There's a lot to explore around Canterbury, but visitors to Maling Road who love fashion and homewares can't forget to check out Coco & Chloe. Named after the owner and her sisters' puppies — who also happen to be siblings — the selection of products tend to be just as cute. Across clothing, accessories and an eclectic range of homewares, basically everything available is bursting with colour. From stylish portable speakers to planners, perfume and winter wear, Coco & Chloe truly embodies the timeless appeal of Maling Road.
French food is one of the most technical and sophisticated cuisines out there. Or is it? Resto BoBo, the latest haunt to join Chapel Street's restaurant lineup, is out to prove that simple (and unpretentious) French food exists with a menu that you can mostly eat with your hands. Resto BoBo's signature dish is tarte flambée, which is basically a French pizza. A traditional Alsatian offering, the crispy, pizza-like base is topped with crème fraîche or melted cheese and a simple smattering of meats, vegetables and herbs. Tarte flambée has a rich history in France, gaining popularity as a snack food at local village gatherings. It's about bringing people together, which is exactly what the folks behind Resto BoBo wanted to recreate with their Windsor eatery. Owner Dan Xerri spent four years living in Strausbourg eating his way through the city's many exceptional restaurants when he realised he wanted to bring a slice of the country's culinary culture back home. After three months working with local chefs and learning to perfect tarte flambée, Xerri returned to Melbourne to open BoBo. Dan hopes the simple space can provide an insight into lesser-known French foods and give punters a place to enjoy good conversation and great company. While tarte flambée takes centre stage at the venue, those who venture beyond the restaurant's signature dish will find a selection of gourmet salads, cheese and charcuterie boards on offer, with both French and Victorian ingredients making an appearance. Keeping on theme, the wine list consists of French and Victorian drops for the ultimate French feast. Resto BoBo is now open at 110 Chapel Street, Windsor from 5.30pm till late, Wednesday through Sunday. For more info visit restobobo.com.au.
Trust your nose to guide you to Queen Victoria Market this winter, as this culinary hub embraces truffle season. A go-to destination for the luxurious ingredient, this year's growing season is expected to be a seismic one, meaning more flavourful creations in your future. Best of all, the increased supply means getting a taste of this delicacy isn't quite so hard on your wallet. With the Queen Victoria Market serving up two ways to celebrate, the Truffle Treasures Trail is a free, self-guided adventure spanning the market's most cherished truffle products. Featuring over 30 truffle-laced items, there's cannoli, infused oils, cheeses, salamis and more to explore, with some bites available for as little as $7. Yet the headline act is RIPE Cheese's viral truffle toastie. Seek it out to feast on golden sourdough, melty mozzarella, cheddar and truffle honey, layered with 10 grams of freshly shaved Australian black truffle. Meanwhile, hunt down Cannoleria's truffle and dark chocolate cannoli or Big Vic Deli's squid ink truffle salami to discover the fungus at its most inventive. For truffle lovers keen for a deeper experience, the Ultimate Truffle Tour offers a two-hour, expert-led adventure through the market's food halls. Tasting truffle products from varied vendors every step of the way, it runs on Saturday, July 12 and Saturday, August 16. Tickets are $99 for adults and $59 for children, with bookings essential.
Science Gallery Melbourne's inaugural exhibition tackles a complicated subject, head-on. Running from Thursday, January 20–Saturday, June 18, Mental: Head Inside dives into a whole swag of different perspectives on the topic of mental health, aiming to unravel problematic societal biases and stereotypes. The interactive exhibition showcases more than 20 experimental projects from various artists and researchers, which use science, technology and creativity to really explore different ways of being. Among them, you'll find a space of reflection created by Wemba Wemba and Gunditjmara artist Rosie Kalina that looks at the mental health impacts of racism and colonisation; a sensory project by UK artist Nwando Ebizie that captures the effects of the rare neurological disorder Visual Snow; and a performance work by Melbourne's Mary Angley and Caithlin O'Loghlen offering a glimpse into the realm of the wellness influencer and just what goes into creating that perfect image. Through it all, Mental sets out to champion lived experience, created in collaboration with a cast of young people who've shared their own stories from right across the mental health spectrum. [caption id="attachment_840763" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Installation view of 'Hello Machine - Hello Human', Rachel Hanlon, from Mental: Head Inside at Science Gallery Melbourne, 2021. Photo: Alan Weedon.[/caption] Top Images: Installation view of 'Wheel', Hiromi Tango and Dr Emma Burrows; Installation view of 'Selfcare_4EVA', Mary Angley and Caithlin O'Loghlen; Installation view of 'Even in Fear', Zhou Xiqohu, and 'Kind Words', Ziba Scott. All from 'Mental: Head Inside' at Science Gallery Melbourne, 2021. Photos: Alan Weedon
Troye Sivan has something to give Melbourne: his Something to Give Each Other tour. The Grammy-nominated and ARIA Award-winning 'Rush', 'I'm So Tired...', 'My My My!' and 'Youth' artist has spent part of 2024 playing shows in Europe to sellout crowds, and hitting America for a co-headline arena tour with Charli XCX. After that, he's making an Aussie return. The Perth-raised pop star hits Melbourne's Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Thursday, November 21, with Nick Ward in support. Set to get a huge workout: the 2023 album that gives the tour its name, of course, which was Sivan's first since 2018's Bloom, earned a heap of placings on best-of-2023 lists at the end of last year and hit number one on the album charts in Australia. But given that his discography dates back to 2007's Dare to Dream — and includes fellow EPs TRXYE and Wild, plus his debut album Blue Neighbourhood — he has tracks from across almost two decades to bust out. It's been a huge few years for Sivan — as a musician, acting in Boy Erased and The Idol, being parodied by Timothée Chalamet (Dune: Part Two) on Saturday Night Live. Dance to this, obviously.
Who knew that the next great Australian film would actually be a constellation of 17 smaller ones? The term 'producer' seems insufficient for Robert Connolly, the driver of this daring and innovative cinema project. He has pulled together the most visionary creative artists, filmmakers, cinematographers, choreographers and theatre-makers to bring Tim Winton's The Turning to the screen. Connolly's brief to his collaborators was simple: choose a short story from Winton's book and develop it in any style you wish. It's a bold and crazy concept. A curated, anthology film shouldn't work, but here it is. This film is about the crossroads, the moments when we turn to face ourselves and force ourselves to change track. The returning patterns of self-realisation are alcoholism, Christianity, Indigenous culture and identity, our relationship with the land and air and water, and the inability to put the past to rest. Video artist Shaun Gladwell and actors Mia Wasikowska and David Wenham make their directorial debuts. Justin Kurzel (Snowtown) directs an especially creepy episode. And every story turns on sharp moments of awakening: Rose Byrne's battered, trailer-park wife encounters God, Hugo Weaving's alcoholic hermit reunites with his estranged son, Cate Blanchett's suburban everywoman finally clicks with her mother-in-law. Until these moments, our characters are moving forward, but still in the past, and they all come together with unexpected narrative unity that balances open-endedness with diamond-cut clarity. In these plaited stories, I found a film of rare adult complexity, and strands of hope and trauma woven together with a compassionate, humane thread. I found moments of astonishingly troubling beauty. And with a sensitive touch, The Turning does all this without overdosing on dark-night-of-the-soul melodrama. Rarely do we see a film with such a startlingly singular and confident mandate, and this is all the more courageous given the pressure on Australian filmmakers to dedicate themselves to producing more 'entertaining' commercial product. Some viewers will feel The Turning's three-hour length. I did at times, and I thought some of the early chapters could have been omitted with little impact. But what the hell, go with it. It's not easy viewing but it is beautiful viewing. While you're watching it, this is a film to zoom in and zone out to. After you're finished, it's a film to dissect and discuss and linger on. Yes, this is an art film, but it's not the one you think it will be. So bold is Connolly's vision, he's designed a new distribution strategy to accommodate it: The Turning will play for only two weeks in special-event screenings — some with Q&As with the creative contributors — and audiences receive a luxe little full-colour booklet to help make sense of the braided narrative structure. The Turning will probably make you cry and you probably won't know why. It will stay with you. And I think it will claim a place in cinema history — for the innovation of its style, and the frankness of its substance. https://youtube.com/watch?v=rGVweOZA2zg
Vintage fashion treasure trove Hawkeye Vintage is back for its first in-person event since 2020. From Friday, December 1 to Sunday, December 3, you can take your pick from a wide range of pre-loved designer handbags, clothing and accessories from brands such as Chanel, Dior, Gucci, Fendi, Versace and Louis Vuitton at Ovolo South Yarra. Browse over a 1000 handbags under $1000, or go big with the premium selection starting at $1200. Seems too good to be true? Hawkeye Vintage will have authentication cards available for all bag purchases, and there'll be an Entrupy authentication machine for you to use on-site. Get in quick — the first 100 shoppers will receive a goodie bag worth over $500. You could also win $500 to spend by entering the giveaway on Hawkeye Vintage's Instagram page and dropping at least $750 at the sale. You'll need to register to attend, so reserve your spot for $10 at the event website. Happy shopping! The sale will run from 10am–7pm from Friday, December 1 to Sunday, December 3. Head to the Hawkeye Vintage Facebook event page for more information.
A new player is stepping up to bat in the Australian hospitality scene, and in Melbourne. Introducing The StandardX, scheduled to open in Fitzroy in February 2024. The StandardX is the latest brainchild of Standard International, known for its lifestyle hotels in cosmopolitan hotspots like New York, Miami and London. But The StandardX is set to be a new direction for the brand, with the Fitzroy concept acting as "a rebellious younger sibling" of The Standard Hotels across the globe, distilling The Standard experience to its "x factor", and going for a more minimalist and cool approach. It seems that Fitzroy is the perfect location for the new concept. Melbourne's own Hecker Guthrie has infused the hotel's 125 rooms and public spaces with a contemporary yet unpretentious aesthetic. As for the food, don't expect the standard hotel restaurant. Led by Executive Chef Justin Dingle-Garciyya, the rooftop dining area will be exclusive to hotel guests, offering an array of Medellin-inspired dishes, including tacos and ceviche. The rooftop bar will be the perfect spot to enjoy a cocktail after dinner, or before a night out, or at 10am — it's a hotel after all. With panoramic city views and the privacy that comes with exclusivity, it's set to be a pretty nice spot to have a sip and take in the majesty of the Melbourne skyline for locals and tourists alike. For those after a more casual bite, the all-day Thai diner and The Box, a retail concept offering on-the-go snacks and drinks, will ensure you're never far from curing a rumbling belly. With room rates expected to hover between $250–350, The StandardX is positioning itself as a premium choice for travellers and Melburnians looking for a unique hotel experience that blends luxury with Fitzroy's artistic and cultural heritage. Nick Cave, Ollie Olsen, Stuart Grant and Rowland S. Howard are even among the hotel's inspirations. The StandardX is set to open in February 2024 at 62 Rose Street, Fitzroy — head to the hotel's website for further details.
If you're a fan of a pub roast — or just want the wintry vibes to stay around a little while longer — we've got some good news for you. Richmond's Harlow will be dishing up a different roast each Sunday — with bottomless wine. The roasts (as you may have guessed) are available every Sunday, for both lunch and dinner, until the end of October. For $20 per person, you can opt for a traditional meat roast, which will rotate between smoked beef short rib, chargrilled chicken or smoked brisket, and there's a veg option of blackened spiced eggplant, too. Of course, you'll get all the trimmings — think fat chips, peas with maple bacon, honey roasted carrots, Yorkshire pudding and the always necessary gravy. Or, you can turn it into a full-blown Sunday session with bottomless wine to go with your meal for $49 a head. You'll be sipping away for two hours, between 1–3pm for lunch or 6–8pm for dinner. Harlow's Sunday roasts, with the additional option of bottomless wine, is running every Sunday, from 12pm, until Sunday, October 27. To book a table, head here.
In response to Victoria's rising COVID-19 case numbers over the past few weeks, the State Government has implemented a number of measures in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The state has extended its State of Emergency until mid-July, launched a suburban testing blitz, tightened some gathering restrictions for all Victorians and reintroduced strict stay-at-home orders for Melbourne postcodes that are experiencing the worst community transmission of coronavirus. And, today, Saturday, July 4, it has also advised that it's locking down two more sections of the city. With 108 new cases of COVID-19 recorded over the past 24 hours — the biggest rise in numbers since Saturday, March 28 — Premier Daniel Andrews has announced the expansion of the state's reintroduced stay-at-home orders to include postcodes 3031 and 3051. In those areas, and in the suburbs of Flemington and North Melbourne specifically, 23 cases have been identified across more than 12 households in public housing estates, with the Premier advising that "this is not like an outbreak spread across multiple homes or multiple suburbs". He explained that "the close confines and the shared community spaces within these large apartment blocks means this virus can spread like wildfire. And just like fire, we need to put a perimeter around it to stop it from spreading". Accordingly, the new rules will come into place in the 3031 and 3051 postcodes from 11.59pm tonight, Saturday, July 4. https://twitter.com/DanielAndrewsMP/status/1279299365543096322 For most residents of the two postcodes, the reintroduced requirements are very familiar. They're what were in place at stage three of the state's COVID-19 restrictions in late March. So, if you're in one of the ten originally announced or two newly added "hot zone" postcodes with stay-at-home lockdowns, you'll only be able to leave your house for one of four reasons: for work or school, for care or care giving, for daily exercise or for food and other essentials. You won't be able to have friends and family visit either — unless it's for care — but you can visit your partner and they can visit you. Plus, businesses in these suburbs will be reverting back to stage three rules, too. Which means, restaurants and cafes must offer takeaway only, and gyms, galleries, beauty parlours, swimming pools, libraries and theatres will need to close. These rules will also impact all Victorians who usually go into these suburbs — you won't be able to enter an affected suburb, unless it's for one of the four aforementioned reasons. For residents of the nine public housing estates in the 3031 and 3051 postcodes, however, a "complete lockdown" will come into effect — and will last at least five days at this stage. The nine sites will be closed and contained, and residents will be required to stay inside their homes. "Just as we've done with similar outbreaks in closely confined settings like aged care, the only people coming in and out will be those providing essential services," said Premier Andrews. The residents of the nine public housing towers will receive onsite clinical care, as well as food delivery and care packages. The two new postcodes that are required to return to stage three stay-at-home restrictions from tonight are: 3031: Flemington, Kensington 3051: North Melbourne, Hotham Hill The nine public housing estates that'll progress to a complete lockdown are: 12 Holland Court, Flemington 120 Racecourse Road, Flemington 126 Racecourse Road, Flemington 130 Racecourse Road, Flemington 12 Sutton Street, North Melbourne 33 Alfred Street, North Melbourne 76 Canning Street, North Melbourne 159 Melrose Street, North Melbourne 9 Pampas Street, North Melbourne They join the ten postcodes that returned to stage three stay-at-home restrictions tomorrow earlier this week: 3012: Brooklyn, Kingsville, Maidstone, Tottenham and West Footscray 3021: Albanvale, Kealba, Kings Park, St Albans 3032: Ascot Vale, Highpoint City, Maribyrnong, Travancore 3038: Keilor Downs, Keilor Lodge, Taylors Lakes, Watergardens 3042: Airport West, Keilor Park, Niddrie 3046: Glenroy, Hadfield, Oak Park 3047: Broadmeadows, Dallas, Jacana 3055: Brunswick South, Brunswick West, Moonee Vale, Moreland West 3060: Fawkner 3064: Craigieburn, Donnybrook, Mickleham, Roxburgh Park and Kalkallo Premier Andrews said today's moves were announced because the recent COVID-19 figures show the state is "still on a knife's edge" and that "the need for targeted, swift action is stronger than ever before". "I know this is big. And I know this is unprecedented. But as always with this thing, an unprecedented challenge requires unprecedented action," the Premier noted. The Premier also said that Victorian Police will be actively enforcing the new stay-at-home orders, including the hard lockdowns. And, once again, if cases continue to rise, other Melbourne postcodes will also need to go back into lockdown, too. Stay-at-home restrictions will come into force in postcodes 3031 and 3051 at 11.59pm on Saturday, July 4. For more information, head to the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services website.
With COVID-19 testing ramping up in Victoria over the past few weeks, the state is relaxing some coronavirus-related restrictions from 11.59pm on Sunday, May 31 — just in time for the upcoming long weekend. From then, a selection of normal, everyday activities that have been off the cards since March will be permissible once again. Premier Daniel Andrews says the message has changed from "stay home" to "stay safe", with overnight trips allowed and dine-in service at restaurants, pubs, cafes, bars and clubs back on the cards from midnight on May 31. Galleries, museums, zoos and outdoor amusement parks will reopen then, too. You can also have up to 20 people in your home and outdoor gatherings of up to 20 people, which is a step up from the current five visitors and ten-person gathering restrictions. But there are, of course, some rules. These new restrictions are set to remain in place until at least 11.59pm on Sunday, June 21. So, what exactly can you do? We've broken it down. The below information is correct as of Monday, May 25. We'll update as any new announcements are made. Can I see my friends and family? Yes, visiting your friends and family has been considered a valid reason to leave your home since May 12. Under the new restrictions, you'll also be able to have 20 people in your home, including those you whom live with. Gatherings of up to 20 people outdoors, which includes picnics, yoga sessions and non-contact sport, will also be permissible. Social distancing measures should be followed at all times and 1.5 metres should be kept between you and other people. Can I have a dinner party? Yes, you can. At the moment you can have no more than five guests from outside your home, but from midnight on May 31, you'll be able to have up to 20 people in total. What about going out to restaurants, bars, pubs and cafes? Yep, parmas and pints are back on the table. From June 1, you can dine at Victorian bars, restaurants, cafes, pubs and clubs, but according to the Department of Health and Human Services website, they will be required to take your name and details for possible contact tracing. Twenty patrons will be allowed indoors at once and the move only applies to food service, which means pubs and clubs can only reopen their dining areas. Bars and gaming facilities in general will remain closed — including standalone bars — and so will food courts. Provided all goes well, 50 people will be allowed in each establishment from 11.59pm on June 21. Then, come mid-July — with a specific date yet to be revealed — 100 people will be allowed inside. You can check out all the Melbourne venues that are reopening for dine-in service over here. [caption id="attachment_753705" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Old Palm Liquor by Julia Sansone[/caption] Can I exercise in a park? Yep, outdoor communal gym equipment and playgrounds will be open from 11.59pm on Monday, May 25, with a maximum of ten people. From June 1, you can exercise with a maximum of 19 other people as long as you keep your distance (at least 1.5 metres apart). Competitive sport is not allowed, but not-contact sport — such as kicking the footy, yoga, tai chi and bootcamps — are. All the City of Melbourne's parks and the Royal Botanic Gardens are currently open. Or taking my pet out for a walk in the park? You sure can. Taking your pet for a walk is considered exercise. What about going to the gym? Not yet. Gyms, health clubs and fitness studios will be open from Monday, June 22, with up to 20 people allowed per separate enclosed space. A four-square-metre rule and a limit of up to ten people per group will apply. Showers and change rooms will remain closed. What other exercise can I do? Canoeing, kayaking, SUP, rowing and surfing are all allowed, as is golf. Swimming pools — including ocean pools — will be open to a maximum of 20 people from June 1, with a limit of three people per lane. Saunas and spas will remain closed. What about driving to go for a hike or bike ride? Yes, you're currently allowed to travel to national parks for hiking and other recreational activities. From June 1, you'll be able to go with up to 19 other people and on overnight trips, too. We'll get to that next. Before you embark on a road trip, though, check what's open. Most of Parks Victoria's parks, reserves and historic places are now open for day-use activities. Some sites remain closed, including Buchan Caves Reserve, William Ricketts Sanctuary, Lower Glenelg National Park, Point Nepean National Park, Serendip Sanctuary, St Kilda Pier, State Coal Mine, Twelve Apostles lookouts and Werribee Park. Check for updates here. Can I go on a holiday to a coastal/regional town? Yes — and just in time for the Queen's Birthday long weekend, too. With the new eased restrictions from 11.59pm on May 31, there will be no limit on the distance you can travel and overnight stays will be permitted. So, Melburnians can now book an Airbnb, go camping or spend a night at a caravan park, provided these accommodations don't have shared facilities (bathrooms and kitchens). There are no restrictions on leaving or entering Victoria, but many borders remain closed so be sure to check before booking. What about a trip to the snow? Snow sports are allowed and the Victorian ski season will open from midnight on Sunday, June 21, but you should avoid sharing equipment where possible. Will art galleries and museums be open? Yep, galleries, museums, national institutions and historic sites will be allowed to have up to 20 customers per separate space and ensuring the one person per four-square-metres rule is applied. Also allowed to reopen: outdoor amusement parks, zoos, arcades and libraries. From June 22, these places will be allowed to have up to 50 patrons per separate space. [caption id="attachment_758772" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NGV[/caption] What about going to the cinema? Drive-in cinemas will be able to operate from Monday, June 1 and, from 11.59pm on Sunday, June 21, cinemas can reopen with a maximum of 50 people allowed to watch a movie. Those who are not from the same household will be seated at least 1.5 metres from others. Can I go shopping? Yes, you can go shopping. That said, not all shops are open and some have changed their opening hours, so we suggest giving them a call before you head out. The four-square-metre rule will apply to all retail spaces, with patrons advised to keep a 1.5-metre distance. Can I get my hair cut? Hairdressers and barbers are open, but under the new restrictions there'll be a maximum of 20 people allowed at any one time. They will be required to take your name and details for possible contact tracing, adhering to the Department of Health and Human Services website's guidelines. What about other beauty services? Beauty therapy, spray-tanning, waxing, nail salons, tattoo and piercing parlours will be allowed to open, as will spas and massage parlours. Can I go back to work? In short, no. Premier Daniel Andrews advises that if you can work from home — and have been doing so — you should not be going into the office until at least the end of June. "I understand there'll be questions about why you can go to the pub or the park – but not the office," he said in a statement. "We just can't afford to have millions of people moving around our state – taking public transport or using the communal kitchen. Let alone when you think about the logistical challenges of getting people in and out of lifts or lobbies." https://www.facebook.com/DanielAndrewsMP/posts/3102837846447397 I'm on my Ls, how about a driving lesson? Going for a drive, or a motorbike ride, are considered acceptable recreational and educational activities. Flying lessons are now even allowed. Can I go to church? Yes, all places of worship are now allowed to open for small religious ceremonies of up to 20 people. Weddings can also have up to 20 people, in addition to the couple and the celebrant. Funerals can have up to 50 mourners. If held in a home, a maximum of 20 people can be present. If you have more questions, the Victorian Government has an extensive list of FAQs on its website. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Top image: Firebird by Parker Blain
Tragedy, deceit, treachery: these are all words associated with Bell Shakespeare's latest production, Julius Caesar. The Australian theatre troupe is stopping in Melbourne for ten performances of the Shakespearean tragedy, as part of its 2018 national tour. Led by the company's associate director, James Evans, the political thriller will appear at Arts Centre Melbourne from July 18–28. Julius Caesar explores the damaging effects of betrayal, as audiences witness how "mob violence erupts, relationships fracture and the republic crumbles" throughout the tense plot. Kenneth Ransom (Gods of Egypt) is set to present an emotional, encapsulating rendition of the title character alongside an ensemble cast. Since 1990, Bell Shakespeare has taken the words crafted by Shakespeare and presented them to spectators as eery commentary on the current state of the world. In speaking on this production, director Evans highlights the idea of dystopias and "the way in which yesterday's dystopia becomes today's normality". With tickets starting from $45 for under 30s, Julius Caesar is sure to be an enlightening, exciting production filled with takeaway lessons for today's society. For more information on tickets and shows, head to Arts Centre Melbourne's website.
Every city has one: an area littered with the usual eateries, convenience stores and variety shops, with a slightly grimy, ripped-from-the-'70s pawnbrokers nestled smack bang in the middle. In Melbourne, the suburb of Footscray offers up just that — and provides Pawno with its setting. Indeed, actor-turned-filmmaker Paul Ireland doesn't just stroll the streets to make his directorial debut, but endeavours to bring the thriving locale to the big screen. A diverse Aussie drama is the end result, offering a lived-in slice of neighbourhood life, its ups and downs, and its multicultural populace. Unsurprisingly, the titular cash-for-goods establishment sits at the centre of the action. Run by the gruff but kindly Les Underwood (John Brumpton) and his lovesick offsider Danny (Damian Hill), it's the kind of place that all of the locals drop by during the course of the day. Over a 24-hour period, a number of shoppers, pals and others stop in or loiter around outside. Some, like transgender woman Paige (Daniel Frederiksen), are after quick cash. Others, such as visibly upset mother Jennifer (Kerry Armstrong), are trying to track down both goods and people. And then there's Kate (Maeve Dermody), who works in the nearby bookshop, needs help fixing her glasses, and happens to be the secret object of Danny's affection. In addition to playing Danny, Hill also provides the low-budget indie with its screenplay. Despite this, his character is just one of many. Pawno proves less concerned with charting one person's journey, and more interested in weaving snippets of stories into a textured tapestry of the community. Alas, that choice proves both a strength and a weakness. While the unassuming feature boasts variety and vibrancy, its episodic narrative lacks a sense of cohesion. Fortunately, the talented ensemble of performers — which includes Malcolm Kennard and Mark Coles Smith as a duo of homeless hangabouts, as well as Holding the Man's Tony Rickards as one of Les' pals — keep things intriguing, especially when the script goes down many an expected path. They might all be playing thinly written characters, but they each make their respective roles feel real. Thanks to their combined efforts, the ample amounts of Aussie slang and swearing aren't the only aspects of Pawno that come across as genuine. As clichéd as it sounds, the suburb of Footscray also helps ramp up Pawno's atmosphere of authenticity. The graffiti-strewn streets are as significant a presence as Les, Danny and company, with cinematographer Shelley Farthing-Dawe finding the right balance between gloss and grit. Of course, that's the combination the feature aims for overall: candid but caring. It's an ambitious mix for an ambitious feature, even if the patchwork package doesn't always convincingly come together.
Call the team at Guinness and get them down to Speakeasy HQ. Over five nights in the lead-up to Christmas, Melbourne's home of cabaret and burlesque will present a 30-act vaudeville show with a twist in its tail: every evening, the performance will finish with a different, jaw-dropping world record attempt. People, this could be history in the making. The first attempt, on the evening of Friday, December 18, will see Miss Lucy La Parr try and top the record for most knives revealed in a single burlesque performance. On Saturday, Ryan Lovat will attempt to shatter the greatest number of twerks performed in under a minute, while on Sunday, Baroness Mischa will give swallowing the longest steel blade sword ever swallowed a red hot go. Next up is dancer Liberty Foxx, who will attempt to break the record for most pasties simultaneously worn and used for tassel propellers (we swear we're not making this up). Finally, Camilla Cream will attempt the record for highest number of fans used simultaneously in a burlesque performance, incorporating ten huge feather fans in an act inspired by the ballet Swan Lake.
When you think of French composer Claude Debussy, you're more likely to arrive at the dreamy, mellifluous 'Clair de Lune' than the melodramatic stampede of opera. But at the turn of the 20th century, the French composer decided to dabble. Adapting Maurice Maeterlinck's play about a woman found wandering in the forest by a prince, Debussy's Pelleas et Melisande added to his already burgeoning reputation as an innovator. It was written in part as a response to the popular operatic traditions of the second half of the 19th century — and, more specifically, Richard Wagner's Tristan and Isolde. In contrast to these dramatic works, Pelleas and Melisande favours subtlety. It is devoid of arias and has a libretto written in prose rather than verse, creating an ethereal atmosphere that is dark in its eeriness. It has made Pelleas and Melisande, Debussy's only opera, completely original and one that completely revolutionised the art form. To mark the 100th anniversary of Debussy's death, Victorian Opera is staging a two-night run of the opera at St. Kilda's Palais Theatre. Featuring Siobhan Stagg as Melisande, Angus Wood as Pelleas and the Australian National Academy of Music orchestra, this is a great chance to remember (or get to know) one of the seminal works of this symbolist composer. Tickets to Pelleas and Melisande start from $35. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Victorian Opera website.
In sweet, sweet news for southside pastry fiends, seasonal bake sale Flour Market is finally venturing across the Yarra, set to host its next pop-up pastry showcase at the Prahran Town Hall, on April 8. It's the first southside foray for the cult event's Melbourne arm, which assembles the most coveted of the city's emerging, underground, and artisan bakers for an all-out sugar fest every three months. This Southside Slice edition will offer a condensed version of the usual bake sale extravaganza, though with debuting vendors like Penny for Pound, Shortstop Donuts, and Cremorne Street Bakers joining old favourites like Butterbing, All Day Donuts, and 5 & Dime Bagels, it looks set to be as much of a crowd-puller as ever before. As always, entry to the Flour Market will cost just $2 at the door. That said, if you're keen to avoid the guaranteed queues, grab a $10 early bird ticket for skip-the-line privileges and an extra half-hour of pastry perusal before the event opens to the general public at 9am. Flour Market's Southside Slice kicks off at 9am on Saturday, April 8, at the Prahran Town Hall, 180 Greville Street, Prahran. $10 early bird tickets are on sale from midday on Wednesday, April 5.
The hit rock musical based on Green Day's iconic album American Idiot is coming to Melbourne for the first time in 2018. Following a hit season in Brisbane in 2017, this next run of Green Day's American Idiot will see Grinspoon frontman Phil Jamieson reprise his lead performance as St Jimmy — a role played internationally by the likes of Melissa Etheridge, Chris Cheney and Green Day's own Billie Joe Armstrong. The acclaimed Aussie musician will again be joined on stage by Phoebe Panaretos, whose performance as Whatsername during the show's Brisbane run scored her a Helpmann nomination. Hailed as a bold and explosive production, the Tony and Grammy award-winning show features every song from the band's eponymous album, along with a number of tunes from Green Day's follow-up record, 21st Century Breakdown. It's the tale of three lifelong mates, torn between remaining in their safe, aimless ruts, and challenging the status quo to embark on a journey of self-discovery. The American Idiot 2018 tour will begin with a brief season at the Sydney Opera House, before runs in Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane. Images: Dylan Evans.
When you consider the ever-inflating costs associated with owning your own patch of urban paradise, it’s little wonder that people are turning to a more compact way of living. In response, quirky micro houses are appearing in cities around the globe, as architects and owners turn their attention to designing houses with simplicity and sustainability in mind. Many designers have been influenced by Japanese architects like Yasuhiro Yamashita, who has responded to the challenge posed by space constraints by creating small but comfortable and functional living quarters like his Lucky Drops house in Tokyo. As more and more attractive alternatives to traditional homes pop up each week, we take a look at some of our favourite not-so-grand designs. Small House in Tokyo, Japan Tunnel Vision in Manhattan, New York Small House Surry Hills, Sydney Steel Life in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Lucky Drops in Tokyo, Japan
Chunky Monkey, Clusterfluff, New York Super Fudge Chunk. These are just some of the more popular flavours of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, a leading cause of happiness around the world since 1978. While doctors in the future will no doubt tell me otherwise, I can't think of many things better than gorging a giant tub of sweet, sweet ice-cream on a hot December day, except for maybe getting some friends together and going to the movies. Well, it turns out Ben & Jerry's can help me there as well. Staring on December 1 and running until a few days before Christmas, Ben & Jerry's Openair Cinema, erected on St Kilda's South Beach Reserve, will combine recent releases like Gravity, The Counselor and We Are The Millers with some more nostalgic picks, including Point Break, The Breakfast Club and sing-a-long screening of Grease. Festivities start daily at 6pm with live performances from local bands and DJs. The film program starts after dark, usually around 8.30pm, giving you plenty of time to suss out the bar and stock up on snacks. The exceptions are the Sunday 'Sundae' Sessions, which kicks off an hour earlier with additional music and free Ben & Jerry's for all. Ben & Jerry's Openair Cinema opens on Sunday, December 1, featuring a live performance from Gypsy & the Cat and a screening of the new Richard Curtis rom-com, About Time. Concrete Playground has three double passes to the launch to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address at win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au.
Four Pillars' bloody gin season is back for another year, which is one piece of bloody excellent news. There's more where that came from. In 2023, the Healesville-based distillery has two limited-edition wine-infused concoctions on offer: the cult-favourite Bloody Shiraz Gin and new sibling Bloody Pinot Noir Gin. Spirits fiends familiar with the shiraz version will know that it is ridiculously popular for a reason. Also, it's gin infused with shiraz grapes. That blend gives the drop its cerise hue, and provides sweet undertones — but means that it avoids a higher sugar content. It is boozier, though, with an alcoholic content of 37.8 percent (compared to an average 25 percent in regular sloe gin). The 2023 Bloody Shiraz Gin follows that process again, while the Bloody Pinot Noir Gin sees Four Pillars try another grape variety. If the distillery is bottling it and selling it, clearly it turned out well, too. This newcomer also sources its fruit from Yarra Valley again. The end result is softer and lighter but with a heavier gin taste, and with aromas of rose petals, strawberries and cherries. [caption id="attachment_851611" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anson Smart[/caption] Also bloody brilliant: to celebrate not one but two bloody gins, and bloody season overall, Four Pillars is hosting a midwinter gin fest. Running from Saturday, June 10 till the end of July in Melbourne, the festival is actually a heap of events heroing the two tipples (and getting everyone saying "bloody" over and over). So, the Healesville distillery will celebrate World Gin Day across Saturday, June 10–Sunday, June 11 with a weekend-long party filled with drinks, snacks, DJs, workshops and free tastings. It's also hosting a Fireside Festival that's all about hot cocktails on three Saturdays: July 8, 15 and 22. And, Yakimono is doing a feast on Tuesday, July 11; there'll be takeovers at Dessous and Goldilocks on various dates; and the Gin & Film Fest is back at Thornbury Picture House on Thursday, July 6 and Thursday, July 13. Top image: Kate Shanasy.
Everything is a multiverse these days, or so it increasingly seems. Marvel has one, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is currently in cinemas to remind us all of that fact if we somehow forgot after Spider-Man: No Way Home. Rick and Morty loves them as well. Even if the term isn't mentioned explicitly, everything from French delight Petite Maman to The Matrix franchise flirts with similar territory. And yes, the list goes on — but nothing else is quite like Everything Everywhere All At Once. Don't know why that's the case? There's a vast array of reasons, including star Michelle Yeoh getting to play multiple versions of the same character, earning a far worthier showcase of her talents than the likes of Boss Level and Gunpowder Milkshake have provided of late, and also working in a nod to her Crazy Rich Asians-era IRL self as well. Plus, there's the wonderful return to cinema by Ke Huy Quan, aka Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom's Short Round and The Goonies' Data, who makes a fantastic double-act with Yeoh. Also a highlight: a world where everyone has hot dogs for fingers; another where Ratatouille is real, but with raccoons; and another still that's a sparse realm where life only exists in sentient rocks. Weird, wild and wonderful from its first frame to its last, Everything Everywhere All At Once stands out in a heap of ways — and, if you haven't seen it yet or you're keen to give it a revisit, you can now watch one of the best films of 2022 so far from your couch via digital platforms from Thursday, May 26. Fast-tracking flicks big and small to digital is our new pandemic-era reality, and this gem is the latest to make the leap — while it's still showing in cinemas, too. It looks fabulous on the big screen, but if the ease of checking it out at home suits you better, that's also now an option, as it also has been with The Batman, West Side Story, Dune, The Matrix Resurrections and more in the past few months. Written and directed by the Daniels, aka Swiss Army Man's Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All At Once really does take its name seriously. Here, almost anything that can happen does, all while laundromat owner Evelyn (Yeoh) just wants to get the tax office off her back, save the family business and make the most of her dad's (James Hong, Turning Red) visit from China. In the middle of a punishing audit by IRS inspector Deirdre Beaubeirdra (Jamie Lee Curtis, Halloween Kills), and already feeling chaotic after her daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) brought her girlfriend Becky (Tallie Medel, The Carnivores) home, Evelyn learns that the fate of the universe is at stake. Of course, only she can save everything — and while that setup might sound familiar, this funhouse of a feature never takes the expected path. Check out the trailer for Everything Everywhere All At Once below: Everything Everywhere All At Once is currently screening in Australian cinemas, and is also available to stream online via video on demand — including via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review.
A literal underdog tale about scrappy canines, a plucky orphan and a pooch-hating politician with an evil scheme, Isle of Dogs isn't just Wes Anderson's latest movie. Filled with heart, humour and witty dialogue, this doggone delight is the most Wes Anderson-esque movie the acclaimed filmmaker has ever made. Anyone who's seen any of his previous flicks knows exactly what that means, with the writer-director's work almost comprising its own genre. Think quirky quests about spirited characters following their own paths, set in worlds that cleverly expose humanity's desires and fears. Then there are his signature visuals, complete with symmetrical compositions that look like they belong in a gallery, and distinctive colour palettes anyone would love to plaster all over their own walls. Constructed with the tail-wagging enthusiasm of man's best friend, all of these familiar components fall into place in the stop-motion animated wonder that is Isle of Dogs. And that's before Anderson trots out his other trademark: an A-list cast. For this walk around the block, he's joined by regular collaborators Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Tilda Swinton, Bob Balaban, Harvey Keitel, Frances McDormand and Edward Norton, plus Anderson newcomers Bryan Cranston, Greta Gerwig, Scarlett Johansson, Liev Schreiber, Yoko Ono and Ken Watanabe. Throw in a story written with The Darjeeling Limited co-scribes Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman as well as The Grand Budapest Hotel actor Kunichi Nomura, and the end product couldn't feel more like an Anderson movie if it tried. Set 20 years into the future, Isle of Dogs begins in the fictional Megasaki, as the Japanese city faces a difficult doggy dilemma. Its howling furballs are infected with dog flu and snout fever, sparking fears that the virus could soon spread to humans. Hailing from a long line of cat fanciers and hardly keen on pooches, Mayor Kobayashi (Nomura) decides to banish all canines to Trash Island. To demonstrate his commitment to the cause, he even exiles his own family pet: a short-haired oceanic speckle-eared sport hound by the name of Spots (voiced by Schreiber). That's the setup. But Anderson's film really starts barking once the action moves to its offshore garbage pile — the actual isle of dogs. There, abandoned pooches fight for food, form packs and try to survive, as the mayor's orphaned 12-year-old nephew Atari (Koyu Rankin) discovers on his mission to find Spots. He's assisted in his task by Rex (Norton) and a ragtag gang of misfit mutts, including ex-baseball mascot Boss (Murray), one-time dog food spokesdog King (Balaban) and admitted gossip Duke (Goldblum). Gruff outsider Chief (Cranston) isn't thrilled about helping the boy they dub 'the little pilot', but he knows a lost puppy when he sees one. With a former show dog (Johansson), an oracle pug (Swinton), robo-hounds, and a crusading American exchange student (Gerwig) also playing their parts, Isle of Dogs isn't short on antics. Anderson fills his narrative to the brim like an overflowing bowl of dog treats, spoiling viewers like he'd spoil his own animal companion. It's an approach that matches his lovingly detailed images, which surpass even Fantastic Mr Fox's animated splendour. Aesthetically, every second of the movie delivers something gorgeous and glorious — be it the lifelike puppetry of its central canines, a particularly meticulous sushi scene, or fond odes to Japanese filmmaking icons Akira Kurosawa and Yasujirō Ozu. Indeed, even if Isle of Dogs hadn't paired its eye-catching contents with smart, timely parallels — a power-hungry leader, discarded population and trash-filled land mass make it impossible to miss the film's political, social and environmental commentary — it'd still make an ace addition to Anderson's oeuvre. That said, there's one area where the director shows his own limits. While Anderson is a seasoned master at combining exquisite visuals, lively voice work, an engaging story and a memorable message, a couple of his choices give pause (not paws) for thought. Isle of Dogs oozes affection for its location in every intricate element and never uses Japanese culture as decoration – but translating canine chatter into English while offering Japanese dialogue without subtitles threatens to marginalise the country the film is paying tribute to. Similarly problematic is Gerwig's character, who swoops in to help Megasaki's residents battle the mayor's nefarious plan, and sticks a little too closely to the white saviour trope in the process. Thankfully, she's never the main attraction, in what proves an otherwise charming tale about a determined boy, his undying love for his beloved pet, and a whole island of adorable dogs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlakrjfzCig
I love a good rom-com as much as the next person. Austenland is not a good rom-com. The film tells the tale of Jane Austen-obsessed, 30-something singleton Jane Hayes (Keri Russell), who spends her life savings on visiting an Austen 'theme park' in England in her quest to find her own Mr Darcy. The foundations for a predictable and enjoyable rom-com are set. All we have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride as she battles obstacles before eventually learning that the fantasy exists in real life. Right? Right on all accounts except the most crucial: this film is not enjoyable. Actually, my apologies, there was one laugh, only it was so fleeting and unmemorable that I have already forgotten what induced it was. Likely it came from the repeatedly cumbersome attempts at a regal English accent by Miss Elizabeth Charming (played by Jennifer Coolidge in the same vein as every character ever played by Jennifer Coolidge). At least Austenland will not force you to think too much. It is predictable, which is a staple of most films of the genre — the protagonist will always find love. However, that is where we would like the predictability to cease. Unfortunately, the film's events and 'twists' are so glaringly foreseeable that you could sit at home and write the script in the time it takes you to watch it. In fact, just buy a Jane Austen novel with the money you would spend on seeing this. Perhaps the most frustrating element of this film is how unvisitable and inhospitable the actual resort it. From the instant Jane arrives she is treated horribly, due to purchasing the basic package. However, this unfathomable business plan destroys any realism in this resort, for me at least. It would have been better if this theme park had roller-coasters and fairy floss throughout. I will say that Russell is lovely to watch, and that JJ Feild will have ladies swooning as the film's resident Mr Darcy. However, that is it for the positives in this film. So use your sense and sensibility and give Austenland a miss, or at least wait until it ends up in JB Hi-Fi's bargain bin. Even then, save your $4.95.
Pizza. Pasta. Salumi. Gelato. And don't even get us started on the booze. The Italians have gifted the world with some pretty spectacular food and drink — and the good news is you'll find all that and more at the Italian Wine + Food Festival. Taking over the Royal Exhibition Building on Sunday, May 27, this all-day gastronomic bonanza will welcome the proprietors and chefs from some of the most beloved Italian eateries in town. We're talking 400 Gradi and Massi, to name but a few. There'll be cooking demonstrations and wine-tasting workshops. Those looking to put what they learn into practice can swing by the festival food market and find all the ingredients they need to cook an Italian feast at home — or stop by the free bruschetta station for some sustenance. And once you're done shopping you can kick back with a glass of vino, or perhaps a cocktail from the Aperitivi Bar.
Hudsons Road Wine & Beer out in Melbourne's west is celebrating the return of winter by serving its mulled wine (longingly known by locals as the Spotswood Latte) at a one-off sausage sizzle. On Saturday, June 1, from 10.30am until sold out, folks can head down to the bar and grab gourmet kranksy sausages right off the barbecue and cups of hot mulled wine. Sausages will be going for $11 each, mulled wine for $13 and a combo of both is just $20. This classic pairing of sausages and mulled wine is served up at most European winter markets — especially those in Germany and Austria — and is perfect for warming you up on a cold arvo. Either sit in and enjoy the feed with some mates or get the sausages and wine to go. The team's mulled wine became fairly famous during the Covid-19 lockdowns when locals would run down to Hudsons Road Wine & Beer during their lunch break or after work to score a cup of the hot spiced bev. Served in a takeaway coffee cup, it became known to locals as the Spotswood Latte. And while the kranskies are only on the menu for this event, the mulled wine will be served all winter long.
With autumn clearly here, you may be tempted to knock off work, race straight home and get cosy on the couch. But Richmond's Baby Pizza is giving you reason to do otherwise. Throughout April and May, they're inviting you to join them after the office with Aperol hour every day from 4–6pm. On offer are cocktails for $9.50, wine for $7.50 and beer for $6.50. The drinks list includes Aperol Spritz, Fragola Spritz, Agrumato Fizz, Brokenwood Rosato and Peroni Rossa. While you're sipping away, do consider sampling one of Baby Pizza's 11 varieties of pizza – be it the Funghi with with portobello mushrooms, porcini, buffalo taleggio, fior di latte and truffle cream, or the San Daniele Prosciutto with San Marzano tomatoes, rocket, reggiano and fior di latte. You're welcome to secure your table by making a booking (make it a booth if you can), or take your chances and walk in. Either way, you can count on a warm welcome.
Descending on the city from August 30 to September 8, this year's edition of the Melbourne Writers Festival is set to be an especially amorous one, dishing up a jam-packed program that's all about L-O-V-E (yep, luuuuurve). From the sappy soulmate stuff, to all-important self-love, MWF has pulled together a diverse lineup of talent to help get to the heart of it all. Pulling inspiration from Raymond Carver's short story collection What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, the program sets out to explore our love for everything from people, sex, politics and country. And, no matter where you sit on that spectrum, it's got a little something for everyone. A slew of loved-up special events includes a rowdy rendition of a hen's night, helmed by comedy writers Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan (the Kates from Get Krack!n and The Katering Show), and a faux wedding reception for author and presenter Yumi Stynes. And we'll all be getting nostalgic about past heartbreaks, when the Museum of Broken Relationships exhibition makes its Aussie debut, bringing pieces from its permanent collections in Zagreb and LA and showing them alongside a few tear-jerking local contributions. [caption id="attachment_730607" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Museum of Broken Relationships[/caption] You'll also catch conversations with some heavy-hitting international talent, including the USA's Tayari Jones (An American Marriage), Canadian novelist Patrick deWitt (French Exit), Scottish crime-writing star Val McDermid and experimental rock writer and Sonic Youth co-founder Kim Gordon. Elsewhere, legendary singer-songwriter Tina Arena joins Yorta Yorta soprano, composer and educator Deborah Cheetham for the festival's popular Duets series; Cold Chisel's Don Walker chats with Paul Kelly, reflecting on a couple of impressive musical careers; Daniel Mallory Ortberg — host of Slate's Dear Prudence podcast and founder of The Toast — digs deep into all those occasions when love just hurts; and even a performance by Ben Folds. Book Club will see a group of broadcasters, comedians, former politicians and authors discussing their favourite tomes, or you can enjoy a selection of the city's cringiest DIY wedding vows, as performed by comics Anne Edmonds and Nath Valvo. In short, you'll have a lot of new additions to your Goodreads list. Melbourne Writers Festival will hit the city between August 30 and September 8, 2019. Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10am, Thursday, July 11 here.
With a booming five-year stint and loyal crowd of regulars under its belt, unique party place Pawn & Co shocked plenty when it announced it was getting turfed from its Chapel Street home — at the hands of developers, no less. But, as promised fiercely to its fans, the bar-pawn shop hybrid has returned with a vengeance, moving to impressive digs around the corner, at 177 Greville Street. The new iteration is bigger and better than ever, with the original hidden bookshelf entrance now leading punters to a heftier two-level space, complete with cosy booths, a courtyard, and three separate bars. This time though, co-owner and designer Josh Lefers has dialled up the steampunk aesthetic to a whole new level, with the retro-futuristic reboot boasting such random treasures as a cryogenic chamber, a steampunk throne, and an old Victorian tram you can sit in. There's also a church organ mixing cocktails, a talking vending machine taking drink orders, and a host of bonus extra features, glimpsed only through special glasses given to patrons. Of course, Pawn & Co has stuck with the bar concept that put it on the map (it was once featured by Forbes back in 2013), so absolutely everything inside the space is up for sale. Best keep that credit card on a short leash though, unless you really want a cryogenic chamber for your house. Pawn & Co. 2.0 is now open at 117 Greville Street, Prahran. For more info, visit pawnandco.com.au. Images: Eugene Hyland.
If you're watching a film in a darkened theatre without some sort of snack in your hand, are you really at the cinema? Lovers of popcorn and choc tops certainly don't think so. And while whipping up a bowl of popped corn kernels in the microwave is a rather easy way to help recreate that movie magic at home at the moment, enjoying a choc top — a proper cinema-quality choc top, not just your own attempt — isn't quite that simple while Victorian picture palaces are temporarily closed. To help satisfy the country's choc top cravings during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bulla's choc tops range hit Australian supermarkets earlier this year — but only for a limited time. Now that Victoria is under strict coronavirus restrictions again, the ice creams are making a comeback from today, Wednesday, August 26. Again, it's a short-term arrangement; however if you'd like to grab a few next time you're doing your essential grocery shopping, now you can. This time, two different flavours are on offer, too — so you can lick your way through chocolate and boysenberry varieties. Old favourites vanilla and mint are also available and, to grab them, you'll need to head to Coles. Bulla and Coles haven't revealed just how long the choc tops will be on the freezer shelves, other that they're only there while stocks last. Prepare to eat a few — a four-pack will cost you $10. Find Bulla's choc tops in the Coles freezer aisle for a limited time. For further details, visit the Bulla or Coles websites.
Bored, retired American goth rock star Cheyenne (Sean Penn) is living in an enormous mansion in Dublin with his carefree wife of 35 years, Jane (Frances McDormand). When he learns of the death of his estranged father, Cheyenne returns to America, at which time he begins to find out information about himself and his family that he never knew. When asked about his father things begin to unravel. Cheyenne is told a story of an SS Officer who humiliated his father in Auschwitz, and who may still be living in America. This is where Cheyenne embarks on a journey across his homeland, now foreign to him, on an expedition of reconciliation where encounters with people and situations allow him to find himself. With a nod to The Cure's Robert Smith, Penn plays the complex character of Cheyenne as softly spoken and kind in a convincing and unique performance. The film draws charm and originality to the forefront with a stunning cast and compelling storyline, not to mention a remarkable soundtrack with music and lyrics by David Byrne and Will Oldham. This Must Be The Place is in cinemas April 5. You can read our full review here. To win one of ten double passes to see This Must Be The Place, just make sure you are subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address through to hello@concreteplayground.com.au
After exhibiting in Sydney earlier this year, Chinese artist Chen Qiulin brings her first Australian solo show to the Shepparton Art Museum. Her practice draws upon her experience growing up in Wanzhou City in Western China and the confluence of natural and urban landscapes. In recent years, the rapid urbanisation of China has becoming central to her work, which explores the intricacies of city planning, architectural hierarchies as well as tensions between tradition and technology. The centrepiece and namesake of the show is the impressive One Hundred Names, consisting of the most common Chinese family names, carefully carved out of tofu. This edible artwork is designed to gradually decay over time, symbolising the material transformation that inevitably follows intensive labour. The exhibition will also feature a range of photographic, video and performance works. As part of the exhibition, SAM will also hold a one-off tofu banquet with the artist on Saturday, June 4 to coincide with the launch. You can book tickets here. Image: Chen Qiulin, Ellisis Series No.1 2001 58×86cm Photograph, Giclee Print, Ed.8 Courtesy the artist and A Thousand Plateaus Art Space, Chengdu © the artist.
How better to banish those dreaded post-holiday blues than a sparkling summer Sunday spent frolicking on a rooftop? The ever-colourful Good Heavens has teamed up with its mates at Fixation Brewing Co, serving up a series of monthly Sunday sessions guaranteed to get your 2019 off to a very solid start. Head along on Sunday, January 6 — and the first Sunday of each month after that — to wrap up your weekend in true summer style. There's a $60 bottomless barbecue brunch to feast on, perfectly washed down with hoppy Fixation beers, plus green tea and mango mimosas. Further fun comes in the form of a holiday-worthy $10 spritz menu from 12–4pm, super-sized board games and activities, and DJs spinning those weekend beats all day long. There are two sessions available for each event — book in for the 12–2pm time slot, or round out your afternoon with a 2–4pm visit.
Melbourne cinephiles, prepare to spend plenty of time in yet another picture palace. Come 2019, Swanston Street's Capitol Theatre will reopen its doors and once again host cinema screenings. The RMIT-owned building will become a home-away-from-home for the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), which is closing down for a major refurbishment between mid-2019 and mid-2020. While ACMI's Federation Square base is completing its revamp, the organisation will partner with RMIT to bring its screenings to the Capitol. Festivals that usually use ACMI as a venue, such as the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, Human Rights Arts & Film Festival and the Japanese Film Festival, will also make the temporary move. In readiness for getting the projector whirring, the Capitol is also undergoing a revamp of its own. The theatre's foyer will be restored, seats and carpet will be replaced, and upgrades will be made to its cinema projection, lighting and sound facilities. As well as revitalising a space that dates back almost a century, RMIT is eager for the Capitol to regain its place as one of Melbourne's cultural hubs. The university expects the venue to host more than 500 events and to welcome more than 100,000 visitors through its doors every year. RMIT will also use the space as a research and innovation hub in fields such as film, digital media, virtual reality, augmented reality and animation, for both educational purposes and for the broader industry. "We're creating a cultural and educational destination," said RMIT Pro Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President Professor Paul Gough in a statement. "A thriving centre where the creative community can interact, connect and collaborate." The news comes after the university launched a crowdfunding campaign to restore the Capitol and put it back into use, noting the building's significant historical value. First opening in 1924 — and initially hosting silent films that were preceded by live theatre productions before each screening, as well as being accompanied by Australia's first large Wurlitzer organ — the site was designed by architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin, who also designed the city of Canberra. The Capitol's geometric-shaped light-filled ceiling is quite the striking sight, but one that's been seen intermittently by audiences over the past few decades. After initially closing in the 60s, being renovated to turn its stalls-level seating into the Capitol Arcade, and then undergoing remodelling again when RMIT took over in 1999, The Capitol has remained shut since 2014. We're looking forward to seeing it open once more. The Capitol Theatre is located at 113 Swanston Street, Melbourne and will reopen at a yet-to-be-revealed date in 2019. Image: RMIT.
Sorry to break it to you, but your cab home tonight will be at least $6 more expensive. After a review from the Essential Services Commission and a subsequent ruling from the state government, Melbourne taxis this week see their first fare rise since 2008. Much to our tragic, drunken despair, the biggest price hikes are going to those late-night rides home on the weekend. Between 10pm and 4am on Friday and Saturday nights punters will now be paying $6.20 in flagfall fees alone. If you're after a maxi, expect that fee to rise to $14. Flagfall rates during the day will also be jumping to $4.20, and a ride on weeknights will set you back $5.20 from the get go. Across the board, the changes equate to a price rise of 12.5 percent. That is unless you're up for travelling short distances — then your fare has magically doubled. Yeouch. While any rise in prices is understandably easy to moan about, the changes may in fact help inner-city commuters in the long-run. Not only will there be more cabs on the weekends as drivers fight to get the bigger fares, but it may also be an incentive for taxis to drive you short distances. No longer do you have to bribe and convince drivers to take you from the CBD to Fitzroy! I think we all know that awkward (and illegal) Saturday night exchange that ends in them locking their doors, speeding away, and leaving you to begrudgingly make your way home in inappropriate walking shoes. However, it is interesting that these fees come at a time of flux for the industry. The controversial ride-sharing service Uber has secured most of its business in Australian cities on the fact that it's cheaper than local taxis. Though its Melbourne drivers have recently faced legislative action from the state government, it doesn't look to be disappearing any time soon. And, with these latest price rises, more and more commuters may be looking for alternatives. Either that, or you can stay out till 5am and avoid the hefty flagfall. Boney, anyone? Via The Herald Sun. Photo credits: Savio Sebastian via photopin cc and mugley via photopin cc.
It's time to shed those layers of black because Melbourne's spring fashion festival is here to mark the end of winter and get you into some crisp whites and florals. The week-long event — which has ditched the 'spring' from its name and is now known as Melbourne Fashion Week — kicks off on the first day of the season, with Vogue American Express Fashion's Night Out and the Emporium Opening Night Runway setting the sartorial scene for a week of runway shows. Labels like local PAGEANT, Melbourne icon Gorman and the polished Michael Lo Sordo. RMIT's student runway returns to showcase emerging designers, and one show will be help in a car park. Ethical fashion is under the spotlight this year at the Ethical Clothing Showcase, proving that transparent production is on-trend. MFW has teamed up with the city's arts institutions to present the lives and works of two fashion heavyweights – the NGV's House of Dior retrospective is unmissable, while ACMI's screening of Yohji Yamamoto: Dressmaker, offers a rare insight into the world of the revered Japanese designer. No cash? No problem. Free i-D Magazine-curated live music from the likes of Jennifer Loveless and HABITS will keep you moving in your designer shoes, and the revolving Creative Collective Exhibition at Melbourne Town Hall will introduce you to the city's most exciting emerging artists and designers.
There's no longer any need to save that big, lavish seafood feast for a special occasion. The folks at New Quarter are now whipping up ocean-fresh magic every weekend with their new Cajun-Vietnamese lunch banquet, Hook, Line and Drinker. On offer from 12pm Saturdays and Sundays for groups of two or more, the seafood feasts promise a gloriously messy ol' time, filled with punchy flavours like lemongrass, hot chilli, XO sauce and black pepper. Leave your light-coloured clothes safely at home so you can dig into piles of blue swimmer crab, tiger prawns and chargrilled corn, teamed with bahn tieu savoury doughnuts and rice noodles. Even dessert is sorted, with a coconut yoghurt concoction featuring puffed rice, and sweet and sour mango. Your lunch will set you back $60, but if you're thirsty, you can add on bottomless sips for an extra $50. Boozy options run to the likes of makrut lime margaritas and bloody marys by the carafe, local vino, and tap brews including Hop Nation's organic lager and the Bodriggy Cosmic Microwave.
It's been almost twenty years since the aliens of Independence Day came down and made a global nuisance of themselves. Fair to say a lot's happened since then, mostly to do with iPhones and TV shows about 'real housewives'. But in the world of Roland Emmerich's movie, things have advanced even further. We're talking flying cars, moon bases and even above ground monorails! Hybrid alien/earth technology has led to giant leaps forward in almost every facet of life, not to mention ushering in an unprecedented era of global peace. But then, wouldn't you know it, the aliens return, and – surprise surprise – they are pissed. Independence Day: Resurgence reunites pretty much the entire cast of the original film save for Will Smith – who has been unceremoniously killed off – while also introducing some newer, younger and more marketable faces in the form of Liam Hemsworth, Maika Monroe, Jessie Usher and Chinese superstar Angelababy. Then it does EXACTLY THE SAME THING AS LAST TIME. First, aliens invade and park a giant ship where there was clearly a no parking sign, ruining several perfectly lovely cities like London and Hong Kong in the process. Next, Earth launches a counter-attack with an impressive aerial armada, only to be completely scuttled and sent packing with our tails between our legs. Then the aliens reveal their true purpose (literally to do again what they came to do last time, exactly the same way), before Bill Pullman gets into a fighter plane and brings down the invaders with not a second to spare because – and we can't stress this point enough – 'that's what worked last time'. The result is an altogether dull blockbuster, assuming that's not an oxymoron. There's zero chemistry between any two members of the cast, while the battle scenes feel disappointingly familiar. It's also one of those frustrating films where giant plot holes are constantly pulling you out of the story, as you find yourself wanting to yell questions at the screen. These may include: "Why are we still baffled by the alien shields if we knew they had them twenty years ago?" or: "Why are we surprised by the speed of the alien ships when they've not changed since the last time?" and of course: "Why do we have countdowns on our earth-defending weapons, when all they do is give the aliens more time to blow them up?" Big, dumb and fun is an established genre in Hollywood these days, and one that's not entirely without its merits. Silly blockbusters are great for whiling away a rainy afternoon or getting you to the end of a long-haul flight. But when the 'dumb' is so overbearing that it drowns out the 'fun', and the 'big' being made 'bigger' represents the only substantive change, then you're left with a massively expensive yet spectacularly hollow sequel that quite simply fails to entertain. Rest in peace, Will Smith's character. Yours is the only one whose memory hasn't been soiled. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbduDRH2m2M
Parking spaces along Carlton's Lygon and Rathdowne Streets could be scrapped to make way for bike lanes, bus lanes and wider footpaths, as Melbourne City Council looks at ways to best evolve with population growth and unclog our roads. The two stretches were named as potential spots that could be transformed into 'Complete Streets', as outlined in the Council's recent Transport Strategy Refresh report. In an effort to reclaim the increasing amount of space taken up by cars, the proposal would see the two streets' current parking bays — or motor vehicle lanes, as both streets currently have two lanes going in each direction — swapped out for a mix of cycling infrastructure, bus lanes and extra footpath space, incorporating things like street art, cafe seating and planter boxes. If these changes were implemented, it could making commuting from Brunswick to the city, or to the University of Melbourne, much easier. With estimations that by 2036 the number of people commuting to Melbourne's CBD for work will rocket to 1.4 million on an average weekday, the Council has highlighted the need for some serious changes. Currently, in the City of Melbourne, a huge 460 hectares of space is dedicated to parking. The Chair of the Transport portfolio Councillor Nicolas Frances Gilley explained, "we need to optimise our city streets for people walking, cycling and taking public transport because that is how the majority of people move around and it's the most efficient way to move large numbers of people as our population grows." You can read City of Melbourne's Transport Strategy Refresh here and offer feedback via the website. Image: Visit Victoria
Director Hiner Saleem takes the trappings of an old-school American Western, and infuses them with a distinctively Kurdish feel, in the Cannes selected drama My Sweet Pepper Land. Set in a remote village in Iraqi-Kurdistan near the borders of both Turkey and Iran, the film offers an intriguing new spin on the time-honoured genre — one that works in parallel to its examination of life after the fall of Saddam. The stoic Korkmaz Arslan plays our protagonist, Barlan. Once a high-ranking officer in the Kurdish resistance, the liberation he helped bring about has, ironically, left him at a loss. Ill-suited to his position in the new government, and eager to leave the home of a mother who wishes to see him married, Barlan takes a position as sheriff in an isolated mountain town, in the hope that he can maintain the newly established rule of law. It's a classic set-up that wouldn't feel at all out of place in a John Ford movie. Upon arrival in town, Barlan is quick to draw the ire of the local warlord Aziz Aga (Tarik Akreyi), who wishes to continue his smuggling operations with impunity. Barlan's cautiously loyal deputy (a moustachioed Suat Usta) warns his boss against a fight he cannot win. For the fiercely principled soldier, however, retreat is not an option. Saleem, best known for the award-winning Vodka Lemon, embraces the tropes of the Western genre, fostering a pleasing familiarity in a world that is otherwise foreign. The destruction of the one bridge into town means that everyone travels by horseback, while the local saloon, from which the movie takes its name, houses a posse of villainous henchmen. But Saleem also subverts expectations, both cinematic and cultural. Actress Golshifteh Farahani plays Govend, the local schoolteacher who, like Barlan, finds herself at odds with Aziz Aga — in her case because she's a smart, independent woman who refuses to cower in the face of intimidation. Scenes shared with her 12 overprotective brothers are played as humorous, until you realise that they too expect her to fall in line with male authority. Farahani, for her part, is no stranger to patriarchal attitudes, having been barred from her native Iran after posing nude in a magazine shoot in Paris. The overcast skies and grey-green hills of rural Kurdistan are a far cry from the scorched reds and yellows of the Old West, yet the two landscapes share a similar, inhospitable beauty. The wistful echoes of Govend's steel hang — a kind of round metal drum — fit with the film's contemplative pacing, while evoking quiet feelings of hope for a land rocked by instability and violence. https://youtube.com/watch?v=MYnNsHXbO_A
If you're anything like us, you probably use pay day to book yourself a long-overdue dentist appointment, pay your rent and buy groceries that aren't on Manager's Special — y'know, the necessary stuff. But sometimes — especially if you've just got a bonus, pay rise or your tax back — you want to treat yourself to something nice rather than practical. We're talking holidays, massages and even just nights at the cinema with friends. But don't move too fast. You've still got to make your money last until the morning of pay day when you need to scrape together a few coins for a coffee. That's why we've teamed up with Westpac to find five ways to treat yourself when that slice of financial pie comes rollin' in hot to your bank account. Not only are they all awesome experiences — but, if you're a Westpac customer, you can nab them all at sweet discount on the Westpac Rewards Hub. And, best of all, none of them include gloves and drills rummaging around in your mouth. You're worth it. BOOK YOURSELF AN OFF-GRID CABIN RedBalloon has been around for a while, but it's still one of the best go-tos for finding experience-based gifts (a gift to yourself is still a gift) that you probably wouldn't have thought of yourself. If you've been hankering for a mini getaway for a while now and think it's time to fly the coop, tune in: RedBalloon have some whopper deals. Spend a romantic night in a French cottage in the Mornington Peninsula with a partner, or head to Tilba on the south coast of NSW to an eco pod for an experience a little more off the grid. The best bit? If you book through the Westpac Rewards Hub, you get a further discount when you spend $175 or more. BUY THOSE OVERSEAS FLIGHTS It's still a little cold and summer is still a whole month away, so you're more justified than ever for impulse-booking overseas flights. How about escaping to the Philippines or Portugal? They're both on our 2019 travel bucket list. If you're still unsure, take a scroll through Expedia's last-minute options or its destinations of the week. You'll also get 10 percent off if you book through the Westpac Rewards Hub. Then you just need to book in that annual leave. SCHEDULE IN A WEEKEND MASSAGE Is your happy place smack-bang face down on a table being kneaded by someone with strong-yet-soft hands while some sleep-inducing music plays and the smell of rosewater subtly wafts around you? Then you, my friend, need to book in a massage. Think of it as a way of neutralising your body after a long week at work. Try Endota Spa — its massages range from soothing relaxation and remedial through to the two-hour couples experience, while its extensive array of facials cater to all types and include Endota's Dermalogica, Glycolic, HydroPeptide and Hydro-microdermabrasion treatments. It's sure to turn you into a greasy (in a good way) ball of bliss. Top tip: buy a gift card from the Westpac Rewards Hub to save yourself a few dollars. TREAT YOURSELF TO A NIGHT AT THE MOVIES Perhaps one of the greatest personal (and relatively affordable) pastimes is heading to the movies for an evening, whether it's seeing the latest blockbuster or checking out something obscure and Latvian. It's also the only place that popcorn for dinner is fine. You can't put a price on treating yourself to a night out but, if you don't want that price to blow out, grab some discounted movie tickets via the Westpac Rewards Hub so you can spring for the extra large popcorn. [caption id="attachment_673026" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption] BUY THOSE ITEMS IN YOUR ICONIC CART Pay day is treat day, so there's no reason it can't be buy-that-dry-clean-only-suede-onesie-you've-had-in-your-Iconic-cart-for-two-months day, too. Grab yourself some new threads to say well done on making it through another week at work without crying at your desk or spilling soy sauce on your shirt again. Or, buy yourself some new clothes because you've spilt soy sauce on all your shirts — any reason works. With free delivery and returns, and over 20,000 products, we barely even need to mention that you'll also cop ten percent off a full-price purchase through the Westpac Rewards Hub. Enjoy this splurge and plan for the next one. Open your own Westpac Choice account here.
Melburnians will get their first taste of South Yarra's $800 million Capitol Grand development (and its star-studded food precinct) when Omnia opens its doors this week. Launching on Friday, June 7, the pop-up restaurant will be a classic European bistro with an unmistakable Aussie edge. It'll also have a team helmed by award-winning chef Stephen Nairn (whose impressive resume boasts stints at Matilda 159, Vue de Monde and New York's three Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park) and World Class Global Bartender of the year Orlando Marzo (Lûmé). From the kitchen comes a lineup of European-inspired favourites reimagined with a focus on top local ingredients. Expect sophisticated plates like steak tartare teamed with a smoked egg yolk and gaufrette potatoes, oysters mignonette and a stuffed quail with pine mushroom and sauerkraut. Desserts come courtesy of pastry chef John Demetrios (Vue de Monde), with combinations like bitter chocolate mousse with pears and caramel, and a modern reworking of a classic Gascony-style apple pie. [caption id="attachment_716271" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Capitol Grand[/caption] A matching 150-strong wine list shines a spotlight on producers from all corners of the world. But it's perhaps Marzo's cocktail offering that steals this drinks show, with botanically focused creations nodding to the venue's light-filled Garden Bar. Settle in here for upscale snacks — such as gougères, oysters and shellfish — matched to drinks like the All Spice (a blend of banana, Champagne and citrus oil) or the aged tequila, pear and riesling-infused riff on an old fashioned. As well as being a restaurant in its own right, Omnia will also be a testing ground for the Capitol Ground's food precinct. The pop-up will be open to the public for dinner and cocktails at night from Tuesday to Saturday, while during the day the kitchen team will develop menus to be unveiled elsewhere in the precinct later in the year and in early 2020. Find Omnia at 25 Toorak Road, South Yarra, from Friday, June 7. It's open from 5.30pm Tuesday–Saturday. Images: Harvard Wang
A menu of weapons of destruction, to be consumed to fill a hungry stomach, is one way to criticise violent solutions. The latest project from artist Kyle Bean called Soft Guerilla, a series of sculptures depicting weapons made out of harmless materials. Stage a war in the kitchen and attempt to replicate these deliciously evil masterpieces.
Cafe, designer's paradise and overall very cute space Cibi is expanding. Having spent the past decade on Keele Street in Collingwood, it has outgrown the original site — filling it to the brim with Japanese homewares and cafe customers — but it won't be moving far. Just a few hundred metres down the same street, actually. Taking up residence in a huge, 800-square-metre warehouse, which was once a garment factory, Cibi will be able to stretch out across a space four times the size of the original. Although the word "cibi" means "little one" in Japanese, little it won't be any longer. Sticking with the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi (acceptance of beauty in imperfection), the warehouse will have exposed beams, concrete and brick finishes, with owners Meg and Zenta Tanaka purposefully leaving things untouched. Previously focusing on Japanese homewares and a minimal Japanese-inspired cafe offering, Cibi will add a third notch to its belt at the new site, with the introduction of pantry staples. Using local seasonal produce, Meg will be bottling up a variety of goods in the new spacious kitchen and delivering them straight into your hands — expect pickles, sauces condiments and locally made tofu. The cafe will be expanding its cafe menu, too, with food available from breakfast through to afternoon tea. You'll also be able to try dishes for the store's recently published cookbook, Cibi: Simple Japanese-Inspired Meals to Share with Family and Friends, and its super-popular Japanese Breakfast — with grilled salmon, omelette, seasonal greens, rice and miso soup — will be now available every morning, instead of just weekends. In terms of the homewares, the brands exclusively imported by Cibi (such as Hakusan porcelain and Sori Yanagi cutlery) will be built on, with the addition of larger items — such as furniture — and more brands. And Zenta will explore one-off collaborations with local artists and designs, expanding on the popularity of the Cibi drinking glass. While you're in store, you'll be able to snag green babies for your home from The Plant Society or get a painting framed by United Measures, who'll both be taking up residency in the space. And for the future? Cooking lessons, Meg hopes, thanks to the larger kitchen, as well as other workshops and special events. Cibi will open at its new location at 31–39 Keele Street, Collingwood in early October.
Everyone has different ideas of the perfect holiday - lying on a tropical beach until you're as brown as Giorgio Armani might be your thing, or maybe you dream of walking the El Camino Del Ray. But you would be hard-pressed to find someone that doesn't have a trip to Italy on their bucket list. Who could possibly not love a land of the best pizza and ice cream you will ever eat? Italy is not just about the food though, as the folks at Mr & Mrs Smith know. Their website offers reviews of the most unique and stylish hotels from all over the world, for those who are looking for an alternative to the bland monotony of Holiday Inns. They've now created a beautiful coffee-table-worthy travel guide of Italy, including, of course, 32 of the country's coolest boutique hotels from the grand, baroque kind to the sweet and rustic and hidden coastal retreats. Also included is an insider lowdown of what to do in each destination, including restaurant recommendations, what to pack and tips like which deli sells the best prosciutto or which vineyard to visit for the most romantic day. A perfect Christmas present for someone who's been talking about doing the Italy trip for far too long. To win one of five books by Mr & Mrs Smith, make sure you are subscribed to Concrete Playground then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au (for Australia) or auckland@concreteplayground.co.nz (for New Zealand) by Wednesday 7 December, 2011 at 5pm. Winners will be notified by email soon after.
Like Crazy is a romantic drama about the hopelessness and heartbreak of love, exploring the challenges a couple faces both by being together and being apart. The film is written and directed by Drake Doremus, and was the winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Picture at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Anna (Felicity Jones), a British college student, falls in love with her classmate Jacob (Anton Yelchin) and they embark on a passionate journey that soon becomes life-changing after Anna overstays her student visa to spend the summer with Jacob. When forced into a long distance relationship are placed in a situation that tests the love they have for each other. Like Crazy opens in cinemas March 1, and Concrete Playground has twenty double passes to giveaway. To win, just make sure you are subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address through to hello@concreteplayground.com.au by Wednesday, February 29. https://youtube.com/watch?v=r-ZV-bwZmBw
The latest addition to the ‘rom-con’ genre by writer/director duo Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (Crazy, Stupid Love), Focus is a surprisingly enjoyable film in spite of its flaws. With the audience guided early on by the Grifter’s Mantra — "Never break focus. Die with the lie." — it’s one where you’re persistently trying to anticipate the next twist and deconstruct every line to reveal its true meaning, only to find yourself constantly (and refreshingly) wrong. Fronting the film is Will Smith in a role that at last plays to his strengths of charm and wit rather than the physical kind (like so many of his recent, ill-conceived outings). Smith plays Nicky, a lifelong conman at the top of his game who one night finds himself the target of the aspiring but guileless gonif Jess (Margot Robbie). Sensing her potential, however, Nicky shows Jess the ropes and invites her to join his crew in New Orleans as they take on the unsuspecting hordes during Superbowl week. From then on, Focus buffets you with twists, deceptions and double-crosses with such marked regularity that you’re never quite sure where you stand. Key to its appeal is the chemistry between Smith and Robbie, simmering deliciously back and forth between master and apprentice, lover and temptress. Robbie’s sex appeal is undeniable, but here — unlike in The Wolf of Wall Street — it’s treated as a playful trait rather than her raison d’etre, even going so far as to make her character spectacularly bad at the art of seduction. It’s a refreshing angle and one that allows Robbie to showcase her genuine acting chops. Solid performances from Smith and Robbie notwithstanding, it’s the secondary characters, however, who ultimately prove the scene stealers (or should that be grifters?). Rodrigo Santoro (Love Actually) makes for a convincing billionaire playboy come Formula 1 team owner, BD Wong is almost unrecognisable as a cashed-up gambler with a near-sexual response to wagers, and Adrian Martinez delivers a laugh a line as Smith’s long-time accomplice ‘Farhad'. The highlight, though, is Gerald McRaney (House of Cards) in a role that very much channels his iconic Major Dad character from the early '90s. Playing Santoro's interminably suspicious bodyguard, he at one point delivers a sublime rant on today’s youth, covering off everything from lazy Sundays to panini and — best of all — “Sarcasm: another pillar of your generation. If you don’t like somebody’s jacket, don’t say ‘Hey nice jacket’, say ‘Fuck off’”. Overall, Focus might not match the sophistication of Ocean’s Eleven or the passion of The Thomas Crown Affair, but it’s an enjoyable enough distraction whose only real major letdown is an unnecessarily twisty ending.
Get ready for a wing extravaganza at BEAST City this week. On Friday, May 24, from 3pm–5pm, the Swanston Street spot will be dishing out up to six free wings to all guests. Yep, that's half a dozen crispy Southern-fried chicken wings on the house. You can also add on sauces like buffalo, pickles and ranch, or BEAST City's signature HOT AS F**K sauce for $1–$2 each. Can't make it for the free wings? The diner slings wings for $1 every Wednesday. Claim your share of free wings by signing up at the BEAST City website.
Hidden down Hardware Lane is the last place you'd think to find East China Trading Co, but you'll be glad you did. Melbourne's (relatively) new kid on the block, the cocktail, dumpling and rum bar is inspired by the trading companies of old world Shanghai — think commodities like coffee, tea, spices and sugar. The venue plays with stripped back walls and contrasts its low-key vibe with pops of colour and bright cocktails dotted around intimately sized table. The Ananas Chilli Fizz cocktail, which features cold press pineapple juice and pineapple vinegar topped with shredded angel hair chilli, is a popular choice among revellers. Oozing with an honest and accessible sophistication, the cocktail menu offers non-alcoholic old fashioneds, martinis and sours, giving non-drinkers the choice to order more than just a lemon lime and bitters. On the food menu you'll find your favourite Chinese dim sum selections. Everything from barbecue pork bao to xiao long bao soup dumplings, paired perfectly — albeit untraditionally — with one of the 200 rums the bar showcases on its shelves. With vegan and vegetarian options available, you can tailor your basket to suit everyone at the table. As you enjoy a drink and chat with friends, you'll feel the subtle, vivacious hum of ECTC's sister bar below. Golden Monkey has been a nightlife destination on Lonsdale Street for over 12 years and has recently undergone an exciting facelift. Wander downstairs into the basement to find a dark, opium den-styled hotspot for cocktails, live bands and DJs Thursdays through to Saturdays. Red, moody lights illuminate a lively bar and cosy booths nestled away in each corner. Opened by life-long friends Adam Ong and Michael Chen, ECTC combines an appreciation and knowledge of cocktail making with a cheeky playfulness, inviting people in to escape from the laneway and have a night to remember (or to forget). Images: Julia Sansone
Hell hath no fury like a Netflix user with a dodgy internet connection trying to watch the end of Stranger Things. Presumably Netflix has felt the wrath of this fury, and has today introduced a new feature that will allow Netflix subscribers to download selected TV shows and movies to their mobile devices to watch offline. Just like Spotify's download button, Netflix's new feature will let users download shows to their mobile device through their iOS or Android app. It won't cost anything extra — you just need to update your Netflix app. The new feature will certainly help make long-haul flights and train trips a little less painful, and be super useful for people who live in countries where mobile internet is limited or expensive. If you already use the Netflix mobile app, it'll probably save you some dollars too as you can subtly download entire seasons on your work's Wi-Fi. However not every show will be able to be downloaded straight away — to start, it'll just be Orange is The New Black, Narcos and The Crown.
In 2013, 300 people danced to Kate Bush's' 'Wuthering Heights' in a field — and in 2017, the idea is back and bigger than ever. Yes, The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever is happening in Melbourne on Saturday, July 15. Yes, everyone should be dressed as Kate Bush, complete with a red dress, red stockings and black belt (men, that means you as well). On the day, a clowder (that's the collective noun for Kate Bushes, just FYI) will descend upon the park and copy Bush's swaying, kicky dance in unison just for the pure joy of it. Support for this weird and wonderful outing has been widespread, and Kate Bush fans from around the world have been inspired to create events in their home cities. So get your gear together (dressmakers are being flooded with orders for the day, check it out here) and ready yourself to roll and fall in green, out on the wily, windy moors of Kings Domain. Registration is by donation.
