The first half of Before Midnight made me excited for my early forties. Mediterranean holiday tans, wild-haired children running barefoot in another room, expansive dinner table conversation with a circle of worldly friends — it's a dream for a more carefree age. But then comes the second half of the movie, an epic, exhausting fight that will either be the end of the couple's relationship or just one of several milestone feuds that mark a long commitment. That's when the rare quality of Before Midnight emerges; this is not a film about idyllic love, this is a film about real love. This is the tarnished ever after. The couple is one we know oddly well, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy), who, in a typically Gen X act of slacker romanticism, spent one night walking and talking around Vienna in 1995's Before Sunrise and were finally reunited for a further afternoon in Paris in 2004's Before Sunset. In the nine years since, it turns out they've stuck with each other, but the insouciance of those early encounters has gone. "When was the last time we just walked around bullshitting?" Jesse says in one beautifully self-aware moment, as they rediscover the pastime on holiday in Greece. Instead, they've both been learning to deal with each other's crazy while simultaneously pushing a few years' worth of upset under the carpet. Jesse hates having to be separated from his pre-teen son, who's in the custody of Jesse's estranged ex in the US. Celine feels Jesse neglected her and their daughters while on his book tour and resents his general man-childness. Celine picks fights; Jesse papers over them. They might not ever resolve these deadlocks, but they have to move past them. With this series of films, dialogue is everything. In Before Midnight, it sparkles, dances and defies the bounds we expect of film. All three instalments are the product of a unique collaborative partnership between director Richard Linklater, Hawke and Delpy; from the start the actors have written parts of their own selves into the characters, and the possibility for honest exploration seems to have deepened with the passing of time. With nine years so far separating each film, the release of a sequel is becoming an event, so it's particularly great to see Before Midnight not only meeting expectations but raising the bar. People love Jesse and Celine with the intensity normally reserved for several-season TV characters (or real people, even). If we see fifty-something Celine and Jesse next decade — 'Before Noon', I imagine they'll call it — we'll be a very lucky audience.
As most of us loudly exclaim every year, how on earth is it February already? With that, Valentine's Day is almost upon us. Whether you're all in on the celebration of love, you adamantly tell anyone who will listen that it's a money-making conspiracy or you only acknowledge Galentine's Day, there's nothing bad about an excuse to spread warm and fuzzy feelings. If you don't feel like dropping tonnes of cash on one of the many set menu dinners on offer, here are five ideas for V Day that won't break the bank. [caption id="attachment_760801" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ardian Lumi[/caption] LEARN A DANCE OF LOVE AT THE IMMIGRATION MUSEUM For anyone who loves to dance, or likes the idea of dancing but isn't quite sure how, The Immigration Museum has you sorted. It'll be open late for Latin Valentine in honour of the Mexican tradition El Día del Amor y la Amistad (The Day of Love and Friendship). Entry is just $20 each (or a little extra for a sultry dance workshop or a chocolate and tequila tasting), for a night of salsa dancing, afro beats, cocktails, street food and mariachi love song dedications. To celebrate the importance of platonic and familial love, there's also speed friending sessions, personalised compliment cards and a Polaroid photo booth. PAT POOCHES AND GET SMOOCHES AT THIS BREWERY Romance prospects looking a little slim this Valentine's Day? Fear not — your mates at Abbotsford's Moon Dog have the perfect solution, involving some very good boys and plenty of furry (and perhaps a little slobbery) kisses. This February 14, the Abbotsford brewery is serving up a big dose of puppy love with its dog-filled Valentine's Day bash, complete with an adorable doggy kissing booth. It'll be manned by some of Moon Dog's favourite four-legged friends, offering smooches from 4–6pm. Who even needs love when doggy snogs are on the cards? Fittingly, this paw party also coincides with the launch of the latest drop from Moon Dog's Doggo Mates beer series: the big, hazy Leon's New England IPA. Rock up from 4pm and you can be one of the first to sample it fresh from the tap. And, of course, if you've got a pooch of your own, they're welcome to come along and join in the loved-up, Valentine's Day fun. SEE A FILM IN ONE OF MELBOURNE'S PRETTIEST GARDENS A twilight picnic, a bottle of wine and a movie under the stars, all with the grass of Rippon Lea Estate under your toes. Idyllic. Barefoot Cinema has returned to the gorgeous garden for another summer, and this February 14 it's screening the always romantic (despite the teenage deaths) Romeo + Juliet. Tickets are $22 a pop so BYO picnic and pick up a bottle of vino from the bar. Barefoot isn't the only outdoor cinema showing flicks this Valentine's Day, either — you can also head to Moonlight Cinema at the Royal Botanic Gardens, which is screening Ghost; catch Rocketman at the MCG; or watch a free screening of The Notebook at the pop-up Fed Beach. SOAK IN THE SWEET SOUNDS OF THE MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA A free concert at Sidney Myer Music Bowl is a summer right of passage at this point and a super romantic (and cheap) way to spend Valentine's Day this year. La Dolce Vita (the sweet life) will kick off at 7.30pm, conducted by Benjamin Northey, featuring the MSO horn quartet and the world premiere of a MSO commission by Richard Mills, 'Island Signal Island Song'. We advise putting a picnic together and getting down early (doors open at 4.30pm) to secure your spot for a night of classical overtures under the stars. EMBRACE THE 'TRUE' MEANING OF THE DAY: CHOCOLATE (AND CRAFT BEER) Richmond's Concrete Boots Bar is aiming to help you escape the usual love day schtick with craft beer and chocolate extravaganza Schmalentine's Day. Teaming up with sweet specialists The Dessert Plate, Concrete Boots will be pairing paddles of craft beer with artisanal chocolates. For $16 a paddle, you'll get three brews, each with a taste of its perfect chocolate buddy. Try the Big Shed Golden Gaytime stout paired with Cocoa Rhapsody's Mocca, a mango IPA from Jetty Road and Monsieur Truffe's caramel milk chocolate with sea salt, or a chai flavoured choccy with a Belgian blonde ale from Hargreaves Hill. There'll also be snacks, share plates and chocolatey desserts to enjoy. Top image: Immigration Museum
Did you know that Will Ferrell is white? And that Kevin Hart is small? Do you think it would be funny if each pretended that they weren't? The minds behind Get Hard certainly do, explaining the odd couple meets fish-out-of-water comedy that results. Apparently laughs will flow freely if Ferrell tries to act like a gangsta being schooled by Hart punching above his weight. The key word is apparently. Things are going pretty well for stockmarket whiz James King (Ferrell), with a happy boss slash soon-to-be father-in-law, Martin (Craig T. Nelson), and an attractive fiancee, Alissa (Alison Brie), to prove it. Then, his engagement party is crashed and his dreams crushed by FBI agents waving around fraud and embezzlement charges. An unsuccessful attempt to prove his innocence later, and he's destined for 10 years of hard time. Afraid he won't be able to take it, he enlists Darnell Lewis (Hart), an aspiring carwash entrepreneur and family man mistaken for an ex-con, to teach him how to survive on the inside. Yes, he asks for help getting hard, hence the movie's title and many of its gags. Did you know that the phrase doesn't just refer to acting tough? Of course you do — but based on the amount of genitalia jokes in the screenplay, writer/director Etan Cohen (scribe of Tropic Thunder) and his co-writers Jay Martel and Ian Roberts (TV's Key and Peele) are really afraid that you don't. That also explains the frequent reminders that jail isn't a nice place and constant mentions of rape and violence, as well as the overt tone of panicked homophobia. Add rampant racism as well as the dismissal of Brie as a money-hungry sex object, and the end result is questionable at best and offensive at worst. Satire can't be used as an excuse, though the few moments that work — Ferrell dressed up like Lil Wayne while telling Hart that he's not trying to appropriate his culture, for example — indicate that was the aim. It takes more than simply pointing something out and then repeating it for the film to avoid stereotypes, but it just doesn't invest the time and effort. Get Hard even misses the mark on the easiest target here, and the one that actually makes sense: the ridiculously wealthy perpetrators of white-collar crimes that fleece the little guys for a big payday. Amid all the poorly judged humour, everything plays out as expected, the duo bumbling and bonding, and the film trying to coast by on star power alone. Ferrell and Hart both do what they can with the material, showing plenty of effort for little reward; however, even their innate talents can't save the show. This isn't the comedy vehicle either could've hoped for, nor a showcase for what might have been a great double act. Looking flatter and blander than any Hollywood effort should, it's not the movie anyone could've hoped for, either. The only thing getting hard here is the audience's patience.
Welcome to Brunswick will accommodate both your stomach and your flaming sinuses at the day-long event that is the Hot Sauce and Chilli Festival. If spice is your mate and you think you can handle some of the hottest chilli situations Melbourne can throw at you, now's your time to prove your mettle. Some you'll even have to sign a waiver to taste, so you know they'll be life-affirming. There'll be sauce offerings from stalls such as Melbourne Hot Sauce, Hells Breath and Blair's Death Sauce. If you've come for the actual food side of things, you're in luck, too — if this year's fest is anything like past years, you won't go hungry. And drinks? Well, the bar team will be serving 'hot pocket' shots. That's what you'll need a waiver for (and maybe some milk, too). Brews will also be on the menu, if that's your tipple of choice. Head along from 12pm on Saturday, April 17.
From its humble origins in suburban shopping centres of the mid-2000s, Melbourne's bubble tea scene has become an easily recognisable part of life across the city. The Taiwanese drink, consisting of tea, milk and tapioca balls known affectionately as 'pearls', is now sold on virtually every corner of the Hoddle Grid. This is partly because the drink itself is constantly evolving; new ingredients, flavours and concepts appear on menus all the time, and many go on to become mainstays in their own right—take the 2018 boom in 'cheese tea', for instance. At the same time, vendors are increasingly experimenting with presentation and aesthetics to keep themselves above the ever-growing competition. With CBD foot traffic down up to 90 percent in 2020, many bubble tea shops were forced to do both in a bid to attract the limited customers and increase revenue. The shops in this round-up have not succeeded in doing this, but have pushed the boundaries and found new ways to make the familiar drink. Now, as the city gradually comes back to life, they find themselves at the forefront of a new wave in Melbourne's bubble tea scene. [caption id="attachment_797458" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] NUTTEA Few bubble tea shops cater to vegans. Dairy-free alternatives are usually hard to come by, and people who prefer other options are often forced into the fruit-based section of the menu. Enter Nuttea: a Taiwanese store with a newly opened flagship in Melbourne Central. Nuttea prides itself on championing plant-based bubble tea so that everyone can enjoy a full selection of creamy and fruity options. In fact, its entire menu is vegan. "We're making healthier bubble tea that tastes good, makes you feel good and is better for the environment as well", owner Jason Tan told Concrete Playground. The store uses a blend of walnut, macadamia and cashew in its nut mylk, and it's served with tea and smoothies as well as coffee. It also makes a hazelnut-based cream, which is used as a garnish on some of its teas, including the ruby black tea. The ruby black tea is a premium strain produced in Taiwan's Sun Moon Lake, and Nuttea's cream is a smooth and decadent addition to the drink. For a more adventurous pairing, try the earl grey, served with chocolate nut cream instead — and for something more refreshing, go for the new-season grape tea, made from fresh grapes in-house. All these drinks also come with a sticker outlining how to approach the drink — first by tasting some of the cream, then drinking from the rim before finally mixing it all together. Find Nuttea at ELLA Melbourne Central, Corner Elizabeth and Latrobe streets from 11am–7pm Wednesday–Thursday and Sunday, and 11am–8pm Friday and Saturday. NARÖCHA In 2020, a newfound reliance on home delivery services saw all sorts of creative solutions emerge when it comes to bubble tea — many versions of the beverage, particularly those with more elaborate toppings, don't tend to travel too well. Naröcha has worked around this by offering DIY tea kits and one-litre take-home bottles, both of which have proven godsends for customers and the store alike. Its most popular drinks are now available in this ready-made, bottled form — among them a butterfly lemonade tea, which is caffeine-free and purple in colour. For more indecisive customers, it also sells bundles of four-to-ten taster bottles in 350-millilitre or 500-millilitre sizes. In terms of DIY products, Naröcha sells everything from tea powders and whisks to a fully stocked DIY boba package. It makes its in-house takeaway drinks feel more transparent — you know exactly what they contain and how they're made. The more popular drinks to buy in store include the hojicha makiato and classic bubble milk tea, but more left-of-field options include a strawberry cheesecake drink and a Milo mocha, as well as a seasonal watermelon and mango tea with mango popping pearls and a brown sugar range with hojicha, genmaicha and matcha varieties. Find Naröcha at 59 Therry Street, Melbourne from 11am–8pm Monday–Friday and 10am–10.30pm Saturday and 10am–9pm Sunday. INSTEA If take-home bottles are the next big selling point for bubble tea, then why not get even more creative with the packaging? Instea has taken the concept of reusable bottles one step further, selling its six signature drinks in glass bottles resembling Chanel perfume. Among these are your classic matcha and brown sugar options, two versions of butterfly flower tea and an aptly named Cocoa Chanel beverage consisting of cocoa and milk. While these have been selling out over the company's first months of trade so far, they're regularly restocked alongside new herbal varieties. If they are sold out, matcha, brown sugar and cocoa options are also available in regular packaging, along with seasonal drinks, a suite of fresh brew teas and yoghurt- and fruit-based drinks. Staff favourites include the lemon green tea and Summer Supreme fruit tea. Find Instea at 210 Swanston Street, Melbourne VIC from 11am–10pm Sunday–Wednesday and 11am–11pm Thursday-Saturday. MACHI MACHI This Taiwanese store also packages its most popular drinks in take-home bottles. It garnishes them with a layer of panna cotta as well, but this unique topping option isn't quite the brand's true claim to fame. The brand actually garnered international recognition after being featured in a Jay Chou music video which now has over 60 million views on You Tube. The store's name and logo honour Machi, his wife Hannah Quinlivan's pet dog. Notwithstanding its unusual origin story, Machi Machi's range of drinks speaks for itself. Besides bottled teas served with panna cotta, the store is packing many fresh fruit and cream cheese options. Also available is a premium Sun Moon Lake black tea, and its original black milk tea with crème brûlée. Find Machi Machi at 264 Swanston Street from 11pm–10pm daily; at 612 Station Street, Box Hill from 11am–11pm daily; and 85 Kingsway, Glen Waverley from 11am–10pm Sunday–Thursday and 11am–11pm Friday–Saturday. Top image: Nuttea by Parker Blain
While 'Thrift Shop' swaggers to the clumsy mash of spiky melodic contours and full Ab minor chords, triple j's other Hottest 100 collaborative effort rambles confidently through soulful grooves and grazing vocals. The grooves come at the hands of 9-piece funk/soul/psych/mod Melbourne outfit The Bamboos and the vocals from You Am I frontman Tim Rogers, and the result is one big track that's even bigger live. This month the temporarily ten-piece lineup will take 'I Got Burned' across the country along with some unheard originals and a whole heap of new covers. With Rogers voice and Lance Ferguson's guitar punctuated by the spectacular larynxes of resident Bamboos Kylie Auldist and Ella Thompson plus a handful of brass things and a Hammond organ, the Soul and Rock 'n Roll show should give you plenty of material with which to argue that maybe genre is kinda redundant anyway. Read our interview with Bamboos frontman Lance Ferguson here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=hZEN_l4j6mY
Pasta and parmesan are one of Italian cuisine's perfect pairings. Eat the former without the latter, and your tastebuds will know the difference. And while sprinkling your spaghetti with fine shavings of hard cheese is all well and good (and delicious), that's nothing compared to devouring a bowl of pasta that has been prepared inside a parmesan wheel. If it sounds like all of your culinary dreams come true, that's because it is — and it's the dish in the spotlight at Cucinetta's returning Parmesan Wheel Week. After a swag of successful previous events, the South Yarra restaurant is bringing this cheesy situation back for 2023, once again serving up the Italian specialty pasta cacio e pepe straight out of a wheel of 24-month Parmigiano Reggiano. And, despite the name, the $39.99 special is actually running across two full weeks. Given that cacio e pepe is a pasta concoction made with parmesan and pepper — think fancier, tastier mac 'n' cheese — the results promise quite the cheesy meal. The dish will be available at Cucinetta for lunch from 12–3pm and dinner from 5pm–close between Sunday, January 1–Sunday, January 15. We'd tell you to arrive hungry, but we're sure that just thinking about it already has you feeling ravenous.
Sipping gins on a sun-drenched rooftop is an essential summer pastime — but the Rooftop at QT Melbourne is stepping it up a notch. The sky-high venue has teamed up with your mates at Four Pillars for a six-week summer pop-up, reimagining the classic G&T as a supremely scoopable sorbet. Sips & Sorbet is set to take over the rooftop from Saturday, January 14–Sunday, February 26, celebrating some frosty, fruity guests of honour. From 12–4pm each weekend, the Sips & Sorbet cart will be scooping a range of cocktail-inspired sorbets, taking inspiration from Four Pillars' classic pours via flavours such as yuzu ginger, peach, spiced negroni and fresh vanilla. Alongside the scoops, you'll find signature gin cocktails like the Sunset Spritz crafted on Aperol and salted grapefruit, and the Summer Lovin' starring watermelon and bitter strawberry soda. And to amp up those weekend afternoon vibes as you're sipping, spooning and socialising, expect a rotation of top local DJs gracing the decks.
Fresh off the back of holiday season, January is best enjoyed when it's packed full of extracurricular fun to extend those laidback vacation vibes just a little bit longer. And this summer, The District Docklands is the place to be for just that, when it dishes up a free program of music and entertainment for its District Live series. Returning every Saturday from January 7–January 28, the festivities will feature free live gigs from a stack of big-name and emerging acts — Daddy Cool's Ross Wilson, Eurovision star Isaiah Firebrace and pop darling Montaigne included. The OG Red Wiggle aka Murray Cook will even be taking a spin on the DJ decks. To enjoy in between the tunes, you'll find a rotation of food and drink pop-ups making an appearance throughout the series, featuring favourites like Urban Alley, Dal Zotto and Tarsier Gin. Plus, there's a program of additional activities to keep you further entertained — including pub trivia, a makers market, paint 'n sip sessions and even a silent disco held in a maze. [caption id="attachment_883740" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ross Wilson, by Anna Bartle[/caption] Top Image: Jess Gleeson
A moscato made with beer hops. Chenin blanc infused with pine resin. Queensland's only wine fermented in terracotta. They're some of the wildly delicious drops made by Australia's just-announced Top 50 winemakers for 2020, as chosen by Young Gun of Wine (YGOW). Running since 2007, the annual award showcases the up-and-coming wine labels and winemakers pushing the boundaries and making some damn-fine wine. The Top 50 were chosen by the industry's leading chefs, winemakers and sommeliers, including Louella Mathews of Sydney's Bibo Wine Bar, Mona sommelier Pip Anderson, Charlotte Hardy of Charlotte Dalton Wines and wine critic Nick Stock. And, full disclosure, I was also a judge — so I can personally vouch for these wines. If you're currently self-isolating, working from home or are just wanting to spend a little more time indoors at the moment, this list has arrived at a helpful time — you now have 50 wine labels to drink your way through, from the comfort of your apartment. On said list, you'll find 17 winemakers from Victoria, 14 from SA, six from NSW/ACT, WA and Tasmania, and one from Queensland. Dirty Candy Wine's Daniel Payne, Con-Greg Grigoriou from SA's Delinquente Wine Co, Frederick Stevenson's Steve Crawford, Alexander Byrne from Noisy Ritual in Victoria, Le Petite Mort's Andrew Scott from Queensland are some of the makers whose wines you'll be wanting to 'add to cart' right now. You'll have a chance to chat to some of these winemakers while you taste their wines, too — and for free. Because of current health concerns surrounding COVID-19, YGOW has cancelled its usual in-person tasting events, but, instead, it'll be hosting a series of virtual events in May. The free online series will see you chatting to winemakers and industry experts from your bed, couch or even bath while sipping on vino. You can sign up for those over here. Once you've tasted some of the wines from the list and chatted to some of the winemakers, you can vote in the People's Choice Award, which is open until June 1. Everyone that votes will get a $50 Langton's voucher — so, yes, you can purchase even more wine. The winners, including the People's Choice, Best New Act, Winemaker's Choice, Danger Zone and Young Gun of Wine, will then be announced on Monday, June 1. You can check out all the winners below: [caption id="attachment_765181" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Some of the 250 wines that were tasted and judged for YGOW. Photo by James Morgan[/caption] YOUNG GUN OF WINE 2020 TOP 50 NSW/ACT Daniel Payne from Dirt Candy Wine, Hunter Valley Angus Vinden from The Vinden Headcase, Hunter Valley Steve Mobbs from Dreaded Friend/Wallington Wines, Central Ranges Will Gilbert from Gilbert, Orange/Mudgee Tom Ward from Swinging Bridge, Orange Samuel Leyshon from Mallaluka, Canberra District QLD Andrew Scott from Le Petite Mort, Granite Belt SA Sholto Broderick & Louis Broderick from Basket Range Wine, Adelaide Hills Dylan Lee from Bird in Hand, Adelaide Hills James Hamilton from Golden Child, Adelaide Hills Michael Sexton from Main & Cherry, Adelaide Hills Sarah Adamson from Scout Wines, Adelaide Hills/New Zealand Tarrant Hansen from Spider Bill Wines, Adelaide Hills Alyson Tannenbaum from Vinteloper, Adelaide Hills Andre Bondar from Bondar Wines, McLaren Vale/Adelaide Hills Charles Seppelt & Skye Salter from Paralian Wines, McLaren Vale Mauricio Ruiz Cantu & Benjamin Caldwell from Somos, McLaren Vale Con-Greg Grigoriou from Delinquente Wine Co, Riverland Ansel Ashby from Gatch Wine, Riverland/Adelaide Hills/Clare Valley Steve Crawford from Frederick Stevenson, Barossa Valley Eden Valley/Adelaide Hills Nick Dugmore from The Stoke Wines, Kangaroo Island TAS Jonathan Hughes from Mewstone Wines, Tasmania Greer Carland from Quiet Mutiny, Tasmania Gilli & Paul Lipscombe from Sailor Seeks Horse, Tasmania James Broinowski from Small Island Wines, Tasmania Ricky Evans from Two Tonne Tasmania, Tasmania Hugh McCullough from Wellington & Wolfe, Tasmania VIC Chris Catlow from Sentio, Beechworth Raquel Jones from Weathercraft, Beechworth Natasha Webster from Empire of Dirt Wines, Geelong Ben Mullen from Mulline, Geelong Justin Purser from Dhiaga, Mornington Peninsula Glen Hayley from Kooyong/Port Phillip Estate, Mornington Peninsula Tara & Matthew Campbell from Mattara Wines, Mornington Peninsula/Grampians Alexander Byrne from Noisy Ritual, Victoria Chris Bendle from DCB Wine, Yarra Valley Tim Perrin from from Oakridge Wines, Yarra Valley Hadyn Black from Black & Ginger, Great Western/Grampians/Henty/Pyrenees Leighton Joy from Pyren Vineyard, Pyrenees Chris Dilworth & Loique Allain from Dilworth & Allain, Macedon Ranges Renata Morello from Lyons Will Estate, Macedon Ranges Ben Ranken from Wilimee, Macedon Ranges Bart Van Olphen from Chalmers, Heathcote/Mildura Jonathan Ross from Micro Wines, Geelong/Barossa Valley WA Alexi Christidis from Chalari Wines, Perth Hills, Swan Valley Garth Cliff from Vino Volta, Swan Valley/Swan District/Geographe/Perth Hills Natasha Arthur from Arthur Wines, Margaret River Dylan Arvidson from LS Merchants, Margaret River/Frankland River Remi Guise from tripe.Iscariot, Margaret River Kim Tyrer from Galafrey Wines, Mount Barker You can sign up for Young Gun of Wine's Top 50 virtual events here and vote in the People's Choice Award before June 1 here. To purchase the above wines, head to the individual wine label's website or order from online bottle shops such as Drnks, P&V, Vinomofo and Blackhearts & Sparrows.
Christmas shopping can be one of the most hectic tasks leading up to the holiday season, but the good news is that The Big Design Market Melbourne is officially back after a three-year hiatus. Scheduled to set up camp for three days at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton, the market will feature more than 270 design stalls spanning designer homeware, limited-edition art prints, local fashion, jewellery, stationery and more. Elsewhere, a slew of tastemakers will serve up exceptional culinary experiences at the food emporium including coffee from the classic ST. ALi, savoury pies from Footscray's iconic Pie Thief, fresh Portuguese tarts from Natas & Co and innovative cocktails from Sydney's Archie Rose Distilling Co and Original Spirit Co. Celebrating 10 years, The Big Design Market has also teamed up with One Billion Stars for Weaving Day this December. Guests are welcome to take part in a free workshop led by Maryann Talia Pau – a Samoan-Australian artist and weaver – where they will learn how to create an eight-pointed star to support One Billion Stars' goal: to weave one billion stars by 2032 to raise awareness for violence-free communities. The Big Design Market will run from Friday, December 2–Sunday, December 4 at the Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton. Tickets are now available to purchase online. Images: Amelia Stanwix
Spring has arrived, and with it comes the smell of fresh popcorn as starlight screenings return to Lido's Rooftop Cinema in Hawthorn. Perched atop the Glenferrie Road picture house, the outdoor screen will once again light up with a selection of new release movies in the open air — from Thursday, October 27. The 2022–23 Lido on the Roof season kicks off with Billy Eichner-starring rom-com Bros, plus sessions of Barbarian and the similarly scary Terrifier 2 and Sissy around Halloween. The Woman King and Smile help round out the rooftop cinema's first week, although that's just the beginning of the program. Also on the bill: the Harry Styles-starring Don't Worry Darling, coming-of-age tale Armageddon Time, much-anticipated Marvel sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the sleuthing Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, and festive hijinks with Violent Night and Die Hard — with more titles set to be added over spring and summer. Always a hot ticket, sessions sell out quickly here — if you need any more motivation to get booking. Also, don't forget that the bar opens an hour before session start times for rooftop — and sunset — drinks.
Between Thursday, December 8–Wednesday, December 14, Palace Cinemas is giving movie buffs in Melbourne an extra present. 'Tis the season, after all. It's not just the gift of great flicks — that is, the chain's daily bread and butter — but the gift of cheap great flicks. The one catch: you need to be a Palace Movie Club member. Head to the company's venues around the city — so at Pentridge, Brighton Bay, Westgarth, Balwyn, Como and The Kino — across the week in question, and you'll only pay $8 to see a film. Haven't yet seen Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Bros, Don't Worry Darling or Top Gun: Maverick yet? Catching up will cost you $8. Keen to check out Decision to Leave, Bones and All, She Said, The Menu, Seriously Red, Violent Night, The Velvet Queen and Armageddon Time? Also $8. We'd keep naming movies, but you get the picture. Booking in advance is highly recommended, given how much everyone loves going to the flicks for little more than the price of a cup of coffee. If you do nab your tickets online, you will have to add a transaction fee to the cost. You won't be able to use the $8 deal on special events and film festivals, or on two-for-one offers and other deals — but you've now got plenty of movies to see for cheap.
If you've ever had a sneaky little go with some small person's Lego blocks once they're all tucked up in bed, Legoland sees you, tips you their hat… and raises you an adults-only night at its Melbourne Discovery Centre. With no children to get in the way (or outdo your creations), you'll score free rein of Legoland to check out its 4D cinema and rides, and build to your heart's content in the brick pits. Test your skills by taking on the build challenge, have a crack at a speed build or try a scavenger hunt — and vie for the prizes up for grabs. [caption id="attachment_878422" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jaz Blom[/caption] As an added bonus, this adults-only instalment will be embracing a festive theme — get in the spirit by donning your finest ugly Christmas sweater, nabbing a pic with Santa and grooving to the night's festive DJ tunes while you create those Lego masterpieces. It all takes place from 6–9pm on Thursday, December 15 — and you should BYO shameless excitement, a taste for glory and boundless creativity. Entry will set you back $39.99, with food and drinks available to purchase from the onsite cafe until 8pm. [caption id="attachment_878421" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jaz Blom[/caption] Top Image: Jaz Blom
It has been a tough summer in Australia, with bushfires raging across the country and ongoing drought still taking its toll. In response to these disasters, it's been a summer filled with Aussie spirit, too — as the country rallies together to do whatever it can to support those affected, as well as the volunteer firefighters battling the blazes. Trust Australia's distillers to take the whole Aussie spirit concept literally, though. Making Aussie spirits is their job, so they're banding together to donate some of that local booze to a great cause. That's what the Aussie Spirit Auction is all about — selling off Australian-made gins, rums, vodkas, whiskies and whiskeys, moonshine and other liqueurs, and giving all the proceeds to Rural Aid's bushfire and drought relief efforts. More than 100 Aussie distilleries are taking part, including big names such as Four Pillars, Starward, Archie Rose and Brookie's Gin. Together, they've donated more than 200 bottles, including many that are rare, limited edition or simply can't be bought in stores. A number of experiences, such as distillery tours, are also on offer, as are fine art prints of distilleries if you need something for your wall. There are two ways to take part, stock up your liquor cabinet and help those in need: a physical auction and gala in Sydney on Friday, February 28, and an online auction that's currently underway online until the same date. For those thinking about attending in person, your $120 ticket will also be donated to Rural Aid, and you'll also eat your way through a three-course dinner, drink plenty of craft spirits and get the chance to bid on the auction's top 12 items. There'll also be a pop-up bar onsite showcasing distilleries from bushfire-affected regions, including WildBrumby, Karu, Reed & Co, Corowa, Craft Works and Joadja. [caption id="attachment_761560" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] 5Nines Distilling, Richard Lyons[/caption] Online, current bids range from reasonable to hefty, depending on the brand and the item on offer. And, if you're eager to help but aren't interested in the booze, you can also simply donate without bidding. Plus, you can bid on a brand new whisky that's being made especially for the occasion — called 'the Aussie Spirit', naturally. The Aussie Spirit Auction is currently underway online, with bids accepted until 10pm AEDT on Friday, February 28. The live auction and gala takes place in Sydney on the same date — at Dockside, 2 Wheat Road, Darling Harbour — with tickets on sale now. Top image: Archie Rose Distilling Co.
Winter's rolling in, but if you're not ready to let the warm days slip away just yet, a summery whisky cocktail could be your answer. Normally, the belly-warming properties of whisky call for a cosier setting. See: dimly lit bars, roaring fires, snuggle sessions. But this season, that's all changing. Ardbeg, makers of one of the world's smokiest whiskies, is getting ready to release a summer carnival-inspired drop, Ardbeg Drum. This special blend has been created by taking the traditional Ardbeg drop from ex-bourbon casks and then resting it in rum casks, adding a uniquely Carribean note to the already complex favourite. This limited-edition drop will be released in stores on Saturday, June 1, coinciding with the brand's annual party, known as Ardbeg Day. Yep, it seems that Ardbeg — and whisky fans — have a lot to celebrate. So, in the lead-up to this big day, Ardbeg has teamed up with a bunch of Melbourne bars to keep the warm weather vibes going. Across the entire month of May, the bars will be slinging the salty, smoky tones of Ardbeg 10 Years Old in a selection of cocktails. From the aromatic essence of a fine Cuban cigar to the spice of barbecue jerk seasoning, here are four ways bars will infuse the spirit of Caribbean summer into their menus.
When Touch played Australia's Scandinavian Film Festival, which fittingly fills cinemas around the country each winter, it wasn't the only feature from Iceland on the program. Of the four titles from the Nordic nation, however, two of the fellow movies around this tender romantic drama fell into the thriller category. Scandi noir has become its own genre, buoyed by the success of efforts across the Nordic region such as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and its sequels, and the likes of The Killing and The Bridge on TV. Icelandic television series Trapped also sits in the same camp, as created by one of its most-famous filmmaking names: director Baltasar Kormákur. Kormákur knows how to lean into the genre that the rest of the planet now considers synonymous with his part of the globe. He's also well-aware that there's far more to Iceland's screen output than its moodiest efforts, and how important it is to ensure that other tales are being told. An actor before moving behind the lens — and sometimes afterwards, including for himself — he's just as familiar with a recent trend among features from his homeland: movies with animal-themed titles (see: Of Horses and Men, Rams and Lamb). In comparison, Touch takes its own path, eschewing both noir and critters. That said, character-driven films are hardly new to the country; Kormákur has been there before himself, in fact, starting with his 2000 directorial debut 101 Reykjavík. Consider Touch a reminder, then, that crime-thrillers, the frosty landscape and the animals that live upon it are only a part of Iceland's storytelling. Hopping between Iceland, the UK and Japan, as well as between time periods, Kormákur's latest feature found its details on the page via the filmmaker's compatriot Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson, who co-wrote the script — and its narrative spreads far beyond what's become regarded of late as typical Icelandic fare. It all kicks off in Reykjavík, where widower Kristófer (Egill Ólafsson, another Trapped alum) does indeed have a mystery to solve: the whereabouts of the woman he loved five decades earlier. In the late 60s, he was a student (played by the director's son Pálmi Kormákur, The Deep) in London who took a job in a Japanese restaurant, with a romance with his boss Takahashi-san's (Masahiro Motoki, Giri/Haji) daughter Miko (Kōki Kimura, Ushikubi Village) blossoming. Touch begins in 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic was shutting down existence as everyone knew it. Before he flies out to the UK, it also commences with Kristófer receiving an early-stage dementia diagnosis. As the film flits back and forth between the elder version of the character on his search for the Hiroshima-born Miko and his memories of their time together, it contemplates paths not taken, connections that will never fade, choices that haunt and emotions that last forever. It plunges, too, into one of the 20th century's horrors and its lingering ramifications. Kormákur also sees Touch as a picture about seeking closure, and knows how universal that idea is — and how cathartic Kristófer's journey is to watch. He feels that link personally. "As the years come in, it becomes a heavier burden," he tells Concrete Playground. "There are things — you did something wrong to somebody, or weren't fair or left a love relationship in the way you shouldn't, whatever it is — there's the need to rectify and close. Not to necessarily pick up. I don't think Kristófer is there to pick up and run around with a newfound love, no. It's about finding closure and understanding. I have very strong ties to that. That has come very a heavy burden in my life, which I didn't think much about when I was in my 20s and 30s." [caption id="attachment_970779" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kormákur hasn't just crafted a departure from the current Nordic norm. He's now spent decades jumping between both sides of the Atlantic, with English-language action and survivalist movies dotted across his resume. The Mark Wahlberg (The Union)-starring Contraband and 2 Guns, scaling mountainous heights in Everest, the also based-on-a-true-tale Adrift, Idris Elba (Hijack) fighting lions in Beast: they've all boasted Kormákur behind the lens, but he doesn't see himself as linked to or fascinated by any one genre.[/caption] We also chatted with the filmmaker about discovering Ólafsson's book and being inspired to turn it into a film, celebrating a different kind of Icelandic movie than the kind worldwide audiences are often seeing of late, juggling Touch's different locations and eras, and casting when you're telling a story across half a century. On Kormákur Coming Across the Novel and Knowing That He Wanted to Turn It Into a Film "It was given to me by my daughter as a present for Christmas. And I opened it right away and started reading, and I couldn't put it down. I think I read it in less than 24 hours. First, it took its time in the beginning, and then it just got me more and more and more. And there's something about the way that it reflects time and life through the two story threads. I also wanted to find a love story, but a real one to me, something that would mirror my experience in some way with love, because I've had a relationship with love for now 58 years. It was just a great vessel for that in the movie. It's also very unusual for Icelandic films to have these kind of cross-cultural references, and an opportunity of travelling through space and time." On Making an Icelandic Film Away From the Country's Frosty Landscape and the Nordic Noir Genre "I think it's very important. I think it's actually more important, possibly, than people realise in the moment. I think always when you break a little bit of boundaries in telling stories, it gives the young people who are coming after you a different perspective and opens up to them — 'yeah, well if that's an Icelandic film, then I can maybe do something of that kind or something different'. I think with small countries, often there is a tendency that there are certain kinds of films that are accepted and tend to be repeated. We've done a lot of films about domestic animals in Iceland. I think every title — we have Lamb, we have Rams, we have Of Horses and Men. It's all good, very good films, don't get me wrong, but at some point we're running out of domestic animal titles. So it was about time for something else. But also I come from a background of two nations. I'm half Spanish and half Icelandic. My parents actually met pretty much like Miko and Kristófer in the story — in a restaurant in Reykjavík as my father was passing through. He was a Spanish artist escaping Franco at the time, and he ran into my mother and he just stood up in the restaurant. He was coming in, she was working in the restaurant, and 18 days later they were to be married — and 60 years later they're still together. Unfortunately he has a bit of Alzheimer's, like the character. So there's a lot of things that connected me to the story on many levels. Also the need for closure, which is very important to me, and I feel like is coming harder and harder down on me — like the need to close certain chapters and stories and make peace with them." On Balancing Multiple Different Time Periods — and Hopping Between Iceland, the UK and Japan "It was very, very complicated in terms of shooting. People thought Everest was complicated, but this is actually more complicated because there's also three languages. But I love it. We are allowing more languages and more culture into films, and it's getting more accepted, and I think it's really important. And for me, it has to be in the language that these people would authentically be speaking to each other. Then the market comes next and says 'I'm not going to...' because there was this idea, somebody came and said 'what about if Kristófer is in England rather than Icelandic and we can just have him...'. And yeah, it would work, but that's not my story. So, that's very important. And of course, it's incredibly complicated to create a restaurant. A Japanese restaurant in England 1969, there are hardly any references. But by digging, we found actually a couple still alive that ran a restaurant — a Japanese couple, immigrants in England — that gave us a lot of information about their place. So, for me it was so much about all the preparation and work. We had Japanese people working with us from day one, everyone possible in Iceland in the Japanese embassy. And the respect — when you come from a small culture like Iceland, your country and your culture has been tarnished by Hollywood, just because they don't care. It's a small market. So the names are usually wrongly used, and there is not much authenticity to the story. But I think that's lazy. Because you can tell this is a good story, and even better, you can just little do a little homework and digging and learning about cultures. Also, I love the fact, and I didn't say that in the beginning, that this story leads you to one of the most horrific acts in history, war crimes in history, in such a different and unique way. It's just to one victim that wasn't even born at the time of the bombing, and it affects a life of an Icelandic guy whose whole life is affected by this. So this choice of taking just a single view, when I read the book, I didn't see that coming — an Icelandic novel dealing with the aftermath of Hiroshima." On Casting When You're Working with Both Younger and Older Versions of the Same Characters "For me, it's more about finding the right person for its purpose. I wasn't necessarily chasing that it had to be totally aligned for Kristofer — for me, it's more important that the actors are right for the role and for their purpose, and then matching them up. It was very important for the younger actors that they would sit on the baseline in the role. They don't have to be playing someone else. They'll allow you to come closer, because falling in love is an intimate thing. And I wasn't going for the sexual version, I was going for the sensual version of it. And for me, it's very innocent and you have to allow the camera into the act rather than him playing it for you. And I think I chose the two of them from that perspective, the young cast. On the other hand, it was very important to me — I told you about my father — Egill reminds me a little bit of my father. A very nicely dressed man, even in his Alzheimer's and the fog of that, he always carries himself with some grace. Egill used to be the sex symbol of Iceland. He used to be this big singer and actor. All my youth, everyone knew who Egill was. Then, he now actually has Parkinson's, and it's just changed his whole demeanour. He's very gentle and he steps to the earth very carefully. I learned this about him, and I thought he was absolutely perfect for the role. It's just something about the grace and I wanted him to be romantic in a way, but not somebody you would feel sorry for — actually, you can go on this journey and you can want him to have his closure." On the Approach to Flitting Across Genres When Your Career Jumps Between Romance, Action, Thrillers, Survivalist Tales and More "I do not look at genre in the beginning of choosing a project. If something, like with Beast, I've been fascinated with lions all my life since I was a kid. I loved pictures of lions when I was a kid. When I got Everest, it was like 'this is like me walking to school in Iceland every day'. There are certain things that you just are drawn to, and then the genre comes around it. And then everyone, people are like 'oh, he's the action guy, he's the survival guy'. I've had so many versions of 'guy'. But for me, I just choose the project that I'm drawn to and genre is something that it comes after, and I work with that. I understand that genre or tone is very important. But I have many genres inside of me. I am an athlete in some ways, when I was younger. But I'm also a lover. These are two genres inside of me. So I'm full of genres, and I just don't want to limit myself to one thing. It's not conscious, to be honest. It's just when projects — like when I read this book, I love this book. I want to do it and then I do it. And then I let the specialists analyse it." Touch opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, August 22, 2024. Images: Lilja Jonsdottir and Baltasar Breki Samper / © 2024 FOCUS FEATURES LLC.
Getting philosophical about existence can mean bobbing between two extremes. At one end, life means everything, so we need to make the absolute most of it. At the other, nothing at all matters. When genre-bending and mind-melting time-loop comedy-drama Russian Doll first hit Netflix in 2019, it served up a party full of mysteries — a repeating party overflowing with chaos and questions, to be precise — but it also delivered a few absolute truths, too. Fact one: it's possible to posit that life means everything and nothing at once, all by watching Natasha Lyonne relive the same day (and same 36th birthday party) over and over. Fact two: a show led by the Orange Is the New Black, Irresistible and The United States vs Billie Holiday star, and co-created by the actor with Parks and Recreation's Amy Poehler, plus Bachelorette and Sleeping with Other People filmmaker Leslye Headland, was always going be a must-see. Russian Doll's first season wasn't just one of the best TV shows of 2019, but one of the smartest, savviest and funniest, all while making the utmost of its Groundhog Day-meets-The Good Place setup. It tasked Lyonne's chain-smoking, acerbic and misanthropic New Yorker Nadia Vulvokov with cycling through the same date again and again, experiencing both gruesome and mundane deaths, and attempting to work out what this whole life business is all about. It was dark, heartfelt, amusing and innovative, as well as clever and compelling, especially in examining fate, logic, life's loops, wading through limbo, what counts in the time we have and if anyone can ever truly make a difference. (Also, it made the world appreciate how Lyonne pronounces "cockroach", something that never, ever gets old.) It took three years, but Russian Doll has finally returned for its seven-episode second season. The glorious news for sweet birthday babies who've gotta get up, gotta get out, gotta get home before the mornin' comes: it's smarter and weirder than its predecessor, and just as delightful. In the process, it achieves a tricky feat, because making more of a show that's already about duplicating the same events could've proven a lazy and easy rehash. Indeed, Russian Doll season two stresses another key fact: that taking a leap, twisting even further, and seeing life's ups and downs as a trip is always better than treading water. At the end of Russian Doll's first season, self-destructive video-game designer Nadia closed the live-die-repeat dilemma plaguing both her and mild-mannered fellow NYC-dweller Alan Zaveri (Charlie Barnett, You). The pair found a way to wind up "the one about the broken man and the lady with a death wish that got stuck in a loop," as Nadia describes, and the series came to such a glorious conclusion that no follow-up was really necessary. But in season two, death isn't the problem. Instead, time is. It was an issue before, given the duo couldn't move with it, only back through the same events — but now, via the New York subway's No 6 train, Nadia and Alan are speeding into the past to explore cause and effect, inherited struggles and intergenerational trauma. "Inexplicable things happening is my entire modus operandi," Nadia notes — with Lyonne as dynamite as ever in the wisecracking, angry-yet-tender, career-reshaping part — but it's also Alan's as well. They're now time prisoners, and their efforts to improve the present through the past leave sizeable ripples upon the pair themselves. There's no party as a catalyst, but there's still a birthday, with the narrative unfolding as Nadia's about to turn 40. Reaching that age has long been shorthand for reflection, crisis, taking stock of regrets and rethinking the future; however, it doesn't usually mean hopping to Berlin and Budapest from years gone by to learn not only how to stay alive, as the first season covered, but how to truly revel in every heartbeat regardless of whether it counts for something, nothing or everything. It's impossible to imagine how Russian Doll would work without Lyonne at its centre. Its mood, humour and look are so tied to the actor, who spits out sharp lines as naturally as breathing, wears the hell out of Nadia's overcoat and cascading crimson curls, and ensures that the flimsy chasm between being carefree and reckless is layered and relatable. Season two sees Lyonne also take over showrunning duties from Headland — and writing and directing three of its episodes, including its first and last instalments — so the fact that it dances so firmly as one with its leading lady is unsurprising as well as thrilling. Barnett's Alan doesn't get as much screentime as viewers would like as a result, but he's just as adept at making a splash in the time he has as he was in season one. (Add that to the show's list of truths across its entire run, clearly.) Sprawling and surreal, inventive and heartfelt, and somehow both skeptical and sentimental, Russian Doll is many things in season two, as it was in its debut airing. Now, it's also home to more of the always-welcome Chloë Sevigny (The Girl From Plainview) as Nadia's late mother Nora, the similarly returning Greta Lee (Sisters) as party-throwing pal Maxine, plus Schitt's Creek and Kevin Can F**k Himself star Annie Murphy and District 9's Sharlto Copley as series newcomers. Naturally, the twists that lead the latter two into the story are best discovered by watching, but they arise within a show that jumps backwards and keeps questioning that move simultaneously. That comes through stylistically — see: the visual cues taken from 70s cinema — and in snappy dialogue, profound themes and wily plot developments that muse on constant change versus hard-earned acceptance. Yes, Russian Doll is definitely back, entertainingly so, and serving up another wonderful on-screen matryoshka doll of life-pondering insights and time-twisting trickery for audiences to entrancingly unstack. And, it inspires its own IRL loop for beguiled viewers, too — because once you're done watching it, you'll want to cycle back and start all over again. Check out the full trailer for Russian Doll's second season below: The second season of Russian Doll is available to stream via Netflix. Read our review of the first season. Images: Netflix.
Come March 31, the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (MFWF) will take over the city for ten days of delicious dinners, long lunches, wine weekends, parties, masterclasses and more. And while it's their 25th year, they haven't just rolled out a program of the same old thing. For the first time ever, MFWF will have their own House of Food and Wine, a more concrete answer to the pop-up hub they've had down at Queensbridge Square in the past. When they call it a house, they mean that very literally — the CBD space will be styled to feel like a home, featuring a dining room (the main event space), a lounge room (the bar) and garden in the laneway. Deviating slightly from your average house, it will also feature a gallery of illustrations by Anna Vu (from Good Food Crap Drawing) of some of the city's favourite MFWF dishes from the last 25 years. The lounge room bar will be open every day of the festival and feature a curated list of artisan Victorian wines, while the dining room will play host to a number of special events. Spend opening night (Friday, March 31) at an Italian disco and dining party and closing night (Sunday, April 9) at the Burger Block Party, which will bring together Australia's best burger-makers — think Marys from Sydney, Short Order Burger Company from Perth, and Rockwell & Sons and Beatbox Kitchen from Melbourne. There's also a whole host of exciting events happening outside the House. This year MFWF will coincide with the World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards, which are being hosted by Melbourne for the very first time. They've managed to nab some of the world's best chefs to run some masterclasses at the festival — which is a pretty big deal. Among them will be classes from sensory chef Grant Achatz from Chicago restaurant Alinea (ranked #15), Jorge Vallego from Mexico City's Quintonil (ranked #12) and Australia's David Thompson, who runs Bangkok's Nahm (ranked #37) and is set to open Long Chim in Melbourne next year. On Friday, March 31 the Bank of Melbourne is hosting the annual world's longest lunch on Melbourne's iconic Lygon Street. 1600 diners will sit along a 580-metre tables to enjoy an autumnal Italian menu from Antonio Carluccio. Unfortunately it's already sold out, but if you still want to enjoy a long lunch and don't mind spending it in a vineyard or along a riverbank, there are another 20 happening in regional Victoria. On Saturday, April 8, get armed with a myki and take tram route 72, which will become Melbourne's answer to Burgundy's Route Nationale 74 for the day. It will take you on a tram-crawl of three of the southeast's best wine bars: Milton in Malvern, Toorak Cellars in Armadale and The Alps in Prahran. On Friday, April 7, they're also hosting a culinary tour of the Melbourne General Cemetery. With many of Melbourne's best chefs and wine makers and merchants buried here, chef Allan Koh — from Springvale Botanical Cemetery's cafe-flower shop hybrid Cafe Vita et Flores — will recreate the deceased's signature dishes for guests to sample at notable grave sites. The festival will also host usual favourites like their Crawl 'n' Bite food tours, lunch specials, wine tastings and masterclasses. You can check out — and buy tickets for — the full program here.
When a festival announces its program, numbers go flying, detailing how many shows, artists, sessions, days, premieres and the like are on offer. RISING 2024 hasn't gotten to that stage yet. So far, it has only revealed two parts of its lineup for this year. Thanks to the second, however, there's plenty of figures to note already — including the fact that 19 cast members from six countries will play 50 characters when Counting and Cracking arrives in Melbourne, and that the stage hit charts four generations over five decades. Theatre fans in Victoria's capital can be forgiven for thinking "finally!" about Counting and Cracking's just-confirmed premiere Melbourne season, which will take place from Friday, May 31–Sunday, June 23 at Union Theatre, University of Melbourne. RISING is clearly expecting a big response to the Sri Lankan-Australian saga, with the production arriving before the broader fest kicks off on Saturday, June 1 and running after it finishes for 2024 on Sunday, June 16. First staged in 2019 in Sydney, the play from S Shakthidharan has proven a hit overseas, too, before its RISING berth. After debuting at Sydney Festival, it's also wowed audiences at the Edinburgh International Festival and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, and collected a heap of accolades such as the Victorian Premier's Prize for Literature, the NSW Premier's Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting, and Helpmann Awards for Best Production and Best Direction. A return to Sydney and a stint in New York are in its future as well. As co-produced by Belvoir St Theatre and Kurinji, with the former's Artistic Director Eamon Flack directing, Shakthidharan's stage favourite spans three acts, with the first starting at Sydney's Georges River. That's where ashes are being scattered by Radha and her son Siddartha, but their ties with Sri Lanka's complicated history aren't severed yet thanks to a call from Colombo. "The stories we choose to believe in underline all our actions, thoughts and feelings. In Counting and Cracking, I hope to provide audiences with a new story to believe in: about Australia, about Sri Lanka. It's a story in which migrants are not asked to discard parts of themselves to fit in, but instead are asked to present their full selves, to expand our idea of what this country can be," explains Shakthidhidharan. "It's a story of how the politics of division can win the battle, but never the war, around how power is gained in this world. It's a story in which love may not triumph over adversity, but through sheer persistence and resilience can eventually overcome it. And finally it's a story about reconciliation: between parents and children, between your new home and your old home, between society and its institutions." Counting and Cracking joins Communitas on the 2024 RISING program so far, with the two events demonstrating the fest's embrace of variety. 'Love Tonight' talents SHOUSE are behind the previously announced music party that'll fill Melbourne's St Paul's Cathedral. Ed Service and Jack Madin are set to oversees hundreds of people making tunes as part of a choir, which will use not just voices but dancing and making sound vibrations. Afterwards, a single will be released. The remainder of the RISING 2024 lineup is set to be unveiled in March — and based on past years, its pair of highlights so far are just the beginning. RISING 2024 runs from Saturday, June 1–Sunday, June 16 across Melbourne, with Counting and Cracking's season running from Friday, May 31–Sunday, June 23 at Union Theatre, University of Melbourne (and tickets on sale from Friday, March 1). Head to the festival's website for further information — and check back here in March for the full RISING 2024 program. Images: Brett Boardman.
Fancy a refreshing beverage to cool down this summer... on the house? Well, if you're in Victoria, you're in luck – these bars and pubs are offering a complimentary garden spritz on arrival on Friday, February 28. From beachside bars and pubs to inner-city drinking holes, enjoy a (refreshingly free) Chandon Spritz, and your summer will never be over. Chandon's Garden Spritz is a natural ready-to-serve blend of sparkling wine handcrafted with navel and blood oranges, dried orange peel and natural herbs and spices. All the way from the Yarra Valley, it's not too bitter, but not too sweet and has half the sugar of most spritzes thanks to its natural ingredients. For the perfect serve, just add ice and an orange slice, and top with a sprig of rosemary if you're feeling fancy. Republica St Kilda It's hard not to feel like a spritz when you're in St Kilda. With the ocean as your backdrop, sand on your feet and good vibes all around, it's always spritz o'clock at Republica St Kilda Beach. With endless views out towards the water, live music and classic pub feeds, the only thing to make your time here better is a complimentary spritz in hand. [caption id="attachment_817250" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] The Fifth Province, St Kilda Also in St Kilda, The Fifth Province Irish Bar & Restaurant brings a touch of Irish charm to the waterfront. But unlike Galway and the hearty dark ales, a Chandon Spritz wouldn't go astray. The menu is also a standout, with the likes of beef and Guinness stew or the roast chicken, leek, and mushroom pie also hitting the spot. The Bay Hotel, Mornington Only an hour from Melbourne's CBD, Mornington is a calm, beachside haunt that's perfect for those days you need to escape the hustle and bustle. And once you arrive, one of the best spots in town has to be The Bay Hotel. With its waterfront location, heritage facade and killer menu, serving up pub classics and seafood, you can't get much better than this. Perch at the bar or grab a table and order yourself a complimentary spritz for the ultimate summer arvo. [caption id="attachment_680532" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Giulia Morlando[/caption] Emerson, South Yarra Two words. Rooftop bar. This ritzy South Yarra institution is a club and cocktail bar with private booths and a rooftop lounge with panoramic views over the city. This is definitely the place to come if you want a dance and a good time. Plus, there's a selection of yummy little bites to keep you going all night long, along with drink options including cocktails, beer and (free) Chandon Garden Spritzes, of course. Baby, Richmond Richmond's neighbourhood Italian restaurant, Baby, is a laid-back spot perfect for indulging in wood-fired pizzas and pasta any time of the day. And no matter what time of the day those Italian cravings strike, there's always a good vibe here—Baby is never not buzzing with people. There is also a quaint outdoor area ideal for enjoying a Spritz or two. Half Moon Set on busy Church Street, Half Moon is a much-loved pub that has been pouring pints for Brighton locals since the 1960s. And now you can enjoy a spritz here too. Head to the beer garden or grab a spot at the rustic bar and enjoy some of the very best the beachside locale has to offer. Head into these venues around Australia on the last day of summer to receive a complimentary Chandon Spritz on arrival. First in best dressed and T&C's apply. Enjoy Chandon Responsibly. Images: Supplied.
Summer staple Arbory Afloat has reclaimed its prime position on the Yarra in front of on-shore sister venue Arbory Bar & Eatery, for another season of sun-drenched cocktails and riverside revelry. This year, the 69-metre floating venue is taking inspiration from Turkey's Turquoise Coast. The space has been reimagined with a vision of olive trees, tasselled umbrellas, iconic Missoni prints and plenty of classic Aegean hues, across its two bars, upper deck and sprawling dining area. Plush daybeds and cabanas are available to book, nestled by the onboard swimming pool. The matching Mediterranean-inspired menu is filled with Turkish flavours, both classic and contemporary. Snack your way through bites like house-made flatbread ($9) teamed with carrot dip ($8) or the signature hummus ($10), creamy burrata dressed with za'atar ($24), cheese-stuffed zucchini flowers ($8) and red lentil köfte ($12). There's plenty of seafood to enjoy with your feet up, poolside; from raki-cured kingfish ($18) to chargrilled octopus ($18). Plus, pizzas, gyros and kebabs, heroing ingredients like spiced lamb, sucuk sausage and toum (traditional Lebanese garlic sauce). And if grazing's your summer pastime of choice, Arbory Afloat's rotating mezze selection will have you sold. Of course, it wouldn't be a visit to the floating bar without cocktails, so expect a generous lineup of signature sips — from tapped concoctions, to fruit-forward spritzes, to a globe-trotting array of specialty G&Ts. The Pink Gin Spritz blends ruby grapefruit with the collaboration Four Pillars Afloat Pink Gin ($16/45). You'll find solo serves, carafes and even four-shot Turkish teapot cocktails, alongside an international spread of wine and easy-drinking brews. Images: Simon Shiff
Taking over the Jewish Museum of Australia from October 22, 2017 until March 25, 2018, Amy Winehouse: A Family Portrait aims to provide a different insight into the beloved singer-songwriter, stepping through topics of faith, fashion, music and London life. And, thanks to an accompanying music program, it'll also offer up a soundtrack to match. In a series of Thursday evening sessions taking place on November 9, December 14, January 11, February 8 and March 8, the museum will showcase five genres of music that Winehouse worked within and was inspired by, via a series of live performances. it all kicks off with a celebration of jazz and big band tunes with The Rookies, before moving on to soul and R&B with Thando, gospel with Phia and Melbourne Indie Voices, Motown with Vince Peach and hip hop with DJ MzRizk. Presented with Hear Them Holler, tickets cost $16 ($12 for concessions and museum members), and include entry to the exhibition. Other events in the program range from Ashleigh Kreveld's Amy and I, an interactive cabaret performance from the experienced Winehouse impersonator, to Amy Winehouse — a tribute, which takes over the Memo Music Hall with a concert drawn from her repertoire featuring a heap of local talent. Image: Festival passes, various dates. © The Jewish Museum
It's that time of year again. The bargain-filled Click Frenzy sale return for its next online shopping riot, kicking off at 7pm on Tuesday, March 17 — and, this time around, it's focusing on Aussie businesses in need. The site's inaugural Places in Need event arrives on the heels of Australia's devastating bushfire season and amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. This double-whammy has hit the travel sector hard, and Click Frenzy plans to aid local businesses through its quarterly sale. As of 7pm, you'll have access to the usual array of bargain deals on airfare, holiday packages and accommodation, as well as on experiences, tours, car hire and travel insurance. Over 500 deals will be on offer, with big names like Virgin Australia, Travel Online, Flight Centre and Klook all on board. Those deals will specifically focus on a combination of lesser-known Australian gems and well-traversed destinations where tourism is especially low. Of course, in this period of uncertainty, it's not expecting travellers to book a trip for next week. Instead, there'll be flexible dates and cancellation terms — with the intention that consumers will hold onto their vouchers or book for future dates. Now for the deals: expect 70-percent-off Flight Centre packages, 50-percent-off Travel Online destinations, 20-percent-off Hamilton Island stays and 25-percent-off Metro Hotels across Australia. [caption id="attachment_765150" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shotever Jet Boat[/caption] A few of the New South Wales-specific offers include $400-off luxury stays at White Sand Jervis Bay, a free private tour of biodynamic vineyard Lark Hill Wines, a $100 voucher in Bundanoon (when staying at Fulford Folly) and one-night-free accommodation at Redleaf Carriages in Fitzroy Falls. There's also $30 off Sydney-based experiences via Klook, including the Harbour Bridge Climb, skydiving and hot air balloon bookings. Now may be a time to tick these off your bucket list. Other featured deals around the country include one-night-free stays at Waverley House Cottages in Lake Entrance, Yarranungara Yurt Retreat in Oxley and Aurora Ozone Hotel on Kangaroo Island (which was devastated by the bushfires. And the Mansfield Zoo in Victoria is offering adult camping for child prices. And if you're a member (or want to register for free), you get additional benefits, including early access to all of the deals. There's no official 'end' time to the sale this year, either so you'll have extra time to explore and book. Choose wisely. Click Frenzy's Places in Need kicks off at 7pm on Tuesday, March 17. You can find all the tasty travel bargains here. Check each individual deal for exact terms and conditions. Top image: Kangaroo Island by Isaac Forman
Melburnians are one step closer to having four different kerbside bins for their weekly waste and recycling, with the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D'Ambrosio announcing that the government will provide over $1 million in grants this week. The money will be used to help get the long-promised program off the ground and includes a range of educational and behaviour change campaigns across 17 local councils aimed at preparing residents for the bin transition. The four-bin system is part of the state government's push to divert 80 percent of waste from landfill by 2030. It'll eventually see all Victorians doubling their previous number of kerbside bins, with new separate units for general household waste (red lid), food and garden organics (green lid), glass (purple lid) and other recycling (yellow lid). Depending on where you live, you might already be the proud owner of one or two of these new bins, with the system in various stages of rollout across different council areas. That said, we'll still be waiting a while before the program is completely up and running — the new glass bins aren't expected to be fully implemented until 2027 and the organics service is slated for completion sometime around the year 2030. The newly announced grant money will assist some local councils in educating their residents on better waste and recycling management. The education campaigns will use communication materials created by Sustainability Victoria, which are based on behaviour change theory and research. Of course, the bin program is just one element of the Victorian Government's planned $515 million overhaul of the state's waste and recycling industry. In April this year, it finally confirmed plans for Victoria's long-awaited container deposit scheme, which is now on track to officially kick off by 2023. To find out more about the four-bin system campaign funding and to check which councils will be receiving it, see the Sustainability Victoria website.
You've binge-watched everything in your streaming queue, made your fair share of jigsaw puzzles, played plenty of board games and worked out a regular exercise regime. Now, as part of your new stay-at-home routine, you've decided to learn a new skill. That's understandable — who doesn't want to emerge from this current drastic change to our lives with not only their health, but a few nifty new tricks up their sleeves? If getting arty has always been on your to-do list, the National Gallery of Victoria's Virtual Drop-By Drawing sessions are here to help. They usually take place in person; however, in the current circumstances, the NGV is moving them online. Budding creatives just need to tune into the NGV Channel, watch video tutorials hosted by Victorian artists and take inspiration from the gallery's collection in the process — with a pencil and piece of paper in your hands, of course. Lily Mae Martin takes viewers into the NGV's 19th-century European paintings gallery — and spends plenty of time marvelling at the life-size marble sculpture Musidora, 1878 by Marshall Wood, while Minna Gilligan focuses on two standouts in the NGV's 20th-century galleries, with Andy Warhol's Self-portrait no. 9 (c.1986) and David Hockney's The second marriage in the spotlight. And Kenny Pittock will take you through sketching fruit and vegetables in your kitchen, using Édouard Manet's The melon. The NGV's Virtual Drop-By Drawing sessions are all available on the NGV Channel to watch. Images: Virtual Drop-by Drawing class with Kenny Pittock, Lily Mae Martin and Minna Gilligan at NGV, 2020.Image courtesy of NGV. Updated April 29, 2020.
The end of 2022 is still just under eight months away, but it'll arrive with a nice dose of normality: the return of beloved camping music festival Beyond The Valley. After hosting a city-based spinoff in to see out 2021 instead — aka Beyond The City — due to COVID-19 restrictions, the fest has confirmed that it'll be back in its original guise this year. Melburnians, that's your New Year's Eve plans sorted, obviously. The dates to mark in your diary: December 28, 2022–January 1, 2023. If you're wondering what else is in store, though, you'll have to think back to past fest for now. It's too early for a lineup as yet — or even to lock in when a lineup will drop, or anything else — but you still have something to look forward to this summer. Typically, Beyond The Valley takes place in the regional Victorian town of Lardner, although a venue hasn't been confirmed for 2022 yet either. Event organisers Untitled Group did drop a video to announce the return as a four-day camping fest, however, and it's set to the sounds of 'Glue' by Bicep — which may or may not be a clue. Since it kicked off in 2014, past iterations of Beyond The Valley have featured impressive lineups — think: RÜFÜS DU SOL, Tyler The Creator, The Kooks, Joey Badass, Bonobo, Jamie XX, Chance The Rapper, SchoolboyQ, Honey Dijon, Kaytranada, Stormzy and Mura Masa, among others, over the years. So, whoever's on the 2022 bill will be following in some mighty impressive footsteps. Beyond The Valley is set to return from December 28, 2022–January 1, 2023. We'll update you when the lineup is announced — and you can subscribe to the fest's website in the interim. Top image: Alex Drewniak.
Poodle Bar & Bistro's famed Patio Party is returning for its ninth instalment on Sunday, November 3, and this one's set to be one of its best. For this Poodle Patio Party, Sam Medeiros (Rocco's Bologna Discoteca) will be plating up tacos out in the back while plonk experts Mahmood Fazal and Ibrahim Khudeira will be running the wine program. [caption id="attachment_894032" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Michael Pham[/caption] The star of the show will no doubt be the tunes (as always). Throughout the day, there'll be rolling DJ sets by Claddy and Colette, Edd Fisher (Waxo Paradiso), Dawn Sports and KHB. Tickets are priced at $10 a pop, with food and drinks available to purchase as you go.
Get your groove on ten minutes at a time at a short burst dance party in Melbourne's west. Part of the Due West Immersive Arts Festival, the Maddern Square Block Party will take over the open space just around the corner from Footscray Station, and will combine live art, music, food, drink and dance. The centrepiece of the free event will be 10 Minute Dance Parties, delivered by dance-based artist Joseph O'Farrell. Participants will step inside an enormous shipping container, at which point the music will start pumping. Maddern Square will also play host to The Art of Fighting, a community art project that combines paint, canvas and a set of boxing gloves. There'll also be food trucks on-site, plus a bar by the team from Two Birds Brewing. It all goes down from 6pm to 9pm this Friday and Saturday night. Image: Joseph O'Farrell/YouTube.
Want to treat your numero uno without breaking the bank? The fusion brunch masters at Cafe Lafayette have the situation sorted with their new limited-edition Besties Brunch series. Across nine days this month, the laneway haunt is serving up a supremely affordable two-person feed, that'll see the both of you brunched up and caffeinated for just $35. Nab a ticket in advance and you'll each enjoy your pick of innovative brunch dish, along with your choice of black or white coffee and one of the kitchen's signature Japanese raindrop cakes to share. And these are no average eats, either. The current Cafe Lafayette menu is as creative as ever, featuring plates like the okonomiyaki 'bird's nest', matcha french toast with homemade dango (Japanese sweet dumplings) and a charcoal-grilled unagi hot dog with tamagoyaki (rolled omelette) and chips. The Besties Brunch will run 10am–12pm daily, from June 12–20. [caption id="attachment_694202" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cafe Lafayette's famed raindrop cakes, by Griffin Simm[/caption] Images: Griffin Simm
This year has seen a lot of us spending a whole heap more time at home, and we can't think of a better excuse for a little domestic spruce up. Or, at the very least, a neat new rug to adorn your living room floor. If it is time for a rug refresh, expect to find some winning options among Miss Amara's huge three-week sale. The online rug retailer is dishing out deals with 15 percent off each of its three best-selling rug styles across three weeks. First up, its boho rugs, with designs like the luxe wool Camilla, are on sale from October 11–18. Then, you can nab 15 percent off minimal rugs from October 21–29, and score savings across the whole collection of tribal rugs from November 1–8. Having trouble choosing? Answer a few questions online about your space and your preferences, and Miss Amara's virtual stylist will help you find your ideal rug match. What's more, you can take your favourites for a visual test drive, thanks to the virtual room simulator. Just click the button that says 'See This In My Room' below any product, snap a photo of your space and see how well they pair. And to get even more of a taste, Miss Amara will even let you try a rug at home, with free refunds and returns if it doesn't tick the right boxes. As an added bonus, Miss Amara offers free delivery across Australia, too. https://www.instagram.com/p/CFrT2KLn0gt/ 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.
UPDATE, January 25, 2021: The Australian Dream is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and Amazon Video. When the crowd roars, cheers or applauds at an AFL game, the sound can be deafening. Caught in the moment, thousands of people watch the sport they love and vocalise their immediate feelings, with the resulting racket echoing through football stadiums around the country. For much of his Aussie Rules career, Adam Goodes experienced that joyous onslaught of noise — as he played 372 matches for the Sydney Swans, became the all-time Indigenous games record-holder until just this past month, kicked 464 goals, won two premierships, earned the code's highest individual honour not once but twice, and was even anointed Australian of the Year. But, as the champion's on-field days came to an end, he also became the target of merciless booing. Reverberating across multiple seasons, those jeers were thunderous, too. Anyone who heard them won't easily forget them, nor should they. It's hardly surprising that Goodes decided to take a break from playing when the taunting wouldn't stop, then retired not long afterwards. The ins and outs of the behaviour directed towards him were discussed at length at the time, as were the supposed reasons for the booing, but the basics really couldn't be more simple. One of this country's greatest Indigenous athletes was shunned for embracing his culture, speaking out against racism and calling out specific attacks against him — and, instead of hearing his eloquently stated position, empathising with his suffering, and affording him the respect and decency that everyone deserves, AFL crowds voiced their displeasure in a primal and abusive way. Even when Goodes explained that he found the ordeal deeply hurtful, as anyone would, it didn't stop. Rather, he was bluntly told to toughen up. It's a bleak chapter in Australia's history — even more so because it happened so recently, between 2013–15. It's also a damning indictment of our society, indicative of defensiveness rather than a willingness to evolve, and illustrating that racial prejudice remains part of our everyday lives. From the moment that Goodes enraged some portions of the population by drawing attention to vilification hurled at him by a young Collingwood supporter, his loud-mouthed detractors have tried to rationalise their position. Contending that they oppose his supposed 'bullying' (by asking that the young girl who insulted him be removed from the match), and decrying his playing abilities and sportsmanship, their excuses have always fallen flat. But if any further evidence of their futility was needed, The Australian Dream lays bare the situation. An emotional account of Goodes' AFL career directed by experienced British sports documentarian Daniel Gordon and written by Australian journalist Stan Grant, the film offers both an intimate and an overarching view of the footballer's experiences. As well as chronicling his rise from quiet kid, to reluctant superstar, to determined anti-racism activist, it places Goodes' plight in historical and social context. Walkley Award-winner Grant also provides the movie's narration, title and thesis, and inspires its shape and structure. "The Australian Dream is rooted in racism. It is the very foundation of the dream," he announced during a rousing address back in 2015. "It is there at the birth of the nation. It is there in terra nullius," he continued, with his speech quickly going viral. It's this sentiment that the documentary unpacks. To explore Goodes' story, why the tide of public opinion turned on him in some quarters and why he still sparks heated debate, is to explore Australia's treatment of its first peoples for more than two centuries. The parallels aren't hard to spot. Indeed, in making this point, The Australian Dream isn't a subtle film. It doesn't wait for the audience to join the dots, but instead shouts its message at every turn. It tells the bulk of the nation what we already know, especially arriving so soon after fellow Goodes-focused doco The Final Quarter (which relived his final three years in the AFL solely through media footage from the time). But a subject as important as racial discrimination — including casual racism, aka comments with a racist impact even if they're not intended that way — warrants force. A documentary so thoughtfully stitched-together also justifies such bluntness, with The Australian Dream taking a broad and detailed look at its topic. Childhood photos, family recollections and archival clips combine with face-to-face chats with Goodes today, evocatively shot sequences of him traversing the country's sprawling landscape, and glimpses of the champ and his ex-Swans teammate Michael O'Loughlin attending Australia Day gatherings. When needed, historical primers fill in the gaps. So does a hefty roster of talking heads that features Goodes' loved ones, former footballers Nicky Winmar and Gilbert McAdam, and past and present Swans coaches Paul Roos and John Longmire. Polarising figures such as Eddie McGuire and Andrew Bolt, both of whom have made unacceptable comments about Goodes in the past, are also interviewed — and if giving them screen-time seems strange, it demonstrates The Australian Dream's wholistic approach. It also exemplifies Gordon and Grant's aim to weave the spirit of reconciliation into every aspect of their film. Of course, while McGuire is in somewhat apologetic mode, his appearance — alongside the typically inflammatory Bolt — provides a strong reminder. The attitudes that The Australian Dream examines, and the racist treatment of Indigenous Australians that's been part of the nation since its formation, haven't disappeared since Goodes stepped off the field. In fact, the existence of two movies about the footballer in such short succession has made this plain. The Final Quarter received a standing ovation at its Sydney Film Festival world premiere, and finally inspired the AFL to apologise to Goodes for its lack of action. And yet, when the doco aired on TV, it was followed by a national news poll once again questioning whether the booing of Goodes was racially motivated. The Australian Dream earned widespread acclaim when it opened this year's Melbourne International Film Festival, and will screen at the Toronto International Film Festival as well. And still, when Goodes revealed that he has no desire to return to the game after his traumatic experiences — speaking in a rare interview just this past weekend, to support the picture's local theatrical release — the online trolls came out in force. That's the reality that these films belong to, as The Australian Dream confronts head-on. It's also a situation that Aussies need to keep seeing and interrogating, including in this powerful and essential documentary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRJkLgl56jk
Food and drink substitutions are generally associated with 'healthy' changes. But that doesn't always have to be the case — they can make the dish (or drink) more sustainable, less ordinary, or just more fun. On this list, we've highlighted some of the most unusual food and drink swaps that really shouldn't work, but do. They push the skill of chefs and cocktail makers into new territory and shake up classic dishes and drinks, all while maximising sustainability in the food industry by using up kitchen waste. We've partnered with Patrón to reveal that traditional isn't always best. By mixing things up, you may develop a love of a whole new flavour profile that — like with tequila — meets you at the intersection between refinement and craftmanship. [caption id="attachment_642741" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chris Middleton[/caption] MAKE AN OLD FASHIONED WITH PATRÓN TEQUILA INSTEAD OF WHISKY Why not make your next old fashioned with Patrón? The Patrón Añejo — a blend of silver tequilas aged for at least one year — gets the same high-quality treatment as your favourite whiskies but offers a different flavour depth that complements the citrus of the orange zest we all know and love in an old fashioned. Just take 60 millilitres of Patrón Añejo, add ten millilitres of simple syrup and a dash of bitters. Make sure to squeeze the oils from two strips of orange and stir with the biggest ice cubes you can find. [caption id="attachment_666149" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matinee Coffee by Arlo Pyne[/caption] LEAVE OUT THE EGG FOR VEGAN (AND NOT-SO VEGAN) ALTERNATIVES More and more we're seeing egg being replaced in popular dishes for unusual trade-offs. Don't worry, your favourite cafes will still serve eggs on toast — brunch is sacred — but sometimes it doesn't hurt to give an alternative a try. Sydneysiders can try it out at Marrickville's Matinee Coffee — the cafe does vegan and gluten-free takes desserts you might find at a milk bar or diner, like the traditional lemon meringue pie made with aquafaba (that's the juice from chickpea cans, foamed up like egg whites). Or, swinging the other way, try the very un-vegan, pasta at Peter Gilmore's Quay, which uses bone marrow in the pasta instead of egg yolk. [caption id="attachment_601484" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Nikki To[/caption] EAT CARAMEL SLICE MADE WITH COD FAT (YES, REALLY) Here is one food swap that we bet has never crossed your mind: a caramel slice made with fat from a Murray cod. Chef Josh Niland from Saint Peter in Paddington, the revered fish restaurant enjoyed by Nigella Lawson and Jaime Oliver, has redefined the very genre of desserts with this luxurious caramel treat. The top layer of the dish sees the salty caramel's butter component switched with cod fat, and the accompanying biscuit is made with Hapuka roe, to create an unexpected delicacy that really is impressive. An added factor that will make you feel even better about the swap is the promise of waste-reduction — the chefs are using every part of the fish. POP YOUR BACON AND EGGS IN A BOWL OF RAMEN Newtown's Rising Sun Workshop is in itself — the cafe is situated inside a motorbike workshop. That means you can bring your wheels in and enjoy coffee and brekkie at the same time. But the real treat at Rising Sun Workshop is the breakfast ramen. Ditch the avo toast for delicious noodles swimming in buttered toast broth, topped with bacon and fried egg. SWAP GIN FOR PATRÓN SILVER IN A NEGRONI As with the old fashioned, swapping out tequila as the hero alcohol profile in your favourite cocktails can shake things up a little. Try Patrón Silver instead of gin. The smooth, clean spirit uses 100 percent of Weber Blue Agave, and is a number one tequila for bartenders across the world — you'll be set to impress your friends at your next dinner party. For the negroni, trade-in gin for Patrón Silver, and simply add equal measures of Martini Bitters and Martini Riserva Rubino Vermouth. Stir with ice and strain over fresh ice cubes in your favourite tumbler, and add an orange twist. BE DONE WITH BORING JAFFLES There was a time when a jaffle was about simplicity — ham, cheese, maybe baked beans if you were feeling fancy. But times have changed, and the jaffle has been reinvented with depth and flavour profiles that'll match even Patrón tequila cocktails. We first fell in love with the idea with Super Ling's ma po tofu jaffle in Carlton. More recently, Cavalier 2.0 in Sydney has popped a beef tongue bolognese lasagne-inspired jaffle on its menu. And you must take a visit to Potts Point for Ms.G's curry puff jaffle, complete with Malaysian-style chicken. [caption id="attachment_738008" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption] SWAP YOUR MARGHERITA FOR A SLICE TOPPED WITH CHINESE BOLOGNESE Tucked away on Grattan Street in Carlton is the ultimate food mash up, combining Chinese food, pasta and pizza. Chef Nick Stanton first married bolognese with the flavours of Hong Kong in a Chinese pasta dish at the now-closed Ramblr, but he's taken that beef-based sauce with him to Leonardo's Pizza Palace, and popped it on a chewy, doughy pizza base together with a creamy white sauce. The team used gochujang — a fermented chilli paste — Shaoxing wine, and stock infused with soy sauce for the oozy bolognese that'll go down in Aussie food history. Vegans can grab a plant-based version at sibling venue Leo's By The Slice at the old Ramblr site in South Yarra. Top image: Chris Middleton.
Melbourne's southside is undoubtedly one of the most stylish parts of the city. And when it comes to men's fashion, there's a pretty good chance that Robinson Man has something to do with the most up-to-the-minute looks hitting the streets. The brand focuses on high-quality men's knitwear, with its fine hand-combed cashmere coming all the way to Prahran's High Street from the steppes of Mongolia. Robinson Man's architecturally designed space also features a host of like-minded brands that produce similarly stunning menswear, so you can quickly level-up your style game.
Capable of tearing it up with a screamalong feedback-fuelled tune or turning things down with a snuggly acoustic ballad, Sydney's rambunctious garage crew Palms are one of the country's surefire good time live shows. If you haven't burled along to 'The Summer is Done With Us', scratched up your vocal chords with 'Love' or dived into All The Feels with 'In the Morning', you're in for a warm, sweaty introduction. The brainchild of Ex-Red Riders Al Grigg and Tom Wallace, the foursome released their debut album Step Brothers last August. Currently working on their follow-up, the lads were getting a little stir crazy. According to their Facey-B: "Because we get bored easily, and because it's been about a year since we put out our debut album Step Brothers, and because we missed yas, and because we missed sleeping on our mates' couches, drinking their beers and washing irregularly, we decided to hit the road." One for fans of fuzzy, gazey fun like King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Twerps or Bleeding Knees Club, Palms crank a mean, loud live show. Likely to trial material from the upcoming second album, this is set to be a tour-before-the-follow-up type of deal — meaning no holds barred, pressure off, get loose type of fun.
What has Wade Wilson's (Ryan Reynolds, Ghosted) wisecracks, Logan's (Hugh Jackman, Faraway Downs) surliness, Madonna's 'Like a Prayer' and "let's fucking go!" exclaimed several times? The full trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine, which follows on from the movie's 2024 Super Bowl teaser — which became the most-watched movie trailer of all time — by bringing its namesake frenemies together and giving viewers a bigger look at what's in store. The 34th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the only one arriving in 2024, is gifting the sprawling pop-culture franchise a few things that fans have been waiting for for years. Deadpool officially enters the MCU. So does X-Men hero Wolverine. The end result, which was initially announced in 2022, hits cinemas this July. After the film's debut sneak peek had Deadpool calling himself "Marvel Jesus" when he's brought into the Marvel fold by the Time Variance Authority — and the Merc with a Mouth declaring that "your little cinematic universe is about to change forever" while he's at it — the latest glimpse gets him dubbing Wolverine "the X-Man". Wade is endeavouring to enlist Logan to help save the world. Sometimes he does so by sticking a gun in his face, but often it's by talking, aka one of Deadpool's go-to traits. One won't stop nattering. The other prefers to say as little as possible. Naturally, they're becoming the Marvel Cinematic Universe's favourite big-screen odd couple. Reynolds has been playing Deadpool since 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine, so this isn't the first time that him and Jackman are teaming up as their famous characters — but, again, it is the first time in the MCU. Before now, Jackman has already busted out the adamantium claws in nine movies, starting with 2000's X-Men and running through to 2017's Logan, which was poised as his swansong in the role. But when you've been playing a part for that long, in that many flicks, what's one more go-around? After a non-Wolverine gap spent starring in The Greatest Showman, The Front Runner, Bad Education, Reminiscence and The Son, Jackman is clearly ready to get hairy again. That Deadpool & Wolverine falls into the MCU, the comic-to-screen realm that's been going since the first Iron Man flick and will likely never ever end, isn't a minor detail. The two characters have always been Marvel characters, but because of rights issues behind the scenes, they've stayed in their own on-screen sagas. But when Disney (which owns Marvel) bought 20th Century Fox (which brought the X-Men and Deadpool movies to cinemas so far), those business issues disappeared. Deadpool & Wolverine arrives six years after 2018's Deadpool 2. It also marks a reunion in another way. Behind the lens: director Shawn Levy, reteaming with Reynolds after Free Guy and The Adam Project. Also featuring on-screen in the new trailer: Emma Corrin (A Murder at the End of the World) as Cassandra Nova, the X-Men supervillain that's also Deadpool & Wolverine's big bad. Check out the full Deadpool & Wolverine trailer below: Deadpool & Wolverine releases in cinemas Down Under on July 25, 2024. Images: courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2024 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2024 MARVEL.
Purrfect news, feline fans: everything a dapper doggo can do, a cute cat can as well. While that's an accurate statement in general, as anyone who has ever shared their life with both a pooch and a kitty will know, it's also the thinking behind Australia's latest animal event. From the folks behind the Dog Lovers Show comes the mouser equivalent: the Cat Lovers Show. If you wear the 'crazy cat person' label as a badge of honour, stop to pat every moggie you meet while you're walking down the street or spend your all of your spare time watching cat videos (or all of the above), then you'll want to block out September 8 and 9, 2018 in your diary. And, if you live elsewhere, you'll want to head to Melbourne. The Victorian capital first boasted the country's first cat cafe, and now it'll host the first Cat Lovers Show. Expect Carlton to come alive with the sounds of meows, with the event taking place at the Royal Exhibition Building on Nicholson Street. On the agenda: feline-focused education and celebration. Before you go thinking about adorable kitties wearing glasses and sitting at desks, or popping streamers and wearing party hats (awwwwwwwww), it's humans will be doing the learning and rejoicing. Really, what's more informative and exuberant than entering the Pat-A-Cat zone and getting cosy with cats of all shapes and sizes — and possibly taking one home with you? Watching a cat talent show in the Pet Circle Colosseum comes close, obviously. If that doesn't tickle your whiskers, attendees will also be able to take a purrfect match quiz to find out which type of cat suits them best, meet different breeds, listen to talks by experts, browse more than 120 stalls and snap selfies with Instagram cat stars. Plus, a cat-inspired food menu will also be on offer, because everyone wants to eat chicken 'cat'cciatore or chocolate 'meow'sse. Just remember: there'll be plenty of mousers in the Cat Lovers Show house, so you'll need to leave your own moggie at home. The Melbourne Cat Lovers Show will take place on September 8 and 9, 2018 at the Royal Exhibition Building, 9 Nicholson Street, Carlton. For more information — and to keep an eye out for tickets, which will go on sale in February — visit the website.
After its unfortunate COVID-forced cancellation last year, the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival (MFWF) is making up for any missed culinary opportunities. The 2021 edition of the much-loved annual event has been reimagined as not one, but three mini festivals. The first of these served up a slew of events across the city back in March, and now it's time for course number two. The MFWF Winter Edition is set to deliver a broad lineup of 150 food and drink events from August 20–29. Across ten culinary-packed days, you'll find brand new events, along with a handful of the hot-ticket happenings originally meant to debut in 2020. Queen Victoria Market is set to play host to an array of demonstrations, workshops, activations and parties, including a shindig dedicated to the many varied incarnations of the humble hot chip. For $35 at Maximum Chips 2021, you'll score a welcome drink, live entertainment and (most importantly) all-you-can-eat chips, with varieties ranging from crinkle-cut spuds and the classic shoestring; to French fries and fluffy potato gems. Also at QVM, The Convenient Store retail pop-up will be slinging a fresh rotation of smash-hit snacks (and cocktails) from a cast of beloved venues. Expect Andrew McConnell's (Cumulus Inc, Supernormal) katsu sando which itself nods to Japan's Lawson convenience store's egg sandwich. The Remixed Grill plates up a fire-driven, wine-matched feast soundtracked by live tunes and helmed by ten legendary chefs, such as Shane Delia (Maha, Maha Bar), Tina Li (Dainty Sichuan, Little Sichuan) and Tom Sarafian (Little Andorra, ex-Bar Saracen). And each weekend, a Starward Whisky pop-up bar will be matching specialty whisky cocktails to exclusive bites from some of Melbourne's hottest emerging chef talent — think: Rosheen Kaul (Etta), Nabil Ansari (Sunda) and Lorena Corso (Napier Quarter). [caption id="attachment_819137" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Le Bon Ton, by Jake Roden[/caption] Meanwhile, Smith & Daughters' Shannon Martinez will head up a plant-based food fiesta dubbed Welcome to the Jungle, featuring a rock 'n roll edge and tiki drinks from the LuWow crew. And rounding out the QVM program, there'll be a family-friendly pasta celebration dubbed The Big Spaghetti, serving a Nonna-worthy lineup of 20 different signature dishes from pasta masters including Tipo 00 and Marameo. Crawl and Bite will take food-lovers on progressive dining adventures through pockets and suburbs such as Footscray, Flemington and Carlton's Lygon Street, while Le Bon Ton will host a lively Louisianan shrimp boil complete with paired wine and seafood-covered tables. Or, drop by Belles for an evening of Barbadian snacks, reggae tunes and rum punch, led by the legendary Paul Carmichael (Momofuku Seiobo). The program is brimming with opportunities to show some love to Melbourne's hard-hit hospitality industry, so you'd best bring your appetites, folks. The Melbourne Food & Wine Festival Winter Edition program runs from August 20–29 at venues across Melbourne. Tickets are on sale from 9am Thursday, July 15 — head to the website to grab yours and to check out the full program. Images: Josh Robenstone
One could argue that the Queen's Birthday public holiday falls in June (when Her Majesty's actual birthday is actually in April) to give Aussies the chance to experience the joys of a wintery holiday. It's not entirely true, but we're running with it — and using it as an excuse to plan a cosy getaway with lots of wine. And one spot that delivers this is Winter Wine Fest. The exhibition, held on the Saturday of the June long weekend each year, marks the start of Winter Wine Weekend — a weekend-long fiesta of cellar door tastings and other vineyard events across the Mornington Peninsula. Hosted in the no-frills locale of a large tin shed at Red Hill in the Mornington's hinterland, the Winter Wine Fest is your, one-stop vino hotspot — a meeting of winemakers and wine lovers alike. This year, there'll be over 150 premium wines from 47 of the region's winemakers to sample, matched by a special menu created by chefs from the Mornington Peninsula's top restaurants. Plus, there'll be live music. Sip on textural, biodynamic drops from Staindl Wines, savour a classic, cool climate pinot noir or chardonnay from local winery Myrtaceae or head to one of the top winemakers in the region — Montalto — and sample some of its award-winning pinots. Local winemakers use the event to unveil a bunch of their new release wines, making it an ideal way to work your way through Mornington Peninsula's top drops, chat to some of the winemakers and keep your vino education going. If you wanted to make a weekend of it, continue the Winter Wine Weekend's celebrations and visit some of the peninsula's top cellar doors. For a full list of wineries and activities, visit here. Winter Wine Fest will run from 11am–4pm on Saturday, June 8. Pre-booked tickets cost $75 ($80 on the door), which includes all tastings, a Riedel wine glass, a tasting book (which features all wines on exhibition) and two entree size dishes. To book tickets, head this way. Image: Montalto, courtesy of Visit Victoria.
First, the British Film Festival's 2022 lineup wowed movie lovers with Bond and big-name festival hits. Now, the Australia-wide event has revealed its full program for the year — and it too is filled with highlights. Get ready to catch Paul Mescal's latest post-Normal People role, then check out a rom-com starring Lily James (Pam & Tommy) and Shazad Latif (Toast of Tinseltown), before seeing the Australian premiere of Olivia Colman's (Mothering Sunday) newest movie. As always, it's a star-studded affair, and it'll tour the country in October and November. 2022's ode to British will run from Tuesday, October 18–Wednesday, November 16, hitting picture palaces in Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth and Byron Bay. Opening the fest: the already-announced Mrs Harris Goes to Paris, set in the world of French fashion, with Oscar-nominated Phantom Thread actor Lesley Manville in the titular role. At the other end, that aforementioned rom-com What's Love Got to Do With It? will wrap things up, with James and Latif joined on-screen by Emma Thompson (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande). Mescal's addition to the program comes courtesy of Aftersun, which charts a father-daughter bond during a holiday — while Colman's arrives via Joyride, about a 12-year-old who flees a difficult home situation in a stolen taxi, only to find a woman passed out in the backseat with a baby. Among the flicks with big names at this year's fest, they join the previously announced The Banshees of Inisherin, which reunites In Bruges writer/director Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) and his stars Colin Farrell (After Yang) and Brendan Gleeson (The Tragedy of Macbeth); plus the Bill Nighy (The Man Who Fell to Earth)-starring Living, about a terminally ill man in the 1950s. There's The Lost King, too, which takes inspiration from the IRL discovery of King Richard III's remains beneath a Leicester car park, and features Sally Hawkins (The Phantom of the Open) and Steve Coogan (The Time with Alan Partridge). Also on the complete bill, and a huge inclusion: Empire of Light, the new film from 1917, Skyfall and Spectre's Sam Mendes. Skyfall will also play as part of the Bond retrospective, but the director's latest has been called a love letter to cinema — because charting a romance in an old picture palace in the 1980s was always going to earn that description. An Emily Brontë biopic, aptly named Emily, and directed by Australia actor-turned-filmmaker Frances O'Connor (The End), also sits on the lineup — as do more sea shanties in song-filled sequel Fisherman's Friends 2: One and All. Or, there's Rogue Agent, which dramatises conman (and fake undercover MI5 agent) Robert Freegard's IRL story; In From the Side, about an affair between two members of a fictional South London gay rugby club; and Aisha, focusing on a young Nigerian woman seeking asylum in Ireland. As for that shaken-not-stirred contingent, it celebrates six decades since Dr No, the first movie in the 007 franchise, initially graced cinemas — and includes 14 films, with tickets $13 for each. The title that started it all is well and truly on the lineup, as are the fellow Connery-led You Only Live Twice, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger and Thunderball; Roger Moore-era titles Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun; On Your Majesty's Secret Service with Australia's Bond George Lazenby; Timothy Dalton in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill; Goldeneye and The World Is Not Enough with Pierce Brosnan; and Daniel Craig's Casino Royale and Skyfall. BRITISH FILM FESTIVAL 2022 DATES: Tuesday, October 18–Wednesday, November 16 — Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas and Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas, Adelaide Wednesday, October 19–Wednesday, November 16 — Palace Norton, Palace Verona, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinema, Sydney Wednesday, October 19–Wednesday, November 16 — Palace Electric, Canberra Wednesday, October 19–Wednesday, November 16 — Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, The Kino, Pentridge Cinema and The Astor, Melbourne Wednesday, October 19–Wednesday, November 16 — Palace James Street and Palace Centro, Brisbane Wednesday, October 19–Wednesday, November 16— Palace Raine Square, Luna Leederville, Luna on SX and Windsor Cinema, Perth Wednesday, October 19–Wednesday, November 16 — Palace Byron Bay, Byron Bay The 2022 British Film Festival tours Australia between Tuesday, October 18–Wednesday, November 16. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the festival website.
On Northcote's main High Street strip, burger joints have been few and far between. So there are sure to be a few locals happy about the arrival of its new burger-flipping resident, 300 Grams. Especially since the store is celebrating its launch by handing out a stack of freebies. Making its home next door to the Northcote Social Club, this newcomer is from the same minds behind Port Melbourne fish shop D'Lish. And, while it officially opens its doors on Monday, September 16, the real fun comes with the Grand Opening Giveaway on Thursday, September 19. The new 300 Grams will be showing off its Hot Black-designed space, while handing out unlimited free vegan burgers, fried chicken burgers and cheeseburgers between 4 and 7pm. You'll also be able to pick up one of 400 free cans of Remedy kombucha, too. The 300 Grams menu features seven signature options — from a plant-based number with fried mushrooms to the namesake 300 Gs with a beef patty, cheese, lettuce, onion, tomato, pickles and the house special '300 sauce'. The kitchen's also whipping up extras like sweet potato fries, cauliflower bites and a range of vegan sundaes made with coconut water-based soft serve. 300 Grams is giving away unlimited free burgers from 4–7pm.
Frankston has had a major glow up in recent years. Walking around town, you'll now find stacks of busy cafes and restaurants, unique street art at every turn and all kinds of local community events — think film festivals, block parties and monthly markets. The beachside life is also booming. Kids and adults alike head to the famous Frankston Pier to jump into the calm waters, or simply choose to lay on the long stretch of beach with a book in hand. Restaurants and bars also line the shore, perfect for tucking into fish and chips or sipping on sunset spritzes. To celebrate the locale's best bits, we've teamed up with Frankston City Council to create this 48-hour guide that will take you from the sun-soaked seaside to the hidden laneways and rooftop bars. [caption id="attachment_890961" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Oliver's Corner[/caption] FRIDAY One great way to spend your first afternoon in Frankston is by hitting up the Beer and Spirits Trail. This self-guided tour takes you to a series of local breweries and distilleries — from Seaford Pier all the way down to Frankston Pier. It's the perfect way to get acquainted with the beachside 'burb. Follow this up with dinner at Oliver's Corner. This waterside restaurant and bar sits within the Frankston Yacht Club and is one of the best places to be when that sun starts setting. Grab some arancini, a hearty pub-style Italian feed and a few cocktails as locals go on their evening stroll along the boardwalk. Alternatively, if you happen to be in Frankston on Friday, March 24, you've got to go to The Block Party. The free event will see food trucks, live bands, street performers and local alcohol vendors descend on Frankston's laneways for one night only. It is all about celebrating the local arts scene – especially the street art. And if you're keen for a kick-on, head to The Deck for live music and DJs on the rooftop. It's the ideal way to spend a balmy evening in Melbourne — dancing through your evening as the wind blows and the cocktails flow. SATURDAY The monthly Little Beauty Market is not to be missed (if you're in Frankston on the right day). Head down in the morning to check out design, art, food and craft stalls selling local wares. It's a standout way to experience, and financially support, Frankston's flourishing community spirit. Once you're done with the market, you'll be in need of a morning brew. Thankfully, you're spoilt for choice in these parts. Two Boys, One Beagle and Mr Frankie are both brilliant laidback brunch spots — with the latter open for live music nights on Fridays and Saturdays, too. A trip to Frankston is not complete without taking a street art walking tour, either guided or solo. You'll find colourful art down laneways, in car parks and etched across multi-level buildings — we think you'll be surprised by just how much there is to see. Frankston City Street Art Tours was even named the Australian Street Art Awards' Best Street Art Tour in 2022, so you're pretty much guaranteed a brilliant experience with them. Once you're done with your afternoon jaunt around Frankston, a refreshing bev is a must. We recommend making your way over to Hotel Lona for rooftop drinks with a side of live music. For dinner, we couldn't decide between two truly great options — so here are both. First, there's Geon Bae, the spot where you'll feast on top-notch Korean barbecue dishes — cooking up your own dinner on a hot plate. But if you're in the mood for seafood and tapas, give Spanish Bar a go. This unassuming beachside restaurant serves up authentic Spanish grub — expect empanadas and croquettes for starters, share-style serves of paella and jugs of sangria for big groups, and the obligatory churros for dessert. Once you're done feasting, sit back and digest while hitting up a show at Frankston Art Centre. Here, you'll find comedy gigs, theatre performances and all other manner of entertainment throughout the year. [caption id="attachment_890963" align="alignnone" width="1920"] G Mckenzie (Unsplash)[/caption] SUNDAY Kick off your Sunday morning in Frankston with a coffee from Common Folk Coffee, or get some hearty and healthy brunch from 6 Nutrition. Next up? Sneak in a late-morning trip to the McClelland Gallery sculpture park, exploring art and nature together. Walk around the 16-hectare property to see large sculptures seamlessly set within wild surrounds or come for one of the temporary exhibitions or special events. Now, we have saved the best for last. Our hot tip is to spend the rest of your Sunday down at Frankston's waterfront. Start at the famous Frankston Pier, jumping into the water with locals who'll spend the whole day waterside — listening to music and paddling about the cool waters. You can also walk along the coast to the Seaford Foreshore for more laidback swimming and relaxing on the beach. Learn more about Frankston by visiting the Frankston City Council website. Images: Frankston City Council
Take your tastebuds on a trip across Italy without forking out for a plane fare, when this world-renowned showcase of Italian vino returns to say 'ciao' to Melbourne. The Top Italian Wines Roadshow is back for its 16th instalment, descending on Q Events by Metropolis on Wednesday, May 17. This is your chance to swirl and sip more than 200 wines from 50-plus Italian wineries, as you immerse yourself in an afternoon of tastings, masterclasses and more. The lineup's set to trip right through the country's major winemaking regions, celebrating plenty of its leading producers along the way. Across four free masterclasses (12pm, 2pm, 4pm & 6pm), expert wine judges Lorenzo Ruggeri and Giuseppe Carrus will guide punters through a tasting of 15 award-winning pours as they dive into Italy's winemaking history. Then from 5pm, you'll take the reins yourself as you take a spin through the evening's tasting showcase, sampling drops from a huge array of winemakers at your leisure. Lots of these aren't usually available in Australia, so it's your chance to discover some new favourites while chatting to the people who made them. Tickets to the tasting come in at $35.
It may not feel like it, but it's been seven years since these iconic indie poppers first bopped onto the scene. In that time, tracks such as 'A-Punk' and 'Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa' have provided soundtrack to every sun-drenched house party and most feel-good hits at the movies; their self-titled debut album has been inducted as both a staple to your summer roadtrip playlist, and a classic in the indie hall of fame. Now, a few years and two albums later, Vampire Weekend are on their way down under to bring some infectious summer fun to both Falls Festival and Melbourne's Festival Hall. On tour for their latest album Modern Vampires of the City, the boys from NYC are showing off a slightly more grownup side — the songs are no longer about drearily walking to a class at college, but about the impending troubles of adulthood. But don't worry, there will no doubt be some throwbacks to their vibrant early days, and the songs still shine as bright as ever. This is a band that will always just sound like summer.
So, you've tasted your way through just about every gin concoction at just about every distillery in town. Now, how about having a go at whipping up some of your own? Family-run Bayside distillery Here's Looking At You, Kid (HLAYK), has launched a series of intimate masterclasses that'll not only see you sipping and sampling, but creating your very own batch of gin. The pop-up classes are set to descend on secluded CBD rooftop terrace The Stolen Gem, with a string of dates happening across March and April, and each class taking a maximum of just ten students. Head along to one of these three-hour sessions to learn the secrets of becoming a small-batch gin master. You'll enjoy a gin cocktail on arrival, while the HYLAK experts guide you through selecting the base botanicals for your custom gin creation. You'll run it all through a mini still, making your own 500-millilitre bottle of spirit to keep and drink. Then, there's even more gin-infused fun to be had, with a tasting of the HYLAK range — including the Sunset Gin and Wild Rose Gin — and a high tea feast served alongside a mini cocktail flight. All inclusive tickets clock in at $170 a head, but with limited spots, you'll want to snap yours up quick. Top image: The Stolen Gem
Acting may be in Gracie Otto's blood, but it looks like the younger of the Sydney thesp dynasty is set to make her real mark behind the lens. The 27-year-old's debut feature film is a documentary, and a rollicking one at that, titled The Last Impresario. Charting the cultural impact of pioneering producer Michael White — "the most famous person you've never heard of" — it includes interviews with Kate Moss, Anna Wintour, Yoko Ono, John Waters and Barry Humphries, all anchored by Otto's good-natured but persistent probing of Michael's memories. The movie had its Australian premiere at the Sydney Film Festival, an event that means a lot to Otto. "For me, every year Sydney winter begins with the excitement of the Sydney Film Festival," she told us. "I am so proud that my film about the legendary Michael White was screened to so many of his friends and my supporters at this iconic festival. I hope audiences love the film as much as I loved making it — Michael's amazing legacy needs to be shared." But it's not just the SFF Otto looks forward to in winter; this is also the time for huddling in art galleries, loosening the belt over an Italian meal, heading mountainside, and appreciating the sudden Melbourneness of it all. To take advantage of these and even more great Sydney winter experiences, go to lastminute.com.au and line up your fun-filled days and even cooler nights. Read more winter in Sydney tips from Vivid Ideas director Jess Scully here. Follow the White Rabbit I love to see exhibitions at the MCA and Art Gallery of NSW there always seems a lot to be going on around this time of year. It's a great time to be inside and be artistically inspired when it's cold outside. I also like to go to The White Rabbit Gallery in Chippendale — they have an incredible collection of contemporary Chinese art. Hit the Laneway Bars In summer I head for open bars and restaurants at the beachside suburbs. In winter I love to experience the many small cocktail bars and wine bars that we have hidden down alleyways and backstreets in the lanes and suburbs of Sydney. It’s the only time Sydney really feels like Melbourne. Enjoy some rich Italian Winter is a great time to indulge my love of eating! Nobody worries about how much food and how many courses they eat when the weather is cold. It’s all about comfort food — steaming hot soups, rich pastas, Sunday baked dinners at home with extra helpings of roast potatoes, desserts! I love Fratelli and Bar Italia when eating out. Retreat to the Mountains It always nice to have a weekend get away and I find the Blue Mountains is a great place to find accommodation. It's close enough that it's not a big trip from Sydney but you feel like you are away and can sit by the fire! Bunker down at the Picture Palace I can never see enough movies so as soon as the Sydney Film Festival is over I head off to the Palace Cinemas in Norton Street and the Chauvel in Paddington and catch up on all the new releases I have missed over the Festival period. The Last Impresario is opening at both these cinemas on 26 June so I am really hoping to run into a lot of people going to see the film! Experience winter in Sydney with lastminute.com.au.
Michelangelo famously said that inside every block of stone is a statue, and that it is the task of the sculptor to find it. A similar principle applies to the Grey Eye Society's social drawing classes — except you're the block of stone, the chisel is a couple of glasses of vino, and the chances of finding the statue of David are slightly slimmer. Led by Andrzej Nowicki out of Pixel/Foolscap studio in Hardware lane, the two-hour classes are open to all skill levels and focus on the techniques and methods of mark making from different artist each week. Style isn't the only aspect you will draw (pardon the pun) from the artistic greats, with Grey Eye Society collaborator Pete Lloyd bringing to life the time, history and temperament of those studied by specially curating a selection of relevant wines to help get those creative juices flowing. Although we'd argue that all wine is relevant for any given occasion, this will surely bring out the Picasso in all of us. The course runs between July 24 and August 21, and with classes capped at 10 people, you’ll need to book in advance to make sure you get first dibs. This intimate experience costs $280 for the entire five weeks, including all drawing materials and wines. Skills to pay the bills, free of charge. To secure your place, email greyeyesociety@gmail.com for further enrolment and payment details.
Loving Hut may not be a secret Melbourne find — there are over 200 of them worldwide — but it certainly doesn't diminish its position as one of the city's best vegan spots. The menu is loosely based around pan-Asian cuisine and is very mock meat-heavy, with dishes ranging from 'ham' sushi, deep fried 'prawns', rainbow salads and some Southern fried 'chicken'. They also have a big grocery selection at the front of the High Street space, where you can buy up on all the mock meat and vegan oyster sauce you need to feed yourself very, very well. Loving Hut also have a second restaurant on Victoria Street, Richmond. Image credit: Jennifer via Flickr
As filmgoers, it would seem that we have a unique fascination with anthropomorphised machines. From WALL-E to Blade Runner to Spike Jonze’s recent Her, movies are full of artificially intelligent creations who have captured the imagination of audiences, and in doing so blurred the line of what it truly means to be human. The most recent robot to achieve sentience on screen is the title character in Chappie, the latest film from writer-director Neill Blomkamp. A member of Johannesburg’s robotic police force, Chappie (voiced and motion captured by Sharlto Copley) is earmarked for decommission after being damaged during a drug raid. Instead, his designer Deon Wilson (Dev Patel) decides to use him as a guinea pig for a radical new form of AI, one that more closely resembles human consciousness. But Deon’s success is soured after Chappie is stolen by a group of gangsters (South African rap group Die Antwoord playing fictionalised versions of themselves), who plan on using the impressionable robot to execute a heist. Three films into his career, Blomkamp has proven himself as a storyteller with a lot on his mind. His hit debut District 9 used an outlandish sci-fi premise as an allegory for racial prejudice and discrimination, while his big-budget follow-up Elysium touched on notions of immigration and class divide. In Chappie his ideas get even bigger, hitting everything from police militarisation to the nature of consciousness, loss of faith and even alternate modes of parenting. If anything, Blomkamp maybe tackles too much, packing his movie with a litany of different concepts at the expense of covering any of them in depth. There’s an argument to be made for quality over quantity, yet it’s hard to fault the director for his ambition. Nor can you ignore the amount of food for thought the film provides — brains being an increasingly rare commodity in Hollywood blockbusters, after all. And to its credit, Chappie succeeds as more than just a think piece. Possessing the innocence and excitability of a child, Chappie makes for a wonderful protagonist, with Copley’s mo-cap and vocal performance comparable to the work of Andy Serkis. As Chappie slowly matures, viewers will find themselves caught up in his emotional journey; particularly moving is the dynamic between Chappie and his surrogate mother Yolandi, who helps the robot attune his moral compass. Chappie does unfortunately suffer from one major flaw, and it comes in the form of its villain. Sporting his natural accent in one of the most poorly written parts of his career, Hugh Jackman plays the brutish Vincent Moore, a former soldier who plans on sabotaging Deon’s police robots — including Chappie — so that the force might invest in his more heavily armoured, remotely piloted drones. Even if you can ignore his cringeworthy Australian slang and unintentionally hilarious Steve Irwin-style khakis, Moore’s motivations remain excruciatingly one-dimensional. His only purpose is to manufacture conflict, and he basically derails the movie whenever he appears on screen. Luckily, Chappie is always there to get the story back on track. And perhaps it’s only fitting that, in a story about artificial humanity, the most emotionally intricate character isn’t a human at all.
I'm sure that many of you may have left that Facebook friend request from your boss to 'pending' for the last two years for fear of them seeing photos of you on some disgraceful drunken rampage. Indeed, the vast expansion of Facebook means that virtually anybody can have a splendid visual tour into your weekend behaviour and extra-curricular activities simply by searching your name on a social media website. The clever folk down at Cerveza Norte, a South American beer company, have launched a product that will soon solve these first-world problems faced by many party animals. Named the 'Norte Photoblocker', this little device not only keeps your beverages cool, but detects camera flashes and reflects them back, effectively ruining the photo and leaving your face unidentifiable. The product has been developed to "defend drinkers against unwanted interference from amateur paparazzi and day-after embarrassment." Keep one of these handy devices in your jacket pocket, and whip it out when you feel you've had one too many beverages. Check out the advertisement below for the hilariously melodramatic commentary and potential instances where the Photoblocker would be of use. As stated in the video, you don't want to labelled a "floozy" or "dirty old man." This Photoblocker will allow you to get your creep on without any possibility of solid photographic evidence. [via PSFK]
