ACMI is stepping into the world of haute couture, as part of this year's Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival. Get the lowdown on high fashion, take a time machine back to the nineties, or go behind the scenes of a Vogue magazine photo shoot with the inimitable Lena Dunham. With five documentaries bolstered by a number of shorts, one thing about the Fashion on Film program is certain: it's probably going to make you feel seriously underdressed. The FOF season begins on February 21 with And Then There Is Naples, Gianluca Migliarotti's journey into the history of bespoke Italian menswear. Anchoring art in life, the film is paired with a two hour walking tour past some of Melbourne's own top quality tailors. Other films in the program include The Balmain Style, about the legendary French fashion house, as well as Pop Models, about the evolution of the supermodel.
It’s 1982, Amsterdam, and tough economic times are hitting hard. So what’s a ragtag gang of close-knit friends to do to make a living — especially when they can’t get a bank loan to pursue legitimate business interests? Abducting a beer baron might not be the obvious answer, but it is the course of action Cor Van Hout (Jim Sturgess) and his brother-in-law Willem Holleeder (Sam Worthington) take. They’ll need to rob a bank to finance their ingenious get-rich-quick idea, and they’ll need the help of some pals (fellow Aussies Ryan Kwanten and Thomas Cocquerel, plus Dutch actor Mark van Eeuwen) to put their plan into action. Welcome to Kidnapping Mr Heineken, a snatch-and-grab caper that can only tell a true tale. This isn’t the first time these circumstances have earned the big screen treatment, with 2011’s De Heineken ontvoering from The Netherlands doing the same. The capture of Alfred Heineken for what was the largest ransom ever at the time made headlines in its day; however, that was three decades ago. Now, it’s a footnote in history, and even with several movies reliving the saga, that’s likely the way it will stay. Journalist Peter R. de Vries turned the entire affair into a book in 1987, his investigative attitude coming through in the film adaptation. Kidnapping Mr Heineken maps the planning and the aftermath in standard crime procedural fashion, more concerned with the perpetrators and their fraying friendship — 35 million Dutch guilders is a lot of money to share, after all — than the plight of their victim. Perhaps director Daniel Alfredson, a veteran of The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, just wanted to showcase his younger stars, all strangely keeping their native accents. Perhaps it’s just because, apart than the initial abduction and the inevitable downfall, not much happens — other than squabbling and sitting around waiting. As is often the case, what Van Hout and Holleeder thought was a sure path to easy money quickly proves otherwise. After capturing Heineken (Anthony Hopkins) and his driver (David Dencik), neither the police nor the beer company plays ball. Cue an average dramatisation of actual events, with the usual backstories and complications. Everyone has issues: Holleeder’s father previously worked for Heineken, his sister (and Van Hout’s wife) is pregnant, one of the group has a family to care for, no one really likes another of their so-called friends. Alfredson is workman-like in bringing it all together, ensuring the movie looks sleek while matching the 1980s period, and even throwing in a few great car chases. His cast does the same, each hitting their marks, though nothing bubbles under the surface of their characters — or the film. It’s a fitting approach for a feature that doesn’t try to be anything more than a faithful, sometimes emotional retelling of real-life circumstances, but it is also unfulfilling. Alas, Kidnapping Mr Heineken is content with just showing us what happened, rather than telling us anything that inspires more than a passing interest.
Russia’s nomination to the 2014 Foreign Language Oscar race is every bit as slow and imposing as its title would suggest. Ostensibly named for the enormous blue whales whose bones scatter the shoreline of the small coastal town of Pribrezhny, the name Leviathan more readily refers to the unfeeling, unyielding behemoth of the Russian bureaucracy that devours everything in its path. Acclaimed director Andrey Zvyagintsev does a masterful job capturing the misery of life under such a corrupt and broken system. Of course, whether that’s something you actually want to watch is a different question entirely. Don’t get us wrong: there’s plenty to appreciate about Zvyagintsev’s latest feature. Chief among them would be the raw, brutish performance of Aleksey Serebryakov. A mainstay of the Russian screen industry, Serebryakov plays Kolya, a quick-tempered auto mechanic who runs afoul of Pribrezhny’s mayor (played by Roman Madyanov), who wants to seize the valuable headland currently occupied by Kolya’s house. In order to fight back, Kolya calls on Dimitriy (Vladimir Vdovichenkov), a friend from his days in the army and now a high-powered lawyer in Moscow. Through Kolya’s struggle, Zvyagintsev presents viewers with a scathing critique of contemporary Russian society — a grim, vodka-soaked landscape of dodgy politicians with little concern for the citizens who put them in office. It’s compelling for a time, in a depressing sort of way, watching the poor, emasculated Kolya gain inches only to be set back miles. Those hoping that the prevalence of religious imagery might signal a David and Goliath ending are likely to leave the cinema disappointed. The hopelessness of Kolya's situation is reflected in the work of cinematographer Mikhail Krichman, who favours wide lenses, static camera work and a colour palette overpowered by greys. Unfortunately, as Leviathan plods past the two hour mark, you too may begin to feel overpowered. For all his insight, Zvyagintsev isn’t trading in a particularly nuanced brand of bleakness, his message driven home with all the dull, repetitive pounding of a sledgehammer, or waves crashing endlessly on the shore. Leviathan is arduous by design. But that’s little conciliation when you’re struggling to sit through it.
It outraged tyrants, terrified theatre chains and knocked one of Hollywood's most powerful executives
Attend classes, join in storytelling events and get the low-down from some of the best writers around, all without leaving the comfort of your couch. Streaming live from February 11, this year’s Digital Writers' Festival will feature more than 30 online events hosted by a bevy of talented writers from all across Australia and the world. Now in its second year, the 2015 festival will cover a huge array of topics, from coding to video game writing and data journalism to freedom of speech and good sex writing. The Twenty Minute Cities program will let you interact with emerging writers from places like Dublin, Iowa City and Reykjavik, while a special event on White Night will see a group of desperate publishers scrambling to complete a magazine before dawn. Speakers include Lisa Dempster (Melbourne Writers’ Festival), Adam Brereton (Guardian Australia), Paul Verhoeven (ABC3’s Steam Punks) and Michelle Law (Shit Asian Mothers Say). So, whether you’re an aspiring journo, a wannabe novelist or just looking for tips on how to spice up your erotic fan-fiction, visit the DWF website and check out what’s on offer. We Twitter-interviewed festival director Connor Tomas O'Brien about the first DWF in 2014. Read it here.
Over a hot, tumultuous summer, a group of teenagers struggle with love, sex and betrayal. Like an artsy Australian version of an episode of Skins, writer-director Rhys Graham's debut feature Galore is an earnest and technically confident piece of filmmaking but noticeably lacking in stakes. Like so many other tales about teens behaving badly, the overblown drama on which the movie hinges never really seems that important. Lush cinematography and natural performance ultimately make little difference when you just don't care about the story. The film takes place around the outskirts of Canberra, a few weeks before the devastating 2003 bushfires. Puberty Blues star Ashleigh Cummings plays 17-year-old Billie, whose voiceover bookends the film. Her best friend is Laura (Lily Sullivan), an aspiring writer and the girlfriend of skater boy Danny (Toby Wallace). She's thinking about giving Danny her virginity, and goes to her life-long BFF for advice. What Laura doesn't know is that Billie is already sleeping with him. In short, it's exactly the kind of angst-ridden rubbish that makes you glad you're no longer in high school. Petulant and manipulative, Billie treats life like a sordid little soap opera in which she's the tragic star. The reality of the situation is far less kind, not to mention a whole lot less interesting. The movie's dramatic inflation of Billie's selfish behaviour may strike a chord with teenage audiences, although they'll probably be bored by the film's deliberate pacing. Adults, on other hand, will just want to throttle her. The poor plotting is unfortunate, because in other areas the film is quite strong. Despite Cummings being saddled with a deeply unsympathetic character, both her and Sullivan give intensely authentic performances. The same is true of newcomer Aliki Matangi as Isaac, a troubled but good-natured youth who gets caught up in Billie's drama. The weak link is Wallace as the mopey, uncharismatic Danny, whose blandness makes the love triangle that much more difficult to comprehend. Graham also deserves credit for his graceful visual direction. While handheld camerawork and sun-dappled cinematography aren't exactly new tricks for an Australian made indie, there's no discounting the beauty of the film's setting, nor the elegance with which Graham, a Canberra local, brings the sleepy location to life. But the skill all comes to naught in the service of such an uninvolving narrative. Both Graham and his cast likely have bright futures ahead of them, sure to be filled with far more accomplished projects. Go and see them, but give Galore a miss. https://youtube.com/watch?v=iRWbh_TOLdw
Before the division, Terry Hooley (Richard Dormer) was a popular man. But then his native Belfast bitterly split along sectarian lines, leaving the gregarious but staunchly apolitical Hooley to his own devices. He's DJing to nobody at a sad bar surrounded by barbed wire and run by the baleful Pat (Dylan Moran) when he finds a kindred soul in outsider Ruth (Jodie Whittaker). Emboldened by the support of Ruth, Dooley then decides on a whim that what his ailing city needs is a record store and he borrows over his head to set up the shop on a street famously known as the most bombed in Europe. Despite its perilous location, Hooley's boundless enthusiasm for the soothing power of music proves infectious and he watches in delight as it becomes a real cultural hub, quickly expanding into a record label as the city's burgeoning punk scene sparks into life. It's hard to think of another film which captures the fervour of discovery of music as thrillingly as Good Vibrations. As played by Dorman, Dooley is a genuinely fascinating character, flawed but endearingly quixotic. His faith in the music is complete, and completely moving. "These punks aren't the problem with Belfast," he enthuses to a news crew at one point "They're the solution!" After signing proto-punk band Rudi (later Rudi and the Outcasts) to his hastily formed label, he stumbles upon gold when Derry upstarts The Undertones push their demo on him. Initially reluctant to get involved with the brash youngsters, he has his mind changed for him when he hears 'Teenage Kicks', a song to die for. His championing of the song leads to airplay on John Peel, who famously loved the single so much he took the unprecedented step of playing it twice in a row. Despite the stunning cultural impact of both the Good Vibrations label and store, Hooley's complete gormlessness as a businessman means his beloved pet project is forever on shaky ground. Adding to his stress are (largely self-induced) marital woes and growing antipathy from local hoodlums to the store. If there's a downside to Good Vibrations it the story's stubborn refusal to organise itself into anything resembling a neat three-act structure. The final act may neither be thrilling nor as satisfying as the fist-pumping material that preceded it, but it's ultimately hard not to be stirred by the fire and life on display here and won over by this scrappily loveable ode to the energy and abandon of punk rock. https://youtube.com/watch?v=SE17U5ML9dQ
Rap and science — what could be better? New York-based Canadian rapper Baba Brinkman and DJ Jamie Simmonds will be spinning tha beatz all night long on June 6 and 7 at the Arts Centre (and by all night long, we mean a prompt 6pm start until the album's duration has ceased). From classics such as 'Unity of Common Descent' and 'Creationist Cousins', The Rap Guide to Evolution literally covers everything. Now, we know what you're thinking... and we don't blame you, it sounds weird. We get it. It's a dude standing on stage and rapping about Darwin's theory, it kind of goes against everything we know about rap (and science for that matter). But considering the shining reviews of Brinkman's The Rap Canterbury Tales a few years ago, we can't help but think that this might just be awesome. Not only will Brinkman be delighting us with his rhymes and evolutionary takes on classic rap songs, but there promises to be "epic audio visuals" as well. Argh! Worlds are colliding and we don't know how to feel.
A charming portrait of two lonely hearts who connect across a city of more than 20 million people, Ritesh Batra's debut feature feels worlds away from a stereotypical Indian melodrama. As a matter fact, were it not for the setting, the language and the mouth-watering shots of local cuisine, you might very well mistake it for Nora Ephron's You've Got Mail. The epistolary romance is hardly a new genre; Ephron's film was itself a modernised remake of the classic Hollywood rom-com The Shop Around the Corner. But Batra infuses The Lunchbox with a distinctively Indian flavour, through his clever incorporation of Mumbai's famously efficient dabbawallas — hard-working couriers who transport freshly cooked lunches to offices all around the city. It's through a one-in-a-million mix-up that curmudgeonly accountant Saajan (Irrfan Khan) receives a meal cooked by neglected housewife Ila (Nimrat Kaur). The lunch was meant for her husband, but Saajan proves a far more grateful diner. So the next day Ila sends a note to accompany the food, thanking her mystery costumer for his appreciation. He replies, and slowly they begin a correspondence, bonding over mutual feelings of loneliness and personal regret. Documentary-style footage chronicles the daily journey of the lunchbox, from doorstep to bicycle, railway platform to high-rise. Every delivery brings the two battered souls closer together, while the food — and the cooking process — takes on a quality that's almost sensual. Batra demonstrates beautiful restraint in his slow, steady development of Saajan and Ila's relationship, an unacknowledged romance in which we soon grow heavily invested. The poignancy of the blossoming love story is balanced by other, platonic relationships. As Saajan counts down the days towards his retirement, he's forced to help train his eager young replacement (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). But what starts as a chore soon evolves into a begrudging sort of friendship. Their odd-couple bond is mirrored by the one between Ila and her neighbour, who shouts recipe and relationship advice through the window of the apartment above. Fundamentally, The Lunchbox is a film about unlikely human connections, and the unexpected happiness they can bring. Endearing characters give substance to the formulaic plot and make Batra's debut feature a satisfying cinematic meal. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Qdn6nVJHyfM
There's a slight fuzz in the air on the East Coast. Twangy surf pop and singalong garage punk are teaming up in a predicted humdinger of a co-headlining tour — Brisbane charmers Major Leagues and Sydney's rascally trio Bloods have joined forces for one rambunctious escapade. Offering up gems from their Weird Season EP as well as snippets from their upcoming debut album, Major Leagues have had major deal signings and huge festival appearances on their plate over the last year. Bloods have their own reason to celebrate. Their latest single 'Want It' (to be officially launched on the tour) offers the sneakiest peek into their upcoming debut album, a hotly-anticipated LP set for release through brand new independent Sydney label Tiny Galaxy. Meandering into Shebeen on Thursday, July 3, the double team of fuzz, feedback and fun will throw down fast and furious sets one after the other. So gear up in your most easily toe-tappable, hair-thrashable threads and get a healthy dose of fuzz in your earholes, this one's going to be a right royal shindig. https://youtube.com/watch?v=_AZJ9B95sMQ
The NGV is bringing out the big guns — or should we say swords, with Bushido: Way of the Samurai. Featuring a kick-ass collection of Samurai battle armour and weapons as well as calligraphic scrolls, tea utensils and more seemingly domestic items, this new exhibition delves deep into the heart of Medieval and early-modern Japan. It explores the cultural and historical importance of the warriors, but also the men behind the mythologised armour. The Samurai were prominent representatives of Japan's military nobility and ethics from the 12th Century up until the end of the Edo period in 1868, and have remained an important staple in Japan's history and culture. Samurai virtues and ideas such as self control, respect, duty and courage continue to be celebrated in modern culture and constantly reappear in martial arts, visual and dramatic art. If you think you know enough about the Samurai culture because you watched that movie about that Samurai who did that thing and Tom Cruise was there then think again. This exhibition has you properly covered.
Still rubbing their eyes from a two-month-long European tour, Sydney post-rock outfit, sleepmakeswaves, are hoping to wake up their Aussie fans with a national tour. In celebration of their second album, Love of Cartography, the lyricless four-piece will bring their heavy riffage and delay pedals to nine different cities over this July and August with support from Breaking Orbit and Teal. After two years touring across the globe and supporting the likes of Karnivool, Dead Letter Circus and 65daysofstatic, sleepmakeswaves thought it was time to channel their new experiences into a new album. The humble lads turned to Pozible and their dedicated fan base to raise some funds (which they did) and then dutifully thanked them for their support, despite their self-confessed "weirdness and lack of vocals". Ahhh-dorable. The first taste of sleepmakeswaves’ newest music in two years — 'Something Like Avalanches' — was premiered on triple j last month and you’ll be able to hear more of their epic instrumental tunes when Love of Cartography is released in Australia on 4 July. Gives you just enough time to practice their lyrics— oh wait.
In space, no one can hear you scream. But the darkened aisles of the Astor Theatre are quite another matter. 35 years after changing the face of science fiction forever, the terrifying final journey of the star-freighter Nostromo will light up the screen once more, followed by a special Q&A with two of its ill-fated crew. Presented at The Astor on 35mm in its extended director's cut version, there will never be a better way to view Ridley Scott's masterpiece, a film that demands to be seen in a theatre. Only on the big screen can you fully appreciate the dark, twisting intricacies of the iconic set and creature design. And only as part of a rapt audience can you become immersed in the horror, as the monstrous alien Xenomorph first rears its ugly head. After the screening, actors Veronica Cartwright and Tom Skeritt, aka Lambert and Captain Dallas, will take to the stage to answer questions about their experience making the film. For more information and to book tickets, visit The Astor's website.
The NGV may be revelling in the old masters this month but, just down the road, ACCA is still flying that contemporary flag high. Douglas Gordon has been on the scene for decades now, but his work is still as innovative as ever. Perched at the intersection of pop culture and high art, Gordon is a Young British Artist with a love for film and photographic installation, and a whole load of art world swag to boot. Gordon's most famous for his 1993 work 24 Hour Psycho — an edited version of Alfred Hitchcock's classic slowed to a pace of 2 frames per second. He's also collaborated with Rufus Wainwright, won the coveted Turner Prize, and represented Scotland at the Venice Biennale. In this rare outing to Australia we see a selection of works from the artist's now well-established career. Some original, and some admittedly owing to Martin Scorsese. A walk through the sparse rooms at ACCA this month will be like stepping through the looking glass — expect a lot of manipulated images and one creepily young Robert De Niro.
For a few weeks this winter, Melbourne's Palace Balwyn Cinema, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Westgarth and Palace Cinema Como will turn extra frosty — on their big screens, that is. Running from Thursday, July 11 through Wednesday, July 31, and marking the event's sixth year, the Volvo Scandinavian Film Festival returns with a suitably wintery showcase of cinema from Europe's coldest climes, featuring 21 films from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland. Whether you're keen on irreverent comedies, dark dramas or Nordic noir, they're all on the lineup. If you're a fan of Denmark's most popular film series or one of Sweden's hugely successful crime authors, they're on the program too. Sci-fi, rom-coms, character studies, award-winners, festival hits — the list goes on, because Scandinavian cinema is a diverse realm. The 2019 festival kicks off with laughs, as all good things should, thanks to Danish comedy Happy Ending. Next, it heads to Iceland with direct-from-Cannes drama A White, White Day — the latest film from Hlynur Palmason, the director of SFF 2018's Winter Brothers. Also on the bill: the Stellan Skarsgård-starring, Norwegian-made, Berlinale Silver Bear winner Out Stealing Horses; the spaceship-set futuristic Swedish flick Aniara; and, from Finland, the SXSW hit Aurora, about a party girl who befriends an Iranian refugee. Definite highlights also hail from the thriller domain, as Scandi-loving cinephiles would expect. If you saw the first three page-to-screen Department Q instalments at previous festivals, you can see how the series ends with The Purity of Vengeance, which is now the highest-grossing Danish film ever. For those who've read, re-read and watched everything Girl with the Dragon Tattoo-related, make a date with documentary Steig Larsson: The Man Who Played with Fire, which delves into the late author and journalist's archives. As an added bonus, it's screening alongside a retrospective of the original Swedish Millennium Trilogy films, starring Noomi Rapace. Images: Department Q; A White, White Day; Happy Ending; Out Stealing Horses; Sonja.
What's better than a sweet weekend treat? A whole marketplace filled with locally made baked goods. And that's exactly what's happening at the Baker's Exchange, which will see the city's top pastry, bread and cake maestros descend on three Melbourne locations for a series of tasty weekends this July. After a two-year hiatus, Hank Marvin Market's roving bake market returns to Melbourne this winter, hitting Moorabbin's Kingston City Hall on July 6 and 7, Woolstore + Co in North Melbourne on July 13 and 14, and Ripponlea Primary School on July 20 and 21. It's pulling together a freshly baked lineup featuring some of the city's best-loved local bakers, including 5 & Dime, Violet & Zaza, N'Cannoulou, Cobb Lane Bakery and Butter Mafia. Get ready to sink your teeth into innovative treats like The Hamptons Bakery's scrambled egg, porcini and truffle breakfast doughnut, and the oozy, raclette-filled roll from Swiss Made. Of course, you'll also find plenty of classic creations, from oven-fresh sourdough breads to gluten-free doughnuts and perfectly chewy cookies. There'll be face-painting and kids' fun for the littlies, while grown-ups can match their eats to fresh juices, Hallelujah Coffee and maybe even a glass or two of bubbly. Entry is $2, with proceeds going to charity. Baker's Exchange is open from 9am–1pm and heading to Kingston City Hall, 979–985 Nepean Highway, Moorabbin from July 6–7; Woolstore + Co, 64 Sutton Street, North Melbourne, from July 13–14; and Ripponlea Primary School, 25 Carrington Grove, St Kilda East, from July 20–21. Image: The Vegan Shack
More than once in Farming, Enitan stares into a mirror and loathes his reflection. Born in Britain to Nigerian parents, fostered out to a white working-class family and constantly taunted about his race, he even tries to scrub away his darker pigment while glaring daggers at himself. When that doesn't work, the boy (Zephan Amissah) cakes his skin in talcum powder, such is his desperation to see anything but his usual likeness looking back. By the time that Eni becomes a teenager (now played by Damson Idris), his self-hating gaze has solidified, and yet it has also taken on a different tone. As he peers forward, he shaves his head, buttons up his collared shirt and pops his suspenders over his shoulders, all to fit in with the local skinheads. Farming depicts Eni peering intently at a mirror again and again for a reason: no matter which cruel names are spat his way, the feature makes plain that it's his own opinion of himself that matters most. Sadly, he internalises the surrounding resentment and prejudice, so that's all that he can see in his own reflection. But, the fact that Farming even exists is proof that something changes. The film itself is a mirror — and in a more literal sense than most movies. Written and directed by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, this picture relays the actor-turned-filmmaker's own childhood. Known as Enitan as a kid, he once tried to scratch off his own skin, then joined forces with the very thugs that made his life hell — and now, after a two-decade on-screen career that's seen him feature in everything from Oz, Lost and Game of Thrones to The Bourne Identity, Thor: The Dark World and Suicide Squad, he shares that story. In Farming, Akinnuoye-Agbaje's tale begins with the actor and director playing his own father, Femi — who, alongside his wife Tolu (Genevieve Nnaji), is tearfully handing over baby Enitan to Ingrid Carpenter (Kate Beckinsale). It's 1967, and the practice that gives the movie its moniker is common. Kids like Eni are left with white families while their birth parents study and find work, with couples such as Femi and Tolu hoping their children will get better opportunities in the process. As Farming steps through Eni's Essex-based youth, showing him weather threats from Ingrid and torment from everyone else around him, it demonstrates the impact of this decision — a hard choice made with love by the people who brought him into the world, and one with significant repercussions. Eni transforms from a smiling infant, to a shy kid happily lost in his own head, to a self-loathing outcast who believes that his only path forward is to embrace the hatred he keeps being made to wear like a second skin. In scenes such as the aforementioned soap and talcum powder incidents, it's clear that Farming is directed by an actor, as well as by someone with a personal stake in this bleak and challenging story. This is a highly physical and expressive film that often feels like memories transposed onto the screen — and frequently highlights strikingly framed images and visceral, palpable emotions over dialogue. Thankfully, that's a mode that suits the talented Idris, who takes on that most difficult of tasks: not only playing a real-life figure, but playing the teen-aged version of his director. Raw pain doesn't just burn in his eyes, but infects every move that he makes, whether Eni is lashing out at his self-centred foster mother, himself or the only person (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, in a one-note role as a kindly teacher) who sees past his skin colour. That said, Farming is also a forceful movie — building its confronting, compelling tale one horrific moment at a time, and hitting as bluntly as the blows directed Eni's way. As a boy, he may turn his skin a shade of grey, but the movie he's in only paints in black and white. Of course, that's how this experience clearly felt to Akinnuoye-Agbaje. There's nothing subtle about being told by your foster mother that you come from 'Wooga-Wooga Land', or being expected to grin through daily teasing from neighbourhood kids, or getting stripped naked and spray-painted with racist statements by the Tilbury Skins, after all. There's nothing nuanced about Eni's time among his violent bullies, either, where he's treated like a pet by vicious leader Levi (John Dagleish) and never considered an equal, even as he desperately hopes otherwise. It's tough viewing, but Farming's great achievement — like the hallmark British race-relations drama of the 21st century, This Is England — springs from its willingness to stare unflinchingly at its grim contents. That Akinnuoye-Agbaje treats his adult successes as a mere footnote is telling; who he has since become is important, but what he endured to get there, and the ugly attitudes he faced that still echo today, are far more vital. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xWwFfT5jak
Melbourne's local gin heroes Four Pillars is getting in on the negroni week action by launching its signature pop-up stores around the country. In Melbourne, that pop-up will take place within the Garden State Hotel on Flinders Lane. It'll offer the gin brand's new range of bottled negronis, which range from a spiced coffee version to a herbaceous number and one that uses Four Pillars' famed Bloody Shiraz Gin. You can enjoy these batched cocktails at the bar, or purchase for takeaway, with a four pack also on offer. For the die hard cocktail fans, the custom built shop will also be selling Negroni t-shirts and Breakfast Negroni Marmalade for the duration of the event. The pop-up bar will run throughout negroni week and the Four Pillars distillery will also be slinging these limited edition bottles — with $1 of every negroni sold at either bar going to Scarf.
If you're one of those people who's always meaning to give blood, now might be the perfect time to roll up your sleeve. The Australian Red Cross Blood Service needs 99,000 new donors, so it's hosting Australia's first 24-hour donate-a-thon — with some bloody great incentives to get you through the door. A CBD donor centre on Collins Street will be open for 24-hours from 7pm on Thursday, June 13 through to 7pm on Friday, June 14 (aka World Blood Donor Day). To encourage you to donate, there'll be live music, live magic and free food. Oh, and you'll be helping to save up to three lives. We all know it's important to have a bite to eat after giving blood, and for once it'll be more than just a cookie and a party pie. Celebrity chef Frank Camorra of Movida will be serving up 'donor' kebabs, chicken empanadas and Catalan-style custard tarts. And Gelato Messina has created a new flavour just for the occasion — blood orange cheesecake gelato with red velvet cake and raspberry puree. How very fitting.
If you haven't yet had a chance to check out Gelato Messina's Creative Department, then this July is the perfect time to do so. The gelato fiends are adding truffles to all their dishes for a series of special, seasonal dinners. In conjunction with Parkesbourne Produce, Messina is crafting a special eight-course gelato-meets-gourmet mushrooms degustation running for just ten days, held in a private room behind the Messina Windsor store. So what kind of truffle-gelato goodness have the masterminds come up with this time around? Expect brioche and foie gras gelato with black truffle sauce; pistachio and black truffle gelato with matcha and white chocolate fudge; and grilled kumquat sorbet with koji cream, wattleseed and black truffle. You'll also be trying an equally creative range of non-alcoholic drinks, including the likes of a lemon myrtle and macadamia bubble tea and the pineapple, white soy and shiitake sparkling. Tickets are $160 per person and, based off how quick these things sell out around the country, you'll want to grab your tickets ASAP.
If you've ever wanted to care less about all the things that really don't matter — and, honestly, don't we all — then you've probably read Mark Manson's The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. If you're really devoted to the idea, you're probably keen to get stuck into the author's latest book as well, aka Everything is F*cked: A Book About Hope. When the first book hit, it was everywhere. Approachable, brutally honest, not-quite self-help advice will have that effect. It's not about not giving any f*cks. It's about giving the right number of f*cks about the right things. After all, there are only so many one has time to give. You should obviously give a f*ck about Manson's upcoming Australian tour, of course, with the author coming to Melbourne on Monday, July 15. See the blogger-turned-bestselling writer share his thoughts and insights at the Forum — and leave giving the number of f*cks that you need to. Tickets go on sale at 12pm, Tuesday, May 21, with pre-sales from 10am on Monday, May 20.
A couple of Abbotsford favourites have teamed up for a new series of Sunday feasts that promise to take the edge right off that winter chill. You and your crew can now wrap up each weekend with a bottomless boozy pizza party, courtesy of Johnston Street bar Lulie Tavern and neighbouring Italian hot-spot Rita's Cafeteria. Venture into Lulie's between 12pm and 4pm on Sundays and you'll find a hearty food and drink fiesta awaits. For two hours, you'll get to down unlimited slices of Rita's famously good pizza, in both the margherita and pepperoni varieties. No one's going thirsty, either — the bar's got plenty in the way of liquid treats to pair with those pies, slinging bottomless beers, wine and spritzes to enjoy across the same 120 minutes. The best part? This whole Sunday lunch deal will set you back a tidy $45 per person. Bookings are a must, though, so shoot an email to hello@lulietavern.com if you're keen to head along. Lulie & Rita's Sunday Pizza Party runs from midday–4pm. Images: Jake Roden.
Flinders Lane's cocktail bar and pizza joint Trinket is celebrating its new lunchtime hours in a big way — by giving away 500 mini pizzas for free on Wednesday, May 15. The bar will now be open from noon every day, serving up a new menu that includes 13 stone-baked pizzas. To nab your freebie, you'll have to scout the CBD for a marked empty pizza box from noon–2pm — with the locations revealed through the venue's Instagram stories. Bring that box along to Trinket to redeem your free pizza for dine-in or takeaway. The lucky 'golden ticket' pizza box holders can choose from any pizza on the menu. Those include smoked eggplant and squash with salsa verde and goats cheese; prawns and anchovies with zucchini and mozzarella; pumpkin with sage, ricotta and onion; and meatballs with blue cheese and pickled onion. That's Wednesday lunch plans sorted.
The latest exhibition at Grau Projekt — Clifton Hills' relatively new art gallery and warehouse bar by famed Melbourne artist and bartender Matt Bax — is a collaborative, multifaceted show by five contemporary Thai artists who are now living in Australia. Dubbed Un-Thaid, the exhibition runs from June 13 till July 27 and includes live performance, painting, ceramics, sculptures and video installations. The artists collectively explore their shared experiences of immigration and diaspora in their works. Curated by Vipoo Srivilasa, the show features Pimpisa Tinpalit's large-scale installation of a queen bed hung shibari-style with black rope from the ceiling, Phaptawan Suwannakudt's series of paintings combining native Australian flora and Thai elephants, and large-scale stencil works that draw inspiration from both pop art and graffiti by Bundit Puangthong. Ceramicist Somchai Charoen has also created colourful, fragile porcelain sculptures for the show, while Nakarin Aron Jaikla's brings mesmerising video works combining dance, Buddhism and Thai folklore. As the gallery's founder Matt Bax is not only an artist, but also an accomplished bartender, expect big things on the drinks side of things, too. A different (interactive) cocktail menu accompanies each exhibition, with the previous incarnation featuring a drink that you rolled a dice to complete. The cocktails are available at the opening night and Trink Think Tours, which run every Thursday and Friday. The Un-Thaid launch event runs from 5.30–8.30pm on Thursday, June 13. You can nab tickets to it here — $35 tickets include entry, one cocktail and the chance to see a live performance by artist Nakarin Aron Jaikla. Top image: Bundit Puangthong, Uni Nature Friends (2019)
Have you ever been to a play where, no matter how prominent the lead was, your attention was always drawn to one of the secondary performers off to the side? That's the case with X-Men: Dark Phoenix, a film where everything's pretty decent except for anything to do with the actual title character. Ultimately it's an issue of interest. There just isn't enough in the Jean Grey character (or at least, not in this iteration of the character, played by Sophie Turner, compared to Famke Janssen's version from the origial X-Men trilogy) to justify giving her such a prominent role in a universe already jam-packed with compelling fan-favourites like Magneto (Michael Fassbender), Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Beast (Nicholas Hoult). To appropriate that iconic line from Mean Girls: stop trying to make Jean Grey happen. In a franchise that adroitly positioned itself as one of 'films with special effects' rather than 'special effects films', the masterstroke of the early X-Men movies was ensuring there were always human stories at their core, even if they were about super-humans and mutants. On that front, the original trilogy stands as a sublime allegory for the discrimination of minorities, no matter the kind. The franchise's first ever scene took place in a Nazi concentration camp, bars and restaurants featured mutant and non-mutant sections, and a narrow-minded mother asked her son: "have you tried... not being a mutant?" Beyond the us and them theme, they then added two more critical threads: a complex friendship between Magneto and Professor X, and a love triangle between Wolverine, Cyclops and Jean. It was these stories that made the films so engaging, whilst the special effects just added loads of cool. X-Men: Dark Phoenix forgets that lesson after its first few (excellent) scenes, placing far too much emphasis thereafter on visual pageantry that adds very little to the story. Set mostly in 1992, Dark Phoenix begins with a confronting car-crash sequence, followed by a dramatic space rescue. Both, in their own way, set in motion plot lines involving Professor X arguably overstepping his mark, which inevitably has dire consequences. The problem is, until now, Turner's Jean Grey was little more than a bit-part, so her elevation to leading lady and the subsequent transformation (or descent?) into the all-powerful Dark Phoenix both feel rushed and unearned. You know you're meant to think oh no, but you simply don't care. Added to that is a subplot so forgettable that this writer literally forgot about it until just now. An alien villain named Vuk (Jessica Chastain) pursues and manipulates Jean's transformation into Dark Phoenix for reasons that are barely clear and even less interesting. Chastain's staid, hollow stare throughout the film feels neatly reflective of the audience's expression as it watches another actor of incredible talent relegated to spouting cliched nonsense. With the exception of its early scenes, the only other high point in Dark Phoenix is its climactic battle aboard a speeding armoured train (and it speaks volumes that throughout that scene, Jean Grey is passed out and largely ignored). Mutants being mutants and deploying their abilities in means as violent as they are inventive is ultimately why you'd see this film over other, more conventional action movies. To give us so little of that condemns it to forgettable status from the get-go. Dark Phoenix is almost certainly the last entry in the franchise before the reigns are handed over to Marvel, courtesy of Disney's recent acquisition of 20th Century Fox. Hopefully in their capable hands we'll see a return to the quality delivered in the early days of the saga. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azvR__GRQic
If you haven't been able to book a trip to Spain this year, this beachside dinner may be a very tasty consolation. Melbourne's Basque-inspired restaurant Sebastian is throwing a paella party by the water to celebrate Spanish Paella Day To mark the occasion on Wednesday, March 27, the Williamstown newcomer is getting into the paella spirit with a special dinner, running from 6pm. Guests will have the chance to see Head Chef Leigh Robbins in action, whipping up a big, communal version of his signature seafood and chistorra (a Basque-style sausage) paella out on the beachfront deck. Individual serves of paella will set you back $25, while shared portions — or portions for a very, very hungry one person — will be going for $36, until there's nothing left in that pan (also called a paella, if you didn't know). And of course, there's no chance of going thirsty on the night — the bar's lineup of top Spanish wines and jugs of sangria are a perfect match, both to the rice dish and to those balmy bay views.
Stan & Ollie begins with a glorious shot — an image that's strikingly composed, and that couldn't better encapsulate the film to come. Comedians Stan Laurel (Steve Coogan) and Oliver Hardy (John C. Reilly) sit in their shared Hollywood dressing room in 1937, bantering away in their playful, genial manner. Their backs are to the camera but, as they're both perched before individual mirrors, their faces are reflected in lights at either side of the frame. Stan's thinner visage smirks wryly from the mirror in front of the more jovial, sizeable Ollie, and vice versa. Director Jon S. Baird enjoys the affectionate interplay between the two comic stars, and gazes at them just as fondly. Most importantly, the filmmaker visually signifies the enormous presence that his two subjects had in each other's life. Worlds away from his last movie, the drug-addled Irvine Welsh adaptation Filth, Baird returns to comparable moments throughout Stan & Ollie. Just as the eponymous pair were at their professional best when they were together, the film shines brightest when it looks upon the two in tender exchanges. When Stan sits side-by-side with an ailing Ollie in a hotel bed, and when the duo recline on the deck of a ship against a sunset backdrop, Stan & Ollie offers an ode not only to their enduring partnership, but to the pull they felt towards each other. That's the entire picture from start to finish — however there's a particular heart-swelling sensitivity evident in these loving scenes. After spending its opening minutes on-set during the making of comedy-western Way Out West, Stan & Ollie jumps forward to 1953, when the pair's fame has faded and their double-act has nearly fractured. Reuniting after a rocky parting over contract matters, they embark on a tour of the United Kingdom largely to boost the chances of making their first film in years. But half-empty crowds in second-tier venues await, as does the scheming of an uncaring promoter, bickering between their wives (Shirley Henderson and Nina Arianda), and more than a decade of unspoken feelings about the way things have panned out. It hardly helps that, as the two ruminate upon what they had and what could've been since, they're continually met with astonishment from ordinary punters who didn't realise they were still alive. Given cinema's penchant for biopics — half of this year's Oscar acting contenders are nominated for playing real-life figures — it's surprising that Laurel and Hardy's story hasn't graced the silver screen before. Better late than never, obviously, with screenwriter Jeff Pope (also a writer on the Coogan-starring Philomena) penning the filmic equivalent of a warm hug for two of the industry's bona fide icons. There's no escaping Stan & Ollie's kindly, laudatory tone, but it's thoroughly deserved. While the zany vaudeville energy that the duo are known for only comes through in recreations of select routines, Coogan and Reilly put in pitch-perfect performances that capture exactly why their characters had such an impact on comedy as we know it. Indeed, Stan & Ollie's casting proves a cinematic stroke of genius, of the kind that every film aims for but only a select few manage. It's especially fitting that both Coogan and Reilly have become well-known for their own two-handers in recent times — the former with Rob Brydon, as largely seen in The Trip and its sequels; the latter with Will Ferrell, though last year's Holmes & Watson is best burned from everyone's memories. Experienced hands at bouncing off an on-screen partner, they're so adept at it here that their charming double-act feels like the real thing. Crucially, they sell both the sweetness and melancholy of a life spent tied to another, although the movie's most deeply moving element comes via postscript. When Hardy died, Laurel never performed again, but kept writing new material for them to share. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE5xbDTkzQQ
The world as we know it could do with some improvement. That's a bit of an understatement; however it's also the idea behind Melbourne's returning Transitions Film Festival. This showcase of cinema aims to explore ways in which our future could be brightened, covering a huge range of topics such as food, climate change, animal welfare and renewable energy. Transitions doesn't just have an environmental focus, however. Technological innovation, gender equality, online privacy, social justice and artificial intelligence all rate a mention on the fest's 28-doco lineup — which includes 24 Australian premieres. Screening flicks at Cinema Nova between Thursday, February 21 and Friday, March 8, and hosting events at Loop Project Space & Bar and Brunswick Mechanics Institute too, the program also features sustainability academics, artists and entrepreneurs chatting about the subjects covered on-screen. Film-wise, opening night's Point of No Return explores the first ever solar-powered flight around the world, Vestige heads to South Africa to cover the efforts to save the few remaining black and white rhinos, and It Will Be Chaos charts an Eritrean refugee's attempt to navigate Italy's immigration system. There's also The Guardians, about the illegal logging threat to an ancient Mexican forest; She Started It, which highlights women tech entrepreneurs; and More Human Than Human, which ponders AI. And if you were a fan of Chasing Ice, The Cove and Racing Extinction, The Human Element comes from the same producers — and offers a visual depiction of how climate change is affecting our air, earth, fire and water. Image: The Human Element, Matthew Kennedy, Earth Vision Institute.
Like a wardrobe in need of a good KonMari work over, RetroStar's warehouse has reached bursting point, with its ever-growing collection of vintage threads at maximum capacity. Which is excellent news for all of us, because it means a bargain-packed warehouse sale is on the horizon. Yep, the vintage clothing superstar is this weekend holding one of its famed clean-outs, slashing the price of everything in its huge warehouse collection to under $10. Venture down to Retrostar's Brunswick headquarters on February 23 and 24 to unearth a whole swag of old-school wardrobe gems. Word is, there'll be over 20,000 retro pieces on the racks, from dresses and tees, to denim, hats and bags — all of it going extra cheap. The Retrostar Warehouse Sale runs from 8–5pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Time flies when you're slurping up mussels and listening to the sounds of jazz, as the folks at South Melbourne Market well and truly know. That's an apt description of how quickly two days of seafood and tunes can seem to fly by, and recognition that the Coventry and Cecil corner mainstay has been celebrating both for six years now. The latest will take place on March 9 and 10, with the Port Phillip Mussel & Jazz Festival returning to serve up a mollusc-focused street party. Oh, and 200,000 mussels. It's free, it'll fill your stomach with locally sourced seafood, and it'll offer up a feast of other treats, including sweets, tipples and dance-worthy tunes. When it comes to enjoying the tasty sea creatures, Claypots, Köy, Paco y Lola, Simply Spanish and Bambu are just some of the eateries popping up — and whipping up an array of different mussel dishes. Seafood lovers will be able to dive into everything from mussel paella to wok-cooked drunken mussels. And you'll be eating for a good cause. The shells will be collected by Shuck Don't Chuck and used to help restore the bay's shellfish reefs. Taking care of the entertainment are The Senegambian Jazz Band, The Sugarfood Ramblers, local singer Chelsea Wilson and a New Orleans-inspired seven-piece called the Horns of Leroy. Image: Simon Shiff.
You're invited to get down and dirty when people-powered urban winery Noisy Ritual pops up in Docklands for this year's Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. Hitting Victoria Harbour from March 20 to 30, the Pop-Up Fermentation Bar is the latest play in Noisy Ritual's mission to demystify the world of winemaking. In addition to a menu of tasting flights, wines available by the glass or bottle and Italian snacks from nearby Saluministi, the bar will feature real, working winery equipment. It's being brought over from Noisy Ritual's Brunswick headquarters to allow guests to experience the fermentation process close-up and first-hand. As well as sampling the goods at the bar, there'll be plenty of opportunity to get involved in making some of your own. Four Demystifying Winemaking workshops ($78) — at midday and 2pm on Saturday, March 23 and Saturday, 30 — will offer a hands-on exploration of winemaking, from grape-stomping right through to tasting. The Noisy Ritual Pop-Up Fermentation Bar is open 4–9pm Wednesday and Saturday, and midday–10pm Thursday and Friday.
This week, Melbourne Design Week presents Design on Film, a unique program of documentaries exploring the world of design and architecture. Curated by veteran programmer Richard Sowada with screenings at ACMI in Federation Square as well as The Lido in Hawthorn and The Classic in Belgrave, this festival within a festival will showcase 13 flicks — including one screening in Australia for the very first time — about everything from sustainability in design to a historic mission to build a city from scratch. Among the highlights on the Design on Film program are Watermark, an experimental essay film about humanity's relationship with water; In Between the Mountains and the Oceans, which tells the story of the once in a generation rebuilding of Japan's holiest Shinto shrine; and Homo Sapiens, a 'sci-fi documentary' that imagines a world without humans in which our built environments are slowly reclaimed by nature. Image: Architecture of Infinity.
It has been a couple of years since The Jungle Collective first started taking over Australian warehouses and slinging plenty of plants, all thanks to its huge sales in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney. These leafy excuses to fill your home with greenery always have a bit of a celebratory vibe, so the outfit's next Victorian outing should come as no surprise — it's hosting a Plant Party En Blanc in Abbotsford. While all of those gorgeous green babies are the main attraction — and more than 150 varieties of them, too — browsing and buying while listening to tunes and maybe having a bit of a boogie isn't something you get to do every day. And it's happening twice, across the two days of Saturday, March 2 and Sunday, March 3. This time round, the plant focus of the sale is variegated species — those very pretty two-toned green babies that often have white and green patterns on their leaves. You'll pick up everything from fiddle leafs and monsteras to giant birds of paradise and rubber trees, as well as oh-so-many ferns and hanging plants. You'll also be able to shop for designer pots, get expert advice from the horticulturalists onsite, listen to jungle tunes and even nab a $5 discount if you show up in white (hence the 'en blanc' in the event's name). While entry is free, you'll need to secure a ticket to head along — with one- and two-hours sessions held between 10am–2pm on Saturday and Sunday. New plants will be released for each time slot, too. Image: Alexander Cohen.
When millennials reach their twilight years, Zac Efron might be singing his way through Retirement Home Musical, Blue Ivy Carter could win an Oscar for cinema's latest big hit musical biopic — about her mother, naturally — and the Stranger Things kids may've become the go-to grizzled crackpots in every sci-fi film and TV show around. No offence meant to any of them, but that's what popular culture does. Nostalgia never dies, so the entertainment industry keeps recycling the same things for the same audience, just in an era-appropriate fashion. And it'll keep doing so, long past the point when Fast & Furious 89: Now We're Fast, Furious and Fragile zooms into theatres. For a current example — a predecessor to an elderly Vin Diesel and The Rock still doing what they do, perhaps — look no further than the old geezer heist genre. In recent years, it keeps serving up veteran actors reliving their heydays with varying degrees of success. When it's done in a smart, soulful and insightful manner,the Robert Redford-starring The Old Man and the Gun is the end result. When ease, laziness and cashing in are the aim of the game instead, you get Michael Caine's two latest jaunts across Australia's big screens: 2017's Going In Style and now King of Thieves. In the former film, Caine played a desperate Brooklyn resident who robs a bank with his usually law-abiding pals (Morgan Freeman and Alan Arkin). In the latter, he's a seasoned cockney crim doing what all seasoned crims do eventually, or so the movies tell us. Reuniting with his fellow retired crook friends (Tom Courtenay, Jim Broadbent, Ray Winstone and Paul Whitehouse) after the death of his wife, Caine's Brian Reader plans one last London job over the Easter long weekend. Their target is a Hatton Garden safe deposit facility filled with cash, gold and jewels to the tune of £14 million, and they've got help from the much younger 'best alarm specialist in London', aka Basil (Charlie Cox). There's a moment early in King of Thieves that epitomises the film's bland, routine approach. The movie's five main elderly Englishmen stand around in a workshop, plotting their high-stakes scheme and rallying against today's high-tech ways — the internet is overrated, most of them decide. Then Basil walks in. The mood instantly turns frosty, complete with shots of horrified faces from Winstone's hard man, Broadbent's wildcard, Courtenay's doddering gent and Whitehouse's outsider. Caine abstains, but only because it's his character that's brought the newcomer in on the plan. In mere seconds, director James Marsh summarises the entire picture: old dogs, an aversion to new tricks and a story that keeps emphasising both. There's a few narrative twists, a dose of duplicity and treachery, and plenty of greed complicating matters, however there's never any doubt about where the whole thing is going. You'd never guess that Marsh has a duo of excellent documentaries to his name in Man on Wire and Project Nim, before he started turning true tales into standard dramas with The Theory of Everything, The Mercy and now King of Thieves. Similarly, that screenwriter Joe Penhall created stellar serial killer series Mindhunter will thoroughly escape your attention based on the dull material at hand. And King of Thieves is so broad and formulaic that you simply won't realise or care that it's based on reality, with the actual robbery carried out by geriatric criminals in 2015, and marking the largest theft in British history. The fact that the film flits awkwardly and unconvincingly between comedy and thriller doesn't help, and nor does its visually drab images, or some of the least exciting robbery scenes ever committed to celluloid. Caine and his cronies, whose numbers also includes a dishevelled Michael Gambon looking far removed from his Dumbledore days, aren't blowing the bloody doors off anything either. How can they be when they're tasked with groan-inducing one-liners like "I don't care about prison life; it's the afterlife that worries me"? Indeed, when King of Thieves resorts to inserting brief clips of the silver-haired main crew in their younger, sprightlier years — taken from older, much better works on the actors' respective resumes — the result is as creaky as the cast's joints. They deserve better, as do the viewers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeQAY_9vG8M
2017's Happy Death Day was the knock-off that wasn't; the rehash that name-checked its inspiration, yet did more than recycle used parts. Groundhog Day for the 21st century, it took its repetitive conceit, coupled it with a slasher flick premise and had a damn good time with the combination. When you felt like you'd seen it all before, that was by playful design. When the film threw up its own surprises — and when it toyed with genre conventions in the process — it pleasingly exceeded expectations. Watching a sorority mean girl navigate the same day endlessly not just in the name of self-improvement, but to catch her own killer, proved the lively spark that both college-set horror flicks and time loop movies needed. With follow-up Happy Death Day 2U, the scenario gets a do-over, although not in the way viewers might initially expect. Where Happy Death Day saw Tree (Jessica Rothe) reliving her birthday over and over, this inevitable sequel basically sees her revisit the past film again and again. Initially, however, the movie tasks someone else with experiencing a perpetual replay. From the outset, Ryan (Phi Vu) — the roommate of Tree's new boyfriend Carter (Israel Broussard) — replicates the same day that Tree kept enduring in the initial picture. But there's a reason for Ryan's repetitive blast from the past, thanks to his thesis physics experiment. Quicker than anyone can spit out a jumble of science jargon, his attempts to redress the situation throw Tree back into her old loop, albeit in an alternative dimension. From the retro poster on Carter and Ryan's dorm room wall, to the familiar refrains throughout the film's score, to characters flat-out discussing the similarities, Happy Death Day 2U treats Back to the Future: Part II the same way that its predecessor treated Groundhog Day. The beloved 80s sci-fi comedy is the flux capacitor powering this three-decades-later spin, but switching sources of inspiration, and ostensibly switching genres as well, doesn't make for as satisfying an outcome this time around. Written and directed by Happy Death Day's Christopher Landon, who only served as director the first time around, this sequel isn't lacking in ambition. It deserves props for endeavouring to find an interesting hook, rather than favouring a bland rehash. Still, try as it might, Happy Death Day 2U can't splice its self-referential nature and its leap into science-fiction into a convincing, completely engaging whole. As the film's feisty heroine learns more than once, when you revisit the same scenario, the little changes can't be ignored. Specifically, Tree can't escape her new dilemma — as well as staving off another mask-wearing killer, she's forced to pick between realities. The loop she's now in corrects a past trauma that she's eager to unburden, but robs her of the one thing about her future she was looking forward to. That's weighty material for a sci-fi slasher comedy, yet this isn't a weighty affair. While Happy Death Day 2U feigns at depth, and broadly takes Tree on another emotional journey, it has much more fun when it's focusing on its two gimmicks. When the picture nods and winks its way through literally repeating the initial flick, it remains peppy and perky, particularly as Tree thwarts her would-be murderer by taking matters into her own hands again and again. And although the film enjoys its science fiction silliness perhaps more than the audience, there's no missing the caper vibe. (In fact, as far as the movie's mood goes, bumps, jumps and horror thrills give way to an energetic onslaught of temporal absurdity.) At every point along the way, Rothe firmly demonstrates why Happy Death Day 2U exists beyond its potential to repeat its predecessor's box office bonanza. When the first film more than hit its marks, much of its success sprang from its little-known star's shoulders. Here, as Tree discovers that she's doing-over her endless cycle of do-overs, Rothe gives the kind of committed performance that the filmmakers are right to build a franchise around. That proves true whether she's glowering in a near-cartoonish rage, or navigating a suicide montage (and revelling in her own death more than should be possible). She's never less than an exuberant delight to watch, a description that only keeps proving true the more ridiculous the movie gets. And yet, if you're wondering why the end result remains a little underwhelming, the answer is simple. All that dying eventually pays a toll on the picture's protagonist, and all that effort to twist the same idea in new ways just feels weaker on a second run-through. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkhbzS8PBm8
"Luke, I am your father" might just be one of the most famous line ever uttered in a movie — except, of course, that's not actually what Darth Vader said. If you're pedantic about the exact phrasing of iconic Star Wars dialogue, or just brimming with Jedi-focused tidbits, then here's your chance to put those skills to the test. Come Monday, February 18, The Mill House will be hosting an evening of fun that no one can have a bad feeling about. The Flinders Lane venue is delving into the series that has not only spanned ten films to date, but also inspired a host of new instalments to come. If you have a Chewbacca costume in your wardrobe, you're destined to be there. As for prizes, they'll be on offer for your mastery of Star Wars info. And, because it's all taking place in a bar, drinks are on the menu, too. Sure, it's not quite the Mos Eisley Cantina, but you can pretend — there'll be $10 Star Wars-inspired cocktails and $12 pizzas to enjoy. A three-hour happy hour with $7.50 wines, beers and spirits will also be running from 4–7pm. The night gets underway from 6pm, but you'll want to arrive early to nab a table — and to start arguing over whether Han shot first. Bookings can also be made via the website.
As the drummer for Nirvana and the frontman for Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl doesn't have many mixed bags on his resume. The music superstar has been in the spotlight for three-plus decades now, and boasts success after success to his name, complete with a list of awards and hits bound to make almost everyone else in the industry envious. But all their lives, Grohl and his fellow Foos must've dreamt of being horror movie stars — and the result, the pandemic-shot Studio 666, shouldn't entice any of them to quit their day jobs. A haunted-house horror-comedy, this rockstar lark is gonzo, gory and extremely goofy. It's a clear bit of fun for everyone involved, and it's made with overflowing love for the genre it slips into and parodies. But it's an indulgent and stretched exercise in famous folks following their whims at times like these, too. Achievement unlocked: there's Grohl's mixed bag. Studio 666's setup revolves around Grohl, drummer Taylor Hawkins, guitarists Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear, bassist Nate Mendel and keyboardist Rami Jaffee packing their bags for a live-in recording session at an Encino mansion. As the movie's 1993-set prologue shows, their temporary new home has a dark past, after the last group that inhabited the spot met bloody ends; however, ignorance is bliss for the Foo Fighters. Actually, an obligation to deliver their tenth album to their overbearing manager (Jeff Garlin, Curb Your Enthusiasm) inspires the move, as does the band's creative lull in conjuring up the record otherwise. Grohl instantly falls for the sound of the space as well, to an unhinged degree, and his bandmates begrudgingly agree to the month-long stay to make musical magic happen. Recording an album doesn't usually spark The Evil Dead-style murderous mayhem, cursed book and all, but that's Studio 666's gambit. Its Californian abode isn't just stalked by a grisly ghoul with a love of gut-rumbling tracks — it possesses Grohl with the need to craft a killer song, length be damned, and with satanic bloodlust, cannibal cravings and prima-donna rocker behaviour. Is he monstrous about doing whatever it takes to get the tune because he's bedevilled by the house's resident evil, he's on a power trip or both? That's one of the film's big gags, and also a hefty splatter of the kind of sense of humour it's working with. Winking, nudging, satirising, and sending up fame, egos and the all-devouring nature of entertainment stardom: they're all on the movie's menu, alongside as much gleefully cheap-looking viscera as any feature can manage to splash around. Amid the deaths by cymbal, barbecued faces and projectile-vomited guts — no, what's left of the Foos at the film's end won't be getting their bond back — there's zero doubt that Grohl and company are enjoying themselves. Actors, they aren't, but playfulness has always been part of Foo Fighters' mood. When the band began in 1994, initially as a one-man project by Grohl after Kurt Cobain's suicide the same year, it was instantly perkier and sillier than Nirvana. For the 'Big Me' music video from the group's self-titled first album, they shot an unforgettable Mentos ad parody in Sydney. With the 'Learn to Fly' clip in 1999, they satirised airline flicks — Airplane!, which was already a send-up, plus disaster fare Airport 1975 and Airport '77 — aided by Tenacious D's Jack Black and Kyle Gass. Getting so delightedly bloody might be new, but refusing to take themselves seriously definitely isn't. Surrounded by Lionel Ritchie cameos and Will Forte's (MacGruber) bit-part as a delivery driver-slash-wannabe muso, all in the house where they did actually record 2021's Medicine at Midnight, the Foos are in on all of the jokes — Grohl goes overboard with his eye acting, Jaffee couldn't be more buzzed to revel in New Age-y stereotypes and Smear is gloriously flippant about sleeping on the kitchen bench — but they also overestimate how entertaining their mucking around is for audiences. The ever-longer it sticks around, the more Studio 666 resembles viewing your mates' holiday videos and hearing them relive their in-gags from that trip you didn't take with them. The Grohl-originated story, as scripted by the Pet Sematary remake and latest American The Grudge flick scribe Jeff Buhler with Rebecca Hughes, a veteran of mid-00s sitcom Cracking Up, has more to it than a mere clip for a Foo Fighters song could sustain. There isn't enough for Hatchet III and Slayer music video director BJ McDonnell's 107-minute movie, though. Splitting the difference, a tight half-hour short like the Beastie Boys' 2011 Fight for Your Right Revisited might've hit the mark perfectly, but then no one could've sold cinema tickets. Studio 666 is a tad haunted by those other alliterative American music icons given that the Beastie Boys made ridiculously parodying movie genres an art in their clips for 'Sabotage' — aka the best music video ever made — and 'Body Movin'. This Foos' effort strives for the same vibe, but more is less here. There's a bit of A Hard Days Night to Studio 666, too. Obviously, The Beatles-starring 1964 film doesn't care too much for horror, or at all, but the two movies share a days-in-a-life angle that peers beyond the facade of fame. That's a nice piece of music synergy, in fact, given that Grohl was part of a makeshift band tasked with playing the British group's songs for the Backbeat soundtrack back in 1994, the same year Foo Fighters was born. Not just due to Grohl's flannelette-heavy wardrobe, the Nirvana of it all proves a monkey wrench for Studio 666. In coming up with a story that includes a hit early-90s band's demise after the suicide of their lead singer, it's impossible not to see Grohl's bad-taste cribbing from his own history — a piece of satire that doesn't land for a second, was never going to and is mind-bogglingly ill thought-out. When the film does work, however, it's a screwy, entrails-strewn jape. When it toys with horror fans' knowledge of the genre by using Halloween-style text with an opening theme to match, then reveals the track to be the product of the iconic John Carpenter (who also cameos on-screen), it's knowing in an ideal way. But, when Jason Trost of the cult-fave The FP franchise shows up briefly, Studio 666 lays bare its own demons. This Foo-driven film wants to be the best of that exact kind of midnight movie, but is really just a cover version.
After the year that was 2020, we could all use a bit of a chuckle. And there'll be plenty of those to go around when the latest edition of Lemon Comedy delivers a big dose of diversity to the Fringe Common Rooms on Thursday, March 18. The hilarious Annie Louey hosts a jam-packed night of stand-up, championing inclusivity across a lineup of female-identifying, non-binary and LGBTQIA+ comedians, artists living with a disability or mental illness, and comedians of colour. Kicking off from 7.30pm, you'll catch a broad range of comedic talent serving up the laughs, headlined by award-winning cabaret star and songwriter Selina Jenkins (BOOBS). Also in the side-splitting mix are writer and comedian Alistair Baldwin (Lame), RAW Comedy Victorian finalist Sashi Perera, award-winning stand-up act Sonia Di Iorio, and multi-talented artist and performer Heather Joan. Audiences are in for a few surprises, too, not least of which is a top-secret international star being streamed in live from the UK. This will be the first 2021 outing for the Lemon Comedy showcase, so you'd best start warming up those cheek muscles — it's going to be a big one. [caption id="attachment_803048" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lemon Comedy host, Annie Louey[/caption] Top image: Duncographic
The aroma of freshly made coffee is a familiar presence at Brighton's Pantry. But from 7am–4pm on Wednesday, April 28, we expect that scent will smell a little stronger. On that one day, between that window of time, the Church Street spot will be serving up free brews — so expect its baristas to be busy. The free coffee is in honour of Pay It Forward Day, with Pantry taking the idea to heart by handing out free caffeine hits. You'll be sipping Lavazza's La Reserva de Tierra coffee, and you'll need to grab a cuppa to take away — but that's all there is to it. Ideally, your free morning brown will inspire you to pay it forward, too, and to show someone else some unexpected kindness. You can only enjoy one coffee without spending a cent, though, and only within trading hours on that one day — and you can't combine the giveaway with any other offer.
What happens when a lineup of Melbourne's hospitality favourites team up to throw a huge Tex-Mex fiesta on a rooftop? Well, we're about to find out. That's what's on the menu when New El Paso takes over Johnny's Green Room for a one-off celebration from 12pm on Sunday, April 11. Casey Wall (Bar Liberty, Capitano) and Chris Watson (Meatsmith) are joining forces to cook up a storm, plating up an exclusive menu of American and Mexican dishes. You'll be able to get your mitts on such hits as mushroom quesadillas filled with Oaxaca cheese and jalapeños ($11), fried chicken tortas laced with chipotle mayo and tomato salsa ($16), and hard shell tacos stuffed with smoked brisket burnt ends ($17). Downstairs neighbour Pidapipo is also coming to the party, with a special sweet corn gelato taco for dessert ($11). While you stuff your face, you'll be grooving to tunes from DJ Chico G and sipping pints of Garage Project's Golden Path IPA. Or, stick with the theme and try out the Johnny's 8 Ball cocktail special — a gutsy blend of Blanco tequila, mezcal, Aperol, yellow chartreuse and lime. Top image: Sarah Pannell.
With yet another Monday looming large, Sunday afternoons can sometimes feel like a bit of a bummer — but not for much longer. We've found a surefire mood-booster to help you end your weekend on a high note, involving free (and delicious) cheese. From Sunday, April 11, Richmond's Ugly Duckling is kicking off the latest round of its ever-popular Wine and Cheese Sundays sessions, and inviting you to squash those inevitable Sunday blues with a good old-fashioned grazing session. Pop in between 3–7pm each weekend, and you'll also score a complimentary cheese plate when you purchase any bottle of wine. Cheese-wise, you can choose between quality creations like a Spanish manchego, Le Delice des Cremier, the Colston Bassett stilton blue or Castel Regio taleggio — each served with classic accompaniments including fig paste, lavosh biscuits and fresh apple slices. Of course, if you fancy amping up the indulgence factor, there's always the option to add on extra serves of cheese. Plus, there's a cracking cocktail list for those who'd like to linger even longer.
Lockdowns (one and two) have hit Melbourne's hospitality industry pretty hard this year, leaving many workers without jobs or with drastically cut hours, with I Lost My Hospo Shift reporting that over $2 million in wages have been lost in the last week alone. But for southside hospo and entertainment staff who've been doing it tough, a helping hand is here in the form of a pop-up kitchen doling out free meals. Taking over Windsor's Neptune Food & Wine tonight, Monday, July 27, The Big Ass Staff Meal is here to remind us all just how good Melbourne's hospo scene is, serving up hundreds of free takeaway feeds for local industry workers. The team has pulled together donations from the likes of Commune Group — including free use of the High Street restaurant — View Hotels, meat suppliers Flinders & Co and distributor Bidfood Wholesale, and is getting busy whipping up the ultimate chef-cooked staff meal — a hospo ritual many of you might've been missing out on lately. From 6–8pm, there'll be a range of food packs available, complete with sides, dessert and even pre-batched booze-free cocktails courtesy of Lyre's. Expect plenty of vegan and vegetarian options on offer, too. Hospo folk keen for tonight's staff feed can simply RSVP via Facebook to give organisers an idea of numbers. During pick-up, face masks will be mandatory and social distancing protocols will be in place. Melburnians have been directed to stay as local as they can when leaving the house for an essential reason during lockdown, so The Big Ass Staff Meal team is encouraging only those in Windsor and surrounding suburbs to pick up a meal.
This spring, Prahran Market is hosting its seventh annual Say Cheese Festival. But, like many 2020 events, this edition will be virtual — and across three days instead of one. For the uninitiated (or those who haven't previously attended and devoured all the dairy they can), it's essentially an event dedicated to looking at, learning about and eating a whole lot of cheese — and buying even more to eat later. This year's virtual festival will feature three cook-along (and snack-along) events. First up, on Thursday, September 10, you can order a box of 14 different cheeses (for $55) to your home and take your tastebuds on a tour for the Around the World with Cheese tasting hosted by chef Tobit Puttock. The virtual tasting part of the event is free, with registration over here. Then, on Friday, September 11, you can join Sweet Greek's Kathy Tsaples in cooking up a three-course Greek feast with spicy feta dip, saganaki with thyme-infused honey, cheese and spinach pita and ricotta cheesecake (yes, it is a cheese festival). Recipe kit boxes (for $120) can also be delivered to your house if you're keen to partake. Plus, some of Melbourne's best chefs — including Jerry Mai, Philip Vakos and Raph Rashid — will go head to head in in Melbourne's third Grilled Cheese Invitational to determine who cooks up the best combo of grilled cheese on bread. Of course, whipping up your own cheesy creation while watching at home is strongly encouraged. If you're keen to get your daily dose of cheese before September, Prahran Market is offering delivery from 41 market traders, including cheese masters Maker & Monger via its Food Lovers' Direct online store.
Belles Hot Chicken has flirted with all sorts of chook-centric creations over the years, but, this time round, it's teaming up with Shin Ramyun for a spicy limited-edition take home pack. And, yes, it includes fried chicken ramen. For the collab with the Korean instant noodle brand, Belles Head Chef and Co-Founder Morgan McGlone has created an easy-to-finish-at-home fried chicken ramen that you can pick up from the Fitzroy and Elizabeth Street stores in Melbourne Available to order for $14 via Bopple, the limited-edition pack comes with Nongshim Shin Red Ramyun, an ultimate chicken thigh fillet (pre-cooked), braised greens with Spam, fried garlic and nori powder. McGlone has also posted a video (below) on how you can easily create the ramen at home. If you have an egg at home, he suggests you add one of those, too, but it's not essential. Melburnians can only venture up to five kilometres from their phone to pick up takeaway food, so if you're not near Fitzroy or Elizabeth Street, you may need to try and recreate your own twist on the fried chicken ramen at home. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-8-UxELMJQ&fbclid=IwAR0jf6mckKVZbtII8_1iQS7McP3OSbTFP2DhZAU60MrI4UXh6P7k0un-c4E Belles x Shin Ramyun take home packs are available to order via Bopple and pick up from the Fitzroy and Elizabeth Street stores.
Usually, when Jungle Collective hosts one of its huge sales in Melbourne, it fills a Richmond warehouse with indoor plants — and jungle vibes. But on Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18, it's going virtual with its weird and wonderful pieces of greenery instead. Whether you're after a hanging pot plant, some palms for the garden or a giant Bird of Paradise, chances are you'll find it here. You'll just be doing your shopping online via the Jungle Collective website rather than heading in-store. Generally, more than 170 different species tend to be on offer in-person — so here's hoping that hefty range makes the virtual jump. While this is a 100-percent online event, tickets work in a similar way as Jungle Collective's physical sales. Due to expected demand, it'll be held in multiple sessions — with your ticket specifying when you'll need to hop online and start buying. Virtual shoppers do need to register for free tickets in advance from midday on Monday, October 12 to take part, though. As for deliveries, your plants will make their way to you over the following week from Sunday, October 24, with more details given when you make your purchase. Delivery costs $15–40 depending on your area, with orders within 25 kilometres driving distance nabbing free delivery if you spend $150 — and everyone living further away getting $15 off.
A good pair of boots is an investment. If you're adding some to your wardrobe, it's worth making sure you get the right ones. But, sadly, if you find yourself a pair that you can wear day and night, eventually even the best boots get a little worse for wear. Until Sunday, October 25, RM Williams has a solution — for everyone who has worn out their old boots, wants and/or needs a new pair, but hasn't gotten around to it just yet. Head by one of the brand's stores, bring your old boots with you and you'll be able to trade them in as part of its Well Worn Trade special, scoring a discount on some new RMs. In particularly great news for everyone who has a different brand of boots, you can trade in leather boots of any brand. That'll nab you $100 off some brand new RMs — or, if you do have some old RMs to trade, you'll receive $150 off your next pair. The trade-in is only available in-store, unless you're in Victoria — where you'll be asked to email in some details and images first, before posting the boots in. And if you're wondering what'll happen to all those old shoes, all traded RMs will be sent back to the brand's workshop to be restored and replenished, while boots of all other brands will be donated to the World's Biggest Garage Sale.
The working day is done, and you're ready to relax with a cold one. On Thursday, September 19 and Friday, September 20, if you head to Federation Square, you can also sip a couple of brews for free. From 4–8pm each day, the inner-city spot will play host to a beer keg-filled kombi, which'll be pouring free samples. You'll be sipping Mountain Goat'ss finest beverages, and each person can grab two freebies. The giveaway is part of an Australian road trip by hotel chain Four Points by Sheraton, with the kombi hitting the road, travelling around the nation and sharing the brews. You'll also be able to meet local brewers, enter a competition to win a trip to New Zealand, and score a special beer and wings deal at Four Points by Sheraton Melbourne Docklands if you're still feeling thirsty — or hungry — afterwards.
For three nights in October, Chin Chin's new event space will transform into an immersive art installation and performance — with an impressive lineup of food and drinks, too — for Hyper Real 2.0. A collaboration between Chin Chin and conceptional artist, musician and all-round creative Offerings (aka Missy Gilbert) — who's known for the themed dining experiences she hosts in Sydney — the part dinner, part art show will ignite all of the senses senses, giving you things to touch, listen to, look at and taste. Between Thursday, October 10 and Saturday, October 12, you'll be able to partake in a sensory overloaded experience where licking walls, cutting through metal fences, listening to experimental music, and partaking in five interactive food and drink experiences will bamboozle, delight and amuse. Upon ticket purchase, you will be sent secret instructions and a dress code — to ensure you truly become part of the art. Three events take place each night — at 6pm, 8pm and 9.30pm — with tickets on sale now for $145 per person.
Storytelling is as old as time. It's how we share experiences, knowledge and memories. Non-profit organisation The Moth is dedicated to sharing personal stories and celebrating the art of telling them. The New York-based initiative hosts over 500 live open-mic events across the globe each year, with people — from notable literary and cultural personalities to your average Joe — getting up on stage to tell their stories. In 2008, The Moth brought its communal open mic events Down Under and this year, on Monday, July 1, Melbourne will hear some of the best stories of the city about being bold. These tales could range from sweet anecdotes — perhaps wearing a crazy outfit or saying 'I love you' for the first time — to bigger acts of bravery like running headfirst into a burning building. Brandishing their weapons of word and wit, the storytellers will compete for the top gong at Howler in Brunswick. You'll hear five-minute stories of the bold type that are both tightly crafted and masterfully told. Come for stories that inspire, provoke, sadden and enlighten, told by some of Melbourne's best. Or, if you consider yourself a wordsmith, you can drop your name in the bag to be selected at random, then grab the mic, hit the stage and tell your five-minute tale. The Moth StorySLAM: Bold will take place at Howler. Doors open at 7pm, with stories beginning at 7.30pm. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here.
There's always some sort of party going at Welcome to Thornbury, and while doggos are always welcome, the venue's Tiny Dog Festival will see the space swarmed by pups of the super small variety. If it's an adorable little barking creature, it'll be in the spotlight on Sunday, July 28 — so bring your own or prepare to pat plenty of others. And, although the site's food trucks and bars will be catering to humans, plenty of dog-friendly businesses will be on hand to cater to your pooch's every need. Plus, if it's anything like last year, there'll be beer (for you) and bone (for your four-legged friend) deals on offer. As part of the all-round celebration of pint-sized pooches over a few pints, the fest will also feature a tiny dog race and a best-dressed tiny dog competition. If your pupper is speedy or has great style, then you'll want to take part. Plus, Welcome to Thornbury also wants to find the inner north's tiniest adult dog, so prepare to spend a day staring at cute pooches that could fit in your pocket and wonder how you can get them in there without their owners noticing.
