Q Le Baker, tucked away inside Prahran Market, is a local favourite that loyal customers like to keep on the down low, seeing as the queues are already rather long. However, the secret is out — this French-leaning bakehouse is producing some of the best bread, pastries and baked goods that Melbourne has to offer. The bakers at Q Le Baker are masters of their craft, honouring age-old traditions while experimenting with different flavours and techniques from around the world. They use classical French baking techniques to showcase high-quality, seasonal and locally sourced ingredients. Each market morning, and particularly on weekends, marketgoers patiently find their spot in the line, perhaps with a box of organic vegetables in one hand and a coffee in the other, waiting their turn to see what goodies the glass cabinets and shelves of bread are showcasing that day. Starting with said breads, Q Le Baker's are generally gorgeously crusty and chewy. You might pick up a rustic ciabatta roll, a crisp ficelle or a sourdough knot, or go for one of their famed baguettes and a thick country loaf. There may be a special fougasse, such as the jalapeño and cheddar delight with roasted corn and Mexican spices, or a caramelised onion and gruyere version. Being a French bakery first, you'll always find a line up of traditional pastries — plain, chocolate and almond croissants, pain au raisins, and kouign amanns, for example — in the line up. Well, unless they've already sold out. Taking up the rest of the space in the display cabinet will likely be a combination of interesting and creative sweet and savoury pastries, pies, cookies, and sandwiches. Perhaps you'll try a mushroom and potato danish, a twice-baked pistachio croissant, a chorizo and cheese empanada, a Biscoff scroll and a buffalo fried chicken burger. Or, if you're lucky, you'll spot a mango and whipped coconut choux, an Earl Grey Danish, a roast pumpkin galette, a poached pear tart, or a D'Affinois ficelle with fig jam and rocket. The good news is, everything here tastes just as good as it looks, and you can't go wrong with any selection. Images: Supplied.
If you want to stand out in Melbourne's bottomless brunch scene, you have to up the ante. Well, The Smith in Prahran has done just that, kicking off a brunch series with stellar food, bottomless booze and its very own gospel choir. Hallelujah, Gospel Brunch is here and will be running every Saturday from 12.30–2.30pm. Not only is the menu heavenly — think Aperol French toast, cured market fish, bacon rosti and coconut rice pudding — but there's also a fab brunch drinks list featuring cocktails, like the Sicilian Spritz, Rosé José and Lavender Bomb, as well as house wine, bubbles and beers. The best part? The roaming gospel choir will sing out your favourite tunes while you tuck into the sumptuous spread. With a sleek bar, leafy courtyard and striking dining space, The Smith is the perfect place to while away a sunny day, bottomless tipple in hand. Gospel Brunch is debuting on Saturday, November 10 and costs $60 per person. Looks like Saturday sessions are sorted, team. Bottoms up.
Fried chicken fiends, this one's for you. It's no secret that Morgan McGlone does some dangerously good things with fried poultry, and he's pulling out all the stops for this special five-course feast for Good Food Month. The chef will be tapping into the creative energies of Belles Hot Chicken's famous late-night chicken parties, plating up dishes like chicken and waffles, Chongqing chicken wings (inspired by the ones at Mission Chinese Food), and of course, his own signature fried chook. Fork out a little extra to have each course matched with wine.
Perhaps all this mushy pre-Valentine's Day hype only stands to enforce your new mantra: "I can buy myself flowers". Well, you can make those self-acquired blooms look damn pretty, too, thanks to social enterprise and floral delivery service The Beautiful Bunch. On Tuesday, February 14, it's spreading a little Valentine's Day self-love with a hands-on floral arrangement workshop at its Fitzroy North studio. So forget about a table for two and make a date with your creative side instead. Led by the group's expert florists, the two-hour class will guide you through putting together your own stunning vase assembly of fresh blooms. The $150 session also includes free-flowing rosé and a few snacks for added creative fuel. You can feel extra good about your evening's floristry pursuits knowing that you're helping support The Beautiful Bunch's work providing meaningful employment for young refugee and migrant women. And you'll have a gorgeous floral piece to take home as a reminder that you can indeed buy yourself some flowers.
South Yarra isn't short on good Japanese — Yakikami impressively barbecued its way onto the scene just last year, so if you want to open a successful omakase diner south of the river it needs to be bloody exceptional. Introducing Ōshan, a COVID passion project from Brazilian-born, ex-Nobu Ibiza Sushi Chef, Peterson Maia Machado Correia, and co-owner Vanessa Foderà. This isn't your standard Japanese fare. Imagine contemporary sushi steeped in tradition with a fiery Brazilian twist. This combo isn't actually as odd as it sounds. Japanese and South American cuisine has a long history of cross-pollination. If you've ever visited Lima in Peru, you'll know what we're talking about (the Chinese-Peruvian culinary collision is the inspiration behind popular Casa Chow in Brisbane). And Peterson's home town of Sao Paolo is actually home to the biggest Japanese community outside Japan. The result is fireworks on a plate. Four, six, eight or 10 courses of carefully prepared omakase, with flavour bombs exploding everywhere. Think sunomono with roasted sesame, Hokkaido scallops in orange sauce, Kingfish ceviche with sweet potato rice cups and spicy tempura hot rolls. "We want to take our guests on an intimate culinary food journey in a relaxed but beautiful setting," Foderà says. "We want them to feel like they are in our dining room.' "I love what I do and love to connect with my guests through the food I create," Chef Peterson adds. "Respecting tradition and honouring my heritage and experience is very important to me. The trust my customers have in me allows me to create a unique, individual experience every time. Every element, every dish is important and sharing my passion with my customers is an absolute honour". This is part of the secret at Ōshan. There are no set seating times and the menu changes with the seasons (or the whims of Peterson). Diners are encouraged to slow down and take their time. Chatting with your chef as he whips up salmon Kyuri Maki or delicate nigiri is all part of the experience. Omakase (which translates literally as "I leave it up to you") is Ōshan's specialty, but if you're in a rush during the week, they also offer a la carte dining during lunch. Perfect for that important business meeting. The restaurant itself is on the cosy side – there are only 15 spaces – but that's by design. Ōshan is about intimacy and connection. The idea is to stick around for a while, nurse a saké and shoot the breeze over some incredible food. For the best results, sit up the bar and watch Chef Peterson work his magic. Renowned saké specialist, Melissa Mills from Saké Connect, has curated a premium menu of saké, and there's even a five course pairing menu. You'll find Ōshan on Toorak Road in South Yarra, just down from trendy competition like Bar Carolina and France-Soir (a top contender in our list of the best restaurants in Melbourne). It's open from Wednesday through to Sunday, and hours vary. Check the website for all the details. Images: Supplied
Harry Potter marathons, concerts, parties, trivia, sleepovers, markets, comedy gigs, Christmas festivities, potions classes and plays: of both the authorised and unauthorised type, Australia has hosted all of the above. If there's a way to work the Wizarding World into something, it has likely popped up somewhere Down Under. Indeed, a Fantastic Beasts-inspired natural history exhibition is on its way in 2023 — and, if you're particularly entranced about dressing up like you're at Hogwarts, so is Harry Potter: A Yule Ball Celebration. Again, Australia is no stranger to Harry Potter shindigs, but this one is both official and completely themed around the franchise's wintertime soirée. Fittingly, it's conjuring up its Aussie debut in the frosty months, locking in a date with Sydney from Friday, July 7. The celebration heads to the Harbour City after past tours to Milan, Montreal, Houston and Mexico City, and hails from Warner Bros Discovery Global Themed Entertainment and events company Fever. Warner Bros in general is going all-in on the magical saga of late, given that it has also just locked in a new Harry Potter TV show, which will turn each of the books that started it all into a season of television. First, the ball. Here, you'll feel like you've stepped straight into the Wizarding World movies, especially if you don appropriate attire. That isn't mandatory, but it is encouraged. And if you need to collect the right items while you're at the event, there'll even be a market selling wands, robes and other merchandise. In Sydney, the Yule Ball will take over the Paddington Town Hall — and while exactly how long it will keep enchanting Sydneysiders hasn't been revealed, it will feature multiple sessions from Wednesday–Sunday. Muggles and wannabe witches and wizards alike will enjoy a two-hour experience, complete with a dance floor, performers, recreated moments from the movies and a whole heap of excuses to take photos. There'll be themed food and both boozy and non-alcoholic drinks, too — cross your fingers for butterbeer — which you'll need to pay extra for on top of the $84 ticket price. Or, there will be premium package, where you'll receive priority entry, a beverage and a gift. So far, there's zero word about further Aussie stops beyond Sydney, but folks in Melbourne, Brisbane and beyond best start crossing their fingers, toes, wands and broomsticks. Harry Potter: A Yule Ball Celebration hits Australia from Friday, July 7, 2023, with tickets on sale from Wednesday, May 3 — head to the event website to join the waitlist.
The human race has been obsessed with epic tales since the beginning of recorded history. From Homer’s Odyssey right up to the Doctor Who box set, not only have we sought to test the limits of our physical and psychological endurance, but we have enjoyed it. Maybe it's the thrill of the extreme that keeps us hanging on, or our addiction to escaping the boredom of our own lives. But at a time when our attention spans are shortening, ADHD is on the rise, and our linkbaited, schizophrenic multiscreen world is perpetually distracting us, it seems somewhat of a miracle that Melbourne Festival can program a 10-hour experimental verbatim theatre show, and that it can (almost) sell out. Life and Times is sixth on our list containing ten of the world’s longest theatre shows — though it has plenty of company in an era where 'binge watching' might not be limited to just TV. 3 hours: Sleep No More by Punchdrunk Whilst sitting towards the bottom of the time-commitment spectrum, Sleep No More is worth mentioning for its epic interactivity-commitment: you physically walk through the play, and it can take you hours. Loosely based on Macbeth, it's currently showing in New York at the McKittrick Hotel, a five-floor theatrical wonderland. There is no speaking, and audience members wear white Venetian masks for anonymity. You can follow the performers around or independently explore the sprawling set. 6 hours: Hotel Medea by Zecora Ura and Urban Dolls From midnight to 6am, this Brazilian-British theatre marathon debuted at London's Arcola Theatre in 2010. Presented in three parts, the play reinterprets the ancient Greek myth Medea, about a woman bent on avenging her husband's betrayal. The audience is confronted by relationships between ancient and modern ritual, including that of sleep, and undergoes a warpy, surreal theatre experience (ending with breakfast). 7 hours: Angels in America by Tony Kushner One of Sydney's theatre highlights in 2013 was Eamon Flack's staging of Angels in America at Belvoir Street Theatre. A seven-hour, Pulitzer Prize-winning saga in two parts, Angels is set in New York in the 1980s at the height of the AIDS epidemic and deals with the fallout of McCarthy era politics, religion, sexuality and personal struggle. A true humanitarian tale with lots of time to get to know the characters. 8 hours: Gatz by Elevator Repair Service "Should I read the book or watch the play?" How about you do both at the same time! When employee James Gatz finds a copy of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby amidst the clutter on his desk one morning, he picks it up in curiosity, and begins to read. Eight hours later, you've made it through the entire book, word-for-precious-word, thanks to Gatz and a 13-strong cast of co-workers in a low-budget rental office. 9 hours: Lipsynch by Robert Lepage Like the opposite of a silent meditation retreat but with the ability to produce a strangely similar effect, Lipsynch takes time to explore speech and the human voice and how they connect us together. The play follows a multicultural spectrum of nine characters, each with speech-related jobs, from opera singer to speech therapist to interpreter to voiceover artist, interweaving them amidst a visually stunning and theatrically inventive set. After not having talked for nine hours, it's hard to know what to say when the curtains close on Lipsynch. 10 hours: Life and Times by Nature Theater of Oklahoma "Can you tell me your life story?" This is the question that the artistic directors of the Nature Theater of Oklahoma asked Kristin Worrall, one of the members of their company. Now her 16-hour collection of responses is a 10-hour, verbatim theatre experience, and the aim is to develop it to 24. Combining traditional theatre, non-traditional theatre, song, dance, film, installation art and who knows what else they can pack into those hours (presumably quite a lot), it’s on show in Melbourne from 22-26 October, 2013, at the Melbourne Arts Centre Playhouse theatre. If you still aren’t sold, just know that the marathon performance includes a BBQ dinner and snacks served by the company. 22 hours: The Warp by Ken Campbell Writer, actor, director and comedian Ken Campbell achieved notoriety in the 1970s for his 22-hour staging of Neil Oram's play cycle The Warp. The play's hero is Phil Masters and it traces his many previous lives over a period of a thousand years. The main actor is required to be on stage for all but 5 minutes of the play (five and a half times longer than Hamlet), and when it was staged in 1997 in East London, the lead actor had a meltdown about two-thirds of the way through, extending the performance to 29 hours. 23 hours: The Bald Soprano by Eugene Ionesco The Warp has been superseded by what's now officially classified in the Guinness World Book of Records as the longest continuous dramatic performance, sitting at a comfy 23 hours 33 minutes and 54 seconds. US-based company the 27 O'Clock Players performed this absurdist comedy in a gazebo in New Jersey in 2010. The Bald Soprano itself is only about an hour long; however, it features a looped ending which requires continuous repetition of the play. On this occasion it was repeated 25 times. 24 hours: Quizoola! by Forced Entertainment So this is getting a bit ridiculous now, but it's best not to ask questions. Or is it? Aptly titled theatre company Forced Entertainment originally staged a six-hour version of this game-show/improvisation/performance bonanza before taking it to new heights (or rather lengths) this year at London's Barbican. What happens is, six performers sit in alternating pairs in a circle of lights, wearing smeared clown make-up, and ask each other questions. Beginning as a banal chat, the performance moves towards pub quiz trivia, beyond philosophical probing and into CIA interrogation. Questions are provided by director Tim Etchells, the company and the audience (who are free to come and go as they please). A long time: Synecdoche, New York by Charlie Kaufman This is technically a movie with a run time of 124 minutes, but it is a movie about the most epic theatre work ever. Theatre director Caden Cotard (Philip Seymour Hoffman) tries to replicate life as realistically as possible in theatre and constructs his set in a huge warehouse somewhere in downtown Manhattan. A growing cast is directed to act out the banalities of their lives, and as the years pass, and the actors keep on acting their life-roles, Cotard becomes immersed in the play and his work-life balance is epically disrupted by doppelgangers and ultimate creative confusion, unable to end until Cotard himself does.
It's Groundhog Day The Musical — and it's finally making its way to the Australian stages ten years after it was first announced. Back in 2014, Australian comedian, musician, actor and writer Tim Minchin (Upright) revealed that he was making a song-filled onstage version of the Bill Murray-starring classic comedy. Then, the end result premiered in London in 2016. Next came Broadway in 2017, with 2024 marking Australia's turn. Prepare for plenty of déjà vu in Melbourne from January. Feeling like you've been there and seen this comes with the territory with this production, of course, given that that's what the story is all about. Obviously, you've probably seen the film. In fact, you've likely done so more than once. Still, when Groundhog Day The Musical hits Princess Theatre from Wednesday, January 24, this'll be Aussie theatregoers' first chance to catch the stage show on home soil. The tale remains the same, with Pittsburgh TV weatherman Phil Connors tasked with travelling to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cover the annual Groundhog Day event — and none too happy about it, oozing cynicism as everyone else around him embraces the occasion. After a cantankerous day, he wakes up the next morning to find that everything is repeating again. And, that's how every day continues, no matter what he does or how he tries to tinker with the cycling routine. On the big screen (and on VHS and streaming queues since), the result proved hilarious, and also one of Murray's best-ever roles. For the stage iteration, Minchin teamed up with screenwriter Danny Rubin — who originally co-wrote Groundhog Day's movie script and won a BAFTA in the process — plus Minchin's Matilda The Musical director Matthew Warchus. Their theatre efforts earned Groundhog Day The Musical Tony Award nominations, as well Olivier Award wins for Best New Musical and Best Actor. Yes, Groundhog Day The Musical's Australian-premiere season runs across Groundhog Day itself, aka February 2. Yes, you can listen to Sonny and Cher's 'I Got You Babe' on repeat now to celebrate. And yes, like the musical version of Matilda, this'll likely return to the big screen at some point — but after the Melbourne season. Groundhog Day The Musical comes Down Under exclusive to the Victorian capital — and if you're wondering who'll step into Murray's (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania) shoes, and Andie MacDowell's (Maid) as Phil's producer Rita Hanson, too, that'd be Andy Karl returning to the former after doing the honours in London, plus Elise McCann (Matilda The Musical) as the latter.
We've all seen skincare products targeted towards men that position themselves as hyper-masculine. Instead of sticking to the stereotypically simple idea of masculinity, a new Melbourne company is trying to do things a little differently. Stuff is a personal care brand that's promising to make you smell and look good, all while promoting healthy masculinity. The company offers a lineup of products covering everything you need to stock up your bathroom from deodorant (appropriately labelled Spicy Pits) to face wash. Each product is available separately or you can stock up in one easy sweep by buying the $30 Face and Body Bundle, the $36 Face and Pit Kit, the $45 Starter Kit or the $65 Squad Kit. While Stuff is proud of its products, it's equally focused on pushing away from toxic masculinity and championing healthier modern blokes. "The only ads for men we could recall featured guys spraying themselves with excessive amounts of chemical-ridden deodorant, causing flocks of gorgeous women to chase after them," Stuff Founder and CEO Hunter Johnson said. "Consumer brands shape culture, and there is a huge opportunity for Stuff to help tackle the escalating crisis around masculinity." "It's a confusing time to be a man and we want STUFF to support men as they navigate a new era of masculinity," Johnson said. Whether you're currently in your third week or first day of lockdown, or you're out exploring the world, it's a good time to treat yourself to some self-care items. Stuff also offers free shipping on orders over $35 and ships Australia-wide. You can browse the range at the Stuff website. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
In an era rife with greenwashing, marketing buzzwords like 'sustainable' or 'eco-friendly' are readily thrown around (and rarely mean much). That makes Australia's first 1 Hotel special: an inside with a palpable connection to the outside. The 1 Hotels brand began in Miami in 2015 and was founded by Barry Sternlicht, the current chairman of Starwood Capital Group. Sternlicht's vision was a luxury hotel constructed from reclaimed materials and with nature-led design in mind — a place where comfort and sustainability walk hand-in-hand. A decade later, the franchise comprises 19 locations across North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region — the latest addition being a heritage-listed site along Melbourne's Yarra River. "We've created a waterfront destination that immerses guests in nature while celebrating the city's rich legacy and forward-thinking spirit," says Sternlicht of the Melbourne site. "This hotel [is about] how travel can inspire a deeper commitment to the world around us. The water inspires calm and serenity, which is what our brand is meant to convey: an oasis for travellers to escape the rigours of travel." [caption id="attachment_1013298" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The facade of 1 Hotel Melbourne.[/caption] 1 Hotel Melbourne is housed inside (and on top of) the heritage-listed Goods Shed No.5, the last of the unrenovated 1800s goods sheds that once made up Melbourne's busiest port. The hotel's industrial elements — bluestone pavers, steel trusses, timber doors salvaged from the original build — are juxtaposed against natural materials used throughout. Wicker, wood and tactile textiles like bouclé and jute make up the furnishings on the riverfront deck outside and in the Crane Bar & Lounge, From Here by Mike restaurant and Upstairs bar. 4,500 square metres of reclaimed timber is used in the cladding and furnishings. Beyond the interior design choices, living elements breathe a sense of tranquillity into 1 Hotel Melbourne — the vaulted ceilings of the shed allow for indoor trees (already impressive in their infancy), while real moss adorns the frame of each of the hotel's room doors. There are more than 7,000 plants inside the venue, reinforcing the hotel's biophilic approach. [caption id="attachment_1013302" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Crane Bar & Lounge.[/caption] Inside the rooms, careful choices have been made to encourage, but not demand, that guests make sustainable choices. There's filtered water on tap, complete with a carafe and glasses made from recycled wine bottles, an hourglass timer in the shower, and a plaque for the 1 Hotel's 1 Less Thing program — simply place it on top of any unwanted items to ensure they're donated to a local charity store. Instead of a typical synthetic room key and a cardboard 'Do Not Disturb' sign, you'll instead receive a circular wooden token key and a rock to place outside your door if you'd like some privacy. [caption id="attachment_1013301" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The 1 Hotel pool, sauna and steam room.[/caption] The commitment to being eco-friendly extends to the Bamford (a sustainable skin and body care brand) products throughout the hotel, including in the Bamford Wellness Spa — a haven of wellness, tranquillity and self-care hidden on level three. In addition to the spa, all guests also have access to a full gym, pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam room. Though you'll be within walking distance of some of Melbourne's best drinking and dining at 1 Hotel Melbourne, the hotel's From Here by Mike restaurant is a must-visit. Chef Mike McEnearney has constructed a seasonally rotating menu that champions ethically sourced, hyperlocal produce — complemented by a similarly intentional drinks list featuring over 40 Victorian winemakers. Expect an exciting fusion menu, spanning the full gamut of European to Asian culinary influences. [caption id="attachment_1013297" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The vintage five-year ribeye at From Here By Mike.[/caption] Images: 1 Hotel
Melbourne-born sensual care brand Bruxa is gearing up for a night of tempting food, scents and conversation to celebrate the release of its new pheromone body oil, Don Juan 1973. Held at the Younghusband precinct in Kensington from 7pm on Thursday, November 27, 'The Seduction of Self' dinner explores desire and pleasure from multiple perspectives. Guided by candlelight, chef Marco Dazzan will serve a three-course aphrodisiac-inspired dinner and drinks package. Meanwhile, a dedicated scent bar will deconstruct the raw ingredients and pheromones of Bruxa's latest release. Led by chemist Marta Novovic, guests will hear how the brand's holistic formulations heighten sensual moments and treat the body. Adding another element, the night also features an insightful panel discussion featuring sex columnist Laura Roscioli, sex historian Dr Esmé Louise James and journalist-turned-escort Samantha X on women's sexual agency. Alongside projection-based light installations and an erotic soundtrack by FOURA, expect an event filled with sensorial immersion. "This is what BRUXA stands for: taking pleasure out of the shadows, rewriting how female desire is seen, spoken about, and experienced. Don Juan 1973 is in service of the erotic self," says brand founder Madelene Kadziela.
The year of the rabbit is almost upon us (goodbye year of the tiger, go sleep it off), and the festivities are starting to pick up. And what's the best way to partake in the celebration? We've got it right here — and it'll make you happier than a cute hungry bunny. From Wednesday, January 18–Sunday, February 5, dumpling master Din Tai Fung is offering new limited edition chocolate and Biscoff rabbit buns and, like the chain's usual annual Lunar New Year special, they're ridiculously cute. They're buns with little rabbit faces, and they're even eating carrots — how could they be anything other than adorable? Din Tai Fung is famous for its dumplings, and is known to release eye-catching novelty varieties for special occasions (check out these adorable little monkey buns from 2016, pig bao from 2019, masked ox buns from 2021 and tiger buns from 2022). The new rabbit buns are stuffed with a sweet filling of chocolate and Biscoff crumbs, which oozes out when you squeeze them. The tiger buns are available for $9.80 for two at Din Tai Fung restaurants and food court outlets in Sydney, so you'll want to hit up its World Square, Westfield Chatswood, Westfield Miranda, Westfield Sydney, Broadway Shopping Centre, Gateway Sydney, The Star, Greenwood Plaza, Martin Place and Marrickville venues. In Melbourne, you have one spot to head to, with the buns on offer at Emporium Melbourne. They're also available frozen for delivery both separately (for $13.50 for three) — also from Wednesday, January 18. The only problem we can foresee with the cute Din Tai Fung dish? Eating those sweet little rabbit faces may be hard… but we're sure you'll manage it. Chocolate and Biscoff rabbit buns are available from Din Tai Fung's stores in Sydney and Melbourne, and also via delivery, from Wednesday, January 18–Sunday, February 5. Head to the chain's website for further details or to order.
Port Melbourne has scored its own taste of the 1950s jazz scene with cocktail lounge Clooney Kitchen & Bar opening on Bay Street. Named not for the actor, but for his famous jazz musician aunt Rosie, it's a little dose of old-world Hollywood glamour down under. Heading up the bar are Shannon McFarland (The Rochester, Woodland House) and Will Crennan (Gin Palace, Collins Quarter), who have pulled together a collection of artisanal spirits, inventive signature cocktails, craft beers from across Italy and Australia, and a tidy, yet well-travelled lineup of wine. Dialling up the luxury are lesser known Italian liqueurs, Scotch tasting trays and George Clooney's own Casamigos tequila. Meanwhile, McFarland's house-made liqueurs promise to add a unique edge to your drinking sessions. To match, Head Chef Leigh Stanicic (Melbourne Wine Room, The Fat Duck) has designed a menu of bar snacks and small bites drawing inspiration from across Europe and Asia, full of big, fresh flavours and boasting lots of raw dishes. Choose your own adventure, or settle in for the four-course food and cocktail degustation, a collaboration between McFarland and Stanicic. The space itself is dressed to impress, designed by Darren Kerf of Kerf Designs, with swanky plum velvet booths, art deco features and bold wallpapers full of 1950s elegance. To round out the experience, the team is matching that vintage sophistication with an old-school sense of hospitality, serving drinks carefully customised to guests' palates, and respecting the classics, while also embracing the new and innovative.
After a slew of successful one-day-only takeaway offers throughout lockdown, Collingwood Yard's Hope St Radio is firing up the barbecue for a sausage sizzle this Friday, September 24, with all proceeds set to be donated to the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service and Dhadjowa Foundation. Slightly less delicate than its usual fare of beautifully presented carpaccio and plates of handmade pasta, but certainly not any less appetising, the internet-radio-turned-wine-bar will be slinging hot dogs from 12—3pm or until sold out. The delectable hot dogs will cost $10. Between a fluffy hot dog bun, you'll find Hagen's organic frankfurt, house-made sweet pepper relish, pickle, coriander and jalapeno salsa, mustard and sauce with some Chappy's hand-made potato chips on the side. You can follow Hope St Radio and its weekend lockdown takeaway offerings here.
This Monday, our good friend the moon will be closer to the Earth than it has been in 68 years. How close? About 30,000 kilometres closer than the average — that's how close. And, as a result of this lunar proximity, the moon will appear much bigger and brighter than it normally does. The phenomenon is called a supermoon, which sounds pretty darn exciting on its own. For science nerds, though, it's called a perigee moon. In this instance, the term describes an event where the moon appears to be nearly 14 percent bigger and almost 25 percent brighter than usual. Now, a full moon is pretty visible from everywhere, but the full effect is apparently much cooler if you look east of the horizon. Lucky for Australians, there's a plethora of beaches on our eastern shore that provide an excellent vantage point, and groups are popping up all over social media to gather fellow lunar lovers to watch the unique event. Although all those photos you're bound to be taking are going to look pretty sweet given the subject matter, Australian Geographic insists that the best snaps are taken the days preceding or proceeding the full supermoon. If you need some more tips, they've even put together a list for getting perfect photographs. Although supermoons are pretty common, the moon won't be this close again until 2034. Also, it hasn't been this close since 1948. That was the year that the US Navy first allowed women to enlist as regular troops, a great step forward for equality in America. The supermoon will reach its absolute pinnacle of awesome at 12.52am on Tuesday, November 15 (Monday night, daylight savings time). So, look to the east to catch a glimpse of the coolest moon of most our lifetimes, #nofilter. Image: Andrew C.
It seems spring is the season to channel your inner James Bond, at QT Melbourne's newest pop-up drinks destination, The Martini Bar. Making its home in the hotel's lobby from Thursday, September 15–Saturday, October 8, it's a sophisticated affair, honouring one of history's most famous classic cocktails while also celebrating Four Pillars' much-loved olive leaf gin. Swan in Thursday to Saturday evenings (5pm till late) for a 'wet' or 'dry' martini, a classic twist known as the Gibson, a house G&T, or the signature Dirty Dancing cocktail. If you fancy a different sort of tipple, there's also a lineup of Aussie wine and beer, plus local bubbles and French champagne. Meanwhile, the matching food offering celebrates top-notch produce from across the Yarra Valley, where Four Pillars calls home. Expect nibbles like the duck and Bloody Shiraz Gin jelly pâté with sour cherry and crusty bread, marmalade-glazed roast nuts, olives marinated in gin botanicals, and taramasalata served with a Bloody Shiraz caviar. Images: Hayden Dibb
Apologies to your couch, your favourite streaming platform and that pile of old DVDs sitting on your shelves, but when it comes to watching a movie, there's nothing like seeing it on the big screen. And while heading out to the flicks is a year-round activity, it's even better when summer hits, when outdoor cinema season is in full swing. Getting comfy on a beanbag, sipping brews and bubbles in the open air, staring up at the silver screen as the sun goes down — that's what catching a summer film is all about. In fact, that's exactly what's on the agenda at Sunset Cinema, which returns to Melbourne from Thursday, January 24 to Sunday, February 17. Taking over Commonwealth Reserve at Williamstown for four weeks of movies under the stars, this year's season is made for cosy summer date nights and stress-free hangouts with your mates. And if you're wondering what to watch, here are five blockbusters to feast your eyeballs on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6S9c5nnDd_s BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY Fresh from rocking the Golden Globes, where it picked up Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody is here to rock Sunset Cinema. And if you've already seen this immensely popular Freddie Mercury biopic and had to stop yourself from singing along, you're in luck — that's on the agenda here on Friday, February 15. The sounds of Queen will echo through the outdoor screening, charting the band's formation, its rise to fame, Mercury's private life and the group's memorable music. Just remember to stay in your seats during the fantastic Live Aid concert scenes — you'll be tempted to jump up, sing and scream, but you won't want to block the view of the fellow film fans behind you. Showing: Thursday, January 24 and Friday, February 15 (singalong) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dKzet0o4i0 AQUAMAN Back in 2016, the DC Comics Extended Universe pitted Batman and Superman against each other to see who'd emerge victorious; however, the film series was clearly asking the wrong question. If a battle between Justice League superheroes did arise, Aquaman would obviously come out on top. He has at the global box office, at least, with the Australian-shot blockbuster now the highest grossing flick in the franchise. It's easy to see why, with Aussie director James Wan (The Conjuring, Fast & Furious 7) helming a comic book effort that isn't afraid to be over-the-top — in its eye-popping visuals, its action both above and below the water and its use of charming star Jason Momoa. Showing: Saturday, February 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i_iDqkQqtI VICE A child interred in a Second World War camp. A glam rock groupie in the 70s. A psychopathic investment banker. Batman. John Connor. Christian Bale has played many roles since becoming an actor at the age of 13, and now he steps into the shoes of former US Vice President Dick Cheney in Vice. It's a powerhouse performance in a movie that spins its true tale with a sense of humour. The Big Short's Adam McKay is in the director's chair, adopting the same kind of tone as he did in that satirical banking industry flick, while Sam Rockwell plays President George W. Bush, Steve Carell plays Donald Rumsfeld and Amy Adams plays Cheney's wife, Lynne. Showing: Sunday, February 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLuFxzUC5UI HOLMES & WATSON When Sir Arthur Conan Doyle first put pen to paper, scribbled down a crime mystery and conjured up an intrepid sleuth, he couldn't have known just what he'd done. That was back in 1887, and Sherlock Holmes is still going strong 142 years later — although, you can surely put Holmes & Watson on the list of things that Doyle could never have anticipated. This time around, Will Ferrell dons the detective's deerstalker, while his Step Brothers and Talladega Nights co-star John C. Reilly steps into John Watson's shoes. The game is afoot as the famous pair try to protect Queen Victoria (Pam Ferris) from the notorious Professor Moriarty (Ralph Fiennes). As you'd expect, this isn't your usual take on the idiosyncratic sleuth. Showing: Saturday, February 9 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay2fTiEi-RY RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET Not content with exploring the inner world of retro arcade games, Wreck-It Ralph is back — and in this animated sequel, the John C. Reilly-voiced character is entering the online realm. What does leaping from 8-bit consoles to the world wide web have in store for this brick-throwing character who proved that villains can be heroes too? Plenty. In fact, everything, from viral fame to internet pop-ups to learning not to get too excited when bidding in an online auction, rates a mention. Ralph also has company in the form of pint-sized racer Vanellope (voiced by Sarah Silverman), with the ups and downs of their friendship integral to Ralph Breaks the Internet's narrative. Showing: Friday, February 1 Sunset Cinema will take over Commonwealth Reserve at Williamstown from Thursday, January 24 to Sunday, February 17. Check out the full film program here.
There's certainly has an emphasis on paint for fun, not paint to show off your talent at this outdoor boozy paint class. Head to Gasworks Arts Park to unleash your creativity while sipping on a frosty chardonnay and pondering the beauty of the outdoor world. Classes are run weekly with rotating themes, so you can opt to paint a pier at sunset or another scene from nature. You can even paint your dog, which is obviously the best option if you have a furry pal you want to commemorate in painting form forever. Who knows? Maybe you're very good at art and you'll end up starting the second Renaissance. Or you might just end up gifting your sub-par effort to your mum who thought this was all over in primary school. Either way, it'll be messy fun.
If you love cheese, but are sick of spending the bulk of your pay cheque on it, here's a solution: take a cheese-making class. Sure, it'll cost you pretty penny, but then you'll have the knowledge to make endless cheese at home, whenever you want. Also, thanks to Omnom Cheese Shop's new virtual burrata, bocconcini and ricotta workshop, you can learn along at home as well. The Sydney-based cheese outfit is adding a series of online classes to its repertoire, taking place at 6pm on Wednesday, September 23 and Wednesday, October 21. During the 80-minute class, you'll learn to how to make three types of cheese — in real-time, via Zoom, with plenty of live tips as you go. You'll also receive a DIY cheese-making kit delivered to your door as part of your $59 ticket. You will need to have some kitchen equipment on hand, and to pick up some milk and cream — with full details sent out a week before the class. Hot tip: in-person, Omnom's cheese-making sessions regularly sell out, so its online classes are certain to be popular. Another suggestion: if you want to pair your cheese-making with wine, well, that definitely isn't frowned upon. Omnom Cheese Shop's virtual burrata, bocconcini and ricotta workshop takes place at 6pm on Wednesday, September 23 and Wednesday, October 21.
It's that time again. Get your diaries out, and your credit cards at the ready — those excellent comedians need your money once more. The first acts for the 2014 Melbourne International Comedy Festival have just gone on sale and a few more will be up for grabs this Friday, December 13. So far, it's much of what you might expect. As ever, local crowd pleasers Dave Hughes and Wil Anderson are top of the bill. And, oh good, Wil Anderson has found another pun to make out of his name! Chronologically, from 1998 onwards that makes his full list of shows: I am the Wilrus, Wilennium, Terra Wilius, Who Wants to be a Willionaire, Wil of Fortune, Wil by Mouth, Jagged Little Wil, Kill Wil, Wil Communication, Wil of God, BeWILdered, Wilosophy, Wilful Misconduct, Man vs Wil, Wilarious, Goodwil, and drumroll please, Wiluminati! Not his best, if you ask us. International favourites Stephen K. Amos and Jason Byrne will be back too. It wouldn't really be an Oxfam Gala without Jason Byrne making some hapless audience member climb in a box, right? And the Brits will be further represented by surrealist oddball Paul Foot, rapper and recent Ricky Gervais' collaborator Doc Brown, and sketch comedy pros Max & Ivan. There are the big shows on offer too. To get a taste of everything, head along to the 2014 Comedy Allstars Supershow on opening night, or maybe nab some tickets to the RAW Comedy or Class Clowns National Grand Finals which go on sale December 13. Unfortunately the 2014 Oxfam Gala is already sold out — in record time, no less. It's as if people don't know you can just watch it on TV. Regardless, this little taste of the full bill has been a bit underwhelming. Made slightly worse by the fact there are only two women listed so far — local Melbournite Justine Sless and British comedian Sara Pascoe. Hopefully the full program will bring with it a little balance, but unfortunately we have 'til February to wait and see. The 2014 Melbourne International Comedy Festival will run from March 26 'til April 20, 2014. For a full list of already announced acts see their website here.
Those cold weather blues don't stand a chance in the face of a hearty cheese meal, especially when it's Baby Pizza's limited-edition 'formaggio' feast. Launched this month, and back for a second year, the cheese-filled menu is here to warm you up (and give you many whacky dreams) over the cooler months. Start off with the likes of Sardinian-style puffed bread, loaded with oozy stracciatella, zucchini and red peppers — or a house-made olive focaccia teamed with a creamy taleggio dip. Further down the menu, you'll find plates of pumpkin and buffalo ricotta ravioli with smoked scamorza mousse and a four-cheese and 'nduja calzone. Oh, and the star attraction: spaghetti cacio e pepe served straight out of a parmesan wheel. It's extra cheesy, extra carby and will make you forget all about the dreary weather, immediately. Dessert gets the cheesy treatment, too, with offerings like a classic cannolo — stuffed with blue cheese, mascarpone, pistachio and honeycomb — and a more share-friendly whole baked wheel of brie with garlic, thyme and herb crackers for dipping. If you're making a night of it — and let's face it, with that menu, who isn't? — you'll also spy a couple of Italian wines, perfect for pairing cheese-heavy meals, including an Artigiano grillo from Sicily and a Montepulciano. The Formaggio menu is available daily to enjoy at your leisure — pop by for a couple of cheesy snacks, or settle in for a lavish dinner and potential cheese coma. Baby Pizza is located at 631–633 Church Street, Richmond. The Formaggio menu is available daily until the end of winter.
Before the introduction of its supernatural elements, it’s hard to remember that Conor McPherson’s The Seafarer was written as recently as 2006, such is its slavish use of naturalistic dialogue that stands at odds with so much of the inventiveness of modern Irish writing for performance. Hoy Polloy’s production of the play, directed by Wayne Pearn, doesn’t quite achieve the emotional range and drive to fully articulate the play’s ultimate message of enduring hope. On Christmas Eve in Dublin, five men sit down for a game of poker. Sharky (Barry Mitchell) lives with his blind brother Richard (Geoff Hickey); much of the core of the work trades on their fractious, dependent relationship. They’re joined by their friends and by a mysterious man named Mr Lockhart (Michael Cahill), who has come to win Sharky’s soul. The long build in the text allows subtle dynamics of uncertainty and menace to build up gradually, especially in the forms of literal and symbolic blindness. The performances are solid — Hickey is especially good as the blind, crotchety Richard — but it’s frustrating that the ensemble as a whole seizes so few opportunities offered by the rich language to build up the kind of momentum that’s needed to take us along with them. Instead, rhythm and timing fall by the wayside, although it’s easy to see how this could be recovered beyond opening night as the production settles into its run. The actors are let down by unimaginative design — for instance, the eerie confrontations between Lockhart and Sharky are seemingly the only times the lighting states make an occasional, apologetic shift. That said, The Seafarer is a rare opportunity to see McPherson’s work in action, and its occasional flashes of sparkling wit and poetry — “I’ll just have the Irish then, hold the coffee” — remind us why the writer’s had such international acclaim. Image by Fred Kroh.
UPDATE: 2PM, FEBRUARY 5, 2018 — Due to a late shipment of boats, the date of the Inflatable Regatta has been changed to February 24, 2018. More info here. Now here's a good way to make an entrance to a party: float on in with a crew of 1500 boats. That's exactly what the Inflatable Regatta is all about. 1500 blow-up boats will take to a two-kilometre stretch of the Yarra on Saturday, February 10. In a single or double vessel, they'll paddle down the river for about two hours before reaching the destination party. Should you make it to the end, beers, food trucks and live music will be waiting for you (after all, what's a regatta without a cold bev afterwards?) — and you can pay an extra $10 with your ticket for your boat and oars, so you can even take them home with you. There are some rules though: you can't load your boat with beer (no booze on the river, and you may actually sink your vessel), no plastic water bottles (bring a reusable container to fill up instead), no DIY vessels (but you can bring an Inflatable Regatta boat from previous years) and you should wear shoes that can stand to get a bit wet. Tickets cost $60 for a single boat and $110 for a double, and include a life jacket and a waterproof bag for your stuff. Boats launch from Yarra Bank Reserve in Hawthorn from 10am — you can choose your launch time when you book. Image: Inflatable Regatta 2017.
Did you know that for the last 12 years, Richard Linklater has been tinkering away on the same project? Oh yes, in between Before Midnight and Before Sunset, A Scanner Darkly and Bernie, there's been Boyhood, an intimate coming-of-age drama utilising the same cast (Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette and kids Ellar Coltrane and Lorelei Linklater) and interested in the kind of authenticity that can be created when you're not artificially ageing or swapping in older actors. "There has simply never been anything like this film," wrote Rolling Stone, and we're inclined to agree. It's a unique way to experience the growing pains of a child — and that of his young, still-nutting-things-out parents. Boyhood is in cinemas on September 4, and in advanced screenings this weekend. Thanks to Universal Pictures, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ys-mbHXyWX4
Situated on Port Melbourne's bustling Bay Street, Aagaman takes its name from the Hindi word for 'arrival', signifying the arrival of a restaurant with a philosophy of eclectic and expansive Indian-Nepalese cuisine. Head chef Ram Sapkota, who was encouraged as a child to cook for the family by his mother, prides himself on clean flavoured curries with a delicate and modern approach to traditional dishes. The entrees kick off with the King or Queen's platter. The King's is an all meat affair, featuring a selection of kebabs as well as chicken tikkas and lamb chops. Meanwhile the Queen's caters to vegetarians, with an assortment of house specialities and a combination of tandoori mushroom, paneer, gobi, pakora and samosa. There is also a soft cheese coated in Indian spices and chargrilled with capsicum as well as joy sticks — tender lamb mince mixed with ginger, garlic and rosemary. The mains kick off in style with everyone's favourite butter chicken (Aagaman's words, not ours), before getting more experimental with curries such as chettinad madras (chettinad spices with poppy seeds and coconut cream) and saag wala (an English spinach puree with garlic and green spices. These curries are interchangeable with chicken, beef or lamb, while the vegetarians can order the dal makhani (black lentils and kidney beans with bucket loads of butter) or the pharsi masala (presented as the Halloween Fun on their menu, it's butternut pumpkin with spices cooked in a tomato onion sauce.) The drinks list is playful with a range of fun and fruity house cocktails, while the wine list is a standout amongst their contemporaries. Opt for a bottle of Caleb and Bloom montepulciano to compliment a dish of feisty beef vindaloo.
Australia's much-loved cook, author, restaurateur and The Great Australian Bake Off host Maggie Beer is helping you become a culinary whiz while you're spending more time at home. So, next time you're reaching for the instant noodles, do yourself a favour and turn to Maggie. Dubbed Cooking with Maggie, the series features the cooking legend whipping up delicious dishes in her Barossa home. She'll be putting up a new video every day via Instagram or Facebook, showing you how to make an easy rustic-style dish in under 20 minutes. From eggplant and eggs to a caramelised onion and Persian feta side dish and Maggie's take on a panzanella salad, every recipe uses simple ingredients, which you probably already have most of sitting in your pantry. Otherwise, a quick trip to your local grocer — or your garden if you've a green thumb like Maggie — will sort you out. But perhaps best of all is watching Maggie in her own kitchen, offering up little wisdoms. Her enthusiasm and charm is undeniable and will warm your soul. So, even if you're not looking for dinner inspiration, you may want to watch the affable cook anyway. Because, we're all in need of a little comfort — food or otherwise — right now. https://www.facebook.com/OfficialMaggieBeer/videos/242070486919378/
Bluesfest has lifted the lid on its first artist announcement for 2015 and heading the stampede is The Black Keys, in league with The Alabama Shakes, the Zac Brown Band and Michael Franti and Spearhead. For now at least, it seems there’s more of an emphasis than usual on young blood and recent charttoppers. That said, the legendary George Clinton with his Parliament/Funkadelic will be delivering an ample dose of '70s psychedelic, roller-skating-worthy funk and Paul Kelly (who seems perpetually both classic and contemporary) will be serving up some Merri Soul Sessions, in the star-studded company of Dan Sultan, Kira Puru and Vika and Linda Bull. Then there’s Train, Xavier Rudd and the United Nations, Trombone Shorty and New Orleans Avenue, Rebelution, Soja, The Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Beth Hart, Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, Mariachi El Bronx, G. Love and Special Sauce, Pokey Lafarge, Band of Skulls and Rockwiz Live. The only difficult news in all of this is that ticket prices have crept up (you can’t say you weren’t warned!) and single day open tickets will be a thing of the past within 72 hours from now. Byron Bay Bluesfest 2015 (first announcement): The Black Keys Zac Brown Band Alabama Shakes Train Michael Franti & Spearhead George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic Paul Kelly Presents The Merri Soul Sessions feat Dan Sultan, Kira Puru, & Vika And Linda Bull Xavier Rudd and The United Nations Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue Rebelution Soja The Chris Robinson Brotherhood Beth Hart Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls Mariachi El Bronx G. Love & Special Sauce Pokey Lafarge Band Of Skulls Rockwiz Live + more to be announced. Bluesfest 2015 will run April 2 – 6 2015 at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Byron Bay. More details and ticket info here.
Smith Street is officially excellent. We've known this for a while now. Bottle and barrel-aged cocktails have just joined the party thanks to The Noble Experiment, the new speakeasy-inspired cocktail bar that has just set up shop. What used to be the Old Comarty's building on the corner of Smith and Otter Street — and most recently Agent 284 the cocktail bar — has once again changed pace. The exposed brick, leather couches you could lose yourself in and kooky finishes are not a stark difference to the old space, but this new venue is making quite a bit of noise already. A library lines the walls — a fake wallpaper type library — making you feel a little like Hemingway as you sip your cocktail. With a name like The Noble Experiment, which nods to the ban that we all know as the prohibition, the fact that cocktails are the order of the day is no surprise. On the second level the cocktails really come alive, as do the staff who talk about them. While bottle and barrel-aged cocktails will be served on an old-school trolley allowing the staff to tell you a good old story about them, there are other non-aged cocktails also on offer. The Punchy Peach Ice Tea is rather easy drinking with a mix of peach liqueur, spiced vanilla syrup, and sparkling peach tea ($28 serves 2-4), while the Outrageously Good Espresso Martini is a mix of Herradura Anejo tequila, spiced agave nectar, fresh espresso, and spiced vanilla tincture ($18). You can also sip of Gapsted Prosecco from the King Valley ($9 glass), a Fattoria Ormanni Chianti ($10 glass), or go for something op tap — Little Creatures Pale Ale, Bright Ale and I.P.A are all pouring. On the opening floor, indulge in a menu designed by Cameron Bell who is no stranger to Michelin starred restaurants in both the USA and Europe. His menu takes inspiration from North America, France, and the UK. Start with chunky chip poutine with oxtail gravy and cheese curds ($14) or crispy Brussels sprouts, coconut, and green chilli caramel ($8) as you sip your cocktail. The main event here is the steak. Flank, flat iron, or hanger, they are all served with aligot potatoes, and reduced Zinfandel and old style Woodford Reserve whisky jus. If meat isn't your thing, you can opt for a house specialty of a whole head of cauliflower roasted with cheese and beer ($16). Spanning three levels, including a basement that takes the speakeasy vibe that little bit further, it also doubles as a venue space for when the occasion arises.
With its fantastic puppetry, tight choreography and more than a few damp-eye moments, the National Theatre of Great Britain's production of War Horse is taking another canter across Australia's stages. After first touring Down Under in 2012–13, the Tony Award-winning play will return in 2020, with seasons currently planned for Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. Based on Michael Morpurgo's 1982 novel of the same name, the boy-meets-horse tale was originally adapted for the stage by British playwright Nick Stafford, and directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, way back in 2007. Opening shortly before the start of the First World War, War Horse is the love story of a Devonshire lad, Albert, and a young foal, Joey — who, once it has come of age, is sold into service for the British Army. Seeing the injustice in this, the play's boy hero fights against age restrictions and cartwheels to Calais to save Joey, at which point his youthful bravado is tear-gassed into the harsh reality of early modern warfare. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMVKWxZyIZU After its first NT run, the play proved to be such a tremendous success that it relocated to the West End and Broadway, and has galloped across everywhere from Canada, Germany and the Netherlands to South Africa and China. Along the way, it has picked up two Olivier Awards and five Tonys, including for Best Play — and been seen by thousands of audiences. You might also remember the 2011 film adaptation of Morpurgo's novel, which was directed by Steven Spielberg, starred a long list of British talent including Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan, Emily Watson, Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch, and was nominated for six Oscars. On the stage, War Horse owes its longevity to South Africa's Handspring Puppet Company, which has created a stable of horses, some soon-to-die cavalry, crows, swallows and a very animated goose. Though surrounded by puppeteers and, in parts, constructed out of obviously mechanical pieces, these puppets realistically breathe and quickly pop out as the most genuine players in the show. War Horse plays Melbourne's Regent Theatre from January 10, 2020, then heads to the Sydney Lyric from February 15, before moving to Perth's Crown Theatre from March 24. For further details, and to join the ticket waitlist, head to warhorseonstage.com.au.
For just a few weeks in January, the Portsea Hotel is hosting a luxe Japanese pop-up dining experience full of sushi, nigiri and sake-infused cocktails. Chef Yukio Ozeki from Terasu — the flagship Japanese restaurant at Ardo in Townsville — is behind this waterside takeover running from Friday, January 3–Sunday, January 19, and has created a six-course set menu ($150 per person) packed with top-grade wagyu beef and seafood. Drinks-wise, you can expect a playful cocktail offering that balances tropical flavours and touches of Tokyo. Highlights include the Tokyo Glow (sake, vodka, ginger, grape and yuzu jelly) and the Yubari Delight (gin, melon liqueur, rockmelon and watermelon). Japanese sakes, Euro wines and your usual beers will also be available throughout the pop-up. The Sea, Summer and Suhi experience will take place in Portsea Hotel's Bertrand Bar, which is set to be decked out with black linen-covered tables, glowing paper lanterns and Japanese ferns — all framing panoramic ocean views. Only 48 people can squeeze into each sitting (either for lunch or dinner), so it is set to be a relatively intimate experience that'll surely be popular.
Phillip Island's ever-popular little penguin residents have scored themselves an upgrade, with the new-look, revamped Penguin Parade visitor centre opening its doors this week. The colony of tiny birds and their waterfront digs have long been one of Victoria's iconic tourist destinations, with the sunset penguin viewings pulling over 700,000 visitors each year. Now, with the help of $48.2 million funding from the Labor Government — along with an extra $10 million from the not-for-profit Phillip Island Nature Parks — the world-leading penguin research precinct has had a long-awaited makeover. In good news for its pint-sized inhabitants, the mammoth infrastructure project has restored over six hectares of penguin habitat, reclaiming the site of the former visitor centre building to create extra homes for up to 1400 breeding penguins. As for the new centre built in its place, it boasts a state-of-the-art theatre, a suite of interactive activities and educational installations, along with a selection of retail and dining options. Here, you'll be able to browse a range of commissioned penguin-themed designs, from bamboo tumblers to tea towels, along with a line of sustainability-focused products including reusable veggie bags and stainless steel straws. An onsite restaurant will be dishing up plates like slow-cooked lamb shanks and a classic chicken parma, while the cafe is your go-to for sandwiches, sushi and pies. On the educational side of things, you'll find a realistic habitat space offering a penguins-eye view of the world, a range of penguin statues for those selfie snaps and a display sharing the story of the Summerland Peninsula's historic buy-back scheme and restoration of the penguin habitat. You'll also score a close-up glimpse of the penguin life cycle, as told through the journeys of resident birds Pudding, Ava, Peter and Flynn. The interactive installation allows you to see what's likely happening in penguin world during various seasons and months. The building's design has also earned some serious street cred, being named as a winner at the recent 2019 International Architecture Awards. And, in a win for those penguins, the building is especially environmentally friendly, featuring 666 rooftop solar panels, low-carbon building materials throughout and a water filtration system that recycles rainwater for non-potable use. While the visitor centre is entirely new, the program of penguin-viewing experiences remains the same — including the popular underground viewing platform and the ranger guided tours. You can find the new Penguin Parade Visitor Centre at 1019 Ventnor Rd, Summerlands.
Treat yo self! It's a motto for a reason. The Parks and Rec team taught us that everyone deserves a day of total indulgence once a year, and given how this year is going, we say you should stretch that to two. Two weekend days in Sydney, to be precise. The most unabashedly glam of the state capitals, Sydney will take you to 1930s Shanghai, mid-century Paris and 2000s Hamptons — all without you leaving the city centre. This is also the home of megawatt art and performance. Base yourself in the CBD and explore these decadences on your doorstep. EAT AND DRINK If you have the luxury to plan your trip a few weeks in advance, seek out a booking at one of Sydney's quintessential fine-dining establishments and put it right at the heart of your itinerary. A meal at Bennelong under the Sydney Opera House sails, a blow-out degustation at legendary Tetsuya's, a spread at ever-confident and classy Bentley or a taste odyssey at Peter Gilmore's newly revamped Quay (reopening this month, sadly minus the Snow Egg) — these are experiences you'll remember for months to come, let alone when your colleagues ask you what you did on the weekend. For your other meals, take a risk on some sophisticated newcomers. Restaurant Hubert, located in a dark and delightfully atmospheric basement on Bligh Street, is the one all Sydneysiders will rave to you about. Literally: it was our pick of best new restaurant in 2016, and the people's choice. In looks and menu, it's a marriage of olde-worlde European charm and contemporary finesse — think duck parfait with maple syrup jelly, escargot with house XO sauce, and kimchi gratin. If you're more in the mood to share a couple of stir-fries — but like, really excellent ones — head to David Thompson's upmarket Thai venture, Long Chim, or Dan Hong's enduring Cantonese venture Mr Wong, inspired by 1930s Shanghai. When it comes to pre- and post-drinks, let the city's sensational skyline be your guide. Don't miss the Cuban-inspired 'vista bar' Hacienda Sydney, with views that stretch for days. It's a garden oasis within Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Harbour where its always summer in the tropics, even in August. Afterwards, head to Henry Deane, the rooftop bar at pub The Palisades. Not only is it mostly enclosed, so you're sheltered from the winter winds, it manages an art deco-meets-Hamptons vibe, and its views are just insane. This is the spot to pop the top off a bottle of Louis Roederer Rosé Champagne from Rheims or put your trust in the bartenders to mix you a signature creation. The Opera Bar nearby is the ultimate in water's-edge drinking, while The Doss House in The Rocks lets whisky shine. Start your next day out in Sydney as if it were Paris — with a coffee and a pastry swiped from Bistro Guillaume. Owner Guillaume Brahimi is one of Sydney's fine-dining old guard, but his CBD venue is so relaxed it includes a takeaway patisserie. Hit him up for tarts, croque monsieurs and — of course — croissants. If it's a bigger morning fuel-up you're after, head further down George Street to The Grounds of the City — the CBD offshoot of Sydney's arguably most famous (and certainly most Instagrammed) cafe. DO A short break in Sydney's CBD is your chance to play art doyen for the day. Two of the state's main art institutions — the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) and Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) — are both parked here. Head to the AGNSW to catch the annual headline-making Archibald Prize exhibition, on all winter. You can make the most of the event by bundling your ticket together with a special themed high tea at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth. At the MCA, the John Mawurndjul exhibition — I Am the Old and the New — is worth lingering over. The Kuninjku artist from west Arnhem Land is known for extremely detailed cross-hatching you'll want to study up close. If you make it into town on the last Friday night of the month, don't miss the MCA's after-hours event, Artbar. Between one gallery and the other, you'll find a trail of Sydney's finest shops. Start at the Galeries — home to style-makers Incu, Kinokuniya and Muji — before wandering through the historic Queen Victoria Building and The Strand Arcade, both lined with contemporary boutiques. Then, lose yourself in the higgledy-piggledy laneways of The Rocks — you might stumble on art, craft and jewellery finds. A night at the Sydney Opera House should follow. Opera is right there in the name, but the venue also hosts theatre, talks, contemporary music — if a cultural form is out there, the SOH has run it. This winter, look out for the Sydney Theatre Company's The Long Forgotten Dream, with real stars director Neil Armfield and actor Wayne Blair attached, as well as the no-holds-barred spectacle of Opera Australia's AIDA. Come September, you can go full 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina' with the arrival of hit musical Evita, or balance out the weekend's indulgences with Antidote — that's the name of the talks festival that this year is bringing out Chelsea Manning, Ronan Farrow and Ta-Nehisi Coates. And just because Vivid is over, doesn't mean all the sparkle has gone out of the sails. Every night at sunset and 7pm, you can see the sides of the Opera House projected with Badu Gili, a seven-minute graphic work based on First Nations stories from the area. SLEEP The thing that's really going to kick your Sydney short break into treat-yo-self territory? That's the quality of your digs. The Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, near the State Library and Botanic Gardens, is true five-star indulgence. It has a pillow menu, for starters (yes, you get to choose your pillows). It also has elegant rooms, a courtyard garden, a health club and a breakfast you'll have to see to believe. This has couple's retreat written all over it. If hot-tub time is a holiday mandatory for you, on the other hand, the five-star Pullman Sydney Hyde Park has your name on it. Head to the rooftop pool for epic views out over Hyde Park and the city skyline — or enjoy them from your own window if you choose the right room. For luxury closer to the bustle of George Street — and to get those sweet, sweet spa treatments — choose the Swissotel Sydney. The hotel is home to the Spa & Sport day spa, as well as a sizeable gym and heated outdoor pool and jacuzzi. Lest you overdo the health kick, the hotel has just added fondue to its menu Thursday through Saturday nights. The dipping options include mac-and-cheese croquettes, potato rosti and nashi pear. Help. Go to the AccorHotels website to book your stay in the Sydney CBD, and to discover more of NSW, swing by Visit NSW.
Melbourne's Chapel Street is already one of the most colourful and lively precincts in town, but with the return of PROVOCARÉ Festival of the Arts the area is set to explode with confronting creativity as some of the most thrilling and unapologetic artworks and performances of 2018 take place. Running from July 5–15, the second edition of PROVOCARÉ will be headlined by world-renowned American photographer Spencer Tunick. Best known for his massive-scale nude photos, captured throughout many of the world's big cities, Tunick is set to shoot another provocative artwork in the Chapel Street Precinct. Tunick will be joined by a host of leading local and international artists, performing steamy cabaret shows, vodka-fuelled plays and much more. There'll also be a host of activities — such as blindfolded dinner parties — to partake in, too. To help make your scheduling a little easier, we've picked out seven sensational events taking place across the two jam-packed weeks. SPENCER TUNICK RETURN OF THE NUDE Spencer Tunick's PROVOCARÉ installation will be his third on Australian shores, after first shocking audiences Down Under in 2001 — with confronting photographs set on the banks of the Yarra — before returning in 2010 to capture another iconic series on the steps of Sydney Opera House. The artist has described Chapel Street as reminiscent of "East Village in New York, Sunset Strip in LA, and San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury, but all combined into one juggernaut". Before Tunick can transform Chapel Street into a sea of nude bodies, he needs (lots of) nude bodies. He is seeking hundreds of courageous volunteers of all shapes, ages, races, genders and abilities to get their kit off and brave the wintery conditions to feature in the two-day installation. If you'd like to participate in his latest work, head to the PROVOCARÉ website to register your interest (you'll be rewarded with a limited edition print of the artwork). Return of the Nude will be shot over two days between July 7 and 10 in the Chapel Street Precinct. REUBEN KAYE To give you an insight into Reuben Kaye's reputation, he's been described as "the evil love child of Liza Minnelli and Jim Carrey" and "the quintessential cabaret performer". That sets the bar rather high, but Kaye's not one to disappoint — or bore. After stunning audiences in Australian and abroad, Kaye's performance for PROVOCARÉ Festival of the Arts comes hotly anticipated. Having held residencies at London's historic Savoy Hotel and Café de Paris, while also gracing stages in Berlin, Stockholm and everywhere in between, Kaye will perform his award-winning one-man show — that's equal parts song, dance and comedy — for seven nights only. Reuben Kaye will be performing between July 7–15 at Chapel Off Chapel. Tickets: $30. THE DEATH OF WALT DISNEY One of Australia's most celebrated local theatres, MKA: Theatre of New Writing presents a daring and comical production of New York playwright Lucas Hnath's A Public Reading of An Unproduced Screenplay about The Death of Walt Disney. A highly fictionalised portrayal of the American figure, whose impact on pop-culture is matched by few others, the play explores the relationship between Walt Disney, his brother Roy and one of his daughters. Led by three actors supported by a pack of cigarettes and a litre of vodka, the play features the character of Walt Disney reading his own screenplay, written about himself and on his own impending death. The Death of Walt Disney will run from July 11-14 at the MC Showroom. Tickets: $20. ARTWALK Following up from 2017's inaugural festival, PROVOCARÉ will once against host an artwalk that'll lead you through many of Chapel Street's most loved art icons, while also delving into the rich creative history of the area. Winding through Windsor, Prahran and South Yarra, Artwalk will begin at the rooftop sculpture park of MARS Gallery — which features a wind-powered sculpture by Australian artist Cameron Robbins — before heading inside to explore the gallery's latest exhibition Liquid Candy by the acclaimed Bonnie Lane. The walk will provide insight into some of the cultures behind the areas' street art, explaining why they have become such notable attractions both locally and internationally. Artwalk will take place on Saturday, July 7 and 14, and Sunday, July 8 and 15, from 3–5.30pm. Tickets: $29. DINNER IN THE DARK Art and food intersect at this surprise-filled dining experience. Held in a secret location, Dinner in the Dark features three courses of food (and wine) prepared by local chefs Garen Maskal of Shukah and Daniel Natoli of Neptune Food & Wine. After following cryptic clues to a Chapel Street location, that you'll be given 24-hours earlier, you'll be blindfolded and seated in a private dining room. Each course is created to maximise the impact on your senses (well four of them), leaving you guessing as to what delightful flavour combinations you're consuming. Dinner in the Dark will take place in a secret location on Friday, July 6. Tickets: $90. DAVID BROMLEY WHATEVER YOU DREAM Rolls Royces, Mercedes-Benzs and Jaguars aren't your typical canvases, but David Bromley isn't your everyday artist. A free open-air exhibition at PROVOCARÉ, Whatever You Dream sees Bromley take luxury cars destined for the junkyard and transform them into masterful works of art. The co-founder of leading Chapel Street design studio and shop Bromley&Co, David Bromley is one of Australia's most in-demand contemporary artists working today. Best known for three long-term series Boys Own adventure, the Female Nude series, and Butterflies, for his newest exhibition – running July 5-15 – Bromley adds his unique styling to the opulent cars, employing a host of pop culture references, found images and bold colours to explore themes of nostalgia and the lost and found. Whatever You Dream will take place from July 5–15 on Oxford Street, South Yarra. CLUB PROVOCARÉ The theme of burlesque, circus and cabaret continues with a lineup of steamy international performers at Club PROVOCARÉ. The nightly show will be hosted by multi-award winning performer Bernie Dieter, AKA the Queen of Kink. Admired around the world for her sensational voice and sharp wit, Dieter brings along an all-star cast of self-described nocturnal freaks and misfits. The kooky lineup includes Belgian burlesque superstar Laurie Hagan, Australian 'boylesque' duo Tom Worrell and Karl Kayoss, the unmistakable 'Queen of Corporate' Karen from Finance, and Japan's high-flying and pyro specialist Yusura. Club PROVOCARÉ will be an erotic and high-octane experience like nothing else you've seen. Club PROVOCARÉ will show nightly during the festival at the David Williamson Theatre, Melbourne Polytechnic. Tickets: $33. For the full lineup, visit PROVOCARÉ Festival of the Arts and keep an eye on their Facebook @provocareonchapel and @chapelstreetprecinct for more event announcements.
The world's first wandering institution dedicated to showcasing the creative efforts of ordinary folks is coming to Australia. That'd be the The Museum of Everything, which will head to Tasmania for a ten-month stint filled with pieces that you won't find in any other gallery. Launching during MONA's Dark Mofo in June, then running through until April 2, 2018, the exhibition will feature over 1500 works in themed spaces, taking visitors on an informal journey through human making. Drawings, sculptures, paintings, ceramics, collage, photography, assemblage, found objects and installations will all be on display during its first trip to our shores. Starting in London in 2009, and touring to Paris, Venice, Moscow and Rotterdam since, The Museum of Everything aims to improve the profile of art that falls outside of the usual channels. Forget famous names — you won't find them here. Instead, lining its walls are works crafted by untrained, unintentional, undiscovered and and otherwise unclassifiable artists from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Indeed, the people responsible for the kind of pieces favoured by the travelling display are compelled to channel their creativity into new, different and experimental works, but they don't fit the conventional definition of artists. As founder James Brett explains, "our artists do not create for the markets or museums. They make because they must and— from Henry Darger to Nek Chand Saini — have something vital to say about the essence of their lives". Image: George Widener, c. 2007, courtesy of The Museum of Everything.
One tells of a woman seeking passion instead of a loveless marriage. The other follows star-crossed lovers held back by their respective families' long-simmering feud. Beloved on the page, and rarely far away from a screen or stage, they're two of the most famous stories of the past few centuries. And, both Anna Karenina and Romeo and Juliet are among the big highlights of the Australian Ballet's just-announced 2022 season. Anna Karenina will kick off the Australian Ballet's year with stints in Melbourne (from February 25–March 9) and Sydney (April 5–23). Here, in a co-production with the Joffrey Ballet that had its world premiere in Chicago in 2019 and then debuted locally in Adelaide this year, Leo Tolstoy's masterpiece comes alive with ex-Bolshoi Ballet dancer Yuri Possokhov's choreography. The story remains the same, with its eponymous figure seeking happiness but finding ruin — but you can expect quite the sweeping and sensuous production. Dancing with the Bard, the Australian Ballet's version of Romeo and Juliet will then close out its 2022, with Shakespeare's most famous duo also taking to the stage in Melbourne (October 7–18) and Sydney (December 1–21). Clearly, there's nothing like bookending a year with two stone-cold classics. John Cranko's production has been regular in the company's repertoire ever since it premiered back in 1974, in fact, and will again turn medieval Verona into a sumptuous onstage realm — all set to a score by Sergei Prokofiev that dates back to 1935. [caption id="attachment_830095" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pierre Toussaint[/caption] Both Anna Karenina and Romeo and Juliet were originally meant to be highlights of the Australian Ballet's 2021 season, but we all know how this year has turned out. Also in the same camp: Harlequinade, a comedy by Marius Petipa, who choreographed Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty. It'll bring its story of young lovers Harlequin and Columbine to Melbourne only (from June 17–25). As well as this rescheduled trio, plenty of other highlights will pirouettes across the stage, including Kunstkamer, which was created at Nederlands Dans Theater and has never before been performed by another company; and triple bill Instruments of Dance, which includes a nine-part ballet designed for 25 dancers and set to a score by Sufjan Stevens. And, there's also Counterpointe, which'll take its focus on ballet's extremes to Adelaide only — plus a regional program that'll tour Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and the Northern Territory. [caption id="attachment_830092" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pierre Toussaint[/caption] THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET 2022 SEASON: Anna Karenina: February 25–March 29 at Arts Centre Melbourne; April 5–23 at the Sydney Opera House. Kunstkamer: April 29–May 15 at the Sydney Opera House; June 3–11 at Arts Centre Melbourne. Harlequinade: June 17–25 at Arts Centre Melbourne. Counterpointe: July 7–13 at Adelaide Festival Centre. Instruments of Dance: September 23–October 1 at Arts Centre Melbourne; November 10–26 at the Sydney Opera House. Romeo and Juliet: October 7–18 at Arts Centre Melbourne; December 1–21 at the Sydney Opera House. Season packages for the Australian Ballet's 2022 Sydney and Melbourne performances go on sale from 12.01am on Wednesday, October 27. For further details, head to the Australian Ballet website. Top image: Simon Eeles.
Ask anyone their least-favourite place to sleep and planes will rank right up there. If you're on a long-haul flight and you're in economy, trying to slumber when you're soaring through the air can be one of the worst things about travelling. Enter New Zealand's new Economy Skynest, aka onboards bunk beds that were first announced back in 2020, locked in for a 2024 launch last year and now have debut routes confirmed: from Aotearoa to New York and Chicago. Lengthy trips from NZ to America are about to get a whole more comfortable, and scoring some shuteye midair is about to become easier, starting in September 2024. "We're delighted to announce that our innovative Economy Skynest will be launching on ultra-long haul flights, starting with the popular Auckland–New York and Auckland–Chicago routes," said Air New Zealand Chief Customer and Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty, announcing the news. "North America is the perfect market for Skynest, as it has a premium segment that values comfort and sleep during long-haul travel." "Skynest provides a unique and innovative way for our passengers to rest and recharge, making their journey with us even more enjoyable. By launching Skynest on these routes, we are bringing to life our commitment to providing choice, alongside the best possible experience for our passengers, and to continue to innovate and lead the way in the aviation industry." If it sounds like a game changer, that's because it is. Back in 2020, Air NZ announced the pods as part of filing patent and trademark applications, and noted that it'd make a final decision on whether they'd come into effect within a year. That go-ahead might've arrived a bit later — aka in 2022, not in 2021 — but that doesn't make it any less exciting. So, how will it work? This first-of-its-kind option will feature six lie-flat pods. Yes, they really do look like bunk beds on a plane, and you'll be able to slumber in them while zooming to your destination. On the planes, the Skynest will sit between premium economy and economy. Each pod will include a full-size pillow, sheets, a blanket and ear plugs, as well as lighting designed to optimise rest. There'll be a a separate reading light, too, and a USB outlet so that you can charge your devices — and also a ventilation outlet. Seatbelts will also be a feature in case of turbulence. When it's time to get up after your slumber, the lights will come on (and cabin crew will wake you gently if that isn't enough). After each four-hour slot, there'll be a 30-minute transition time to change the bedding as well. Air New Zealand has also unveiled some details about bookings will work. The key rule: each passenger will only be able to reserve one session per flight. Travelling with your mates, date or the family? If you're on the same ticket, you can book a session for each passenger — as long as there are enough spaces available. Price-wise, however, sleeping comfortably in the sky won't come cheap. The exact cost hasn't been locked in, but a figure of around $400–600 for the four-hour period has been floated. Air New Zealand's Economy Skynest will be available from September 2024 on routes from Auckland to Chicago and New York. For more information in the interim, visit the airline's website.
Fancy prancing through fields laced with the charm of provincial France? It's just casual summer weekendery when So Frenchy So Chic is in town. The ever-popular one-day French festival is waltzing back to Melbourne's Werribee Park Mansion on Sunday, February 13, and celebrating its tenth anniversary in the process. If you haven't been before, expect an entire afternoon of French-inspired niceties, including (but not limited to) gourmet picnic hampers, tartlets and terrines, and offensively good wine — all to a chill French soundtrack. So Frenchy hinges around a solid lineup of eclectic artists, with taking cues from France as much of a focus this year as showcasing French talents. Heading the 2022 bill is the YÉ-YÉ 2.0 project, which features Australian female artists performing new interpretations iconic 60s French pop music, and will see Ali Barter and Nadeah take to the stage. In another big highlight, Mick Harvey and the Intoxicated Men — which includes JP Shilo, Dan Luscombe, Glenn Lewis, Hugo Cran and Xanthe Waite — will play the songs of Serge Gainsbourg. Also on the lineup is up French Nigerian singer-rapper Féfé, who'll be supported by Melbourne's Cookin' on 3 Burners; French Australian singer, songwriter and producer Lili Alaska; and DJ sets by Mike Guerreri, DJ Frank Rodi and So Frenchy festival founder Jean-François Ponthieux. If you're not the most organised of picnickers, So Frenchy is putting on the works again with fancy picnic hampers, cheese plates and other French food fare; think: oysters, lobster rolls, croque monsieur, crème brûlée and crêpes. In Melbourne, Frederic Bistro, Milk The Cow, L'Hôtel Gitan and chef Romu are doing the honours. And of course, there'll be plenty of Champagne Lanson, French beer, cocktails, and rosé, red and whites wines as well. Early bird tickets are now on sale for $82 a pop. If you've got kids, you'll be happy to know that the whole thing is very family-friendly, and children under 12 can get in for $22. Images: Liz Sunshine / Simon Schiff.
There are plenty of ways to pick which music festivals to dance your way through, but one method reigns supreme: the all-powerful lineup. When a fest puts together an A-plus roster of onstage talent — like Charli XCX, Duke Dumont and Sonny Fodera headlining For the Love 2023, for instance — your decision is often made for you. That's one reason to get excited about the event's return next February and March. Here's another: its waterfront locations at its four stops. For the Love pairs its packed bill of dance and pop hitmakers with stunning backdrops, and will hit up the Gold Coast's Doug Jennings Park, Wollongong's Thomas Dalton Park, Melbourne's Catani Gardens and Perth's Taylor Reserve for its 2023 run. Also doing the honours: Cosmo's Midnight, Snakehips, Budjerah and KYE, as well as Sumner and Jade Zoe. And yes, Charli XCX's spot on the lineup means that if you live outside of Sydney and you can't make it to WorldPride next year, you can still catch her onstage. As in previous years, punters will also have the opportunity to kick back in style in one of For The Love's VIP lounges, presented by Aussie streetwear label Nana Judy. Plus, For the Love's Music For Oceans eco-friendly initiative is back, to do once again do the environment a solid. Behind the scenes, the folks at Untitled Group — the same minds behind Beyond the Valley, Pitch Music & Arts, Grapevine Gathering and Wildlands — are running the show, and splashing around their hefty festival experience. If an evening spent cutting shapes by the water sounds like a much-needed addition to your 2023 calendar, you can now register for presale tickets. Those advance tix go on sale from 9am AEDT on Thursday, December 1, with general sales from 4pm AEDT the same day. FOR THE LOVE 2023 AUSTRALIAN DATES: Saturday, February 25 — Doug Jennings Park, Gold Coast Sunday, February 26 — Thomas Dalton Park, Wollongong Saturday, March 4 — Catani Gardens, Melbourne Sunday, March 5 — Taylor Reserve, Perth FOR THE LOVE 2023 LINEUP: Charli XCX Duke Dumont Sonny Fodera Cosmo's Midnight Snakehips Budjerah KYE Sumner Jade Zoe For The Love 2023 tours the country in February and March 2023. Head to the festival's website to register for presale, with ticket presales from 9am AEDT on Thursday, December 1 — and general sales from 4pm AEDT the same day.
Jane has a message to everyone who thinks print media is dead and buried. Jane who, you ask? jane. by the grey attic, a new high-end, independently produced, bi-annual fashion, photography and fine art publication, the first issue of which is now available for purchase. The brainchild of creative director, writer and stylist Annika Hein, and fashion and fine art photographer Dean Bell, who freelance in the Melbourne fashion scene under the name The Grey Attic, jane. features 320 pages of film-shot photographs, arts, poems and articles from contributors dotted in 21 cities around the world. Highlights from the first issue include a review of Helmut Newton: A Retrospective at the Foam photography museum in Amsterdam that includes original snaps by the famed photographer, and an interview with Marion Hume, international fashion editor at The Australian Financial Review. "Our aim was to revert back to slower processes that nurture and encourage the slow creation and consumption of art, something that celebrates undone beauty, effortlessness, authenticity, timelessness and unconventional thinking," said Hein and Bell in a joint statement. "The element of film photography and our preference to analogue processes also provides something different in today's digital market." You can find issue one of jane. in Melbourne at Fitzroy Newsagency and Readings, or online at www.janebythegreyattic.com where they ship internationally.
There’s something about Naples and the number three. The soft cool stripes of Neapolitan ice cream come in three. Naples itself is the third largest city in Italy. And now, to bring it all home to Melbourne, the newest and third addition to Johnny Di Francesco's wood-fired pizza franchise is 400 Gradi Essendon. The man himself trained in Naples, which has undoubtedly allowed him to go on to make that award-winning margherita. Perhaps that’s why he went for the restaurant trifecta, adding the Keilor Road restaurant to his Brunswick East and Crown outposts. It seemed only right then, that we gave the ‘third food degree’ to 400 Gradi Essendon with a close interrogation on taste. Every course was under scrutiny. Yet tortuous, it was not. Begin with the antipasti of chickpea battered oysters, fennel and chives ($4.50 each), and follow with the calamari fritti, watercress and almond aioli ($22). You’ll want to order to share with the chums you’ve carpooled there with — streets have limited parking, not to mention you’re environmentally conscious — so relax back into your seat and take in the shades of moss green and deep wooden browns. While waiting for your main, sample a glass of vini bianchi. The Monte Tondo Soave ($12) comes from Veneto in northern Italy; it’s close to chardonnay and finishes light and clean. The crowd will also be treating themselves to post-work aperitifs. It’s a fancy casual affair, with dates and families scattered about. The whole venue seats over 200, while upstairs can cater for private crowds, making it an ideal choice for hosting after-work socials. It would be remiss not to have your secondi feature their wood-fired pizza. It’s what they’re internationally renowned for, after all. By all means, try that world number one margherita, but the ortolano — an eggplant and zucchini-topped vegetarian number ($24) — is moreish and chewy, and comes topped with enough cheese to get bones smiling. Follow with forkfuls of buttery sage, leek and pumpkin ravioli ($24). No scrupulous sampling would be complete without dessert, and their margherita gelato is an experimental must. The lads will tell you it comes infused with basil and sundried tomatoes. Close those astonished mouths, for they’re jesting — and, really, the recipe is a secret (although we did manage to confirm textures of sponge). Those who prefer less savoury inspired temptations can opt for the fig and mascarpone. There are plans to open a gelato store, Zero Gradi, in Carlton sometime soon, but you should still try and sample as many tastes as possible here first. Finish your night with a shot of limoncello ($12), as recommended from your hosts. It’s creamy, it’s smooth — and to refuse would go against what Italian hospitality is all about.
It was one of the last camping festivals that Victorians got to enjoy pre-pandemic, squeezing in just under the wire with its last edition in March 2020. And now, the much-loved Pitch Music & Arts is set to be one of the state's first camping festivals to make its glorious post-lockdown comeback, returning to the Grampians from Friday, March 11–Tuesday, March 15. It's a fittingly huge comeback, too, with a tasty lineup of 54 local and international acts delivering the goods across a five-day fiesta, served up by the minds behind Beyond the Valley. On the bill, you'll catch overseas heavyweights including Glasgow-based DJ and producer Denis Sulta, British electronic star Floating Points, Detroit's Inner City, Canadian DJ Jayda G, and German house icons Fjaak and Ben Böhmer. Joining them will be a diverse cast of homegrown legends, such as internationally-loved techno-house act Skin On Skin, dance floor favourite CC:Disco, producer Tornado Wallace and disco fiends Wax'o Paradiso. Fellow Aussie names including Fantastic Man, Jennifer Loveless, Claire Morgan, Sleep D, jamesjamesjames and Cassettes For Kids will also be making an appearance. As always, the dance-friendly house, techno and disco tunes will be backed by a smorgasbord of visual delights, to help energise your sweet return to festival life. It's all happening on a sprawling rural property in Moyston, around a two-and-a-half-hour drive northwest of Melbourne. Here's the full lineup to look forward to: PITCH MUSIC & ARTS 2022 LINEUP: 30/70 (LIVE) Anastasia Kristensen Ben Böhmer (LIVE) C.Frim Cassettes For Kids CC:Disco! Cinthie Claire Morgan COLLAR (LIVE) Crescendoll Cromby dameeeela Denis Sulta DJ Holographic DJ Jnett DJ pgz DJ Seinfeld - Mirrors (LIVE) Elli Acula Eris Drew b2b Octo Octa Fantastic Man Fjaak Floating Points (DJ) Fred P Haai Inner City (LIVE) jamesjamesjames Jayda G Jennifer Loveless Job Jobse Jordan Brando Juno Mamba (LIVE) Kee'ahn (LIVE) Laura King LCY Loods Maceo Plex Made In Paris Matrixxman Mella Dee Memphis LK (LIVE) Moopie Omrann & Ali (LIVE) PARTIBOI69 Peach Pink Matter (LIVE) Sally C Sherelle Skin On Skin Sleep D The Illustrious Blacks Tornado Wallace Tred Wax'o Paradiso X Club Pitch Music & Arts will take place in Moyston, from Friday, March 11–Tuesday, March 15, 2022. Register online for presale access before 4pm on Tuesday, December 7. Presale tickets are on sale from 6pm on Tuesday, December 7, with general public tickets available from 12pm on Wednesday, December 8.
They're perhaps the most mystical of all sea creatures, but you probably haven't had much of a chance to get up close and personal with real-life jellyfish. Well, this summer, all that's about to change. Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is shining the spotlight on these ocean enigmas with an interactive new $1.5 million jellyfish exhibition launching in December. Spread across 300 square metres and three multi-sensory zones, and featuring a thousands of jellyfish from a range of species, Ocean Invaders is set to make its home permanently at the aquarium. It'll be home to a range of exhibitions dedicated to these gelatinous critters — from lighting installations to hands-on activities and mesmerising, colourful displays of living jellyfish. You'll learn the ins and outs of jellyfish, watch them being cared for by Sea Life's ocean experts and even crawl through a cylindrical tank surrounded by them. In another zone, striking light projections lend even more magic to a range of living displays, including one transparent sphere that's packed full of floating creatures. [caption id="attachment_741094" align="alignnone" width="1920"] An artist's impression of 'Ocean Invaders'[/caption] Species like the blue blubber jellyfish (catostylus mosaicus), the upside-down jellyfish (cassiopea andromeda) and sea nettles (chrysaora melanaster) will also feature in the Ocean Invaders collection, which also aims to school visitors on why some jellyfish populations are currently booming across our oceans. Ocean Invaders is set to open at Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium on December 12, 2019. Find it at corner of Flinders and King Streets, Melbourne.
We're far from the muddy fields of Byron Bay, but as always, Melbourne is set to score its own taste of Splendour in the Grass, playing host to a swag of festival sideshows. Among them is a run of gigs at Melbourne and Olympic Parks from Sunday, July 24–Wednesday, August 3, featuring hit acts like Gorillaz, Liam Gallagher, The Strokes, Yungblud, Tyler, The Creator and others. And whether you've snapped up tickets to these or not, you can get your kicks revelling in all that music fest vibe thanks to the venues' new pop-up festival precinct. Rod Laver Arena's Upper Deck Bar will be brought to life from 5–9pm each gig night, with a top-notch lineup of street eats, cocktails and DJ tunes. Your mates at Mr Miyagi will be handling the food side of things, slinging goodies like Japanese gravy fries, hoisin duck tortillas and the signature fried chicken. Meanwhile, legendary cocktail bar The Everleigh will be working its magic, pouring a range of exclusive sips to star alongside a selection of local brews, wine and seltzer. There'll be DJs spinning tunes to get you in the mood, too, whether you're heading in to catch a sideshow or continuing the party elsewhere. Entry to Upper Deck Bar is free and open to the public.
Search for Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, The Jungle Book, Mulan and Cinderella on Disney+ and you don't just get one option. Thanks to the Mouse House's devotion to remaking its animated hits in live-action, viewers can watch versions brought to life with actors, too. Come April, search for Peter Pan and the same will apply, courtesy of the Jude Law (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore)-starring Peter Pan & Wendy. The first of Disney's do-overs for 2023, arriving before The Little Mermaid, this one is heading straight to streaming. There, it'll join Lady and the Tramp and Pinocchio, too, with both also bypassed cinemas. And, this take on JM Barrie's classic hails from a filmmaker with experience bringing animated fare to live with flesh and blood, with David Lowery also behind the gorgeous Pete's Dragon. Based on the just-dropped trailer, Peter Pan & Wendy's storyline goes heavy on the latter, as she meets that other titular figure, tiny fairy Tinker Bell and the Lost Boys. With her brothers, she's spirited off to Neverland, where Captain Hook awaits — listing off her full name like she's in trouble, in fact. Cast-wise, Ever Anderson — daughter of actor Milla Jovovich and filmmaker Paul WS Anderson, and also seen in the pair's Resident Evil: The Final Chapter — plays Wendy, while Alexander Molony (The Reluctant Landlord) gets flying as Peter. They're joined by Yara Shahidi (Grown-ish) as Tinker Bell, Joshua Pickering (A Discovery of Witches) and Jacobi Jupe (Cupid) as John and Michael Darling, and everyone from Molly Parker (Pieces of a Woman) and Alan Tudyk (Strange World) to Jim Gaffigan (Hotel Transylvania 4: Transformania). With Lowery coming to Peter Pan & Wendy fresh from The Green Knight, the first trailer for the former shares the latter's love of lush greenery — and memorable villains. Indeed, don't go expecting a dashing, debonair version of Law as Captain Hook. Lowery's version of Peter Pan aims to take cues from both the novel and Disney's animated adaptation. "We wanted to invigorate our retelling with emotional sincerity, an open heart, and a grand yearning for adventure. Hundreds of incredible artists spent many years bringing this film to the screen; I'm excited for audiences to see their work, to go on this ride, and to rediscover an evergreen tale from a new perspective," the filmmaker said. Check out the Peter Pan & Wendy trailer below: Peter Pan & Wendy will be available to stream via Disney+ from Friday, April 28.
After a quiet year of shut doors and lockdowns, Melbourne's CBD is finally springing back to life. And one pocket will be making a colourful comeback like no other, reborn as a public art gallery featuring large-scale works from some of the country's top contemporary artists. Part of a new retail precinct off Spencer and Lonsdale streets — which is also set to house the flashy new Ritz-Carlton hotel — the transformed West Side Place arcade has been dubbed Australia's first 'artcade'. The immersive gallery was brought to life at the hands of award-winning street art collective Juddy Roller, and renowned talent including Reko Rennie, Rone, Adnate, Lisa King, Meggs, George Rose, John Aslanidis and Caleb Walmlsey (aka Mayonaize). Working to a 30-day installation deadline, this diverse group of artists have completely overhauled the arcade's future shop, restaurant and cafe spaces, with a bold exhibition series that opened to the public on Friday, November 13. Among the works, you'll spy 'a room lost in time', created by acclaimed artist Rone in a nod to his hit 2019 installation Empire. That's the one that famously transformed a deserted 1930's mansion in the Dandenongs into a multi-sensory ode to decay. Neighbouring works include Reko Rennie's 225-square-metre ode to the Kamilaroi people — and a portrait-style celebration of global indigenous cultures by Adnate, whose murals you've seen gracing Collingwood's public housing block and The Silo Art Trail. The arcade is also home to a new concept cafe called Merriment, which is designed by artist Lisa King, was built by the Juddy Roller team and heroes a renaissance-inspired work celebrating female artists. Here, specialty coffee comes courtesy of Commonplace Coffee Brewers, while a neon installation proclaiming 'Art is Life' sets the tone for your wander through the rest of the arcade's visual delights. Find West Side Place, Merriment and all the artworks at 250 Spencer Street, Melbourne. Images: Julia Sansone
We say it every year. We'll say it again this year. On Halloween, there's nothing like watching the exceptional slasher flick that is the OG Halloween, aka one of iconic filmmaker John Carpenter's masterpieces, as well as the movie that helped make Jamie Lee Curtis a star. But when October 31 rolls around — and spooky season in general — there are more flicks to binge at home, including new releases from 2023. So, for your next scary movie-fuelled stint of sofa time, we've picked ten horror movies that'd make a killer streaming marathon — and are all available to watch on subscription-based platforms right now. In this bag of tricks: standout Mexican and Chilean fare, an entry in an ace new slasher franchise, inventive examples of the genre that play with the form and, of course, an evil doll. They're all treats, too. HUESERA: THE BONE WOMAN The sound of cracking knuckles is one of humanity's most anxiety-inducing. The noise of clicking bones elsewhere? That's even worse. Both help provide Huesera: The Bone Woman's soundtrack — and set the mood for a deeply tense slow-burner that plunges into maternal paranoia like a Mexican riff on Rosemary's Baby, the horror subgenre's perennial all-timer, while also interrogating the reality that bringing children into the world isn't a dream for every woman no matter how much society expects otherwise. Valeria (Natalia Solián, Red Shoes) is thrilled to be pregnant, a state that hasn't come easily. After resorting to praying at a shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in desperation, neither she nor partner Raúl (Alfonso Dosal, Narcos: Mexico) could be happier, even if her sister Vero (Sonia Couoh, 40 Years Young) caustically comments that she's never seemed that interested in motherhood before. Then, two things shake up her hard-fought situation: a surprise run-in with Octavia (Mayra Batalla, Everything Will Be Fine), the ex-girlfriend she once planned to live a completely different life with; and constant glimpses of a slithering woman whose unnatural body movements echo and unsettle. Filmmaker Michelle Garza Cervera (TV series Marea alta) makes her fictional narrative debut with Huesera: The Bone Woman, directing and also writing with first-timer Abia Castillo — and she makes a powerfully chilling and haunting body-horror effort about hopes, dreams, regrets and the torment of being forced into a future that you don't truly foresee as your own. Every aspect of the film, especially Nur Rubio Sherwell's (Don't Blame Karma!) exacting cinematography, reinforces how trapped that Valeria feels even if she can't admit it to herself, and how much that attempting to be the woman Raúl and her family want is eating away at her soul. Solián is fantastic at navigating this journey, including whether the movie is leaning into drama or terror at any given moment. You don't need expressive eyes to be a horror heroine, but she boasts them; she possesses a scream queen's lungs, too. Unsurprisingly, Cervera won the Nora Ephron Award for best female filmmaker at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival for this instantly memorable nightmare. Huesera: The Bone Woman streams via Shudder. EL CONDE What if Augusto Pinochet didn't die in 2006? What if the Chilean general and dictator wasn't aged 91 at the time, either? What if his story started long before his official 1915 birthdate, in France prior to the French Revolution? What if he's been living for 250 years because he's a literal monster of the undead, draining and terrifying kind? Trust Chilean filmmaking great Pablo Larraín (Ema, Neruda, The Club, No, Post Mortem and Tony Manero) to ask these questions in El Conde, which translates as The Count and marks the latest exceptional effort in a career that just keeps serving up excellent movies. His satirical, sharp and gleefully unsubtle version of his homeland's most infamous leader was born Claude Pinoche (Clemente Rodríguez, Manchild), saw Marie Antoinette get beheaded and kept popping up to quell insurgencies before becoming Augusto Pinochet. Now holed up in a farm after faking his own death to avoid legal scrutiny — aka the consequences of being a brutal tyrant — the extremely elderly figure (Jaime Vadell, a Neruda, The Club, No and Post Mortem veteran) is also tired of eternal life. The idea at the heart of El Conde is a gem, with Larraín and his regular co-writer Guillermo Calderón plunging a stake into a despot while showing that the impact of authoritarianism rule stretches on forever (and winning the Venice International Film Festival's Best Screenplay Award this year for their efforts). The execution: just as sublime in a film that's both wryly and dynamically funny, and also a monochrome-shot visual marvel. A moment showing Pinoche licking the blood off the guillotine that's just decapitated Antoinette is instantly unforgettable. As Pinochet flies above Santiago in his cape and military attire in the thick of night, every Edward Lachman (The Velvet Underground)-lensed shot of The Count — as he likes to be called by his wife Lucia (Gloria Münchmeyer, 42 Days of Darkness), butler Fyodor (Alfredo Castro, The Settlers) and adult children — has just as much bite. El Conde's narrative sets its protagonist against an accountant and nun (Paula Luchsinger, Los Espookys) who digs through his crime and sins, and it's a delight that punctures. As seen in the also magnificent Jackie and Spencer, too, Larraín surveys the past like no one else. El Conde streams via Netflix. PEARL 70s-era porn, but make it a slasher flick: when Ti West's X marked the big-screen spot in 2022, that's one of the tricks it pulled. The playful, smart and gory horror standout also arrived with an extra spurt of good news, with West debuting it as part of a trilogy. 30s- and 40s-period technicolour, plus 50s musicals and melodramas, but splatter them with kills, genre thrills and ample blood spills: that's what the filmmaker behind cult favourites The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers now serves up with X prequel Pearl. Shot back to back with its predecessor, sharing mesmerising star Mia Goth (Emma), and co-written by her and West — penned during their two-week COVID-19 quarantine period getting into New Zealand to make the initial movie, in fact — it's a gleaming companion piece. It's also a savvy deepening and recontextualising of a must-see scary-movie franchise that's as much about desire, dreams and determination as notching up deaths. In one of her X roles, Goth was magnetic as aspiring adult-film actor Maxine Minx, a part she'll reprise in the trilogy's upcoming third instalment MaXXXine. As she proved first up and does again in Pearl, she plays nascent, yearning, shrewd and resolute with not just potency, but with a pivotal clash between fortitude and vulnerability; when one of Goth's youthful X Universe characters says that they're special or have the X factor, they do so with an astute blend of certainty, good ol' fashioned wishing and hoping, and naked self-convincing. This second effort's namesake, who Goth also brought to the screen in her elder years in X, wants to make it in the pictures, too. Looking to dance on her feet instead of horizontally, stardom is an escape (again), but Pearl's cruel mother Ruth (Tandi Wright, Creamerie), a religiously devout immigrant from Germany turned bitter from looking after her ailing husband (Mathew Sunderland, The Stranger), laughs at the idea. Pearl is available to stream via Netflix and Binge. Read our full review. SKINAMARINK Age may instil nocturnal bravery in most of us, stopping the flinching and wincing at things that routinely go bump, thump and jump in the night in our ordinary homes, but the childhood feeling of lying awake in the dark with shadows, shapes and strange sounds haunting an eerie void never seeps from memory. Close your eyes, cast your mind back, and the unsettling and uncertain sensation can easily spring again — that's how engrained it is. Or, with your peepers wide open, you could just watch new micro-budget Canadian horror movie Skinamarink. First-time feature filmmaker Kyle Edward Ball has even made this breakout hit, which cost just $15,000 to produce, in the house he grew up in. His characters: two kids, four-year-old Kevin (debutant Lucas Paul) and six-year-old Kaylee (fellow newcomer Dali Rose Tetreault), who wake up deep into the evening. The emotion he's trading in: pure primal dread, because to view this digitally shot but immensely grainy-looking flick is to be plunged back to a time when nightmares lingered the instant that the light switched off. Skinamarink does indeed jump backwards, meeting Kevin and Kaylee in 1995 when they can't find their dad (Ross Paul, Moby Dick) or mum (Jaime Hill, Give and Take) after waking. But, befitting a movie that's an immersive collage of distressing and disquieting images and noises from the get-go, it also pulsates with an air of being trapped in time. It takes its name from a nonsense nursery-rhyme song from 1910, then includes cartoons from the 1930s on Kevin and Kaylee's television to brighten up the night's relentless darkness. In its exacting, hissing sound design especially, it brings David Lynch's 1977 debut Eraserhead to mind. And the influence of 1999's The Blair Witch Project and the 2007-born Paranormal Activity franchise is just as evident, although Skinamarink is far more ambient, experimental and experiential. Ball has evolved from crafting YouTube shorts inspired by online commenters' worst dreams to this: his own creepypasta. Skinamarink is available to stream via Shudder and AMC+. Read our full review. NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU Thanks to Justified, Short Term 12, Booksmart, Unbelievable and Dopesick, Kaitlyn Dever has already notched up plenty of acting highlights; however, No One Will Save You proves one of her best projects yet while only getting the actor to speak just a single line. Instead of using dialogue, this alien invasion flick tells its story without words — and also finds its emotion in Dever's expressive face and physicality. Her character: Mill River resident Brynn Adams, who has no one to talk to long before extra-terrestrials arrive. The local outcast due to a tragic incident from her past, and now living alone in her childhood home following her mother's death, Brynn fills her time by sewing clothes, making models of her unwelcoming small town like she's in Moon and penning letters to her best friend Maude. Then she's woken in the night by an intruder who isn't human, flits between fighting back and fleeing, and is forced into a battle for survival — striving to save her alienated existence in her cosy but lonely abode from grey-hued, long-limbed, telekinetic otherworldly interlopers with a penchant for mind control. With Spontaneous writer/director Brian Duffield's script matched by exacting A Quite Place-level sound design and The Witcher composer Joseph Trapanese's score, this close encounter of the unspoken kind is a visual feat, bouncing, bounding and dancing around Brynn's house and the Mill River community as aliens linger. Every single frame conveys a wealth of detail, as it needs to without chatter to fill in the gaps. Every look on Dever's face does the same, and every glance as well; this is a performance so fine-tuned that this would be a completely different film without her. Bringing the iconic 'Hush' episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer to mind, No One Will Save you is smartly plotted, including in explaining why it sashays in silence. Just as crucially — and this time recalling everyone's favourite home-invasion film, aka Home Alone — it's fluidly and evocatively choreographed. There's also a touch of Nope in its depiction of eerie threats from space, plus a veer into Invasion of the Body Snatchers, all without ever feeling like No One Will Save is bluntly cribbing from elsewhere. The result: a new sci-fi/horror standout. No One Will Save You streams via Disney+. TOTALLY KILLER Kiernan Shipka has long said goodbye to Mad Men's Sally Draper, including by starring in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. After her dalliance with witchcraft, she's still sticking with horror in Totally Killer, but in a mix of slasher tropes and a Back to the Future-borrowing premise. There's a body count and a time machine — and 80s fashions aplenty, because where else does a 2023 movie head to when it's venturing into the past? Also present and accounted for: a tale about a high schooler living in a small town cursed by a past serial killer, which brings some Halloween and Scream nods, plus Mean Girls and Heathers-esque teen savagery. And, yes, John Hughes flicks also get some love, complete with shoutouts to Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink star Molly Ringwald. Totally Killer doesn't skimp on knowingly and winkingly mashing up its many influences, clearly, or on enjoying itself while doing so. The end result is a heap of fun, as hailing from Always Be My Maybe's Nahnatchka Khan behind the lens, along with screenwriters David Matalon (The Clearing), Sasha Perl-Raver (Let's Get Married) and Jen D'Angelo (Hocus Pocus 2). Shipka plays Vernon resident Jamie Hughes, who has spent her whole life being told to be careful about everything by her overprotective parents Pam (Julie Bowen, Modern Family) and Blake (Lochlyn Munro, Creepshow) after an October turned deadly back when they were her age. Unsurprisingly, she isn't happy about it. The reason for their caution: in 1987, three 16-year-old girls were murdered in the lead up to Halloween, with the culprit badged the Sweet 16 Killer — and infamy ensuing for Jamie's otherwise ordinary hometown. Pam is still obsessed with finding the murderer decades later, but her daughter only gets involved after a new tragedy. This Jason Blum (The Exorcist: Believer)-produced flick then needs to conjure up a blast in the past to try to fix what happened then to stop the new deaths from occurring. Always knowing that it's a comedy as much as a slasher film (as seen in its bright hues, heard in its snappy dialogue and conveyed in its committed performances), Totally Killer leans into everything about its Frankenstein's monster-style assemblage of pieces, bringing its setup to entertaining life. Totally Killer streams via Prime Video. THEY CLONED TYRONE Jordan Peele's Get Out and Us would already make a killer triple feature with Boots Riley's Sorry to Bother You. For a smart and savvy marathon of science fiction-leaning films about race in America by Black filmmakers, now add Juel Taylor's They Cloned Tyrone. The Creed II screenwriter turns first-time feature director with this dystopian movie that slides in alongside Groundhog Day, Moon, The Cabin in the Woods, A Clockwork Orange, Invasion of the Body Snatchers and They Live, too — but is never derivative, not for a second, including in its 70s-style Blaxploitation-esque aesthetic that nods to Shaft and Superfly as well. Exactly what drug dealer Fontaine (John Boyega, The Woman King), pimp Slick Charles (Jamie Foxx, Spider-Man: No Way Home) and sex worker Yo-Yo (Teyonah Parris, Candyman) find in their neighbourhood is right there in the film's name. The how, the why, the specifics around both, the sense of humour that goes with all of the above, the savage satire: Taylor and co-writer Tony Rettenmaier perfect the details. Ignore the fact that they both collaborated on the script for the awful Space Jam: A New Legacy, other than considering the excellent They Cloned Tyrone as a far smarter, darker and deeper exploration of exploitation when the powers that be see other people as merely a means to an end. On an ordinary day — and amid vintage-looking threads and hairstyles, and also thoroughly modern shoutouts to SpongeBob SquarePants, Kevin Bacon, Barack Obama, Nancy Drew and bitcoin — Fontaine wakes up, has little cash and doesn't win on an instant scratch-it. He chats to his mother through her bedroom door, tries to collect a debt from Slick Charles and, as Yo-Yo witnesses, is shot. Then he's back in his bed, none the wiser about what just happened, zero wounds to be seen, and going through the same cycle again. When the trio realise that coming back from the dead isn't just a case of déjà vu, they team up to investigate, discovering one helluva conspiracy that helps Taylor's film make a powerful statement. They Cloned Tyrone's lead trio amply assists, too, especially the ever-ace Boyega. Like Sorry to Bother You especially, this is a comedy set within a nightmarish scenario, and the Attack the Block, Star Wars and Small Axe alum perfects both the humour and the horror. One plucky and persistent, the other oozing charm and rocking fur-heavy coats, Parris and Foxx lean into the hijinks as the central threesome go all Scooby-Doo. There isn't just a man in a mask here, however, in this astute and inventive standout. They Cloned Tyrone streams via Netflix. M3GAN Book in a date with 2 M3GAN 2 Furious now: even if it doesn't take that name, which it won't, a sequel to 2023's first guaranteed horror hit will come. Said follow-up also won't be called M3GAN 2: Electric Boogaloo, but that title would fit based on the first flick's TikTok-worthy dance sequence alone. Meme-starting fancy footwork is just one of the titular doll's skills. Earnestly singing 'Titanium' like this is Pitch Perfect, tickling the ivories with 80s classic 'Toy Soldiers', making these moments some of M3GAN's funniest: they're feats the robot achieves like it's designed to, too. Although unafraid to take wild tonal swings, and mining the established comedy-horror talents of New Zealand filmmaker Gerard Johnstone (Housebound) and screenwriter Akela Cooper (Malignant) as well, this killer-plaything flick does feel highly programmed itself, however. It's winking, knowing, silly, satirical, slick and highly engineered all at once, overtly pushing buttons and demanding a response — and, thankfully, mostly earning it. Those Child's Play-meets-Annabelle-meets-The Terminator-meets-HAL 9000 thoughts that M3GAN's basic concept instantly brings to mind? They all prove true. The eponymous droid — a Model 3 Generative Android, to be specific — is a four-foot-tall artificially intelligent doll that takes the task of protecting pre-teen Cady (Violet McGraw, Black Widow) from emotional and physical harm deadly seriously, creeping out and/or causing carnage against everyone who gets in its way. Those Frankenstein-esque sparks, exploring what happens when humanity (or Girls and Get Out's Allison Williams here, as Cady's roboticist aunt Gemma) plays god by creating life? They're just as evident, as relevant to the digital age Ex Machina-style. M3GAN is more formulaic than it should be, though, and also never as thoughtful as it wants to be, but prolific horror figures Jason Blum and James Wan produce a film that's almost always entertaining. M3GAN is available to stream via Binge and Netflix. Read our full review. THE BOOGEYMAN Teenagers are savage in The Boogeyman, specifically to Yellowjackets standout Sophie Thatcher, but none of them literally take a bite. Grief helps usher a stalking dark force to a distraught family's door; however, that malevolent presence obviously doesn't share The Babadook's moniker. What can and can't be seen haunts this dimly lit film from Host and Dashcam director Rob Savage, and yet this isn't Bird Box, which co-star Vivien Lyra Blair also appeared in. And a distressed man visits a psychiatrist to talk about his own losses, especially the otherworldly monster who he claims preyed upon his children, just as in Stephen King's 1973 short story also called The Boogeyman — but while this The Boogeyman is based on that The Boogeyman, which then made it into the author's 1978 Night Shift collection that gave rise to a packed closet full of fellow movie adaptations including Children of the Corn, Graveyard Shift and The Lawnmower Man, this flick uses the horror maestro's words as a mere beginning. On the page and the screen alike, Lester Billings (David Dastmalchian, Boston Strangler) seeks therapist Will Harper's (Chris Messina, Air) assistance, reclining on his couch to relay a tragic tale. As the new patient talks, he isn't just shaken and shellshocked — he's a shadow of a person. He's perturbed by what loiters where light doesn't reach, in fact, and by what he's certain has been lurking in his own home. Here, he couldn't be more adamant that "the thing that comes for your kids when you're not paying attention" did come for his. And, the film Lester has chosen his audience carefully, because Will's wife recently died in a car accident, leaving his daughters Sadie (Thatcher) and Sawyer (Blair) still struggling to cope. On the day of this fateful session, the two girls have just returned to school for the first time, only for Sadie to sneak back when her so-called friends cruelly can't manage any sympathy. The Boogeyman is available to stream via Disney+. Read our full review. KNOCK AT THE CABIN Does M Night Shyamalan hate holidays? The twist-loving writer/director's Knock at the Cabin comes hot on the heels of 2021's Old, swapping beach nightmares for woodland terrors. He isn't the only source of on-screen chaos in vacation locations — see also: Triangle of Sadness' Ruben Östlund, plus oh-so-many past horror movies, and TV's The White Lotus and The Resort as well — but making two flicks in a row with that setup is a pattern. For decades since The Sixth Sense made him the Oscar-nominated king of high-concept premises with shock reveals, Shyamalan explored the idea that everything isn't what it seems in our daily lives. Lately, however, he's been finding insidiousness lingering beyond the regular routine, in picturesque spots, when nothing but relaxation is meant to flow. A holiday can't fix all or any ills, he keeps asserting, including in this engaging adaptation of Paul Tremblay's 2018 novel The Cabin at the End of the World. For Eric (Jonathan Groff, The Matrix Resurrections), Andrew (Ben Aldridge, Pennyworth) and their seven-year-old daughter Wen (debutant Kristen Cui), a getaway isn't meant to solve much but a yearning for family time in the forest — and thinking about anyone but themselves while Eric and Andrew don robes, and Wen catches pet grasshoppers, isn't on their agenda. Alas, their rural Pennsylvanian idyll shatters swiftly when the soft-spoken but brawny Leonard (Dave Bautista, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery) emerges from the trees. He says he wants to be Wen's friend, but he also advises that he's on an important mission. He notes that his task involves the friendly girl and her dads, giving them a hard choice yet also no choice at all. The schoolteacher has colleagues, too: agitated ex-con Redmond (Rupert Grint, Servant), patient nurse Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird, Avenue 5) and nurturing cook Adriane (Abby Quinn, I'm Thinking of Ending Things), all brandishing weapons fashioned from garden tools. Knock at the Cabin is available to stream via Netflix and Binge. Read our full review. Looking for more things to watch? Check out our monthly streaming roundup, as well as our rundown of recent cinema releases that've been fast-tracked to digital home entertainment of late.
Erotica fans Australia-wide are celebrating the return of World Movies Channel's adults only program, Summer of Sin. Starting in December, it's a 62-night festival of all things intimate, with a sexually charged film screening at 9.30pm every single night until January 31. Before you ask, yes, Christmas Day's included. 2011 Spanish film The Sex of the Angels has that one covered. Moreover, New Year's Day will see a coital marathon kicking off at midnight, with 24 hours of films played back-to-back. In December 2012, the initiative saw a 49 percent increase in the channel's audience. This year, the formula that proved so irresistible to so many is being reapplied — a combination of classics and new international films, never-before-seen in Australia. In the words of the organisers, "We've scoured the darkest and dirtiest corners of the cinematic world for a line-up of the sexiest premiere films." Pretty much every fantasy or fetish gets a look-in, from swingers' parties to alien abduction. Here's our top 5. Young and Wild (Chile, 2012) When: Friday, 13 December 2013 (Australian television premiere) & Wednesday, 15 January 2014 This playful, raunchy, stylish film centres on 17-year-old Daniela (Alicia Rodriguez), who can't stop thinking about sex. Raised in a strict, wealthy, religious family, she expresses herself through her blog, Young and Wild, where she records her most outrageous desires and experiences. Call Girl (Sweden, 2012) When: Wednesday, 18 December 2013 (Australian television premiere) Inspired by true events involving Swedish politicians and prostitutes, this crime film is one of the more serious items on the Summer of Sin menu. A teenage girl's entry into prostitution exposes widespread hypocrisy at governmental level. Intimacy (France, 2000) When: Thursday, 26 December 2013 (Australian television premiere) & Saturday 18 January Every Wednesday afternoon, Jay (Mark Rylance), a failed-musician-turned-bar-tender, meets a woman (Kerry Fox) for brief, rough, wordless sex. One day he follows her home and discovers more than he bargained for. Kiss Me (With Every Heartbeat) (Sweden, 2011) When: Wednesday, 8 January 2014 Mia has always lived a straight life, and is about to enter an engagement with her partner, Tim, when she falls in love with her stepmother's gay daughter, Frida. An irrepressible mutual attraction develops between the two women, leading to a sensual affair. Elles (France, 2011) When: Friday, 31 January 2014 (Australian television premiere) Obsessive, middle-aged, unhappily married journalist, Anne (Juliette Binoche), receives an assignment that carries her into the risky yet seductive world of Parisian student prostitution. She gets to know two independent young women whose erotic adventures carry them into dangerous and unpredictable territory. Read our review here.
It's one of just a handful of hawker eateries to ever have scored a Michelin star, taking out the honour in both 2016 and 2017. And now, Singapore's legendary Hawker Chan is bringing its famed chicken rice dishes to Australia, setting up shop on Melbourne's Lonsdale Street from Friday, December 8. As with the original, it's helmed by chef Chan Hon Meng, who's had a tidy 30 years of experience perfecting Singapore's national dish: soy sauce chicken. Set to star on the Melbourne Hawker Chan menu, this age-old favourite features chicken poached in chicken stock, soy sauce and ginger, the meat then blanched to give the skin a gelatinous texture, and served on a fluffy pile of jasmine rice. It'll sit alongside a tight collection of just 19 other dishes, including authentic hits like char siew noodles, roasted pork rice, wonton soup and soya sauce chicken hor fun. The space itself will tap into the hawker spirit — it'll be a lively 92-seater where diners will order and pick up their meals from the front counter. It won't be taking any bookings though, given this is Michelin-quality fare, we're betting no one will be too fazed by a bit of queuing. Hawker Chan will open at 157–159 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, from Friday, December 8. For more information, visit Hawker Chan's Instagram.
There you were thinking that marbles, hopscotch and tug of war were just ordinary, innocent activities that everyone enjoyed when they were kids. Then Squid Game came along, instantly became one of the best new TV programs of 2021, and made everyone look at those childhood pasttimes in a whole new green and red light. The South Korean Netflix series also became a huge hit, so much so that Netflix confirmed at the beginning of 2022 that a second season was on the way, and also dropped a teaser trailer for it the same year — and announced that an IRL version, but without the murder, was in the works as well. The latest news worth breaking out the sugar honeycombs for? Finding out exactly who'll be playing Squid Game season two, and also getting a sneak peek at the reality competition show. Announced at 2023's Tudum: A Global Fan Event — aka Netflix's fan convention — the first spans familiar and new names, while the latter does indeed involve the notorious Red Light, Green Light doll. [caption id="attachment_905752" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Squid Game S1[/caption] First, the dramatised series. The second season of Squid Game doesn't yet boast a release date, but it does have a heap of cast members locked in. Lee Jung-jae (Deliver Us From Evil) returns as the show's protagonist Seong Gi-hun, while Lee Byung-hun (The Magnificent Seven) will be back as the masked Front Man as well. They'll be joined by Wi Ha-joon (Little Women) as detective Hwang Jun-ho, plus Gong Yoo (Train to Busan) as the man in the suit who got Gi-hun into the game in the first place. A show about a deadly competition that has folks competing for ridiculous riches comes with a hefty bodycount, which means that new faces were always going to be essential in Squid Game season two. Yim Si-wan (Emergency Declaration), Kang Ha-neul (Insider), Park Sung-hoon (The Glory) and Yang Dong-geun (Yaksha: Ruthless Operations) will all join the series, but Netflix is keeping quiet about their characters at the moment. As for the IRL take on Squid Game, called Squid Game: The Challenge, the streaming service revealed that it'll arrive sometime in November. Again, there's no death in the ten-episode show, but there's still 456 competitors playing games to win big, with $4.56 million on offer — the largest cash prize in reality television history. Yes, those challenges will be inspired by the South Korean thriller, plus a few new additions. There'll be no actors, just ordinary people. Also, competitors will be eliminated as the games go on, forming strategies and alliances will play a huge part, the sets offer spot-on recreations of the fictional version, the guards are all decked out in red and players in green, and it's all overseen by a Front Man. If you somehow missed all things Squid Game two years back, even after it became bigger than everything from Stranger Things to Bridgerton, the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning series serves up a puzzle-like storyline and unflinching savagery, which unsurprisingly makes quite the combination. It also steps into societal divides within South Korea, a topic that wasn't invented by Parasite, Bong Joon-ho's excellent Oscar-winning 2019 thriller, but has been given a boost after that stellar flick's success. Accordingly, it's easy to see thematic and narrative parallels between Parasite and Squid Game, although Netflix's highly addictive series goes with a Battle Royale and Hunger Games-style setup. Here, 456 competitors are selected to work their way through six seemingly easy children's games. They're all given numbers and green tracksuits, they're competing for 45.6 billion won, and it turns out that they've also all made their way to the contest after being singled out for having enormous debts. Check out Netflix's Squid Game season two cast announcement video below, plus a teaser trailer for Squid Game: The Challenge: Squid Game's first season is available to stream via Netflix — we'll update you with a release date for season two when one is announced. Squid Game: The Challenge will hit Netflix in November 2023 — we'll update you with an exact release date when one is announced. Images: Netflix.
