On a couple of occasions this year, McDonald's has spread some lockdown cheer by offering burger-loving customers free delivery. Now, with stores open for in-person dining around the country, it's doing something different — serving up daily specials for the entire month of November. This isn't the first time that the chain has run its 30 Days 30 Deals promotion — but it's kicking it off for 2020 with quite the offer. On Sunday, November 1, burger lovers can pick up 50-cent cheeseburgers. All you need to do is order through the MyMaccas app, select the deal, then mosey on down to your closest McDonald's to pick it up. Throughout the rest of the month, a new special will pop up each day. Think $2 Big Macs, $1 McFlurrys and $1.50 thickshakes, as well as $8 share packs, $5 small McChicken meals with a cheeseburger and $8 for two small Quarter Pounder meals.
UPDATE, October 29, 2020: Melbourne's outdoor cinemas are now reopening — including the Coburg Drive-In, and the Lido, Classic and Cameo outdoor cinemas. Long before its new sequel declared so in its title, The Craft already had a legacy. A horror-thriller about teen witches using and abusing magic to cope with high school's troubles, the 1996 Neve Campbell-starring cult favourite is the quintessential movie of that exact description. It's supremely 90s. It has the cast, look, soundtrack and mood to match. In using the occult to explore adolescent angst, it splashes everything from stormy skies and candle-lit rooms to hordes of rats and snakes across the screen, filling its frames with trusty genre imagery. And, it leans into the torment and toil of being a young woman finding one's way in the world, and of dealing with sleazy schoolboys, racist prom queens, society's obsession with appearance and the tyranny of class differences, too. The overall film has its struggles, but it has always stood out — and retained its place in pop culture. Written and directed by actor-turned-filmmaker Zoe Lister-Jones (Band Aid), The Craft: Legacy is clearly the product of someone who already knows all of the above. It's also the work of someone keen to pay tribute to the original, embrace what she sees as its strengths, redress its wrongs, and update it for a new time and a new generation. But it's possible for a 24-years-later follow-up to show affection, make some smart changes, move with the times and still feel like the remnants left in a cauldron. Or, for it to recall one of its predecessor's famed moments — one it recreates, briefly — in an unintended fashion. When this feature's coven play with levitation, the words "light as a feather, stiff as a board" aren't heard; however, by the end of the movie, they best describe everything that's just happened. Starting as its inspiration did, The Craft: Legacy begins with the arrival of a teen in a new town. Lily (Cailee Spaeny, Devs) and her mother Helen (Michelle Monaghan, Saint Judy) move in with the latter's boyfriend and his three sons — and if the in-car sing-along to Alanis Morrisette's 'Hand in My Pocket' doesn't nod firmly enough in the 90s' direction, the casting of The X-Files' David Duchovny as Adam, the author of a self-help book called 'The Hallowed Masculine' and the object of the head-over-heels Helen's affection, does. Navigating a new school, Lily soon finds herself taunted by resident jock and bully Timmy (Nicholas Galitzine, Share) in an unpleasant classroom incident. But she's also found by Lourdes (Zoey Luna, Pose), Frankie (Gideon Adlon, Blockers) and Tabby (Lovie Simone, Selah and the Spades), who are looking for the west to their north, south and east. They become fast friends, trifling with spells and testing their abilities. They also sneak into Timmy's room and enchant him into becoming the best version of himself. While Timmy provides an early source of nastiness, it's hardly a spoiler to note that he isn't The Craft: Legacy's antagonist. Instead, he's transformed from a jerk that makes fun of menstruation to a sensitive soul who waxes lyrical about Princess Nokia's politics. Any movie that does that was never going to let its darkness spring from its central quartet, either. Lily and her new friends must learn to use magic responsibly, but their mistakes are lessons rather than cautionary tales. The Craft: Legacy also gets its witches to turn a homophobic classmate's coat into a rainbow-hued statement piece, and burn slut-shaming slurs off of lockers. It has Lourdes stand up for trans women like herself, correcting Frankie when she says that giving birth is one of the fairer sex's strengths. It verbally and visibly champions inclusivity at every turn, so it finds its enemy in a glaring source — that'd be toxic masculinity — and the creepy character who personifies it. Often, when a sequel, remake or reboot gestures forcefully at the movie it's based on, it can prove convenient, blatant and overt all at once. Alas, that's how the bulk of The Craft: Legacy plays. In fact, in mimicking setups, scenes or specific lines, Lister-Jones is generally canny and even economical about references to her film's predecessor — so they're frequently the only parts that don't feel bland and routine. If only the same amount of effort had gone into fleshing out the main characters, who are nearly interchangeable, even with their racial and gender diversity. If only the same care had be expended in giving them personalities (loudness is one of the gang's defining traits), backstories and any weirdness, actually. If only the same thoughtfulness had been afforded its villain and all that he stands for, too. Rather than seeing young women become consumed by their blossoming power, and also punishing those who refuse to conform, it's a welcome shift that The Craft: Legacy calls out the patriarchal norms and attitudes that put teenage girls in that situation. And yet the film just seems happy enough to have made that switch, instead of giving it any true weight or substantial depth. The Craft: Legacy is light thematically, and also in plethora of other ways. Visually and tonally, it views witchcraft as fun and colourful. Emotionally, there are few stakes and horrors, so almost everything feels unimportant and anticlimactic. As a result, there's also a stiffness to the film — as though it's trying so hard to be loose, open, breezy and upbeat that it actually proves strained and wooden instead. A likeable cast of women can't change that. Neither can a late plot inclusion that's predictable, but possesses more intrigue than the rest of the movie. It's fitting that The Craft: Legacy's witches treat their abilities like superpowers, because the film recalls oh-so-many caped crusader flicks in one inescapable regard: by focusing its energies on laying the groundwork for a sequel that isn't guaranteed, and failing to conjure up much more than the bare minimum in the process. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxZ774gziwU
Prepare to dance like nobody's watching, Melburnians. That's good (albeit very well-worn) advice at the best of times, but it's also a big part of one of this year's Melbourne Fringe Festival events. At Multiply, 400 of the city's residents are being asked to descend upon Prahran Square and take part in a mass dance event — and it doesn't matter if you cut a rug with the best of them or you're definitely an amateur when it comes to making shapes. Here's how it works. First, you need to register before 11.59pm on Monday, November 16 — or before spots fill up, whichever comes sooner. Then, you'll head on down to Prahran at 2pm on Saturday, November 21, get taught the choreography and get filmed by a drone for a short film that'll release in 2021. You'll all be masked, of course, and you'll be maintaining social distancing. In fact, all participants will be given a colour scheme dictating what they need to wear, and a designated entrance. You'll also be allocated a static spot two metres away from the closest person to stand and dance once you're there. Mass dancing in the streets during a pandemic? Yep, it's not the kind of thing you probably expected after this tough year. Multiply is the brainchild of Stephanie Lake (Colossus) and Robin Fox, featuring the former's choreography and the latter's audio-visual compositions. And if you're thinking about just heading along to have a sticky beak, we already noted above that everyone will be dancing like no one's watching — because there won't be an audience.
While inclusivity and diversity are always at the heart of International Day of People With Disability celebrations, this year's event is set to be more accessible than ever before. From Thursday, December 3, the week-long Creative Control Online Program is going digital, serving up a broad range of visual art, theatre, film and writing from creative people with disability. The theme of the year is 'creative control', putting people with disability at the centre of their own narrative, as well as giving them control over it. Social justice organisation Brotherhood of St Laurence has teamed up with Arts Access Victoria, Writers Victoria, Polyglot Theatre and Back to Back Theatre for the free digital event. The program will see workshops, panel discussions, commissioned writing pieces, film and a huge online art exhibition. The latter is set to showcase works by 46 artists with disability, pulling together a diverse collection of illustration, painting, collage and photography. The online gallery will be free to browse till 5pm on Thursday, December 10 with select pieces featuring audio descriptions for added accessibility. Creative Control runs from 10am on Thursday, December 3 through till 5pm on Thursday, December 10. Check out the full program and register for an event here. Image: Naomi Mathieson (cropped)
Break out the martinis and prepare for a shaken but not stirred few months — because Bond, James Bond, is coming to the Lido, Cameo and Classic Cinemas. At 7pm every Wednesday and Sunday evening between January 10–March 21, the three Melbourne venues will screen all 24 official films in the espionage franchise, all as part of an event that's called Bondathon. The late, great Sean Connery smouldering his way through everything from Dr. No to Diamonds Are Forever, Roger Moore stepping into 007's shoes between Live and Let Die and A View to A Kill, Timothy Dalton's two-film run in The Living Daylights and Licence To Kill — they're all included. So is Pierce Brosnan's stint as the secret agent between GoldenEye and Die Another Day, and Daniel Craig's four contributions to-date since Casino Royale. Aussie actor George Lazenby's one-movie appearance as Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service is also on the bill. The action franchise's 25th movie, No Time to Die, is currently slated to hit the big screen in April — after being delayed several times due to COVID-19. So, as tends to be the case when it comes to James Bond, Bondathon's timing is perfect. If you're particularly keen to not only rove your eyes over every single detail — and every villain, Bond girl, gadget and opening credits sequence too — but to do so while sipping a martini, they'll be on offer from each of the venue's bars. As for donning a tuxedo, well, that's up to you. Need some more motivation? Let the trailer for Spectre get you in a 007 mood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4UDNzXD3qA
Usually, Wednesdays are the best day to wear pink — if you wish that 00s-era Lindsay Lohan was your best friend, write in a burn book, and worship a certain high school-set classic flick that's based on a self-help text and boasts Tina Fey as a screenwriter, that is. But on Monday, October 3, Cinema Nova wants you to bust out your best pale red, rose and salmon hues. If you're a fan of Mean Girls, you should already know the reason why. Yes, Mean Girls Day is upon us for another year, and the Carlton cinema is celebrating in the appropriate fashion: with a screening of the film, obviously. And, if you're decked out in your favourite not-quite-red shades at the 7pm session, you can nab a 'You Can't Sip With Us' cocktails for just $10. Not donning pink? You'll pay $15 instead. Not being there would be social suicide, clearly. Revisiting the correct usages of 'fetch', 'grool' and 'ESPN' is just part of the fun too, as is channelling your inner queen bee. Naturally, pretending it's the Spring Fling is also encouraged. Mathlete or plastic, tickets to the movie itself cost $10 as well. Plus, as a souvenir, limited-edition collector's badges will be given away. What day is it indeed.
Perhaps the greatest trick the devil ever pulled — the devil that is time, the fact that we all have to get out of bed each and every morning, and the sleep-killing noise signalling that a new day is here — was to create alarm clocks in a variety of sounds. Some are quiet, soft, calming and even welcoming, rather than emitting a juddering screech, but the effect always remains the same. Whatever echoes from which device, if your daily routine is a treadmill of relentless havoc, that din isn't going to herald smiles or spark a spring in anyone's step. The alarm that kickstarts each morning in Full Time isn't unusual or soothing. It isn't overly obnoxious or horrifying either. But the look on Laure Calamy's face each time that it goes off, in the split second when her character is remembering everything that her day will bring, is one of pure exhaustion and exasperation — and it'd love to murder that unwanted wake-up siren. That expression couldn't be more relatable, as much in Full Time is, even if you've never been a single mother living on the outskirts of Paris, navigating a train strike, endeavouring to trade up one job for another for a better future, and juggling kids, bills, and just getting to and from work. At the 2021 Venice International Film Festival, Antoinette in the Cévennes and Call My Agent! star Calamy won the Best Actress award in the event's Horizons strand for her efforts here — and while the accolade didn't come her way for a single gaze, albeit repeated throughout the movie, it easily could've. Mere minutes into Full Time, it's plain to see why she earned herself such a prize beyond that withering gape, however. Calamy is that phenomenal in this portrait of a weary market researcher-turned-hotel chambermaid's hectic life, playing the part like she's living it. In our own ways, most of us are. The first time the alarm sounds, Julie Roy (Calamy) is already lethargic and frustrated; indeed, writer/director Eric Gravel (Crash Test Aglaé), who won the Venice Horizons Best Director gong himself, charts the ups and downs of his protagonist's professional and personal situation like he's making an unflagging thriller. In fact, he is. Julie is stretched to breaking point from the get-go, and every moment of every day seems to bring a new source of stress. For starters, her job overseeing the cleaning at a five-star hotel in the city is both chaotic and constantly throwing up challenges, and the hints dropped by her boss (Anne Suarez, Black Spot) about the punishment for not living up to her demands — aka being fired — don't help. Julie has put all her hopes on returning to market research anyway, but getting time off for the interview is easier said than done, especially when the French capital is in the middle of a transport strike that makes commuting in and out from the countryside close to impossible. Also adding to Julie's troubles is well, everything. The childcare arrangement she has in place with a neighbour (Geneviève Mnich, Change of Heart) is also precarious, thanks to threats of quitting and calling social services. Having any energy to spend meaningful time with her children at the end of her busy days is nothing but a fantasy, too. Trying to get financial support out of her absent ex is a constant battle, especially given he won't answer the phone — and the bank won't stop calling about her overdue mortgage payments. It's also her son Nolan's (J'ai tué mon mari) birthday, so there are gifts to buy, plus a party to organise and throw. Julie is so frazzled that having a drink with her best friend is a luxury she doesn't have time for, because some other task always beckons. And when a father from her village, the kindly Vincent (Cyril Gueï, The Perfect Mother), helps her out not once but twice, she's so starved of affection that she instantly misreads his intentions. All of this might sound mundane, and like the kind of thing that plenty of people deal with — and that's partly the point. Full Time hones in on the rush, hustle and bustle to impress how fraught this vision of normality is, and how draining. It isn't by accident that the film is nerve-wracking and sweat-inducing to watch. Gravel shows why that tired stare when the alarm goes off is the only thing that someone in Julie's situation can possibly sport. With the marvellous Calamy proving indefatigable at playing fatigued, the filmmaker truly sees his central character, her stresses and that she's at her wits' end, and he makes his audience feel every aspect of her struggle. One such tactic, as straightforward as it is, couldn't be more effective: for Calamy and for the frames that capture her alike, there's simply no rest. Every sharp, cold, tourism-flouting shot by cinematographer Victor Seguin (Gagarine) ripples with tension and drips with anxiety, including extreme closeups of Julie slumbering and hurtling almost-chase sequences as she flits around; her plight, and the nonstop slog, is inescapable. That keeps ringing true as she scrambles everywhere — her rustic cottage, which she'd clearly like to spend more time in; the route to her local railway station, even though the trains are barely running; and her workplace, where she's at her most composed in her pristine maid's uniform, although it can't mask her inner turmoil. On the Parisian streets, she's frequently sprinting; calling the movie Run Julie Run instead would've fit. Visually, every image that graces Full Time adds to the bubbling, broiling pressure cooker, so much so that feeling like only a tragic end can come — and desperately hoping and praying otherwise — ramps up the intensity for viewers. Calling the end result frenetic and kinetic still doesn't completely capture what a blood pressure-raising experience Full Time is, while remaining devastatingly empathetic and insightful; if The Worst Person in the World met Uncut Gems, it might look like this. The rhythm amplified by editor Mathilde Van de Moortel (Mustang) doesn't give up, and the score by first-time composer Irène Drésel earns the same description. A wealth of feelings and ideas linger along the way — the ever-swirling array of roles that Julie has to play, which makes Calamy's performance all the more remarkable; the intimate and sensory dive that Gravel takes, ensuring that the full brunt of Julie's experiences is unavoidable; and how the character's tussles and vulnerabilities, and the strike for better working conditions, run in parallel. One of the great feats that Full Time achieves: making all of this linger, and this exceptional feature in general, the next time that your own alarm goes off.
Patience is somewhat of a virtue with The Forgiven. It would be in it, too, if any of its wealthy white characters hedonistically holidaying in Morocco were willing to display the trait for even a second. Another addition to the getaways-gone-wrong genre, this thorny satirical drama gleefully savages the well-to-do, proving as eager to eat the rich as can be, and also lays bare the despicable coveting of exoticism that the moneyed think is an acceptable way to splash plentiful wads of cash. There's patently plenty going on in this latest release from writer/director John Michael McDonagh, as there typically is in features by the filmmaker behind The Guard, Calvary and War on Everyone. Here, he adapts Lawrence Osborne's 2012 novel, but the movie that results takes time to build and cohere, and even then seems only partially interested in both. Still, that patience is rewarded by The Forgiven's stellar lead performance by Ralph Fiennes, playing one of his most entitled and repugnant characters yet. Sympathies aren't meant to flow David Henninger's (Fiennes, The King's Man) way, or towards his wife Jo (Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye). Together, the spiky Londoners abroad bicker like it's a sport — and the only thing fuelling their marriage. Cruelty taints their words: "why am I thinking harpy?", "why am I thinking shrill?" are among his, while she counters "why am I thinking high-functioning alcoholic?". He's a drunken surgeon, she's a bored children's author, and they're venturing past the Atlas Mountains to frolic in debauchery at the village their decadent pal Richard (Matt Smith, Morbius) and his own barbed American spouse Dally (Caleb Landry Jones, Nitram) have turned into a holiday home. Sympathy isn't designed to head that pair's way, either; "we couldn't have done it without our little Moroccan friends," Richard announces to kick off their weekend-long housewarming party. But when the Hennigers arrive late after tragically hitting a local boy, Driss (Omar Ghazaoui, American Odyssey), en route, the mood shifts — but also doesn't. The wicked turns of phrase that David slings at Jo have nothing on his disdain for the place and people around him, and he doesn't care who hears it. His assessment of the desert vista: "it's very picturesque, I suppose, in a banal sort of way". He drips with the prejudice of privilege, whether offensively spouting Islamophobic remarks or making homophobic comments about his hosts — and he doesn't, nay won't, rein himself in when Richard calls the police, reports the boy's death, pays the appropriate bribes and proclaims that their bacchanal won't otherwise be disturbed. The arrival of Driss' father Abdellah (Ismael Kanater, Queen of the Desert), and his request that David accompanies him home to bury his son, complicates matters, however. While David begrudgingly agrees, insultingly contending that it's a shakedown, Jo helps keep the party going, enjoying time alone to flirt with hedge fund manager Tom (Christopher Abbott, Possessor). John Michael McDonagh hasn't ever co-helmed a feature with his filmmaker brother Martin, but actors have jumped between the duo's respective works, with Fiennes — who starred in Martin's memorable In Bruges — among the latest. The siblings share something else, too, and not just a knack for assembling impressive casts; they're equally ace at fleshing out the characters inhabited by their dazzling on-screen cohorts via witty and telling dialogue. The Forgiven plays like it's in autopilot, though, but having Fiennes, Chastain, Smith and Jones (who appeared in Martin's Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) utter its lines is a gift. Indeed, here it's the attitudes captured while they're speaking, and the behaviours and mannerisms made plain in how they're speaking, that add layer upon layer to this murky affair. That'd ring true even if Driss, Abdellah and the tense journey with the latter to inter the former weren't even in the narrative. That's one of the issues with The Forgiven: although David and Jo's lives inescapably change due to the accident, it and everything that it sparks almost plays as an aside. The aftermath is given ample attention, more so than the party, but the film frequently feels as David unshakeably does, like it too would rather be immersed in the revelry. Of course, that's much of the point, especially in Jo's parts of the story from there — and Richard, Dally and Tom's, plus everyone else still living it up (including Jack Ryan's Marie-Josée Croze as a French photographer, Operation Mincemeat's Alex Jennings as a British Lord and Old's Abbey Lee as an Australian party girl, complete with a Coles shopping bag holding her belongings). The Forgiven keeps skewering this fact, with McDonagh attempting to do just that every which way he can, but some of his efforts to mirror what's occurring on-screen through the feature's tone just don't land. When The Forgiven does hit its marks, it's weighty and knotty, and given depth and heft by Fiennes — and, during David's trip with Abdellah, by the powerful Kanater, plus the charismatic Saïd Taghmaoui (John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum) as the grieving patriarch's offsider and intermediary. It's savvy as a satire, too, albeit obvious, but when the balance tips the better, more compelling, more meaningful way, it's a far more potent picture. Empathising with David still isn't the tale's point, thankfully, and neither is a simplistic life lesson-filled pilgrimage that sees an affluent man learn the error of his oppressive tendencies against the less fortunate. Unsurprisingly, The Forgiven is at its best when it's as complex as its desert-swept cinematography (by The Guard and Calvary's Larry Smith) is gleaming. It's not quite right to say that McDonagh brings all of the movie's pieces together in the end — again, it's not exactly accurate to say that he always seems to want to — but Fiennes brings the film home. This is one of his finest performances, which is no small feat given the array of excellent portrayals that dot his resume, including his Oscar-nominated work in Schindler's List and The English Patient, as well as his awards-worthy turn in The Grand Budapest Hotel. It's no minor achievement given the loathsome, boozy, reckless and curmudgeonly figure he's playing, either. The rest of the feature's big names leave an imprint, from the well-cast Chastain playing it sharp but loose, to the appropriately shadowy Smith and catty scene-stealer Jones, but never with the same film-defining impact.
Sometimes, a bar asks the questions you didn't know you had. When it comes to wild and wonderful margarita flavours, that bar is usually El Camino Cantina. The Tex-Mex chain loves swirling around different kinds ritas, so much so that limited-edition varieties frequently grace its menus — and for three weeks from Monday, July 18–Sunday, August 7, it's giving its signature drinks a Long Island iced tea makeover. What's better than choosing between sipping a margarita or a Long Island iced tea? Drinking a fusion of the two cocktails. That's what's on offer thanks to the brand's Long Island iced tea rita series, and in seven flavours. Yes, as well as splashing together to different kinds of boozy beverages, El Camino Cantina is pouring them in different varieties as well. So, you can choose between cherry, strawberry, passionfruit, mango, lychee, sour melon and lagoon Long Island iced tea ritas. In Melbourne, you'll find them tempting your tastebuds as part of the chain's National Tequila Day celebrations in Fitzroy. In an added bonus, there's a limited-edition tacos range to go with them, costing $7–8 each and $2 on Tuesday. Fancy marinated chilli prawns, crispy bacon and cheddar on a taco? Smoked barbecue brisket with coleslaw? Beef mince with pickles, onions, cheese and secret burger sauce? Nacho-crumbed chicken tenderloins with pico de gallo? They're just some of the special options.
Buy the ticket, take the ride, strap in for an onslaught of frenetic locomotive-bound fights: that's high-octane action-comedy Bullet Train on- and off-screen. Set on a shinkansen hurtling from Tokyo to Kyoto, in as stylised a vision of Japan that anyone not named Quentin Tarantino has ever thought of, this neon-lit adaptation of Kōtarō Isaka's 2010 page-turner Maria Beetle couldn't be more onboard with its central concept. That premise isn't snakes on a plane, but rather assassins on a train — plus one snake, one of nature's hitmen, actually. Cramming all those killers onto a single engine sparks mayhem, banter and bodies, not to mention chaotic frays in the quiet car and almost every other space. And when it works, with John Wick and Atomic Blonde's David Leitch steering the show, Tarantino and Guy Ritchie alum Brad Pitt as his main passenger, and a lifetime's worth of references to Thomas the Tank Engine slotted in, Bullet Train is as OTT and entertaining as it overtly wants to be. It doesn't always completely work, however; every journey, zipping along on a high-speed train or not, has its dips. Still, there are plenty of moving parts trying to keep the movie in motion — and plenty of plot, for better and for worse in both instances. In his second 2022 action-comedy after The Lost City, Pitt plays Ladybug, who is back riding the hired-gun rails after a zen break packed with new-age self-help platitudes. That's what he spouts to his handler (Sandra Bullock, The Unforgivable) by phone, in-between rueing his bad luck, as he tries to carry out what's supposed to be an easy job. All that Ladybug needs to do is take a briefcase, then disembark at the next station. But that piece of luggage is being transported by British assassin double-act Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson, The King's Man) and Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry, Atlanta), as they escort a Russian mobster's son (Logan Lerman, Hunters) home. To up the hitman ante, the shinkansen is also carrying The Prince (Joey King, The Princess) and Kimura (Andrew Koji, Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins), who have their own beef, as well as the revenge-seeking Wolf (Benito A Martínez Ocasio aka Bad Bunny, Fast and Furious 9). As is always the case whenever anyone asks "are we there yet?" IRL, there's more: more twists and turns to the narrative, more bickering, more familiar names facing each other down, and a mass of flashbacks to events minutes, hours, days and months earlier, most of which make the leap from the page via Zak Olkewicz's (Fear Street: Part Two — 1978) screenplay. Wondering if the scribe and Leitch have seen Kill Bill, or the Pitt-starring Snatch, or the 90s attention-grabbers that were Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels as they bring Isaka's novel to the screen is thoroughly pointless. But, after The Gray Man, Bullet Train is the second big, star-studded, midyear action flick that's pieced together from familiar components, only to boast the cast and visual spectacle to carry it off more often than not. What a treat Pitt is, and has been for more than three decades — because that's how long it's been since Thelma & Louise thrust him to fame. Bullet Train draws upon his Ocean's Eleven brand of chattering, casual, happy-go-lucky charisma, even with Ladybug grappling with an existential crisis over his chosen profession. Pitt is comic, but never reaches Burn After Reading's goofiness. Amid the navel-gazing and bromides, he's still calm, collected and supremely capable at holding his own, but never to a Once Upon a Time in Hollywood extent. Although Leitch doesn't give Pitt his own John Wick or Atomic Blonde, it's as crucial a piece of casting. Neither of those two flicks would be the gems they are without their specific stars, and Bullet Train similarly wouldn't have hit the marks it does without its bucket hat-wearing biggest name and his detailed performance. While they fill their scenes trading words and blows, the best of Pitt's co-stars inspire the same reaction — including Hiroyuki Sanada (Mortal Kombat) as a veteran yakuza, Michael Shannon (Nine Perfect Strangers) as a pivotal powerbroker, and Taylor-Johnson and Henry particularly. A visually mismatched pair who quip and sling crosstalk with every breath, the latter duo have cookie-cutter comedic-relief supporting roles on paper, yet bring flair, scene-stealing commitment, and a genuine rapport and weight to their characters. It's thanks to Henry as the blonde-topped Lemon that popular culture's most famous train among pre-schoolers not only plays such a sizeable part, but becomes a life-guiding creed. That's a bit taken directly from the source material and, yes, it could've proven both clunky and cringey on-screen. Bullet Train isn't concise at 126 minutes, and giving its Thomas gags a bit too much steam is just one of its repetitive touches, but that whole gambit would've derailed fast in other hands. Leitch knows banter, and how to direct it; see also: Deadpool 2. While he also knows how to overdo a winking, nodding, smirking vibe that overflows with references to entertainment elsewhere — see also: Deadpool 2 — Bullet Train never feels like it's merely and smugly laughing at its own jokes. And, although not every gag lands, or even the tone from station to station, it's gleeful about how silly it can skew, as its impressively choreographed and inescapably ridiculous action scenes show. Leitch also knows stunts, given that's where he famously started out. In Fight Club, Spy Game, Ocean's Eleven, Troy and Mr and Mrs Smith, he was Pitt's double. It's little wonder that the dynamic confrontations — which involve everything from that key briefcase, laptops and water bottles through to knives, guns, swords and the snake — bounce across their train-bound setting, and the screen, as vividly lensed by Leitch's regular cinematographer Jonathan Sela (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw). Bullet Train's highlights gleam and flow, just like the film's sleek look and feel, but even when you're happily strapped in, bumps can bubble through. There's never a moment where it isn't a lot, which it's well aware, although luckily — the audience's, and Ladybug's — it's never having less than a hyperactive, cartoonish blast with everything it throws at the screen. Henry's Atlanta co-star Zazie Beetz, playing another of the feature's killers, deserves a better, more fleshed-out character, and more screentime. The ideas of family, trauma and fate at the story's core are often just scaffolding around the repartee and setpieces. Spotting the picture's influences is as plain to see as Tokyo's twinkling lights, and as blatant as the Japanese covers of 'Stayin' Alive' and 'Holding Out for a Hero' on the soundtrack. Buy the ticket, take the ride, settle into the movie's rhythm, let Pitt be your guide: that's still Bullet Train, though, too.
Gone are the days when every image that flickered across the screen did so within an almost square-shaped frame. That time has long passed, in fact, with widescreen formats replacing the 1.375:1 Academy aspect ratio that once was standard in cinemas, and its 4:3 television counterpart. So, when a director today fits their visuals into a much tighter space than the now-expansive norm, it's an intentional choice. They're not just nodding to the past, even if their film takes place in times gone by. With First Cow, for instance, Kelly Reichardt unfurls a story set in 19th-century America, but she's also honing her audience's focus. The Meek's Cutoff, Night Moves and Certain Women filmmaker wants those guiding their eyeballs towards this exquisite movie to truly survey everything that it peers at. She wants them to see its central characters — chef Otis 'Cookie' Figowitz (John Magaro, Overlord) and Chinese entrepreneur King-Lu (Orion Lee, Zack Snyder's Justice League) — and to realise that neither are ever afforded such attention by the others in their fictional midst. Thoughtfully exploring the existence of figures on the margins has long been Reichardt's remit, as River of Grass, Old Joy and Wendy and Lucy have shown as well, but she forces First Cow's viewers to be more than just passive observers in this process. There's much to take in throughout this magnificently told tale, which heads to Oregon as most of Reichardt's movies have. There's plenty to glean from its patient static shots of the river and scrubby landscape circa 1820, and from the way that the director's three-time cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt shoots its leafy setting as a place of light and shadow. Most telling, though, is how First Cow constantly views Cookie and King-Lu within their surroundings. Sometimes, the outcast pair actively tries to blend in, but the film makes it clear that they're already consistently overlooked in the local fur-trapper community. Equally pivotal is the frequent use of frames within the feature's already-restricted imagery — sometimes via windows and doorways, as Certain Women did as well, or by peeking through the gaps in slats in the makeshift shack the pair decide to call home. Again and again, First Cow stresses that genuinely seeing these men, their lives, and their hopes, desires and attempts to chase the American dream, is an act of bearing witness to the smallest of details, delights, exchanges, glances and moments. Initially, after watching an industrial barge power down a river, First Cow follows a woman (Alia Shawkat, Search Party) and her dog as they discover a couple of skeletons nearby. Then, jumping back two centuries and seeing another boat on the same waterway, it meets Cookie as he's searching for food. Whatever he finds, or doesn't, the fur-trapper team he works with never has a kind word to spare. But then Cookie stumbles across King-Lu one night, helps him evade the Russians on his tail, and the seeds of friendship are sown. When the duo next crosses paths, they spend an alcohol-addled night sharing their respective ideas for the future. Those ambitious visions get a helping hand after the Chief Factor (Toby Jones, Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom) ships in the region's highly coveted first cow, with Cookie and King-Lu secretly milking the animal in the dark of night, then using the stolen liquid to make highly sought-after — and highly profitable — oily cakes. In its own quiet, closely observed, deeply affectionate and warm-hearted fashion, First Cow is a heist film. Reichardt's gentle and insightful spin on the usually slick and twist-filled genre bucks every convention there is, however. Tension is a regular part of Cookie and King-Lu's lives; they're introduced being denigrated and chased, after all. So, while the pair tests their luck during their surreptitious moonlight rendezvous with the titular bovine, the film's sense of strain only increases slightly. Here, the act of pilfering isn't the main attraction. Those midnight scenes are gorgeous — Cookie chats tenderly to the cow as he squeezes her udders, offering his condolences about the mate and calf that didn't survive the journey — but they're also brief. Reichardt is far more interested in the change that Cookie and King-Lu bring out in each other, their connection as kindred spirits in an inhospitable locale and their small-scale quest to subvert the status quo. With sensitivity and compassion, but also with an unflinching awareness of how the world regards those on its fringes, First Cow examines the home and hope that one person can find in another, too, and interrogates the ways in which America's embrace of capitalism can inspire, lift and crush as well. Bold plans, delicate subterfuge, big successes, fraught chases and sublime snatches of tranquility — all five play out in Reichardt's richly detailed and hauntingly soulful movie. Indeed, only she could've made this film sing as stirringly and bittersweetly as it does, and feel as transporting and resonant as it proves at every turn. Reichardt adapts Jonathan Raymond's novel The Half Life, co-scripting with the writer himself in their fifth collaboration. She's gifted with mesmerisingly soulful performances from Magaro and Lee, who play their parts so vividly and intricately that ten pictures about Cookie and King-Lu wouldn't be enough. But the empathy that seeps into each second is firmly one of the filmmakers's enduring and welcome hallmarks, as is the unwavering commitment to trading in the everyday and the intimate while excavating the perennial myth about the US being the land of opportunity. Reichardt's approach isn't unparalleled, though. Fellow directors Chloé Zhao and Debra Granik have splashed many of the same traits throughout their work, and have also helmed masterpieces as a result; see: Nomadland and The Rider in the former's case, and Leave No Trace and Winter's Bone in the latter's. The three share not just a willingness but an eagerness to chronicle narratives that would otherwise be overlooked, traverse more than the usual patches of land, champion oft-ignored perspectives, and challenge America's values and self-image — and they each make their films feel like their own. With First Cow, Reichardt is leisurely and loving, and also candid and devastating. She ensures that everyone watching her boxed-in frames rides those ebbs and flows, and that they're moved by every moment. Whenever she steps behind the camera, something astonishing always happens, as her filmography just keeps demonstrating — but First Cow is pure cinematic perfection. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jWZ6P1rWy4
The 90s were great. That shouldn't be a controversial opinion. Whether you lived through them or have spent the last couple of decades wishing you did — aka binging on 90s pop culture — this late-night shindig at Brunswick's Stay Gold will indulge your retro urges. Drinks, tunes, fashion — expect all of the above at the No Scrubs: 90s and Early 00s party from 11pm on Saturday, May 8. Of course, it's up to you to make sure the clothing side of thing is covered, and to get into the spirit of the party. If you want to use Mariah Carey as a style icon, it'd be fitting. Expect to unleash your inner Spice Girl and Backstreet Boy too. TLC, Destiny's Child, Savage Garden, Usher, Blink-182, No Doubt — we'd keep listing artists, but you all know what you're getting yourselves into. Tickets are $15.15 online, with the fun running through until 3am. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WEtxJ4-sh4
Moonee Ponds newcomer Holmes Hall is already pretty lush, with its impressive collection of indoor foliage and all those forest-hued walls. But, this weekend, the venue is doubling down on the green theme, as it throws open the doors to host a huge plant sale with the expert green thumbs at online store, The Plant Runner. Taking over the sprawling bar from 12–5pm on Saturday, March 20, and Sunday, March 21, this Crazy Plant People party is destined to be grand — not just because it marks The Plant Runner's first pop-up plant sale for 2021, but because the crew's also celebrating its third birthday. The team will be bringing along a hefty assortment of leafy green delights for you to browse and buy each day, with every purchase over $60 also coming with a free bottle of the brand's signature Plant Food. In between shopping up a storm, you can hit the bar to try a few of the weekend's exclusive floral-inspired cocktail creations, or settle in to eat some leafy specials from the kitchen. Crazy Plant People sale runs from 12–5pm.
Sparked by the pandemic, lockdown films aren't just an exercise in adapting to stay-at-home conditions — or a way to keep actors, directors and other industry professionals busy and working at a challenging time. The genre also provides a window into how the creatives behind its flicks view everyday life and ordinary people. Arising from a global event that's placed many of the planet's inhabitants in similar circumstances, these features tell us which stories filmmakers deem worth telling, which visions of normality they choose to focus on and who they think is living an average life. With Malcolm & Marie, a hotshot young director and an ex-addict were the only options offered. In Language Lessons, which premiered at this year's virtual Berlin Film Festival, a wealthy widower and a Spanish teacher were the movie's two choices. Now Locked Down directs its attention towards a CEO and a courier, the latter of which stresses that he's only in the gig because his criminal record has robbed him of other opportunities. Yes, these movies and their characters speak volumes about how Hollywood perceives its paying customers. That's not the only thing that Locked Down says. Verbose to a farcical degree — awkwardly rather than purposefully — this romantic comedy-meets-heist flick is primarily comprised of monologues, Zoom calls and bickering between its central couple. Well-off Londoners Linda (Anne Hathaway, The Witches) and Paxton (Chiwetel Ejiofor, The Old Guard) are weeks into 2020's first lockdown, and their ten-year relationship has become a casualty. Whether chatting to each other or virtually with others, both commit a torrent of words to the subject. Linda has decided they're done, which Paxton has trouble accepting. She's also unhappy with her high-flying job, especially after she's forced to fire an entire team online, but gets scolded by her boss (Ben Stiller, Brad's Status) for not telling her now-sacked colleagues they're still like family. Tired of driving a van, Paxton is willing to do whatever his employer (Ben Kingsley, Life) needs to climb his way up the ladder. That said, he's still tied to the road, with the ex-rebel's decision to sell his beloved motorbike — a symbol of his wilder youth, and its fun, freedom and risks — hitting hard. As Linda and Paxton argue about their past together and future potentially apart, vent frustrations about their locked-down present, and chat with co-workers (including Late Night's Mindy Kaling, The Father's Mark Gatiss, Jojo Rabbit's Stephen Merchant and The Last Vermeer's Claes Bang) and family members (Ballers co-stars and real-life couple Dulé Hill and Jazmyn Simon), at no point do they resemble real people. Rarely does anything that comes out of their mouths sound like something that someone might actually say, either. And, while the stresses of working remotely, being unable to leave the house and having normality put on hold should be relatable — we've all been through it — every aspect of Locked Down's script feels forced. That includes its relationship insights, which are hardly romantic, comedic or wise, even when showing that the most devoted of couples can find their patience tested when the days never seem to end. When Linda and Paxton's professional worlds collide, tasking her with removing a £3 million diamond from Harrods, him with ferrying it to safety and the pair with possibly stealing it for themselves, the plot development smacks of screenwriting laziness and convenience. Steven Knight does the scripting — and although Locked Down arose in a hurry, this isn't the first time that the screenwriter has penned something dull, grating, contrived and often ridiculous. When he's at his best, TV series Peaky Blinders, the Ejiofor-starring Dirty Pretty Things, David Cronenberg's Eastern Promises and Tom Hardy one-man-show Locke are the end results. At his worst, he pumps out the abysmal Hathaway-starring Serenity — a movie so awful that it almost defies belief — and now this. Locked Down's missteps are many, and plenty stem from the script. It repeatedly mistakes more dialogue for more drama, for instance. When it isn't insulting everyone who isn't a CEO, it's whining about pandemic restrictions, with its complaints outdated a year ago and ancient now. But director Doug Liman can't escape responsibility for Locked Down's many struggles. Fresh off of the long-delayed, also-terrible Chaos Walking, the filmmaker who shot banter so engagingly in Swingers, Go and even Mr and Mrs Smith just seems happy to let the camera keep rolling here. The man who made Edge of Tomorrow also treats his big Harrods heist as if he was Richard Linklater filming a walk-and-talk for a Before Midnight sequel called During Lockdown. Perhaps Liman expected his two leads to shine so brightly that they'd carry the two-hour film. They're asked to, but no one could sparkle with this material. Hathaway yells into pillows, swans around in colourful pyjama pants and dances to Adam and the Ants' 'Stand and Deliver' like she's on a stage trying to emote to people in the street outside the theatre. While Ejiofor fares slightly better — when he's not waxing lyrical about a hedgehog he's named Sonic (of course), licking opium from the couple's townhouse garden or airing stale stay-at-home grievances — the existential angst that's baked into his performance gets swallowed by the movie's overall listlessness. You could generously read Locked Down's tedium and monotony as intentionally reflecting the malaise of the last 15 months, but every choice that Liman and Knight makes refutes that idea. There's smugness and pompousness to this never-funny film instead, and it screams of its key creatives thinking they know what COVID-19-era life is like, and that they can turn the situation into something witty and thrilling. They don't and they can't, at least in this feature. Visually, the movie brightens at Harrods, but its third-act wander through the famed department store really just shows what could've been. A far shorter picture with less repetitive griping and more of absolutely anything else mightn't have made viewers feel as if they too are stuck home with someone they hate, for example. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TG-Mxzl88Q&feature=youtu.be
If you know even the slightest thing about the circumstances surrounding Jamal Khashoggi's death, it's impossible to watch The Dissident without feeling angry. That's most viewers' starting mood, given that the Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist's assassination has garnered ample media attention — and Oscar-winning director Brian Fogel (Icarus) is well aware of how much coverage the subject has received, and of how the world feels about the situation. Indeed, his thorough and exacting documentary both feeds upon and fuels that shock and ire. The mood is tense, the commentary is pointed and the prevailing sentiment is savage. Both rage and outrage permeate each frame, unsurprisingly so, as the film lays bare the brutal facts surrounding Khashoggi's murder, its lead-up and its aftermath. No other tone would be acceptable. Nothing other than dismay, abhorrence and anger would be either. When you're making a movie about a man who entered his nation's embassy to obtain paperwork so that he could get married, then left it in dismembered pieces while his bride-to-be waited outside, how could anything other than fury, horror and alarm eventuate? Although the details have already been well-documented since October 2, 2018, they're still reassembled in The Dissident. Accordingly, the doco tells of Khashoggi's visit to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul just over a year after fleeing his country, after which he was never seen alive again. He wanted to marry academic Hatice Cengiz, his Turkish fiancée. To do so, he needed a document certifying that he was no longer wed to his prior wife. He'd first sought that necessary certification from the embassy just a few days earlier, so they knew that he'd be returning — and once he stepped inside once more, he was ambushed, attacked and killed by a newly arrived team of Saudi agents. Cengiz contacted the authorities when the man she thought she'd be spending the rest of her life with didn't surface, but the Saudi government claimed that the exiled reporter had left via a back entrance. It didn't take long to ascertain the truth, as was suspected from the moment he failed to reemerge. The official story changed several times, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman denied any knowledge of a premeditated plot, but the fact remains that Khashoggi was slaughtered by operatives from his homeland. Nothing about Khashoggi's plight has been easy to face over the past three years; however, confronting this true tale is essential. Even if the soundtrack to his film needlessly overstresses the emotive highs and lows, Fogel is clearly aware of just how important his task is here, and does his part to help ensure that these specific events aren't allowed to fade in anyone's memories. He charts the tough-to-stomach minutiae, knowing that ignoring and forgetting the grim intricacies isn't that much different from excusing or accepting them. Crucially, he also provides a wealth of context, including by chronicling Khashoggi's career from the 80s onwards. Initially, the journalist had a congenial relationship with Saudi's monarchy and government, but that shifted as he called them out in article after article — and as he continued to speak the same truths to the same powers, and to the world, after leaving for Washington DC in 2017. Also earning the attention of Fogel and his co-writer Mark Monroe (The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart): Omar Abdulaziz. Another Saudi exile, the now-Canada based vlogger was friends with Khashoggi, and recounts their connection throughout the film. Early on, Abdulaziz says that the fate of his pal weighs heavily upon him, but it takes The Dissident time to fully explain why — beyond the normal bounds of grief and past the anger that everyone aware of Khashoggi's assassination feels, that is. While Fogel could be accused to trying to add extra intrigue, urgency and mystery to a movie that largely deals in known facts, his documentary is already gripping anyway; rather, he's further fleshing out the background to a heinous crime. The intimate details explored and exposed throughout the film, including a wealth of surveillance footage, phone calls and WhatsApp messages, and even audio transcripts of the murder taking place, all evoke a strong reaction, of course. But so does seeing the bigger picture, including gleaning the feature's insights into how some countries can work ruthlessly and in a highly orchestrated manner to silence dissenting voices, and understanding the role that both technology and money play in such targeted activities. Whether recounting the grisly reality of Khashoggi's final minutes, conveying the callous disregard directed his way by his assassins and their government, hearing from Turkish police and prosecutors, listening to Abdulaziz or spending time with Cengiz, The Dissident never loses sight of its core focus. This is a movie about one of the utmost political atrocities of the past five years — and about the fact that few repercussions have come Saudi Arabia's way since, with the last US President even claiming that the situation was too ambiguous — but it's also a film about Khashoggi above all else. Here, he isn't just a martyr. He's not simply a name splashed across news headlines, and repeated again and again in broadcasts. And, he's definitely never the type of figure that's discussed and detailed yet always remains a remote presence. Some of The Dissident's most stirring moments feature the journalist being himself and trying to find happiness again, in fact, all after being forced to start his life anew. That's part of this equally chilling and moving doco's power. Truly coming to terms with how Khashoggi's life came to an end involves seeing not just a man given the titular label, or someone killed for speaking out, but a person who sought a better future for himself and for his homeland, only to have his existence cruelly extinguished instead. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wnmC7uLTNQ
Alongside its huge Japan Supernatural: 1700s to now exhibition, the Art Gallery of NSW is hosting another exceptional show this summer — and this one's free. From Saturday, November 9 until February next year, the gallery is dedicating an entire exhibition to celebrated contemporary Australian artist Ben Quilty and his work over the past 15 years. Simply entitled Quilty, more than 70 pieces will showcase his work from the early 2000s onwards — including his intimate looks at his own reflection, his time spent as an official war artist in Afghanistan, poetic visions of the Australian landscape and his response to other topical events, including the last American election. Quilty's expressive portraits, both of himself and of others — such as executed Bali Nine drug smuggler Myuran Sukumaran — are quite a striking sight. His Rorschach paintings are too, unsurprisingly. And, they're designed not just to catch the eye, but to explore the dark undercurrent of violence and themes of displacement. Including paintings inspired by his visits to Lebanon, Syria and Greece, the exhibition marks the first major survey of Quilty's artistic output in a decade. On Wednesday, November 13, Quilty will be in conversation with ABC Radio presenter Robbie Buck in a special edition of Art After Hours. After the talk, you can catch some live tunes, too. Image 1: Photograph: Daniel Boud. Image 2: Ben Quilty. Rorschach after von Guérard. 2009. Oil and synthetic polymer paint on linen (12 panels) / 230.0 x 804.0 cm (overall). Acquired 2009, TarraWarra Museum of Art. Courtesy the artist. Photograph: Jeremy Dillon.
Imagine a towering, 16-metre-high spherical structure with a breathtaking 41-performer acrobat show playing out in, on and around it, and you'll see why dramatic live performance Globe has proved such an international hit. Acclaimed Dutch performance company Close-Act is bringing its extraordinary show to Australia for the first time, debuting at Birrarung Marr across three nightly shows for White Night Reimagined. You'll step into an OTT fantasy, as Globe creates the world as seen through a child's eyes. Expect a cast of over-sized otherworldly characters starring in a riot of circus, music, dance and projection. After this one, the idea of humans flying is sure to feel that little bit closer to reality. Globe runs for 40 minutes and will kick off on Thursday and Friday at 7.15pm, 9pm and 11pm; and Saturday at 7.15pm, 9.30pm and midnight. Image: Gerard Dubois
Spring is always a period of renewal — the days get longer, the nights get warmer, and venturing out and about is a welcome prospect once again. And, while there's never a dull moment in Melbourne, this city of ours always ups the ante in its events offering at this time of year. Like Saturday, September 7 and Sunday, September 8, for example. The Craft & Co. — Collingwood's restaurant, cafe, brewery, distillery and workshop — is holding a two-day market dedicated to gin. Across three sessions each day (11am–1pm, 1.30–3.30pm and 4–6pm), some top-notch bottles of gin will be cracked open in the venue's event space. Great Ocean Road Gin, Bathtub Gin Co, Poor Toms, Alchemy and Imbue Distillery will be a few of the gins you can try and, if you're impressed, take home a bottle of. Your $10 ticket includes tastings, as well as a $5 voucher to use at the market. And if you want to sit down and enjoy your gin of choice, you'll be able to do that too. The eatery and bar downstairs will be operational, and you'll be able to buy some of The Craft & Co.'s gin cheese on the day as well.
If you've moseyed past the corner of Elizabeth and La Trobe streets over the past few months, then you've probably noticed Ella. A sizeable new entertainment and food precinct, it's home to a range of eateries, a live music venue and even an art gallery. The site has been opening in stages since May, adding everything from ramen to sweets to wine — and, now that it's almost in full swing, it's throwing a week-long celebration. Or cellabration, because clearly no one can pass up the opportunity to make that pun. Running between Monday, August 19 to Sunday, August 25, Ella's Cellabration Week will give Melburnians what they want: free food and vino, obviously. Different Ella tenants will be unleashing their wares on different nights, meaning that you'll be able to nab a bottle of malbec or chardonnay from Blackhearts one day, a hefty serving of pad thai from Son in Law the next, and Chilli Everest's spicy chicken and goat pieces later in the week. On weeknights, head along from 6–10pm, when Lomah will be giving away falafel trays, Sam Sam will doing boneless Korean fried chicken and Pick a Stick will be slinging grilled meats on skewers on various evenings. If you're dropping by between 3–7pm on Saturday, make a beeline for Reverie's delicious desserts — and, on Sunday, you can slurp up the good stuff from Ajisen Ramen or get a bento box from Sushi Club. Numbers for each giveaway are limited, ranging between 100 to 600, so arriving early is recommended. ELLA CELLABRATION WEEK LINEUP Monday — Lomah: 300 lamb or falafel trays; Blackhearts: 200 bottles of wine Tuesday — Son In Law: 200 pad thai Wednesday — Sam Sam: 300 boneless chicken Thursday — Pick A Stick: 600 skewers and 100 sweet potato snack boxes Friday — Chilli Everest: 200 sekuwa Saturday — Reverie: 300 cakes Sunday — Ajisan: 200 ramen; Sushi Club: 200 bento box The giveaways run from Monday–Friday 6–10pm and Saturday–Sunday 3–7pm or until sold out.
This Halloween, the sound of chainsaws will echo through the Palais Theatre — plus plenty of screaming, demonic spirits and unhinged mayhem, too. To celebrate every horror fan's favourite occasion, the St Kilda venue is playing host to a ghoulish movie-and-music combination like no other. Not only will Sam Raimi's 1981 splatter classic The Evil Dead hit the big screen, but an ensemble of musicians from the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will play a reimagined version of the scary flick's score. The latest in the MSO's growing series of film-focused live performances, this show is extra special, with the score's original composer Joe LoDuca also making an appearance. Nearly four decades since he first whipped up the perfect soundtrack for a chilling vacation in the woods, he'll hit the keyboards to revisit the movie that first brought him to fame — and helped make stars out of Raimi, actor Bruce Campbell and then-assistant editor Joel Coen (yes, one of the Coen brothers) as well. The Evil Dead has spawned two Raimi-directed sequels, a 2013 remake and Campbell-starring TV series Ash vs Evil Dead, because it really is impossible to destroy the Necronomicon — even when you're toting a trusty boomstick. But the original film remains an absolute horror delight in its own right, as does its tale of five holidaying college kids who head up to a secluded cabin, only to find themselves unexpectedly facing off against evil. Relive the carnage from 8pm on Thursday, October 31, with tickets on sale now.
On the first Tuesday in November back in 2015, history was made. When Michelle Payne rode Prince of Penzance to victory at the Melbourne Cup, she became the first female jockey to win the race that stops the nation since it was first held back in 1861. That she beat 100-to-one odds made the story even sweeter. Payne's post-race statement, telling the world to "get stuffed if they think women aren't strong enough", rightfully became an empowering soundbite as well. Among not only track-goers and punters, but also folks who couldn't care less for the sport, hers instantly became a household name. Payne's win was a universal feel-good moment — a rare feat at an event and in an industry that are both saddled with multiple controversies. She didn't just fulfil her own wildest dreams, of course, with her victory having an aspirational effect. In addition to sending an uplifting message to girls, reminding them that they can do anything, the trailblazing achievement captured the broader public imagination. And, as usually happens whenever that's the case, cameras started rolling in response. While a schmaltzy Hollywood flick wouldn't have felt out of place, it was the wheels of the Australian cinema that started moving — helped by funding from several racing-affiliated bodies, plus a gambling agency. Whether made for television or playing in cinemas, a movie about Payne's success was always going to happen. Alas, while Ride Like a Girl is now racing across the big screen, it'd also suit a smaller canvas. The directorial debut of actor-turned-filmmaker Rachel Griffiths, it spins a well-known true tale in an overly familiar and straightforward fashion, including visually. Its aim: to simply warm hearts and spark cheers as it champions its real-life inspiration. If you've seen one rousing underdog movie, however — the kind where characters overcome rocky beginnings, suffer and toil, then follow their passions in a difficult field — then you've basically already seen this. Screenwriters Andrew Knight (Ali's Wedding) and Elise McCredie (Jack Irish) couldn't have come up with a more film-friendly story, not only spanning Payne's big moment but her background. Her family name was synonymous with horse racing long before she won the Melbourne Cup, with her father Paddy a veteran trainer, and eight of her nine older siblings all also working in the industry. But, despite her burning desire to race and her formidable work ethic, she was continually told that she'd never claim the sport's most glittering prize — or get the opportunity to try. Convincing her dad to support her dream was hard enough, let alone earning a decent run on the track or being treated fairly by her male colleagues. The fact she lost her mother as baby, the death of her sister during a race and her own bout of serious injuries all complicated matters, too. As nice as it might be to live a life that resembles a fantasy — or, not to downplay Payne's struggles, to navigate the kind of upward path that's usually the domain of crowd-pleasing fiction — where biopics are involved, it can make for flat viewing. Detail, texture and chaos all help a story resonate, as do intimate moments that feel inescapably specific to the real events at hand. Unsurprisingly, a broad overview doesn't have the same impact, especially one that seems as if it could apply to any number of similar tales. That's among Ride Like a Girl's chief troubles. Even when it serves up tidbits that could've only come from Payne's life, it takes such a light and breezy touch that it all still comes across as simplistic and routine. Indeed, if this was a book, it wouldn't be the mass of pages filled with meaty minutiae — it'd be the generic synopsis, designed to sweep readers in, on the back cover. Payne's feat will always echo throughout history, and so will the fortitude it took to get there, but Ride Like a Girl doesn't quite do her justice. That's not a criticism of Teresa Palmer, though, who puts in a performance not quite on par with her excellent work in Berlin Syndrome, but one filled with depths that the script doesn't match. As Payne's dad, a suitably stoic Sam Neill falls in step with with movie rather than his co-star; however the jockey's real-life brother Stevie, who plays himself, is an engaging delight. His casting feels real, a sensation that's missing from Ride Like a Girl elsewhere — for an inspiring true tale, it generally just feels manufactured. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLn7UOw-tF8
Mexican food and margaritas share a specific quality. No matter how many tacos you eat and salt-rimmed drinks you sip, you always want more. Given that El Camino Cantina specialises in both, it's easy to indulge your hankering at the lively bar — and even easier at its new Tex-Mex Fiesta. For $50, you'll tuck into a share-style feast of food. You'll start with buffalo wings with blue cheese mayo and mango chilli sauce, then move onto loaded nachos — with the latter coming topped with melted cheese, black beans, chilli con carne, smoked barbecue brisket, pico de gallo, sour cream and guacamole. Then, it's time for chargrilled chicken fajitas (which feature house-made tortillas, pico de gallo, sour cream, cheese, seasonal veggies, melted butter and sauteed onions), before wrapping things up with hot churros drizzled with chocolate and caramel sauce. That's the food side of the deal. If you're feeling thirsty, you can get drinking for an extra $29. That'll nab you two hours of bottomless margaritas, with the cocktails served in four flavours, and either frozen or on the rocks. You'll also get free-flowing house beer and wine as well. El Camino Cantina's Tex-Mex Fiesta is available all-day Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays weekly at the chain's store in Fitzroy.
UPDATE: July 13, 2020: The Goldfinch is available to stream via Netflix, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. A best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. A filmmaker fresh from directing another literary adaptation to three Oscar nominations. A cast of high-profile faces spanning Nicole Kidman, Jeffrey Wright (Westworld), Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things) and Ansel Elgort (Baby Driver). Regardless of whether screenwriter Peter Straughan counts as a strength or a weakness — he scripted the excellent recent version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, but was also responsible for the horrendous The Snowman — The Goldfinch definitely doesn't lack in pedigree. Alas, as based on Donna Tartt's 2013 book and directed by John Crowley (Brooklyn), the result is a curious film. It's easy to see how this neo-Dickensian coming-of-age tale about a traumatised teen, an explosion, a stolen painting and the chaos that follows could enthral on the page; however it's just as easy to remain distanced from it on the big screen. When viewers first meet Theo Decker (Elgort), he's a suave, drug-addicted twentysomething in Amsterdam. How he got there, why he's so stressed and strung out, and why he's muttering about an artwork called The Goldfinch are all soon relayed via flashbacks. At the age of 13, Theo (Oakes Fegley, Pete's Dragon) visits the Metropolitan Museum of Art with his mother, survives a bombing that claims her life, and leaves with a ring he's asked to return to an antiques dealer (Wright) — as well as the famed 1654 piece by Carel Fabritius that gives the movie its name. When he's happily bunking down with the wealthy family of one of his private school classmates, and hoping that their matriarch (Nicole Kidman) will adopt him, Theo hides the stolen painting. As he's struggling through a strained Las Vegas reunion with his compulsive gambler dad (Luke Wilson) and bartender girlfriend (Sarah Paulson), the portrait haunts him. And, after he's all grown up, back in New York and trading in antiques himself, the picture remains out of sight but never out of Theo's mind. While The Goldfinch takes its moniker from the beloved masterpiece and tasks its protagonist with fixating on it, the priceless artwork means more here as a symbol than as an object. A knowledge of art history will help audience members, but the film does eventually explain the painting's fascinating background, its parallels with Theo's journey, and why it represents the enduring nature of beauty in shaping both individual and collective memories. That said, on a narrative level, the piece is hardly crucial — especially given the hectic wave of unlikely events that keep befalling Theo both as an adolescent and as an adult. Indeed, as their lead character befriends a rebellious Ukrainian (Wolfhard), obsesses over a flame-haired fellow survivor (Ashley Cummings), reignites old acquaintances and gets immersed in shady dealings on opposite sides of the world, Crowley and Straughan can't be accused of skimping on plot. Story-wise, there's rarely an empty moment. What the feature lacks, however, is the space to truly value anything of importance — and space to appreciate why its namesake is so emotionally and thematically pivotal. Much of The Goldfinch's troubles stem from its on-screen structure, which, ditching the novel's linear timeline, flits back and forth between the younger and older Theo. While it's an expressive choice, designed to convey the adrift and uncertain inner state plaguing its central figure, it largely plays as needlessly convoluted. As a result, the movie feels simultaneously laborious, rushed and distracted across its 2.5-hour running time — like it's packing as much as possible onto its large canvas in a purposeful, painstaking way, then devoting its time to watching paint dry rather than soaking in the details. In the film's visuals and performances, there's still something to relish. It helps immensely that The Goldfinch has enlisted one of the best cinematographers in the business, with Roger Deakins as talented at making his peach and gold-tinted frames resemble great art as he was at navigating a neon-hued futuristic world (and winning an Academy Award, too) in Blade Runner 2049. Fine-tuned portrayals by Kidman, Wright and Fegley also assist, although Elgort comes across as opaque rather than conflicted, Wolfhard is blighted by his cartoonish accent, and Wilson and Paulson seem like they've stepped in from another movie entirely. What ultimately lingers, though, is an unfortunate comparison. It's an obvious one, as happens whenever a movie calls attention to a far superior work, and it doesn't serve Crowley's film well. It never escapes attention that Fabritius' painting depicts a creature capable of flying high, but firmly stuck in place — a feat that, despite seemingly boasting all the right elements, The Goldfinch mirrors in all the wrong ways. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_nRqgk1HgM
Sometimes, a trip to the movies is all about escapism. Sometimes, it's a thought-provoking and eye-opening experience. You won't forget the world's troubles at the Environmental Film Festival Australia, but you will find out more about them — especially as they relate to the state of this planet we all call home. As its name makes plain, EFFA shines a spotlight on cinema that puts the environment in firmly focus. Across a lineup of 44 feature-length, short, experimental and kid-friendly films screening between Thursday, October 24 and Friday, November 1, eco-conscious cinephiles can explore the struggles and splendours of the natural world — by watching a mother and daughter's efforts to save a bee colony in Swarm Season, spending time with a polar bear and her cubs thanks to Queen Without Land, and seeing the fight against deforestation in France in The Time of Forests. Other highlights include Grit, which delves into a catastrophic mud tsunami; This Mountain Life, about the first female duo to trek through the Coast Mountains in Canada and Alaska; and Into the Jungle, which follows the efforts to save an endangered tree kangaroo in Papua New Guinea. Fans of German filmmaker Werner Herzog are in for a double treat, with his latest documentary, the partially Australian-shot Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin, playing alongside his Oscar-nominated, Antarctica-set classic Encounters at the End of the World. Screening at Cinema Nova, Palace Westgarth, IMAX Melbourne and Kaleide Theatre — with in-conversation sessions taking place at the State Library for those who want to hear more about EFFA's topics of interest — 2019 marks the fest's biggest year to date. That's rather timely, given the ongoing climate protests that have been taking place across the country this year. If you're keen to see more on the subject, doco The Hottest August explores different views on global warming as shared by everyday New Yorkers.
If it's good enough for Toto's 'Africa' in Brisbane, then it's good enough for Smash Mouth's 'All Star' in Melbourne. Because Australia sure does love a trend, another bar is picking a particular tune and cranking it out on repeat for an entire evening. Perhaps somebody once told them it was a great idea. Our apologies that you now have the 1999 hit stuck in your head, but consider it good practice for Saturday, November 2. From 11pm, Stay Gold is gonna roll you with their Smash Mouth 'All Star' Appreciation Night. Prepare to hear that song — and only that song — all evening to celebrate its 20th anniversary. It doesn't make sense not to live for fun, after all. We know exactly what you're thinking: get your game on, go play. Or, you could be thinking that perhaps all that glitters isn't really gold. Either way, you're set for a repetitive retro night — but we can't promise that listening to the track over and over and over again won't take its toll.
Whether it's a dog in a superhero costume or a cat wearing, well, whatever you can manage to get a cat to wear, animals donning outfits ranks among the cutest sights your eyes can ever see. Puppers popping on floral bandanas and posing for portraits might just raise the adorable stakes beyond previous levels, however — and it's not only on offer on Sunday, November 10, but you can also take a souvenir home with you. If your pet pooch deserves to be the on the front of this year's Christmas card, march on down to Collingwood's Easey Street between 10am–4pm. That's when Dog Photog will be snapping pics of your four-legged furball as part of its one-day pop-up. If you missed out last time, or missed their scouts-themed, then you'll want to be there. Bookings are essential, and getting a gorgeous portrait of your cute canine will set you back $45 — or $70 if you have two dogs in the same household. You'll receive a 15-minute session, plus a screen-resolution jpeg per dog. And if you'd like to order a print to hang on your wall, you can do so on the day.
Collingwood's Schoolhouse Studios is throwing a whammy of a shindig for Halloween. The small warehouse is undergoing a temporary facelift to morph into a veritable lair of mayhem. Expect horror, gore, costume awards and a haunted house, so keep a steady hand on your wine glass if you're the jumpy sort because you may just end up drenching yourself in shiraz. Performers at the Ghoulhouse include drag trio The Beastie Girls as well as DJs Cupids Cut, Hannie Tray and Brontesaurus Sex. Tickets are just 20 bucks and you'll be helping raise funds for a not-for-profit arts organisation, too — so you can be assured you're doing the right thing by maybe calling in sick to work on Friday to sort out your costume.
Poof Doof knows how to throw a party, and Halloween is no exception. The organisers of Melbourne's top queer club night are taking over The Forum for one big, spooky gala ball on Saturday, October 26. Over the past eight years, the annual HalloQween event has outgrown Melbourne's clubs, so, for its ninth outing, it's heading to the (much) bigger recently renovated music venue. Brace yourselves for a Big Time. Hosted by Joel Creasey and Karen From Finance, featuring Sneaky Sound System, Owl Eyes and performances by YUMMY, the night will also see DJ sets, drag, dance and light shows. But don't even think about coming if you're not dressing to the nines — costumes are taken very seriously here. There's even a blood rep carpet where you can get papped in your goriest, most OTT outfit. HalloQween Ball runs from 8pm–1am.
There's no better place to sample a region's top drops than at the wineries, breweries and cideries making them. So lovers of Victorian booze will be very pleased to know that the Peninsula VineHop Festival is set to return for its third year, showcasing the best of the Mornington Peninsula this November 16 and 17. Imagine a local version of Rutherglen's long-running Winery Walkabout, only with equal emphasis on craft beers and ciders, and it's not hard to see why VineHop's first two iterations have proved so darn popular. This year, the two-day event runs to the same concept, with both affordable tours and hop-on, hop-off shuttle buses allowing visitors to cruise between a stack of participating breweries and wineries, experiencing the best of each along the way. There's even the option to opt for a private bus for you and your friends. Yes, that's right — no designated drivers required. As well as the opportunity to sample premium libations just metres from where they were crafted, there'll be food trucks, live music and lots of goings on at each location. The Briars will be this year's festival hub and the home of Red Hill Estate for the weekend. The winery will be joined by Bass and Flinders Distillery, Max's Restaurant and Seaford's Mr Banks Brewery, and food trucks serving calamari, jaffles and ice cream will be on-site, too. If you'd like to just hang out here all day, tickets are just $43. Among the other venues that will be open for visitors is the gloriously named Hickinbotham of Dromana. The family-run estate produces both wine and beer (via on-site microbrewery Hix) and will also host Mornington Peninsula Brewery and Mr Little Cider pop-ups. To make the most of the stunning scenery, make a stop at Bayview Estate which offers vistas of rolling hills and lavender farms plus the opportunity for a feed and a beer from St Andrews Beach Brewery.
Melburnians, you really love your cheese. You've tried a 150-cheese pizza, bought buckets of the stuff on the cheap and have entered cheese-fuelled comas in a cheese cave. Now, you can kick off 2020 with another ultra-cheesy experience: a 29-cheese gnocchi. South Yarra's Cucinetta is the eatery behind the wondrous creation, which it's bringing back for a second year, for lunch and dinner between Thursday, January 2 to Monday, January 20. The handmade potato gnocchi is oven-baked with 29 cheeses sourced from Thomastown's That's Amore Cheese, including buffalo mozzarella, truffled caciotta (a fresh cow's milk cheese), smoked scamorza, blue cheese and salted ricotta. Setting you back $34.90, it can be enjoyed with one of 29 wines on the regularly changing list and eaten inside the 29 square metre restaurant. Sensing a theme? Cucinetta really likes the number 29. If you, like us, fancy yourself a bit of a cheese fanatic, you're probably curious as to what the 29 cheeses are. Well, here's the full list: Fior di latte Buffalo mozzarella Burrata Scamorza bianca Caciotta Pepper caciotta Chilli caciotta Truffle caciotta Ricotta delicata Ricotta salata Mascarpone Squacquerone Buffalo bocconcini Buffalo ricotta Buffalo caciotta Buffalo mozzarella (smoked) Smoked bocconcini Smoked scamorza Smoked caciocavallo Diavoletto Secret of The Forest Drunken buffalo Lavato Panettone Panettone with truffle Caciocavallo Bufalotto Blue cheese Formaggio di vacca Cucinetta's 29-cheese gnocchi is available from 12–4pm and 5pm-late daily.
Ever wondered what goes on deep under the ocean, after dark? This month, you'll get to find out, when Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium keeps its doors open late for an after-dark session, uncovering all the murkiest of deep-sea secrets. Running on Thursday, February 20, from 6–9pm, the adults-only event will show off the aquarium's new multimillion-dollar Ocean Invaders exhibition in a whole new light (or lack thereof). Spread across 300 square metres and three multi-sensory zones, and featuring thousands of jellyfish from a range of species, this new zone has a special focus on its luminous, venomous and gelatinous residents. Marine experts will chat about the many facts (and myths) circulating around jellyfish, discussing mortality, painful stings, antidotes and urine. You'll also get to meet everything from blubber jellies to moon jellies and even upside jellyfish. Tickets will set you back $25 a pop, with drinks (and more snacks) available to purchase on the night, too. Jellies 101 runs from 6–9pm.
Across one weekend in July, if you're in the Geelong region and hankering for a glass of wine, then you'd better like Shiraz. Unsurprisingly given its name, that's the varietal in the spotlight at the Winter Shiraz Weekend Festival, which comes to the area's vineyards and wineries on Saturday, July 7 and Sunday, July 8. It's a choose-your-own-adventure kind of fest, with wine producers in the Bellarine, the Moorabool Valley and Surf Coast all taking part — so pick your favourites and head on by. Keep an eye on the event website for the full program; however you can expect to pair your glasses of Shiraz with delicious dishes, chat with winemakers and — because it's the perfect weather for it — enjoy a tipple or several by the fire. If you head on down a night early, Friday night tastings will also be taking place at a selection of Geelong retailers. And, while you can expect parts of the lineup to be ticketed, the sampling is free — as is entry to the various wineries.
There's always some sort of party going at Welcome to Thornbury, and 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 — so bring your own or prepare to pat plenty of others. And, while the site's food trucks and bars including Mr Burger, Connie's Pizza and Nem N' Nem will be catering to humans, the dog market will cater to your pooch's every need. Plus, 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.
On the corner of Tucker and Patterson Roads in Bentleigh there used to be a rundown convenience store. But, in March, it was gutted and transformed into a pink and breezy cafe dubbed Good Times Milk Bar. Until recently, it had just been open during the day, serving up pastrami eggs benedict, crumpets and some standout shakes (including Golden Gaytime and lamington). Now, the eatery is adding burgers — and nights — to its repertoire, launching Good Times Burgers. Kicking off this Thursday, June 28, Good Times' old-school takeaway burger window will be slinging seven different creations, alongside sides and shakes, from Thursday to Sunday, 4pm–9pm. On the menu, you'll find the Classic (with a beef patty, American cheese and a pickle), the Seaside (with battered fish, wasabi peas and Kewpie mayo), a vegetarian option and seven different sides — including potato gems, onion rings, slaw and jumbo pickles. You'll also be able to get the aforementioned shakes at night, too. To celebrate the launch of its new offering, Good Times is giving away free burgers this Saturday. From 4–5pm, you can have any burger off the menu — for free. It is, however, limited to one per person. Good Times Burgers launched on Thursday, June 28. The free burger giveaway will run from 4–5pm on Saturday, June 30. Images: Jake Rodan
Join the salami army at the 2018 edition of this gastronomic gathering at Welcome to Thornbury. Now in its sixth year, think of the Melbourne Salami Festa as Woodstock or ComicCon — but for salami. So way better, is basically what we're saying. Running from 10am–10pm on Saturday, October 13 and 11dam–6pm the next day, the event — a bona fide cured meat carnival — will include workshops, demonstrations, DJs and bands, as well as a Grand Salumi Garage featuring dozens of producers from far and wide. Wander between the stalls and sample what's on offer, before returning on the Sunday to cast your vote in the highly coveted People's Choice Awards. Among other gongs, the event will also be giving out a Best Homemade Salami prize. Last time the festa was held back in 2016, more than 6,000 people went along — consuming a whopping 30,000 pieces of salami over the two days. If that sounds like your idea of heaven, we suggest arriving early and hungry. Image: Melbourne Salami Festa.
When the working week is done, Melburnians just want to get a drink and enjoy free tapas while they're doing so. And have fun, obviously. At least, that's what Messer is betting on, and you know that they're right. On Fridays in August, the Fitzroy spot will be serving up free tapas with every drink purchased. It'll also be slinging cheap tipples, making your cheap afternoon even cheaper — think $6 beers, selected wines at $9 a glass and Cava at $11 a glass too. Given that Messer's menu changes daily, just what they'll be serving up remains a tasty surprise, though we're guessing it won't just be pots of olives. Plus, if you're keen on a boozy lunch or can sneak away from the office early (or both), then you're in luck, with Free Tapas Fridays running between 12–6pm.
Haven't yet feasted your eyes on Wes Anderson's latest flick, the stop-motion animated delight that is Isle of Dogs? Loved it and want to see it again? It was one of our picks from this year's Berlinale, where it opened the fest and won best director, so we understand. The film is returning to the Astor Theatre for one night only — and, even better, you can bring your own pupper. The screening will kick off at 7.30pm on Wednesday, August 29, and is bound to turn the cinema's art deco lobby into an isle of dogs — just without the water. There'll also be prizes on offer, so you and your pooch might score more than just a night at the movies. If your dog is called Spots, then you have to go. The film follows a boy's visit to the titular land mass to find his beloved Spots, after all. The adventure that follows features the voices of a host of Anderson regulars and other ace talent — think Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Bob Balaban, Greta Gerwig, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Scarlett Johansson, Edward Norton and Frances McDormand — and proves as gorgeous as you'd expect. You'd be barking mad to miss it.
Melbourne's Chapel Street PROVOCARÉ Festival of the Arts is back for its second year, and it's bound to be as alluring, if not more so, than its first edition. With a new lineup of dramatic performances and artwork, as well as Spencer Tunick's distinctive nude installation, the winter art festival is set to be something completely unafraid and honest. From July 5–15, PROVOCARÉ offers a plethora of opportunities for you to immerse yourself in a world of pure creativity. With live performances, an art walk, blindfolded dinner, video art and much more, the festival will meet your art cravings and make you question reality. It's also a great excuse for you to explore the eateries and retail businesses in the area. At I Want to Know What Love Is, connect with the emotions attached to all things romance and heartbreak, while enjoying the stage performance centred around true confessions and tales of "love's gritty collision course". Get your shine on as Reuben Kaye makes you laugh and dance around with Glitter. From July 7–15 at Chapel Off Chapel, the show will transport you to a world of colour with all the filthy language, dazzling sequences and hopefully ridiculous sets (like a gin bathtub). And with only five shows during the festival, the Empty Bodies circus should be a priority on your list. Witness the dramatic display of life and identity, as elite graduates from the National Institute of Circus Arts perform the reflection of "chaos in conflict with order". If you're keen for an event that encompasses all the things PROVOCARÉ stands for, then join the club — literally. Starting at 8.15pm, Club PROVOCARÉ is serving serious seduction every night of the festival. With burlesque, drag shows and other tempting entertainment led by cabaret queen Bernie Dieter, you won't want to miss a minute of the fun. Lastly, EcoCaddy is providing free transportation all festival long to get you from one arty event to another without the worry of a ridiculous ride fee. For tickets and more event information, head to the PROVOCARÉ website.
When The Incredibles first leapt onto cinema screens 14 years ago, it earned its title several times over. Exploring the exploits of a super-enhanced family trying to live a normal life, the movie served up an all-ages superhero story with smarts and heart. Moreover, the savvy Pixar flick successfully predicted two things. Back in 2004, when no one had even heard of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man was played by Tobey Maguire and Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy hadn't yet made its mark, The Incredibles pre-empted society's current love of caped crusaders. Indeed, that film began at a time where spandex-clad folks like Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson), Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) and Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) are constantly seen, heard and talked about. But it also foresaw the flipside to this obsession, recognising that the public's love of costumed crime-fighters has its limits. In the world of the movie, everyone listing 'saving the world' as their occupation was banned when the world had had enough. If you've been caught up in superhero fever over the past decade, only to catch a case of superhero fatigue as more and more comic book heroes soar across our screens, you can surely recognise all of the above. In fact, blending fantastical elements with relatable components was one of The Incredibles' greatest super powers. Caped crusaders are just like us, the picture made clear – attempting to juggle their personal and professional lives, battling to achieve their dreams, and fighting for their place. And while long-awaited sequel Incredibles 2 repeats the same basic premise, the franchise's canny ability to combine cartoon antics with cutting societal commentary ensures this is no mere rehash. Picking up where the first film left off, Incredibles 2 sees its central family — Mr. Incredible aka Bob Parr, Elastigirl aka Helen, and kids Violet (Sarah Vowell), Dash (Huck Milner) and Jack-Jack (Eli Fucile) — trying to fend off burrowing, bank-robbing villain The Underminer, then coping with the aftermath. No one is happy about their efforts, and the fact that people with enhanced abilities are still illegal means a life without crime-fighting awaits. Enter telecommunications company head Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk) and his sister Evelyn (Catherine Keener), with a plan to restore the heroes to their former glory. With Elastigirl leading the charge, the siblings have masterminded a rebranding campaign designed to make super folk popular again. And, thanks to body cameras and media appearances, this revolution will be televised. Drama comes in the form of an incredibly apt nemesis: Screenslaver, who interrupts Elastigirl's broadcasts with mind-controlling signals and raves about humanity's reliance on screens. Accordingly, Incredibles 2 slings statements about today's social media saturation, the valuing of appearances, and the fact that we live in a society where someone is always watching — for better or worse. It's a movie about the power of perception, one that rallies against making, filming or viewing something simply because you can. They're all observations that apply to the picture's specific story, to the broader superhero realm, and just to life in general. Plus, thanks to a subplot following Bob's attempts to hold the fort at home while Helen is off championing the caped crusader cause, the film also has plenty to say about gender equality and the role of women. Still, none of this would mean anything if returning writer-director Brad Bird didn't pair his story with engaging action, a playful tone and genuine emotion. Although not for people who are sensitive to flashing lights, an early strobe-lit confrontation ranks among the most inventive scenes in a superhero flick — animated or live-action — while an altercation between Jack-Jack and a racoon is just as memorable. Filled with both zippy battles and quiet character moments, Incredibles 2 mostly gets the balance right, even if it does feel a little padded towards the end. Interestingly, Bird (whose CV also includes The Iron Giant, Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol and Tomorrowland) is the only person in Pixar history to assume total control for scripting and helming any of the company's features without any co-writers or co-directors. The result is not only one of Pixar's original standout movies, but its best sequel in nearly a decade. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5qOzqD9Rms
The start of winter is always a period of adjustment — the days are shorter, the nights are icier and summer schedules are thrown all out of whack. Luckily, when the weather gets cooler, Melbourne always ups the ante in its events offering, meaning you have plenty of options that aren't going straight home when you leave the office every evening. Like this Thursday, for example. The Craft & Co. — Collingwood's restaurant, cafe, brewery, distillery and workshop — is holding an after-work market dedicated to gin. From 6–9pm, some Australia and New Zealand's best bottles of gin will be cracked open in the venue's event space. Four Pillars, Patient Wolf, Poor Toms, Anther and Cedar Fox will be a few of the gins you can try and, if you're impressed, take home a bottle of. If you want to sit down and enjoy your gin of choice, you'll be able to do that too. A G&T lounge will be set up and the kitchen will be putting together some charcuterie boards that are specifically designed to be enjoyed with gin.
Come hear the music play at the ninth annual Melbourne Cabaret Festival. Returning to Chapel Off Chapel in Prahran, this year's festival will feature 20 new shows from established and emerging cabaret performers across two weeks. The fun begins on Tuesday, June 19 with a opening night gala emceed by the festival's artistic director Dolly Diamond — tickets are $65 and get you a taste of six of the festival's standout shows. If you're looking to head to a few solo shows, you'll be spoilt for choice — there are up to ten shows on each day. Get a full rundown of The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson's music catalogue as performed by Drew Downing, see a James Bond cabaret, and hear the music of Twin Peaks performed in a haunting on-stage reimagining of the series. You can browse the full program here.
This winter, the seaside town of Queenscliff will be anything but sleepy. Playing host to the inaugural Low Light Festival, the Victorian spot will be brought to life across a month-long feast for all of the senses. A celebration of music, food, art and culture delivered by a huge lineup of homegrown and international talent, the event takes place over four weekends, running from June 22 to July 14. If anything's going to pull you out of hibernation and down to the beach in the heart of a frosty Melbourne winter, it's this. Teaming up with the Icelandic Dance Company, along with local groups the Lighthouse Arts Collective and Bellarine Lighthouse Films, Low Light is set to screen exclusive Aussie premieres of three exciting new films. Catch the hypnotic ÖRÆVI or Life in the Undergrowth, with music by the legendary Sigur Ros, as it's screened under the stars, or immerse yourself in Gabríela Friðriksdóttir's compelling film Des Irae. Or, enjoy the goddess tale Union of the North, a collaboration between Matthew Barney, Valdimar Jóhannsson and Erna Ómarsdóttir. Music lovers will find their festival happy place within the Queenscliff Town Hall, as it hosts a series of one-night performances from the likes of folk-pop four-piece All Our Exes Live In Texas, and American alt-country star Justin Townes Earle. A tasty program of one-off food events will also feature throughout the festival, with highlights including a Bastille Day dinner with a French musical twist, and a four-course progressive feast showcasing the region's best produce and chefs. And you'll get even more of a taste for this charming corner of the world with a series of local art exhibitions, creative workshops, gin and whisky tastings, and heritage walks. Low Light events feature Friday through Sunday across each week of the festival: June 22–24, June 29–July 1, July 6–8 and July 13–15.
For its 2018 edition, Melbourne's Human Rights Arts and Film Festival is starting as it intends to go on: with a topical film about an important subject that's certain to get audiences talking. The movie in question is After the Apology, an Australian documentary that explores the aftermath of Kevin Rudd's apology to the country's stolen generations — and the fact that forcible removals of Indigenous children have increased in the years since. Leading a lineup that spans more than 50 movies and events, it's just one of HRAFF's eye-opening features from a program that casts its eyes across a broad spectrum of human rights issues. Other films of note include closing night's Last Men in Aleppo, which earned an Oscar nomination for its examination of life in Syria; local effort Guilty, an intimate portrait of the final 72 hours of Myuran Sukumaran's existence before his execution; and global festival favourite A Better Man, a personal doco from a woman coming to terms with domestic violence. Or, viewers can ponder women's reproductive rights courtesy of the US-focused Jackson, witness the on-the-ground reaction to the Brexit vote in Brexititannia, step through war-torn Africa in This is Congo and tackle food waste in Food Fighter. Panels, shorts, exhibitions and a selection of movies for younger audiences also form part of this year's fest, which screens at ACMI, Cinema Nova, Lido Cinemas and The Sun Theatre from May 3 to 17.
Elsternwick's Classic Cinemas are back, bigger and better than ever. And we mean that quite literally — the complex has had a hefty revamp that's added four new screens and an entire third level of the building. To celebrate, it's slashing the price of movie tickets to all regular film sessions this Sunday, May 20 down to the bargain price of $5. The new cinemas each boast luxurious wide seating for about 45 to 70 moviegoers to match the new bar and street-facing box office. Having started out life in 1911 as The Elsternwick Theatre, the family-owned Classic is the state's longest continuously operating cinema. This beefed-up offering will make way for an even larger screening program as it continues to cement its place in the hearts of movie buffs across Melbourne.
Melbourne winters mightn't be known for their ice and snow (just yet, anyway), but that doesn't mean you can't slide across a frozen surface in the centre of the city. From June 22 to July 15, the corner of Acland and Barkly streets will become a winter wonderland thanks to the return of the Skating At St Kilda Festival. With the event back for another year, all of the frosty fabulousness Melburnians know and love is back, too: ice skating, obviously, but also music, food and more. It's the next best thing to heading to Europe when Melbourne's at its iciest. Entry to the area is free, but you'll have to pay for all of the fun stuff, with the fest open from 9am–9pm Monday to Wednesday and 9am–10pm Thursday to Sunday. The lineup of events includes not only regular ice skating, but a romance-themed 'date and skate' night each Tuesday, plus an 'Ice Ice Baby' disco evening every Thursday. And if you're not in St Kilda, you can head along to the CBD's rink instead.
Sound the trumpets and let the good times roll, because the Melbourne International Jazz Festival is back. Bustling into town for the first ten days of June, this year's festival will see more than 100 events (and 400 musicians) pop up around the city. As expected, the 2018 program is packed to the brim with concerts, workshops, panels and late-night jams. Standout guests include American saxophonist Maceo Parker, who'll join forces with Melbourne's own soul-jazz-blues outfit The Meltdown in a special tribute to the music of Ray Charles, and French-American jazz singer Madeleine Peyroux, who's been hailed as an heir apparent to the legendary Billie Holiday. Most events are ticketed, but there is a decent amount free gigs happening at bars and public spaces around the city. If this is your first Jazz Fest, this is a good way to dip your toe into the musical pool. Amateur musicians can also take part in the fittingly named Jazz Massive, where members of the public will be invited to join players from the Horns of Leroy, Melbourne Ska Orchestra and Papa Chango on the lawn outside the State Library. BYO instrument.
When it comes to books, not everyone can completely embrace the digital age. The texture and smell of a book is something that no iPad or Kindle can copy. To help you embrace your love of books without breaking the bank this festive season, the Abbotsford Convent is hosting a huge book market. If you ever visited Fed Square's packed book market, you'll know what to expect: this one's run by the same people. More than 5000 pre-loved and new books on every topic under the sun — from history to gardening, travel to art and literature — and a heap of second-hand vinyls will fill the Convent. This should make for some very happy browsing and even happier reading later on. The Melbourne Book Market has relocated to the Convent permanently and will be holding monthly fairs for bibliophiles. And it's in good company, with the Convent already being home to Lentil As Anything, a pay-as-you-feel vegetarian that's open all day on Saturdays. We'll update you as soon as more MBM dates are announced. The Melbourne Book Market will run from 10am–5pm.
If your pre-Christmas routine involves watching as many festive flicks as possible, then you might want to head to Cinema Nova between Thursday, December 13 and Monday, December 24. Every evening across the almost two-week period, the picture palace is projecting an Xmas great onto one of its big screens — and letting cinephiles get very merry indeed. There'll be 12 movies over 12 nights, with the whole program called 12 Nights of Christmas. No matter what type of Christmas film takes your fancy, you'll find it here. Say yippee ki-yay to the season with Die Hard, which kicks off the whole event; delve into the madcap mind of Tim Burton with The Nightmare Before Christmas, his gorgeous stop-motion animation effort; and, of course, revisit the rom-com that everyone either loves or hates, aka Love Actually. Other movies on the bill include zombie comedy musical Anna and the Apocalypse, perennial favourite It's a Wonderful Life and the 80s fun of Gremlins — plus the Will Ferrell-starring Elf, 90s-style superheroes in Batman Returns, party flick Go and the film everyone adored as a kid, Home Alone. Or, of course, you can say "bah humbug!" to it all with Bad Santa and Scrooged.
Like karaoke? Fond of singing in public in general, whether you're solo or in a group? Then it's time to up your crooning game. Boozy Choir is exactly what it sounds like — aka a gathering of folks belting out a tune, together, over drinks. It's basically what happens whenever someone puts 'Wonderwall' or 'Weather With You' on the jukebox, but in a more organised fashion. Occurring on the second Wednesday of each month from August 8, Boozy Choir takes place in Welcome to Thornbury's private event space The Showroom, which means that the food truck hangout will be alive with the sound of music. Participation is free, although you'll need to pay for whatever you'd like to drink — and yes, singing and sipping go hand-in-hand. And, if you're not usually the type of person to unleash their inner Beyonce in front of the masses, don't worry. The great thing about choirs is that everyone is singing, so you are literally a voice in the crowd. You'll be taught a new song by a local musician each month, and you might just find joining in the fun cathartic. If you can't feel free when you're crooning along with a group, when can you?
Playing a 13-year-old in Atonement, Saoirse Ronan changed lives with a series of lies. As a twenty-something newlywed in On Chesil Beach, she slings the truth, but its piercing impact is just as sharp. Both roles stem from the pen of British author Ian McEwan and, while Ronan's career hasn't lacked highlights during the 11 years between the two, both demonstrate the depth of her talents. In the Brooklyn and Lady Bird star's hands, the two distinctive yet relatable characters are much closer than they might initially seem: a petulant, misguided teen misconstruing the facts as a way of coping with her own feelings, and a kind, exacting woman sharing what's really in her heart in an effort to do the same. Mere hours after saying "I do", Ronan's Florence has her whole married life in front of her. It's 1962, she's honeymooning by the pebbly shore of Dorset with her new husband Edward (Billy Howle), and when to have dinner seems like the duo's biggest worry. And yet, before darkness falls on their first night away, their wedded bliss will prove short-lived. First, they're playfully disagreeing about music choices. Next, they're trying to stay polite around interrupting wait staff. Soon, they're awkwardly trying to consummate their nuptials — which, instead of bringing the couple closer together, only drives them apart. Where romantic splendour becomes matrimonial sorrow, that's where On Chesil Beach finds its story. With a bittersweet mood painted across its frames, the film burrows into the heart of a fresh but fraught relationship — one that's just getting started, but is already saddled with heavy expectations and weighty complications. That said, this isn't a simple case of opposites attracting and then imploding, or of two besotted paramours following their feelings instead of their thoughts, although both ring true in some fashion. Classical violinist Florence is sweet and driven, from a middle-class family, and has a very clear view of her future. Edward is an English graduate with no set career path, harking from a much more modest background, and fond of rock and roll. What plagues the couple, however, is a dilemma that everyone faces at some point in their lives: the consequences of truly being honest with each other. As Florence and Edward's marriage wilts faster than the flowers that Florence undoubtedly carried down the aisle that same day, an intimate tale begets an intimate picture. Indeed, it's fitting that On Chesil Beach heralds the filmmaking debut of theatre and television director Dominic Cooke, with conversation — and the gaps between the sometimes passionate, sometimes tentative chatter — reigning supreme. Still, marking just the fourth time that prolific novelist McEwan has adapted his own work for the screen, the movie benefits from one of the writer's trademarks. Conveyed here through flashbacks to various points during the couple's courtship, On Chesil Beach never forgets that every single moment, act and discussion is the culmination of a lifetime's worth of desires, woes, emotions and experiences. Unsurprisingly, the resulting film is filled with complex characters not only navigating a difficult situation, but brandishing intricate histories. Meticulously and delicately directed by Cooke with an eye for the blandness of routine British life, the scenic glory of the movie's titular location, and the growing space between his protagonists, On Chesil Beach is also a film that's vastly improved by its stars. As astute and insightful as McEwan's narrative is, it's the performances that give texture to a tale that otherwise works better on the page — including in its ending. That Howle more than holds his own against three-time Oscar-nominee Ronan is no minor achievement, and together they make this thorny fictional romance seem devastatingly real. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9ChbMk1e6Y
