Looking for an excellent wine to sip? Plenty of prizes, nods and gongs have you covered. Looking for a great bar to drink a few glasses in? That's the domain of the Wineslinger Awards — which announced its top 50 venues for 2020 back in August, and has now revealed its picks for the best four wine-sipping spots in the country. Wine lovers in Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Geelong, rejoice — your patch of turf is home to one of 2020's top vino venues in Australia. Only one can boast the overall winner, though, and that'd be Melbourne. This year's Wineslinger award went to the Carlton Wine Room — and that's a particularly nice win given that the venue was closed for almost seven months of the year due to COVID-19 lockdowns. In the other fields, Adelaide's Leigh Street Wine Room nabbed the 'Best New Haunt' prize. Yes, that gong is rather self-explanatory. And in the 'Maverick' category — which is awarded to a venue that pushes the limits — Brisbane's Snack Man emerged victorious for defying food-and-wine pairing combinations (including matching Chinese snacks with European vino). The three aforementioned awards were all voted on by more than 100 industry experts; think sommeliers, winemakers, hospitality tastemakers and journalists. But for vino aficionados at home, there's also the 'People's Choice' prize — and that went to Union Street Wine in Geelong, which has been serving great drops since 2014. [caption id="attachment_789256" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Carlton Wine Room[/caption] For folks looking for your next drinking spot, you now have four places to add to your must-visit list — whether they're close to home or you're making travel plans for when life gets back to normal. If you need further suggestions, the 50-venue shortlist shared the love around the country, with 15 bars in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, 12 in Victoria, eight in Western Australia, and five each in South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland. The Wineslinger Awards were created in 2018 by Rory Kent, who also founded the Young Gun of Wine Awards. Where the latter prize aims to recognise stellar up-and-comers, the former is all about excellent and innovative places where vino lovers can enjoy an ace drop. Announcing this year's Wineslinger winners, Kent noted that "2020 has been the toughest year ever for Wineslingers in this country, and that's made it equally tough on cutting edge winemakers who rely on the passionate individuals and their brilliant venues to capture the imaginations of wine lovers". He continued: "we're so excited to celebrate the places and hospitality professionals serving up the best wine experiences in the country, and after months of lockdown and restrictions, getting back to supporting them in person." For further details about this year's Wineslinger Award winners, visit the awards' website. Top images: Carlton Wine Room, Snack Man, Leigh Street Wine Room, Union Street Wine.
Loss, compassion, healing — these are all themes set to move audiences at the Melbourne Town Hall this month when several tours de force of the Australian classical music industry combine to bring us A Night of Compassion. Eight years after Australian composer Nigel Westlake and singer-songwriter Lior released their groundbreaking contemporary-meets-classical album Compassion, they're reuniting for a return to the stage. This time, they'll be accompanied by Melbourne's Symphony Orchestra for a night of musical extravagance not to be missed. You may have been lucky enough to see Compassion live the first time around in 2014: the seven-song cycle was a sensation, spending a cool ten weeks at #1 on the ARIA classical charts upon its release and even receiving the 2014 ARIA Award for Best Classical Album. Inspired by the tragic death of Westlake's son in 2008, Compassion was a means of healing for the acclaimed composer, who you may also know as the musical mind behind the scores for Babe and Miss Potter. After seeing Lior perform in Hebrew at a fundraiser event in his son's memory, the pair collaborated to create a musical selection drawing on ancient Hebrew and Arabic poems, proverbs and texts. The theme of the album was how compassion can provide relief in a world struggling with divisiveness — a concept that seems more pertinent now than ever. [caption id="attachment_868611" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paul Grabowsky and Emma Donovan[/caption] Whether you're a long-standing fan or this is your first classical foray, this one-night-only show on Thursday, September 29 is set to be one to remember. Included in the lineup is MSO composer-in-residence Paul Grabowsky AO and acclaimed Indigenous soul vocalist Emma Donovan, who'll be performing in language as the pair share a selection of songs from their most recent country and gospel collaboration, The Old Rugged Cross. Also set to perform is a Ukrainian-Jewish-Australian duo, singer Billie Tumarkin and multi-instrumentalist Alex Burkoy. [caption id="attachment_868609" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Billie Tumarkin by Grace Hunder[/caption] Brought to you by the Festival of Jewish Arts and Music (FOJAM) and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO), A Night of Compassion is one for your spring calendar — just maybe bring some tissues. Tickets to A Night of Compassion can be purchased here.
We've seen plenty of services which will print your phone photos, but just when you thought iPhoneography couldn't get any more nifty, designer Mac Funamizu has conceptualised instant iPhone printouts for photos on the go. His iPhone case would allow your pretty iPhone pics to be printed Polaroid-style. The concept includes other functional features. For example, if you upload the photo to a website, you can add an QR code for the URL on the back. For a geo-tagged photo, you can also include the map to show where the photo was taken. Says Funamizu, "Yes, I’m one of those people who still relish the feel (and smell) of photos." [Via Lost at E-Minor]
Whether you like them filled with jam and cream or prefer plain cake all the way, the lamington is a perfect dessert. It's a piece of sponge cake covered in chocolate sauce and desiccated coconut — what's not to love? And, as excellent as it is on its own, it also fares exceptionally well when it's combined with other foods. Everything from lamington gelato to lamington milkshakes have already proven this fact, as has lamington-flavoured vodka, too. One particularly creative and ace take on this Australian favourite? A lamington-cruffin hybrid — which turns one food mashup into a bigger food mashup like the baked-goods version of Inception. Sorry, lamington purists, this definitely isn't cube-shaped. But it exists thanks to Lune Croissanterie. The Kate Reid-founded bakery fills its Frankenstein's monster of a lamington-croissant-muffin with raspberry jam and whipped cream, then dips it in chocolate ganache and desiccated coconut. Without the latter, it just wouldn't be a lamington. And if that description has got your tastebuds in a tizzy, you can nab one — or several — in-store only at Fitzroy, Armadale, South Brisbane and Burnett Lane until Saturday, September 30. The lamington cruffins lead Lune's September specials menu, because the chain likes serving up a different mix of limited-edition treats each month. Some are returning favourites, like these coconut-topped numbers, while others are newcomers. Either way, your stomach will be thankful. Also on the list across the first month of spring: baklava ka, aka Lune's take on the Greek dish. Instead of filo, this version uses Lune's laminated pastry, then fills it with orange blossom, honey, walnut and pistachio. Or, depending on the store, you can tuck into Lune's carrot cake croissants, complete with carrot and walnut frangipane; Middle East-inspired beetroot goat's curd pastry, which is made with beetroot hummus, beetroot powder, goat's curd and za'atar; and The Turtle, aka a pain au chocolat that goes big on chocolate (frangipane), pecans (candied) and salted caramel (gooey). Lune's September specials are available until Saturday, September 30. Different stores — including Fitzroy, the CBD and Armadale in Melbourne, and South Brisbane and Burnett Lane in Brisbane — boast different specials. From Armadale, South Brisbane and Burnett Lane only, you can also order some online. Images: Peter Dillon.
Since 2011, DJ Tom Loud's travelling dance party Hot Dub Time Machine has ripped up stages the world over, offering a rolling crossfade of the last six decades of pop-music. Now, ready to sink his teeth into a new chapter of music-infused revelry, Loud's announced his latest project, Hot Dub Wine Machine — a series of al fresco get-togethers that'll take over four of the country's best-loved wine regions. This Australia-wide tour follows the raging success of Hot Dub Wine Machine's inaugural event, which saw over 6000 wine and music lovers flock to McLaren Vale's Serafino Winery in December last year. This time around, the scenic vistas and rolling hills of Hope Estate in NSW's Hunter Valley, Rochford Estate in Victoria's Yarra Valley, Ocean View Estate in Queensland's Somerset Valley, Home Hill Winery in Tasmania's Huon Valley, and Houghton Winery in WA's Swan Valley (so many valleys!), will play host to the festivities. Each boutique event will run from early afternoon through to after dark, and feature a hand-picked smorgasbord of Australian musical talent. This will all lead into one of Hot Dub's signature sets, which will see audiences dancing their way from 1954 to today, as the DJ mixes an iconic song from each year. Backing up the tunes, expect a careful curation of locally-sourced gourmet eats, craft beer, cocktails, and of course, some sensational vino from these iconic Australian wine regions. Safe to say, it's probably the rowdiest event these wineries will host all year. Hot Dub Wine Machine will take over Home Hill Winery on Saturday, March 4, Hope Estate on Saturday, March 18, Rochford Estate on Saturday, March 25, Ocean View Estate on Saturday, April 1, and Houghton Winery on Saturday, April 8. Tickets are now on sale here. Images: Pat Stevenson. Updated: January 19, 2017.
If catching a wave as your favourite DJ drops his hit song seems like the stuff of your dreams, you may be in luck thanks to this new Tullamarine music and surfing event. Melbourne surf park Urbnsurf and the new touring event from the minds behind Beyond the Valley, For the Love, have come together for a mix of music, food and gnarly waves. After originally being scheduled for the weekend of Friday, February 19, the three-day event series was postponed due to Melbourne's snap five-day lockdown. The event will now take place over two weekends starting Saturday, March 20 — and has expanded to five days with a 15-strong act lineup. On the lineup you'll find the likes of Gold Coast DJ and former surfer Fisher, Sydney folk heartthrob Matt Corby and aviation-themed dance duo Flight Facilities, as well as Ocean Alley, Mallrat, Hayden James, Julia Stone and a whole bunch more. Australian clothing label Nana Judy will be hosting a VIP section to add some glam to the event, and of course on-site farm-to-table eatery Three Blue Ducks will be providing food out of its new Melbourne digs adjacent to Urbnsurf. For the Love will be using some of the profits to help clean up oceans and beaches through its Music for Oceans initiative. Tickets are available here.
What a time to be alive for gin lovers. Last month, we introduced you to a rainforest-infused gin from Byron Bay. Now, we're heading south, to Tasmania, where brand new distillery Southern Wild has just opened. Its first offering is a trio of gins known as Dasher + Fisher, named for two rivers that travel from Tassie's snowy mountains to its northwest coast. Each spirit represents a section of the rivers' journey, the first being 'Mountain', the second, 'Meadow' and the third, 'Coast'. What all three have in common is a trio of uniquely Tasmanian botanicals: pepperberry, lavender and wakame seaweed. Distiller George Burgess, who's been perfecting his recipes for a decade, then blends these base botanicals with additional native ingredients, sourced from local growers, to give each gin its distinctive profile. "My goal, right from the get-go, was to try and create a gin that would allow me a multi-layered experience," says Burgess. "It took a lot of experiments and a lot of work to try and get that layering to the point where it was achieving what I set out to do." 'Mountain' is a dry-style drop, which puts the pepperberry up front, surrounded by another ten botanicals, including eucalypt, rosemary and sage. 'Meadow', a modern gin, emphasises the lavender, which is combined with 14 other botanicals, including freshly-picked oranges. Meanwhile, 'Ocean' is all about powering up the wakame seaweed, made more complex thanks to 11 other botanicals. You can buy Dasher + Fisher online, via Southern Wild's website. To visit in person, get yourself to Devonport, on Tassie's north coast. The distillery is open Monday to Wednesday between 10am and 5pm, and Thursday to Sunday from 10am till late. There are live music events and, if you're keen to take a tour with George, it's a good idea to book in advance. Images: Jason Loucas.
If you're just a hunk, a hunk of burning love for the one and only Elvis Presley, and you live in Australia, you've been having quite the few years. A massive exhibition dedicated to the king of rock 'n' roll came our way, Baz Luhrmann's AACTA-winning and Oscar-nominated biopic Elvis wowed fans, and Sofia Coppola's Priscilla is the headed to the big screen soon. Also on offer: a new Presley-focused stage musical that debuted in Sydney in August, is now playing Melbourne's Athenaeum Theatre, and has just locked in its 2024 dates and stops. Called Elvis: A Musical Revolution, this production features more than 40 of the singer's hits, because there's just that many songs to include. All of the expected favourites are worked into the biographical musical, which means everything from 'Jailhouse Rock', 'Hound Dog', 'That's All Right' and 'All Shook Up' through to 'Suspicious Minds', 'Heartbreak Hotel', 'Burning Love' and 'Blue Suede Shoes'. 'Good Rockin' Tonight', 'Earth Angel', 'Don't Be Cruel' and 'Are You Lonesome' get a whirl as well, as do 'Blue Moon of Kentucky', 'See See Rider', 'Can't Help Falling in Love' and 'A Little Less Conversation'. That's what the show's audience hears. As for what everyone sees — what makes the musical one for the money, naturally — the production's story tells Elvis' tale from his childhood in Tupelo, Mississippi through to his triumphant '68 Comeback Special. If you've seen the aforementioned Elvis, none of it will be new news, but Elvis: A Musical Revolution works its hip-swinging magic anyway. Sydney will get a return date with the musical from February 2024, with Elvis set to be in the building at the State Theatre again. After that, it's Her Majesty's Theatre's turn in Adelaide from April, Crown Theatre in Perth's time in the spotlight from May and HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast's from June. Starring Rob Mallett (House Husbands, Singin' in the Rain), Elvis: A Musical Revolution hails from David Venn Enterprises, which has also been behind Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical, The Wedding Singer and Bring It On: The Musical — and arrives via a partnership with Authentic Brands Group, the owner of Elvis Presley Enterprises. Also behind the scenes, the musical's book comes courtesy of David Abbinanti and Sean Cercone — who have Saturday Night Fever: The Musical and Ghost: The Musical on their resumes — with Abbinanti also composing the orchestrations, arrangements, and additional musical and lyrics. "We couldn't be happier about the response from audiences, and look forward to celebrating the life and music of Elvis Presley with even more Elvis fans and theatre lovers across the country," said producer David Venn. "It's a testament to our cast and creative team, as well as the enduring legacy of The King." ELVIS: A MUSICAL REVOLUTION 2024 AUSTRALIAN DATES: Until Sunday, December 24, 2023 — Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne From February 2024 — State Theatre, Sydney From April 2024 — Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide From May 2024 — Crown Theatre, Perth From June 2024 — HOTA, Home of the Arts, the Gold Coast Elvis: A Musical Revolution is currently playing Melbourne, and will keep touring Australia until at least mid-2024. Head to the show's website for further details, tickets for Melbourne and to join the ticket waitlist elsewhere. Images: Ken Leanfore / Daniel Boud.
Food, fashion, crafts and more — South Melbourne Market's got it all. For 150 years, 'the village market' has been a quintessential part of the Port Phillip community and a favourite market for locals and visitors alike. There are over 145 traders currently housed here, covering just about every cuisine, style and niche that you could possibly think of. There's also a year-long calendar of live music, exhibitions and family activities keeping the place feeling lively and full of surprises. While South Melbourne Market is definitely a market full of joy, one trader, in particular, is the happiest. That'd be Happy Place, which when opened by popular nutritionist Lola Berry in 2014, caused a bit of a stir with its commitment to delicious seasonal food and juices. Specialising in healthy on-the-go meals and fruit and veg smoothies, everything tastes just as good as it looks.
Forbidden love — so much more appealing than ordinary, feasible love. Centuries ago a Frenchman called Racine adapted a play by Euripides which British poet laureate Ted Hughes later spent the last few months of his life translating, perhaps as a sort of self imposed penitentiary act for not protecting his partner in poetry, Sylvia Plath, from her own passionately wrought fantasies. Hughes' highly regarded free verse translation of Phèdre has been adapted for the stage by the Bell Shakespeare Company. The plot is a psychologically compelling, proper Greek tragedy complete with pathos, jealousy and screaming frustration. The character Phèdre is a cursed, cougar-esque queen afflicted with an all-consuming passion for her stepson Hippolytus — ignore the name, he's a handsome if diffident 'objet d'adoration'. Fatefully, Phèdre's husband Theseus is missing, presumed dead. At the encouragement of her well-meaning nursemaid Oenone, Phèdre decides to confess her dangerous and libidinous obsession to the boy in the hopes that he will respond with equal passion. Instead, Hippolytus backs away from the raving madwoman in her stilettos and tight pants in horror, as his pursuer stumbles across the stage, half-crippled by her unrequited lust. It's an unfortunate time for Theseus to return unexpectedly home – literally from Hell – and hell hath no fury like a woman forced to think on the spot of how she became so visibly distressed. Phèdre accuses Hippolytus of rape and Theseus promptly invokes the power of Neptune to curse his son, who retreats quite understandably to the blonde and bare-footed Aricia with a view to intertangling limbs and lives. Director Peter Evans highlights how our lives can become defined by destructive relationships – both with ourselves and with others – if we allow them to. From the scratchy heartbeat of the fitful soundscape to the frenzied intensity of an apparently powerful woman seeking control in a world where female control just isn't possible, it's easy to identify with her quest and subsequent failure to achieve fulfillment. Her powerlessness turns love into mania and passion into a destructive force. The male characters are victims, too; Theseus too readily believes his son is a rapist, perhaps because of his own philandering history. His realisation that he’s got it fatally wrong comes much, much too late. Some stories transcend space and time and Phèdre remains a remarkably compelling psychodrama in the context of contemporary life. Anna Cordingley's set is as damaged as the characters hearts and Hughes' translation is lean, mean and lyrical. The most tragic thing about Phèdre is that she realises how the contamination of her consciousness is self-induced: the foregone conclusion of forbidden love. Photo by Rush.
Under normal circumstances, when a new-release movie starts playing in cinemas, audiences can't watch it on streaming, video on demand, DVD or blu-ray for a few months. But with a worldwide pandemic forcing picture palaces across the globe to shut down temporarily in the interest of public safety, the film industry is being forced to adjust. While no one in Australia can currently head to their local movie theatre, sit in a darkened room with a crowd of fellow film buffs and feast their eyes on the silver screen, that doesn't mean we aren't eager to see the latest flicks. In fact, as these quarantine days turn into isolation-heavy weeks, you can be forgiven for craving something new to watch. So, film distributors have started fast-tracking their recent releases from cinemas to streaming — movies that were playing in theatres when they closed, flicks that had just released and even films that didn't yet get the chance to hit the big screen. Here's a dozen you can watch right now at home. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLAJyugYEiY THE INVISIBLE MAN Our critic says: "As written and directed by Australian filmmaker Leigh Whannell, this slow-building version of The Invisible Man isn't an account of a scientist corrupted by his latest discovery, as seen in its predecessors. Rather, it's a portrait of a woman at the mercy of a man who'll do anything and use any means to get what he wants. The end result: psychological horror mixed with futuristic science-fiction and layered with a piercing societal statement, and it's as effective as it sounds. Of course, anyone who saw Whannell's previous feature Upgrade will realise that this is the only interpretation of The Invisible Man that he could've made. The Aussie talent continues his fascination with body modification and tech-enabled surveillance, as well as his fondness for hyper-kinetic action, a pervasive mood of dread and tension, and a sparse, sleek look — plus his interrogation of the kind of society that, with not too many imaginative tweaks needed, we just might be headed for." — Sarah Ward The Invisible Man is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygzqL60kvwU BIRDS OF PREY (AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN) Our critic says: "From the moment that Margot Robbie stole the show in Suicide Squad, a Harley Quinn-focused spinoff was always inevitable. So, knowing when they're onto a good thing — and witnessing their now Academy Award-nominated Australian star keep rising in fame via I, Tonya, Mary, Queen of Scots, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Bombshell — the folks behind the DC Extended Universe have gone and done the obvious. Thankfully, the powers-that-be learned a few lessons along the way, leaning into everything that first made the anarchic character attract so much big-screen attention. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is vividly stylised, irreverently upbeat, and both frenetic and fluid. To the benefit of every fight and chase scene, it's also more concerned with eye-popping action choreography than overblown special effects. The movie's riotous mood, lurid colour scheme and kookily comic sensibilities can't smooth out all of its bumps, though, but put it this way: Suicide Squad, this definitely isn't." — Sarah Ward Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrmnEHSJx-M COME TO DADDY Our critic says: "Following a map to a remote waterside location, Norval Greenwood (Elijah Wood) knocks on his father's door, reuniting with the man he hasn't seen for more than 30 years. It's a tense, awkward scene, with more of the same following — and, in a movie that segues from reunion drama to unsettling mystery flick to crime thriller, things only get unhinged and deranged from there. Marking the feature directorial debut of New Zealand producer-turned-filmmaker Ant Timpson (The ABCs of Death, Turbo Kid, Deathgasm), Come to Daddy proves an anarchic, unruly and very amusing ride, complete with committed performances not just from Wood, but from Martin Donovan, Michael Smiley and The Breaker Upperers' Madeleine Sami as well. It's also inspired by reality, although to say more would be to reveal too much about a movie that revels in its twists and turns. And in its ample splashes of gore and blood, too." — Sarah Ward Come to Daddy is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube and Umbrella Entertainment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxKXiQvyG_o ONWARD Our critic says: "Onward tells the tale of brothers Ian and Barley Lightfoot (Marvel co-stars Tom Holland and Chris Pratt), two teenage elves who've grown up without their dearly departed dad. Thanks to an unexpected flash of long-dormant magic, they're given the chance to spend one last day with their father — but, in order to do so, they'll have to undertake a perilous quest in Barley's rundown van Guinevere. From this description, you might've noticed that Pixar's usual formula isn't at play here, with the company branching beyond the "what if toys/cars/rats/robots/monsters/feelings had feelings?" setup that's served it so well in everything from the Toy Story franchise to Inside Out. Rest assured, however, that Onward's central elf siblings do indeed experience a whole heap of emotions as they cast spells, try to decipher mysterious maps, endeavour to avoid curses, explore their complicated brotherly relationship and team up with a part-lion, part-bat, part-scorpion called The Manticore (Octavia Spencer)." — Sarah Ward Onward is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube and iTunes, and will hit Disney+ on Friday, April 24. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxAWKALOCAg THE HUNT Our critic says: "When The Hunger Games pit people against each other in an elaborate battle royale-style fight to the death, it did so in a dystopian post-apocalyptic world. In Craig Zobel's The Hunt, a similar situation applies — but, taking aim at the political divides so prominent between the left and right in America today, this satirical horror-thriller is firmly set our current reality. Here, 14 strangers awaken in a remote woodland area, gagged but with access to a giant crate of weapons. Soon afterwards, the shooting starts. Pitting "deplorables" against "liberal elites" in a film with the kill-or-be-killed chaos of reality TV parody Series 7: The Contenders and action choreography that'd make the John Wick franchise proud, The Hunt is nowhere near as savage, smart or politically astute as it thinks it is. That said, thanks to a steely lead performance by GLOW's Betty Gilpin, a playful sense of humour and a willingness to toy with audiences as much as it does with its characters, it entertains far more often than it provokes." — Sarah Ward The Hunt is available to stream via Google Play and iTunes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbHkNiIyl3I THE WAY BACK Our critic says: "Pitched as Ben Affleck's big comeback role after a run of average-at-best flicks — including his short-lived turn as Batman — The Way Back follows a faded man who used to be a big deal. His character was once a high school basketball star; however the years since have been filled with bad choices, tragedy and an overabundance of alcohol. Given the chance to relive his glory days by coaching the school's struggling current team, he embarks on a quest for redemption. As well as boasting Affleck's best performance since Gone Girl, it's to The Way Back's credit that this underdog story on multiple levels doesn't always take the obvious route. Still, it's guilty of leaning on illness-related heartbreak for easy, cliched emotional manipulation, rather than trusting its central performance. Affleck feels like he's trying a little too hard to follow in his brother Casey's footsteps, too, with similarities to the far superior Manchester by the Sea evident." — Sarah Ward The Way Back is available to stream via iTunes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je22_P3Qm7U THE GENTLEMEN Our critic says: "When in doubt, they say to go back to your roots. Given that Guy Ritchie's last two films were Aladdin and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, it's fair to assume that doubt had squarely reared its head. As the director's name alone evokes the sound of cockney rhyming slang and the image of grimy London back alleys, dancing bedazzled elephants were about as off-brand as it gets. So he goes back to his roots with The Gentlemen — and it's a warm and welcome return. Overall, The Gentlemen is fun, to put it in the simplest of terms. It's certainly not without its faults — the patchwork of styles, from action film to hip hop music video and everything in between is constantly jarring — but the general experience is an agreeable one. Like the scotch enthusiastically consumed by the film's unofficial narrator, Fletcher (a delightful turn by Hugh Grant), The Gentlemen is a little rough at first, but smoother with every sip until you're silly drunk and smiling like a fool." — Tom Glasson The Gentlemen is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llt7-EQP6dg EMMA Our critic says: "In the latest big-screen version of Jane Austen's beloved novel, well-heeled chaos ensues — as much chaos that can within stately and sprawling country manors, while compliant, silent servants are always on hand, and amidst polite conversation constantly tinted with gossip (although as Downton Abbey keeps demonstrating, that's plenty). Emma circa 2020 does everything it's supposed to, including using its sumptuous production and costume design to paint a vivid picture of Regency-era England, but it adds little of its own personality. Austen's prose, here shaped into a screenplay by The Luminaries' author Eleanor Catton, still sparkles with wit. Making her feature filmmaking debut, photographer and music video director Autumn de Wilde retains the novel's playful mood, and pairs it with a sweeping sense of visual symmetry that'd do Wes Anderson proud. And yet, this adaptation feels mostly indistinguishable from the many other unchallenging film and TV versions of literary classics that've reached screens over the years. In fact, the end result is fine, but in the passable rather than excellent sense of the word." — Sarah Ward Emma is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78k9Mhgzy74 JUST MERCY Our critic says: "Just Mercy boasts much that other films would envy, such as an emotive true tale, serious subject matter that's sadly still relevant today and a top-notch cast. Eyes blazing, his voice calm yet commanding, and compassion driving his every move, Michael B. Jordan is especially fantastic as real-life lawyer Bryan Stevenson — and he's matched by a restrained but no less resonant Jamie Foxx as a man on death row and resigned to the lie of the land in the deep south. But the feeling that this has all been seen before is used to particularly compelling effect here. It's something that writer/director Destin Daniel Cretton is clearly cognisant of, as he was when he focused on troubled teens living in a group home in the excellent Short Term 12. Layering in other cases, such as that of fellow condemned prisoner Herbert Richardson (Rob Morgan), the filmmaker draws attention to the unending spate of real-life stories such as these. That's not a new revelation, but it bears heavily on a movie that's already weighty anyway." — Sarah Ward Just Mercy is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szby7ZHLnkA SONIC THE HEDGEHOG Our critic says: "Cast-wise, there's a clear standout. Jim Carrey is back in full force, dropping the most endearingly over-the-top performance audiences have seen from him in ages. As villain Dr Robotnik, he's somehow even more cartoonish than the CGI Sonic — and it's spectacular. Like Sonic's running, however, there's far too little of it throughout. Instead, the lion's share of screen time is reserved for Sonic (voiced by Parks and Recreation's Ben Schwartz) and his new pal Tom Wachowski (James Marsden), the local sheriff who's helping him avoid capture. Giving credit where credit's due, Marsden delivers the goods, charming his way through scenes that ought to have tanked hard. Schwartz, too, makes the inspired choice of keeping Sonic low-key instead of manic, resulting in a far more likeable hero." — Tom Glasson Sonic the Hedgehog is available to stream via iTunes. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpbKh4FqR2g RICHARD JEWELL Our critic says: "All it took was a concert and a backpack for Richard Jewell's (Paul Walter Hauser) life to change forever. That's the real-life story that monopolised news headlines 24 years ago. It's also the tale that Jewell, with his desperate desire to work in law enforcement, was overjoyed to have attached to his name. And, it's the narrative that Richard Jewell tells, although Clint Eastwood's involvement should make it obvious that it doesn't end there. As demonstrated with gusto in the latter years of his five-decade directorial career, Eastwood is drawn to heroes. He's not just fascinated by people acting bravely, but by true tales of fortitude in the face of pressure, scrutiny, admonishment and even contempt by society, authorities and bureaucracy. American Sniper's flag-waving tribute to the deadliest marksman in US military history, Sully's recreation of the Miracle on the Hudson and subsequent investigation, and The Mule's account of an octogenarian forced to become a drug courier to make ends meet — they all fit the profile, as does Jewell's swift slide from saviour to suspect." — Sarah Ward Richard Jewell is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-7ACXBRP-g BLOODSHOT Our critic says: "Vin Diesel as Frankenstein's monster? Vin Diesel reliving the same events over and over again, Edge of Tomorrow-style, to right a past wrong? Vin Diesel filled with tiny robots — including in a Terminator-esque scene where half his face is exposed, revealing the nanotechnology gleaming beneath his flesh? Throw in shades of Universal Soldier and RoboCop as well (and some speedy car chases, because Diesel sure does love getting fast and furious behind the wheel), and that's Bloodshot. Yes, as well as tasking Diesel with playing a US soldier brought back from the dead, Bloodshot attempts to revive a variety of parts itself — all cobbled and spliced together from multiple other science-fiction stories and action flicks. Indeed, the fact that Bloodshot is actually based on a comic book character dating back to 1992 doesn't seem anywhere near as important to first-time feature director David SF Wilson as nodding at a heap of other pop culture titles." — Sarah Ward Bloodshot is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. Read our full review.
Exhibition 54, C3 Contemporary Art Space’s latest slew of group and solo exhibitions, makes for pleasant lazy weekend afternoon meandering. In Gallery 1, Claire Davies’ Opposing Forces presents sculptural pieces that hang as awkward, static objects in loose coils, accompanied by intricate pastel-hued prints that are vaguely reminiscent of an almost dreamtime style. Exploring themes of separation, bodily function and magical thinking, Davies’ abstract, yet somewhat familiar works resemble re-imagined internal organs. You may leave with grand plans to take a paintbrush to your liver or string up those old intestines you've got lying around as an avant-garde spin on interior decoration. Nearby in Space A, Andre Tjaberings’ Battle Life examines the idea of cities as manifestations of the human psyche. The walls are lined with a combination of surreal, architectural paintings and complex digitally designed prints, resulting in something like a cross between The Jetson’s, Transformers and the world’s most frustrating game of Tetris. Tucked away in the Project Room, The Earth Bling Experiment by Deb K Williams is every bit as fun as it’s name suggests. A response to the question, “What kind of jewels will they take to the moon?” and the statement, “Arranging a room for conversation”, both of which Williams found in a 1960 Scientific American magazine, the installation is an assortment of textural, otherworldly objects your mum definitely wouldn’t have let you get your sticky paws on. You’re a grown up now, so you can do whatever you want (except touch the art). The group exhibition World In My Eyes, located in Space B, is a delicate, childlike tableau of ceramic works courtesy of Arts Project Australia. Dainty little ballet flats sit alongside a collection of handcrafted cameras and a coiled up snake takes up residence in the back corner of the exhibition — contemporary art can be frighteningly real sometimes. Along with The Earth Bling Experiment, the shiny pearl inside the C3 oyster is Al Ouchtomsky’s Purple Sunset For Orange Lexus in Gallery 2. The collage-based exploration showcases a series of imagined landscapes that straddle the divide between the digital and analogue realms. Alongside a number of the grooviest modern-day diorama’s you’ve ever seen, Ouchtomsky’s work is a seemingly random (yet undoubtedly considered) future-retro ode to the days of psychedelia. According to the exhibition copy, “One may contemplate a time when future creatures might one day unearth this civilization and it’s hordes of disparate detritus.” They’ll probably just throw a rave. Image credit Deb K Williams, The Earth Bling Experiment
Comedians held up as the voice of Generation Y tend to make us a little bit sceptical. Still, after winning the Best Newcomer Award at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, we’re willing to give New Yorker Alex Edelman the benefit of the doubt. Millennial marks the 25-year-old Edelman’s first trip to Australia, although we suspect it’ll be the first of many. Get in on the ground floor so you can brag about seeing him first.
Maybe you've sipped mulled wine at a winter market. Perhaps, when the weather gets colder each year, you make a beeline to whichever bar is serving the coveted concoction. Or, you could have fond memories of vacations spent in Europe downing plenty of glühwein. Whichever fits, drinking warmed-up wine is one of the best parts of the frosty season — including at home. Because everyone should be able to sip this delicious tipple even if they're not leaving the house — because of lockdowns, winter lethargy or any other reason — Jam Shed Wines has started making mulled wine mixes. You add it to a bottle of shiraz, heat it in a saucepan, bring it to simmer and then let it steep. After that, you can add oranges, berries and/or stone fruit as garnishes, pop in some orange liqueur if you'd like, and then you get drinking. It's that straightforward, although there is one catch: you can only pick up the mix with bottles of the brand's shiraz. Consider it a two-for-one kind of deal, given that you need some wine to make use of the mulled wine mix anyway. It's a limited-time-only special, too, with the mix on offer with Jam Shed shiraz at independent retailers while stocks last. You'll also score a jam jar to sip your soul- and stomach-warming homemade tipple out of, with the brand's shiraz retailing at $13 per bottle. And yes, only drinking mulled wine all winter — out of all the different types of booze you could possibly choose from — is completely acceptable. Jam Shed Wines is giving away mulled wine mixes with bottles of its Jam Shed Shiraz at independent retailers for a limited time. For further details about the brand, head to its website.
When Baz Luhrmann makes a new film, the world takes notice — including the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts and its annual awards. No stranger to heaping the filmmaker's movies with accolades, with every single one of his past flicks from Strictly Ballroom through to The Great Gatsby scoring nominations (and those two specific titles winning Best Film), AACTA has continued the trend by showering the director's latest in 2022 nods. Topping the just-announced nominations for this year's AACTA Awards — which were previously called the AFI Awards, before changing their name — Elvis picked up a whopping 15 nods, the most of any film. The accolades recognise the best and brightest in Australian cinema and television each year, with Mystery Road: Origin also scoring the same amount of noms in the TV categories. In their respective formats, Elvis and Mystery Road: Origin have plenty of company. The former is competing against Here Out West, Sissy, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson, The Stranger and Three Thousand Years of Longing for 2022's Best Film, for instance — and the latter is up against Bump, Heartbreak High, Love Me, The Tourist and Wolf Like Me for the year's best television drama. The winners of those categories, and AACTA's full list of fields, will be announced in early December on two dates: Monday, December 5 and Wednesday, December 7. Also highlights among the film nominees: 13 nominations apiece for The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson and Three Thousand Years of Longing, Austin Butler getting an unsurprising Best Actor nomination for playing the King of Rock 'n' Roll, Nude Tuesday scoring a heap of love, acting nods for the powerful Blaze and a whole heap of recognition for The Stranger, including for writer/director Thomas M Wright. And, among the TV cohort, Mystery Road: Origin also picked up five noms in the four acting fields for TV dramas, spanning Mark Coles Smith, Tuuli Narkle, Daniel Henshall, Steve Bisley and Hayley McElhinney; Love Me and The Twelve nabbed ten nominations each across all categories; and Heartbreak High's James Majoos received the show's sole acting nod. Across both film and TV, a heap of international names graced the acting nominations, too, a common AACTAs trend. On 2022's list: Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton for Three Thousand Years of Longing, both the aforementioned Butler and Tom Hanks for Elvis, Sean Harris for The Stranger, Jackie van Beek and Jemaine Clement for Nude Tuesday, Joanna Lumley for Falling for Figaro and Jamie Dornan for The Tourist. Here's a selection of this year's major AACTA nominations, ahead of the awards' ceremonies on Monday, December 5 and Wednesday, December 7 — and you can check out the full list on AACTA's website: AACTA NOMINEES 2022: FILM AWARDS: BEST FILM Elvis Here Out West Sissy The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson The Stranger Three Thousand Years of Longing BEST INDIE FILM A Stitch In Time Akoni Darklands Lonesome Pieces Smoke Between Trees BEST DIRECTION Baz Luhrmann, Elvis Hannah Barlow and Kane Senes, Sissy Leah Purcell, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson Thomas M Wright, The Stranger George Miller, Three Thousand Years of Longing BEST LEAD ACTOR Austin Butler, Elvis Rob Collins, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson Joel Edgerton, The Stranger Idris Elba, Three Thousand Years of Longing Damon Herriman, Nude Tuesday BEST LEAD ACTRESS Aisha Dee, Sissy Leah Purcell, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson Julia Savage, Blaze Tilda Swinton, Three Thousand Years of Longing Jackie van Beek, Nude Tuesday BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Simon Baker, Blaze Jemaine Clement, Nude Tuesday Malachi Dower-Roberts, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson Tom Hanks, Elvis Sean Harris, The Stranger BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Jada Alberts, The Stranger Jessica De Gouw, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson Olivia DeJonge, Elvis Joanna Lumley, Falling For Figaro Yael Stone, Blaze BEST SCREENPLAY Baz Luhrmann, Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce and Jeremy Doner, Elvis Jackie van Beek, Nude Tuesday Leah Purcell, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson Thomas M Wright, The Stranger George Miller and Augusta Gore, Three Thousand Years of Longing BEST DOCUMENTARY Ablaze Clean Everybody's Oma Franklin Ithaka River TELEVISION AWARDS: BEST DRAMA SERIES Bump Heartbreak High Love Me Mystery Road: Origin The Tourist Wolf Like Me BEST TELEFEATURE OR MINISERIES Barons Savage River The Twelve True Colours Underbelly: Vanishing Act BEST COMEDY PROGRAM Aftertaste Five Bedrooms Hard Quiz Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell Spicks and Specks Summer Love BEST LEAD ACTOR IN A TELEVISION DRAMA Mark Coles Smith, Mystery Road: Origin Jamie Dornan, The Tourist James Majoos, Heartbreak High Sam Neill, The Twelve Hugo Weaving, Love Me BEST LEAD ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION DRAMA Isla Fisher, Wolf Like Me Claudia Karvan, Bump Kate Mulvany, The Twelve Tuuli Narkle, Mystery Road: Origin Bojana Novakovic, Love Me BEST COMEDY PERFORMER Wayne Blair, Aftertaste Patrick Brammall, Summer Love Harriet Dyer, Summer Love Tom Gleeson, Hard Quiz Charlie Pickering, The Weekly with Charlie Pickering Doris Younane, Five Bedrooms BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TELEVISION DRAMA Hayley McElhinney, Mystery Road: Origin Jacqueline McKenzie, Savage River Heather Mitchell, Love Me Brooke Satchwell, The Twelve Magda Szubanski, After the Verdict BEST GUEST OR SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION DRAMA Steve Bisley, Mystery Road: Origin Brendan Cowell, The Twelve Daniel Henshall, Mystery Road: Origin Damon Herriman, The Tourist Thomas Weatherall, Heartbreak High
Rocco's Bologna Discoteca was one of the silver linings during Melbourne's lockdown last year, popping up for just a couple of short stints in the Gertrude Street space that normally houses Poodle. But now, the much-loved sandwich joint is making a cameo appearance for one festive night as part of Good Food Month. Swing past on Tuesday, June 22, to indulge in an Italo-accented feast that trips from the likes of rice-stuffed mussels and mini pine mushroom pizza pockets, to braised rabbit with cannellini beans and serves of handmade pasta caccio e pepe. There'll be mini versions of Rocco's legendary meatball sub doing the rounds, too, alongside a forward-thinking curation of vino from award-winning sommelier Giorgio De Maria (121BC, Rootstock Sydney). And you'd best bring your dancing shoes since the evening's lineup of Italo-disco DJs will be spinning tunes until late. The night's food and festivities clock in at $69, with wines available to purchase as you go. [caption id="attachment_774766" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Poodle[/caption]
If you've been looking for an excuse to hit the d-floor, we've found one that's hard to beat. Digital music platform and legendary dance floor filler Boiler Room is descending on Melbourne for what's set to be a huge Aussie event. On Saturday, October 28, Boiler Room: Melbourne (Naarm) will make dreams come true as it takes over a warehouse space at Port Melbourne Industrial Centre For The Arts and dishes up an all-day dance party to remember. Expect huge energy from this hefty lineup of talented dance music legends, including none other than UK-based artists Bakey B2B Breaka. They'll be joined on the bill by homegrown heroes including genre-bending producer Surusinghe, SWIM, SOVBLKPSSY and DJ CaucasianOpportunities, who will make her Boiler Room debut. Bringing further international flavour, you've got Berlin heavyweight Marlon Hoffstadt (a.k.a. DJ Daddy Trance) and NYC-based electronica queen Miley Series. [caption id="attachment_878334" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Boiler Room x Sugar Mountain, 2022 by Mushroom Creative House[/caption] Top Image: Sugar Mountain x Boiler Room 2018, by Mark Stanjo
Two of Melbourne's best-loved Asian barbecue joints are joining forces for a night of chargrilled goodness and boozy karaoke. Heroes, the CBD's rooftop and karaoke bar in the CBD will play host to the late-night collaboration with Richmond's Kong, as chefs from both venue work their magic over the coals. For $50 per person, punters will be ushered up to the venue's rooftop and left to enjoy a selection of drinks and one of two Kong x Heroes barbecue platters. The meat tray includes bulgogi barbecue chicken wings, smoked pork shoulder, crispy pork belly, Japanese slaw and fried mantou buns. Alternatively, you can opt for a vegan feed, which replaces the meat with Korean fried cauliflower and ember-roasted butternut pumpkin with miso dressing. When you've finished with that, the real fun begins. Head down to the basement where the karaoke will be free and flowing all night. Make a booking through Heroes website, stat.
It's not every day you come across a robot movie that stars swashbuckler Hugh Jackman and weirdos Die Antwoord, but that's exactly what's happening right now. The South African hip hop group step onto the silver screen for the new movie from their fellow countryman Neill Blomkamp, the filmmaker behind two of the most interesting and well-received sci-fi films of recent times, District 9 and Elysium. Jackman? He's the bad guy for once. Chappie begins when a robot created for law enforcement (to help bring down Johannesburg's notoriously high crime rate) is programmed with a brand new piece of AI software that allows it to develop feelings and opinions. To start with, he's as innocent and curious as a child, though even more quick to learn. Under the care of Yolandi and Ninja (the Die Antwoord duo play gangsters but keep their names) but exposed to the conflicts of the world, the lessons he gets are sometimes good, sometimes bad. Whatever happens, you know you're in for an original two hours of cinema. As Tom Huddleston writes in the Time Out London review, "This hugely entertaining oddity could never be mistaken for the work of any other filmmaker." Chappie (© 2015 Columbia TriStar Marketing Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved) is in cinemas on March 12, and thanks to Sony Pictures Releasing Australia, we have 20 double in-season passes to give away in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter and then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
As the federal government continues to drag its feet resettling refugees fleeing the Syrian conflict (Australia had managed about 6000 by last November — Canada by comparison, was at well over 30,000), it falls once more to the non-political professions to show the government where the hands go on the 1humanitarian clock. This time, it's hospitality's turn. On March 6, UNICEF Australia will partner with 11 of the country's best chefs for a charity dinner celebrating Syria's strong culinary tradition. The Point Albert Park will host the posse of gastronomers as they prepare a banquet comprising their signature dishes with a few Syrian flourishes. If you've never been at the mercy of za'atar, pomegranate, Aleppo pepper or tamarind, this could well be a revelation. Tickets are a steep $329 per person (plus booking fee), but 75 percent of the proceed will go to UNICEF's Syria Crisis Appeal. The price includes canapés, cocktails on arrival, a shared Syrian-inspired feast and wine. It may seem on the surface like you're paying for the food, but ten professional chefs jammed into a single kitchen also suggests a night of great theatre. Movida's Frank Camorra and Lee Ho Fook's Victor Liong will be in the fray, with David Thompson of the newly opened Long Chim and Anchovy's Thi Le contending for next use of the colander with equal ferocity. If you've ever wanted to see Karen Martini trying to slice potato with steel wool or fighting a pitched battle for the top shelf of the oven, this could well be your chance. Other chefs rounding out the impressive lineup include Lûmé's Shaun Quade, Maha's Shane Delia, Embla's Dave Verheul, The Point's Andy Harmer, Jacques Reymond and David Moyle of Hobart's Franklin and soon-to-open Melbourne restaurant Longsong. While the top guns will have their turn on March 6, UNICEF Australia is encouraging anyone with passing knowledge of an oven to contribute. Restaurants and cafes can produce a limited edition 'Syria' version of a favourite dish throughout the month, of which a portion of the proceeds will go to UNICEF. For those who deal in culinary delight on a slightly smaller scale, bake sales are your recommended course. While you're waiting for the oven to pre-heat, there's more information here.
With Australia banning non-essential events with more than 500 people due to COVID-19 — and mandating that everyone arriving from overseas self-isolate for 14 days, too — Melbourne's arts and cultural scene has started to go into shutdown mode. The city's major institutions have already announced temporary closures, and now the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is joining them. But musicians at the latter won't be putting down their instruments just yet. While MSO has announced that it's suspending all concerts with audiences in attendance from Monday, March 16–Monday, April 13, it's planning to still play some gigs behind closed doors. And, it'll live-stream them for free — because, even if audiences can only watch and listen online from their couches, the music must go on. Kicking off the series is tonight's (Monday, March 16) performance of Russian composer Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade at Hamer Hall. Other live-streams are slated for MSO's Beethoven & Mendelssohn gig on Thursday, March 19 and To Bach and Back on Thursday, March 26 at this stage. It's also planning to live-stream Melbourne Ensemble and its school-focused Curriculum Concert, with dates still to be advised. Music lovers can check out the performances via MSO's YouTube channel, with Scheherazade streaming from 7pm AEDT. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCBYvd5LKa4 MSO has cancelled some concerts that it won't live-stream, and plans to reschedule a number of gigs — check out the full list below: LIVE-STREAMED MSO CONCERTS Scheherazade, 16 March — streaming on March 16 at 7pm Beethoven & Mendelssohn, March 19–20 — streaming at 7.30pm on Thursday, March 19 Melbourne Ensemble, March 22 — streaming date and time TBC Curriculum Concert, March 26 — streaming date and time TBC To Bach and Back, March 26–27 — streaming on 26 March, time TBC CANCELLED MSO CONCERTS Jams for Juniors, March 21 Peer Gynt, April 6 Metropolis, April 8 RESCHEDULED MSO CONCERTS Ben Folds, March 22 — replacement dates TBC Skyfall in Concert, April 2–4 — replacement dates TBC Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has cancelled all public performances between Monday, March 16–Monday, April 13, but will start live-streaming select concerts from Monday, March 16. For more information — or to find out about refunds if you're a ticket holder — visit the MSO 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.
Bangarra Dance Theatre is celebrating its 25th anniversary with another masterful fusion of storytelling and contemporary dance. Building on one of the earliest collaborations between Aboriginal people and the new settlers, Patyegarang traces the relationship between a spirited young indigenous woman and an English astronomer. It's a little bit like Australia's own Pocahontas adaptation but with cutting edge choreography. As the colonial fleet arrived on Eora country in the late eighteenth century, Patyegarang befriended Lieutenant William Dawes and in a courageous display of trust, began teaching him her local language. Lifted from the pages of Dawes' notebooks and modelled into an endearing portrait of friendship and cultural exchange, this production encourages a more nuanced understanding of 'first contact.' It also enlivens the legacy of Patyegarang as a striking visionary and educator. Assured by the experienced hand (or foot) of artistic director Stephen Page, along with a deeply moving soundscape by David Page, this is Bangarra's first full-length Sydney story. Imbued with a spirit of optimism and collaboration, Patyegarang promises an electric tribute to our first people, excavating an overlooked historical tale and providing an opportunity to reflect on Australia's future as a new nation.
All art is arguably an exploration of the artist’s ego, but performance artist Nicola Gunn seems determined to take this to a new level with her Melbourne Festival show, In Spite of Myself. It is framed as a show within an exhibition. The exhibition is a fictional retrospective about Gunn herself, entitled Exercises in Hopelessness: Nicola Gunn (1979 – present). The audience are free to peruse it as if at a gallery for an hour or so before the performance begins, setting the stage for a surreal self-referential parody of the arts world. Gunn, a veteran of the festival circuit, won a Best Experimental Performance Award at the 2012 Melbourne Fringe Festival for Hello my name is…, a show which left a slew of reviewers saying they couldn’t really describe what it was other than amazing. Featuring video art, live performance, a parody lecture and accompanied by an arts forum picnic on October 12, In Spite of Myself looks set to garner a similar response.
CONCRETE PLAYGROUND: In The Guest Edit, we hand the reins over to some of the most interesting, tasteful and (or) entertaining people in Australia and New Zealand. For this instalment, we've enlisted help from Sheet Society founder and interior design extraordinaire Hayley Worley. The Melbourne-based owner and creative has put pen to (digital) paper, outlining the biggest colour and pattern trends of the year, as well as tips on how to incorporate them around your home. HAYLEY WORLEY: The best part of my job is that I get to surround myself with inspirational fashion, interiors and design. While I'm a big fan of staple colours that will never go out of style, I'm equally excited by new, fresh and fashionable prints. It's really important to me and for my creative and design process, that I love and find joy in the things I surround myself with. There's nothing quite like putting on your favourite dress or jumping into a new bed of fresh sheets as a moment of pleasure. My picks for Concrete Playground are all things that have recently made me happy — including making my kids happy too! CHECKERBOARD PRINT This is a huge trend that we don't see going anywhere, anytime soon. If you're looking for an easy place to start, the Sheet Society Margot print is the perfect fashionable update to your bed in a really easy-to-style Camel colour. I've got lots of Sheet Society colours (as you can imagine!) and Margot pairs with pretty much anything. I've currently got it on my bed with Sage and Blush. HAND-PAINTED MOTIFS Sheet Society collaborated with Annie Everingham last year on a beautiful bedding collection, and her latest collaboration with Alemais is such a goodie. Her hand-painted motifs have been used across a wide range of fashion styles and I wore this pink one to my birthday a few weeks ago. It's currently out of stock on Alemais, but is available on Selfridges & Co here. Sheet Society also releases a limited edition collaboration each year and this year we partnered with local artist Lahni Barass, on a collection called Sleep Patterns. It's available here. BLUSH We have a one- and a three-year-old and it's often hard to find kids clothes that are bright or have loud prints. I adore the Aussie brand ByBillie, they've got a really great palette to choose from and a strong range of styles. I recently bought both kids matching Joey Jackets in blush and they are just so adorable. SAGE I've currently got our Sage blanket on, which not only looks great, but it's the extra cosiness I need (and grab for) in the middle of the night. Right in the middle of Melbourne winter, I definitely need to add a few extra layers. It has two layers of our French Flax Eve Linen with a plump quilted wadding inside and feels super lush. Pictured here with a divine Ella Reweti vase. OFF-WHITE I had an absolute blast picking out furniture for our new store in Armadale. Our interior designers, Golden, worked really well and collaborated closely with us to develop a soft furnishing plan that spoke to the Armadale customer, while staying true to Sheet Society. This Gatto lamp, designed by Floss, was one of our 'splurge' items. We also used it in our latest winter campaign, styled with our new-season teal colour. Perfection!
For New Zealanders, holidaying in the islands will soon become reality, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown this week confirming that a travel bubble is set to open between NZ and the Pacific nation. Pending final confirmation by New Zealand's Director-General of Health and the Cook Islands Secretary of Health, two-way quarantine-free travel will commence between the two countries on Monday, May 17, one month after the opening of the long-discussed trans-Tasman travel bubble between NZ and Australia. The Cook Islands closed its borders in March 2020 and has been virus-free to this day. Prime Minister Ardern said a huge amount of work had gone into ensuring the two-way bubble was safe and that the Cook Islands was set up and ready for it. The quarantine-free travel will apply to travellers in NZ and the Cook Islands who meet the eligibility requirements, including spending at least 14 days in either NZ or the Cook Islands before making the trip. But if you're an Australian now thinking of planning a multi-stop overseas getaway, the situation isn't as straightforward as you might hope. As part of NZ's announcement about the planned arrangement with the Cook Islands, it notes that anyone wanting to travel between Australia and the Cook Islands would need to spend at least 14 days in NZ in the middle. Back in April, however, the Australian Government made a Biosecurity Determination that advises that Australian citizens and permanent residents can only leave the country to travel to NZ, unless they receive an exemption. So, hopping from NZ to the Cook Islands after a fortnight in the former isn't currently covered. Neither is hopping from NZ to anywhere else in the world. The Biosecurity Determination came into effect after the trans-Tasman bubble between Australia and NZ started, to cover the possibility that Aussies would use NZ as a stopover before venturing further afield. Whether Australia and the Cook Islands will enter into their own travel bubble arrangement is yet to be revealed — and whether the Australian Government will amend the current Biosecurity Determination to allow Aussies to travel to the Cook Islands from NZ hasn't yet been advised, either. So, for now, that island getaway you might be dreaming of still needs to remain on hold. The two-way quarantine-free travel bubble will commence between New Zealand and the Cook Islands on Monday, May 17; however, Australia's recent Biosecurity Determination means that Aussies still can only holiday in NZ without receiving an exemption, and can't hop from there to the Cook Islands. Full information about quarantine-free travel for New Zealanders to the Cook Islands, including eligibility, what travellers should expect and updates to requirements, can be found on the New Zealand Government COVID-19 website.
While plenty about taking a holiday has changed over the past year or so, flight sales keep coming — and Australians keep snapping up tickets. Unsurprisingly, we're all keen to travel when and where we can in these pandemic-afflicted times. And if you're constantly thinking about your next getaway, Jetstar is dropping yet another batch of cheap fares. The Limited Time Only sale will kick off at 9am on Friday, April 23. As the name suggests, it's only on offer for a brief period. You'll need to nab your discounted tickets before 11.59pm AEST on Monday, April 26, although fares might sell out earlier. In the sale, you'll find cheap flights across a heap routes from destinations right across the country. That's a regular part of these specials, so there are no surprises there. But this time, because the trans-Tasman bubble is open and zooming across to New Zealand is now possible — and allowed — you can also pick up discounted tickets to NZ. Domestically, fares start at $33 for flights from Sydney to Avalon, with Sydneysiders also able to head to Hobart from $69, either Uluru or Hamilton Island from $99, and Perth from $159. Melburnians can book trips to Launceston from $45, Adelaide from $49, and Ballina and Byron Bay from $59, while Brisbanites can zip to Newcastle from $49, and Cairns or Melbourne from $69. Yes, the list goes on. For flights to NZ, tickets kick off at $175, which'll get you from the Gold Coast to either Auckland or Wellington. From Sydney and Melbourne, it'll cost you $195 to Auckland and $225 to Queenstown. [caption id="attachment_808728" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Artist: David Hilliam[/caption] Tickets in the sale are for trips from May 2021–January 2022, with exact dates varying in each region. And there are a few caveats, as is always the case. The discounted flights are one way, and they don't include checked baggage — so you'll need to travel super light, or pay extra to take a suitcase. And, as always, keeping an eye on both interstate and New Zealand border requirements is recommended. To promote the sale, Jetstar has also commissioned three large-scale artworks, all emblazoned with the words "available for a limited time only". One 90-metre-long piece by artist Edward popped up in the sand along the Great Ocean Road, another took over a Sydney rooftop and a third also got sandy at Piha Beach in Auckland. Jetstar's Limited Time Only sale runs from 9am AEST on Friday, April 23 till 11.59pm AEST on Monday, April 26, or until sold out.
When it comes to Melbourne's sacred coffee culture, Salvatore Malatesta's your man. He's the mastermind behind famed St Ali (South) and now, north-siders, we suggest you listen up because you ain't going to travel no more. Salvatore and his team have just opened St Ali North in Carlton North, nestled next to the Capital City Trail bike path where 5,500 keen bikes pass through everyday. With 16 bike riders sipping lattes at 7.30am on day two of opening, we think they might be onto something. Malatesta, his own harshest critique, was waiting for the perfect space before opening the second St Ali in Melbourne. "St Ali South is eight years old in March and I have been too reluctant to open the second St Ali in Australia until we found the right site. There are lots of cool buildings but this is irreplaceable. I always look to create experiences that are irreplaceable," he told Concrete Playground. The St Ali North gang feels a little like the who's who of hot restaurants right now. Jesse Gerner (ex The Aylesbury) is co-owner and menu 'curator'. Chris Hamburger (ex Anada and The Aylesbury) who will be head chef at both St Alis, will be the kitchen's head honcho. Then there's those delicious pastries that will be pumped out by pastry chef Shaun Quade (ex Dushess of Spotswood, The Brix, Royal Mail Hotel). The menu, while currently 50 percent the same as St Ali South will eventually be 90 percent the same with 10 percent leeway to play around and create dishes specifically for the area. Last but certainly not least is Matt Perger (2012 World Brewer's Cup Champion), who will be heading up the team of baristas. "He is pioneering; doing things people have never done before", says Malatesta. In-house roasting and more gadgets than we can truly understand will ensure this coffee offering is unique. $4 for a coffee might feel a little steep these days, but when you taste it, it's a little hard to argue with. Food wise, you'll see some unique offerings like the Heirloom tomato salad with buffalo burrata and olive oil dust ($19.50), or the savoury ancient grain granola with cardomom milk and confit yolk ($14). If pastries are your thing, go for an old school Garibaldi, yes that is a squashed fly biscuit to some. "I want it to be synonymous with the best food, best coffee and best service. The food is just as important as the coffee," said Malatesta. And Malatesta's venues certainly are unique. Teaming up with Velo Cycles, there will be free air for flat tires and a roving bike mechanic on hand for repairs. St Ali North's unique offering goes further, bringing a long time dream of Malatesta's into reality with exciting and mysterious Post Boxes. While Malatesta initially wanted a place where people could read their mail while drinking their morning coffee, the idea morphed into a personal coffee Post Box. Every Monday fresh St Ali coffee will be placed in 70 lucky Melbournians mailboxes on the café site, where they can pick it up any time of day and night with their personal key. "They are my personal fetish, my favourite thing about the venue," said Malatesta. Yep, we want one too. Malatesta wants his venues to be a holistic cafe experience, where food and coffee and the venue are all as good as each other. We have to say, we think his latest venture is bang on. And judging by the crowds that flock to the place everyday, we reckon we're not the only ones. St Ali North 815 Nicholson Street, Carlton North Mon - Sun 6am - 6pm 0408 448 816
Much about this last week of March has felt like history repeating itself — initially for Brisbanites, and now for anyone with an Easter date with Bluesfest. For the second year in a row, the Byron Bay festival won't be going ahead, with NSW Health announcing that a public health order has been signed that cancels the 2021 event. The long-running festival was set to return to Byron Events Farm (formerly Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm) just outside Byron Bay from Thursday, April 1 — for the Easter long weekend, headlined by Jimmy Barnes, Tash Sultana, Ocean Alley, Ziggy Alberts and The Teskey Brothers. But, as happened last year, COVID-19 has gotten in the way. NSW Health has advised that the move has been made "to minimise the risk of the highly infectious COVID-19 variant of concern being transmitted in the local area, as well as across states and territories." Over the past weekend, between Friday, March 26–Sunday, March 28, Byron Bay was visited by two people who later tested positive to COVID-19 as part of Greater Brisbane's current cluster. Today, Wednesday, March 31, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced that one person in Byron Bay has since tested positive as well. And, the Premier also advised that from 5pm AEDT today until at least 11.59pm on Monday, April 5, the Byron, Ballina, Tweed and Lismore shires will reinstate a number of social distancing restrictions. So, they'll be in effect exactly when Bluesfest was due to run. The north coast regions will revert back to 30-person caps for at-home gatherings, and will reintroduce the one person per four-square-metres rule at all indoor public settings, including hospitality venues. Folks in the area will also have to sit, not stand, while having a drink. And, masks will be compulsory on public transport, in retail settings and indoors in public places. [caption id="attachment_800519" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Andy Fraser[/caption] "Infectious Queensland travellers attended a number of venues in the Byron Bay area and the new locally acquired case was infected at one of these venues," said NSW Health in its statement. "NSW Health acknowledges that the cancellation of Bluesfest is disappointing for ticket holders and event organisers; however, while urgent investigations and contact tracing are ongoing, NSW Health is adopting a cautious approach to keep everyone safe." Minister for Health Brad Hazzard noted that "while the cancellation of Bluesfest is disappointing for music lovers and the local community, I hope that ticket holders would support Bluesfest and hold on to their tickets as I understand Bluesfest will be working on a new date as soon as possible." At the time of writing, Bluesfest hasn't made a statement about the cancellation. Via the festival's last social media posts earlier today, event organisers said that an update was coming soon. NSW Health advised that it wished "to acknowledge the outstanding cooperation of Mr Peter Noble and his organising team, who were working hard to ensure Bluesfest would be conducted in a COVID-safe manner." For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website. Top image: Joseph Mayers
Gird your livers, beer lovers, for Melbourne's annual celebration of all things hoppy and gold is back for 2016. The program for this year's Good Beer Week features more than 270 free and ticketed events across Melbourne and Victoria, from workshops to tastings to food and brew degustations, and even an honest to God fashion show. In fact, there's so much happening that they've tacked on three extra days, bringing the grand total to ten. Hardly a traditional week — not that we're complaining. Running from Friday, May 13 to Sunday, May 22, the sixth annual Good Beer Week is split into various different streams. For those who like a drink with their dinner, the Foodie section features a number of enticing events, including a Vietnamese degustation at Uncle and a four-course Louisiana beer dinner at Ding Dong Lounge. The party-packed Good Times section, meanwhile, includes the opening and closing night shindigs, both of which will be held at Beer Deluxe. Other standout events include a showcase of female brewing talent at The Fox Hotel and an afternoon of beer, Reuben sandwiches and 90s hip-hop at 5 Points Deli. The remaining sections are divided based on your level of beer expertise. Beer 101 features various workshops and presentations, including a hands-on cider making class at Arbory and an 'Australian tour' held at Pilgrim in Fed Square, featuring six different beers from six different states. The Beer Geek and Beer Lover sections, on the other hand, are best suited to beer-swilling veterans. Learn the ins and outs of nano-brewing courtesy of the folk at Henry Street Brewhouse in Kensington, or throw yourself into the annual Pint of Origin showdown at bars and pubs all over the state.
If you're on the hunt for something a bit different this gift-giving season, the MCA Store is an excellent place to start. Here, you'll not only find an impressive selection of items from Australian artists, designers and makers but also everything from coffee-table books to homewares and games — perfect for gifting all your favourite budding creatives, art enthusiasts, design buffs, fashion mavens and hard-to-buy-for friends. And, every purchase from the MCA Store supports Australian artists and the work of the world-class art institution. So in a way, it's a gift that'll keep on giving. We've gone through the extensive catalogue to hand select our favourite gift ideas for this festive season. [caption id="attachment_880360" align="alignnone" width="1920"] MCA Store, 2022, Katje Ford[/caption] IKUNTJI TEXTILES, $69 Ikuntji Artists, the first arts centre established by and for women in the Western Desert art movement, invites design lovers to take a closer look at the stories behind the works with this self-published, full-colour book. The volume is centred around 14 artists who paint wearable textiles, delving into their design process, personal stories and collaborations via artist interviews in Luritja and English and writings from expert voices in the field of textile design. The lovingly assembled tome makes a perfect coffee-table book — the ideal read to either leisurely flip through or take in some of the remarkable stories from First Nations women. BACKGAMMON SET, $195 The MoMA team has given this classic game a vibrant makeover. The colourful design, inside and out, makes this beechwood backgammon board a style-heavy travel accessory, ideal for groups or just two. The game is fun, practical and easy to learn — even if you've got no idea how to play. Gift this to your modern boardgame-loving pal who could do with something a little simpler and nostalgic. Then next time you're over at theirs, you can suggest a chill game of backgammon instead of Settlers of Catan. Looking for a stocking stuffer for your games-obsessed mate? This Ken Done edition of Uno ($19.95) is just the ticket. [caption id="attachment_834248" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jacquie Manning, MCA Members. Featured: Noa Eshkol, installation view, 20th Biennale of Sydney, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, 2016, Image courtesy and © the Noa Eshkol Foundation for Movement Notation, Holon.[/caption] 12-MONTH MCA MEMBERSHIP, $75 If you're buying for someone who really appreciates the arts, an MCA Membership is a sure-fire win. It will give them access to exclusive behind-the-scenes programs, discounts on a range of art experiences, unlimited free entry to ticketed exhibitions — like Do Ho Suh, which is part of the 2022/ 2023 Sydney International Art Series — and plenty more. Any and every art lover will be thanking their lucky stars (or just you) with a gift as good as this. FLENSTED MOBILE, $125 Mobiles aren't just for kids, they're also a fun and funky way to add some colour and movement to your home. And at the MCA Store, you can find no less than ten artistic mobiles by Danish design house Flensted. Our pick: the minimalist Life and Thread, which is made up of colourful wings dancing around a small green sphere. You can find more literal pieces too — hot air balloons, birds, planes, elephants and more, all made to hang and swing from the ceiling. They're simple yet striking pieces of art. [caption id="attachment_880357" align="alignnone" width="1920"] MCA Store, 2021, Anna Kucera[/caption] FINK WATER JUG, From $395 If you're buying for someone who loves to entertain or is always on the hunt for unique homewares, these FINK water jugs might just be perfect. Designed in 1993 by celebrated Australian silversmith Robert Foster, these elegant vessels come in eight striking colours and can be found in contemporary collections at institutions (including MoMA), as well as in design-forward homes and restaurants around the globe. It's a great gift for those who like to make a statement, even when they're simply pouring a glass of water. [caption id="attachment_880353" align="alignnone" width="1920"] MCA Store, 2022, Katje Ford[/caption] 3D-PRINTED SUPERVASE, From $50 These brightly coloured vases by The Daily Rabbit are reminiscent of the Hub series and Staircase-III (2010) by Do Ho Suh. Like the South Korean artist's large-scale installation pieces, as you move around these vases, they appear to change in shape. The SuperVase, which comes in two sizes, is 3D-printed using eco-friendly, degradable PLA bioplastic derived from cornstarch, making it ideal for sustainably-minded friends and family members. It's watertight, so you can gift it with fresh flowers if you'd like, too. [caption id="attachment_881162" align="alignnone" width="1920"] MCA Store, 2022, Katje Ford[/caption] DO HO SUH MCA CATALOGUE, $45 Here's yet another great addition to a curated coffee table. This softcover MCA catalogue (exclusively sold at the MCA Store) surveys Do Ho Suh's creative practice, focusing on his large-scale sculptures and architectural installations with commissioned texts by curators Rachel Kent and Megan Robson and architectural historian AnnMarie Brennan. Take a deeper dive into the artist's process and the meaning behind his colourful, thought-provoking installations that have a strong connection to our shared understanding of 'home'. MID-CENTURY MODERN COASTERS, $38 This pack of four cork coasters features works from Tony Albert's Mid-Century Modern series, depicting used ashtrays with First Nations people and designs on them. For Albert, "there was something quite metaphoric about the ashtray and the Australian condition attached to Aboriginal people. What does it actually mean to butt out a cigarette on someone's face and someone's culture?" And, we ask, what does it mean to rest your drink on a coaster of that artwork? Who knew a humble coaster could be such a conversation starter? Got an art lover in your life? Gifting someone with an eye for design? Make sure you're their fave this year with a gift from MCA Store. Head to the website for the full range. Top image: MCA Store, 2022, Katje Ford
If you've been hit with a serious case of post-summer blues, consider Sunset Sounds your autumn saviour. Come Easter, if you're looking for an excuse to escape the city, this huge day of live music stacked with Aussie music legends will descend on Torquay. Presented by Here Comes The Sun and Empire Touring, ten artists will perform non-stop classic hits at the idyllic beachside Torquay Common on Saturday, April 8. The musical talent lineup includes ARIA Hall of Fame recipient Daryl Braithwaite, blues singer-songwriter Russell Morris, vocalist Wendy Matthews, guitarist Jack Jones, pop group The Chantoozies and rock band Matt Finish. Pre-sale tickets for Sunset Sounds go on sale at 10am local time on Thursday, March 9. Then, general public tickets will go on sale at 10am local time on Friday, March 10. Visit the Sunset Sounds Facebook page for further details. Images: supplied.
With summer waiting just around the corner, it's time to start plotting how to cram those warmer months with as many openair live music experiences as possible. And here's some more musical goodness to add to your hit-list: the return of Arts Centre Melbourne's concert series Live at the Bowl. Returning to the iconic Sidney Myer Music Bowl from Wednesday, January 4–Saturday, March 11, the sonic celebration is set to deliver a hefty lineup of local and international talent to start your year off right. And it all kicks off with a couple of huge gigs from UK rockers Arctic Monkeys. Other international stars set to grace the stage include indie-folk legends Bon Iver, German DJ Boris Brejcha, New Zealand's Lorde and US singer-songwriter Kehlani, while Savage Garden's Darren Hayes is descending on the Bowl for a special solo show. [caption id="attachment_875625" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kehlani[/caption] The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra's signature free concert series will also return, this time delivering a celebration of Tchaikovsky, a dedicated showcase of Melbourne artists and a performance of Prokofiev's Carmina Burana. The much-loved dance tunes-meets-classical music mash-up that is Synthony is back with a new show on February 17, paying homage to the past three decades of club sounds with tracks by Disclosure, Eric Prydz, Flume, Calvin Harris and more. [caption id="attachment_875626" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Midsumma Extravaganza, by Suzanne Balding[/caption] And on January 21, comedian Joel Creasey and RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under legend Kween Kong will host the star-studded queer fiesta known as Midsumma Extravaganza. Taking the stage for this huge night of fun, you'll catch comedians including Nina Oyama, Rhys Nicholson and Scout Boxall, as well as a sparkling cast of musical talent such as Courtney Act, Tina Del Twist, Kira Puru and Dolly Diamond. There'll also be a riotous tribute to the late drag icon Miss Candee, featuring an ensemble of 22 drag artists recreating the star's best-loved moments and songs. [caption id="attachment_875627" align="alignnone" width="1920"] MSO's 'Carmina Burana', by Mark Gambino[/caption] Live at the Bowl returns to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl from Wednesday, January 4–Saturday, March 11. To check out the full program of events and nab tickets, head to the Arts Centre Melbourne website. Top Image: Ian Laidlaw
Spending more time at home is much easier to stomach with a hefty rage of desserts on hand, or at least that seems to be Gelato Messina's pandemic motto. Over the past year, the gelato chain has served up plenty of tasty specials, including cookie pies in choc chip, red velvet, choc-hazelnut, and peanut butter and jelly varieties; 40 of its best flavours; and full tubs of Iced VoVo gelato. It also whipped up its own take on that vanilla and chocolate-layered ice cream cake everyone considered the height of extravagance as a child — and now it's bringing its version of Viennetta back for another round. If you've been indulging your sweet tooth as a coping mechanism — frozen desserts were subject to strict item limits last March, so plenty of folks clearly went big on sugary comfort food — then consider your tastebuds primed for this super-fancy take on the nostalgic favouritte. It's another of Messina's limited releases, with tubs of the rippled gelato creation available at all its stores for a very short period. Wondering what exactly Messina's Viennetta — or Messinetta, as it has been dubbed — entails? It combines fior di latte gelato with choc chips and chocolate fudge, then covers it all with piped vanilla chantilly as well as a chocolate velvet spray. And yes, the end result looks like the dessert you know and love. If it didn't, it just wouldn't be as exciting. The latest release in Messina's new 'Hot Tub' series, Messinetta gelato can only be ordered online on Monday, February 22, with a one-litre tub setting you back $30. You can then go into your chosen Messina store to pick up your tub between Friday, February 26–Sunday, February 28. Gelato Messina's Messinetta gelato tubs will be available to order on Monday, February 22, for pick up between Friday, February 26–Sunday, February 28 — keep an eye on the Messina website for further details.
From unflinching violence to unbridled sexual passion, some of the most important films in history are the ones that dared to push the boundaries. Doubling down on last year's lineup of controversial cult classics, World Movies presents More Films That Shocked the World from Monday, March 17. This five-day selection of taboo-shattering cinema consists entirely of Australian television premieres. Each one of these films has been the subject of censorship in this country, and when you see them, you'll understand why. It's a program designed to challenge your expectations as well as your limitations, not to mention, at times, your stomach. Prepare yourself people; these films are not for the faint of heart. https://youtube.com/watch?v=vUd_6FF4AtM PINK FLAMINGOS (1972) The film that launched both director John Waters and LGBTQ icon Divine to the far-reaching fringes of the American cultural underground, Pink Flamingos was marketed as an exercise in bad taste; rarely has an ad pitch been so accurate. A pitch-black gross-out comedy, the film tells the story of an overweight transvestite (Divine) with a mentally disabled family who goes to increasingly depraved and then violent ends to defend her title of 'filthiest person alive'. Scenes of coprophagia, cannibalism, bestiality and anal acrobatics earned the ire of Australian censors while at same time helping the film become one of the most notorious midnight movies ever made. Monday, 17 March, 9.30pm https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZkCTSn8gcL4 I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (1978) Surely the nastiest pick in the week-long program, this hideously violent rape-revenge tale contains some of the most brutal scenes of sexual brutality that have ever been put to film. Director Meir Zarchi initially self-released the movie after no other distributor would do so. Once it received wider play, critic Roger Ebert labelled it "a vile bag of garbage", a pan that probably ended up helping the film at the box office. Many have debated over the years whether the film is a celebration or an indictment of the sexual violence it depicts. Now, if you dare, you can make up your mind for yourself. Tuesday, March 18, 9.30pm https://youtube.com/watch?v=IU3P6WXzvXU HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER (1986) Based loosely on the crimes of Henry Lee Lucas, this grim, ultra-low-budget serial killer film spent more than four years on the shelf after being completed, as the producers were faced both by a hostile ratings board and the challenge of marketing what they had made. Eventually released in 1990, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is not a particularly gory film yet remains disturbing to this day because of the casual and highly realistic fashion in which the protagonist commits his crimes. By being purposely unentertaining, Henry takes the glamour out of a genre that has fascinated us for decades, raising some pretty prescient questions about our obsession with serial murder. Wednesday, March 19, 9.30pm https://youtube.com/watch?v=g3hSsK61NsE EMMANUELLE (1974) Released at a time when pornography was flirting with the mainstream, this soft-core sexual odyssey follows the affairs of a young French woman living with her husband in Bangkok, and was sold as a classy alternative to the likes of Deep Throat and The Devil in Miss Jones. Although not well received by critics, the film was a massive hit in both Europe and the US, spawning six sequels and literally dozens of spinoffs, including eight made-for-TV movies set in space. Classy indeed. Thursday, March 20, 9.30pm https://youtube.com/watch?v=lj0BnsF1FXs CALIGULA (1979) A fitting way to end a week brimming with cinematic depravity. The disastrous story behind this porn-filled epic is more entertaining than the movie itself. A lavish biopic about an insane Roman emperor, the film was plagued by delays and ran horrendously over budget — and that was before producer and Penthouse founder Bob Guccione wrestled control away from director Tinto Brass and decided to shoot several unsimulated sex scenes to be included in the final cut. A perfect example of a production gone to hell, if you ever wanted to see Helen Mirren, Peter O'Toole and full penetration in the same movie, then Caligula should be right up your alley. Friday, March 21, 9.30pm
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is the latest installment from the empire of J.K. Rowling. It's the first in a series of prequels to the Harry Potter films, that start in New York City in 1926. The film relies on the classic Pandora's box trope to drive the superficial layer of narrative. A magical trunk full of beasts is released upon New York and, in this case, Pandora is Newt Scamander, an eccentric British wizard played by Eddie Redmayne. Scamander, just in case you aren't as obsessed with the Potterverse as we are, is referenced throughout the Harry Potter series as the author of a foundational Hogwart's text book titled, you guessed it, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them". Written by Rowling herself, the crust of the plot is a little bit slapstick. Essentially, after a series of bumbles in a muggle bank (or a 'no-maj' bank, as the Yanks would say), Scamander's trunk is swapped with the trunk of Jacob Kowalski, a typical, goofy muggle and aspirational baker played beautifully by Dan Fogler. When Kowalski unwittingly releases the cheeky beasties from the trunk, Scamander must team up with Porpentina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston), a low-level Magical Congress employee scheming to get her Auror stripes back. This is where we dip down into the mantle of the plot and things get a bit more complicated. Turns out there are a faction of individuals in the community who believe magical beings are superior to muggles and that wizards should come out of hiding to enslave them. Without giving too much away, as the good guys race around New York collecting up their escaped creatures, Colin Farrell's character Percival Graves is lurking in the wings, trying to collect power. Also a church of fanatical, witch-hating muggles are seeking to expose magic. Also, a malevolent force is tearing around NYC ripping up side walks. Also, the evil wizard Gellert Grindelwald is on the loose. Fantastic Beasts' goblet truly runneth over with plot and this might not be a good thing. The difficulty with this particular film franchise is that it has to be ambitious, since they've slated another four films at least. So this first installment labours to lay the foundations for the series. But the audience has no road map as to what is and isn't significant. There are numerous scenes, and indeed entire subplots, that could have been cut, seemingly without compromising any of the story arcs. Perhaps they'll bear fruit in later editions, but until then they're just kind of...there. Fortunately, the film makes up for its pacing problems with cauldron-loads of charm. From the overtures of friendship between Scamander and Kowalski to the soft-core romance blossoming every-damn-where; from the timely Ron Weasley-esque notes of comedy to the practical use of magic, everything in this film is just so damn whimsical. Untethered from any pre-existing book, this film takes magic use to it's logical conclusion: domestic automation. For some unknown reason, Hogwarts students learned how to turn each other into teapots but never seemed to learn any practical spells that would make their lives any easier. This film rectifies that annoyance completely and for Potter fans it's immensely satisfying. Also, we can't leave without mentioning the beasts, which as the film's title suggests are truly fantastic. The strongest part of the movie are Scamander's creatures and their various quirks – it's a handy plot device that the protagonist carries around a trunk full of talented beasts, and the script uses them to it's full advantage. And ultimately, that's the key to the film's success. At times it does feel as though the cheesiness of the Potterverse doesn't quite translate into this rather more adult world. Nevertheless, the magic that's powered Rowling's creations until now remains as palpable as ever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vso5o11LuGU
Since 8pm on Thursday, August 5, the entire state of Victoria has been in lockdown in an effort to stop the latest COVID-19 cluster from spreading. The stay-at-home period was initially put in place for seven days, and looks set to remain in effect for at least that whole period in Melbourne — but folks in regional parts of the state are getting an early mark. Just like back in your school days, if you live anywhere in regional Victoria, you'll be allowed to ditch the rules and resume some fun earlier than expected. As Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews advised at the state's daily coronavirus press conference today, Monday, August 9, lockdown will end everywhere other than Melbourne from 11.59pm tonight. "There have been no new coronavirus cases in regional Victoria and thousands of primary close contacts have been cleared from the regions over the last few weeks," said the Premier in a statement. Accordingly, the five reasons to leave the house will be lifted in regional Victoria this evening. As always happens after a lockdown, a number of other restrictions will be put in place, however. These restrictions will largely mirror the rules in effect before this lockdown — so yes, they'll sound familiar. Folks in regional Victoria will able to go out for whatever reason they like. The five-kilometre rule is also being scrapped, so you can roam far and wide without worrying about the distance. Of course, the state's border rules, and those of other parts of Australia, may hamper your trip if you're planning on heading interstate. And, if you're planning to head to Melbourne, you can only do so for a permitted reason, and you'll still have to follow Melbourne's lockdown restrictions while you're there. Obviously, that travel rule doesn't work both ways. People in Melbourne still can't venture more than five kilometres from home, and therefore can't leave their house to visit regional parts of the state. [caption id="attachment_818003" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Robert Blackburn via Visit Victoria[/caption] Also permitted in regional Victoria from 11.59pm tonight: catching up with your nearest and dearest, but you'll have to gather outdoors in public, and only in groups of up to ten people. You still won't be able to have anyone come over to your house, so nothing is changing there. Masks will still remain mandatory both indoors and out, too — so the rules there aren't changing there, either. Also, food and hospitality businesses will be able to open with a cap of 100 people, as well as a density quota of one person per four-square metres. Retail stores, gyms, hairdressers and beauty salons can reopen as well, with the same density cap. Entertainment venues can welcome in up to 300 people per outdoor space and 100 people per indoor space, with the one person per four-square metres density requirement. That said, businesses that are permitted to reopen in regional Victoria but must remain closed in Melbourne — so places like restaurants offering dine-in meals, beauty services and venues — will be required to check the IDs of everyone they serve. [caption id="attachment_787513" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Rob Blackburn via Visit Victoria[/caption] The lockdown changes come as Victoria now has 103 active COVID-19 cases, including 11 new cases identified in the 24 hours to midnight last night. All of the current stay-at-home rules remain in effect in Melbourne until at least 4pm on Thursday, August 12, which means only leaving your home for five reasons: shopping for what you need, when you need it; caregiving and compassionate reasons; essential work or permitted eduction that can't be done from home; exercise; and getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Regional Victoria's lockdown will end at 11.59pm on Monday, August 9. For more information about the rules that'll be in place from that time, head to the Victorian Department of Health website. Top image: Robert Blackburn via Visit Victoria.
Tasmania's sinister winter music and arts festival Dark Mofo scrapped its 2020 festivities due to the pandemic, but that cancellation has turned out to be a one-off. The event returned in 2021 — amid controversy over an artwork that was announced and then ditched — and it has just confirmed that it'll be back again in June 2022, too. Next year's festival will run between Wednesday, June 15–Wednesday, June 22 in Hobart, if you're already thinking about how to spend the frostiest part of 2022. Run by the Museum of Old and New Art, it'll be funded by $2.5 million from the Tasmanian Government, plus another $2.5 million from MONA owner David Walsh. And, it'll also receive dedicated marketing support from Tourism Tasmania. The event's program won't be announced until sometime in autumn — usually it drops in April or May — but it's set to explore "the ideas of rebirth, reincarnation, and new life". "After the death of the 2020 festival, and a near-death experience in 2021, we're beginning the next era of Dark Mofo," said Dark Mofo Creative Director Leigh Carmichael. "As the world emerges from the darkness of COVID-19, we're hoping Dark Mofo 2022 will provide opportunities for us to reconnect and celebrate winter in the manner we'd become accustomed to prior to the health restrictions around travel and events." [caption id="attachment_800592" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lusy Productions[/caption] Previous years' lineups have seen a fantastical combination of musical performances, performance art and large-scale installations come together. In 2019, the program featured the likes of artists Ai Weiwei and Mike Parr, American musician Sharon Van Etten and one of the world's largest glockenspiels, for instance. In 2021, the program included a vibrating chamber filled with light, guided night walks through Hobart led by teenagers, 49 search lights beaming up into the sky and multiple performances by Sonic Youth founder Thurston Moore. Dark Mofo will run from Wednesday, June 15–Wednesday, June 22 in Hobart, Tasmania. The 2022 program will be announced in autumn. Top Image: Jesse Hunniford.
If you find yourself thinking back on Law & Order re-runs, Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs or Heath Ledger's turn as the Joker in The Dark Knight, you're probably thinking about one particular type of scene. There's an art to a good on-screen interrogation — to seeing characters verbally spar back and forth, as one probes for answers and the other tries to avoid their questions — that's riveting when it's done well. It's also hilarious when it's done comedically (see Brooklyn Nine-Nine); however, nothing beats a grim, serious, eyes-blazing, nostril-flaring confrontation between a suspected criminal and a savvy detective who are both confined to the same small room. Netflix, in its seemingly never-ending quest to turn every single possible idea into highly binge-able streaming content, took this concept and ran with it in its anthology crime series Criminal — which first premiered last year. Love interrogations, but not so fussed about all the stuff around them? Then you'll want to glue your peepers to this, because it's all about heated chats in police interview suites. In fact, that's all it's about. And, after a first season that spanned dozen different tales across just as many 45-minute episodes — spending three episodes each focusing on cases in France, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom — Criminal is coming back for a four-episode UK-based second season. While the first batch of episodes featured David Tennant and Agent Carter's Hayley Atwell among its British cast, this time around the show has enlisted Game of Thrones' Kit Harington, Catastrophe and Game Night's Sharon Horgan, The Big Bang Theory's Kunal Nayyar and Wild Rose's Sophie Okonedo to answer a barrage of tense questions. Once again, expect claustrophobic, cat-and-mouse-style confrontations — and twisty narratives that rarely go in the direction expected. The show's second season will hit Netflix on Wednesday, September 16. Check out the season two trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtHBrjgDjes Criminal's second season will release on Netflix on Wednesday, September 16.
Eye. Aperture. Descender. Spine. A weird collection of words, but for a typographer (or a publication nerd like me) they make perfect sense together. Every letter of the alphabet can be split into components which can be moulded and shaped, cut and stretched to create unique typefaces. Having been exposed to so many for so long, we don't actually realise how much of an impact fonts have on our perception of the world around us. For those of us too busy to enrol in a graphic design course but still passionate about learning more there is Typography Insight. The iPad application allows you to get up close and personal, and thereby understand the amazing cratsmanship that goes into making ordinary letters into extraordinary fonts. The resource is encyclopedic in depth, You can be guided through font terminology, compare fonts, or just admire the intricacies that only a super close-up can offer. The designer Dong Yoon Park ask: "How can the cold and rigid design approach of many top-notch technologies be turned into warmer and friendlier interfaces?" https://youtube.com/watch?v=wkoX0pEwSCw [via Gizmodo]
Hordes of imitators have spilled ones and zeros claiming otherwise, but the greatest move The Matrix franchise ever made wasn't actually bullet time. Even 22 years after Lana and Lilly Wachowski brought the saga's instant-classic first film to cinemas, its slow-motion action still wows, and yet they made another choice that's vastly more powerful. It wasn't the great pill divide — blue versus red, as dubiously co-opted by right-wing conspiracies since — or the other binaries at its core (good versus evil, freedom versus enslavement, analogue versus digital, humanity versus machines). It wasn't end-of-the-millennia philosophising about living lives online, the green-tinged cyberpunk aesthetic, or one of the era's best soundtracks, either. They're all glorious, as is knowing kung fu and exclaiming "whoa!", but The Matrix's unwavering belief in Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss is far more spectacular. It was a bold decision those two-and-a-bit decades ago, with Reeves a few years past sublime early-90s action hits Point Break and Speed, and Moss then known for TV bit parts (including, in a coincidence that feels like the product of computer simulation, a 1993 series called Matrix). But, as well as giving cinema their much-emulated gunfire-avoidance technique and all those other aforementioned highlights, the Wachowskis bet big on viewers caring about their central pair — and hooking into their chemistry — as leather-clad heroes saving humanity. Amid the life-is-a-lie horrors, the subjugation of flesh to mechanical overlords and the battle for autonomy, the first three Matrix films always weaved Neo and Trinity's love story through their sci-fi action. Indeed, the duo's connection remained the saga's beating heart. Like any robust computer program executed over and over, The Matrix Resurrections repeats the feat — with plenty of love for what's come before, but even more for its enduring love story. Lana goes solo on The Matrix Resurrections — helming her first-ever project without her sister in their entire career — but she still goes all in on Reeves and Moss. The fourth live-action film in the saga, and fifth overall counting The Animatrix, this new instalment doesn't initially give its key figures their familiar character names, however. Rather, it casts them as famous video game designer Thomas Anderson and motorcycle-loving mother-of-two Tiffany. One of those monikers is familiar, thanks to a surname drawled by Agent Smith back in 1999, and again in 2003 sequels The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. But this version of Thomas Anderson only knows the agent from his own hit gaming trilogy (called The Matrix, naturally). And he doesn't really know Tiffany at all, instead admiring her from afar at Simulatte, their local coffee shop. Before Reeves and Moss share a frame, and before Anderson and Tiffany's awkward meet-cute, The Matrix Resurrections begins with blue-haired hacker Bugs (Jessica Henwick, On the Rocks). She sports a white rabbit tattoo, observes a scene straight out of the first flick and helps set the movie's self-referential tone. As a result, The Matrix Resurrections starts with winking, nodding and déjà vu — and, yes, with a glitch, with Lana and co-screenwriters David Mitchell (author of Cloud Atlas) and Aleksandar Hemon (Sense8) penning a playful script that adores the established Matrix lore, enjoys toying with it and openly unpacks everything that's sprung up around it. Long exposition dumps, some of the feature's worst habits, explain the details, but waking up Anderson from his machine-induced dream — again — is Bugs' number-one aim. The Matrix Resurrections' main task: reteaming Neo and Trinity, and getting them to realise that they even are Neo and Trinity. Once more, Wachowski knows where the saga's heart resides, that its existential dramas are about people, and that the bonds that bind us are our lifeblood. But now that Neo and Trinity inhabit a realm where a game series with the exact same plot as the first three Matrix movies is Anderson's livelihood, the path to simulation-dismantling love is unsurprisingly paved with difficulties. Here are three: the demands by Anderson's business partner (Jonathan Groff, Hamilton) for a sequel to the games, the blue pills prescribed by Anderson's analyst (Neil Patrick Harris, It's a Sin), and Tiffany's husband Chad (played by the John Wick franchise's director Chad Stahelski, who was also Reeves' stunt double in the first Matrix flick) and all he represents. Reviving a romance last seen on-screen 18 years ago, raising its main players from the dead, bringing back other characters in altered guises, liberally weaving in clips from past films — stitched together as it is from oh-so-many familiar parts, you could call The Matrix Resurrections a Frankenstein's monster of a movie. Wachowski has found a rare way to make that a positive more often than not, however, because deprogramming the notion that anything is just one thing alone couldn't be more crucial here. That truth pulsates through the film's action, too, which can't live up to the original and doesn't particularly seem to try. Enough of the movie's fights and chases and sci-fi trickery still look stunning, but The Matrix Resurrections wants audiences to go "whoa!' over its ideas, emotions and meta-philosophising above all else. Even the warmer colour scheme — sorry, fans of futuristic green — casts this new tumble down the rabbit hole in multiple lights. A film can be daring, evolve its franchise while mining nostalgia with care and savvy, and make the utmost of its biggest strengths — Reeves and Moss, clearly, who could melt faces with their chemistry. It can be both fun and funny, and also skewer the company resuscitating it (that'd be Warner Bros, with The Matrix Resurrections doing a superior job of making the joke than the studio's horrible Space Jam: A New Legacy). It can offer a sincere ode to love, human connection and perseverance, too, and transform old parts to make them feel different in the process. Still, while so much about The Matrix Resurrections dazzles — Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Candyman) joining the fold and rocking magnificent suits among them — sometimes it's just clunkily new and clumsily self-referential rather than fresh. Believing in Reeves and Moss remains its biggest superpower, though. If the energy from their timeless on-screen romance can help the world forget how underwhelming The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions both proved, it can fuel this mostly thrilling, almost-always-entertaining look back in the sci-fi mirror.
Usually, Australia's various film festivals only pop up once every 12 months; however, there's little that's been usual about the past few years. So in these chaotic times, the fact that the Jewish International Film Festival is returning for a second stint in 2022 doesn't seem all that out of the ordinary. Already enjoyed the fest during its March and April run? Get ready to do so all over again. JIFF will screen 50 features and documentaries at this iteration, alongside episodes from two TV shows and three short films — covering titles from 21 countries as it tours Australia between October–December. Leading the highlights, filling JIFF's biggest-ever lineup from Monday, October 24–Sunday, November 27 at Classic Cinemas and Lido Cinemas in Melbourne: opening night's Armageddon Time, which arrives after premiering at this year's Cannes Film Festival and will have its Aussie debut at the fest. Starring Anthony Hopkins (The Father), Anne Hathaway (Locked Down) and Jeremy Strong (Succession), and written and directed by Ad Astra and The Lost City of Z's James Gray, it tells a coming-of-age story in 80s-era Queens. Also among the standouts, Charlotte Gainsbourg (Sundown)-led French drama The Accusation tackles sex and consent; Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic World Dominion) narrates Fiddler's Journey to the Big Screen, about bringing Fiddler on the Roof to the big screen; and Israel's Karaoke arrives after being nominated for 13 Ophir Awards. Or, there's doco The Art of Silence about mime Marcel Marceau — plus 60s-set comedy My Neighbour Adolf, featuring Udo Kier (Swan Song) as a Holocaust survivor in Colombia who thinks the German man who just moved in next door is Hitler. The full lineup includes closing night's As They Made Us, the directorial debut of directorial The Big Bang Theory's Mayim Bialik; Reckonings, about the negotiations between Jewish and German leaders that led to the 1952 Luxembourg Agreement; and three episodes of Bloody Murray, which follows the titular film lecturer, who specialises in romantic comedies.
No matter what their colour, condition, or quality, Rutherford Chang wants your iconic 1968 Beatles 'White Album'. Although it was only sold as a limited edition item, the White Album sold over 3 million copies back in the day. The album was unique in its simplicity with a purely white cover and only an embossed script of the band's name and a serial number to distinguish it from a plain piece of cardboard. However, the period of 45 years proves to completely transform these indistinguishable albums into individuals each with their own personality. After a lifetime of differing experiences, alternate uses, and completely separate wears and tears, these plain white albums now share rich historical stories through the text written on their covers, the scratches in the music, the yellowing on the corners, and even the mould on the surface. These intricacies, these signs of love, rejection, kinship, or heartache are exactly what Chang is interested and why he was inspired to collect as many of these White Albums as possible for his exhibition: 'We Buy White Albums'. What he calls his 'anti-store' is set up in SoHo, New York and being featured by the artistic workspace Recess. Rather than selling these aged vinyls, Chang is offering to buy any White Album for a fixed price, no matter what their condition. Chang was fascinated by the concept of mass customisation. Although the white albums start off as homogenised products, each as identical and monotonous as the next , he "noticed how personalised every copy of the White Album has become over the course of the last half century and wanted to compare different copies.” While some copies may have been played religiously every night for a decade, some were played once then discarded and others may have been passed down a long line of buyers and sellers, rocked out at in clubs, provided background music for parties, or even experienced the blossoming of love or the breaking or hearts. Each individual album has been distinctly shaped through its history, which is evident through the imperfections in both its physical appearance and audio quality. The 'We Buy White Albums' Exhibition is on show until March 9; however, Chang is determined for it not to simply reach a standstill there. He has collated over 697 records to date and doesn't intend to simply discard the treasures like so many have before him. Following the closing of the anti-store, Chang will press a double LP of all the songs from 100 different albums layered together in a single audio sequence. Each discrete record has developed its own unique character with scratches and warps at various points in the songs. The resulting track will be like hearing hundreds of Beatles albums at once, with the individuality of each standing out above the next. Via Wired.
The Hills Are Alive with the sound of Australia's newest and best this March. Featuring a gaggle of Australian acts headlined by NSW singer Vera Blue and Melbourne alt-rock band Kingswood, The Hills Are Alive music festival is returning to the South Gippsland hills for the eleventh time this year — and it's last. Festival organisers, who also run NYE on the Hill in the same spot — announced that THAA will be going on an indefinite 'vacay' after this March's festivities. But, despair not, there's one festival left to celebrate and it has a bumper lineup of musicians and comedians. Hosted at the McLaren family farm an hour and a half out of Melbourne, THAA 2019 will feature indie Melbourne four-piece Mid City, folk singer Didirri and hip-hop artists Poppy Rose and Kwame, plus a whole lot more. Electro-pop musician Will Cuming will also be taking to the stage for the last time as Lanks, before retiring the moniker and pursuing new projects. The festival also has a lineup of five Aussie comedians. So, when you need a (short) break from the music, you'll be able to chill out on the grass and listen to the likes of Marcus Ryan, Bec Melrose (winner of RAW Comedy 2018) and Lewis Garnham. Tickets include camping and you can BYO booze (huzzah). If you forget, or run out, there will be four bars popping up around the festival, street food carts and field games (including the very serious Hills Gumboot Toss). Attendees are encouraged to carpool to keep their impact on the environment to a minimum while pets are prohibited on account of the cows with whom you'll be sharing the campsite. THE HILLS ARE ALIVE 2019 LINEUP Vera Blue Kingswood Didirri Lanks Ceres Tia Gostelow Kwame Press Club Arno Faraji Good Dogs Bugs Raave Tapes Planet Genesis Owusu Sÿde Cousin Tony's Brand New Firebird IV League Mid City The Northern Folk Loser Poppy Rose Cool Out Sun Stevie Jean Steve Cousins Househats For more information on the lineup, head to the festival website. Image two: Christopher Cohen.
Pick your poison, action-franchise edition circa 2023: balletically choreographed carnage; cars, kin and Coronas; or Tom Cruise constantly one-upping himself in the megastar stunts stakes. Hollywood loves them all. Cinemas keep welcoming them all. So, after John Wick: Chapter 4 and Fast X comes Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One to deliver the kind of movie spectacle that always looks best on the biggest and brightest of silver screens. And, as its lead actor's gleaming teeth do, the seventh instalment in the TV-to-film spy series shines. Like Cruise himself, it's committed to giving audiences what they want to see, but never merely exactly what they've already seen. This saga hasn't always chosen to accept that mission, but it's been having a better time of it since 2011's Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, including when writer/director Christopher McQuarrie jumped behind the lens with 2015's Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. McQuarrie and Cruise have history; McQuarrie first helmed Cruise in 2012's Jack Reacher, and also penned or co-penned the screenplays for the Cruise-starring Valkyrie, Edge of Tomorrow, The Mummy and Top Gun: Maverick before and during their Mission: Impossible collaboration. Prior to that, however — the year before Mission: Impossible was reborn as a movie, in fact — the filmmaker won an Oscar for writing The Usual Suspects. Take the puzzle-like trickery of that mid-90s big-reveal mystery, combine it with Cruise's determination to score the first Academy Award for Best Stunts if and when it's ever introduced (or die trying), and it's plain to see why they make an ace Mission: Impossible pair. With both 2018's Mission: Impossible – Fallout and now Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One in particular, they ensure that a franchise based on a half-century-old formula courtesy of Mission: Impossible's television days still feels fresh and thrilling. Rubber masks so realistic that anyone on-screen could rip off their face to reveal Cruise's Ethan Hunt? Of course they're present and accounted for. Espionage antics that involve saving the world while traversing much of it? Tick that off ASAP. The saga's main Impossible Missions Force operative doing whatever it takes, including sprinting everywhere and relentlessly exasperating his higher-ups? Check. A trusty crew faithfully aiding the always-maverick Hunt, plus slippery adversaries to endeavour to outsmart? Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One gives them a hefty thumbs up as well. Shady forces with globe-destroying aims, being able to trust oh-so-few folks, wreaking slickly staged havoc, those jaw-dropping stunts, top-notch actors: Cruise and McQuarrie, the latter co-writing with Erik Jendresen (Ithaca), feel the need to feed it all into the flick, too. They're also rather fond of nodding to and reworking the franchise's greatest hits. Happily playing with recognisable pieces while eagerly, cleverly and satisfyingly building upon them isn't the easiest of skills, but it's firmly in this team's arsenal. When Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation labelled Hunt "the living manifestation of destiny", it wasn't the series' finest piece of dialogue. There's a sense of humour about hearing him called "a mind-reading, shape-shifting incarnation of chaos" in Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, though. That description could also be directed at Hunt, Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames, Legacy) and Benji Dunn's (Simon Pegg, The Boys) latest timely enemy: The Entity, an artificial intelligence that's literally killer. Unlike in The Terminator flicks, this AI is content without mechanical bodies to control. Whether in Russian submarines, Abu Dhabi's airport or on careening trains, it does a commanding job of bending both computer programs and people to its will. The aim: to secure that power, a quest that Hunt is on a mission to thwart. Returning from the OG 1996 movie, IMF head Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny, Scream VI) initially gives Hunt and company their orders — and once this troupe has been set in motion, little can stop it. So, when the crew punches its "get disavowed by the government again" card, they still stick to the task of tracking down the two-part key that The Entity wants. Terrorist Gabriel (Esai Morales, How to Get Away with Murder) and assassin Paris (Pom Klementieff, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) are on the AI's side. Jasper Briggs (Shea Whigham, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) is among the US operatives trying to bring in Hunt. Back from the last instalment, arms dealer White Widow (Vanessa Kirby, The Son) has her own plan, while ex-MI6 agent Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson, Silo) appears in her third flick in a row to again link in with the usual team. Then there's pickpocket Grace (Hayley Atwell, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), a newcomer who is accustomed to flying solo. Atwell and Klementieff are scene-stealing additions to the cast, and the always-great Ferguson has been a standout since Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. Still, as has been teased, talked about and splashed across Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One's poster, Cruise is the one actually physically soaring. What would a Mission: Impossible movie be without flaunting its riskiest stunt, as performed by its stratospheric name himself, as audience bait? Not a McQuarrie-era chapter, that's for sure. When the scene arrives, getting Cruise riding a motorcycle off a towering cliff in an effort to land aboard the hurtling Orient Express, it is indeed breathtaking — and a gripping, nerve-shredding sight to behold. It isn't alone, though, thanks to a tense underwater opening, cat-and-mouse airport antics, Arabian desert horse chases, Fiat-driving Italian Job-style Rome romps and the high-stakes hijinks on Agatha Christie's favourite locomotive itself. Cinematographer Fraser Taggart (Robot Overlords) and editor Eddie Hamilton (back from the last two movies), plus the entire stunt team, help shoot, splice and execute these setpieces rivetingly. Repeatedly besting past Mission: Impossible action triumphs? Mission: accomplished. Twenty-seven years, notching up three pictures now with McQuarrie at the helm, and with Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two obviously on the way (arrival: June 2024), there's a well-oiled air to Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One. That said, to run so smoothly requires care, aka someone doing the oiling, which is why there's rarely a well-worn moment or element be seen. Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One covers some ground that John Wick: Chapter 4 and Fast X already have in 2023 (and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny as well). It eagerly nods to its own past. And it knows that Cruise could just cruise-control his way through, as could his co-stars, if they wanted. Its biggest feat? Lifting everything that it does, and that a Mission: Impossible flick must, again and again so that seeming routine proves, yes, impossible. There's no self-destruction here — just devotion to an intense and entertaining action extravaganza.
'Escape room' has been a bit of a loaded term for the past 18 months or so. We all know how crucial lockdowns are to stopping the spread of COVID-19, but we've all dreamed about escaping our own four walls during stay-at-home stints, too. And, if you're a fan of actual escape rooms — the themed spaces where puzzle buffs track down clues, solve mysteries and try to sleuth their way out the doors — you haven't had too many chances to enjoy your favourite pastime during the pandemic. You mightn't be able to head to a physical escape room at the moment — you could be in lockdown in Sydney or Brisbane, or it hasn't been a priority after Melbourne's last stay-at-home stretch, for instance — but one Australian venue wants you to keep enjoying its mysteries within your own house. Arcadium Adventures set up shop in Spring Hill in Brisbane in 2020, complete with a bar and different spaces for patrons to puzzle their way through. Now, it's also releasing online mystery kits for you to enjoy at home. A Most Mysterious Convention is the first kit in a planned series, and it'll task you with figuring out a secret message — all by printing out and reading the materials provided, and also by doing some cutting and punching of holes (with a hole punch, of course). You'll be solving puzzles in the process, too, with the whole experience expected to take between 90–120 minutes. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Arcadium Adventures (@arcadiumadventures) If you get stumped, you can also access the Arcadium Archives online for hints and clues as part of the $20 kit price. And, if you'd prefer to get a physical copy that you don't have to print out yourself, you can get one posted to you for $28. Obviously, you now have something else to add to your to-do list while you're spending more time at home. Yes, your streaming queue can wait for a few hours of puzzles. For more information about Arcadium Adventures' A Most Mysterious Convention kits, or to buy one, head to the venue's website. Top image: Arcadium Adventures.
As the federal government continues to drag its feet resettling refugees fleeing the Syrian conflict (Australia had managed about 6000 by last November — Canada by comparison, was at well over 30,000), it falls once more to the non-political professions to show the government where the hands go on the 1humanitarian clock. This time, it's hospitality's turn. On March 6, UNICEF Australia will partner with 11 of the country's best chefs for a charity dinner celebrating Syria's strong culinary tradition. The Point Albert Park will host the posse of gastronomers as they prepare a banquet comprising their signature dishes with a few Syrian flourishes. If you've never been at the mercy of za'atar, pomegranate, Aleppo pepper or tamarind, this could well be a revelation. Tickets are a steep $329 per person (plus booking fee), but 75 percent of the proceed will go to UNICEF's Syria Crisis Appeal. The price includes canapés, cocktails on arrival, a shared Syrian-inspired feast and wine. It may seem on the surface like you're paying for the food, but ten professional chefs jammed into a single kitchen also suggests a night of great theatre. Movida's Frank Camorra and Lee Ho Fook's Victor Liong will be in the fray, with David Thompson of the newly opened Long Chim and Anchovy's Thi Le contending for next use of the colander with equal ferocity. If you've ever wanted to see Karen Martini trying to slice potato with steel wool or fighting a pitched battle for the top shelf of the oven, this could well be your chance. Other chefs rounding out the impressive lineup include Lûmé's Shaun Quade, Maha's Shane Delia, Embla's Dave Verheul, The Point's Andy Harmer, Jacques Reymond and David Moyle of Hobart's Franklin and soon-to-open Melbourne restaurant Longsong. While the top guns will have their turn on March 6, UNICEF Australia is encouraging anyone with passing knowledge of an oven to contribute. Restaurants and cafes can produce a limited edition 'Syria' version of a favourite dish throughout the month, of which a portion of the proceeds will go to UNICEF. For those who deal in culinary delight on a slightly smaller scale, bake sales are your recommended course. While you're waiting for the oven to pre-heat, there's more information here. The #CookForSyria charity dinner will take place on Monday, March 6 at The Point Albert Park. Tickets are $329 each and are available here.
With Australia's borders firmly shut, international travel has been relegated to the realm of dreams, and it looks like it'll be staying there for a good long while. But if you're happy to pretend you're taking a getaway, Qantas has been offering up several products to help. First, it sold its pyjamas, amenity sets and other in-flight goodies. Then, it moved onto fully stocked bar carts. Now, the Aussie airline has released a luxe range of athleisure wear — the type of thing you'd don if you were heading off on holidays, obviously. Launched in collaboration with Australian designer Martin Grant, the new collection has a retro feel, too — because fondly recalling better times gone by is another thoroughly 2020 pastime. A number of Qantas' vintage logos are splashed across range, so you can choose between old-school lettering or the famed kangaroo motif. The collection spans a cashmere jumper, a hoodie, sweatshirts, t-shirts and a beach tote. Colour-wise, the range highlights the company's red and navy colour scheme, as well as grey and wattle yellow. And yes, it's definitely designed to make you feel nostalgic. "This collection is all about classic shapes, comfortable styles and materials that are kind on the environment. But the hero of the designs are the iconic logos that evoke so many fond memories for Australians," said Grant. If wearing an airline logo will make you feel like you've jetted far, far away, a word of warning: this limited-edition collection doesn't come cheap. If you're paying cash, you can expect to fork out $425 for a yellow or navy sweater, $275 for a navy hoodie, $250 for grey sweatshirts, $150 for a navy or grey t-shirt, and $350 for a navy beach tote — or part with a heap of Qantas points. You can buy Qantas' athleisure-wear collection online, using cash or points.
When an awards body has spent almost a century handing out high-profile gongs in a field that garners plenty of attention, it really should be past the point of smashing records and making history. But the Academy Awards hasn't been particularly inclusive or diverse over its 93-year run to-date — which is why 2021's big winner is still breaking boundaries. When Chloé Zhao was nominated for this year's Best Director Oscar for Nomadland, she already achieved an immense feat. Only five female filmmakers had ever even made it to the awards ceremony in the coveted field before 2021, and she joined Promising Young Woman's Emerald Fennell among this year's candidates. This marked the first time ever that two women had received recognition in the same year in the category, too, because when it comes to realising that yes, women are filmmakers, the Academy's track record has been nothing short of abysmal. Now, with the awards handed out and winners anointed, Zhao has become the first woman of colour to ever emerge victorious in the field. She's only the second woman to ever win as well. Zhao ended up with two awards, because Nomadland won Best Picture and she was one of the film's producers. But the importance of her win for Best Director really can't be understated. Zhao joins The Hurt Locker's Kathryn Bigelow, who nabbed the prize in 2009, as the only two women who've ever scooped the field. And, with their nominations, both Zhao and Fennell joined Bigelow, Lina Wertmüller (for Seven Beauties), Jane Campion (for The Piano), Sofia Coppola (for Lost in Translation) and Greta Gerwig (for Lady Bird) as the only women to even get the chance to win Best Director on Hollywood's night of nights. [caption id="attachment_796213" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Director Chloé Zhao filming Nomadland. Image: Searchlight Pictures.[/caption] Nomadland is Zhao's third film, after 2015's Songs My Brothers Taught Me and 2017's The Rider — and viewers can already look forward to watching her fourth later this year. Her next movie will see the director head into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Eternals focusing on an immortal alien race, and starring Angelina Jolie (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil), Kumail Nanjiani (Stuber), Salma Hayek (Like a Boss), Barry Keoghan (Calm with Horses), Gemma Chan (Captain Marvel), Brian Tyree Henry (Superintelligence) and Game of Thrones co-stars Richard Madden and Kit Harington. Zhao will be working on a far bigger scale than seen in her filmography so far; however, there's a sense of empathy and a knack for observation to her features that'll hopefully make the much-needed jump to superhero territory. If you're wondering who else emerged victorious at this year's Oscars, the full list of nominees and winners in every category is below. You can also check out our in-depth overview of ten of this year's winners that are worth watching ASAP. OSCAR NOMINEES AND WINNERS 2021 BEST MOTION PICTURE The Father Judas and the Black Messiah Mank Minari Nomadland Promising Young Woman Sound of Metal The Trial of the Chicago 7 BEST DIRECTOR Another Round, Thomas Vinterberg Mank, David Fincher Minari, Lee Isaac Chung Nomadland, Chloé Zhao Promising Young Woman, Emerald Fennell PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE Viola Davis, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Andra Day, The United States vs Billie Holiday Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman Frances McDormand, Nomadland Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Anthony Hopkins, The Father Gary Oldman, Mank Steven Yeun, Minari PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy Olivia Colman, The Father Amanda Seyfried, Mank Yuh-Jung Youn, Minari PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of the Chicago 7 Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah Leslie Odom Jr, One Night in Miami Paul Raci, Sound of Metal LaKeith Stanfield, Judas and the Black Messiah BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Judas and the Black Messiah, Will Berson, Shaka King, Will Berson, Kenny Lucas and Keith Lucas Minari, Lee Isaac Chung Promising Young Woman, Emerald Fennell Sound of Metal, Darius Marder, Abraham Marder and Derek Cianfrance The Trial of the Chicago 7, Aaron Sorkin BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Peter Baynham, Erica Rivinoja, Dan Mazer, Jena Friedman and Lee Kern The Father, Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller The Mauritanian, Rory Haines, Sohrab Noshirvani and MB Traven Nomadland, Chloé Zhao The White Tiger, Ramin Bahrani BEST ORIGINAL SCORE Da 5 Bloods, Terence Blanchard Mank, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Minari, Emile Mosseri News of the World, James Newton Howard Soul, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste BEST ORIGINAL SONG 'Fight For You', Judas and the Black Messiah (HER, Dernst Emile II and Tiara Thomas) 'Hear my Voice', The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite) 'Husavik', Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson) 'Io Si (Seen)', The Life Ahead (Diane Warren and Laura Pausini) 'Speak Now', One Night in Miami (Leslie Odom, Jr and Sam Ashworth) BEST FILM EDITING The Father, Yorgos Lamprinos Nomadland, Chloé Zhao Promising Young Woman, Frédéric Thoraval Sound of Metal, Mikkel EG Nielsen The Trial of the Chicago 7, Alan Baumgarten BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM Another Round Better Days Collective The Man Who Sold His Skin Quo Vadis, Aida? BEST ANIMATED FEATURE Onward Over the Moon A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon Soul Wolfwalkers BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE Collective Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution The Mole Agent My Octopus Teacher Time BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Judas and the Black Messiah, Sean Bobbitt Mank, Erik Messerschmidt News of the World, Dariusz Wolski Nomadland, Joshua James Richards The Trial of the Chicago 7, Phedon Papamichael BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN The Father, Peter Francis and Cathy Featherstone Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Mark Ricker, Karen O'Hara and Diana Stoughton Mank, Donald Graham Burt and Jan Pascale News of the World, David Crank and Elizabeth Keenan Tenet, Nathan Crowley and Kathy Lucas BEST VISUAL EFFECTS Love and Monsters, Matt Sloan, Genevieve Camilleri, Matt Everitt and Brian Cox The Midnight Sky, Matthew Kasmir, Christopher Lawrence, Max Solomon and David Watkins Mulan, Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury and Steve Ingram The One and Only Ivan, Santiago Colomo Martinez, Nick Davis, Greg Fisher Tenet, Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley and Scott Fisher BEST COSTUME DESIGN Emma, Alexandra Byrne Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Ann Roth Mank, Trish Summerville Mulan, Bina Daigeler Pinocchio, Massimo Cantini Parrini BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING Emma, Marese Langan, Laura Allen and Claudia Stolze Hillbilly Elegy, Eryn Krueger Mekash, Matthew Mungle and Patricia Dehaney Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson Mank, Gigi Williams, Kimberley Spiteri and Colleen LaBaff Pinocchio, Mark Coulier, Dalia Colli and Francesco Pegoretti BEST SOUND Greyhound, Warren Shaw, Michael Minkler, Beau Borders and David Wyman Mank, Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance and Drew Kunin News of the World, Oliver Tarney, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller and John Pritchett Soul, Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott and David Parker Sound of Metal, Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés and Phillip Bladh BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT Colette A Concerto is a Conversation Do Not Split Hunger Ward A Love Song for Latasha BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM Burrow Genius Loci If Anything Happens I Love You Opera Yes-People BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM Feeling Through The Letter Room The Present Two Distant Strangers White Eye Top image: Frances McDormand and Chloé Zhao on the set of Nomadland. Image: Searchlight Pictures. © 2020, 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved
Head to the Northern Territory at any time of year and Uluru awaits, as well as the Tjoritja gorges and Kings Canyon. So does stunning new nightly light show Wintjiri Wiru, plus Bruce Munro's Field of Light and Light Towers installations. But only a visit in April involves basking in Parrtjima — A Festival In Light's stunning glow — and, if you're keen to head along to its next event, the must-attend First Nations arts, culture and storytelling festival has just locked in its 2024 dates. The region's luminous Indigenous arts fest will return from Friday, April 12–Sunday, April 21, as once again set against the 300-million-year-old MacDonnell Ranges. It's too early for program specifics, but it'll look stunning as always no matter what's on the bill. There will be a big change, however: a different team delivering Parrtjima's 2024 events behind the scenes. While the details there haven't been unveiled as yet either, the new partner will combine "innovative technologies with traditional storytelling methods," as per the festival's announcement — and is also someone with "a proven track record in creating bold and creative experiences". Rhoda Roberts AO will still curate the festival, with 2024's theme set to focus on interconnectedness and its importance in Aboriginal cultures. "Everything is living in Aboriginal culture and in the old ways, the approach was one of sharing and working together," said Roberts. "Our ancestors were living under strict social structures and belief systems where everything was interrelated from the land and waterways to our sky country. Along with resilience that's tinged with laughter, interconnectedness blankets the wisdom of generations that we are reminded to experience and absorb." If you're new to Parrtjima, which just might be Australia's most luminous festival, it features installations in breathtaking surroundings, plus music, talks, films, workshops and more. 2023's focus was 'Listening with Heart', as inspired by the artwork surrounding the Statement from the Heart — with that piece depicting Uluru-Ku Tjukurrpa, the Uluru story of connection, as created by a group of artists from Multijulu as led by Maruku artist Rene Kulitja. So, Kulitja worked with other of artists for Parrtjima to turn the Statement from the Heart artwork into a large-scale immersive light and sound installation. Accordingly, Parrtjima attendees were plunged in the world of the Aṉangu people of the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands surrounding Uluru. This year's festival installations featured ancient songlines, plus Indigenous viewpoints on Country, as well as connecting to First Peoples' strong links with the land, water and sky. Two things that are also always on the bill: two of the festival's regular annual attractions, aka a huge artwork that transforms a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the majestic ranges, showering it with light each night of the festival; and Grounded, the installation projected over the red dirt at tourism and conservation facility Alice Springs Desert Park. As for the music program, 2023's lineup overflowed with First Nations talent, including Docker River Band, Eastern Reggae Band, Emily Wurramara, JK-47, KAIIT, Karnage and Paul Ah Chee — and Radical Son, Richard J Frankland, Discovering Leerpeen Mara, Rowdy Birds, The Andrew Gurruwiwi Band and The Merindas. Details of each year's fest usually start dropping late in the year prior — we'll update you with more of what's in store for 2023 as it's announced. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light will return from Friday, April 12–Sunday, April 21, 2024, at venues around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information, visit the festival website. Images: Parrtjima – A Festival in Light. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
