-mortar store today. The Coventry Street space is being billed as an 'emporium of premium wine, drinks and accompaniments', set to boast a selection of over 700 wines from across the globe. It's a hefty, yet clever curation, focused on interesting new varietals and expert renditions of old favourites, food-friendly drops and those more textural creations. We expect, from the name, that there'll be a few magnums for special occasions, too. And while the Magnum + Queens online store is all about championing that wine, here, the vinous lineup is complemented by a selection of quality craft beer, cider and spirits, from the likes of Balter Brewing, Melbourne Moonshine, Custard & Co. and Japan's Hitachino Nest. There'll also be a small selection of snacks, included Ortiz anchovies and other cured and canned delicacies. A range of barware and glassware will help you keep your home bar in tip-top shape, while a series of regular wine tastings and food matching events is planned to kick off soon. The Magnum + Queens online store, which sells both individual bottles and monthly wine subscription packs, will expand its offering to coincide with the launch of the South Melbourne space. Find the Magnum + Queens Wine store at 274–276 Coventry Street, South Melbourne, from June 6.
If you're looking for a great excuse to get back out and explore the city, here it is: Xplore Melbourne is a free self-guided, augmented reality scavenger hunt that's kicked off this week, inviting you to rekindle your love of moseying around the CBD. Running now until January 2022, the experience will see you scanning QR codes and tracking down clues at ten locations throughout the city, to unlock various artworks, musical treats, giveaways and other fun treasures. With a flick of your smartphone, you'll be able to bring to life the vibrant works you encounter, by artists like Adnate, Meggs, Dvate and Kit Bennett. AR-fuelled performances featuring the likes of Cry Baby, Srisha, KrookLetter and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra are also waiting to be unearthed along your journey. Along with the creative treasures, Xplore also offers the chance to collect some sweet giveaways and prizes as you go, including high tea at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne, Docklands staycations, jewellery, NGV double passes, Collins 234 gift cards and more. [caption id="attachment_832457" align="alignnone" width="1920"] A new large-scale work by Meggs for Xplore[/caption]
We've got some bad news, snow-bunnies. Despite Victoria's ski resorts being located outside of the 32 local government areas currently in lockdown, Hotham and Falls Creek have today announced that they will be stopping the ski lifts again — just two weeks after reopening. Vail Resorts, the operator of Hotham and Falls Creek — as well as Perisher in NSW, which is running as normal (well, COVID normal) — made the announcement on Thursday, July 9, saying the resorts would be closing immediately until at least Wednesday, August 19, one day before the metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire lockdown is set to end. In a statement, Vail Resorts Senior Vice President and COO Peter Brulisaur acknowledged the impact this decision would have on local businesses, many of which already were impacted by this summer's bushfires, saying: "We did not make this decision lightly as we know our employees, guests and the communities where we operate have already endured so much hardship this year. However, we are focused first and foremost on health and safety, following local health guidelines and doing our part to support efforts across Victoria to address the recent rise in coronavirus cases." https://www.facebook.com/FallsAustralia/photos/a.121185347913186/3429042793794075/?type=3&theater On the company's Facebook page, many Victorians expressed anger at the decision, some saying they were already mid-way through a road trip to the snowfields. While Victorians in the 32 local government areas are under strict stay-at-home orders once again — and can only leave home for one of four reasons — those outside are told to follow new "stay safe" guidelines, which allow them to leave home for almost any reason. These residents still have restrictions on public gatherings sizes. Both Falls Creek and Hotham are providing full refunds for all lift tickets, ski and ride lessons, and rental bookings. Those who have a 2020 Epic Australia Pass and want a refund will need to submit a request over here no later than Sunday, July 12. "We recognise this is incredibly disappointing to our guests and pass holders, including those who have made reservations at Hotham and Falls Creek this season. We thank them for their patience and understanding as we continue to navigate this incredibly challenging time," Brulisaur said in the statement. Mt Buller, Victoria's third major snow resort, will continue to operate until at least Sunday, July 12 and is set to make an announcement about the rest of the snow season by 4pm today, Friday, July 10. For more information about the closures of Falls Creek and Hotham and how to get a refund, head to the resorts' websites.
If you like your sleep, chances are you missed catching Saturday morning's eclipse, when a red hued moon and the planet Mars put on a rare show at 5.30am. Well, luckily, that wasn't the last of the celestial treats in store this week — last night saw Mars really making its presence known, as it hung out closer to Earth than it's been in 15 years. According to NASA, the red planet only travels close enough to ours for these spectacular views once or twice every 15 or 17 years. Back in 2003, it made its closest approach in almost 60,000 years, and after this week's events, it isn't expected to make its next 'close approach' until October 6, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/nasasolarsystem/photos/a.164320877917.120400.79209882917/10155603764502918/?type=3&theater If you've been skygazing over the past few days, you would have seen Mars appear brightest from July 27 to 30, as it reached the point in its orbit that puts it closest to Earth. It was on show for most of last night, sitting just 57.6 million kilometres away from us — a relative sliver compared to the 401 million kilometre distance it reaches at its farthest. You'll be able to glimpse the planet for a few more nights, though it's set to get fainter by mid-August as it continues on its orbit. To catch the Red Planet, look east. "Mars will be rising as the sun sets, and rising high and high in the eastern sky during the evening," University of Sydney astronomer Tim Bedding told The Age. "Later in the evening it will be more prominent, passing overhead at midnight." If you find yourself stuck with anther cloudy night, NASA has kindly uploaded a four-hour video of the planet's approach from the Griffith Observatory in LA. Image: NASA
If you're heading to Byron Bay this summer, get ready to ride the world's first solar-powered train. The two-carriage chugger was built in Sydney in 1949, but, from December 16, it'll travel along a three-kilometre track between downtown Byron Bay and Northbeach Station up near Sunrise Beach and the Byron arts and industrial estate, driven solely by the sun's energy. Byron Bay Railroad Company, which is operating as a non-profit, has spent four years restoring the train, which was in disuse. There are seats for 100 passengers, as well as standing room for extras and, importantly, space for surfboards and bicycles. To begin, the train will operate on a limited timetable, but will run once per hour between 8am and 10pm — at a cost of three bucks per person — from January. More frequent runs will be considered in line with passenger demand and operating costs. Back in the day, the train ran on diesel. Its conversion took place at the Lithgow Railway Workshop, where solar panels were added to the roof and solar-charged batteries installed. While Indian Railways did launch a solar-powered train earlier this year, the sun only powers the lights, fans and displays on that vehicle. By comparison, on this train, the batteries can power every system, including lighting, air compressors, control circuits and traction. And, should the sun hide its face for a while, they'll gain energy from the grid's green arm. One diesel engine has been removed and replaced with an electric drive package. The remaining diesel engine is staying on-board for to provide emergency back up in the case of an electrical glitch. The Byron Bay Railroad Company's services operate from 8am to 10pm daily from January. For more information, visit byronbaytrain.com.au.
A long time go, we all used to be friends with Veronica Mars. But if you haven't thought of the teenage private eye drama lately at all (or had its Dandy Warhols-sung theme tune stuck in your head), prepare for that to change. The show initially lasted three seasons across 2004–2007, then set a crowdfunding record to get a movie off the ground in 2014, and even spawned two novels and a web series spin-off after that. Now, it looks set to make a small-screen comeback. While everything from Daria to Buffy the Vampire Slayer seems to be getting a reboot lately, Veronica Mars follows in the footsteps of Twin Peaks — as Variety reports, it'll be a revival featuring original cast members, rather than a new effort that remakes the same concept with different folks and starts all over again with its narrative. And yes, crucially, Ms Mars herself will return, with Kristen Bell poised to resume the role that brought her to fame. Hulu, the streaming platform that turned The Handmaid's Tale into the phenomenon that it is, is behind the eight-episode new season. The deal hasn't yet been finalised for Neptune's favourite blonde-haired, pint-sized sleuth to start solving mysteries again; however it looks like it's a matter of when rather than if. Veronica Mars creator and writer Rob Thomas (no, not that one) is also set to return, and Deadline notes that conversations have been had with cast members other than Bell. Just what the storyline will be, which of Veronica's ex-boyfriends will re-emerge and what cases will need solving haven't been revealed — but, given that the original show featured appearances from Amanda Seyfried, Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat and Michael Cera, Buffy's Alyson Hannigan and Charisma Carpenter, New Girl's Max Greenfield, Thor: Ragnarok's Tessa Thompson and more, you can probably expect a few familiar faces to pop up. One thing that the new series will definitely have to do is work around Bell's schedule on sitcom The Good Place, although that just means she'll be on your TV screen twice as often. Via Variety.
Remember a few weeks ago when we told you that New York City were #blessed by the birth of the XL xiao long bao? Remember how we all collectively freaked out and thought 'that's a thing that I want!'? Well, prepare thy loins for a summer of hot, soupy spills because the XL XLB is hittin' Sydney and Melbourne — hotter, bigger and soupier than ever. Din Tai Fung, known for their general dumpling prowess and cute, Chinese New Year themed animal dumplings, are the proud parents of Australia's first super-sized dump dump. Just like their American counterpart, the Din Tai Fung XLB is designed to be sucked up with a straw, so bulbous with soup is she. They'll be serving them for $8.90 a pop throughout November — but unfortunately not at their café court venues. This meal deserves a sit-down experience. For the uninitiated, prepare to have your world rocked. The xiao long bao is a steamed, soupy dumpling filled with a flavoursome broth and a pork and prawn filling. They usually come in mouth-sized portions but Din Tai Fung will be serving them up at seven times their usual size (hence the need for a straw). Grab 'em from November 1 to November 30 at Din Tai Fung World Square, Central Park, Westfield Chatswood and Westfield Miranda in Sydney, and at Emporium in Melbourne.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is one of last year's very best movies. It's one of filmmaker Quentin Tarantino's best features, too, and it won Brad Pitt an Oscar earlier this year. If you loved it, have rewatched it multiple times and have even checked out the making-of documentary that hit YouTube earlier in 2020, then you'll be pleased to hear about Tarantino's next Once Upon a Time in Hollywood-related project — because he's turning the movie into a new novelisation. Publisher Harper Collins has announced a two-book deal with the Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill and Inglourious Basterds director, including a movie based on his ten-time Academy Award-nominated latest movie. But while said novel will chart the events already seen on-screen, it'll also add to the story. Readers can apparently expect "a fresh, playful and shocking departure from the film" according to the publisher's statement announcing the news, with the book following TV actor Rick Dalton (as played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt) "both forward and backward in time". Yes, Tarantino will be penning the text, which marks his first foray into printed fiction. Set to release in 2021, there'll be multiple versions available. A paperback is due to release by mid next year, along with ebook and digital audio editions. Then, come the second half of 2021, you'll be able to pick up a hardcover edition. In the aforementioned statement, Tarantino waxed lyrical about his love of novelisations — aka books that relay the narrative of big-screen releases. "In the 70s, movie novelisations were the first adult books I grew up reading," he said. "And to this day I have a tremendous amount of affection for the genre. So as a movie-novelisation aficionado, I'm proud to announce Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as my contribution to this often marginalised, yet beloved subgenre in literature. I'm also thrilled to further explore my characters and their world in a literary endeavour that can (hopefully) sit alongside its cinematic counterpart." For his second book in the Harper Collins deal, Tarantino will be going the non-fiction route — and veering away from his most recent flick. Called Cinema Speculation, it'll focus on movies from the 70s, combining "essays, reviews, personal writing and tantalising 'what if'-style pieces. In the interim, you can check out Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's trailer below. And, you can read our full review of the movie, too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELeMaP8EPAA Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood novelisation is due to hit shelves in mid-2021 — we'll update you with an exact release date when it is announced.
If high-concept horror nasties get you grinning even when you're squirming, recoiling or peeking through your fingers, then expect Smile to live up to its name — in its first half, at least. A The Ring-meets-It Follows type of scarefest with nods to the Joker thrown in, it takes its titular term seriously, sporting one helluva creepy smirk again and again. The actual face doing the ghoulish beaming can change, and does, but the evil Cheshire Cat-esque look on each dial doesn't. Where 2011's not-at-all spooky The Muppets had a maniacal laugh, Smile does indeed possess a maniacal, skin-crawling, nightmare-inducing leer. In the film, the first character to chat about it, PhD student Laura Weaver (Caitlin Stasey, Bridge and Tunnel), explains it as "the worst smile I have ever seen in my life". She's in a hospital, telling psychiatrist Rose Cotter (Mare of Easttown's Sosie Bacon, daughter of Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick), who clearly thinks she's hallucinating. But when the doctor sees that grin herself, she immediately knows that Laura's description couldn't be more accurate. Toothy, deranged, preternaturally stretched and also frozen in place, the smile at the heart of Smile isn't easily forgotten — not that Rose need worry about that. Soon, it's haunting her days and nights by interrupting her work, and seeing her act erratically with patients to the concern of her boss (Kal Penn, Clarice). Rose upsets a whole party at her nephew's birthday, too, and makes her fiancé Trevor (Jessie T Usher, The Boys) have doubts about their future. There's a backstory: Rose's mother experienced mental illness, which is why she's so passionate about her work and her sister Holly (Gillian Zinser, The Guilty) is so dismissive. There's a backstory to the diabolical frown turned upside down also, which she's quickly trying to unravel with the help of her cop ex Joel (Kyle Gallner, Scream). She has to; Laura came to the hospital for assistance after her professor saw the smile first, then started beaming it, then took his own life in front of her — and now Rose is in the same situation. It springs from debut feature writer/director Parker Finn's own 2020 short film Laura Hasn't Slept, but given how quickly Smile's nods to other horror flicks come — and how blatant they are — it's hardly astonishing how little in its narrative comes as a surprise. A malignant terror spreading virally on sight? A single-minded pursuer that can hop bodies, but always chases its new target with unyielding focus? Yes, as already mentioned, a J-horror franchise and its American remake are owed a huge debt, as is David Robert Mitchell's breakout 2014 hit. And yes, there's no way not to think of a certain Batman adversary each time that eerily exaggerated smirk flashes (given how many times the Joker has featured on-screen, it's downright inescapable). But when Smile is smiling — not just plastering that unnerving grin far and wide, but frequently directing it straight at the camera (and audience) — the fear is real. It's an odd experience, the feeling of knowing how obvious every aspect of a movie's narrative is, yet still having it spark a physical reaction. Finn deploys jump-scares that do genuinely invite jumps. His film goes dark and grim in its look and atmosphere, tensely so, and with cinematographer Charlie Sarroff (Relic) adoring soft, restrained lighting that one imagines the realm between life and death could have. He knows when to let a moment and a shot hang, teasing out the inevitable but still making sure the payoff is felt. And, among all of that, the mood is Ari Aster (Hereditary, Midsommar)-level bleak. The biggest kudos goes to (and the biggest responses come from) that hellish expression that could pop up anywhere on anyone, though. When Smile stops smiling, it's a blander movie — and although the fact that much of it is spliced together from elsewhere, and what isn't is largely generic, doesn't ever slip from view, that's also when the feature gets heftier. A movie that gets its main eerie motif shocking and scaring to a spine-tingling degree, has enough technical nuts and bolts working as well, but ticks oh-so-many recognisable boxes otherwise, can also have something weighty to ponder — and Smile is that movie. Wading through trauma and its longterm effects is a horror genre favourite, with this film's version ruminating on the way that childhood struggles haunt with unshakeable and infernal malevolence. Making that force visible through a suicide-inducing, chomper-baring spirit isn't subtle, but nothing brandishing Smile's smile is overly trying to be. Layering in multiple generations multiple times in multiple ways is an effective touch, too. Still, Finn always seems to be playing with the easiest pieces and emotions, and making the easiest moves; those different instances of trauma, spread across lead, supporting and bit-part characters, also scream of dropping as many breadcrumbs as possible for potential sequels. Smile will likely start a franchise — it has the bones to, even just with its twisted lips and the notion that distressing formative incidences leave a mark. Those smirks can keep adorning and plaguing other faces, and that pain can keep bubbling up. That said, anyone who follows in Bacon's footsteps will have a task ahead of them, especially in conveying how seeing the unhinged grin frazzles and wearies. Aided by camera placement and lighting, Smile's protagonist does indeed come across as a woman fraying in every aspect of her expression and her physicality. Watch enough horror movies and you'll know that showing extreme alarm too often comes down to widening eyes, an agape jaw and a bloodcurdling shriek in by-the-numbers fare; however, there's palpable exhaustion in Bacon's performance that speaks not just to being terrified but tired of spending a life battling many kinds of demons. Gallner's sturdy support also leaves an imprint, and one of Smile's actual surprises comes if you're a Veronica Mars fan expecting him to keep playing the shady or nefarious part — something that hasn't just happened once in his career. As that stroke of casting shows, and Bacon's, there's more than enough in the film that clearly works, but there's still just as much that's almost-dispiritingly standard. Something that's an indisputable delight, a word that can never apply to all of the movie's accursed beaming: realising that plenty of Rose's story fits the lyrics of 'Footloose'. She's been working so hard punching her card. She gets a feeling that time's holding her down. She might crack if she doesn't cut loose — all while something is taking ahold of souls. Dancing isn't banned here and the elder Bacon doesn't pop up, but any flick that's legitimately unsettling and brings Footloose to mind is always going to deserve a hearty grin.
If you don't know Mandek Penha, then you should probably stop reading and just go to the gig. They are one of those acts that needs to be seen before they make any sense — but I'll try. This video might be some help, too. They're a cult band that worships The Father, whose dominion, South Sarra, is accessible through a portal orbiting above North Korea. They express their love through song, usually falling somewhere in between noisepop and punk rock, with a bit of electronic folk in there somewhere too. Led by the Current Earthly Embodiment (CEE) and his first bride, Mandek Penha sing religious songs of sexual inquest, religious tradition, and most of all their love for the Next Earthly Embodiment (NEE) — a 12-year-old girl in a freaky mask who has a penchant for crying onstage. There's also the odd cover version in there as a special treat. Beginning a month-long residency at the Toff in Town, Mandek's weird blend of hilarious showmanship, complex songwriting and eye-widening religious spectacle is unmatched on the Melbourne live music scene today: it must be experienced. Good thing they're playing on three Mondays this month.
Settle in for a long lunch at Taxi Kitchen, with a new Feed Me lunch menu (dubbed FML) for an easy $45 per person. Available every day of the week between 12pm and 3pm at the Federation Square favourite, guests will share three small plates and a large plate across this leisurely lunch. The small plates menu runs to the likes of sake-washed tuna paired with a yuzu yellow, or crispy tempura bug tails seasoned with nori dust and sesame aioli. We recommend the steak tartare topped with a confit egg yolk, which is balanced nicely with nashi, black garlic and wonton crisps. Larger plate choices will see guests making the difficult choices between low-cooked lamb shoulder with kohlrabi puree and Xinjiang spices, or Szechuan spiced duck laden with chilli dressing and watercress. Vegetarian choices include a crispy potato and cabbage bao with tonkatsu and pepper kewpie, or roasted eggplant with charred broccolini, miso and chickpeas. Images: Michael Pham
Talk about stating the obvious: "this is a multi-year journey you're about to embark on," Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo, Dark Waters) tells Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black) in the new She-Hulk: Attorney at Law trailer. He's teaching her the ways of being green and huge, and possessing super strength — and, in the kind of winking, nudging tone that the new Disney+ series looks set to revel in, he's clearly not only talking about the on-screen journey, but the experience of keeping up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe for those watching along. This far in — 14 years since the first Iron Man reached screens, with 28 other movies releasing since, and the slate of streaming series only growing — being a fan of the MCU is a big commitment. After a few gaps during the first year of the pandemic, there's always something new Marvel-related to watch on screens big and small, or so it seems. In 2022 so far, Moon Knight, Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, Ms Marvel and Thor: Love and Thunder have all already arrived, for instance. Hitting Disney+ from Wednesday, August 17, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is the next title on the way — and, yes, the idea is all there in its name. Walters is a lawyer newly specialising in superhuman law. After an experiment by Banner, she's soon turning green when she's scared and angry. And as both the initial and the new trailers for the about-to-release MCU show point out, with the latest dropping during this year's San Diego Comic-Con, things get chaotic from there. If your memory of TV extends back to the late 90s and early 00s, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law should give you big Ally McBeal vibes — but with superheroes instead of Calista Flockhart and dancing babies. Walters' work life, her efforts to balance being an attorney and being She-Hulk, her dating experiences: they're all covered, as is sitting around chatting about everything with her best pal (Ginger Gonzaga, Kidding) over drinks. The latest trailer also takes a few cues from The Boys, diving headfirst into the fallout when "more and more eccentric superhumans are coming out of the woodwork", as Walters is told. That's why she's enlisted to head up the legal division — her boss wants the She-Hulk to be the face of it, he explains. As it explores what it's like to be a single thirtysomething attorney who is also a green six-foot-seven-inch hulk — you know, that old chestnut — the show's nine-episode first season will also feature familiar MCU faces in the form of Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) as Wong and Tim Roth (Sundown) as Emil Blonsky/the Abomination. Rounding out the cast is a heap of recent sitcom standouts: Josh Segarra (The Other Two), Jameela Jamil (The Good Place), Jon Bass (Miracle Workers) and Renée Elise Goldsberry (Girls5eva). And, behind the lens, Kat Coiro (Marry Me) and Anu Valia (And Just Like That...) share directing duties across the season, with Jessica Gao (Rick and Morty) as head writer. Check out the latest She-Hulk: Attorney at Law trailer below: She-Hulk: Attorney at Law will start streaming via Disney+ from Wednesday, August 17. Images: courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.
In this period of uncertainty, how can we come together to close societal divisions, share knowledge and increase production and organisation? These are the types of questions ACCA's Greater Together exhibition poses, suggesting our well-established ways of collaborating no longer fit the rapidly changing technologies, environments, societal and political landscapes. Utopian in its perspective, Greater Together brings together eight artist projects to consider ideas of collaboration and cooperation and how we might find solidarity in both the art world and broader society. To help in this exploration, Melbourne-based art collective Field Theory will hold a fortnightly series of workshops, where they've enlisted the minds of several obscure local groups — including ex-military survivalists, the Melbourne Anarchist Club and the Victorian UFO Club — to devise a survival plan if disaster strikes. Greater Together is open now and runs until Sunday, September 17. Be sure to head along to the Field Theory: Survival Sessions to ensure your survival bunker is well prepared. Images: Installation view, by Andrew Curtis.
Fans of huge pop-culture behemoths, we hope you have a comfortable couch, because you're going to be spending a lot of time sitting on it over the next month or so. Not one, not two, but four massive franchises are dropping new streaming series between now and mid-September — and with everyone's queues set to be so busy, one is now arriving a little later than initially planned. That show: Andor, the second Star Wars Disney+ spinoff for 2022, following Obi-Wan Kenobi. Originally set to debut at the end of August, it has just pushed its premiere date out to Wednesday, September 21, arriving after Marvel's She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon and the Middle-earth-set The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power — so you'll be waiting a bit longer to dive into its tale of espionage and rebellion. The rest of the series' details remain the same, though — including providing a prequel to 2016's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and bringing some spy thrills to a galaxy far, far away. And yes, like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor takes a favourite big-screen character and steps back into their story before the events that viewers have already seen. As its title makes plain, Andor focuses on its namesake — Cassian Andor, again played by Diego Luna (If Beale Street Could Talk). Star Wars fans have already seen him as a Rebel captain and intelligence agent, and also watched how his story ends, hence the show's need to jump backwards. The focus: following Andor as he discovers how he can play a part in fighting the Empire. Indeed, charting the rebellion, and how people and planets joined in, is the series' whole remit. Alongside Luna, Andor sees filmmaker Tony Gilroy (The Bourne Legacy) — who co-wrote the screenplay for Rogue One — return to the Star Wars franchise as the series' creator and showrunner. And, on-screen, Luna is joined by the Genevieve O'Reilly (The Dry) — who is also back as Mon Mothma — as well as Stellan Skarsgård (Dune), Adria Arjona (Morbius), Denise Gough (Monday) and Kyle Soller (Poldark). Oh, and a cute-looking new robot that was first scurrying around in the show's initial trailer, although how big a part it'll play is yet to be revealed. Andor also just dropped its full trailer, which teases the titular figure's quest to make a difference against the Empire — with a big push at first, and with help where he can get it afterwards. Unsurprisingly, the mood is grim and weighty. "The Empire is choking us all slowly. We're starting not to notice," Andor is told by Luthen Rael (Skarsgård). "What I'm asking is this: wouldn't you give it all to something real?" Andor is set to span two seasons, both running for 12 episodes each and adding to Disney+'s ever-expanding array of Star Wars programming. Also on its way: the third season of The Mandalorian, which'll arrive in February 2023; and the recently announced Skeleton Crew, which'll star Jude Law and hit streaming queues sometime next year as well. Check out the full trailer for Andor below: Andor will now start streaming via Disney+ from Wednesday, September 21. Images: ©2022 Lucasfilm Ltd & TM. All Rights Reserved.
The returning Fantastic Film Festival Australia isn't just about celebrating cult-classic movies. This cinema showcase is one of several in Australia that wears its love for the weird, wild and wonderful — the strange and surreal, too — on its screens, and that means going heavy on the latest flicks that fit that description. But when the Melbourne event includes beloved retro titles on its lineup, it usually does something special with them. So, in 2023, as part of its just-announced program, it has particularly attention-grabbing plans for Zoolander and the OG Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live-action movie. Ben Stiller's comedy about the world of modelling might be all about donning clothes, but FFFA's session of the film is going in the opposite direction, joining the fest's growing spate of nude screenings. The event debuted the concept in 2021, then brought it back in 2022 for the 25th anniversary of The Full Monty. Now, patrons are asked to wear nothing but their best blue steel look — or magnum if they prefer — while watching a really, really, really, ridiculously good-looking movie. Clothes are required at FFFA's showing of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but don't worry about eating pizza beforehand — you'll be able to smell it during the session. The fest is going with a scratch-and-sniff experience, in what it's calling Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Stink-O-Vision and will be a world-premiere. As you watch Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael (and Sam Rockwell in a blink-or-you'll-miss-it part), you'll be told to scratch a card at certain moments to get smelling. Some scents will be tasty. Some definitely won't. Running from Friday, April 14–Sunday, April 30 at Lido Cinemas in Hawthorn, FFFA's 2023 bill also features a 2K restoration of Takashi Miike's Audition, but mostly it's serving today's fresh flicks that'll be tomorrow's cult favourites. Opening the fest is Polite Society, about a martial artist-in-training endeavouring to save her sister from an arranged marriage — and a hit at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Closing it: LION-GIRL, a futuristic, post-apocalyptic sci-fi film about saving humanity (aren't they all?) that boasts character design by manga artist Go Nagai. Elsewhere on its 2023 program, Fantastic Film Festival Australia will screen the 1997-set Zillion, the highest-grossing film in Belgium in 2022, which tells of a computer whiz who creates the biggest discotheque in the world; Evil Dead Rise, the latest title in the ongoing zombie franchise, and prime fodder for a midnight slot; and Holy Shit!, which is completely set in a portaloo rigged with explosives. Or, there's a movie that FFFA is calling An Untitled and Perfectly-Legal Coming-Of-Age Parody Film — it isn't naming it because it was surrounded by controversy at its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, but you can easily work out by a quick online search, especially if you're fond of comic-book characters. It'll screen with the director in attendance, in what'll be one of its rare public showings so far. A number of Australian efforts are also on the lineup, starting with Rolf de Heer's The Survival of Kindness, which recently proved a hit at the Berlin International Film Festival. There's also Beaten to Death, a new-wave Ozploitation thriller set in remote Tasmania; the giallo-style Blur, about an investigation into a strange entity; and The End of History, about Australian techno producers Darcy and Pat as they chase their creative dreams in Berlin.
In what's already one of this year's most impressive makeovers, renowned chef Shane Delia has transformed his OG Biggie Smalls kebab store into new venture: elegant meze and cocktail bar Maha Bar. The Smith Street space that once sported a playful diner fit-out is now entirely unrecognisable, reimagined by Studio Y in a vision of warm timber panelling and elegant curves. Where Delia's long-running CBD fine diner Maha is pushing the creative envelope, Maha Bar is the more classic-leaning, smart-yet-casual counterpart. It has similar vibrant Middle Eastern flavours, but with a menu that beckons you to sit down and settle in for some good old-fashioned feasting. [caption id="attachment_763410" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] The menu starts with drinking snacks and works its way up to heartier dishes, offering plenty of vegan goodness along the way. Grab a drink and tuck into bites like crispy buns stuffed with spiced beef or eggplant, dainty semolina crumpets topped with saffron-cured egg yolk and caviar, creamy hummus paired and a medley of maple-roasted carrots. Grilled fish comes matched with capers, green olives and a burnt butter sauce, while a dish of Macedon Ranges duck breast features pomegranate and a crispy bastilla. And if decisions aren't your thing, you'll find soufra or 'feed me' menus for both vegans and carnivores (both for $65). Behind the bar, a range of house-infused raki and arak takes centre stage, alongside a strong collection of crafty cocktails. You'll find drinks like a raki sazerac, a turkish delight martini and four styles of negroni, including a chocolate and orange riff made with whisky and amaro. A smart curation of wine and boutique brews is also on offer, while on Mondays and Tuesdays, punters are allowed to BYO wine. [caption id="attachment_763235" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] If you need any extra encouragement to head in for a feasting session, just look at what awaits you at the bar every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In the generous spirit of Delia's Maltese heritage, the kitchen's plating up a rotation of free meze snacks from 3–5pm for anyone enjoying a drink. Order a cocktail and pique your appetite with a taster of what's to come — perhaps some lentil kibbe, traditional pork sausage or warm yoghurt bread matched with za'atar. Find Maha Bar at 86 Smith Street, Collingwood. It's open daily for dinner from 5pm, and for lunch on Friday to Sunday from 12pm. Images: Julia Sansone
Some real-life incidents just keep fascinating Hollywood, and the tale of Candy Montgomery is clearly one of them. Back in 1990, TV movie A Killing in a Small Town — directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal, dad to Ambulance's Jake and The Deuce's Maggie — stepped through her story. In 2022, Candy did the same with Jessica Biel playing the titular part. Now, Love & Death is set to do it all over again, this time having WandaVision's Elizabeth Olsen segue from playing a superhero gone dark to getting accused of being an axe murderer. Hailing from HBO — streaming via its online service HBO Max in the US, and on Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand — Love & Death turns the grisly details into everyone's likely next true-crime obsession, with the team behind Big Little Lies and The Undoing behind it. If you don't already know the story, it's best to discover all of the ins and outs while watching, but it all starts with two church-going couples in Texas. As the just-dropped full trailer for the seven-part show makes plain, Montgomery isn't thrilled with her suburban life, suggesting an extramarital dalliance. Soon, there's a body and plenty of suspicions going her way. How it all plays out is a matter of history, of course, and chronicled in the book Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs. Love & Death takes inspiration from that text, plus a collection of articles from Texas Monthly, with viewers getting to see the show's take on the story from late April. Alongside Olsen, Love & Death stars Jesse Plemons (The Power of the Dog), Lily Rabe (Shrinking), Patrick Fugit (Babylon), Keir Gilchrist (Atypical), Elizabeth Marvel (The Dropout), Tom Pelphrey (She Said) and Krysten Ritter (Jessica Jones). TV veteran David E Kelley both writes and produces, adding another series to his hefty list after the aforementioned Big Little Lies and The Undoing — and Nine Perfect Strangers, Boston Legal, The Practice, Ally McBeal and more — while Lesli Linka Glatter (Homeland) directs the first four and the last episodes. Check out the trailer for Love & Death below: Love & Death will stream via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand from Thursday, April 27. Images: HBO Max.
Melbourne's famed floating bar is back for another summer season on the Yarra, this time promising to be bigger and better than ever before. Arbory Afloat, which made its debut in 2015, is being reimagined this year as a sprawling, 500-square-metre floating pontoon, installed on the river in front of sister venue, Arbory Bar & Eatery. And it's a monster. Open to the public from Wednesday, November 15, the temporary bar and restaurant clocks in at a whopping 50 metres long, with room for 407 guests. Design-wise, this year's bar riffs on the beach clubs of The Mediterranean, accented in eye-catching Klein Blue and boasting a central bar, with a mix of day beds, banquette seating and restaurant dining. The breezy Mediterranean influence extends to the food and drink offering, with Chef Nick Bennett's laidback menu featuring seafood aplenty, house-made gelato and Neapolitan-style pizzas from the woodfire oven. Sun-drenched drinking sessions here will feature fruit-driven cocktails from an extensive, Euro-influenced lineup, and bespoke gin and tonic creations, crafted on a range of small-batch tonics and clever garnishes. Meanwhile, National Good Food Guide 2018 Sommelier of the Year Raul Moreno Yagüe has worked his magic on the wine list, to deliver an offering that's fresh, vibrant and geared perfectly to summer sipping by the water. Arbory Afloat will open 7am will 1am daily (including Christmas Day) from Wednesday, November 15 at Flinders Landing. For more info visit arbory.com.au.
To Valhalla, George Miller went: when Mad Max: Fury Road thundered across and shone upon the silver screen in 2015, and it did both, it gave cinema one of the greatest action movies ever made. It has taken nine years for the Australian filmmaker to back up one of the 21st century's masterpieces with another stunt-filled drive through his dystopian franchise — a realm that now dates back 45 years, with Mad Max first envisaging a hellscape Down Under in 1979 — and he's achieved the immensely enviable. Fury Road and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga's white-hued, silver-lipped war boys pray to gain entry to a mythological dreamscape just once, but Miller keeps returning again and again (only 1985's Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, in a now five-film series that also includes 1981's Mad Max 2, is anything less than heavenly). "The question is: do you have what it takes to make it epic?" Miller has Chris Hemsworth (Thor: Love and Thunder) ask in Furiosa as biker-horde leader Dementus, he of the post-apocalyptic Thor-meets-Roman gladiator look and chariot-by-motorcycle mode of transport. Returning to all things Mad Max after an affecting detour to 2022's djinn fable Three Thousand Years of Longing, the writer/director might've been posing himself the same query — and he resoundingly answers in the affirmative. An origin story-spinning prequel has rarely felt as essential as this unearthing of its namesake's history, which Fury Road hinted at when it introduced Furiosa (then played by Charlize Theron, Fast X) and made her the movie's hero above and beyond Mad Max (Tom Hardy, Venom: Let There Be Carnage). Discovering the full Furiosa tale felt imperative then, too, and with good reason: Miller had already planned the figure's own film to flesh out her background before her celluloid debut, and that she existed well past her interactions with Max was always as apparent as the steely glare that said everything without words. Now with both Anya Taylor-Joy (The Super Mario Bros Movie) and Alyla Browne (The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart) playing the lead, Furiosa is an act of seeing how sands shift. Time, terrors and tragedy sweep through Furiosa's life, moulding her into Fury Road's formidable figure — and the grains blasted around by the years, and the trials and tribulations, assist with the shaping. As exceptional as Theron was, owning her time in the role and the film that she was in, Miller was smart to recast with Taylor-Joy rather than deploying digital de-ageing. His new Furiosa doesn't mimic her predecessor, but evolves into her take on the character, including via fierce and anxious eye emoting beneath slicks of grease in a frequently wordless performance. Browne is also excellent, and equally as determined. Furiosa has chosen all of its key talents wisely; in a showcase turn, Hemsworth peacocks and drips evil like he's never had so much fun on screen, while Tom Burke (Living) is commandingly stoic as Praetorian Jack, a war rig pilot and a thoughtful mentor. When Browne begins the film as Furiosa, The Green Place of Many Mothers and the Vuvalini, its matriarchal custodians, are the character's safe haven and guiding forces — blissfully so. But she's resourceful, knowing to sever the fuel line on the bike of roving scavengers to stop them from finding her home. The girl that audiences already know will become an Imperator under The Citadel warlord Immortan Joe (Three Thousand Years of Longing's Lachy Hulme, taking over from the now-late Hugh Keays-Byrne) — and will then secret away his captive wives, each treated as little more than human breeding stock — can't stop the raiders from snatching her up, however. Their hope: impressing the volatile Dementus, who rides across the desert with a teddy bear strapped to him, with living proof that more than the wasteland's dust and savagery exists. Furiosa's world-building first hour spends its time with its protagonist as a plucky pre-teen trying to escape back to her mother Mary Jabassa (Charlee Fraser, Anyone But You) — who is in swift pursuit — and then internalising the trauma of becoming her captor's adoptee as he plots dominance guided by sheer arrogance, entitlement, cruelty and buffoonery (Hemsworth wears his bluster as well as he does red capes, which he amusingly isn't done with in this move away from Marvel). She's still a girl when Dementus and his gang arrive at The Citadel, where she's traded into Immortan Joe's care. Fifteen years pass in Miller and Fury Road co-scribe Nick Lathouris' new narrative, but Taylor-Joy's step into Furiosa's shoes leaves the character no less enterprising and consumed by anger at a world where everything that she loves has been taken from her. Max Rockatansky was a vigilante, after all — and, as shot in Australia for the first time since Beyond Thunderdome, Miller is still making a vengeance story here. "We are the already dead, Little D, you and me," Dementus will tell Furiosa later. This remains a movie where speeding along dirt roads in the vehicular equivalents of Frankenstein's monster — tinkered together road trains ferrying arms from the Bullet Farm and petrol from Gas Town — is an eye-popping high-octane spectacle, but it's also one where pain, grief and, yes, fury run deep. With Aussie accents everywhere, and a sunburnt country that's inching closer to reflecting reality every day baking parched sights into the Simon Duggan (Disenchanted)-lensed frames, Furiosa doesn't forget that it's in a franchise about ecocide, what humanity robs from itself by committing it and what it takes to endure afterwards. Fury Road didn't, either, but by adding more room between the on-the-road chaos, its prequel buzzes and thrums with the urgency and immediacy of survival, and also lets the weight of Furiosa's plight land. With Oscar-winning editor Margaret Sixel (Happy Feet) and costume designer Jenny Beavan (Cruella) both back — the first working with Eliot Knapman (a second assistant editor last time) and whipping up action sequences as frenetic as ever, the second in vintage form — Miller has top-notch help etching stunning sights into cinema history again. Although Furiosa isn't just one long pedal-to-the-metal display, it's still filled with them. A mid-movie 15-minute setpiece is as tremendous as Mad Max flicks get. While CGI leaves bigger tyre marks this time, there's an apt air to the glossier look versus Fury Road's lived-in aesthetics, reflecting Furiosa's journey. The wasteland and its horrors greet her afresh in this film, but they're as caked on as mud when she's an Imperator. It also feels fitting that Furiosa arrives, finally, in a year that sand has already stretched across screens as far as could be seen in Dune: Part Two, and also revenge has fuelled Love Lies Bleeding and Monkey Man and Boy Kills World. Making the vast, primal and eternal feel vivid and shiny and new keeps proving Miller's 00s-era Mad Max wheelhouse — and what a treat, what a lovely treat, it makes for viewers.
A cult favourite on the local stand-up scene, the comedy of Laura Davis is at once baffling, confronting and uproariously entertaining. Her show at last year's Melbourne International Comedy Festival saw her deliver jokes from the top of a ladder while wearing a blindfold. On paper it sounds like a gimmick; in execution it was one of the funniest and most disarming acts we saw all festival. Her follow-up is titled Cake in the Rain, and we haven't the faintest idea what it's about. But you can bet your bottom dollar we'll be there opening night.
It's a truth universally acknowledged that dads are absolutely, 100 percent, without a doubt the hardest people in our lives to buy gifts for. They don't really want or need much — and they tend to buy whatever they do need for themselves anyway. If you're like us, you probably have a default roster of generic items that you keep on rotation for special occasions. But let's be real: Dad doesn't really need another pair of socks. And he still hasn't cracked the cover of the last book you bought for him. So, we're here to help you out. Together with Maker's Mark, we're giving away an excellent whisky-themed gift pack that'll take Dad's after-dinner tipple to the next level. Valued at $450, this prize pack has a bunch of liquor cabinet essentials, including a bottle of Maker's Mark, an ice stamp, two glasses and a barrel head. And if you really want to cement that coveted favourite kid status, fix him a drink after he's unwrapped the gift — keep an eye out for our recipe guide, which is coming soon. To be in the running, enter your details below. [competition]779157[/competition]
For yogis who reckon they've conquered every possible distraction, here's a new challenge: doga. That's yoga with dogs. Or, as you could call it, trying to stay still and breathe deeply while stacks of curious, adorable puppies are trying to work out what you're up to. Moonee Pond's Studio 3 is teaming up with Campbellfield's not-for-profit Second Chance Animal Rescue to put you in a yoga class surrounded by fluff balls. Taking place on Saturday, December 8, the event aims to raise funds for a brand new community animal hospital. Every pup you meet will be from Second Chance's shelter and, therefore, up for adoption. Watch out: you might well find yourself falling in love before shavasana. Please note: for safety reasons and to keep the focus on the needy pups, Studio 3 asks that you leave your own furry friends at home.
A South Melbourne favourite is in a bit of a pickle and it's asking for your help. Coming off the back of some particularly tough times, the duo behind The Pickle & The Patty are rallying the troops, inviting pickle-loving Melburnians to throw a little extra support behind their upcoming Save the Pickle Pity Party. Taking over the diner from 11.30am on Saturday, April 1, it's set to be an all-day affair, starring loads of specials and exclusive menu additions. You'll find $9 cheeseburgers, all tap brews priced at $10 a pop and something dubbed the Hangover Walking Taco — a serve of Mi Goreng-flavoured crisps elevated with chopped cheese-style beef, a peanut butter drizzle, blueberry jam, bacon and jalapeño. If you fancy digging a little deeper, there'll be a ticketed feasting series running throughout the day. Nab a $58 ticket to enjoy a set menu filled with surprises and quirky twists, as well as a unique drink to kick things off. While there, you'll be able to help out the venue's fundraising efforts by snapping up The Pickle & The Patty merch, plus signature products ranging from pickles to hot sauce. There'll even be a silent auction the team is labelling "quirky, weird and wonderful".
For so many, being self-employed is the dream. You don't have to answer to anybody, you can work from wherever you want, and if it's a beautiful 30 degree day, hey, maybe you can go to the beach instead. The only downside is that it's easy to get a bit lonely. All that time alone in your cramped home office would send even the best of us a bit nutty. This is where co-working spaces come in and, after a huge 18-month revamp, Nest is among the best of them. Housing industry professionals from fields as diverse as horticulture, software development and performance art, Nest is the ultimate collaborative environment for creative types. "The idea is to have the best of both worlds — the flexibility of working for yourself, but with the professional networks, resources, and a professional space away from noise, where you're proud to bring clients and collaborators," says founder Jay Chubb. No longer confined to dingy home studios, freelancers now have a space to work together, communicate and enjoy a clean and dynamic aesthetic to reignite those creative juices. In fact, design was a big motivator for the project. Melbourne architect Nicholas Eric Harding upcycled most of the materials from demolished local mansions, then installed acoustically designed raw wood panelling on the walls. Tables and light fittings are all handmade, and there is even a sound recording studio floor designed by Brent Punshon from Head Gap Studios. Of course, it's not all work and no play. Behind the office space lies a 40-people amphitheatre and microcinema that is soon to be used in partnership with the Shadow Electric. The space will also be used for pop-up exhibitions, BBQs, talks and screenings open for local enjoyment. Far from the world of bad air-conditioning and broken photocopiers, this is an office space we can get behind. Thanks to Nest Coworking, we have a month membership of 32 hours valued at $200 to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address. For more information about membership and pricing, see the Nest website.
Another year, another version of Batman. The Dark Knight doesn't get a new famous face quite that often, but you can be forgiven for thinking that it feels that way. Following in the footsteps of Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale and Ben Affleck, Robert Pattinson is now the latest actor to don the recognisable cape and mask — all thanks to upcoming superhero flick The Batman. No one really needs a plot synopsis for flicks about the Gotham City-dwelling character, because yes, we've all seen multiple versions of Batman over the years. This one is meant to stand completely apart from the most recent Affleck-starring DC Extended Universe version of the character, though. So, basically, what DC Films and Warner Bros Pictures did with Joker in 2019 — serving up a grimmer, grittier iteration of the infamous figure that has absolutely nothing to do with the rightfully hated Jared Leto version — they're endeavouring to do for Batman now. Also following the same playbook: enlisting a top-notch star in the lead role. Remember, it was only last that Joaquin Phoenix won an Oscar for playing the clown prince of crime. As well as Pattison as the titular character and his alter-ego Bruce Wayne, The Batman stars Zoe Kravitz (Big Little Lies) as Catwoman, Paul Dano (Escape at Dannemora) as the Riddler, Colin Farrell (Voyagers) as the Penguin, Jeffrey Wright (Westworld) as Commissioner Gordon and Andy Serkis (Long Shot) as Alfred Pennyworth. Plenty of these figures have popped on screens large and small multiple times, too — but Farrell's version of the Penguin certainly stands out in the film's just-dropped (and suitably dark, brooding and violent) full trailer. Originally slated to release this year, The Batman is one of the many movies that've been delayed due to the pandemic. And yes, you have gleaned a sneak peek before, with the movie dropping its first teaser trailer more than a year ago. Pattinson did just star in the Christopher Nolan-helmed Tenet in 2020, so perhaps it makes sense for him to play a character that Nolan helped bring back to cinemas 16 years ago. This time around, however, Cloverfield, Let Me In, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes filmmaker Matt Reeves is in the director's chair. Check out the full trailer for The Batman below: The Batman is currently due to release in Australian cinemas on March 3, 2022. Images: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/ ™ & © DC Comics.
It's finally happening. No longer will you click excitedly on our stories only to find out the 'Top 5 Ramen Joints' are actually all in Sydney. No longer will you suffer through announcements of free burgers and ice cream happening insufferably far from your house. Concrete Playground Melbourne's Facebook is up and running, and it's a grade-A Melbourne-only zone. With our very own sweet spot additional to the Concrete Playground you already know and love, this southern sister will be taking all the best of our food, drink, arts, and culture and making it relevant to you. This is a space for those who want to know where the dollar pot nights are (and the sorry suckers among us still hitting up Boney at 5am). Not sure if you're our type? Here are some guidelines: When you were keen to check out Kong, then remembered they don't take bookings. When you're on first name basis with the Monday staff at Cinema Nova. When you don't know what to say when someone defends instant coffee. When you buy new jeans from Dejour just for that rockstar feeling. When you know The Supper Club's too fancy for you, but you try to fit in anyway. When you're already familiar with every store in Emporium. When you resent yourself for still hitting up Boney at 5am. When you'd never be seen walking into Crown. When you're still fighting for the Palace Theatre. When you regularly sit on milk crates at cafes. When you put in your tips every week, but are not so big on the AFL. When you've put on a few kilos since Gelato Messina opened. When you have strong feelings about the other side of the Yarra. When you've got your tram etiquette down. When you've been to at least one performance or exhibition in a laneway. When you know a Sunday brunch will come with a 40-minute waitlist. When you can never decide whether the Splendour lineup is worth the trip. When you know there's no shame in ordering multiple pizzas at Bimbos. When you always know which bar is holding $1 or $2 pot nights. When you've accepted the fact that our beaches don't have waves. When you have regular Pho and dumpling restaurants and won't even consider changing. When you're always the first to start dancing at Cherry Bar. When you can't believe the 'cultural capital of Australia' didn't have its own page till now. Check out our new page here. To subscribe to our Melbourne newsletter, you'll want to click here.
Every September and October, Germany erupts with brews, food and lederhosen-wearing revellers for its annual Oktoberfest celebrations. When that time rolls around Down Under, Australia follows suit. One such festivity is Oktoberfest in the Gardens, which has been throwing big Bavarian-themed celebrations around the country for 14 years — and is returning to Melbourne for 2024. Oktoberfest in the Gardens will make its latest Victorian stop at Catani Gardens in St Kilda on Saturday, October 12. If you're keen to head along, expect company; the event expects to welcome in over 65 people enjoying steins, schnitties and German shindigs across this year's seven-city run. Melbourne's fest will serve up the same kind of beer- and bratwurst-fuelled shenanigans that Germany has become so famous for. So, if you have a hankering for doppelbock and dancing to polka, it's the next best thing to heading to Europe. Oktoberfest in the Gardens boasts a crucial attraction, too: as well as serving a variety of pilsners, ciders, wine and non-alcoholic beverages, it constructs huge beer halls to house the boozy merriment. When you're not raising a stein — or several — at the day-long event, you can tuck into pretzels and other traditional snacks at food stalls, or check out the hefty array of entertainment. Live music, roving performers, a silent disco, rides and a sideshow alley are all on the agenda.
UPDATE, January 29, 2021: The MSO's 2021 Sidney Myer Free Concerts will be live-streamed, too, so that folks who missed out on tickets can still watch along. You'll need to head to the MSO's YouTube page — with the first show streaming from 7.30pm AEDT on Friday, January 29, and remaining available to view for 24 hours afterwards. A staple of Melbourne's cultural calendar for more than 90 years and counting, the Sidney Myer Free Concerts are back for another year. Held at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, the latest of this long-standing favourite will, as always, features a trio of performances from the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Whether you're a classical music buff or just want to stretch out with a picnic on the grass, there's a good reason these concerts have become a summertime tradition. After kicking off on Friday, January 29, and keeping the fun going on Saturday, February 6, Melburnians can enjoy the last evening in the series on Wednesday, February 10. The first night, The Faun and The Firebird, will feature works by Debussy, Stravinsky and Australian composer Ross Edwards. On the second evening, Mambo! Dancing across the centuries will see showcase the efforts of Rameau, de Falla, Bernstein, and contemporary Australian composers Joe Chindamo and Paul Stanhope. And, finally, there's Spanish Harlem, which will include Duke Ellington tunes, Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major and a world premiere by Australian jazz composer Vanessa Perica. Of course, since the free concert series was last held in 2020, much has changed in the world. So, this will be a socially distanced affair — with tables of two or four available, and lawn deck spots for groups of six as well. All three performances begin at 7.30pm; however, gates usually open earlier, with times still to be confirmed. Tickets for The Faun and The Firebird on Friday, January 29 will be available from 12pm on Friday, January 8. Tickets for the other two shows will be available on Friday, January 15.
If you're looking for a one-stop shop for luxury homewares, you need to explore Fenton & Fenton. This store has it all – from quirky monkey lamps (that surprisingly kind of work), to comfy armchairs, sheepskin rugs and beautiful side tables. That's as well as fine art pieces, bed linen and bird light holders. You name it, and Fenton & Fenton probably stocks the best version of it. As such, things don't come cheap here. But even if you're not ready to shell out $1250 for a side table, it's still worth a visit for inspiration. The store is full of colour and pieces will have you ready to start a full home makeover ASAP. In addition to its Collingwood store, Fenton & Fenton also has an outpost in Prahran.
The Laneway Greens family has expanded, with owners Adrian and Luke Cala bringing their sustainable, healthy fare to a second Richmond venue. Following the success of their 12-seat CBD eatery on Flinders Lane, which opened back in 2015, the boys are now taking on Swan Street as they continue their ultimate mission to reconnect diners with the food they're eating. Launching last week, the new all-day canteen boasts a grander space and a beefed-up offering, though the focus remains firmly the same, from top to toe. Built on the notion that quality, seasonal food should be accessible to everyone, the menu heroes ingredients produced transparently, sustainably and with minimal impact on the environment. Ora King, which supplies the restaurant's salmon, is certified by the Global Aquaculture Alliance and has an environmental footprint of less than 0.01 percent, while producers like Mungali Creek Dairy, Slaters Farm rain-fed rice and Keehoes cultured vegetables are part of a local biodynamic farming co-op. Even the store itself mirrors that ethos of sustainability and minimalism, built with locally made, durable materials and designed with a mind to diners coming together over food. An outdoor dining area is coming too — it should be ready to go by November 17. As with the original, the menu runs from supercharged smoothies to bowls, both sweet and savoury — think free-range pork with spring greens and barley, and a stuffed roasted sweet potato loaded with house-made tzatziki and root vegetable slaw. If you often grab your lunch to-go from the CBD store, you'll be happy to know that the Swan Street space has room for 60 diners and, unlike its sister venue, also offers a range of booze, including a tight lineup of on-tap organic wines as sourced by distributor Campbell Burton (The Builders Arms Hotel, City Wine Shop). Beer includes craft brews from Victoria's Mount Peninsula, Queensland's Balter and NZ's Garage Project, and single origin filter coffee by Fitzroy's Industry Beans. Laneway Greens is now open 7am – 10pm Monday to Friday and 8am – 10pm Saturday and Sunday at 89a Swan Street, Richmond. For more information, visit lanewaygreens.com.au.
As COVID-19 continues to affect daily life in Australia, a whole host of regular activities have come to a pause. For Melburnians, heading to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image's home away from home at The Capitol for Melbourne Cinémathèque's weekly sessions is one such shuttered event, with screenings suspended for the time being — so ACMI and Melbourne Cinémathèque are going virtual. Available to movie buffs everywhere — not just in Melbourne — Virtual Cinémathèque will host weekly sessions from Wednesday, March 25. Cinephiles, folks looking for something to watch in self-isolation and everyone who has exhausted their Netflix queue can expect double bills showcasing both new and old movies, as linked by a common director, performer or theme. The folks at ACMI and Melbourne Cinémathèque will be on curation duty and, where possible, they'll be accompanying each week's lineup with introductions and further information about the films showing — just as Melbourne Cinémathèque usually does at its in-person events. They'll also do their best to pick flicks available on free and easily accessible platforms, so getting your movie fix won't cost you a cent. For details of what's on each week, keep an eye on ACMI and Melbourne Cinémathèque's social media channels. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
When Australia's annual Spanish Film Festival returns this year, it'll offer cinephiles a two-for-one affair. Fancy seeing the latest and greatest movies from the European country? Keen to watch fresh flicks from Spanish-speaking Latin America too? They're both on the lineup. While Latin American cinema has received its own dedicated Aussie fest over the past three years, in 2019 the Cine Latino Film Festival will form part of the Spanish Film Festival. In short: this year's April–May fest presents the best of both worlds across a 32-title program that'll tour the country. It all gets started with the Aussie premiere of applauded and acclaimed Spanish comedy Champions, which picked up this year's Goya award for best film, as well as the best new actor prize for star Jesús Vidal. The feel-good flick follows an amateur Spanish basketball team comprised of players with mental disabilities and an arrogant coach who's sentenced to community service to help them bounce their way to glory. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo_PDXou77c At the other end of the event is a bona fide classic: Pedro Almodóvar's Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. While the festival sadly hasn't snagged the Spanish director's latest, the Antonio Banderas and Penélope Cruz-starring Pain and Glory, it will close out the 2019 lineup with this 1988 black comedy — one of the movies that first helped bring Banderas to fame. Other program highlights include action-packed bank robbery drama 70 Big Ones, moody thriller The Uncovering, doppelgänger effort Ana by Day, character-driven melodrama Petra, and comedy Super Crazy, which focuses on a woman who suddenly can't stop speaking her mind. If you've ever wanted to know all there is to know about olive oil, there's also a documentary on the topic: Virgin & Extra: Jaén, The Land of the Olive Oil. And from the Cine Latino contingent, Argentinian title Royo delves into corruption before the country's mid-70s coup, while Tremors explores a Guatemalan family's secrets. The Projectionist also road trips through the Dominican Republic and comedy Looking for a Boyfriend... For My Wife reunites the cast of Chile's version of Married with Children. Across its full slate, the Spanish Film Festival also showcases 11 titles by female filmmakers, ranging from established talents to up-and-comers. Watch out for romance Carmen & Lola, which has proven a hit on the queer circuit; star-studded comedy-thriller Crime Wave, which stars Maribel Verdú, Javier Cámara and Luis Tosar; and the 1982-set The Good Girls, which follows the wives of wealthy Mexican men. The Spanish Film Festival tours Australia from April 16, screening at Sydney's Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona and Palace Central from April 16 to May 8; Melbourne's Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Balwyn, Kino Cinemas and The Astor Theatre from April 18 to May 8; Brisbane's Palace Barracks and Palace James Street from April 24 to May 15; and Perth's Palace Cinema Paradiso from April 24 to May 15. For more information, visit the festival website
No, you're not having a stroke. Although you might be after a few dozen cheeseburgers. Everyone's favourite LA fast food powerhouse In-N-Out Burger has secretly popped up in Melbourne today. Set up at 212 Little Collins Street, these total legends are pumping out hamburgers, regular cheeseburgers and double cheese until 3pm today. Get amongst the inevitable burger-crazed mosh. This is happening right now. This isn't the first time these sneaky sneaksters have done this either. Last year, In-N-Out popped up for a one-day appearance in Sydney and stock sold out in a frantic two hour free for all. This is your time to shine, Melbourne. Get into the city immediately. There's a reason this joint is frequented by celebrities and regularly called "heaven on earth". Admittedly, it has a lot to do with cheese fries. OMG. In-n-Out pop up in Melbourne! (Not my burger, apparently couldn't do grilled cheese???????) #innout #innoutmelbourne A photo posted by j_fosk (@j_fosk) on Nov 11, 2014 at 5:15pm PST The In-N-Out burger pop up will close at 3pm November 6 or until they sell out. Move. Now.
Vegans of the north, rejoice. The age of meat is waning and it's nearly your time to inherit the earth. To build your strength, head down to Welcome to Thornbury for the Vegan Vegout. The all-vegan food truck event usually rolls into High Street on the first Wednesday of every month. For the September event, you can expect a lineup of vegetarian and vegan snacks from the likes of Woking Amazing, Pierogi Pierogi, Mr Burger, and Quintessence Patisserie, which means everything from vegan meatballs to vegan peking duck will be covered. The event kicks off from 5pm and dogs are welcome. Vegan Vegout runs from 5–9pm.
It's not only the playing of tennis that works up a healthy appetite — it's also the watching of it. But, when you're at the Australian Open, surrounded by fellow ravenous spectators in 40-degree heat, working out where to get a decent bite can be a challenge. So, we thought we'd save you some trouble by tracking down the best places to eat in and around Rod Laver Arena this year. Whether you want to stick to the village or roam over to the CBD or Richmond, here are some spots to try. And if you're visiting from out of town, you'll also get to tick a few of Melbourne's best places to eat off your list. [caption id="attachment_704328" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 400 Gradi[/caption] GRAND SLAM OVAL, AUSTRALIAN OPEN VILLAGE Grand Slam Oval – located within the Australian Open village – is a gathering place for pop-ups, food trucks and bars. You'll find OTT kebabs by Biggie Smalls, Mexican street food by Collins Street's Mamasita, burgers by Neil Perry's Burger Project, some of the world's best slices from 400 Gradi, and, from Beijing Betty, Chinese fusion snacks created exclusively for the event. There are also bars for drinkers of all kinds, including one dedicated to champagne, one to beer and another to Aperol Spritz. Ideal if you don't have much time before the coin toss or can't be bothered to leave the village between matches. HARLOW, RICHMOND If you're looking for a new adventure, settle in at Harlow, a pub that, in December, took over the space then belonging to the Great Britain. It's on Church Street, Richmond. Whether you hang out in the dining room or head into the beer garden, you'll be starting with creative bites, like mini crab doughnuts and duck and bacon sausage rolls. The mains list is more about decadent takes on classics: there's a steak sandwich loaded with maple bacon and Swiss cheese, a smoked beer hot dog and a behemoth vegan burger. It's open from midday right through until late. ARBORY AFLOAT, SOUTHBANK Cool off by the Yarra at Arbory Afloat, at 69-metre-long floating bar that, since 2015, has set up on the river every spring, ready to get you through long hot days and balmy evenings. Downstairs is a citrus-and-fig grove, inspired by the Cinque Terre, while upstairs is dotted with day beds. Wherever you are, you'll be sipping on blood orange Aperol spritzes, watermelon sangria and piña coladas, and tucking into Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizzas, seafood platters and salads. Arbory Afloat is at 2 Flinders Walk – just a 15-minute walk down the Yarra from the Australian Open. THE CORNER HOTEL, RICHMOND Two years ago, this Melbourne live music stalwart scored a rooftop refurbishment and a tasty new menu. Thankfully, it hasn't lost any of its down-to-earth good vibes. If you haven't caught enough sun at the Open, go straight upstairs to relax in the fresh air; otherwise, stay downstairs where many a band has played into the wee hours. Either way, the food offerings include fried chicken, roast chicken roulade, the Corner parma and the Patti Smith beef burger. Craft beers a-plenty are on-tap. The Corner is a 15-minute walk from the Open. GAZI, CBD Weekend attendees can factor in a little trip to the Greek Islands at Gazi. This Hellenic eatery is hosting yum cha every Sunday, from midday till 3pm. The dishes have their roots in Mediterranean cuisine, but pay homage to Chinese, too. Among them are spanakopita gyoza, feta honey sesame spring rolls and sweet bread filled with lamb. A reasonable $49 buys a ten-course banquet and, for $35, you can add bottomless cocktails. Gazi is at 2 Exhibition Street in the CBD – 15 minutes from the action. FEAST OF MERIT, RICHMOND Fuel up before you hit the court at Feast of Merit, on Swan Street, around a 20-minute walk from the Rod Laver Arena. Among street art, vintage furniture and hanging greenery, you'll be feasting on hearty, Middle Eastern-influenced brekkies, such as börek, a vegetarian dish of corn fritters, poached egg, garlic yoghurt, feta and dukkah, or smoked ocean trout with asparagus, potato rosti and sour cream. For hardcore ticket holders, it's hard to knock back the büyük kahvalti, a big breakfast piled with eggs, sucuk sausage, haloumi, spinach, heirloom cherry tomatoes and flatbread. It's also open for dinner if you're looking for something post-match. [caption id="attachment_636986" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Emily Blake[/caption] CUMULUS INC., CBD Take a rest from the heat, grit and grunts in a low-lit corner at Cumulus Inc., a dreamy escape designed to soothe your every sense. Owned and run by chef Andrew McConnell (Builders Arms Hotel, Cutler & Co. and Supernormal), this all-day eatery celebrated its tenth anniversary last year and has been stocking up on Good Food hats since 2010. Begin with beef tartare, tarragon and anchovy toast, then move onto snapper with mussels, fennel pollen and dill oil. There's also a tasting menu, which changes daily. Cumulus Inc. is at 45 Flinders Lane – 15 minutes' walk from the tennis. Top image: Visit Victoria.
Now that March is in full swing, it's time to don those jackets and look forward to the cooler months ahead. Lucky for Melburnians, the chill in the air also means that spots all over regional Victoria start transforming into a glorious blaze of red, orange, brown and gold as we speak. Whether you're up for an entire weekend away or can only swing a half-day trip, there's an autumnal sight within reach. Here's our guide to the best views that regional Victoria has to offer this season. [caption id="attachment_710240" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tieve Tara Website[/caption] MOUNT MACEDON Named after an Ancient Greek kingdom, Mount Macedon lies around 60 kilometres northwest of Melbourne in, well, the Macedon Ranges. Autumn splendour abounds everywhere you look, but one of the most striking sights is the Gardens of Tieve Tara. Its 7.5 acres make a dreamy landscape of pristine lakes and majestic trees. Expect a considerable variety of deciduous plants on offer — from maples, aspens and silver birches to liquid ambers, virginia creepers and copper beeches. Meanwhile, in the centre of Macedon Village, you'll find Honour Avenue. Lined with colourful, massive oak trees, the main street acts as a stunning tribute to the 154 local men and women who enlisted in World War I. HIGH COUNTRY You can find the most vibrant autumnal hues in all of Victoria in the High Country. Begin in the village of Bright, around a 3.5 hours drive northeast of Melbourne. Two of our favourite hikes in the region are the three-kilometre Canyon Walk and the five-kilometre Cherry Walk, both of which wind through brilliant forests and babbling brooks. To really get into the spirit of the season, visit during the Bright Autumn Festival from April 26 to May 5. An hour's drive north will land you in the village of Beechworth, famous for its impeccably preserved 19th-century architecture. After you're done perusing the historic designs, take a leisurely stroll nearby — be it on the Lake Walk, the Churches Walk or some other route. Prefer to be on two-wheels? Conquer the Pedal to Produce Cycling Trail, along which you can combine your sight-seeing with sampling the autumn harvest. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1920"] George Tindale Gardens[/caption] DANDENONG RANGES What started out as a tiny reserve in 1882 has grown to become the 3500 hectares of the Dandenong Ranges National Park. It offers a range of opportunities to surround yourself with autumnal beauty — all within an hour's drive of Melbourne. Visit Cloudehill Gardens to see the enkianthus shrubs turn from purple to crimson in April, and catch the golden maples in May. Other landscapes in the Dandenong Ranges to visit include the Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens, renowned for its waterfalls and ornamental lake; the George Tindale Gardens, where rare plant species shelter under towering mountain ash; and the town of Olinda, which houses the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden. GIPPSLAND Gippsland, one of Victoria's most diverse regions, contains thousands of kilometres of beaches, rivers, forests, mountains and snowfields. And Walhalla, about 2.5 hours east of Melbourne, is one of the best areas to lose yourself in this autumn. The gold mining town was once among Australia's wealthiest but, according to the 2017 census, has just 20 residents left — meaning you can wander through the autumnal colours without battling the crowds. For the most breathtaking views, take the Walhalla Tramline Walk. Even more vibrant colours are on display in the Nunniong Plains, within Snowy River National Park. The Nunniong Forest Drive is a 67-kilometre adventure through subalpine grasslands, heathlands and old-growth forest. Keep an eye out for black cockatoos, who are particularly active in autumn. DAYLESFORD Rather than merely gazing at your surrounds, head to Daylesford and properly enjoy the season at Lavandula — a lavender farm found 90 minutes northwest of Melbourne. Here, you can experience the lush autumn harvest, immersed in the heady scent of lavender and surrounded by green hills. Better yet, plan a trip on Sunday, May 19 for the farm's autumn festival packed with local artisans, producers and plenty to explore around the gardens and farmland. Back in town, Lake Daylesford is an explosion of colour. The man-made lake is a magnet for birds, picnickers and boaters alike. In autumn, the deciduous trees around its shore transform into gold, red, orange, brown and all shades in between. If you're looking for other things to do while you're in town — or considering staying over — check out our weekender's guide. MURRAY RIVER Given that the Murray River is around 2500 kilometres long, there are plenty of spots where you can enjoy autumn on the water — and so many ways to do it. If you have time for an overnight escape, hire a houseboat and drift along at your leisure or get adventurous and pull up alongside the river's bordering villages, stop by wineries for tastings or try your hand at fishing. If you've cash to splash, go for a luxury model, such as Magic Murray Houseboats' Magic or Murray River Houseboats' Decadence, which all include a spa and sun deck, perfect for enjoying the scenic views. Meanwhile, Mildura Houseboats' fleet ranges from back-to-basics to total extravagance, so there are options for any budget. Stacks more boats are listed on the Visit Victoria website. Or, for day-trippers, hire a kayak or canoe. There's no shortage of picturesque camping spots on sandy beaches, either. Alternatively, choose a riverside town as a base from which to launch your adventures — take Echuca, for example, which lies around a 2.5-hour drive north of Melbourne. See the leaves from the water on a legendary 19th-century paddle steamer, or go rolling along local cycle paths. While it is possible to ride the entire length of the Murray, from its source on the slopes of Mount Kosciuszko to its mouth in Coorong, if you don't have weeks to spare (and Amazonian legs), then there are plenty of shorter cycle paths to explore. In Echuca, the Food and Wine Trail takes in numerous cellar doors and local producers, including Morrisons Winery and Cape Horn Vineyard. You can even drive the ten minutes from Echuca to Billabong Ranch, a 390-acre property where you can jump on a horse's back and canter alongside the river and through red river gum forest. For more autumnal places, spaces and events in regional Victoria, visit Your Happy Space.
While the words "winter camp" might conjure up images of shivering in the woods and setting up wonky tents, banish those thoughts immediately — Chuckle Park's version of winter camp will warm you up from the inside out, mostly due to the fact that there will be free mulled wine on offer. Running from midday until 9pm on Sunday, July 29, it might just be the perfect place to celebrate making it past the halfway point of winter. The CBD bar is teaming up with distiller Melbourne Moonshine to create innovative and warming cocktails, including an apple pie-inspired shot and Smokey The Bear, made with whisky, apricot hickory bitters and hickory smoke in a bear-shaped jar. There will be DJs playing all day and a cookout is on the agenda with sausages, of course, as well as vegan options — and, all the cookout proceeds will go to New Beginnings Animals Rescue. Dogs are very welcome and there'll even be a best-dressed camper award, so get those thermals out. Getting back to the very important bit, though, free mulled wine will be flowing from 12–3pm, and you can add to the warmth by downing some free toasted marshmallows, too, which will be available all day.
Melbourne is a blessed city. We have trams and trains connecting most of our major streets and suburbs, there are huge gardens on the outskirts of our CBD that provide beautiful walking routes into work, and we have one of the highest rates of cyclists of any Australian city. So why are so many of us still driving into the CBD? It's got a little to do with convenience and a lot to do with laziness, but Melbourne City Council is about to put a stop to it. With a draft walking plan to be considered by this week, the council have outlined a detailed initiative to make the CBD more accessible to walkers. In the proposed plan, many of the city's main strips would become shared zones with 10km/hr speed limits or closed to traffic completely. "We want to make all of Melbourne a lot more pedestrian friendly," Councillor Cathy Oke told the ABC. The proposed changes would include sectioning off Elizabeth Street in a similar manner to Swanston Street — making it only available to pedestrians and trams. Street closures would also take place on sections of Little Bourke, Little Collins and Flinders Lane making them exclusive "walking streets" and undoubtedly easing the crowds on their larger namesakes. The proposed "shared zones" would include Market Street between Collins Street and Flinders Lane, the area of Spring Street adjacent to Parliament Station and the Princes Theatre, and Queen Street near the Queen Victoria Market. According to the council, walking accounts for 66 percent of trips made around the CBD and they'd like to see that number increase to 69 — an oddly specific and suspicious target, if you ask us. Nonetheless, it's a noble plan. People will feel more compelled to walk, the congestion in the CBD will be eased, and retail spaces will presumably see a boost from increased foot traffic. It's going to be a huge pain in the neck for business types with an aversion to public transport, but a big win for the rest of us. At the very least, we'll be beating Sydney's new pedestrian policies ten-fold — and really, isn't beating Sydney what it's all about? Via ABC. Photo credit: jungmoon via photopin cc and mugley via photopin cc.
