When the Victorian Government made masks mandatory again indoors just before Christmas, it also served up a big dose of déjà vu. Here's another: the return of the one person per two-square-metres rule in indoor hospitality and entertainment venues, which'll kick in at 11.59pm tonight, Thursday, January 6. At the state's daily COVID-19 press conference, Health Minister Martin Foley announced that density limits were coming back in an effort to help stop Victoria's rising case numbers. "Interaction in those hospitality and entertainment venues is close, it's crowded, it's active and it's mobile. It's what young people do and we don't begrudge them that," Foley said. "These relatively mild restrictions are about making sure that that activity can continue, but it can continue in a less congregated and less active space when it comes to hospitality." The returning density rule will apply at restaurants, cafes, pubs, bars and nightclubs, as well as at arcades, amusement parks, casinos and gaming venues across the state. The one exception: indoor seated cinemas and theatres, which can still operate without density limits because people are seated and masked in those venues. [caption id="attachment_818582" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] Mask rules are still in effect, too, but no other restrictions are being introduced at present. That said, the Victorian Government is also recommending that entertainment and hospitality venues, and folks attending them, choose seated service only — and, because it's time to feel like you're living in Footloose again, to avoid indoor dancefloors. Just like before Christmas, Victorians are still being encouraged to work from home — and to study from home as well — with that recommendation remaining in place until January 26. Victoria currently has 61,120 active COVID-19 cases, including 21,997 new cases reported today, Thursday, January 6. For more information about the status of COVID-19 and the current restrictions, head over to the Department of Health and Human Services website. Top image: Julia Sansone.
Concrete Playground is looking for a Digital Sales Manager to join the team on a part-time basis. The candidate will be responsible for selling online advertising inventory across Concrete Playground’s various city editions, and will bring with them a proven history in media sales and a healthy database of contacts at agencies and brands. The role requires a well-presented, self-motivated individual who exhibits initiative and drive to generate new sales. It is a part-time role that would suit someone who is seeking 8-24 flexible hours of work each week. Qualifications: • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent business experience Responsibilities: • Build bespoke sales, sponsorship & partnership proposals • Present our properties face to face, over the phone and email • Generate ad revenue via agencies and direct clients • Anticipate new growth areas to develop ad revenue Experience: • Has worked in a target driven media sales environment • A proven track record of producing significant revenue • Proven track record in building relationships that turn into sales • In depth knowledge and understanding of Digital Sales including display/video and Rich Media advertising across online and mobile • Grown and managed business relationships with key agencies and direct advertisers. • Ability to manage a self generated workload TO APPLY: Please direct resumes to hello@concreteplayground.com.au
Can’t make friends? There’s an app for that. Do you find you’re too busy checking in and tweeting to meet actual people? Help is at hand. Agora, created at the first foursquare Hackathon by Pierre Valade, will find like-minded folk for you. The app finds people who are checked in near you, and then works out if you have common interests based on your Twitter feeds. It then sends you both a tweet suggesting you meet up, with a link to each other’s Twitter accounts so you can check if the algorithm’s compatibility score is on the money. Ingeniously, since the matching is done through Twitter, it can introduce you to people who don’t have the app themselves. Of course, it does mean you’ll have to stop posting all those ironic tweets about Justin Bieber’s haircut, otherwise you’ll end up being introduced to a busload of tweens. [via PSFK]
UPDATE, April 7, 2021: Weathering with You is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube Movies, Amazon Video and iTunes. To watch as Weathering with You roams around Tokyo, wandering through its alleys and roving beyond its well-known tourist spots, is to almost feel like you're walking through the sprawling city yourself. That's an uncanny achievement for an animated film, however it speaks volumes about the level of detail evident in Makoto Shinkai's first movie since his huge 2016 hit Your Name. The luminous lights, towering structures and Shibuya's famous scramble crossing all feature, rendered as vividly as they demand. Also present: the rows of nondescript buildings that stretch across the Japanese capital, its maze of laneways, the blue vending machines on every block, and everything from everyday cafes to love hotels to small markets. While Weathering with You serves up a mix of romance, fantasy and drama in its narrative, it is fiercely determined to steep even its most fanciful narrative leaps in a realistic setting — and that choice has an impact not just visually, but emotionally. Three years after Your Name became the second-highest-grossing Japanese animated release ever around the globe — a feat that places it behind only Studio Ghibli's beloved Spirited Away — Shinkai's latest film once more ponders love, disaster and whether some things are just meant to be. Like the director's last movie, it also pits star-crossed teenagers against forces outside of their control, and aims for something offbeat yet insightful in the process. Themes of identity and self-exploration bubble to the fore again, albeit without Your Name's body-swap gimmick this time around. Instead, Weathering with You ponders societal and environmental changes, placing its high school-aged protagonists in the middle of both figurative and literal storms. If Hirokazu Kore-eda's Palme d'Or winner Shoplifters swapped actors for anime, added teen relationships and otherworldly elements, and examined global warming as well as life on the Japanese margins, it might actually look like this. Introduced on a boat approaching Tokyo just as a typhoon hits (and just as he's saved from a grim watery end by a stranger), 16-year-old runaway Hodaka (Kotaro Daigo) is a fresh-faced arrival in the big city. He has nowhere to stay, no job and no way to scrape by, failing to even find work in seedy bars or to get a moment's rest behind bins in an alleyway. When he first crosses paths with the orphaned Hina (Nana Mori), she's a fast food employee who gives him a free burger. When they meet again, he saves her from an exploitative new gig. A connection springs, but it's Hodaka's new place of employment that intertwines their fate. Hired as a live-in assistant to the jaunty Suga (Shun Oguri), who runs an occult-focused magazine out of his house, the teen is charged with tracking down people who can reportedly control the weather — and, following an eventful visit to a rooftop shrine during a time of trauma, that's a skill that Hina happens to possess. Writing as well as directing, Shinkai soon tasks his central duo with starting their own business to make the most of Hina's gift. As Tokyo's prolonged spell of unseasonable rain just keeps falling day after day, she brings sunshine to folks needing a reprieve — in small spots, only for short periods and for a fee. Of course, as many a movie has stressed, with great power not only comes great responsibility, but considerable consequences. It's here that Weathering with You starts weaving its various threads together — and although they don't all shine as brightly as the rays that Hina commands, the film still offers a smart and moving contemplation of one's place in, and impact upon, the world. That's true when it's poking into life at street-level and taking the planet's changing weather systems in a drastic direction, and remains the case when it's exploring individual decisions and influential relationships, too. As he did with Your Name, Shinkai packages his tale with an upbeat pace, expressive character animation, delicate voice work and music from Japanese pop band Radwimps, with the group's songs given pride of place across the picture's many montages. Indeed, while the filmmaker helms his sixth movie (with Children Who Chase Lost Voices and The Garden of Words also among his credits), Weathering with You often feels like it's following closely in its immediate predecessor's footsteps. That's where the film's finessed use of detail not only proves pivotal, but makes an immense difference. Its gorgeous frames serve up more than just something vibrant to look at, although they easily tick that box. A strikingly lifelike, never-romanticised vision of Tokyo anchors the narrative's Shinto-inspired spiritual and supernatural leanings. More importantly, it gives weight to both Hodaka and Hina's sizeable struggles, and to the movie's musing on where massive weather events could take today's society. Embracing fantasy, yet always ensuring that it remains equally enchanting and grounded, the result is a dynamic, stunningly animated outsider story with a heart and a conscience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouLO5iPc1yo
An actual romp through the wilds of Africa might be tricky to pull off right now. But this summer, you can experience a taste of that safari magic right here on home soil, all thanks to the return of Werribee Open Range Zoo's after-hours wildlife adventure. Now running on Saturdays and Sundays (5.30–9pm) up until March 13, the Sunset Safari sessions will see you exploring the zoo's savannah as the sun dips, and copping a peek at resident critters including zebras, hippos, giraffes, ostriches and lions. While you wander, zoo guides will talk you through the various species that call this habitat home, and teach you all about current conservation efforts aimed at helping them thrive. Also designed to transport you is a program of traditional African performances, featuring drums, dancing and songs. And if you fancy extending the adventure, you'll find a range of food and drink options available to add on, spanning from grazing hampers to an authentic, African village-style 'braai' (barbecue). Best of all, a portion of ticket profits go towards supporting Zoos Victoria's international partners, including the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre.
Two friends meet for a beer. Which are you? The one who pulls out a chair, sits down and starts checking who's been 'totes amazed' by your status update since you jumped off the train ten minutes ago, or the other, looking around, feigning fascination with the pub decor, muttering passive aggressive incantations under your breath? Whether you're the connectivity addict or the addict's tortured friend, you'll be pleased to know that a remedy is nigh. It involves drinking more beer and sitting close together. Brazilian beer company Polar has invented a beer holder that not only keeps your beverage cold but also blocks any 3G or 4G signal within a 1.5m radius. 'Share a Polar Beer, not a link', suggests the ad campaign. The product of collaboration with communications agency Paim, the device employs a scaled-down version of the technology that prevents prisoners from connecting via cell from their, ah, cells. Previous attempts to discourage mobile phone obsession have included an oddly shaped beer glass (also a Brazilian invention) and the designation of 'cell phone areas' in Los Angeles restaurant Bucato. The big question is: will the Polar 'cell phone nullifier' actually boost conversation, or merely cause people to stand further apart (at least 1.5m from their beers, that is)? Via PSFK.
Legendary artist GZA might be best known for his rapping career and for being a member of iconic hip hop outfit Wu-Tang Clan. But the guy just so happens to be an absolute gun chess player, too. And you'll get a chance to see his skills in action when he drops by Melbourne for a sneaky speed chess tournament next month. GZA's appearance marks the launch of The Fanatics — a new series led by award-winning Brunswick-based rye whiskey distillery The Gospel, celebrating culture, community and music. The fun kicks off Monday, May 15, at 75 Reid Street in Fitzroy North, with the chess competition you never knew you needed in your life. Entry to play in the tournament will set you back $30, plus there's also a limited number of spots at a meet-and-greet with GZA, priced at $45. Otherwise, you can opt for a $20 general admission ticket and head along to play spectator to the day's festivities. African Australian hip-hop artist N'fa is taking on hosting duties for the event, with local acts DJ Mr Lob and Deejay Mathmatics spinning vinyl tunes from 4.30pm. Of course, with The Gospel at the helm, there'll be a solid drinks offering to match, including whiskey cocktails aplenty. [caption id="attachment_898046" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Azuree Wiitala[/caption] Top image: Azuree Wiitala
If your love for Shania Twain is, shall we say, still going strong, then you're in for one hell of a few months. Not only is the hard-to-impress singer heading to Australia for the first time in 15 years this November and December, but she's also being honoured right here in Melbourne by the Melbourne Fringe Festival's Shania Choir. Featuring a team of vocal talent and proving a hit around the country, the show is an immersive musical celebration of the life, times and music of Twain, as delivered through an almost indescribable mix of song, dance, and drag over the two nights of Friday, September 28 and Saturday, September 29. Expect plenty of energy and a sprinkling of signature Shania sass, as country-pop meets a capella harmonies across all your favourite Twain tunes, from 'That Don't Impress Me Much' and 'From This Moment', through to 'Man, I Feel Like A Woman'. And if you saw the choir last year, this is a brand new show — and it includes tracks from the pop star's latest album. Image: Amanda Humphreys.
The beloved Cameo Cinema will once again showcase some of the summer's most talked-about films on its magnificent outdoor movie screen under the stars. Screening through summer, this outdoor film-watching spot will give cinema lovers the chance to relax in deckchairs and beanbags, with craft beer, homemade choc-tops and freshly popped popcorn in hand, for another year. If that's not worth the drive out to Belgrave, then we just don't know what is. Featuring on the big screen will be a selection of new flicks, including Wonka, Poor Things, Anyone But You, Ferrari, Next Goal Wins and Priscilla — and recent favourites such as Barbie. The lineup also goes classic with Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Goonies, Spice World and The Parent Trap, as well as Die Hard to get festive. It doesn't hurt that the Cameo concessions are a cut above what you'll find at your local shopping centre multiplex. It has craft beer and boutique wines — and dogs are welcome here, too. The bar opens an hour before the film starts each night — and remember that sessions are at the mercy of the weather.
Scream in terror and then sashay away for Tales from the Grave, a frightening performance of drag, burlesque, cabaret and circus. For two nights only on Thursday, October 30–Friday, October 31, Melbourne's legendary queer institution, The 86, transforms into a twisted haven of mischief and unpredictable surprises. If you managed to make it to the widely popular Tales from the Drain last year, then you'll be pleased to know that devilish duo Azcadelia and Pomme de Terror will return for more terrorising antics. Expect a bigger, stranger and more immersive show than last year, with side quests and roving performances around every corner. Throughout the night, enjoy a tipple or two of frighteningly well-priced drinks and Halloween-themed cocktails. And make sure to go all out with your costumes, because there will be a chance to strut your scary stuff and win big prizes. If that's not enough immersion, then we recommend grabbing VIP tickets for an even more unforgettable experience. That includes reserved seating for either one person or groups of four, exclusive performer experiences, a butler escort, and a glass of bubbles or a can of Moondog (for singles) and a bottle of bubbles and mixed tapas (for groups of 4). Crowds went wild for Tales of the Drain's climactic finale, so strap in and get excited for an even more scandalous ending with Tales from the Grave. Tickets start at $36 for early-bird tickets and can be purchased online, with VIP tickets starting at $69. But be quick, because last year's show sold out weeks before Halloween.
Even though this year's AFL Grand Final is set to feature two Victorian teams — it's going to look a little different from the usual year. But bars and restaurants across the city are here to help make your 2021 at-home Grand Final celebration as memorable as possible, with food and drink specials to suit every footy lover's tastes. Whether you're a diehard footy fan looking to recreate some of that Grand Final Day magic from your spot on the couch, or you're simply looking for some top-notch eats and drinks to see you through yet another lockdown weekend, we've found some primo options available for takeaway and delivery. No matter who takes out the flag, you can consider yourself the winner with one of these fine footy feasts. FEELING SNACKY? Everyone loves a good snacking session; especially when footy action means keeping your eyes glued to that screen. Prince Dining Room and Little Prince Wine have joined forces to create an upscale selection of revamped footy snacks, available for delivery via Providoor this weekend. We're talking mini prawn cocktail rolls, charcuterie, blistered bread with dips and dreamy signature sausage rolls, to feed two ($130) or four ($260) hungry viewers. Attica's nacho-style footy loaf proved such a hit for last year's Grand Final celebrations that it's making a return, available only from September 23–25 for pick up and delivery. At $85, it's designed to feed between two and four punters, featuring a rich beef and black bean chilli piled into a loaf of bread, and served with an array of accompaniments and dippers. Richmond's Spread Eagle Hotel is championing a selection of snack classics with its Granny special — a two-person ($60) or four-person ($120) serve of hot dogs, sausage rolls, party pies, fried chicken and potato cakes, plus a one-litre growler of Moon Dog beer. There's a swag of add-ons available, with collections happening at the pub on Saturday, September 25. [caption id="attachment_826212" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Duke[/caption] AN AT-HOME PUB SESH We'd all love to be cheering on this all-Victorian Grand Final with mates at our local, but while pub doors are shut, you'll have to settle for an at-home food edition instead. Australian Venue Co is offering a DIY parma pack (or eggplant parma alternative) on the day, available to click-and-collect from six of the group's local pubs. The solo-serve boxes ($25) contain all the trimmings for a build-your-own parma, along with a raw slaw, and some mini pies and sausage rolls for warm-up snacks. The Builders Arms is offering a special at-home spread featuring Boston Butt slow-cooked pork roast, prawn cocktail rolls, potato salad and more. It feeds two for $120 and you can get it delivered, or pick it up from the pub, between Friday and Sunday. The burger gurus at Easey's are once again teaming up with The Emerson to offer a loaded footy feast, this time featuring dim sims, cheeseburgers, potato cakes, hot jam doughnuts and an espresso martini for refuelling at half-time. You'll also score some footy merch courtesy of Furphy. It all clocks in at $39 per person, available for collection from The Emerson. [caption id="attachment_826211" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Holmes Hall x The Public Brewery[/caption] FIRE UP THE BARBECUE If the biggest sporting clash of the year puts you in the mood for cold brews and smoky barbecue fare, consider yourself spoilt for choice this weekend. For starters, Moonee Ponds' Holmes Hall has teamed up with Public Brewing Co to create a couple of bumper beer and barbecue packs — a carnivore-friendly lineup featuring the likes of marinated wings and lamb chops ($99), and a vegan or vegetarian alternative starring bites like miso-glazed eggplant and barbecued mushrooms ($89). Each includes a selection of Public brews, too. Preston brewery Tallboy & Moose is doing its own beer-matched meat feast in collaboration with Bluebonnet Barbecue. Available for delivery across a stack of northern suburbs, the ready-to-heat pack stars dishes like wagyu brisket, pecan pie and a couple of one-litre 'crowler' cans of Tallboy's finest. For a luxe take on the classic Grand Final barbie, try the premium barbecue box ($300, feeds four) from St Kilda's Stokehouse. It's loaded with ready-to-grill goodies like octopus skewers, butterflied king prawns, wagyu beef and local calamari, with extras like fresh oysters and bottles of Bollinger available to add on. Click-and-collect is running this Saturday, as well as delivery for addresses within 10 kilometres. [caption id="attachment_826209" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chin Chin[/caption] CARN THE (HOT) PIES An iconic Aussie sporting event calls for an iconic Aussie dish. And nothing screams footy quite like a hot pie. Or five. Brunswick East's beloved Pie Shop is serving up its last homemade pie (for now) on Grand Final Day, and we can't think of a much more fitting send-off. Jump online to pre-order, or roll in this Friday or Saturday to stock up on favourites like The Allen (slow-cooked beef and veg) and The Shazza (cauliflower, leek and cheddar). In East Melbourne, Hemingway's Wine Room is serving up a chic feasting pack for two ($129), featuring a homemade wagyu beef cheek pie with green tomato relish as the headline act. Supporting stars include freshly shucked oysters, potato rosti and rolls with whipped goat cheese butter, plus there's an array of food and booze accompaniments to add on. Order now for delivery or pick up. Southeast Asian favourite Chin Chin is also embracing the classic pie-and-footy pairing, with its series of limited-edition family-sized creations. Choose from pie fillings like butter chicken, yellow veg curry or the famed beef rendang, or opt for a four-pack of Thai-style pork sausage rolls. Your pick comes teamed with a chocolate brownie slab, an official AFL Grand Final Record and a mixed four-pack of Coopers brews, for $55. Click-and-collect and delivery are both available. And the much-lauded Country Cob Bakery is serving special Grand Final mixed packs of its award-winning pies for in-store pick-up and free delivery across metro Melbourne. Treat your household to an assortment of beef pie varieties ($88), or go for the pack filled with recent championship winners ($142) like the pork and pepper, and the curried scallop. [caption id="attachment_826208" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hawker Hall[/caption] A GLOBAL FOOTY FEAST Fancy venturing beyond the usual pies and parma scenario for this year's Grand Final festivities? Hawker Hall is serving a special edition of its finish-at-home Feed Me pack, that'll see you cheering on the telly while chowing down on plates like cumin-spiced lamb buns, a whole-roasted honey and black pepper chook, and sweet apple pie. Order here before September 22 for pick up or delivery. The newly reimagined Hotel Collingwood (formerly the Robbie Burns) is getting into the Granny spirit with a Finals Day Feed Me Pack from mates at Asian street food kitchen Too Good Talker. Feed two or four with dishes like kingfish ceviche, pork and prawn wontons with a chilli peanut sauce, soy-braised beef cheek and mango sago, to pick up in-store this Saturday. A full vegan menu is also on offer, along with some tasty add-ons. Grossi a Casa is serving a couple of generous, Italian-accented footy feasts to finish at home. There's a $75 feed for two starring house-baked sourdough, lasagne and a classic tiramisu, as well as a dedicated Grand Final special ($120, feeds two) packed with salumi, a beef and porcini pie, two Peroni brews, and half-time snacks including spinach and ricotta panzerotti. Pre-order now for delivery or collection. And craft beer bar Benchwarmer invites your tastebuds on a trip to Tokyo with its Japanese-inspired Grand Final Day family pack — a sumptuous spread of karaage chicken (or cauliflower), Japanese potato salad, white miso slaw, brioche buns and house-made sauces. Pre-order online for pick up or delivery this Saturday. [caption id="attachment_826206" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hazel[/caption] A FEED FIT FOR A CHAMPION If you're after a footy feast that's a little bit fancy, up the ante with the likes of the three-course feast Lancemore Lindenderry Red Hill is whipping up in collaboration with Red Hill Brewery. Available to pick up from the hotel or for delivery across the region, it's a hefty banquet for two ($189) complete with house-made pork rillettes, a roasted spring chicken with salsa verde and new potatoes, creme caramel with rum raisins, a mixed six-pack of beers and more. For a chic take on classic comfort food, try the at-home pack from the CBD's Hazel, showcasing the likes of smoked rainbow trout rillettes, beef wellington and a strawberry meringue roulade with Negroni marmalade for $70 per person. A vegetarian lineup is also on offer and you can even add on some excellent cocktails courtesy of sister venue Dessous. Out west, Zymurgy's generous Grand Final Footy Packs will feed four each ($130/200), with refined dishes like duck liver parfait, chorizo and fennel sausage rolls, and lemongrass-stuffed chicken wings finished with fermented honey and garlic. Teamed with a selection of craft brews from sibling Hop Nation, of course. Order here for pick up or local delivery. Top Image: The Pie Shop, Annika Kafcaloudis; The Builders Arms
It's a little ironic that one of the ballsiest productions in recent history is named after female genitalia. Originally written and performed by American playwright Eve Ensler, The Vagina Monologues is something of a modern classic. Known for its uninhibited confessional stories and graphic sexual content, it has become a much debated work for both feminists and conservatives alike. Because of this, its latest showing at the Malthouse Theatre is pretty fitting. This one-off performance on Wednesday, April 16 will be a fundraising effort on behalf of V-Day Australia — a global movement seeking to end violence against women and girls. Proceeds from the show will go towards McAuley Community Services for Women and The Nappy Collective. If you're going to see a show about female empowerment, you may as well support the cause too. And, in case you were wondering, the V in V-Day stands for victory, valentine and vagina. There will be two performances of the show on April 16 — a preview at 3pm and the main events at 8pm. You can book tickets and learn more about V-Day here.
Thornbury has scored itself a new locals' haunt which, thankfully, doesn't live up to its name. In fact, Nasty's, the new kid on High Street, is nice as pie. It's the first venture from hospitality veteran Nick Matheson, who found himself choosing the northside suburb for his long-planned watering hole after a raft of friends moved in nearby. Cheerfully low-key with a warm, homespun vibe, Nasty's has been dubbed so in a nod to Matheson's own ironic nickname. Step inside and you'll discover a space that forgoes trendy trimmings for a more personalised haul of upcycled treasures, which are fairly representative of its owner's style. Think knick knacks, potted plants and a fun mix of seating that includes deep Chesterfields and revamped car seats. A lively green and orange mural is splashed along one brick wall, and, through the back room, you'll spy an old-school ironing board enjoying a new life as a table. As with all good neighbourhood haunts, there are cosy corners and nooks aplenty, including a secluded beer garden out back. Though, in a joint like this, you're just as likely to find yourself hanging with new mates in the front bar. [caption id="attachment_712398" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy.[/caption] The drinks list sticks with the same sweet-and-simple philosophy as the fit-out. Headed up by a six-strong rotation of local tap brews, which currently includes Abbotsford brewery Moon Dog, the drinks menu also features a tight lineup of spirits, a handful of ciders and wines. There's no formal cocktail list, but if you have a chat to Matheson, he'll happily whip you up something, and a food offering is en route soon. Find Nasty's at 806 High St, Thornbury. It's open from Monday–Friday 4pm–1am and Saturday–Sunday midday–1am. Images: Kate Shanasy.
If you're on the hunt for rare furniture, then Nicholas & Alistair in Abbotsford should be your first stop. Legend has it that owners Nicholas Mesiano and Alistair Knight once drove through a blizzard in the French Alps just to retrieve a dining table by Italian artist Piero Fornasetti. In other words, they know their stuff and they always make sure they get it – which means all you have to do is find your way to their showroom to discover your next household gem. Be warned, you will want to spend all your savings.
School's back, even if it's been years — or a decade or more — since you last stepped foot in a classroom. Come April, Netflix's Heartbreak High revival will return for its second season, after its initial comeback in 2022 proved more popular than the 3pm bell. When new episodes will drop was announced earlier in the year; now it's time for the trailer for season two, giving viewers a sneak peek at Hartley High's new term. Everyone who can remember their high-school days knows that chaos is always part of the experience — and the debut glimpse at Heartbreak High's second season stays true to that idea. Amerie (Ayesha Madon, The Moth Effect) is back to being hated, and understandably isn't thrilled about it. Also part of the season: picking a new school captain, the impact of a few new arrivals among the students and staff, sporting mayhem and a love triangle. When Heartbreak High first arrived on television from 1994–99, it became one of Australia's classic teen series. When it returned more than two decades later, the new version also had everyone turning up. Accordingly, after its first season proved a huge smash, 2020s-era Heartbreak High was promptly renewed for season two — as you'd expect of an International Emmy-, AACTA- and Logie-winning show. Also on the returning crew in the revival's second season, character-wise: Harper (Asher Yasbincek, How to Please a Woman), Darren (screen first-timer James Majoos), Quinni (Chloe Hayden, Jeremy the Dud), Dusty (Josh Heuston, Thor: Love and Thunder), Ca$h (Will McDonald, Home and Away), Malakai (Thomas Weatherall, Troppo), Spider (Bryn Chapman Parish, Mr Inbetween), Ant (debutant Brodie Townsend), Sasha (Gemma Chua-Tran, Mustangs FC) and Missy (fellow newcomer Sherry-Lee Watson) — as well as teachers Woodsy (Rachel House, Our Flag Means Death) and Jojo (Chika Ikogwe, The Tourist). As announced previously, they have some fresh faces for company. Sam Rechner (The Fabelmans) plays country boy and classic cinema fan Rowan Callaghan. Kartanya Maynard (Deadloch) joins the Hartley crew as Zoe Clarke, who has big thoughts on celibacy — she's in favour — as part of a gang of Puriteens. And Angus Sampson hops from Bump to Heartbreak High as Head of PE Timothy Voss. Season one started with Amerie becoming a pariah at Hartley after a big revelation — an "incest map" plotting out who's hooked up with who throughout the school — and also struggling with a sudden rift in her friendship with bestie Harper. Attempting to repair her reputation, she called on help from her new pals Quinni and Darren, all while working through her crush on Dusty and developing feelings for Malakai. And that's just the start of the Heartbreak High revival's season one story. In season two, everyone is back for a second term after doing some growing up over the holidays, and Hartley is now the lowest-ranking school in the district. Netflix has also been teasing that threesomes, chlamydia and burning cars will be distant memory for the gang — but there'll still be a whirlwind of teen antics, of course, or this wouldn't be Heartbreak High. It was in 2020 that Netflix initially announced that it was bringing the series back — and yes, it sure is a 2020s take on the Aussie show, including everything from friendship fights, yelling about vaginas from the top of a building and throwing dildos at walls through to consent, crime, drugs and police brutality. The original Heartbreak High was a massive deal, and was filled with now-familiar faces, such as Alex Dimitriades, a pre-Home and Away Ada Nicodemou, and Avengers: Endgame and Mystery Road's Callan Mulvey as Drazic. It painted a multicultural picture of Australia that was unlike anything else on TV at the time. And, for its six-year run across two Aussie networks, the Sydney-shot show was must-see television — not bad for a series that started as a spinoff to the Claudia Karvan and Alex Dimitriades-starring 1993 movie The Heartbreak Kid, too. Check out the trailer for the Heartbreak High revival's second season below: Heartbreak High season two will arrive on Thursday, April 11, 2024. The show's first season is available to stream now via Netflix. Read our full review.
If you've ever wanted to whiz through the air on a zipline across the Yarra, you'll have your chance this summer, when Firefly Zipline pops up at Fed Square. From December 1–28, a 130-metre zipline will be installed, connecting Federation Square with Alexandra Gardens. Punters of any age can book a ticket, don a safety harness and helmet, and enjoy a hurtling flight over the Yarra, either solo or as part of a pair. Soaring nine metres above the water and clocking speeds of up to 40 kilometres per hour, it's the ride you never knew you needed in your life. There's no age limit for zipline flyers, though anyone under 18 will need a parent or guardian present to sign their waiver, and kids under 12 will have to ride with a paying adult. You'll also need to weigh between 35 and 120 kilograms to jump aboard. Tickets are on sale now, clocking in at $49 for adults, $39 for kids and $159 for a family of four. You'll want to get in quick though, with only 5000 available in total.
Two of Melbourne's dessert maestros have teamed up to give your sweet tooth a very merry Christmas, unveiling a new line of festive gelato cakes that'll put the standard plum pudding to shame. Piccolina Gelateria and patisserie LuxBite have joined forces for another of their Yuletide cake collaborations, this time inspired by a wintery,white European Christmas. Crafted on Piccolina's famed all-natural gelato, and showing off some next-level pastry skills from LuxBite Head Chef Bernard Chu, the two indulgent new creations are sure to pack a punch at any festive celebration. The Snowball boasts a layered core of coconut semifreddo, roasted almonds and condensed milk, covered in a caramelised almond praline, with coconut gelato and a salted puffed rice crunch. This one's finished with a generous dusting of coconut snow and an exploding chocolate Christmas party popper, decorated with silver leaf. And in excellent news for many, it's even gluten free. Meanwhile, the Tira-Miss-You takes a classic Italian dessert to a whole new level, teaming coffee and chocolate chip gelato, Italian mascarpone, Kahlua-soaked savoiardi sponge and zabaglione gelato, with a covering of milk chocolate and dusting of cocoa to finish. Cakes are designed to serve 16 people, clock in at $85 and available to purchase at all Piccolina stores: Collingwood, Hawthorn and St Kilda.
The lease is up, the music has stopped, and demolition seems all but inevitable — the fight to save the Palace Theatre is coming to a close. Much to the distress of Melbourne music lovers, this weekend marks the last for the city's iconic Bourke Street venue. Plans are underway to turn the site into a multi-million dollar hotel and apartment complex, and punters young and old are feeling a little raw. First operating in 1860, the Palace has an incredibly rich history. Over the years it's changed from the Metro Theatre to the St James to the Apollo, and it's housed world-class acts such as Sonic Youth, Arctic Monkeys and Florence and the Machine. With its three-tiered amphitheatre, ornate decor, and classic charm, the Palace has a special place in every local's heart. It held the stage where you finally got to see Nick Cave, it's the place you snuck into with that shitty fake ID, it's where you took that all-important first date. On a larger scale, the Palace played an important role in Melbourne's live music stakes. With a venue capacity of 1855, it was one of the few mid-size venues available for international tours. Without it, big acts are forced to choose between smaller gigs at venues like the Hi-Fi that don't cover the touring costs, or huge alternatives like Festival Hall that lose that sense of intimacy. The Palace struck the perfect balance for bands and patrons alike, and without it, many musicians may be discouraged from booking such tours in the future. The loss of this cultural institution is understandably enormous, and Melbournians have been pretty vocal about their feelings. Since the first announcement last year, the movement to Save the Palace Theatre has picked up the support of over 35,000 people. There have been petitions, letters to the council, protests, and vigils that continue to this day. Though the consultation period has officially closed, Melbourne City Council has reportedly received 791 objection letters about the site's redevelopment and efforts continue to get the venue on the Victorian Heritage Register. Melbourne music lovers prove time and time again that they never say die. Regardless, as of May 31, the owners have officially ceased control of the venue and the fate looks all but sealed. As the protests gradually descend into wakes, we asked some Melbourne musos to pen their thoughts on the much-loved venue. The wrecking ball may rise and the building may fall, but at least the music and the stories will always live on. Emily Lubitz - Tinpan Orange I have fond memories of lining up outside the Palace, waiting eagerly to see a show, coupled with memories of struggling to find the backstage entrance down a dark lane after eating too much at Pellegrini's before playing on the great Palace stage myself. I've sweated in the pit, and I've watched from on high, as the stage sparkled. I've had the honour of playing to a room of beautiful faces sparkling back at me from the three tiers, like a waterfall of Melbourne coolness. I have partaken in a dash of debauchery in some of those backstage rooms and one of my favourite photo shoots was taken backstage at the Palace, in the 20 minutes we had before we were due on stage. This urinal picture is from that. It's truly sad to lose this theatre, this precious gem in Melbourne’s cultural crown. For more than 100 years artists have been treading those boards and singing their tunes to happy punters and heaving crowds. RIP Palace Theatre. I hope the people who buy those apartments that they are turning you into can still hear the ghosts of the legendary artists, wild nights, ecstatic crowds and moments of pure joy echoing through their walls. Photo credit: Andy Hatton. Matt Darveniza - 8 Bit Love When asked about my experiences at the Palace, I thought 'Yeah I love that place! I've seen heaps of shows there. This will be easy". Then I thought about it and realised I'd actually only ever seen two shows there: riding a MySpace-fuelled wave of post/pop-punk in the forms of Jimmy Eat World and Death Cab For Cutie. While neither of these bands could be considered direct influences to the music we write in 8 Bit Love, I think they both really influenced the way I thought about how live shows should be delivered, with audiences completely hooked on every aspect of the performance. It made me aspire to one day have the same impression on our own audiences. The fact that a mere two shows have left me with such a fondness for the venue also speaks volumes. Each night was really special at the time, in a way shows at other similar-sized venues I've frequented have never quite matched, and the place feels far more familiar than it should. It was a great setting, the sound was always huge but also clear, and it had a certain unquantifiable charm. I'm super sad that I'll never have the chance to play there myself, and devastated that the Palace won't have the opportunity to share more amazing experiences and music with myself and the rest of Melbourne. All for more shitty CBD apartments no one wants to live in anyway. I suppose at least we've still got the memories, which is something. Thanks, you marvellous venue. Mitch Ansell - Northeast Party House In 2008, fake ID in hand and a body full of testosterone, I made my way with two of my buddies to see Queens Of The Stone Age at the Palace Theatre. I’m pretty sure we went straight from school to the venue which lead to us loitering around the city, flicking through the latest releases at JB Hi-Fi and most notably, our appearance at a near by $2 peep show. The latter was perhaps fitting for what our night's viewing would entail. I’m pretty sure it was their Era Vulgaris tour — an interesting album that I had debated with friends and my music teacher as we spoke of this new ‘industrial’ progression in sound. The album translated amazingly well live, everything hit so damn hard. Their encore was perhaps the perfect finish to the night playing ‘You Think I Ain’t Worth A Dollar, But I Feel Like A Millionaire’ and ‘A Song For The Dead’ back-to-back, which saw the venue turn into a pool of compressed flannelette shirts. The sweaty, robust and commanding performance from Josh Homme provided me with weeks of emulation to the point where I purchased the same Maton guitar that he used. That night was up there with the best. Alex Lahey - Animaux The first and only time Animaux ever played at the Palace was by accident. We were lucky enough to be supporting The Cat Empire last year and due to a double booking, the final show of the Melbourne leg of the tour took place at the Palace. I remember when I first told my mum that we were playing at there and she got very confused about where the venue was. But when I started referring to it as The Metro, it all came flooding back to her. There are few live music venues in Melbourne that have managed to transcend generations and now that the Palace is gone, they truly are an endangered species. When we first got to the venue, I took a few minutes to do some exploring and climb the stairs to the highest point of the theatre. You couldn't name another place quite like it — there's nowhere else you could find regally embossed balconies with a sticky floor below! Of course, the show was killer too. The crowd were red hot and there to party, and I knew it wasn't just about the lineup. The vibe of the venue was undeniable. It was about having a good time with great music. Melbourne has lost a true live music icon with the closure of the Palace Theatre and it's a damn shame. Photo credit: Chantelle Elise. Declan Melia - British India It took me a few moments to remind myself just how many great shows I've seen at the Palace and looking at the names of the groups it reads more like a teenage rock fan's wishlist than notches on a venue's bedpost. Pavement, Arctic Monkeys, Brand New (my all time favourite band perhaps?). I was even able to pull some strings and get me and my brothers on the door to watch The Presidents Of The United States Of America perform their debut album. A feat that sounds awesome or embarrassing depending on your allegiance to faux-alternative '90s novelty music. Perhaps the first gig I saw there was Sonic Youth performing the Daydream Nation album in full. That album had been my soundtrack to the previous summer. The band were gods to me, far more than they are now and in the sea of nonchalance that made up the crowd I was able to get right up the front — there they were dude, right there, playing those songs just like on the record. I probably didn't even have a mobile phone in those days so social media will never know just how close I was, in spite (or because?) of this it's still absolutely embedded in my mind. It was the first warm night of the new summer and everyone crowded around outside after the show, bumping into old friends and discussing the show with either wide-eyed astonishment or over-earnest cynicism, 100 different groups of three or five or six all discussing the same thing at the same time. Each group alike. Each group completely different. Even then I was too cynical to believe in anything that a journalist might describe as 'the Melbourne scene' but here were all these people crowded on the footpath after the show and every sentence focused on Sonic Youth performing Daydream Nation at the Palace. You couldn't help but feel you weren't the only one after all. Lead photo credit: Scott Boelson.
Melburnians love to proudly — and loudly — lament the city's ever-changing weather conditions. It's the ultimate water cooler talking point and the 'four seasons in a day' gimmick is thrown around at least once a day. We love to talk about the weather so much we now have a building dedicated to the topic. Melbourne's newest high-rise 888 Collins isn't your standard apartment block — the 15-storey exterior is fitted with 58,000 lights which, from dusk until midnight, perform an hourly light show for the masses. The show isn't just for spectacle, though. The colours indicate the real-time weather conditions outside and so are, like the weather, constantly changing. This feat was accomplished by artist Bruce Ramus, whose experience as a lighting designer includes work for the likes of R.E.M, U2 and David Bowie. It was easy for Ramus to notice the city's obsession with the weather and he felt creating an artwork that "interprets how the weather feels" was the best homage to locals, he told The Age. The building is located on the corner of Collins and Bourke Streets, down the Docklands end of the CBD. In order to predict the weather accurately, the roof is fitted with a weather station and fed data from the Bureau of Meteorology. The building is also solar powered, which provides power both for the lights and the building itself. While the idea of an eco-friendly building that depicts our love/hate relationship with the weather is right up our alley, we're not sure how keen we'd be to live in it. But Ramus has ensured residents that he has considered them in the design; the light output is far below the city's guidelines and the show "is very gentle". If you want to head down to Docklands and check it out for your self, Ramus has put together a handy guide for how to 'read' the building. Though the show ends at midnight, the building's lights will remain on throughout the night, depicting images of the moon straight on to morning. Now isn't that just dreamy. Via The Age. Image: LendLease.
Transporting some of the best Melbourne restaurants to the slopes, leading hospitality group Tommy Collins is making sure Mount Buller's après-ski scene is unmissable this winter. Guided by Grant Smillie (Marmont), Jason Jones (Entrecôte), and Frank Camorra (MoVida), expect a rotating series of ticketed dinners, featuring each restaurant's iconic cuisine served with a hint of alpine flair. Taking over the beloved mountainside venues of Villager and Little Villager, this four-weekend series sees each restaurant play host for an entire weekend, offering an abundance of signature cuisine, top-tier drinks and curated live entertainment. Think a five-course feast, standout wine and cocktails, and upbeat music for just 120 guests per night. Yet these exclusive dinner parties are only half of the occasion. The rest sees each restaurant shut down Mount Buller's Bourke Street for Après-Ski Street Parties, featuring an open-air celebration of cocktails, culture and connection. With drinks flowing from midday to golden hour, don your best wintertime outfit as world-class DJs spin tunes for 200 revellers. With more dates to be announced, the series opens Thursday, June 5–Saturday, June 7, with Grant Smillie's California-inspired Marmont. Next, MoVida takes over with innovative Spanish cuisine from Friday, August 1–Saturday, August 2, before Prahran's Entrecôte arrives on Friday, August 15–Saturday, August 16, with its chic Parisian fare. To kickstart your winter, don't miss the opening day's 'Party for the People' launch shindig, hosted by Grant Smillie and friends.
Opening quietly in the even quieter suburb of Mount Waverley, Son of Tucci has been warmly welcomed in the south east of Melbourne. Tucked between the ageing, pasty walls of Hamilton Place, this fresh-faced newbie is refreshingly modern and delightfully different in a precinct that could use a serious makeover. The second Melbourne venture for the Crea Siblings, Son of Tucci pays homage to their grandfather. "His surname was Santuccis," Massimo Crea says. "And he always wanted a son — so that's where it comes from." Fittingly, Massimo's grandparents also used to live in Mount Waverley. And even though they had to start from scratch — the space was previously a retail store — the Creas were determined to open in the area because, according to Massimo, there was nowhere for a younger generation to simply 'hang out' in Mount Waverley. Their clientele seems suspiciously well rounded, despite his sentiment. Between featured concrete walls and exposed brick, you can choose from a range of buttery sweets to go. Seasonal blends by Veneziano are the caffeinated base for your morning latte, with filtered coffee and an eight-hour cold drip also on offer. Order your coffee black (beans are by Small Batch), and you'll receive a card detailing the coffee’s origins. Teas are by specialist brand Larsen & Thompson. If you're planning to linger for longer, Son of Tucci's menu has everything you could possibly need for an extended family brunch. Traditional breakfast fare with contemporary touches rein supreme, like their smashed avo and Sriracha maple glazed bacon ($14), or pancakes with sweet dukkah and poached pear ($15). Nutella fanatics will adore their Nutella shakes ($4.50), while the espresso variety are the perfect caffeinated treat — and with polished concrete floors, the Son of Tucci team are more than ready to wipe up the occasional spill. The typical local cafe, Son of Tucci isn't a game-changer in Melbourne's mammoth cafe scene. But it's certainly a tasty choice for this little south-east suburb.
Trips between Melbourne and Geelong could soon be a whole lot faster — and way less crowded — with the Victorian Government announcing it's kicked off work on a high-speed train between the two cities. It's revealed that planning work and technical investigations on the proposed rail project are set to launch soon, with the infrastructure promised $50 million out of the next Victorian Budget. Currently, the government's looking into a host of different options for the proposed line, including electrification along the existing rail corridor and brand new high-speed rail infrastructure. Also on the cards is a new fleet of trains, which run at speeds between 250 and 300 kilometres per hour. By comparison, the current V/Line Vlocity trains run at a speed of 160 kilometres per hour. It's hoped that the rail will be able to link to airport, via a new Melbourne Airport Link also proposed in the budget. "This vital work will help determine the best way to deliver high-speed rail to Geelong as part of the Melbourne Airport Link," explained Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan. The former Melbourne Metro Rail Authority will now become Rail Projects Victoria, and will oversee this proposed Geelong rail link, as well as both the Metro Tunnel and the $1.7 billion Regional Rail Revival project.
Sports fans, Christmas has arrived — the athletic version that comes around every four years (or, in this case five), that is. Events have begun at this year's delayed Tokyo Olympic Games, the opening ceremony officially kicks things off on Friday, July 23, and two-plus weeks of competition awaits. If you're fond of all of the above, there's really not much that could improve the next fortnight. Actually, one thing could make your Olympics-watching couch sessions even better. We have two words for you: free pizza. They're two of the best words that exist, especially when used together — and they describe exactly what Pizza Hut is offering Aussies during this year's games. In total, the fast food chain will be handing out up to 285,000 freebies. Exactly how many it'll dole out depends on one big thing: how many medals Australian athletes win this year. Pizza Hut will give away a heap of pizzas to celebrate the Olympics' opening and closing ceremonies, as well as a set amount each day during the games as well; however, it's also breaking some additional slices whenever an Aussie stands on the podium. That means you'll have multiple chances to grab a freebie. First up, there'll be 5000 up for grabs from 4pm on Friday, July 23 to celebrate the opening ceremony. Between Saturday, July 24–Saturday, August 7, another 1000 will be given away daily at 4pm as well. On Sunday, August 8, for the closing ceremony, Pizza Hut will bust out another 5000 at 4pm, too. And, whenever an Aussie wins a medal, it'll add 1000 more free pizzas to its giveaway at 4pm the next day for each gold we take home, another 500 for each silver and another 200 for every bronze. To score your 'za without spending a cent, you'll need to head to Pizza Hut's 'pizzas for podiums' website at 4pm each day. Unsurprisingly, you'll want to get in quick as it's a first in, first served affair. You can only enter twice per day — and, if you win, you'll be sent a voucher code for a large pizza with a pan base. You'll be able to choose from super supreme, barbecue meatlovers, pepperoni lovers, Hawaiian and cheese lovers, and you'll need to redeem before Tuesday, August 31 via a pick-up order. One entrant will also win a year's worth of free pizza — well, Pizza Hut's idea of a year's worth, with one free pizza on offer for 52 weeks — if you need any extra motivation to enter. Pizza Hut will be giving away free pizzas from Friday, July 23–Sunday, August 8 during the Tokyo Olympic Games. For further information, head to the chain's website.
More than 50 Australian music acts will perform by the shore this February 12 when St Kilda Festival returns for another year. A regular feature on the suburb's cultural calendar for three decades and counting, this summer celebration of music, culture and food is all going down on a (hopefully) sunny Sunday on the St Kilda foreshore. The free fun begins just after 11am and runs well into the night. The Smith Street Band, Emma Louise, Drapht, Indigenous musician Archie Roach, Ainslie Wills and Daryl Braithwaite are just a few of the acts you can expect to see across a total of seven separate stages, stretching from Catani Gardens to the south end of Acland Street. In addition to the music, the festival will host a tonne of extra events and activities, ranging from bubble soccer and beach netball to aerial silks classes Bollywood dance workshops and a Latin street carnival. There's a lot going on — for more information, visit their website. Images: Jim Lee.
Fixation Brewing Co, the Byron Bay brewery that's a joint venture between Tom Delmont and the Stone & Wood Group, is responsible for some pretty tasty brews. Well, one type of brew specifically: India Pale Ales. Brewing hoppy IPAs is the company's calling card — and its fixation, if you may — and now it has opened a hoppy tasting room right here in Collingwood. Smith Street is home to The Incubator, a tasting room for the IPA-dedicated brewery. A bar and brewery all rolled into one, it's creating and serving up a slew of IPAs — including some of its signature brews, and some Melbourne exclusives. Two new ones you can taste are The 86 IPA and the Easey Street IPA, poured straight from the tanks. The brewery bar isn't just good turf for those who want to drink, though, it's also the right place to be to learn about the brewing process, and IPAs in general. With the tanks right up close to where you'll be sitting having a tipple, be assured that any questions you might have – what is an IPA? What are hops? How does beer get made? What's in the vat? – are going to be answered by those IPA-obsessed folk in the know. No kitchen, but bringing in your own food or UberEats-ing is a go, so your stomach won't be going unlined.
Amongst the many large-scale events that've cancelled or postponed in the wake of COVID-19, is perhaps the one we could all use the most right now — the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. With the government banning non-essential mass gatherings of over 500 people, and, today, indoor gatherings over 100, the huge annual laugh-fest was one of the first to be axed from the 2020 calendar. But if it's some chuckles you're after, fear not, because some of Australia's best-loved comedians, many of which were slated to perform at MICF, are coming soon to a streaming device near you. And even those bunkering down at home in a state of enforced self-isolation, or voluntary social-distancing, get to enjoy this little lineup as well. Hitting screens from next month is Amazon Prime's new special series of stand-up shows from ten big-name Aussie comics. Two specials will be released each week from Friday, April 10, including Tom Gleeson's sell-out show Joy, Zoë Coombs Marr with Bossy Bottom, Judith Lucy, Anne Edmonds and Tommy Little. Lano & Woodley, Celia Pacquola, Tom Walker, Dilruk Jayasinha and Alice Fraser are also on the bill, promising to inject a bit of sunshine into your socially distanced life. The comedy specials were all filmed last year at Melbourne's Malthouse Theatre and are set to stream worldwide. You can watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz3dmDUeydw The ten new comedy specials hit Amazon Prime Video from Friday, April 10.
I scream, you scream, we've all been screaming for ice cream — and, this February, once again, our prayers have been answered. The annual Ice Cream Festival is back, and this year it's taking place at three of Victoria's chocolateries and ice creameries: in the, along the Great Ocean Road and on the Mornington Peninsula. You may want to prepare the smelling salts, because each venue will be trotting out 12 new flavours a day between Wednesday, February 10–Sunday, February 21. For 12 days. That's 144 unique flavours all up — including scoops like parmesan and olive oil, siracha pretzels, watermelon and feta, Turkish delight pavlova, charcoal cherry ripe, spiced negroni and yuzu whisky sour. For $20 you can book into a tasting session that covers 12 of the day's flavours at once, or you can just rampage around the place like a deranged, hungry Pac-Man and try to taste 'em all at $4.80 a pop (or $6.80 for a double scoop). You can also go beyond ice cream, if you so please, and taste ice cream-topped pizzas, waffle ice cream sandwiches and giant OTT sundaes. What's more, each of the venues — in Yarra Glen, Bellbrae and Flinders — each have lovely grounds for you to lay around in and enjoy. The view may well be lost on you as you slide into a sugar-induced happiness coma, but that's okay. They aren't inventing all those flavours for you to not try them. The Ice Cream Festival will take place at three venues: Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery at 35 Old Healesville Road, Yarra Glen; Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery at 1200 Great Ocean Road, Bellbrae; and Mornington Peninsula Chocolaterie and Ice creamery at 45 Cook Street, Flinders.
Sometimes, you just need to let go of the present and dive into a big dose of nostalgia. And if you spent any of your childhood grooving through the 90s, you're about to enjoy some serious retro goodness when Ego Expo brings the Throwback Lounge to the District Docklands precinct this month. Running every Friday to Sunday from Friday, August 5–Sunday, 28, this time-tripping affair is paying homage to the best bits of the 90s, with nostalgic eats, vintage games and more old-school pop culture references than you can shake a Discman at. Star of the show is the cereal bar, stocked with over 30 varieties of brekkie cereal from across the globe. An all-you-can-eat cereal session will set you back $39, and you can add toppings such as syrups, Nutella, marshmallows, fruit, crushed Oreaos and fairy floss for an extra fee. Other classic 90s eats include the likes of spaghetti jaffles, Pop-Tarts and Hot Pockets. Tinnies come courtesy of Urban Alley, alongside seltzers by 5PM. In between snacks, you can get your kicks with a few rounds of Playstation, Wii and Nintendo Switch, as well as iconic arcade favourites like Daytona, Street Fighter and Mario Kart, plus a stack of 90s board games. There's also a retail fashion pop-up dedicated to emerging designers, if you're in the market for some new threads. What's more, there's a program of themed happenings to sink your teeth into while the Throwback Lounge is in town — think: a celebrity e-games live-stream (Friday, August 26), a sneaker paint-and-sip session (Saturday, August 13), and even a mini music fest (Saturday, August 27). Entry to the Throwback Lounge is free, but you're encouraged to register online. There's also separate ticketing for the programmed events.
Do you reckon the best kind of dogs are the edible ones that come stuffed in a roll and drizzled with mustard? Or perhaps you like the furry sausage-shaped ones with short legs and waggly tails? Either way, you'll find yourself in hot dog heaven at Welcome to Thornbury this Saturday, March 19. The food truck park is hosting a Hot Dog Festival, dedicated simultaneously to cute sausage dogs and snags in bread. Head along from 12pm with your dachshund (or other doggo) in tow, and enjoy a festive day out feasting on all sorts of clever hot dog-inspired creations from the day's lineup of food vendors. At 3pm, there'll be a competition to scout and crown Melbourne's longest sausage dog — so if you've got a stretchy four-legged pal of your own, enter them online now. And at 4pm, you can put your own years of training to the test in the hot dog eating competition (hoomans only, sorry Rover). You'll need to apply online for that as well. As always, the bar will be serving a swag of tap brews, wines and cocktails to see you through the day. [caption id="attachment_626788" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Welcome to Thornbury[/caption]
Halloween: love it or hate it, there's no doubt it's growing in popularity here Down Under. And after two years spent on our couches, we'll be damned if we don't use any holiday as an excuse for a celebration. When you're at uni, throwing on a half-assed costume and heading to some sticky beer-soaked party seems like the height of a good time. But if you're reading this you're probably in the over-25 set and would way rather relax on your couch solo than freeze your tail off at a random party in some Reject Shop number — or even worse, watch your friends' kids run around on a sugar high. So we're here to help. We've teamed up with the devilish minds at Devil's Vine to pen a guide to getting into the spirit of things this Halloween — think delicious dining options, movie marathons and costumes guaranteed to impress. [caption id="attachment_873494" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image credit: Chester Newling.[/caption] HOST A SPOOKY (YET SOPHISTICATED) HALLOWEEN SOIREE Sipping beer out of plastic cups is out — sipping a juicy red at a dinner party with friends is in. Luckily we've got just the ticket: a Devil's Vine wine-soaked Halloween dinner party. We've taken care of the menu, decorations and entertainment options, so head on over to our Halloween guide to get the skinny. HOLD THE ULTIMATE HORROR MOVIE MARATHON Remember those days of staying up all night watching horror flicks with your friends at sleepovers? To get into the Halloween spirit this year, you're going to be holding a version of that with an adult twist. (No, not like that — get your minds out of the gutter). It's all about providing the ultimate in comfort, snacks and wines. One easy way to get your guests into the spirit is to give each of them the task of bringing a Halloween-themed platter. Some of our go-tos are a charcuterie board with 'mouldy' cheese, a platter of pumpkin-spiced treats, or one with only trick-or-treat-worthy lollies and sweets. Drinks-wise, it's all about the vino, and lots of it. Our pick is a Devil's Vine red — it's juicy but not overly sweet, so extremely easy to drink. Pour your cab sauv, merlot, shiraz or red blend into goblet-sized glasses and kick back to watch your flick. [caption id="attachment_859412" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson, Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson, and Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson in Disney's live-action HOCUS POCUS 2, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Matt Kennedy. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.[/caption] For your movie option, we'd recommend opting for something camp and scarily hilarious — this is about bringing the Halloween spirit, not scaring yourselves so silly that your friends are unable to go home alone. Some of our faves include What We Do in the Shadows, Beetlejuice, Shaun of the Dead, The Addams Family and Addams Family Values, The Cabin in the Woods , the OG Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II, Ready or Not, Tucker & Dale Versus Evil, The Lost Boys and Hocus Pocus (which you can also follow up with the just-released and long-awaited sequel). Being in your comfy 'fits and stuffing yourselves silly also presents the perfect opportunity to tell some "scary" stories of your own over your glass of red — less of the ghost persuasion, though, and more about your mate's recent Tinder nightmare or horrifying mother-in-law tales. And hey, if someone brings out the ouija board, we're not responsible. GOING TO A PARTY? CHOOSE YOUR COSTUME WISELY So your mate convinced you to attend that Halloween party. Maybe the person they're keen to date will be there, or they heard from a friend of a friend it's going to "go off". Hey, we get it — we're pushing thirty but we're not dead yet. But if you're going to do Halloween at our age, you're going to do it right. The days of just throwing on a $5 pair of cat ears are over — you are an adult and will spend money on your costume accordingly. Just like any party, the best part is getting ready, so invite your friends over, pour yourself a glass of Devil's Vine wine and get to work. We've put together some of our favourite costume options to spark some inspo: Barbiecore Be inspired by Tash's incredible dance outfit in the last season of Love Island UK, or Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling on skates in Malibu. Think bright pink lycra, big hair, bold lips and chunky dad sneakers. Bridgerton-inspired Regency 'fits Thanks to shows like Bridgerton and The Great, costume shops are absolutely heaving with Regency-inspired pieces these days. Perfect for solo costumes and couples 'fits alike, these ones make it look like you've made a lot of effort while you've actually got it together with minimal fuss. Marilyn Monroe One of the most notable actresses of recent generations is really going through another present-day moment, thanks to Kim Kardashian's Met Gala look and that questionable Netflix movie Blonde. She had so many iconic looks over her time that it's hard to nail one down — but we think if you're looking to give the sequinned treatment, get a nude tight slip like this one and cover it in glitter. Or, opt for a white dress like this one and find the nearest grate. Clueless suits Thanks to Gen Z's ongoing fascination with all things 90s (or what those of a certain age refer to as our childhood), thrift shops are bursting with oversized blazers and mini skirts these days. And if you're attending a Halloween party with a gal pal, you could do much worse than a costume inspired by one of the 90s most enduring duos by donning matching Clueless-inspired 'fits. Find a good checked number in a pale shade and die it yellow — or opt for a navy number if you're more a Dionne than a Cher. Beetlejuice and Lydia Thrift an old black suit, paint some white stripes down it and give your hair a temporary (and very important) spray of white hair paint — job done. For Lydia, either hunt down a red ball gown — or find acres of tulle and get to work with scissors and thread. This Halloween, make a date with Devil's Vine. Available for RRP$11.99 per bottle at Dan Murphy's and RRP$14.99 at per bottle at BWS, head online or in-store to check it out.
Barbers of Brunswick doesn't do things by halves. Many barbershops offer clients a tipple with their trim, and though this spot does that too, it also has a dedicated space out the back that doubles as a lounge bar. There are worse places to wait for your appointment, that's for sure. When your name is called, you'll settle in to one of the vintage barbers chairs, get your hair washed in one of the brushed concrete basins and have a chat to your friendly barber as they get to work. More importantly, Barbers of Brunswick is passionate about ensuring their patrons feel good both in and out of the chair. And we're not just talking about giving them a sexy haircut that'll make them feel good about themselves — although it does that, too. But it also puts its money where its mouth is by supporting a number of charitable organisations, including Movember, Encompass Care Vic and Beyond Blue, via financial donations and volunteering.
When you're looking to embellish your space with something a touch more interesting than Millennial grey or Gen Z green, a shop like Fred Home is a rare treasure. Yet to date, this purveyor of luxury soft furnishings and creative homewares has only catered to demand through online offerings and occasional pop-ups. However, the budding brand has just opened its first permanent home in Armadale, a suitably upmarket locale for its carefully curated, limited-edition goods gathered from around the globe. Inviting guests to experience the tactile quality of its cushions, table linen, ceramics, candles and curious treasures, it gives each product's craftsmanship the chance to truly sing. Founded by Julianne Robilliard in 2023, Fred Home showcases her decade-plus experience working in interior design, creating custom and bespoke textiles for clients and projects. Meanwhile, Robilliard has worked alongside some of Europe's most prestigious fabric houses, ensuring the store's collection rises above most. That means French velvets, metallic spun silks, Spanish boucles and Italian pile linens, all shaped into objet d'art spanning tablecloths, napkins and sophisticated baguette bags, for times when a tote just won't do. Working closely with highly skilled artisans and suppliers, each product balances practicality with beauty, making for a richly personalised interior. At the same time, Robilliard sources striking homewares from respected designers, including INI CERAMIQUE, a Bourgogne-based studio crafting minimalist wabi-sabi ceramics, and Patrizia Italiano, a Sicilian ceramist inspired by the Aeolian Sea. Likely not found anywhere else in town, this tight selection is bound to add a unique talking point to your abode. Now with its own space to call home, expect Fred Home to become a go-to destination for design-lovers seeking playful products. "I look forward to bringing special brands and artists on board to complement the Fred story, and collaborating with those who seek to push the boundaries and share our love of proportion, form, colour and texture," said Robilliard following the brand's launch. Fred Home is now open at Shop 2, The Kings Arcade, Armadale. Head to the website for more information.
Plenty changes over the course of ten years. If you're living in a post-apocalyptic world populated by zombies, however, that mightn't necessarily be the case. Arriving a decade after the first film, Zombieland: Double Tap returns to the decimated America inhabited by Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), with the quartet still trying to survive among the ravenous undead — and getting comfortable in a desolated White House in the process. It's a case of same main cast, same director (Ruben Fleischer, who also helmed last year's Venom) and same basic premise for the long-awaited sequel. In the just-released first trailer for the film, the gang have also picked up a few new skills, and then cross paths with a few new survivors. But, story-wise, the follow-up is saving the bulk of its surprises for the full flick, which hits cinemas this October. Among the newcomers, Rosario Dawson plays Nevada, Zoey Deutch (Set It Up) pops up as Madison and Avan Jogia (Now Apocalypse) joins as Berkeley, while Luke Wilson and Thomas Middleditch (Silicon Valley) show up as virtual doppelgangers for Tallahassee and Columbus. If you're after more excitement, both monster trucks and combine harvesters feature as weapons, Harrelson dons an Elvis costume and a Santa suit, and fireworks prove a great way to distract zombies. Watch the first trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlW9yhUKlkQ Zombieland: Double Tap releases in Australian cinemas on October 17.
UPDATE, December 23, 2021: The Lost Daughter released in select Australian cinemas on Thursday, December 16, and will be available to stream via Netflix on Friday, December 31. Watching Olivia Colman play a complicated woman is like staring at the ocean: it's never the same twice, even just for a second; it couldn't be more unpredictable, no matter how comfortable it appears; and all that surface texture bobs, floats, swells, gleams and glides atop leagues of unseen complexity. That's always been true of the British actor's absolute best performances, which could fill any body of water with their power and resonance. It's there in her acidic work in The Favourite, which won her an Oscar, and also in The Crown's more reserved turn as a different English monarch. It flowed through the devastating Tyrannosaur, which perhaps first truly showed the world exactly what Colman could do — and has marked her Academy Award-nominated supporting part in The Father, plus TV standouts Peep Show, Broadchurch, The Night Manager and Fleabag. It's fitting, then, that The Lost Daughter tasks Colman with glaring at the sea, and doing so both intently and often. A necessity of the narrative, as penned on the page by My Brilliant Friend's Elena Ferrante and adapted for the screen by actor-turned-filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal, it's a touch that washes through the movie with extra force due to its star. Colman plays comparative literature professor Leda, who fills much of her time peering at the ocean as she summers on a Greek island — and also people-watching thanks to the loud, entitled Queens family that keep invading her chosen patch of sand. While both gazing at the waves and taking in the onshore domestic dramas, Leda sees her own ebbs, flows, thorns and flaws reflected back. Vacationing alone, Leda isn't on a getaway as much as she's escaping — not actively, but because that's her default mode. She's never willing to stray far from her work, shuffling through papers as she sunbathes and flirtatious young resort manager Will (Paul Mescal, Normal People) moves her lounger to keep her in the shade; however, as flashbacks show, the urge to flee all markers of apparent normalcy has long gushed in her veins. Leda tells anyone who asks that she has two daughters (Bianca is 25 and Martha is 23, she frequently offers), but they're heard via phone calls rather than seen as adults. She's prickly when mum-to-be Callie (Dagmara Domińczyk, Succession), of those noisy interlopers, asks if her extended group can take over Leda's beach umbrella. But in Nina (Dakota Johnson, The Nowhere Inn), the raven-haired mother of frequently screaming toddler Elena (debutant Athena Martin Anderson), she spies more of herself than she's been willing to confront for decades. The Lost Daughter's title references an incident one sunny day when Elena disappears as Callie, Nina and company — the latter's shady husband Toni (Oliver Jackson-Cohen, The Invisible Man) as well — idle by the water's edge. The Americans react with distress, but Leda calmly strides forth amid the chaos, all while battling memories of being a young mum (Jessie Buckley, I'm Thinking of Ending Things) searching for her own absent child. Indeed, loss and escape are serpentine concepts here, winding through Leda's past, her affinity for the clearly unhappy Nina and the second wave of mayhem that erupts when Elena's beloved doll also goes missing. The concept of trouble in paradise proves just as layered, infecting idylls scenic and, in pondering the supposed bliss that we're all told motherhood brings, societally enforced. The idea that bringing life into the world isn't the existence-defining triumph of femininity it's sugar-coated as doesn't simply sit at the heart of Ferrante's novel and Gyllenhaal's debut stint behind the lens — from the instant that Colman is seen collapsing on the pebble-strewn shoreline in the picture's opening, it laps over The Lost Daughter's every moment. Leda is a woman haunted by everything having kids has brought, as well as guilt-stricken by all that's followed, and this bold and affecting movie confronts that rocky truth. It's the filmic antithesis to keeping calm and carrying on, or relishing the rewards while disregarding the sacrifices, whether Leda is trying to retain a sense of self in the feature's journeys backwards, grappling with the gnawing consequences of her choices and the parallels in Nina's exasperation, or obsessing over dolls, those symbols of maternity routinely given to girls at birth. For any director, this is audacious and intricate terrain, but Gyllenhaal is as exceptional and daring a filmmaker as she is a performer. As her own impressive acting career demonstrates, complete with knotty and slippery turns in Secretary, Sherrybaby, The Kindergarten Teacher and The Deuce, she could've played Leda and just as phenomenal a film would've likely resulted. Her decision to enlist Colman doesn't only spring from humility, though, but from spying what we all notice whenever the star graces any screen. One of Colman's extraordinary skills is her knack for ensuring that her characters could swim in any direction and, whatever swings and lurches they take, it always feels like the most natural development there is. She's a master not just of complicated women, but of conveying the innate and relentless state of being complicated. Daughters get lost, mothers struggle, prickly exchanges pepper the picturesque setting — Leda isn't afraid to voice her displeasure to Callie and her relatives, or to teens ruining a trip to the local cinema, and she's positively awkward with Lyle (Ed Harris, Westworld), the caretaker of her holiday apartment — but so much of The Lost Daughter's tension rushes from Colman's performance. From Buckley's, too, with the movie's two Ledas echoing each other — the woman she once was and the one she becomes — with precision and synergy that's too shrewd and naturalistic to resemble mere mimicry. It's also telling that Gyllenhaal has cinematographer Hélène Louvart (Never Rarely Sometimes Always) lens the film like a volatile memory, probing closeups, lingering details and slight but inescapable jitteriness all included, while the jazzy score by Dickon Hinchliffe (The Third Day) skews towards the melodic. Everything about Leda's experiences has been stressful rather than peaceful, but the prevailing view of being a mum keeps trying to tell the world otherwise — and both the character and the film refuse to accept those false platitudes. The Lost Daughter releases in select Melbourne cinemas on Thursday, December 16, and will be available to stream via Netflix on Friday, December 31.
The Fork Festival is back for its third year, which means you can once again dine out for up to 50 percent off. Think of it as the proverbial carrot luring you out of the house. The online reservation platform's foodie affair kicked off on Monday, February 15 and is running right up till Sunday, March 28. The offer is a blessing for those feeling a little light in pocket after Christmas, NYE and Valentine's Day. To snag a discounted meal, you just need to make a reservation through The Fork website or app for one of the participating eateries for breakfast, lunch or dinner. So, where can you go? There are hundreds of great venues coming to the party, including Melbourne's Osteria 20, Lezzet, Don Taco, Temple Brewing Co and Maccaroni Trattoria. You might want to revisit an old favourite or you could get a little adventurous and road-test somewhere new. Either way, there's ample time to squeeze in a fair few discount feasts before the festival wraps up. If you're on the other side of the bar — that is, you're a venue owner — you can jump on the booking platform's bandwagon by signing up over here. You can try it out for just the duration of the festival and, thanks to the popularity of the event, you'll hopefully see a bunch of new customers come through the door. Then, if you want, you can stop taking bookings anytime after it wraps up. The Fork Festival runs from Monday, February 15–Sunday, March 28. Check out the full list of participating restaurants on The Fork's website. If you're a restaurant owner — and keen to jump on the booking platform bandwagon — head over here.
The festival retreat of 2013 continues, with the Big Day Out announcing that their second Sydney event on Monday, January 27, will be cancelled and merged with the show on January 26. "Perhaps we were a bit ambitious expanding to two dates in Sydney for this year’s Big Day Out," promotor Ken West said in a statement. The Big Day Out has held two Sydney shows in three previous years, depending on the pulling power of its headliners. Ticketholders for the Monday event are automatically able to use their ticket on Sunday. Alternatively, they can get a refund until October 30, 2013, or exchange it for a Big Day Out in any other city. It all comes just a week and a half after the cancellation of Harvest. At the time, promoter AJ Maddah put poor Harvest ticket sales down to the lure of the 2014 Big Day Out lineup, but in light of this new information, it seems the competing festival can't have pinched that many of Harvest's followers. The 2014 Big Day Out lineup sort of lived up to the hype. Organisers spoke of their excitement at landing three "white whales", and the top of the ticket is pretty monumental. Pearl Jam is a classic choice for BDO headliner, Arcade Fire a welcome return visitor to the main stage, Blur a seriously impressive 'get' — and Snoop's good-natured, laaiiiiidbaaack style a nice counterpoint to the snarling grunge and indie-rock mania. For more information or to exchange your ticket, visit the Big Day Out website. By the Concrete Playground team.
For the second year in a row, one of Australia's filmmaking icons has joined the Sydney Film Festival's program: George Miller, the director responsible for all things Mad Max and Furiosa. In 2024, he hit the Harbour City festival to chat about his work, including the dystopian saga that he has gifted Aussie cinema, but his 2025 discussion will span further. Not only is Miller taking to the stage, but he'll be joined by Hideo Kojima. One is the man responsible not just for a big Australian movie franchise, but for the big Australian movie franchise. He's also followed a pig in the city, made penguins dance, gotten witchy and granted wishes, too. The other is the creator of both the DEATH STRANDING and Metal Gear Solid video-game series, and heads to Sydney just before DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH releases at the end of June. This is a world-exclusive in-conversation session, taking place on Saturday, June 14 at Sydney Town Hall's Centennial Hall — so consider it one of the ace ways to help see out this year's cinema celebration, which runs from Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15. Miller and Kojima will not only dig into how they each approach their fields, plus their respective visionary approaches, but also explore how movies and video games overlap, alongside cinematic storytelling in gaming. Greats in their own rights, the duo are also recent collaborators — Miller portrays himself in the Australia-set DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH. "This is a rare and exciting meeting of two creative minds who have reshaped their respective industries. Kojima and Miller's shared love of cinema and storytelling will make for an unforgettable conversation at this year's festival," said SFF Festival Director Nashen Moodley, announcing the fest's latest addition. On the fest's guest list, Miller and Kojima are joined by Free Solo filmmaker Jimmy Chin, Together director Michael Shanks, music icon Warren Ellis and plenty more — so along with putting 201 movies on your must-watch list, it's adding a heap of must-see talents to your June as well. The George Miller and Hideo Kojima in-conversation session is happening on Saturday, June 14 at Sydney Town Hall. Sydney Film Festival 2025 takes place from Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15 at various cinemas and venues around Sydney. For more information and tickets, head to the festival's website. Read our interview with George Miller, Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth about Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,.
There's always a good reason to put off that big trip. But if those cringe quotes and sappy videos that make the rounds on social media have taught us anything, it's that we should make every moment count. Don't save that annual leave and that holiday fund for 'one day'. Take advantage of your wanderlust now and treat yourself to an entirely unexpected, over-the-top adventure to somewhere brand new now. We bet you deserve it. From a romantic helicopter flight that wouldn't be out of place on an episode of a certain reality dating show or fine dining under desert skies, a trip to Central Australia is just what the doctor ordered. We've teamed up with Tourism Central Australia to give you the most outrageously decadent itinerary Central Australia has to offer. Because why not? You only live once, so live once. Want to plan your very own adventure to the Red Centre? Take a look at our handy trip builder to start building your custom itinerary now.
Melbourne sourdough bakery and cafe chain Rustica has just opened the doors of its fifth location in the beachside burb of Brighton. When it comes to baked goods, punters can expect all the Rustica classics — buttery flaky croissants, Portuguese custard tarts, maple glazed crullers and a heap of other seasonal sweet and savoury pastries. The sourdough loaves will also be just as good as those you've had from the CBD shop (or any of the other locations scattered across the city) because they're all made in the flagship South Yarra store. But this haunt is also big on the brunch game. The kitchen team in Brighton, led by Head Chefs Sidney Tor and Sam Tacussel, will serve up a few familiar brekkie dishes alongside some new creations made to work with the coastal location — that means light and zesty flavours throughout. The lobster and prawn eggs benny is a truly luxurious way to get your day started, as is the lemon curd french toast. Pair it all with some coffee from the First Love Coffee crew, choosing to either dine in or it take out for a stroll towards Brighton's famed beaches. The 125-seat space is serving coastal cafe realness thanks to architect Fiona Drago, who's collaborated with the Rustica team for quite some time. For this venture, she's decked out the space with light timber furniture, earthy and pastel hues and stacks of other natural finishes. A few outdoor tables out on the corner of Hampton Street and Pine Street are also ideal for Brighton people watching when the sun's out. Rustica Brighton is open from 7am-4pm, Monday–Friday, and from 8am–4pm on weekends. For more details, visit the venue's website.
UPDATE: May 10, 2020: Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. Here's one of those sentences you never expect to see yourself writing: Hobbs & Shaw makes The Fate of the Furious look like gritty realism. Think about that for a moment. That film ended with a crew of street-racers-turned-international-super-spies being pursued by both Russian separatists and a remote-control driven nuclear submarine across an icy Siberian tundra...in Lamborghinis. And it still offered more realism and nuance than this spin-off. How is that even possible? It's better not to ask. Hobbs & Shaw is an offering that might finally have pushed things too far in a franchise defined by its ability to stretch things (plot, stunts, singlets and micro-shorts) to seemingly impossible levels. Escalation has always been the name of the game for the Fast & Furious franchise, the filmmakers forever seeking new and inventive ways of delivering essentially the same story. Like Mission: Impossible crossed with The Italian Job, each instalment sees our ragtag crew of racers tasked with pulling off ludicrous heists with fast cars and fancy driving. The villains grew larger and more megalomaniacal (from rival street racers to drug cartel bosses and Dr Evil-esque world destroyers), the cars gained enormous value (from a 1999 Nissan Skyline to the US$2 million Nissan IDx NISMO) and the cast began to approach Avengers levels of celebrity. Two of those additions were Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham as Deckard Shaw. Both entered the franchise as pseudo-villains, only to then be drawn into the "family" by its patriarch Dom, played by the ever-growling Vin Diesel. As Hobbs and Shaw's popularity grew, a spin-off seemed inevitable. But whilst the demand was undoubtedly there, the delivery falls well short of expectations. This movie feels like the output of an AI that was fed the data set of the franchise but was incapable of identifying its humanity (and, dare we say, heart). Yes, it features insane stunts, amazing vehicles and unceasing bromance, but none of it ever gels. In particular, the supposed friction between the two leads lacks all substance, especially since The Fate of the Furious already saw them mostly resolve their differences and become buddies. Thrust together here and told to work together like the Russian and American agents from The Man from U.N.C.L.E, Hobbs and Shaw must track down Shaw's sister (The Crown's Vanessa Kirby) after she infects herself with a deadly virus to keep it from falling into the villain's hands (played this time around by Idris Elba). Borrowing heavily, then, from Mission: Impossible 2, the story sees the trio fight against time to extract the virus before it takes hold and wipes out most of humanity. Why? Remember, we asked you not to ask questions. Ever. Because you see, very little stands up to scrutiny. Why do Hobbs and Shaw actually hate each other? Unclear. Why are they tasked with this job when the agencies that recruit them are far better equipped and motivated? Unclear. Why is Hobbs able to pull a Blackhawk helicopter down from the sky when only moments earlier he and four other fully-laden cars weren't able to do it? Jeez, get off my back already. And sure, this is a series that not only invites you to suspend belief, but actively requires you to do so. Until now, audiences have willingly obliged. Here, though, it's one step too far. The heroes and villains are invulnerable, the plot is beffudling and logic has straight up Nos'd itself into the atmosphere. It's a pity, because there's so much to like about Johnson and Statham in these roles, especially when they work as a willing duo defined by their differences rather than simply bickering with forced (and unbearably unfunny) insults. Ultimately, Hobbs & Shaw may not have killed off the franchise, but it's certainly done it no favours. It's also a perfect example of the risk of branching too far from a clearly winning formula. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b736ZM_KfEk
For tequila fans, February 22 is extra cause to raise a glass of something salt-rimmed and zesty — and that's because it's International Margarita Day. But if you really want to lean into the agave-based festivities, venture on up to Eureka 89 to join Herradura's Linus Schaxmann and Andrew Cripps for a sky-high tequila dinner on Tuesday, February 21. The duo is dropping by the 89th-floor restaurant to show off their spirit's complexity and versatility, alongside a carefully matched four-course feast by Head Chef Renee Martillano. Complementing the different notes of Herradura's range, you'll find plates like a kingfish ceviche paired with caviar that's marinated in tequila, and smoked beef short rib elevated with a gutsy jalapeno salsa verde. Meanwhile, the evening's drinks list will showcase numerous pours from the tequila brand's stable, some served straight and others featured in signature cocktails. We're sure that includes a margarita or two somewhere along the way. A spot at the dinner comes in at $195, which includes your four courses and all paired drinks. [caption id="attachment_888961" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Linus Schaxmann and Andrew Cripps[/caption] Images: Eugene Hyland.
When The Many Saints of Newark ends, will it cut suddenly to black? Will Journey's 'Don't Stop Believing' somehow get a spin, even though the film is set in the 60s and 70s? How much ziti will be served throughout the course of the feature? And, how many overt and obvious links to The Sopranos will pop up? These are some of the questions you might have if you're a fan of one of the best TV shows ever made, you're excited about big-screen prequel The Many Saints of Newark, and if you woke up this morning and got yourself a hankering for a sneak peek at the latter. Fourteen years after HBO's hit mobster drama wrapped up its TV run, creator David Chase has penned this jump back to Tony Soprano's formative years. Yes, it's obviously one of the most-anticipated flicks of the year. The Many Saints of Newark hops into Soprano's story when he's a teen in the titular New Jersey city — a place under the sway of the DiMeo crime family, struggling with race relations and about to be caught up in the race riots of 1967. Young Anthony plans to go to college, but he also has a strong relationship with his uncle Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola, The Art of Self-Defense). And, to answer the question that's just sprang into your head, Dickie is indeed the father of series regular Christopher Moltisanti. Anthony's connection to his uncle Dickie will have a huge impact on his life, and sway his path to becoming the panic attack-suffering, hot-tempered mob boss that The Sopranos followed for six seasons between 1999–2007. Family is a huge part of the film, as it was in the influential drama before it — and as as both the initial glimpse and just-dropped second trailer for The Many Saints of Newark both show. That's true not just in the narrative, however, but also in the casting. If young Anthony Soprano looks familiar, that's because he's played by Michael Gandolfini (The Deuce, Cherry) — son of the late, great James Gandolfini. Enlisting the younger Gandolfini leaves a significant imprint, even just from the trailers. Watching these clips, it's impossible to imagine this movie being made without him stepping into his dad's shoes. The Sopranos aficionados can also look forward to spending time with a few familiar characters other than Young Anthony — including Corey Stoll (The Report) as Uncle Junior, Vera Farmiga (The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It) as Anthony's mother Livia, and Billy Magnussen (Made for Love) and John Magaro (First Cow) as his future righthand men Paulie Walnuts and Silvio Dante. And, Leslie Odom Jr (One Night in Miami) and Jon Bernthal (Those Who Wish Me Dead) also co-star, while seeing Ray Liotta (Marriage Story) jump back into the gangster genre immediately conjures up memories of Goodfellas, the Martin Scorsese classic that also charted the rise of a young man within the mob. Check out the latest trailer for The Many Saints of Newark below: The Many Saints of Newark releases in Australian cinemas on November 4.
Your Christmas dessert game is already looking super strong this year, whether you like the sound of Piccolina's decadent gelato cake, Messina's OTT trifle or perhaps a liquid sugar rush courtesy of Four Pillars' cult Christmas pudding gin. But wait — there's more. The good folk at Black Star Pastry have entered the ring with their own festive creation — a limited-edition layered number dubbed First Snow. It's the brand's first foray into Christmas treats in a few years and it's hitting all the right notes. Inspired by the idea of a snow-capped white Christmas, the cake boasts layers of milk sponge, white chocolate and elderflower cream, spliced with a Griottine (boozy macerated cherries) compote and set atop a base of roasted wafer. A snowfall of white chocolate tops it all off, along with a forest scene featuring hand-carved chocolate 'pine cones', fresh cherries, fondant snowflakes and white chocolate ice shards. If you're craving a white Christmas, this should certainly hit the spot. They're whipping up First Snow in two different sizes, depending on how big (and hungry) your Christmas crew is — the four-portion serve clocks in at $48, while the ten-portion is $92. And given how Black Star's creations usually land, you'll probably want to be quick to secure one. Pre-orders open on Monday, December 5, with pick-ups available from all Melbourne and Sydney stores between Thursday, December 22–Saturday, December 24. [caption id="attachment_872534" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Black Star St Kilda[/caption] You can pre-order Black Star's First Snow cake online from December 5. Collection is available from all of the brand's Aussie stores — Newtown, Sydney CBD, Rosebery, Moore Park, Chadstone and St Kilda.
The clever clogs at The Lifted Brow have pulled together another excellent edition for your reading pleasure, and because of this, we must party. For those of you yet to pick up this literary gem, The Lifted Brow is a quarterly journal that publishes literature, visual art, and many other things that fit in the spaces between. Their authors and artists herald from both from Australia and abroad, and digital versions as well as print editions are available to suit your reading preferences. On this celebratory occasion, there'll be music from DJ Giles Simon and friends, and projections curated by Katie Parrish and Marc Pearson to set the aural and visual mood. We’re also lucky to have readings from contributors to this issue, the ever-talented Briohny Doyle and Zora Sanders. Copies of TLB27 will be available for purchase, drinks will be available for drinking, and entry into the event, hosted at Grey Gardens, will cost you zero dollars.
As played as an unrelenting force by Mia Goth (Infinity Pool), even when slasher killers have other plans, Maxine Minx was always going to go big and never go home. To wrap up the horror trilogy with the ambitious actor at its centre (when Goth hasn't also been playing Pearl, its other protagonist, as both an elderly and a younger woman), MaXXXine shoots for the stars as well, including in shifting to new surroundings. Gone is the New Zealand-standing-in-for-Texas production base of X and its prequel Pearl. Absent is the claustrophobic feel of mainly making one spot the franchise's location, whether it was taking place in the 70s in its first entry or in the 1910s in its second. This Los Angeles-set leap to 1985 sparkles with the same scorching drive and determination as its titular figure — and Minx, Goth, writer/director Ti West (Them) and MaXXXine alike won't accept a life, or a swansong instalment in one of the best sagas in the genre in the 2020s, that they do not deserve. From its debut with 2022's X, which turned a porn shoot in a remote farmhouse into a bloody stalking ground, West's big-screen series has always understood that sex and violence so often intersect in the arena that it's paying tribute to: moving pictures. X, Pearl and now MaXXXine also see how censors and the pearl-clutching equate one with the other. Equally, these pictures glean how a woman with a libidinous appetite — or simply the craving to succeed and the unwillingness to settle — can be deemed a larger threat to morality than a murderer. They also spy what a battle it too frequently is for women to chart their own path free of society's expectations, no matter their aspirations. West not only continues splattering these ideas through MaXXXine, but layering them, plus stacking his latest unpackings of them with X and Pearl. The true target in his current sights, however: what it just might cost to make it in a realm as ruthless and ravenous as stardom. The wannabe adult-film performer of X circa 1979 is now the hottest name in skin flicks six years later, a status that matches the sleazy gleam that West and cinematographer Eliot Rockett — who also returns from X and Pearl, and lensed the filmmaker's The House of the Devil, Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever and The Innkeepers before that — afford everything in sight in her new Hollywood life. Minx's existence and career is glowing, but she wants it to shine far and wide beyond porn's shadows, not to mention brighter. Only mainstream stardom will do, albeit with her attempts to break into legit on-camera work squeezed between her usual shoots and doing nights at a peep show. She's certain that she'll get there, though. After striding out of an audition early in the movie, Minx tells the long parade of other actors lining to be seen not to bother trying to walk in her footsteps. That quest to secure the lead in The Puritan 2, which British filmmaker Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown) is directing, is a helluva early character-defining moment — and moment in general. It's also cannily juxtaposed with a glimpse of Maxine's pre-X background, when she was a kid (Charley Rowan McCain, SWAT) in the 50s that Pearl cribbed its style and cinematic influences from, as seen on a TV set as black-and-white home-movie footage. Not giving up has been her mantra for decades, West makes plain. As Bender looks on with a steely stare, 80s-era Maxine performs her monologue with not just precision but conviction that's clearly been forged since her youngest days. She snaps into it instantly, summons tears just as commandingly, then switches back to her regular self as quickly. Digging into trauma is that easy for her. So is agreeing to the next audition request: baring her breasts. Booking the gig makes Minx a kindred spirit to Bender, in a way: both see MaXXXine's film within a film as a springboard to broader credibility, which is no straightforward task given the period or industry. But The Puritan 2's lead is also a woman haunted, though not in the soul-shaking sense, as X established isn't in this character's wheelhouse. Rather, her past keeps making its presence felt, especially via shady private detective John Labat (Kevin Bacon, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F) and his mysterious employer, who know what Maxine did a few years prior to last summer. Additional torment comes via mounting deaths around her, which are chalked up by some to the Night Stalker — aka Richard Ramirez, the IRL serial killer who terrorised mid-80s LA — yet not by persistent detectives Williams (Michelle Monaghan, The Family Plan) and Torres (Bobby Cannavale, Bupkis). Also backdropped by the real-life campaign against purportedly inappropriate pop culture, such as the Parents Music Resource Center's "Filthy Fifteen" songs (tracks by Prince, Madonna, AC/DC, Cyndi Lauper, Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard all featured), MaXXXine might involve a realm that's all about money shots, but it's a neon-lit movie to scour while savouring the moment, not to watch waiting for the climax. That's no knock on the picture's finale, which knows how to deliver. Instead, it's recognition that West is having fun overall, and in slipping in nods to the film's predecessors, getting meta with his casting and riffing with screen history — all smartly and entertainingly. Putting Bacon, who is visibly having a ball, in an 80s-set horror flick while also winking to Footloose is the franchise's second-best use of talent since choosing Goth as its centre. Literally wandering around Tinseltown's past on the Universal lot, including the slasher ground zero that is the Bates Motel set, brings mood, meaning and more musings. The latter also gets a-layering itself, operating as an acknowledgement of how the work of Brian De Palma, whose four-decades-back releases Dressed to Kill and Body Double are clearly influences here, itself owed a debt to Alfred Hitchcock. For even more company for Goth, West finds space for Giancarlo Esposito (The Boys) as Maxine's agent and lawyer, Lily Collins (Emily in Paris) as a fellow actor, Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets) as an FX artist, and Halsey (Americana) and Moses Sumney (The Idol) as friends, too. With its roster of talent, MaXXXine also goes big. Still, it knows its star. Goth is the sun in this franchise, to be accurate, whether she's busting balls — which isn't a metaphor on every occasion — or stopping at nothing to be in the world that she so deeply and feverishly covets. There's wit, insight, gore, and both horror and cinema affection galore across X, Pearl and MaXXXine, and West gives it his all, but Goth's efforts over and over have sent this saga soaring. No viewer can doubt that as Maxine here and in X, as Pearl in X and the character's own eponymous flick, and as Mia after prior parts in Nymphomaniac: Vol II, A Cure for Wellness, Suspiria, High Life and Emma, that she would ever tolerate a single thing that she doesn't feel that she's earned and is entitled to.
With seven bars in the one venue, Ms Collins is where you go when you're trying to wrangle a large, undefined group of people and you have one thing on your mind: dancing. It's also where you go when you want to show off. For bottle service to your booth, Dom Perignon, Moet Hennessy and Veuve Clicquot are all top of the drinks menu — ready for that champagne-popping moment in the middle of the club — and, as you're probably ordering a magnum, you get the full mini fireworks treatment, too. For snacks, everything's a lot more affordable — tempura soft shell crab sliders, southern fried chicken ribs and peri peri chicken bao are $12 each, as they know you're not here to feast. But if you're bringing more than four mates, there are after-work drinks and food packages to make splitting the bill that bit easier. Though events have been hit and miss, Ms Collins is also where you'll go to see big-name musicians and entertainers — Kevin Hart, Jaden Smith and Mos Def, have all performed there, for example. And, for the cheap and cheerful, it has free bachata and salsa dance classes on Thursday nights as part of its Latin-themed program.
NGV International has just dropped the new Friday Nights lineup, and, this year, it's taken a jazzier route. In an effort to link the music with the art on display during the NGV's huge new Masterworks from MoMA exhibition (which kicks off on June 8), this season's programming will focus on the sounds of New York City. Expect lots of jazz, gospel hip hop and funk from a stream of international and local musicians each Friday night from June 15 until October 5. Australia's Remi, local group Cookin' on Three Burners and Zimbabwean R&B musician Thando are just a few of the names on the winter/spring roster, which will be rounded out with a performance from Brooklyn-cased jazz trumpeter Mourice Brown. Throw after-dark gallery access and killer food and beverage options into the mix, and the cold winter nights suddenly look a lot more appealing. NGV FRIDAY NIGHTS 2018 LINEUP June 15 — Cookin' On 3 Burners with Stella Angelico June 22 — Barney McAll: Hearing the Blood June 29 — Joe Chindamo and Zoë Black July 6 — Joe Chindamo and Julie O'Hara July 13 — Sweet Sweet Spirit: Barney McAll Interprets Doris Akers July 20 — Andrea Keller's Five Below July 27 — Joe Chindamo Trio and special guest August 3 — thando August 10 — Barney McAll: Non-Compliance Trio August 17 — Transients Trio #1 August 24 — Transients Trio #2 August 31 — The Senegambian Jazz Band September 7 — Chris McNulty September 14 — Linda Oh and Fabian Almazan September 21 — Speedball September 28 — Remi October 5 — Maurice Brown
