Winter is not traditionally ice cream weather. However, when that ice cream is being served up by Helados Jauja, seasons no longer matter, only the taste and the chance to devour as much as you can, and that chance just became a whole lot easier thanks to UBER. The on-demand private driver service has teamed up with the Argentinian artisan gelateria for Friday, July 19, only to deliver their deliciousness directly to your door. UBER Ice Cream Trucks will be transporting specially prepared packs of Helados Jauja around Melbourne from 2pm to 10pm and you can enjoy this service with the simple flick of a finger. To order, download the UBER app, then just open it, move the slider to the 'Ice Cream' option and request a delivery to your door in minutes — $20 will get you a 500ml tub and some UBER merch. It's easier than serving your own ice cream at home, and definitely more delicious. You can keep up to date with all of the action on Twitter and Instagram if you want (@Uber_Melbourne and #UberIceCream) whilst devouring your mouthwatering treat but remember, this is for today Friday, July 19, only (or, as I like to call it, ice-cream Christmas), so take advantage of this offer whilst you can. Concrete Playground readers get an exclusive offer when they join Uber. Use the code CPVIP and get $20 off your first ride. The offer is available to new users only and is valid for all Black and Lux car services.
One Drink Jack Nicholson wears sunglasses. Harrison Ford wears an earring. Ellen thanks Seth MacFarlane for setting the bar so low. Winner thanks God or Jesus. Winner pays tribute to the late, great Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Winner commends losing nominees. Winner’s speech is played off by the orchestra. George Clooney says something earnest and/or pulls a “hilarious prank”. Leonardo DiCaprio smiles with an “Another year, another supermodel” look. George or Leo brings his mother as his date (five drinks if they bring each other’s mothers). Matthew McConaughy makes an incomprehensible speech and/or beats his chest in rhythm. Presenter refers to “The McConaissance” Jennifer Lawrence does something adorably “real” (three drinks if it’s a fashion mishap). Michael B. Jordan offers to star in the sequel to Space Jam. Channing Tatum refutes the suggestion that 22 Jump St will be the last in the series because he can’t count any higher. Jennifer Garner reminds us she's married to Ben Affleck who has TWO Oscars. Kevin Spacey refers to that corrupt, pernicious, money-hungry institution ... HOLLYWOOD. Not CONGRESS. HOLLYWOOD! Two Drinks Jack Nicholson wears sunglasses and a hat. Harrison Ford wears an earring and an Indiana Jones hat. Ellen jokes that the show will be longer than the Sochi Games and almost as long as Wolf of Wall Street. Winner thanks Buddha or Ganesh. Winner pays tribute to the late, great James Gandolfini. Winner describes his/her film as “important” Winner describes his/her film’s director as “a genius”. Special effects winner has a ponytail. Brad Pitt says something insightful/poignant, or Angeline Joie says something lighhearted. Jessica Biel says that marrying Justin Timberlake was irrelevant to getting a presenter’s gig. Liam Neeson looks genuinely surprised he wasn’t nominated for anything. Goldie Hawn tells Kate Hudson that she should give Matthew McConaughy a call now that he’s all respectable and accomplished. Anne Hathaway makes a rambling joke about rambling in her acceptance speech last year (three drinks if she also sings). Joaquin Phoenix brings a “Galaxy S5 – new from Samsung!” as his date. Amy Adams says it was awkward to be upstaged by her own cleavage in American Hustle. Kerry Washington mentions the potential for “scandal”. Emma Watson refers to the “magic of filmmaking”. Bendict Cumberbatch, referencing Smaug, is disappointed to be surrounded by golden statues he can’t keep himself. Three Drinks Jack Nicholson wears sunglasses and an Indiana Jones hat. Harrison Ford wears an earring, sunglasses, and an Indiana Jones hat. Ellen conducts a divorce of some of the couples who were married at Grammys but have found marriage to be “overrated”. Winner thanks Allah or Mohammed. Winner pays tribute to the late, great Paul Walker. Losing nominee mouths “fuck” when the winner is announced. Non-human presents an award. Congratulatory kiss or embrace from presenter “gets awkward”. Keanu Reeves throws a tantrum because they are re-making Point Break. Chris Hemsworth says he’s shocked that Liam and Miley’s engagement didn’t work out. Jonah Hill is reminded that he’s a two-time Oscar nominee and chuckles, “Who’s ‘super bad’ now, Michael Cera?” Naomi Watts congratulates Robin Wright on her engagement (five drinks if she also notes that Ben Foster is not quite young enough to be either of their sons). Jared Leto and Lupita Nyong’o win and make out on stage. The Lone Ranger wins for Best Visual Effects and everyone is just confused. Daniel Day-Lewis says he’d give his left foot to have Phillip Seymour Hoffman back. Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd dress as Ghostbusters to farewell Harold Ramis (five drinks if Ernie Hudson also gets on stage). Jospeh Godon-Levitt or Tyler Perry makes a reference to marriage equality, Jason Collins, Michael Sam, or the Arizona veto. Five Drinks Ellen announces that presenters do not have to hand over awards to any winner who is ... from Arizona. Gravity wins an award and Neil DeGrasse Tyson rushes the stage to protest. John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson take Christoph Waltz hostage, demanding that Quentin Tarantino make them relevant again. “Jackass” and “the Oscar goes to...” are used in the same sentence. Chiwetel Ejiofor or Michael Fassbender notes that it’s a bit weird that the two main actors in a movie about American slavery are English and German.
Do you struggle with the basic task of ordering in restaurants? Do you sometimes wish there was some kind of elaborate computer program that could just decide on a menu item for you? If your answer to both those questions is "yes", then consider paying a visit to a KFC in Beijing's financial district, where facial recognition technology is being used to pick meals for customers based on their age, gender and mood. According to a press release put out by Chinese tech giant Baidu, who collaborated with Colonel Sanders on the technology, customers stand in front of a machine which scans their face and then makes recommendations as to what they might like to order. For example, a male in his 20s would likely be recommended "a set meal of crispy chicken hamburger, roasted chicken wings and Coke," while a woman in her fifties would be encouraged to purchase "porridge and soybean milk." Already, this jumps out as pretty sexist/ageist — after all, who is this robot to say that I, a male in his 20s, wouldn't also like to order a delicious bowl of KFC porridge? Mmm... appetising. Perhaps more promising is the fact that the machine can recall the faces of returning customers, along with their favourite menu items. That's the theory at least, although it didn't remember Amy Hawkins, a reporter for The Guardian who tried the machine twice but failed to leave an impression. Hawkins also noted that a vast majority of people in the Beijing restaurant seemed to prefer ordering the old-fashioned way. According to one customer she spoke to, "if it knows in future what I want to eat that's great, but at the moment it's not very smart." Perhaps they're scared off by privacy concerns? Personally, I don't know that I want there to be a digital paper trail of how frequently I visit KFC, or how much I order when I do (spoiler: it's a lot). Nevertheless, KFC is reportedly planning to roll out the technology to 5000 stores across China. It's a brave new world we're living in folks. A brave, greasy new world.
Across the last two months of 2023, most folks will celebrate festive season. Here's something else to mark this year: Godzilla season. New streaming series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters arrives in mid-November, combining kaiju with both Kurt (Fast and Furious 9) and Wyatt Russell (Under the Banner of Heaven). Then, the unrelated Godzilla Minus One will stomp onto the big screen Down Under to kick off December. This film marks a big return, and not just because Godzilla as a creature is huge in size (even though exactly how large the critter is varies between on-screen appearances). To the delight of fans of Zilly's rampages through its homeland's cinema, Godzilla Minus One is the first live-action Japanese Godzilla release about its namesake since 2016's excellent Shin Godzilla. When Godzilla first crawled out of the ocean and into cinemas, the famous movie monster made its debut appearance in the shadow of the Second World War. The link between the film's fears of nuclear holocaust and what Japan had just experienced wasn't an accident, in a picture that isn't just an excellent creature feature — the franchise-starting flick is stellar all round, including its glorious score. It was back in 1954 that Godzilla initially greeted the world. Now, almost seven decades later, 37 other movies have followed. The latest: Godzilla Minus One, which gives Zilly aficionados a long-awaited new Japanese Godzilla movie and takes its titular figure back to the country's postwar era. As seen in the both the first trailer for Godzilla Minus One and its just-dropped latest sneak peek, Japan is still coping with the aftermath of WWII's atomic bombings when the kaiju appears. The question: in a place that's already rebuilding, how will everyone both endure and battle against this towering critter? In a feature written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki (Lupin III: The First, Ghost Book), cue plenty of rampaging through the streets by Godzilla, plus fleeing by the film's humans. Cue buildings levelled, the ground both rumbling and crumbling, and explosions wreaking more havoc, too. Referencing going backwards from zero in its moniker, cue a film that follows people trying to survive and fight — all back in the time that gave birth to all things Godzilla. Already in cinemas in Japan since early November, Godzilla Minus One will hit the big screen Down Under from Friday, December 1. It follows three animated streaming efforts since Shin Godzilla: 2017's Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters, and 2018's Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle and Godzilla: The Planet Eater. Of course, the broader franchise also includes America's take on Godzilla, starting with a low in 1998, then including another try in 2014, 2019's Godzilla: King of the Monsters and 2021's Godzilla vs Kong. After TV's Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, a sequel to Godzilla vs Kong, is due in 2024. Check out the latest trailer for Godzilla Minus One below: Godzilla Minus One will hit cinemas Down Under on Friday, December 1.
Wins can be hard to come by, whereas fails, well, when it rains, it pours, right? When you've missed your morning train, been yelled at by your boss, come home to a huge electricity bill and then realised you've got nothing in the fridge for dinner — a win can feel like a distant memory. It's in moments like these where you've got to recognise the little wins — those seemingly minor things that can reshape your day and make you feel all warm and fuzzy. We've put our heads together with our friends at Coopers to come up with some foolproof, easy ways of making you feel like everything's coming up you. The win might be as simple as growing your own basil, but don't underestimate the effect that putting a fresh herb — one that you've nurtured from a little baby seed — into a homemade dish can have. Trust us, you'll feel like an accomplished gardener and your food will taste delicious. Win, win. Look at that, two wins in a row. MONDAY: READ A BOOK TO AN ELDERLY COMPANION Remember how soothing it was when your mum read you a bedtime story? Very. There's something really nice about being read to, so spare a thought for those who could use it. Go visit your nan, your friend's nan or even a stranger's nan, and take a book you've been meaning to read — that way you'll kill two birds with one stone, get through a chunk of your book and spend some quality time with an elderly companion. If you don't know an elderly person, just walk into your nearest respite or aged care facility — or even a hospice — and get to know someone who's no doubt lived quite a life. TUESDAY: EAT AT A NEW RESTAURANT There's nothing wrong with your tried-and-true Indian eatery down the road nor clicking the 're-order' button time and time again on Deliveroo. But there's also a lot to be said about trying new places and foods. How about Ethiopian instead of Indian? Moroccan instead of burgers? There are heaps of new places popping up across our cities all the time, so treat your tastebuds to new flavours from a fresh venue. Hit up one per week, even if you have to trek out to the other side of the river or harbour, and your stomach will thank you for it. What's more, trying a new place every week will give you a whole wealth of dining knowledge in your city. On our list, Half Acre in Melbourne, Lankan Filling Station in Sydney and Little Big House in Brisbane. WEDNESDAY: GROW YOUR OWN HERBS Making a pasta sauce from scratch is super nourishing for the soul and makes you feel like a nonna who's been doing it for generations. Every good homemade bolognese needs fresh herbs, so, why not push yourself even further and grow them in your own garden? Then you can attest to the freshness of every ingredient (well, perhaps you didn't grow the tomatoes, but if you can do parsley you can do tomatoes, too). Find a sunny — but not too sunny — spot in your backyard, plant your parsley and basil seeds in the ground or in a pot and don't forget to water them (that's probably the most important part). Now you're a bona fide green thumb, bravo. THURSDAY: DO A BOOK SWAP No more excuses, this year is the year that you'll read that Tolstoy novel. Okay, maybe next year... But this year you are going to read more, you can promise yourself that. While it can be hard to find the motivation to devour a lengthy novel, it becomes much easier when you do it in tandem with a friend — it's like a good type of peer pressure. Swap a book you love for one of theirs and off you go. Or, step things up a notch and start a book club. If you aim to meet once a month, you can get away with reading a few pages a night. And, the best part is, it'll improve your media consumption habits, too. No more Instagram right before bed? That's a win for your sleep habits, mental health and eyeballs. FRIDAY: HEAD TO DANCE PARTY You might be tired after a full work week but muster your second wind, Friday night beckons. Corral your mates, have some beers and head to a themed dance party. Nothing says 'win' more than living out your dream of dancing at a Beyonce vs. Rihanna party (seen in the past at Melbourne venue Yah Yahs). If you're in Sydney, keep an eye on what The Bait Shop is up to — often themed nights around sub-cultures and music of the noughties — or Brisbanites should monitor The Brightside, which held a Hogwarts-themed event this year. SATURDAY: GET ACQUAINTED WITH A NEW STYLE OF MUSIC Though your music likes and dislikes are probably set in stone and your favourite Spotify playlist forever on repeat, why not refresh your listening habits with some tunes outside of your usual genres? Head to live music venue — no, not your regular — and spend the evening getting acquainted with a new style of music. Head to The Night Cat in Melbourne for some rhythm and blues, Lazybones Lounge in Sydney for some folk and country or Doo-Bop Jazz Bar in Brisbane for, well, jazz. [caption id="attachment_680605" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Buffalo Bar, Brisbane.[/caption] SUNDAY: WATCH FOOTY WITH SOME RANDOMS If you've ever travelled overseas during AFL season and walked into a pub while a game is on the big screen, you'll know that it's never easier to make 20 new best friends than over footy and beer. If you're new in town, bored in your own town or just feel like you could do with some new friends, head to a pub where they broadcast live sport and shout "GO [insert team here]!". Before you know it, you will have gained a whole family of fellow supporters who'll probably have your back through thick and thin — and that's a massive win. We suggest, the Bellevue in Sydney, the Royal Saxon in Melbourne and Buffalo Bar in Brisbane. Bring on the beers and cheers. Kick off your 'easy wins' by enjoying a Coopers Dry, or two, with your mates. Top Image: Half Acre by Tim Ross.
Although 'art' and 'extreme trek' don't often go together, Mountain to Mouth is revising that for you this weekend. Unfolding its 80-kilometre self over two days, it'll be an extreme arts walk for those brave enough to partake the full distance. Mountain to Mouth (M~M) is a biennial event that takes walkers on a hefty 80-kilometre journey of discovery from Geelong to Queenscliff, creating a songline across the regions it travels, echoing the Wadawurrung traditional landowners. Starting at Big Rock at the You Yangs mountain range, you'll walk to Geelong and, come nightfall, M~M will arrive in the city centre to coincide with Geelong After Dark. Then, at dawn the next day, the walk will continue along Bellarine farmland before finishing up at Barwon Heads. There will be artworks installed at the 12 stations along the way, and different ceremonies will punctuate the journey from beginning to end, along with a ceremonial sculptural 'canoe' journeying along with walkers. You don't have to commit to the whole 80 kilometres, either. You're able to jump in and out of the walk as you please — you can buy a 'visa' to walk one stage of the journey, a pass for one day or a pass for the whole two days. You can also book a bus to take you from Geelong to the starting point, or from the end point back to town. It's a choose your own adventure-type event, but the celebration of art and land will be standard for everyone involved.
When one of the biggest cultural events in the world is expanding Down Under for the first time ever, and the same year marks half a century since hip hop began, what's the best way to celebrate? With the debut SXSW Sydney welcoming Chance The Rapper to its stage to mark the occasion. The three-time Grammy-winner will have no problem reflecting on the milestone in Australia come October — and making an already-massive SXSW lineup even heftier. "As we celebrate 50 years of hip hop in 2023, I'm reminded of the transformative power this culture has had, not just on the world stage, but on the streets of Chicago's South Side," said Chance The Rapper, announcing his SXSW Sydney stint. "Hip hop has provided a rhythm to our stories and a canvas for our creativity. I'm really looking forward to joining SXSW Sydney as a speaker to expound upon hip hop's transcendent legacy." [caption id="attachment_917274" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julio Enriquez via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] The 'Hot Shower', 'I Might Need Security' and 'Do You Remember' singer-songwriter, aka Chancelor Johnathan Bennett, will hit Australia during the Sunday, October 15–Sunday, October 22 event amid global celebrations of hip hop's birth. It was in August 1973 that DJ Kool Herc first isolated percussion breaks, then repeated them — and made history. At SXSW Sydney, Chance The Rapper will chat about hip hop's immense impact, not just where the Chicago-born and -raised star grew up but also globally. [caption id="attachment_917272" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anthony Quintano via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] "Chance The Rapper is renowned for both his chart topping and community advocacy. There's few out there like him, who take what they've made and use it to build the dreams of others," notes SXSW Sydney Managing Director Colin Daniels. "His genre-blurring sounds reverberate across generations, making him a powerful voice to reflect on the past 50 years of hip hop. His unique perspective bridges the gap between the genre's rich history and its dynamic future." [caption id="attachment_917273" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julio Enriquez via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Chance The Rapper joins SXSW Sydney's speakers lineup alongside Coachella CEO Paul Tollett, Queer Eye star Tan France, Future Today Institute founder and CEO Amy Webb, Layne Beachley, Osher Günsberg and plenty more — a 700-plus strong bill of talent so far, in fact, covering over 300 sessions. SXSW Sydney will also feature more than 300 gigs across 25 venues, and has been dropping its music highlights and must-attend parties since earlier in 2023. Its dedicated gaming strand will include a dedicated tabletop game expo. And, the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival will open with The Royal Hotel, and host the world premiere of Hot Potato: The Story of the Wiggles. The entire event — the festivals within the bigger fest, exhibitions, talks, networking opportunities and streetside activations — will happen within a walkable precinct in the Sydney CBD, Haymarket, Darling Harbour, Ultimo, Chippendale and more, with the SXSW Sydney's footprint operating as a huge hub. Venues named so far include Powerhouse Museum, ICC Sydney, UTS, Central Park Mall, the Goods Line Walk, The Abercrombie and Lansdowne Hotel. SXSW Sydney runs from Sunday, October 15–Sunday, October 22 at various Sydney venues — head to the festival's website for tickets and further details. Top image: Keeley Parenteau. If you're keen to make the most of Australia's first SXSW, take advantage of our special reader offer. Purchase your SXSW Sydney 2023 Official Badge via Concrete Playground Trips and you'll score a $150 credit to use on your choice of Sydney accommodation. Book now via the website.
They're two of Melbourne's go-to Japanese-inspired spots, each known for a different specialty treat. Now, the minds at Tokyo Lamington and Hareruya Pantry are coming together for the collaboration of your dreams. Fusing the former's flair for creating innovative lamingtons with the latter's famously good handmade gelato, this is a sweet-tooth mash-up you won't want to miss. The pair has created a customisable line of gelato-filled lamingtons, which they'll be whipping up to order across a range of dates and locations over the next few weeks. It's a choose-your-own-adventure situation where you'll get to select a style of sponge (roasted green tea or classic), pick a gelato flavour to be sandwiched inside (genmaicha, houjicha chocolate or white sesame) and then decide which glaze or topping you'd like to finish it all off. The treats come in at $9 a pop, and will be making an appearance at QVM's Hawker 88 night market on Wednesday, April 26 and Wednesday, May 10, as well as at Prahran Market on Saturday, April 29 and Sunday, April 30.
The last of Red Rock Deli's Secret Suppers in Sydney has been and gone, with Lotus' executive chef Chris Yan creating a feast in Darling Harbour's Chinese Garden of Friendship. The exclusive supper series saw some of Australia's most talented chefs whipping up mouth-watering, three-course feasts inspired by Red Rock Deli's new limited-edition range. And when we say exclusive, we mean it — only 20 lucky guests got to tuck into each lavish dinner. On Thursday, August 8, Shanghainese chef Chris Yan put up a feast. After guests were picked up from Central Station's Grand Concourse entrance and whisked away to a mystery location, Yan's dished up plates inspired by Red Rock Deli's Thai red chilli and creamy coconut chips. In the first two courses, Yan made both chilli and coconut heroes in with his crispy pork hock with Thai chilli and red braised beef brisket with Thai chilli and coconut cream. While his dessert of jasmine tea sago with rhubarb and pink grapefruit incorporated the creamy texture of coconut. Sounds like a meal that shouldn't have been missed but, if you did — or you went and want to recreate the magic at home — check out Yan's recipe for the crispy pork hock here. Images: Kimberley Low
If there's been a big, White Night-shaped hole in your social calendar since the famed Melbourne after-hours fiesta wrapped up its last edition in February 2018, you'll be happy to know it's making a return this August. Just be prepared for a very different experience, as the immersive festival makes some serious changes to its programming and farewells part of the late-night fun. As well as making the move from summer to the deep of winter, organisers have revealed that White Night Reimagined will swap its previous one-night format for an expanded three-night affair. Interestingly, it's also scrapping the all-nighter aspect in the process. Instead of the usual 7pm–7am program, which has been in place since the festival's inaugural 2013 edition, White Night will this year run from 7pm until midnight on Thursday, August 22, and again on Friday, August 23, followed by a 7pm until 2am session on Saturday, August 24. The new curfew means punters will no longer get to experience what some might argue is one of White Night's biggest pulls — the adventure of roaming around town soaking up art and installations, right through until the wee hours. Although, frosty August probably isn't the best time of year for pre-sunrise wanderings, anyway. [caption id="attachment_728542" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pollution Pods by Michael Pinsky[/caption] The new-format event will also expand in scope, held across three key precincts with each boasting its own distinct theme. Treasury Gardens will take the form of the 'Sensory Realm', showcasing dazzling projections, lighting and audio installations, and interactive artworks inspired by the five senses. Here, you'll find British artist Michael Pinsky's immersive Pollution Pods, which represented the different environments of global cities; a musical and calming SongCloud; a colourful light and audiovisual installation called Cluster; as well as a giant floating Cocoon made from 1000 lights tied together by ropes. Carlton Gardens will be transformed into the mystical 'Spiritual Realm', featuring a huge ten-metre lion puppet by Melbourne artist Joe Blanck, along with illuminations sharing the stories of Indigenous Australia. And the 'Physical Realm' descends on Birrarung Marr, showcasing the Aussie debut of internationally acclaimed street theatre performance Globe, from a troupe of 41 acrobats, aerialists, singers and actors. [caption id="attachment_728540" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Globe by Gerard Dubois[/caption] Other famed Melbourne spots coming to the party include the Melbourne Museum, the National Gallery of Victoria and the State Library Victoria, all hosting their own programs of art, food and music. The rest of White Night Reimagined's extended program, including the music component, is set to be revealed in the coming weeks. Starting from 2020, White Night will also form part of a new and bigger winter festival, in conjunction with the Melbourne International Arts Festival (MIAF). White Night Reimagined runs from Thursday, August 22 to Saturday, August 24. Top images: White Night 2018, SongCloud by Amigo & Amigo and Cluster by Playmodes Studio.
Name a movie made in the 90s, any movie, and odds are that it already has or is about to get a 2020s remake or sequel. Hocus Pocus, The Craft, Interview with the Vampire, A League of Their Own — they're just a handful of recent examples from a list that keeps growing. Indeed, within months, they'll be joined by the initially Woody Harrelson- and Wesley Snipes-starring basketball flick White Men Can't Jump. This time around, 31 years after the OG film had Harrelson and Snipes bouncing and hustling, Jack Harlow is turning actor to lead the movie. As the just-dropped first teaser trailer for White Men Can't Jump circa 2023 shows, the musician is joined by Nanny's Sinqua Walls — and as well as shooting hoots, they're arguing about America's greatest living director. Harlow's character votes for Boogie Nights and Licorice Pizza's Paul Thomas Anderson, while Walls shows BlacKkKlansman and Da 5 Bloods' Spike Lee some love. Neither filmmaker helms this do-over, though, with Calmatic doing the honours after also directing a House Party remake — yes, another 90s flick — and stepping behind the lens on a heap of music videos, including winning a Grammy for Lil Nas X's 'Old Town Road'. The new White Men Can't Jump's sneak peak so far is more about vibe than story, as soundtracked by Skee-Lo's 1995 track 'I Wish'. So, as Harlow and Walls banter, dribble and pit themselves against whoever will take their bet, the lyrics "I wish I was a baller" echo. Penned by Black-ish's Kenya Barris and Doug Hall, 2023's White Men Can't Jump will head straight to streaming in the US via Hulu on May 19, with Down Under release details yet to be revealed — but given it's a 20th Century Studios production, Disney+ seems its likely destination. If you're new to all things White Men Can't Jump, as well as the street court action it featured a significant Jeopardy!-related storyline. The trailer for the new movie doesn't show any signs of bringing that back, sadly. Check out the first teaser trailer for White Men Can't Jump below: White Men Can't Jump will be available to stream in the US on May 19 via Hulu — we'll update you with a release date Down Under when one is confirmed.
HBO's Cordyceps infection isn't going anywhere soon — not for the seven more weeks that The Last of Us' first video game-to-TV season has left to air, and not for a further season after that either. In excellent news for fans of the PlayStation title, the Pedro Pascal (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent)- and Bella Ramsey (Catherine Called Birdy)-starring show it has inspired, and both, the US network behind it has officially announced that its first massive hit of 2023 will return for a second season. This development is hardly surprising, but still obviously hugely welcome. When it comes to mashing buttons, the 2013 game also inspired a 2014 expansion pack and 2020 sequel. Also, even just two episodes in so far, HBO's version has been attracting viewers faster than any sudden movement attracts zombies. When the series' debut episode aired on Sunday, January 15 in the US and Monday, January 16 Down Under — where it screens and streams via Foxtel and Binge in Australia, and on Neon in New Zealand — it became HBO's second largest debut ever. The first? A little show called House of the Dragon in 2022. In America alone, The Last of Us' movie-length first instalment has notched up more than 22 million viewers, while its second episode earned 5.7 million viewers just on one night — more than a million than that premiere chapter, and giving HBO its largest-ever growth from week one to week two of any series it has ever made. In other words, even after leaping to television with a huge gaming fanbase behind it, The Last of Us' popularity is spreading. Given how impressive the HBO series' first season is — how thoughtful, character-based, well-cast, and committed to exploring not just what's happening in its contagion-ravaged dystopian world but why life is worth fighting for — that too is unsurprising. For newcomers to the franchise on consoles and as a TV series, it's set 20 years after modern civilisation as we know it has been toppled by a parasitic fungal infection that turns the afflicted into shuffling hordes. Pascal plays Joel, who gets saddled with smuggling 14-year-old Ellie (his Game of Thrones co-star Ramsey) out of a strict quarantine zone to help possibly save humanity's last remnants. There wouldn't be a game, let alone a television version, if that was an easy task, of course — and if the pair didn't need to weather quite the brutal journey. As a television series, The Last of Us hails from co-creator, executive producer, writer and director Craig Mazin, who already brought a hellscape to HBO (and to everyone's must-watch list) thanks to the haunting and horrifying Chernobyl. He teams up here with Neil Druckmann from Naughty Dog, who also penned and directed The Last of Us games. Alongside Pascal and Ramsey, the series also boasts Gabriel Luna (Terminator: Dark Fate) as Joel's younger brother and former soldier Tommy, Merle Dandridge (The Flight Attendant) as resistance leader Marlene and Aussie actor Anna Torv (Mindhunter) as smuggler Tess. And, Nico Parker (The Third Day) plays Joel's 14-year old daughter Sarah, Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus) and Nick Offerman (The Resort) feature as isolated survivalists Frank and Bill, Storm Reid (Euphoria) pops up as Boston orphan Riley, Jeffrey Pierce (Castle Rock) plays quarantine-zone rebel Perry and Yellowjackets' Melanie Lynskey also guest stars. HBO hasn't announced when season two will arrive, but cross your fingers that it drops early in 2024. Check out the full trailer for The Last of Us below: The Last of Us screens and streams via Foxtel and Binge in Australia, and on Neon in New Zealand. Read our review of the first season. Images: Liane Hentscher/HBO.
Just when you thought Laneway couldn't add much more to its already-heaving lineup, the festival addition has added a brand new 'street party' into the mix that'll recreate the energy of Laneway's early days. Presented in conjunction with I OH YOU and Red Bull Music, Block Party is set to feature at the Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Fremantle editions of the festival, showcasing a banging new lineup in each city. The exact locations of the stages are yet to be announced, though we're told the parties will channel the vibe of the very first Laneway outing that took over Melbourne's Caledonian Lane back in 2004. Which means it'll probably be super crammed. And the lineup's an absolute ripper, pulling together local acts like Sydney-based producer Basenji, hip hop star Jesswar, legendary DJ Andy Garvey, the genre-bending Haiku Hands and dance floor favourite CC:DISCO. Laneway co-founder Danny Rogers says it'll take the festival's offering to a whole new level. "There was such a creative, magic feeling at the original Laneway Festivals. I think it was because of the spontaneity they had," he explained. "I wanted to recreate that same feeling at the 2018 event and this idea just made total sense." Laneway Festival 2018 hits Melbourne on February 3, Sydney on February 4, Brisbane on February 10 and Fremantle on February 11. To buy tickets or to get more information, visit lanewayfestival.com.
Melbourne has had a warm start to the new year, with temperatures in the mid-to-high 20s for the past week; however, a blast of extra sizzling warmth awaits today. Indeed, finding some frosty air-con or a shaded pool is recommended, with the city predicted to swelter through a day-long spell of 38-degree heat. The Bureau of Meteorology expects the mercury to soar across Victoria on Monday, January 11, hitting 38 in Melbourne and up to 40 in the state's north. While that's a about ten degrees above Melbourne's average January temperature, it's still lower than the city's highest recorded January maximum of 45.6 degrees back in 1939. It is the city's hottest day since January 31, 2020, though, when the mercury hit 42.9. https://twitter.com/BOM_Vic/status/1348161575539122177 With today's hot weather, comes very high and severe levels of fire danger across parts of Victoria. A total fire ban has also been declared for the day in Mallee, Wimmera and the Northern Country districts. If you were hoping to escape the heat by heading to a swimming hole or beach, keep in mind that the state's public transport has also been impacted by the heat. V/Line has implemented its Extreme Heat Timetable for several lines, including Bendigo, Swan Hill, Geelong and Warrnambool, which means journey times will be extended and some services will be replaced by air-conditioned coaches. Yarra Trams is also expecting service changes across the network today. Thankfully, the scorching summer blast will be short-lived, with the BOM predicting a cool change to come through late in the evening. After an expected high of 34 on Wednesday, the city will return to the low-20s for the rest of the week. You can stay up to date with public transport changes at the PTV website and fire danger levels and bans at Country Fire Authority. Image: udeyismail via Flickr.
As we walked through the streets of North Melbourne, my date turned to me and asked, “Is this actually a fight club you’re taking me to? How is this even a thing?” I had no real answer for him. Although I had done some research, I hadn't been able to find much information disclosing the nature of the event itself (first rule of fight club etc) and now, even after attending, I still don’t know if I could answer his question. Once arriving at the venue, we sat on a large platform stage and waited. Two charming men from Amsterdam (New Heroes company director Lucas de Man and performer Michael Bloos) leapt up on stage, and with the help of a good ol’ PowerPoint display, began by listing social and entrepreneurial movements made in recent years by young people. It was more entertaining than you think, but how it tied into the rest of the show still slightly baffles me. The evening progressed with re-enactments of scenes from Fight Club and before long they had half the audience signing waivers. So began the fighting part of the night — seriously, it was like “Brad Pitt this, Edward Norton that, LET’S KICK EACH OTHER". Admittedly it was exciting, and despite being a generally unfit and passive person, I did feel the urge to join the action. One after another, Melbourne hipsters took to the mats and wrestled each other. As entertaining as it was, it was difficult to understand how they were going to give the evening any more meaning than 'sometimes beating someone up feels good' and to be honest, I have a real issue with that mentality. Following the fighting, Bloos and de Man attempted to workshop what felt like a sort of self help-anarchistic-literary appreciation-arts student-cult meeting. Every three minutes we were being told that the world is crumbling around us and the only way to truly be ourselves was to beat each other up. Herein lies the major fault with the show. It seeks to address serious social and political issues in an inspiring and assertive manner, but somewhere between being told the '90s were better because you could blow shit up and Darwinism limits self expression (okay, that was an audience member, but still) it felt like a poorly orchestrated student protest. The show ended with a strange and unexpected 'wherever you go, there you are' style activity, which added to the confusion of the whole evening. On the walk home, my date and I spoke about the events of the night, and while the point of the performance had been lost on us, we still appreciated whatever it was we had just been a part of. If nothing else, I can guarantee this is the best people-watching event going 'round. This event appeared as one of our top picks for the 2014 Next Wave Festival. See the full list here.
Feeling like you need a little more fabulousness in your life? Get set for this summer, when Australia and New Zealand score their very first taste of stand-up from Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness. Emmy Award-nominated television personality, hit podcaster and hairstylist to the stars, the multi-talented Van Ness is bringing his Road to Beijing tour to our corner of the world, hitting Auckland, Christchurch, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney in February 2020. Van Ness is perhaps best known for his role in Netflix's new Queer Eye reboot, where he's guru for all things grooming, hair and self-care. He also starred on the popular Emmy Award-nominated Game of Thrones recap series Gay of Thrones, and has a podcast called Getting Curious, which recently took out the iHeart Radio Award for Best LGBTQ Podcast. Outside of all that overachieving, Van Ness is also combining two other passions – figure skating and stand-up comedy – to hilarious effect, for his Road to Beijing stage show. Inspired by a lifelong goal of becoming a figure-skating prodigy in time for the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the live show is set to deliver a healthy dose of realness, mixed with plenty of feel-good stand-up. Though it's only his first comedy tour, Road to Beijing has proved a sell-out success, as it hits venues across the UK and the US. [caption id="attachment_671749" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Queer Eye team at Yass in NSW[/caption] ROAD TO BEIJING TOUR 2020 DATES Auckland — The Civic, Sunday, February 16 Christchurch — Town Hall, Tuesday, February 18 Brisbane — BCEC Great Hall, Thursday, February 20 Melbourne — Plenary Theatre, Saturday, February 22 Perth — Riverside Theatre, Tuesday, February 25 Sydney — First State Super Theatre, Friday, February 28 Tickets for Jonathan Van Ness' Road to Beijing tour go on sale at 2pm on Friday, August 2 via TEG Dainty.
If getting a double dose of Tom Hardy is the stuff your dreams are made of, then your wishes are about to be fulfilled. In Legend, the man last seen driving vehicles in Locke, Mad Max: Fury Road and London Road transforms into notorious thugs Reggie and Ronnie Kray. And yes, twice the Tom can only be a good thing. Playing the twins who were known for terrorising London in the 1960s, Hardy offers up completely different performances to bring the fearsome duo to life. Reggie was suave and business oriented, particularly when trying to impress the woman, Frances (Emily Browning), he wanted to settle down with. Ronnie was more unpredictable, and though both could be violent, you really wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of this sibling. Whichever one Hardy is playing, he's impossible to take your eyes off of, which director/director Brian Helgeland — the scribe behind crime dramas LA Confidential and Mystic River — knows how to make the most of. Helgeland also knows how to make the most of his handsome period setting in his engaging addition to the gangster genre. Legend is in cinemas nationally from October 15, and thanks to Studiocanal, we have 10 double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter and then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
Dear Concrete Playground Readers, With the growing concerns surrounding COVID-19, we wanted to take a moment to check in. Going out might not be at the top of your to-do list right now, but you can continue to support small, local businesses without leaving your apartment. These businesses have had a tough run of late — battling through the lockout laws in Sydney, the bushfires in regional areas and, now, coronavirus fears — and they need our support now more than ever. Buy from artists who've had their shows cancelled, order gift cards and merch from venues that are struggling or just book in a dinner for that birthday a few months away. Then, when we come out the other side — which we will — we'll be raring to get out there and hit up concerts, food festivals, comedy galas and charity raves once again. And we'll be there with you every step of the way. In the meantime, keep washing your hands — to the chorus of Lizzo's 'Truth Hurts', of course — and get in touch if you have any questions, concerns or just want to chat. Love, CP To stay up-to-date with the events postponed and cancelled in your city, head over here. 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.
Spring in Victoria means one gorgeous thing: the stunning annual Blossom Festival descending upon Cherryhill Orchards for two weeks of quintessential springtime revelry. From Saturday, September 16–Sunday, October 1, the Yarra Ranges orchard will come alive to celebrate the new cherry blossom season — though there's much more on offer here than an abundance of beautiful blooms. Visitors will be able to enjoy cherry-infused sips, cherry ice cream and plenty of live tunes while they stroll through the rows of blossoming trees. Once you've worked up a thirst, you can soak up some spring sunshine while sipping cherry vodka, which uses the orchards' cherries; cherry blossom gin, for something else boozy and on theme; and both cherry blossom frappes and cherry blossom tea. Or, opt for high tea among the blossoms as hosted by Mary Eats Cake. If the superb scenery has inspired your creative side, there's also a program of hands-on family-friendly workshops running through the festival, covering everything from flower crown creation and candle-making to beekeeping basics. And if you're in the mood for romance, you can precede your visit with a sunrise hot air balloon ride, thanks to the folks at Global Ballooning. Only for over-18s: the sip-and-paint workshop, which'll unleash your creative side over drinks across a 2.5-hour session. Adult general admission is $12.50 on weekdays and $15 on weekends, with various experiences and food packages available to add to your booking. And just like in 2022, dogs are welcome to join your blossom adventures.
No one expects to find good things floating ashore from the East River. Separating mainland Manhattan from New York's outer boroughs, the river is best known for its freezing temperature, its poor hygiene, and its propensity for housing dead bodies. At best, you might find some old fast food refuse; at worst, you become embroiled in a murder trial with the mob. That was until this week when a mysterious grand piano emerged from the water. After being spotted on the Manhattan side of the river, under the Brooklyn Bridge, the piano became an instant hit on social media. New Yorkers showed no hesitation to wade on into the water and give it a spin, and it's basically become a rotating shoot site for Instagram users across the city. Unfortunately (yet understandably) the piano no longer works as it's completely waterlogged. But to focus on that would be to miss the point. If a beautiful grand piano floating mysteriously in the world's nastiest river isn't contemporary art, I quite frankly don't know what is. No details have emerged yet on the piano's origin, and in the absence of anything else we've come up with what we see as the most logical explanation. After a swift fall in album sales and overall relevancy sometime in the last decade, Vanessa Carlton threw her prized piano off the Brooklyn Bridge in a fit of super-human rage and strength. We welcome other theories, but really this is the only thing that fits. Perhaps it's a marketing stunt for her return tour. If that's the case, can we push it back into the tide and forget this whole thing ever happened? Via Gothamist. Lead photo credit: Lauren Yap. Instagram credits: chisophoto and laurenyap.
It's been home to David Lynch's eerie filmscapes, Yayoi Kusama's infinity and obliteration rooms, Gary Carsley's projected jacarandas and Patricia Piccinini's forest of flowers that aren't quite flowers. Soon, it'll welcome a riverbed, a snowman and a suspended installation that visitors can climb through, too. Yes, Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art loves an immersive installation — and it has more in store for 2020. Fancy wandering through a labyrinth of red and black wool? That's on next year's agenda. As part of its just-announced 2020 lineup, GOMA revealed it'll host Chiharu Shiota: The Soul Trembles, a showcase focusing on the Berlin-based Japanese artist and her work over the past quarter-century. In an Australian exclusive, the exhibition comes to Brisbane after recently premiering in Tokyo — and while it won't sit 53 storeys up or come with panoramic views of the city, like it did in Japan, Shiota's string-heavy installations are certain to garner more than a little attention. Fashioned from millions of strands, they resemble weaved, maze-like webs and take up entire rooms. The Soul Trembles is the largest-ever solo exhibition by the artist — and although GOMA hasn't revealed just how much of the Tokyo lineup is coming to Brisbane, art lovers can expect an array of sprawling installations, sculptures and video footage of Shiota's performances, as well as photographs and drawings. Highlighting her fascination with intangible concepts, such as memory, anxiety, dreams and silence, the ticketed display will run from June 27–October 5, 2020. [caption id="attachment_750700" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Chiharu Shiota. b.1972, Kishiwada, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Uncertain Journey (2016/2019). Courtesy: Blain | Southern, London/Berlin/New York. Installation view: Shiota Chiharu: The Soul Trembles, Mori. Art Museum, Tokyo, 2019. Image courtesy: Mori Art Museum, Tokyo. Photograph: Sunhi Mang.[/caption] After the already-announced Water, which launches this December, The Soul Trembles is the second huge exhibition set to deck GOMA's walls next year — but, as always, there's more to come. In tandem with the Shiota showcase, the gallery will also pay tribute to pioneering Queensland artist Gordon Bennett, hosting the first large-scale display of his work since 2007. And, just a stone's throw away, sibling venue Queensland Art Gallery has two big exhibitions slated for 2020. First, it'll feature a four-month showcase of Mavis Ngallametta's work, highlighting large-scale paintings by the Putch clan Elder. Then, spanning from late 2020 to early 2021, QAG will exhibit an almost five-month survey of documentary photography by acclaimed Queensland-born, Sydney-based photographer William Yang. QAGOMA 2020 PROGRAM: Water at GOMA — December 7, 2019–April 26, 2020. Mavis Ngallametta: Show Me the Way to Go Home at QAG — March 21–August 2, 2020. Chiharu Shiota: The Soul Trembles at GOMA — June 27–October 5, 2020. Unfinished Business: The Art of Gordon Bennett at GOMA — June 27–October 5, 2020. William Yang at QAG — September 19, 2020—February 7, 2021. Chiharu Shiota: The Soul Trembles displays at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art, Stanley Place, South Brisbane from June 27–October 5, 2020. For further details — or to find out more about the gallery's full 2020 slate — visit its website. Top image: Chiharu Shiota b.1972, Kishiwada, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. In Silence (2002/2019). Production support: Alcantara S.p.A. Installation view: Shiota Chiharu: The Soul Trembles, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, 2019. Courtesy: Kenji Taki Gallery, Nagoya/Tokyo. Image courtesy: Mori Art Museum, Tokyo. Photograph: Sunhi Mang.
Peanut butter and jelly, that beloved lunchbox combo, was a trendsetter. Before every other food mashup anyone can possibly think of started tempting tastebuds, it had the concept down pat. You know how the idea works, because it just keeps happening: take two edible items that don't usually go together, mix them into one dish and, voila!, a new culinary marvel has emerged from Frankenstein's kitchen. The latest such dishes: pizza burgers and burger pizzas, all courtesy of a collaboration between OTT burg joint Milky Lane and Crust pizzas. How you feel about it will probably depend on how you normally react to decadent burgers and fruit on pizza. So, you're either ravenous already or instantly know it's not for you. A Hawaiian pizza, but as a burger? Milky Lane's beef burg, but as a pizza? You can try both for a limited time. They're two of the key offerings during this team up, which hits menus at both brand's stores Australia-wide from Tuesday, August 30. Over at Milky Lane, there's that pineapple pizza-inspired burger, called the 'Notorious P.I.G.'. It comes with a double-smashed beef patty on a cheese, bacon and pineapple milk bun, and is then topped with mozzarella, streaky bacon, shaved leg ham, Mexican shredded cheese and deep-fried pineapple. Or, you can opt for the 'Peri J Blige', which mashes up Crust's peri peri chicken pizza and Milky Lane's chicken burger. That means southern fried chicken on a peri peri milk bun, alongside peri peri sauce, red capsicum strips, mozzarella, Napoli sauce and mixed Italian herbs, with a deep-fried mozzarella patty on top. If you're heading to Crust instead, their pizza-burger hybrids span 'The Big P' and the 'Chic-Kanye'. The first takes its cues from a Milky Lane favourite, and combines slow-cooked pulled pork, ground beef, caramelised onions and mozzarella on a barbecue base with an onion-ring crust. It then adds dill pickles, maple bacon bits, a Mexi cheese mix and Milky Lane's signature burger sauce. Crust's second special pays tribute to one Milky Lane's chicken burgs, featuring fried chicken tenders coated in Milky Lane's southern seasoning, as well as bacon, caramelised pineapple, roasted potato and mozzarella. That's all popped on a barbecue base, and topped with maple bacon bits, a Mexi cheese mix and Sriracha aioli. Yes, just reading the above should make you hungry. Milky Lane and Crust's mashup menu is available at both brand's stores Australia-wide from Tuesday, August 30 — for a limited time.
When Gelato Messina and Standard Procedure first joined forces back in 2022, the pair got saucy. Because getting sweet and slippery with Messina's frosty sweet treats wasn't enough, the two companies teamed up on gelato-flavoured lube — finger bun gelato-flavoured at that — as a limited-edition product. In 2023, the duo has reunited for another collaboration, this time focusing on the best weather to eat ice cream. Beach trips and ice creams have always gone hand in hand; however, mango, pineapple and vanilla gelato-scented Standard Procedure x Messina SPF50+ is new. Standard Procedure x Messina's sunscreen might be launching just in time for summer, dropping on Tuesday, November 21, but it's an all-year-round product. Stopping skin damage from the sun's rays isn't only necessary when the weather is warm. That said, like the lube, the new Messina merchandise is a limited-edition product — so nabbing some quickly is recommended. Each 250-millilitre bottle comes filled with high UVA and UVB protection, and adds to Standard Procedure's range of sunscreens. When you get slipping, slopping and slapping — and smelling like gelato — you'll be doing so with a non-greasy product that doesn't leave a white cast. Expect to feel hungry with those dessert scents emanating, with Messina's Summer Standard flavour — which includes mango swirls — the inspiration for the aroma. You can grab a bottle online now via both Standard Procedure and Messina, and also Qantas, plus at Messina and Sephora stores in the near future. Standard Procedure x Messina's sunscreen is available now via the Standard Procedure and Messina online stores, plus Qantas Marketplace. It's also on its way to Messina's physical outposts and Sephora's shelves.
One of Australia's first big music festivals of 2024 is no longer going ahead as planned, with Rolling Loud announcing that it won't be returning Down Under in January as previously announced. Mere weeks after revealing that it'd hit our shores again for the first time in five years, but after several delays in unveiling its lineup, the world's biggest hip hop festival has postponed its next Aussie jaunt. "We appreciate the love from all of our fans who are looking forward to Rolling Loud's return to Australia. We were hyped to bring the full Rolling Loud experience to our Aussie fans. Sadly, due to circumstances beyond our control, we're unable to give you a show that lives up to the Rolling Loud standard, so we are left with no choice but to postpone the festival to a later date," said festival organisers in a statement. "To those of you who have already bought tickets, we appreciate you. All ticket holders will receive an automatic, full refund. If your details have changed, or you have any refund enquiries, please contact your point of purchase." "Australian fans, we still got you: Rolling Loud will still be hosting a variety of smaller arena shows in early 2024. More info on that coming soon." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rolling Loud Australia 🇦🇺 (@rollingloud.au) As the statement advises, exactly when Rolling Loud will roll out its full festival experience no longer has a date, but it won't be at at Sydney's GIANTS Stadium on Friday, January 26 or Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on Saturday, January 27. Also, details of the smaller arena shows that'll pop up instead haven't been revealed, either — including where, when and who'll be on the lineup. Rolling Loud last came to Australia in 2019 with a Future-led lineup in Sydney, which is the only time that it has made the trip. The 2024 tour was set to extend the festival's footprint to Melbourne as well. Since its first outing in Miami back in 2015, Rolling Loud has expanded to Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York, and also to Thailand, Canada, Germany, The Netherlands and Portugal as well. Past sellout events have seen names like Kendrick Lamar, Cardi B, Lil Wayne, Young Thug, Post Malone and Migos all grace the festival's stage. At 2023's Miami event, Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky and Playboi Carti led the bill, with Lil Uzi Vert, Ice Spice and 21 Savage also on the roster — and Turnstile becoming the first-ever rock band to hit the fest. Rolling Loud's postponement comes as The Weeknd just did the same with his Aussie tour, which was meant to kick off in November. Rolling Loud will no longer hold its full festival experience in Australia in January 2024, but has promised smaller arena shows in early 2024 instead. For more information, head to the festival's website. Images: Beth Saravo and Sebastian Rodriguez
This week sees the premiere of the latest effort from renowned indie filmmaker, Spike Jonze, and it's as spectacularly bizarre as you would expect: a stop-motion animated short film that ends with two felt skeletons having sex all over the bookshelves of Paris' Shakespeare & Co. Mourir Auprès De Toi (roughly translated as 'to die by your side') reveals the filthy, filthy things that happen at night when all the world's booksellers are innocently sleeping. After the lights have been turned off, Macbeth, voiced by Jonze, a sprightly skeleton, unstitches himself from the cover of his book with the aim of reaching the bed of the doe-eyed redhead in a nightgown across the shelf, ostensibly Dracula's Mina (voiced by French singer Soko, famous for threats of murder). On the way he's waylaid by the malevolent whale from Moby Dick, forcing Mina to tear a slit in her nightgown and set out to rescue him. The film concludes with the aforementioned skeleton sex, a little post-coital cigarette smoking and a baby. It's amazing. Mourir Auprès De Toi is the product of the collaboration between Jonze and Olympia Le-Tan, a French accessories designer with a penchant for creating literary bags. Le-Tan channelled her talents into hand-crafting the 3000-odd felt parts that make up the books lining the shelves of Shakespeare & Co., Paris' infamous English-language bookshop and haunt of luminaries such as Ernest Hemingway and William S. Burroughs. While the film premiered in May of this year at La Semaine de la Critique in Cannes, it had its official online premiere this week.
After premiering at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival and doing the circuit of North America's best film festivals, The Whistleblower is finally hitting Sydney screens next week. The Whistleblower is a political thriller based on the real-life experiences of Kathryn Blokovac, a Nebraska Cop who, while working as a paid UN peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia in 1999, uncovered a underground sex-trafficking industry. The film follows Blokovac as she risks her job and personal safety to investigate into the human trafficking she witnesses, discovering some very ugly truths about the people around her in the process. Ultimately, The Whistleblower is about the very worst of humanity - corruption, expolitation and the abuse of power - yet is also a story of an average person who demonstrates extraordinary courage in order to do the right thing. Starring Rachel Weisz, Vanessa Redgrave, David Strathairn and Monica Bellucci, The Whistleblower brings together a stellar cast in what promises to be a confronting yet engaging cinematic experience that will stay with you for some time to come. To win one of ten single passes to see The Whistleblower, just make sure you are subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address through to hello@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=r2EZe5KOrGs
There's no better place to sample a region's top drops than at the wineries, breweries and cideries making them. So lovers of Victorian booze will be very pleased to know that the Peninsula VineHop Festival is set to return for its third year, showcasing the best of the Mornington Peninsula this November 16 and 17. Imagine a local version of Rutherglen's long-running Winery Walkabout, only with equal emphasis on craft beers and ciders, and it's not hard to see why VineHop's first two iterations have proved so darn popular. This year, the two-day event runs to the same concept, with both affordable tours and hop-on, hop-off shuttle buses allowing visitors to cruise between a stack of participating breweries and wineries, experiencing the best of each along the way. There's even the option to opt for a private bus for you and your friends. Yes, that's right — no designated drivers required. As well as the opportunity to sample premium libations just metres from where they were crafted, there'll be food trucks, live music and lots of goings on at each location. The Briars will be this year's festival hub and the home of Red Hill Estate for the weekend. The winery will be joined by Bass and Flinders Distillery, Max's Restaurant and Seaford's Mr Banks Brewery, and food trucks serving calamari, jaffles and ice cream will be on-site, too. If you'd like to just hang out here all day, tickets are just $43. Among the other venues that will be open for visitors is the gloriously named Hickinbotham of Dromana. The family-run estate produces both wine and beer (via on-site microbrewery Hix) and will also host Mornington Peninsula Brewery and Mr Little Cider pop-ups. To make the most of the stunning scenery, make a stop at Bayview Estate which offers vistas of rolling hills and lavender farms plus the opportunity for a feed and a beer from St Andrews Beach Brewery.
Since 1987, if you've wanted to hit up South by Southwest, then you've needed to visit Austin in Texas. In October 2023, however, that'll no longer be the case. In what was perhaps Australia's biggest cultural news of 2022, the acclaimed tech, innovation, music, gaming, screen and culture festival and conference announced that it'll stage its first-ever non-US event in Sydney this year — and it's just added a bunch more musicians and speakers to its lineup. Headlining the latest announcement is a new featured speaker, who will be talking at the event's music-industry conference. Chris Lee (also known as Lee Sung-Su) is the Chief A&R Officer and former CEO of SM Entertainment, a K-pop powerhouse. Lee and the label have played a part in popularising breakout K-pop stars like aespa (who recently dropped a Sydney-heavy promo for their new album), SHINee, EXO, Red Velvet and NCT. Two of the biggest annual parties from SXSW Austin have also joined the program. Dr Martens and Vans slide in alongside local legends Young Henrys as major sponsors, bringing their respective music hubs — Dr Martens Presents and House of Vans — to the debut Australian festival. Both showcases are regular occurrences over in Texas, pulling big-name guests to perform, with past lineups including the likes of The Stooges, Denzel Curry, ODESZA and Wolf Alice. More artists have been added to the live music lineup, which already boasts previously announced acts Redveil, Connie Constance, Otoboke Beaver, Ekkstacy and Los Bitchos. The majority of the new announcement is dedicated to the first local Australian acts to join the program, with Teenage Joans, Phoebe Go, MALI JO$E, Ashli, Andrew Guruwiwi Band, Alter Boy, Mi-Kaisha, VV Pete, Rum Jungle and Golden Vessel's side project 1tbsp among the 18 Aussie additions. There are also seven fresh international names, including New Zealand's Soaked Oats, Japan's Chameleon Lime Whoopiepie, South Korean's HYPNOSIS THERAPY and American indie-pop star Wallice — who recently supported The 1975 on their Australian tour. [caption id="attachment_899225" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chameleon Lime Whoopiepie[/caption] "The lineup features an essential array of styles, ranging from post-punk, jazz and experimental pop to club-tinged hip hop, R&B and indie folk," says Claire Collins, SXSW Sydney's Head of Music. "It is a vibrant snapshot of the undeniably exciting next wave of talent from across the globe, from Western Sydney to the Top End, South Korea to the UK, and beyond. We can't wait to reveal more in the coming weeks and months." The first lineup announcement back in February included American futurist, The Genesis Machine author, and Future Today Institute founder and CEO Amy Webb as the festival's first-ever keynote speaker. Webb will be joined by other featured speakers like Ben Lamm and Andrew Pask, who'll discuss their work on the de-extinction of the woolly mammoth and the Tasmanian tiger; Guy Kawasaki, Chief Evangelist of Canva and former Apple Chief Evangelist, who'll talk evolving tech; lawyer, writer and filmmaker Larissa Behrendt, fresh from helming Richard Bell-focused documentary You Can Go Now; and Saudi women's rights activist Manal al-Sharif. [caption id="attachment_899226" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Teenage Joans[/caption] SXSW Sydney will all take place between Sunday, October 15–Sunday, October 22 within a walkable precinct within the Sydney CBD, Haymarket, Darling Harbour, Ultimo, Chippendale and more. Think of the fest's footprint as a huge hub, with festivals within the bigger fest, exhibitions, talks, networking opportunities and streetside activations popping up everywhere. So far, venues named include Powerhouse Museum, ICC Sydney, UTS, Central Park Mall, the Goods Line Walk, The Abercrombie and Lansdowne Hotel. Attendees can hit up the SXSW Sydney Conference, which is where those keynotes, presentations, panels, workshops and mentor sessions come in — more than 400 of them. And, there's the SXSW Sydney Technology & Innovation Exhibitions, which is all about innovative and emerging tech and entertainment companies from across the Asia-Pacific region. Plus, at the Startup Village, up-and-comers from all industries and sectors will have space to meet, present and chat. SXSW's arts fests will span the SXSW Sydney 2023 Music Festival, which will be focused on live music venues in central Sydney — and the SXSW Sydney Gaming Festival, complete with more than 100 local and international independent games to play at venues (alongside demonstrations, launches performances, exhibitions and social gatherings). Movie and TV lovers, get excited — because the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival isn't just a film fest. There'll be flicks to see, including at red-carpet premieres; episodic content; and digital, XR and social content. Expect Q&As and panel discussions with the folks behind them as well. Can't wait, whether you're a Sydney local or planning to head along from elsewhere in Australia — or New Zealand? Platinum and industry badges are already available at early-bird prices, with more ticketing to come. SXSW SYDNEY 2023 — SECOND LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT: FEATURED SPEAKERS: Chris Lee (aka Sung-Su Lee) SXSW SYDNEY MUSIC FESTIVAL: 1tbsp Alter Boy Andrew Guruwiwi Band Ashli Dean Brady DICE dust Elle Shimada MALI JO$E Mi-Kaisha Mikayla Pasterfield Milku Phoebe Go Teenage Joans Vv Pete PANIA GO-JO Rum Jungle Hans. hanbee Soaked Oats Nuha Ruby Ra Wallice HYPNOSIS THERAPY Chameleon Lime Whoopiepie Joining: KEYNOTES: Amy Webb FEATURED SPEAKERS: Andrew Pask Ben Lamm Guy Kawasaki Jack Reis Kyas Hepworth Larissa Behrendt Manal Al-Sharif Michael J Biercuk Per Sundin Que Minh Luu Robyn Denholm Rohit Bhargava Sam Barlow Sean Miyashiro Sheila Nguyen Sung-Eun Youn Tom Verrilli Yiying Lu Yoomin Yang SXSW SYDNEY MUSIC FESTIVAL: Connie Constance Ekkstacy Los Bitchos Otoboke Beaver Redveil SXSW Sydney will run from Sunday, October 15–Sunday, October 22 at various Sydney venues — head to the festival's website for further details. If you're keen to make the most of Australia's first SXSW, take advantage of our special reader offer. Purchase your SXSW Sydney 2023 Official Badge via Concrete Playground Trips and you'll score a $150 credit to use on your choice of Sydney accommodation. Book now via the website.
Behold a mystical race of Golden Age Hollywood stars-come-slug people. Springing from the allied imaginations of a mother-daughter duo, these hand-drawn portraits ingeniously wed the most mesmeric of faces to the most spazzy of Tyrannosaurus Rex stump arms. Proving that great and surprising art is often born from unlikely collaborations, illustrator Mica Angela Hendricks initiated the project in an accidental kind of way because her four-year-old always sets her beady eyes on her mum's luxe art supplies. When Hendricks recently tried to reserve a flashy new sketchbook for her own use, her crafty daughter Myla retaliated by appropriating classic mummy-language: "If you can't share, we might have to take it away if you can't share." Reluctantly, Hendricks allowed the wily kid to add a body to the elegant female head she'd just drawn. The result, a magnificent dino-woman, is rightly described by Hendricks on her blog as "carefree". A series of mother-daughter collabs followed, creating a funny little world of amoebic slugs and astronaut beavers with high-society noggins which somehow come across as believable beings. (I am fondly reminded of a young nephew who once claimed he had an imaginary friend called 'Prawn-Egg' with "the head of a prawn and the body of an egg". It would be great to see that illustrated.) Hendricks' blog post about the project reveals the amusing creative competitiveness between Myla and her, and how the activity has taught her to be less rigid in creative undertakings: "Yes, some things (like my new sketchbook) are sacred, but if you let go of those chains, new and wonderful things can happen. Those things you hold so dear cannot change and grow and expand unless you loosen your grip on them a little ... Most importantly, I learned that if you have a preconceived notion of how something should be, YOU WILL ALWAYS BE DISAPPOINTED. Instead, just go with it, just ACCEPT it, because usually something even more wonderful will come out of it." The logical next step would be to invent backstories for these characters with details supplied by both artists, to produce a very original book that would inspire kids and adult artists alike. See more of Mica and Myla's images on Mica's blog. Via Colossal.
Everyone likes being spoiled at Christmas. This year, when it comes to taking a holiday, Australians will also be spoiled for choice. The nation's borders are reopening to international travel from November, and overseas destinations have started announcing when Aussies can make the trip again — so if you haven't already booked a getaway to Fiji, or jumped on flights to London or the US, you can now make a date with Thailand. On Friday, October 22, Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs unveiled a list of places around the globe — covering 45 countries and one territory — that it is deeming low-risk in terms of travel restrictions. So, if you hail from one of these 46 places, you'll be permitted into Thailand from Monday, November 1. And yes, Australia is named. Other countries identified include New Zealand, the US, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and South Korea. The list is set to be revised again in mid-November and at the beginning of December, so it's expected to grow again soon. Folks from these low-risk nations will be allowed to enter Thailand, with three options available — including ditching quarantine if you've been double-vaccinated. For the unvaxxed, either ten or 14 days quarantine still applies, depending on whether you're arriving by air or land. For the double-jabbed, there's two choices. You can take a PCR test within 72 hours of travelling, then undergo another one upon arrival and wait in a designated hotel for one night until you get a negative result. Or, you can take advantage of the country's 'Sandbox' scheme. It lets you stay in designated 'Sandbox' provinces around the country for seven days — in Phuket, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Krabi and more — undertaking COVID-19 tests upon arrival and again on day six or seven of your trip. After that week, passes you can then venture elsewhere in Thailand. Qantas has already revealed that it's restarting travel from Sydney to both Phuket and Bangkok, too, kicking off on Wednesday, January 12 and Friday, January 14, respectively. That news came before Thailand's border announcement, however, so fingers crossed that flights might recommence even earlier now. For more information about Thailand's reopening plan, head to the Thai Government's website and Facebook page.
Those seeking free WiFi will no longer need to spend hours lurking in their local McDonald's thanks to the development of 4sqwifi, an application that uses Foursquare to locate WiFi spots and give you their passwords. Apostolos Papadopoulos and Giannis Poulakas are the pair behind the app, and state that their vision is be "everywhere and always connected." They also stress that the product is still in its development stage, although a version is currently avaliable for free from the iTunes store. Features in the first version include "venue check-in, Twitter/Facebook sharing, in-app tip section for each venue so people can add WiFi passwords within 4sqwifi, map view and hell knows what more." The app works worldwide, and will be perfect for those who seek some urgent urban bandwidth. [Via TechCrunch]
What it means to leave and live up to a legacy comes up often in Creed. Ryan Coogler's boxing drama resurrects the Rocky saga, bringing back the aging fighter synonymous with the series and introducing the offspring of another beloved character. No surprises there. But what is less expected is how well the feature succeeds in doing all three. That, and just how rousing the drama proves, both as the next instalment in a series and as a movie in its own right. Cast 2006's lacklustre Rocky Balboa from your mind: this is a continuation that fans can warm to, as can those without four decades of fondness for the franchise. That, on its own, is no easy feat. As the last jump back into Sylvester Stallone's knockabout world confirmed, revisiting the Italian Stallion in the years since the 1976 original can be rather hit-and-miss. Enter director Ryan Coogler and leading man Michael B. Jordan to show that the sixth sequel/spinoff can be the charm. The Fruitvale Station duo reteams to bring the writer-director's passion project to fruition, and in doing so gift the young actor with another knockout part. Jordan plays Adonis "Donnie" Johnson, a boxing wannabe with a pedigree he's struggling with. Though his early years were spent in foster care and juvenile detention, he's the illegitimate son of famed fighter Apollo Creed — and while he shares the same sporting ambitions, he wants to make it on his own terms. Heading from Los Angeles to Philadelphia, he seeks out his dad's repeated opponent turned pal Rocky (Stallone), eventually convincing him to become his trainer, and tries to follow in his father's footsteps. Cue the story of an underdog scrapping his way to the top despite several setbacks, more than a few montages and inspirational speeches, some high stakes and blistering bouts, plus an on-again, off-again relationship between Adonis and his neighbour, aspiring singer Bianca (Tessa Thompson), as well as a surrogate father-son bond blossoming with Rocky. Little happens in Creed that isn't easily foreseen. And yet the film doesn't feel like another formulaic follow-up. In fact, just as it sprinkles the familiar score from the original offering throughout its soundtrack and references events from movies gone by, Creed finds the right balance between looking backwards and starting a new future. Combining sincere nostalgia with a clear path forward, the feature achieves exactly what its protagonist is aiming for as he endeavours to do justice to his predecessor while making his own way. Coogler's direction – emphasizing the grit of the streets and the urgency of the ring, and shooting every fight close and tight for maximum tension – is certainly influential. His indie stylings are an ideal fit for the material, and for enlivening a genre seen so many times before that much of its content has become cliched. And yet, his technique often takes second place to the stars that grace the screen. That's not a criticism of Coogler — it's just a reflection of how engaging both Jordan and Stallone prove. The former once again demonstrates his charisma, complexity and versatility, while the latter benefits from stepping away from the main fray, and the rapport they share is moving. With mentor-protégé tales common movie fodder, it's rare for such an on-screen pairing to really hit the emotional marks. Crucially, Creed isn't a comeback for Stallone, but a film that keeps him connected to the iconic series he started. It plays upon his ambling acting strengths and passes on the baton to a worthy successor. And yes, it both leaves and lives up to a legacy.
The Yarra Valley Chocolaterie's Hot Chocolate Festival is back again this August. And it's just in time, too. To save Melburnians from these blustery days, they'll be churning out 31 hot chocolate flavours over 31 days. Eight new flavours will be introduced each week of the month, so make sure you plan your visit(s) carefully as to not miss out on the best. Fan favourite flavours like triple chocolate brownie and Nutella will return to this year's menu, along with the more adventurous likes of spicy pumpkin chai and smashed avocado with white chocolate. Other highlights include the Piping Pistachio, a rich dark hot chocolate that comes complete with pipe-your-own pistachio paste; the Hot Croissant, a mini French pastry filled with warm chocolate and skewered with a straw for slurping; and the Cookie Monster, a hot chocolate with a cup made entirely from cookies. There's also the Hot Gaytime — aka a combination of caramel toffee and milk chocolate, topped with crushed honeycomb and served with a vanilla ice cream popsicle. The Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery creates over 6000 hot chocolates per year, so newcomers can trust they know their way around this winter-warmer. You can book a 45-minute tasting session, which includes a sample of eight hot chocolates for $18.
The first time was the charm. The second time, too. And, there's no doubt that the third will be as well. However many seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under that Stan in Australia and TVNZ OnDemand in New Zealand want to put in our streaming queues, they're all certain to be fierce, fabulous, bright, bold and sassy — including the show's just-confirmed return in 2023. Yes, your viewing plans for next year got better, even if RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under doesn't have an exact season three airdate as yet. The Australian and New Zealand version if RuPaul's Drag Race debuted in 2021, then sashayed our way again in 2022. Keep it coming, obviously. Exactly who'll be donning eye-catching outfits, navigating dramas and vying for glory next hasn't been revealed yet either, but a new lineup of drag queens will endeavour to follow in Kita Mean and Spankie Jackzon's footsteps — after Mean took RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under's first season and Jackzon did the honours in season two. Whoever gets the gig, they'll be joined by RuPaul, of course — who takes on hosting duties again — with the judging panel also featuring Michelle Visage and Rhys Nicholson in the first two seasons. "I'm so excited for season three of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under! Australasian drag is spectacularly sickening, and I can't wait for a new cast of queens to flash their charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent," RuPaul said, announcing the third season. Fans already know the format, which features fashion challenges, workroom dramas and lip sync battles aplenty. If you're a newcomer to all things Drag Race, you'll watch the next batch of Australian and NZ competitors work through a series of contests to emerge victorious, and join the likes of Mean, Jackzon and US contenders Jinkx Monsoon, Sasha Velour and Sharon Needles in being crowned the series' winner. Before it made the leap Down Under in 2021, the US version of RuPaul's Drag Race had already been on the air for more than a decade, first premiering in 2009 — and wholeheartedly embracing its mission to unearth the next drag superstars ever since. The original US series aired its 14th season in 2022, so this is a program with proven longevity. It has also spun off international iterations before, including in the UK — where it's also hosted by RuPaul — plus in Thailand, Holland, Chile and Canada. There's no trailer for season three yet, of course, but you can watch the Drag Race Down Under season two trailer below: RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under will return for a third season in 2023 on Stan and TVNZ — we'll update you with an exact date when one is announced.
Being a kid and loving spooky movies was glorious in 1993. That year three decades back gave the world two beloved all-ages-friendly flicks that have become October staples ever since — and, in one case, suitable festive viewing as well. One came with Tim Burton's name attached. The other told everyone to run amok, amok, amok. Now, to celebrate their 30th anniversaries, both The Nightmare Before Christmas and Hocus Pocus are returning to cinemas. Moviegovers can see Jack Skellington's antics on the big screen Down Under again from Thursday, October 12, and the Sanderson sisters wreaking havoc from Thursday, October 19. As for which actual picture palaces are playing the films, and at what times, you'll need to check your local — but nostalgia and family-friendly scares will be whirring through the projectors once more. With The Nightmare Before Christmas, filmmakers Tim Burton and Henry Selick (Wendell & Wild) served up one of the most enchanting holiday films to hit the big screen — and one that doubles as both Halloween and Christmas viewing. It's Burton's name that everyone remembers; however, a pre-Coraline Selick is actually in the director's chair on The Nightmare Before Christmas, which charms with both its offbeat story and its gorgeous stop-motion animation. Burton came up with the narrative though, because Jack Skellington only could've originated from the Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands filmmaker's brain. Imaginative, original and engaging (even as it nods to Dr Seuss a few times), it still remains a treat for all ages. [caption id="attachment_921880" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Disney.[/caption] The Hocus Pocus franchise is no stranger to comebacks, given that it dropped a 29-years-later sequel on streaming in 2022, with a third film also on the way. Helmed by Kenny Ortega before the director gave the world the High School Musical movies, the OG flick was the first to enlist Bette Midler (The Addams Family 2), Sarah Jessica Parker (And Just Like That...) and Kathy Najimy (Music) as Winnie, Sarah and Mary Sanderson — and to unleash them in modern-day Salem. Back then, someone lit the black flame candle, which resurrected the 17th-century sisters in the movie's world — and had viewers warned about locking up their children. If you have "twist the bones and bend the back" stuck in your head just thinking about it, you're obviously a fan. Check out the trailers for The Nightmare Before Christmas and Hocus Pocus below: The Nightmare Before Christmas is returning to cinemas Down Under from Thursday, October 12, and Hocus Pocus from Thursday, October 19 — head to your local cinema for details. Images: Matt Kennedy. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
As COVID-19 continues to spread around the globe, travel is in no one's immediate plans — and the airline industry is responding accordingly. In Australia, that means a huge drop in the number of available flights, both overseas and within Australia, with Virgin Australian announcing that it's grounding aircraft and slashing services for the foreseeable future. According to the ABC, Virgin Australia will suspend all international services and will cut domestic flights by 50 percent from March 30–June 14. The equivalent to 53 aircraft will be grounded. In a statement to the ASX published on the ABC, the company said: "The Virgin Australia Group has today announced a temporary suspension of international services and further cuts to domestic capacity in response to expanded government travel restrictions and increased impacts from COVID-19 on travel demand. As a leading airline group, Virgin Australia will work closely with Government to prioritise bringing Australians home and returning visitors back to their point of origin safely, while maintaining its important role in supporting connectivity and the nation's economy." This decision follows Qantas and Jetstar's move to cut international flights by around 90 percent, and domestic flight by approximately 60 percent, which was announced by the the 100-year-old Aussie airline yesterday. Both moves come in response to Australia's current containment and quarantine measures, including the requirement that all international arrivals into the country must self-isolate for 14 days — and, unsurprisingly, the steeply dropping demand for air travel both internationally and domestically. Worldwide, the scenario is the same. Air New Zealand is reducing its capacity by 85 percent overall, and its trips across the Tasman to Australia by 80 percent. Airlines in America, Britain, Europe, Asia and, well, basically everywhere are taking similar measures — as is to be expected as countries everywhere begin to close their borders. For more information about Virgin Australia's reductions, visit its website. For further details about Qantas and Jetstar's plans, visit the company's 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.
Q44 Theatre Company are the new kids on Melbourne's theatre block. The company, headed by Gabriella Rose-Carter, seeks to tell stories about the human condition in an artistic, dignified and accessible manner. Their upcoming production Orphans is no exception to this. Two orphaned brothers, Treat and Phillip, live alone and do what they can to survive. Treat, the older brother, makes money through petty crime as a means to support his brother, while Phillip adores every move his brother makes. They're a dreamer and a delinquent searching for meaning in life without a mother or father for guidance. One night Treat brings home Harold, a Jack of all trades who becomes the orphans' prisoner, and their lives are changed. As the story unfolds, Treat and Phillip adopt Harold as a parental figure, but whether they are able to let go of their self-imposed prison remains to be seen. A story that walks the line between comedy and family drama, Orphans looks like a perfect fit for Q44's 2014 season.
Few films feel as tailor-made for their audience as Josh Boone's adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars. Based on the enormously popular young adult novel by John Green, about two teen cancer patients who fall hopelessly in love, it's a story designed to play the heartstrings like a fiddle, extracting sighs and sobs from willing viewers with surgical precision. It's melodramatic, sure, but you'd be hard-pressed to deny its effectiveness. And thanks to a fantastic lead performance from Shailene Woodley, the sentiment never feels insincere. Woodley plays Hazel Lancaster, a sarcastic 16-year-old with terminal tumours in her lungs. Hazel has more or less come to terms with the nature of her illness, but at the behest of her worried parents (Laura Dern and Sam Trammell) agrees to attend a patient's support group. It's there that she meets Augustus Waters (Ansel Elgort), an impossibly charming cancer survivor himself, who soon sets about sweeping her off her feet. Despite Hazel's assertion that hers is not your typical cancer narrative, The Fault in Our Stars very much follows a formula. Viewers are promised tragedy, and then lulled into hoping that that tragedy might be averted. Peaks of joy are followed by valleys of strategically excavated sorrow, timed to cause maximum devastation. Thankfully, Hazel is an endearing enough character that you don't really mind the film manipulating you. Pithy voiceover helps us get to know her as a funny, strong-willed young woman who makes the best of an awful situation. Woodley's performance is impeccable, capturing both the giddy excitement of young love and the sobering adult reality of death. Her co-star falters with some of the heavier material but is still immensely likeable as Augustus. Admittedly, the young man isn't the most plausible of characters — no teenager is this articulate, no matter how much they'd like to believe otherwise. A lot of his dialogue is meant to sound wonderfully deep and inspiring but is just as likely to cause cringes in anyone over the age of about 17. Nuggets of teen philosophy notwithstanding, the interactions between the characters generally feel authentic, with plenty of humorous banter to put the romance — and the heartache — into relief. It's thanks to Boone and company's balancing of the three that The Fault in Our Stars is a success. https://youtube.com/watch?v=9ItBvH5J6ss
Most of Australia's cinema industry has earmarked July as its relaunch date, aiming to reopen in time for the planned release of Christopher Nolan's Tenet. But if you're a film fan keen for some big-screen fun before that, the country's drive-in theatres are filling the gap — and, given that their whole concept involves folks watching flicks in cars, social distancing is already part of the experience. At the beginning of May, Queensland's Yatala Drive-In welcomed movie buffs and their vehicles back through the doors. After a successful return over the state's Labour Day long weekend, the site halfway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast has worked its way up to screening films seven nights a week across its three fields. Run by the same team behind Brissie's New Farm, Elizabeth and Red Hill cinemas, Yatala is playing a mix of classics and recent releases. Viewers can pick from retro titles like Shrek, Dirty Dancing, The Princess Bride, Jaws and Toy Story, or opt for newer fare such as Jumanji: The Next Level, Bad Boys for Life, The Gentlemen or Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). In Sydney, Blacktown's Skyline Drive-In quietly relaunched over the weekend of May 23–24, selling out its two sessions quickly. It's now officially reopening for regular showings from today, Thursday, May 28, screening from Thursday–Sunday each week (plus a Monday night session on the Queen's Birthday public holiday, too) — with four flicks playing each night. Films on the bill include The Invisible Man, IT: Chapter Two, Spies in Disguise, Joker, Grease and Knives Out, with horror-themed Friday nights and retro programming on Saturdays also on the agenda. Its diner is also back in business, serving burgers, hot chips, choc tops and other snacks. [caption id="attachment_622465" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brook James[/caption] Melburnians looking to catch a flick in their car under the stars will need to wait until 11.59pm on Sunday, May 31 — so, Monday June 1, effectively — which is when Victoria's next stage of eased restrictions kick in. Drive-ins will be allowed to reopen then, with Dandenong's Lunar Drive-In relaunching on that date, Village Cinemas Coburg Drive-In doing the same on Wednesday, June 3 and the Dromana Drive-In restarting is projectors on Thursday, June 4. On the various cinemas' lineups: The Fast & the Furious, Shaun The Sheep: Farmageddon, 1917 and Bloodshot at Lunar; Cats, Mad Max: Fury Road, Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction at Coburg; and Sonic the Hedgehog, Back to the Future, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Muriel's Wedding at Dromana. Each of the reopening drive-ins is implementing additional social-distancing measures, ranging from the provision of hand sanitiser stations to asking attendees to take their rubbish home with them. Online bookings are required in some cases and recommended in others, while bathrooms at some sites are only available in emergencies — and candy bar and diner patron limits are being enforced, with some venues delivering snacks straight to vehicles. For more information about each drive-in, or to book tickets, visit the websites for Yatala in Queensland, Skyline in Sydney, and Lunar, Coburg and Dromana in Melbourne. Top image: Yatala Drive-In and Skyline Blacktown
A new batch of travellers is checking in, and a third The White Lotus hotel is ready and waiting. As Lisa from BLACKPINK says in both the initial look at footage from season three in a broader HBO trailer and in the anthology hit's just-dropped first teaser, "welcome to The White Lotus in Thailand". Viewers mightn't be packing their bags to head to an exclusive Thai resort, but you can mark your calendar: the acclaimed series returns in mid-February 2025. A getaway at a luxurious hotel is normally relaxing, but that isn't what vacationers find in this show. It was true in the Hawaii-set first season in 2021, then in season two in Sicily in 2023, each with a largely different group of holidaymakers. Based on the sneak peek at season three, that's of course accurate again in the eight-episode run that arrives from Monday, February 17 Australian and New Zealand time. Walton Goggins (Fallout), Carrie Coon (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire), Jason Isaacs (The Crowded Room), Michelle Monaghan (MaXXXine), Leslie Bibb (Palm Royale) and Parker Posey (Mr & Mrs Smith) are among the folks checking in this time, alongside Sam Nivola (The Perfect Couple), Patrick Schwarzenegger (Gen V), Sarah Catherine Hook (Cruel Intentions) and Aimee Lou Wood (Sex Education). Families, couples and friends on getaways: they're all covered by the above cast members. And as Monaghan exclaiming "what the fuck is this place?" indicates, they're in for some chaos. Bad feelings, seeking pleasure but finding pain, threatening to drink oneself to sleep: alongside guns, dancing, judgemental pals, missing pills, snakes, monkeys, ambulances, complaints about gluten-free rice and a body bag, they're all featured in the teaser as well. From season one, Natasha Rothwell (How to Die Alone) is back Hawaii spa manager Belinda, who advises that she's there on an exchange program. Season three also stars Lek Patravadi (In Family We Trust) and Tayme Thapthimthong (Thai Cave Rescue) as one of The White Lotus' owners and security guards, respectively. Where the Mike White (Brad's Status)-created, -written and -directed satire's first season had money in its sights and the second honed in on sex, eastern religion and spirituality is in the spotlight in season three, which also co-stars Nicholas Duvernay (Bel-Air), Arnas Fedaravičius (The Wheel of Time), Christian Friedel (The Zone of Interest), Scott Glenn (Bad Monkey), Dom Hetrakul (The Sweetest Taboo), Julian Kostov (Alex Rider), Charlotte Le Bon (Niki), Morgana O'Reilly (Bookworm) and Shalini Peiris (The Ark). Check out the first teaser trailer for The White Lotus season three below: The White Lotus returns on Sunday, February 16 in the US, which is Monday, February 17 Down Under. At present, the series streams via Binge in Australia and on Neon in New Zealand. Images: HBO.
As anyone who's ever ridden a bike that's too big or too small for them knows, it inevitably ends in bruises and/or some kind of chronic knee problem (and you just look kinda silly). The problem is that, unlike clothes, bikes usually operate on a two-size scale — so if you don't fit into the pre-defined categories of small or large, you're going to have a bit of a problem finding an affordable two-wheeled baby to comfortably ride around in. To combat this problem, Hungarian designer Tamás Túri has come up with the 3BEE: a bicycle that can be fully customised to your body and its abilities. By using a 3D printing technique, he's able to personalise the bike to your height, measurements, age and physical abilities. So it's made just for you. And before we forget to mention it, this bike is bloody beautiful. It's sleek like a racing bike, but operates as a functional fixie commuter. Its frame is actually hollow, so it's super lightweight, and the curved design means it's easy to pick up and put over your shoulder if you need to carry it inside or up some stairs.
Aaron Hobson has taken some breathtaking landscape photographs of remote locations scattered across the globe, and all without leaving the comfort of his own computer screen. From the haunting energy of undisturbed forests in France to roads that wrap around mountainous Spain, Hobson has captured each of these picturesque moments using Google Street View. Hobson says that he began using Google Street View to discover possible shooting locations for a film, but soon found himself clicking away for miles along deserted roads, all for his own pleasure. He also says that he uses Google Street View in High Definition, so that the photographs only require a few minutes of editing before they are put on show. His work has garnered so much attention that last week his website buckled under the pressure of 50,000 views in one day. This isn't the first time that Google Street View has been used to create an artistic work. Last week we featured the remarkable Address is Approximate, a stop motion animation film by Tom Jenkins. This film uses a clever combination of Google Street View and everyday objects to create a quirky sense of travel and distance. The use of Google Street View by these online explorers proves that the world is now literally in the palm of our hands. [via Mashable]
A Sydney institution, White Rabbit Gallery has been running free exhibitions showcasing contemporary Chinese art for over a decade. But visitors to the Chippendale space between now and Sunday, August 1 can expect a particularly luminous experience, with its latest eye-catching multimedia exhibition centred around the wonders of light. Showcasing works from 30 artists, Lumen's lineup stretches from interactive light pieces and frozen copper sculptures to video projections and rooms full of LEDs. As well as grabbing attention, each work on display uses light in a thought-provoking, awe-inspiring or fully immersive fashion. The boundary-pushing Zhang Peili, dubbed the father of video art in China, is displaying 2012 Portraits, a series of 14 portraits in which the both the subject and the viewer are blinded by light. Or, there's Yao Chung-Han's DzDz, which invites the audience to stand under movement-sensitive beams of light and create music by using their bodies. And, thanks to Wu Daxin's Ashley's Heart, you'll see copper tubes suspended in the shape of a heart and gradually frozen over the course of the day, creating a unique ice sculpture. Art collective Luxury Logico is presenting two works as part of the exhibition. The first is Solar, a twinkling representation of the sun created using donated desk lamps — while the second, Miniature, is one of the exhibition's showstoppers. The display of LED lights draws upon images from a video reel, with each LED corresponding to a pixel. Both vivid and architectural in its appearance, the work is designed to remind viewers of celestial bodies in the sky, all while cycling through everything from reality TV and ads to soap operas and Adam Sandler movies. Lumen is running over all four levels of the White Rabbit Gallery. As usual with the site's exhibitions, entry is free and there are no bookings, so folks can just rock up and enjoy the art. And, free guided tours are available at 11am, 1pm and 3pm Wednesday–Sunday. Top image: Miniature by Luxury Logico.
Melburnian and Sydneysiding bartenders take their craft truly seriously. Twisting limes, straining shakers and floating on spoons in their sleep, these lovers of a good muddle are a proud, dedicated hoard. But which city owns the mad skills: the salty sea dogs of Sydney or the metropolitan marauders from Melbourne? The convolutedly titled but cleverly programmed World Class World Cocktail Week has had enough of shouting over the fence. In a momentous stately exchange, Sydney and Melbourne will front up their finest three bartenders from two celebrated cocktail bars and swap venues for two evenings of pure exhibitionist swagger. Melbourne’s Black Pearl will take over Sydney bar The Rook on Tuesday, May 13, to sprinkle a little Victorian savvy on the lobster-loving CBD bar. On Saturday, June 17, The Rook will return the visit, with bartenders Cristiano Beretta, Jason Williams and Rollo Anderson venturing south to claim the Black Pearl as their own. Both carefully crafted teams will be whipping up their own concoctions from the stores of each venue, undoubtedly provoking some smuggery at where certain bits and pieces are kept behind the bar. Throwing down every last twist and roll, the grudge match forms part of the neat libation-loving event program of WCWCW. Carnivores will be able to pair their love of meat and liquor at the Newtown Hotel for ‘Meat Meets Whiskey’ (May 6 – May 13), where you can consume Bulleit Bourbon via bone luge, as well as many other meat-inflected concoctions. Vegetarians should probably avoid like the plague. Sydney's Hinky Dinks and Melbourne's Belle's Diner will both be tempting their fair share of nostalgics with 'Pimp Your Shake'. That entails Zacapa rum-spiked milkshakes paired with heady American desserts — the Plenty a Platano is served with warm banana doughnuts and the Peanut Buttered Rum Shake with a slice of pecan pie ($22 each). There's also a nationwide #garnishoff happening on Instagram, and your dinky orange slice ain't going to cut it. To brush up on your cocktail terminology and know what you’re looking for in an Old Fashioned, have a tipple with the bartenders in your city here and here. The end of Prohibition has never tasted so good. World Class World Cocktail Week runs a series of Australia-wide events from May 6-13, curated by celebrated Sydney foodie Ms Darlinghurst. Check out the website for more information.
Most of us associate printers with ink and paper, but a new 3D printer has more to do with chocolate cupcakes and other delicious desserts. Using syringe technology, the Imagine 3D printer from Essential Dynamics can be filled with a vast array of elements, including plastics, silicone, concrete, and most importantly, chocolate. A representative from the company claims that a cupcake can be made before your eyes in one minute. If you're more of a savoury type, never fear. The Imagine 3D printer can also be filled with cheese. Regular fondue parties will seem tame when compared to the wonders you can create with this. 3D printing has undergone a rise in popularity in the last decade, but I predict that this revelation will soar it into supstardom. Standing at $3000, the Imagine 3D Printer will soon accompany the fridge and the stove as a quintessential kitchen applicance. https://youtube.com/watch?v=_27rOWq61hk [vis PSFK]
When the Victorian Government last year announced a huge new citywide arts festival was set to launch in winter 2020, they didn't expect it to fall in the middle of a global pandemic. As that is what happened, though, the new annual festival — merging Melbourne International Arts Festival and arts all-nighter White Night — will not go ahead this year, with the inaugural festival now set to take over Melbourne in 2021. Called Rising, it'll kick off on the May 26 full moon and run until June 6, 2021, encouraging the audience to "celebrate the night with a surge of art, music and ceremony in the heart of the city". Pulling the strings are co-Artistic Directors Gideon Obarzanek and Hannah Fox, who are both practising artists and former Artistic Associates of Melbourne Festival. Fox was also the Creative Director at Tasmania's winter festival Dark Mofo, while Obarzanek founded dance company Chunky Move and was a resident artist at the Sydney Theatre Company. [caption id="attachment_770990" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chinatown at night courtesy of the City of Melbourne[/caption] As this year's festival cannot go ahead, Fox and Obarzanek have instead announced a $2 million fund for local artists to create shows, exhibitions and events for 2021's program. And the duo are encouraging ideas that are as boundary-pushing as possible. "Rather than prescribing specific outcomes, we are seeking ideas that are ambitious, unusual and that could only happen in a festival context," explained Obarzanek in a statement. "Whether these respond to the times or reach beyond them, we invite ideas that are radical and critical; ideas that are absurd and bombastic; ideas that are contemplative and philosophical; and ideas that are celebratory and unifying." Victorian artists have until Monday, June 8 to submit their idea and bid for a piece of the $2 million pie, via a 300-word or two-minute video proposal. While details about this year's festival — and next year's program — are fairly under wraps for now, The Age reported leaks suggesting the 2020 lineup would've included transforming Chinatown "into a 'sensory wonderland' of lighting, video art and music, open late into the night" and a 400-metre light installation on the Yarra River. Rising is set to support Victoria's tourism and hospitality industries in the quieter months and, no doubt, provide a Melbourne equivalent to Sydney's popular Vivid festival, Rising will take place in Melbourne from May 26–June 6 2021. Top image: 'A Purple Poem for Miami' by Judy Chicago.
The show opens with a disclaimer: those who’ve come expecting The Philadelphia Story are going to be bitterly disappointed. Those who’ve come for a faithful re-telling of The Government Inspector might be a little disappointed too. But despite all the determined attempts to lower expectations, the show that follows is in no need of such qualifications. All this confusion stems from the fact that the Malthouse were originally set to perform The Philadelphia Story, but following an issue with rights, director Simon Stone and his cast instead turned to a new adaptation of Gogol’s classic. The original story is a biting satire on bureaucracy — a Parks and Recreation for 19th Century Russia — whose plot revolves around a low-level clerk mistaken for a high-ranking official. But in this adaptation, Stone and his cast choose to transplant the confusion of their own rehearsal room onto the stage. Each member of the ensemble (Fayssal Bazzi, Mitchell Butel, Gareth Davies, Robert Menzies, Zahra Newman, Eryn-Jean Norvill, and Greg Stone) plays an exaggerated version of themselves. Newman also appears as the theatre’s Hispanic cleaner after Zahra bails on the other actors, and when Davies chokes to death on some activated almonds he returns as the hapless actor Frank. Without giving away any spoilers, the way that the actors manage to confuse Frank with the famous Uzbeki director they’ve hired is exquisite; from this perfect moment of misunderstanding The Government Inspector descends into ever-more excruciating farce. The cast are in excellent form. While much of the comedy stems from the actors’ willingness to eviscerate their own egos, choices like Fayssal Bazzi’s more understated performance create a well-rounded dynamic by contrast. Davies is devastatingly funny as the poor schmuck Frank, never more pathetic than caught in a car crash of a conversation with his ex-girlfriend, reduced to drinking vodka from his "water bottle”. However, many of the jokes rely heavily on an audience’s knowledge of the Australian theatre scene — whether it’s jibes at Menzies’ identity as an “elderly character actor”, or Butell’s fanciful acceptance speech at the Helpmann Awards. It’s difficult to tell whether these are in-jokes which could exclude a broader audience from the show because the generosity of these self-deprecating performances allows a comedy of ego and misunderstanding to transcend the play’s more obscure references. Although the work is hugely entertaining, elements towards its end hint at something more complex. In its third act (again, without giving too much away), the play is performed as a musical, in the style of a grotesque operetta. Some of the funniest and most beautiful scenes arrive here, like the “torch song” performed by Butell and stand-out singer Newman. But as entertaining as this musical sequence is there was a point where it almost felt deliberately over-long. Without an unfair amount of guessing at Stone’s motivations, the length of and commitment to this musical sequence came across like a comment on his own notoriety for adaptations that valorise entertainment at the expense of fidelity to an original text. Coming from someone who’s expressed his frustration with theatre that doesn’t live up to the possibilities of the form it’s difficult to overlook intentional irony in this dumb, fun, final section. But the beauty of this Government Inspector is that it defies and welcomes this kind of cerebral engagement, balancing its in-jokes with a comedy of sheer humanity, and making for deeply satisfying farce. For more background on the production, read our interview with actor Gareth Davies.
There are some things best left to the 90s, like those pukka shell necklaces and over-plucked eyebrows. But one thing that's here to stay is 90s RnB, especially teamed with good food, delicious cocktails and some of the most iconic 90s looks. If you're ready to relive your youth — or you'd rather re-do it — every Saturday this summer The Boatbuilders Yard at South Wharf will host new 90s RnB Mixtape Saturdays, beginning Saturday, November 13. Moon Dog Brewing are in charge of the 90s-themed drinks list and to say it's authentic is an understatement. Think a fizzy lime and Midori combination, lemon and Blue Curacao and plenty of other specialty cocktails on the agenda. There's even a seltzer-filled post-mix machine. Plus, a Smirnoff Ice or Passion Pop is promised on arrival to really bring back that hit of nostalgia. Food-wise think potato skins, tacos and sloppy joes so you can pretend you're eating in the cafeteria in your favourite 90s high-school rom-com. Apart from those aforementioned cocktails, of course. DJ Joey Lightbulb will be on the decks, and apparently, song requests will be taken, so dig out your old mixtapes for inspiration. Tickets are $65 per person and bookings are recommended to secure your spot at on one of the two, two-hour sessions held from 12-2pm and 2.30-4.30pm each Saturday afternoon. Don your Mytiko pants, finest beige Masseurs and hypercolour t-shirts and get ready to boogie like Y2K is imminent. For more information and to secure your spot at 90s RnB Mixtape Saturdays, check out the website.
Poof Doof knows how to throw a party, and Halloween is no exception. The organisers of Melbourne's top queer club night are taking over The Forum for one big, spooky gala ball on Saturday, October 26. Over the past eight years, the annual HalloQween event has outgrown Melbourne's clubs, so, for its ninth outing, it's heading to the (much) bigger recently renovated music venue. Brace yourselves for a Big Time. Hosted by Joel Creasey and Karen From Finance, featuring Sneaky Sound System, Owl Eyes and performances by YUMMY, the night will also see DJ sets, drag, dance and light shows. But don't even think about coming if you're not dressing to the nines — costumes are taken very seriously here. There's even a blood rep carpet where you can get papped in your goriest, most OTT outfit. HalloQween Ball runs from 8pm–1am.
