At this point, it's natural to be apprehensive about any show which examines frustrations with the digital age. Though modern crises of identity are fair ground for artistic exploration, the topic so often comes off as trite or contrived. Something about its enormity or self-evidence attracts navel-gazing from young philosophers and eye-rolling from everyone else. I'm just as guilty as anyone; it was the subject of my major work for Year 12 Visual Arts. But, despite this initial skepticism, Complexity of Belonging delivers an engaging and thought-provoking take on this completely groan-worthy topic. A co-production between MTC, Chunky Move and German director Falk Richter, this half-dance, half-theatre, live-art inspired show delivers surprisingly earnest insight and above all, entertaining performances from its cast. Performing upon a surreal desert backdrop of what appears to be rural Australia, five dancers and four actors appear on stage through vignettes, monologues, and outright confessionals. Partially connected by the storyline of a French artist completing a "human installation" (Eloise Mignon) these characters are united by their shared frustrations and sense of restlessness. Throughout the course of the show we see a businessman snap under pressure, a young couple separated by failing Skype calls, and a gay couple who traverse the barriers of distance to create a life for themselves. All the while, the entrancing almost hypnotic choreography of Anouk van Dijk simmers on stage, setting the ominous tone and adding a sense of camaraderie aside each character's frequent moments of vulnerability. Of course, there are still elements of pretension. The same navel-gazing I was guilty of in my VCE are still there in Mignon's character of the artist. If you weren't already cringing at the term "human installation" you will be by the time she reels off huge slabs of philosophical texts or tarnishes a somewhat affecting final scene by emblazoning an awkward heavy-handed moral on a large screen above the stage. It's no fault of the actor, but in lieu of a primary narrative, these sweeping theories and thoughts are a necessary evil to tie meaning to each small element of the work. Though these moments of heavy intellectualism threaten to bog down they work, they are perfectly offset with humour. Most characters we meet are relatable, witty and downright charming. Karen Sibbing interrogates Aussie colloquialisms with a heavy European accent and Joel Bray and Josh Price offset each other perfectly as respectively upbeat and neurotic partners. But it's actually one of the primary dancers who steals the show. Lauren Langlois' rambling monologue about "the perfect man" is exquisite comedy, perfectly written and bravely performed. Combining rapid-fire delivery with beautiful expressive dance, this moment was so good it elicited rapturous applause from an otherwise stiff opening night crowd. Scattered with small moments like this, it may not be conventional or easy watching, but in many ways Complexity of Belonging is the quintessential Melbourne Festival show. It's ambitious, collaborative, and jam-packed with big industry names. And, whether you view it as theatre, dance, art or some combination of all three, it's certainly beautiful to watch. This event was chosen as one of our top ten things to see at the Melbourne Festival 2014. See the full list here.
They're taking the hobbits to Amazon — and, in just over a year, fans of Lord of the Rings will be able to see the end result. Mark Friday, September 2, 2022 in your diary, as that's when you'll be trekking back to Middle-earth via Amazon Prime Video's new LOTR show. It's called The Lord of the Rings, too, but it isn't just serving up a rehash. The series' existence shouldn't be new news, given that the streaming platform first announced it back in 2017, and then gave it the official go-ahead in mid-2018. Since then, the LOTR show has sat at the top of fans' most-anticipated list, obviously. Over the years, we've also heard that it wouldn't just remake Peter Jackson's movies, and learned a few concrete details regarding what it's about as well. Now, however, there's a specific date to look forward to — albeit a year later than when it was originally expected to drop, with sometime in 2021 initially floated. That was before the pandemic, though, and we all now know how much havoc COVID-19 has played on, well, everything, Amazon Prime Video announced the 2022 premiere date to mark the end of filming the show's initial batch of episodes. If you're wondering how it'll look — and how New Zealand's scenic landscape will be used this time around — the streaming service also dropped a first image from the series. Greenery abounds, naturally, as does a towering city surrounded by mountains, as well as a glowing sky. Also wondering what the series will cover if it's not retelling the events of JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books? The show will spend time in Middle-earth's Second Age — and bring that era from the LOTR realm to the screen for the very first time. According to the official synopsis, it'll follow "the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth's history," with the action set thousands of years before the novels and movies we've all read and watched. The series will also "take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien's pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness." https://twitter.com/LOTRonPrime/status/1349519737655611392 If you're a little rusty on your LOTR lore, the Second Age lasted for 3441 years, and saw the initial rise and fall of Sauron, as well as a spate of wars over the coveted rings. Elves feature prominently, and there's plenty to cover, even if Tolkien's works didn't spend that much time on the period — largely outlining the main events in an appendix to the popular trilogy. Naturally, you can expect Sauron to feature in the new show, and to give its main figures some trouble. "Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth," the official synopsis continues. "From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone," it also advises. In terms of stars, LOTR will feature an unsurprisingly large cast — and some impressive talent behind the scenes. Among the actors traversing Middle-earth are Tom Budge (Judy & Punch), Morfydd Clark (Saint Maud), Ismael Cruz Córdova (The Undoing), Joseph Mawle (Game of Thrones), Cynthia Addai-Robinson (The Accountant), Maxim Baldry (Years and Years), Peter Mullan (Westworld), Benjamin Walker (The Underground Railroad) and comedian Lenny Henry. And, the series is being overseen by showrunners and executive producers JD Payne and Patrick McKay, while filmmaker JA Bayona (A Monster Calls, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) directs the first two episodes. Amazon's new Lord of the Rings series will premiere on Friday, September 2, 2022.
Not content with hosting the Brisbane Comedy Festival, queer culture fest Melt, and a jam-packed calendar of other events all year every year — and just adding a new outdoor venue, too — Brisbane Powerhouse is gifting music and art fans a brand-new boundary-pushing celebration of sound, tunes and performance. Meet ΩHM (pronounced "ohm"), a fresh venture that's all about getting adventurous. The New Farm venue has dubbed the event a "festival of other music", with a growing lineup that includes Peaches, Future Islands and Hear My Eyes doing Pan's Labyrinth to back up that statement. Across February and March 2023, ΩHM will take over the riverside spot with a program curated by Room40's Lawrence English alongside Brisbane Powerhouse Arts Program Director Brad Spolding, serving up a mix of big-name international headliners and emerging local acts — and gigs, cutting-edge shows and immersive installations. Peaches does the honours while she's in the country for Mona Foma, and Future Islands hits the fest as part of their first Aussie tour since 2017. Those two impressive headliners are part of ΩHM's previously announced first lineup drop, which also spans Monolake + Electric Indigo and The Chills, as well as Kae Tempest, Nakhane and black midi. There's more where that list of acts came from, too, with ΩHM turning its second program announcement into its big launch. Just announced today, Tuesday, November 29, ΩHM is screening Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth like viewers have never seen it before — with a brand-new live score by Sleep D. This premiere performance marks Hear My Eyes' return to Brisbane, and continues its spate of stunning film-and-music combos (see: its take on Chopper in 2022 in Sydney and Melbourne, plus past tours of No Country for Old Men with Tropical F*ck Storm and Suspiria with King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard). Also joining the bill are audiovisual artist Robin Fox, Los Angeles-based composer Yann Novak and Iranian sound artist mHz, who'll serve up a triple bill of audiovisual performances. ΩHM will host the Australian premiere of Fox's Triptych straight from UNSOUND KRAKOW, featuring three RGB laser projectors working in synchronicity. If you've seen his past works — Night Sky for Brisbane Festival, Aqua Luma for Mona Foma 2021, BEACON for Mona Foma 2022 and MONOCHORD for Rising Festival 2022, for instance — you'll know you're in for something special. As for Novak, he'll be using sound and light to explore how both can focus one's awareness on their experiences, as informed by his partial colour blindness and dyslexia. And, New Zealand-based Iranian sound artist mHz will take inspiration from material and architecture to hone in on sound and light production. [caption id="attachment_880277" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Robin Fox, Single Origin, Diego Figueroa.[/caption] Also, Swiss artist Zimoun will present two installations, both Australian premieres and exclusive to Brisbane. His ΩHM berth marks his debut exhibiting to Aussie audiences in general, and will showcase his work with everyday and industrial materials to mix sound and architecture. "Works like Zimoun's kinetic sound sculptures, Robin Fox's expansive audiovisual laser environments and Hear My Eyes: Pan's Labyrinth x Sleep D exist at a special nexus of sight, sound and space," said English, announcing ΩHM's new additions. "These dynamic pieces capture intensity and energy matched with a fearless sense of focus. The works are simply mind-blowing." ΩHM runs throughout February and March at Brisbane Powerhouse, 119 Lamington Street, New Farm. For more information and to buy tickets, head to the Powerhouse website. Top image: Hadley Hudson.
Golf courses have always tried to mimic the natural: undulating hills, thick forests, deep water and unforgiving sand. It's been a trend of recent years to flip this, instead opting for the unusual: whether that be the lush greens and rolling sand dunes of Dubai's desert golf, the foreboding doom presented by a recently dormant volcano at Lanzarote or the thrill (chill?) of ice golf in Uummannaq in Greenland. So we really shouldn't be surprised to discover a recent venture from Troon Golf and Dutch Docklands to create an 18-hole floating golf course in the Maldives, should we? A series of man-made floating platforms containing a number of holes each will be linked together by underwater tunnels. Although seemingly an exercise in extravagance, it is not without conscience. The project will be entirely carbon neutral, using solar energy, sustainable desalination and water cooling technology. The Maldives approval of the project is more than just a cash grab. With rising sea levels, precipitated by climate change, predicted to submerge a series of the Maldives islands, the government is looking offshore for solutions. President Mahamed Nasheed is even looking to purchase new land in other countries to house his people. The verdict is still out on the project, drawing out such loaded terms as 'obscene' and 'indulgent' but also 'responsible' and 'socially inclusive'.
A new, family-run distillery in Byron Bay is committed to two important missions. The first is to bring you an outstanding gin, made with native rainforest botanicals under the watchful eye of master distiller Jim McEwan. The second is to regenerate the rainforest that provides these very ingredients. For you, this is a win-win situation. You get to sit back and linger over a world-class drop, while doing your bit for the environment. And, even more exciting is that the distillery's first release was made possible thanks to crowdfunding dollars raised via Pozible. Cape Byron Distillery's home is a family property in Byron Bay's hinterland. It's where co-founder Eddie Brook grew up and where his parents, Pam and Martin, have been regenerating rainforest for years. "[The land] used to be part of a giant rainforest that stretched from Lismore in the south, past Byron Bay, up to the Nightcap Ranges. Today there is less than one percent of that rainforest left," Martin says. A few years ago, Eddie, who's worked in alcohol and hospitality all his life, ran a sold-out Australian whisky tour starring Jim McEwan. The two got chatting about the Brook's passion for rainforest and came up with the idea of creating a rainforest-infused gin. "I'd idolised Jim McEwan. I learned about whisky, watching his YouTube videos," Eddie says. "It was amazing to develop a friendship with him." Fast forward to 2016. McEwan and Eddie have a built a distillery and – after numerous trials and tastings – put their first bottle on the market. It's a signature gin called Brookie's Byron Dry Gin. "We're passionate about creating products that really represent our area," Eddie says. "We used 18 native botanicals, including Davidson plum, aniseed myrtle and cinnamon myrtle. They're not just native to Australia, but to the Northern Rivers region." A percentage of profits from every sale goes to rainforest regeneration efforts, as well as to Big Scrub Landcare. Eddie describes it as a "great foundation", which is "protecting remnants of rainforest ... bringing corridors back to life". Brookie's Byron Dry Gin is currently available in and around Byron Bay. For online orders, go mybottleshop.com. UPDATE 25 JULY 2017: Cape Byron Distillery has just opened up its doors for public tours every Friday and Saturday. It includes a gin tasting of Brookie's two gins, a G&T and a tour of the surrounding rainforest. Tours cost $35 and can be booked here.
In this age of seemingly endless streaming platforms — with newcomers vying for your eyeballs every week, or so it seems — there's never a shortage of things to watch. New movies hit the likes of Netflix, Stan, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+ and DocPlay all the time, as well as the plethora of other online viewing services, all ready to be watched and enjoyed by your ravenous eyeballs. With such an ongoing onslaught of content fighting for everyone's attention, it's easy to miss the highlights. Or, to put a new film in your queue, then keep watching Tiger King and completely forget all about it. To help, we round up the best streaming highlights each and every month. But, in case you've missed any of our movie picks, we've also compiled a list of the standout flicks we've recommended over the past year that are still available for you to stream — and are well worth your attention — this very moment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTfJp2Ts9X8 UNCUT GEMS The best film of 2020, based on Australian release dates, might only screen on Netflix on our shores. That might seem a big call, but the anxiety-dripping, riveting Uncut Gems is a stone-cold masterpiece, complete with one of the greatest performances of Adam Sandler's career (alongside Punch-Drunk Love and The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)). Far, far removed from his Netflix comedies of late, the actor is all hustle and bustle as Jewish American diamond-district jeweller Howard Ratner. A compulsive gambler who is deeply in debt, about to get divorced and being shaken down by a loan shark (Eric Bogosian) he's related to by marriage, he's always trying to lure in high-profile clientele. When he comes into possession of a rare black opal — the uncut gem of the title — basketballer Kevin Garnett becomes interested, sparking a wild chain of events. Writer/directors Josh and Benny Safdie last worked their gritty, vivid and relentlessly tense magic with the Robert Pattinson-starring Good Time to exhilarating and mesmerising effect, and this uncompromisingly chaotic thriller and all-round exceptional character study is even better. Uncut Gems is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul5GFfMAvtg THE REPORT One of 2019's late highlights is based on a US Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture. No, that's not a sentence that comes up very often. Directed by Contagion, Side Effects and The Laundromat screenwriter Scott Z. Burns, The Report recreates the experiences of real-life Senate staffer Daniel Jones, who, from 2009–2015, delved into the scandalous treatment of terrorist suspects by America's key intelligence agency. It mightn't sound riveting on the page, but as Jones dives deeper into a dark part of recent American history, weathers hefty opposition and dedicates himself to ascertaining the truth, The Report makes for gripping viewing. Adam Driver serves up his latest stellar performance as the committed investigator and, while the film belongs to its star and its subject matter, Annette Bening, Jon Hamm, Michael C. Hall and Corey Stoll also leave an imprint. The Report is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9YEKRJ4TA4 I LOST MY BODY Forget the latest version of The Addams Family — the best movie to feature a detached hand scrambling around on its own five fingers is French animation I Lost My Body. A deserved winner of the Critics' Week Grand Prize at last year's Cannes Film Festival, Jérémy Clapin's rich and textured picture adapts a novel by Amelie screenwriter Guillaume Laurant's and intertwines two narrative threads. Imbued with a bittersweet mood, the film charts the efforts of pizza delivery pizza Naofel (Hakim Faris) to earn the attention of young librarian Gabrielle (Victoire Du Bois), while also following the exploits of the aforementioned autonomous appendage as it roams around town. The imagery, including visuals framed from the hand's perspective, is sumptuous. The emotional journey, complete with thrills, spills and ample melancholy, finds the balance between whimsical and weighty. Poetic, ruminative and entertaining, this is the best animated movie of the year. I Lost My Body is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td0oBCWO_I4 THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE Talk about perfect casting. If you're going to make a movie about a meek, mild-mannered accountant who spends the bulk of his time alone, doesn't fit in with his frat boy co-workers and is struggling to cope with being violently attacked — and you're making a black comedy that firmly and sharply skewers toxic masculinity, too — then you want Jesse Eisenberg as your lead. Drawing upon experience in the likes of The Social Network and the Zombieland films, he's pitch-perfect as the aforementioned Casey, including when he seems to find solace in the teachings and classes of a local karate dojo. Also starring Imogen Poots (Eisenberg's co-star in Vivarium), and written and directed by filmmaker Riley Stearns (Faults), this smart blend of satire, statement and thrills never makes the obvious choice; however it does drum up plenty of laughs. The Art of Self-Defense is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JLUn2DFW4w EL CAMINO: A BREAKING BAD MOVIE Six years after he was last seen driving off into the night, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) finally made a comeback. That's how long it was for Breaking Bad fans; however, for the character, absolutely no time passed. Picking up where the show's grim finale left off, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie explores what comes next for Walter White (Bryan Cranston)'s former meth-cooking partner. The cops are on his trail, but Skinny Pete (Charles Barker) and Badger (Matt Jones) are on hand to help. As Jesse tries to find a way forward, plenty of flashbacks also flesh out and reshape his story. While El Camino might be superfluous — Jesse didn't really need this lap of honour, and viewers didn't really need such a definitive conclusion — it's still an immense pleasure to return to the Breaking Bad realm, especially with series creator Vince Gilligan at the helm. Of course, Better Call Saul has been letting audiences do that since 2015, but every BB aficionado has a soft spot for Jesse, his love of saying "yo", and his fondness for science and magnets. El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHBcWHY9lN4 ALWAYS BE MY MAYBE It's a little unfair to say that Always Be My Maybe is worth watching for Keanu Reeves. He's not the film's star, with those honours going to writers and comedians Ali Wong and Randall Park; however, he's an unmissable force of nature not only playing the man who could thwart the movie's central romance, but also playing a heightened, exaggerated, ultra sensual version of himself. Yes, it's as glorious as it sounds. Always Be My Maybe is never as entertainingly chaotic when Reeves isn't around, but it's a charming, topical rom-com from start to finish, albeit one that hits familiar genre beats. A little charisma goes a long way, however, and Wong and Park (and Reeves, obviously) have it in spades in a movie that also marks the film directorial debut of Don't Trust the Bitch in Apartment 23's Nahnatchka Khan. Always Be My Maybe is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMfyueM-ZBQ TOGO As moving a dog-focused movie as you're ever likely to see, Togo tells an extraordinary true tale. You might've already heard of Balto, the sled dog who came to fame for running 53 miles in a snow storm to help fetch diphtheria anti-toxin for a small Alaskan town back in 1925. That canine is clearly a hero — but another Siberian Husky named Togo actually led the pack that ran the bulk of the distance, covering a huge 260 miles over ice and snow. So, this heartfelt and action-packed movie tells the latter's story. Starring Willem Dafoe as his owner Leonhard Seppala, it's endearing from start to finish. In earnest mode, Dafoe is typically excellent, while the cute pooch acting is first-rate as well. And while director Ericson Core did a terrible job of 2015's needless Point Break remake, he does exactly what he needs to here. Togo is available to stream via Disney+. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q57D6kF5B1k THE PERFECTION With Get Out and now The Perfection, Allison Williams appears to have an on-screen type, playing ambitious women who'll do whatever it takes to get what they want, including getting their hands dirty. But this Netflix horror film doesn't just throw the Girls star into familiar territory and ask her to follow in her own footsteps, even if that's how it initially seems. Williams plays cello prodigy Charlotte Willmore, who, after her career is cut short, befriends her replacement Lizzie (Logan Browning) during a trip to China. Where the narrative twists and turns from there is best discovered by watching, but filmmaker Richard Shepard has made a feistily immersive genre piece with thrills, body horror and a timely statement. The Perfection is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5Vm_Awe3bw MINDING THE GAP When Free Solo took out this year's Academy Award for Best Documentary, it was a thoroughly deserving winner, as anyone who's sweated through the true rock-climbing tale can attest. If the trophy had been handed to Minding the Gap instead, however, the Oscars wouldn't have made a mistake. Directed by Bing Liu and also featuring the filmmaker on-screen, this intimate doco steps into the lives of three Illinois residents as they cope with life's stresses, endeavour to find solace in skateboarding, and wrestle with society's expectations of them as young men. While every kickflip and ollie looks and feels equally raw and astonishing, the action footage has nothing on the film's real rollercoaster ride: the film's three subjects and their stories of domestic and substance abuse, living on the margins, and trying to navigate both economic and racial oppression. Minding the Gap is available to stream via DocPlay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEoJuTRZDjk EARTHQUAKE BIRD After exploring the life of writer Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette in last year's Keira Knightley-starring biopic Colette, British writer/director Wash Westmoreland jumps from late 19th- and early 20th-century France to Tokyo circa 1989. That's where Swedish expat Lucy Fly (Alicia Vikander) lives, works and starts to date Japanese photographer Teiji (Naoki Kobayashi). And, with the film framed through a police interrogation, that's where she also becomes a suspect in a missing persons case that could also be a murder. Based on Susanna Jones' 2001 novel of the same name, Earthquake Bird charts the fallout after American Lily Bridges (Riley Keough) arrives in town, befriends Lucy and then disappears — after getting close to Teiji. The film takes its time to solve its central mystery, but that patient approach comes packaged with sumptuous visuals, appropriately contrasting portrayals by its female stars (Vikander is icy and restrained, Keough is lively and vibrant), and a considerable command over its slow-burn thrills and tension. Earthquake Bird is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDQm70Q9hKI GUAVA ISLAND Last year, when Coachella hit, Donald Glover delivered audiences everywhere a treat — whether you were at the Californian festival or not. The artist also known as Childish Gambino teamed up with his Atlanta director Hiro Murai, his screenwriter brother Stephen Glover, Black Panther's Letitia Wright, Game of Thrones' Nonso Anozie and, oh, none other than Rihanna, for a new film called Guava Island. Filled with Glover's music (naturally), it premiered at a specially built theatre at the fest to tie in with Glover's headlining set, and it's also available to stream via Amazon's streaming platform. The thoughtful and delightful film follows Deni Maroon (Glover), a Cuban musician trying to put on a festival on the titular island, all while battling his tyrannical employer. Guava Island is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT4bnfULz2s THE KING Since he came to widespread fame in Call Me By Your Name, Timothée Chalamet has become cinematic royalty. In The King, he embraces that status. Stepping into both historical and Shakespearean territory, he plays Hal, aka King Henry V, in a slow-building but astute drama based on the Bard's Henriad plays. Perfectly content never to take 15th-century England's top job, Hal nonetheless finds himself donning the crown — and, thanks to a war with France, following in his father's (Ben Mendelsohn) footsteps in more ways than one. Directed by Australian filmmaker David Michod and co-written with his Animal Kingdom star Joel Edgerton, The King plays up the internal and external conflict, tones down the language and, when it comes to political manoeuvring, finds much to muse on. Michod and cinematographer Adam Arkapaw particularly revel in the film's battle scenes, while, cast-wise, the sight of Chalamet facing off against a long-haired, French-accented, almost-comedic Robert Pattinson is the stuff that the internet's dreams are made of. Edgerton, Sean Harris (Mission: Impossible – Fallout ), Thomasin McKenzie (Leave No Trace) and Lily-Rose Depp all also make an impact. The King is available to stream via Netflix.
A time-capsule within touching distance of Melbourne CBD, Como House is an elegant example of the aristocratic lifestyle of the 1850s. Immaculately preserved following the National Trust of Australia's acquisition of the property in 1959, nowadays Como House and its stunning gardens is one of the best places to enjoy a relaxing Sunday picnic in the sun. Located high above the Yarra River in the backstreets of South Yarra, don't forget to take a break in the shade and explore the opulent interior of the house. The Armytage family owned the property for 95 years and much of their personal furniture remains on display around the house. Taking a stroll through Como House and around the extensive gardens provides a rare insight into the lives of the wealthy elite throughout the 19th century – a stylish backdrop to any bone-idle Sunday layabout. Image: Letícia Almeida.
Just when you thought you couldn't fit any more markets into your calendar, along comes Cat Stuff. Really, the concept sells itself: all things cat in one place, by some of Australia's most adorably intended artists, for you to spend every last dime on. What are you even pretending to wait for? Hosted by Tinning Street, Cat Stuff features works by many local artists, including Melbourne card making darlings Able and Game, adorable fluffy things from Cat-Rabbit and presumably amazing cat-centric items from all of your favourite crafties. Embrace your inner Dolores Umbridge and furnish your entire house in cat things before the week is out. Check out the Cat Stuff artist lineup on the Facebook page and head down to Brunswick ASAP. Image: Cat-Rabbit.
For a while there, it seemed like every hip hop tour to Australia was doomed to fail. Poor ticket sales, high-profile artists that don't show up, lazy and greedy managers and a general lack of any business savvy whatsoever have conspired to kill off a handful of festivals and some major tours in just the last year or two. But in the midst of all that, Rap City has not only gone ahead, it has thrived. Since its inception in 2010 the single-stage mini-festival has brought out some of the all-time greats of the game, from Ghostface Killah and DOOM to The Beatnuts and Masta Ace. This time around, Rap City will be headlined by none other than Talib Kweli, one of the most thoughtful, socially aware and lyrically gifted MCs around. His 1998 collaboration album with Mos Def — Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star — remains a masterpiece of politically and socially conscious hip hop, but over 15 years and half-a-dozen albums Kweli has proved time and again that he is one of the most gifted lyricists of his generation. With a new album, Prisoner of Conscious, recently released featuring Miguel, Curren$y, Kendrick Lamar, Marsha Ambrosius and Busta Rhymes, Kweli is sure to be at his energetic, eloquent best. Joining Kweli will be Homeboy Sandman, the rapidly rising star signed to Stones Throw Records (home to the likes of DOOM, Peanut Butter Wolf, Madlib, Australia's own Jonti and the late, great J Dilla). His praises as a lyricist and intellect have been sung by XXL, The Source, NPR, Rolling Stone and everyone in between, but his beats have a groove so good you almost don't notice that Homeboy's lyrics challenge almost every thought you have ever had. And if that weren't enough, these twin lyrical titans are being joined by Trademark 'Da Skydiver', the next big thing from the Jet Life Crew label — home to the likes of Curren$y, Smoke DZA and Sir Michael Rocks (formerly of The Cool Kids). With a handful of rapturously received mixtapes under his belt, Trademark is currently putting his finishing touches on his highly anticipated album Flamingo Barnes 2, which is due on the eve of his Australian Rap City tour. If anyone ever told you hip hop was dead, make sure you drag them along to Rap City and shut them up. MELBOURNE – Thursday October 3 @ The Hi-Fi PERTH – Friday October 4 @ Villa BRISBANE – Saturday October 5th @ The Hi-Fi SYDNEY – Sunday (Long Weekend) October 6 @ The Hi-Fi Tickets go on sale on Monday, 12 August, via Moshtix and OZTIX.
Bummed you didn't get a Splendour ticket? Angry you bought dozens of Splendour tickets so you could scalp them, and now find yourself holding hundreds of dollars' worth of paper after organisers shut down the re-sale facility over the weekend? Decided not to go this year, thinking you could totally see all the bands you wanted to see when they did their sideshows? Well whoever you are, it's time to whip out those diaries and start making plans — we found the mother of all emails in our inboxes this morning, bursting with sideshow goodness. Listed below are all the details you need for nine bands — electronica wunderkind James Blake, old Splendour favourites Cold War Kids, so-hot-right-now sister act HAIM, MS MR (described to me as "Florence + the Machine, plus Lana Del Rey, with some Kavinsky thrown in"), the R&B-ish indie of Mancunians Everything Everything, Next Big Thing Jake Bugg, LA noise merchants FIDLAR, fast-rising Poms Palma Violets and kings of Florida chill Surfer Blood. And those are just nine of the eleventy-billion bands (we counted!) announced on the full Splendour lineup just a couple of weeks ago. More shows will be announced for the other bands as we get closer to the date. (Though sadly not for The National, Mumford & Sons or TV on the Radio, who are playing their only Australian shows at the festival.) Full ticketing information is on the Secret Sounds website. JAMES BLAKE Fri 26 July – Astor Theatre, Perth Tues 30 July – Sydney Opera House, Sydney Wed 31 July – Palais Theatre, Melbourne Fri 2 Aug – Town Hall, Auckland www.jamesblakemusic.com COLD WAR KIDS Monday 29 July – Metro Theatre, Sydney Tuesday 30 July – The HiFi, Melbourne Thursday 1 August – The Gov, Adelaide Friday 2 August – Capitol, Perth www.coldwarkids.com HAIM Wed 24 July – The Hi-Fi, Sydney Thu 25 July – The Hi-Fi, Melbourne www.HAIMtheband.com MS MR Fri 26 July – The Metro, Sydney Mon 29 July – The Hi-Fi, Melbourne www.msmrsounds.com EVERYTHING EVERYTHING Fri 26 July – The Corner, Melbourne Sat 27 July – The Metro, Sydney www.everything-everything.co.uk JAKE BUGG Thurs 25 July – Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney Sun 28 July – The Corner, Melbourne www.jakebugg.com FIDLAR Mon 29 July – The Corner, Melbourne Wed 31 July – Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney Fri 2 August – Spinoff Festival, Adelaide Sat 3 August – The Bakery, Perth www.fidlarmusic.com PALMA VIOLETS Mon 29 July – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne Tues 30 July – Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney www.palmaviolets.co.uk SURFER BLOOD Wed 24 July – The Corner, Melbourne Fri 26 July – Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney www.surferblood.com
If you were planning to start your hot girl summer by catching Megan Thee Stallion's first-ever live shows in Australia, Festival X comes bearing bad news: the American rapper is no longer heading Down Under. Mere days out from the event's first 2022 stop, organisers have announced that the performer is no longer on the bill, and that she won't be replaced. "Due to unforeseen circumstances, Megan Thee Stallion will not be able to travel to Australia to perform at Festival X," the Festival X team advised in a statement. "Whilst our goal is to present the best experience for fans, despite our best efforts, it will not be possible to find a replacement at such short notice. However, with over 30 artists making up this year's line-up — including Calvin Harris, Don Toliver, Boys Noize, Green Velvet, Nina Kraviz and so many more — we are looking forward to catching you on the dancefloor for Festival X and officially kicking off summer 2022!" View this post on Instagram A post shared by Festival X (@festivalxworld) The lineup change comes after a chaotic few years for Festival X, which debuted back in 2019 with Calvin Harris leading the bill, but hasn't been able to return since until now due to the pandemic. The Scottish DJ headlines the 2022 fest again, joined by Don Toliver. Festival X has five stops in its sights between Saturday, November 26–Sunday, December 4, all huge outdoor gigs — playing Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast, Bonython Park in Adelaide, Sydney Showground and Perth's Claremont Showground. Anyone with ticketing concerns due to Megan Thee Stallion's cancellation is advised to submit a request to Moshtix customer service before 5pm on Friday, November 25. Tickets are still available for all five Festival X dates around the country — and you can check out the current lineup below: FESTIVAL X 2022 LINEUP: Calvin Harris Don Toliver Boys Noize Green Velvet John Summit Luude MaRLo Nina Kraviz Sub Focus (DJ set and ID) Tchami Wilkinson (DJ set) Anna Lunoe Babyface Mal Badrapper Blastoyz Choomba Cosmic Gate Franky Rizardo Haliene Key4050 featuring John O'Callaghan and Bryan Kearney Laura King Len Faki Nifra Nora En Pure Prospa Sunset Bros Taglo Tyson O'Brien FESTIVAL X 2022 DATES: Saturday, November 26 — Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne Sunday, November 27 — Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast Friday, December 2 — Bonython Park, Adelaide Saturday, December 3 — Sydney Showground, Sydney Sunday, December 4 — Claremont Showground, Perth Festival X 2022 tours the country from Saturday, November 26–Sunday, December 4. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the festival website.
Join the salami army at the 2018 edition of this gastronomic gathering at Welcome to Thornbury. Now in its sixth year, think of the Melbourne Salami Festa as Woodstock or ComicCon — but for salami. So way better, is basically what we're saying. Running from 10am–10pm on Saturday, October 13 and 11dam–6pm the next day, the event — a bona fide cured meat carnival — will include workshops, demonstrations, DJs and bands, as well as a Grand Salumi Garage featuring dozens of producers from far and wide. Wander between the stalls and sample what's on offer, before returning on the Sunday to cast your vote in the highly coveted People's Choice Awards. Among other gongs, the event will also be giving out a Best Homemade Salami prize. Last time the festa was held back in 2016, more than 6,000 people went along — consuming a whopping 30,000 pieces of salami over the two days. If that sounds like your idea of heaven, we suggest arriving early and hungry. Image: Melbourne Salami Festa.
Coffee is a complicated game. You need to source the right beans, grind them correctly, filter them for the specified time, perhaps froth the milk to that just-right temp and you need some pure-ass water. That's because coffee is 98 percent H2O, so some average water will mean your coffee will taste average — which is a damn shame if you've shelled out for some luxe Panama Geisha beans. Specialty coffee cafes are all over this and filter their water extensively, but baby home baristas aren't so diligent. So, to ensure they don't waste those beans on sub-par water, some genius has created a type of purified water specifically for making coffee. It's called Aquiem, and it's labelled its product as 'enhanced water'. While that sounds like total wank, it's essentially water that's been distilled to take all the extra stuff out of it. Then, a blend of good minerals that are supposedly meant to enhance the flavour of coffee are added back in. Then they're packaged and sold for a couple of dollars a pop. "What you definitely do not want is to have things like zinc and lead, fluoride, chlorine and large amounts of calcium in the water. All of that effects the taste of the coffee," co-founder Rob Vidacovich told Daily Coffee News. "What does have a favourable effect on coffee are things like magnesium, potassium, and a certain right blend of calcium." The whole idea is to allow non-pro baristas to make the most of their beans and drink a damn good cup of coffee every time. The Louisiana-based company has been working on the product for six years, but officially launched at the start of this year. Aquiem is currently sold in retailers in the state, but can be ordered online. Via Daily Coffee News.
You might be locked up at home (again), but at least you don't have to settle for boring breakfast eats. Beloved Brunswick East burger joint The B.East has brought back its Brettfast Club lockdown series, paying homage to everyone's favourite Brett — Victorian CHO, Professor Brett Sutton, of course — with a lineup of daily specials worth getting out of bed for. Swing by from 12–2pm each day to nab yourself a $13 breakfast burger, loaded with egg, maple bacon and jalapeno. There's a vegan alternative, or if a caffeine hit is on your radar, skip the latte and bring along your reusable cup for a serve of the bar's Espresso Quarantini for $9. Lockdown got you feeling hungry and thirsty? The B.East's got it covered with a wallet-friendly combo deal, which includes both offerings for an easy $20. And you'll also find all of the above Brettfast Club goodies available from Fitzroy sibling venue The B.East of Brunswick Street.
The Melbourne International Jazz Festival proper doesn’t kick off until June, but after the success of last year they’ve announced a six-night series of intimate, one-off gigs in late January at iconic inner-city venue Bennetts Lane Jazz Club. The Summer Series showcases the talents of some of our finest jazz pianists, such as virtuouso Australian player and composer Paul Grabowsky and Hue Blanes, who’s returning home after two years studying and performing in Miami. While Grabowsky is practically a national institution after founding and leading the Australian Art Orchestra, Blanes is perhaps best known for his work with bands like The Bamboos and The Melodics. There’s also a retrospective that will delight real jazz aficionados; a recreation and celebration of John Coltrane’s seminal album A Love Supreme to mark 50 years since its release. Image by Geoffrey Ketels.
If we were to play the world association game with Instagram hashtags and I said "South Wharf Promenade", it would be normal for one to respond with: #flossy, #theglamorouslife, #cocktailswiththegirls or #richkidsofinstagram. What might not immediately present is #artinaction, or rather, #melbourneartiststakeovercargosheds. On Sunday that all changed, as some of Melbourne's finest emerging artists began what will be a just-shy-of-a-month-long residency in a group of vacant window boxes on the Yarra River and Duke's Walk, for the eyeballing pleasure of the public. Between them, the whipper snippers have produced work for ROOKIE magazine and Kimbra, modelled for Kinki Gerlinki, and exhibited everywhere from the Melbourne Art Fair to Chapter House Lane. Renee Cosgrave, Minna Gilligan, Andrzej Nowicki, Nick Ryrie, Raphael Rizzo and Rhys Mitchell are their names, making South Wharf better one cargo container at a time is their game (I'm trying ok).
Were you planning on spending the long weekend wrapped in a blanket cocoon with a season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians and a packet of Malteser mini eggs? Well, even if you weren't, here's a good enough reason to do just that: an all-reality TV streaming service is launching in Australia on Tuesday, March 22. hayu is the latest subscription video on-demand service to launch in Australia, and it's essentially Netflix but purely for reality TV. The service is part of NBCUniversal International, and will pull from their massive back catalogue of content to offer full 'box sets' of over 3000 episodes of shows like the Kardashians, Real Housewives and Made in Chelsea. Most new episodes will be available on the same day as their US release, and the platform will allow you to share snippets (i.e. Kardashian quotes) directly to your Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. It's either your worst nightmare or a vision of heaven you never thought would be socially realised. "We're excited to be unveiling March 22 as the launch date for hayu in Australia," said NBCUniversal's Jay McNamara, EVP Strategy Development and Analysis. "Curated by reality experts for reality fans, hayu is fully integrated with news feeds and social media and, uniquely, its next-generation functionality will enable Australian fans to share some of the content they love." Binge watchers of reality TV will be ecstatic (if not just secretly) over this news. As for all the haters.. hayu will launch on Tuesday, March 22. You'll be able to get a 30-day free trial, with the subscription costing $5.99 per month thereafter. For more info, visit hayu.com.
Stomp and cheer, Melburnians: Moulin Rouge! The Musical is returning to the Regent Theatre for a second spin. It's the first Australian-produced show to win the Tony Award for Best Musical. It's based on an adored Baz Luhrmann-directed, Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor-starring film. With its tale of star-crossed lovers set to a toe-tapping soundtrack, it's been a Broadway sensation. And, it's heading back to where its Australian season began from Sunday, August 20. If you're as infatuated with all things Moulin Rouge! as its central duo are about each other (and about professing their affection through song), then you might remember that the musical initially hit Melbourne in 2021. And, you might also recall that nabbing a cheap ticket was on the bill, too, thanks to the TodayTix lottery. In spectacular spectacular news, that's back for 2023 as well. As has happened with everything from The Book of Mormon and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to Hamilton and Mary Poppins, this chance to score discounted Moulin Rouge! seats is all about entering a weekly draw, then crossing your fingers. If you're successful, you'll get a ticket for just $30. Yes, that figure is accurate. This is your opportunity to see the acclaimed screen-to-stage musical for less than the price of a dinner. To take part in the lottery, you will need to download the TodayTix app — which is available for iOS and Android — and submit your entry each week for the next week's performances. The lottery goes live at 12.01am every Thursday morning, with winners drawn after 1pm on the following Wednesday. If your name is selected, you'll have an hour to claim your tickets from when you receive the good news. If you need a reminder, you can also sign up for lottery alerts via TodayTix, too. Moulin Rouge! The Musical brings to life the famed Belle Époque story of young composer Christian and his heady romance with Satine, actress and star of the legendary Moulin Rouge cabaret. Set in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris, the show is known for its soundtrack, celebrating iconic tunes from across the past five decades. The film was, too; however, the stage version backs up the movie's tracks with even more hit songs that have been released in the two decades since the feature premiered. Usually, tickets will set you back $69–598 a pop — so the $30 lottery really is an absolute bargain. Moulin Rouge! The Musical returns to Melbourne's Regent Theatre from Sunday, August 20. To enter the Today Tix $30 lottery, download the company's iOS or Android app, and head to the company's website for more information — and to set up an alert. Images: Michelle Grace Hunder.
Having earned cult status (and Tik Tok stardom) among the seafood-lovers of the USA, Cajun-style restaurant The Boiling Crab finally landed Down Under in early 2021, opening its flagship Aussie venue in Glen Waverley. Now, 16 months on, the brand has got its pincers on a second Melbourne outpost, bringing its famed signature crab boil offering to the CBD. Launching today, Thursday, June 23, The Boiling Crab's newest iteration has made its home on Tattersalls Lane. Just like its siblings, the restaurant invites you to don a bib and gloves, turf your inhibitions and get messy digging into saucy piles of seafood and accompaniments. The menu delivers a sumptuous choose-your-own-adventure scenario. First, select your hero seafood — perhaps some Aussie lobster, Moreton Bay bug, king crab legs, clams or scampi — which is priced by weight, then steamed or boiled in your choice of seasonings, sauces and spices. The latter ranges from 'non-spicy' up to 'XXX (I Can't Feel My Mouth!), and you can round it all out with extras like pork sausage, corn on the cob, whole baby potatoes and cajun-spiced fries. It's delivered to you in the bag, ready to be spilled onto your paper-topped table and devoured with abandon. Fans of the fried stuff can supplement their feast with a hefty lineup of crispy things served by the basket. You'll find hot wings in a variety of coatings, soft shell crab served atop a pile of chips, fried calamari and the crunchy Shabang Bang Shrimp, available in three levels of heat. You'll be washing down the spice with a crisp imported brew, margarita or michelada, or you BYO drinks for $3 per person. Find The Boiling Crab CBD at 4 Tattersalls Lane, Melbourne. It's open 12–9.30pm daily.
Earlier this year, Australia's caffeinated booze expert Mr Black gave fans of alcohol and coffee the premixed beverage they definitely wanted, with the company's bottled coffee negroni marking its first-ever pre-batched cocktail. Now, it's adding another tipple to the range, and it's another big hitter: the cold brew old fashioned, or cold fashioned. Yes, there's a time for coffee and there's a time for cocktails — but, sometimes, there's a time in the day when you want both and you don't want to do any of the mixing yourself. The cold fashioned is made with Mr Black coffee liqueur, rye whiskey and bitters, and you can expect both coffee and chocolate flavours to come through, as well as a bit of spice. Each bottle is going for $49 and can be used to make five cocktails (yes, that's a very reasonably $9.80 a drink). To make said cocktail, you just need to pour 100 millilitres of the sweet stuff into a glass over ice and garnish with a citrus twist — if you want to get a little fancy. It's the third new product that the Mr Black team has released during lockdown, with the company also launching a hand sanitiser in late March. As well as selling thousands (and thousands) of bottles to the public, the team donated hundreds to front-line medical workers, not-for-profits, testing clinics and medical centres. To get your hands on a bottle of cold fashioned, which, knowing Mr Black's track record, will sell out fast, head over to the Mr Black website. It's currently offering free shopping on all orders over $80. Mr Black's cold fashioned is on sale now for $49. Top image: Guy Davies.
Next time you crack open a can of BrewDog's Punk IPA, you might find yourself motivated to welcome a new four-legged addition into your family. Teaming up with Animal Welfare League Queensland, the Scottish brewery has brought its Street Dog initiative to Australia — profiling adorable dogs that are currently available for adoption across its cans. If you're the type of person that pats every pooch you see, and takes a daily walk past the local dog park just so you can get a glimpse of those adorable canines and their little faces, then you're also the kind of person who'd love to see pictures of puppers while you're sinking a brew. The photos adorn select Punk IPA packs, which have been badged 'Street Dog'. And yes, if you fall in love with the little fluffball staring back at you from the can, you can give it a home. By picking up a few Street Dog brews — which are on offer in eight- and 16-packs — you'll also be helping doggos in need another way. BrewDog is also donating all of the profits from sales of the beer to Animal Welfare League Queensland. And, although it's brewed at the company's Australian base in Brisbane, it's only making the beer available via its new online store, so everyone nationwide can stare at these canine cuties over their next cold one. Street Dog actually started in the UK earlier this year, as inspired by comedian Ricky Gervais. The comedian tweeted about his genuine fondness for Punk IPA, while also noting that businesses in general were better off giving their money to charities than paying for celebrity endorsements — and, taking his words to heart, BrewDog decided to start supporting homeless dogs, a cause that Gervais has been vocal about. Cue BrewDog cans covered with photos of dogs, which, when they launched in Britain, helped all of the pups featured on the tinnies to find homes. If you're wondering about the timing of bringing the Street Dog initiative to Australia, it's designed to help give the profiled pooches a permanent home before Christmas hits. The 375-millilitre cans will be available to purchase online until sold out. BrewDog's Street Dog limited-edition version of its Punk IPA beer is available to buy as an eight-pack for $40 and a 16-pack for $70.
It is often with trepidation that I go to see a play by Anton Chekhov. His signature tragicomedic tone can be tricky to get right and I get fearful a production will play it too straight and drown the comedy in an excess of melodrama. This is apparently what Stanislavski did to Chekhov's chagrin when directing the very first production of The Cherry Orchard in 1904, but I'm pleased to report that MTC's current production has hit the tone pitch perfectly. The story of a Russian aristocratic family unable to abandon their profligate ways in the face of financial ruin offers plentiful opportunities for both humour and drama as Lady Andreyevna Ranevsky (Pamela Rabe) returns to her family's country estate after years of living the high life in Paris. Too crippled by nostalgia to take action to save the estate from its impending ruin and too proud to accept help, Andreyevna and her eccentric family, along with their motley remaining staff of servants, live out the last days of their doomed aristocratic lifestyle like students pretending the summer holidays won’t end. This production isn't a straight rendition of the play but rather an adaptation by director Simon Stone. Stone, founding artistic director of The Hayloft Project and recent director in residence at Sydney's Belvoir, is about as exciting a young gun in theatre as could set sights on an old master like Chekhov. This is appropriate perhaps for a play in which the clash of old and new is such a dominant theme. In addition to modernising the social context, Stone's script playfully elaborates on the original text, keeping true to the essential content and emotional tone while ramping up the impact for contemporary audiences. Andreyevna's Parisian lifestyle, for instance, is updated from 1900s definitions of outrageous to more contemporary standards — orgies rather than hot air balloon rides. Minor characters may be expanded upon, such as the family's clerk Yepihodov (Gareth Davies), whose tendency to being accident prone is exploited to at times clownish extent. There's also a lot more swearing and innuendo. At times this feels a little overdone and not always necessary but for the most part the adaptation is true to Chekhov's spirit. Rabe's magnificently frazzled Andreyevna is a powerful centrepoint in a suite of strong performances. The production also really shines in its visual design. The set is towering and stark. Though the characters constantly try to fill the space below the looming white walls with objects and activity, the starkness is overpowering — symbolic of their efforts to find cheer in the face of inevitable loss. The weight of nostalgia is cunningly evoked through retro stylings in props and costume and a soundtrack that may well stir memories of your last Blue Light Disco. While purists might get nostalgic for more traditional takes on Chekhov, this is one case where the coming of the new may be given a warm welcome. This Cherry Orchard is irresistibly stylish, frequently funny and, when it comes to the punch, powerfully emotionally affecting. Image by Jeff Busby.
Move over lollies, ice creams, doughnuts and other sweet treats — when it comes to wandering through eye-catching and extremely photogenic installations, it's now nature's time to shine. The folks at Sugar Republic, the team behind Australia's pop-up dessert museum, have a new venture heading Melbourne's way for the summer. Called Bloomville, it's all about flowers and sunshine. When it hits Woodlea Town in Aintree from Saturday, January 15 — with tickets currently available till Saturday, January 29 — Bloomville will blossom with spaces, backdrops and props all fitting the theme. Think: cherry blossoms, a scratch 'n' sniff floral wall and a confetti shower, plus flowers galore. Plus, this time around, it's all happening in shipping containers in a park, so you can wander between actual nature and nature-inspired installations. Other highlights include rainbow ping pong, an upside down flower power bedroom, a giant daisy wall, a sparkly swing and neon flower crowns, all ready to fill up Instagram feeds. You'll also start your visit by spinning the weather wheel, then choosing between entering the sunshine room or the rainy room. This isn't the first time that Sugar Republic has shaken up its pop-ups, after giving Melbourne a Christmas-themed space back in 2019 and setting up a Museum of Love in Sydney earlier in 2021. It is the crew's first outdoor pop-up, however. Bloomville may sound like a place out of a Dr Seuss picture book, but it'll be giving back to the community as well as giving your social media feeds plenty of content. Entry costs $5, and all ticket sales will be donated to supporting local charities Alex Makes Meals, the Lort Smith Animal Hospital and the Good Friday Appeal. And, because who doesn't want to take photos of dogs in floral-themed pop-ups (no one, obviously), there'll also be a pooch-friendly day. Bloomville will pop up at Woodlea Town, 2 Lim Way (enter off Field Street), Aintree, from Saturday, January 15. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the Sugar Republic website. Images: Bri Hammond.
When the eighth season of Game of Thrones finished its run in 2019, bringing the highly popular series to a conclusion, everyone knew that it wasn't really the end. The world created by George RR Martin will live on in his books, whenever the author finally publishes the long-awaited next instalment of his A Song of Ice and Fire series. And, because HBO likes both ratings and advertising dollars, the US cable network will keep the GoT-related TV shows going as well. Like residents of Westeros hoping that summer (or at least autumn) will last for ever, HBO isn't ready to let go of its highly successful commodity. Before GoT even finished, there had been plenty of chatter about what it'll do next, in fact. First, HBO announced that it was considering five different prequel ideas. It then green-lit one to pilot stage, scrapped it and later decided to adapt Martin's House Targaryen-focused Fire & Blood for the small screen instead. Now, the channel is reportedly in the early development phase for another GoT-related series also stemming from Martin's books. This time around, novella series Tales of Dunk and Egg looks set to get the TV treatment, Variety reports — with HBO still eager to keep building upon GoT's massive success, as the network is likely to be for the near future. The project is in the very early stages, however, so there's no word yet on who'll be involved either on- or off-screen. If it does come to fruition, Tales of Dunk and Egg will draw upon three novellas published so far: 1998's The Hedge Knight, 2003's The Sworn Sword and 2010's The Mystery Knight. Set around 90 years before the events of GoT, all three focus on the titular characters. Dunk will eventually become the future Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Duncan the Tall, while Egg is the future king Aegon V Targaryen — and both earn a mention in the A Song of Ice and Fire novels. As happened with the first proposed GoT prequel — as mentioned above — the fact that HBO is pondering making a new Westeros-set show doesn't mean that it'll end up making it to screens. Still, if you've been missing the chaos of the franchise's fictional world (and could use a return visit as a distraction from the real world), it's welcome news. Until any of the prequels actually drop, you can always rewatch the original — which is streaming in Australia via Binge — or revisit a trailer from its eighth and final season below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuLUyJdRvSU Via Variety.
Richmond's Future Future is dropping a new menu it like it's hot (because it is). This contemporary Japanese spot will be keeping you toasty this winter with its new midday menu of ramen — perfect for your lunch break. While this little eatery embraces the concept of wabi-sabi, which is exploring the beauty in imperfection, there's not too much that's imperfect about its ramen. Warm up your belly with a vegetarian tan tan men ramen ($17) topped with crispy tofu, shimeji mushrooms, watercress, spring onion and chilli oil — or a hearty pork belly version ($18) with a soy egg, nori and furikake (a umami-heavy Japanese seasoning). If you're doubly hungry, you can add on extra noodles for $3, too. A lunch set is also available, which comes with an otsumami (a side dish) of your choice, such as cucumber with white miso or tuna sashimi salad with wasabi mayo, and a local wine or Japanese lager. If ramen isn't your thing — maybe, because you ate too many 60-cent packs in uni — the menu also features donburi rice dishes, topped with the likes of pork belly ($18), salmon ($19) and mushroom ($17), to tuck into. Grab your colleagues or mates, escape Melbourne's future (future) brisk temperatures and snag a bowl of warming ramen at Future Future this winter. Future Future is located at 191 Swan Street, Richmond and its ramen menu is available throughout winter from May 2 from midday–3pm, Thursday–Saturday.
Four Pillars continues to help push Melbourne's gin scene into exciting new places, flexing its creative muscles even harder with every new release drop. Now, just weeks after the Healesville distillery launched the latest annual edition of its Christmas Gin, it's unveiled another boozy wonder — this time paying homage to legendary local haunt, The Espy. Fittingly dubbed Sticky Carpet Gin, the new creation's been crafted in celebration of the historic pub's much-hyped reopening, infusing all of the venue's big personality and colourful past into one vibrant sip. With this drop, Four Pillars co-founder and distiller Cam Mackenzie set out to capture the spirit of a venue that's meant many different things to different people. To lend an unmistakable pub feel and give a malty edge, the gin uses local Watts River roasted dark stout in its base. On top of that, some roasted barley and Cascade hops push the beer flavour a little further, mingling with other botanicals like juniper, coriander, green pepper, honey and cassia, and a fresh hit of lemon peel and ginger. The result is a little bit deeper and darker than your usual gin of choice, aptly described by Cam as "a gin for beer lovers". Even the Sticky Carpet Gin's packaging gives a firm nod to The Espy, with old band posters recovered from the venue used on the underside of the labels. Unfortunately, the bottle isn't available for purchase, so you can only sample the new collaboration gin exclusively at The Espy, where it's being worked cleverly into a range of signature sips. Find it mingling happily with ginger syrup, lemon juice and a frothy pale ale top for the Hawksmoor Shaky Pete Ginger Brew, or perhaps in the more delicate 500 Days of Summer: a blend of Sticky Carpet Gin, elderflower, strawberries, mint leaves and ginger beer. Images: Lauren Bamford.
Excuse me. Excuse me. You need to get down to The Curtin on Friday night for a party celebrating everybody's favourite '90s MTV show. Or don't. Whatever. Hosted by feminist record label/booking agency Sad Grrrls Club, this Daria-centric shindig will feature local grunge and emo-punk bands Thrasher Jynx and The Football Club. They'll be joined by soul-rock outfit Jackie Brown Jr, and Sad Grrrls Club DJs playing hits from the late '90s and early '00s. Naturally, there'll also be a costume competition – so pull on your black combat boots and tap in to your inner Morgendorffer. Tickets are $12 in presale, or $15 on the door, which opens at 7pm.
Falls Festival might be gearing up to celebrate a quarter-century, but it feels a bit like we're the ones getting the birthday presents instead. Helping to ring in the art and music festival's 25th year is a pretty buzzworthy gang of musical mates, headlined by Australia's own wunderkind Flume, as he returns to the Falls stage for the first time since wooing the Lorne crowds in 2012. He's joined on the bill by international names like Seattle-based Grammy nominees Fleet Foxes (who were here earlier in the year for Sydney Festival), Oxford four-piece Glass Animals (who were also just here for Laneway), Californian indie-pop darlings Foster The People and The Kooks, who'll be celebrating a milestone of their own, having clocked up ten years since their debut album. If you've had your ear to the ground, you'll already know the part about Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher dropping in for his first-ever Aussie headline shows. True to form, the Falls 2017 local lineup is equally exciting, and every bit as broad. Homegrown acts hitting the stage include the party-ready Peking Duk, Brisbane rockers Dune Rats, Melbourne natives The Smith Street Band and Total Giovanni, and indie duo Angus & Julia Stone, off the back of their soon-to-launch album Snow. And it looks like you can start limbering up those vocal chords for a gutsy rendition of 'The Horses', with the legendary Daryl Braithwaite also slated for an appearance. As always, the tunes are backed by a colourful curation of art events, performances, pop-ups, markets, wellness sessions and gourmet eats. You can, however, say goodbye to the usual drink ticket situation, which has been ditched in favour of paywave and cash-enabled bars. It's all happening over New Years at the usual spots in Tassie's Marion Bay, Lorne in Victoria, and the North Byron Parklands, with WA's 2017 Falls Festival landing itself a new home within the Fremantle Oval precinct. But here's the full lineup. FALLS FESTIVAL 2017 LINEUP Flume (no sideshows) Fleet Foxes Run The Jewels The Kooks Glass Animals (no sideshows) Peking Duk Angus & Julia Stone Foster The People Liam Gallagher Vince Staples Jungle Dune Rats The Smith Street Band D.R.A.M Daryl Braithwaite Everything Everything Allday The Jungle Giants Thundamentals Methyl Ethel Slumberjack D.d Dumbo Anna Lunoe Dz Deathrays Confidence Man Julia Jacklin Bad//dreems Cosmo's Midnight Winston Surfshirt Luca Brasi Alex Lahey Camp Cope Flint Eastwood Ecca Vandal Dave Total Giovanni + More to be announced
Canberra will be filled with all things art, architecture and design between Wednesday, November 2–Sunday, November 20 as Design Canberra makes its grand return with hundreds of events and activations. The festival will present a wide-ranging program across its 19 days, spanning public art, exhibitions, symposiums, workshops, studio tours and a food festival. The symposiums will kick off early with talks centred around public art on Sunday, October 29. From there, there will be a series of discussions on Canberra's role in the worlds of design and art on Friday, November 4, followed by 'Transforming Canberra' on Saturday, November 5, which will explore the future of the city with keynote appearances from Elizabeth Farrelly, author of Killing Sydney, and Canberra Museum and Gallery Senior Curator Virginia Rigney. If you're looking for an immersive hands-on experience at the festival, head to the open studios and workshops. A range of acclaimed Canberra-based artists ranging from glass blowers and cabinetmakers to ceramicists will be opening their personal studios to the public, demonstrating the processes that go into their artistry, and giving the public a sneak peek into what they're currently working on. As for the workshops, there will be both adult- and kid-focused classes, with sessions focusing on the likes of stitch meditation, spoon carving, zine-making and a special multi-day kids workshop based on designing the future of Canberra. A public art trail has popped up around the city. Wander through the City West until Sunday, November 20 and you'll discover an array of free outdoor artworks from six local craftspeople. These artworks range from huge pieces that have overtaken buildings to intimate works hidden among trees. Architecture fans, head out on one of the festival's architecture tours, or some of the most stunning and innovative houses in Canberra with the open homes program. Design Canberra has also come together with The Forage to add a bustling food festival and drink to the festivities. On Saturday, November 5, The Forage Food Festival will be bringing together 20 local vendors including Let's Do Yum Cha, Super Bao, Hungry Brown Cow Burgers, Canberra Distillery and a roving sangria cart from Skeehan Brothers Sangria Cart from 2–7pm in Civic Square. If all of this wasn't enough, there will be a heap more tours, talks, exhibitions and competitions popping up, as well as a festival hub shop selling works from artists involved and a limited-edition grapefruit Designer Gin made by Canberra Distillery. If you're from out of town and you're looking for an excuse to head to the nation's capital, luxury inner-city hotel A by Adina is offering 15-percent off all bookings during the festival. The stunning accommodation is located right among the action and boasts in-room cocktails from Maybe Sammy, two gyms and ARC — one of Canberra's best cafes — in its lobby.
The story behind Melbourne folk foursome Husky's new song, 'I'm Not Coming Back', sounds pretty damn cute. It's something to do with looking up at the stars in the night sky, seeing the lights of airplanes gliding under them and the universal need to leave parts of ourselves behind. Swoon. This whimsically starry-eyed vision fits perfectly with the soaring sounds of the track itself. But contrary to the song's title, Husky are indeed coming back — kicking off their first headline tour since 2012 at Northcote Social Club on July 18. The folk-fuelled whiz kids stole hearts back in 2011 with their debut LP Forever So. Husky became the first Aussie band to be signed to Seattle label and arbiters of cool Sub Pop, then toured pretty much non-stop around Australia, the USA and Europe for a couple of years. It's a good thing they stopped and took a break, because now we're privvy to a whole lot of new Husky — as well as promising to play much-loved tracks from Forever So, they've been working on a whole lot of new folky goodness to tour with.
UPDATE, APRIL 4: Disney has announced a new release date for Mulan, with the film now hitting cinemas on July 23, 2020. UPDATE, MARCH 13: Due to concerns around the coronavirus, Disney has announced that Mulan will no longer release on its initially scheduled date of Thursday, March 26, 2020. At present, a new release date has not been announced — we'll update you when one has been revealed. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. In Chinese history, the legend of Hua Mulan dates back to the sixth century. At the movies, the formidable female warrior first fought her way across the big screen in a 1927 silent film. The character has been no stranger to the page, stage or cinema over the past 92 years, but many folks know the tale thanks to Disney's 1998 animated musical. Now, as it has done with everything from Alice in Wonderland to The Jungle Book to Aladdin, the Mouse House is turning the story into its latest live-action remake. Once again, Mulan (played by Chinese American actor Liu Yifei) will evolve from dutiful daughter to kick-ass combatant, all to protect her family in a time of war. She's originally due to be married off to a husband chosen by a matchmaker, until the Emperor of China issues a decree stating that one man per household must serve the Imperial Army as it endeavours to fend off northern invaders. To save her ailing ex-soldier father from having to fight, Mulan disguises herself as a man, takes on the name Hua Jun and becomes an icon. Forget rousing tunes or a talking dragon voiced by Eddie Murphy. This time, the tale hits the screen without a singing and smart-talking sidekick, but with plenty of sword-swinging, arrow-flinging antics — as both its first teaser and just-dropped full trailer show. In New Zealand director Niki Caro's (Whale Rider, The Zookeeper's Wife) hands, this version of the story goes heavy on the action and empowerment, as shown in the spectacularly choreographed scenes seen so far. As well as Liu (whose resume includes The Forbidden Kingdom and The Assassins), the new Mulan features Jet Li as the Chinese Emperor, Gong Li as a witch, Donnie Yen as the protagonist's mentor, Jason Scott Lee as a villainous army leader, and Yoson An (The Meg, Mortal Engines) as her fellow fighter and love interest. The film hits cinemas next year — check out the first full trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK8FHdFluOQ After being delayed from its original release date of March 28, 2020, Mulan will now open in Australian cinemas on July 23, 2020. Image: © 2019 Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Gelato Messina is bringing gourmet to the freezer aisle this month. The gelato mega brand has teamed up with Peters Drumstick to go mainstream — bringing its beloved gelato to supermarkets and convenience stores all over the country. Sure, you've eaten many-a-Drumstick in your day, with the brand launching in Australia all the way back in 1963 — whether it was a childhood favourite or now your late-night go-to, it's a long-standing ice cream staple. But now with the Sydney-based gelateria on board, the humble Drumstick cone of your youth has been spruced up — the Messina way. The new cones feature four classic Messina flavour combos, which were initially created in its Rosebery HQ, before being mass produced in Peters' Drumstick factory. Flavours include mango and salted coconut, made with Aussie produce and topped with mango sauce and coconut flakes; vanilla bean and peanut praline, topped with dark chocolate; roasted hazelnut gelato, made using imported Italian nuts; and, of course, dulce de leche, topped with caramel sauce and chocolate-coated biscuits. All four flavours are available at Coles, Woolworths and independent groceries across Australia. Each comes in pop art-style boxes of four, priced at $9.99 per box. As far as convenience stores and petrol stations go, only the mango and salted coconut and roasted hazelnut flavours are up for grabs as single cones for $4.90 a pop. The collab is limited though, so if you want 'em, come and get 'em. Gelato Messina X Peters Drumstick collaboration ice creams are available at supermarkets, petrol stations and convenience stores for a limited time.
It has been more than a month since Australia's cinema screens stopped flickering, with the nation's picture palaces closing due to social-distancing requirements to help stop the spread of COVID-19. And while movie buffs can still get their film fix online — via the usual streaming options, as well as the big bunch of recent big-screen releases fast-tracked to digital — your tastebuds are probably hankering for some cinema-level snacks to go with your at-home-viewing. Thanks to Hoyts and UberEats, you can now get the cinema chain's popcorn and choc tops delivered to your door. On offer: four sizes of regular salted popcorn, five flavours of gourmet popcorn (including nacho and sea salt caramel) and five types of choc tops (vanilla, boysenberry, mint, cookies and cream, and salted caramel). You can also order a selection of chips, confectionary and drinks. And, if you really want to come as close as you can to recreating the out-of-the-house movie-going experience, you can get your snacks in combos. Three kinds are available, so you'd best decide whether you'd like Malteasers with your popcorn and choc top — and if you're planning to share. For a limited time, Hoyts is also giving away free choc tops — albeit with other purchases, so you will have to splash out some cash. Buy any salted or gourmet popcorn, and you'll score a choc top as well. Or, spend more than $30 in total, and you'll also nab a choc top for free. Delivery is available between 2–9.30pm each day, and you will need to live within the delivery zone of one of Hoyts' 34 physical sites in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. Hoyts' snack range is available via UberEats, with free choc tops on offer for a limited time with any salted or gourmet popcorn purchase, or any order over $30. To order, head to UberEats.
As if the first announcement wasn't kickass enough, OutsideIn have announced the second part of their festival lineup. Locked in to be held over three levels at Manning Bar in the University of Sydney, the boutique music festival cooked up by Sydney touring and management agency Astral People and record label Yes Please returns for its third instalment on Saturday, November 29. Forecast to sell out like its 2012 and 2013 events, OutsideIn will spread its super solid lineup over three stages. Joining an already solid lineup featuring '90s US hip-hop legends The Pharcyde, Sydney's beloved electronic trio Seekae, Germany's Pantha Du Prince, America's Giraffage and Melbourne duo Client Liaison is legendary Chicago house DJ/producer Roy Davis Jr and US R&B/housemaster Brenmar, alongside Melbourne’s Noise In My Head, Adelaide’s Late Nite Tuff Guy, and Sydney's own Collarbones, Chris Barker and Basenji. With a host of both local and international artists yet to be announced, OutsideIn is back for another year of beats-you-may-have-missed and downright shindigging. OUTSIDEIN 2014 SECOND LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT: Roy Davis Jr (US) Basenji Brenmar (US) Late Nite Tuff Guy Collarbones Noise in My Head Chris Barker FULL 2014 LINEUP: The Pharcyde (US) Seekae Pantha Du Prince (GER) Giraffage (US) Roy Davis Jr (US) Client Liaison Basenji Brenmar (US) HNNY (SWE) DJ SPINN (US) Tornado Wallace Collarbones Late Nite Tuff Guy Wookie (UK) Rome Fortune (US) Fishing Jubilee (US) Guerre Black Vanilla Retiree Sui Zhen Noise In My Head Preacha Andy Webb Moriarty Ariane Chris Barker OutsideIn is happening at Manning Bar, University of Sydney on November 29. General admission is $80 +bf. All tickets are available through Oztix. Photo credit: Voena.co
Releasing her debut album, Alas, I Cannot Swim at the impressive age of 18, Laura Marling has held the world in her palm over the past decade with her contemporary, understated take on folk music. From the uptempo songs of her debut LP to the rich and inventive tracks peppering her latest album — Semper Femina, which was released earlier this year — Marling has demonstrated a true mastery of her craft. Multiple Mercury Prize nominations during her career can't be wrong. Marling will do a single performance at The Forum before heading to Sydney for a special appearance at the Opera House as part of Vivid Sydney. And, as one of the UK's best current songwriters, she's sure to make them both gigs to remember.
Some people are just born with a penchant for spirits. The Australian genius of a distiller behind Mr Black cold drip coffee liqueur has come up with a perfect gin — one he's calling 'garden grown' gin. It’s called Distillery Botanica and to be honest, drinking it feels like strolling merrily through a summer garden. There’s a good reason for that. Philip Moore, the brains behind Distillery Botanica, sources all the botanicals from his very own garden in Erina on the Central Coast. To get the most out of the plants, he uses a one-thousand-year-old technique known as 'enfleurage'. It involves placing the flowers on a layer of coconut oil, into which their fragrance diffuses over two or three days, creating the purest possible perfume. The heady scent hits you as soon as the glass reaches your hand. “The hero botanical is marraya,” says Will Miles, Distillery Botanica partner and brand director. “It looks a bit like jasmine, but it’s got slightly wider petals and grows on tall, lush hedges. All the flowers are handpicked at the distillery, in the garden, so the gin really has the essence of the place where it’s made.” In addition to murraya, there’s jasmine, honeysuckle, orange blossom, rose, chamomile, coriander, orris root, sage, angelica and juniper. You can order a bottle of Distillery Botanica online. (The actual bottle, by the way, is one you’ll want to keep for aesthetics alone — five years went into its design). But if you're in Sydney and want to try a sample first, pop into Dead Ringer in Surry Hills (413 Bourke Street). If you’ve been there before, you’ll know it’s one of Sydney’s best new bars, operated by the legends from Bulletin Place. And mixologist Tim Phillips — who’s also co-owner and former World Class Bartender of the Year — has created an exclusive, Distillery Botanica-inspired cocktail. “We all love the gin,” he said. “We tried it blindly, we tried it in a gin and tonic, we tried it in a martini, and we all loved it … It’s a pleasure to pump up the tyres of a domestic product, but only if it’s the equal — or preferably the better — of an international product, and that was definitely the case with this stuff. “I wanted to come up with a cocktail that was quite perfume-y, quite aromatic, that reflects the pillars that Botanica are about. So, I’ve done a summer martini. The idea is to reverse the traditions of the martini, in the sense that, instead of having a very gin-heavy martini with a gesture of vermouth, having more of a vermouth martini. The seasoning of the drink is the gin, but there’s still enough that it’s able to stand up and pop and definitely get all the great stuff that is in the bottle.” Phillips’s Garden Martini is made of La Quintinye vermouth, Distillery Botanica and a dash of Benedictine liqueur. In place of olives are three drops of herb and olive oil. As a finishing touch, he sprays the glass with a specially created Distillery Botanica perfume, transporting your senses to some far-off Eden. Shop Distillery Botanica on their website. Images: Sabine Schwarz.
As Bruce Wayne's private jet streaks through the skies high above Gotham, Jeremy Irons' steadfast butler Alfred quips: "One misses the days when one's biggest concerns were exploding wind-up penguins." "The good old days" replies a burly, sentient frown in the shape of Ben Affleck. "THEN PLEASE GOD BRING THEM BACK!" screams the audience's frustrated internal monologue from within its collective skull. Welcome to Justice League, the least bad entry in the DC movie universe after this year's smash hit Wonder Woman – not that that's saying a whole lot. Given how low the bar has been set by the likes of Suicide Squad and Batman vs Superman, this superhero team-up flick would have to be truly abysmal not to offer some kind of improvement. Just like its special-effects-laden trailer, Justice League feels like a CGI showreel shot almost entirely in front of a green screen. Its strongest scenes are also its quietest ones: a battered Bruce Wayne being assisted by a sympathetic Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot); Martha Kent and Lois Lane (Diane Lane and Amy Adams) brave-facing their way through hardships in a staff-room cafeteria; The Flash (played by a scene-stealing Ezra Miller) speaking with his incarcerated father. It's in these rare, intimate moments that the film's characters actually begin to feel like characters, each possessed of complicated personal histories, private anxieties and meaningful relationships. Sadly, it's soon back to aliens with lasers, fear-eating bugs, and buildings crashing down in clouds of debris. With a story that feels like it's been lifted from Ghostbusters II, Justice League depicts an earth where hatred and cynicism have reached such heights that it compels the return of a great evil determined to enslave mankind. So arrives Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds), a CGI-monster of such poor quality he wouldn't cut the mustard in a cut scene from Gears of War. Steppenwolf is bent on reuniting three powerful Mother Boxes, magic cubes which, when combined, permit him to reshape any planet to resemble his barren home-world. The origins and power of these otherworldly McGuffins actually offers an enticing mystery to be solved in the film's early stages – which is why it's so disappointing when it's all explained away in a single expository scene. The same applies to each of the film's new heroes. Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) arrive with such little fanfare or backstory that even comic book fans already in the know may end up feeling robbed. The exception is The Flash, who imbues the franchise with a long-overdue dose of comedy. The character, as played by Miller, is endearingly awkward, enthusiastic yet timid, and note-perfect in his fanboying around the other superheroes. Likewise, his action sequences are thrilling, amusing and innovative in what is otherwise a highly derivative film. Perhaps the most egregious failing of Justice League, however, is its treatment of Batman. Weary, joyless and stammering, Affleck's Dark Knight acts more like a corporate recruiter than a caped crusader. A joke about his powers stemming from his wealth might get a laugh, but it also wholly undermines what makes the Batman character so compelling: a mortal, unexceptional being who still proves himself capable of holding his own in a world of gods and monsters thanks to his intelligence, discipline and unassailable belief in justice. In Justice League he spends most of the fights on the periphery, and quite often on his back; the superhero version of Lethal Weapon's Danny Glover complaining of being too old for this shit. It's a sad relegation for such a DC icon and speaks volumes as to how mishandled this franchise has been from the moment Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight trilogy) handed over the reigns. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiAmnKUaNmc
If you're citybound and missing out on New Year's Eve festivals like Falls and Beyond The Valley this year, don't fret. Let Them Eat Cake is your inner city solution to satisfy those festival urges. Held on New Year's Day at Werribee Park, LTEC is not only great for the music, but also plays host to installation art, open-air exhibitions and some killer food offerings. But back to what you're all here for: the music. This year's lineup is headed by Irish electro duo Bicep, best known for their self-titled 2017 album. On the program you'll also find futuristic German house from Motor City Drum Ensemble, graceful sounds and visuals from UK's Ama Lou — who's in the midst of creating and co-producing a three-part film and EP — catchy dance tunes from Australia's own CC:Disco! and chilled vibes from Nightmares on Wax, whose career spans twenty years and features 95's Smokers Delight and this year's Shape the Future. While you're there — shaking off your hangover — you'll also have the chance to dance to Moxie, Midland, Peggy Gou and Chaos In The CBD. Have your cake and eat it too, guys — you've earned it this year. FULL 2019 LINEUP Bicep Motor City Drum Ensemble Ama Lou CC:Disco! Chaos In The CBD DJ Boring DJ Tennis Esther Silex Flava D Joe Kay Kahn and Neek Midland Moxie Nightmares on Wax (DJ Set) Opiuo Peggy Guo + More to be announced Let Them Eat Cake 2019 tickets go on sale at 9am, Tuesday, September 18, at letthemeatcakenyd.com.au.
Victoria by Farmer's Daughters has been delighting diners with its crafty exploration of local produce since opening its doors, and it makes afternoons lounging in the restaurant's leafy Terrace Bar overlooking the Yarra that much better. The al fresco space is launching into spring with a new weekly series that'll soak up the best of Melbourne's flower-blooming season. Running Sundays from September 3–October 29, Spring Sunday Sessions is presented in partnership with Healesville favourites Four Pillars. Dedicated to wrapping up your week in style, the event features seasonal grazing platters and Four Pillars cocktails across two sittings. Each week, the kitchen will be showcasing house favourites from the restaurant, built on top-notch Victorian ingredients — think, O'Connor beef skewers with a salsa verde sauce, BBQ lamb cutlets elevated with hand-cut chips and smoked mayo, fried Bannockburn chicken, and housemade pavlova and macaroon's to finish. Vegetarian options are also available on request. To match, you've got bottomless gin cocktails crafted on Four Pillars, plus free-flowing Victorian beer and wine, along with a range of non-alc options. There are two two-hour sittings each Sunday — 11.30am and 2.30pm — with tickets clocking in at $90. Images: supplied.
Bluesfest has lifted the lid on its second artist announcement for 2018, adding 16 more names to the already hefty lineup. Heading this latest stampede is Senegalese artist Youssou N'dour, who will be bringing his 20-piece band to the five-day Easter long weekend festival just outside of Byron Bay. If the name isn't ringing any bells, you'll probably be familiar with this '90s classic. Other artists joining the lineup include greatest hit-bearers Jackson Browne and Seal, Bluesfest regular Michael Franti, and British band Gomez will return to the fest for their first tour in six years. They'll place alongside two huge headliners: Lionel Richie and Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant, who will play with his band The Sensational Space Shifters. Plant's performance at Blues will mark 50 years since he first performed with Led Zeppelin, so the gravity of the performance is sure to be pretty huge. Other acts taking to the stage Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm over the weekend include Aussies Tash Sultana and John Butler Trio, Swedish duo First Aid Kit and what will be a captivating set by José González. Bluesfest returnees Joe Louis Walker, Dumpstaphunk and Eric Gales are on there too. Anyway, here's the full lineup. Better start making Easter plans — and deciding what to eat — because tickets are already on sale. BLUESFEST 2018 LINEUP SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT Youssou N'dour Seal Michael Franti & Spearhead Jackson Browne Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit Gomez Rag 'n' Bone Man The Original Blues Brothers Band Jimmy Cliff The Wailers Benjamin Booker Hurray for the Riff Raff Canned Heat Walter Trout André Cymone The Teskey Brothers FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters Lionel Richie The John Butler Trio Tash Sultana The New Power Generation Chic Featuring Nile Rodgers First Aid Kit Jose Gonzalez Morcheeba Gov't Mule Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real The California Honeydrops Eric Gales Bobby Rush Dumpstaphunk Joe Louis Walker Rick Estrin & The Nightcats Bluesfest 2017 will run March 29 to April 2 at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Byron Bay. More details and ticket info here. Image: Andy Fraser.
What do you get when three of Australia's hottest Turkish restaurants join forces? One seriously good Sunday lunch. On July 16, the crew from Sydney's acclaimed Maydanoz are flying down to team up with Balaclava's Tulum and Lezzet of Elwood. Together, the three venues are hosting a curated five-course sharing menu crafted by renowned chefs Arman Uz, Kemal Barut, and Coskun Uysal. This exclusive Sunday Lunch will take place at Lezzet with limited seatings available to book from 12pm on Sunday, July 16. Tickets are $85 a pop (plus extra for drinks), seating is limited and it's expected to sell out fast. So if top-tier Turkish cuisine is your thing, don't hang about. It's unlikely there'll be another of these. Images: Supplied
Throw those GoPros, bubble bottles and novelty gumboots in your rucksack, Splendour in the Grass is returning to North Byron Parklands for another year of festival merriment. After a fake lineup posted was 'leaked' prior to the official triple j announcement to catfish all us suckers eagerly awaiting the list of acts that will be appearing, the details for Splendour 2016 are finally here. In what is the best news we've heard this year, The Strokes (The Strokes!!!) will be Splendouring for their only Australian show. It also seems the predictions for The Cure were incredibly, amazingly correct — meaning that we'll be seeing both The Strokes and The Cure this July. It's almost too much to handle. Joining them is one heck of a lineup that includes The Avalanches — who haven't played a gig (that wasn't a DJ set) in over ten years. Fingers crossed the show coincides with new music. Iceland's Sigur Rós and Irish artist James Vincent McMorrow will also being doing one-off Australian shows at the festival, Courtney Barnett will make her first appearance at Byron, while James Blake and At the Drive-In will return, as will locals Flume and Sticky Fingers. Anyway, we know what you're here for. We'll cut to the chase. SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2016 LINEUP The Strokes (only Aus show) The Cure Flume The Avalanches (only Aus show) James Blake At The Drive-In Violent Soho Hermitude Band of Horses Sigur Ros (only Aus show) Santigold Matt Corby Sticky Fingers Boy & Bear Courtney Barnett Jake Bugg The 1975 Leon Bridges Duke Dumont (DJ set) James Vincent McMorrow (only Aus show) The Kills The Preatures What So Not Years And Years Gang Of Youths Illy Peter, Bjorn & John Golden Features Crystal Fighters Ball Park Music Tegan & Sara DMA'S Jack Garratt Hayden James City Calm Down Snakehips Mark Lanegan Michael Kiwanuka Jagwar Ma King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard The Jungle Giants The Internet Motez Marlon Williams Lido Emma Louise Kim Churchill Nothing But Thieves Lapsley Kacy Hill Slumberjack Robert Forster (10 Years On) Beach Slang Urthboy Little May Boo Seeka Ganz Spring King Melbourne Ska Orchestra Fat White Family Total Giovanni Methyl Ethel Slum Sociable L D R U In Loving Memory of Szymon Blossoms High Tension Roland Tings Sampa The Great The Wild Feathers Harts Ngaiire montaigne Tired Lion Green Buzzard Jess Kent Gold Class Lucy Cliche Opiuo Mall grab Dom Dolla Paces Just A Gent Dro Carey Running Touch Wafia World Champion Suzi Zhen Remi Nicole Millar Dreller Feki Kllo Banoffee Plus... Moonbase Comander The Meeting Tree Twinsy Purple Sneaker Djs Human Movement Panete Swick Amateur Dance Ribongia Splendour will return to North Byron Parklands on Friday 22, Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 July. Onsite camping will once again be available from Wednesday, July 20. Image: Bianca Holderness.
Choosing a beer to drink should be simple. But even if you're determined to drink local and support Australian brewers, there are just so many beverages and brands to pick from. That's the dilemma everyone faces when they go to the bottle shop — so imagine how difficult it is to select the top brews at the Royal Queensland Food and Wine Show Beer Awards. The folks behind the annual accolades have managed to pick their preferred beverages for 2021, with the results announced on Wednesday, March 3. The awards span a heap of categories, with more than 480 individual beers submitted (and if you're now thinking that choosing the winners sounds like your dream job, that's understandable). Sydney Brewery earned the biggest gong of the awards, the Grand Champion Beer, for its pilsner — and that wasn't the only major field it topped. It was also named the best small/medium brewery and, in the minor categories, won for its lager. If you're a Sydneysider looking for some motivation to visit its Surry Hills site, you've just found it. Obviously, if there's a category for smaller brewers, there's one for larger outfits, which the Gold Coast's Black Hops Brewing won. And, there's also a best new brewery field, with Stomping Ground Brewing Co in Melbourne doing the honours. As for the champion brewpub, that went to Moffat Beach Brewing Co on the Sunshine Coast. [caption id="attachment_684633" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Sydney Brewery[/caption] Being held in the Sunshine State, the awards also anoint a best Queensland beer, with Aether Brewing's Hop Skip Jump IPA Draught getting the nod — and winning the strong beer field, too. Other breweries to pick up a trophy include Gypsy Fox Brewing Co from Grose Vale in New South Wales, which makes the best amber dark ale; Brisbane's All Inn Brewing Co, who do the best porter or stout; and fellow Brisbanite Felons Brewing Co, with its Dark Side Bourbon Barrel Stout claiming the hybrid beer field. For more information about the 2021 Royal Queensland Food and Wine Show Beer Awards winners, head to the show's website. Top image: Stomping Ground, David Hyde.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME In Spider-Man: No Way Home, everyone's favourite friendly neighbourhood web-slinger still does whatever a spider can. (Don't expect the catchy cartoon theme song, though.) To be precise, Spidey's latest outing — starring Tom Holland (Chaos Walking), as every live-action film in the ever-sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe that's featured the superhero has — sees him do whatever spider-men have for decades. The masked crusader shoots webs, flings them about New York and swings around the city. He helps people, battles crime, literally hangs out with his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya, Dune) and saves the world, too. As the movie's trailers revealed, Spider-Man also fights whoever his on-screen predecessors fought. The twist that isn't a twist because it's part of the flick's marketing: that villains from Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's stints as Spidey show up here. Those familiar faces, including Willem Dafoe (The Card Counter) as the Green Goblin, Alfred Molina (Promising Young Woman) as Doctor Octopus and Jamie Foxx (Soul) as Electro, aren't Peter Parker's initial problem, as viewers of 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming and 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home will already know. No Way Home picks up immediately after the latter, after Spidey's secret identity has been blasted across the internet by online conspiracist J Jonah Jameson (JK Simmons, Ride the Eagle). The media swiftly make Peter "the most famous person in the world", the public get hostile and his college prospects — and MJ and Ned's (Jacob Batalon, Let It Snow) as well — take a hit. The only solution he can see: asking Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog) to cast a spell to make everyone forget who he is. With drastic magic comes drastic consequences, hence those recognisable nefarious folks who know Spidey — and definitely know that he's Peter Parker — yet don't recognise the MCU's version. Marvel's next flick after this one is Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so the franchise is about to go big on alternate worlds, but No Way Home still doesn't actually jump into that domain first. It's a curious choice on the whole huge saga's part to take cues from the animated delight that is Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which relished having multiple spider-realms, got inventive with both its concept and visuals, won an Oscar and is easily the best spider-flick to-date, all without sitting within the MCU itself. Indeed, the live-action franchise's third stand-alone Spider-Man movie can't shake the feeling that it's playing catch-up. Directed by Jon Watts, as all three recent web-slinging films have been, No Way Home does more than give flesh, blood and spandex to an ace idea already brought to the screen a mere three years back. It also delivers the heftiest helping of fan service that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has ever dished up. The franchise has long enjoyed hitting all the obvious crowd-pleasing notes, but Martin Scorsese's 2019 comment that compared MCU fare to theme parks rings particularly true here — unsurprisingly given this Spider-Man outing wants to elicit the loudest of screams and shouts from its audience. Buy the ticket, take the cinematic ride, ooh and aah over every clear spin and foreseeable twirl: amid the stock-standard CGI-packed action scenes and triple-layered Spidey nods to iterations past, not all that long ago and present, that's what No Way Home seeks from its viewers. And, it takes the rollercoaster approach to evoking that reaction, rolling its story down the most glaring of tracks. Read our full review. THE LOST DAUGHTER Watching Olivia Colman play a complicated woman is like staring at the ocean: it's never the same twice, even just for a second; it couldn't be more unpredictable, no matter how comfortable it appears; and all that surface texture bobs, floats, swells, gleams and glides atop leagues of unseen complexity. That's always been true of the British actor's absolute best performances, which could fill any body of water with their power and resonance. It's there in her acidic work in The Favourite, which won her an Oscar, and also in The Crown's more reserved turn as a different English monarch. It flowed through the devastating Tyrannosaur, which perhaps first truly showed the world exactly what Colman could do — and has marked her Academy Award-nominated supporting part in The Father, plus TV standouts Peep Show, Broadchurch, The Night Manager and Fleabag. It's fitting, then, that The Lost Daughter tasks Colman with glaring at the sea, and doing so both intently and often. A necessity of the narrative, as penned on the page by My Brilliant Friend's Elena Ferrante and adapted for the screen by actor-turned-filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal, it's a touch that washes through the movie with extra force due to its star. Colman plays comparative literature professor Leda, who fills much of her time peering at the ocean as she summers on a Greek island — and also people-watching thanks to the loud, entitled Queens family that keep invading her chosen patch of sand. While both gazing at the waves and taking in the onshore domestic dramas, Leda sees her own ebbs, flows, thorns and flaws reflected back. Vacationing alone, Leda isn't on a getaway as much as she's escaping — not actively, but because that's her default mode. She's never willing to stray far from her work, shuffling through papers as she sunbathes and flirtatious young resort manager Will (Paul Mescal, Normal People) moves her lounger to keep her in the shade; however, as flashbacks show, the urge to flee all markers of apparent normalcy has long gushed in her veins. Leda tells anyone who asks that she has two daughters (Bianca is 25 and Martha is 23, she frequently offers), but they're heard via phone calls rather than seen as adults. She's prickly when mum-to-be Callie (Dagmara Domińczyk, Succession), of those noisy interlopers, asks if her extended group can take over Leda's beach umbrella. But in Nina (Dakota Johnson, The Nowhere Inn), the raven-haired mother of frequently screaming toddler Elena (debutant Athena Martin Anderson), she spies more of herself than she's been willing to confront for decades. The Lost Daughter's title references an incident one sunny day when Elena disappears as Callie, Nina and company — the latter's shady husband Toni (Oliver Jackson-Cohen, The Invisible Man) as well — idle by the water's edge. The Americans react with distress, but Leda calmly strides forth amid the chaos, all while battling memories of being a young mum (Jessie Buckley, I'm Thinking of Ending Things) searching for her own absent child. Indeed, loss and escape are serpentine concepts here, winding through Leda's past, her affinity for the clearly unhappy Nina and the second wave of mayhem that erupts when Elena's beloved doll also goes missing. The concept of trouble in paradise proves just as layered, infecting idylls scenic and, in pondering the supposed bliss that we're all told motherhood brings, societally enforced. Read our full review. THE SCARY OF SIXTY-FIRST When Succession roves over New York's skyline — in its opening credits, as set to that bewitching theme tune, or just during its episodes — it gleams with wealth and privilege. Depiction doesn't equal endorsement, however, with the stellar HBO satire sharply cutting into its chosen world at every chance it gets. As one of the show's supporting cast members, Dasha Nekrasova slides into that realm, too, but that's not her only dalliance with the city's architecture, power brokers and all that both represent. The Scary of Sixty-First, the Red Scare podcast host's feature directorial debut, also savages the rich and seemingly consequence-free. It clasps onto a real-life story that's made that case inherently, abhorrently and monstrously. There's no gentle way to put it, but the fact that Nekrasova plays a woman investigating if a bargain Upper East Side duplex was one of Jeffrey Epstein's "orgy flophouses" says much about this purposefully provocative conspiracy thriller horror-comedy. College pals Addie (Betsey Brown, Assholes) and Noelle (the film's co-screenwriter Madeline Quinn) can't believe their luck when they find the cheap property, even if it does visibly need a clean — and have mirrored ceilings, as well as some questionable lock choices — and even if they don't appear completely comfortable with committing to live together. But from night one, the literal nightmares begin. Soon they're spying blood stains, scratched walls and eerie tarot cards, and feeling unsettled in a variety of ways. Enter Nekrasova's stranger, who comes sporting a dark-web rabbit hole's worth of paranoia and bearing the Epstein news. Addie and Noelle take the revelation in vastly different fashions, with the former seeming possessed by one of Epstein's child victims, and the latter diving deep into potential theories with her unnamed new friend. Letting a headline-monopolising sex offender loom large over the plot is an instant attention-grabber — and, while The Scary of Sixty-First doesn't lunge straight down that path, it feels like Nekrasova and Quinn's starting point. Their movie smacks of conjuring up a controversial premise, then fitting parts around it; thankfully, they have more than one target in their sights, plenty to ponder, and Nekrasova's bold vision bringing it all together. From the outset, there's much to mine about the hellishness of finding somewhere to live in your twenties, and in NY especially. The things you'll settle for in that situation clearly also earns the feature's focus. The same rings true of post-college life and its intrinsic awkwardness in general — and being expected to act like a fully functioning adult, and make pivotal decisions, without yet amassing the experiences to match. By contemplating the hostile real-estate market and the ordeal that is trying to find your place in the world (emotionally, intellectually and physically), The Scary of Sixty-First immediately unpacks power, money and privilege. If Addie and Noelle could afford somewhere else or had other support at their disposal, there wouldn't even be a story. When Nekrasova appears and drops Epstein's name, that excavation digs down several levels. Again, there's no shortage of ideas, directions or tangents to explore, and the script explodes as many as possible. This is a movie about a dead billionaire paedophile, the wealth of theories that've sprung up around him and the 24-hour news cycle that's made his tale inescapable. It's also about how doomscrolling has become routine, the grim routes incessant web searches can take you down, the normalisation of true-crime obsession, the proliferation of conspiracy-driven rhetoric and relentless chaos as the natural state of the world. Read our full review. UNDINE For the second time in as many films, German writer/director Christian Petzold teams up with Paula Beer and Franz Rogowski, but you could never accuse the trio of doing the same thing twice. Back in 2018, they turned Transit into a war-torn romance that mused on conflict's lingering scars. With Undine, they reinvent a German myth about a water spirit who can only turn human via love, but has to kill her paramour if he's unfaithful. A familiar chemistry lingers, though, as it's meant to. Whenever directors and actors keep collaborating — especially when directors retain multiple actors across different movies — that's built into the fabric of the film. As viewers, we can't help recalling our knowledge of their shared history, as that's just how we respond to art, people and connections. A movie not only about romance, longing, obsession and their consequences, but about the impact of the past on the present, Undine provokes and rewards this reaction. In her 2020 Berlinale Silver Bear-winning role — taking home the prize for for Best Actress — Beer (Never Look Away) plays the film's titular character. Before the influence of folklore kicks in, this Undine is a historian who guides museum tours about Berlin's origins. When her boyfriend Johannes (Jacob Matschenz, Babylon Berlin) breaks up with her suddenly before work one day, however, she warns that she'll have to kill him. It sounds like a heat-of-the-moment threat, a plea to get him to change his mind and the kind of exaggeration that arises when romance ends in tears, but there's more to her words than mere histrionics. Indeed, even as a new love blossoms with industrial diver Christoph (Rogowski, Great Freedom), who she meets that very day at the same cafe where her relationship with Johannes ends — in a spectacular meet-cute involving an aquarium, fittingly — Undine's past isn't easily overcome. Petzold is no stranger to pondering the tides of history that just keep ebbing, flowing and swelling. His filmography is filled with contemplations of the subject, including in the Nina Hoss-starring Barbara and Phoenix, and also with Beer and Rogowski in Transit. In Undine, he's at his most haunting, with recognising the fluidity of life — and that it keeps repeating, alongside humanity's most inherent instincts — a key point of interest. While the movie never drops its shroud of mystery, Petzold is also at his most overt with another of his familiar fascinations: the way that love provides the trusty banks that both ordinary and seismic woes keep rushing across. That's literally Undine's tale, as drawn from fable. Without romance, she loses her place on dry land; as she notes in a lecture about the Berlin Palace, and about the evolution of the city over its lifespan, it's as if "progress were impossible". When he's enraptured with an actor or several, no one should want Petzold to move too far forward. Bathing in Beer and Rogowski's rich chemistry is an experience to linger in, and linger Undine does. Always a meticulous filmmaker, Petzold soaks in every second his two stars spend in each other's company, with the pair's magnetism so potent that it almost drips through the movie. He luxuriates in Beer's presence in general, too, letting her cast her spell over the audience as Undine does with Christoph — and once did with Johannes. She's one of cinematographer Hans Fromm's favourite points of focus, unsurprisingly. A Petzold regular, he gifts the film not just an enchanting and beguiling look to suit its mood, but the chance for viewers of this giddy fantasy to fall head over heels for its blend of the surreal, sweet, supernatural and soul-stirring. Undine is screening in Sydney and Melbourne. ONE SECOND Any new film by Zhang Yimou deserves eyeballs the world over, but One Second, the Raise the Red Lantern, Hero and House of Flying Daggers director's latest, hasn't charted the smoothest route to screens. Pre-dating the filmmaker's Cliff Walkers, which reached Australian cinemas earlier in 2021, it was originally scheduled to show at the 2019 Berlinale. But after the festival began, it was removed from the lineup — and while a "technical problem" was cited as the official reason, Chinese censorship was floated as the real cause. One Second eventually surfaced on home soil late in 2020, and elsewhere around the globe in the last few months of 2021. It's now an immensely timely movie, although purely by coincidence. Every great feature by a great director inherently pays tribute to the medium of film, so that's hardly new for Zhang — but celebrating the silver screen, and the pandemic-relevant yearning to bask in its glory when life conspires to get in the way, isn't just a side effect here. It's 1975 when One Second begins, and crowds are flocking to makeshift small-town picture palaces to see propaganda films. The specific movie drawing in the masses: 1964's Heroic Sons and Daughters, which prison-camp escapee Zhang Jiusheng (Zhang Yi, Cliff Walkers) is desperate to catch. Alas, after finding his way into one village through mountains of sand that wouldn't look out of place in Dune, the fugitive discovers that he's already missed the showing that the night. Worse still, the film's canisters are being packed onto a motorbike to be driven to their next destination. And, he isn't the only one keen to make the movie's acquaintance, with the orphaned Liu (Liu Haocun, another Cliff Walkers alum) swiftly stealing its sixth reel before it departs town. An unlikely pair seeking the same thing for different reasons — he's heard that his estranged daughter appears in newsreel footage in the feature, while she wants the celluloid to make a lamp for her younger brother — Zhang and Liu are soon following the rest of the film through the desert to its next stop. That's where Mr Movie (Fan Wei, Railway Heroes) awaits, courting profit and glory compared to Zhang's desperation to glimpse his family and Liu's resourcefulness (that said, sporting a mug calling himself the 'World's Greatest Projectionist', the man behind the travelling cinema that's screening Mao-approved fare to entertainment-starved locales does still love his a clear fondness for his job). But the reels don't return intact, sparking a homemade restoration campaign that needs the entire town's help. Yes, loving film is also a tactile experience here. Zhang has always been able to make any kind of movie he's put his mind to, and has the four-decade-long resume to prove it. With 2009's A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop, he even remade the Coen brothers' Blood Simple. One Second sees him masterfully blend film-adoring melodrama with a Cultural Revolution-era portrait that's laced with just the amount of commentary that managed to escape the censors. He revels in sight gags and chases that could've been lifted out of silent comedy greats from a century back as well, giving cinema yet another ode. The end result mightn't be Zhang's absolute best — his resume isn't short on highlights — but it easily ranks among his most endearing. One Second makes exceptional use of its dust-swept setting, too, and its trio of chalk-and-cheese main players; plus, in celebrating an artform that's both tangible and an illusion, Zhang still makes a clear statement. One Second is currently screening in Melbourne, and will release in Sydney and Brisbane on January 20, 2022. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on August 5, August 12, August 19 and August 26; September 2, September 9, September 16, September 23 and September 30; October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28; November 4, November 11, November 18 and November 25; and December 2 and December 9. For Sydney specifically, you can take a look at out our rundown of new films that released in Sydney cinemas when they reopened on October 11, and what opened on October 14, October 21 and October 28 as well. And for Melbourne, you can check out our top picks from when outdoor cinemas reopened on October 22 — and from when indoor cinemas did the same on October 29. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Suicide Squad, Free Guy, Respect, The Night House, Candyman, Annette, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Streamline, Coming Home in the Dark, Pig, Big Deal, The Killing of Two Lovers, Nitram, Riders of Justice, The Alpinist, A Fire Inside, Lamb, The Last Duel, Malignant, The Harder They Fall, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Halloween Kills, Passing, Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark, Julia, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick... Boom!, Zola, Last Night in Soho, Blue Bayou, The Rescue, Titane, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, Dune, Encanto, The Card Counter, The Lost Leonardo, The French Dispatch, Don't Look Up and Dear Evan Hansen.
With COVID-19 testing ramping up in Victoria over the past few weeks, the state is relaxing some coronavirus-related restrictions from 11.59pm on Sunday, May 31 — just in time for the upcoming long weekend. From then, a selection of normal, everyday activities that have been off the cards since March will be permissible once again. Premier Daniel Andrews says the message has changed from "stay home" to "stay safe", with overnight trips allowed and dine-in service at restaurants, pubs, cafes, bars and clubs back on the cards from midnight on May 31. Galleries, museums, zoos and outdoor amusement parks will reopen then, too. You can also have up to 20 people in your home and outdoor gatherings of up to 20 people, which is a step up from the current five visitors and ten-person gathering restrictions. But there are, of course, some rules. These new restrictions are set to remain in place until at least 11.59pm on Sunday, June 21. So, what exactly can you do? We've broken it down. The below information is correct as of Monday, May 25. We'll update as any new announcements are made. Can I see my friends and family? Yes, visiting your friends and family has been considered a valid reason to leave your home since May 12. Under the new restrictions, you'll also be able to have 20 people in your home, including those you whom live with. Gatherings of up to 20 people outdoors, which includes picnics, yoga sessions and non-contact sport, will also be permissible. Social distancing measures should be followed at all times and 1.5 metres should be kept between you and other people. Can I have a dinner party? Yes, you can. At the moment you can have no more than five guests from outside your home, but from midnight on May 31, you'll be able to have up to 20 people in total. What about going out to restaurants, bars, pubs and cafes? Yep, parmas and pints are back on the table. From June 1, you can dine at Victorian bars, restaurants, cafes, pubs and clubs, but according to the Department of Health and Human Services website, they will be required to take your name and details for possible contact tracing. Twenty patrons will be allowed indoors at once and the move only applies to food service, which means pubs and clubs can only reopen their dining areas. Bars and gaming facilities in general will remain closed — including standalone bars — and so will food courts. Provided all goes well, 50 people will be allowed in each establishment from 11.59pm on June 21. Then, come mid-July — with a specific date yet to be revealed — 100 people will be allowed inside. You can check out all the Melbourne venues that are reopening for dine-in service over here. [caption id="attachment_753705" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Old Palm Liquor by Julia Sansone[/caption] Can I exercise in a park? Yep, outdoor communal gym equipment and playgrounds will be open from 11.59pm on Monday, May 25, with a maximum of ten people. From June 1, you can exercise with a maximum of 19 other people as long as you keep your distance (at least 1.5 metres apart). Competitive sport is not allowed, but not-contact sport — such as kicking the footy, yoga, tai chi and bootcamps — are. All the City of Melbourne's parks and the Royal Botanic Gardens are currently open. Or taking my pet out for a walk in the park? You sure can. Taking your pet for a walk is considered exercise. What about going to the gym? Not yet. Gyms, health clubs and fitness studios will be open from Monday, June 22, with up to 20 people allowed per separate enclosed space. A four-square-metre rule and a limit of up to ten people per group will apply. Showers and change rooms will remain closed. What other exercise can I do? Canoeing, kayaking, SUP, rowing and surfing are all allowed, as is golf. Swimming pools — including ocean pools — will be open to a maximum of 20 people from June 1, with a limit of three people per lane. Saunas and spas will remain closed. What about driving to go for a hike or bike ride? Yes, you're currently allowed to travel to national parks for hiking and other recreational activities. From June 1, you'll be able to go with up to 19 other people and on overnight trips, too. We'll get to that next. Before you embark on a road trip, though, check what's open. Most of Parks Victoria's parks, reserves and historic places are now open for day-use activities. Some sites remain closed, including Buchan Caves Reserve, William Ricketts Sanctuary, Lower Glenelg National Park, Point Nepean National Park, Serendip Sanctuary, St Kilda Pier, State Coal Mine, Twelve Apostles lookouts and Werribee Park. Check for updates here. Can I go on a holiday to a coastal/regional town? Yes — and just in time for the Queen's Birthday long weekend, too. With the new eased restrictions from 11.59pm on May 31, there will be no limit on the distance you can travel and overnight stays will be permitted. So, Melburnians can now book an Airbnb, go camping or spend a night at a caravan park, provided these accommodations don't have shared facilities (bathrooms and kitchens). There are no restrictions on leaving or entering Victoria, but many borders remain closed so be sure to check before booking. What about a trip to the snow? Snow sports are allowed and the Victorian ski season will open from midnight on Sunday, June 21, but you should avoid sharing equipment where possible. Will art galleries and museums be open? Yep, galleries, museums, national institutions and historic sites will be allowed to have up to 20 customers per separate space and ensuring the one person per four-square-metres rule is applied. Also allowed to reopen: outdoor amusement parks, zoos, arcades and libraries. From June 22, these places will be allowed to have up to 50 patrons per separate space. [caption id="attachment_758772" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NGV[/caption] What about going to the cinema? Drive-in cinemas will be able to operate from Monday, June 1 and, from 11.59pm on Sunday, June 21, cinemas can reopen with a maximum of 50 people allowed to watch a movie. Those who are not from the same household will be seated at least 1.5 metres from others. Can I go shopping? Yes, you can go shopping. That said, not all shops are open and some have changed their opening hours, so we suggest giving them a call before you head out. The four-square-metre rule will apply to all retail spaces, with patrons advised to keep a 1.5-metre distance. Can I get my hair cut? Hairdressers and barbers are open, but under the new restrictions there'll be a maximum of 20 people allowed at any one time. They will be required to take your name and details for possible contact tracing, adhering to the Department of Health and Human Services website's guidelines. What about other beauty services? Beauty therapy, spray-tanning, waxing, nail salons, tattoo and piercing parlours will be allowed to open, as will spas and massage parlours. Can I go back to work? In short, no. Premier Daniel Andrews advises that if you can work from home — and have been doing so — you should not be going into the office until at least the end of June. "I understand there'll be questions about why you can go to the pub or the park – but not the office," he said in a statement. "We just can't afford to have millions of people moving around our state – taking public transport or using the communal kitchen. Let alone when you think about the logistical challenges of getting people in and out of lifts or lobbies." https://www.facebook.com/DanielAndrewsMP/posts/3102837846447397 I'm on my Ls, how about a driving lesson? Going for a drive, or a motorbike ride, are considered acceptable recreational and educational activities. Flying lessons are now even allowed. Can I go to church? Yes, all places of worship are now allowed to open for small religious ceremonies of up to 20 people. Weddings can also have up to 20 people, in addition to the couple and the celebrant. Funerals can have up to 50 mourners. If held in a home, a maximum of 20 people can be present. If you have more questions, the Victorian Government has an extensive list of FAQs on its website. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Top image: Firebird by Parker Blain
Zoe Coombs Marr is quite the multi-tasker. You may know her as part of performance trio POST, who recently drenched Sydney's Belvoir St Theatre in fake blood with their gory death scene-extravaganza Oedipus Schmoedipus. This time around, the award-winning comedian will be flying solo in Melbourne to star in DAVE, a standup drag parody she wrote with Charlie Garber. Given Coombs Marr's long-standing passion for the genre (she eschewed schoolies in favour of staging a drag musical), it sounds like material she'll handle with aplomb. In a self-professed wacky show that describes itself as "a hysterical endurance drag adventure into the dark pits of Dave," Coombs Marr transforms herself — with deliberate transparency — into a bearded stand-up comic dude. A dystopian version of the Aussie everyman, the character is inspired by Coombs Marr's experiences as a female comedian in the male-dominated realm of standup. There's talk of pizza, lesbians and cats. And there may, or may not, be another sterling example of onstage death technique. Last year's preview run of DAVE sold out and scored some five star write up's from those in the know, with The Age celebrating it as "A comedy turducken of gross-out gags, absurdist humour and sharply observed parody." No, we're not explaining what a "turducken" is; just see the show. For more coverage of this year's MICF, see our rolling festival diary.
If you were a child of the 90s, there's a good chance you will remember the page-turning thrill of the Goosebumps choose-your-own-adventure books or the semi-terror of The Simpsons halloween specials. Well, now there's a chance to live out your own bespoke adventure (or Treehouse of Horror episode) in real life. A Midnight Visit is a captivating theatre experience in which participants will traverse an abandoned Melbourne warehouse on a hair-raising journey through a surreal dream world. And we've managed to get our hands on some double passes. On this dark and eerie immersive theatre experience, you'll be transported to an intriguing and wistful world. Think David Lynch meets Stanley Kubrick with a big pinch of the notoriously macabre works of Edgar Allan Poe. In one room, you'll be plunging into a pink ball pit and, in the next, you will dance with the dead in a blood-red chamber. It's certainly not for the faint-hearted, with plenty of twists and turns, adult concepts and many 'troubled characters'. But, for those daring enough, a whimsical and seductive whirlwind experience awaits. Plus, you can calm your nerves with a cocktail or two at The Raven's Rest pop-up bar — though, unfortunately, there'll be no Bart-turned-raven taunting Homer. This immersive choose-your-own-adventure experience is unlike any theatre offering the city has seen before and, the best part is, tickets are on us. Enter with your details below to be in the running. [competition]731303[/competition] Images: Anna Kucera and Tim da-Rin
Chunky Monkey, Clusterfluff, New York Super Fudge Chunk. These are just some of the more popular flavours of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, a leading cause of happiness around the world since 1978. While doctors in the future will no doubt tell me otherwise, I can't think of many things better than gorging a giant tub of sweet, sweet ice-cream on a hot December day, except for maybe getting some friends together and going to the movies. Well, it turns out Ben & Jerry's can help me there as well. Staring on December 1 and running until a few days before Christmas, Ben & Jerry's Openair Cinema, erected on St Kilda's South Beach Reserve, will combine recent releases like Gravity, The Counselor and We Are The Millers with some more nostalgic picks, including Point Break, The Breakfast Club and sing-a-long screening of Grease. Festivities start daily at 6pm with live performances from local bands and DJs. The film program starts after dark, usually around 8.30pm, giving you plenty of time to suss out the bar and stock up on snacks. The exceptions are the Sunday 'Sundae' Sessions, which kicks off an hour earlier with additional music and free Ben & Jerry's for all. Ben & Jerry's Openair Cinema opens on Sunday, December 1, featuring a live performance from Gypsy & the Cat and a screening of the new Richard Curtis rom-com, About Time. Concrete Playground has three double passes to the launch to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address at win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au.
The Tan is a familiar track to most Melburnians, and the Tan Ultra its annual runners event. In 2013 it features 100km, 50km, 42km, 30km, 12km and 4km distances, each with a maximum of 50 runners. It's a trailplus event, which supports Canteen and raises awareness of young people living with cancer. With our partners The Athlete's Foot, we're putting one of our team to the test, giving her four weeks to find her fit with running and participate in the TanUltra (12km) on August 11. Follow her ups, downs and diversions here, in her #ididit diary. And for all of you out there looking for some extra motivation to join in? The Athlete’s Foot are giving away a pair of running shoes each week to their favourite #ididit photo during the running season. The Runner: Hilary Simmons, 29, Comeback Kid I'm a runner coming back from injury. I sprained my ankle in the catacombs of Paris at midnight. My physio in Melbourne says I probably fractured it; either way, I haven't been running for over six months. I grew up in country NSW, riding horses and competing in orienteering events, despite a lamentable lack of navigational skills. I wear orthotics in my shoes to correct the fallen arches in my feet and go stir-crazy if I stay inside for too long. By day, I work in a creative illustration agency. By night, I wrestle with words, bake experimentally, and listen to music that holds it all together. I tend to walk everywhere, my head high in the clouds, and seem to have a complete inability to say 'no' to a challenge. The Tan Ultra is actually an example of this. I've signed up this week and have three weeks to train. I'll build up my training slowly but surely, come rain, hail or shine — knowing Melbourne, it will probably be a combination of all three. I like red wine, bad puns, enthusiastic laughers and warm woollen coats from fallen Russian aristocracy. Saturday, July 20, 1.38pm Saturday, July 20, 2pm Hilary: First run in a year, at Princes Park. That painful first 10 min, then my feet finding their rhythm. #ididit http://t.co/N1IOFIdvda — Concrete Playground (@PLAYGROUNDnews) July 21, 2013 Hilary: 3 runs in 3 days and my body is confused. Had to play good cop/bad cop to get out of bed. #ididit #tanultra http://t.co/N1IOFIdvda — Concrete Playground (@PLAYGROUNDnews) July 22, 2013 Sunday, July 28, 2.30pm Friday, August 2, 9.12am In some ways, my training has been going well. In other ways... uh, no. I have steadfastly been getting out of bed every other day to brave the bad streets but with the exception of one windy afternoon when (fuelled by caffeine and an earlymark from work) I ran all the way from Princes Park to Abbotsford Convent and back, my runs haven't exceeded 40 minutes. It's genuinely harder to fit longer runs in as someone who works full-time and freelance hours, and maintains a justifiable fear of the cold biting dark. The good thing is that apparently 'muscle memory' does exist and my body is loving running again. I am fairly sure that surrounded by other runners on the day, it will know what to do. Bonus — due to the omnipresence of cake in my life, carb-loading won't be a problem the night before. Hilary: Have the #deathflu. Limited my runs to half an hour otherwise I will fall off my chair at work. #ididit http://t.co/N1IOFIdvda — Concrete Playground (@PLAYGROUNDnews) August 7, 2013 Saturday, August 10, 8.30pm The sticking-my-head-in-the-sand form of preparing for the Tan Ultra has reached its inevitable conclusion with me spending a quiet Saturday night in and hoping that my lack of hangover will miraculously enable me to run 12km. I know I can do at least half of that, no hassles, but I think if I were to nut out a training "schedule" again, I would actually have developed one. Complaints aside, I'm looking forward to tomorrow. The weather was incredible today, one of those mid-August days where the sky is so brilliant that everything appears lilted in the blue. It's been so long since I've done a fun-run and I love the buzz as everybody gets briefed . I'm going to run without headphones this year and just try to enjoy the track. Tuesday, August 13, 11.24pm It was possibly the most perfect weather you could imagine for the Tan Ultra on Sunday. Bright sun, light breeze; everything so fresh and unspoiled. What really surprised me as I made my way to my mid-morning starting line is how many runners weren't competitors, but happily running alongside and joking with the people who wore race numbers. There is something really lovely and community minded about running. All the people at the registration desks were volunteers and everyone laughed and chatted warming up. 12km is three times around the track and some of the ultra-marathoners there were doing 100km. That's 26 times round! They had been there since early that morning and one old man I jogged beside for 100m or so told me that he was looking forward to having a nice cup of tea after. Cute and inspiring in equal measures. From my own perspective, my ankle injury didn't bother me at all and I ran a clean, full three laps in around 70min or so. The endorphin rush lasted throughout the slight stiffness in my muscles the next day and at this point (almost midnight on a Tuesday evening), I'm planning to go running tomorrow morning.
If you're ever uncertain about the massive contribution Italians have made to Australian society, just stop for a minute and think about your favourite foods. Pizza. Pasta. Salumi. Gelato. And don't even get us started on the booze. The good news is you'll find all that and more at the Italian Wine + Food Festival this weekend. Taking over the Royal Exhibition Building this Sunday, May 29, this day-long gastronomic bonanza will welcome the proprietors and chefs from some of most beloved Italian eateries in town. We're talking Bar Idda, 400 Gradi and Rosa's Kitchen, to name but a few. There'll be cooking demonstrations, pasta-making classes and workshops with Victoria's top sommeliers. Those looking to put what they learn into practice can swing by the festival food market and find all the ingredients they need to cook an Italian feast at home. And once you're done shopping you can kick back with a glass of vino — or perhaps an Italian aperitif of choice from the pop-up bar — and enjoy live Italian jazz in the wine garden.
