With lockdowns well behind us, Melbourne is scoring brand new music festivals left, right and centre. And the latest addition to that event calendar is Hello Sunshine — a new one-day celebration of tunes and food hitting the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges this summer. Descending on Scoresby's Caribbean Gardens (the OG home of Moomba) on Saturday, February 11, this one's got a broad-ranging lineup of acts to tempt all ages. Hitting the stage, you'll catch the likes of indie pop darling Amy Shark fresh from her latest Aussie tour, jazz-funk legends The Cat Empire and hip hop artist 360. [caption id="attachment_866426" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Amy Shark[/caption] An unexpected musical gift comes in the form of a set by kids-entertainer-turned-DJ Murray Cook — aka the original Red Wiggle — while acts like Pierce Brothers, Yo! Mafia, Rockafellas, rising star Ally Rendall, Cadence and drag queen DJs Jawbreakers round out the day's musical fun. On top of that, there'll be carnival rides, market stalls and a stack of food trucks, including local favourites like El Chivi with its Uruguayan steak sangas, low-and-slow barbecue by Smokeyboiz, Hamsa Hummus Bar, Cypriot Street Grill and more. Adult tickets start from $115, with VIP tickets at $165 — both available online. [caption id="attachment_866455" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Cat Empire, by Darra Munis[/caption] Updated: January 18
Celebrate New Year's Eve like they do in Spain and South America — with complimentary tapas. On December 31, Smith Street's MJR TOM, inspired by the Spanish concept of 'gratis', will be serving up complimentary tapas to revellers from 10pm. Fingers crossed their goreng sliders make an appearance, although we wouldn't say no to the kingfish ceviche, either. Drinks will be available at regular bar prices, making this one of the less exorbitant places in town to ring in 2016. Walk-ins only though — so maybe try and get there a little early to nab a prime perch.
The caffeine specialists at Market Lane have added yet another member to their growing family. Opening yesterday, Tuesday, April 26, at the east end of the CBD, Market Lane Collins Street is your new city destination for espresso and filter coffee, beans and equipment. Located in historic Portland House near the intersection of Collins and Spring Streets, the small shop marks the fifth permanent Market Lane location, with the boutique roastery also operating cafes in Carlton, Prahran, Queen Vic Market and Therry Street in the CBD. The Collins Street store was designed by Sarah Trotter of Hearth Studio, with eucalyptus-green walls and tessellated floor tiles meant to reflect the building's Victorian heritage. Textured fabric walls and seating, matte walnut cabinetry and the use of cloudy marble stone are influenced by the work of Australian painter Clarice Beckett (1887-1935), who studied at the College of Art across the street. Market Lane Collins Street will be open from 7am to 3pm Monday through Friday, serving espresso and filter coffee as well as a small selection of cakes from Beatrix Bakes in North Melbourne. They also sell beans and specialty equipment, including grinders, plungers and filter paper, for coffee fiends looking to replicate their work at home. Find Market Lane's latest store at 8 Collins Street, Melbourne. For more information visit marketlane.com.au. Image: Market Lane Coffee.
The Melbourne Art Fair is setting up shop this year at the grand Royal Exhibition Centre in Carlton, and from August 14-17 it will be home to more than 300 artists' work, presented by leading Australian and Asia-Pacific galleries. Contemporary art lovers have the chance to view, interact with and purchase work from both Australian and international artists, and trust us, there's plenty to get through. While much of the artwork is for sale, you don’t need a fat chequebook to check out the best artistic offerings. A public program offers plenty of artsy sights for all, including those who aren't inclined to venture to the Royal Exhibition Centre. Check out our top five picks of what you should feast your eyes on during this year's fair here.
The London Riots have left us all a bit gobsmacked. On the 6th of August in Tottenham in the North of London what started out as peaceful demonstration against a recent police shooting turned into something quite different and unexpected — an outbreak of violence and the destruction of cars and homes and local businesses. And then the looting began. Over the next two to three days copycat riots and looting broke out over London, most notably in Peckham, Clapham and Brixton and then around the country in Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham resulting in five related deaths and the worst rioting the country has seen since the 1980s. As large parts of the city were shut down and boarded up, the rest of the world looked on in shock as footage and information streamed out via mainstream and social media. The mainstream media questioned the politicians, the police response and the rioters motivations. A YouTube video, which has received in excess of four millions hits, was uploaded of a Malaysian student, bleeding and distressed, being 'helped up' by the crowd around him only then to be mugged by his supposed 'helpers'. A Tumblr site, Photshoplooter, sprang up, providing some much needed humour in a time which is anything but funny. In the aftermath of the riots, as the public, the politicians and the newspapers debate everything from increasing police powers to the impact the government's recent austerity measures have had on young people, the good people of London (and yes, there are quite a few of them) have got down to the business of cleaning up and rebuilding. RiotCleanup started as a twitter account in the early hours of the 9th of August and by the morning it was a website helping to organise an army of volunteers who wanted to help with the clean up. Building on its success, two recent architecture students, Lee Wilshire and Nick Varney, have set up Riotrebuild, which is dedicated to connecting people who have been affected by the riots with professional architects, builders and handyman to assist them to rebuild their homes, business and communities.
Melbourne's late summer openair cinema will occupy hallowed turf, with a pop-up cinema on the pitch at the MCG. Taking over the iconic sporting arena for the final weekend of summer, Cinema at the 'G will showcase a pair of critically acclaimed films under the stars. On Friday, February 24, they're screening Lion, the Australian-made drama starring Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman that's poised to clean up at this year's Academy Awards. The following evening it's up in the air (and then down in the river) with Tom Hanks in Sully, the real-life drama about the heroics of US Airways pilot Chesley Sullenberger. Ticketholders can bring picnic blankets, pillows and snacks, or munch on cinema food available for purchase on-site. Doors open at 6.30pm for an 8.30pm start. Proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Bank of Melbourne Neighbourhood Fund, which in turns supports an array of Victorian charities.
Throw those GoPros, bubble bottles and novelty gumboots in your rucksack, Splendour in the Grass is returning to North Byron Parklands for another year of festival merriment. After a fake lineup posted was 'leaked' prior to the official triple j announcement to catfish all us suckers eagerly awaiting the list of acts that will be appearing, the details for Splendour 2016 are finally here. In what is the best news we've heard this year, The Strokes (The Strokes!!!) will be Splendouring for their only Australian show. It also seems the predictions for The Cure were incredibly, amazingly correct — meaning that we'll be seeing both The Strokes and The Cure this July. It's almost too much to handle. Joining them is one heck of a lineup that includes The Avalanches — who haven't played a gig (that wasn't a DJ set) in over ten years. Fingers crossed the show coincides with new music. Iceland's Sigur Rós and Irish artist James Vincent McMorrow will also being doing one-off Australian shows at the festival, Courtney Barnett will make her first appearance at Byron, while James Blake and At the Drive-In will return, as will locals Flume and Sticky Fingers. Anyway, we know what you're here for. We'll cut to the chase. SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2016 LINEUP The Strokes (only Aus show) The Cure Flume The Avalanches (only Aus show) James Blake At The Drive-In Violent Soho Hermitude Band of Horses Sigur Ros (only Aus show) Santigold Matt Corby Sticky Fingers Boy & Bear Courtney Barnett Jake Bugg The 1975 Leon Bridges Duke Dumont (DJ set) James Vincent McMorrow (only Aus show) The Kills The Preatures What So Not Years And Years Gang Of Youths Illy Peter, Bjorn & John Golden Features Crystal Fighters Ball Park Music Tegan & Sara DMA'S Jack Garratt Hayden James City Calm Down Snakehips Mark Lanegan Michael Kiwanuka Jagwar Ma King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard The Jungle Giants The Internet Motez Marlon Williams Lido Emma Louise Kim Churchill Nothing But Thieves Lapsley Kacy Hill Slumberjack Robert Forster (10 Years On) Beach Slang Urthboy Little May Boo Seeka Ganz Spring King Melbourne Ska Orchestra Fat White Family Total Giovanni Methyl Ethel Slum Sociable L D R U In Loving Memory of Szymon Blossoms High Tension Roland Tings Sampa The Great The Wild Feathers Harts Ngaiire montaigne Tired Lion Green Buzzard Jess Kent Gold Class Lucy Cliche Opiuo Mall grab Dom Dolla Paces Just A Gent Dro Carey Running Touch Wafia World Champion Suzi Zhen Remi Nicole Millar Dreller Feki Kllo Banoffee Plus... Moonbase Comander The Meeting Tree Twinsy Purple Sneaker Djs Human Movement Panete Swick Amateur Dance Ribongia Splendour will return to North Byron Parklands on Friday 22, Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 July. Onsite camping will once again be available from Wednesday, July 20. Image: Bianca Holderness.
This year's Ballarat Beer Festival is well and truly worth skipping town for, with 35 craft brewers to sample, delicious food trucks and excellent live entertainment on offer at the country festival. On top of all the tastings, there will also be The Sessions: a series of informative talks from brewers and beer aficionados alike. Some of the brews you can look forward to include award-winning drops from Temple Brewing Co. and Two Birds Brewing, an intriguing green tea-infused Japanese ale from 7 cent Brewery called 'Mista Sparkle', and a gluten free chocolate orange porter from Rebellion Brewing. If by some bizarre cruel twist of fate you find yourself having your fill of beer for the day, there will also be plenty of cider options such as Batlow and Blue Elephant, local wines, and even Trumpeters alcoholic iced tea. If you're in town early and looking to kick things off, there will be a Friday degustation dinner on the eve of the festival, where Huxtable's Daniel Wilson will be serving up a four-course dinner with beers to match. And if all the fantastic food and drink options weren’t enough, there will be musical performances by the likes of You Am I, Dallas Crane, Kylie Auldist, The ReChords, Bakersfield Glee Club and The New Savages.
If seasonal change has left you in a dizzy headspin of new colours and fabrics and prints and jackets — or if, y'know, you just like some fancy new clothes now and then — you'll be pretty pleased to know that the Big Fashion Sale is coming back to Melbourne for four days this March. The name pretty much says it all. This thing is big. You'll find thousands of lush items from past collections, samples and one-offs from over 50 cult Australian and international designers, both well-known and emerging, including Kenzo, Marni, Phillip Lim, Karla Špetić, Adidas, Kowtow, Macgraw, Thursday Sunday and more. With discounts of up to 80 percent off, this is one way to up your count of designer while leaving your bank balance sitting pretty too. Prices this low tend to inspire a certain level of ruthlessness in all of us, though, so practise that grabbing reflex in advance. This is every person for themselves. The Big Fashion Sale will be open 9am–7pm Thursday, 9am–8pm Friday, 9am–6pm Saturday, and 10am–4pm Sunday.
Drinking a few brews and accidentally getting beer splashed on your shoes is a problem we've all experienced, particularly if you've indulged in a few steins at Oktoberfest. When people amass for a big, boozy shindig, steins start dripping and so does your footwear — and, as often happens when folks enjoy a few too many cold beverages, a stray drop of beer or several isn't the only unpleasantness threatening your kicks. Enter Adidas' new Originals München 'Oktoberfest' sneakers, aka the brand's solution to errant alcohol, its after-effects and its potential for stained shoes during the annual celebration. Made in Germany and available for a limited time from retailer 43einhalb, they're designed to withstand brews and vomit thanks to "durable puke and beer repellent" coating over their leather surface. Just how that works hasn't been revealed, but we're guessing you still shouldn't try pouring a whole pint over them. Selling for almost AU$300 (€199.95), the shoes also cater for the less messy parts of Oktoberfest, because the yearly booze fest is all in the name of fun. Accordingly, they're decked out with embroidery designed to match your lederhosen, have "prost" (aka cheers in German) stitched into the side, and come with a custom beer mug. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkMQyAEpyuk Via Munchies. Images:43einhalb/Adidas.
Celebrities use Twitter to rave about who they're sitting next to at the Oscars, teens use Twitter to 'follow' the celebrities, and the remaining account-holders use Twitter to let everyone else know exactly what they're doing at any given moment of the day. However this January and February Twitter became much more than a social network to let your friends know what you had for breakfast — just ask the thousands of young activists in Egypt whose tweets resulted in an unprecedented method of recording history as it happened right before their eyes. Tweets from Tahrir documents each day of the violent revolution in Egypt that ended hundreds of lives, focusing on the uprisings in Cairo's Tahrir Square. The twist: every word and picture of the book is taken from tweets posted by Egyptians either in the heat of conflict or prior to staging a revolution, capturing instant reactions to the demonstrations like no other form of journalism has been able to. Quite the change from updates about Lady Gaga's outfit. Activists Alex Nunns and Nadia Idle edited the 160 pages full of uncensored fear, distress and eventually the excitement of victory, and have organized the 140-character tweets into chronological order, allowing readers to fully grasp the ups and downs of the historic events as they happened. This groundbreaking compilation of 'citizen journalism' will be published on April 21, and readers will be able to experience the drama and ecstasy of the story as it unfolded.
Have you heard the rumour that we're heading into one of the coldest winters ever? While we're sad to say goodbye to lazy beach days and rooftop bars, we're (very) warmly embracing the news as a good excuse for indoor activities — think intimate dinners, house parties and plenty of gigs. To help with the seasonal transition, we've launched a new gig guide in partnership with JBL Link Speakers. Here, we'll give you the low-down on all of the best performers filling our fair cities with their tunes. And since we love doing the hard work for you, we'll also include a curated Spotify playlist of our recommendations for pre-gig study and post-gig reminiscing. To celebrate this new partnership, we're giving away three sets of JBL Link 10 speakers, valued at $229 each. As well as wireless connection, these mighty music boxes have hands-free voice control so Google Assistant becomes your personal DJ — simply shout "OK, Google" and your tune of choice and music will start streaming directly via Chromecast. With up to five hours of play time and high quality sound, the JBL Link 10 speakers are the perfect home accessory for music mavens. To enter, see details below. [competition]659863[/competition]
If you've got a soft spot for falafel, you'll agree these plant-based balls of goodness are a treat for any time of day. And so we reckon you'll be eager to sink your teeth into Melbourne's newest bottomless brunch offering, starring — you guessed it — unlimited falafel. Yep, every Saturday and Sunday throughout April, South Melbourne vegan restaurant Marko is hosting its limited-edition Bottomless Falafel Brunch, which comes in at an easy $30 per person, or $65 including free-flowing drinks. Roll in between 11am and 2.30pm and you'll have 90 minutes to enjoy your fill of an unlimited mezze spread, featuring Marko's signature falafel alongside the likes of tahini, pickles, hummus, baba ganoush, mini avocado toasts and freekah salad. If you've opted for liquid accompaniments, you'll find yourself sipping bottomless espresso martinis, mimosas and gin spritzes. The plant-based feasts are expected to fill up fast, so you'll want to secure your spot by booking a ticket online at least 24 hours before your visit. You'll also need a minimum of two diners to get in on the bottomless brunch action. [caption id="attachment_849447" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bold and Italic Media[/caption] Images: Bold and Italic Media
Stellar LGBTQIA+ celebrations, the Sunshine State capital and sparkling spring weather: that's the Melt Festival formula every year, including in 2025. Brisbane's annual ode to "queer joy, protest and pride", as Melt Executive Producer Emmie Paranthoiene dubs it, is taking over the River City between Wednesday, October 22–Sunday, November 9. On the lineup: 18 days packing more than 60 venues with hundreds of performances and events. Getting excited about 2025's Melt Festival has been easy for a few months now. First, the Brisbane LGBTQIA+ fest announced that Broadway icon Bernadette Peters was making the River City her only Australian stop just for the event. Then, it also confirmed that the River Pride Parade would float its boats for another year. After that came news of 1000 Voices, uniting singers from queer and pride choirs en masse. Next came its initial big program drop. Now the full bill has been unveiled — one that Paranthoiene describes as "celebrating the full spectrum of LGBTQIA+ voices, from bold new talent to iconic artists who continue to break boundaries with this diverse program. Melt is a love letter to our community and everyone's invited to the party." Think: pageants, parades, musical theatre, comedy, choral installation, burlesque, visual arts, theatre, films such as Lesbian Space Princess and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and plenty more. The fringe-style celebration of queer arts and culture fills Brisbane Powerhouse, and also spreads further across the city. Sugar by Tomáš Kantor is one new highlight, with the cabaret taking cues from Pretty Woman and boasting tunes from Chappell Roan, who has been on the Melt lineup herself in the past. Or, catch the return of BRIEFS with Jealousss, plus the Briefs Bus doing guided tours that explore Brisbane's queer history. Comedian Urzila Carlson is on the program, too, as is actor and activist Zoe Terakes (Ironheart, The Office, Talk to Me) doing an in-conversation session. 2025 newcomer Melting Pot is giving Brisbane Powerhouse a pop-up venue each week, featuring the likes of QUIVR DJs, Miss First Nation heats and queer line dancing — plus Melt artists putting on showcases and other surprises. Theatrical performance Rhythmology digs into factory resets as a theme, while daytime disco Play Date is designed for families. [caption id="attachment_1017773" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Atmosphere Photography[/caption] Reuben Kaye, the full Miss First Nation drag contest, a queer wrestle party, Femme Follies Burlesque: they're all on the lineup from past announcements. Kaye is heading to the fest to give his cabaret show enGORGEd, which'll feature Camerata — Queensland's Chamber Orchestra, its Sunshine State premiere. Shining the spotlight on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander drag queens, Miss First Nation is also making a date with Brisbane for the first time, bringing the finale to the city after putting on state heats around the nation in the lead-up. The Tivoli is your go-to for Melt's high-energy queer wrestle-party, while Femme Follies Burlesque will bring its sapphic moves to The Wickham. Or, you can catch The Lucky Country, a new musical about what it means to be Australian — and the myths and contradictions that come with it — in 2025. Malacañang Made Us and Whitefella Yella Tree are also treading the boards, the first about the Filipino Australian experience and the second telling a love story. There's also a queer boat party on floating venue Oasis; the return of Queer PowerPoint; and a drag Scream Queen shindig with Naomi Smalls and Yvie Oddly, plus Drag Race UK's Kyran Thrax. Or, check out a heap of instruments and performers suspended by rope to pay tribute to Brisbane's punk history, Gerwyn Davies' series of portraits in collaboration with Open Doors Youth Service's trans and gender-diverse young people, and Instagram imagery given a new life in Micah Rustichelli's Demon Rhythm. [caption id="attachment_1007544" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Claudio Raschella[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1007548" align="alignnone" width="1920"] David Kelly[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1007545" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Markus Ravik[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1007547" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gregory Lorenzutti[/caption] Melt Festival 2025 runs from Wednesday, October 22–Sunday, November 9. Head to the festival website for more details. River Pride Parade images: brizzypix.
Do you still know every word to Eminem's 'Lose Yourself' (not just 'spaghetti')? Can you do the whole verse to Nicki Minaj's 'Monster' with a sufficient number of sassy head bobs and eye bulges? Maybe you're just nostalgic for the days of hoop earrings, low-rider jeans and Adidas kicks. We feel ya, and so do the legends at 1000 £ Bend. In an unlikely union of Japanese novelty and gangsta beatz, Hip Hop Karaoke has been born. Now in its third instalment, this monthly slice of gangsta's paradise (yeah, we worked it in) is pulling big crowds. It's a first come first served policy on the mic so if you want to sing, get in early at 9pm. Once you have the stage, there are a few rules too. Obviously there's no racial or homophobic slurs, and thankfully there's no freestyling. Also, costumes are "heavily encouraged", so if you have a huge Snoop Dogg fur coat and cane you've been saving for a special occasion — your time has finally arrived. It's also worth pointing out that there are no lyric sheets on the night. Pick your song in advance and get practising. If that sounds a little daunting, don't worry. Drinks are $5 between 9-10pm; you'll find the courage somehow.
After a little time off to rest those weary limbs, Sydney Dance Company and artistic director Rafael Bonachela are back in business with the world premiere of Ocho, created by Bonachela, and Full Moon, choreographed by Tapei-based Cloud Gate 2 artistic director Cheng Tsung-lung. The two acts, exploring the mysteries of the universe and the deep connections between all of us, come together to form Orb, an ethereal exploration of mystery, myth, and mankind. Ocho, which celebrates Bonachela's eighth season with the company, will feature eight dancers working with a hypnotic, electric score and dreamlike stage design to look at the ways in which humans form unseen connections. The act will be followed by Tsung-lung's Full Moon, which explores the power of our celestial satellite, and how humans are affected by it. Orb asks the audience to step outside their bodies and explore the intangible realm of the non-corporeal, and, as Cheng Tsung-lung has said, "uncover the mysteries of the unconscious world which I do not know, yet I feel exist." Images: Pedro Greig.
When Jamie Campbell wore a dress to his high school dance, he couldn't have known what would come next. In 2011, his story hit the small screen thanks to TV documentary Jamie — Drag Queen at Sixteen. In 2017, it became an acclaimed West End stage musical, nabbing five Olivier Award nominations in the process. And in 2020, the show is finally heading to Australia for a huge national tour. Premiering at the Sydney Opera House in July before hitting up Western Sydney, Wyong, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth and Adelaide between September 2020–February 2021, Everybody's Talking About Jamie tells Jamie's coming-of-age tale, complete with an upbeat pop score by The Feeling's Dan Gillespie Sells. Drawn from reality but universal in its emotions and resonance, it's a story of friendship, being yourself and overcoming obstacles such as bullies and prejudice. Here, Jamie New is a 16-year-old living in a council estate in Sheffield in Northern England. He's teased about his sexuality by his classmates, but dreams of attending prom in drag. And, despite the taunting and the small-minded attitudes around him — except from his supportive mum and his loyal friends — he's determined to make that dream a reality. In the Australian production, Fan Girls' James Majoos will play Jamie and Helen Dallimore will play his mother, with the rest of the cast including Simon Burke, Elise McCann, Shubshri Kandiah, Christina O'Neill and Harry Targett. The musical's Aussie run couldn't be better timed, too, with a movie adaptation of Everybody's Talking About Jamie due to hit local cinemas in early December. EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE 2020-21 AUSTRALIAN SEASON Sydney — Saturday, July 18–Sunday, August 30, Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House Western Sydney — Friday, September 4–Sunday, September 13, Sydney Coliseum Theatre, West HQ Wyong — Monday, September 28–Sunday, October 4, The Art House Melbourne — Friday, October 9–Sunday, October 25, Arts Centre Melbourne Brisbane — Friday, November 13–Sunday, November 29, QPAC Canberra — Friday, December 11–Sunday, December 13, Canberra Theatre Centre Perth — Friday, January 22–Sunday, January 31, 2021, His Majesty's Theatre Adelaide — Friday, February 5–Sunday, February 14, 2021, Her Majesty's Theatre Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3mjSUeOg5g&feature=youtu.be Everybody's Talking About Jamie's Australian season will premiere at the Sydney Opera House's Drama Theatre between Saturday, July 18–Sunday, August 30, before touring to Western Sydney from Friday, September 4–Sunday, September 13; Wyong from Monday, September 28–Sunday, October 4; Melbourne from Friday, October 9–Sunday, October 25; Brisbane from Friday, November 13–Sunday, November 29; Canberra from Friday, December 11–Sunday, December 13; Perth from Friday, January 22–Sunday, January 31, 2021 and Adelaide from Friday, February 5–Sunday, February 14, 2021. To join the ticket waitlist, visit the production's website — with Sydney ticket pre-sales starting at 9am on Wednesday, March 11 before general public sales open at 9am on Tuesday, March 17. Top images: Alistair Muir / Johan Persson.
Melbourne's most excellent funk and soul experts are bringing their sweet groove to The Corner this month for the Soul A-Go-Go New Years Eve bash — featuring PBS DJs Vince Peach, Miss Goldie, DJ Manchild, Matt McFetridge, Andrew Young, Zack Rampage and Women of Soul. This right here is seriously good value, $35 for a ticket (or $30 if you’re a PBS member) and the party goes from 9pm-3am. Tickets are strictly limited so if you want to get on down to Funky Town, book now.
Ever been to an exhibition where you just really really wanted to play with the art? Maybe that fluorescent blob-like sculpture looked just like Play-Doh. Did it feel like Play-Doh too? Why would they deny you of knowing? Perhaps a particularly burly hipster gave you the death stare for simply interacting with the piece. This new exhibition by Anna Varendorff might be just the therapy you need. Varendorff is mainly known as a jeweller. If you've ever gushed over a pair of geometric metal earrings at Alice Euphemia, chances are they were hers. But for this interactive installation she has channelled her skills into 50 hand-made brass structures for an audience to play with. Between 20cm and 1m squared, the objects are like an enormous high-stakes game of lego that ushers in the start of an artistic process. Once you are done playing, Varendorff states she "will then draw onto the white painted walls and covered floor the shadows created by the 'room jewels''. With this, Things to Play With will in fact be a statement on the nature of ephemerality, space and time. Accompanied by sound elements from local producer Haima Marriott, the work may well be as much performance as playtime. Photograph: Isobel Knowles
If dropping by your local car wash makes you want to unleash your inner kidult, then you'd better get yourself to the National Gallery of Victoria's Grollo Equiset Garden from October 14. That's when M@ STUDIO Architects will be setting up a pretend car wash, which you'll be welcome to treat as one giant playground. Their brilliant idea is called Haven't you always wanted...?, it's the winner of the 2016 NGV Architecture Commission — and it's free to check out. You'll be able to find your fun easily — just look out for the old-school, glittering sign. Head inside to discover a true-to-size car wash replica, based on an actual existing one in Blackburn. But you can forget your run-of-the-mill cement and nasty fluoro lights. Instead, you'll be surrounded by walls of cricket netting, looking up at a pretty translucent ceiling, frolicking in bright pink AstroTurf and kicking back on rubber speed bumps. There'll be five 'bays' altogether, two hung with red plastic curtains and one equipped with a mist diffuser. So, though you probably won't be able to go for an all-out water fight, you won't escape totally dry (should that be your car wash wish). Plus, at night, the whole scene will light up, letting you have nocturnal adventures galore. To celebrate this epic creation, the NGV is organising a slew of events. In what seems similar to the Queen Victoria Gardens' MPavilion, this outdoor structure will host talks, live music and performances over both spring and summer. But, if you're not in the mood for shows, you can head along to hang out with friends anytime. "We are thrilled to be selected as the winner of the 2016 NGV Architecture Commission," said M@ STUDIO Architects. "Open competitions such as this provide a vital platform for architects to experiment and facilitate public discourse around the broader ideas that motivate the specific design explorations." The annual NGV Architecture Commission invites architects to come up with clever, clever installation ideas for the Grollo Equiset Garden. Entries are judged for their originality, their new ideas concerning architecture and design, and their innovation in material use, fabrication, sustainability and recyclability. Find Haven't you always wanted...? in the NGV Garden at NGV International from 14 October 2016 to April 2017. For more information, visit the NGV website.
A new festival is coming to The Arts Centre with the aim of taking audiences on a hypersensory adventure. Supersense explores heightened experiences from the euphoric to the ecstatic, through mediums including music, dance, film and light. The festival was curated by the endlessly talented Sophia Brous, who worked with the Asian Performing Arts Program to put together an unforgettable weekend full of transcendental experiences. Some of the highlights among the lineup include John Cale, Gurrumul: The Gospel Songs, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Ariel Pink, Discreet + Oblique: The Music of Brian Eno Feat. The Necks, Lydia Lunch, and an intriguing collaboration between HTRK and Chunky Move. Each performance will be conducted in separate spaces throughout The Arts Centre, including some in corners you wouldn’t typically expect to visit. You can either grab a full weekend pass or individual tickets, but be sure to check out their program to create a choose-your-own-adventure experience.
Anytime's a good time for oysters, but there's only one occasion where it's perfectly acceptable to gorge on them to the point of no return: the Oyster Frenzy. You must have heard of the Oyster Frenzy by now: a night where abandon is left at the door, and Melbourne's biggest oyster lovers converge to eat as many of the molluscs as they can humanly handle. It's at the same time the fanciest and the messiest buffet we can imagine. Oyster Frenzy #12 will go down at The Deck at The Prince on Thursday, July 21 from 6.30pm. As well as all-you-can-eat freshly shucked oysters — yes, all-you-can-eat — from SA, Tassie and NSW, there will also be other fancy seafood canapes such as fried barramundi sliders, clam arancini and spanner crab croquettes. This year will also feature both a mussel and a ceviche station, plus all the required beer, wine and cider to wash it down. Last year's Frenzy saw 22,032 oysters shucked and swallowed, so do what you need to prepare. And maybe try and get Friday off work.
Dig out those once-a-year novelty gumboots, Groovin the Moo has unveiled its 2018 lineup. Taking the large-scale music festival out of the city and into regional centres for another year, GTM will kick things off on Friday, April 27 in South Australia and travel through Maitland, Townsville, Bendigo and Canberra before finishing up in Bunbury on May 12. This year sees local talent new and established taking the stage, with the lineup spanning up-and-comers like Alex Lahey, Baker Boy and Winston Surfshirt right through to favourites Flight Facilities and Australian legend Paul Kelly. International talent like Portugal. The Man, Royal Blood and Duke Dumont will make their way to the Moo too. Here's the full lineup. GROOVIN THE MOO 2018 LINEUP Alex Lahey Aminé (USA) The Amity Affliction Baker Boy Ball Park Music Claptone (Ger) Confidence Man Cosmo's Midnight Dean Lewis Duke Dumont (UK) Flight Facilities Grinspoon Lady Leshurr (UK) Mallrat Ocean Alley Paul Kelly Portugal. The Man (USA) Public Service Broadcasting (UK) Royal Blood (UK) Sampa The Great Skegss Superduperkyle (USA) Tkay Maidza Vera Blue Winston Surfshirt GROOVIN THE MOO 2018 DATES & VENUES Friday, April 27 — Wayville (SA) Saturday, April 28 – Maitland (NSW) Sunday, April 29 — Canberra (ACT) Saturday, May 5 — Bendigo (VIC) Sunday, May 6 – Townsville (QLD) Saturday, May 12 — Bunbury (WA) Pre-sale tickets for GTM will go on sale at 9am local time on Wednesday, January 31. All other tickets for Wayville, Maitland and Canberra will go on sale at 9am on Tuesday, February 6, and Bendigo, Bunbury and Townsville will be released the day after at 9am on Wednesday, February 7. For more info, go to gtm.net.au. Image: Jack Toohey.
A thriving garden of fruits and vegetables in the middle of a city isn't something you come across very often. Thornton Budgens supermarket in North London argues that this shouldn't be so, and is taking steps towards a more sustainable future with produce. Thornton Budgens along with project leader Azul-Valerie Thome has created Food From The Sky, a rooftop permaculture garden of organic fruits, vegetables and herbs. The ultimate goal of the project is to prove that produce can be grown in cities and sold locally in a manner that is efficient and not wasteful. The grocery store began the project in May 2010 with only 10 tons of compost and 300 recycling boxes, but with care from employees and over 20 volunteers the garden now yields enough produce to sell every Friday. Any fruits or vegetables that are not sold, instead of simply being thrown away at the end of the day, become compost that will enhance the soil for the next batch of produce. What makes a rooftop garden a great idea? The warmth from the store's heating and lighting systems heat the floor of the roof, preventing the plant seeds from freezing during the colder months, and is free of the slugs and snails that cause pigeons to dig up the soil during vital growth periods. Why didn't we think of this before? In addition, the grocery store is offering courses about this alternative approach to food production in order to instill the power in others to sustain produce gardens in the city while being conscious of the planet. The Food From The Sky project aims to extend its influence to other supermarkets and be a template for other rooftop permaculture gardens in cities. "One day, I want to see supermarket roof-gardens all over the country," said Thome.
Where would we be without movies during the pandemic? Even when cinemas were closed during lockdowns, we all still sought out the joy and escapism of watching a flick — and truly appreciated how cathartic it is. Still keen to queue up a big heap of movies, and a hefty dose of couch time, even though heading to the big screen is well and truly back on the agenda? Enter Movie Frenzy, the returning week-long online film rental sale. From Friday, February 10–Thursday, February 16, it's serving up a sizeable lineup of popular flicks from the past year, all from $3 per movie onwards. On the lineup: Jordan Peele's latest standout horror effort Nope, Tom Cruise indulging a new (and better) need for speed in Top Gun: Maverick, Baz Luhrmann's hip-shaking bio Elvis and star-studded rom-com Ticket to Paradise. Or, if you like scares, you'll find plenty in Smile, Bodies Bodies Bodies and Orphan: First Kill. The action-packed Bullet Train, adventure-romance The Lost City and game-to-screen sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 2 are also on the list — and while some of these flicks are more worth your attention than others, we'll let you do the choosing. You can nab the cheap movies via your digital rental platform of choice, including Apple TV, iTunes, Fetch, Google Play, the Microsoft Store, Prime Video, Fetch and YouTube Movies — although just what's available, and the price, will vary depending on the service. And you won't need a subscription, unless you decide to join in the fun via the Foxtel Store.
UPDATE, Friday, November 10: The Killer screens in select cinemas from Thursday, October 26, and streams via Netflix from Friday, November 10. A methodical opening credits sequence that's all about the finer points, as seen in slivers and snippets, set to industrial strains that can only stem from Trent Reznor, with David Fincher and Andrew Kevin Walker's names adorning the frame, for a film about a murderer being chased. In 1995, Se7en began with that carefully and commandingly spliced-together mix — and magnificently. Fincher and Walker now reteam for the first time since for The Killer, another instantly gripping thriller that starts in the same fashion. It also unfurls as a cat-and-mouse game with a body count, while sporting an exceptional cast and splashing around (exactingly, of course) the full scope of Fincher's filmmaking mastery. This movie's protagonist is detail-obsessive to a calculating degree, and the director bringing him to cinematic life from Matz's graphic novels of the same name also keeps earning that description. The Fight Club, The Social Network and Mank helmer couldn't be more of a perfectionist about assembling The Killer just so, and the feature couldn't be more of a testament to his meticulousness. Fincher's love of crime and mysteries between Se7en and The Killer has gifted audiences The Game, Panic Room, Zodiac, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Gone Girl and Mindhunter, which have always felt like different books from a series rather than a director flipping through the same tome over and over. So it is with Michael Fassbender's long-awaited return to the screen after a four-year absence — X-Men: Dark Phoenix was has his last credit before this — which sees Fincher and his star aping each other in an array of ways. As well as being oh-so-drawn to minutiae, as the eponymous character reinforces in his wry narration, this duo of filmmaker and fictional assassin-for-hire are precise and compulsive about refashioning something new with favourite tools. For The Killer, it's fresh avenues to fulfill his deadly occupation. For the man who kicked off his feature career with Alien³ and now collaborates with a Prometheus and Alien: Covenant alum, it's plying his own trade, too. As Le Samouraï and Haywire have before this — Fassbender also appeared in Haywire, aptly — plus the John Wick franchise, The Killer finds someone in a shadowy line of work getting even murkier folks literally gunning for their demise. But first The Killer meets its namesake in Paris, camping out in an abandoned WeWork office, sleeping, people-watching, working through complicated yoga poses and grabbing a meal from McDonalds while dressed to resemble a German tourist, who he's certain that the French will avoid. Also on his to-do list: listening to every well-known song by The Smiths there is throughout the course of the film, because heaven knows he'll be miserable when his City of Light gig goes awry. And, as he waits, he coolly and calmly talks viewers through his highly disciplined, runs-like-clockwork, empathy-free approach to both life and death. It all goes smoothly for the hitman until it doesn't, however. The Killer quotes Popeye to say "I am what I am" about his way of making a living and his penchant for it, but fellow tautophrase "it is what it is" also comes to mind when a painstakingly lined-up shot from afar doesn't hit its target. His reaction: "WWJWBD?" or "what would John Wilkes Booth do?", he opines. Really, the screen's latest contract killer hops continents, countries and cities in an existential and mortal bind not just because he's flubbed a job, but because he's soon tracking down the other villains who've made cleaning up his misfire brutally personal. So, while his first port of call from Paris is the Dominican Republic, New Orleans, Florida and just outside of New York are among the destinations that follow. Most folks that The Killer crosses paths with get a similarly succinct moniker, including The Lawyer (Charles Parnell, Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One), The Brute (Sala Baker, Jungle Cruise), The Expert (Tilda Swinton, Asteroid City) and The Client (Arliss Howard, Mank). When Fassbender was once in everything everywhere for most of a decade, he too tinkered with many of the same traits that he's called upon to roll out in The Killer, from unrelenting in Hunger and single-minded in Shame to literally soulless in his Alien franchise stints and utterly consumed in Macbeth. His portrayal here is all killer, no throwbacks or filler, and it slays. He's as deadpan as he's ever been, as Fincher needs, but he's also exceptional as someone forced to realise that his rigid facade and detached air hides more than an all-business executioner inside. It's a mesmerisingly layered performance with fastidious subtleties, and that says as much without a word as all of those voiceover words. And, crucially, Fassbender knows and owns the tone: sardonic, and gleefully so. It isn't just the mix of Reznor and Atticus Ross' latest ominous Fincher score — their first, for The Social Network, won them an Oscar — with Morrissey, Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce's lyrical 80s yearning but anti-yearning that's funny in The Killer. And whether 'How Soon Is Now?', 'Bigmouth Strikes Again' or 'There Is a Light That Never Goes Out' is echoing, there's no doubting the humour behind the movie's main music choice as it helps bring viewers into the mercenary's mind (American Psycho's use of Huey Lewis and the News tapped its toes in the same territory, but The Killer isn't asking anyone if they like The Smiths). Fincher and Walker litter comedic touches everywhere, from aliases straight out of classic sitcoms to pointed statements about well-known brands. It's there in the sly internal monologue that their central figure keeps uttering around "stick to the plain", "anticipate, don't improvise" and other rules; the cycle of repetition that comes with it; altercations and their corresponding commentary; and, unshakeably and purposefully, the bigger picture. In look and efficiency, The Killer is also sharing what Swinton is selling in her scenes; both are icy, particular and sleek, with the film never wasting an emotion or moment. Fincher's frames glean as crisply as Swinton's blonde-topped David Bowie-channelling aesthetic, with help from Mank and Mindhunter cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt. The Killer is unsurprisingly rigorously pieced together as well, aided by the director's now six-time film editor Kirk Baxter (since The Curious Case of Benjamin Button). Welcomely stripped back, this a focused picture that's eager to be as streamlined as possible in a field, aka hired-gun flicks, where it's anything but a lone hand. Standing apart amid the murder-for-money masses is what The Killer wants, too, despite blending in being a professional must. As Fincher hones in on an assassin and the conscience that he says he doesn't have — including when noting that the amount of births and deaths each day means that his contribution to mortality rates barely registers — this riveting, reflective, slinkily engaging, expertly and finely pared thriller hits the bullseye in leaving an impression.
It's the absolute last thing Melbourne needs right now, but just after 9am this morning, Wednesday, September 22, the city was hit by what's reported to be an earthquake. Yep — we're out here deep into Lockdown 6.0, having clocked up over 200 days of stay-at-home orders, and the universe goes and dials up the drama with the literal shifting of tectonic plates. Just who exactly Melbourne pissed off so badly, is yet to be revealed. The experts over at the Seismology Centre shared details of the quake on Twitter, confirming a magnitude 5.3 earthquake hit Gippsland and was felt right across Melbourne, a good 100 kilometres away. The earth shakes lasted about 20 seconds, which proved pretty exciting stuff for this particular writer who hadn't even had their morning coffee yet. The preliminary magnitude 5.3 estimation is yet to be officially confirmed and may be revised. As you can imagine, Twitter fired up instantly following the quake, as people rushed to swap notes on Melbourne's 843576th bad news event of the year. There'll be more information to come as the experts recover from this sneak environmental attack. But in the meantime, here are some winning reactions from the Twitterverse. We'll bring you more information as details unfold on the earthquake event from this morning. Sounds like Melbourne's going to be in need of a good construction industry — Josh Withers (@JoshuaWithers) September 21, 2021 im pretty sure an earthquake is the sixth seal opened during the apocalypse. good news melbourne, just one to go! — Jim Malo (@thejimmalo) September 21, 2021 Statewide earthquake in Vic, 5.6. Whoever is writing this script of the impending apocalypse is getting ridiculously heavy-handed, I mean just fucking introduce a fun love interest or something and give us a breakhttps://t.co/erVIIzC7Ny — Marieke Hardy (@mariekehardy) September 21, 2021 pic.twitter.com/appe69o1u5 — fungbunger (@parsfarce) September 21, 2021 At what point do we accept that God hates Melbourne? — James Colley (@JamColley) September 21, 2021 FACT: Melbourne are 0-1 in VFL/AFL Grand Finals that immediately followed magnitude 6.0+ earthquakes in Victoria pic.twitter.com/7cGOgsMfUY — Michael (@HiReception) September 22, 2021
After making his fortune at the card tables as a professional gambler, David Walsh launched MONA as something to give back to the community. Three years later it's become a national icon, boosted Tasmania's economy and given rise to one of Australia's best festivals. Now, despite labelling gambling as "mostly immoral", Walsh has plans in the works to build a mini-casino at his much-loved Tasmanian gallery. Yes, this is confusing. In its defence, Walsh's vision for the space goes far beyond the sad state of affairs you see on an average night at Star City or Crown. Designed for the more refined gambler, the space would be "a little high-roller, tourist-only, no-pokie casino". The entire operation would consist of nothing more than 12 cards tables. Basically, it'd be the perfect place for Bond villains to hang out should they ever find themselves in Australia. To add to this eye-patch wearing, cigar-puffing, international art smuggling cartel theme, Walsh has stated he would call the casino Monaco. While a cute play on the gallery name, the choice could also be a knowing wink at the ritzy Monte Carlo casino the nation is known for — a site coincidentally used in many Bond movies. Regardless, these plans have a long hard road to becoming a reality. At present, the Federal Group (owners of Wrest Point Casino) have an exclusive license on casino operations in Tasmania and Walsh's plans would require an overturning of the license by the state government. Walsh has reportedly made initial contact but is sceptical about his chances. At one point, the MONA owner was banned from Wrest Point for card counting. If the plans were to go through, the gallery would undoubtedly enjoy a large boost in funds. At the very least it would be an un unconventional solution to the impending cuts to Australia's arts industries and a welcome salvation for Walsh himself who has bankrolled the gallery since its inception. But honestly, the outlook doesn't look great. You can't blame an eccentric, art-loving millionaire for chasing the dream. Via The Guardian and The Mercury.
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]
Send in the clowns, Stephen King must have thought to himself back in the '80s at he put pen to paper on It. The prolific horror author wasn't the first to turn makeup-caked comic performers into nightmare fodder, but boy oh boy did he help make the concept stick. One glance at Pennywise — the white-faced, flame-haired figure who jumped from the novel to a '90s mini-series and now a feature film — and it's easy to see why the character has become so iconic. Even for those who don't suffer from coulrophobia, he's a terrifying sight that no one would want to spy peering out at them from a storm drain. As such, It is at its best when it embraces Pennywise's frightening presence and runs with it, whether he's roaming around a crumbling old house, splattering blood all over a bathroom or crawling out of a screen. It knows which buttons to push, and when to have the sinister villain appear suddenly to ratchet up the scares. That's to say nothing of the fact that, in addition to just being an inherently upsetting concept, an evil clown makes for a potent symbol of innocence corrupted. Indeed, when it comes to watching kids get spooked by not only a shape-shifting monster, but by a spate of dramatic and everyday childhood traumas, the film delivers. We first meet Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård) on a rainy 1988 afternoon in Derry, Maine, as pre-schooler Georgie Denbrough (Jackson Robert Scott) floats a paper boat in the gutter. Needless to say, it doesn't end well for the curious boy. The next summer, his 13-year-old brother Bill (Jaeden Lieberher) still holds out hope that Georgie is alive, and enlists his pals to help in the search. From the outspoken Richie (Finn Wolfhard) and mama's boy Eddie (Jack Dylan Grazer), to the overweight Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor) and rumour-plagued Beverly (Sophia Lillis), they're the picked-upon, self-named Losers Club of the school, each with their own set of troubles. Before long they all start seeing Pennywise — along with the unfriendly entity's various other guises — as they delve deeper into their small-town's death-ridden past. In a considerable step up for Mama director Andy Muschietti, It assembles a clown car full of effective elements: horrific imagery aplenty, the skills to make it stick, and the smarts to show that supernatural bogeymen and real-life bullies aren't all that different. Each does the trick, even when viewers can guess what's coming. It helps, too, that it's all paired with an impressive cast. Skarsgård, brother of True Blood's Alexander, is an unease-inducing delight as the murderous Pennywise, which might be the only acceptable way to say something nice about a character who's most definitely not. The kids all play their parts well, though relative newcomer Lillis steals the show from the teenage boys she finds herself sharing the screen with. Ironically, the inclusion of Stranger Things' Wolfhard draws attention to the film's main weakness: the demogorgon that is nostalgia. Swapping the book's '50s setting for the decade in which it was written smacks of jumping on the current '80s-loving bandwagon. It's a cycle as vicious as Pennywise feeding off the fear he creates: the Netflix series was influenced by King's body of work, and the new movie in turn tries to ape its success. Ultimately, it leaves It feeling suitably unsettling, yet all-too-familiar in its eagerness to copy recent retro-styled hits and era-appropriate horror fare. Even so, you'll probably still have clown-filled dreams after you finish watching. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulSJ1yQmZ5Q
Most of the time, when bands take a break, they disappear into the land of never-to-be-heard-of-again. It's a kind of ex-rockers' purgatory, where would-have-, could-have- and should-have-beens sit around listening to early demo tapes, bemoaning the halcyon days when a record deal was forever just around the corner, and growing bitter about the fact that such-and-such became too egotistical or whatshisname retreated to the countryside to clean up his act. Not so The Basics. In their three-year hiatus, they've managed to win three Grammys (via Wally de Backer's transformation into Gotye), write a film score (Tim Heath's contribution to The Rise and Rise of Richard Latt) and catch malaria while checking out Kenya's local music scene (just one chapter in Kris Schroeder's excellent adventures). With all of that out of (or should that be in?) their system, they're ready for a reunion. So they've released new single 'So Hard For You' and will be touring nationally throughout September and October. "It's been a great challenge nutting out how to bring a large band, visuals and studio compositions together for the Gotye live shows over the last two years," Wally says. "But right now I'm looking forward to getting sweaty behind the drums and playing rock 'n' roll in these fab clubs with my brothers Kris and Tim." Two shows at the Northcote Social Club on 27 and 28 September have already sold out. Tickets to the third show at The Corner on 29 September are selling fast. https://youtube.com/watch?v=bnDf9zLiUII
Local artists and performers will consider the global effects of climate change in a brand new arts and cultural program supported by Arts House and the University of Melbourne. Running from July 5-10, Performing Climates will feature five major projects spanning dance, theatre and public installation, as creatives from around the country stare down an impending environmental catastrophe. Central to the program is Cut the Sky, a large-scale interdisciplinary work by the Marrugeku Theatre. Combining dance, video, poetry and song, the show follows a group of environmental refugees as they make their way across an inhospitable landscape. Other works in the lineup include an audiovisual piece that combines aerial drone footage with an immersive score, a theatre show/lecture/board game that calls on audience members to consider the interplay between natural and man-made systems, a participatory "research-action event" that will see North Melbourne Town Hall turned into a functioning community relief centre, and an installation and performance work that considers our fragile relationship with water. Image: Jon Green.
"What is this kind of film?" This question is not, as one might expect, asked by a journalist following a screening of Trance, or by a member of the public curious about the billboards currently filling London. Rather, it is asked by Vincent Cassel, one of the film's leads, to a room of six reviewers, including myself. None of us are able to answer him. Trance is the latest Danny Boyle film and, as such, one must approach it with very few specific expectations. Boyle has treated his career like a pick-n-mix, filling his directorial bag with genres as diverse as black comedy (Shallow Grave, 1994), Bollywood-inspired coming of age (Slumdog Millionaire, 2008) and zombie flick (28 Days Later, 2002). So what has he attempted this time? When asked, Boyle is vague. "You tend to talk in genres when you're doing publicity but it's not really something we think about." This seems unlikely and yet the three core cast — James McAvoy, Rosario Dawson and Cassel — agree. Trance defies easy categorisation. The film's opening minutes feel like a classic heist movie, as a high-priced work of art is stolen from the London auction house where McAvoy's character, Simon, works. It very quickly descends into violent gangster flick as Cassel's Franck, a French crime boss, enters the story. And just as quickly, it makes the switch to psychological thriller with the introduction of Elizabeth, played by Dawson — a hypnotherapist with the apparent ability to not only see into Simon's mind but to completely control it. These rapid direction changes are disorienting but one suspects that is entirely intentional. In a film in which motivations are revealed in increments, it helps to have the audience as misdirected as the characters. Boyle says that even the artwork at the centre of the criminals' plot is a part of this tactic. Witches in the Air by Goya "introduces a slightly surreal element into the film to prepare you". Depending on your viewpoint, the use of hypnotherapy as the plot's driving force might add to this sense of the surreal. In a film more bound up in realism, it would be laughable to posit the possibility of mind control through hypnotherapy, but it's easier to swallow in the hypercolour confusion of Trance. The film's actors are split on this issue. Dawson says she had a very intense experience in a hypnosis centre in California which convinced her that "it's not a parlour trick or a gimmick." It didn't work on McAvoy, but he still believes "it has a place and a power, even if that power is placebo. Placebo is a powerful drug for some people." Cassel's response is the most revealing. While he was resistant to being hypnotised, he thinks he knows why the subject fascinates his director. "Danny Boyle is a control freak. Maybe he wanted to talk about that. It's a personal problem for him and that's what makes it so interesting." Control freak he may be, but he's a prolific one. Boyle managed to pull off two completely different projects concurrent with the production of Trance: directing the 2011 theatrical production of Frankenstein and acting as artistic director for the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games. The pressure on an Olympic opening ceremony is huge, with each country attempting to top the last. But when Boyle is asked if he felt that pressure he hesitates slightly before responding. "Well ... no, to be honest. People say were you nervous on the night, and I wasn't nervous at all." The relaxed attitude extends to his advice for the next opening ceremony, to be held in Rio De Janeiro in 2016. "I think Brazil has such personality. Provided they just reflect that personality, they'll be fine." With all this so recently behind him, one might expect Boyle to take a break. But this doesn't seem to be in his nature. He's currently working on two period films — another new genre for him — and is keen to develop an original musical. Excitingly for fans, there are also preliminary plans for a sequel to his 1996 hit, Trainspotting, about drug culture in Edinburgh. He confirms that "We're trying to make a Trainspotting 2 — T2," adding that he doesn't know what James Cameron will think of that title. The variety of work Boyle produces makes it tempting to try to tie down Trance, to figure out where it fits in his ever expanding portfolio. But Cassel feels this would be a mistake. "Any genre movie made by a good director becomes that director's movie and nothing else. It's a Danny Boyle movie." And as his other leading man, McAvoy, reminds us: "He's not making obscure art. He's making proper entertainment." On that front, the deliriously paced, lushly shot and brilliantly acted Trance certainly delivers. Trance is in cinemas across Australia from April 4. Read our review here.
After introducing its cookie pies to the world last week, Gelato Messina is bringing the OTT dessert back for a second round. This time, the pie in question is red velvet and it looks just as decadent as it sounds. Hang on, a cookie pie? Yes, it's a pie, but a pie made of red velvet cookie dough with white chocolate chips. And it serves two–six people — or just you. You bake it yourself, too, so you get to enjoy that oh-so-amazing smell of freshly baked cookies wafting through your kitchen. While no longer free, these pies are now available for preorder — so if you missed out last week, here's your chance to get yourself a piece of the pie. On its own, the red velvet dessert will cost $20. But to sweeten the deal, the cult ice creamery has created a few bundle options, should you want some of its famed gelato atop it. For $28, you'll get the pie and a 500-millilitre tub, while with a one-litre tub or a 1.5-litre tub, it'll cost $34 and $39 respectively. A handful of the bake-at-home goods will be available via Deliveroo from Wednesday, April 29 for those who can't or don't want to leave the house. But your best bet of getting your hands on one is by peeling yourself off the couch and picking it up from your local Messina store. You can place your preorder now via Bopple, with pick up times available between Wednesday, April 29 and Sunday, May 3. You can preorder a Messina cookie pie via Bopple to pick up from all NSW, Vic and Queensland Gelato Messina stores (except The Star) from April 29–May 3 or you can order delivery via Deliveroo on April 29.
If you've got a soft spot for cakes made of cream cheese, then your lockdown is about to get a whole lot brighter. The dessert maestros at Burch & Purchese sweet studio have just kicked off an eight-day celebration of the humble cheesecake, in all its creamy, decadent glory. Running from Sunday, August 8–Sunday, August 15, Cheesecake Week will see the venue's online store stocked with a limited-edition lineup of signature cheesecake creations, which you can order for in-store pick-up or have dropped to your door. We're talking a layered white forest number starring cherry jelly and a crunchy chocolate base; lime and vanilla cheesecake pots with strawberry jelly and mango cream; and even an ultra indulgent chocolate-infused riff on the classic Basque cheesecake. To name just a few, that is. If you'd like to have a go yourself, you can also shop Darren Purchese's own cheesecake recipe e-book for $15. Plus, the man himself will be hosting a special virtual cheesecake demonstration on Sunday, August 15 — grab tickets to that for $25 (with the e-book included) right here. [caption id="attachment_822472" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Darren Purchese, by Parker Blain[/caption] Images: Cath Claringbold and Parker Blain
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!
Good things happen when the minds behind Peters Ice Cream and Gelato Messina come together, as has proven the case multiple times now. In the summer of 2019 — centuries ago — the dessert experts unveiled a limited-edition line of gourmet Drumsticks. Fast forward to spring 2020, and they teamed up for a range of Messina X Peters gelato bars. Now, with spring 2021 in full swing, they've added a new lamington flavour to its in-supermarket lineup. Yes, next time you're hankering for a frosty sweet treat, you can nab one of Messina's takes on the best chocolate- and coconut-covered cake there is. The new creation, which has just landed in the freezer aisle of your local supermarket, comes filled with chocolate gelato mixed with desiccated coconut, plus raspberry sauce — a mix that might taste familiar if you're already a Messina fiend. Here, all that gelato is placed on a biscuit base, then covered in milk chocolate. The Messina lamington gelato bar joins the existing Messina X Peters choc hazelnut and espresso dulche de leche numbers. The former features layers of chocolate biscuit, cocoa gelato, a hazelnut sauce and a chocolate coating, while the latter pairs espresso gelato and dulce de leche, then covers it in milk chocolate. All three flavours are available at supermarkets around Australia. Each comes in pop art-style boxes of four, priced at $10 per box. On Tuesday, October 19, to mark the new lamington gelato bar's launch, Messina is also giving away boxes of them. To get your hands on one, you'll either need to make a purchase at a Messina store — or order from Messina via Uber Eats from 12pm onwards and tick the 'free box of lamington gelato bars offer' box. Both giveaways are while stocks last, so getting in early is obviously recommended. Gelato Messina X Peters gelato bars are available at supermarkets around Australia.
Opera gets a bad rap. Yes, it's beautiful and calming. The performers are endlessly talented. The shows themselves are nuanced, emotive and rich. But there's just something we can't shake about it. Perhaps it's the pearls and the champagne; decades upon decades of elite stuffiness is hard to overcome. But there was never anything wrong with the music itself. It may be time to give opera a second chance, and if there's anything that can revive our love for it, it's puppets. In an exclusive two-night run, Aria! is a unique hybrid performance by Black Hole Theatre that will present a re-imagining of renowned arias from classic operas such as Madama Butterfly, Lakme and Faust. Re-imagined, importantly, through puppets. There will be marionettes, shadow puppets, and a form of Japanese puppet theatre called bunraku. Not to give away too much, but the famously hypnotic 'Humming Chorus' from Madama Butterfly will be performed while illuminated jellyfish hover and dance above the audience's heads. In fact, the entire production will be quite different to any opera you may have been to. While, of course, there will be puppeteers and singers, the audience will also get a chance to enter the show. Provided with a torch upon entry, you will be able to shine light on performances as they roam around the intimate space. Far from the inevitable connotations of monacles and monarchs, this is one version of opera we can definitely get behind.
The weirdest, wildest and most innovative video art around is coming to town as part of the third Channels Festival. Taking over a number of venues around Melbourne including ACMI, The Substation in Newport and the Centre for Contemporary Photography, this year's festival will consist of 14 unique events, and will draw on the talents of more than 90 artists from around Australia and the world. Standouts on the program include Video Visions, a two-and-a-half hour screening of curated video art culled from more than 470 submissions; Flygirl, a solo green-screen dance installation from Sydney-based artist Caroline Garcia; and FutureClown, an "alternative viewing" of Donald Trump's inauguration from LA artist Rachel Mason. The festival will also feature a number of commissions, including new works from Melbourne-based South Sudanese artist Atong Atem and Wakka Wakka and Yargel artist Hannah Brontë. For the full Channels Festival program visit their website
If you've seen even the trailer for Hossein Amini's adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's The Two Faces of January, you've probably thrown out your mediocre wardrobe by now. Following the deep dark secrets of a highly affluent, fashion-savvy couple (Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst) and their newfound tour guide friend (Oscar Isaac) in 1962, Amini's wonderfully stylised, Hitchcockian thriller (based on Patricia Highsmith's post-The Talented Mr Ripley novel) is a bonafide feast for fashion enthusiasts and Lovers of Pretty Things alike. Vintage Chanel, Dior, Balenciaga — the old fashion houses of Paris literally line up on screen thanks to costume designer Steven Noble, the man who vintage shops with Kirsten Dunst. Finding a contemporary freshness in a '60s-set film through modern, bespoke costuming, Noble and Amini successfully create a realm where anachronistic detail actually captures the essence of a period more successfully than sticking to historic accuracy. With The Two Faces of January causing wardrobe envy in cinemas nationwide, we thought we'd get to the bottom of those disarmingly stylin' costumes with their Noble maker. Modernising the '60s Set in 1962, The Two Faces of January finds itself existing in an era brimming with elegant fashion icons; from Rita Hayworth to Audrey Hepburn. But Noble's designs don't seem like a fusty old historic costume, the characters look contemporary, feel modern and dress with a present-day fashionability. "It was something that Hoss said to me in the very beginning, that I tended to agree with. Obviously we wanted to keep an essence of the period, but we just wanted to make it look a little bit more contemporary for a younger, contemporary audience," says Noble. "So we've made something fresh to look at, but it still takes you back to Europe in 1962." Kirsten 'Well Media-Trained' Dunst ever-eloquently told Vogue that "the film looks like an old postcard that feels fresh." Back to the French Fashion Houses In his quest to find the perfect European aesthetic for the film, Noble looked to the dominant French fashion houses of the '60s — we're talking Chanel, Dior, Balenciaga, Nina Ricci; gang's all here. "I took inspiration from so many different genres and elements of the period, you know, the original holiday stuff, tourists. And then the magazines and films of the period — I watched the films of the late '50s early '60s." You can bet Roman Holiday was in the stack. Chanel forms a large part of the inspiration for Noble's bespoke creations, as well as his existing picks. Dunst's character Colette MacFarland dons some pretty ballin' pearls in a very tense dinner table scene; modern Chanel revisualisations of a late 1920s style. "With Kirsten's character, the backstory was that they'd been to Paris so Chester had bought her a new wardrobe," says Noble. "So that was all sort of, high end designers like Chanel and Nina Ricci and Dior and the designers at the time." Noble had a pretty high-stress responsibility on set: guard the treasure. "[There] was nearly half a million pounds of diamonds and pearls which we had to carry around with us," he says. "They either had to be on me personally at any time, or on Kirsten. If they weren't on Kirsten then they had to be in the safe." Vintage Shopping with Kirsten Dunst Dunst has led a long career of adorable costuming, prompting It Girl squeals press-wide over her lengthy Hollywood existence. The Two Faces of January is no exception, with the 32-year-old making every scene feel like a Vanity Fair shoot. Evoking every inch the Hitchcockian blonde Amini could ask for, Noble's costumes make an Eva Marie Saint of Dunst's character, Colette MacFarland, in a snap. "I guess I did take cues from the Tippi Hedrens of that period," says Noble. "Also with Daniel [Phillips], hair and make-up designer, they worked very closely together and obviously with Kirsten's input too, we'd come up with how she ends up in the film. It's a very organic process. "Patricia Highsmith in the book details the silhouette of Colette, wearing pencil skirts and she knows what she likes," he says. "With Kirsten we had a two-day trying on period at Elstree Studios and we just created this wonderful sort of vintage world in the dressing room. We pulled in clothes from around the world from all these different costume houses, and fabrics from all over the place and just had a really fun time trying things on." Dressing Hollywood Actors Noble tries to involve his actors as much as possible in the early planning stages of his costume development, with every piece for the three leads Dunst, Mortensen and Isaac made bespoke. "I find it a very organic process ... working closely with the actors and coming up with their character and the concept behind the scenes or characters through their clothing," says Noble. "All three of [the leads: Mortensen, Dunst and Isaac] were a dream to work with. I was allowed to lead them, and obviously if there was something they absolutely thought was completely wrong then if I felt strongly about it I would try to make them wear it in a diplomatic way. "It's very hard to say how much input they have. Because I'll have had an original idea when I first see the script — because it's my job — and then you sort of have a period of prep where you start designing, researching and sketching, fabrics and that sort of thing. You try to have a conversation [with the actors] very early on; if they're not available face-to-face then I'll try and get them on the phone as early as possible to talk about their character. Then it's just a matter of trying on." The contemporary Cary Grant Tailored and worthy of a Hitchcock hero, Mortensen's suits as the seemingly infallible Chester MacFarland are a Savile Row lover's dream. Paired against Isaac's fedora-wearing, polo shirt-preferring role as newfound acquaintance Rydal, Noble's male costumes transcend fifty shades of holiday beige. Noble doesn't separate techniques for designing male and female character costumes, seeing the art in both without consciously seeking a gendered difference. "You know, obviously there's different techniques involved, I mean, with the men's tailoring; it's quite an art," he says. "The people who made [Mortensen's] suits are incredibly talented. But I haven't really thought about it to be honest, it sort of just happens." From affluent to penny-pinching, ladylike to roguish romantic hero, The Two Faces of January fronts a unified aesthetic through basic thematic means, particularly in the opening scene of the film — the sunwashed, crumbling ruins of the Acropolis paired with Mortensen's cream three-piece suit, Isaac's beige polo get-up and Dunst in That Yellow Dress. Changing it Up, Keeping it Fresh Along with the classic, contemporary '60s pieces created for The Two Faces of January, Noble boasts an eclectic CV. Having already designed the costumes for 2010's multi-award winning sci-fi drama Never Let Me Go, the 2011 teen angst-fuelled 2011 adaptation of Wuthering Heights and Scarlett Johansson's 2013 sci-fi jaw-dropper Under the Skin, Noble's not one to pigeonhole his art. "Versatility is what keeps it exciting or fresh," he says. "You don't know what script you're going to get in next, where it's going to take you. You know, you'll do a period piece for one month and then six months later you're doing a space age thing. It's so diverse. Obviously the script's the main thing — we've all worked on some duds in our time. But the diversity and the challenges are what keep you surviving in the industry." So the final question on fashion fiend minds: does Noble get to keep the wardrobe? "The studio keeps everything," says Noble. "I will ask if I can keep certain key pieces, but in general it's the property of the studio so what happens to it I don't know — there's obviously some graveyard." Shovels at the ready. The Two Faces of January is now showing in selected cinemas.
Buckle up, beach goers, because it's that time again — the sand delivery has arrived and Section 8 is transforming into tropical beach paradise. The outdoor CBD bar's annual Urban Oasis Beach Party series is back for four nights this January, and the lineup will get you pumped. Along with a few tonnes of sand and plenty of beach umbrellas, each night will be a unique selection of beats, curated by a rotating cast of party posses who are bringing all their own DJs with them. The Operatives take the helm on the Thursday night, before handing over to SK Simeon and friends on Friday. The party comes to a head on Saturday, when The Flamin' Gala are taking over, while Sunday it's Autosea's time in the spotlight. Brews-wise, prepare to sip on Plantation Rum, plus brews from Stone & Wood and Napoleone. The fun kicks off at 5pm on Thursday and Friday, 3pm on Saturday and 2pm on Sunday. Images: Duncographic.
Despite also serving up everything from all-day vegan breakfast to ice cream sandwiches, we still think that fries are the best thing about Lord of the Fries. It's right there in the name, after all. The chain's chips are particularly tasty — as made with Australian potatoes and cooked in a cottonseed sunflower oil blend. There is one thing better than Lord of the Fries' titular dish, however. That'd be free shoestring fries from the chip-loving establishment. And on Wednesday, July 13, the vegan fast food joint is giving away just that. Free. Fries. Yes, really. To snag free fries on Wednesday, you'll need to head to your chosen store in between 4–5pm and you'll be gifted a serving of shoestring deliciousness. You don't even have to purchase any vego nuggets to redeem them. There is a limit of one freebie per person, though, so take that into consideration if you're feeling particularly peckish. You'll get your choice of classic sauces, too. This is clearly great news for anyone who like fries, aka everyone. Folks in Sydney can head to Newtown, Melburnians can choose between ten different stores, and Brisbanites can flock to Fortitude Valley (or Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast). Also, people in Adelaide can hit up Hindley Street and Glenelg, with Perth residents can visit Northbridge. And if you're wondering why, that's because it's National Fry Day. Of course it is. There are a few caveats, as is always the case with this kind of giveaway. So, the freebies span one Lord of the Fries stickered cup of shoestring fries and one classic sauce, with the latter popped directly on top of the former. Again, you can only get one per person, and only in-store. And, it's only for shoestring fries — not the classic, chunky or sweet potato versions. Lord of the Fries is giving away free fries from 4–5pm on Wednesday, July 13 at all of its Australian locations. To find your closest store, head to the chain's website.
Florentijn Hofman has transformed France's Loire River into a giant bathtub with his enormous rubber duck sculpture. The duck floats from city to city, nodding its cute yellow head at passersby. Before beginning its trek down the Loire, the duck has brought nostalgic smiles to the faces of witnesses worldwide; it may just be impossible not to smile at this strikingly out-of-place, yet adorable creation. Dutch artist Hofman is renowned for his tongue-in-cheek pieces, including a memorable party-hat-sporting frog perched on the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art in Kobe, Japan in 2011. The duck sculpture, constructed of rubber-coated PVC atop a pontoon with a generator, measures at 25 metres high, and 25 metres across. Here's to hoping on of our favourite childhood bath time companions will make a splash in Australasia soon.
Tucked away deep in Cheltenham's bustling industrial area, Bambam Eatery is a light-filled, family-run cafe boasting a mostly vegan menu that changes almost daily. The oft-rotating menu is thanks to the super-fresh produce on the menu, which is sourced by Bambam owner Evan Georgopoulos and his father Angelo from Moorabbin Wholesale Farmers Fresh Market in the morning before the cafe opens. "We have a core menu of sandwiches and bagels," says Evan."But the rest is whatever is in season at the time. We have a really honest relationship with our fruit and vegetable vendor and we are not price-driven. If avocado isn't right on the day, we won't put it on the menu." Created by Evan and his mum Maria, the menu is described as "accidentally mostly vegan". And while the noticeable lack of meat wasn't on purpose, the duo hopes it'll help to break misconceptions about vegan food. "Veganism has come a really long way," says Evan. "People once thought vegan food was lacking in flavour, but, now, people eat our menu and are surprised to realise what they're eating has no meat in it. It has been really exciting to watch." [caption id="attachment_743145" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] When Evan and the team aren't sourcing produce from the market, they're teaming up with local makers like Bromley's Bread and Huff Bagelry to ensure every element on the plate is locally sourced. Which also includes Bambam's vibrant house-made hot sauce. Those visiting for a quick lunch fix can grab a Really Good Sh**t ($12) poppyseed bagel loaded with smoked trout, cream cheese and pickles, or a PB & Maple Bagel ($10) oozing with banana and crunchy peanut butter. More vegan-friendly options include the Green Dreamz ($15) — a delightful treasure trove of charred, seasonal vegetables — and the Fal#fels ($15) special, served up with labneh, pickled vegetables and plenty of chilli. If you do eat meat, though, there's plenty on the menu for you, too, including the Bad + Boujee bowl ($16), packed with the aforementioned smoky hot sauce, 'njuda, creamy hummus, roast butternut pumpkin soft eggs and sourdough — and the Number TwentyFive ($12), the cafe's take on a B&E roll made with pork belly, a fried egg and XO mayo. [caption id="attachment_743141" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Evan and Maria Georgopoulos by Julia Sansone[/caption] Aside from food, sustainability is another passion of the Georgopoulos family. The cafe is powered by solar panels, is a plastic-free business and the team makes cold-pressed juices in house. "We work in a closed loop as much as possible," explains Evan. "We serve up our coffee in Huskee Cups (made from the husks of coffee beans) and our used coffee grounds are turned into compost. We're also working on some other products that minimise waste and our customers can take home with them — watch this space." From October 4, Bambam will keep its doors open past 4pm every Friday for after-work knockoffs. Inspired by Italian aperitivo hours, After Dark will star cocktails and share plates to "butter you up" before the weekend begins. Find Bambam Eatery at 132 Keys Road, Cheltenham. It's open from Monday–Friday 7am–3.30pm and Saturday 8am–2.30pm. Top images: Julia Sansone
Of all the things that Kristen Stewart can teach us, what it's like to shout into the void — what we expect to happen, why we do it, and the simple fact that we do it — might be the most surprising. Welcome to Personal Shopper, a ghost film haunted several times over, and haunting in just as many ways. Reuniting Stewart with her Clouds of Sils Maria director Olivier Assayas, this is a movie that takes full advantage of the actress' minimalist acting style. The former Twilight star is known, and has often been lambasted, for seeming distant and fidgety in her on-screen interactions. But in an age when most people spend hours staring at their iPhones waiting for three grey iMessage dots to turn into a connection, aren't we all guilty of the same thing? Here, Stewart is well and truly one of us – distracted and disconnected, glued to her phone, waiting and wondering what comes next. Her character Maureen, a medium who works as the assistant to a celebrity starlet, spends much of the movie texting back and forth with a mysterious unknown number, answering probing questions and slowly revealing her secrets. At the same time, she tries to reach out to her recently deceased twin, who died of a congenital heart defect that she's afflicted with as well. With everything from the not-quite-vampire flick Irma Vep, to the complex crime biopic Carlos, to the melancholy student drama After May on his extensive resume, writer-director Assayas is a master filmmaker attuned to the subtleties and ambiguities of life. Still, no matter how well shot, paced and structured his latest film may be, it'd be a shadow of itself without its lead actress. Stewart is perfectly cast in a role that Assayas wrote specifically for her. Her relatable blend of awkwardness and yearning, as she tackles the existential malaise that spooks us all, is the main reason the movie works so well. Personal Shopper is a moody, enigmatic horror flick; a spine-chiller that unfolds one text at a time. But that's not all it is. It's also a recognisable portrait of how difficult it is to stomach mundane daily tasks when you're grieving, even when you're working in a seemingly glamorous job. It shows what everyday communication is really like, without resorting to cutesy ways of throwing text messages around the screen. Finally, it contrasts physical mortality with the eternal virtual realm. Blend all that together and you're left watching an immersive, intriguing film that demonstrates how modern life has become a conversation with ghosts of the digital variety. That's what a truly contemporary scarefest is really all about. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSqMpkGOW9g
Usually, cancer movies aren't just terrible and generic — they're insulting. Too often focusing on pretty young things succumbing slowly to the insidious disease while trying to relish their remaining time, they frequently tug at the heartstrings with shameless abandon, treating their protagonists and their plights as a mechanism to wring weepy sobs out of the audience. The Fault in Our Stars did it. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl did too, even winning awards at Sundance for dressing up its efforts with an overtly quirky, cinema-worshipping vibe. So when a film hones in on a cancer-afflicted teenager yet refuses to trot out the same old tropes and cliches in the same old ways — when it instead appreciates its protagonist as the sum of everything that makes her who she is, instead of the mere cause of everyone else's sense of loss, including viewers' — it firmly, welcomely stands out. Babyteeth is that movie, and it could never be mistaken for a standard sickness drama. As directed by Australian theatre and TV veteran-turned-feature first-timer Shannon Murphy, this lively, insightful and moving film truly sees its central figure, Milla (Little Women's Eliza Scanlen), as a person first and foremost. She isn't simply a storytelling tool used to evoke easy emotion and inspire tear-streaked faces. Nor is she a secondary figure primarily deployed to stress the extent of someone else's troubles, as many a movie that endeavours to explain away the grating behaviour of a healthy but struggling character has been known to do. Milla's flaws and difficulties aren't buffed down to a soft, saintly sheen, as has become a hallmark of illness on-screen, and her coming-of-age journey isn't presented as a bittersweet reminder that life is far too short. Rather, Babyteeth follows the passionate Sydney high schooler as she falls for 23-year-old small-time drug dealer Moses (Acute Misfortune's Toby Wallace) while her already distressed and labouring parents watch on. Milla tumbles literally at first, during the pair's meet-cute on a Sydney train platform as the instantly recognisable station announcement tone echoes through the speakers above her. While the just-evicted Moses asks for money, he's also tender and caring, even though the two have just crossed paths. And so, immediately intrigued by and smitten with this stranger who gives her more attention for just being herself than she's become accustomed to receiving, she proposes a deal: she'll give Moses $50 if he takes to her sandy, cascading hair with clippers in a pre-treatment strike, then comes back to her sprawling suburban home to have dinner with her parents. Initially introduced in a stilted psychiatry office sex scene — one that speaks to their flailing, failing quest to retain any normality they can during their daughter's illness — Milla's mother Anna (Essie Davis) and father Henry (Ben Mendelsohn) aren't thrilled with their dinner guest. He'll still become the fourth figure in their dysfunctional family as the months pass, though, as Milla relapses and undergoes chemotherapy, ex-classical pianist Anna relies upon Henry's prescription pad to help her cope, and Henry himself begins an unexpected friendship with their pregnant neighbour Toby (Emily Barclay). As adapted from Rita Kalnejais' play by the writer herself, Babyteeth strings its tale together from moments, as the film's key quartet take each minute, second and development in their lives as it comes. Some days, Moses pilfers the household's pills. On others, Milla wrestles with the supposed be-all and end-all that is her school formal. Whether sneaking out to parties and empty karaoke bars or having animated debates, they both keep butting heads with Anna and Henry, too, who both keep attempting to tread the waters of Milla's hard-earned but always-tentative grasp on happiness. From neon-hued exchanges that glow with yearning affection, to frank declarations that Milla and Moses' relationship "is complicated", Babyteeth is unmistakably built from familiar pieces — but it's how the film uses them that matters. When the pithy script has an antidepressant-addled Anna exclaim "what have you done with my daughter?!" to Milla, it also tasks the teen with giving the type of honest answer that only someone with cancer can: "I killed her". At every turn, this pattern continues, not that it ever plays as systematic, repetitive or predictable for an instant. Kalnejais' perceptive and writing combines with Murphy's keen eye for complicated emotions — and the roving, bouncing, ever-expressive visuals that enliven the film's parade of vibrant vignettes as well — to ensure that Babyteeth continually twists even the most well-worn of narrative details in their own direction. In her second role as an unwell adolescent in a row, following Little Women, Scanlen gives a vivid, assured performance beneath Milla's revolving array of naturalistic, ice-blonde and turquoise wigs — another factor that lifts Babyteeth well beyond its thematic peers. She's a ball of energy when Milla is excited, anxious, angry and rebellious, plays peaceful and resigned with the same inner force, and stomachs the ignorance and condescension of the less sympathetic with quiet pain and fortitude. Unsurprisingly given the cast, she isn't the only actor in stellar form. The wiry Wallace deservedly won the Best Young Actor award at 2019's Venice Film Festival for his thoughtful work, and Davis and Mendelsohn — the latter in straight rather than menacing mode for a change (see: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Ready Player One and Robin Hood) — convey the storm of conflicted feelings whirling inside Anna and Henry. In words rarely, if ever, directed at a film about a teenager with cancer, the feature's core performers all prove raw, sensitive, astute and arresting. So does this dynamic, melancholy and memorable drama itself, and it's one of the best Aussie movies that'll hit cinemas in 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLNXHJB5Mto
The legendary Stones Throw Records is home to a metric bucket-tonne of vinyl. The LA-based hip hop label is known for their left-of-centre artists, avant garde nature and ability to break artists well before dinner table fame. Feature length documentary Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton takes a close look at the label and its master, commander and founder Chris Manak, aka Peanut Butter Wolf — an exceptional DJ and producer in his own right. Sometime home to Aloe Blacc, Mayer Hawthorne, The Stepkids, James Pants, J Rocc, Madlib and more (including the J Dilla back catalogue) Stones Throw Records' reputation within the hip hop, beats and funk/soul community is strong and has commanded a loyal following over the years. Kanye West, Talib Kweli, Mike D, Common, Tyler the Creator and Questlove all throw in their two cents on Peanut Butter Wolf and Stones Throw in the documentary, and how they have been influenced by the underground record label themselves. Manak is in the country for Splendour in the Grass later this month, but will be hanging at Howler for the screening and a special Q&A on the night. This is a pretty rare chance for hip hop heads to hear the stories behind this legendary producer's work and beloved label straight from the horse's mouth. Seats are not allocated for the event so it's best to arrive a little early for a good spot. https://youtube.com/watch?v=rwZVV_77MhM
Gird your loins for a week of gripping and provocative cinema on the World Movies channel this March. The only station in Australia permitted to show R18+ rated films, their latest marathon features five button-pushing flicks presented in their original, uncut form. From a groundbreaking Korean revenge thriller to a primo slice of bona fide Ozploitation, these are the sorts of movies that need to be seen to be believed. Here are five compelling reasons to tune in. GET A BIT OF THE OLD ULTRA VIOLENCE Director Stanley Kubrick made a career out of dividing audiences, but never to the same extent as he did with 1971's A Clockwork Orange. Adapted from Anthony Burgess’ controversial novella of the same name, this darkly comic dystopian crime film proved so shocking upon its release that the director himself had it pulled from UK distribution for close to 30 years. The violence looks positively tame by today’s standard, but the movie remains a classic all the same. One thing’s for certain: you’ll never think about 'Singin’ in the Rain' the same way again. EXPERIENCE THE NEW FRENCH EXTREMITY...IF YOU DARE As unsettling as the other four films in this marathon may be, none of them hold a candle to Pascal Laugier’s Martyrs. The poster child for a recent trend in French cinema characterised by unflinching violence that makes Hostel look like The Teletubbies, this traumatising thriller has been called “the new yard stick against which all forms of extreme genre films should be measured.” Whether that’s a good thing is up to you. Regardless, it's hard to imagine anyone watching this movie more than once. SEE A VERY DIFFERENT SIDE OF THE AUSTRALIAN FILM INDUSTRY Australian cinema during the early 1970s was a wild wild west of sleaze and cheap titillation. One of the most notorious examples of so-called Ozploitation is Alvin Purple, a ridiculous comic sex romp about a naive young man (Graeme Blundell) who for some inexplicable reason is simply irresistible to women. Full of gratuitous nudity and bawdy humour, the film was panned by critics but proved a hit with local audiences. We’ll leave you to figure out exactly why that was. WITNESS BLOODY VENGEANCE, KOREAN-STYLE A personal favourite of Quentin Tarantino, Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy is one of the most gripping tales of vengeance ever put to film. The movie tells the story of Oh Dae-Su (Choi Min-sik), a man held prisoner for 15 years and then released and given a week to uncover the identity of his captor. In addition to its horrifying twist ending, the film is famous for its incredible one-take fight sequence and a scene in which the lead actor eats a live octopus on camera. Spike Lee recently directed an English-language remake, but the less said about that version the better. GET A GLIMPSE OF MICHAEL FASSBENDER'S FASSBENDER Come for the full-frontal male nudity, stay for the searing portrait of loneliness and addiction in the modern world. Directed by Steve McQueen, who would later go on to make the Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave, this haunting story about a sex addict (Michael Fassbender) and his volatile relationship with his sister (Carey Mulligan) might well be one of the least sexy films in the history of cinema. Sounds like perfect Friday night viewing to us. World Movies Uncut is on from March 23 - 28, nightly at 9.30pm. Channel 430, only on Foxtel.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations, giving you a little inspiration for your text trip. In this instalment, we highlight the Gili Beach Resort located on Indonesia's Gili Trawangan island. If you're itching to get away and ready to book an island holiday now, on Concrete Playground Trips we have a fabulous lineup of deals on great stays across Indonesia and packages on incredible Bali getaways that you can't find anywhere else. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? This accommodation is made for big groups of people looking to experience laid-back (but still pretty damn luxurious) island living, without spending exorbitant amounts of money. THE ROOMS Both multi-level timber villas have four enormous bedrooms — each with extra-large double beds, ensuites and balconies overlooking the private pool and beach. You'll feel like you're living in a postcard when staying at this character-filled resort. And because there are only two villas on the property, you'll be getting brilliant service from the staff. You'll also have your own fully-kitted-out kitchen with a few indoor and outdoor dining areas (including tables and chairs right on the beach). There are also multiple spots made just for lounging – either choose the pool, the beach or one of the terraces. Roll from one spot to the other during a lazy day of drinking, eating, napping and sunning yourself. FOOD AND DRINK The staff at Gili Beach Resort will greet you every morning with a big breakfast, and the restaurant next door will also deliver to your door all day long. This restaurant is known to be incredibly good and the French chef serves up an ever-changing menu but the focus is — unsurprisingly — all about the fish of the day dishes at this island haunt. But that's not all. On your first night at Gili Beach Resort, you get an epic BBQ and private bonfire made for you by their team — they go above and beyond when it comes to service. They'll even help you with your grocery list and enlist a horse-pulled cart to help you manage a big shop (there are no motor vehicles on this island so all transport is either man or animal powered). THE LOCAL AREA The resort is located on the quieter side of Gili Trawangan, one of Indonesia's three Gili islands. These small islands are best known for their sandy beaches lined with large trees and the coral reefs full of colourful marine life. It's not unusual to find turtles swimming in front of your villa (with snorkelling equipment available to guests too). You're also fairly close to town – either a short walk or an even shorter bike ride (also provided as part of your stay). Find a local beach bar or restaurant for sunset and enjoy great Indonesian cuisine and inexpensive but powerful cocktails. Alternatively, you can go hiking up into the forests and get some unbeatable views of the surrounding islands or walk around to quieter beaches to find your own remote paradise. Whatever you're up for, the incredibly accommodating staff will make it happen for you. THE EXTRAS For small additional costs, the team at Gili Beach Resort will bring just about any brilliant experience right to you. They'll organise massages on your balcony overlooking the sea, horseback rides along the coast and traditional Indonesian cooking classes in your own villa. The friendly and attentive service is one of the resort's most well-known traits. 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.
If you're hungry for some live music, the folks behind Beyond the Valley are here to help. Last week, it was announced Melbourne would score a spin-off edition of their famed New Year's camping festival, with Beyond The City descending on Sidney Myer Music Bowl and Kings Domain Parklands on December 30 and 31 this year. Now, we know just which artists will be joining the festivities, with huge names like Pnau, Hayden James and Lime Cordiale included in the just-dropped lineup. Beyond The Valley, Untitled Group and Triple J have pulled together a fittingly hefty array of acts to help wrap up 2021 in style. Headlining the action on December 30, you'll catch Perth indie-rockers Spacey Jane and the ever-energetic Pnau out of Sydney. Firing up the stage across the rest of Day One will be the likes of singer-songwriter Eves Karydas, DJ and producer Motez, rapper Allday, Elizabeth Cambage and Running Touch. The sonic delights continue through the following day, with beloved acts such as Ball Park Music, Willaris. K, Alice Ivy, Boo Seeka, Cosmo's Midnight and Hot Dub Time Machine hitting the stage. And, taking you beyond midnight and into the unknown wilderness of 2022, expect sounds from Sydney pop-rockers Lime Cordiale and electro superstar Hayden James. It'll all unfold across three zones at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl and the surrounding Kings Domain parklands: the Main Stage, the Dance Domain and the Dr Dan's Stage. It's set to be a fully standing event and dancing has been given the all clear, with organisers even wrangling a special licensing permit allowing for the revelry to kick on until 1.30am on January 1. What's more, the festival has teamed up with First Nations mentorship organisation AIME, with $1 from every ticket sold going to support the group's important community work. To nab yourself a coveted Beyond The City ticket, you can register right now for presale access, with presale tickets on sale from 4pm Wednesday, November 10. General access will then open from 4pm, November 11. BEYOND THE CITY 2021 LINEUP: Hayden James Lime Cordiale Pnau Spacey Jane Allday C. Frim Choomba Dameeeela Elizabeth Cambage Eves Karydas JK 47 Jordan Brando Lovebirds Mallrat Motez Running Touch Sophiegrophy Sycco Telenova Torren Foot Alice Ivy Ball Park Music Boo Seeka Bradley Zero Cosmo's Midnight Crescendoll Hot Dub Time Machine Ijale Jaguar Jonze JamesJamesJames Jennifer Loveless King Stingray Kye Lastlings Loods Nina Las Vegas Pretty Girl Skin On Skin Willaris. K X Club
