If a certain 70s-made, 50s-set musical rom-com about an Australian transfer student falling in love with an American high schooler in California is the one that you want — always — then you'll know that Grease isn't just about the hit 1978 movie. Before it became a silver-screen classic, it was a popular stage musical. After its movie success, it spawned a 1982 Michelle Pfeiffer-starring sequel, too. And now, in 2023, it'll span a prequel streaming series as well: Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies. Welcome back to Rydell High, but before Danny (John Travolta) and Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) were hopelessly devoted to each other. Rise of the Pink Ladies is set in 1954, four years prior to the events of Grease. Clearly, there's no prizes for guessing which group of students earn the new show's focus. Here, in a ten-episode series set to stream via Paramount+ in Australia on Friday, April 7 — with New Zealand airing details yet to be revealed — the eponymous girl gang gets an origin story. Yes, even Grease is jumping on the bandwagon, with explaining the stories behind already proven hits pop culture's favourite thing of late. In the just-dropped first trailer for the series, the titular young women are given words of warning about appropriate behaviour. "Ladies, you must be careful with whom you associate," Assistant Principal McGee (Jackie Hoffman, Only Murders in the Building) tells them. "A girl's reputation is all that she has." Pink jackets, T-Birds, dance scenes (including while wearing mechanics' overalls), a new take on a familiar track advising that Grease is indeed the word: they're all included in the debut sneak peek, which also promises that "things are about to get wild". Cast-wise, Marisa Davila (Love and Baseball), first-timer Cheyenne Isabel Wells, Ari Notartomaso (Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin) and Tricia Fukuhara (Loot) play the four teens who start the Pink Ladies, and are joined on-screen by Shanel Bailey (The Good Fight), Madison Thompson (Emergency), Johnathan Nieves (Penny Dreadful: City of Angels), Jason Schmidt (FBI: Most Wanted) and Maxwell Whittington-Cooper (The Photograph). This isn't the last time that all things Grease will pop up again, either — not including the stage musical and OG movie's enduring popularity, of course — with a Danny and Sandy-focused prequel flick Summer Lovin' also in the works. Check out the first trailer for Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies below: Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies starts streaming via Paramount+ in Australia on Friday, April 7. New Zealand release details haven't yet been revealed — we'll update you when further information comes to hand.
It's a question that film festivals face each and every year: how do you kick off? For the Melbourne International Film Festival in 2025, the answer comes courtesy of an award-winner with Australian ties that'll enjoy its Aussie premiere in the Victorian capital. The movie opening the fest on Thursday, August 7: If I Had Legs I'd Kick You starring Rose Byrne (Physical). The dramedy initially debuted at Sundance to significant acclaim, then made its way to the Berlin International Film Festival — and saw Byrne take home that fest's Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance. Scoring the opening-night slot at MIFF is no small feat, either, with attendees set to watch its lead portraying Linda, a psychologist struggling with balancing her clients, an ill child and an abyss on her building's roof. [caption id="attachment_1011660" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nick Robertson[/caption] Fellow Aussie Danielle Macdonald (The Last Anniversary) co-stars, as does Conan O'Brien (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Christian Slater (Dexter: Original Sin) and A$AP Rocky (Highest 2 Lowest). Also among the cast: If I Had Legs I'd Kick You's writer/director Mary Bronstein (Yeast). "I am beyond thrilled to be bringing If I Had Legs I'd Kick You to MIFF. That would have been enough, but I am further honoured and gobsmacked to have been selected to open the festival," said the filmmaker. "My film is built around an unprecedented performance by one of the most-talented actors that has ever come out of Australia: Rose Byrne. It is all the more meaningful for me to be able to personally share Rose's soul-shattering work, along with the stunningly raw co-starring performance of fellow Australian Danielle MacDonald, with such celebration and reverence in their home country." "This New Yorker has never been to the other side of the globe before and I can't think of a better way to first experience beautiful Melbourne than through such deep appreciation for not just my film, but cinema in general, as MIFF is known around the world for." [caption id="attachment_1011661" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nick Robertson[/caption] Added MIFF Artistic Director Al Cossar, "I'm so thrilled the electrifying If I Had Legs I'd Kick You opens this year's MIFF with some of the most intensely accomplished filmmaking you'll see this year. Urgent, funny, and audacious, we couldn't be prouder that Bronstein's singular vision will set the start to MIFF's 18-day immensity of cinema-going, as we welcome Melbourne audiences back once more to our 300-plus film adventure through the world's imagination." Melbourne International Film Festival runs from Thursday, August 7–Sunday, August 24 in 2025, and began announcing this year's lineup back in June, ahead of the full program dropping on Thursday, July 10. Other highlights so far include Parasite composer Jung Jae-il coming to Australia to conduct the movie's score live in an Aussie exclusive, Jafar Panahi's Cannes Palme d'Or-winning It Was Just an Accident, almost-100-year-old masterpiece The Passion of Joan of Arc with a new score by Julia Holter performed live, an Australian time-loop comedy involving tequila, a Baker Boy- and Hugh Jackman (Deadpool & Wolverine)-narrated tribute to David Gulpilil, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind filmmaker Michel Gondry's latest and the world-premiere of natural disaster-focused virtual-reality documentary When the World Came Flooding In. The 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival runs from Thursday, August 7–Sunday, August 24 at a variety of venues around Melbourne; from Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 17 and Friday, August 22–Sunday, August 24 in regional Victoria; and online nationwide from Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 31. For further details, including the full program from Thursday, July 10, visit the MIFF website.
The Vincent family is passionate about showcasing the best work from some of the world's most talented designers. From furniture and lighting, to homewares and clothing, Vincent Design champions quality and craftsmanship. Most recently, the fam has developed of its own range, which includes a stunning timber dining table, among other beautifully crafted pieces. If you're after a few smaller purchases to elicit a greater sense of hygge in your home, check out the shop's selection of artisan vases, pendant cord lamps and mosaic floor rugs. To keep you and your newfound sense of hygge protected from the chilly Melbourne winter, Vincent Design also sell raincoats from Danish company Rains.
No longer confined to children's birthday parties, bouncy castles, inflatable obstacle sources and blow-up labyrinths are currently hot property for adults (and their inner kids, of course). And the next blow-up event to hit Australia is big. Really big. Dubbed 'The Big Bounce Australia', it's an inflatable theme park made up of Guinness World Records-certified world's biggest bouncy castle, a 300-metre long obstacle course and a three-part space-themed wonderland. You're going to need a lot of red cordial to bounce your way through all of this. Set to hit Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth in early 2020, The Big Bounce is open to both littl'uns and big'uns, but there are a heap of adults-only sessions, so you don't have to worry about dodging toddlers on your way through. Tickets for adults will set you back $55, which gives you a whole three hours in the park — you'll need it. Inside, you'll encounter the aforementioned bouncy castle — aptly named The World's Biggest Bounce House — covering a whopping 1500 square metres and, in some spots, reaching ten metres off the ground. In this house, you'll encounter a heap of slides, ball pits, climbing towers, basketball hoops and (if you can believe it) a stage with DJs, confetti cannons and beach balls. Then, there's The Giant, with 50 inflatable obstacles, including giant red balls and a monster slide. [caption id="attachment_749668" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Big Bounce AirSpace[/caption] Before you hit the final, three-part section of the park, you may need to pause, down some red frogs and maybe even have a nap. Or not, you do only have three hours to explore it all. Next up, is AirSpace, where aliens, spaceships and moon craters collide with a five-lane slide, some more ball pits and an 18-metre-tall maze. Now, you'll certainly need a nap. This extremely OTT theme park is hitting Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse first (January 3–19), before heading to Sydney's St Ives Showground (January 24–February 9). After that, it'll head to Adelaide (February 14–March 1), Brisbane (March 6–22) and Perth (April 3–19) — locations haven't been announced for these ones yet, but we'll let you know when they are. Tickets for The Big Bounce Sydney and Melbourne are on sale now. We'll update you when the rest drop.
Victoria's annual competition for the best vanilla slice — the Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph — began in 1998, reportedly because the then-Victorian premier Jeff Kennett claimed the vanilla slice from Ouyen's town bakery was the best he had ever tasted. It's not surprising then, that the tradition has lived on, with Victorians rallying in staunch defence of their local bakery's version of this sweet and flakey Australian icon. The origins of the enigmatic vanilla slice are hazy. The French would argue it's derived from their beloved mille-feuille, meaning one thousand sheets — a much more sophisticated title than its Australian counterpart, where we affectionately nickname said slices "snot-blocks". Mille-feuille, snot-blocks, slices of heaven — whatever you want to call them, here's the list of the best vanilla slices Victoria has to offer, whether you're in Melbourne's inner suburbs or out in a small regional town. Recommended reads: The Best Bakeries in Melbourne The Best Cafes in Melbourne The Best Coffee in Melbourne The Best Ice Cream and Gelato in Melbourne THE FRENCH LETTUCE, CARLTON & BULLEEN The French Lettuce is a classic French-Aussie patisserie, with fresh raspberry tarts and beef and burgundy pies filling its glass cabinets. Its shop window also states it's been voted the number one vanilla slice in Melbourne — and we can think of a few reasons why. The French Lettuce's award-winning dessert (or indulgent snack) has made a name for itself through a thick slab of custard, perfectly flaky pastry and a decent dusting of icing sugar. And if that's not enough for the vanilla slice addicts out there: you can also get it in cake form. That's right, an actual cake with double-layered puff pastry and classic vanilla slice custard filling, with some strawberries and almonds on top, for good measure. The French Lettuce also has a stall at Richmond Gleadell Street Market Bakery, so be sure to check it out next time you're in the area. BRIDGEWATER BAKEHOUSE, BRIDGEWATER Number one on many-a vanilla slice lover's list, Bridgewater Bakehouse is a must-try. Using fresh vanilla beans instead of vanilla essence like many slices, these perfectly square numbers can be found in the tiny town of Bridgewater near the Loddon River in central Victoria. Bridgewater Bakehouse has an old-fashioned country charm about it, but that's not the only reason people flock there. It has won the aforementioned Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumphs in both 2018 and 2019. The wins have put the Bridgewater Bakehouse on the map, making the small town a gastronomic destination, selling over 500 pastries every day. BOURKIE'S BAKEHOUSE, WOODEND Bourkie's Bakehouse has been in business in the small, picturesque country town of Woodend for 32 years. They've reeled in numerous trophies for their vanilla slices, including a tie for first place, three second places, and six third place in the Great Australian Vanilla Slice Competition. With three permanent slices residing in its cabinets: iced vanilla, strawberry and passionfruit, Bourkie's is worth the pilgrimage. And if you catch them on a day when they're offering a special, you'll be cheering. On occasion, they have vanilla slice specials which include raspberry mousse, mocha (choc mousse with coffee icing), apple crumble and sticky date pudding. Bourkie's vanilla slices will set you back $4.5. VANILLA SLICE CAFE, SORRENTO It would be a crime against the vanilla slice community of Victoria to not mention the Vanilla Slice Cafe in Sorrento. Nestled on the main road in a quaint, homely shop with a limestone facade, on some days, you'll find lines outside The Vanilla Slice Cafe made up of both tourists and locals waiting to buy one of its famous slices. These guys will set you back $8.90, but they're well worth the price. They're on the thicker side, so while you'll be tempted to share one between two people, we urge you to get your own — trust us. MISTER NICE GUY'S BAKESHOP, ASCOT VALE Mister Nice Guy's Bakeshop is Melbourne's first 100% plant-based bakery and home to one of Melbourne's only vegan slices. But, to our non-vegan readers, don't be worried if your plant-based friend begs you to come along to get some vegan vanilla slices, donuts or scrolls — you'll probably end up leaving with a box of treats too. With custard so silky and pastry so flakey, you might be jumping on the vegan sweet train for good. MOUNT MARTHA FINE FOODS, MOUNT MARTHA If you're the kind of slice aficionado that likes their custard to be around thirty times as thick as the pastry it's sandwiched between, then Mount Martha Fine Foods is your next foodie destination. These creamy vanilla bricks are a sight for sore eyes, as is the stunning beach they are baked next to. Eating a mammoth slab of custard before a swim at one of Victoria's most beautiful beaches? Don't mind if we do. GUSTO BAKERY, FAIRFIELD & STRATHMORE Gusto Bakery is a family-run institution. With seven children between them, four of which have worked at the bakery, owners Simon and Carly's homestyle bakery is certainly a labour of love. Gusto Bakery offers two types of vanilla slices: one is a classic french-style slice with an impossibly creamy vanilla custard sandwiched between two layers of light puff pastry and a thin dusting of icing sugar. The other slice of vanilla heaven is more inventive than its traditional counterpart: this award-winning slice is smothered with apricot jam and fondant. Yes, please! Top image: The French Lettuce
Sitting on level three of the Arbory crew's new HER building, Thai barbecue canteen BKK is celebrating punchy flavours cooked over flame and coal. Up here, a roomy, open-concept kitchen takes centre stage, with exposed brick played against warm orange neon and terracotta floors. Enjoy the kitchen theatrics as you tuck into fire-driven fare centred around BKK's custom-built five-metre Zesti charcoal grill and oven; the offering driven by Executive Chef Nick Bennett and Head Chef Sungeun Mo. From barbecued meats to authentic curries, the menu pulls inspiration from across Thailand, with a few modern reinterpretations in the mix. A strong snacking lineup features the likes of mushroom and glass noodle spring rolls, and oysters finished with coconut cream and nam prik pao (a roasted chilli sauce). There are grilled skewers aplenty, a sweet and crispy stir-fried beef dish, and multiple iterations of the classic laab — including one with barbecued pork jowl and khao khua (ground toasted rice). Meanwhile, a green curry stars jackfruit and green banana, and the tiramisu is reborn using rum, white chocolate and shaved ice. The drinks offering's designed to complement the menu's gutsy flavours and heat, via fresh, interesting wines and tropical-leaning cocktails. Continue your Bangkok adventure with sips like the tequila-infused Lychee Spritz or a charred pineapple margarita. An adaptation of the BKK menu is also available up on the HER Rooftop. [caption id="attachment_842087" align="alignnone" width="1920"] By Parker Blain[/caption] Images: Parker Blain Appears in: The Best Thai Restaurants in Melbourne for 2023
Times are changing down the Bellarine, with Geelong increasingly shedding its reputation as Melbourne's little sibling. One of Australia's fastest-growing regions, Geelong now accounts for around 40 percent of Victoria's regional population growth. And as a sign of the times, the city has a sparkling new hotel on its waterfront, as Crowne Plaza Geelong has officially opened its doors. No small thing, this new-build arrival is the largest accommodation to launch in the region, with the development's $120-million price tag resulting in 200 rooms and suites. Made for easygoing relaxation, each offers standout views across Geelong's rapidly growing CBD or soothing vistas along its north-facing bay. Bringing a contemporary stay to the Bellarine befitting of any big city, the hotel is also Crowne Plaza's debut venture in regional Victoria. So, what can guests expect? This sprawling landmark will serve as an inviting home base for exploring not only Geelong, but the entire Bellarine Peninsula. Immersed in coastal tones and warm textures, dining at Crowne Plaza Geelong is a major highlight. Starting on the ground floor, the relaxed cafe Verde on Smythe brews Piazza D'oro coffee for both guests and locals looking for an Italian-style pick-me-up. Up a level, the Med-like ambience continues at Sociali Trattoria & Bar, the hotel's laid-back pizza and pasta spot, featuring generous antipasti and Italian favourites designed for casual gatherings with friends and family. However, the crown jewel of this stay is Skyline Bar. Perched on level ten, guests are welcome to soak up panoramic bay views, complete with a sunset cocktail or a seasonal small plate and locally distilled gin. Beyond considered food and drink, Crowne Plaza Geelong ensures guests keep up with their regular fitness routine. With a well-equipped gym and an indoor heated pool, getting in a workout or an early morning dip is easy. For those looking to celebrate or conduct business, eight event spaces are brimming with natural light and waterfront views. Plus, the soon-to-open Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre is just steps away. The art displayed in guest rooms and hotel corridors also reflects the coastal vibe. Headlined by a new commission featuring local artist Kate Robertson, she captured native flora planted throughout the hotel using the camera-less phytogram process, resulting in 450 framed images showcasing ecological chemistry on expired film. All in all, Crowne Plaza Geelong and its surrounding waterside glow-up show how the city is outgrowing its little-sibling label. Crowne Plaza Geelong is now open at 33 Smythe Street, Geelong. Head to the website for more information.
Adapting The Narrow Road to the Deep North was always going to require a dream cast and crew. More than that, any attempt to bring Richard Flanagan's acclaimed 2013 novel to the screen was always set to demand a roster of creatives dedicated to doing the book justice, and to honouring the very real history that the work of fiction draws upon. The author didn't spin a true tale on his pages; however, much is shared with reality. Flanagan's text is steeped in the experience of Australian POWs during World War II, specifically those forced to work on the Burma Railway by the Japanese military. IRL, his own father was one of them. A cream-of-the-crop lineup is the aim for every screen project, of course, whether it's destined to grace cinemas or television. Streaming via Prime Video from Friday, April 18, 2025, The Narrow Road to the Deep North's talents should make other TV shows envious, Australian and international alike. For the first time in his career, filmmaker Justin Kurzel plies his skills on the small screen. For the five-part miniseries, he adapts a Booker Prize-winning novel again, as he did with True History of the Kelly Gang. Kurzel collaborates with screenwriter Shaun Grant once more, and unpacks complicated Aussie history again in the process as well, as the pair previously navigated with their take on Ned Kelly, plus Snowtown beforehand and Nitram afterwards. Standing before the lens for the duo: Jacob Elordi (Oh, Canada) on a rare return Down Under, Odessa Young (My First Film) falling into the same category, plus everyone from Irish great and Belfast Oscar-nominee Ciarán Hinds, as well as Japan's Shô Kasamatsu (Tokyo Vice), through to the Aussie likes of Olivia DeJonge (Elvis), Thomas Weatherall (Heartbreak High), Simon Baker (Boy Swallows Universe), Heather Mitchell (Love Me) and Essie Davis (One Day). In one of only five Australian texts to ever claim the prestigious literary award — Thomas Keneally's Schindler's Ark, DBC Pierre's Vernon God Little, and Peter Carey's aforementioned True History of the Kelly Gang and Oscar and Lucinda are the others — Flanagan charts the path of Dorrigo Evans. Before the Second World War, he has a future in medicine calling. Afterwards, he carves out a career as a respected surgeon. The Narrow Road to the Deep North jumps between the two, as well as his ordeal while being held captive as a prisoner of war. Elordi plays the younger Dorrigo in the series' 40s-era sequences. Hinds steps into the character's shoes in its 80s-set segments. The Narrow Road to the Deep North is a character study, as well as an exploration of multiple sides of war. It delves into culture clashes, interrogates heroism and steadfastly stresses the importance of remembering horrors gone by so that they aren't repeated. It's as much a love story, and a portrait of a long-lasting marriage, though — and yet those two aren't quite one and the same. As a young man, Dorrigo's future is also tied to Ella (DeJonge), whose family have ties back to drafting the Australian constitution. Decades later (played by Mitchell), she remains by his side. But before shipping out, before his medical prowess is needed in Syria, before being transported like cattle through Thailand to the jungle and before the compulsory strenuous labour that will claim the life of some of his friends, Dorrigo spends a summer embarking upon a secret affair with Amy Mulvaney (Young), the wife of his uncle Keith (Baker). It's this romance that he thinks of as he endures war's cruelties, and that also stays with him long afterwards. Casting Elordi and Young as the youthful Dorrigo and Amy are the best choices that The Narrow Road to the Deep North's guiding forces could've made for the two roles. For both actors, it also brought them home. Since 2018's Swinging Safari marked Elordi's first film, he's largely been busy overseas, meaning that Australian projects have been rarities his your resume. With Young, since The Daughter and Looking for Grace each made a splash in 2015, the same has also proven true. On the path from there to The Narrow Road to the Deep North, the pair have amassed an array of credits: The Kissing Booth trilogy, The Mortuary Collection, Deep Water, The Sweet East, Saltburn and Priscilla among them for Elordi; Sweet Virginia, A Million Little Pieces, Shirley, The Stand, Mothering Sunday, The Staircase (with DeJonge), Manodrome and more for Young. They also each have Sam Levinson projects to their name; as the world knows, Elordi is one of Euphoria's stars, while Young led the film Assassination Nation. "There couldn't be a better opportunity to come home," Elordi tells Concrete Playground about The Narrow Road to the Deep North. In fact, he responded so strongly to Flanagan's novel when Kurzel sent it his way that he started advising his family that the book was the key to understanding him, a statement that "I kind of regret saying", he also notes now. The Macbeth and Assassin's Creed filmmaker's involvement was crucial for him, too, as "an enormous fan of his work for my whole conscious movie life". [caption id="attachment_1000037" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Graham Denholm/Getty Images for Prime Video[/caption] That's similarly the case for Young, who reteams with Kurzel for the second time in two years, after featuring alongside Jude Law (Skeleton Crew) and Nicholas Hoult (Nosferatu) in the director's excellent 2024 crime-thriller The Order. "I would do anything that he asked me to do. I would love to work with him for the rest of my life, because I believe that he makes me a better performer," she shares. In our chat with Elordi and Young, we also dug into why Elordi felt such a powerful connection to The Narrow Road to the Deep North, and how infrequent that reaction is for him; Kurzel's penchant for difficult stories; and how Elordi and Young built chemistry together, as characters that Flanagan has compared to stars exploding in galaxies in real time. Covered as well: Elordi and his co-stars' commitment to authenticity in the POW scenes, and the sense of responsibility to the real-life men who worked on the Burma Railway that came with it — and what the two make of their respective journeys from starting out at home to overseas success, then coming back for a series they're clearly both proud of. On Why The Narrow Road to the Deep North Was the Right Project to Bring Both Elordi and Young Home After Their International Successes Jacob: "For me, it was Justin Kurzel. I've been an enormous fan of his work for my whole conscious movie life. So it was just the opportunity to be able to work with him." Odessa: "Yeah, me too. Sorry to copy." Jacob: "No, no, no. But of course, then you double down when it's Richard Flanagan's text. It's just there couldn't be a better opportunity to come home and try to make some cinema." On Elordi's Strong Reaction to the Novel, So Much So That He Told Family Members That the Book Was the Key to Understanding Him Jacob: "I kind of regret saying that now, because if you read the book, like it doesn't remind me of myself at all." Odessa: "You've changed." Jacob: "I think there's so many parts, there so many bits of him that are so inherently Australian, that it reminded me so much of a lot of the men in my life and the people that I know, and things like that. But it is a rare thing — but I feel like those things always happen for a reason. The right thing does find you at the right time, and you read it at a moment in time when it speaks to you. And that's always such a great treat." On Young Working with Justin Kurzel on Two Projects in a Row, with The Narrow Road to the Deep North Following The Order Odessa: "I think sometimes you just meet directors who make you a better actor, and he's one of them. I feel like I got a really lovely introduction to him working on The Order, because for me it was a low-pressure environment. I kind of got to be a bit of the relief from the very, very difficult story. He likes difficult stories, does Justin. And it was lovely. We just got to know each other under really low-pressure circumstances. And I just really, really love the way he works. It feels very natural to me. I would do anything that he asked me to do. I would love to work with him for the rest of my life, because I believe that he makes me a better performer." On the Importance of the Series Being Many Things, Including a Love Story, a Character Study, a Look at Multiple Sides of War, an Interrogation of Heroism and a Reminder Not to Forget Past Horrors Jacob: "I think that's what makes for great cinema, is all of those human elements and the minutiae in those moments. I think all of them compounded, especially in a piece about memory — it is what cinema is about. It's a whole life compressed and contained and examined and looked at and explored. And I think having them all is what makes it such a complete piece." On Building the Type of Chemistry That Author Richard Flanagan Compared to Stars Exploding in Galaxies in Real Time Odessa: "I think we just both probably sensed in each other quite early on in the rehearsal process that we were both ready to just put it all there. And, I don't know, we were just going to take it seriously. We're going to give as much as we could. Sorry, I'm using like sports terminology. Leave it all on the field." Jacob: "Full credit to the other side." Odessa: "Yeah, everyone was a great player today. No, but I think we got very lucky. I think we have just a natural understanding and trust in each other. You never know if that's going to work out that way, but it did." Jacob: "Yeah." Odessa: "And I think that for me — I won't speak for you, but I do sense this in you — there's no point in doing it if you're not doing it fully." Jacob: "Yeah." Odessa: "And I think we're both that kind of actor." Jacob: "Which is really just — it's either casting from Justin or just some profound luck." On Committing to Authenticity in the Series' Prisoner-of-War Scenes, and the Sense of Responsibility to the Real-Life Men Who Went Through It That Comes with It Jacob: "It would probably be the most-important thing. We're talking about real men, and we're talking about Richard Flanagan, the writer's, father — and Shaun Grant's grandfather. These are real people and the history, it's still there. And the trauma of it lives on generationally. So it's not about entertainment. It's not about shooting guns and making some great spectacle. It's about telling the truth and immortalising something as best that you can." On What Elordi and Young Make of the Journeys That They've Each Taken Since Their Early Australian Breakthrough Roles Odessa: "It's hard to characterise it. I think it's actually helpful not to think about it, and not to try to maybe intellectualise — at least for me — why I've chosen the things that I have. I think so much of the course of a career happens on instinct, and some of it's also dumb luck. But I feel incredibly proud and incredibly lucky, and I guess I haven't done so bad if I'm here celebrating this." Jacob: "It's an immense amount of luck — and I would say probably shared with a deep love for movies. And if you love movies and you love cinema, it's not so deliberate but you seek out the things that hopefully move you and mean something to you in that moment." The Narrow Road to the Deep North will stream via Prime Video from Friday, April 18, 2025. Images: Prime Video.
Michelangelo's David means a whole lot of things to Western culture. He's a perfect specimen of the Renaissance man, all toned and taut and towering. He's a biblical hero; defeating Goliath in awe-inspiring fashion and becoming the original underdog. We've marvelled at his perfection for generations and now, he may be brought down by the fact he has weak ankles. It's poetic, really. Italian researchers have recently found a number of weak spots in the iconic statue's ankles they claim could be fatal — in as much as anything can be fatal to a statue — in the coming months. At a whopping 5,572kg, the BBC report David could collapse under his own weight if disturbed by as much as nearby roadworks. With microfractures also appearing in his legs and supporting tree stump, David's prognosis doesn't look great for a number of reasons. Firstly, the marble Michelangelo used is of a poor quality and fragile at the best of times. Secondly, his pose is naturally off-centre and La Gazetta del Sud reported that he was positioned on a dangerous angle in the city's main square for three centuries. Thirdly, he's 510 years old. You'd be showing some wear and tear at that age too. This isn't David's first time in the wars either. During a riot in 1529 he lost the lower half of his left arm and in 1991 he suffered a smashed toe at the hand of another artist. These injuries have all been restored and David regularly undergoes superficial restorations in the way of cleaning. But addressing these structural problems is a whole separate issue — is it our place to interfere or should we let David go out gracefully? Some historians have previously argued that David should go into hiding in order to retain his aura and if that is to happen, now seems like the opportune time. "I'd like to see [it] disappear for a couple of hundred years, so it's expunged from our consciousness and our popular references," said historical novelist Sarah Dunnant. "[Then] it can be found again — like the Statue of Liberty at the end of the Planet of the Apes — and seen again with a sense of awe." Maybe this is the answer. David's been on his feet for an awfully long time and perhaps he deserves a break. Surely any attempts to amend the structural integrity of his marble would end in some kind of humiliating amputation or plaster leg cast. At what point do we let history run its course? Picture it: the man who slew Goliath in one mighty blow taken down by his Achilles' heel. How appropriate. Via BBC and ABC.
Vacationing closer to home shouldn't mean settling for unimaginative getaways. Australia has its own collection of holiday paradises, stunning sights and supreme vacation vibes without the long-haul flight — including the lush hinterland region of Queensland's Sunshine Coast, sitting around 90 minutes north of Brisbane. Here, you'll find cosy couples' cabins, treehouse hideaways and stunning rural retreats, all perfectly located to the area's famed nature walks, hinterland villages and sandy beaches. We've done the hard work for you and pulled together a list of the most stunning Sunshine Coast hinterland stays you can book right now. Pick a winner, pack your bags and get ready to recharge those batteries with a blissed-out rainforest retreat. Recommended reads: The Best Dog-Friendly-Stays in Queensland The Best Places to Go Glamping in Queensland The Best Hotels in Brisbane The Best Island Stays in Queensland 629 Balmoral Ridge, Balmoral Ridge Stay on top of the world at this stunning ridgetop retreat, complete with epic views and a roomy deck from which to soak it all in. From $690 a night, sleeps four. Blue Summit Cottages Luxury Escape, Witta Boasting a fireplace, living room spa and sweeping views across the treetops, this self-contained cottage makes for an idyllic couples' escape. From $414 a night, sleeps two. Pencil Creek Cottage, Mapleton Break from reality at this charming couples' cottage, set among the leafy surrounds of Mapleton. Log fire, four-poster bed and peaceful deck, all included. From $297 a night, sleeps two. Cuddle Cottage, Montville This picture-perfect cottage for two comes kitted out with a romantic loft bedroom, plus a sunny terrace for afternoon cocktails with a view. From $195 a night, sleeps two. The Farm on Razorback Ridge, Montville A lofty retreat set on ten hectares of farmland and rainforest. Enjoy sunny days splashing in the pool and nights unwinding by the fire. From $1146 a night, sleeps ten. Bird Song Valley, Montville Experience your own slice of hinterland paradise at this breezy revamped Queenslander, complete with crisp styling, wraparound verandahs and a luxurious master tub. From $375 a night, sleeps six. Couples Spa Suite Retreat, Montville Unwind and reconnect in this luxury honeymoon suite. The balcony spa bath, bio-fuel fireplace and treetop views are getaway goals. From $350 a night, sleeps four. Treetops Seaview, Montville With its breathtaking outlook, this private treetop hideaway feels worlds away from reality. Lounge on the sun-drenched deck, or soak up epic views in the spa. From $512 a night, sleeps two. Cobhearthome, Maleny Tread lightly with a stay at this award-winning Mediterranean-style eco-cottage, decked out with colourful murals and boasting views across lush green rainforest. How much? From $230 a night, sleeps four. The Wilds Container Home, Dulong This converted shipping container home is an architectural delight, enveloped by nature. Enjoy a stylish hideaway, with luxe features and a private, leafy setting. From $330 a night, sleeps two. Treehaus, Valdora Tranquility meets style at this breezy nature retreat. Unwind with the help of luxurious linens, a blissful courtyard garden and a toasty fire pit. From $180 a night, sleeps four. The Bower Couples' Cabin, Wootha Surrounded by rainforest, this charming timber cabin makes for a romantic hideout year-round. Snuggle fireside, unwind in the claw-foot tub, or laze by the shared pool. From $165 a night, sleeps two. All images courtesy of Airbnb. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
What do the Australian comedy scene, YouTube, international festivals, Netflix, wine and picture books all have in common? Aunty Donna have conquered them all. Here's another thing to add to that list: Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves. The Chris Pine (Don't Worry Darling)-, Regé-Jean Page (The Gray Man)-, Michelle Rodriguez (Fast & Furious 9) -and Hugh Grant (Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre)-starring film doesn't just bring of Stranger Things' favourite role-playing game back to cinemas — it does so in Australia with Aunty Donna among the cast. Since forming over a decade ago, the Aussie comedy troupe led by Zachary Ruane, Broden Kelly and Mark Samual Bonanno hasn't stopped making audiences laugh — in-person in Australia, online and around the world; while watching the side-splitting Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun; over a $30 bottle of wine literally called '$30 Bottle of Wine' and while flicking through Always Room for Christmas Pud. Later this year, they'll get folks giggling over their upcoming ABC sitcom Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe, too. But for now, playing corpses revived by Pine, awakening from their eternal slumbers to talk about century-old battles and cats, does the trick first. Aunty Donna are no strangers to Dungeons & Dragons. Back in 2017, on YouTube Channel Insert Coin, they gave D&D an Aunty Donna twist in a now-classic sketch — one that did for owlbears what 'Morning Brown' has for calling your wake-up cup of caffeine "morning brown". And, a couple of years back, they also endeavoured to create their own D&D monsters. How did those comic ties to Dungeons & Dragons lead to Aunty Donna playing undead in Hollywood's latest D&D flick, and the latest movie based on Hasbro's toys and games after the Transformers series, the GI Joe films, Battleship, Power Rangers and more? We chatted to Ruane, Kelly and Bonanno about their new on-screen stint, comedy goals, D&D podcasts, missing out on the first Fast and the Furious movie, visiting cemeteries, flatlining and getting buried alive. So, just a normal Aunty Donna chat, then. ON LIVING THE DUNGEONS & DRAGONS DREAM Zachary Ruane: "We'd talked about it at length. So, when we first got together as a comedy group, we made a list of goals. This was at a Starbucks in…" Broden Kelly: "Melbourne." Mark Samual Bonanno: "Southern Cross Station." Zachary: "We sat down and we had a list of goals. One of them was a comedy festival show. And on that list was 'if Hollywood ever moves towards a more IP-dependent business structure and Paramount teams up with Hasbro to reboot the Dungeons & Dragons franchise, we' — and this is on the list — 'we would like to do voice work for the Australian release of that film'. We didn't think it was going to happen. I'd pretty much given up on that dream. And then, when we got the call from Paramount, I wept." Mark: "You wept for days." Zachary: "I wept for days." Mark: "It was too much." Zachary: "It was a very emotional experience for me, because that was the final thing to cross off the list, you know — so a really big moment for me and for all of us in our careers." ON COMEDY'S FONDNESS FOR DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Broden: "When I started, I'd never played Dungeons & Dragons before. I only knew it as a board game from the 80s. But being in comedy, Dungeons & Dragons is constantly just adjacent to it. There's so many funny people doing podcasts about it. So if you're in the comedy world — I'd never played it but I've been on every podcast about Dungeons & Dragons. And what it is, it seems to be just a community of people who are very warm and welcoming, and it's a world where you can do everything and nothing's wrong, which is just really fun and cool. It nurtures creativity. It nurtures imagination. Even just from doing this, we've seen how warm that community is." Zachary: "I should say, the film isn't just for those fans. It's really for everyone. It's a romp, it's an adventure." Mark: "Well, it's not about people playing D&D, is it? It's a fun…" Zachary: "It's a romp." Mark: "It's a fun romp set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons. Owlbears..." Broden: "I didn't know an owlbear until I did that sketch, and now I feel ashamed that I didn't know an owlbear before." Mark: "Don't be ashamed!" Zachary: "We watched the film with a big Dungeons & Dragons fan, and she was telling us all the little references. She was saying 'oh, they got perfect and that right'. And then I was like 'that's so crazy' because that was her experience, but then for me who hasn't played it that much, I just had a great time. It's really funny and fun." ON HOW AUNTY DONNA CAME TO BE IN A DUNGEONS & DRAGONS MOVIE Broden: "Well." Zachary: "Well." Mark: "Well, they just kept knocking at our door until we said yes. [To Zachary and Broden] How many times did we turn them down?" Zachary: "We were initially offered the part of — Broden was offered the part that Chris Pine plays in the film, I was offered the Michelle Rodriguez part. Which is funny because I was also offered that part in the first Fast and the Furious film, and I turned it down. And if I had known what franchise would become — oh my goodness!" Mark: "Sometimes you just miss your shot with those kinds of things." Zachary: "Yeah, absolutely. [To Mark] And then you were up for which part?" Mark: "For every other part in the film." Zachary: "So it was going to be a three-hander." Mark: "Originally it was going to be a vehicle for Aunty Donna to promote our YouTube channel — and we were just like, 'we're so busy'. We were so busy. [To Zachary and Broden] What did we have on?" Broden: "A birthday party or something." Mark: "Yeah, we had a party, and we were going to do half a run at Edinburgh Fringe. A two-week run at Edinburgh Fringe." Zachary: "And then when they folded in the Dungeons & Dragons layer to it, because originally it was just a sketch series of ours, it just became a little too big for us. And we said 'you know what, I'm going to handball this to the real professionals over at Hollywood'. And you'll see the film, you'll see — you're going to have a great time." ON PREPARING TO PLAY CORPSES REVIVED BY CHRIS PINE Broden: "I went to a lot of cemeteries, and it didn't do the trick. So I went back with a shovel, and someone stopped me — but I was going to get in there and really…" Mark: "That was me. I was like 'Broden, if you start digging up corpses to play this role, for this role, even though I know that's under false pretences...'. [To Broden] Because you love robbing graves, don't you?" Broden: "Yeah. Yeah. You can't go back from that." Zachary: "We call him da Vinci. He loves robbing graves and drawing really intricate drawings of the bodies." Mark: "Oh and of flight machines." Zachary: "Like Leonardo da Vinci. Me, I flatlined. I did some flatlining, like the movie Flatliners starring Kiefer Sutherland. So I stopped my heart until I was through the tunnel, and then I was reanimated. So I was able to experience death and coming out of it. And I think you'll see that with the corpse when I go [groans and gasps loudly]. That's from a real place." Mark: "Perfectly recreated." Zachary: "Yeah." Mark: "Broden and I ended up — I just buried myself in my backyard, Broden came and dug me up. It was kind of like a role play." Zachary: "How apropos." Mark: "How apropos! [To Broden] And then did you get enough out of that Broden, that experience?" Broden: "Yeah, so we do that every Saturday morning now, where we…" Mark: "Chuck on Cheez TV." Broden: "Yeah, I'll bury Mark in a garden with a little straw out for air." Mark: "Yeah." Broden: "And then I'll dig him up." Mark: "It's just for lunch." Broden: "And then we'll go have lunch at a cafe, or…" Mark: "That's what Hollywood is so great for: bringing friends closer together." Zachary: "I don't flatline anymore. I discovered that there's a darkness in the other realm and I realised that I had to stop." Sarah Ward: "Just like the movie." Aunty Donna [in unison]: "Just like the movie." Check out the new Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves trailer below: Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves opens in cinemas Down Under on March 30.
Your brain knows it as well as your stomach: food tastes a certain way after midnight. And that way is generally very good. Something happens to your tastebuds (and appreciation for food) after a night out. One minute, you're happily wandering up Swanston Street on your way to get a tram home, and the next, you're hit with a craving for noodles or dumplings. Or you're suddenly incapacitated in the middle of Lygon Street with a need for pizza or pasta. Instead of doing a futile (and probably ineffective) search through Google Maps when you're after the best Melbourne restaurants and bars for late-night eats, bookmark this page to come back to when hunger strikes. We see you and your late-night food cravings — and give you the best late-night eats in Melbourne. Recommended reads: The Best Restaurants in Melbourne The Best Bars in Melbourne The Best Bars for Dancing in Melbourne The Best Cheap Eats in Melbourne
Walk past the serious black brick facade that belongs to Code Black and you'll be guided by a more welcoming, heritage-listed red brick building (previously the Toby's Estate coffee warehouse). Signposted by Brunswick locals milling on the pavement and, of course, a few bikes chained up out the front, Brunswick Foodstore is filled with both locals and bike owners getting their weekend fill of eggs, smashed avocado and single origin coffee. Thanks to the Lebanese backgrounds of owners Rich and Suzy Pavlov, the menu at the Brunswick Foodstore holds a distinctly Middle Eastern vibe, with the likes of sucuk (Turkish sausage), zaatar and labne making multiple appearances. The smashed avocado with grilled pork sausage, poached eggs, feta and rocket ($17.50) is a great way to start the day, the brioche French toast with pear mascarpone, crispy bacon, rosewater syrup and walnuts ($16.90) a pure treat, and the breakfast mezze with fried eggs, labne, grilled sucuk, feta, olives and pita bread ($18.50) is an interesting take on breakfast. Onto lunch and the menu's direction is consistent, with mezze plates, kofta wraps and falafel providing the foundations for a rather solid offering. As you sit in this expansive warehouse space that feels pleasantly warm and welcoming, you'll find plenty of things to look at. In one corner is the food store, with its rows and rows of interesting, colourful produce; from tins of tea and bags of coffee, to jars of spices and chilled deli goods as well as freshly baked bread, there is a strong local focus and everything stocked seems to have been very carefully considered. In another corner lies the kitchen and bar, decorated with geometric drawings and a wall mural of coffee machine mechanics, serving as just one piece of evidence that the coffee here (made with Toby's Estate beans, no less) is taken very seriously. But perhaps the best thing about Brunswick Foodstore is that, due to its sheer size, you're likely to nab a table when all other Brunswick cafes will make you wait. And, if you do face a small wait, perusing the food store can make for a delightful way to pass the time.
Australia's two most populous cities have once again ranked highly among the world's most liveable cities. Very highly, in fact. Melbourne, which had seven years at the top between 2010-2017, has come in second, with Sydney a spot behind at number three. Vienna for the second year running has taken the top spot on The Economist Intelligence Unit's Global 2019 Liveability Index, which was announced today. The index ranks 140 cities on stability, healthcare, education, infrastructure, culture and environment, giving each city a rating out of 100. Melbourne has retained its 98.4 score (the same as 2018), while Sydney has increased from 97.4 (and fifth place) to 98.1. Melbourne's score for culture and environment was one of the highest, 98.6, second only to Vancouver, which scored a perfect 100 in the category. According to the EIU, Sydney's ranking had climbed thanks to its: "improvement in its culture and environment score, reflecting an increased focus on combating and mitigating the impacts of climate change." The report talks directly to the city's 'Sustainable Sydney 2030' strategy, which was announced earlier this year by the City of Sydney and outlines goals to make the city "green, global and connected". The only other Australian city to make the top ten was Adelaide, coming in at number ten, while Perth and Brisbane claimed 14th and 18th spot, respectively. Rounding out the top five, were Osaka at third and Calgary at fourth, with both retaining the same rankings as last year. You can read the full Economist Intelligence Unit's Global 2019 Liveability Index over here.
He's going to Newport: Johnny Cash, that is. Twice in A Complete Unknown, the iconic singer-songwriter graces the lineup at the famous folk festival in Rhode Island in the 60s. Twice in the Bob Dylan biopic, he crosses paths with the film's subject at the event. The details depicted are in the service of Dylan's story — while James Mangold is in the director's chair, he's not remaking Walk the Line — but these wouldn't be the moments that they are, and nor would A Complete Unknown be the movie that it is, without Boyd Holbrook (The Bikeriders) as Cash opposite Timothée Chalamet's (Dune: Part Two) Dylan. The term "goes electric" will always be synonymous with Dylan at 1965's Newport Folk Festival, where he dared to play an electric guitar in one of his sets — and the response as much as the act ensured that it went down in history. Cash helped him get there, not only by picking up the same type of instrument at the same place the year before, but through his pen-pal friendship with and encouragement of Dylan. The eight-time Oscar-nominated picture makes clear how much that Cash's words, and the effort of him taking time to commit them to paper, meant to Dylan. It goes electric, too, when Chalamet and Holbrook share scenes. A Complete Unknown is a movie with Chalamet as Dylan, Monica Barbaro (Fubar) as Joan Baez, Edward Norton (Asteroid City) as Pete Seeger and Scoot McNairy (Speak No Evil) as Woody Guthrie. So, it's a flick filled with impressive actors portraying music greats. Given that this a film by Walk the Line director Mangold, however, it's also a picture that gives Holbrook a completely different job to his co-stars, since he's portraying Cash. What happens when the filmmaker behind an Academy Award-winning Man in Black biopic asks you to be the next actor to slip into the legend's shoes? Holbrook had been keen on a different role in the feature, he tells Concrete Playground, at a time when Cash wasn't even in the script — then found himself with a "daunting task". Still, for anyone who has charted Holbrook's career since his 2008 big-screen debut in Milk — a span that's taken him through Behind the Candelabra, The Skeleton Twins, Gone Girl, Jane Got a Gun, The Predator, Narcos and The Sandman, just to name a few projects — it should come as no surprise that he feels like he's been preparing for this part for more than a decade. It helped that he'd made two previous films with Mangold, Logan (which uses a Cash song over its closing credits and in its trailer) and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. In fact, he sees his relationship with the filmmaker as similar to Dylan and Cash's, but with Mangold as the mentor and Holbrook the protégé. And, it equally assists that he'd also perfected swagger on-screen, which can be an elusive trait, including in his two prior roles in The Bikeriders and Justified: City Primeval. Yes, his A Complete Unknown performance meant facing "the Joaquin element", Holbrook explains — with Joaquin Phoenix (Joker: Folie á Deux) Oscar- and BAFTA-nominated, and the winner of a Golden Globe, for playing Cash two decades back for Mangold. But he also knew that the filmmaker, who worked with fellow screenwriter Jay Cocks (Silence) to adapt Elijah Wald's 2015 book Dylan Goes Electric! Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties, had a fresh angle into Cash here. As Mangold himself also told us about the pair's relationship as pen pals, "this correspondence suddenly became central to me, because as I was trying to assemble — as much as I was trying to tell Dylan's story, he is a bit inscrutable, and I felt like you could learn more by also telling the story of those that surrounded Dylan, and the way his genius affected each of them differently". "And what was so necessary about bringing Johnny into the story was that he's the devil on that shoulder. If you have Pete and Lomax and Joan Baez all on this shoulder saying 'stick with the team; don't cross over to that dangerous, suspicious popular music', you had Johnny Cash on the other shoulder who was saying 'track mud on someone's carpet'," Mangold continued. "Which was literally one of Johnny's lines in his letters to Bob. And that he made it his business to encourage Dylan to stay bold and to stay on the leading edge, was so wonderful to me." For Holbrook, taking on the part meant exaggerating his music skills to Mangold to begin with; however, the quest to make good on that promise became a key part of his preparation process. We also chatted with Holbrook about his repeat collaborations with Mangold, perfecting swagger on-screen, drunk acting as Cash in one of the movie's standout scenes, and what excites him about working on a new movie or TV show — next he'll pop up in season four of The Morning Show — at this stage of his filmography. On Having a Cash-and-Dylan Relationship with Director James Mangold After Logan, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Now A Complete Unknown "I don't think I would have gone anywhere near the Johnny Cash character unless it was Jim making the movie. And it was odd, because I'd read the script before we did Indiana Jones together, and I was angling at a part that I was probably too young for, but the Johnny Cash role wasn't even in there yet at the time. And so we went off and did Indiana Jones, and then I got a call, like maybe six months before we made it. And he said 'hey, I want you to play Johnny Cash'. And I said 'how's that possible? He's not in the script'. And so he had added him because he didn't know that when he made Walk the Line that him and Bob Dylan were these pen pals. And so by his research into Bob, he found out this because Bob had kept the letters and Johnny hadn't kept the letters. So he really just let me go off and do what I had to do, which is conjure up a character and an impression in the daunting task of playing Johnny Cash. Jim really gives you a lot of space. And the great thing about when you get to work with Jim, on the day, if you come in prepared, he enhances your performance in a very cinematic way." On Exaggerating His Music Skills Going Into the Film — and How Learning to Make Good on That Promise Helped Holbrook Step Into Cash's Shoes "I knew at the end of the day that they could shoot from here up [Holbrook motions to his mid-chest] and we could get by. But it feels like I've been preparing for the last 15 or ten years to play this part. Because I played guitar. I couldn't count music. I couldn't hold a tune. I couldn't play and sing at the same time. But there is this awesome opportunity where if I just eat, breathe and sleep this character, I can pull it off. And I think there's something really exciting about that amount of pressure, being a performer — I want to have a performance and I want to build this thing. So it almost bottlenecks down into the day of this, like 'well, you're going to sink, or you're going to swim'. And I think that's pretty exciting. So yeah, I think the week of it all started like 'okay, I can do it at the tempo' — and it wasn't just hanging on. I was able to control the song and control the voice, control the pacing." On Bringing Swagger to the Screen — as Johnny Cash, and Across Holbrook's Career "Film acting is really different from theatre acting, and there's also the practical of being relaxed enough that, you know, there's this 800-pound gorilla being the camera staring at me at all times. Like, how do I just relax and embody this? And really it's from a bunch of stuff of the art of not giving a fuck — being really adamant that 'this is who I am, take it or leave it'. And having a sense of humour about yourself. And doing all this so many times that it's just become existence. I'm not even thinking about it anymore. I'm sort of lost in what I'm doing. It comes down to that. It comes down to a lot of rehearsals, a lot of preparation. I almost prefer the preparation to making a movie than making the movie." On What Went Into Capturing Not Just the Essence of Cash, But the Essence of Drunk Cash "It was from one line in particular, 'I saw the ocean', that I just knew how. I just knew where he was in a daydream. You catch yourself doing laundry or whatever around the house and you are just in a dream, and you kind of see the performance, or I do — and you just understand it. So now it's a real idea. Then it just takes the physicalisation of staying on a word and just finding it, or whatever it is. The super subtlety of that is difficult to verbalise, but comes down to playing around with it. I definitely wouldn't recommend going method on a long work day like that." On Whether the Unique Task of Playing an IRL Figure for a Filmmaker Who Has Already Made a Separate Movie About Him Helped Holbrook Prepare "I was concerned that I had to portray someone who was an iconic person and so people, so many people, have strong memories of him and who he is. Then there's the Joaquin element, facing his great performance and following that up. But I think that Jim and I made the film, and he really understood the importance of Johnny's role in Bob's life at that time, because Johnny had been so — he's doing 200 shows a year on the road. I mean, you are a road dog. You have so much experience in this. And when you're becoming the most-famous person in the world within a year's time, Johnny was able to meet him at that fork in a road where 'hey, it's going to get weird if you don't keep your voice' or 'it's going to be okay if you just stay true to who you are'. And I think in commerce and industries and stuff like that, when a lot of money is on the table, your voice can be compromised — and I think it's really all about that moment in the film where Bob is choosing what his voice is telling him, what he wants to say, how he wants to express himself. And that's going electric in that particular time, because he's just skyrocketing with creativity. And so I think Johnny was able to nudge him in the right direction, remind him who he is." On What Excites Holbrook About a New Project, Including A Complete Unknown, at This Stage in His Career "The performance element. I never really have never sang in front of a bunch of people before. There is a sensation that goes along with that that's exciting. I just did The Morning Show and I found out that the guy was a stand-up comic. I don't know how funny I am, but I like to be funny. I like to practice being funny. But I'd never been onstage and done a set in of people. So that's exciting. That's like 'wow', that's slightly — not terrifying at all, but I want to know what that feels like and to do that. And I think there's all an art and a craft to how the instrument of our humanness can be used. So I just love seeing which way I can bend and which way I can go — and how different I can sound, how different I can look? 'What is this character? What is this character going to go through? At what level? Is it kind of like he's going through like a number-two heartbreak?' But no, I want a number ten on everything. And so I really look for that highest value of expression." A Complete Unknown released in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, January 23, 2025. Images: courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
When cinemas were forced to close their doors back in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry had to adapt. Some individual films started moving to streaming and video on demand, while a number of picture palaces created their own online viewing platforms. Following in the footsteps of Sydney's Golden Age, as well as the teams behind the city's Ritz and Melbourne's Lido, Classic and Cameo cinemas, national chain Palace Cinemas is now making the leap to digital — with its new Palace Home Cinema venture launching during this year's Italian Film Festival. Palace Home Cinema will focus on world cinema, and on a curated movie lineup; however, when its first films become available to watch on Thursday, October 15, they'll all hail from the 2020 IFF program. The chain is calling its debut selection the 'IFF Piccolo', with eight movies on offer to watch on a pay-per-view basis until Wednesday, October 21. Cinephiles around the country can check out IFF's opening night film, a live-action, whimsy-heavy version of Pinocchio from Gomorrah and Dogman filmmaker Matteo Garrone — or watch its two special presentation flicks for this year, The Goddess of Fortune and Martin Eden. Also on the bill: comedies Once Upon a Time... in Bethlehem and Say It Loud, dramas Bad Tales and Ordinary Justice, and the family-friendly The Most Beautiful Day in the World. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rIcXgMx7hU&feature=emb_logo Prices vary — with Pinocchio costing $20 to view and the rest of the program costing $14 per title. Once viewers make their purchase, they can watch their chosen film or films at any time during the seven-day IFF Piccolo window. That said, after you first press play, you'll have to finish watching within 48 hours. The Italian Film Festival is currently showing physically in cinemas in Sydney, Brisbane, Byron Bay, Canberra, Adelaide and Perth — but if you're a Melburnian eager to get your fix while theatres are still closed, you live in a regional area or you can't attend in-person, you now have an at-home way to enjoy the fest. While Palace hasn't revealed what else will screen on the Palace Home Cinema platform, the service will focus on the kind of films shown in the chain's venues. "People look to Palace for a special kind of entertainment. We want to accompany them on their journey, making fine cinema easy to find and play, even as we spend more time at home than ever before," said Palace Cinemas CEO Benjamin Zeccola. Palace Home Cinema is available via the service's website. The Italian Film Festival Piccolo is available to stream from Thursday, October 15–Wednesday, October 21.
Mirror Mirror cocktail bar has been plonked atop South Melbourne's Clarendon Hotel, boasting some pretty damn good views across the city's skyline. The makeover comes from the crew behind Goldilocks Rooftop Bar, House of Correction and Lost Boys Bar and is loosely inspired by the classic tale of Snow White. Signature cocktails are named after some of the story's characters, with the Evil Witch Spritz sounding devilishly good. It comes with crème de violette, Campari, lemon juice, Four Pillars gin and a few good splashes of prosecco. A tidy list of mostly Aussie wines is also available for those not wanting to spend a whole day in the sun drinking cocktails. Unlike the drinks at this new rooftop cocktail bar, the food menu is not themed. Expect Asian-fusion eats that span small plates like sesame prawn toast, veggie dumplings and satay skewers, as well as larger dishes like the wagyu steak and a pan-grilled barramundi covered in a Thai-style chilli dressing. Mirror Mirror is definitely slanted towards the luxury end of Melbourne's rooftop bar scene, with beer and parmas nowhere to be seen on the menu. But if that's the vibe you're after, you can always check out nearby haunts like The Montague, Golden Gate Hotel and Westside Aleworks after a few spritzes up at Mirror Mirror.
It's blast from the past time, again — and time to spend a couple of nights journeying back a few decades just by hitting the dance floor. Whether you lived through the 90s rave scene, spent every weekend enjoying club life in the 00s or just wish you were old enough to have ticked both boxes, Ministry of Sound will take you there when its huge Testament parties return for 2025. Ministry of Sound itself was around through both eras, so you couldn't be in better hands to get retro via old-school 90s and 00s bangers. The Testament events also toured Australia in 2023 and 2024, and will return for another year — including for two nights in Melbourne on Saturday, April 5 and Saturday, April 12. Each evening is devoted to either the 90s or the 00s, so you'll need to attend both if you want to make shapes to tunes from both decades. But it's a choose-your-own-adventure type of affair, which means that fans of late 20th-century beats can hit up the session dedicated to 90s house, rave, trance and garage tracks if that's all that you're keen on, while lovers of 00s electro and breaks get their own shindig. The DJ lineup is headlined by international acts such as Paul Oakenfold, Roger Sanchez, Felix Da Housecat, Graeme Park, Krafty Kuts, Plump DJs, Smokin Jo and Utah Saints. Australia's own John Course, Sgt Slick, Minx and Mark Dynamix are also on the bill, alongside over 60 other names across the tour. Your destination: The Timber Yard, with the 90s night taking over on the first week and the 00s evening on the second.
Have you ever looked at Sydney Tower, the Harbour City's tallest structure, and wondered what it'd look like with 40-kilometre-long laser beams shooting out of it? When Vivid Sydney arrives for 2024, you'll no longer need to just ponder that question. The answer comes via Global Rainbow, which will project a fan of light from the tower courtesy of US artist Yvette Mattern. Vivid always boasts light installations and openair art as one of its key pillars, but the annual festival just might outdo itself with this year's display in the heavens. Across 23 nights between Friday, May 24–Saturday, June 15, in what marks the event's 14th year, Vivid has a plethora of other ways to liven up the New South Wales capital on its just-revealed 2024 lineup. Whether you'd like to hear tunes by Air, Budjerah and Yasiin Bey, or see artwork by Archibald Prize winner Julia Gutman on the Sydney Opera House's sails, or feast your way through a night food market, you'll be catered for at the winter showcase of music, luminous sights, culinary events and conversation. The theme: humanity. "Humanity is at the core of everything we do, and this year Vivid Sydney is diving deep into what makes us uniquely human," said Vivid Sydney Festival Director Gill Minervini. "We have curated a diverse program that explores the human spirit, designed to foster connections, spark imagination and showcase the multitude of ways creativity enriches our lives. Everyone is invited to be part of this global event in the world's most beautiful city to connect, create and celebrate." The Vivid Light program doesn't just include lengthy lasers and Gutman's Echo, but also the return of Lightscape to the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney so you'll be able to mosey through lit-up leafiness again. Plus, Reg Mombassa is turning the Customs House facade into a tribute to Aussie road trips, while Guan Wei's works will deck out the Museum of Contemporary Art's exterior. Our Connected City will light up the Sydney Harbour Bridge, as well as The Rocks, Circular Quay, the Sydney Opera House and a range of buildings in the CBD. If you head to Barangaroo, you'll be able to see two dazzling displays. First, the Stargazer Lawn will welcome a circular projection of the brolga's mating dance called Nest from Leila Jeffreys and Melvin J Montalba. Also, Sinclair Park's Stateless will get 4000 solar-powered LED candles glowing amid the sandstone blocks at Barangaroo Reserve. Vivid Music, the fest's music festival within the broader festival, is anchored by a heap of must-see gigs at the Sydney Opera House — French favourites Air celebrating their 1998 debut album Moon Safari chief among them. After playing Vivid 2019, Underworld are back to bust out 'Born Slippy (Nuxx)' again at more Australian-exclusive shows. Arca, Sky Ferreira, Fever Ray, Snoh Aalegra, Devonté Hynes with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra: they're all on the bill, too, as are parties from House of Mince, Mad Racket and Astral People. Budjerah is one of the highlights on Tumbalong Nights' free lineup, which also features grentperez, Mallrat, sunwoojunga and Silica Gel. And Yasiin Bey, who was formerly known as Mos Def, has a two-night stint at Carriageworks, where he'll work through his tunes and influences. Other standouts on the music program include working the Machine Hall Precinct into the mix, which is where Deerhoof, Underscores, Jen Cloher, No Fixed Address and Ngulmiya will play — and where Trackwork, The Huxleys and CLUB 4A will throw shindigs. Mary's Underground will again host the Vivid Sydney Supper Club. Back at Carriageworks, the venue will welcome Tirzah, Yves Tumor, Electric Fields and X CLUB as well. At Vivid Food, Vivid Fire Kitchen will go all in on barbecue in its new location at The Goods Line. Vivid Residence and Vivid Chef Series will also be back, but with details still to be revealed. Kyiv Social's Plates with Purpose: A Taste of Ukraine is a ten-course degustation that will make you feel like you're sat at a Ukrainian family's table. And, don't miss the chance to hit up the VividPlace Food Trail, which'll turn Sydney Place and Bulletin Place's laneways into a night food market each night of Vivid. There's also Our Shared Humanity at Refettorio OzHarvest, with Christine Manfield, Darren Robertson, Mitch Orr and more whipping up three-course vegetarian menus using rescued produce — plus Aurorae at Bennelong Bar, Bennelong's pop-up snack and cocktail bar. Also, A Culinary Canvas by Danielle Alvarez celebrates women in the Australian food and wine scenes in Sydney Opera House's Yallamundi Rooms. [caption id="attachment_945243" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] If you're eager to dissect the current state of the world, that's where Vivid Ideas comes in — and, in 2024, After the Fact especially. It's a new nightly chat through the news cycle, with the panel of guests set to rotate, but keeping the topics up-to-the-minute the aim. Or, if you're keen to embrace Vivid's overarching theme, Golden Age of Humanity will feature Kylie Kwong, Kate McClymont and other influential Aussie introducing films that typify humanity to them over nine evenings. Plus, at AI Will Destroy Humanity: A Future Science Debate, what the future might hold for humankind gets a comic spin. Add in the participatory A THOUSAND WAYS: An Encounter by New York company 600 Highwaymen, the Kings Cross- and Darlinghurst-focused Sex Work: A legal and social history, and Say My Name: The Humanity of Names — which is all about monikers that are unfairly considered tricky — and there's much to get you thinking. Two other such chances: Window Dressing, with Liesel Badorrek getting audiences peering into folks' ordinary lives via eight windows in a Frank Gehry building on The Goods Line; and Shifting Perspectives, featuring dancers performing around 24 mirrored plinths. [caption id="attachment_945240" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shifting Perspectives, Saige Prime[/caption] Vivid Sydney runs from Friday, May 24–Saturday, June 15 at various locations around Sydney. Head to the festival website for further details and tickets. Top image: Destination NSW.
UPDATE: THURSDAY, JULY 9 — Hot pot at home? You betcha. While David's many Melbourne stores are closed to dine-in customers, they're now delivering their Sichuan hot pot to homes across the city. Available to order via UberEats, the menu includes the chain's popular toppings, sides and — to complete the experience — even pots and accessories. On the off-chance you've already slurped your way through Melbourne's hot pot restaurants (think Panda Hot Pot and Jiyu Thai), here's yet another one to check off your hit-list. The boldly executed Chef David on Elizabeth Street is a vision of marble, metallics and neon blue — and it serves up some seriously spicy soups. Sibling to Melbourne's two David's Spicy Pot outposts, as well as Russell Street's David's Hot Pot, this restaurant's dishing up spicy Sichuan hot pot against a futuristic, multimillion-dollar backdrop. There are seats for 200 diners, ceilings hung with dazzling chrome chandeliers and a high-tech sound system for the program of live acts and DJs to come. The menu's handy 'how-to' guide is useful for both seasoned hot pot fans and novices alike, with the kitchen offering a hefty nine different soup base options to tempt all levels of spice tolerance. You can select up to three to fill your table's communal hot pot — perhaps the easygoing dried fish maw and chicken number, or the Signature Spicy Instagram Soup starring 130 herbs and spices, and an animal character shaped out of beef tallow. Then, pimp it out with your choice of high-quality meat cuts, plenty of offal, vegetables, tofu and market-fresh seafood, along with sausages, dumplings and various meatballs. Each is listed on the menu with a handy suggested cooking time. A range of dipping sauces lets you customise things further. But it's not all about the hot pot, of course — the kitchen's also whipping up grilled dishes, barbecued skewers and snacks that include everything from deep-fried pork belly to crisp sticky rice doughnuts. And, since this one's got a 4am licence (but is currently only open till 2am), we're guessing the lineup of tap beers, Japanese whisky and creative cocktails should get a solid workout of its own.
Greek restaurants are a dime a dozen in the diasporic heartland of Oakleigh, but Greek wine bars are a less common phenomenon. Enter Olympia, a venture from former DJ Nick Flaounas. Above Oakleigh Market, Olympia is spread across two levels. There's an indoor wine bar on the first floor and a rooftop bar in what used to be the market's carpark. The instantly recognisable blue and white colour scheme — synonymous with Greece — olive trees on the rooftop transport you instantly to the Mediterranean. The share menu has mouth-watering bites like Fremantle pickled octopus, saganaki croquettes, shallow-fried calamari, marinated pork skewers, and lobster and prawn rolls. Food is far from an afterthought at Olympia. If you don't feel like making decisions, 'Yiayia's Selection' is a pre-selected feed-me menu designed precisely for that. Greece is as well-known for its wine as it is for its cuisine. At Olympia, you'll find local wines peppered in amongst sauvignon blanc from the Peloponnese, syrah from Aigialeia and sparkling rose from Naoussa. House cocktails span the likes of espresso martinis and Tommy's margaritas while seasonal cocktails spotlight ingredients like Greek coffee liqueur in the Kafethaki Martini and the black wine grape of Mavrodafni in the mulled wine.
If you've ever ventured down Collingwood's Wellington Street, you have probably been intrigued by a certain eye-catching corner building, decked out with a bold black and white façade. You'd be looking at Chotto Motto. The lively Japanese haunt is a joint effort from Dylan Jones and Tomoya Kawasaki, the latter who is behind fellow mod-Japanese hits Wabi Sabi Salon and Neko Neko. At Chotto Motto, it's the humble gyoza that reigns supreme, specifically crisp-based Hamamatsu-style dumplings that are served as a group, flipped upside down. Grab a 10 or 20-piece feed, in flavours like spicy pork in crispy chilli oil, prawn and ginger with yuzu ponzu, or the vegan-friendly impossible pork with shiso and sesame. Small plates might include the likes of Japanese curry chicken salt fries, king prawn with shredded leak tempura, or seasonal veg wrapped in tofu skin with a side of yuzu pepper. The drinks are fun, also, with a range of cocktails including a yuzu margarita, a Japanese slipper with melon, orange and lemon, and a ume plum negroni with gin, Aragoshi Umeshu Plum Wine and Campari. There is plum wine, sake and beer as well, plus a single option for each colour of wine. The space itself is equally upbeat, between the Japanese slot machine, the neon glow and an assortment of knick-knacks scattered throughout. You'll catch a vibrant mural by Mitch Walder gracing one interior wall, while outside's head-turning paint job is the work of Melbourne street artist Chehehe.
UPDATE, June 14, 2020: Devs is also now streaming in full on new Foxtel-run platform Binge. This article has been updated to reflect that change. If you're a fan of watching smart, rewarding, deep-thinking science fiction, then you're probably a fan of Alex Garland's. Originally an author, he initially came to fame as the writer of 90s bestseller The Beach, before moving into screenwriting with the script for 28 Days Later. More screenplays followed, including Sunshine, Never Let Me Go and Dredd — but it was his 2014 directorial debut Ex Machina that showed the extent of his filmmaking prowess. Annihilation proved a highly worthy addition to his resume in 2018, too, even after it was shuffled onto Netflix rather than screening in cinemas in much of the world. Given his track record so far, any new project by Garland is cause for excitement. This year, direct your enthusiasm towards new series Devs. The writer/director has made the leap to television with a cast led by Nick Offerman, Ex Machina's Sonoya Mizuno, Love's Karl Glusman, American Horror Story's Alison Pill and Bad Times at the El Royale's Cailee Spaeny — and, as currently streaming on Foxtel Now and Binge in Australia, it's a trippy ride into cerebral sci-fi territory. The eight-part show also radiates unease from its very first moments, all while sporting both a mood and a futuristic look that prove simultaneously unsettlingly and alluring. The setting: Amaya, a US technology company that's massive in size yet secretive in its focus, especially when it comes to its big quantum computing project. When Sergei (Glusman) is promoted to its coveted, extra clandestine Devs division, his girlfriend and fellow Amaya employee Lily (Mizuno) is thrilled for him. But when Sergei doesn't come home from his first day, Lily starts looking for answers — including from the company's guru-like leader Forest (a long-haired, very un-Ron Swanson-like Offerman). As intriguing as it is involving — as both Ex Machina and Annihilation were, too — Devs is the kind of series with twists and turns that are best discovered by watching; however as each second passes by, the stranger and more sinister it all appears. Expect conspiracies, tech thrills and big questions, in a series that does what all the very best sci-fi stories do: tackle big existential questions and intimate everyday emotions in tandem, all while asking 'what if?'. Also a highlight is Devs' spectacular set design and overall look, with Garland bringing striking, dark yet vivid images to his first small-screen project. Giant woodland areas, floating cube-like workspaces glimmering in golden hues, shimmering fields, a towering statue of a small child — they're all part of the show's appearance, and its mysteries. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8klax373ds The first season of Devs is available to stream on Foxtel Now and Binge. Images: FX Networks.
Some bands are born from skill, passion and a garage strewn with beer cans, but others are born from the shrewd minds of television producers (or at least a combination of the two). Flight of the Conchords might be the one of the biggest players in guitar-based digi-bongo a cappella-rap-funk-comedy folk spheres, but they're not the first great band to have emerged from behind a television screen (via stage and radio, to be fair). To celebrate the Conchords' upcoming tour, here are ten made-for-TV bands that have rocked the tube in decades gone by. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ehJNw-T3gpo 1. THE MONKEES Three No. 1 singles, six Top 10s, 12 Top 40s and a total of 20 Hot 100 singles. The Monkees weren't just made for television — they were made for world domination. Commanding the charts during one rock 'n' roll's most significant periods and staging a showdown against the producers who banned them from actually playing any instruments on early records, The Monkees helped define authenticity in rock. R.I.P. Davy Jones. https://youtube.com/watch?v=kFohA6mKFjc 2. MISSION CONTROL (FREAKS & GEEKS) Before James Franco was a multi-talented actor/director/writer/grad student he was a small-time guitarist (and a bit of an asshole) on NBC's Freaks and Geeks. The short-lived cult TV show was excellent for many reasons, one of the best being the quote "Rock 'n' Roll don't come from your brain! It come from your crotch!" https://youtube.com/watch?v=27EVNiKDR4k 3. ZACK ATTACK (SAVED BY THE BELL) Saved by the Bell's Zack Morris was involved in a range of extra-curricular activities, but none were so memorable as his role as lead singer and lead guitarist in Zack Attack. The band never achieved the success that it did in Zack's dreams, but it definitely made the show that much more awesome. https://youtube.com/watch?v=B7-IoFyp_68 4. DINGOES ATE MY BABY (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) Can't think of a name for your band? Why not turn to notorious stories involving the death of small children for inspiration? Pushing past the awkward name, Dingoes Ate My Baby weren't actually that bad for a post-grunge, pre-emo rock band. Probably because the more tastefully named Four Star Mary provided all their music. https://youtube.com/watch?v=8ti8-vEM3U8 5. JESSE AND THE RIPPERS (FULL HOUSE) It's not every made-for-television band that still has a frequently updated Facebook page 17 years after the demise of the television show, but it's not every made-for-television band member who had hair like Jesse Katsopolis. Hit songs included "Forever", and several hundred Beach Boys cover songs. https://youtube.com/watch?v=qCIKg3YREHY 6. FROZEN EMBRYOS (MY SO-CALLED LIFE) Also living on through Facebook are Frozen Embryos from ABC's My So-Called Life. The lead singer is the elusive Tino, who isn't actually seen in any episode. He is, however, mentioned in Juno when Ellen Page's character says her band should be ready to rock "once Tino gets a new drumhead". Rock lives! https://youtube.com/watch?v=IXMFKmiNyvk 7. DR TEETH AND THE ELECTRIC MAYHEM (THE MUPPETS) You know you've struck the right chord when your band inspires the name of a hipster dive in San Francisco's Mission district. Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem mostly stick to rock music, but it's arguable that they do a better rendition of Chopin than Chopin. https://youtube.com/watch?v=0B9wJ7EwcN4 8. SCRANTONICITY (THE OFFICE) A Police cover band with Kevin as the drummer and lead singer. This has "magnificently awkward" written all over it. https://youtube.com/watch?v=8sITlZo5r84 9. MYSTIK SPIRAL (DARIA) The fictional grunge rock band from Daria helped confirm one of lyricisms irrefutable truths: coherence is no way near as important as a good rhyme. Okay so that might not always be true, but Mystik Sprial were way cool and totally would have scored the big break they deserved had they only managed to agree upon the perfect band name. https://youtube.com/watch?v=rXWaVz4yogI 10. DETHKLOK (METALOCALYPSE) Say what you will about virtual melodic death metal as a whole, but you have to hand it to Dethklok for achieving such widespread commercial success that they were ranked as the world's seventh largest economy by the end of Metalocalypse's second season. And while the real-life version of the band hasn't achieved quite this level of success, they do still play regular shows.
Leave the Doritos at home – a new spot in Ascot Vale is making your next board game night a little more gastronomic than usual. Situated in a heritage storefront on Union Road, The Collectivist pairs games, wine and gourmet snacks, perfect whether you're a serious Eurogamer or just after a sip and roll with friends. Designed by Melbourne architect Julie Sloane in collaboration with store owners James and Cameron Cahill and David McMillan, this might just be Melbourne's bougiest game shop. Gathered around a table, the night kicks off in thematic style, as guests tick their desired wine, snack and sweets from a menu echoing classic game scoring pads. Up for selection are cheese boards featuring Bay of Fires cheddar and Brillat Savarin, while charcuterie takes things up a notch with pickled goods, olives and more. Then, game-safe snacks like marinated olives and popcorn evoke the best of game-night cuisine, with a touch of class. When you need a fully fledged meal, place an order with next-door neighbours, Pizza Minded, to munch down at your table. The drinks menu is similarly thoughtful, with craft beers from Moo Brew and Stone & Wood served alongside wine from respected vineyards. Meanwhile, a selection of cocktails in a can are primed for keeping you refreshed as you work on deploying your strategies to perfection. Plus, there's plenty of non-alc options, like StrangeLove Soda and Naked Life. As for the game's list: expect the full spectrum of classics, cult favourites and modern gems that bring good-natured competition and levity to your get-together. Conceived as a top-quality bar – but with more dice – the venue is just as good for a low-stakes date as when you're seeking a new local with mates. Plus, there's no expectation to even play a game, if a quiet glass of wine and a cheese board is more your style. For those who want to get more involved, The Collectivist has also programmed an active events schedule that ramps up the community vibes. Kick the weekend off with Friday Night Games Night, or get your pals together for the monthly chess event. The crew will also go above and beyond for special occasions, like the recent launch of Catan's 6th Edition, which was met with a once-off menu inspired by the game. "It's about connection," says James Cahill. "Games help people switch off their phones and tune into each other. Add wine and snacks, and you've got the perfect night out." The Collectivist is open Wednesday–Sunday from 11am–8pm (open late on Fridays) at 225 Union Road, Ascot Vale. Head to the website for more information.
After an impressive 12-year stint as Trunk Bar & Restaurant, the site at 275 Exhibition Street has had a big makeover. Off the back of a month-long research trip to the Big Apple, Owner Nick Kutcher has brought some long-held ambitions to fruition and transformed the space into Italo-American hot-spot, Pepe's Italian & Liquor. Taking its cues from New York in the 1930s and 1940s (think, The Godfather), the reimagined venue has burgundy banquettes, red-and-white chequered floors and a sprawling 13-metre zinc-topped bar. A mural splashed across the back wall comes courtesy of Belgian artist Jan Van Der Veken. Pull up a seat and trip back in time, digging into time-honoured favourites prepared by Head Chef Orazio Cutuli. Expect baked buffalo ricotta matched with a pesto crostino, pork and veal polpette in napoli sauce, and Casino Clams done with garlic butter, guanciale and pangrattato. A solid spread of pasta features the likes of a mushroom fettuccini with parmesan, garlic and thyme, and a spicy vodka rigatoni, as well as a cheesy baked gnocchi. [caption id="attachment_742024" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gareth Sobey[/caption] There's also a lineup of pizza (of course) — with pies topped with the likes of meatballs, eggplant, 'nduja and prosciutto — along with a veal parmigiana and a 12-hour lamb shoulder. For dessert, we suggest the extravagant two-person sundae, toped with Nutella, nougat, black cherry wafer and chocolate fudge. Classics reign supreme at the bar, too, including an entire page of martinis. Plenty of Italian flavours feature across sips like the American Rose, starring gin from Melbourne Gin Company, eau de rose and grapefruit. And if it's vino you're after, the wine list heroes Australian and Italian varietals, always with 80 labels clocking in at under $100. And it's business as usual next door at Trunk Diner, which continues to serve up burgers, fries and doughnuts. Find Pepe's Italian & Liquor at 275 Exhibition Street, Melbourne. It's open from Monday– Friday midday–midnight and Saturday–Sunday 3pm–midnight. Images: Gareth Sobey
It's been 11 years since the Japanese fashion giant UNIQLO first came to Australian shores, and the brand has come a long way since then. From its early days in the Emporium to 40 stores spread across the country, UNIQLO has gone back to its roots to celebrate these achievements with a new and improved flagship store where it all began. After the Emporium store closed for renovations in July, doors reopened earlier this week to a queue of 400 eager Melbournians, who were treated to the first look at the now 4,590-square-metre store, having doubled in size since closing. As well as just more room for shelves, racks and the fashionable self-styling that UNIQLO specialises in, the new store also stars a UNIQLO debut. Customers here can get hands-on with their own products with UTme! — a print-on-demand service where you can pick and print patches onto t-shirts, hats and tote bags. The patches on offer all feature IP artworks from local Melbourne icons — including author and multi-disciplinary artist Beci Orpin, beloved sandwich spot and bakery Hector's Deli and multi-disciplinary curator DOCG. The opening celebrations are ongoing, too. From now until Sunday, November 30, you can catch traditional Japanese drumming performances inside and enjoy a pop-up photobooth that could win you a $1000 store voucher. Plus, labubu lovers can take a picture with Zimono inside the store and share it on Instagram to enter the running to win a Popmart prize pack. "Today is an exciting milestone for UNIQLO Australia as we reopen our Emporium store - the very first UNIQLO store to open in Australia 11 years ago. It's a special moment to celebrate how far we've come. We're grateful for the incredible support from the Melbourne community and we can't wait to welcome everyone back into this new and elevated space," said Tim Routley, UNIQLO Australia CFO. UNIQLO Melbourne Emporium is open now at 269-321 Lonsdale St, Melbourne. Find out more on the website.
We love a spontaneous adventure as much as the next person, but sometimes it pays to plan ahead. Case in point: Canberra. Sure, there are plenty of excellent ways to fill an impromptu jaunt to the capital — from hiking and mountain biking to blowing a few weeks' income in the Braddon boutiques. But if you're willing to do a little forward planning, you can secure your spot on some tours and take that trip to the next level. On such adventures, not only will you get to meet some locals (both humans and animals) and uncover some of the city's hidden gems, but you'll also avoid spending the entire time staring at Google Maps trying to navigate your way around. And, in the interest of saving you time now — and to save you from any internet rabbit holes — we've picked seven unexpected experiences you can have on your next Canberra vacay. Please stay up to date with the latest ACT Government health advice regarding COVID-19.
In rather epic chocolate news, the Great Ocean Road has scored a 15-acre chocolate and ice cream wonderland. As if you needed another reason to take a holiday, the Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery is located in Bellbrae, just next to Torquay (which is, just FYI, just over an hour from Melbourne). The chocolaterie is spearheaded by Leeanne and Ian Neeland, who also own the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie — that is, the guys who throw those epic hot chocolate, ice cream and rocky road festivals each year. The new coastal venue features a showroom filled with thousands of chocolates (including a cabinet filled with 7000 truffles) and free chocolate and ice cream tastings. An international team of six chocolatiers are on board to perform demonstrations throughout the day as they craft different chocolates and churn seasonal ice cream and sorbet. There's also be an on-site café that'll serve up grub made with produce from the grounds. So it's pretty much an adult version of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory (but you're less like to be carried away by Oompa Loompas here). And after you've gorged to satiation in the showroom (and maybe have a bit of a sugar buzz on), you can take a wander through the surrounds — 15 acres of lush native garden and orchards. There's even a lavender maze to get lost in. Unsurprisingly, this whole free-tastings-and-abundant-nature formula is one that works, as the Neelands discovered when they opened their Yarra Valley venue in 2012. So if you, like us, are the type of person who makes all your life decisions based on chocolate, you might want to go book some time off work and check the air pressure in your tyres so that, come the weekend, you'll be running through a lavender maze covered in chocolate and blissing out. The Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery is now open at 1200 Great Ocean Road, Bellbrae. For more info, visit gorci.com.au. Updated: August 29, 2016.
After its enormous success on Broadway and in London's West End, the Tony and Olivier award-winning musical Come From Away is touring its remarkable true tale around Australia's east coast. Based on real post-September 11 events, the acclaimed production is on in Melbourne until October 30. If you aren't familiar with the musical's plot or the actual events that inspired it, it's quite the exceptional story. In the week after the September 11 attacks in 2001, 38 planes were unexpectedly ordered to land in the small Canadian town of Gander, in the province of Newfoundland. Part of Operation Yellow Ribbon — which diverted civilian air traffic to Canada en masse following the attacks — the move saw around 7000 air travellers grounded in the tiny spot, almost doubling its population. Usually, the town is home to just under 12,000 residents. To create Come From Away, writers and composers Irene Sankoff and David Hein spent hundreds of hours interviewing thousands of locals and passengers, using their experiences to drive the narrative — and, in many cases, using their real names in the show as well. The result is a musical not just about people coming from away (the term that Newfoundlanders use to refer to folks not born on the island), but coming together, all at a time when tensions were running high worldwide. Since being workshopped in 2012, having a run in Ontario in 2013, then officially premiering in San Diego in 2015, Come From Away has become a global smash hit. After opening on Broadway in 2017, it was still running before the theatre district closed due to COVID-19. The musical wowed crowds in the West End, too — and, when it first opened in Melbourne in July 2019, it became the Comedy Theatre's most successful musical in the venue's 91-year history. Along the way, the show has picked up a Tony Award for best direction of a musical, six other nominations, and four Olivier Awards out of nine nominations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zmvy1p2FOE&feature=emb_title Images: Jeff Busby. Come From Away is showing at the Comedy Theatre until Sunday, October 30. Tickets and more information can be found on the website.
Comforting colours are here to stay, at least for another year. For its Colour of the Year for 2025, the Pantone Colour Institute has gone with "a soft, warming brown" as its chosen hue — a tone that it says symbolises thoughtful indulgence, harmonious comfort and feelings of contentment. That shade: Mocha Mousse. Before every new year hits, the institute's colour experts select a hue for the 12 months ahead — the shade that you can expect to see popping up around the place, including in fashion and accessories, home decor, design and beauty, and more. For 2024, it also opted for a calming shade with Peach Fuzz, choosing for a tone between pink and orange. Now, it's going all in on mellow brown. Obviously given its pick, expect to see this hue in food and drink as well. "Underpinned by our desire for every day pleasures, Pantone 17-1230 Mocha Mousse expresses a level of thoughtful indulgence. Sophisticated and lush, yet at the same time an unpretentious classic, Pantone 17-1230 Mocha Mousse extends our perceptions of the browns from being humble and grounded to embrace aspirational and luxe," said Pantone Colour Institute Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman, announcing 2025's pick. "Infused with subtle elegance and earthy refinement, Pantone 17-1230 Mocha Mousse presents a discrete and tasteful touch of glamour. A flavourful brown shade, Pantone 17-1230 Mocha Mousse envelopes us with its sensorial warmth." This is the 26th year that Pantone has chosen a shade to encapsulate the year to come, and this time took cues from cacao, coffee and chocolate, as well as humanity's desire to connect to the natural world. "The everlasting search for harmony filters through into every aspect of our lives including our relationships, the work we do, our social connections and the natural environment that surrounds us. Harmony brings feelings of contentment, inspiring a positive state of inner peace, calm and balance as well as being tuned in with the world around us. Harmony embraces a culture of connection and unity as well as the synthesis of our mental, spiritual and physical well-being," Pantone Colour Institute Vice President Laurie Pressman expanded. "With that in mind, for Pantone Colour of the Year 2025 we look to a colour that progresses our embrace of the feeling of our Pantone Colour of the Year, Pantone 13-1023 Peach Fuzz, into another dimension, extending further into our desire for comfort, and the indulgence of simple pleasures that we can gift and share with others." The new shade follows not only 2024's Peach Fuzz, but also 2023's Viva Magenta, 2022's Very Peri, and 2021's Ultimate Gray and vibrant yellow Illuminating before that. In 2020, Pantone went with Classic Blue, while 2019's colour was Living Coral, 2018's was Ultra Violet and 2017's was Greenery. To find out more about Mocha Mousse — and to check out all of the previous Colours of the Year — head to the Pantone website.
The April school holidays are fast approaching, so locking down plans with your kids now makes it a little easier to keep their minds occupied. One encounter bound to make your kids' holiday is Sea of Light, an illuminative experience taking over the Abbotsford Convent's Oratory from 9.30am–4pm on Thursday, April 9–Sunday, April 12. Conceived by the internationally renowned Patch Theatre, this interactive installation lets kids loose with UV torches to become artists of light. Pencilling and stencilling with light, each 30-minute session also sees them steer glowing ships that leave luminous trails in their wake. What's more, Sea of Light is complemented with artworks by contemporary Aboriginal visual artist Elizabeth Close, which reference the deep connection between land and sea, earth and waterway. Plus, the experience feels even more immersive thanks to a gentle soundscape produced by First Nations composer Rob Edwards. "Sea of Light is a beautiful example of how Abbotsford Convent continues to evolve as a place of hands-on learning and cultural participation," says Justine Hyde, CEO of the Abbotsford Convent Foundation. "Bringing this innovative digital installation into a 160-year-old heritage site highlights the way we activate our historic spaces for new generations." [caption id="attachment_1005906" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Redtree21 via Wikimedia Commons[/caption]
Zach Cregger knows how to keep audiences guessing. The films that viewers think they're sitting down to see when he's behind the lens as a solo director aren't the movies that end up unfurling across the screen — in the most-thrilling way possible. Perhaps that element of surprise is fitting, given that Cregger's career has also enjoyed its own big twist. Before he wrote and directed 2022's Barbarian and now 2025's Weapons, he started out as an actor, debuting in an episode of Homicide: Life on the Street. Next, he helped form comic troupe Whitest Kids U' Know, which took its sketches to TV for five seasons. Comedy flicks College, Miss March and The Civil War on Drugs, the latter two of which he co-helmed and co-penned with fellow WKUK founder Trevor Moore, are also on his resume, as are Love & Air Sex and Date and Switch. Ahead of making two of the 2020s' best horror movies so far, Cregger also featured in sitcoms Friends with Benefits, Guys with Kids, About a Boy and Wrecked. He doesn't necessarily agree that Weapons fits that surprise setup, however. "Is that true? I don't know," Cregger tells Concrete Playground. "Definitely, I understand that for Barbarian, but I think I take issue with that for Weapons. I think Weapons is a relatively consistent movie. It's just we don't know what the answer is, but it never really seems to change to me." He continues: "to me, it does seem like it maintains a tone throughout. We just don't know where it's going to go". The mastermind behind the enthralling Josh Brolin (Outer Range)- and Julia Garner (Fantastic Four: The First Steps)-starring film — which deserves to be one of this year's most-talked about trips to the cinema — notes that Weapons "doesn't radically shift genres or anything like that, does it?". He's spot on. But even audiences that've seen the movie's trailers, obsessed over them thanks to their Barbarian affection and know the opening premise won't predict where this wild horror ride takes its story. "Well, it's a mystery. That should be the case," says Cregger, smiling. Sending viewers on an unexpected trip is exactly his aim as a filmmaker. In both Weapons' sneak peek and the film itself, a child's voice sets the scene. "This is a true story," it starts with, although this is a fictional tale. Those youthful tones and that five-word phrase are where Cregger himself began writing — and also with the idea of a kid telling a campfire story. Initially, he too didn't know where the narrative would then venture. The rundown from that voice, as told with unnerving calm: "so this one Wednesday is like a normal day for the whole school, but the day was different. Every other class had all their kids, but Mrs Gandy's room was totally empty. And do you know why? Because the night before at 2.17 in the morning, every kid woke up, got out of bed, walked downstairs and into the dark — and they never came back". In her second horror flick of 2025 after Wolf Man, Garner plays Justine, the Maybrook Elementary teacher mentioned. When 17 children in her class disappear, blame comes her way — both fast and furiously. Brolin portrays Archer Gaff, the angry father of one of the missing kids, who is desperate for answers, quick to embrace the catharsis of pointing fingers wherever he can and also a constant presence at the local police station, because he's adamant that not enough is being done on the investigation. From there, Weapons' cast also spans Alden Ehrenreich (Ironheart) as Paul, one of the small town's cops, who has a link to Justine; Benedict Wong (Bad Genius) as Marcus, the school principal; Cary Christopher (Days of Our Lives) as Alex, the only child in the class in question who doesn't run out into the night; and Austin Abrams (Wolfs) as the looking-for-a-fix James. Each one, like Justine and Archer, earns their own chapter. As he did in Barbarian, Cregger demonstrates a strong, engaging and devilishly clever command of Weapons' disquieting tone from its first moment till its last, including through its imagery. He's astute and smart about interrogating humanity's suspicious nature as well — of anyone we can hold responsible for our misfortune, or who doesn't meet our societal standards; of strangers; of anyone who calls us out — as he also was in his debut horror movie. He's also sharp and probing about weaponising mistrust. That digging also shines through in his ensemble's excellent array of performances. And, while he's made another picture dripping with unease, that rattles nerves and unsettles — a mood that bubbles up immediately and simmers constantly from there — he also splashes in moments of humour. There's an element of the Lynchian to Weapons, too, as it takes its can't-look-away journey. We also spoke with Cregger about a number of these aspects of the movie — and chatted with him about the film's inspiration, following the death of Moore, but not just adding another grief- and trauma-fuelled entry to the horror genre. If you've spotted that Barbarian began with strangers discovering something distressing in someone else's house, while Weapons commences with 17 children fleeing their own homes, we also talked with him about that swerve, alongside scaling up from one film to the next. On Whether Veering From Sinister Events Happening in Other People's Houses in Barbarian to 17 Children Leaving Their Own Homes in Weapons was a Purposeful Move "No. No, I try not to do anything purposefully when I'm writing, honestly. It's just for me, writing is a process of discovery, and I try and be as careless as possible. And so no, I certainly don't think about what I did before or anything like that when I'm writing." On the Inspiration for Weapons, After the Writing Process Started with the First Sentence Heard in the Film and with a Child Telling Audiences a Story "Well, I was dealing with grief. A very, very dear friend of mine died. And so I was feeling the absence of someone dear to me. And so the idea of writing about a community that is reckoning with the absence of something precious felt easy for me to access. And I was able to of funnel a lot of the emotion into these characters and let them just speak authentically. And so that's where it comes in. By the way, that was not like a conscious thought — like 'oh, I miss my friend, and so I'll [do this]'. It's just that's what subconsciously wanted to come out. And so my whole job as a writer, honestly, is to try to just turn my brain off as much as I can and become an antenna to my subconscious, and let it out and try to stay out of the way. And so this is the story that came out." On Loss, Grief and Mortality Being Common in Horror — But Using Them as a Starting Point Instead "It's so boring. Genuinely — it's like I'm so tired of horror movies as a metaphor for trauma and grief. It's just like 'can we turn the page already and make a horror movie that's just fun?', you know? And hopefully, that's what Weapons is supposed to be. It's just a fun rollercoaster ride. I do not have anything new to say about grief and trauma, and I don't pretend to. That's just the jumping off point." On Making Horror Films That Are Also Mysteries — and If Taking Audiences on a Ride and Keeping Them Guessing Is Important to Cregger "I don't know. It's not if it's important to me or not. It's about — I write only for an audience of one: for me. So I'm writing, my process is 'can I entertain myself?'. Because I am so ADD, and I'm so bored all the time. Especially when I'm watching movies, I'm so frequently bored. It's hard for me to finish any movie, mostly, because I just bail. So I want to write something that's going to hold my attention. And so I never — that's why I like to write not knowing where it's going to go and what's going to happen, and I try and keep myself engaged. So that, to me, is my only kind of barometer. I think I sounded a little asshole-ish when I just said that, but I don't mean to be throwing shade on other movies." On Whether Cregger Is Particularly Interested in the Weaponisation of Suspicion and Mistrust — Especially If Someone Else Can Be Blamed for Our Misfortunes "I suppose so. That's definitely human nature, right? We other-ise so easily. And I'm sure I've been on both sides of that many, many times in my life — and it's fertile ground for conflict, misreading other people and all of the all of the sabre-rattling that we see in modern culture, especially in America. It seems like all we do is just get worked up about other people that we don't understand, so I think that's very accessible as a writer." On What Inspires Cregger's Haunting, Lingering Horror Imagery "I have no idea what inspires it. I wish I had a good answer for that because I'd be able to do it more often, but I don't know. It's a case-by-case thing. It's a circumstantial thing. I have to think of something in the moment for what the character is facing. So I don't have any catalogue of creepy shit that I'm able to access — I just kind of, as the scene requires, try to do my best to think of what would be the scariest thing there. There's the people sitting on the couch not moving, which I think it's just bizarre that they would hear the sound — then who sits on their couch in the living room with the lights off? It's just — something's wrong. So that felt fun. The kids running with their arms out — it just feels like anytime you can just do something simple that implies there's a screw loose, that's fun to do. You want to create the maximum disconnect with the least amount of effort. But yeah, I don't know — I wish understood where those things can come from better, because I think I'd be a better writer." On Layering Humour Into a Film That Is Expertly Disquieting From Start to Finish "I think the lesson I learned in Weapons is that there are a few jokes I wrote in there that I thought were really funny. I wrote them in. And they didn't work. When I let the characters have their authentic reaction to bizarre situations, sometimes the humour just naturally appears. And that's what I try to encourage. But I've learned on this never to try to be clever and write a joke, because they're all on the cutting room floor and nobody liked them. So I guess that's my only kind of philosophy, is 'let it come from a real place. Don't try and be funny'. For me, by the way — that's just for me." On Working with a Cast That Includes Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich, Benedict Wong and More "I feel like a kid on Christmas every day. Watching these people who are so extremely good at what they do, leaning into making this story — I can't believe how lucky I am. Honestly, once I cast them, I really don't have a whole lot of credit to take. I kind of stand back and let them just do their thing. I just try to make sure that we're all making the same movie. They're so talented, they can go anywhere, and my job is to just make sure that we all have the same parameters. But yeah, I have had an amazing stroke of luck with everyone in this movie. They're all great." On Scaling Up From Barbarian to Weapons "Well, you never feel like you're on easy street. And I think if the budget was $200 million for this movie, I still would have felt the pinch. Because 'the lizard will grow to the size of its cave' is that an expression someone said to me once that I really like — where you just never feel like you have enough time and enough money to make it the way it wants to be made. And I think that's just filmmaking. I don't think that's unique to me. So, as fun as it was to be able to take a bigger swing and shoot bigger setpieces and have more stars in the movie — and all of that's great — you're still panicked that you're not going to get the shot before the sun goes down. That's just inevitable. And I don't mean to complain. I felt the bigger scale, don't get me wrong. But you still always feel like your back is against the wall." Weapons screens in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, August 7, 2025.
Side-by-side in the backstreets of Abbotsford, neighbourhood bar Molli and its sister venue, all-day deli Little Molli, have undergone a revolution. Guided by The Mulberry Group, Molli has been reborn as a relaxed day-to-night eatery, while next door, Little Molli will transform into a pantry and workshop space. Leading this transformation is head chef Caitlin Koether (Bar Tartine in San Francisco, Relæ in Copenhagen) and an all-female leadership team — Kayla Saito (Capitano, Aru, and Sunda) and Bonnie Maguire (Falco). Now open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Molli now boasts a seasonally evolving menu that takes a less structured approach than its predecessor, with diners now encouraged to pick and choose from various sections based on their mood and appetite. Right now, the all-day breakfast menu includes options like house-made yoghurt with sour cherry granola and cashew butter, wood-fired baked beans with coddled egg and a maple and sage sausage muffin with egg. The lunch menu, served from 11am, brings a range of smørrebrød and tartines to the table, alongside chopped salads, bread and pickles plates and lunch sets inspired by Koether's love of Korean banchan. The dinner menu is also a choose your own adventure, ranging from lighter options like creative house-made dips (we're eyeing off the tomato and charred bread dip with smoked mussels) — to hearty salads and larger mains like grilled trout with green fisherman's stew and confit radish. Throughout the menu, you'll find produce from The Mulberry Group's Common Ground Project — a regenerative farm and social enterprise based in the Surf Coast town of Freshwater Creek — as well as a range of elements made in house. "Our food is ever-changing, a bit unexpected and genuinely informed by seasonality, drawing on the techniques I was exposed to working with the incredible teams at Bar Tartine and Relæ," says Koether. "When we're limited by the season's harvest or have an opportunity to extend flavour at its peak, it's those fermentation and preservation techniques we draw on...I want people to feel nourished and be able to come in and have an entire meal without breaking the bank." Complementing this large-scale reimagining is a change in decor. The new Molli will take the same thoughtfully laidback approach as its menu, with high-top tables, cosy banquettes and spots for communal seating, plus a street-side al fresco area all coming together to create a venue that feels more genial than grandiose. The adjoining Little Molli — which will open later this month — will become a pantry and workshop space dedicated to preserved and fermented goods. Using locally sourced ingredients as much as possible, Koether and her team will be using this space to create condiments, cheese, breads, pickles, as well as fortified non-alc beverages and vermouths. The all-new Molli is now open weekdays from 7am (with the kitchen open at 7.30am), and weekends from 8am, with dinner service from 5pm Tuesday–Saturday, at 20 Mollison Street, Abbotsford. Head to the venue's website for more information.
Some museums are filled with art. Others are dedicated to interesting pieces of history. The National Communication Museum in Melbourne, Australia's latest, falls into the second category. It's also a museum with a hyper-specific focus, celebrating the technology that's allowed humanity to interact and, in the process, shaped how we engage with each other. Rotary phones, cyber cafes, MSN Messenger: they all get a nod here. Opening to the public on Saturday, September 21, 2024, and marking the first new major museum in Melbourne for more than two decades — since the Melbourne Museum launched — the National Communication Museum lives and breathes nostalgia, then. Phone boxes, burger phones, the speaking clock that you could call to get the time and only shut down in Australia in 2019: they receive some love as well. But this space isn't solely about looking backwards, with peering forwards also part of its remit. Yes, that means grappling with what artificial intelligence might mean for communication in the future. Emily Siddon, NCM's Co-Chief Executive Officer and Artistic Director, calls the two-level Hawthorn site "a trip down memory lane", but also notes how it looks at the present and what might come. "The technologies featured in NCM were developed in response to the innate human need to communicate and connect — yesterday, today and tomorrow," she explains. "It also answers the pressing questions about communication technology today. Things like: how far away are we from uploading our consciousness? How am I tracked and where does my data go? And how can I tell real from fake or human from machine?". Across an array of rooms featuring both permanent and temporary exhibitions — located in an old 1930s telephone exchange building, which includes a working historical telephone exchange — visitors can dive into First Nations storytelling, celebrate the speaking clock, explore a 90s-era internet cafe and check out an interactive display that takes its cues from regional Australia's phone booths. There's also a section dedicated to research, spanning both successful and unsuccessful ideas, plus launch exhibitions dedicated to surveillance, the human-made satellites sent into space to circle the earth and the infrastructure underpinning digital communication. Find the National Communication Museum at 375 Burwood Road, Hawthorn, from Saturday, September 21, 2024 — open 10am–5pm Wednesday–Sunday. Head to the venue's website for more details. Images: Casey Horsfield.
If you think hard enough, you may remember 'Harley & Rose' as a melancholic track from the 90s. Fast forward to 2018 and Melbourne chef duo Josh Murphy and Rory Cowcher use it as a nostalgic reference for their new bar-cum-pizzeria restaurant in Melbourne's west. Located on Barkly Street, West Footscray, Harley and Rose is very much a neighbourhood hangout complete with its very own in-house bottle-o. The culinary rising stars, best known for their time spent at the Builders Arms Hotel, Cutler & Co. and Cumulus Inc., have worked on and off together for years. "We're very much on the same page when it comes to what we like and don't like about restaurants and food," says Cowcher. "When it came to writing the first draft of the menu, it just sort of came together within an hour. We didn't really need to talk it out." The result? A very casual, neighbourhood bar with a menu showcasing everything the boys like to eat themselves. "We both spend a lot of time cooking on our Webers at home and wanted to work with that style of cooking — and we both love pizza so we used that as a starting point," says Murphy. The boys enlisted the help of Dion Hall from Projects of Imagination to create an approachable and comfortable environment centred on a neighbourhood quality. The 90-seater also features a front courtyard perfect for summertime drinks with friends. The menu is simple, featuring six woodfired pizzas and five mains alongside a heap of salads and snacks, including cured meats and tasty seafood plates. While sharing is the best way to taste everything, the boys are also big on going solo. "The menu is just as much designed for sharing as it isn't," says Murphy. "You can grab a couple of pizzas and order some sides, or you can have a steak or enjoy both, really." You'll find all the Italian classics on the pizza menu; there's everything from margherita to prosciutto to diavola, as well as a pipi pizza with parsley, lemon and cream. For those after a little more, mains include the prime rib eye steak, whole baby snapper, and the highly coveted spaghetti cacio e pepe. Add the Roberta's romaine lettuce salad with candied walnuts, pecorino and mint and finish off with one of the epic desserts. Our pick: the 18+ heartbreaker featuring Bulleit bourbon and Maltesers. The wine list is managed by ex-Cumulus beverage manager Mark Williamson and features a stack of varietals from established producers both local and beyond. If you're after something to take home, visit the in-house bottle-o located just behind the bar. It offers around 100 different take-home varietals that are also offered in the restaurant – a try before you buy kinda approach. Beer also takes centre stage at Harley and Rose with brewed tap Napoleone Helles lager from the Yarra Valley and Young Henrys Newtowner pale ale up for the taking. Images: Giulia Morlando
The National Gallery of Victoria isn't just good for art — it's also good for a bit of wining and dining, with cafes across all three levels and the Garden Restaurant on the ground level, too. The gallery's Tea Room on level one is good for you if you've brought your mum along and she's mentioned she'd love a cup of tea five times so far, or for you, if you just want to treat yourself to something a bit fancy. The high tea option puts fresh finger sandwiches on the table (poached chicken, leg ham, free-range eggs and cold smoked Tasmanian salmon) as well as homemade croquettes and mini quiches. As far as sweets go, there are scones, as well as pistachio macarons and yuzu meringue tarts. The high tea is served with a glass of bubbly and a pot of tea or coffee. It's a surefire way to make even a routine trip to the gallery a little bit special. [caption id="attachment_671242" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Visit Victoria[/caption]
Think Thornbury is a community-minded creative retail space and workshop in the heart of High Street that encourages guests to think, make and do. The retail space has an array of local goods and products that allow locals to support their community and its creatives. The store stocks plenty of quirky, cute and stylish goods for yourself or your loved ones, from homewares to stationery and cookbooks to accessories, mostly created by local artisans. The expansive space also doubles as a venue for art and craft events and workshops, supporting community creatives endeavours. Image: Kate Shanasy
What happens when a former punk rock singer and his hip hop DJ wife, both originally from Japan, decide to open a cosy venue in Fitzroy? Well, if you're Fumi and Takako Tamura, the end result looks a lot like new jazz-infused, Gertrude Street Japanese joint, Tamura Sake Bar. Heroing an inviting combination of vinyl, izakaya-style plates and sake, it's a refreshing taste of home for the couple — a little more grown-up than their earlier venue Horse Bazaar, and sure to spark a few memories of your own jaunts to Japan. The space is intimate and the food offering broad, headlined by Japanese snacks designed to be enjoyed with a drink in hand and good company at the table. There's a daily changing pickle option, along with a selection of yakitori and bites like miso eggplant and crispy salmon skin. [caption id="attachment_722463" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption] A lineup of sashimi is also on offer and might feature black sesame tuna or fresh scallops matched with shio kombu salt. Elsewhere, you'll find yourself tucking into crunchy Japanese fried chicken, rich bowls of ramen and mixed vegetable tempura. A variety of set menus keeps things easy, starting at just $35 for an assortment of yakitori, fried delights, rice, miso soup and karaage. Pair it with a WA wine or an Asian craft brew (including a matcha IPA from Kyoto and an Okinawa sour), or take advantage of a sake selection that's both considered and approachable. Umeshu (plum wine) and whisky are also in strong supply. The matching vinyls — which spin every night and are also available to buy — have been curated by a crew of acclaimed Japanese DJs and producers, featuring a healthy dose of jazz, a sprinkling of hip hop and even a few records that usually aren't usually available outside of Japan. Images: Kate Shanasy.
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 — Avondale Heights' famed cannolificio is still open for takeaway Wednesday to Sunday (for those within five kilometres), but it's also offering free delivery within 30 minutes of the store. And, as well as its tasty pre-made cannoli — in flavours such as salted caramel, Ferrero Rocher and Nutella — you can order DIY cannoli kits to your door. To order, call (03) 9337 7049. The journey to Cannoli Bar starts with a drive down Riviera Road, which is lined with brick houses and olive trees. It's nestled in the heart of Avondale Heights, an area that is distinctly Italian, filled with Italian delis, bakeries, butcheries and restaurants. Now, it's home to another important Italian icon: a family-run cannolificio (cannoli shop), which produces around 1000 handmade cannoli every day. Located in a converted milk bar, the compact store features stripped back walls, tools and miscellaneous items that pay homage to "Nonno", says Cannoli Bar co-owner Carlo Mellini. "We wanted to celebrate the non-elegant Italian culture that people love," said Mellini. "Everything from the ladder to the timber bench resembles the carts in Catania, Sicily, which sell cannoli and fresh fruit." With this sense of Catanian community in mind, staff greet their already loyal customers by name, despite having been open for less than two months. The unassuming cafe is filled with the energetic chatter of Italian locals, discussing their home towns. In busier hours, punters line out the door waiting to get their hands on a ricotta-filled pastry. "I grew up in Avondale Heights, and there has always been an abundance of Italian food producers here," explains Mellini. "There are Italian-centric bakeries, delicatessens and butcheries, so it only felt right to open up a shop celebrating the dessert heritage Italy has to offer." "Ricotta cannoli have always been my favourite dessert since I was little," Mellini continues. "But I never imagined this childhood love would turn into what it is now: Cannoli Bar." Cannoli veterans and first-timers can both find something to enjoy here. Freshly piped classics include the 'classico', Nutella and pistachio, and limited-edition (and untraditional) versions include the popular Oreo, Bounty, Ferrero Rocher and lemon meringue experimentations. Unlike some of the lesser-quality cannoli found around Melbourne, these freshly piped delights are made using a traditional recipe. A highlight is the tiramisu, which is dusted with a chocolate, filled with ricotta and has an espresso biscuit hidden in the middle. While you're at Cannoli Bar, you can try a range of other Sicilian desserts, too, including biscotti, Italian croissants and bomba (filled doughnuts). Images: Julia Sansone
Some pop star dreams just aren't meant to be, and The Idol's are now among them. Whether you watched some of it, the whole thing or simply read about it (because no one could avoid the latter), the HBO series has been one of the most talked-about shows of 2023 — when it started dropping sneak peeks from July 2022, too, but especially once it hit streaming in June this year. All that chatter hasn't inspired the US network to bring it back for a second season, however, and unsurprisingly. As per Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, the show has been cancelled after its first season — which ran for five episodes, and focused on singer Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp, Voyagers) and nightclub impresario Tedros (Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd). "The Idol was one of HBO's most provocative original programs, and we're pleased by the strong audience response," said a HBO representative in a statement. "After much thought and consideration, HBO, as well as the creators and producers, have decided not to move forward with a second season. We're grateful to the creators, cast and crew for their incredible work." Set within the music industry, The Idol followed Jocelyn as she attempted to make a comeback, got caught up in controversy and met Tedros. It bears more than a passing resemblance to UK series I Hate Suzie, but with its own stacked cast — and with Sam Levinson, the mastermind behind Euphoria, creating it alongside The Weeknd. The Idol's packed list of on-screen talent also spanned Red Rocket's Suzanna Son, Boy Erased's Troye Sivan, Schitt's Creek's Dan Levy, singer-songwriter Moses Sumney, BLACKPINK's Jennie Kim, Only Murders in the Building's Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Hacks' Jane Adams, Bodies Bodies Bodies' Rachel Sennott and Inglourious Basterds' Eli Roth. Also appearing: Hank Azaria (Hello Tomorrow!), Hari Nef (Barbie), Steve Zissis (Happy Death Day 2U), Melanie Liburd (This Is Us), Tunde Adebimpe (Marriage Story), Elizabeth Berkley Lauren (Saved By the Bell) and Nico Hiraga (Booksmart), plus Anne Heche (All Rise) in what was one of her last performances. Controversy surrounded the show not just once it was releasing episodes, but beforehand. Prior to arriving on streaming — before it premiered at 2023's Cannes Film Festival, too — the Los Angeles-set series started with She Dies Tomorrow's Amy Seimetz directing every single episode. But back in April 2022, it was revealed that Seimetz had left the project and reshoots were underway as a result. Reports also surfaced about the working environment — and, neither the viewer nor the critical response was anywhere near glowing, making The Idol's cancellation far always likely. Check out the trailer for The Idol below: The Idol season one streams via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. Via Variety / The Hollywood Reporter. Images: Eddy Chen/HBO.
The Ironmen of Cooking are here. Here. Reppin' Australia's '90s love for the glorious, glorious competitive Japanese cooking show, two of the original Iron Chefs have landed in Melbourne for an epic cooking battle, one the public can eat for a cheeky $380 per person. Could be a publicity stunt for Iron Chef Australia, which was cancelled at the end of its first season in 2010. Could be (is) a KIRIN thing. Could just be a hair-brained jaunt from the Japanese TV crew. Either way, Kitchen Stadium has been left behind for Melbourne's RACV City Club this week. Over two nights on February 14 and 15, the mighty Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai (reppin' all things French cuisine, winner of 70 ICs) and Iron Chef Masahiko Kobe (the Don of Italian Iron Chef cooking, but winner of only 16 ICs) will take the stage with the son of Iron Chef Kenichi Chen (the once-master of IC Chinese cooking and winner of 66 ICs), banding together to cook up one monster of an Iron Chef feast. The theme ingredient? Australian local produce. Yep, it's more vague than river eel, summer corn or Alaskan king crab, but they're keeping it geographically-themed. Held over two sittings, the Iron Chefs will be chopping, mincing and frying up seven courses. According to Good Food, the menu's main focus will be pretty seafood heavy — spanner crab, ocean trout — alongside local duck. Paired with sake and Aussie wines by executive sommelier Masahiko Iga, the seven-course dinner is already well sold out — even with that $380pp price tag. It's not clear whether the legendary commentator Yukio Hattori (or his straight-up boss Canadian dub counterpart Scott Morris) will be in attendance to point out every last heroic detail, or whether the immortal, ever-dramatic host Takeshi Kaga will be there to kick off the proceedings. If you're wondering whether your face will end up on Japanese TV, it probably will — the Iron Chefs have brought an entire Japanese media entourage with them, as the battle will be televised. While tickets for the event have indeed sold out, you can peruse this list of every last Iron Chef ingredient ever featured or watch this SEA CUCUMBER BATTLE: Via Malay Mail and Good Food.
There are few places that instantly make you feel special. Tonka, formally Honky Tonks, is one of them. The moment you walk in, you know this place is different. The staff are warm yet professional and the dining room is beautiful, accented by a twirling white installation hanging from the roof. Follow the flashing neon sign to the very end of Duckboard Place off Flinders Lane, and you'll find your way. Start your Indian feast with a crisp pocket of spiced potato, mung beans, date and tamarind chutney complete with a jar of 'aromatic water' which is heavily spiced with coriander. Other good starters include the Crystal Bay prawn mollee with smoked Yarra Valley caviar and the tandoor paneer tikka with pineapple chutney and cos. Move to the larger dishes like the tender Avani's lamb curry with roasted coconut, black cardamom and white poppy seeds, or the nigiri vegetable curry with seasonal pickled vegetables. For something that packs a bit of heat try Tonka's chicken biryani with Sella rice, saffron and cassia. For dessert, the chocolate and caramel mouse with spiced pear compote is a standout, while the mango lassi ice-cream sandwich with a caramel spiced brownie is a textural experience in itself. Tonka's wine list also presents interesting wines with accessibility front of mind. The staff know their list and can recommend something regardless of your palate. There are also cocktails which take classics such as old-fashioneds and margaritas and give them an Indian twist — thoughtfully using aromatics and herbs. The rum mango lassi really needs to be ordered as well. It's approachable, fine dining if we've ever seen it. Go make an occasion of the whole experience, drinking it all in at Tonka. Images: Brook James.
Salona is a Greek eatery that has been run by three generations of the same family for nearly six decades. It is a beacon of heritage and history, community and convivality, and generosity and growth. It may be the oldest Greek restaurant owned and operated by the same family in Melbourne, but in the hands of the next generation, Salona still manages to feel fresh, exciting and vibrant. Stavros Konis, of Kafeneoin, took over the reins in 2006 with his wife, Alexandra, making them the third-generation family members to run Salona. This changing of the guard saw the reimagination of the venue, with Konis expanding the restaurant into the former travel agency next door and freshening up the fit-out. While walls may have been painted, and an al fresco area added, the heart of Salona — its traditional Greek menu — has largely remained true to its original iterations. There are dips, olives, pickled veggies and complimentary bread to start. Meze range from spicy cheese croquettes and pork and leek sausage, to pickled octopus and grilled kefalograviera cheese with apricot jam. Mains are hearty and rich, and while undoubtedly Greek in flavour and technique, they focus on Australian produce where possible. There's wild-caught, fresh fish of the day, baked goat with potatoes in parchment paper, Australian wild king prawn Greek Pasta, and lamb cutlets sold by the half kilo. It's no mean feat to have existed as a prominent member of Melbourne's hospitality landscape for over half a century, and it's even more impressive for a venue to maintain the energy, focus and loyal following of customers to be able to look ahead to the next however many decades with the same confidence. Images: Dan Castano Dazey Studio.
It isn't just traffic that will bring Brisbane's Story Bridge to a standstill in 2024. On one October Sunday, the famed river crossing will close to cars to become the site of a new nude photography work instead. Staging spectacular pieces filled with naked participants has long been Spencer Tunick's remit — and the New York-based artist has announced his next River City installation in advance of staging his first. On Saturday, November 18, 2023, Tunick is taking to numerous spots along the Brisbane River for a piece called TIDE, which forms part of this year's MELT Festival and was announced by Brisbane Powerhouse earlier in the year. Featuring around 150 people posing for the camera, that photography shoot is now considered a prequel for Sunday, October 27, 2024, when the Story Bridge will welcome thousands of folks sans clothes. [caption id="attachment_926438" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cape Town, Spencer Tunick[/caption] "This challenging work on the Story Bridge marks the second in my two-part series in Brisbane scheduled one year apart, in 2023 then 2024. It is the first time I have ever worked on installations with the same institution for an extended two-year project. This will allow me to deeply explore the city, its light, environment and its people," said Tunick. "The series will hopefully speak to diverse groups of people, and everyone navigating their way through the difficult challenges of our current world. It is a privilege to be making art that centres around the LGBTQIA+ community with all its beauty and vibrance." [caption id="attachment_926440" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lyon, Spencer Tunick[/caption] The Story Bridge piece will form part of Melt Open, an expansion of Brisbane Powerhouse's LGBTQIA+ arts and culture festival that'll debut next year. The broader fest is a fringe-style open-access event that, like MELT first, champions diversity. So has Tunick's work for decades, whether he's been in the Whitsundays with almost 100 Aussies in 2019 or briefly turning Bondi into a nude beach in 2022. Tunick initially turned his lens Australia's way in 2001 in Melbourne, when 4500 naked volunteers posed for a pic near Federation Square as part of the 2001 Fringe Festival. Since then, he's also photographed around 5000 nude people in front of the Sydney Opera House during the 2010 Mardi Gras, then returned to Victoria in 2018 shoot over 800 Melburnians in the rooftop carpark of a Prahran Woolworths. Elsewhere, Tunick has photographed the public painted red and gold outside Munich's Bavarian State Opera, covered in veils in the Nevada desert and covered in blue in Hull in the UK. The list goes on, with more than 100 temporary installations on his resume since 1992. [caption id="attachment_926441" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Melbourne, Spencer Tunick[/caption] "This major Tunick installation featuring thousands of nude bodies on the landmark Story Bridge is a visual expression of the diversity and inclusion that Brisbane's new LGBTQIA+ festival, Melt Open, aims to deliver across the city," said Melt Open Executive Producer Pieta Farrell. Brisbanites, or anyone who's keen to disrobe on the Story Bridge for a new piece of art, can put their hand up to join in — with the call for volunteers open now. And Tunick does indeed mean anyone, because there's no limit to the number of people who can take part. If you're not usually located in Brissie and you'd like to get snapped, you will need to travel at your expense. Successful applicants will be informed via email a few weeks prior to the shoot. [caption id="attachment_926442" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jay Cull[/caption] Spencer Tunick's 2024 Story Bridge installation will take place on Sunday, October 27, 2024 during Melt Open. Head to the Brisbane Powerhouse website to register to take part. TIDE will be shot on Saturday, November 18, 2023 along the Brisbane River as part of MELT Festival 2023, which runs until Sunday, November 26 at Brisbane Powerhouse. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the fest's website now. Top image: Gateshead, Newcastle, England by Spencer Tunick.
